Wildcats snap losing streak SEE PAGE 7
EE FR
LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE: Is Black America better off under President Obama? SEE PAGE 4
TIMES COLUMNIST RECOUNTS 2000 TRIP TO CUBA SEE PAGE 7
East Central Florida’s Black Voice JANUARY 8 - JANUARY 14, 2015
YEAR 40 NO. 2
www.daytonatimes.com
2015 local focus: Lack of jobs, diversity Leaders discuss issues impacting county during Jan. 5 summit BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Communication with the city, high unemployment, education and a lack of diversity in city and county government topped the list of concerns at the Focus 2015 summit held at Hope Fellowship Church on Jan 5. The event hosted by Bishop Derek Triplett begged the question: “Where are our leaders taking us in
2015?” Panelists from the school board, city commission, county council, police and sheriff’s department offered answers to the 50 Daytona Beach residents in attendance. “As much as we tout the greatness of the county, city, I know a lot of people who hate it here. If they could leave here, they would leave here,” Triplett said. “Part of what we are talking about tonight is dispelling that. This is not shade, it’s not negative.” Triplett told the Daytona Times last week that he believes urban Daytona Beach can be very civically engaged and wants to start the steps to doing that. He
invited the elected officials and government leaders to the church for Focus 2015 and a question-and-answer session from residents. Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, City Manager Jim Chisolm, City Commissioner Patrick Henry, Volusia County Councilman Josh Wagner, County Councilwoman Joyce Cusack, Volusia School Board Vice Chair Dr. Ida Wright, Daytona Beach Police Department Chief Mike Chitwood, and Volusia County Sheriff Office Chief-Deputy Mike Coffin were all at the meeting.
Diversity in the county
“If you work for the county, stand,” Cusack asked the group of mostly Black residents. Two people stood. “We have to have a workplace that is more diverse. I’ve been on the council now for four years and prior to that I worked for 13 years for Volusia County. There are not many folk of color that work for Volusia County,” Cusack said. “This workplace is not diverse. We need to get somebody to work for Volusia County that looks like me. Every time I go into a session and we have our department heads come in, there are no folk of color as department heads. Please see 2015, Page 2
PHOTO BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Daytona Beach City Manager Jim Chisholm answers a question from Bishop Derek Triplett at Monday night’s Focus 2015 event.
HONORING AN ICON
Family, friends celebrate Jimmy Huger on his 100th birthday
AAA giving away car seats for kids 4,5 BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Centenarian Jimmy Huger (center) is flanked by Commissioner Patrick Henry and Mayor Derrick Henry at his 100th birthday celebration on Saturday.
Daytona Beach AAA offices will join with offices nationwide to give away car seats this month. The seats are being offered to the public as a way to increase the awareness of a new law that requires children under age 6 to be in a car seat or booster seat. Beginning Jan. 1, every motor vehicle operator in Florida was required to use a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device for children until age 6. Before the law took effect, the cutoff age was 3 years old. Children ages 4 and 5, previously allowed to ride in cars with just a seatbelt, must use child-safety or booster seats under the new law. A spokesperson at the AAA location on International Speedway Boulevard told the Daytona Times that the organization is offering the free car seats every Friday in January by appointment. This Friday, Jan. 9 is completely booked with appointments but times are still available for Jan. 16, 23 and 30.
Mom pleased The child has to be between 4 and 6 years old and the parent and the child must come into the office together. Parents do not have to be an AAA member. “I’m happy that the law has gone into effect,” Jovan Newby, mom of 7-year-old Jamal told the Times. “I am a preschool teacher so I am constantly reading about safety issues when it comes to children. After I found out that children are much safer in a booster seat even up to 9 or 10 years old, I think it is a must to have them in one.”
Daytona Beach’s first Black elected official, civil rights pioneer, Congressional Gold Medal recipient and local icon Jimmy Huger celebrated his 100th birthday on Jan. 3 at the Daytona International Speedway 500 Club during a fundraiser event to help local students at the same time. On Jan. 5 he celebrated with close friends and family on his actual birthday. PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Please see CAR SEATS, Page 2
DeLand center sponsoring ‘Biggest Loser’ competition for Volusia residents BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
The Spring Hill Resource Center in DeLand will be giving those who chose losing weight as a New Year’s resolution a chance to show what they are made of. Over the next seven weeks, Director Shilretha Dixon says the center will be home to a “Biggest Loser’’ loser competition for area residents starting Monday, Jan.
ALSO INSIDE
12 and running through April 5. Headquartered in DeLand, Dixon says the competition is open to other Volusia County cities as well. “We won’t turn anyone away. We want everyone to be healthy,” she explained. The competition will focus on the individual unlike preceding years where the focus was on a team. Each competitor will pay a $25 entry fee. All the entry fees will be combined as the jackpot
and then given to the person who loses the most weight at the end of the competition. “After some observations from people who might want to join, we found no one wants to share the jackpot,” she laughed.
Healthy eating classes The competition will vie each contestant against one another based on pounds lost. This is unlike the popular television show,
“The Biggest Loser,’’ where contestants are judged on the percent of body fat they have lost. “It takes a lot of classes to learn about body fat, lean muscle, and BMI (body mass index),” Dixon explained. “So we are going strictly by weight, by pounds.” “We realize that in order to provide the services that we do, we need a healthy community. This will be just one of our initiatives to creating a healthier community,” Dixon continued.
“We will join in with another program called ‘A Blueprint for Good Health,’ which is a hypertension and diabetes prevention program, a 21-step program that I wrote. It includes the ABCs of cholesterol and glucose screening. They (participants) will learn about meal planning, collaboration and teamwork. The last four classes are healthy cooking classes. They will be combined with
COMMENTARY: DR. BENJAMIN CHAVIS: RECLAIMING THE LEGACY OF MLK | PAGE 4 HEALTH: HOW MEDICAID EXPANSION WOULD HELP FLORIDA, OTHER STATES | PAGE 5
Please see WEIGHT, Page 2
7 FOCUS
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JANUARY 8 – JANUARY 14, 2015
Literacy at forefront of F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival Author Janis Kerney (left) was among the more than 20 authors at the annual F.R.E.S.H. Festival held last weekend. The festival promotes reading, writing and book publication. “Literacy and English language proficiency are tools that help people move out of poverty and get better-paying jobs to support their families,” Director and Founder Donna Gray-Banks told the Daytona Times. “Literacy allows parents to read to their children. Improved literacy skills benefit not only the struggling reader, but everyone in our community regardless of age, race, gender, or background.” In addition to Kerney, weekend events also featured authors Eve Wright Taylor, Esq.; Charles W. Cherry II, Esq.; Kentrell Martin and Sheryl Gormley. PHOTO BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
‘Bridge the Gap’ meeting in DeLand on Jan. 12
Dance academy offering free classes this month
A public meeting to “Bridge the Gap’’ in the community will be held at the Chisholm Center in DeLand on Jan. 12 at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to hear from community partners, including the Volusia County Health Department, The House Next Door, The DeLand Community Assistance Division, CareerSource of Volusia/Flagler, Votran and others. The center is located at 520 South Clara Ave.
