1 23 2013

VOL. 62, No. 3

January 17 - 23, 2013

www.tsdmemphis.com

CNN/Time Poll:

75 Cents

Gun control support dips but still strong

Contract award raises question of fairness in Shelby County

by CNN Political Unit

by Tony Jones

WASHINGTON – There is strong support from Americans for many of the proposals to curb gun violence that President Barack Obama announced Wednesday (Jan.16), but according to a new national poll, public support has slipped a bit when compared to surveys taken immediately after last month’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut.

A CNN/Time Magazine/ORC International poll also indicates that Americans generally favor stricter gun control and think that it is too easy to buy guns in this country, but

they don’t believe that stricter gun laws would reduce gun violence all by themselves.

The poll’s Wednesday release came a few hours after the president proposed background checks on all gun sales and bans on military style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. That was part of a package of steps to reduce gun violence in the wake of last month’s massacre, where a suicidal gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

According to the survey, 56 percent support a ban on semi-automatic guns like the AK-47, but that’s down from

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

President Barack Obama signs executive orders initiating 23 separate executive actions after announcing new measures to help prevent gun violence. (White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) 62 percent in a CNN poll taken in the days after the shooting at Sandy Hook. The same is true for a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips – 62

Electrolux - Coming into view!

percent in December, down to 58 percent now – as well as a requirement SEE GUNS ON PAGE 2

The new $190 million Electrolux plant was open for the review Tuesday of Memphis area elected officials and other notables. At full capacity, Electrolux will have about 1,200 employees. Information about jobs is available at www.workforceinvestmentnetwork.com, www.Electrolux.com, www.WINrecruits.com or by calling 901-636-7955. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)

Happy birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!

The New Tri-State Defender Staff

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority made history when the group marched in the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.

Parade participants included 100 Deltas representing the sorority's 100th anniversary. (Courtesy photo)

A century of service, sisterhood for Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Janas L. Jackson

In 1913, African-American women marching in support of Women’s Suffrage in Washington, D.C. were told to go to the back of the parade. The young college students who founded Delta Sigma Theta Sorority were among those marchers.

“As college students, our founders wanted to use their collective strengths to promote academic excellence and assist persons in need,” said Shirley Payne Page, president of the Shelby County (TN) Alumnae

Chapter. “To keep this vision alive, sorors all over the world are coming together to celebrate 100 years of achievements.”

One day into the new year, Deltas signaled their commitment to acknowledge and celebrate their history and purpose with an appearance that the founders could only have dreamed of – a prominent place in the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade. The sorority, which showcased a float highlighting its global commitment to community service, education, and entrepreneurship, made history by becoming the oldest black SEE DELTAS ON PAGE 2

The nation’s annual celebration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy hits full tilt on Monday with the observance of the national holiday – Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Myriad events are set here in Memphis, where he was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on the evening of April 4, 1968. King was born on Jan. 15, 1929.

The King holiday coincides with the second inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States. The Rainbow PUSH Coalition-Memphis Chapter will link those elements during an observation that begins at 11 a.m. Monday (Jan. 21) at Monumental Baptist Church at 704 South Parkway East.

The Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba Gray, president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition-Memphis, said the inauguration would be streamed lived and woven into the group’s annual observance of Dr. King’s legacy on MLK Day. After the swearing-in, a panel discussion will ensue delving into deeper meanings of the inauguration. Elected officials, business leaders and civic and community activists will explore the topic.

Other events honoring Dr. King’s legacy include:

LOC community cleanup to honor Dr. King’s legacy

The LeMoyne-Owen College

Will minority- and women-owned firms ever get a fair shake in the awarding of contracts issued by local municipal governments?

While some will argue that the question is loaded and that it brushes away any measure of progress, there is a fresh reason why it is being bandied about in various quarters of Memphis.

In a protest letter recently sent to several county officials, including Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr., three locally owned AfricanAmerican firms are claiming foul.

Their owners and operators say the county sidestepped them to hire a firm that did not meet at least two of the priority minimum qualifications supposedly demanded by the county in a recent contract bid. They note that Caissa Public Strategy – the firm that secured the contract – happened to be white-owned.

Trust Marketing, a well-respected local marketing firm, partnered with JPA Inc. in seeking the contract and explained its case in a press release.

A third African-American-owned firm, Small Planet Works, has joined the protest. The trio of businesses claim the county ignored the basic rules listed for the bid. It’s also alleged that the Trust/JPA team was not provided a proper window to present its bid.

The contract in question is for a public relations job to inform minority, low-income and underserved communities about the Mid South Greenprint & Sustainability Plan. The plan involves bringing about more use of natural spaces. Shelby County was awarded a $2.6 million HUD grant that called for the inclusion of Crittenden and Fayette counties in Arkansas, and Mississippi’s Desoto County.

The plan’s website (www.sustainableshelby.com/greenprint) includes a reference to increasing use of public transportation. Interestingly, it is the need for engaging the public in better use of environmental infrastructure that is the key to the contract controversy.

The issue of fair consideration for African-American firms is drawing increased interest in Greater Memphis as Memphis City Schools and Shelby SEE CONTRACT ON PAGE 2

- INSIDE -

• ‘All My Babies Mamas’ and other insults. See Opinion, page 4.

• Early retirement plan withdrawal will cost. See Business, page 6.

• Weight loss: Healthy Church Challenge II See Religion, page 8.

• K97/BET put new shows on Memphis ‘ICE’. See Entertainment, page 10.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964. (Photo by Dick DeMarsico courtesy The Library of Congress) Community Partnership (LOCCP), Clean Memphis, Volunteer MidSouth and members of the general public will participate in the Fifth Annual Martin Luther King Service Day and Clean-up from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday (Jan. 19).

Kick off at the Alma C. Hanson Student Center on the LeMoyne-Owen campus, 807 Walker Ave., at 8:30 a.m. For more information: Dr. Kimberly Lamar, 901-435-1435

King National Holiday Parade

The 28th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King National Holiday PaSEE KING ON PAGE 14

• Robert Griffin III gets down to business. See Sports, page 13.

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H -49o - L-31o S u nny

H- 5 3 o - L - 3 6 o Su nny

H- 4 8 o - L - 2 8 o S unn y

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-50 L-30 H-47 L-32 H-53 L-31

Saturday H-57 L-34 H-53 L-35 H-58 L-35

Sunday H-51 L-31 H-43 L-25 H-60 L-32

Page 2

CONTRACT

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

County Schools grind on toward a fully operational Unified School District. Many are wondering whether safeguards that MCS has employed to involve such firms in contract opportunities will survive and make the transition.

Trust Marketing’s media release says bias is not the issue in the contract dispute and that fair adherence to the rules is the bottomline.

“The protest does not allege racial bias. Both protests charge that Caissa did not meet at least two (2) of the minimum requirements for proposers in the county’s Request for Proposal. The RFP calls for seven (7) years organization and staff experience in community engagement with low-income, minority and rural communities in the Mid-South. Small Planet Works has twelve (12) years experience in this area, JPA has eighteen (18) years experience and TRUST Marketing, Inc., which is partnered with both firms, has over twenty (20) years specializing in community engagement.”

Small Planet Works President Janice Banks outlines the firm’s position in the media release.

“It’s simple math. Item #1 of the county’s RFP under Minimum Proposer Requirements states that all firms must have at least seven (7) years experience in the work described in the RFP. Caissa Public Strategy was only established two years ago in 2010, plus the work described in the RFP is absolutely not what they do. So how were they selected if they don’t meet the criteria of the RFPs? That is our question to Shelby County and it has yet to be answered.”

Caissa’s Managing Director Paige Walkup acknowledges that the firm has only been in business “a little more than two years.”

“It was accumulated experience that the RFP asked for, not experience specific to the firm,” Walkup told The New Tri-State Defender.

“Brian Stevens (CEO) and I

GUNS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

for all gun owners to register their firearms with the local government – 78 percent last month, down to 69 percent now.

“Those changes are likely due to the passage of time, as the initial shock of the Newtown tragedy has begun to wear off, and may indicate why the White House has put the gun issue on a fast track,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The survey indicates Americans are evenly divided on restricting ammunition purchases, but they strongly favor background checks at all levels – 92 percent want them at gun stores, 87 percent want them at gun shows, and 75 percent favor background checks even for person-to-person transactions between individuals.

