1 15 2014

VOL. 63, No. 2

www.tsdmemphis.com

January 9 - 15, 2014

75 Cents

COMMENTARY

Help keep kids warm!

Donate to the Action News 5 coat drive

by WMCTV.com Staff

Extreme cold and school cancellations exposed a major need in the Memphis community: coats for schoolchildren.

Action News 5 is partnering with the YWCA Greater Memphis and its Common Ground program to collect new coats for Memphis schoolchildren.

New coats can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the YWCA’s main office at 766 South Highland Ave. on Thursday and Friday this week. (The drive began Wednesday.)

Please bring new coats only. The community needs children’s sizes all the way up through the largest adult sizes in order to accommodate students of all ages, from pre-K to high school, boys and girls.

Gift cards will be accepted to area merchants as well as monetary donations, which will be used to buy coats in specific sizes for kids who need coats but whose sizes/genders were not available through the coat donation.

The YWCA will distribute the coats to needy children in YWCA afterschool programs across the county and in the YWCA emergency shelter.

Coats will also be distributed to Common Ground’s adopted school South Park Elementary and other public schools.

Online donations can be made at donations.memphisywca.org.

The Root

by Peniel E. Joseph Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson gave one of the most important State of the Union speeches in American history. Championing the cause of racial and economic equality, he promised, “This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America.”

A half-century later, it’s time for America to declare a new war on poverty.

Like the best presidential addresses,

Fifty years after President Johnsonʼs declaration

Johnson’s “War on Poverty” speech was enormously ambitious. He argued that a nation as rich and powerful as the United States had a political and moral obligation to lift millions out of poverty, help create jobs for inner-city youth, protect the elderly and provide food for the hungry.

The war on poverty became the heart of Johnson’s “Great Society” – a vision of American democracy that

sought to amplify and extend social policy enacted during the New Deal to an emerging generation of Americans.

But two generations later, the same inequality Johnson so eloquently described – and vowed to defeat – is growing throughout America, and leaving a wealthy nation scarred with pockmarks of hunger, unemployment, mass incarceration and homelessness.

The anniversary of his speech, though, is an opportunity to ponder missed opportunities, celebrate successful programs and, most importantly, to look ahead to the future.

What can we do now, and how do we want future generations to remember us?

Now is the time for black activists and their allies to demand a new war on poverty. In contrast to 1964, where a burgeoning civil rights movement inspired and cajoled the federal government into action, we live in a moment where politiSEE POVERTY ON PAGE 2

ANALYSIS

The Root

by John McWhorter

• MLK calender of events.

See News, page 3.

• Grizz fall in OT against Spurs. See Sports, page 12.

• Family tragedy puts spotlight on depression. See Community, page 11.

Bennie Nelson West and her son Joshua Parks

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H- 5 5o - L - 4 9o C l oud y

H- 5 4o - L - 3 3o Mostl y Cl o udy

H- 5 9o - L - 4 2o S unn y

Friday H-55 L-54 H-56 L-50 H-62 L-55

Time for a new ‘War on Poverty’

Why legalized weed is good news for young black men

- INSIDE -

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

President Lyndon Johnson signs the Economic Opportunity Act on May 21, 1964. (LBJ Library photo by Cecil Stoughton)

Saturday H-57 L-34 H-57 L-34 H-62 L-36

Sunday H-62 L-41 H-53 L-39 H-64 L-42

As the legalization of marijuana promises to join the legalization of gay marriage as part of the unanticipatedly rapid social revolution that will define our times, we will be hearing certain ruminations.

And not only from fire-breathing moralists easy to dismiss as “behind the times.”

I refer to wiser heads worried that legalization will raise rates of usage and addiction. The New York Times’ David Brooks has stated that even though he partook for a spell in his teens, he feels that legalizing marijuana will encourage more young people to smoke pot instead of exploring things more constructive and challenging.

Meanwhile, Ruth Marcus, who also acknowledges having smoked her share of pot in days now associated with “polyester,” worries about data showing that the pothead teen often lowers his IQ permanently.

This is hardly a new take on the matter. Mark Kleiman, a UCLA public-policy professor and a leading voice and author on the drug war, has long been convinced that legalization will raise addiction rates, and encourages more carefully targeted enforcement efforts.

To anyone who supports the end of the war on drugs – and opposes legalization in states like Colorado – views like Kleiman’s and the others’ can’t help but seem like a bucket of cold water.

Here we all are, excited about the “Hamsterdam” vision from the third season of “The Wire” coming true, in which the cops allow drugs to be sold in a carefully policed setting instead of endlessly rounding up the Bodies and Wallaces.

And then here come these pundits and professors worried about increased addiction rates – it feels SEE WEED ON PAGE 2

President Barack Obama hugs Katherine Hackett of Moodus, Conn., who introduced him during an East Room event on unemployment insurance benefits on Monday, Jan. 7th at the White. President Obama continued his push for the benefits, which had expired before the New Year. The Senate this week voted 60-37 to begin the debate on a bill to extend the benefits for three months. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Obama’s inequality strategy theGrio

by Perry Bacon Jr. The push by President Obama and Democrats to extend unemployment insurance for 1.3 million people whose benefits ran out at the end of last month is only the first step in a series of debates in which the party will try to cast Republicans as out of step with Americans still struggling economically.

Democrats, both nationally and in states like Kentucky and South Dakota, will call for increasing the minimum wage, a policy change backed by the majority of Americans but largely opposed by conservative-leaning lawmakers and business groups.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Florida, Wisconsin and Maine are attacking Republican incumbents who have refused to expand Medicaid in their states, looking to cast those Republicans as unwilling to offer health insurance to low-income people.

Obama, in his State of the Union address later this month, is expected to repeat his call to raise taxes in other

to fund universal pre-kindergarten programs.

On all of these issues, Democrats are pressing a strong populist message against Republicans. These programs would disproportionately benefit people who earn little or no income and particularly in the case of hiking the minimum wage, would be effectively redistributing wealth from higher-income business owners to low-wage workers.

For Democrats, this populism benefits in three ways. First, it puts the party further in line with the direction of Democrat activists, who are increasingly adopting the rhetoric of politicians like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who argue that rising income inequality and the struggles of people to advance economically are now the defining problems of America.

Secondly, particularly for President Obama, talking about other issues will help distract from any controversies around the rollout of his health care law, which remains bumpy.

And third, unlike Obamacare,”

polls suggest that raising the minimum wage, expanding Medicaid and giving unemployment insurance to more Americans are popular ideas with the majority of Americans. They could also split the Republican Party, dividing Tea Party Republicans from more establishment figures.

Republicans, too, seem aware of the growing worries about income equality and the challenges of people at the bottom rung of American society. As the Washington Post reported today, potential Republican presidential 2016 candidates Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan, as well as House Majority Whip Eric Cantor, are all delivering speeches on this subject this week alone.

Cantor is expected to call for greater expansion of school vouchers, while Ryan is likely to emphasize tax cuts. The Republicans’ proposals are not new, nor are they likely to get much support from Obama or Democrats.

But they establish that 2014 will be a year in which inequality is one of the defining clashes between the two parties.

NEWS

Page 2 POVERTY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

cians are loath to speak truthfully about the state of contemporary American politics. Instead, both liberals and conservatives offer bromides about “American exceptionalism” that ignore rampant and politically fueled inequality that marks the post-American century.

Johnson’s State of the Union, by contrast, proved truly remarkable. One is struck, when reading it again, by the president’s bold advocacy of multicultural democracy and social justice that would extend from whites in Appalachia to Native Americans on reservations out to blacks living in inner cities.

Rather than abandon those holding onto the nation’s lower economic rungs, Johnson embraced them in a speech that advocated a progressive approach to immigration reform, infrastructure spending and the pursuit of world peace.

Indeed, many of the issues and themes so eloquently and boldly addressed 50 years ago still bedevil contemporary American society and politics.

But a new war on poverty could prove just the kind of ambitious political tonic capable of addressing enduring problems.

In the aftermath of the Great Recession, the biggest loss of wealth and jobs since the Great Depression, America has witnessed a staggeringly uneven recovery that has overwhelmingly favored the rich. Congress is so dysfunctional that even with an unemployment rate surpassing 7 percent, benefits for the jobless seeking work have been cut, a situation that is still unresolved.

So what is to be done? For starters, those of us – of all stripes – interested in racial, economic and gender justice can unequivocally declare 2014 the year of the new war on poverty. Through social media (How about a hashtag?

– #NewWarOnPoverty), blogs, editorial pages, protests, demonstrations and lobbying, this year could go down in history as a time when an entire generation looked toward its not so recent past for a way forward into the future.

A contemporary poverty war unapologetically presumes the importance of not only an

Tri-State Defender

January 9 - 15, 2014 activist government but of active citizenship. During the 1960s it was the latter, most often but not exclusively led by black folks who pushed, cajoled, demanded and inspired the federal government, not to mention millions of ordinary Americans, to reimagine democratic ideas and ideals. That activism was channeled by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and eventually voiced

by President Johnson. Activists rallied to Johnson’s war on poverty, and held his feet to the fire over the war in Vietnam.

The beauty of the war on poverty was the way in which it served as a wellspring for evermore ambitious and humane visions of American and global society. Fifty years later that vision remains more compelling than ever. Our task – our moral and civic obligation – is to renew the dream of ending inequality for future generations by starting with our own.http://www.penielejoseph.com.

(Peniel E. Joseph, a contributing editor at The Root, is founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and a professor of history at Tufts University. He is also the Caperton fellow for the W.E.B. Du Bois Research Institute at Harvard University.

He is the author of “Waiting ’Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America” and “Dark Days, Bright Nights: From Black Power to Barack Obama.” His biography of Stokely Carmichael will be published in 2014 by Basic Books. Follow him on Twitter.)

A marijuana rally in Civic Center Park in Denver, April 20, 2012. (Photo: Marc Piscotty/Getty Images)

WEED

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

abstract, soulless.

Which is why it’s too bad they’re probably right. It’s how I felt when I debated Kleiman a while back. The burden is on the rest of us to explain why, if drugs were legal, more people wouldn’t use them.

But there’s more to the issue than this. People like Kleiman, Brooks and Marcus have little reason to consider that the war on drugs is the main obstacle, in our times, to getting past race in any real way. Running a

society requires hard choices, and for me, quite frankly, that is a social priority to the extent that I consider possible rises in usage and addiction rates collateral damage in comparison.

It’s pretty simple: Because drugs are illegal, one can sell them for a huge markup, and that means you can make a living, or even get by, helping to sell drugs instead of getting a legitimate job. That black market stands as an eternal temptation – often quite a rational one – for a young black boy stuck in a lousy school and growing up in a tough neighborhood. Two things result.

One is that for this boy, neg-

ative interactions with often surly white cops are the main contact he ever has with the world outside his neighborhood. Hence, generations of young black men who feel like aliens in the only country they will ever know.

Second is that this same young black man will likely either be killed or spend a long time in prison. On release, he will have no job skills and quite likely will end up back behind bars. His kids, whom he barely knows, will grow up with a stressed-out single mom and wind up living lives like either hers or his.

The end of the war on drugs

would undo a great deal of this.

Black boys dealt a bad hand would get real jobs. Anyone who says they wouldn’t lacks faith in fundamental black strength and missed what happened when people said the same thing about black women during the welfare reform of 1996.

Meanwhile, as soon as a generation of black boys grew up without a sense of the cops as the enemy, we would be in a new America indeed. Ask a black person why he or she thinks racism is still black people’s main problem in 2014 – if this person does – and count the seconds before he or she mentions the cops. With no war on drugs, the cops would have no reason to storm around black neighborhoods, and black America could get on with things unmolested.

That, to me, is a powerful vision, and weed legalization is a step along the way. If that means a few more potheads not fully realizing themselves in the way that David Brooks would prefer, I think the world will keep spinning regardless.

Ruth Marcus says, “Our kids will not be better off with another legal mind-altering substance.” But whose “our kids” is she most concerned about?

(John McWhorter is a contributing editor at The Root.

He is an associate professor at Columbia University and the author of several books, including “Winning the Race: Beyond the Crisis in Black America and Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English.)

NEWS

Tri-State Defender

Page 3

January 9 - 15, 2014

Southwest to host College Goal Sunday to aid students Southwest Tennessee Community College is one of many colleges in Tennessee hosting College Goal Sunday 2014 to provide students and families with information on how to obtain financial aid for college.

During College Goal Sunday you can: Get free on-site professional assistance with filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form; talk to financial aid professionals about financial aid resources and how to apply; get information regarding state-wide student services, admission requirements, and more.

Southwest’s College Goal Sundays are scheduled for Jan.

26 from 2-4 p.m. at the Macon Cove Campus (Academic Building -Room C -189) and Feb. 9 from 2-4 p.m. at the Union Avenue Campus (Building E - Room 114).

You’ll need to bring the following (if available): • 2013 Federal Tax Return or other income documentation.

• Social Security number.

• Driver’s license (if any).

• 2013 W-2 Forms or yearend pay stubs and other yearend records of money received.

• 2013 untaxed income records – Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veterans benefits records.

• Your 2013 bank statements.

• 2013 business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records.

• Your alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen).

• And if you plan on filling out the FAFSA online at the event, also bring: PIN# for the FAFSA. (Apply for your PIN# at www.pin.ed.gov).

(For more information, visit http://www.southwest.tn.edu/financial_aid/ or call 901-3335960 to speak with a financial aid representative.)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. showing his Nobel Peace Prize medallion.

(Photo: World Telegram & Sun photo

by Phil Stanziola)

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday – what would have been his 85th – is next Wednesday (Jan. 15th), with the federal holiday observed on Jan. 20th.

Myriad observances and events are planned throughout Greater Memphis. Mayor A C Wharton Jr. is calling on Memphians to “Be the Dream” during a weekend of reflection and service honoring Dr. King’s legacy.

“His work was bigger than civil rights; his mission field was wider than America,” Wharton said. “His message was broader than one for minorities alone. He belonged to all of us, and for this weekend we will celebrate this universal, enduring legacy.”

On Monday, Jan. 20, the MLK Commemorative Celebration will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the historic Mason Temple, where King delivered his famous “Mountaintop” speech, his last. He was killed the next day, April 4, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.

The celebration will include the presentation of the 2014 Be the Dream MLK Legacy Awards. Among the honorees will be the Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, civil rights leader and executive director of Rainbow-PUSH Memphis; Russell Sugarmon, judge and founder of the Shelby County Democratic Club; Jocelyn Wurzburg, attorney and author of Tennessee’s Fair Employment Practices Law; Father Don Mowery, former executive director of Youth Service Memphis; Dr. James L. Netters, civil rights leader and longest serving pastor of a single church in Memphis; civil rights activist Fred Davis; and National Civil Rights Museum President Beverly Robertson.

Noting the national holiday’s designation as a day of service, Wharton is encouraging all residents to either join existing service projects or submit their own at www.bethedreammemphis.com.

“If you want to see where Dr. King still lives, look around you,” Wharton said. “He lives in the hearts of neighbors who extend themselves to help people in need; the outlooks of youth whose visions are not clouded by racial inferiority; and the minds of people who work diligently to bring us together as one people and one city.”

Be the Dream MLK Weekend will kick off Jan. 18 with a Youth Symposium from noon to 3 p.m. at the Cook Convention Center. Area teens will be given resources to guide their search for summer employment and post-secondary education as well as career planning.

Teens ages 15 to 19 can register for the symposium at www.bethedreammemphis.com.

Here is a partial list of other events:

National Civil Rights Museum

Jan. 15 – “When the Prophet Speaks, noon-1 p.m., Freedom’s Sisters Building, 115 Huling at Mulberry. Guest speaker: Dr. Andre Johnson, the Dr. James L. Netters Associate Professor of Rhetoric & Religion and African American Studies at Memphis Theological Seminary. (This is part of the museum’s free monthly Lunch & Learn Program. Bring Your Own Lunch.

Jan. 20 – Annual King Day celebration, with the theme “Peace, Love and Freedom.”

Family activities will include storytelling, children’s arts/crafts, dramatic and musical performances, a live DJ, local radio stations, social media tent, tribute to Freedom Award winners, and a preview of the Lorraine Motel exhibit renovations. Door prizes and food vendors on site.

Tours of the museum boarding house exhibits and the “Freedom Sisters” exhibit will be available from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. No balcony tours. Admission for all activities: $3.

Receive $1 off King Day admission by bringing canned good donations to the King Day Food Drive, or receive free admission for up to 4 people by donating a pint of blood to Life Blood Mid-South Regional Mobile and Centers.

The annual event is presented by Ford Motor Company with support from Macy’s Foundation and ServiceMaster. For more info, call Barbara Andrews, 901-521-9699 x2223. #KingDay2014

LeMoyne-Owen College

Jan. 20 – The LeMoyne-Owen College’s Memphis Alumni Chapter hosts the 23rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast at 8 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Memphis Airport Conference Center. This year’s breakfast is dedicated to the LOC students who organized and participated in sit-ins during the civil rights movement and to the sanitation workers and other supporters who participated in the pivotal 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Willie W. Herenton, a member of the LeMoyne-Owen College class of 1963, the first African-American selected superintendent of Memphis City Schools and the first elected as mayor of Memphis.

Dr. Herenton also participated in the Sanitation Workers Strike, marching with the workers and wearing the historic “I Am A Man” sign.

“That experienced shaped me into the man I am today,” Herenton said. “I have deep feelings about that experience and the Civil Rights Movement as a whole and look forward to sharing my personal perspective on the impact of that pivotal time in American history.”

Bridges Center

Jan. 17 – The Bridges Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration will be from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bridges Center at 477 N. Fifth Street. Students in grades 6-12 will participate in an interactive exploration of Dr. King’s life.

Representatives from community service organizations will detail service projects that are available on MLK Day and local food trucks will be. Registration is required. Admission is $10.

For more information, visit bridgesusa.org or call 901-452-5600.

We’ve got your back…

City Councilman Myron Loweryʼs Annual Prayer Breakfast on New Yearʼs Day was accented by the Mount Vernon-Westwood Youth Choir. The event was held at the Memphis Airport Hotel. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Page 4

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

January 9 - 15, 2014

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

Powered by Best Media

• Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher • Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor

‘SNL’ deserves no love for doing the right thing The Root

by Demetria L. Lucas

ANALYSIS

Immigration debate ignores highly skilled black workers The Root

by Charles D. Ellison

As a two-year budget conjures up illusions of congressional comity and President Obama is desperate for a legislative recharge, there is much hype about a big immigration deal on the horizon. But, despite the huge political, economic and cultural implications for the country, black folks have little skin in the game.

How did that happen?

It’s no secret Democrats and Republicans view immigration as their default key to Latino-voter gold. The immigration conversation is the gateway campaign drug that most political strategists assume will bag their candidates tons of brown voters for years to come. Hispanic elected officials also accept it, cynically, as political raison d’être and leveraging.

Black voters, in case you missed it, are so 20th century – even though they consistently outperform in most election cycles.

But, perhaps more significant and less reported is Silicon Valley dropping obscene amounts of cash on Washington lobbying and campaign cycles to get immigration fixed. Soon after a 2012 election cycle in which the information-technology sector funneled more than $200 million in campaign contributions to candidate coffers, immigration has started heating up as a major issue again – although only 4 percent of Americans (and, get this, only 8 percent of Hispanics) identify it as their “most important issue”.

The alignment of tech-industry dominance in politics – which now outspends defense contractors – with the emergence of immigration reform as a key Washington priority is no accident. Silicon Valley (figuratively known) is pressed bad for an immigration fix. Through the government’s H-1B visa program, highly skilled foreigners with digital talents can share their expertise with American companies. The problem, however, is demand outstripping bureaucratic capacity: H1-B visas are capped at an annual 85,000 slots, with the latest Senate-passed compromise promising more than double that. That’s not enough, apparently, considering H-1B visa workers fill more than half of all IT jobs in the U.S. So, when IT companies talk reform, the focus typically falls on Asian workers from far-flung places.

And despite the current national fad pushing native-born Americans into technology careers, Silicon Valley kings don’t have time for that: They need skilled labor now as the digital space grows rapidly.

But there’s a missing piece in the political jigsaw puzzle that is immigration reform. It is black immigrants who, according to Pew, comprise nearly 10 percent of the total foreignborn population. You’d never know that based on the pre-baked parameters of the current debate.

According to the Migration Policy Institute (among other studies), black Diaspora immigrants (especially African immigrants) are among the highest educated, English-proficient and highest skilled of migrant populations in the U.S. – with many highly qualified for those same tech jobs.

An oft-cited State University of New York study goes bold: African migrants are, actually, more educated

than Asian migrants. That drops dynamite on rigidly held notions and stereotypes about race and intelligence. African migrants even out-degree white immigrants from Europe, Russia and Canada 44 percent to 29 percent.

When Mother Jones writer Adam Serwer slammed Bell Curve disciple and conservative immigration issues expert Jason Richwine last year for playing racial brain-size games, all he had to do was push Richwine’s face in the data.

But while African and Caribbean migrants represent one of the fastest growing and most super-educated migrant groups in the nation, they are also a lost population, relying heavily on the fate of “diversity visas” in cluttered immigration-reform legislation to determine their future here.

Granted, some of that is partly due to silence and lack of movement from many black immigrants themselves.

And, obviously, immigration reform is not high on the U.S. black agenda priority list. High unemployment and other bad stuff can easily distract an American black family. As a result, immigration is not receiving needed attention, despite the fastgrowing share of the population that African and Caribbean migrants account for in major black communities in places such as New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami.

That makes the issue much more complex and multifaceted. And despite the enormous economic opportunities, the African-American political establishment finds itself sidelined in the debate like a bad NFL team shut out of the playoffs. Those on the state and local level are typically reactive to changing demographics, but black members of Congress are not getting called into this game.

So when House Speaker John Boehner recently signaled an opening to revive immigration-reform prospects, there was little sense that Congressional leaders would be checking in with the Congressional Black Caucus to get their take on it.

The tiny and informal bipartisan House “Gang of 8” that’s tasked itself to craft a bill has tinkered along for a while now without any black members on it, save CBC input graciously channeled through fellow Democrats who promise solids one way or the other.

But, since out of sight is out of mind, their role is largely uncertain.

Perhaps that calculus dramatically changes depending on what pressure, if any, black migrant advocates in predominantly black Congressional districts can bring.

Something needs to change soon: Persuading the tech sector to include tech-skilled black Diaspora migrants in the debate might be a good place to kick and push. (Maybe that will happen since newly elected Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is the top recipient of that sector’s political cash.)

But once deals are cut, bills are passed and outcomes take shape, many could end up – once again – on the short end of the political stick.

(Charles D. Ellison is a veteran political strategist and frequent contributor to The Root. He is also Washington correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune and chief political correspondent for Uptown magazine. You can reach him via Twitter.)

Do employers accommodate religion in the workplace?

Survey: One-third of U.S. employees say no

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Consider a typical workplace: meetings, production deadlines, coffee or smoke breaks and casual Fridays all come to mind as part of the routine.

But when it comes to prayer breaks, wearing religious garb in the office and other accommodations specific to religion, that’s a different story.

A recent national survey released by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding makes the point.

Today, more than one-third of workers report observing or being subjected to religious bias at work. The survey, What American Workers Really Think About Religion: Tanenbaum’s 2013 Survey of American Workers and Religion, examines religious bias and discrimination against American workers.

“This survey puts employers on notice,” said Tanenbaum CEO Joyce Dubensky. “American workplaces increasingly reflect the makeup of the country; they’re more and more diverse. Work is the place where people with extremely different beliefs interact on a regular basis. But where there’s more diversity, the survey shows that we can expect to find more conflict.”

Survey results confirm that a majority of workers believe Muslims are facing discrimination at work.

The Muslim community is not alone.

“Other groups report being marginalized too, including members of other minority religions in the U.S. and atheists,” explained Dubensky.

“But that is just part of the story.”

The survey shows that workplace discrimination is also a serious issue for many members of America’s Christian majority. Six in ten white evangelical Protestants agree that discrimination against Christians has become as big a problem as discrimination against other religious minorities.

“The experience of discrimination by the white evangelical community is a real issue for companies. It’s also a societal issue, one that goes beyond the workplace,” Dubensky said.

“Workers from the white evangelical community are twice as likely to believe that they are experiencing a lot of discrimination, as they are to believe that African-Americans are being discriminated against.”

Religion is one key way that people define themselves,” said Dubensky.

“Being harassed at work because of your religion, or not being allowed to follow basic beliefs such as observing a required prayer is painful.

Such experiences affect morale and, ultimately, impact a company’s ability to attract talent. The good news is that the survey shows that this can be turned around through smart policies

(Tanenbaum conducted the 2013 Survey of American Workers and Religion with Public Religion Research LLC. The survey’s respondents are a random sample of over 2,000 employed American adults.)

FACEBOOK FAN OF THE WEEK Crissy Trina Shelton

Tri-State Defender Platform

Africans and Caribbeans have no political muscle in the immigration fight, while politicians clamor over the voting potential of a growing Latino population. (Photo: Thinkstock)

that address employees’ diverse religious needs. Do that and you increase the likelihood of having happier employees and less turnover.”

Other findings from Tanenbaum’s survey include: Half of non-Christians surveyed believe that their employers are ignoring their religious needs.

Employees in companies without religious diversity policies are almost twice as likely to be searching for another job as their counterparts in companies with policies.

Among American workers at companies where religious bias had been reported to managers or human resources, nearly one-third of workers report that the company took no actions to stop the bias.

Nearly six out of ten atheists (59 percent) believe that people look down on their beliefs, as do nearly one-third of non-Christian religious workers (31 percent) and white evangelical Protestants (32 percent).

Atheists (55 percent) are substantially more likely than workers in any other group to report that they themselves face a lot of discrimination today. However, unlike white evangelical Protestants, atheists are also more likely than workers overall to believe that Muslims (66 percent), gay and lesbian people (63 percent), Hispanics (50 percent), and women (39 percent) experience a lot of discrimination.

African-Americans (55 percent) are most likely to have conversations about religion several times/week at their workplace.

22 percent of African-American workers say that coworkers share religious beliefs with them.

36 percent of all workers state that African Americans face “a lot” of discrimination.

39 percent of atheist workers state that Blacks face “a lot” of discrimination.

20 percent of white evangelical workers state that Blacks face “a lot” of discrimination.

African-American workers (36 percent) are more likely than Hispanic (25 percent) and non-Hispanic white (3 percent) workers to report feeling excluded or treated differently based on their race or ethnicity.

“If there’s one message from this survey, it’s that religion is a workplace issue,” Dubensky suggested.

“Employers who ignore it, do so at their own risk.”

1. Racial prejudice worldwide must be destroyed.

2. Racially unrestricted membership in all jobs, public and private.

3. Equal employment opportunities on all jobs, public and private.

4. True representation in all U.S. police forces.

5. Complete cessation of all school segregation.

6. Federal intervention to protect civil rights in all instances where civil rights compliance at the state level breaks down

Crissy Trina Shelton is this week’s Facebook Fan of the Week! A Memphis native, Crissy graduated from Hamilton High School and received her degree from Belhaven University. She now works for the Concentra.

Crissy says she focuses on continuously improving her life so when her number and name are called, she will have supreme traveling mercy and grace as she takes her place with the Lord.

Thanks Crissy for excelling in Memphis and for being a part of the TSD Facebook family!

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Back in September, “Saturday Night Live” earned the ire of outspoken fans when the show announced its new cast lineup, which failed to include a black woman, a glaring omission. It didn’t help matters when black cast member Kenan Thompson blamed the show’s diversity problem on a weak talent pool.

The “SNL” cast had not included a black woman since Maya Rudolph left the show in 2007 (and it’s only had a handful since its debut in 1975). Yesterday (Jan. 6), “SNL” producers announced what many skeptics thought would never happen: A black woman would be joining the show. When I heard the news, my heart did one of those flip-flops, and in my head, I shouted something like, “Go, black girl, go!”

Enter Sasheer Zamata, who will debut on Jan. 18.

The young comedian, who earned a drama degree from the University of Virginia, moved to New York City in 2009 and began Sasheer performing with Zamata the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, according to her website.

SNL viewers may recognize her from commercials she’s appeared in for Target, Verizon Wireless, New York Lotto and Apple, or from her hilarious (and extensive) selection of online comedy videos, many of which she writes and performs.

I’m happy for her. For a comedian, landing a gig on “SNL” is a dream come true, and if played correctly could be a launching pad for a rewarding career. If nothing else, her addition will keep Kenan Thompson out of drag costumes (which he vowed not to do anymore), which had been SNL’s baffling (and annoying) solution to portraying black woman instead of doing the obvious a long time ago and hiring one or some black women to actually perform in sketches.

Like I said, I’m happy for Zamata.

But forgive me if I’m still not doing the same mental backflips to celebrate “SNL.” They finally did the “right” thing, but it’s what they should have done years ago. Adding a black woman to a nationally televised show that pokes fun at American culture in which black women prominently exist should have been a no-brainer. As soon as Rudolph went in search of brighter horizons, the search should have been on to replace her with one or, yes, more than one black female comedian.

But it wasn’t a priority or even an afterthought. It took six years and a loud outcry for anyone to say, “You know, maybe something’s missing here.” Zamata is undoubtedly talented and deserves to be on the cast, but the timing of her addition seems like more like a PR move to quell the angry masses than the genuine result of a teachable moment or even a desire to change.

I’m also a little queasy about what “SNL” will do with Zamata’s talents. I haven’t watched with any regularity since Rudolph departed, but I recall the recent hullabaloo when media darling Kerry Washington took on a hosting gig. The sketch included Washington hurriedly switching outfits and hair to portray different black women, SNL’s way of taking a dig at the backlash it received from not having a black female cast member on the show. It garnered a chuckle, but I received it more as Olivia Pope-esque crisis management than funny.

Washington’s sketches were downhill from there – not because of lack of her talent, which isn’t in question, but because the material was lacking. Too many of her characters played into the stereotype of black women as unsophisticated and inappropriate, which, as a natural part of comedy, would have gone over better if this wasn’t a one-shot opportunity to see a black woman on the show or if the skits weren’t just plain unfunny. Many who had been waiting for their black-girl moment were left disappointed.

My hope is that Zamata, for whom I am rooting, will be better utilized and won’t leave folks with a similar feeling.

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NEWS

Tri-State Defender

Page 5

January 9 - 15, 2014

JOURNAL-ISMS

The MHP-Romney saga grew a 2nd head on social media

The Root

by Richard Prince

MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry tearfully apologized Saturday for poking fun at a Mitt Romney family photo that included his adopted AfricanAmerican grandson, but the apology failed to end a discussion that initially seemed mired in political posturing.

Politics, race, Mormonism and babies a volatile mix

“Several days later the controv e r s y seems only to have g r o w n larger as competitors like CNN and the Fox Richard N e w s Prince Channel h a v e weighed in multiple times and Twitter and other social media continue to spread news of the MSNBC segment,” Paul Bond wrote last Thursday (Jan. 2) for the Hollywood Reporter.

On Sunday, “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace was unsatisfied when the 2012 GOP presidential candidate said, “I recognize that people make mistakes, and the folks at MSNBC made a big mistake.

They’ve apologized for it, and that’s all you can ask for. I’m going to move on from that, I’m sure they want to move on from it. I’ve made plenty of mistakes myself, and they’ve apologized for this, and we can go on from there.”

Surely, Wallace seemed to

Conservative commentators pounced on the issue over the MSNBC anchorʼs comments, encouraging Mitt Romney to be more outraged.

say as he pressed for more, you can say something more explosive. But Romney remained conciliatory.

Media critic Howard Kurtz, writing for Fox News on Friday (Jan. 3), likened Harris-Perry’s remarks to other spoken missteps at MSNBC involving Alec Baldwin and Martin Bashir. “If there is a theme to these episodes, it is a view of Republicans and conservatives as so mean-spirited, hardhearted and clueless that just about any rhetoric against them can be justified,” Kurtz wrote.

As Bond explained in the Hollywood Reporter, the original segment “had Harris-Perry showing newsworthy photos of 2013 to a panel and asking them to come up with clever captions. The one photo that didn’t include an image of President Barack Obama was a Mitt Romney Christmas card that featured a photo of the former Republican candidate for president surrounded by his wife and grandchildren. On his lap sat infant Kieran Romney, the adopted black son of one of Romney’s sons.

“On seeing the photo, one panelist, actress Pia Glenn sang, ‘One of these things is not like the other … and that little baby, front and center, would be the one,’ as HarrisPerry laughed. Another panelist, comedian Dean Obeidallah, joked that the image ‘sums up the diversity of the Republican party.’ HarrisPerry cracked up the panel of four with the notion that Kieran could some day marry North West, the child of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

‘Can you imagine Mitt Rom-

Melissa Harris-Perry (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

ney and Kanye West as inlaws?’ she asked.”

