Girl gets body slammed, now cops want to arrest her

  

Believe it or not, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is considering filing criminal charges against the teen-age black girl shown in a viral video being body slammed by a deputy last Tuesday (Jan. 26).

During a news conference on Saturday (Jan. 30) civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson revealed that sheriff’s office detectives called Taylor Bracey’s home and asked her parents to let them interview her as they considered filing assault and resisting arrest charges against the girl. This tactic is intended to take legal heat off the deputy who hurt Taylor.

Ms. Jackson said they advised their client to exercise her 5^th Amendment right not to answer questions because the responses could be used against her in a criminal court.

Crump, who is known for representing black people and families who have been victimized by racism and police violence, said the deputy should be facing criminal charges for brutally assaulting 16-year-old Taylor.

Taylor was knocked unconscious during the deputy’s attacked and awoke in the principal’s office at Liberty High School. She is still suffering headaches, blurred vision, trouble sleeping and depression.

Earlier this week Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said Deputy Ethan Fournier body slammed Taylor because she “went after” another student. After knocking Taylor unconscious, the video shows the deputy straddle the girl and handcuffed her as though he was roping a steer at the rodeo.

During Saturday’s news conference, Taylor’s mother explained what led up to the shocking incident.

It turns out that Taylor was a victim in more ways than one.

The mom told reporters that earlier the day of the incident Taylor called her to say other girls at the school threatened to beat her up after school. The mother told her daughter to inform the dean, which she did. Later the dean told the mom she could pick up Taylor in an office at the school.

A short time later the school called back requesting permission for an emergency medical technician to examine Taylor. The mother said the school and officials kept her in the dark and downplayed any injuries Taylor suffered.

See Taylor’s mother explain what happened by clicking here.

Taylor’s family needs help with medical expenses, counseling for the traumatized girl, and possibly for a legal defense if the sheriff’s office describes to charge her. With the approval of the family and lawyers a Go Fund Me account has been established. You can contribute by clicking here.

 

 

Help wanted: 'citizen scientists' in Orlando

 Do you know anyone who ever wanted to be a scientist?

Now they have a chance to make that dream reality right here in Orlando.

The Coalition of 100 Black Women – Central Florida is looking for “citizen scientist” candidates to work under the $120,000 federal grant the organization received recently from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to study air pollution in the Parramore, Holden Heights and Mercy Drive communities. (For more information on this grant, and the project, click here.)

That’s right…WORK!

The people selected as citizen scientists will be paid a stipend.

To be a citizen scientist you don’t need a fancy degree.

“We’re looking for people who are reliable, motivated and intellectually curious,” said Project Manager Lawanna Gelzer.

This could be a great opportunity for a student, a retired person, an activist, or anyone who wants to work on a project that can help protect the health of thousands of people who live in and near downtown Orlando.

The team on this project -- conducted under the grant received by 100 Women -- will work in collaboration with researchers at the University of Central Florida, the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, and Arizona State University.

The citizen scientists in this project will play an essential role gathering data about air pollutants and traffic counts in the study areas. They will learn how to calibrate their measuring instruments and keep accurate scientific records. Those skills would be especially valuable to students planning to major in science, or work in the environmental science field.

Dr. Wanda Jones will train and supervise the Citizen Science Team.

To apply for one of these paid positions, or for more information, please send an email to LawannaGelzer@aol.com

 

 

 

Orlando's neglect of environmental racism resulted in $120,000 federal grant

  

Orlando responded to requests to study pollution and the health of residents in Parramore and other historically black neighborhoods by dragging its feet for years.

That’s why the Coalition of Black Women – Central Florida applied for and received a $120,000 federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to study these long-standing problems.

“People’s health and lives were at risk,” said Project Manager Lawanna Gelzer. “We were tired waiting on the city. We had to act.”

The grant work begins this Thursday (Dec. 3) 6:30 p.m. when the Coalition of 100 Black Women holds an online community forum to begin the fact-finding process.

