The Westside Gazette

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Math: The Next Revolution In Black Achievement PAGE 2

Blacks Gain Most From Obamacare When Medicaid Expanded PAGE 11

Early Blood Glucose Control Lengthens Life In People With Type 1 Diabetes PAGE 12

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Ed Brooke doesn’t get his due

By George E. Curry, NNPA Columnist Sandwiched between the deaths of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and popular ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott, the passing of former Massachusetts Senator Edward W. Brooke III at the age of 95 did not get nearly the attention it deserved.

Though two African Americans were elected to the U.S. Senate during the Reconstruction Era by the Mississippi legislature – Hiram R. Revels and Blanche K. Bruce, both Republicans – Brooke was the first Black elected to the upper chamber by popular vote, beginning his term in 1967. What made his election remarkable at the time was that a Black Republican Episcopalian could be elected statewide in Massachusetts, a predominantly Democratic and Catholic state with a Black population of less than 3 percent. It would be another 25 years before another African American – Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois – would win a U.S. Senate seat (1992).

Prior to his election to the Senate, Brooke served two terms as attorney general of Massachusetts. When he came to Washington, he declined to join the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and told Time

magazine: “I do not intend to be a national leader of the Negro people. I intend to do my job as a senator from Massachusetts.”

While doing his job, Brooke showed that – as did several Black Republicans who would later follow him in public service, including Assistant Secretary of Labor Arthur Fletcher in the Nixon administration and William T. Coleman, Jr., Secretary of Transportation under Gerald Ford – he could be a Black Republican without selling out his principles or abandoning the fight for civil rights.

When Barry Goldwater won the party’s 1964 presidential nomination, for example, Brooke, the state attorney general, refused to be photographed with Goldwater or endorse the Arizona ultraconservative.

In the 1966 book titled, The Challenge of Change: Crisis in Our Two-Party System, he asked, rhetorically: “Where are our plans for a New Deal or a Great Society?”

Though fellow Republican Richard Nixon was in the White House, Brooke opposed Nixon’s attempts to abolish the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Job Corps and weaken the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

And when Nixon nominated Clement Haynsworth and Harrold Carswell to the U.S. Supreme Court, Brooke was part of a bipartisan coalition that blocked the appointment of the two nominees who were considered hostile to civil rights.

On Nov. 4, 1973, Brooke became the first Republican to call for Richard Nixon’s resignation after the famous “Saturday night massacre” that took place when Nixon ordered the firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox after Cox issued a subpoena for copies of Nixon’s taped conversations recorded in the Oval Office.

Brooke assumed an offensive posture as well, particularly on housing issues. He co-sponsored the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion or ethnicity. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson a week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He continued to work on strengthening the law and in 1969, Congress passed the “Brooke Amendment” limiting public housing tenants’ out-ofpocket rent expenditure to 25 percent of the resident’s income, a percentage that has since increased to 30 percent.

A dash of salt improves the whole thing “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” Matthew 5:13 (NASV) Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

BROOKE With the Voting Rights Act up for renewal in 1975, Brooke engaged in an “extended debate” with John Stennis (RMiss.) on the Senate floor that resulted in the landmark measure being extended and expanded. He was also part of the team of legislators who retained Title IX that guarantees equal education to females and the Equal Credit Act, a measure that gave married women the right to have credit in their own name.

In 1967, Brooke served on the 11-member President’s Commission on Civil Disorders, better known as the Kerner Commission, which was established by President Johnson to investigate the causes of the 1967 race riots and to provide recommendations for the future.

(Cont'd on Page 9)

The Blue Bonnet slogan and jingle; “Everything’s better with Blue Bonnet on it,” is for a butter substitute margarine spread, made from hydrogenated vegetable oils or animal fats.

This prompted several studies to be done to prove that real butter was better for you than manmade margarine.

Over the years several improvements have been made in the advent of butter substitutes.

However, I am a real butter, brown sugar and no artificial preservative consumer-give me the real thing- maybe I might pass on the real milk it seems to have a lingering affect on me.

Remember when there was so much talk about how salt was such a great contributor to hypertension and other ill effects?

(Cont'd on Page 9)

China-HBCU exchange program launched

His trademark was his sense of humor: Eight interesting facts about Stuart Scott

SCOTT

By Joshua D. Copeland After a long and uphill battle with cancer, ESPN’s sports anchor Stuart Scott passed away at the age of 49.

His death affected friends, family, and countless fans. The world has lost yet another great soul who was able to impact millions of lives. It is tragic and unfair that it was his time to go.

But Stuart Scott had said something to us that will forever resonate in our hearts – to never give up, and to fight like hell.

But thanks to him being the phenomenal person that he was, it will never be a fight, but a pleasure to keep his memory alive for all time.

As tribute, I present to you eight interesting facts of the great Stuart Scott.

1.) Stuart Scott had been a sports anchor for ESPN since 1993.

He joined ESPN2 and was the host for Sportsnight back in 1993. Shortly after joining ESPN2 he was promoted to the anchor’s desk on Sportscenter, where he became a staple of the show, according to heavy.com.

Thanks to his contributions, Sportscenter had colossal ratings that competitors have never been able to keep up with.

2.) He has two daughters.

Scott is survived by his two daughters - Taelor, 19 and Sydni, 14. They were conceived during his marriage with his now ex-wife Kimberly Scott.

They were married from 1993 to 2007.

3.) His latest girlfriend was Kristin Spodobalski.

They started dating after Scott was diagnosed with cancer. As his health began to decline and he was no longer able to work, Spodobalski stayed by his side, never intending to leave it.

4.) Scott’s trademark was his sense of humor.

One of the reasons why Sportscenter was so entertaining to watch was because of Stuart Scott. He was so funny that he was often in Sportscenter commercials and even a regular guest on VH1’s I Love the 90’s.

5.) He accepted the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs. on July 16, 2014.

After receiving this award, Scott let out one of the most iconic speeches of the decade.

He received the award as recognition of his fight against cancer and because he became one of the most inspirational icons of 2014. One of his most memorable quotes of his speech: “I said, I’m not losing. I’m still here. I’m fighting. I’m not

Pleading Our Own Cause

losing. But I’ve got to amend that. When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer.

You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live.

Live. Fight like hell.”

6.) Stuart Scott was known for his iconic quotes.

Scott had a knack for saying things that really stuck with the audience. One of his famous references was being as “Cool

as the other side of the pillow.”

7.) He was diagnosed with Abdomen Cancer in 2007.

His long and hard fight with abdomen cancer lasted seven years. His cancer went in remission in 2012, but returned again in 2013. He remained optimistic and fought til the very end.

8.) His death effected the entire sports industry.

(Cont'd on Page 9)

Florida becomes 36th state to legalize gay marriage

Robert Xiao, the CEO of Perfect World (l) and Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund celebrate the new Perfect World U.S.-China Young Leaders Fellowship program. (Freddie Allen/NNPA)

By Freddie Allen, NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent A same-sex wedding ceremony was held on the steps of the Orlando City Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015.

By Tribune wire reports Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage ended statewide at the stroke of midnight Monday, and court clerks in some Florida counties wasted no time, issuing marriage licenses and performing weddings for same-sex couples overnight.

But they were beaten to the punch by a Miami judge who found no need to wait until the statewide ban expired. MiamiDade Circuit Judge Sarah Zabel presided over Florida’s first legally recognized same-sex marriages Monday afternoon.

Still, most counties held off on official ceremonies until after

midnight early Tuesday, when U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle’s ruling that Florida’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional took effect in all 67 counties. Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, is still pursuing state and federal appeals seeking to uphold the ban voters approved in 2008, but her effort to block these weddings until the courts finally rule was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.

And now that same-sex marriage is a reality in Florida, Bondi’s spokeswoman told The Associated Press “The judge has ruled, and we wish these couples the best.”

(Cont'd on Page 9)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – In an effort to develop the next generation of global leaders, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) joined Perfect World, the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) and domestic groups focused on building ties between the United States and China to embark on a new student exchange program.

The Zhi-Xing China – Perfect World U.S.-China Young Leaders Fellowship program will offer students and mid-career professionals the opportunity to travel across China, strengthening business and personal networks, and sharing inspirational cross-cultural ex-

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periences with their Chinese peers.

Perfect World, an online gaming company, will assist in funding the fellowship initiative, which is open to all educational disciplines and industries, through 2025.

Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of the TMCF, a group that advocates for nearly 300,000 students through a network that includes publiclysupported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), said that after meeting with world leaders in the public and private sector, he found Perfect World to be the perfect partner, because not only were they interested in entrylevel opportunities for HBCU students, but they were also looking for mid-tier professionals, as well.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)) MEMBER: National Newspaper Publishers Association ( NNPA), and Southeastern African-American Publishers Association (SAAPA) Florida Association of Black Owned Media (FABOM)

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Math: The next revolution in Black achievement The way forward for Black students rate for Black males is more than 50 percent in many urban districts.

The classroom can and should be an antidote to these problems, and in many cases it already is. We have a better understanding than ever of how children learn; how poverty, environment and culture impact learning; and, how welltrained, supported teachers can mitigate these and other factors to help drive student achievement. We need to build the capacity of school communities to put what we know into practice.

Contrary to popular belief, the brain is not static. It is everchanging, constantly adapting to new approaches and feedback throughout the lifespan.

That should bring hope and confidence to those who believe that we should never give up on a child or a person.

We have learned from, among others, the late Professor Reuven Feuerstein, a cognitive psychologist from Israel known for his work with structural cognitive modifiability — that, in short, the brain has the cap-

acity to be structurally altered, despite adverse early experiences.

James T. Kinard, a mathematician, scientist, and cognitive educator, has used Prof.

Feuerstein’s approach with students of color for nearly 20 years.

In the mid- to late-1990s, Kinard integrated Feuerstein’s cognitive work in a pilot project, supported by the National Institute of Envionmental Health Sciences, with young men — nearly 95 percent of whom were Black — who lived near industrial pollution sources in innercity commnities and were affected by extreme poverty.

In 2001-10, Kinard led teams that used cognitive modifiability with Black males in grades 5 through 12 in Chicago, Ill.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Fort Wayne, Ind; and Los Angeles, Calif. In both of these projects, students of all back-grounds and facing all types of obstacles were found capable of significant gains in learning.

114th Congress welcomes more women, African-Americans than ever before

sight and Government Reform Committee. This is an unusual distinction for a freshman.

Thirty-four Hispanic lawmakers will enter the House, including 10 Republicans. Ten Asian-Americans and two Native Americans (both Oklahoma Republicans) are also included.

Twenty women will make up the Senate. Two African-Americans will serve as Senators – Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and Corey Booker (D-New Jersey). There are three Hispanic Senators – Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey), Ted Cruz (RTexas), and Marco Rubio (RFlorida).

Democrat Mazie Hirono of Hawaii is the only Asian-American in the Senate.

While some may revere the diversity in Congress as a step in the right direction to serve women’s interests as well as African Americans’ interests, the Asian population in the US may be proof of just how little national politics plays on a demographics’ ability to excel. The Asian segment of the population, which only makes up five percent of the nation, statistically has the most successful businesses, the highest median income, and are the most educated.

Interestingly enough though, they have the lowest voter turnouts in the nation.

How do they do it? One can presume it’s due to economic unity.

The dollar circulates in Asian communities for a month. By comparison, the dollar only circulates in Black communities for six hours. There are lessons to be learned from the Asian population.

Dr. Sinclair Grey III is an activist, speaker, writer, author, life coach, and host of The Sinclair Grey Show heard on Mondays at 2 p.m. on WAEC Love 860am (iHeart Radio and Tune In). Contact him on www.sinclairgrey.org or Twitter @drsinclairgrey

By Eric Cooper Marian Wright Edelman, the children’s rights activist, calls it a “national disaster.”

“Children are suffering from a toxic cocktail of poverty, illiteracy, racial discrimination and massive incarceration that sentences poor boys to deadend and hopeless lives,” she said.

And “Black boys,” she continues, “are always at the bottom of the totem pole.”

By Dr. Sinclair Grey III Watch out America – change is happening. This change has to do with the number of women and minorities in the new Congress. On recently when the 114th Congress convenes, it will contain more women and minorities than ever before.

Still, Congressional lawmakers are predominantly white and male. However, the addition of 104 women is remarkable. African Americans of both genders representing both parties will be walking the halls of Congress.

Just look at the classroom.

Black males score below their peers on almost every measure associated with educational achievement. In 2009, for example, just 12 percent of Black boys in the fourth grade performed at or above proficiency in reading and just 12 percent of Black eighth-grade boys met or exceeded proficiency in mathematics, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). No wonder the high school dropout

Congress will see 96 racial minorities this term, which is roughly 18 percent. Just as an FYI: There are 100 Senators and 435 seats in the House.

In the House, there will be 188 Democrats and 246 Republicans. Michael Grimm, (RN.Y) has resigned, leaving one seat vacant. In the Senate, there are 44 Democrats and 54 Republicans. There are two independents– Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and Angus King (Maine).

Eighty-four women will serve in the House. The two women to take notice of are

Elise Stefanik and Mia Love.

Stefanik is a 30-year-old Republican from New York. She is the youngest woman elected to the House. Love, a 38-year-old African American woman from Utah, is the first Black female Republican to win a seat in Congress.

Forty-four African Americans— including William Hurd, a Black Republican from Texas— will serve in the House.

According to news reports, Hurd recently made news for being named chairman of an Information Technology subcommittee on the House Over-

Hastings wishes a Happy Founders Day to the Brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

By Honorable Peter C. Groff For good reasons many African Americans have wonderful memories of their time in public schools. Among those recollections are the family and community legacies, the favorite teacher and the lifelong friends that were made. Even for those, particularly in the south in the 1950’s and 1960’s, who have mixed feelings about their public school experiences they also remember the solid foundation that public education provided for college and a career. The system, even with its flaws, was good enough for our parents and, in some cases, for us.

However, that nostalgic era must come to an end and African Americans need to remake public education for our kids.

Too many of our kids have fallen through the cracks of the one size fits all public education system that was created in the 19th Century. According to the U.S. Department of Education, an academic achievement gap exists has been created and is widening. Nationally, on average, African American 12th graders read at the same level as white eighth graders, and barely more than half of African Americans graduate from high school. These numbers and other statistics like them are stunning, but when you realize that the majority of people incarcerated in the U.S. are people of color who have low educational attainment, and every person who drops out of school costs society about $260,000 in earnings, taxes and productivity, the numbers are frightening.

If our kids are going to be competitive in the burgeoning global economy we must prepare them better. President Barack Obama outlined the challenge in February of 2009 during his first address to Congress.

“In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a pre-requisite.

Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education… and half of the students who begin college never finish.”

So how do we create a better way forward for our kids? How do we create high quality options and opportunities for all students?

1. Far too often our children enter kindergarten unprepared to learn; thus, they are more likely to fall even further behind in the critical first four years of kindergarten and elementary school. Responsively, our community must demand high quality preschool programs for every four and five year old child, especially our poorest kids, and guarantee access to affordable, quality and safe child care.

2. Once our kids are properly prepared for K-12 education we

HONORABLE GROFF need to ensure their learning does not stagnate or falter. We must require that our legislators and school districts give our parents high quality choice within the public school system.

Innovative options like charter and online schools, homeschooling and even high performing traditional schools recognize the overwhelming body of research that shows not all children learn the same and that a one size fits all system is destined to leave countless students behind. Policymakers must deliver the K-12 choice, innovation and quality that numerous national polls show that parents are demanding, especially African American parents.

3. Finally, the President often reminds us that “… threequarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma”, but African American students are 45 percent more likely to take remedial class if they attend college, and then less than 40 percent graduate often because of economic pressures. The community must demand that school districts better prepare African American students for college and that legislators increase Pell grants, help families manage loan debt, slow tuition costs, and undergird community colleges. In addition, the community should clamor for high quality vocational training programs and meaningful apprenticeship opportunities for those students who elect not to attend college.

The schools of today have a unique challenge to prepare all students to compete on the world stage where critical and cutting edge thinking and knowledge are a must. For our kids’ sake and for the nation’s future we need to shake our nostalgic attachment to the schools of our past and demand something new. We must demand choice, innovation and quality in all our schools and for all our students.

Hon. Peter C. Groff is the former President of the Colorado Senate and a Senior Education appointee of President Barack Obama. Groff is a noted policy and political strategist and the Principal of MCG2 Consulting.

Follow him on Twitter @petercgroff

Rev. Robert C. Franklin succumbs

104th Anniversary of the founding of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc WASHINGTON, DC -Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement in celebration of the 104th Anniversary of the founding of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.: “Since January 5, 1911, members of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. have exemplified excellence and achievement in every field of human endeavor. Our precious fraternity has come a long way since the days of our founders, and with hundreds of thousands of

members worldwide, it has grown to be larger and more influential than even they could imagine.

“From public service to the sciences to sports, we truly possess a robust network of devout men who have committed themselves to challenging the limitations of the world we live in economically, politically, and socially. Moreover, on a local level, through programs such as Guide Right and Kappa League, Brothers have had a commendable influence on the

growth and development of local communities across the globe.

“As we celebrate 104 years of training for leadership, I look to our next generation of Kappa men to continue the work of those who came before us. To many more years in the bond.”

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Senior Member of the House Rules Committee, Ranking Democratic Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation.

Reverend Robert C. Franklin, a Minister at Mount Hermon AME Church, departed this life on Jan. 3, 2015 at Florida Medical Center. He was ordained at the A.M.E. Church Ministerial Institute South Conference in 2010. He was affectionately known as Pie Sugar.

During his tenure Rev. Franklin had the distinct honor of preaching in the absence of Rev. Dr. Leeomia N. Kelly, one of nine Judges of the Judicial Council of the A.M.E. Church.

Services were rendered at Hurst Chapel, Perrine, Fla, and Bethel A.M.E. Church, Naples, Fla. He was a graduate of Florida A&M University where he received his bachelors in Music and Nova Southeastern University and he obtained a Masters in Educational Leadership and Exceptional Student Education along with various certifications from other Universities.

A retired educator of the Broward County School System where he worked in various positions such as Band Director, Interim Assistant Principal, Exceptional Student Education Instructor of Language Arts & Reading thru Music.

Rev. Franklin was a talented musician, director, composer, singer, band owner and one of the five founders, of Cross Creek School in Pompano Beach, Fla. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Eta Nu Chapter of Pompano Beach, Fla. Also, a member of Mount Hermon Sons of Allen A.M.E. Church South Conference Ministers and Spouses Organization and Charmer of Broward County Charmettes, Inc. Rev. Franklin was a loving husband to Dr. Jerelene S. Franklin and devoted father to Robert II, Tanika (Charles) and Christopher (Juliet). Living siblings are Anthony (Faye) Franklin, Trevor Franklin, James (Thelema) Franklin and Archer Williams. Grandfather of Jay-

FRANKLIN lin, Keyonah, Chardae, Chole, Constance and Justin.

Viewing Jan. 9, 2015 at Mount Hermon A.M.E. from 58 p.m. Omega Service at 7 p.m., at 401 N.W. Seventh Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Funeral Services Jan. 10, 2015 at 1 p.m., at Mount Hermon A.M.E. Church, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Rev. Henry E. Green, pastor.

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

January 8 - January 14, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 3

Urban Land Institute (ULI) makes recommendation for the Historic Sistrunk Corridor

From Petula Burks, Public Information Specialist Fort Lauderdale, FL – Change is in the air and the Technical Advisory Panel for the South Florida District of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) has some recommendations to help facilitate that change along Historic Sistrunk Boulevard.

On Dec. 9 and 10, 2014, the ULI, through its local District Council and at the request of the Fort Lauderdale CommuBrother Herbert Burke was one of the original pioneers and Taxi Cab owners of ABC Cab Service, which was the only Black Operated Taxi Cab Service servicing The City of Fort Lauderdale for more than a decade.

Brother Herbert Burke, 33° was a member of Thomas Raines Lodge No. 484 and St. Joseph Consistory No. 275 PHA. GIG Hubert Burke, 33° has been called to the Eternal East. Brother Burke has actively served in the Order for over 60 years and now the time has come for his Last Rites. Masonic Last Rites for Brother Herbert Burke, 33° will be given Friday, Jan. 9, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. at Mizell Funeral Home, 1305 N.W. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Funeral service will be held Saturday Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. at Mount Hermon

nity Redevelopment Agency, organized a technical assistance panel (TAP) to discuss and provide advice on specific issues relating to the best ways to encourage more investment and economic development throughout the entire Northwest-Progresso-Flagler Heights Redevelopment Area, specifically focusing the discussion on designated sections of the Sistrunk Corridor west of the FEC railroad line and surrounding areas.

In order to facilitate such a panel discussion, key questions and issues were addressed, such as: Where and how to more efficiently concentrate and phase efforts and activities; What incentives are needed; Marketing and branding strategies; Optimal organizational structure to accomplish change and Access to capital.

Panelists and participants also reviewed what Sistrunk looks like today and offered pros and cons. Some of the items that came out of the discussion were: Sistrunk is not the vibrant place it once was; Lacks a clear champion in the marketplace; Lacks many neighborhood services; High commercial and industrial vacancy rates and Home to legacy sites such as the Mizell Center (Old Provident Hospital) and the African American Research Library; Ideally located for future growth; Significant po-

tential for heritage tourism and Substantial recent infrastructure investment Based on the two-day panel discussion, the following is a preliminary overview of the ULI/ TAP recommendations: Create a shared vision for the area/revitalization of Sistrunk Boulevard by convening a group of stakeholders; Focus on existing stock and investments; Establish unique businesses to reinforce local character; Expand the basic sector economies; Expand partner base; Promote mixed use real estate; Relax parking requirements; Better align developer agreements with economic goals; Develop a more creative role for the CRA; Possibly extend CRA beyond 2025; Focus on marketing of Place; need active brand management; Develop mom and pop business program; Add staff to enhance business recruitment; Dedicated CRA staff; Tourism partnerships; Connect job and training opportunities;

Empower CRA; Explore alternative capital sources While these are recommendations that will need further study, next steps were also provided as food for thought for those in attendance. The suggested next steps include: Concentrating initial efforts from

Northwest Seventh to Northwest 15th Avenues; Work on redevelopment efforts west of Northwest 15th Avenue, after eastern link is established The final report will be available in February 2015 and at that time will be presented to the City Commission.