Royal Pointe Dance Academy is offering free dance classes from Jan. 2023 in Volusia County. The academy holds classes at several community centers in the area, including the Schnebly Recreation Center, Yvonne-Scarlett Golden Cultural Center and the Dickerson Center. There also is a ballet class at Bethune-Cookman University on Fridays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Chaleak Grier, owner
of the academy, believes that age has no bearing on the potential of a dancer. With that mindset, she accepts youth of all ages to learn the techniques of ballet, jazz and modern at their own pace. There is an even a co-ed step team that meets at the Dickerson Center in the activity building on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. After the free dance classes, dancers will be encouraged to come back every week to improve their technique and prepare for the recital for a fee. For more information on the
program and for a complete list of classes and locations, visit www.royalpointeda.com or call 904352-5671.
Votran fare increase takes effect Feb. 2 Beginning Feb. 2, Votran riders will face a modest fare increase, the second of a two-part phased fare hike. The first phase of the rate increase became effective in February 2014. Votran is increasing fares to help offset substantially higher operating costs. Even with the increase, Votran fares remain below
the average of other Florida transit systems, according to Steve Sherrer, Votran general manager. “We have a strong commitment to our riders and their transportation needs,” said Sherrer. “This increase is necessary to continue our commitment to maintain a high level of service. We are proud to say that Votran fares remain very comparable with Florida’s other transit systems.”
$1.75 for one way With the new fare schedule, a one-way fare will cost $1.75, an increase of
25 cents; the reduced fare for senior citizens, disabled and youths will be 85 cents, an increase of 10 cents; and a daily pass will be $3.75, an increase of 25 cents. The Votran Gold fare for paratransit users remains $3. Passes purchased prior to the fare increase will be accepted on Votran buses with no additional purchase required. Riders have the option to purchase passes at the 2014 fare prices any time prior to Feb. 2 for use after the fare increase takes effect. For more information, visit www.votran.org.
2015
from Page 1
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOVAN NEWBY
Jamal Newby, 7, sits comfortably in his booster seat. A new Florida law requires children to be seated in a child safety or booster seat until age 6.
CAR SEATS from Page 1
Jamal says he doesn’t particularly like riding in the car seat but he likes that it keeps him safe. “And Mommy always has snacks
WEIGHT from Page 1
the ‘Biggest Loser’ group. The classes focus on what your plate should look like.”
Weekly weigh-ins Throughout the seven-week competition, participants will track their performance with a step on the scale. The weekly weigh-ins will take place in a private room by a certified nurse. For confidentiality concerns of participants, the nurse is not affiliated with the center. At the weigh-in, the nurse will not provide medical advice to the participants but will have consultations with each member on how they are feeling. To make the competition even more fun, Dixon says each participant has to think of a creative name to use. Dixon will be competing in the competition as well although she says that she won’t be in the running for the jackpot. “I can tell you right now, my name is going to be ‘Drop it like
in the cup holders for me,” he added. AAA said car crashes are one of the leading causes of death among kids ages 1 through 9 and recommends car seats for any child who is 4 feet, 9 inches or shorter. Visit www.aaa.com to find a location near you.
it’s hot.’ That is exactly what I plan to do,” she said.
Donations sought The center also is looking for organizations or business that are interested in donating healthy meals or goods to the competition for the big finale. People interested in participating in the Spring Hill Biggest Loser competition are asked to go to the Spring Hill Resource Center on Jan. 12 between 9 a.m. and 5 p .m. Anyone can join the competition anytime from Jan. 12-15. A pounds party giveaway will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 with information on healthy eating and exercise. The Project 10 Kids organization has pledged to donate 30 nutritious meals to children in the area for each 10 pounds lost per person. Dixon urges anyone interested in taking part of the competition to check with their doctor or health care provider before starting any weight-loss diet or exercise program. The center is located at 910 South Adelle Road, DeLand. For more information, call 386740-0808.
“So what am I going to do? I’m going to say to Mr. Dinneen (Jim Dinneen, Volusia County Manager) as I have in the past, we need to make it possible for all ethnic groups to work for Volusia County. How do we do that? We must give a conscientious effort to diversify this workplace. That is my charge for the next four years,” Cusack concluded. “I agree with her 150 percent,” Chief Deputy Coppin of the Volusia County Sheriff Department told those assembled. “We are way too White male in this profession across the country. And we have to change that. And we can do that through our deputy sponsorship program. We recruit protected, classified individuals (including minorities). “We put them through school and teach them how to be cops. We find that it is better to find a good person, a person of good character and teach them to be cops. You cannot teach people to be good people. Integrity and character are qualities you have in your heart or you do not,” he continued to applause. “Our job is to find good people of good character. We will go where we need to go.”
Education Wright explained to the group some of what the school board is working on. “Starting Feb. 14 we will be hosting a Parent University where we will be going around to churches,” she explained. “What do you want to know about Volusia County Schools and your children and their learning? I can educate the parents and prepare them. The children are easy; the adults are the problem.” “We have two things that we do well here in Volusia County,” Wright continued. “Our academies. We have great academies. We have to get parents involved to understand the purpose of our academies. Number 2, we now have our matriculation agreement with Bethune-Cookman University. Our pilot school is Mainland High where students can now dually enroll at Bethune-Cookman University. “Many parents don’t know that. I have to do a better job at getting the message out. That is why we came up with Parent University. Because if your child is in the 12th grade and now applying for college they are behind the eight ball. They should have applied to college last year. We will have financial aid workshops, we will have workshops
PHOTO BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Mayor Derrick Henry answers a question posed by an audience member at the Focus 2015 forum. for our children so that our high school children who are in the ninth grade can learn how to write letters, know how to write essays,” she added. “Twelfth grade is too late. My cry to you is when we start having Parent University, you come. When we start coming to the churches in the next two weeks and we ask what is it that you want to know, you give us your honest feedback. Nothing is dumb, nothing is crazy if you want to know we are going to make sure someone is there to answer your questions.” Wagner also said business and education were two of his main interests for his second term. “We need to talk about education,” Wagner said, the parent of children 2 and 4. “I understand it now even more. “You’ll do everything you can to provide for your child. You’ll do it because you have to, and you love your kids. People are making economic decisions, tough decisions. We have to make it a better environment for our young people to stay and do well.”
Unemployment Unemployment also was a hot button topic at the meeting. Commissioner Patrick Henry explained that he runs into young people who say they need a job and the unfortunate reality in many occasions is that those same young men are unable to pass an important aspect of the hiring process. “When I walked in the door someone stopped me and said, just tell the truth. Say what you can do, if you can’t do it, don’t say it,” Henry began. “So I’m going to tell the truth.” “One of the big things I talk about are all these jobs that are coming to Daytona Beach. There is the neighborhood watch that meets, the Westside Neighborhood Watch on the first Monday of every month at Eighth and Derbyshire. One of the big things that Alfred Woods who leads that group does is he goes out to these
employers and he finds out what they are looking for, for those to be employed. Some of the companies tell us that ‘well, we understand that everyone can’t go to college.’ But the truth of the matter is a lot of times we get the young people around the table and we say this is what you need to do. You need to take an A and B course or a 16-week course and you need to be able to pass a drug test. The truth of the matter is,” he paused. “Say it,” a reply from the back of the room yelled out. “A whole lot of them can’t pass the drug test, or don’t want to pass the drug test,” Henry continued. “I tell them, ‘look, if I can get you a job making $12-14 dollars an hour the least thing you can do is stay clean for 30 days so you can pass the drug test.’ I’m here to tell the truth, pastor. In 2015, I’m going to continue to work with our young people in this community. This is Zone 5. We have to get them prepared to take on some of these jobs. All of these jobs are not going to be college jobs. “Number two, tell the truth? ‘I ain’t going to work at McDonalds, that ain’t enough money for me.’ Tell the truth? You going to jail for drug dealing but you don’t have money to bail out.” He added, “We have a lot of talent in Zone Five. We have a lot of hard working young people in Zone Five. But we need to collectively prepare for all of our young people to have jobs.”