In her written Dec. 31 apology, Harris-Perry said, “The intent of featuring the photo was to celebrate it – I often speak to the issue of the increasingly diverse American family.

“Whatever the intent, the segment proceeded in an unexpected way that was offensive.”

She also tweeted, “As black child born into large white Mormon family I feel familiarity w/ Romney family pic & never meant to suggest otherwise.”

Another tweet said, “I apologize to all families built on loving transracial adoptions who feel I degraded their lives or choices.”

Soon, however, Harris-Perry’s defenders stepped up, including, surprisingly, right-wing talkshow host Glenn Beck.

Wayne Bennett, who blogs as

the Field Negro, wrote Saturday, “I know that I was one of the people saying that the panel on her show should have just left the issue of this child alone, but the right has blown this thing way out of proportion, and they are now using it to try and revive Mitt’s political fortunes.

“I have said this before and it is worth repeating: Nobody plays the victim card like these wingnuts.”

Beck seemed to agree. “I fear this time, our side sees blood in the water and is going after her and MSNBC. It’s more than wrong than anything she said here, especially since their intent is to hurt and destroy, and hers was not,” Beck said, according to Tracy Clayton, writ-

ing Monday for BuzzFeed.

It took time for the underlying issue of transracial adoptions to surface, but HuffPost BlackVoices published a piece Monday by Darron T. Smith, an African American Latterday Saint, co-editor of the 2004 book “Black and Mormon,” co-author of “White Parents, Black Children: Experiencing Transracial Adoption” in 2011, and an assistant professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

“What should have followed these witticisms was an honest discussion about the need for and challenges to transracial adoption. But the real-

ity is most white Americans are uncomfortable with serious conversations about race unless it is carefully scripted and overly-sanitized,” Smith wrote.

In a strongly worded essay Monday titled “The Smartest Nerd in the Room,” theAtlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates said HarrisPerry was supremely qualified to lead such a discussion.

“There is a sense that Romney’s grandchild should be offlimits to mockery,” Coates wrote. “That strikes me as fair.

It also doesn’t strike me that mocking was what HarrisPerry was doing. The problem was making any kind of light of a fraught subject – a black child being reared by a family whose essential beliefs were directly shaped by white supremacy, whose patriarch sought to lead a movement which derives most its energy from white supremacy.” (“Until 1978, black males were not allowed to become priests or bishops; dark skin was considered a biblical curse,” Susan Saulny reminded New York Times readers during the 2012 campaign.) That’s a weighty subtext. But there is no one more worthy, and more capable, of holding that conversation than America’s most foremost public intellectual – Melissa Harris-Perry.

“There may well be intellectuals with more insight. And there are surely public figures with a greater audience. But there is no one who communicates the work of thinking to more people with more rigor and effect than Harris-Perry. . . .”

(Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.)

BUSINESS

Page 6

Tri-State Defender

January 9 - 15, 2014

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Building on New Year’s resolutions

No matter what happened in the previous year, most of us step into the New Year with optimism that it will be bigger, better and more prosperous than the last one. And whether you adopted a resolution on January 1 or not, it is never too late to do something positive.

In the quest to adopt a resolution, reflection on the previous year is advised. Evaluate what was positive about the year and what was negative.

Think about what you had too much of and what you had too little of last year.

If the resolution is about self-improvement, analyze what could be done to improve you. If it is community oriented, find what you can do for others.

With the focus on improvement, let’s review a few of the

most common resolutions.

more are also high on the list of things to do to improve mental well being.

Physical

Financial

M any choose to put forth the effort to lose Carlee weight by McCullough e a t i n g healthier, drinking less liquor and exercising more. Some may also choose to eliminate tobacco from the daily routine.

Mental

Some decide to put forth an effort toward having a better attitude or thinking positively.

Traveling and enjoying life

Making the commitment to improve financial affairs is always encouraged. Debt is rarely a positive thing and developing a plan to get rid of it is a great thing. Saving and investing money are moves in the right direction to improve anyone’s financial position.

Educational

A part of self-improvement also includes the desire for professional advancement through increased education pursuits.

So beginning or completing a degree program is a step in the right direction. Simply taking a

class, reading more, learning a foreign language or music all contribute to furthering educational pursuits.

Career

Career advancement is usually a positive thing. Applying for a better job, starting a business, or committing to better performance in the current job all contribute to career improvement and advancement.

Community

Many of the steps toward improvement are focused on self.

However, making the commitment to improve the community by volunteering to help others in some way is a noble thing. Contributions to charity go a long way. Volunteer to feed

the hungry and needy. Giving of your time to help others is rewarding in so many ways.

Family

Often we are caught up in the day-to-day of life that we forget to enjoy the simple moments with family. Spending more time with family, enjoying each other will improve those relationships. Is there someone special in your life?

Are you afraid to make the commitment of engagement or marriage or having children? Evaluate what is important and what life would be like without that significant other.

Spiritual Most

spiritual

people

strive to be closer to God or a higher power. The belief is that through prayer and an overall desire to be more committed in a spiritual walk, improvement can result.

Research has shown that the more people you have helping you stick to your resolutions the higher your chances are of success. Regardless of your 2014 resolution, commit to it wholeheartedly.

Remember, this column is about being On Our Way to Wealthy and we wish you much success, prosperity and happiness in the New Year.

(Contact Carlee McCullough, Esq., at 5308 Cottonwood Road, Suite 1A, Memphis, TN 38118, or email her at jstce4all@aol.com.)

MONEY MATTERS

Although economic forecasts can change due to unforeseen circumstances, the outlook for 2014 is generally positive, with a return to solid growth and the possibility of even stronger economic performance, depending on several key factors that should become clearer over the next few months.

GDP, unemployment, and inflation

As of late Dec. 2013, yearover-year growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) was expected to range from 1.7 percent to 2.3 percent, higher than was expected earlier in the year but lower than the 2.8 percent rate in 2012. The economy is projected to bounce back in 2014, with growth of around 2.7 percent to 3.2 percent, near the 50year average of 3.06 percent.

Unemployment, a drag on the economy throughout the recovery, has begun to show improvement, dropping to a five-year low of 7.0 percent in November 2013. This trend is expected to continue, with unemployment averaging 6.3 percent to 6.7 percent in 2014

What can we expect in 2014?

before dropping further in 2015 and 2016.5–6 M o r e Americans with jobs c o u l d stimulate consumer spending, Charles Sims Jr., CFP which represents almost 70 percent of GDP. Annual inflation was projected to be a relatively low 1.1 percent to 1.2 percent in 2013. The Federal Reserve expects the rate to rise slightly to around 1.4 percent to 1.6 percent in 2014, still short of the Fed’s 2 percent target rate for optimal growth. Although consumers may prefer no inflation at all, a moderate increase may bode well for the economy.

Federal issues

The federal government caused some short-term economic damage in 2013 by raising taxes in January, allowing across-the-board sequestration cuts in March, and

BIZ BIT

Dedric Pearson elected insurance agents association president

Dedric Pearson, insurance consultant for Pete Mitchell and Associates, Inc., has been elected president of the Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) of Memphis, an association of independent insurance agents throughout Memphis and the Mid-South.

Pearson holds the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) professional designation. PIA of Memphis mem-

bers sell all kinds of insurance, but specialize in busin e s s , home and auto insura n c e .

Pearson, who atDedric tended the Pearson University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, was elected to the Memphis PIA Board of Directors in 2011.

He also serves on the Govern-

shutting down the government in October.9 Although the economy seems to have weathered the tax increases and budget cuts, the shutdown may have reduced fourthquarter GDP growth by as much as 0.6 percent.

The good news for 2014 is that the bipartisan budget bill (passed on Dec. 18) replaces some sequestration cuts with more targeted reductions, and approves spending limits for 2014 and 2015, thereby reducing the likelihood of another shutdown. A battle over the debt ceiling could still develop in February, but if that can be resolved without further damage, a more functional federal government may help stimulate economic growth.

Tapering time

To stimulate the economy, the Federal Reserve has held short-term interest rates near zero for the last five years and increased the monetary supply through bond-buying programs called quantitative easing (QE). In a Dec. 18 announcement, the Fed clarified its intention to maintain low

ment and Industry Affairs and Convention committees for the Tennessee Chapter of PIA. Pearson speaks regularly at community and church events concerning insurance and bonding. He serves on the Community Relations Council for the Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center, as a mentor for Germanshire Elementary School, and as community coach for Bartlett Dodgers Baseball and Memphis Seminoles Football. At the South Germantown Road Church of Christ, He also serves as a deacon and youth minister.

short-term rates for the foreseeable future while beginning to taper its QE program in January 2014, reducing bond buying from $85 billion per month to $75 billion. This was only a first step, but the Fed indicated that further tapering should be expected if the economy continues to improve.

Tapering had been widely anticipated by nervous investors, who feared negative consequences if the Fed turned off the financial faucet.

However, the incremental approach – combined with clear communication and the assurance of low short-term rates – sent the stock market to new highs.

Some analysts believe that ending the stimulus may be good for the market in the long term by reducing dependence on easy money and allowing share values to settle at more realistic levels.

Initial response from the bond market was muted, with

a slight drop in prices and a corresponding increase in yields. However, continued tapering could lead to higher long-term interest rates. This might benefit investors (including retirees) looking for returns on fixed-income assets, but it may increase interest rates on credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and private student loans.

Business expansion?

A key issue for 2014 is whether U.S. businesses will increase investment. Corporate after-tax profits for the third quarter of 2013 rose to a record 11.1 percent of GDP, almost double the 6.1 percent average since 1929. However, businesses have been slow to expand due to reduced consumer demand and an uncertain economy. The improved unemployment picture suggests this may be changing. In

a stronger economy, corporations may have to invest or lose market share. If corporate America does loosen the purse strings, more jobs could be created that will drive economic growth.

Although it’s important to keep an eye on economic news, your investment strategy should be based on your overall objectives, time frame, and risk tolerance.

The principal value of all investments may fluctuate with market conditions.

Stocks, when sold, and bonds redeemed prior to maturity may be worth more or less than their original cost. Investments seeking to achieve higher yields also involve a higher degree of risk.

(Charles Sims Jr. is president/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901-682-2410 or visit www.SimsFinancialGroup.co m.)

RELIGION

Tri-State Defender

Page 7

January 9 - 15, 2014

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

If the ‘devil’ is in the details, where’s God? Dear Lucy: It’s a new year and I really want this one to be better than the last. But if my daughter does not get her act together it won’t. This girl just refuses to grow up and I spend my time, money, and worry on her. I am so tired of trying to help her grow up, picking up her pieces and now all I can see is how immature and irresponsible she is at forty years old. I know I should love her unconditionally but I can only see her shortcomings. Please help me!

– Need A Better Year

Dear Mom: Have you ever heard the saying, “The devil is in the details?” That statement always confused me until recently.

If “the devil is in the details,” then “where is God?” I thought.

After considering, I came to the conclusion that God is in the big picture, the one we all share. The big picture is where we get to love and be loved unconditionally.

