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Ben Crump: NNPA Newsmaker of the Year
President and CEO Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. (l) and Publisher Natalie Cole present Newsmaker of the Year award to Attorney Ben Crump. (NNPA photo by Freddie Allen) By Freddie Allen, NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – Benjamin Crump, the lawyer who skyrocketed to national prominence by representing the family of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed
Florida teenager who was followed, confronted and shot to death by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla., said that since the fourth grade, he always knew that he wanted to grow up and fight for the community. “The measure of a man is defined by the impact that they
make on the world,” said Crump. “Everyday we have to get up and ask, ‘What impact are we going to make on the world?’ and we have to do it, because our children are watching us.” During the 2015 Black Press Week, the National Newspaper
Publishers Association (NNPA) Foundation honored Crump as the Newsmaker of the Year for his service to the community, especially to the families of young people of color who had been brutalized or killed by law enforcement officials. The NNPA is a trade group that represents more than 200 Black newspapers published in the United States. “I go on FOX News a lot and I have these intelligent debates with these Bill O’Reillys and these Meagan Kellys and I know that when, I leave they’re going to make it look bad and everything, but you gotta go, you gotta keep talking to them and not let them [create] the only narrative,” said Crump. “We’ll come on to talk about Trayvon, and we’ll come on to talk about Michael Brown and Eric Garner, because if we don’t talk about it, it’s swept under the rug.” Crump added: “So, I don’t care if you criticize me and say that we’re trying to be race baiters, because the greatest fear is to remain silent. Silence is almost like betrayal.” (Cont'd on Page 3)
America’s racial crisis will never go away
Beauty and the Beast uncovered For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. Isaiah 53:2 (NASB) Bobby R. Henry, Sr. The childhood story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has taken on a new meaning to me as I rediscover from a much improved spiritual connection the humiliating, degradation and suffering that Jesus endured as He went to the cross for me. The oxymoron of the contrasting views of a societal representation of beauty juxtaposed to the beast. How extraordinarily beautiful is the story of One who would gave His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world and yet the beast of burden that He had to bear was so obnoxious and uglier than anything imaginable. From His birth when He was laid in an animal’s feeding trough until His death on an old rugged cross, His life was indicative of pain and suffering with flashes of hope as He was a servant “acquainted with grief” and when He was died, He was laid in a borrowed tomb; not even His death bed was His own. From birth till death His pleasantries were short lived; however, His blessings have been forevermore. The real story of “Beauty and the Beast” is seen in the following scripture: (Cont'd on Page 5)
All eyes fixed on Ferguson’s April 7 election
By Charlene Muhammad National Correspondent (FinalCall.com) - In remarks commemorating the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., President Barack Obama declared racism and intolerance unmasked in Ferguson, Mo., no longer exists on the same wide scale and in the same way—though America’s race problem remains. Revelations of racist chants by members of a college fraternity and police shootings of unarmed Black men clearly show hatred for Blacks remains deeply woven into the fabric of America, activists and scholars said. Fallout continues over the University of Oklahoma chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Fraternity since a video of members singing a racist song about lynching Blacks went viral. “There will never be a n*gg*r in SAE. You can hang him from a tree, but he can never sign with me,” young white male voices rang out on a bus trip. They have since apologized. “We can’t shake the problem of race in this country, because race is intrinsic to what America is. America will be racist for probably the rest of the time the United States is the United States,” said Dr. David Horne, professor of Critical Thinking and African History, and former chair of the Pan African Studies Department at Cal State University-Northridge. Hatred as American as apple pie The University of Oklahoma disbanded the fraternity, expelled two members, and the national chapter revoked its
Police and protesters square off outside the Ferguson Police Department, March 11, in Ferguson, Mo. Earlier in the day, the resignation of Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson was announced in the wake of a scathing Justice Department report prompted by the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black 18-year-old by a white police officer. (AP/Wide World photo) charter. Although condemnation was swift and the school and fraternity leaders said racism would not be tolerated, news surfaced that 19-year-old Charles Desdunes’ mother filed a $25 million lawsuit against the fraternity at Cornell University, after it allegedly hazed the aspiring doctor to death in 2011. According to reports, the son of Haitian immigrants died after his hands and feet were tied with duct tape and zip ties. He was blindfolded and given so much alcohol that he died within a few hours of the hazing, according to media reports.
Pleading Our Own Cause
“Race and racism are intrinsic to America. They are as American as apple pie,” Dr. Horne told The Final Call. “Any way she’s sliced, whether it’s a theoretical look at internal colonialism or structured functionalism, doesn’t matter,” Dr. Horne said. A culture of racism Black students charged the SAE incident reflects other racial incidents at the University of Oklahoma. They said complaints to school officials about a culture of racism on campus have gone unanswered. Dr. Horne argued actions were taken against the fraternity
only because frat boys got caught, not because of benevolence toward Black students. The racist chant video surfaced the day after national civil rights leaders, President Obama, and a diverse coalition of politicians, preachers, and activists commemorated the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, March 6-8. It also came on the heels of the Justice Department’s scathing indictment of the Ferguson Police Department, which it investigated following Officer Darren Wilson’s shooting of unarmed Black teen Michael Brown, Jr. (Cont'd on Page 11)
Ferguson, Mo. exploded into in flames. By Freddie Allen, NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – If the Black residents of Ferguson, Mo., want to radically reform the political climate that encouraged police to disproportionately ticket, fine and arrest them to collect revenue for the city coffers, they’ll have to do more than embrace non-violent acts of civil disobedience and peaceful pro-
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tests – they will have to vote. In the north St. Louis suburb that is nearly 70 percent Black, five of six city councilmembers are white and the mayor is a white Republican. The police force is almost 95 percent white. On April 7, voters in Ferguson will go to the polls in a round of highly-anticipated elections for three out of the six of the city council seats. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com) MEMBER: National Newspaper Publishers Association ( NNPA), and Southeastern African-American Publishers Association (SAAPA) Florida Association of Black Owned Media (FABOM)
Page 2 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • April 2 - April 8, 2015
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
The issue of school choice is about children Youth not wasted on Shannon Williams
PULLIAM By Keisha Knight Pulliam I think every person that walks the face of the earth has a Calling and Passion that they are meant to maximize to make our world a better place. For me, my Passion and Calling comes through acting, but it also shows up through my nonprofit Kamp Kizzy. Kamp Kizzy gives young people the opportunity to learn, share, explore and expand their horizons through workshops, candid discussions and the opportunity to meet and “pick” the brains of some of the top individuals in their given professions. Now that we have been doing Kamp Kizzy for nearly a decade, there are some undeniable Truths that have
been reinforced through this work. The first Truth is that when children are exposed to careers, opportunities and people that inspire, they become more determined about pursuing their Life’s work. The second great Truth that has been cemented through this work is that education is the great equalizer for children who might come from underserved communities and cities and because the second Truth is so near and dear to my heart, I have joined forces with a great organization, American Federation for Children, and its mission is to make sure that all children have access to a quality education. An unfortunate reality for far too many families in our great country is that they are limited in their ability to access the best education for their children. Oftentimes, these barriers are due to lack of financial resources or their zip code and/ or address is in a part of town that relegates them to inferior educational opportunities. Our country is founded and thrives on opportunity and the mere fact that so many of our children are not getting the educational opportunities that they
so richly deserve is one of the reasons that I unabashedly lend my name and voice to the issue of school choice. Disproportionately, children of color and lesser financial means are the ones who are subjected to poor schools that have been underperforming for decades and giving their families more quality options when it comes to their children’s education is one of the ways that we can proactively solve this mammoth of an issue. Finally, I just want to explicitly and emphatically state that, for me, the issue of school choice is about children. It is not about political party, affiliation or any other motive that does not derive itself from doing what is best for our children. I will humbly ask that you, like I, add your voice and support to American Federation for Children and the work that it continues to do for our children especially those who are low-income and working-class and deserving the opportunity to access great schools. For more information on American Federation for Children, please visit…. www.federationforchildren.org or www.championsforchoice.com
By Sheridan NNPA Intern
Watkins,
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Those who say youth is wasted on the young obviously have not met Shannon Williams, president of the Indianapolis Recorder. At 37, she is one of the youngest newspaper publishers in the nation. Born in Illinois, her parents divorced before she reached her first birthday and her mother moved her and two older siblings to Indianapolis. Williams did not have a close relationship with her father. And anytime Williams felt isolated, she found a way to fill the void. “I always loved to write and read and it did not help that I was not good in math or science so that narrowed the filter,” Williams said. Her passion for reading and writing never ceased as she pursued a mass communications major with a minor in marketing and English at Jackson State University in Mississippi, graduating in 2000. Like her many freshly graduated counterparts, she desired to do everything and do it all at once. “Shortly after coming home, in the matter of weeks, I interviewed at the Recorder and was hired. However, the publisher at the time did not have an opening for a writer but thank-
Jackie Hampton to left Corporate America for Black Press By Beunkka Davis and Anissa Pierre, NNPA Interns WASHINGTON, D.C. – Many African Americans begin their career at Black businesses and move own to better-paying jobs in Corporate America. But Jackie Hampton, publisher of Mississippi Link newspaper in Jackson, took the reverse route – and she’s glad she did. “I offered my services to help market the paper during Black History Month, and I was pleased when sales tripled. Before I knew it I began to like what I saw. I liked the way newspapers operate and the power they have to disseminate information, so I made a decision to come and work for the newspaper in the area of sales marketing. Before long I was promoted to sales manager later I
Jackie Hampton at Black Press Week (Photo by Worsom Robinson) became the co-publisher, then the publisher, and today I am the co-owner.” When she was studying at
Spelman College in Atlanta and Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., she thought her future would be in corporate America. “I’m a product of corporate America. I worked for many years for the Xerox Corporation but I had always been a good writer,” she said. “I took classes in creative writing and literature throughout college, but my interest was in advertising, sales, and marketing. That’s what I was really good at and where I always thought I would end up.” That’s where she started, but not where she ended up. With no experience in journalism, she started from scratch learning all of the aspects of the newspaper industry and made personal sacrifices for the never-ending news
cycle. But her interest and enthusiasm helped her endure. Today she is a well-versed and proud journalist. Hampton and the other NNPA publishers are a testament to the fact that print is not a dying industry. Although she enjoys keeping the Black Press alive, being a publisher is still a cumbersome position. “I still face challenges to be responsible for keeping the lights on for the entire publication as with any Black business, and we are always looking for avenues to aid in additional revenue as the Internet is taking over.” Jackie Hampton has been with the NNPA for 12 years and sits on the Foundation Board of Directors. She is also active in her home community – she leads a troop of Girl Scouts, among other things. She said, “It excites me to be an asset to my community.”
Williams advanced quickly. fully she saw something in me,” Williams said. She worked in marketing, which was much better than delivering papers to stores and vendors. “Any opportunity I got [to write for the newspaper] I would write the best office memos ever so she could realize that I could write,” she said. Evidently, they were pretty good because within six months, Carolene Mays, the publisher, had promoted Williams to managing editor. The bond between Williams and Mays grew rapidly because Mays saw the young journalist as valuable prospect to groom to take over the family-owned business. In the span of 10 years, workers of the Indianapolis Recorder could now refer to Williams as president. “Every day I worked as if it was my first day on the job. I wanted to show my boss she did not make a mistake in hiring me and when you work that hard every day, it shows,” she said. “There were times I wanted to throw in the towel but I realized my boss was tough on me because she saw something in me that she did not see in anyone else.” Though short on experience, compared to most publishers, Williams says her youth works
Lenora Alexander traded accounting for being accountable By Elaina Johnson, NNPA Intern WASHINGTON, D.C. –In 2001, Lenora Alexander had to put down the tax forms and calculators and pick up the large responsibility as the publisher of Denver Weekly News, an African-American newspaper in Colorado. Her husband, who owned
Black women protest delay in confirming Loretta Lynch
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Melanie Campbell (l) and Avis Jones-DeWeever protest delay in confirming Loretta Lynch. By Jazelle Hunt, NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – Hundreds of Black women and girls representing the Black Women’s Roundtable descended on the nation’s capital last week to petition the Senate to confirm U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch as the next attorney general. “Loretta Lynch has been waiting over 140 days to get a vote on the floor. That’s never happened in the history of this country,” says Melanie Campbell, convener of the Roundtable, and president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP). The Black Women Roundtable is the intergenerational arm of the NCBCP. “They’re holding her up be-
to her advantage. “I think I have a different perspective than many publishers that are older than me. I have out of the box ideas and it is a benefit to my newspaper and NNPA. Initially, it was difficult for people to take me seriously because I was young and I was a female. I have always been the youngest person presenting or the only woman but I continually proved myself.” Williams involves herself with many organizations in the community and said she tries to educate and help her surrounding area by being involved with causes, including child advocacy, women support and police relations. “I am really passionate about women’s rights and quality education. I am also passionate about the criminal justice system…[like] racial profiling and unfair sentencing and how the prison business is run,” she said. Williams likes stirring the pot. “We have had a lot of controversial stories and I think if you don’t, then what kind of job are you doing?” she said. “This profession is definitely not for everyone because it has to be innate in you for your stories to transcend and capture the feeling and emotion for the reader.” As Williams continues on her career path, she will continue to implement new ideas and help young journalists that have the same dream she did when her publisher gave her a chance long ago. “Just realize it does not always come when you want it. Work really hard to get your foot in the door and follow your gut. I always thought it was so corny when people said that to me but I understand the truth of that now because for me it was something spiritual [that led to the choices she made].”
cause they’re having a partisan battle,” said Campbell. “…. Why is this happening to a Black woman? The American people believe in fair play. It’s not fair, and it’s not correct.” Campbell was one of about two-dozen members of the Roundtable who visited Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) office on Thursday and attempted to meet with him on the matter. They were told he was busy and would not be able to meet with them, or greet them. The women held a prayer vigil outside his office; security was called, but did not escort them out. They were able to meet with McConnell’s chief of staff; Campbell describes his response as “on-message stock answers.” (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Alexander closed the books on accounting career to become a publisher. the newspaper, died 14 years ago from Lou Gehrig’s disease, a nervous system disorder that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. She had to sacrifice her passion for banking and finance to ensure the legacy of the publication remained. “I worked in banking for over 18 years, including working for the federal government,” Alexander said. “When my husband passed, I knew that if this company was going to succeed, I would have to be the person to take it to the next level.” (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Happy Brithday Levi Henry, Jr. Founder of the Westside Gazette Newspaper April 3, 2015
As You Celebrate your 83rd Birthday We Love You-Your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
April 2 - April 8, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 3
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
Bringing medical and spiritual communities together
Deborah Mizell, RN, Community Liaison VITAS Innovative Hospice Care and Bobby R. Henry, Sr., Chairman of the VITAS African American Advisory Board By Staff Writer On March 24, 2015 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Hotel, there was a meeting of over 60 ministers, spiritual and community leaders and physicians to discuss the disparity of health care toward the end of life in our community. “As I understand tonight our goal is to facilitate a dialogue with Black Ministers and Physicians from the community about the care of our community as one approaches the end of life (EOL). I want to suggest a protocol that I believe can facilitate the bridge building process between the Medical and the Spiritual and we move through the End of Life process. Naturally my discipline is tilted toward the Spiritual and that is where my prejudice lies as I enter this dialogue and make a few observations.,” stated Rev. Tony Drayton. The program called, Bridging the Gap: “Bringing Medical & Spiritual Communities Together.” Diane Deese, Community Affairs, VITAS Healthcare states, “Through communica-
tion, VITAS is committed to building stronger communities by breaking down barriers that impede excellent healthcare. The essence of Dr. Sanders’ speech was to move towards support for patients and their families with better communication between the medical and spiritual (faith based) communities. “As Chairman of the VITAS African American Advisory Board, it is a welcoming pleasure anytime that an underserved community can receive well presented, informative information that can lessen the hardship for family, friends and the community as a whole when it pertains to end of life care,” said Bobby R. Henry, Sr. Dr. Lawrence Sanders, the 115th President of the National Medical Association was the guest speaker. Other speakers
were, Rev. Dr. Tony Drayton, of St. James Missionary Baptist Church, Rivera Beach, Fla. and Bobby R. Henry, Sr., publisher of the Westside Gazette. The dialog centered on how to have the medical community and the faith community work together to help individuals and their families with difficult decisions with life limiting diseases or at life’s end. “There will be follow up meetings and we invite more spiritual and community leaders to join in the conversation. It is important for the medical and spiritual communities to work together for the interests of the patients and families,” Mary Zalaznik, Sr. Vice President of VITAS Healthcare. “We focus on the whole body of a person; physical, spiritual and emotional in providing high-quality health-
care. My goal is to facilitate the conversation to “Bridging the Gap” in as many parts of Broward County that I can. This is just the beginning,” Deborah Mizell, Community Liaison, VITAS Healthcare. “From a humble clergy’s perspective the ideal of training, education, and exposure to thoughts and concept that can be used to bridge the gap between the Medical and the Spiritual Communities must be initiated within a dialogue such as the one that is set before us tonight... I am honored to be apart of the experience,” said Drayton. Please look to the Westside Gazette in the coming weeks for several articles concerning end of life care and understanding the need to communicate medical and spiritual issues together as it relates to end of life care.
VITAS employees with Dr. Sanders (l-r): Maureen Knips, V. President Operations, Mary Zalaznik, Sr. V. President, Marie Louisa, Community Liaison, President of the National Medical Association, Dr. Lawrence Sanders, M.D., Donna Borland, General Manager and Diane Deese, Community Affairs.
Graduation rates of women’s tourney teams again top men ORLANDO, FL -- Women competing in this year’s NCAA Tournament continue to graduate at a higher rate than their male counterparts, according to an annual study released Tuesday. The report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport shows athletes on teams selected for the women’s tournament have a graduation rate of 88 percent, compared to 75 percent for men’s tournament teams. Both tournaments have only one team each that failed to meet the NCAA’s standard of averaging a 50 percent graduation rate over a four-year period. Study author Richard Lapchick noted concern after seeing the disparity gap between white and African-American female athletes grow to 12 per-
Ben Crump: NNPA Newsmaker of the Year
Bishop Hezekiah Walker and publishers Jackie Hampton of the Mississippi Link and John B. Smith, Sr. (far right) of the Atlanta Inquirer. (NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen)
Former Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer S. Carroll (l); Dirck Hargraves of Vox Global and Lenora Alexander, publisher of the Denver Weekly News. (NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen)
B. Doyle Mitchell, Jr. president and CEO of Industrial Bank, addressing dinner before accepting Torch Award for Business. (NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen)
centage points, up from 5 percentage points in 2014. The disparity between white and African-American athletes on men’s tournament teams was 24 percentage points for the second consecutive year. ‘’My hope is that it’s an anomaly, but I’m very conc(Cont'd from FP) Crump, 45, said that giving a voice to the voiceless has been the most important part of his career. “Making people know the name of Trayvon Martin, the name of Michael Brown, know the name of Tamir Rice, know the name of Chavis Carter, know the name of Kendrick Johnson in Valdosta, Ga., know the name of Victor White III in New Iberia, La., know the name of Alesia Thomas in Los Angeles, Calif., Jesus Huerta in Durham, N.C., know the name of Leon Ford in Pittsburgh, Pa., know the name of Antonio ZambranoMontes in Pasco, Wash., the list goes on and on,” said Crump. “If this was happening to white children, it would be a war.” During his remarks at the dinner, Crump credited Blackowned news media for daring to write and talk about the phenomenon he called the “Houdini handcuffed suicide killings” of young people of color in the back of police cars. One of those “Houdini” killings involved Chavis Carter. On July 28, 2012, following a traffic stop in Jonesboro, Ark., police pulled Carter, 21, out of the truck that he was riding in with two white men. After searching Carter twice, police said that they recovered a small amount of marijuana, then put him in the back of their police car, handcuffed behind his back, where he supposedly shot himself in the head with a hidden handgun. In 2013, Theresa Rudd, Carter’s mother, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Jonesboro police department. The suit said that no fingerprints were found on the gun that police claimed Carter used to shoot himself in the head and that the police car was washed, destroying potential evidence that could be used in future investigations. The arresting officers, Ronald Marsh and Keith Baggett, received one month paid administrative and returned to active duty following the shooting. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
erned about a jump that’s that great,’’ Lapchick said. ‘’That’s statistically a very significant number.’’ This year marked the first time since 2010 that the disparity among women’s tournament teams has reached double-digits. It had steadily decreased since it was 17 percentage points in 2006 and 2007. The gap for men’s teams remains at its lowest point
since 2011, when it was 32 percentage points. The Academic Progress Rate was developed by the NCAA in 2004 as a way to improve graduation rates. It is a four-year rolling average of academic performance that takes into account academic eligibility and retention. The NCAA voted in 2011 to institute stricter APR performance policies, raising the score from 925 to 930, equivalent to a 50 percent graduation rate. Teams that fall below that standard could be subject to penalties, including lost practice time and tournament bans. For 2014-15, teams had to earn a 930 four-year average APR, or a 940 average over the most recent two years to participate in postseason play. In 2015-16 and beyond, teams must earn a four-year APR of 930 to qualify for postseason tournaments. This year Coastal Carolina (910) was the only team in the
men’s tournament field and Savannah State (853) the only team in the women’s tourney to fall below 930. In 2014, seven teams fell below 925, compared with three teams in 2013. Lapchick said he would like to see the NCAA include a racial disparity factor in the APR to encourage schools to improve what he said continue to be ‘’unacceptable’’ disparities between white and African-American athletes. ‘’Good things don’t happen because they are right, good things happen because sanctions are imposed and people are moved by those sanctions,’’ Lapchick said. ‘’It’s time for the NCAA to change not only the APR (standard), but other factors. If the disparity gap doesn’t continue to go down, there should be sanctions for like there are for other things currently.’’
