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MARCH 22 – MARCH 28, 2019
VOLUME 27 NO. 12
HBCU AWAKENING Howard University was a major influence that shaped Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ identity. BY EVAN HALPER LOS ANGELES TIMES / TNS
WASHINGTON ‒ The war on drugs had erupted, apartheid was raging, Jesse Jackson would soon make the campus a staging ground for his inaugural presidential bid. Running for student office in 1982 at Howard University ‒ the school that nurtured Thurgood Marshall, Toni Morrison and Stokely Carmichael ‒was no joke. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Ca-
lif., has been known to break the ice with voters by proclaiming the freshman-year campaign in which she won a seat on the Liberal Arts Student Council her toughest political race. Those who were at the university with her are not so sure she is kidding. It was at Howard that the senator’s political identity began to take shape. Thirty-three years after she graduated in 1986, the university in the nation’s capital, one of the country’s most prominent historically Black institutions, also serves as a touchstone in a campaign in which political opponents have questioned the authenticity of her Black identity.
No assumptions “I reference often my days at Howard to help people understand they should not make assumptions about who Black peo-
COURTESY OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Howard University, located in Washington, D.C., is one of America’s leading historically Black college or university. It educates students from around the world. ple are,” Harris said in a recent interview. Her Indian-born mother and Jamaican father separated when Harris was 5, and she attended high school in Montreal, where her mother was a cancer researcher at McGill University.
But, Harris said, as a teenager, there was no question about her decision to return to the U.S. to attend Howard. “My mother understood she was raising two Black children to be Black women,” Harris said in the interview, a line she has of-
ten used to settle questions on the subject. Shyamala Gopalan Harris encouraged her daughter to go to Howard, a school her mother knew well, having guestlectured there and having friends on the faculty. See HBCU, Page A2
Voting restoration drama
SPRING BREAK 2019
Enjoying it while they can
Legislators fight over details BY DARA KAM NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE ‒ Ex-felons would have to clear up any financial obligations, including court costs, fees and fines, before having their voting rights restored, under a House proposal castigated by critics Tuesday as a modern take on Jim Crow-era poll taxes designed to keep Black voters from participating in elections. In a strict party-line vote following heated testimony, the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee signed off on the measure aimed at clarifying parts of a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November. The amendment, which appeared on the ballot as Amendment 4, granted “automatic” restoration of voting rights to felons “who have completed all terms of their sentence, including parole or probation.” The amendment excluded people “convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense.”
Guidance requested While some proponents maintain the measure does not require any legislative action, state and local elections officials, clerks of courts, prosecutors and others have asked the Legislature for guidance in interpreting what specific crimes qualify as exceptions and what is required for felons to have completed their sentences. Under the House plan, felons convicted of first- or second-degree murder or about three dozen sex-related
Large crowds, traffic problems, public drunkenness and nudity have upset Miami Beach residents. The city may begin strict enforcement of city ordinances and traffic laws as Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach did in years past to get Spring Break under control.
See VOTING, Page A2
SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3
“We have extended the Rebuild Florida registration deadline to allow as many homeowners as possible to register for assistance and I encourage anyone who still has damage from Hurricane Irma to visit RebuildFlorida.gov to get help.”
SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
Miami man gets 40 years for torching girlfriend Everglades oil drilling plan wins legal fight
ENTERTAINMENT | B2
Peele’s ‘Us’ expected to outdo ‘Get Out’
ALSO INSIDE
Deadline close for Hurricane Irma damage grants TALLAHASSEE ‒ If you are a homeowner with damage remaining from Hurricane Irma, you can still register for assistance from Rebuild Florida. The deadline is Friday, March 29. Registration is the first step in the process and it can be completed in 15-30 minutes. Rebuild Florida is a long-term recovery effort with nearly $350 million in federal funding dedicated to repairing, rebuilding or replacing the homes of Florida families that were significantly damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irma. “Governor Ron DeSantis is dedicated to helping Florida families still in need after Hurricane Irma,” said Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) Executive Director Ken Lawson.
Ken Lawson
State, federal partnership
Rebuild Florida is a partnership of DEO and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Rebuild Florida Housing Repair and Replacement Program helps eligible homeowners impacted by Hurricane Irma. See GRANTS, Page A2
COMMENTARY: MARGARET KIMBERLEY: PAUL MANAFORT AND THE BLACK INCARCERATION CRISIS | A4 GUEST COMMENTARY: ANTHONY HALL: ‘VERY FINE’ NATIONALISTS MASSACRE 50 IN NEW ZEALAND | A5