Volume 95 Number 20 | JANUARY 3-9, 2018 | MiamiTimesOnline.com | Ninety-Three Cents Black Girl AMID THEIR PAIN Magic in THEY MARCH the ATL NYAMEKYE DANIEL [email protected] ATLANTA (AP) — After emerging victori- ous from a crowded field and a bitterly contest- Since Tanya Fincher’s 17-year-old son Desmond was killed ed runoff, Keisha Lance Bottoms was sworn in in 2005, she said she has yet to muster up the courage to Tuesday as Atlanta’s mayor. visit her son’s grave after his burial. Bottoms took her oath of office during an in- “I don’t feel like I would come back from [the cemetery], so auguration ceremony in the Martin Luther King I never go,” said Fincher. “It has been a big drastic change in Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College. my life.” She promised in her inaugural speech to work on But on New Year’s Day, Fincher joined dozens of Miami resi- fighting homelessness, to improve transparency dents, law enforcement officers, community activists and oth- at City Hall and to create a senior-level staff po- er mothers who are familiar with her never-expiring pain, for a sition for education, The Atlanta Journal-Consti- march and candlelight vigil against gun violence. tution reported. Last month, gunfire claimed the lives of at least three chil- dren, including 2-year-old Carnell Williams-Thomas, who was killed while playing outside an apartment complex in the Goulds neighborhood. So the members of Parents of Murdered Kids, a support and advocacy group, turned what was supposed to be the second annual candlelight vigil for their children into a larger march and rally. The participants marched from the corner of Northwest 87th Street and 17th Avenue toward the Greater Holy Cross SEE MARCH 6A I don’t feel like I would come back from [the “ Keisha Lance Bottoms is the 60th and cemetery], so I never go,” said current mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Bottoms reiterated many of her campaign Tanya Fincher. “It has been a promises in her speech Tuesday, which ran about 35 minutes, the Journal-Constitution reported. “big drastic change in my life.” Those included supporting the arts, improving transit and working with state government to propel the city forward. She announced an initiative to invest $1 billion SEE MAYOR 6A Miami Times photo Nyamekye Daniel MLK committee The Hurricanes promises “enhanced gets Badgered University of Miami fans and security” at parade cheerleaders showed spirit at the Capital One Orange Bowl at the Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Hurricanes took ANDREA ROBINSON say they’ve had months of dis- an early 11-point lead over [email protected] cussions with Mayor Carlos Gimenez and leaders of local law the Wisconsin–Madison Organizers of Miami’s Martin Lu- enforcement agencies. Badgers in the Dec. 30 ther King Jr. Parade and Festival say “We’re working with speak- game, but lost it. They they will have “enhanced” security ing with the city and county and were defeated 34-24. along the parade route and at the Homeland Security,” said Tinsley. park in hopes of avoiding a repeat of She and Jenkins said they’ve SEE PAGE 20D the violence that occurred last year. met over the last few months with That announcement comes as members of Miami-Dade Police, local law enforcement agencies City of Miami Police, Broward figure out how to step up security Sheriff’s Office, Fort Lauder- for another headache: the swarms dale Police, Miami-Dade of motorcycle and bike riders who Corrections and the De- have infiltrated Liberty City and partment of Homeland other South Florida neighborhoods. Security. Lady Jenkins and Gigi Tins- The departments, ley, the leaders of the committee, SEE MLK 6A Miami Times photos Gregory Reed Dunn ends candidacy for Ros-Lehtinen’s US House seat Bay, parts of the City of Mi- “I thought about it, taken by a younger progres- ami and parts of Homestead, sive democrat who can hold and is 60 percent Hispanic, and I think that seat it for 30 years,” Dunn said. JANIAH ADAMS Dunn had entered the Con- and leans Democratic. needs to be taken by a “It needs someone who can [email protected] gressional House District 27 Dunn, 77, and a retired Flor- and will be willing to hold it race as a Democrat. The seat ida International University younger progressive much longer.” Two months after announc- is currently held by Repub- professor and history expert, democrat . Dunn has not yet made a ing plans to run for an open lican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, said he believes someone decision on a specific candi- U.S. House seat, local profes- Marvin Dunn who has served since 1989. younger should take the seat. date that he will support, but sor Marvin Dunn said he’s The district includes Coral “I thought about it, and I he said he will support stepping down. Gables, Miami Beach, Cutler think that seat needs to be SEE SEAT 6A BUSINESS ................................................. 1B SOCIAL WHIRL ......................................... 13C HEALTH & WELLNESS ............................. 17D CLASSIFIED ............................................. 9B DESTINATIONS ......................................... 15C PASTOR OF THE WEEK ............................ 18D Today IN GOOD TASTE ......................................... 1C YOU & YOURS ............................................ 14D CHURCH DIRECTORY ................................ 19D 72° LIFESTYLE HAPPENING ......................... 12C CHURCH LISTINGS .................................. 16D OBITUARIES ............................................. 20D INSIDE 8 90158 00100 0 Editorials Cartoons Opinions Letters VIEWPOINT BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY | JANUARY 3-9, 2018 | MiamiTimesOnline.com Credo Of The Black Press MEMBER: National Newspaper Periodicals Postage EDITORIAL The Black Press believes that America Publisher Association paid at Miami, Florida (ISSN 0739-0319) can best lead the world from racial and MEMBER: The Newspaper POSTMASTER: Published Weekly at 900 NW 54th Street, Association of America Send address changes to national antagonism when it accords Miami, Florida 33127-1818 Subscription Rates: One Year THE MIAMI TIMES, to every person, regardless of race, Let’s adopt a new day Post Office Box 270200 $52.99 – Two Year $99.99 P.O. Box 270200 creed or color, his or her human and Buena Vista Station, Miami, Florida 33127 Foreign $75.00 Buena Vista Station, Miami, FL legal rights. Hating no person, fearing popular song heard on New Year’s Eve at Phone 305-694-6210 7 percent sales tax for Florida residents 33127-0200 • 305-694-6210 no person, the Black Press strives to Black churches and among Gospel music H.E. SIGISMUND REEVES, Founder, 1923-1968 help every person in the firm belief that fans includes the lyrics “it’s a new season, it’s GARTH C. REEVES, JR., Editor, 1972-1982 all persons are hurt as long as anyone A GARTH C. REEVES, SR., Publisher Emeritus is held back. a new day. A fresh anointing is flowing my way.” RACHEL J. REEVES, Publisher and Chairman Those words are universal, as they hold the promise of what is possible and what can come to any person. This is regardless of your faith or spiritual belief. One terrible choice for the judiciary Greater Miami has a chance to reset from the hor- WILLIAM BARBER II, rific ending of 2017 with senseless, needless gun vio- Op-ed contributor, The New York Times lence. The Parents of Murdered Kids started off 2018 Among President Trump’s acy. Mr. Helms, who served in toward African-Americans. for decades by Mr. Helms and with a vigil and rally to remember their children. They worrisome nominees to the the Senate for 30 years, used Mr. Farr served as a lead coun- his political machine to the also gave all of us a charge to get involved. That means judiciary, perhaps none is as his honorable seat to support sel to Mr. Helms’s 1990 Sen- re-emergence of violent white alarming as Thomas Alvin Farr, the apartheid regime in South ate campaign, which ran the supremacists in the past year in residents, elected officials and so-called leaders. a protégé of Jesse Helms, the Africa while opposing deseg- now-infamous “White Hands” places like Charlottesville, Va. How does that look? For starters, there must be a former North Carolina senator, regation, civil rights legislation TV television ad, designed to Most recently, Mr. Farr has visible presence of mayors, commissioners, council and a product of the modern and the creation of the Martin inflame white voter anxiety carried on Mr. Helms’s legacy members, city managers, clerks and business leaders white supremacist machine Luther King’s Birthday holiday over Mr. Helms’s Black oppo- by helping North Carolina’s Re- in neighborhoods where people do not have hope, or that Mr. Helms pioneered. publican-led Legislature create have lost hope. Those are the same streets where the Mr. Farr, nominated to serve and defend in court discrimi- shootings have occurred. on the United States District natory voting restrictions and For citizens, when leadership reaches out, meet them Court for the Eastern District electoral districts, which were of North Carolina, began his ca- eventually struck down by at least half way. Okay, start with a quarter of the way. reer as counsel for Mr. Helms’s numerous federal courts that But at least make a start. There are serious lack of trust Senate campaigns, where he found them to be motivated by issues that impede the communications process. participated in racist tactics to intentional racism. This is par- For the people harboring those who have these weap- intimidate African-American ticularly the case in the East- ons, visit your local district police station and have a voters. This alone is reason to ern District of North Carolina, heart-to-heart. We know you love your relative. Nip- reject his nomination, as is his which covers an area where ping bad behavior will save other lives, possibly your apparent lying on the topic to about half of the state’s Black the Senate Judiciary Commit- residents live and is often re- own.