Hello Jacksonville 2024

H ELL JACKSONVILLE ISSUE 1 I JANUARY 2024

CIVIL RIGHTS EDITION

Race Riots of S. Arkansas

$9.99

INAUGURAL EDITION Lake Lanier Hall, Forsyth, Dawson, Gwinnett & Lumpkin Counties, Georgia Gr o v er T h o r n t o n Sava n n a h Leg en d

Th e Ho n o r a bl e D r . M a r t i n L u t h e r K i n g , Jr .

Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe...

Bas s

Re e ve s

B e i n g B l a c k I n Du b a i

H ELL JACKSONVILLE President and Chief Executive Of f icer Vice President Executive Editor Managing Editor Director of Information Technology Contributing Writers

Julius P. Hall Charlie Brown Epiphany L. Williams Dr. Amir Toure' Chris Smith Dr. Amir Toure?

Sharon Butts Craig Butts Andromeda Gibbons Artemus Gibbons Anderson Aries Stephen Spence Tori Anderson Julius P. Hall

Hello Savannah is a member of Our Black Media Group For inquiries or suggestions, contact us at:

912.598.6549 julius@ourblackmedia.com 7306 Highway 21 Suite 101 - 264 Port Wentworth, GA 31407

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cont ent s

L A R U G ON 6. Dubai Tr av el Ext or t ion U I A T

by Stephen Spence IN DI E

10. Yout h Cor ner

by Julius P. H all

11. Oshun- - The goddess of Lov e

by Stephen Spence

13. St and Up Bl ack Peopl e

15.Remembr ance

by Julius P. H all

by A r tem us Gibbons

17. Race Riot s Of Sout h Ar kansas

by Stephen Spence

20. Lake Lanier

by Stephen Spence

24. DRUM Maj or

by A nderson A r ies

28.UNIv eRSE- - Poem

by A nderson A r ies

29. Bass Reev es

by Stephen Spence

31. Wit nessing The Dr eam

by Stephen Spence

34. Lov e Is

by Julius P. H all

35.Nat ional Bl ood Donor Mont h

by A ndrom eda Gibbons

36.Mama's baby,papa's may be

by Epiphany L . W illiam s

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M edia Net w or k Com pan y (O)utspoken (U)napolegetic (R)eal was born from the idea of being the change you want to see. A global pandemic, political corruption, social unrest, increased racial discrimination, and hate crimes all demand that people of color have our voices heard. These events led to the formation of

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OUR SERVICES: Adver t isin g Br an d Pr om ot ion 24 h ou r pr ogr am m in g M er ch an dise Com m u n it y

Con t act Us: at r con su lt in g912@gm ail.com

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Business Cards, Banners,Flyers, Door Hangers, Brochures, Booklets, Yard Signs, Poster, Church Bulletins, Retractable Signs, and much more!

Call (912) 201-1452 today for a quote!

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FROM THE CEO W elcome t o OUR magazine. W e are a mont hly publicat ion t hat w ill be bringing inf ormat ion and cont ent t o OUR communit y t o bet t er inf orm OUR cit izens. Each mont h w e hope t o cover t he subject s you w ant t o read more about . Unlike t he mainst ream media, at O U R B lack M ed ia, w e w ill highlight posit ive event s, progressive leaderships, and movers and shakers in our communit y, our st at e, and our nat ion.

Our mont hly publicat ions w ill t hrive t o show case f airness, openness, and t ransparency.

W e inf orm, you decide. Please st ay w it h us w hile w e're in our inf ancy, and join our grow t h by let t ing us know w hat is import ant t o you in a publicat ion like t his. All advice is w elcomed, and w e also accept let t ers t o t he edit or.

Our main goal is t o bring inf ormat ion t hat uplif t s and moves all of us f orw ard. In t he long t erm, w e hope t o st art a dialogue t hat w ill begin t o creat e ans Agenda f or America. Not just a Black Agenda, but a People's Agenda.