Follow-up forum At the end of the year, Triplett wants to invite the panelists back to the church for a follow-up forum on their plans in an effort to assess how well they did. “We named it ‘Focus 2015’ because in 2015 everyone ought to be trying to achieve something,” Triplett explained. “We do a lot of managing the past instead of leading to the future. We just end up marketing yesterday and managing today instead of leading people to tomorrow and moving forward.”
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JANUARY 8 – JANUARY 14, 2015 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
The culture, the history, the hospitality: Remembering 2000 trip to Cuba Since President Barack Obama decided to end the 50-year embargo against Cuba, I reached a decision to rewrite my May 18, 2000, Daytona Times story. A 10-day tour of Cuba replicates Kodak moments of a mix of culture – after an increasingly sixhour ordeal at passport checkpoints at Miami Airport. We took off for Holguin, Cuba, on April 28, with viewfinders centering a culture of Cuba’s Spanish colonization and African roots in art, music, dance, and religious practices to produce a Cuban cultural portrait. In conjunction with the Caribbean American Children’s Foundation (CACF) and the African American Cultural Society (AACS), we legally toured Cuba with travel licenses from the U.S. Treasury, regardless of the embargo imposed on trade. We were perhaps the first American Blacks to tour Communist Cuba and oftentimes were mistaken for Jamaicans.
Treated royally Our 19-member delegation from Palm Coast, Ormond Beach, Baltimore, Queens, and the Bronx was treated royally, seated away from the sun beating down, at a community turnout in the City of Banes, the archaeological capital of Cuba. Black Cubans preserved their culture despite the hardest strife of racial discrimination, the lack of education and health care. The socialist government, after the 1958 revolution by Fidel Castro, had countered the racial and economic divide. Literacy is more than 96 percent; socialized medicine was enacted, and only Cuban citizens can buy or inherit land. Moreover, Africans had arrived as slave labor, and the Jamaican influx coming after the Panama Canal was built, in addition to Marcus Garvey’s influence of the 1920s. The descendants are educated and receptive of our combined African culture. They presented a street festival with drummers, glass dancers, fire-eaters, and children costumed in cultural dress as dancers.
‘I felt love’ Hand-crafted fashion was uninhibitedly modeled by young girls as we listened to their music in romantic tales like the typical craze of American-Black teens. Each presentation reflected was reminiscent of our cultural expression.’ “I felt love,” said Robert A.
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
Brooks, chairman of Black Studies at the African American Cultural Society. “The people were nice, generous, and giving - and had a real concern for others.” What amounted to a BrooklynQueens block party took a stance in miles of agricultural plains with goats along the countryside of thatched-roofed houses and quaint horse-drawn buggies. Bicycles and shiny American-made cars of the 1950s were common. Cuba is the world’s largest exporter of sugar and a chief producer of tobacco, rice, coffee, and fruits.
Great hospitality Because of the great Jamaican hospitality at the Club Anglocaribeno, including the “paladare,” a restaurant in the home of Etoy Wilmot Murray and his wife, a dentist, Dr. Alberto N. Jones, CACF executive director, was reunited with Rose Peyton, 78, his first English teacher. Hospitality and culture outlined reflections by Haitian descendants at the Tumba Francescu Pompadour club in Guantanamo and costumed as look-alike baroque French dancers. Their language was comprehensive through the translation of our government tour guide, Aguedo (Aggie) Martinez Duquesne. Juanito, our bus driver, steered us safely through steep, rocky mountains for a rigorous schedule of historical sites. As far as our eyes could see, we spotted the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo from atop a lookout deck. The late Gertrude Blackwell, AACS Cultural Chairman, spearheaded the planting of a friendship tree showing goodwill in Solidarity Park, Guantanamo, Cuba. We laid a wreath at the Monument of Mariana Grajales, Cuba’s unofficial Mother of the Nation. She is Antonio Maceo’s mother. Independence war heroes were paid tribute, among whom were Antonio Maceo, Jose Marti, and Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
Goodwill ambassadors Members of the Blue Mountain Association, the descendants of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, showered us with souvenirs. The members are pharmaceutical specialists and goodwill ambassadors, who, like the oth-
PHOTO BY JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY/DAYTONA TIMES
The late Gertrude Blackwell spearheaded the tree planting in Solidarity Park, Guantanamo, Cuba. She was followed by William Robinson on the right, and on the far right by the late Charles Wallace, the late Dr. Elmer Martin, co-founder of the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore, Md., and Earsel Wallace. er members of Cuban organizations, accompanied us on tour. Our study group was invited to a phenomenal rehearsal at the National Dance Theater in Santiago under director Eduardo Rivero Walker, a Jamaican descendant. The theater is the only national company besides the one in Havana. Our group donated streams of monies to the arts, cultural groups, the Santiago Medical School, other schools, healthcare facilities and churches. We donated enormous amounts of school supplies and medicine. Our visits to churches dispelled the Communist notion of being unable to worship in church.
of the rich and famous, is the gateway to the urban genre of bustling city life and providing culture, night life, speeding taxis, public transportation, international trade, etc. Harbors, beaches, parks, and outdoor markets have become places of embracing friendship. “When you observe what is shown on TV, or what is said,” said Louis McCarthy, “it is different than when you actually go to Cuba. The only way to distinguish between what you hear and what you see on TV, is to go. And, that doesn’t mean to just go to Havana - just like New York doesn’t just constitute the United States.”
Plumbing and accommodations
‘Great moments’
Cuban plumbing is not the most effective. Apart from the toilets at the finer hotels and courtyard shops, buckets of water are utilized for flushing the toilets. Faucets are void of running water. It seems that a premium is placed on paint for refurbishing ordinary houses and the more elegant, exclusive structures, which sometimes are converted to schools. Travail exists in a shortage of paper products - toilet paper and napkins. Liquid soap and toilet paper filled our knapsacks! We stayed at one of the most luxurious hotels in Havana, the Hotel Habana Libre, a former Hilton Hotel. On tour, we stopped at other hotels and resorts. Havana, once the playground
Latin music sizzles with serenades at hotels and cafes while belting down 7-Up and Coca Cola. Throughout the island, TV shows aired from the U.S. without technical difficulties. Cable CNN was broadcast in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. IBM computers functioned on line at hotels. It was interesting that in spite of the embargo, 7-Up, Coca Cola, and IBM were very much in demand. The playing field is innovative for owning businesses and selling commodities. Cuba’s oldworld charm in architectural design complements the surge of hirise construction. The American dollar remains the legal tender, and 25 pesos are equal to the U.S. dollar. American credit cards and travelers checks - because of the embargo - have not been lifted.
