www.afro.com
Volume 121 No. 50
July 20, 2013 - July 20, 2013, The Afro-American A1 $1.00
JULY 20, 2013 - JULY 26, 2013
Zimmerman Verdict: How Right, How Wrong? Prominent Black Lawyers Debate the Stunning Outcome By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO Black legal experts have conflicting opinions on the outcome of the trial of George Zimmerman, who was accused of killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during an altercation on the night of Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Fla. A six-member, all-female jury comprising five Whites
streets around the country, decrying the case’s underlying issues of racial profiling and equal justice. “A lot of people in our community are still stunned by the outcome, including me,” said Glenn Ivey, 52, former state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, “I never thought they would get a second-degree murder charge out of this but I thought there was enough information to support manslaughter.” Most legal experts agree that second-degree murder was a stretch, given the evidence. But some, unlike Ivey, said even a manslaughter Warren Brown conviction was too much to hope for. “I didn’t think there was any chance for Trayvon to get justice,” said Warren Brown, a well-known criminal defense lawyer, who has practiced in Baltimore for 33 years. He added, “And unfortunately what happened to Trayvon Continued on A3
“…unfortunately what happened to Trayvon happens all the doggone time in thousands of cases per week in courts around the country. It is reality.” —Attorney and one Hispanic on July 13 acquitted the 29-year-old on the charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the shooting death of the unarmed Black teen. The verdict has spawned both satisfaction and outrage, with crowds taking to the
INSIDE A3
Double Loss for Trayvon Martin’s Family
B1
Delta Reception for Dr. Thelma Daley INSERT • Walmart
Listen to “First Edition”
afro.com
Your History • Your Community • Your News
Join Host Sean Yoes Sunday @ 8 p.m. on 88.9 WEAA FM, the Voice of the Community.
Join the AFRO on Twitter and Facebook
Blacks Who Stand Their Ground Often Imprisoned Florida’s Astounding Inconsistent ‘Stand Your Ground’ Application By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO The recent acquittal of neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in the shooting death of 17-year-old unarmed Trayvon Martin has led to intense scrutiny of Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law, on which Zimmerman’s defense was based, and similar “no retreat” selfdefense laws and their impact on people of color. “I think the Trayvon Martin case highlighted the racial inequalities that exist in American society,” said Brendan Fischer, general counsel of the Center for Media and Democracy. “It is a symbol of how the American justice system devalues the lives of people of color. [And], ‘Stand Your Ground’ has embedded a lot of these injustices into the system. Statistics have shown its application has been anything but equitable.” Supported by the National Rifle Association, “Stand Your Ground” was passed by the Florida legislature in 2005. The measure turned age-old self-defense principle on its head by allowing persons to use deadly force to defend themselves, without first trying to retreat, if they have a reasonable belief that they face a threat. The law’s template was then adopted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a nonprofit organization made up of corporations, foundations and legislators that advance federalist and conservative public policies, authorities said. Since Florida passed the law, similar measures have been introduced in one form or another in about 30 states, usually those with state legislatures dominated by Republicans. Continued on A4
The Deltas Significantly Impact the Capital
Centennial Celebration Bathes Washington in a Crimson and Cream Sea of Activity By Blair Adams and Ariel Medley AFRO Staff Writers As members of the world’s largest AfricanAmerican women’s Greek-letter organization descended on the nation’s capital in a mid-July blanket of crimson and cream, it became clear to even the most baffled tourist that the women of Delta Sigma Theta are a force to be reckoned with. More than a century after being the only Black group in the historic Women’s Suffrage March in 1913, an estimated 40,000 Deltas swarmed Washington D.C. from July 11 to July 17, for their 51st national convention—and 100th birthday.
Inside the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest D.C. July 15, and throughout the city, thousands of women, many of whom had traveled thousands of miles for the event, created a sea of the sorority’s colors as they celebrate Delta’s 100th anniversary. “We are here celebrating years of sisterhood and community service,” said Beverly Goss, who pledged in 1994 and traveled from New Jersey. She said, “It’s great to see all of our college educated black women come together and let the world know that we are Delta Sigma Theta.” The weeklong celebration began July 11with the lighting of the Delta Torch at Continued on A4
Acquittal in Florida Sparks Protest in Baltimore By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO
Roughly 100 Baltimoreans gathered at McKeldin Square in the Inner Harbor July 14 to protest the not guilty verdict of a six-woman jury on murder charges facing George Zimmerman late Saturday. Carrying signs with photographs of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed 17-year-old Zimmerman admitted shooting, and demanding justice, protesters took turns speaking out against the July 13 acquittal and what it could mean for their own Black sons and daughters. “I think it’s opened a whirlpool of injustice,” said Shiloh McIntosh, a 24-year-old bus driver who attended the protest with her 3-year-old son. “I already teach him good values, but it just makes me nervous about him stepping out into a world where people are still stereotyping him and his future.” “The future being set up for him is already unfair,” McIntosh told the AFRO, more than a year after the shooting death of Martin, in Sanford, Fla. on Feb. 26, 2012. Zimmerman, now 29, followed Martin from a Sanford convenience store, where the teen purchased a bag of skittles and a can of tea before attempting the return to The Retreat at Twin Lakes, where he was visiting his father’s fiancé. Even after being advised by 911 dispatchers to stop following the young man, he continued to do so because, he told police, he believed Martin looked suspicious and was one of the “punks” plaguing gated Twin Lakes community. Social media exploded with the news late Saturday night, as a verdict came on the second day of deliberations. The jury acted after weeks of testimony in the case against Zimmerman, who claimed he shot the 17-year-old after the teen attacked him, causing him to fear of his life. With rally cries of “No Justice, No Peace” in the background, cars honked in support as they passed the corner of Pratt and Light Streets where the rally took place. Protesters seemed to have come from all walks of life, from students and librarians to lawyers and office assistants. And though they may have had different upbringings in Charm City, all of the protesters expressed concern about how the Florida legal system dealt with the case. Russell Bromell, a 49-year-old lawyer for the federal government, believed that though jurors will never know what really happened between the two on that rainy, February night, there were certain things that just shouldn’t have been overlooked by the mostly-white jury. “Zimmerman shouldn’t have followed Martin,” Bromell told the AFRO. “Dead men can’t talk and no one knows what kind of struggle occurred between Martin and Zimmerman.” “What happened in that time is a black hole,” he said, adding that “if Zimmerman isn’t charged criminally, he should be charged in civil court.” Continued on A3
AFRO to Host Obamacare Forums By AFRO Staff
Forget about fifth grade; are you smarter than a fourth grader or even a third grader? Chances are good that if you were on the popular quiz show and were asked anything about Obamacare and the upcoming changes to your family’s health insurance, you’d know about as much as most grownups: not too much. Making matters worse, rumors about Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act, as it’s officially known, have been flying around like pigeons in downtown Baltimore since before President Obama signed this bill into law in 2010. One of the first rumors had to do with death panels of bureaucrats who would have the power to decide questions of life and death. Exaggerated lie. Maybe you heard the one about the microchip, which when implanted in your hand would allow the government to know all your personal business and track your whereabouts. We checked; not true. Have you heard that the IRS is coming after your home if you don’t sign up for Obamacare. Not true, at least mostly not true. The scare tactics have gotten ugly at times. That’s why the Afro American Newspapers will be informing you about everything you’ll need to know to protect the health and wellbeing of yourself and your family. We will feature reliable information about what to do, when, and who to call if you
Copyright © 2013 by the Afro-American Company
Continued on A4