Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 7-22-16 Online Edition

National
Comcast Expands $9.95 Internet Service
It’s The Best Family Business This Year
NASHVILLE, TN --- Every year, Black Enterprise names one family-operated business as "Family Business of the Year." This year's prestigious award went to Nashville, Ten- nessee-based cupcake com- pany, The Cupcake Collection, owned and founded by entre- preneur Mignon Francois.
The Cupcake Collection was started by Francois in her own kitchen in 2007. By 2008, she opened a boutique-style bakery in Nashville, Ten- nessee’s historic Germantown area. The bakery specializes in home-made cupcakes and wedding cakes.
By 2015, Francois' busi- ness reached over $930,000 in revenue, with sales expected to go over $1 million within the
Cupcake Collection owner, Mignon Francois.
next couple of years.
Her cupcake collection in-
cludes yummy sweet potato, strawberry, sweet lemonade, pineapple upside down, key lime coconut, red velvet, carrot cake, and many other flavors.
Francois used the knowl- edge of chemistry she gained in college to come up with her baking formulas, such as the sweet potato cupcake which is one of the favorites at her bak- ery.
Comcast, the largest broad- casting and largest cable televi- sion company in the world has announced that they will be ex- panding their $9.95 per month Internet service so an addi- tional 1.3 million low-income families will have Internet ac- cess.
Expanding again
Since 2011, Comcast has en- abled more than 600,000 low- income families, or a total of 2.4 million adults and children, to connect to Internet service. The program is called Internet Essentials, and it was previ- ously available only to qualified low-income families who had children in school. Next, Com- cast began expanding the mar- ket to allow low-income seniors and low-income community college students to qualify for the program.
Having children is no longer a qualification.
Coach Tony Dungy is an ad- vocate of the program.
But this is the first time Comcast has allowed low-in- come families without children to qualify for the low-cost In- ternet access program, includ- ing adults living in HUD-assisted homes. The ex- pansion will add an additional 1.3 million low-income house- holds to the program..
To find out more about In- ternet Essentials, including eli- gibility requirements and how to sign up, go to www.inter- netessentials.com.
Playing ‘Pokemon Go’ While Black... Could Be A Death Sentence
This month has been a ca- tastrophe for Blackness. Two men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, were killed by police officers within 24 hours of each other. Neither had committed a crime that was punishable by death nor did they put any officers’ lives at risk.
It’s inexcusable, unjustifi- able, and is perpetuated by a system that disproportionately targets Black Men.
Later in the week, 5 police officers in Dallas were killed in the line of duty by a single gun- man during an otherwise peaceful protest concerning those cases of lethal force. All of these deaths are completely senseless. (And this week 3, maybe 4 Baton Rouge officers were also murdered.)
Those are the facts.
In another sector of the in- ternet, a mobile game called Pokemon GO was released.
Even in the wake of such sadness, the iconic theme music started and it was im- possible for me to prevent the delighted grin from taking over my face. As I was introduced to Professor Willow, who tasked me with assisting him with his research by catching as many Pokemon that I could, I giggled like a middle school girl being approached by her secret crush on the schoolyard.
After capturing my first Pokemon, I started taking notes on the interface and how the game would work. It seemed straightforward enough. Using GPS, my avatar marks my position on a simpli- fied version of what is essen- tially Google Maps. Little grass confetti animations show me where Pokemon might be lo- cated nearby. Seems reason- able that I should walk there and potentially this would allow me to catch one. I see a few that seem to be located in my apartment complex, but unfortunately it’s getting late
Pokemon Go....or Pokemon No. If you are playing while black.
(around 10:30 pm).
Early the next morning, , I
couldn’t help but to give Poke- mon Go another shot. I had about an hour before I needed to be at work so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I threw some clothes on, fired up the app, and set out for an ad- venture.
Very quickly my Pokemon catching dreams were obliter- ated by the unfortunate reality that exist for a Black Man in America. I realized that if I keep playing this game, it could literally kill me.
I spent less than 20 minutes outside. Five of those minutes were spent enjoying the game. One of those minutes I spent trying to look as pleasant and nonthreatening as possible as I walked past a somewhat visibly disturbed white woman on her way to the bus stop. I spent the other 14 minutes being dis- tracted from the game by thoughts of the countless Black Men who have had the police called on them because they looked “suspicious” or wonder- ing what a second amendment exercising individual might do if I walked past their window a 3rd or 4th time insearch of a Jigglypuff.
When my brain started combining the complexity of being Black in America with the real world proposal of wan- dering and exploration that is
designed into the gameplay of Pokemon GO, there was only one conclusion. I might die if I keep playing.
The breakdown is simple:
There is a statistically dis- proportionate chance that someone could call the police to investigate me for walking around in circles in the com- plex.
There is a statistically dis- proportionate chance that I would be approached by law enforcement with fear or ag- gression, even when no laws have been broken.
There is a statistically dis- proportionate chance that I will be shot while reaching for my identification that I always keep in my back right pocket.
There is a statistically dis- proportionate chance that more shots will be fired and I will be dead before any medical assistance is available.
The premise of Pokemon GOasksmetoputmylifein danger if I chose to play it as it is intended and with enthusi- asm.
Let’s just go ahead and add Pokemon GO to the extremely long list of things white people can do without fear of being killed, while Black people have to realistically be wary.
Honestly, I wish this was a joke post or a satire of some sort. It isn’t.
Homeless College Student’s Story Goes Viral Leading To Major Help From Strangers
BARNESVILLE, GA --- Just one week ago, Fred Barley was a 19-year-old homeless col- lege student who rode his bike six hours each day just to make it to classes at Georgia’s Gor- don State College. He lived in a tent and had little if nothing to eat. But his world was trans- formed on July 9, after his story went viral.
Unfortunately, the dormito- ries at the Georgia college were closed until August, which led Barley to pitch a tent near some bushes on campus. On July 10, officers discovered the makeshift home after respond- ing to a campus call about a trespasser.
The officers explained to the biology major he couldn’t sleep on the campus grounds and that’s when they listened to his story. After hearing about his journey and struggle, the police officers escorted him to a nearby motel, where they cov- ered his pay for the next two days.
“The stuff that’s happening with police officers, I am Black, and he didn’t care what color I was. He just helped me, and that meant a lot,” Barley told WSB-TV. “He was so under- standing and he said, ‘I defi- nitely applaud you for doing this. We can’t allow you to stay here, but I have somewhere you can stay.'”
But the interaction didn’t end there. One officer’s wife was so moved by Barley’s story she posted it to a commu- nity Facebook page. The video soon went viral, which inspired many, many neighbors to help Barley.
A Facebook page was set up in addition to a GoFundMe ac- count to help raise money for Barley. In just two days, the community has raised nearly
Fred Barley rode his bike for 6 hours a day to get to class, was sleeping in a makeshift tent and rationing a box of cereal to survive.
$180,000.
According to reports, one
neighbor, Casey Blaney, and the motel where Barley was staying paid for him to remain in the room until he could move into the college dorms, which are now allowed him to move in early on July 18. Bar- ley was also hired soon after by a pizzeria in the area.
In addition to shelter for the time being and a job, the Bar- nesville, Georgia community has also gifted Barley with clothing, school supplies, and a new bike. They’ve also made ef- forts to buy him a car and take care of his medical and dental needs.
“The most shocking part is so many people coming to help a stranger, because honestly in today’s society, this sounds like a scam,” Barley stated. “Some of the gifts aren’t as important as the friends I’ve made. More important than everything— the clothes, the shoes—the re- lationships mean so much more to me.”
On July 16, Barley posted a video on Facebook thanking the community for their over- whelming support and gen- erosity.
FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 13-B