Changes have been made w it h our publicat ions - - w e have eliminat ed The Po r t Cit y Review and combined it w it h H ello Savannah . Our publicat ions - - H ello Savannah and H ello At lant a, mont hly subscript ions,H ello Af r ica - - an every ot her mont h publicat ion, and our new est publicat ion H ello Jack so nville, are now visible on t he int ernet w it h and a subscript ion f ee AN D w e're project ing a March 2024 launch dat e f or H ello Char lo t t e. - - St ay t uned f or more excit ing changes.

Each mont h w ill be somet hing you'll be excit ed t o t urn t he pages of . This mont h?s issue - - A special D r . M ar t in Lut her K ing, Jr . Ed it io n, B ig Race Rio t o f S. Ar k ansas & Ar e B lack 's Tr eat ed Fair ly in D ub ai???

W e hope t hrough t his publicat ion w e show our readers t he great ness of OUR communit y in every aspect , f rom polit ics t o communit y act ivism, sport s t o ent ert ainment , and f rom f inance t o love and relat ionships.

This publicat ion is only available t o t he general public in a digit al f ormat now , w it h a limit ed number of print ed hard copies. Coming very soon, you'll be able t o subscribe t o get your hard copy in t he mail.

So st ay t uned, and as alw ays, shar e, shar e, shar e.

Julius P. Hall, President

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Y O UTH P R U G O

Leader sh ip, w it , an d com passion is w h at ever y you t h m en t or sh ou ld t h r ive t o em u lat e.

Th e w or ld f or ou r ch ildr en h as becom e m u ch m or e dan ger ou s in t h e last 20 year s, so w e, as cou n selor s an d m en t or s , n eed t o becom e m u ch m or e sm ar t er . Sm ar t er in h ow w e com m u n icat e, sm ar t er in h ow w e cooper at e, an d sm ar t er in h ow w e collabor at e.

Th e 3 C?s Com m u n icat ion Cooper at ion Collabor at ion Even bet w een all br an ch es of local gover n m en t . We can?t get t h in gs don e pr oper ly or ef f ect ively if w e don?t k n ow w h at is n eeded by ever yon e in volved, especially t h ose t h in gs t h at ar e n eeded f or ou r ch ildr en . Becau se let ?s f ace it , ever yt h in g w e do sh ou ld be t o m ak e t h in gs bet t er f or t h e f u t u r e. An d w h o is ou r f u t u r e? It is ou r ch ildr en .

Ou r you n g f u t u r e leader s ar e w at ch in g ou r ever y m ove. We m u st leave an im pr ession t h at sh ow s t h em t h e r oads t o t r avel, t h e issu es t h at t h ey sh ou ld advocat e f or , an d t o h ave a h ear t of Com passion , an d a m in dset of Ser vice, bu t m or e im por t an t ly Respect f or ot h er s.

Th e t h in gs w e bu ild t oday ar e n ot f or u s, t h ey ar e f or t h e f u t u r e. An d ou r Ch ildr en ar e Th e Fu t u r e.

We n ot on ly h ave a com m it m en t t o ever y you n g per son in ou r n eigh bor h ood, bu t w e sh ou ld also h ave a com m it m en t t o ever y you n g per son in ou r com m u n it y . You don?t ju st t u r n t h em loose an d say ?h er e?s t h e f u t u r e, go get it ?.

We h ave t o n u r t u r e an d lead t h em in t o t h at f u t u r e.

Elect ed of f icials, com m u n it y leader s, an d you t h m en t or s h ave A Ch ar ge To Keep.

We do t h at by leadin g. We lead by pr act icin g t h e 3 C?s. Rem em ber , ou r ch ildr en ar e w at ch in g.

We can?t af f or d t o w ait f or t h em t o cat ch u p, ?We M u st M eet Th em Wh er e Th ey Ar e?.An d t h en w e m u st gu ide t h em t o w h er e t h ey n eed t o be.

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STAND UP BLACK PEOPLE Th ey ch ain ed u s u p an d beat u s w it h t h eir w h ips, Th ey h eld au ct ion s an d sold u s in t o slave sh ips.

