The Westside Gazette

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PERMIT NO. 1179

VOL. 47 NO. 6 50¢

THURSDAY, MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018

LO C A L

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for the former student charged with killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month even though attorneys for Nikolas Cruz indicated he would plead guilty if his life was spared.

Cruz, 19, is scheduled for formal arraignment Wednesday on a 34-count indictment, including 17 first-degree

murder charges. The office of Broward County State Attorney Michael Satz filed the formal notice of its intentions Tuesday, though the action does not necessarily mean a plea deal will not be reached.

The only other penalty option for Cruz, if convicted, is life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Ira Jaffe, whose son and daughter (Cont’d on page 11)

Nikolas Cruz appears in court for a status hearing before Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer on February 19, 2018 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Cruz is facing 17 charges of premeditated murder in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Mike Stocker— Pool/Getty Images

The lawn outside the US Capitol is covered with empty shoes to represent the 7,000 children killed by the gun violence since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School.

A M E S S A GE F ROM OU R PU BL IS H E R

A piece of Bread will give you a peace of mind Give us this day our daily bread Mathew 6:11(KJV)

NAACP Critical of Ben Carson’s Attempt to Change HUD’s Mission Statement BALTIMORE – The NAACP is deeply concerned

by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson’s move to dilute the agency’s long-standing mission.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Act which established HUD as a cabinet-level agency declared a purpose: “[T] o provide for full and appropriate consideration, at the national level, of the needs and interests of the Nation’s communities and of the people who live and work in them.” This purpose is sustained through the agency’s mission to “build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination.” Secretary Carson’s action not only threatens HUD’s founding purpose but also reveals plans of regression.

“Dr. Carson’s attempt to diminish HUD’s mission comes on the heels of the 50th anniversary of the Kerner Commission’s report which affirmed that discrimination and segregation had long (Cont’d on page 5)

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

The NNPA will honor Senator Kamala Harris with the NNPA’s 2018 Newsmaker of the Year Award during Black Press Week. (Official Photo)

By Ryan Velez At least 125 people have tested positive for HIV, Syphilis or both in the latest outbreak of the two diseases, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Milwaukee public health officials.

According to their report, 10% of those infected are students in the Milwaukee Public School System, with

the young adults having contracted one or both diseases. The report says at least 45% of the infected are male.

Milwaukee Public Schools is liaising with the health department to find a quick and fitting way to address the issue. In a statement, the school system said in part, “Because schools have a significant number of students in the 15-18 age group, we are working with (Cont’d on page 5)

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) will honor Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) with the 2018 Newsmaker of the Year Award during the NNPA’s 2018 Black Press Week. The Newsmaker event will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building on Wednesday, March 14 at 7pm.

(Cont’d on page 5)

With everything that is going on in our country, never mind the rest of the world. We need a moment to exhale.

On an average day’s news coverage, it can easily amount to a year’s worth of the country’s worst news stories. This does not include the occurrences that go uncovered. If those were included, I would seriously consider joining Chicken Little in her hellacious ranting about the impossible, “the sky falling”.

(Cont’d on page 3)

Police Responding to 911 Call For Suicide Crisis Intervention Fatally Shot The 18-Year Old Victim, Beloved Son Of Fireman By BlackNews.com TEMECULA, CA -- Matthew Tucker and his family were residents of Temecula. Those who knew Matthew adored the teen. He is known for having a smile that ‘lit up a room.’ Matthew, a natural comedian, loved to ‘make everyone laugh.’ He was selfless and would give his last dollar if someone needed it more. He spent his summers riding horses at his grandparent’s ranch in Wyoming. His passion for animals led him to find work in a local feed store. He had a promising future.

At just 18-years old, Matthew Tucker was transitioning to the family’s six-

figure revenue-generating business.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at approximately 5:21 pm, Matthew Tucker was emotionally distraught over a failed romantic relationship, angst stricken, and momentarily contemplating suicide, he dialed 911.

Behind accidental injury, suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15 and 34. The percentage of those having serious thoughts of suicide is highest among adults aged 18-25.

Matthew was distraught, depressed, momentarily suicidal and in need of

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MATTHEW TUCKER crisis intervention. His family trusted officials from the local sheriff’s office (Cont’d on page 3)

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A Proud Paper For A Proud People

Broward College and Urban League of Broward County awarded $3,187,500 Florida Job Growth Grant for Workforce Training Building the CORE Program aims to train 1,500 and create 1,275 local jobs

By Diana Hanford FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Broward College and the Urban League of Broward County are proud to announce

they were awarded $3,187,500, the largest amount ever awarded for a single project, by the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for its building the CORE (Criti-

FAMU seeks to be first HBCU with accr edited accredited police department

By Alexis Lockhart Staff Reporter A team of assessors from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators will arrive on FAMU’s campus on March 25.

Team members will be here to examine all aspects of the Florida A&M University Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operation, and support services.

Verification by the team that the FAMU Police Department meets IACLEA’s state-of-theart standards; a voluntary process to gain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of campus public safety professional excellence.

Since its inception on Nov. 6, 1958, the IACLEA has represented campus law enforcement and security issues before law and policymakers, higher education officials, and members of the public for more than 3,700 members at approximately 1,000 colleges and universities in 15 countries, according to its website.

This is the final stage of a 36-month process, which, according to Wendy Dorival, the accreditation manager for FAMU’s Police Department, started two years ago. “This is all Chief Calloway,” said Dorival “This was part of his plan since the beginning.”

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

cal Occupation Response through Education) program.

Broward College’s building the CORE, in partnership with the Urban League of Broward County, will provide realworld workforce training for 1,500 in-

dividuals over three years and create more than 1,275 local jobs to meet industry demand and market forecasts in advanced manufacturing, aviation and aerospace, and information technology.

“With this support, we will develop an innovative and lasting workforce education model with statewide impact,” said Broward College President J. David Armstrong, Jr. “Broward College will continue to work closely with our valued comm-

unity partners, especially the Urban League of Broward County, to ensure we maximize these funds to the fullest to provide our students with practical and transferrable job skills.”

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

Howard University, FDA and Glaxosmithkline Tashmay Jones earns full-tuition announce innovative regulatory affairs and scholarship to attend University of policy fellowship Program Fellows will have the opportunity to gain direct experience by working alongside FDA and industry professionals to address current and/or evolving clinical development and regulatory topics.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Howard University College of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and GlaxoSmithKline, announces the creation of a new fellowship centered on regulatory affairs and policy.

The two-year fellowship provides practical training and experience in regulatory affairs for fellows to gain expertise in regulatory approaches and requirements for drug development and marketing. Through a combination of academic, industry, and regulatory rotations, fellows will develop an in-depth understanding of the drug development process and regulatory affairs processes from the pre-clinical to postmarketing stages.

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

Miami Chemistry Graduate Program

By Jhada Walker, Student Writer

When Tashmay Jones, a senior at Bethune-Cookman University, isn’t marching alongside the Marching Wildcats, she’s anticipating her May 2018 Spring graduation. Originally, Tashmay dreamed of becoming a dentist but decided to major in chemistry with aspirations of becoming a college professor.

“I chose to major in a relatively unpopular field, but I did so that I could learn something new. I don’t like the feeling I get when I don’t understand something, so rather than avoiding it, I dove right in to learn more about it,” Tashmay said. While at BCU Tashmay encountered some true supporters.

“Being at Bethune-Cookman University allowed me to work under Dr. Vishwa Trivedi, which opened many doors. Dr. CobbAbdullah allowed me to be one of her interns my first year in college, which opened me up to the world of academic research,” she said.

Tashmay learned recently that she was admitted to the University of Miami graduate program in Fall 2018. She was awarded a full-tuition scholarship valued at $41,800 per year, renewable for up to five years.

Dr. Toyin Tofade, Dean of the College of Pharmacy

Tuskegee Professor Clayton Yates receives $8.5 million Minority Health Disparities Research Grant

By NEWS WIRE Tuskegee University pro-fessor and researcher Clayton Yates has received an $8.5 million

“I chose to major in a relatively unpopular field, but I did so that I could learn something new", said Jones.

YATES grant from the National Institutes of Health to study disease disparities in African American communities, and developing programming to help stem their impact.

“Through this NIH-funded research, we will gain a better understanding of the health differences that exist among various races and sub-populations,” said Dr. Clayton Yates, a professor and director of the Center for Biomedical Research.

“This in turn will enable physicians in the future to have a better understanding of which therapies will be more effective among minorities, as well as who the most vulnerable and underserved segments of our population are.”

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

Dillar d rreins eins es N ur sing Dillard einsttat ates Nur ursing Program admissions

By JL Carter, Sr A year after suspending admission for its three undergraduate nursing programs, officials at Dillard University today announced the reopening of applications for one of its signature schools.

Dillard Vice President of Academic Affairs Yolanda Page credited the university community for its efforts in revamping curriculum, personnel and student support elements for its pre-licensure, LPN-BSN nursing programs. Dillard suspended nursing enrollment in April 2016 after the Louisiana Board of Nursing expressed concerns about low passage rates of graduates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

(Read full story at:thewestsidegazette.com)

Student researchers to present abstracts at 39th annual meeting and scientific sessions of the society of behavioral medicine

Erica Anderson, Warren Feaster and Courtney Peters

By Ursula James Congratulations to Erica Anderson, Warren Feaster and Courtney Peterson, whose abstracts have been selected for inclusion in the 39th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), April 11 – 14, 2018, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans. The SBM is a multidisciplinary organization of clinicians, educators, and scientists dedicated to promoting the study of the interactions of behavior with biology and the environment, and then applying that knowledge to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and populations.

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

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A Proud Paper For A Proud People

MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018 • PAGE 3

Black women disproportionately suffer complications of pregnancy and childbirth childbirth.. Let’s talk about it.

We started with 10 women who faced six different maternal complications

By Adriana Gallard ProPublica About 700 to 900 women die each year from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.

And for every death, dozens of women suffer life-threatening complications. But there is a stark racial disparity in these

numbers. Black mothers are three to four times more likely to die than white mothers.

Nevertheless, Black women’s voices are often missing from public discussions about what’s behind the maternal health crisis and how to address the problems.

It is estimated that up to 60

percent of maternal complications are preventable. One way to prevent them is to talk to and learn from women who have nearly died from these complications. So, we reached out to nearly 200 Black mothers or families that shared stories of severe complications as part of our maternal health investigation Lost Mothers.

Since this disparity has existed for decades, we were interested in learning how it might have affected generations of Black women — and maybe even women in the same

Do you know Dorothy Height?

HEIGHT

By Nicole Nutting Height was a historic luminary in American history.

At the age of 25, she began a

career as a civil rights activist, joining the National Council of Negro Women. She fought for equal rights for both African Americans and women.

In 1944, she joined the national staff of the YWCA. She was also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority throughout her life, developing leadership training programs and ecumenical education programs.

She was initiated at Rho Chapter at Columbia University, and served as national president of the sorority from 1947 to 1956.

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

A piece of Bread will give you a peace of mind (Cont'd from FP) Come to think about it, that can be an excellent metaphor to compare what appears to be a consensus of a few confused and disillusion people.

Yes, things are troubling but, there is nothing new under the sun even though it’s a bit overwhelming.

From the White House to our School houses, things are corrupting and bursting at the seams. People are being killed physically, mentally and emotionally; which can lead to a spiritual death- one that I believe is the worst kind of death.

Our elections, and it doesn’t matter if they are local, state or national are plagued with deceit. Individuals from all ends of the spectrum start out with good intentions.

Yet, somewhere in between as their term continues, if they

are not true to the commitment of serving for the people, their rolls switch; they convince the people to serve them but, the sickening aspect of this scenario is; they believe that the should be served.

They suffer from the “Saul Complex”. They should not have accepted the title because their motives were not pure.

So many of us are not playing with pure motives therefore, we are subjected to “not so cool stuff”.

We need to take a moment to really enjoy and share our ‘daily Bread’ to allow us to remember how human we are.

“Dear God in the name of Jesus Please allow me to share the daily Bread You have given me for Peace with those in need.

In Jesus name. Amen.”

A PIECE OF THE BREAD OF LIFE WILL GIVE YOU PEACE

Fatally Shot 18-Year-old Victim (Cont'd from FP) would be able to de-escalate the situation.

Officers from the Riverside County Sheriff’s office responded to a 911 request for suicide crisis intervention for the emotionally distraught teenager, Matthew Tucker.

They arrived at the Tucker family home at approximately 5:41 pm. Immediately upon arriving on the scene, deputy officers were reminded the teen is suicidal and wants to die.

They were cautioned by several pleas from Matthew’s mother.

‘He is suicidal. He wants to die.

Do not shoot him.’

In what would soon be a tragic turn of events, police entered the home, directing Matthew’s mother to search for him through the house while they accompanied her. In the garage, they see the teen who quickly grabbed a knife.

Matthew made several movements towards the officers and backing away from the officers.

The officers drew their guns and were yelling commands to Matthew. The mother was yelling ‘do not shoot him’ to the officers. At this point, the officers shot Matthew. However, Matthew was also shot in the back after he was no longer a threat.

Despite being cautioned that Matthew was suicidal, in a twostep process, county officers ordered the emotionally distraught teenager to ‘drop the weapon,’ drew their guns, and then, shot to kill. The sheriff’s department is claiming Mat-

thew rushed towards the deputies while holding the knife.

Matthew, however, faced the deputies at the time of the shots.

He fell forward, dropping the knife, as per deputies’ sworn statements. Yet he ended up with a fatal shot in the back. According to the coroner Dr. Mark Fajardo, the shot to Matthew’s back was the fatal shot that took Matthew’s life. And now, the county is argu-ing their own pathologist/coroner Dr. Mark Farjardo is not an expert, and his opinion that Matthew may have been shot while on the ground in the prone position is invalid.

Inaccuracies of Published Reports In the wake of the fatal shooting of Matthew Tucker, the following statement was released to local news (Source: Riverside County News): A knife-wielding man was shot and killed during a confrontation with deputies from Temecula PD May 4, according to Riverside Sheriff Public Information Officer Deputy Michael Vasquez.

Coroner’s officials have identified the man killed in this officer-involved shooting as Matthew Tucker, 18, of Temecula. The coroner’s release indicated Tucker’s time of injury was 5:43 p.m. The release also revealed Tucker survived for shortly more than two hours and succumbed to his injuries at 8:01 p.m.

The deadly encounter occurred after someone called sheriff’s 911 emergency communications dispatchers to report an unknown type emergency at a residence in the 32600 block of Hislop Way, in Temecula. Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Temecula Police Station were dispatched to the emergency call for service.

As deputies arrived on [the] scene, they made contact with the 911 caller, who directed them to the garage at the residence.

Deputies made contact with a male, later identified by coroner’s officials as Matthew Tucker, in the garage who was armed with a knife. Upon contacting the man, deputies attempted to calm him and repeatedly ordered Tucker to drop the knife he was holding.

Despite their efforts, Tucker refused to drop the knife he was holding.

The armed subject then reportedly “advanced towards the deputies while still holding the knife” in an aggressive and threatening manner, at which time “an officerinvolved shooting occurred,” Vasquez explained. Two deputies discharged their weapons at the knife-wielding subject, according to Vasquez.

A statement by the Riverside County police department was released immediately after the shooting and was mimicked across several local news outlets. These news reports and published reports, (Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

families.

We also know difficult conversations can sometimes be easier with a loved one. We asked women if they would be willing to discuss their near miss with their mother or daughter.

To help navigate these tough conversations, we gave each pair of women a tailored set of questions and got out of the way (you can download a copy of the questions here). We spent an hour recording them, some in their living rooms and others over the phone. We’ve organized these conversations by the complications each woman faced. We included several generations of women from six to 64-years-old.

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

For the first time ever oman ever,, a Black W Woman is the new face of the $10 bill in Canada From BlackNews.com CANADA — More than 70 years ago, Viola Desmond stood up for civil rights in Canada when she refused to leave a whites-only section of a theater.

Last week, she was honored as the first Black person and a non-royal woman to become the face of a dollar bill in Canada.

Civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond was the one chosen out of the 26,000 submissions that came in following Bank of

(Read full story at:thewestsidegazette.com)

Black AIDS Institute Launches initiatives focused on Black Women

By Marie-Fatima Hyacinthe As we celebrate Women’s History Month and mark National Black Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Saturday, March 10, 2018, the Black AIDS Institute is launching a Black Women and PrEP Tool Kit, offering

direct services for Black women

in our prevention clinic in Los Angeles, and announcing that we will conduct a series of summits nationwide to increase capacity for advocacy and education around PrEP (preexposure prophylaxis) access for Black women.

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

PAGE 4 • MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018

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A Proud Paper For A Proud People

Local Events In The Community Publix is Proud to Support Community News WHERE SHOPPING IS A PLEASURE

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Commissioner Dale Holness upcoming community events. · Pay Up and Save – Brenda D. Forman Clerk of Courts Broward County, Felony, Misdemeanor and Traffic Payments – Operation Green Light Broward is an opportunity to pay your fines without paying the extra 35% collection surcharge. Individuals paying their felony, traffic tickets, misdemeanor and overdue court costs in full may be eligible to restore their driving privileges.

This limited time offer is only available from Monday, March 5, 2018 through Saturday, March 20, 2018 · Michael J. Satz ,State Attorney, Sealing & Expungement One Stop Shop on Thursday, March 15 from 3 to 7 p.m., at Urban League of Broward County, 560 N.W. 27 Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Pictured ID required. For additional info call (954) 831-6955. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

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United Way of Broward County to host Women United Magnolia Luncheon on Thursday, March 15 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Pier 66 Hotel in the Marina Crystal Ballroom, 2301 S.E. 17 St., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

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Do you have a special talent or skill? The City of Lauderhill Arts, Culture & Tourism Board is hosting a Lauderhill Talent Show open to residents and business owners in the City of Lauderhill. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to show off your talent! In order to participate in the Talent Show, you must: · Be available to audition at the Lauderhill Sadkin Center (1176 NW 42 Way) for the first two (2) rounds with the Finals being held at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, 3800 NW 11 Pl. ·City of Lauderhill ACT Board Talent Show Application First Audition: Wednesday, March 21 at 4 p.m. at Sadkin Center; Second Audition: Wednesday, April 11 at 4 p.m., at Sadkin Center; Finals: Wednesday, May 16 at 4 p.m., at LPAC ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce’s GLBX Council, together with the Oakland Park/Wilton Manors/ Uptown Council will present “Visitor Marketing 101: How to Capture the Tourism Market to Increase Sales on Tuesday, March 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Sheraton Suites Hotel, 555 W. Cypress Creek Rd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ” The monthly luncheon will feature guest speakers Richard Gray, vice president LGBT+ of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and Lisa Hoffman, chief marketing officer of Starmark. It is sponsored by Gary Lanham Group and Strauss Law Firm, P.A. For tickets info and to RSVP, visit www.ftlchamber.com/ luncheon or contact Dolores Molina at (954) 462-8023 or dolores@ftlchamber.com. For additional info visit www.ftlchamber.com or email dolores@ftlchamber.com.

The Fort Lauderdale Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. hosts its annual Debutante Cotillion and Master’s Ball on Saturday, March 24, 2018, a formal affair. All interested young ladies and gentlemen who are in 12th grade are encouraged to apply each year.

For more info on the event call (954) 303-1051 or (754) 4228084.

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Beta Tau Zeta Chapter invites the community to attend the 72nd Annual Finer Womanhood Community Fellowship Awards Luncheon on Saturday, March 17 at 11:30 a.m., at InterContinental at Doral Miami, 2505 N.W. 87 Ave., Miami, Fla. Dr. Yvonne Barnes Southeastern Regional Director Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated guest speaker.

Ticket can be purchase at http:/ /mp.gg.kvip2

League Of Women Voters Of Florida Take Action on Gun Safety Comee to a public hearing for the Broward Charter Review Commission and tell that group that you want them to put a measure on the November ballot to ban the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Broward County.

