Capital Outlook

Special Edition: NNPA & National Save the Family Now Movement Inc. Conference 50 Cents

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Vol. 37, No. 47: Section 01

Tallahassee, T allahassee, Florida

Nov.. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011 Nov

By B. Denise Hawkins Special to the Outlook

Born to teach as well as preach

Photo by ASHLEY HOGANS

The Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr. is president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Southeast Region and publisher of the Capital Outlook in Tallahassee, Fla.

See CONFERENCE, Page 2

Conference empowers Black Press, outlines its future

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Saying that “we have been silent for too long,” a group of African-American newspaper publishers have enlisted the support of Black colleges and churches as they prepare to wage a war against HIV/AIDS, using their own media outlets to inform readers, advocate for prevention, and hopefully save lives.

By next January, the publishers of more than 50 Black newspapers, most of them weeklies, in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi say they plan to start regularly carrying advertising, running columns, publishing news stories, and posting video on their official websites that address the AIDS crisis and what their readers can do to protect themselves against the

disease.

The region these papers represent – the southeast – is where more than 41 percent of those living with AIDS in the United States reside and where the highest number of new AIDS cases is reported, a 2010 report from the Southern AIDS Coalition found.

Meharry Medical College, NIMHD/Health Disparities Research Center in Nashville, Tenn., was the co-sponsor of the annual meeting of publishers and owners, representing the southeast region of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

Their annual meeting in Orlando, Nov. 17-18, was devoted to education about HIV/AIDS and the escalation in rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

The Southeast Region Publishers’ HIV/AIDS Awareness Conference: Caring for Communities of Color brought together more than

Legacy Banquet

1363 E. Tennessee St, Tallahassee, Fla. 32310

Black-owned newspapers join HBCUs, black churches in HIV/AIDS fight

Inside LOCAL / STATE 3 OPINION / 4 EDUCATION / 5 RELIGION / 6 COMMUNITY NEWS / 8

Briefs

Person of the Week

Florida lawmakers want to rein in state lottery

Photo by RICHARD A. MOORE

Reverend Bernyce H. Clausell

By Terrika Mitchell Outlook Staff Writer

The title of the Rev. Bernyce H. Clausell’s new book, “No Time to Die” – which she hopes to have published by the end of this year – couldn’t be more fitting for the newly-95 year old.

While Clausell has lived a full life as an educator and modest women’s advocate, she may be most notably known for breaking gender barriers in the pulpit.

(left to right ) standing: NNPA Region 2 President Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., Kevin T. Collins, Patricia Smith, Johnny Hunter, Bobby Henry and NNPA Chairman Cloves Campbell Jr. Seated: Rosetta Perry, Lenora Alexander, Jackie Miles, Brenda Andrews, Fran Farrer, Cleretta Blackman, Jackie Hampton

By Terrika Mitchell Outlook Staff Writer

Members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and black press supporters convened in Maitland, Fla. Nov. 17-18 at the Southeast Region Two Publishers’ HIV/ AIDS Awareness Conference to develop a plan ensuring that black newspapers survive as well

as thrive.

The Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., president of NNPA Region 2 and publisher of Capital Outlook newspaper, noted three conference objectives he hopes participants understand and promote.

“The black press’ best days are not behind us, but our best days are before us,” Holmes said. “(The second objective for publishers is) to become engaged as it

relates to corporate America seeing the value of advertising with black newspapers, and to develop a real partnership with black universities and colleges.”

Student journalists and advisors from regional Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) like Alcorn State University, Morehouse College and Florida A&M University, joined region two publishers in energetic See EMPOWER, Page 2

See POW, Page 2

Families march to celebrate one another

Photo by ASHLEY HOGANS

Residents of Eatonville, Fla. participated in the National Save the Family Now Movement March on Nov. 19.

By Terrika Mitchell Outlook Staff Writer

Ella Johnson Dinkins, 93, nearly led the pack at the National Save the Family Now Movement Inc. Celebration of Family and Marriage March on Nov. 19. held

in Eatonville, Fla. “I think the parade is very important,” said the 80 year citizen of Eatonville. “I want the community to know that families can come together and be on one accord.”

The half mile-long parade

concluded the three-day National Save the Family Now Movement Inc. – an organization founded to strengthen, save and sustain black families in particular and all families in general – in Orlando. In the spirit of its founding, faith-based and community leaders, elected

officials and black family supporters flooded Kennedy Street to honor black families.

“This is awesome for the community,” said Vice-Mayor of Eatonville Eddie Cole. “When you look at the history, in 1887 – the first black incorporated city in America – it came through families. It’s really just a continuation of the original intent of this city coming together.”

The history of families is also the basis of the movement according to the Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., founder and president of the National Save the Family Now Movement Inc. Holmes, whose parents were married for 61 years and raised eight successful children, said that the institution of family has traditionally been a prosperous one.

“We felt that there was a

Republican state legislators pushing for new casinos in South Florida say they want to rein in the Florida Lottery.

Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff of Fort Lauderdale is one of the sponsors of the bill that would allow for three mega-casinos. She says she plans to change her bill so that the state lottery would be under the control of a new statewide gaming commission.

Automakers’ drive Southeast misses Florida

into

Over the past 20 years, the automobile manufacturing industry roared into the Southeast like a high-powered race car.

Lured by lucrative incentives and the promise of cheaper, nonunion labor, carmakers invested $6 billion to build eight plants in five states – Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi.

Those plants today employ 27,000 people, plus tens of thousands more at companies supplying vehicle parts for the plants.

Florida got none of that action.

This Week’s Word “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

See MARCH, Page 2

Wishing you blessings of health, happiness, & success on

Thanksgiving & always!

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Capital Outlook

Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011

Small can be beautiful in today’s newspaper business Special to the Outlook Big-city newspapers are fighting rising costs, falling circulation, advertising losses to other media and a competitive challenge from the Internet. But their woes present an opportunity to small daily and weekly newspapers, shoppers and alternative papers. By assuming some of the functions of big papers - while still retaining their distinctive identity - the small papers can reap big rewards.

An analysis by leading classified-ad-placement agency Access Advertising of Kansas City, MO clarifies the changes that are transforming the newspa-

per business.

“The bottom dropped out of newspaper classified advertising revenue in the first quarter of 2001, even before 9/11,” states Access Advertising Chief Economist Brad Furnish.

“If you adjust the data for inflation, classified ad revenue still hasn’t recovered to the level it reached in 1996. From $19.6 billion in 2000, classified-ad revenue has fallen to $5.7 billion in 2010.” Furnish uses data gathered by the National Newspaper Association and the Newspaper Association of America.

“Major-metro paid circulations have been declining for two decades. The

public has turned to cable channels and news networks for breaking news.

The editorial slant of most major metros is left-ofcenter politically, which puts them at odds with the shift in political attitudes that has driven the U.S. rightward over the last 25 years.”

Are newspapers dying? It depends, Furnish cautions, on just what you mean by “newspapers.”

There are only about 230 major-metropolitan newspapers such as the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, but the number of such newspaper-type publications as small dailies, weeklies, shoppers

POW from Page 1 “When I was called into the ministry, I know I must’ve been born to preach because it comes so natural,” said the cofounder and former 20-year pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Tallahassee.

“I don’t have to struggle through it at all. It’s a gift of God.” Clausell says she was the church’s unofficial pastor for 18 years after it was founded in her home in 1958. Today, she is pastor emerita of Calvary Baptist and still affectionately called “pastor.”

Clausell’s spontaneous suggestion to open a church with her late husband, the Rev. James Aaron Clausell may be a testimony of her being called into the ministry, more importantly at a time when women pastors/ preachers were ill-regarded.

However, because her husband already pastored two churches in Georgia at the time, the pastoral duties – like raising money and paying bills – was split between B. Clausell and an appointed assistant pastor.

“I did everything a pastor would do for a church… except preach; I preached everywhere else. As I understood it, my husband didn’t believe in women preachers. He didn’t beMarch from Page 1 need to celebrate families and marriages. When I look at the neighborhood I grew up in, people did well and they did well because of their family structure. We felt – we being pastors, publishers and elected officials and community leaders – if it worked for us in the 60s and 70s, it ought to be able to work for our people in the 21st century.”

Annually, the movement honors couples who have remained married despite tough times or current trends. This year, honorees were acknowledged during The AT&T Family Legacy Awards Dinner held Nov. 17.

“We’ve come together to honor people who have been married 25 plus years, and to say to the community that they deserve strong recognition and accolades, to identify policies, persons and programs that strengthen the black family, then challenge persons or policies that denigrate and demean the black family,” said Holmes.

A total of nine families participated in the march and stayed to hear council men and women, such as Marilyn Davis Sciones, adore their city. Holmes, who spoke last, urged listeners to “respect one another at a higher level,” and to renew their commitment to family and neighbors.

“We’re all one,” Sciones said of her community.

lieve in women preachers but he put me in charge of the church,” she laughed.

Clausell says her opposition to preaching was not outside, but within her home from her husband, but only at first.

Prior to pastoring, Clausell was no stranger to addressing audiences.

In fact, it was during one of her frequent addresses in New York, when she was about 16 or 17, that she proclaimed she would be a preacher. From then until she was formally ordained by her brotherin-law, Clausell served as a regular Sunday School teacher.

After she graduated from Florida A&M University, the former Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church piano player taught grades one through eight and music at Griffin Junior High.

“Back in those days, we had freedom. We could pray. We could sing,” she remembered. “I don’t think prayer should be absolutely excluded (today) because when you go back in history, schools had prayer. I think a little prayer is OK but I don’t think you should do it like you’re in prayer meeting.”

Clausell has two daughters and multiple great and great-great grand-

“There’s no division. Although we may be in different areas, it doesn’t make a difference.” The council woman is an advocate for recreational activities and mentors for neighborhood children who may be compromised with too much idol time.

Led by percussionists in the Young Blacks in Action community band, participating families chanted and cheered for black families worldwide. Organizers were especially excited about the march, what it represented and having the opportunity to host it.

“I feel very proud of my city. I grew up in Eatonville. My kids grew up in Eatonville. My grandkids are here,” said Louissteen Cummings, chair person for the Save the Family March.

“I want them to look at how to save your family. I wish we could save our families and eliminate the shooting and drug use.”

The Haynes family, with 14 members participating, received a $300 Publix gift card. Two families – the McWhites and the Mounts, of relation to Eatonville Mayor Bruce Mount – tied with 11 members each and divided a $200 Publix gift card.

Terrika Mitchell can be contacted at tmitchell@ capitaloutlook.com.

children, all of whom she says have supported her tremendously.

Clausell may also be commended for her support to women in the Tallahassee area. She is founder of the Tallahassee branch of the National Association of University Women, Clergywomen’s Council United and the Tallahassee Association of Christian Women.

She says those organizations were necessary at the time to combat issues such as the non-acceptance of women preachers.

“There were issues and as the issues would develop, I would feel like it was my duty to do what I could about that issue,” Clausell said. “In forming the groups, there were women out there I felt needed to be together because they had some of the same experiences.”

Clausell has lived according to her guiding scripture, Isaiah 41:10, which she interprets as a call to depend on the Lord.

As she continues to visit churches and give enthused sermons in her senior years, Clausell is making the most of her time.

Terrika Mitchell can be contacted at tmitchell@ capitaloutlook.com.

Parade participants chanted throughout the march.

The parade was led by percussionists from the Young Blacks in Action band.

and alternative papers approaches 10,000. These smaller publications can offer an audience to potential advertisers at lower cost and without the drawbacks of advertising in major metros.

“Small dailies, weeklies, shoppers and alternatives charge very attractive advertising rates,” points out Access Advertising General Manager Trae Nunnink. “What’s more, they don’t offend their readers with their style, their politics or with mandatory Internet fees. I think they’ll be around for a long time.”

Nunnink believes that the key to success will be

for smaller papers to recognize their comparative advantage and press it to the fullest. “Not every advertiser in the major-metro newspapers is well-suited for smaller papers,” Nunnink warns.

“Recruitment ads often work beautifully there.

We place hundreds of thousands of ads in smaller papers every year to recruit truck drivers for trucking firms. They target the right people and areas, they fit the budget of almost any firm and the ad doesn’t compete with dozens of similar ads so it automatically stands out.”

“When trucking recruiters run ads in major-

metro newspapers, they often feel obligated to run a big, expensive ad just to make it conspicuous,” says Nunnink. We call this ‘advertising on steroids.’ The beauty of using the smaller papers for recruitment ads is that you can write simple, concise ad copy, stay within your budget and still get great results.”

The next time you hear about the impending death of the newspaper, consider the possibility that - to paraphrase Mark Twain the story may be slightly exaggerated.

Conference from Page 1 80 black college students and their advisers, HIV/ AIDS scientists, faculty, clergy and members of the Black Press to heighten awareness and begin a dialogue around a disease that’s now in its 30th year.

“We are committed to telling these stories and educating our communities,” said the Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., president of the NNPA Southeast Region and publisher of the Capital Outlook in Tallahassee.

“The strategy for our papers is going to be to write about (HIV/AIDS), tweet about it, blog about it, teach it and preach it. No longer will the Black Press be silent when it comes to HIV/AIDS,” Holmes added.

About a dozen HBCUs were in attendance. During the conference, the publishers also began discussions about extending NNPA membership to HBCU newspapers.

Holmes said the HIV/ AIDS “movement” being launched by the NNPA will include working with HBCU campus newspapers, radio and television stations, fraternities and sororities, and administrators – all necessary resources for delivering important HIV/AIDS prevention and education messages to college students who account for about 55 percent of all HIV infections among those ages 13 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Participants also heard

about another troubling young population group at high risk for contracting HIV—African-American men (13-29) who have sex with men or MSMs. These males accounted for 14 percent of new infections in 2009, said Dr. Donald Alcendor, an HIV scientist with the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research at Meharry Medical College, who described his presentation, “An Overview of HIV/AIDS,” as scientifically based and often “hard-hitting.”

In Nashville, teens, their parents and teachers have been a special focus of Meharry’s HIV/AIDS education outreach in the community, added Alcendor, who regularly brings these students to the campus and into his research.

“We are prepared to share the outreach model that we developed at Meharry with the NNPA. The model doesn’t have to be focused on teens, but, when you see the number of new infections among 13- to 29-year-old black youth and men having sex with men, they may want to use it,” Alcendor said.

Holmes said the publishers are also looking to Meharry for models and resources that can help HBCU students make healthy life choices, including being tested for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.

Melva Lisa McDonald-McGee, M.Ed., who directs the HBCU Wellness Project/CoverKids Initia-

tive at Meharry, and Dr. Wilbert C. Jordan, an associate professor of internal medicine at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, also led conference workshops.

“This was truly an exciting marriage,” said Dr. Pat Matthews-Juarez, a professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Meharry Medical College of the first-ever gathering that brought together those she said who are not often at the same table when it comes to mobilizing around HIV/AIDS in the black community – religious leaders, academics, students, researchers and the media.

Matthews-Juarez, a conference organizer and presenter, said “we provided them with plain talk about HIV/AIDS as well as scientific talk that got translated in a way that everyone could understand, take back with them and use.”

As African-Americans, who account for more than 50 percent of all new cases of HIV continue to bear the most severe burden of the disease, Matthews-Juarez said stepped-up education is needed to “eliminate and reduce the number of new cases we are seeing in the black community and among our college students.”

Empower from Page 1 discussions on bridging the gap between the institutions.

“As we look to our future and look for our future leadership, we’re looking for a new generation of readers,” said NNPA Chairman and publisher of the Arizona Informant Cloves Campbell Jr. “HBCUs are in that generation we’re looking to gather to get involved in our whole program – not just for reading but also beginning to be involved in the writing process, the editing, the advertising sales and the total concept of the black newspaper. We want to make sure that we don’t lose that legacy and to keep it going is to have Historically Black Colleges and Universities participate with us.”

The future of the Black Press was not the only issue discussed, but that of the African-American community as well. Representatives of Meharry Medical College in Tennessee organized an additional element – HIV/AIDS awareness, Caring for Communities of Color – for the conference.

Through candid discussions and visuals, conference goers gained insight on the plaguing epidemic.

Publishers vowed to further address the disease’s disproportionate effect on the black community – particularly in the southeast.

