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A Pr oud PPaper aper ffor or a Pr oud PPeople...Sinc eople...Sinc Proud Proud eople...Sincee 1971 THURSDA Y, APRIL 27 - WEDNESDA Y, MA Y 3, 2017 THURSDAY WEDNESDAY MAY
Remembering history and Black public health And this too shall pass champions during National Minority Health Month
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
Doctor injects subject with placebo as part of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. (Photo by National Archives and Records Administration)
In April of 1915, Booker T. Washington proposed “National Negro Health Week,” recognizing that “without health and long life, all else fails.” His idea gradually evolved into observing the month of April as National Minority Health Month to raise awareness and eventually help eliminate the health disparities facing racial and ethnic minorities. National Minority Health Month offers a platform to call attention to the deep injustices experienced by people of color and an opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of Black public health champions who have worked to protect and advance the health of marginalized communities. If we trace history, it’s clear
that the medical profession didn’t think the Hippocratic Oath Primum non nocere, or “first, do no harm,” applied to citizens of color. The glaring truth is that science does not operate in isolation from systems of deeply rooted racism and oppression that plague scientific, political, and cultural institutions in the United States—particularly when it comes to health. Such systems have been used to justify unfathomably cruel and inhumane medical experimentation performed on enslaved Black people, which were only replaced in the Jim Crow era by pervasive medical mistreatment that resulted in untold fatalities. (Cont'd on Page 5)
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr. Have you ever noticed how after a rainstorm, how refreshed things seem? The grass and foliage look a little greener and there is a hint of unsulliedness in the air. The colors of the flowers are vibrant - even the birds seem to notice this newness and they offer their appreciation through their songs which are amplified by the clarity of this sparkle. After difficult moments of lamenting, some of the most pleasant hours of sleep usually follow. Yes, there is a natural order of rejuvenation after times of trial and tribulations. Where is the order after what appears to be genocidal attempts perpetrated on minorities by minorities? There is a natural flow of cause and effect. To address this current trend of behavior, we need to address the cause, fear, which is producing all of this violence. This fear is either perceived or real; no matter, the outcome is still the same: death. (Cont'd on Page 9)
Gibson’s ‘ordeal’ ends with Artiles doing ‘the right thing’ Ninety-year-old educator says
saving Black Girls at the core of her sister-friend Intergenerational Mentorship Program
Miami senator resigns after racial tirade
By St. Clair Murraine Outlook staff writer Up to the minute that Sen. Frank Artiles decided to resign almost a week ago, he seemed ready to put up a fight in spite of national outcry over his profaned and racially laced attack on Sen. Audrey Gibson. But while the racial scars from Artiles’ tirade may linger, many are calling his decision to leave the Florida Senate “the right thing.” Gibson, a Jacksonville senator, had little to say following Artiles’ resignation and apology. “This has been an ordeal that no one should have to endure,” Gibson said in a statement. “I wish him well in all of his endeavors” (Cont'd on Page 9)
I nitia tive h elps empo w er and nitiative helps empow instill self-worth, pride among g irls of color; h er sch olarship her scholarship pr og ram h elps bo y s, too. prog ogram helps boy
Sen. Audrey Gibson is consoled by Rev. R.B. Holmes during a press conference last week, where members of the clergy called for the ouster of former Senator Frank Artiles. (Photo by St. Clair Murraine)
Interview with Brian Auld
Tampa Bay Rays President Brian Auld invites Florida Association of Black Owned Media to join in the ‘Jackie Robinson Day’ By Susan Funk President Brian Auld of the Tampa Bay Rays, invited the Florida Association of Black Owned Media Inc., to join the Rays in commemorating “Jackie Robinson Day” at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Inside the expansive suite at Friday night’s game, Irene Pridgen, the association’s host and member of the board, was introducing the publishers to Congressman and former Florida Governor, Charlie Crist, dressed in jeans and a Rays' shirt. The well-attended game included a cross section of representation including Crist, St. Petersburg Deputy Mayor Dr. Kanika Tomalin, who tossed the first pitch and representatives from churches, youth (Cont'd on Page 9)
Members of FABOM enjoys with Tampa Bay Rays "Jackie Robinson Day."
Pleading Our Own Cause
WWW.
Dr. Joyce Clark with one of her sister-friend teen mentees. CHICAGO — At 90 years young, Chicago educator Dr. Joyce Clark says she’s just getting started in her mission to help save Black girls. With the launch of Sister-Friend Intergenerational Mentorship Program, Clark is hoping to empower girls of African ancestry by helping them see the links between historical events and things that are happening today. ”In every culture, our elders have a vast wealth of insight and experience to share with our young girls,” explains Clark. “We have a huge responsibility to help them. The goal of SisterFriend is to provide girls of African descent with positive role models, mentors and the extra attention that can give them the added incentives to reach educational, emotional, physical and personal goals commensurate with their potential.” The program enriches the lives of older and younger
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females through increased intergenerational contact and offers both the opportunity to explore and celebrate their sisterhood and womanhood. “By lifting girls up, building pride, instilling confidence and enhancing self-esteem, we are empowering girls whose options are limited by their circumstances and significant obstacles they need to overcome,” adds Clark. Helping youth is nothing new to Dr. Joyce Clark. In addition to her program to help young girls of color, for 35 years, Clark has singlehandedly funded the Toothpaste Kid Incentive Award (TKIA) — a youth scholarship program that has provided $4,000 stipends to assist college-bound female and male students. To date, she has awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships. (Cont'd on Page 9) MEMBER: National Newspaper Publishers Association ( NNPA), and Southeastern African-American Publishers Association (SAAPA) Florida Association of Black Owned Media (FABOM)
PAGE 2 • APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017
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Advertising Guru Carol H. Williams earns Hall of Fame Honor By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor) Carol H. Williams has been quite busy. The advertising legend and owner of the agency that bears her name, Williams has created ad campaigns for Bank of America, the city of Oakland, General Motors, Pillsbury, Proctor & Gamble and many other household names. When she was notified about her nomination to the Advertising Hall of Fame, which celebrates and honors the legends who have made extraordinary contributions to the ad business, Williams kept working. “I didn’t know whether it was real or not,” she said. Williams said that you have to be able to keep life’s trials and life’s rewards in perspective. “Put it behind or in front of you and keep moving forward,” said Williams. “It was really nice and I was honored to be considered for [the Hall of Fame], but I just kept working.” Williams will be inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame (AHOF) during a ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Tuesday, April 25. “There was a moment, I was stunned and then the tears came,” Williams said remembering the Hall of Fame call. “It was an unbelievable feeling; then I did my ‘spike and dance’ in the end zone. Williams becomes the first
African American female advertising executive inducted among the nearly 200 honorees in the 67-year history of the AHOF. She will also receive the “David Bell Award for Industry Service,” which recognizes recipients for their extraordinary and unique contributions and service to the advertising community and industry. “The National Newspaper Publishers Association is especially proud to salute the outstanding career achievements of Carol H. Williams,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “No one has done more to impact the advertising industry with innovative genius and market penetration than the iconic Carol H. Williams.” Williams’ career started at the Leo Burnett agency, where during her 13-year tenure, she became the first African American woman to serve as creative director and vice president at the company. She followed that by serving for two years as senior vice president at FCB in San Francisco, Calif. It was Williams who came up with one of the most recognized campaigns in advertising history, one she said remains a career highlight. “I think one of the most incredible experiences I had was in 1974 when my boss, Charlie Blakemore, walked up to me and said, ‘I want to ask you to
write on something, but I’m afraid you’ll quit.’ I said, ‘I won’t quit,’” Williams said. At the time, the Secret deo-
dorant brand had been failing, it was ranked No. 9 and declining, she said. “It was primarily used by
The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Miami was honored to provide a world class Homecoming for two of its brothers, Tarrell McCraney and Barry Jenkins. But, the Oscar Award winners literally flipped the script when they honored the center by donating $20,000 each to start a Cinematic Arts program at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center! The celebration was enjoyed by the Moonlight producers, director, play writer, cast, crew, elected officials, staff, committee members, and the community at large! Highlights included the Northwestern High School Marching Band, performances by AHCAC instructor Zipporah Hayes, AHCAC student Wesley Wray, a question and answer session with the cast, and a surprise from the Mayor, renaming the Street Moonlight Way. Eric Knowles, CEO of the Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce, was able to grab a quick picture with Barry Jenkins and Tarrell McCraney. The free event was attended by hundreds of proud South Floridians. (Photos: AHCAC, Knowles )
women,” Williams said, so she came up with the slogan, “Stronger enough for a man, but made for a woman.” The Secret campaign that Williams worked on propelled the deodorant to bestseller status where it remains. Williams also used a Black woman in one of the commercials for the campaign as well as a Black announcer, which was unheard of at the time. Williams founded Carol H. Williams Advertising (CHWA) more than 25 years ago; the agency has grown into one of the largest African American, independently-owned advertising and marketing firms in the country. CHWA’s client list has included several Fortune 500 companies. After starting the company in her living room, CHWA now has offices in Oakland, New York, Detroit and Chicago. “I can’t necessarily say that I found advertising. I think advertising found me,” Williams
Advertising legend Carol H. Williams will receive the “David Bell Award for Industry Service,” during a ceremony in New York City. (CHWA) recalled. “I was going into premed, because I love humanity, and I wanted to engage and heal people, but I also loved to write and had an active imagination.” (Cont'd on Page 9)
AT&T Sunrise employee receives prestigious Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award It’s not often a person receives a letter from the president of the United States, but AT&T employee Sandy Thomas of Sunrise has. Thomas is a recipient of the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). The PVSA recognizes individuals who demonstrate a commitment to volunteerism throughout the year. There are three levels of the award: Gold for 500 or more hours volunteered in a 12month period; Silver for 250499 hours; and Bronze for 100249 volunteer hours. Thomas received the Gold PVSA. It is her third Gold PVSA! Thomas donates much of her time through the AT&T Pioneers supporting the WOW Center for individuals with disabilities, Honor Flight for veterans, Joshua’s Heart, which feeds the hungry, SafeSpace against domestic violence, Ronald McDonald House, and several more organizations. For Thomas, it’s all about giving back. “I live by Winston Churchill’s quote: ‘We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.’ That quote says it all,” said Thomas. Thomas is among 55 South Florida AT&T employees and 167 AT&T employees statewide to receive a President’s Volunteer Service Award. “These individuals help our communities through selfless acts every day. Whether it’s mentoring students, cleaning up our parks or feeding the hungry, our employees are giving back,” said Joe York, AT&T Florida president. “In honor of
AT&T’s Sandy Thomas earned the Gold PVSA for volunteering more than 500 hours in 2016. She donates her time to causes that serve children, senior citizens, the disabled, veterans, and the hungry. National Volunteer Month, we congratulate these employees and hope their stories inspire others as much as they inspire us.” In addition to a congratulatory letter from the president of the United States, PVSA awardees also receive a personalized certificate and an official pin, medallion or coin. AT&T employees and retirees nationwide volunteered more than 5.4 million hours in 2015. AT&T’s Sandy Thomas earned the Gold PVSA for volunteering more than 500 hours in 2016. She donates her time to causes that serve children, senior citizens, the disabled, veterans, and the hungry.
ALG calls on FBI Director James Comey to step down or be fired FAIRFAX, VA.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement demanding that FBI Director James Comey either step down or be fired in light of reports that the FBI relied in part on the now-discredited Christopher Steele dossier to justify getting a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court warrant against one-time Trump campaign advisor Carter Page: “The FBI’s incredible incompetence and outright complicity with the politicization of government spying removes the last shred of credibility that Director James Comey has and he needs to either resign or be fired. “The failure to even secure and independently examine the DNC server while relying on the self-serving innuendo by the DNC’s computer consultant CrowdStrike for verification is unbelievable. But their reliance on an easily disprovable political hit piece dossier to get a FISA warrant against Carter Page, paid for by Democrat sup-
COMEY porters of Hillary Clinton and produced by the private firm Fusion GPS, to attempt to undermine the Trump campaign in 2016 effort is inexcusable. And then the FBI wanted to pay the dossier’s author to continue what began as political campaign work? “Comey is either a rube or a political tool, either way he has to go. This gives the appearance that the nation’s top law enforcement and intelligence agencies have become completely politicized.”
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The Reverend Wendell H. Paris, Jr. Reverend Wendell H. Paris, Jr. was born the youngest of four children to Wendell and Almeta Paris. He was baptized at a young age, and as a member of the First Baptist Church of Livingston, AL, he began serving the Lord. He completed undergraduate studies at Tuskegee University. During his senior year at Tuskegee he accepted God’s call to ministry and enrolled at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School of Rochester, NY. There he earned the Master of Divinity
degree, focusing on ethics and theology. He was licensed into the gospel ministry at Mount Olivet Baptist Church of Rochester, NY, under the pastorate of Reverend Dwight Cook, D. Min. Thereafter, he moved to Miami, FL to serve as a Pastoral Associate at Mount Tabor Baptist Church under the pastorate of Reverend George E. McRae, D. Min. Reverend Paris served as the Supervisor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Minorities Over-
coming the Virus through Education, Responsibility, and Spirituality, Incorporated (M.O.V.E.R.S., Inc.), a community based organization established from the church’s HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse ministries. Reverend Paris continued his loving pursuit of theological education and formation by enrolling at Christian Theological Seminary as a candidate for the Master of Theological Studies degree. Upon completing his pursuit, he relocated to New York City and
served as Pastor of the Christian Education, Healthcare, Substance Abuse, HIV/AIDS and Outreach Ministries at the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, NY, under Rev. Gary V. Simpson, D. Min. He was ordained to gospel ministry at Mount Tabor Baptist Church of Miami, FL in July 2005. He served as University Chaplain and Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Florida Memorial University from January 2007 to January 2015. Reverend Paris is now a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) candidate in Practical Theology at Saint
Black doctors earn less than whites
By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor) African American physicians earn 15 percent less than White physicians—an average of $262,000 compared to $303,000—according to Medscape’s 2017 Physicians Compensation Report. Approximately 19,200 physicians across 26 areas of medicine were asked questions about annual compensation, race, gender, geography and job satisfaction. The report, detailed by CBS News, revealed that African American doctors are less likely to say they feel fairly compensated, with only half agreeing that they’re earning what they should. “Fifty-percent of African American physicians don’t feel fairly compensated,” the report’s editor Leslie Kane, a senior di-rector of Medscape Business of Medicine, told CBS. Racial and gender discrimination may certainly be a factor, Kane said, but there are other factors as well. For example, if a doctor treats more Medicaid patients, their reimbursement is usually lower, since employer-insured patients tend to pay better. How many hours a doctor works and whether they’re in private practice or a clinic can also explain some inequities in pay.
“Tons of factors play into how much a physician makes,” she said. The survey found that the gender pay gap is narrower among younger doctors. Male doctors ages 55 to 69 make 27 percent more than women, but the divide shrinks to 18 percent in physicians under the age of 34. Being a doctor pays well, but there are still major discrepancies when it comes to paychecks within the medical profession. For the first time, the annual report looked at race as well as gender and other factors, revealing some significant disparities in pay. Physicians’ annual salaries averaged $294,000, with specialists earning about $100,000 more than primary care doctors. Overall, average pay has risen by $88,000 over the seven years Medscape has been conducting this survey—an increase attributed to intense competition for doctors among hospitals and health care systems. The three highest-paying specialties were orthopedics (average annual compensation: $489,000), plastic surgery ($440,000) and cardiology ($410,000). They earned well over twice as much as the average pediatrician ($202,000) and family physician ($209,000), the two lowest-paying categories.
A deeper dive into the data shows male doctors take home bigger paychecks in both primary care and specialty areas such as orthopedics and surgery. Male primary care physicians made 15 percent more than women in 2016, while male specialists earned 31 percent more than their female colleagues. Part of the reason may be that women are more likely to choose lower-paying specialties, Kane said. “One of the things we look at is why there is this overall disparity. We look at what specialties women are going into and they go into less well-paying areas,” she said. “Fifty-three percent of pediatricians are women, one of lowest paid specialties. Thirty-nine percent of family physicians are women, also a lower-paying area,” Kane said. When it comes to the more highly paid medical specialties, only 9 percent of women are orthopedists and only 20 percent of general surgeons are female, Kane added. African American doctors typically work in primary care rather than specialties, the survey noted. The annual compensation survey delved into race for the first time, said Kane, who has edited the report for seven years. The report revealed higher salaries in rural states. Doctors in North Dakota are the highest paid in the U.S. followed by Alaska, South Dakota and Nebraska. Washington D.C. counts as the lowest, while New York hovers toward the bottom of the list, which Kane and others chalk up to supply and demand; plenty of doctors cluster in big cities, while rural areas need to offer more money to attract staff. Patients may be glad to know that regardless of pay, most doctors like what they do: eight out of 10 physicians said they’d still choose medicine if they had the chance to pick a career all over again.
As lawmakers, community stakeholders and activists protest against current White House policies, members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) hosted a summit on the future of civil rights under the Trump Administration. There was no shortage of blunt talk during the panel discussion, which lasted nearly two hours. White House policies on police reform, education, voting and immigration were discussed in detail. “In my humble opinion the greatest threat to civil rights is the current administration,” said Roy Austin, the former director of the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity under the Obama Administration. “In record time, the current administration has not only shown a willingness to not defend civil rights, but also an intent to violate civil rights, and at a minimum, an attempt to make it easier for others to violate civil rights.” Austin continued: “No marginalized group… is safe from what the current administration has already done or appears to be planning to do. Everything we have fought for,
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) hosted a summit on the future of civil rights under the Trump Administration. and some have died for, is at risk.” Others on the panel echoed the same views on a variety of issues from the “Muslim travel ban” to police reform. President Donald Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recently, ordered a review of all the police reform agreements in what will likely be the beginning of decreased federal oversight by the Department of Justice on police departments.
The two-page memo was an order to review the oversight decisions by the Department of Justice during the Obama Administration. A Washington Post study in 2016 revealed that in 2015 Blacks were shot and killed by police at 2.5 times the rate of Whites. “The backstop that has been the civil rights enforcement of the federal government is no more,” said Catherine Lhamon, the chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Thomas University in Miami Gardens, FL. He will de-fend his dissertation project in August 2017. Reverend Paris is a member of several professional, ecclesial and community organizations, including the American Academy of Religion, the Association of Practical Theology, American Baptist Churches, Inc., the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., and the Family Impressions Foundation, Inc. On January 31, 2017 Reverend Paris was appointed as Senior Pastor at Mount Tabor Baptist Church and Will be installed on April 30, 2017. Reverend Paris has been blessed beyond measure with twin boys, George Nicholas and Wendell, III.
REV. PARIS
After blocking Obama’s SCOTUS pick, Senate Republicans confirm Gorsuch Senate Republicans break “super majority” rule to confirm favor of changing the Senate Trump’s Supreme Court pick rules that called for a “super
In this photo, President Donald Trump announces his nomination for U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch (second from right). (Official White House Photo) By Lauren Victoria Burke (NNPA Newswire Contributor) With the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court, Senate Republicans won another victory in their partisan war of obstruction against the nation’s first Black president. Shortly after conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died on February 13, 2016, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell announced that he would not even consider a third Supreme Court selection by President Barack Obama. President Obama had three opportunities to nominate associate justices to the United States Supreme Court. The U.S. Senate confirmed Justice Sonia Sotomayor with a 68-31 vote in 2009, and Justice Elena Kagan
Black Caucus Analyzes Civil Rights in the Trump Era at Forum By Lauren Victoria Burke (NNPA Newswire Contributor)
APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017 • PAGE 3
On March 22, seven members of the CBC met with President Trump and handed him the report titled, “We Have A Lot To Lose: Solutions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century.” They challenged him on issues of policing, economics, jobs and education and how federal policies impact Black communities. A week before the March 22 meeting, another Black Caucus member, Baltimore Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) met with President Trump to talk about prescription drug prices and also challenged him on the way he has repeatedly linked Black communities with mayhem and violence. Also joining the Capitol Hill forum were Gavin Grimm, plaintiff in the transgender rights case, Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board; Ron Davis, the former Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the Department of Justice; Chief Hassan Aden, member of the steering committee for Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration and former Chief of Police of the Greenville Police Department; Chiraag Bains, a senior fellow at Harvard Law School Criminal Justice Policy Program; and Joe Rich, the co-director of the
with a 63-37 vote in 2010. Then, in March 2016, the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate refused to hold hearings for his third pick, Judge Merrick Garland, even though very few lawmakers argued over his qualifications to serve. That unprecedented level of partisan obstruction cleared the way for President Donald Trump to nominate his first Supreme Court pick, Judge Gorsuch, and for the Senate to confirm him with a 54-45 vote. At 49, Justice Gorsuch is now the youngest associate justice serving on the nation’s highest court. In comparison, at 84, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was called a “fiercely independent jurist,” in a 2016 Washington Post article, is the oldest. Before holding the confirmation vote for Judge Gorsuch, the Republicans first voted in Fair Housing and Community Development Project for the Lawyers’ Com-mittee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Capitol Hill forum was hosted by Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.). Reps. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Al Lawson (D-Fla.) also attended. Members of the CBC have become some of the most persistent critics of President Trump since his inauguration in January. Lauren Victoria Burke is a political analyst who speaks on politics and African American leadership. She is also a frequent contributor to the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com. Connect with Lauren by email at LBurke007@gmail.com and on Twitter at @LVBurke.
majority” vote to confirm Supreme Court justices. The vote to change the Senate rules and Gorsuch’s confirmation have been roundly criticized by civil rights groups. “Republicans demanded a 60-vote threshold for many of President Obama’s lower court judicial nominations. Leader McConnell determined that a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land was not worthy of that same standard,” said Wade Henderson, the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, in a statement. “The change in the longstanding Senate rules on Supreme Court nominations is a far cry from the action taken by Democrats in 2013, which only came after years of obstruction by the Republicans.” That action led by thenSenate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in 2013 eliminated “filibusters for most nominations by presidents, a power play they said was necessary to fix a broken system but one that Republicans said will only rupture it further,” according to The Washington Post. In a separate statement, NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks called the decision to bypass the normal confirmation process, “an ill-considered moment by the world’s greatest deliberative body.” In an earlier statement about Gorsuch’s nomination, Henderson noted that during his decade-long tenure on the federal bench, Gorsuch proved to be a conservative ideologue, who consistently ruled against civil rights, women’s rights, and workers’ rights. Henderson added that Gorsuch demonstrated a judicial philosophy that, he believed, would prevent the federal government from properly enforcing countless acts of Congress. “The president could have nominated an independent or consensus candidate for this seat, someone like Merrick Garland, whose record has proven to be unimpeachable,” said Henderson. “Instead, he chose Neil Gorsuch to be a rubber stamp and yet another ‘yes man’ for this administration.” Trump’s first Supreme Court pick, who was strongly favored by conservative groups, has already weighed-in on a controversial case that was brought before the Supreme Court. According to an article posted to ThinkProgress.org, “Neil Gorsuch’s very first decision on the Supreme Court was to let a man be killed.” (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
PAGE 4 • APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017
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Join the Urban League of Broward County for an indepth discovery of the principles and practices of restorative justice on Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Urban League of Broward County, 560 N.W. 27 Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. For more info call William T. Jackson, at (954) 625-2511.
