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FEBRUARY 25, 2012 - MARCH 3, 2012 VOL. 61 NO. 44 50 CENTS Jacksonville Musician Attends Whitney Houston’s Funeral Man Charged with Formerly played drums for Cissy and Whitney Houston By Frances Calhoun Bradley Three Felonies Photo furnished by Erics Brown by Kevin Kim Erics Brown was devastated when he heard of the death of friend, Whitney Houston, in her suite at the Police say Jaquez Beverly Hilton Hotel on the eve of the Grammy Roland, 34, had pulled a Awards, February 11, 2012. Brown, a Jacksonville gun out on a clerk in a native, played drums for Cissy and Whitney Houston hotel demanding money for 23 years and 14 years, respectively, during the New from a safe. When the Hope Baptist Church Gospel Choir’s Sunday radio clerk wasn’t able to broadcasts. He described his relationship with the open the safe, Roland tied his wrists and stole Houstons as family-like, referring to the elder Houston his wallet. Two weeks as Mother throughout the interview. later, he broke into a Brown received a phone call from a grieving Cissy home and stole an air Houston requesting his attendance at the funeral. Only Jaquez Roland conditioning unit while guests with invitations were allowed through the many the resident was asleep checkpoints approaching the church, with security pro- in the room. Hours later that same day, Roland went vided by Newark and military police through the area. to rob a liquor store with a gun. He tied the clerk’s Although Brown walked into the funeral with the fam- Erics Brown and Cissy Houston wrist and legs and dragged her into a stock room and ily, he was asked to move to another area near Bishop took money from the cash register and safe. Police T. D. Jakes and Rev. Jesse Jackson, when it was clear there was not enough were able to later identify the suspect and went to his seating for the immediate the family. home. Roland had told the woman in the home to tell A repast was held on the 22nd floor of the Newark Center, where guests the police that he wasn’t there. The officers talked to were required to show repast tickets to gain entry. According to Erics, an a pizza man who had just made a delivery to the house invitation to the funeral did not guarantee entry to the repast. He was seat- and showed them a receipt, which had Roland’s name ed at a table across from Whitney’s Bodyguard co-star, Kevin Costner and on it. Roland was arrested and faces three felony his wife. charges including the robberies at the hotel and the Pictures were allowed at the repast (but not inside the church). Brown liquor store. He is also charged with resisting arrest snapped many of the celebrities in attendance, i.e. Oprah, Gayle King, Tyler without violence and is being held on $429,000 bail. Perry, Angela Bassett, Viveca A. Fox, Brandy, Derek Luke, and Jennifer Erics Brown at Hudson. WhitneyHouston’s Funeral Black, Latino Seniors Twice As Likely To Be In Poverty New Museum to Celebrate History, Culture of In Retirement African Americans President Obama spoke at Obama said he wants his Black and Latino seniors in the U.S. are facing a the groundbreaking for the daughters and others who visit the tougher time in retirement: Elder poverty rates are Smithsonian National Museum of museum “to see how ordinary twice as high among these groups compared to the African American History and Americans could do extraordinary U.S. population as a whole, according to a new study Culture. things. … I want them to appreciate by the University of California, Berkeley. President Obama said the this museum not just as a record of Some 19.4 percent of black and 19.0 percent of National Museum of African tragedy but as a celebration of life.” Latino seniors have incomes below the federal pover- American History and Culture hon- The National Museum of ty line, compared to 9.4 percent for the senior popula- ors an important part of U.S. histo- African American History and tion overall, according to the analysis, which is based ry: the central role played by Culture was authorized by on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics African Americans in the life of the Congress in 2003 as the nation. But “it will do more than Current Population Survey and U.S. Census Bureau Smithsonian Institution’s 19th simply keep those memories alive,” American Community Survey. museum. It is scheduled to open in “Recent household surveys show that retirees of Image by AP he said. “It should inspire us as well.” 2015. color, especially blacks and Latinos, rely more heavi- ly on Social Security and have less access to other Group Homes for Foster Kids Judged by New Five-Star Quality Rating System; “If you types of retirement income than their white counter- wouldn’t sleep there, then our children shouldn’t.” parts,” researcher Nari Rhee of UC Berkeley’s Center By Janet Peters Mauceri McCain, Ed.M for Labor Research and Education, said in a statement. Less than one-third of employed Latinos and less Local residential group homes utilized by youth in fos- mum legal requirements, and that’s simply not good than half of black workers are covered by an employ- ter care are now under additional scrutiny thanks to a new enough.” er-sponsored retirement plan, a key resource in ensur- Five-Star Quality Rating System pilot program implement- FSS introduced the Five-Star Quality Rating System in ing adequate retirement income. As a result, they are ed by Family Support Services of North Florida (FSS), the October and will issue the first certificates of rating at a lead agency for foster care, adoption and family preserva- quarterly group home meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 8. disproportionately reliant on the limited income pro- tion in Duval and Nassau counties. The group home rating system is like those used to vided by Social Security, the report found. FSS is the first community-based care agency in the measure quality in hotels, and provides for scoring in spe- Among retirees age 60 and older, people of color state to initiate a rating system for residential group homes cific focus areas: are disproportionately likely to be low income: For that establishes criteria above the minimum legally mandat- -Interior - amenities, atmosphere, specific conditions of 2007-2009, 31.6 percent of blacks and 46.5 percent of ed standards and that focuses on the physical conditions of each room in the home Latinos were in the bottom 25 percent income group. the facilities. -Exterior - amenities, security, parking, yard The “other” race category of the Census, which The Five-Star Quality Rating System establishes stan- -Client and Staff Interactions - communications, partic- includes Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American dards and expectations that FSS expects group homes to ipation, discipline, activities, meeting individual needs of meet; standards that are above statutory requirements. The youth populations, is also more likely to be low-income (38 rating system provides for uniform evaluation and consis- “Our instructions to staff were simple: if you wouldn’t percent), the report noted. tency among grading for all group homes. sleep in the home, our children shouldn’t,” Kaywork said. “It is critical to improve both job access and job Lee Kaywork, FSS CEO, explained, “Many group “We want our foster youth to be housed in group homes that quality -- in terms of wages and benefits, including homes are excellent and offer wonderful accommodations are better than mediocre and expect group homes to pension benefits -- to improve retirement prospects for Continued on A-2 for youth in foster care; but others just meet the bare mini- improve and come up to our standards.” current workers,” Rhee stated. Opinion/Editorial............A-2 I Church...........................A-3 Looking for customers to patronize your Wish to give us a News Story? Talk of the Town...............A-4 Call (904) 766-8834 or Send it to: N Around the Area............A-6 business or utilize your services? If you Caribbean News.............A-7 [email protected] S Local..........................B-1 answered YES, then you need to place an ad I Columns........................B-2 in The Florida Star or Georgia Star! [email protected] Sports...........................B-4 D Crime & Justice..(A).C&J-1-4 CALL 904/766-8834 to place your ad TODAY!! Prep Rap...........(B).PR-1-4 E Classified & Business...B-7 Check, Money Order, or Credit Cards Accepted PAGE A-2 THE STAR FEBRUARY 25, 2012 The Faith of Our Fathers: Reflections on the Black Church By Hakim Hazim Black History month often reminds me of the brutal past we have endured as a people. The common thread we all share is that of a people forcibly removed from a continent and their respective nations.