Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 2-23-16 Edition

Features
NAACP President Introduces New Leadership
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Dr. Benny Small, Pres- ident of the Hillsborough County Branch NAACP has announced the names of two members who will fill posi- tions with the organization. The vacancies being filled are Secretary and Membership Chairperson.
Ms. Vertez Regina Ed- mond will serve as the Branch Secretary. Ms. Ed- mond is replacing Ms. Pa- tricia Spencer, who passed in December. Ms. Spencer had served in the role of Sec- retary for several years.
Ms. Edmond comes from a long line of volunteers with the NAACP. Her great grandmother, Ms. Mollie Miller, and her grandpar- ents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert (Sallie) Burks, served as 1st and 2nd Vice President and Secretary in the Florida Con- ference, respectively.
A native of Fort Laud- erdale, Ms. Edmond began her own journey with the or- ganization as a member of the Youth Council.
A 12-year veteran of the
MS. VERTEZ REGINA EDMOND NAACP Secretary
United States Navy, Ms. Ed- mond and her son, recently relocated to Tampa from Dal- las, Texas.
Ms. Irene Matthews
has been chosen to fill the va- cancy of Membership Chair- person. Ms. Matthews has served in an administrative support role for more than 20 years. She has worked in a variety of different adminis- trative roles.
In her role as Member- ship Chairperson, Ms. Matthews will work to maintain and improve mem- bership satisfaction pro- grams, membership
MS. IRENE MATTHEWS NAACP Membership Chairperson
recruitment, building mem- bership opportunities, and beginning a monthly orienta- tion program.
In addition to her role with the NAACP, Ms. Matthews is an executive assistant at a major engineer- ing firm, active in her church, and in her neighborhood as- sociation and crime watch.
Ms. Matthews attended Hillsborough Community College as a Business major. She has also stayed abreast of the latest technology by at- tending conferences, semi- nars, and workshops.
Black Lives Matter Movement To Host
Rally In Tampa
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
On April 27th in Tampa, the Black Panther Party and Black Guerilla Party will join representatives of the Black Lives Matter movement in a show of unity.
Karima Good, who is organizing the event, will be joined by local Black Lives Matter representative, Crys- tal Wilson in a march to Raymond James Stadium. The march will begin at 6 p. m., but participants are asked to arrive 30 minutes to an hour early at the staging location, Al Lopez Park.
“We want African Ameri- cans from all over to come out and show unity,” said Good.
“There must be change. Police are still killing our young men, and it’s time for us to put our petty difference aside for the common good.”
Good said African Amer- icans have internal problems that need to be settled before any action is taken against what the police are doing.
“Because of the people we’ll have to deal with, the movement will have political overtones, but this is not a political movement. This is a right-to-life event that we
KARIMA GOOD
hope will make African Americans recognize what’s broken, and agree on a way to fix it.
“We all know the reasons, but we just can’t seem to agree on a solution. That’s what we hope to accomplish with this march.”
Good wants the broad- cast media, both local and nationally, to understand they this is a very serious ef- fort, and nothing like “Oc- cupy” effort that disappeared after a couple of years.
“It doesn’t matter how many times we have to refuel this effort. We are committed to seeing this through to the end, and getting things changed.”
City Council Discusses Decriminalizing Marijuana
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
The Tampa City Council Thursday discussed the pos- sibility of decriminalizing marijuana, and instead of ar- rests being made, an individ- ual be given a civil citation.
This was after their re- view of an ordinance pre- sented to them by local law enforcement officials for their approval and/or sup- port.
The ordinance asks that the city’s legal department or officials with the Tampa Po- lice Department talk about the issue of decriminalizing marijuana in small amounts (20 grams) and also look at what other municipalities have done.
After discussions, it was agreed unanimously that the ordinance addressing the decriminalization be ad- dressed March 3rd for a first reading.
Council Chair Frank Reddick, along with of his colleagues, agreed that there’s no justification for ruining someone’s life be-
cause of one mistake.
“It isn’t right, and ruins a
person’s ability to take care of their family. We have to be about making changes in society. No one’s life should be destroyed because of one mistake.”
Councilman Harry Cohen said the problem with the current marijuana laws is the punishment does- n’t fit the offense.
“I think, like Council- man Miranda said, there should be no fine for this. Under the current system, people’s lives are being ruin- ed because of a slight indis- cretion.
“Minorities are far more disproportionately affected by today’s laws. We are not asking for legalization. This is just an option. Medically, a lot of people need this drug, and it shouldn’t be de- nied the people using it for medical purposes be pun- ished. I’d like to see the ordi- nance moved forward.”
Councilwoman Lisa Montelione asked that the ordinance be amended to clarify that paraphernalia is
also subject to fines and the same process.
The City Attorney that deals directly with law en- forcement, Kirby Rans- berger, said there should be some kind of fine imposed if the ordinance does pass.
In the draft ordinance, it also says Council members need to talk about the issue of preemption by either fed- eral or state law that may prevent or allow them to pass such an ordinance.
During the public hear- ing, the majority of the speakers were in favor of de- criminalizing marijuana. However, some felt it would be a mistake and would lead to rampant drug use among our young people.
It was also pointed out that the criminal justice sys- tem would save a lot of money not having to prose- cute people caught with small amounts of marijuana.
Council Chair Red- dick said they are proposing a city ordinance that will have no legal ramifications from state or federal law, ac- cording to legal officials.
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016