Attitudes toward Obama’s gun proposals vary widely in many key demographics. It’s not surprising that Democrats strongly favor and Republicans strongly oppose the President’s gun initiatives. But there are gender and generation gaps as well. Two-thirds of women, for example, favor a ban on semiautomatic assault weapons, while a majority of men oppose such a ban. Support for that proposal is nine points higher among people over 50 years old than it is among younger Americans. Those patterns repeat on many other gun proposals.

The poll indicates that the landscape is shifting on both sides of the debate.

“Gun control supporters may feel more strongly about the issue than in past years, but the attitudes of gun owners have also shifted,” adds Holland. “A majority of Americans who live in a household with a gun now say that the federal government is trying to take away their right to own a gun; in the 1990s, a plurality of people in gun households didn’t see it that way.”

According to the poll, personal security is also a growing issue. In the 1990s, most people in gun households said that they owned a weapon mostly for sporting purposes, with only one in five saying their guns were for protection from crime. Now, the number who say their guns are mostly for protection has grown to nearly

NEWS

Tri-State Defender

January 17 - 23, 2013

formed this business from his legal practice, which had been established for more than 12 years. My particular experience has been in dealing with outreach to low- to moderateincome communities, particularly informing minority populations on affordable housing and healthcare issues. “(The) accumulated experience of our staff in doing this type of work is more than 100 years, so I feel we won the contract on merit and the review committee’s decision reflects that.”

Caissa has eight core employees, none African American, with the contacts needed to expand as needed, said Walkup.

For the Greenprint plan, Walkup says their key AfricanAmerican partner is Paul Morris, whose local background she says is impeccable.

“He has more than 25 years in transportation planning, Title VI work and community outreach. The contract is really focused on engaging minorities in multiple sectors – African American, handicapped, bi-lingual, disabled people – and making sure we can communicate to all those communities. We’re done this for clients with similar needs in several cities throughout the nation,” says Walkup.

“Here in Memphis we’re working with Methodist Hospital in building awareness, particularly with faith-based populations, on the new Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center and the programs that will be available there, and we have also worked with the Riverfront Development Corporation focusing on board development and building new community participation.”

Not adhering to the outlined rule of experience was just part of the problem, said John Jackson, principal of protesting firm JPA. “JPA, along with TRUST Marketing, has about 40 years of combined experience in this area and in that time we’ve responded to literally hundreds of RFPs for work all across this country. This RFP process was irreparably flawed,” he said.

“The team of TRUST Mara third of all gun households.

The survey also indicates that 55 percent of Americans generally favor stricter gun control laws, with 56 percent saying that it’s currently too easy to buy guns in this country. But only 39 percent say that stricter gun controls would reduce gun violence all by themselves.

That’s mostly because only a quarter of Americans say that the availability of guns is the primary reason for gun violence in the country. More Americans blame gun violence on popular culture or the way parents raise their children, says Holland.

That may also be a reason why a majority of Americans (54 percent-45 percent) favor armed guards in every school in the country although that proposal does not restrict guns in any way, and why a plurality (47 percent-40 percent) say that armed guards would do more to reduce gun violence in schools than stricter gun control laws would.

The proposal on guards in schools came from the National Rifle Association, and according to poll a plurality say that they generally agree with the NRA’s positions. The gun rights organization has successfully fought against the passage of gun control legislation in Congress over the past decade. “(This) does not mean that Americans agree with every position the NRA takes on gun control – polls have repeatedly and consistently shown high support for proposals the NRA opposes – but the poll does indicate that the NRA’s overall approach resonates with many

keting & JPA was not afforded the same amount of time to prepare for the presentation as the other two teams. One of the selection committee members for this project did not see or hear our presentation. The JPA/TRUST proposal was originally mistakenly disqualified for not having Shelby County Equal Opportunity Compliance (EOC) numbers.”

Jackson said the numbers were always included in the proposal.

“Shelby County admitted they overlooked them, but our proposal was not considered in the initial meeting by the selection committee. Caissa’s selection is grossly unfair and reeks of political patronage.”

For now, the last word goes to Office of Sustainability Administrator Paul Young.

“I’m familiar with the protest, but I think it was a fair selection. I served on the review committee and reviewed the proposals. The firm that was recommended did meet the qualifications,” Young said.

“What made the winning proposer stand out was their significantly lower costs plus an additional recommendation for one-on-one focus groups, which we really thought was very integral in engaging the community.

They all did a good job, but those two things stood out.”

Young, who is African American, says he understands the sensitivity of the situation, noting that he does – and will always – stay within legal guidelines when considering proposals.

“I love to see African-American and other minority firms succeed and I understand the significance of it, but I’m not assessing the project based on the complexion of the owners of the company,” he said.

“We can’t show preferential treatment in the due process of considering contracts within Shelby County government. It is not part of our process. We want to see contracts reflect the community that we are serving, but I have to separate my feelings from the recommendations and the law.

“I can assure you there were no inconsistencies in the awarding of the contract.”

President Barack Obama signs letters written by Hinna Zeejah, Grant Fritz, Julia Stokes, and Teja Goode backstage in the Eisenhower Executive Office Buildingʼs South Court Auditorium after unveiling new gun control proposals as part of the Administrationʼs response to the Newtown, Conn., shootings, and other tragedies, Jan. 16.

The children wrote to President Obama in the wake of the Newtown tragedy expressing their concerns about gun violence and school safety.

(White House photo by Pete Souza)

Americans,” adds Holland.

The poll was conducted for CNN and Time Magazine by ORC International Monday and Tuesday (Jan. 14-15), with 814 adults nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

For more than 20 years, Memphis Deltas have conducted ACT preparation workshops for area high school students. Mary Helen Sinclair is shown speaking to students. (Courtesy photos)

DELTAS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Greek-letter organization to ever march in the famed procession.

Numerous events commemorating the centennial celebration of the largest African-American Greek-lettered women’s organization in the world will unfold throughout 2013, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was founded on Jan. 13, 1913 by 22 students at Howard University in Washington, D. C. Today, the sorority is comprised of more than 300,000 college-educated women, with chapters in the United States, England, Japan, Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Republic of Korea.

In Memphis, members of Delta Sigma Theta are saluting the sorority’s 100-year milestone achievements via numerous community service and anniversary celebrations. Last Saturday (Jan. 12), local members volunteered for 13 community projects – symbolic of the year and date the organization was established.

About 22 volunteers will be assigned to each of the projects in recognition of the sorority’s 22 founders who placed service at the forefront of the organization’s mission.

Habitat for Humanity, Porter Leath, Hope House, Memphis Food Bank, Lowenstein House, and Stand for Children are among the outreach projects selected for the special day of service.

Other centennial observances include Founders’ Day events, worship services throughout the city, receptions, special exhibits and motorcades.

“Our focus on community service is a commitment our founders made 100 years ago,” says Dr. Charlotte Freeman, president of the sorority’s Memphis Alumnae Chapter. “It’s a well-defined legacy built on the premise that our time, talents, resources and positive influ-

ences are to be used to make our communities and nation stronger.”

Delta Sigma Theta was established to promote academic excellence, provide scholarships, educate and stimulate participation in the establishment of positive public policy, and to highlight issues and provide solutions for problems in communities.

The sorority uses its FivePoint Programmatic Thrust of economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement to create its national programs.

In addition to the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day, the sorority held its Hollywood Gala at Club Nokia – LA Live, where Memphis-based actress and educator Flo Roach was honored with the Deltas’ “Shining Star Award.” Roach was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the arts, which included her role in the blockbuster movie, “The Help.” Roach, along with Cicely Tyson and Aunjanue Ellis, were the three Deltas appearing in the film.

A major media blitz followed in New York City’s Times Square on Jan. 10.

Founders’ Day activities in Washington on Jan. 11-13 included a reenactment of the 1913 Women’s Suffrage March. A ceremonial journey of the Delta Torch across 22 U.S. cities will culminate with the sorority’s national convention in Washington, D.C. in July.

And, true to the sorority’s foundation, there will be numerous service projects throughout the nation.

Minnie Malone Cook, a former president of the Memphis Alumnae Chapter (199294), is one of several longtime sorority members eager to take part in the 100th anniversary.

