The Westside Gazette

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THURSDA THURSDAYY, OCTOBER 20 - WEDNESDA WEDNESDAYY, OCTOBER 26, 2016

Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton:

To all politicians: politics include Black business, too

The exclusive no non-sense interview with Congressman Elijah Cummings

After a tasty meal at Lorna’s Caribbean and American Restaurant in Miami Gardens, FL, Congressman Elijah Cummings shares a few critical thoughts about the upcoming election and the need for young voters’ participation.

Photos and story submitted by Generation Next

What message are we sending to our children if we do not exercise our right to vote?

What principles are we demonstrating if we refuse to vote because we have reservations about both majorparty candidates?

What legacy are we leaving for our community if we allow Donald Trump into office?

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings answered these questions during a recent sit down interview exclusively with Broderick, Arriale and Byler Henry, members of the Westside Gazette GenerationNext Team.

“Our children are the living messages that we send to a future we will never see,” said Congressman Cummings. Our duty is to prepare our children, those that are our blood and those that are not, for what is to come in the future. Also, it is important to educate them on what has taken place in the past so that it is not repeated.

(Cont'd on Page 10)

Police chief group issues apology to minorities Police and minority communities must forge a path to move beyond history, the group says

By Darran Simon, CNN (CNN)The head of a major international law enforcement organization on Monday apologized for “the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color.”

International Association of Chiefs of Police President, Terrence M. Cunningham, struck a conciliatory tone, acknowledging the deepseated, generational mistrust between minorities and the police.

Cunningham, speaking at a meeting of the group in San Diego, said law enforcement’s history is “replete with

examples of bravery, selfsacrifice and service to the community.”

But Cunningham said at the same, “the history of policing has had darker periods.”

“There have been times when law enforcement officers because of the laws enacted by federal, state and local governments have been the face of oppression to far too many of our fellow citizens.

In the past, the laws adopted by our society have required police officers to perform many unpalatable tasks, such as ensuring legalized discrimination or even denying the basic rights of citizenship to many of our fellow Americans,” Cunningham said.

(Cont'd on Page 10)

Terrence M. Cunningham, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Chief of the Wellesley, Mass., police. On Monday he offered an apology for historic mistreatment of minorities by police.

(IACP)

Hillary Clinton should not endure another debate with Donald Trump

By Dr. Barbara Reynolds (TriceEdneyWire.com) Hillary Clinton should not

endure another debate with Donald Trump.

He has already shown him-

Pleading Our Own Cause

self as bigoted against immigrants, Mexicans, Muslims, Blacks, and prisoners of War,

WWW.

such a U.S. Senator John McCain.

He is also a man who calls women “pigs” and gloats over his deftness at grabbing their private parts.

This may be a titillating resume for a reality TV star, but certainly not for the president of the most powerful nation on the planet.

This entire year instead of being inspired as I watched the election debates, I have felt that the American public, politicians and the press have been dragged down into the depths of a dark, dank sewer with the manhole slammed shut.

(Cont'd on Page 10)

36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

Matthew 5:36-38 (NASB)

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr. Using the most rudimental definition of the word politics would mean the doings of the administration, members of law-making groups, or people who try to sway the way a nation is ruled. The purpose of politics is to govern, to make policy and to enforce legislations.

I’m no molecular biochemist. However, I would bet you a million to one that in its most uncomplicated state, this process includes the benefit of ALL people.

If we can agree to that meaning, then let’s move one step closer to a better understanding to how this thing called politics is to benefit all the citizens of a populace.

(Cont'd on Page 10)

Why we need Florence Taylor Barner for Broward County Court Judge Group 3

By Staff writer Florence Taylor Barner has worked as an attorney in Broward County for over ten years, and is now running for County Court Judge in Group 3. Although she came in first place in the August primary, she fell short of the required “over 50%” needed to secure the seat, so she is now in a runoff.

Florence was born and raised here in South Florida.

Florence lives in Pompano Beach with her husband, Bill Barner, a local criminal defense and immigration attorney with an office in Sunrise. The Barners have two children, one dog, and two very impressive careers.

Florence’s accomplishments speak for themselves: Top 40 Under 40: Nat’l Black Lawyers; Rated AV Preeminent: Martindale-Hubbell, Rated AV Preeminent: Martindale-Hubbell Judicial Edition; Top 20 Under 40 Professionals: Haitian Chamber of Commerce; Top Rated Lawyers: South Florida’s Legal Leaders [as published in The Miami Herald], America’s Most Honored Professionals 2016… and the list goes on.

PREP CAMPAIGN TARGETS BLACK WOMEN IN WASHINGTON, D.C. -- New PrEP campaign targets Black women.

(Read full story on Page 10)

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(954) 525-1489

BARNER Similarly, her list of endorsements is as endless as a handkerchief being pulled from a magician’s mouth: Broward Sun-Sentinel, The Westside Gazette, Le Nationale, Police Benevolent Assn., Broward Counsel of Professional Firefighters, Fraternal Order of Police, The Puerto Rican and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, local community leaders such as Eugene Pettis, activists, mayors, commissioners… and the list goes on.

(Cont'd on Page 2)

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MEMBER: National Newspaper Publishers Association ( NNPA), and Southeastern African-American Publishers Association (SAAPA) Florida Association of Black Owned Media (FABOM)

www.thewestsidegazette.com Westside Gazette “It was never about the money or the power”: Abbe Rifkin Your Family Matters: Andrea Ruth Gundersen PAGE 2 • OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016

By Staff writer

By Staff writer

Being a public servant has become a way of life for Abbe Rifkin. She says it goes back to her roots as the grandchild of immigrants who came to the United States during the mass influx of Eastern Europeans starting at the turn of the century. Her grandparents urged their children and grandchildren to give back to the country that welcomed them with open arms and allowed them to become Americans. This was not lost on her.

A New York transplant, Rifkin is a product of the public school system. Her family moved to Miami Beach (which she jokingly calls the “sixth borough of New York City) where she attended both middle and high school. Immediately after high school she went on to the University of Florida, receiving a degree in Journalism in 1978.

Tragedy struck during her junior year when her beloved father, Jack, died suddenly after suffering a heart attack at a Miami Dolphin football game.

Deciding that the law was what she wanted to do, she returned to South Florida to attend law school at the University of Miami rather than going anywhere else in order to help her now-widowed mother and younger sister. Money was tight, so Rifkin worked two jobs to put herself through school.

She says it was the silver lining in the dark cloud of her loss. “I learned the value of hard work and depending upon yourself to achieve your goals. If you want to achieve something and you want it bad enough, you don’t complain—you go out and work for it.”

A work-study internship at Janet Reno’s office changed the course of her life—she knew

As the oldest of five children being raised by a single mom, growing up in Massachusetts, Andrea learned responsibility at an early age. When her marriage ended, she became a single parent, with only a high school education, raising two children. Because of her situation, Andrea learned to maintain a strong work ethic, commitment to her family, integrity and stability. She worked full time while putting herself through Boston University and then law school. Her adult life has been in preserving the family and keeping children as far away as possible from disputes between parents whether brought about by irreconcilable differences, financial difficulties, criminal actions, domestic violence, business disputes, drugs, alcohol or gambling.

Over 23 years in the legal field, gives Andrea a broad range of knowledge in law in both the civil and criminal arena inside and out of the courtrooms. She’s been able to see what works and what does not work. You wonder how she is able to do all of this and still be productive.

Andrea is a mountain of motion and believes in getting things done. She credits it to having her own law practice. “I had to manage my own law practice. This taught me how to dedicated my time to serving the community. I currently serve on the Diversity Com-

Rifkin pictured with Congressman Alcee Hastings. what she wanted to do with her life. Her passion and gusto for the job was not lost on Reno, and she offered Abbe a job in her third year of law school, where she’s been ever since.

“It was never about the money or the power,” Rifkin says.

“Every single day I get to do the right and just thing. It might not make everyone happy—any field where there are two sides someone is going to be unhappy with the result. But I’ve always got the law, compassion, and the truth on my side, and that always equals justice.”

Rifkin started her career at the State Attorney’s Office in the Juvenile Division, eventually being appointed Assistant Chief. “I really do think it’s the most important division in the court system. If we can stop our youths from going down the path of crime before they get to be adults, we can make our community so much better,” she says.

After an extended stay there, she transferred to the Felony Division and the Sexual Battery Unit, where she tried complex felony cases, high profile murder cases, and sex crime cases involving child

victims. Eventually she became Deputy Chief of the Felony Division, Senior Trial Counsel, and head of the Sexually Violent Predator Unit, positions she holds to this day.

Along the way she married and started a family. She and her husband, Scott, moved to Broward County in 1982, believing it was the best place to live and raise a family. Her two daughters, now grown, were born, raised, and educated in Broward She continued to work in Miami, but quickly grew to love her adopted community.

