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Volu m e 1 5
| Number 1 | Ja nua r y 6 -20, 2021
ten ways to help in the new year
IN THE ISSUE
Contributor Board
Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Erik Flynn
LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...
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Enero
L a N ticia
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“I’m no one to judge. I mean, looking at me, you would have never thought I was a titty dancer.”
Nashville, Tennessee
DACA: ‘Dreamers’ inocentes sufren incertidumbre permanente
Existe aún incertidumbre sobre lo que depara el futuro a DACA, después de que un juez federal ordenara al gobierno de Trump restablecer las protecciones para los Cunza jóvenes inmi- PorLaYuri Noticia grantes que fueron Editor inChief llevados a Estados @LaNoticiaNews Unidos cuando eran niños “dreamers” que fueron suspendidas al poco tiempo de haber tomado la presidencia en 2017.
Photo: Yuri Cunza
Esto es debido al constante ir y venir que ha sido parte de la corta historia de este Proceso de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia más conocido como DACA por sus siglas en inglés. Todo empezó cuando el entonces presidente Barack Obama anunció el programa DACA en el 2012, protegiendo a cientos de miles de inmigrantes jóvenes indocumentados de ser deportados y permitiendoles trabajar.
Se extenderán los documentos de autorización de empleo bajo DACA de un año a dos años.
DACA: Innocent 'Dreamers' Suffer Permanent Uncertainty
un determinado período de tiempo. La acción diferida no proporciona estatus legal.
Esta orden indica que:
La Noticia + The Contributor
¿Pero qué es DACA exactamente? El 15 de junio de 2012, la Secretaria de Seguridad Nacional anunció que ciertas personas que llegaron a Estados Unidos cuando eran niños y que cumplen con una serie de criterios podrán pedir la consideración de acción diferida durante un período de dos años, sujeto a renovación. Estas personas también tienen derecho a la autorización de empleo. La acción diferida es un uso de la discreción procesal para diferir la acción de deportación contra un individuo por
Ahora, con el fallo de principios de diciembre del 2020 del juez federal a favor de los beneficiarios de DACA, que no solo ordenó que se restablezca por completo el programa, sino que se abriera a nuevos solicitantes, ha significado una victoria celebrada y un respiro ante la constante incertidumbre de muchos jóvenes esperanzados en el sueño Americano.
En cumplimiento con la orden del Tribunal de Distrito de Estados Unidos, efectiva el 7 de diciembre de 2020, el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, siglas en inglés) recibirá nuevas solicitudes para el programa de Proceso de Acción Diferida (DACA) y solicitudes para renovaciones de los beneficiarios actuales del programa.
Se aceptarán peticiones iniciales para la consideración de la acción diferida bajo la Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA) basadas en los términos de la política de DACA vigente antes del 5 de septiembre de 2017, y de acuerdo con la orden del Tribunal emitida el 4 de diciembre de 2020; Acepta las peticiones de renovación de DACA basadas en los términos de la política de DACA vigente antes del 5 de septiembre de 2017, y de acuerdo con la orden del Tribunal emitida el 4 de diciembre de 2020; Se aceptan solicitudes de documentos de permiso adelantado basadas en los términos de la política de DACA vigente antes del 5 de diciembre de 2017, y de acuerdo con
La Noticia, one of the Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que Spanish-language hacer en caso de una redada? leading newspapers in the nation, 20 brings Spanish content to 21 The Contributor. 1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)
por
la orden del Tribunal emitida el 4 de diciembre de 2020; y
Se extienden las otorgaciones de la acción diferida bajo DACA de un año a dos años; y
Cabe destacar que la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos dictaminó en junio que esa acción fue indebida, pero el gobierno estableció nuevas barreras.
Vendor Spotlight
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Año 19 - No. 321
Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital
Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.
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USCIS tomará las medidas apropiadas para proporcionar evidencia de las extensiones de un año de acción diferida y los documentos de autorización de empleo bajo DACA para aquellas personas a quienes se les expidió la documentación en o después del 28 de julio de 2020 con un año de validez bajo la política anulada. DHS cumplirá con la orden judicial mientras permanece en efecto, pero podría buscar un relevo de la orden. Como podemos ver y sin mayor sorpresa debido a los antecedentes que han plagado esta alternativa de dar una oportunidad a la juventud presente en nuestro país de acceder al derecho humano de la educación, no hay una solución permanente a menos que exista una reforma aprobada por el congreso de los Estados Unidos. En otras palabras, estamos en lo mismo: DACA es solo temporal.
Remembering Kwame
Vendor Writing
Lea el anuncio completo sobre DACA para encontrar los formularios necesarios para hacer una solicitud nueva o para pedir una renovación y encontrar más información sobre cómo se procesarán los diferentes tipos de casos aquí https://tinyurl.com/ybmf73xa Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com
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In this issue, vendors write about Tennessee Oncology, Love, snow, smiles, freedom and saying goodbye to 2020.
Contributors This Issue
Amanda Haggard • Linda Bailey • Hannah Herner • Ridley Wills II • Samantha Vanderslott • Yuri Cunza • Joe Nolan • Alvine • Norma Bracey • Jen A. • Angela H. • Mr. Mysterio • Deanna H. • John Parker • John H.
Contributor Volunteers Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Ann Bourland • Patti George • John Jennings • Janet Kerwood • Logan Ebel • Christine Doeg • Laura Birdsall • Nancy Kirkland • Mary Smith • Andrew Smith • Ellen Fletcher • Richard Aberdeen • Shayna Harder Wiggins • Pete MacDonald • Robert Thompson
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VENDOR SPOTLIGHT
Teresa Simpson knows she’s here for a reason BY HANNAH HERNER Teresa Simpson loves people. She’s quick to laugh with them and quick to cry. And people who pass her spot have come to love her back. Since the fall of 2019, she’s put away her “living on a prayer” cardboard sign, and become a favorite selling The Contributor at White Bridge Road and Harding Pike in Green Hills. Jamie W., who sells just a couple of blocks away, was the one who helped Simpson get started. “I started actually making more money when I started selling the paper because people look at that as a job, they really do,” she says. “They feel that that’s a job and you’re trying to earn and just be honest about your money.” Simpson was born in Baptist Hospital (now known as Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital). Having grown up in Nashville, she sees good and bad in the city’s growth. “I’m glad people are not as redneck as they used to be.” She says her father
was a redneck, someone who didn’t accept people of color, and even her own younger brother, who was gay. “I listened to my mother. At first I started listening to my father, and I was like ‘that’s not right’ they’re human too, they bleed, they have feelings,” she says. She’s quick to get emotional when talking about her younger brother Michael. The two were very close. “That was my baby,” she says. He died of HIV, “back when you couldn’t tell anyone that you knew anyone with it,” she chokes up. For less redneck ideology, it’s become harder for her to stay in this city she calls home. For now, she pays weekly rent at a motel. “The cost of living is crazy,” Simpson says. “That’s all they try to do now is drive out the people that had cheap rent. Now it’s into phenomenal numbers where people can’t even live where they were living and it’s sad.”
