Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 8-2-16 Online Edition

Local
Tampa Youth Help Create Video To Honor Olympian
Some Public Hearings Are A Waste Of Time
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Thursday, August 4th, at 3:30 p.m., members of the community will gather at the Robert W. Saunders Library. The purpose of the gathering is to view the first in a series of video productions in which students helped to produce.
“The Legacy Video Series,” is the result of a partnership between local businesses and youth engaged in a local tech- nology training program. Its purpose is to digitize the sto- ries and accomplishments of local individuals who have made significant contribu- tions.
Ms. Theresa Manuel was selected as the first honoree of the series. Ms. Manuel, who celebrated her 90th birthday on January 7, 2016, became the first African American woman from the State of Florida to compete in the 1948 Olympics. Ms. Manuel will be present for the viewing.
This event will serve as a preview for the 2016 Olympics slated to begin on August 5th in Rio.
Ralph Smith, Founder and Executive Director of Computer Mentors Group, Inc., said, “We are honored to be part of this legacy project. Not only does this project give our youth valuable skills that they can use in their future ca- reers, but it also opens their eyes to the many achieve- ments of local unsung heroes, especially African Americans who have made an impact here in Tampa.”
Computer Mentors has 80 youth enrolled in information
In 1948, Ms. Theresa Manuel became the first African American woman from the State of Florida to compete in the Olympics. Ms. Manuel was chosen as the first honoree of a video production to pre- serve her story in the digital age.
DEE JACKSON
Vice President, West Tampa Alliance
technology and video training as part of its STEM Corps High School Program.
About Theresa Manuel A native of Tampa, Ms. Manuel attended the public schools of Hillsborough County. She graduated from Middleton High School and continued her education at
Tuskegee Institute.
She went on to lead the
school to four straight confer- ence championships. But, it was also at Tuskegee where Ms. Manuel, who played basketball, was encouraged to run track.
Ms. Manuel became the first African American woman from Florida to participate in the 1948 Olympics in London, breaking the color barrier. She competed in the Women’s 80 meter hurdles and served as the third leg in the Women 4 x 100 yard relay.
Ms. Manuel returned to Hillsborough County and em- barked on a teaching career at her alma mater, Middleton High School. She also served
as the Girls Basketball Coach. During her 38-year career, Ms. Manuel was voted Coach of the Year on the county level and once on the state level.
In 1994, Ms. Manuel once again became “the first African American woman” to be inducted into the Tampa Sports Hall of Fame. The Manuel-Griffin Relays, the one of the largest high school track events, is also named in her honor.
In 2004, the high school track at Hillsborough High School, from which she re- tired, was named in her honor. The videos will be available at several libraries for use by the Hillsborough County School District. It will also be on dis- play online by Computer Men- tors and other community sites. Funding was provided by the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners.
For more information call (813) 236-1191 or visit www.computermentors.org.
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
West Tampa, Tampa Heights, and Seminole Heights resi- dents have lost confidence in the practice of public hearings, based on the outcome of sev- eral meetings over the past 10 years.
When InTown Homes wanted to throw the historic doctrine of West Tampa to build homes with flat roofs, a public hearing was held and the residents opposed it. It was approved anyway.
Recently, several meetings were held at Blake High School on the renovation of the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. The developers asked everyone in attendance to sub- mit suggestions through the use of photos. The residents of the area submitted what they liked, and asked for a senior center at the park.
Not only did the residents not get one thing they asked for, those features that were granted, were suggested by people who either don’t live in West Tampa, or are new ar- rivals.
A few weeks ago, the Hills- borough County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) held a public hearing on the proposed Tampa Bay Express project by the Florida Depart- ment of Transportation.
Almost 200 people signed up to speak out on the project, the majority of them residents from Tampa and Seminole Heights. Although they adamantly opposed the proj- ect, it was granted.
West Tampa Alliance Vice President, Dee Jackson, said that’s indicative of govern- ment agencies playing the role of bully.
“Public hearings are man- dated, but what good does it serve if the people come in large numbers, only to be con- sistently turned away disap- pointed.
“What makes it hurt more is the people making the deci-
sions are elected officials, and they’ve collectively gone against the wishes of the peo- ple they are supposed to be representing.”
Jackson said he’s not ad- vocating that people stop at- tending the hearings.
“What I am saying is it’s time we hold our elected offi- cials accountable for not doing what we put them in office to do. We’ve got to be more out- spoken during these hearings, and start making demands in- stead of requests and sugges- tions.
“We are going to start a se- ries of meetings that will pre- cede these hearings to properly prepare residents. It’s obvious that the approach that’s been taken isn’t work- ing.”
Jackson said residents are beginning to feel they don’t have a voice about what’s going on in their own neigh- borhoods, and they have been silenced by promises made to developers.
“It’s pretty obvious now that there’s something else going on here. West Tampa, and other African American com- munities, are being carved up and served to these outsiders, and it appears the residents can do little to stop it.
“The next step is to seek court action through injunc- tions or other means, but that can get costly, and I think these developers know the res- idents don’t have the resources to fight them in a legal arena.”
The West Tampa Alliance is proposing that a legal team be assembled to act as a mediator between the government and the residents.
“They won’t listen to us, so maybe it’s time we put them in a position where they will have to listen.
“The practice of forcibly tak- ing property has to stop. The use of threats by city govern- ment and state government needs to be exposed, and they must be held accountable for taking that approach.”
PAGE 8 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2016