Florida Courier, March 15, 2019 by Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC

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Sunshine and fun times at Jazz in the Gardens See Page B1

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MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

VOLUME 27 NO. 11

WAS THIS PREVENTABLE? On Wednesday, President Trump grounded Boeing 737 Max models, following other nations’ lead. But did the government shutdown indirectly contribute to this tragedy? COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump grounded Boeing’s 737 Max planes Wednesday, following the lead of 51 other countries that have ordered an indefinite freeze in flying the model involved in two calamitous crashes. “The safety of the American people and all people is our paramount concern,” Trump said during a meeting at the White House. “All of those planes are grounded, effective immediately,” Trump said.

The order affects the Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9. Trump said any planes currently in the air would be grounded upon completion of their flights “until further notice.” He added, “Boeing is an incredible company. They are working very, very hard right now.”

FAA, airlines object At least 18 carriers ‒ including American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the two largest U.S. carriers flying the 737 Max 8 ‒ previously declined to ground their planes, saying they were confident in the safety and “airworthiness” of their fleets. American and Southwest have 24 and 34 of the aircraft in their fleets, respectively. Before Trump acted, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had not grounded the aircraft, saying Tuesday that the agency had found “no basis” for taking such action. Boeing, which posted a record $101 billion in revenue last year, had issued a new statement Tuesday saying that no ground-

MICHAEL TEWELDEAFP/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

People stand near collected debris at the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 near Bishoftu, a town some 36 southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 11. ing of planes was necessary. “Based on the information currently available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators,” the company said. Officials have not yet determined what caused Ethiopian Airlines 302 to nosedive into the ground, but many experts have noted similarities between this week’s crash and one in Indonesia last year.

2019 JAZZ IN THE GARDENS

No diggity, no doubt

‘Lust for profit’ “The United States should be leading the world in aviation safety,” said John Samuelsen, the president of a union representing transport workers that called Tuesday for the planes to be grounded. “And yet, because of the lust for profit in the American aviation, we’re still flying See CRASH, Page A2

You can smoke it now Medical weed gets green light BY DARA KAM NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE ‒ In their first full action of the 2019 legislative session, Florida lawmakers ‒ many of them grudgingly ‒ ceded to a demand by Gov. Ron DeSantis and overwhelmingly approved a proposal doing away with the state’s ban on smokable medical marijuana. DeSantis issued an ultimatum to the Legislature shortly after he took office in January, threatening to drop the state’s appeal of a court decision that found the smoking ban ran afoul of a 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana.

Overwhelming approval

CHAYLA CHERRY / FLORIDA COURIER

Teddy Riley, Dave Hollister and Blackstreet gave the crowd everything it wanted at the annual Miami Gardens music festival on March 9 and 10. Read a report on this year’s JITG on Page B1. More pictures from the event are posted at www.flcourier.com.

The House passed the proposal (SB 182) in a 101-11 vote Wednesday, sending the bill to the governor two days before a March 15 deadline he had set. The Senate passed the bill last week. The Republican-controlled Legislature included the smoking ban in a 2017 law aimed at implementing the constitutional amendment, which was approved by more than 71 percent of Florida voters in 2016. Despite DeSantis’ insistence that the ban be repealed, Rep. Ray Rodrigues, an Estero Republican who sponsored the measure Wednesday and who was instrumental in crafting the 2017 law, noted that “many of us feel like we got it right” the first time.

Upholding voters’ will DeSantis conveyed his thanks on Twitter to the Legislature “for taking action on medical marijuana and upholding the will of the voters.” See WEED, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

BY JIM TURNER NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Jobless rate ticks up slightly Sanctuary cities bill sailing through Senate

ENTERTAINMENT | B3

FLORIDA’S FINEST | B2

ALSO INSIDE

State Senate moves on ‘bundled’ ballot measures

Mardi Gras party happening at Universal Studios

TALLAHASSEE ‒ After controversy last year about “bundled” ballot measures, a proposal is ready to go to the full Senate that would place new restrictions on the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. The Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday approved a measure that would place a single-subject requirement on constitutional amendments placed on the ballot by the commission, which meets

every 20 years. If ultimately approved during the legislative session that started last week, the measure would go before voters in 2020 because it would involve changing the state Constitution.

Unrelated issues confusing? The proposal is a direct response to five proposals that the commission put on the November 2018 ballot that tied together seemingly unrelated issues. For example, one proposal combined a ban on

offshore oil drilling with a ban on vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes in workplaces. Senate sponsor Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said bundling multiple subjects into single amendments required some Floridians to vote for issues they opposed, because those issues were anchored to other subjects they supported. “The one complaint I heard from my constituents over and over again was, ‘What the heck was up with those constitutional See BALLOT, Page A2

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 GUEST COMMENTARY: ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS: TRUMP IS AN IMPERFECT MAN IN THE PERFECT ROLE | A5

FOCUS

MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

College admissions scandals are nothing new BY THE LOS ANGELES TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD

The indictment of dozens of wealthy parents, including several Hollywood actresses and business leaders, along with the top college athletic coaches they allegedly bribed, tells a shocking story of corruption and deception in college admissions. If the charges are true, these privileged but desperate parents sought to ensure spots at elite schools for their children by pretending they were top-flight athletes, helping them cheat on standardized tests, and paying off college officials, among other things. Well-known designer Mossimo Giannulli was among those charged, along with actress Felicity Huffman. Coaches allegedly pocketed millions of dollars in some cases for their role in helping get the children admitted.

Let’s not kid ourselves This is simply the extreme and

egregious (and, prosecutors say, illegal) edge of a college admissions process that is already heavily weighted with subtle and unsubtle forms of favoritism for the rich, empowered and connected. The offspring of major donors generally receive favorable treatment at private colleges, as do the children of alumni, who tend to be a far more privileged group than other applicants. Furthermore, the parents of affluent children commonly hire private college-admissions counselors who sometimes edit or rewrite — or even write ‒ student essays for them and coach them intensively through the process. These techniques are not illegal. In 2016, journalist Jia Tolentino wrote in the publication Jezebel about her years supporting herself by charging wealthy families $150 an hour to write or rewrite their teens’ essays. In a more extreme example, the college counseling company Ivy Coach charged one woman $1.5

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million to smooth her daughter’s path to an Ivy League college.

‘Rare’ sports The admissions advantage given to athletes also helps rich kids nab coveted spots at elite schools. According to a 2016 report by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, “The popular notion that recruited athletes tend to come from minority and indigent families turns out to be just false; at least among the highly selective institutions, the vast bulk of recruited athletes are in sports that are rarely available to low-income, particularly urban, applicants.” It turns out that football and basketball players are far outnumbered by those engaged in sports that aren’t found in most urban public high schools: fencing, crew, sailing, water polo, equestrian events and the like. Once admitted, the report said, these athletes underperform academically.

Fake community service Wealthier parents have also gamed the part of the college application in which students show that they have engaged in meaningful community service, often

by sending their children on highpriced trips to villages in developing countries, where they help build playgrounds or coach kids’ soccer in between their recreational tourist activities. At the more ambitious end, Richard Weissbourd, lead author of a Harvard University report on problematic college-admissions policies, said he knows of wealthy parents who shelled out money to start a nonprofit school in Botswana just so their daughter could claim on her college application that she had created it; another family did the same with a clinic in Bali. Any students currently in college as a result of outright bribery should have their admission revoked. Whether or not they consciously participated, their presence at college is based on fraud ‒ and the seats they’re filling could be taken by other students with legitimate credentials.

Colleges aren’t innocent But colleges cannot claim to be the hapless victims of parental manipulation of the admissions process. Despite their supposed belief in a system of merit-based admissions, the reality is that they have created and tolerated a lop-

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CRASH from A1

planes that dozens of other countries and airlines have now said need to grounded. “This pressure should not be on these pilots to overcome an engineering flaw that Boeing themselves acknowledges,” said Samuelsen. Other aviation observers also have raised questions about the Max version of the 737, which is the most-produced aircraft in Boeing’s line of jetliners, with more than 5,000 on order worldwide.

Grounded worldwide Trump’s decision came after Canada joined much of the world in grounding the Max jetliner Wednesday, which had left the United States virtually alone in allowing the aircraft to keep flying. It also came a day after Trump complained about the increasing complexity of modern airliners. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Albert Einstein to be my pilot,” he tweeted. The announcement by Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau came after aviation authorities in Europe, India, China and elsewhere grounded the plane in the aftermath of two fatal crashes in the last six months involving the 737 Max, the latest version of Boeing’s hugely popular twin-engine jetliner. Garneau told reporters that Canada banned the plane from operating in the country, or flying over it, because of inconclusive data suggesting similarities between the crashes.

International passenger list The second accident occurred March 10 when an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crashed after takeoff, killing 157 people from at least 35 countries, including 32 Kenyans; 18 Canadians; nine Ethi-

Would they hesitate? Applicants should have to sign a statement that their essays represent solely their work, and that they understand their admission will be revoked if it’s found otherwise. Applicants would still lie here and there, and it is not clear what meaningful enforcement there could be. But at least students ‒ and their desperate parents ‒ might hesitate if they knew they’d be committing fraud. At the very least, it would send a message that colleges are serious about leveling the slanted playing field of admissions.

which he called “a difficult subject.”

Is smoking harmful?

from A1

The measure awaiting the governor’s signature would allow patients to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for smoking every 35 days, ban smoking of medical marijuana in public places and allow terminally ill children to smoke the treatment, but only if they have a second opinion from a pediatrician. House Speaker José Oliva, a Miami Lakes Republican who has made a fortune in the cigar business, had balked at doing away with the marijuana-smoking ban. Supporters of the ban have argued, in part, that smoking is hazardous to people’s health. But after DeSantis delivered the ultimatum, the House made a series of concessions to reach an accord with the Senate, which historically has taken a less-restrictive approach toward medical marijuana. For example, a House proposal initially would have restricted medical marijuana dispensaries to selling pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes, along with other cannabis-based products not used for smoking.

sided system that, despite some efforts to the contrary, continues to benefit the rich over potentially more deserving students with lesser means. Colleges could start fixing this by eliminating the admissions preference for children of alumni, by demanding strong academic performance from all applicants including athletes and by forbidding students to use paid professional help to complete their applications. Students in betterfunded schools would still have advantages, but not by as much as they do when they hire private outside counselors.

HAYNE PALMOUR IV/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE/TNS

Medical marijuana like this can now be consumed in various ways in Florida.

Sold in any form Under the compromise passed by both chambers, dispensaries can sell any form of smokable marijuana, and patients can buy devices to smoke cannabis at state-licensed medical marijuana treatment centers or other retail outlets, such as head shops. The Senate, meanwhile, yield-

opians; eight each from the U.S., China and Italy; and seven each from Great Britain and France. Six members of one Canadian family were among those killed. The Dixit-Vaidya family were travelling on a family holiday to Kenya, where Kosha Vaidya, 37, was born. She was travelling with her husband, Prerit Dixit, 45, two daughters, Ashka, 14 and Anushka, 13, and parents Pannagesh Vaidya, 71, and Hansini Vaidya, 63. Also among those killed on the flight were 22 United Nations staff members, according to CNN. Many travelers were flying to Nairobi for a major meeting of the U.N. Environment Assembly. The outlet noted that the flight has been nicknamed a “UN shuttle,” owing to its route between Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, where the African Union headquarters are located, and Nairobi, Kenya, home of the UN’s headquarters in Africa.

Minute of silence U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a minute of silence at the New York headquarters Monday and ordered flags flown at half-staff at many of the organization’s offices and installations. “A global tragedy has hit close to home, and the United Nations is united in grief,” Guterres said, extending his “deepest condolences” to the relatives and loved ones of all those who died. “Let us honor the memory of our colleagues, by keeping their spirit of service alive,” he said. Workers for other humanitarian agencies, including Catholic Relief Services and Save the Children, were also among the dead, officials said.

Billions lost? Meanwhile, the mounting concerns reportedly have prompted some airlines to reconsider their 737 Max orders. Kenya Airways is re-evaluating plans to buy the plane and might switch to the rival Airbus A320

ed to the House by agreeing to limits on how much smokable cannabis patients could purchase at one time, as well as a cap on the total amount patients could have. The proposal, which was quickly sent Wednesday to DeSantis, also requires the state university system’s Board of Governors to designate a university to

house a “Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research” and steers $1.5 million each year to fund the research, which would be based on data submitted by doctors. Oliva, who voted in favor of the bill, told reporters he continues to have concerns about allowing patients to smoke their medicine,

or upgrade to Boeing’s larger 787 Dreamliner, Bloomberg reported the carrier’s chairman, Michael Joseph, as saying. In addition, Indonesia’s Lion Air is moving to drop a $22 billion order for the 737 in favor of the Airbus model, Bloomberg reported an unidentified source as saying. It was the crash of a Lion Air 737 Max in October in Indonesia, which killed 189 people, that first raised questions about the aircraft, and analysts have focused on software in the new jetliner intended to stop the plane from stalling.

officials suggest that the December government shutdown caused by Trump’s demand for a border wall was partly responsible for delaying crucial software fixes for the Boeing jetliners. From the Journal: “A software fix to the MCAS flight-control feature by the FAA and Boeing had been expected early in January, but discussions between regulators and the plane maker dragged on, partly over differences of opinion about technical and engineering issues, according to people familiar with the details. “Officials from various parts of Boeing and the FAA had differing views about how extensive the fix should be. U.S. officials have said the federal government’s recent shutdown also halted work on the fix for five weeks.” U.S. regulators are mandating that Boeing upgrade the plane’s software by April.

Automatic correction The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, was included on the Max 8 model aircraft as a safety mechanism that would automatically correct a plane entering a stall pattern. If the plane loses lift under its wings during takeoff and the nose begins to point far upward, the system kicks in and automatically pushes the nose of the plane down. After the Lion Air crash, the FAA’s issued an airworthiness directive that said: “This condition, if not addressed, could cause the flight crew to have difficulty controlling the airplane, and lead to excessive nose-down attitude, significant altitude loss, and possible impact with terrain.” But maintenance issues and possible pilot error related to the software also are being evaluated and the crash remains under investigation.

Suspected problems Two related stories emerged this week. First: Pilots repeatedly voiced safety concerns about the 737 Max 8 to federal authorities, with one captain calling the flight manual “inadequate and almost criminally insufficient” several months before the Ethiopian Air crash, an investigation by The Dallas Morning News found. Second: according to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. government

Autopilot problem known The Morning News found at least five complaints about the Boeing model in a federal database where pilots can voluntarily report about aviation incidents without fear of repercussions. The disclosures refer to problems with an autopilot system during takeoff and nose-down situations

BALLOT from A1

amendments? They were addressing more than one issue. I really liked, for instance, the offshore drilling ban, but I was a little unsure of the vaping,’” Bradley said.

Abolishing commission proposed A separate proposal would abolish the Constitution Re-

“I don’t know, and we don’t have the data ‒ hopefully we will in the coming years ‒ to show if there truly are benefits to consuming this medicine in this fashion. I personally don’t believe that there probably is. And there might be some detrimental effects as a result of that, which is why I had reservations then, and I still have them now,” he said Wednesday. But Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat who once lobbied for the medical marijuana industry and who made medical cannabis the cornerstone of her election campaign last year, called the repeal “long past due.” “Today’s action to finally allow smokable medical marijuana brings four words to the lips of people across our state: It’s about damn time,” Fried said in a statement. “I’m thankful for the House and Senate’s work to fix this situation and look forward to the governor signing this much-needed legislation into law. It’s long past due that the state of Florida honored the will of the people and allowed doctors to determine their patient’s course of treatment.”

while trying to gain altitude during flights of Boeing 737 Max 8s. Records show a captain who flies the Max 8 complained in November that it was “unconscionable” that the company and federal authorities allowed pilots to fly the planes without adequate training or fully disclosing information about how its systems differed. The captain’s complaint was logged after the FAA released an emergency airworthiness directive regarding the Boeing 737 Max 8 in response to the Lion Air crash. Another complaint from the captain who called into question the 737 Max 8’s flight manual ended: “The fact that this airplane requires such jury-rigging to fly is a red flag. Now we know the systems employed are error-prone ‒ even if the pilots aren’t sure what those systems are, what redundancies are in place and failure modes. I am left to wonder: what else don’t I know?”

Noah Bierman and Tracy Wilkinson of the Los Angeles Times; and Cary Aspinwall, Ariana Giorgi and Dom Difurio of the Dallas Morning News / TNS all contributed to this report.

vision Commission, which has unique powers to put proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. Those proposals have advanced in the House and Senate. Last year, the 37-member commission put seven proposed amendments on the ballot. Five included more than a single subject. All of those proposals were approved by voters. The commission, whose members are mostly appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, doesn’t meet again until 2037.

MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

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FLORIDA

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Florida jobless rate slightly up in January NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Florida’s unemployment rate increased slightly as Gov. Ron DeSantis assumed office, ticking up 0.1 percentage point from December to January, according to numbers released Monday by the state Department of Economic Opportunity. The preliminary figures estimated that 352,000 Floridians were out of work in January from a workforce of 10.3 million,

which represents a 3.4 percent unemployment rate. The estimate projected that 7,000 more people were out of work in January when compared to December.

4 percent nationwide The national unemployment rate was 4 percent in January. February numbers for Florida will be released March 22. The January figures in Florida were bol-

stered by annual growth in the categories of professional and business services, education and health services, transportation and utilities, construction and hospitality jobs. The 3.4 percent statewide rate was seasonally adjusted, while a non-seasonally adjusted rate was 3.9 percent.

Lowest in Monroe The state also released county unemployment rates for January that were not

seasonally adjusted. Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, had the lowest rate, at 2.8 percent, followed by St. Johns and Okaloosa counties, both at 3.4 percent. Orange and Seminole counties were at 3.5 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, Gulf County, still reeling from Hurricane Michael, had the highest unemployment rate, 7.4 percent, followed by its Gulf Coast neighbor Bay County at 6 percent. ed issues,” said Dr. B. Lee Green, vice president of Diversity, Public Relations and Strategic Communications. “It is a way for health care professionals to work directly with men who may otherwise not have access to quality health care.”

Free screenings This year, Tampa Bay Buccaneers alum and Super Bowl XXXVII MVP Dexter Jackson is expected to appear alongside Bucs mascot Captain Fear from 9 to 11 a.m. An inflatable quarterback toss game will be on the grounds this year, as well as drawings held throughout the day. The Men’s Health Forum will feature exhibitors offering health and wellness resources. Attendees will have access to free health screenings such as blood pressure, cholesterol, HIV/AIDS/STI, skin cancer and more.

2018 findings

PHOTOS BY MOFFITT CANCER CENTER

At the 2018 Men’s Health Forum, hundreds participated in exams that are critical to health and longevity.

Moffitt Cancer Center hosting Men’s Health Forum on March 16 SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Moffitt Cancer Center's Colectoral Awareness Event is open to men and women.

TAMPA – A growing number of men in the Tampa Bay area don’t have access to regular health care services. That’s why Moffitt Cancer Center and its community partners will return to the University of South Florida Marshall Student Center on Saturday, March 16, for the annual Men’s Health Forum. The free event is from 8 a.m. to noon March 16 and marks the 19th year for the forum and the second time it will coincide with Moffitt’s Colorectal Awareness

Event, which is open to men and women. The Men’s Health Forum is a shared effort by area hospitals, health care organizations, social service and community organizations, and businesses to provide help to men, 18 and older, who are uninsured, underinsured, or do not have a regular health care provider. “The Men’s Health Forum is a wonderful opportunity for men in and around the Tampa Bay area to learn about cancer prevention and get appropriate screenings for a number of health-relat-

At the 2018 Men’s Health Forum, more than 300 participated in exams that are critical to health and longevity. • Of 318 men examined, 61 percent were uninsured or underinsured. • Of 242 men tested, 46 percent had pre-hypertension and another 32 percent had high blood pressure. • 81 men were educated on the importance of prostate testing and received vouchers for free prostate testing at Moffitt Cancer Center. • Of 168 men receiving skin cancer exams, 42 percent had suspicious skin findings and needed further follow-up by a physician. • Of 223 men tested, 11 percent were identified as at-risk for diabetes Sponsors of the Men’s Health Forum include Moffitt Cancer Center, The Wawa Foundation, New York Yankees, Florida Blue, Tampa General Hospital, Tobacco Free Florida Area Health Education Center Program, and HART. Providers include AdventHealth, ACTS, BayCare, Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, OneBlood, South University, Suncoast Community Health Centers, Tobacco Free Florida AHEC, USF Health, and Walmart Vision Center. For more information and to register, visit www.mhftampa. com.

Sanctuary cities bill moving swiftly through Senate NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

A Republican lawmaker’s effort to deport more undocumented immigrants detained by Florida law-enforcement agencies is quickly moving through the Senate. The Senate Infrastructure and Security Committee on a partyline vote Tuesday approved the bill (SB 168) without being able to finish hearing testimony from members of the public, who for the most part came to protest the proposal. Sen. Joe Gruters, who doubles as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, is sponsoring the bill with the help of Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, and Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Rockledge.

Backed by governor DREAMSTIME/TNS

The selection of Milwaukee is part of a strategy by Democrats to put more emphasis on oncedependable regions in the upper Midwest that 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton neglected in her presidential run.

Dems pick Milwaukee over Miami-Dade for 2020 convention NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Picking another swing state over Florida, the Democratic National Committee has chosen Milwaukee to host its 2020 national convention. Miami-Dade County sought to draw the convention, as Florida is poised to again play a ma-

jor role in next year’s presidential election. But the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday that the Wisconsin city had been selected, with a formal announcement expected at an afternoon news conference. Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber issued a statement expressing disappointment in the party’s decision and pointed to a “bipar-

tisan” effort in South Florida that included Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. Wisconsin is expected to play a key role in Democrats’ hopes to regain the White House, after Republican President Donald Trump won the battleground state in 2016.

Under the proposal, which is backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody, both of them Republicans, the state would ban local governments from passing ordinances that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. That would include preventing local governments from not honoring administrative detainers by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Such detainers require holding undocumented immigrants for at least 48 hours past their sentences while awaiting federal authorities to pick up the immigrants for deportation.

House passed one While the Senate proposal was watered down to include few sanctions on local governments, the bill says the attorney general would have the option to pursue civil actions against state or local governments that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration law. A bill (HB 527) with tougher penalties has been filed in the Florida House, but the measure, sponsored by Rep. Cord Byrd, R-Neptune Beach, and Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, has not been heard in committees. The House passed such a so-called sanctuary cities bill last year. The Senate version needs to clear the Rules Committee before it can go to the Senate floor.

EDITORIAL

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MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

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To get ‘reparations,’ should we call it something else? The moral justice of the reparations proposition is unassailable. African nations and economies were perverted and destroyed. Millions were murdered, and survivors driven to the coast for transport across oceans. They were worked to death, they were starved raped and abused. Their labor and loved ones and children were stolen from them and their descendants have been selectively disadvantaged to this very day. They deserve to be made whole. It’s only justice, and it’s only right to try to correct an historic wrong.

Nothing new The reparations demand is not new. It was first answered by some Union generals during in the Civil War who ordered redistribution of land confiscated from slave masters. That’s where the slogan “40 acres and a mule” comes from. President Andrew Johnson vetoed legislation to give the freed slaves the land they had worked on, and quickly reversed the policy almost every place it had been enacted. In the 1890s, the demand surfaced again with proposals to grant pensions and land to surviving former slaves and their families. But there was powerful opposition from the planter class, who held most of AfricanAmericans as deeply indebted sharecroppers, tenants and domestic workers. All the pension bills died in committee. The modern reparations current – and I call it a “current” to distinguish it from a “movement,” which everything claims to be these days – that current begins with James Forman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), whose 1969 “Black Manifesto ” demanded $500 million from White churches and synagogues to be handed over to philanthropic trusts, a Southern land bank, printing, publishing and other projects, including the National Welfare Rights Organization. In 1980 and 1987, the federal government awarded reparations to a small group of Native Americans – a tiny fraction of First Nations people slaughtered and dispossessed; and to 60,000 survivors and descendants of Japanese-Americans stripped of their property and interned during WW2.

Bill never moved In 1987, NCOBRA, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, was founded. And in 1989, Detroit congressman John Conyers introduced

BRUCE A. DIXON BLACK AGENDA REPORT

a reparations study bill in Congress. Conyers re-submitted that reparations bill each and every congressional session till 2007, when he finally became chair of the House Judiciary Committee. The bill sat in his desk drawer during the next four years while he had the power to pass it out of committee. Once Congressman Conyers was safely out of power in 2011, he resumed the submission of his reparations study bill to each successive Congress until his forced retirement last year. Again, the moral correctness of the reparations proposition is unarguable. People were wronged, their descendants were wronged, and they deserve to be made whole. Only a fool can argue with that. But something has changed here. Reparations agitation in the 19th Century arose directly from former slaves, from the Black working class. They were all about the practical politics of assembling political coalitions which might do the heavy political lifting needed to carry out reparations for African-Americans. Although they failed, they were seriously about the politics and the implementation. The reparations current of the 20th and 21st century is something altogether different.

Not from grassroots To begin with, the modern reparations current did not originate with the Black poor, the Black working class. No disrespect to the late brother Forman, but the modern reparations current originates from the class of what Adolph Reed calls “professional race managers,” the cohort of relatively educated and affluent African-Americans who assume the roles of “SpokesNegroes” purportedly representing the rest of us. In the 1960s and ‘70s, some of us fought for the inclusion of the histories, the writings and the scholarship of people who looked like us in the academic canon. One outcome of those struggles has been the careers of a class of Black academics who have adopted the morally just reparations arguments, and extended them into the realms of psychology and spiritual wellbeing. Hence, there is now a truly vast

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 329 ‘Not Much’ Jazz in the Gardens (JITG) 2019 ‒ Before you accuse me of hating, know that I want the event to succeed. But what I’m hearing from people who regularly attend concerns me. I’ve heard complaints mostly about high ticket prices and the fair-to-middling talent lineup. Attendance has dropped, which causes vendors to complain about the lack of customers. My two cents to the folks running JITG? Get away from the big, relatively expensive names (Lionel Richie), some of whom can’t perform anymore (Bobby Brown), and those who mail in a lip-synced performance (Brandy). I know JITG bills itself as a “music festival,” but I say go back to its jazz roots. Now, that means regional jazz-funk bands that are less expensive and are

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

‘built’ to perform for live audiences. Examples: New Orleans bands like the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, the New Birth Brass Band and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Washington, D.C. “go-go” bands like the Chuck Brown Band, Backyard Band and Rare Essence. Less expensive groups specializing in live music allows ticket prices to be dropped, attracts a more diverse crowd looking for a new musical experience at a reasonable cost, and allows vendors to

amount of academic and popular writing from dozens, perhaps hundreds of Black academics and professionals who insist that the pursuit of reparations and the attainment of apologies for slavery and Jim Crow are crucial to the spiritual and psychological wellbeing of African-Americans. You can find their views exhaustively examined in Psychology Today, in the journal of the American Psychological Association, and many other places. Some would have us believe that the current reparations demand arises from the most politically advanced sectors of Black American thought and political action. I’m not buying that. I can’t really prove it, but I suspect a lot of the young people currently flying the “reparations now” flag learned to consider reparations as a moral and rhetorical proposition from Black academics, not from the broad masses of our people.

Moral vs. practical The trouble is that all a moral proposition needs to justify itself is to be right, while a political proposition must be made to happen in the real world, a world frequently indifferent or hostile to moral propositions. In the political world, a 21st-Century appeal for reparations is pathetically easy to twist into “something for those undeserving people and nothing for you real Americans White people.” The worldwide political reality is that special policies aimed at special constituencies make for easy targets. Medicaid, for instance, has proved trivially easy to shrink and shred and even deny eligibility to most of those who should qualify for it because Medicaid is aimed exclusively at poor people – popularly but incorrectly assumed to be mostly Black. France has universal daycare from infancy to about age 4 for everybody, whether you’re a working mom, disabled, or a billionaire. That’s what makes it politically bulletproof ‒ the fact that everybody is in and nobody is out. The same inclusive model protects the free-at-the-point-of-service medical care systems of Britain, Canada and other places. The only two times Black people in this country made significant material advances were during the Civil War and early Reconstruction, and the brief heyday of the Freedom Movement when Jim Crow was largely dismantled from about 1960 to 1975. In both cases, the forward progress only lasted as long as a large plurality of White support backed Black aspirations. When

make more money. It’s also a SIN and a disgrace that the Dillard High School Jazz Band in Fort Lauderdale, consistently the best high school jazz band in the country, does not annually perform at an event with “JAZZ” in its name. Need proof of how good Dillard’s program and its musicians are? The two musicians who form Black Violin ‒ I heard they set JITG on fire ‒ are both Dillard alumni. (Full disclosure: my son Charles III is a 9th grade musician at Dillard.) Trump impeachment “not worth it” ‒ So says U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, who claims that impeachment would be “too divisive.” The country’s already divided, Madame Speaker. Why get wobbly-kneed now? Take a tip from King Don: “Nothing’s off the table.” Leave King Don and the GOP in suspense. Why wait until the Mueller report is released? It’s irrelevant, because the focus there is on Russia. Let the dogs out now. There are enough questions about Donald Trump’s be-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: DONALD TRUMP AND MEDICARE

BRUCE PLANTE, TULSA WORLD

that plurality of White support eroded, the period of progress ended. Our modern ‘reparistas’ focus on the spiritual and psychological “only-this-and many apologies-will-make-us-whole” facets of reparations, but hey take no responsibility whatsoever for even identifying even the vaguest of roadmaps. They can’t even be bothered to name the constituencies we’d have to persuade to our side to make the political heavy lifting of reparations possible. Even worse, the politics most of our reparistas do espouse pretend that there ARE no class distinctions inside Black communities ‒ even though the gaps between the richest and poorest American Blacks are larger than those between corresponding American Whites.

