1 16 2013

VOL. 62, No. 2

www.tsdmemphis.com

January 10 - 16, 2013

Baylor, Ewing and Brown set for Grizz King-Day salute

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was 5 years old when Elgin Baylor was born, 7 when Jim Brown entered the world and 33 when Patrick Ewing came along.

Baylor was 33 years old when the 39year-old Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4. 1968. Brown was 32; Ewing was 6.

On Monday, Jan. 21, those timelines will intersect in Memphis as the Memphis Grizzlies host their 11th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Day. NBA Hall of Famers Ewing and Baylor and NFL Hall of Famer Brown will be honored for their contributions to civil and human rights when the Grizz play the Indiana Pacers at noon.

Ewing, Baylor and Brown will be the re-

cipients of the Eighth Annual National Civil Rights Sports Legacy Awards, presented by FedEx. The award pays tribute to athletes who have made significant contributions to civil and human rights and who have laid the foundation for future leaders through their careers in sports in the spirit of Dr. King.

Regarded by many as the best shooting center of all time, Ewing was an offensive juggernaut and was once touted as the next Bill Russell. Off the court, Ewing is a passionate supporter of Zo’s Fund for Life Foundation, an organization established by NBA veteran Alonzo Mourning, who was diagnosed with a kidney disease.

Ewing also became a strong supporter of breast cancer research after losing his sis-

ter to the disease. He has continuously given back to the community and those less fortunate from the NBA’s Coaches for Kids to his most recent holiday toy giveaway.

Baylor, one of the best all-around players in basketball history, lived and played during Patrick the time of segregation Ewing and has seen and overcome his share of injustices. In 1959, when Baylor and two other SEE KING ON PAGE 2

Elgin Baylor

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Jim Brown

Post-funeral shooting no match for pastor & congregation Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The founding scripture for Promise Land Church in Frayser is Psalm 37:5, which reads, “Commit thy way unto the LORD, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass.”

Senior Pastor Elliot R. Shelton said the church at 3430 Overton Crossing added an addendum to its mission statement this year, namely that Promise Land Church is dedicated to building people of courage, compe-

Time to meet the wizard…

tence and character.

“In doing that we were looking out into the community trying to see how we could Evangelize and then educate the community as well as empower them,” said Shelton,.

Courage is what Rev. Shelton and his staff had to muster recently (Jan. 5) when gunfire erupted outside the church moments after the conclusion of funeral services for 24-year-old Randy Williams, who had been fatally shot outside Club Crave in downtown Memphis on Christmas Eve. In an interview Wednesday (Jan. 9) with

The New Tri-State Defender, Shelton declared that there would be no broken promises.

Kelvin Cowans: Your members and your members’ families are welcome to have home going services in your sanctuary, correct?

Pastor Elliot R. Shelton: Indeed, we try to accommodate them. This particular member, Mr. Randy Williams, was actually a member of our church who joined with his mom. His SEE SHOOTING ON PAGE 2

Anthony “Buckets” Blake of the Harlem Globetrotters mixed basketball wizardry with life lessons during a visit Tuesday to Kingsbury Elementary School, where he met Etoria Harris and other students. Blake, who brought an anti-bullying message along with him, will be on the court at the FedExForum on Saturday (Jan. 12) for a performance by the Globetrotters. (Photo by Warren Roseborough)

New Council Chair Ford: The 'house' is open all year round

by Tony Jones

“If you took Promise Land (Church) out of this community, the crime rate will shoot sky high,” said Pastor Elliot R. Shelton, whose face figuratively and literally reflected his conviction about that sad assertion. (Photo by Chris Hope)

by Kelvin Cowans

75 Cents

‘The Teacher Who Changed My Life’

Maybe it was the teacher who taught you perseverance by encouraging you to cite the reasons for the “Battle of 1812” even though you were recovering from losing your two front teeth in a pre-season football scrimmage.

Or maybe it was the teacher who helped you make the transition from an inner city school with all African-American students to one where you could count the African Americans on two hands.

Teachers continue to change lives and those who do are worthy of recognition. The New Tri-State Defender is partnering with New America Media (NAM) and other media partners in Memphis to organize an essay contest on teachers for just that purpose.

We invite you to write a short essay (500 words maximum) describing the teacher who changed your life or the life of your child.

Who is this remarkable person?

SEE TEACH ON PAGE 2

Memphis City Council Chairman Edmund Ford Jr. says the open house held at City Hall Tuesday (Jan 8) will be his way of reaching out to the public as he presides over the council for 2013.

Ford envisions meetings scheduled on a quarterly basis and he hopes large crowds will attend for what he says is a sincere Edmund effort to connect Ford Jr. more citizens to City Hall.

“I think it’s very important for people to know how their government runs, and especially to get to know their elected officials,” said Ford.

But suppose too many people respond?

“Too many is always enough in my point of view,” Ford said. “The people suffer when there is a disparity of information about what their government is doing and this is my attempt to address that disparity. This is one particular way that I want to assure that people get the information they need. I’d rather have too many to inform than little to none.”

Public outreach calls proved effective for Ford in two recent notable instances. He strongly pushed the public to attend council meetings to voice concerns over the closing of golf courses. He also brought in citizens to speak before an executive session where council members were weighing the fate of the Foote Homes housing development.

While some may challenge the value of such moves by Ford, Council members did, interestingly enough, direct Memphis Housing Authority officials to go back and make sure the public is properly informed about the Foote Homes remodeling plans.

There’s a dual-edged purpose to the meet and greets, said Ford.

“Whatever happens this year, and this touches upon the open houses, let’s not have bickering and moan sessions,” pleaded Ford.

SEE FORD ON PAGE 2

- INSIDE -

• Redskins should have stopped RGIII. See Opinion, page 4.

• Columnist Nyah Nile is back and ‘All Over Town.’ See Entertainment, page 10.

• Madea: ‘Strong black woman?’ See Entertainment, page 10.

• Flo Roach & Deltas shine in Hollywood. See Community, page 13.

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H -67o - L-58o Part l y Cl oud y

H- 6 7 o - L - 4 9 o T-Sto rms

H- 5 1 o - L - 3 4 o Ra i n

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-660 L-55 H-70 L-60 H-72 L-62

Saturday H-62 L-45 H-70 L-60 H-76 L-64

Sunday H-66 L-31 H-63 L-41 H-68 L-46

Page 2

TEACH

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Did this person mentor you, open your mind to a subject that became your passion, help you in a personal crisis?

The deadline is Feb. 4, 2013.

Mail-in entries must be postmarked by then, and all entries are subject to the contest’s Official Rules. (View the Official Rules here.)

Eligible contestants All contestants must reside

SHOOTING

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

mom is always here and she is one of our biggest supporters.

So we officiated the service as me and my staff worked along with his mother, Ms. Ellen.

We made sure that the family had everything it needed for the service. We wanted to make sure that it would be a spiritual and heart felt service and it was. Still, we knew what we were dealing with and we knew what kind of group we would have and we wanted to minister to that group.

KC: What do you mean by you knew what kind of group you would have?

Pastor Shelton: We knew that it was going to be a young, urban population, gang members.

KC: Oh, so Randy Williams was a gang member?

Pastor Shelton: Now that I don’t know.

KC: Who said that there would be gang members?

Pastor Shelton: We knew the scent of what we saw on television, and being that I’ve been pastoring for 20 years, I kind of knew this would be a service attended by a lot of people who probably don’t go to church a lot. We had a Memphis Police car on hand out front. But no, I have no idea if he was a gang member, but I did have my staff plan accordingly, putting safety first for all involved.

KC: Let me back track for a second, just how did Mr. Williams die?

Pastor Shelton:. I have no full understanding of what happened over there. My main and only concern was that his mom said to me that she just wanted to bury her son so that she could move on from this. Just like our church would do for any member, we assisted her with her wishes. ...

We’ve been in constant contact with her every since, letting her know that we love her and she’s doing as well as anybody would be doing considering the circumstances of her son’s passing and with the situation at the funeral.

KING

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

African-American players were scheduled to stay in a different hotel than his white teammates, Baylor protested by sitting out the entire game and refused to dress in his uniform.

Passionate about giving back to his community, Baylor currently provides scholarships for African-American students attending Los Angeles Community College and frequently donates to the St. Joseph Center.

Dubbed by some as the “greatest football player of all time,” Brown retired from his running-back career in 1966 to pursue a movie career where he found much success. Off the big screen, Brown championed human rights, specifically those of African-Americans.

In the 60’s, Brown helped create the Negro Industrial Economic Union to support black-owned businesses. In the 80’s, he started the Amer-I-Can program, a national program and movement to empower individuals to take charge of their lives and achieve their full potential. Brown began the Amer-I-Can Foundation as a way to not only stop the violence, but to teach troubled people self-pride and personal responsibility.

The Martin Luther King Celebration Day will begin with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Sports Legacy Symposium, presented by the Hyde Family Foundation. The symposium will feature Ewing, Baylor and Brown, who will share their stories and experiences about their contributions to civil and human rights in the spirit of Dr. King.

NEWS

Tri-State Defender

January 10 - 16, 2013

in the city of Memphis or Shelby County. You can only enter one of the following categories: Teenagers between 14 to 18 years old; Write about a teacher, who is not your relative, who teaches in a public or private school in the city of Memphis or Shelby County.

Adults 19 years of age and older; Write about a teacher, who is not your relative, who teaches in a public or private school in the city of Memphis or Shelby

County who have changed your life or the life of your child.

Teachers in memory Write about a teacher, who is not your relative, who might have passed away or whom lost contact with, or a teacher who taught you in your home country.

Essay format Essay writers are invited to write up to 500 words in English or in the writer’s native language. In-language submissions will be translated prior to final judging. Essays should be

KC: Replaying the funeral, you preached the eulogy?

Pastor Shelton: I did preach the eulogy.

KC: After finding everyone alright, what happened next?

Did you all go ahead and proceed with the burial plans of Mr. Williams?

Pastor Shelton: “No we didn’t. I read his last rites and committed the body here. We ended the service right there in the parking lot and sent the body on to be buried. I changed the plans after the shooting. My staff then did an excellent job of locking the church down. We then administered further of the people that were left behind. We gave them water and prayed with them.”

KC: Well, do you think it was something you said that may have angered some? Or were you just doing your normal thing? In fact, what exactly did you preach about if you don’t mind me asking, Pastor?

Pastor Shelton: I preached Luke Chapter 15:12 dealing with The Prodigal Son, a sermon titled “Don’t miss the Party.” Ironically, the story is basically what happened here without saying a lot…as the prodigal son went to a far away place but in the end made his way back home.

We had an awesome homegoing. The crowd, which was predominantly African-American male, began taking their shades off and letting their guards down as the service went to a spiritual high. I felt like they were saying that whatever we came here to do, we’re not going to do it. There were 65 to 75 people that accepted Christ during this service.

Later, as we went out to put the body inside the car, there were at least 200 people standing outside the funeral, just a large crowd of people. I decided to slip back into the church quickly to change shirts, as we were indeed preparing to go bury this man.

While I’m inside changing, shots rang out and my assistants told me to get down on the ground from the window, and I did. Someone made the comment that the gun was of heavy artillery and very loud.

Another comment was made that some young man was running away from the crowd gathered outside and shooting bullets back into the crowd.