Meeting: - Thursday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m., at City of Pembroke Pines City Hall, 601 City Center Way Pembroke Pines.

Your message at the hearing? Let’s hear from Broward voters. Put a measure on the November ballot to ban the sale of assault weapons and highcapacity magazines in Broward County.

Let’s stand up to the minority who say these weapons of war belong in our communities. Let’s urge Broward elected officials to fight for sensible laws.

Attend a rally Mark your calendar: The League will participate in the March for Our Lives in Parkland on Saturday, March 24.

Help us conduct voter registration at an event expected to draw thousands of participants calling for gun safety measures.

Broward County Black Chamber of Commerce Listening Tour: Your Business Matters - Monday, March 19 from 6 to 8 p.m., at 1730 Main St. Suite 200, Weston Fla (second floor). Refreshment will be served.

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Town of Lake Park Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 31 from 9 to 11 a.m., at Kelsey Park, 601 Federal Hwy., Lake Park, Fla. (Corner of U.S. 1 and Foresteria Dr.). The Easter Bunny free photos for kids, egg hunts for ages 3-10 (bring your Easter baskets, sharp eyes and fast feet, music, games, candy, giveaways and face painting and much more. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

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Hop into spring with an Easter-themed event, Eggcitement on Saturday, March 24 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Quiet Waters Park, 401 S. Powerline Rd., Deerfield Beach, Fla. Activities include games, a bounce house, face painting, photo ops with Peter Cottontail, splash time in the Splash Adventure water park (from noon to 1:30 p.m.), and an egg hunt and much more.

Florida KidsCare "Spring Into Health" Health Fair on Saturday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., inside The Lauderhill Mall, 1267 N. State Rd. 7, Lauderhill, Fla. Free Spring Baskets. * Florida KidCare Application Assistance * Free Safety Tips * Pre-register for a Free Mammogram at (954) 762-3649 *HIV Testing * Free Fruit and Vegetable Distribution * Free Paniting * Games & Entertainment Prizes For more info call (954) 467-8737.

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Miramar Today events · Miramar presents Game Night & Party Play on the Plaza on Friday, March 23, from 7 to 11 p.m., at the Miramar Town Center Plaza, 2300 Civic Center Place, Miramar, Fla. For additional info call (954) 6023178. · Miami Urban Contemporary Exhibition As Aa Matter of Black now until Friday, March 30, at Miramar Cultural Center/Art, 2400 Civic Center Place, Miramar, Fla. · Police Open House @ Miramar Fire Station 107 on Thursday, March 29 from 6 to 8 p.m., at 1181 Miramar Parkway, Miramar, Fla. · The City of Miramar invites the community to the 14th annual A Sip of Wine, A Taste of Heaven on Saturday, March 10 from 7 to 10 p.m., at the Miramar Town Center Plaza. · Resident Forum on Tuesday, March 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and Wednesday, March 28 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at · MCC Resident Artist, Ballard Etudes of South Florida will host a Ballet Technique Master Dance Class on Saturday, March 17 at 10 a.m. at Miramar Cultural Center Theater, 2400 Civic Center Place, Miramar, Fla.

Touch Weekly Events * Power to Save on Tuesday, March 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at E. Pat Larkins Center, 520 N.W. Third St., Pompano Beach, Fla. This program provides free home energy upgrades to customers that may not otherwise be able to afford them. Invitations will be sent out to residents (renters and owners of homes) in zip codes 33060 and 33069 to sign up to have our customer service team visit their home and make energy efficient upgrades. They will also be invited to a FREE community BBQ lunch At the BBQ they will have an opportunity to get information/materials from us as well as partner organizations that we will invite to set up tables next to the food area. * When you’re homeless, it’s all about the FEET on Sunday, March 25 from 12 to 3 p.m., at Christ Church Pompano Campus, 210 N.E. Third St., Pompano Beach, Fla. If you are currently homeless, join Christ Church Love in Action Outreach, Holy Cross Faith Community Nurses and FAU Christine Lynn College of Nur-sing for Free foot care and walk away in a new pair of shoes. Interested in volunteering? For more info call Valerie at (740) 978-0275 or email valerie.fox@holy-cross.com.

SILVER SPEAKERS Silver Speakers is a weekly course in creative writing and expression on Every Tuesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m., at South Side Cultural Arts Center, 701 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Because we believe in the power of the stories our senior population has to tell, Silver Speakers participants will work in the following areas: · Storytelling · Poetry · Monologues · Scene-writing and Improvisation At the end of eight weeks is a culminating performance featuring the participants and their original writing.

Fee: $80 per each four-week session for ages 50+

“ABUSE LINE FOR SENIORS”

Seniors contribute wisdom, experience and support to Florida’s communities, yet in their hour of need, they can often be taken advantage of physically, emotionally and financially. The good news is that YOU have the power to end elder abuse! Whether you are a loved one or a simple acquaintance, it is vital that you reach out to an elder in need.

Over 50,000 Florida Seniors were abused last year. Don’t let someone you know become another statistic. If you suspect that an elder is being abused, neglected or exploited, you should take action immediately. Call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873.

Remember the power to prevent elder abuse is in your hands.

ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR ABUSED ELDERS Trainings on preventing and reporting abuse, identifying theft, frauds and scams, personal safety and other topics can be conducted at your local churches, synagogues, business, groups or organizations.

If you would like to schedule a training contact: Vanessa RicoRobie, Health and Wellness Coordinator The Aging and Disability Resource Center of Broward County, (954) 745-9567, ext. 10249.

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HIV and Syphilis Outbreak (Cont'd from FP) the Milwaukee Health Department, in a collaborative and preventive effort, to share information with young people in middle schools and high schools to keep them healthy and to protect their health.”

In December last year and January this year, the then Health Commissioner Bevan Baker told Mayor Tom Barrett about the alarming cluster.

However, Barrett didn’t take any action as he resigned a week later due to a controversy surrounding prevention programs that were aimed at tackling Milwaukee’s lead poisoning. Around the time, more people were visiting health centers and reporting symptoms associated with HIV and Syphilis.

The health department even told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about three babies who had been born with syphilis in 2018, with the births being linked to the cluster. Health

officials are worried that there could be more people who’re infected, but who shy away from opening up because of stigmatization. Reports say some of those infected may have had sex with the same partners at different times.

There is a serious concern about the cluster, especially because many young people of the Milwaukee area have now tested HIV positive.

Statistics about Milwaukee aren’t good. According to the Milwaukee Health Department, the city topped the country in gonorrhea infection rates; chlamydia was fourth and is ranked among the worst places for young men of color under the age of 25 when it comes to HIV infections. Young people aged between 15 and 24 constitute 37.4% of the total HIV cases in the city, while those aged between 20 and 29 accounted for 57.1% of all the syphilis cases.

Authorities are already working on ways to get things under control.

NAACP Carson’s Attempt to Change HUD’s Mission Statement (Cont'd from FP permeated much of American Life and continues to threaten the future of every American; and at a time when the Trump administration seeks to cut billions of dollars in housing aid for low-income families,” said NAACP’s Sr. Director of Economic Programs, Marvin J. Owens, Jr. Despite these attempts, the promise of discrimination-free practices lives on in the Fair Housing Act which has the central objective of prohibiting race discrimination in sales and rentals of housing. The hope of continued progress in America rests in the hands of communities across the country that continue to push their elected leaders to preserve programs designed to help disadvantaged

communities and promote policies that make economic inclusion a reality.

The NAACP recognizes the importance of an inclusive economy and economic policies that address the challenging realities facing our country including poverty, lack of jobs and disproportionate high unemployment, lack of affordable housing, and foreclosures.

The NAACP Economic Department’s work enhances the capacity of African Americans and other under-served groups through financial economic education; individual and community asset building initiatives; diversity and inclusion in business hiring, career advancement and procurement; and monitoring financial banking practices.

A Proud Paper For A Proud People

MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018 • PAGE 5

The Black Press Honors Senator Kamala Harris (Cont'd from FP) “The Honorable Kamala Harris, the second African American woman and first South Asian American senator in U.S. history, is an outstanding choice for the NNPA’s 2018 Newsmaker of the Year Award,” said Dorothy Leavell, the chairman of the NNPA and publisher of the Crusader Newspapers in Chicago and Gary, Ind. The NNPA will also celebrate the senator’s efforts to raise wages for working people, reform the criminal justice system, and expand healthcare access for all Americans.

“In all of my years of covering news in our community, Senator Harris has been one of the smartest, most fearless, steadfast and caring politicians that I have come to know,” said Amelia Ashley-Ward, the new NNPA Foundation chair and publisher of the San Francisco Sun-Reporter.

“She has a lot to offer the world…we are so fortunate to have her advocating on our behalf.”

The theme of this year’s Black Press Week is “Celebrating 191 Years of the Black Press of America: Publishing Truth to Empower.” Black publishers, media professionals, civil rights leaders and lawmakers from across the country attend the annual event, taking place March 14-16. On Friday, March 16, Democratic strategist and author Donna Brazile will deliver a keynote address on the state of the Black Press in America.

“When John B. Russwurm and Samuel E. Cornish printed that first issue of Freedom’s Journal they sought to empower Black people to determine their own destiny and to define themselves,” said Leavell. “How iconic, that in 2018, our theme still rings true: ‘Publishing Truth to Empower.’”

Black Press Week will also feature sessions on business development, education reform, and sickle cell disease.

Outstanding leaders in the Black community will be honored during the Torch Awards Dinner.

The Torch Award recipients are: Dr. Amos Brown, the pastor

Do You Know Mae Jemison?

By Dr. Chamika Hawkins

her time. She enrolled at Stanford University at the tender age of 16! Jemison graduated from Stanford in 1977, receiving a B.S. in chemical engineering and fulfilling the requirements for a B.A. in African and Afro-American Studies.She became the first African American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992. Dr. Jemison has said that majoring in engineering as a Black woman was

The world’s first female Black astronaut was a luminary in

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

of the San Francisco Third Baptist Church; Rep. Barbara Jean Lee (D-Calif.); and James Farmer, a senior consultant for General Motors.

Ken Barrett, the global chief diversity officer for General Motors, said that “Jim” Farmer dedicated his career to transforming the automotive industry through diversity and community service.

“I am proud of the invaluable support Jim continues to provide GM and he is truly most deserving of this prestigious honor,” said Barrett.

Chairman Leavell agreed.

“The NNPA Foundation, under the leadership of Chairman Amelia Ward, the publisher of the Sun Reporter in San Francisco, Calif., has chosen some of the most outstanding leaders and trailblazers in the Black community to receive Torch Awards, this year,” said Leavell.

The 2018 Black Press Week partners include the Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Reynolds American (RAI), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Pfizer, Inc. The 2018 Black Press Week sponsors include AARP, Amerihealth, Comcast, Koch Industries, Wells Fargo, AT&T, and Volkswagen.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, said that the NNPA and the NNPA Foundation have joined together to celebrate the 191-year anniversary of the Black Press in America.

“This year, Black Press Week convenes at a time of profound opportunity and responsibility to ensure a record turnout for Black American voters in the upcoming midterm elections across the nation,” said Chavis. ”The new strategic alliance between the NNPA and the NAACP bodes well to advance civil rights and the economic, political, and cultural empowerment of Black America.”

PAGE 6 • MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018

Opinion

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A Proud Paper For A Proud People The Westside Gazette, under the Management of BI-ADs, Inc., reserves the right to publish Views and Opinions by Contributing Writers that 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 submits comments published in this newspaper.

Students lead: Florida and President react quickly PEOPLE: Never think that age is the deciding factor, when Young People begin to Think, Move, and Act regarding something that they are passionate about, if they truly feel that they can Make a Difference!!

A passage in the Bible says, “And, a child shall lead them”, which seems to be the case with the miracles that the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students of South Florida have pulled off since the tragic shooting at

their school, which left 17 dead. And, students all around the country have followed their lead, and are beginning to make a difference in their respective cities and states.

After the Douglas students, and other Broward County high school students began to March, conduct Vigils and hold Rallies following the loss of 14 fellow classmates and 3 staff members on Valentine’s Day last month, the students at Douglas took their Protest on the Road.

Two weeks ago, they went to the Florida capital of Tallahassee on a Wednesday, where they met with Governor Rick Scott. They expressed how they felt about the violence that took over their school, speaking candidly about what they felt were ways to end the scourge that has led to school shooting deaths in America for the past two decades. The Governor listened attentively, and told the students that he would respond Quickly.

And...... he did just that!!

Julianne Malveaux says that the past has laid a foundation, but the future is far more important than the past

By Julianne Malveaux (NNPA Newswire Columnist) All too often, our “history” month turns into a tribute to the past. And while the past is an important place to lift up it is, indeed, a tributary, a stream that flows into the larger stream of an unbounded future. The future must always be greater than the present, or there has been no progress.

And, in the words of Frederick Douglas, “progress concedes nothing without a demand.”

I spend much of Women’s History Month thinking of those who have come before me; I stand on their shoulFOUNDED IN 1971

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GUIDELINES We welcome letters from the public. Letters must be signed with a clearly legible name along with a complete address and phone number. No unsigned letters will be considered for publication. The Westside Gazette reserves the right to edit letters.

Letters should be 500 words or less.

ders. I claim Women’s History Month for Black Women and love to call our roll of luminaries that, for me, includes Dr. Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, the first Black woman to get a Ph.D. in economics, Dr. Phyllis Ann Wallace, the first Black woman to get a Ph.D. in economics from Yale, and the first to attain tenure at MIT. There are more, but I also want to speculate about the future role of luminaries and reflect on that fact that many Black women have made it possible for us to bask in a new generation of leadership. The past has laid a foundation, but the future is far more important than the past.

Why are Florida Legislators siding with predatory Payday Lenders?

Benjamin Crump says that payday lending has devastated the fabric of Black and Latino communities. Photo taken during the NNPA’s 2015 Torch Awards in Washington, D.C. (Freddie Allen/ AMG/NNPA)

By Benjamin F. Crump (Principal and Owner, Ben Crump Law) In the 1980’s we saw crack cocaine dealers on every corner in low-income Black neighborhoods. For too long, we’ve seen payday lenders in many cases occupying the very same corners in the very same neighborhoods. Yet, today, as we speak, our Florida legislators are busy doing the bidding of payday lenders rather than standing up for the people who are ensnared in their trap. We must ask the question: Why do our elected officials think that 200 percent interest rate loans should be peddled in our communities?

Payday lending puts the burden of extremely high interest rates on people of extremely low means. And these loans offer no value, but instead serve to systematically redistribute wealth from low-wealth communities to large, corporatized predatory lenders. And as with so many other issues, this is one that has a devastating impact on the fabric of Black and Latino communities.

A study of Florida payday lending documented the same phenomenon here as has been found in states like California, Colorado, and others. More payday loan stores are located in communities of color than in White neighborhoods, even when comparing neighborhoods with similar income levels. In Florida, that means $311 milion per year is extracted from the pockets of Floridians and deposited into the pockets of payday lender executives; this transfer of wealth disproportionately affects those very same communities whose residents struggle every day to meet basic needs, let alone rise up and overcome the many and varied obstacles that keep them from narrowing that wealth gap and joining America’s middle class.

Florida lawmakers first legalized these dangerous products to come to our state back in 2001 Since that time, payday lenders have siphoned away over $1.3 billion from consumers who earn on average about $25,000 a year.

With bills sailing throughout the legislature, greased by the more generous contributions by payday lenders on both sides of the aisles and to community groups purporting to serve their communities interest, the payday lenders are asking your legislators’ permission for another path to the pocketbooks of the poor. Their bills, SB920 and HB 857, would be an additional predatory product, carrying interest rates over 200 percent, to come in to our neighborhoods.

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Thus, Leah Daughtry (who managed the 2016 Democratic National Convention), Minyon Moore (who had a key role in the Clinton campaign), and Yolanda Caraway (an amazing political operative who has worked for Rev. Jesse Jackson, President Bill Clinton, and candidate Hillary Clinton), put a footprint in the sand for future leadership with their Power Rising conference in Atlanta, last month. They gathered more than a thousand Black women from around the country to develop a “Black Women’s Agenda,” deliberately mixing up the seasoned with the sassy, established leaders with those who are eager to make their mark.

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

The Republican Party is off to the racists Matt Schlapp and Ian Walters of the American Conservative Union Show GOP’s True Colors Raynard Jackson says that until the Republican Party addresses its racist past, there can be and will not be any constructive engagement with the Black community.

By Raynard Jackson (NNPA Newswire Columnist) Five years after the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) infamous “autopsy” report was issued, the party’s standing within the Black community, continues to get worse.

This autopsy report was the RNC’s cynical attempt to provide political cover for the party’s incompetence after Mitt Romney’s devastating presidential election loss to former President Barack Obama in 2012. Republicans got destroyed in every conceivable demographic group imaginable.

Did the party really need a study or autopsy to find out that the Republican Party is an old, White, male party?

Really?

We already knew that.

Let’s be very candid, the Republican Party, as an institution, doesn’t have the bandwidth or the interest in diversifying the party, despite the demographic shifts taking place in our country.

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Defying the Hawks on the Way to a TrumpKim Summit

By Mel Gurtov Donald Trump’s extraordinary decision to meet with Kim Jongun has taken all the policy hawks by surprise—and led them to issue all kinds of warnings of impending disaster. Trump’s decision is extraordinary because until now the common refrain from him and all other US policy makers was that the North Koreans would have to provide evidence of moving toward denuclearization before any talks could take place.

To do otherwise, as Trump once said, would be to follow the ruinous path of previous presidents, who were supposedly suckered into sitting down with North Korea and making unilateral concessions.

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Two days later, on Friday, Scott responded with several items that he then passed on to the Florida Legislature to get them to act by passing legislation that would help curb gun violence in school settings.

Two days later, on Monday of last week, the state Senate passed a bill that: 1.) raises the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21, 2.) creates an extended waiting period on all gun purchases in the state, and among other items in the bill, 3.) creates a Guardian program that would let certain school employees and teachers carry a firearm, as a deterrent, after completing an extensive law enforcement training program.

By Wednesday of last week, the Florida House voted on, and passed the bill, then sent it on for the Governor’s signature. After meeting with parents to get their feelings about the proposed legislation, the next day on Thursday of last week, Rick Scott signed the bill into law. it took students, from Stoneman Douglas High, a week to get the state of Florida to act on their requests. As I said, never think that age is the deciding factor when young people begin to think, move and act about something they are passionate about, if they truly feel that they can make a difference.

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Senate Lawmakers seek to gut Fair Housing Civil Rights guarantees proposed to be weakened

By Charlene Crowell In just a few weeks, civil rights and housing advocates will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. Just four days following the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congress passed the law on April 10, 1968.

On the following day, President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s signature made it unlawful to discriminate in housing sales, rentals, and finance.

Although race, color, religion and national origin were the original protected classes, in later years the Act was amended to include gender and people with disabilities and families with children. With each revision; businesses such as banks, and other lenders, realtors, landlords, insurance companies — even governments that previously used zoning and restrictive covenants to deny housing access – were all obliged to adhere to new standards of inclusion.

Fast-forward 50 years, and much of Black America and other people of color still find that the promise of fair lending remains just that. Our collective experiences as a people provide painful reminders of how full and equal access to credit – particularly in mortgage lending - remains an unfulfilled promise.

President Trump’s FY 2019 Budget Hurts Blacks

The Gantt Report

PresidentTrump’s FY 2019 Budget Hurts Low-Income, Black and Brown Communities

Rep. Cedric Richmond, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, says that President Trump’s FY 2019 budget cuts two critically important education programs for low-income students.

By Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.) (Chairman, Congressional Black Caucus) If you want to know how a president feels about your community, then all you need to do is look at his or her budget, because it reflects their values— both what they value and what they don’t. If you look at President Trump’s FY 2019 budget, it’s clear that he doesn’t value low-income and black and brown communities because he cuts programs that these communities disproportionately rely on, including the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (food stamp program), Medicaid, the Low-Income Heating Assistance Program, and Community Development Block Grants, which provide funding for projects and programs— affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, and infrastructure development—that inner city and rural communities need to survive.

One of the most disgusting examples of this is President Trump’s proposal for the food stamp program, a program that serves close to 44 million Americans, 26 percent of which are Blac.k In to proposing to cut the program by $213 billion, which would leave 4 million low-income people without these benefits, President Trump is proposing to prevent families from choosing what type of food they buy for themselves.

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

He Said - She Said

President’s scandal with adult film star

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Is Anger Driving President Trump Crazy and Dysfunctional?

By Don Valentine & Nicole Nutting

As Trump’s inner circle continues resigning or getting fired, it appears he is a man at keeping his word. In the Trump orbit, he was famous for telling people on his reality show, The Apprentice, which originally aired in 2004, “You’re Fired.” At 71 years old, it is very hard to teach an old dog new tricks, so the crazy way he told people they were fired on his television show, is the same way he is handling his administration.

The majority of Americans would agree that Trump’s first year as president of the United States has been chaotic with new scandals being exposed every two or three days. This is extremely embarrassing to Americans from people around the world, and it now appears that many of his policies or decisions are decided by him alone, without advisors. With over 600 vacancies in his administration, Trump will argue that these vacancies are by design.

She said: Don, lately it seems like humanity is walking backwards. Extra-marital affairs with porn stars, and hush money to cover them up.

THIS, from the man who represents Americans to the whole world. Where is the righteous indignation of the “family values Republican Party?”

He said: Nicole, you know this is not an isolated incident of a President cheating on his wife. Let me cite J.F.K. and President Clinton to start out. If we are going to open the “Pandora’s Box” of every maleficent deed in one’s past, “You can cast the first stone”!

She said: Politicians having affairs is not a remarkable phenomenon, but it can be indicative of a larger pattern of behavior. Our President cheated in business for decades. In office, he has shown himself to be a selfish, arrogant, and unethical person.

He behaves as though he is above the law. As the leader of a country of laws, it makes him less a president than a dictator. THAT is a problem!

He said: Well, you bring up an interesting point. Let me contrast that, after considerable effort, no familial scandals or financial misdeeds were found on President Obama.

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

By Roger Caldwell

www.thewestsidegazette.com

BUSINESS

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MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018 • PAGE 7

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PAGE 8 • MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018

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

Church Directory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Honor your loved ones in the Westside Gazette Newspaper Call -- (954) 525-1489

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where the kingdom of God is increased through Fellowship.

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

* In Memoriam * Happy Birthday Remembrance * Death Notice * Obituaires * Cards Of Thanks

Keep Their Memory alive with a Guestbook on www.thewestsidegazette.com share pictures, stories, even videos. The perfect tribute for someone speical.

Obituaries James C. Boyd Funeral Home AARON Funeral services for the late Baby Boy Aaron Aaron.

ALEXANDER Funeral services for the late Stanley Louis Alexander 79 were held March 9 at James C. Boyd’s Funeral Home.

MYLES Funeral services for the late George Fran Myles, Jr. – 69 were held March10 at Mt Hermon AME Church with Rev. Henry Green, Jr. officiating. Interment: South Florida National Cemetery, Lake Worth, Fla.

Harris Chapel United Methodist Church Rev. Stanley Melek, M.Div E-MAIL:stanley.melek@flumc.org 2351 N.W. 26th Street Oakland Park, Florida 33311 Church Telephone: (954) 731-0520

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

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

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

Shaw Temple A.M.E. Zion Church 522 N.W. Ninth Avenue Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Church: (954) 462-1413 or (954) 647-8254 Email: AMEZ522@yahoo.com

Rev. Dr. William Calvin Haralson, Pastor SERVICES Sunday School .................................................................................. 10:15 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship ............................................................ 11:00 a.m.

Bible Study (Wednesday) ............................................................... 7:30 p.m.

"Reaching beyond the four walls touching lives, touching communities".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mount Hermon A.M.E. Church Rev Henry E. Green, Jr. PASTOR 401 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 Phone: (954) 463-6309 - FAX 954 522-4113 Office Hours: Tues. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Email: infor@mthermonftl.com

SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICES Worship Service ................................................................................... 10 a.m.

Church School ..................................................................................... 9:15 a.m.

BIBLE STUDY: Wednesday ................................................................... 10 a.m.

Gems & Jewels Ministry Senior Wednesday Wednesday (Bible Study) ............................................... 12 Noon & 7- 8 p.m.

Daily Prayer Line ...................................................................................... 6 a.m.

(712) 432-1500- Access Code296233#

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1161 NW 29th Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311 (954) 581-0455 ● Fax: (954) 581-4350 www.mtzionmbc1161.com

Dr. James B. Darling, Jr., Pastor/Teacher WORSHIP SERVICES Worship Service ............................................................................................................ 10:15 a.m.

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

Communion Service (1st Sunday) ........................................................................... 10:15 a.m.

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

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

Saturday (2nd & 4th) Christian Growth & Orientation ................................... 8:30 a.m.

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

Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, Oakland Park "The Miracle On 33rd Street" 420 N.E. 33rd Street Oakland Park, Florida 33334 Church: (954) 563-3060 Email: mtzion420@gmail.com

Rev. George A. Hardy, Pastor SERVICES Sunday Church School ................................................................... 8:45 a.m.

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

Tuesday Night (Family Prayer & Bible Study) ........................... 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday (Prayer Conference Line) ................................................ 8:00 p.m.

(Dail (786) 233-6715 - Acess Code 703513) Oakland Park CDC (Senior Activity Center) Daily ............10 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.

Rev. Cal Hopkins.

M.Div) Senior Pastor/Teacher

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

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

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

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

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

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

PEREZ Funeral services for the late Denise Perez were held March 3. Interment: Lauderdale Memorial Park.

McWhite's Funeral Home HAMILTON Funeral services for the late Crystal Althea Hamilton -50 were held March 10 at Praise Tabernacle International. Interment: Baileys Memorial Gardens.

HENRY Funeral services for the late Willie C. Henry - 72 were held March 10 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Chapel with Elder Artis C. Street officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial.

Pray More Worry Less Matthews 6:34

Victory Baptist Church Independent Pastor Keith Cunningham 2241 Davie Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 Church Telephone: (954) 284-9413 Visit: www.victoryweb.org Sunday School ...................................................................................... 9:45 a.m.

Worship Service Sunday Morning……………………… ................................. 11:00 a.m.

SundayEvenn igServcie………………………………………. ......................................... 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Evening Bible Study & Prayer…………………. ..................... 7:00 p.m.

Saturday Morning Soul Winning/Visitation………………… .................... 10:00 a.m.

Men’s Fellowship (Every 2nd & last Tuesdays)……………………… ............. 6:00 p.m.

Ladies Fellowship (the last Saturday of each month)…………………………. 5:00 p.m.

Youth Fellowship (Every Friday)…………………………. ................................... 6:30 p.m.

Discover GOD Let Us Help You Find The Way To Jesus Christ

STEELE Funeral services for the late Willie Steele 71 were held March 10 at Agape Worship Center, Inc. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

SUTTON Funeral services for the late Earl B. Sutton 70 were held March 8 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. First Last officiating.

ROBERSON Funeral services for the late Benita N. Roberson - 45 were held March 10 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church with Pastor Everett Roberson officiating.

Roy Mizell & Kurtz Funeral Home CLAYTON Funeral services for the late Valorie Clayton - 53 were held March 10 at New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist.

CRAWFORD Funeral services for the late Saverlyn “Cookie” Crawford 54 were held March 10 at New Hope Baptist Church with Pastor Ricky Scott officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

ROBINSON Funeral services for the late Frank Robinson, Jr. - 83 were held March 10 at New Mount Olive Baptist Church with Dr. Marcus D. Davidson officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Rapper Craig James Rudolph Mack dies at 46 Barrett

“The great compromise”

By Pastor Rasheed Z Baaith “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

(Ecclesiastes 12:13) There is a movement in the Body of Christ and in the hearts of many people in America including, those professing Christianity to compromise the expectations of behavior God has of his people. It is a movement so spiritually destructive, it is almost ineffable.

In the case of the former, many in the Body of Christ have decided that the moral behavior God expects of Christians is negotiable. They believe that because God made us and knows we are human and make “mistakes,” He will forgive our sins.

Especially it seems, the sins of the flesh. We want to believe that (Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Spiritually Speaking The Fight Is Fixed.You Won. James Washington says that, all of the mess that he’s going through or someone is trying to put him through, is just another opportunity to run home and get his Big Brother J.C.

By James Washington (The Dallas Weekly/NNPA Member) Some of you may remember that I declared this some time ago and it bears repeating. I wish it was original, but it is not. It comes straight from the

pulpit and not from me. Circumstances in my life and maybe yours have me drifting from time to time. I don’t believe any Christian should indulge in wishywashy thinking about their own salvation. Whatever you’re going through, however insurmountable the odds appear to be, if the deck is stacked against you in your eyes, rem(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

By Lisa Respers France, CNN (CNN)Craig Mack, one of the artists who laid the foundation for Bad Boy Records, has died, the label’s former director of marketing Michelle Joyce confirmed to CNN. He was 46.

No cause of death was immediately released, though Joyce said he had been ill for some time.

His death comes days after fans celebrated the 21st anniversary of the death of his label mate Christopher Wallace, the rapper known as Biggie Smalls (a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.) who was gunned down in a still-unsolved murder on March 9, 1997 in Los Angeles.

Mack’s 1994 song “Flava in Ya Ear” was the first single off of Sean Comb’s Bad Boy label and the subsequent remix featuring artists including The Notorious B.I.G. and LL Cool J became one of the defining songs of 1990s hip hop.

“If Berry Gordy had Smokey Robinson and ‘Shop Around’ (Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)

TALLAHASSEE -- James Rudolph Barrett, 90 years old, passed away on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

He is survived by his wife, of 60 years, Barbara Jean Nelson Barrett; three daughters : Sandra Brown of Washington, DC, Stephanie Barrett- Yokely of Atlanta, Ga. and Claire BarrettPope of Houston, TX; one son, James Rudolph Barrett, Jr. of Tallahassee, and eight grandchildren.

He was an elder at Trinity United Presbyterian Church his funeral services were held March 9, his interment was Tallahasse National Cemetery.

THE WESTSIDE GAZETTE IS YOUR VOICE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

www.thewestsidegazette.com

A Proud Paper For A Proud People

MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018 • PAGE 9

Former Senate Democratic Leader/CRC Member Chris Smith files Assault Weapons Ban Amendment

By Michelle DeMarco TALLAHASSEE - In an effort to give Florida voters a chance to decide for themselves

whether civilians should possess weapons of war, former Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith today filed an amendment with the Constitu-

tion Revision Commission (CRC) which, if the voters agree, would ban assault weapons in The Sunshine State.

“Since the 2016 horrific

shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, and especially after the Valentine’s Day tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High School, Floridians have signaled their support for an assault weapons ban,” said Smith, who is currently a member of the

African meeting house vandalized with ‘NWord leave’ in Nantucket Nantucket Police ar e investigating the crime are

Written by Clarissa Hamlin Racism is still, unfortunately, thriving across the nation. Community members who frequently visit the African Meeting House for cultural events in Nantucket, Massachusetts found racist graffiti sprawled across the decadesold building over the weekend.

“Take a good look. This isn’t some far off place — this is

HAMLIN

racist terror in my district,” wrote Massachusetts State Senator Julian Cyr in a Facebook post on Sunday. “Nantucket woke up this morning to its African Meeting House attacked in the most vile and heinous of ways.”

The Nantucket Police Department is investigating the vandalism, which occurred sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning, Nantuc-

Racist person alters Black Panther Movie sign and inputs the N-Word at a U.S. Marine Base in Japan

By Victor Ochieng Investigators sprang into action after a picture of a Black Panther movie sign was shared online, with the advertisement defaced to include the N-Word.

The said ad was at a U.S. Marines base in Okinawa, Japan.

A report by the Atlanta Black Star said the racist picture was retrieved by a user on Military.com before it was shared on social media platforms.

In the racist photo, the theater’s marquee is altered to read “Phat Black N**r.” Reports reveal that the sign originally advertised the screening of the Black Panther movie scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday.

After the picture appeared online, the Marine Corps., issued a statement through their official Twitter account.

“Derogatory text was found on a marquee at Camp Hansen,” tweeted the Marine Corps

Installations Pacific. “It was immediately removed and the incident is under investigation.

Please visit our Facebook page for more information.”

On Facebook, the group wrote, “Marine Corps Installations Pacific is aware of an incident on Camp Hansen yesterday involving the posting of a

Nunber g Meltdo wn, R ecent Nunberg Meltdown, Recent R esigna tions Mar Tr ump esignations White House Former campaign aide Sam Nunberg says Trump “May have done something during the election.”

President Donald Trump’s inner circle continues to unravel, following the strange Nunberg interviews and the string of recent White House resignations. (Wikimedia Commons)

racial slur on an AAFES marquee.”

They went further to denounce the act, saying the Marine Corps., doesn’t entertain such language.

“Please know that the language used is in direct contradiction to the core values of honor, courage, and commitment that we stand for as Marines,” the statement continued. “This type of behavior is not tolerated by the Marine Corps.

The text has been removed and the incident is under investigation.”

Many users commented on the racist sign, with a notable number admitting that the Okinawa base is known for such racist occurrences.

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

(Read full story at: thewestsidegazette.com)

IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE IN THE WETSSIDE GAZETTE

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA NOTICE OF MEETINGS MEETINGS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR CANCELLATION Date Meeting Place 04/05/18 Diversity Committee KCW Bldg., Board Room rd 6:30p 600 SE 3 Ave., Fort Laud.

General Meeting 04/16/18 Diversity Committee ± Chair, Lauderdale Manors Learning Ctr th 2:30p 1400 NW 14 Court, Fort Laud.

Vice-Chair & Staff Meeting 04/16/18 Diversity Committee ± Site Lauderdale Manors Learning Ctr th Visitation Subcommittee 3:30p 1400 NW 14 Court, Fort Laud.

04/18/18 Diversity Committee ± Site Lauderdale Manors Learning Ctr th Visitation Subcommittee 2:00p 1400 NW 14 Court, Fort Laud.

04/04/18 Diversity Committee ± Site Lauderdale Manors Learning Ctr th Visitation Subcommittee 3:30p 1400 NW 14 Court, Fort Laud.

04/05/18 Diversity Committee ± Various KCW Bldg., Board Room rd Subcommittee Meetings 5:00p 600 SE 3 Ave., Fort Laud.

04/23/18 Diversity Committee ± Various Lauderdale Manors Learning Ctr th Subcommittee Meetings 4:30p 1400 NW 14 Court, Fort Laud.

04/25/18 Diversity Committee ± Various Lauderdale Manors Learning Ctr th Subcommittee Meetings 4:30p 1400 NW 14 Court, Fort Laud.

Plantation High School ± Media Ctr 04/05/18 Facilities Task Force General th 6901 NW 16 St., Plantation 7p Meeting 04/23/18 Head Start/Early Intervention KCW Bldg., Board Room rd Policy Council Meeting 6:00p 600 SE 3 Ave., Fort Laud.

04/25/18 Human Relations Committee Lauderdale Manors Learning Ctr th General Meeting 3:30p 1400 NW 14 Court, Fort Laud.

04/12/18 Negotiations Parameters KCW Bldg., Pre-Function Room rd 10:00 a.m.

600 SE 3 Ave., Fort Laud.

Committee Meeting (Purpose: to review appraisals for School Board owned real property, and to establish a beginning offer for the properties, for the purposes of marketing the properties for sale.)

By Lauren Victoria Burke (NNPA Newswire Contributor) President Donald Trump tenure continues to be plagued by controversy and low approval ratings, as a former campaign aide’s strange comments about the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election showed cracks in the veneer of the White House.

CBS News reported that Sam Nunberg told the Associated Press that he was “angry over Mueller’s request to have him appear in front of a grand jury and turn over thousands of emails and other communications with other ex-officials, among them his mentor, Roger Stone.”

Early on Monday, March 5, during televised interviews Nunberg appeared defiant, suggesting that he would refuse special counsel Robert Mueller’s request to appear before a grand jury.

During an interview with MSNBC, Nunberg said that he thought that President Trump, “may have done something during the election.”

Nunberg also told CNN that he thought former Trump campaign adviser “Carter Page was colluding with the Russians.”

Later that day, Nunberg reversed course and eventually, told reporters that he would cooperate with Mueller’s request.

ket’s The Inquirer and Mirror reported.

Nantucket, an island near Cape Cod with less than 8,000 current residents, is predominantly White, but has a much smaller African American community of approximately 560 people.

The African Meeting House, built in 1827, is a public structure on the island which was central to the history of the African community of the 18th and 19th centuries, according to the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket. Black residents consider the Meeting House to be an important cultural center, but now, its status as a safe space has been questioned with the recent hateful vandalism.

“I broke down, I was hysterical,” African Meeting House manager Charity-Grace Mofsen told The Inquirer and Mirror, about seeing the words “N—-r Leave” and a phallic symbol spray-painted on the front of the building, which is now owned by the Museum of African American History in Boston. “I cried.”

More than a dozen community members scrubbed and sanded away the hateful message on Sunday morning.

Whites, Blacks and Indigenous people have lived together on the island for decades, Mofsen said, painting a picture of racial harmony. The Nantucket Police Department has praised this “diversity.” But this recent incident revealed a different reality, one that shows that racism and segregation is not dead here.

“Whatever hate they have, whatever it’s based in, there is no place for it here,” Mofsen said. “In order to survive on this island 30 miles out to sea, we have to work together”.

04/09/18 6p 04/11/18 8:30a

Parent/Community Involvement Task Force Regular Meeting QSEC Review of Contractors Pre-Qualification/ReCert. (There

McFatter Tech College ± Rm 602 6500 Nova Drive, Davie TSSC ± Suite 323 7720 W. Oklnd Pk. Blvd., Sunrise

will be the election of chair and vice chair at this meeting.)

04/25/18 8:30a 04/18/18 9a

QSEC Review of Contractors Pre-Qualification/ReCert.

Superintendent's Ins. & Wellness Advisory Committee (SIWAC)

TSSC ± Suite 323 7720 W. Oklnd Pk. Blvd., Sunrise TSSC Annex 7770 W. Oaklnd Pk Blvd., Sunrise

(Purpose: To discuss Employee Benefits, as well as any other matter the Committee deems important.)

The School Board of Broward County, Florida, prohibits any policy or procedure which results in discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. Individuals who wish to file a discrimination and/or harassment complaint may call the Director, Equal Educational Opportunities/ADA Compliance Department at 754-321-2150 or Teletype Machine (TTY) 754-321-2158. Individuals with disabilities requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, (ADAAA) may call Equal Educational Opportunities/ADA Compliance Department at 754-321-2150 or Teletype Machine (TTY) 754321-2158. Any person who decides to appeal any decision made at a meeting(s) announced in this notice with respect to any matter considered at such meeting(s) will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

Notice is hereby given that two or more Board Members of The School Board of Broward County, Florida, may be participating.

SENATOR SMITH 2017-2018 CRC and may directly submit an amendment proposal. “Since the Legislature did not act, I wanted to give the people the power to decide for themselves.”

The CRC is a 37-member organization established every 20 years, tasked with reviewing the state constitution and recommending any needed changes. Members are appointed by the Governor, Attorney General, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, Senate President and House Speaker.

Under Smith’s proposal the sale or transfer of assault weapons would be prohibited. The legislature may enact legislation within the amendment’s framework to provide exceptions to the prohibition on the transfer of assault weapons legally possessed prior to the ef-

fective date of the ban.

In his amendment, an “assault weapon” is defined as a semiautomatic rifle that is able to accept a detachable magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or simiar device that is capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition, or that has a fixed magazine capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition.

The amendment, which will now undergo vetting by the CRC committee process, must garner 22 votes by the full CRC membership in order to appear on the November 2018 ballot.

If successful, and if 60 percent of Florida’s voters then sign off on the Smith amendment, the assault weapons ban would become part of Florida’s state constitution.

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA NOTICE OF MEETINGS 04/03/18 KCW Bldg., 600 SE 3rd Ave., Ft. Laud. Board Rm 10:00 a.m. Agenda Planning Session for 4/10 SBOM 12:30 p.m. School Board Workshop 04/10/18 KCW Bldg., 600 SE 3rd Ave., Ft. Laud. Board Rm 10:00 a.m. Special School Board Meeting (Expulsions) 10:05 a.m. School Board Operational Meeting 04/17/18 KCW Bldg., 600 SE 3rd Ave., Ft. Laud. Board Rm 10:00 a.m. School Board Workshop 04/24/18 KCW Bldg., 600 SE 3rd Ave., Ft. Laud. Board Rm 10:00 a.m. Special School Board Meeting (Expulsions) 10:05 a.m. Regular School Board Meeting School Board Meetings ± Public speakers listed on the April 10, 2018 School Board Operational Meeting agenda and the April 24, 2018 Regular School Board meeting agenda will be heard at 5 p.m. or immediately following the meeting, whichever is earliest.

Workshops ± Public speakers will be permitted three minutes each to address a topic at the conclusion of Board Members' discussion on the topic. The times for items on the agenda are only estimates.

The actual start times for these topics may vary up to an hour or more depending on the nature of the items and the length of the Board discussions and public comments.

The School Board of Broward County, Florida, prohibits any policy or procedure which results in discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. Individuals who wish to file a discrimination and/or harassment complaint may call the Director, Equal Educational Opportunities/ADA Compliance Department at 754-321-2150 or Teletype Machine (TTY) 754-321-2158. Individuals with disabilities requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, (ADAAA) may call Equal Educational Opportunities/ADA Compliance Department at 754-321-2150 or Teletype Machine (TTY) 754-321-2158.

Any person who decides to appeal any decision made at a meeting(s) announced in this notice with respect to any matter considered at such meeting(s) will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

Telephone conferencing or other telecommunications media technology may be used in the conduct of this meeting to permit absent members of the Board or committee to participate and to be heard by those persons in attendance at the noticed location of the meeting.

PAGE 10 • MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018

NFL: Dolphins to release Ndamukong Suh

www.thewestsidegazette.com

A Proud Paper For A Proud People

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LATEST LOTTERY RESULTS

Ndamukong Suh

By Associated Press The Miami Dolphins plan to release defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh before the start of free agency, according to Monday reports confirmed by the Miami Herald.

The Dolphins plan to cut him Wednesday, which would free up $17 million in salary cap space. Suh’s time in Miami seems to be over just three years after the Dolphins made him the highest-paid defensive player in league history. He’s halfway through a six-year, $114million contract.

For that investment, he gave them 181 tackles, 151/2 sacks, one Pro Bowl appearance, one winning season but no playoff wins.

Miami agreed to trade Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry to the Cleveland Browns last week.

The Dolphins also released veteran linebacker Lawrence Timmons on Monday.

Quarterback Case Keenum will sign with the Denver Broncos when free agency opens Wednesday, according to reports. The former Rams starter led the Vikings to the playoffs last season. ...

The Buffalo Bills moved up nine spots in the draft by swapping first-round picks with the

Cincinnati Bengals, who also acquired high-priced left tackle Cordy Glenn in a trade, the Associated Press reported.

Buffalo moved up to No. 12 by trading the first of its two opening-round selections, 21st overall. Buffalo also traded its fifthround pick (158th overall) for the Bengals’ sixth-round selection (187th). ...

The Kansas City Chiefs have released one of their career sack leaders, Tamba Hali, and safety Ron Parker. ...

Cornerback William Gay, who has spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, announced he has been released. ...

The Ravens signed offensive lineman James Hurst to a fouryear contract and released safety Lardarius Webb, who played nine seasons in Baltimore. ...

The Seattle Seahawks signed safety Bradley McDougald to a three-year extension and released defensive back DeShawn Shead. ...

New Orleans Saints right tackle Zach Strief announced his retirement after 12 seasons.

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MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018 • PAGE 11

Facebook brought some amazing women together in honor of International Women’s Day

Amazing women and Facebook staff :Chrystal Chanel, Maria Povarchik, Vanessa Puopolo, Angel Moore, Joyce Wang, Jessica Hubley, Natalie Rockefeller Crystal Chanel and Sheryl Sanberg. (Facebook COO) Ladies!!! (and gentlemen too), we have been consistently celebrating Women’s History with our Westside Gazette readers all month long using my “On the Scene” column. It’s time that we #CreditHer, and I am excited to report that this edition of “On the Scene” is no different. Be on the scene with me as I salute all of the women involved in an epic journey that led me to have lunch with Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg on International Women’s History Day! In the month of February, based on the reports, algorithms and personality, I was chosen

by Facebook to sit on a panel during their “Boost Your Business” event to speak on how I

used Facebook to expand my business. I was honored (and quite frankly shocked) to be chosen, but I credit my social media success to my mentor, friend and the CEO of Uncommon Marketing, Suzzette Turnbull. Let’s #CreditHer! When I was initially laid off from my job of seven years in 2013, Turnbull gave me an opportunity to do digital marketing on one of her freelance projects and even provided me with the social media training necessary to get the job done.

Those skills changed my life as I knew it, giving me the confidence five years later to speak as a panelist for the #FacebookBoost event held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the

African American Research Library and Culture Center.

A few weeks later, I was contacted by Facebook again to see if I would like to tour their headquarters with seven other women who are doing amazing things in their communities.

Unbeknownst to Facebook, I had a long standing flying anxiety. However, thanks to my travel buddy, Sabrina Moore, CEO of Fabulous Gold Standards, I was able to make the six hour flight to Menlo Park near San Francisco, California. Let’s #CreditHer It was there at Menlo Park on Facebook Campus that I met ladies who impacted my thought process like never before. These ladies: Maria Po-

varchik from Israel is the administer for SuperGirls, a women’s empowerment Facebook group with over 90,000 members. Vanessa Puopolo is the leader of Bad Moms (not Bad Mothers) Club, a Facebook (outreach) community with over 37,000 moms. Angel Moore, who started as a receptionist at the Alameda Fair, used Facebook to grow the Fair’s following from zero to 100,000 people while recruiting 25 Fair employees. She is now Director of Marketing for the 150 year old Fair and continues to move up the corporate ladder to this day. Joyce Wang used her birthday to fundraise almost $4,000.00 for AnnieCannons.

Jessica Hubley is the founder of AnnieCannons, a nonprofit organization that helps women who are survivors of sex trafficking acquire skills in code and tech. And last Natalie Rockefeller, is a volunteer for Women and Children First: The Center Against Family Violence. She raised over $4,100.00 to save lives and to give second chances. Collectively, these women are an inspiration to many using positive feminine energy daily to empower others. Let’s #CreditHer. It was the icing on the cake to thereafter have lunch with Facebook COO, author, activist, and Leanin.org Founder, Sheryl Sandberg. The energy doubled when she entered the room and simply asked if we would share our stories. She had read our bios previously but wanted to hear how we were able to #leanIn and #PressForProgress in person.

This was a pleasant yet un-expected surprise, and somehow, during our hour long lunch, all seven of us became the focal point. As women who help women, we naturally bonded and the conversation took off.

We focused on our causes and the communities we serve while sharing stories of inspiration, working together, inequality in pay and race, confidence building and the importance of giving back.

As I gave my testimony of going from a secretary to being unemployed to starting my own business, I reached for the tissues to catch my tears as I recalled all of the women that helped me along the way with prayers, money, advice, encourage-ment, and referrals.

Delta Week open to the public

By Marilyn Jones Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. kicked off its annual National Sisterhood Month on March 1, 2018. The women of the Broward County Alumnae Chapter (BCAC) have crafted a weeklong series of (Delta Week) activities to increase awareness regarding the chapter’s public service initiatives and how they specifically impact the community.

BCAC develops and implements amazing programs to support the members of this community. During Delta Week we wish to enhance community involvement in the many programs that we offer. Our goal is to deepen the community’s understanding of our public service initiatives and programs, which are in partnership with Delta Education and Life Development Foundation, Inc (DELDF).

‘This effort will continue to brand our organizations as service leaders in Broward Coun-

BCAC President, Tracy Barnswell, wishing her sisters Happy Sisterhood Month! ty”, says Tracy Barnswell, BCAC President and Marilyn Jones, DELDF Chair.

All Delta Week activities are open to the public. Majority of the events will be held at The Kathleen C. Wright Life Development Center (Delta House) in Osswald Park located at 2150 N.W. 21 Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 33311. During this week we plan to provide service, insight, fellowship and fun to our community. Members of the

community are not only welcomed, but, encouraged to attend the below events and to bring a friend.

You can win $1,000, an Apple Watch or a $300 gas card with the DELDF raffle. Tickets can be purchased for $5 at any of the Delta Week activities.

BCAC Delta Week events are as follow: · Saturday, March 17, 7:30 a.m., Street Clean Up-NW 21 Ave starting @ Delta House · Sunday, March 18, 9 a.m,., Praise and Worship (New Mount Olive Missionary Church) · Monday, March 19, 6 p.m., Delta Education and Life Development Foundation (DELDF) Open House (Delta House) · Tuesday, March 20, 5:00 PM, Steppin’ With the Deltas (Delta House) · Wednesday, March 21, 6 p.m., Panel ConversationSchool Safety: A New Normal (Delta House) · Thursday, March 22, 6

p.m., Dinner with the Deltas (Chili’s- The Fountains Plantation) · Friday, March 23, 6 p.m.

