The Westside Gazette

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THE WESTSIDE GAZETTE POST OFFICE 5304 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33310

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PERMIT NO. 1179

People With HIV Are Less Likely TTo o Get Needed Cancer Treatment

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VOL. 45 NO. 16 50¢

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MEMORIAL DAY…. ….Is The Day That’s Set Aside To Remember With Gratitude And Pride All Those Who Served And Died For Our Country And Our Freedom.May Your Day BeFilled With Memories And Peace. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

When The Lion Roars PAGE 6

THURSDA Y, MA Y 26 - WEDNESDA Y, JUNE 11,, 2016 THURSDAY MAY WEDNESDAY

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lends With honor and her support to families impacted by gun gratitude you served violence during Circle of Mothers banquet By Charles Moseley There can be no greater loss imaginable for a mother than to experience the loss of their child at the hands of gun violence. Sabrina Fulton knows all too well what it is like to experience the anguish and pain of losing a child at the hands of senseless acts of violence. Fulton has taken it upon herself to raise the mantle against senseless gun violence in the name of her son Trayvon Martin, rallying other mothers with similar tragedies in an organization called the Circle of Mothers. Her goal is to try to stem the tide of violence which is taking the lives of young people across the nation. The Circle of Mothers recently held its third Annual Circle of Mothers -- Trayvon Martin Foundation (TMF) Private Dinner & Gala, on May 21, 2016 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, which featured presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton as the keynote speaker.

Presidential Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton (r) and Sabrina Fulton, founder of Circle of Mothers join in celebration of the Third Annual Circle of Mothers dinner and gala. The theme for the event was apply titled, “Women Empowering Women to Transform Communities,” as some 60 mothers recently participated in a retreat sponsored by the TMF, joining

forces in a unified show of strength and determination to help stem the tide of violence, which has swept the nation and directly impacted their lives forever, with the loss of a loved one.

Karen “Kat” Tynes, spokesperson for the TMF, set the tone for the evening with her introduction of Fulton, the founder of the Circle of Women. “The Circle of Mothers was created as a vision, a vision to serve a vision that offers healing and empowerment for mothers who have suffered unimaginable loss. Committed to eradicating gun violence, Sabrina Fulton deeply understands firsthand the damaging effects this travesty causes. While the death of her child fills her with pain and heartache, the pursuit for justice has allowed her to turn lemons into lemonade.” Fulton delivered an emotional and heartfelt introduction in which she described what it meant to have Secretary Clinton address the issue of gun violence from a personal perspective, pledging her full support toward the presidential candidate. (Cont'd on Page 9)

The Florida Morticians Association has chosen Richard A. Kurtz as Mortician of the Year, 2016 Richard A. Kurtz’s career in funeral service began 44 years ago at the Roy Mizell Funeral Home. Currently, the Roy Mizell and Kurtz Funeral Home is the oldest full service funeral home in our community, having been established in 1948. He provides individualized services designed to meet the unique needs of each

Supreme Court finds prosecutors improperly dismissed prospective African-American jurors because of their race in Georgia murder case

Timothy T. Foster (l); Eddie Hood (top right) speaks during an interview at his home in Rome, Ga., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015. Hood was a potential juror in the murder trial of Foster, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of an elderly white woman in 1987. The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether prosecutors improperly singled out potential Black jurors, including Hood, in notes and then excluded them all from the death penalty trial. (AP Photo/ John Bazemore) Bottom photo: Chief Justice John Roberts. Kurtz’s career in funeral service began 44 years ago at the Roy Mizell Funeral Home.

On Monday, May 1, 1865, former Black slaves started Memorial Day in America.

This occurred in Charleston, S.C. to honor 257 dead Union soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confede-

As I begin to write this article I want to be perfectly clear that I’m not condoning nor am I advocating for a “get out of jail free card” for those who have committed acts of violence and crimes perpetrated against any individual, business, government or personal property by anyone or group that represent a segment of our society. I had the privilege of celebrating Memorial Day at one of our state’s correctional facilities with an audience of approximately 57 Honorably Discharged veterans, some of who are now serving three months to two life sentences. These veterans, all of them have Honorable Discharges representing every branch of our armed forces. There are thousands of our military veterans in prison systems across the United States. These men and women have served our country with dignity, integrity and reverence while surrendering their time fighting for our freedom; the freedom that many of us take for granted each and every day. (Cont'd on Page 9)

family, with the highest standards of professionalism, compassion, dignity and integrity. From adolescence to young adulthood, the desire to become a viable force in his community through service to others was a dream deeply rooted. Thus, his journey began. As a teenager, he secured employment at the

The firstAfricanAmerican Memorial Day is the commemorated

Submitted by African American Registry

Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. Hebrews 13:3 (NASB) By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

rate prison camp. They dug up the bodies and worked for two weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom. (Cont'd on Page 5)

Pleading Our Own Cause

funeral home. Later he advanced to embalmer to funeral director to managing funeral director and partner. He graduated as a proud Panther from Dillard High School in the Class of 1970. The means of achieving his goal propelled him to Miami Dade School of Mortuary Science. He graduated with an AS Degree in Mortuary Science in 1973. He then successfully passed the exam of the National Board of Funeral Service of the United States, Inc. as well as the exam of the Florida State

WWW.

Board for funeral directors and embalmers, becoming a fully licensed funeral director and embalmer. His methods at work have a definite purpose: to serve this present age, his calling to fulfill; to honor the will of God and the work given unto his hands. Grieving families are not bogged down with sadness for long upon entering his office. He replaces their sadness with laughter after sharing one of a thousand jokes. (Cont'd on Page 7)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a seven to one decision issued recently, the Supreme Court of the United States held in Foster v. Chapman, No. 14-8349, that Butts County, Ga. prosecutors violated the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution by rejecting two prospective African American jurors because of their race in the capital murder trial of Timothy Foster, an African American man who was convicted of capital murder in 1987 by an all-white jury. Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion, which was

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joined by five of his colleagues, cited several pieces of evidence from the prosecutors’ files that supported the Court’s conclusion, including the first five names of a “Definite NO” list of six prospective jurors containing the only five African Americans in the jury pool; multiple documents that identified the African American prospective jurors by their race; and notes with “N” for “no” appearing next to the names of all the African American members of the jury pool. (Cont'd on Page 5) MEMBER: National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), and Southeastern African-American Publishers Association (SAAPA) Florida Association of Black Owned Media (FABOM)


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People with HIV are less likely to get needed cancer treatment By Michelle Andrews, from Kaiser Health News We’ve made great progress treating people who are infected with HIV, but if they get cancer they’re less likely to get the care they need, a recent study found. Researchers examined treatment for a variety of cancers,

including upper gastrointestinal tract, colorectal, prostate, lung, head and neck, cervix, breast, anal and two blood cancers. With the exception of anal cancer, treatment rates differed significantly between HIVinfected people and those who weren’t infected, according to the study published online

Tuesday by the journal Cancer. For example, a third of patients with HIV and lung cancer failed to receive any treatment for the cancer, compared with 14 percent of those who were HIV-negative. Similarly, 44 percent of people who were HIV-positive didn’t

Congressional art contest winner depicts police brutality and protests Cancer treatment for people infected with HIV has lagged behind the need.

Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School Senior David Pulphus won first place in this year’s congressional art contest with his painting called “Untitled #1.” Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School is located in the district represented by Congressman Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA News Wire Contributor Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School Senior David Pulphus won this year’s congressional art competition with a painting called “Untitled #1.” The first place winner is from Congressman Lacy Clay’s district (D-Mo.). The Congressional art competition entitled, “An Artistic Discovery,” features a nationwide art contest coordinated by members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The contest

recognizes the talents of high school students across America. Over 200 members of Congress and over 50,000 high school students have taken part in the popular and competitive program. Each year, members of Congress put out a call for students to compete in the contest and the resulting work is displayed on the white walls of a long tunnel that connects House Office Buildings to the U.S. Capitol. The work is seen by members of Congress, staffers, lobbyists and the thousands of

visitors to the U.S. Capitol complex each year. Inadvertently, the annual art contest has become a reflection of what’s on the minds of young people in America. Pulphus’ work is an acrylic painting featuring a downtown street scene with the St. Louis’ iconic arch displayed in the background and three police officers with animal heads, two with guns in hand, and a large group of marchers moving toward the police. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

receive treatment for upper GI cancer versus 18 percent of those who weren’t infected with HIV. Twenty-four percent of men with prostate cancer who were HIV-positive didn’t get treatment, compared with seven percent of men uninfected with HIV. Cancer treatment was defined as radiation, chemotheapy and/or surgery. “To have made such great strides with treating HIV only to have them succumb to cancer is devastating,” said Dr. Gita Suneja, a radiation oncologist at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City and the lead author of the study. The study used the National Cancer Data Base to analyze treatment for adults younger than 65 who were diagnosed with any of the 10 most common cancers to affect HIV patients between 2003 and 2011. The study included 10,265 HIVinfected adults and 2.2 million without HIV. The database, which is

sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the American College of Surgeons, captures roughly 70 percent of newly diagnosed cancer cases in the United States. The study noted that more than a third of the patients with HIV had stage 4 cancer — cancer that has metastasized — when they were diagnosed, while only 19 percent of those without HIV did. Improvements in antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV have helped reduce the incidence of cancers such as Kaposi sarcoma that are closely linked to AIDS. But rates for other cancers often associated with normal aging have increased among HIV patients. In addition, people with HIV have a higher incidence of some lifestyle-related cancers, such as lung cancer, which could be linked to higher rates of smoking. Cancer is now the second most common cause of death among HIV-infected people, behind AIDS-related causes.

HIV patients are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured, and lack of coverage can affect access to cancer care. But having insurance didn’t eliminate the problem: Privately insured people with HIV were significantly more likely to be untreated for many cancers than were privately insured people without HIV, the study found. “We know that people with Medicaid or who are uninsured receive subpar cancer treatment, and that’s a big public health issue,” said Suneja. “But even factoring that in, HIVinfected people are still less likely to receive cancer treatment. That means there are other drivers that we couldn’t measure in the study.” Disparities in cancer treatment could exist for several reasons. For one thing, for most cancers there are no national treatment guidelines for HIVinfected patients, Suneja said. One of the few exceptions is anal cancer, the only cancer for which the study found little discrepancy in treatment among HIV-infected and uninfected patients. According to the research, the difference among those not receiving treatment was 4.8 percent for HIV patients versus 3.1 percent for others. For other cancers, “the oncologist may pause and ask, ‘Does the HIV infection mean they shouldn’t get standard cancer treatment?’” Suneja added. Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Michelle Andrews is on Twitter: @mandrews110.


