March 2015 - Black College Monthly

Black College Monthly
Visit us on the Web at
http://blackcollegemonthly.com
www.blackcollegefootballtoday.com
www.africanamericanvotersguide.com
On Every Campus
In Every Community
March/April
Black College Monthly
Policeman Who
Killed Eric Garner
Facing Reckless
Driving Charges
Laurence
Fishburne's 80year-old mother
says she's broke
and facing
eviction
Famed political
prisoner, Mumia
Abu-Jamal in
critical condition
Now at
http://blackcollegemonthly.com
2015
SANTA FE
COLLEGE NAMED
NATION’S TOP
COMMUNITY
COLLEGE
White Sports
Commentator Accuses
NCAA of ‘Organized
Theft of Black Wealth
Valerie Jarrett
reportedly leaked
Hillary Clinton email
to the press
Gainesville City Commission
Elections End In Run-Offs
Your Vote
Counts
April 14th
Black College Monthly
March/April 2015
2
March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
The Black Man’s Image in
Hollywood Needs to Change; This
Professor’s Ideas on How to do That
by Raveen Johnson
There is not enough discussion about the roles that
black male actors always
play in Hollywood. The
media has a strong influence
on our community, which
explains why our men have
been subject to either
submissive or subversive
character roles. Obviously
this is not all that black
actors are capable of
playing, but they are the
roles that will keep us from
exuding any power and
authority in the film industry.
Roland Leander Williams,
Jr., a professor at Temple
University, wrote a book
about male actors and their
recurring roles in Hollywood. “Black Male Frames: African-Americans in a Century of Hollywood Cinema, 1903-2003? gives a chronological timeline of a five actors who have played roles that reinforce
the black man’s stagnant place in Hollywood.
Mr. Williams focuses on Sam Lucas, Paul Robeson, Sidney Poitier,
Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman. These five men have
juggled the roles of Uncle Tom or black rebels at some point in their
career. Sam Lucas dates all the way back to 1839, which is a harsh
reminder that the limitations in black Hollywood started way before
some of us were even born.
It seems like it will take a miracle to change the roles that our black
men harbor in Hollywood because our goal is to be successful. In
being successful, no one sees a problem in the typical roles that black
men get. The problem lies in not getting any roles at all. It then
becomes a “take what they can get” situation that renders the idea
that as long as they are getting a role in Hollywood they are making
progress.
We need more people that will step back and refuse these roles and
demand that receive as much diversity in Hollywood as white actors.
This constant image of black men that circulates in Hollywood can
potentially be a downfall in our community. Even Professor Williams
feels that the marginalization of black males in these stereotypical
roles will eventually cause history to repeat itself. Since we see that to
already be happening, how do we make a change?
Paul Robeson never
played a “Uncle Tom”
role and paid for it
dearly. He is the
primary example of a
Black man standing
up to the executives in
Hollywood and
demanding respect. By
doing this he was
forced to only have a
limited number or roles he could accept and was eventually
forced to focus more on his singing opportunities. Hollywood
will never stop marginalizing the Black man in Hollywood
because he doesn’t usually command a huge box office pay
day. It is society in general that must allow Black men to be
men on film and in the real world.
Gainesville City Commission
Elections End In Run-Offs
Harvey Budd will face Jay Curtis for the at-large seat, and
Yvonne Hinson-Rawls will be up against Charles Goston for
the District 1 seat. The run-off election will be held on
Tuesday, April 14.
Budd said his focus now is on raising the money he needs to
continue his campaign.
“I’m a little in shock,” he said. “Hopefully, Jay and I will put
on a good contest, and I’ll be the winner of that.”
Charles Goston
In his speech after the results were released, Curtis thanked his
volunteers and expressed excitement.
“I couldn’t be more pleased we get to do this for four more
weeks,” he said. “This is me realizing I can give back to the
community and the chance is there.”
Goston, facing an incumbent, said he keeps the citizens first
and that’s what sets him apart from the other candidates.
“The only way that I can say thank you to them [the citizens
of District 1] is to make sure that they never have to suffer
through another three years or another term of a commissioner
that does not care,” he said.
Yvonne HinsonRawls
Hinson-Rawls was not as optimistic. She said she had planned on winning outright,
so she does not currently have a plan for the run-off. s“This is so bad,” she said. “I
sure didn’t want a run-off. That is punishing me for something.”
City of Gainesville Run-off Election
April 14, 2015
Election Time
Polling places are open 7 AM to 7 PM on Election Day, April 14, 2015.
The last day to register to vote in this election was Monday, March 16, 2015.
Races On The Ballot
Harvey Budd will face Jay Curtis for the at-large seat, and
Yvonne Hinson-Rawls will be up against Charles Goston for the District 1 seat.
Absentee Voting
The deadline to request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you for this
election is Wednesday, April 8th at 5:00 PM. Visit the Absentee Voting page for
more information. www.votealachua.com. Absentee ballots will be mailed out
on Monday and Tuesday, March 30 and 31 with ballots mailed daily thereafter as
new requests come in.
PLEASE NOTE: The Postal Service has changed its service standards for FirstClass Mail. For the majority of this mail, it will now take an additional day for
delivery. Be certain to allow ample time for your voted ballot to be delivered to
our office. Ballots must be received by 7:00 PM on Tuesday, March 17th.
Early Voting
Dates: Monday, April 6, 2015 - Saturday, April 11, 2015
Times: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Locations:
Supervisor of Elections, Administration Building: 12 SE 1st Street,
Millhopper Branch Library: 3145 NW 43rd Street,
Cone Park Library: 2801 E University Avenue,
Precinct Voting
Voting at your polling place on Election Day is easy. Remember to bring picture
and signature identification. For more information on the types of identification
accepted at the polls, go to www.votealachua.com. You can find which precinct
you are assigned to vote at by looking at your Voter Information Card. Remember to check our website prior to an election in the event there are changes to a
polling place location.
Black College Monthly
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — March/April 2015
District 1
Runoff
Gainesville City Commission District 1 and City Commission
At-Large elections ended Tuesday night with no candidate
receiving the needed 50 percent of the votes plus one to claim
an outright victory.
March/April 2015
3
Trevor Noah set to replace Jon Stewart on KKK Drops Fliers During 50th
Anniversary of Selma March
'The Daily Show'
While President Obama was
speaking about the progress
made in thisSelma klan country
since the Selma march 50
years ago, the Ku Klux Klan
was busy distributing racist
fliers.
By FRAZIER
MOORE
NEW YORK (AP)
— Trevor Noah, a
31-year-old comedian from South
Africa who has
contributed to "The
Daily Show" a
handful of times in
recent months, will
become Jon
Stewart's replacement as host, Comedy Central announced Monday.
In an interview with AL.com,
grand dragon of the Loyal
White Knights of the KKK,
Robert Jones, said 4,000 fliers
were distributed in the Selma
area
Noah was chosen a little more than a month after Stewart unexpectedly announced he was
leaving "The Daily Show" following 16 years as the show's principal voice.
New Jersey native Stewart is being replaced by the son of a black South African mother
and white European father. Noah has an international presence, and hosted a late-night talk
show in South Africa, "Tonight With Trevor Noah."
Noah, who has appeared on Jay Leno and David Letterman, was the subject of a 2011
documentary film by David Paul Meyer, "You Laugh but It's True," which followed his
career in post-apartheid South Africa.
He will join Larry Wilmore, a writer-comedian who replaced Stephen Colbert in January in
the half-hour slot following "The Daily Show." When Noah takes over, Comedy Central
will have completely remade the one-hour comedy block that gave the network critical
acclaim and, arguably, its identity.
