Florida Courier, April 26, 2019

FC

EE FR

PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID DAYTONA BEACH, FL PERMIT #189

Plenty of sand, surf, history on Carolina coast See Page B1

www.flcourier.com

NOW UPDATED DAILY! Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/ flcourier Follow us on Twitter@flcourier

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

VOLUME 27 NO. 17

www.flcourier.com

A FRESH START Challenges and opportunities face Bethune-Cookman University’s incoming president. Can his past successes lead to B-CU’s restoration?

BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF

DAYTONA BEACH – Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite has been named the seventh president of Bethune-Cookman University (BCU). According to a statement released on Tuesday (April 23), Chrite will take office effective July 1 – the beginning of the institution’s next fiscal year.

He will be stepping down as dean at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business in June.

‘A new course’ “The board chose Dr. Chrite as president of Bethune-Cookman University because his global experience in leadership, busi-

Gillum settles ethics case for $5K

ness, policy and academic transformation will serve as the foundation for setting a new course for our beloved college,” said retired Circuit Court Judge Belvin Perry, who chairs BCU’s Board of Trustees.

“We look forward to Dr. Elrie working together to create LaBrent ‘Brent’ Chrite a new and robust educational institution that preserves our history while taking us into the future,” Perry added.

Retired Circuit Court Judge Hubert Grimes has served as B-CU’s interim president since July 2017.

‘A bright future’ “I am tremendously honored to assume the presidency at Bethune-Cookman University, an academic institution with a storied history; great faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends; and a bright future,” Chrite stated.

“We face some serious challenges, but we have so much that’s outstanding in our community and traditions – and I have every confidence that together we will make

FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Dr. Elrie LaBrent Chrite, soon to be Bethune-Cookman University’s seventh president, steps into the top leadership position in one of the most perilous times in the institution’s 115-year history. exciting things happen. I am passionate about Bethune-Cookman and am thrilled to be a part of its community,” he added.

AGB Search, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that specializes in educational leadership searches, conducted the national quest for B-CU’s latest president. Chrite

PRINCE ROGERS NELSON / 1958-2016

Gone too soon

BY DARA KAM NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

ALSO INSIDE

At the University of Denver, Chrite headSee B-CU, Page A2

Fight over ‘Tobacco 21’ Should the smoking age be raised?

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – After paying billions of dollars to settle lawsuits about the dangers of cigarettes, the tobacco industry is engaged in another publicrelations battle, one that is swirling in the Florida Capitol, other state houses throughout the country and in Congress.

The issue, known as “Tobacco 21,” focuses on raising the smoking age from 18 to 21, a concept that’s supported by the American Heart Association as well as a company many people blame for a teen vaping epidemic.

That’s where Big Tobacco comes in.

Vaping rate increases Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris USA, the nation’s largest cigarette maker, purchased one-third of e-cigarette giant JUUL Laboratories for nearly $13 billion late last year.

JUUL’s exponential growth – its market share tripled in just one year – is linked closely to the skyrocketing increase in youngsters’ e-cigarette use.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb have been on a mission to eradicate teen vaping, which Gottlieb said is one of the federal agency’s “biggest health care challenges.”

The 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey showed a nearly 80 percent increase in current e-cigarette use by high-school teens over the previous

Family ordeal

See GILLUM, Page A2

Varied leadership roles

BY DARA KAM

TALLAHASSEE – Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum agreed Wednesday to pay a $5,000 fine in a settlement reached with a state ethics-commission attorney, who agreed to drop four of five charges of ethics violations related to trips to Costa Rica and New York, a boat ride around the Statue of Liberty and a ticket to the Broadway hit, “Hamilton.”

Nearly two hours after a hearing on the alleged ethics violations was supposed to begin Wednesday morning, the Florida Commission on Ethics’ advocate, Elizabeth A. Miller, told Administrative Law Judge E. Gary Early that she and Gillum’s lawyer, Barry Richard, had reached an “amicable settlement agreement.”

“Obviously, this has taken a lot of time and energy from my wife, myself, our family. Obviously, all of this happening in the context of a statewide election didn’t make it any easier. We came prepared today to say fully what our experience has been and what the truth of the matter is,” Gillum, accompanied by his wife, R. Jai, told reporters.

In January, the ethics commission unanimously found probable cause that Gillum, as Tallahassee mayor, violated state ethics laws for allegedly accepting gifts from Tallahassee entrepreneur Adam Corey and undercover FBI agents posing as developers. Corey had been a close friend of Gillum and lobbied city officials.

The accusations against Gillum became a theme for now-Gov. Ron DeSantis during a heated campaign leading to Novem-

was one of three finalists after 60 original applicants.

See SMOKING, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS NATION | A3

Milllennials to talk politics at May convention

RICHARD HARTOG/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

In this file photo, Prince performs “Purple Rain” as the opening act during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards show in 2004 in Los Angeles. April 23 was the third anniversary of his death. His self-written memoir, “The Beautiful Ones,” is set to be published on Oct. 29.

EVENTS | B2

From Funk Fest to ‘Wobble’ contest

COMMENTARY: REV. JESSE JACKSON: WALL STREET MUST PAY FOR FORECLOSURE CRISIS | A4 GUEST COMMENTARY: OSCAR H. BLAYTON: ILHAN OMAR AND THE ‘PSEUDOTYPING’ OF ISRAEL | A5

FOCUS

A2

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

Donald Trump is ‘The Lying King’ “The Lion King” story follows the adventures of the young lion Simba, the heir of his father, King Mufasa.

Simba’s wicked uncle, Scar, plots to usurp Mufasa’s throne by luring father and son into a stampede of wildebeests. But Simba escapes, and only Mufasa is killed. In the happy ending, Simba returns as an adult to take back his homeland from Scar with the help of his friends.

Today, we have a distortion of the classic tale called “The Lying King.” It is about a president of the United States who loves to deceive, demean, disparage, delude, divide and disrupt the world’s greatest so-called democracy by being the most dishonest president in American history!

The modern story talks about

SMOKING from A1 year. The survey also showed a nearly 50 percent increase for middle-school children.

‘Big Tobacco’ wants increase JUUL is pushing the Tobacco 21 legislation, in part to keep federal regulators at bay. The FDA, under Gottlieb’s two-year watch, initiated a series of actions targeting the sales of JUUL and other e-cigarettes to minors, both in brick-and-mortar stores and online. Last summer, the agency also sent warning letters to manufacturers, distributors and retailers for selling e-cigarettes in packaging that resembles candy and juice boxes.

Anticipating that the FDA was going to outlaw certain flavored nicotine products to curb youth vaping, JUUL in November stopped selling fruity and dessert-flavored vaping products and shut down its social media sites.

The company has joined forces with other Tobacco 21 proponents, who say raising the smoking age has been shown to be an effective way to combat youth smoking. The proposal would also affect other smokeless tobacco products, such as dip.

“Tobacco 21 laws fight one of the largest contributors to this problem – social sourcing by legal-age peers – and they have been shown to dramatically reduce teen-use rates,” JUUL Labs CEO Ken Burns wrote in a Washington Post op-ed published March 20.

In Florida, bills (HB 7119 and

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

a president that appears to be compromised by the Kremlin, puppetized by Vladimir Putin and controlled by nationalists, supremacists and card-carrying closet Klansmen!

He did it The recently released report

by Special Counsel Robert Mueller clearly and expressly states that Donald Trump probably obstructed justice by seeking to derail investigations into election

STOJ

interference by Russia and misconduct by members of the Donald Trump administration.

The ludicrous comments by Trump parrot William Barr, the nation’s so-called attorney general, were merely an attempt to spin facts outlined in Mueller’s report to make it seem like secret and public meetings with Putin and other Russians were “no collusion!”

Well, no one was looking for collusion! To me, if it looks like a conspiracy and smells like a conspiracy, it is a conspiracy!

Trump asked Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton’s emails and Russia did it. Trump Junior told Russian operatives that he loved to get dirt on Clinton from a Russian adversary and he set up a meeting in Trump Tower in an attempt to get said dirt. And Trump’s son-in-law tried to set up a secret backchannel to communicate with Russians.

Lying under oath Let me add something the TGR

pointed out long ago that the imperialist press that you trust so much fails to recognize. With all the lying going on to the media, to Congress and to the people, there has to be perjury also!

There is zero doubt that Russia wanted Trump to become president, and Trump wanted Russia to do illegal and dishonorable things to help him suppress votes, mislead voters and divide Americans to give him a presidential victory.

Now, there’s a lot of talk about impeachment. Everybody should slow their rolls! No matter how the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives moves to try to impeach Trump, impeachment efforts are dead in the water if the Republican-controlled Senate refuses to vote to impeach.

