VOL. 63, No. 38
September 25 - October 1, 2014
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nOW sHOWInG – tsD-tV First interview – Tavis Smiley
Supt. Dorsey E. Hopson II
Hopson dials up positives from protest of cell phone ban Supt. praises Oakhaven students and principal by Tony Jones Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Shelby County Schools Supt. Dorsey E. Hopson II says all sides involved in a volatile protest Tuesday (Sept. 23) at Oakhaven High School may have made a significant point. The hot button issue exploded into public concern as The New Tri State Defender’s media partner, WMCTV5, showed hundreds of angered students and parents displaying signs and angrily voicing their concerns over Oakhaven principal Dr. Melanie Black’s decision to confiscate students’ cell phones. Hopson said it would take more time to delve fully into the matter. “It was very late in my day when I first learned about it,” he said, “but one thing I can say is that I am proud of the students for standing up for what they think is right and doing it in the right way.” He was equally supportive of Black. “She is very strong about improving and enforcing rules that are conducive for the students learning environment. We give our principals great autonomy to shape the policy and take action at their schools.” Moving to provide context to the cell phones issue, Hopson explained that the district operates under the rules of the pre-merger Shelby County Schools system. “We abandoned the legacy of the former Memphis City Schools Board to adopt the legacy policy of the Shelby County Schools board. Memphis has banned cell phones altogether, while Shelby County stated they (students) could have phones but had to shut them off in class. That’s the present policy.” And there may be a lesson in it all. “The more important issue is making sure that the learning environment is conducive for the children,” Hopson said. “What I would say to the parents is to be very careful that their children are not wasting their energies and efforts on having the best chance to learn. Oakhaven is a school that has the potential to do some extraordinary things, but when you lose focus and
The legacy and brand of The New Tri-State Defender (TSD) expanded this week with the launch of TSD Television. “Through TSD Television we will be bringing to you exciting digital video content to include news broadcasts, community and celebrity interviews and dynamic new shows that both inform and entertain,” said TSD President/Publisher Bernal E. Smith II. “We were both intentional and fortunate to have national and international influencer Tavis Smiley as our first interview on our new platform. It sets the tone for the kinds of things we are seeking to bring to our viewers.” Bringing TSD-TV online is part of an ongoing effort to inform, inspire and elevate and represents an extension of other TSD media outlets. It debuted via the TSD’s Digital Daily platform, which now consists of over 25,000 subscribers. “If you are not yet a subscriber we invite you to sign up at tsdmemphis.com and be a part of all of our exciting new developments. I also ask that you get the TSD mobile application on your smart phone by searching Tri-State Defender in your app store,” said Smith. “We want your input and ideas on content, new shows, events to cover
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – There has only been one prosecution under the Emmett Till Act, even though the law was passed with the promise of $135 million for police work and an army of federal agents to investigate unsolved killings from the civil rights era. Some deaths aren’t even under review because of a quirk in the law. Still, proponents are laying the groundwork to extend and expand the act in hopes it’s not too late for some families to get justice. In nearly six years since the signing of the law, named for a black Chicago A $135-million commitment to investigate unsolved killings from the civil rights era was part of the teenager killed after reportedly flirting Emmett Till Act. Six years later, only one person has been prosecuted. Till – an African-American teenager from Chicago – was killed after reportedly flirting with a white woman in Mississippi in 1955. His cousin, Simeon Wright, was among the thousands in the nation’s capitol for the 50th anSEE LAW ON PAGE 6 niversary of the March on Washington. (Photo: TSD Archives/George Tillman Jr.)
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Backers seek expansion of civil rights death law
SEE HOPSON ON PAGE 3
FRIDAY
Bestselling author and PBS show host Tavis Smiley (right) talks with TSD President/Publisher Bernal E. Smith II during the taping of the inaugural interview for TSD-TV. The conversation took place last Friday (Sept. 19th) at the National Civil Rights Museum, where Smiley appeared for a book talk and signing in connection with his latest work, “Death of a King.” (Photo: Kirstin L. Cheers)
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African-American residents join movement out of Memphis (This story is special to The New Tri-State Defender via The Best Times.) Numbers from the last four decennial censuses depict the major demographic changes that have been occurring in Memphis and the surrounding area. The outward movement of white residents has drawn major attention over the decades. However, little attention has been given to numbers that show that in the last decade in particular a significant number of African-American residents have joined the outward movement. The census population count shows a low growth in Memphis’ African-American population during 2000-2010 (only about 10,000 compared to almost 62,000 in the 1990s and 30,000 in the 1980s); a major growth in the AfricanAmerican population in Shelby County outside Memphis and in DeSoto County and a major increase in the numbers of people of other races. These figures reflect that several thousand more African-American residents moved out of Memphis than moved in during the decade. A major movement of African-American residents to the suburbs also has been occurring in other parts of the country. After the release of the 2010 Census results,
Education reform not to blame for nation’s segregated schools School choice isn’t its cause, but its antidote.
See Opinion, page 4
Census Results
by Jimmie Covington
Memphis
1980 1990 2000 2010
Black
White
Other
Total
307,702 337,737 399,208 409,687
333,789 268,600 223,728 190,120
4,865 7,000 27,164 47,082
646,356 610,337 650,100 646,889
Shelby County (including Memphis) 1980 1990 2000 2010
324,664 360,083 435,824 483,381
445,458 455,063 424,834 376,270
6,991 11,184 26,814 67,993
777,113 826,330 897,472 927,644
SEE MORE CENSUS RESULTS ON PAGE 3 Memphis and Shelby County governmental leaders made few public comments about the numbers. They gave no indication that they made any serious attempt to analyze the numbers to find out what they reveal about population growth or the lack of growth in the area. Memphis did carry out some annexations during the 1990s and during 2000-09 which affected
the figures but those annexations would not have reduced the numbers of African Americans in Memphis or increased the numbers in the county outside the city. Birth-death statistics show that births outnumbered deaths by nearly 69,000 countywide SEE MOVEMENT ON PAGE 3
‘Sarah Vaughan’ comes to Hattiloo
‘A Little R&R on Sports’
Jamille ‘Jam’ Hunter engineers feel of 1940s Harlem.
Read this: Ghetto bravado has to go.
See Entertainment, page 9
See Sports, page 14
Page 2
Tri-State Defender
September 25 - October 1, 2014
NEWS COMMENTARY
White House intruders: Remembering Miriam Carey and how she died by Lynette Holloway The Root
A 19-year-old New Jersey man was arrested last Saturday (Sept. 20th) after he tried to drive past a barricaded entrance to the White House and refused to stop. And in an unprecedented security breach Friday evening, a 42-year-old Texas man jumped a fence and ran to the North Portico and entered the White House through an unlocked front door. The incident Friday came less than 10 minutes after President Obama and his daughters had left for Camp David. The first lady had departed separately for the trip. The man, Omar J. Gonzalez, was apprehended after he stepped inside the foyer. Gonzalez, an Iraq War veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, reportedly had 800 rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete in his car when law-enforcement officers searched it after the incident. The two incidents, especially Gonzalez’s story, remind me of the case of a black single mother who clearly was in desperate need of help. Last October Miriam Carey, 34, of Stamford, Conn., was killed after she rammed her car into a barricade in front of the White House and then led security forces on a chase toward the U.S. Capitol. The big difference between Carey and the two most recent incidents is that no shots were fired and both men were taken alive. Carey, who had no weapon, was struck by five bullets in the neck and torso while still seated in a black Infiniti sedan. She died at the scene. Her family has asked whether the use of deadly force was absolutely necessary, especially while her 19-monthold daughter, Erica, was in the car. I, too, remain curious, de-
Miriam Carey's sister Amy Carey-Jones speaks to the media Oct. 4, 2013, in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Photo: Michael Graae/Getty Images) spite an announcement in July by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia that there was insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or local charges against officers from the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police who were involved in the shooting. Why so many bullets? Was a single woman that much of a threat? To be clear, anyone who threatens the safety of others has to be dealt with to the full
extent of the law, but it’s unclear whether those steps required Carey to be gunned down like a terrorist. She was not brandishing a weapon, and her baby daughter was in the car. But Carey, just like Gonzalez, is an example of someone who fell through the cracks of society, pushed to the margins by a series of setbacks and mental-health issues. Her family revealed after the incident that Carey was battling post-
partum depression, had lost a job as a dental hygienist and received a traumatic head injury after a fall. She reportedly believed that President Barack Obama was electronically monitoring her Connecticut home in order to broadcast her life on television. She left behind a trail of pain and sorrow. In a search of her home after the incident, lawenforcement agents found discharge papers from a 2012 mental-health evaluation listing medications to treat depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But it’s unknown if she was actually taking medication or if she was being treated for postpartum depression, a disease that is not uncommon among new mothers. Indeed, Carey was a trou-
bled soul – not a terrorist, as her heartbroken sisters told the New York Daily News. “Deadly force was not necessary,” her sister Valarie Carey, a retired New York City Transit Police sergeant who lives in Brooklyn, told the News after the incident. “They could have rammed the car or disabled the car.” A total of at least 17 shots were fired at two locations by officers of the federal and local law-enforcement agencies involved. D.C. police, like most law-enforcement agencies, have a strict policy against shooting at moving vehicles. But “after a thorough review of all the evidence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office concluded that the evidence was insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable
doubt that the officers who were involved in the shooting used excessive force or possessed the requisite criminal intent at the time of the events,” the statement reads. To be sure, outrage over Carey’s death never escalated to the level of protests that ensued after the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, but many, including myself, continue to ask why a single mother, who clearly fell through a shredded safety net, had to die amid so many bullets. (Lynette Holloway is a contributing editor at The Root. The New York-based writer is a former New York Times reporter and associate editor for Ebony magazine.)