After I got my shirt on and got up off the floor, me and my assistants rushed outside to do what we do, which is minister to everyone that was out there.

We were checking to see who got shot. Glory be to God no one did. People were frantic and their hands were shaking and it was so surreal to me. I had never seen anything like this in my life. We saw shell casing around the parking lot, but again, no one was hit.”

The free symposium will be held in the Coventry Health Care Practice Facility at FedExForum from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., with doors set to open at 9:30 a.m. While admission is free with the purchase of a Grizzlies game ticket against the Pacers that afternoon, space is limited. Season Ticket Holders interested in attending must pre-register by calling their account executive at 901888-HOOP or sending an email to rsvp@grizzlies.com.

Following the symposium, the Grizzlies and Pacers will tip-off at noon in a nationally televised game on ESPN, presented by Lexus and Delta Air Lines, along with associate sponsors SunTrust, McDonald’s of the Mid-South and State Farm.

The halftime ceremony, presented by MLGW, will feature a special Martin Luther King, Jr. video tribute, recognition of Brown, Ewing and Baylor, and a performance by American recording artist, Aaron Neville.

After the game, C Spire

KC: Looking back, what would you change? Have you now been forced to watch closely on the funerals you perform, or not perform any that may look to be trouble at face value? What I’m saying is, has this incident made sure that Promise Land Church stays within the four walls of this building…?

Pastor Shelton: “Absolutely not! I believe that the church should operate outside the four walls of the church. The news only focuses on the bad and you rarely see the good that most church’s do. We‘re very busy in the community. We take kids on youth trips. We feed people over here and we baptize 40 to 50 people a year.

Another 100 or so a year give their life to Christ from this very community. I’ve also got about 70 third-graders heading to the fourth grade over here at our school, and no one cares about that.

We have one degenerate shooting and here comes all five of the news channels wanting me to do a press conference.

So what can we do? What I want you to know is that for every person that was involved in this service and the shooting I want them to know that I love them. I want to pray with each and every one of them.

And to answer your question again, I say absolutely not, will we never stop being a blessing to this community. If we have to do it all over again, we will and we will still have safety first and do it all even better.

(Kelvin Cowans can be reached at (kelvincowans@hotmail.com.)

Wireless will present the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day High School Classic. This year, the Southwind Jaguars will tipoff against the Amanda Elzy Panthers at 3 p.m. Admission is free with the purchase of a ticket to the Grizzlies game.

This marks the eighth year the Grizzlies and the National Civil Rights Museum have given out the Sports Legacy Award, presented by FedEx. For tickets, call 901-888HOOP or visit grizzlies.com.

Tickets for the Plaza IV and Terrace IV sections are sold out.

The event is hosted by the Memphis Grizzlies, National Civil Rights Museum, City of Memphis and Shelby County and presented by FedEx, Hyde Family Foundation, Lexus, Delta Air Lines, C Spire Wireless and MLGW. Associate Game Sponsors include SunTrust, McDonald’s of the MidSouth and State Farm.

(This story reflects info from grizzlies.com)

sent via email or regular mail, along with the entry form.

Judges and selection criteria Distinguished educators, journalists, scholars and advocates will select a winner from each category. Judges will look for evidence that the teacher opened up a new pathway of knowledge or opportunity for the student that he or she had previously not been aware of, or that the teacher inspired or fostered a love of learning.

We are looking for real life examples and expect the en-

FORD

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

“I’ve seen it dozens of times. People will show up to complain about an issue, and then when you tell them, ‘OK, let’s get together next month to try to create some solutions,’ eight people show up. It’s easy to point the finger, but it’s difficult to do the action and the work. If an issue is important to the community, we all have to put some work in.”

In particular regard to the African-American community, Ford sees a major need “for economic development, making sure their tax dollars are going back into their community and making sure their respected elected officials are held accountable for everything they do in their elected

tries will help us expand our definition of what a “great teacher” is.

Awards Winners in the “Teenager” and “Adult” categories will each receive a cash award of $500 and the teachers profiled will also receive an award of $500. The winner in the “Teacher In Memory” category will have the honor of picking a local public school to donate a $500 check made by NAM. Award Presentation The New Tri-State Defender will host a special presentation

capacity.”

When told that the line about economic development sounded old and tiresome, Ford opened up a bit more.

“We’re not the sole contracting officer of the city, people need to know and understand that. That question needs to go to the mayor,” he said.

“I’ve talked about that in terms of (people) needing to know what the office of Contract and Compliance does, and the mayor’s office. So if you have problem with minority- and women-owned businesses not getting a fair share of the contracts that the city gives out, that’s not an issue for the council,” said Ford.

“We can’t sign any contract to say that this particular contract goes to a particular group in any way. The City Council appropriates money

of the awards during an Education Empowerment Expo in March. Winning essays will be published by TSD, NAM and other media outlets.

Entry Email your essay, along with the entry form, to: inthemail@tri-statedefender.com.

Or, mail your essay, along with the entry form to: The Teacher Who Changed My Life The New Tri-State Defender 203 Beale St.; Ste. 200 Memphis, Tn. 38103

for something to get done, but it’s the mayor’s office’s decision of who does it. Exclusively!”

Well, does the council have any real power to strengthen the African-American business sector?

“I can’t speak for others, but I’ve done to the best of my ability to educate people about how we actually get economic development into our communities,” said Ford, which brings him right back to the open houses.

Ultimately, Ford said, he is committed to wielding the council’s gavel in a fair and precise manner.

“There will be issues I’d like to bring to the table that will force me to yield to the vice chairman for a particular motion, because I’ll be steadily fighting for my district.”

HEALTH

Tri-State Defender

Page 3

January 10 - 16, 2013

CHEF TIMOTHY

Counting calories no answer to long-term weight loss

by Chef Timothy Moore

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

It seems like no matter how hard we try to change our attitude, our friends or our weight, it either gets undeniably worse or decidedly better. As Dr. Timothy the years continue to Moore add up, we can become stuck in a time warp or become completely adrift.

Leslie is a prime example. In fact, she has a serious weight problem. She’s 5 feet tall and weighs 280 pounds. In reality, her large frame really didn’t bother her because she assumed, like the majority of individuals, that losing a pound wouldn’t be too hard. Without trepidation, she continued to live life to the fullest, as if there was nothing to worry about.

One day Leslie visited her doctor for a routine insurance wellness check and was diagnosed with hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. The only thing she said to her doctor was, “How could this happen to me? These diseases don’t run in my family.”

There are approximately 30to-50 percent of the American population actively involved in some type of weight loss program trying to lose some unwanted pounds. The sad news is that two-thirds of Americans are already considered obese.

There are a number of weight-loss advertisements on TV and in print media. However, the majority of them are designed to cause a calorie deficit. Any spokesperson pitching his or her weight-loss program expects us to rely on less calorie consumption than what is recommended or required daily.

Leslie tried counting calories to lose weight, but was moderately successful. With tears in her eyes, she described the yoyo effect of this approach. Millions have attempted some form of weight loss and ended with only some degree of satisfaction. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating bacon and eggs, soups, salads, chicken and waffles or apples, the dilemma begins once the diet ends.

Weight has a way of returning with a vengeance. In most cases we’ll gain additional weight after stepping away from our diet. This is very frustrating and equally embarrassing. Although we’re given different body types and frames, the diet works only until it is stopped.

When it comes to dieting, 98 percent of all weight loss programs are failures in most long-term situations. That means that out of every 100 individuals trying to lose weight, only two are moderately or permanently successful while the other 98 will fail.

So why can’t we keep the weight off? As with anything we attempt, we often become too comfortable too quickly and deviate from the original plan. This usually leads us back to our old habits of eating the wrong types of foods again.

In order to find success in a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy, lifelong, desirable

Flu season is here

According to the latest CDC FluView report, influenza activity continues to increase in the United States with most of the country now experiencing high levels of influenza-like-illness.

These current levels of flu activity are nearing what have been peak levels during moderately severe seasons in the past.

Twenty-nine states including Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee are now reporting high influenza activity. The previous week 16 states reported high activity.

Locally, the level of illness is expected to continue for another eight to 12 weeks according to the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital website . Pediatric infectious disease experts are reporting that both Influenza B and Influenza A (H3N2) strains are present among local children. Both strains are covered by this year’s flu shot.

weight, we must begin by making healthy eating and exercising our lifestyle of choice.

There is a proliferation of weight-loss programs to choose from. But we must remember that the weight-loss industry has a lot of experience in telling us what we want to hear.

How do we conquer this dilemma? First and foremost, if

you want to permanently lose weight, you’d have to redirect your focus from desiring to be thin to focusing on being healthy. If you don’t want to be called obese, you’ll find this approach worth the effort.

For Leslie, this won’t be a simple task or completely painfree. I’m sure all of us enjoy the Western way of eating.

This has to change. We must look at food as a nutrient rather than something that tastes good. We must realize that small changes reap rewards with great benefits.

We shouldn’t let food seduce us, either. What makes this habit so hard to break? The key to weight-loss success depends on living a healthy lifestyle and

switching to a nutritious diet.

So select the right food for its ability to nourish and protect the body.

Leslie could lose those unwanted pounds, if she would eat to live rather than live to eat.

(Dr. Timothy Moore teaches nutrition, heart disease and dia-

betes reversal through a plantbased lifestyle. He is a professional speaker, wellness coach and personal plant-based chef.

He is the author of 47 Tips To Reverse Your Diabetes.” He can be reached by email at cheftimothy@cheftimothymoore.com, visit him at www.cheftimothymoore.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/cheftimmoore.)

Page 4

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

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OPINION

Tri-State Defender

January 10 - 16, 2013

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

Biggist loser of 2012 was the ‘Black Community’

Boehner: ‘Intemperate, ignorant and out of control’

Congressman John Boehner was re-elected speaker of the House of Representatives with a narrow vote.

Needing 218 votes, he barely clinched it with 220. His narrow vote reflects the fact that no Democrat would vote for him and that many Republicans are disillusioned of him.

Perhaps it also reflects the fact that he has so poorly comported himself that he does not deserve reelection.

Most folks who curse do it behind closed doors. In deference to their position, they attempt to parse their public statements to reflect the dignity of the office they hold. Not Mr. Boehner, who dropped the “f” bomb at Sen. Harry Reid not once, but twice, in the middle of fiscal cliff negotiations.

To his credit, Reid did not respond, but behaved as if he perhaps did not hear the out-of-control Boehner. The Speaker of the House of Representatives comported himself as intemperate, ignorant and out of control.

The fact that Boehner appeared out of control is no surprise to those who have observed him over these past two years. He leads with bombast and bluster then backs down into defensiveness and profanity. Last December, he refused to compromise with President Obama on fiscal matters surrounded by a defiant set of Republicans who agreed with him.

When he backed down, he was surrounded by not a soul, virtually abandoned by his party.

Déjà vu. After pontificating, and offering a nonsensical Plan B for a House vote, his party rebuked him and he had to tuck tail and sit down at the negotiating table. No wonder he managed so much ire that he cursed the Senate Majority leader.

