1 8 2014

VOL. 63, No. 1

January 2 - 8, 2014

www.tsdmemphis.com

ANALYSIS

A YEAR-END REVIEW

Forget ‘Duck Dynasty’

2013 – International, national & local Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Carlee McCullough

The Root

by Sherrilyn A. Ifill

When the PR director of a digitalmedia company tweeted a racist remark about AIDS in Africa before boarding a flight from the United States to South Africa, thousands of Twitter followers tracked her flight.

Thousands pressured cable channel A&E to suspend reality star Phil Robertson from his popular show, “Duck Dynasty,” after the publication of an interview in GQ magazine in which he made homophobic remarks and insisted that black people were happy under Jim Crow.

The previous week, Fox News host Megyn Kelly drew outrage when she insisted that both and Jesus ‘The distinc- Santa are white, and tion between comedian Steve substantive Martin pulled an joke barriers to off-color from his Twitter equality and account and ofan apology. individual fered Political comracist acts or mentator Peggy statements is Noonan decried unsanitary an important the condition of modern airplanes one.’ and worried that “a Senegalese tourist with typhus” might have been the most recent occupier of her airplane seat.

In short, December was marked by a rash of racist and offensive remarks by public figures, drawing outrage and protests from large swaths of the public. But the frequency and number of these incidents in the last month of the year and the intensity of our focus on these occurrences should give us pause.

It’s easy to see how policing the increasingly outrageous and offensive comments of public figures could be a full-time job, and one with uneven results (Kelly remains unrepentant and the “Duck Dynasty” guy is scheduled to be back on the air). And the time SEE DYNASTY ON PAGE 3

- INSIDE -

• Did Jay Z squander his influence in 2013. See Business, page 6.

• The 100 Best Films of the year. See Entertainment, page 8.

• Grizzlies flash signs of old.

See Sports, page 12.

Ed Davis

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

H- 3 2o - L - 2 5o Su nny

SATURDAY

H- 4 7o - L - 3 3o P a r tl y C l ou dy

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-38 L-26 H-32 L-21 H-43 L-26

75 Cents

SUNDAY

H- 4 0o - L - 2 8o Sh owers

Saturday H-51 L-32 H-46 L-31 H-56 L-36

Sunday H-42 L-31 H-42 L-25 H-46 L-40

A little determination…

Ayodele Kofie helps a young Kwanzaa celebrant light the appropriate candles of the kinara during an observance of the principle of Kujichagulia (self determination) at Brown Baptist Church in Southaven, Miss. last Friday (Dec. 28th). Rueben Barnes, acting vice president of Mid-South Kwanzaa, Inc., lends his helping hands. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Preserving Nelson Mandela’s legacy The effort to soften the image of Mandela as a freedom fighter began long before his death

NNPA News Service

by George E. Curry PRETORIA, South Africa – Nearly a month after his death, there is a bitter struggle to define – and, in many instances, re-define – the legacy of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president.

“There is an attempt to do in his death what they could not do in life – take away his story,” Jesse Jackson said in a speech at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. “… He did not go to jail as some outof-control youth who needed to be matured. He went in as a freedom fighter and came out as a freedom fighter.”

The effort to soften the image of Mandela as a freedom fighter began long before his death.

Speaking at an African National Congress (ANC) celebration a year before Mandela’s death, South African President Jacob Zuma said, “Inside our country, even those who were are who are still, fundamentally opposed to the ANC, and who fought tooth and nail to keep South Africa a racist pariah state, now claim Nelson Mandel as their own.”

In trying to reclaim Mandela as their own, many whites are trying to sanitize him image, Jackson argues.

Part of that effort begins with attributing many of Mandela’s outstanding qualities to his 27 years in prison. For example, television commentators in the U.S. and in Africa say Mandela learned to love his enemies in jail and cite his forgiveness of his former jailers as evidence to support that assertion.

However, Mandela’s autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom,” traces that lesson back to his youth.

“On this first day of classes I was clad in my new boots. I had never worn boots before of any kind, and that first day, I walked like a newly shod horse. I made a terrible racket walking up the steps and almost slipped several times. As I clomped into the classroom, my boots crashing on that shiny wooden floor, I noticed two female students in the first row were watching my lame performance with great amusement. The prettier of the two leaned over to her friend and said loud enough for all to hear: ‘The country boy is not used to wearing shoes,’ at which her friend laughed. I was blind with fury and embarrassment.

“Her name was Mathona and she was a bit of a smart aleck. That day I vowed never to talk to her. But as my mortification wore off (and I became more adept at walking with boots) I also got to know her, and she was to become my greatest friend at Clarkebury,” a Wesleyan missionary school Mandela began attending at the age of 16.

In his autobiography, Mandela gave another example of not humiliating his opponents.

The year 2013 has come and gone. Are we better or worse than we were in 2012?

Regardless of where we are now, we can aim to be better in 2014. Most of us strive to be healthy, wealthy Carlee and wise. Others McCullough strive to be advocates for change and the betterment of the community at large.

So, before we move forward, let’s review a few of the significant moments of 2013 and how they may impact the world as we know it.

INTERNATIONAL Mandela’s death

President Nelson Mandela worked as hard to accomplish peace as he did to abolish apartheid in his home country of South Africa. While the world mourned his death, it forced us to evaluate his role in history.

As the winner of over 250 awards and honors, he was revered by many. He represented redemption and the thought process of how to move on peacefully when fighting a lifetime for human rights. Despite his unjust treatment under inhumane conditions, which could have resulted in revolution and blood in the streets, he was unwavering in his desire for peace for his people.

During his lifetime, Mandela became known as man unafraid to speak truth to power. The world has lost not only a visionary and peacemaker, but a man of courage and a true leader of our time.

NATIONAL Affordable Health Care Act

This legislation is a game changer for many. Healthcare coverage for the masses, including for those with pre-existing conditions and young adults, can only be considered a great thing when viewed from the proper perspective.

While the implementation and rollout appear to be challenging, the result should be historic and beneficial to families across the country. Remember, the first prototype is usually never perfect. We have come a long way from the first automobile and the first telephone. So therefore, nationally, it is too soon to evaluate the overall impact and result.

Trayvon Martin

Mandelaʼs statue, at 24 feet, towers above others. (Photo: George E. Curry/ NNPA)

“I learned my lesson one day from an unruly donkey,” he recounted.

“We had been taking turns climbing up and down its Many public back and when chance reflections un- my came I jumped derstate the on and the donbolted into depth of Man- key a nearby thorndela’s hatred bush. It bent its of apartheid, a head, trying to me, system where unseat which it did, a white minor- but not before thorns had ity of 10 per- the pricked and cent scratched my controlled the face, embarme in 90 percent rassing front of my black majority. friends. Like the people of the East, Africans have a highly developed sense of dignity, or what the Chinese call ‘face.’ I had lost face among my friends. Even though it was a donkey that unseated me, I learned that to humiliate another per-

son is to make him suffer an unnecessarily cruel fate. Even as a boy, I defeated my opponents without dishonoring them.”

Many public reflections understate the depth of Mandela’s hatred of apartheid, a system where a white minority of 10 percent controlled the 90 percent black majority.

“In their relationship with us, South African whites regard it as fair and just to pursue policies which have outraged the conscience of mankind and of honest and uprights men throughout the civilized world,” he said in his famous speech from the dock on Oct. 22, 1962, the first day of his trial.

“They suppress our aspirations, bar our way to freedom and deny us opportunities to promote our moral and material progress, to secure ourselves from fear and want. All the good things of life are reserved for the white folk and we blacks are expected to be content to nourish our bodies with such pieces of food as SEE LEGACY ON PAGE 2

As a mother with a young AfricanAmerican son, I am frightened by the result of this case.

Many in the community would say that we have evolved as a result of the civil rights movement. But others would say that the more the laws, change the more things stay the same.

Are laws such as “Stand Your Ground” negatively impacting the African-American community? Well, it certainly depends on how they are implemented.

Trayvon Martin has passed on, but his legacy will endure as we struggle to make sense of the mindless killing of a young man with unlimited potential.

LOCAL Delta Airlines

Promises were broken and Delta made a business decision.

For the business traveler, we need more frequent flights at a more costeffective level across the board.

In addition to a reduction of flights, Delta also cut jobs. The cutbacks affected businesses in the surrounding area as well as businesses inside the airport.

While we are super-successful at moving packages and cargo, we need to match that success in moving passengers. Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and Chicago were all peers at one time.

The commonality between all of these SEE REVIEW ON PAGE 2

NEWS

Page 2 REVIEW

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Shelby County Schools

Now that the city and county school systems have merged, all eyes are on the resulting Shelby County School (SCS) system. With a new leader and a budget of over one billion dollars, the opportunity to do business with SCS should be pursued by local business owners.

While the education of our children is of primary importance, SCS doing business with the local community is just as important.We wish the new superintendent well in his new undertaking.

