Page 12 - Florida Sentinel 6-19-18

Local
Nurse Practitioner Helps
Today Is June 19 – The Observance Of Juneteenth
Passenger During In-Flight
Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independ- ence Day or Freedom Day, is an American holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U. S. state of Texas, and more generally the emancipa- tion of enslaved African- Americans throughout the former Confederacy of the southern United States. Its name is a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth”, the date of its celebration. June- teenth is recognized as a state holiday or special day of ob- servance in forty-five states.
Today it is observed pri- marily in local celebrations.
Locally, the Tampa Bay Coalition of Juneteenth is hosting a variety of events this month to bring awareness of the impor- tance and in celebration of the date. The month will close out with a Street Festival in West Tampa along Main Street.
Formerly enslaved people in Galveston rejoiced in the streets after the announce- ment, although in the years af- terward many struggled to work through the changes against resistance of whites. The following year, freedman organized the first of what be- came the annual celebration
of Juneteenth in Texas.
In some cities African- Americans were barred from using public parks because of state-sponsored segregation of facilities. Across parts of Texas, freed people pooled their funds to purchase land to
hold their celebrations.
In 1980, Texas was the
first state to establish June- teenth as a state holiday under legislation introduced by freshman Democratic state representative Al Edwards. Juneteenth is a “skeleton crew” day in the state; govern- ment offices do not close, but agencies may operate with re- duced staff.
By 2008, nearly half of U. S. states observed the holiday as a ceremonial observance.
As of May 2016, when the Maryland legislature ap- proved official recognition of the holiday, 45 of the 50 U. S. states and the District of Co- lumbia have recognized June- teenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday, a day of observance. States that do not recognize it are Hawaii, Mon- tana, New Hampshire, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Florida recognizes June- teenth as a State Holiday or State Holiday Observance through a Bill, House Resolu- tion, Senate Resolution or Joint Resolution.
Medical Emergency
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Recently, Ms. Kaeleigh Hill was returning home with her mother and aunt from their annual vacation in the Turks and Cacaos. The last thing she was thinking was being called into service.
However, when the situa- tion arose, Ms. Hill, an ARNP with the Hillsborough County Occupational Health Clinic, rose to the occasion. They were about 15 minutes into the flight when the American Airlines Flight 1338 pilot issued a call for help over the intercom. A passenger was in medical distress.
The passenger was losing control of his muscles, was experiencing extreme pain, and couldn’t blink or swallow when the call for help came. Ms. Hill immediately helped the crew stabilize the patient, who was likely hav- ing a stroke.
When the airplane landed in Miami, medical personnel were waiting to take him to a local hospital.
Of her role in providing assistance, Ms. Hill said, “I’m not a hero, it is my job. That’s why I am here. God
Ms. Kaeleigh Hill (in civilian clothing) is shown with members of the American Airlines Flight 1338 crew.
puts us in the places that we need to be when we need to be there.”
Sheriff Chad Chronis- ter said, “Kaeleigh repre- sents the essence of everything we stand for here at HCSO. She acted without hesitation to help another person when he needed it most. That makes her a hero in my book. I am extremely proud to have someone like her on our team.”
Ms. Hill has been em- ployed at the HCSO Occupa- tional Health Clinic since
2015. A quasi workman’s comp facility, it opened in 2011.
The Clinic helps employ- ees with work-related in- juries, physicals, and other issues.
A Temple Terrace native, Ms. Hill comes from a law enforcement family. The 28- year-old enjoys outdoor ac- tivities, going to the beach and spending time with her family and fiancé.
GOOD DEED!
Young Man Pushes Wheelchair Bound Woman Home After Her Battery Runs Out
Bilal Quintyne is a hero in our book. According to ABC News, Quintyne was out and about when he spot- ted a woman sitting in an im- mobile electric wheelchair. The woman informed him her wheelchair's batteries had run out, and she asked him to call for help.
Instead, he took a more direct approach by pushing her home himself, and be- came a viral sensation.
A video of Quintyne's amazingly good deed was posted to Facebook.
“God’s Plan. God’s Work. Her battery gave out and she didn’t no how she was getting home," read the caption. "God blessed me with a able body. So WE pulled her home. A mile or not I would- n’t go home until she was home. Period."
The walk took about 30
Bilal Quintyne pushed a wheelchair bound woman home after her battery died. The walk was 1 mile.
minutes, and while they did- n't talk much on the way, the father of two asked the woman where she was headed in the first place.
“When I learned she was on her way to the grocery store, I offered to go food shopping for her, but she wouldn’t allow me,” Quin- tyne told Yahoo! Lifestyle.
“She was crying, very grateful and said that many people had driven by without stopping to help.”
“I was doing my job as a man. There’s so much hatred in the world and it costs noth- ing to love someone. My only goal in sharing this is to re- store the values we’ve lost as people,” he added.
PAGE 12 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2018