Physicians like Dr. Wilbert C. Jordan from Los Angeles, Meharry Medical College Assistant Professor Donald J. Alcendor, Ph.D., and Stephanie Sweet, an obstetrics and gynecology physician, urged publishers to commit to spreading the word to readers.

Holmes, who is passionate about the future of the Black Press and solidifying productive relationships that are conducive to its progress, said that there is still work to be done post-conference. “(The conference’s success) is very encouraging but it’s very challenging,” he said. “We have a long way to go. Every movement starts small but in this we see the quality and quantity. It was very encouraging to see so many young people. To be in a meeting with people from 21 to 75 is very encouraging for our future.”

According to Campbell, the entire NNPA has adopted a futuristic mission “The goal for the next two years is to make sure

Reprinted with permission from Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, www. diverseeducation.com

Dr. Wilbert Jordan was one presenter who spoke on behalf of the Meharry Medicasl College that all of our newspapers are totally digital or offer what we call a total media package,” he said. “That’s where they’re not only able to offer the print, but also the internet-based information which is the website, offer social media and also offer the mobile package.

We want to make sure that they’re well rounded.”

You can view print articles and more from the Capital Outlook at www. capitaloutlook.com. Also, “like” Capital Outlook Newspaper on Facebook to join the conversation.

Terrika Mitchell can be contacted at tmitchell@ capitaloutlook.com.

www.capitaloutlook.com 3 Local/State 2011 Holiday calls for more elves in the workshops Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011

Florida Retail Federation sees strong hiring for seasonal jobs as retailers get ready for holiday shopping season Special to the Outlook ‘Twas the week before Thanksgiving, and all through the land, all the retailers were hiring, forseeing consumer demand.

While preparing for the busiest shopping season of year, Florida retailers are reporting strong seasonal hiring in 2011. The Florida Retail Federation (FRF) is estimating that about 35,000 retail jobs will be added in the months of November and December in Florida. Overall, the retail industry supports about one out of every four jobs in Florida, and is

the state’s second largest employment industry.

“Santa is going to be busy this year, and he’s hiring plenty of elves,” said Rick McAllister, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation. “For the past two years now, retail sales have been trending up. That’s a sign that we’re getting back to a normal growth cycle, and that has made retailers more confident in their hiring.

We’re looking forward to a strong holiday shopping season.”

Overall, holiday sales are expected to increase from 3 percent to 3.5 percent in Florida,

according to FRF. That is moderately better than the 2.8 percent U.S. forecast predicted nationally. Across the U.S., the average consumer will spend about $704 on holiday gifts and seasonal merchandise.

“Florida has historically had a very robust retail economy, and for many years we have surpassed national growth,” said McAllister. “There’s a sense of momentum as we head into next year,

and retailers are already aggressively advertising to get shoppers into the buying mood. Stores are discounting to keep the sales going, so there will be a lot of great bargains to be had next week.”

In addition to discounting, another trend to watch will be a stronger focus on customer service and the shopping experience at retailers, McAllister said, as stores work to make the most of

their customer traffic.

According to a national research report, sales and discounts (41.6%) are the main factor in consumers’ value purchases, but customer service and quality of merchandise are becoming more important in consumers’ decision making. Customer service has increased in importance (6.0% vs. 5.3% last year), along with quality of merchandise (14.6% vs.

12.7% in 2010).

“It’s not all about bargain shopping. There’s a reason why people call it retail therapy,” McAllister said. “Consumers will make it a priority to spend

their hours shopping in a friendly atmosphere that makes their experience enjoyable.”

The Florida Retail Federation is a statewide trade association representing an industry that contributes 75 percent of Florida’s gross domestic product.

Retailing is Florida’s second largest industry. Florida retailers pay more than $33 billion in wages annually, provide one out of every five jobs in the state, and collect and remit more than $20 billion in sales and retailrelated taxes for Florida’s government each year.

Youth of the Week: Striving for the Where African Americans with scientific doctorates find work best

By Alicia McKnight Outlook Contributor

Staying focused on being a productive student and excelling in your personal life can at times be a task. Carlos Johnson, 18, is a James S. Rickards High School student who takes his duties professional.

“My favorite subject is African-American history because I’m interested in artifacts, dates and knowing where I come from and how it effects my future,” said the 11th grader. “For my extracurricular activities, I ran cross-country/ track, played basketball, and I’m in the JROTC program. Some of my hobbies include working and weightlifting.”

While Johnson is fo-

Carlos Johnson cused on being the best student he can be, he admits that he had role models, personal and famous, who help to keep him on track.

“My main role models are my mother, grandmother, and grandfather,” said the Tallahassee native.

“My all time famous role model is none other than the Dr. Funkeistien himself, George Clinton.”

During his spare time he said he loves to make music, look for new black history artifacts, work at his

church and spend time with friends and family. Johnson added that he already has his future mapped out.

“I plan to attend Howard University but I want TObe in the military first, under either the Navy or Coast Guard branch,” he said. “My dream is to go out and teach AfricanAmerican history to the world, work for the Military and, as a side job, produce music and travel the world.”

Johnson said he would love to visit Philadelphia, Penn. to visit the first African Methodist Episcopal Church.

“I am a young man who strives to the best of my ability and thanks God for life, health, strength and family,” he said..

Special to the Outlook A new report from the National Science Foundation shows that in 2008 there were 19,400 employed African Americans who held doctorates in the sciences, engineering, or health fields. They made up just 3 percent of all employed people who had doctorates in these fields.

Of the 19,400 employed African Americans with scientific doctorates, 11,200, or 57.7 percent, held academic jobs. Slightly less than 20 percent held jobs in business and industry.

For whites with doctorates in the sciences, 44.7 percent worked as academics, whereas 32.8 percent were employed in business

and industry.

Nearly 13 percent of blacks with scientific doctorates were employed by the government, compared

to 9.6 percent of whites with scientific doctorates.

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Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011 Opinion Are you ready to vote in 2012?

New election law is reason to check

By Deirdre Macnab

A l m o s t every Floridian wants to forget the embarrassment and confusion of our 2000 election process.

Alarmingly, a new national report just released by the Brennan Center reveals that new voting laws could make it significantly harder for more than five million eligible voters to cast ballots in 2012.

Florida is Ground Zero for several of these new restrictive laws, and will likely see a significant electoral impact in next year’s election with Florida’s minority, low-income and young voters most likely to be affected.

For several years we saw substantive progress in our elections, sheparded along by our hardworking 67 independently elected Supervisors of Election who embraced new reforms that improved our election process -- new voting machines, a paper trail, a statewide electronic voting database and extended early voting. The public was just beginning to regain confidence in our election process.

Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes, Jr.

Associate Editor

Education Editor Dr. Ronald W. Holmes

Youth Editor

Delaitre J. Hollinger

Office Manager Taralisha M. Sanders

Distribution/Graphic Design

Advertising (850) 877-0105

advertising@capitaloutlook.com

Editorial and Advertising Office Phone: (850) 8770105 Fax: (850) 877-5110 Email: info@capitaloutlook. com Website: www.capitaloutlook. com Annual subscription rate: $40 Published weekly on Thursday Advertising and Information Deadline: 5 p.m. the preceding Thursday Office Hours 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

not easy.

Move to a different county?

Despite 40 years of being able to change the address at the poll and cast a regular ballot, now, legislators have determined this should no longer be allowed.

And lastly, if you might have appreciated assistance getting registered to vote from a non partisan group like the League of Women Voters, your place of faith, or even your relative, that is much harder and may not even be possible now. After 72 years of registering voters problem free in Florida, the League has placed a moratorium on voter registration outreach, while we fight these new punitive laws in court. Even an individual who wants to help register their cousin, co-worker, or godchild has to go down and register themselves as a Third

Party organization.

Are you sure you are registered? Is your voter record up to date? What can you do? The League has made it easy: Connect immediately using your new smartphone and TAG technology.

Or visit www.BeReadyToVote. org and be connected right away to your voter record and your Supervisor of Election. You’ll be ready all three election days in 2012. Democracy needs our attention.

Deirdre Macnab is the President, League of Women Voters of Florida and you can visit them at www.TheFloridaVoter. org. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FLORIDA Because Good Government Needs Informed and Active Citizens www.TheFloridaVoter.org.