Tri-State Defender
Page 3
September 25 - October 1, 2014
NEWS Census Results
“I’m sure the kids are texting, on Facebook, etc., so I’m sure her (Dr. Black’s) concern was that children were using phones to be disruptive. There are integrative technologies that some teachers in some school systems in other parts of the nation are using but we’re not they’re yet.”
Shelby County outside Memphis
1980 1990 2000 2010
Black
White
Other
Total
16,962 25,346 36,616 73,694
111,669 186,463 201,106 186,150
1,726 4,184 9,650 20,911
130,357 215,993 247,372 280,755
DeSoto County 1980 1990 2000 2010
9,596 8,675 12,216 35,266
44,203 58,860 91,950 116,440
131 375 3,033 9,544
53,930 67,910 107,199 161,250
Hispanic Memphis 2000 2010
19,317 41,994 Shelby County, including Memphis
1980 1990 2000 2010
6,921 7,091 23,364 52,092 Shelby County outside Memphis
2000 2010
4,074 10,098 DeSoto County
2000 2010
2,516 8,086 Source: U.S. Census Bureau
MOVEMENT CONTINUED FROM FRONT during 2000-09. Rough calculations indicate that Memphis had about 40,000 more births than deaths among African-American residents during the decade. The 40,000 would be a “natural increase” in the population. Any number below that signifies more people moving out of the city than moving in. The census numbers re-
vealed that Shelby County’s overall population rose from 897,472 to 927,644 from 2000 to 2010, an increase of only 30,172. That is far short of the almost 69,000 birthdeath natural increase and is the lowest countywide population increase since the 1870s, the yellow fever decade. A review of the data also shows that during the decade, Shelby’s Hispanic population increased 28,728, according to the census count. Hispanic residents make
up only a small part of Shelby County’s population but does the trend of the last decade mean that the county’s population growth in the foreseeable future is tied to Hispanic increases? Census Bureau estimates since the 2010 Census show that more people are moving away from the Memphis metro area as a whole than are moving in and that the area’s population is growing only as a result of births exceeding deaths.
– Shelby County Schools Supt. Dorsey E. Hopson II
HOPSON CONTINUED FROM FRONT fight over things that are not going to have impact on positive student achievement you miss an opportunity to zero in on things that cause an impediment on student achievement. “We have to remain committed to fighting for and doing what is right for the future of our students.” Following the protest and
subsequent reactions from radio talk shows to gas pumps, Hopson was asked the question voiced in myriad parts of the city: why in the world does a child need a cell phone in the classroom? “With the influence of technology today I understand the parents’ desire to make sure they can stay in contact (with their children), but most times having a phone is an impediment to human achievement,” said Hopson.
“I’m sure the kids are texting, on Facebook, etc., so I’m sure her (Dr. Black’s) concern was that children were using phones to be disruptive. There are integrative technologies that some teachers in some school systems in other parts of the nation are using but we’re not they’re yet. It may be something we will explore in the future. But the overall view is that phones in the classroom are disruptive and the students need to be focusing on English, not Facebook.”
Page 4
September 25 - October 1, 2014
Tri-State Defender
OPINION SPECIAL REPORT
John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)
The Mid-South’s Best Alternative Newspaper
• Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher • Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor
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Education reform not to blame for nation’s segregated schools It is the great irony of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark desegregation case that celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, that segregation in our schools has gotten even worse, not better. Back in 1954, 17 states still had segregated schools and with court order from the highest court in the land, they were forced to desegregate. How successful were they? Not very. Take Missouri, one of those 17 states. Its most populous city, St. Louis, is still is one of the most segregated cities in the country and its schools are just as segregated as the urban area. But St. Louis is not alone, or even an outlier. New York City, home of the nation’s largest school district, is the most segregated in the country. In the past few weeks, in a host of opinion articles and media interviews, status quo defenders of America’s public school system sought to explain this troubling situation by focusing on their usual villains – those urging comprehensive education reform. They suggested that enduring racial divides in our schools were to be blamed on charter schools and newly emerging educational options, such as vouchers. Donna Brazile, for example, cited charter schools as part of the segregation problem in American education. As much affection as I have for Donna, it’s not a serious argument when the fact is that charter schools make up only 6 percent of the nation’s public schools. Worse still, top officials in the Justice Department seem to believe in this mythological link between education reforms and segregation. Last year, the Department filed for an injunction to block the Louisiana school voucher program that was designed for low-income, and predominantly minority kids who were and remained trapped in failing schools. Using the spurious argument that the program exacerbated segregation, the Justice Department asked the Court to “permanently enjoin the State of Louisiana from awarding any school vouchers.” Here are the facts. In Louisiana, 93 percent of the children benefiting from the Louisiana Scholarship Program are minorities, all of whom attend underperforming schools and are from low-income families. An independent analysis of the Louisiana voucher program concluded it has “no negative effect on school desegregation.” Those who take part in the program overwhelmingly are moving from one segregated school to
another. The new school just happens to be a better school for them academically. The bitter truth is that America’s schools have been segregated long before the advent of education reform, charter Kevin schools, opportuChavous nity scholarships and virtual learning. How did they become that way? America is a segregated country, both racially and socio-economically. White and middle class, black and brown suburban flight left our city schools with primarily low income kids of color. Segregation is a fact of life in school systems in urban cities across the country. If our Justice Department is serious about attacking segregation in K-12 education, wouldn’t it make more sense to sue New York than Louisiana? Or Missouri, especially since it was one of the 17 states ordered to desegregate? So how do we end segregation? If you ask me, it all starts with education. And school choice isn’t its cause but its antidote. The education reform and educational choice movements grew out of a desire to address our collective failure to give our least privileged citizens the education they deserve – not the education to which they’ve been condemned. Blaming those of us who believe in reform and choice doesn’t do anything to help those kids. It’s just a distraction. Getting our kids in good schools is part of the solution, not the problem. Let’s celebrate those outlying – but growing – educational choice programs that are educating kids that otherwise wouldn’t be educated. Every student who receives a worthwhile education becomes one more child who can thrive in an integrated world. And for goodness sake, let’s stop finding reasons to fight against the innovation, creativity and success we are seeing in education that our citizens want and need. (Kevin Chavous is senior advisor and executive counsel for the American Federation for Children and co-founder of Democrats for Education Reform.)