In an interview, Noah likened himself to Stewart, his soon-to-be-predecessor, as a fellow
progressive.
"Obviously where you're from may inform a lot of your decisions. But traveling the world
I learned that progressives, regardless of their locations, think in a global space," he said by
phone from Dubai, where he is on a comedy tour.
"Although I'm a guy who happens to be not from the same place that Jon's from," he
added, "I've lived in America for years before I went back out on the road and I've learned
to love the place."
He dismissed the notion that he'll be "taking over" the program.
"I'm joining the team," he said. "I get to be a part of that as the host and a face, sharing
that space with my fellow correspondents."
According to Jones, the KKK is not upset about the commemorative Selma march.
“Everybody has a right to gather in this country, freedom of
speech,” he said, but Jones found it disappointing that people
are “supporting a man they don’t know about”, referencing Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.
This isn’t the first time that the KKK has dropped fliers at a
gathering of mostly African Americans. In 2013, during a
recruitment drive in central Florida, fliers were dropped shortly
before members of the state NAACP arrived for their annual
meeting.
“I think that’s their message they were trying to send, that
they’re still alive and well and they are right in our backyard, so
to speak,” said Bill Gary of the NAACP at the time.
“We don’t need the Ferguson report to know that’s not true,”
he said. “We just need to open our eyes, and ears, and hearts,
to know that this nation’s racial history still casts its long
shadow upon us. We know the march is not yet over, the race
is not yet won, and that reaching that blessed destination where
we are judged by the content of our character — requires
admitting as much.”
He played a game of "Spot the Africa," contrasting a picture of a gleaming new central
African superhighway with a pothole-filled picture of New York's FDR drive he took from
his cab ride into Manhattan.
Noah's selection means late-night TV continues to be a male-dominated domain. Tina Fey
and Amy Poehler were among the comics cited in public polls as favorites for the new role,
but there's no indication they were interested or considered.
"We love women," said Michele Ganeless, Comedy Central president. "We talked to
women and we talked to men, and we really think we found the best person for the job in
Trevor."
Although at the moment he is less than a household name, Ganeless called his selection not
so much a risk as an opportunity.
Stewart has been a part of the cultural landscape with a bitingly comic look at the news
and how it is covered in the media. He has not set a date for his exit from "The Daily
Show" and, as a result, Comedy Central said nothing on Monday about when Noah would
take over.
As is the custom for the KKK,
bags were dropped at residential homes containing both a rock and a flier.
President Obama noted during the Selma anniversary that
although progress has been made, America isn’t post-racial.
Noah made his debut on "The Daily Show" last December with a segment that poked fun
at cliched American images of his native Africa. With a reference to the "hands up" gesture
that was a symbol of protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, Noah said, "I never thought I'd be
more afraid of police here than in South Africa. It kind of made me nostalgic for the old
days back home."
"He was poised to explode here in this country over the next couple of years, and obviously this will accelerate that process," she said. "But people won't come to the show with
preconceptions. They will get to discover him, and form their opinions of him, as they
watch him host."
“We pretty much put out fliers,
some against King and some
against immigration,” Jones
said. “It’s time for the American people to wake up to these
falsehoods that they preach
about MLK.”
Black College Monthly
Editor & Publisher
Charles E. Goston
President and CEO - Charles E. Goston
National Offices Florida and Georgia
Advertising rates on request. To Advertise or contact
Black Colege Monthly
Phone # 1-352 335 - 5771
e-mail bcft2bcm@gru.net
“Its more than a College Magazine”
Black College Monthly
4
March/April 2015
March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
FAMU Wind Symphony becomes
first HBCU ensemble to play
Carnegie Hall
Alachua County Library District Foundation
awards annual Guy Hudspeth Award to Anita
Jenkins-McCarter
GAINESVILLE, FL - The Alachua County Library District Foundation recognized Anita Jenkins-McCarter, manager of the Library Partnership Branch, as the
2014 recipient of its annual Guy Hudspeth Award. In honor of Jenkins-McCarter
dedicated service to the Library District, a leaf was placed on Katherine's Tree at
Headquarters Library on Sunday, March 22, during the annual Katherine's Tree
award ceremony.
Jenkins-McCarter
was recognized for
35 years of impressive service at the
Alachua County
Library District.
She started as a
Library Page in
Circulation Services
and was quickly
promoted to Library Assistant. She helped in the Library District's transition to its
first computer system and also served as the first Library Assistant at the Jail
Library. Jenkins-McCarter then became a librarian and helped develop procedures
and implement services at the Jail Library. She served as librarian at Tower Road
Branch and in Headquarters Adult Services. She then served as Outreach Services Library Manager before becoming the Branch Manager at Library Partnership Branch after it opened in 2009.
The Guy Hudspeth Award, sponsored for the past eight years by the Kosman
Foundation, was named for Guy Hudspeth, former library manager at the Archer
Branch Library and the first recipient of the award in 2007.
Previous award recipients including Memree Stuart (2008), Martha Roberts
(2009), Phillis Filer (2010), Ike Welch (2011), Darba Owens-Simmons (2012),
and Bruce Stewart (2013) also have been honored with a leaf on Katherine's
Tree.
The Friends of the Library (FOL) also honored two of its members with leaves
placed on Katherine's Tree. Becky Davis was recognized for her 20 years of FOL
volunteering, and Peter G. Roode, M.D., was recognized for serving as president
of the FOL 2012-14.
Also honored with leaves placed on the Tree were Foundation Board Chair Hunt
Davis, Jr. and Board member Jeanne G. Davis along with Arlyn Lee Austin and
Matilda Hudnall Cockrell (daughter and mother of Board member Mitzi Austin).
Hallie and Ted McFetridge and the Quinn Family Charitable Foundation gave a
leaf in memory of Ted McFetridge's mother Neta Fallas McFetridge. Valerie M.
D'Ortona provided a leaf in memory of her son Kenneth Anthony "Tony"
D'Ortona. Lynne and Robert Holt gave a leaf in memory of Lynne's mother Ilse
G.. Weissmann.
"Katherine's Tree is a wonderful and fitting way to recognize the generosity of so
many individuals, the Kosman Foundation and the Quinn Family Charitable
Foundation, and the Friends of the Library in support of our mission," said Vice
Chair of the ACLD Foundation Board Dr. Pushpa Kalra. "Libraries have played a
meaningful role in the lives of the individuals these gifts have honored or memorialized with leaves on the Tree."
Each leaf on the tree represents a gift of $2,000 to the Alachua County Library
District Foundation to help advance its support of the Library. The Foundation is
a support group for the Library District and provides supplemental funding to the
Library District with an emphasis on long-term support and planned giving. For
more information on the Foundation and how to honor or memorialize a special
person, visit www.acldfound.org<http://www.acldfound.org> or email
ACLDFoundation3@gmail.com.
It’s official. Florida A&M University’s Wind Symphony made history
by becoming the first classical ensemble from a historically Black
college or university (HBCU) to perform at Carnegie Hall and is on its
way to the Kennedy Center in 2016.
The ensemble performed to a mostly full house Sunday at Carnegie
Hall under the direction of Dr. Shelby Chipman, associate professor and
director of symphonic bands at FAMU.
“This is an opportunity for us to perform on a main stage that’s incomparable to any stage in the world,” Chipman said. “The students have
been working very diligently the last couple of months.”
Performing a 40-minute set featuring five pieces, the nearly 60-member
wind symphony played Donald Hunberger’s arrangement of John
Williams' "Star Wars Trilogy," the powerful composition "Cloudburst"
and Bob Lowden’s rousing "Dixieland Jam" which featured several
soloists in the band and audience participation.
