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Editorials/Columns
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What Are You Waiting For?
“The life you desire to have begins when you start living it.”
–Selphenia Simmons
Empowered Greet- ings. I want to ask you a question. What are you
waiting for? What are you waiting for to start living and stop existing? What are you waiting for to maximize your potential? What are you waiting for to be all that you can be? What are you waiting for to live life to the fullest?
If you are like most peo- ple, you have buried dreams down on the inside of you. You have hopes that were once flames of fire but have been reduced to smoldering ashes. There are things you
desire to do, places you de- sire to go and experiences you desire to have. Again, I ask, “What are you waiting for?”
The rationale of your fi- nite mind says that you are waiting for the right time. You have been postponing and procrastinating living your best life...just to wait. When you were younger you were waiting until you were older.
Now you’re older, you think you’re too old. When you were single, you were waiting until you get mar- ried.
Now you’re married all your time is devoted to your spouse. Maybe you were waiting until you have chil-
dren. Now that you have them, you’re waiting until they are grown and gone.
Maybe, you’re waiting on the right career. When you get that, you’ll be too busy climbing the ladder of suc- cess; then you’ll find yourself waiting until you retire. What are you waiting for?
Go to http://success- coachtowomen.com and Sign Up to receive Selphe- nia’s free SUCCESS MADE SIMPLE E-ZINE designed to help you create the lifestyle and business you deserve.
Call (813) 956-0185 to request Selphenia to speak, train or facilitate for your event.
Stay connected with Selphenia through social media.
Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women Twitter: @queenofsuc- cess1
Instagram: @selphe- nia
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)
A Shero Gone Too Soon
he warmth of her spirit shines through in
her eyes and smile as her picture draws you to her. There is something alive and sparkling about this individual that conjures up thoughts of her laughing with wild abandon at a joke her partner or family members might make. Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine the loss her elderly mother, her 20-year-old child, and 12-year-old twins feel for the loss of their mother and daughter. They will probably hate July 4th fireworks and celebrations which will sear the painful memory of a horrific crisis in their hearts for their loss, year after year.
Her name is Miosotis Familia. She was a twelve-year veteran police officer who was shot in the head, point-blank while sitting in her police car on a street in the Bronx, New York, last July 4th. Officer Familia was Black. Her life mattered, but no one other than fam- ily, friends, or fellow officers put up a com- plaint.
Nevertheless, Miosotis’s death is proof that hate hurts us all, regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity. Her children, Delilah Vega, Genesis Villella, and Peter Vega can be comforted by the outpouring of love from people she helped, especially domestic violence victims who re- called her words of advice and encourage- ment, businesses in the precinct patrolled by Miosotis, and her law enforcement colleagues.
Therefore, we salute Miosotis Familia and all of her brothers and sisters in Blue who have died in the line of duty. We give thanks to them and their families for the sacrifice they have made. May Miosotis rest in peace and may we continue to fight the hate that spawned a shero’s untimely demise.
Open Letter
Council of Bishops Of The AME Church Issues Challenge To NAACP
arlier this month, the
Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Epis- copal Church issued a chal- lenge to the National Association for the Advance- ment of Colored People (NAACP). The Bishops called on the NAACP to restructure and redefine its mission.
The open letter was dated July 7th. In part, the letter stated, “The NAACP boasts that it is the oldest Civil Rights organization in the country. While this is true and ought to make us proud, longevity alone is not proof of relevance.
“For the reality is that today the NAACP is smaller and less influential than it has ever been in its history as an organization. Today the NAACP intimidates no one. To be perfectly honest, the same challenges that face the NAACP face mainline faith denominations. We are old, and have not restructured or positioned ourselves to meet
the times in which our con- gregants live. The Black Church is seeking to confront its own challenges and we call upon the NAACP to do the same,” the Bishops wrote.
In recent years, instances of fatal police shootings of unarmed individuals, dis- crimination, open bigotry, and hate crimes have been on the rise.
The letter continued, “The NAACP is to be about the advancement of people of color, and people of color are not being able to advance without a good education; with the consequences of not being able to get or create good jobs, decent housing, health care and creating good communities.
“What is the NAACP po- sition and strategy on these issues? What is the NAACP position and where is the fight for criminal justice re- form? What would inspire Black Lives Matter and other
such groups to join us?” After receiving the letter, members of the National Board responded and re- quested that the AME Bish- ops join them in restructuring the organiza-
tion.
The National NAACP
Board stated in their re- sponse, “In order to end the cycle of systemic racism and build a better America, our position is that success will require an all-hands-on-deck approach — with the contin- ued help of the faith commu- nity.”
Additionally, some state Chapter Presidents, includ- ing Florida State Conference President Adora Obi Nweze, responded to the challenge.
In May, the National Board voted not to renew the contract of President Cor- nell William Brooks. Brooks had led the organi- zation for the past 3 years. His contract expired in June.
TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5
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