New laws in the Sunshine State you should know about taking effect Jan. 1 provides reason for an exception. Violators face a $60 fine and three points against their license.

Smoke alarms A new law calls for homeowners to begin phasing out old battery-operated smoke alarms.

When people replace their smoke alarms, according to the legislation, they must reinstall a detector with a non-removable and nonreplaceable battery that lasts at least 10 years.

Child booster seats

AME Church, 401 N.W. Seventh Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311. Illustrious Emmett Kater, 33° Public Relations.

The state gets a higher minimum wage The 12-cent increase boosts the rate from $7.93 to $8.05 an hour. The minimum wage for workers who receive tips will rise from $4.91 to $5.03 an hour.

More than 20 states, including Florida’s neighbors Georgia and Alabama, pay $7.25 an hour, the federal minimum.

Parents must place children in full child seats until at least age three. After that, four- and five-year-old kids can ride in booster seats. Some exceptions: Children between four and five years of age may use just a seat belt if the driver is not a member of the child’s immediate family, the child is being transported as a favor, in the case of an emergency, or when a doctor

New surcharge on car-sharing services Members of car-sharing services who use a vehicle for less than a day will pay a surcharge of $1 and for more than a day, a $2 per day surcharge. Users of rental services pay a $2-perday surcharge when leasing or renting a car.

Page 4 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • January 8 - January 14, 2015

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Community Digest

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Celebration

Volunteers

Celebration

Celebration

Event

United Way of Broward is looking for volunteers: Dr. King Spady Museum celebrates 15 years of honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., at 2015 Annual Breakfast, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2015 at 8 a.m., at Delray Beach Golf Club, 2200 Highland Ave., Delray Beach, Fla. Delray Speaks, Thursday, Jan. 19, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, 170 N.W. Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, Fla. Roots Cultural Festival Kickoff Event, Friday, Jan. 16, at 6 p.m., at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts. For cost and additional info call (561) 279-8883.

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Dr. King The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee, Inc. (MLKCC) is seeking volunteers to assist with various King Holiday Celebration events including the King Holiday Parade and Battle of the Bands events, both held, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 and the MLK Day of service to be held Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. To find more about the events and register to volunteer online at www.kingholidaycelebration.com Student can receive community service hours. A volunteer orientation will take place, Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m., at the Mizell Library, 1409 N.W. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. All interested parties are invited.

Dr. King

Dr. King

The Plantation United Methodist Church Interfaith/Multicultural Committee invite you to their 19th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Theme: “Celebrate the Dream” The event will be held on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 at 3 PM at Plantation United Methodist Church, 1001 N.W. 70 Ave., Plantation, Fla. Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Don Mizell. We look forward to your support. Please grace us with your presence and help to make this event a success! For further info contact Claudette Hammond at (954) 393-4231.

The Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Picnic Celebration will be held on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 at Potters Park, 4300 S.W. 57 Terr., Davie, Fla from 1 to 4 p.m. The Outing Celebration will include youth entertainment, guest speakers, a poetry contest and kids activities including bounce houses and petting farm. Come celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday with the Town of Davie. If you would like to participate in the poetry contest, for info call (954) 797-1166.

Reception

Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council (SFMSDC) 40th Anniversary Kick-off Reception, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015 at 5:30 p.m., at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, Fla.

Seminar

Chi Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in launching new dimensions of service through Target III: Family Strengthening in partnership with the Friends of Tyrone Bryant Branch Library, will host the second financial literacy seminar for seniors, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, from 10:30 a.m. -1 p.m. at Tyrone Bryant Branch Library, Multipurpose Room, 2230 N.W. 21 Ave., Fort Lauderdale. The workshop facilitator will be Cynthia Martin from a local bank. Light refreshments. For additional information, contact Jean Curlee-Gordon at (954) 733-9749 or visit us on the website at chipsiomega@info.org.

EDUCATION MATTERS Every Child Deserves a Chance to Succeed.

The City of Deerfield Beach MLK Birthday Celebration Jan. 16-19, 2015

Dr. King The City of Sunrise, FL and Orange Island Arts Foundation presents, Poetry That Breaks Silence: An MLK Day of Service Event, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 at 12 noon, at City of Sunrise Civic Center, Grand Ballroom, 10610 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise, Fla. Keynote Address

by Jericho Brown, American Book Award Winner and National Endowment for the Arts Fellow. To RSVP, visit www.MLKday2015Sunrise.eventbrite.com

Event

Seminole Middle School is offering free tutoring for their students at the Jim Ward Center, Monday and Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. You must have your own transportation and the child must be a current student at Seminole. Contact Ms. Curry at (754) 323 4200, ext. 2012 for more info.

Dr. King Join the City of Deerfield Beach along with city leaders, civic organizations and churches, as we pay homage to this great Civil Rights leaders.

This four daylong event features a weekend carnival, games and live entertainment, before drawing to a close on Monday with a two mile long parade and awards ceremony.

Event Details · Family friendly carnival Friday through Monday · Live Entertainment; Friday through Sunday even-ing · Parade · Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ceremony Entertainment Schedule * Friday, Jan. 16, 2015 * Carnival from 5 to 10 p.m.

LaNorris McFadden & P.R.O.O.F. from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015 * Carnival, from 12 to 10 p.m. * Pocket Change – from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 * Carnival, from 12 to 10 p.m. * Valerie Tyson Band, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 * Parade – Featuring Grand Marshal Twan Russell, at 10 a.m. * MLK Jr. Ceremony at Westside Park in the Leo Robb Gymnasium at 12 p.m. * Carnival from 1 to 6 p.m.

For more info call (954) 4804429.

The Sistrunk Historical Organization is now accepting applications for its parade and Urban Music Festival which will be held February 28, 2015.

Be a part of this phenomenal and festive event by visiting www.sistrunkfestival.org and completing your application. It is going to be awesome!!

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 1-888565-1470. 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.

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.

Together 50 years and Telling our Story on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, 11:30 a.m., NW Classmates, this luncheon is coming together beautifully, and we have gotten a lot of community excitement.

The three schools are working together like clockwork, and we will have updates for you as things move forward. Check your email often.

Each of the three collaborating schools - Booker T Washington, North Dade, and Northwestern - are selling tickets to the luncheon. Our best benefit, is in selling OUR tickets first. However, it is better for your friends to buy a ticket SOMEWHERE, than not at all.

We get some benefit from tickets sold at sites in the community.

Tickets: NW tickets are with our classmate, Laura Gallon Jones. Contact her ASAP. Deadline: 1/18/2015.

305-836-4829-hm, or 305-7330672-cell. She does text. Yes, we want the most tables there!!!

Payment - Cash or Check: Checks are payable to BTW Class of 1965, Inc. Not to worry, we will get our share.

Each school has assignments to do, and this is theirs.

Parents: As we celebrate our successful accomplishments throughout the civil rights developments, no one is more deserving of recognition than our parents who witnessed us go through challenges that they probably did not even understand. If you are attending the luncheon we will give a tribute to your parents. We will get the names later.

Hot 105: The committee will be recording a message about the event on this coming Monday. Listen for it throughout the month.

TO HAVE YOUR COMMUNITY EVENTS POSTED CALL -(954) 525-1489

OR FAX (954) 525-1861

FOR MORE INFO

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

January 8 - January 14, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 5

FPL bills to decrease Jan. 1 Only six weeks left to select a health care Savings help keep FPL customer bills approximately 25 percent below U.S. average and the lowest of all Florida utilities JUNO BEACH, FL – Florida Power & Light Company’s customers can ring in the New Year with savings – their typical residential bill is going down approximately $2 per month beginning January 1, 2015.

Business customers will see a decrease of roughly 1 percent, depending on rate class and type of service.

“This is another example of our commitment to keeping bills low,” said Eric Silagy, president and chief executive officer of FPL. “We work tirelessly to provide the best possible value for our customers – the lowest bills in the state, the most reliable power in the Southeast, awardwinning customer service and a clean emissions profile.”

The approximately $2 monthly decrease taking effect in January is based on a typical, 1,000-kWh residential customer’s bill. It takes into account recently approved cost-effective energy efficiency goals that will result in savings for FPL customers over the next five years.

FPL residential customers can

calculate their estimated savings by entering their monthly electricity usage into the online calculator at FPL.com/lowerbills.

FPL’s typical customer bill continues to be approximately 25 percent lower than the national average, and for nearly six years in a row, the lowest of all reporting utilities in Florida.

FPL customer bills have remained low in part because of the company’s long-term investments in clean, fuel-efficient power plants, such as the FPL Riviera Beach Clean Energy Center that began powering customers this year. In total, since 2001, FPL’s investments in clean, fuel-efficient power

plants have saved customers more than $7.5 billion on fuel costs and helped reduce our use of foreign oil by 99 percent.

These investments have also enabled FPL to produce significantly cleaner power than ever before, preventing more than 85 million tons of carbon emissions to date – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency equivalent of removing 16 million cars from the road.

FPL’s advanced energyefficiency tools can help customers save even more in 2015 FPL’s free Online Home Energy Survey provides customers with personalized energy-savings plans, tips and recommendations to save on their electric bills. The survey is integrated with the FPL Energy Dashboard, which gives customers access to their individual hourly, daily and monthly energy usage, monthly bill amounts, local temperature readings and more – so tracking and managing energy costs is easier than ever. Customers can visit FPL.com/easytosave to learn more.

Elected Black Republicans not expected to be a plus for the community

By Freddie Allen NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, DC (NNPA) – Black Republicans made history during the midterm elections in November by winning in Texas, South Carolina and Texas, but political analysts wonder if the victories will have any long-term impact on the future of the GOP in the Black community.

Traditionally, Black candidates running for elected offices not only need a large Black turnout, but also a majority of the Black vote to win statewide and national races.

Senator Tim Scott made history by becoming the first Black Republican elected to serve in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He won with just 10 percent of the Black vote and 82 percent of the White vote, according to exit polls.

Representative-elect Will Hurd beat his Democratic challenger Pete Gallego in Texas by a narrow 2.1 percent margin in a predominately Hispanic congressional district (House District 23) to become the first Black Republican from Texas elected to the United States Congress since Reconstruction.

When the next congressional term begins, Mia Love, a Black Mormon and daughter of Haitian immigrants, will repre-sent Utah’s 4th House district in a state where Blacks account for just 1.3 percent of the total population.

Lorenzo Morris, a political science professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., said that the Black community shouldn’t expect much from the Black Republi-cans during the next legislative session, because they won largely without Black voters. In addition, he said, their rank as freshmen lawmakers will li-mit their influence within the party.

“Their collective impact, if they are really outspoken, will just be on the plus side of zero, barely zero,” said Morris. “The obvious impact for Republicans is positive only to the extent that it shows visually, if not substantively, an outreach to minorities.”

Scott earned an “F” on the NAACP’s legislative report card during the first session of the 113th Congress from January 2013 – December 26, 2013.

ThinkProgress.org reported that Scott proposed a bill in 2011 to block families from receiving food stamp benefits if one of the adults in the home joined a strike, and as a state legislature, Scott supported cuts to South Carolina’s HIV/AIDS budget.

In a 2012 speech, Love accused President Barack Obama of “pitting us against each other based on our income level, gender, and social status” and said that, “His policies have failed.” Love has also pledged to take the Congressional Black Caucus “apart from the inside out.”

SCOTT If they continue to express views counter to those held by the Black electorate that overwhelmingly supported President Obama with more than 90 percent of their votes in backto-back elections, Morris said, that their presence could actually hurt that visual image of minority outreach, because it will further distance the GOP from the politics that are overwhelmingly characteristic of Black voters.

Raynard Jackson, a Republican strategist and the president and CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, called Love, “the embodiment of the American Dream” and said that her journey as a first generation Haitian immigrant to become the first Black Republican female ever elected to the U.S.

House of Representatives is amazing.

“It doesn’t matter what her politics are or what her party affiliation is, if Love’s story doesn’t inspire you, then there is something wrong with you as an American citizen,” said Jackson.

Former congressman Allen West (R-Fla.) said that the Republican Party has to remind Black voters that the conservative principles and values of the GOP are quite consistent with the history of the Black community.

“When you go back and read Booker T. Washington’s writings at the turn of the century, his remedy for the Black community under the stress and strain of segregation and Jim Crow laws were three points: education, entrepreneurship and self-reliance,” said West.

“When you look at each one of those individuals Senator Tim Scott, Representatives-elect Mia Love and Will Hurd, that’s what they represent, and those are the three things we must have conversations about in the Black community.”

West compared the overwhelming loyalty that Black voters have for the Democratic Party to an investor that puts all of his eggs in one basket.

Just like an investor shouldn’t put all of his money in one fund or one venture, West said, Black voters should also diversify their political capital.

plan under theAffordable HealthcareAct

By Gursimran Reen and Nicole Biscuiti FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- Time is running out for thou-sands of Broward County residents who may not have health care insurance. Open enrollment to sign up and select a health plan under the Affordable Healthcare Act ends on Feb. 15.

Broward Regional Health Planning Council (BRHPC) is leading the drive to alert residents that it is important for them to sign up by Jan. 15 in order to start coverage by Feb. 1. Individuals and families, even if they have been denied insurance in the past, are encouraged to log onto www.brhpc.org or call 2-1-1for help in the enrollment process and to learn about potential financial assistance.

BRHPC has partnered with several local community-based organizations: 211-Broward, “The people in these majority-minority districts are going to have to look up and say, ‘Why are we still in this situation? Why do we continue to elect the same person and nothing is getting any better?’” said West.

Morris said that if a Black Republican wanted to sway Black voters in any significant way, the candidate would have to talk about social policies and programs in ways that are open and address issues such as income inequality similar to the way a moderate Democrat would. In short: the candidate would have to be a liberal Republican.

“It would take a miracle for a Black Republican to win a majority Black district,” said Morris.

(Read full stoiry on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Hispanic Unity of Florida, Urban League of Broward County, and Community Access Centers to help get the word out.

“Most people do not realize that they must sign up for insurance,” said Michael DeLucca, president and CEO, BRHPC. “We want to help the community learn more about the Marketplace and how easy it is to get health coverage.”

When individuals enroll, they first check to see if they qualify for financial help, and then they select a plan that fits their budget and needs. It’s a simple process.

The following items must be brought to the appointment to enroll: · Email Address (an account can be set up at the appointment) · Social Security number · Annual Income · Naturalization or Immigration documentation Timing is critical because uninsured people will receive pe-

nalties. A person who does not have coverage in 2015 will be fined 2 percent of the household’s yearly income or $325 per person for the year ($162.50 per child under 1), whichever is higher.

By 2016, the average fine will be about $1,100, based on government figures.

“Many people are still uninsured because they think coverage is not affordable. They do not know about the financial assistance available to them,” said Gursimran Reen, program manager, BRHPC for the ACA Program. Subsidies are available to most uninsured Americans with incomes between 133 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

For a family of four, that converts to an annual household income between $23,850 and $95,400.

To learn how to enroll, or for more information, call 2-1-1, email getcovered@brhpc.org or log onto www.brhpc.org.

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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.

The Gantt Report

The Black come up

By Lucius Gantt There are writers and reporters in almost every newspaper, on every TV and radio station and on every network trying to get their “come up” GANTT by constantly attacking Black youth, Black athletes, Black rappers and present and past Black heroes!

And, the ring leaders of these unrelenting attacks are white women!

A “come up” is when you use other people to raise your status mainly by criticizing someone good or someone better than you.

It seems the most hated person in the world these days is Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.

It is fair game to criticize Winston’s exploits on and off the field but to talk or write about mistakes Winston made years and months ago and to twist and turn any situation about him into a negative situation has to be racially motivated. Look at how Michael Vick is being hated years after a discretion and years after he changed his life for the better!

Why Winston? Because the only crime Winston committed was to walk out of a super market with a couple of pounds of crab legs, months and months ago, I might add.

R.I.P. Brother Stuart Scott you were, “As cool as the other side of the pillow." (Sunrise: July 19, 1965 - Sunset: January 4, 2015)

By Charles Moseley Rumor has it that when baby Stuart Scott was born soon after the doctor slapped his backside, it is said that Baby Stuart looked up at the doctor and shouted, “Boo Yah!” and the rest of course is history. That unmistakable voice characterized by Stuart Scott, will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of those who got to

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Bobby R. Henry, Sr. - PUBLISHER Pamela D. Henry - SENIOR EDITOR Sonia M. Henry Robinson COMPTROLLER Elizabeth D. Henry CIRCULATION MANAGER Carma L. Henry - DATA ENTRY Charles Moseley MARKETING DIRECTOR Norman Edwards & Ron Lyons PHOTOGRAPHERS Levi Henry, Jr. - CHAIRMAN Yvonne F. Henry EDITOR (Emeritus)

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know him well during his sports broadcasting career.

I was engaged in one of my favorite pastimes last Sunday night-watching ESPN, when I noticed that the subject of the broadcast inSCOTT volved sportscaster extraordinaire Stuart Scott. I didn’t think much about the broadcast at first until I realized they were referring to Scott in the past tense. At that moment, all my attention became drawn to the television screen. The more I paid attention to what was being said the more I realized that what ensued was not what I was prepared to hear. When I finally learned of Scott’s death, it was if I had just heard about the loss of a close friend or even a family member.

Somewhere some songwriter once wrote, “That a man ain’t supposed to cry,” but he lied. The more I listened to the announcer describe the life of Stuart Scott; his career as a unique sportscaster on ESPN, the impact he had on the sports entertainment industry, and his subsequent battle against the “BIG C,” seemed to put everything into perspective.” Scott did more than just deliver sports information; he captured all the blood, sweat, and tears as well as the passion and swagger which is such an integral Scott approach at sports announcing delivered a whole new, Hip Hop New Skool approach to the games he loved so well; one that transformed an entire industry forever through one of his numerous Scottisms. My mind began to focus on how Scott captured the imagination of sports fans across the nation with Scott’s signature commentaries such as,” Boo-Yah or As cool as the other side of the pillow.”

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Blacks mobilize and organize in Florida in 2015 for their survival

By Roger Caldwell It is now 2015 in Florida, and the Black community appears lethargic, apathetic, and not interested in their condition or state. If our community listens CALDWELL to Governor Scott, our state has low unemployment numbers, businesses are hiring, and the residents feel good about the state’s economy. This year there will be a one billion surplus in the treasury, and our political leaders are putting together ideas on how they will spend this extra cash windfall.

But when our leaders and politicians go into the Black community more people cannot pay their electric bills, cannot afford to buy food, and mental illness, violence and drug abuse is running rampant. In the Black community 50 percent of the Black men are unemployed, and 60 percent of Black youth do not have jobs.

Many Black women in the ghetto support their entire family with their small checks that they receive from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Food and Nutrition Program (SNAP), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

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.

But white women at USA Today and at ESPN talk about sexual assault, BB guns and heated discussions with coaches every time Jameis Winston’s name is mentioned.

Fair newsmen and broadcasters would talk and write more about alleged sexual assaults done by their coworkers, or by white quarterbacks, or by white media owners!

But hatred of Black people by the media is nothing new. This idea that the Black community can be divided, exploited and oppressed by attacking Black leaders and Black achievers has been around since white folk landed on Plymouth Rock and Plymouth Rock landed on us!

Reportedly. Pittsburg Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has been involved in multiple sexual situations where assault was claimed. But they don’t mention that when they talk about Ben. Not only is Philadelphia Eagle end Riley Cooper not criticized for making racial slurs, he is loved by Midwest klansmen for describing his teammates as “N”s.”

But don’t think this Black come up” thing is limited to sport or limited to whites talking about Blacks.

Every day someone of African heritage goes up to a white person and says something negative about a Black person.

In fact, on your job, at your school, or anywhere else, the African American loved by white people the most is the African American that hates other Blacks, that snitches on other Blacks, that will fire other Blacks for no reason when ordered to do so by white supervisors and will lie on Black people to get the Black “Black come up.”

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

The impact of Police Brutality on our society

By Elijah Manley It is in my best interests to present peaceful tactics regarding ending oppression on our Youth.

Our community has focused on Police Brutality for a very long time. MANLEY Then there are conservatives raising the argument of African American Crime Rates. But, what society has forgotten to do was question why our youth are involved in so much crime?

I have an answer for that.

Crime is influenced by the individual’s Socio-economic standpoint in society.

That’s textbook Criminology. In other words, I am saying that society has failed our children. While I am not trying to give leeway to juvenile delinquents, I am rather to say that the state is held responsible for the results of their actions. Let me explain. A child steals a purse from a lady on a corner. Media makes it seem that the child stole it just for personal gain. But they hate to mention the question ‘Why did the child steal that lady’s purse?’ The appropriate question is “Why would the child need to commit a crime?” The simple answer is that the child lacks opportunity.

By the way, I am not implementing my studies based solely on the factor race. I am implementing it based on an age factor basis. It is shown that many children that lack opportunity turn to crime in order to make it in society. Maybe their parents’ don’t have good jobs, or they can’t afford necessary living conditions.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Changing times reflect the politics of political values

By Derek Joy The year 2015 is one week old and moving fast forward. Jet on. . .

And, like Archie Bell and Drells, the group from Houston, Tex., once sang: “ighten up.”

JOY Precisely what all of America has to do now that U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hingle ruled Florida’s gay marriage ban is unconstitutional. The Honorable Hinkle, stayed his Aug. 21 ruling until Jan 5.

Yep. Threw a wrench in the works of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and many others. Funny thing is, nothing of the sort was said when the amendment was put to a vote and approved by Florida’s voters.

Meanwhile, the euphoria will permeate America’s social circles, from church to work to all arenas of life of this democratic society. For sure, a look at a few facts of life give rise to wonder why there are no challenges to the constitutionality of some political maneuvers.

For a moment, consider how Congress stalled the drive mounted by the Society of Professional Journalists to pass a Freedom of Information Act amendment. Such Congressional failure keeps intact the practice of restricting access to public information.

Now, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott has shown his second term in office will see the same secrecy as before.

That’s right. Scott spent over $100,000 in public funds to legally keep public records under wraps.

Government in the Sunshine.

Transparency. The public’s right to know. All up in smoke. Why? (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Why did Channel 7 TV neglect to mention Betty Wright on the Pitbull 2015 New Years celebration?

By Dr. P. L. Wright Ph.D. Many times I have wondered why when channel 7 television has the opportunity to highlight some of their WRIGHT native Miami famed Afro American musical celebrity artists on screen, they don’t. Why is it whenever Grammy Award winner and R&B recording artist Betty Wright appears on channel 7 TV, why many times her name is not mentioned or her face not shown on screen? Last night on the Bayside celebration of the Pitbull show, many others would like to have known she would be appearing so they could show up to watch her great performance in person. Once again there seemed to be a neglect to mention her name as one of the artists to appear for the 2015 New Years celebration. What message does this give? How do you think this looks?

What does this mean to the Afro American community and the city of Miami and its’ International famed artists like Betty Wright? When it comes to respecting Grammy Award winning celebrities like Betty Wright, why is there a neglect to mention her name ?.

What is this all about? There is also another tid bit of historical information that I can recall that I am trying to understand as well.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

2015: New Year, Same Goals

By Janaye Ingram, National Action Network The clean-up crews have swept all of the confetti from the streets. The ball has dropped and new resolutions have been made.

Some people want to lose weight, others want to quit smoking, save more money or go back to school.

With the dawning of a new year comes the desire for many to better their lives, their circumstances. A new year represents a new beginning, a chance to undo all of the mistakes you’ve made and start fresh with a clean slate. But for many people, old habits die hard. Within a month, most people have already forgotten their resolutions and are back to eating poorly, smoking, spending money unwisely or devoting time to things that they vowed not to.

For people in the social justice movement, the New Year brings new opportunity as well. We renew our commitment to justice – to eradicating and removing systems that keep people locked in a cycle that they have trouble breaking free from. Cycles of overcriminalization, poverty, lack of education and poor health care tear at the fibers of communities, creating stress that causes more problems. At National Action Network, we have reaffirmed our commitment to these issues and more. The next year will be more intense and more focused on creating pathways for people to achieve true equal opportunity.

Unlike some goals, when working to reform systems and eliminate barriers to equality, it doesn’t happen overnight. There is no short cut to getting there and there is just as much resistance as there is desire to change.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Hip Hop Corner Reshaping the Hip Hop Agenda in 2015

By Jineea Butler NNPA Columnist “New York, New York Big City of Dreams; but EveryBUTLER thing in New York is Not Always What It Seems; You Might Get Fooled If You Come From Out of Town but I Am Down by Law and I Know My Way Around.”

– Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Since the tragic murder of two NYPD officers, New York City has been in disarray. It has been a constant back and forth cops and protesters objecting to police practices, the mayor siding with the people he serves, and the police commissioner battling disrespectful officers who want to be respected by all of the above.

The Big Apple dropped on New Year’s Eve with an estimated 1 million people in Times Square and it may as well have split in half. Despite the outof-towners celebrating by standing in one place for more than nine hours, no one is willing to compromise, no one is willing to see each other’s point of view and no one can see an end to this madness. Mayor Bill De Blasio recently met in a closed door meeting with Police Commissioner Bratton and union leaders and reportedly came up with nothing. Former Mayor Giuliani entered the fray by saying that Mayor De Blasio should apologize to the boys in blue for insulting them with his comments and siding with protesters.

(Read full story on Is Black America better off www.thewestsidegazette.com) Reclaiming the Legacy of under Obama?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By Lauren Victoria Burke Forty-eight percent of Black

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA Columnist The 2015 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday should have a different impact on the collective consciousness of Black America. Why? Because CHAVIS once again there are millions of Black Americans who are more determined than ever to keep pushing forward to achieve full freedom, justice, equality and empowerment. The historic methodology, style and substance of Dr. King’s leadership needs to be reclaimed by those with the heavy responsibility to lead.

By re-embracing Dr. King’s prophetic activism and mobilization genius, I believe Black American leaders of national organizations will be effective in countering the backward drift of voter suppression, racism, violence and hopelessness. The tone set in the King Holiday ceremonies this year should focus on achieving equality and economic empowerment for all.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

NNPA Columnist

female teens have an STD

“Like the rest of America, Black America, in the aggregate, is better off now BURKE than it was when I came into office,” said President Obama on December 19, in response to a question by Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent April Ryan.

What planet African Americans are doing “better off” on is unknown. What is known is that President Obama is about to leave office with African Americans in their worst economic situation since Ronald Reagan. A look at every key stat as President Obama starts his sixth year in office illustrates that.

Unemployment. The average Black unemployment under President Bush was 10 percent. The average under President Obama after six years is 14 percent. Black unemployment, “has always been double” [that of Whites] but it hasn’t always been 14 percent.

The administration was silent when Black unemployment hit 16 percent – a 27-year high – in late 2011.

By Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

The above figure is not a new statistic. My concern is that it has become the norm and is unacceptable. One fourth of White female teens have an STD. KUNJUFU That figure would be a little more acceptable. Is the Black community in denial? Do we feel it’s okay if almost half our female teens have an STD? When I speak nationwide to youth, many of them tell they are virgins. I then ask how can you be a virgin with an STD? They then tell me it was oral or anal sex which they feel did not violate their virginity.

Were you aware that the leading cause of death in the Black community is abortion? Each day, 1,786 Black children are aborted. Can you imagine 52 percent of Black pregnancies are aborted? Again, this not a new statistic, my concern like with STDs, is that it has become acceptable.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

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Church Directory

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

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

January 8 - January 14, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 7

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”

St. Ruth Missionary Baptist Church

PASTOR

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

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"

Bishop Victor T. Curry Senior Pastor/Teacher WORSHIP SERVICES

Faith United Church of Christ 6201 NW 57 Street Tamarac, FL 33319 954-721-1232 uccfaith@bellsouth.net faithbroward.org

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

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

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

Obituaries

"Historically the First Church in the City of Tamarac!”

Rev. Dr. Ileana Bosenbark, Senior Pastor WEEKLY SERVICES & EVENTS SUNDAY Worship Service (Communion 1st & 3rd Sunday) ........................................................... 10 a.m.

F.A.I.T.H. Academy for Children (Spiritual Formation) K-12 ................................ 10 a.m.

TUESDAY F.A.I.T.H. Academy for Adults (Spiritual Formation) - Office Complex ...... 10:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY Worship & Arts Ministry Rehearsals (Open Auditions) - Sanctuary .............................. 7 p.m.

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!

A FAMIL Y THA T AMILY THAT PRA YS TOGETHER PRAY ST AYS TOGETHER STA

James C. Boyd Funeral Home BACON Funeral services for the late Mother Geraldine Richardson Bacon - 79 were held Jan. 3 at Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. Delores G. Staten officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

BECKMAN Funeral services for the late Jared Clayton Beckman – 44.

MCCRIMMON Funeral services for the late Hurley Bernard McCrimmon – 56 were held Jan. 3 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Pastors Johnny and Jackie Gaines officiating. Interment: Westview Cemetery.

McWhite's Funeral Home BEASLEY Funeral services for the late Mildred Denise Hodo Beasley - 48 were held Jan. 3 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Chapel with Asst.

Pastor Perry Turner officiating.

Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

GREGORY Funeral services for the late Charles E. Gregory 67 were held Jan. 3 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ivory Jones officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Cemetery (Central).

HOWARD Funeral services for the late Ellen “Lil Bit” Howard - 75 were held Dec. 30 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Timothy Jackson officiating.

SNELL Funeral services for the late Elmer Dean Snell 65 were held Jan. 3 at McWhite’s Funeral Home with Bishop Fred Huff officiating.

Roy Mizell & Kurtz Funeral Home LIGHTFOOT Funeral services for the late Deacon John Westley Lightfoot – 100 were held Jan. 3 at New Mount

Olive Baptist Church with Dr. Marcus D. Davidson officiating.

RYAN Funeral services for the late Annie Ruth Ryan - 51 were held Jan. 3 at The House of God State Complex Building with Pastor Elder Joshua Andrews, Jr., officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

SIMMONS Funeral services for the late Michael Maceo Simmons - 54 were held Jan. 3 at Greater Bethel AME Church with Rev. Eddie Moise, Jr. officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

SMITH Funeral services for the late Lester Singleton Smith – 61 were held Jan. 3 at Roy Mizell & Kurtz Worship Center.

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!”

KIDS TALK ABOUT GOD What does it mean to worship God?

By Carey Kinsolving and friends (Part One of Part Three) “To worship God is paying attention to nobody else but God,” says Pruitt, 11. “If you don’t do it, it sort of messes you up. You can worship him anywhere.”

“It sort of messes you up” is a great way to describe our preoccupation with ourselves.

God wants to take us into a larger place where he’s in control, and we can relax by trusting in him.

Pruitt also says we can worship God anywhere. Although this is true, don’t try to pass off a round of golf on Sunday morning as a worship experience.

God accepts worship from Christians meeting in houses, fields, caves and even beautiful cathedrals. In countries like China and Saudi Arabia, Christians meet secretly because authorities could break in and arrest them for worshipping God. God is more concerned about the condition of our hearts than the appearance of buildings where worshippers meet. Jesus once told a woman at a well, “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.”

(John 4:23) The “how” and “whom” of worship is more important than the “where.” Pilgrims travel thousands of miles because they imagine that a socalled holy place will bring them closer to God. Others spend millions on ornate church buildings for the same reason.

The idea of connecting God’s presence to a building is an Old Testament concept. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70. God now dwells in the hearts of his people as foretold by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31).

“When you worship God, you invite Him to come and fill you with the Holy Spirit,” says Kaylee, 12. “You pray and sing to him through your heart.

You read your Bible and just let him speak to you. When you worship God, you honor Him and give Him glory. That’s the whole reason we are even here on Earth.”

