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St. Pete Bulletin
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Inform, Educate and Entertain
Vol. 3 No. 26
Celebrating Our 3rd Great Year
December 10, 2015 $1
Meeting to Make a Difference
ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Community organizers Sherman Saxton, Anthony Cates III,
Alan Anthony, Lewis Stephens and supporter called the community to action last Wednesday
to discuss the senseless crime plaguing south St. Pete and implement a 90 day working
plan to begin solving issues.
ST PETERSBURG, FL - On a glorious Sunday afternoon Ms. Minnie Daniels is
radiant in her green and gold ensemble after attending church at Southside Church
of Christ located on 4668 15th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL.
photo Barbara Sorey-Love
photo credits Jabaar Edmond
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Page 2 - December 10, 2015 • St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper
How
Blind will America BE ?
By James Clingman NNPA News Wire Columnist
Jim Clingman
Gil Scott-Heron once asked:
“Just how blind will America
be? The world is on the edge of
its seat; defeat on the horizon,
very surprisin’, that we all can
see the plot and claim that
we cannot. Just how blind
America?” Today, forty years
later, we ask, “Just how blind
will Black America be?” We
should be able to see the plot,
but many claim they cannot.
We are heading down the same
political road that got us into
our current condition of political
impotence and irrelevance.
The next election and all of
its current hoopla exposes the
continuous game being played
not only on Black America
but on America in general.
Any discerning person can
see it. Unfortunately, much of
our discernment is invested
in “The lives of …,” “The
Housewives of …” and all the
other nonsense many of our
people watch religiously. We
are too busy living vicariously
through the TV lives of other
folks who are paid to carry
on a bunch of foolishness,
to curse one another out, to
threaten one another, and to
insult one another. We are blind
to our own demise right now;
but when October 2016 rolls
around we will be in a frenzy
of registering to vote, albeit
uninformed and ill-prepared to
face the ensuing four years of the
same mistreatment and neglect
we have suffered under previous
political administrations.
Political candidates said, “Game
on!” months ago, and the best
we are able to muster are a
few demonstrations, disruptions, and discussions about
whether or not our lives matter to them. We have asked
candidates what they are going do in response to our plight,
but we have not made appropriate and commensurate
demands in that regard. In other words, we have a lot
of rhetoric but no substantive reciprocal relationships
with any of the candidates. In all the debates thus far
there was one question pertaining to Black folks; it came
from a Black man, CNN’s Don Lemon, who selected the
ridiculous question, “Do Black lives matter ‘or’ do all
lives matter? The question was silly and meaningless; the
candidates’ answer was to ignore the question. Political
candidates know that Black lives did not matter when
2000 Nigerians were slaughtered in the Baga Massacre
in Nigeria, which took place the same time as the twelve
Charlie Hebdo murders. They know that the 147 students
killed at Kenya’s Garissa University in April 2015 did not
matter, but the 132 killed in Paris do matter. Want more?
They knew that the lives of 985,000 Tutsis in Rwanda
did not matter during that massacre in 1994-1995. They
know, and we know as well, that Black lives do not matter
in “Chiraq” and other cities where we are killing one
another. So why ask that dumb question? Just how blind
will Black America be? As we are led down the primrose
path by the likes of “pleaders” rather than real leaders, as
we buy-in to their sell-out of Black people in exchange for
a few crumbs from their master’s table, the speed of our
headlong plunge to the bottom increases exponentially.
Can’t you see, Black America? It matters not who lives at
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; you have been and are being
played. You are being duped with your eyes wide open.
Right now many Black folks are arguing about Hillary,
Carson, and Trump, as though we have some power to
determine our own political destiny rather than one of
them being in charge of it. Here’s the point. As Brother Gil
Scott-Heron suggested, even though it’s obvious that our
elected officials will do whatever they want to do, legal or
illegal, on our behalf or not, we turn a blind eye to it rather
than changing the political game and playing it to win. If
you would listen to The H2O Gate Blues, The Bicentennial
Blues, The New Deal, and We Beg Your Pardon, you
will see that forty years ago he told us what the political
deal was; we would not listen then and we are still blind
to the realities of political chicanery. Just how blind will
Black America remain, y’all? Our political engagement
must be pragmatic; it must be for real, not some childish
game where candidates are free to simply ignore us as
they seek our so-called “precious” votes. Our political
dilemma has never been the lack of a “Black” President,
no more than it was in the 60’s and 70’s when we thought
it was a lack of Black politicians. Our problem was and
is our lack of political involvement beyond voting, our
failure to build political power based on an economic
power base, and our reliance on political symbolism over
political substance. “How much more evidence do the
citizens need; that the election was sabotaged by trickery
and greed?” – The H2O Gate Blues James Clingman is the
nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment
for Black people. His latest book, Black Dollars Matter!
Teach your dollars how to make more sense, is available
on his website, www.Blackonomics.com. - See more at:
http://www.blackpressusa.com/blackonomics-just-howblind-are-we/#sthash.j9CyKFTu.1bzpekov.dpuf
Improving Your Health: Tips for African Americans
From the Weight Control Information Network
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/improving.htm
You don’t have to give up all of your favorite foods or start training for a big race to
improve your health. Over time, small changes to your eating, drinking, and physical
activity habits may help you control your weight, feel better, and improve your health.
