Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 10-30-15 Edition

Features
Young Entrepreneur Presented Champion Of Service Award
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Wednesday during a meeting of the Florida Cabinet, Governor Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman awarded two Floridians with the Cham- pion of Service Award. The two recipients are N’Jhari Jack- son, of Tampa, and Adam Resch, of Jacksonville.
Governor Scott said, “As a former Eagle Scout myself, I am proud of Adam and N’Jhari for working to better their communities. It is en- couraging to see young Florid- ians take time to help others and I’m honored to present them both with the Champion of Service Award today.”
N’Jhari is a member of the Boy Scouts, Men of Vision, and a two-time Junior Olympic athlete.
He started an organization to donate lifesaving equipment (Automated External Defibril- lator) to schools to help treat athletes and others who expe- rience sudden cardiac arrest on campus.
N’Jhari has worked to train and certify staff members in CPR/First-aid and raised money to purchase the devices.
Additionally, he recently served 75 hours as a Junior Camp Counselor and Junior Life Guard at Camp Virginia Jaycee, a camp for those with special needs. For the past two years, he has struggled with Autoimmune Juvenile Idio- pathic Arthritis and wants to encourage others with health
N’JHARI JACKSON ... Presented Champion Of Service Award
conditions to have the opportu- nity to enjoy the camp experi- ence.
Adam is part of a family with six generations of law en- forcement officers. A Jack- sonville native, Adam discovered that his hometown was one of the few major cities in the United States that did not have a permanent public memorial to honor law en- forcement officers who were killed in the line of duty.
In 2011, he partnered with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville City Council and worked to locate a site and design for the memorial. He also completed the re-zoning process for the site, and raised $250,000 with the local busi- ness community, organiza- tions, and individuals to complete the project.
The memorial includes 61 engraved names and is sched- uled to be completed this month. Adam is a member of Boy Scouts Troop 5, which is sponsored by Christ the King Catholic Church, in Jack- sonville.
Organizations Unite To Challenge Criminal Justice System
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Shirley Copeland and Brunette McCray were searching for an organization that could help them under- stand what Mandatory Mini- mum Sentencing meant.
Because both women have sons who have been sentenced under those guidelines, they eventually joined a national organization known as Fami- lies Against Mandatory Mini- mum Sentencing (FAMM). They opened a local branch, and from that organization, formed their own, Families Against Unjust Laws.
“We started our organiza- tion because it’s ridiculous how you can get life in prison for drug charges, but not even 20 years for killing someone,” said Mrs. Copeland.
“We feel the laws are un- just and unfairly target African Americans, especially young males. Mandatory Minimum Sentencing guidelines were put in place to intentionally target young Black males, and if you look at the current prison population, it was suc- cessful.”
Mrs. Copeland and Ms. McCray have been fortunate in meeting a lot of people who champion their cause to stop Mandatory Minimum Sen- tencing, and now they’ve joined two other women who have founded their own organ- ization.
Bessie Salters and Cyn- thia Williams have created “Cons Helping Cons” to help both men and women being released from prison.
“We want to help stop the trend of African Americans going through the criminal justice system.”
Ms. Salters was sent to
From left to right: Shirley Copeland, Bessie Salters, Brunette McCray, and Cynthia Williams.
prisonattheageof46ona charge of being an accessory to murder. She was sentenced to 25 years to life and actually spent 29 years behind bars. She became the first woman to be paroled in Florida on a murder charge.
Ms. Williams first went to prison in 1977 when she was sentenced to life for second- degree murder. She was granted parole, but has been back to prison on at least three other occasions before finally getting life parole.
“I think both us were poorly represented in court and locked up without a fair process,” said Ms. Williams.
“It was like the courts had made up their minds before our trials came up that we were guilty. It’s a shame how three people in Tallahassee de- cide your life. We both learned that you have to enter the process with proper represen- tation, or you don’t stand a chance.”
Ms. Salters and Ms. Williams visit different facil- ities all over the area, includ- ing juvenile facilities. They also invited other organiza- tions to join them as a united group challenging the criminal justice system.
All four ladies are trying to
educate the public about the criminal justice system and how it traps people for the rest of their lives.
“You never really pay your debt to society, because your past deeds are always brought back to be used against you,” said Ms. Salters.
“Although you’ve served your time, society punishes you by denying you employ- ment, the right to vote, or just getting back into society as a normal person.”
Mrs. Copeland and Ms. McCray want people to know about new correctional sen- tencing laws, and the lies peo- ple are told about ex-felons that prevent them from be- come self sufficient.
Both groups are planning a big event in 2016, and will be making a formal announce- ment next month.
If anyone is interested in contacting these women and joining their mission, you can reach them at:
Bessie 810-9744
Shirley (813) 562-2861.
Cynthia (813) 355-6248
Brunette (813) 399-7492
Williams- Salters-(813) McCray-
Copeland-
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015