THE FLORIDA STAR, NORTHEAST FLORIDA’S OLDEST, LARGEST, MOST READ AFRICAN AMERICAN OWNED NEWSPAPER The Florida Star Presorted Standard P. O. Box 40629 U.S. Postage Paid Jacksonville, FL 32203 Jacksonville, FL Philanthropic Families Donate More Permit No. 3617 Than Half A Million Dollars to Can’t Get to the Store? Bethune-Cookman University Have The Star Delivered! Story on page 6 Read The Florida and Georgia Star THE FLORIDA Newspapers. STAR thefl oridastar.com The only media Listen to IMPACT to receive the Radio Talk Show. Jacksonville Sheriff’s The people’s choice Offi ce Eagle Award for being “The Most Factual.” APRIL 11 - APRIL 17, 2020 VOLUME 69, NUMBER 52 $1.00 Daughter of MLK Named PHILANTHROPIST, to Georgia ENTREPRENEUR and Coronavirus RECORDING ARTIST Outreach Group Keeve Murdered eeve Hikes, Philanthropist, entre- preneur and rapper from Jack- sonville, Florida was fatally shot Tuesday evening. Keeve was pro- nounced dead on the scene, ac- cordingK to offi cials. News of his death, prompted an out- pouring of support from the Jacksonville Florida community. Dr. Bernice King, daughter of civil rights “May His peace comfort you all leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will help lead a new outreach committee in Georgia during this diffi cult time. His life was a as the state copes with the coronavirus, Gov. Testament of time well spent.” Brian Kemp announced Sunday. Keeve drew attention for industry King, chief executive offi cer of the Martin leaders from his hit single “ Bag” Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social feat. YFN Lucci, from his album en- Change in Atlanta, will co-chair the commit- titled “ No Major Deal But I’m Still tee of more than a dozen business and com- Major”. Keeve has collaborated munity leaders with Engaged Futures Group with artists including Webbie, YFN LLC President Leo Smith. Lucci, Lil Boosie, Kamillion, Mon- “Comprised of talented individuals from the ey Man, Trap Beckham and public and private sectors, I am confi dent this many others drawing inspira- committee will ensure that our state remains tion from his city but delivering prepared in the fi ght against COVID-19,” the his message in an authenti- Georgia governor said in a statement Sunday. cate and intricate street-level of storytelling. The rapper was a strong advo- cate for the Jacksonville com- Signs COVID-19 is munity where he was raised. Disproportionately Keeve was known for his philan- thropist efforts. Each year Keeve Impacting would host a Community Back to School Drive, Thanksgiving African Americans Drive and Christmas Toy Bash. In Grow Larger 2019, Keeve returned back to Jacksonville for Christmas and By Lauren Victoria Burke blessed over 400 families with NNPA Newswire Toys, Clothes, Shoes and over 15,000 dollars was awarded to In a letter dated February 4, and sent to U.S. single parent households. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Keeve wasn’t just a rap- Azar, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and per,he was a father, business- Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) said compre- man, entertainer, and inspi- hensive demographic data on people tested or ration to many. treated for the virus that causes COVID-19 doesn’t exist. Cities with large black populations have now emerged as new hot spots for the spread of the virus. They include Houston, New York, Detroit and New Orleans. Nearly 70 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in New Orleans have been African American. “Any attempt to contain COVID-19 in the United States will have to address its poten- tial spread in low-income communities of color, fi rst and foremost to protect the lives of people in those communities, but also to Earl Graves Sr., Black Singer-Songwriting slow the spread of the virus in the country as Enterprise Founder Dies Legend Bill Withers a whole,” Warren and Pressley the lawmakers wrote to Azar. Dies at 81 “States MUST start tracking and reporting Story on page 8 race data in connection with #Covid_19. As Story on page 12 Please see COVID19, page 6 Editorial...............................1 Looking for customers to patronize your Wish to give us a News Story? Church..........................2 Call (904) 766-8834 or Send it to: Youth News...............................3 business or utilize your services? If you Community.....................10 answered YES, then you need to place an info@thefl oridastar.com Columns.............................10 Local-Florida............................7 ad in The Florida or Georgia Star! CALL ad@thefl oridastar.com Sports........................8 904-766-8834 to place your ad TODAY!! Local-Georgia........................9 Classified...............11 Check, Money Order, Business..................................12 Or Credit Cards Accepted PAGE 2 THE STAR APRIL 11, 2020 Staff Directory CommunitListings are due the Tuesday before the next issue. y OWNER/PUBLISHER Follow Us! Email submissions preferred. Send to: [email protected] Clara McLaughlin Facebook MANAGEMENT @thefl oridastarnewspaper Rinetta M. Fefi e Twitter GENERAL MANAGER @thefl oridastar Ashes And Rubble Opio Sokoni Instagram than wealthy white people. As in survival must be fought on multiple @thefl oridastar SALES & MARKETING the fog of war, the fog of crisis fronts, and now COVID-19 has Website: Opio Sokoni narrows our focus on the enemy opened yet another one. www.thefl oridastar.com directly in front of us from moment We should not despair, however, to moment. And it takes critical over the dangerous road ahead. analysis to understand why this is Instead, we should take a lesson Join the NAACP happening to us. from our ancestors, many of whom Beaver Street The answer to this question also suffered slavery or oppressive NAACP ! Enterprise Center reveals why whites generally live colonialism in times past. The 1225 W. Beaver Street, longer than people of color: We generations that emerged from naacpjax.org Suite 112 live in different worlds. under these evils to educate Jacksonville, FL 32204 This might be an extraordinary themselves and their children Isaiah Rumlin (904) 265-4702 By Oscar H. Blayton thing to say if it was not for the while building lives, communities President reality of environmental racism. and institutions in the face of nless you have serious Environmental racism creates racism set an example for us to psychological issues, different worlds for different follow. We must support and rely The Church Directory Uyou recognize the grave people. It created the toxic on each other while demanding “Come and Worship With Us” danger the COVID-19 pandemic water crisis in Flint, Mich. It fair treatment from a reluctant poses for our global community. is one reason Puerto Rico has government. Threats to our health Greater El-Bethel Divine Holiness Church This is a time of great loss. The not fully recovered more than and welfare have always been “The Church Where Everybody Is Somebody” worst tragedies are the loss of our two years after Hurricanes Irma compounded by social injustice. loved ones. And in addition to these and Maria left it devastated in And so it is with this COVID-19 heartbreaks, we also must bear the Church Address: Mailing Address: 2017. And for years after New pandemic. 723 W. 4th St. P.O. Box 3575 simultaneous catastrophes of the Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward was With one arm we must shield Jacksonville, Jacksonville, loss of income, the destabilization fl ooded by Hurricane Katrina, ourselves and our communities Florida 32209 Florida 32206 of our families and the destruction its rehabilitation was neglected from encroachments and threats Telephone: Home: of whatever marginal security we because of environmental racism. (904) 359-0661 (904) 683-5919 like pandemics and, with our other may have had. These tragedies, which never Cell: 710-1586 arm, we must wield the sword of Because COVID–19 is going would have been tolerated in justice to eliminate public policy Bishop Lorenzo Hall, Pastor to leave communities around predominantly white and wealthy inequities born of racism and Sunday School...........................................9:30 a.m. the world in ashes and rubble communities, are only a few – fi nancially, socially and examples of environmental racism. notions of white superiority and Morning Worship.....................................11:00 a.m. then infl icted upon us. Tuesday...Prayer Meeting & Bible Study, 7:00 p.m. emotionally – it is extremely Interstate highways and exchanges Thursday..................................Joy Night, 7:00 p.m. important that we, as people of cut through predominantly Black Our greater vulnerability to color, stay strong and focused. urban areas. Many urban areas COVID-19 is the result of conscious Email: [email protected] This murderous virus does not and deliberate decisions by policy Website: Greaterelbethel.org populated by people of color are discriminate based on race or classifi ed as food deserts by the makers under the infl uence of Come join Bishop Dr. Lorenzo Hall, Sr. every Wednesday racial bigotry and belief in white and Thursday from 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM for Prayer economic status, but the social federal government. And in a 1987 Meeting and Bible Study structures under which we live study titled “Toxic Waste and Race superiority. It is not enough for leave some of us more exposed in the United States,” the United us to beat back this deadly virus. than others to its dangers. And Church of Christ’s Commission We also must also strategize and New Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church facts, borne out by data, show for Racial Justice found that work to eliminate those injustices 1824 Prospect St * Jacksonville, FL 32208 that people of color and the poor “indeed, race has been a factor that make us the most vulnerable in its path. And we must work “The Church Where God Provides Hope, Help & Healing” are dying of the virus at a rate in the location of commercial disproportionate to our percentage hazardous waste facilities in the with those who recognize these of the general population.