Golf Classic
Eta Nu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., presents Felix "Chin" Evans Memorial Golf Classic on Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 8 a.m., at Woodlands Country Club, 4600 Woodlands Blvd., Tamarac, Fla.
Rally Rally for Immigrant and Worker Justice on Monday, May 1, 2017 at 5 p.m., at Bubier Park 32 E Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Rise Up Broward County! Join us for a National Day of Action to demonstrate the power, resilience and strength of immigrant and refugee communities and communities of color in America. Workers keep our communities functioning and our country fed; it’s time we made a living wage and got respect for our work. On International Worker’s Day come out with us to rally for economic justice for immigrants and the Black and Brown workers in our community. We’ll have live music from La Vie, the Pink Slip Duo, and more! You will also learn about what we can do to make Broward County safer for immigrant families. Let’s come together for economic justice that values our work. We will rise up!
Oper ation Gr een Light Br owar d Opera Green Bro ard Do you have overdue Broward County traffic tickets, court costs, fines, or fees that have been assigned to a collection agency? If so, the Broward County Clerk’s Office has an offer you can’t refuse! Operation Green Light Broward provides an excellent opportunity to pay unpaid traffic tickets, court costs, fines, or fees, without paying the additional statutory collection fee (up to 35% in savings). Eligible customers must pay in full, and you may also be eligible to have your driving privileges restored! This limited time offer is only available from Monday, April 24 through Saturday, April 29, 2017. All four courthouse locations will be participating in this program and will be open Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00am and 3:30pm. On Saturday, April 29, 2017, only the Central Courthouse location will be open for business between the hours of 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. * Central Courthouse, 201 S.E. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale Fla. * West Satellite Courthouse, 100 Pine Island Rd., Plantation, Fla. *South Satellite Courthouse, 3550 Hollywood, Blvd., Hollywood, Fla. * North Satellite Court-house, 1600 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, Fla. *Felony payments must be paid at the Central Courthouse only (Room 160). Misdemeanor pay-ments will be accepted at all locations. Acceptable payment methods include: cash, money order, cashier checks, personal checks, and credit cards (Visa and MasterCard). Payments may also be made through the Clerk’s website: www.browardclerk.org, and the U.S. Postal Service (must be postmarked by April 29, 2017).
Conference
Jessie Trice Community Health Center presents a Fitness and Nutrition Education Conference on Friday, May 5, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Florida International University (FIU) North Campus – Kovens Conference Center located at 3000 N.E. 151 St., North Miami, Fla. -Free event features Chef Richard Ingraham, Personal Chef to NBA AllStar, Dwyane WadeAdmission to the conference is free, but pre-registration is required. To register, contact Jessie Trice Community Health Center at (305) 805-1700.
Event
Join Nova Southeastern University on Friday, May 5, 2017 from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., at in the Morris Auditorium at the College of Health Care Sciences, 3200 S. University Dr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. To purchase tickets and for more info visit http:// event.leadercast.com/location/ nsu or contact Jonathan Harrison at (954) 262-7869 or jharrison@nova.edu.
Workshop BizTech 411 will host a free workshop, on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 3:30 p.m.“How to Incorporate Video to Take Your Marketing to the Next Level,” at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, May 13 at the African American Research Library, 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311. The live demonstration with shoe how to incorporate video into your website from start to finish. Complimentary admission. Refreshments served. Limited Seating. Reserve your seat at: videomarketing.eventbrite.com For more information, call 305707-8024.
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Happenings at African-American Research Library and Cultural Center
African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderale, Fla. For more info call (954) 357-6210. · Broward County's AfricanAmerican Research Library and Cultural Center will be hosting a fascinating event, on Friday, April 29, 2017 from 4 to 8 p.m., honoring Prince Rogers Nelson's (1958-2016) cinematic legacy. For more info call (954) 357-7402. · Glenda All into One - a Free Family Event Health Education on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. For more info call Glenda Oliver at (954) 593-7551 or Kimberly Watson at (954) 632-2135 www.glendaallintoone.com · Jewelry Making Workshop on Monday, May 22, 2017 from 6 to 7:45 p.m. The workshop: learning how to make earrings, bracelets & necklaces. For cost and additional info contact Glenda Oliver at (954) 5937551. · BizTech 411 will host a free workshop on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 3:30 p.m. “How to Incorporate Video to Take Your Marketing to the Next Level,” Complimentary admission. Refreshments served. Limited Seating. Reserve your seat at: videomarketing.eventbrite.com For more info call (305) 7078024.
CALLING ALL CLASSMATES of Dillard Class of 1971: Please Read Carefully. “All things are done by a series of small things brought together and every morning we should prepare our minds to receive the best that life has to give us”. Our historic bus tour of Savannah, GA and surrounding areas is upon us. To make this class trip successful, we need 50 people, which includes friends and family, to commit to this trip. DATE (trip): Friday, May 26-29, 2017 (Memorial Weekend). 4 days/3 Nights DEADLINE TO PAY for bus IS APRIL 28TH. Also, you must make your own hotel reservations. For further info contact Janie at (954) 612-2433. So let’s get started: Escape the ordinary. Live, Travel, Adventure, and be Blessed. “Collect moments, not things”. Class of “71”.
Events
Congratulations to Ms. Addie Sanders Owens, president of the Northwest Federated Womans Club, on being chosen as a 2017 Senior Hall of Fame honoree. A breakfast will be held Friday, May 19 2017, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Renaissance Hotel, Plantation, Fla., where she will be honored along with other nominees. For more information contact Cheryl Morrow @adrcbroward.org; (954) 7459567.
Event
M-DCPS’ Seventh Annual Prom for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder on Tuesday, May 16, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport & Convention Center, 711 N.W. 72 Ave., Miami. Fla. For more info contact Angie Torres, Instructional Supervisor, Office of Autism Support, at (305) 275-9801, email:angietorres@dadeschools.net; or Twitter: @MDCPS_asd
Clinic Free Beach Volleyball Clinic hours - 6:45 to 8 p.m. * Wednesday, May 17, 2016 at Riverside Park, 555 S.W. 11 Ave., Coral Spring, Fla., and on * Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at Coconut Creek Rec Center, 4455 Sol Press Dr.). * Thursday, May 18, at Meadows Park, 1300 N.W. Eight St., Boca Raton, Fla. * Thursday, May 18, at Dan Witt Park, 4521 N.E. 22 Ave., Lighthouse Pt. By Sand Turtles Volleyball. Learn the basic skills you need to play in a fun, exercise-oriented environment Park for info www.sandturtlesvolleyball.com or call Coach Mark at (954) 345-0500.
Fundraiser
DILLARD HIGH CLASS OF 1967 50 YEAR CLASS REUNION JUNE 1-4, 2017 FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
Calling all Churches to Church Row!!! Relay for Life , the grassroot fundraiser for American Cancer Society, will take place on Friday, May 19 20, 2017 from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Joseph C. Carter Park in Fort Lauderdale at 1450 W. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Carter Park – Relay for Life community bonds together to hosts an overnight event full of music, food, and entertainment. For more info contact Rosalind Hankerson (954) 667-9025 Rosalind.CarterRelay@gmail.com
Events
· Tradewinds Micro-Apiary on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 10 a.m., at Parks and Recreation Divisin, 950 N.W. 38 St., Oakland Park, Fla. Refreshments courtesy of the Urban Farming Institute. · Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Plantation Elementary School, 651 N.W. 42 Ave., Plantation, Fla. Experience the camp adventure by joining us for a sneak peek into the adventure we have planned this summer. The day’s fun activities include: summer camp previews, sports demos, swim lessons, drowning prevention information, kids games and healthy snacks! · Hosanna’s First Annual Survivor Stroll on Saturday, May 20, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Delevoe Park Community Center, 2520 N.W. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. This will be a day of inspiration, reflection, and empowerment for survivors and anyone impacted by incest, molestation and rape. We are not alone! · Third Annual Behavioral Health Conference on Monday, May 22 & Tuesday, May, 23, 2017 from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., at Signature Grand, 6900 State Rd. , 84 Davie, Fla. Join for a Forum where participants can discuss, inform, network, and learn about issues related to research, policy, and practice focused on Behavioral Health Promotion and Substance Abuse Prevention. · Volunteer Opportunity Youth Park Cleanup Fort Lauderdale. Dania Beach. Hallandale Beach. The American Lung Association is hosting a youth park cleanup to increase the awareness of tobacco, secondhand smoke and the benefits of smoke-free parks. Volunteers will be assigned zones throughout the park and will collect discarded tobacco and any other pieces of litter. Trash bags and gloves will be provided for the volunteers. Park location, dates and times are listed below: * Saturday, May 20, at Lincoln Park, 600 N.W. 19 Ave., Fort Lauderdale Fla. * Saturday, May 27, at Thomas Park, 800 N.W. Second St., Dania Beach, Fla * Saturday, June 3, at Foster Park, 609 NW Sixth Ave., Hallandale Beach Fla For more info call (954) 5244659.
Meeting
The Miami Chapter, Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., meet every second Saturday at 10 a.m., at African Heritage Cultural Arts Center (AHCAC), 6161 N.W. 22 Ave., Miami, Fla. For more info call (786) 3202891.