Keep looking Democrats should continue their investigations into presidential misdeeds like obstruc-

tion, perjury, campaign violations, money laundering and emolument law violations. But it is more important to help the people with solidifying health care, lowering drug prices, making reparations to African-Americans, financing infrastructure projects and other needed government projects.

Donald Trump’s behavior is disgusting. His fake summaries of conclusions about the special counsel’s report are nothing but Trump’s wall – a “stonewall” to hide and delay the truth about his love for Putin and hatred for the rightful American way!

“The Lying King” is a story that has been sold, not told! Don’t stop fighting the power!

Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere.

“Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants. net.

SB 1618) are ready to go to the full House and Senate. While most components of the proposals appear to have widespread, bipartisan support, other provisions could put them in jeopardy.

‘Big Tobacco’ supports a Florida bill restricting tobacco products use by minors to prevent federal regulators from passing even more restrictive rules on using e-cigarettes, a practice known as ‘vaping.’

Possible exemptions The Senate proposal includes an exemption for cigars, an apparent attempt to win over votes by Senate Democrats, whose leader, Audrey Gibson, represents a district where Jacksonville-based SwishState Sen. er InternationAudrey al, known for its Gibson “Swisher Sweets” cigars, is based.

The Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday approved the measure over the objections of the American Heart Association, which is no longer supporting the bill, the group’s lobbyist, Rivers Buford, told the panel.

“The cigar exemption doesn’t make a bit of sense,” he said. “It basically puts a hole right in the middle of the bill.”

Also, the exemption could be politically problematic for the House, because Speaker José Oliva’s fortune is based on a family cigar enterprise. Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, stepped down as CEO of Oliva Cigar Co., which was sold two years ago, after taking over as speaker.

Small business objections Vape shop owners have also strenuously objected to the Tobacco 21 legislation, saying that raising the vaping age to 21 will hurt mom-and-pop businesses while helping the bad actors be-

B-CU from A1 ed a faculty and staff of 220 serving more than 3,000 students.

“Dr. Brent Chrite served as dean with deep integrity and great intelligence,” said Gregg Kvistad, the provost who hired Chrite.

“His visionary, collaborative leadership is respected by colleagues across the university. His most lasting legacy, however, may be his singular focus on academic excellence and inclusion.

Bethune-Cookman University is extremely fortunate to have landed Dr. Chrite as its next president.”

New Jersey tenure Chrite served as both dean and professor of management and international business for four years at Montclair State University in New Jersey. As the academic and administrative leader of the business school there, he led more than 2,200 students and 85 full-time faculty members.

According to information from the University of Denver, Chrite led “a fourpronged comprehensive transformation” at Montclair State, “which resulted in a 40-percent increase in graduate enrollments, new dual degree global partnerships, a new executive MBA (Master of Business Administration), the creation of a Center for Entrepreneurship, and a record level of private giving to the school.”

Worked in Arizona Prior to serving as dean at Montclair, Chrite was associate dean and Gemelli Faculty Fellow at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. While in that position, he had overall leadership responsibility for the MBA program and created on-campus dual-degree programs with medicine and engineering.

PEGGY PEATTIE/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE/ TNS

hind the e-cigarette epidemic.

The House bill, meanwhile, is facing pushback from the Senate for a provision that would raise the age for smokable medical marijuana from 18 to 21.

Just weeks ago, lawmakers succumbed to Gov. Ron DeSantis and repealed the state’s prohibition against smoking medical marijuana.

Under that new law, children under the age of 18 will have to get a second opinion from a pediatrician before being able to smoke the cannabis treatment.

Critics of the House plan to increase the medical-marijuana smoking age question whether DeSantis would support such a proposal. Others maintain that raising the age to 21 for smoking

Chrite also developed successful executive education programs for Arizona’s Tucson and Phoenix campuses.

Chrite completed his undergraduate work at Michigan State University, earned an M.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Between 2000 and 2003, he served as assistant dean for global development at the University of Michigan’s Ross Business School. Early in his career, Chrite taught in the Middle East, Mexico, Russia, Uzbekistan, and throughout Africa.

He is a native of Detroit. He and his wife Phyllis have three children and one grandchild.

B-CU struggling Chrite takes over an institution facing an $88 million foreclosure action filed by Wells Fargo Bank on behalf of investors; in technical default on millions in bond debt; filing and defending lawsuits by multiple real estate developers and against its own former leadership; and on probation and facing possible decertification by its academic accreditation agency due to governance, financial sustainability, and integrity challenges.

Despite the challenges, alumni, faculty and staff are optimistic about the schools’ future and are pressing forward accordingly.

The Concerned Constituents Committee of Bethune-Cookman University (CCC/B-CU) is a group of alumni, supporters, students and friends of BCU. The group formed in 2016 and has pushed for reform of B-CU’s Board of Trustees, the resignation of its executive committee, a forensic audit, more transparency from the school’s leadership and inclusion in the presidential search that selected Chrite.

‘A good vision’ “I am excited. We are getting new leadership. I think he has a good vision for the institution which I believe

medical marijuana would violate the Constitution, and, if passed into law, would land the state in court.

‘Smokeless’ question And there’s another hitch for lawmakers from rural counties, particularly in the Panhandle: increasing the age to 21 for smokeless tobacco products. Concerned lawmakers are wondering what alternatives would be available to people under the age of 21 who are addicted to nicotine found in smokeless tobacco products but would be unable to vape.

Defending the proposal Tuesday, Senate bill sponsor David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, called the measure “a major step forward” at keeping youngsters

with a lot of help and a few prayers will be transformative for Bethune-Cookman University. He has the right background. We must be an institution…for the future of college education. That is what he wants to do,” responded Sumner Hutcheson, co-chair of CCC/B-CU. Attempts to reach the BethuneCookman University National Alumni Association failed as of the Florida Courier’s press time late Wednesday night.

Grassroots efforts On March 29, a group of 85 B-CU faculty and staff employees – including some on forced unpaid vacations due to the school’s financial distress – presented a check for more than $26,000 to be used for the institution’s general operations. That officially kicked off the second phase of their “We Are Our Answer” fundraising initiative, which has a $1.5-million fundraising goal.

The recently established BethuneCookman Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation separate from the university that was organized for fundraising activities and improved funds management.

Previously, endowment funds were allegedly commingled with operating funds, and financial controls were nonexistent under the previous administration headed by Dr. Edison Jackson.

The foundation “seeks to maximize the impact of contributions and has launched a multi-year fundraising campaign with the theme: Shifting Towards a New Foundation,” it said in a press release.

Various campaigns Its goal to raise $7.5 million to strengthen the university endowment and close the financial gap for students

by June 30, 2020 through three efforts: an on-campus commemorative brick campaign; a Millionaire’s Club of financial contributors starting at $1,000; and the student-led #ILeaveYouLove campaign for recurring gifts.

from getting hooked on cigarettes.

During debate on the House proposal last week, Rep. Jackie Toledo, R-Tampa, said the bill is about “access to a product that we know is harmful.”

‘To the hospital’ Toledo, one of the bill’s sponsors, accused tobacco companies of “targeting our youth” with e-cigarette products that came in flavors like cotton candy.

“Our children don’t think there’s any problems with these products, and they’re using them, and they’re being sent to the hospital,” she said. “This bill can make sure that we keep our children and young adults safe.”

GILLUM from A1 ber’s election, in which the Republican narrowly edged out the former mayor. The race drew a national spotlight, in part, because of Gillum’s attempt to become the state’s first Black governor.

‘The facts matter’ Later Wednesday, Gillum issued a statement describing the end of the case as “vindication. The results confirm what I’ve said all along – the facts matter and I never knowingly violated any ethics laws.”

In brief remarks to Early, Miller did not elaborate on what prompted the settlement. But the attorney’s case hinged on an elusive Corey, who was involved in the New York and Costa Rica trips. Corey has been out of the country, and efforts to get him to testify in the administrative-law case were unsuccessful, according to documents filed in the case.

It is also unclear whether the undercover FBI agent known as “Mike Sweets” would have appeared, although Early ordered that the agent could come into the courtroom through a private entrance, remain in disguise and testify in secret in a Andrew courtroom closed off to the public.

Gillum The settlement agreement “keeps intact what I have said all along,” Gillum, now a commentator for CNN, said.

‘Excited to move on’ “But, as any adult, when you learn more information you have to step up and take responsibility for what it is that you come to know,” said Gillum, who last month launched a voter registration effort in Florida, aimed at denying President Donald Trump a second term in office.

“I will tell you we are thankful for where we are today, and quite frankly, I am more than excited now to move on to the work that we’ve got for ourselves and that is, we’ve got to get a million new voters registered throughout the state of Florida. I am going to move very swiftly to get to that work soon,” he said.

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

STOJ

NATION

TOJ

A3

Political convention to target Black millennials May 30-June 2 event will be held in Washington

BY STACY M. BROWN NNPA NEWSWIRE

An estimated 62 million millennials – adults ages 20 to 35 in 2016 – were of voting age in the nation’s electorate in 2016.

Millennials comprised 27 percent of the voting-eligible population, just below baby boomers – ages 52 to 70 – who made up 31 percent, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

African-American millennials are 14 percent of the total millennial population in the U.S. and 25 percent of the total Black population. It’s expected that by next year Black millennials’ buying power could exceed $200 billion.

With those and other statistics serving as a distant backdrop, organizers are preparing for the Black Millennial Political Convention, a nonpartisan and nonprofit convening of millennials of African descent from across the country and the diaspora to advance racial equity, increase black political power, and expand civic engagement.

Three guiding principles The national convention, which takes place from May 30 to June 2 in Washington, D.C., will operate along three primary guiding principles: Pipeline-Planting seeds: Creating succession plans to identify, develop and propel transformational leaders (local, regional, statewide, and national).

Policy-Institute policies: Addressing the needs and concerns of the African American Community.

Power to the People - Elevating Our Power: Leveraging the intersectionality for social impact to empower community, activate advocacy and create systemic change.

“The Black Millennial Political Convention is the only place where Black millennial voices and concerns are a priority,” said Lea Webb, the convention’s cochair and award-winning activist who was the first and youngest African American representative on the Binghamton (New York) City Council.

“We provide a chance for Black millennials nationwide to convene upon the nation’s capital for a unique and essential opportu-

Millennials are 25 percent of the total Black population. nity to learn about implementing our policy priorities in their own communities and to network with like-minded, civically active peers,” Webb said.

‘Equity Now’ theme The biggest challenge facing Black millennials is achieving equity, Webb said.

“The title and theme of our convention this year is Equity Now. Black Millennials are thriving as leaders in politics, business, education and all other industries,” Webb said.

“However, we must continue to fight for equitable access to resources and seats at decisionmaking tables,” she said.

Waikinya Clanton, a Steering Committee member of the Black Millennial Political Convention, said the upcoming convention is the one space curated for and by the brightest, young political minds in the country.

Training and activating Speaking only in her capacity as a Steering Committee member, Clanton, who is also the national executive for the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women and an ambassador of the International Black Women’s Public Policy In-

A panel addresses issues relating to millennials during a previous convention. stitute, said the convention also is the space by which crafting of the Black millennial agenda is created and communicated.

“We are not only, training and activating young people around their political issues, but we are helping these leaders understand how to build and deploy Black political power,” Clanton said.

Gillum among speakers Both Webb and Clanton said

this year’s convention should prove valuable for all.

“This year we have added a presidential forum and a Millennial March on Washington plus a rally and we will also have a dynamic host of speakers and panelists and we will end with our Black Millennial Gala and Awards Ceremony,” said Webb, who noted that among the more prominent speakers this year are Brittany Packnett, Symone Sanders, and Andrew Gillum.

Clanton said there will be a

“full concentrated effort on the building of Black people, Black community, Black wealth and the furthering of Black excellence.”

“We have invited political leaders from both political parties, subject matter and industry experts and a host of other talent. It will be the one place for any leader looking to learn about what’s important to Black millennials,” Clanton said.

For more information, visit blackmillennialconvention.com.

or, according to BAM, which, like NCMEC, rely on statistics from the FBI.

lyn Janiece Miller was last seen by family on Tuesday, April 9 when she left her Quintana Drive home in the Potomac area.

Police said Miller was driving her 2019, red Toyota Corolla with Maryland temporary tag T889737 when she was last seen.

She is described by authorities as an African-American female, 5-feet-tall and weighing 160 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. Her family has been unable to contact her since they last saw her leaving her home and are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information regarding Carolyn’s whereabouts are asked to call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.

Not enough publicity

Carolyn Janiece Miller (left) was last seen by her family on April 9 when she left her home in Maryland. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said Dakota Elliott Kelly (right) was reported missing on April 15.

Is more attention finally being given to missing Black girls Editor’s note: This story is one in a series by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) on missing Black women and girls.

BY STACY M. BROWN NNPA NEWSWIRE

The Minneapolis police have located a 12-year-old girl who went missing last week.

Dejah McCondichie had last been seen sometime 5 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at her home. By Sunday afternoon, the police department posted an update with good news: Dejah had been found and is safe.

Greenville, South Carolina

Police who went searching for 2-year-old Asaiah Nelson and her 50-year-old grandmother Michelle Matthews, also reported good news: The pair has been found safe.

In Georgia, police said they safely located 14-year-old Anastasia Foxworth who had been missing for more than 24 hours.

‘Too many missing’ Could this series of good news updates mean that the tide is finally turning for Black girls who go missing?

“It’s a step in the right direction when you hear that authorities are finally having success,

especially with Black girls,” said Yvonne Russ, a clinical psychologist. “But, there’s still too many missing and too many have been missing for too long.”

Organizations like Black and Missing But Not Forgotten, the Black and Missing Foundation (BAM) in Landover Hills, Maryland, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Alexandria, Virginia, have struggled to shed light on the real emergency that is of the nation’s missing.

More than 424,066 girls of all races have gone missing since the beginning of 2018, according to NCMEC. More than half of that total are women and girls of col-

Many said the media hasn’t done enough to shine the spotlight on the crisis of the missing – particularly Black girls.

“The majority of these children most likely come from marginalized communities, and are primarily low-income people of color,” said Dr. Ronnie A. Dunn, an interim chief diversity and inclusion officer and associate professor of urban studies at Cleveland State University.

“Given this nation’s racially stratified socioeconomic class hierarchy, as evidenced throughout institutions in America where poor children of color have worst outcomes on all quality of life indicators, their lives are devalued in relation to upper class white youth,” said Dunn, who has authored two books, “Race Profiling: Causes & Consequences,” and “Boycotts, Busing, & Beyond: The History & Implications of School Desegregation in the Urban North.”

“And even within that, while this nation espouses the valuing of children in general, this does not appear to be the reality as evidenced by the failure to act in the face of the onslaught of mass school shootings from Sandy Hook to Stoneman Douglas where the majority of those killed were middle-class White youth,” Dunn said.

“Therefore, we see less media attention paid to missing children, particularly those of color,” he said.

Since the beginning of the month, numerous young girls have gone missing.

Last seen in car This week, police said they’re searching for a missing woman from Montgomery County, Maryland.

Officers say 20-year-old Caro-

Guys missing too The missing doesn’t just include girls.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said a male, Dakota Elliott Kelly, was reported missing on Monday, April 15.

Dakota is Black, 5’2" tall, weighs 140 pounds, with brown eyes and short, black hair.

He was last seen wearing dark and light blue Kobe Bryant sneakers, white socks, gray and black Puma sweatpants, a white T-shirt, and black and gray Columbia sweat suit jacket.

Authorities said Dakota may be accompanied by Dallas Elliott Kelly or possibly Gabriel Fleming.

Dallas Kelly is black, 6’3" tall, weighs 240 pounds, with brown eyes and black, short hair. He was last seen wearing a red jogging suit, red hat, red sneakers, and has faded tattoos on his arms.

Authorities said they were last seen traveling west from Dakota’s home on Highway 404 toward I-55.

Anyone with information on Dakota, Dallas, or the vehicle is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department at 662-858-0019.

EDITORIAL

TOJ

A4

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

STOJ

Wall Street must pay for the foreclosure crisis Two weeks ago, as Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., convened a House Financial Services Committee hearing featuring the CEOs of Wall Street’s biggest banks, the financial watchdog group Better Markets released a stunning report on the banks’ criminal records entitled, “Wall Street’s Six Biggest Bailed-Out Banks: Their RAP Sheets and Their Ongoing Crime Spree.” The report profiled the records of Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo.

Detailing the staggering $8.2 trillion that was committed to bail out these banks when their excesses blew up the economy in 2008, the report laid out what it called their RAP sheets – the record of illegal activity for which they have been fined a cumulative total of $181 billion in over 350 major legal actions.

Continuing crimes The report concludes that these big banks “have engaged in – and continue to engage in – a crime spree that spans the violation of almost every law and rule imaginable.”

The scope of the illegal activity is breathtaking – overcharging soldiers on their mortgages, conspiring to fix the price of credit card fees, massive improper foreclosure practices, billing customers for services never provided, rigging interest rates, violating sanctions against countries like

REV. JESSE L. JACKSON, SR. TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

Iran, and more. The large fines are, for these mega-banks, merely a cost of doing business.

The banks particularly prey on the vulnerable, regularly pleading guilty of discriminating against African-Americans and Latinos.

Long after the bailout, for example, JPMorgan Chase paid $53 million to settle charges that it had discriminated against minority borrowers by charging them more for a mortgage than White customers.

At the center The banks were at the center of the housing bubble and its collapse. About 10 million people were displaced from over four million homes across the country. Minority neighborhoods were hit the hardest.

For decades, the banks redlined minority areas, depriving residents of access to mortgages or loans for small business development. Then, when the banks inflated the housing bubble, they targeted minority neighborhoods, peddling predatory mortgages to customers who they knew could not afford them.

As one former Wells Fargo

Reparations ‘newcomers’ aren’t what they seem ADOS stands for “American Descendants of Slaves,” a group founded by Yvette Carnell and Antonio Moore, supposedly advocates of reparations for the descendants of Africans enslaved in the U.S. Moore is a former Los Angeles County prosecutor, Carnell a former U.S. Senate staffer, and both have been blogging, tweeting, YouTubing and fishing in the waters of corporate social media a good while now.

GOP ties ADOS has strong ties to Republicans and racist White supremacists. Its co-founder Carnell sits on the board of the cynically-misnamed Progressives For Immigration Reform (PFIR), an outfit founded by noted White supremacist John Tinton, who’s been trying to manufacture Black and socalled environmentalist organizations to parrot his racist views on immigration, eugenics and more since the 1970s.

BRUCE A. DIXON BLACK AGENDA REPORT

It’s a match made in heaven for PFIR, which has struggled to invent or find a Black group to fly their crooked flag for four decades. If things work out, it’ll be a good career move for Carnell too.

CNN, Fox News or ABC would be delighted to bring on a charismatic Black commentator willing to spout Trumpets talking points interspersed with faux reparationist rhetoric.

We live in a nation where most people cannot find the countries their tax dollars pay to bomb every day on a map. It’s a country where 60 million (mostly) White people voted for Trump.

There’s no reason to imagine this proud North American igno-

Students aren’t mediocre, assembly-line widgets Teachers, have you ever felt frustrated and ill-equipped to meet the needs of the students in your classroom as well as the dictates of those who have never been classroom teachers?

Sometimes, we teachers feel like there is too much to do and not enough time or resources to do what needs to be done well.

Standardized testing frenzy, No Child Left Behind, Common Core Curriculum, STEM curriculum, professional development relegated to one day make ‘n’ take or lecture sessions, and demands from school boards, legislators, and the business community all may contribute to teacher frustration, burnout, and being ROJ (Retired On the Job).

BARBARA D. PARKS-LEE, PH.D. NNPA COLUMNIST

Our responsibilities How can we feel more professional and less like factory workers producing widgets?

First, we must clarify our mission. Students are not widgets.

There can be no reject bins for human beings with different needs and varied learning intelligence!

Secondly, we must reach our students before we can teach

mortgage broker explained in a sworn affidavit, “The company put ‘bounties’ on minority borrowers. By this I mean that loan officers received cash incentives to aggressively market subprime loans in minority communities.”

At the height of the rapacious lending boom, nearly 50 percent of all loans given to AfricanAmerican families were deemed “subprime.” The New York Times described these contracts as “a financial time bomb.”

When housing prices cratered, the bomb exploded. Mass evictions left entire neighborhoods scarred by empty houses. The banks then failed their legal duty to keep the homes up, with neighborhoods turning into waste pits.

With homeowners evicted, local revenues declined. Stores were shuttered; schools closed; local services decimated.

Middle class evaporated Those victimized were most often those who did the right thing: working steadily, putting together the money for a down payment on a home for their children. A rising African-American middle class was eviscerated.

In 2012, the National Fair Housing Alliance reported that African-Americans suffered “the largest loss of wealth for these communities in modern history.”

Between 2009 and 2012, AfricanAmericans lost just under $200 billion in wealth, bringing the gap between White and Black wealth rance of history, the planet and its people is confined to White Americans. When Barack Obama threatened to bomb Syria, polling showed that Black people – always the least hawkish of U.S. constituencies – were more inclined to war than their White neighbors.

Not a surprise So the appearance of a social media savvy right-wing Black reparationist group, with hashtags like #lineagematters followed by three or four American flags – a group which claims the exclusion of Mexican, Central American, African and Caribbean immigrants is necessary to protect the livelihoods and social capital of Black Americans – should be no surprise.

Popular support for empire depends on lots of fake news and fake history. ADOS embraces capitalism, empire and the American Exceptionalist ideology that goes with it.

Until now, Black reparationists have aligned themselves with colonized people around the world.

But true to its roots in social media and right-wing politics, ADOS takes the shortcut to embrace the

them. By reach I mean to be willing to acknowledge cultural and personal idiosyncrasies and to be friendly, fair, and flexible. Not everyone learns – or teaches – the same way.

Being friendly involves knowing our students’ names and greeting them as they enter our classrooms.

It also involves dressing professionally as a means of demonstrating personal and student respect.

Be professional There are three B’s no student should ever see on a teacher: no bosoms, no belly buttons, and no backsides. Students need a professional appearance. They form their own perceptions the first time they meet us, and we do not get a second chance to make a good first impression.

The culture of our classroom community must be one of acceptance, rigor, and high standards, for our students will either

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: PROTECTING DONALD TRUMP

NATE BEELER, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, OH

to a staggering 20:1 ratio.

According to the Better Markets report, the six biggest banks have paid over $181 billion in fines and settlements for their criminal activity. This money generally goes back into the general fund, unless the settlement agreement provides for some relief to those injured. That too often leaves those most injured by the illegal practices out in the cold.

Rebuilding fund What would make sense is that any fines that aren’t used to recompense the direct victims be put into a fund to rebuild the communities most injured. Supplement that with revenues from sensible taxes on the banks – like Elizabeth Warren’s call for a simple corporate tax on the profits they report – and a multibilracist narrative of Zionism.

ADOS leaders and followers routinely assert that U.S. military, diplomatic, financial support of Israel’s apartheid regime are examples of “reparations for the Jews,” in support of its own reparations claim in the U.S. The Jews got theirs, ADOS followers say, pointing to Israel. It’s time we got ours. This is both telling and pernicious for all kinds of reasons.

The fact is that since the fall of the old regime in South Africa 25 years ago, Israel is the world’s premiere apartheid state, viciously persecuting Africans, Arabs and anybody else it deems not “Jewish,” however they define that.

Nationalism, not justice The fact is that Zionists and the Zionist project was never about representing all Jews, or making a home for all Jews, or reparations for the persecuted. It has always been about using Jewish nationalism to establish a settler state. To depict a racist settler state as an example of restorative justice requires bottomless cynicism on the part of leaders who know better, and deep historical ignorance on the part of followers who don’t.

stretch or stagnate according to our expectations of them. Teachers must not only have a lesson plan A and a backup plan B, but also a backup for the backup to take advantage of any teachable moment.

If we do not have a plan for our students, they will most certainly have plans for us! Their plans will make our lives miserable and learning and teaching almost impossible.

Fairness involves demanding standards for which everyone is held accountable. Rules must be observed. No ridicule, bullying, disrespect or disparaging of anyone’s personal appearance, answers, questions, or opinions.

Teachers must take control of our classrooms from the first day until the last.

It’s not easy We must acknowledge that our calling is a combination of science, art, and craft. TEACHING

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.

CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that Americans can best lead the world away from racism and national antagonism when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person. The Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief...that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager

W W W.FLCOURIER.COM

Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources

Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (1928-2004), Founder Julia T. Cherry, Senior Managing Member, Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members

Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation Penny Dickerson, Staff Writer Duane Fernandez Sr., Kim Gibson, Photojournalists

MEMBER

Florida Press Association

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Society of Professional Journalists

National Newspaper Association

Associated Press

lion-dollar fund could be created to help repair the communities most impacted by the bankers’ crimes.

Use that money not to line the pockets of the big banks again, but to seed community banks and cooperatives, to support nonprofit affordable housing development, to create postal banking services that could liberate the poor from the usurious charges of payday lenders.

That might not end Wall Street’s addiction to crime, but it would help repair the communities that they have devastated. One would think that law-and-order conservatives might support this act of simple justice.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is president and CEO of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

In the absence of real journalism, such narratives are easily disseminated on Twitter and YouTube, where the flat-earthers, the moon landing skeptics, the birthers and the folks warning us about us about the lizard people all have big followings, too. But none of them enjoy shoutouts from Cornel West, none of them try to wrap themselves in the just cause of reparations, and none of them aim to affect the 2020 elections. ADOS does.