A highlight of the concert was the wind symphony’s finale, David
Maslanka’s "Symphony No. 7, Mvt. III." To prepare for the performance, Maslanka Skyped in during rehearsals to help the band with the
intricate piece.
“It’s overwhelming,” said FAMU senior and flute player Geralda
Ambroise. “It’s one of the most overwhelming feelings I’ve ever felt.
Just to know that I get to say that ‘I performed at Carnegie Hall’ on the
same stage as people like Dizzy Gillespie and Leonard Bernstein.”
St. Albans, Queens native Asa Gayle plays trumpet in the wind symphony and said coming back to his hometown to play at Carnegie Hall
is an honor.
“To know where I came from musically before I came to Florida A&M
University and to see myself excel to this point, it’s like something I
never experienced before,” he said.
Prior to the concert, alumni, family, supporters and school officials
attended a reception at Carnegie Hall. The gathering was sponsored by
the FAMU Foundation and proceeds are providing funds for scholarships, equipment and other performance needs for FAMU’s Department of Music.
FAMU President Dr. Elmira Magnum said the wind symphony represents the school’s highest level of excellence.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to expand our brand,” she said. “We
are a best in class university. Our mission is to serve the underserved
and we do it very well.”
Also in attendance was Tallahassee, Fla. mayor and FAMU alum
Andrew Gillum who traveled to New York on Sunday to attend the
concert.
“Florida A&M University should be proud, Tallahassee should be
proud. This was an amazing evening. The musicianship was on another
level,” he said.
Black College Monthly
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — March/April 2015
March/April 2015
5
Shonda Rhimes wants to
Replace “Diversity” With a
New Word – Should we Start
Using it?
Jay-Z makes a million dollars per show:
Here’s what everyone else earns
Some of us wonder why so many
young black men trade in their
educational opportunities for a
chance to drop rhymes on the
microphone. Hip-hop has become
the most marketed lottery ticket in
the black community, next to the
false dreams of the NBA and NFL.
Sure, a small percentage of kids
get a chance to eventually make
money as entertainers, but the
odds are one in a zillion (or
something like that).
By Joshua D. Copeland
These are the numbers and
Beyonce performing with Jay Z. Jay Z earns $1,000,000+
success stories most likely to be
for performing
sold to our kids through mainstream media, which is why black
While record deals once drove the aspirations of
people must work to ensure that the stories of
artists, today it is being able to find a wizard of an
doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs are told just as agency that really counts.
regularly. It’s much easier to become a surgeon
There are stars out there that are free agents and
than it is to become the next LeBron James, and
yet have millions to their names just because they
you don’t even have to grow to be nearly seven
were able to sign up with a booking agency that
feet tall.
could put them in front of a crowd over and over
The money sounds good at first, until you realize
again, guaranteeing money in everyone’s pockets.
that only an incredibly small number of artists ever What is quite interesting is the fact that almost all
get to live this life, and the big money is typically
the stars that have millions of fans across the globe
short-lived.
are actually represented by just a handful of
agencies. Prominent among them are William
If you hear a black child say he wants to be a
Morris Endeavor, CAA, the Agency Group and
professional athlete or entertainer, tell him make
ICM.
sports and entertainment his plan B, not his plan
A. If you don’t intervene, it could be disasterous.
New names in the rap game now make it their
For every Kanye West or Kevin Durant, there are
career goal to get themselves signed to one of
a thousand others who tried and failed and ended
these powerful money-makers instead of trying to
up broke in the process. It undermines our ability
land recording deals like the generations of artists
to form strong black families when young black
before them did.
men do not get a good education and learn how to
Below is a list of how much rappers get paid for a
build their own wealth.
show. Although the figures are ballpark, it gives a
Before the advent of the internet, artists and
hint as to how well they are fairing in comparison
musicians could rely on incomes that were generto one another.
ated from the direct sales of their work. Although
Artist
Price per Show
cassettes, and later CDs, were copied and boot25
Wale
$70,000
legged, there was still enough left for the stars to
24 B.o.B
$70,000
make money.
As internet usage spread torrent and peer-to-peer
sharing sites appeared and anyone could download
any kind of music and not pay a single cent for it.
This obviously hit the artists’ pocket hard and they
needed to find a better way to make sure that their
incomes didn’t diminish.
And so, the tour was born. Well, artists have
always toured, but it has now become the primary
way of earning money. Whereas in the past,
concerts were held to support album sales and
widen the fan base in the hopes that it would
increase album sales, it has now become the
opposite: artists release albums to generate interest
for new tours. Of course, ticket prices are hiked
up with the intention of widening profit margins.
Today, anyone from a newbie that can grab a
mike and hold an audience’s attention to superstars who have millions of fans are going on the
road as often as possible – and they are earning
big money.
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Jeezy
Big Sean
Common
Mac Miller
Ludacris
2 Chainz
Childish Gambino
A$AP Rocky
Rick Ross
Lauryn HIll
Snoop Dogg
The Roots
Kid Cudi
Wiz Khalifa
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
50 Cent
Nicki Minaj
Lil Wayne
Drake
Macklemore
Kanye West
Jay Z
$70,000
$75,000
$75,000
$75,000
$80,000+
$85,000
$85,000
$90,000-$120,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000+
$110,000+
$115,000
$125,000
$125,000+
$150,000+
$250,000+
$300,000+
$350,000-$600,000
$350,000-$700,000
$500,000+
$1,000,000+
The world is
changing in
television
today, with
Shonda
Rhimes as
the leader in
the front.
Now, she’s
taking a step
even further,
suggesting
that the word
“diversity”
should no
longer be
used. Are
we ready for
that?
While accepting her award at the Human Rights
Campaign’s gala event in Los Angeles last weekend, Rhimes voiced her opinion about how people
perceive diversity today.
“I get asked a lot by reporters and tweeters why I
am so invested in ‘diversity’ on television,”
Rhimes said, “‘Why is it so important to have
diversity on TV?’ they say. I really hate the word
‘diversity.’ It suggests something other. … As if
there is something unusual about telling stories
involving women and people of color and LGBTQ
characters on TV.”
She continued, “I am making TV look like the
world looks. Women, people of color, LGBTQ
people equal way more than 50% of the population. Which means it ain’t out of the ordinary. I
am making the world of television look normal.”
“The goal is that everyone should get to turn on
the TV and see someone who looks like them and
loves like them,” Rhimes added in her speech.
“And just as important, everyone should turn on
the TV and see someone who doesn’t look like
them and love like them. Because, perhaps then,
they will learn from them. … Perhaps they will
even learn to love them.”
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary states that the word
“normalize” means “to bring (someone or something) back to a usual or expected state or condition.” As such, it can also translate into the idea of
enforcing conformity or reducing something “to a
norm or standard.”
To many this is exciting news. Nobody ever has
to feel left out of Rhimes’ goal for television.
There are also others who don’t find diversity
normal…
If television is “normalized” rather than diverse,
can we still accept people for their differences?
What if the whole point of diversity was so that
people don’t have to be “normal?” What if
“normalizing” television is another form of conformity?
Black College Monthly
6
March/April 2015
March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
Why the Republican Party Could
Get the Black Vote But Never Will
by Benjamin Dixon
Stephen A. Smith (SAS) is, at times, a
complete idiot. His knowledge of political
history is as inept as my knowledge of
sport history prior to the franchising of the
Miami Heat in 1988. At other times,
Stephen A. Smith is not entirely wrong.
