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Volume 9 – Number 25 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017
DENÈE BENTON Living Her Dream on Broadway
MICHAEL THOMAS NFL player fulfills his dream, and gives back
$3.50 onyxmagazine.com
THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT MILLENNIALS LEADING THE WAY
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AFRICANAMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
contents 8 The Many Faces of Millennials 14 Duval County Once Again Posts Highest Overall Federal Graduation Rate In District’s History 18 Black Millennials at the Heart of the Black Lives Matter Movement 20 Florida Lottery Celebrates New Milestones 22 Miami Dolphins’ free safety Michael Thomas fulfills his dream of giving back while playing in the NFL 26 Goal Setting: The WHAT in Goal Setting 28 Let’s Continue to Make History 30 ONYX Spotlight: Dhyana Ziegler, DCJ, Ph.D 31 ONYX Spotlight: Phillip Laws 32 Governor Rick Scott Recognizes Edward Waters College President, Dr. Nathaniel Glover with “Great Floridian Award” 33 Meet Florida’s African-American Congressional Representatives 44 ONYX on the Move Denee Benton and Brittain Ashford, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
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48 The High Price Of Imprisonment 50 Police and the Community 54 Millennial Wine Snobs? COVER STORY
DENÈE BENTON CENTRAL FLORIDA’S OWN DENÈE BENTON IS LIVING HER DREAM ON BROADWAY Cover Photo by Jason Bell
Photo by Chad Batka
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46 New Year Financial Health Checklist
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MEET FLORIDA’S AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
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ALFRED “AL” LAWSON, JR.
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Congressman Alfred “Al” Lawson, Jr. is a committed public servant who brings a hard-working, problem-solving spirit to Congress and to the task of creating jobs, improving access to high-quality education from preschool through the post-secondary level, and protecting working families. Elected in November 2016, and sworn-in Jan. 3, 2017, Congressman Lawson represents Florida’s 5th Congressional District. Congressman Lawson has devoted more than half of his life to public service having served the people of Florida for twenty-eight years in the state legislature as a member of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. He has worked on many committees in both the House and the Senate authoring several laws including one of the most important environmental laws in the country, Preservation 2000, which created the largest state funded land acquisition program in the United States. He also authored and passed the Apalachicola Bay Protection Act and was the prime sponsor of the Everglades Protection Act. Congressman Lawson also received national recognition for his efforts to pass the Rosewood Legislation, which provided reparations to the survivors of Florida’s Rosewood massacre in the 1930s.
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Congressman Lawson was named the “Dean of the Florida Legislature,” in recognition of his many years of service, and was elected Democratic Leader by his peers in 2012. The Florida Legislature named a portion of U.S. Highway 90 from the City of Midway to the City of Quincy as the “Alfred Lawson Jr. Highway” in his honor. The Congressman earned his Bachelor’s degree from FAMU, his Master’s degree from FSU, and completed course work for his Ph.D. He has received numerous awards for his achievements; most notably, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, FAMU Meritorious Award, FSU Distinguished Alumni Award, and Legislator of the Year Award from the Nature Conservancy. Congressman Lawson is active in the community and is a member of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, served on the Board of Directors of the Tallahassee Urban League, and is the former President of the FAMU Booster Club. Congressman Lawson married his college sweetheart Delores Brooks, and they have two adult children, Alfred III and Shani. He is also the proud grandfather of Kobe, Samuel, and Cameron Lawson. For a complete biography on Congressman Lawson, visit onyx.com.
FREDERICA S. WILSON
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Works Well With Others
Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) ended 2016 on a high. During the final days of session, the Florida lawmaker passed two key pieces of bipartisan legislation that also were approved by the Senate and sent to the White House to be signed into law by President Obama. The first measure, co-sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), will help combat the world’s deadliest terrorist group, Boko Haram and address the ensuing humanitarian and education crises. The group, known for kidnapping 276 Nigerian schoolgirls in April 2014, has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions of others, sexually abused women and girls, and sent some of them on suicide bomb missions. “If the world does not act and come to Nigeria’s aid, the trickledown effect on the rest of the continent and other parts of the world could cause a level of damage that will take years to repair. More important, it is simply the right thing to do and will help save millions of lives,” she said. Florida’s Nigerian American community conferred upon the congresswoman the chieftaincy title of ‘Jagunmolu’ which means ‘The People’s Warrior’ during a celebration of Nigeria’s 56th Independence Day for her efforts. The second bill is the Apollo 11 Fiftieth Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. The coin honors the Apollo 11 crew and others who made the historic mission possible including the three remarkable black female mathematicians portrayed in the film Hidden Figures. Proceeds from the sale of the coin will help fund STEM scholarships that will enormously benefit deserving minority students. Wilson conducted extensive outreach initiatives in her district including a town hall meeting with medical professionals, community leaders, business owners, and elected officials to address the Zika threat. Additionally, she fought in Congress to secure $1.1 billion to combat the virus. “Zika’s epicenter was in Wynwood which became an open laboratory in the quest
to stop its spread. We know so much more than we did when the first Zika transmission cases were confirmed but there is much more to learn. Now we have the funding for research, testing and prevention efforts,” she said. Wilson made her second appearance in November, on the hit show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta with Phaedra Parks and Porsha Williams who joined Wilson at the Democratic National Convention for a candid discussion on the impact of gun violence on African-American communities and participated in the House’s infamous sit-in calling for sensible gun control measures. In October nearly 1,000 boys from Wilson’s prized program, 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, joined police officers from several municipalities at the organization’s annual Police and Youth Day. The program also unveiled a billboard near Miami Dade College’s North Campus depicting an officer and a little boy standing in solidarity against gun violence. Wilson has introduced federal legislation to create a Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys that would examine the disproportionate hardships they face and offer solutions to end disparities. Her most pressing concern remains the creation of jobs. For more than 2000 days the Republican led Congress has not passed legislation to increase infrastructure spending which creates jobs. Congresswoman Wilson has introduced two bills that if passed would create jobs in her district and across the nation. She hopes this issue is one that both Democrats and Republicans can work together on because it is a top priority for the constituents they serve. Wilson accepted an honorary doctoral degree from Bethune-Cookman University for her contributions to society and commitment to service at their December commencement. ONYX MAGAZINE 37