“I had the opportunity to enjoy the Deltas’ 75th anniversary in Washington, D.C. 25 years ago,” said Cook.

“The re-enactment of the 1913 Women’s Suffrage

march for the right to vote was an unforgettable highlight of this event. I will always remember seeing more than 20,000 women dressed in white parading down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol.”

A powerful thread

Delta women have woven a powerful thread of exemplary leadership and service throughout the Mid-South community. For more than 20 years, Memphis Deltas have been preparing local students for the ACT by providing free workshops.

Over the past four years, Deltas have also donated more than $200,000 in college scholarships to Memphis-area students through the Maggie McDowell Scholarship Fund. Other programs include the Delta Academy, the Delta Fine Arts and Cultural Center, the Home for the Holidays program, the EMBODI and Jabberwock enrichment programs for youth.

Some of Memphis’ most notable Deltas, past and present, include Mary Church Terrell, Maxine Smith, Lois DeBerry, Johnnie Turner, Dr. Barbara Duncan-Cody, Judge Carolyn Blackett, Judge Deborah Means Henderson, Beverly Robertson, Harriet Ish Walker, Frances Dancy Hooks, Cathy Ross, Stephanie Scurlock, Tomeka Hart, Rochelle Stevens, and a host of distinguished physicians, lawyers, entrepreneurs, media personalities, civic and political leaders.

Other famous Deltas, past and present, include Dorothy I. Height, Alexis Herman, Aretha Franklin, Mary McLeod Bethune, Marian Wright Edelman, Eunice Johnson, Shirley Chisholm, Fannie Lou Hamer, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Betty Shabazz, Barbara Jordan, Johnetta B. Cole, Soledad O’Brien, Ruby Dee, Camille Cosby, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Shirley Caesar, Natalie Cole, Cicely Tyson, and many other household names and history-makers.

The Deltas showcased the theme, “Floating into History” during the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.

Tri-State Defender

NEWS

January 17 - 23, 2013

The way we were in 2012

Our brand new year is in full swing – full of promise and new beginnings. Even as we move forward with shining, new resolve, it’s always fun to look back at our consumer behaviors and trends over the previous Cheryl 12 months.

PearsonLet’s McNeil start with how we rang in the New Year. No matter how you brought in 2013, chances are it involved an effervescent, grown-up libation.

You are not alone. Consumers around the world celebrated with a lot of cork popping on New Year’s Eve. Here in the U.S., we enjoyed our bubbly throughout the year. Sparkling wine sales are strong, rising 4.6 percent over the last 52 weeks. The data shows that the last eight weeks of the year – the holiday season – account for one-third of annual sales.

Our palates and our pocketbooks have an array of choices in the sparkling wine category in both country of origin (real champagne only comes from the champagne region of France; other countries, like ours, use the Méthode Champenoise) and price point. The biggest sparkling wine seller throughout the year is the $1025 category. Folks are willing to spring for a little more over the holidays, as sparkling wines in the $20-$60 range triple in sales during this time versus the rest of the year.

Let’s see how some of your favorites stacked up in 2012: Prosecco: This Italian favorite, averaging $11.78 a bottle, has grown almost 40 percent over the last 52 weeks; garnering eight percent of sparkling wine sales, up two points from this time last year.

Sparkling Moscato: This sweet, fizzy offering, which goes for under $10, is also gaining sales growth in the sparkling wine segment. It grew over 100 percent in the last 12 months and now accounts for almost six percent of sparkling wine sales, double its share a year ago.

Rosé Sparkling Wines: These wines are a bit pricier at more than $17 per bottle. But, their sales are also growing in the realm of sparkling wines, carving out nine percent of sales. Overall sales for this choice grew three and half percent over the last 52 weeks.

I don’t like the taste of alcohol, so I very rarely indulge and it’s simply not worth the calories. But there is an exception to every rule and for me, Moscato is it.

Entertainment trends

Again, you can see if any of your favorites (or your kids’) made the cut. Did your dollars contribute to the successes?

Remember, that’s something to consider, because your consumer dollars make these rankings possible; which, of course, influence the decision-makers.

The compiled lists are pretty extensive, so I’m just going to give you a couple of categories here. As always, I invite you to visit Nielsen’s website for more information.

Top DVD titles of 2012

“Avengers” “Hunger Games” “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” “Brave” “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” “Puss in Boots” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” “Hop”

Now, let me just preface the adult fiction rankings for book sales by saying you have got to give props to E.L. James no matter how you feel about her erotic trilogy of books. (Umm while flying, I saw many passengers trying to cover up the fact that they were reading one of these hot tomes on the plane. Mmm-hmmm).

People, if you’re over 21, there should be no shame in your game.

Top 10 Print Book Sales of 2012 – Adult Fiction

1. “Fifty Shades of Gray” (trade paperback); E. L. James 2. “Fifty Shades Darker” (trade paperback); E. L. James 3. “Fifty Shades Freed” (trade paperback);E. L. James 4. “Fifty Shades Trilogy”

(boxed Set); E. L. James 5. “Gone Girl” (hardcover); Gillian Flynn 6. “The Casual Vacancy” (hardcover); J. K. Rowling 7. “Bared to You” (trade paperback); Sylvia Day 8. “The Racketeer” (hard cover); John Grisham 9. “The Lucky One” (mass market paperback); Nicholas

Sparks 10. “The Last Boyfriend” (trade paperback); Nora Roberts

(Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies, visit www.nielsenwire.com.)

Page 3

Page 4

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

January 17 - 23, 2013

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

A Real Times Newspaper

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

Urban League: job creation still priority one

SPECIAL REPORT

‘All My Babies Mamas’ and other insults

Light is not a commodity many Haitians can take for granted.

(Courtesy photo)

Shedding light on Haiti

by Jean McGianni Celestin The Root

To some extent, the greatest challenge facing Haiti is not just rebuilding the country after the destruction caused by the earthquake in 2010 – it’s tackling the problems the natural disaster exacerbated.

The country’s identity has long been perched between two extremes: Haiti is the first independent black nation in the Western Hemisphere, yet it’s become the poorest. According to an International Red Cross report in 2006, seven out of 10 Haitians were found to be living on less than $2 per day. In addition to those poverty statistics, the lack of adequate health care, public and environmental safety, education and employment are just a few of the chronic issues Haiti has battled for nearly half of a century.

Three years after the earthquake, healing those old wounds is still the key to prosperity for Haiti, even as reconstruction continues. One of the focal points of recent revitalization efforts has been to reestablish the country’s once-fertile agricultural sector by addressing a fundamental (and somewhat tangible) need – light.

Enter Soleil Global. Living up to its name (“soleil” is French for sun), the organization’s mission is “to empower communities through innovative, affordable and sustainable energy solutions.” Founded by HaitianAmerican social entrepreneur Jacques-Philippe Piverger and chaired by Ayo Roach, a great deal of its work focuses on Haiti.

For the past year, Soleil Global (SG) has concentrated its efforts on the island’s Central Plateau, where a vast amount of farmland still exists.

Its aim is to put an inflatable, lowcost solar light in every household without electricity, beginning with those living in that area. They use the light – which was named Luci in order to give it a human characteristic.

Mpowerd, a New York-based firm, has created and manufactured the device so that it can last up to two years. The lights are one factor that may help local farmers be more productive and assist residents in even the most routine daily chores.

As Haiti had the most arable terrain of all the countries in the Caribbean, farming used to be the country’s primary economic engine for decades after its independence from slavery in 1804. Farming was a means of free enterprise and self-determination for many, but by the 1980s deforestation and the great migration to Port-au-Prince, the urban capital, had hampered this tradition.

In addition, there was a flood of international goods onto the domestic marketplace that helped create an overdependence on foreign products, a problem with which the nation struggles today. These factors effectively have led to bankrupting the island’s agricultural system.

As a result, those in the rural sector have simply been getting by. During a November 2011 meeting with potential investors about the nation’s infrastructure, Haitian President Michel Martelly emphasized plainly how vital the agricultural sector is today.

“Decentralization is a critical cornerstone supporting my vision for a new Haiti,” Martelly said in the New York Times. “We want to strengthen and empower our rural communities and create new ones.”

Though it’s hard to imagine by most Western standards, light is not a commodity many Haitians can take for granted. Energy poverty affects

nearly every rural population across the country. And despite the fact that, surprisingly, Haiti as a whole uses very little energy (the equivalent of 250 kilograms of oil per head per year), an estimated 85 percent of the national population – many in farming communities – aren’t connected to the power grid. They depend on nonrenewable biomass such as kerosene and candles, as well as burning wood and charcoal, which has led to rapid soil erosion, climate change and the sharp declination in agricultural yields – not to mention health issues.

Piverger is also currently guiding the sustainable development of more than 2,500 acres of land in the region with a focus on organic produce, manufacturing and residential housing. He has tapped experts from a range of fields and industries such as science, finance, medicine, law, entertainment and the arts through Soleil Global’s “Light Up the World” project.

“We’ve been bringing delegations to the area since October 2011 to inform and help execute SG’s mission,” said Piverger. “For the past year, we’ve conducted fact-finding sessions and have analyzed ways to improve our work.”

The organization collected data on 465 families (mostly farmers) and found that the daily income of the median household in the Central Plateau is between $1 and $3. Yet residents spend $6 to $20 of that amount per month on gas for their kerosene lamps. The average travel time from their homes to the nearest supplier in that area is 4.3 to 9.3 miles on foot, which they make three to four times a month.

The residual impact this expense places on families is alarming, given that the Central Plateau is made up of mostly single-source income households. Soleil Global’s goals are ambitious, and so far, the Light Up the World project has distributed more than 1,000 micro-solar lights to small farmers, not simply as a form charitable trust, but as a method for getting on the road of economic independence in the long run.

Once the initial distribution phase is complete, SG plans to provide more lights through a cooperative investment partnership through which Haitians can use the savings they accrue from using Luci to buy more units for $10 each.

“When you give people something as charity, it doesn’t resonate as effectively as it does when they see it as investment,” Piverger explained.

“The goal is to empower Haitians so they can once again determine their own fate, rather than treat them as a charity case.”

He hopes that the distribution and sale of these lights will stimulate employment and help people generate income. But beyond the economic value, the project also helps alleviate impediments in education. Schools can use the lights, and children can now study at night.

So, tackling the problem of energy doesn’t just start anywhere; it starts at a level that is fundamental to every person’s livelihood.

As simple as this approach seems, it’s addressing a need that no Haitian can do without. Only time will tell if this project and overall shift toward renewable energy in communities such as the Central Plateau will be successful. But one thing’s certain: Without light, everything else is close to impossible.

(Jean McGianni Celestin is a New York-based writer who writes about race, sports and politics. Follow him on Twitter.)

The latest negative programming coming from the dominant media is a ridiculous show about a black guy who has 11 children by 10 different women. “All My Babies Mamas” was planned for the coming season, but now it may be completely scrubbed, mainly because a sister, Sabrina Lamb, sent out a petition protesting the show in the most serious manner.

I say kudos to Ms. Lamb and others who have spoken out against this nonsensical and degrading show; I wish the same fate for some of those other so-called reality shows.

You can do your own research on the content and intent of the show if you are interested in that sort of thing. For now, I want to talk about the economic implications of it. As you should well know, beneath everything lies economics.

First off, we know that no profitminded business person would intentionally insult its customers by doing something to drive them away, right?

So why would Oxygen Media even attempt to put this show on the air?

For that matter, why do any of the other networks put the same kind of insulting and demeaning shows on the air?

That answer is quite simply: “Profit.” If we were not watching these stupid shows and not salivating for more and more outlandish depictions of black folks on TV, they’d all be gone tomorrow. We love this stuff, and the producers are staying up at night trying to develop more.

While we may complain about how they disrespect us (Or is it really how we disrespect ourselves?) we will jump on whatever bandwagon that comes along, no matter the content. So it’s certainly no surprise that Oxygen decided to put “Babies Mamas” on the air because they think it’s what we want to watch.

I recently read about two black radio stations, one that’s been around for more than 42 years, that were bought by Koreans and the stations went from soul music to Seoul music overnight. Remember, it’s all about the money, and as Nino Brown once said, “It’s not personal, it’s business.”

The black consumer market is a veritable goldmine, and it seems everyone knows that but black folks, at least everyone profits from it except black folks. This latest insult by the media reminds me of an article I wrote a few years ago, “The Answer to Media Bias is Media By Us.” Until we decide to do what Sabrina Lamb and others are doing, and until we mount a concerted and sustained effort against our own “ignant”

brothers and sisters who perpetuate the “baby mama” and “baby daddy” nonsense, we will always be nothing more than profit margins for the latest fads and any stupid TV show that comes along.

James Ownership is Clingman the key. Media owned by us, and by “us” I mean conscious brothers and sisters who will not stoop to producing the trash we see now, is the appropriate response to the trash we see and hear in the media today. If you don’t own anything, you are always at the mercy – and the whims – of those who do.

As you read this, Bob Law, noted radio talk show host and one of the most informed brothers in the industry, is mounting a campaign to bring black radio back up to the level of respect and intelligence it once knew.

He writes, “In our initiative there are two levels of responsibility, holding corporations responsible for the inequality that contributes to the conditions in black communities, and the black community’s responsibility to change and correct those conditions.”

So always remind yourself of the role we play in the media, especially on the negative side. If we would not accept the trash they throw at us, it would not be thrown at us. If we stand up and let corporations and media outlets know that we will use our collective economic leverage against them by withdrawing our money from their products and refusing to watch and listen to their nonsense, we would at least have a fighting chance to change things in our favor.

You can start by signing Sabrina Lamb’s petition and the online petition that change.org is circulating.

Then you can turn all that mess off your TV’s and radios.

You will notice that I have not even mentioned the guy’s name that has all the babies by all the “mamas.”

That’s another step we can take.

Don’t even give the recognition of calling their names. And always remember, “It’s not personal, it’s just business.”

(NNPA columnist Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and can be reached via blackonomics.com.)

Your letters to the editor are welcome. For verification, please include your name, address and telephone number.

Mail to: In The Mail, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale St., Ste. 200, Memphis, TN 38103 E-mail: inthemail@tri-statedefender.com Maximum length: 300 words (subject to editing for clarity)

IN THE MAIL

Tri-State Defender Platform

1. Racial prejudice worldwide must be destroyed.

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

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

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

5. Complete cessation of all school segregation.

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

DISTRIBUTION: Tri-State Defender is available at newsstands, street sales, store vendors, mail subscription and honor boxes throughout the Greater Memphis area. No person may, without prior written permission of the Tri-State Defender, reprint any part of or duplicate by electronic device any portion without written permission. Copyright 2013 by Tri-State Defender Publishing, Inc. Permission to Publisher, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Back copies can be obtained by calling the Tri-State Defender at (901) 523-1818, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Mail subscriptions to the Tri-State Defender are available upon request. One Year, $30.00; Two Years, $55.00. Domestic subscriptions must be addressed to: Subscriptions, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Delivery may take one week.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Any and all inquiries can be made in writing, by calling (901) 523-1818 or by e-mail.

TELEPHONE: Editorial and Administration: (901) 523-1818.

Display Advertising (901) 523-1818. Classified Advertising (901) 523-1818. Fax: (901) 578-5037.

The December jobs report has confirmed what urban America has known for a very long time: The fierce urgency of now is overtaking the slow pace of the economic recovery and continuing partisan gridlock in Washington. The recent jobs report reveals that 155,000 jobs were created last month and overall unemployment remained at a steady and still too high rate of 7.8 percent.

But the unemployment picMarc ture in urban H. Morial America tells a decidedly different story.

African-American unemployment, which has hovered at twice the national average for decades, has now climbed to 14 percent and the Hispanic jobless rate of 9.6 percent also continues to exceed the national average. Despite the efforts of the Congressional Black Caucus and other progressive voices in Congress, the jobs crisis in urban America has reached emergency proportions and is tearing at the economic and social fabric of many communities.

That is why the National Urban League announced last week a new $70 million “Jobs Rebuild America” initiative designed to employ, educate and empower communities that have been hardest hit by the Great Recession.

Our campaign is a two-pronged effort. First, through a $70 million public-private expansion of existing Urban League job training, education and business development programs, we intend to directly assist thousands of jobseekers and entrepreneurs in dozens of cities over the next five years.