This is a rare occasion when he is both an
idiot yet not entirely wrong. Audio of
Stephen A. Smith surfaced today wherein
he stated that he wished African Americans
would, for one election, all vote Republican (you can watch the clip below). The
reason he wished this was not entirely
wrong, but the history lesson that he
attempted to wrap this suggestion in was.
Almost like a kid who has learned something new, SAS seems to be excited about
the knowledge that Republican support of
the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act
of 1964 and 1965, respectively. Perhaps he
gained this knowledge in a passing conversation with his pal, Sean Hannity, or while talking
with his co-anchor Chip Kelley. Who knows. But,
this is not the first time SAS has touted the fact that
Republicans pushed through key legislation that
helped black communities.
This is where SAS is completely wrong. Thinking
or asserting that the Republican Party of today is
ideologically the same as the Party that pushed
through the groundbreaking civil rights legislation is
absurd as suggesting that the Confederate flag
waiving Republicans of the modern day south are
the Party of Lincoln. The clearest evidence of this
is the fact that contemporary Republicans oppose
legislation that would reinstate key components of
the VRA that their “fore-bearers” worked so
earnestly to pass. The GOP today is neither the
party of Lincoln nor the party that forwarded the
Civil Rights legislation that Stephen A. Smith so
frequently credits them. The GOP today is the
Party of the impoverished South, corporations, and
the wealthy. It has been so since the passage of the
1964 CRA. Step your history game up, Stephen.
Parties don’t remain the same. Ideologies do.
A Simple Infographic to Help Stephen A Smith
Here is where Stephen A. Smith is not “entirely”
wrong. A swing Black vote would ensure that the
black community’s demands are met on a regular
basis. A voting bloc that large would determine the
outcome of every election if it was solidified and
swing. That is about as much as I can write about
where SAS is not entirely wrong. Everything else is
downhill from here.
The GOP could get the black vote because African
Americans are as socially conservative as most
Republicans. The GOP could get the black vote
because many African Americans view people living
on social safety nets with the same disdain as
Republicans. The GOP could get the African
American vote because blacks are highly religious
and aligned with a party that is becoming increasingly divided on issues of faith as evident by the
infamous vote during the 2012 Democratic National
Famed political
prisoner, Mumia
Abu-Jamal in critical
condition
by Herb Boyd
Mumia AbuJamal, one of
the world’s most
prominent and
celebrated
political prisoners, is reportedly
in a diabetic
coma and in
intensive care at
the Schuylkill
Medical Center
in Pottsville, PA.
Convention. All of these issues are possible
avenues for the GOP to win the lion share of the
African American vote. Yet, while many African
Americans are socially conservative, those issues
are not convincing enough for us to turn the reigns
of government over to a party that has gone to
new heights to defame the sitting President, justify
police shootings, vilify those same victims, and to
maintain the power structure that Bill O’Reilly
identified as white, Christian, men. The reality is,
until the Republican Party sheds the baggage of
the Confederate South and stops defending the
institutionalized racism that AfricanAmericans
know exists through experience, the GOP will
never win the black vote.
Then, there are the litany of other reasons blacks
will never vote for the contemporary version of
the Republican Party. Smith has bought into the
idea that blacks are only voting with the Democratic Party for race issues. This is both insulting
to the black community and an embarrassingly
lazy analysis– something that a first year sports
reporter would do. African Americans have
reasons not to vote with the GOP that span the
entire spectrum of social and economic issues.
Race is simply the linchpin or the straw that
consistently breaks the camel’s back– or as some
sports commentator would likely say, “the nail in
the coffin.”
Many of us would never vote with the GOP
because we understand the effects that their
economic policies have on the middle class and
the working poor. We understand the impact of
the hyper-aggressive neoconservative foreign
policy. We see the damage that the Bush regime
caused both in the United States and around the
world. We know full well who was in control of
the economy when it tanked, wiping out billions in
black wealth. Our memories are not as short as
conservatives. We know what life was like under
Reagan and both Bushes, and we simply have no
desire to return to the bad-old-days.
According to
emails from his
contingent of
supporters, AbuJamal was taken to the hospital facility on Monday
“Shackled to the bed, alone, and prevented from
knowing that his family is close by he remains in
intensive care. Prison officials and hospital officials when not spreading misinformation are
denying Mumia's family access to visits, while also
denying the family and his lawyers any information or records about his condition.”
His brother, Keith Cook stated “The rules that the
prisons have are very arcane. They don’t give out
any information about prisoners to their families or
anyone else. It’s like you have your hands tied
because you don’t know how the prisoner is and
you have no way of talking to him. I remember a
month ago--- Phil Africa exercising in the prison,
next thing they know they moved him to a hospital
and didn’t tell his family where he was, and three
days later he was dead.”
As of Tuesday morning, the family has been given
access to see Abu-Jamal who has been incarcerated since 1982 for the murder of Police Officer
Daniel Faulkner. Long the subject of countless
rallies and demonstrations with protesters, like
him, proclaiming his innocence, he spent years on
death row before being removed three years ago
and now serving a life sentence.
Veteran activist and a close associate of AbuJamal, Pam Africa was outraged by the treatment
and conditions he was enduring. “Prison officials
are lying,” she said. “Mumia is going through
torture at the hands of the Department of Corrections through medical neglect. It is clear to people
that they want to kill Mumia. They gave him the
wrong medication which made his condition
worse.
“Inmates on the inside who questioned what was
happening have been subjected to direct retaliation
by the superintendent,” Africa continued. “They
have been moving concerned inmates out of
Mumia’s unit in an effort to both bury and keep
this critical information from the public.”
Black College Monthly
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — March/April 2015
March/April 2015
7
SANTA FE COLLEGE NAMED NATION’S TOP University of Alabama
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Elects First Black SGA
President in 40 Years
TALLAHASSEE, MARCH 18,
2015 – Santa Fe College has
earned one of the nation’s top
accomplishments for achievement
among higher education institutions, winning the Aspen Prize for
Community College Excellence
over national contenders.
Last week the University of Alabama elected its
first black Student SpillersGovernment Association president in forty years.
The Aspen Prize is awarded every
other year. As the winner, Santa Fe
College earned $800,000 with the
award. Indian River State College
was also one of only ten finalists
for this year’s prize as Florida was
one of only three states with
multiple finalists.
In each year the Aspen Prize has been awarded, 14 of the 28 Florida College System institutions have
been eligible for this award - ranking them in the top 15 percent of community colleges nationwide.
Valencia College won the inaugural prize in 2011, and Broward College and Santa Fe College were
named to the top 10 in 2013.
Elliot Spillers, elected last week, is the first
black SGA president since Cleo Thomas in
1976.
"Congratulations to Santa Fe College for this incredible accomplishment. Every student, staff and
faculty member can be very proud of their work today.. I am so appreciative of the important role
Florida colleges play in preparing students for success in college, career and in life," said Commissioner
of Education Pam Stewart.
Normally, SGA presidents are selected by “The
Machine”, which is a network of fraternities and
sororities across campus, but Spillers was
elected by mostly popular support.
"I would also like to congratulate Indian River State College for being recognized as one of the top
colleges in the nation,” continued Stewart. “President Massey is our state’s longest serving college
president and his dedication is a model for all public servants."
Still, Spillers says he received some support
from “The Machine” because things are changing on campus.
“Acceptance of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence brings the understanding that it
recognizes every community college in this country,” said Dr. Jackson Sasser, president of Santa Fe
College. “Santa Fe College is proud to share the award with the students, employees and trustees of all
community colleges in our country.”