You can cuss in public and you can cuss in private. The fact that Boehner chose to kick New York to the curb is as big an “F” bomb as the one he offered Sen. Reid. After being promised that relief for Hurricane Sandy was forthcoming, Boehner broke his promise and pushed the vote back to the 113th Congress. Only after Democrats and Republicans, governors and Congressional representatives excoriated him on the House floor, did he agree to vote on a $9 billion plan on January 5, with another $53 billion up for vote on January 15.

Meanwhile, many New Yorkers are still living in the backs of their cars, lacking electricity and other basic needs, eating in soup kitchens, bathing in shelters, no better off than they were when the hurricane hit. Have we not learned lessons from Hurricane Katrina? Can we not get relief to people just

a bit sooner? Must New Yorkers be treated as pawns in this partisan nonsense?

Should Boehner have the right to metaphorically fling the “f” bomb at them?

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Julianne a Democrat, and Malveaux New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, have expressed their righteous rage at Congressional chicanery. This has not moved a Congress that bootstrapped fiscal cliff legislation with goodies for Puerto Rican rum producers, some Hollywood moguls, and other assorted pork. The day of the earmark has supposedly expired, but those with special interests spent more time promoting them than they did repairing the damage from Hurricane Sandy.

Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.) calmed down after a private meeting with Boehner. He had it absolutely right before he calmed down though.

Then he raised questions about the way Congressional representatives run to New York for fundraisers and support, but have not rushed to support New York and New Jersey in this crisis.

While monies may yet be forthcoming, it should have hit New York, Connecticut and New Jersey at least a month ago. And while $9 billion is seemingly assured, with a new Congress, the affected areas may be lacking much longer.

I’d bet that if one of Boehner’s Ohio’s eighth district constituents complained about sleeping in a car, he might care more. I am sure he wouldn’t bristle and use profanity (or behave profanely) with those who presumably vote for him. But Boehner has abdicated all claims to decency in the past year or so. He has led a nonproductive and incompetent Congress, and tainted fiscal cliff negotiations with earmarks and set-asides.

Why not an earmark for hurricane victims? Why not pure decency for his peer, Sen. Harry Reid? Why not pretend to have good sense, even if you don’t. Can Boehner stoop any lower? Let’s see what other stunts he pulls as House Majority Leader of the 113th Congress.

(NNPA columnist Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.based economist and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.)

Influencing Barack Obama’s second act There is a different feel in the air, and it should not be surprising. As historic as was the re-election of President Obama, nothing can replace the uniqueness of the opening of his first term four years ago. The expectations; the history that was made; the level of excitement…it was all too impossible to replicate.

The November 2012 re-election of the president, nevertheless, was a remarkable feat. Taking place during a time of war and economic crisis against a very well-funded opponent, combined with the Republican use of voter suppression efforts in many states, victory was far from assured.

The forces of irrationalism were blunted in their tracks, however, at least for the moment.

Yet, as we approach Inauguration there are important concerns. In the “fiscal cliff” negotiations, President Obama, despite the public being on his side, once again displayed his tendency towards what I would call overcompromising, a reluctance to engage in hard-bargaining and a tendency to blink at the wrong time. Yes, things could have been worse, but that does not mean that they went well.

Beyond the fiscal cliff there are other issues facing us: climate change; turmoil in the Middle East; the continued war in Afghanistan, the threat of war with Iran; and, obviously, the economy. On each of these issues and more, we should not assume – in fact, we cannot assume – that President Obama will be on the right side. The drone strikes in Pakistan continue, for instance, and so too do the attacks on civil liberties at home.

The question, then, is, what should we expect over the next four years? The answer actually depends on us much more than it does on President Obama. In the fiscal cliff negotiations, we saw what happens without us: the wrong compro-

mises are made in the name of bi-partisanship.

The problem is that Obama cannot be bi-partisan if the other side is being fanatically partisan. Such attempts appear to be surrender rather than responsible diploBill macy.

Fletcher Jr. Thus, the real answer to what to expect over the next four years comes down to two very different and clear scenarios: One, in the absence of pressure, the administration will offer wonderful rhetoric as it continues to retreat, or, two, the administration will be compelled to shift gears and fulfill the mandate that it received from the decisive November election as a result of pressure that it receives from people like us.

In case you missed this, the administration can only be compelled through mass action. That means more than emails and phone calls, but instead public displays of protest – boots on the ground. In addition, when we have Republicans in Congress who, due to gerrymandering, have districts that are solidly Republican and, thus, they have little fear of any electoral challenge, the only thing that will shake them up is if society is a bit shaken.

One thing that we do not need is to find ourselves, four years from now, asking why we did not do more when we had the chance. If we miss the moment, we may not have additional chances.

(NNPA columnist Bill Fletcher Jr. can be reached at papaq54@hotmail.com.)

Redskins should have stopped RGIII Special to CNN

by Jeff Pearlman One night, back when I was Robert Griffin III’s age, I drank six glasses of grain alcohol mixed with grapeflavored Juicy Juice. My roommate Anthony said it was a bad idea. My other roommate, Chris, also said it was a bad idea. My closest friend, Daniel, insisted it wasn’t merely a bad idea but the worst idea ever.

“You barely touch booze,” he said.

“This won’t end well.”

“Quiet,” I replied. “I can handle it.”

That night, in room 102 of Russell Hall A at the University of Delaware, I vomited into a toilet for 45 straight minutes. Anthony, who was kindly holding up my head as the cool water reflected onto my face, repeatedly muttered, “I told you so. ... I told you so.”

Alas, I was but a child. I lacked the maturity and wisdom to know what was for my own good.

Sunday evening, during his team’s 24-14 playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Griffin, the Washington Redskins’ star rookie quarterback, insisted on remaining in the game despite being tossed around like a Raggedy Andy doll with the stuffing yanked out of its legs. During the first half, Griffin reinjured his previously sprained right knee after falling awkwardly while rolling out of the pocket. He rose gingerly and moments later could be seen behind the Redskins’ bench, having tape applied.

This was nothing new for the kid.

Earlier this season, in a December 9 game against the Ravens, Griffin sprained his lateral collateral ligament, missed the following week and returned with an awkwardly fitted black brace wrapped around the knee.

This time, with the season on the line, Griffin and Mike Shanahan, Washington’s coach, engaged in a halftime conversation. According to Shanahan, the quarterback told him, “Coach, there’s a difference between being injured and hurt. I can guarantee you I’m hurt right now.

Give me a chance to win this football game, because I guarantee I’m not injured.”

So Griffin – in his “six glasses of grain alcohol mixed with grape-flavored Juicy Juice” moment – returned. And was pummeled. His once Willie Gault-esque speed was gone. His tight spirals had been replaced by Ryan Lindley-esque ducks. It reminded one not of a football game so much as the 1982 heavyweight title fight between Larry Holmes and Randall (Tex) Cobb, the one where Cobb left the ring so bloodied and beaten that

Robert Griffin III

Howard Cosell never again worked the sport.

Much like prize fighters, defensive football players are trained to locate an opponent’s weakness and exploit it. If a guy’s arm is black and blue, nail it with the crown of your helmet.

If a linemen is having trouble seeing with his left eye, gouge the right.

There Sunday, in the pummeled form of RGIII, stood a walking, talking weakness. A battered quarterback, defenseless without his tools.

The Seahawks, rightly, exploited it.

When Shanahan heard Griffin’s plea, he should have looked across the locker room at his son, Kyle Shanahan, who serves as the team’s offensive coordindator. Were RGIII his son (and not merely his quarterback), would he have sent him back on the field, sans a leg? Would he have forced Kyle to face one of the NFL’s most vicious defenses without a full arsenal? Shanahan should have thought of all the retired NFL players who can no longer walk, can no longer drive, can no longer feed themselves, who – in the name of toughness and staying on the field – are pathetic shells of their former selves.

It has been reported that, earlier in the season, James Andrews, the renowned orthopedist, never cleared Griffin to play against the Ravens, that Shanahan had ignored proper protocols in the name of winning a stupid football game. (Shanahan disputes this, however.)

But if Andrews had not cleared Griffin to play, the Redskins organization should be ashamed.

If that’s the case, Robert Griffin III shouldn’t be asking himself whether he can play.

He should be asking himself whether anyone in power cares for his well-being.

(Jeff Pearlman is the author of “Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton.” He blogs at jeffpearlman.com. Follow him on Twitter.)

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I notice everyone doing their usual year-end lists of the biggest winners and losers of the year. I am not a big fan of these lists, but I will acknowledge that the black community was Raynard the biggest loser Jackson of 2012.

I have been very critical of how media-appointed groups/individuals have been labeled as the leaders of the black community. It’s funny that the media doesn’t use similar language when referring to the white community.

Who are their leaders?

Last year, blacks gave President Obama 93 percent of their vote against Mitt Romney (black women voted 96 percent for Obama), yet they sat quietly by as Obama gave goodies to illegals in the country and created new rights for homosexuals.

What did blacks get from Obama?

NAACP President Ben Jealous ignorantly went on national TV last week and stated that newly sworn in U.S. Senator from South Carolina, Tim Scott, did not support civil rights. It would have been more accurate to say Scott does not support “liberal rights.”

Last month, I wrote about the band of black women who courageously took a principled stand in support of Obama nominating Susan Rice to be Secretary of State. Yet, these same principled women were so blinded

by Obama’s race that they could not bring themselves to criticize him for throwing Rice under the bus.

A lot of these liberal groups and individuals complain that I am too critical of them. They never complain about the accuracy of what I write, just the fact that I put my thoughts out in the marketplace of ideas.

I will offer some suggestions to these groups as to how they might begin to become more relevant in 2013.

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) can begin to address the perception that they are a liberal professional organization by providing at least two college interns to both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee every summer.

These students should be given a stipend and living expenses. I don’t want to hear any excuses about lack of funds for this. If their leadership is not willing to reach into their own pockets to help these students, then why should corporate America?

They need to be what they are looking for.

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) rarely if ever engages in public policy hearings on the congressional level. They have many engineers with relevant expert knowledge, but are totally invisible to most members of Congress. When New Orleans had the oil spill a couple years ago, why was NSBE not contacted and asked to provide a list of chemical and environmental engineers from their membership to testify before congress? The answer is a very simple one. They have never positioned themselves as an organization that has any value to add to any public policy discussion. Furthermore, why do they not provide interns for their students with congressional committees that have oversight over various issues relating to engineering?They and other black professional groups can have a bigger impact within our community, but they must be willing to step up and not continue to be viewed as groups that primarily throw a lot of parties.

If any of these groups were hauled into a court of law and accused of being an effective advocate for their respective communities and staying true to their missions as stated in their bylaws – would there be enough evidence to convict them?

The problem with most of these groups is their leadership lacks creative vision for a 21st century world.

They have become stale and dated.

What does it say about these groups that they are all funded by white corporate America? Do they lack such relevance that their own community sees little value in them?

The days are over where you support a group because it has “Black” (or “National) in their name. In today’s tight fiscal climate, what is the rationale for anyone to support them? What is the deliverable? What is the call to action? What is the value they provide that can’t be obtained elsewhere?

If these groups don’t have a positive answer to these questions, then they are deserving of being on next year’s biggest loser list.

(NNPA columnist Raynard Jackson can be reached via www.raynardjackson.com. Follow him on Twitter @raynard1223.)

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

Page 5

January 10 - 16, 2013

Wilmington Ten pardons: ‘Black Press’ at its best

When then-National Newspaper Publishers Association Chairman Danny Bakewell Sr. asked me to emcee the Black Press Week luncheon at the National Press Club in 2011, I had no idea that I would be witnessing history. At George the urging E. Curry of Wilmington Journal Publisher Mary Alice Thatch, the NNPA decided to launch a national campaign to win pardons for the Wilmington 10, a group of activists who were falsely convicted and sentenced to a combined total of 282 years.

Everyone knew it would be an uphill battle, but it was a battle the NNPA was willing to wage. It established The Wilmington Ten Pardon of Innocence Project whose goal was “to generate national and worldwide support for the petition, to the state of North Carolina, and specifically the governor, to grant individual pardons of innocence to the Wilmington Ten.” NNPA publishers saw a video about the Wilmington Ten at the luncheon and its leader, Benjamin Chavis Jr., was interviewed by me and the publishers. When I asked Ben, a longtime friend, about his lowest point in prison, he tried to steer me away from the question by saying he preferred to focus on the future, not the past.

But the past affects the future, which is why I brought him back to my original question. This time, he gave a direct, emotional answer.

“I was warned not to go into the shower,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I couldn’t take a bath for eight months.”

And the reason Chavis was reluctant to take a bath was because of death threats.

No one should have to live like that, especially after the criminal justice system has been manipulated to obtain a false conviction.

For Chavis, the trouble began after the all-black high school was closed as part of the court-ordered desegregation of New Hanover County, N.C. schools. The black students were forced to attend the previously all-white high school, where they were harassed. In February 1971, the United Church of Christ dispatched Chavis, a native of Oxford, N.C., to help organize a school boycott.

During that period of unrest, someone firebombed Mike’s Grocery, a white-owned business located a block away from Gregory Congregational Church, where Chavis had set up headquarters. When firefighters and police officers arrived, they were attacked by snipers.

Chavis and nine others were charged and convicted of arson and conspiracy in connection with the incident. Most of the defendants received a 29year sentence, with Ann Shepard, the white woman from Auburn, N.Y., receiving the lightest sentence of 15 years and Chavis, then only 24 years old, getting 34 years, the longest sentence.

In 1980, a federal appeals court overturned the convictions of the Wilmington Ten. The court ruled that the trial judge had wrongly restricted defense attorneys from crossexamining witnesses who had received special treatment in exchange for their testimony and that the prosecutor violated due process rights by failing to turn over evidence that would have impeached the testimony of its chief witness, Allen Hall. In addition, the prosecutor refused to turn over a second statement made by Hall that directly contradicted at least 15 of his allegations.

After taking up the cause of the Wilmington Ten, NNPA newspapers gave prominent display to stories written about the case by Cash Michaels, editor of the Wilmington Journal, and distributed to member papers by the NNPA News Service. Through talent and dogged persistence, neither Cash nor his publisher, Mary Alice Thatch, would let the campaign for pardons stall.

The national campaign heated up last spring when

Michaels produced a string of stories examining every aspect of the case. In one story, Michaels traced the shattered lives of the seven survivors (one has since died) and the families of three deceased members of the Wilmington Ten. He found that some of the survivors, including Chavis, had successfully rebuilt their lives while others had not.

One blockbuster story began: “In an extraordinary discovery, the 40-year-old case files of the prosecuting attorney in the two 1972 Wilmington Ten criminal trials not only document how he sought to impanel, according to his own written jury selection notes, mostly White ‘KKK’ juries to guarantee convictions, but also to keep Black men from

serving on both juries.”

Michaels story continued, “The prosecutor chose, in his own words, ‘Uncle Tom’ types to serve on the jury, it was disclosed. The files of Assistant New Hanover County District Attorney James ‘Jay’ Stroud Jr. also document how he plotted to cause a mistrial in the first June 1972 Wilmington Ten trial because there were 10 Blacks

and two Whites on the jury, his star false witness against the Ten was not cooperating, and it looked very unlikely that he could win the case, given the lack of evidence.”

Without Michaels’ exceptional reporting and the national exposure, many of the facts about the Wilmington Ten injustice would still remain unknown – and Gov.

Perdue would not have pardoned the civil rights activists.

This was the ‘Black Press’ at its best.

(George E. Curry is editorin-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He can be reached via www.george curry.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.)

NATION

Page 6

Oldest U.S. citizen dies at 114

Mamie Julia Rearden once was asked how it felt to be one of the world’s oldest living persons.

“I don’t know how it Mamie Julia Rearden makes me feel. I really don’t know,” she replied.

Last week (Jan. 2), Reardon died at an Augusta, Ga. hospital at age 114 years and 117 days, according to her daughters, Sara Rearden of Burtonsville, Md., and Janie Ruth Osborne of Edgefield, S. Car. Reardon reportedly broke her hip after a fall about three weeks ago.

Amongst the many things that could be said about Rearden upon her death, these facts will be forever linked with her – the world’s 4th oldest living person, the oldest living American, and the oldest living person of African descent.

Rearden entered the world in Edgefield County, S. Car., in a portion of the area known as Pleasant Lane. Her maiden name was Lewis. She attended Log Creek Community School and Jerome Bettis Academy Junior College.

A career teacher, she began that trek in 1918. A year later, she married Ocay Rearden and the couple parented 11 children.

Ocay Rearden died in 1979.

When Mississippi Winn died on Jan. 14, 2011, Rearden became the oldest AfricanAmerican.

“My mom was not president of the bank or anything, but she was very instrumental in raising a family and being a community person,” Sara Rearden, Rearden’s youngest daughter, told the Associated Press.

“Everybody can’t go be president of a bank or president of a college, but we feel just as proud of her in her role as housewife and particularly as mother and homemaker.”

For the record • July 15, 2012 – Mamie Rearden, aged 113 years 312 days, became one of the 100 oldest people ever.

• September 7, 2012 – Mamie Rearden became the 91st person in history to reach age 114.

• December 4, 2012 - Mamie Rearden, aged 114 years 88 days, became the oldest living person who was born in the United States.

• December 10, 2012, Mamie Rearden became one of the 70 verified oldest people ever.

• December 17, 2012 Dina Manfredini died, Mamie Rearden aged 114 years 101 days became the oldest living American.

• January 2, 2013 Mamie Rearden died, age 114 years 117 days as the last American born in 1898.

– Staff and wire reports

January 10 - 16, 2013

Tri-State Defender

‘Stop-and-frisk’ tactic takes a judicial hit in New York case CNN

by David Ariosto NEW YORK – A federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday (Jan. 8) ordered the New York Police Department to halt a controversial “stop and frisk” tactic outside a privately owned Bronx apartment building without first having reasonable suspicion, saying the method had crossed the bounds of what could be considered constitutional.

“In sum, while it may be difficult to say where, precisely, to draw the line between constitutional and unconstitutional police encounters, such a line exists, and the NYPD has sys-

tematically crossed it when making trespass stops outside TAP buildings in the Bronx,” Judge Shira Scheindlin said.

Scheindlin made the statement as part of a interim injunction in a lawsuit brought against the city. The next scheduled proceeding in the case is scheduled for January 31.

The much-criticized method, in which police stop and search those they consider suspicious, has been used to deter crime, the police department has said.

But it has also brought on a slew of lawsuits by residents complaining of unlawful stops.

Last year, amid mounting public pressure from advocacy groups, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, in a letter to City Council Speaker

Christine Quinn, outlined new police policies in an effort to “increase public confidence.”

Under the policies, officers report “stop and frisk” encounters at a local level, and are provided training curriculum and videos, Kelly said. There also are programs reaching out to the community, he said.

Kelly said at the time that the department prohibits racial profiling and aims to ensure a “greater level of scrutiny” by having captains of precincts “personally conducting an audit of the Stop, Question and Frisk report worksheets that have been prepared within his or her command.”

(CNN’s Mark Norma contributed to this report.)

Evers’ widow to speak at inauguration CNN Belief Blog Editor

by Eric Marrapodi

The widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers and an Atlanta pastor will deliver the invocation and benediction at President Barack Obama’s inauguration January 21, the Presidential Inaugural Committee has announced.

The committee said in a statement that the president was involved in selecting Myrlie Evers-Williams to deliver the invocation and the Rev. Louie Giglio, pastor of the Passion City Church, to deliver the benediction.

“Their voices have inspired many people across this great nation within the faith community and beyond. Their careers reflect the ideals that the vice president and I continue to pursue for all Americans – justice, equality, and opportunity,” the president’s statement continued.

Evers-Williams’ work and life is an example for the nation, said a source close to the planning of the inauguration. “Following her husband’s murder she worked tirelessly not only for justice for his murder but for justice for the nation as well,” the source said.

Giglio, a pastor and the leader of the Passion Movement, was chosen because he’s a “powerful voice for ending human trafficking and global sex slavery” and due to his work in mobilizing young people in that effort, said the source.

The official swearing-in of the president and the vice president will take place on Sunday, January 20, in keeping with the constitutional requirement. A public ceremonial swearing-in will take place Monday, January 21 on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol.

This year, the inauguration falls on the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which officials told CNN played into the selections of Evers-Williams and Giglio.

Evers-Williams’ husband, was the NAACP’s Mississippi field secretary when he was gunned down in the driveway of their Jackson, Miss., home in 1963. Evers-Williams went on to chair

Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, stands next to a blown up version of the postage honoring Evers. (Photo: Ross Levitt/CNN) the NAACP from 1995-1998 and has remained a tireless advocate for civil rights.

“I am humbled to have been asked to deliver the invocation for the 57th inauguration of the President of the United States – especially in light of this historical time in America when we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement,” she said.

Giglio is a rising voice in evangelical Christianity. Friday, the Passion conference wrapped up its annual event for college students in Atlanta, with more than 60,000 students attending and vowing to end global slavery.

“During these days it is essential for our nation to stand together as one. And, as always, it is the right time to humble ourselves before our Maker,” said Giglio. “I am honored to be invit-

ed by the President to lead our nation as we look up to God, and as we look ahead to a future that honors and reflects the One who has given us every good and perfect gift.”

An inauguration official speaking on background said the president viewed the selections as “spiritual and not political.”

“I think it’s a poignant thing for the ceremony to open with someone who to many folks in the country symbolizes courage but also some of the rough times we’ve been through as a country,” the official said. “To close with a pastor from the South who is fighting modern slavery in this generation, I think there’s a poignancy to that that shouldn’t be missed.”

(Eric Marrapodi is CNN Belief Blog editor.)

BUSINESS

Tri-State Defender

Page 7

January 10 - 16, 2013

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

The business of entertainment

Entertainment is a business that can be lucrative, if done correctly, and Memphis has had its share of successes.

Entertainment covers a wide range of business endeavors, including film, television, theatre, music, publishing and multi-media. The supporting cast needed to make a venture successful includes lawyers, accountants, agents, managers, actors, musicians and designers.

While Memphis’ music history is legendary, music is not the only area of entertainment that has been successful.

A few years back, Memphis was a much sought after location for film production. “The Firm,” “The Client,” “The People v. Larry Flynt,” “The Rainmaker,” “Cast Away,” “21 Grams,” “Forty Shades of Blue,” “Walk the Line,” “Hustle and Flow,” “$5 Cover,” and “NSecure” are a sampling of the movies that have been produced here.

However, with other states passing more competitive legislation pertaining to film production incentives, Memphis’ track record in film has slowed down lately. Production com-

panies frequently seek locations that offer the best incentives. Tennessee’s incentives are just not as competitive as they used to be for the industry.

With an ample supply of talented performers and singers, what is needed to ensure that Memphis gets back in the game?

Unfortunately, Memphis Carlee talent too often seems to McCullough migrate to cities such as Los Angeles, New York or Atlanta. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with spreading your wings and following the opportunities, but wouldn’t it be nice if talent didn’t have to relocate to make a mark on the industry.

We need more projects and opportunities for our talent. I mean opportunities such as movie or television show production, music production and placement, multi-media development

and placement, and literary production. It will take some strategically placed resources to grow the industry, with Georgia and Louisiana serving as examples that it can be done.

How would Memphis grow by having an independent artist with a hit record?

Well, to have a hit record the artist has to either write a song or work with someone who did write the song, and invest in studio time, an engineer and mastering of the record. The song has to be promoted and marketed via radio, Internet, print, etc. If radio pushes the song, the result can be increased record sales and paid appearances for the artist. When a video is produced, someone has to create the concept, style the artist, direct, film and edit the video.

In short, many businesses and people have a hand in the making of the hit record.

From an economic development perspective, the lawyer should be in a position to make money, the studio and engineer should make money, along with the songwriter and videographer.

And the artist should make money from appearance fees, record sales, ring tone sales, etc.

Artists – influenced by the industry – are accustomed to going into “floss” mode, which entails buying a house for mom, a house for the artist, and don’t leave out the luxury car purchases and the jewelry buys. The real estate industry receives a boost, the car dealerships are happy and the jewelry store is overjoyed.

Entertainment is good for Memphis, not just for the entertainment value but for the economic-development value.

Whether its movies, television or music, we have to invest in the industry at a high level to reap the returns. While there is nothing wrong with holding on to icons such as Elvis Presley and Isaac Hayes, we have to create the next generation to continue to reap the economic benefits of the entertainment industry.

This month we focus on those industries that are a part of the supporting cast in the entertainment business.

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

MONEY MATTERS

Trusts – the basics will get you started Many people think trusts are only for the rich, but that’s not necessarily the case. Most estates must go through the probate process, which can be costly and time-consuming. And with tax changes scheduled to take effect in 2013, even modest estates could be subject to federal estate taxes. Certain types of properly executed trusts may help avoid both of these potential liabilities.

Trusts can also be used for other purposes, such as to provide for a dependent with special needs, to maintain control of a legacy for your heirs, or to make a substantial contribution to your favorite charitable organization.

A trust is a legal arrangement under which one person or institution controls property given by another person for the benefit of a third party. The person giving the property is referred to as the trustor, the person controlling the property is the trustee, and the person for whom the trust operates is the beneficiary.

With some trusts, you could name yourself as the trustor, the trustee, and the beneficiary.

A trust can be revocable or irrevocable depending on the type of trust and the way it is constructed. The latter type cannot be easily modified or terminated.

Understanding the terms

Atlanta mourns biz icon…

Former U.N. Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young (right) was among hundreds of business, civic and religious leaders who packed Big Bethel AME Church on Jan. 4 to pay final tribute to Atlanta business icon and civil rights activist Jesse Hill Jr., who died Dec. 17. Hill was 86. (Photo courtesy of NNPA)

BIZ BIT New hires at Carter Malone

The Carter Malone Group, a full-service public relations, marketing and advertising firm, has added to its team with a new director of Government Relations, an account service specialist and a social media coordinator.

Jesse Johnson is CMG’s new director of Government Relations. He has 20Jesse plus years experience in Johnson social service and public policy.

A graduate of Memphis City Schools, Johnson attended Tennessee State University and the former Memphis State University. He is a 2001 graduate of Leadership Memphis and a 2002 graduate of the Institute of Organizational Management of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Debra Davis, an account service specialist, comes to CMG with more than 25 years experience in sales, marketing, management and accounting. A 1978 graduate of Rust College, Davis received a Bachelor of Science Degree

in Business Administration and Accounting. She also received a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from Clark-Atlanta University School of Business in 1981.

Latrivia Nelson is CMG’s new Senior Account Services Specialist.

She has over 15 years of public relations, developLatrivia ment and marketing expeNelson rience. Nelson is a graduate of LeMoyne-Owen College (BBA) and Strayer University (MBA).

Brian Malone is CMG’s new Social Media Coordinator. He is a former intern at CMG and student at the University of Memphis.

“I am glad to have these individuals as part of the CMG family and look forward to utilizing the talents they bring to the group,” Brian said Deidre Malone, Malone CMG’s founder, president and chief executive officer.

A living trust is established and funded during your lifetime. When assets are transferred to a living trust, you technically no longer own them, so there is nothing to probate when you die. If you name yourself as the trustee, you can maintain full control of the assets, but doing so would generally negate Charles Sims Jr., CFP the estate tax savings associated with the trust.

A testamentary trust takes effect upon your death, at which point it becomes irrevocable. It is usually established by a will, which means your estate would still go through probate. A testamentary trust is often used to help reduce estate taxes.

The use of trusts involves a complex web of tax rules and regulations. You should consider the counsel of an experienced estate planning professional before implementing such strategies.

(Charles Sims Jr. is president/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901682-2410 or visit www.SimsFinancialGroup.com.)

RELIGION

Page 8

Tri-State Defender

January 10 - 16, 2013

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

Think and create the life you want

Dear Lucy: Year after year I make New Year’s Resolutions. I have made some of the same ones over and over only to not reach them.

Then there are some that I make that are a piece of cake. This year, I want to really achieve something great that I can look back on and be proud of. Do you have any suggestions about this? – “Ready for a brand new life” Dear “Ready”: This is the time when most of us begin to consider our past in light of our future. One of the hard things to come to grips with is that if we look around very closely, we can see that whatever is going on in our lives right now we have created! That involves taking on the commitment to truly think about and create the life we want day-byday and thought-bythought.

Whatever is going on in our lives is a result of what we believe about life, God, ourselves and other people.

Whatever you believe to be your good is what you will always go after. So, here are a few steps to take: 1. Look closely at what is going on in your life right now. For the things and people that you don’t like or enjoy, ask yourself, “What am I believing about these people, myself or these circumstances that allows them to keep showing up in my life?” For example, if you seem to attract jealous or mean people, do you believe that all people are basically jealous and mean? Are you afraid that deep down you are jealous and mean? Really examine what you are expecting. We get what we expect and have the power to eliminate what we closely inspect.

2. For the things in your life that you love and enjoy, ask the same question. The things or qualities that you truly believe to be good, valuable, worthwhile and useful on a consistent basis will be attracted to you.

3. Make a list of the beliefs you want to maintain and the ones you want to change or eliminate from your thinking. Now work on your thinking!

Somewhere along the way, humanity decided that God’s idea for us is one of struggle...that anything worth having has to be hard and painful to get. That’s not true. We are told in many different ways that: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light”; “It is my

Father ’s g o o d pleasure to give you the k i n g dom.”

This is what I mean by our bel i e f s Lucy about Shaw God creating our reality. If you believe it is God’s will that you should struggle, then you will struggle.

Life is sweet, generous, fun and above all, fair! We get to decide. And when you stick to your own truth, you get the results you want.

Michelangelo once said that the greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we reach it.

It’s tempting to set goals you think you can achieve

Michelangelo once said that the greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we reach it.

based on your current circumstances. But, circumstances are only your history – they are not your destiny.

Decide today on what you want and what it is you belief about your right to have it. Really look closely at what you believe about your desire.

Then, pause for just a moment and ask, “What step would I take toward this goal right now if I believed I could not fail?” Then, take that step and the next until you arrive at your desire.

To your next step!

Lucy

(You can watch Lucy on Channel 17 (Comcast) every Thursday at 10:30 am. (Send your questions to her by U.S. mail to: Heartworks4U, LLC; 4646 Poplar Ave. Ste 201, Memphis, TN 38117 or by e-mail to lucy@heartworks4u.com. Get your free gift at http://www. 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 from her website.)

Edgar Miller, with his wife, Jacqueline, say goodbye with a rose. (Photos by Tyrone P. Easley)

LEGACY: Arilla Gaters-Miller Family and friends called Arilla Gaters-Miller “Dear” and she lived up to the reference, putting a premium on family and home matters.

Memories of Mrs. Miller, the widow of the late Willie George Miller, drew a crowd that packed Progressive Missionary Baptist Church on Vance for her homegoing service last Sunday (Jan. 6). Three mayors – current and former – joined two former Congressmen and a host of other notables at Mrs. Miller’s sendoff.

Mrs. Miller was known for her signature handkerchiefs.

She died on Dec. 31, having

never retired from her work as a professional seamstress. She was 98.

An excellent cook, Mrs. Miller’s home often was the venue for frequent family gatherings, prayer meetings and myriad community outreach events and activities. It also often served as a safe haven for neighborhood children.

Mrs. Miller’s contributions to her community and to Memphis included serving as the North Precinct Police Department Coordinator of Neighborhood Watching and as former president of the Shannon Elementary School

PTA. She also was the recipient of the Woman of Stamina award.

A long-time member (64 years) of Progressive MBC, Mrs. Miller founded the Hyde Park Senior Citizen meditation hour, where she gave many young ministers the opportunity to preach. Her pastor, the Rev. James B. Collins, delivered the eulogy, describing Mrs. Miller as “devoted to serving humanity.”

Mrs. Miller leaves one daughter, Veronica McKinney of Detroit; four sons, Edgar Miller (Jacqueline), Willie Miller (Darlene), Russell

Hamilton (Myra), and Gene Nelson (Pearl, deceased); a host of grandchil- Arilla Gatersd r e n , Miller g r e a t grandchildren, great-greatgrandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins, and a special caregiver, Ella Taylor.

Burial was in Memorial Park Cemetery.

N.J. Ford & Sons Funeral Home had charge.

Starting the year off right…

The Rev. Dr. Roosevelt Terrance Joyner preached his first sermon of the year as president of the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association on Jan. 3 at Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church during a function sponsored by Citizens Bank. Dr. Joyner and his wife, Carolyn, share reflections with Rose Fields. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)

PRAISE CONNECT -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

TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST

672 So. Lauderdale 38126 P.O. Box 314 Memphis, Tn 38101 Phone (General) 774-1572 Pastor: 775-0740 Secretary: 775-1909

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

WEEKLY SERVICES

Sunday Sunday School 9:00 a.m.

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Night YPWW 5:00 p.m.

Night Service 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday Night Prayer 6:00 p.m.

Bible Study 7:15 p.m.

Wednesday Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m.

Friday Morning Prayer 9:00 a.m.

Night Service 7:30 p.m.

BROADCASTS 9:30 a.m. Sunday WDIA - 1070 AM

No Telecast Service

Dr. David Allen Hall Pastor

— Proverbs 1:7

“The Founder’s Church”

First Pastor: Senior Bishop C.H. Mason

Greenwood Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 3311 Kimball Ave. Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 744-7531 (901) 744-7664

Worship Services

THE BLVD Ea s t 6 7 4 5 Wo l f R i v e r B o u l e v a r d @ Kir by Pa r k wa y (i n t he Cla r k Ope r a M em phis Ce nt e r ) Me mp h i s T N 3 8 1 2 0

Dr. Frank A. Thomas Senior Servant

Sunday Sunday School Worship Service

Clarence Kelby Heath Wednesday Pastor

Noon - 1 p.m.