The second component of the Jobs Rebuild America initiative is a public engagement campaign to increase pressure on Washington to invest in the education and skills enhancement of at-risk youth and disadvantaged young adults. We also call for passage of targeted jobs legislation and a responsible fiscal plan and deficit reduction initiatives that do not exacerbate the unemployment crisis.

This effort is an outgrowth of the National Urban League’s historic mission of economic empowerment for African Americans and other hard-pressed urban citizens.

It also builds upon the work that our network of nearly 100 affiliates has been engaged in since the start of the Great Recession.

Our affiliates have served as economic first responders for communities devastated by job loss. They have also been successful in creating economic opportunity and preparing thousands of people to avail themselves of those opportunities. We’ve worked closely with our partners in the private sector and the federal government to maximize resources and mobilize the strength of our collaborative efforts.

For this expanded effort, we have put together a powerful coalition of public and private partners who have pledged their expertise and other resources.

They include, the U.S. Department of Labor, Nationwide Insurance, Everest College, Pitney Bowes, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Stonehenge, UPS, State Farm, Target, Best Buy, the U.S. Department of Justice, AT&T, Time Warner, Chevron, BP and the New York Stock Exchange.

Our collective message is this: While we believe it is important to tackle deficit reduction, job creation remains the nation’s number one priority. We urge the President and the Congress to adopt a balanced approach that marries compassion for the most vulnerable Americans with protections for the nation’s jobs and sacrifice from all.

For a full description of the Jobs Rebuild America Initiative visit www.nul.org (Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.)

E-MAIL: Editorial e-mail (press releases, news, letters to editor, etc.): editorial@tri-statedefender.com; Display advertising e-mail (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): advertising@tri-statedefender.com; Classified advertising e-mail (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): classifieds@tri-statedefender.com; Subscription/Circulation e-mail (subscriptions, subscription price requests, etc.): subscriptions@tristatedefender.com; Production e-mail (technical questions/specs, etc.): production@tri-statedefender.com.

The Tri-State Defender (USPS 780-220) is published weekly by Tri-State Defender Publishing Co., 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103. Second Class postage paid at Memphis, TN.

Tri-State Defender

OPINION

January 17 - 23, 2013

Oprah: Our collective confessional CNN

by Breeanna Hare

If Oprah Winfrey were a close friend and you had a secret to tell, she’d be an obvious choice to go to for some relief.

Not necessarily because she wouldn’t broadcast it, but bec a u s e s h e ’ d probably hold your hand, ease the tension, listen sympathetically and not make you feel too bad Oprah a b o u t Winfrey yourself if the secret’s more like a skeleton. You both might even shed a few tears.

In essence, this is the persona that Winfrey has crafted over the years as she’s moved from newcomer host on “AM Chicago,” to the queen of daytime TV with “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” to the current chief executive officer of OWN, the Oprah Winfrey

Network. She’s relatable, but still inspiring; candid without being crass; and about as vulnerable as a billionaire media titan can be.

“One of Oprah’s major products is redemption,” Kathryn Lofton, a professor of religious and American studies at Yale University, told The Globe and Mail. “She sold the experience of confession – of hearing somebody’s darkest story, and offering to them the possibility of relief from its articulation.”

As a result, Winfrey has inspired her fair share of televised confessions, from everyday guests to high-profile names. If you need to come clean and find a new path, Winfrey’s the one to show you how to do it.

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is the latest celebrity to sit down with Winfrey for a “no-holdsbarred” two-part chat set to begin airing on her network Thursday night.

Page 5

Page 6

BUSINESS

Tri-State Defender

January 17 - 23, 2013

MONEY MATTERS

Early retirement plan withdrawal will cost It’s not a good sign when people raid their retirement plans to pay bills, college tuition, or auto repairs, but more workers have been borrowing from their accounts or taking hardship withdrawals in the past few years.

At the end of 2010, 28 percent of active 401(k) participants had outstanding account loans, and another 7 percent took early withdrawals. In 2011, retirement savings account loans rose by 20 percent across all demographics.

Although it’s understandable that people might turn to their retirement accounts for a source of ready cash, it is generally not a good idea.

Fifty-five percent of employees who took a cash distribution when changing jobs said they regretted having done it.

Keep your money working

With certain exceptions (explained later), a 10 percent federal income tax penalty applies to early withdrawals (before age 59½) from tax-deferred plans such as IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans. That’s a significant deterrent in itself, but the greater penalty could be the loss of future earnings needed for retirement.

Consider the impact of a $10,000 early withdrawal from a traditional IRA. Not only could the distribution be subject to the penalty ($1,000) but also income taxes ($2,800 for someone in the 28 percent tax bracket), which could leave a net amount of $6,200.

On the other hand, if the $10,000 principal was left in the tax-deferred account, in 20 years it would have the potential to more than triple, assuming a 6 percent average annual return; in 30 years, it might reach $60,000. This hypothetical example is used for illustrative purposes only and does not reflect the performance of any specific investment; actual results will vary.

If you change jobs, you may be able to leave your retirement account assets in your former employer’s plan. Another option is to roll the assets to a traditional IRA. A properly executed trustee-to-trustee

transfer to your own IRA could help preserve the tax-deferred status of the funds and potentially avoid unwanted current tax consequences and penalties.

It may also give Charles Sims Jr., CFP you more control of the assets, open up additional investment options, and help you manage overhead costs.

Exceptions to the penalty

If life deals you a bad hand, or you have other reasons to access your retirement funds earlier than planned, there are circumstances in which the penalty is waived on early withdrawals before age 59½ (although distributions would still be subject to ordinary income tax): Your death or permanent disability.

A series of substantially equal periodic payments (based on life expectancy) from an IRA or a former employer’s plan that continue for at least five years or until age 59½, whichever occurs later.

Payment of unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income (in 2013).

Employer plans only: If you are at least age 55 when you terminate or sever employment (or turn 55 by December 31 of the same year), all distributions avoid the penalty.

IRAs only: The penalty is waived when the funds are used for qualified higher-education expenses or a first-time home purchase ($10,000 lifetime maximum).

If you take an early withdrawal from a tax-advantaged retirement account, you could lose the opportunity for that money to continue growing on a tax-deferred basis.

This might lead to falling short of your retirement income needs.

(Charles Sims Jr. is president/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group.

Contact him at 901-682-2410 or visit www.SimsFinancialGroup.com.)

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

The business of entertainment

Is a star born or made? Connecting the dots!

Church choirs and performing arts schools are filled with talented folks that can blow the church doors off the hinges. Few, however, will become stars.

With the powerful and versatile voices of Patti LaBelle and Whitney Houston as contrast, we note that more and more of today’s stars are studio auto-tuned performers. Teams are creating performers rather than singers. When a team happens to meet a true talent that can perform, the team’s job just became easier.

Reginald Byrd and Chris “King” Davis of ConnecTheDots…™ are part of a team that helps to propel stars.

Carlee McCullough: Tell us about yourselves?

Reginald Byrd: I am a native of Tunica, Miss., and a founder of ConnecTheDots…™ Consulting Firm.

God is first and foremost in my life.

In my spare time I like to read books that inspire and empower. I believe in giving back to my community by participating with various charitable organizations.

Chris “King” Davis: I’m also a native of Tunica, Miss., and cofounder of ConnecTheDots…™ Consulting. I love to learn about new business developments and growing existing businesses. Reading the newspaper (Wall-Street Journal) daily helps me to keep up with what’s going on in the market.

CM: What services does your company provide to artists?

Byrd and King: We provide the following services: radio promotion; studio recording and engineering; marketing, copyright, trademarks and publishing; concert bookings paid and promotional; shop major and independent record contract; mix tape production; online marketing; online distribution; video production and placement; side artist guest features placement and negotiations; publicity (magazines, blogs, etc.) and create national visibility.

CM: How did you start your company?

Byrd and King: We first started by building relationships with a lot of different club promoters to promote various artists by booking them

shows. As we continued to grow our relationships, we began to take on more responsibilities for the clients we served.

Since we didn’t have time to actually manage each artist individually, we decided that it Carlee would be better to McCullough consult them on the industry.

When we started growing our brand, twitter was instrumental in getting the messages out.

CM: Can you give us a few of the artists that you have worked with and what you did for them?

Byrd and King: We work with new artists KVO & 2 Cent, who had a song called “Hard Head.” We were instrumental in them obtaining the “New Joint of the Day” on BET’s “106 & Park.” We have also worked with OG Boo Dirty (CGI Entertainment), R&B artist Ollie Moore, Regal Life Empire Euro Mill, Soulful artist Coretta King, Schoolboy, PBZ, and Young Dolgh of Paper Route Empire. We were able to enhance our clients’ visibility and notoriety from a local level to a regional level and some to a national level.

CM: How do you successfully work as a team?

Byrd and King: We keep God first. We understand each other’s strengths, weaknesses and how to use them to be effective in getting our tasks completed.

CM: What new trends are you seeing in the business?

Byrd and King: The present day music business is mainly digital. It’s important for all new artists to develop an EPK (electronic press kit). Also more established artists are becoming independent.

CM: Where are you seeing the money being made for an independent artist?

Byrd and King: A lot depends on the artist. “Indies” can make money by promoting themselves to make

performances (show money), as well as ringtones and iTunes.

CM: What do you recommend for an independent artist or songwriter looking to get into the business?

Byrd and King: To come and talk with us first. (LOL) Decide what you want to do and seek professional advice regarding your decision. When seeking advice make sure it’s someone that will be honest and have your best interest in mind.

CM: Years ago artists/writers were often deprived of well deserved earnings. Do you see that still as a major issue in the industry?

Byrd and King: Yes and no. Yes if you don’t have your business together. No if you have your business plan and a plan to win in order to make an impact in the industry.

CM: What advice would you give an artist/producer that would like to make money in the industry rather than just the fame?

Byrd and King: First, know what you it is that you want to do and make sure you have passion for it.

Try to do as much research as possible on the type of income aspect to be profited from a long time career in your field. Also, seek legal representation. It’s more important than you think!

CM: Parting words?

Byrd and King: We would like to thank everyone that has supported us and we are looking forward to a great year in becoming your #1 music consulting firm.

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reach in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” Booker T. Washington (For more information: Reginald Byrd – 901-314-3375; Chris “KING” Davis – 901-644-5988; Email – connecthedotts@gmail .com; Twitter: @connecthedots_; Facebook/ConnecTheDots Consulting.)

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

COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

Page 7

January 17 - 23, 2013

Legally tagged a nuisance, Beale Street club shutdown

Club Crave – the controversial Beale St. nightspot – was shutdown permanently on Wednesday by virtue of a Shelby County Environmental Court order.

“This is a major victory for the city, the Downtown Entertainment District, and Beale Street,” said Mayor A C Wharton. “Rest assured we will continue in our efforts to identify a more productive use for this property through our ongoing talks and negotiations with the property’s owner.”

The triumvirate of Shelby

County District Attorney Amy Weirich, Wharton and Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong sought the closure, and they got it.

According to the closure order, Double Entity Entertainment, LLC will no longer do business at 380 Beale Street nor operate a nightclub under the name “Crave” or any other name at the location.

Double Entity Entertainment also is prohibited from operating a nightclub or any other type of business or promotional event at any location

under the name “Crave” or “Club Crave.” In addition, Double Entity cannot promote, manage or operate any specific events in any venue if those events took place at Club Crave.

“What happened today in court proves what we have been saying: if your business is a frequent crime scene, we will shut you down,” said Weirich.

The shutdown order came after the D.A.’s office and the Mayor’s office filed a public nuisance petition against Club Crave, Double Entity Enter-

“This event typically attracts a diverse crosssection of the Memphis business, economic and political community. These two business stalwarts embody the principles that we strive for as a civil rights organization.”

Madeleine C. Taylor

tainment, Randy and Rodney Williams, Beale Street Development Corporation and George Miller on Dec. 27.

A triple shooting that included a homicide was the tipping point for the club after several other incidents in the club and the area that surrounds it.

Incidence of violence have been associated with Club Crave since it opened in August 2011 and before. On June 8, 2010, the D.A. and MPD filed a nuisance action against the “Plush Club,” which was oper-

One Kappa!

ating at 380 Beale. The “Plush Club” agreed to vacate the premises and cease business.

The property itself remained under the supervision of the Court until July 2011.

After the court supervision ended, Miller leased the property to Randy and Rodney Williams and Club Crave began business. The petition filed against Club Crave follows a string of violent incidents beginning approximately seven weeks after Club Crave opened its doors.

“Ultimately our work on

this will protect our citizens and the reputation of one of our city’s most valued assets – Beale Street,” said Wharton The court has scheduled a Feb. 13 hearing for others named in the nuisance petition.

Tennessee’s nuisance law defines a nuisance, in part, as “any place in or upon which… unlawful sale of any regulated legend drug, narcotic or other controlled substance…quarrelling, drunkenness, fighting, or breaches of the peace are carried on or permitted.”

NAACP taps co-chairs for 37th Freedom Fund Gala

Kroger executive Tim Brown and Shannon A. Brown of FedEx Express will cochair the Memphis Branch NAACP’s 37th Annual Freedom Fund Gala scheduled for March 20 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Tim Brown will serve as the corporate fundraising co-chair and Shannon A. Brown will serve as the community co-chair for 2013. The interracial chairs represent an effort to cross racial barriers and work for a common cause Tim within the Brown Memphis community.

T h e gala’s dinner program will begin at 7 p.m., with a reception at 6 p.m.

“This event typically atShannon tracts a diA. Brown v e r s e cross-section of the Memphis business, economic and political community. These two business stalwarts embody the principles that we strive for as a civil rights organization,” said Madeleine C. Taylor, executive director, Memphis Branch NAACP. Tim Brown started his Kroger career in Illinois at 17.

Now a 34-year veteran of Kroger and the grocery industry, he is president of the Kroger Delta Division.

Born in Memphis, Shannon A. Brown is senior vice president/chief HR & Diversity Officer for FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company. As the most senior human resources executive for FedEx Express, Brown provides strategic direction for all human resources practices, policies and operations for the company.

For ticket and table reservations, contact the Memphis Branch NAACP at 901-5211343.

Reginald French of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Memphis Alumni Chapter, was named “Kappa Man of the Year” during the West Tennessee/North Mississippi Council Foundersʼ Day program at Mt. Olive Cathedral last Saturday (Jan. 12.).

The Kappas “Public Program” included time to frame this brotherhood moment. (Photos by Tyrone P. Easley).

Memphis teachers called to financial literacy summit

Teachers who attend a Jan. 26 financial literacy summit at the University of Memphis will each receive a $50 gift card from Amazon and financial literacy lessons that they can teach to their students and apply to their own lives.

The free summit is being sponsored by the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission, which is administered by the Tennessee Treasury Department, and Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir.

The commission is emphasizing the teaching of financial literacy skills to students at young ages so they will develop and follow good habits later in life. The summit will also stress the importance of

reaching out to students’ parents so they, too, will develop good financial literacy skills and recognize the need to save for their children’s college education.

Lenoir is a partner to promote the event to local teachers. Participating teachers will each receive a free financial literacy curriculum packet, valued at $65.

Teachers who attend the summit may be eligible for professional education credits, if permitted by their school districts.

The summit also is designed for teachers to direct questions about their own retirement planning to representatives from the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement Sys-

tem, which is also part of the Tennessee Treasury Department.

“Research suggests that children’s minds are receptive to learning about financial literacy while they are very young,” said Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr. “When they are learning about financial literacy in school, it may also help remind their parents about the importance of developing and practicing those skills. And the summit will also provide information teachers can use in their own lives.”

Lenoir said that the way to break the poverty cycle is through wealth creation.

“It takes a few steps to get there, but understanding the

basics of personal finance and budgeting is an important step,” he said.

“The Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission and Treasurer Lillard’s financial literacy summits like this one help put information into the hands of powerful messengers who can pass on these concepts early on to our most important assets.”

The summit will last from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. To register online, teachers can visit www.tnflc.com. For questions, contact James Armistead at 615-532-5892 or by email at James.Armistead@ tn.gov.

The summit is one in a series being held in communities across Tennessee.

D.C. bound…

It will be 75 more minutes of fame for Larry Dodson (left) and James Alexander of the Bar-Kays, as the legendary group gets that much time for the set they will play during the second presidential inauguration gala for Barack Obama on Sunday. (Courtesy photo)

RELIGION

Page 8

Tri-State Defender

January 17 - 23, 2013

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

Weight loss: Healthy Church Challenge II Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The second annual Healthy Church Challenge – 100-day weight loss competition for churches in West Tennessee – kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Mississippi Blvd. Family Life Center, 70 North Bellevue.