Pass the study bill As my colleague Glen Ford says, we need to pass HR 40 (the U.S. House of Representatives’ bill to study reparations). I agree.

Ford says we need an extended debate among Black people on just what reparations and restorative justice look like. That sounds sensible.

But it’s hard to imagine how such an exchange can take place in an atmosphere of willful ignorance and disinformation. And somebody really should talk to Brother Cornel.

Bruce Dixon is managing editor of BlackAgendaReport. com. Contact him at bruce.dixon@blackagendareport.com.

IS PLAIN HARD WORK! Our diverse students are real human beings with real needs and varied skills and talents. We must take the challenge of our profession and equip ourselves with the content knowledge and the pedagogy skills in order to deliver what our students must have. As we teach, we must also remember that these same students may have to serve us or to teach our children or grandchildren at some point after they leave us.

As teachers serving humans, we cannot allow them or ourselves to be treated any way except as we would want our own children and family members to be treated. We must be actively vocal as we present ourselves as advocates for the teaching and learning process.

Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com.

Subscriptions to the print version are $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, or log on to www.flcourier.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

SUBMISSIONS POLICY SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO NEWS@FLCOURIER.COM. Deadline for submitting news and pictures is 5 p.m. the Monday before the Friday publication date. You may submit articles at any time. However, current events received prior to deadline will be considered before any information that is submitted, without the Publisher’s prior approval, after the deadline. Press releases, letters to the editor, and guest commentaries must be e-mailed to be considered for publication.

The Florida Courier reserves the right to edit any submission, and crop any photograph, for style and clarity. Materials will not be returned.

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

STOJ

Congresswoman Omar and the ‘pseudotyping’ of Israel Donald Trump is trying his best to demonize Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District by unfairly castigating her for public remarks she has made in recent weeks. Her remarks, while not directed against Jews, have been characterized by Trump as “anti-Semitic.”

Trump’s baseless accusations are also sinister because they negate the fact that Congresswoman Omar, like most people of color in this nation, knows that Jewish Americans and African-Americans alike have suffered from the bigotry and racism that is in the cultural DNA of this country.

She knows history And she also knows that the history of America is replete with acts of valor by Jewish and African-American heroes sacrificing themselves to secure human dignity and justice for all Americans.

The tweeting disaster that lives in the White House fans the flames of division in America by relying upon the sensitivity of people who have suffered hurtful stereotyping.

The result is a backlash of social “pseudotyping.”

Pseudotyping, in the social sense, is the false perception that criticism aimed at the behavior of an individual, or individuals within a group, is a criticism of the entire group to which those persons belong. And it arises from the well of pain created by harmful stereotyping that entire group has suffered in the past.

Bigoted attacks Attacks on Jews and Black folk are often based upon stereotypes grounded in bigotry. While these attacks may be physically violent or even lethal on occasion, they are always hurtful. Because of this, some Jews and Black folk can be quick to pseudotype a criticism as an all-encompassing stereotype.

OSCAR H. BLAYTON, ESQ. GUEST COLUMNIST

Marching with Trump Since the 2016 presidential election, the world community is morally questioning America’s commitment to its own spiritual sovereign creed, the U. S. Constitution. The GOP, Christian rightwing evangelicals, and POTUS No. 45 groupies are in lock-step with an ungodly leader of the free world who is not respected by the free world.

American society has been spiritually marching toward this day since its very existence. Therefore, the origin of spiritual and moral confusion was not the 2016 presidential election. The election of Donald J. Trump only accelerated the process of America’s spiritual and moral decline that has opened up Pandora’s box.

Family units are the foundational basis of every society on Planet Earth, regardless of ethnicity or culture. Therefore, “Goes the family, goes the world.” When family units are destroyed or

A5

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: THE SRI LANKA ATTACK

African homeland?

Jewish Americans and African-Americans alike have suffered from the bigotry and racism that is in the cultural DNA of this country.

Because of pseudotyping, past condemnations of human rights violations by the governments of certain African nations have triggered vocal protests from members of the African-American community as being racist. Likewise, condemnations of the government of Israel for its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank precipitates loud accusations of anti-Semitism from the Jewish-American community.

As responsible citizens of the global community, we must not allow pseudotyping to cloud our judgment where a reasonable basis for criticism exists. I will address only one example.

Since the election of two Muslim women to Congress in 2018, there has been a heightened sensitivity to criticisms of the policies of the Israeli government that violate human rights, United Nations mandates and international law.

The complexity of the Palestinian-Israeli crisis cannot be understated. It is a human tragedy with which the United Nations has wrestled since the end of World

For years prior to World War II, the United Kingdom had been toying with the idea of a Jewish homeland. In 1903, Britain’s Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain met with Jewish leader Theodor Herzl and offered to settle Jewish people in what is now Uganda.

That offer ultimately was rejected, as the leadership in the U.K. Jewish community pushed for the establishment of a homeland in Palestine.

In 1917, the U.K.’s Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour sent a letter to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, expressing Britain’s interest in establishing a national home for the Jewish people, stating: “His Majesty’s government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”

Despite Balfour’s words of protection for “non-Jewish communities in Palestine,” since 1844, the phrase “A land without a people for a people without a land,” had been a popular slogan in support of the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST

transformed public consciousness in this regard only years ago because of the remarkable success of his one-man crusade to spread the gospel of his environmental bible, “Earth in the Balance.”

Not Gore’s idea But this celebration of, and Granted, to hear all the alarm- deference to, Earth’s natural ist talk about climate change, wonders should be distinguished you’d think it was Al Gore who from Gore’s “convenient truths”

STEVE SACK, THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE, MN

‘Manifest Destiny’ doctrine that negated the existence of the Native Americans on the North American continent. Given this sentiment, it is no surprise that for more than 70 years, the government of Israel has forcefully removed Palestinians from land that they occupied for centuries (and possibly millennia).

There has existed a constant state of hostility between Jews and Palestinians, along with neighboring Arabs, before and after 1947 when the UN voted to institute a Partition Plan that divided Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state with Jerusalem as an “International City” to be shared by both. And the wars and conflicts between the two sides have been too numerous to discuss in this short commentary.

Various individuals on both sides of these conflicts have opposed the violence as others have perpetuated it. And criticisms leveled at the government of Israel are not leveled at all Jews around the world, just as criticism leveled at the Palestinian Authority is not Heard this before criticism leveled at all Palestinian This sentiment negating Pales- people. tinians was an echo of America’s Governments should be criti-

cized when they cause suffering and death, but we must not conflate the acts of some with the intentions of all. And we must not assume that a criticism of some is a criticism of all. We must neither stereotype nor pseudotype.

individuals must be taught how to go to church before they come to church; then churchgoers (Christian believers) will have a clear spiritual understanding of what church is all about.

The church is wishy-washy about man-made laws that are not necessarily in harmony with God’s laws. Because God’s laws are inclusive (no one is exempt), disobedience to the will of God in Christianity has produced spiritual confusion among the American people. Christian churches should stop assisting the “strong man” – the devil – in producing a society of reprobate minds. All sin is sin, and God hates sin.

Education is the key to spiritual and workforce skills development. “Blessed is he that readeth, and hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1: 3). The founders spiritually understood the importance of an educated society; this is why they created a universal educational system.

They knew that every citizen having the ability to read the Bible was central to the survival of a democratic moral society.

Life is about free will and choices. Therefore, in order to choose wisely, an individual must know God and spiritually understand the words of inspiration of God in the Bible, because: “God judgeth the righteous, and God is anDR. BOBBY E. gry with the wicked every day.”

MILLS (Psalm 7:11). For after all is said and done, “And as it is appointGUEST COLUMNIST ed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews forced into spiritual-moral dys- 9:27) functionality, then society loses its spiritual-moral compass. Dys- In the beginning The first institution God creatfunctional families engender a dysfunctional culture and society. ed was the family. The church is the “bride” of Jesus Christ, and Peter’s “faith” is the rock upWhat do we do?

How do we fix the “family cul- on which Jesus established the ture” of American society? Fore- church, and the gates of hell shall most and eternally, we must ac- not prevail against it. In order to knowledge that God is the “spiri- spiritually fix American culture, tual designer” of family, not car- we must spiritually fix our faminal laws. Family is about spiri- lies, Christian churches, political tual-moral choices and obliga- system, and educational systems.