“The entire Machine is not a bad organization,”
Spillers says. “It took members within that
organization to stand beside me and go against
the grain and get me elected to this office. Just
like the rest of us on campus, they’re ready for
change. They’re ready for an inclusive environment on campus.”
The Aspen Prize, awarded every two years, recognizes outstanding institutions selected from an original
pool of more than 1,000 community colleges. With a singular focus on student success, the Aspen Prize
assesses community colleges' achievements in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree
completion, high rates of employment and earnings for graduates, and high levels of access and success
for minority and low-income students.
Black Heroes You Probably Never Heard Of
But Should Know
Robert Smalls (April 5, 1839 – Feb. 23, 1915)
Robert Smalls was an African-American born into
slavery in Beaufort, S.C., but during and after the
American Civil War, he became a ship’s pilot, sea
captain, and politician.
He freed himself, his crew and their families from
slavery on May 13, 1862, when he led an uprising
aboard a Confederate transport ship, the CSS
Planter, in Charleston harbor, and sailed it north to
freedom. His feat successfully helped persuade
President Abraham Lincoln to accept AfricanAmerican soldiers into the Union Army.
As a politician, Smalls authored state legislation that
gave South Carolina the first free and compulsory
public school system in the United States.
Spillers used social media to reach out to
organizations on campus including Greek and
minority clubs.
According to The Crimson White, Spillers
defeated Stephen Keller in last Tuesday’s
election.
“According to the Keller campaign, Spillers
received around 8,000 votes out of around
14,500 total. According to data provided to the
United Alabama Project by Kelli Knox-Hall,
that total is the most since the 2009 election
(14,469), surpassing last year’s total of 10,276,”
the student newspaper reported.
Although Spillers has held other positions within
SGA, he has never held an elected position
within the student organization.
Spillers, a junior, is studying business management and minoring in political science.
“This is my third time at this, and each time
I’ve grown tremendously as a leader and a
person,” Spillers told Al.com. “I’ve never lost
hope, hope for this university and what we’ll
accomplish in the next year. The real work
begins tomorrow. To all the students who voted
for me, thank you. It’s because of you we have
the opportunity to bring sustainable change here
to Alabama.”
Black College Monthly
8
March/April 2015
March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — March/April 2015
9
10 March/April
March 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
March/April
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — Marchl
20152015
11
12 March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
Ga. Police Fatally Shoot Man Over
Probation Violation
Howard University President
Proposes Tuition-Free HBCUs
By Kristin Wright
Police in Georgia claim they shot a 25 year
old black man outside his job Nicholas
Thomasbecause they feared for their safety.
The president of Howard University is proposing that
President Obama include historically black colleges and
universities in his push to provide two years of free
tuition for community colleges. (Published Wednesday,
Feb 4, 2015)
Cobb County and Smyrna police went to
Goodyear Tire to serve an arrest warrant to
Nicolas Thomas for violating probation.
The officers claim that Thomas spotted
them and tried to flee the scene. They claim
Thomas headed in the direction of the
officers, which is when they opened fire.
Howard University President Dr. Wayne Frederick wants
the White House to take its free community college
proposal a step further and include historically black
colleges and universities.
“When you go to serve a suspect who
knows that he is wanted, he is unpredictable
and we have to react based on his actions.
That’s what we did today,” Sgt. Ed Cason
with the Smyrna Police Department told
Channel 2 Action News.
Howard senior Kevin Peterman, who is the first in his
family to go to college, wants to see others get the same
benefits of higher education.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen, if you really look at the
finances of my family and what we had to offer,”
Peterman said.
An eyewitness at the scene disputes the
claim that Thomas threatened deputies and says police opened fire shortly after their arrival.
Frederick believes President Barack Obama's plan to
lower the cost of two years of community college to zero
should include historically black colleges and universities.
“They were standing behind the car, opening fire. He wasn’t driving towards them,” Brittany
Eustache, who was inside the Goodyear, told Channel 2 News. “The car was not moving when
they begin to shoot at him. The car had been stopped he hit curb he could go any further.”
"The students who come to Howard represent those
from the lower socio-economic status in our undergrad
population," he said.
Reporter Rachel Stockman asked Eustache, “So at no point was he making any aggressive
moves?”
At Howard, graduation rates increase by 10 percent
among students who receive full rides, Frederick said.
“None, none at all. They immediately opened fire on them,” Eustache said.
Both of Thomas’ parents arrived on the scene after the shooting.
“He was a lovable guy,” mother Felicia Thomas told the news station. “He was just a lovable guy.
He would do anything for everybody. He just loved cars. He loved his family. He just had a baby.
His baby is not even 5 months old.”
The young man’s father just wants answers.
"If we don't have the historically black colleges and
universities as places these students can be taken in, we
certainly will be educating less people of color," he said.
“Black Coffee” –
This might be the most positive
black movie you’ve ever seen
“I guess now, I just want to understand what happened, because I hear so often and here it is
now. I’m a professional, my wife is a professional and we have a kid that’s dead,” Thomas’
father, Huey Thomas told Channel 2 News.
Neither parent can understand how their son died over a probation violation.
Discover Unlimited Possibilities @ your
library during National Library Week April
12- 18:
Gainesville, Fla. – The
Alachua County Library
District (ACLD) will join
libraries nationwide in
celebrating National
Library Week April 1218, a time to highlight the changing role of libraries and to celebrate the contributions of our
nation’s libraries and librarians. This year’s theme is “Unlimited Possibilities @ your library.”
Libraries today are transforming lives through innovative educational resources and forwardthinking programming. Libraries are doing their part to close the digital divide and level the playing
field by providing free access to information and technologies that many in their communities
would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. ACLD serves Alachua County by providing e-books and
technology classes, materials for English-language learners, programs for job seekers and much
more.
“Our libraries have always been a place of unlimited possibilities,” said Library Director Shaney T.
Livingston. “Whatever your interest or need, our libraries and staff are here to provide you the
resources you need to accomplish your goals and dreams. Our staff work with hundreds of
organizations, small business owners, students and the public at large to discover and meet the
needs of our community.”
The film “Black Coffee” is a must-see for
any black person who
loves a good love story
that doesn’t possess all
of the negative stereotypes that we are so
accustomed to seeing in
film. Black people
aren’t used to seeing
themselves as the hero,
the lover, the businessman, or the person
bringing positive
energy to the film. Instead, we are too often
typecast in ways that are simply demeaning.
Mark Harris says that when he wrote the script for
the film “Black Coffee,” he refused to take it to
Hollywood. He felt that while he might receive
money for his film, the original vision would be
distorted into something that was unhealthy for
black people. It turns out that this was the best
decision he could have made.
Since the release of “Black Coffee,” the film has
received rave reviews from fans, most of whom
are excited about all of the wonderful images of
black people presented in the film.
Black College Monthly
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — March/April 2015
March/April 2015
13
Policeman Who Killed Eric Garner
Facing Reckless Driving Charges
U.N. Slams U.S. As The
Only Country That
Sentences Children To
Die Behind Bars
By Lyonel Laverde-Hansen
The NYPD officer who avoided indictment in the Eric Garner homicide case is still facing a
lawsuit over another incident. Officer Daniel Pantaleo was just named as a defendant in a civil
action filed in Queens Supreme Court against the department, which alleges that he crashed his
police car into another man’s vehicle on Staten Island.
April V. Taylor
There are a lot of things about the American criminal
justice system that make this country one of the
cruelest and harshest places a person can be sentenced
to jail or prison. Two of the most sinister aspects are
the way children are treated and harsh sentencing, and
the fact that these two aspects combine to make the
United States the only country “in the world that still
sentences children to life imprisonment without the
opportunity for parole,” is heart wrenching. There are
approximately 2,500 people in United States’ prisons
currently that are serving life without the possibility of
parole sentences for crimes that were committed when
they were juveniles.
The alleged incident took place on the afternoon of June 20, 2014. This resulted in “severe and
permanent” injuries to the victim. As reported by the New York Daily News, Leonardo Aguirre
stated that Pantaleo’s car was speeding rapidly behind him. Then the two cars had an accident
about 15 minutes away from Pantaleo’s 120th Precinct station.
A police source counters the allegations of the suit, saying that Pantaleo’s vehicle was a marked
patrol car, which was heading in the direction of an assault call with its emergency lights on.
Then it was struck by a different vehicle.
The fender-bender took place a few weeks before he employed a chokehold move—seen on
video all over the world—on unarmed Eric Garner. The incident ended in Pantaleo killing
Garner. The unarmed man was accused of selling loose cigarettes. Though the medical examiner determined Garner’s death a homicide, a Staten Island grand jury last fall refused to indict
Pantaleo.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture Juan
Mendez recently made comments in a report to the
United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva,
calling out the United States for imposing what
amounts to cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment.
The comments build on his previous report on the
United States’ cruel incarceration practices and point
out that America’s practice of sentencing children to life
in certain cases is a violation of multiple international
laws, including the Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
Garner’s killing and those of other unarmed Black men at the hands of police around the
country have sparked nationwide protests and campaigns against police brutality.
The New York Daily News also reports that Pantaleo has been sued other times as well. They
state, “At least four New Yorkers have previously filed suits against the 29-year-old Pantaleo,
including Darren Collins and Tommy Rice, who won a $30,000 settlement after charging that
Pantaleo strip-searched them in public after a Staten Island traffic stop in 2012 and slapped
their testicles.”
They also report that now the Legal Aid Society has filed a lawsuit against the Civilian Complaint Review Board—which is the agency charged with monitoring the NYPD—in order to get
a hold of Officer Pantaleo’s disciplinary history.
Mendez specifically stated, “Life sentences or sentences of an extreme length have a disproportionate
impact on children and cause physical and psychological harm that amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading
punishment. The fact that so many juveniles are held in
solitary confinement in U.S. jails and prisons is also
another thing Mendez called attention to. He stated, “In
accordance with views of the Committee against
Torture, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
and the Committee on the Rights of the Child the
Special Rapporteur is of the view that the imposition of
solitary confinement, of any duration, on children
constitutes cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment or even torture.”
Though cleared by the grand jury, Garner’s case is still being investigated by both the police
department and the U. S. Department of Justice. According to the Daily News, Pantaleo said
he now feels “very bad” about Garner’s death.
A department spokesman said Pantaleo, who began as a New York City police officer in 2006,
is on modified duty for now.
Aguirre’s lawyers would not furnish additional details about the crash until the city’s lawyers
have had their opportunity to react to the lawsuit.
Laurence Fishburne's 80-year-old mother says she's
broke and facing eviction this week because her
superstar son refuses to call her
By Michael Zennie F
Laurence Fishburne is a multimillionaire actor with roles
on hit shows on both ABC and NBC and a part in the
upcoming 'Superman v. Batman: Dawn of Justice.'
His 80-year-old mother, meanwhile, is broke and facing
eviction - and her successful son refuses to call her, she
told the New York Post.
'He's gone Hollywood. For 20 years, I funded my son’s
career. He promised me he would take care of me. ... To
this day, I have not got a Christmas present or a "Thank
you, Mama" present. He hasn’t given me a penny,'
Hattie Crawford Fishburn, 80, holds
Hattie Crawford Fishburne told the newspaper.
up her eviction notice as she claims
Fishburne is producer and star of ABC's 'Black-ish'
she's being kicked out of her Los
Angeles apartment - and that her son
She says she's living on $3,000 a month from social
security and her pension from years of teaching in public can't be bothered to pick up the phone
schools in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
Mrs Fisburne says she's struggling to pay her medical expenses from her arthritis, underactive
thyroid, high cholesterol and injuries she sustained in a massive car crash.
Mendez’s report comes two years after the Supreme
Court ordered states to stop sending juveniles to prison
for life without the possibility of parole. Of the 28
states that were ordered to change their juvenile
sentencing policies, most have not done so or have
passed new laws that are really similar to previous laws
and require offenders to spend decades in prison before
being up for parole. In the Supreme Court majority
opinion statement, Justice Elena Kagan concluded that
life without parole for minors is a violation of the
Eighth Amendment’s ban on “cruel and unusual
punishment.”
Mendez has also called for a ban on long term solitary
confinement, as it essentially amounts to torture, no
matter how old an inmate is. In discussing Mendez’s
report, Critical Resistance communications director
Mohamed Shehk points out that children being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole is “just
one aspect of a system that continues to lock up people
and destroy communities.”
Black College Monthly
14 March/April 2015
March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
Two Women Lead Global Crusade Against
US Dept. of Justice For Unresolved Mass
Murders of Black People
Valerie Jarrett reportedly
leaked Hillary Clinton email
scandal to the press
If the most recent media reports are to be believed, there is a continuous and
growing war between the Obama Administration and the powerful Clinton
family. A report from The New York Post is claiming that Senior Advisor
Valerie Jarrett was the one to have leaked information that led to a scandal in
which Hillary Clinton was forced to admit that she was using her personal
email address for State Department messages, which is a violation of federal
law.
Paula Johnson (left) and Janis McDonald (right) of the
Cold Case Justice initiative at Syracuse University.
by Ashley Naples
In an unprecedented action, the
United States Department of Justice
will be accused of failing to account
for the whereabouts or lives of
hundreds of African Americans who
either vanished or were murdered by
the Ku Klux Klan and other groups in
the civil rights period of American
history in front of the United Nations.
The movement is led by two women,
professors Paula Johnson and Janis
McDonald of the Cold Case Justice
initiative at Syracuse University.
In Geneva the UN’s human rights
council will be informed at a special
meeting of its functioning group about
how the surge of racial violence,
which pervaded the deep south in the
1940s through the 60s, has never
been addressed even taking into
account a congressional law from
seven years ago which directed the
FBI to review the cases. This accusation will be brought to the UN by a
union of lawyers and civil rights
experts from Syracuse University
who have examined and investigated
scores of cold cases of race murders
that have never been brought to
justice.
They are prepared to present to the
UN—which has engaged in comprehensive review of the United States’
human rights record—a list of over
300 questionable killings that the FBI
has not even acknowledged, let alone
resolved.
Using that standard, there have been
hundreds, possibly thousands of
murderers who have committed these
crimes as white supremacists while
enjoying total impunity. A small but
undetermined number of them remain
alive and at large.
“The United States has never come to
terms with accountability for the
devastating loss of life during a time
of domestic terrorism that continued
in many forms after the legal end to
slavery,” is what the Syracuse team
will state at the United Nations.
The FBI has compiled a list of 126
victims of suspected racial killings
before 1970, where no prosecution
took place. The Attorney General,
Eric Holder, presented a report to
Congress under the Emmett Till Act.
Holder said the department had
engaged numerous resources to that
effort, including more than 70 federal
prosecutors.
The Act was named for Emmitt Till,
a 14-year-old black boy, who in 1955
was tortured and drowned after he
allegedly whistled at a white woman.