Some true believers Obviously all of today’s reparistas are not opportunists. Some clearly do believe that the psychological dimensions of the problem for which reparations is their preferred solution really ARE more important than achieving practical political results. Fifty years ago, there were some activists who sincerely believed African-Americans would achieve liberation by adopting African-like culture, religions and such. But straight-up opportunists are easy to find among the reparistas. Look at Ta-Nehisi Coates, who deploys “reparations now” rhetoric as an explicit counter to socialism. There’s a reason why many of Chicago’s most prominent reparistas supported Rahm Emanuel in the last mayoral election. The Conyers reparations bill and others like it are great things for opportunists to hide behind, with no thought of ever achieving results. So the notion that the “reparations now” demand arises from the most politically advanced sectors of the Black community is highly questionable.

havior as president to have fullblown hearings. Or is King Don above the law? Which brings me to… Operation “Varsity Blues” and rich (mostly White) privilege ‒ Some filthy stinking rich celebrities, bankers, lawyers, and business people (none of them Black to my knowledge, but maybe a Latino or two) believed that their academically and athletically average kids were entitled to attend elite colleges and universities like Stanford, Yale, and UCLA. The feds charged about 50 of them (just the tip of the wealth and privilege iceberg) with criminal fraud this week. From USA Today: “They faked disabilities (to get an unfair advantage on entrance exams). They photoshopped faces onto different students’ bodies (to qualify for admission as athletes). They paid millions in bribes, feds say ‒ all part of a scam to ensure rich American families got into the nation’s most selective colleges. And they got caught.”

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.

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The fact is that Medicare For All, the Green New Deal, legalized unions with the unrestricted right to strike, and the forgiveness of student debt would all disproportionately benefit African-Americans. Which demographic segment has the highest per capita student debt? It’s Black women. Black people are disproportionate victims of predatory student, medical and consumer debt too. We were represented far higher than our share among the home foreclosures of 20062009. Black women are the most likely demographic segment to form and join a fighting union.

Consider the politics Again, the reparations proposition is entirely morally justified. But the political atmosphere is not a neutral place where arguments prevail because they are righteous. We live in the place where 60 million people voted for Trump, and where we cannot even marshal a plurality of White support for affirmative action ‒ a far lower hurdle than reparations. A sober assessment of current political reality seems to indicate that a dogged insistence on calling the policies of fairness, equity and justice by that name, may be a big impediment to the heavy lifting it takes to enact them. It’s not rocket science. People are clever enough to talk and to listen in code all the time. And though large majorities of Black people DO support reparations when pollsters ask the question, they’re likely far more attached to results than they are to the label. So what if we just did the work to make the stuff happen, but we didn’t call it reparations?

Bruce Dixon is managing editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Contact him at bruce.dixon@ blackagendareport.com. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

One of the parents paid to have someone take her kid’s Scholastic Aptitude Test, resulting in a 400-point score increase (from 1,000 to 1,400. A 1,600 is perfect.) Nobody questioned the increase. Meanwhile, a Black Miami Gardens high school senior had her SAT score invalidated after she posted a 330-point increase (from 900 to 1,230). Can someone ‘splain that to me? There’s more. One celebrity daughter, who is making big money blasting empty-headed videos to her 1.2 million-plus YouTube followers, says she only wanted to attend the University of Southern California “for partying and game day.” She’s only in college because her mom and dad ‒ who may end up in federal prison ‒ forced her to go. Ironic and disgusting… “Brothers, What’s Your Motivation?” Thanks for your concern about my first article last week. I am cancer-free! That is all…

Me? ccherry2@gmail.com.

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’.

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MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

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Netanyahu says ‘Jews only’ in Israel, but Omar’s the problem? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is the homeland “only of the Jewish people,” in a new jab at the country’s Arab minority ahead of April’s election. “Arabs comprise about 20 percent of Israel’s 9 million residents. They have full citizenship rights but have faced decades of discrimination,” according to the Associated Press.

Copying Trump

ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST

Like Trump, Netanyahu is banking on his

The way Donald Trump used norm-busting, xenophobic, and race-baiting rhetoric to win the political rhetoric 2016 U.S. presidential election shall live in infamy. Even worse distracting voters is the way he inspired politicians across the globe to begin using from looming criminal similar rhetoric to similar effect. Therefore, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Netanyahu indictments, which is just the latest ‒ except that he was using such rhetoric long be- pose a far greater fore Trump began strutting and fretting his stuff upon the politithreat to his career, if cal stage. Granted, Trump’s rhetoric seems to know no bounds. But not his freedom, than even he never dared to say America is the home only of the White the Arab Israelis he’s people. So it’s unfair to say that Netanyahu is aping him. All the same, I must beg your indulgence scapegoating. here because this compels a diwe’d be wracked with chronic gression… worry. This is why the most interestAnother slur ing thing about Trump’s pathoMost Americans should have logical lies is the pathological way become inured to Trump’s in- Republicans defend and support cendiary rhetoric long ago. Yet them. In fact, I would not be surhe managed to inflame passions prised to learn that Jews at that again on last week when he ca- fundraiser simply nodded or apsually slurred all Democrats by plauded approvingly. saying, “The Democrats have beFor Trump, though, they would come an anti-Israel party. They’ve have been just like the Jews in his become an anti-Jewish party.” He Cabinet who stood beside him, reportedly doubled down on this like religious eunuchs, when he shameless slur at a fundraiser lat- infamously complimented the er, saying that “The Democrats neo-Nazis who marched through hate Jewish people.” Charlottesville. Recall that he said Remarkably, this kind of Or- there were some “very fine peowellian doublespeak is becom- ple” among them. This, despite ing a defining feature of Trump’s the fact that they were all carrying public statements (i.e., his tweets tiki-torches and chanting anti-Seand utterances). Everyone knows mitic slogans. that most Jewish people are Democrats who vote mostly for Dem- Enough! ocrats. And he knows that, which Except to say that, as outramakes his slur tantamount to callgeous as he is in this respect, ing them self-hating Jews. Trump still has nothing on NeBut it speaks volumes about tanyahu. Because this prime minTrump’s psychopathology that ister of Israel has used xenophohe has no qualms about telling bic and race-baiting rhetoric to the biggest lies to people who he win every one of his four previous knows know better and expecting elections. them to believe him. I doubt even I duly denounced him in comAdolf Hitler had such brazen gall. mentaries like “Netanyahu De-

A worldwide joke Trump is a friggin’ laughingstock. I cannot overstate this. Whenever I do, however, I feel obliged to concede that the joke is on us. He is the most powerful man in the world, after all. But his presidency is so potentially catastrophic, if we don’t laugh at him,

porting Blacks to Preserve White Character of Jewish State,” posted January 4, 2018; and “Israel Votes to Become More Like Apartheid South Africa,” posted March 18, 2015, which includes this reference to the trademark election rhetoric at issue: Election Day in Israel yesterday was full of surprises; none more

Trump is an imperfect man in the perfect role Former Trump attorney and disgraced convicted felon Michael Cohen recently gave testimony before Congress focused upon negative allegations against his former boss. Those who spent their time watching the sordid political theater came away with two unavoidable, tired, previously known conclusions: Cohen is a proven liar and President Donald Trump, like each of us, is an imperfect person. But for millions of Americans, myself included, the made-forTV drama is largely irrelevant, as America is doing quite well under the controversial leadership of President Trump.

Trump was well-known Before he became President Trump, everyone knew that “the Donald” was a controversial business icon. In fact, part of his appeal was the role he played as a billionaire playboy whose brash style help him rise to the top of the cutthroat business of real estate development. Whether roasting Rosie O’Donnell on primetime television or entertaining millions on “The Apprentice,” Trump was known for being an unconventional and high-flying international businessman. But now, as the president, his racy past has followed him to the White House and become an obsession for the Democrats, so consumed by hatred and so desperate to pursue an increasingly so-

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS NNPA COLUMNIST

cialist agenda. What better crowbar to open Trump’s past and perpetuate a media war against him than his former attorney? After all, Michael Cohen is a desperate man still hoping to reduce his own prison term by bashing his former employer.

Demonizing Trump While Cohen’s recent testimony produced wall-to-wall coverage by political insiders, the press has been promoting hysteria ever since the 2016 election, using every chance to demonize the Commander-in-Chief. Hardly a week passes without some “shocking” revelation that is eventually proven wholly untrue or at least largely irrelevant. “Fake news” is not just a tagline made famous by the president. It’s real, and it’s exhausting. In January, Cohen was the central figure in a BuzzFeed report that has since been discredited. In the report, Cohen states that he was instructed by Trump to lie to Congress. Cohen is not the only example of the media’s desperation to attack all things Trump. In the past

so than the desperate declarations and exhortations Bibi Netanyahu made to get his supporters to the polls. He not only declared that there will never be a Palestinian state as long as he’s prime minister, but also exhorted right-wing Jews to help him stay in power to honor this declaration: From the Jerusalem Post: “The right-wing government is in danger. Arab voters are going in droves to the polls. Left-wing NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) are bringing them on buses.” Imagine the outrage (national and international) if Mitt Romney had done something like this on Election Day in 2012 (i.e., exhorted White voters to get to the polls because Black voters were going in droves, putting his plan to ‘take back our [White] government’ in danger…).

Shame on the voters But as it is with Trump, the election (and continual re-election) of Netanyahu says more about his voters than him. For the shame is on them for blithely voting for men who exhibit political traits that make them more akin to Adolf Hitler than Thomas Jefferson. This brings me to the outrage and consternation Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is causing by continually peddling anti-Semitic tropes. Most notably, she has tweeted about Jews being the money men behind Republican support for Israel and insinuated that Americans who lobby for that country harbor dual loyalty. It is noteworthy that Omar is not just a freshman, but one of the first Muslim women ever elected to Congress. Rashida Talib of Michigan is the other who rode in on the Democrat’s “blue wave” in 2018. The point is that Omar’s inexperience and Muslim faith made censuring her more complicated than censuring an old anti-Semite like White Republican Congressman Steve King. This explains the generic resolution the Democratic-controlled Congress settled on last week. From the New York Times: The resolution condemning ‘hateful expressions of intolerance,’ which passed the House by an overwhelming 407-to-23 vote Thursday afternoon, was as much a statement of Democrats’ values as their factionalism. Caught in the middle was Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who worked for days to quell the internal uproar that erupted after a freshman Democrat, Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, insinuated that backers of Israel exhibit dual loyalty.

EDITORIAL

More to come In the coming days, expect a flood of speculative reports from media personalities about the possible legal implications of this and that from Cohen’s testimony. Regardless, the fundamental reality is this: Our country is thriving economically, militarily and on the world stage. Cohen’s congressional performance is just another example of the mainstream media’s increasingly desperate attempt to exploit any situation that allows them to attack the president. But the American people know this: Unemployment is down. Wages and earnings are up. Our economic growth is healthy. Militarily, the United States is properly funded and more equipped than ever, with ISIS all but eradicated. Trade negotiations that protect, rather than undermine, our interests are underway with numerous countries. The American energy sector is humming along. America is surging forward, and the president is fulfilling his promise to make our country great again. The biggest threat to the strength of our democracy is our own media’s constant fanning of toxic flames of hatred toward our president. Most of President Trump’s sup-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: DONALD TRUMP’S FEDERAL BUDGET

NATE BEELER, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, OH

Because like Trump, she seems more interested in disrupting norms and getting attention than in doing her job (namely representing the interests of her constituents – many of whom, ironically enough, just happen to be Jews). Like Trump, she knows that the easiest way to disrupt norms and get attention is to continually shock political consciousness offend public decency. Like Trump, she appears to have zealous supporters for whom she can say or do no wrong. Again, from the New York Times: [T]hough many constituents, including some Muslims, saw Ms. Omar crossing a line and trafficking in anti-Semitic tropes, others, including members of the district’s Jewish community, said they were offended only by what they perceived as partisan, even racist, attacks on their congresswoman for legitimate criticisms of Israel.

Omar doing what works

Of course, given how well bigoted rhetoric and tropes have worked for Trump, one can hardly blame Omar for using them. Again, though, she’s like an understudy among politicians on the world stage who are doing the same. As it happens, I agree with her constituents. Not least because no less an American Jew than Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz provided an exculpatory reference during a debate against MIT Professor Noam Chomsky on the topic “Israel and Palestine After Disengagement: Where Do We Go from Here?” C-SPAN televised it on December 11, 2005, and I watched the whole thing. Here is why it’s exculpatory: After 90 minutes of provocative but surprisingly ad hominem exchanges, neither one of these brilliant men ceded an inch of rhetorical territory for the sake of peace. At least Dershowitz acTrump-like behavior knowledged that their respective But I suspect Omar couldn’t intransigence reflects the curibe more pleased with herself. ous fact that American support-

few weeks, their bias has been on clear display. The press prematurely hyped an edited video of a Trump supporter standing before a Native American provocateur. Of course, there is also the outrageous Jussie Smollett fiasco, in which the actor apparently faked a hate crime and ascribed it to alleged Trump supporters.

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ers of Israel (like him) tend to be more Jewish than the Israelis, and American advocates for a Palestinian state (like Chomsky) tend to be more Palestinian than the Palestinians. This clearly raises the question: How is Omar’s insinuation that American supporters of Israel have dual loyalty any more anti-Semitic than Dershowitz’s acknowledgment that American supporters of Israel tend to be more Jewish than Israelis?

Netanyahu in trouble Having said all that, I’d be remiss not to share the following points on the forthcoming Israeli election: Like Trump, Netanyahu is banking on his political rhetoric distracting voters from looming criminal indictments, which pose a far greater threat to his career, if not his freedom, than the Arab Israelis he’s scapegoating. I don’t think his tradecraft scapegoating is going to work this time, because he has never faced a more formidable opponent than Israeli war hero Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party. Gantz demonstrated this during a recent national address when he called on Netanyahu to do the honorable thing and resign in light of the Israeli attorney general’s decision to indict him for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He made a mockery of Netanyahu’s fawning embrace of Trump by accusing him of being just like Trump: namely a pampered, trust-fund coward masquerading as a mafia don.

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

Trump has delivered on so many of the promises that catapulted him into office. Despite the media and the establishment’s campaign against him, tens of millions of his voters will continue to stand by him. He may be an imperfect person, but the same can be said for every single one of us. Who among us can claim to be without flaws? porters know that he is not a perfect person, but they will continue to remain loyal and give him their support.

God uses imperfect people The Lord works in mysterious ways, and it is often the most unlikely people who go on to accomplish the most. Consider the prophet Moses, widely regarded as one of the greatest of prophets in the Bible. Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage to the Promised Land, despite the fact that he was a murderer! In this case, our nation is led by a businessman with many flaws who also happens to be the right person for the job at a time when America needs it the most. We are thirsting for economic progress, following eight years in the wilderness of Obama’s presidency. Our present prosperity far outshines the flashing lights of manufactured scandals. Trump has delivered on so ma-

ny of the promises that catapulted him into office. Despite the media and the establishment’s campaign against him, tens of millions of his voters will continue to stand by him. He may be an imperfect person, but the same can be said for every single one of us. Who among us can claim to be without flaws? Thankfully, Trump is right where he should be today: in the Oval Office, propelling our country forward.

Armstrong Williams is the host of a daily radio show and a nationally syndicated TV program called ‘The Right Side with Armstrong Williams.’ He is also founder and CEO of the Graham Williams Group, an international marketing, advertising, and media public relations consulting firm. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.

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MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

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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. Payments are for a 2019 Escalade Luxury Collection with an MSRP of $85,090. 36 monthly payments total $29,484. 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 30,000 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® Escalade®

IFE/FAITH Warwick to release new album See page B3

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

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MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Books for kids about women who changed world See page B4

SECTION

CHAYLA C. CHERRY / FLORIDA COURIER

After decades of singing at concerts around the world, Stephanie Mills still has the pipes.

SUNSHINE, FUN TIMES, TASTY TREATS

Vendors selling conch did brisk business at JITG 2019. LISA ROGERSCHERRY / FLORIDA COURIER

…AND STEPHANIE MILLS! JAZZ IN THE GARDENS 2019 IS NOW IN THE BOOKS BY LISA ROGERS-CHERRY FLORIDA COURIER

t was another exciting year in Miami Gardens with lots of popular acts in the Jazz in the Gardens (JITG) lineup. This year’s acts included Black Violin, Tye Tribbett, the Jazz in the Gardens AllStars with Maysa, Chieli Minucci, Gerald Veasley, Lao Tizer, Nelson Rangell, Teddy Riley & Friends featuring Blackstreet with Teddy Riley, Dave Hollister, Bobby Brown, Doug E. Fresh, En Vogue, Jagged Edge, Stephanie Mills, The O’Jays, Brandy, and Lionel Richie. The audience was constantly laughing hysterically at the jokes of returning JITG emcee, stand-up comedian, television host, actor, and radio personality Rickey Smiley, who kept the show moving. Miami native Tishria Mindingall said, “I always enjoy the food and the family reunion atmosphere. I really enjoyed Maysa, some of the local talent and the mighty O’Jays.”

The food Back in the food section, we noticed several more conch booths this year. Conch salad and conch fritters seem to always be a top seller. Concertgoers were happy with the wider variety and shorter lines. In addition to the conch, there were plenty of tasty treats like smoked turkey legs, jerk chicken wings, coconut shrimp, seafood platters, fried crab legs, mac and cheese, bar-b-que ribs, lobster corn dogs, chicken on a stick, roasted corn on the cob, tropical slushies, dessert in a jar, and bread pudding.

The vendors On Vendor Row, there were African clothes, distinguished eye wear, hair care, natural body oils, soaps, handmade jewelry, leather earrings, fancy hats, non-profit organizations, and beautiful artwork. One of the standouts on Vendor Row was Artist Carl M. Crawford, a native of Columbia, S.C. His company is called Collage Illusion. See JAZZ, Page B3

KIM GIBSON / FLORIDA COURIER

Lionel Ritchie’s songs were familiar to the enthusiastic crowd. African clothing and Afrocentric accessories were on full display. CHAYLA C. CHERRY / FLORIDA COURIER

ENTERTAINMENT & FINEST

MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

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JAZZ from B1

“Everything has its own creative beauty,” Carl explained. “Life is creativity manifested. As an artist, my desire is to reflect the beauty of the human experience by giving form to my own creative vision. “The challenge is paying close attention to the details of each piece. Every color matters; the position matters.” His color choices and his beautiful work caused concert attendees to stop and make a purchase. He took the time to talk to each person who stopped to view his art. You could feel his passion as he described his inspiration for various pieces.

The music Many concertgoers came to see one specific act, but were pleasantly surprised by others. The Black Violins are both Fort Lauderdale Dillard High School alumni. This dynamic hiphop duo comprised of two classically-trained string instrumentalists wowed the crowd with their exciting performance. Stephanie Mills seemed to be the showstopper for Day 1 of the festival. She sang the song “Home” just like she did when she was 25 years old. She introduced her backup singers, and they each sang better than the previous one ‒ with the exception of her son Jason, who totally wrecked the place and made the audience go wild. Felice Winston Davis was grooving to one of her favorite groups, Jagged Edge. She shared, “They have amazing stage presence and the still have their ‘chops’ after all these years.” They rocked the crowd with hits including “Let’s Get Married” and “Where the Party At.” Amy Dawkins, a return attendee, exclaimed, “Good thing Doug E. Fresh was last, because it was 1 a.m. and he was still going strong. It was a perfect ending to a fantastic day!”

Above: The O'Jays couldn't sing their entire list of memorable songs because it's way too long.

Gospel, R&B On Day 2, gospel recording artist and current Orlando pastor Tye Tribbett was a crowd pleaser and got the audience up on their feet with his popular hit, “He Turned It.” The O’Jays had the crowd moving and grooving. Shari Haywood stated, “Their performance takes you back down memory lane. Lots of good wholesome music and love songs.” “Lionel Richie hasn’t aged one bit. He is still doing his thing,” said Michelle Wilcox, who also enjoyed the music. She was happy to attend the festival with some of her family and enjoyed seeing people having a great time together. The weather was perfect. The food was delicious. There was an assorted variety of vendors. The energizing vibe at the 14th Annual Jazz in the Gardens was tremendous. You could feel it when you arrived and as you left. This was another fabulous festival in the books.

KIM GIBSON / FLORIDA COURIER

Left: Brandy was one of the many R&B artists to perform. KIM GIBSON / FLORIDA COURIER

Log on to www.flcourier.com to see more JITG 2019 pictures.

FLORIDA’S

finest

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

MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

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ENTERTAINMENT

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PHOTOS BY PATRICK CONNOLLY/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

Confetti flies while parade participants throw beads during Universal’s Mardi Gras parade on Feb. 22.

A taste of Mardi Gras close to home Universal Studios’ New Orleans party includes brass bands, beads and crawdads BY PATRICK CONNOLLY ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

I recently took a trip to Universal Studios Florida, but I could have sworn I was transported to New Orleans. As my friend Amanda and I approached what is usually the park’s New York section, we quickly saw that it was dressed up like the French Quarter. We were flanked by dancers in sequined pants, feathered costumes and vibrant masks. Smells of king cake and Cajun cooking wafted through the air. Universal’s Mardi Gras celebration, happening daily through April 4, features a nightly parade, brass bands, dancing in the streets and plenty of food inspired by New Orleans cuisine. We opted to eat dessert first and split a king cake. It proved to be a little messy, but so good. Icing dripped onto the plate and sugar sprinkled my lips. We needed the extra napkins we had grabbed.

Performers dance in the streets of Universal Studios during Universal’s Mardi Gras celebration. It continues through April 4. times dancing with them.

orful attire. But then I realized that couldn’t share my next samples, some sported gator heads. Others but I had a chance to try some ga- resembled bright birds, sequined tor bites and crab etouffee. The seahorses or clawed “crawdads.” gator tasted like a slightly chewy version of chicken, but if the Swamp float too chicken also went for a swim. If This can be explained from this that makes sense. year’s theme, which is “party aniThe other dish involved some mals.” rice, clumps of crab meat and a Blake Braswell, show director thick sauce that had a slight kick for Universal’s Mardi Gras, highto it. It was very satisfying and fill- lighted some of the critter creing. ations that attendees can expect At one point, I heard a brass to find at this year’s festivities. band starting to play and ran off “(The floats) cover everything to see what the commotion was from the Arctic regions to jungles about. The dancers had taken to to flower beds and insects like the streets — some on stilts — and bees,” Braswell said. “My favorite shook their arms and hips to the is our swamp float. It’s very Flormusic. Some lady bumblebees ida. It’s got all our crawdads and Gator bites, etouffee made sure to give the younger at- shrimp and characters that are Amanda is a vegetarian, so she tendees some attention, some- running around.”