Restoring American society betions. Whom will we serve? Thus, gins with spiritualizing family life “If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day in relationship to the Will of God, whom ye will serve; whether the because: “The man that wangods which your fathers served dereth out of the way of underthat were on the other side of the standing shall remain in the conflood, or the gods of the Amorites, gregation of the dead.” (Proverbs in whose land ye dwell: but as for 21: 16) Unfortunately, the materime and my house, we will serve alistic principles of the world are leading families, not the spiritual the Lord.” (Joshua 24: 15) In the 21st Century, we have principles of God. The Christian church must be become spiritually confused about what constitutes family life. restored as the church of Jesus The devil is the author of confu- Christ, not as the church of Pastor sion. Family is a spiritual union of Joe Mo Blow. Church begins in one male and one female, not an the heart of an individual’s mind, issue of civil rights discrimination and is consummated in family life as the church in the home. Thus, (choice).

Looking forward from Earth Day, April 22 Former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) conceived this day of awareness in the late 1960s as an enlightened response to carefree pollution all over America.

The country celebrated its first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. The environmental practices it inaugurated have become routine and universal, so much so that the symbolic replenishing of Earth’s natural resources by planting trees now seems trite, if not contrived.

TOJ

War II, when the Nazi attempt at Jewish extermination created a sense of guilt among politicians in Europe and America. The political will to provide for “a national home for the Jewish people” began to gel.

Can America be fixed?

American society is spiritually upside-down. If America does not become spiritually wise, she is invariably doomed to experience the eternal bonfire just like other ‘great nations’ such as Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire.

Question: Can America withstand the spiritual stresses and strains of not living up to the spiritual tenets of the preamble to the United States Constitution?

EDITORIAL

about climate change. (Gore used fake images of melting glaciers in his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” just to scare people.)

Earth Day ushered in conservation and greening trends that have led to cleaner air, more potable (lead-free) water, and a much less polluted environment; whereas, for all his prophesying, Gore admitted he has had no impact.

Major commitment In any event, representatives from 194 countries marked Earth Day 2016 by gathering at the United Nations in New York to sign the landmark Paris Climate Accord.

As CNN reported, scientist hailed this agreement as the “world’s biggest leap forward in climate change policy in history.” It committed the world to

Restoration necessary Our democratic governance institutions and political processes must be restored. The constitutional founders never envisioned the concept of career politicians; they knew that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Therefore, term limits and removing the influence of “dark money” from America’s body politic is the only true solution to the political corruption currently plaguing American society.

There’s too much corrupting, blinding smoke in the smokedfilled backrooms. Politicians cannot see the forest for the trees.

This is why most politicians never rise to the level of statesmanship, but become slaves to the demonic, unnatural influences of power, money and sex: “PMS.”

ending our dependence on fossil fuels by the end of this century, which would limit global warming to “well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.”

Past being prologue, I feared that getting each country to ratify this agreement – to say nothing of getting each to abide by the terms – would devolve into a terminal winter of discontent. I delineated my abiding doubts in a 2015 column.

The United States is competing with China to be the world’s biggest polluter. This is why I thought my cynical fears would come true when President Trump made such a show of withdrawing the United States from the Paris accord. But I was exceedingly heartened when governors like Jerry Brown of California and philanthropists like Michael Bloomberg began filling the breach.

Didn’t disparage Jews I believe Congresswoman Omar is critical of many of the policies of the Israeli government towards Palestinians. But I also believe that a fair reading of her statements, which have been the object of so much controversy, will bear out that she has not disparaged Jewish people, as a group, through implication or otherwise.

Donald Trump and his minions have seized upon the tendency of the fearful to pseudotype and weaponized this against Congresswoman Omar. Trump does this because he always needs to rail against a “villain” in front of his supporters. And in most cases, it is a villain he has conjured up out of lies.

Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.

A human right Unfortunately, in many instances obtaining a quality education has become a privilege of the few and not a human right accorded to the many. In the 21st Century, obtaining a quality education is all about acquiring access to information technology.

America, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12: 15) The future belongs to our children, and: “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (Psalm 127: 3) America, let’s leave our children a future worthy of God’s will, expectations and spiritual demands.

Bobby Mills has a Ph.D. in sociology from Syracuse University and a professional degree in theology from Colgate Rochester Divinity School.

Stepping in From the BBC on April 23, 2018: “Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will pay $4.5m (£3.2m) to cover some of the lapsed US commitment to the Paris climate accord. He said he had a responsibility to help improve the environment because of President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the deal.”

Thanks to public-private partnerships across the country, Trump’s boneheaded decision is having little to no effect. And thanks to those partnerships, it will hardly matter when the Democrats’ Green New Deal turns out to be little more than hot air.

Anthony L. Hall is a native of The Bahamas with an international law practice in Washington, D.C. Read his columns and daily weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com.

TOJ

A6

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

STOJ

RISE ABOVE I N A CA D I L L AC

DURING THE S

A

L

E

S

E

V

E

N

T

20 19 C T 6 PREMIUM LUXURY COLLECTION ULTRA-LOW MILEAGE LEASE FOR WELL QUALIFIED CURRENT ELIGIBLE NON-GM OWNERS AND LESSEES

$

449

PER MONTH 1

39 MONTHS

$

$

0

FIRST MONTH’S PAYMENT

4,430

DUE AT SIGNING AFTER ALL OFFERS

No security deposit required. Tax, title, license, dealer fees extra. Mileage charge of $.25/mile over 32,500 miles. At participating dealers only.

1. Must be a current owner/lessee of a 1999 model year or newer non-GM vehicle for at least 30 days prior to the new vehicle sale Example based on national average vehicle selling price. Each dealer sets its own price. Your payments may vary. Payments are for a 2019 CT6 Premium Luxury Collection with an MSRP of $59,090. 39 monthly payments total $17,511.

Payments may be higher in some states. Option to purchase at lease end for an amount to be determined at lease signing. GM Financial must approve lease. Take retail delivery by 4/30/19.

Mileage charge of $.25/mile over 32,500 miles. Lessee pays for maintenance, repair, excess wear and disposition fee of $595 or less at end of lease. Not available with some other offers. © 2019 General Motors. All Rights Reserved. Cadillac® CT6®

HEALTH | FOOD | TRAVEL | SCIENCE | BOOKS | MOVIES | TV | AUTOS COURIER Cheadle’s

IFE/FAITH

long Marvel journey leads to ‘Endgame’ See page B2

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Iconic singer’s statue removed over racist lyrics See page B4

WWW.FLCOURIER.COM

|

SECTION

B

S

Swansboro, North Carolina is known as the “Friendly City by the Sea,” a quaint, historic town located on the coast. Water sports are popular pastime in the area.

Americans were able to purchase property in the region of Ocean City. They built oceanfront vacation homes and created a vibrant community that survives even today. Street signs and historic markers point out significant spots.

This city is on the Jacksonville-Onslow African American Heritage Trail.

Ocean City will present its 10th Annual Jazz Festival this year on June 4-7. For more information, go online to oceancityjazzfest.com.

SEA

This memorial honors the Montford Point Marines, the first Blacks to serve in the Marine Corps.

Sand, sea and service

North Carolina coastal area offers laid-back vibe lots of history

BY ELEANOR HENDRICKS MCDANIEL SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Florida is fortunate to be mostly surrounded by water. Not all states are that lucky. Why not explore those that cling to the Atlantic Coast? You’ll discover a new vibe and lots of experiences that vary in each place. Travel up to the coast of North Carolina to soak up the laidback atmosphere of Jacksonville and Swansboro, which are parts of North Carolina’s Onslow County.

SAND Clapboard buildings with porches or balconies, very narrow sidewalks, gulls squawking overhead, the roar of outboard motors and decorative swans around every corner describe Swansboro. The tiny seaside town was founded in 1783 and its oldest district is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Walking tours weave through the historic area and brochures can be obtained from the Visitors Center. Because it’s known as “The Friendliest City by the Sea,” its population of 3,000 balloons to enormous proportions in the summer months.

People, like birds, flock to nearby Bear Island for a day of sunny fun on an unspoiled beach. Kids work to erect sandcastles while prone adults absorb the

rays, beach walkers search for shells, and fishing enthusiasts cast their lines into the breakers. However, everyone splashes in the surf.

Sectioned out of Bear Island is Hammocks Beach State Park (ncparks.gov/ hammocks-beach-state-park). Arrive by passenger ferry or private boat and head for the Welcome Center. Get a feel for the isle by viewing wildlife and history exhibits.

Nature dominates this area with trees, sand dunes, salt marshes, tidal pools and mudflats – not high-rise resorts. Outdoor recreational activities include fishing, shelling and swimming. The park provides primitive camp sites for individuals, families and groups.

Former Black beach In 1961, North Carolina assigned the Hammocks Beach State Park for the use of African Americans only. But due to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, everyone was then welcome to enjoy it.

North Topsail Beach sits east of Jacksonville. Its 26 miles of uncrowded shoreline is pet- and automobile-friendly, because cars with permits can drive on the beach. But there’s lots of free parking available nearby.