WILLIAMS Funeral services for the late Dereck Denard Williams27 were held Jan. 3 at Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. James Ray officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Garden.

“Worshipping God means to spill our heart out to God and let him receive it so that he can fill it with the love of his presence,” says Natalie, 13.

Jesus spilled his life out to God to pay for our sins. All who have received the Lord’s life by faith alone in Christ alone can experience a life filled with God’s love. There’s a realm where God is all in all. In order to be filled with God’s spirit, there must be an emptying of ourselves.

Jesus told his disciples that by losing their lives in following him, they would find their lives. Worshipping God in spirit and truth allows us to see him and what he is doing. When we make adjustments to be a part of his plan, he takes care of our life’s itinerary and accommodations. His plan for us, however, might not be the easiest because it’s full of challenges and adventures.

Life with God is never boring when we trade the certainty of our small life for the uncertainty of a faith-adventure. Worship allows us to walk in communion with a loving God who knows how to take us beyond our frailties and fears.

Think about this: The wonder of worship is that it “enables us to emerge from the straightjacket of our oversensitive preoccupation with our ‘feelings,’” writes scholar R. P. Martin. “We rise into the presence of God through a contemplation of Him in His goodness, beauty, and truth, and especially His redeeming acts.”

Memorize this truth: “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23) Ask this question: Are you living in that larger realm where God is all?

“Kids Talk About God” is distributed by Creators Syndicate. To access free, online “Kids Color Me Bible” books, “Mission Explorers” videos and all columns in a Bible Lesson Archive, visit at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org.

To read journey-of-faith feature stories written by Carey Kinsolving, visit www.FaithProfiles.org.

Pay Tribute Keep Their Memory Alive wgazette@thewestsidegazette.com (954) 525-1489

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

Page 8 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • January 8 - January 14, 2015

BUSINESS

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No justice, no profit

By James Clingman, NNPA Columnist

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What now?

What a raucous, topsy-turvy, heart-wrenching, CLINGMAN angry year we experienced in 2014. We had everything from the sadness of lives lost on airplanes and ferry boats, to the anger of Black men being killed and Black women being beaten by police officers, to the elation of a record-breaking stock market and the lowest gasoline prices since 2008. Certainly our emotions have been mixed as we witnessed a potpourri of ups and downs as we pondered the question: “What’s next?”

Of course, none of us knows what will happen the next minute, much less the next year, but there are things we can do from day to day to solve some of our problems and improve our lot in life. I invite you to think about your personal and our collective situations, and make a commitment to do what you can to make the much needed changes we must have for self-empowerment and self-determination. After you seriously and honestly think about those things, I implore you to take appropriate action.

What happened during the past year, whether positive or negative, is now a lesson for all of us. We must move forward. We cannot live in the past; we can only learn from it. In light of that reality, here are a few suggestions to help get you moving in a positive direction in 2015.

First and foremost, build, strengthen, and nurture your spiritual foundation. Be thankful for each day, and use it wisely. Stay informed with real news, not with opinions from talking heads.

Remember that followers pick their leaders; it’s not the other way around. So pick leaders who work in your best interests rather than self-serving charlatans who are only concerned about themselves.

Make an even stronger effort to support Black businesses and, Black business owners, take care of your business by doing what you say you will do with honesty and professionalism. It’s tax time, so if you need a tax preparer use a Black firm. Compro Tax Service is an excellent and wise choice. Look online to find the office nearest you. Talk to your church leadership about joining or forming a local chapter of the Collective Empowerment Group (CEG), also found online.

Don’t waste your vote. Give it to someone who is not afraid to state his or her position on regarding Black voters during the campaign and afterwards—and then fulfill their promises. If they fail to do so, don’t vote for them. Also, on the political side of things, stop putting the same old folks into office, especially if they have not delivered anything to Black folks and/or if they have been in their particular office for decades. Put some new “young-bloods” with fresh ideas into office. We will never be politically empowered until we start playing to win instead of playing just to play.

Find a Black certified financial planner and get involved in some level of investment in the stock market. As we are standing in line to buy Nike shoes, we should also be teaching our children how to buy Nike stock. Also, teach entrepreneurship to our youth.

Let them know they can own a business even if they end up working for someone. Teach them early by using examples of young Black business owners such as Jasmine Lawrence, Moziah Bridges, Cory Nieves, Omar Bailey, and many others you can find on the Internet.

Make it a habit to listen to the Carl Nelson Radio Show (1450AM WOL in Washington, DC or www.woldcnews.com), Brother Daren “State of the City” Muhammad in Baltimore, Dr. Rosie Milligan in L.A., Elliott Booker (Time for an Awakening) in Philadelphia, and other conscious and informative radio shows.

Finally, in response to the outrageous treatment some of us have received, boycott prisons. That is, stop committing crimes and putting yourself at the mercy of a system that cares absolutely nothing about you.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

FUNdraising Good Times

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Will 2015 be the year your nonprofit is highlighted in news stories and feature pieces? Will those who could benefit from the work of your organization read about you in the newspaper, see a story on TV, or listen to an interview on the radio? The media could “somehow” find out about your organization and decide to cover it. Or you could dedicate time and resources to cultivating media. Here are four things to consider when engaging the media in 2015.

1. Meet with the editorial board of your local paper. If you are looking for TV or radio exposure, meet with the station’s management. To secure this meeting, call the editor or station manager and request a time to meet. If your organization has a marketing person on staff, he or she should secure the meeting. If you don’t, ask a member of the board who has marketing experience or a relationship with the media to make the call. If you are without this resource, the executive director should request the meeting.

2. During the meeting make the case for your organization, share your impact, and your plans for the coming year. Ask about their guidelines for how to share news about your nonprofit.

Request assistance in creating awareness for your organization, its programs and events.

Ask for their criteria when covering an organization such as yours. Who should you contact? How much lead time is required? What constitutes a good news story and what types of feature stories are they looking for? Be prepared to honestly answer questions they may ask of you, especially those that may be uncomfortable.

3. Bring your media kit.

Your kit should contain your case for support, annual report,

Pearl and Mel Shaw program highlights, testimonials, and an annotated board list. It should also include a calendar of upcoming events such as fundraisers, lecture series, performances, receptions, and visits by people of note. As appropriate, include a list of the businesses and organizations you partner with, and any honors and awards.

4. Be prepared. The executive director, board chair, top development person and top marketing person should attend the meeting. All should be prepared. Create an agenda and determine what role each person will play.

5. Follow up. Keep your media contacts apprised of key staff changes and promotions, new board members and upcoming events. If you have expertise on a topic in the news, let them know you are available as a resource. Invite reporters to visit your organization to learn more.

Building media relationships takes time. You have to build a relationship with the media same as you would with a potential donor or board member. Get organized and integrate media relations into your work plan. Build a partnership that creates awareness and provides accountability.

Copyright 2014 – Mel and Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success.

For help with your fundraising visit www.saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

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

January 8 - January 14, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 9

Scalise should be removed from House leadership

By Raynard Jackson, NNPA Columnist After a phenomenal election last November in which Republicans increased their margins in the House and took control of the Senate, the expectation was that congressional Republicans would prove to the country that they could lead like mature adults. But as the adage goes, “they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”

Specifically, House Speaker John Boehner and the rest of his leadership team had a great opportunity to show that they understood the optics of 21st century politics. Two weeks ago, it was reported that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, the No. 3 person in the GOP House leadership, had addressed a group of white supremacists in 2002.

I think Scalise could have survived the fact that he attended this racist gathering simply by being honest about the fact that he attended and it was a huge mistake. He could have asserted that his body of work in public office has proven that his views are not consistent with what the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO) represent.

He still would have taken some heat in the media for a few weeks, but it would have

gone away. But no, Scalise’s initial response by his spokeswoman, Moira Bagley was, “he [Scalise] was unaware at the time of the group’s ideology and its association with racists and neo-Nazi activists…throughout his career in public service Mr. Scalise has spoken to hundreds of different groups with a broad range of viewpoints… In every case, he was building support for his policies, not the other way around… In 2002, he made himself available to anyone who wanted to hear his proposal to eliminate slush funds that wasted millions of taxpayer dollars as well as his opposition to a proposed tax increase on middle-class families…He has never been affiliated with the abhorrent group in question…The hate-fueled ignorance and intolerance that group projects is in stark contradiction to what Mr. Scalise believes and practices as a father, a husband, and a devoted Catholic.”

In politics it is said that the cover-up is worse than the original sin. The Scalise affair is Exhibit A. As one who has spent his entire adult life working on political campaigns, I know that no politician speaks at an event without knowing all the particulars surrounding the event: who is the convener, the pur-

pose, the audience, etc. Because Scalise and his staff tried to feign ignorance, he should be forced to step down from his leadership position. His response is an insult to anyone with a brain – and any sense of morality.

The organizer of the event was none other than David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The national Republican Party has been playing footsie with Duke and the likes in the early 1990s and thus were intimately familiar with who Duke was.

Without the likes of Duke, Newt Gingrich would have never become speaker of the House in 1995. So, for Gingrich, House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, etc. to try to explain Scalise’s attendance before this group as a mistake is an outright lie – it was done with full knowledge of who the group was and what it stood for.

His trademark was his sense of humor: Eight interesting facts about Stuart Scott (Cont'd from FP)

A dash of salt improves the whole thing (Cont'd from FP) Well, now those thoughts have been brought under close scrutiny and it is being reversed.

Studies from the Journal of the American Medical Association show that people with the highest sodium intake have the longest lives. The American Journal of Hypertension agrees. They say there is no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk of heart attacks or strokes. In fact, reducing salt to levels recommended by the U.S. government can cause harm and decrease life expectancy.

Even Scientific American has called for an end to the war on salt, saying that the drive to limit our salt intake has little basis in science. Just something to think about. And not something to be taken with a grain of salt.— www.alittlesalt.org As I was doing a little research for this piece, I found out that salt has a great deal more benefit than just an additive you season collard greens with. Salt influences us in more ways we can imagine.

No single ingredient does more positive things for food than salt.

Aside from improving flavor, it lessens sourness and improves sweetness; salt gives steadiness to foods. Did you know that salt was a key ingredient in ice cream? It works wonders on steaks as well as sweets and it does its magic without adding a single calorie.

Salt has been the secret ingredient of the human race for over 8,000 years.

Oh, did I tell you that salt keeps icy roads safe?

Salt is a central element in the quality of your good healthiness. In reality, no electrolyte is more essential to an individual’s continued existence than salt. For nerves to send and receive electrical impulses they need the sodium that comes from salt. Salt makes your muscles strong, brain work, and keeps your cells functioning properly.

I wonder if that is why God says, “Ye are the salt of the earth”?

Jesus compared His followers to salt. His disciples were to the world what salt is on a daily basis to us; food seasonings to make His word palatable; salt is used in preserving meat so His disciples were to keep His word and by keeping His word it hinders the broadening of dishonesty and a whole lot of other distasteful stuff from spreading; salt makes thirst, in this case makes one thirsty for His word; salt also makes things pleasantly biting or tart if need be. So too are the disciples to be in sharing His word.

The genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of a sin sick world. Since salt adds flavoring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds, it is a very appropriate description of how the believer should relate in his relationship to the world in which he lives.

There is a great burden to bear if one should lose his/her saltiness/flavor. Once salt has lost its flavor, how can its saltiness be returned? There is no way to reinstate the natural taste, so now it’s good for nothing.

For one to act as if they have flavor and live the complete opposite is demonstrating a hypocritical walk with God and people will soon hold on to their words as if they were holding air. People disrespect an uncommitted believer.

Therefore it is a very fitting description of how the believer’s connection to the world in which they exist should be.

LET GOD DO THE COOKING; HE’S THE GREATEST CHEF AND KNOWS HIS SEASONINGS

YOU HAVE READ THE REST, NOW READ THE BEST -THE WESTSIDE GAZETTE NEWSPAPER IS YOUR VOICE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Scott’s death has affected everyone, everywhere. Athletes like Lebron James, Tiger Woods, Russell Wilson and others have responded to the death of the legendary sports anchor. Rich Eisen gave a heart-breaking speech on his passing: “A groundbreaking broadcaster in the world of sports television. I love this man.

I still love this man. And the fact that he has passed away is absolutely mind-boggling and a travesty.”

He was not the only one who gave kind words. Hannah Storm also broke down in tears after learning of Scott’s death: “Today we choose not to say that Stuart lost to cancer at the age of 49. Instead, we’ll simply say we all lost Stuart.”

I still can’t believe he’s gone.

Please pray for Scott and his family. Share your thoughts.

Ed Brooke doesn’t get his due

BROOKE (Younger years) (Cont'd from FP) At various points during his career, Brooke was at odds with civil rights leaders and liberals.

As attorney general, he opposed the NAACP’s call for a boycott of Boston’s public schools to protest the city’s de facto segregation, saying the law required students to stay in school.

In the Senate, he opposed a program to recruit teachers to work in disadvantaged communities and opposed amending Senate rules to make filibusters against civil rights legislation easier to terminate.

Brooke also faced personal health challenges, including being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. He underwent a double mastectomy and was declared cancer free. Brooke spoke publicly about the illness, which strikes about 1,500 men each year, a disproportionate number of them Black.

In his 2006 autobiography, Bridging The Divide: My Life (Rutgers University Press), Brooke said, “My fervent expectation is that sooner rather than later, the United States Senate will more closely reflect the rich diversity of this great country.”

Throughout his life, Brooke did that exceptionally well.

This scandal has nothing to do with “racism” or whether Scalise is a racist. This is about telling the truth, which he has not done.

I am deeply offended as a Black Republican who has worked very hard to get more Blacks involved in my party to see people such as Gingrich,

Boehner, McCarthy and others attempt to defend the indefensible.

On matters of race, I have come to expect absolutely no leadership from Republicans in Congress – and they never disappoint me in this regards.

(Read full stoiry on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Florida becomes 36th state to legalize gay marriage

SCALISE “I’m hyped up at the moment,” said Grieb, whose marriage was the first in Osceola County and was followed by 27 others in the early morning hours.

Outside the courthouse, about 20 protesters held signs reading “God says male and female should be married” and “Sodom and Gomorrah,” but same-sex marriage supporters ignored them.

Cheers erupt in Florida court after judge rules same-sex marriages can begin Supporters of same-sex marriage erupted into cheers and tearful hugs after a judge ruled that same-sex marriages could begin in Miami-Dade County on Monday.

Protesters gathered outside the Osceola County Courthouse, where Clerk Armando Ramirez became one of the first to hand out marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

(Read full story on night 10 seconds before the clock The addition of Florida’s 19.9 struck 12. www.thewestsidegazette) million people means 70 percent of Americans now live in the 36 states where gay marriage is legal.

“It’s been a long time coming. We’re just so excited and so happy,” said Osceola County Commissioner Cheryl Grieb moments after she married Patti Daugherty, her partner of 22 years, at the Osceola County Courthouse in Kissimmee, just south of Orlando.

Dressed in matching white pants and white embroidered shirts, the couple stood under a canopy of lace and ribbons as County Clerk of Court Armando Ramirez officiated and U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., David Currie, center, embraces Aaron Woodard after served as a witness. A countdown clock was placed in the they got married during a ceremony at the Broward front of the room, and sup- County Courthouse on Jan. 6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) porters counted down to mid-

Page 10 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • January 8 - January 14, 2015

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

Jazz In The Gardens celebrates 10th year with world class lineup First round of artists include Maxwell, R. Kelly, Toni Braxton, Men of Soul and Brian Culbertson - More artists announced soon!

MIAMI GARDENS, FL PRNewswire — The City of Miami Gardens is proud to announce the first round of artists for the 10th Annual Jazz in the Gardens (JITG) music festival at Sun Life Stadium. The threeday weekend March 20-22,

2015 will feature artists Maxwell, Toni Braxton, R. Kelly, Men of Soul’s Jeffrey Osborne, Peabo Bryson and Freddie Jackson, and Brian Culbertson. Comedians and nationally syndicated radio personalities D.L. Hughley and Rickey

Tyler Perry to release first ever animated film “Madea’s Tough Love” in January 2015

ATLANTA, GA — Tyler Perry makes his first foray into family animation with the release of Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Tough Love arriving on DVD (plus Digital) and On Demand January 20, 2015 from Lionsgate. The film will be available on Digital HD one week earlier on Jan. 13th.

Having conquered stage and screen, Tyler Perry has now turned his attention to creating entertaining programs specifically for families to enjoy together. In Tyler Perry’s first animated film, fans of Madea can now watch all of their favorite characters including Madea, Uncle Joe and Aunt Bam in a whole new way!

The larger than life Madea gets herself into even more over the top and outrageous situations – all in the name of helping children save their youth center. The comic adventure features the voice talent of Tyler Perry as “Madea” and “Uncle Joe” among others and Cassi Davis (House Of Payne) as “Aunt Bam” along with Rolonda Watts (TV’s “Curious George”), Avery Kidd Waddell (Road Trip), William “Bootsy” Collins (Night at the Museum) and Cree Summer (WordGirl).

SUPPORT THE BLACK PRESS, IS THE VOICE I N THE BLACK COMMUNITY. FOR CALL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TODAY! (954) 525-1489

“We are thrilled to partner with Tyler Perry on the launch of Madea’s Tough Love,” said Anne Parducci, Lionsgate EVP of Marketing and Family Entertainment. “Given the tremendous success and appeal of his beloved character Madea across screen and plays for the past 15 years, we know fans and families will love to watch and laugh with Madea in her first animated movie.”

After a hilarious run-in with the law, Madea is sentenced to community service. Determined to do good for the ‘hood, Madea enlists Aunt Bam and Uncle Joe to try and save the Moms Mabley Youth Center from being shut down. With her irresistible sass and wisdom, Madea rallies the local kids to make a stand—and proves that behind her tough exterior is a whole lot of love!

Including a behind-thescenes look at the making of the film and a sketch-to-screen storyboard comparison that show Tyler in the recording studio voicing his characters, the Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Tough Love DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.98. Madea fans can get a sneak peek of the movie starting November 25 when “Introducing Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Tough Love” debuts as a special feature on Tyler

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.

Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29, 2015

Smiley will co-host the festival.

More artists will be added soon!

Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster or www.jazzinthegardens.com.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http:// www.multivu.com/players/

English/7377151-10thannual-jazz-in-the-gardensmusic-festival-artist-lineup/ This event is predicted to break attendance records, surpassing last year’s 68,000 tickets sold, and promises a memorable kick off for spring-

time Miami. “This signature event was birthed from humble beginnings with just 1,800 people in attendance our first year,” said City of Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert. “I am proud to have watched this festival grow in number and

esteem and reach this landmark of 10 years. With our top notch production team, the City of Miami Gardens promises this year’s experience is one for the books, you haven’t seen anything yet!”

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

January 8 - January 14, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 11

Blacks gain most from Obamacare when Medicaid expanded Ethel Payne, dubbed the First Lady of the Black Press As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of two milestones in the civil rights movement— the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965—the name of Ethel Payne has remained largely unspoken. A pioneering African American journalist, Payne reported extensively on the movement in which she herself was firmly embedded. Yet, because she wrote for the Black Press, her seminal contribution has been overlooked by many civil rights historians, who have obtained their version of history largely from the coverage of the mainstream white media of the time.

By Freddie Allen NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, DC (NNPA) – As families prepare to choose health insurance coverage during the open enrollment period, a recent report by the Urban Institute shows that Blacks have the most to gain from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) if the states they live in expand Medicaid under the law.

The Urban Institute, a nonprofit research group focused on social and economic policy, estimated that Blacks will experience, “the largest decreases in uninsurance rates under full Medicaid expansion: a drop from 11.3 percent (projected with current expansion decisions) to 7.2 percent” and the uninsurance rate gap between Blacks and whites will fall from 6.5 percent under current Medicaid expansion to 2.6 percent with full expansion.

However, the gap between Black and white un-insurance rates will remain closer to 7 percent, at least for the near future, because most Blacks live in states that have refused to expand Medicaid under the ACA. The original law, passed in 2010, mandated Medicaid expansion nationwide, but the United States Supreme Court 2012 decision in the National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius case reversed that provision, leaving it to the states to decide whether they want to take additional Medicaid funding under the ACA. According to the Urban Institute, “As of December 2014, 27 states and the District of Columbia had expanded Medicaid or planned to expand by January 2015.”

The Urban Institute projected that Blacks would comprise 12.8 percent of all coverage gains under current Medicaid expansion policies and 2.9 million Blacks would get health insurance. The uninsurance rate for Blacks would fall from 19.6 percent to 11.3 percent.

More than half of all Blacks live in states, primarily in the South and led by Republican governors, that didn’t expand Medicaid after the ACA was passed in 2010.

When states refused to expand Medicaid, the move trapped Blacks in a “coverage gap,” because many of them don’t meet the income-based requirements to qualify for Medicaid under their own state rules or to receive subsidies through the ACA marketplace.

About 1.4 million Blacks fall into this category, accounting for more than 23 percent of the uninsured non-elderly adult Blacks. For example, in Florida, Georgia, Texas and North Carolina, the uninsured rates for Blacks would plummet roughly 30 percent compared to current rates, if those states expanded Medicaid coverage under the ACA. “For Blacks, however, the difference between their uninsurance rates and whites’ rates is projected to narrow under the ACA with current Medicaid expansion decisions only in Medicaid expansion states,”

the report said. “Across all states, the difference in uninsurance rates between Blacks and whites is projected to stay approximately the same both under the ACA with current Medicaid expansion decisions and without the ACA.” In August 2014, researchers with the Urban Institute said that 6.7 million residents would still remain uninsured in 2016 in the states that continued to block Medicaid expansion through the ACA. “These states are foregoing $423.6 billion in federal Medicaid funds from 2013 to 2022, which will lessen economic activity and job growth,” the August 2014 report said. “Hospitals in these 24 states are also slated to lose a $167.8 billion (31 percent) boost in Medicaid funding that was originally intended to offset major cuts to their Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.”

The report continued: “For every $1 a state invests in Medicaid expansion, $13.41 in federal funds will flow into the state.”

The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), a small group that offers the president domestic and foreign economic advice, predicted that, Medicaid expansion would have added, in nonexpanding states, nearly 79,000 jobs in 2014, “172,400 jobs in 2015, and 98,200 jobs in 2016.”

The August 2014 report also noted that that the rate of uninsured in the states that expanded Medicaid fell by nearly 40 percent, since September 2013, the number of uninsured in the non-expansion states fell by less than 10 percent.

The technical difficulties that plagued the rollout of HealthCare.gov last year have faded from headlines, and the benefits of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act become harder for governors and state legislators to dismiss.

In December, Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam moved to expand Medicaid under the ACA, leaving less than two dozen states to weigh providing health care for their poorest residents against future costs associated with Medicaid.

The Urban Institute report on un-insurance rates under the ACA said that improving health literacy, translation services, outreach through ethnic media and working with trusted members of the community can also aid in driving down the levels of uninsured.

According to a recent report by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 87 percent of the people who selected health insurance plans through HealthCare.gov were eligible for financial assistance, a 7 percent increase over last year’s numbers.

“That includes more than 3.4 million people who selected a plan in the 37 states that are using the HealthCare.gov platform for 2015, and more than 600,000 consumers who selected plans in the 14 states that are operating their own Marketplace platform for 2015,” stated a press release on the report.

A more detailed view of enrollment data collected from Nov. 15 to Dec. 26, 2014 showed that roughly 6.5 million people either selected plans or were automatically reenrolled.

HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said that the vast majority of people who signed up for health insurance cover-age through HealthCare.gov were able to lower their costs using tax credits.

“Interest in the Marketplace has been strong during the first month of open enrollment,” Burwell said in a recent press release about the enrollment report. “We still have a ways to go and a lot of work to do before Feb. 15, but this is an en-couraging start.”

HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE -- BrightStar Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in South Florida with more than 54,000 members, collected hundreds of toys at its annual Holiday Toy Drive, held at its headquarters in Sunrise and at each of its seven locations in Broward County. The toys were donated to Family Central, Inc., a not-for-profit that has been providing quality family support and educational services for 42 years. BrightStar has held an annual Holiday Toy Drive for more than six years and has donated more than 1,000 toys. Pictured is Blaise DaCosta, BrightStar Credit Union with toys collected.

In Eye on the Struggle (Amistad/HarperCollins; Feb. 17, 2015; $25.99), acclaimed biographer James McGrath Morris for the first time tells the complete story of the woman dubbed the First Lady of the Black Press—a story inextricably linked to the dark history of segregation and the grassroots struggle to end it. In the 1950s and '60s, the Black Press operated in a different, parallel sphere from the white press.

The latter generally portrayed civil rights legislation as a munificent gift bestowed on African Americans. But Payne, writing for the Chicago Defender, one of the nation’s premier Black papers, saw through the rhetoric and reported on the failures of the legislation to grant her people the equal rights that were their due. By viewing the civil rights era through her eyes, we gain a fresh perspective of the frustrations and compromises that marked the years of struggle, and better understand the discontent among African Americans.

The struggle for civil rights is only part of Ethel Payne’s remarkable story. The granddaughter of slaves and the daughter of a Pullman porter,

Payne grew up in the thriving Black community of a deeply segregated Chicago in the first half of the 20th century. The fifth child in a large family that placed a great emphasis on education, young Ethel dreamed of being a novelist. Her father’s death when she was 14 placed a great strain on family finances, which were further affected as the Depression took hold.

Never an ardent student, Ethel set aside greater ambitions and became a librarian.

But interest in community politics inspired her participation in the 1940s March on Washington Movement led by A. Philip Randolph, and her adventurous spirit led her to a stint in Japan working as a service club director for the military. While there, her keen observations of racial issues among the occupation forces led to her first publication in the Defender, and when she returned home to Chicago she parlayed her talents into the job as the paper’s Washington correspondent.

In the nation’s capital she became one of only three accredited African Americans in the White House press corps, where she made national headlines by rankling President

Eisenhower with her questions about his desegregation policy.

Ethel Payne’s storied career took her to many places on the front lines of history, including Montgomery, where the unprecedented bus boycott launched the new Black leadership of 27year-old Martin Luther King, Jr. When LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act, he invited Payne to be one of the observers in the East Room, presenting her with one of the signing pens as well as one a year later when he signed the Voting Rights Act. She travelled to Indonesia to report on the ground-breaking conference between African and Asian leaders and accompanied Vice President Richard Nixon to Ghana (A lifelong Democrat, Payne nonetheless recognized that the future Republican president often espoused more advanced views on civil rights issues during the 1950s than his Democratic colleagues).

After leaving journalism for nine years, she returned with a special assignment from the Defender—three months in Vietnam to assess how the war was viewed by Black troops. She would go on to cover the Nigerian Civil War, visit China as one of the first American journalists allowed in after Nixon’s visit, and become the first African American woman radio and television commentator on a national network.

Drawing on a rich and untapped trove of material—including Payne’s personal papers, oral histories, FBI documents, and Payne’s own newspaper writings themselves, Eye on the Struggle is the first book to give the full measure of this extraordinary woman’s life and work.

“Ethel Payne was a pioneer who experienced the challenges but little of the glory that comes with the title,” says Paula J. Giddings, author of Ida, A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching. “With this book, her legacy is assured.”

Page 12 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • January 8 - January 14, 2015

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

Fans of the Detroit Sound will revel in So Early blood glucose control lengthens Good for the Soul: A Tribute to Music of life in people with type 1 diabetes Motown at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

National Institutes of Health

AVENTURA, FL — When the swaying rhythms and smooth harmonies of Berry Gordy’s Detroit hit-making factory came on the scene, it changed the course of music forever — as showcased in the blockbuster tribute, So Good for the Soul: A Tribute to Music of Motown on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center.

Featuring nearly 30 nonstop hits in all, this musical extravaganza includes all the favorites, such as My Girl, I Heard it through the Grapevine, Reach Out, Shop A-round, Dancin’ in the Street, Stop, in the Name of Love, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved

By You), Uptight and more.

This box office bonanza includes a cast of former band members from The Jones, Main Ingredient, The Spinners and The Marvelettes,

peppered with Broad-waysavvy performers who had leading roles in Dream Girls, Showboat, Porgy & Bess and other hit shows.

Critics have raved about the show that pays tribute to some of the greatest groups and songwriters of all times, such as the Four Tops, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.

“Captures the essence of America’s own music in an evening of sheer fun,” lauded the Washington Post; and “Bring your dancing shoes and bring the whole family; this is a show for everyone,” exclaimed Entertainment Review.

Tickets are $49.50.

Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center, Aventura Arts & Cultural Center and affiliated venues. Buy tickets online at aventuracenter.org; by phone at 877-311-7469; in person at

Ticketmaster outlets or at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center box office Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to each performance. Know who you are buying from when you purchase tickets.

We CANNOT PROVIDE REFUNDS OR CUSTOMER SERVICE for tickets purchased from unauthorized sites, brokers or secondary ticket sellers.

For Group Sales, please call (954) 660-6307.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts manages the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, a 14,864-square-foot, 330seat waterfront complex that hosts performing arts, cultural and educational programming for all ages. The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 N.E. 188 Street in Aventura.

Join the conversation on Twitter at #aventuracenter.

People with type 1 diabetes who intensively control their blood glucose (blood sugar) early in their disease are likely to live longer than those who do not, according to research funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings are the latest results of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and its follow-up, the Epidemiology of Diabetes Control and Complications (EDIC) study. Results were published online Jan. 6 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“The outlook for people with type 1 diabetes continues to improve,” said Catherine Cowie, Ph.D., of NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the primary funder of the study.

“These results show that by tightly controlling their blood glucose, people with type 1 diabetes can live longer.”

Type 1 diabetes typically occurs in younger people and was formerly called juvenile-onset diabetes. In type 1 diabetes,

the body does not make insulin, and people with type 1 need to take daily insulin to live.

Beginning in 1983, the DCCT/EDIC study enrolled 1,441 people between ages 13 and 39 with recent-onset type 1 diabetes. In the DCCT, half were assigned at random to intensive blood glucose control designed to keep blood glucose as close to normal as safely possible, and half to the conventional treatment at the time. Both groups were similar in age. The DCCT ended in 1993 when the intensive control group was found to have substantially less eye, nerve and kidney disease.

All participants were taught intensive blood glucose control and followed during the ongoing EDIC. Blood glucose control has been similar in both groups since DCCT ended.

Researchers found 107 deaths among DCCT/EDIC participants, who were followed an average of 27 years from enrollment. There were 64 deaths in the group that had initially received standard treatment and 43 deaths in the intensive treatment group, a 33 percent reduction in deaths. The most common causes of death – not all necessarily related to diabetes – were cardiovascular diseases (22 percent), cancer (20 percent), acute diabetes complications – where blood glucose became dangerously high or low (18 percent) – and accidents/ suicide (17 percent).

More people in the conventional treatment group than the intervention group died from diabetic kidney disease (six vs. one). The study also found that higher average glucose levels and increased protein in the urine – a marker of diabetic kidney disease –were the major risk factors for death.

“These results build on earlier studies, which suggested that increased protein in the urine largely accounts for shorter lifespans for people with type 1 diabetes,” said the study’s lead author, Trevor Orchard, M.D., a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. “These results further emphasize the importance of good early glucose control, as this reduces the risk for increased protein in the urine in general, as well as diabetic

kidney disease.”

Since the 1993 publication of the findings, the DCCT intensive treatment has become standard practice for type 1 diabetes. The new findings show that reductions in diabetes complications resulting from tight glucose control translate into longer lifespans.

“Thanks to the findings over the years from the landmark DCCT/EDIC study, millions of people with diabetes may prevent or delay debilitating and often fatal complications from the disease,” said NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D. “NIH’s mission is to help improve lives through bio-medical research. These kinds of results provide hard evidence that what we do helps people live longer, healthier lives.”

Diabetes affects more than 29 million Americans, most of whom have type 2 diabetes, often associated with overweight or obesity. Another NIH study found that in older adults with longstanding type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular disease risk, very intensive glucose control to near normal levels actually increased mortality. In contrast, the DCCT/EDIC studied intensive glucose control in younger people with type 1 diabetes earlier in the course of their disease and found intensive control had a prolonged benefit in reducing mortality.

Find more information on diabetes at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov.

The NIH has supported the DCCT/EDIC over the past 31 years, currently under grants U01DK094176 and U01DK094157. The DCCT is registered as NCT00360815 and EDIC is registered as NCT00360893 in Clinicaltrials.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.