baton rouge weekly press week of june 7-12, 2012
DESCRIPTION
The longest minority weekly publication in Baton Rouge. Positive news!TRANSCRIPT
INDEXLocal & State ...........................2Commentary ............................4Business ...................................5Religion ...................................6Health ......................................7Sports ......................................8
STATE & LOCAL NEWS BUSINESS NEWS HEALTH NEWS
CLASSIFIED Buying or selling a service, looking for for a good job? Check out the classifeds .
LA IMPROVESGRADUATION RATESBeginning this fall, every 8th-11th grade student in Louisiana will par-ticipate in the EXPLORE/Plan/ACT series. This series of state-funded ACT tests will serve as a guide for teachers and families...See Page 2
LOUISIANA’S WAIVER APPROVEDLouisiana’s plan to ensure all stu-dents are on track to attain a col-lege degree or a professional career, Louisiana Believes, is based on the belief that all students can achieve academic success and that those closest to students ..See Page 5
COFFEE MAY LOWER PROSTATE CANCERFor a long time scientists have won-dered whether coffee might lower the risk of prostate cancer. Previous studies have been relatively small and have shown mixed results....See Page 7
The Health Initiative of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Nu Gamma Omega Chapter participated in the American Cancer Society’s 2012 Relay for Life of East Baton Rouge Parish..See Page 3
AKA SORORITY PARTICIPATES IN RELAY FOR LIFE RELIGION NEWSChristian rap artist Juan G challenges anybody to “name any hip-hop artist who is selling platinum in — as Chris-tians call it — the ‘secular’ arena that is also packing out church houses.”..See Page 6
THEWEEKLYPRESS.COM Celebrating 37 Years Of Service To The Baton Rouge Community 225.775.2002
THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 A PEOPLE’S PUBLICATION FREE
B A T O N R O U G E , L O U I S I A N A
Judge John Michael Guidry formally announces his candidacy for election to the District 5 Seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court, which is being vacated due to the impending retirement of Chief Justice Kitty Kimball. The primary election will be November 6, 2012. If needed, a runoff election will be December 1, 2012. Judge Guidry is in his fifteenth year as an Appellate Court Judge on the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, having been first elected to the First Circuit in 1997. He is the senior ap-pellate judge residing in Su-preme Court District 5. Prior to his election to the Court of Appeal, Judge Guidry served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana State Sen-ate. Judge Guidry is a former commissioner of the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commis-sion and the Greater Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport Commission. Judge Guidry currently serves as an adjunct professor at both the Southern University Law Center and the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy on the Baton Rouge Campus of Southern University. Judge Guidry is
a 1983 graduate of LSU and a 1987 Cum Laude Graduate of the Southern University Law Center.
Judge Guidry was ap-pointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court, upon the recommendation of Chief Justice Kitty Kimball, to the governing board of the Loui-siana Judicial College, which educates the state’s judiciary. He serves as secretary to the college’s board of governors. His fellow appellate judges statewide chose him to rep-resent them on the Louisiana Judicial Council for a three-year term. Recently, upon the recommendation of Chief Justice Kitty Kimball, Judge Guidry became a member of the Domestic Violence Cur-riculum Advisory Committee. Judge Guidry was inducted into the Southern University Law Center Hall of Fame in 2010. Judge Guidry is a fre-quent speaker in our churches and schools, particularly to motivate and encourage our youth. Judge Guidry is a member of the Baton Rouge, State, National, and American Bar associations, as well as the
Judge John Michael Guidry Announces Candidacy for Louisiana Supreme Court
Judge John Michael Guidry
See GUIDRY, on page 3
BATON ROUGE - As hur-ricane season officially begins today, June 1, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is en-couraging residents to prepare by pre-applying online for Di-saster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (DSNAP), formerly called Di-saster Food Stamps.
“With hurricane season now upon us, it’s never too early to prepare,” said DCFS Secretary Ruth Johnson. “I urge all residents, especially those living in coastal areas, to take advantage of our online pre-application for DSNAP.”
Johnson said that while a DSNAP program is not in effect, now is the perfect time to pre-apply and be prepared for any storms that may occur this season.
DSNAP provides food as-sistance for eligible households who do not receive regular SNAP benefits and who need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages follow-ing a disaster. In the event of a disaster the state must request that the federal government initiate DSNAP, but can only make the request upon the ac-tivation of the Stafford Act.
According to Johnson, the pre-application process does not guarantee benefits, but is designed to save time, prevent long waits and to make it easier for applicants to collect the required income information before a disaster strikes.
“By completing the pre-application online, residents are taking a proactive step to prepare themselves and their families for a disaster,” said Johnson. “I hope all residents
Louisiana Residents Encourages to Pre-Apply for Disaster Food Assistance
See FOOD, on page 3
BATON ROUGE - A group of female inmates at the EBR Par-ish Prison got a rare opportunity Tuesday.
They were reunited with their children for an entire day as part of the “One Day With Kids” program.
The women have spent the last few months learning skills to make them better parents and hopefully keep them from returning to jail after they’re released.
“Whenever you’re in here, you’re desperate. You especially miss your family and you have
EBR Inmates Spend Time With Kids
See KIDS, on page 2
BATON ROUGE - Mem-bers of the Eden Park and Baton Rouge community, fel-low artists, friends and family will gather at the Eden Park Branch Library, 5131 Green-well Springs Road, on Sunday, June 17, at 3 p.m., to remem-ber the talents and art of the late Emerson Bell. Bell was a Baton Rouge artist, resident and member of the Eden Park Community.
Anyone who owns works of art created by Em-erson is asked to loan them to the library for display or bring them to the program to share with the community, as well as to share memories of his life or express the vitality
of his work. Works of Emerson Bell
will be on display in the gal-lery area of the Eden Park Branch from June 9-23.
Remembering Emerson Bell
Emerson Bell
B AT O N ROUGE, LA - The griev-ing continues for the loved ones of those killed by an alleged drunk driver and the unimaginable pain turned into intense anger, as yet another victim passed away and the family wants to know why the suspect is allowed to be free.
Despite being emotionally drained and physically worn out, the Gaines family pushed on and said goodbye to yet an-other relative Sunday. The family decided to take Willie Gaines, 15, off life support and donate his organs.
“We went in as a family, knowing that they’re about to pull him off the ventilator, so it was pretty hard for everybody,” said John Gaines, a son, brother and uncle of the victims. “We’re a close-knit family, support-ing each other, but it’s surreal still.”
John Gaines said the deci-sion to donate Willie’s organs was difficult, but the right one to make.
“We knew that though life
was lost, that it could help life. So, that’s what it’s all about and that’s what my mother stood for and that’s what it’s all about and that’s her legacy to help other people,” he added.
That is what’s giving this family strength as it prepares to bury five relatives. Family members spent the weekend finalizing funeral plans, includ-ing lining up 30 pallbearers, a daunting task in itself.
The other five victims of the crash were:
Brenda Gaines, 64 (Driver, Denise Gaines’ mother)
Angela Mosely, 35 (Fellow church member)
Denise Gaines, 33 (Mother
of Diamond, Jyren and two other teens in the vehicle)
Diamond Johnson, 12Jyren Johnson, 6 “I lost a mom, I lost a sister,
I lost two nephews,” said Mar-cus Gaines, another son, brother and uncle of the victims. “And, this could have easily been your family or anybody else’s family that this happened to.”
The cars keep pulling and the support from the community grows. Her sons say the credit for that type of outreach from others goes to Brenda Gaines. They describe her as an incred-ible woman of God who reached
Family Talk About Fatal CrashWants to Know Why Suspect is Free
Picture 1: Jyren Johnson Picture 2: Diamond Johnson, Denise Gaines Picture 3: Brenda Gaines
BrettGerald
Some emergency officials called this one of the worst crashes they’ve en-countered.
See CRASH, on page 2
Page The Weekly Press
out to so many in her life.“She taught us. She preached
to us and taught us and some-times, we even got mad. But, now we understand. We truly understand. And, I thank God for her. I really do,” John Gaines explained.
RJ Gaines, 13, was the sev-enth person in the car Wednesday night. He remains in critical condi-tion. The families have announced the funeral arrangements for the people who died in the crash.
The service for all five Gaines family members was on Friday at 11 a.m. at Living Faith Christian Center on Winbourne Avenue. A benefit concert was held Thurs-day at 7 p.m. at New Hope Bap-tist Church on Greenwell Springs Road.
Mosley’s visitation was
Thursday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Richardson Funeral Home in Clinton. Funeral Services was Fri-day at 11 a.m. at Galilee Baptist Church in Clinton.
A memorial account has been set up in the name of John Gaines at Chase bank for those who would like to donate to help with expenses.
With the wreck resulting in the loss of yet another loved one, this family can’t help but wonder how the alleged drunk driver is able to walk free.
“A total of six people he killed and one on life support. Why is he back on the street? Someone answer that question,” said Marcus Gaines.
Brett Gerald, 30, of Greens-burg was arrested following the crash.
The Louisiana State Police reported his blood alcohol con-tent (BAC) was .15g percent, which is nearly two times the legal limit.
Gerald faces the following charges:
counts)-
ligence injuring (2 counts)
motor vehicle
The charges are expected to be upgraded now that Wil-lie Gaines has also died.
G e r a l d w a s re l e a s e d from prison after posting a $256,500 bond early Thursday morning.
READER INFORMATION
How to Reach UsGeneral Information . . .225-775-2002Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225-775-4216 Email Address . . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
The office is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday and located at 1283 Rosenwald Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Correction PolicyThe Baton Rouge Weekly Press strives to be fair and accurate. The newspaper corrects any significant errors of fact brought to the attention of the editor. If you think an error has been made, call 225-775-2002
The Weekly Press
Newspaper is a published weekly in Baton Rouge and distributed every Thursday with a circulation of 7,500. Subscription rates are $65.00 per year for Louisiana residents; $72.00 for one year for out-of-state residents; half price for six months subscription: and $1.00 per single copy.
All money orders or checks should be made payable to The Weekly Press, P.O. Box 74485, Baton Rouge, La. 70874
1283 Rosenwald RoadBaton Rouge, La. 70807-41
Phone: (225) 775-2002 Fax: (225) 775-4216
E-MAIL [email protected]@bellsouth.net
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed Saturday, Sunday and all Major Holidays
Call the McManus law office and get all you deserve
Charles C. McManusA T T O R N E Y A T L A W
www.charlesmcmanus.com
If this happens to
you call
STATE & LOCAL
Public NoticeLouisiana State Permanent Supportive Housing Program
As of June 25, 2012, the waiting list for the Louisiana State Permanent Supportive Hous-ing Program (PSH) Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units with project-based vouchers in the Capital Area will be open to PSH-eligible applicants who are single, homeless, and willing to live in the Baton Rouge area. Applicant households must meet all criteria to be eligible for the waiting list.
To qualify for the PSH Program: the head of household must be at or below 50% of the Area Median Income with a preference for incomes at or below 30% of AMI; the head of household must have a severe, long-term disability; and because of the disability, the head of household must be in need of supportive services in order to live independently and successfully in the community. To qualify as homeless, the head of household must be currently homeless (i.e., living on the streets or in a shelter) or previously homeless and currently living in transitional housing. To qualify as single, the head of household must be unaccompanied. Applicant households requiring more than one bedroom are not eligible for this waitlist.
To request an application, interested persons must call 225-219-7871 and provide the applicant’s name and mailing address. Completed applications and supporting documen-tation must be submitted by mail (Permanent Supportive Housing, CAHSD; 4615 Gov-ernment St., Building One; Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806) or by fax (225-922-2360). Reasonable accommodations will be made in completing applications. For assistance in completing an application, call 225-252-9351 for an appointment (required).
BATON ROUGE-- June 1 marks the opening day of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, and Attorney General Buddy Caldwell wants you to be well prepared in the event a storm threatens Louisiana’s coastline. Caldwell warns that when di-saster strikes, consumer related fraud could increase.
“Hurricanes can cause much more than physical dam-age,” stated Caldwell. “Unfor-tunately, hurricane season is also a time in which unscrupulous con-artists can try to capitalize off of your misfortune. Even in emergency situations, it pays to be a smart consumer.”
Scams related to price gouging, home repair and phony solicitations are likely to occur before and after a natural disaster. The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office wants you to be aware of
the following disaster-related consumer scams:
Price GougingWhen a state of emergency is
declared, Louisiana laws against price gouging go into effect. Price gouging is when seller prices merchandise much higher than is reasonable or fair. The price goug-ing statutes prohibit the raising of prices above the pre-emergency levels unless there is a national or regional market commodity shortage. This means that gaso-line; petroleum products, hotels, motels, and retailers are prohib-ited from raising prices during this state of emergency unless they incur a spike in the price of doing business. In the event of a declared state of emergency, the Attorney General’s Office will be taking consumer complaints and will have investigators in the field on the lookout for price gougers. Price gouging laws carry both civil and criminal penalties.
Contractor FraudIf your home is damaged
by a natural disaster, you will most likely be in the market for a reputable and qualified contrac-tor. Even in such a situation as a disaster, it is still important to obtain more than one estimate for repairs and to check on the
qualifications and credentials of anyone working on your home. You can contact local consumer agencies for reviews, and con-tact the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors at 800-256-1392 to make sure the contrac-tor is licensed and to see if the contractor has any complaints or violations on record. Find out the contractor’s address and verify it. Get the name of the contractor’s insurer and bonding company. You will also want to ask for references of satisfied customers and contact those individuals to examine the work done. Where a down payment is required, it should not exceed 10% to 25% of the total price. Always get a guarantee in writing and keep a signed, legible copy of the contract in a safe place. Pay by check or money order and keep all receipts. A model contract can be found by visiting www.agbuddycaldwell.com.
Phony SolicitationsScammers see hurricanes
and other natural disasters as an opportunity to use phony solicitations in order to take advantage of both the disaster victims and people who wish to make charitable donations to help out these victims. Scam-
mers take advantage of those people already victimized by posing as government agency employees or insurance adjusters. In the process of interviewing the victims, they request personal identifying information, such as Social Security numbers and bank information in order to steal their identity. If you are a disas-ter victim, you must confirm the identity of anyone who contacts you purporting to be from a gov-ernmental agency or insurance company. Ask for details in writ-ing and be wary when the term “government approved” is used. Do not give out any information until you have checked them out by contacting the actual agency or insurance company that they claim to represent.
The scammers will also at-tempt to exploit the generosity of Louisiana citizens wishing to donate to the victims of natural disasters through phony chari-ties. Use caution before giving credit card numbers over the phone or online. If you’re not sure whether a charity is legiti-mate, check up on charities by contacting the Attorney General’s Charitable Registration section and the Better Business Bureau before you donate. Be skeptical of unsolicited email requests for do-nations, even if they appear to be from a legitimate charity. Many charities including the Red Cross will never ask you for donations through e-mail; instead go to the actual website in your browser to make a donation. Never give your personal information in an e-mail. Make your check payable to the organization, never to an individual. Choose established charitable organizations that have a history of assisting in disasters.
To report price gouging, contractor fraud, or other con-sumer related scams, contact the attorney general’s consumer protection hotline at 1-800-351-4889.
HURRICANE SEASON CAN INCREASE FRAUD IN LOUISIANA
Caldwell Urges Louisiana Residents to be on the Lookout for Disaster- Related Scams
Beginning this fall, every 8th-11th grade student in Loui-siana will participate in the EX-PLORE/Plan/ACT series. This series of state-funded ACT tests will serve as a guide for teach-ers and families as to what each high school student needs in order to be prepared to achieve at high levels.
The state will provide funds to train approximately 350 teachers to teach Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Through a federal grant and a new investment of state dollars through 8(g) funding, Louisiana will fund 8,500 test administra-tions for low-income students and for any student taking a course that is new to a school.
Course Choice, created through Act 2, will createnew opportunities for students in grades K-12 to take courses from an array of providers and across a full range of disciplines. Be-ginning in the 2013-2014 school year, using an online statewide catalogue, students, parents, and counselors will be able to select courses that meet their individual post-secondary and career interests, including Ad-vanced Placement classes, and Career and Technical courses, and Dual Enrollment courses.
Louisiana is transition-ing to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which will provide a more clear under-standing of what students are expected to learn and better prepare them to be college and career ready upon leav-ing high school. The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and math are aligned to standards in the highest performing states and countries, and will prepare our students to compete in a global
economy. Students will begin transitioning to the CCSS this fall, with full implementation taking place in the 2014-2015 school year.
Credit Recovery/Grade Recovery programs aim to re-duce the number of dropouts by preventing students from fail-ing courses and helping them recover credit in the event that they do fail a course.
Jobs for America’s Grad-uates (JAG) are a program to assist struggling students in earning a high school diploma or in passing the General Educa-tion Development (GED) test. It provides students with soft skills, job training and dual en-rollment opportunities. JAG has proven to be a highly effective program in Louisiana, with a graduation rate of 93 percent and a job placement rate of 96 percent.
Everybody Graduates! was launched in the 2010-2011 school year and incorporates best practices, such as fresh-man academies and using data systems to track students. The program encourages schools to use data collection systems to identify at-risk students and to provide interventions to stu-dents so that they ultimately graduate with their ninth grade cohort. This program is the con-tinuation of the Ninth Grade Ini-tiative which was implemented in 2007-08 and encouraged the same best practices as Every-body Graduates!
For detailed state data by grade, please click here. For detailed dropout data by district, please click here. For more information on Loui-siana’s dropout prevention initiatives, please visit www.louisianaschools.net.
Louisiana’s Initiatives To Improve Graduation Rates And Reduce Dropout Rates
CRASH from page 1
nothing but time to think. You think about decisions you made,” said Roxanna Delaugh-ter. “Sometimes guilt comes with that, but thank goodness for a place here. It’s almost as if a refuge of people have come to assist in getting us back on the right track.”
For some of the women, it’s been years since they’ve seen
their kids.“I learned better behavioral
skills to cope with society so I won’t make the same mistakes I did before I came to jail. So yeah, I learned a lot to take home,” said Darvonda Johnson.
The Sheriff’s Department hopes this will help ease the women back into their fami-lies.
KIDS from page 1
The Weekly Press 3
Alsen Park, ages 6-12June 4-July 27
$36 per week for in-parish residents only
Greenwood Community Park “Base Camp Greenwood” Adventure Camp
June 11-July 13Fee varies by age and session.
For more information, call 225-272-9200, ext. 400or visit brec.org/summercamp.
myCamp2012 BREC SUMMER CAMPS
Spaces still available.
The Health Initiative of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorpo-rated Nu Gamma Omega Chapter participated in the American Can-cer Society’s 2012 Relay for Life of East Baton Rouge Parish on Satur-day, May 19 through Sunday May 20. The event, held at the BREC State Fair Grounds, began at 5:00 p.m. and mobilized organizations and communities to raise money for cancer research, to celebrate survivorship and to remember and honor those who have lost their lives to cancer.
Nu Gamma Omega en-gaged in a variety of fundraising initiatives to support this worthy cause via on-line registration, vol-unteering to man a booth at the Fairgrounds, and accumulating more than 200 laps around the designated walking track area. Laurie Metoyer, Health Initiative Chairman and Osjeta Joseph, Health Initiative Co-Chairman coordinated nu Gamma Omega’s participation. The night was full of fun-filled activities that chap-ter members engaged in such as Zumba, Volleyball and the Dude Looks Like a Lady contest.
The Chapter donated in excess of $850.00 to the Ameri-can Cancer Society for this event. Members in multiple shifts shared the 12-hour event and the group gathered during the Luminary Ceremony, which included honor-ing, deceased loved ones of chap-ter members.
Other Chapter members in attendance were Linda Early Brown, Alecia Corley, Gina Domingue, Gabrielle Dunbar, Vanessa Green, Mary Harris, Tera-lyn Hobbs, Stella Jackson, Alicia Lumpkins, Daraka Miles, Frankie Poland, Tawanda Prater, Chandra Stacie, Danielle Staten, Kathari Toaston, Mary Toaston, Cassandra Washington, Clyde Watkins, and Adrianne Williams.
The Health Initiative is designed to encourage personal fitness and healthy lifestyles while supporting organizations, which provide campaigns to reduce health disparities, save lives and impact health related legislation. This is one of six initiatives Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorpo-rated has embraced under the platform of “Global Leadership
Through Timeless Service.” Nu Gamma Omega’s Relay for Life participation is one of many activi-ties supported by the initiatives to help provide awareness, advocacy and action; the primary vehicles for the worldwide delivery of our service.
Nu Gamma Omega In-corporated is the 45th graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the sec-ond alumnae chapter chartered in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. The 32-year-old chapter is led by Linda Early Brown and is fueled by the motto “Service to All Mankind.”
Alpha Kappa Alpha So-rority, Incorporated (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Wash-ington, D.C. in 1908. It is the old-est Greek-lettered organization established by African-American college-education women. Nu Gamma Omega Chapter is one of the 958 chapters worldwide and was chartered February 16, 1980 in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan area
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Nu Gamma Omega Chapter Participates in Relay for Life
Photo caption: Member of Nu Gamma Omega chapter and Andre Joseph (husband of chapter member) at East Baton Rouge 2012 Relay for Life event at the state fairgrounds. (Pictured left to right kneeling) chapter members Danielle State, Alicia Lumpkins, and Mary Toaston. (Standing left to right): Andre Joseph; Osjeta Joseph, health committee co- chair; Laurie Metoyer, chapter health committee chairperson; Linda E. Brown, chapter president; chapter members Katahri Toaston, Tawanda Prater, Stella Jackson, and Clyde Watkins.
Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, the American Judges Associa-tion, the Louisiana Conference of Court of Appeal Judges, and the Louisiana Judicial Council of the National Bar Association.
As expressed by Judge Guidry: “I am running for elec-tion because I have spent the last 15 years serving this community as a fair, honest, and competent Judge, who has maintained his
integrity while adhering to the principle that all men and women stand equally before the bar of Justice. I believe that no man is above the law and that my job is to apply the constitution and laws without fear or favor -- rec-ognizing that an independent and impartial judiciary is required in order for us to maintain a free and democratic society. Judges must be free to decide cases based
on the law and the facts, without fear of intimidation or retribu-tion; anything less undermines our system of justice and strikes at the heart of all we hold dear as Americans. I pledge to continue in my efforts as a Judge to insure fairness and equality in our judi-cial system and to continue my work in the community to help save our youth.”
GUIDRY from page 1
will make pre-applying online for DSNAP part of their disaster preparedness game plan.”
To pre-apply, residents can visit www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/preapply or www.getagameplan.org and provide the following in-formation:
Numbers and Dates of Birth for each household member
of household
household member
each household member (cash on hand, checking, savings and
money market account balances and certificates of deposit)
The information will be kept securely on file and will be con-fidential.
Residents without Internet access may call 1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578) to pre-apply.
FOOD from page 1
BY JOSHUNDA SANDERS Mainstream media often por-
tray African-American youths, especially black men and boys, as criminals, crime victims and predators. These stereotypes, ac-cording to social justice advocates, can create a racially charged atmo-sphere that results in violence such as the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin.
U.S. popular culture has be-come increasingly desensitized to one-dimensional portrayals of black youths. Perpetuation of them as dangerous has been embedded in American society not only by words and images projected by journalists but also by a wide variety of other media and entertainment sources, including the Internet, movies and video games.
Clearly, the perception of African-Americans and other people of color as inferior to whites is rooted in the nation’s legacy of racial hierarchy, a system of stratification based on belief that skin color makes whites su-perior. Also contributing to em-bedding these stereotypes is that even as U.S. Census data show a growing number of nonwhites in America, fewer people of color are in decision-making positions at daily newspapers, television and radio stations, and online news organizations.
Media coverage of the Feb-ruary shooting of Martin, 17, in Sanford, Fla., by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, exemplifies negative treatment of black youths in the media. After a controversial delay, Zimmer-man was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the unarmed teenager’s death.
At the center of the case are issues related to race, gun rights and whether Zimmerman was acting in self-defense.
In most media stories last week, autopsy results showing that Martin’s blood had traces of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, overshadowed other new evidence. An Associ-ated Press report from Orlando, Fla., began: “Trayvon Martin had marijuana in his system. He was shot through the heart at close range.”
Many of these stories were published with photographs showing cuts and scratches on Zimmerman’s face and head. A police report said he” appeared to have a broken and a bloody nose and swelling of his face.”
In the same week, an all-white, six-person jury in Houston acquitted Andrew Blomberg, 29, a white police officer, in the alleged beating of 15-year-old Chad Hol-ley after Holley was arrested for burglary in March 2010.
In video footage from a se-curity camera, which jurors were shown in court, Holley was seen falling to the ground after trying to
hurdle a police squad car, the AP reported, and was “surrounded by at least five officers, some who appear to kick and hit his head, abdomen and legs.”
Blomberg testified that he didn’t kick or stomp Holley. Community activists decried the verdict and the racial makeup of the jury.
The presumption of guilt can also apply to young black women. When Rekia Boyd, 22, was fatally shot by an off-duty Chicago police detective in March, her death was overshadowed in mainstream media by the Martin case.
Boyd was with friends on a street near the detective’s home when words were apparently exchanged and he fired several shots, one of which struck Boyd in the head. No charges have been filed in the incident. Boyd’s family has filed a civil lawsuit against the detective and the city.
In its report on the shoot-ing, one Chicago television station noted that Boyd was hanging out with a group “at 1 in the morn-ing.”
Stories about black youths that don’t reinforce stereotypes, don’t involve celebrities and that tell narratives about every-day lives of black people haven’t been a priority in news coverage, says author Bakari Kitwana, ex-ecutive director of Rap Sessions in Westlake, Ohio. Through Rap Sessions, Kitwana leads discus-sions on college and high school campuses nationwide to coun-ter mainstream media narratives about the hip-hop generation.
In addition to being stereo-typed in media, Kitwana says, black youths are also criminalized by three other circumstances.
“Job options are limited, especially if you’re working class, which is different from previous generations,” he says. “The military doesn’t have a draft so, ultimately, it’s composed of people who are so pushed out of other life options. The military becomes a way of not being totally impoverished. Add to that limited education because of the cost of a college degree.”
Publishers, editors and pro-ducers who decide which news stories are important often don’t choose ones that humanize or con-textualize lives of black youths. In journalism, decision makers are largely white.
A 2011 study by the Radio Television Digital News Asso-ciation and Hofstra University showed that while the percent-age of people of color in the U.S. population had risen since 1990 from 25.9 percent to a projected 35.4 percent, the number in tele-vision rose 2.7 percent and fell in radio. TV news diversity, it noted, “remains far ahead of the newspaper.”
BY GEORGE E. CURRYNNPA Columnist
In last week’s column, I described an article by Na-tional Review contributor John Derbyshire in which he said, “There is a talk that nonblack Americans have with their kids, too.” In an article for Taki’s magazine, Derbyshire listed a litany of racist things he had told his children, including that in random interactions with Blacks, “the black stranger will be less intelligent than the white” and “do not settle in a district or municipality run by black politicians.”
Derbyshire has since been fired by the National Review.
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), the media watchdog group, noted that conservative Forbes colum-nist Josh Barro had stated, “I’m pleased that the National Re-view has fired John Derbyshire as a result of his racist screed in Taki’s Magazine last week. Derbyshire’s remarks were be-yond the pale, and this sever-ing of ties is important for the credibility of one of the pillar institutions in conservative publishing.”
FAIR noted, “Apparently Barro believes purging Derby-shire will remove a racist taint from the ‘pillar’ of conservative publishing. That’s funny be-cause NR’s 57-year history has
been defined in good part by racism. And while Derbyshire may have been the magazine’s latest house bigot…he is just one in a contin-uous line of racists writing in the pages of NR.”
That lineup of racists began with William F. Buckley, the magazine’s founder. In an editorial in the magazine, dated August 24, 1957, titled, “Why the South Must Prevail,: Buckley wrote:
“The central question that emerges – and it is not a parliamentary question or a question that is answered by merely consulting a catalog of the rights of American citi-zens, born Equal – is whether the White community in the South is entitled to take such measures as are necessary to prevail, politically and cultur-ally, in areas in which it does not predominate numerically? The sobering answer is Yes – the White community is so entitled because, for the time being, it is the advanced race. It is not easy, and it is unpleasant, to adduce statistics evidencing the median cultural superiority of White over Negro: but it is fact that obtrudes, one that can-not be hidden by ever-so-busy egalitarians and anthropolo-
gists. The question, as far as the White com-munity is concerned, is whether the claims of civilization super-sede those of universal suffrage.”
In case anyone missed the point, Buckley added:
“National Re-view believes that the South’s premises are
correct. If the majority wills what is socially atavistic, then to thwart the majority may be, though undemocratic, enlight-ened. It is more important for any community, anywhere in the world, to affirm and live by civilized standards, than to bow to the demands of the numerical majority.”
Appearing on NPR’s “Fresh Air” on Feb. 28, 2008, Buckley was given an opportunity to repudiate his earlier comments. When his words were read to him, Buckley said, “Well, I think that’s absolutely correct.”
It’s not surprising that Buckley applied that same stand of logic – or illogic – when supporting minority-ruled South Africa.
That racist DNA has con-tinued to appear on the pages of the National Review through-out its history.
As Steve Rendall stated in his FAIR posting: “In 1993, NR published a gushing re-
view (1/18) of Paved With Good Intentions: The Failure of Race Relations in Contem-porary America by Jared Tay-lor, which argued that black Americans are more violent and criminal than others. Tay-lor has since become a lead-ing voice of white nationalism as the publisher of American Renaissance magazine. (In the 1990s, Taylor described himself to me as a ‘white separatist.’) The NR review was written by fellow white nationalist Peter Brimelow, who launched the openly racist and nativist VDare website in 1999.”
Rendall also pointed out,” In a positive review (NR, 9/12/94) of Race, Evolution, and Behavior, a 1994 book by Philippe Rushton, reviewer Mark Snyderman eagerly re-counted the book’s ‘ambitious’ and ‘fearless’ thesis:’ ‘Orientals are more intelligent, have larger brains for their body size, have smaller genitalia, have less sex drive, are less fecund, work harder and are more readily socialized than Caucasians; and Caucasians on average bear the same relationship to blacks.’”
John Derbyshire’s racist bile was par for the course at the National Review.
As the FAIR posting by Steve Rendell aptly put it, “It
BY WILLIAM JONES
Now is not the time to cast blame for the vio-lent conditions that we experiencing.
We know what the problems are.
I am sick and tired of going to meet-ings where the crime problem is the focus of the meeting and crime is still going on. I am more con-cerned only with the solutions we need to come up with. We see entirely too many young black males being killed, shot up, locked up, and turned loose only to continue the same life cycle that they have been living.
There is a culture out there where life does not mean any-thing to those out there.
There never was a genera-tion that represents such cold and brutal as what we have today. One reasons is all the violent they
see on TV, movies and virtual games.
During the worst time in American His-tory –“Slavery” we were not so violent and vicious toward each other.
The court and penal systems mar-vels at the fact that the children of today are committing some of
the most heinous crimes ever heard of. I see it as the fruit of our government; politicians, com-munities and families that have neglected their responsibilities to educate these young people properly.
There never was a generation that represents such cold and bru-tal crimes as we have today. Some of the reasons are the violent they see on TV, the movies and the virtual games they play.
That Is the Way I See It.
BY JULIANNE MALVEAUXNNPA Columnist
The unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in April. In May, it rose, just a tiny bit, to 8.2 per-cent. A tenth of a percentage point does not seem like a big deal. Indeed, the Department of Labor descries the unem-ployment rate as “essentially unchanged.” And compared to this time last year, when the rate was 9 percent, people are mostly better off. But the magic number for many observers is a number below 8 percent.
According to many, should the unemployment rate drop to 7.5 or even 7.8 percent, President Obama will have something to point to in terms of labor market progress. Should it rise above 8.5 percent, Republican candi-date Romney can continue to pound on him about economic failure (that is, when his team is not misspelling “Amercia”). What happens if the unemploy-ment rate lingers between 7.8 percent and 8.5 percent is any-body’s guess.
No help is likely to come from Congress. The Republican majority in the House of Repre-sentatives is hardly interested in economic stimulus that could help a Democratic president
that they have consistently op-posed. So President Obama and the business sector that supports him are pretty much left to their own devices when it comes to job creation. And it isn’t that the unemployed will flock to Romney – they may simply stay home.
As always, the unemploy-ment number the Bureau of Labor Statistics report is not the best number to review. When those marginally attached to the labor market and those who work part-time but want full time work are included, the unemployment rate soars to 14.8 percent. The Black unemployment rate rises to a depression-era level of 24.5 percent. Moreover the number of folk who haven’t had a job for six months has risen. Now, 5.4 million people, 42.8 percent of the unemployed, haven’t had a job for more than 27 weeks.
Candidate Romney, in hang-ing around Donald Trump and the “birther” crowd is counting on hysteria and trivia to drive him to victory. Romney says President Obama doesn’t know how to create jobs, but this is the same man who says he “enjoys” firing people and who slashed employment when he was a corporate raider at Bain.
President Obama, too, must
be cautioned against straying into trivial issues when economic issues are central. At the same time, the president is to be con-gratulated for taking a strong position on marriage equality. Some may say that it was a long time coming, and that it might be a calculated move to influence some votes in the election. But those who are watching care-fully understand that whether it helps the election or hurts it (and some African American pastors are railing against this one), this was a matter of conscience for President Obama. Unfortunately, Romney has no such conscience. He knows the birther rap is non-sense. Yet he stands by a birther and says nothing. Hi own fa-ther was the subject of birther vitriol more than 40 years ago when he ran for president and it was revealed that he was born in Mexico.
The diversions will be dust in the wind come election day. People are mostly going to vote their pocketbooks. The news that unemployment rates are stagnant and possibly rising, is bad news for President Obama, no matter how his team spins it.
And beneath the num-bers, there is lots of pain that is being masked. For example, some economists say we need
to generate 300,000 jobs a month just to stay even with population growth. In the first quarter of this year, an average of 226,000 jobs were created each month. But in April, just 77,000 jobs were created, and in May, only 69,000 jobs. Declines in job creation speak to shrinking opportunities for those who are not working.
While the Obama Adminis-tration has few tools to combat the current employment situa-tion, his team now needs to go on the offensive to talk about ways more jobs can be created, and by pointing out the ways that legis-lative gridlock hurts those who are looking for work. Without aggressive attention to the plight of the unemployed, the Romney crew can use stagnant numbers to take the offensive. This can’t happen – if the employment situ-ation is stagnant now, imagine it under “cut government spend-ing” Romney. President Obama and his team need to contrast the Romney record with his own, and make it clear that failure to stimulate the economy will lead to disaster.
Julianne Malveaux is a Wash-
ington, D.C.-based economist and
writer. She is President Emerita
of Bennett College for Women in
Greensboro, N.C.
COMMENTARY The Weekly Press
White Version of ‘The Talk’ – Part II
The views expressed in the editiorial columns are not necessarily the veiws of The Weekly Press or its staff. Address all opinions and comments to: Letters to the Editior, P.O. Box 74485 Baton Rouge, La. 70874 or E-mail them to: [email protected]
Time to Stop ‘Stop and Frisk’
See THE TALK on page 7
What Went Wrong?THE WAY I SEE IT
See TENSION, on page 5
Media’s Portrayal of Black Youths Contributes to Racial Tension
WilliamJones
George E. Curry
The Weekly Press 5
BUSINESS
EMPLOYMENT/DRIVERS\
DRIVERS: OWNERS OPERA-TOR/COMPANY FOR DRY BULK
& LPG. ALSO DEDICATED TEAM OPPORTUNITIES. WELL
MAINTAINED EQUIP. GOOD PAY TO WORK FOR 84YR OLD
COMPANY. MUST BE 24YOA, W/ACCEPTABLE MVR.
STEPHEN: 225-387-0023
SALES PERSONS
The Weekly Press, Baton Rouges’ old-est community newspaper is building a diverse sales team. We are seeking sales personnel to service the Baton Rouge, Baker and surrounding areas who are looking to earn an above average income. The right person must be a team player, professional, aggressive, creative, earnest, able to think outside of the box, have reli-able insured transportation, committed to working and great communication skills. Contact Mr. Ivory Payne at (225) 775-2002 for appointment and interviews.
The Weekly PressAn Equal Opportunity Employer
TRAILER FOR SALE
2007 Travel Trailer for sell. All appliances
come with trailer. Like new asking
$3000 dollars or best offer call 225-933-5816
or 225-603-8273.
Economist: Interpret & evaluate agency policies, strategic & operational plans, & prog-ress reviews to determine impact on budget forecasting; collect, compute & interpret economic statistics; provide socioeconomic information for state & federal agencies. Master’s, Economics or closely related field, from a nationally or regionally accredited institution; ex-pertise or in-depth knowledge of the fol-lowing: econometric models, economic forecasting, analytical & statistical skills, policy analysis & research. Job loca-tion is Baton Rouge, LA. To apply mail resume & credentials to Bhaskar Toodi, LA Dept. of Health & Hospitals, 628 N. 4th St., P.O. Box 629, Bin 34, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4489. Must apply w/in 30 days of publication and refer to Job #12059 to be considered.
Support Our
Advertisers
TURN THAT CLUTTER IN CASH!ADVERTISE YOUR
GARAGE SALE
225-775-2002
“The way that journal-ism is currently practiced and structured doesn’t allow for the telling of stories of underrep-resented people,” says Malkia Cyril, founder and executive di-rector of the Center for Media Justice in Oakland, Calif. Priva-tization of corporate media is one reason that continues to be true, she says.
In 1983, 50 corporations controlled U.S. media, according to “The Media Monopoly” by Ben Bagdikian, a longtime jour-nalist and media critic. By 2004, in his revised and expanded “The New Media Monopoly,” Bagdikian wrote that the num-ber was five - Time Warner, Dis-ney, News Corp., Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom, with NBC a close sixth.
“The way that journalism is on the open market means that stories are for sale, and what sells is stereotypes,” Cyril says. “Market-produced coverage will tend to misrepresent youth.”
The implications of “this charged environment can result in the dehumanization of black life and regressive political deci-sions that can lead to violence, as the Stand Your Ground Laws resulted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin,” she added in a follow-up email. “Otherwise, the story gets framed as cov-erage leads to bad individual behavior, and the systemic piece gets lost.”
When media producers in journalism and popular cul-ture media like movies, televi-sion series and video games are mostly white, chances that young people will be human-ized and fully represented are slim, says Eleni Delimpaltadaki Janis, public opinion and media research coordinator for The
Opportunity Agenda in New York.
“You see few images of black men and boys being good students or being good fathers,” she says. “They’re really fewer images of men in those roles compared to reality. It’s not just the news coverage. It’s also every type of media, but also in entertainment media, including video games. They all do a good job at using negative images of black boys and men for entertainment.”
Solutions include report-ers intentionally incorporating black youths into everyday or evergreen stories like those about Christmas shopping, Janis says. Kitwana adds that it’s also important for journalists to remember that their profes-sion carries the weight of social responsibility since democracy can’t function properly if jour-nalism doesn’t function prop-erly.
Eileen Espejo, director of media and health policy at Children Now in Oakland, says producers across the media spectrum should seek ways to avoid stereotypes. “We don’t want there to be a quota,” she says. “But we want you to think more creatively about the roles that people of color can play, and break out of the traditional mold.”
Joshunda Sanders writes media critiques for the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journal-ism Education. Her stories and other media critiques are avail-able atwww.mije.org/mmcsi and can be republished free of charge.
For more information, please contact Elisabeth Pinio at [email protected] or 510-891-9202.
TENSION from page 4
BATON ROUGE - Louisi-ana’s plan to ensure all students are on track to attain a college degree or a professional career, Louisiana Believes, is based on the belief that all students can achieve academic success and that those closest to students - parents and educators, rather than bureaucrats - should be empowered to make decisions to support the success of their students. Today, a key compo-nent of the state’s plan, Louisi-ana’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver application, won approval from the U.S. Department of Educa-tion (USDOE).
Louisiana was one of eight states to get the go ahead today in Round Two of the waiver request. The federal waivers
allow districts and schools to exercise flexibility from federal ESEA regulations, in exchange for instituting rigorous account-ability systems.
In recent months, Louisi-ana parents have gained greater power to choose, by virtue of Act 2. The new law expands the Louisiana Student Scholarships for Excellence Program state-wide, establishes alternative routes for charter organizations to secure authorizations, and gives Louisiana’s students and families the option of enrolling in state-funded courses via ap-proved course providers.
Similarly, the state has ended the practice of prescrib-ing daily teaching activities and textbook choices for schools. And, by virtue of Act 1, prin-
cipals and superintendents now have legal empowerment to make choices about who is best to serve in their classrooms. The new statute allows districts and schools to use measures of teacher effectiveness to guide personnel policies and deci-sions and calls for teachers to be compensated based on ex-perience, license area, and ef-fectiveness, without decreasing any teacher’s salary or affecting retirement. The statute further preserves tenure for current
teachers, except the small num-ber who earn an “Ineffective” rating. The approved waiver application will grant superin-tendents and principals similar levels of autonomy over the use of $375 million in federal fund-ing - dollars historically tied up in government mandates and regulations.
“Louisiana’s approved waiver sets new standards for student performance and
U.S. Department Of Education Approves Louisiana’s Waiver ApplicationPlan will grant districts and schools flexibility over $375 million
See WAIVER, on page 7
BATON ROUGE - Disaster can strike at any time, in any season, but NFIB/Louisiana warns that small businesses along the Gulf are especially vulnerable during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30.
“Living here, you assume everybody has a plan, but that isn’t necessarily true,” said Renee Amar, state director of NFIB/Louisiana, the state’s leading small-business associa-tion, with about 4,500 member
businesses statewide. “Small businesses are es-
pecially vulnerable to hurricanes or other natural disasters,” she said. “Large corporations may have the resources to weather a storm, but a small, family business or sole proprietorship might not be able to survive any disruption of business.”
Before disaster strikes, small-business owners need to:
Small Businesses Should Plan for Hurricanes, Other Disasters
See PLAN, on page 7
PUBLIC NOTICE
Louisiana State Permanent Supportive Housing Program
As of June 25, 2012, the waiting list for the Louisiana State Permanent Supportive Housing Program (PSH) Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units with project-based vouchers in the Capital Area will be open to PSH-eligible applicants who are single, homeless, and willing to live in the Baton Rouge area. Applicant households must meet all criteria to be eligible for the waiting list.
To qualify for the PSH Program: the head of household must be at or below 50% of the Area Median Income with a preference for incomes at or below 30% of AMI; the head of household must have a severe, long-term disability; and because of the dis-ability, the head of household must be in need of supportive services in order to live independently and successfully in the community. To qualify as homeless, the head of household must be currently homeless (i.e., living on the streets or in a shelter) or previously homeless and currently living in transitional housing. To qualify as single, the head of household must be unaccompanied. Applicant households requiring more than one bedroom are not eligible for this waitlist.
To request an application, interested persons must call 225-219-7871 and provide the applicant’s name and mailing address. Completed applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by mail (Permanent Supportive Housing, CAHSD; 4615 Government St., Building One; Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806) or by fax (225-922-2360). Reasonable accommodations will be made in completing applications. For assistance in completing an application, call 225-252-9351 for an appointment (required).
Louisiana State Permanent Supportive Housing ProgramAs of June 25, 2012, the waiting list for the Louisiana State Permanent Supportive Housing Program (PSH) Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units with project-based vouchers in the Capital Area will be open to PSH-eligible applicants who are single, homeless, and willing to live in the Baton Rouge area. Applicant households must meet all criteria to be eligible for the waiting list. To qualify for the PSH Program: the head of household must be at or below 50% of the Area Median Income with a preference for incomes at or below 30% of AMI; the head of household must have a severe, long-term disability; and because of the dis-ability, the head of household must be in need of supportive services in order to live independently and successfully in the community. To qualify as homeless, the head of household must be currently homeless (i.e., living on the streets or in a shelter) or previously homeless and currently living in transitional housing. To qualify as single, the head of household must be unaccompanied. Applicant households requiring more than one bedroom are not eligible for this waitlist.
To request an application, interested persons must call 225-219-7871 and provide the applicant’s name and mailing address. Completed applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by mail (Permanent Supportive Housing, CAHSD; 4615 Government St., Building One; Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806) or by fax (225-922-2360). Reasonable accommodations will be made in completing applications. For assistance in completing an application, call 225-252-9351 for an appointment (required).
Drivers: Owner Operator/Company
for Dry Bulk & LPG.Also Dedicated Team Opportunities.
Well Maintained Equip.Good Pay to work for 84yr old
company. Must be 24yoa, w/acceptable MVR.
Stephen: 225-387-0023
Page The Weekly Press
music that has club-goers run-ning to the dance floor but that also rocks in the church — music that maintains the integrity of the Gospel.
“Every song doesn’t have to be scripture this, scripture that,” Juan G explains. “ ‘Fallin’ 4 U’ is a club-banger dedicated to anybody who knows anything about love. And you can listen to that in any demographic. It’s neutral. You can play it in the church or in the club. And any-body can listen to it.
“It’s a song I wrote to her about fallin’ in love with her,” Juan G says of the song he wrote for his wife — a song on his and Will Foe’s album, PASTDUE. “Anybody who says you can’t write a love song, I ask: ‘What about all the love poetry or psalms in the Bible?’ ”
Juan G is referencing the Song of Solomon. He also wants
America’s older generations to come to grips with what he calls “reality.”
“For kids, hip hop and R&B, and technology are the new religion for kids,” Juan G says. “If we like that or not, that’s reality right now. And if that is reality, who is penetrating their reality to bring them to God’s reality?”
Juan G adds: “The prob-lem is most of the people who want to make a change don’t put forth the effort to make the change. And when they see someone trying to make the change, their actions are being judgmental instead of being supportive.
Juan G and Will Foe are waging war against the “sex (and violence) sells” mentality that has long been pushed in society by major record labels.
“These major labels have
programmed our society — have trained society’s ear — to lis-ten to a certain genre of music, which is contaminated with a lot of negativity,” Juan G says. “Their excuse is: ‘Well, sex, drugs, etc., sells.’ But they fail to realize that if a 1-year-old toddler can repeat a chorus of a song that is filled with that contamination, what are they really doing to our future? But they blame it on schools, when the reality is that kids pick up their iPods before they do a book in the morning.”
Juan G says major record labels have made money hand over fist by marketing artists who glorify illicit sex, vio-lence, and the selling of illegal drugs.
“They don’t want a trend to come in that overshadows their deceptive messages, such as art-ists who speak the truth from God, like Lecrae … or TripLee, etc.,” Juan G says. “So they (re-cord labels) brand these types of artists on a lower level than a lot of these hip hop and R&B artists that you hear on the main-stream radio stations,” Juan G explains.
“Most of these major, main-stream artists are ambassadors to these fraudulent messages put out to society these days,” Juan G says. “So, that’s the inspiration to bridge both gaps, between both realms (music produced by people who believe in God and nonbelievers).”
For more information about
Chozen Few Musiq, call (972) 971-
1019. Follow Juan G on Twitter at
@juangisme. You can also follow
Will Foe at @will_foe. View Chozen-
fewmuziq at http://youtube.com.
Also, visit http://www.pastdueal-
bum.com.
Bishop Ivory J. Payne
CHURCH DIRECTORY
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. - Hebrews 10:25
RELIGION
ORDER OF SERVICESunday Worship .................................................... 11:00 A.M.Lord’s Supper ........................................3rd Sunday 6:00 P.M.Sunday School ....................................................... .9:00 A.M.Bible Study...............................................Thursday 7:00 P.M.
Page The Weekly Press
RELIGION
Sunday Morning Worship - 10:45 AMLord’s Supper -3rd Sundays
Sunday School - 9:30 AMPrayer Service - Wed. @ 6:00 PM
Bible Study - Wed- @ 7:00 PM
Mission Statement: New Hope Baptist Church is a family of baptized believers who worship the Lord our God in spirit and in truth, teach the saved to reach the lost and minister to the needs of others, while encouraging one another through acts of love and living in obedience to Gods Word
NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday Morning Worship ................................................................10:45 AMLord’s Supper ...............................................................................3rd SundaysSunday School .................................................................................. 9:30 AMPrayer Service ...................................................................... Wed. @ 6:00 PMBible Study ...........................................................................Wed- @ 7:00 PM
CHURCH SCHEDULE
Mission Statement: New Hope Baptist Church is a family of baptized believers who worship the Lord our God in spirit and in truth, teach the saved to reach the lost and minister to the needs of others, while encouraging one another through acts of love and living in obedience to Gods Word
Good Shepherd Full Gospel B.C.The People’s Church
HOUR OF POWER 12 NOON EACH WEDNESDAYSunday School 8:00 AMChurch Service 9:00 AMLord’s Supper 2nd Sunday 6:00 PMBible Study Wednesday 7:00 PMSister/ Brotherhood 6:00 PM
YOU WILL BE BLESSED UNDER THE ANOINTED MAN OF GOD
................................................................................................................................................
............................................................. .........................................................
St. Mary Baptist Church“The Church that Love Built”
st
NEW BIRTH FULL GOSPEL MINISTRIES
Baton Rouge, La. 70807
Fax: (225) 775-4216IVORY J. PAYNE, PASTOR
ORDER OF SERVICESunday Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:00 A.M.Holy Communion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3rd Sunday1:00 P.M.Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 A.M.Bible Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thursday 7:00 P.M.
“THE NEW LIFE”Therefore if any man be in christ he
is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold
all thing are become new. —I Corinthians 5:17
Radio Broadcast 1st & 3rd Sunday WXOK at 8:00 am
Reverend H. MartinPRAYER SERVICEWEDNESDAY 12:005013 WINDFALL COURTBATON ROUGE, LA. 70812FOR DIRECTION CALL 225-358-8100We are seeking Prayer Warriors and SingersRemember Acts: 16,25-26
................................................................... ......................................................... .
“A New Church”
LIVING WORD CHRISTIAN CTR. INT’L
Rev. Donald Britton, MA,LPC, LAC, CCC
SUNDAY WORSHIP .......................................................... ..................................................
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. - Hebrews 10:25
Church Directory
Children of Divorce Require the Support of the Church
SU Interdenominational Gospel Choir set for “Finale” Concert
Edmondson Communications Launch Adonai Video MinistriesNew Firm Will Bring Church To The Living Room With Christian/
Gospel Concerts, And Sermons 24 Hours A Day!
LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW WHATS HAPPING AT YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP
Email your church event or religious organization news to The Weekly Press @
COME AND STUDY THE BIBLE WITH US!
INTERDENOMINATIONAL THEOLOGICAL CENTER (ITC)
SCHOOL OF MINISTRYBaton Rouge, Louisiana Extension
Fully Accredited by SACS and AATS
CLASSES MEETS ONCE WEEKLYFor more information contact
Dr. Alonzo Campbell(225) 938-5746
BATON ROUGE, LA - Gregory Jones and the Greater Baton Rouge Area Super Choir cordially invites you to their 1st year anniversary celebration. The celebration of praise in song will be held at the New Hope Baptist Church located at 5856 Greenwell Springs Road in Baton Rouge at 5pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012.
You don’t want to miss this evening of praise and worship in song.
For more information con-tact Gregory Jones at (225) 588-9277.
Gregory Jones, The Greater Baton Rouge Area Super Choir to Perform At New Hope Baptist Church
SIMMESPORT, LA – COVE Outreach Ministries headed by Evangelist Ernest and Veronica Jenkins and New Birth Full Gos-pel Ministries lead by Bishop Ivory J. Payne will join forces on June 9, 2012 at 12:00 noon at Trin-ity Outreach Ministry pastored by Reverend Joseph and Cheryl Jackson at 16335 Highway 1 Sim-mesport, Louisiana for a healing and deliverance service. Don’t miss this powerful service. Your Miracle is waiting for you!
For more information, please contact the following telephone numbers: (225) 278-7773 or 225-485-8631.
Two Ministries Coming Together for One Common Cause
BY DONALD LEE Christian rap artist Juan G
challenges anybody to “name any hip-hop artist who is selling platinum in — as Christians call it — the ‘secular’ arena that is also packing out church houses.”
Drake? Nope. Lil’ Wayne? Nawh. Kanye West? Uhh, uhh. Kanye has rapped of his Christian faith (“Jesus Walks”), but even in that, his lyrics are heavily laced with profanity.
Well, what about Jay-Z? Nicki Minaj? Nope and nope. Their music is boomin’ in the club, but not appropriate for the kingdom of God.
“Pretty much, there isn’t any,” Juan G, 26, says. “And if so, I haven’t heard about ‘em.”
Christian hip-hop stars such as Lecrae and The Truth could easily rival top secular artists like Lil’ Wayne or Future, Juan G says, but aren’t getting the exposure that Lil’ Wayne gets because their music is centered on serv-
ing Christ — unlike that of their secular counterparts.
And it is because of this as-sessment that Juan G has founded his own music label, Chozen Few Musiq, which he’s established to bridge the gap between the club and the church. The inspiration behind the label’s name was taken from Matthew 20:16 in the Bible, which says, “ … for many be called, but few chosen.”
“We decided to brand our-selves Chozen Few Musiq,” Juan G says of the label. “ … There are so many people who do be-lieve in God. Why not blow up a non-religious brand that’s not ashamed to give God glory, but at the same token, (goes against the) tradition (of losing) people who have no knowledge of God?”
Chozen Few Musiq, which Juan G and his 23-year-old rap and business partner Will Foe established last year, aims to reach the secular masses while at the same time acknowledging God. Juan G’s vision is to make
Record Label Aims to Bridge Great Divide Between Christian, Secular Music
The Weekly Press
HEALTH
The Weekly Press 7
HEALTH
Land Line (225) 356-0703Cell Phone (225) 235-6955E-mail: [email protected] Hours: Mon-Thurs 8am – 8 pm
Good Shepherd Substance Abuse Center
Intensive Outpatient / Inpatient Therapy
For Drugs, Alcohol, Anger Management
Rev. Donald Britton, MA, LAC Clinical DirectorBishop Harris Hayes, Overseer
2873 Mission Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70805 (225) 315-0740
GSRASAC
Indications For Treatment:
WOO E CHIRO R TIC I IC
H R
Health Care For The Entire Family
O H
Visit Us Online @
www.theweeklypress.com
H
II
That is the Way I See It!
SYSTEM from page 4
OI I
H
T
O R I
I
H
O R
HO R
T
I
R
HI O
I
O
I
I
TALK RADIO from page 4
T
HI
HH R
RHI T
T
HH
H R
T
HI
H
I
I
T
H
RI
Marian Wright Edelman is Presi-
dent of the Children’s Defense Fund
and its Action Council whose Leave
No Child Behind® mission is to
ensure every child a Healthy Start,
a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe
Start and a Moral Start in life and
successful passage to adulthood
with the help of caring families
and communities.
CHILDREN from page 4
T
H
E
EH
Did You Know?
H
E
H
Manage Your RisksR
H
H
H
What’s Good For Your Heart Is Good For Your Brain
Research shows a link between heart and brain health, which means impaired heart function could lead to impaired brain function.
H
H
EHH H
H
T
T
TANTRUM from page 6
I H
I
E
T
T T
OR T
T
T
E
I
T R T
EI ETE
T
R T
R T
Could You Be At Risk?
Free Cancer ScreeningsNo appointment required for most screenings.
If you do not have a doctor and have not been screened in the last 12 months, these cancer screenings are available to you for free.
Presented as part of the comprehensive Cancer Program
of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins. Screenings
made possible by donor gifts.
(225) 215-1234 (888) 616-4687
Breast Cancer ScreeningTuesday, March 1110am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm
LSUHSC Mid City Clinic1401 N. Foster DriveBaton Rouge
Colorectal Cancer ScreeningThursday, March 1310am –2pm
Wal-Mart2171 O’Neal LaneBaton Rouge
Breast Cancer ScreeningTuesday, March 185pm – 7pm (Appt required)
Woman’s Hospital9050 Airline HighwayBaton Rouge
Prostate and ColorectalCancer ScreeningsWednesday, March 2610am –2pm
Ed Price Building Materials7835 Airline HighwayBaton Rouge
In Partnership With:
Our Lady of the LakeWoman’s HospitalYWCA Encore Plus
LSU Hospitals Health Care Services Division
Breast Cancer ScreeningFriday, March 1410am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm
Leo S. Butler Community Center950 E. Washington StreetBaton Rouge
Colorectal Cancer ScreeningMonday, March 1710am –2pm
Brusly Town Hall601 S. Vaughan StreetBrusly
Have You Been Screened?
BETTER PRICES! BETTER SAVINGS!CNA Training School
“GET CERTIFIED IN ONLY
3 WEEKS!”
225-692-7028/or 225-636-829424035 Railroad Ave.Plaquemine, La 70764
Days, Evenings, or Saturday classes available Courses: CNA, CPR, DSW
BRENT’S
is blatant racism, but it’s hard to see a great deal of difference between what he was fired over–assertions that black people are less civilized, less intelligent and more prone to violence and criminality than others–and the racist views NR has promoted since its birth 57 years ago. And it’s hard to see why anyone would take NR seriously ‘when they write about racial issues.’”
George E. Curry, former
editor-in-chief of Emerge maga-
zine, is editor-in-chief of the
National Newspaper Publish-
ers Association News Service
(NNPA) and editorial director
of Heart & Soul magazine. He
is a keynote speaker, moderator,
and media coach. Curry can be
reached through his Web site,
www.georgecurry.com. You can
also follow him at www.twitter.
com/currygeorge.
THE TALK from page 4
holds adults accountable for high levels of achievement,” State Superintendent of Edu-cation John White said. “At the same time, our approved waiver empowers districts and schools by giving their leaders flexibility to choose how to spend their dollars and relieving them from burden-some regulations that too often take attention away from the classroom.”
Specifically, the account-ability system approved today is based on the following prin-ciples:
Aligns with Common Core levels of rigor:
K-8 schools will no lon-ger earn points for students who score below proficient on state tests (e.g., Basic on LEAP/iLEAP). The high school system further places value on the ACT, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate examinations, which align to Common Core rigor.
Rewards the gains schools have already achieved:
The model proposed is not intended to change the letter grades schools would have achieved at their cur-rent level of performance. By awarding points for specific measures based on what the state anticipates schools will score, the model holds school letter grades nearly constant, all the while raising the bar for future performance.
Focuses schools on stu-dents below grade level:
A new value-added sys-
tem will reward schools for effectively advancing the prog-ress of students who are below grade level. (Currently, 225,000 students are below grade level in Louisiana.)
Furthermore, the waiver application approved today affords districts and schools the following funding flex-ibilities:
Provides spending flex-ibility for Title I funds by:
Removing the require-ment to spend 20% of Title I on Supplemental Education Services (SES);
Removing the require-ment to spend 10% of Title I funds on professional devel-opment;
Removing the transfer limitation so that 100% of funds from ESEA-authorized programs may be transferred to Title I; and
Allowing Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to redirect Title I dollars to concentrate on funding activities that will positively impact student per-formance.
Allows Title I schools below the 40% poverty thresh-old to operate school-wide programs, thereby allowing additional schools the flex-ibility to enhance the entire educational program at a Title I school;
Allows priority high schools (high schools trans-ferred to the jurisdiction of the Recovery School District) with graduation rates below 60% to be served with Title I funds regardless of rank order.
WAIVER from page 5
Understand the risks. If you live along the coast, the rains and winds of a hurricane could affect your business; inland, flooding, power and communications out-ages and road closures could af-fect it.
Be sure you have adequate in-surance. You need at least enough to rebuild your home and busi-ness. Review your policies to see what is -- and isn’t -- covered. Consider business interruption insurance, which helps cover operating costs during the post-
disaster shutdown period. Get flood insurance.
Take photographs and videos of your assets. Store them online if possible or in waterproof and fireproof containers kept in a safe place, such as a relative or friend’s home or business in an-other state.
Have an emergency response plan. Determine your evacuation routes. Establish meeting places. Keep emergency phone numbers handy.
Develop a communications
plan. Designate someone to serve as a contact person for your em-ployees, customers and vendors. Phone and email in your area may be down following a natural disas-ter, so ask an out-of-state friend, colleague or relative to serve as a post-disaster point of contact.
Backup your business re-cords. Make copies of your any vital records and store them some-place safe. Use online backups for electronic data, and keep paper documents in a fireproof safety-deposit box.
Create a disaster kit. Put a flashlight, a portable radio, extra batteries, first-aid supplies, non-perishable food, bottled water, a basic tool kit, plastic sheeting and garbage bags in a bag or box someplace handy, in case of emer-gency. Encourage your employees to prepare disaster kits for them-selves and their families.
To learn more, visit www.NFIB.com/disaster or call Todd Pack at 615-872-5897 or by e-mail at [email protected] for more information.
PLAN from page 5
BY RICHARD KNOX
For a long time scientists have wondered whether coffee might lower the risk of prostate cancer.
Previous studies have been relatively small and have shown mixed results.
But now we have results from a Harvard study that fol-lowed almost 50,000 male health professionals for more than two decades. A lot of them drank a lot of coffee, which seems to have helped.
More than 5,000 of them got prostate cancer — 642 of them the most lethal form. “For the men who drank the most coffee, their risk of getting this bad form of prostate cancer was about 60 per-cent lower compared to the men who drank almost no coffee at all,” says Lorelei Mucci, an epidemi-ologist at the Harvard School of Public Health and an author of the study.
When they saw the results, Mucci says, she and her colleagues said, “Wow, that’s a lot!”
“Among risk factors that people have studied for lethal prostate cancer, this is one of the strongest,” she told Shots.
The same group reported about a 50 percent reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer among
men who exercised regularly — two or three brisk walks a week was enough.
The new study shows that getting a 60 percent reduction in risk of aggressive prostate cancer requires a lot of coffee — at least six cups a day. However, men who drank three cups a day had a 30 percent lower chance of getting a lethal prostate cancer, and that’s not bad.
Only about one in 10 pros-tate cancers diagnosed these days is deadly. Most men get a less dangerous and curable kind. The study found no link between coffee drinking and overall risk of prostate cancer. Presumably pre-vious studies didn’t uncover the lowered risk of aggressive cancers because they didn’t have enough
of these cases. Mucci says coffee drinkers
got the benefit without getting buzzed on caffeine. “Whether they drank regular coffee or only de-caffeinated coffee, there was the same lower risk of lethal prostate cancer,” she says. “It’s really the coffee; it’s not the caffeine.”
Another good thing is that it doesn’t require decades of heavy coffee drinking to get the benefit. What mattered was how much they drank in the previous eight years.
The Harvard epidemiolo-gist says the coffee effect persisted even after the researchers allowed for the effect of exercise, obesity, smoking and other factors that either raise or lower the risk of prostate cancer.
Neil Martin, a cancer doctor at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, was impressed with the new findings.
“Results like these are very appealing for people,” he says. “It supports things that they do. ... And I guess I don’t really see the downside of that. I think people should feel empowered about being able to change their risk of diseases.”
And yes, in this case it is “diseases” — plural.
Earlier research suggests coffee reduces the risk of diabe-tes, liver disease and Parkinson’s disease — possibly because of its insulin-lowering effects, its anti-oxidant qualities and other properties, including some yet to be discovered.
And just last week, Swedish researchers reported that women who drink at least five cups of coffee a day have nearly a 60 per-cent lower risk of a particularly aggressive breast cancer that doesn’t respond to estrogen.
Mucci says more research is needed before officially urg-ing people to drink coffee for its health benefits. Meanwhile, she says, “there’s no reason not to start drinking coffee.”
And no, she does not take money from the coffee indus-try.
Coffee May Lower Risk of Deadliest Prostate Cancer
Page The Weekly Press
SPORTS
MIAMI -- One team is clutch, the other is clutching. Does that appropriately describe the state of the Eastern Conference finals right now? Does that tell you what distinguishes the Celtics from the Heat?
This series may eventually go seven and, who knows, maybe Miami figures it out and we get LeBron vs. Durant, the People’s NBA Finals. But the last few games have told us that Miami can’t match the Celtics when it comes to knowing what to do when it’s time to do it. This was on vivid display in Boston’s 94-90 win Tuesday when experience and poise wore green and white. Just look what happened in the final, frantic two minutes of a game that slipped away from the Heat.
Mickael Pietrus came off the bench to give the Celtics the lead for good with a 3-pointer; surprising not that he made the shot, but that he was willing to take it in that situation.
Paul Pierce stretched the lead to four with a cold-blooded 3-pointer in LeBron’s mug.
Ray Allen, suffering from both lines (free throw and 3-point) all postseason, sank two free throws.
Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett chopped up Miami throughout the fourth quarter, where the Celt-ics trailed as many as six points. It was a clinic by Boston on how to rise to the occasion. We shouldn’t
forget the savvy of Doc Rivers, who pushed all the right buttons and is outcoaching Erik Spoelstra something awful.
In a season that has sapped younger teams and robbed key players of their health, the grand-fatherly Celtics, of all teams, have not only survived but thrived. Based purely on logic, they should not be here, not one game from the Finals. But the Celtics know how to squeeze out a close game. The Heat squeeze something else.
“Tonight was one of those
cases where we had so many guys we can rely on that are good in the fourth quarter,” Allen said after Game 5. “We hung around and made plays.”
The core Celtics has made careers doing this. How many big shots has Pierce made in 13 years? Allen in 15? KG in 16? Even though Rajon Rondo isn’t a big-shot taker, how often has he made the right pass that led to one? It was Rondo’s feed to Pierce after a mad scramble, and Pierce’s pass to Pietrus for the shot, that broke
the game open. All that Geritol the Celtics chug on the bench, we see, hasn’t affected their guts.
“We said we wanted to close this game out,” said Pierce. “We gave ourselves a chance and we were able to do it.”
Contrast that with Miami. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, for the second straight game, couldn’t make a winning play. Not that they weren’t solid in the fourth quarter (combined 23 points). And they did get a few bad breaks on loose balls. But
nothing worked for the two in the final minute. Coming off Game 4 when LeBron passed off just before the end of regulation and Wade missed a jumper in overtime at the buzzer, this game begged for one of them to be a hero.
When Pietrus makes a big-ger shot than either Wade or Le-Bron, something just isn’t right.
The Heat’s late-game execu-tion, as a whole, is dumbfounding, too. They rarely if ever run the classic pick and roll with LeBron and Wade, which would make
the defense shiver, because both players would be involved in the play. Instead, Wade and LeBron take turns running clear-outs. The Celtics are a smart team and Riv-ers a smart coach. That’s not fooling them. Hasn’t yet.
Curiously, the Heat did get 14 quality comeback minutes from Chris Bosh (nine points, seven re-bounds), yet Erik Spoelstra chose not to use Bosh with the game on the line. Even though Bosh said he felt fine and wanted to play.
“I didn’t think it would nec-essarily be fair to him to throw him in with three minutes to go,” Spoelstra said.
To which the Celtics said: Thank you very much.
Boston is confounding the Heat. Rivers is pulling guys like Pietrus and Keyon Dooling off the bench and putting them in posi-tion to help. Rivers is drawing up the right play after a timeout. He’s making Wade and James work hard when those two aren’t scor-ing in transition. The switching from zone defense to man and back has helped the Celtics in big spots, leaving Spoelstra scram-bling to find an answer for it.
“I never thought we’d be in this situation,” said Wade.
Nor did anyone else. Except the Celtics, perhaps. Although if you placed their hand on a Bible, maybe they’d confess they didn’t see this, either.
Celtics Seize The Moment While Heat Simply Seize Up
Dwyane Wade (left) and LeBron James are looking for a way to come up big when it counts.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) After years of nagging Okla-homa City Thunder coach Scott Brooks not to take him out of games, Kevin Durant finally got his wish.
And now, he’s one big step closer to making his basketball dreams come true.
Durant had 34 points and 14 rebounds while playing all of regulation for the first time all season, and the Thunder claimed a spot in the NBA finals by beat-ing the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 on Wednesday night.
Russell Westbrook added 25 points for the Thunder, who trailed Game 6 of the Western Conference finals by 18 in the first half and erased a 15-point halftime deficit before pulling ahead to stay in the fourth.
“It’s an amazing moment for him to play like this in this moment, in this setting, and I wasn’t going to take him out,” Brooks said.
“I was not going to take him out. I don’t care how many times he looked at me fatigued. He has enough, and I think all of
our guys have enough to play. You just have to fight through it.”
Durant grabbed the final re-bound, dribbled the ball across half court and raised his right fist to celebrate with a sold-out crowd wearing free white T-shirts. The franchise will play for the NBA title for the first time since 1996, before relocating from Seattle.
Even before the final buzzer, Durant indulged by hugging his mother and brother seated court-side after a foul was called with 14 seconds remaining.
“I never want to take those moments for granted,” Durant said. “I know it’s just one step closer to our dreams, but it felt good.”
Tony Parker had 29 points and 12 assists for San Antonio, but only eight of the points and two assists came in the second half.
The Thunder outscored the Spurs 59-36 after falling behind 63-48 at halftime and getting a challenge from Brooks that he said had “nothing to do” with
committing eight turnovers against only six assists while allowing San Antonio to shoot 9 for 15 on 3-pointers.
“It just had everything to do with who we are as men, who we are as a team, the type of spirit that we want to show every time down the court,” Brooks said. “It was all about that, about body language, about being a family. I thought our guys did that the first possession of that second half and they did not look back.”
Tim Duncan chipped in 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Ste-phen Jackson scored 23 as San Antonio lost its fourth straight after becoming only the fourth team in NBA history to win 20 games in a row.
In the process, the Spurs pushed past Oklahoma City for the best record in the league and home-court advantage in the playoffs. But the Thunder took that back by winning Game 5 in San Antonio on Monday night.
“There’s not much to com-plain about,” San Antonio’s
Manu Ginobili said. “We had a great run. We just couldn’t beat these guys.”
The Thunder, only three years removed from a 3-29 start that had them on pace for the worst record in NBA history, went through the only three West teams to reach the finals since 1998 - Dallas, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio - to earn their shot at the title.
Game 1 of the NBA finals will be Tuesday night in Okla-homa City against either Boston or Miami. The Celtics lead that series 3-2 and can earn a trip to the finals with a win at home in Game 6 on Thursday night.
The Thunder took the lead for good early in the fourth quarter, getting nine of their first 13 points on free throws as the fouls started to pile up for San Antonio - six on the defensive end and three on the offensive end in the first 7 minutes.
Even Durant drew what he thought was his first charge of the season, stepping in front of Ginobili.
Derek Fisher and James
Harden hit 3-pointers in a three-possession span to increase the lead to 99-93 with 3:13 remaining. Jackson, who had made his pre-vious six 3-pointers, and Parker both missed 3s that would have gotten the Spurs within 103-102 in the final minute.
The Spurs put up quite a fight, at least for the first half.
Parker, who had been largely bottled up ever since the Thunder put 6-foot-7 defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha on him in Game 3, had a hand in the Spurs’ first 12 baskets, making seven on his own and assisting on the other five.
Kawhi Leonard and Jack-son followed his three-point play by nailing back-to-back 3-point-ers for a 34-16 advantage in the final 2 minutes of the first quar-ter.
“I told the coaches that I could go all night, I could go 48, and I didn’t think they would let me do it,” Durant said. “But they kept me in and I just tried to give my team a spark.”
The Thunder stormed back with an 11-2 run to start the third
quarter and eventually pulled ahead after Durant’s 3-pointer from the top of the key made it 79-77 with 1:41 left in the pe-riod.
San Antonio missed seven of nine of 11 3-pointers in the second half.
“The third quarter, it was like playing in mud,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “So, that was our downfall as much as anything.”
Notes: Popovich, whose re-quest for his team to play nasty led to T-shirts being made in San Antonio, said at the morn-ing shoot around that his team needed to play “with a little bit of ugly.” Not nasty? “I was trying to stay away from that word,” he said. ... San Antonio had a 29-28 edge in the second quarter after getting outscored 138-106 in the period in the first five games - dropping more than six points per game. ... Greg Wil-lard was initially scheduled to be one of the three officials but pulled out due to illness. Rodney Mott replaced him, alongside Joe Crawford and Bill Kennedy.
Thunder Close Out Spurs at Home
The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate with the Western Conference trophy after Game 6 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday.