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Volu m e 16

| Number 12 | June 8 - 22, 2022

New Beginnings

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

GRATIS

Junio

2022

L aI NNT H Eticia ISSUE

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“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Año 20 - No. 351

Nashville, Tennessee

El fin de la epidemia de VIH/SIDA en los Estados Unidos podría estar a la vista

Segun los Centros Para El Control y la Prevención de las Enfermedades (CDC), el VIH sigue siendo una amenaza para todos, pero tambien una muy grave para la salud de las comunidades hispanas o latinas. En Por Yuri Cunza Editor in Chief el 2018, los adultos @LaNoticiaNews y adolescentes hispanos o latinos representaron el 27 % de los 38,968 diagnósticos nuevos de infección por el VIH en los Estados Unidos.

Local Advocacy

La Noticia + The Contributor

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La Noticia, one of the In this issue, vendors Contributor photographer Lo bueno es que existe un ALVINE medicamento leading Spanish-language Fuente: CDC write about housing, the shares his gratuito que puede prevenir casi el newspapers in the nation, genorosity of others, and a photos from a month 100% de las nuevas infecciones por el brings content to memorable Eagles concerty of Advocacy events VIH. Sin embargo, decenas de miles de Ya in desde principios deSpanish 2021, se supone tomar PrEP que los afroamericanos, personas contraerán el virus Nashville. este año, que los medicamentos PrEP estan cinco veces másand probabilidades ThedeContributor. their fans. que los muchas de ellas pertenecientes a grupos minoritarios. En el artículo a continuación, Carl Schmid, director ejecutivo del HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute (@HIVHep on Twitter), que promueve una atención médica asequible y de calidad para las personas que viven con o están en riesgo de contraer el VIH, hepatitis u otras afecciones médicas graves y crónicas, arroja luz sobre las barreras de concientización, estigma y costos que se interponen en el camino para terminar con la epidemia del VIH en los Estados Unidos, y ofrece soluciones concretas para eliminarlas.

Carl Schmid explica: “Si bien aún no contamos con una vacuna contra el VIH, contamos con medicamentos que son casi 100 % efectivos para prevenir que las personas contraigan el VIH. Estos medicamentos son la piedra angular de un enfoque de prevención llamado profilaxis previa a la exposición o PrEP.

disponibles sin costo para la mayoría de los pacientes con seguro privado.

Sin embargo, los obstáculos se interponen en el camino de la implementación de esta herramienta de prevención altamente eficaz. Estos incluyen conciencia, estigma y costo, sí, costo, a pesar del requisito legal de que estos medicamentos se proporcionen de forma gratuita a los pacientes. Debemos avanzar en todos estos frentes para eliminar este virus de una vez por todas. Hay 1.2 millones de estadounidenses en riesgo sustancial de contraer el VIH, según los CDC. Pero menos de una cuarta parte de esa población está tomando PrEP. Los miembros de las comunidades raciales y étnicas, junto con las mujeres, tienen mucho menos acceso a este régimen preventivo. En 2018, los estadounidenses blancos tenían seis veces más probabilidades de

latinoamericanos.

Esas disparidades persisten a pesar de que el 64% de los nuevos casos de VIH entre hombres que tienen sexo con hombres ocurren en grupos minoritarios. Los pacientes de color también son menos propensos que los pacientes blancos a hablar con sus médicos sobre la PrEP, en parte debido al estigma que rodea al VIH. Las aseguradoras tampoco están ayudando. Es posible que muchos estadounidenses en riesgo no sepan que las aseguradoras deben cubrir los medicamentos de la PrEP sin costo alguno para los pacientes. Recientemente realicé verificaciones aleatorias para ver qué aseguradoras seguían estas pautas federales. Las aseguradoras de Georgia, Ohio, Washington y más no han cumplido al mantener los medica-

mentos de la PrEP en niveles o categorías menos accesibles, lo que aumenta la barrera de acceso. El año pasado, la administración de Biden dio a las aseguradoras 60 días para eliminar los costos de los servicios asociados con la prescripción de PrEP. Este es un paso esencial, ya que los pacientes deben hacerse la prueba del VIH y otras condiciones preexistentes antes de comenzar la PrEP.

Moving La medida para cubrir la PrEP y sus servicios Pictures asociados beneficia enormemente a las comunidades en riesgo, pero aún deja un gran vacío: las personas sin Netlflix’s Stranger seguro. El CDC estima Things que al menos goes full A Nightmare 200.000 personas sin seguro están en riesgo on de contraer el VIH, casiauna cuarElm Street with ta parte de la población en riesgo total.

welcome return to form

Los programas federales pueden desemfor its fourth season. peñar un papel importante en el aumento de la conciencia, la reducción del estigma y la prestación de PrEP a las personas sin seguro. Por ejemplo, los centros de salud comunitarios ya han mostrado resultados notables al conectarse con personas que necesitan PrEP. Pero estos programas están en su infancia, por lo que el gobierno debe acelerarlos. El gobierno federal también debe aumentar los fondos de los CDC para los programas locales de extensión de la PrEP, particularmente en el sur, donde el estigma es mayor.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! Estamos a punto de que el VIH siga el camino de la viruela y la poliomielitis. La tragedia y la pérdida finalmente pueden ser cosa del pasado si el gobierno toma las medidas correctas ahora.” Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

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)

por

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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Contributor Board

Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Annette McDermott, Drew Morris, Andy Shapiro

Contributors This Issue

Linda Bailey • Amanda Haggard • Judith Tackett • Ridley Wills II • Yuri Cunza • Vicky Batcher • Jen A. • Alvine • Jim Patterson • Joe Nolan • Mr. Mysterio • Chris Scott Fieselman • Norma B. • William B.

Contributor Volunteers Christine Doeg , Volunteer Coordinator Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Logan Ebel • Ann Bourland • Laura Birdsall • Richard Aberdeen • Marissa Young • Ezra LaFleur • Rachel Stanley • Linda Eisele • Matthew Murrow • Wendy Curland • Gisselly Mazariegos

Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Carli Tharp SNAP Specialist Ree Cheers SOAR Manager Rachel Ternes Housing Navigator Amy Holt Housing Navigator Jesse Call Operations Consultant Raven Nye Director of Housing Initiatives Arnita Carson Recovery Specialist Justin Wagner Resource Coordinator & Reporter Barbara Womack Advertising Manager Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom Wills Contributor Co-Founders Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed. The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate. Submissions may be emailed to: editorial@thecontributor.org Requests to volunteer, donate, or purchase subscriptions can be emailed to: info@thecontributor.org Please email advertising requests to: advertising@thecontributor.org

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VENDOR WRITING

HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE Give our neighbors a safe place to call home BY BY VICK Y BATCHER, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Housing for the People is a column produced by the International Network of Street Papers from people on the frontlines of the housing justice movement in America and beyond. For INSP’s Housing for the People column, Vicky wrote about Tennessee’s latest attempt to make homelessness illegal. The world is changing. Many American cities are experiencing a crackdown on homelessness. Individuals and families without a safe place to call home are being displaced with no place to go. People are losing their belongings. In Tennessee, it’s become extreme. On July 1, a new law will pass making homelessness a felony “for a person to engage in camping on the shoulder, berm, or right of way of a state or interstate highway, under a bridge or overpass or within an underpass, of a state or interstate highway.” A felony for trying to exist, to sleep.

We don’t have enough shelter space, much less housing, for all the people who are homeless. For those that don’t know, Tennessee is nicknamed the volunteer state. It’s a place I call home. We’ve been through a lot. In 2010, massive floods impacted my community in Nashville, along with many others. People suffered. Still, Tennesseans came together and helped each other. We didn’t wait for federal aid and the troops to be called in. We did what we had to do until aid could be dispatched. Images filled the TV with trailers, cars and even schools floating away. Many people’s homes were destroyed, yet we still came together. Neighbors helping neighbors because that’s what we do in Tennessee. We volunteer to support one another. Just before we went into lockdown in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak Nashville and our region was devastated by a series of tor-

nadoes. Neighborhoods lay in ruins. Streets were littered with the remnants of what were once family memories. In 2021, tornadoes struck again. This time, during the height of the pandemic. Again, people’s homes were destroyed. Tennesseans rose above. We carried on. Helping strangers without thought of reward or five minutes of fame. Still, we came together. Regardless of the hardship. Again, volunteering for one another. That’s why I am in a state of shock knowing our state has chosen to literally criminalize homelessness on public lands. A law that could potentially punish people with up to six years in prison. Not Tennessee. After all the hardship and loss of housing and witnessing so many people’s lives being destroyed. Honestly, it feels like someone is ripping our collective hearts out. How could this be? I’m housed in affordable housing

in Nashville, but there are 2000+ that remain on the streets and call encampments home. There are thousands more around the state and tens of thousands more around the country living with no toilets, no running water, no electricity and no roof over their head. It’s unacceptable. It’s inhumane. We’ve thrown out our most vulnerable populations into the streets. There is no place left to go. Moreover, there are thousands more awaiting their fate. The eviction courts are overwhelmed. It’s heartbreaking to see this happening. Through all of this, people will be forced to hide their existence just to avoid arrests. If we can hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause, why can’t we hold politicians to the same standard? It’s never been done, but maybe just maybe, it’s time to start. Maybe it’s time to really hold politicians accountable for the lack of affordable housing. We have laws

protecting our dogs from being left without food and water during inclement weather. Yet, our leaders choose to create laws making people’s life, which was already harsh, even worse. For Pete’s sake. At what point do we stand up and say this isn’t working? At what point are we going to receive the human rights we deserve? There’s no question we have failed our neighbors, but I’m convinced it’s time like these we must continue to come together to help one another. We must all volunteer and use our voices for housing justice in Tennessee, in America and throughout the world. To be honest with you, I feel like shouting fire in a crowded theater right now, “Give our neighbors a safe place to call home!” It’s something we all deserve. Vicky Batcher is a writer and housing advocate. She also sells The Contributor in Nashville, Tenn.

Save the Guns— Kill the Children BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR It has happened again. A lone 18-year-old gunman walked into an elementary school with a legally purchased AR-15 rifle and murdered 19 innocent children and two teachers. The majority of Americans watched the aftermath of this senseless tragedy with horror and disgust. They called for common sense gun laws that may have prevented this latest school massacre. But Republican legislators and the militant gun-rights groups that contribute millions to their campaign coffers, having raised their interpretation of the second amendment to near-sacred status, posited their belief that unregulated gun laws are an inalienable right of every American. They choose the right to own a gun, over the lives of our precious children. More children in our country die by being shot to death with a gun than by any other cause. This past March, a Memphis three-year-old, picked up his mother’s unsecured AR-15 pistol and shot himself in the face. That same month, a Davidson

County 3 year old found his mother’s unsecured gun in her purse and shot himself in the abdomen. In January, a Goodlettsville man shot and killed his wife, then continued on through the house to shoot and kill his two daughters, aged 13 and six. These are not isolated incidents. This carnage happens every day in America. And it isn’t only children who are victimized by unregulated guns. Mass shootings occur in grocery stores, in churches, in synagogues, in mosques, in doctor’s offices, at graduation ceremonies, at parties, at bars, on any random street. Our Declaration of Independence from British tyranny guaranteed every U.S. citizen the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The children of Robb Elementary School and every other child killed with a gun in America have been cheated out of the lives they were promised by our founding fathers. And our current legislators know it. So they poison the well with lies and subtref-

uge. They distract the simple-minded with their rhetoric of smoke and mirrors. They are the tyrants now. Tennessee State Rep. Chris Todd (R - Madison County), who must be a favorite of the militant gun lobby, co-sponsored several pieces of proposed gun legislation during the last legislative session. One, HB1735/SB2291, would have lowered the age to carry a hand gun without a permit in Tennessee from 21 to 18. While the House passed the bill, it was “taken off notice” in the Senate Judiciary Committee, supposedly killing it. But as those of us who thought the bill that made camping on any public property a felony know, though once killed, it suddenly came back to life and was passed on the floor of the Senate. So this could still happen. Of his gun bill, Rep. Todd reportedly said, “All this is doing is removing infringements on your second amendment rights provided by God first and our constitution.” I have a lot of trouble with that “God

first” part. A lot of our legislators say stupid things from time to time, but this seems particularly egregious to the point of blasphemy. I’m no Bible scholar but I’ve done a fair amount of reading. NOWHERE in any version of the Bible does it say people have an unregulated right to own a gun. As a matter of fact, it says the exact opposite. Christians are taught to put their trust in God to protect them. I would direct Rep. Todd’s attention to the 10 Commandments. These were sent down to Moses at Mt. Saini and reportedly written by the hand of God Himself. Since before the time of Jesus, these laws formed the basic framework for our religious societies-Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike. There’s that first one about not having another God before Him. Then the second one is about holding up graven images. Then there’s the biggie: #6 thou shalt not kill. Rep. Todd might want to take a refresher course in his Bible study. Imagine how you would feel if

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a member of your family was shot dead at their school, or at work, or at a baseball game. I don’t have to imagine. My brother, John, was killed by a gun. That kind of loss leaves an oozing, festering hole in your heart that never heals. Like me, the surviving Uvalde families will erect memorials to their children and tend them until they turn to dust. They will collect relics their children left behind: a favorite toy, that one special picture, that construction-paper Christmas ornament with all the blue glitter on it, their T-ball jersey, their first poem. The families will cry until their tears run dry. The first duty of any government is to keep it’s citizens safe. Our current government seems to have forgotten that. It’s past time we all demanded they do what they were elected to do — keep us safe! Let’s say, “ENOUGH!”, as often and as loudly as we can and mean it: or our streets will continue to be rivers of the blood of our children. Save the children — get rid of the guns.

OBITUARY

Photo by Alvine

BELOVED PRIEST AND COMMUNITY ACTIVIST FATHER JOSEPH BREEN DIES AT 87 Reverend Joseph Patrick Breen, beloved Catholic Priest, proud Irishman, cherished family patriarch, community activist, friend and lover of all people everywhere passed away peacefully May 21, 2022, at his home at Mary Queen of Angels in Nashville, according to a family obituary. His obituary reads: “Father Breen was born in Nashville on March 28, 1935. He was the eighth child out of nine born to Anne Marie and Paul Breen, Sr., loving parents and people of strong faith. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters; Ann Treadway, brother-inlaw Felix Treadway, Mary Jo Beavin, brother-in-law Bill Beavin, brother-in-law Wallace Williams, brothers; William Breen, Sr., Paul Breen, sister-in-law Betty Breen, Thomas Breen, sister-in-law Jean Breen, Hugh Breen, Reverend Philip M. Breen, niece, Susan Beavin, great nephew, Paul Beavin, Jr. He is survived by his sister Dorothy Williams of Birmingham, his sisters-inlaw Barbara Breen and Mary Breen. He

leaves behind 29 nieces and nephews, numerous great nieces and nephews, and nephews for whom he bought trunkloads of fireworks for various holidays through the years, and several great, great nieces and nephews. Father Breen attended Christ the King grade school and graduated from Father Ryan High School in 1954 where his love of milkshakes made with whole milk was born. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa and completed his studies in Theology at the North American College in Rome. He returned to Rome and completed his graduate studies in theology from the Gregorian University in 1978. Following his ordination, Father Breen was assigned Associate Pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Memphis and taught at Catholic High School for Boys. In 1966 Father Breen was transferred to Chattanooga where he was an Associate Pastor at St. Peter and Paul Parish. He was also Assistant Principal and teacher at Notre Dame High School. In 1969

he became the pastor of St. Therese of Lisieux Parish of Cleveland. In addition, he was responsible for their mission outreach in Copperhill and Athens. In 1974 he began a ten-year appointment as Pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Murfreesboro. In 1984 he was assigned Pastor of St. Edward Parish. He served there for thirty years until he retired in 2014. During that time he was instrumental in purchasing the building which became Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, the Nashville diocese’s first parish for Spanish speaking Catholics. Father Breen was an approachable priest, less concerned with ceremony than connection; more focused on people than process. Through his simple message of family, friends and faith he helped us all develop a deeper walk with the Lord. After retirement Father Breen moved to Mary Queen of Angels where he occasionally led mass to a packed room at their Chapel. More often, though, he engaged in the ministry of walking around,

June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

touching people, praying for them, inquiring after their families and sharing his chocolate candy. At the end he was surrounded by wonderful friends and staff who eased his transition to heaven. Father Breen received numerous awards and honors among the community but he was mostly known for his love and compassion for all people. To the very end he tirelessly promoted issues of equality, equity and love — always, always love. He wasn’t afraid to love people. He wasn’t afraid to touch them. He fearlessly prayed for us all. He wanted everyone to feel the same love and acceptance he had felt throughout his life. No issue was too scary, no person too broken for Joe Pat to love them. He never failed to ask if there was anything he could do for you, even on his deathbed, which is how we know that he was doing the Lord’s work, because Jesus said ‘… whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto me.’”

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

A crowd watches a tank.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE MANEUVERS BY RIDLEY WILLS II A lot of people have heard about the Middle Tennessee maneuvers during World War II, but many, I suspect, don’t realize their magnitude and their importance. The reason the maneuvers were held in 21 Middle Tennessee counties is that the terrain in Middle Tennessee is similar to that of Belgium, France and Germany. Pontoon bridges were built across the Cumberland River between Lebanon and Gallatin, at Carthage, and possibly at other points because the Cumberland was a substitute for the Rhine. General Geogre Patton commanded the 2nd Armored Division

that participated in the maneuvers of which there were seven between 1941 and 1944. Most lasted two months. More than 850,000 soldiers trained in the state. Tennessee Governor Prentice Cooper and U.S. Senator Kenneth McKellar both urged the army to stage the maneuvers in Tennessee. The center of operations was Cumberland University in Lebanon. Fighting forces were divided into two armies-red and blue. Officers acted as umpires and blanks were used instead of bullets. Farmers in all the impacted areas were asked to allow soldiers to trespass and were compensated for

damages to their properties. The army’s Board of Rents and Claims wrote more than 20,000 checks for damaged property and 1,000 bridges, which had been damaged by tanks or trucks, were repaired. More than 250 soldiers died during the maneuvers, most from truck and jeep accidents, plane crashes and drownings. No maneuvers were held in Davidson County because it was too heavily populated but every weekend thousands of soldiers from the Middle Tennessee maneuvers, Camp Forrest, Camp Campbell, the balloon camp near Paris, Smyrna Air Force Base and

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the Classification Center on Thompson Lane did come. I can remember as a boy, seeing soldiers asleep in my church, First Presbyterian. I remember one soldier who was asleep on a piano in our Sunday School building. Another soldier, desperate to find a place to sleep, even knocked on the door of the Governor’s Residence on West End Ave., thinking it was a boarding house. Howard Werthan opened a big house on Elliston Place where soldiers could eat, relax, shower or sleep without charge. There were 20 more places in Nashville where soldiers could rest, take showers or sleep.

June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

LEARN MORE ABOUT: PIT COUNT

LEARN MORE ABOUT: Nashville’s Point In Time Count BY JUDITH TACKET T

New homelessness data, called the annual Point In Time count, was released in May and shows a slight decrease of people who experience homelessness on a single night in January. The best way to look at this PIT count data over time, and it shows that over the past six years, Nashville has seen a 19-percent reduction in homelessness on a single night. But be careful in how you’re using this data. I believe, and explain so below, that the PIT count should be used with other data sets to provide a full local picture of homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires more than 400 Continuums of Care (CoCs) across the country to conduct a PIT count each year during the last 10 days of January. The Nashville-Davidson County CoC conducted this year’s PIT count the night of Jan. 27, 2022. People living outdoors were surveyed with an app to gather additional information about Nashville’s population experiencing homelessness. This year’s PIT count shows a 5 percent overall reduction in homelessness on a single night compared to the count in 2020 (the 2021 data is limited since it did not include an outdoor count). The results showed 150 fewer people stayed in a shelter bed and 50 more people were found living outdoors overnight. Additional findings from the 2022 PIT count include: • 71% of the adult population experiencing homelessness on the night of the count were men; • 42% of the adult population experiencing homelessness on the night of the count were Black or African American; • 82% of unsheltered individuals said that lack of income was their primary barrier to finding housing; • 52% of unsheltered people surveyed are experiencing chronic homelessness; • 39% of unsheltered individuals reported problems with substance abuse; • 48% of unsheltered indi-

viduals reported mental health problems; • 12% of unsheltered individuals reported being survivors of interpersonal violence. The PIT count is a one-night snapshot of how many people were sleeping in an emergency shelter bed, in certain federally funded transitional beds, in an encampment, on the streets, in cars, or other places not meant for human habitation. It does not include individuals and families sleeping in motels, in doubled up situations, couch surfing, or other temporary places that are out of sight. Since it provides only a single snapshot once a year, the PIT count is controversial among advocates. The U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) released findings and recommendations about the PIT count in November 2021. In it, the GAO recommended that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provide CoCs with additional information regarding how the CoCs can use local administrative data to improve the accuracy of their counts. HUD agreed with that recommendation. The PIT count is significant because HUD uses this data as a main source to report to the U.S. Congress about the nature of homelessness. Another data source called Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) as well as other local data sets such as those from the Local Education Agency (LEA) are critical for the federal government, and I argue, even more so for local communities to gain a full picture of homelessness. Each data set looks at different definitions of homelessness and even collects data for different time periods. LEA data cover a July 1 to June 30 period; however, data on school children during the summer may be limited. HMIS data is reported to the federal government over a period from October 1 through September 30. PIT count data are for a single night in January.

Nashville has made great strides in improving its data quality from these sources and continues to do so. The most significance the PIT count provides for local planners is a trend line over time. Nashville has PIT count data leading back to 2004. Over time, methodology has improved, but the overall outdoor counts provide an estimate that predicts whether shelter and/or outdoor homelessness are increasing or decreasing. For example, the dip in shelter occupancy that we observe in the 2021 PIT count, confirmed

anecdotal accounts that people moved out of congregate shelter settings during COVID-19 and outdoor homelessness increased significantly. At the same time, the decrease of the 2022-PIT count shows that the Housing Surge Nashville launched with federal homelessness dollars during COVID-19, was successful in limiting Nashville’s homelessness numbers two years later. Bottom line, together with other data sets including listening to and learning from service providers and especially people with lived experiences, the PIT

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count can be a valuable tool for our community to better determine where to invest its resources. We are now in a place in Nashville, where we will be able to compare data sets moving forward to target investments, such as the $50 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds that the mayor announced to invest in homelessness programming over the next three years. We finally have the tools to ensure that Nashville will see a huge dip in the PIT count data (and other data sets) over the next few years.

Q&A

Q&A: Bobby Watts Racial Equity in Nashville’s Homelessness Response BY JUDITH TACKET T In January 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government. A month later, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the COVID-19 Health Equity Task and appointed two Nashvillians to serve on it — Dr. James Hildreth, CEO of Meharry Medical College and Bobby Watts, CEO of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Watts, a national leader on health equity for underserved communities especially for people experiencing homelessness, spoke to us about the racial equity and diversity efforts. What can you tell us about the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and is it still meeting? Its main charge was to make recommendations to the administration about what the administration could do to make the nation’s response to COVID-19 more equitable. It also was charged with making recommendations for future pandemics to ensure that our response is an equitable one. It convened last February 2021, delivered its report to the administration in November, and then it disbanded in December. There were over 300 recommendations of which 55 were prioritized, and the great thing is that as we were making interim recommendations on a given topic each month, they were going directly to the White House to the administration. Several of them were being put into place even while the Task Force was still meeting. When talking about equity, what terms do you prefer and how would you define them? In general, racial equity means people have a fair opportunity for success. So, for health equity it is that people have a fair opportunity to maximize their health. When we think about other terms of equity, education opportunities, it would be, “People have a fair opportunity to maximize their education.” So that’s how I look at equity. And what that means is that some people who have some disadvantages starting out, in order to have a fair opportunity to level the playing field, so to speak, they may need some extra help to reach their full potential and to have that reasonably fair opportunity. You have worked closely with Jeff Olivet on racial equity issues, prior to his appointment as the executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). In your view, will his leadership change how advocates approach equity when addressing homelessness? Oh yes! I really do. I’m a big believer that leadership makes a big difference, and we’ve seen that – positive and negative. This administration’s whole approach to equity has been pretty clear. and it’s been very refreshing, not perfect, but refreshing, a change. Jeff has been one of the thought leaders on equity

in our homelessness response system. The fact that they appointed Jeff to this position made it clear that they’re also serious about promoting equity in our homeless response system. I think that is critical because you cannot look at homelessness as it exists in the United States today without seeing that racism has played a part in who is experiencing homelessness and who is not. We are not going to solve the problem without addressing racism in our society and also in our homeless response system. You are the chair of the CoC diversity and equity committee. In your opinion, does Nashville have a community agenda when it comes to racial equity and homelessness? As a relative newcomer, I don’t feel I have the full picture yet. But from hearing what other people say, I think there is more interest than there has ever been. And part of that is the national conversation that [was] fanned into flame by the murder of George Floyd. Many people take notice and say we really have to do something. Though there was work done in Nashville before, it’s growing. I think the work of the Continuum of Care’s Data Committee with their workforce survey was an important step. I was also thrilled when the Diversity and Equity Committee was formed as a result of the strategic planning process. And [last year] Nashville was one of eight Continuums of Care that were part of a pilot program with the Department of Housing and Urban development (HUD) to look at how we can address equity in our area. I think we have a long way to go. The Diversity and Equity Committee formed about two years ago. We’ve put together some resources to make those available to the Nashville community around racism, specifically as it relates to homelessness. Our committee also adapted an anti-racism pledge from the Data Committee, which now is recited at the general Continuum of Care membership meetings, and several committees have also adopted it. And though this is symbolic, it also is a statement of value, which also helps to ground our conversation in values. It reinforces where we want to be. We also held an equity training, which was well received, around the basics about how racism shapes homeless services. We talked nationally and there was also a component about Nashville. And we hope to follow up with more trainings with that. Are the right leaders at the table or are there other recommendations that you would have for Nashville as a next step? I’m really encouraged that Nashville pays more than lip service to the idea of ensuring that people with the lived expertise of homelessness are at the table. Where I think we need to improve is to make sure that is also true in our organizations that are delivering homeless services in Nashville. I think that is an area of great need and potential for improvement.

During the interview, Bobby Watts referenced several times the Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Workforce Survey that was conducted by the CoC Data Committee and published in February 2020. The survey asked respondents for demographic information, including race, gender, ability, and lived experience. It also asked about perceptions of how well those working in homeless services reflect the people they serve, perceptions of equity across hiring and advancements, and barriers to participating in professional development opportunities.

Findings showed that: • The majority of respondents were white (75 of frontline staff; 82% of senior management); • 13% reported having lived experience with homelessness; • The general perception is that frontline staff reflected the race, ethnicity, and lived experience of people they served to a higher degree than staff in supervisory or management roles; and • Staff of color reported less opportunity to move up or be promoted in their agency.

(Source: Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, at www.nashville-mdha.org)

Where would you like the work in Nashville to go? I think there needs to be more work at looking at diversity and having a more diverse senior management in the homelessness response agencies and also at the board level. For one, we need a new survey. The last survey showed a paucity of agencies that had a significant senior leadership that were people of color, which is the majority of those being served in Nashville. It was even worse at the board level. I

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think that’s where I would like us to go to look at that data and then have concrete plans of how we would improve it. And I cannot emphasize enough the importance of those with the lived expertise. To be really inclusive, we really have to be listening and involving not just those who meet a certain demographic but people with lived expertise and show them that their experience is really valued and that they can bring it to the table and be considered an active part.

LOCAL ACTIVISM

Members of Workers’ Dignity marched from Worker’s Memorial Day at the end of April to remember workers who have died in Nashville construction sites. Among those marching were workers and family members of workers who died while building Nashville. In the evening, they gathered to honor the lives of Pedro Omar, Dember Chavez, Armando Lemus, Jeremias Martinez, Gustavo Ramirez, and other workers whose lives “were tragically lost due to the negligence of this city’s contractors and developers.”

Dember Chavez died at 18 years old while building a parking lot on Lea Ave and Gustavo Ramirez died at 16 years old building a hotel. Pedro Omar was a concrete worker and the father of four children of ages between 2 and 15 years old. In November of 2021, he died while working at the Neuhoff Site in Germantown, managed by JE Dunn Construction. In the words of Veronica, the widow of Pedro Omar, “We need to raise our voice and ask the authorities and owners of big businesses for dignity for every single one of the people who die each day building Nashville. We must be treated with respect and equal rights instead of being treated as just another tool for work.” PHOTOS BY ALVINE

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LOCAL ACTIVISM Open Table Nashville held a round table discussion to celebrate and call for encampment support and alternative transitional housing in Nashville on Saturday, May 21. Open Table Nashville said in its Facebook event page, “Until there is housing, encampments offer a place for people experiencing homelessness to rest. The latest legislation that has been introduced to Tennessee is not only unjust but traps people in cycles of poverty and homelessness.” At the event, OTN reveled a toolkit, which highlights Nashville’s history of alternative housing communities. The panel included leaders from those mentioned in the toolkit from Green Street Church, City Road United Methodist Church’s Madison Mobile Housing Navigation Center, and The Village at Glencliff.

