Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 8-14-18

Local
Local Attorney Among National Bar Association Hall Of Fame Inductees
Attorney Carolyn House Stewart was among 13 attorneys and judges in- ducted into the Prestigious National Bar Association (NBA) Hall of Fame at the 93rd NBA Annual Meet- ing held in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Fred D. Gray, Jr. Hall of Fame Luncheon is named in honor of the legal giant and Past President of the Na- tional Bar Association, known best for his courage as a civil right advocate.
The 2018 Hall of Fame Honorees were admitted to practice law for 40 years and have demonstrated the orga- nization’s highest principles and values and advanced the cause of justice.
Atty. Stewart was intro- duced by Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy A. Quince.
Attorney Stewart’s
legal career includes public service to state agencies and local governments and pri- vate practice, often as the first African American female is the positions she held.
She was the first African American female partner in one of Florida’s oldest law firms for over 20 years. She
ATTY. CAROLYN HOUSE STEWART ...Inducted into National Bar Association Hall Of Fame
has been listed as an AV rated lawyer by Martindale Hub- ble.
Atty. Stewart has re- ceived numerous honors and awards from bar associations and civic and community or- ganizations including: Fran- cisco Rodriguez Award from the George Edgecomb Bar Association; Trail Blazer Award from the U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Sadie T. Alexander Award from National Black Law Student Association; Florida Commission on the Status of Women – Out-
standing Achievement Award; UNCF- Legacy Award for Support of Education; Congressional Record Cita- tion for leadership and com- munity service; Member of the Year Award for Florida Chapter NBA and the NBA’s Presidential Award and Gertrude Rush Award. She is a former member of the Florida Board of Bar Examin- ers.
Atty. Stewart has made numerous CLE presentations and served as a panelist on a variety of trial practice re- lated topic and employment law matters.
Her community service includes life membership in numerous organizations in- cluding NAACP, Urban League and NCNW. She is chairman of the executive committee for University of South Florida Women in Leadership and Philan- thropy, where a scholarship is named in her honor.
Under her leadership as 28th International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Soror- ity, Inc., the organization ad- dressed an agenda related to human rights and social jus- tice and registered 85,000 new voters.
Candidates Address Community At
NAACP Forum
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Affordable housing, trans- portation solutions, and a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium were among the topics up for discus- sion Thursday by candidates in local and statewide races at the Hillsborough County Branch NAACP Community Political Forum. Several other commu- nity organizations were co- sponsors of the forum.
Before an audience of hun- dreds at Middleton High School, candidates for the Hillsborough County Commis- sion, the Hillsborough County School Board, County Court and Circuit Judge, and state legislative offices gave their perspectives on issues affecting both Tampa and the Tampa Bay region.
Not all candidates re- sponded to the civil rights orga- nization’s request to participate, said chapter presi- dent Yvette Lewis.
Hearing from every candi- date, however, isn’t the goal of the forum, she said.
“Our goal is to educate everyone on the candidates so people are informed when they go to the polls,” she said.
The forum kicked off with candidates running in the County Commission race for District 7, a countywide seat.
A majority of candidates said that bearing the costs of a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium should not fall to Hillsborough residents.
“I like sports...but I don’t think we should spend one dime of public money on a sta- dium,” said Mark Nash, a candidate for the County Com- mission’s District 7 race.
Sky White, a Brandon nurse, agreed, saying the sta- dium threatens to push long- time Ybor residents from their neighborhood.
“My concern is that we’re not investing that money back into the community and build- ing affordable housing for the community,” she said. “If any- thing, we should be investing into the community to ensure the people are prospering. We’re not doing that.”
Candidates mostly agreed on another hot-button issue – transportation expansion and funding – and expressed sup- port for the one-cent sales tax that could generate $280 mil- lion annually to prop up the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit budget and cover road improvements.
But the initiative to get the tax on the November ballot was led by citizens – an “indictment of the career politicians on the
YVETTE LEWIS ...Hillsborough County NAACP Branch President
commission,” said Mariella Smith, candidate for the County Commission’s District 5.
“If this passes, you’re going to want commissioners who will spend that money wisely and fairly,” she said.
Any plans for transit im- provement must include Port Tampa and South Tampa, not just the latter, said Elvis Pig- gott, another District 5 candi- date.
When it comes to afford- able housing, it also should be “quality housing” that is acces- sible to inner city residents, Piggott said.
“We don’t need affordable housing on the outskirts of the county,” he said. “We need it in the city.”
In the District 61 race, fron- trunners Karen Skyers and Dianne Hart tangled over which has the greater experi- ence, with Skyers touting her policy work and connections in Tallahassee, while Hart ham- mered on her activism in the community.
Hart, the CEO of the East Tampa Business and Civic As- sociation, said her 40 years of working on the behalf of resi- dents in the district has pre- pared her to be a member of the Legislature.
“I will continue to work as hard in Tallahassee as I have at home,” she said. “I will ensure people have rights to good jobs. I will make sure I vote on the right side based on what this community wants me to do.”
Skyers, who is a former aide to former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, upped the ante, saying she has drafted a bill to repeal the state’s contro- versial “stand your ground” law.
It’s imperative that voters send a representative to the capital who can hit the ground running, she said.
“We don’t have time to de- pend on people to learn bill drafting,” she said. “Send me to Tallahassee not only to fight, but to make sure your voices are heard.”
TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7