We called t h em m ast er an d som et im es boss, Th ey t au gh t u s t h eir lan gu age an d ou r h er it age w e lost .

Th ey h id t h e Bible an d ever y ot h er book , We w er e on ly allow ed t o w or k f or t h em an d cook .

Th ey decided t o give u s a f ew civil r igh t s, It w as f in e in t h e dayt im e, bu t t h ey w or e sh eet s at n igh t .

We st ar t ed t o speak u p again st t h is evil m an , People st ar t ed t o list en , so h e developed an ot h er plan .

He m ade n ew law s an d r ear r an ged t h e cou r t s, Bu t w e cou ldn?t f ile a ch ar ge, n ot even a t or t .

Alon g cam e a m an , w e all k n ow as Kin g.

Hoover t ook h is lif e w it h a bu llet ?s r in g.

Abou t t h e sam e t im e, t h er e w as a Pr esiden t n am ed Ken n edy, He t alk ed t h e t r u t h an d r eceived t h e deat h pen alt y.

Tw en t y year s lat er , w e m oved in t o a n ew er a.

Reagan an d Bu sh becam e t h e n ew Ph ar aoh s.

So ju st sit back an d look f r om side t o side.

Th eir plan is f or you , an d you can n ot h ide.

Th ey u sed t o call you ?Boy,?ju st f or f u n .

Un t il t h ey r eplaced t h e?Boy,?an d gave you a gu n .

Th ey u se t o h an g you f r om a t r ee by a r ope, Un t il t h ey r eplaced t h at , w it h a pow der t h ey call dope.

So w ak e u p Black people an d sm ell w h at ?s cook in g, Bef or e t h e n ext t h in g you k n ow , it ?s you t h ey ?r e book in g.

St op look in g f or t h at f ou r leaf clover .

Th ey can?t r ide you r back , if you ?r e n ot ben din g over .

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a t r med i a g r o u p.c o m a t r c o n su l t i n g 912@g ma i l .c o m 912.572.3798

Sc a n Me

Ju l i u s P. Ha l l PG Ver si o n Cr o ssi n g Th e Li n e

X- Ra t ed Ver si o n 14

Po ems

Rem em b r a n c e ?I have never seen ? even in Mississippi and Alabama ? mobs as hostile and as hate-filled as I?ve seen here in Chicago.?

Martin Luther King?s words after being hit in the head by a rock thrown at him while protesting against housing segregation on August 5th 1966.

What is the truth behind the renaming of roads in honor of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? When I began this inquiry I was expecting to uncover something like a date that congress announced, similar to a holiday, to commemorate one of our most profound voices during the civil rights movement. Not every state even has a street (or road, or avenue, or boulevard) renamed for the purposes I would have thought prior to researching the subject. Just as it is not some absolute that such roads exist only in black communities. The renaming of these roads have a different story, developed and pushed for by different groups or activist for many reasons, not all of them for a purpose as noble as remembrance or even thanks. On July 31st 1968, multiple articles collaborate that Chicago?s then mayor Richard J. Daley met with council to discuss the renaming of a street to ?honor ? Martin Luther King, which was also reported to be an attempt to ?mollify? the black community months after his assassination on April 4th that

year. On August 8th 1968, one week later, South Park Way was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Drive before a crowd of over 500 people.

The stories of each inquiry continue to take on a vibrant telling of unique accounts and perspectives. However, what is most recalled by observers is the amount of praise delivered by many prominent white figures who months before looked upon King with nothing to say but admonishments and fear, yet somehow remembered him as a friend. I?ve seen such words used a lot (friend or friendship) to cover up the true nature of a relationship between two opposing human forces throughout history.

Savannah?s own history speaks on the friendship between Chief Tomochichi and General Oglethorpe. You see the patterns in the way people of color are displaced or removed from their heritage. Tulsa Oklahoma, Rosewood Florida, even Yamacraw Village: all pivotal examples of the type of hostilities present .

Knox News reported it takes pressure and strategy to see change actually take place when remarking upon the renaming of East Vine Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. in Knoxville Tennessee.