Making minority business programs effective

By Harry C. Alford NNPA Columnist

Publisher/President

Unfortunately, now we see our legislative leaders passing laws that step by step take us back in time. Now we do not face civic tests, literacy tests, guessing how many bubbles are in a bar of soap and outright violence, but subtle, steady regulations and rules that will make it harder to register and to vote. Make no mistake: these changes will affect all voters.

Like to early vote? The days have been cut in half despite a remarkable surge in usage. Save money? Not hardly, Supervisors will have to pay overtime to poll workers to match longer hours.

Like to vote on the Sunday before Election Day, one of the most popular early voting days of all? Sorry, that day has been eliminated despite being one of the largest turnout days for early voting, known as “souls to the polls”, when people go after church.

Are you a college student who had to wait more than four hours to vote last time you voted? I’m afraid the lines will be long again.

Supervisors of Election made a special point of requesting more flexibility to relieve the more than four hour waits near many college campuses. No, some legislators, argued, it should be hard to vote,

“A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.” Ecclesiastes 10:19.

King Solomon never lied and the Bible is the answer to life. What he said thousands of years ago still applies today. We know how to party and make liquor and wine companies successful through our drinking. Yet, we lack money, i.e. economic empowerment. Money, good clean money, is a blessing. It buys your basic needs and guarantees a safe and prosperous future. You make that money through jobs and jobs are created by entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs eventually become wealthy even though they may struggle and fall a few times along the way. Thus, business growth is the key to prosperity for Black communities. It is that business growth that was stymied through Jim Crow and constant discrimination from our government and rival communities.

When the Civil Rights Struggle ended in victory, the damage of past discrimination was addressed. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 addresses that. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act addresses discrimination in contracting.

This is the basis for all minority business programs administered by federal agencies. The key is to get it fully enforced which has yet to happen. Corruption and

discrimination are first cousins in business. Both are engrained into the federal procurement system and are the challenges of minorities, including Black businesses.

These programs started rolling out in 1982 and, still, have yet to be fully effective. That money King Solomon was talking about has yet to find its way into our communities on a level that is fair and impartial.

These programs are clumsy at best. Because of that many mean thinking groups have challenged them saying that they are reverse discrimination. That is laughable as these programs may provide no more than seven percent of the total procurement and that is divided among every ethnic group other that white male contractors including white females who naturally get most of that seven percent. Many times they are just representing their male counterparts and are used to thwart any real minorities from getting their just amount. This is probably the biggest problem of these programs. They are in need of being corrected and providing business growth and jobs into our communities in a way that would make a noticeable difference.

Despite their anemic effectiveness, these programs have been challenged via lawsuits from white organizations such as the Associated General Contractors and ultra conservative think tanks. The United States Supreme Court has made two major decisions regarding minority contracting programs. One for local gov-

ernments and it is known as The Croson Decision. The other is for federal contracting programs and it is known as The Adarand Decision. Many minority business activists cringed at these decisions.

However, when you study them they simply explain what must be done to do it right. Both say the same thing. The agency or government entity running the contracting program must do a study to understand the full impact that discrimination, if it exists, has had on specifically which groups.

These are called Disparity Studies. Most states and large cities are doing them on a regular basis.

You do your first and then update it approximately every five years.

If you do this right, the study will show the level of discrimination for Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, etc.

The report should also address white women as they lobby to get into these programs. The fact is that white women are not discriminated in a fashion that would be identical to those ethnic groups. Studies will show this but the problem comes when you try to implement a program to offset and correct the discrimination of the past. What white women lobbyists will try to do is “lump” all the groups into one goal as opposed to separate goals for each group. When this happens white women will exploit whatever the goal is at the expense of Blacks, Hispanics and others.

This ignores what the Supreme Court has said. The programs must be narrowly tailored

to address the specific discrimination as noted in the study. The federal government has yet to do these studies. President Clinton pledged to do them for each of the ten federal regions. He stalled and never did it. President Bush did not do them and now President Obama is trying to ignore this responsibility. In 2012, we must make this a campaign issue. We want every candidate to pledge to perform Disparity Studies and address discrimination at the federal level within the first two years of the next administration. If we do this right, contracts will start flowing to our businesses like never before. Jobs will be created exponentially and the money will “answereth things.” After all, it says it in the Bible.

Mr. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®.

Website: www.nationalbcc.org.

Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.

A quiet powerhouse, Smokin’ Joe Frazier stayed out of the spotlight

By Marc H. Morial

NNPA Columnist

“Work is the only meaning I’ve ever known.

Like the man in the song says, I just gotta keep on keepin’ on.”

Joe Frazier Years ago in a Philadelphia slaughterhouse, an aspiring young boxer trained in the early mornings by punching sides of beef. He would run up and down the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.

The world associates these images with a fictional boxer, Rocky Balboa, but they were part of the fascinating life of Smokin’ Joe Frazier, who died earlier this month at the age of 67.

In many ways, the appropriation of Frazier’s early training days is emblematic of

how, even at the height of his career, he was overshadowed by the slicker, brasher media favorite, Muhammad Ali. Although their animosity defined an era of boxing, Frazier boycotted the 1967 heavyweight elimination tournament to find a successor to Ali, and he personally Frazier petitioned President Richard M. Nixon to have Ali’s license reinstated. While Ali was banned from boxing, Frazier lent him money to pay his bills.

“I’ve never fought anyone with a will so strong,” Ali would say of Frazier.

I’ve always been an Ali fan myself, but the only time I ever rooted against Frazier was when he fought Ali. Frazier, in comparison, was a man of few words, who proved himself with hard work and action in the ring.

He let his boxing speak for him.

In many ways, Frazier’s

very life, more than anything he said, defined the struggle of black America. He was selftaught and self-reliant. He rose from crushing poverty in Jim Crow-era South Carolina, one of 14 children born to struggling sharecroppers. He worked the fields from the age of 7 until he, like so many who are part of the Great Migrations of the 20th century, hopped a Greyhound bus to New York City before making his way to Philadelphia.

After he retired from boxing Joe Frazier’s Gym became an important part of the Philadelphia neighborhood. Though it’s no longer a training facility, fans and former students flocked to the building upon learning of Frazier’s death. It had been a safe haven for young people, a center of the community. In contrast to the violence and sometimes hopelessness of the streets

outside, young people learned discipline and hard work, and their lives were changed forever thanks to Smokin’ Joe. Marc Morial is the President and CEO of the National Urban League.

Joe Frazier

Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011

Education

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5

How can we dispel the myths about HIV and STDs? Ronald W. Holmes, Ph.D. Education Editor/Vice President Someone once said, “It is better to ask a stupid question than to make a stupid mistake.” Before the National Basketball Association player Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. announced in 1991 that he had contracted the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), there appeared to be a lot of misconceptions on who could contract HIV. During this time, Johnson’s teammates and opponents even voiced their concerns about being at risk of contracting HIV if Johnson suffered an open wound while on the basketball court. This, coupled with the misinformation of HIV, forced Magic Johnson to retire.

So, the questions to be asked are: How can we dispel the myths about HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)? What are the statistics regarding HIV and STDs? Who are the victims? What are appropriate methods for prevention? Are there any programs to raise the awareness of HIV and STDs in the African-American community? What advice does Dr. Stephanie D. Sweet give to students regarding HIV and STDs? During the recent Na-

tional Save the Family Now Movement Inc. and National Newspapers Publishers Association Conference in Orlando, I interviewed Dr. Stephanie D. Sweet, an obstetrics and gynecology physician for the Renaissance Women’s Center in Nashville, Tenn. to gain responses to these questions. Sweet is an advocate for education and families in the African-American community and says that the most effective ways to dispel the myths about HIV and STDs are through conversation, compassion and consideration. Conversation brings accurate information to those who are concerned about the diseases, as well as produces fears and social mores the community has to the surface to better assess where misinformation lies.

Compassion is essential because individuals who become infected with HIV and STDs can be more devastated than individuals who have not become infected with the diseases. Compassion is an important tool in healing individuals, as well as those that are in their families and social circles.

Consideration is paramount for everyone in the AfricanAmerican families. It plays a vital role in supplanting the myths through education, says Sweet.