This fact sheet will give you ideas on how to make better food and beverage choices and
add physical activity to your life. When you make these changes, you may also become a
health champion to help your family, friends, and others in your community do the same.
Am I overweight?
More than three in four African American adults are overweight or obese.
The body mass index (BMI) is the tool used most often to find a person’s weight status.
(See the box below.) This tool may help you find out if your weight could raise your
chances of developing health problems described later in this fact sheet.
TOOLS YOU CAN USE:
What is BMI?
The BMI is a tool that measures your weight in relation to your height. It can help you
find out if your weight is in a healthy range (“normal weight”). Here are the main BMI
cutoff values for adults:
•18.5 to 24.9: normal weight
•25 to 29.9: overweight
•30 or greater: obese
For a BMI chart, see the Weight-control Information Network (WIN) brochure Better
Health and You, listed in the Resources section of this fact sheet. An online tool for
measuring your BMI is also listed under Resources.
Another way to find out if you carry too much weight is to measure your waist. You may
be more likely to have weight-related health problems if your waist is above a certain size.
For women, the size is above 35 inches. For men, the size is above 40 inches.
For more on how to measure your BMI and waist size, visit the Aim for a Healthy Weight
website , listed in the Resources section.
Could my weight lead to health problems?
Excess weight, especially around the waist, is linked to serious health problems. But not
everyone who is overweight or obese has these problems. Excess weight may raise your
chances of having these health problems:
•certain cancers
•heart disease and stroke
•high blood pressure
•kidney disease
•type 2 diabetes
For more information, see the WIN fact sheet Do You Know Some of the Health Risks
of Being Overweight? listed in the Resources Section of this fact sheet.
Ask your doctor if you should be concerned about your weight. Your doctor may also do
tests to see if you have high blood sugar or high cholesterol (a type of fat in your blood),
and ask if you have a family history of certain diseases. Check out the “Questions to Ask
Your Doctor” box for ideas about how to start talking with your doctor about weight and
health.
TOOLS YOU CAN USE:
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
•What is a healthy weight for me?
•What foods and beverages should I consume to improve my health?
•What kinds of physical activity may help me improve my health? How often and for
how long should I do these activities?
You may lower your chances for health problems by losing weight. Losing 5 to 10 percent
of your body weight may improve your health. If you weigh 200 pounds, that would mean
losing 10 to 20 pounds.
Slow and steady weight loss of ½ to 2 pounds per week is the safest way to lose weight.
To do so, you may need to take in 500 to 750 fewer calories per day. Cutting back on
sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and sports drinks is a great way to reduce calories
and improve your health.
Where do I start?
It can be hard to control your weight when you are not sure what to eat and drink, do not
know the best ways to be physically active, or have limited time and money.
Start by talking to your doctor about ways to improve your eating, drinking, and physical
activity habits. Consuming healthier foods and beverages and getting regular physical
activity may help you reach and stay at a healthy weight. And write down your own
questions before your visit so you are prepared. Refer to the box above for examples of
questions to ask your doctor.
St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper • December 10, 2015 • Page 3
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5 Daily Tips (You Already Know) for Pushing Through Your Depressive Rut
by Kimberly Cooper
hit the floor hard. But keeping it simple, we need to get back up. So how do we do that when even the smallest tasks like brushing our teeth
feel like braving Mount Everest?
Here are five daily tips (you already know) for pushing through a depressive rut:
Give yourself permission. No one wants to hear it, because it sounds counterproductive. But here goes: It's actually OK to feel depressed.
It's the getting mired down and stifled by depression for too long that we want to avoid. Giving ourselves permission to be where we are,
and feel "like crap" is needed in order to move forward. Some days simply shaking off the dark clouds lingering over us doesn't work. We
need to give ourselves permission to be down in the dark, also allowing ourselves to move slowly and tenderly through the day until the
I've fallen, and I can't get up. storm begins to lift. (It always will.)
Again.
Depression is a beast, and Pray. Yes, pray... even if it's to Batman. Huh? You heard me. The concept of turning to a "Higher Power" even if we don't get it or understand
frankly, sometimes we just it does help. Recognizing we're powerless over a depressive episode and need something "bigger" opens a pathway to receive the help we
don't feel like dragon-slaying need to get better. Even those of us who may be strong in our faith practice aren't immune to how depression negatively affects our feeling
to get through the morning, spiritually motivated in times of crisis. Call out to the Universe anyway for the strength you need. Then do it again.
let alone an entire day. I'm not
talking about lighter days where Self-care. If you've ever run the gauntlet of depression to the point of needing anti-depression medication and therapy, you've already
we just need an extra hour of heard countless times that self-care is important. Face down on the floor and overwrought with emotion? Take the shower. Floss the teeth.
sleep because the kids kept us (Or even both.) Go outside. Take the "next indicated action" from where you are now to where you need to go. Small, baby steps. Not only
up, or when ruminating over are you taking care of yourself, you are taking needed action for breaking a "thought cycle" that strongholds your movement while buried
that nasty stapler-stealing boss in depression.
at work begins affecting our
relationships at home.