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APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017 • PAGE 5
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law files lawsuit challenging Georgia’s unlawful racial gerrymander Suit claims State redrew lines for GA House of Reps with a racially discriminatory purpose
Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently (Monday, April 24, 2017) the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed suit against the State of Georgia and its Secretary of State to remedy an unlawful racial gerrymander. The suit, filed in federal court in Atlanta, claims that the redrawing of lines for Georgia House of Representatives Districts 105 and 111, in 2015, was done with a racially discriminatory purpose to favor the election of White incumbents. The complaint alleges violations of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “Mid-decade redistricting has become another tactic used by those who seek to suppress the rights of minority voters in the face of racial demographic change,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Lawmakers in Georgia explicitly used race to reconfigure district boundaries to guarantee the re-election of white incumbents. This kind of racial gerrymandering is not only unlawful, but illustrative of the ugly racial discrimination that infects the political process in Georgia today.” “The history of the struggle to disenfranchised people in the nation demonstrates that power concedes nothing without a demand. This litigation repre-
Remembering history (Cont'd from FP) Racist medical practices were tolerated, if not explicitly condoned, by professional organizations such as the American Medical Association through the late 1960s. The governmentfunded Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which effectively denied syphilis treatment to nearly 400 Black men over the course of 40 years ended in 1972, but a formal apology was not issued for this deliberate violation of human rights until 1997. And still, in doctors’ offices and hospital rooms across the United States today, race remains a significant predictor of the quality of healthcare a person will receive. But perhaps just as troubling as the underpinnings of racism in science and medicine is the relative obscurity of racism in the historical narratives propagated by dominant white culture. That modern medicine was built on the backs of marginalized populations is well understood and indeed has been lived by many, but it is far from being accepted as universal truth. Meanwhile, the contributions of Black scientists, doctors, and health advocates have routinely been eclipsed by those of their white colleagues or are absent entirely from historical records. These advocates range from high-profile figures like Dr. Regina Benjamin, the 18th U.S. Surgeon General who shifted the national focus on health from a treatment-based to a prevention-based perspective, to grassroots activists like Detroit’s Malik Yakini, who in 2006 founded the Detroit Black Community Food Security Net-
sents our demand that the ‘we’ in ‘We the People’ include all people,” said Francys Johnson, Statesboro Civil Rights Attorney, and Georgia NAACP President. “In the fight to secure the right to vote and elect the candidates of our choice, the NAACP will mortgage every asset we have. These rights are sacred; hallowed no less by the blood, sweat, and tears of those who came before us.” “The people of Georgia deserve an electoral system that is fair and free of decisions based on racial gerrymandering and partisan gamesmanship,” said Jennifer Dempsey, Partner, Bryan Cave, LLP. “We hope this lawsuit will advance that cause.” “As the authors of the Voting Rights Act knew, the right to vote is one of the most important rights of the citizens of this country,” said Gregory Phillips, Partner, Munger Tolles & Olson, LLP. “This lawsuit is brought in order to ensure that all citizens of the State of Georgia, irrespective of color or party, will be able to exercise that right freely and fairly.” The Georgia House of Representatives is composed of 180 members, each of whom is elected from a single-member district. Traditionally, states adopt a new redistricting plan every ten years, after the decennial Census, so as to comply with the Constitution’s “one person, one vote” requirement. The Georgia legislature, however, has repeatedly sought to amend its post-2010 redistricting plan for its House of Representatives, even though there is no legitimate reason to do so. It most recently did so in 2015, when it passed House Bill 566 (“H.B. 566”) in ways that departed from normal procedures. For example, African American legislators serving on reapportionment committees were excluded from the process of determining the changes. Most important, H.B. 566 used race as the predominant factor to allocate African American and other minority voters into and out of House Districts 105 and 111, so as to reduce the ability of African American and other voters to elect candidates of their choice. These changes were made against the backdrop of a growing African American population in those two work to ensure that Detroit communities could exercise sovereignty and self-determination in producing and consuming affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food. They include Byllye Avery, who in 1974 established the Gainesville Women’s Health Center to expand critical access to abortions and other health care services to Black women, and Dr. Camara Jones, former president of the American Public Health Association, who skillfully brought the impact of racism on health and well-being to the forefront of the public health agenda. These figures even include Bobby Seale. Though he may be best remembered as the co-founder of the Black Panther Party, Seale worked to establish a dozen free community health clinics nation-wide and a free breakfast program that grew to serve 20,000 children in 19 cities around the country. It is imperative that we not only highlight the health disparities experienced by communities of color that have resulted from interlocking structures of oppression, but also recognize the leaders who have stood on the frontlines demanding change. This must not happen only during National Minority Health Month, but continuously. The work of these leaders both underscores a powerful legacy of social and political advocacy among marginalized communities and serves as a powerful reminder of how far America has to go. Sarah Reinhardt is a food systems and health analyst in the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists
districts and recent elections that saw White Republican candidates just narrowly defeating Black Democratic candidates. The Complaint alleges that the passage of H.B. 566, in the context of the historical discrimination against African Americans in Georgia and racially polarized voting, was intended, at least in part, to reduce the number of minority voters and increase the number of White voters to reduce minority voting strength in Districts 105 and 111, and was a racial gerrymander in violation of the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. In addition, the Complaint
alleges that the redistricting plan is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander as it creates political classifications without any legitimate legislative objective. Plaintiffs in the suit include Georgia State Conference of the NAACP and several individuals who live in the contested Districts. Working with the Lawyers’ Committee as pro bono counsel are the law firms of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP and Bryan Cave. The suit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division.
Johnson, Statesboro Civil Rights Attorney and Georgia NAACP President.
Bridging the education gap at top priority for Black American parents How Obama’s education law can help Black parents bridge the education gap By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. (President and CEO, NNPA) All parents want the best for their children. We all acknowledge that attaining a highquality K-12 education is probably the single most important factor that will determine the future life success of a student in the public school systems throughout the United States. Yet, the reality for millions of Black American parents in the U.S. is that there is a lingering educational achievement gap between Black students and White students. This is why I believe that raising awareness about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) among all parents, especially Black parents, is vital. This should be a national priority for all who stand for equality in effective high-quality public education for all students. Now that states have begun the tedious process to refine and submit their ESSA state plans to the U.S. Department of Education, Black parents
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. says that parental involvement is a key factor that determines the effectiveness of our public school system. should increase their input into these plans in each state. Recent national studies have pointed to what some researchers have concluded as “low expectations” about the ac-
ademic achievement levels of Black students being a major contributing factor to their underachievement in the classroom. Unfortunately, sometimes these predictions based on external research about Black America can become selffulfilling prophecies and mere justifications for the current educational disparities and inequities between Black students and White students. Black parents do not have low expectations about their children’s academic potential to achieve excellence and scholarship. Most Black parents encourage and expect their children to do well in school. Black parents do have, however, low expectations about the priorities that state boards of education, as well as county and city boards of education, have presented thus far in response to the inclusive accountability mandates of ESSA. Inclusion presupposes involvement. Parental involvement is a key factor that determines the effectiveness of our
public school system. The National Newspaper Publishers Association is, therefore, pleased to join and to support all efforts that will increase Black American parental involvement concerning ESSA and its implementation at both the state and federal levels. Yes, Black student K-12 educational achievement gaps that now exist in too many school districts in the U.S. can be bridged going forward, if there is a substantial and measurable increase in the consistent involvement of Black parents at all levels of decision-making and public policy implementation of ESSA. Please pass this message to others that you may know who are likewise concerned about these issues. The future of our families and communities is at stake. Our collective awareness and involvement can help to make a positive difference in improving K-12 education in America. I have faith that Black American parents will once again rise to this challenge.
NIH study shows exercise may lower risk of high blood while those who repressure in African Americans tension, ported ideal levels of physical NATIONWIDE — Researchers who study cardiovascular health have long known that exercise is one way to keep high blood pressure at bay. But studies confirming this protective effect have mainly focused on white patients, leaving it unclear whether African Americans, the most vulnerable of all populations, have stood to gain in similar ways. In a new study, researchers are reporting the strongest evidence to date that moderate to vigorous exercise, when done regularly, can help reduce the risk of hypertension in African Americans. The study, which was published in the journal Hypertension, was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). Both are part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Although the protective effect of exercise had been welldocumented in white populations, it really had not been clearly demonstrated for African Americans,” said study coauthor Nicole Redmond, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., a medical officer with the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at NHLBI. “This is a wake-up call to African Americans about the need for regular exercise and its importance in preventing high blood pressure.” “The good news,” she added, “is that hypertension is a health problem that is both preventable and treatable.” African Americans have the highest rate of high blood pressure over any other racial or ethnic group in the United States – as much as 50 percent
higher than whites and Hispanics. And the fallout is profound: High blood pressure greatly raises the risk for heart attack, stroke and kidney disease, and when uncontrolled, it can lead to death. Yet, while health care providers have long recommended exercise as one way to keep this potentially debilitating condition at bay, researchers have never closely studied the specific impact of exercise on the population most vulnerable to it; until now. For the observational study, Redmond and her fellow researchers followed 1,311 men and women who are participants in the Jackson Heart Study, the largest, communitybased study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in African Americans. The participants were, on average, in their late 40s when the Jackson, Miss.-based study began in 2000. None of them had hypertension at the time. The participants were then followed for eight years and surveyed about their physical activities throughout. At the end of the study period, the researchers found that nearly 50 percent of the participants had developed hypertension. But those who reported higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity had a significantly lower risk of hypertension, compared to those who did not exercise at all. Specifically, those who reported intermediate levels of physical activity – less than the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise based on the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans – had a 16 percent lower rate of hyper-
activity – an average of 150 minutes a week of moderateintensity exercise or at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise – had a 24 percent lower rate, the study showed. “We’ve long known that exercise is an important part of controlling blood pressure,” said Redmond. “Now, thanks to this invaluable finding from the Jackson Heart Study, we can say that the same applies to African American men and women. It’s a potentially life-saving message that everyone needs to follow.” Redmond acknowledged that getting people to boost their exercise levels weekly can be a challenge. Barriers to establishing an exercise routine include lack of access to parks and streets that are perceived as safe; competing demands for time (such as work, child care responsibilities and commuting time); and for many women, concerns about hair care. But you don’t have to run a marathon, Redmond pointed out. For now, including moderate or intensive exercise as part of a daily routine of good selfcare is a great start. For example, brisk walking, stair walking, cycling and recreational tennis all meet standards for moderate activity when done for at least 10 consecutive minutes at a time at a pace that gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster, Redmond said. You don’t have to do all your exercise at once: Exercising 10 minutes at a time, three times a day adds up to 30 minutes a day. Vigorous exercise, including activities such as jogging, aerobics and swimming, as well as competitive sports such as basketball,
volleyball and soccer, meet those standards, too. “Other exercise options include taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood (or an indoor shopping mall in bad weather), working out to an exercise DVD or joining a fun-filled exercise group, such as a Zumba® or Jazzercise® class or a running group. Do what works best for your lifestyle and budget. If the goal is to help lower blood pressure, exercise that gets the heart rate up is critical,” Redmond said. So don’t forget to exercise regularly. It could change – or even save – your life.
PAGE 6 • APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017
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.