Ronald W. Holmes, Ph.D. U.S. statistics show that HIV and other STDs such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhea have the highest prevalence in the African-American community.

Sweet says that over 60 percent of all new cases of HIV are in African-American women; however, the highest prevalence of HIV in the U.S. is in AfricanAmerican men who have sex with other men.

Sweet cautions that our community has to realize that no person is exempt from HIV and STDs. This includes children, women, men, grandmothers and grandfathers, the homeless, the mentally ill and those with decreased access to medical care. In fact, she says that everyone in the affected person’s circle is impacted by the illness.

While anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is used often to keep the immune system stronger for an extended period of time and, subsequently, save or improve

the lives of individuals who have contracted HIV, Sweets says that abstinence is the only true preventive technique. The other alternative is for partners who have sex with only one another and never have additional partners before or after they initiate intercourse.

Condoms can be helpful in the prevention of the transmission of bodily fluids and, therefore, some STDs. However, it will not protect individuals from many skin related transfers like human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes simplex virus, molluscum contagiosum and syphilis, says Sweet.

Because of the HIV and STD epidemic, in 2004 Sweet developed a program called “SEXPOSURE” to raise the awareness in the African-American community about the prevalence of the diseases along with prevention strategies. Sweet says that she used current events, music and culturally sensitive methods to capture the attention of various audiences ranging from church groups to the National Football League.

Sweet’s advice for students regarding HIV and STDs is that they think and wait. She says that they should think about the life they are planning for themselves and how contracting STDs, which sometimes may not be curable, will

impact them. Quite a few of the STDs that women contract can be cured but also can damage their bodies permanently leading to pain, infertility and emotional and psychological consequences. Waiting gives students the opportunity to determine if the person they are enamored with will remain consistent in their walk and talk and become deserving of their trust, says Sweet.

Entertainers have a way of bringing attention to societal issues in our world. This was evident in Magic Johnson’s announcement of contracting HIV, causing a scare in the sporting leagues and the world at large. With accurate information about HIV and STDs, our people can learn provocative ways to prevent these diseases rather than encounter medical, physical and emotional

repercussion to themselves and loved ones. When in doubt about something that can impact your livelihood, you should simply ask the question to avoid a “stupid mistake.”

As we improve our educational awareness of sexually transmitted diseases, we commend Dr. Stephanie Sweet for her expertise and commitment to addressing the seriousness of HIV and STDs in the African-American community.

Dr. Ronald W. Holmes is the author of Education Questions to be Answered.

He is the National Superintendent of Education for the National Save the Family Now Movement, Inc., a former teacher, school administrator, and district superintendent and can be reached at rwholmes@capitaloutlook.com.

Dr. Stephanie D. Sweet

FAU and FAMU partner to establish Medical Honors Program

FAU President Mary Jane Saunders shakes hands with FAMU President James H. Ammons after signing an affiliation agreement to establish the Medical Honors Program.

Special to the Outlook The Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University has partnered with the Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee to establish a firstof-its-kind Medical Honors Program (MHP) between the two institutions. FAU and FAMU have signed an affiliation agreement to formally establish the MHP with the overall goal of attracting and enrolling outstanding high school seniors who have made an early and informed deci-

sion to ultimately pursue a doctoral degree in the field of medicine. The primary goal of this program is to admit academically talented high school students to the MHP at FAMU, with a conditional acceptance to FAU’s College of Medicine. The students will have to successfully complete the MHP and satisfy the requirements of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) and FAU’s College

of Medicine.

“We are very pleased to be working jointly with FAMU on the Medical Honors Program, which is distinguished by the strength of both our institutions,” said FAU President Mary Jane Saunders. “We will be able to offer aspiring doctors who excel academically with a competitive program that ensures a seamless route from undergraduate study to medical school.”

The MHP is a fouryear curriculum, which will focus on professionalism, ethics, problem-based

learning and inter-professional (team building, communication and leadership skills) education. MHP students will also be required to fulfill non-classroom extracurricular requirements such as clinical education, physician shadowing, working with patients in a hospital, clinic or physician’s office and participating in health related community service. The program is designed to enable students to gain an understanding of the intellectual, emotional and physical demands incumbent upon medical students, and to train socially conscious and humane physicians.

“Florida A&M University is excited to join forces with Florida Atlantic University in this endeavor,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “The Medical Honors Program reinforces the commitment of both universities to identify and engage in strategies to meet the health needs of underserved populations.

Through this program, the citizens of Florida will benefit as well as the MHP students.”

To be eligible for the MHP at FAU/FAMU, applicants must have an unweighted high school average of at least 3.50, an SAT 1 composite minimum

score of 1100 and must be in their last year of high school at the time of application. Up to10 total FAMU students will be admitted each year beginning in fall 2012. A MHP committee jointly composed of faculty from FAU and FAMU has been established to oversee the administration and admissions of this cooperative and integrated program.

“Educating and training underrepresented students who are outstanding academically is critical to helping address our physician shortage in Florida and the U.S., and ultimately providing first-rate medical care among our underserved populations,” said Julie C. Servoss, M.D., M.P.H., assistant dean of diversity, cultural and student affairs in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and chair of the MHP committee.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2008, the total number of AfricanAmerican physicians in the U.S. was 33,781 or 3.5 percent of the total physician population. Hispanic physicians in the U.S. totaled 46,507 or 4.9 percent of the total physician population.

One of America’s newest medical schools, the Charles E. Schmidt College

of Medicine at FAU welcomed its inaugural class of 64 students in August.

The College has developed a new and innovative curriculum, which features early and continuous community-based clinical experiences and problembased learning with emphasis on small-group and self-directed learning. The curriculum includes a student-centered and patientfocused approach and clinical experiences with local physicians, health departments and hospitals, and a state-of-the-art simulation center. A key component of the innovative curriculum is early exposure to patients and the actual practice of medicine. To that end, the college has established relationships with several prominent area hospitals that are serving as sites for clerkships, hospital-based electives and residencies.

During clinical trainings, students have the opportunity to work side-by-side with physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, applying knowledge learned from the first two years of study to real-life situations.

Students give $100,000 to Garnet and Gold Scholar Society Special to the Outlook The Florida State University Student Foundation made a $100,000 donation in support of the university’s Garnet and Gold Scholar Society during Parents’ Weekend on Oct. 28.

President Eric J. Barron received a ceremonial check from Student Foundation Chairman David Ward in Moore Auditorium on the Florida State campus.

“This (contribution) is an excellent example of the outstanding students we have at Florida State University,” Barron said.

“They really care about giving back to their university to make it the

best it can be.”

The money primarily will be used to help fund the operation of the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society, which was established in 2010 to recognize students who have excelled in at least three out of five areas: leadership, internship, service, international experience and research.

The donation also will provide for society scholarships to deserving students and continue the mission of Protect Our Professors, a student-led effort to financially support Florida State faculty members, especially in the area of travel grants.

“Presenting the check to Dr. Barron on

Parents’ Weekend was something that we felt very strongly about,” said Ward, a senior majoring in creative writing. “It was an opportunity to show Florida State as a unified institution where staff and students alike work to improve our university, even in the tumultuous economic times we’re experiencing.”

The Student Foundation raised a large portion of the money from both undergraduate and graduate students, who can choose to contribute $10 each to the organization as they register for classes.

The rest of the money came from a private donor.

Florida State President Eric J. Barron, left, and Student Foundation Chairman David Ward hold a ceremonial $100,000 check that will go to the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society.

6

Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011 Religion Devotional –– “The Greatness of Joy”

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certainly has changed mine!! Keep this thought in mind as I move on.

“The Joy of Suffering”

By Deacon Bernard Edwards “Suffering for Being a Christian” 1 Peter 4:12 –19 Question: Can one word or name provide enlightened meaning to a word, sentence or life?

My answer is a resounding, “YES!” if that Word is Jesus!

Proof: Let’s add JESUS at the beginning of our title.

It would read: Jesus, The Joy of (My) Suffering!

Has this Word/Name changed your life?

It

“The Joy of Suffering” (A Personal Testimony) My Beginning In my early years I did not feel the, “Joy of (my) Suffering!”And, that which I did not “feel,” I did not acknowledge.

From my early years of life and through high school, college, marriage and fatherhood, I believed hard times and sickness were ordinary and temporary events that I could and would overcome on my own. These were, I thought, routine inconveniences.

You see I thought that I was on my way from the Public Housing Projects to the House in the Suburbs.

I was “moving on up,” like the TV character, George Jefferson.

My parents were Christians; they believed that GOD was the Creator and Father of all things

that have ever been made, and, that Jesus Christ was their Savior and the Son of God. Dad was a church deacon and said to me that he believed that I would become a church deacon one day. I was not impressed with his observation because I had other ideas about my life.

Discernment My upbringing was not the reason why I did not “feel” the “Joy of Suffering.” The reason was that I had not yet acknowledged the Savior, Jesus Christ, as the source of my joy. I had not, as yet, invited Jesus into my life “What a wonderful change that came over me.” Since the moment of my submission to His will and His way, I realized Jesus was there all the time, patiently waiting for me to invite Him to be the JOY of my life.

The Revelation

This, I became to realize was the fulfillment of His word as recorded in Revelation 3:19-21.

I had read these and other Bible passages before and had even quoted Bible passages in defense of some of my worldly actions. Again, God could have/ should have taken my life, but, instead He granted me His grace and His mercy. For we know that my actions were sinful and blasphemous. Scripture teaches us that we should not take the Lord’s word in vain.

The Transformation For the past forty years or more, having surrendered my life to Jesus, I know that my Redeemer covers my joy in the same manner that He covers my sins, wholly and completely.

Since I acknowledge and, more importantly, worship Jesus as the source of the “Joy of (my) Suffering,” I not only have the “Joy

of Suffering,” I have joy DURING or WHILE I AM IN, MY SUFFERING!!

AND, even on my way to a suffering situation, Hallelujah!!

(Romans 12:1-3) Rejoice in the Lord!

Now I can smile during my trials, I can rest during my tests, I can feel the gain in my pain, I know that His peace will never cease, and, like Job I can say, “though He may slay me, yet will I trust in Him:” (Job 13:15), or, like Paul, “so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” see Philippians 1:2021.

The Life of Jesus as recorded in the Holy Bible has prepared all believers to have the “Joy of Sufferings.”

The Command Just to know that Christ suffered all for us

is reason enough for the believer to have His joy, and, it’s the charge we must keep, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Amen” Matthew 28:18-20.

“Know Jesus, Have Joy! No Jesus, No Joy.” “This Joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me.

The world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away.”

“Christ came that we might have joy, and, that our joy might be full” John 15:11.

“The Joy of Suffering” Praise the Lord!

Thanksgiving pardon

By Jennifer Benson Schuldt Special to the Outlook

Each year at the end of November, the -president of the United States issues an official pardon for the National Thanksgiving Turkey.

During this lighthearted ceremony, one president remarked: “Our guest of honor looks a little nervous. Nobody’s told him yet that I’m going to give him a pardon.” The poor turkey had a good reason

to be uneasy—without an acquittal, he was doomed to be Thanksgiving dinner.

We are in a similar situation when it comes to our sin. Without God’s pardon, we’re on our way to certain demise. This condition is a direct result of our own wrongdoing.

The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). However, we

can be set free from this death sentence because God’s Son bore our sin in His body on the cross, “that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). First John 1:7 tells us that Jesus’ blood “cleanses us from all sin.”

We can accept God’s pardon for our sin and

receive eternal life when we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9).

Today, consider how you will respond to God’s offer of forgiveness.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow— Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

— Chisholm Through faith in Christ, we receive God’s pardon and escape sin’s penalty.

A gift undeserved

By Pastor Darius Wise Special to the Outlook

Can you ever recall a time where you received something from someone that you neither deserved nor earned? Have you ever been in a position where you looked back and marveled at how you made it through a major obstacle you faced? Maybe you’ve achieved or accomplished something that was bigger than you?

Like me, I’m sure you have a number of things that come to mind when you think about these questions. For this reason, I want to highlight the topic of GRACE. Not just the word itself, but also focusing in on the “gift” of God’s grace.

Sadly, the word grace has become somewhat of a

cliché in most Christian circles. Synonymous to the usage of the word “blessed,” grace has become a term we casually use, which in essence diminishes its power. For a moment allow me to unpack one of the most powerful words ever.

Ephesians 2:5 reads, “By Grace you have been saved.” It is by grace that God exercises His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, and increases them in Christian faith, knowledge and awakens them to the practice of Godly values. Grace is the

good will, favor, loving and merciful kindness of God that literally saves us from the pit of hell and the snare of the devil. So let’s not make light of this incredible gift. Grace is also like a two-sided coin, because just as much as it saves us from… it empowers us too!

So what exactly does grace empower us to do?

Prosper. Yep, you got it.

God’s grace enables us to prosper, win and succeed!

Paul knew it firsthand and said it this way: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I

labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1Cor 15:10).” Although Paul got a late start and didn’t have the same discipleship training as did the other Apostles, he traveled further and wrote more scripture than all of them.

Yet Paul attributed all of his success to the grace of God. I’m not sure where you are in life, but I do know that if you are willing to receive the gift of God’s grace, then it will change you forever. He’s done it for me and if you’re willing, He’ll do the same for

you.

Scripture Of The Day: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was

not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” - 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJ)

Reverend Dr. R. B. Holmes , Jr.

“The Christ Centered Church With a Program of Prayer and Progress ”

www.capitaloutlook.com 7 Health The rise of HIV/AIDS in the southeast

Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011

By Ashley Hogans

Outlook Staff Writer

With Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases on the rise in the south and northeastern regions of America among the African-American community, Meharry Medical College partnered with Region 2 of the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the National Save the Family Now Movement Inc., to raise awareness.

The Southeast Region 2 Publishers’ HIV/AIDS Awareness Conference was held Nov. 17 at the Orlando Sheraton Hotel to inform college students, advisors and the Black Press about the disease’s increase on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). During the conference there were workshops and awareness advocates informing individuals on this growing epidemic that’s affecting communities of color.

Saadia Coleman, an HIV/AIDS awareness advocate and educator with Boston. public schools, lost

her sister SaaNina to the disease. Coleman has used her personal experience with the death of her sister to educate young adults on living healthy lifestyles to prevent spreading HIV/ AIDS. “One of the messages we need to get across is that we need to start educating our young people and the lack of education and with the lack of understanding – they are actually going to be the one’s saying ‘momma I’m sick or dad I’m sick,’ ” Coleman said.

“I think the school system does not want to provide information to our young black and Hispanic children because they think it’s your problem, but in reality it’s the world’s problem.”

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) there are more than 50,000 new HIV/AIDS cases each year in the United States and reports show 20 percent of individuals are unaware that they are living with the disease.

HIV/AIDS is a disease affecting the human immune system which scientist say was transferred from chimpanzees to humans, known as zoonosis.

Experts such as Donald J. Alcendor, Ph.D, assistant professor for the division of Microbial & Immunology at Meharry Medical College, said more than 3344 million people are living with HIV worldwide.

“The virus comes in different forms,” said Alcendor. “If HIV didn’t change or have a high mutation rate then we would’ve done away with HIV a long time ago. The virus has found an evolutionary way to perpetuate itself over time in an affected individual. Our effort at Meharry is to develop a treatment status for this disease.”

During the conference, experts informed individuals on various ways the virus is transmitted: through unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person; transfusion of infected blood or blood products; infected mother to her baby during pregnancy, birth process and through breast feeding; and the use of infected needles and instruments without sterilization or sharing of needles and syringes.

According to the CDC, in 2009, black men who have sex with men (MSM)

accounted for 73 percent of new infections among all black men, and 37 percent among all MSM. During the conference the experts revealed black women represented 30 percent of the estimated new HIV infections and 85 percent of black women receive the disease through heterosexual sex.

Dr. Stephanie Sweet, who works closely with women with HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, explained that some individuals believe they are invincible when it comes to obtaining the deadly disease.

“Well I believe the most common reason why we are having difficulty in our community is because we are ignoring the message,” said Sweet, physician for the Renaissance Women’s Center in Nashville, Tenn. “There have been people who felt like it’s a conspiracy and that’s what lead to it, or they think it doesn’t involve them and they ignore the message.”

Ashley Hogans can be contacted at ahogans@ capitaloutlook.com.

Photo by ASHLEY HOGANS

Dr. Stephanie D. Sweet explained that many people believe they are immune to contracting the disease.

Photo by ASHLEY HOGANS

Student participants demonstrated the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS through skit.

Turkey FUNdamentals: Deep fat frying a Turkey

By Diane Van Special to the Outlook

hands, utensils, and surfaces clean.

Are you curious about deep frying a turkey? I know you are! You’ve heard all the talk about how tasty they are; tender and juicy yet crispy on the outside. You’ve seen the turkey fryers and giant jugs of peanut oil. But you’re a little nervous. That’s a lot of hot oil! USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service has these tips to help you safely prepare a deep fat fried turkey.

Cooking: Caution! Hot Oil! Deep fat frying a turkey must be done OUT OUTSIDE! Select a safe, flat outdoor location that is well-lit, well-ventilated and away from trees, shrubbery and buildings.

Heat the cooking oil to 350°F. Before lowering the turkey into the oil, turn the burner off. Do not just dunk the turkey in the oil. To avoid the oil bubbling over, gradually lower the turkey into the hot oil, pull it back out, and repeat until it is fully immersed. Turn the burner back on and bring the oil back to 350°F. Monitor the temperature of the oil with a thermometer constantly during cooking. Never leave the hot oil unattended! Allow about three to five minutes per pound cooking time.

Planning: Tips for Purchasing a Turkey Before you purchase your turkey, check the instructions for your turkey fryer. Most fryers will accommodate a 12-16 lb. turkey. A larger turkey will not fit in the fryer and will take too long to cook. Don’t stuff a turkey that you’re going to fry!

Before you unwrap the turkey, take a minute to determine the amount of oil needed. Place the turkey in the fryer and add enough water to cover it. Do not

fill the pot more than ¾ full; the oil level should be three inches to five inches from the top of the fryer.

The turkey should be covered by about one to two inches. Remove the turkey and measure the amount of water – that’s how much oil you’ll need. Drain or pour out the water and dry the pot thoroughly.

Preparation: Check Your Food Safety Steps Now for the turkey. As with all food preparation, remember to check your steps (clean, separate, cook and chill). As you prepare the bird, separate the raw turkey from fresh foods on your menu, and use sepa-

rate cutting boards, plates, and utensils to avoid cross contamination.

If your turkey is frozen, make sure to thaw it before frying. You can thaw it in the refrigerator. It takes about 24 hours for every four to five pounds. Keep it refrigerated until about 30 minutes before cooking.

If you choose to marinade or to inject a flavor into the turkey, allow it to stand in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before cooking. And always keep

When the time is up, turn the burner off, and slowly lift the turkey out of the oil.

Hold it over the fryer so the oil can drain. Check the temperature of the turkey with a food thermometer.

The turkey is safely cooked when the food thermometer reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165°F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

Enjoy Your Meal Cover the bird with foil and let it rest about 20 minutes before carving. Af After serving, refrigerate the leftovers within two hours in shallow containers. Refrigerate and use turkey leftovers for three to four days or freeze for three to four months.

Don’t forget about the oil! Once the turkey is out, remove the pot from the burner and move to a flat, safe place and allow the oil

to cool, covered, overnight.

Once the oil has cooled you can strain out the solids and use it again. Store in a cool, dry place for up to six months.

If you have more questions call the Meat & Poultry Hotline.

Call us toll-free at 1-888674-6854. (Our usual hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Time.) The Hotline will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Thanksgiving Day. You can also ask a question in English or Spanish at AskKaren.gov, available 24 hours a day Diane Van is the Food Safety Education Staff Deputy Director, with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

American Diabetes Association launches mobile website for on-the-go diabetes information Special to the Outlook The American Diabetes Association is proud to announce the launch of its new mobile website to help people more easily obtain the latest news and information about diabetes via their web-enabled mobile devices. From research to recipes, the mobile site features a streamlined design with larger buttons and graphics and an increased font size, thereby minimizing the need for zooming and side-scrolling and optimizing the browsing experience for smartphone users.

“The Association wanted to appeal to its growing number of constituents who use mobile devices to access our content and connect with the diabetes community,” said Mike Bolino, managing director of Digital Marketing, American Diabetes Association. “Increasingly, people

want and expect to have information at their fingertips – and we are doing everything we can to keep up with that trend.”

The mobile site’s toplevel navigation mimics that of the traditional website’s while also providing quick access to some of the Association’s most popular and useful web content and features. For those who are just starting their journey with diabetes, there are the “Recently Diagnosed,” “What Can I Eat?” and “Community” sections.

Those interested in type 2 prevention can take the Diabetes Risk Test. And people interested in signing up for a local Step Out or

Tour de Cure event can do so with the click of a button or a swipe of their touchscreen.

According to Nielsen, approximately 40 percent of adult mobile users in the United States own smartphones, such as Androids, iPhones and Blackberrys, and therefore stand to benefit from specially designed mobile sites.

The site is just one more way the American Diabetes Association seeks to provide its constituents with information and support at their fingertips. In recent months, the Association has launched two other web-based resources, Diabetes 24/7 and MyFoo-

dAdvisor®: Recipes for Healthy Living, the latter of which has garnered more than 10,000 subscribers since its October 2011 debut.

The American Diabetes Association’s mobile site may be accessed directly at http://m.diabetes. org. Users who visit http:// www.diabetes.org from their mobile phones will be automatically routed to the mobile site.

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to stop diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those af affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to pre-

vent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-

342-2383) or visit www. diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

8

www.capitaloutlook.com

Community News

Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011

Sickle Cell 2011 Special to the Outlook The Sickle Cell Foundation Inc. of Tallahassee held its 30th 5K Run/Walk for Sickle Cell Anemia on Sept. 10 at Jake Gaither Recreation

Center. Community organizations supported the event, which benefitted sickle cell clients, by volunteering and/or participating in the event. Jeff Rollins directed the race.

FAMU’s softball team joined the cause.

Members of the Sigma Beta Club of Phi Beta Sigma

Members of the National Association of University Women Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Where: Doubletree Hotel 101 S. Adams St. For more information visit www.capitalcityaidsnetwok.org Capital City WORLD AIDS Day Kickoff When: Nov. 30

The “Calendar Girl 2012” Program Drawing will be

held on: Dec. 3 Fundraiser event sponsored by the Chi Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., in partnership with The Ivy Connection, Inc. For more information email dwmscox@gmail.com

Ronald W. Holmes, Ph.D.: EDUCATION QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED In a time of an uncertain economy, this book provides solutions for improving America’s schools through federal funding, programs, services, community partnerships, accreditation and leadership standards. The book can be very helpful to school stakeholders such as parents, teachers, principals and district administrators since the topics focus on the K-12 environments. With a plethora of references to support numerous suggestions, discrepancies and issues, this book can be useful to graduate students, professors, researchers, university administrators and education state agencies. While America’s schools are faced with numerous challenges in today’s society such as the lack of family stability and parental involvement, this book also provides a roadmap for successful and struggling schools in the U.S.

MAACA 2nd Annual World Aids Day Peer Navigator Program Training 2011 When: Dec. 7 & 8 Registration: 8:30 a.m.

Training: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

For more information visit

www.capitalcityaidsnetwok.org The Tree House of Tallahassee, Inc.’s “6th Annual Southern Sampler” When: Feb. 25 Where: The Farm (Across

from Maclay School) Time: 5:30 p.m.

The Tree House is a local 24 hour emergency shelter for the abused and neglected children of our area.

Website: http://www.treehouseflorida.org/events. aspx

Want to Know More About Prayer and its Power?

Need Someone to Pray for You or a Loved One? Have a Praise Report?

Tune into WTAL 1450AM Every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. For CALL

850-671-1450

For Prayer Requests and Praise Reports CALL

850-877-0105

To order a copy of EDUCATION QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED, visit: http://www.authorhouse.com or call 1-888-280-7715, Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble (bn.com).

