New York Times Owned 'Black' Weekly f Newspaper Launched in Florida This Week 4'! Paylck to Paycheck?7j fiW: 14-4i0 to ce ftld SUMER. R MUST HI VE lii| by Starla Vaughns Cherin Hoping to cash in on the billions in African American spending power, the Gainesville Sun, a sub- sidiary of the New York Times launches the Gainesville Guardian S this week. However, local owners of African American periodicals in Gainesville are worried the paper will siphon off the already weak advertising dollars they have worked for years to gain. Aimed at the predominantly African-American community on the east side of Gainesville, the weekly publication estimates a cir- culation of approximately 10,000. Housed and financed by the New York Times Regional Group, the S Guardian has its own team of reporters. "It's an independent broadsheet newspaper," said Editor Charlotte Roy. Over the past year, the Gainesville Sun held focus groups with Black business and community leaders to gauge their support of the paper. Roy has also been speaking to local church and community groups. Many, including local politicians, are rallying behind the new paper. "There is no Gainesville based African- American or community newspaper serving the East side. It's a large area," she said. In the wake of many African- American ownedmedia outfits, such as Black Entertainment Television and Essence magazine, that have been gobbled up by White owned conglomerates, African- American media owners wonder if this is a wave of the future. "It's not so much a mockery, as it is an economic problem. Money and advertising dollars are going into a White-owned, Black repre- sented newspaper. The dollars aren't circulating in our community. Many White advertisers don't advertise in Black-owned papers because they figure we will buy their products anyway," said the owner of Mahogany Revue, Candace Lewis-Khufia. For 17 years, Lewis-Khufia has published the bi-weekly Mahogany Revue magazine, serving the Gainesville and Ocala areas with local, state, national news and fea- tures. She was based in Gainesville for 12 years but relocated to Ocala in 1999. She and Charles Gotson, the long-time publisher of the Black College Monthly and the African- American Voters Guide, are disap- pointed that local businesses are supporting the new paper. "If you're getting together, it should be to enhance your Black community. We are competing for the same dollars they will go after. It's like a White contracting compa- ny fronting the 51 percent minority ownership of a business to get minority contracts. The Gainesville Sun has a paper for every White area. If they were truly interested in reporting news that pertains to us, why don't they incorporate Black news into their regular publications?" said Gotson. Although Gotson has published the Black College Monthly for 22 years and the African-American Voters Guide for 14 years, he and Lewis-Khufia have been hard pressed to garner real support from Black advertisers. "We get less than 1 percent of the advertising. The White-owned Gainesville Today gets about 50 percent of their advertising. Even lawyers don't advertise. It's a cli- mate we've created. We have a low opinion of ourselves. Now they'll advertise. It's easier for them to write a check when a White man asks them," he said. "How can we fight it or call it dis- crimination if everyone is behind it? A minister with the Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 300 members strong, was quoted as say- ing the Guardian will give more coverage to news that will empow- er people with job opportunities, educational resources and provide positive coverage from an African- American perspective. We don't support our own. The same people who are so elated by this are the same people we have offered to write for us or send in news. They are also the same ones who don't have a subscription to the Mahogany Revue. Why aren't they saying we don't want this?" said Lewis-Khufia. According to Gotson, a native of Gainesville, there hasn't been any segregation in the news since the 1960s. Gainesville's mainstream media is sorely lacking in diversity. Of the 91 employees at TV 20 in Gainesville, only four are Black. "They recently fired a Black anchor and the only full-time person at TV 20 quit a month ago," he said. In addition to lack of Black busi- ness advertising support, White- owned businesses that advertised in the current Black-owned publica- tions will certainly find it easier to advertise in the Guardian. Supporters of the Gainesville Guardian were writing checks for a year's subscription. Some who had previously pledged advertising dol- lars to the Black College Monthly are saying they are being forced to advertise in the new paper. "They don't realize the magnitude of the door they have just opened. What is the difference between a Black-owned magazine presenting news in the Black fashion and a White-owned magazine presenting Black news? They are fostering prejudice. Because the White media has come up with this idea, now it's something beautiful,' said Lewis- Khufia. Added Gotson, "They are taking money out of our pockets. They don't have any respect for what oth- ers have done. It's the ultimate dis- respect. We're still suffering from the slave mentality that the White man's ice is colder." From Unity to Loyalty Leading by Example Members of From Unity to Loyalty Inc., a local grassroots organiza- tion of consciousness, recently volunteered their time and talents for the Jacksonville Housing Association's Annual Youth Talent Show. Shown above (l-r) are Darrell Brock, Al Lewis and Robert Flowers who spent their Saturday afternoon preparing local youth for their stage debut . The organization frequently volunteers in various arenas throughout the city in events of concern to the African-American community.For more information about the organization or to volunteer, call 768-2778. HBCU Workers Busted Changing Grades in Exchange for Money, Sex A lot of dollars and a little bit of sex led to the changing of some grades at a historically black uni- versity in Florida, authorities said. Students allegedly put out between $75 to $600 to have their grades fixed by two employees at Florida Memorial University in Miami. Ellis Peet and Clifton Franklin, both had access to computer data- banks and have been charged with accepting cash -- and one with accepting sex -- in exchange for changing the grades of dozens of students, authorities said. The two men allegedly used generic passwords or those belong- ing to other registrar employees to make the switches. Together they changed more than 650 grades for 122 students over three years, end- ing in 2002. In an article published in The Miami Herald, school officials said that the two men acted independ- ently. Peet, 37, was fired, and Franklin, 32, resigned during the investigation. National MLK Memorial Fundraising Picks 4 :. -v. -.y '* "- Stanton Kicks Off Football Season .i. The Stanton Blue Devils, a school rich in tradition and known for its acclaimed academic program, held their Kickoff Classic last week against Gateway Conference rival Paxon High School. The team, which was 0 13 last year won the game 16-13. The two rivals will meet again Oct 28th at Paxon. Shown above is a scene from the well anticipated game and honor roll cheerleader Cherie Graham striking a pose. Stanton's season officially begins Friday, September 26th with Terry Parker at Stanton at 7 p.m. FMPowell Photo =A 44q 1 MI LI V H General Motors global Group vice rresiaent Glary towger, left to right, Co-Founder of Black Entertainment Television Sheila Johnson, and Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation President Harry Johnson Sr., attend the launching of the Kids for King program. Youth from first through 12th grades will be asked to help build a memorial to Dr. King on the National Mall. Backers of a permanent National Mall memorial to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. said they are more than a third of the way toward their $100 million goal. "He is the foundation and the moral compass for our youth," Sheila Johnson, owner of the Up Steam WNBA's Washington Mystics, said in announcing plans to give $1 mil- lion on behalf of her children. Johnson was among several Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation leaders gathered at the Tidal Basin to launch the Kids for King campaign, an essay contest. Twelve winners will attend the September 2006 groundbreaking ceremony on a four-acre site not far from the Lincoln Memorial, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963. "This monument is going to be built as a symbol," said Bill Russell, a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, who sat in the third row during that speech. With $39.5 million committed, officials hope to raise another $27 million by the groundbreaking. They hope to have $100 million when the memorial opens in 2008. Since Congress authorized the project in 1996, most fundraising has focused on corporations. Emphasis is now being placed on individual donations. [4 it's Atlantic City's Trump Plaza Casino On the Boardwalk $209 PP/ Room, Air, Transfers, Luggage Handling, Meal Voucher Monthly Weekend Trips Fri-Sun on a chartered 747 from JIA September 16 18, 2005 Find your lucky jackpot in the full service casino at the Nassau Wyndham Crystal Palace Resort -- Nassau, Bahamas December 2 4 $359 pp includes air, transfers and hotel from Jax Call Casino Steve at 1-800-553-7773 At Atlantic Coast Federal, we're Opening Doors Whether you're a first-time homebuyer, or refinancing your current home, Atlantic Coast Federal has a mortgage to fit your budget. And because we're local, we're here to answer all your questions, FAST! Stop by your nearest Service Center or give us a call to start your new mortgage today. 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