Simpson has been to every state in the country except for Washington and Oregon. Her job handling close out sales at furniture stores took her to lots of small towns, and she loved doing her best to fit in and earn the trust of the people there. “I loved it,” she says. “I did do well. I made a lot of money and I blew a lot of money. If I went five minutes from now I can honestly say I’ve seen places that most people have never seen.” In her life, Simpson has also worked in carnivals, was a caretaker for her mother, worked as a nanny, and in the ’70s and ’80s she was a topless dancer. “I’m not proud of everything I’ve done, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not ashamed of it either. That’s what makes me. I’m no one to judge. I mean, looking at me, you would have never thought I was a titty dancer,” she laughs. Simpson struggled with addiction,
PAGE 4 | January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
but has been sober for more than a year now, a fact that she’s very proud of and quick to mention. Things changed for Simpson when she overdosed on narcotics for the second time, which she was originally given for back pain. She had to be administered Narcan six times this time. “I was like, I’m here for a reason, I don’t need this,” she says. A suboxone program helps her stay on track. Still, it can be hard to get the pain under control. “These people are really good to me out here,” Simpson says. “This Christmas I know I missed a lot of money, but it doesn’t really matter to me, because I’ve had a lot of them during the year, they could just tell I didn’t feel good. Some of them would go to the bank and come back and say, ‘here, I don’t want to see you for a few days.’ That’s good people.” Simpson is more than “living on a prayer” now.
FEATURE
NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER: SUSAN L. HOOD AND IDA E. HERON BY RIDLEY WILLS II Susan L. Hood and Ida E. Heron, neither of whom are wellknown in Nashville, were the founders of Belmont College for Young Women, located at Belmont, the former estate of Adelicia Acklen Cheatham. Little is known of their lives before they moved south to become co-principals of Martin College in Pulaski, Tenn. Heron may have been from Philadelphia and Hood from Iowa. They met as classmates in Philadelphia and became great friends, announcing themselves to everyone as “Hood and Heron.” After five years at Martin College, they moved to Nashville in 1890 and founded Belmont College located on the estate of Adelicia Acklen Cheatham. Despite not being Southerners, they educated young women in an atmosphere of
Southern manners. Their classes included academic achievement in
the subjects of Latin, Greek and mathematics, all required cours-
es, as well as more conventional courses for young ladies-elocu-
tion, gymnastics and music. The two founders were devoted to their students and to the school, constructing new buildings, a swimming pool and riding stables. Heron was strong-willed, and red-headed, the embodiment of graciousness and dignity. Hood was gentle, loved poetry and encouraged the students to achieve what was expected of them. Hood and Heron retired in 1913, selling Belmont to its rival, Ward Seminary. The ladies built Braeburn, a beautiful home at 211 Deer Park Drive in 1916 and retired there. Susan Hood died in 1921 while Ida Heron lived until 1933. Their graves are side by side in Mt.Olivet Cemetery where they share a single monument whose inscription is titled Hood-Heron. Braeburn is now owned by Vanderbilt University.
Coronavirus: Road to COVID-19 vaccine rollout will be bumpy, as 20th-century pandemics show BY SAMANTHA VANDERSLOT T If you have been following the coverage of the new vaccines in development for COVID-19, it will be clear that the stakes are high. Very few vaccine trials in history have attracted so much attention, perhaps since polio in the mid-20th century. A now largely forgotten chapter, summer polio outbreaks invoked terror in parents. Today, restrictions on gatherings and movement in the efforts to control COVID-19 have been a huge strain on society, but in the 1950s, parents locked their children in stifling hot buildings during the summer with windows sealed shut because they were terrified polio would somehow seep through the cracks in the wall. The development of the polio vaccine in the United States in 1955 was a moment of global celebration. Reaching that point involved millions of citizens raising funds to develop the vaccine, political goodwill by the bucket-load and a driven public-private scientific collaboration, with scientist Jonas Salk at the helm. Children across the US were enlisted in one of the largest clinical trials in history. Clearly, setbacks and challenges occurred along the way, even once the vaccine was being rolled out. In a shocking episode called the ‘Cutter Incident’, a failure in making and inspecting the vaccine by
a California-based firm called the Cutter Laboratories led to children getting polio from the vaccine, which contained viable poliovirus. The incident led to a major tightening of federal regulations to ensure production safety. It also resulted in new laws being passed that prevented vaccine manufacturers from being sued. (The fear was that drug manufacturers would not want to develop vaccines without being protected by the law.) A lack of urgency for vaccine uptake quickly set in. It is taken for granted that children are vaccinated routinely, but this acceptance took time. In the early era of vaccination, it was a tool against epidemics and people expected to be vaccinated during an outbreak. Through health education and communication, funding of immunisation services and political support across party lines, vaccination was promoted as a central pillar of a public health globally. Promise of an HIV vaccine When the next big plague of the 20th century hit — AIDS — naturally it was vaccination that would be looked to. Within a short time of scientists confirming HIV was the cause of AIDS in 1984, the
US health and human services secretary, Margaret Heckler, announced that a vaccine would be ready in two years. The high expectations and hope instilled in vaccination were not surprising, particularly following the eradication of smallpox from the planet in 1980. However, an AIDS vaccine proved to be unattainable. Unfortunately, many aspects of HIV infection make it very difficult to develop a vaccine. Instead, it has been antiretrovirals – a group of drugs that inhibit various steps in the HIV replication process – that have proved to be the most effective strategy for treating AIDS. The stigma of AIDS was also an inhibitor for controlling the disease. Health officials at the beginning of the AIDS crisis coyly referred to the transmission being through “bodily fluids,” instead of specifying blood and semen. This lead to misunderstandings about the disease being spread through touch. New pandemic, same problems Today, COVID-19 is the latest public health crisis that cannot be separated from politics and society. Fear of this disease, and whether it is taken seriously and seen as important to protect against, will play a major role in the support and uptake of
January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5
a vaccine. Most people want to return to a “normal life,” and a vaccine is the most reliable way to achieve this. However, the public’s desire for a vaccine is balanced against concerns about the speed of vaccine development, wariness about new types of vaccines, and mistrust of pharmaceutical companies, governments and the “health establishment.” Public action in communities has been evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, in neighbours supporting the elderly and those unable to leave their homes by delivering groceries and medication, as well as compliance with government health messaging and willingness to take part in medical trials. But national political stakes for a vaccine remain high with politicians using “vaccine deals” to bolster popular support and win elections. The acceptance of vaccines is fragile, so when leaders promote their country’s vaccine with clear political motivations, it can knock the public’s confidence and draw intense scrutiny. As with the polio vaccine of the past, the world is watching. Samantha Vanderslott is a research lecturer at the University of Oxford. Courtesy of The Conversation / INSP.ngo
The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams (1941)
Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis—but he was arguably the most precocious and well-read of this eminent and intellectually fertile group. He was also known to have influenced Dorothy Sayers, T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden. Lacking a proper degree unlike his fellow Inklings, this genius Cockney-speaking author, editor, critic, and playwright was eminently well-versed in both philosophical and theological writings of the remote past as of the present day (the mid-20th century) and used this familiarity to good effect in his poetry, supernatural fiction and his lesser-known devotional selections designed for the spiritual benefit of the faithful in the Church of England. This series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year, beginning with Advent (i.e., December) and ending in November, and reaches far beyond the pale of the philosophical and theological discussions of his day. It was under his hand, for instance, that some of the first translations of Kierkegaard were made available to the wider public. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver
THE EPIPHANY
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
2ND FRIDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
THIS was the fulness of time, when Christ Jesus did come, that the Messiah should come. It was so to the Jews, and it was so to the Gentiles too . . . Christ hath excommunicated no nation, no shire, no house, no man: he gives none of his ministers leave to say to any man, thou art not redeemed; he gives no wounded nor afflicted conscience leave to say to itself, I am not redeemed. Donne: Sermons.
SEE the mysteries which lie hid in that miracle of our Lord. It was necessary that all things should be fulfilled in Christ which were written of Him: those scriptures were the water. He made the water wine when He opened unto them the meaning of these things, and expounded the Scriptures; for thus that came to have a taste which before had none, and that inebriated, which did not inebriate before. St Augustine, quoted in St Thomas: Catena Aurea.
THY Kingdom come . . . Christ Himself may be the kingdom of God, whom we day by day desire to come, whose advent we crave to be quickly manifested to us. For since he is himself is the resurrection, since in him we rise again, so also the kingdom of God may be understood to be himself. St Cyprian: On the Lord's Prayer.]
1ST MONDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
OUR accesses to his presence are but his descents into us; and when we get anything by prayer, he gave us beforehand the thing and the petition. Donne: Letters.
THE lights of faith and of nature are subordinate John Babtists. Donne: Sermons.
1ST THURSDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY WHEN you have read and learnt much, you will have ever to revert to the one First Principle. I am the One Who teaches men knowledge, and I impart to little ones a clearer knowledge than can be taught by man . . . I teach without the sound of words, without the strife of opinions, without ambition of honour, without the contention of controversy. Thomas à Kempis: Imitation.
1ST FRIDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY HE that would live in cleanness of conscience and without defiling of his soul, him behoveth to abstain him both from the making and also from the using of such vain curiosities and to flee therefrom as a venomous serpent. Nevertheless by this aforsaid reproof of curiosity we shall not understand generally forbidden to make fair works and honest apparel: for that is lawful so that it keep a good face, and namely in those things and works that belong to God's service. In the which it is needful to be aware and to eschew all corrupt intent of vain joy or glory, and all false affections and foul likings of the world's vanity: so that the virtuous face of sufficient honesty pass not in to the excess of vicious curiosity. The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.
1ST SATURDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY TO the man under grace, righteousness is not a possibility, but a necessity; not a disposition subject to change, but the inexorable meaning in life; not a condition possessing varying degrees of healthiness, but the condition by which existence is itself determined; not that which he possesses, but that which possesses him. The freedom of the man under grace is founded upon the good pleasure of God, and has no other foundation; it is the freedom of the will of God in men, and freedom of no other kind. Free in God, ye are imprisoned in Him. Barth: Epistle to the Romans. THE grateful heart By owing owes not, but still pays, at once indebted and discharged. Milton: Paradise Lost.
CHRIST is the object of faith to all; but the Church is as it were the outward form of justice, she is the common right of all. For all in common she prays, for all in common she works, in the temptations of all she is tried. St Ambrose: Duties of the Clergy. [OF a persecutor] When he beheld the truth he grew loving. George Fox: Journal.
1ST TUESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY GOD gives us many things in which He has Himself no part: being Himself self-existent, He gives us a beginning of existence; being Himself exempt from want, He gives us nourishment; Himself always the same, He gives us growth; Himself immortal and exempt from old age, He gives us a happy old age, and a happy death. St Clement: Stromata.
2ND SATURDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
MEEKNESS hath three degrees. The first degree is: a man to be subject and lowered to his sovereign and not preferred or raised above him that is equal with him in estate. The second is: to be subject to his equal like in estate and not to be raised or preferred above his underling. The third and sovereign degree of meekness is: to be subject and lowered to his underling, that is, he that is less in estate than he. The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
SINCE everything is knowable according as it is actual, God, who is pure act without any admixture of potentiality, is in Himself supremely knowable. Aquinas: Summa Theologica.
I KNOW a man who, when he saw a woman of unusual beauty, praised the Creator for her. The sight of her lit within him the love of God . . . It was marvellous to see how what would have been the undoing of another became for him supernaturally a crown of victory. If such a man is always and in all cases capable of such feelings and such conduct, he has already partaken of incorruptibility even before the general resurrection. St John Climacus.
1ST WEDNESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
2ND MONDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
SIN is a robbing of God: a robbery which becomes apparent in our arrogant endeavour to cross the line of death by which we are bounded (i. 18, 19); in our drunken blurring of the distance which separates us from God; in our forgetfulness of His invisibility; in our investing of men with the form of God, and of God with the form of man; and in our devotion to some romantic infinity, some 'No-God' of this world, which we have created for ourselves. Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.
FRANCIS beheld in each creature the goodness of God perfectly, and therefore he was moved by a particular and heartfelt delight and love for all creatures. Speculum Perfectionis.
2ND THURSDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY O LORD, shew me this matter; one fleeth from the world for Thy Name's sake, and another receiveth and is gracious for Thy Name's sake. The Paradise of the Fathers. A MAN will always be tripped up by that thing which he will not cut off from himself. The Paradise of the Fathers.
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PAGE 6 | January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
YOU see, beloved, how great and wonderful a thing love is, and how unspeakable its perfection. St Clement: Epistles.
2ND TUESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY ALL men by nature hate each other. They use their lusts as far as they can for the public good, but it is only a feint and false image of love, for at bottom there is nothing but hate. Pascal: Pensées. TO make rapid progress and to reach the mansions we wish to enter, it is not so essential to think much as to love much: therefore you must practise whatever most excites you to this. Saint Teresa: The Interior Castle.
January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7
20 21 COVER STORY
10 Ways to Help in the New Year BY A M ANDA HAGGARD
We’re now just days out of 2020. And even if it feels
through the city and a suicide bombing on Christmas Day in
like we’ve closed the chapter on one of the worst years in
Nashville stole whatever peace of mind was left. It’s been a
recent history, the effects of the pain and suffering that
hard year for many, which makes it a good time to chip in and
somehow packed itself into such a short period of time will
help your neighbors.
be felt for a long time.
From kits for your car to help folks living on the streets
In 2020, we lost people and normalcy to the pandem-
to buying locally to doing your part to help the spread of
ic. Racism and police brutality and white supremacy began
COVID-19, here are a few ideas for ways to help out in
to come to a head. We began the year with a tornado ripping
what we hope is a better year for everyone.
PAGE 8 | January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
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COVER STORY
HELP WITH RECOVERY FROM THE CHRISTMAS DAY BOMBING There are a couple practical and easy ways to help out the folks affected by the Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville. The Community Foundation has set up a fund where you can donate at cfmt.org. Or get yourself another #NashvilleStrong T-shirt from Project 615 has set up a #NashvilleStrong t-shirt fundraiser — all proceeds go back to affected businesses.
MAKE WINTER OR SUMMER KITS TO HAND OUT AT STOP LIGHTS Do you ever pull up to someone panhandling at a stop light and wish you knew what to do to be helpful? One quick thing that you can put together to keep in your car is a small bag of essentials. They don’t take up a lot of space, and they aren’t expensive to put together. Consider the following items put in a gallon plastic bag: protein bars, gift cards to fast food restaurants, hand warmers in the winter, bottles of water, trail mix or other high protein snacks, hand sanitizer, a face mask and a slip of paper with local resources listed on it.
HELP LOCAL MUSICIANS BY BUYING THEIR MUSIC AND MERCH ONLINE You probably missed out on a lot of live music this year, which means your favorite band lost out on their living. Band T-shirts make excellent at-home lounge wear, and a new vinyl record might just be the quarantine date music you were looking for. You know who you like, so take $20 or $30 of your stimulus money and support someone who couldn’t work this year.
DONATE TIME, MONEY OR RESOURCES TO HANDS ON NASHVILLE Maybe you have some cash, but you have no time or extra emotional bandwidth to put into a project. The nonprofit, which helps connect volunteers to community needs, started the year helping in the aftermath of the tornado, which then bled into the pandemic. And now they’re coordinating another effort to help with recovery after the Christmas Day bombing. You can also check their site (hon.org) for a myriad of ways to help, but if you have money to give, that never hurts.
GIVE FOOD TO A COMMUNITY FRIDGE Over the past year, a few community fridges have popped up around Nashville. Folks can donate food and others can, no criteria or judgement or questions, come get food if they need it. This kind of aide is important during a time when many are out of steady work. There’s one at 1411 Buchanan St on the north side of town and 1111 Dickerson Pike in East Nashville. To keep track of what they need (and read the do’s and don’ts of giving items) or check out how you can find food if you need it, check out @nashvillecommunityfridge on Instagram.
January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9
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COVER STORY
BUILD A CONTRIBUTOR HOME KIT WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS OR COLLEAGUES The Contributor has committed to providing supportive permanent housing for at least 25 people next year. The effort is part of a grant that several nonprofits in Nashville received to house 400 people. The grant, however, doesn’t include supplies for move in: dishes, pans, towels, cleaning supplies, sheets, garbage cans — all the things necessary to set up a new home. It’s super easy to set up a spreadsheet and let folks order on Amazon or have it shipped to one location. Email christinecdoeg22@gmail.com for more information.
CHECK ON YOUR ELDERLY NEIGHBORS Do you know your neighbors? No shame if you don’t, but I recommend at least waving, and maybe some conversation, particularly if your neighbor seems like they could use to be checked on. As neighbors, our family tries not to be too nosey, but we also try to notice if a neighbor is gone for a long period of time, or if it doesn’t seem like they’re bringing packages in. Instead of worrying from afar, it’s nice to ask from across the street if there’s anything your neighbor needs that they cannot do for themselves.
BUY ALL YOUR GIFTS LOCALLY
It was the right thing to do to close certain businesses to curb the spread of COVID-19, but many small businesses are struggling to stay open. Many have adapted to include curbside pickup, in some cases home delivery and more. The allure of Amazon is great, and it’s just too easy to search in one place for a cool gift. But, let me assure you, the coolest gifts come from the people in our community whose businesses we want to be open in 10 years. Check out Arcade Nashville for kids toys, buy a friend of a gift card for the Virtual Cinema at belcourt.org or have something shipped straight to your sibling’s door from a place like Vintage for All on Instagram.
HELP SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 There are the easy things you can do to help curb the spread of COVID-19: Wear a mask when you’re out of your home and keep 6 feet away from people who do not live in your home. As vaccine rollout has been slow and as Tennessee remains at the top of state’s with the highest outbreaks, these measures may become more important than ever. Consider getting the vaccine if it’s offered to you, and double check sources of information you read about the virus on social media. There are also several ways to help with relief or vaccination efforts at hon.org.
ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT You know that whole thing about putting the oxygen mask on yourself before you help anyone else? It can be really hard to remember when you see so many people around you suffering, but it’s more than necessary in such a hellish era. You might not be suffering as much as you see someone else suffering, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for help if you need it. You’re a human being, deserving of love, help and the chance to fight another day.
PAGE 10 | January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
FEATURE
Amber Posey, Christopher Smikes Jr., Raven Mallory, Kristiana Smikes, Alyhdia Ann and Tasha Ellis.
THE ACE FOUNDATION REACHES OUT LIKE ASHANTI POSEY DID BY HANNAH HERNER Ashanti Posey was the type of teen who called her grandparents weekly, who worked two jobs to fund her own senior trip to Paris, who started a support group to help fellow LGBTQ teens come out to their parents. Ashanti Posey was murdered in her car in April, shortly after she had sold some marijuana. Ashanti’s mother, Amber Posey hopes to bring to light more of the former. “It’s just trying to clear up that one statement with 17 years of good things that she’s done. And it’s hard,” Amber says. Her family and basketball teammates are continuing the good deeds Ashanti was known to do through The Ace Foundation. In late December, a group handed out coats and other necessities to those living in an encampment under Jefferson Street Bridge. They had visited before and made a list of needed items, and Amber put a call out on Facebook for supplies. People who had known Ashanti personally or had followed her basketball career (she was set to play at Western Kentucky University in
the fall) from as far away as Chicago sent packages. Amber learned of her daughter’s heart for service from a principal after her death. Ashanti had her own car, and Amber assumed she was hanging with friends or getting a bite to eat while she was out. It turns out that sometimes she was rounding up food or clothing for those in need near her school, Hillsboro High School. “I knew that she left my home at a certain time every day, but I just thought, she’s being a kid… I had no idea,” Amber says. “It warms your heart to know that your child was doing these things.” In the future, Amber hopes The Ace Foundation can do more good in the community. She’s thought about basketball tournaments, or a bike show to honor Ashanti’s love of motorcycles and dirt bikes — activities for kids to take part in. “There’s really not a lot for the kids to do in the community anymore,” Amber says. “Either the parents can’t afford it or it’s being taken away because new apartment buildings are going up, or new businesses are going up. What are kids
left to do but to find something to do and sometimes it’s not always good.” When they do work for the ACE foundation, Ashanti’s friends and family wear shirts with her picture on them. Amber loves when people ask about Ashanti. “To talk about her story, it’s therapeutic,” she says. Many of those experiencing homelessness know what it’s like to experience tragedy too, Amber added. Thinking of the way that people who live in the encampment work together, she asks, “why can’t we do the same?” “Why can’t we just come together and get along? Stop all this senseless gun violence in Nashville, it’s ridiculous.” Amber says it’s really Ashanti’s old teammates and friends that push The Ace Foundation forward. She’s just the adult to sign off on things when needed. “If a 17 year old child can do it by herself, what can us adults do if we all work together?”
Those wishing to get involved should email longliveace30@gmail.com
January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11
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LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.
“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.
LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...
L a N ticia 2021
GRATIS
Enero
Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital
www.hispanicpaper.com
“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”
Año 19 - No. 321
Nashville, Tennessee
DACA: ‘Dreamers’ inocentes sufren incertidumbre permanente
Existe aún incertidumbre sobre lo que depara el futuro a DACA, después de que un juez federal ordenara al gobierno de Trump restablecer las protecciones para los Cunza jóvenes inmi- PorLaYuri Noticia grantes que fueron Editor inChief llevados a Estados @LaNoticiaNews Unidos cuando eran niños “dreamers” que fueron suspendidas al poco tiempo de haber tomado la presidencia en 2017.
Photo: Yuri Cunza
Se extienden las otorgaciones de la acción diferida bajo DACA de un año a dos años; y Se extenderán los documentos de autorización de empleo bajo DACA de un año a dos años.
Cabe destacar que la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos dictaminó en junio que esa acción fue indebida, pero el gobierno estableció nuevas barreras. Esto es debido al constante ir y venir que ha sido parte de la corta historia de este Proceso de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia más conocido como DACA por sus siglas en inglés. Todo empezó cuando el entonces presidente Barack Obama anunció el programa DACA en el 2012, protegiendo a cientos de miles de inmigrantes jóvenes indocumentados de ser deportados y permitiendoles trabajar. ¿Pero qué es DACA exactamente? El 15 de junio de 2012, la Secretaria de Seguridad Nacional anunció que ciertas personas que llegaron a Estados Unidos cuando eran niños y que cumplen con una serie de criterios podrán pedir la consideración de acción diferida durante un período de dos años, sujeto a renovación. Estas personas también tienen derecho a la autorización de empleo. La acción diferida es un uso de la discreción procesal para diferir la acción de deportación contra un individuo por
DACA: Innocent 'Dreamers' Suffer Permanent Uncertainty
un determinado período de tiempo. La acción diferida no proporciona estatus legal. Ahora, con el fallo de principios de diciembre del 2020 del juez federal a favor de los beneficiarios de DACA, que no solo ordenó que se restablezca por completo el programa, sino que se abriera a nuevos solicitantes, ha significado una victoria celebrada y un respiro ante la constante incertidumbre de muchos jóvenes esperanzados en el sueño Americano. En cumplimiento con la orden del Tribunal de Distrito de Estados Unidos, efectiva el 7 de diciembre de 2020, el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, siglas en inglés) recibirá nuevas solicitudes para el programa de Proceso de Acción Diferida (DACA) y solicitudes para renovaciones de los beneficiarios actuales del programa.
Esta orden indica que: Se aceptarán peticiones iniciales para la consideración de la acción diferida bajo la Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA) basadas en los términos de la política de DACA vigente antes del 5 de septiembre de 2017, y de acuerdo con la orden del Tribunal emitida el 4 de diciembre de 2020; Acepta las peticiones de renovación de DACA basadas en los términos de la política de DACA vigente antes del 5 de septiembre de 2017, y de acuerdo con la orden del Tribunal emitida el 4 de diciembre de 2020; Se aceptan solicitudes de documentos de permiso adelantado basadas en los términos de la política de DACA vigente antes del 5 de diciembre de 2017, y de acuerdo con
Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada? 1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)
20 21 por
la orden del Tribunal emitida el 4 de diciembre de 2020; y
Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.
ww w.ju ane se.c om jua ne seUSA@gmail.com
PAGE 12 | January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
USCIS tomará las medidas apropiadas para proporcionar evidencia de las extensiones de un año de acción diferida y los documentos de autorización de empleo bajo DACA para aquellas personas a quienes se les expidió la documentación en o después del 28 de julio de 2020 con un año de validez bajo la política anulada. DHS cumplirá con la orden judicial mientras permanece en efecto, pero podría buscar un relevo de la orden. Como podemos ver y sin mayor sorpresa debido a los antecedentes que han plagado esta alternativa de dar una oportunidad a la juventud presente en nuestro país de acceder al derecho humano de la educación, no hay una solución permanente a menos que exista una reforma aprobada por el congreso de los Estados Unidos. En otras palabras, estamos en lo mismo: DACA es solo temporal. Lea el anuncio completo sobre DACA para encontrar los formularios necesarios para hacer una solicitud nueva o para pedir una renovación y encontrar más información sobre cómo se procesarán los diferentes tipos de casos aquí https://tinyurl.com/ybmf73xa Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com
MOVING PICTURES
Spaces Left by Missing Fathers ‘TIME’ IS A UNIQUE PORTRAIT OF A FAMILY IMPACTED BY INCARCERATION BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC Garrett Bradley’s Time is a unique documentary that transforms a collection of remarkable home movies into a feature film that captures an intimate portrait of a one-of-akind family alongside an inside glimpse at the inner-workings of America’s prison-industrial system. Time is also a horror film of a kind: It spotlights the inhuman conditions in Louisiana State Penitentiary, and it tells a ghost story about the empty spaces left by missing fathers. Time began as “Alone” — a short film Bradley made as a New York Times Op-Doc. Bradley was moving on to a new project when her Alone subject, Sybil Fox Richardson gave the director a sackful of mini-DV videotapes. The tapes amounted to hundreds of hours of home footage Richardson had shot, documenting their family life for her husband, incarcerated in Louisiana State Prison. Richardson, her husband, Rob and their nephew committed an armed robbery of a credit union. Sybil Fox Richardson served three and a half years, taking a plea deal for her role as the driver in the crime. Rob was sentenced to 60 years at the notorious farm prison nicknamed “Angola” after the slave plantation that
once occupied the property. Richardson’s home movies are revealing in layers: They show a young wife and mother, newly-reunited with family, but also in danger of being overwhelmed with a young toddler and infant twins. We watch these kids and their mom grow and change over the course of 18 years. We see Richardson’s unceasing efforts to keep her family intact while she works to free Rob, and we see her youngest sons all grow into exceptional young men. We also see Richardson adjusting the camera, considering the lighting, and fixing her hair in the videos. We watch her develop into a media savvy activist and a car salesperson who knows how to leverage media and imager y to persuade. In one scene she walks through a car sales commercial with a videographer. She questions the lighting and the camera angles, and she wants to be able to see how her hair and makeup appear on-screen. She makes-up very original and very strong dialog on the spot, and she snaps effortlessly inand-out of an on-camera salesperson persona like a seasoned pro who spent years learning how to best put herself and her family in front of a camera. Bradley shoots the rest of
the Richardson’s story on a small Sony FS7 camera and the original footage is finished in black-and-white. The result is that the home movies and Bradley’s additions blend mostly seamlessly. But I’m not sure I agree with the choice, which feels mostly like a stylistic affectation here. That said I loved Bradley’s choice of incorporating poetic nature footage in the film – her clouds really do look spectacular in black-and-white. And the use of vintage Ethiopian piano mu-
sic on the film’s soundtrack is a masterstroke, and one of the elements that make this documentary feel far more engaging and original that other documentary films about similar subjects. Time can’t help but attract attention as a social message movie in our current political climate. While the movie might bring up questions about the intersection of Black Americans and the prison-industrial complex, there are many documentaries that are
January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13
much better at that messaging. What makes Time unique is the Richardsons’ themselves, their personal story, and the artistry Sibyl Fox Richardson orchestrated and inspired to save them all.
Time is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.
LOCAL ACTIVISM
ABOVE: Mr. Leo Kwame Lillard speaks at a demonstration in opposition to the first Gulf War in front of the Federal Building on Broadway on Oct. 14,1990. RIGHT: Lillard organized Nashville’s annual African Street Festival. This photo was from Oct. 20, 2015. PHOTOS BY ALVINE
Freedom Rider Kwame Lillard dies at 81 Nashville Civil Rights Activist and Freedom Rider, Mr. Leo Kwame Lillard, age 81 transitioned from this earthly life to eternal life on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. Lillard was one of the few known 1960 Nashville sit-in protesters in Middle Tennessee. He was among the army of civil rights luminaries including Congressman John Lewis, Diane Nash and Rev C. T. Vivian who changed the face of activism in America. Lillard’s obit said the following: “Leo was the younger of 2 born in Bartow, Florida with a few grades completed there for schooling. With the entrepreneurial spirit in tow for a larger city, his mother and father chose Nashville to fulfill the calling to further the opportunity for business. With the burgeoning growth of Music City, his parents garnered customers for both cosmetology and upholstery, but Leo adored the bustling cohesive nature of the Black community. ‘This was the impetus of the young mind for Leo, learning all the intricacies of networking in Nashville’s Black Community by attending schools at Carter Lawrence, Pearl High School and the beloved Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial College. Between the established South Nashville and business savvy North Nashville, one couldn’t lose! ‘The irreplaceable Black dollar stayed in the same area long enough for children and families to enduringly be secure without resting on 1 single laurel. With all he saw, there was an important mantra being pushed: education and skill! ‘The calculating brain for Leo lended itself to the balanced and structured ideal of math in Engineering. He was actually able to find a way to bridge math and culture together in Industrial Engineering; his studies were
the origin of how he would fight for poor housing codes in New York City, to not close the only historically Black high school for Nashville in the 70’s, take a stand for how 1-440 would further break apart and ruin neighborhoods far after 1-40 already had, and represent District 5 as the proverbial “rebel” for the Nashville City Council. Rebellion as a practice is not always a positive course of action and at times is counterproductive. Most importantly, though, it never leads to enlightenment. However, to be a revolutionary is neither always popular nor overwhelmingly accepted yet can be a sustaining accomplishment to transform a world. Leo learned this in New York as a City Planner supporting families combating poor housing codes and practices from the powers on high. ‘There were many people of multiple agencies to call upon, interact and argue with, get answers and learn from, all while sharing the ideal in action to make people safe in their homes. He was enamored with the diversity of New York in all the cultures, music, modes of transportation, and foods! ‘Therefore, the infectious verbal and passionate spirt New Yorkers embodied provided a meaningful education: even if you don’t agree with someone, the resource of that person’s thoughts is a tool to glean additional wisdom. Consequently, in due course he met North Carolinian Evelyn Downing, who became his wife of 53 years. As a skillful Industrial Planner, he used the medium of television and pictures to convey meaning. Catching someone’s attention with wordplay disassociation as to “whiteball the establishment”, or not stand while the Pledge of Allegiance is being recited as ‘The Tennessean takes a candid shot is
classic Leo- ‘The wit is most certainly not to be confused with any tongue-in-cheek triteness, but for you to take heed: there is an educated Black Man imparting impactful knowledge for action and (perhaps) uprising! Additionally, during this time, another layer of evolution was taking place within; a desire to go straight to the Motherland of our ethnic experience here in the United States for inspiration. First, take upon an African name: Kwame, meaning one born on Saturday; and secondly, create the African American Cultural Alliance! Goals may have been lofty in the beginning, but then Black Nashville in the 50’s did astoundingly well long before a Black Pages ever existed here. It will be exciting to build an organization that will bridge history, Blackness, culture and agency into a union... It is indeed a passion and a purpose unified. It is perfect for Leo to forge on to make it come to fruition. The knowledge in him oozed out from engaging with others, so teaching became an innate practice. Whether setting up a Kwanzaa display at work; speaking at elementary schools during Black History Month; keeping the spirit of the Freedom Fighters alive in the hearts and minds of others compelled to know what a sacrifice to dwell on this earth means; to receive and host co- ed university students on guided bus tours from near and far to share what Civil Rights imbues; to extract K -12 students from their seats in assembly to sit at a make-shift lunch counter to be yelled at, harassed and aggressively cajoled; to learn and annually commemorate the United States Colored Troops legacy to maintain this nation; and to facilitate the many moving parts of the re-known African
PAGE 14 | January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
Street Festival in Nashville clearly demonstrate Leo’s unyielding love of community, Blackness, history, and culture. Leo Kwame Lillard is preceded in death by his parents, Leo Lancelot Lillard and Louise Taylor Lillard; and sister, Ellen L. Carr. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Downing; son, Leo K. (Marcia) Lillard; daughter, Jessica S. (devoted friend Elliott) Lillard; son, Joshua (devoted friend Laura) Gosiac; daughter, Nyleve L. (Steven) Anderson; adopted son Chiffonda Washington; adopted daughter Mia Cole (Spencer) Washington; grandchildren Spencer Rocquan, Steven “Benton” (father Steve), Aaliyah Jean, Mariah Jonelle, Leo Jordan “IV”, Malcolm William, Skyler Amre’, Malena Imani and Kyan Louis; Joyce Perkins (mother of Leo and Jessica); nephew, Lewis (Mari) Carr; great-niece Misa Carr; and innumerate loving, energetic family who enjoyed playing tennis, skiing, meticulous calendar keeping of family events, and Sunday meals around the table with robust discussion and enactments. An awkward, younger teenage Leo has grown-up to recognize how wonderful, sustaining and fun-loving his Pearl High Class of 1957 is. No event in Nashville goes unmet without them all responding and participating. Alongside trusted friends, cohorts and colleagues: Harold Jude “Smitty” Smith, Cepo Dumasani, King Hollands, Rossi “Bombata” Turner, Louis Smiley, Lem Peterkin, Richard Beasley and Joseph Love. Lastly, he has been an actively engaged soul never wanting empowerment to be left by the wayside. The Downing Family has been a long-lasting source of support and balance to complete that circle of family.”
VENDOR WRITING
Saying Goodbye to 2020 B Y NORM A BR A CE Y, C ON T RIBU T OR V E NDOR As I reflect on another year gone by, I can’t help but recognize the frailty of the human condition as shown by COVID-19 wreaking havoc globally with no regard to age, race, or economic standing in our society. Something else stands out just as vividly: the resilience of the human spirit even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Without a doubt 2020 has been a difficult one for everyone. In spite of this, many of you have continued to support The Contributor and me and my family. You’ve not only given financial support but also food, clothing, gift cards and other things that make life easier: gloves, hats, scarves, Hot Hands, chapstick etc. It’s amazing how you always seem to always give what’s needed often even before I realize I need it — proof that someone else is ultimately in charge. Please know it is ALL very much appreciated!
Some of you have become “regulars” and I want you to know it makes my day when I see you, because I know some of you go out of your way to come and see me. You even show concern when I’m not out, which means more than words can say. Others are what I call, “one hit wonders” just passing through on your way to somewhere else and question what in the world I’m doing, and I’m more than willing to tell you all about The Contributor and the good that it does for our community. Some of you have moved on and are living elsewhere, and yet your support remains unwavering, coming to visit whenever you come to town — even from as far away as Memphis, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia etc. All I can say is wow! Others of you have died, and though you may be gone you will never be forgotten. I’m blessed that many of your family
members stop by to check on me. How amazing is that? Then there are those who’ve remained local and continue to support me and my family and many of you have encouraged others to do the same. Awesome! Thanks! Some of you have defended my corner even when I’m not there, explaining to those who’ve tried to take my spot, “Everyone knows this is Ms. Norma’s corner.” Or telling them, “We know who belongs here and who doesn’t. She does and you don’t!” Or, if someone is talking ugly to me many of you have been quick to set the person straight saying, “Nobody talks to Ms. Norma like that!” and then they tend to move on rather quickly, thanks to you. You’ve made a difficult year bearable, even pleasant. I hope in some small way I’ve had a positive impact on your life as well. It’s no wonder that during the pandemic and the stay-at-home order I missed you guys SO much!
In many aspects of my life, I’ve always felt like I didn’t fit in, I didn’t measure up, or I was too much trouble because I wasn’t “normal.” You’ve never made me feel that way at all! In fact, instead of ‘Norma that nobody’ you’ve gone out of your way to make me feel more like a hero or as one of my customers referred to me, “a she-ro”, instead of a zero! Some of you have used words like, “inspirational“ in reference to me. I don’t know about all that. I’m just surviving and doing the best I can to provide a decent life for my granddaughter. You have no idea how much your support truly means to someone like me. It’s even better than an underwire bra! (Hey, I had to throw a little humor in there — I was getting a little emotional.) But seriously, I thank you, even if I don’t remember your name, or everything you’ve done for me, big or small, please know you’ll have a place in my heart forever!
LET IT SNOW
THAT BEAUTIFUL SMILE
SET ME FREE LORD!!!
Hexagonal crystals
It’s been almost a year, hasn’t it
I sat behind these 4 walls
Spark from thin air
Since I last saw you
Not knowing what to do
In a twinkling
You looked up at me with that
Asking God to help me stay strong and true
As intricate and unique
Bright joyful smile of yours
I let this world take control of me and I want to let go
As you and you
And your eyes were twinkling
Show me what I need to see
Cast across the night sky
Catching every bit of light in the room
I want to be free
Like I Ching coins
I can still see you now
I’m sorry for whatever I’ve done wrong,
From the hand of our Mother
I keep the image in my mental file
Please help me to hold on.
The tiny jewels fall
To pull up on grey dreary days
I’ve made a lot of wrong choices in life,
With no loss of chastity
It reminds me of how life used to be
Now it’s time to end that strife.
Singly, slowly, softly
Surrounded by friends, family, fun
Set me free Lord I know you can.
Attracted by our gravity
With all the bells and whistles
I’m holding on to both your hands.
Of dissonance and lament
Days of wild abandon
To unite as one
When we hugged and laughed and
Broadcasting a wall of
Reveled in being close
Healing silence
What I wouldn’t give to hug you now
In a wrap of hushed serenity
I was so sorry to hear about your mother
A warm layered blanket of
She gave you that beautiful smile, you know
Peace and calm
And she’d want you to carry it on
Throughout the land
Carry it on, precious, carry it on
JEN A.
JEN A.
January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15
ANGELA H.
FUN
HOBOSCOPES CAPRICORN
At the beginning of every year as we start the calendar over we think about the ways we’ve been and the ways we’d rather be. So we make promises to ourselves and promises to other people as we step forward into that great “from-nowon.” And then it gets really cold outside and it’s hard to want to do anything but sit under a blanket in the dark with a screen and some cheese puffs. And you’re allowed to do that, Capricorn. Do it til it’s boring. You’re also allowed to start doing all those things you hoped you’d do. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.
AQUA RIUS
So I figure if you move the bed back under the window, Sagittarius, and then you put the futon on the wall opposite the fish tank, (and get rid of the soft chair with the broken base and chili stains) you’ll have plenty of room to put your dresser next to the closet door which basically gives you an extra corner for your new writing desk. If you don’t have the space for everything you want in your life, Aquarius, get to rearranging. You may have to toss out something that doesn’t serve you anymore, but I think you have room for everything you need.
PISCES
Somebody’s running a generator at the construction site across the street. I don’t mind all the banging and popping and clanking that come from that spot every day, but the constant, gritty, hum of a generator is a bit much for me this afternoon. Sometimes, Pisces, the big, loud stresses of life are easier to deal with than that steady current of noise beneath the whole thing. Maybe stop trying to tune it out today. Give it some time. Focus on it. What’s the hum in the background that’s bringing you down?
ARIES
I set up a camera in my apartment and now I can watch my cat on my phone while I’m at work. It’s so great because I know she’s doing just fine right now and that she already ate her breakfast. Actually, I’d better check on her again...hmmm...she must be around the corner, I’m sure she’s fine. But I wish she’d come back into the frame just so I could be sure. I mean, what if something happened? Maybe I should call my neighbor just in case, I mean...oh...oh there she is. Yeah, she was just under the chair. Sometimes, Aries, a little bit of control is more stressful than none at all. Sometimes it’s better to trust than to try to be in charge of everything.
TAURUS
About 50 million years ago, there lived a furry little animal called a pakicetus. They were about 4 feet long, from nose to tail and looked sort of like a dog with flat ears and a weird long nose like a shrew. Pakicetuses liked living near water and were great swimmers and good at catching fish. As the millenia passed, the descendants of the pakicetus spent more time in the water than out of it and, eventually, they had evolved into the largest mammals on the planet. Whales. You never know where things are gonna end up, Taurus. Just keep doing the things you like and foster what you’re good at. It won’t really matter if you ever get big or not.
GEMINI
I can’t believe I missed Yalda! Waitasec, Gemini, did you miss Yalda, too? Of course, I’m referring to the Persian winter solstice festival that celebrates the victory of light over darkness and is remembered by eating pomegranates to symbolize a new dawn filled with the red glow of life. The good news, Gemini, is that you can keep Yalda in your heart the whole year round. All you have to do is acknowledge the moments when life is flowing and glowing and creating. Stop and experience the light that still surrounds you. That and eat a pomegranate. It’s always a good day to eat a pomegranate.
CANCER
It’s scary out there, Cancer. At least, that’s what my uncle Gaspar keeps telling me. He saw it on the internet. He says it’s worse than it’s ever been and it won’t get better. He says there’s nothing to do but put more cans of food in the basement and buy a better alarm system and a bullet-proof vest. But The Stars tell a different story. The Stars say there are more people working toward hope and justice than there have ever been. The Stars say there’s more food on the planet and more cures for diseases than we’ve ever had. The Stars say you can be a light in this world and it will matter for you and for other people, too. But uncle Gaspar is pretty persuasive, Cancer. I mean, he saw it on the internet.
VIRGO
You stayed up till midnight and watched the year change on your phone. You even double-checked the new date on the flashing sign outside the bank across the street. But, for some reason, it seems like everything is pretty much still the same, Virgo. All the problems you had three weeks ago seem to have somehow followed you here. I don’t know how they did it, but I don’t think you can wait another year for them to solve themselves. You might have to face this head-on. Otherwise, I’m afraid your problems will know where to find you next year, too.
LIBRA
Hummingbirds are pretty remarkable. They’re so bright and freaky-fast and then they just float there sipping nectar out of flowers with those impossibly-thin beaks. Their wings beat so fast that if your metabolism was equivalent to a hummingbird’s, you would need to eat about 150,000 calories a day just to survive. But where do they go during the winter? Turns out, hummingbirds are able to enter a hibernation state called torpor. Their metabolism plummets and their body temperature drops by half. If you feel like you need to slow down a little bit right now, Libra, that’s totally normal. In fact, it might save your life.
SCORPIO
If you’re looking back fearfully on the past few months, Scorpio, and if you’re feeling like this new year needs a boost, I’ll tell you what I do for luck. This is gonna sound weird, but first you take a horseshoe, a clover, and a diamond and put them in a bowl. Then you stand outside under the crescent moon and slowly pour milk over them. Next you’re gonna need the heart of a...wait, it might be easier to just eat a bowl of Lucky Charms on your back porch after dinner and hope for the best. I can’t guarantee things are gonna get easier or better, Scorpio, but do something you enjoy today and it won’t be so bad.
LEO
You know that thing where people pretend a banana is a phone and they’re getting a call and then they hold it out and say “It’s for you.” There’s only a couple of things you can do in that scenario, Leo. You can laugh it off and change the subject, “Oh, Jeff, you’re such a goof. How’s your kid’s pink-eye?” Or you can take the call. It might seem silly and you might feel a little embarrassed, Leo, but you can’t deny that sometimes a call comes. And sometimes it’s stranger than you expect. And sometimes, it’s for you.
SAGITTA R IUS
“It could be worse.” I’ve heard you say it so many times, Sagittarius. And I don’t deny it. I mean, just add mosquitoes or mayonnaise to any situation and, there you go. Now it’s worse. But sometimes I think you say it because you don’t believe you deserve better. And you do, Sagittarius. You deserve love and care and honesty and safety. And the next time you’re about to say, “it could be worse,” just remember how much you’re really worth.
Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a certified cetologist, or a trained interior decorator. Mr. Mysterio is, however, a budding intermediate podcaster! Check out The Mr. Mysterio Podcast. Season 2 is now playing at mrmysterio.com. Got a question, just give Mr. M a call at 707-VHS-TAN1
PAGE 16 | January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
VENDOR WRITING
YOU HAVEN’T SEEN NOTHING YET DEANNA H
You haven’t seen nothing yet I am strong, I am vibrant I will do wonderful things And succeed what I do You’re looking around what to do next You have not lost the bet As yet Make a plan and stick to your guns Whatever it is will be done I see people’s faces Some are sad and misbelief Some are happy & content We all have a story Some are sadder than others But not better from another You haven’t seen nothing yet When I will stand tall Not be afraid to say God loves you no matter who you are or what you did He will always love you You haven’t seen nothing yet I am still here by God’s hand My work is not done for my blessings are in my name And God will give them to me When it is time I was told everyone has a blessing Some come quicker than others But the big blessing will come in time It’s like a dog has a litter of pups in 63 days An elephant has her 1 baby in 2 years Same as blessing If you haven’t had a blessing yet you’re having a baby elephant You haven’t seen nothing yet God not through with you If you keep the faith and believe
THEME: INTER NATIONA L MEN U ACROSS 1. Arithmetic operation 6. Romantic getaway destination 9. “Hold on!” 13. Foolish 14. Unit of electrical resistance 15. Ann Patchett’s novel “Bel ____” 16. Parallel grooves 17. New Zealand’s bygone bird 18. Daisy-like bloom 19. *En ____, cooked and served in individual pot 21. *Raw fish 23. Like Second Testament 24. Archipelago unit 25. Fool’s Day mo. 28. “Days” in Havana 30. Just one of TV’s “American ____” 35. Russian mountain range 37. Urban haze 39. Spiral-horned African antelope
You are wonderful God does not make mistakes You are one great human being You haven’t seen nothing yet Do your best and finish it with victory Start with your hobbies or whatever you’re good at Complete it and be proud You haven’t seen nothing yet I am proud of who I am Proud how far I came I’m proud of me
January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17
40. Aggressive remark 41. 10 percent to charity, e.g. 43. Milk choice 44. Burnt ____ 46. “Nobody ____ It Better” 47. London art museum 48. Evening party 50. Boll weevil, e.g. 52. Dianne Feinstein, abbr. 53. Windmill blade 55. “... ____ he drove out of sight” 57. *It’s battered and fried 61. *Cheese and potato dumplings 65. Loudspeaker noise 66. Sheep sound 68. Frank Wright’s middle name 69. Atones, archaic 70. Days of ____ 71. Containing fat 72. Cut the crop 73. College degrees 74. Stainless material
DOWN 1. Catchall abbr. 2. Gung-ho about 3. DEA agent 4. Jimmy Hoffa’s organization 5. Position while landing 6. A few 7. *Vietnamese soup 8. Accumulate 9. Done in loads 10. Opposing prefix 11. Unit on a list 12. Torus, pl. 15. Milk protein 20. *Cocktail garnish 22. Mont Blanc, e.g. 24. Heavy hydrogen, e.g. 25. *With jus 26. First-rate 27. Browning’s “____ ben Ezra” 29. In the thick of 31. Benign lump 32. New Zealand parrots 33. Like NCAA’s eight 34. *Japanese noodle soup 36. Suggestive look 38. *Clarified butter 42. Ruhr’s industrial center 45. “The Dean Martin Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show” 49. Lobe locale 51. Ogres of the Norse 54. Bigwig in the Orient 56. Approval of the audience 57. Tow rope alternative 58. River in Bohemia 59. Comedian Rudolph 60. “Dead Poets Society” school, e.g. 61. Cowboy’s prods 62. Apple leftover 63. Jekyll’s alter ego 64. Bucolic poem 67. *____ ____ mode
VENDOR WRITING
Thank You Tennessee Oncology B Y JOHN PA RK E R , C ON T RIB U T OR V E ND OR ; EDITED BY LINDA BAILEY
First and foremost I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to say what I have to say in this article. This is a thank you letter to Tennessee Oncology. On Sept. 7, 2021 it will have been 14 years that I’ve been going to Tennessee Oncology. On average, I go about three times a month for a full day at a time to get treatment for a blood disorder. There’s no cure for it, so I’ll have to keep going for treatment until hopefully somebody comes up with a cure. If not, I’ll keep going with a smile because I at least know that at Tennessee Oncology I’m gonna be well taken care of. Everyone there is a professional, and they treat you like a professional patient. What they do is talk to you as though they been knowing you for ages — even if they just met you. Their attitudes are great. That’s why I want to thank everyone there from the receptionist who greets me at the door and tells me what to do and what not to do with a smile, down to the clean up people who if it wasn’t for people keeping everything clean there would be a lot of germs around. I also want to thank the nurses that take care of me while I’m there and are just nice to me. They are like a family to me. And of course I want to thank the doctors, especially my personal doctor, Dr. Doss. I really call him “Sir Doss” because I think all of the doctors up there are equal, but Dr. Doss to me has been a blessing. He has been a god-sent person. In September I’ll have been seeing him for 14 years and I want to thank him for helping God keep me alive,
for keeping my attitude and everything on the right road, and just for taking care of me. I love him for that. Really all the doctors there are like family. Not all the doctors treat me medically, but they treat me friendly. And I want to thank them for helping me keep my courage up. Everyone there just has the best attitudes. When you’re sick in this type of clinic, you want that because you’re having a bad day when you first walk in there. I know for a fact when I walk in there having a bad day, I come out having a good day. Most of the time I come out with a smile on my face only because of the attitude of the whole place. Everybody there works as a very tight team. I watch them help each other, and they are always there when you need them. They are just lovely people. The kind of people where when you get there and start getting your treatment you really don’t want to leave because you’re being treated so nice. You really don’t want to leave, but you know you’ve got to go. They really care about their patients there. There’s no doubt in my mind. They really care about their patients. And they try to help them in any way they can. Not only in the medical part, but you know, outside the box too if they can. Now I want to jump across the street to Saint Thomas Midtown, and thank the 6th floor nurses and doctors over there too. And also thank you to my church: Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church for their prayers. I love them all.
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BARBARA@THECONTRIBUTOR.ORG PAGE 18 | January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
VENDOR WRITING
Continue in Love BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Taking a look at America, the most important thing I see it can use a lot more of is love. I ask myself many times, what has happened? I was speaking with my third to the oldest sister and she mentioned me being homeless, which at a point, I was homeless 45 years ago when I stayed right in the same town with her and the rest of the family. Ya see, selling this paper, whether you are homeless or formerly homeless you’re eligible, that she didn’t know. I’d lost my phone and one of my customers contacted my youngest sister because I couldn’t Google and re-
trieve my past number on a new phone. So when she contacted my sister she mentioned homelessness. The next morning, I got a call from my oldest sister, and homelessness was the first thing she mentioned before she even said hello. I know where this conversation was headed so I told her I couldn’t talk, simply because of my love and respect I had for her, knowing there were things about that subject with her that should have been discussed a long long time ago. Especially about what they (my Jehovah Witness family) call Love. The God I serve loves un-
der all circumstances. Even if you’re sinful, God still loves you. Although I was a Jehovah Witness, does it mean I should’ve been loved as the rest of my family? I guess they misinterpreted some scripture different and came to the wrong conclusion, so I put the conversation off till another date. It’s just with her having chronic heart problems and sick most of the time, I wanted to be very careful how I explain to her how the Contributor works, and how she has acted toward her long lost little brother in the past. Because if the God you serve loves the way you love, I don’t want no part of
him. Not just my sister, but many that pass me by. We must let love continue no matter of race, creed, color, circumstance or whatever the case may be. Many Americans love less simply because a person may seem not to be at the potential that he or she should be. Thing of it is, you never know what a person’s going through. Some stronger than others. I’m saying this because it’s a wakeup call for me. In my teenage years, I used to act the same way. It was not until God came into my heart that I changed. So who am I to condemn. I love each and every one that steps
foot on this earth. And that love will continue no matter what the circumstance might be. Now speaking of potential. It’s not that we don’t have potential, it’s we see things we never wanna be. My family and I had a conversation and I said to them, I have made double in finance than you. God will do that for me, but yet I don’t wanna be like you. Do the thing you do or act the way you act. Within 60 days, God made that dream come true. Now I live the way that’s pleasing to him and in Love. Money or Wealth can never make me act the way some do.
LIFNAV How may we help you experience the fullness of life? Download the LIFNAV APP for Apple or Android at SalvationArmyNashville.org/lifnav
January 6-20, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19