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continued ?What?s important for people to know is that many of these streets named after Dr. King, including Knoxville, doesn?t happen without Black activism.? Derek H. Alderman, PhD University of Tennessee. m lkstreet.com ?We had to do more than sitting around talking about it. We had to do something.? Rev. Harold Middlebrook.

study such teachings of non-violent protest as practiced by Mahatma Gandhi. King was also a fan of the essay Civil Disobedience, which he had read several times. We offer this small segment of the six page work:

"Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison...to be put out and Dr. King may be immortalized in history, locked out of the State by her own act, but he was also just a family man trying as they have already put themselves to do what he felt was needed. He sang out by their principles. It is there that the fugitive slave, and the Mexican songs, played pool, raised children of his own like any one of us might, waking prisoner on parole, and the Indian come to plead the wrongs of his race up each morning while doing the best should find them; on that separate, but he could. more free honorable ground, where the However King was a formidable speaker State places those who are not with her, with a profound intellect. He skipped but against her." Henry David Thoreau both 9th and 12th grade to be received Boston's University School of Theology by an early admission program at is how King continued to complete a Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia.

PhD in systemic theology, earning the He was 15. It's crazy to think that King nomenclature Dr., as well as where he would've probably gone on to be a lawyer or a medical doctor if not for the met his wife Correta Scott. He says this in his autobiography: "She talked about influence of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, president of Morehouse college then in things other than music. I never will forget, the first discussion we had was 1944. about the question of racial and We know what it's like to be inspired by economic injustice and the question of one's teachings and one's example, but peace." to be so moved as to literally "accept - Artemus Gibbons responsibility for correcting these ills" the likes of which were forced upon people of color, "the sufferings and injustices of society."

How does one even begin to make sense of such things. But King, as a sociology major, would continue to

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Dr u m Ma j o r A Chance to Speak with Grover Thornton

By Anderson Aries

A: ?What's your secret to having such a sharp mind??

T: ?Christ. Asking God. I talk to God like I talk to you everyday.?

At 90 years old, you can see Mr. Thornton as a very gentle soul. The way he moves throughout the home to his office, he is very carefree and you see such a bright persona from his demeanor and his character. The thing that is very difficult to describe though is as he tells his story you can see the wealth of compassion that he has for everything that he has experienced and gone through. But for those moments where he had to recall something terrible that occurred; the frustration that would fleet across his face for those trying times or situations that were ugly, because of nothing more than hatred from those that didn?t like his kind, his color.

To that he says ?God would be a miserable God if he had only one thing to look at.

For example, one type of race, one type of fish, one type of flower.?

A: How much it hurt, those times; that it just shouldn't have been allowed to occur and yet that is how the activists I am sitting across became the person that he is.

Someone had to actually get involved. Someone had to say something. Someone actually had to take action. What type of actions? Let's talk about the boycotting of Broughton Street.

T: When I was eighteen years old I was always involved with the community. I finished college at Savannah State, but I was always in groups. That?s how we got things done. Many of the people in the groups that I was in have died. Once in a while I would go out with the fraternity to some club (of course I went out) but that sort of thing never really excited me, for some reason. I had one or two girlfriends; some guys were like go go go go. When I was going, I was always going to do something constructive. T: I was with the NAACP youth council, I became president of the NAACP youth council. I served with Mr. W. Law for eleven years. I served on the board of health, and became chairman, the first African American in history. I was a member of the Political Advisory Council. It was an organization that brought progress in the community for black folks.

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continued T: We boycotted Savannah for eighteen months. I didn?t think I would ever see black folks united like they were in the 60?s.

A: Why was boycotting downtown so important?

T: Because we could spend our money, but they wouldn't treat us with any courtesy, with any respect. There were no handle on people's names, no jobs. All they wanted from us was our money.

T: All the action was on Broughton Street. However, West Broad St, where many black businesses were held, there were two stores that we were directing people to buy. This is how I did it. I would walk into a store, and to make sure nobody thought I was harassing them, I would ask someone to pretend to be my wife.