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Community Digest
Publix is Proud to Support Community News WHERE SHOPPING IS A PLEASURE
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Yard Sale Happenings at African-American Research Library and Cultural Center
Arabian Tales from OpaLocka, Friday, April 3, 2015 from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., at Miami Design District, 380 N.E. 59 St., Miami, Fla. There is a fee.
Fish Fry
Omega Psi Phi Eta Nu Chapter, Fish Fry Scholarship Fundraiser, Friday, April 3, 2015 at 7:30 p.m., at 723 N.W. Sixth St., (Frat House), Pompano Beach, Fla.
Symposium Florida Diversity Council presents the 4th Annual Women Leadership Symposium for High School girls, Saturday, April 11, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus, 3000 N.E. 151 N. Miami, Fla. Theme: Know Your Worth: Be-You-Tiful!
Event Join your neighbors, friends and local businesses for the Community Flea Market Social!, Saturday, April 11, 2015 at Riviera Beach Housing Authority, Congress Ave., between Blue Heron and MLK Blvd., on the grounds of the old IvyGreen housing complex. To Benefit Healthy Food, Healthy Living The only Full-time Food Bank in Riviera Beach! For more info visit tysMedia.net/ HFHL.html or call Marian Dozier at (561) 628-5835.
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Zeta D.O.V.E. Foundation invites you to attend its 61st Debutante Cotillion and Masters Ball on Saturday, April 11, 2015, at the Westin Cypress Creek Hotel, 400 Corporate Dr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 33324. Seating is at 6:30 p.m., Dinner at 7 p.m., followed by Sub Debutante Presentation, Crowning Miss Blue Revue, and Debutantes and Masters “Presentation to Society.” For more info cll (954) 873-0922.
Walk
Volunteers are the backbone in making Relay For Life at Carter’s Park a success. This is your chance to come together to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Whether you’ve decided to volunteer just as an individual, with a group, or for a community service, you will be gratified by the impact you can have by your helping. We are encouraging high school students to participate, so they may earn community service hours which are a graduation requirement. If you are interested in volunteering your time, please call (954) 560-7877 or email your information to sannbynes@gmail.com
Event The American Heart Association is the oldest and largest national non-profit voluntary health organization in the world, dedicated to reducing disability and death from cardiovascular disease and stroke, our nation’s no 1 and no. 4 killer and your employees’ greatest health risk. The 2015 Broward Heart Walk, Sunday, April 12, 2015 at Nova Southeastern University.
EDUCATION MATTERS Every Child Deserves a Chance to Succeed.
The Westside Gazette Wishes Y ou And You Your Family A Happy Easter
Church & Community Yard Sale, April 18, 2015 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Proceeds to benefit Mt. Zion MBC Church’s 51st Anniversary. Reserve your space by call Bridgette Grant at (754) 423-0760. The event will be held at the church located at 1161 N.W. 29 Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dr. James B. Darling, Jr./Senior Pastor.
Fish Fry
Dillard High School class of 1971 to host a Fish Fry, Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Black Firefighters Hall, 1621 N.W. Sixth St., Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Event Broward County Judicial Reception, hosted by the Caribbean Bar Assco. Reddick bar Assco. Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Assco., Haitian Ass. Broward County Hispanic Bar Assoc. and PNC Bank-Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Thursday, April 9, 2015 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at PNC Bank-Downtown Fort Lauderdale, 200 E. Broward Blvd., Suite 10, Lauderdale, Fla. For cost complimentary and RSVP contact Michelle Bell email to mbell@mtbellpa.com or online at https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/ broward-county-judicialreception-tickets-16130091538
African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderale, Fla. · Gallery through April 2015 is Color and Carnival an Art Exhibition featuring the multi-talented Alicia Teramo. For more info (954) 357-6210 or visit broward,org/library. · Carnival time at AARLCC's Destination Friday : Trindad & Tobago, Friday, April 10, 2015 from 6 :30 to 9:30 p.m. To purcahses tickets go through Eventbrite(www.destinationtrinidad.eventbrite.com) or pay in cash or by card at the door. This is an after-hours event for ages 21-plus. For additional info call (954) 357-6310.
Classes
Free SAT & ACT Prep at Regional Libraries program schedule 2015 All Sessions mandatory attendance · Session 1: SAT/ACT Grammar and Reading Techniques and Strategies · Session 2: SAT/ACT Grammar and Reading Practice · Session 3: SAT/ACT Math Techniques and Strategies · Session 4: SAT/ACT Math Practice and Science Techniques and Strategies · Session 5: SAT/ACT Science Practice and Essay Techniques and Strategies West Regional – (954) 7651560 · Tuesday, April 7 – Session 2: from 5 to 7:30 p.m. West Regional Library (954) 357-7990 · Wednesday, April 1 Session 1: from 5 to 7:30 p.m · Wednesday, April 8 – Session 2: from 5 to 7:30 p.m. · Wednesday, April 15 – Session 4: from 5 to 7:30 p.m. · Tuesday, April 28 – Session 5: from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Expo
Invitation Dillard High School’s Second “March of Pride” calling all classes 1938 to 2015 to join the Panther family at Dillard’s Auditorium, Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 9 a.m., program in the auditorium after the March. Wear your Blue and Gray.
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE IN THE WESTSIDE GAZETTE CALL (954) 525-1489
CONG. HASTNGS Broward, Miami Dade, West Palm Beach, residents and participants of any of the HUD Housing Programs. Public Housing, Section 8 Vouchers, Multi-Family (Tax Credit, Project Based, Other) join current & former residents in… ‘The Conservation on Housing with Congressman Alcee Hastings, Saturday, April 11, 2015 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the African American Research Library 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. RSVP at (786) 5190544 (space is limited) as part of the Saving Our Homes and Taking Back Our Communities Tour. By Residents and Housing Advocates.
SUPPORT THE BLACK PRESS, IS THE VOICE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. FOR CALL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TODAY! (954) 525-1489
Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council 30th Annual Business Expo, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 14-15, 2015 at Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tuesday, April 14, Big Data Workshop from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Investor Pitch Challenge from 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 15, Hard Hat Row from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Networking luncheon keynote speaker Mile Fernandez, chairman MBF Health-care Partners. For additional info call (305) 762-6151.
Program
Broward Cultural Division has collaborated with Art Hive magazine to schedule and facilities a series of application workshop for a South Florida Call to Writers for the Division’s Art Journalism Program. Free info and application session will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 1 p.m., at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Boca Raton Campus, Room 231, Culture and Society Blvd., 777 Glades Rd., Boca Raton, Fla., and Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 7 p.m., at Bailey Contemporary Arts (BaCA), 41 N.E. First St., Pompano Beach, Fla. RSVP required.
Program Parents Coping After The Loss Of A Child (P.C.A.T.L.O.A.C.) every Second Tuesday starting at 7 p.m., at E. Pat Larkins Center, 520 MLK Blvd., Pompano Beach, Fla. For more info call Daisy Josey at (954) 943-7549.
ATTENTION RADIO LISTENERS We have free gifts for everybody who calls into the show and shares their opinion. Listen every Saturday at 4 p.m. to Spiritual Downloads with Anna Stephenson on WWNN Radio AM 1470. It’s a live Call in talk show that discusses everything from Spiritual Matters to what matters to you. The show can also be heard on the Internet at wwnnradio.com; just click on the listen live button. Your voice is the most important part of the show. So call in and let us hear what you have to say. The toll free call in number is 1-888-565-1470. Also e-mail Anna Stephenson at annasmiami@aol.com with a subject you want to hear dis-cussed on the show. The show also interviews special guests Like Jessica Reedy from Sunday Best. Shelia Raye Charles, Melba Moore and different preachers and gospel musical artists and politicians.
April 2 - April 8, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 5
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
Annual Libation ceremony being held to remember the 150 documented lynched Black women By Marilyn Kai Jewitt & Yolanda Spivey Spiritually-conscious women and men of African descent gather at 3 p.m. sharp on Sunday, March 29 at Congo (Washington) Square, Seventh & Walnut Streets in Philadelphia for the Second Annual Sacred Libation Ceremony in remembrance of the 150 documented
Black women who were lynched between 1870 and 1957. In March 2014, the First Annual Sacred Libation Ceremony to honor the women was conducted by Iya Marilyn Kai Jewett and a group of priests of Philadelphia’s African American Yoruba/Orisha community. Although it rained that day, approximately 30 people came to witness the ritual — some
Arizona shooting suspect identified by police has links to neo-Nazi group Police have identified the suspected gunman who shot six people—killing one of them— in Mesa, Arizona as 41-yearold Ryan Elliot Giroux, a man with a criminal record and alleged connections with neo-Nazi and White supremacist groups. Giroux was taken into custody by law enforcement after allegedly conducting a deadly shooting spree at multiple locations in Mesa, during which one person died and five were injured. The incident triggered an hours-long manhunt that ended after police tased Giroux and he surrendered, CBS News reported. Previously, the Arizona Republic reported that an anonymous police source identified Giroux as the suspect. A spokesperson for the hospital treating the suspect, Banner Desert Me-
Broader hiring practices for ex-offenders receive bipartisan support
from as far as New York and Washington DC. The ceremony has now been instituted as an annual ritual on the last Sunday in March as part of Women’s History Month. In addition to libation being poured by Jewett in the Yoruba tradition, women from other traditions will also participate. The Queen Mothers of the Philadelphia Asante Nation – Nana Afua Afriyie Kyeiwaa, Philadelphiahemaa, Nana Akua Oforiwaa Amanfo, and Philadelphia Asonahemaa —
GIROUX dical Center, confirmed to the newspaper that a man with the same name as Giroux was treated and released to police at 2:30 p.m., though no further details were given. Nonetheless, multiple media outlets are reporting noteworthy information about the man’s past. He has served time in prison for multiple crimes, including burglary, attempted aggravated assault and marijuana possession. He served more than six years behind bars for the aggravated assault charge and was released in 2013. During the March 18 manhunt, police said they were looking for a bald man with tattoos on his face and neck. Photographs of Giroux from the Arizona Department of Corrections show that he has the word “skinhead” tattooed just above his eyebrows, along with the number “88”—used as code to for the “Heil Hitler” salute. Other tattoos include one across his neck and another on his chin. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL -- Bible Out Loud Ministries “hit” Storytelling Musical Spectacular. The Greatest Story Ever Told by one of the Greatest Storyteller’s Christal H. Walker “Love Equals An Empty Tomb”. Mathew 28 verse 1: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary went to see the Sepulchre. 2: And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. 3: His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. Witness the annual storytelling musical of “Love Equals An Empty Tomb”. The storytelling musical was written, produced and directed by Master Storyteller Christal H. Walker. Coming Good Friday, April 3, 2015 at 6 p.m. to the 93rd Street Community Missionary Baptist Church, 2330 N.W. 93 St. Miami, Fla. To purchase tickets from the church, call (305) 836-0942, Pastor/Teacher Carl Johnson and Easter Sunday April 5 at 6 p.m.at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, 816 N.W. First Ave. Hallandale Beach, Fla. To purchase tickets from the church, call (954)
(Cont'd from FP)
By Freddie Allen, Senior Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – As the economy recovers and violent crime hits 30-year lows, lawmakers continue to trade in their tough on crime rhetoric for smarter measures, joining ex-offenders and workers rights advocates to advance fair hiring practices for the 70 million adults in the U.S. that have arrests or conviction records. Recently, a diverse coalition of 181 groups wrote a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to take executive action to address discrimination in hiring practices. The group was led by the National Employment Law Project (NELP), a non-partisan group that researches issues affecting low-wage and un-employed workers, All of Us or None, an organizing initiative started by formerly-incarcerated people to fight against discrimination faced by ex-offenders after their release, and the People Improving Communities through Organizing (PICO) Network, a collective of faith-based community organizations. “Almost one in three adults in the United States has a record that will show up on a routine criminal background check,” the letter said. “This creates a serious barrier to employment for millions of workers, especially in communities of color hardest hit by decades of overcriminalization.” (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Black women who were lynched between 1870 and 1957.