BlueCross® BlueShield® of Tennessee is presenting the Challenge, which puts the focus on weight loss, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles.

Winners of the Challenge will receive prizes that will benefit their churches and health ministries. The grand prize is a $5,000 certificate for fitness equipment and nutritional counseling. There will also be an individual prize awarded to the person who loses the most weight overall.

Memphis and Shelby County rank in the bottom 10 percent of some studies as it relates to health, healthy eating, exercise, healthy living, life-altering disease management and prevention.

The 100-day Healthy Church Challenge is designed to address these problems through area faith-based organizations and create a healthier place to live, work and play in Memphis, Shelby County and West Tennessee.

“We’ve all set a New Year’s resolution only to quickly give up. That’s why working with faith-based groups is a great way to create change. It already provides the support and stability you need when things get tough. Why not for healthy lifestyle changes?” said Calvin Anderson, senior vice president and chief of staff at BlueCross.

“If your goal is to eat healthy, work off those unwanted pounds and have some fun doing it, The Healthy Church Challenge is for you.”

The 100-day Challenge will also include a range of ongoing activities to keep participants motivated to achieve their health goals: Kick-Off – Mandatory Weight-In: Saturday, February 2, 2013, Mississippi Blvd. Family Life Center, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

St. Paul crafts ‘Healthy Men of Color Summit’

Let’s get our increase on

Dear Lucy: I really want this to be my best year ever. You have been writing about planning for the new year. Is there just one favorite piece of advice that you have?

– Queen of 2013

Alternative Kick-Off Weigh-In: Monday, Feb. 4 Friday, Feb. 8.

2nd Work-Out Session: Saturday, Feb. 23.

3rd Work-Out Session/ Weigh-In: Saturday, March 9.

4th Work-Out Session: Saturday, March 23.

5th Work-Out Session/ Weigh-In:Saturday, April 13.

6th Work-Out Session : Saturday, April 27.

7th Work-Out Session/ Mandatory Final Weigh-In: Saturday, May 18.

Alternative Final WeighIn: Monday, May 20-Friday, May 24.

Obesity Summit/Awards Presentation: Saturday, June 1.

Yusuf Boyd, founder of Memphis-based BIOMechaniks, a boutique health/ wellness studio, athletic performance, and injury prevention/rehabilitation service in Germantown, will work out with participants and provide them with the tools to achieve optimum health.

Also, at the kick-off, a nutritionist from The Regional Medical Center at Memphis will teach participants the basics for healthy eating.

And Darrel Petties, a national gospel recording artist and pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Memphis, will provide entertainment.

Additionally, there will be give-a-ways, and vendors will distribute health care information and products.

Last year, 458 men, women and children from 36 churches participated in the Healthy Church Challenge and lost collectively 2,821 pounds. Church recruitment is underway for the 100-day Challenge this year.

Along with BlueCross, the Challenge is sponsored by The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, Hallelujah 95.7 FM, The New Tri-State Defender, and Biomechaniks.

The Healthy Church Challenge is open to all churches in West Tennessee and limited to 100 participants per church.

(For more information, call 901-278-0881 or visit Facebook.com/The Healthy Church Challenge.)

Dear Queen: Thanks and I am having a lot of fun with my own planning. I also plan to be a Queen in 2013! I have a long list of stuff that I am doing this year that I have never done.

I am signed up to take Salsa dance lessons. Every year I think I will do something to exercise and the truth is that I don’t like structured exercise. I refuse to disappoint myself again. So, I am going to get out, meet some folk and DANCE! That, Queen, is my first advice...do something fun and different.

I have a wonderful friend who asked me a year ago to join her and some other really cool women on a cruise. At the time, I didn’t think much about it, said yes and paid for the trip. It is coming up soon and I am getting really excited.

I have never been on a cruise before because I can’t swim. How stupid is that? Next piece of advice: don’t let stupid and fear get in the way of joy and adventure.

Now I have really, really white hair.

Not gray, but white. I have worn it super

short for the last ten years. I recently let it grow. I have had the same hairdresser over 25 years along with a bunch of other ladies I really enjoy. So everyone has been watching to see how long I can stand to let my hair grow. I think some of them have Lucy even taken wagers on Shaw how soon I will cut it.

Well, last week I suddenly had the urge to color my hair. I don’t know where it came from. My hairdresser, Angela Kneeland, said that it was actually a subconscious desire to cut it.

Well, I was the entertainment for the evening as we all waited to see what color my hair would turn out to be. Everybody claimed it looks great. I have not yet decided. But, it sure was fun and I do look different. Third piece of advice: It’s just hair. This is the year that I let go of attachments to old ways of being that don’t make me who I really am.

Now here is the last one and a permanent one that I have practiced for a long time. I affirm every day that I am a person of increase. This means that I am always looking for the opportunity in every situ-

ation to give my gifts, offer my help, and uplift those around me. I make certain that I am prayed up and believing in the eternal goodness of God. This becomes my strength, my wisdom and my confidence. I declare in my heart that wherever I go I will bring peace and leave peace.

I decide to look for the face and character of Jesus Christ in all I see. Sometimes I have to work really hard at it because appearances try to convince me otherwise.

Yet, I have found with persistence that when I bring the Christ spirit, I find the Christ spirit.

When we seek to increase the good in the world around us, the world cannot help but give it back to us. From one Queen to another, let’s get our increase on!

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 901-9070260 or from her website.)

The point is…

The Rev. Dwight Montgomery, president of the Memphis Branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, discusses Operation Take Back – a project developed to minimize crime in the Memphis area – during a Town Hall Meeting on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.ʼs birthday (Jan. 15).

The session was held at Mt. Moriah East Baptist Church (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)

At. St. Paul Baptist Church, a consensus has been reached about the need to “change the statistics and men’s attitudes about their health and wellbeing.”

That agreement has led to the design of the church’s first Healthy Men of Color Health Summit, which will be held Saturday (Jan. 19) at the church at 2124 East Holmes Rd. The Summit reflects a partnership between St. Paul Unit-

ed Healthcare and the Men’s Health Network. Summit organizers say they are building on these points: Women are 100 percent more likely to visit the doctor for an annual exam and preventive services than men.

Women live healthier and longer lives than their male counterparts and at age 100, women outnumber men 8 to 1.

Men generally die younger and in greater numbers from

heart disease, stroke, cancer.

African-American men are 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease as compared to men of other races.

African-American men are 60 percent more likely to die from a stroke than men of other races.

The summit’s focus includes making sure that “men of all ages can get the information needed to live longer, happier and healthier lives!”

Dr. Charles Wallace will give the keynote message, with Dr. Christopher Davis speaking on a faith approach to wellness.

Conference workshop topics and presenters include: Diabetes Type I & II – Dianne Howell; Congestive Heart Failure – Linda Kelly/K. Chandler; Erectile Dysfunction/Prostate Cancer – Dr. Todd Brooks; Hypertension – Linda Harper; Healthy Rela-

PRAISE CONNECT

tionships – Mary Jackson; Resisting Peer Pressure – Anthony Amos.

Screenings and resources will include: HIV testing, free flu vaccine vouchers, blood pressure, glucose, reflexology, body mass index, CHOICES, dental, and smoking cessation.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the summit concludes at 1 p.m. To register contact the church office at 901-3465544.

-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 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. Frank A. Thomas Senior Servant

Dr. David Allen Hall Pastor

— Proverbs 1:7

“The Founder’s Church”

First Pastor: Senior Bishop C.H. Mason

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

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

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

—Revelation 1:8

ST. ANDREW A.M.E. CHURCH

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

—Ecclesiastes 3:1

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 17 - 23, 2013

Page 9

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 17 - 23, 2013, Page 10

WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?

ALL OVER TOWN

MLK Day: ‘Not just a day off, a day on’

Myron Mays

This Monday, Jan. 21, is MLK Day. What does that mean to you? Well, it should mean much more than just an extra day at the house or seeing an overabundance of commercials that feature the likeness of Dr. Martin Luther King

Jr. The day should be much more than just hearing the phrase, “I Have a Dream,” played over and over again on television. It should even mean more than just the commemoration of Dr. King’s birthday.

