Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 5-7-19

Editorial/Columns
FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN
(USPS 202-140)
2207 21st Avenue, Tampa Florida 33605 • (813) 248-1921 Published Every Tuesday and Friday By
FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHING Co., Member of National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
S. KAY ANDREWS, PUBLISHER
C. BLYTHE ANDREWS III, PRESIDENT/CONTROLLER ALLISON WELLS-CLEBERT, CFO
GWEN HAYES, EDITOR
IRIS HOLTON, CITY EDITOR
BETTY DAWKINS, ADVERTISING DIRECTOR HAROLD ADAMS, CIRCULATION MANAGER TOYNETTA COBB, PRODUCTION MANAGER LAVORA EDWARDS, CLASSIFIED MANAGER
Subscriptions-$44.00-6 Months Both Editions: $87.00-Per Year Both Editions.
Opinions expressed on editorial pages of this newspaper by Columnists or Guest Writers, do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of The Florida Sentinel Bulletin or the Publisher.
have come to the conclu- sion that Black people are pain freaks --- lovers of mis- ery. And I'm not sure what it will take for us to wake up and realize that the only way we'll ever be able to live, work and play comfortably, with- out constantly going through BS., is by having our own av- enues that will allow us to en- gage in each of these activities
with a peace of mind.
By now you would think
that we knew better. But, I suppose, the 400 years of stress that we've had to deal with in this country has not only caused us to suffer an ex- treme case of Stockholm Syn- drome (a psychological condition where oppressed or captive individuals fall in love with their tormentors), but it's also rendered us clinically insane as well.
This all occurred to me a few days ago when I read an article in the USA Today about Facebook censoring
Black dialogue on its site. Ac- cording to the story, because of the company's new policy aimed at preventing the spread of false propaganda, Facebook has resorted to re- moving content that they deem too controversial. And it seems that Black activists are being targeted the most.
Apparently, whenever someone Black makes a com- ment about race, Facebook automatically deletes the post and suspends the account for a period of time, a practice that has been coined "getting Zucked."
As a result of this blatant discrimination, Black Face- book members are attempt- ing to persuade Facebook executives like Mark Zuckerberg to be more un- derstanding of Black culture in order to keep Black voices from being muted. And, just as it was the case with entities like Starbucks, AirBNB, Gucci and a host of other companies
that have given Black people their asses to kiss over the years, instead of telling the online giant to kick rocks, Black people have, once again, decided that they would rather beg for better treatment.
What I have yet to figure out is why we continue to be- lieve that dropping to our knees will make a difference in these situations? I mean this is 2019. With so many Black entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and tech savvy in- dividuals capable of creating whatever it is we like to use, there doesn't seem to be a valid reason why we should have to pander to anyone.
Like I've said on numer- ous occasions before, with our collective brain and fi- nancial spending power, we don't need the dominant soci- ety nearly as much as they need us. But, until we recog- nize our worth, our unlimited potential and begin to patron- ize our own businesses, being victimized by others in these types of episodes will forever be a burden we're forced to bear.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
Our Own Worst Enemy
POSTMASTER: Send Address Change To: Florida Sentinel Bulletin,
P.O. Box 3363 Tampa, FL 33601 Periodical Postage Paid At Tampa, FL
C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
To Tampa’s New Mayor: A Black Perspective
e stood amidst the applause as former police
Chief Jane Castor became Tampa’s newest mayor recently. And with the endless well-wishes, poetry and power-signs from her ardent supporters, we wish to take this opportunity to list what we be- lieve are some concerns that the Black Community would like to see addressed by this city’s newest Joan of Arc.
First and foremost, many of the streets in our neighborhoods could be confused with the streets from Third World nations. They need repair and re- construction, immediately.
Secondly, a police-community relations program, which had surprisingly and unceremoniously been stopped, needs to be restarted . . . and include diver- sity and sensitivity training for all concerned.
Increased employment of African Americans, es- pecially in the police department, and an increase in the utilization of Black businesses as city vendors are yet, other items which need response from Tampa’s new mayor. Looking into the advent of torrential rains, floods, etc., Black communities need more as- sistance when the rains fall and floods rise.
Furthermore, due to a rise in aspects of local crime, a police-community review board needs to be based on transparency and regular feedback to the Black community.
We would like to see the new mayor hold town hall meetings, etc., to get first-hand feelings and informa- tion from the community in order to guarantee greater cooperation and understanding between the mayor and her Black constituents.
Anyone who travels the streets of Tampa cannot help but agree that our city is growing by leaps and bounds. Therefore, it is not our assumption to be given preferential treatment. But, in the kindest way, we remind Mayor Castor that our requests are not preference, but justice --- overdue.
We wish to witness the truth of the statement that our city is a home place and a city for us all.
Breaking The Silence And Shame
udos to the Tampa
alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated (DST) for host- ing its third annual mental health awareness program, “Determination, Strength, and Triumph: Encouraging Those Who Cry In the Dark,” last month. In addition, the mem- bers of Aaron’s House, Black- on-Black Rhyme, and “I Heard’em Say” are to be con- gratulated for using spoken word as a means of expressing and informing the community about the issue of mental health in the Black commu- nity.
Indeed, many of us grew up in families where whispers and eye language conveyed our thoughts about a “peculiar uncle” or “ditzy aunt,” yet no one actually talked about it be- cause of shame and stigma.
We should thank these organ- izations for addressing the issue as a means of “encourag- ing behavioral lifestyle changes for the physical, men- tal and spiritual well-being of African American families.”
Sadly, Blacks experience more severe forms of mental health conditions and are 20 percent more likely to have mental health issues than their white counterparts.
Unfortunately, too many Blacks lack information and misunderstand mental health issues, and tend to view poor mental health as “a personal weakness or punishment from God.” Moreover, many Black people tend not to seek profes- sional health because of the stigma associated with mental health problems.
Depression and suicide are frequently biological brain dis- orders that contribute to a
large number of deaths among Blacks. Ninety percent of all suicide deaths involved de- pression or substance abuse.
Every year, 33,000 people take their own lives because only 25 percent of Blacks seek professional help while 40 percent of whites tend to seek professional help.
In addition, the lack of health insurance contributes to the large number of Blacks who don’t seek professional help. For those who do seek help, studies show “Blacks me- tabolize many medications more slowly and are more likely to receive higher doses” which lead to many negative side effects.
Finally, it is very important that we recognize the symp- toms of depression because suicidal behavior may run in families. Close first degree rel- atives of persons who commit suicide are six times more likely to attempt or complete suicide.
Relying on family, faith, and spirituality is good, but we suggest that people seek li- censed professional help to speak to these grievous mental dilemmas will no doubt, save millions of lives in America’s Black communities. Harram- bee!
W
I
K
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5