Moreover, “these are great moments,” elaborated Dr. Alberto N. Jones. “Thanks for your willingness to rewrite your past report...We need to get most of our people informed and involved. There will be business opportunities and our people should not be left out.” Dr. Jones is synonymous with founding the Caribbean-American Children’s Foundation in 1996. He has spent over 20 years conducting humanitarian efforts in Cuba from his home in Palm Coast. CACF promotes better understanding among minorities, develops solidarity among youth, and encourages donations of material goods to the less fortunate in Cuba and other Caribbean islands. Others not mentioned from the delegation that toured Cuba are Dr. Joanne Martin, co-founder of the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Baltimore, Md., the late William “Buddy” Gregory, Erma Brooks, the late Hazel Robinson, the late Perry Jacobs, Howard Eugene Stinnette, Charlotte Crawford, Roland McNeil, Catherine Pearson, and Robert Parks. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to: Miriam Pincham, Jan. 10; Marva Jones, Jan. 11. Happy anniversary to the Rev. Woodrow and Mrs. Gloria Leeks.
Cultural Council schedules workshops for grant applicants The Cultural Council of Volusia County will conduct two workshops in January for organizations wishing to apply for a Volusia County Community Cultural Grant. The workshops will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, in the second-floor training room of the Volusia County Historic Courthouse, 125 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand; and 2:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, in the third-floor conference room of the Volusia County Lifeguard Headquarters and Administration Center, 515 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach. The Community Cultural Grant provides general operating support to nonprofit organizations in Volusia County that have as their primary mission the delivery of cultural or heritage-based programs to the public. In 2014, more than $611,000 was awarded to 33 organizations. Applications must submitted online by 5 p.m. Friday, April 10. On May 27, the Cultural Council will review and score the grant applications to provide recommendations to the Volusia County Council. For more information, contact Cultural Coordinator Mike Fincher at mfincher@ volusia.org or 386-736-5953, ext. 15872.
An episode of PBS’ “Downton Abbey’’ will be shown on Jan. 14.
‘Ladies Night Out’ to debut at Cinematique The Daytona Beach Regional Library and Cinematique will kick off their new “Masterpiece Classics Ladies Night Out” series at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Cinematique Theater, 242 S. Beach St. Attendees will watch the current episode of “Downton Ab-
bey” and take part in a discussion of the characters in historical context led by Librarian Deborah Shafer. The series, which focuses on Masterpiece Classics programs, will meet on the second Wednesday of each month. Admission is free, and reservations are not required. For more information, call Deborah Shafer at 386-257-6036, ext. 16234.
Mentors for teens in foster care needed
Palm Coast AACS to announce board members
membership details, call Jean Tanner at 386-445-8403.
Community Partnership for Children is recruiting mentors for teenage children in foster care. To learn about this program, register for the next orientation class. The orientation is Tuesday, Jan. 20, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Community Partnership for Children, 135 Executive Circle, Daytona Beach. To register, contact Susan Hiltz at 386547-2293 or via email at Susan.Hiltz@cbcvf.org.
The African American Cultural Society (AACS) will hold a general meeting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the African American Cultural Society Center, 4422 US Highway 1 North. The Election Committee will announce results of membership voting to fill three positions on the board of directors. Free morning refreshments will be available to all who arrive early at 10:30 a.m. For information, call 386-447-7030. For
Human Services Board meets Jan. 13 Volusia County’s Human Services Advisory Board will meet at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the Emergency Operations Center, 3825 Tiger Bay Road, Daytona Beach. Members will discuss the Community Service Block Grant first-quarter report for fiscal year 2014-2015 and review the
grant’s organizational standards. Members will also discuss the 2014-2015 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The advisory board assists the Volusia County Council in developing CSBG program goals and objectives, identifying community needs, and evaluating program effectiveness. For more information, contact Myralis Hopgood at mhopgood@volusia.org or 386-736-5956, ext. 12985.
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7 EDITORIAL
JANUARY 8 – JANUARY 14, 2015
Content of Steve Scalise’s character There they go again! Just as the Republican Party is poised to take control of Congress, a key official’s actions and words remind us – just in time for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – that it remains implacably hostile to what King represented and what the holiday stands for. Louisiana blogger Lamar White Jr.’s revealing last week that Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), now the third-ranking officer in the GOP’s House majority leadership structure, spoke at a White-supremacist convention in 2002 while a state representative, set off the by now well-practiced minuet of yet another prominent conservative trying to distance himself or herself from having associated with bigots.
Admitted to offense First, Scalise through a spokesperson acknowledged that he had spoken to the group, the European-American Unity and Rights Organization, or EURO, but said he had had no inkling of their anti-Black, -Hispanic and –Jewish views. However, Scalise’s claim of ignorance about EURO produced widespread skepticism, even among some conservatives, given that he spoke to the group during its two-day convention at a hotel in his own district and that its racist views had been discussed in several recent local news articles. EURO, which had been founded two years earlier by David Duke, the notorious racist and former Louisiana state legislator, had links to several other similar Southernbased racist groups, although, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks U.S. hate
LEE A. DANIELS NNPA COLUMNIST
groups, it was and is largely “a paper tiger, serving primarily as a vehicle to publicize Duke’s writing and sell his books.”
Harsh words Nonetheless, like its confederates among hate groups, it was a poster-board for stomach-churning racist invective. For example, one post from 2007 denounced the increasingly multiracial character of today’s Germany, declaring, “The beautiful Germany of the 1930s with blonde children happily running through the streets has been replaced by a multi-racial cesspool. Out of work Africans can be seen shuffling along the same streets which used to be clean and safe in the days of [Hitler’s Nazi Party].” The pushback forced Scalise to quickly issue another statement declaring that his appearance at the event was “a mistake in judgment,” caused by the organizational disarray of his scheduling team and this time he emphatically denied approving of EURO’s views. “I didn’t know who all of these groups were and I detest any kind of hate group,” Scalise told the New Orleans-based NOLA.com/Times-Picayune website. “For anyone to suggest that I was involved with a group like that is insulting and ludicrous.” By then, prominent Republicans in Congress had begun speaking up in his defense, and
Rep. Cedric Richmond, of New Orleans, Louisiana’s only Black Democratic Congressman, vouched for Scalise’s tolerance and integrity.
Against King holiday But what caught my attention most about this story was the largely ignored fact that in 1999 and again in 2004 Steve Scalise as a state representative was one of a very few Louisiana state legislators to vote against establishing a state holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. On those occasions, only three and six Louisiana state legislators, respectively, voted against those proposals. Why at the opening of the 21st century, after the King national holiday had been celebrated for 15 years, would any public official be against establishing an official state holiday? Are those votes the actions of someone who wouldn’t know they were at a White-supremacist conference despite being, literally, in the middle of it? In all the hullabaloo about Scalise’s speaking before the EURO group, his anti-King votes have been overlooked. But don’t those votes also raise a question about the content of Steve Scalise’s character? Perhaps this month he’ll find a respectable forum and give a speech about that.
Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His essay, “Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Great Provocateur,” appears in Africa’s Peacemakers: Nobel Peace Laureates of African Descent (2014), published by Zed Books. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Reclaiming the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The 2015 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday should have a different impact on the collective consciousness of Black America. Why? Because once again there are millions of Black Americans who are more determined than ever to keep pushing forward to achieve full freedom, justice, equality and empowerment. The historic methodology, style and substance of Dr. King’s leadership needs to be reclaimed by those with the heavy responsibility to lead. By re-embracing Dr. King’s prophetic activism and mobilization genius, I believe Black American leaders of national organizations will be effective in countering the backward drift of voter suppression, racism, violence and hopelessness. The tone set in the King Holiday ceremonies this year should focus on achieving equality and economic empowerment for all.
Demands for justice Over the past year, there have been numerous demonstrations across the nation demanding racial justice in the wake of police killing of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and Rumain Brisbon. It was a positive sign of progress to witness street protests that, in the spirit of Dr. King, transcend-
DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST
ed race and class. All forms of injustice must be opposed. It was Dr. King who reminded us that “an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” As was the case in the past, young people today are only less prejudiced than their parents and preceding generations. Even so, emerging young leaders are not relenting – they are pushing forward with renewed energy, conviction and vigor. In fact, we should not forget that Martin Luther King was only 26 years old in 1955 when he became the primary spokesman for the nascent Montgomery Bus Boycott Movement.
No credit given Now that the U.S. economy continues to rebound, efforts to end poverty in our communities should be significantly increased. Interestingly, those who opposed President Barack Obama blamed him for things that were already bad when he assumed
office. And now that the economy has improved, they refuse to give him credit for the recovery. As we prepare to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we should remember that he concluded that economic justice was also a key civil rights issue. Two weeks before Dr. King was murdered, he addressed a rally in Memphis of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). King stated, “Now our struggle is for genuine equality, which means economic equality……. For we know now that it isn’t enough to integrate lunch counters. What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn’t have enough money to buy a hamburger?” Dr. King was on point. We are grateful that the legacy of Dr. King’s leadership continues to be vibrant and relevant to the advancement of the cause of freedom and justice. We, therefore, face the future with a stronger confidence that we still shall overcome, largely by reclaiming Dr. King’s legacy.
Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.
Disregarding Black life Patrick Lynch, do you remember Oscar Grant? And if you do, Mr. “leader” of the New York Police Department Union, why do you pretend not to understand the reaction that many AfricanAmerican people have to the police killing of Black men? The official reaction to those killings and the arrogance with which many police officers (read Darren Wilson in Ferguson) respond to the fact that they have snuffed out a life. If you don’t remember Oscar Grant, Mr. Lynch, I do. He was executed on the first day of the same month that President Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, ordered from a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train in Oakland, Calif., and compliantly sitting on the platform when he and a group of friends were roughed up, and he was shot. Why? Because his murderer, Johannes Mehserle, said he mistook his Glock gun (with a weight of at least 28 ounces and perhaps as many as 38) for a Taser (which weighs seven ounces).
Not nonsense Just days after the killing, on Jan. 6, 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle described this fiction as “nonsense,” not only be-
DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM
cause firing a Taser has an entirely different protocol than firing a Glock, but also as noted by The Chronicle a Taser has to be turned on and off, and a Glock does not. Furthermore, Mesherle had used his Taser earlier in the same evening he killed Oscar Grant. He should have known the difference. Where did the murderer Johannes Mehserle get his police training? In a crackerjack box or an amusement park? Oscar Grant paid the ultimate price, and his family, his baby daughter, paid the price for Johannes Mehserle’s ignorance and murderous actions. Meanwhile, Johannes Mehserle has been able to move through his life, often with the help and support of “law enforcement” agencies. Johannes Mehserle was so arrogant that he refused to appear at an investigative meeting ordered by his superiors in early January 2009. He sent his lawyer instead and then immediately re-
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: OBAMA’S RESOLUTIONS
signed from BART. It took nearly a month for the Oakland Police Department to arrest Mehserle. His crime was so egregious, his conflicting descriptions of it so glaring, that a judge set his bail at $3 million. He spent 11 months in jail before he was tried in Los Angeles, and convicted of involuntary manslaughter, not murder. He was sentenced to a scant two years and served a meager 11 months in jail before he was released. The audacity of explanations, not the murders of Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and so many others explains some of the tension between African-Americans and “law enforcement.” You see, while many police perceive most African-Americans as potential criminals, many African-Americans recognize police officers as potential Johannes Mesherle or Darren Wilson. If Patrick Lynch and his ilk want to stop the tension, perhaps they ought to eliminate their audacious disregard for Black life.
Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington, D.C. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
GARY MCCOY, CAGLE CARTOONS
Is Black America better off under Obama? “Like the rest of America, Black America, in the aggregate, is better off now than it was when I came into office,” said President Obama on December 19, in response to a question by Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent April Ryan. What planet African-Americans are doing “better off” on is unknown. What is known is that President Obama is about to leave office with African-Americans in their worst economic situation since Ronald Reagan. A look at every key stat as President Obama starts his sixth year in office illustrates that.
Worse unemployment Unemployment. The average Black unemployment under President Bush was 10 percent. The average under President Obama after six years is 14 percent. Black unemployment, “has always been double” [that of Whites] but it hasn’t always been 14 percent. The administration was silent when Black unemployment hit 16 percent – a 27-year high – in late 2011. Poverty. The percentage of Blacks in poverty in 2009 was 25 percent; it is now 27 percent. The issue of poverty is rarely mentioned by the president or any members of his cabinet. Currently, more than 45 million people – 1 in 7 Americans – live below the poverty line. The Black/White Wealth Gap. The wealth gap between Blacks and Whites in America is at a 24-year high. A December study by PEW Research Center revealed the average White household is worth $141,900, and the average Black household is worth $11,000. From 2010 to 2013, the median income for Black households plunged 9 percent.
Income inequality Income inequality. “Between 2009 and 2012 the top one percent of Americans enjoyed 95 percent of all income gains, according to research from U.C. Berkeley,” reported The Atlantic. It was the worst since 1928. As income inequality has widened during President Obama’s time in office, the president has endorsed tax policy that has widened inequality, such as the Bush Tax cuts. Education: The high school dropout rate has improved during the Obama administration.
LAUREN VICTORIA BURKE NNPA COLUMNIST
However, currently 42 percent of Black children attend high poverty schools, compared to only 6 percent of White students. The Department of Education’s change to Parent PLUS loans requirements cost HBCU’s more than $150 million and interrupted the educations of 28,000-plus HBCU students. President Obama continued Bush’s economic policy by deciding not to allow the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010 and agreeing to make them permanent in 2013. There would have been $4 trillion in additional revenue had the president simply let the Bush tax cuts expire.
Silent leaders In 2011, when Al Sharpton told CBS’ 60 Minutes that, “Obama already said he won’t do anything for Blacks, duh,” it signaled that Black civil rights leaders would not push the first Black president hard on Black issues. Sharpton has been in the White House 61 times since 2009, probably more than any member of Congress, including leadership, over that period. With that type of access to power one has to ask: Where are the positive policy results? The good news is that President Obama has appointed more Black people as federal judges than any other president in American history. The federal prison population has decreased and the rate of Americans without health insurance has dropped, even with Republican governors in the South blocking the Affordable Care Act. But the president appears to be unwilling to use the full power of his office to push targeted policy to assist African-Americans as he has done for Latinos, gays and lesbians, and other groups.
Lauren Victoria Burke is freelance writer and creator of the blog Crewof42.com, which covers African-American members of Congress. Write your own response at www. daytonatimes.com.
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HEALTH MA YOR
JANUARY 8 – JANUARY 2015 DECEMBER 14 - 20,14, 2006
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama meet with mothers in the Oval Office to promote the President’s health care law in the White House December 2013 on ways the law could benefit families. OLIVIER DOULIERY/ ABACA PRESS/TNS
How Medicaid expansion would help Blacks Health care would increase significantly if states accept federal funding BY FREDDIE ALLEN NNPA NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – As families prepare to choose health insurance coverage during the open enrollment period, a recent report by the Urban Institute shows that Blacks have the most to gain from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) if the states they live in expand Medicaid under the law. The Urban Institute, a nonprofit research group focused on social and economic policy, estimated that Blacks will experience, “the largest decreases in uninsurance rates under full Medicaid expansion: a drop from 11.3 percent (projected with current expansion decisions) to 7.2 percent” and the uninsurance rate gap between Blacks and Whites will fall from 6.5 percent under current Medicaid expansion to 2.6 percent with full expansion. However, the gap between Black and White uninsurance rates will remain closer to 7 percent, at least for the near future, because most Blacks live in states that have refused to expand Medicaid under the ACA. The original law, passed in 2010, mandated Medicaid expansion nationwide, but the United
States Supreme Court 2012 decision in the National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius case reversed that provision, leaving it to the states to decide whether they want to take additional Medicaid funding under the ACA.
Southern holdouts According to the Urban Institute, “As of December 2014, 27 states and the District of Columbia had expanded Medicaid or planned to expand by January 2015.” The Urban Institute projected that Blacks would comprise 12.8 percent of all coverage gains under current Medicaid expansion policies and 2.9 million Blacks would get health insurance. The uninsurance rate for Blacks would fall from 19.6 percent to 11.3 percent. More than half of all Blacks live in states primarily in the South and led by Republican governors that didn’t expand Medicaid after the ACA was passed in 2010. When states refused to expand Medicaid, the move trapped Blacks in a “coverage gap,” because many of them don’t meet the income-based requirements to qualify for Medicaid under their own state rules or to receive subsidies through the ACA marketplace.
Impact of expansion About 1.4 million Blacks fall into this category, accounting for
more than 23 percent of the uninsured non-elderly adult Blacks. For example, in Florida, Georgia, Texas and North Carolina, the uninsured rates for Blacks would plummet roughly 30 percent compared to current rates if those states expanded Medicaid coverage under the ACA. “For Blacks, however, the difference between their uninsurance rates and Whites’ rates is projected to narrow under the ACA with current Medicaid expansion decisions only in Medicaid expansion states,” the report said. “Across all states, the difference in uninsurance rates between Blacks and Whites is projected to stay approximately the same both under the ACA with current Medicaid expansion decisions and without the ACA.”
Billions left on table In August 2014, researchers with the Urban Institute said that 6.7 million residents would still remain uninsured in 2016 in the states that continued to block Medicaid expansion through the ACA. “These states are foregoing $423.6 billion in federal Medicaid funds from 2013 to 2022, which will lessen economic activity and job growth,” the August 2014 report said. “Hospitals in these 24 states are also slated to lose a $167.8 billion (31 percent) boost in Medicaid funding that was originally intended to offset major cuts to their Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.”
The report continued: “For every $1 a state invests in Medicaid expansion, $13.41 in federal funds will flow into the state.”
Jobs prediction The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), a small group that offers the president domestic and foreign economic advice, predicted that, Medicaid expansion would have added, in nonexpanding states, nearly 79,000 jobs in 2014, “172,400 jobs in 2015, and 98,200 jobs in 2016.” The August 2014 report also noted that that the rate of uninsured in the states that expanded Medicaid fell by nearly 40 percent, since September 2013, the number of uninsured in the nonexpansion states fell by less than 10 percent. The technical difficulties that plagued the rollout of HealthCare.gov last year have faded from headlines, and the benefits of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act become harder for governors and state legislators to dismiss. In December, Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam moved to expand Medicaid under the ACA, leaving less than two-dozen states to weigh providing health care for their poorest residents against future costs associated with Medicaid. The Urban Institute report on uninsurance rates under the ACA said that improving health literacy, translation services, outreach through ethnic media and work-
ing with trusted members of the community can also aid in driving down the levels of uninsured.
Snapshot of consumers According to a recent report by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 87 percent of the people who selected health insurance plans through HealthCare.gov were eligible for financial assistance, a 7 percent increase over last year’s numbers. “That includes more than 3.4 million people who selected a plan in the 37 states that are using the HealthCare.gov platform for 2015, and more than 600,000 consumers who selected plans in the 14 states that are operating their own Marketplace platform for 2015,” stated a press release on the report. A more detailed view of enrollment data collected from Nov. 15 to Dec. 26 showed that roughly 6.5 million people either selected plans or were automatically reenrolled. HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said that the vast majority of people who signed up for health insurance coverage through HealthCare.gov were able to lower their costs using tax credits. “Interest in the Marketplace has been strong during the first month of open enrollment,” Burwell said in a recent press release about the enrollment report. “We still have a ways to go and a lot of work to do before February 15, but this is an encouraging start.”
Smartphone-free bedroom could help kid sleep better BY DEBORAH NETBURN LOS ANGELES TIMES (TNS)
If you want your kid to sleep better, consider taking the smartphone away from them at least an hour before they fall asleep — to a different room entirely. Kids who sleep with smartphones by their bedside get less sleep on average than kids who fall asleep in a smartphone-free environment, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. “I don’t think that all screen time is ubiquitously bad, but definitely recreational screen time should be limited. Parents can set a screen or device curfew one hour before bedtime,” said Jennifer Falbe, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health and the lead author on the paper. Falbe found that fourth-graders and seventh-graders who sleep near a small screen (cellphone, smartphone, iPod touch) get an average of 20.6 minutes less sleep than those who did not have one of the devices in their bedroom.
No big surprise That means sleeping in the same room as a small screen has more of an impact on kids’ sleep
than if they slept in the same room as a large screen. Children who had TVs in their bedrooms reported getting 18 fewer minutes of weekday sleep compared to their peers with no television in their room. Falbe, who has studied the impact of screens on obesity and diet quality, said she was not surprised by the findings. “It was actually exactly what I expected,” she said. The study was based on data collected in 2012 from more than 2,000 ethnically and racially diverse fourth- and seventh-graders from two schools in Massachusetts.
No impact from TV Fifty-four percent of the students interviewed reported sleeping near a small screen. These students were not only more likely than their peers with no screens in their rooms to get less sleep, they were also more likely to complain about the quality of the sleep. Having a TV in their bedroom did shorten their sleep time, but it did not have an effect on their perceived quality of sleep, Falbe and her colleagues report. The paper provides three possible reasons that small screens may be more disruptive for sleep
SACRAMENTO BEE/TNS
A teen talks to a friend on her cellphone while checking the Internet while a TV is on in the background. than large screens. The researchers note that people tend to hold small screens close to their face, which may delay melatonin production more than the light from a television that is several feet away.