Open Table Nashville said in its Facebook event page, “Our community and state must recognize that until we have affordable, accessible housing for all, encampments will continue to exist. We hope you will join us in this call to support rather than criminalize encampments and to stop the sweeps!” PHOTOS BY ALVINE

Residents from the Gatewood Community held a community gathering and food sale on Saturday, May 28. The gathering served as an opportunity for residents to gather and invite other Nashvillians to “show up in solidarity and get to meet the everyday people affected by Nashville’s gentrification and housing crisis attached to the statistics and talking points repeated by ‘experts’, advocates and politicians,” according to the event page created by Workers’ Dignity. They went on to explain that, “The East Nashville Gatewood Community Trailer Park was sold to Wedgewood Avenue by property owner Tony Clouse in August 2021, without notifying tenants of the process from the start. The seller Tony Clouse is the same property owner who is trying to sell the W.C. Mobile Home Community located at 1509-15011 Dickerson Pike to New Orleans Developer Key Real Estate. The eviction attempts at W.C. Mobile Home Community sparked the creation of the Dickerson Road United in Struggle (DRUS) tenant union. Due to the lack of notice about zoning changes or the subsequent property sale that prompted their eviction, residents were unable to organize against their displacement while the sale or rezoning were still pending, which was the determining factor behind DRUS tenant union’s success. Despite having little leverage to negotiate (such as a pending sale or rezoning), residents from Gatewood Community Trailer Park successfully organized for a 6 month rent-free extension to move out to allow for young residents to remain at their schools until the end of the school year. This weekend, the 6 months come to an end. Four out of the 17 original families are still looking for housing.” An update after the event stated one family had not yet found a new place to move, but the families were able to negotiate more extra time so they can. “Community means taking care of each other.” PHOTOS BY ALVINE June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

COVER STORY

New Beginnings Jessica Willis Fisher pushes forward

essica Willis Fisher is into carving leather. Lately, she’s been making bracelets as gifts to 670 Kickstarter donors who helped finance her fine new album, Brand New Day. “You got to drag the crafts away from my hands,” said Fisher, who also writes poetry, is working on a memoir and recently took up crocheting. She became a public figure thanks to her family band The Willis Clan, who came to fame on television shows America’s Got Talent and The Willis Clan, a socalled reality show.

BY JIM PATTERSON Fisher’s first solo album, Brand New Day, was released in April on her 30th birthday. Sometimes harrowing lyrically but musically joyous, it ought to be on critics’ list of best country music albums for 2022. But to really understand the good news, there’s some very dark territory to cover. Brand New Day marks a beginning, as the title implies. But it also marks an ending. “I like the analogy of you don’t get to choose the hand you’re holding, but you do get to play the hell out of the hand that you are given,” Fisher said.

The world saw The Willis Clan as a wholesome, talented family of 14 musicians led by patriarch Toby Willis. The family band, with Jessica as bandleader, were regulars on the Grand Ole Opry and released three albums. That all came crashing down in the fall of 2016, when Toby Willis was arrested and convicted of sexual abuse. He is now serving a 40-year sentence. “My dad was abusive in every way that a person can be,” Fisher said. “And I was in that environment with him until I was 23.” The band went on hiatus and when

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her siblings returned in 2018 with a new album, Fisher didn’t participate. “A lot of my writing had been kind of therapeutic for me growing up, but it was also just fun,” she said. “And it was escape, and it just kind of dried up. I didn’t feel like I could access it.” Fisher sought help to recover and fell in love and then married Sean Fisher in 2017. Eventually the songs started to flow again. She wrote eight of the 10 songs on Brand New Day and co-wrote another. Music executive Pete Fisher, her father-in-law, introduced Fisher to

COVER STORY

“I’m not trying to be country. I’m not trying to be Irish. I’m not trying to be pop. I’m just trying to share these songs that mean so much to me.” producer Ben Fowler (Maddie & Tae, Sara Evans, The Doobie Brothers) and the album Brand New Day is the result. Many of the songs were born from her troubled past, but there are a couple of love songs to temper the mood. “It was just fun and easy to make,” Fowler said. “Sometimes the subject matter is really hard, but sonically they sound bright and the lyrics have real depth and meaning to them.” From “My History”: “All my story now belongs to me / I will try to build a better life for me / No one else will know what I could see / I am a survivor and you will be my history.” “Yes, I went through those things; that little girl was me,” Fisher said. “Putting that song on the record is me being

open about that. It is me saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to share this, I’m willing to talk about this.’” Fisher adapted well to recording with Nashville session pros rather than her family, Fowler said. Her excellent preparation for the sessions and chops as a fiddler went over very well with seasoned players including Dan Dugmore, Bryan Sutton, Fred Eltringham, Mark Hill and Gordon Mote. “It was just a love fest,” Fowler said. “They didn’t know (what to expect) that morning when they walked in there the first day. They just see a nice-looking female, and don’t know if it’s going to be an exceptional day musically, or what. “But when she started singing, and particularly when she started playing

fiddle, it’s like, ‘Oh, this is double great.’ So she’s got the goods, there’s no doubt about it across the board.” Many of Fisher’s influences are from Irish and bluegrass music, so it’s a little surprising that Brand New Day sounds so radio-ready. She cites Alison Krauss, Enya and Nickel Creek as favorites. “I’m not afraid of mainstream success or anything like that,” Fisher said. “I’m not trying to be country. I’m not trying to be Irish. I’m not trying to be pop. I’m just trying to share these songs that mean so much to me.” Fowler thinks the album covers so much territory that it’s difficult to pigeonhole it to a genre, although it’s listed as an Americana record. Fisher is scheduled to perform at the Americana

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Fest in September in Nashville. “Hopefully smarter people than I can figure out how to sell it or get it heard,” she said. “But that’s my biggest hope, that it is heard.” Fisher’s book Unspeakable: Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice is set for release by Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins Christian Publishing on Nov. 2. She is also working to set up a foundation to help abuse survivors. “My job is to show up and do my part,” Fisher said. “I’m super grateful for music to be the first chapter of that. … There’s much more to come.” Jim Patterson is a freelance writer in Nashville. See more of his work at https://muckrack.com/jim-patterson

NEWS

A Few Questions With Councilmember John Rutherford, District 31

ohn Rutherford is a veteran and a staunch advocate for Nashville’s veterans who would like the lead on that front. He also believes in targeting high-density development around thoroughfares and ensuring large development benefits all of Nashville. The Contributor talked with Rutherford as part of a series called A Few Questions With where we interview council members about their district’s most pressing issues. What stands out to you when describing District 31? District 31 is a mix of suburban and rural neighborhoods and farmland. There are farms that have been in the same family for generations and then there are new neighborhoods with people new to the area, many from other parts of the country and from other parts of the world. What are some of the main concerns you hear from your constituents? There are two concerns that rise above all others right now — development and safety. We’ve grown tremendously, and the recent census reflects that. In the redistricting process, the southeast is picking up a whole new Metro Council district. My own district is currently about 5,000 people too heavy, so it had to shrink in the redistricting process. The growth we have experienced is putting a strain on everything from schools to roads to utilities. When I ran for Metro Council, I ran on what I called controlled strategic development. What I mean by that is that we focus the growth in key areas and put the highest density along major thoroughfares. That hasn’t necessarily been occurring previously. We’re faced with a lot of new development and new development requests, which of course for Metro Council that’s a rezoning request. It’s reached the point where I’m significantly limiting the zoning changes in those areas that are not on major thoroughfares. The community demands that we maintain the rural integrity of those areas off the major thoroughfares, and I’m determined to do that as best I can. Growth has also put a strain on emergency services. There is a great need for a new fire station in our area based on response time. If you live anywhere south of Culbertson Road, you’re paying higher insurance premium that’s due in part of the response time from emergency services. So, safety is a big issue as a part of that. I’m hoping in this new budget season to get the engineering study done for a new fire station. The Metro Council Planning and Zoning Committee had and has some

BY JUDITH TACKETT

METRO COUNCIL COMMITTEES: Planning and Zoning (vice chair) Human Services Rules, Confirmation and Public Elections

big items before it, including the redevelopment of the former Old Hickory Mall and the East Bank redevelopment. What would you like to see happen in these areas? Both of these developments come with a lot of promise. My primary concern with projects of this scale is about whether or not they really are going to have a beneficial impact on all of Nashville. One of the key issues I want to see is affordable housing attached to both. We passed a resolution in Metro Council for the Mall purchase, but there is much planning still to be done in terms of what’s going to happen in the areas that are not leased by Vanderbilt. There is still a lot of square footage left in terms of what Metro is going to do with it. I would like to see a proposal for some type of affordable housing somewhere in the conversation. And then at the East Bank, connectivity is an important issue there, especially with the East Nashville neighborhoods. It will take leadership from both the Metro Council and the Mayor’s Office to ensure both projects will be beneficial to all Nashvillians. You are a veteran, are serving on the Metro Council’s Veterans Caucus, and we have served together on the Vice

Mayor’s Special Committee on Veterans. What do you hope will Nashville do to serve veterans? As a veteran this issue is very near and dear to me. I’m a founding member of the Metro Council’s Veterans Caucus. This is actually the first term the Metro Council had a Veterans Caucus in its history. I think that’s a sign in and of itself that Nashville has not done enough for our local veteran community historically. I want to see Metro follow through with what the Vice Mayor’s Special Committee on Veterans recommended. We need to do what many of our peer cities have done. We should elevate and expand the Davidson County Veteran Services Office to its own department, taking it out of HR where it’s kind of lost in the shuffle sometimes. I sponsored the Metro budget two years ago that expanded the office from two staff to three, but it’s still not enough. They’re overwhelmed and have to pick their battles in terms of what they can do to be effective for our local veterans. They focus mainly on at-risk veterans helping connect them to federal benefits available to them and other services such as housing, employment, health care and mental health and drug and alcohol treatment if necessary. With a new department, as the report

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recommends, we should also create a Veteran Services Commission represented by members of the veteran community and veteran advocates to help guide serving our veterans. What would you like to see prioritized as it comes to addressing homelessness in Nashville? I often hear that the answer to homelessness is housing. I believe that answer is really far too simple because if you snap your finger and suddenly would be able to house every unhoused person there would still be no answer to what led them to homelessness to begin with. Obviously affordable housing is an important part but equally important are the services such as employment, health care, mental health, and drug treatment. According to Operation Stand Down, [a high proportion]* of Nashville’s homeless population are veterans. A strong commitment to our veterans at the local level will go a long way to ending veteran homelessness. And if we can end veteran homelessness, we’ll put a significant dent into our overall homelessness issue. *based on national data, about 11 percent of the literal homeless population are veterans.

NASHVILLE ARTS

Images by Philip Holsinger. (Above) “The Waltz”; (Top Left)” Best Friends—McKinlee and Lola”; (Top Right) “The Gentlemen’s Brawl”

Picturing Nashville

Philip Holsinger’s immersive multimedia portrait of Nashville debuts at Chauvet Arts BY JOE NOLAN There are so many elements to be considered when creating a portrait: Who is the subject? What is the medium? What about the pose and lighting? What will they wear? What’s the perfect setting? But what if you wanted to create a portrait of an entire city? What would that require? Photojournalist Philip Holsinger has spent his last five years in Nashville attempting to capture the spirit of the city utilizing a combination of media including photography, video, audio, journal entries and more. The result is We Art Nashville: Act One, an immersive display at Chauvet Arts. The project is the brainchild of late local philanthropist Ben Rechter along with fellow We Are Nashville producers Kerry Graham and Don Transeth. The trio hired Holsinger and gave him full creative license along with the caveat: “Tell the truth.” The project also includes multiple art installations around town — The

Contributor has also published portions of the We Are Nashville collection. “When we got down to the philosophy of what we were attempting to do, we are reminding people to love their neighbor. But you can’t love somebody that you don’t know,” says Holsinger, “So I assigned myself the framework of making a family portrait of a family that had gotten so big that it didn’t even know its cousins anymore.” There is no doubt that Nashville’s family has been growing. When I moved here from Detroit in 1992, Nashville’s population was just over 600,000. Three decades later and that same number has more than doubled to a whopping 1,294,000. Looking at these two numbers explains a lot about our local housing crisis, our traffic problems and our restaurant wait times. But, Holsinger’s project tries to get at something more subtle, making connections across class distinctions, neighborhood boundaries, and language barriers to find

a clear focus on the big picture that we’re all a part of. Most of the show is made up of Holsinger’s black and white images. Chauvet’s curatorial team made some smart choices to display the works in an all-over salon style arrangement versus the more formal presentation along a single center line that we normally see in a gallery show. Holsinger also opted to present his works in mismatched vintage frames. These choices result in a show that feels more homey and casual than most gallery displays, and it creates a kind of democratic presentation where no one image is highlighted over another. The images feature a pretty dark-haired dancer celebrating the Kurdish New Year at a Newroz gathering, a boxer standing over a fallen opponent, musicians on stage, patrons digging into Nashville’s signature dish photographed through the front window of Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. Holsinger makes some interesting

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framing choices, cutting off one subject at the chin to emphasize the American flag hanging in his hands. He does the same with his boxer photo — the winning fighter’s physique and swaggering stance tell us everything we need to know without seeing the expression on his face. In addition to the photos, other highlights here are four of Holsinger’s short films. “My Name is Erick” is a profile of a former gang enforcer known as “Big E” that tells a redemption story about finding purpose in the everyday and friendships in unexpected faces. “Soccer Mom” is another story about a family broken by crime and neglect, and the path that brought them back together for a second chance. These films mostly frame their subjects in their own words and it really feels like we get to see them through their own eyes in the process. We Are Nashville: Act One runs through July

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 2022

GRATIS

Junio

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www.hispanicpaper.com

Año 20 - No. 351

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Nashville, Tennessee

El fin de la epidemia de VIH/SIDA en los Estados Unidos podría estar a la vista

Segun los Centros Para El Control y la Prevención de las Enfermedades (CDC), el VIH sigue siendo una amenaza para todos, pero tambien una muy grave para la salud de las comunidades hispanas o latinas. En Por Yuri Cunza Editor in Chief el 2018, los adultos y adolescentes his- @LaNoticiaNews panos o latinos representaron el 27 % de los 38,968 diagnósticos nuevos de infección por el VIH en los Estados Unidos.

Lo bueno es que existe un medicamento gratuito que puede prevenir casi el 100% de las nuevas infecciones por el VIH. Sin embargo, decenas de miles de personas contraerán el virus este año, muchas de ellas pertenecientes a grupos minoritarios. En el artículo a continuación, Carl Schmid, director ejecutivo del HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute (@HIVHep on Twitter), que promueve una atención médica asequible y de calidad para las personas que viven con o están en riesgo de contraer el VIH, hepatitis u otras afecciones médicas graves y crónicas, arroja luz sobre las barreras de concientización, estigma y costos que se interponen en el camino para terminar con la epidemia del VIH en los Estados Unidos, y ofrece soluciones concretas para eliminarlas. Carl Schmid explica: “Si bien aún no contamos con una vacuna contra el VIH, contamos con medicamentos que son casi 100 % efectivos para prevenir que las personas contraigan el VIH. Estos medicamentos son la piedra angular de un enfoque de prevención llamado profilaxis previa a la exposición o PrEP.

mentos de la PrEP en niveles o categorías menos accesibles, lo que aumenta la barrera de acceso.

El año pasado, la administración de Biden dio a las aseguradoras 60 días para eliminar los costos de los servicios asociados con la prescripción de PrEP. Este es un paso esencial, ya que los pacientes deben hacerse la prueba del VIH y otras condiciones preexistentes antes de comenzar la PrEP.

Fuente: CDC

Ya desde principios de 2021, se supone que los medicamentos de PrEP estan disponibles sin costo para la mayoría de los pacientes con seguro privado. Sin embargo, los obstáculos se interponen en el camino de la implementación de esta herramienta de prevención altamente eficaz. Estos incluyen conciencia, estigma y costo, sí, costo, a pesar del requisito legal de que estos medicamentos se proporcionen de forma gratuita a los pacientes. Debemos avanzar en todos estos frentes para eliminar este virus de una vez por todas. Hay 1.2 millones de estadounidenses en riesgo sustancial de contraer el VIH, según los CDC. Pero menos de una cuarta parte de esa población está tomando PrEP. Los miembros de las comunidades raciales y étnicas, junto con las mujeres, tienen mucho menos acceso a este régimen preventivo. En 2018, los estadounidenses blancos tenían seis veces más probabilidades de

tomar PrEP que los afroamericanos, y cinco veces más probabilidades que los latinoamericanos. Esas disparidades persisten a pesar de que el 64% de los nuevos casos de VIH entre hombres que tienen sexo con hombres ocurren en grupos minoritarios. Los pacientes de color también son menos propensos que los pacientes blancos a hablar con sus médicos sobre la PrEP, en parte debido al estigma que rodea al VIH. Las aseguradoras tampoco están ayudando. Es posible que muchos estadounidenses en riesgo no sepan que las aseguradoras deben cubrir los medicamentos de la PrEP sin costo alguno para los pacientes. Recientemente realicé verificaciones aleatorias para ver qué aseguradoras seguían estas pautas federales. Las aseguradoras de Georgia, Ohio, Washington y más no han cumplido al mantener los medica-

por

www.juanese.com juanese@usa.com

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La medida para cubrir la PrEP y sus servicios asociados beneficia enormemente a las comunidades en riesgo, pero aún deja un gran vacío: las personas sin seguro. El CDC estima que al menos 200.000 personas sin seguro están en riesgo de contraer el VIH, casi una cuarta parte de la población en riesgo total. Los programas federales pueden desempeñar un papel importante en el aumento de la conciencia, la reducción del estigma y la prestación de PrEP a las personas sin seguro. Por ejemplo, los centros de salud comunitarios ya han mostrado resultados notables al conectarse con personas que necesitan PrEP. Pero estos programas están en su infancia, por lo que el gobierno debe acelerarlos. El gobierno federal también debe aumentar los fondos de los CDC para los programas locales de extensión de la PrEP, particularmente en el sur, donde el estigma es mayor. Estamos a punto de que el VIH siga el camino de la viruela y la poliomielitis. La tragedia y la pérdida finalmente pueden ser cosa del pasado si el gobierno toma las medidas correctas ahora.” Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

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June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams

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. First published in 1941, 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. 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

Whitsun-Week Wednesday THE grace of the Holy Ghost is not bound to any law. St Gregory the Great: Dialogues. NATURE makes man from the child and the hen from the egg, but God makes the man before the child and the hen before the egg. God gives the Holy Ghost before he gives the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Eckhart: The Book of Benedictus.

Whitsun-Week Thursday WHEN a man here on earth is illuminated by the Holy Spirit from the spring of Jesus Christ . . . there comes into his heart and his veins such joy that the whole body triumphs, as though it were in the Holy Trinity, which they alone understand who have been its guests. Boehme: Aurora.

The Feast of St Barnabus ALL the Church is Christ's Bride, of which the beginning and first-fruits is the Flesh of Christ, because there was the Bridegroom joined to the Bride in the Flesh. St Augustine: On I John. I SAW full surely in this and in all, that ere God made us he loved us; which love was never slacked, nor ever shall be. And in this love he hath done all his works; and in this love he hath made all things profitable to us; and in this love our life is everlasting. In our making we had beginning; but the love wherein he made us was in him from without beginning: in which love we have our beginning. And all this shall we see in God, without end. Which may Jesus grant us. Amen. Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

Whitsun-Week Friday [OF the Cross] This Sign of sorrow and ignominy is the most expressive image of the Holy Ghost. Léon Bloy: Letters to his Fiancée. LET us love each other in the way that God wishes and let us not be frightened of the Love which is the very name of the Holy Ghost, and let us thus courageously await the will of Him Who made us for His glory. Léon Bloy: Letters to his Fiancée.

IT is this eternal, unbeginning Trinity in unity of fire, light, and spirit, that constitutes eternal nature, the Kingdom of Heaven, the heavenly Jerusalem, the divine life, beatific visibility, the majestic glory and presence of God. Through this Kingdom of Heaven, or eternal nature, is the invisible God, the incomprehensible Trinity eternally breaking forth, and manifesting itself in a boundless height and depth of blissful wonders, opening and displaying itself to all its creatures as in an infinite variation and endless multiplicity of its powers, beauties, joys and glories. William Law: An Appeal.

1st Monday after Trinity THE doctrine of the Holy Trinity is wholly practical; it is revealed to us, to discover our high original and the greatness of our fall, to show us the deep and profound operation of the triune God in the recovery of the divine life in our souls; that by the means of this mystery thus discovered, our piety may be rightly directed, our faith and prayer have their proper objects, that the workings and aspiring of our own hearts may cooperate and correspond with that triune life in the Deity, which is always desiring to manifest itself in us. William Law: An Appeal.

1st Tuesday after Trinity THERE appeared to me, in the profound and clear substance of that great light three Circles, of three colours and of one magnitude; and One seemed reflected from the Other as rainbow from rainbow, and the Third as it were a fire equally breathed from Either . . . and that Circling which seemed to reflected light, after my eyes had gazed some time, appeared in its own colour to be painted with our (human) likeness . . . Power failed from the high vision; but already my desire and my will revolved—like a wheel moving equally—in the Love that moves the sun and the other stars. Dante: Paradise.

1st Wednesday after Trinity THERE is no one first principle of evil as there is one first principle of good. Aquinas: Summa Theologica. CREATION in the creature is only a certain relation to its Creator as to the principle of its being. Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

Whitsun-Week Saturday

1st Thursday after Trinity

IT is the knowledge of the All of God that makes cherubim and seraphim to be flames of divine love. For where this All of God is truly known and felt in any creature, there its whole breath and spirit is a fire of love, nothing but a pure disinterested love can arise up in it or come from it, a love that begins and ends in God. And where this love is born in any creature, there a seraphic life is born along with it. For this pure love introduces the creature into the All of God; all that is in God is opened in the creature, it is united with God and has the life of God manifested in it. William Law: The Spirit of Prayer.

WE should communicate, not for our souls' benefit, but also to satisfy Our Lord's exceeding longing for us. Charles De Condren, quoted by Patmore: The Rod, The Root, and the Flower.

LOVE knoweth not how to keep a storehouse full of possessions. The Paradise of the Fathers.

Trinity Sunday

IF you are the body of Christ and his members it is the mystery of yourselves that is laid upon the altar. It is the mystery of yourselves that you receive. It is to what you are that you say Amen. St Augustine: Sermons.

ADORED be thou, Lord, through our sister, the Death of our body. St Francis of Assisi: Canticle of the Sun.

1st Saturday after Trinity BUT when does flesh receive the bread which he calls His flesh? The faithful know and receive the Body of Christ, if they labour to be the body of Christ. And they become the body of Christ, if they study to live by the Spirit of Christ: for that which lives by the Spirit of Christ, is the body of Christ. This bread the Apostle sets forth, where he says, We being many are one body. O sacrament of mercy, O sign of unity, O bond of love! Whoso wishes to live, let him draw nigh, believe, be incorporated, that he may be quickened. St Augustine: quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea. IN nature the body makes the place, but in grace the place makes the body. Donne: Sermons.

First Sunday after Trinity IT is owned on all hands that we are baptised into a renovation of some divine birth that we had lost. ßAnd that we many not be at a loss to know what that divine birth is, the form in baptism openly declares to us that it is to regain that first birth of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in our souls, which at the first made us to be truly and really images of the nature of the Holy Trinity in unity. The form in baptism is but very imperfectly apprehended, till it is understood to have this great meaning in it. And it must be owned that the Scriptures tend wholly to guide us to this understanding of it. For since they teach us a birth of God, a birth of the Spirit, that we must obtain, and that baptism, the appointed sacrament of this new birth, is to be done into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, can there be any doubt that this sacrament is to signify the renovation of the birth of the Holy Trinity in our souls? William Law: Christian Regeneration.

2nd Monday after Trinity WHAT is 'spirit'? (for Christ is spirit, his religion that of the spirit). Spirit is: to live as though dead (dead to the world). This way of life is so entirely foreign to man that to him it is quite literally worse than death. Very carefully introduced for an hour or so in the distance of the imagination, natural man can bear it, it even pleases him. But if it is brought nearer him, so near that it becomes, in all seriousness, something required of him: the natural instinct of self-protection rises up so powerfully in him that a regular uproar follows, as with drink . . . And in that condition, in which he is beside himself, he demands the death of the man of spirit, or rushes upon him to put him to death. Kierkegaard: Journals.

2nd Tuesday after Trinity

1st Friday after Trinity

UNLESS a man saith in his heart, "Only God and myself exist in this world," he will not find rest. The Paradise of the Fathers.

IT is not according to times or places that we say that the whole Christ is everywhere, as if He were at one time whole in one place, at another time whole in another: but as being whole always and everywhere. St Augustine: On the Creed.

KEEP thy conscience with thy brother and thou shalt find rest. The Paradise of the Fathers.

WE confess neither a solitary nor a diverse God. St Hillary: Of the Trinity.

Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher

PAGE 18 | June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

FUN

HOBOSCOPES GEMINI

Everything is getting faster, but somehow it’s getting sadder, too. It’s all so new and important and improved. And the tragedies and the disasters just get bigger and closer together and the ads between videos get louder and longer. This isn’t how I thought the future would feel, Gemini. But you can change the pace. You can control the feed and slow your scroll. When it’s too fast and too sad, Gemini, I like to start with one deep breath in. You can take it from there.

Due to a recent round of layoffs and some reshuff ling of roles, The Stars were unable to foresee anything for Libra for the immediate future. The Stars indicate that all departments should be back in (newly efficient) working order in the next cycle, and that if Libras are unable to wait they’re always free to borrow from Aquarius or Pisces, whichever one feels right. Thank you for your understanding.

AQUA RIUS

It’s hot out there, Aquarius. Do you want one of these freezer pops? I’ve still got Gary Grape, Peggy Papaya and Mable Mango. (The Charlie Cherries always go first and Capricorn took all the Lester Lemons when they thought I wasn’t looking.) Anyhow, take your pick. All I ask is that you don’t try to bite the wrapper open. Use the scissors on the counter. I know you’re in a hurry but using the right tools for the job makes less work later. Oh, that may apply to other situations as well. Enjoy.

SCORPIO

CANCER

Every couple years it’s probably a good idea to scroll back through all those posts and tweets and see what you were talking about five years ago or 10 years ago. This might be a good week for that. Also, take the opportunity to delete anything that your past self didn’t realize you wouldn’t want your future employers or friends or grandchildren to see. All of this used to feel temporary, but it turns out it’s kind of permanent, Cancer. Keep an eye on your past and use it to inform your future.

LEO

I think it’s time for some new kinds of superheroes, Leo. Like, we’ve got all the ones that fly and read minds and throw cars and stuff. What about a superhero who captures tourism dollars and puts them back into the community to make life in a city more livable for all residents? I’m just throwing out ideas here. Anyway, Leo, The Stars indicate that your particular super powers may be called upon in a new way this week. You probably won’t even have to throw a car.

VIRGO

LIBRA

The original music streaming service was just called “birds.” It played outside your window every morning whether you wanted it to or not. Usually the same repetitive song. And about the time you made peace with it, it would change to something louder and shorter and higher pitched. It was free so people just went with it. These days we’ve got more choices. But sometimes it’s nice to take out your headphones, turn toward the wind, and just let the world tell you what to listen to.

It’s a story told in every culture in every century. The hero goes out into the world and then the hero returns. So what did you find out there, Scorpio? Did you change the world or did it change you? Whatever happened, you made it back. You brought your self and your story. Tell it when you get the chance. Maybe the change followed you here.

PISCES

It seems like loss is in the air lately, Pisces. You can take a deep breath and you can try to hold it in, but eventually you have to let it go. We’re made to grasp and cling. It’s what keeps us alive. But nothing we love can stay long enough and so we end up grieving for what we had. Even the grief can’t stay, Pisces. Hold it for as long as you need to, but when it’s ready let the grief go. It’s the only way to make room for the next breath.

SAGITTA R IUS

Are you worried, Sagittarius? You look worried. When things get overwhelming and those anxious feelings start rushing in, I’ve found that it’s the best thing to do is find a pen and paper and draw a hotdog. Don’t look up a picture, just go from memory. Maybe it’s got mustard and relish. Maybe it’s got arms and legs and a tophat. Go for photorealism or surrealism or just a shape that evokes the idea of a hotdog. Give it at least three minutes. Then turn the page and draw another one. Now you’re a hotdog artist! What could a hotdog artist possibly have to be worried about?

CAPRICORN

You keep checking that weather app to see what’s going to happen next and then you check that other app to see what just happened. Sure, rain is in the forecast. News is in the pastcast. But all you really need to know, Capricorn, is what’s in the nowcast. The best app for that is the timer. Set it for 10 minutes and put your phone down. Don’t touch it until it goes off. Keep your head up. Look around. What do you see? What do you hear? How do you feel? Next time set the alarm for 15.

ARIES

Sometimes I wish we could switch places, Aries, like in one of those movies. I’d suddenly have your worries and you’d have mine. We’d understand each other better and when you look at your problems from the outside they always seem smaller and more solvable. Plus, I’d bet if you worked on my issues for about 20 minutes, you could fix most of them with time to spare. But we can’t swap, Aries. Still, I’ll be around to listen. And I know I could use some help too. We’ll just have to keep switching places the old fashioned way. By talking it through.

TAURUS

Before the internet, if I wanted to know how old Keith Richards is I would have to walk over to my neighbor’s house and knock on the door. I’d want to be polite so I’d ask about his day and his weekend plans. We’d chat and he’d show me the rock tumbler he kept in his garage and then I’d say “speaking of Rolling Stones, Dwayne…” and I’d pop the question. This is a good week to meet your neighbors, Taurus. You may think you have everything you need at the push of a button, but some connections are irreplaceable.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a certified social media consultant, or a trained hot dog artist 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

June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

VENDOR WRITING

WORDS HEARD WITHOUT MUSIC Written by Chris Scott Fieselman

Sometimes I wonder why? Am I just fooling myself? My actions get reactions that affect someone else. Getting through to someone who never knew me before. Kind of like a salesman selling myself door to door. When someone’s better off and it’s because of what you’ve done. They didn’t see it coming that’s what makes it so much fun. Just what the doctor ordered in their hour of need. Something in The Contributor meant for them to read. Now, it takes a lot of time to find the lines and rhyme the words, And I definitely think I’m not being paid what I’m worth. Well, if life is more than money with just one life to live. There are people counting on me and what I’ve got to give. If what I write inspires them to strive and to achieve. God can do great things through those who truly do Believe. Oh, I’m just a lowly farmer and my words are but a seed, Planted in The Contributor for anyone to read. Well, I guess I’ve said enough for now. Until we meet again. If it’s you friends who make the difference then, Consider me you friend. I think what I’m doings important and I believe it must be done. I may never get the chance to reach the world, But at least I can teach some. To me, it’s an opportunity to earn my keep and pay my dues. You catch more flies with honey than you do singing the blues. So, remember when you leave them, Always leave them wanting more, Of Words Heard Without the Music songs, In The Contributor.

CHRIS SCOTT COOLER Written by Chris Scott Fieselman

You start with a big bottle of Gatorade. Cause when it comes to re-hydration, That stuff is great. I like the white one. That Gatorade Frost. I think it’s something good to drink, That’s well worth the cost. Then… If your glass is half empty, But your schedule’s still full. Get just enough pick me up, From a can of Red Bull. A lot of it’s sub-conscious, You are what you think. From America’s bestselling, Well known, energy drink. And we all know we need to be drinking more water. It never can hurt and it’s always good for you. Mix it together and see what you’ve got. The basic ingredients to make a Chris Scott. A concoction I came up with, To benefit all. I left it up to you to choose, The Preferred Alcohol.

CHANGE A HEART Written by Chris Scott Fieselman

I’m totally under-whelmed, And so very un-impressed. The lack of charity in Music City. The wealthy against the homeless. In church every Sunday morning, But then the rest of the week do the wrong thing. How can a man claim to be a Christian? And be un-willing to stand up and do something. To Change another person’s Heart, We all have to do our part. If we take care of each other, We’ll all have enough. Some people have it easy, Some have got it so rough. There’s nothing you won’t do, For the people you Love, And that’s where it’s got to start. To Change another person’s Heart. The High Cost of Homelessness is such a cliché. We hear it over and over and day after day. But, here in Music City, Nashville, Tennessee, The problem’s gotten ‘bout as bad, As it can possibly be. Affordable Housing is so hard to find, They’ve even gone so far, As to make camping a crime. We’ve got to do better. We can’t let this go on. If we can get our acts together, We can get something done. To Change another person’s Heart, We all have to do our part. If we take care of each other, We’ll all have enough. Some people have it easy, Some have got it so rough. There’s nothing you won’t do, For the people you Love, And that’s where it’s got to start. To Change another person’s Heart. Can the Words of a Song? And the Heart it comes from, Have any lasting effect, Upon anyone? I Wonder? To Change another person’s Heart, We all have to do our part. If we take care of each other, We’ll all have enough. Some people have it easy, Some have got it so rough. There’s nothing you won’t do, For the people you Love, And that’s where it’s got to start. To Change another person’s Heart.

PAGE 20 | June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

THEME: STEPHEN K ING ACROSS 1. Mauritania’s neighbor 5. Arrest 8. Daughter of Zeus and Hera 12. Like fist of some rulers 13. Containing limestone 14. *”Misery” Oscar winner 15. Gulf War missile 16. Throat-clearing sound 17. Earp of the Wild West 18. *’58 Plymouth Fury in a Stephen King novel 20. Hole punchers 21. G in SAG

22. Lennon’s wife 23. Napoleon’s hat 26. Old tree description 30. Ryder Cup team 31. Forecastle, for short 34. Ruptured 35. Harangues 37. Tiny guitar 38. East side of Jersey 39. Brussels’ org. 40. Genie, alt. sp. 42. Soak through 43. Autumnal zodiac sign 45. Stomach sores 47. Basketball hoop 48. Down Under marsupial 50. Ginger-flavored cookie 52. *”It” clown

56. Nary a soul 57. Larger-than-life 58. Like some rumors 59. Smart _____, pl. 60. Pilaf grain 61. Close in proximity 62. *”The Green ____” 63. Don’t waste 64. RisquÈ DOWN 1. Catchall abbr. 2. St. Louis tourist attraction 3. Displeasure on one’s face 4. Rainbow color 5. Root of nihilism 6. Set right 7. *”Stand ____ ____,”

Camp Paradise Valley The idea of a summer vacation is fading as many parents are having to decide between the rising prices of gas, groceries, and rent. The reality of our summer is that not everyone can keep up with the changes of the markets around us. The Salvation Army has a solution to the continual stress of inflation. The Salvation Army summer camp program at Camp Paradise Valley provides our community children with one week of sleep away camp. A vacation from reality in the fresh waters of Dale Hollow Lake. Food, fun, and faith fellowship is the vacation we all need. Summer camp creates memories that influence a lifetime.

Want to join us this summer as a supporter or as a camper?

SalvationArmyNashville.org

June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 21

film based on “The Body” 8. *”Rita ____ and the Shawshank Redemption” 9. Bibliographical abbr. (2 words) 10. Risky business, pl. 11. “Is” in Paris 13. Hispanic American 14. Boss, in Swahili 19. Rides the waves 22. Buck 23. “Auld Lang Syne” poet 24. *”Children of the Corn” cult leader Chroner 25. Subsection of a poem 26. “Rhinestone Cowboy” singer 27. Kind of change 28. Mistake 29. Oceanic trenches 32. *Rabid Saint Bernard in Stephen King book 33. Mogul rider 36. *Nicholson in “The Shining” 38. Foolish 40. Not bright 41. Subtlety 44. Plumber’s concern, pl. 46. Crying like crow 48. Type of cap, pl. 49. Chilled (2 words) 50. Same as solos 51. Yuletide 52. Paddington Bear’s homeland 53. Beginning of a story? 54. Grand ____ 55. *Like a Stephen King story 56. “Platoon” setting

VENDOR WRITING

The Eagles- Still Flying High In Spite Of The Death Of Glenn Frey BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Seeing Garth Brooks at Nissan Stadium was a highlight of the year for me, I owe to my customers without a doubt. I thought nothing could ever compare to that. However, the next day some of my fellow music lovers asked who I’d like to see next. Which acts are on my bucket list? At first, I hesitated but finally said The Eagles. (They were my ex husband’s favorite band. He is dead now, and I wanted to see them in his memory. He would’ve turned 61 on April 28, 2022. It may sound strange, but we remained close over the years — it happens when you have kids together.) When we were married, I secretly got tickets to see them at Starwood Amphitheater for the Hell Freezes Over tour in April of ‘95. (I achieved rock star status with that move!) He was SO excited! Within a week, 20 people had donated a total of $92.50 for me to see the show! Again, it wasn’t quite enough for a ticket, but I put a little with it, and once again I saw a GREAT show! As I tried to locate my seat inside Bridgestone Arena, the staff noticed my seat was NOT wheelchair accessible and asked if I was alone. When

I said yes, they immediately gave me an “upgrade” and I was taken to a much better seat, no longer in the nosebleed seats. That was pretty cool! Once there, I had the pleasure of meeting a mother/daughter duo Patty (57) and Rita (86) from Birmingham, Ala. who have seen The Eagles 15 times! I asked if they’d been fans of The Eagles since the early days. Rita then spoke up and said, “No, only since the Hell Freezes Over tour in the ‘90s.” She went on to say, “Between you and me I’m glad it’s still froze over!” At this point, Tim (32) from Louisville, Ky. chimed in and said, “Man, I thought I’d seen them a lot, but I’ve only seen them seven times.” The show then began with a man placing a vinyl copy of Hotel California on a turntable. As the record started to spin, the band began to play the signature song to an enthusiastic crowd. (As I listened to the lyrics of that song, I couldn’t help but think how well the words of this song fit the pandemic lockdown, “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”) They continued to play the album in its entirety only stopping briefly for a lady dressed in black (think Elvira mistress of the

dark) to flip the record from side A to side B. The show included flashing lights and ever changing graphics to fit the music in the background. When they finished, they introduced The Nashville Recording Orchestra as well as the Fisk Jubilee Singers! Now that’s what I call backup! No wonder the music sounded heavenly. Afterwards Don Henley told the audience, “We’re going to take a short break and then we’re going to come back and play everything else we know.” And that’s pretty much what they did! The group began the next portion of the show with an a cappella performance of “7 Bridges Road.” It was awesome! That was followed by a few classics, “Take It Easy,” “One of These Nights,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” and “Witchy Woman.” At this point, one of them said, “We’re happy to be here, but at our age we’re just happy to be anywhere.” (The original band members Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmidt are all in their 70’s.) After “local boy” Vince Gill is introduced, the crowd erupts to an almost deafening level and the audi-

ence was told to, “Take it easy, y’all are scaring him.” I must admit, I wondered how it would sound with him covering Glenn Frey’s part especially since Deacon Frey is no longer touring with the band, but he handled it like a pro. His voice blended with the others so well it was as if he’d always been a part of the band. They went on to sing another string of their hits, “Take It To The Limit,” “Tequila Sunrise,” “In the City,” “I Can’t Tell You Why,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” and, “Those Shoes,” (which happened to be Tim’s favorite songand one I didn’t know.) After getting the crowd riled up and eager to participate in the show, Joe Walsh launched into, “Life’s Been Good,” which was followed by “Already Gone,” and “Funk 49.” The instrumentals on this song were phenomenal! For an encore, the group performed, “Rocky Mountain Way” with Joe Walsh once again taking the lead. Next up was “Desperado,” (my ex’s favorite song and if I may say so, somewhat autobiographical.) Rounding out the night was, “The Boys of Summer.” Before the final song the audi-

ence was reminded that “Take It Easy” was released 50 years ago, on May 1, 1972, just two days away. The band thanked the crowd for all those wonderful years and they closed out the show with “Best of My Love” with the crowd on its feet singing along to every word. After playing more than three hours, the concert came to an end with an extended standing ovation. As I was getting ready to leave, Rita said, “Did you enjoy the show, dear?” I said yes, and asked if this was the end of their road trip? She said, “Oh Lord, I hope not! We still have tickets for the Salt Lake City, Ut. and Reno, Nev. shows!” (And between you and me, I can see them dusting off their passports to see The Eagles in the Netherlands, the UK, or Ireland!) What a pair, they were something else. As for Tim, I owe him a BIG thank you! He helped me with the songs I didn’t know (there were three or four). I’m hoping he got to see The Eagles in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. on May 12. It is my hope that as you read this you feel like you were there in the audience, part of the show. Feel free to let me know how I did.

The Generosity of People BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR First of all I want to talk about the generosity of my church, Ethos Church. When I thought I was down and hurting pain wise or food wise or anything, my church just out of the blue came to me with some kind of an aid. Like food, money or clothing. They would just say, “what do you need Mr. B?” Most of the time I would say I don’t need anything and then they would say, “What do you need man?” So, they give me what I asked for. Last Christmas, they gave me a good donation. I call them my church family. Whether you adopted me, or I adopted you, we’re family. Generosity of the church members has been so good over the past years. After I was there for two weeks, I asked them to baptize me. Not just to be baptized in the name of the Lord, but to renew my vows. I’ve been baptized many times, but I really felt something this time. I love this church very, very much. Of the members got this chair for me because my other chair broke down completely. They could not fix it. So the generosity of my church got that done for me. In one day! And that’s a lot to get done in one day. There are also people out there who are generous when I’m out there selling my newspapers

and playing my music. There is people who blows my mind who just come up and give me a donation. Homeless people even insist on giving me donations. I say, “you’re homeless you need this more than I do.” But they tell me I light up their life and brighten their day. They say you’re playing oldies and then you’re playing spoons. That’s an old fad that I’m trying to bring back strong. I’ve asked my church to let me teach spoon playing and I’m waiting to hear about that. I had a nervous breakdown at the age of 7 years old because my brother got murdered when

I was 6 and it took a year to actually hit me. When I turned 8, I seen this guy named Danny playing the spoons and I said, “Man, what are you doing?” And he said, “I’m playing the spoons. Would you like to play?” And I said, “I don’t know how.” And he said, “I’ll teach you.” And he taught me. He taught me one way and I developed different style as I got older. Now I’ve got four sets of spoons here that make different sounds. My momma was a singer, so I’ve been singing since I was 3 years old. I was shaking like Elvis and doing his songs. I think I was born to be a show off, or a show person. Because I’ve always been outspoken. I’ve always been a packrat and I’ve always been, you know, really hyper for one thing. So, I’ve always been a go-getter. The people on the street coming that’s coming in and out of Nashville who walk down the street and hear me play, they might not stop that very day, but if they have around for a while, they’ll come back to see me. I want to say that The Contributor has been one of the best things that’s happened to me in my life. If I hadn’t found The Contributor through a friend, I’d probably be either dead or back in prison. It gives me the opportunity to play my music, which I’ve always wanted to

PAGE 22 | June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

do, and it gave me the opportunity to finally get clean off drugs and alcohol. Fifteen years now. All these things coming to my head I never dreamed I can do. I never dreamed I could dictate a story like this. That’s a gift I think the Lord gave me. Back to generosity. Number one is my church. Number two is Room in the Inn because I’ve been there eight years. And Number 3 is The Contributor. The Contributor has given me quite a bit. They’ve given me food cards to help me through the pandemic. We had meals where we could talk and we could come up with suggestions. I wish The Contributor would find a way to do some videos that we could sell with the papers. I really think some of these vendors have a lot of talent. I’ve been wanting to try and get a band together for the last few years. If anyone is interested in trying out for a bad, I have several instruments of different kinds, even a trombone! I just want to say at the end of this story, I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to get off drugs, giving a place to live at RITI, giving me a church that I fell in love with. I was like a boll weevil looking for a church home, and I found that church home.

MOVING PICTURES

Teenage Heros ‘STRANGER THINGS’ GOES FULL ‘NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET’ WITH A WELCOME RETURN TO FORM BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC Season 4 of Stranger Things debuted on Netflix on May 27, just in time for the long Memorial Day weekend. I’m a fan of the show, and, for me, fandom means I want a new season to be good and I worry a little bit that it won’t be. Zipping through the show’s first seven episodes my anxiety abated as I enjoyed this welcome return to Hawkins, Ind., and to the bedrock elements that established the series. Fans of Stranger Things like the show for different reasons — 1980s music and movies have proven to be surprisingly enduring, and younger generations dig E.T. and synth pop, too. For older viewers, the nostalgia value is obvious. As a Gen-Xer growing up in the Midwest, Stranger Things pretty much looks like my middle school years after my family moved from Detroit to a small town within a large rural and suburban township in southeastern Michigan. There were two essential elements instrumental in Stranger Things’ initial breakthrough: it’s one of the most unique Sci-Fi titles since The Matrix, and it’s also, conversely, virtuosic in its cultural call-outs which are smart candy for anyone who appreciates the pop culture of the late Cold War. Season 4 gets us back to the roots of the show’s unique premise: a psychic weapon tries to be a kid in Indiana. These new episodes find Eleven/Jane attempting to recover her tele-

kinetic powers by revisiting the trauma of her training in the Rainbow Room at Hawkins National Laboratory. Meanwhile a series of teen murders whips Hawkins into a Satanic Panic, and Hopper plans to breakout of the secret prison we saw him in during the Easter Egg scene which played in the end credits of the Stranger Things Season 3 finale. Stranger Things is at its best as a blend of science fiction, horror and growing pains, and here the balance between the genuinely disturbing visual effects, the surreal storytelling, and the evolution of the characters feels just right. Season 4 returns to the roots of the show, but it’s not just a gimmick. The new episodes begin to get to the bottom of what’s really happening in Hawkins, and they feel like a great mash-up of The Scooby-Doo Show and A Nightmare on Elm Street. I’m beginning to think the Belcourt Theatre has its own psychic powers, programming A Nightmare on Elm Street as a Midnight Movie just a few weeks before this new season premiered. One of Season 4’s masterstrokes is its broad and thoughtful borrowing from A Nightmare On Elm Street. The teen murders happening in Hawkins are as unsettling as the ones on Elm Street. Freddy Krueger’s victims are murdered in their dreams, and the kids in Hawkins are captured in a trance state experienced as a waking nightmare. These

sequences also remind me of Stephen King’s It, but Stranger Things Season 4 is mostly a celebration of the Freddy-verse. Vecna, a new villain, gets his name from an undead wizard monster from the Dungeons & Dragons game — this is the Hawkins’ way. Vecna brings lots of taunting dialogue to his confrontations with the teens in the Stranger Things alternate universe, the Upside Down. Then he dispatches them with his over-sized claw the Dungeons

& Dragons Lore Wiki describes as having “long, claw-like nails.” Sound familiar? Vecna’s self-important, sometimes silly orating owes a lot to Pinhead from Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, but the psychic ambushing and claw slicing come straight outta Krueger. The show is scheduled to end after a final fifth season, and the second half of the fourth season will be released by Netflix on July 1, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The second part of season four

June 8 - 22, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 23

includes two episodes with the 9th and final show of this season coming in at a whopping two hours and 30 minutes runtime. Stranger Things Season 4 is currently streaming on Netflix

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.

The Contributor: June 8, 2022

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