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

9 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

ST. ANDREW A.M.E. CHURCH 867 SOUTH PARKWAY EAST Memphis, TN 38106

(901) 948-3441

Early Morning..........7:45 AM Church School..........9:45 AM Morning Worship......11:00 AM Bible Study For Youth and Adults Tuesday - 7:00 PM “Spirit, Soul, and Body!”

AM 1070 WDIA Sundays, 10:00-10:30 AM

TV Cable Access Broadcast Tuesdays, 7:30 PM, Channel 17 Website:www.saintandrewamec.org

Child Care Center (901) 948-6441 Monday-Friday 6 AM- 5:30 PM Emergency Food Pantry Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, Pastor & Clothes Closet Rev. Marilynn S. Robinson, Co-Pastor Wednesday 6 PM-8 PM

“Ministering to Memphis-Spirit, Soul and Body”

Tri-State Defender

January 10 - 16, 2013

Page 9

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 10 - 16, 2013, Page 10

WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?

ALL OVER TOWN

Madea: ‘Strong black woman?’

Yes, you read the headline right. And you will be reading right when you see that the man making the assertion that Tyler P e r r y ’ s renowned Madea character is a strong black Myron woman is none Mays other than Minister Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam.

Yes, he did. Many might expect Minister Farrakhan to denounce the character that has been referred to by so many people as “ghetto” and “buffoonish.” Minister Farrakhan, however, makes an interesting point when he says that he doesn’t see the Madea character as a man dressed in women’s clothing.

He sees the portrayal of Madea as “That strong, black woman who was the cornerstone of her family. She always was that figure that guidance (of) correction, reprimand, discipline, and Tyler Perry brought her to the screen in funny ways, but what I was seeing was the greatness of the strong, black woman who saw us through, from yesterday until today.”

Say what you want about Tyler Perry, all of his films – even the Madea movies – have something for the viewer to take away. I mean think about it, taking the silliness out of it, how many times did you get a positive message from any of the “Friday” movies? Don’t get me wrong. I loved them just like you did. But we simply cannot hold one filmmaker accountable for something that we are not willing to hold all filmmakers accountable for, right?

Minister Farrakhan goes on to call Tyler Perry “one of the most brilliant young entrepreneurs of our time” and says that he is grateful to him for bringing Madea to the forefront of America’s consciousness. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement.

And now, I’m sure a lot of us, like “me,” will look at Madea at least a little differently now…right?

As far as your events calendar is concerned, grab your pen and jot these down. Here’s what’s happening:

‘I Have a Dream’ Fest

Join CLE Events for the second annual “I Have a Dream” Fest Weekend, January 18-20. “I Have a Dream Fest” is a 3-Day series of events that includes: a concert at Hard Rock Café dedicated to promoting unity in the local music scene by bringing culturally diverse artists together; “Fashion In Falsetto,” a hip fashion show at the Memphis Rehearsal Complex; and the “Artistik Lounge” at Madison Dance Studio, where artists and lovers of the arts can lounge, mingle and vibe.

For more information, contact Catherine Evans at 901-257-9664 or visit ihaveadreamfest.com.

The Bow Wow Club Returns

The Memphis Black Arts Alliances presents an encore performance of “The Bow Wow Club” starting Feb. 8 and running Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with a closing matinee on Sunday, Feb 10. It takes place at the Evergreen Theatre located at 1705 Poplar Ave. General admission tickets are $15 and $10 for members. Group tickets are also available. They may be purchased at the FireHouse Community Arts Center located at 985 South Bellevue. For more information and reserve tickets, contact The Memphis Black Arts Alliance at 901-9489522 or email mbaafirehouse @gmail.com.

What’s Happening Myron Book Club

Join me for the What’s Happening Myron Book Club meeting on Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. at Evergreen Grill located at 1585 Overton Park. This year we have decided to choose the “Curtis Black” series by writer Kimberla Lawson Roby. There are about ten books in this series and we will be dedicating most of this year to featuring them. If you are familiar with the series, you know the “Reverend Curtis Black” is one of the most intriguing characters ever written. The first book in the series is called “Casting the First Stone.” Grab yours today and plan to join us on the 26th!

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

TSD “All Over Town” columnist Nyah Nile says, “I am going to let you see Memphis through my lens and filter.” Photo by Trevor Campbell)

Memphis’ future is ‘All Over Town’ nyah@tri-statedefender.com

by Nyah Nile

I am Nyah Nile and I am “All Over Town.” In 2013, I am going to give the readers of The New Tri-State Defender everything I live in Memphis.

I am going to try new things, push out of my comfort zone and maybe even make you a little uncomfortable. I am going to let you see Memphis through my lens and filter. I’ll share myriad things that move and interest me and ignite the creative fire.

Put it like this: I will be the person who tests the bungee cord to make sure it is safe.

Hold on tight!

It is the season for making resolutions and setting new goals and there are so many articles and news stories cautioning us about the need to set realistic goals. Maybe it’s just these writers’ ways of saying life is just not that easy and that even if you want something, you may not get it.

But what is the flip side to that?

Maybe it’s that when you truly want something, life has a way of sending you what you need to make anything happen.

However, we often just miss the signs. We overlook the signals to never give up on ourselves. We miss our opportunities by backing down and shying away. We are so stubborn that we don’t want to give up bad

habits. We continue to ignore the voice inside of us that guides the path to right and wrong. For each one of us it is a different secret language, but it’s there for us all.

Lately, my answers to life questions seem to be rolling like Mack Trucks, slamming my conscious and sub-conscious. I began to awaken to some of my life changes about three months ago, prior to the New Year’s resolution season. I started saving more money, eating better, exercising, and trying to use Twitter and Facebook more. I started working a part-time job and putting plans in motion to start back doing more of the things that I love!

For example, I bought a new workout DVD three weeks ago by Julian Michaels called “Ripped in 30 days” (don’t judge me).

Last Thursday night (Jan. 3), I made it to week two. Amid sweating and wanting to throw a weight at my flat screen TV, I heard Michaels say something that made me look at the whole workout process differently. “…I want you to be uncomfortable,” Michaels yelled.

“I want you to get deep into that squat until it hurts…The place where it hurts is the place where we will see results. Like the old saying goes, no pain no gain. It is not just a saying, it is true.”

Well, I got deeper into that squat, pushed through and made it the most uncomfortable workout I’d ever had.

The next day, I had lunch at Evelyn & Olive’s Restaurant on Madison Ave. with my mentor, Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku, executive editor at The New Tri-State Defender.

He shared some of his resolutions and apprehensions and I shared some of my goals and fears for 2013. After hearing some common language between the two of us, he said, “….I may have to push past my comfort zone.”

The next morning it hit me. He was basically saying the same thing that Julian Michaels declared on the DVD, just in a different way.

So, this year I am back. After a rollercoaster hiatus that included more time than I anticipated to grieve the death of my brother, I have pushed beyond the “comfort zone” that encompassed the fears and doubts that crept in about successfully traveling the path toward my goals.

In the days, weeks and months ahead, I will be “All Over Town” noting Memphis experiences and chronicling many of you as you believe in yourself, trust yourself and take leaps of faith towards greatness.

And trust me, when you start to truly live like that, a greater more positive life is sure to find you.

(For questions, or if you would like Nyah Nile and “All Over Town” at your next big event, email nyah@tri-statedefender.com.)

THEATRE

The ‘Voice of King’ returns to Memphis Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Tony Nichelson

Not much of the inner city ever makes it all the way to Collierville.

The tranquil, serene settings of the Memphis suburb belie the drama and shortcomings of its urban neighbor.

The two worlds join in theatrical harmony on January 15th at the Harrell Theater when Rabia Louis Haynes brings his one-man play, “If Martin Luther King, Jr. Were Alive Today,” back to Collierville for the second year.

The Los Angeles-based actor with deep family roots in Clarksdale, Miss., has produced and directed movies, hung out with Saudi Amirs, traveled the globe and inspired audiences with his renditions of some of Dr. Martin Luther King’s most wellknown speeches.

Haynes has gone from the gritty streets of Chicago’s South Side as a boy in the Robert Taylor public housing project to membership in the Screen Actors Guild and onscreen roles for major networks. He

spent time in L.A. shadowing director Steven Spielberg during filming of “The Terminal,” and attended film school in New York City with Will Smith and Quentin Tarantino.

“If Martin Luther King, Jr. Were Alive Today” is a high energy, 70minute performance that includes seemingly instant costume changes, dramatic lighting and music, and the riveting vocal similarities to MLK. “If you close your eyes, you almost believe Dr. King has come back to life to speak on our modern condition,” says the L.A. Weekly in reviews last year. Ironically, Haynes does not portray Dr. King, but rather a young man, “Bobby,” who admires MLK, and can only find solace in the courageous nature and words of America’s greatest Human Rights champion. The historical relevance and message of “MLK” are made current with just-added references to the re-election of President Barack Obama.

Every student and congregation should plan to see “If Martin Luther King, Jr. Were Alive Today,” not on-

Rabia Louis Haynes stars in his one-man play, ʻIf Martin Luther King, Jr. Were Alive Today.” (Photo by Marvin Clark, Shoot-NStarz Studio; http://www.shootnstarzstudio.com)

ly to support local theater, but also to ignite new interest in civil rights history as America approaches the 50th Anniversary of Bull Connor and Birmingham, of Medgar Evers and Memphis… of the March on Washington and the Loraine Motel.

The Jan. 15 event is the unofficial

kick-off of the “Birmingham Crusade: Memphis Mission 2013.”

More on that to come.

(For ticket information, call 310864-4038, or 901-230-8805. ) (Contact: Rabia Louis Haynes at amirrabia@aol.com or call 310864-4038.)

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 11

January 10 - 16, 2013

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

Anthony Mackie as Officer Coleman Harris in “Gangster Squad.” (Photo

by Wilson Webb/Warner Bros. Pictures) Special to The New Tri-State defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening January 11, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“Gangster Squad” (R for profanity and graphic violence) Mob saga, set in the ’40s, revolving around the efforts of a half-dozen detectives to prevent the Mafia from gaining a foothold in Los Angeles. Ensemble cast includes Sean Penn, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie and Giovanni Ribisi.

“A Haunted House” (R for profanity, sexuality, crude humor and drug use) Marlon Wayans stars in this horror comedy as a guy who enlists the help of a priest (Cedric the Entertainer) to perform an exorcism on his wife (Essence Atkins) when she becomes possessed by a ghost soon after they move into a new home. With David Koechner, Bobbie Lee and Nick Swardson.

“Zero Dark Thirty” (R for profanity, disturbing images and graphic violence) War on Terror docudrama, directed by Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow (for “The Hurt Locker”), chronicling the efforts of the CIA Agent (Jessica Chastain) spearheading the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden (Ricky Sekhon) culminating in his death during a daring, nighttime assault on his compound in Pakistan. With Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Kyle Chandler, Jeremy

Strong and Harold Perrineau.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“The Baytown Outlaws” (R for sexuality, drug use, graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Custody comedy about a woman (Eva Longoria) who hires a trio of rough rednecks (Clayne Crawford, Daniel Cudmore and Travis Fimmel) to rescue her godson (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) from the clutches of her abusive ex-husband (Billy Bob Thornton). With Zoe Bell, Serinda Swan and Natalie Martinez.

“Clandestine Childhood” (Unrated) Dirty War drama, set in the Seventies, following the fortunes of a couple (Natalia Oreiro and Ernesto Alterio) which assumed new identities upon moving with their sons (Cesar Troncoso and Teo Gutierrez Romero) back to Argentina from Cuba to take part in the guerilla movement trying to topple the government. With Violeta Palukas, Mayana Neiva, Douglas Simon and Cristina Banegas. (In Spanish and Portuguese with subtitles)

“Fairhaven” (Unrated) Prodigal Son drama about a substance-abusing ne’er-do-well (Chris Messina) very eventful weekend spent with a couple of pals (Rich Sommer and Tom O’Brien) when he returns to his hometown for the first time in a decade to attend his estranged father’s funeral. With Sarah Paulson, Alexie Gilmore and Natalie Gold.

“High Tech, Low Life” (Unrated) Big Brother documentary examining censorship of

the media and the Internet in the People’s Republic of China. (In Mandarin with subtitles)

“Quartet” (PG-13 for profanity and suggestive humor) Dustin Hoffman directed this musical drama set at a home for retired opera singers where plans for the annual concert celebrating Verdi’s birthday are complicated by the arrival of a pampered diva (Maggie Smith). Featuring Michael Gambon, Billy Connolly and Sheridan Smith.

“$ellebrity” (Unrated) Paparazzi documentary, directed by Kevin Mazur, offering an inside look at the lives of the rich and famous as well as the shutterbugs who get paid to stalk them with cameras. Featuring appearances by Kid Rock, Jennifer Aniston, Sheryl Crow, Marc Antony, Salma Hayed and Sir Elton John.

“Storage 24” (R for violence, gore and profanity) Sci-fi horror flick about four Londoners who find themselves trapped with an alien in a storage facility after the crash of a military cargo plane. Starring Noel Clarke, Colin O’Donoghue and Antonia Campbell-Hughes.

“Struck by Lightning” (Unrated) Comingof-age comedy narrated by a socially-ostracized, high school senior (Chris Colfer) recounting the events leading up to his untimely death in a parking lot. With Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson and Dermot Mulroney.

“Uprising” (Unrated) Arab Spring documentary chronicling the 2011 overthrow of Hosni Mubarak ‘s repressive regime in Egypt.

HOROSCOPES

January 9-15, 2013

ARIES An unexpected piece of excellent advice comes from an old friend. Heed well what is said. Follow your intuition concerning matters at work. Your gut feelings are wiser than your brain this week. Trust you feelings more than your thoughts.

TAURUS This is a good time for personal inventory. Dust off old ideas. They will shine brighter than any new ideas this week. You are primed for success in an agreement about a money matter.

GEMINI Socially your positive vibes can take you a long way this week. Your intuition serves you well in business. A new move is favored. Open yourself up to financial flow.

It’s coming.

CANCER Your home can be your best profit center this week. Expand your concept of what profit is. Boost your attention to your lover’s personal needs. Invest time in being considerate. Put other people first this week.

LEO Begin working to improve the quality of life in your community. Don’t hang back.

Do it. Joy comes from what you give this week. This week your charm will open doors that were previously closed.

VIRGO Be open and honest in your dealings with a co-worker. Deception will double back on you, if you try it. This is a bad week for being sly. Your true intentions show on your face. Be thorough don’t cut corners.

LIBRA The boss is depending on you at work this week. The reward is buried in the gifts you give to whoever crosses your path. Don’t look for payment for the good you do. Time will send it surging out at you.

SCORPIO You’ve always had the ability to take the slow and easy route to getting things done.

This week is an excellent week for practicing that method to the maximum. Friends are not going to help you with the problem you face, but go slow and easy and you can handle it alone.

SAGITTARIUS Use your tried and true formula for a successful week. Remember the things that worked for you in the past. Now is not the time to try anything new. Forget about a minor irritation that comes from someone you love.

CAPRICORN Give yourself a chance to grow, and not by eating more. Eating good is alright but for true growth expand your horizons. Look at life a little bit differently. Take a walk on the other side of the question.

AQUARIUS Just start talking. What you need to say next will come to you. You’ve got some explaining to do and silence will get you nowhere. Love can be yours at this time but you’re going to have to use your gift for gab to get it.

PISCES This is just the kind of time you like so enjoy it. Family members are not busy. You can get into their heads and see what’s going on. Open up your own head and let someone in. You are at your best, socially, so have some fun. A Romantic bond becomes stronger.

Source: NNPA News Service

Page 12

Employment

APPRENTICE APPLICATIONS for Steamfitterʼs Local Union # 614 Mon - Thurs starting January 14 -17th and Mon – Thurs January 21st – 24th ONLY Located at 3746 Jackson Ave., Memphis, TN or 154 Hollywood Dr., Jackson, TN. Application times for the Memphis office is 1pm – 3pm. The Jackson Office is 11am – 1 pm.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: 1. At least 18 years of age 2. High School graduate or G.E.D. equivalent 3. $40 drug testing fee – must pass to be accepted 4. $40 Testing fee cash or money order (non-refundable) 5. VALID driverʼs license Applications are for Pipefitters/ Welders ONLY This work involves on the job training for Pipefitting/Welding and 246 hours of annual night classes.

DRUG FREE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM This is an Equal Opportunity Program

Legal notices

LEGAL NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received at the Office of the City of Memphis Purchasing Agent, Room 354, City Hall, 125 N. Main, Memphis, TN 38103, until 2:00 PM CT, Friday, February 01, 2013, for furnishing the City of Memphis with the following: FOR THE DIVISION OF: PUBLIC WORKS City of Memphis RFQ # 3175 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF: PW04065 (SRTS Median Installation on Dellwood for Frayser Elem.)

Federal Project No.: SRTS-9409 (112 State PIN: 110687.00 Location(s): Dellwood from Steele Rd to Frayser School Rd. State Project No: 79LPLM – F1-023 1. The Prime Contractor and all Sub Contractors must pre-qualify 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.

2. The City of Memphis hereby notifies all bidders that a 40% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal has been set for this project and must be met or exceeded. All contractors identified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) must be on the Tennessee Uniform Certification Program (TNUCP) List at the time of the bid opening.

3. The City of Memphis 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 origin, sex or disability in consideration for an award.

4. The City of Memphis is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-

CLASSIFIEDS

Tri-State Defender

January 10 - 16, 2013

TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS 203 Beale Street, Suite 200 Memphis, TN 38103 PH (901) 523-1818 FAX (901) 578-5037 HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm

DEADLINES; Display ads Monday 5 p.m.

Classified ads Monday 5 p.m.

RATES: Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. All rates are flat rates. No refund for early cancellation.

free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service. For additional information contact Mary Bright, (901) 576-6553, City of Memphis, Contract Compliance Office, 125 N. Main St, Memphis, TN 38103 5. “Certification by each bidder must be made with respect to nondiscrimination in employment.”

6. A Bid Bond is required.

7. All bids must include, on the outside of the bid envelope, the name of the project, the bid due date and the bid opening time.

Plans, Specifications and attendant deposit information available, until the time set for opening bids, from: Janet Prejean, (901) 636-2462, City of Memphis, Construction Inspections, 2599 Avery Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112.

Award of contracts will be made on the basis of the lowest and best bids as determined by the City of Memphis. “Best Bid” shall be defined as the responsive quotation, that meets the contract documents, including, if applicable, any DBE Participation Goal as set out in this specification.

THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED Notice of intent of award will be issued after review of all opened bids. Any protest of award must be filed in writing with the Purchasing Agent within ten calendar days of the intent of award announcement.

By Order of the Mayor of the City of Memphis, Tennessee.

A C WHARTON, JR., MAYOR CITY PURCHASING AGENT LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) The Aging Commission of the MidSouth, the area agency on aging and disability (AAAD), for PSA 9 which includes the City of Memphis, and Fayette, Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton Counties in West Tennessee is soliciting proposals from public, private, non-profit and profit-making organizations to provide nutrition services including home delivered hot meals and congregate meals (multiple sites) five days a week to consumers in Fayette, Tipton and Lauderdale County. Applicants must have a successful track record of providing nutrition services and the capacity to comply with policies and procedures related to

For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tristatedefender.com

GENERAL INFORMATION Some categories require prepayment.

All ads subject to credit approval. TriState Defender reserves the right to correctly classify and edit all copy, or to reject or cancel any ad at any time.

Only standard abbreviations accepted.

Copy change during ordered schedule constitutes new ad & new charges.

Deadlines for cancellation are identical to placement deadlines. Rates subject to change. home delivered and congregate meal services. Administration of this program will include, but is not limited to, management of congregate meal sites, meal delivery, and data entry and reporting. More information is available on the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability website: http://www.tn.gov/comaging under the administration tab, policy and procedure manual, chapter 7 on nutrition services.

Program funding to providers selected will begin July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014.

Grant period may be extended for additional years. Funds will be available under the Older Americans Act, Family Caregiver and Options programs. These funds are not intended for capital expenditures. The Aging Commission of the Mid-South, Inc. reserves the right to negotiate additional contracts under this RFP in subsequent years of the procurement cycle.

Any proposal submitted must address our planning and service area and; must serve persons 60 years of age and older, and adults with disabilities and; abide by all State, Federal and Local regulations, policies and procedures as promulgated under the Older Americans Act. This request for proposals is authorized by the Older Americans Act, as amended in 2000. In accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Part 74 and the Tennessee Commission on Aging Policies and Procedures, this notice constitutes meeting Federal procurement standards.

Applicants wishing to submit a proposal may send a letter of interest and request for a proposal packet to the Area Agency on Aging, 2670 Union Avenue Extended, Suite 1000, Memphis, TN 38112 attention Elaine Graf. Applications will be available on January 15, 2013 The DEADLINE for submitting and accepting completed proposals is February 25, 2013 at 4:00 p.m CDT. Due to competitive nature, deadlines may not be extended.

NOTICE TO PUBLIC The following person(s) has asked the city of Memphis Alcohol Commission for permission to sell beer for OFF premise consumption.

Applicant: Ehan INC. Rameez Aly DBA: Airways Gas & Food Mart Location: 5190 Airways

NOTICE The Office of Right-of-Way of the Tennessee Department of Transportation is seeking firms and individuals interested in providing services in connection with right-ofway acquisition for highway projects. The services involved are: 1. Removal or demolition of structures located in the highway right-of-way 2. Routine maintenance of right-of-way - grass cutting and trash removal 3. Protection services – protecting structures in the right-of-way from theft and vandalism 4. Providing rodent control in highway right-of-way 5. Providing real estate title reports and closing real estate transactions 6. Providing cost estimates for moving personal property – commercial, industrial and residential moves 7. Providing cost estimates for construction or reconstruction of all types of structures and other improvements 8. Providing cost estimates for the relocation or adjustment of private utility service – septic systems, wells, water or sewer lines, and electrical service Firms or individuals interested in performing any of the above services must notify the Regional Transportation Manager 2 in the Region or Regions for which consideration for employment is desired no later than February 15, 2013. This written notice should indicate the service or services to be offered. Minority and female firms or individuals are encouraged to apply. Firms or individuals must comply with the requirements of Public Acts of 2006, Chapter Number 878, of the state of Tennessee, addressing the use of illegal immigrants in the performance of any contract to supply goods or services to the state of Tennessee.

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Regional Transportation Manager 2 at the nearest Region Office.

REGION 1 Mr. Oliver Farris Transportation Manager 2 7345 Region Lane Knoxville, TN 37914

REGION 2 Ms. Jackie Wolfe Transportation Manager 2 P. O. Box 22368 Chattanooga, TN 37422

REGION 3 Mr. Casey Pounders Transportation Manager 2, Acting 6601 Centennial Blvd.

Nashville, TN 37243-0360 REGION 4 Mr. Seth Hendren Transportation Manager 2, Acting 300 Benchmark Place Jackson, TN 38301

The Tennessee Department of Transportation hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into, pursuant to this advertisement, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and bidders will not be discriminated against on the basis of age, race, color, religion, national origin, sex or disability in consideration for an award.

THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

Anyone desiring to circulate a petition FOR or AGAINST said establishment selling BEER at this location must secure the petition blanks for the undersigned Commission at 2714 Union Avenue Extended 1st Floor. Must be filed no later than Tuesday, January 15, 2013 Ricky Middlebrook, Member; Eugene Bryan, Member; Sherman Greer, Member; Erma Hayslett, Member; Jared Johnson, Member; Martavius Jones, Member; Billy Post, Member; Johnsie Wallace, Member; Wayne West, Chairman; Aubrey J. Howard, Executive Secretary; City of Memphis Alcohol Commission

Flintco will be accepting bids on the Ambulatory Surgery at the Regional Medical

Center Memphis (The MED) which bids on 1/15/2013. The 18,000 sf renovation includes Drywall, Paint, Demo, Flooring, Millwork, Glass, Specialties, Tile, Signage, and Window Treatments. Also bidding on 1/15/2013 is Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire Protection for Turner Tower at the Regional Medical Center Memphis 100,000 sf renovation.

Flintco is an equal opportunity employer.

In keeping with the Fair Business Program, we encourage and invite bids from all Eligible Business Enterprises, including WBE, MBE, SDB, SBE, and HBE companies.

Fax bids by noon on 1/15/2013 to 901-3728989.

COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

BRIEFS & THINGS Optional schools to host open houses

The Division of Optional Schools and Advance Academics’ 2013 Open House schedule is available online at – http://www.mcsk12.net/optional_ schools/index.php.

Parents interested in enrolling their school-aged child in one of Memphis City Schools’ 44 Optional programs are encouraged to attend their preferred school’s informational session. During the sessions, parents will be provided with school-specific brochures and information regarding admission requirements.

Memphis City Schools optional programs offer students the opportunity to enroll in specialized programs to prepare them for success in college and careers. Beginning at the elementary level, students take part in enriched academics that encourage critical thinking in a global community.

For more information, contact the Division of Optional Schools and Advanced Academics at 901416-5338.

NAACP deadline looms for ACT-SO competition

Friday (Jan. 11) is the deadline for students (grades 9-12) who want to participate in the AfroAcademic Cultural, Technological, Scientific Olympics (ACTSO) sponsored by the Memphis Branch NAACP. The areas of competition are: ScienceBiology/Microbiology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Computer Science, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine and Health, Physics, Architecture and Humanities.

Also included are Music Composition, Original Essay, Playwriting, Poetry Performing Arts, Dance, Dramatics, Instrumental Music Classical/Contemporary, Vocal Music Classical/Contemporary and Oratory.

In addition are Visual Arts, Drawing, Filmmaking/Video, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Entrepreneurship and Business.

For applications and information, see high school guidance ofor fice WWW.NAACPMemphis.com, or call 901-521-1343.

Page 13

January 10 - 16, 2013

Flo Roach & Deltas shine in Hollywood Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Janas L. Jackson

Florence “Flo” Roach – surrounded by numerous celebrities and dignitaries – took center stage on New Year’s Day, receiving the “Shining Star Award” from her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. Well-known for her stellar work in the arts and education, Roach was invited to Los Angeles for the presentation, which was made during the Deltas’ Hollywood Gala, a kick-off celebration of the sorority’s 100th anniversary. The glitzy black-tie affair was held at Club Nokia – LA Live.

“To receive such an award from my sorority as we celebrate our 100th anniversary means so much to me,” said Roach, who is a member of the sorority’s Memphis Alumnae Chapter.

“I am proud to be associated with women who are serving their individual communities and the world in the most amazing ways. When I look back on my life as a child growing up in Robinsonville, Mississippi, I can only say that I am blessed.”

The versatile Roach is an actress, director, playwright, singer, poet and comedienne who has embraced diverse audiences via stages, motion

pictures, television, radio, and corporate events.

The roster of those on stage as Roach received the award included the Deltas’ National President Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre, Danny Glover, Aunjanue Ellis from “The Help,” Emmy-award-winning casting director Robi Reed, and writer/producer Sara Finney-Johnson.

In addition to her appearance in the 2011 blockbuster movie, “The Help,” Roach’s distinguished career includes serving as playwright and director of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church’s popular production, “Umoja”; performances on Playhouse on the Square; and her one-woman show, “Calling All Men.” She is also owner of Ettaro Theater Company , Ettaro Music Publishing Company, and is the recipient the Memphis Rotary Award for Teaching Excellence and the Tennessee Theater Teacher’s Hall of Fame Award.

During the Hollywood Gala, the Deltas enjoyed performances by popular recording artists Ledisi, Faith Evans, Angela Winbush and Elaine Gibbs. Celebrity presenters included Blair Underwood, Kym Whitley, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Keith David and T’Keyah Crystal Keymah.

The event also featured the light-

Flo Roach receives the “Shining Star Award” from her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. (Courtesy photo) ing of a custom-crafted torch, which began a 22-city international Delta Torch Tour as part of the 100th anniversary festivities. In addition to U.S. cities, the tour includes stops in Tokyo, Bermuda and will culminate in July at the Deltas’ national convention in Washington, D.C. The 22 cities represent the sorority’s 22 founders who established the organization in 1913 at Howard University.

Today, Delta membership exceeds 300,000 college-educated women in

the United States, England, Japan, Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Republic of Korea.

“In 1913, our founders probably didn’t realize that the organization they started would grow to become a global symbol of service and pride,” said Roach.

The sorority’s 100-year anniversary also included a history-making appearance in the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.

January honors set for outstanding educators

The following educators will be honored for their par excellent performance in their respective positions.

Businesses United To Recognize Educators will host its January recognition of educators with “par excellent performance” on Tuesday (Jan 15.) beginning at 5 p.m. at the Downtown EconoLodge in the Memphis Sounds Entertainment Complex.

The event is free, food will be served and networking will take place.

The honorees are: Rochelle A. Miller, teacher, Germanshire Elementary, Margaret B. McKissick Larry Outstanding Female Educator Award.

Barron K. McGlothlin, teacher, Brownsville Road Elementary, Commodore C. Primous Outstanding Male Educator Award.

Elizabeth Marable, coach/teacher, Douglass High, Pat B. Moore Outstanding Auxiliary Educator Award.

Raymond Vasser, principal, Spring Hill Elementary, John W. White Outstanding Principal Award.

Ellendale Elementary School (Dr. Bess Ann McKnight, principal), Sara L. Lewis Outstanding School of the Month Award.

Ridgeway Early Learning Center (Divalyn Gordon, principal Ophelia Watson Flowers Outstanding Program of the Month Award.

Samuel Polk Sr. (retired principal, Riverview Elementary), Willie W. Herenton Outstanding Lifetime Educator Award.

BRIEFLY: Foster children often are traumatized before they are placed with a family. A fouryear, $1.6 million grant will help the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) provide these children with specialized services they need. The funds from the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services will increase access and improve service among youth in foster care who have experienced trauma.

BRIEFLY: Castalia Baptist Church, 1540 Castalia St., will hold a Literary Group Book Reading to discuss Charles Spurgeon’s book “Praying Successfully” at 10 a.m. on Jan. 19. The host pastor is Dr. Randolph Meade Walker.

The Stax Museum and Stax Music Academy today.

Turning 10, The Stax Museum takes note Special to The New Tri-State Defender

For more than a decade, a vacant, overgrown lot greeted anyone looking for the original site of Stax Records.

A single State of Tennessee historic marker on the sidewalk delivered a message to visitors from around the world. Yes, this was once home to the label that launched the careers of such soul music luminaries as Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the MGs, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers and dozens of other artists who changed music and popular culture forever.

On May 2, 2003, the future officially arrived when the Stax Museum of American Soul Music opened its doors at the original site of Stax Records.

On Friday, Jan. 11, the Stax Museum – one of the Soulsville Foundation’s three programs, along with the Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School – will be the venue as the museum’s 10-year anniversary is noted.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr. will jointly proclaim 2013 “Year of the Stax Museum” for the City of Memphis and Shelby County. A representative from Gov. Bill Haslam’s office will proclaim May 2, 2013 “Stax Museum Day” throughout the State of Tennessee. Congressman Steve Cohen and other special guests are expected.

After Stax Records was forced into involuntary bankruptcy in 1975, the original building was sold to Southside Church of God in Christ for $10. In 1989, despite many efforts to save the struc-

ture, the church demolished the building with plans to build a community center on the site.

That plan never came to fruition, however, and the lot remained vacant.

On February 8, 2000, plans were announced to build the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and adjacent Stax Music Academy. Academy programming began in June of that year in the lunchroom at nearby Stafford Elementary School. Doors to that building opened on July 24, 2002.

In 2005, the Soulsville Foundation started The Soulsville Charter School in the Stax Music Academy building with 60 sixth graders. In August 2011, the ribbon was cut on a new 50,000 square foot classroom building, which now serves approximately 550 students in grade six through twelve.

Since 2008, all high school seniors enrolled in the Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School have been accepted with combined scholarships totaling more than $5 million.

Over the past ten years, the Stax Museum has received some 500,000 visitors from around the world, including celebrities such as Stevie Wonder, Bono, Lenny Kravitz, Laura Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, Steve Jobs, Angela Bassett, Cindi Lauper, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Bonnie Raitt and Huey Lewis.

Among the announcements museum officials will announce Friday are: A Feb. 5th Black History Month musical production with the Stax Music Academy and Stax legend and gospel icons the Rance Allen Group at the Cannon Center;

The original Stax Records studios building just before its demolition in 1989. (Photos courtesy of the Stax Museum.)

The Rance Allen Group will perform with the Stax Music Academy in “The Sacred Side of Soulsville” on February 5th at the Cannon Center as a celebration of Black History Month.

A March 18th Homecoming Concert with native Memphian jazz great Charles Lloyd; An April 27th all-day, free, outdoor Stax to the Max music and arts festival; Upcoming exhibits in the museum; And partnerships for 2013

festivities, with Thomas & Betts, ArtsMemphis, and its hotel of choice for the year, The Peabody Hotel, which will have some very famous ducks on hand to make their first march through the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.