Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 11-28-17

National
November Was A Good Month For Black Candidates
Olympic Doctor Who Molested Gabby Douglas And Others Facing 40 Years
Two years ago, Dr. Larry Nassar was still riding high as an internationally acclaimed sports doctor whose patients included some of America's top gymnasts.
The former U.S. Olympics gymnastics team doctor who molested Gabby Douglas and over 130 other young patients pleaded guilty to sex crimes.
Nassar was a visibly broken man as he stood in Ingham County Circuit Court last week and pled guilty to seven counts of first-degree sexual conduct, charges that could send him to prison for a minimum of 25 years.
“Guilty as stated, your honor,” Nassar said while agreeing that he penetrated the girls with his fingers while pre- tending to conduct medical exams and other treatments between the years 1998 and 2015.
This week, Nassar, 54, on Nov. 29, Nassar is scheduled for another plea hearing in Eaton County Circuit County, where he is expected to plead guilty to another three counts of first-degree CSC.
The week after that, on Dec. 7, Nassar will be in U. S.
Dr. Larry Nassar molested Gabby Douglas and over 130 other young patients.
District Court in Grand Rapids for his sentencing in a federal child pornography case.
And so a man who was once at the top of his profession is likely to spend most of the rest of life behind bars, in a sex- ual-abuse case that has drawn national attention -- including two reports on "60 Minutes."
His victims will have their chance to speak at his January 12 sentencing hearing.
While his recent hearing was going on, Aly Raisman, one of his victims who was on the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gym- nastics teams, stated on Twit- ter that she was “disgusted” that Nassar was referred to as a doctor even though he lost his medical license.
VI LYLES First Black female mayor of Charlotte, N.C.
MELVIN CARTER Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota
JUSTIN FAIRFAX ...Lt. Governor of Virginia
LATOYA CANTRELL Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana
USA —-The blue wave that swept the country in Novem- bers wasn’t just a victory for Democrats, but a resounding win for African American can- didates, who defied the odds— and Trumpism—to make history.
In Charlotte, N.C., voters elected the first female African American mayor in the city’s history, choosing Democrat Vi Lyles over Republican Kenny Smith.
In St. Paul, Minn., Melvin Carter became that city’s first Black mayor, earning slightly more than 50 percent of the vote in a field that featured 10 candidates and a write-in op- ponent.
In Virginia, Democrat Justin Fairfax trounced Re- publican challenger Jill Vogel in the race for lieutenant gov- ernor. In January, Fairfax will
become only the second African American to hold statewide office in Virginia. Doug Wilder was the first, serving as lieutenant governor from 1986-1990, then as gov- ernor from 1990-1994.
Republicans lost races for governor in Virginia, where Ralph Northam easily beat Trump-backed Ed Gille- spie, and in New Jersey, where former U.S. Ambassa- dor to Germany Phil Murphy won election as governor, de- feating Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.
Also, in Virginia, attorney general Mark Herring, a De- mocrat, won reelection over Republican John Adams while Democrats gained at least 10 seats in the House of Delegates.
The party also won key may- oral races in New York, Char-
lotte, Stamford, Conn., and St. Petersburg and, in a direct re- buke of Trump and Republi- cans who have tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, voters in Maine approved a ballot measure to expand Medicaid under former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law.
The NAACP is actively en- gaged in increasing the African American responsiveness of citizens to be fully engaged in the democratic process.
Members of the Congres- sional Black Caucus also en- gaged voters
“The vote is precious, almost sacred,” Cong. John Lewis said. “It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument in a democratic society [so] use it.”
By Stacy M. Brown
Expelled College Student Says Her Actions Against Former Roommate Were Not ‘Racist’
HARTFORD, CT — The in- cident involving former Uni- versity of Hartford student Brianna Brochu harassing her Black roommate in October was not “racist,” a lawyer for the disgraced student said last Tuesday.
Attorney Tom Stevens, who is representing Brochu, said outside a Hartford, Con- necticut courthouse, where his client faced a state judge over the case, NBC News reported. “These were two students who were placed together ... who didn’t like each other ... and it escalated.”
Brochu, 18, was under in- tense fire over off-putting accu- sations that she systemically poisoned her African-Ameri- can roommate, Chennel “Jazzy” Rowe. Brochu had allegedly smeared bodily fluids on Rowe’s belongings. She was charged with misde- meanor criminal mischief and breach of peace, with hate crime charges being consid- ered, the report says.
NAACP members, who gath- ered outside the courthouse, demanded that prosecutors file felony hate crime charges against the teen, who is White.
Investigators are examining additional information at the request of Rowe’s lawyer, Hartford State’s Attorney Gail Hardy said Tuesday. Deci- sions to add charges will be
Brianna Brochu did disgust- ing things to her roommate and posted it on social media.
based on evidence and the law, she added.
Brochu admitted to au- thorities that she did put tam- pon blood on Rowe’s backpack and licked Rowe’s plate, fork and spoon. She de- nied more accusations, includ- ing spitting in Rowe’s coconut oil, authorities said.
Her Instagram posts about the incident were only created in an attempt to “appear funny” and the words that she wrote were not true, she said. Her actions were in “retaliation for Rowe’s “rude behavior” and Rowe posting videos of her sleeping and making fun of her snoring,” according to NBC.
Brochu’s court case will continue on December 18.
Protesters in St. Louis caused the mall to shutdown on Black Friday.
‘No Justice,’ ‘No Profit’ Was Chant On Black Friday That Led Mall In St. Louis To Close
Seven people, including a state lawmaker, were ar- rested Friday at a Missouri mall after nearly 100 protest- ers disrupted Black Friday shopping, according to local media.
Galleria Mall, located near St. Louis, was forced to close because of the protests, mall security told ABC News.
Protesters entered the mall around 1:15 p.m. local time and held their fists up, chant-
ing "No justice, no profit," an eyewitness told ABC News.
They walked through the mall corridors and entered several stores, including a Dillard's. The protests lasted nearly two hours.
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