How to Voices of the Does Race Ancestors: Handle Quotes from Play a Role Great African a Mean Americans Leaders Child in Tipping? that are Still Page 2 Relevant Today Page 7 Page 4 Win $100 PRST STD 50c U.S. Postage PAID Jacksonville, FL in Our Permit No. 662 “Firsts” RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED History Contest Page 13 50 Cents Dartmouth College Introduces Volume 28 No. 14 Jacksonville, Florida February 12-17, 2015 #BlackLivesMatter Course Police Killings Underscore #BlackLivesMatter is what many bill as the name of the current move- ment toward equal rights. The hashtag, which drove information about protests happening in cities around the world, was started by Opal the Need for Reform Tometi, Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza in 2012, in response to the By Freddie Allen fatally shooting Brown. killing of Trayvon Martin. NNPA Correspondent Targeting low-level lawbreakers Now the movement has found its way into academic spaces. Blacks and Latinos are incarcer- epitomizes “broken windows” pop- Dartmouth College is introducing the #BlackLivesMatter course on its ated at disproportionately higher ularized during William Bratton’s campus this spring semester that will take a look at present-day race, rates in part because police target first tenure as commissioner of the structural inequality and violence issues, and examine the topics in a them for minor crimes, according a New York Police Department under historical context. report titled, “Black Lives Matter: then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Mayor “10 Weeks, 10 Professors: #BlackLivesMatter” will feature lectures Eliminating Racial Inequity in the Bill de Blasio reappointed Bratton from about 15 professors at Dartmouth College across disciplines, Criminal Justice System” by the to that position and he remains including anthropology, history, women's and gender studies, English Sentencing Project, a national, non- “committed to this style of order- and others. profit group that advocates for maintenance policing,” even The idea for the class was created during an Advancement of Learning criminal justice issues. though only spurious correlations workshop at the college, which challenged instructors to think of ways Researchers said disparities are to its efficacy in crime prevention to incorporate the events surrounding Michael Brown's death into their punitive and can turn deadly over remain. student's course work. minor violations. The report said that “flawed For example, Eric Garner, 43, research” plagued an early study Pictured left to right are symposium attendees was stopped and accused of selling cited by proponents of the “broken Casey Barnum, Brother Anwar and Dan Foley President Asks for $50 Million untaxed cigarettes, a misdemeanor, windows” policies. to Restore Civil Rights Sites before Officer Daniel Pantaleo “More recent studies have found Education Symposium Works choked him to death on a sidewalk that high misdemeanor arrest vol- The White House is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Voting of a Staten Island neighborhood. ume, high summons volume, and to Reclaim Young Black Males Rights Act by earmarking $50 million to restore key civil rights areas Officer Darren Wilson stopped 19- other factors, have had only a mod- around the nation. The 7th Annual Urban Education in downtown Jax at the Main year-old Ferguson resident Michael est association or no association at The president's budget includes money for the national historical trail Symposium: Reclaiming Young Library. Brown for jaywalking, before a dis- all with the city’s violent crime from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, which commemorates in part the Black Males for Jacksonville's Students, teachers and parents and puted confrontation led to Wilson Continued on page 2 "Bloody Sunday" attack by police on civil rights demonstrators. Their Future was held over the weekend guardians were featured and shared march was portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film "Selma." perspectives on the 2015 theme: The attack helped boost the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which banned the "Who is teaching and leading our use of literacy tests, added federal oversight for minority voters and students in the classroom?". The allowed federal prosecutors to investigate the use of poll taxes in state City Embraces Eureka Gardens symposium was held from 8:30 and local elections. The White House said part of the money for the broader efforts to renew a.m. to 1 p.m. and began with the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail would be for museum Jacksonville neighborhoods and show entitled “Success Realized” collections, oral histories and online access to collections. improve citizens’ quality of life. where students were a part of a stu- Also in the request is money for improvements at the Little Rock More than 250 participants attend- dio audience to discuss and expose Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas and the