The Westside Gazette

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THE WESTSIDE GAZETTE POST OFFICE 5304 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33310

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID FT. LAUDERDALE, FL 33310

PERMIT NO. 1179

Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper oud PPaper aper ffor or a Pr oud PPeople...Sinc eople...Sinc Proud Proud eople...Sincee 1971 VOL. 44 NO. 3 50¢ A Pr THURSDA THURSDAYY, FEBRUAR FEBRUARYY 26 - WEDNESDA WEDNESDAYY, MARCH 44,, 2015

Motown comes to town

The soulful sounds of Motown…Broadway in Broward

Ashley Tamar Davis as Esther Gordy (l) and Jamarice Daughtry (second from left) as Berry Gordy in Motown The Musical, during the opening night performance Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014 at the Music Hall in Kansas City. By Janice Hayes The extraordinary life story of Berry Gordy, the iconic founder of Motown, hits the

stage of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Feb 24– Mar 8, 2015. Mainstream and Social media outlets are blowing up with rave reviews for

this blockbuster musical performance. Motown The Musical is one of the most impressive, true stories of all time. As theater-goers race for prime

seating to feel the pulsating sounds of Motown, the electrifying show creates an unforgettable experience. This spectacular production tells the riveting journey of Berry Gordy’s rise from start-up to stardom. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, the musical features over 40 best-selling hit songs such as “Brick House,” and “Who’s Loving You.” The epic musical drama depicts the story behind some of the greatest entertainment careers launched in the history of Motown which include Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and so many more. “I was raised on the exhilarating sounds of Motown. Every Saturday morning as we cleaned the house and did other chores, my parents would play various songs from Motown artists. Even though we were small children those songs invigorated us with energy and happiness,” said Martina Sykes, one of the cast playing the roles of Mary Wells, Gwen Gordy and Cindy Birdsong. Martina Sykes is a Florida native. Like many other outstanding Black singers, she started singing in the church. Ironically, the sounds of Motown started as a sultry mix of gospel and blues. Gordy’s musical genius recognized this mixture as a transcending sound that would bridge racial and cultural divides and bring people together. (Cont'd on Page 9)

BFF’s enjoy breakfast together every Wednesday, rain or shine Men of the “Breakfast Club Esquire” share a taste of friendship that has stood the test of time the group were actively involved in the 1960s civil rights movement and have witnessed the impressive gains that were made by Blacks in education, employment, and other areas. Yet they are keenly aware that Black Americans still have a long way to go in the quest for equality and economic empowerment. The Breakfast Club group consist of men from various walks of life. They are members of local churches such as New Mount Olive Baptist Church, Piney Grove First Baptist and other local churches. They are members of different frater-

Best Friends Forever just keep coming together. By Janice Hayes Friends will come and go in your life, but some friends like Best Friends Forever (BFF) just keep coming together, week after week. Every Wednesday morning, a jovial group of retired gentlemen get together for a delicious breakfast and a delightful fellowship. They meet, eat and “shoot the breeze” for a couple hours every Wednesday morning, rain or shine. The group consists of about 25 local retirees from various career backgrounds. “I remember when me, Bill and Herman started meeting together for breakfast and it was just the three of us. And now almost 13 years later, our group has grown to about 25 friends, and we still meet every Wednesday without fail,” said Blanton Mitchell, one of the three men who started the Breakfast Club. In 2002, Blanton Mitchell, William “Bill” Cain and Herman “Big Man” Pittman decided to

start having breakfast together on a regular basis. Eventually Fredrick Kennedy and other retirees and friends were invited to join the group. Over the years they have dined at different restaurants, but as the size of the group expanded, they decided to dine at Spoons’ Grill. Not only did the owner of Spoons’ Grill, Dwight Witherspoon, ,make special arrangements to accommodate the large group, but he also became a member of their group. “We don’t have an agenda. We don’t endorse any political or religious views. We just get together for the camaraderie. We talk about sports, family, the latest news and politics in a relaxed atmosphere. We tell a few jokes and share a lot of laughter,” said Jennings Coleman, as he enjoyed his grits and egg breakfast. As we celebrate Black History Month, some of the group members were engaged in lively conversations about Black History. Many of the members of

Pleading Our Own Cause

nities and other social and civic organizations such as the Kiwanis Club, NAACP, Masonic Lodge and more. Their careers span from serving in the military, teaching, business owners and other professions. Yet they all share a common bond of friendship. In the context of social media, the term “friend” is often used to describe contacts rather than relationships. But this group exemplifies true friendship in the relationships that they have fostered over the years. (Cont'd on Page 9)

The loud silence of rape survivors

Simmons says Black women are good at protecting everyone but themselves. (Photo by Julie Yarbrough) By Jazelle Hunt, NNPA Washington Correspondent (Part IV) WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – An online survey of

sexual assault survivors conducted as part of this series vividly captures the fear and reluctance Black women rape survivors exhibit about sharing their ordeal with others: From a young woman, drugged and raped by a man she met at a party at age 21: “I told someone, but I never gave specifics because I felt like they would think it was my fault.” From a middle-aged woman, repeatedly raped by a classmate’s father at age six: “When it first happened, we told our teacher and the [school] nurse. We were told that we were making it up. He told me that if I told anyone, he’d kill my whole family. I was scared for weeks after telling my family.” From a young woman, raped by her then-boyfriend’s older brother at age 15: (Cont'd on Page 3)

What’s in your salad bowl and is worth sharing? Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17 (NASB) By Bobby R. Henry, Sr. As I stood in the kitchen this morning wondering what I would have for lunch, I decided to make a salad. After consideration, I determined that I would make a mammoth salad for the entire staff. As I chose each ingredient, perusing carefully not to include in this glorious salad fruits and vegetables that may have overstayed their welcome in the fridge a little too long or had ripened too much I used my most discerning eye. Understanding that I could not use those vegetables or I could trim them as close as I could to the bad part, risking using stuff that was not the best. In making that salad, with each piece put into it I wondered how this meal would nourish the bodies of my family members and workers. I thought about how with each ingredient God cared for it and allowed it to grow and mature as He had chosen and now it was my turn to make the best use of those things. (Cont'd (Cont'don onPage Page13) 3)

Ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Atlanta As the new HIV program administrator for the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness in Atlanta, Leisha McKinley-Beach has one overriding dream: that everyone ages 13 to 64 in metro Atlanta learn his or her HIV status. The Black AIDS Institute caught up with McKinleyBeach to find out about her new role overseeing HIV prevention and how she hopes to turn her dream into reality. Tell us about your new position. I’m the health program administrator over the HIV High Impact Prevention Program. So that includes our condom-distribution program, HIV testing, HIV interventions, any prevention policies that affect the work we do in HIV.

Leisha McKinley-Beach, HIV Program Administrator, Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness

What needs to happen in Atlanta to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic? We need a local HIV strategy. There are many wonderful programs in this city, but there isn’t a local strategy for us to work toward. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners recently appointed an HIV Task Force

What other initiatives in Atlanta are you excited about? I’ve always been a supporter of the Greater Than AIDS campaign. We will be implementing Greater Than AIDS as one of our social-marketing campaigns.

Westside Gazette Newspaper

(954) 525-1489

(Cont'd on Page 5)

C.R Patterson, born slave, built automobiles before Henry Ford. (Read story on Page 5)

WWW. thewestsidegazette.com

Group. When the task force met, the first thing they talked about was developing an HIV strategy. So I am very excited to see where that’s going to take us.

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MEMBER: National Newspaper Publishers Association ( NNPA), and Southeastern African-American Publishers Association (SAAPA) Florida Association of Black Owned Media (FABOM)


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