She and her family became very involved in their religious institution, and through that and her associations in the legal community (she is president of the South Broward Bar Association and on the board of the Broward County Women Lawyers Association), she has been active in the community with such groups as the PACE Center for Girls, Habitat for Humanity, United Cerebral Palsy, and various cancer fighting organizations.

mittee for the Broward County School Board, the Broward County Commission on the Status of Women, the Board of Directors for the Mount Olive Development Corporation (MODCO) and the Board of Directors for the Dania Lions Club.”

She has a soft spot in her heart for veterans and children. Having grown up in the Vietnam era, she felt it disgraceful the way our veterans were treated when they returned home. “I never forgot that experience so when the Mission United Veteran’s Pro Bono program was being developed, I wanted to make a dif-

recruit and mentor volunteer attorneys to provide free legal services to veterans and their families.”

Andrea continued, “As a Justice Teaching Attorney Volunteer for the past several years, I do presentations to middle and high school students regarding the law, and I have been able to make a difference in children’s lives. And for the past six years I have conducted an annual courthouse tour for the Plantation Seminole Middle School DECAL students giving them an opportunity to observe

GUNDERSEN ference for veterans who have given so much to our country. I served on the organizing committee, with Bill Kling, to create the first Veteran’s Court in Broward County for six years.

I work with the Mission United Veteran’s Pro Bono program to

courtroom proceedings, participate in CSI lab demonstrations, and participate in mock trials and other demonstrations and presentations.”

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Why we need Florence Taylor Barner

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Florence working with Habitat.

(Cont'd from FP) Florence studied at U.C. Berkley as a National Institutes of Mental Health Psychology research scholar, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Barry University, and secured her law degree from University of Florida. While in law school, Florence received many honors, awards and scholarships for her community service/pro bono legal work and for her academic success in the classroom.

As a prosecutor, she worked in the juvenile division, the misdemeanor trial unit, and all throughout the [adult] felony trial unit trying countless cases to juries in Broward County.

These cases ranged from misdemeanors such as DUI and Harassing Phone Calls to serious felonies such as Child Sexual Battery, Armed Robbery and Murder. Impressively, Florence has tried over 50 first chair jury trials.

However, a County Court Judge must be ready to handle civil or criminal cases on day one, depending on the decision made by the Chief Judge.

Thankfully, Florence is prepared regardless of the assignment.

For approximately seven years, Florence has travelled throughout Florida representing Fortune 500 companies as a civil trial attorney obtaining millions of dollars in judgments on behalf of her corporate clients. This gave her not only civil trial experience, but also exposure to so many other county court systems. She has seen what works and what does not work, and she has seen what is efficient and what is inefficient.

Now, she can bring this ex-

perience and perspective to our County Court bench.

When working as an Assistant State Attorney (ASA), she handled each case with care, treated others fairly and with dignity and went the extra mile to assist victims of crimes. When prosecuting juveniles, she worked with the judiciary and the defense attorneys, insisting that the youngsters, as part of their sentence, watch and report on several adults being sentenced for the same crimes that they were charged with.

Many of these youngsters watched adults being sentenced to prison time for the same charges they were sent there to write a report on! This is the kind of foresight that we need on the County Bench.

However, this is not Florence’s only experience dealing with Broward’s youth. In addition to the many youth mentoring programs she’s worked with, Florence is the mother of two children and an active member of her Parent Teacher Assn. [PTA] and is a volunteer with Broward County Public Schools. Florence believes that the youth really are the key to a successful future and therefore the youth must have positive role models to show them, as Florence always says, “that no matter where you start out in life it does not have to dictate where you will end up”. Florence, herself, is living proof of this.

Florence believes in community involvement and this is why she has volunteered her time with Habitat for Humanity working on homes in Pompano Beach. Florence also volunteered with the Broward County Humane Society Share-A-Pet therapy Program where she and her husband would visit local hospices and nursing homes to spend time with those without families of their own.

Florence also speaks at local elementary schools and alternative schools/programs to encourage those children to work hard to achieve success.

Florence and her husband also volunteered their time at the Police Athletic League in Deerfield Beach where they would assist in teaching the children the “sweet science” of boxing as an alternative to school violence.

She showed exceptional strength as a mother several years ago. Pregnant with her second child, health complications dictated that she put her career as a civil trial attorney on hold and that she live on full bedrest. She complied, staying on full bedrest for nearly six months. Because of her strength, tenacity, and sacri-

fice, Florence gave birth to a healthy little boy.

She now wants to take her experience working with youth as a mother, a mentor, a former juvenile ASA, and a PTA member and apply it to our judiciary.

She has been campaigning not only on her exceptional experience and stellar credentials, but also on what she sees as an area of need in how Broward County handles our youth: In Florida, juveniles who break into cars or homes go to juvenile court, while juveniles who drive without a license get charged as an adult with the crime of Driving with No Valid License.

These children are sent to one of our many [adult] County Court Judges to be prosecuted with the adults. These judges, prosecutors, and public defenders are already buried in adult misdemeanors to adjudicate with high caseloads. Florence wants to make a positive change and work together with the Chief Judge towards creating a new specialty county juvenile court.

Broward County has pioneered specialty courtrooms in the past, such as drug court, mental health court, and veterans’ court. Florence wants to work with the Chief Judge to create one specialty courtroom with one judge who handles both truancy matters as well as all juvenile traffic criminal cases, such as Driving While License Suspended and DUI. A specialized courtroom would result in more consistent outcomes as well as less court hearings for juveniles and their parents who have both truancy and traffic criminal hearings to attend, often on different days before different judges. Less hearings will mean less juveniles are missing school unnecessarily and less parents are missing work unnecessarily. It also means that the court system can take the time needed to understand the underlying causes for the behavior and get services into the home when and where needed to achieve positive results for our children and families.

In short, Florence has the experience, temperament, and perspective needed to fill this important role in our criminal justice system. She also has the vision to make things better for our youth. Her “Go with the Flo” campaign, including more information about her career, her endorsements, and how you can help and get involved, is available at www.FlorenceBarnerForJudge.com.

Early voting starts 10/24 and runs through 11/6 with mail in ballots already being mailed out. Please get out there and VOTE.

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Westside Gazette

Family of Black man shot 14 times by Sacramento police officers demands charges be brought

By Andre Jones The family of Joseph Mann, a 51-year-old Black man who was recently shot 14 times by Sacramento, California police officers is demand-ing that murder charges be brought against the officers after recently released dash cam video of the incident raised questions.

Mann, who suffered from mental illness and drug addiction, was allegedly standing in the middle of the street on July 11th, waving a knife according to 911 calls. Dispatchers informed police that Mann was armed with a knife and gun and was acting erratically. Though no gun was seen or recovered from the scene, Officers Randy Loyoza and John Tennis responded to the call by attempting to run over Mann twice, shooting him fatally a combined total of 14 times less than one minute later.

Though the Sacramento Po-

lice Department (SPD) alleged that Mann lunged at the officers, forcing them to open fire, dash cam video released on Tuesday clearly revealed them inside the police cruiser discussing running him down.

Though it is not clear who said what, the officers were plainly heard saying, “F** this guy, I’m gonna hit him” and “Ok, go for it”. After missing Mann in a second attempted vehicular assault, one of the officers can be plainly heard saying, “We’ll get him. We’ll get him.”

“They (police) lied to me flat out – they told me my brother was aggressive, he was coming at officers and they had no time to make any other decision but to shoot my brother,” Robert Mann, Joseph’s brother, told Fox40. “We had been asking to see the video since the shooting, and the fact it was released to the media first tells me they don’t care,” said Robert.

John Burris, lawyer for the

family of Joseph Mann, told reporters that the officers “behaved like big game hunters closing in on an animal” In a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Burris wrote, “Mann was standing stationary on a sidewalk with no one in close proximity when the officers unloaded their guns.”

Mann was also heard very clearly on the video saying that he did not have a gun, mere moments before his life was mercilessly cut short.

Though plenty of dash cam and cell phone videos of various police involved killings have surfaced, Kevin LaHue, a private attorney who has worked on many civil rights cases involving police tactics, told ABCNews.go.com that it was “extremely rare” to capture audio of the thought process of these officers.

“Having this sort of realtime insight into the thought process of the officers and their use of force, I think that is very unique,” said Lahue.

OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016 • PAGE 3

PAGE 4 • OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016

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Westside Gazette

New early voting locations and hours in Miami-Dade and Broward

Black churches being pushed out of nation’s capital

By Courtney Davis Howard University News Service WASHINGTON — Longstanding African American churches are disappearing from the nation’s capital one at a time, like victims in an Agatha Christie murder mystery, the culprit – residential only parking. As the city’s new, mostly white residents push for special neighborhood parking, they are inadvertently forcing churches out of the District of Columbia, city officials and church members said.

On K Street in Washington’s southeast neighborhood, two churches have been demolished since August. In their places are empty, gated plots of land

sit waiting to be developed into condominiums. Word of God Baptist Church, once located at 1512 K St., and nearly centuryold Mount Paran Baptist

Church two blocks away have sold their property and relocated to Prince George’s County in Maryland. City officials said many other churches have done

the same including, Metropolitan Baptist Church, a church attended by former President Bill Clinton.

As apartment buildings replace old businesses and homes, parking is getting tighter in the District. Now, residents can petition for exclusive street parking, known as resident zoned parking. Once a street is zoned, vehicles without the appropriate zoning sticker are limited to only two hours of parking during the hours designated on the sign. As a result, one person’s solution becomes another person’s problem.

Edward E. Doxen III, a community outreach specialist in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office, and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Frank Wiggins agreed parking is a major issue for Washington churches.

“There are known problems in the past couple of years where people had to pay $250 for coming to church on Sunday,” Wiggins said. “People have to decid between coming to church and getting a ticket. That hurts the church, especially if those parishioners are living in Maryland.”

Not only is Sunday parking an issue for church members, but also during the week, said the Rev. Dwayne Gilliam of The Word of God Baptist Church.

“Residents made it challenging at times,” Gilliam said.

“There were instances where they called police to ticket us, not just Sunday, but during the week when we had classes, like bible study or prayer meetings.”

Deacon Paul London, president of the missionary ministry at the church, said he received at least two tickets attending either a bible study or prayer meeting.

Voter Protection Hotline: 1-844-IM4-HILL (1-844-464-4455) Miami-Dade: Adrienne Arsht center 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33132 Peacock Education Center in the Knight Concert Hall (East side of Biscayne Blvd) Arcola Lakes Branch Library 8240 N.W. Seventh Ave., Miami FL 33150 Betty T. Ferguson Community Center 3000 N.W. 199 St., Miami Gardens, FL 33056 Carrie P. Meek Senior & Cultural Center 1350 N.W. 50 St., Miami, FL 33142 Historic Garage 3250 S. Miami Ave., Miami, FL 33129 Same property as the old Museum of Science (as you enter on the right hand side) International Mall Branch Library 10315 N.W. 12 St., Doral, FL 33172 Kendale Lakes Branch Library 15205 S.W. 88 St., Miami, FL 33196 Naranja Branch Library 14850 S.W. 280 St., Homestead, FL 33032 Palmetto Bay Branch Library 17641 Old Cutler Road, Palmetto Bay, FL 33157 Pinecrest Branch Library 5835 S.W. 111 St., Pinecrest, FL 33156 Shenandoah Branch Library 2111 S.W. 19 St., Miami, FL 33145 BROWARD South Regional/BC Library 7300 Pines Blvd Pembroke Pines, FL 33024

Early voting hours in Miami-Dade and Broward: Monday, Oct. 24 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 25 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 26 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 27 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 28 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 29 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 30 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 31 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 1 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 2 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 3 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 4 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 6 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE GENERAL ELECTION OCTOBER 24, 2016 thru NOVEMBER 6, 2016 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Daily

* - SOE BRANCH OFFICE 2016 EARLY VOTING SITES African-American Research Library 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard (NW 6th St.) Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311

Oveta McKeithen Recreational Complex 445 S.W. 2nd Street Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Coral Ridge Mall (North or Northwest Entrance) 3200 N. Federal Highway Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306

Parkland Recreation and Enrichment Center 10559 Trails End Parkland, FL. 33076

Davie/Cooper City Branch Library 4600 SW 82nd Avenue Davie, FL 33328

SOE at E Pat Larkins Community Center * 520 Martin Luther King Boulevard Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Emma Lou Olson Civic Center 1801 NE 6th St. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

SOE at Lauderhill Mall * 1519 NW 40th Ave Lauderhill, FL 33313

Ft. Lauderdale Branch Library/Art Serve 1350 E. Sunrise Boulevard Room 130 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304

South Regional Library/BC 7300 Pines Boulevard Pembroke Pines, FL 33024

Hallandale Beach Cultural Community Center 410 SE 3rd Street Hallandale Beach, FL 33009

Southwest Regional Library 16835 Sheridan Street Pembroke Pines, FL 33331

Hollywood Branch Library 2600 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, FL 33020

Sunrise Senior Center 10650 W. Oakland Park Blvd.

Sunrise, FL 33351

Miramar Branch Library 2050 Civic Center Place Miramar, FL 33025

Tamarac Branch Library 8701 W. Commercial Boulevard Tamarac, FL 33321

North Regional Library/BC 1100 Coconut Creek Boulevard Coconut Creek, FL 33066

West Regional Library 8601 W. Broward Boulevard Plantation, FL 33324

Northwest Regional Library 3151 University Drive Coral Springs, FL 33065

Weston Branch Library 4205 Bonaventure Boulevard Weston, FL 33332 Wilton Manors City Hall 2020 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors, FL 33305

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Opinion

The Westside Gazette, under the Management of BI-ADs, Inc., reserves the right to publish Views and Opinions by Contributing Writers may not necessarily reflect those of the Staff and Management of The Westside Gazette Newspaper and are solely the product of the responsible individual(s) who submit comments published in this newspaper.

“Judge Elijah Williams: Hard truths”

By Pastor Rasheed Z Baaith Part One “For death is come up into our windows, and has entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.” (Jeremiah 9:21) I recently attended a symposium sponsored by the Broward County Crime Commission. It was entitled “Juvenile and Adolescent Violence: Why the Unthinkable Happens.” The topic was of course youth violence and the mental and emotional state of the youthful perpetrators of that violence.

Those of us in South Florida like those in places like Chicago, Los Angles, Houston, etc. are seeing our young people being killed and killing each other as if they have caught some kind of murder virus. The murders have been senseless, brutal, and unpredictable in which no young person or child is exempt from becoming a victim. And more often than not when we hear or see these all too familiar scenes of tears and blood, we wonder “why?”

The symposium attempted to answer that question. The panels included “Why, How, When, and Where Juvenile Violence Occurs”; “Lionel Tate: A Psychological Case Study of a Landmark Trial”; and a Juvenile Judiciary Panel. The Lionel Tate discussion is worth a column by itself, it was illuminating, and heartbreaking. We all remember that tragedy.

Those who were part of the Lionel Tate panel included the trial judge, the prosecuting attorney, the defense attorney, two of the forensic psychologists and Lionel Tate’s education development specialist while he was behind bars. The insights they all provided and the peek at what went on behind the trial scenes made the panel worthy of being televised. Too bad it wasn’t.

Judge Elijah Williams was a member of the Juvenile Judiciary Panel. It was composed of judges from all over Florida. When Judge Williams gives a presentation, it will do two things. It will be very humorous and it will punch you in the gut. He started his address by telling the audience that we were not going to like what he had to say

Should Columbus Day really be celebrated?

By Byler E. Henry This year’s Columbus Day was October 10. When I was in elementary school, I was taught that Columbus discovered America and he sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016 • PAGE 5

Westside Gazette

How could he discover land with inhabitants already?

There is a story that was not taught in school; Christopher Columbus was an evil man who captured the native people using them as slaves. We were fed lies as kids saying Columbus was a brave explorer, when in reality he was a greedy invader.

He was born October of 1451 in Genoa, and at the age of 41 with three ships, the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria, made his first voyage to what he thought was Asia. He made it to the coasts of Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Central and South America Once he saw the native Taino people he already had slavery in mind, “These people are very unskilled in arms... with 50 men they could all be subjected and made to do all that one wished.” – Christopher Columbus.

He also stated that they would be “good servants.”

The Taino were friendly people who traded animals, supplies, and jewelry with the sailors and what did they get in return? Slavery, and loss of limbs for not giving Columbus enough gold.

The sailors also brought diseases from Europe that the Taino people had not been exposed to, and within decades the full blooded members of the Arawak were wiped out.

And this is a guy that gets a holiday in America?

Why does a savage murderer like Columbus get to be recognized and admired like he accomplished something great?

What has he done to deserve admiration?

All he has done was murder in his quest for riches. Look at what his greed has done.

Some states do not celebrate this day, and the other states should follow suit.

Now that I know what an evil man he really was, I will continue to recognize the second Monday in October for what it really is, just another day that God has given us to love one another.

I also want to leave you with this quote to marinate on: “Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.”

-- Erich From

and when he finished, many in the audience were in total agreement with him.

Judge Williams did not harangue the audience, but he did say, “I’ve been a juvenile delinquency judge for a decade and I have seen thousands of Black youth accused of taking property through the use of a weapon, force, intimidation or violence. But, during this same time frame, I’ve only observed about five white boys accused of the same. So we need to admit that juvenile and adolescent violence is overwhelmingly a Black juvenile problem, and we need to address it as such.”

Judge Williams didn’t stop there.

He went on to say, “When youth show up in my court room, I am aware of the societal problems caused by single-parent homes, poverty, living in a bad neighborhood, and other related issues. However, I don’t have the ability to fix these underlying causes, so I focus solely on the character development of the child in front of me.”

That may sound harsh but truth often is. But Judge Williams does more than just give astute observations, he is an active supporter and participant of the PROMISE Program for juveniles and during the symposium, Broward Chief Judge Peter Weinstein gave praise to Judge Williams for the program’s creation.

The PROMISE acronym stands for “Preventing Recidivism through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education.”

The program has proven to be successful to the point of receiving national recognition. Next week you’ll learn why.

These dynamics words expressed by prominent American leaders have inspired, motivated and empowered me beyond expectations to pen this message that expresses the reality and ultimate need for everyone who is eligible to vote, to move forward with expediency and due diligence for active citizenship as they move to the polls and vote with dignity and pride as you elevate the power of the VOTE. It’s an awesome experience to recall the vivid history of voting In America and the trials and struggles that our ancestors had to witness and endure in order-to gain an appreciation for the voting privileges and the powerful contributions that each vote brought power and significant changes for our beloved America and the communities throughout its territory.

It was only 6l years ago on August 6, 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This law removed barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their honorable and privilege right to vote.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

The Gantt Report Deplorable in chief

By Roger Caldwell

By Lucius Gantt

“I can handle the low road if I have to do it. I mean, we’ve had some low roads over the last few months.

I’m fine with it if we have to go in that direction” says Trump to political commentator, Bill O’Reilly.

In the last 10 days, the presidential campaign has turned into alleged sexual accusations from women accusers, hacked emails, an audio tape of Trump using misogynistic language about women, threats of charging each other with corruption, calling each other names such as the devil, and threats of putting one of the candidates in jail. The contest has entered a new level of ugliness, and people are asking “Is this really America?”

After the Republican primary ended, many expected Trump to change his strategy and operate with dignity and respect in a spirited campaign based on issues. When the presidential campaign started, Trump stopped calling his opponent “Crooked Hillary,” and started to give policy speeches based on his platform. This lasted for about three weeks, and the presidential polls began closing.

But, after the first debate, Trump appeared embarrassed with the worst debate performance in modern times, and he took off his respectful manner and became vicious and lewd.

It’s 2016, late October and only days before Americans go to the polls to elect a new Deplorable in Chief or the President of the United States!

The names have changed and, in the case of the Democratic nominee, the gender has changed but the preelection status and the post-election results for African Americans will be basically the same as always.

Blacks will put their candidate of choice first and that candidate, when elected, will put Black people last!

The 2016 Presidential race has been nasty, naughty and super negative.

Discussions about leaked or hacked emails, perverted sex talk, tax cheating and troublesome marriages have permeated media reports about this year’s elections.

Trash talk has subverted conversations about problems, policies and solutions and the political hype has bamboozled Black voters again!

This year and every election year Black voters are exploited, denied, suppressed, misled, ignored and taken for granted by nearly every candidate and certainly by every political party!

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GUIDELINES The Westside Gazette welcomes your letters. Letters must be signed with name clearly legible along with a phone number and complete address. No unsigned or anonymous letters will be considered for publication. The Westside Gazette reserves the right to edit letters. The letters should be 500 words or less.

By Raynard Jackson (NNPA Newswire Columnist) To paraphrase Winston Churchill, never has so much been said by so many about so little. This feigned outrage at Trump’s private conversation with Access Hollywood reporter Billy Bush is farcical at best, and a big joke at worst.

The media, Democrats, and Republicans are equally hypocritical in their response to this leaked tape of Trump’s private conversation with Bush.

This latest Trump controversy has yet again given the media another opportunity to put its hypocrisy on full display.

First of all, this was a private conversation and yes that does matter.

We all say things to our friends in a private conversation that we would not want to have shared, publically.

For example, every U.S. president,

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Will President Obama get through the backlog of commutation petitions?

By Christopher Zoukis

Out in the wilds of the Internet exist two sets of memes establishing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a champion of progressive idealism.

In one of them, Justice Ginsburg assumes the alter ego of the so-called Notorious R.G.B. This Tumblr fabrication equates the diminutive and eloquent jurist with the robust and bawdy rapper Christopher George Latore Wallace, also known as Biggie, Biggie Smalls, or—as is pertinent to this column—the Notorious B.I.G. In the other, well-trafficked meme, Ginsburg is the shero of feminism, expressing her displeasure at the inability of her male colleagues on the Supreme Court to comprehend a woman’s right to control her body.

With nothing more than a compilation of side-eye facial gestures, Ginsburg shows her disdain for mansplaining.

President Barack Obama granted clemency to 111 federal prisoners on August 31, 2016, bringing the total number of commutations granted in his term to 673.Presisdent Obama has now commuted the sentences of more prisoners than the last 10 presidents combined.

But there are still thousands of petitions pending, and President Obama has only a few months left in his presidency.

Mark Osler, a law professor and cofounder of the Clemency Resource Center at New York University School of Law, has led an effort by advocates to pressure the White House to speed up the process.

“More than 1,500 people are eligible for commutation under the criteria the administration established, but at the current pace, they will fall short of meeting that threshold,” said Osler.

“These non-violent offenders have been promised a full review and relief, and they deserve nothing less. We again urge the president to speed up his administration’s review of the petitions it has received and to consider whether there are structural changes to the process that would ensure justice is done for every petitioner.”

The White House insists it is doing its part, but notes that significant criminal justice reform efforts must be undertaken legislatively.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

(The Oyez Project/Wikimedia Commons)

By Sam Fulwood III (Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress)

This is why increasing diversity in healthcare is essential for the Black community Patricia A. Maryland says that it is critical for healthcare organi-

The fake outrage over Trump’s “Access Hollywood” comments is ridiculous Raynard Jackson says that Trump is running on a platform that a majority of Americans agree with, but Republican party leaders would much rather give the election to Hillary Clinton to prove to liberals that they are not misogynistic, racist, xenophobic or homophobic.

I give support to Patrick Murphy for United States Senate. He will make the change we need.

Thank you, Gilbert D. Cortez, Sr. Port Saint Lucie, Fla

Hillary takes the high road,Trump wallows in the mud

The power of the Race and Beyond:Say it ain’t so, Ruth Bader VOTE matters!

By Maureen S. Bethel Ginsburg A Visionary Citizen with a Plan “What the people want today is very simple. They want an America as good as its promise.”

-The Honorable Barbara Jordan “Let us move in these powerful days; these days of challenge, to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make and keep a better nation.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mr. Editor

maybe with the exception of Jimmy Carter, cursed while in the White House and used vulgar language in private.

So, whether you use vulgar language in private or not, the point is we all say things in private that we won’t say in public. And yes, even journalists curse and use foul language.

Where was this moral outrage from the Democrats while Bill Clinton was running across the country stroking every female he could find and a few, allegedly, without their consent? Mind you that Clinton paid Paula Jones over $ 800,000 for a sexual harassment suit.

So, what did the Democrats do?

They rallied around Bill Clinton.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

zations to have leaders who reflect the diverse populations they treat, and who understand that different communities can have different health needs.

By Dr. Patricia Maryland (NNPA Newswire Guest Columnist) Diversity is good for communities, companies and our nation. A plurality of viewpoints, experiences and beliefs has the potential to foster both understanding and innovation. And in the healthcare field, the need for diversity is evident every day. Providers in the U.S. serve people from all walks of life, and each patient’s personal background plays a significant factor in the way care is delivered.

There’s no such thing as a one size fits all approach to keeping people healthy.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

PAGE 6 • OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016

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Westside Gazette

State of the City Message: Miramar is on the rise Commissioner Holness welcomes International Community for FIT CE FITCE

MIRAMAR, FL — Mayor Wayne Messam presented the State of the City address last night to a packed theater and confirmed that Miramar is on the rise. In a series of highlighted main points, the Mayor focused on the business sector, showcasing the growing aviation hub that has developed in the city with companies such as Kellstrom Defense expanding their footprint to accommodate their growing needs. Technology and manufacturing companies such as 3Z Telecom have moved into the city and are a part of what is helping to bring high paying jobs to the area. Miramar had the 12th fastest growing economy of 240 cities with 100,000 to 300,000 people this past year, having moved up from 15th last year.

Mayor Messam spoke of City-wide infrastructure improvements that include parks, storm water concerns and the opening of the Pembroke Road overpass to alleviate traffic.

Developers such as Key Platinum Properties, LLC are buying homes in historic Miramar, refurbishing them, adding square footage and selling to families. The new police head-

(Photo Credit Gregory F. Reed) quarters at Town Center was recently certified as LEED® Gold and the public safety complex for Historic Miramar gets underway with request for quotes to begin in September of this year.

The Adult Day Care Center is in its final stages prior to opening to provide services for those in need. Fire Station 107 is in the bidding process and the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater and Shirley Branca Park Band Shell are under construction.

Initiatives announced out of the Mayor’s office include the My Brother’s Keeper Program initiated by President Obama. Mayor Messam has partnered with four churches that have identified youth that will par-

ticipate in the program: Christway Baptist Church, Fountain of New Life Church, Miramar United Methodist Church and St. Stephens Church. For those who wish to make improvements to their homes but may be lacking the necessary funds at this time, the Mayor spoke of the P.A.C.E Program introduced by Mayor Messam and passed by Commission. This program allows home and property owners to make improvements through approved innovative financing.

Other accomplishments by the city include the launch of The City of Miramar Mobile App available on iTunes and Google Play.

The application residents will continue to move our City forward.”

Raising disaster relief funds for Haiti and the Bahamas Black-Tie Gala saluting Caribbean and Caribbean American Leaders FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- Luminaries from various professional disciplines will gather at ICABA® Salutes Caribbean Excellence Black-Tie Gala Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Tower Club in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Honorees will include Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (Bahamas); Aubyn Hill, (Jamaica) Deputy President; Jamaican Senate (Jamaica); Dr. William Thompson (Bahamas), President; The Bahamas National Baptist Missionary & Educational Convention, Bernard Weatherhead (Barbados); Chairman, The Sun Group, Rohan Marley (Jamaica); Chairman, Marley

Coffee and Wayne Messam (Jamaica), Mayor, City of Miramar.

The following distinguished group of private and public sector leaders are serving as Honorary Co-Chairs: Dr. Carmel Barrau, CEO, Unihealth of South Fla., Inc.; Pauline Grant, Interim CEO, Broward Health; Jhonson Napoleon, president, Azure College, and H. Ricardo Treco, Consul General, Bahamas Consulate General.

The ICABA® Salutes Caribbean Excellence Black-Tie Gala will re-

cognize and celebrate the accomplishments of 29 individuals and five organizations. The honorees are in four categories: Pinnacle, Distinguished Achievers, Rising Stars and Organizations, and the honorees were chosen from throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. Dr. Nelson Adams, local healthcare, business and civic leader will serve as Master of Ceremony.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

From Lahoma Scarlette, Community Affairs Director

conclude with a closing cocktail reception and cultural exchange to promote Broward County’s diverBROWARD COUNTY, FL – sity.

This morning the Broward County Last year FITCE was held Board of County Commissioners wel- October 12-16, 2015, had 1050 comed delegations in town for the se- attendees for the total conference, cond annual Florida International along with 50 exhibitors, and welTrade & Cultural Expo (FITCE) to comed notable guests such as , Mr. be held October 19-20, 2016 at the Thomas Wong, US Department of Greater Fort Lauderdale-Broward State, Office of Economic Policy County Convention Center. and Summit Coordination, The On Wednesday, October 19, Honorable Mike Schmitz, Mayor FITCE begins with an opening cere- of Dothan, Alabama, The Honormony, and the day continues with able Jerry Naumoff, Minister of panels including: How to Import Into Foreign Direct Investment and the United States of America, South Trade for Macedonia, Honorable Florida Ports & Foreign Trade Zones- Dr. Luis Fernandez, Former PresGateways to the World!, and How to ident of Dominican Republic, and Import Into the United States of A- The Honorable Ralph LaTortue, merica. Attendees have the option to Former President of Haiti. visit the World Expo (located in the “This year we condensed FITCE Floridian Ballroom) a pavilion which to a two-day event and we have will highlight various innovations over 1,000 attendees registered. from each of the 34 countries par- Working with our Office of Econoticipating in FITCE. mic and Small Business DevelopThursday, October 20, is dedi- ment, the caliber of guests and cated to Doing Business With the panelists scheduled to participate World, which will include pre- is extraordinary, we want everysentations from international gov- one who attends to see the cultural ernments, consulates, trade com- diversity of Broward County, as missioners and bi-national chambers well as the economic opportunities about their top exports and imports we offer,” said Broward County with Florida and how to do business District 9 Commissioner Dale V.C. with their countries. Each day will Holness.

YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

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Westside Gazette

OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016 • PAGE 7

PAGE 8 • OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016

AF amily T hat Prays T ogether, Stays T ogether Family That Together, Together

Church Directory

New Mount Olive Baptist Church 400 N.W. 9th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale 33311 (954) 463-5126 ● Fax: (954) 525-9454 CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:00 p.m.

2211 N.W. 7th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33061 Church: (954) 583-9368 Email: bethelmbchurchfl@att.net

Senior Pastor WORSHIP SERVICES & BIBLE STUDY Sunday .................................................... 7:15 a.m. 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School ............................................................................ 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday Noonday Service .................................. 12:00-12:30 p.m.

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting ............................................ 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study ................................................... 7:00 p.m.

Where the kingdom of God is increased through Fellowship.

Leadership, Ownership and Worship F.L.O.W. To Greatness!

Reverend Jimmy L. English PASTOR WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Worship ............................................................. 8 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Sunday School ........................................................................... 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday (Prayer Service & Bible Study) ............................... 7:30 a.m.

Saturday (Women Bible Study) ............................................................ 8 a.m.

"Baptized Believers working together to do the will of God"

St Paul United Methodist Church 244 S.E. Second Avenue Deerfield Beach, Florida 33341 (954) 427-9407 EMAIL EMAIL:: Stpaulmeth@bellsouth.net WEBSITE WEBSITE:: saintpauldeerfield.com

Rev. Dr. Jimmie L. Brown Senior Pastor

SERVICES

Sunday School .................................................................................... 10 a.m.

Sunday Worship ................................................................................ 11 a.m.

Bible Study (Tuesday) ....................................................... 11 a.m. & 7.p.m.

Harris Chapel United Methodist Church Rev. Stanley Melek, M.Div E-MAIL:stanley.melek@flumc.org 2351 N.W. 26th Street Oakland Park, Florida 33311 Church Telephone: (954) 731-0520

SERVICES Sunday Worship ................................................. 7:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School .............................................................................. 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday (Bible Study) ........................................... 11a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Obituaries James C. Boyd Funeral Home BOYD Funeral services for the late Jennie Boyd – 86 were held Oct. 15 at To God Be the Glory Holiness Church with Rev. Dr. Walter Monroe officiating. Interment: Oak Hill West Cemetery, Palatka, Fla.

Mount Calvary Baptist Church

800 N.W. 8th Avenue Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 Church Telephone: (954) 943-2422 Church Fax: (954) 943-2186 E-mail Address: Mtcalvarypompano@bellsouth.net

Reverend Anthony Burrell, Pastor SCHEDULE OF SERVICES SUNDAY

New Member Orientation ........................... 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School ................................................ 9:30 a.m.

Worship Service ........................................ 11:00 a.m.

WEDNESDAY Prayer Meeting ............................................... 6:00 p.m.

Bible Study ..................................................... 7:00 p.m.

"Doing God's Business God's Way, With a Spirit of Excellence"

Mount Hermon A.M.E. Church Reverend Henry E. Green, Jr., Pastor 401 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 Phone: (954) 463-6309 FAX 954 522-4113 Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Email infor@mthermonftl.com

SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICES Worship Service ..................................................................... 7:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Fifth Sunday ONLY .................................................................................... 10 a.m.

Church School ........................................................................................ 9:15 a.m.

BIBLE STUDY: Wednesday ....................................................................... 10 a.m.

Gems & Jewels Ministry Senior Wednesday Wednesday (Bible Study) .................................................... 12 Noon & 7 - 8 p.m.

Daily Prayer Line ...................................................................................... 6 a.m.

(712)432-1500 Access Code296233#

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 1161 NW 29th Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311 (954) 581-0455 ● Fax: (954) 581-4350 www.mtzionmbc1161.com

Dr. James B. Darling, Jr., Pastor/Teacher WORSHIP SERVICES Worship Service ............................................................................................................ 10:15 a.m.

Sunday School ................................................................................................................ 9:00 a.m.

Communion Service (1st Sunday) ........................................................................... 10:15 a.m.

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting ........................................................................... 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study ................................................................................... 7:00 p.m.

Saturday (2nd & 4th) Christian Growth & Orientation ................................... 8:30 a.m.

But be doers of the Word - James 1:22 nkjv - “A Safe Haven, and you can get to Heaven from here”

New Birth Baptist Church The Cathedral of Faith International Bishop Victor T. Curry, M.Min., D.Div. Senior Pastor/Teacher 2300 N.W. 135th Street Miami, Florida 33167

ORDER OF SERVICES Sunday Worship ........................................................ 7:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Sunday School ....................................................................................................... 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday (Bible Study) ......................................................................................... 6:45 p.m.

Wednesday (Bible Study) ............................................................................... 10:45 a.m.

1-800-254-NBBC * (305) 685-3700 (o) *(305) 685-0705 (f) www.newbirthbaptistmiami.org

Williams Memorial CME “PRAYER IS THE ANSWER” 644-646 NW 13th Terrace Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 (954) 462-5711(Ministry Office Line) (954) 462-8222(Pastor’s Direct Line) Email: wm_cme@bellsouth.net (Church} pastorCal50@yahoo.com (Pastor)

Rev. Cal Hopkins.

M.Div) Senior Pastor/Teacher

Dr. Marcus D. Davidson,

Worship T his and Every Sunday at the Church of Your Choice This

Bethel Missionary Baptist Church

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Westside Gazette

RAINFORD Funeral services for the late Edward Vincent Rainford – 96 were held Oct. 15 at Church of God of Prophecy with Bishop Leonard Robinson officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

ROWE Funeral services for the late Jeffrey Maurice Rowe, Sr., - 53 were held Oct. 15 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Dr. Bishop Ronald C. Bell officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens (Central).

SPELLMAN Funeral services for the late Richard Lee Spellman – 59 were held Oct. 15 at James C. Boyd’s Memorial Chapel with Brother Bon M. Boyd officiating.

McWhite's Funeral Home KEEN Funeral services for the late Venice Simone Keen - 41 were held Oct. 15 at Community Church of God with Rev. Dr. Vernadette Fuller officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

STEWART Funeral services for the late Simone L. Stewart were held Oct. 16 at Lauderhill Seventh Day Adventist Church.

WILKS Funeral services for the late Charline Wilks - 65 were held Oct. 15 at House Of God (Pompano #1) with Pastor Charlie Russell officiating. Interment: Westview Cemetery.

Roy Mizell & Kurtz Funeral Home JAMES Funeral services for the late Jenelle Malina James - 36 were held Oct. 14 at Lighthouse Seventh Day Adventist Church with Dr. Donald Burden officiating.

JUSTICE Funeral services for the late Rostell Justice - 82 were held Oct. 15 at Mt. Bethel Baptist Church with Bishop Maurice Robinson officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

LOFTON Funeral services for the late Charles Lofton – 68 were held Oct. 15 at Roy Mizell & Kurtz Worship Center with Dr. James B. Darling, Jr. officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

MCDONALD Funeral services for the late Florestine McDonald – 52 were held Oct. 15 at Roy Mizell & Kurtz Worship Center with Louisia McDonald officiating.

MELLS Funeral services for the late Alberta Mackey Mells - 84 were held Oct. 15 at Mt. Bethel Baptist Church with Bishop C.E. Glover officiating. Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens.

TAFT Funeral services for the late Natasha Lunetra Taft - 58 were held Oct. 12 at Roy Mizell & Kurtz

The WITNESS of “The WILL” Sunday Worship Experiences ................................................................ 7:45 and 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School ................................................................................................................. 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday Night Triumph {Prayer, Praise and Power} Prayer Meeting ................................................................................................................ 7:00 p.m.

Bible Study ........................................................................................................................ 7:30 p.m.

We STRIVE to PROVIDE Ministries that matter TODAY to Whole Body of Christ, not only the Believers, but also for those stranded on the “Jericho Road”!

“Celebrating over 85 Years of FAITH and FAVOR! Come to the WILL ... We’ll show You the WAY: Jesus the Christ!”

Q & A: What does Reverend Deal say this week!

‘14% of the “Unchurched” are Black Americans’ Question: Is it acceptable to have a church on every corner in our community?

ANSWER: Throughout South Florida there are many churches in the Black community. Fort Lauderdale has enough places of worship that we should be able to grow ‘wings and fly’. But, are there too many churches in our community? The Gallup Company and the Barna Group performed research (Gallup poll) on Rev. David Deal the number of “Unchurched” Americans. In this case ‘unchurched’ signify individuals who do not attend church.

The polls indicated that 115 million adults do not attend church. More alarming was that 42 million children and teens do not attend worship services as well. The Gallup Polls stated that’ out of 157 million unchurched individuals 14% percent were Black. Now, that’s a whopping 22 million Black folks not going to church. Other than attending church for a wedding or a funeral we have forgotten what the inside looks like; not to mention the power of what a Spirit filled church brings.

Other compelling poll results were: (1) Men are more likely to be unchurched than women (2) Republicans are the least likely group to be unchurched (3) 1 out of 3 (33%) does not attend church (4) There’s enough Unchurched folk in America that is equivalent of being the 8th largest country in the world. So, with 22 million Black folk not attending church I feel that we do not have enough churches in our community.

Instead of a teen robbing you at gun point he should be at a gospel concert in the church. Instead of engaging in sexual activities she should be at a girls retreat in the church. Instead of having a hang over at home on Sunday morning, man you should be in church. And instead of uncontrolled anger that’s causing your child to be abuse by you we should learn how to dispel that horrific rage by the Spirit of God in church. Psalms 107:32; David says’ Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders’.

Search for a spiritual based church that follows the doctrine of the Trinity. One of the dangers of not attending church regularly is the lack of accountability to God. You want to do things your way and not God’s way. Hebrews 10:25 sums it up: ‘not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching’.

Rev. Deal is the senior pastor at Every Christian’s Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Please write to Reverend David Deal in care of the Westside Gazette, 545 NW 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Fla 33311 or email @ David.deal55@gmail.com

Kids Talk About God

Why should we keep our word?

By Carey Kinsolving and friends If everyone kept their word, attorneys might go out of business.

A lawyer once told a client: “Let me give you my honest opinion.” The client responded, “No, no. I’m paying for professional advice.”

We’re more interested in how we can get out of something than the truth. Is it mere coincidence that immediately after Jesus said to “Let your ‘Yes’ by ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’,” he said, “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also” (Matthew 5:40)?

Before we unpack this saying that could send many attorneys packing for a permanent vacation from law, let’s see what some of my friends have to say. “If you say ‘Yes’ and your friend says ‘No,’ you should go your own way,” says Joshua, 9.

Think of how many bruises would be saved, both emotional and physical, if everyone applied Joshua’s rule. In some circumstances, it could save lives.

Mariel, 10, says we should first consider the motivation behind our answers: “Ask ‘What would Jesus do?’ to yourself. And always seek His kingdom first.”

Most of us want what’s best for us and our loved ones. That’s natural. But Jesus didn’t live by his natural life. He lived by His Father’s life. Even in his final, agonizing hours, he prayed for another way other than bearing our sins in his own body. Nevertheless, he submitted to his Father, “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

By praying this prayer, Jesus applied what he had taught earlier, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com) Worship Center with Pastor Bernard Johnson officiating. Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial GardensCentral.

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BUSINESS

Westside Gazette

OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016 • PAGE 9

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Black folks in America have been so successfully programmed that many of us are still psychologically enslaved to the point that we truly believe we have “made it” when we have reached a certain financial plateau or when we have attained a certain position or title.

Far too many of us, as a consequence of our psychological enslavement, have turned our backs on our own people, especially many affluent Blacks who have gained the status of being “accepted” by White society.

Remember O.J. Simpson?

Our new “Talented Tenth” has turned out not unlike its predecessor of 1903, which W.E.B. DuBois lived to regret, as he stated in his speech to The Boule in 1948. Forty-five years of watching the selfishness of his brothers and sisters was enough for DuBois to admit that he had made a mistake.

“I assumed that with knowledge, sacrifice would automatically follow. In my youth and idealism, I did not realize that selfishness is even more natural than sacrifice,” DuBois lamented.

“There were especially sharp young persons [at Fisk University] with the distinct and single-minded idea of seeing what they could get out of it for themselves, and nobody else.”

DuBois left this country, a sad and disheartened man, never wanting to return again, and we have seen his words and his assessment of our people magnified. Black people spend an estimated $1 trillion every year, much of which is wasted everyday on anything and everything other people make and sell.

We buy it all, but we are dead last in every other economic category. We also have the worst housing, the highest unemployment, the poorest healthcare, the highest infant mortality, the poorest education, and our life expectancy is not even long enough to collect our hardearned social security payments.

We are not using our tremendous resources — or talents — to do good “and” to do well. We are not using our

talents to help the least of our brethren.

We are not multiplying our resources. Instead, we are virtually burying them in the ground by succumbing to every advertisement and marketing campaign laid before us by corporate America. We have taken on the title of “Conspicuous Consumption Champions of the World.”

Second, we have placed too much emphasis on creature comforts and have allowed ourselves to be defined by what we do on someone else’s job, rather than what we can do to create our own jobs. We have devalued business ownership and business education, and we have lost sight of selfsufficiency, self-reliance, and collective economic empowerment.

We have been lulled into the trap of thinking “the man” will take care of us or the government will take care of us, or our local politicians will take care of us.

That is so far from the truth it is not even funny. Besides, anyone or anything that has the power to give you all you need also has the power to take away everything you have.

With $1 trillion, coupled with trillions in intellectual capital, Black people in this country can do anything we set our minds to. I think we have gotten very lazy and complacent, because it makes absolutely no sense for us to be in the situation we find ourselves today. It simply means we have not been taking care of our business, while everyone else has.

We must get back to the way it was before integration and before Black people in this country were disintegrated.

For almost 50 years we have mimicked the Children of Israel, wandering in this desert called America, whining, murmuring, and complaining about our situation since we left Egypt in 1964 when Pharaoh (President Lyndon Johnson) signed the Civil Rights Act. Some of us even want to return to Egypt. We must use our $1 trillion to possess the land.