Cake Walk Fundraiser (Delta House) · Saturday, March 24, 4 p.m. Big Hats and Bow Ties (Grand Oaks Golf Club).

For more information about Delta Week activities, visit the BCAC website at www.bcacdst.org or our Facebook page by searching “Broward County Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta”.

My ele-vation from the bottom required the village, and God placed wise women in my path to lead that charge. Let’s #CreditHer because it was not a journey I had to take alone.

Popsugar.com quoted me as saying, “We are the educators of the world, we are the nurturers of the world, we have the communities that we’re part of on our backs — and we carry them wearing our high heels.”

Accordingly, I am hosting a recap event Tuesday night at Reign Restaurant & Cocktail Bar. Details will posted on my Facebook Page.

I further told PopSugar.com reporter, Laura Marie Meyers, that “seeing all the diversity in the room, it reminds us that woman is woman, and we all have this amazing responsibility that we take on with a sense of pride.”

Ladies, as we continue to impact society and bring about social change, our celebration continues, Happy Women’s History Month! #CreditHer Crystal Chanel, Press Release Marketing, LLC Event Hosting - Marketing Public Relations www.justpressrelease.com @PressReleaseLLC on Instagram

Death Penalty in Parkland School Shooting (Cont'd from FP) survived the shooting, said he respects the wishes of the 17 families whose children were killed and that time is better spent finding solutions to the problem of mass school shootings.

“Live forever in jail or die – I don’t care,” Jaffe said in an email.

“Cruz will rot in hell no matter when it is that he arrives there.”

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jamie Guttenberg died in the shooting, was angry the state decided to pursue the death penalty, noting how tortuously long capital punishment cases last.

“My reaction is as a parent of a deceased student, I expected that the state would have pulled the parents together to ask what we wanted and they didn’t,” he said.

“This guy’s is willing to plea and spend the rest of his life in the general population. Let him do that and let them do what they want with him,” Guttenberg added. “Why not take the plea and let the guy rot in hell?”

Broward County Public Defender Howard Finkelstein, whose office is representing Cruz, has said there were so many warning signs that Cruz was mentally unstable and potentially violent, and that the death penalty might be going too far.

In an email Tuesday, Finkelstein said Cruz is “immediately ready” to plead guilty in return for 34 consecutive life sentences.

“If not allowed to do that tomorrow (at the hearing), out of respect for the victims’ families we will stand mute to the charges at the arraignment. We are not saying he is not guilty but we can’t plead guilty while death is still on the table,” Finkelstein said.

If Cruz does not enter a plea, a not guilty plea will likely be entered on his behalf by Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer to keep the legal process moving along, his attorneys have said.

In other developments, a student who is credited with saving the lives of 20 students by attempting to close and lock a classroom door during the attack was improving at a hospital. Anthony Borges, 15, was shot five times. Weeks after being shot, he fell critically ill of an intestinal infection. After surgeries, his condition was upgraded to fair.

Meanwhile, Florida voters may get a chance to decide whether or not they want to approve new gun control restrictions.

While Gov. Rick Scott just signed a new school safety and gun bill into law, the state’s Constitution Revision Commission may vote to place gun restrictions on this year’s ballot.

The commission, a special panel that meets every 20 years, has the power to ask voters to approve changes to the state’s constitution.

Tony Montalto, whose daughter was one of the 17 killed at Stoneman Douglas, asked commissioners at a public hearing Tuesday to put the proposals before voters. He said they need to act because the National Rifle Association has filed a lawsuit against the new law approved by the Legislature.

“You can help defeat this challenge,” Montalto told commissioners.

Shortly before the commission hearing in St. Petersburg, students from Tampa Bay area schools spoke passionately in favor of additional gun regulations, as did the father of a student who attends Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

“Our kids are not asking to do away with the 2nd Amendment. They’re not asking to take away people’s guns or their ability to hunt,” said John Willis. “What they’re saying is, that these weapons of mass destruction that do nothing but tear human beings apart in an unbelievable way, do not belong in civilian hands.”

By Curt Anderson / AP 5:02 PM EDT

PAGE 12 • MARCH 15 - MARCH 21, 2018

www.thewestsidegazette.com

A Proud Paper For A Proud People

Wells Fargo mural features historical Black/African American leaders from Broward County From Roshana Gossoff On Wednesday, Feb. 28, a ceremonial ribbon cutting took place at Wells Fargo’s new Broward Boulevard branch and a teller line mural was unveiled, highlighting some of Broward County’s local Black/African American history and leaders.

Among local heroes spotlighted was Dr. Mizell, a civil rights leader and the second Black physician in Fort Lau-

Mural features Dr. Von D. Mizell, Dr. James Sistrunk, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Julian Edwin “Cannonball” Adderley, along with local landmarks. derdale, who helped establish the Provident Hospital for Black residents. Dr. Mizell started the first NAACP chapter in South Florida, and was highly in-

volved in efforts to desegregate beaches.

Deborah Mizell, Dr. Mizell’s daughter, and Lorraine Mizell, his niece, were on hand to accept

a mural replica at the ribbon cutting and unveiling event.

Wells Fargo’s Community Mural Program is dedicated to creating unique, custom de-

signed historical artwork that commemorates the community’s legacy, celebrates its diversity, and honors the past upon which the community was

founded.

The Broward Boulevard branch mural marks the 229th mural displayed in a Florida branch.

Leading Blac k legislat or calls ffor or economic unity kw ealt h Black legislator unity,, action as Blac Black wealt ealth 2020 celebr at es second y ear celebrat ates year

By Hazel Trice Edney (TriceEdneyWire.com) The president of America’s largest organization of Black legislators has called for unity behind economic development initiatives prioritized by Black Wealth 2020; a movement launched two years ago to forge progress for Black-owned businesses, banks and homeowners.

“Economic development is the cornerstone for everything.

It’s kind of interesting to talk to you all because you’re living it every day. You know what it takes,” said Indiana Rep. Gregory W. Porter, president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL).

He was speaking to Black Wealth 2020 founders, executives, and associates at its second anniversary luncheon. “What it takes is for a community to get along. Also, we don’t spend with our people like we should and we know that. The bottom line is this: We know the whereas. We know what the problems are. Therefore, what are we going to do? Jesse [Jackson] said years ago ‘Can’t nobody save us but us.’... That’s what we’re doing right now, saving us.”

Backing from the NBCSL adds significant momentum to

Black Wealth 2020, founded two years ago by Ron Busby, president/CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers Inc.; Michael Grant, then president of the National Bankers Association; and Jim Winston, president of the National Organization of Black Owned Broadcasters. At least a dozen other major Black organizations have either joined or expressed support for its economic initiatives.

“We own too little land. We have too lower median income than other Americans. We have much lower family wealth than our White brothers and sisters and we’ve got to make that change,” Porter said to shouts of “Amen” and applause from the audience.

A strategy to unify with other organizations will be the key to success, said Porter, a Democrat serving his 13th term in the Indiana General Assembly.

“We’re working with the NAACP, Urban League, other groups and National Organizations because if we do that we’ll be strong together. We can’t continue to be silos. So, I know as we go forth, we will do it as a community. And so, remember, you have 600 legislators, we represent 60 million people. We’re in 45 states, plus U. S. Virgin Islands and the

District of Columbia. We have the means. It’s up to all of us to come together and have the will.”

Speaking to the luncheon gathering at HomeFree-USA, Porter listed a number of economic policies currently being pushed by NBCSL, which has a membership that blankets the nation; plus the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington, DC. “We represent about 60 million people in rural communities and we come together two or three times a year in an annual conference.”

Pointing to long-held discussions about Black wealth, Porter, ranking minority member on Indiana’s Ways and Means Committee, stressed that the most important need now is less talk and more strategic action.

“The bottom line is that we can talk all we want to, but we’ve got to have our indepen-dence in regards to economics,” he said.

As an example of action, he said he and like-minded legislators have had to hold up certain projects in order to assure Black participation.

“We’re the super minority, so a lot of us are fighting to stay relevant in this whole process,” he said. “They always go to the big company, but we’ve got to

know how we’re going to build our capacity by choosing minority companies...We’ve worked very hard in dealing with minority access for sustainable financial institutions through our resolutions. As Black Caucuses across the country, we’re increasing our fair contracting opportunities and practices for economic parity. These are resolutions that we’ve passed.”

Among key economic issues being dealt with in legislatures daily are homeowner protection, anti-predatory lending, home affordability resolutions, anti-discrimination, and gentrification issues. Preparation for the 2020 Census and making sure African Americans are fully counted will also be key, he said. NCBSL’s next legislative conference will be held Nov. 28 at which time they will “look at Black wealth.”

Echoing the importance of unity in order to accomplish economic goals, HomeFree-USA President/CEO Marcia Griffin appealed to those in the room to “be our ambassadors, our messengers, etc. because we need to reach thousands with a sense of understanding and get people to wrap their arms around our goals. ... We’re from all sorts of different seg-ments of the Black community, but we’ve come together to work together to empower ourselves

Indiana Rep. Gregory Porter, calls for unity behind direction of Black Wealth 2020.Photo credit: Rodney Minor and empower our community and empower our country.”

Grant, now based in Nashville, where he is regional president of United Security Financial, a mortgage banking company, agreed with the appeal for harmony. “We’re not trying to upstage anybody,” he said at the Feb. 15 event. “We’re

not trying to compete with anybody. What we’re trying to do is pull our strength together so that when we speak with one voice, they’re looking at all of these organizations coming together and it’s hard to say no to that kind of power.”

Porter also underscored the importance of constituents holding lawmakers - including Black legislators - accountable and not taking for granted that they will automatically push for economic inclusion. He suggested that constituents: *Have their own kitchen cabinet and invite legislators to neighborhood and community meetings. *Come to state houses, visit the representatives’ offices. *Attend and speak at public hearings.

“You can’t be the invisible,” he said. “We’ve got to stay woke about economic development and the process that we have.

We did build this country. We need to manage this country.”

Expressing the importance of this year being the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Dr. King’s Poor People’s Movement, Porter said, “It does mean a lot to us...You’ve got to know where you came from to know where you’re going.”