Like many coastal communities in the South, North Topsail Beach refused beach access to Blacks. In 1949, African

After being in the water, it’s time to get on the water. You don’t have to tell fishers twice.

Fishing charters in Jacksonville and Swansboro expertly navigate their vessels across the inshore and ocean areas to where local species are biting. Anglers are likely to hook Red Drum, Speckled Trout and Redfish, to name a few.

In Jacksonville, Ricky Kellum of Speckled Specialist Charters (speckledspecialist.com) guarantees his customers a great catch. Fishbone Inshore Fishing Charters (fishbonecharters.net) sails under Captain Junior Sinclair as he takes you down the New River, in the creeks and out beyond the breakers.

Situated on a corner in downtown Swansboro is Pogie’s (pogiesfishing. com), a store made for the serious fishing fanatic. You can find clothing equipment, bait, kayaks and more there. The experienced staff can arrange a fishing charter by boat or kayak.

A family adventure Some landlubbers prefer just to relax and float. Captain Lance Ledoux

and his wife (and first mate), Marilyn, invite you to cruise on their yacht, the Bayonet (bayonet-enterprises.com). Eat, drink and be ferried along the New River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Jacksonville. Lance, a former Marine Colonel, has been hosting guests on his boat for seven years.

For an awesome family adventure, board Marsh Cruises (marshcruises. com). The 23-foot skiff will whisk you through back waters behind the barrier islands in Swansboro. There will be watching for dolphins and birds. And there will be stops on sand bars to dig for clams and seek out shells and sharks’ teeth. Owner and Captain Darryl Marsh says, “I focus on exploring coastal waters, and experiencing ecology, combined with area history.”

SERVICE Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is located in Jacksonville. It honors its heroes in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens (visitJacksonvilleNC.com). Visitors can study the significance of each of the six memorials in a peaceful and lovely setting. Several have inscribed the names of the fallen. The largest memorial represents the marines who were sent to Beirut, Lebanon to keep the peace, and lost their lives in the bombing of their barracks.

The 9/11 Memorial is a gift from New York City in gratitude to the marines who were the first to reach Afghanistan to capture the terrorists who perpetrated the destruction of the Twin Towers.

See N.C., Page B2

At left are some of the all-you-caneat dishes at Mike’s Farm family-style restaurant.

EVENTS

B2

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

S

B2K

The Millennium Tour stops at Jacksonville’s Vystar Veterans Area on May 10, Amalie Arena in Tampa on May 11 and Miami’s AmericanAirlinesArena on May 12. Performers include B2K, Mario, Pretty Ricky, Lloyd, Bobby V, Ying Yang Twins & Chingy.

MONICA & GINUWINE

The Florida Funk Fest is April 26 and 27 at the Central Florida Fairgrounds featuring Bobby Brown, Dru Hill, Monica, Mint Condition, Ginuwine and more. Info: Funkfesttour.com

BY PETER SBLENDORIO NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/TNS

Even War Machine can’t believe the hype machine.

Don Cheadle has an Oscar nomination, a pair of Golden Globes and a string of acclaimed performances in critical darlings and big-screen hits, but he’s never seen a buildup like the one for “Avengers: Endgame,” which finally hit theaters on April 24.

“I’ve never been a part of something that has this much anticipation, where fans are this rabid for it,” Cheadle, 54, told the Daily News.

“They’re so into these characters, and they’re so knowledgeable about who they are and what the relationships are and where this thing goes.”

Explaining Rhodes It hasn’t gone in a straight line for Cheadle’s character of Lt. Col. James (Rhodey) Rhodes, aka War Machine. But now in his seventh movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cheadle says there’s no question where his character’s loyalty lies in the Avengers’ fight with the all-powerful Thanos.

“I think more than anything, he’s just sort of accepted his place, and not as sort of a reticent accepting it, but really sort of grown into being someone who feels like he belongs with the Avengers,” Cheadle said of his character, which he began playing nearly a decade ago in “Iron Man 2.”

“Earlier in Rhodes’ start in this universe, he kind of had one foot in both camps,” Cheadle explained. “His allegiance to the military, and having to be somebody who was a leveling force for Tony (Stark) and trying to bring him down to earth when he wanted to skirt the rules and laws. And even in ‘Civil War,’ he was always on the side of, we have to do this the ‘right way.’ I think now he has fully embraced his role with the Avengers and knows that it’s going to be up to them.”

Monfort memorial Be sure to view the Montford Point Marine Memorial (MontfordPointMarines.com) which is dedicated to the African American men who were trained and stationed at Montford Point, a segregated marine base in Jacksonville. It was established in 1942 during World War II by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and decommissioned in 1948 when President Harry S. Truman integrated the military.

The memorial lauds the 20,000 Black marines who trained in Montford Point. As part of the memorial, there’s a sculpture de-

Miami Gardens: “The Beautiful Struggle’’ Women’s Empowerment Summit is 10 a.m. April 27 at Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex Auditorium.

Info: 786-376-7012

West Palm Beach: Catch Chick Corea and Bela Fleck on May 17 at the Kravis center.

Orlando: Tinker Field will be the site of the “Wobble’’ dance Guinness World Record attempt on April 27.

Registration, 8 a.m.; dance event, 10 a.m.

More info: 407872-1333 or info@ hebninutrition.org.

Orlando: The Temptations will perform April 30 at the Dr. Phillips Center.

Tampa: Ariana Grande’s Sweetener World Tour stops at Amalie Arena on May 28.

Jacksonville: Catch Kem on May 4 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.

Fort Lauderdale: Macy Gray performs May 5 at the Parker Playhouse.

Prince’s memoir to be published this fall

BY JON BREAM STAR TRIBUNE/TNS

MARVEL STUDIOS

Don Cheadle (left) plays James Rhodes in “Avengers: Endgame.”

11 years in making

from B1

Jacksonville: India.

Arie performs April 30 at the Florida Theatre Jacksonville.

Clearwater: Catch the Temptations and the Four Tops on April 27 at Ruth Eckerd Hall or April 28 at the Florida Theatre Jacksonville.

Cheadle’s long Marvel journey leads him to ‘Avengers: Endgame’

N.C.

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

The stakes have never been higher for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes than they are in “Endgame.”

The film comes on the heels of last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” which ended with Thanos killing half the universe with the snap of his fingers after obtaining the six Infinity Stones. Spider-Man, Black Panther and Dr. Strange were seemingly among the casualties.

“Endgame,” directed by Marvel veterans Joe and Anthony Russo, is a movie 11 years in the making, with the previous 21 flicks telling the interweaving stories of dozens of heroes and villains.

Eager fans Fans scrambled to the internet when opening-day tickets went on sale. Some have since been listed for resale for thousands of dollars.

War Machine and other surviving Avengers including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Black Widow have been centerpieces in the film franchise for most of the past decade.

But speculation about the future of these characters continues to run rampant.

Meanwhile, newer additions to the series including Captain Marvel, Black Panther and Ant-Man have earned large followings in recent years.

Uncertain fates Although the fates of the heroes – both those living and those turned to dust after Thanos’ snap – are uncertain heading into “Endgame,” Cheadle says it feels like a changing of the guard is happening to an extent.

“Yeah, somewhat. There’s a passing of the torch,” he said. “There’s an infusion of new blood and new players, and they are taking up the mantle. It just speaks to the longevity of this franchise and where else it can go.

“What happens if they have reached the end of their thing, and the new family that comes in and keeps it going, I think this is going to be here for a while. I think Marvel’s here for a while.”

War Machine is a soldier who has beat the odds and bounced back countless times.

picting an African American marine who was called to battle. The names of the Montford Point men are listed on the wall behind him.

Beginning in 2012, the nation began awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal. Of course, many are deceased, but their medals are presented to their families. The names of many men have slipped through the red tape cracks, but the military is still trying to locate them. The memorial was officially dedicated in a ceremony in July, 2016.

While there, take time to visit the National Montford Point Marine Museum, which is also on the Jacksonville-Onslow African American Heritage Trail.

Seafood and more Riverside Steak and Seafood (the-riverside-swansboro.com) serves fresh-caught North Caro-

With his state-of-the-art suit of armor and explosive weapons, his formidable physical strength matches his mental fortitude.

Fighting for others The actor has taken his own stands, voicing his support for important causes on social media and wearing a shirt that read “Protect Trans Kids” during his hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live” in February.

“The people that are being champions for those who are fighting to have their voices heard were this way before the movies,” Cheadle said.

“The movies and the sort of attention gives you a bigger platform and allows you to turn conversations sometimes toward those issues that you want to speak about when people turn the lights on and put a camera in front of you and a microphone in front of you.

“I was speaking out about stuff when nobody was listening,” he explained.