What we have been given was not given to us just for us, just for our families, and just for our friends. It was given to us to help others — even strangers.

Rich athletes and entertainers, who are already doing some fantastic things with their wealth, must look deep inside themselves and consider their own mortality.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

PAGE 10 • OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016

Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton (Cont'd from FP) They need to know the harsh reality that our people were severely mistreated, abused, ostracized and died for the opportunity to vote.

If we do not express the importance of being an active participant in voting rather than a pissed off commentator, we have failed future generations. Congressman Cummings also added, “We’ve always recognized that Black lives mattered, but we’ve set a profound statement

that we want crimi-nal justice reform.”

Due to the events that we’ve all seen displayed on our television screens, social media pages and in our own neighborhoods, the dire need for change has never been stronger.

The attention that has shed light to the injustices that are occurring on a daily basis has caused dialogue to occur amongst the people that can make change happen.

As a community, we have to have enough perseverance to

Hillary Clinton should not endure (Cont'd from FP) The stench has overshadowed real issues, such as the poisoned population of Flint, Michigan, the Black men murdered by police for walking or running while breathing, the carnage of murdered little children piling up in our bloody inner cities and the homeless families increasing because of builders like Trump pricing the poor and middle class out of the housing market.

As a shining example of what one group the Donald caters to is the new Trump hotel in the nation’s capital where one night’s lodging starts at $800 and soars into the thousands.

If you are not a millionaire or someone who delights in demeaning, despicable conduct, why else would you follow Trump?

Historically our democratic system based on a living and expensive Constitution has allowed us through much toil and pain to rise above the base, selfish, ugly acts of dangerous extremisms. As shown in the recently released video tape,

what Trump stands for we don’t need, in fact, his values demean us here at home and in the world.

Groping women is not normal. It is unnatural. It is brutish. It is sexual assault. To pass this off as just “locker room” talk sends a message that the foulest vulgarity is fine as long as it is shared behind closed doors. Instead of encouraging the public to cleanse ourselves of hateful, demeaning behavior his solution is to offend and assault those you deem vulnerable and of little value.

The kind of language Trump uses provides comfort to a tyrannical male supervisor, abusive husbands, those who delight in bullying girls and young boys who would see men like Trump as role models.

Trump’s words, however, are also demeaning to “normal” men-fathers, husbands, friends who value women as underserving of scorn and do not find vulgar locker room talk as acceptable.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

Westside Gazette see the whole process through.

Bringing it to light is only the preface of what needs to take place. “You have to find a way to turn protest into policy,” said Congressman Cummings.

“Hold us accountable!”

The presidential race is undoubtedly clouded in controversy.

Secretary Hillary Clinton has admitted to making mistakes concerning the mishandling of emails that contained confidential information.

She has also received flack for backing the 1994 Violent Crime Control Act signed by her husband, then-President Bill Clinton in which thousands of people were sent to jail and prison with stricter sentencing laws and mandatory minimums.

Since then, she has been supporting new legislation to reduce mandatory minimum prison terms due to the effects the bill had on many families, especially families of color.

Her opponent, Donald Trump………..do we even need to go there? His repeated use of “law and order” are code words

to an immensely dark past revealed in Ava Duvernay’s.

“Look, one of them is going to be President.” Cummings continued to weigh on both candidates and Clinton’s efforts to remedy issues that have devastatingly affected the Black community. “So if I am going to take a chance on one with history, the person who’s going to appoint the next Supreme Court Justices, I’d rather take my chances on that person (Hillary). We’ve all made mistakes.

Let me go to somebody that tries to fight discrimination as opposed to somebody that has discriminated against African Americans from the jump."

For people that think that business is going to be conducted as usual even if Donald Trump is elected as president, they are sadly mistaken. “Trying to get him [Trump] to first of all see me. Second of all respect me.

And then help me to create the life that I want for my children and generations going forth. I think I have a far better chance with a Hillary Clinton than a Donald Trump.”

Police chief group issues apology to minorities (Cont'd from FP) Apology ‘the first step’ Cunningham, chief of police in Wellesley, Massachusetts, added: “We must forge a path that allows us to move beyond our history and identify common solutions to better protect our communities. For our part, the first step in this process is for the law enforcement profession and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color.”

Cunningham’s remarks come at a tense moment in the history of relations between law enforcement and many communities across the United States.

Activists and others have decried the shooting of unarmed Black men at the hands of police. Protests have erupted in cities such as Ferguson, Missouri; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago and elsewhere over shooting deaths.

Names such as Philando Castile, a Black man fatally shot in a traffic stop in July in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Walter Scott, another Black man shot by a police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, have become rallying cries

for those who say police reform is needed.

Words ‘meaningless’ if nothing changes Police body cam videos and cell phone videos have captured some of these deaths, or the aftermath.

Cunningham’s remarks were met with praise, but also acknowledgment that this is just the first step.

In a tweet, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund said: “Some next steps: require anti-bias training; discipline officers who engage in bias policing.”

National Action Network President Al Sharpton welcomed the apology but said he wanted Cunningham’s words “backed by action.”

“Rev. Al Sharpton is keenly aware of the power of words but knows they are meaningless if nothing changes,” the group said in a statement.

Sharpton’s hope is that Cunningham “will urge officers around the United States to back his words up with action and legislation to protect communities of color from the onslaught of police misconduct that has disturbed the country.”

He said “this dark side of our shared history has created a generational, almost inherited mistrust” between many communities of color and the police officers who serve them.

“Many officers who do not share this common heritage often struggle to comprehend the reasons behind this historic mistrust,” Cunningham said.

“As a result, they’re often unable to bridge this gap and connect with some segments of their communities.”

Cunningham, whose association has more than 23,000 members in 98 countries, noted “those who denounce the police must also acknowledge that today’s officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past.”

“Overcoming this historic mistrust requires that we must move forward together in an atmosphere of mutual respect,” said Cunningham. “All members of our society must realize that we have a mutual obligation to work together to ensure fairness, dignity, security and justice.”

On Sunday, FBI Director James Comey told police chiefs at the same association’s convention that those who think there is an epidemic of shootings of Black people aren’t well-informed.

www.thewestsidegazette.com Congressman ElijahCummings

PrEP campaign targets Black women in Kharfen. “Then we moved to Washington, D.C. getting the message DistrictThis summer the Washington, D.C., Department of Health (DOH) rolled out its first preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) campaign targeting Black women.

The campaign #PrEPForHer—the first of its kind created by the D.C. DOH— invites Black women to take charge of their sex lives by taking the daily pill for protection against HIV, and explains that PrEP is safe and available for everyone.

The District’s HIV interim report for 2014 indicates that 92 percent of the women in D.C. living with HIV are Black, and 63 percent identified the mode of transmission as heterosexual contact. Nationally, HIV infection rates are down among Black women; however, Black women make up 64 percent of new infections and are twice as likely to contract HIV (pdf) during their lives as the average American.

“When we look at the number of new infections in the District, the second-highest group was African American heterosexual women. Effectively, 1 out of 5 new cases in D.C. are among African American heterosexual women,” said Michael Kharfen, senior deputy director of the HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration at the DOH. “That was the data-driven premise that determined the start of this campaign.”

Crafting culturally sensitive public health messages is paramount to the success of the campaign. When people see themselves and their cultures represented in campaigns, they identify with the message more closely.

PrEP has been marketed to gay and bisexual males since its approval in 2012. Although it has always been effective among heterosexuals, that message was not always conveyed.

So the D.C. DOH created a message designed to reach Black women.

“We started this by funding the Women’s Collective to do education and outreach,” said

wide. We did discussion groups and discovered that none of the women we spoke to were familiar with this. Their first reaction was somewhat angry because no one had been communicating to them about this option. Once they found out, they became much more interested.”

But actually getting PrEP into Black women’s hands will require them to demand the drug collectively, and the medical community to be more responsive. Other campaigns— such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Let’s Talk About PrEP,” rolled out in Atlanta, Baltimore and D.C.— educate Black women and encourage them to ask for PrEP prescriptions. The lack of awareness about PrEP can go both ways, though. Many doctors do not know what PrEP is or how it can help prevent new infections.

Myths make increasing PrEP uptake among Black women even more difficult. Many Black people mistrust members of the medical community, particularly with new medications, fearing harmful side effects.

“PrEP is safe. Very few people have side effects; those that do have very mild effects, like mild nausea. It’s not going to impact your health in a negative way,” says Kharfen. “If anything, it can make things better for women. Negotiating condom use can be challenging. Taking PrEP makes taking care of sexual health easier. This is a way that you can take charge and know for certain that you won’t be at risk for HIV.” PrEP is for people, period. If you’re at risk of acquiring HIV, learn as much as you can about it.

Candace Y.A. Montague is an award-winning freelance journalist in Washington, D.C. Her work is featured in several online and print publications.