While she was pretending to shop, I would convince others not to buy, to get them out the store. Then I would go back to my pretend wife and say let's go get that hat you like from another store. Then I would take my camera. And I would take pictures. Here was the threat. If I catch you shopping in the store, I would blow the picture up, show it to the congregation, and label it ?Traitor of the Week.? But I didn't actually do that.

T: The mass meetings were held at different churches every Sunday at 4pm and if you didn't get there you didn't have a seat.

T: The black community followed us. The black community knew that we had the community at heart. Our goal was to achieve equality for black people; make these changes that we knew were essential. The first black woman that I knew of that served on any board was Mrs. Annie Byers who served on the library board. In the 50?s and 60?s, these things were not heard of until we made the changes. It was our desire to have peace in the community with white folks. Savannah always had a good working relationship with white, black. Dr. King even said that Savannah was the most integrated city in the south. The white man and the black man had a very good coexistence in this community. Not that they wanted us to have. We had to fight for what we wanted however arbitrarily. The oppressor never gives voluntarily to the oppressed. We had to demand morally what was due us. We must remember:

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continued ?We are human beings, and we should be treated as human beings.?

T: When Dr. Ralph Mark Gilbert came to Savannah, he wasn?t scared of nothing buddy. Nobody fought with him. Hot dog we never had a leader like him; the only person close to him was W. W. Law. Dr. Gilbert revitalized the NAACP, set up 40 chapters throughout the state of Georgia. He was a preacher, a dramatists, and a great orator. I was in New York when he died. That's what made me come back to Savannah. Law took over as president after him and held the office for 26 years. I worked under his administration. I remember when the council only had like one or two people speaking out when necessary. One was Reverend Smalls and the other, the late Reverend Bennie Mitchell. Mr. Hall?s show and I are the only ones addressing anything dealing with black folks. I just wish this could be on the radio.

Where people could call in and ask questions. I try to educate my people. Through history books.

A: Where was the headquarters? Where did you have the meetings?

T: The first NAACP office was rented by Dr. Carl Jordan, located on Henry and W. Broad St upstairs above a shoe shop. He paid the rent for two or three months, furnished it with desks and chairs that he had.

T: In Atlanta people had subdivisions with beautiful homes. Black people had invested in a bank in Atlanta and that back loaned black folks money. That?s how they were able to build. Dr. Jordan suggested what we needed in Savannah was to have a savings and loan association. Where we could loan money to black people to build homes. He wanted us to purchase shares in a savings and loan association and for it to be owned by black folks. We were excited and they wanted it to become a reality. They filed an application with a housing department in DC and guess what, we were turned down. We can?t say names but we know that they were directed to turn us down. It didn?t stop us from moving forward.

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Gr over Thor nt on

Dr um Maj or

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Universe M aybe I w asn't r eady t o be im m er sed in you r u n iver se, bu t t h er e I w as, en gu lf ed by it , su r r ou n ded, t r yin g t o sw im t o som e piece of f am iliar it y t h at m ade sen se. I lan ded an d br eat h ed on ly t o f in d you as m y air .

You didn't ligh t on f ir e or r aise t o ear t h ever y qu ar t er bu t you su r e ar r est ed an y idea of san ct u ar y I on ce h ad. Gr ou n d of an y t ype w as lef t t o be in spect ed u n t il som e pligh t of you r st r u ggle or su f f er in g w as ack n ow ledged or r ecogn ized.

I w as u n w or t h y f or h avin g been bor n m ale, t h er ef or e cou ld n ot see t h e w or ld as you w er e f or ced t o live in it .

An d n ow I live t h at lif e h avin g bor ed it w it h n ew eyes an d t r u e br eat h . Wit h f lesh t h at year n s t o be a par t of you r s again .

AndersonAries.Onl ine 28

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LOVE IS

JuliusHall

Love is n ot a gam e an d love is n ot w ar , Love is n ot an yt h in g played t o k eep scor e.