Call/text/IM someone. Isolation grows depression. I know what you may be thinking: I feel so low right now, I don't want to burden anyone
I'm talking about the days else with how I'm feeling. Thing is, we don't need to want to reach out to other people in order to begin a connection needed to move our
we'd rather stay in bed with the present situation. Just do it. A simple text to say you are thinking of a friend or family member, is another step away from the darker corners
covers pulled up over our head that keep us sick and stuck.
and even the meds or extra
chocolate stopped working. I'm Take note. Every day has its own DNA. When down and struggling, the chatter in our heads screaming that nothing will change is always
talking about when the sense of loudest. Writing down a few thoughts, or glancing at the clock to record our feelings on a Post-it is helpful especially when in emotional and
hopelessness begins to cement, physical pain. Depressive episodes often move like waves, some bigger and some longer than others. A Post-it note or journal entry function
and even prayers to God seem as reminders that our moods are often shifting and don't remain constant.
to be wait-listed. These feelings
of defeat and shame, while often Just keep going. Remember that we can start our day over at any time, and that each and every storm that comes our way will pass. Some
triggered by the loss of a loved days will be harder than others, so finding a keeping it simple check list for depression recovery that works is key.
one, divorce, job change, trauma
or medical condition, cause us to
Page 4 - December 10, 2015 • St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper
In The Oven: Hot News
Staff Reports compiled
by Strizzo
Strizzo
www.JookCity.com
#NewSouth
305-923-8088
813-407-2232
Facebook: Strizzo
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Instagram: Official_Strizzo
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www.TampaBayGetAway.com
Little' Melvin Williams, Drug Kingpin Who Inspired 'The Wire,' Dead
At 73
Williams, who claimed to have found God in prison, played The Deacon on "The Wire."
Usher Confirms He And Manager Grace Miguel
Are Married On 'Ellen'
In the photo above, DeGeneres asks Usher, "Did you get
married here and then go to Cuba for your Honeymoon?"
"No we were in Cuba." he responded. "You know what’s
funny, we put this picture up and we were actually just in
Cuba on a cultural exchange and people were like 'Hey,
they got married.' Ya know the ring is on the other finger,
you guys! But we had a great time. Wonderful woman.
Grace Raymond."
Check out the photo in question below:
"Little" Melvin Williams
"Little" Melvin Williams, the infamous Baltimore drug kingpin whose rise to power was one of the inspirations for
HBO's "The Wire" and who also appeared as an actor on the show, died Thursday at the age of 73.
Williams told his friends that he was suffering from cancer, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Williams, who was born in Baltimore on Dec. 14, 1941, ruthlessly built a drug empire that stretched across West
Baltimore in the 1960s, moving more heroin than anyone in the city had before. At one point, Williams bragged that
he had sold $1 billion worth of narcotics over his lifetime. According to a 1987 series of articles on Williams by "The
Wire" creator David Simon, his organization was, for a time, responsible for more than a quarter of all the murders in
the city of Baltimore.
Simon has since cited Williams as one of the figures in Baltimore crime history that inspired the character of Avon
Barksdale, played by Wood Harris, on "The Wire."
Though Williams' methods for eluding law enforcement were, like those of drug lords Stringer Bell and Marlo on
"The Wire," remarkably sophisticated, his criminal activity eventually caught up to him. Ed Burns -- a Baltimore police
officer who would later be a key writer for the HBO series arrested him in 1984 following a wiretap investigation much
like the one in Season 1 of the show. Williams served many years of his life in federal prison, on a host of charges.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Williams said that he found God in prison and renounced his violent past. He was
released from prison for the last time in 2003.
After Williams' release, Simon tapped him to play the character of The Deacon in several episodes of Season 3 and
Season 4 of "The Wire." The Deacon's kindly persona couldn't have been more different from Williams' reputation on
the streets of Baltimore.
The Biracial Backlash: Zendaya, Alicia Keys
and Other Activists Targeted Over Mixed Race
Heritage by Kimberly Cooper
Alicia Keys
Who authenticates "blackness" in 2015? In less than two
weeks, I've watched Taye Diggs, Zendaya and Alicia Keys
take to the press to justify biracial identity in the face of
social media trolls (and media outlets) stirring the pot over
whether they are "black enough" to stand for black social
justice. Earlier this year, Black Lives Matter activist Shaun
King was targeted too.
What gives? (Yes, that's a rhetorical question.)
Now the backlash is rolling in again over Ebony
Magazine's 70th Anniversary Cover. Still wondering if
it's possible to highlight biracial/black activists promoting
black social justice causes without immediate backlash from whites and blacks. Who gets to decide? Better yet,
who is calling it out?
In my recent post, "Mixed Like Us: How to Support
Biracial Children and Their Shifting Identities" - I offer
suggestions for supporting biracial identity within children.
It should go without saying that the same rules apply for
anyone identifying as biracial too. Arguing that biracial
individuals are somehow less credible in their support of
black social justice causes flies in the face of our history as
noteworthy activists combating racial discrimination and
segregation right alongside the generations navigating U.S.
slavery, Jim Crow, civil rights and black power movements
since the beginning.
Listen to Grammy winner Alicia Keys discuss her guest
appearance on Fox's hit show Empire where her character's
biracial identity was challenged after performing the song
"Powerful" during the Midseason Finale (with an audience
of well over 11 million viewers) on 12/2/15:
'Biracial' activists will continue to support black social
justice causes even through anticipated blowback from
mainstream and social media. This is nothing new. Contrary
to popular misconceptions, we love our "blackness" too.
Loretta Lynch
Lynch: Don't draw conclusions about shooters
By PAIGE WINFIELD CUNNINGHAM (@PW_CUNNINGHAM)
Attorney General Loretta Lynch wouldn't give many details Sunday about the terrorism investigation into the two
San Bernadino shooters, but stressed that her agency is seeking to find out whether they acted independently or in
conjunction with an organized group.
Lynch told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the Department of Justice still doesn't have any evidence that the husband
and wife who killed 14 people at a holiday party Wednesday were "part of a large group or cell" or that they had been
planning any other attacks.
But she cautioned Americans against drawing any conclusions yet about why they carried out the horrific deed. "That's
what we have at this time," she said.
Lynch said that since the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, there have been more instances of individuals
apparently acting as lone wolves carrying out mass attacks. As a result, investigators need to also "evolve" in how they
investigate such crimes, she said.
"The threat has evolved ... we see these lone wolf factors," she said.
President Obama is scheduled to give a speech from the Oval Office on Sunday evening in response to the shooting
last week, which has prompted widespread fears that the shooters could have been motivated by the Islamic State.
Asked by host Chuck Todd what the president is likely to say, Lynch responded that Obama "understands the country
is very concerned about this issue."
"I think what you're going to hear the president say is American people should draw from within themselves and not
give into fear at this time," she said.
ST Pete Business League New MEETING Dates are NOW the SECOND FRIDAY IN
THE MONTH at ENOCH Davis Community Center, 1111 18th Ave S. St. Petersburg,
Florida @ 6PM. 1st Quarter 2016 meetings are as follows:
January 8
February 12
March 11
April 8
The Systematic Castration of the Black Preacher
by Benjamin Dixon
Benjamin Dixon
The black church was born in the crucible
of racial oppression in the United States.
The very existence of the black church and
the black preacher is the direct result of an
oppressed people looking to their God for
justice, liberation and equality.
When it was clear that the slave master
serving as pastor to his slaves was incapable
of ever preaching about God through the
lens of justice because he was, in fact, the
oppressor, and when it was clear that he
could never see God through the eyes of
the Hebrew slaves because the slave master
was, indeed, Pharaoh, the black preacher
emerged and began preaching the gospel
of liberation boldly in the face of threats,
violence, lynchings and assassinations.
Sadly, it would seem that this type of black
preacher is extinct.
Many of today’s black preachers are no
longer leading the charge for equality and
justice. They are more concerned with
Sunday morning offerings, attendance,
getting fitted by their tailor, charging the
right speaking fee, and getting access to
political and economic power through
opportunistic endorsements of either party.
Black congregants have left the church
because it no longer feels as though our
pastors are prophets crying in the wilderness;
rather, pastors have become primadonnas
entertaining us and lending credence to the
very political and economic power structure
that still commits unspeakable injustices.
“The Prophetic voice of the black church
is the very reason for its being. The only
reason that there’s such a thing as the black
church is because of the question of freedom,
justice, and equal access.” – Rev. Raphael
Warnock.
What is the point of the Black Preacher if
we are utterly incapable of addressing issues
of social justice and economic morality
when that was the purpose for which we
were born? What good is the Black Preacher
if he cannot see the despair of his community
and correctly attribute the cause while
envisioning the solution?
The black church was and is the only entity
capable of mobilizing millions of people
every single week regardless of the news
cycle or election cycle to demand both social
and economic justice. No other institution
ever had this capacity, and America finally
realized the true threat that the black church
posed because of the power it wielded during
the Civil Rights Movement.
The rights that the black church and its
allies fought for during the Civil Rights era
benefited both the black community and the
entire nation. All races, faiths, ideologies,
and orientations progressed because of the
prophetic voices born from the black church.
And when you have a group of leaders
that could lead a revolution simply with
the words they preached to an organized
and educated groups of citizens, nothing
becomes more important or more valuable to
those in political and economic power than
silencing those voices.
Without speaking truth to power, the black
preacher merely becomes an entertainer.
A co-opted black preacher no longer
serves God, justice, or his community.
He serves himself and the political and
economic elite with his silence and the
placation of his congregation.
Instead of preaching a revolutionary
gospel of justice that would necessarily
change the world for the better, the black
preacher becomes an intellectual drug
dealer serving his congregation the same
opiate for the masses that too often renders
religion useless beyond spirituality. He lulls
his congregation to sleep with promises in
the “sweet by and by” and redirects their
attention from the demand for justice now.
Indeed, the greatest fear of the political and
financial elite of America is an organized
group of people well-versed in the art
and science of overcoming oppression
gathering every week to hear messages of
social justice and economic morality from
mesmerizing orators.
Clearly America could never tolerate this.
And so the power of the black preacher had
to be castrated.
“What will ye give me, and I will deliver
[them] unto you?”- Matthew 26:15
Some black preachers were purchased
for the opportunity to live lavishly of the
gospel. The right sermon gave the black
preacher a new, lucrative audience — white
Christians. The price was simply to leave
behind sermons condemning past and
present American transgressions. So long
as the preacher could stir the audience
without mobilizing them to political action,
the preacher could receive honorariums in
a single night that rivaled his entire year’s
salary.
Other black preachers were silenced with
fear. It takes courage to speak an unpopular
truth to our American society especially
when that truth condemns our American
society. When Jeremiah Wright spoke of
the atrocities carried out by America, then
concluded that the correct song to sing
would be “God Damn America,” black
preachers scurried away in fear.