Time
Money Trumps the Vote
Reconnecting to the World once lost By Clarence Major III As the years have passed me by, my understanding of self-awareness has allowed me to see the person I once was. Through my life’s journey I thought my intentions were honorable, but I would realize my perceptions weren’t admissible. I was maneuvering through life like the world owed me for my short comings. I was a bitter soul and a lifeless man with no sense of direction or urgency, so I continued on the path of darkness filled with emptiness. Everyone I came in contact with was subjected to endure what was within me, but nonetheless, I allowed this burden to become their world, so now my problems became their problems ‘on top of whatever
problem they may have had. I was lost to the many things my ancestors fought so hard to come out of which are oppression and the degradations in this so called land of the free and home of the brave. I had trapped myself in my own little world of resentment and hatred for those who meant me no harm. In other words, I was my own worst enemy. The world can be a very cruel and lonely place to be in when you are not equipped with the tools you need to survive. Now I am in an environment which once was trapped inside of me for many years. When I was of the world, I embraced this type of environment. But now with a sober mind and pure heart I truly see the kind of destruction and heartache which I contributed to mv family and to society. Prison life is filled with hateful criminal-minded individuals who are not willing to change and are trying to discourage the many who are on the path of redemption. Jeb Bush once
said, “Approximately 65% of the prison population will return if I were to pick a prison today and release all of its inmates.” And sadly I am part of this statistic, not saying I would return. But this is the number I am part of and to be a part of a society such as this is frightening. I guess I’m not so tough after all. It takes a wise and venerable man to admit he was wrong and has now seen the light. Not only have I seen the light, I have witnessed how my foolishness and wicked ways caused heartache and pain to my loved ones. My family has suffered the most, it was never about me, and it was all about family. Today I can truly say I’ve become a man, granted, it wasn’t by choice: It took decades for me to become a better and responsible man’ and every day is a constant struggle which serves as a reminder how I took my freedom for granted. So I leave you with this, my friends: change will not come overnight; it truly takes time.
Dear Editor By Kevin Palmer In January 2016, the Huffington Post newspaper published an article titled, America’s Financial Racial Divide: The Racial Breakdown of U.S.Wealth in Black and White, by Antonio Moore, Esq. According to the article, “There are about 120 million households in the United States. In terms of race there are 83 million white households and 14 million Black households. Also, out of the 83 million white households, 23 million had more than $356,000 dollars in net assets, while only 700,000 black households had more than $356,000 in net assets.” Moreover, the article goes on to say, “The median white family has a net worth of $116,000 which indicates 41 million white households across the nation. In comparison, nearly 40 percent or 5.6 million African American homes in the U.S. have zero or negative net worth.” That means 5.6 million Black households in America are treading water financially and should not be donating to any charity or any nonprofit organization’s fundraising campaign. Indeed, Black people with a zero net worth must understand they are their own charity. Ultimately, what this means is that wealthy Americans, especially whites, are not stepping up to pay their fair share of taxes or charitable contributions. Russian writer Leo Tolstoy described the attitude of the rich toward the poor. He wrote, “I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means, except by getting off his back.” It is this type of attitude by the rich which prevents the racial wealth gap to close.
What does the firing of Bill O’Reilly say about think he was mistreated and unfairly Republicans? fired. Instead of acknowledging O’By Roger Caldwell
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The Republicans control most of the legislatures and governorships in the country, and they control both House in the Federal government, and the presidency. Does this mean that the Democrats don’t vote, or the Republicans are better organized? Everyone in the America knows that Republicans are conservatives, the majority of them are White, and America is the greatest country on the planet because of them. This kind of thinking would indicate that “white is right” and our institutions and systems are the best in the world. Bill O’Reilly is the epitome of White success and achievement, and his yearly compensation was $13 million from Fox, and other streams of income were in the millions. White America supports and worships his ideology of White supremacy and racism. He is a media icon, even though he was rude, sexist, racist and obnoxious. According to Mike Ridmond, a reporter at The Daily Banter wrote, “On April 1, The New York Times wrote that Bill O’Reilly and 21st Century Fox, Fox news’ parent company, have paid out at least $13 million with five women reporting sexual harassment by O’Reilly.” The first weird thing I noticed was that Mr. O’Reilly was still on television, and no one on Fox talked about this breaking news, and the accusations of Bill O’Reilly’s sexual harassment cases. This proved to me, that the people in power decide who is hired, and what they can say on their station. After weeks of protest and advertisers pulling their ads from the O’Reilly Factor, Rupert Murdock quietly fired Bill O’Reilly from Fox. Even though the company’s culture allowed men in power to harass women in the workplace, O’Reilly’s lawyer claims that O’Reilly was a victim of a brutal cam paign of character assassination. Starting with President Trump, and many of O’Reilly’s business colleagues
Reilly’s harassment of women for decades got him fired, many colleagues and President Trump said O’Reilly was a good man, who did not deserve to be fired. Many argued that O’Reilly was an example of America’s greatness, but others argued that he was an example of the sickness that is prevalent in the country. There are records of O’Reilly beating his wife in front of their children, and treating other women with no respect. Somewhere deep in the soul of conservatives and Republicans, they are fundamentally mean and cold, and they are only interested in money, control, and power. Many political experts and Fox insiders say O’Reilly was fired because this scandal could threaten and derail Murdoch’s bid to acquire all of the European pay-service, Sky-TV. The people with money and power in America, plan to stay in control, and these people on top, only see themselves as winners. The men in power at Fox will not make any radical changes in terms of the treatment of women, because with money problems get fixed. Republicans, conservatives, and Fox news have a solid base, and half of Americans agree with Fox’s thinking. White power is a symptom of America, and everywhere you look on television is Whiteness. Bill O’Reilly would not have gotten fired, without relentless activism and progressive organizers around the country. Many in the media did their job by exposing the $13 million in settlements to the women who had been harassed. American companies asked Fox to do a better job by taking their advertising away from one television show, who had mistreated women. Justice means something different to many Americans, but every American believes every citizen should be treated with respect and dignity. Common decency is needed in America, and it is essential that the Democrats and progressives challenge sexist and racist ideas and thinking from the conservative Republicans.
By Kevin Palmer American voters have been duped by unscrupulous politicians who loved money more than God. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Still, after repeated warnings to the dangers of serving money, in 1913 the United States of America rejected God and chose instead to serve money by giving control of its currency to international bankers. In regards to bankers controlling a nation’s currency, the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, said, “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.” In addition, he said, “If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered…The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.” As of 2017, the power to issue currency has not been taken from the bankers and restored to the people. Moreover, James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, echoed the warning of Jefferson regarding bankers who controlled a nation’s money by stating, “History records that the moneychangers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance.” Furthermore, even Mayer Amschel Rothschild, founder of the House of Rothschild, said, “Let me issue and control a nation’s money and I care not who writes the laws.” In other words, Rothschild is saying politicians whom the voters elect are nothing but puppets controlled by bankers. Nevertheless, despite these warnings, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of United States, signed the 1913 Federal Reserve Act. The 1913 Act established the Federal Reserve central banking system which is a private institution that is not part of the federal government as the name implies. A few years later Wilson wrote, “I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world, no longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but by a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men.” That is why a clownish billionaire who gropes women is elected president of the United States even though he lost the popular by almost 2.9 million votes.
Sometimes The W ords Words We Lea ve Leav U nspok en nspoken Are The Most Im por Impor portt ant Ones That Should Ha ve Hav Been Said.
The Gantt Report TheAmerica’s Black sheep By Lucius Gantt During the final days of the Lord, Jesus Christ was perhaps at the lowest point in his life. If you know the story, Jesus was marked for death before he was born so his life wasn’t a bowl of chocolates or cherries. As the end approached, Jesus informed his so-called friends, much like the Facebook friends and Twitter followers of today, that the end of his time on earth was near. When he took the news to his best boys, he told his Apostles and Disciples that the Biblical 5-0, the crooked law enforcers, were out to get him and what did his most loyal followers do that memorable night to help and protect him? They all went to sleep. Not too long afterwards, Jesus was apprehended, arrested, whipped, beaten, spat on and ultimately crucified, killed and place in a tomb that was guarded by soldiers and closed to family and friends that loved him by a very large immovable boulder. But Jesus arose and came back to the life as he said he would. One of his followers that wouldn’t help Him, protect Him and denied Him, Peter, asked Jesus what he could do now to show his love for the Lord. Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”! The figurative sheep in the Biblical days needed a shepherd. I believe that today, more than ever before, America’s Black sheep, citizens of African descent living in, the United States, need a modern day shepherd that they can depend on! Nowadays, Black people don’t really have a leader anywhere in the world that is recognized and accepted by the masses as a true leader or shepherd of the “Black flock”! If you know what a shepherd is you know that a shepherd herds the sheep, or brings them together, he guards or protects the sheep, he feeds the sheep or nourishes them diet wise, physically, mentally and spiritually, he educates and informs the sheep and he guides the sheep in the right direction, the righteous direction and toward the so-called greener pastures! But in Black communities, it’s hard being a shepherd. Pimping ain’t easy and being a good leader ain’t easy! You’ve heard people talk and read people’s writings about “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” but there are also snakes, serpents and wolves in shepherd’s clothes. There are fake and devilish people pretending to be shepherds that try, try and try to lead Black people down the wrong path. These imposter shepherds are usually people of color just as the Black sheep are. When our people can’t recognize the voice of a true shepherd, it won’t take long for many of us to be misguided, distracted, run amuck or led astray! Once Black sheep are led astray, they don’t want to unite, they don’t want to work together, they don’t want to eat together and they don’t want to live together. A misguided Black sheep will think he or she is better than other Black sheep and wrongly believe they can do better on their own, by themselves. Well, guess what? It’s a mean, old and dangerous world we live in for a Black sheep to leave his flock and roam around the world alone. When a sheep hates his brothers and sisters in his flock and turns on his kind, abandons his kind and hates his own kind, the bloody jawed evil, wicked, biased, exploitative and racist wolves will have a field day and the wolf pack will feast on lamb chops for days and perhaps, for 400 years! Biblical sheep of yesterday and Black sheep of today fuss and fight with each other but they are not know as fierce warriors that seek to battle anyone that mounts an attack on them. If sheep don’t have a shepherd that they trust and will follow, all the sheep can do is try to run or merely give up when an oppressor, a colonizer, a predator or other attacker comes into their community, or pasture. A good Biblical shepherd carried a staff that comforted the sheep and protected the sheep. The Black sheep of today need shepherds, or leadership, that will protect them, too. America’s Black sheep don’t need a shepherd that is afraid of the police, afraid of the judge, afraid of the bad boss or supervisor, afraid of the gang member, abusive pimp or the drug dealer and any other wolves or enemies of the Black sheep! The staff of today’s shepherd may be a sharp tongue or a hard fist, backed up with a weapons permit and an Underground Army like the old Underground Railroad. I just don’t know. But I know America’s Black sheep need to be protected, fed and led! (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
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BUSINESS
APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017 • PAGE 7
Westside Gazette
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Thank God for History Geometry Trigonometry, Our President Obama Tree!