Love is n ot h ar d an d cold, love is sof t an d w ar m , Love is f eelin g saf e, w h ile w r apped in you r ar m s.

Love is n ot t ar t an d love is n ot sou r , Love is n ot h avin g you on m y m in d f r om h ou r t o h ou r .

Love is n ot bit t er n ess, love is t en der an d sw eet , Love is w h at I h ave f or you , an d it ?s n ot discr eet .

Love is n ot a secr et , f or love is t o be sh ow n , Love is lik e a r in g, it ?s m ade t o be w or n .

Love cau ses jealou sy, love cau ses spit e, Love is so w on der f u l, w h en it ?s all don e r igh t .

Love is t r u st in g, love is en du r in g an d love is pat ien ce, Love is ever yt h in g w h en it m ak es an y sen se.

Love br in gs h ear t ach e, love som et im es br in gs pain , Bu t love can be as sw eet as a su gar can e.

Love does t o t h e sou l, w h at sex does f or t h e body, It er ases all bad f eelin gs w it h ou t m ak in g you f eel sor r y.

Love is n ot a t op coat , love is ver y deep dow n , Love com es f r om t h e h ear t , an d n ot f r om t h e sou n d.

Love is bein g t h er e f or som eon e, w h en n o on e else w ou ld, Love is n ot qu est ion in g, w h et h er you sh ou ldn?t or sh ou ld.

Love is a let t er , becau se love is w h at you w r it e w it h you r pen , Love is alw ays a begin n in g, n ever an en d.

Love is a ph on e call, bu t it sh ow s m or e in a visit , You can?t bu y t r u e love an d you dam n su r e can?t r en t it .

Love is givin g, w h en you r eally w an t t o r eceive, Love m ean s t o sh ow , n ot t o deceive.

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Na t i o n a l Bl o o d Do n o r

BY Andromeda Gibbons The Red Cross reported last year that roughly 62% of the nation would fall into a cleared category for donating blood while only 3% actually volunteer to give. Here are some things to consider if you've ever been interested in donating.

General health is amongst the first on the list of temporary reasons for not donating.

Things like falling ill to a cold or being quarantined for Covid-19. Medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or even recent surgery would prevent you from being able to donate blood. What's more, the types of medication that a person is subscribed can take weeks or even years before a doctor can clear a patient. Other conditions that would keep a donor from volunteering could be sexual health, travel, getting a tattoo or piercing, and pregnancy.

January was chosen as the best month for awareness campaigns due to a recognized drop in the number of volunteers and supplying during the winter and holidays.

After consideration of other factors that might keep you from volunteering to donate, perhaps the following information might help you in deciding which you prefer. Types: 1. Plasma- known as "the gift of life" plasma makes up approximately 55% of your total blood content. Carrying such items as proteins, enzymes, nutrients, clotting factors, and antibodies, providers

can collect the plasma through a process called plasmapheresis, thereby enabling life beneficial treatments to such conditions as burns, trauma, and shock.

2. Platelets- "Platelets stop us from bleeding." They are the cells that bind together when they recognize damaged blood cells. Dr. Marlene Williams, John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.hopkinsmedicine.org 3. Double Red Cell- Also called "power red," it allows for the collection of two units of red blood cells while returning the plasma, platelets, and a little saline back to the donor. This procedure may be done every four months, but can take up to 30 minutes longer to complete.4. Whole Blood- "The most common type of blood donation."mayoclinic.org Once the blood is collected during apheresis (usually about half a liter or one pint) it can be separated into its components. Red cells last for 42 days, platelets last for 5 days, and plasma can be frozen for up to a year. There are rare red cells that can be unfrozen for emergencies but the process is costly.

Blood types and antigens are inherited.

Antigens are proteins within red blood cells. Some people have fewer antigens than others. With a better understanding for the reasons why and why not to donate, with no other alternatives available to hospitals, the role of the willing volunteer is to help prolong life.

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Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe....

Am I The Baby Daddy???

An alarming 32% of DNA testing performed are proven HE IS NOT THE FATHER!! How does this happen??? What would cause a mother/women to suggest a father/man is the Baby Daddy when he isn't??? Let's take a look at pat er n it y f r au d.