Residents are encouraged to attend this forum by clicking:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqceippjIiGtHDymQPlxPKN5asozf1qXCV

(After you click, check your email for access to the meeting.)

The dangerous pollution in Orlando’s historically black Parramore community was spotlighted almost 2 years ago in a national article published by the Huffington Post, a respected news source.

That article (which you can read by clicking here) focused on Latoya Lee, a longtime Parramore resident, whose respiratory problems worsened after she and her family moved across from one of the 2 Superfund sites in the neighborhood. Superfund sites contain the most toxic and dangerous waste dumps in the nation. They typically cost tens of millions of dollars to clean.

Mrs. Lee died before the article published.

Under this grant, the Coalition of 100 Black Women will study the health of residents in Parramore, Holden Heights and Mercy Drive. Those communities are bracketed by heavily traveled Interstate 4, SR 408, Colonial Drive, and John Young Parkway. There are pollution-producing industrial businesses spread through those neighborhoods.

Across the nation many black and low-income communities are "cancer clusters" where many residents developed cancer because governments allowed pollution-producing businesses and landfills to operate nearby. (Read more about cancer clusters by clicking here.)

“When we say Black Lives Matter, we’re not just talking about police,” Ms. Gelzer said. “This is environmental justice, that’s Black Lives Matter, too. Black Lives Matter is all about social justice and ending all forms of systemic
racism.”

 

 

Federal grant focuses on Parramore health

The Coalition of 100 Black Women – Central Florida just received a grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to address pollution problems in Orlando’s Parramore community.

The grant, which will be managed by Lawanna Gelzer, is designed to reduce the impact of air pollution on the people who live in the historically black community, whose health and well-being have been largely overlooked by local government and leaders..

The grant will provide the resources to study the prevalence of asthma and other respiratory diseases on the residents of the community that is bracted by Interstate 4 and State Road 408 and filled with industrial businesses that use toxic chemicals.

The project will also share its findings with residents to ensure they are getting the proper health care.

This project will be kicked off with an online meeting that will be open to the community on Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m.

People can join that meet on the computer or by phone.

To connect by computer; go to Zoom.com

The Meeting ID: 85761189805

Pass code: 577663

Or you can call in by phone at 1-929-205-6099

Setting the record straight on black man found hanging in the park

  

News that a black man was found hanging from a tree in Orlando is alarming to most black people in America given this nation’s ugly history of racist lynchings, which is why we reported this story.

A report like that can grow and become more frightening as time passes, which is what happened in the case of Nevan Baker, 22.

On Oct. 5^th 32805OrlNews and Orlando Urban News published a video interview with one of Mr. Baker’s relatives who spoke to us with the blessing of Mr. Baker’s mother.

The relative insisted there was no way Mr. Baker would kill himself. That relative also told us that when Mr. Baker’s body was found there were signs that he had been beaten, there were injuries to his face and a tooth was missing.

The grief-stricken family disputed the police conclusion that Mr. Baker killed himself. Black people have good reasons not to trust the police because of false and misleading information law enforcement have presented in other instances. We also questioned the investigative procedures police used to arrive at the conclusion that Mr. Baker killed himself.

The family believed that Mr. Baker was the victim of foul play. No one can fault the family’s opinion as Mr. Baker was their loved one. They knew him in life. We did not.

In addition, there were reports on social media that not only was Mr. Baker beaten, but he was found with his hands tied. We never reported that his hands were tied, but many others did.

Since then we have learned compelling information about this case. We have an obligation to share that information with our audience. Here it is:

·        Mr. Baker’s hands were not tied. We’ve seen photos taken at the scene of his death. Mr. Baker’s hands were not tied. He was not wearing a shirt when he was found.

·        There are no signs of injury on Mr. Baker’s face or body, contrary to what the relative told us in the video interview that we published. If he had been beaten those injuries would be apparent after his death. We don’t know if there was a missing tooth, but a loose tooth could have popped out at the time of his death.

·        We questioned the origin of the rope Mr. Baker was hanging from. Photos of Mr. Baker’s body shows that “rope” appears to be nylon line that is common in boating. The tree Mr. Baker was hanging from is a few feet from a boat launching area at Barker Park.

·        There was no hangman’s noose. It appears the nylon line was tied in a simple slipknot.

·        Body cam video shows that the police officers who found Mr. Baker hanging from the tree acted quickly and professionally to cut him down and try to revive him.  Those officers should be commended. That reality is contrary to some of the social media chatter.

·        There’s no evidence that any hate group had a hand in Mr. Baker’s death, despite some of the social media speculation, according to a trusted source that monitors hate group social media.

·        Information has been uncovered that Mr. Baker may have tried to harm himself in the past.

So what happened to Mr. Baker?

We don’t know.

Whatever happened is a tragedy. A loved son and brother is gone too soon. Mr. Baker never reached his potential. We should all mourn that loss.

In journalism we always strive to get right. But sometimes we miss, or could have done better. When that happens, we have an obligation to set the record straight.

If you, or someone you know, feels suicidal don’t hesitate, or be ashamed to reach out for help. Call the 24-hour hotline at 800-273-8255.

 

 

 

 

 

Orlando's Lockheed Martin plant may be poisoning Tangelo Park

 

Environmental racism is endangering the health and safety of people who live and work in Orlando’s predominantly black Tangelo Park community.

Lawyers representing people who live and work in Tangelo Park accused the Lockheed Martin company of poisoning the soil and groundwater in Tangelo Park. Lockheed Martin’s main Orlando plant on Sand Lake Road is adjacent to Tangelo Park.

Lockheed Martin, formerly known as Martin Marietta, has been manufacturing aircraft, aerospace and defense products at that sprawling Sand Lake Road plant for decades. Lockheed Martin is one of Orlando’s major employers.

Powerhouse Orlando law firm Morgan & Morgan accused Lockheed of mishandling dangerous toxic chemicals used it its products and those substances have caused a range of severe sicknesses in people living and working in the area.

It’s noteworthy that some people working at NBC’s Golf Channel broadcast network, based in Tangelo Park, have also complained about illnesses that are believed linked to chemicals used by Lockheed.

Throughout the nation millions of black people live in communities that have been polluted with toxic waste and that has resulted in a variety of deaths, cancers and other sicknesses.  Frequently this happens because many black communities lack the political juice to keep companies with dangerous products out of their neighborhood. This is problem, known as environmental racism, has been widely reported in the news media and is the subject of a report you can read by clicking here.

There are two federally designated Super Fund sites downtown in Orlando historically black Parramore community. Super Fund sites are the location of the most toxic and dangerous locations in the country. It usually requires tens of millions of dollars to remove pollutants from those sites.

 

 

Black TV network opening in Orlando

 A global African television studio is weeks away from opening in Orlando.

Afrotainment is putting the finishing touches on its multi-million-dollar studios and production facility in the heart of Orlando’s tourist district next to the Titanic attraction in the 7300 block of International Drive, near Carrier Drive.

Led by Yves Bollanga, a former IBM software engineer and Cameroon native, the network produces and broadcasts films, talk shows and comedies. Mr. Bollanga anticipates the studio will be open for business by the end of this month.

The production complex includes huge studios with stadium seating to accommodate live audiences. It contains the latest technology, including robotic cameras, editing bays for production teams, control rooms and meeting space. The studio is staffed with experienced professional teams.

The Afrotainment TV content can be found on Dish Network, DirectTV, Verizon FiOS, Haiti HD, Xfinity, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. However, it is difficult to receive this content most cable systems in Orlando, but Mr. Bollanga and his team are in negotiations to make it easier for Orlando residents to enjoy the programming.