Consortium Memphis Music Town

Yes, 2013 has been an emotional roller coaster full of ups and downs. On balance, we are on solid ground for entering 2014 optimistic of a bright new year full of opportunity and cheer.

LEGACY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

cities is a successful, thriving airport with a focus on moving the business traveler.

A real change is long overdue and we welcome it with open arms.

Memphis saw the creation of a new music organization. According to its website, the Consortium MMT is a 501 (c) nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a viable music industry in Memphis for the future.

The Consortium MMT is out to accomplish this goal by providing a learning structured environment to enrich and equip our talents with proven tools to build the next generation of successful soul music professionals. Music icon David Porter has created a program that provides talented and dedicated young people with direct knowledge, proven techniques and insight from internationally successful music industry veterans.

More than a school, The Consortium MMT provides real world experience and mentorship, creating a direct path to success for talented recording artists, entertainers, songwriters and producers.

Tri-State Defender

January 2 - 8, 2014

Rolling toward kickoff…

Mayor AC Wharton Jr. engaged in a little crowd interaction on Monday as the Beale Street Parade served to rev up onlookers, many of whom were out-of-town visitors in Memphis for the 55th AutoZone Liberty Bowl between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Rice Owls at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. (Photo: Wiley Henry)

drop from their tables of men with white skins. This is the white man’s standard of justice and fairness.

Herein lies his conceptions of ethics.

Whatever he himself say in his defense, the white man’s moral standards in this country must be judged by the extent to which he has condemned the vast majority of its inhabitants to serfdom and inferiority.”

In that same speech, Mandela said, “I hate the practice of race discrimination, and in my hatred I am sustained by the fact that the overwhelming majority of mankind hate it equally… Nothing that this court can do to me will change in any way that hatred in me, which can only be removed by the removal of the injustice and inhumanity which I have sought to remove from the political and social life of this country.”

There have been some efforts to depict Mandela as South Africa’s version of Martin Luther King Jr. But unlike America’s apostle on nonviolence, Mandela was in charge of the military wing of the ANC. “Some of the things so far told to the court are true and some are untrue. I do not, however, deny that I planned sabotage,” Mandela said in his statement from the dock. “I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness, nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation, and oppression of my people by the whites.

“I admit immediately that I was

one of the persons who helped to form Umkhonto we Sizwe (the military arm of the ANC), and that I played a prominent role in its affairs until I was arrested in August 1962.”

Mandela explained, “We felt that without violence there would be no way open to the African people to succeed in their struggle against the principle of white supremacy. All lawful modes of expressing opposition to this principle had been closed by legislation, and we were placed in a position in which we had either to accept a permanent state of inferiority, or to defy the government.

“We chose to defy the law. We first broke the law in a way which avoided any recourse to violence; when this form was legislated against, and then the government resorted to a show of force to crush opposition to its policies, only then did we decide to answer violence with violence.”

His widely-praised leadership skills were also honed during Mandela’s youth.

“As a leader, I have always followed the principles I first saw demonstrated by the regent (the man who took him in after his father died) at the Great Place. I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion. Oftentimes, my own opinion will simply represent a consensus of what I heard in the discussion.

“I always remember the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said, is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”

NEWS

Tri-State Defender

Page 3

January 2 - 8, 2014

DYNASTY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

we spend addressing these outrages distracts us from the kind of focus and attention that produces real, meaningful civil rights gains.

The distinction between substantive barriers to equality and individual racist acts or statements is an important one.

Both are deserving of attention, but the returns for victory in the former far outweigh those in the latter.

It’s impossible to identify one positive gain for the economic, educational, social or political condition of marginalized black people that resulted from the punishment meted out to Paula Deen (besides the obvious health benefits to all Americans from her show’s cancellation on the Food Network).

We still need a fix for the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision in Shelby County v.

Holder. We need real economic redress for African-American victims of predatory lending, and school-reform measures that provide our children with the tools they need to participate in the economy of the future and to serve as informed citizens of our country. We must end racial profiling, which remains an ongoing, dangerous and illegal affront to the dignity and citizenship of African Americans.

That’s why 2013 was such an important year for civil rights. It revealed and, in many instances, brought into stark relief how racial inequality is shaped by policy choices and structural inequality, and it also revealed how easily our energy and focus can be hijacked by our outrage against individual racist comments o or the ignorant behavior of public figures who we rightly expect should know better.

In August we participated in a commemoration of the March on Washington. We marched and raised our voices and spoke powerfully of the need for jobs, for justice and the end of voter-suppression efforts. But five months later, many more of us have tweeted our outrage about “Duck Dynasty” than have called our congressional representatives

Phil Robertson and Miss Kay Robertson attend A&E Networks 2012 Upfront at Lincoln Center on May 9, 2012, in New York City.

(Photo: Jason Kempin/Gett y Images for A&E Networks) to demand that Congress amend the Voting Rights Act. Deen’s 20-year-old racist remarks and the star of “Duck Dynasty’s” Jim Crow nostalgia may make better blog copy, but they also distract us from the real and pernicious structural inequality that threatens to hold many African-American families and communities at the margins of our society. For example, in early December, when the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to retroactively apply the 2008 Fair Sentencing Act to inmates who were convicted under the old, discredited 100-to-1 crack to powder-cocaine sentencing laws, the opinion in the U.S. v.

Blewett (pdf) case made a mere blip on the national radar and died on social media.

The decision itself was a dramatic one – a 10-7 split with four different opinions by the judges – and put on vivid display the powerful emotional response of many federal judges to overly harsh criminal-sentencing laws, which removed discretion from judges and imposed a rigid and inhumane sentencing regime for nonviolent drug offenders. The dissenting judges, like the U.S. Sentencing Commission, were not shy about calling out the racial implications of the sen-

tencing disparity. Nine thousand individuals remain incarcerated under the old crack-sentencing laws. Ninety percent of them are African American. Yet little attention was given to this important case (which is likely on its way to the Supreme Court).

When President Obama followed up three weeks later, commuting the sentences of eight of those individuals still serving these onerous sentences, the story drew attention, but not nearly the same passion, analysis and airtime as the “Duck Dynasty” controversy. The president, who had drawn the ire of liberal critics because of his refusal to use his pardon power, issued a terse but powerful statement commuting the sentences of these eight offenders. It was high drama, designed without question by the administration to draw attention to an issue about which the president has passionate views.

The president’s actions, coming on the heels of the divided Sixth Circuit decision, set the stage for an impactful moment of an engagement with one of the most important racial injustices of our time.

But instead this story had a 24hour shelf life. The decimation of black families and commu-

nities by our culture of incarceration will one day be recognized as among the most destructive and inhumane policies of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. But we have yet to see it garner the kind of attention and focused activism that will be required to make real change.

And what of Trayvon Martin, who didn’t even make the shortlist of contenders for Time magazine’s “person of the year”? (Miley Cyrus did.) This was the year when Broadway stars donned hoodies, when young activists sat in for months at the Florida state Capitol, when the dignity of Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s parents, held us transfixed and riveted and when we were outraged that the value of a black child’s life could be held so cheap.

In fact, Trayvon’s death and the acquittal of his killer drew our sustained attention this summer to a monumentally important shift in our criminaljustice laws, with powerful racial implications. Few Americans had heard of “Stand your ground” laws before Trayvon’s death. But because of the trial of Trayvon’s killer, we now know that 33 states have laws that permit the use of deadly force based on the subjective

threat of the individual.

Many Americans now also know about the existence of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group that drafted model “Stand your ground” legislation that was simply adopted by lawmakers who attend ALEC conferences. These laws have passed without any significant study or engagement with the vital question of how race (and gender) affects our subjective understanding of threat. It’s no surprise that white shooters of African Americans more successfully invoke “Stand your ground” laws as a defense to homicide, but it is a travesty of justice, which we must confront and change.

In sum, we have our work cut out for us. Thus, the greatest challenge we may face in 2014 is discerning when and how to most effectively focus our attention, our outrage and our activism. The energy marshaled to punish the digitalmedia executive for her Twitter transgression would be better harnessed in an effort to stamp out overly long and harsh prison sentences for nonviolent offenders, and to release those still held under old sentencing regimes now universally recognized as unfair and racially

discriminatory.

When the Blewett case from the Sixth Circuit makes its way to the Supreme Court, we lawyers will be ready with our arguments and our briefs. But we should also be ready with an informed, organized army of activists who are prepared to raise public awareness, speak powerfully to the injustice of harsh mandatory minimums and apply pressure to Congress to do more to restore the lives of those unfairly sentenced.

The year 2014 will mark the 60th anniversary of the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer. Each of these occasions stands as a stark reminder that real change – true civil rights victories – comes when we focus with laser attention on the structural barriers that stand in the way of opportunity and access and when litigation, mobilization and advocacy work hand in hand.

As we commemorate these powerful moments in civil rights history, our challenge will be to use the power of our outrage with surgical precision – to discern the difference between that which outrages us and those things that truly bar us from opportunity, advancement and dignity.