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May 26 - June 1, 2016 • Page 3

Westside Gazette

Officer in Freddie Gray death, Edward Nero, not guilty on all counts By Elisha Fieldstadt One of the six officers charged in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray was found not guilty on all counts in Baltimore on recently. Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams cleared Officer Edward Nero of charges of assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. On Monday, chants of: “No justice, no peace. Jail to the po-

lice,” could be heard outside of the courthouse after the verdict was read. Protestors yelled those chants at Nero as well as authorities escorted him past the gathering. Nero, 30, was one of two officers who initially made eye contact with Gray before his arrest. Gray, 25, died on April 19, 2015, a week after his neck was broken while he was transported in a police van — shackled and handcuffed, but with-

out a seat belt. Nero faced charges of assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Monday said city officials were ready to respond if any disturbances broke out in the city. “This is our American system of justice and police officers must be afforded the same justice system as every other citizen in this city, state and country,”

Rawlings-Blake said. She added that Nero would face an administrative review by the Baltimore Police Department. One year after Freddie Gray’s death, nothing has changed Grays’s death set off more than a week of protests in Baltimore, which eventually led to unrest and the implementation of a six-day curfew across the city. The events also re-focused national attention on is-

Judicial Candidate Renee Gordon Esq. will be honored by the 11th Circuit District with the John F. Balikes Award MIAMI, FL — Judicial Candidate Renee Gordon Esq. will be honored by the 11th Circuit District with the John F. Balikes award on Friday, May 20, 2016 for her significant contributions to child welfare and juvenile justice in Miami-Dade County. The “Wall of Honor” Ceremony will take place 12 to 1:30 p.m. at the Miami-Dade Children’s Court-house, 155 N.W. Third St., Fifth Floor, Community Meeting Room Miami, Fla.

Each year, the judges of the Juvenile Justice Center present the “Wall of Honor” ceremony to recognize those individuals who have made significant contributions to children in the juvenile justice and child welfare system in Miami-Dade County. Gordon works in the MiamiDade County Office of the Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez as an Assistant Public Defender in the Juvenile division as she pursues a judgeship in Circuit

Court (11) Group 34 in the upcoming election Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016. Gordon has deep roots in Miami-Dade County, having been born in Miami and educated in the Miami-Dade County Public School System. The importance of education was instilled early on in Gordon by her mother, a public school teacher. However, it was during the summers of her youth, spent on her grandparents’ working farm in rural Georgia, that she

How a construction and design company gives back by hiring former inmates

By Ryan Velez The Huffington Post reports that a Massachusetts construction company is trying to hire ex-convicts in order to help them start a better life after prison. Extremely Clean 2 Construction and Design in Springfield has been in operation for seven years, and counts about 50 ex-cons among its employees. Business owner Jenal Rentas is a former inmate himself, and says that he wants to help other formerly incarcerated individuals get the tools they need to stay out of the prison system. “I give them skills for where they can go and work for just about any other contractor and be helpful,” he told the Huffington Post. “They make themselves irreplaceable.” This initiative is a valuable one in the modern U.S. work climate, where recidivism is extremely high. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 68 percent of released prisoners get arrested for a new crime within three years of leaving prison. While employment can be difficult to find for many former convicts, it’s not as simple as people not wanting to hire them. According to a report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research, not only is there a negative stigma to deal with, but during their time in prison,

many convicts lose social relationships that could help them secure employment. In addition, they also lack opportunities to gain job experience, education, as well as valuable skills that can help them qualify for positions. Rentas experienced this very issue himself after an 11-year prison stint. “That question on the application — ‘Have you been incarcerated?’ — shut the door on a lot of opportunities,” he reflected. The lack of opportunities drove him to create his own business. Now, he also works to make his employees skilled candidates for future construction work, giving them

training for vital skills like roofing, siding and installing shingles, and other important things. “They get supervising training, we have safety classes, we go to trainings from the roofing companies so they can get skilled in that, or the manufacturers of the products have training sessions they do for free and I always make my guys go,” Rentas said. “My guys are well-rounded. We do everything.” With a combination of nononsense attitude, discipline, and value, Rentas’ work has been a true success. He notes that out of the 50 inmates employed, only four have gone back to prison. Several of his employees have also expressed their gratitude for willing to not only hire them, but train them to make them valued contributors to the workforce. “If it wasn’t for Jenal, I really don’t know what I’d be doing with my life right now,” said 22-year-old Jacob Velez to Western Mass News. Velez is one of the former inmates employed by the company. “It was hard, but I had ambition for changing my life and I met Jenal one morning and I asked him if he’d train me. He told me to show up at this place, this time and I did and so on.”

GORDON learned the benefits of a strong work ethic, a charitable heart and an ambition focused on helping others. Her core belief is that: Service is the rent you pay for living on earth. More information on Renee Gordon: http:// renee4judge.com/meet-renee/

A Baltimore Circuit Judge cleared Officer Edward Nero (c) of charges of assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. sues of tensions between law enforcement and the minority communities they serve. The White House waded into the fray with President Barack Obama commenting both on the unrest and broader racial tensions. State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced charges against the six officers involved in Gray’s arrest in early May, 2015. Prosecutors fought for Nero and two of the other officers be tried together, but their request was denied. Nero opted for a bench trial as opposed to a trial by jury. While prosecutors argued that Nero arrested Gray without probable cause and was negligent when he didn’t buckle Gray into the van, a defense attorney said Nero didn’t arrest Gray and it was the responsibility of the driver to buckle Gray in. The defense also argued that the officers who responded that day acted responsibly. Gray was charged after his arrest with

possession of a switchblade. Analysis: The cost of a Black boy’s life? Six million dollars. Nero is the second officer to stand trial. Officer William Porter’s manslaughter trial ended with a hung jury. Prosecutors have sought to compel his testimony in the trials of the other officers, by giving him a form of legal immunity, but Porter argued that would violate his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. On Friday, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that Porter had to testify. “We hold that the State’s compelling Officer Porter to testify in the trials of his fellow officers, under the grant of use and derivative use immunity, does not violate Officer Porter’s privilege against compelled selfincrimination under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 22 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights,” the court wrote.

Moore Foundation awards scholarships In last week's edition Thursday, May 19, 2016 this article was printed in the Westside Gazette with information that was omitted; this is the entire article, our apologizes. The Carlton B. Moore Freedom Foundation, Inc. awarded three high school seniors with scholarships to assist them with furthering their college/university educations. This is the Foundation’s second year of awarding scholarships to our local youths. The following high school seniors each received a $1,000 scholarship: Kennedy J. Butler will graduate from Dillard High School and plans to attend Bethune Cookman University (B-CU). She plans on majoring in Business Administration. Her parents are Sonji Covin-Butler and Roderick C. Butler, Sr. Nedrick Haye-McKoy will

graduate from Fort Lauderdale High School and plans to attend the University of Central Florida (UCF). He plans to major in Computer Engineering. His parents are Beverly Haye and the late Clive McKoy. Timothy T. Webb, Jr. will graduate from Fort Lauderdale High School and plans to attend Florida A&M University (FAMU). He plans to major in Physical Therapy. His parents are Sharonda Striggles Webb and Timothy T. Webb, Sr. The scholarship is named in memorial of Carlton B. Moore, a former City of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner for more than 20 years. His favorite saying was, “When wishing won’t, work will”. Moore attended Dillard High School and graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School, served as president of the Fort Lauderdale Chapter of the NAACP and also a recipient

of many awards. He was an advocate for change and revitalization, especially for the Northwest corridor. He loved music, especially jazz, and traveling. The Chairman and Honorary Chairman of the Board are Becky Jones and Ada Moore. The other board officers are Vice Chairman Forrest G. Moore; Recording Secretary Afrah Hamin; Treasurer Delores Y. McKinley, and Parliamentarian Ernestine Williams. The board members include Keith Allen, Mikal Hamin, Kenneth Gibbs, Kenitha Gilliam, Earnestine Hamersham, Earlene Striggles Horne, Cynthia McDonald, De-Nese Moore, Sam Morrison, Dianne Shuler, and Michelle Stoney. For further information, feel free to contact us at Carltonbmoorefreedomfoundation @yahoo.com.


Page 4 • May 12 - May 18, 2016

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Westside Gazette

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WHERE SHOPPING IS A PLEASURE

Event

Ali Cultural Arts hosts “Chat, Create, Chew”, free classes meld individual inspirations into unified art form, sponsored by The Community Foundation of Broward, Ashanti Cultural Arts, Art of the Community and Ali Cultural Arts. * Wednesday, May 25, 2016 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. * Thursday, May 26 - from 1:30 to 4 p.m., and 4:30 to 7 p.m. * Friday, May 27 - from 1:30 to 4 p.m. and 4:30 to 7 p.m., at 353 Hammondville Rd., Pompano Beach, Fla. For more info call (954) 786-7876 www.aliarts.org.

EDUCATION MATTERS Every Child Deserves a Chance to Succeed.

Training

Community Health Worker (CHW’s) Free Orientation Trainings: · Training Option #3, Thurs-day, June 2, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at CW Thomas Park, 800 N.W. Second St., Dania Beach, Fla. RSVP at www.touchbroward.org/hca/ CHWTraining by email at: info@urbanhs.com Subject:

Shows

Dillard Center for the Arts: Hot Picks upcoming shows, at 2501 N.W. 11 St., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. · Unconquered, featuring Dillard High Marching Band Drumline –Auxiliary Units, Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at 6 p.m., in the DCA Theater. For cost and additional info call (754) 322-0838.

Event

Presenting Rany Corinthian Live at Papas Raw Bar Wine Fest on Monday, June 6, 2016 at 5 p.m., at Papa's Raw Bar, 4610 W. Fed. Hwy., Lighthouse Point, Fla. For additinal info call (754) 307-5034.

Concerts

Friday Night Tunes, a concert series at Joseph C. Carter Park, from 7 to 10 p.m., at 1450 W. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Friday, June 3, Derick Hadley and the Motowners (Motown). Food Truck available on site. For more info visit: www.fortlauderdale.gov/ friday or call (954) 828-5363.

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. Here is the schedule of Destination Fridays events in 2016: *Through May 2016 the gallery of Art Through the Lens of AfroFrensh Caribbean Artists. This exhibit embrace the spirit of Guade-loupe, Martinique and Haiti and comes to the library from E-Islands Art, the work of two island artist are featured in the exhibit. * Friday, June 3, 2016 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Destination Prince! A Splash through the Purple Rain. This age 21-and-over event. You pay at the door and tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite. For additioinal info call (954) 357-6210. * Déjà Vu Theatre Productions in association with African American Research Library & Cultural Center, Jamaican Folk Revue presents Ms. Lou in Celebration of Caribbean Heritage Month In Color, Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 5 p.m. Ticket info (954) 5577491. * September 9 - Madrid, Spain * October 7 - New York City (Harlem Renaissance)

TO HAVE YOUR UPCOMING EVENTS POSTED PLEASE CALL -(954) 525-1489 FOR MORE INFO FAX -(954) 525-1861 OR EMAIL: wgproof@thewestsidegazette.com

Roundup

Curtis L. Armstrong Mays Rams Roundup Scarlet And Gray Forever, Saturday, June 18, 2016 from 9:30 a.m. to until, at Homestead Air Reserve Base Park, 27401 S.W. 127 Ave., Homestead, Fla., Friday, June 17, Meet & Greet, Quality Inn at The Falls, 14501 S. Dixie Hwy., Everglades Room. For cost and additional info call Leroy Bradshaw at (305) 4090040.

Meeting

Monthly meeting for Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. is the second Saturday of the month at 10 a.m., at African Heritage Cultural Art Center, 6161 N.W. 22 Ave., Miami, Fla. For further info call (786) 320 2891.

Meeting

Mount Bethel Change Ministries, NA/AA Meeting, Every Friday, at 6:30 p.m., at 901 N.W. 11 Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. For more info call (954) 763-5644 or (954) 400-8222.

Scholarship NMAC (National Minority AIDS Council) is currently accepting scholarship applications for the 20th annual United States Conference on AIDS (USCA). The 2016 conference will be held September 15 - 18, 2016 at The Diplomat Resort, 3555 South Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL 33019. Sessions will address current issues such as the importance of race in HIV services, biomedical HIV prevention, and women and violence. Additionally, USCA’s 2016 southern Florida conference locale provides a needed opportunity to address the epidemic among populations in the Caribbean diaspora – the target population for this year. As our communities encounter rising infection rates, new and innovative methods are needed to turn the tide. Attending USCA is the best way to gain those skills and learn best pract-ices from those that are ex-periencing measurable results and positive change. Deadline for Scholarships is July 8, 2016. Apply online at http:// 2016usca.org/scholarshipregistration/

PleadingOur Own Cause STAYCONNECTED-www.thewestsidegazette.com (954) 525-1489


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May 26 - June 1, 2016 • Page 5

Westside Gazette

New Report: Despite progress, deep inequality plagues Black America By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA News Wire Contributor In 1976, then-President Gerald Ford delivered the annual “State of the Union Address,” virtually ignoring the plight of African-Americans and Latinos. That drove Vernon Jordan, then-president of the National Urban League (NUL), to com-

mission his own report. Now, 40 years later, the “State of Black America” report is a prominent tool that continues to show just where African-Americans, Latinos and other minorities stand in the United States. NUL President Marc H. Morial said that it’s clear that much needs to be done. “As we observe the 40th

anniversary of the State of Black America, the similarities in the nation in 2016 and that which, then-National Urban League Executive Director Vernon Jordan documented in 1976 are disheartening,” Morial said on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., during the unveiling of the 40th annual report. “Our nation was struggling

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native supports the civilian, 2,500 contractors and future of naval aviation 65 students at any given time. By Navy Office of Community Outreach PATUXENT RIVER, MD – A 2005 Coconut Creek High School graduate and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native is serving with Naval Test Wing Atlantic (NTWL) supporting the future of naval aviation aboard Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Petty Officer Second Class Nathan Colvin is a yeoman with NTWL, responsible for administratively supporting his fellow sailors at the command. “What I enjoy most about my job is the daily interaction with my fellow sailors and civilian personnel,” said Colvin. “I’m definitely a people-person and I get a sense of pride taking care of my people and knowing they can count on me no matter how big or small the problem may be.” NTWL is responsible for the safe and efficient execution of developmental ground and flight testing across all naval aviation platforms and systems. It consists of five component commands, air test and evaluation squadrons, VX-20, HX21 and VX-23, the Un-manned

Petty Officer Second Class Colvin Aerial Systems Test Direc-torate and U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Colvin works directly for HX21, which is responsible for testing and evaluating the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft systems. “There are no barriers between my chain of command, meaning there is an open door policy and I have the opportunity to freely discuss everyday business with my supervisors and upper echelon leaders,” said Colvin. NTWL includes approximately 3,800 personnel, including 400 military, 800

Working together to accomplish the command’s test and evaluation mission, they do everything from maintaining aircraft airframes, electronic systems and engines, to handling administrative requirements, developing test plans, reporting test results, handling weapons and flying the aircraft. “The men and women of Naval Test Wing Atlantic do great work every day to keep naval aviation at the cutting edge,” said Capt. Brett Pierson, NTWL commander. “Whether they’re flying or maintaining our aircraft, developing or executing test plans, or taking care of all the support we need in order to do what we do so well, our team takes pride in ensuring systems are ready for the fleet. I’m very proud of our people for what they do to defend our nation.” Serving in the Navy, Colvin is learning about being more of a leader through handling numerous responsibilities. “I’ve learned persistence, patience and selflessness since serving in the Navy,” said Colvin. “The morals and values instilled in me by the Navy has definitely made me a better man, father, and American.”

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native supports the future of naval aviation By Mass Communication Specialist First Class Electa Berassa, Navy Office of Community Outreach PATUXENT RIVER, MD – A 1997 Castries Comprehensive Secondary School graduate and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native is serving “Where the future of naval aviation begins” at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, located in Patuxent River, Md. Petty Officer Second Class Jermain Compton is an aviation boatswain’s mate (handling) NAS Patuxent River, responsible for maintaining the air field and arresting gear for naval aircraft. Located at the mouth of the Patuxent River, the 14,500-acre complex is host to Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) headquarters and Headquarters, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). These two entities provide the full spectrum of acquisition management, research and development capabilities, air and ground test and evaluation, aircraft logistics and maintenance management. “I like the flexibility of my job,” said Compton. “I like being able to work with other commands and seeing how the civilian and naval side works together.” NAS Patuxent River is home to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and the Atlantic Test Range and 50 other tenant commands. The facilities at Patuxent River are utilized by foreign governments, academic institutions and private industry for similar projects and deliver effective and efficient installation management enabling tenants to achieve integrated warfare systems and life cycle sustainment. Compton said he and other sailors are proud to be serving at a command that readily defends America at all times. “The best part of my job is the people I work with,” said Compton. “They are willing to work with you and help boost your career.” With more than 800 employees assigned to the host naval air station staff, the civilian and military “Pax Pros”

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, speaks during the “2016 State of Black America” launch event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA) to overcome the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Pressure was building to slash social services for the poor, who were demonized and characterized as swindlers. Communities were rocked by hostility and violence triggered by legal challenges to the social

Air and Port Operations Team, and everything inbetween, our PAX TEAM enables our tenants’ missions and positively impacts research, development, testing and evaluation. We are extremely proud of our personnel and the important work they do every day.” Serving in the Navy, Compton is learning about being more of a leader through handling numerous responsibilities. “I have learned to appreciate the diversity of people from all different cultures and the different leadership approaches since joining the Navy,” said Compton. “It gives me a great idea of the type of leader that I want to be.”

The first African American Memorial Day is the commemorated (Cont'd from FP) Together with teachers and missionaries, Black residents of Charleston organized a May Day ceremony that year which was covered by the New York Tribune and other national papers. The freedmen cleaned up and landscaped the burial ground, building an enclosure and an arch labeled, “Martyrs of the Race Course.” Nearly 10,000 people, mostly freedmen, gathered on May 1 to commemorate the war dead. Involved were about 3,000 Black school children newly enrolled in Freedmen’s schools, mutual aid societies, Union troops, Black ministers, and white northern

missionaries. Most brought flowers to be placed on the burial field. Years later, the celebration would come to be called the “First Decoration Day” in the North. David W. Blight described the day: “This was the first Memorial Day. African Americans invented Memorial Day in Charleston, S.C. What you have there is Black Americans recently freed from slavery announcing to the world with their flowers, their feet, and their songs what the war had been about. What they basically were creating was the Independence Day of a Second American Revolution.” Today the site is used as Hampton Park.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Supreme Court finds prosecutors improperly dismissed prospective African-American Jurors Judge Alito concurred in the (Cont'd from FP) The Court also found that the race-neutral reasons the prosecutors offered for rejecting two of the African American prospective jurors did not withstand scrutiny because (1) the prosecutors offered shifting rationales at different stages of the proceedings and (2) the reasons offered for excluding the African American jurors did not result in the prosecutors rejecting white prospective jurors who had the same characteristics that led to the dismissal of the African American jurors. The Court dismissed one of the prosecutors’ rationales as “[n]onsense.” “The systematic exclusion of African Americans from juries, particularly in serious criminal and capital cases, is a problem that we continue to see today,” stated Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for

Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee). “The Lawyers’ Committee is pleased with the Supreme Court’s ruling which affirms the longstanding, fundamental constitutional principle that prospective jurors cannot be rejected because of their race. The evidence in this case was overwhelming that prosecutors were determined to try Mr. Foster, an African American man, before an all-white jury. All defendants are entitled to a fair trial and excluding prospective jurors based on their race taints the process because it means that defendants are not tried by a jury inclusive of their peers.” The Supreme Court’s decision reversed the Georgia Supreme Court and sent the case back to the Georgia Supreme Court for further proceedings consistent with the opinion. Though he did not join in Chief Justice Roberts’s opinion,

judgment. Justice Thomas dissented. About the Lawyers’ Committee The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Formed over 50 years ago, we continue our quest of “Moving America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law, particularly in the areas of fair housing and community development; employment; voting; education; environmental justice; and criminal justice. For more information about the Lawyers’ Committee, v i s i t www.lawyerscommittee.org.

PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE WAITING LIST

Petty Officer Second Class Compton work hard to ensure the continued security, safety and firstclass services are provided to all 20,000+ employees work-ing aboard the installation, according to Navy officials. “The work our sailors and civilians do every day is extremely important to both the current health and future of Naval Aviation, and it directly impacts the Fleet,” said Capt. Scott Starkey, Naval Air Station Patuxent River commanding officer. “From our Naval Security Force that keep us secure, to our Fire and Emergency Services, child care professionals and morale welfare and recreation personnel, and our

status quo,” Morial said. As with every economic downturn, communities of color bore the brunt of the decline, Morial noted. Black Americans remained nearly twice as likely as whites to be unemployed and, since 1976 the Black unemployment rate has consis-

tently remained about twice that of the white rate across time, regardless of educational attainment. “The household income gap remains at about 60 cents for every dollar. Black Americans are only slightly less likely today to live in poverty than they were in 1976,” he said. On the criminal justice front, Morial said Jordan, who served as president of the NUL from 1971 to 1981, noted that Blacks were underrepresented in law enforcement in 1976. “The City of Chicago is an example: with a population that is 32.7 percent Black, it has a police force that is only 16 percent Black,” he said. “Today, in hundreds of police departments across the nation, the percentage of whites on the force is more than 30 percentage points higher than in the communities they serve.” A moving video accompanied Morial’s speech during the event. It featured Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland and others who have lost their lives in police-related incidents.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE WILL BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 1, 4 AND 5 BEDROOM PUBLIC HOUSING WAITING LIST Preliminary applications must be completed online beginning June 6, 2016 at 9:00 AM. The applications will close once 20 names have been received for each bedroom size categorized (1, 4 & 5 Bedrooms) . To be eligible to be placed in the waiting list, the Head of the Household MUST be 18 years of age or older. The total household annual gross income must not exceed the low income limits for the appropriate family size as listed in the Income Limits Table appearing at the end of this Public Notice. If you wish to apply, you will need to login to www.hacfl.com and follow the application wizard located under the Housing/Applying for Housing heading. Please ensure that you complete all the required fields or the application will not successfully be submitted at the end. Pre-Applications WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY. Pre-Applications must be completed beginning Monday, June 6, 2016 and end when 20 names have been taken for each bedroom size categorized (1, 4 & 5 Bedrooms). Hand delivered or Mailed applications WILL NOT be accepted. ” If you or anyone in your family is a person with disabilities and require(s) a specific accommodation in order to utilize our programs and services, please contact us at 500 West Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 and/or via email at intake@hacfl.com

For the Public Housing Waiting List: All completed pre-applications submitted online will be processed in the order in which they are received by our system. The system will only be accepting the first 20 names for each bedroom size categorized (1, 4 & 5 Bedrooms).

» »

Placement on the waiting list will be determined by the order the applications are submitted. Incomplete applications will not be submitted. INCOME LIMITS FOR HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER APPLICANTS Family Size LOW INCOME

I person

2 persons

3 persons

4 persons

5 persons

6 persons

7 persons

8 persons

$40,600

$46,400

$52,200

$58,000

$62,650

$67,300

$71,950

$76,600

All household members are subject to a criminal background check to determine eligibility.

If your application is successfully submitted you will receive a receipt confirming the submission.

The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, political affiliation, disability, handicap or familial status.


Page 6 • May 26 - June 1, 2016

Opinion

www.thewestsidegazette.com

Westside Gazette 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.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

By Pastor Rasheed Z Baaith

By Roger Caldwell

“For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigues, all night their anger smolders, in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire…” (Hosea 7:6) This election season if nothing else, has brought to the fore the deep, combustible anger in so many people in so much of America. North, South, East and West we see voters with faces twisted with rage, heard their voices shake with fury, watch them move in bodies twitching with agitation. Everyone seems poised for violence and the atmosphere reeks of its threat. And while the supporters of Donald Trump receive more attention than the supporters of anyone else because

I saw these “stunning” news anchors and my jaw didn’t drop By Bill Fletcher, Jr., NNPA News Wire Columnist If you are like me, you sometimes find yourself surfing the Web when you are supposed to be doing something

more important. You may notice “click bait” that poses questions like, “What has happened to these childhood stars?” or offers, “Secrets of the Mayans revealed.” Well, the other day I noticed one that concerned a list with dozens of allegedly gorgeous news anchors called “News Anchors Who Will Make Your Jaw Drop.” Out of curiosity, I decided to take a look. Let me tell you what I found. The list was all women. I mention that because my wife’s first comment was that there are many male news anchors and that some of them are good looking. For some reason I did not assume that there would be any men, but that may be my own blindness. The second thing was that they were reasonably attractive, they tended to be on the younger side, and there was not one identifiable Black woman among them. The story does not stop there. The list included Europeans, Euro-Americans (whites), Latinas and Asians. Yet the characteristics of all of the women were European. The Latinas were all light-skinned, not one looking AfroLatina or, for that matter, indigenous. The Asians were all quite light, with Western looks, and with not one of them looking like the browner Asians one might find in Guam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia or Indonesia, not to mention, South Asia. I kept assuming that I would come across at least one identifiable Black news anchor. There were a couple that looked like they might have a little African in them somewhere, but I felt that I was reaching. Despite periodic initiatives towards Black pride and defeating efforts to erase Blackness from the mainstream, the white supremacist bias always finds a way to raise its ugly head. Beauty remains a category defined largely in European terms with a dismissal of the very notion that beauty can take myriad forms. This situation is not remedied by the selection of one identifiably Black person to fill a quota. It really goes to the very basic question of how one defines beauty and breaking with the assumption that the closer we are to the purer European—whatever that means—the more beautiful we become. I will leave it at that.

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

'When the lion roars' Until the lion learns to write, all the stories will favor the hunter – African Proverb By Bobby R. Henry, Sr. Publisher As a competent and educated writer, one who has his own short comings, I get to share my thoughts and beliefs about topics important to me through a medium that is important to my people. The Westside Gazette, a family owned newspaper business that has been a leading medium for sharing news from the Black perspective in South Florida for more than 45 years, is my vehicle for disseminating this information. We know very well that we must tell our own stories, because some mainstream media have proven to tell either distorted stories or flat out mendacities concerning us for years. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the apparent witch hunt to remove the current school board superintendent. I felt that this move centered around money; and the “fair” distribution of such to Black and minority owned businesses. For that, a few disgruntled people felt it necessary to seem to be coordinating an attack against my position, some even to the point of outright lying at a school board meeting right in my face. My theory is that there are some people who desire more control over the $800 million bond dollars to be spent on repairing schools and they want to take some of that control that is now in the hands of a Black superintendent and an all-female governing Board. I suspect that the current school board leadership does not fit the traditional models of “power” so they want it changed. That’s my perspective and the facts seem to bear that out. Unfortunately, a couple of school board members are feeding the frenzy as

By Lucius Gantt’s

It does not matter what you believe as an American, because the polls indicate that Donald Trump is virtually tied with Hillary Clinton, and ahead in others. This is a scary situation, but everyone forgets that Trump started his campaign when he claimed that President Obama was born in Kenya. Not only did he claim the President was born in Africa, but he also claimed secretly, that he is Muslim. Many pundits call this kind of campaigning “Race Baiting,” and Trump blames all the problems in America on Blacks, Hispanics and Muslims. Retired ABC News diplomatic correspondent Barrie Dunsmore says, “But there is no secret to Trump’s success so far. In racking up the votes of millions of mostly white males, he has exploited their resentment that for the past seven plus years there has been a Black family in the White House.” White men (who think they are superior) are mad. This should not be a surprise with white men, because there is always in America a racial backlash when Blacks make a significant achievement in history. As a result of Jim Crow laws, independent Black cities were burnt down to the ground, and the KKK hung and decimated Black men and women when they appeared to organize other Blacks to vote. Blacks and minorities tend to forget historically what the American system is capable of doing when its power is challenged. In 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt issued an Executive Order, and 110,000 to 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced into incarceration camps. Their only criminal act was their race, and they were never a security risk to the country. Many think that this could never happen again, but Trump has compared Oakland and Ferguson to a war zone during his campaign speech. He has also vowed to ban Muslims from entering the United States within his first 100 days in office. If Trump wins the election, he has the power of the police, military, and federal agencies at his disposal and direction.

“Anger in every corner” to have arrived at that place in history. Everybody wants some kind of change. So what are we as Christians to do? We are to base the foundation of our behavior on the instructions given us by our God. We are to remember that these days of confusion and difficulty have been prophesied about. Those of us in the Body of Christ should not be fearful, puzzled, or walking in doubt or stunned by what we are witnessing. The Church’s role today should be one of being a social, philosophical and relationship anchor. Church has never been about religion. But it cannot what it is supposed to if it partakes in social systems in the same way as those who are not believers participate. Our thinking is Christ based. Evangelicals, Black and white cannot let their fear be greater that their faith. They cannot believe that the problems so dominating of this time are problems that can be remedied by some man. All of the concerns of the day are spiritual and moral. That means they require spiritual solutions. We say we believe God has the answer to the world’s problems. Or is that just something those of us in the Church say but don’t really believe? Of course there will be those, both Christian and non Christian who will say such conclusions are unrealistic and short sighted. For those not in our faith, that is to be expected but for those who claim to followers of Christ, it means your proclaiming is one thing but your belief is not as real as your proclamation. Far too many of us want to separate our faith from our daily living. That means there is a fracture in your relationship with God. It’s like s telling someone you love them deeply but not every day. No one would tolerate that kind of inconsistency. Why should God? We cannot “put our religion down” whenever it pleases us. We cannot be situational Christians. More simply put: we either believe what we say we do or we do not when it comes to Christ. That includes our politics and everything else. Think about it.

Heroes with egos It’s May 2016, the time of year in the United States when professional basketball becomes a focal point for millions of people in America and around the world. It is the time when basketball “heroes” take center stage and basketball fans pray that their particular hero can lead their favorite team to the promised land, a National Basketball Association Championship. LeBron “King James” James is often considered the greatest basketball hero in history. Why? I don’t know. It can’t be because James has won more championships. There are more than a few 2016 basketball players that have more championship rings than LeBron. Most of the teammates on the San Antonio Spurs team have won more championships than the star of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade has won more rings and perhaps other players. James is the basketball hero of corporate America. He allegedly has a billion dollar shoe contract, he has movie deals and does a slew of television commercials. And, no doubt, James is a very talented basketball player but to say he is the best that ever played is stretching it a bit too far! His hero status is blown out of proportion by America’s false sports prophets. Just because TV sports idiots claim the Cavaliers will win every game or every title just because LeBron steps on the basketball court, it almost never seems to happen. James has won zero championships as a player in Cleveland but he did win two rings as a member of the Miami Heat with the help, and possibly leadership, of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and others. Yes, James is a big, fast, heavy basketball bull in an NBA china shop! He can bowl over smaller, lighter, slower and less talented basketball players at will. But basketball is not bowling, or golf, or tennis, or boxing, or track, or wrestling. No one player can win a basketball championship because basketball is a team sport. I don’t have to tell you there are many NBA “teams” better than James’ Cleveland Cavaliers! One 2016 NBA team, the Golden State (Oakland, Calif.) Warriors won more games in the 2016 regular season than any team in NBA history.

Will Trump’s use of fear tactics make him President of America?

of their misbehavior, this malady of resentment is seen in those on the left as well as the right. Supporters of Bernie Sanders recently proved that in Nevada. While much of what is going on can be laid at the feet of the candidates, there is much more to be considered. There is a global social consciousness whose cauldron is anger. This anger has as its focus political inequities (real and perceived), economic disparities, a lack of educational opportunities, and a growing gap between those who have and those who have not. The latter may be especially true here in America. There is a maxim that states when there is 100 percent dissatisfaction in the minds of the people there has to be 100 percent change. The world seems

The Gantt Report

political pawns of those looking for a shift in power. These so-called champions for change have waged a very biased and personal attack against Superintendent Runcie and Dr. Rosalind Osgood, Chair of the School Board and it appears to whomever may oppose their plan. “They” say it’s not about race, but the fact is that the only two leaders that are called by name when discussing their concerns with the district happen to also be the only two Black people on the dais. “They” say they are just trying to fix a broken system, but the fact is the system has been broken for over 43 years that I know of. There was no similar media campaign against nor a call for the immediate resignation of the past Superintendents – even though an OIG investigation found real criminal activities going on at the time. “They” say they just want to see this public institution run with public accountability to ensure a public good, but when there was a report documenting that the system was discriminating against Black businesses, NONE of these “champions for change” showed up. Let me highlight this point. When on Oct. 27, 2015 the school board had a four-hour meeting to review the results of its disparity study that documented substantial active and passive discrimination against Black businesses, I don’t know nor can I recall of any other media, pseudo-media, or “champions for change” or anyone else except Black own media that wrote one word against the district for its institutionalized economic racism. Don’t believe me? Then search the

websites for one single solitary article or review the school board meeting tapes to see if any of them wore their t-shirts against institutional racism. Ask them yourselves what they have done to help ensure that Black businesses get a fair share of the contracts moving forward. Then you will find that they did not care about the years of discrimination that benefitted white male businesses to the point where white male businesses got more than 72 percent of the school board contracts from 20082013. The ONLY media that covered this critical issue were all Black owned media, led by the Westside Gazette. Apparently, that’s okay for them but, that is totally unacceptable for us! It appears and yet, today, “they” want Black people to believe that “they” are speaking for our best interest when trying to sabotage our first Black superintendent and our only Black school board member. That’s why I warned you a couple weeks ago to follow the money. “They” want me to stop reporting about this so “they” can continue to tell you and me to believe their attacks are not based upon political and personal vendettas. Well, we have our own mouths and media. We will tell our own stories. “If something that was going to chop off your head only knocks off your cap, you should be grateful.” – West Africa (Yoruba)


Page 6 • May 26 - June 1, 2016

Opinion

www.thewestsidegazette.com

Westside Gazette 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.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

By Pastor Rasheed Z Baaith

By Roger Caldwell

“For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigues, all night their anger smolders, in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire…” (Hosea 7:6) This election season if nothing else, has brought to the fore the deep, combustible anger in so many people in so much of America. North, South, East and West we see voters with faces twisted with rage, heard their voices shake with fury, watch them move in bodies twitching with agitation. Everyone seems poised for violence and the atmosphere reeks of its threat. And while the supporters of Donald Trump receive more attention than the supporters of anyone else because

I saw these “stunning” news anchors and my jaw didn’t drop By Bill Fletcher, Jr., NNPA News Wire Columnist If you are like me, you sometimes find yourself surfing the Web when you are supposed to be doing something

more important. You may notice “click bait” that poses questions like, “What has happened to these childhood stars?” or offers, “Secrets of the Mayans revealed.” Well, the other day I noticed one that concerned a list with dozens of allegedly gorgeous news anchors called “News Anchors Who Will Make Your Jaw Drop.” Out of curiosity, I decided to take a look. Let me tell you what I found. The list was all women. I mention that because my wife’s first comment was that there are many male news anchors and that some of them are good looking. For some reason I did not assume that there would be any men, but that may be my own blindness. The second thing was that they were reasonably attractive, they tended to be on the younger side, and there was not one identifiable Black woman among them. The story does not stop there. The list included Europeans, Euro-Americans (whites), Latinas and Asians. Yet the characteristics of all of the women were European. The Latinas were all light-skinned, not one looking AfroLatina or, for that matter, indigenous. The Asians were all quite light, with Western looks, and with not one of them looking like the browner Asians one might find in Guam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia or Indonesia, not to mention, South Asia. I kept assuming that I would come across at least one identifiable Black news anchor. There were a couple that looked like they might have a little African in them somewhere, but I felt that I was reaching. Despite periodic initiatives towards Black pride and defeating efforts to erase Blackness from the mainstream, the white supremacist bias always finds a way to raise its ugly head. Beauty remains a category defined largely in European terms with a dismissal of the very notion that beauty can take myriad forms. This situation is not remedied by the selection of one identifiably Black person to fill a quota. It really goes to the very basic question of how one defines beauty and breaking with the assumption that the closer we are to the purer European—whatever that means—the more beautiful we become. I will leave it at that.

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

'When the lion roars' Until the lion learns to write, all the stories will favor the hunter – African Proverb By Bobby R. Henry, Sr. Publisher As a competent and educated writer, one who has his own short comings, I get to share my thoughts and beliefs about topics important to me through a medium that is important to my people. The Westside Gazette, a family owned newspaper business that has been a leading medium for sharing news from the Black perspective in South Florida for more than 45 years, is my vehicle for disseminating this information. We know very well that we must tell our own stories, because some mainstream media have proven to tell either distorted stories or flat out mendacities concerning us for years. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the apparent witch hunt to remove the current school board superintendent. I felt that this move centered around money; and the “fair” distribution of such to Black and minority owned businesses. For that, a few disgruntled people felt it necessary to seem to be coordinating an attack against my position, some even to the point of outright lying at a school board meeting right in my face. My theory is that there are some people who desire more control over the $800 million bond dollars to be spent on repairing schools and they want to take some of that control that is now in the hands of a Black superintendent and an all-female governing Board. I suspect that the current school board leadership does not fit the traditional models of “power” so they want it changed. That’s my perspective and the facts seem to bear that out. Unfortunately, a couple of school board members are feeding the frenzy as

By Lucius Gantt’s

It does not matter what you believe as an American, because the polls indicate that Donald Trump is virtually tied with Hillary Clinton, and ahead in others. This is a scary situation, but everyone forgets that Trump started his campaign when he claimed that President Obama was born in Kenya. Not only did he claim the President was born in Africa, but he also claimed secretly, that he is Muslim. Many pundits call this kind of campaigning “Race Baiting,” and Trump blames all the problems in America on Blacks, Hispanics and Muslims. Retired ABC News diplomatic correspondent Barrie Dunsmore says, “But there is no secret to Trump’s success so far. In racking up the votes of millions of mostly white males, he has exploited their resentment that for the past seven plus years there has been a Black family in the White House.” White men (who think they are superior) are mad. This should not be a surprise with white men, because there is always in America a racial backlash when Blacks make a significant achievement in history. As a result of Jim Crow laws, independent Black cities were burnt down to the ground, and the KKK hung and decimated Black men and women when they appeared to organize other Blacks to vote. Blacks and minorities tend to forget historically what the American system is capable of doing when its power is challenged. In 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt issued an Executive Order, and 110,000 to 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced into incarceration camps. Their only criminal act was their race, and they were never a security risk to the country. Many think that this could never happen again, but Trump has compared Oakland and Ferguson to a war zone during his campaign speech. He has also vowed to ban Muslims from entering the United States within his first 100 days in office. If Trump wins the election, he has the power of the police, military, and federal agencies at his disposal and direction.

“Anger in every corner” to have arrived at that place in history. Everybody wants some kind of change. So what are we as Christians to do? We are to base the foundation of our behavior on the instructions given us by our God. We are to remember that these days of confusion and difficulty have been prophesied about. Those of us in the Body of Christ should not be fearful, puzzled, or walking in doubt or stunned by what we are witnessing. The Church’s role today should be one of being a social, philosophical and relationship anchor. Church has never been about religion. But it cannot what it is supposed to if it partakes in social systems in the same way as those who are not believers participate. Our thinking is Christ based. Evangelicals, Black and white cannot let their fear be greater that their faith. They cannot believe that the problems so dominating of this time are problems that can be remedied by some man. All of the concerns of the day are spiritual and moral. That means they require spiritual solutions. We say we believe God has the answer to the world’s problems. Or is that just something those of us in the Church say but don’t really believe? Of course there will be those, both Christian and non Christian who will say such conclusions are unrealistic and short sighted. For those not in our faith, that is to be expected but for those who claim to followers of Christ, it means your proclaiming is one thing but your belief is not as real as your proclamation. Far too many of us want to separate our faith from our daily living. That means there is a fracture in your relationship with God. It’s like s telling someone you love them deeply but not every day. No one would tolerate that kind of inconsistency. Why should God? We cannot “put our religion down” whenever it pleases us. We cannot be situational Christians. More simply put: we either believe what we say we do or we do not when it comes to Christ. That includes our politics and everything else. Think about it.