“[America] put [her citizens of African
descent] in chains, put them in cotton field,
put them in inferior schools, put them in
substandard housing, put them in the lowest
paying jobs … The government gives them
the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a
three-strike law and then wants us to sing
“God Bless America”. No, no, no, not God
Bless America. God damn America.” Rev.
Jeremiah Wright
Nevermind theological efficacy and
accuracy of what Wright was saying.
Nevermind the fact that the role of the
prophet was always to speak the unpopular
truth to the king. This type of truth was
too terrifying for many black preachers to
continue to speak.
And so, just like that, they willingly
completed the process of castration because
of their fear of speaking an unpopular truth
to power.
Many black preachers are powerless
because they lack knowledge beyond the
Bible. Without a knowledge of the world
around them, preachers are unable to give
messages that could help their congregation
understand the perpetuation of poverty,
systemic racism, and injustices outside of
a religious context.
Instead, preachers settled with attributing
poverty to sin and a lack of faith. You’re
always poor because you don’t trust God
enough but never because poverty is
structural.
Furthermore, because of their ignorance
continued page 6
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St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper • December 10, 2015 • Page 5
3+ Minutes
with the Bible
with Richard Love
Seated In Heaven
with Richard Love
God sees every believer in Christ as already in heaven. See what the Bible says
about this:
“BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH
HE LOVED US,
“EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, HATH QUICKENED US
TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED),
“AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER
IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS:
“THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEEDING
RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST
JESUS” (Eph. 2:4-7).
Most sincere believers, poorly taught in the Word, are concerned about getting to
heaven, but as far as God is concerned they are already there. They have been “made
accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). God has given them a position “in Christ.”
We are well aware that most of God’s people know little about this experientially,
but God says that as far as He is concerned, they are already in heaven, and this
is what matters. As Christ took our place on Calvary’s cross, God now sees us in
Christ, at His own right hand, the place of favor and honor. This is why the Apostle
Paul says to believers in Christ:
“IF YE THEN BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH
ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
“SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE
EARTH.
“FOR YE ARE DEAD, AND YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD”
(Col. 3:1-3).
And all this by the free grace of God:
“WHO HATH SAVED US, AND CALLED US WITH AN HOLY CALLING, NOT
ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE
AND GRACE, WHICH WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE
WORLD BEGAN” (II Tim. 1:9).
Our hearts go out to those of our readers who have not yet received this “gift of
the grace of God.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”
(Acts 16:31).
Page 6 - December 10, 2015 • St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper
St. Pete Bulletin
NEWSPAPER
December 2015
Heart Failure Support Group – Wednesday, Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 30, 3 p.m., St.
Anthony’s Hospital Franciscan Room, Ground Floor. (Every Wednesday of the
month except the Wednesday before Christmas.) Information: (727) 825-1156
Memory Disorders Caregiver Group – Thursday, Dec. 3, 2 p.m. and Dec. 17,
6:30 p.m., Memory Disorders Center (Suite 206) in the Professional Office
Building adjacent to St. Anthony’s Hospital. (First and Third Thursday of the
month). Information: (727) 825-1595
Myasthenia Gravis Support Group – Thursday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m., St. Anthony’s
Hospital Auditorium, Ground Floor. Information: (727) 820-7701
Weight Loss Surgery Support Group – Tuesday, Dec. 22, 6:30 p.m., St.
Anthony’s Hospital Auditorium, Ground Floor. Information: (727) 820-7910
Support group information also can be found on BayCareEvents.org.
-Support groups and clinics are free to the public unless fee is noted.
LOCATION SITES
St. Anthony’s Hospital, 1200 Seventh Ave. N, St. Petersburg
St. Anthony’s Memory Disorders Center, 1201 Fifth Ave. N, Suite 206, St.
Petersburg
After Years Of Attempts, Republicans Pass Bill To
Repeal Obamacare
GOP hopes it will “delight conservative voters.” President Obama will veto it
immediately.
Connect and Network with
other business owners and
entrepreneurs !
St. Pete Business League, Inc.
Mission Statement:
To assist Black Businesses
to become self sustaining
contributing members of the
business community.
Founded
November 1, 2013, St. Pete
Business League Inc. is a 501c3
non profit organization.
Meetings are held every
SECOND Friday in each month in
Enoch Davis Community Center,
1111 18TH AVE. S., ST PETE
33711
6-8PM
MEETING SCHEDULE 2016
FIRST QUARTER
January 8
February 12
March 11
April 8
AS WE CONTINUE
TO GROW & CONNECT !
Richard A. Love............... Publisher
Barbara Sorey-Love...Associate Publisher
St. Pete Bulletin, P. O. Box 12812
St. Petersburg, FL 33733, (727) 485-3137 Office
E-mail: [email protected]
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best lead the world from racial antagonism when
it accords to every person, regardless of race,
creed or color, its human and legal rights. Hating
no man, fearing no man. The Black Press strives
to help every person in the firm belief that all
men are hurt as long as anyone is held back.
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OF AMERICA
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-
President Barack Obama
google image
WASHINGTON REPORTS — The Republican-controlled Senate voted on Thursday
to demolish President Barack Obama’s signature health care law and block Planned
Parenthood’s federal money, spurring a veto fight the GOP knows it will lose but believes
will delight conservative voters in next year’s elections.
