sfltimes.com “Elevating the Dialogue” SERVING MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD, PALM BEACH AND MONROE COUNTIES MARCH 26 — APRIL 1, 2015 | 50¢ IN THIS ISSUE BROWARD BROWARD Zero tolerance for racist conduct SOFLO LIVE/4C [Part 1] DISNEY ON ICE Featuring 1st By DAPHNE TAYLOR Black Princess Special to South Florida Times Their words were despicable and their language was appalling; but they were sworn to serve and protect all members of the public. Yet again, police officers, who are to uphold the law and enforce it, are demonstrating a side of them that shows they are not for all of the people. Fort Lauderdale police officers James Wells, 30, Jason PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK JAMES Holding,31, and Christopher Sousa, 25 were fired last Fri- MIRAMAR’S NEW LEADERSHIP: (Left) Commissioners Maxwell B. Chambers and Darlene B. day for exchanging among themselves 50 pages of racist Riggs, Vice Mayor Yvette Colbourne and Mayor Wayne M. Messam. text messages and repetitively using the “n” word, refer- ring to African Americans - all while tasked with canvass- ing a predominantly black neighborhood as part of their beat. As if that weren’t enough, a fourth officer, Alex Alvarez, SPORTS/8A 22, made a racist video, police said, disparaging the Presi- MO’NE DAVIS The changing dent of the United States by depicting President Barack Obama with gold teeth and chains around his neck. Alva- Throws into rez also participated in the text messaging with the other history at 13 three. It was Alvarez’s ex-fiancée who tipped off the offi- cers’ boss to the text messages and video last October. An investigation ensued and Alvarez resigned amid the con- face of Miramar troversy in January. The other three officers were fired last By JARRELL DOUSE is a dreamer and an incurable believer in Friday, upon the conclusion of the internal investigation. Special to South Florida Times perseverance. He credits his humility and The text messages and the video were despicable innate need to succeed to the efforts of his and highly offensive. Amongst the messages were the On Monday, March 23, history was made parents, more specifically, his late father following texts circulated among the officers. in Broward County, Florida. The Miramar Hubert Messam, a sugarcane field-hand Holding: “I had a wet dream that you two found those mayor and city commission are, for the first in Palm Beach County who instilled in his two ‘niggers’ in the VW and gave them the death penalty time since its incorporation on May 26, 1955, children that “success is an obligation and right on the spot.” comprised of black men and women, exclu- not an option.” Sousa: “Holdings we are coming and drinking your sively. Each was sworn into office on Mon- Messam, 40, said he believes in his fa- beer and killing ‘niggers.’” day. ther’s message. While he was commissioner, Alvarez: “Jimmy what would big dad do to that ‘nig- SPORTS/8A The Miramar election also became his- Messam began laying the foundation for a ger.’ Get that ‘nigger’ out from under that wagon.” BRITTANY STARLING toric at the victory of one of its new com- bid to become the mayor of Miramar, ulti- Wells: “And that ‘nigger’ lover in the wagon.” missioners, Maxwell Chambers. His wife is mately defeating long-tenured Mayor Lori They also made inappropriate remarks about His- FMU Track and a Broward County political powerhouse, as Moseley on March 10. Messam said he panics and gays. Field triumph well . The movie trailer, called “The Hoods,” depicted The new Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam PLEASE TURN TO MIRAMAR/2A President Obama with fake gold teeth, references to the Ku Klux Klan, and a dog biting a man who appears to be black. REGION Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Franklin Adderley, who is black, said although there was no criminal behavior among the officers involved, his department has a zero- tolerance for such conduct. “Once this behavior was Former architects bring ‘Taste the Islands’ brought to our attention, we acted swiftly and within the law in handling this type of matter,” Adderley said. “All of the officers were immediately removed from having any to PBS contact with the public while the investigation was con- ducted. Adderley is expected to talk to the FBI soon, as it is now involved in the case. The Fort Lauderdale NAACP By MICHELLE HOLLINGER has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to do an inquiry. Special to South Florida Times Alvarez’s ex-fiancée emailed the chief regarding the behavior on October 16. The conduct took place The first Caribbean between mid-September and mid-October. The two cooking show on PBS had reportedly had a 10-month relationship before she brings together two dy- alerted the department about his behavior. namic personalities deter- Ultimately, these officers- two of whom are white and mined to live life on their two Hispanic, were fired, but the question is why this own terms. It is no coinci- conduct continues to appear in non-black police officers dence that the star of ‘Taste when it comes to African Americans. After high profile the Islands,’ Chef Irie, and cases such as Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, and its executive producer, Cal- after months of rioting in Ferguson, Missouri last year ibe Thompson, both have and across the nation, new cases of racists police mis- degrees in architecture. conduct continue to surface. Yet, police departments Their respective jour- nationwide continue to insist that all of their officers are neys to build lives that ful- there to protect and serve all segments of the commu- fill them and allow them nity. Not so, says many in the black community. They say, to indulge in their pas- the writing is on the wall in each new case. sions unfolded differently; In part two of this report, we’ll examine why bad however, the similarities cops continue to be hired. We’ll examine whether these include an intention to ALEXANDRA HARRIS/FOR SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES racist behaviors are simply inherent within the force embrace their Caribbean TASTE THE ISLANDS: Chef Irie (left) and executive producer CalibeThompson make history with and why more isn’t being done to counter this behavior. culture by placing it front the fi rst Caribbean food show on PBS. We’ll talk to police departments across South Florida and center in their careers and black organizations to determine why this continu- arts, her first love. Follow- own online show, The Ca- “I went to University and sharing it with a main- ously is happening among cops and the black commu- ing college, she worked in ribbean Diaspora, which of Florida, got a degree stream audience. nity. We’ll talk to citizens about what they think should interior design before go- is now seen weekly on the in architecture, worked Although armed with be done. ing into music, singing on CW Network. for a few years, decided her architecture degree, The bottom line is tour with artists like Beenie Chef Irie, born Hugh that there was something which she got because SOMETHING more Man, Kevin Lyttle and Ki- Sinclair, found his way to else that I wanted to do to “my father was not going has to be done, if the Mani Marley. She transi- cooking after spending a fulfill my life,” he shared. to pay for me to go to art police departments tioned from performing few unfulfilling years work- school,” Thompson’s life across the nation musically to creating her ing in architecture. PLEASE TURN TO TASTE/2A has been immersed in the want the trust of all the people. We’ll MIAMI-DADE take a closer look at what that “some- OneUnited Mural Project promotes STEAM thing” is. By DEREK JOY Special to South Florida Times OneUnited Bank and Miami Children’s Initia- tive unveiled a creative partnership in conjunc- tion with Liberty City Renaissance. The event was a presentation of the OneUnit- ed Mural Project. The Project is a public arts work, youth de- velopment, community development and beau- tification program providing arts enrichment through Science, Technology, and Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) education. “They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture today says more. When DEREK JOY/FOR SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES PHOTO COURTESY OF WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM THE PROJECT: Addonis Parket at podium addresses the importance of Franklin Adderley the Mural Project. PLEASE TURN TO MURAL/3A SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL 3A NATION | 4A CARIBBEAN | 5A OPINION | 6A HEALTH | 7A BUSINESS | 8A SPORTS | 2B AROUND SOUTH FLORIDA | 3B CLASSIFIEDS/OBITUARIES | 4B PRAYERFUL LIVING | 1C SOFLO LIVE SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES ©2015 • VOL. 25 ISSUE NO. 13 • A BEATTY MEDIA, LLC PUBLICATION 2A | MARch 26 — april 1, 2015 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM Chef Irie promotes the Caribbean TASTE, FROM 1A That “something else” was cooking, based, in part, on advice from his friends. Despite making the decision and apply- ing to Johnson & Wales University, Irie said it took him over a year to muster the courage to leave his full-time job. He did the “fickle” restaurant scene for a while before becoming a private chef to athletes like former NBA player Lamar Odom and the Heat’s Mario Chalmers, for whom he continues DAVID I. MUIR/FOR SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES to cook. Being a person- Miramar swears in its new mayor, Wayne M. Messam, with his family looking on. al chef morphed into his catering business. Meanwhile, Thomp- son said she and Irie, “kept crossing paths Voters cast historic vote in over and over.” They both discovered that a cooking show was on ALEXANDRA HARRIS/FOR SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES the horizon during a Chef Irie doing what he does best.