Author: Carma Henry

Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

    The Summer Olympics & Paralympics is an international sports event showcasing the world’s finest athletes and their contending spirits. Among these athletes, African Americans and those from the African Diaspora have especially performed enormously, outperforming others, and influencing generations. This article pays tribute to these athletes in Track, Tennis, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Gymnastics, Swimming, and more for their tremendous achievements and present glorious athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

     On August 1, 1920, Henrietta Lacks was born as Loretta Pleasant in Roanoke, Virginia. This year will mark 104 years since she was born and her family’s over 70 year pursuit of justice for the taking of her cells without consent, (now widely known as ‘HeLa’ cells- scientists’ intentional efforts to hide her human existence by only referencing the first two letters of her first name -Henrietta (“He”) and the last two letters of her last name- Lacks (“La”).

       The car ride to and from school is a boon for parents. Our kids are forced to listen to us, since we control the radio, the windows, and the hotspot. I use these precious minutes to learn about my kids’ school days; talk about mean girl antics, homework, and, of course, what’s for dinner. They are relatively forthright about what’s going on — though it may take hours before I get the whole story from my 10-year-old daughter, especially if she was in the wrong. My teenage son, who used to tell me everything, typically responds with one-word answers and then disappears into his phone. Not to be ignored, I pepper him with: How did you do on your exam? Were you prepared? Why do you have missing assignments? Did you email your teacher? And, before I know it, he shuts down and I am on fire, threatening to send him to public school if he doesn’t perform better.

   On Saturday, July 27, 2024, the FAMU Alumni Broward County Chapter held a celebratory event to bid farewell and extend well wishes to incoming students preparing to attend Florida A&M University (FAMU), one of the top HBCUs in the nation. The gathering took place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center’s Black Box Theater, located at 1409 NW 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL.