Page 22 - Florida Sentinel 12-29-17

National
Visitors Came From All Over To See Mall’s Black Santa
MEMPHIS, TN —- Close to 63% of Memphis residents are African-American, according to the U.S. Census. Yet the Santa Claus population re- mains — to apply census terms to the embodiment of Christ- mas magic — majority white.
Maybe that’s why travelers from across the South make a Memphis pit stop specifically to see the city’s most cele- brated black mall Santa.
"Not to be funny, but they want to see a black Santa," said Raymond Conley, 65. He has been the resident Kris Kringle for the past eight years at Southland Mall, the retail anchor for the South Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven.
”They come from Texas, St. Louis, Atlanta," he said. "They want their kids to see a black Santa.”
Michael Rixter, general manager of Southland Mall, concurs.
"We have at least 10 calls a
Raymond Conley, 65, holds Zendiya Smith, 3, as he high fives her brother Zaire Smith, 1, during their visit to Southland Mall on Wednesday.Photo: Yalonda M. James, The (Memphis) Com- mercial Appeal)
day from people asking if we have Santa here," Rixter said. "The second question they ask is, 'Is he black?' “
In 2016, the sprawling Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., hired its first black Santa, for a residency of only four days that this year ex- panded to nine days. The result was a Santa who was "booked
solid," according to Minneapo- lis' Star Tribune.
The move attracted plenty of social media hate as well as support but not as much as at- tached to Megyn Kelly when the Fox News personality waded into the Santa debate on air in 2013: "By the way, for all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white.”
Report: Keep Cellphones Away From Your Body As Much As Possible
Ok, Christmas is over, and all the gifts have been opened. According to reports cell- phones was one of the top items on the list of the young and old.
Here’s some news that will not make many of you happy to hear. We’re talking about the thing that’s got everybody ad- dicted and can’t seem to put down.
Folks, your cell phone is leak- ing electromagnetic radiation and now California, the home of silicon valley, has some guid- ance to safeguard the public.
The CDPH asks people to decrease their use of these de- vices and suggests keeping your distance when possible.
The CDHP released tips on how to reduce their exposure to the radio frequency energy emitted from cell phones.
Cell phones release radio fre- quency energy when sending and receiving signals to and from cell phone towers.
The CDHP clarified that ex- perts had not yet reached a ver- dict on the risks of mobile phone, but that enough re- search suggests using cell phones too much may impact a person’s health.
“Although the science is still evolving, there are concerns among some public health pro- fessionals and members of the public regarding long-term, high use exposure to the energy emitted by cell phones and the towers in your neighborhoods," CDPH Director Dr. Karen Smith said in a statement.
"We know that simple steps, such as not keeping your phone in your pocket and moving it away from your bed at night, can help reduce exposure for both children and adults."
Cell phone use has also in- creased among children. The CDHP said the average age a child first gets his or her cell phone has dropped down to as young as age 10.
"Children's brains develop through the teenage years and may be more affected by cell phone use," said Smith. "Par- ents should consider reducing the time their children use cell
phones and encourage them to turn the devices off at night."
The CDPH also pointed out that many young cell phone owners tend to keep their de- vices near them at all times, even while they sleep.
Officials released the follow- ing tips on how to reduce expo- sure to radiation from mobile phones:
• Keeping the phone away from the body
• Reducing cell phone use when the signal is weak
• Reducing the use of cell phones to stream audio or video, or to download or up- load large files
• Keeping the phone away from the bed at night
• Removing headsets when not on a call
• Avoiding products that claim to block radio fre- quency energy. These products may actually increase your ex- posure.
After the release of the guidelines, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, which usually tries to downplay concerns regard- ing cell phone radiation, said in a statement to the Mercury News that
“Americans’ health is impor- tant to CTIA and the wireless industry, and we encourage consumers to consult the ex- perts.’’ However, the group also said “the scientific evidence shows no known health risk due to the RF energy emitted by cellphones.’’
It is better to be safe, than sorry. Your health is more im- portant than taking calls, play- ing games or viewing social media sites.
#BlackGirlPower: Teen Finishes College Paper While In Labor
KANSAS CITY, MO — After Nayzia Thomas learned she was pregnant this summer, people asked the college soph- omore if she’d take it easy during fall semester. She said no; she would attend school and work full-time, just like any other semester.
This work ethic carried over to giving birth. While in labor, Thomas finished a final paper. As she worked, her mom snapped a picture, which has gone viral.
“I was at 2 centimeters when I was finishing the paper,” said Thomas, 19, of Kansas City, Missouri, who is studying psychology and neu- roscience at Johnson County Community College. “The contractions were painful, but I have a high pain tolerance. I thought ‘Before this gets un- bearable, let’s get this done.’”
Nayzia Thomas, 19, gave birth to her son, Anthony, at 1:30 p.m. on the same day.
“It was hard to focus, but I had such a motivation to fin- ish before I brought my son into the world, so that he could be my only focus,” Thomas said.
No incompletes here.
The baby decided to be born earlier than expected and Thomas refused to take an incomplete in the course.
She spoke of a post-delivery emergency she experienced on December 14 and told her
Nayzia Thomas finished her exam the same day her baby boy was born.
social media followers that she got a 3.5 GPA for the se- mester.
“We had a healthy baby boy. However, I experienced major blood loss & my body went into shock post-delivery. It was very scary, but his fa- ther was right there to take over when I went uncon- scious. We are blessed! AND I’m finishing the semester w/ a 3.5 GPA!” She posted to Twitter.
After Thomas delivered the placenta, she continued bleeding. Eventually, doctors stopped the bleeding and gave her fluids. She felt extremely exhausted after she finally woke up, but dismissed the feeling as a side effect of hav- ing a late epidural. But even after the new mom was dis-
charged from the hospital, she struggled to breathe and expe- rienced pain in her chest.
Her mom, Aisha Kelley, insisted the nurses measure her daughter's vital signs both while she was standing and sitting. While her vital signs looked normal when she was seated, they increased when she stood. Doctors re-admit- ted her to the hospital and gave her a blood transfusion, noting that her hemoglobin and oxygen levels were ex- tremely low. The transfusion seemed to work.
“My school reached out to congratulate me and make sure I was given resources and information about how I can receive extra help next semes- ter being a new mother,” Thomas said.
PAGE 10-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017