Martin ed the event, which featured com- students to a variety of careers and Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta. munity resource providers that careers paths. The money is part of a $4 trillion budget sent by President Barack offered health care sign ups, youth The “Lets Play the Feud – Success Obama to Congress on Monday. The plans still have to be approved by program registration, financial lit- Style” workshop engaged students the Republican-controlled House and Senate. eracy and tax preparation informa- in an interactive game of “Family Obama plans to travel to Alabama in March to commemorate the 50th tion, and more. There was also fun Feud” with questions garnered anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. activities for the children, including around success and personal rela- bounce houses and crafts. tionship. The final two workshops, Mayor Brown led the youth pres- “Success through my Eyes”, chal- Ferguson Lawsuit Sues City Over ent in a pledge to become lenged male students to think about Jailing People too Poor to Pay Fines “Community Champions”, by how they see success in themselves being responsible, respectful and and “Success is our Commitment” Six months after the streets of Ferguson erupted in response to the kind. where students chose the top five police shooting of Michael Brown, a group of civil rights lawyers is “As a champion, these kids are traits that make a successful stu- suing the city on behalf of residents who say they were jailed in promising to do their very best to dent. deplorable conditions, for being too poor to pay court fines. City employees Johnetta Moore and Thelma Jackson pass out tickets to youth. help their communities, their fami- Actor David Girard served as the The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of 11 residents of Ferguson, For the past year when you hear became a adjective of the past lies and themselves succeed,” said moderator of the event attended by alleges that the city has for many years operated a “municipal scheme about the Eureka Gardens apart- when Mayor Alvin Brown led the Mayor Brown. “It is great to see so hundreds of community trustees designed to brutalize, to punish, and to profit” off the poorest members ment community, it is accompanied city’s Renew Jax initiative and many young people stepping for- and youth which was opened in the community. The suit claims city officials violated the US consti- by crime statistics and unflattering hosted a community empowerment ward to be good stewards of their byMayor Alvin Brown who stresses tution by jailing people without making a meaningful inquiry into their remarks uncharacteristic of a stellar event at the apartment complex. neighborhood.” the symposium’s importance to the city. Last weekend that stereotype The event was part of the city’s ability to pay court-ordered fines or offering them a lawyer. city and Jacksonville’s future. The city of Ferguson disputed allegations made in the lawsuit that poor residents were targeted for unfair treatment. The city also denied that prisoners were abused and that the physical Western Gala Not Just a Party, But a Community Tradition conditions in the jail were unsanitary or unconstitutionally improper. The suits are seeking a declaration that the cities’ police forces violat- by M. Latimer ed the civil rights of the residents, an injunction to stop the allegedly The “Western Gala,” hosted by illegal practices and damages. the Jacksonville (FL) Chapter of Courts are prohibited from jailing offenders who cannot afford to pay The Links, Incorporated, is no fines and requires that officials make a meaningful inquiry into a per- longer just a party. The event, held son’s ability to pay before putting them behind bars. Despite this a annually since 2003, has become a growing number of poor, low-level offenders are doing time because Northeast Florida tradition. Last they cannot keep up with fees they owe to courts. weekend over 400 people flocked to the Western Gala for a night of line dancing, good food and games Lawmaker's Aide Resigns After all under a western theme. Gloria Mendez, a guest that Reports of Racial Comments attends every year, states, “I look A top aide to Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock has resigned following forward to coming to the event. I reports that he posted racially charged comments on social media. wear my cowboy boots and cowboy Benjamin Cole had served as the Republican lawmaker's spokesman hat, and know that I will have a since March. great time.” Schock said in a statement to the Peoria Journal Star that he was Held as the chapter’s signature "extremely disappointed by the inexcusable and offensive online com- fundraiser, the Western Gala ments made by a member of my staff." enables the chapter to give back to The liberal website Think Progress on Thursday published posts from the community. Event chair Cole's personal Facebook page that included comments mocking two Marietta LeBlanc notes that the African Americans outside his Washington apartment.