Congress has voted dozens of times to repeal all or parts of the 2010 statute. If the House
as expected sends the Senate bill to Obama, the measure will become the first of its kind to
reach the White House and be vetoed, an act Republicans say will highlight GOP priorities
for voters.
“It’s defined by failure,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said of the
law, blaming it for rising medical costs and citing problems encountered by Kentuckians.
“It’s punctuated with hopelessness. And the scale of its many broken promises is matched
only by the scale of its defenders’ rigid and unfeeling responses to them.”
The Senate vote on the overall bill was 52-47. Republicans passed the measure in a
filibuster-proof process that requires just 51 votes for Senate passage, not the 60 usually
required to end stalling tactics. The GOP controls the chamber by 54-46.
The White House promised a veto, saying the bill would “take away critical benefits
and health care coverage” from families. With Republicans lacking the two-thirds House
and Senate majorities needed for a successful override, debate on the measure became
a political messaging battlefield as both parties looked toward the 2016 presidential and
congressional campaigns.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., mocked the Republicans’ “absurd attempt” to
repeal the health care law and noted the large number of people — including in McConnell’s
Kentucky — who’ve obtained coverage under the law.
“Do they bother to talk to their constituents?” Reid said of GOP lawmakers.
Senators earlier voted on a stack of amendments to the bill, all of them symbolic since
the measure was destined to never become law.
In one, the Senate voted 54-46 to reject an attempt by Democrats to prevent the cuts to
Planned Parenthood. The proposal by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., which came six days
after a gunman killed three people at one of the group’s Colorado clinics, would have also
provided $1 billion for safety at women’s clinics.
Republicans fault the health care law for rising insurance premiums and deductibles and
a diminished choice of insurers in some markets. Government officials said this week
that health care spending grew last year at 5.3 percent, in part because of the health law’s
coverage expansion, the steepest climb since Obama took office.
GOP lawmakers suggested the bill could serve as a bridge to a new Republican health
care law. Though Obama’s overhaul was enacted five years ago and gets tepid support in
public opinion polls, GOP members of Congress have yet to produce a detailed proposal
to replace it.
Democrats say repeal would destroy a program that has reduced the number of uninsured
Americans by around 16 million, lets families’ policies cover children until age 26 and
guarantees coverage for people with pre-existing illnesses.
The overall Senate bill would effectively defang the health law’s requirements for
individual and employer-provided coverage by annulling the fines that enforce them.
It would terminate the law’s expansion of Medicaid to cover additional lower-earning
people and the federal subsidies it offers people buying policies in insurance marketplaces.
It would also annul tax increases imposed to cover the law’s costs, including levies on the
income of higher-earning people, medical devices, costly insurance policies and tanning
salons.
Planned Parenthood has come under fire after secretly recorded videos showed group
officials discussing their provision of fetal tissue to scientists. The organization says it
conducts such transactions legally and d Parenthood gets $450 million of its $1.3 billion
annual budget from federal taxpayers, mostly reimbursements for treating Medicaid patients.
Federal dollars cannot be used for abortions except for rare exceptions.
I AM the HEAD and Not the TAIL,
I WILL LEND and NOT
BORROW!
EVERYTHING I TOUCH
WILL PROSPER!
SUBMISSION POLICY
Submissions to the St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper
may be edited for reasons of space, clarity or for
considerations of liability. All submissions become
the sole property of the St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper.
The St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper reserves the right
to run all or part of any submission at a later time.
Some submissions may take precedence due to
timeliness or newsworthiness.
Published Every Thursday
Volume 3 Number 25, 8 pages, December 10, 2015
(Copyright) St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper
All rights reserved. Portions of this periodical
may be reproduced without expressed prior consent.
black preacher continued from page 3
on economic and political matters, they are easily impressed and persuaded by the same
recycled economic plans that have already failed our communities and our nation. But
without a working knowledge of economic and political policy, black preachers excitedly
digest and regurgitate plans to cut taxes as a means of ending poverty in the black community
with no understanding of how deficits caused by tax cuts have already exacerbated poverty
in the black community and still not led to the promised job creation.
And when money, fear, and ignorance were not enough, the most powerful tool of those
in power was to invalidate the very theology from which the black church was born.
There has been a consistent campaign to suggest that the social justice gospel wasn’t real
Christianity. Social Justice was derided as heretical and an apostasy. Any reading of the
Bible that focused on deliverance from physical oppression rather than deliverance from
sin alone was dismissed by the conservative Christian community.
Missing in Action
Whatever the cause or justification, the role of the black preacher has been so distorted
and perverted that it no longer serves the purpose for which it was born. Where historically
the black preacher would have been an unstoppable force for justice, now the vast majority
are missing in action.
Black preachers are not only missing from the #BlackLivesMatter movement, many black
preachers don’t even understand the movement. The leadership and wisdom that this young,
vibrant group of activists and protestors could have gleaned from are notably missing.
And because the black preacher is both absent and now, some, complicit with the powers
against which this movement protests, the movement rightfully feels it has no need ever
to look in the direction of the black church.
Where the black preacher is today is exactly where many white preachers have been for
hundreds of years. The true Gospel of Christ is not only a threat to sin, but it challenges
the political and economic power structures that systematically commits injustices. It seeks
justice and equality. It treats all humankind with dignity and respect. The true gospel of
Christ does not ignore economic immorality any more than it ignores spiritual immorality.