Heroes with egos It’s May 2016, the time of year in the United States when professional basketball becomes a focal point for millions of people in America and around the world. It is the time when basketball “heroes” take center stage and basketball fans pray that their particular hero can lead their favorite team to the promised land, a National Basketball Association Championship. LeBron “King James” James is often considered the greatest basketball hero in history. Why? I don’t know. It can’t be because James has won more championships. There are more than a few 2016 basketball players that have more championship rings than LeBron. Most of the teammates on the San Antonio Spurs team have won more championships than the star of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade has won more rings and perhaps other players. James is the basketball hero of corporate America. He allegedly has a billion dollar shoe contract, he has movie deals and does a slew of television commercials. And, no doubt, James is a very talented basketball player but to say he is the best that ever played is stretching it a bit too far! His hero status is blown out of proportion by America’s false sports prophets. Just because TV sports idiots claim the Cavaliers will win every game or every title just because LeBron steps on the basketball court, it almost never seems to happen. James has won zero championships as a player in Cleveland but he did win two rings as a member of the Miami Heat with the help, and possibly leadership, of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and others. Yes, James is a big, fast, heavy basketball bull in an NBA china shop! He can bowl over smaller, lighter, slower and less talented basketball players at will. But basketball is not bowling, or golf, or tennis, or boxing, or track, or wrestling. No one player can win a basketball championship because basketball is a team sport. I don’t have to tell you there are many NBA “teams” better than James’ Cleveland Cavaliers! One 2016 NBA team, the Golden State (Oakland, Calif.) Warriors won more games in the 2016 regular season than any team in NBA history.

Will Trump’s use of fear tactics make him President of America?

of their misbehavior, this malady of resentment is seen in those on the left as well as the right. Supporters of Bernie Sanders recently proved that in Nevada. While much of what is going on can be laid at the feet of the candidates, there is much more to be considered. There is a global social consciousness whose cauldron is anger. This anger has as its focus political inequities (real and perceived), economic disparities, a lack of educational opportunities, and a growing gap between those who have and those who have not. The latter may be especially true here in America. There is a maxim that states when there is 100 percent dissatisfaction in the minds of the people there has to be 100 percent change. The world seems

The Gantt Report

political pawns of those looking for a shift in power. These so-called champions for change have waged a very biased and personal attack against Superintendent Runcie and Dr. Rosalind Osgood, Chair of the School Board and it appears to whomever may oppose their plan. “They” say it’s not about race, but the fact is that the only two leaders that are called by name when discussing their concerns with the district happen to also be the only two Black people on the dais. “They” say they are just trying to fix a broken system, but the fact is the system has been broken for over 43 years that I know of. There was no similar media campaign against nor a call for the immediate resignation of the past Superintendents – even though an OIG investigation found real criminal activities going on at the time. “They” say they just want to see this public institution run with public accountability to ensure a public good, but when there was a report documenting that the system was discriminating against Black businesses, NONE of these “champions for change” showed up. Let me highlight this point. When on Oct. 27, 2015 the school board had a four-hour meeting to review the results of its disparity study that documented substantial active and passive discrimination against Black businesses, I don’t know nor can I recall of any other media, pseudo-media, or “champions for change” or anyone else except Black own media that wrote one word against the district for its institutionalized economic racism. Don’t believe me? Then search the

websites for one single solitary article or review the school board meeting tapes to see if any of them wore their t-shirts against institutional racism. Ask them yourselves what they have done to help ensure that Black businesses get a fair share of the contracts moving forward. Then you will find that they did not care about the years of discrimination that benefitted white male businesses to the point where white male businesses got more than 72 percent of the school board contracts from 20082013. The ONLY media that covered this critical issue were all Black owned media, led by the Westside Gazette. Apparently, that’s okay for them but, that is totally unacceptable for us! It appears and yet, today, “they” want Black people to believe that “they” are speaking for our best interest when trying to sabotage our first Black superintendent and our only Black school board member. That’s why I warned you a couple weeks ago to follow the money. “They” want me to stop reporting about this so “they” can continue to tell you and me to believe their attacks are not based upon political and personal vendettas. Well, we have our own mouths and media. We will tell our own stories. “If something that was going to chop off your head only knocks off your cap, you should be grateful.” – West Africa (Yoruba)


Page 8 • May 26 - June 1, 2016

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Russell Simmons repays RushCard holders, pushes for credit reforms By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA News Wire Contributing Writer

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Russell Simmons is just starting to regain a little normalcy in his life. He’s back at yoga and the hip-hop and business mogul is even able to run some errands without worrying about whether a disgruntled RushCard holder might verbally attack him or worse. Simmons never hung his head despite mounting – if unfair – criticism that rocked the music impresario when his innovative pre-paid RushCard experienced a computer glitch last fall that prevented hundreds of thousands of card holders from accessing their money. “I took full responsibility. It’s my card and I made sure to reach out to card holders personally and I reached into my own pocket to help people with their rent, their medicine or whatever emergency that may have come up,” Simmons said. “All I knew how to do was to make good on it and try to make the people that were damaged whole again,” he said. Simmons has done even more and he continues his push to have the underbanked and the underserved benefit. “My mission is to eventually see that when someone pays their rent on time, pays their light bill on time, that these things go on their credit re-

Simmons said that he’s going to spend a lot more money in the Black community, in peacekeeping programs, and on art education, following the settlement his company reached over the class action lawsuit over the well-publicized computer glitch that affected thousands of RushCard users. (Valerie Goodloe/NNPA News Wire) ports,” Simmons said. “It should be and if I can’t get regulators and the credit bureaus to do it, then I will have to start my own credit bureau.” If that sounds like a bit of a stretch, Simmons points to his starting the RushCard as proof that real change can happen. “I was first, no one else did this until I came out with my card,” he said, noting that he’s not only the face of RushCard, but along with his American Express and other items in his wallet is his own RushCard that he regularly uses.

“Look, we were the ones who invented this and what I don’t like is when people refer to us as a celebrity company,” Simmons said. “All of what American Express is doing, all of what Chase Manhattan did, we did first. We’re a virtual bank. The other thing is that we didn’t build this company to make money when we started and, really, I didn’t think it would become a business but it did and I go to work every day to try and improve the service we provide.”

Simmons said his fight for credit building is an uphill battle, but it’s a battle that can be won. It’s as much part of his life as yoga, he said. “You pay rent every month for eight years on a RushCard, why can’t you get a mortgage? I think that’s a travesty. I think a lot of the big companies like MasterCard, the Visas, the others that do the processing and infrastructure work; a lot of us could come together and force them to accept this information on credit reports of the world,” Simmons said. As Simmons pushes for changes in policies in the credit industry, he’s leaving the door open for starting his own credit reporting agency. In the aftermath of the much-publicized computer glitch – which Simmons still refers to as a “tsunami” – the business leader provided free service to card holders for five months, sacrificing all of his company’s profits to do so. He also reached a more than $20 million settlement from a class action lawsuit filed against RushCard, because of the glitch. “I’m glad to do it. I had put aside $25 million,” Simmons said, noting that the card isn’t just for communities that have been forgotten and underserved by banks. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)


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Rev. Jamal Bryant breaks silence over latest allegations By James Bentley (AFRO, NNPA member) On May 12, the Rev. Jamal H. Bryant of Baltimore’s Empowerment Temple Church took to social media to address rumors and allegations that he had fathered another child and was refusing to pay child support for it. In a video, Bryant said, “Over the last week a lot has been said, a lot has been suggested and like you I was thrown into a tailspin. I had to shut down for a minute so that my response would not be that of a man but be priestly as a man of God. To that end, let me say to you, I am one of those rare people who are flawed with character. With all of my issues,

I don’t run from them but I stand right next to them.” On May 5 Obnoxious Television posted the story of a woman named LaToya Odom who claimed that she had given birth to a son in July of 2015 and that the father was Bryant. Odom provided documents to the site that appeared to be a paternity test performed in Aug. of the same year by LB Genetics in Santa Ana, CA. The documents seemed to indicate that for Jamal H. Bryant “the probability of paternity is 99.9999%.” Bryant neither confirmed nor denied the allegations that the 10-month-old child is his biological son in the video that’s about five minutes long. Instead, he said, “The issues

Rev. Jamal Bryant faced public backlash in 2007 when he admitted to fathering an illegitimate child. (Da’Rell Privott/AFRO) pertaining to and surrounding the allegations are in the middle of a legal discourse that precludes me from going into any depth to talk about it. But let me say to you, while many things have been said about me, running is not one of them.” He added, “My legal counsel said I cannot go into any depth talking about it, but there is nothing that can stop me from talking to God. When there is something to be said, you will hear it directly from me and you will not have to look for a secondary source.” This is not Bryant’s first brush with public backlash. In 2007, he reportedly admitted to fathering an illegitimate child

from the pulpit while he was married amidst pressure for him to step down as pastor. Bryant and his then wife have since divorced. Bryant closed by saying, “God ain’t finished with me but when he gets through working with me, I shall come forth standing right beside you.” Before he ended his video stream Bryant also tried to pre-empt further questions about the child. He said, “I wanted to come on tonight so that there would be absolute clarity; Sunday morning is to discuss Jesus it is not to talk about Jamal. So when you come to church get ready to talk about how great God is and not the frailty of what Jamal possesses.”

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lends her support to families impacted that’s been going on in our reby gun violence during Circle of Mothers banquet spective communities A lot of

Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Sabrina Fulton and The Circle of Mothers converge on Fort Lauderdale during the third annual retreat. Fulton has taken upon herself to raise the mantle against senseless gun violence in the name of her son Trayvon Martin, rallying other mothers with similar tragedies. (Cont'd from FP) “Let me tell you why it’s so important for her to be here for me because other than my mother who’s here in the room who groomed me, who told me and showed me what strength really looked like; because it’s not about me I came from a long line of strong women. “This lady who I’m introducing has a vision, has a simple vision because what other woman do, you know can go from being the first lady to being the president of the United States. “The reason why I stand with her is because she first stood for me. Not only did she stand for me, she stood for other mothers as well. Not one single candidate was talking senseless gun violence, was talking about all the murders and killings in the streets. No other candidate was talking any of those things. She was talking about those things. And she met with us. And when she did meet with us in Chicago she met with 12 families. And she met with these families and she walked in as a presidential candidate, but she walked out with compassion. She walked out as a mother. She walked out as a grandmother. She walked out as a wife. And as a woman she walked out with the compassion that we needed. She listened to each one of our tragedies. Because it’s not a story because a story ends. This doesn’t end for us. She walked out as a different person. And so the person that I know; and that I’ve met; and I want you to know and I want you to get to

May 26 - June 1, 2016 • Page 9

Westside Gazette

know and support is Hillary Rodham Clinton.” Secretary Clinton approached the stage to a rousing show of enthusiastic applause; it was evident that she echoed the sentiments of those attending the event. “Like a lot of people I watched in disbelief as her son was killed. But then I saw her talking about her love for Trayvon, urging people who were devastated by his death to make America a more peaceful place. She was joined by Trayvon’s father. I can remember seeing that on television. One reporter described them as models of grace and fortitude. When I met Sabrina for myself that’s exactly what I saw. It takes a special kind of person to endure a loss like all of you. And then find a way to turn it into service. That’s what Sabrina has done; that’s what many of you have done.” “We must do something about the gun violence that stalks communities and terrorizes families. This is on the minds of every one of us who is here tonight. As we remember all of the young people who have been lost. This problem isn’t going away. Even toddlers are getting their hands on guns and shooting themselves or someone else. There have been at last count, 23 cases of toddlers getting guns so far this year. I don’t know what evidence somebody needs in this country to know that something has gone terribly wrong. We are smart enough and strong enough as a nation to figure out how to protect the rights of

responsible gun owners while keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and other violent criminals, of gang members, and the severely mentally ill,” added Clinton. Tracy Martin also attended the event and has stood side by side with Trayvon’s mother Sabrina, through the entire ordeal. He said although some progress had been made in addressing the issue of gun violence against young African Americans there was still much work to be done. “This is a historic event. It stands for all the moms who have lost children and give them a chance to heal a little bit share their pain with each other and let them know that there are mothers out there like themselves that are grieving, but through grief there’s restoration and you can do other things to help build your pain that you’ve learned. “ “I think violence against young Black males is still at the forefront. We’ve gained a little ground but we still have a long way to go. Right now we see it happening everyday there’s a new story we hear every day. We just need to find a way to corral all of the violence that’s going on against our young men.” Congressman Alcee Hastings offered his strong show of support for the Circle of Mothers as well as Secretary Clinton who he called, his “longtime friend.” “I consider it of critical importance to be involved with the Circle of Mothers largely for the reason that the agonizing

us have to stand straight up and face what’s happening in our own communities long before we begin to address others. And that’s what Ms. Sabrina Fulton and Mr. Tracy Martin and the ladies that are here from all over the country are about and that’s trying to bring attention to the need for sensible gun control not taking anybody’s gun away. I’m so sick of Donald Trump I don’t know which way to say how much I’m upset at what he does but I’m here for that reason and also here to support Hillary Clin-ton who is a long standing friend of mine And I’m grateful that she’s here. And I know that these ladies are going to help her become president of the United States.”

With honor and gratitude you served (Cont' from FP) These same men and women who were willing to die for this system of democracy have made mistakes that have taken away their freedom and in a lot of cases their dignity for what may be an eternity. We as human beings make mistakes each and every day. Some of us just make greater mistakes than others. While my time spent with these veterans was short lived, the profound affect that I’m left with will be a fevering reminder that we all have an unsettling duty to those who served for our right to be free. And they lived the ‘Soldier’s Creed. As the Dade C. I. Veteran’s Memorial Day unfolded, I could see in the faces of those military men-they were proud to be Veterans. To see the respect that they showed as the Colors were being presented, i.e. the correct cadence, precision, the erectness in those who could stand; chin up, chest out, shoulders back and stomach in. It all came together in the manner in which they saluted. It made me proud to be in the midst of these comrades. Just for a moment we were all one. “With honor and gratitude we remember.” The remembrance of men and women who gave their lives that all may be free… this saying graced the front of the program and it was the demeanor of the time I spent there. There are small groups that help these veterans in many ways and from what I was told, not all prisons have programs to help these men and women. There are many challenges that face our incarcerated Honorably Discharged veterans. Some of these veterans are just trying to send letters home to their families and loved ones yet they have no way to get stationary or stamps. Others are trying to better themselves by taking college classes but have to stop because they can no longer pay for their classes. Most of these veterans are doing everything they can to ensure that when they get out of prison they do not return. In the words written about the program (by Mr. Floyd Brooks) states the mission of the Veterans of Dade Correctional Institute: The mission of this chapter, is to provided service for Veterans, to improve the public perception of incarcerated veterans, and provide a setting for veterans to socialize. The program proposes to rehabilitate and restore the minds and moral character that was installed within us through our various branches of military service. In doing so, this program shall raise mentors for the Department of Corrections and the communities, and who will serve with pride and “spirit de corps”. Inside the program reads: Ladies and gentlemen, many military branches of service men and women have protected, served, dedicated their minds body and souls, rendering their lives for humanity and our country and others on foreign soil. In bedded memories of their “pain” through “books”, “pictures”, and “magazines” of past and present wars. Memorialized Icons for us, of countless documented millions of United States veterans that have paved the way through their efforts. Today… we honor and remember those men and women from all over the world. From WWI, WWII, to Desert Storm, Afghanistan, to the C.I.A.-covert missions never heard of , seen, or told. M.I.A., those missing in action within POW camps, on foreign soil. This Memorial today is for all of them. SPEICAL OPS* TUNNEL RATS* NAVY SEALS*GREEN BERETS*RANGERS*AMERICAN SNIPERS*HELICOPTER &FIGHTER PILOTS* All the way back to the BUFFALO SOLDIERS* TUSKEGEE AIRMAN* MARINE RECON, and stories never heard of or told. Let’s not forget, those buried within the National Cemetery abroad, all over the world. You may know someone, you may have lost a friend,*relative, *son, *or daughter. The unknown from different branches, hundreds of thousands, companies of veterans etched in stone upon marble buried in Arlington National Cemetery. “You are not forgotten”! To all of our Military veterans who are incarnated at DCI, I want to thank each of you who were willing to give your life for me and allowed me to share in a part of your life. I would like to extended a heartwarming thank you to Learie L. Alford, Floyd Brooks and Mr. Pablo Rivera; had it not been for you all listening to God I never would have experienced such a meaningful Memorial Day-thank You.

February 2, 19112 - On this day, the “Bronze Muse” died in Philadelphia, Penn. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper wrote more than a dozen books, including Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects (1854); Moses, a Story of the Nile (1869); and Sketches of Southern Life (1872). Harper was the most famous female poet of her day and the most famous AfricanAmerican poet of the 19th century. Also a wellknown orator, she spoke frequently in public (sometimes twice in one day) promoting equal rights for women andAfrican-Americans. She was a worker for the Underground Railroad, and in 1896 she helped establish the National Association of Colored Women.


Page 10 • May 19 - May 25, 2016

Stay-Cation Broward Water Taxi

By Don Valentine The nickname for Fort Lauderdale is the Venice of the Americas. Go have some fun traveling the Intercoastal from Fort Lauderdale to Hollywood on the Water Taxi. This is a great afternoon excursion to see any sights you want on the great canal all the way to Dade County. You can stroll on both

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. May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2016

Hollywood beach and Fort Lauderdale beach in the same day. The Water Taxi offers a relaxing ride up and down the water, complete with a comical narrative about the area. From personal experience I can tell you that just the ride alone is fun. The route is essentially the original route that tourists and local residents alike have enjoyed for years. The route connects many of the hotels, condos and private residences along the waterway with Fort Lauderdale Beach. What is really distinctive about taking the Water Taxi is you get to stop when you want and reboard when you want. You have a Stay-Cation that lets you pick from stops like Shooters Waterfront Cafe, St. Barts Cafe, and the historic

Miami Marlins: Winning thanks to Fernandez in spite of Stanton’s slump

ORDER OF PUBLICATION No. 2016 AA 77 IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF CARROLL COUNTY, TENNESSEE In The Matter of: EYANA FAITH-WILLIAMS WARE (DOB: January 16, 2016), A Minor, JOSEPH GLENN BUTLER and MEGAN NELSON BUTLER, Petitioner MOTHER GOOSE ADOPTIONS OF ARIZONA, INC., Co-Petitioner vs. JULIUS MARIO JOSEPH and ANY UNKNOWN FATHER, Respondents It appearing from the sworn petition for adoption and termination of parental rights filed in this cause, that the whereabouts of the Respondent, Julius Mario Joseph, may be known but the whereabouts of Respondent, Any Unknown Father, is unknown and cannot be ascertained upon diligent inquiry. It further appearing that Respondent, Julius Mario Joseph, is an AfricanAmerican male born on March 30, 1995, 5’10" tall, weighing 145 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes and has some tribal tattoos on his chest. His last known address is located at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is therefore ordered that Respondents, Julius Mario Joseph and Any Unknown Father, make their appearance herein at the Chancery Court of Carroll County, Tennessee, 99 Court Square, Huntingdon, Tennessee 38344 on Friday the 5th day of August 2016, at 10:00 a.m. and answer petitioners’ petition for adoption and termination of parental rights or the same will be taken for confessed as to Respondents and this cause proceeded with ex parte, and that a copy of this order be published once a week for four consecutive weeks in the Westside Gazette of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida. This 6th day of May, 2016 Meredith Brasfield WEAVER & CRAIG, P.C. Attorneys for Petitioners 51 Germantown Court, Suite 112 Cordova, Tennessee 38018 (901) 757-1700 Chancery Court of Carroll County Chancellor Carma McGee Kenneth Todd, Clerk & Master By Holly D. Williams, D.C. &M. May 26, 2016 June 2, 9, 16, 2016

By D’Joumbarey A. Moreau It’s awesome how much can change in baseball in just a matter of weeks. Last week the Miami Marlins were well on their way to competing for a higher ranking spot in the NL East and were on a three-game winning streak. This week after losing two games to the Philadelphia Phillies, and another to the Washington Nationals, the Marlins had a three-game losing streak. The good news is, that baseball is a marathon sport, not a sprint. Thankfully Miami has the talent that’s equipped to make a huge run. Thankfully because the Marlins got yet another wonderful performance from their starting pitcher Jose Fernandez, they once again missed out on having a major losing streak and turned their season around. Fernandez this season against the Nationals has been completely dominating. During his last ten starts against the Nationals, Fernandez threw heat he finished with 15 strikeouts and the team only scored 6 runs total. With the 3-2 home win inside of Marlins Park against the Nationals on Saturday, Fernandez now has a 6-0 record while posting an ERA just under 1.1. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

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Westside Gazette Stranahan Museum, all in Fort Lauderdale to name a few. In Hollywood you can get drinks at Jimmy Buffet’s new Margaritaville Resort, stroll the Boardwalk or rent a bike to go to Anne Kolb Nature Park. This spectacular service has 20 stops. If you plan your start location you can get all day parking for about five dollars. Watertaxi.com will give you all your cheapest parking options. Whichever starting point you pick you will be able to enjoy all Venice of the America’s has to offer from the Water Taxi service. Trust me, this is a better option than spending the afternoon at the mall. The best part you can enjoy this adventure and sleep in your own bed!

Miami Dolphins: Helping students change lives & graduate with city year By D’Joumbarey A. Moreau Life is precious. That’s why as soon as we’re born it begins the countdown. What we’re counting down is the seconds, minutes and hours until we pass away and move on from Earth. That’s why during those valuable moments while we’re alive, we should act as our brother’s keeper. It’s in those moments in which we give back to our family, our community, and our world that will leave a lasting impact on Earth long after we’re dead and gone. In a cold world that’s set up for people to fail because of an

only the strong survive type of attitude, there are others that have based their life principles on the quote that Michael P. Watson shared. “Strong people

don’t put others down... They lift them up.” (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)


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May 26 - June 1, 2016 • Page 11

Westside Gazette

Friends of African-American Cemetery Cemetery,, Inc. to hold Memorial Day Ceremony May 28 in Rye, N .Y .Y.. N.Y

by Artist Yvette Michele Booth

By Chloe Morales (Patch Staff)

COOPER CITY, FL - Girls are discovering something new with the use of the technology of smart phones and tablets. In a previous article on a program called Technovation it was shared that there is an annual competition worldwide that encourages girls to learn how to code apps. This is a follow up story to girls that code and in particular, girls that code in Florida. I reached out to the governing body of Technovation to be sure that I understood all of the rules of the competition and how many participants are local to Florida. I got the list back of the following cities:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Their challenges were learning how to code in an app language and get the app to work on the device. They chose to code in MIT App Inventor, one student says it is the, “Real Deal” of app sources. They were all on this journey together to take their passions and create a way for the world to see a solution to the problem. The students are not allowed to have devices while they are in school so they were dependent on donated items to do their testing. They also found out that they would need a way to store the data that would be required for their apps to work.

Altamonte Springs Coconut Creek Cooper City Fort Lauderdale Gainesville Lauderhill Miami Miramar Pembroke Pines Sunrise Winter Park

The teams were not short of creative minds; they had a couple of students focusing on Graphic Design and one student found that she enjoyed being behind the lens of the video camera when they were preparing their pitches. From the 11 cities, nine of them representing South They also learned how to do research to broadFlorida with eight representing Broward County. The en their knowledge. They researched who were events and marketing coordinator reached out to their competitors in the Apple App & Google Play WKH )ORULGD FRDFKHV WR FRQQHFW PH WR ¿QG RXW PRUH stores. Their ideas on business have changed about the girls who code in South Florida. Rosa Jen- since being exposed to creating a business plan nings, along with Co-Coach Binita Moncor from Re- and pitching their app as a viable idea. I asked naissance Charter School in Cooper City responded them when they look at apps on their devices now do they think about how the app was creatto the invitation. ed? They all acknowledged that it is something The school had four teams of girls that decided to that they do. One of the team members thought take the challenge from Technovation. Most of the about another app concept during the process teams were sixth graders with one team represent- and plans to further develop her idea to help the ing the eighth grade. Exactly what is the challenge? community. The girls were required to develop a full functioning My last question to them was, if you had a magapp, create a business plan and deliver a pitch to ic wand what would you use it for? They all had answers that every adult coder would want to anparticipate in the competition. VZHU 7KH\ VKDUHG WKDW WKH\ ZRXOG ZDQW WR ¿[ DOO “Technovation is the global technology entrepre- of the bugs, have a place to store the data, make neurship program for girls. Participants work with transfers to the devices easier. professional mentors to research, design,build, and launch mobile apps that solve real problems in their They did not move into the next round of the communities over the course of three months. It is competition. One of the girls shared with me that free to participate and $20k in awards is distributed it was okay with her because it was not about the competition, it was about discovering something to two winning teams at the end of each season.” new. A couple of them aspire to be kid-entrepreI promised the teams not to share what problem neurs and continue to make their apps work and they are solving with the public because they are eventually put it in the App stores for purchase. still working on their solutions. I can share general 7KH FRDFKHV -HQQLQJV DQG 0RQFRU ZLOO GH¿QLWHideas that they were focused on health, school life ly continue with supporting teams at their school DQG GLVFLSOLQH 7KLV ZDV WKH ¿UVW WLPH WKDW WKH JLUOV next year. and the school had participated in coding and the Technovation challenge. This is what the teams shared with me in their experience with creating apps. They all had a passion in creating their apps, the subject matter was deep in what they cared about to solve a community issue. Over 80% of them would code again and the experiHQFH GH¿QLWHO\ KHOSHG WKHP VROLGLI\ WKHLU DVSLUDWLRQV and career goals. They shared that they discovered something new and they learned more about the subjects and gained a greater knowledge to make their apps For more information on Technovation visit http://www.technovationchallenge.org more usable. Artists of all ages have a message to share in helping eradicate this epidemic that is affecting our community. Broward County has the second highest new infection rates of HIV in the state of Florida.

ART ON HIV/AIDS From the Broward County Dept. of Health

Break the silence: 1. Raise awareness about HIV disease and related risks among Blacks; 2. Encourage individuals to be tested for HIV; 3. If you are living with HIV/AIDS, get in to treatment and care; 4. Increase youth involvement in HIV community planning, decision making and HIV prevention programming; 5. Reduce barriers to HIV testing, prevention and care by reducing HIVAIDS stigma; and 'LVVHPLQDWH LQIRUPDWLRQ RQ WKH KHDOWK EHQH¿WV RI FRQGRPV DQG RWKHU ULVN reduction measures.

Photography Credits: Westside Gazette Stock Photography, Rennaisance Coderteams and coaches, Yvette Michele Booth. Advertising call (954)-525-1489

Friends of the African American Cemetery, Inc., the organization that oversees the historic African-American Cemetery within Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, will hold a Memorial Day service there on Saturday, May 28 at 10 a.m. The cemetery is located at 215 N. St. in Rye. The one acre parcel was donated by the Halsted family 150 years ago with the condition that it “shall forever hereafter kept, held and used for the purpose of a cemetery or burial place for the colored inhabitants of the said town of Rye and its vicinity free and clear of any charge therefor…” Of the 119 known persons buried at the cemetery, 22 are veterans of the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. The last burial was held in 1964. Over the years, the importance of this special cemetery in the history of the community and nation has been recognized as it is listed on the National, New York State and Westchester County Registers of Historic Places. After years of neglect, the cemetery had run into disrepair. Some of the stones had toppled over while others were simply worn away. In 2010, the town of Rye, Port Chester/Rye branch of the

NAACP, Building Community Bridges (BCB) and the American Legion Post #93 formed an ad hoc committee to help raise awareness of the cemetery and restore the stones and clean away the overgrowth. Lead by David Thomas since 2010, ceremonies have been held on Memorial Day and Veterans Day at the site. At each of these events, a new face appears, a new story is shared or a new connection is made to someone buried there. One of the new stories this year is that, with the help of County Legislator David Gelfarb, the cemetery has achieved 501(c)(3) status. With the formation and designation as a nonprofit entity, Thomas seeks to continue efforts to preserve, conserve, re-

habilitate and transform the African American Cemetery into a place of historical remembrance, reflection and education for the public. The primary goals of the nonprofit are to upgrade and maintain site access, upgrade and maintain site furnishing, continue the remembrance ceremonies on Memorial Day and Veterans Day and transform the site into a cultural and educational resource for visitors and schools. Further information is available through the AfricanAmerican Cemetery Facebook page or by contacting David Thomas via (914) 886-5710 or afamcemetery@gmail.com.

Upsilon Xi Omega Chapter ofAlpha KappaAlpha Sorority, Inc., presents: ‘An Affair to Remember’, the 13th annual Fathers’ Affair Honoring men who make a difference in the lives of youth

The honorees and high school seniors at a recent meet and greet reception. The infectious spirit of Upsilon Xi Omega will set the tone for an affair to remember at Upsilon Xi Omega’s 13th annual Fathers’ Affair fundraiser luncheon. The spectacular occasion will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2016. The theme, “The Game Plan: Coaching Boys through Sports and in Life” is most appropriate to honor these distinguished men who have made a positive impact in the lives of many youth in Broward County and sur-

rounding communities. Since 2003, a Fathers’ Affair has focused on recognizing the contributions of outstanding men who demonstrate positive involvement within the community and the lives of children. This event will bring positive exposure to the significant impact and contributions of responsible fathers and mentors. The purpose of this luncheon is to provide scholarships to deserving graduating seniors who

desire to continue their education beyond high school. This gala affair will be Saturday, June 4, 2016, 11 a.m. Fort Lauderdale Marriot North Hotel, 6650 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., donation, $65. In addition to honoring men who make a difference in the lives of youth and father figures, the organization will award scholarships to deserving high school seniors.


Page 12 • May 26 - June 1, 2016

Westside Gazette

www.thewestsidegazette.com


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