Mundane moments For all the action that occurs in the Marvel movies, Cheadle admits with a laugh that people might be surprised to learn how mundane the film sets can be.

“There’s a lot of sitting around,” he said. “If Boggle is exciting for people, to watch people play Boggle, then they would be excited to come to set, because it’s a lot of what’s happening between takes. … It’s not as glamorous as people would think.”

Long journey But playing War Machine has been a wild ride for Cheadle, who relished doing his own stunts during his long stint in the role.

“Just playing a character for nine years, that in it of itself is something that’s just unbelievable,” Cheadle said. “That this has gone on this long. … I’ve done two series during the time that I’ve been on this movie.

“A lot of things change, but … the constant of coming back and seeing these same people … we really have a good time together and respect one another and are very collaborative.”

lina seafood and hand-cut beef.

Housed in a home built in 1915, it was renovated into a waterfront restaurant in 1998, and has become a foodie hot spot. Folks fill the first-floor dining rooms, wait on an expansive porch or belly up to the second-floor bar.

The menu offers an array of seafood and meat choices. Whichever you prefer, you’ll be satisfied when your plate arrives, brimming over with expertly prepared cuisine. Fried oysters have a light crispy crust around a moist center. Perky salad greens are rained on by fresh crabmeat or grilled shrimp. New York strip and other steaks ooze savory juices. Lastly, the best down-home hushpuppies and sweet potato muffins round out the meal.

Riverside Steak and Seafood is located in Swansboro and only 15 minutes from Jacksonville.

Farm fresh Journey to a 300-plus-acre farm for fun and food. Mike and Theresa Lowe have transformed a small, old family tobacco farm into a destination, called Mike’s Farm (mikesfarm.com). A compound of several structures, including a barn, provide spaces for events, weddings, family reunions, dinner shows and more.

A delightful gift shop and a bakery entice shoppers. Between September and Christmas, hayrides, pumpkin patch picking and brilliant holiday lighting, attract large crowds.

But the biggest draw is the restaurant that serves all-you-caneat meals. For a modest fee, you’ll get an endless helping of delicious southern favorites: fried chicken, pork loin with gravy, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, fluffy

MINNEAPOLIS – The memoir that Prince started writing before his death in April 2016 will finally be published on Oct. 29.

“The Beautiful Ones” was originally announced in March 2016, at an ad hoc news conference in New York City where Prince plugged the book, took no questions from the media and performed a half-hour concert.

Prince picked writer Dan Piepenbring of The Paris Review as his collaborator. The two had come up with about 50 pages of text, enough to convince Random House to buy the book for an undisclosed sum. The book was to arrive by fall 2017.

In spring of last year, two years after Prince’s death, his representative Esther Newberg, one of the publishing world’s most powerful literary agents, announced that the book would be available by holiday time.

That promise, like so many things in the posthumous Prince world, proved not to be true.

Vault material added Random House has supplemented Prince’s text with all kinds of material from his storied, mysterious vault, including handwritten lyrics, personal photos and his handwritten treatment for his 1984 movie “Purple Rain.”

Piepenbring, who wrote a 2010 essay about Prince, has penned an introduction and added information about photos and other scrapbook items.

Newberg represents John Feinstein, Patricia Cornwell, Carl Hiaasen and two Minnesota-connected authors, John Sandford and Thomas Friedman.

Random House is publishing the memoir in partnership with the Prince Estate.

At the press conference to announce the book in 2016, Prince said, “We wanna thank Random House. Ain’t nothing random about this book.”

country ham biscuits, green beans and corn, topped off with yummy desserts – all served family style.

Mike’s Farm is open Thursday through Saturday.

For more information about the county, go online to onlyinonslow. com. Also check out jacksonvilleonline.org/community/AfricanAmerican-heritage-trail.

Eleanor Hendricks McDaniel is a seasoned travel journalist whose travels have taken her throughout the United States, Europe and other countries. Formerly of Philadelphia, she now resides in Ormond Beach. Follow her on Twitter: @ellethewriter, Instagram: @ eleanor1004, Facebook: Eleanor.hendricks.mcdaniel and her website: flybynighttraveler.com.

S

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

TOJ

B3

ENTERTAINMENT & FINEST

B4

APRIL 26 – MAY 2, 2019

STOJ

the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Controversial songs Smith was born in Virginia in 1907. In 1931, she recorded “That’s Why Darkies Were Born,” written by Ray Henderson and Lew Brown, which includes the lyric, “Someone had to pick the cotton.”

There is some question about whether there was a satirical nature to the song, which was also recorded by the African American artist and civil rights advocate Paul Robeson, and was referenced in the 1933 Marx Brothers film “Duck Soup.”

In the 1933 film “Hello, Everybody!,” Smith sang “Pickaninny Heaven,” which directs “colored children” living in an orphanage to fantasize about a place with “great big watermelons.”

The Flyers erected the statue of Smith, who died in 1986 at age 79, outside the Spectrum in 1987.

After the Spectrum was demolished in 2011, Smith’s statue was moved to the parking lot of Xfinity Live!

Yankees too

ANDRE RINGUETTE/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

Singer Kate Smith is seen on the screen before Game Six of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center on June 9, 2010 in Philadelphia.

Hockey team removes singer’s song statue over controversial lyrics

BY WILLIAM BENDER PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS

PHILADELPHIA – First she was covered up. Now, apparently she is gone.

The bronze statue of the late singer Kate Smith has been removed from outside Philadelphia’s Xfinity Live! as the Flyers looked into racist lyrics she sang.

“While Kate Smith’s performance of “God Bless America” cannot be erased from its place

in Flyers history, that rendition will no longer be featured in our game presentations. And to ensure the sentiments stirred this week are no longer echoed, earlier today we completed the removal of the Kate Smith statue from its former location outside of our arena,” the Flyers organization said in a statement issued on April 21.

Talk radio host Tony Bruno first tweeted around 9:30 Sunday morning that the statue was gone and posted video.

FLORIDA’S

finest

‘Offensive lyrics’ Last week, Philly.com reported that the Flyers were distancing themselves from Smith, the “Songbird of the South,” whose music was seen as a good-luck charm by fans.

“We have recently become aware that several songs performed by Kate Smith contain offensive lyrics that do not reflect our values as an organization,” the Flyers said in a statement.

“As we continue to look into this serious matter, we are re-

moving Kate Smith’s recording of ‘God Bless America’ from our library and covering up the statue that stands outside of our arena.”

It was unclear Sunday morning when exactly the statue was removed or where it is.

Considered inspiration The statement included the following quote from Flyers President Paul Holmgren: “The NHL principle ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ is at the heart of everything the Flyers stand for. As a result, we cannot stand idle while material from another era gets in the way of who we are today.”

Since 1969, the Flyers had played Smith’s version of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” before must-win games, where it proved to be just the inspiration needed.

According to the Flyers, the team went 101-31-5 in games where Smith’s version of the song aired, including 3-1-0 when Smith sang the song live at the Spectrum beginning with the Flyers’ 1973 home opener against

Smith’s relatives on April 20 told USA Today that the family is “heartbroken” by the controversy. Her niece, Suzy Andron, and her husband, Bob, said they were shocked to see stories casting her as racist.

The New York Yankees have pulled Smith’s 1939 version of “God Bless America,” which the team had played at Yankee Stadium in the seventh inning for 18 years.

“It’s somebody who found the words to two songs that she sang, out of 3,000 that she recorded, and tried to make a case out of it,” Bob Andron, 74, told USA Today.

“And my heart goes out to them, too. Because they’re misguided.

They don’t understand what kind of a person Kate Smith was.”

‘Bold move’ Local Black Lives Matter activist Asa Khalif last week welcomed the move to cover up the statue and called for the Flyers to remove it.

Khalif, who is also running for City Council, said he and other activists had expressed their anger over Smith’s work to the team for more than a year.

“We are glad they had the courage to stand up to racism and anti-blackness, and took the bold move to cover the racist statue, but they don’t get four stars,” he said. “The Flyers knew about Kate Smith’s history and her racist lyrics.”

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest?

E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier.com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.

Thousands of Caribbean culture lovers converge on South Florida every year before and during the Columbus Day weekend to attend the annual Miami Broward Carnival, a series of concerts, pageants, parades, and competitions. On Carnival Day, “mas” (masquerade) bands of thousands of revelers dance and march behind 18-wheel tractor-trailer trucks with booming sound systems from morning until nightfall while competing for honors.

Here are some of the “Finest” we’ve seen over the years. Click on www. flcourier to see hundreds of pictures from previous Carnivals.

Go to www. miamibrowardcarnival. com for more information on Carnival events in South Florida.

CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER