BODY of SACRIFICE by Circle of Brotherhood Members Embark on a Hunger Strike to Protest Gun Violence in the Community
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Volume 96 Number 31 | MARCH 20-26, 2019 | MiamiTimesOnline.com | Ninety-Three Cents Miami Times Photo/Felipe Rivas Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime, foreground, stands with the Hunger 9, who are on a hunger strike to call attention to gun violence. Brothers'BODY OF SACRIFICE BY Circle of Brotherhood members embark on a hunger strike to protest gun violence in the community FELIPE RIVAS [email protected] hen marches, thoughts, prayers and press conferences fail to make an im- pact in the community after the killing of a loved one, a band of valiant men decided to sacrifice their flesh to stand against rampant gun violence that Wplagues some areas of Miami-Dade County. Nine Circle of Brotherhood members, also 62nd Street and Northwest 12th Avenue in known as the Hunger 9, are participating in Liberty City. Operation Hunger Strike, an unprecedented More than 10 days into the hunger strike, initiative aimed at stopping gun violence spirits are high and the nine men are in good throughout the county. The hunger strike health said Lyle Muhammed, executive direc- began on Saturday, March 9 and has no deter- tor of the organization. mined end in sight.The Hunger 9 are living in a The Circle of Brotherhood, an organization of makeshift campsite at the corner of Northwest SEE PROTEST 6A FAMILY SEEKS ANSWERS Crump calls on Justice Department to investigate death of Latasha Walton, who was shot by trooper FELIPE RIVAS full investigation into the head and provider of her [email protected] officer’s actions, whom they family. She leaves behind believe used excessive force two children. The family of a Black during the traffic stop. Civ- “What this officer has woman who was fatally shot il rights attorney Benjamin done has broken me, her Miami Times Photo/Gregory Reed last week by a Florida High- Crump is representing the two children and my entire Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam and supporters celebrate his March 12 win at way Patrol trooper during a Walton family and is asking family,” said Allison Wright, Our Humble Adobe in Miramar. traffic stop is seeking justice the U.S. Department of Jus- Walton’s younger sister, and answers. The visibly tice to handle the investiga- during Tuesday’s press con- distressed family of Lata- tion of the case. ference. “Why must you ‘WAYNE FOR AMERICA’ OR sha Walton called for a Latasha Walton was the SEE WALTON 6A Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump WAYNE FOR MIRAMAR? addresses Latasha Walton’s death and the need for a fair and complete Messam aspires to lead free world much as he has been canvass- investigation into the case. ing to keep his current polit- despite winning the mayoral election ical job. On Wednesday, Messam NYAMEKYE DANIEL president for the United will be sworn in for his sec- [email protected] States.” ond term as mayor, that is In the last few weeks, Mes- if he makes it back on time Wayne Messam plans to sam has hinted that he is from a trip to the Middle make a historic announce- interested in joining the ev- East. Messam left for the ment in 10 days that he said er-growing list of Democrats Middle East earlier this week “will impact the race for the running against Republican motivated to promote peace. Democratic nomination for President Donald Trump as SEE FREE 4A Miami Times Photo/Felipe Rivas film review Today BUSINESS ................................................. 8B YOU & YOURS ............................................ 7D 78° CLASSIFIED ............................................. 11B FAITH CALENDAR ................................... 8D 'Amazing IN GOOD TASTE ......................................... 1C HEALTH & WELLNESS ............................. 9D LIFESTYLE HAPPENINGS ....................... 5C OBITUARIES ............................................. 12D 8 90158 00100 0 INSIDE Grace'1C Editorials Cartoons Opinions Letters VIEWPOINT BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY | MARCH 20-26, 2019 | MiamiTimesOnline.com MEMBER: National Newspaper Periodicals Postage EDITORIAL Credo Of The Black Press Publisher Association paid at Miami, Florida (ISSN 0739-0319) The Black Press believes that America MEMBER: The Newspaper POSTMASTER: Published Weekly at 900 NW 54th Street, can best lead the world from racial and Association of America Send address changes to Miami, Florida 33127-1818 national antagonism when it accords Subscription Rates: One Year THE MIAMI TIMES, Opa-locka residents Post Office Box 270200 to every person, regardless of race, $65.00 – Two Year $120.00 P.O. Box 270200 Buena Vista Station, Miami, Florida 33127 creed or color, his or her human and Foreign $75.00 Buena Vista Station, Miami, FL Phone 305-694-6210 legal rights. Hating no person, fearing 7 percent sales tax for Florida residents 33127-0200 • 305-694-6210 voted for change; it’s no person, the Black Press strives to