To some of us – and I’m thinking our younger generation here – Dr. King is only seen as a mythical figure who eons ago fought battles that no longer exist in our world.

To others of us, he is simply known as someone who gave a memorable speech that we only hear snippets of this time of year.

Even to some in my generation, he is only a man whose face graced the front of church fans or that calendar that was tacked prominently to your grandmother’s wall during your childhood. Although Dr. King’s birthday has been a national holiday since 1986, many of us still don’t realize who this man was or the impact of his life’s work.

He was a man, a son, a father and a husband. He was also a man who wanted to see a world where his children would be judged by the “content of their character” instead of the “color of their skin.”

He was a man who didn’t just want a better world for his wife and children to live in, but also one for you and me. He dedicated his life to fulfilling the purpose placed upon him. That purpose was fighting for something that even our country’s forefathers believed when they wrote the Declaration of Independence – “that all men are created equal.”

And he ultimately sacrificed that very life on April 4, 1968.

We, as African-Americans, have come a long way, yet we are not very far removed from the struggles of our ancestors. Many of us fail to realize that it was only a few short years ago when we as a race of people were simply not allowed the same basic civil rights as our white counterparts. We were forced to sit in the back of the bus. We were not allowed to drink from the same water fountains or sit at the same lunch counters as other races.

Today, we can dine where we please. We are no longer forced to the back of the bus. We can send our children to any school where our resources allow. We have rights that our grandparents and great-grandparents could only dream of.

But have we arrived? Do we stop dreaming? Do we stop working? Do we stop fighting for what’s right?

No! We keep dreaming, we keep working and we keep fighting!

Many battles have been fought, but the war is far from over. We do, however, have an advantage. We have been given the “battle plans” and they have been proven their merit. We just have to use them.

For some of us, the holiday is a time to give back and serve the community. For some, it might be a chance to learn something deeper about “The Movement” that they spent so much of their lives hearing and reading about. And no doubt some value it mostly as a chance to stay home from work, sleep late and/or take care of some much-needed chores.

For me, it’s an opportunity to “educate” myself about Dr. King, his life’s work and his legacy. It’s a chance to reflect upon where we are as a race of people and where we have been. It’s also a chance for me to look at myself as a person and evaluate my own life’s work…as well as my legacy.

Whatever you choose to do, you should never forget the sacrifices that were made for you to be able to do those things.

And if it was important enough for someone to give his/her life for our right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the least we could do is pay it forward.

(Next week, I’ll be back on the entertainment trail. Got an event you’d like for me to cover or attend? Email me at Myron@whatshappening myron.com.)

Keeping a straight face was an impossible task for (l-r) Demetria Bobo, Tawanna Johnson and Terence Bobo as they watched a sneak preview screening of BETʼs “Real Husbands of Hollywood” at The Ice Bar and Grill. (Photos by Warren Roseborough)

K97/BET put new shows on Memphis ‘ICE’ nyah@tri-statedefender.com

by Nyah Nile

A rainy night in Memphis was the backdrop last Thursday (Jan. 10) as BET delivered a taste of Hollywood to the Big M. Eager Memphians were some of the first to attend a screening for what promises to be two of this year’s biggest shows.

Memphis’ K97 FM and BET (Black Entertainment Television) teamed up to celebrate the premieres of “Real Husbands of Hollywood” and “Second Generation Wayans” by hosting a private screening at The ICE Bar & Grill on Hacks Cross Road.

Similar sessions were held in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

“We have a great partnership with BET,” said Devin Steel, Director of Urban Programming and PM Drive Host/ DJ at K97 FM. “We are really fortunate Memphis is a really important market for BET…Memphis is one of BET’s top three markets. When they introduce new programming it really impacts the culture and that is always very exciting.”

Only 300 invitations were sent out to K97’s most loyal listeners. Despite tornadolike weather, about 200 people came out and enjoyed food, drinks and an awe-inspiring atmosphere. Co-owner of the Ice Bar, Damon Maclin, was very excited about the op-

Nyah Nile interviews Ice Bar co-owner Damon Maclin.

portunity ICE Bar & Grill received to represent for Memphis.

Laughter filled the room as guests watched about 20 various-sized flat-screen TVs that pumped out segments of what I think surely will be some of the year’s funniest programming. The verdict was definitely in on “Real Husbands of Hollywood” within Kevin Hart’s first five on-screen minutes. People could not stop laughing and – like in church – turning to their neighbors with amen-like nods that registered their conviction that “this is going to be funny!”

If you haven’t seen the commercials airing all over the Internet and TV, then let me sum it up for you. “Real Husbands of Hollywood” stars comedian and actor Kevin Hart, who teamed up with the BET Network to

bring audiences a semi-scripted series poking fun at reality TV, nicknaming it “The Fakest Reality Show Ever.”

The fake reality show co-stars Nick Cannon, Boris Kodjoe, Duane Martin, J.B. Smoove and Robin Thicke. With a cast such as these men of Hollywood, along with their friends and their bizarre lives, how could it not be hilarious?

“Second Generation Wayans” is an entertaining, half-hour scripted comedy series starring Craig Wayans, Damien Dante Wayans, George O. Gore II and Tatyana Ali. The good, funny and ugly sides of Damien Dante and Craig are uncovered as they emerge from the shadows of their famous uncles to slice out their own piece of fame in Hollywood.

Both shows premiered on BET on Tuesday (January 15). “Real Husbands of Hollywood” is in the 9 p.m. (CST) slot, with “Second Generation Wayans” following at 9:30 p.m. (CST).

Don’t miss them!

(For more on The ICE Bar & Grill at 4202 Hacks Cross Road, check out www.icebarmemphis.com) (For questions, or if you would like Nyah Nile at your next big event, email nyah@tristatedefender.com.)

iTEEN

Vegas move yields ‘Dream Girls’ role Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Deidra Shores

Memphians are making moves!

Need proof? Well, native Memphian Markevius Faulkner has scored a role in a Las Vegas stage production of “Dream Girls.”

Faulkner received the role after moving to Las Vegas, where he had been staying for several months before he even knew of the “Dream Girls” audition.

Impressions matter and Faulkner had made a lasting one on the “Dream Girls’” producer while auditioning earlier for a role in “The Color Purple.” That’s why he got the call to audition for the part of CeCe in “Dream Girls.”

Faulkner tells me that he didn’t let his very talented competitors – nor the fact that he showed up a tad bit late to the audition – stop him. Despite being fully convinced he would not receive the role or even compare to the other auditions, he decided to give it his best try anyway.

CeCe, the 16-year-old younger brother of the Dream Girls’ main character, Effie, is innocent, anxious and ambitious. Faulkner, 25, said his relationship with his own big sister,

Shavetta Leaks, who he calls his biggest supporter, is the source of his inspiration for playing CeCe. A sibling’s support is a great tool to have regardless of how much Deidra you can get on Shores each other’s nerves sometimes. Disclaimer: Markevious did not say that his sister gets on his nerves. I have extensive personal experience and research material in this area.

Faulkner says one of the biggest adjustments he faces with the move to Las Vegas is the weather. You would think one who is from the south would be accustomed to heat, but then again Memphis’ weather is a bit bi-polar and inconsistent.

While trying to meet new people and learn his way around, Faulkner works as the Minister of Music at a local church and balances rehearsals for the “Dream Girls,” which are four days a week and usually last at least seven hours.

Memphian Markevius Faulkner (left) says an incredible amount of practice is going into a Las Vegas stage production of “Dream Girls” and he doesnʼt mind that one bit. (Courtesy photo)

The incredible amount of practice is all worth it, says Faulkner, who was ready with some suggestions for anyone who wants to be in the same business.

“Plan your work, and work your plan,” he said, adding that you should write down all the goals you want to accomplish, how you will do it, and go after them. Just consider like a map or instructions you can often refer back, said Faulkner.

“Dream Girls” opens the first week of March and is directed by

Torrey Russell. If you’re in Vegas, stop by the West Las Vegas Theater to see the show and let us know what you think.

And in this case, whatever happens in Vegas does not need to stay in Vegas.

Break a leg, Markevius!

(Deidra Shores, former NBC “Today Show Kid Reporter,” had added her skills to The New Tri-State Defender, where she is the TSD iTeen Reporter.)