Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 9-16-22

Features
Beautifully Unblemished Holds Inaugural Walk For Vitiligo Awareness
Trial Underway For Parents Of Student Killed Crossing I-4
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On February 7, 2014, their 14-year-old Andrew Joseph, III, was killed at- tempting to cross Interstate 4. The teenager, along with 98 other students had been ejected from the Florida State Fairgrounds, but were not charged with a crime.
The tragedy led his par- ents, Andrew and Deanna Joseph filed a wrongful death lawsuit stating that the Hillsborough County Sher- iff’s Office, the Florida State Fairgrounds, and Corporal Mark Clark, who ejected Andrew from the fair- grounds.
The federal lawsuit is tak- ing place 8 years after the tragedy. The trial began Monday, September 12th and is slated to conclude on Sep- tember 22nd. It will take place at the Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse in Tampa.
Andrew’s parents have called for the end to qualified immunity, a legal immunity that can protect government officials and law enforce- ment officers from civil law- suits.
Some changes have taken place since the tragedy. The parents have formed the An- drew Joseph Foundation.
Teenagers are now given the opportunity to call their parents before being re- moved from the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds have added
ANDREW JOSEPH, III ... killed crossing I-4 after being ejected from Florida State Fair
more lights, security cam- eras, and observation towers. Jurors for the case were selected on Monday and tes- timony began on Tuesday. The first person called to the stands was Andrew’s mother, Deanna Joseph. Also called to the stand by the Joseph family attorney was Mark Clark, a former Hillsborough County Sher- iff’s Office corporal, who was involved in ejecting the teens
that night.
Also named in the suit,
the Florida State Fair. The organization reached a set- tlement with the family on Friday.
Members of Black Lives Matter have been watching the proceedings all week and supporting the Joseph fam- ily.
The family is asking for a $30 million settlement in the case.
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Beautifully Unblemished Vitiligo Support Group (BUVSG), founded by Tonja Johnson, will host its 1st Annual Vitiligo Awareness 5K Walk on Sep- tember 24, 2022. The inau- gural walk is intended to bring attention to Vitiligo Awareness.
The walk will have ven- dors offering special goods and services, and refresh- ments after the walk is com- pleted.
Bay Care will also be there to provide free med- ical screenings and informa- tion.
Vitiligo is a serious med- ical condition that is caused by inflammation in the body. That inflammation causes the skin to lose its
TONJA JOHNSON
... Founder of Beautifully Unblemished Vitiligo Support Group
natural pigment, and color. With over 70 million people battling vitiligo worldwide, the disease af- fects people of all ethnicities and races. The challenge of vitiligo can fundamentally affect how sufferers see themselves and causes sig-
nificant challenges to men- tal health and self-esteem.
Johnson relates her own experience of going from a beautiful, brown- skinned woman to an al- most white woman. “My entire life I have been a Black woman. I still have days that I struggle because I still have some color on my legs that reminds me of what I used to look like.”
Johnson hopes the event brings people together and helps educate Floridi- ans about the complex emo- tions surrounding the disease. Although there is no cure, Johnson and BUVSG provide support and resources for individuals and their families with Vi- tiligo.
Johnson is hoping that the opportunity to be out in the Tampa sunshine will bring walkers to the park. “The City of Tampa worked with us to ensure we would have a successful walk. We are so grateful for the help. Because we represent the entire state of Florida, we were looking at Lakeland as well as Tampa. Tampa worked best,” says John- son.
Registration for the event can be found on the website (https://www.- Beautifullyunblemished.co m ) under upcoming events. Walkers can also register the day of the walk. Regis- tration starts at 7:30 am.
The walk is Saturday, September 24, 2022, and will be held at Al Lopez Park, 4810 N. Himes Avenue, Tampa, FL 33614. The walk be- gins at 8:30 a.m.
For more information, email info@beautifullyun- blemished.com.
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