That gospel is a dangerous one. After all, the Pharisees did not conspire to kill Jesus until
after he turned over the tables and chased the moneychangers out of the temple. Similarly,
Martin Luther King, Jr., wasn’t killed until he began organizing poor white people and
poor black people in a Poor People’s Campaign.
And because these messages are as dangerous as they are old, religion in America could
never be allowed to organize and mobilize the people for political and economic justice.
But because religion cannot be crushed in America, it must be co-opted.
But if there was ever a time when we need prophetic voices to mobilize millions of
Americans against injustices that have been quietly endured for generations, that time is now.
-About Benjamin Dixon
Benjamin P. Dixon is a former pastor and proud husband and father. He is the host of the Benjamin
Dixon Show and the _ Follow him on twitter @theBpDShow.
Washington, D.C.
Page 7 - December 10, 2015 • St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper
Business and Information
Just b Beautiful
a natural hair care &
beauty salon
Challenges for Millennials of Color
From Kim Lampkins
(AURN) -- A Washington Monthly report takes a look
at why millennials of color face challenges when it comes
to getting ahead financially, and building wealth.
Among key findings in an article dubbed 'The Second
Racial Weath Gap' by reporter Mel Jones, white
millennials are more likely to be able to rely on parents
for financial help; while black and brown millennials,
money is going to help parents and other family members.
The article quotes Brandies University sociologist Tom
Shapiro who calls that money "transformative assets."
According to Jones:
"Racial disparity in transformative assets became
especially striking to Shapiro during interviews with
middle-class black Americans. They almost always talk
about financial help they give family members.
On the flip side, when Jones asked white interviewees if
they did the same he said, "I almost always get laughter.
They're still getting subsidized."
Additionally, the trend for black and brown millennials
is likely to continue.
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Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at
the University of Chicago, has dedicated its work to
understanding the challenges and opportunities faced
by young people of color in the contemporary United
States. We continue this mission in this study of Black
millennials.
This report, “Black Millennials in America,” reflects
our commitment to knowledge, voice and action. We
create knowledge by detailing the real life experiences
of young Black people and identifying how these
experiences distinguish them from their peers. We
help amplify their voices by providing platforms and
opportunities for young people to weigh in on the issues
most important to them. We hope the data and findings in
this report will contribute to a call to action to bring about
change rooted in the ways Black millennials experience
contemporary America.”
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Page 8 - December 10, 2015 • St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper
Last African-American Pearl Harbor survivor lives in Valley BY BOB MCCLAY
Shirley Caesar Tabbed for Star on Hollywood
Walk of Fame
Nelson Mitchell
PEORIA, Ariz. — Saturday has a very different meaning for one Valley man.
Saturday is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the 72nd anniversary of the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
America entered World War II just one day later.
Millions of Americans were pressed into action after the bombing. Some came home, some gave all. As the years have gone
by, the number of World War II veterans has dwindled. The last remaining African-American to survive the bombing of Pearl
Harbor lives in Peoria.
Nelson Mitchell’s grandparents were slaves in Georgia. Mitchell, now 93, spent his early years picking cotton on his family’s
farm in Texas.
In 1940, he joined the Navy, and was assigned to the U.S.S Jarvis, a destroyer. At that time in the Navy, African-Americans
could serve only as a cook or a captain’s steward, assisting in whatever daily necessities the captain had.
“All of the whites, they could do anything they wanted to on the ship,” Mitchell said. “But we were restricted to waiting on
the officers. But that was a better life than what I had working on a farm.”
The Jarvis was stationed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Mitchell was in bed when the Japanese started bombing.
“I got up, out of my bunk, and the ship was shaking. I looked out and the whole bay was full of fire.”
He immediately got to work and did his job.
“I didn’t have a battle station, but I did stay in the pantry and waited on the officers until the bombing was over.”
The Jarvis wasn’t hit. It was able to get out to sea and patrolled the Hawaiian coast for two weeks following the bombing,
looking for Japanese submarines.
After Mitchell was reassigned, the Japanese torpedoed and sank the Jarvis during the Battle of Guadalcanal the following
August. All 233 men on board were killed.
Mitchell left the Navy in 1948, and took a job working in a warehouse in California. He and his wife moved to Phoenix in
the 1950s to be with his asthmatic father. Their first house was built on three-and-a-half acres of land that Mitchell bought for
$2,100 at what is now 40th Street and Interstate 10.
His dad died at the age of 81. Mitchell did not clarify what happened to his wife, whether the two divorced or she passed
away. She is not part of his life now, and Mitchell lives alone.
He worked at Luke Air Force base and later as a gardener, and retired just three years ago.
Mitchell said he thinks about being the last African American survivor of Pearl Harbor.
“It just shows that, I reckon that if you take care of yourself…so far I’ve been pretty healthy,” he said.
Mitchell jokes that he’ll just be glad to be around for his 94th birthday, which is next month.
Mitchell said times have changed since he served. Things are better for African-Americans in the military now.
“They can make ranks and can do a lot of different things,” he said. “They have a great opportunity. If they don’t make it,
it ain’t nobody’s fault but themselves.”
He said that they get the training now that he could have only dreamed of.
“When I was in the service, I was denied that type of training,” Mitchell said. “But one thing about it is, I said that whatever
I do, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”
That’s a philosophy that Mitchell has lived by for 93 years.