You can follow her on Twitter.

To all politicians: politics include Black business too (Cont'd from FP) It would take many years of study for a person of my abilities to walk you through the absolute knowledge to know how politics work, since I matriculated through kindergarten at the ages of 2-8 years. They even held me back because I could not take the numbers off of our mail box when the teacher asked me for my address.

So let me just give it to straight with no chaser. If the political process, that includes people that look like me and those who don’t as well, do not recognize, in our case Black owned businesses, the need to support us as we deliver their political message of which should include the governing good of all; this means doing business as well with us and NOT on promises either. And for goodness sake don’t tell us with “all deliberate speed” you will make it happen.

In short order, if politicians do not support Black-owned businesses, then how can we as Black business owners in all honesty ask others to support them?

Yes, this election cycle is bringing out the best, the beast and all of the bovine excrements for one helluva function at the junction.

In the vernacular of the streets, “it just aint right!”

For all of you voters, when you see these politicians that have invested in using Black businesses for their printing and catering and for their different events held at Black facilities and Black-owned media are carrying their messages that uplift and not tear down; these are some of the indications that should beg us to look a little deeper into their actions.

So what if they come to our churches and places of worship once or twice a year and buy a table at the pastor appreciation banquet or the Urban League or the NAACP. Do they ever offer to speak on behalf of a troubled child or use Black owned businesses after the elections?

If they are not supporting our businesses, our communities and our causes, then ask yourself and them: “why should we support them?”

Do they ever offer to speak on behalf of a troubled child or use Black owned businesses after the elections?

If they are not supporting our businesses, our communities our causes, then ask yourself and them: “why should we support them?”

Westside Gazette

www.thewestsidegazette.com

OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016 • PAGE 11

The Miami Dolphins convincingly beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-15

The Miami Dolphins rout Pittsburgh Steelers in their 30-15 victory at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens Florida on Sunday, October 16, 2016.

(Photo credit by Ron Lyons)

LEGAL NOTICES PUBLICATION OF BID SOLICITATIONS Broward County Board of County Commissioners is soliciting bids for a variety of goods and services, construction and architectural/engineering services. Interested bidders are requested to view and download the notifications of bid documents via the Broward County Purchasing website at: www.broward.org/purchasing.

October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2016

Make Your Vote Count Vote on Tuesday, Nov. 8,2016

PAGE 12 • OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016

Westside Gazette

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‘A Penny At Work’ launched to educate Broward County voters about a proposed penny sales tax on the November ballot BROWARD COUNTY, FL – “A Penny At Work”, an informational program to educate Broward County voters about two one-half percent (or 0.5 cent) sales surtax questions, has been launched in advance of the November 8 election. This educational effort includes a dedicated website with an array of pertinent information to ensure that voters have the necessary tools to make informed choices.

Voters can visit www.APennyAtWork.com to view the language that will be on the November ballot plus learn about the plans set forth by Broward County and each of its cities to utilize the collected funds. Included on the website are a list of proposed projects by city, frequently asked questions and answers and links to each city’s local events calendar to list presentations pertaining to the sales tax questions. The online educational materials for the November 8 election were provided by local governments and are available in English, Creole, Portuguese and Spanish.

“We are happy to share the details of the upcoming sales tax levy as we want our residents to know what they are voting on,” said Lois Wexler, Broward County Commissioner for District 5. “This informational program will help voters make decisions by better understanding the details of how the collected funds would be spent by the County and individual cities, if approved by the voters.”

On the ballot, voters will first have the opportunity to vote on a half-cent sales surtax with funds earmarked to Broward County.

These monies would be allocated to countywide transportation projects including traffic signal synchronization, expanded senior mobility and enhanced transit options.

The voters second opportunity is to vote on the other half-cent sales surtax, which would provide additional funds for infrastructure improvements within each of Broward’s cities.

These projects can include, but are not limited to, repairing damaged streets and replacing aging water pipes to protect our water quality and prevent street flooding. Both of these questions must receive a majority of yes votes or they will both fail.

“We encourage all residents to learn more about this proposed sales tax and how it affects them,” said City of Weston Mayor Daniel J. Stermer. “There are needs within all of our cities and we encourage residents to review them.”

The Broward County sales tax is currently 6%, which is the state sales tax rate. If the 1% total additional surtax is approved in November 2016, the total sales tax rate would increase to 7% and will go into effect for 30 years beginning January 1, 2017.

Across the country in cities such as Atlanta and Los Angeles, voters are being asked to consider similar questions. Palm Beach County voters will also be asked to approve a sales tax increase for their county this November.

YOUR VO TE MA TTERS! VOTE MATTERS!

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Westside Gazette

OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016 • PAGE 13

Breast cancer deaths increasing for Black women

By Jennifer Clopton WebMD Health News Researchers have known for years that African American women die of breast cancer at higher rates than white women. Now a new study finds that the rates vary from city to city and the disparity is getting worse, not better.

The study, which looked at breast cancer deaths between 2010 and 2014 in the 43 most populous U.S. cities, found that African American women are 43% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women.

That is an increase from 2009, when the difference in death rates was 39.7%.

“This disparity results in 3,854 excess deaths of Black women every year. That is a shocking and alarming number,” says study researcher Marc S. Hurlbert, PhD, of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in New York.

In 42 of the 43 cities examined in the study, African American women die from breast cancer at higher rates than white women. In Boston, women of both races die at about the same rate.

The difference in death rates is “startlingly high” in Atlanta, where African American women are dying of breast cancer at a rate more than double that of white women, according to the Avon Foundation, which funded the study.

Cities topping the list with the largest breast cancer death disparities are: Atlanta, Austin, TX, Wichita, KS, San Antonio, TX, Kansas City, MO, Dallas, Memphis, TN, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and Chicago.

“My hope is that as people look at this data and see these numbers, they understand we need to make sure we are ending breast cancer for every woman, not just some women, and I hope it is a call

to action in many of these communities,” says Cheryl Heinonen, president of the Avon Foundation.

The study did find some cities, such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Memphis, had significantly improved the disparity. Re-

A Charitable Fashion Show featuring the Fabulous Vogue-Esquire Models of Chicago return to South Florida FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — The Fabulous Vogue-Esquire Models and Fashion Show of Chicago returns to South Florida on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016 at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center. The theme, An Evening of Jazz & Elegance will feature exquisite fashions created by an electric mix of designers from around the world.

In its 42nd year, the Fort Lauderdale (FL) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, a nationally recognized service or-ganization, is proud to present its annual charitable fundraiser showcasing the Vogue-Esquire Models of Chicago. This travel-ing fashion production company exposes guest to the best and latest in designer wearable fashions.

From the opening scene to the show’s finale, every seat will feel like a front row seat as the models present a world class amazing production of an “Elegant Fashion Event”.

Proceeds will benefit The Links Foundation, Incorpo-rated and the numerous Fort Lauderdale (FL) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated community programs and scholarships that are donated annually to youth within the Broward County and Fort Lauderdale community.

Get your tickets now! Fashion Show starts at 6 p.m. General Admissions Tickets $55.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets available at: Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fort-lauderdale-fl-chapter-of-the-links-incor-porated-presentstickets -27374861949 Tickets may also be purchased through members of The Fort Lau-derdale (FL) Chapter of the Links Incorporated.

To secure a Sponsorship packet: http://linksfortlauderdale.org. Instructions are included. Deadline Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016.

For information about The Fort Lauderdale (FL) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated: website: http://linksfortlauderdale.org

searchers say these cities are taking steps like setting up task forces aimed at improving mammography quality and expanding screening, diagnosis, and treatment programs to cover uninsured women. In Chicago, for example, the Metroolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force focuses on quality of breast imaging and quality of cancer care.

In Boston, public health leaders, including doctors and scientists, have formed the Boston Breast Cancer Equity Coalition, which works on a variety of strategies, says Tracy Battaglia, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health.

Those strategies include patient navigation, where guides are assigned to help atrisk women navigate medical care.

“Boston now has a rich network of patient navigators who meet regularly to share their best practices,” Battaglia says.

Next Steps Researchers didn’t analyze reasons for the disparities be-

(Archive photo). tween Black and white death rates in this study but have started another to address that question. They believe a number of things could be involved, including lack of access to quality health care.

One theory is that advances in mammography and in treating breast cancer “were disproportionately available to white women,” so breast cancer deaths among white women decreased, says study researcher Bijou Hunt, an epidemiologist at the Sinai Urban Health Institute in Chicago. “Black women were not getting the same access to resources, so their rates stayed the same or got worse,” she says. But researchers stress more research is needed to get definitive answers.

Sheryl Gabram-Mendola MD, director of the Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Center at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, sees firsthand the barriers many African American women face getting tested. Many don’t reach out for help until their cancer is at an advanced stage, she says.

(Read full story on www.thewestsidegazette.com)

PAGE 14 • OCTOBER 20 - OCTOBER 26, 2016

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