H.E. SIGISMUND REEVES Founder, 1923-1968 help every person in the firm belief that GARTH C. REEVES JR. Editor, 1972-1982 GARTH C. REEVES SR. Publisher Emeritus all persons are hurt as long as anyone time for change RACHEL J. REEVES Publisher and Chairman is held back. pa-locka residents on election day chose new leader- ship and expect the city to go into a different direc- Affirmative action is for white people Otion than the way it was going. Under several previous administrations, the city went nearly bankrupt, had to yield to MICHAEL HARRIOT, columnist, The Root a state oversight board, and drew federal investigations, arrests While the conversations sur- white applicants were accepted the SAT in 2015 but were 48 per- and imprisonment. rounding the newly uncovered into the school. The acceptance cent of Ivy League admissions; The leadership today has a few holdovers, Commissioners college cheating scandal have rate for Asians was 5.8 percent. 62 percent of students admitted Joseph Kelly and Mayor Matthew Pigatt. Pigatt interrupted his focused on the advantages of the However, there was one group to the top liberal arts colleges term on the commission to run for mayor and succeeded sev- wealthy, the hypocrisy of those of students who had an unusu- and 49 percent of the people se- eral well-known candidates. As commissioner, Pigatt frequently who demonize affirmative -ac Whiteness is its own ally high acceptance rate at the lected for flagship public univer- criticized his predecessor, Myra Taylor, for acting as if she was a tion, and the outrageous hubris affirmative action. Poor prestigious Ivy League institu- sities, according to the New York of the elite, there is one indis- tion: Harvard accepted 33 per- Times. strong mayor. In a strong mayor type of government, the mayor putable fact that most people white kids who go to cent of legacy students. Whiteness is its own affirma- is the CEO. Opa-locka’s charter says the mayor’s post is ceremo- have either consciously ignored elite colleges eventually And it’s not just at Harvard. tive action. Poor white kids who nial, and he presides over the commission meetings and can cast or overlooked entirely: In Amer- earn“ incomes that At Notre Dame and George- go to elite colleges eventually one of five votes on items. ica, white people get a better ed- are equivalent to town, the legacy admission rate earn incomes that are equivalent Soon after Pigatt took office, residents at commission meetings ucation. is twice the rate of regular stu- to the incomes of the wealthiest the incomes of the say that some of his actions reflect Taylor’s leadership. “This is Schools in white neighbor- dents, the Wall Street Journal children in America. White col- wealthiest children in like Myra Taylor all over again,” one resident shouted. There hoods are better. Majority-white reports. At Princeton, the legacy lege graduates are eight times public schools receive more admission rate is four times the wealthier than Black college have been complaints that Pigatt would not let the other officials America. funding. And despite what the rate of non-legacy admissions. graduates. The children of white talk and, if he does he restricts their time. If Pigatt is trying to opponents of affirmative action All across America, at schools high school graduates are more earn their way into college. The keep order and move the meeting along, good for him. If he mis- would have you believe, it is eas- that have a plurality of white likely to go to college than Black opponents of using race as a fac- understands what presiding over commission meetings means, ier to get into college if you’re students and whose alumni pop- children whose parents have tor in admission standards per- that’s something that should be checked. white. ulations are overwhelmingly PhDs. petuate the narrative that Black It is easy to point at the over- white, the legacy admission has None of these advantages has So while Taylor intervened in personnel and other issues that people and other minorities are whelming evidence of America’s become a form of white people’s anything to do with hard work, were not under purview as mayor, she managed to get away with accepted into prestigious insti- two-tiered education system affirmative action. determination or a belief in the it. Pigatt is no Myra Taylor. He doesn’t have the clout, the loyalty tutions even though they don’t and call it racist, but it is much This is literally a privilege re- American dream. It is not about qualify. But here is a fact that or the votes on the Commission – at least not yet. more complex than that. It is served for white people. wealth, morality or merit. Edu- you have probably never heard: Those facts became very evident after the city clerk filed an about capitalism. It is the legacy The reason why white stu- cation, drive and even circum- It’s easier to get into a good ethics complaint against Pigatt, accusing him of acting as if he of Jim Crow and white suprema- dents are overrepresented at stance can never outpace the college if you’re white.