The good news is that many – like the young activist Dream Defenders in Florida and the Moral Mondays movement in North Carolina – have kept their eyes on the prize. We will all have to do the same if we are to honor what men and women with considerably fewer resources were able to accomplish 50 years ago.

2014 is a year of challenge and opportunity for civil rights activists and lawyers, as well as for all Americans who value equality, opportunity and democracy. But our success will be commensurate with our discipline, rather than our outrage.

(Sherrilyn A. Ifill is the president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which argued the Blewett case in the Court of Appeals, and the Shelby County v. Holder voting-rights case before the Supreme Court. Follow her on Twitter.)

Page 4

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

January 2 - 8, 2014

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

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

Flashback: 2010

A civil war looming in South Sudan

SPECIAL REPORT

Homelessness increases in U.S. NNPA News Service

by Freddie Allen

WASHINGTON –The downturn in the economy and a lack of local resources have forced more Americans to live under bridges, in their cars and on the couches of other family members, according to a recent report on hunger and homelessness.

The 25-city survey, conducted by the United States Conference of Mayors, found that more than 20 percent of homeless people that needed help over the past year didn’t get it and 71 percent of the survey cities reported that their emergency shelters, stretched to capacity, had to turn homeless families with children away.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is a nonpartisan group that represents 1,398 cities with populations of 30,000 or more.

According to a 2012 report by A majority of the Institute for the cities Children, Poverty surveyed reand Homelessness, African- ported that American famiunemploylies depended on homeless shelters ment, rising at a rate that was housing seven times highcosts, and er than white substance families.

A majority of abuse conthe cities surveyed reported tributed to that unemploy- higher homement, rising lessness housing costs, rates. and substance abuse contributed to higher homelessness rates.

Although African American often abuse illegal drugs at similar rates as whites, African Americans suffer discrimination in housing and hiring that often affects how and where they live. The Labor Department reported that the jobless rate for African Americans (12.5 percent) was more than twice as high as the rate for whites (6.2 percent) in November.

Homeless adults often presented with one or more of the following characteristics: 30 percent of homeless adults were severely mentally ill, 19 percent had jobs, 17 percent were physically disabled and 16 percent were victims of domestic violence. Thirteen percent of homeless adults were veterans and three percent were HIV positive.

The survey cities also reported that unemployment was the greatest contributor to the rise in hunger, followed by low wages and poverty. Increased food insecurity has strained local resources beyond capacity.

“Across the survey cities, emergency food assistance requests increased by an average of 7 percent,” stated the report. Eighty-three percent of the survey cities said that more families requested emergency food assistance in 2012 than 2011.

More than 25 percent of AfricanAmerican households don’t have enough to eat. Ten percent of White families live with food insecurity issues.

Even though the survey cities spent $324 million and dispersed more than half a billion pounds of food, two-thirds of the cities reported turning people away, because they couldn’t keep up with the growing demand. More than 70 percent of the survey cities said that they expect the hunger problem to get worse next year because of limited resources.

“The problem is more expensive than the solutions,” said Laura Zeilinger, deputy director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.

When Washington lawmakers left town for Christmas break, they left more than a million people who depend on unemployment benefits in the lurch. The deal left unemployment benefits on the cutting room floor, which means that a few days after Christmas more than a million

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

people will lose their unemployment benefits, pushing some into poverty.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a public policy group focused on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals, roughly 1.3 million people currently receiving unemployment insurance will be cut off shortly after the Christmas holiday. In six months, almost 2 million people will lose their unemployment benefits.

In order to meet the growing needs of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, some city officials have augmented nutrition education programs and expanded the health food offerings at food banks. The study reported that Trenton, N.J., is making strides to address hunger by ramping up the outlets that offer fresh produce and offering more free school breakfasts to school children. Providence, R.I., has also offered grants for programs that feed school children during the summer and after school.

In Charlotte, N.C., The Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina provides backpacks to children on the weekends with seven pounds of food like cereal bars, fruit cups, canned chicken and peaches. The Backpack Program has grown from 1,277 in FY2007 to 96,326 in FY2013.

In Washington D.C., the Capitol Area Food Bank started a Mobile Marketplace program that provides free healthy food options to households with the greatest need. New York City, N.Y. and Chicago, Ill. have similar programs that deliver free fresh produce to families trapped in food deserts in their cities.

According to the report, city officials said that job creation will help to alleviate the pangs of hunger. Investments in the food stamp program, affordable housing and job training also made the list.

“Despite all of our efforts the problems remain,” said Schneider. “Dealing with growing needs in the face of dwindling resources is nothing new for mayors, she said, but this year, mayors are especially concerned about what could happen to our emergency food and shelter programs next year and in the years beyond if the federal budget makes it harder to meet the needs of all of their citizens.

SNAP cuts proposed in Congress will also have a negative effect on the nation’s poorest families.

GOP lawmakers passed legislation in the House of Representatives that will slash the food stamp program by roughly $40 billion over the next 10 years. If passed by both the Senate and signed by the president about three million poor families would lose their benefits every year.

For mayors accustomed to doing more with less over recent years, cuts to the food stamp program will deal a heavy blow to families and communities struggling with poverty.

“Cuts in SNAP benefits being considered by Congress and the inability of food assistance programs to meet the increased demands that would result was identified by most cities as the biggest challenge they would face in addressing hunger in the coming year,” said Helene Schneider, mayor of Santa Barbara, Calif., and chair of the United States Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Task Force.

The survey cities reported that mainstream assisted housing programs, higher wages and better housing options would help to lessen the burden of homelessness on families and individuals.

“The hunger and homeless issue continues to be with us,” said Tom Cochran, chief executive officer and executive director of the United States Conference of Mayors.

“We have been in this fight for three decades and we will continue.

The mindset of Washington does not understand what is happening in our neighborhoods and cities large and small across America.”

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Winners and losers of 2013

Well, it’s that time of year once again for me to pick my biggest winners and losers for 2013. Unlike most of the year-end lists, mine will not be based on polling data, or popularity.

Rather, it’s from the lens of a businessman. Based on the contribution of time, money, or intangible capital, did the person or group receive an appropriate rate of return on their investment?

I will begin with the three biggest losers and work down from there. By far, the biggest loser of the year and of the Obama presidency was and is the African-American community.

How can a group give a president 96 percent and 94 percent of their vote to him and have little, if anything to show for it. If the white unemployment rate was the same as the African-American unemployment rate, it would be declared a national crisis. No sitting president, regardless of party, would have won reelection with that dynamic at play.

According to the November 2013 unemployment report (the most recent data available), the national unemployment rate was 7.2 percent. For African Americans, it was 12.5 percent; for Latinos 8.7 percent, and whites 6.2 percent. According to Heidi Shierholz, an economist for the Economic Policy Institute, “the Black unemployment rate has always been higher, largely due to long term structural trends that include a lower education level and a more limited social circle.”

African Americans have been the most loyal voting bloc for Democrats and for Obama particularly in the history of the U.S. and yet this president says he is not going to do anything specific for African Americans because he is president of all of America. All except Black America.

Yet, this president can’t go a day without trying to shove homosexuality down the throats of Americans and Africans. He doesn’t have the guts to try this in the Middle East because he know how the pro-Israel lobby will react.

This president can hardly go a day without trying to give amnesty to those in the U.S. illegals. He wants to inject millions of new people into the labor market to compete with African Americans for low and unskilled jobs, thus further exacerbating the high unemployment rate in the African-American community.

And to think, educated African Americans said all of last year, that if Obama won reelection he would then help African Americans since he didn’t have to face the voters again.

When a person shows you who they are, you better believe them.

The second biggest loser is the “truth.” According to Obama, “You can keep your own doctor.” Enough said.

The final biggest loser is the media.

They have bent over backwards to curry favor with Obama and his minions.

They worked hand in hand with Obama to perpetuate the story line that Benghazi was about a videotape. They reluctantly covered the IRS scandal

and many of them hold out Edward Snowden as some kind of hero. Obama has more active journalists in his administration than any of his predecessors, yet he is one of the least transparent presidents.

Raynard By far the Jackson biggest winner of the year is the homosexual movement, both under Obama and the U.S. Supreme Court. Obama has done more to expand the homosexual movement than any other person on the face of the earth. He is the same person that Newsweek magazine labeled the “first gay president.”

It is estimated that homosexuals account for 2-5 percent of the U.S. population, but they have been showered with more tangible benefits under Obama than all other groups combined. And the Supreme Court has also been complicit in furthering that agenda.

The second biggest winner of this year are those in the country illegally. They can’t even vote, but yet they have received more attention and action from Obama than the AfricanAmerican community.

As if this weren’t bad enough, you have the NAACP and the National Urban League supporting illegals and their push for citizenship. This defies logic that they would put a group of non-citizens before the interests of citizens they purport to represent. What is it about AfricanAmerican organizations that they have to be “inclusive” yet other effective groups look after the narrow interests of their supporters.

The third biggest winner is Vladimir Putin. During his annual state of the nation address two weeks ago, he said, “…We do not infringe on anyone’s interests, we do not force our patronage on anyone, or try to teach anyone how to live…We know there are ever more people in the world who support our position in defense of the traditional values that for centuries have formed the moral foundation of civilization, putting traditional family values top of the list.”

Wow! Who would have ever dreamed that the U.S. would be lectured by Putin on traditional values and the sanctity of the traditional family? This was a direct rebuke of Obama’s attempt to force other nations to accept his views on homosexuality.

So I end this year as I began – trying to get people to think a new thought. Happy New Year!

(Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached via www.raynardjackson.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at raynard1223.)

FACEBOOK FAN OF THE WEEK Name: Jonathan W. Cross ll

Jonathan W. Cross II is this weekʼs Facebook Fan of the Week! He is a Memphis native, who graduated from East High School, and received his degree in Finance/Economics from University of Memphis.

He is now the chairman of NMC Holdings, Inc. and the chief sound engineer for Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his lovely wife, Sherrye.

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

The escalating crisis in the South Sudan, a country only constituted in 2011, has brought with it growing concerns that a nation-state formed with such hope may now be on the verge of civil war.

The crisis involves a factional struggle between the President (Salva Kiir) and the dismissed vice president (Riek Machar). Tensions have been simmering for quite some time.

These factional battles have also been interlaced with ethnic tensions between the Dinka and Nuer peoples.

The South Sudanese factional battle has taken many people by surprise. After all, for years the mainstream U.S. media presented the conflict as being between the “Christian” and “Black” South vs. the Bill “Muslim” and Fletcher Jr. not-so-Black North.

And certainly when the Darfur crisis unfolded (in the western Sudan), a variation on this theme emerged, so much so that one could end up concluding that the northern Sudan was made up of non-African aliens.

There was little hint in the U.S. media that the situation in the Sudan was far more complicated than two solid blocs confronting one another.

It is worth remembering that the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement, which led the struggle of the people of the South Sudan, had not set out to create an independent country. Rather, under the leadership of the late John Garang, they aimed to fuse the movement against the regional oppression of the South with the larger movement for democracy in the entirety of the Sudan. When Garang was killed in a helicopter accident, a shift took place in the leadership of the SPLM which, along with the continued aggression against the people of southern Sudan from the Khartoum regime, contributed to the ultimate decision to split off.

There was an additional contributing factor, both to the split but also to our perceptions. There were forces in the U.S.A., specifically right-wing religious groups, that set out to portray the battle in the Sudan as a modern version of the Crusades. They did this for a variety of larger political reasons frequently tied to Islamophobia. In either case, the presentations that they made to the U.S. government as well as to the people of the USA would never have led any of us to have understood that (a) there was a larger battle for democracy underway in the Sudan, and (b) there were significant ethnic conflicts within what is today known as South Sudan.

Frankly, it was easier to believe the situation in the Sudan to be a simple North/South regional and religious clash rather than recognizing that this on-going conflict had multiple layers.

We now watch the situation in the South Sudan potentially unravel.

The world community is calling upon both sides to pull back from the brink. We, as African Americans, should add our voices to such calls.

But we should also do a bit more in the future to ensure that we are not hoodwinked by simple answers to very complex questions. We have demonstrated time and again, when African Americans pay attention to foreign policy, our stand can affect the actions of the U.S. And, just perhaps, had we taken an alternative approach to the Sudan, events might be unfolding in a different manner.

(NNPA columnist Bill Fletcher Jr. is a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies and the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum.)

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Tri-State Defender

NEWS

January 2 - 8, 2014

White House prepares for Michelle Obama’s Big 5-0!

(NewsOne) – First Lady Michelle Obama is turning the Fabulous Fifty and the White House is pulling out all of the stops, reports Politico.com.

Obama reaches the birthday milestone on Jan. 17 and the White House is throwing a dance party themed “Snacks &

Sips & Dancing & Dessert,” according to a Chicago Tribune report.

Read more from Politico.com: Save-the-date emails are already being sent with instructions for guests to “wear comfortable shoes, eat before you come and practice your

dance moves,” the paper said.

No word yet on the guest list or entertainment.

The president celebrated his 50th birthday in 2011 with a barbecue in the Rose Garden with plenty of friends, lawmakers, donors and celebrities joining the festivities.

2011: Barack Obama whispers to Michelle Obama (Courtesy of NewsOne)

Page 5

BUSINESS

Page 6

Jobless-benefits cutoff: Happy New Year from Congress!

Did Jay Z squander his influence in 2013?

by Donovan X. Ramsey theGrio

Shawn “Jay Z” Carter’s rise to the top the American economic ladder is now almost legendary – a legend he helped build through autobiographical rhymes over 17 years and 17 studio albums.

Listeners have followed him from rags to riches and identified with his story along the way.

However, a recent survey finds that some of the rapper’s younger fans may not be buying it anymore.

He may be among Time magazine’s most influential people, but Jay Z was found to be one of the least influential celebrities, according to a survey of millennials conducted by branding expert Jeetendr Sehdev. Sehdev questioned a group of 1000 on public figures ranging Tom Brady to Hillary Clinton and found that, while Jay Z is popular with many Americans, his ability to persuade millennials is impeded by what they see as his growing lack of authenticity.

In the survey, Jay Z scored 70 percent lower in measures of trustworthiness and honesty than did celebrities like Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Lawrence. And Sehdev says it’s the rapper’s very vocal focus on profit that’s his problem.

“Millennials questions his approach to loyalty, whether it be to a business deal or his fans,” Sehdev says. “His motivations to just make money can be viewed by this audience as self-centered, even if they may be business savvy.”

Kevin Reevers, 25, a freelance digital designer, says he’s been listening to Jay Z’s

Tri-State Defender

January 2 - 8, 2014

music since the rapper’s 1996 debut with Reasonable Doubt.

He says, coincidentally, it was authenticity that built Jay Z’s brand in the beginning but, like the millennials surveyed, Reevers says Jay Z’s image has taken a hit over the years.

“His music was so grounded and attainable that most could identify with it,” Reevers told theGrio. “In contrast, people can’t relate to Tom Ford, owning Basquiat paintings, and Yacht parties. That’s not to say a rapper can’t become a businessman and maintain his credibility but it’s the materialism – the more you focus on this unattainable lifestyle, the more you alienate your audience.”

Of course, Jay Z faced perhaps the biggest challenge to his brand recently when his partnership with Barney’s department store came under scrutiny after several allegations of racial discrimination were made against the retailer.

Even The Daily Show called him out for standing by the company.

The show’s “Senior Black Correspondent” Larry Willmore said in a November segment, “Jay Z doesn’t care about black people…he doesn’t care about black people who want him to boycott Barney’s and I don’t blame him…These days Jay Z’s too big of a commercial force to rail against the danger of the man. He is the danger. He is the one who frisks. He’s not Jay Z, he’s Jay Z Penny.”

“The Barney’s situation showed that Jay Z has always been profits over people. His delayed response was disturbing, plus the Belafonte snafu.

Those incidents illustrate his

Shawn “Jay Z” Carter

distance from the realities that his fans face,” says Reevers.

Amid questions over Jay Z’s dealings as a businessman, an upcoming film is set to shine a light on the business acumen that took him from Brooklyn Marcy Projects to corporate America’s biggest boardrooms.

A Genius Leaves The Hood is the unauthorized story of Jay-Z and a new documentary

by Moguldom Studios. Executive vice president of Moguldom and executive producer of the film Barion Grant says the film shows, while Jay Z’s brand may be facing challenges, it’s built to last.

“He’s been very wise in not abandoning his core audience while expanding at the same time,” Grant told theGrio.

“But I don’t think you can expand in the way Jay Z has and not take your core audience with you. At the end of the day, when Jay Z pops up on a song, he still has credibility as a rapper.”

Ultimately, Grant says, the rapper and businessman is more than capable of weathering bad press and attacks on his public image.

“The benefit that Jay Z has in navigating through all of this is being a black American. It’s what a lot of black professionals experience. It’s double consciousness. We have to be able to operate in many spheres,” Grant says.

“There’s always this conversation for us of someone being real or authentic or a ‘sellout.’ Ultimately, it’s how you respond that matters. What do you say when people challenge your credibility? I think Jay has navigated that incredibly well.”

The Root

by Charles D. Ellison When you’ve lost your unemployment benefits, like more than a million Americans this past weekend, there’s not Charles D. much to Ellison look forward to in the current political environment.

Members of Congress, convinced that they did enough to extinguish a do-nothing narrative, bounced quickly to enjoy their trees full of gifts and dining tables lined with gut-busting delicacies. And while you may have looked to the first family for public consolation, President Obama spent less than an obligatory minute on the topic during an hourlong presser – right before he skipped out of town for a warm, well-fed Hawaii vacation.

Which means the deal is done – there’s not much he can do about it, given the hard-fought compromise of a budget deal that no one likes.

