Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 3-29-19

National
First Black Woman To Lead A City Police Department In Virginia Says She Was Forced Out Of Her Job
The first black woman to lead a city police department in Vir- ginia said Monday that she was forced out, calling herself 'no quitter' and accusing a small group of officers of 'bias and acts of systemic racism, discrimina- tory practices and abuse of au- thority.'
Tonya Chapman released a four-page statement a week after her abrupt resignation. It says her attempts to change the cul- ture consistently were met with resistance from some people within the Portsmouth Police De- partment, some of whom 'quite frankly did not like taking direc- tion from an African American female.'
Despite working closely with the city manager during her three-year tenure, Chapman says the city manager made her resign 'under duress' and without warning.
City Manager L. Pettis Pat- ton did not immediately return calls Monday seeking comment.
'There will be no comment as this is a personnel matter,' said Dana Woodson, a spokesper- son for the city.
City Councilor Elizabeth Psimas said in an email that council members can't comment on city employee personnel mat- ters.
Chapman said the city man- ager told her that if she signed a pre-written resignation letter, she would receive two months of severance pay, but if she did not, she would be terminated. She said she is asking the city to ex- tend her severance pay to six months and to give her a positive letter of recommendation.
Portsmouth, with a popula- tion of nearly 100,000 people, is about 52 percent black. Home to a large Navy medical center and a sprawling shipyard, it sits across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk and is a short drive to the
Portsmouth Police Chief Tonya Chapman in the City Council Chambers in Portsmouth, Vir- ginia. Chapman released a four- page statement early Monday, March 25, 2019, a week after she abruptly resigned from the Portsmouth Police Department
Atlantic Coast.
Chapman said she could not
provide additional information about her forced resignation but suggested it was driven by 'mem- bers of a highly influential frater- nal organization' who had tried unsuccessfully for more than two years to generate a vote of 'no confidence' in her.
Chapman said she knew running the police department would be a challenge but became acutely aware of racial tensions within the ranks after a former officer was convicted of volun- tary manslaughter in the 2015 shooting of a black man.
'Having been a member of two other law enforcement agen- cies, I have never witnessed the degree of bias and acts of sys- temic racism, discriminatory practices and abuse of authority in all of my almost 30-year career in law enforcement and public safety,' she wrote.
She said she is reluctant to speak publicly about what she witnessed 'out of concern for public safety,' but said she is will- ing to share specific information with the 'appropriate govern- ment entity.'
11-Year-Old Violinist Working On Becoming The New Face Of Classical Music
Orlando, FL — Leah Flynn is a violin soloist. Her father, Lennox Flynn, a self-taught musician, realized Leah’s gift, as he noticed her tinker on the family’s key- board, playing actual melodies when she was 3- years old.
Leah discovered her pas- sion for playing the violin at the age of five. By age six, she brilliantly performed the Dis- ney Frozen “Let It Go” se- quence on violin, in its entirety.
Video footage of that per- formance is now viral on YouTube with 2.2 million views. At age seven, she began playing violin by ear and joined the Orlando Youth Orchestra soon after. By age nine, she was the concert- master, lead musician for a large repertory, comprised of mostly teen musicians. Leah is what many call a music prodigy.
Now, at age eleven, Leah practices daily for 2-3 hours, is already proficient in read- ing music and is actively studying classical music through a private tutor.
Understanding Leah has an exceptional gift has made this expense a necessary in- vestment. She has a keen ear, a sharp memory, and her ap- titude for violin performance is undeniable. Leah is cur- rently a soloist, performing in a variety of musical styles by special request, paid book- ings for weddings, galas, mega churches, and political events. She has already built an impressive résumé that in- cludes solo performances for Bishop T. D. Jakes, the of- fice of the City of Orlando’s Mayor Demings, four ap- pearances as part of the Or- lando Philharmonic Orchestra, an appearance at The White House, as well as an honor from the NAACP.
Of mainstream classical music orchestras, there is a
LEAH FLYNN
percentage of only 1.8% African-American musicians on the roster. This factor is what makes Leah’s achieve- ments, so far, such a phe- nomenon. She is entering and performing in these spaces with no performance anxiety. These are audiences that are not expecting a child of her age to play the instru- ment with such expertise, and they are not at all expect- ing a child who looks like her. Leah is gifted, authentic, and unquestionably black, serv- ing as a bold statement of our excellence in music wherever she performs.
In recent years, due to budget restrictions, Music Theory has been removed from schools across the coun- try. Most children in under- served communities with a natural interest in music do not have access to basic in- struction or a nearby pro- gram where they can study a musical instrument. Several foundations are now stepping forth with generous dona- tions to return music instruc- tion to select schools. There is a void of organizations that support young individual performing artists.
Leah’s budding career has been made possible due to private donations and the support of her parents, Lennox and Paula Flynn, who’ve continued to make ex- treme personal sacrifices to cultivate her musical gift, re- gardless of any financial
strain. The Flynns have vet- ted out every program and resource that could poten- tially foster her growth and continue to vet out the best opportunities. They have also launched the Heart for Strings Foundation, a 501(c)(3) in her honor, to be a source of information and resources in support of other young musicians in under- served communities.
Presently, even with blind auditions, there are no main- stream concert violinists of color. Jazz icon Nina Si- mone, who went on to in- spire Alicia Keys, once admitted to having been de- nied access to a career in clas- sical music as a concert pianist.
Leah’s family is glad or- ganizations are finally step- ping forward to expand the pool of qualified musicians of color and help change the landscape within the commu- nity of classical musicians. Her parents remain unde- terred, as their 11-year-old is determined and has a clearly defined goal of performing on concert stages around the world. Through the Heart For Strings Foundation, the Fly- nns are also working to raise awareness, and Leah, her- self, serves as an advocate, every time she places her vi- olin to her chin. In due time, things will change, because it is about time for diversity and inclusion in classical music.
Delta Taps Viola Davis To Narrate ‘Power Of Flight’ Highlighting Diversity
Delta has tapped Oscar-win- ner Viola Davis to narrate a commercial about how travel- ling can unite our diverse world.
According to The Drum, the campaign, titled “Close The Gap” highlights the shared childhood experiences of ba- bies and kids from communi- ties around the world. Davis reminds viewers that “we’re more alike than we are differ- ent,” signifying how travel can unite people.
The 60- and 30-second spots demonstrate the “power of flight.”
“Somewhere along the way, we start to believe that the more distant we are from each other, the more different we must be from each other...it’s only when we venture out into the world that we realize all the
VIOLA DAVIS
things that we share,” Davis states.
The spot is reminiscent of Delta’s ‘Runways’ spot, also voiced by Davis, which ends with her saying that we were “never that far apart in the first place” — watch the spot below.
This latest campaign will run online in addition to Delta’s in-flight entertainment later this spring.
FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-B