Seventh annual Storytelling musical spectacular 'Love Equals An Empty Tomb', written, produced and directed by Christal H. Walker
Beauty and the Beast uncovered
Wade Henderson deplores “overcriminalization” of Blacks.
will pour libation in the Akan tradition from Ghana. They will be accompanied by the women of the Philadelphia Asante Abusuafoo. Other holy women participating include wellknown healer/education activist Mama Gail Clouden and her godchildren. How did this all come about? Last year, while perusing stories on Dr. Boyce Watkins’ “Your Black World” news website, Jewett came across a story entitled, Black Women Were Lynched Too! written by blogger Yolanda Spivey.
The Suffering Servant Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see [q]it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:1-12 (NASB) And yet as He hung there on that old rugged cross, His appearance marred by the ugliness of fear, hate and greed. He endured because His Father said it must be done for us. “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Psalms 22:14-18(NASB) The ugliness in Christ’s death leads to the beauty of salvation. Please remember what Resurrection Sonday is all about. “MUST JESUS BEAR THIS CROSS ALONE? AND ALL THE WORLD GO FREE?
454-0245, Pastor/Teacher Joe C. Johnson. Christal H. Walker was born and raised in Miami and never stopped attending schools, workshops traveling around the country. She was determined to master the stories in the BIBLE and bring them to life for many to understand and appreciate. Master storyteller Christal Walker is a prolific biblical storyteller who, for the past eight years captivated audiences throughout South Florida and the United States with her unique gift of biblical storytelling. Christal is the founder and director of Bible Out Loud Ministries which produces live stage shows using a combination of story, rich images, music, vocals, and dance to bring Bible stories to life. She is the executive producer of “Love Equals an Empty Tomb”, the telling of the Passion of Christ, a storytelling and musical spectacular presented “Even in my preparation it takes me higher. It is being revealed to me as I do it just like it is for you. You know God can do this.”I’m a shy person, and this is not natural for me but the more I do it, the better it gets. I’m comfortable with the text and ready to go like a horse at
Master Storyteller Christal Walker. the gate. It’s a wonderful experience. I’m excited!”. Log on to www.Bibleoutloudministries.org to hear Master Storyteller Christal Walker. Christal tells stories does motivational speaking yearround in schools, churches, conferences locally and nationally by invitation only.”Love Equals An Empty Tomb” is Christal’s
“signature piece” performed in her hometown each year. Ticket price $25.00 and may be purchased online at http:// www.bibleoutloudministries.org. For additional information, media inquiries, group.discounts 20 or more, call JEBA Media at (305) 835-0321 or email jebamedia@yahoo.com or text (305) 401-8113.
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
Page 6 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • April 2 - April 8, 2015
Opinion
The Westside Gazette, under the Management of BI-ADs, Inc., reserves the right to publish Views and Opinions by Contributing Writers may not necessarily reflect those of the Staff and Management of The Westside Gazette Newspaper and are solely the product of the responsible individual(s) who submit comments published in this newspaper.
“No way to know” By Pastor Rasheed Z Baaith “Man looketh on the outside but God looks at the heart.” The more we hear about the racist emails sent by those Fort Lauderdale policemen the more it should be clear that none of that is the fault of Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley. Like us he understood that there were and are those in his department that might well be bigoted but again like us, he did not know the depth of that bigotry. Not knowing the depth of that kind of racial hatred is one thing, being surprised by it is another. When I hear people shaking their heads in shock or saying they can’t believe that in 2015 this kind of racist thinking still persists, I’m amazed at their amazement. Why we insist on believing this myth about a post racial
America is way past my understanding. A lot of us and a lot of America thinks because segregation is no longer the law of the land and white only facilities don’t exist in the numbers they used to or because black and white children go to school together that hatred has gone the way of the Model – T automobile. All one has to do is just look at the way many members of Congress especially members of the Tea and Republican parties speak so ugly of the President or notice the silence of those parties whenit comes to the shooting of Black people under highly questionable circumstances by law enforcement or understand the great divide between red states and blue states, and it should be clear that racism is not only alive and well but is encouraged. Just watch Fox News.
Glickman Saga response to letter in Westside Gazette To: The Readers of the Westside Gazette: From: A Broward Teachers Union Executive Board Members standing for Justice. Thank you for voting in Action 4 Members Slate! We now hold 12 seats on the BTU Executive Board determined to be your voice! Previously... A serious, unprofessional, undemocratic and insulting accusation was
levied in writing in a newspaper against “anyone” who dared disagree! Anyone! Really? The Westside Gazette, a local Broward newspaper with deep roots and a history in GLICKMAN the Broward County community, published a letter written by Ted FlorivalVictor, a new appointee of President Sharon Glickmans to the Broward Teachers Union Executive Board. In this letter Mr. Florival-Victor demonstrates exactly, in Black and white for all to see, the kinds of attacks those who dare to question President Sharon Glickman are up against. To begin with I doubt that the letter that bears his name was written by him since he has no way of knowing all the disclosed facts about President Glickman. The letter reads like a Glickman press release. When she decided to run for president, it wasn’t because it was a glamorous or powerful position. She did it because she so desperately wanted to see BTU be the organization that its members deserve. How could this newly appointed eboard member possibly know what “she so desperately wanted?” I have suspicions that the origin of this letter is Glickman herself. Nevertheless, it bears Mr. Florival-Victor’s name, so I will continue as if it had been written by the man himself. In the last two lines of his letter, he accuses and insults every teacher, steward, technical support staff, para professional, local leader and eboard member who dares to disagree with the high opinion his letter declares of the Broward Teachers Union President. Further, he insinuates that to voice any opinion other than his would indicate an individual has sinister motivations and wishes to work against Broward Teachers Union. Sharon Glickman has exhibited all of the qualities and dedication any member could hope for in a BTU President. Anybody who would say otherwise has motivations that are not in the best interest of Broward Teachers Union. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Free speech hypocrisy By Lee A. Daniels, NNPA Columnist This winter the media’s been ablaze with stories about racist, homophobic and sexist slurs being hurled this way and that by college students and other adults. Revealingly, those that have captured the most attention all involve Black Americans as the targets of the racist speech or action: the members of the University of Oklahoma chapter of one prominent white fraternity singing a racist ditty that referenced lynching a Black man; the sexist slur hurled against adolescent baseball star Mo’Ne Davis by a college baseball athlete, and the attempt by the Sons of Con-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GUIDELINES The Westside Gazette welcomes your letters. Letters must be signed with name clearly legible along with a phone number and complete address. No unsigned or anonymous letters will be considered for publication. The Westside Gazette reserves the right to edit letters. The letters should be 500 words or less.
Many of us insist on being blind to racism’s reality and somehow it is always our fault or our responsibility to end racism. When I hear someone like Common say we need to “forget the past and just love RASHEED white people more,” you have to wonder what happened to his ability to think. I have never heard and believe I never will hear anyone tell Jewish people they need to forget the Holocaust nor have I ever heard of a young Jewish person say they were tired of hearing about the holocaust and Jewish people need to move on. But black people are told that nonsense about slavery all the time. Why do we have to forget the horror of slavery, why do we need to move past the damage deliberately done to our people, the effects of which we see to this day? The verbal diarrhea spewed by Common and Charles Barkley are examples of that damage.
Why are Florida Representatives so secret during their session?
So is the thinking of those former police officers. White people have been just as damaged by slavery as we have. It has made many of them believe there are lesser humans who deserve to be owned, marginalized or murdered at the whim of those thought to be superior to them. Especially Black people. That thought was the driving force of the antebellum South and that thought retains strength today. In short, all of us who live in this country have been poisoned by racism. The thing is many of us refuse to control that racism or even consider it is wrong. That refusal can lead to injustice, even loss of life. I read that one of officers refused to treat all victims of crime decently or as required by his oath. Blacks especially were denied justice or compassion. So what are Chief Adderley and other police chiefs supposed to do when hiring? Is there a test for heart? No or at least not yet anyway. Until it is Chief Adderley and we will have to take our chances.
Young, gifted, Black and abused
By Roger Caldwell
By Walter L Fields, NNPA Columnist
There are 60 days during March and April when Florida elected representatives establish a budget and draft and CALDWELL sponsor bills for the residents of the state. During this time, the lobbyist, and the different political organizations and groups propose legislation, which the two parties eventually agree on to get signed into law by the governor. Each representative in the two houses is able to propose six different bills during this legislative session, and very few Floridians are aware of the process. Once a bill is introduced in one house, a companion bill must be introduced in the other house. The committees determine which proposed legislatures have the most support and the best chance in becoming a bill. There are many different reasons why a representative sponsors a bill; this process begins in September, and the horse-trading begins. Some bills are personal and impact the representative’s heart, others support their ideology, and some factually and economically make sense. The bill or horse-trading begins when the two houses are working together to get a companion bill in the two houses. Everyone must cooperate and move the proposed legislature through the different committees and especially the appropriations committee. It is very difficult to get a bill passed during the legislative session because the heads of the two Houses together decide on which bills they support. The legislative process is not transparent because in Florida the Republican Party controls both Houses and the Democrats have no power. Since Governor Scott is a Republican, and the Republicans control the power, the Democrats cannot challenge their agenda or ideas. The Republicans may argue among themselves, but their ideology and thinking is the same. During the legislative session the Democratic legislators must be more transparent with their constituents. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
In the course of one week we witnessed the burden of being young, FIELDS gifted and Black. First, the Little League baseball Phenom Mo’ne Davis was insulted by a White college baseball player who called the abundantly talented young girl a ‘slut’ in a Tweet in response to news that Disney was planning to make a movie about her incredible rise to fame. The player, Joey Casselberry, quickly retracted the tweet in the face of a wave of criticism in cyberspace but was promptly dismissed by the Bloomsburg University team. Then there were the toxic tweets from Jenna and Jacque Huggins, the daughters of West Virginia head basketball coach Bob Huggins, calling Maryland basketball player Dez Wells a rapist. The West Virginia team defeated Maryland in an early round of the NCAA championship tournament. The Terrapins star guard had been kicked off the Xavier University team in 2012 after being accused of sexual assault. A grand jury decided charges against Wells were not warranted and he later settled a lawsuit he brought against Xavier. Not far from the Morgantown campus of the University of West Virginia and College Park home of the University of Maryland, a young, Black University of Virginia undergraduate student was accosted by police. Martese Johnson had his face bashed into the pavement and bloodied by Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents outside a pub near the UVA campus.
federate Veterans of Texas to force that state to produce a license plate with their symbol, the Confederate battle flag, on it. This latest effort by Confederate sympathizers to obscure the DANIELS racist rebellion’s ineradicable stain of “treason in the defense of slavery,” as one analyst wrote, has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments on the case last week. The controversies have provoked a growing volume of commentary and opinion columns. Most of those I’ve seen have declared that, while offensive speech and ideas are despicable, they must be tolerated in the name of freedom of expression so that society can benefit in the short- and longterm from the free flow of ideas. I’m a free-speech advocate myself. But in recent years, whenever these free-speech controversies have burst into the open, I’ve increasingly noticed some important things missing from the general run of commentary and opinion columns. For one thing, I don’t see them grappling with the question of “why” those who spout the slurs do so. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Mr. Wade and the ‘First Family of the housing projects’ By George E. Curry, NNPA Columnist
The Gantt Report The new negro voice By Lucius Gantt Back during the days of slavery, when the wicked slave master was curious about what was going on in the slave quarters he asked questions. The slave master GANTT didn’t ask the cotton pickers or the nanny. He didn’t ask the tobacco choppers or leaf rakers. And, he damn sure didn’t ask the runaways or the rebellious freedom fighters that hated him. The slave master would question the house negroes that loved the slave master more than the slave master loved himself about slaves in the field or outside of the big house. Four hundred years later, communications and conversations between whites and Blacks are pretty much the same. Those Black people in America that are arrested the most, over charged over sentenced and jailed the most, brutalized the most, mis-educated the most, denied the most, oppressed the most and exploited the most still don’t have a voice when it comes to discussing their lives and the conditions in their communities. Today, when the major news networks and major national newspapers want to interview or ask questions about African American, Black, inner city or urban events and activities of national or worldwide interest, they parade the same old neocolonialist puppets onto the front pages, the television shows and the radio shows to articulate the status of Black America in the way that the modern day slave masters want them to articulate! (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Maxine Waters works to shrink wealth gap By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA Columnist One of leading freedom fighters in the United States Congress is none other than the extraordinarily dynamic Maxine Waters (D-CaCHAVIS lif.). Congresswoman Waters does not bite her tongue. Not only has she gained the top Democratic seniority position in the House Committee on Financial Services, she also continues to speak truth to power on all the critical public policy issues that affect the quality of life of Black Americans. It is important to support Congresswoman Waters’ latest courageous act of leadership in the U.S. Congress: introducing the “Wealth Gap Resolution” that addresses the widening wealth gap in America and its devastating impact on Black Americans and other communities of color. There are serious economic disparities and inequalities between White and Black Americans. During the past decade, these inequities have increased. We are all more than aware of the current declining economic base of the Black American community. Maxine Waters explained how that gap can fundamentally alter the quality of one’s life. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Approximately three weeks ago, I suffered a mild heart attack. Shortly afterCURRY wards, Mr. Robert T. Wade, a longtime family friend in Tuscaloosa, Ala., died at the age of 94. Against the advice of close friends and even some relatives, I attended his funeral last Saturday. To appreciate why I was determined to attend Mr. Wade’s funeral, you have to understand what Mr. Wade meant to me and thousands of Black kids who grew up in the housing projects during the 1950s and 1960s. Most Black communities have a Mr. Wade, a universally respected adult who adopts every child in the community as his own. As I said in my tribute to him at the funeral, we considered the Wades the “First Family of the Housing Projects.” Of course, Mr. Wade was the president and his wife, Mrs. Ella Wade, was the First Lady. To those of us who lived in McKenzie Court, my all-Black housing project, they were our Kennedys. They were royalty and we wanted to be like them. Of the seven Wade children, two of them were males – Archie and Harold. Archie was the oldest and seven years my senior. Harold was five years older than me, about the same age as my youngest uncle, Jesse Harris. The three were the brothers I never had.
Is Democracy overrated?
(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
By Lekan Oguntoyinbo, NNPA Columnist Long before China and India became the economic wonders of Asia, there was Singapore, a small, diverse country with no natural resources that took OGUNTOYINBO the audacious step of breaking away from the Malaysian federation in 1965 to become an independent nation. Lee Kuan Yew, the new country’s founding father, knew that the odds of survival were clearly against them when they decided to go it alone 50 years ago. “To understand Singapore and why it is what it is, you’ve got to start off with the fact that it’s not supposed to exist and cannot exist,” Lee said in a 2007 interview with the New York Times. “To begin with, we don’t have the ingredients of a nation, the elementary factors: a homogeneous population, common language, common culture and common destiny.” Still, Lee played the odds. By the time he stepped down as prime minister in 2000, he had transformed Singapore into an economic powerhouse, one of the world’s most efficient countries and, arguably, the least corrupt.
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
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
April 2 - April 8, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 7
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1161 NW 29th Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311 (954) 581-0455 ● Fax: (954) 581-4350 www.mtzionmissionarybapt.com
Rev. Dr. James B. Darling, Senior Pastor WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Worship Service .............................................................................. 8:00 & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School ............................................................................................................... 10:00 a.m. Communion Service (1st Sunday) ......................................................................... 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting ........................................................................... 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Bible Study ................................................................................... 7:00 p.m. Saturday (2nd & 4th) Growth & Orientation ........................................................... 9 a.m. But be doers of the Word - James 1:22 nkjv - “A Safe Haven, and you can get to Heaven from here”
St. Ruth Missionary Baptist Church 145 NW 5th Ave., Dania Beach, FL 33004 (954) 922-2529
WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Worship ............................................................. 8 a.m. & 11 a.m. Sunday School ........................................................................... 9:30 a.m. Wednesday (Prayer Service & Bible Study) ............................... 7:30 a.m. Saturday (Women Bible Study) ............................................................ 8 a.m. "Baptized Believers working together to do the will of God"
Faith United Church of Christ 6201 NW 57 Street Tamarac, FL 33319 954-721-1232 uccfaith@bellsouth.net faithbroward.org "Historically the First Church in the City of Tamarac!”
Rev. Dr. Ileana Bosenbark, Senior Pastor WEEKLY SERVICES & EVENTS SUNDAY Worship Service (Communion 1st & 3rd Sunday) ........................................................... 10 a.m. F.A.I.T.H. Academy for Children (Spiritual Formation) K-12 ................................ 10 a.m.
TUESDAY F.A.I.T.H. Academy for Adults (Spiritual Formation) - Office Complex ...... 10:30 a.m.
WEDNESDAY Worship & Arts Ministry Rehearsals (Open Auditions) - Sanctuary .............................. 7 p.m.
First Baptist Church Piney Grove, Inc. 4699 West Oakland Park Blvd. Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33313 Office: (954) 735-1500 Fax: (954) 735-1939 fbcpg@bellsouth.net
Rev. Dr. Derrick J. Hughes, Pastor SUNDAY SERVICES Worship Services .......................................................... 7:30 & 10:45 a.m. Children's Church ........................................................ 7:30 & 10:45 a.m. Communion (First Sunday) ......................................... 7:30 & 10:45 a.m. New Members' Class .................................................................... 9:30 a.m. Church School .............................................................................. 9:30 a.m. Baptist Training Union (BTU) .................................................... 1:00 p.m. Wednesday (Bible Study) ...................................... 11:15 a.m.. & 7:00 p.m.
Harris Chapel United Methodist Church Rev. Juana Jordan, M.Div E-MAIL:juana.jordan@flumc.org 2351 N.W. 26th Street Oakland Park, Florida 33311 Church Telephone: (954) 731-0520 Church Fax: (954) 731-6290
SERVICES Sunday Worship ................................................. 7:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Sunday School .............................................................................. 9:00 a.m. Wednesday (Bible Study) ........................................... 11a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Mount Calvary Baptist Church
800 N.W. 8th Avenue Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 Church Telephone: (954) 943-2422 Church Fax: (954) 943-2186 E-mail Address: Mtcalvarypompano@bellsouth.net
Reverend Anthony Burrell, Pastor SCHEDULE OF SERVICES SUNDAY
New Member Orientation ........................... 9:30 a.m. Sunday School ................................................ 9:30 a.m. Worship Service ........................................ 11:00 a.m. WEDNESDAY Prayer Meeting ............................................... 6:00 p.m. Bible Study ..................................................... 7:00 p.m.
"Doing God's Business God's Way, With a Spirit of Excellence"
New Birth Baptist Church The Cathedral of Faith International Bishop Victor T. Curry, M.Min., D.Div. Senior Pastor/Teacher 2300 N.W. 135th Street Miami, Florida 33167
ORDER OF SERVICES Sunday Worship ........................................................ 7:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Sunday School ....................................................................................................... 9:30 a.m. Tuesday (Bible Study) ......................................................................................... 6:45 p.m. Wednesday (Bible Study) ............................................................................... 10:45 a.m.
1-800-254-NBBC * (305) 685-3700 (o) *(305) 685-0705 (f) www.newbirthbaptistmiami.org
New Mount Olive Baptist Church 400 N.W. 9th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale 33311 (954) 463-5126 ● Fax: (954) 525-9454 CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Dr. Marcus D. Davidson, Senior Pastor
WORSHIP SERVICES Wednesday (NOON DAY PRAYER) ............................................. 12 -1 p.m. Wednesday (PRAYER MEETING & BIBLE STUDY) .................... 645 p.m. Sunday Worship Service ................................................................. 10 a.m. Fifth Sunday Worhip Service ............................................................ 8 a.m.
Obituaries James C. Boyd Funeral Home DIXON Funeral services for the late Aaron Dixon, Jr - 64 were held March 28 at Springfield Suite Marriott. KING Funeral services for the late Charles King – 61.
RICHARDSON Funeral services for the late Kashilyn Shirence Richardson – 46 were held March 28 at 15th Avenue Church of God with Rev. Dr. James C. Eubanks officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens. SCOTT Funeral services for the late Sister Pearlie Mae Bryant Scott – 94 were held March 27 at Mount Olivet Seventh-Day Adventist Church with Pastor Lucious Hall officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens (Central). WALKER Funeral for the late Angela LaVerne Walker – 51 were held March 28 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Pastor Oscar L. Chestnut officiating.
McWhite's Funeral Home HUGGINS Funeral services for the late Loretta Sharlene Saunders-Huggins - 57 were held March 24 at McWhite’s Funeral Home Chapel with Min. Johnethia Mack officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Central.
WORSHIP SERVICES & BIBLE STUDY Sunday .................................................... 7:15 a.m. 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School ............................................................................ 10:00 a.m. Wednesday Noonday Service .................................. 12:00-12:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting ............................................ 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Bible Study ................................................... 7:00 p.m. Where the kingdom of God is increased through Fellowship. Leadership, Ownership and Worship F.L.O.W. To Greatness!
A F AMIL Y THA T FAMIL AMILY THAT PRA YS PRAY TOGETHER ST AYS STA TOGETHER
Roy Mizell & Kurtz Funeral Home SHAW Funeral services for the late Patricia Blue-Shaw62 were held 28 at The House of God Church with Elder Joshua Andrews officiating.
SMITH Funeral services for the late Evangelist Latrice B. Roland Smith 56 were held March 28 at First Baptist Church Piney Grove with Dr. Derrick J. Hughes officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.
ELIJAH BELL'S Funeral Services CUMMING Funeral services for the late Jane Cumming. DANIEL Funeral services for the late Tryone Daniel. DAVIS Funeral services for the late Willard Davis. DENNIS Funeral services for the late Melvina Dennis. JORDAN Funeral services for the late Mervyn C. Jordan. IRONS Funeral services for the late Lucas Q. Irons.
Williams Memorial CME “PRAYER IS THE ANSWER” 644-646 NW 13th Terrace Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 (954) 462-5711(Ministry Office Line) (954) 462-8222(Pastor’s Direct Line) Email: wm_cme@bellsouth.net (Church} pastorCal50@yahoo.com (Pastor)
Rev. Cal Hopkins. M.Div) Senior Pastor/Teacher
The WITNESS of “The WILL” Sunday Worship Experiences ................................................................ 7:45 and 11:00 a.m. Sunday School ................................................................................................................. 9:30 a.m. Tuesday Night Triumph {Prayer, Praise and Power} Prayer Meeting ................................................................................................................ 7:00 p.m. Bible Study ........................................................................................................................ 7:30 p.m. We STRIVE to PROVIDE Ministries that matter TODAY to Whole Body of Christ, not only the Believers, but also for those stranded on the “Jericho Road”! “Celebrating over 85 Years of FAITH and FAVOR! Come to the WILL ... We’ll show You the WAY: Jesus the Christ!”
KIDS TALK ABOUT GOD Why did Peter deny Jesus three times? By Carey Kinsolving and Friends You’re sitting at home reading the newspaper when your door flies off its hinges with a bang so loud you jump out of your chair. “Hands up, and don’t move,” shouts the first officer of a SWAT team as he shoves a cocked .357 magnum in your face. “You have the right to remain silent,” says another as he grabs your wrists, pulls them behind your back and slaps handcuffs on them. Two hours later at the police station, you’re relieved to see your best friend walk into the room. You know he can verify you were with him earlier in the evening when a man was shot and killed at a convenience store one block from your house. “I don’t know this man,” says your friend. Your mouth drops open in disbelief, but then, you think this has to be a practical joke. “Are you sure?” asks the detective. “Absolutely!” he says. Pointing to you, the detective says to your friend, “He claims you’re his best friend.” After swearing, your friend says, “Never saw him before in my life!” and walks out of the room. In some small way, this modern story illustrates the denial Jesus experienced from one of his closest disciples, but why? “He thought he would never deny his master,” says Wes, age 11. Wes, you're right. After eating the Passover meal, Jesus told his disciples they would all be offended by him that very night. Peter said others might be offended, but not he (Matthew 26:3135). He even offered to lay down his life for Jesus (see John 13:36-38). “Peter forgot to have faith in Jesus,” says Kelsey, 7. “He was weak,” explains Kyle, 6. “He forgot that God was in control,” says Raha, 7. Like so many of us, Peter took control of the situation, using his own strength. He failed to assess correctly his own weakness. Sensing that the hour of his crucifixion was upon him, Jesus asked the disciples to pray with him. But three times, he found them sleeping. Jesus endured this hour of severe testing alone. Humanly speaking, Jesus was never more alone than when he looked at Peter after that third denial. This story of threes continues after Jesus rose from the dead. On Jesus’ third resurrection appearance to his disciples, three times he asked Peter if he loved him. “Do you love me more than these?” Jesus asked Peter the first time. In saying “more than these,” Jesus referred to Peter’s boast of loyalty only hours before he had denied him three times. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
In Loving Memory of Bessie Lee Truitt 7/9/22 - 4/4/95
MILLER Funeral services for the late Esemerelda Miller. RICHARDSON Funeral service for the late Eddie Richardson. SMITH Funeral services for the late Renathia Smith.
May He Bless you with all the joy and happiness life has to offer Happy Easter
You were our hero on earth and our guardian angel in heaven for the past twenty years. Memories of you are precious keepsakes that we cherish and hold dearly in our hearts. Your Loving Family
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
Page 8 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • April 2 - April 8, 2015
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The Scandalous Empire According to a Nielsen consumer report, African Americans are voracious consumers of media, watching 37 percent more television than any other slice of American demography. While that’s not new news, it is disturbing that we don’t completely understand the connection between our TV consumption and the huge profits generated by our connection to television. To be fair, some TV programming can actually be beneficial. The recent coverage of the 50th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” opened the eyes of generations of Americans who were unaware of the brutality of racial oppression in America. Much of television, however, is simply escapist entertainment for us, but a tremendous cash cow for programmers and advertisers. Take for example Empire on Fox. The network is known for its history of racist banter and has exploited Black America while simultaneously benefiting from Black consumers. Statistics show that Empire is Fox’s highest grossing show in three years, which translates into a huge pay off for Fox. How big? In the Spirit of Success, Ron’s Signature Ron Busby, Sr., President U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
The push to eliminate predatory lending By Charlene Crowell, NNPA Columnist
Challenging finances and what feels like an onslaught of “bad press” can be Pearl and Mel Shaw part of the nonprofit experience. Addressing these is what leadership is all about. Keep an eye to the future, talk with your donors and stakeholders, and find a gamechanging way to engage the community. This is the story of Regional One Health and its foundation. Tammie Ritchey, Vice President of Development and Executive Director of Regional One Health Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee knows what it’s like to weather the storm. First, executive leaders took time to personally share strategic directions and vision with major donors, keeping them in the loop. The foundation board played a major role too, and continues to do so. Ritchey proudly promotes the foundation board, “I sincerely believe we have one of the strongest board of directors around. They are all quite brilliant in their own lives outside of the board and very successful men and women. They are dedicated to Regional One Health, they believe in the vision, and they all work passionately on our behalf. They challenge me every day to go harder, to push further, to give more to the patients and families we serve. And we have several members who held on with us during some very challenging times. It was very difficult to be on a fundraising board and not be able to raise a lot of funds because of the public’s perception of the hospital at that time.” You can learn more about Regional One Health Foundation at www.regionalonehealthfoundation.org or by calling (901) 5458373. Copyright 2015– Mel and Pearl Shaw Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success. For help with your fundraising visit www.saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
Beyond the Rhetoric
Save the EB-5 Visa By Harry C. Alford, NNPA Columnist
CALL AND HAVE YOUR AD PLACED IN UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY DIRECTORY PAGE FOR A DISCOUNTED PRICE, FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY CALL -- (954) 525-1489
In the aftermath of a letter signed by 500 consumer advocates from all 50 states, an unprecedented push for reining in abusive small-dollar, high-cost loans has engaged the White House and Capitol Hill. When an increasing number of Americans are striving to keep their financial houses in order, eliminating predatory lending is making CROWELL news. If advocates prevail, a range of consumer loans, including payday and car title, high-cost installment loans, deposit advance products and open-end lines of credit, will all be affected. The benefit for consumers will be an exit from the turnstiles of debt that rob borrowers’ earnings. One major development was the announcement of a longawaited draft proposal from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). At a public field hearing in Richmond, Va., on March 26, Richard Cordray, CFPB director, explained the significance of proposed regulation. “Extending credit to people in a way that sets them up to fail and ensnares considerable numbers of them in extended debt traps, is simply not responsible lending,” said Cordray.
The EB-5 Visa program has been in the news lately because of the alleged manipulation of the ALFORD program by members of the “Clinton Gang.” Among a list of alleged things coming out of this group was a system to pay money to Hillary’s brother, Tony, (she has two in this gang) to have an EB-5 visa approval expedited by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The process usually takes more than two years but this time it was speeded up by many months. The funding generated by the investment for the visa was then directed to “gang” member Terry McAuliffe (now governor of Virginia) for his electric car venture. Tony got paid; Terry got funded and the electric car venture went south with a “bullet.” The principal at Homeland Security who allowed this happens to be a former California prosecutor who worked with the Clinton gang in getting a convicted cocaine dealer a presidential pardon from President Clinton. It appears that Tony got $200,000 from the grateful drug dealer. The above will soon come to total light. But let’s focus in on the importance of the EB-5 Visa. What makes it so valuable?
(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
April 2 - April 8, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 9
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
Supreme Court to decide pollution standards for Black communities By Jazelle Hunt, NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – As fossil fuel companies and environmental groups fight over the future of American energy, people of color suffer the casualties. The latest battle is occurring in the Supreme Court with National Mining Association v. Environmental Protection Agency and its accompanying cases, in which coal mining companies and coal-fired power plants have sued the EPA over new regulations on the air pollution that overwhelmingly settles on communities of color. The suit focuses on the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards
(MATS) the EPA issued to coaland oil-fueled power plants in 2011. It’s the first-ever federal rule to limit toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants, which would be required to reduce emissions by up-grading their facilities to more public health-friendly systems. Very few power plants run on oil, but the United States relies on coal for nearly half of its electricity. Leading coal mining corporations assert that the EPA should not be allowed to issue such regulations without first considering the upgrade and compliance costs they impose. In other words, the plaintiffs want to continue manufacturing without the available com-
munity health safeguards, arguing that these regulations present an unfair financial burden and infringe on their ability to make profits. Coal-powered facilities spew literal tons of pollutants into the air each day. This cocktail of toxins causes cancer, chronic heart conditions, ADD/ADHD, and respiratory diseases ranging from asthma to lung cancer in the surrounding communities. Mercury, in particular, is a neurotoxin—long-term exposure is known to cause fetal birth defects, brain damage or delayed development, emotional disturbances and psychotic reactions, and more. “Sixty-eight percent of African Americans live within 30
AHF: FL Insurance Commissioner McCarty announces improved nationwide access to HIV Medications Aetna, Inc. and Coventry Health Care of Florida, Inc. are revising their HIV/AIDS drug formularies for individual health plan members; changes mean a majority of HIV drugs currently labeled as specialty drugs in the highest cost tier will be reclassified as either generic or non-preferred brand drugs and moved into the lower cost tiers. TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin M. McCarty announced this week that Aetna, Inc. and Coventry Health Care of Florida, Inc. are revising their HIV/AIDS drug formularies for individual health plan members. The new change means a majority of HIV drugs currently labeled as specialty drugs in the highest cost tier of the drug formulary are being reclassified as either generic or non-preferred brand drugs and moved into the lower cost tiers. Effective June 1, 2015, individual health plan members of these two insurers will be able to purchase oral HIV drugs as generic or non-preferred brands, resulting in reduced costs and better access to these
McCARTY
Hezekiah Walker honored with NNPA Torch Award
Walker accepting NNPA Torch Award (Photo by Worsom Robinson) By Elaina Johnson, Howard University News Service WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – Grammy Awardwinning artist Bishop Hezekiah Walker can add the 2015 Torch Award for religion to his list of accomplishments as a gospel music artist and pastor of Love Fellowship Tabernacle, a mega church in Brooklyn, N.Y. The National Newspapers Publishers Association honored him last week at Black Press Week in Washington for his diligence in spreading the gospel through music, radio and ministry. “I was extremely shocked when I heard that I won this honor,” Walker said. “I quickly changed my plans to make sure I was there to receive it.” Walker, 52, was born and raised in the Fort Greene housing projects in Brooklyn, He formed the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir when he was in his 20s and has been releasing music with the choir and solo since then. Walker is also the senior pastor of Love Fellowship Tabernacle, a church that he founded in April of 1994. The church
has brought together diverse members, differing races, socioeconomic backgrounds and ages. He also launched the “Hezekiah Walker- Afternoon Praise” radio show on 1190 WLIB in New York City followed by the “Sunday Morning Celebration” radio show on 107.5 WBLS. He received Grammy Awards in 1994 and 2001. “I really feel in my heart that out of all the awards I’ve won, the Torch award is the best award I could have ever received in my life,” he said. “Music is the foundation of our people. It’s one thing when others recognize you, but it’s another thing when your own people recognize you.” There is, however, one honor that meant way more to him than receiving both the Grammy and the Torch Award. That was finding out that his music helped to save the life of a 9year-old boy. Willie Myrick, 9, was grabbed from the streets last March and forced into a car by an unidentified man while playing with his dog outside his home in Atlanta. Young Myrick, who was awarded the NNPA’s Junior Newsmaker Award, continuously sang Hezekiah Walker’s hit song Every Praise. He sang the song for three hours straight until the kidnapper finally threw him into the street and drove away. “I have had many great things happen in my life, but just to save that young boy’s life really meant a lot to me,” Walker said. “When you begin to sing and put music out, you never know how many lives you touch across the world.”
important medications. This coverage will also extend to individual health plan members in 2016 and extend geographically throughout the United States, and not just in Florida, according to sources contacted at Aetna. “It is great to see that the results of months of dialogue and advocacy among key stakeholders throughout the U.S. have yielded such positive results with an impact that could ultimately be far more significant if adopted throughout the industry,” said AIDS Healthcare Foundation Southern Bureau Chief Michael Kahane. The stakeholders involved in these negotiations included AIDS Institute, NHeLP, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). “Aetna and Coventry’s actions represent a high level of commitment and responsiveness to the needs of its members,” stated Commissioner McCarty. “I look forward to working with the other health insurance companies who have also committed to focusing their efforts on this important issue.” “It is also important to note that Aetna/Coventry’s change from the specialty tier for these important life-saving drugs will provide more choice for the patients in that they will have the option to visit a brick and mortar pharmacy or can choose to receive their medication through mail order,” said AHF Southern Bureau Director of Legislative Affairs David Poole. “We hope this decision will become a trend in the industry.” Last year, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation became aware of allegations that several health insurance companies may have been violating Florida law by placing all HIV/ AIDS medications in the highest tier of their drug formulary. The Office performed an indepth review of the allegations, met with the health insurance companies and reached agreements on this issue. The insurance companies agreed to implement interim measures to limit health plan members’ costsharing responsibility for HIV/ AIDS drugs in the highest tier of their drug formularies; ensure prior authorizations or step therapy were not required for prescribed HIV/AIDs drug treatments; and look for longterm solutions that would better address the affordability and accessibility of HIV/AIDS medications. About AIDS Healthcare Foundation AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 403,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/ Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.
miles of these coal-fire power plants,” said Jacqui Patterson, director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program. She said that African American children are two to three times as likely to miss school, be hospitalized, or die from asthma attacks than White children. She said, “For us, it’s very much a civil rights issue if certain communities are being disproportionately impacted by the pollutants that come from these coal plants.” The NAACP is one of several groups backing the EPA in the suit. The NAACP’s accompanying report titled, “Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People,” grades and ranks nearly 400 coal plants around the nation. It also documents the 75 worstoffending facilities, the worstoffending companies, the toll on local communities, and the national and global implications if the emissions from these plants are not improved. “A total of four million people live within three miles of these 75 failing plants…out of these four million people, nearly 53 percent are people of color,” the report reads. “Living in such close proximity to coal plants has serious consequences for those communities. Coal plants are single-handedly responsible for a large proportion of toxic emissions that directly poison local communities in the United States.” According to the report, the top five plants with the worst environmental justice performance were: Crawford Gen. Station and Fisk Gen. Station in Chicago; Hudson Gen. Station in Jersey City, N.J.; Valley Power Plant in Milwaukee, Wis.; and State Line Plant in Hammond, Ind. Most of the top offenders are in the Midwest, which houses
Jacqui Patterson, director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program, speaks to press outside the Supreme Court. (Jazelle Hunt/NNPA News Wire Service) By Jazelle Hunt 32 percent of all of the nation’s coal-powered energy plants. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, and Colorado are home to the most failing plants. In addition to severe health problems, the Black communities will bear the worst of the effects of climate change that result from unchecked air pollution. “Indeed, Hurricane Katrina and the tornadoes in Pratt City, AL have already vividly demonstrated that the shifts in weather patterns caused by climate change disproportionately affect African Americans and other communities of color in the United States— which is a particularly bitter irony, given that the average African American household emits 20 percent less [carbon dioxide] per year than the average white American household,” the report states. “The six states with the largest proportion of African-Americans are all in the Atlantic hurricane zone, and all are expected to experience more severe storms as a consequence of global warming.” EarthJustice, a nonprofit environmental justice organi-
zation, estimates that the MATS regulation would reduce mercury emissions by 75 percent, preventing up to 11,000 premature deaths, nearly 5,000 heart attacks, 130,000 asthma attacks, and more than 540,000 missed work days each year. Some power plants have already adopted the latest methods for reducing impact on human health; the MATS regulation would require all power plants to match the best-practicing plants’ emission levels by a certain date. The Supreme Court heard arguments for the case last week in a 90-minute hearing. A decision is expected by summer. “Fifty percent of all coal-fired power plants are 40 years old or older. The coal industry is trying to protect its old clunkers,” said Lisa Garcia, vice president of Litigation for Healthy Communities for EarthJustice, and chief advisor to the EPA on the creation of the mercury standards. “Interestingly, no one is saying, ‘don’t build it.’ Everyone is basically saying, ‘we can do this better.’ So you can operate and make your profits, but we can also do it in a healthier way that protects communities.”
Page 10 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • April 2 - April 8, 2015
Animated Movie ‘Home’ featuring Rihanna opens with $54 million
Rihanna Despite some lukewarm reviews, the DreamWorks/Fox animated comedy Home was expected to bring in roughly $30 to $35 million in box office receipts during its opening weekend. It has surpassed those forecasts with an initial opening weekend of over $50 million. Variety reports the film cost $130 million to make, and it features vocal talent from Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, and Steve Martin. Rihanna not only voices the lead character, Gratuity “Tip” Tucci, but she contributed the songs “As Real As You and Me” and “Dancing In the Dark” to the film’s soundtrack.
“Dialogue was one of the challenge I had to work through,” Rihanna said, in a recent interview with PopSugar. “It was one of the things that I learned so much about during the experience.” The early commercial success of Home marks a bit of a cinematic bounce back for Rihanna. Her last major role was as Petty Officer Cora “Weps” Raikes in the critically panned 2012 film Battleship. Thus far, Home is on pace to earn more than recent Dreamworks/Fox animated features including Penguins of Madagascar, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and Turbo.
Little Known Black History Fact:
Wayne Embry (Photo: NBA Legends) Wayne Embry made history by becoming not only the NBA’s first Black general manager, but the first Black general manager of any of the four major U.S. sports. Embry a former NBA player was a five-time AllStar and an NBA champion. The Springfield, Ohio native made his mark as a player at Miami University in the town of Oxford, Ohio. Selected in the NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks in 1958, Embry was then traded to the Cincinnati Royals. In 1960, the legendary Oscar “Big O” Robertson joined the team. As both the team and Embry were bolstered by the addition of Robertson, Embry then starred in five consecutive All-Star games. Standing at 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, Embry was an imposing figure nicknamed “The Wall” because of his formidable frame. In 1966, Embry was talked out of retirement by his friend, Celtics player/coach Bill Russell. The move paid off for Embry, Russell and the Celtics after the squad notched the
NBA championship in 1968. Embry then headed to the newly formed Milwaukee Bucks team, retiring officially in 1969. Embry immediately shifted into a small front office role as an assistant manager for the bucks. In 1972, he was promoted to general manager and served in the post until 1979. In 1986, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers front office as GM and worked there until 1999. Embry received his last shot at GM for the Toronto Raptors in 2006 and is currently a team consultant. Embry is a two-time winner NBA Executive of the Year Award for his work in 1992 and 1998 for the Cavaliers. Embry was no stranger to racism and recognized he was blessed to get the job in 1972, given the national political climate at the time. However, Embry maintains that he wouldn’t have been given the post if he wasn’t qualified to do so. Embry celebrated his 78th birthday on March 26th.
LEGAL NOTICES
MISCELLANEOUS
PUBLICATION OF BID SOLICITATIONS
Pleasant Painting by Dion (954) 868-0554
Broward County Board of County Commissioners is soliciting bids for a variety of goods and services, construction and architectural/engineering services. Interested bidders are requested to view and download the notifications of bid documents via the Broward County Purchasing website at: www.broward.org/ purchasing. April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2015
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April 2 - April 8, 2015 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • Page 11
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
AGAIN! Martese Johnson’s bloody encounter with officers proves race—not actions, income or education —still defines Black reality, say analysts FinalCall.com - Thirdyear University of Virginia honor student Martese Johnson survived an alleged assault by a group of Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control officers, but faces a fight for his good name and to avoid a criminal conviction. Support for the young leader has been strong: The university president has come out in support of Martese as has the vice president for diversity. Protestors have been in the streets and on campus demanding justice. The governor of Virginia
has called for an investigation. Almost all asked the same question: How could this happen to Martese-clean cut, bright, active and law-abiding? “As a Black man, a University of Virginia alumni and as someone who has covered discriminatory police violence against Black men and women the last two years, my hands were literally shaking over my laptop as I tried to write about the beating of Martese Johnson,” wrote Jason Johnson, a Hiram College political science professor, in an op-ed published
JOHNSON on www.nbcnews.com. “I kept hearing his scream, ‘I go to UVA You F***s’ as cops knee him in the back, face beaten and bloodied in a public street in front of all of his classmates. It is a nauseating reminder that no amount of education, poise or good behavior can protect a Black person in America. We are all, one cop, one vigilante, one maniac away from being racially victimized regardless of what investigations come afterwards,” he
observed. “College is a microcosm of the real world, sometimes education, being refined, being respectable, does not shield you from racism. We as persons of color who work with college students have to prepare our students for the harsh reality life, that no matter who you are, what you wear, what you do, you can still be a victim of racism,” said David Julius Ford, Ph.D., who is on the faculty of James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, Va. Dr. Ford was driven to pursue his doctorate by a desire to work with Black male students, who face challenges in higher education and need support. He has done academic, personal and other counseling with students and knew Martese from speaking at a fraternity banquet at the University of Virginia. “I hate to say this but I’ve seen (racism on campus) so much, I’ve become desensitized to it. That isn’t to say I’m not willing to speak out against it, but I am no longer shocked or angered by it because it’s become commonplace,” said Dr. Ford. Faculty members have to use their curriculums to show what is happening and validate what students feel, “to listen and empathize with them,” he said.
“A lot of professionals, no matter what ethnicity of the person—Black, White, Latino, Asian or whatever—I think we are losing that level of empathy for African American male students and therefore we are losing them,” said Dr. Ford. Helping students begins with empathy, offering a sense of belonging, taking an interest, figuring out what motivates the student, their aspirations and their history along with a sense of openness, he explained. Dr. Ford covered such topics in his dissertation, “A Grounded Theory of the College Experience of African American Males and Black Greek Letter Organizations.” His doctorate is in counseling education and supervision from Old Dominion University. University of Virginia Alumni for Change has launched a campaign to support Martese and help with his legal and medical expenses. Their Indiegogo page “Justice for Martese” has raised just over $10,000 at Final Call press time. The page had been up about four days March 23 and the funding goal is $50,000. The effort is mainly led by graduates of the University of Virginia who are members of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Martese is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
AKA Sorority, Incorporation Zeta Rho Omega Chapter — 2015 Top Hat Women of Distinction
Community Christian School (CCS) would like to congratulate the new reigning King and Queen for 2015. Crowned king is Master Gabriel A. Johnson, age 21 months old. King Kenneth is the son of Walter and Jessica Johnson. Crowned Queen is Miss XZaniyah Gray, age 4. Queen XZaniyah is the daughter of Kaishananta and Xavier Gray. CCS is under the direction of Mrs. Diana O. Eubanks, operated by the Community Church of God in Fort Lauderdale, 1300 NW 19 Ct., (954) 527-7886, where Rev. Dr. J. Curtis Eubanks is the Senior Pastor.
America’s racial crisis will never go away
Brandon Marshall carries a photo of Anthony Hill as protesters march through the street demonstrating Hill’s shooting death by a police officer, March 11, in Decatur, Ga.
Darmita White holds a sign to protest outside the home of Parker Rice, a University of Oklahoma student caught on video in a racist fraternity chant at their home in Dallas March 11. (AP/Wide World photos) (Cont'd from FP) It also followed the March 9 fatal police shooting of naked and unarmed Anthony Hill, a 27-year-old Black man in Georgia, and the fatal police shooting of 19-year-old Tony Robinson. He was killed inside his home
in Madison, Wisc., March 6 after an officer forced his way inside, after hearing a disturbance, according to police. People are growing tired, noted Dr. Horne. Part of the whole consequence of race and racism is disrespect, he said. “When you
L tor: Dr. Rosalind Osgood, Roberta McWhite, Islah Abdul-Aziz, Felicia Robinson, Leslie Nixon, Tamara Gant, JoeAnn Fletcher (President of Zeta Rho Omega Chapter), Beverly Crawford, Kathleen Cannon, Dr. Avis Proctor, Jocelyn Williams- Reid, Barbara Jones and Eunice J. Davis disrespect people for a long enough period of time, they do respond. They do react. People don’t like being disrespected, and that’s what we’re seeing now,” he continued. The March 11 shooting of two police officers during a protest at the Ferguson police station raised serious concerns. Twenty-year-old Jeffrey Williams of St. Louis has been arrested for the shootings. He’s been charged with two counts of first-degree assault, a count of firing a weapon from a vehicle and three counts of armed criminal activity. Bullets that struck police were aimed at someone else, he said. “People are tired of being pushed around. They’re tired of being taken for granted,” Dr. Horne said. He recommended Ferguson residents organize themselves politically and take command of the system. “Change only comes when people decide that they’ve had enough and they are willing to organize themselves away from what the situation has been,” Dr. Horne continued. Readin’, writin’ and racism In certain matters, things are getting worse, according to Professor Patrick Delices, former research fellow and assistant for Pulitzer Prize winning historian Dr. Manning Marable at Columbia University. He now works for a college in New York. “The United States of America is what it is: a nation founded on the basis of White supremacy. It is a system that prides itself on White privilege, White superiority and Black inferiority, so it is up to us to tap into our resources to create a nation of our own,” Prof. Delices told The Final Call. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
“A Diamond Anniversary,” Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Zeta Rho Omega Chapter will celebrate 60 years of serving the Broward County community on April 16, 2015. Our annual “Top Hat Salute to Women of Distinction” will be a component of the celebration and this year marks the seventh year of the award presentation, where women of the
community will be honored for their achievements and contributions in areas of human endeavor that embrace the precept of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s “Service to All Mankind.” On March 8 a High Noon Tea was held in honor of the 2015 Top Hat Honorees. The Tea was hosted at the “Historical Needham Estate” where over 70 ladies were in attendance.
Johnson is held down by an officer, March 18, in Charlottesville, Va. Court records show that Johnson was charged with obstruction of justice without force and public swearing or intoxication. The Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is calling for an investigation into the arrest of the student. (AP/Wide World photos) All the ladies adorned their hats and gloves for this affair with the New River as the back drop for the event. The 2015 Top Hat Women of Distinction include Islah AbdulAziz, Avis Boyd-Gaines, Kathleen Cannon, Beverly Crawford, Eunice J. Davis, Yvokia Davidson, Tamara Gant, Bobbie Grace, Linda Green, Sandy Israel, Barbara Jones, Roberta McWhite, Leslie Nixon, Dr. Rosalind Osgood, Dr. Avis Proctor, Felicia Robinson, Robbin Simmons, Jocelyn WilliamsReid, JoeAnn Fletcher, president of Zeta Rho Omega, Annette Johnson-Hurry and Trellanee Moore-Adderley, co-chairmen of the Top Hat High Noon Tea, also the Tea planning committee members; all officers and members of the chapter invite you to support the 60th Anniversary and Top Hat Salute to Women event, being held on Sunday, April 26, 2015 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa with special guest and master of ceremony actor/entertainer Boris Kodjoe. The public is invited to attend this event which will enable us to continue funding and supporting our community service initiatives. For more information visit: website www.zetarhoomega.org or email tophat@zetarhoomega.org. To purchase tickets visit: www.tophat2015.eventbrite.com
President: Joe Ann Fletcher -- For ticket Information visit www.zetarhoomega.org or /PayPal/or http://www.eventbrite.com/e/zeta-rho-omega-celebrates-60-years-ofservice-a-diamond-legacy-tickets-14970920426
Page 12 • www.thewestsidegazette.com • April 2 - April 8, 2015
Broward County's Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper
To Be Equal
The State of BlackAmerica By Marc H. Morial, NNPA Columnist (Part 1, Education) “What the people want is very simple: they want an America as good as its promise.” - Texas Congresswoman Barbara C. Jordan There’s no other way to say it. Black America is in crisis. Over the past year, we have been bombarded with headlines that continue to drive home the longstanding challenges faced by Black and Brown communities in our nation. From the killings of unarmed Black males at the hands of police officers to the introduction of new voter suppression laws that make it more difficult for people of color to exercise their constitutional right to MORIAL vote, it is clear that for many in our nation, equality under the law remains dangerously out of reach. But beyond the headlines, anecdotes and agenda-fueled debates lie the real numbers – all facts, no chaser. Last week, the National Urban League released the 2015 State of Black America report – “Save our Cities: Education, Jobs + Justice.” The report is the 39th edition of the National Urban League’s annual analysis of Black and Latino equality in America, and for the first time, this year’s report is available in an all-digital format available at www.stateofblackamerica.org, where visitors can find the e-book, Web Series, select data, videos, articles and other frequently updated features (as well as download a free copy of the 2015 State of Black America report until March 31). This year’s report again includes the Equality Index™, in its 11th year for the Black-White Index and its sixth year for the Hispanic-White Index – measuring how well Blacks and Latinos are doing
DILLARD HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM RANKED #1 NATIONALLY -- Fort Lauderdale’s very own 2014-15 Dillard High School Girls’ basketball team, who recently won its ninth state title under the esteem leadership of powerhouse coach Marcia Pinder, is headed to New York City this week to compete in the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School Nationals. The entire school faculty and student body celebrated their #1 nationally-ranked team with a cheerful pep rally send-off in Dillard’s iconic gymnasium with encouraging speeches and performances by the cheerleaders and step team. ESPN and other popular new sources were also in attendance to document this great feat. “The girls have worked extremely hard for this opportunity,” said Head Coach Pinder. The Westside Gazette Newspaper wishes the team much success on their journey to becoming National Champs! (Story and photos by Arriale Henry)
in comparison to their White peers in five categories: economics, education, health, social justice and civic engagement. What we’ve found is that while strides have been made in our communities, tremendous gaps continue to leave us with a crisis in education, jobs and justice. There are tremendous challenges before us, but the good news is that they are not insurmountable. For the next few weeks – and beginning with education, I will explore the findings of the 2015 State of Black America, and better still, suggest solutions to these challenges. As our nation enjoys historically low dropout rates, the highest high school graduation rates in history and more students of color studying on college campuses, we must also contend with the reality that school districts serving the highest percentage of low-income households spend fewer state and local dollars in those districts than ones that have fewer students in poverty. (Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)
SEVENTH DISTRICT OF THE OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC. HELD ITS 78TH ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETING — On April 9-12, 2015, the Seventh District of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. held its 78th Annual District Meeting in Mobile, Alabama. The 7th District, composed of the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, is the largest in the fraternity. The Eta Nu Chapter, Pompano Beach, led by Basileus Moses Barnes, was well represented by a contingent of over 31 registered members. The following brothers were presented awards heralding their years of service - financial, commitment to the cardinal principles of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift, and honoring the sacred oath that they swore to upon being initiated into this highly esteemed, august body known worldwide as the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity: Brothers Willie Bouyie, Lennox George, and Calvin Lamar - 40 years of service - and Brothers Robert Bailey and Samuel Clear - 50 years of service. Omega and Eta Nu thank you and salute your unfettered, continuous service to our beloved fraternity. Seated from l-r - Brothers Samuel Clear, Robert Bailey and Calvin Lamar. Standing from l-r - Brother Lennox George, Basileus Moses Barnes and Brother Willie Bouyie.