So if you just found out that you won’t be getting an unemployment check this week – which means you could be out on a limb for such basic essentials as gas, food, heat and electricity – you might start paying closer attention to the reasons behind it. You might yell at the television when a roundtable of pundits mention the Hart Research Associates poll showing that 55 percent

of Americans support a jobless-benefits extension: “Then what the hell?” you ask in desperation.

If a majority support making sure I can set aside enough to make rent, you reason, what’s the problem with Congress?

But you miss the little bit about the 34 percent in that same poll who want to cut it – more than likely representing a very white demographic who have believed for generations that people of color are the most ravenous recipients of government benefits (even though whites make up 42 percent of the poor and take in nearly 70 percent of those same benefits they decry).

That same conservative 30 percent or so keep blowing it all up in poll after poll. It’s enough to persuade most House and Senate Republicans, who represent that very red piece of the U.S. population, and nervous moderate Democrats fearing retaliation in 2014 not to make a worthy cause out of the issue.

And while 65 percent of respondents in a targeted Public Policy Polling poll monitoring five key congressional districts in California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio say they support extending benefits – even in House Speaker John Boehner’s district – that really active 30 percent who do not just keep showing up. You know: the 30 percent that make a hobby out of destroying GOP incumbents during their primaries.

So what was the most reliable lifeline for more than 1.3 million Americans is now considered an irritating extension of the “welfare state” by those 30 percenters, and they hold sway over a conservative

caucus in Congress fearing Tea Party challengers in primaries. At last check in the 11th hour, two Senators – Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, and Dean Heller, a Republican from Nevada – attempted to hurriedly craft a short-term three-month extension. But Capitol Hill, caring little about folks on their last financial leg, wanted its holiday break as bad as the kid of an unemployed mom or dad who wanted that gift they know the family can’t afford.

It’s not as if the unemployed—including those receiving benefits and those off the grid – have united into some mass political movement. Poor people, according to the wisdom of campaign managers, don’t vote like middle-class people do. Congress will listen if you’re a defense contractor who’s dropped tens of millions into lobbying to ensure the end of Pentagon budget sequesters.

But if you’re an unemployed person on your last leg of benefits, you’ve barely got a dollar to dump into a political action committee. No cash, no voice.

As a result, this clearly isn’t much of an emergency to lawmakers in Washington. Nor is it that much of a sexy headline to network producers more concerned with the postChristmas gift-returns rush than with the plight of more than a million fellow citizens being, literally, left to fend for themselves in the winter cold.

MSNBC made a lastminute front-page effort, but #WishList is what was trending on Twitter, and those with sanity and access have little patience for thinking about others. Most head into 2014 hoping for a better new year.

RELIGION

Tri-State Defender

January 2 - 8, 2014

Page 7

A NEW ANALYSIS

Americans’ views on human evolution

Soror salute...

Velma Lois Jones, a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, acknowleges her sister sorors who paid their respects during the homegoing services of the late soror Gwendolyn Joyce Gilbert Shorter Friday evening (Dec. 27) at Brown Missionary Baptist Church in Southaven, Miss. Ms. Shorter, a retired teacher, died Dec. 23. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

‘Top 10 Black Christian Bestsellers List’ Bestselling authors, Michelle McKinney Hammond (“Joseph: Waiting on God’s Timing, Living in God’s Plan” – Nonfiction) and Victoria Christopher Murray (“Never Say Never” – Fiction) lead the bestsellers list of Black Christian authors on the December 2013 edition of the Black Christian News/Black Christian Book Company National Bestsellers List.

Top 10 – Nonfiction

1. “Joseph: Waiting on God’s Timing, Living in God’s Plan” by Michelle McKinney Hammond (Zondervan) 2. “Stop the Funeral,” by Donald Hilliard Jr. (LiPav Publishing) 3. “America the Beautiful,” by Ben Carson (Zondervan) 4. “Gifted Hands,” by Ben Carson (Zondervan) 5. “The Uncommon Life Daily Challenge”

by Tony Dungy (Tyndale) 6. “The African Americans” by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Donald Yacovone (Smiley Books) 7. “Grace, Gold, and Glory My Leap of Faith,” by Gabrielle Douglas (Zonderkidz) 8. “It Happens After Prayer” by H. B. Charles, Jr. (Lift Every Voice) 9. “Quiet Strength,” by Tony Dungy (Tyndale) 10. “Kingdom Man” by Tony Evans (Moody)

Top 10 – Fiction

1. “Never Say Never” by Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone) 2. “A House Divided,” by Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing) 3. “A Family Affair” by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery Books) 4. “Merry Ex-Mas” by Victoria Christopher

Victoria Christopher Murray, author of “Never Say Never.”

Murray (Liza Dawson Associates) 5. “You Can Do It!” by Tony Dungy (Little Simon Inspirations) 6. “Casting The First Stone” by Kimberla Lawson Roby (Kensington) 7. “The Eleventh Commandment” by

Lutishia Lovely (Dafina) 8. “Friends & Foes” by ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray (Gallery Books) 9. “Sister Betty Says I Do” by Pat G’OrgeWalker (Kensington) 10. “Hope Springs” by Kim Cash Tate (Thomas Nelson)

PRAISE CONNECT

WASHINGTON – (PRNewswire-USNewswire) – Six-in-ten Americans say “humans and other living things have evolved over time,” while a third (33 percent) reject the idea of evolution, saying “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time,” according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.

The share of the general public saying that humans have evolved over time is about the same as in 2009, when Pew Research last asked the question.

About half of those who express a belief in human evolution take the view that evolution is “due to natural processes such as natural selection” (32 percent of the American public overall). But many Americans believe God or a supreme being played a role in the process of evolution. Roughly a quarter of adults (24 percent) say “a supreme being guided the evolution of living things for the purpose of creating humans and other life in the form it exists today.”

Among other key findings:

Beliefs about evolution differ strongly by religious group. White evangelical Protestants are particularly likely to believe humans have exin their present Roughly a isted form since the beginquarter of ning of time. Roughly adults say two-thirds (64 percent) this view, as do “a supreme express half of black Protestants being guided (50 percent). Only 15 of white mainthe evolu- percent line Protestants share tion of living this opinion.

There are sizable difthings...” ferences by party affiliation in beliefs about evolution, and the gap between Republicans and Democrats has grown. In 2009, 54 percent of Republicans and 64 percent of Democrats said humans have evolved over time, a difference of 10 percentage points.

Today, 43 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of Democrats say humans have evolved, a 24-point gap.

Beliefs about evolution tend to vary by gender, age and education. Men are somewhat more inclined than women to say humans and other living things have evolved over time. Younger adults are more likely than older Americans to express belief in evolution.

The nationwide Pew Research Center survey was conducted March 21-April 8, 2013, with a representative sample of 1,983 adults.

The full analysis is on the Religion & Public Life Project’s website.

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take policy positions. Its Religion & Public Life Project seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs.

SOURCE: Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life

-A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHES-

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

767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126

ASSOCIATE MINISTERS

901-946-4095 fax 948-8311

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

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

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

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

Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter

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

—Matthew 7: 1-2

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

—Phillipians 4:13

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 2 - 8, 2014, Page 8

Flo Anthony: The ‘Deadly Stuff Players’ interview Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

Flo Anthony is a syndicated celebrity radio host, columnist.

The first AfricanAmerican woman to work in the sports, entertainment and the renowned Page Six departments of the New York Flo Post, as well as Anthony the first AfricanAmerican to pen a column in the National Examiner, her work currently appears in the New York Daily News, Resident Magazine, the New York Amsterdam News and other newspapers.

The publisher and editor-in-chief of Black Noir Magazine, as well as a busy blogger, Anthony has appeared on myriad TV shows. A graduate of Howard University, she resides in the East Harlem section of New York City. Here, she talks about her new novel, “Deadly Stuff Players.”

Kam Williams: You are a Renaissance woman who wears a lot of hats: radio host, publisher, editor, gossip columnist, publicist, blogger, talk show guest, syndicated columnist and novelist. How do you juggle so many interests?

Flo Anthony: Thanks for the compliment. I keep a very tight daily schedule. …I was on a three-month deadline to write “Deadly Stuff Players,” so I began work on it at 5 every morning, did my other work between the radio feeds, then resumed work on the novel at 3:30, then worked until around 7 every evening and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

KW: Which one do you enjoy doing the most?

FA: I love it all, but my radio show is my baby. I can say whatever I want and I love interacting with the air personalities. It is not financially as rewarding as it should be, but the creative outlet rewards my soul.

KW: What celebrity was your favorite interview of all time?

FA: Michael Jackson, every time I interviewed him throughout the years. The most exciting interview with him was when I took the “Inside Edition” cameras onto the set of his “They Don’t Care About Us” video. I was very humble about it at the time, but looking back on it, it was a huge deal!

KW: Who did you most like representing as a publicist?

FA: Tyra Banks. …

KW: What inspired you to write “Deadly Stuff Players,” a sequel to “Keeping Secrets, Telling Lies,” your first novel?

FA: I loved the characters Valerie and Rome, and wanted to bring them back. And, I kept coming up with all the other great characters like Vance Dumas, Platinum Pizzazz, Royale Jones, Turquoise Hobson, etc.