Warwick releasing first new album in five years NNPA NEWS WIRE

Legendary Grammy Award winner Dionne Warwick will release her first new album in five years on May 10. Produced by son Damon Elliot, “She’s Back’’ will be released via his Kind Music and Entertainment One (eOne). The lead-off single will be an updated version of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic, “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” which Warwick recorded during the 1960s. In addition to 10 tracks of new songs as well of remakes of pop/ soul gems, “She’s Back” will be

As it turned out, that was the cheering at me from the audi-

King cake is one of the featured At first glance, it looked like the float upon which Amanda and ence. Just kidding – I know most food items. performers were just wearing col- I had the privilege of riding. Af- people weren’t there to see me.

packaged with a bonus disc of Warwick’s 1998 album, “Dionne Sings Dionne,” which features her greatest hits, remastered for this package.

Several duets “She’s Back” includes duets with Kenny Lattimore (“What Color Is Love”), Musiq Soulchild (“Am I Dreaming?”) as well as Bone, Thugs & Harmony’s Krayzie Bone (“Déjà Vu”). The album is Warwick’s 36th full-length studio recording, and her first dedicated R&B/soul album in 50 years, since the release of her 1969 Scepter LP, “Soulful,’’ which she co-produced in Mem-

ter stuffing ourselves with a few Cajun creations, it was time to Pitbull and Paul get oriented for our experience But it did feel good to see all of aboard the swamp float. those smiling faces, young and old, out in the crowd. It felt even Art of throwing beats better knowing that I helped Team members instructed us to make their experience even just a throw beads at parade-goers like little bit more fun. You don’t have to be the Cena frisbee or with an underhand swing. They emphasized not to tral Florida Explorer to also have whip them at folks overhand, this parade float experience. Universal passholders also have the which I can understand. We exited the backstage ar- opportunity to sign up for float ea atop our swamp float and saw rides on Universal’s website. In addition, acts including Pitthousands of people waiting for beads to rain down. The king frog bull, Becky G, Ziggy Marley and led us through crowds, while the Sean Paul will be gracing the stage royal crawdad brought up the at Universal Studios through the rear. Lights flashed and joyful mu- end of the Mardi Gras celebrations. sic played. All of the details can be found at I got to see all of my adoring Central Florida Explorer fans universalorlando.com.

phis with the late Chips Moman (who manned the boards for her then-label mate, B.J. Thomas).

Lifetime Grammy award Warwick is one of several legends to be chosen to receive one of the Grammy Awards’ highest honors this year – the Lifetime Achievement Award. She joins music greats such as George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Eckstine, Donny Hathaway, Julio Iglesias as well as Sam & Dave in this bestowed class. The honorees were mentioned at last month’s Grammy Awards. A separate award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held the day after the release of “She’s Back,” on May 11 in Los Angeles. Warwick also will begin a concert residency in Las Vegas on Dionne Warwick’s album includes a new rendition of “What the World Needs Now.” April 4.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

MARCH 15 – MARCH 21, 2019

Biographies of women and girls who’ve made their mark on history make great reading for girls and boys. With short takes and vibrant art, these books are inspiring all kids to dream big and work hard to accomplish great things. The profiled women have broken barriers in science, the arts, politics, and more. Their stories show kids women who made a difference in the past and encourage kids to soar in the future. These are spectacular stories for all ages to enjoy throughout Women’s History Month!

She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World

Authored by Chelsea Clinton Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger Recommended for ages 4 and older This fabulous picture book profiles American women who broke new ground. Some excelled in professional fields not previously open to them, while others championed civil rights. The book also introduces some lesser-sung figures kids might not be familiar with like15-yearold Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on the bus before Rosa Parks did. (Philomel, 2017)

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Authored and illustrated by Vashti Harrison Recommended for ages 8 and older Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History is a wonderful collection of short bios of accomplished African-American women. The bios, which are presented chronologically, include women in a wide range of fields — science, arts, journalism, politics, sports — who range from popular cultural figures like Oprah Winfrey to activist/scholar Angela Davis. (Little, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2017)

Women Who Dared: 52 Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, and Rebels

Authored by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo Recommended for ages 6 and older The first installment of this popular collection offers brief biographical sketches and selected anecdotes of about 100 women and girls who broke gender barriers and accomplished extraordinary things with their talent, genius, vision, and drive. (Timbuktu Labs, Inc., 2016)

Authored by Linda Skeers | Illustrated by Livi Gosling Recommended for ages 8 and older There’s something very fresh and refreshing about this compilation of bios of daring women, most of whom aren’t famous, but are “ordinary” women who did extraordinary things. Each profile has a full-page facing illustration, which helps readers identify at a glance each woman’s race, time period, and the gist of her accomplishments. The message is clear: Don’t hold back! Do what you love and have fun doing it! (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2017)

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

Authored by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo Recommended for ages 6 and older The second installment of Good Night Stories is a lively, kid-friendly collection of stories about bold female innovators and barrier breakers is informative, entertaining, and inspiring. Positive messages abound in these inspiring profiles, with takeaways like you can be whatever you want to be if you work hard, never give up, and don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do something because you’re a girl. (Timbuktu Labs, Inc., 2017)

Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History ... and Our Future!

Authored by Kate Schatz | Illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl Recommended for ages 7 and older This colorful book offers 25 mini-biographies of diverse U.S. women from the 18th through the 21st centuries who broke barriers, accomplished great things, and paved the way for women of the future. Each bio includes a strong graphic portrait of the woman featured, except X, which stands for “the women whose stories we haven’t learned about yet, and the women whose stories we will never read.” (City Lights Publishers, 2015)

Authored and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky Recommended for ages 10 and older From Hypatia in ancient Egypt to current cutting-edge mathematicians, this charmingly illustrated encyclopedia is sure to spark interest, imagination, and a can-do attitude in middle-grade girls — and boys! — interested in STEM subjects. (Ten Speed Press, 2016)

Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History

Authored by Kate Schatz | Illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl Recommended for ages 11 and older Rad Women Worldwide gives short profiles of 40 women and girls in 31 countries who overcame obstacles and gender bias to excel in their chosen fields — science, medicine, the arts, sports, civil rights, politics, mountain climbing, and more. As the introduction says, the stories in this book “tell about the lives and accomplishments of bold, brave women who lived awesome, exciting, revolutionary historic, and world-changing lives — in other words, they’re rad.” (Ten Speed Press, 2016) COMMON SENSE MEDIA IS AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OFFERING UNBIASED RATINGS AND TRUSTED ADVICE TO HELP FAMILIES MAKE SMART MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY CHOICES. CHECK OUT OUR RATINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ONLINE AT WWW.COMMONSENSE.ORG © 2018 COMMON SENSE MEDIA COMPILED BY ANGELA ZIMMERMAN AND EDITED BY JOHNNIE MILLER-CLEAVES

$65.3 MILLION TO UNITED WAY! A special thank you to Publix associates and Publix Super Markets Charities for helping our communities by generously supporting United Way in 2018. Publix associates pledged $38.7 million, and Publix Charities donated $26.6 million. Learn more at publix.com/community.