The big picture is where we all get to be on a level playing field. This is where we know that we are all in the same boat. It’s the boat where we all “fall short of the glory of God” as we evolve/grow into our potential to be as wonderfilled as we are meant to be, living in the image of God. The big picture is where we remember not only who we are, but WHOSE we are.

However, “the devil is in the detail” and the detail is a huge distraction! The distractions of our pain and faults as we evolve and grow up into bigger and better versions of ourselves grab our attention and keep us “Comparing ourselves among ourselves” as St. Paul would say.

Here is an abstract example” I have an iPhone 4. When the iPhone5 came out people stood in line for hours to get it. The “5” was a more evolved and improved version of the “4.” I was just fine keeping my “4.” I don’t see a lot of benefit in this new version that make me want to pay the price of having it.

Yet, there are changes that make upgrading worthwhile for others. However, while the changes don’t seem to be huge, we have no idea how much time, money, effort, people, innovation, long nights, failure, trial and error and struggle by the people at Apple went into those changes to create an evolved, bigger, better version of the previous phone. That was the “devil in the detail.”

I am in my 60th decade of life so I like to think of myself as being a Lucy 6.0 version.

At forty, your daughter is a 4.0 version of herself. She may even be a 2.0 version of herself. For whatever reason, she is not ready or able to pay the

price for the upgrade.

Even when she reaches 50 years old, she may still prefer her 4.0 or 2.0 self. What version are Lucy you of Shaw yourself?

Sometimes it just takes longer than it takes. Our individual distractions are many.

Sometimes we simply don’t want to invest what is necessary to get the upgrade. The decisions, the work, sacrifice, learning, pain, struggle; “the devil in the details,” is unique to every individual because we are blessed with free will...the power to choose. As a parent, I understand your pain, guilt, blame and frustration. That is why I have learned to step back, see the big picture and give my children up to the ever present Grace of God. It is not easy. But here is how I make it tolerable: Remember how often and how painful it was for me and my Mother.

Remember the words spoken to me in pain and anguish by my Mother who grew weary of my stupid details.

Remember that it is their journey and not mine. I am obligated to be a guide for certain crossings, but not all.

They may never buy the next version! Lordy mercy!

Love them anyway; get out of the way and let God handle the big picture.

Remember that I, too, am evolving.

It’s the “devil in the details” that get in the way of clear vision. There are two sides to living: good and evil, light and dark. Some of us spend more time in the dark so that we may know the light when it shows up.

Each time you are mesmerized by the devilish details of another person’s life, remember the big picture, then be still and say a prayer that God’s grace will cover and sustain them. And give them a gentle word of encouragement. That is good use of prayer in 2014.

Happy New Year to All, Lucy

(Check out Lucy Shaw’s website at http://www.heartworks4u.com .

Send your to lucy@heartworks4u.com.)

(For help with the feelings that get in the way of prayer and peace of mind, get Lucy’s new book, “BE NOT ANXIOUS.” Order it directly from her at 901-907-0260 or go to her web site www.heartworks4u.com.)

Watch out!

Elder C. H. Mason Patterson Sr. delivered some specific direction for doing better in the new year during the Watch Meeting Service at Pentecostal Temple Church of God In Christ on New Yearʼs Eve. “Sanctify yourself tonight,” said Patterson, “for in the morning God is going to do something great…” That sanctification process includes embracing the “Word” and putting a check on all of the things that hold you back, he said. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING

Take a pass on opportunities to pass judgment NNPA News Service

by James Washington The bible is a reminder that being judgmental is really akin to slapping yourself in the face.

“Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same manner you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2) It seems that’s a simple enough standard to live by, but the power of this statement, when viewed from the perspective of who’s saying it, the importance skyrockets. For the most part people just cannot help themselves when it comes to judging others. The very nature of man down through the ages is to judge.

This human condition causes all of us great problems and inflicts great harm.

It worried Paul so much he talked about it like this: “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be. I fear that there may be quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” (2 Corinthians 12:20.)

It’s this gossip and feeling superior that I think Christ is referring to in Matthew. These are two traits of the human personality that come from the need to judge and they entice so many

of us into situations likely to destroy what should be our eternal peace.

We live in a world where one is judged by looks, background, money, educational achievement and individual power and influence. As James we Washington Christians, should aspire to an eternity void of all this. The common denominator in heaven is a fundamental belief in Jesus, who taught to judge not lest you be judged.

The struggle, our struggle is to actually walk in the shoes of another human being, to consider his or her circumstances, to recognize the cruelties of life and be our brother’s keeper.

When all is said and done, it’s pretty easy to understand that if God can forgive, then who are we to be better than God? Easy to understand; sometimes impossible to do. However, this is clear.

It’s not confusing.

There are no perfect people, pastors, churches, children, spouses, fathers or mothers. You might want to make an effort towards an attitude adjustment. We are all dirty rags needing a good spiritual bath. As God has done for me on

PRAISE CONNECT

many an occasion, I need to consider doing it to and for others. Life requires a “little help here” for everybody.

My point is that when we encounter the opportunity to pass judgment, the temptation to look down our noses at someone, judge a person to have no redeeming qualities and is just an awful human being, remember this: “For if you forgive them when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:1415) We all need to work on this because our very souls are at stake. So the next time you’re at the point of raising your nose, take a moment and look up.

That would probably be an excellent time to remember to acknowledge God for his grace in forgiving you, your unkind thoughts. The alternative I’m told is to have God look down His nose at you; a chilling thought I might add.

You see, you cannot judge and forgive and at the same time. Only God can do that and it’s in His nature not to.

Jesus took care of that for Him. May God bless and keep you always, James (Special to the NNPA from the Houston Forward Times.)

-A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHES-

METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH Dr. Reginald L. Porter Sr., Pastor

767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126

ASSOCIATE MINISTERS

901-946-4095 fax 948-8311

Rev. Davena Young Porter Rev. Linda A Paige Rev. Luecretia Matthews SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

SUNDAY Sunday School .....................8:30 am Morning Worship Service ....10:00am

WEDNESDAY Bible Study .........................10:30 am Mid-Day Prayer Meeting .....12 noon Evening Prayer Meeting........7:00pm

FRIDAY Cable Channel 17 ............... 8:00pm

Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

—Matthew 7: 1-2

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

—Phillipians 4:13

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 9 - 15, 2014, Page 8

WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?

Radio milestones for me and ‘Bev’ Twenty years ago this week, I opened the microphone and spoke for the first time on the radio! It’s kinda hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I literally have been in broadcasting half Myron my life.

Mays This week also marks the sixth year that I have been a part of 1035 WRBO, as well as my run here as a columnist with The New Tri State Defender. Funny, my mother used to tell me often that I never stuck with anything. I just never found anything that I was willing to stick with.

That is until I discovered radio.

Hey, what can I say? I’m a “radio man” and I was put here to do it. But here’s the most important part: When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

I love what I do. Writing and talking! Which means that, God willing, 20 years from now I’ll be writing about my 40th anniversary.

Speaking of anniversaries and milestones in radio, my good friend and fellow radio personality Bev Johnson kicked off her 27th year on WDIA this week. Friends and fans alike took to Facebook and wished her well as she invited them to “Restart, Refresh, and Renew” for 2014.

This is also a good time to note Bev’s “Annual Soiree at Sea,” a seven-day getaway cruise. This year is number nine, with the cruise getting underway on May 25th for Nassau in The Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten aboard the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas. For more information, you can check it out at www.globetrektravel.com.

I think after 27 years of such hard work, a seven-day cruise is well deserved, girlfriend! Keep the faith!

Soiréeing into the New Year

The home of attorneys Robert and Kim Cox was the perfect venue for nearly 75 friends who gathered for a New Yearʼs Eve Soirée to help usher in the New Year. Robert is a partner with Glassman, Edwards, Wyatt, Tuttle and Cox, P.C. Kim is

Hosts Robert and Kim Cox

the proprietor of the Law Office of Kim Cox. The guests began arriving at 9:30 p.m. and celebrated with good food, spirits, entertainment, and of course with camaraderie until the 3 a.m. hour. The theme was “Let the Count-

Honorable Judge George and Lillian Brown

Reginald and Michelle French; and Sammy and Cookie Jones

down begin.” The guests were entertained with a special musical performance by the group Artistik Approach.

In addition to the melodious sounds of Artistik, DJ Just Born of Hot 107.1 rocked the “house” into the wee hours of 2014.

Richard and Eldra White

Honorable Judge D'Army and Adrian Bailey

Darryl Levin, Fred Bell and Mark Yates

Here’s What’s Happening!

Well, 2014 is here and the happenings are slowly building. Here’s a couple of events to get you started: It’s Showtime at Prohibition Lounge on Thursday night (Jan. 9th). Can you sing or rap? Think you can dance or play an instrument? Are you a poet, comedian or have a unique talent? Showtime is the thing for you.

Hosted by comedian Cleatis Allen, this Apollo Theatre-style competition includes all the “boos, yays, Sandman and all”! There will also be live videotaping, special guests and guest judges! For more info or to enter the showcase, contact 901-6492939.

It’s a night filled with Fine Art, Fine Wine & Finance with investment advisor & certified wine specialist Chris Albonetti on Friday (Jan. 10th) at the Art Village Gallery located at 410 South Main Street in Downtown Memphis. The time is 7 p.m. and admission is $20. For more information, visit www.theartgallery.com.

Showtime cable networks is bringing live boxing to Memphis on Jan. 17th at the Cook Convention Center. There will be eight fights, with two to be aired live on Showtime. It starts at 6 p.m. and will be a pretty big event. Get your tickets through all Ticketmaster outlets.

Comedian Don DC Curry returns to the Orpheum for one big show on January 18th and he’s bringing along fellow funnymen Michael Blackson and Red Grant. The show starts at 8 p.m. and you can get your tickets at the Orpheum box office or through Ticketmaster.

Coming Feb. 1st, it’s Game Show with Myron Mays! What’s that you might ask? Game Show is an event where three contestants will compete for cash and prizes by answering a series of trivia question they blindly choose. This is gonna be an invitation-only event, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for information on how you can be a part of the show! In the meantime, it takes place on Feb. 1st, so save the date and stay tuned for more info!

Until then, that’s what’s happening!

(Got an event you’d like for me to cover or attend, email me at Myron@whatshappeningmyron.com)

Sherrie Miller Daly

Carl and LeeAnn Wyatt

Johnny and Merry Moore

Artistik Approach Eso and Siphne Aaye

Ritchie Bowden and Susan Kyles

Honorable Judge Jayne Chandler and husband Darryl Levin

Dr. and Mrs. Phillip Bowden

Sherrie Miller Daly and Shelley Gossett

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 9

January 9 - 15, 2014

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun Revisiting the 1927 flood...

The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 caused over one million African American sharecroppers to migrate North. In this black and white documentary film set to music, “The Great Flood” captures the devastating flood waters along the Mississippi Basin that stretched from U.S. Route 51 between Mounds, Illinois, and Cairo, Illinois.