KW: The heroine of the book, Valerie, is a gossip columnist. Is the character based on you?

FA: Yes, she is me down to the long blonde hair and love of Christmas. A lot of things that happen to Valerie in the book have actually been my experiences.

KW: Tell me a little about “Deadly Stuff Players.” The cover says “Zane Presents,” which makes me naturally expect a steamy romance novel. Yet, the title suggests that it might be a murder mystery. Which is it?

FA: It is a murder mystery, although it does have a half-dozen love scenes. Zane has her own imprint, Strebor Books.

KW: Tell me a little about the plot in 25 words or less?

FA: It revolves around Valerie and Rome, who is an NFL Hall of Famer-turned-private investigator, as they try to solve the murder of drug-addled socialite Andrea Dumas. She is the wife of an AfricanAmerican dot.com billionaire Victor Dumas and mother of Vance Dumas, a jockey. The story follows Rome and Val around L.A. for five days and all the wild people, murder and mayhem they encounter.

“12 YEARS A SLAVE” is based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. (Photo: courtesy)

100

Lee Danielsʼ “The Butler” stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, an African American born a sharecropperʼs son in Georgia who serves eight U.S. presidents as a White House butler. (Photo: courtesy)

The 10 best, no,

the

best films of 2013

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

While 2013 may be remembered for black-themed films like 42, The Butler, Fruitvale Station and early Oscar favorite 12 Years a Slave, there were plenty of other excellent offerings released over the course of the year. The summer season alone featured a trio of outstanding horror flicks in “The Conjuring,” “You’re Next” and “The Purge.”

And fright fans were even treated to a fascinating documentary deconstructing the making of “Night of the Living Dead” entitled “Birth of the Living Dead.” The profusion of cinematic treats once again made it impossible to limit my favorites to just the 10 best.

So, as per usual, this critic’s annual list features 100 entries in order to honor as many deserving films as possible.

10 Best Big Budget Films “Lee Daniels’ ‘The Butler’” “Prisoners” “42” “You’re Next” “Gravity” “The Purge” “12 Years a Slave” “This Is the End” ‘Inside Llewyn Davis” “American Hustle”

Big Budgets Honorable Mention “The Heat” “The Best Man Holiday” “Philomena” “Gangster Squad” “Black Nativity” “Fast & Furious 6” “Jack the Giant Slayer” “August: Osage County” “Rush” “The Great Gatsby” “Olympus Has Fallen” “Bullet to the Head” “Saving Mr. Banks” “Dead Man Down” “The Conjuring”

10 Best Foreign Films

“The Hunt” (Denmark) “Hannah Arendt” (Germany)” “Paradise: Love” (Kenya) “Kon-Tiki” (Norway) “Aliyah” (Israel) “2+2” (Argentina) “The Price of Sex” (Bulgaria) “S#x Acts” (Israel) “A Hijacking” (Denmark) “The Broken Circle Breakdown” (Germany)

Foreign Films Honorable Mention

“Three Worlds” (France) “Sweet Dreams” (Rwanda) “Hava Nagila” (Israel) “Paradise: Faith” (Austria) “The Grandmaster” (China) “The Iran Job” (Iran) “Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey” (Nepal)

“War Witch” (Congo) “Paradise: Hope” (Austria) “Rising from Ashes” (Rwanda) “The Act of Killing” (Indonesia) “Reality” (Italy) “The Pirogue” (Senegal) “Garifuna in Peril” (Honduras) “Israel: A Home Movie” (Israel)

10 Best Independent Films

“Fruitvale Station” “The Kings of Summer” “Nebraska” “Mud” “Drinking Buddies” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” “The Sapphires” “I Used to Be Darker” “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete” “Enough Said”

Independent Films Honorable Mention “In a World…”

“Short Term 12” “All Is Lost” “Go for Sisters” “Touchy Feely” “Shadow Dancer” “Lucky Bastard” “Big Words” “King’s Faith” “Four” “A Teacher” “The Happy Sad” “Mother of George” “I’m in Love with a Church Girl” “Finding Happiness”

10 Best Documentaries

1. “Stories We Tell” 2. “Dear Mr. Watterson” 3. “Best Kept Secret” 4. “A Place at the Table” 5. “Muscle Shoals” 6. “Unmade in China” 7. “20 Feet from Stardom” 8. “Schooled: The Price of College Sports” 9. “Evocateur: The Morton Downey, Jr. Movie” 10. “Linsanity”

Documentaries Honorable Mention

11. “The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia” 12. “When Comedy Went to School” 13. “Venus & Serena” 14. “Liv & Ingmar” 15. “Call Me Kuchu” 16. “No Place on Earth” 17. “Red Obsession” 18. “Cutie & the Boxer” 19. “Inequality for All” 20. “Spark: A Burning Man Story” 21. “Bidder 70” 22. “Men at Lunch” 23. “Aroused” 24. “When I Walk” 25. “Herman’s House”

KW: What was the most challenging aspect of writing the novel?

FA: Getting it exactly the way Zane wanted it to be.

KW: What message do you think people will take away from it?

FA: That good prevails over evil and that life can have a happy ending.

Ariana Neal (left) and Michael B. Jordan star in “Fruitvale Station.” (Photo: The Weinstein Company)

Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver (L to R) in Joel and Ethan Coen's “Inside Llewyn Davis.” (Photo: Alison Rosa ©2012 Long Strange Trip LLC)

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 9

January 2 - 8, 2014

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

“Jamesy Boy,” a factbased tale of redemption about a teenaged gang member, stars Spencer Lofranco and Ving Rhames.

(Photo: courtesy)

Special to The Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening Jan. 3, 2014

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” (R for violence, drug use, graphic nudity and pervasive profanity) Fifth installment in the horror franchise finds partygoers being pursued by supernatural forces while trying to save a pal (Andrew Jacobs) with a mysterious bite mark. With Richard Cabral, Molly Ephraim and Katie Featherston.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“The Best Offer” (R for sexuality and

graphic nudity) Romance drama about an auctioneer (Geoffrey Rush) who falls head over heels for the reclusive heiress (Sylvia Hoeks) who hires him to handle the sale of her family’s art collection. Cast includes Jim Sturgess, Donald Sutherland and Philip Jackson.

“Beyond Outrage” (R for profanity, graphic violence and brief sexuality) This grisly sequel to Outrage (2010) is a high body-count crime thriller in which an outnumbered police detective (Fumiyo Kohinata) cleverly instigates a bloody turf war between two rival gangs so that they destroy each other for him.

With Takeshi Kitano, Ryo Kase and Shun Sagata. (In Japanese with subtitles) “Interior. Leather Bar.” (Unrated) James Franco and Travis Matthews co-wrote, co-directed by and play themselves in this sexual-

ly-explicit docudrama reimagining the 40 minutes of lost footage deleted from the homoerotic classic Cruising (1980). Supporting cast includes Val Lauren, Christian Patrick and Brenden Gregory.

“Jamesy Boy” (Unrated) Fact-based tale of redemption about a teenaged gang member (Spencer Lofranco) who turns his life around while behind bars with the help of a convicted murderer mentor (Ving Rhames). With James Woods, Vera Farmiga, Mary-Louise Parker and Taboo.

“Open Grave” (R for profanity, disturbing violence and graphic images) Murder mystery about an amnesia victim (Sharlto Copley) who wakes up in a pit of dead bodies with no idea who he is, how he got there, or who the killer is. With Joseph Morgan, Erin Richards and Thomas Kretschmann.

HOROSCOPES

Jan. 2–8, 2014

ARIES Do not travel in the company of those who work against you. Move towards people with words of encouragement and an extended hand.

Release the grudge that you have for someone who betrayed you. You will find liberation and lightheartedness in forgiving. Follow your heart when it comes to a love interest.

TAURUS Stay adaptable, and all will be fine. Flexibility is easy for you when you want it to be. The situation you’ll face this week will require that you alter your way of thinking about someone with whom you’re involved in business or friendship.

GEMINI You’ll want to spend some time with a special friend this week just being together. If you’ve been neglecting a relationship because of work demands, this week is a wonderful week to set things to rights.

CANCER Give birth to some new impulses about love. The ones you’ve been using have led you to a place you do not wish to be. Give yourself a break. Change.

Be less critical. Accept love even from those you do not completely agree with.

LEO Lots of spirituality discussions are going on around you this week. This energy will probably last throughout the week, so expect to enjoy yourself, or pass on all social company and spend the week enjoying yourself.

VIRGO This could turn out to be the most argumentfilled week you’ve had for a while. Your feelings could be deeply hurt if you try to force your sense of rightness off on anyone else. Chill. Remember that in the past when people were cantankerous you could find pleasure in nature, or animals.

LIBRA Your good will and intentions towards others will reap you an inheritance of abundance and wealth. You will be blessed with many good wishes and enjoy them in the company of family and friends.

