Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 10-25-16 Online Edition

Features
Advocates Against Minimum Mandatory Sentencing Need Support
From left to right: Shirley Copeland, Bessie Salter, and Brunette McCray.
Video Series Pays Tribute To Tampa Trailblazer
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Shirley Copeland and Brunette McCray have been advocating the eradication of minimum mandatory sentenc- ing for more than a decade. Both women have experienced the devastation the sentencing guidelines can have on a fam- ily as their sons were incarcer- ated under the guidelines.
Both are members of Fami- lies Against Mandatory Mini- mums (FAMM), and Mrs. Copeland and Ms. McCray discovered the bulk of the fed- eral mandatory sentencing laws were passed in 1986 and 1988, and apply almost exclu- sively to drug offenses.
“That means you can be sen- tenced to life in prison on drug offenses, but 15 to 25 years for killing someone,” said Mrs. Copeland.
“How is that fighting the war on drugs?”
Ms. McCray said everyone needs to come up with life sav- ing ideas to help stop these sentencing guidelines, as well as violent crimes.
The ladies, now joined by Bessie Salter, said it’s hard getting young people to not break the law when outside forces set the stage for them to go in that direction.
“I think the wrong people are being locked up,” said Mrs. Copeland.
“They keep locking up street level dealers, while the suppli- ers continue to do business.”
Ms. Salter said she’s started a campaign to focus on the women serving minimum mandatory sentences.
‘These women are being treated unfairly by the justice system and the prisons they are housed in.
“They are being removed from their families, and then released without any guidance or help.”
All three ladies said they need the support of the com- munity and other families who have loved ones serving these unjust sentences.
Anyone interested in join- ing these ladies, can reach Mrs. Copeland at (813) 562- 2861, or Ms. Salter at (813) 810-9744.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Tuesday, October 25th, at 3:30 p.m., the unveiling of a video honoring a Tampa trail- blazer will be unveiled. The event will take place at the Robert W. Saunders Library, 1505 N. Nebraska Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.
The honor bestowed upon Mrs. Doris Ross Reddick is the second in The Legacy Video Series. Ms. Theresa Manuel, who was recognized in August 2016, was the first.
About Mrs. Ross Reddick A Tampa native, Mrs. Ross Reddick attended the public schools of Hillsborough County. After graduating from Middleton High School, she continued her education at Bethune-Cookman University. She also graduated from the
University of South Florida.
Mrs. Ross Reddick
launched her career as an edu- cator in 1947, as a substitute teacher. She worked at several elementary schools before re- locating to Kingston, New York.
She became the first African American teacher at George Washington Elementary School in that district. Mrs. Ross Reddick returned home
MRS. DORIS ROSS REDDICK ...First African American woman elected to Hillsbor-
ough County School Board
and continued her role as an educator.
Mrs. Ross Reddick was elected as the first Black woman to serve on the Hills- borough County School Board in 1992. She served for three consecutive terms, including being elected as Chairperson 1995-1996, and again from 2001-2002.
In addition to being a retired educator, Mrs. Ross Red- dick is an author, mother, and grandmother.
The video was created through a partnership between Kerrick Williams, of Kerrick
Williams Photography, Sula Too LLC (Ersula Odom- McLemore), and seven youth participants of Computer Men- tors Group (CMG).
Williams’ staff trained and assisted the youth who were engaged at every step of the process, learned employable skills in the video industry, Williams said.
It was made possible through a grant from the Hills- borough County Board of Commissioners. Ralph Smith, founder and CEO of Computer Mentors Group, Inc., said “We need input from the community to determine who will be the next person in the series. But we are looking for funding so that we can con- tinue the series.”
Computer Mentors cur- rently has several youth en- rolled in information technology and video training as part of its STEM Corps High School Program.
The videos of Ms. Manuel and Mrs. Ross Reddick, along with a video of James Hammond, of THAP, will be available for utilization by the Hillsborough County School District, several Hillsborough County library branches and will be displayed online in many community sites.
Grandmother Of Slain Man Blames Conditions At Apartment Complex
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
On August 19, 2016,
Freddy Demond Benson
was shot to death at the Oakhurst Square Apartments in West Tampa. He was 20- years-old and the father of Breasia Benson. Police have not yet made an arrest in the shooting.
Benson’s death left his family members in shock and angry.
Benson’s grandmother, Thelma Benson, is devas- tated by her grandson’s death, and attributes it to conditions at the Oakhurst that she, along with other residents have been complaining about for years.
“The Oakhurst Apartments were once the nicest apart- ments on this side of the river. But when management started allowing anyone and everyone to move in, things got bad.
“Before my grandson was shot, there had been a lot of shootings here and bullets have flown through the win- dows and walls of a lot of in- nocent people.”
FREDDY DEMOND BENSON
Ms. Benson said manage- ment is aware of the problem of people hanging out at the complex who don’t live there, as well as some of the resi- dents who cause a lot of prob- lems.
“They tried hiring a security company, but they don’t come around. We fear for the safety of our children and the older people who live here.
“I think the Oakhurst has turned into a war zone, and if they were to hire someone else to manage the property, things would change.”
Ms. Benson said she, along with other residents, feel management doesn’t care, because a lot of the units are in need of repair, and one of the parking lots has a light fixture that doesn’t work, leaving the area in complete darkness.
“Imagine coming home late at night, and pulling into a parking lot that’s pitch black. You’d be scared to get out of your car.
“We called security about an incident that occurred after my grandson was killed, and when he came he said if my grandson hadn’t been sitting on the steps, he wouldn’t have been killed. The last time I checked, there was no law against sitting on the steps outside of your grandmother’s apartment.”
Ms. Benson said some tenants are considering hiring an attorney, because they don’t feel safe.
Oakhurst Square Apart- ments are owned by Soho Capital, and Adam Harden, a principal owner, has not re- turned phone calls, but a re- ceptionist at their office did record the complaint.
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016