(Photo: Archival Photography by Steve Nicklas)

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening Jan. 10, 2014

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“Her” (R for profanity, sexuality and brief nudity) Oscar-nominee Spike Jonze (for Being John Malkovich) directed this romance drama revolving around a lonely letter writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with the voice (Scarlett Johansson) on his computer’s operating system. With Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Bill Hader and Olivia Wilde.

“The Legend of Hercules” (PG-13 for sensuality and intense violence) Mythological saga, set in ancient Greece, revolving around a demigod (Kellan Lutz) torn between pursuing true love and fulfilling his destiny by toppling a tyrannical king (Scott Adkins). With Gaia Weiss, Roxanne McKee, Liam Garrigan and Luke Newberry.

“Lone Survivor” (R for graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Adaptation of Marcus Luttrell’s (Mark Wahlberg) memoir recounting his harrowing ordeal as a member of a team of Navy SEALs ambushed by the Taliban while on a mission in the mountains of Afghanistan. With Eric Bana, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box” (PG for violence, adventure, peril and brief smoking) Fantasy adventure about an intrepid teenager (Aneurin Barnard) who follows clues on a perilous trek inside a hidden realm after the members of his family mysteriously disappear. With Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Sheen, Sam Neill, Lena Headey and

Keeley Hawes.

“Banshee Chapter” (R for violence, profanity, drug use, brief nudity and disturbing images) Found-footage suspense thriller, purportedly based on actual events, about an investigative journalist’s (Katia Winter) search for a missing friend (Michael McMillian) rumored to have ingested a chemical being tested on civilians by the CIA. With Ted Levine, Monique Candelaria and Chad Brummett.

“Black Coffee” (PG for mild epithets, sexual references and mature themes) Romantic comedy revolving around a recently-fired and just-dumped dude (Darrin Dewitt Henson) who subsequently meets his soul mate (Gabrielle Dennis) only to have her ex-husband (Lamman Rucker) and his ex-girlfriend (Erica Hubbard) resurface. Cast includes Tiffany Hines, Christian Keyes and Brely Evans.

“Cold Comes the Night” (R for profanity and violence) Seeing-eye thriller about a blind career criminal (Bryan Cranston) who forces the owner (Alice Eve) of a seedy motel and her daughter (Ursula Parker) to help him retrieve a stash of cash stolen by a crooked cop (Logan Marshall-Green). With Leo Fitzpatrick, Erin Cummings and Robin Taylor.

“Divorce Corp.” (Unrated) Legal system expose’ highlighting how more money flows through the divorce courts annually than through all other U.S. courts combined, thereby taking a toll on the litigants in the way of home foreclosures, bankruptcy, suicide and violence. Featuring Gloria Allred, Wendy Archer and Alexandra Borg.

“Dumbbells” (Unrated) Kitchen sink comedy about a former college basketball star (Brian Drolet) who forges an unlikely friendship with a guy (Hoyt Richards) trying to

shoot a reality show in the gym where he works. Ensemble cast includes Jaleel “Steve Urkel” White, Tom Arnold, Mircea Monroe, Jay Mohr and Fabio.

“The Great Flood” (Unrated) Historical documentary, featuring black-and-white archival images set to music, revisiting the 1927 flood of the Mississippi River which led to the Great Migration north by millions of displaced African-American sharecroppers.

“In Bloom” (Unrated) Coming of age drama, set in Tbilisi in 1992, revolving around a couple of desperate 14 year-old friends (Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria) who opt to ignore traditional social pressures in order to escape from their dysfunctional families. With Zurab Gogaladze, Data Zakareishvili and Ana Nijaradze. (In Georgian with subtitles)

“The Rocket” (Unrated) Laotian road trip about a 10 year-old lad (Sitthiphon Disamoe) who leads the relocation of his family and friends to the outback after their village is condemned to make room for a dam. Support cast includes Loungnam Kaosainam, Sumri Warin and Bunsri Yindi. (In Lao with subtitles) “Truth” (Unrated) Homoerotic suspense thriller about a gay guy (Rob Moretti) who has no idea that his online blind date from hell (Sean Paul Lockhart) is hiding some serious demons. With Rebekah Aramini, Blanche Baker and Angel Brazier.

“The Truth about Emanuel” (Unrated) Psychological thriller about a troubled young woman (Kaya Scodelario) who offers to babysit for the mysterious new neighbor (Jessica Biel) that’s a dead ringer for her late mother (Gabriela Dias). Featuring Alfred Molina, Frances O’Connor and Aneurin Barnard.

HOROSCOPES

Jan. 9–15, 2014

ARIES Keep focused. Your energies are likely to be spread out this week. Your attention is likely to be pulled in many directions. Let yourself be seduced by the things that interest you most. Concentrate on your affairs. Others need you, but they can wait.

TAURUS Hardly anyone alive learns new skills in an instant, so cut yourself some slack if you feel you’ve made a beginner’s mistake somewhere. Mistakes are part of the learning process that is called Life, so self-correct and proceed with happiness.

GEMINI This week will bring a tendency to dwell on a past betrayal. Your feelings of suspicion are well founded. However, do not personalize it. Work against the harmful act but not against the person who committed it.

CANCER Look forward to excellent financial news based on something you’re likely to do this week.

Wow! It’s about time. This week might be an excellent week to window shop for a dream vacation or luxury purchase. You can even window shop in your imagination for the best possible dream vacation location!

LEO You’ll have a busy week, as the energy around you seems super-charged. With everyone rushing about, you’ll wonder how you’ll get anything done, much less the things you feel you must get done. Not to worry. Stay calm and flexible and a way will be found.

VIRGO Stand up and get ready. Be a public speaker this week. Any subject you choose is ripe for your “rap.” Spin the tale. Tell the story. People will be fascinated by the way you see things.

They’ll be impressed. Watch out for a jealous friend when attention is on you!

LIBRA Be as sharp as you can be this week. Make being alert a personal challenge. Watch carefully for details that might otherwise escape your notice as you search for the best way to get things done at work. Be steadfast in your determination and don’t be pulled into conflict with coworkers.

SCORPIO You may feel a bit crabby about your health this early this week. If you feel you need a physical checkup, make the appointment this week. If you want to feel and look better this week, skip lunch and take a walk instead.

SAGITTARIUS Like-mindedness is going to be hard to achieve among your coworkers, but there are likely to be a few who see things as you do. Choose carefully and find someone to walk with you on this week’s journey. Some words of encouragement might be needed to enlist the person you choose.

CAPRICORN Where are you going in such a hurry? What you want you already have. Stop looking around yourself trying to find out what’s missing. Nothing is missing. The best kind of discovery this week is self-discovery.

AQUARIUS Get out and enjoy the sunshine this week. Remember that the sun is always shining somewhere in our big island home, so use your imagination if the weather isn’t perfect where you are.

You can still enjoy your week and the sun that is shining whether you see it or not!

PISCES Look for an increase in your personal prosperity this week, my little darlings. You’ll either be receiving a long-overdue debt, an unexpected bonus, a lucky lottery ticket, or you may just find cash laying at your feet as you are out for a stroll.

Lucky! You love feathering your nest and this week the Universe is helping you.

Source: NNPA News Service

Page 10

Legal Notices

NOTICE TO CONSULTANT ENGINEERS REGARDING A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND LETTERS OF INTEREST January 9, 2014

The City Of Memphis, an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, seeks to retain the services of professional engineering consulting firms to provide expertise in Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) services on the project described below. The scope of work may include but not be limited to construction inspection, surveying, materials testing, agency coordination, construction management, and reporting. This project is being funded by the Congestion Management and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant as a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Locally Managed Program. The method of payment shall be lump sum.

CMAQ Loop Replacement at Various Locations, TDOT Pin # 040716

Firms may request consideration by submitting a letter of interest (three copies) along with qualifications to Mr. Jack Stevenson, 125 N. Main, Suite 644, Memphis, TN, 38103. All letters of interest and qualifications must be received on or before 4:00 p.m. Central Time, Friday, January 31, 2014. The letter of interest and qualifications shall indicate the scope of services to be completed by any subconsultants. Sufficient information on qualifications should be attached to the Letter of Interest, such that the factors that will be considered in evaluation, listed below, can be properly judged. Include in this information one or more contacts at TDOT who can verify the information provided concerning TDOT work or approvals to work.

For additional details regarding the proposed services to be provided, letter of interest submittal requirements and City of Memphis prequalification procedures go to www.MemphisTN.gov or contact Mr. Randall Tatum, 901-576-6710, Randall.Tatum@MemphisTN.gov .

Information pertaining to TDOT prequalification procedures, list of pre-qualified firms, TDOTʼs standard procurement policy, and additional information can be found at this internet address www.tdot.state.tn.us/consultantinfo.htm. Interested firms without internet access may obtain this information by calling Ms. Paula Johnson at (615)7414460 or by email at Paula.Johnson@tn.gov.

Submittals will be reviewed by a Consultant Evaluation Committee who will make recommendations to the City Engineer of several firms who would make viable candidates from which to make a selection or invite more detailed proposals and/or presentations. The factors that will be considered in evaluation of submittals are:

a. Past experience in the required discipline with TDOT and the City of Memphis. b. Past experience specific to CEI on TDOT projects or TDOT approval to perform such work on locally managed projects. c. Qualification (certifications) and availability of staff. d. Demonstrated ability to meet schedules without compromising sound engineering practice. e. Evaluations on prior projects with TDOT and City of Memphis, if available. f. Size of previous projects. g. Experience with Traffic Signal Design and Construction h. Amount of work under contract with TDOT and City of Memphis. i. Prequalification with TDOT and City of Memphis

Evaluation proceedings will be conducted within the established guidelines regarding equal employment opportunity and nondiscriminatory action based upon the grounds of race, color, sex, creed or national origin.

Interested certified Minority / Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) firms are encouraged to respond to all advertisements

by City of Memphis. For information on M/WBE certification, please contact Ms. Mary Bright, (901) 636-6210, City of Memphis, Contract Compliance Office, 125 N. Main St, Memphis, TN 38103.

John E. Cameron, P.E. City Engineer

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S)

Shelby County Government is soliciting written proposals on a competitive basis for Construction Services for Roof Replacement, Peggy Edmiston Administration Building, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. Information regarding this RFP is located on the Countyʼs website at www.shelbycountytn.gov. At the top of the home page, click on the links “Department,” “P” for the Purchasing Department and “Bids” to locate the name of the above-described RFP. Copies of the project manual and drawing are posted at this location and can be downloaded at no cost to prospective bidders.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DUE FEBRUARY 6, 2014 AT 4:00 PM RFP #14-011-24-A ROOF REPLACMENT, PEGGY EDMISTON ADMINISTRATION BUILDING – 1075 MULLINS STATION ROAD A VOLUNTARY pre-bid conference will be held at 3:00 P.M., Thursday, January 23, 2014 at Peggy Edmiston Administration Building, Room W-263, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134.

Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR., SHELBY COUNTY MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

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the stated deadline. BIDS WILL NOT BE RECEIVED AT ANY OTHER LOCATION.

The scope of work consists generally of the demolition of the Regency Hotel and Suites, located at 2411 Winchester Road, Memphis, TN 38116. The demolition will include the removal of the 3-story building (first floor is below ground with elevated ground on 3 of the 4 sides) and surrounding amenities, including the canopy, swimming pool and deck, landscaping, tennis court fencing, utility service lines, and underground storage tank. The east and west parking areas, as well as the tennis courts will be left in place. All lighting along the parking areas will remain with the contractor installation of junction boxes. Contractor will be responsible for surface water management and all sediment and erosion controls throughout the project. Management of any salvageable items will be left to the discretion of the Contractor. In addition, the scope of work includes leveling of the site through backfill and compact-to-grade work, sodding, and adding irrigation to the entire area.

Bid Documents may be obtained and found on our website (www.mscaa.com) on or after Wednesday, January 8, 2014. Bid documents may be examined at the following locations in Memphis, TN: Builderʼs Exchange Plans Room, McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge Plans Room, Memphis Area Minority Contractorʼs Association, Mid-South Minority Business Council, National Association of Minority Contractors, and Renaissance Business Center Bid Room.

All Respondents are hereby notified that all updates, addenda and additional information, if any, shall be posted to the MSCAA website (www.mscaa.com) and Respondents are responsible for checking the MSCAA website up to the time of the Bid submission deadline.

A Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 15, 2014, at 9:00 AM at the Project Center, located at 4225 Airways Boulevard, Memphis, TN. Only Prime Contractors who attend the Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting will be allowed to submit a bid. MSCAA will provide a seminar on bid document preparations immediately following the meeting. The project site will also be available for inspection by appointments only; apointments can be scheduled through Lori Morris via email at lorim@mscaa.com or (901) 922-8754. Appointments can be made between January 15th through 17th, 2014.

The MSCAA hereby notifies that it will review and award contracts in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4a and Title 49, Part 26, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act. MSCAA further notifies all Bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, Disadvantaged, Business Enterprises (DBE) will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age, race, sex, color, national origin, creed, religion, sexual orientation or disability in its hiring and employment practices, or in admission to,

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GENERAL INFORMATION Some categories require prepayment.

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access to, or operation of its programs, services and activities. The DBE participation goal for this contract is 29% in accordance with the requirements of the Contract Documents. Therefore, the only participation that will be counted toward meeting this goal will be participation by certified DBEs, the owners of which have been certified as having a personal net worth less than $1.32 million.

Each bid must be by a contractor licensed in Tennessee and accompanied by a 5% Bid Guarantee. In accordance with TCA §62-6-119, the Bidder, and where applicable, one contractor/subcontractor performing electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or masonry work must have its license number, expiration date of the license, and that part of the classification applying to the bid shown on the outside of the envelope containing the bid. Failure to supply all information on the outside of the envelope will result in the return of the unopened envelope to the Bidder. The successful Bidder will be required to execute a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each in the amount of 100% of the Contract Price. Liquidated damages for delay in contract completion shall be as stated in the Contract Documents.

No Bidder may withdraw an opened bid within the defined period following actual bid opening without MSCAAʼs consent.

Award will be made to the lowest and best responsible qualified Bidder, if any contract is awarded, based on the best combination of base bid plus individual add-alternates deemed, at MSCAAʼs sole discretion, to be in MSCAAʼs best interests regardless of whether the individual add-alternates are ultimately constructed or not constructed.

MSCAA reserves the right to reject any or all bids in whole or in part and to waive any informalities, technicalities or omissions therein. MSCAA also reserves the right to reject bids from bidders that have pending litigation or claims with MSCAA, or if such bid includes a proposed subcontractor or supplier that has pending litigation or claims with MSCAA, if MSCAA determines, in its sole discretion, such litigation or claims may adversely affect the ability of the parties to work efficiently and effectively under this contract, or for any other reason as determined by MSCAA. Any such bid will be returned to the bidder. See Instructions to Bidders in the project specifications for a further description of this and other reservations of rights.

The MSCAA hereby notifies that effective July 1, 2013 the Authority shall give a preference to businesses located in the County of Shelby, State of Tennessee in awarding contracts and making purchases whenever the application of such a preference is reasonable in light of the dollar-value of the proposal/bid received in relation to such expenditures and pursuant to the terms and conditions that are outlined in the adopted policy as amended.

MEMPHIS-SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

By Scott A. Brockman, President & CEO

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2003 Buick Rendezvous 3G5DB03E53S607745 ABD Please call 901-493-0352 (Shelly)

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REQUEST FOR BIDS Legal Notice MSCAA Project Number 12-1348-00 Demolition of the Regency Hotel & Suites (RE-BID)

Sealed bids for the rebid of the Demolition of the Regency Hotel & Suites, MSCAA Project No. 12-1348-00, will be received by the Staff Services Division of the MemphisShelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA), 3505 Tchulahoma Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38118, until 2:00 PM local time on Wednesday, February 5, 2014, and immediately thereafter will be opened and publicly read. No bids will be accepted after

Tri-State Defender

January 9 - 15, 2014

All the news you can use...

For subscriptions, call 901-523-1818

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

PROJECT NAME: MAURY CITY – TE FY 2010 PHASE 1 – FIRST STREET Federal Project #STP-EN-1700(19) State Project #17LPLM-F3-005 PIN #113917.00

Description: The project includes removal and replacement of asphalt parking for ADA compliance and surface drainage corrections. Also included are concrete sidewalks, ADA ramps, curbs, crosswalks, landscape planting, landscape irrigation.

OWNER:

TOWN OF MAURY CITY, TENNESSEE

Sealed bids for the MAURY CITY – TE FY 2010 PHASE 1 – FIRST STREET will be received by Mayor Rayce Castellaw at the Town of Maury City - City Hall at 332 North Broadway St., Maury City, TN on January 30, 2014 no later than 2 p.m. and then bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

A pre-bid conference will be held on January 16, 2014 at 2 p.m. at the Town of Maury City - City Hall at 332 North Broadway St., Maury City, TN PROPOSAL CONTRACTS WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL THE TIME SET FOR OPENING BIDS

The Information for Bidders, and other contract documents may be examined at the following: 1) 3)

Town of Maury City, TN 332 North Broadway Street Maury City, TN 38050 BUILDERS EXCHANGE 642 SOUTH COOPER MEMPHIS, TN 38104

2) A2H, INC. 3009 DAVIES PLANTATION ROAD LAKELAND, TN 38002

4) WEST TENNESSEE PLANS ROOM 439 AIRWAYS BLVD. JACKSON, TN 38301

Copies may be obtained at the office of A2H, INC. located at 3009 DAVIES PLANTATION ROAD, LAKELAND, TENNESSEE 38002, PHONE: 901-372-0404 upon payment of $150.00 (non-refundable).

A Prime Contractor must prequalify with the Department of Transportation in accordance with Section 54-5-117 of the “Tennessee Code Annotated” and Tennessee Department of Transportation Rule 1680-5-3 prequalification of contractors before biddable proposals will be furnished.

List of pre-qualified contractors: http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/construction/prequal/prequal.pdf To become pre-qualified: http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/construction/forms/Prequalification_Questionnaire_ 5-10-07.pdf

To be added to the official bidders list, each prospective bidder and subcontractor will be required to file a document entitled “Pre-qualification Questionnaires.” The foregoing shall be filed on a form provided by the Department of Transportation. The form must be filled out completely, and the truth and accuracy of the information provided must be certified by a sworn affidavit signed by an officer, partner, owner or other authorized representative of the applicant who has authority to sign contracts or other legal documents on behalf of the applicant. A prospective bidder must be prequalified by and in good standing with the Department of Transportation prior to being given authorization to bid. A prospective subcontractor must be pre-qualified by and in good standing with the Department of Transportation prior to being approved as a subcontractor. Each prospective bidder or subcontractor shall notify the Department of Transportation if there is any subsequent change in the name, organization or contact information provided.

Maury City in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability or military service in consideration for an award.

The Town of Maury City is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

The Owner reserves the right to waive any informalities or to reject any or all bids.

No bidder may withdraw his bid within 60 days after the actual date of the opening thereof.

THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED.

Bidding documents and information, and plans, may be obtained by contacting: Town of Maury City, TN 332 Broadway Street Maury City, TN 38050 NOTE TO PUBLISHER:

The above notice is to be published no later than January 9. It is permissible and desirable that ads be run as soon as possible after receipt.

At least the following information must appear on the outside of the envelope containing bid.

1. NAME OF BIDDER 2. ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF BIDDER 3. NAME OF PROJECT FOR WHICH BID IS SUBMITTED Any bid submitted from a bidder not on the official bidders list, that is maintained at the office of A2H, Inc., and/or not containing the above information will not be opened.

Mayor Rayce Castellaw January 9, 2014

COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

University of Tennessee Health Science Center startup launches first product

In an effort to better engage her students in a post-clinical conference, Dr. Hallie Bensinger, an advanced practice nurse and instructor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), found herself strolling through the aisles of a school supply store on Easter weekend of 2010 hoping to find fake money to hand out in a Jeopardy-style PowerPoint lecture she was preparing.

What she found instead were dice that when rolled formed stories or sentences, and just like that, the idea for “What Would Socrates Think?” came into being.

“What Would Socrates Think?” is a critical thinking game designed to challenge students with unpredictable and constantly changing patient case scenarios. The game requires students to think through problems, accounting for the patient’s pathophysiology, pharmacology, labs, vital signs, chief complaint and changing situation in order to win award cards. An instructor facilitates game play by encouraging questions and discussion.

“You have to really pull from what you know and think on your feet. The game presents a variety of unpredictable patient scenarios just like you see on the floor,” Bensinger said. “I’ve personally used it with more than 100 students, and the response has been great.”

The game was first used in a pilot study among Bensinger’s students at UTHSC, where it received positive feedback, averaging 4.5 out of 5 stars in all categories measured by student questionnaires. It also received positive feedback from students in a pilot study at Union University School of Nursing, and it is currently undergoing a larger pilot study within Methodist Le Bonheur’s nurse residency program.

In 2012, Bensinger decided to take what she’d developed in the classroom and turn it into a business. She founded LifeCareSim, a startup company dedicated to developing educational games that can be used throughout curriculums to help students master the art of nursing and stimulate critical thinking. Bensinger licensed “What Would Socrates Think?” from the UT Research Foundation (UTRF), making it LifeCareSim’s first product.

More products geared toward different courses are in the prototype stage.

Page 11

January 9 - 15, 2014

A 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, the Memphis Black Arts Alliance has been in operation since May 7, 1982. It is headquartered at the FireHouse Community Arts Center, 985 South Bellevue Blvd. at the Gateway to Soulsville, USA.

Family tragedy puts spotlight on depression Special to the New Tri-State Defender

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

“It’s been thrilling to watch Hallie successfully embrace a new role as entrepreneur and startup founder, and I’m excited to see LifeCareSim bring their first product to market,” said Richard Magid, vice president of UTRF. “We think that this is a company that can rapidly have a positive impact on how critical thinking skills are taught by medical educators.”

“What Would Socrates Think?” became available for order on Nov. 22, 2013 and is currently available for purchase at the introductory presale price of $499.

LifeCareSim also is developing another game called “The Call Light Game” that can be combined with low-fidelity mannequins in a nursing lab and used in conjunction with “What Would Socrates Think?” to simulate a real nursing floor. This product can be used throughout curriculums to build critical-thinking skills. It will be presented this month at the 14th Annual International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH 2014) in San Francisco.

For more information on “What Would Socrates Think?” and other games in development, visit lifecaresim.com.

UTRF helps inventors at UT turn their ideas and discoveries into products and services that benefit society. In addition to supporting the university research enterprise and commercializing the resulting inventions, UTRF also supports entrepreneurship as well as state and regional economic development efforts. UTRF serves all seven of the UT campuses and institutes across the state.

For more information, visit http://utrf.tennessee.edu.

For more information on LifeCareSim, visit http://lifecaresim.com/.

African-American world traveler…

Family and friends of Joshua Benjamin Nelson “Malekebu” Parks gathered last Saturday (Jan. 4) at First Baptist Church-Broad Street for a memorial service. It was part of the healing process unfolding after a triple shooting that left Parks and the mother of his children dead.

Police ruled the tragedy as a murdersuicide.

Parks, along with the 39-year-old mother of his two youngest children, were found inside a Binghampton apartment. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Parks, 34, died later at a local hospital. The 54-year-old grandmother of Parks’ children was found just outside the apartment door in critical condition.

Park’s mother is Bennetta “Bennie” Nelson West, the founder and executive director of the Memphis Black Arts Alliance (MBAA). She linked the tragedy to her son’s bout with depression.

“Depression is a mental illness,” said West. “It must be treated as a medical condition just like cancer or diabetes.

The condition can be just as fatal if it goes untreated. We don’t think twice about someone with chronic physical illness seeking medical treatment. Depression must be recognized as a disease and, likewise, treated, or the consequences are just as deadly.”

Needed: ‘a conversation about mental illness’

Dr. William M. Young Sr., executive director of the Emotional Fitness Centers of Tennessee, said the AfricanAmerican community must remove the shame of suffering from mental illness.

“Depression has traditionally been seen as a ‘white person’s disease,’ but black people have always suffered from depression and other forms of mental illness. Our people would say that someone had a ‘nervous breakdown,’ and it was a family secret that was not to be talked about outside the home.”

The situation is complicated by a “historical distrust of doctors and institutions” that Young said has resulted in “a generation of African-American men who suffer from depression but many times won’t seek help. The suicide rate of African-American youth between the ages of 15-24 has risen more than 500 percent since the mid90’s.”

West said her son’s latest experience with depression was associated with

Leon Freeman, who has traveled to myriad parts of the world and chronicled his journey, talks with Elaine Turner and her sister, Susan Lee, who stopped by his booth at the University of Memphis Panhellenic building during the celebration of Imani (faith), the last day of Kwanzaa, hosted by Mid-South Kwanzaa, Inc. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Operations on hold at FireHouse Center

Bennetta “Bennie” Nelson West, the founder and executive director of the Memphis Black Arts Alliance (MBAA), has suspended operations at the FireHouse Community Arts Center and Academy in South Memphis until March 31, 2014.

West cited personal and professional reasons.

“We need input from everyone in the community – private sector, public sector, corporations. I would love to see new leadership emerge and take the MBAA to the next level,” West said.

“I would love to see a museum and cultural center opened. Memphis has a rich, cultural heritage. We would love to see the organization move to the next level. I have thought about transitioning to a new leader. That is my vision for the Alliance, but I just don’t have that fire in my belly any more.

“I urge members of the community to make their wishes known concerning the future of MBAA.”

Bennie Nelson West is pictured with her son, Joshua Benjamin Malekbu Parks, in this Facebook post. him no longer living in the home with his two children. She tied his depression with some childhood experiences that she chose not to detail.

“I don’t want to speak about Josh as a child. That isn’t helpful to me, and I don’t want to go there,” West said. “But I will say that Josh’s father was an African man, Malekebu, who was not in his life. And because he never knew his own father, Josh sought to be the best father he could be to all five of his children. He was a loving father and a wonderful person. I am grateful for having him with me while he lived.”

‘No mistakes or coincidences’

Parks is the second child West has lost. Her 19-year-old daughter, Sarah, contracted pneumonia on Dec. 30, 2006, and passed suddenly.

“There are no mistakes or coinci-

‘Lest we forget’…

dences. I believe we must accept the divine order brought by the universe,” said West. “Circumstances are ‘present’ to us; that is our present, our reality. We are all energy. We are all connected. I believe we must live with great gratitude for everything.

“I am grateful that I have one son still with me,” said West. “Jacob lives in Nashville, but we have reconnected again, and we are drawing closer to each other because of Josh. I am grateful for that.”

West said great good would come out of the tragedy.

“We must live out of love – love self first, love others, and then love the earth. I have no doubt that great lessons will be learned and shared.’

A fund for Parks’ children has been set up at First Tennessee Bank. Donations will be received for the next two months. Gifts of any amount should be made payable to “Josh’s Kids Memorial Fund.”

The Prince Hall Masons & Order of Eastern Star celebrated the Emancipation Proclamation on Jubilee Day (Jan. 1) at Mt. Zion Baptist Church at 1621 Dellwood.

The special guests were members of the Memphis Branch NAACP. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 9 - 15, 2014, Page 12

GRIZZ TRACK

Grizzlies give Spurs a late scare Memphis goes down after forcing OT

win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Riding a wave of energy, Memphis actually outscored the Spurs in the paint, 55-50. The Grizz also won the battle of the bench, with 44 points to the Spurs’ 38. San Antonio turned the ball over three times in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

For Memphis, Randolph finished with 17 points. James Johnson was huge off the bench, scoring a seasonhigh 15, including a game-tying three late in the heart-racing last quarter.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 24 points (his season high) and 17 rebounds. Marco Belinelli added 19 Memphis guard Tony Allen missed his second straight game with a contusion to his left hand contusion. Acquired in a trade that sent Jerryd Bayless to Boston, newcomer Courtney Lee finished with 12 points in his Memphis debut.

“We showed character and continued to fight,” Lee said. “I’m happy to be a part of this team.”

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kelley Evans

San Antonio Spurs beat the Memphis Grizzlies for the seventh straight time Tuesday night, escaping the FedExForum with a 110-108 overtime victory that could have been measured in inches.

While the Spurs have been beating the Grizz with regularity, this latest confrontation was in doubt right up to the time Mike Conley’s three-point attempt from 29 feet bounced off the front of the rim as time expired.

Conley played big in a game in which Memphis erased a 16-point deficit, including a 10-point hole entering the fourth quarter. Conley led the Grizzlies with 30 points, 11 coming down the stretch in the final frame. His last-play drive to the basket yielded a game-tying bucket that sent the game into overtime.

“Going into the fourth quarter, more than anything I saw that I was going to have to take some more shots, be more aggressive, try to get to the rim and get to the free throw line,” Conley said. “I knew Zach (Randolph) was getting double teamed all night.”

Disappointed about blowing the big lead, the Spurs got themselves together in time to come out on top in OT. They played without center Tiago Splitter, who has been known to give Grizz big man Randolph a hard

James Johnson of the Grizzlies dunks on Boris Diaw of the Spurs. (Photos: Warren Roseborough)

time down low. Splitter suffered a right shoulder sprain in the Spurs’

NOTES: Tuesday’s game against the Spurs was the third of four this season.

Coming into the contest, the Grizzlies had completed a three-game road stint, defeating the Phoenix Suns and the Detroit Pistons and falling to the Denver Nuggets.

The Grizz play the Phoenix Suns at the FedExForum on Friday.

The University of Memphis Tigers got a first-hand view of big-time women’s basketball going up against the topranked Huskies of Connecticut and absorbing a 90-49 thumping at the FedExForum last Saturday (Jan. 4).

Memphis battled for a short while, up by three with six minutes elapsed. Then UConn switched into another gear and proved why this year’s team is No. 1 and is building – once again – on a championship pedigree.

The Huskies – now sporting a 15-0 record – held the Tigers without a basket for 9 minutes and 8 seconds during one stretch of the second half.

Memphis guard Ariel Hearn had 20 points to lead the Tigers.

The game was played at the FedExForum following the men’s team loss to Cincinnati on the same floor Saturday morning.

Shaq Goodwin rejects Jermaine Lawrence of Cincinnati as he drives to the basket. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)

Sub-par guard play sends Tigers back to drawing board Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by J.R. Moorhead

Remember at the beginning of the basketball season when many analysts were saying that Memphis had one of the top, if not the best, backcourts in all of college basketball?

With four senior guards – Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford, Geron Johnson, and Michael Dixon Jr. – it was easy to see why many people might have thought that.

But being projected as the best and playing like the best can be two totally different things. The best guard quartet isn’t usually associated with 14-for-49 shooting in a game. That’s what Memphis’ guards did Saturday (Jan. 4) in their game against Cincinnati’s Bearcats.

For a team that head Coach Josh Pastner says is “going to roll through the guards,” shooting under 30 percent when they take 49 of the 60 attempts is a recipe for a loss. Add 16 turnovers, a 60 percent free throw conversion rate, and 2 for 17 (11.8 percent) from beyond the three-point arc and Memphis isn’t going to win many games.

Especially, against a tough team like the Bearcats.

Cincinnati was 12-2 and unranked going into the match-up with Memphis. And although the Tigers had already played a conference game, the Bearcats gave Memphis its first real taste of exBig East new American Athletic conference basketball. The Bearcats crashed the boards and controlled the pace of the game.

Mike Conley drives and scores over Tony Parker of the Spurs, sending the game into overtime.

UConn proved why this yearʼs team is ranked No. 1

Troy Caupain (left) of Cincinnati and Michael Dixon Jr. of the Tigers battle for a loose ball.

The bigger Bearcats lineup manhandled the smaller Memphis lineups and slowed the game to a crawl. Memphis is at its best running and gunning, but Cincinnati never let that happen.

The final score (69-53) reflected an embarrassing loss for the Tigers and most of the blame fell onto the shoulders of the guards.

“All of us guards didn’t play as well as we could have played.

That’s the basic reason we lost,” said Jackson.

“We definitely want to protect our home court, and we didn’t do that,” said Crawford. “We just have to get back to the drawing board and get back to practice.

We have to trust the process and keep doing what we are doing.”

What exactly is that process?

“We have to play inside-outside basketball,” said Pastner.

Now that’s a little confusing.

First the offense runs through the guards, but he wants to play inside-outside (through the big men). If he really feels that way, then why did forward David Pellom only play 23 minutes and Austin Nichols only 11 minutes (0 in the second half).

“I told our guys that this is the American (Conference), and it is going to be tough. If they play the way we did today, then it is not going to work,” said Pastner.

“There is no time to have a pity party because our schedule is getting tougher and tougher.”

With a two-game road trip upcoming, Pastner’s right, it is only going to get tougher. And that starts with a game at Louisville on Thursday (Jan. 9).

No. 1 UConn thumps Tigers

Breigha Wilder-Cochran of Memphis rebounds over Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis of UConn. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)

Bria Hartley (right) of UConn comes up with the loose ball after PaʼSonna Hope of the Tigers turns it over.