Got to check it They also note that watching TV is a passive observation.
Playing video games on an iPod Touch or a smart phone is more interactive, which can increase cognitive and emotional arousal. And lastly, researchers say that because most small-screen devices have audible alerts for new text messages or other notifications, they may be more likely to wake an already sleeping child. In fact, those audible alerts are
part of what motivated Falbe to embark on the sleep study in the first place. “I was kind of a late smartphone adapter,” she said, “and before I got the settings right, I got woken up in the middle of the night because of a text or email alert, and it was stressful — I felt I had to check it so I didn’t miss something for work or school.”
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M SPORTS AYOR
JANUARY 8 – JANUARY 2015 DECEMBER 14 - 20,14, 2006
Lady Wildcats snap losing streak with win over Western Carolina SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Bethune-Cookman Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis earned her 200th victory and her Lady Wildcats (4-10) snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium, stringing together a nearcomplete game effort to jump out early and hold off Western Carolina (7-7) for the 63-53 non-conference victory. Vanessa Although the Blair-Lewis Catamounts put up six quick points, the Lady Wildcats responded with a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor. Over a stretch of nearly 10 minutes, B-CU rattled off a 22-4 scoring run, spearheaded by the perimeter shooting of sophomore Kendra Cooper, who reached double figures in the first five minutes of the game. With B-CU leading 23-10 at 8:30 on the clock, the first half closed out with the Lady Wildcats and Catamounts matching
blows, 8-8, with B-CU carrying a 31-18 advantage into the break. The offensive spark in the opening period, Cooper amassed 16 first half points while connecting four times from long range.
Major surge In the first half, the Lady Wildcats hit 43.3 percent from the floor, while limiting Western Carolina University (WCU) to 28.6 percent field goal shooting, aided by six first half blocks. Coming out of the locker room, Western Carolina matched BCU’s early intensity to open the second period while the Lady Wildcats were offensively sluggish at first. WCU chipped away at the Lady Wildcats’ lead, trimming the advantage to just three points after a 13-3 run to open the half. Back-to-back paint jumpers from Kailyn Williams and Kayla Crawford sparked the Lady Wildcats offense, and the pair led the B-CU charge as the Lady Wildcats fought off two WCU comeback attempts through the middle of the half. After the six-
COURTESY OF B-CU ATHLETICS
Kayla Crawford came on strong in the second for her fourth double-double, logging 18 points and 11 rebounds. minute mark, the Lady Wildcats surged and only allowed WCU within a two-possession reach once through the final buzzer.
18 points for Crawford Coming down the stretch, the Lady Wildcats connected on 10 consecutive free throws from four different players to quell the WCU rally and seal the 63-53 victory.
Although Cooper was limited in the second half, she led all scorers with 20 points. Meanwhile, Crawford dominated the second half for B-CU, notching her fourth double-double of the year with 18 points and 11 rebounds, hitting 8-for-13 from the floor. Also reaching double figures, K. Williams scored 10 and tallied her second seven (7) block outing this season. The Lady Wildcats finished
shooting 44.2 percent from the floor and 85.7 percent from the line, holding WCU to 28.6 percent field goal shooting. With the victory, the Lady Wildcats conclude the non-conference slate and re-open the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with Hampton (Jan. 10) and Norfolk State (Jan. 12) at Moore Gymnasium.
Winston’s accuser files federal lawsuit against FSU BY BRENDAN SONNONE ORLANDO SENTINEL (TNS)
COURTESY OF KATIE CARLSON/ENVISON SPORTS MEDIA
Brandon Stewart scores 32 points in Monday’s game.
Stewart helps team win big over Trinity Baptist Brandon Stewart scored a career-high 32 points as Bethune-Cookman snapped a five-game losing streak with a 97-71 victory over Trinity Baptist Monday night. The senior, a walk-on from Miami, was 10-16 from the field and 8-10 from the line. He also had nine rebounds, two blocks and three steals to lead five Wildcats in double figures. Bethune-Cookman (4-11) hadn’t scored more than 50 points in the final four games of its losing streak, but scored 56 secondhalf points to pull away from the 8-6 Eagles. Quentin Brewer posted his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Mikel Trapp also added 14. Denzel Dulin and Delino Dear added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Hampton next Bethune-Cookman pulled away from a 49-49 tie with an 11-0 run that gave the Wildcats a 60-49 on a Stewart three-point
play with 12:45 remaining. The Wildcats built their lead to 15 on two occasions, the last at 80-65 on a Dear free throw with 4:55 left. Trinity Baptist got as close as 80-69 with 3:11 to play, but the Eagles were called for three consecutive technical fouls, and Troy Simmons sank eight consecutive free throws – the first two off a regular foul – and the Wildcats pulled away. Stewart scored the game’s first five points as Bethune-Cookman took an early 10-2 lead. Trinity Baptist managed a 2723 lead with nine minutes left in the first half, but the Wildcats used a 15-6 to take a 38-33 lead on a Dulin three-pointer. The Wildcats led 41-39 at half. Charles Cook led Trinity Baptist with 25. Bethune-Cookman returns to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play Saturday, hosting Hampton at 4 p.m. “I’ve worked hard and I know for a fact I can help the team. We’re at our best when we get the ball inside. We just had to finish,” Stewart said.
TALLAHASSEE — The woman who accused Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston of rape has filed a federal civil lawsuit against Florida State trustees, arguing the university violated her Title IX rights by refusing to properly investigate the incident. Winston’s accuser demanded a trial by jury and in damages from Florida State for Title IX violations of a “clearly unreasonable response” and allowing a “hostile educational environment,” according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Orlando on Wednesday and obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. The former FSU student listed as Jane Doe in the complaint was allegedly raped by Winston – FSU’s star quarterback who is leaving for the NFL – at his off-campus apartment in December 2012, but Winston has maintained that the sexual encounter was consensual.
Not charged The state attorney’s office did not charge Winston with a crime and retired Florida Supreme Court justice Major B. Harding determined last month there was not enough evidence to indicate Winston violated the FSU student code of conduct. FSU issued a letter to supporters last year defending its handling of the case. After the conduct hearing, FSU president John Thrasher praised Harding for the way he presided over the hearing. However, the accuser insists in the lawsuit that the university made deliberate decisions not to comply with its own Title IX policies, leading to a slew of unwanted harassment that threatened her safety and forced her to leave the school. “Had FSU . . . instead complied with its own policies and federal law by promptly investigating plaintiff’s rape and sanctioning Winston while protecting plaintiff’s safety, Winston would have been removed as a threat to plaintiff long before ever suiting up to play football in a Seminoles jersey, and plaintiff would be on campus progressing toward an FSU degree,” the complaint stated. “Instead, plaintiff was forced to leave campus while Winston remains, having suffered no consequences.”
WALLY SKALIJ/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston looks for a receiver against Oregon during the Rose Bowl College Football Semifinal game on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif.
Accuser’s complaint The accuser, then a student at FSU, stood sobbing at an intersection by her home after Winston dropped her off on the morning of Dec. 7, 2012, following the alleged assault, according to the complaint. Hoping for a response from one of her friends, the woman posted a Tweet that read “SOMEONE HELP ME.” A friend responded almost immediately and called the accuser’s parents. Shortly after, another friend called FSU police to inform them that her friend had been raped by an unknown assailant. FSU police showed up and the accuser went to a local hospital, where authorities examined her and obtained evidence for a rape kit. The case was then turned over to the Tallahassee Police Department. Winston was identified as the alleged assailant in January 2013 when the accuser said she recognized him as a fellow classmate at an FSU class. The complaint states FSU intentionally hindered the police investigation “so that Winston’s FSU football career would be unaffected.” The FSU athletics department, according to the complaint, was in contact with the Tallahassee Police Department in January 2013 while senior associate director of athletics Monk Bonasorte and football coach Jimbo Fisher had knowledge of the rape accusation.
Palm Coast becomes destination for sports tournaments SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Coming off the USA Rugby Women’s Collegiate Fall Championship and the US Club Soccer’s showcase last month, the City of Palm Coast is predicting a sunny outlook for sports tournaments and sports-related tourism in 2015. The city has developed topnotch athletic fields and places a strong focus on attracting sports tournaments to the Indian Trails Sports Complex as part of its Prosperity 2021 strategic economic development plan. The city is partnering with Flagler
Schools, the Flagler County Tourist Development Council and local sports organizations on the initiative.
More jobs, economic growth Two new fields opened this fall at Indian Trails, bringing the total number to 10 fields for soccer, lacrosse, flag football and rugby. The increased size of the complex provides greater opportunities for Palm Coast to attract regional and national sports events. “Sports events have become a cornerstone of the city’s eco-
nomic development efforts,” said Palm Coast Administration Coordinator Beau Falgout. “These tournaments attract hundreds of visitors from outside our community who come here and boost business for area hotels, restaurants, gas stations and retail stores. That equates to more jobs, greater profitability and economic growth.” Because of the sports tournaments, Palm Coast’s hotels sometimes fill up – making it difficult for teams to find lodging within the county. “Bringing in more and more visitors is a great thing for us, and
providing enough hotel space is one challenge we must face as Palm Coast’s popularity grows as a sports tournament destination,” Falgout said. “This is particularly true for the big regional and national tournaments that have a major impact on our local economy.”
Another tournament Last month Palm Coast hosted its first collegiate tournament and first national championship with the women’s rugby tournament. From Feb. 27-March 1, ITSC will feature the United States Quidditch South Re-
gional Tournament with teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Already, the city has booked a dozen sports tournaments at Indian Trails Sports Complex in 2015. Last week’s soccer showcase for top U-15, U-16 and U-17 National Premier Leagues (NPL) girls teams from all over the country, including Florida, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Illinois and several states in the Northeast, rang in the new year in Palm Coast. The host club for the event was the locally based PDA Florida, which had teams participating in all three age groups. More than 100 college coaches committed to attend to see college prospects.
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Magazine names ‘Fiercest Sisters’ of 2014 Director Ava DuVernay, NBA’s Roberts and first Black ‘Clara’ in ‘Nutcracker’ on list TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
She feeds the world. She soars over stereotypes to pirouette her way into history. She is digital. She acts up beautifully. She defends Black women against “misogynoir.” She’s a genius. She calls ‘em like she sees ‘em in a burly man’s world — bad hair days be damned. She saves lives. She is fierce. She is among the exceptional women selected for the second annual listing of the 15 Fiercest Sisters by the readers and staff of FierceforBlackWomen. com. These 15 women epitomize the Fierce manifesto, says editor-in-chief Sheree Crute, who co-founded the online health and fitness magazine with publisher Yanick Rice Lamb. “To be fierce is to embrace all that’s wonderful about being a Black woman,” the manifesto states in part. “To live your dreams, celebrate your strengths and appreciate your true beauty. It means being confident and unapologetically you!” Here are 15 women who fit this description and will continue to inspire others in the new year and beyond.
Digital CEO, ballerina 1. Among the influential people at the forefront of closing the digital divide, opening doors in Silicon Valley and promoting digital entrepreneurship, Angela Benton is the woman. Benton is founder and CEO of Black Web Me-
her company, Truth Aid, produced the award-winning film Difret, based on the bride kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl in Ethiopia.
dia, which includes B20, the NewME Accelerator and the NewME Conference. 2. Misty Copeland played the lead in the American Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker,” as the Christmastime classic’s first Back “Clara.” Copeland was also the first Black woman to play the coveted role of Odette/ Odile in “Swan Lake,” during ABT’s Australian tour. And the Washington Ballet recently announced that Copeland will reprise her lead turn in its production of “Swan Lake” next spring.
First lady, film star 12. For some New Yorkers, Chirlane McCray represents a modern First Lady for modern times — one who speaks her mind, remains true to herself and stands on her own while working in tandem with her husband of 20 years, Mayor Bill de Blasio. 13. Lupita Nyong’o won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in “12 Years a Slave’’ and has helped Black girls recognize their beauty. Up next are roles in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens’’ and “Americanah,’’ based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s acclaimed novel. Nyong’o optioned the film rights for Americanah and will co-produce with Brad Pitt.
Humanitarian, pitcher 3. As the executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin leads the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a staff of more than 13,000 who feed more than 170 million hungry people in more than 83 countries. 4. Mo’ne Davis won hearts last summer during the Little League World Series. One of two girls there, the 13-year-old from Philadelphia set all sorts of records from pitching a shutout to earning a win with her 70-mph fastball.
Above: Misty Copeland is a soloist with the American Ballet Theatre, one of the top classical ballet companies in the world. Left: Ava DuVernay is the first AfricanAmerican woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe in the best director category.
Director, ‘genius’ on race 5. Ava DuVernay, the first African-American woman to receive the Best Director Award at the Sundance Film Festival, is literally jumping for joy over the reception to her new film, “Selma.’’ The film is up for four Golden Globe Awards, DuVernay has several best director nominations and there’s already Oscar talk. 6. Stanford social psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt is a “genius” when it comes to race and criminal justice. For her research on the subtleties and depths
of racial biases, she was awarded a 2014 MacArthur grant.
Creators, trendsetters 7. Eunique Jones Gibson has made history go viral by using her photography skills to connect children to the past. In her photos and videos, children portray pioneers ranging from the
late poet Maya Angelou to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. 8 & 9. In graduate school, Moya Bailey coined the term “misogynoir.” Trudy Hamilton added context through her blog, GradientLair.com. Over the past year or so, more sisters have embraced the word, using it to describe anti-Black misogyny. 10. After her family mem-
bers were turned away from hospitals overflowing with Ebola patients near their home in Liberia, Fatu Kekula took matters into her own hands. Using trash bags as protective gear, the nursing student saved her parents and sister. 11. Using storytelling as medicine, Mehret Mandefro, M.D., added the title filmmaker to her list of accomplishments. In 2014,
Sports favorites 14. Pam Oliver is a football fan favorite — not just for her sports chops, but also for being a class act. She’s been praised for taking the high road when Fox Sports placed Erin Andrews in the No. 1 sideline reporting spot covering the NFL that Oliver held for two decades. 15. Michele Roberts has been shaking up things in her new role as executive director of the NBA Players Union — the first woman in such a role in North America. She’s ready to battle over salary caps, minimum ages, revenue splits and other issues to make sure that players get a fair deal in their next agreement with the NBA.
This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from FierceforBlackWomen.com.
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