For Sponsorship Opportunities

Hosted By Rev. Dr. Frank McDonald

AT&T Family Legacy Awards Banquet

By Ashley Hogans Outlook Staff Writer

Many individuals gathered during a special dinner to salute families and marriages, community leaders and the presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The AT&T Family Legacy Awards Banquet took place on Nov. 17 during the Southeast Region 2 Publishers’ HIV AIDS Awareness Conference in Orlando.

More than 25 married couples were honored by the National Save the Family Now Movement Inc. The organization is structured to strengthen, save and sustain black families and all families in general.

Calvin Perry, who was honored during the banquet, has been married for 46 years to his wife Beatrice

Perry.

“The key point to staying married is having a good spouse,” Perry said.

“You have to have someone who is going to work with you. You also need someone who has the same values as you do. That is what my wife has, and that’s probably why we have been married for so long.”

During the banquet the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Region Two President Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., publisher of Capital Outlook Newspaper, presented four scholarships to the following institutions; Bethune Cookman University (B-CU), Florida A&M University (FAMU), Florida Memorial University(FMU) and Edward Waters College (EWC).

The National Save the Family Now Movement

Inc., and Live Communications awarded B-CU and FAMU with $2,500 each and EWC and FMU received $10,000 each. Nathaniel Glover, president of EWC, said the institution will really benefit from this contribution.

“We have $10,000 and in my institution this will keep five young people in school that may very well need a couple thousand dollars to finish out their tuition to stay in school, so this will be a great help,” Glover said.

During the event, keynote speaker, the Rev. Ken Bevel, pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church from Albany, Ga., spoke on the importance of family and marriage. Bevel gave an inspirational message on being a great example for your children and having the tools to be a great dad.

Although Bevel’s father struggled with alcohol and drugs, he has forgiven his father and tries to be the best dad to his children.

“I love my dad but when certain circumstances started to take over his life it became debilitating to not only himself but the family,” Bevel said. “I saw the structure of our family break down and that hurt me as a young man. So, seeing my dad go through that and now living my own life for my children I want to be the man that God calls me to be for my family. I want to be the dad, the husband, the supportive person that tells them ‘I love them and I support them and that I am encouraging them.’ ”

Photo by RICHARD A. MOORE

Rev. Ken Bevel was keynote speaker for the banquet.

Ashley Hogans can be contacted at ahogans@ capitaloutlook.com.

Calvin and Beatrice Perry

Photo by RICHARD A. MOORE

Photo by RICHARD A. MOORE

(left to right) National Save the Family Now Movement Founder/President Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., FMU President Henry Lewis, Vice President of Regulatory Relations for AT&T Jerry Hendrix and Edward Waters College President Nathaniel Glover Jr.

Photo by RICHARD A. MOORE

Dr. Marvin and Gloria Henderson

Capital Outlook

Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011

www.capitaloutlook.com

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10 www.capitaloutlook.com CLASSIFIEDS

Employment

LEON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS JOB OPENINGS THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS ARE “Open Until Filled” GIS Database Analyst Application Development Analyst (Applications & Database) THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS ARE “OPEN CONTINUOUSLY” Paramedic (PRN) EMT (PRN) For additional information on these positions and other

Classifieds/Sports

Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2011

B-CU outlasts FAMU in MEAC clash

job openings: • Go to www.leoncountyfl. gov/HR/jobs/joblist.asp • Call our Job Line at (850) 606-2403 • Watch Comcast Channel 16 (Tuesdays 9am-12am) • Visit Human Resources, 315 South Calhoun Street, 5th Floor, Suite #502 An Equal Opportunity Employer

Legal Notice Fictitious Name Notice: Leonia Maresh and Leonard Helfand desire to engage in business under the name of: A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION at 2731 Blairstone Rd #173 Tallahassee, Fl 32301 in Leon County, Florida and intend to register the name with the Div. of Corp. of the Fl Dept of State. Dated this 21 day of November, 2011 PUBLICATION: November 24, 2011

Photo by FLORIDA A&M SPORTS INFORMATION

Famu’s John Ojo and Anthony Shutt tackle B-CU running back Anthony Jordan.

By Paul Douglas

Outlook Contributor

Anthony Jordan’s two rushing touchdowns and Bethune-Cookman University’s (B-CU) stellar defense helped the Wildcats defeat Florida A&M University (FAMU) 26-16 on Nov. 19. The victory snapped B-CU’s threegame losing streak against their arch-rival in the 32nd annual Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida Classic. The loss diminished FAMU’s hopes of getting into the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs.

FAMU head coach Joe Taylor said that turnovers plagued his team the entire afternoon.

“You can’t turn the ball over to anybody, especially to a good team,” Taylor said. “The better team won today, but our future is bright.”

The Rattlers jumped to an early lead in the first quarter on a 19-yard field goal by kicker Trevor Scott.

It came after a blocked punt on B-CU’s 9-yard line. The Wildcats would answer with a 4-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Anthony Jordan.

B-CU would extend its lead to 10-3 at the half with a 33-yard field goal by kicker Sven Hurd.

During the second half, the Rattlers were overwhelmed by costly penalties and turnovers.

FAMU committed five turnovers and gave a safety, after freshman quarterback Damien Fleming fumbled in the end zone late in the final quarter.

The Rattlers were flagged seven times during the game for a total of 85 yards. Despite three interceptions, Fleming completed 21 of his 38 passes for 287 yards and two touch-

downs. Taylor said that Saturday’s lost will be a learning experience for his young signal caller.

“This really wasn’t his best night,” Taylor said of Fleming. “I don’t know if the stage was too big, but he’ll learn from that.”

The Wildcats capitalized off FAMU’s miscues, scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns in the second half. B-CU’s running back trio of Isidore Jackson, Anthony Jordan and Johnathan Moment compiled 184 yards on the ground collectively. B-CU’s defense came up big down the stretch, holding FAMU to only 58 yards rushing.

Jackson, the game MVP, said that he’s proud of his team’s competitiveness and resiliency.

“This feels real good actually,” Jackson said.

“We’re a good football team and we play up to our competition.”

With 12:37 remaining in the third quarter, B-CU began to pull away after Moment broke for a 43-yard run to increase the lead to 17-3. Anthony Jordan’s second touchdown of the afternoon came with 5:33 left in the third quarter to put B-CU ahead 24-10.

FAMU rallied late on an 85-yard drive, capped by a 6-yard touchdown reception by freshman wide receiver Dewayne Harvey with 13 seconds remaining in the contest. Down by 10-points, FAMU attempted a two-point conversion and failed, which sealed the win for the Wildcats in their season finale.

The Rattlers finished the season with a 7-4 overall record and 5-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while the Wildcats finished 8-3 and 6-2 in conference play. B-CU finished second in the MEAC, sharing honors with South Carolina State.

B-CU’s head coach Brian Jenkins said that his team’s overall record should secure an at-large bid into the FCS playoffs.

“I’m hopeful that people take notice and do the right thing and put us in the playoffs,” Jenkins said. “Not only should we get (an invite), we belong.

I’ve got to say this: If this team is overlooked, and they pick another team with a lesser record, that will be catastrophic to me.”

FAMU family mourns death of a student drum major

Robert Champion Special to the Outlook The Florida A&M University (FAMU) family is mourning the death of Robert Champion, one of the drum majors in FAMU Marching “100,” who passed away on Nov. 19.

According to Ginette Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, “after the game, the band returned to the Rosen Plaza Hotel (9700 International Drive) and the victim reportedly threw up in the parking lot

and started complaining of not being able to breathe.

Friends of the victim called 911 and administered CPR. The victim was transported to Doctor Phillips Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. This is an ongoing investigation. There is no sign of foul play at this time.”

“We are deeply saddened by this loss,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “Our hearts and our prayers go out to Mr. Champion’s family. This is a major loss for our student body, the Marching “100” and the university.”

Champion, a music major from Atlanta, served as one of six drum majors for the 375-member Marching “100” band who traveled to Orlando this weekend for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Classic. A drum major since spring 2010, Champion had

performed in the Classic’s half-time show earlier in the day.

“We are in shock,” said FAMU Band Director Julian White. “He was a very fine drum major who was of excellent character and very trustworthy. I had not told him yet, but he was slated to be the head drum major next year.”

White met with band members early Sunday morning to inform them of Champion’s death. The university is preparing to provide grief counseling for band members and other students through the University Counseling Center.