Shirley Caesar
*Beloved Gospel legend Shirley Caesar garners a
new milestone, announced as Hollywood Walk of Fame
honoree for class of 2016.
The current Queen of Gospel, legendary artist Pastor
Shirley Caesar garners a new milestone, as an honoree
in the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s announced honorees
selected for the class of 2016, to receive a star on the
world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category
of Recording, unveiled via www.walkoffame.com (date
for star ceremony is pending).
The award-winning Gospel trailblazer, who’s garnered
a career-high 11 GRAMMY® Awards, 18 Dove Awards,
14 Stellar Awards and induction into the Gospel
Music Hall of Fame, was also recently inducted into
the inaugural Stellar Honors Club at the 2015 Stellar
Awards.
Pastor Caesar will also celebrate another milestone in
2016, marking 50 years in her internationally-renowned
career as a solo artist.
With over 40 albums including her most recent hit
album “Good God,” Pastor Caesar will soon be releasing
more new music, and remains a beloved community
leader in her native North Carolina, continuing to pastor
at the Mt. Calvary Word of Faith Church in Raleigh, NC
and serve the community through her Shirley Caesar
Outreach Ministries.
Phil Thornton, eOne Music Vice President and General
Manager of Urban Inspirational, says: “Entertainment
One Music congratulates Pastor Shirley Caesar on
this monumental achievement as an honoree on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame for 2016! What a great
blessing to be selected for this honor.
Pastor Caesar’s incomparable style, personality and
lifelong dedication to ministry have continued to impact
and influence so many fans around the world, and we are
thrilled to celebrate her upcoming 50-year anniversary
and deliver new music to come.”
Kent Channer, CPA gives EXPERT advice to Business Owners at St Pete
Business League monthly Meeting and Mixer photos Jabaar Edmond
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Businesses and organizations attending St. Pete Business
Leagues’ meeting include Pinellas Spine and Joint, Dr. Michael L. McPherson; Stylistic
Creations Boutique, Khadiji Gland; Donald Dowridge, Jr., DLD Enterprises; Anthony Cates,
Cates Enterprise Movement; Johnnia Mitchell, Just b Beautiful Natural Hair Care and More;
Denise Wright, Matters of the Heart Connecting Radio Ministry; Annie Tyrell, Annie’s
Beauty Supply; Linda Mobley, St. Pete Bulletin Newspaper; Barbara Burnett, Burnett
Travel; Kent Channer, CPA; and Frederick Porter, Author. St Pete Business Leagues’ next
meeting is 6PM, Friday, January 8 at Enoch Davis Center. Connect to grow your business!
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Donald Dowridge, Jr.,Vice President of St. Pete Business League
presents Kent Channer, a Certified Public Accountant with a Certificate of Appreciation for
his superb presentation of points businesses should be aware of in December 5th meeting at
Enoch Davis Community Center. The organizations’ monthly meetings connects business
owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders who support growth and sustainability of
black owned businesses in St. Petersburg.
St Petersburg BLACK HISTORY Profile
Chester Lucius James Sr.
Jamestown honors the
late Chester James Sr. and
his prolonged campaign
for decent housing in the
historic black neighborhood known as Methodist Town .
Mr. Chester Lucius James Sr. was well-known in many circles in St. Petersburg. He came to St. Petersburg in 1911. He was born in Marion County,
Martin, Fla., where he had the advantage of attending grade school at the well-known Fessenden Academy, which was then located in Ocala.
He was reputed to have been an above average student and was desirous of becoming a lawyer. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert James Sr., contributed
to his early education out of their meager resources. In addition to other subjects, Mr. James learned to read music and play musical instruments. One
year after arriving in St. Petersburg, Chester was married to Rachel Ella Daniels of Columbia, S.C. Mr. and Mrs. James, having learned the advantage
of a good education foundation very soon, established a private school for children, kindergarten to sixth grade. Inspired by their parents and aided
by their sacrifices, all of their four children went on to get a good education.
In later years, following the education of their children, Chester James Sr. dedicated his life to social, political and religious activities. Some of his
activities included: The NAACP; The Citizens Cooperative Committee; The Democratic Club; The St. Petersburg Council on Human Relations; The
Senior Citizens Club; Active Layman in City Council; Church Activities-Bethel Community Baptist Church: member of the men’s Bible class; The
Brotherhood; a parish zone leader and parish visitor. Citations received for meritorious services include:
1961 “Distinguished Citation of Merit”-The Ambassador Club Inc.
1963 “Distinguished Service”-NAACP.
1964 “Honor Certificate”-Democratic Executive Committee; “Gold Pin” from President Lyndon B. Johnson for registering 1,000 voters for the
general election in 1964; “Perfect Attendance Award” - Democratic Party.
1967 “Annual Award”-Greater St. Petersburg Council on Human Relations.
1971 “Annual Appreciation Award” - Democratic Club; “Friendly Floridian Award”-Governor Reubin O’D. Askew; “Community Legal Service”Astor Dynamic 20’s and Zenith Security Club.
1974 “Book of Golden Deeds Plaque”-St. Petersburg Exchange Club; “Certificate of Appreciation “-Democratic Executive Committee; “Jamestown”City Council passed a resolution making him honorary mayor of Methodist Town.
Ref. Olive B McLin History project