SCORPIO Your dignity and composure is a sure asset this week. Be Mr. or Ms. Cool Breeze. In touchy situations you have the ability to maintain a high level of emotional balance and a calm disposition.

Use these qualities to the fullest this week. You have the know-how to re-direct negative feelings into a positive solution.

SAGITTARIUS It’s best to keep your opinions to yourself this week, as many will be experiencing minor irritations and general grumpiness. Let others be who they are. You are a beacon of serenity. Others will notice.

CAPRICORN You are often superb at exercising good judgment and rational decision-making. Yet sometimes you are rash. Flip to the observant side of your mentality this week. You will soon find yourself in a situation where there will be strife if you are not careful.

AQUARIUS Just to prove to yourself once again how lucky you are you should fly into the face of bad predictions. Gamble this week in business, relationships, love -something. Remain truly confident that things will come out in a way that will satisfy you.

PISCES It’s a great week to tell somebody you are close to that you love them. Saying it aloud gives you energy, and of course your designated adoree will be delighted! Keep the big picture in mind this week and you’ll feel completely buoyant!

Source: NNPA News Service

Page 10

NEWS

January 2 - 8, 2014

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Robin Roberts (Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Robin Roberts thanks longtime girlfriend on Facebook The Root

by Stephen A. Crockett Jr.

Robin Roberts spent the last Sunday of the year reflecting on how far she has come and revealing to the rest of us something her friends and family have known for sometime: that Roberts is gay.

“I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together. I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together,” the co-host of “Good Morning America,” who has publicly faced several health scares, wrote on her Facebook page.

Roberts posted a photo of her and her dog KJ sharing a loving moment when she reached a milestone in her recovery after receiving a bone marrow transplant to treat a rare blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), CNN reports.

“Flashback 12/29/12 ... Hard to believe this was 1 year ago today ... when I reached a critical milestone of 100 days post transplant ... and KJ was finally allowed to come back home,” she wrote on Facebook.

While Roberts has been very open about her health issues, this was the first time she has spoken publicly about her sexuality. While she didn’t say the last name of her girlfriend, People magazine believes that “Amber” is, Amber Laign, a licensed massage therapist from San Francisco whom Roberts met a decade ago through mutual friends.

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According to Buzzfeed, ABC News issued a statement of support: “We love Robin and Amber, who we have all known for a long time.

We were so touched by Robin’s Facebook message today and so thankful for all the loving support she has in her life.”

President Barack Obama chose Roberts in May 2012 for his landmark interview to support same-sex marriage, CNN reports.

Joel Sigel, a colleague and friend of Roberts, died of cancer in 2007. While preparing a tribute segment for Sigel, who was a strong advocate for the importance of early cancer screenings, Roberts went home and did a selfexamination on her breast. She discovered a lump and was soon diagnosed with breast cancer.

She would beat breast cancer, only to be diagnosed with MDS in 2012, which Roberts believes to have been a side effect of her cancer treatment. Robert’s sister would be her bonemarrow donor.

“I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life,” Roberts wrote. “I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery,” Roberts wrote. “I return every one of them to you 100 fold ... On this last Sunday of 2013 I encourage you to reflect on what you are grateful for too.”

Roberts joins former co-anchor Sam Champion, who publicly acknowledged his relationship in a 2012 New York Times article, and a growing list of celebrities – Jodie Foster, Raven Symone, Wentworth Miller, Maria Bello, Jason Collins and Tom Daley – who have come out in 2013, the Huffington Post reports.

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BRIEFS & THINGS Youth Villages puts out call for foster parents

Youth Villages is looking for caring adults in the MidSouth to serve as foster parents to children who have suffered abuse, neglect of abandonment. The first free foster parent orientation sessions of the year will be held Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. and Jan. 11 at 10 a.m.

Youth Villages will also offer two sets of free training classes to teach new foster parents how to address a child’s emotional and behavioral problems, as well as parenting and discipline techniques. The first training classes of the year will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., beginning Tuesday, Jan. 14, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning Jan. 18.

All orientation sessions and training classes will be held at the Youth Villages office, located at 5515 Shelby Oaks Dr. Foster parents care for children until they can return to their birth families or an adoptive family is found for them.

Youth Villages provides 24hour access to counselors, support groups and a monthly stipend. Foster parents also often have the first right to adopt if the child becomes available for adoption.

Foster parents should be over the age of 25 and residents of Tennessee, have viable income, reliable transportation and be able to pass a background check and home study. For more information, contact Genesha Dorris, foster parent recruiter, at 901-2527648 or genesha.dorris@youthvillages.org.

BRIEFLY: On Thursday (Jan. 2nd) the Soulsville Foundation and the Memphis Grizzlies will launch the 10th annual Staxtacular auction to benefit the students of the Stax Music Academy. Staxtacular will be Jan. 18th at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music Academy at 926 E. McLemore Ave. The auction will feature an “exciting selection of items for music lovers, sports fans, and everyone in between!” Visit biddingforgood.com/staxtacular.

BRIEFLY: The Collierville Citizen Police Association blood drive, which was initially set for December, has been rescheduled for Jan. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the YMCA, 1185 E. Schilling Blvd., Collierville, Tenn. The first 50 presenting donors to the blood drive will receive free Chickfil-A breakfast sandwiches. To donate blood, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed.

BRIEFLY: Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir will be the featured speaker when the Whitehaven Partnership Meeting is held from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 at the Whitehaven Library (Raines and Millbranch) on Jan. 10. Other agencies also will be present. For more information, contact: Calvin Burton 901-345-3695 or cburton615@hotmail.com.

BRIEFLY: The Holiday Love Jam with Kem and Chaka Khan has been reset for Feb. 13 and renamed the Valentine’s Love Jam. The show at the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss. is scheduled to get underway at 7:30 p.m.

All tickets purchased for the December show will be honored. Those seeking returns should return to the place of purchase. Tickets are on sale at the Landers Center box office or can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 1-800745-3000.

BRIEFLY: The Sixth Anniversary and Awards Program of Memphis Cares is set for Jan. 25th at the Memphis Education Association, beginning at 10 a.m. For more information, email memphis@caresmentoring.org or call Willie Brooks at 901-8443608.

Page 11

January 2 - 8, 2014

K w a n z a a !

K HONORING, ACKNOWLEDGING AND SALUTING AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE

As Kwanzaa has aged, the celebration has grown, with a number of ceremonies and events now offered throughout Greater Memphis. Two groups – Memphis Kwanzaa International and Mid-South Kwanzaa Incorporated – provided seven days of events. The following is a pictorial review:

Terrance Wilson models Sunday (Dec. 29th) at the 3rd Annual Kwanzaa Pageant on the campus of Southwest Tennessee Community College.

The power of dance and rhythm was displayed at the Kwanzaa Pageant.

Ujamaa (cooperative economics) was the focus Sunday evening at the Memphis Kwanzaa Center, 1539 Elvis Presley Blvd.

Kujichagulia (self determination) was celebrated at Brown Baptist Church in Southaven, Miss.

Music was a key element of the Ujima gathering at Exum Towers.

(Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

A celebration of Ujima (collective work & responsibility) Saturday at John Madison Exum Towers, 3155 Sharpe Ave.

‘Zach Randolph Day’

Mayorʼs proclamation puts into words what many have long felt

On and off the court in Memphis, many see Grizz big man Zach Randolph as having become the man and that was before there was an official proclamation to help make the case.

On Friday (Dec. 27th), Mayor A C Wharton Jr. made it official, issuing a proclamation declaring Zach Randolph Day. It was in recognition of Z-bo’s “achievements and charitable events in the Memphis Community.”

Zach racked another double-double – flashing his trademark smile and signing autographs rather than scoring in the paint and hauling down rebounds. All the while, there were various fundraising activities benefiting Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

The day’s events unfolded at the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 2856 Hickory Hill Ext., with the store’s manager, Marty Gil, on hand, along with a

Zach Randolph (left) of the Memphis Grizzlies meets Percy Chalmers of Le Bonheur on Zach Randolph Day in the Bluff City.

representative from Le Bonheur.

As they awaited his arrival, some in the crowd shouted “ZBo 50! ZBow 50!”

No. 50 did not disappoint!

Wearing his Sunday best and with his family by his side, Randolph greeted fans. Fol-

lowing the ceremony, he stayed for a meet-and-greet session with a class from Balmoral Ridgeway Elementary School.

The class was chosen through a

fundraising contest the school recently held to raise money for the children’s hospital.

Leading up to the big day, shoppers at the Walmart store

Some in the crowd shouted “Z-Bo 50!

ZBow 50!” as they waited for the man of the day, Zach Randolph, to arrive.

(Photos: Warren Roseborough)

were given the opportunity to make a monetary donation to Le Bonheur for a chance to win an autographed item from the man of the day.

SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 2 - 8, 2014, Page 12

GRIZZ TRACK

Grizz flash signs of old in win over Nuggets

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kelley Evans

Grizz fans have started to see a positive change in a team that has been struggling to restore its defensive identity while battling injuries.

Points in the paint, out-rebounding opposing teams and playing defense down the stretch.

Sound familiar?

Well, it certainly looks familiar. Especially to those who attended or tuned into Saturday’s game (Dec. 28) as the Grizzlies rallied after halftime to hand the D e n v e r Nuggets their sixth straight loss (120-99) in FedExForum. Memphis reached the 120-point mark for the first time this season.

The two teams were known as a good matchup last year, holding very similar regular-season records.

Memphis won games.

New Grizz reserve James 56 Johnson soars and scores Denver finover Wilson Chandler of the ished with 57.

Both marks Nuggets. were franchise records.

On Saturday, the Grizzlies faced off against the Nuggets with Tayshaun Prince back in the starting lineup after missing games due to a sore left knee.

Grizz Center Kosta Koufos, who was acquired from Denver for Darrell Arthur,

Mike Conley of the Grizzlies rolls over Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets after trying to fight through a screen. (Photos: Warren Roseborough)

made the first five shots of the game.

Memphis fed the ball inside for most of the game but was matched by Denver throughout the first half. Denver had an answer for every Memphis shot, ending the first quarter up by two (29-27).

In the second quarter, the Grizzlies’ summoned the members of its second unit to match the Nuggets intensity and

they did not disappoint, keeping the Grizzlies afloat. Memphis finished the half down by one (56-55). Early in the third quarter, Memphis banged out a 10-2 run, giving the Grizzlies a sevenpoint advantage.

There were 62 points from the Memphis bench compared to Denver’s 34.

Four of the reserves scored in double

figures, with Ed Davis leading the way with 17 points. Davis played solid defense against Kenneth Fareid, who came off the bench for Denver after missing the last two games with a sprained ankle.

Memphis held Denver to 16 points in the third quarter, including Jerryd Bayless’ big shot right before the buzzer to give the Grizzlies an 85-72 lead.

“I think everybody played a little bit better,” said Bayless, pointing to the defense. “Once we played defense our offense became contagious.

Everybody played well, and we got a good win.”

The Grizzlies struggled defensively in the fourth quarter, but went on an 11-1 run.

James Johnson checked in with 14 points.

“Nobody wants to lose on this team and we’re all trying to make the same playoff push,” said Johnson.

The Nuggets (14-15) were led by Ty Lawson’s 20 points and eight assists. Wilson C h a n d l e r Jerryd Bayless of the Grizzlies added 19. Zach scores over Nate Robinson of Randolph led the Nuggets. the Grizzlies in scoring with 20 points.

NOTE: The Grizzlies faced the Chicago Bulls prior to TSD deadline on Monday (Dec. 30) at FedExForum. Read the story at www.tsdmemphis.com.

Memphis too much for ‘other’ Tigers Long-range shooting woes continue against JSU Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by J.R. Moorhead

Kicking someone when they are down isn’t exactly a valiant character trait.

Yet, competitive sports sometimes require that killer instinct.

Putting your foot on your opponent’s figurative throat and putting them out of misery is a necessary quality for all good teams.

Now, this scenario doesn’t play out in every game, but when top teams play teams from the minor conferences and divisions it often does. So when Memphis took on the Jackson State Tigers last Saturday (Dec. 28), it appeared that a blowout was on the horizon. Memphis is ranked #15 in the country and JSU is a 4-7 team from the SWAC. Early on, it looked like Memphis would do just that. Threes from Chris Crawford and Joe Jackson helped propel the Tigers to a 21-6 lead ten minutes into the first half. It appeared that Memphis’ three-point shooting slump might be coming to an end.

As the Tigers of JSU settled in, they would deploy the same defensive strategy Memphis has seen many times this season. Jackson State stacked the paint and continued to force Memphis to shoot long jumpers and three pointers.

And just as quickly as Memphis’ Tigers heated up, they cooled off.

Still, the Memphis Tigers would lead the other Tigers by 12 (40-28) at halftime. And it appeared that the rout was on.

It looked like Memphis was going to beat JSU by 25 to 30 points, but as Tigers forward Shaq Goodwin described it after the game the Tigers began to “coast” through the second half. The “killer instinct” never kicked in and JSU would hang around.

At one point, JSU was one shot from closing the gap to single digits. Memphis ended up defeating the lesser Tigers 75-61, only outscoring them by two points in the second half.

A win is a win, but this one leaves many questions marks as Memphis heads into its first conference match-up on New Years’ Eve against the Bulls of South Florida.

Memphis was dreadful from beyond the arc converting only 4 of 21 (19 percent). Coach Josh Pastner isn’t worried.

“We are getting open looks, taking unselfish shots, they just aren’t going in, but we are going to continue to shoot them,” he said. “We will make threes; there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.”

Pastner has a very positive personality and with his self-described “glass overflowing outlook” his Tigers are just getting their misses out of their system.

Good attitude or not, Memphis has been terrible from three-point range. Combine that with 19-32 from the charity stripe and that could be the framework for a loss against stiffer competition.

Memphis has played a tough out-of-conference schedule thus far and that should prove helpful as the Tigers get into the meat of their conference play. Even so, the True Blue Nation shouldn’t expect the Tigers’ 27-game conference win streak to extend too far this year, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

A few more regular season losses are worth the training for the NCAA “big dance.” Ultimately, wins in March and April are worth more than those in January. Let the preparation begin.

Joe Jackson of the Memphis Tigers is fouled by Jeff Stubbs of JSU. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)

Titans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick takes a shot.

(Photos: Christopher Hope)

Chris Johnson stiff arms Shiloh Keo to reach the end zone.

Titans end losing season with a victory and uncertainty Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Christopher Hope

Despite another disappointing season with a losing record and not making the playoffs in the Mike Munchak-era, the Tennessee Titans (7-9) still played with a purpose during its last game of year.

“Yeah, I think today was a good day for us just to go out there and enjoy playing the game of football,” said Titans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Tennessee, which finished two games out of the final spot in the AFC playoffs, made it a point to finish strong, playing hard for the fans and displaying home-field pride in a 16-10 win over the Houston Texans.

At the start of the season, Houston (2-14) was predicted to contend for a Super Bowl appearance and that projection looked solid after the team started with a 2-0 record.

Then came the unthinkable – a dismal season with 14 straight losses.

“It’s very disappointing, and I think it is something that no one could foresee certainly. We got in a whirlwind, and it never ended,” said Houston interim head coach Wade Phillips.

Although Sunday’s game had no effect on the postseason for either team, the Texans came out like a team that wanted to finish the season with a win. On their first possession, the Texans marched down the field with ease to go up 7-0 on a 3-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Grimes.

“Yeah, usually I just hand the

ball to the ref,” said Grimes, who scored his first NFL toughdown. “I told him, ‘I usually hand it to you, but I want to keep this one.’ It was my first one, and I wanted to bring that home to my pops,” said Grimes, who finished with 16 rushes for 50 yards.

Houston didn’t score again until Randy Bullock kicked a 19-yard field goal with 2:53 remaining in the game.

The Tennessee defense was plus three in the turnover ratio against Houston. The Titans this season were 7-2 with an even or positive turnover ratio, and 0-7 when committing more turnovers than their opponents.

Akeem Ayers forced a fumble that was recovered by Zach Brown and Ayers also intercepted Matt Schaub on the Texans’ second offensive play of the second half.

Titans defensive tackle Sammie Hill recovered a fumble by Schaub on the third play of the fourth quarter. The Ayers interception (his first of the season) and fumble recovery led to 10 Titans points.

Chris Johnson of the Titans become the sixth player in NFL history with 1,000 or more rushing yards in his first six seasons. Johnson joined Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson and Corey Dillon as the only players to do so.

Johnson rushed 27 times for 127 yards, including an 11-yard TD that gave Tennessee a 13-7 lead with 5:39 remaining in the third quarter.

It was his second-highest rushing total of the season and gave him

1,077 rushing yards on the year.

“I knew Chris was going to come to play today,” Tennessee QB Fitzpatrick. “CJ did a great job all day.

You know, some tough runs, some tough yards. Almost broke a few of them for the big home run, but ran hard all day. You could just tell he wanted it.”

After the game, Titans head coach Mike Munchak said, “I am just proud of how well they have handled themselves, how hard we have worked, how important it was to finish with the wins we did, and play hard.”

There’s still the question about Munchak’s future as Tennessee’s head coach. The Titans have not had a winning season with Munchak at the helm.

“I don’t know why he would be out. I feel like he did a great job and prepared us for games like he is supposed to do,” said tight end Delanie Walker. “He’s a good coach you want to play for. He’s not the kind of coach who talks behind your back. If he has something to say, he tells you, and then if he has to say it to the media, he’ll go say it to the media.

“I’m behind him 100 percent, and I think everybody else here is,” said Walker. “I wish the best for him. I hope he is coming back. …I’m looking forward to coming back and having another good year with him.”

“Once I get a timetable exactly on how they want to precede, then I will have an opportunity to sit down and talk about this football team and how I see going forward,” said Munchak.