Blackonomics
Time for Black frater nities and fraternities sororities to step up Black Fraternities and Sororities have the Economic Clout to Power the Next Black Renaissance Jim Clingman is calling on the presidents of the Divine Nine to spread the word about Sweet Unity Farms Tanzanian Gourmet Coffee to their members to take a simple action step toward economic empowerment. By James Clingman (NNPA Newswire Columnist)
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Remember the scene from “New Jack City” when Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) told Scotty (Ice-T), “This ain’t personal; this is business?” And at the end of the movie, Scotty said to Nino, “This is personal,” as he proceeded to give him a beatdown. Well, this article is both personal and business. It’s a call to the Alphas, Omegas, Kappas, Sigmas, Deltas, AKAs, Zetas, Thetas, Iotas, known as the “Divine Nine,” and the fraternity I was apart of back in the 1960’s at North Carolina College at Durham (now North Carolina Central University), “Groove Phi Groove.” The latent collective power within these organizations is mindboggling. Their members are conscientious, which is demonstrated by their friendship and loyalty to one another. They rally around their members during crises; they support one another when they get married and have children; they work together, locally and nationally, on community projects across this country. They even formed a national collective organization, The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.; the group’s stated purpose and mission is “Unanimity of thought and action as far as possible in the conduct of Greek letter collegiate fraternities and sororities, and to consider problems of mutual interest to its member organizations.” I especially like the part about “mutual interests.” I know it’s a hard question to answer, based on our individualistic and proprietary approach to solving many of our problems, but what are the mutual interests among not only sororities and fraternities, but all Black organizations? Is there one thing that all of us can and should do together without compromising our various missions and such? I believe there are several things we can do together, but reality tells me that all Black people will never do any one thing together. So in light of that reality, we must come up with something that is simple yet powerful and will demonstrate our collective resolve, not just to the world, but to ourselves and our children. Keep in mind I said, “Simple.” On the business side of things, this is a call—a challenge—to each member of the abovementioned Black, proud, historic, and venerable organizations to purchase at least one bag of Sweet Unity Farms Tanzanian Gourmet Coffee. The coffee is grown by family co-ops founded by Jackie Robinson’s son, David, twenty years ago. April 15, 2017 was the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in major league baseball; we can break the economic barrier by collectively propelling his son’s company to unimagined heights by purchasing his coffee. In case you didn’t know, Jackie Robinson went to work for a coffee company when he left baseball. On the personal side, Black folks are taking an Ice T beatdown like Wesley Snipes received, only ours is an economic beatdown, much of which we are doing to ourselves by not supporting one another more than we do presently. What could be more personal than family? Again, one simple solution is for our Black sororities and fraternities, comprising millions of members around the world, to take this challenge personally and buy at least one bag of David Robinson’s coffee, a fitting tribute to his father’s legacy. By doing so, the world would witness a Black- owned company, operating in Africa and the U.S., become a billion dollar firm virtually overnight, all because a group of conscientious Black folks individually spent a very small amount of money on a Black owned product. A veritable, Black economic renaissance. After accomplishing that simple goal, we could repeat it hundreds of times with other Black companies, thus, creating larger firms that have so much business they would have to hire more employees. In the words of the soul singing group, Atlantic Star, “Am I dreaming?” Maybe I am, but it’s a great dream, and I pray it will come true. From what I observe among our social organizations, members of sororities and fraternities are the most conscientious; therefore, I am calling on the Presidents of the Divine Nine to spread the word to their members to take this simple action step toward economic empowerment. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
PAGE 8 • APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017
AF amily T hat Prays T ogether, Stays T ogether Family That Together, Together
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
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.
Reverend Jimmy L. English PASTOR WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Worship ............................................................. 8 a.m. & 11 a.m. Sunday School ........................................................................... 9:30 a.m. Wednesday (Prayer Service & Bible Study) ............................... 7:30 a.m. Saturday (Women Bible Study) ............................................................ 8 a.m. "Baptized Believers working together to do the will of God"
Dr. Marcus D. Davidson, 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!
James C. Boyd Funeral Home
Rev. Stanley Melek, M.Div E-MAIL:stanley.melek@flumc.org 2351 N.W. 26th Street Oakland Park, Florida 33311 Church Telephone: (954) 731-0520
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"
Mount Hermon A.M.E. Church Rev Henry E. Green, Jr. PASTOR 401 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 Phone: (954) 463-6309 - FAX 954 522-4113 Office Hours: Tues. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Email: infor@mthermonftl.com
SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICES Worship Service ................................................................................... 10 a.m. Church School ..................................................................................... 9:15 a.m. BIBLE STUDY: Wednesday ................................................................... 10 a.m. Gems & Jewels Ministry Senior Wednesday Wednesday (Bible Study) ............................................... 12 Noon & 7- 8 p.m. Daily Prayer Line ...................................................................................... 6 a.m. (712) 432-1500- Access Code296233#
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1161 NW 29th Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311 (954) 581-0455 ● Fax: (954) 581-4350 www.mtzionmbc1161.com
Dr. James B. Darling, Jr., Pastor/Teacher WORSHIP SERVICES Worship Service ............................................................................................................ 10:15 a.m. Sunday School ................................................................................................................ 9:00 a.m. Communion Service (1st Sunday) ........................................................................... 10:15 a.m. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting ........................................................................... 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Bible Study ................................................................................... 7:00 p.m. Saturday (2nd & 4th) Christian Growth & Orientation ................................... 8:30 a.m. But be doers of the Word - James 1:22 nkjv - “A Safe Haven, and you can get to Heaven from here”
Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, Oakland Park "The Miracle On 33rd Street" 420 N.E. 33rd Street Oakland Park, Florida 33334 Church: (954) 563-3060 Email: mtzion420@gmail.com
Rev. George A. Hardy, Pastor SERVICES Sunday Church School ................................................................... 8:45 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship ........................................................... 10:00 a.m. Tuesday Night (Family Prayer & Bible Study) ........................... 7:00 p.m. Wednesday (Prayer Conference Line) ................................................ 8:00 p.m. (Dail (786) 233-6715 - Acess Code 703513) Oakland Park CDC (Senior Activity Center) Daily ............10 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Williams Memorial CME “PRAYER IS THE ANSWER” 644-646 NW 13th Terrace Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 (954) 462-5711(Ministry Office Line) (954) 462-8222(Pastor’s Direct Line) Email: wm_cme@bellsouth.net (Church} pastorCal50@yahoo.com (Pastor)
Rev. Cal Hopkins. M.Div) Senior Pastor/Teacher
Senior Pastor
Obituaries Harris Chapel United Methodist Church
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Westside Gazette
ATWELL Funeral services for the late Nelson Alvin Atwell, Jr. - 85 were held April 22 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Pastor Louise Wiah officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens (Central). FOX Funeral services for the late Ronald Dennis Fox - 78 were held April 23 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Bishop L.L. Ward officiating. GOODWIN Funeral services for the late Dequinda Lance Goodwin - 31 were held April 22 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Otis Kemp officiating. NEWSOME Funeral services for the late Ruth Ann Newsome – 62 were held April 22 at Community Church of God with Bishop Victor Wiggins officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens. PERMENTER Funeral services for the late Vylene Permenter – 52 were held April 19 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel. ROBINSON Funeral services for the late Anthony Bernard Robinson – 57 were held April 22 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Pastor Joseph Toles, Jr. officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens. ROBINSON Funeral services for the late Levi Robinson – 72 were held April 22 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Pastor Joe Edwards officiating.
McWhite's Funeral Home BYRD Funeral services for the late Annie Mae Byrd - 99 were held April 22 at Mount Bethel Baptist Church with Bishop C.E. Glover officiating.
HAMILTON Funeral services for the late Linzel Hamilton - 72 were held April 22 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Cha-pel with Mr. B. Gordon officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Central. MCRAE Funeral services for the late Sister Mildred Irene Shelton McRae - 63 were held April 22 at St John United Methodist Church with Bishop Tisdale officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens. REID Funeral services for the late Lester Andrew Wilson Reid - 40 were held April 22 at Building Believers Worship Center with Pastor Beverley Harvey officiating. Interment: Bailey’s Memorial Gardens
Roy Mizell & Kurtz Funeral Home BURNS Funeral services for the late Fannie Jacobs Burns - 84 were held April 22 at New Hope Baptist Church with Pastor Ricky Scott officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens
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!”
Q & A: What does Reverend Deal say this week!
‘Divine workings are brought to fruition by the Holy Spirit’ Question: Are there any offenses against the Holy Spirit that a believer should be aware of? Answer: The study of the Holy Spirit is “Pneumatology”. According to the scriptures the Third Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. Biblical enthusiasts should dismiss the thought that the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost didn’t come into the world until the Day of the Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has been present whenever or wherever God has been revealed. God’s divine workings are brought to fruition by the Holy Spirit. Not only are there offenses against the Holy Spirit a believer can commit, there are offenses an unbeliever can indulge in as well. There are six offenses against the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament. Offenses Committed by a Believer: 1. Grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-31). To grieve means to make sad or sorrowful. 2. Lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). When you consecrate (declare sacred) anything to the Lord, and then do not follow through with what you said, you are lying to the Holy Spirit. 3. Quenching the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Unbelief and criticism in the flesh may extinguished that awesome fire when the Holy Ghost starts to move within you. Hallelujah. Offenses Committed by the Unbeliever: 1. Resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51 & 6:10). One that is convinced of the truth but fails to yield in his heart. 2. Insulting the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29). When we resist the Spirit’s appeal to accept Jesus Christ, one is insulting the love of God. In other words, you are insulting the Godhead and is in danger to cut off all hope of salvation. 3. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32). This is the most serious offense against the Holy Spirit. According to the Bible there is no forgiveness for the one who commit it. Rev. David Deal is the senior pastor at Every Christian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Reverend Deal can be reached at the Westside Gazette, 545 NW Seventh Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Fla 33311, or by email at David.Deal55@gmail.com
Sylvia Moy, Motown Songwriter who worked with Stevie Wonder, dies at 78
FREEMAN Funeral services for the late Sister Valerie Freeman - 80 were held April 18 at Roy Mizell & Kurtz Worship Center with Rev. Willie Freeman officiating. JONES Funeral services for the late Clyde Jones – 56 were held April 22 at Lighthouse Worship Center with Pastor Wardell Chadrick officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Honor your loved one with an In Memoriam in The Westside Gazette Newspaper Call (954) 525-1489
By Susan Johnes Sylvia Moy, a prolific Motown songwriter, has died at the age of 78. The woman is credited with energizing Stevie Wonder’s career with a string of early hits. Moy died Saturday at a hospital in Dearborn, Mich with pneumonia complications according to her sister. She was one of the few and perhaps the first female songwriters and producers at Motown Records in the early ’60s. At that time, the Detroit label was a virtual hit factory for emerging Black artists. Sylvia Moy collaborated with Stevie Wonder on “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” and “My Cherie Amour.” Besides, she was a co-writer of hits for the Marvin Gaye-Kim Weston duet and the Isley Brothers. In the recording studio, though, there was no transcription of the lyrics into Braille for Mr. Wonder. Therefore, Mrs. Moy sang the words to him through his earphones and in-
deed brought a fresh musical approach, discipline and a rapport that produced songs of a high caliber. In her childhood age, Moy used to play the piano on the radiator and made musical instruments out of food boxes which were her inspirations to love the music. After high school, Ms. Moy traveled to New York City to promote her songs but unfortunately found no takers. One rejection had stuck in her mind for decades from a record company executive. “You are not a bad singer, but I want to give you some advice in which you can use for the rest of your life: you will never be a songwriter.” Moy returned home to Detroit feeling frustrated and hopeless. However, she sang at the Caucus Club, where Mr. Gaye and Mr. Stevenson invited her to Motown. As expected, she was signed to recording, management and songwriter contracts. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
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APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017 • PAGE 9
Westside Gazette
Environmental justice must be a national priority Northeast. In other words, the city and its residents are overburdened with concentrated environmental pollution, the cumulative impacts of which are making people, especially children, sick. Newark residents face the nation’s second greatest cancer risk due to diesel emissions. Asthma is now the leading cause of absenteeism for school-
age children in Newark, Bayonne, and Elizabeth, New Jersey. According to the Village Voice, “One in four Newark children suffers from asthma; the hospitalization rate is 150 percent greater for kids living in the city than in the rest of the state, and more than 30 times the rate nationwide.” Environmental injustice, of course, is not unique to Newark.
In the United States, 13 million people, including 3.5 million children, are concentrated in the vicinity of transportation facilities and are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution from busy diesel trucking routes, ocean-going vessels, cargo handling equipment, railroad locomotives, and cargo handling equipment. Across the nation, communities of color
Tampa Bay Rays President BrianAuld invites FABOM
By Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10)
Advertising Guru Carol H. Williams (Cont'd from Page 2) After working with the American Association of Advertising on an initiative for African Americans, Williams developed her portfolio, landed a summer job and never looked back. Last month, during a panel discussion on gender and race in the advertising industry, Williams said that it was revealed that less than three percent of executives in the advertising business are White women and less than one percent are Black women. “It was really a discussion about the industry’s commitment to female diversity,” said Williams. “It’s quite amazing when you think about it, since the female voice is the primary voice in advertising and she’s the doorkeeper to most of the products which go into the household.” Williams continued: “Then, with the Black female, it’s even more so. She’s the head of the household for the most part; she’s the one making the money, she’s making those decisions.” The fact that women’s voices are absent at the highest levels of the advertising industry is quite interesting, Williams said. For young women, particularly Black women, who aspire to work in the advertising industry, Williams said that it’s important to check your emotions at the door. “We tend to be an extremely emotional people,” said Williams. “We are extremely creative people and that creativity is driven a lot by emotions.” Williams continued: “Inside corporate America, a great deal of decisions are made that are focused on the bottom line and on the hard business of the dollar.” Williams said that those decisions are absent of emotion. Williams said that, as a Black woman, you will run into a lot of foreign elements in the advertising business and people who have never had in-depth conversations with Black people. Williams added: “If you allow emotions to rule, rather than your intellect, you can get into highly-conflict-driven situations that can create barriers to your success.”
Ninety-year-old (Cont'd from FP) In addition, during Women’s History Month, the DuSable Museum of African American Women’s Board in Chicago presented Clark with a Dr. Margaret Burroughs Award — named after the museum’s founder and one of Clark’s most treasured mentors. With more than 40 years in the field of education as a teacher, counselor, administrator and postsecondary edcation and educational management consultant to local, state and national agencies, Clark drew upon these experiences to create Sister-Friend and selfpublish a three-journal series
Rep. Payne (D-N.J.) says that the positions and policies of the Trump Administration are a direct threat to the health of African American communities.
Too often missing in discussions on the challenges facing African Americans is any focus on environmental justice, the idea that all people should enjoy a clean, healthy environment while being treated equally with regard to environmental policies, regulations, and laws. African American communities are disproportionately burdened by environmental degradation, and unless real action is taken, the environmental and health risks facing our communities will persist. For decades, African American communities in urban areas have been treated as dumping grounds for pollutants at the expense of community members, the environment, and the economy. The effects are felt every single day. In Congress, I represent Newark, New Jersey, home to a dense transit network, waste and sewer treatment facilities, industrial plants, the third largest port in the nation, and the largest trash incinerator in the
suffer from higher rates of exposure to air pollution, higher rates of lead poisoning, and higher rates of water pollution. This is made even worse by their lack of equal and meaningful access to the environmental decision-making process. What can we do about this? In Newark, the City Council
Members of FABOM and Tampa Bay Rays President Brian Auld. (Cont'd from FP) groups, PAR and numerous other organizations who had come together in celebration of “Jackie Robinson Day” with the Rays. The Florida Association of Black Owned Media (FBOM) is the state’s oldest and largest African American media organization. It consists of Florida’s most influential Black media outlets and reaches over 3.5 million weekly. Among the publishers represented at Friday’s celebration were Johnny Hunter, Sr. and his son, Johnny Hunter, Jr. (Tempo News); Kevin Collins (Orlando Times) and Barbara Love (Bulletin News). In addition, board member Irene Pridgen, president of Pridgen Pro Athletes Marketing & Media, LLC, oversees the advertising and marketing for FABOM. FABOM’s dynamic president, Bobby Henry, Sr., of the Westside Gazette Newspaper in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., planned to attend, but had an unexpected death in the family. Legendary ball player, No. 42, Jack “Jackie” Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972), broke color barriers in major league baseball in 1947 when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers (the Dodgers later moved to Los Angeles). Robinson is remembered every year by Major League Baseball and fans coast to coast. The game was underway. Excitement burst in the suite, when in walked Tampa Bay Rays President Brian Auld, who began dancing with Irene Pridgen. Auld, wearing a navy-blue Rays' “Jackie Robinson Day” tee-shirt, smiled for the flashing cameras. As he sat down for our interview, questions would have to wait. “One second… let me look at that scoreboard,” Auld said
Gibson’s ‘ordeal’ (Cont'd from FP) Later in response to a request from the Capital Outlook for comment, she said, “I thank everyone for their outpouring of support.” Tampa senator Darryl Rouson was just as succinct in his reaction to the resignation of the senator from Miami. “Artiles did the only honorable thing left and that was to spare the Senate of more hard feelings,” Rouson said. “It never should have happened in the first place. He did the right thing by resigning.” Artiles’ attack on Gibson followed some casual conversation while members of the Senate were socializing at the Governor’s Club. The conversation between Artiles and Gibson evolved into what has become a well-documented outburst by Artiles. By Gibson’s account of what happened at the Governor’s Club, Artiles began by letting her know he didn’t like the position that she’d taken on some of
apologetically, jumping back up from his seat. “Three to one” he said. Sitting back down, he began telling about where he grew up and what inspired him to join the Tampa Bay Rays' organization. A California native, Brian Auld moved with his family to Japan when he was five. At age 11, he and his family returned to the States and settled in New York. Auld’s high school years were spent in Dallas, Texas. The Stanford-educated Auld was then ready to teach. “After college, I taught fourth grade in an all Latino and African American community”. Auld was also the Director at East Palo Alto Charter School. “It was a great experience. I loved it,” he said. He would go on to earn a Harvard MBA, with focus on managing human capital, marketing and finance. In 2005, when a friend offered him a job with the Tampa Bay Rays, Auld had no hesitation. “I went to business school and one day an old high school friend said he was going down to be president of the Devil Rays at the time, and would I like to join him. I said, ‘That sounds like a cool thing,’ and I came down.” Auld took the responsibility of “business operations in charge of overseeing the turnaround.” He would prove to be the right fit. “I came in under new ownership to rebrand and identify ourselves,” Auld said. Brian Auld talked about what he feels is his biggest accomplishment. “Our biggest accomplishment was the world series in 2008. It was amazing,” he recalled. “That was the same year the team was rebranded from the Devil Rays to the Rays. “It was the rebranding, the success with the business side and how everything clicked together.”
“And,” he continued. “I am proud that we have followed our mission to energize the community for the magic of Rays baseball. That allows us to be successful.” Like many boys and girls, Auld, too, found himself captivated by Jackie Robinson and wants to see the champion’s legacy continue through the generations. “One of the first books I can remember reading was about Jackie Robinson.” Brian explained and said he was impressed, “The way he conducted himself, his spirit. Now at this facility, we are honoring him year after year.” “The Tampa Bay Rays and Jackie Robinson are about creating and uplifting community,” explained Auld. “About a dozen African American leaders help put this day on and because of their involvement, it’s a better celebration.” Nine community members, “unsung heroes” as Auld called them, were recognized during Friday’s game. “It’s wonderful that you can pick nine people out of the community who have done a lot of good,” Auld said “and have a celebration, bringing all of us at the Rays a lot of joy.” With plenty of excitement through the event, one highlight stood out for Auld. “Maybe the best thing about tonight is the African American leaders from all over the community here together,” he said. “I see connections taking place. This is a place where they can share ideas, build relationships and I think that a lot of great work is going to come out of tonight. “ The interview closed with a final thought for Auld to share with the community. “Win and be nice,” Auld said. “It’s not a hard business.”
his bills. He’d also expressed his dissatisfaction a week earlier in the Senate, she said. Artiles told her, “Don’t ask me stupid questions about my bills because I was elected just like you and you don’t get to tell me what to do,” Gibson said. During his public outburst, he referred to her by several denigrating names, including the use of the N-word. He also lashed out at Fort Lauderdale senator Perry Thurston and senate president Joe Negron (RStewart), using profane language. With that, Artiles’ attack “escalated to a point of no return,” Thurston said at a press conference held by members of Tallahassee clergy to call for Artiles’ resignation. “It was horrific,” Gibson said at the gathering of ministers. “No one has ever addressed me in such a manner ever in my entire life and I’ve never heard such nasty comments about leadership in my entire life.” Two days after the ministers vehemently called for Artiles’ ouster, Rev. R.B. Holmes, who
led the protest, asked that the senator be forgiven. “I sincerely want to commend Senator Frank Artiles for doing the right thing by resigning from the Florida Senate,” Holmes said in a statement. “I know this was a difficult decision for him and his family. “I am thankful that he followed his heart and put the great state of Florida first. We must all forgive him and pray that God will bless him with a great future.” Just days before he announced his resignation, Artiles hired Tallahassee attorney Steven Andrew, who contended that his client’s comments were protected under the First Amendment. At the same time the Senate was in the process of considering removal of Artiles from office under pressure from protesters, including members of the Florida legislature Black caucus. But the effort to remove Artiles came to a halt when he announced his resignation. “I apologize; I am so sorry for the words and the tone that I used with you regretfully
(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
passed a first-in-the-nation ordinance requiring developers requesting environmental permits to inform the city of any environmental impacts. As a result, decision-makers and the public will be able to make informed decisions about sustainable development. Other municipalities should follow Newark’s example and pass similar ordinances. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com) called Discovery Reflec-tive Journals Empowering Sis-terGirls: From Kemet (Egypt) to America - A Journey of Cultural Regeneration. Discovery Reflective Journals are culturally sensitive curriculum used to implement the HER-STORY: Sister-Friend Intergenerational Mentorship Program. Each journal covers issues girls need to research, study, write, and discuss on such topics as history, culture, beauty, sexuality and spirituality. The journals are designed for girls in grades fourth through twelfth. The program is great for churches, schools, community groups, organizations, women’s civic and social service clubs, colleges and any group working with young girls. For more information, visit www.saveblackgirls.com.
And this too shall pass (Cont'd from FP) Death comes to all connected to this fear. This fear is ungodly. It has no conscience, no heart, no sympathy and most importantly NO LOVE. This fear is a predator, a predator thriving off the fear from others, growing and expanding like global warming. A contagious condition, fear is producing what we now have running rampant throughout minority communities and soon to be playing in neighborhoods throughout the world. Unemployment, low-income, high school dropouts and whatever other societal ills you want to address can find their beginning in the host cell of fear. Fear puts us in the mode of survival by “any means necessary”, and I do mean ANY and murdering anyone is not excluded. The innate primal instinct to survive will override all other instincts unless there is a stronger one. Where did this fear originate and how do we begin to control it? Fear began when love was lost. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 NKJV Why do we always look for answers as if we are rocket scientists trying to send man to Mars? The answers are so simple but when we try to indulge in getting to the bottom of issues before we engage in conversation in the spiritual realm with The Higher source, we become bewildered and ill equipped to disentangle anything. Can we just get back to the basics. Love, like fear, is generated from emotions. Unlike fear, Love is the beginning and the ending. (A lack of Love) is fear. When light enters a darken room darkness disappears; and there is no way around this. To believe any other way is simply ludicrous. The same principle holds true with love and fear. Not realizing or recognizing where our comfort comes from in the mist of the storm makes our appreciation of the Comforter null and void after the storm. We are not able to address the bliss of enduring because we are so fearful of the outcome we overlooked the Orchestrator of the storm. Fear won’t allow us to comprehend that. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Not understanding or remembering that we came from love will always cause us to fear. When Love is present in all things there is no room for fear. Love doesn’t run from fear; it’s just the opposite. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” —2 Timothy 1:7 “Dear God in the name of Jesus teach me how to pray and not let fear prey on me. In Jesus, amen. GOD IS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS Monday night,” Artiles said to Gibson. “There is no excuse nor will I offer one. My comments to you were the most regretful of all because they injured you personally. “I apologize to my family and friends and I apologize to all of my fellow Senators and lawmakers. To the people of my district and all of Miami-Dade, I
am sorry I have let you down and ask for your forgiveness.” While saying that he didn’t want to belabor the incident, Rouson praised Gibson, the most senior female member of the Senate, for her work. “She is a respected member of the senate who is known as a warrior on issues,” he said.
CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE ANNUAL WATER QUALITY REPORT NOW AVAILABLE! The City of Fort Lauderdale’s 2016 Water Quality Report is now available online at www.fortlauderdale.gov/wqr. This annual report contains important information about the City’s water source, treatment process, test results, and overall drinking water quality. In an effort to maximize sustainability, the City is distributing the report electronically. However, the City will provide a paper copy of the report to those who prefer one, or to those who may not have access to the electronic version. To request a paper copy, please contact the 24-hour Neighbor Call Center at (954) 828-8000 or online at www.fortlauderdale.gov/wqr. The City of Fort Lauderdale routinely monitors for drinking water contaminants according to federal and state laws, rules, and regulations.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL (954) 828-8000.
PAGE 10 • APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017
Cuba Gooding, Sr. has died of a possible overdose
The music world is in mourning again. Main Ingredient singer Cuba Gooding, Sr., father of Omar and Cuba Gooding, Jr., 72, has died. He was found dead in his car in Woodland Hills, California on Thursday night. Gooding joined The Main Ingredient in 1971 when the former lead singer Donald McPherson died unexpectedly of leukemia. He had served as a backup vocalist on some of their recordings previously. While Gooding was with the RCA-
signed band, the act scored five top 10 hits on the Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Songs chart, including their highest-charting effort: 1972’s “Everybody Plays the Fool,” which peaked at No. 2 for three weeks. The track also was their biggest hit on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, climbing to No. 3. The Gooding-led group also notched top 10s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely,” “Happiness Is Just Around the Bend” and “Rolling Down a Mountainside.”
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. April 6, 13, 20, 27, 2017
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Florida Department of Transportation Project Bids will be received by the Tallahassee Office until 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, for Proposal ID T4451. The improvements consist of traffic signals, milling and resurfacing and other work along SR 708 in Palm Beach County. This is a Business Development Initiative (BDI) project, and Certification of Qualification is not required. Budget Estimate $745,882.00. Complete letting advertisement information is available at http://www.dot.state.fl.us/ cc-admin/Lettings/ Letting_Project_Info.shtm or by calling (850) 414-4000. April 27, May 4, 2017
IN THE COUNTY COURT OF THE 17TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO: FMCE – 17-4610 DIVISION: 38-931 IN RE: The Name Change of: JEAN ROMINES, Petitioner
NOTICE OF ACTION FOR PETITION FOR NAME CHANGE (Minor Child) TO: SHAWN REEVES Address/Resident Unknown YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a action for Name Change, has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defense, if any, to it on MS JEAN ROMINES c/o DEBORAH PINO, ESQ., whose address is 2701 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Suite 410-15 Oakland Park, Florida 33311 on or before June 1, 2017, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 201 Southeast Sixth Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address: (You may file Notice of Current Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed to the address on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or Dated April 17, 2017 BRENDA D. FORMAN, Clerk of the Circuit Court Najla Florez, Deputy Clerk April 27, May 4, 11, 18, 2017
MISCELLANEOUS HOMEOWNERS AND CHURCHES In need of monies for remodeling, back taxes or for any purpose, call The Urban Team at (754) 715-2600 Gary. April 27, 2017
Westside Gazette In 1977, Gooding left the band to pursue a solo career on Motown in 1977, releasing two albums. In 1979, he reunited with his Main Ingredient bandmates and they continued to work together through the 1980s. Gooding resumed his
solo career in 1993 and did not participate in a 1999 reunion of his old band. Gooding also had a minor acting career. As a solo artist, Gooding notched two R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart hits of his own: 1978’s “Mind Pleaser” and
www.thewestsidegazette.com 1983’s “Happiness Is Just Around the Bend,” which reached Nos. 91 and 43 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, respectively. More than two decades later, Gooding returned to Billboard’s charts with the top 10-charting Adult Contemporary airplay chart
hit “This Christmas” (Richard Kincaid featuring Cuba Gooding Sr.). It climbed to No. 9 in December of 2012. The singer had four children with his wife Shirley Gooding: actors Cuba Gooding, Jr., Omar Gooding, April Gooding and musician Tommy Gooding.
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APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017 • PAGE 11
National fatherhood organization announces ‘National R eal Dads R ead Day Real Read Day’’ First National R eal Dads R ead Day set for June 9, with a focus on children of color Real Read ATLANTA, GA. — (BlackNews.com) — It wasn’t too long ago that Fathers Incorporated, a leading national
nonprofit for the promotion of Responsible Fatherhood, launched its new initiative, Real Dads Read (RDR), in Atlanta,
Ga. The initial project objective was to create literacy centers in barbershops with the goal of encouraging father-child in-
GIVING BACK
Hygiene + Help = Hope Pads & Pons Party is a hit!
Shirlyon, event organizer and success strategist, shares a wealth of knowledge that has worked towards her personal success. Story & photo by Arri Henry Witnessing a homeless woman walking down the sidewalk with blood stained pants ignited a fire deep in the heart of Ashley Eubanks-Dauphin, sparking her to create the ‘Help Her! Period.’, Initiative. No woman, regardless of circumstance, should have to choose between buying food or sanitary napkins for their menstrual cycle. It is with this mission that Over the weekend, dozens of volunteers from local organi-
zations rocked the dance floor at the Escape Restaurant and Lounge in Fort Lauderdale, but this day party was filled with purpose. Fueled by a catchy social media campaign and an outpour of support, members of Service for Smiles, Star Tutoring, God’s Gift Inc., Village Life FL, Muscle Mom Fitness and individual volunteers, stuffed over 10,000 donated feminine hygiene items in personal giveaways bags and packed lunches that were distributed downtown after the Pads and ‘Pons party
successfully assembled hundreds of packages. Volunteers were as young as two-yearsold. Boxes of the “Help Her. Period!” giveaway bags also made their way to local homeless agencies. With this much passion and community support, Eubanks is determined to ensure that local homeless women and less-fortunate teenagers will never have to experience the humiliation of being without a pad or a ‘pon.
volvement through reading and improving literacy for young children. Today, with help from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, RDR has established 26 libraries in barbershops around metro Atlanta and nine in Columbus, Ga. In addition, 45 barbershops and partners engaged in a citywide book drive, collecting 2,245 books, which included a large donation from the Atlanta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi. “We are encouraged that so many organizations have come on board to celebrate and support the effort of Real Dads Read,” says Kenneth Braswell, Executive Director of Fathers Incorporated. “The inquiries is to bring the project to other cities around the country are overwhelming. We have had to temper the excitement because we are still building our capacity to meet the tremendous need and requests for RDR,” Braswell continues. “Fathers Incorporated is now working on building the RDR infrastructure to support broader and more intentional programmatic activities.” Currently, RDR has
a pilot site in Columbus, Ga. with its partner, Chattahoochee Valley Parent 2 Parent. One RDR program objective is the creation of a national engagement day. Fathers Incorporated is pleased to announce its inaugural “National Real Dads Read Day” on June 9,
2017. This day is designed to encourage individuals, groups, businesses, etc. to plan reading activities in support of fathers/ male caregivers and their children. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Lil Levi Graham Henry, III May 3, 1963 -
June 25, 1988 We love you and miss you! Your Family
PAGE 12 • APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2017
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Westside Gazette
Miami Dolphins & USA Football host Player Safety Coach (PSC) Training DAVIE, FL – The Miami Dolphins, in partnership with USA Football, hosted a Player Safety Coach (PSC) Training at the Baptist Health Training
Facility at Nova Southeastern University. The Dolphins covered the cost of training for the football coaches prior to the beginning of spring football prac-
tices across South Florida. Forty-nine schools from across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties were represented.
Funeral Services For Jannie Johnson
Funeral Service for Jannie Johnson, Sunrise: November 4, 1950 -- Sunset: April 18, 2017. Viewing will be held Friday, April 28, 2017 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Elijah Bell's Funeral Service. Funeral will be Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 11 a.m. at First New Mount Zion Church of God, 2820 N.W. 13 Ct., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The Heads Up Football® training began with a classroom session that focused on equipment fitting, concussion education, sudden cardiac arrest response and heat and hydration preparedness. The lessons were led by USA Football Regional Master Trainer & Christopher Columbus Head Football Coach Chris Merritt, Regional Master Trainer and St. Xavier (Cincinnati) High School Head Football Coach Steve Specht, Miami Dolphins Senior Director of Youth Programs & Master Trainer Twan Russell and Miami Dolphins Youth Programs Manager & Master Trainer Troy Drayton. “As certified Player Safety Coaches, tonight’s participants are now equipped with the proper knowledge and tools to implement the Heads Up Football® health and safety protocols within their teams or leagues,” Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications & Community Affairs Jason Jenkins said. “We are proud to partner with USA Football on this project with a shared goal of certifying 450 PSCs and aiding 1,500 Coach Certifications in South Florida by August.” Following the classroom instruction, the coaches moved to the field for demonstration of a
new USA Football Shoulder Tackling system designed to unify the approach to tackling at all levels of the sport. “Hopefully this (program) brings more validation to our profession as high school football coaches,” Merritt said. “It promotes to the community that we’re doing the best that we can to provide the safest environment for football, that we are making the game safer and better.” Hosting a USA Football PSC Training is a continuation of the Miami Dolphins Youth Programs mission to transform the lives of youth football players by instilling core values and reinforcing safety standards with the instructors of the game that help to increase football participation. “I would like to thank the Dolphins for putting themselves in the situation of helping us out, because this is really important to me,” Coral Gables Head Football Coach Tim Neal said. “I think that not only does it allow us to put our kids in better situations of not being injured, but it also puts all of the coaches on the same page. It unites us in a way where we understand as far as what’s right and the right way of doing things.”