Some consider paternity fraud"worse than rape". I'm certain, for some it is devastating to discover a child you believed was yours-isn't yours. In some cases, the child is named after the "father "--being a Jr., 3rd and in some cases, the child given his last name.

Misattributed paternity can be ruining for men who have spent years believing they are biologically connected to a child, only to learn later that they actually share no DNA. Paternity fraud causes immense emotional pain and turmoil, affecting the biological father, the non-biological father, the mother, and the child in the middle of it. Also, victims of paternity fraud may have been contributing financially, emotionally and physically for years.

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WHAT IS PATERNITY FRAUD???

Paternity fraud occurs when the mother of a child misidentifies a man as being the biological father of her child. In most cases the mother knows that the man is not biologically linked to the child, but for reasons only known to the mother, she continues with the act of paternity fraud.

HOW DOES PATERNITY FRAUD HAPPEN???

Paternity fraud happens when a man is asked to sign an affidavit of paternity for a child with whom they share no biological connection. In many cases, it is the mother urging the "father " to sign the affidavit or birth certificate, but in some cases it is the "father " urging.

There is doubt based on the physical appearance of the child, the lack of a bond with the child, actions of the mother and/or other contributing issues. The issue is then complicated when the state uses that affidavit or birth certificate as proof of paternity in a child support case, instead of ordering an actual DNA test before assigning child support.

continued In some states, paternity fraud also happens through a process known as "the presumption of paternity." This happens when a person is designated by the state as the child's biological "father " simply because the "father " and the mother were married at the time of the child's birth or conception.

An actual law in some states, the presumption of paternity causes some men to pay child support on behalf of children they are not related to--in some cases, even long after the misattributed paternity is apparent.

WHEN PATERNITY FRAUD IS REVEALED Paternity fraud can go undetected for years. It can sometimes be brought to light after medical records reveal that the child can unequivocally n ot be r elat ed t o t h e" f at h er " attributed as the biological father.

In cases where paternity fraud has resulted in child support payments, the court is left to decide whether those payments could continue. While it seems on the surface that the obvious answer is "NO," the court's focus is always the best interest of the child. As such, the court may: -

Cease further child support payments, or Order a continuation of child support payments

PATERNITY FRAUD'S IM PACT ON CHILD SUPPORT A court may order a "father " who is not the biological parent of a chld to continue child support payments for the following reasons: -

-

continued child support payments serve the best interests of the child the child still needs to be supported and the court believes the child may require government assistance if child support payments cease the "father " has supported the child for a period of time and has acted as the child's father.

CONSEQUENCES OF PATERNITY FRAUD Unfortunately, there are currently no legal consequences for mothers who commit paternity fraud. Paternity fraud is not considered a punishable crime, an it's next to impossible to collect or recollect funds from the mother of the child.

The main fact is that THE CHILD is also a victim in cases like this. THE CHILD is missing out on who they really are, not being connected to the family they belong to and not given the proper basic emotional needs that should be given---family disease that may be passed down, mental health disorders and other factors that are pertinent to LIFE.

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continued Paternity fraud causes havoc on people's lives. It involves the deliberate misrepresentation of a child's biological father, leading to an array of deceit, emotional distress, and legal entanglements. It also affects more lives than you could think or imagine. The emotional roller coaster experienced by the individuals included can send shock waves through families and courtrooms alike.

If you find yourself in a situation like this, please reach out to a reputable center for testing.

1.800.681.6583

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Massacres we've covered in previous editions.

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" Th e Deat h of Evil Upon Th e Seash or e" (M ay 17, 1956) " Let t er Fr om A Bir m in gh am Jail" (Apr il 16, 1963)

" I Have A Dr eam ..."

(Au gu st 28, 1963)

"A Tim e To Br eak Silen ce" (Apr il 4, 1968)

" I've Been To Th e M ou n t ain Top" (Apr il 3, 1968)

ISSUE 1 I JANUARY 2024