His grisly murder became a rallying
point in the civil rights struggle. The
cold case lawyers counter that there
have been many fundamental flaws
in the manner in which the Department of Justice has tried to meet the
obligations of the act. They contend
that the FBI’s current total of 126
victims grossly understates the
number of racial killings in the 1940s,
50s and 60s, and that the list of
names has barely changed since the
act went into effect.
“Only a handful of names have been
added to the partial list that existed
when the law was passed,” the Cold
Case Justice Initiative writes in its
official statement to the UN group.
Since the passage of the Emmett Till
Act, only one person has been
successfully prosecuted. In 2010,
James Bonard Fowler, a former
Alabama state trooper, pled guilty to
the 1965 shooting of civil rights
demonstrator Jimmie Lee Jackson.
Fowler received a six-month prison
sentence.
President Obama, Hillary Clinton and Valerie Jarrett (C)
The Post claims that Jarrett leaked the story through outside sources in hopes
that it would not be traced back to the White House. The leaks occurred right
before Clinton was set to announce her candidacy for president.
The story about Jarrett’s role in the leak was written by Ed Klein, who spoke
on the matter this week on “Fox and Friends.”
“Obama and Valerie Jarrett will go to any lengths to prevent Hillary from
becoming president,” said a source close to the White House.
“They believe that Hillary, like her husband, is left of center, not a true-blue
liberal.”
The current tension is said to be linked to the midterm elections, when many
candidates did not want to be seen with President Obama. According to
Klein, Jarrett felt that this reaction was due to the Clinton family seeking to
“marginalize the president,” as they were “trying to wrestle control of the
Democratic Party away from Obama.”
Klein also claims that Jarrett went even further to get her revenge, including
getting Monica Lewinsky into the media, and also complaining about the
Clintons behind closed doors. She and Obama reportedly had the Clintons in
for a meeting to let them know that they would not support Hillary Clinton’s
candidacy for president, at least not in the primary.
While telling the Clintons that the president would remain neutral during the
primaries, Jarrett was reportedly speaking with Martin O’Malley, the former
governor of Maryland, and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts about
running in 2016 against Clinton.
“She’s promised O’Malley and Warren the full support of the White House if
they will challenge Hillary for the presidential nomination,” said a source.
Klein is also the author of “Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas.” He
says that a friend of the Clintons told him that Bill said, “My contacts and
friends in newspapers and TV tell me that they’ve been contacted by the
White House and offered all kinds of negative stories about us.”
The source also told Klein that Clinton said the “Obamas are behind the email story, and they’re spreading rumors that I’ve been with women, that
Hillary promoted people at the State Department who’d done favors for our
foundation, that John Kerry had to clean up diplomatic messes Hillary left
behind.”
Black College Monthly
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — March/April 2015
March/April 2015
15
16 March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
By Mayor Daisy Black
Floyd quits as
party's leader
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: "Voting is
the foundation stone for political action." This
was a rallying call for African Americans during
the civil rights era that led to African Americans
getting involved in the political process and being
heard. This was also the challenge given to them
to overturn voter suppression at its core.
Chuck Floyd has resigned as chairman of the
Alachua County Democratic Executive Committee, saying he is not up to the rigors of this
year's election season.
Can African Americans voters unite behind the Florida
Democratic Party?
The committee will meet on June 9 to pick a
replacement for Floyd, who was elected to a
four-year term in 2000.
Today, there is still talk of black voter suppression
in Florida. Some Blacks feel there is truth to this
and the suppression is not just from the republicans , but democrats as well.
The Florida Democratic Party relies heavily on its
clubs and caucuses to help get out the vote in
partnership with their respective county democratic executive committees. Statewide, there are
over 150 democratic clubs and caucuses chartered
under the Florida Democratic Party. The Florida
Democratic Party Clubs and Caucuses' committee
recertifies these groups every odd year so that
they can be ready for the even year elections.
One of the longest chartered caucuses is the
Democratic Black Caucus of Florida, which was
organized in 1981 at the Florida Democratic Party
convention in Hollywood, Florida, and chartered
three years later by the Florida Democratic Party.
Since 1984, the Florida Democratic Black Caucus
has been a staple in getting candidates elected in
Florida. African American voter percentages
average over 80% of the democratic vote in
Florida.
Unfortunately, now, there is a serious issue and
political turmoil in the Democratic Black Caucus
of Florida's state caucus. The belief of some
blacks in the Democratic Black caucus is that the
Democratic Party is taking the African American
vote for granted. In order to reduce this turmoil,
the leadership at the Florida Democratic Party, the
new elected leadership in the Democratic Black
Caucus and the chair of Florida Democratic
Party's Clubs AND CAUCUSES have to realize
that they must sit down with the total Democratic
Black Caucus membership and regain their trust.
Many black caucus members from large counties
feel they are being ignored by these three entities
and in particular, the chair of the Clubs and
caucuses committee that charters the county
chapters. Numerous written correspondences and
phone calls to the Florida Democratic Party chair
and chair of clubs and caucuses have been ignored
and c omplaints dismissed when no clear action
has been put forth to resolve the turmoil.
There's also the concern that the Florida Democratic Party's support of the new elected Democratic Black Caucus president gave him an unfair
advantage when two other candidates were in the
running.
Since the new Democratic Black Caucus president was elected on April 27, 2013, nine months
ago, not one Democratic Black Caucus county
chapter has been recertified to date. New roadblocks, in the guise of assessments, have been
implemented by the new Democratic Black
Caucus president to keep chapters that don't
support his new directives from being recertified.
Its ironic, that all of the other Florida democratic
party clubs and caucuses have been recertified
using the standard guidelines outlined in the
bylaws of the Florida Democratic Party. Only
the black caucus chapters are being denied
recertification. One assessment By the Black
Caucus President required county caucuses to
get their chapter's bank signature cards and turn
them over to the new him. What's that all about?
Is this even legal. Maybe a call to the FDLIC is
in order.
The new Democratic Black Caucus president
has told the Democratic Black Caucus executive
board he wanted to change the name and direction of the organization to handle civil rights
violations that investigate police misconduct. He
implemented a new program call the "Speaker's
Tour." GOTV (Get Out The Vote) has been
placed on the back burner and the goals of the
Democratic Black Caucus are not being addressed. I cringe to think of what the surviving
founding members of this organization must be
thinking after they fought so hard for African
Americans to have a voice in the Florida Democratic Party.
We are now eight months away from the 2014
primary election and the turmoil is still evident in
the Democratic Black Caucus. Complaints are
falling on deaf hears with the Florida Democratic
Party, Clubs and caucus committee chair and the
Democratic Black Caucus.
Die Hard members of the Democratic Black
Caucus stand behind a quote of President Nelson
Mandela: "What happens when differences
arise? We address them, discuss them on merit,
persuade one another and reach a consensus. If
the Florida Democratic Party does not want to
address the turmoil and distrust coming from the
members of the Democratic Black Caucus of
Florida against them, then we can answer the
question ourselves of can African Americans
voters unite behind the Florida Democratic
Party?. The answer will be a resounding NO!
Daisy Black was elected Mayor of the Village
of El Portal on November 2, 2010and is Past
President, Democratic Black Caucus of Florida
"I just don't have the energy level, and my
doctor said I don't need all this stress," said
Floyd, 69, a retired medical records director,
from Gainesville. "They need somebody that
has more energy to put into this than I have
because this is going to be probably the most
important presidential race of my lifetime."
Floyd said he timed his resignation to ensure
that no disruption will occur in the party as the
elections heat up in summer and fall. With the
June 9 vote for a new chairman, Floyd's
successor will be in place when the party opens
its election headquarters in downtown
Gainesville on July 1.
Alachua City Commissioner Bonnie Burgess is
vice chairman. She described Floyd as a
"dynamic leader" and said she is willing to
follow him as chair, but adding it will take a
vote of the committee to decide.
Among the accomplishments cited by Floyd
during his term is boosting the party's coffers.
The party now has about $30,000 in the bank.
He added he will remain a member of the
committee and active in the party.
"I've been involved with the (committee) for
about 10 years. I was treasurer for four years
and then elected chair. I think things have
worked out well. When I started as chair, we
didn't have a penny. Then we started those
wonderful fund-raisers and now we have quite
a lot of money," Floyd said. "I got the award as
the outstanding chair in the state in 2002. So
Alachua County is recognized as having one of
the best (committees) in the state."
Party activist Alex Patton of Gainesville, sales
manager for Cox Media, lauded Floyd for the
work he has done as chair. Patton said party
members have spoken to him about the
chairmanship, adding he will give consideration
to it during a vacation in Scotland next week.
"I'm very sad. Chuck has been recognized as
one of the best chairs in the state," Patton said.
"I've had a couple of people approach me
about it, but it is a time commitment and there
are other things I would have to pare down.
Somebody who does this is going to have to
have the time and get real geared up for the
presidential election."
African American Voters Guide July 2014
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — March/April 2015
17
FAMU 2015 Football
Schedule
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – New Head coach Alex Wood, appointed
to take the helm of the storied Rattler program on December 23,
will lead his charges through a challenging gauntlet of games that
features three
non-conference
matches and
eight MidEasternAthletic
Conference
bouts.
September will
be a strong
opening act for
the Rattler
squad, as they
face three
straight road
games to open the season, beginning with the Sept. 5 lid lifter in
Tampa against the University of South Florida Bulls at Raymond
James Stadium.
The Rattlers will then head to Birmingham, Ala., Sept. 12 to face
the Samford University Bulldogs , followed by their Sept. 19
MEAC opener sgainst the South Carolina State Bulldogs in
Orangeburg. They wind down the month at home, Sept. 26
against the Big Blue Tigers of Tennessee State.
Conference games will dominate the October and November play
dates, beginning Oct. 3 with the road test against the Savannah
State Tigers in Savannah, Ga.
Home in Bragg Stadium will be the theme for the remainder of
October, as the Rattlers will host three home games in four
weeks: Oct. 10 against the Eagles of North Carolina Central;
Oct. 17 against theDelaware State Hornets, and following an
open date on Oct. 24, against the North Carolina A&T Aggies,
on Oct. 31.
In November, FAMU closes the regular season as they began the
campaign with three straight on the road: Nov. 7 against the
Hampton Pirates at Hampton, Va.; Nov. 14 against the Bears of
Morgan State in Baltimore,Md., and Nov. 21 against archrival
Bethune-Cookman in the Florida Blue Florida Classic in the
Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Season ticket packages are being finalized for the 2015 FAMU
Home Schedule, and will go on sale beginning Wednesday, Jan.
14 at the Rattler Box Office in The Al Lawson Center.
White Sports Commentator Accuses
NCAA of ‘Organized Theft of Black
Wealth’
Reported by Victor
Ochieng
The issue of paying
NCAA student athletes
keeps popping up, with
different personalities
giving different opinions.
Adding to the long list of
those with opinions about
the matter is Dave Zirin
(pictured), a sports editor
for The Nation, a weekly magazine. Zirin has joined in on the debate, specifically talking
about March Madness.
The well-known political sportswriter was speaking during a discussion on why NCAA
athletes aren’t paid when he told MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry that the athletes
deserve to be paid since they get involved in activities that directly generate money for
the NCAA, including advertising corporate bodies.
“Who is wearing the corporate logos as they run up and down the court? It’s players who
we are watching and yet they don’t get paid for it,” he said.
Zirin showed concern that everybody else gets swayed by the many legal arguments used
to justify why the players aren’t paid. Without mincing his words, he referred to the trend
as rank exploitation.
“I have no idea what their defense is at this point other than them hiring lawyers who
aren’t working for free who go and argue that the money has to stay away from the
players’ pocket… We all become party of this rank exploitation. We become collectively
corrupted… When we stop trying to speak in politically correct language what we’re
looking at is the organized theft of black wealth,” said Zirin.
It’s estimated that the March Madness basketball tournament generates a whopping $700
million each year. An event can only generate a significant amount of money if it’s
popular, thus attracting gate collections, advertisement fees, partnerships, and funding.
According to Zirin, the tournament generates so much money because it’s a nationally
celebrated event as a result of the efforts the players put in.
“It’s an incredible spectacle,” said Zirin. “It’s absolutely narcotic. It’s a national obsession.”
Should the NCAA players be paid?
Well, according to President Obama, student sports will lose its meaning if the players are
paid.
However, there are several individuals and organizations that think otherwise.
Call (850) 599-3141 for ticket reservations or, for more information.
2015 BETHUNE COOKMAN
FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
2015 FAMU
FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 5
Sept. 12
Sept. 19
SEPT. 26
Oct. 3
OCT. 10
OCT. 17
OCT. 31
Nov. 7
Nov. 14
Nov. 21
at University of South Florida
at Samford University
at South Carolina State*
TENNESSEE STATE
at Savannah State*
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL*
DELAWARE STATE
*
NORTH CAROLINA A&T*
at Hampton University*
at Morgan State University*
Bethune-Cookman *
*-Conference games;
Tampa, Fla.
Birmingham, Ala.
Orangeburg, S.C.
HOME
Savannah, Ga.
HOME
HOME
HOME
Hampton, Va.
Baltimore, Md.
Orlando, Fla.
Date
Opponent
Location
Time (ET) Media
Sat, Sep 05
Sat, Sep 12
Sat, Sep 19
Sat, Sep 26
Sat, Oct 03
Sat, Oct 10
Sat, Oct 17
Sat, Oct 24
Sat, Oct 31
Sat, Nov 07
Sat, Nov 21
Miami (Fla.)
Grambling State
Lane
Savannah State *
North Carolina Central *
South Carolina State *
North Carolina A&T *
Norfolk State *
Delaware State *
Morgan State *
Florida A&M *
Miami Gardens
Grambling, La.
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach
Durham, N.C.
Daytona Beach
Greensboro, N.C.
Daytona Beach
Dover, Del.
Daytona Beach
Orlando
TBA
TBA
4:00
4:00
TBA
4:00
TBA
4:00
TBA
4:00
TBA
* Conference Games
Black College Monthly
18 ESPN 1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
1380 The Cat
ESPN 1380 The Cat
March/April 2015
March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY
BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY — March/April 2015
19
Lawyers who put clients first.
Glassman &
Zissimopulos
Law
Attorneys
Dan Glassman
and
Nick Zissimopulos*
Glassman & Zissimopulos Law is a civil and criminal defense law
firm in Gainesville, Florida. With more than 30 years of practicing
legal representation between them, Gainesville attorneys Dan
Glassman and Nick Zissimopulos have represented clients in cases
involving:
Wrongful death
Professional Negligence Criminal Defense
Auto accidents
Premise Liability State Federal Criminal Defense
Medical Malpractice
Nursing Home Negligence
Glassman & Zissimopulos Law
804 NW 16th Ave.,
Suite B
Gainesville, FL 32601
We put clients first!
Call (352) 505-4515
Toll-free: (844) 787-2543
www.putclientsfirst.com
Black College Monthly
20 April 2014
March/April 2015 — BLACK COLLEGE MONTHLY