Who are the real terrorists in the U.S.? I would wager that you have had this experience. It has happened to me on more than one occasion. I am going through security at an airport, standing behind a white person. They go through screening, and perhaps they are pulled over for an extra inspection. Frustrated by the situation, they either say – explicitly or implicitly – that this whole process is ridiculous because they – the passenger – do not look like a terrorist. Actually, the situation is a bit more complicated and the truth is that they actually might look more like a terrorist than they believe. The New America Foundation, for instance, determined that 34 people have been killed by (white) right-wing violence in the U.S. since September 11, 2001 compared to 21 killed here by Muslim extremist groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center, in a 2011 publication on right-wing violence, found that since the Oklahoma City terrorist attack by Timothy McVeigh, et.al, there have been 32 law enforcement officers killed by right-wing terrorists. They also went on to identify 688 right-wing terror groups in the U.S., including those associated with the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazi, White Nationalist, Racist Skinheads, Christian Identity, and Neo-Confederate movements. This reality forces us to ask a critical question regarding perception and reality. If there is more likelihood for there to be right-wing, white terrorist attacks in the U.S. than attacks by Muslim extremists, why do we equate terrorism and Muslim extremism? Why do so many of us envision an Arab, Central Asian, or North African, when the word “terrorist” is used, rather than a picture of someone who looks like Timothy McVeigh? This quandary goes to the heart of the U.S. To use another example, why are police not rampaging through ItalianAmerican communities seeking gangsters when there is a history of the Mafia
in Italian-American communities, compared with the lawless aggressions carried out in African American and Latino communities by police in the name of fighting crime? The so-called mainstream media Bill and education esFletcher Jr. tablishments draw no conclusions about the activities and attitudes of white people based either on the actions of a few, or, for that matter, the actions of many. If white men are more likely to commit mass killings than any other demographic, why are there are no public warnings or even suggestions about the dangers of dealing with white men? There are no special measures taken when white men go through security zones, e.g., at airports. Each act is treated in isolation, a fact that ironically leads to a failure to achieve a broader grasp of actual social trends. To put it another way, in looking at each case in isolation it not only distinguishes such an approach from a racialization of all information, but equally discourages the study of any actual scientific trends. One such trend, when it comes to violence, has been the growth and further militarization of white, rightwing populist movements. As uncomfortable as it may be for many white people to accept, right-wing (and white) terrorism is more of a threat in the U.S. than any other form of terrorism. Once we begin to understand that simple fact, we may be on the road to understanding and disentangling a few other realities about life in our nation. (NNPA columnist Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of “The Global African” on Telesur-English. Follow him on Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.)
Valerie Wilson, director of the Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy at the Economic Policy Institute (Photo: Freddie Allen/NNPA)
African-American wages: up for men, women down by Freddie Allen NNPA News Service
WASHINGTON – The blackwhite income gap narrowed in 2013 with African-American men who worked full-time, year-round experiencing the greatest gain in earnings among all adult workers, according to the current population reports on income and poverty released by the Census Bureau. The median income for African Americans rose $793, an increase second only to Hispanic households ($1,391) in 2013. The median income for white households increased $433. Valerie Wilson, director of the Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said that from 2012 to 2013, the black-white income gap narrowed from 58.4 cents to 59.4 cents for every dollar of white median household income. Despite the improvements, the median income for African-American households was only $34,598, a little more than half the median income earned by white households ($58,270). Even though African-American men suffer with the highest unemployment rates in the country, during the recovery period following the recession, African-American men who worked full-time, yearround experienced a 1.6 percent gain in median earnings, compared to white men whose earnings fell 2.1 percent over the same period. From 2012-2013, earnings for African-American men who were employed full-time, year-round jumped 4.5 percent, while earnings for white men declined 1.8 percent over that same period. As wages for African-American men increased, earnings for black women wilted. Since 2009, wages are down 3.3 percent for black women and 0.2 percent for white women. Wilson said that the decline in wage growth for African-American women was extremely troubling. For the first time since 2006, the national poverty rate decreased, but “the number of people in poverty at the national level was not statistically different from the previous year’s estimate,” according to the report. The report continued: “Hispanics were the only group among the major race and ethnic groups to experience a statistically significant change in their poverty rate and the number of people in poverty. For
Hispanics, the poverty rate fell from 25.6 percent in 2012 to 23.5 percent in 2013, while the number of Hispanics in poverty fell from 13.6 million to 12.7 million.” According to the report, 11 million African Americans were living in poverty in 2013. The Census Bureau also reported that the poverty rate for African Americans was 27.2 percent compared to a 9.6 percent poverty rate for whites in 2013. Wilson said that the poverty rate for African-American children showed little improvement last year. Wilson said that the measure of child poverty is directly related to the income and wages of their parents. During the recovery, AfricanAmerican women have taken jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector, in restaurants and hotels, as home health aides, and in retail where workers’ hours can be unpredictable, said Wilson. “We know that a lot of AfricanAmerican children live in singleparent households headed by black women, and if earnings for black women are declining, it shouldn’t be much of surprise if poverty rates for black children didn’t go down,” said Wilson She said that economic reforms such as increasing the minimum wage and extending unemployment insurance benefits would not only benefit workers, but they would also benefit the children who live in those households. Josh Bivens, the research and policy director at EPI, said that fiscal austerity and the fast decline in public spending have depressed wages and income growth. “After the extensions to long-term unemployment benefits in 2008 and 2009, unemployment insurance was keeping about 3.3 million Americans out of poverty in 2009 and 2010. By 2013, with both federal and state policymakers pulling back on the duration and generosity of benefits this number dropped to 1.2 million,” said Bivens. “So we’re keeping 2 million fewer people out of poverty with the unemployment insurance system than we did two years before.” Bivens said that if we want the coming years to look more like 2013 for the bottom half of the income ladder and less like the five years that came before, we need to see continuing labor market improvement. He warned, “We may have just turned the corner in terms of pushing up wages and incomes for the bottom half of the income distribution and it would be a real tragedy to pull the plug on that.”
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The ‘boomerang’ generation One of the most interesting findings of the data recently released by the Census Bureau is that so many recent college graduates live with their parents. Described as “boomerang” graduates, a third Julianne of them occupy a Malveaux basement, a spare room, their old room, a floor or couch. Blessedly, they have parents with whom to live. And if they are 26 or younger, they have health insurance, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. On the other hand, these boomerang graduates will postpone many adult decisions that affect economic markets. They won’t rent apartments or buy furniture or homes. If they don’t have credit cards from college (and they shouldn’t), they are unlikely to get them as residents of their parents’ homes. They will delay marriage and other decisions that also have an impact on consumer spending. They are missing out on the low interest that would make the purchase of a car or a home much cheaper. Their inability to fully participate in the economy hurts them, and it hurts the economy, too. African-American graduates experience less of a boom because they have much less to boom back to. Their parents and grandparents will make room for them, but instead of staying in a basement room, they are staying on the same floor. Not only is there pressure to find a job, but their failure to do so affects younger siblings and neighbors who think: Why should I go to college? Big brother went and can’t find a job. Or, big brother is working at a fast food restaurant. I could do that without a degree. The Census data showed the first decrease in poverty since 2007, from 12.7 percent to 12.4 percent. African-Ameridan poverty went up slightly, from 25.6 to 25.7. Hispanic poverty dropped from 24.6 percent to 22.3 percent, the largest decrease for any group Given the high African-American unemployment rate and the weaker networks that African Americans have, few relatives can’t refer them to jobs – many are still looking for jobs for themselves. Boomeranging hits AfricanAmerican young people harder, and the consequences are greater. Already the recipients of lower wages, they so find that it takes longer to locate employment than their white counterparts. When young people are out of work, economists refer to the impact as “scarring.” This means that boomerangers will have lower wages for the rest of their lives, unless they go to graduate or professional school, a costly proposition. And those who stay out of the labor market for a year or two are less preferred than graduates who find jobs right after college. The Great Recession had a permanent impact on the graduating classes from 2007 through 2012. The inability of recent college graduates to find jobs are structural, and they are also racial. Efforts to close the unemployment gap could generate postgraduation outcomes that are similar for young African Americans as they are for whites. But African-American unemployment has been twice that of whites as long as these data has been collected. The unemployment rate gap is seen as so normal that nothing has been done to reduce it. President Obama has, by executive order, indicated that veterans should have hiring priority for federal jobs. Such ruling has caused resentment among federal workers, with the allegation that some veterans are not qualified for the jobs they hold. Qualifications notwithstanding, human resource specialists at federal departments are required to offer veterans a hiring privilege. Doesn’t this sound like affirmative action to you? Yet affirmative action has been all but forgotten. Veteran preferences are the “new” hiring preference. The rationale for these preferences is that those who served our country should not be homeless. Yet, the overwhelming majority of veterans have homes and, indeed, lower unemployment rates than the general population. While no one begrudges veterans special opportunities, there are other groups that deserve preferences, too. When a college graduate is flipping burgers or assembling sandwiches, we are squandering knowledge and ensuring that graduates without jobs have a permanent disadvantage in the labor market. When African-American graduates are sidelined, their very absence from the labor market sends a disturbing signal to others who would apply to college but for their perception that college completion offers them no advantages over the friend or colleague who did not go. Why not invest in our nation’s future by giving something extra recent graduates? And why not pay special attention to those groups that have much higher unemployment rates than others? (NNPA columnist Julianne Malveaux, a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer, is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.)
Tri-State Defender
Page 5
September 25 - October 1, 2014
opinion
NFL keeps fumbling ‘Sick and tired of Goodell: ‘We’re going to do better…’ Really? all the hypocrisy’ by Raynard Jackson NNPA News Service
I am sick and tired of all t h e hypocrisy swirling around pro athletes and the National Football League (NFL) in Raynard particular. Jackson With all the accusation about domestic violence and child abuse consuming the NFL, I wonder why the public wants to hold athletes to a standard that they don’t want to live by. If you work in the private sector as an accountant, engineer, or a secretary, there is a bright red line separating your professional life from your private life. Your job may prohibit you from smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol at work; but they cannot mandate that you abstain from such activities in the confines of your home. If what you do at home impacts your job performance, that may be grounds for termination; but in general, your job cannot punish you for the things you do in your private life. Professional sports are slightly different simply because athletes sign a contract and there is a “moral” clause that is part of the agreement. The moral clause basically says that if you bring disrespect to your team or the league because of “bad” behavior, that can be grounds for terminating a player’s contract. So, let’s be real, pro sports could care less about domestic violence or child abuse (nor should they – they are not a social welfare agency). They are about making money and if they have to pretend to care about these issues to keep the money flowing, then they are willing to make an example out of Ray Rice and anyone else who stands between them and their $10 billion a year revenue. So is there any substance to this “culture of violence” in pro sports, specifically the NFL? Let me kick the statistics. There are 1,696 players in the NFL, 1,280 in Major League Baseball (MLB), and 450 in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for a total of 3,426 professional athletes. Let me try to add a little context to this discussion. The San Diego Union-Tribune has been tracking arrests of NFL players dating back to the year 2000. They calculated the annual arrest rate per 1,000 NFL players by type of crime committed. The three most common charges are DUI, assault/battery and drug possession. Compared to adult men in the general population, an NFL player is 11 percent less likely to get a DUI charge, 23 percent less likely to get an assault charge, and 59 percent less likely to get a drug charge. So, if there is going to be any outrage expressed, it should be directed towards the American population as a whole, not the NFL and its players. The issue swirling around the NFL is about public relations, not about how their players treat women. For the NFL, bad PR means less money; so they are reacting to their corporate sponsors, not because of some concern for women’s issues. Isn’t it ironic that feminists groups such as the National Organization of Women (NOW) are calling for Roger Goodell’s head, but they have said nothing about Nike using child labor under slave-like conditions to make shoes for the NFL; and many of these workers are women and little girls. Isn’t it ironic that Rice and his wife both admitted to being drunk when they had their fight; but yet there is no “moral outrage” being directed towards Anheuser-Bush? If you are going to hold team owners and the NFL responsible for the conduct of their adult players; shouldn’t you also hold the beer company that provided the alcohol to the player just as responsible? The point is, individuals make choices and must be held accountable based on those choices. If Anheuser-Bush is not responsible for a person driving while drunk, the Baltimore Ravens shouldn’t be responsible for what a player does away from his job. The NFL is going to allocate
tens of millions of dollars to all kinds of women’s groups to prove they “get” it. They will do the same thing for child abuse now that the Adrian Peterson situation has become public. Thus far, all the players making the headlines are black in a league that is 67 percent black, so what does Roger Goodell do? He hires three white women to help advise him on women’s issues. When black women called him out on this, he basically said sit down and shut up. Brian McCarthy, Goodell’s spokesman issued this statement, “There is a need for diverse thinking to address the issue…and that the effort to better handle this issue is a collaborative one…To be successful and make a real difference, the entire NFL will be responsible for the development and implementation of education, training and support programs.” In other words, these white women and the white commissioner will make all the decisions and then they will get black women’s input once they have allocated all the funds to white women’s groups who deal with domestic violence and child abuse. Seems like the NFL continues to fumble the ball. (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. Follow him on Twitter at raynard1223.)
N F L Commissioner R o g e r Goodell has finally emerged from his self-imposed witn e s s protection George E. program, Curry held a press conference, and even attended a football game Sunday. Now that Goodell has come out of hiding, it is not clear that the NFL is any closer to getting it right, as he keeps putting it, than it was when it dropped the ball in handling Ray Rice’s indefinite suspension from the league. Goodell’s long overdue news conference proved only that he had his talking points down and would repeat them at every opportunity. “I’m not satisfied with the way we’ve handled it from the get-go. As I told you, and this statement indicates, I made a mistake…” “We acknowledge the mistake, my mistake. And we said we’re going to do better moving forward …” “I let myself down. I let everybody else down. And for that I’m sorry as I mentioned earlier. That’s what we’re going to correct and that’s what we’re going to fix…” Despite a well-scripted news conference, the NFL has not been able to contain some extremely damaging disclosures.
ESPN “Outside the Lines” has produced an explosive exposé that undercuts Goodell’s credibility, the very thing he has desperately been trying to restore. Publicly, Goodell has contended that no one in the NFL’s Park Avenue headquarters in New York has seen the devastating video of Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancée out with a powerful left hook, leaving her unconscious. Even if true, that does not mean Baltimore and NFL officials did not know what was on the videotape. Here’s what ESPN had to say: “Ultimately, on April 1, the Revel (Hotel), under subpoena, provided (Attorney Michael) Diamondstein with a copy, and he received the same copy from prosecutors on April 5. By phone, Diamondstein told (team president Dick) Cass that the video was ‘f—ing horrible’ and that it was clear ‘Ray knocked her the f— out.’ The lawyer advised Cass that the video, if released, would amount to a public relations disaster for the Ravens and for his client. “Cass listened carefully but never asked Diamondstein to provide the Ravens with a copy of the video — nor, for that matter, did anyone from the NFL ask Diamondstein for a copy, several sources say.” Cass and owner Steve Bisciotti claimed they never knew the extent of Rice’s violence. ESPN reported, “Bisciotti and Cass contend that, after the elevator doors closed that morning, they did not have a full picture of what happened
until September. ‘It was our understanding based on Ray’s account that in the course of a physical altercation between the two of them he slapped Janay with an open hand, and that she hit her head against the elevator rail or wall as she fell to the ground,’ the Ravens said in a statement Friday afternoon. But sources both affiliated and unaffiliated with the team tell ‘Outside the Lines’ a different story: The Ravens’ head of security, (Darren) Sanders, heard a detailed description of the inside-elevator scene within hours and shared it with Ravens officials in Baltimore.” Quoting multiple unnamed sources close to Rice, ESPN said the star running back had provided full details of the incident – including knocking his future wife unconscious – to both Goodell and team officials. In fact, ESPN said, “With his wife sitting by his side in a conference room, Rice told Goodell that he hit her and knocked her out, according to four sources.” At the urging of the Ravens, Goodell suspended Rice for only two games. Later, under mounting pressure from women’s groups, the Ravens kicked Rice off the team and Goodell suspended him indefinitely from the NFL. “Bisciotti and the team released a letter to Ravens season-ticket holders contending that the team had not seen the video until the morning of Sept. 8, when TMZ released it to the public, and that they found it
‘violent and horrifying’ and had voted unanimously to release Rice,” ESPN reported. “…Minutes later, Rice’s phone buzzed. He could scarcely believe what he was looking at – back-to-back text messages from Bisciotti. Rice read them aloud so everyone in the room could hear them: Hey Ray, just want to let you know, we loved you as a player, it was great having you here. Hopefully all these things are going to die down. I wish the best for you and Janay. When you’re done with football, I’d like you to know you have a job waiting for you with the Ravens helping young guys getting acclimated to the league. ESPN continued, “Rice was flabbergasted. One minute Bisciotti and the Ravens were essentially calling him a liar, the next Bisciotti was quietly offering him a job. “‘… Rice told friends he believed Bisciotti was suggesting that, as long as he kept quiet and stuck to the story that he had misled team officials and Goodell about what had happened in the elevator, the Ravens would take care of him down the road. He felt incredibly insulted.” (George E. Curry is editorin-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He can be reached via www.georgecurry.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook. )
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NEWS
A salute of innocence… A little girl looks up at President Barack Obama as he talks with wounded warriors and their families in the East Room during their tour of the White House on Monday (Sept. 22). (White House photo: Pete Souza)
LAW CONTINUED FROM FRONT with a white woman in Mississippi in 1955, only one person has been prosecuted: A former Alabama trooper who pleaded guilty in 2010 to killing a black protester in 1965. The government has closed the books on all but 20 of the 126 deaths it investigated under the law, finding many were too old to prosecute because suspects and witnesses had died and memories had faded. And Congress hasn’t appropriated millions of dollars in grant money that was meant to help states fund their own investigations. Perhaps most frustrating, an unknown number of slayings haven’t even gotten a look because the law doesn’t cover any killings after 1969. That saddens people like Gloria Green-McCray, whose brother James Earl Green was shot to death on May 14, 1970 by police during a student demonstration at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. The family never learned the name of the shooter, and no one was ever prosecuted. “We’ve never really got any closure because of the investigation not being thorough and everything just being kicked out,” said Green-McCray. “It was like, ‘Just another black person dead. I mean, so what?’” In a January report to Congress, the Justice Department said prosecutors are still continuing their work. Hoping to spur more action, the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference have passed resolutions asking the federal government for more thorough reviews and to spend the money that was authorized in 2007. SCLC President Charles Steele Jr. called the Till Act a major disappointment and said it may be time for marches. “We can never let people think they can get away with these types of horrific crimes,” he said. The law expires in 2017 unless Congress extends it. The NAACP’s vice president for advocacy, Hilary Shelton, said supporters have had “informal discussions” about expanding the law, partly to allow for the review of deaths that happened after 1969. Passed with bipartisan support and signed by then-President George W. Bush in October 2008, the Till Act gave new hope to families that lost loved ones during the civil rights era, when Southern authorities and juries often looked the other way when a black person was killed. Law professor Janis McDonald, who helps lead a program at Syracuse University to identify and investigate suspicious deaths from that era, said the Justice Department never formed regional task forces to probe killings, and it didn’t do much more than review documents in many cases. While some hoped the program would get a jumpstart when Barack Obama became the nation's first black president, little progress has been made, McDonald said. “For whatever reason the leadership does not seem to have made it a priority,” said McDonald, co-director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative at Syracuse. The Till Act did land one courtroom victory. Former Alabama trooper James Bonard Fowler pleaded guilty four years ago to shooting Jimmie Lee Jackson during protests in Marion in 1965. The local prosecutor, District Attorney Michael Jackson, said the FBI assisted with the case by letting him search for photographs in Washington. The lingering cases include
the shooting deaths of three civil rights workers killed 50 years ago in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in what is known as the “Mississippi Burning” case after the movie by the same name. While seven people were convicted on federal civil rights charges in the deaths in 1967 and one person was convicted on a state manslaughter charge, the case remains open. The Justice Department had a civil rights “cold case” initiative that helped with four successful prosecutions before the law was signed. It closed its investigation into the killing of the law’s namesake, 14-year-old Till, in 2007. The suspected killers had been dead for years and a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict others who might have had a hand in the death. “Although our investigations have reached an end in the large majority of the matters reviewed, our work on the remaining matters continues in earnest,” the Justice Department said in its progress report to Congress in January. The Till Act set aside $10 million annually for investigations; $2 million for grants to states; and $1.5 million for getting communities involved. The Justice Department didn’t respond to questions about how much has actually been spent, but none of the $20 million in grant money was ever requested by states or appropriated by Congress. “Over time a pittance of that has been authorized. I can’t say the degree to which that has stood in the way,” said Richard
Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery. McDonald, the Syracuse professor, said her students have found about 200 more cases that deserve investigation, and an Associated Press review found more than two dozen suspicious deaths after 1969 that could be reviewed. McDonald said the 1969 cutoff date was a “somewhat arbitrary” decision linked partly to the idea that 1970 marked an upswing in protests over the Vietnam War. The decision on timing meant federal agents couldn’t use the Till Act to take another look into the May 1970 death of Earl Green, Green-McCray’s brother. Green, 17, and Jackson State student Phillip Gibbs were shot to death by law officers at Jackson State during a protest that had roots in years of racial unrest in Jackson; frustration over civil rights progress; the Vietnam War; and the killing of four students in Ohio at Kent State just 10 days earlier. Dozens of bullet holes still pock the side of a dormitory where officers opened fire after someone threw a bottle toward police. Green-McCray and her sister, Mattie Hull, would like federal officials to investigate, even if no one ever is prosecuted. “It would show there are still caring people in the world, that somebody still cares and means to do the right thing,” Hull said. (Follow AP writer Jay Reeves at https://twitter.com/Jay_Reeves.)
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naTional COMMENTARY Donna Brazile: “This is not just a campaign to say, ‘go out and vote.’ We’re talking about crucial issues like raising the minimum wage, preventing gun violence, making education more affordable and protecting voting rights.”
CBC joins black churches for ‘Freedom Sunday’ Campaign by Freddie Allen NNPA News Service
WASHINGTON – If the Democrats lose the United States Senate and more seats in the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections, Marcia Fudge, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Republicans would impeach President Barack Obama. Even though he won’t be on the ballot in November, the CBC hopes to use the Republican threat of impeachment and other personal and political attacks on President Obama to fuel black voter turnout for the 2014 midterm elections. Fudge said if Republicans win the Senate they would continue to challenge President Obama’s legitimacy by threatening him with lawsuits, questioning his birthplace and intelligence, and accusing him of violating the Constitution. “We’re going to have two more years of that foolishness, if they takeover the Senate and win more seats in the House,” said Fudge. “They will make our lives miserable for the next two years.” Lorenzo Morris, political science professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., noted that the focus on the threat to voters’ rights through stricter ID requirements, redistricting and plans to reduce early voting in some states motivated minority voters and saved President Obama during the 2012 election. “African Americans, as well as Latino and even Asian voters were mobilized by the sense that the Republican Party was trying to disenfranchise them,” said Morris. Fudge said Republicans would also continue efforts to make changes to entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicaid and food stamps that would disproportionately hurt African Americans. During a recent press conference at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Headquarters, Fudge, joined
African, Asian & Hispanic/Latino Americans more convinced on climate change Report reveals concern & motivation to engage; offers guidance (PRNewswire) – African, Asian and Hispanic/Latino Americans are slightly more convinced than Americans overall that climate change is happening and willing to be engaged on climate solutions. The report on the groups’ attitudes, values and motivations on climate change was released Tuesday (Sept. 23rd) by ecoAmerica. The findings are additional insight from ecoAmerica’s American Climate Values Survey issued in March. The percentages of African, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino Americans convinced that climate change is happening were 74 percent, 83 percent and 73 percent respectively vs. 71 percent of Americans overall. By the measure of readiness and willingness to be engaged on climate solutions, the percentages were 65 percent, 80 percent and 70 percent respectively versus 60 percent of Americans overall. “If we seek to make climate solutions a national priority, its time we recognize the true
by Rep. James Clyburn (DS.C.), Rep. Gregory Meeks (DN.Y.), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Donna Brazile, vice chair of Voter Registration and Participation for the DNC, announced a national partnership with Black churches to rally African-American voters and increase civic engagement. Fudge said that by collaborating with thousands of churches across the country, the “Freedom Sunday” campaign hoped to reach 12 million people before the November elections. Morris said the strategy the CBC is undertaking is important because churches have the capacity to mobilize voters independent of individual candidates. “While we know that voter turnout significantly decreases during midterm elections we also know that there is an opportunity to ensure that African-American voters, and particularly those where we have highly-contested Senate races, know what is at stake in this election,” said Fudge. During the 2010 midterm elections, African-American voter turnout was 44 percent compared to 49 percent white voter turnout, according to the U.S. 2010 Current Population Survey. During the 2012 elections, African-American voter turnout eclipsed white voter turnout by more than 2 percent. The CBC also plans to target 19 key district and House races where it is believed AfricanAmerican voters can make a difference in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Arkansas, Colorado, New Jersey, Nebraska and Virginia. “The African-American vote is crucial for Democratic successes all across the country,” said Brazile. “The Democratic National Committee has launched the most aggressive voter expansion program, and not just in the 19 targeted congressional districts where the African-American vote will make the difference, in terms of winning or losing, but also in eight Senate races.”
Brazile continued: “This is not just a campaign to say, ‘go out and vote.’ We’re talking about crucial issues like raising the minimum wage, preventing gun violence, making education more affordable and protecting voting rights.” During the last election cycle, candidates or incumbents won in 65 districts by less than 1 percent, she said. “By just increasing black (voter) turnout, Latino and youth (voter) turnout, which also drops off in non-presidential years, we know that it can make a difference in this election,” said Brazile. “If it’s close, we can push somebody over the top.” In states such as Louisiana, where the African-American population is more than 30 percent, Fudge said, African Americans can clearly tip the scales in close races. “So we’re going to be spending a lot of time in Louisiana,” added Fudge. But Morris noted that many of the state Democratic candidates who are running neckand-neck with challengers have distanced themselves from President Obama and his sagging approval ratings. Sen. Mary Landrieu (DLa.), who faces a tough battle in Louisiana, publicly criticized President Obama in the wake of the Affordable Care Act rollout last year. And Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) said the president had not “done enough to earn the lasting trust of our veterans and implement real and permanent reforms” in the wake of the Veteran Affairs scandal that forced the resignation of then-Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. Morris said a big loss in November for the Democrats would make it harder for Obama to leave any kind of lasting, progressive legacy of agenda items on the table on his way out in 2016. “This (midterm) election can be a real cliffhanger and all it will take is for African Americans to be mobilized to make a difference.”
meaning of ‘national,’” said Meighen Speiser, ecoAmerica’s Chief Engagement Officer and co-author of the report. “To inspire and empower any American on climate change, we need to understand how they are understanding and relating to the issue and what is getting in the way of their participation in solutions. We conducted this research to deepen our knowledge, and for the benefit of all who are endeavoring to increase engagement of these important diverse communities.” The report’s findings show several common concepts, values and methods for engaging African, Asian and Hispanic/Latino Americans on climate change. However, ecoAmerica warned against a one-size-fits-all program, noting distinctions ranging from whom each of these groups trust most for guidance, to what solutions they resonate with, and where and how to engage them for greatest success. “For too long, important communities have not been well included in the climate change dialogue or the design of climate solutions,” said Bob Perkowitz, ecoAmerica founder and president. “African, Asian and Hispanic/Latino Americans are currently 37 percent of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Their voices, ideas and considerations are required for effective action on climate change,” said Perkowitz. “We hope this research will inspire and em-
power anyone working toward climate solutions to ensure their organizations, audiences, and initiatives engage the full representation of the American people.”
Report card on Black America by Lee A. Daniels NNPA News Service
Some might think the annual report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage the U.S. Census Bureau released last week had a distinctly repetitive tone to it. Albeit with a few exceptions, the words “not statistically significant” aptly fit the very small increases or decreases of most of the measurements that comprise the year-to-year tally. But that doesn’t make the document itself insignificant. For the report – a critical report card on the well-being of American society as a whole – underscores long-term economic trends that represent a clear and present danger to the viability of the broader society and to Black Americans in particular. Make no mistake: the report did contain some good news. One was that, thanks to theAffordable CareAct (Obamacare), thoseAmericans without health insurance declined by 8 percent, or 3.8 million, in the first three months of this year to 41 million people. But overwhelmingly the report’s good news served as a reminder of the magnitude of larger problems. For example, the overall poverty rate declined from 15.0 percent to 14.5 percent – its first decline since 2006. However, that decline was almost certainly due to population growth since the actual number of Americans living in poverty – 45.3 million – remains at a record level. The report also charted a welcome decline in the child poverty rate. But children still make up a third of those Americans living at or below the poverty line. Further, the report found that more Americans shifted
from part-time to full-time work – but wages barely kept pace with inflation, so that didn’t produce any significant broad-scale gains in income. Median household income last year was $51,940 – not statistically different from 2012. That last finding offers a clue to this report’s major takeaway, which was also highlighted by a Federal Reserve Board study of early September: income and wealth inequality is continuing to increase. Which means that racial income and wealth inequality is continuing to increase. Of course, the lack of overall progress in so many of the report’s measures is bad news for Black Americans, for the old truism still applies: If White America has a cold – as it does in part because of because of the slow pace of the recovery – Black America has pneumonia. That’s what the data in the Census Bureau report and a report the Federal Reserve Board released earlier this month show. For example, while the overall poverty rate is 14.5 percent, and 9.6 percent for whites, 10.5 percent for Asian Americans, and 23.5 percent for Hispanic Americans, blacks’ poverty rate is 27.2 percent. While the overall median household income was $51,939, the comparable figure for blacks was $34,598. That that’s the way it is today (and the way it’s always been) is embodied in one statistic: the black unemployment rate, now at 11.4 percent, more than twice the 5.3percent rate for Whites. Many today still sing the same tawdry refrain that blacks’ disproportionate unemployment rate is a product of poor blacks’ unwillingness to “start at the bottom” and take available
low-wage jobs. They forget, or ignore, the extraordinary development that occurred in 1999, at the end of the 1990s’ nearly decadelong economic boom, when the black unemployment rate fell to a record low of 7.6 percent. It did so, as a national study of more than 300 metropolitan areas found, because young poor and poorly-educated black males, flocked to take the bottom-rung, low-wage jobs that the long period of prosperity had finally opened up to them. The study found that this group, historically the most maligned demographic group in American society, was working in greater numbers and earning bigger paychecks than ever before, and it also found that the crime rates in those areas had decreased. That proved – again – that this cohort of black Americans needed no tendentious lectures about the value of work. When jobs became available to them, they took them. I’ve no doubt that same sort of determination exists today among all strata of black Americans. One clue lies in the insight of Valerie Wilson, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, that some percentage of the black unemployment rate stems from what she calls “the resilience factor.” In other words, because only the jobless who continue to look for work are counted as unemployed, the fact that “relative to whites, a higher share of jobless blacks have continued to seek work …(means that) the resilience of African American labor force participation is actually contributing to the growing blackwhite unemployment rate gap.”
(To download the 54-page report, visit http://ecoamerica.org/research/#ACVRE.)
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BUSINESS MONEY MATTERS
Teach your children well In a recent survey of Generation Z (ages 13 to 22), 39 percent of teens and young adults said they expect to receive an inheritance and therefore don’t need to worry about saving for retirement! However, only 16 percent of Gen Z parents expect to provide an inheritance — and there’s no guarantee that an inheritance would be sufficient to replace retirement savings. This disconnect between expectation and reality highlights the need for financial literacy among young people. Teaching children about finances not only may help them handle their own financial matters but could encourage academic engage-
ment and pursuit of higher education. H e r e are some steps to help dev e l o p your children’s financial knowledge.
Charles Sims Jr., CFP
Advocate saving. Sixtythree percent of kids 18 and under have a savings account, and almost three out of four accounts were opened before the kids were three. Encour-
age your children to set aside a portion of money they receive from an allowance, gift, or job. Talk about goals that require a financial commitment, such as a car, college, and travel. As an added incentive, consider matching the funds they save for worthy purposes. Show them the numbers. Use an online calculator to demonstrate the concept of long-term investing and the power of compound interest. Your children may be amazed to see how fast invested funds can accumulate. Let them practice. About half of parents give their children a regular allowance. Let older teens become responsible for more of their own costs
(such as clothing, activities, and car expenses). Running out of funds could require them to think about their spending choices and consider a budget. Discuss the basics. By the time students graduate from high school, they should at least understand these basic concepts: budgeting, saving, insurance, credit, the cost of debt, and investing. Of course, some lessons can be learned earlier. Have fun. Check out online games, quizzes, and mobile apps that teach financial principles. Some schools offer “real life” classroom exercises such as business and stock market simulations. If an older child has a job with earnings, you could open
Five things you should know about getting approved for a business loan by Cary P. Yates Special to The New Tri-State Defender from the NNPA
Myths and misconceptions about the reason banks decline loans and the rate at which this happens are as common today as ever. As a banker, it’s my goal to bring clarity to the process, and explain what it takes for a business to get a loan and why a loan application may be declined. Let me share a few credit basics small business owners should know before applying for a loan that may make the loan review process easier to understand. For a banker, evaluating a credit application means reviewing the five C’s of credit: credit history, collateral, capital, conditions and capacity. You may have heard of these five general areas that help determine whether a business loan will be approved. Yet here are five things you may not know about the five C’s: Did you know both business and personal credit history are important when pursuing business credit, particularly smaller loans? Looking at credit history helps us answer the question: How has the borrower handled credit obligations? Both business and personal credit are relevant. On the personal side, a lender will look at the business owner’s history of credit management including FICO score and details of their credit record. A lender also will want to know whether the business applying for credit has paid suppliers and other business obligations in a timely manner, including those to other financial institutions. That’s why a deep tenured business and personal credit and deposit relationship with a bank can make a difference. When you pursue a loan at a bank that knows you, a banker can see your current balances relative to 12-month averages and annual sales – and can better determine whether your business has strong enough cash flow for new credit. And a banker can see if a business avoids overdrafts. It helps tell the lender whether the business is credit-ready. Did you know that when it comes to “capital,” a banker wants to see that an owner has a significant investment of personal capital in a business? When a lender sees the owner invest money in the business, it shows that the business owner is committed to succeeding. What’s more, a business owner with assets that can be converted into cash in case of a sudden downturn in revenue will be better able to operate his or her business and repay debt. A lender wants to see that the assets of the business sufficiently exceed its liabilities, and to understand how quickly and easily those assets can be turned into cash. Did you know that “conditions” are both internal and external factors that affect the ability of a business to repay a loan, as well as the intended use of the loan? For example, on the external side, conditions can be economic factors, such as the strength of the housing market for businesses that are tied closely to this important sector. In today’s improving economy, conditions in many industry segments are getting better, giving banks confidence in lending to those segments. On the internal side, conditions include the borrower’s business experience and knowledge. A lender will ask: Is the owner someone who has extensive experience in the industry or relatively new? In some cases, business ref-
erences and education are personal factors that can affect conditions. Both internal and external conditions can be important indicators of a business’ ability to survive and thrive, and therefore its ability to repay its credit obligations. Did you know that “collateral,” when it’s required, is a secondary source of repayment to a lender in case of default? Collateral can include personal assets – like investments and CDs – and business assets – such as real estate, inventory, equipment and accounts receivable. Collateral doesn’t replace good payment history or showing your ability to handle the proposed debt level. Nobody wins when a bank turns to the final option for repayment of liquidating collateral. In fact, it often results in a loss to the financial institution – it’s absolutely the last thing a bank wants to do. A healthy business that’s using credit the right way is a win for the business, for the bank and for the community. Did you know that a lender looks at cash flow and debt to determine whether a business has the “capacity” to handle new credit? Before extending a loan, a banker wants to make sure a business has the ability to repay a loan given its other pre-existing loan or payment obligations. Typically lenders look for a business seeking credit to have a debt-to-income ratio of no more than 40 to 50 percent, depending on its credit score. Profitability and cash flow are essential components of capacity. A business must have enough positive cash flow to meet both short-term and long-term commitments. A lender will carefully consider the cash flow of a business to gauge the probability of repayment. Again, a long-term relationship with a bank can help, since the banker knows the customer, and is able to see deposit inflows to have a good idea of business income and sales. When you understand the five C’s of credit, you have pretty good idea what it takes to get a business loan. Small business approval rates are increasing, and the reason should come as no surprise. Healthier businesses, better balance sheets, and stronger revenues mean more businesses today qualify for credit. Now, it’s up to all of us in banking to keep spreading the word about how more small businesses can get credit-ready before pursuing a loan. To help more small businesses achieve financial success, Wells Fargo recently introduced Wells Fargo Works for Small BusinessSM – a broad initiative to deliver resources, guidance and services for business owners. For more information, visit: WellsFargoWorks.com.
a Roth IRA in the child’s name to help him or her save for retirement or college. A child can contribute up to $5,500 of earned income to a Roth IRA in 2013. Roth IRA assets accumulate tax deferred, and contributions can be withdrawn tax-free and penalty-free at any time for any reason. Roth IRA earnings may be withdrawn without federal income tax liability or penalties if used to pay qualified highereducation expenses, as well as for certain other purposes. In most cases, however, Roth IRA distributions must meet the five-year holding requirement and take place after age 59½ to qualify for a tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal
of earnings. Finances may seem complicated, but a little education could go a long way. Do yourself and your children a favor by helping them develop financial awareness. The information in this article is not intended as tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek tax or legal advice from an independent professional advisor. The content is derived from sources believed to be accurate. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security.
City of Memphis launches Green Communities Program The City of Memphis proposes to implement a green communities program that will provide funding for improvements to privately owned facilities. The Memphis Green Communities Program (MGCP) will provide grant or loan funds to commercial property owners for energy conservation retrofits. The program is intended to contribute to an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Memphis and reduce operating expenses for local businesses. The selection process will emphasize projects that maximize energy related improvements that provide the most benefits to the communities within which they exist. Applicant projects will be assessed based on their ability to meet one or more of the categories of energy and environmental benefit established for the Memphis Green Communities Program: Energy Conservation and Generation, Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction, Green Building, Water Conservation, and District Energy. The program is managed by the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability in partnership with the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development. Eligibility requirements: Application must be submitted and signed by the property owner. Property must be used for commercial purposes or consist of multi-family residences or be non-governmental hospitals or schools (“Eligible Participants”). Property must be located entirely within the City of Memphis. Projects must have a total project cost of $50,000 or more. Projects not eligible: Energy audits (but may be used as match). Any project that has already commenced (i.e. began work, broke ground, etc.) The applications deadline is Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. After the deadline, applications may be accepted and considered on an on-going basis as funds remain available. Submit applications to: Office of Sustainability, 125 North Main Street, Room 468, Memphis, TN 38103, ATTN: Memphis Green Communities Program. For more information, contact John Zeanah, Administrator of Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability at 901-5767167 or email john.zeanah@memphistn.gov. Visit http://www.sustainableshelby.com/content/memphis-green-communities-program.
Desoto County area job fair Oct. 7 at Landers Center (SOUTHAVEN, Miss.) – The Governor’s Job Fair Network and DeSoto County WIN Job Center will host the Mid-South Area Job Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the DeSoto County Landers Center, 4560 Venture Drive, in Southaven, Miss. The job fair will be open for military veterans, servicemen and spouses from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the general public starting at 9:30 a.m. Representatives from nearly 70 companies, educational organizations, training providers and companies offering entrepreneurial opportunities will be on hand to connect with people looking for jobs. Businesses with positions to fill will accept resumes and conduct on-site interviews; educational and training institutions will provide information on their services; and entrepreneurial organizations will provide information about their opportunities. Last year over 2,200 applicants attended the Mid-South Area Job Fair and more than 400 job offers were made the day of the event. For further information, visit the website: www.JOBFairs.ms.gov.
Tri-State Defender
Page 9
September 25 - October 1, 2014
RELIGION RELIGION BRIEFS
New children’s book tells story of Jesus through eyes of sister
Randolph Meade Walker Scholarship Day observed Castalia Baptist Church, 1540 Castalia Rd., will observe Randolph Meade Walker Scholarship Day Sunday, Sept. 28, at 11 am. The speaker will be attorney Reagan Taylor. The scholarship was established 15 years ago to provide financial support to post-secondary students who are members of Castalia Baptist Church. Carolyn Turman is chairperson. The Rev. Randolph Meade Walker, Ph.D. is host pastor.
Welcome... The Rev. Peris J. Lester I, pastor of Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church, 538 Sr. M.L. King Jr. Ave., welcomed “The College of Bishops” to Memphis for the Third Annual CME Unity Summit Tuesday (Sept. 23) at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
Memorial Temple honors its pastor for 26 years The Rev. Eugene Anderson will be honored with a day of appreciation at Brooks Memorial Temple Church of God in Christ, 11840 Highway 194 S., in Oakland, Tenn. Anderson has served as pastor for 26 years. Superintendent James A. Norman, pastor of St. James Church of God in Christ in Grand Junction, Tenn. will be the guest speaker. The public is invited to take part in this celebration. True Worship Conference for pastor and preachers The New Olivet Baptist Church, “the preeminent church for the teaching of true worship,” will present a free True Worship Conference for Pastors and Preachers on Saturday, Sept. 27. The Rev. Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr., Master of Divinity, will define and illustrate true worship. The reason for the conference, Dr. Whalum says, is “If what Jesus says about worship is true, the ‘Church’ should be having a much more sanctifying and consecratory effect on our world.” The conference is geared toward pastors and preachers – everyone, including the media. The doors will open at 9 a.m., followed by the conference from 10 to noon. Afterward, there will be free lunch and tours of The New Olivet Baptist Church and Arrow Academy of Excellence. Participants can register at www.olivetbc.com.
‘Changing the World...’ Bishop Henry M. Williamson Sr., the presiding prelate of the First Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, served as the host bishop of the Third Annual CME Unity Summit Tuesday (Sept. 23) at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The theme was “The Investment Factor: A Changed People, Changing the World.”
Happy birthday... Phyllis Cook Jackson (center), wearing a jeweled tiara and a pearl necklace, celebrated her 50th birthday Sept. 17 with wellwishers Teka Hampton (left) and Meah King. The theme was “White and Bling.”
The Church Health Center hosts community events The Church Health Center will present its Fall Culinary Series from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each Thursday from Oct. 2 through Nov. 6 at 1115 Union. This fall’s series will feature cooking demonstrations and wine tastings with Chef Jennifer McCullough, Chef Brown Burch, Chef Melissa Petersen, Chef Gary Williams, Chef Felicia Suzanne Willett, and Chef Mac Edwards. Each class costs $45. Seats are limited so please call 901-701-2236 to register.
‘Mustard Seed’ follows Jesus’ sister, aims to glorify God, inspire readers LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Author Anna Maria Salomé taught in some of the poorest countries in Africa during her time in the Peace Corps, which had a profound effect on her understanding of compassion to those in need. Today, one of Salomé’s daughters, taking after her mother, works for an international Christian organization, which focuses on helping the disabled. Salomé was so moved by her own experiences in Africa and by the accounts of her daughter that she decided it was time to share her deeply-held convictions through the writing of a book. Salomé invites young readers to enjoy her new children’s book, “Mustard Seed: A Story of Jesus' Little Sister” (published by WestBow Press), which tells the touching story of a member of Jesus’ family and of her own struggles in life. Based creatively on verses and events from the New Testament, this is the story of Jesus as told from the point of view of his youngest sister, nicknamed Mustard Seed due to her small size. It is a tale of faith in which Jesus' sister, who is crippled, must overcome the challenges of her disability, such as the taunts of other children. Jesus reassures Mustard Seed that despite the condition of her legs, she can still give glory to God. Salomé hopes that her story will instill in readers a sense that God gives everyone a purpose, a real mission, as well as the strength to face circumstances in life with trust and courage, and that anyone can glorify God. “Mustard Seed” By Anna Maria Salomé Softcover | 8.5 x 11 in | 24 pages | ISBN 9781490835372 E-Book | 24 pages | ISBN 9781490835389 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author Anna Maria Salomé has been a teacher in many countries around the world. She has a strong sense of mission to help provide for the needs of destitute and disabled children and their families in the name of Christ. She lives in Southern California and is the proud mother of three wonderful daughters.
PRAISE CONNECT -A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHESMETROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH Dr. Reginald L. Porter Sr., Pastor 767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126
901-946-4095 fax 948-8311
ASSOCIATE MINISTERS 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
“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22
Attend the Church of your choice
ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, September 25 - October 1, 2014, Page 10
CONCERT REVIEW
‘Sarah Vaughan’ comes to Hattiloo Jamille ‘Jam’ Hunter and Mood Swing Plus engineer ‘trip’ to a 1940’s Harlem nightclub Dorchelle T. Spence
Debut novel ‘No Less Worthy’ is perfectly titled by Tony Jones Special to The New Tri-State Defender
All of what lies ahead for newly self-published Memphis author Dorchelle T. Spence is of course unpredictable, but a building block for success is the clarity of the gripping opening scene in her debut novel “No Less Worthy” (UrbanEdge Publishing, 2014). To be introduced to the market with a downtown book party this week, it is available for sale at $12.95 at urbanedgepublishing.com. Spence hopes the book becomes an inspirational series aimed at the coming-of-age young adult market. Readers will encounter grimy, immersing and totally believable opening paragraphs that set the groove for the engaging story that follows. Imagine a teenage girl being drugged by a predator between idling diesels at a truck stop and then settle in for the narrative that unfolds. There’s nothing adolescent in the central character Kathy’s frightening introduction and the danger this reader felt rang spot-on true. The book’s cover depicts a lonely, monstrous-looking road to nowhere, which is what Spence hopes “No Less Worthy” will lead intended readers to avoid. A communications professional, Spence is a vice president for the Riverfront Development Corporation and formerly an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis. She survived the edge that her story teeters upon, and therein lies the value of her prose. “I grew up in south Memphis,” she explains, “and that’s where the kernel for the character Kathy is born, but it’s not my story. My own experiences served to help me remain true to the dangers she faced but I didn’t go through the same things, thankfully.” A revealing explanation comes through when she is asked to pinpoint which part of south Memphis she comes from. “I went to 13 different schools in my 12 years before graduating, so I’m definitely a product of inner city Memphis. I stay connected through my family and through my church affiliation and that’s very important to me,” said Spence. “ I’m of mixed race but I never knew who my father was. I identify myself as a black woman, and I find strength in that. So when I go to south Memphis I’m just as comfortable there as when I’m in a boardroom of a corporation. People connect south Memphis with an image of being uneducated, overexuberant black youth and they are not synonymous. Everybody that’s in south Memphis, and for that matter north Memphis, are not uneducated and have a lot more to offer than what we see on television news.” Her real drive is to create a book series that will show people pushing through obstacles. “God gave me a story in my own personal life and in this book. Things are going to happen to us in our lives based on our demographic and where we live and the situation into which we are born, but none of these things ultimately testify to what we will become. There is a kernel within us that will help us overcome everything we’re going through.” For her, anchor was found in the village. “All kinds of people were placed in my life to show me various ways around, through and out of my circumstance, especially my godparents. I intend for the books I hope to write to help others find a way out. I’m a strong advocate and supporter of Girls, Incorporated because the lives of young girls today are very precarious. We have to show them ways to express themselves in positive ways.” And that brings us to another layer that gives Spence’s writing its sincere tone. “I’m not sure why, but writing about the happy parts were more difficult for me. I really wanted to capture the struggle of the human spirit, and I approached it in a serious way with the hope of doing it justice,” she said. “There are a lot of embracing characters in the book I hope people are going to love: Aunt Grace, the main character’s rescuer, and then there’s Johnny Ray, whom everybody will love to hate. I just hope the story does what it is supposed to do – capture the truth and inspire the reader to finish the story.”
by Nona N. Allen Special to The New Tri-State Defender
The Hattiloo Theatre in Overton Square provided the perfect backdrop for an “almost fall” evening of art and jazz last Friday (Sept. 19th). The atmosphere was eclectic and simply elegant. The VIP guests sipped chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon and dined on smoked salmon, spiced shrimp, and pasta salad. The lobby was transformed into a gallery of art provided by local artists 1225 Cristalynne (Dupree), Frankd Robinson, Sir Walt, Malika Collins, Peggy Van Buren and Danny Broadway. Then came the announcement that the magic was about to begin. With the first tone of her magical voice, I closed my eyes and was immediately transported from the Hattiloo Theatre to a New York speakeasy. Jamille “Jam” Hunter and her band of talented local musicians, Mood Swing Plus, took us back to a 1940’s Harlem nightclub. Jam embodied the spirit of the sassy Sarah Vaughan in more ways than one. Vaughan played piano. Likewise, Hunter plays piano, but she also plays saxophone and bass. Vaughn and Hunter were both deeply influenced by
their parents and both traveled and worked all over the United States. Jamille “Jam” Hunter is (in this writer’s opinion) a modern day version of Sarah Vaughan. Her voice is like an instrument played by a masterful musician. Demonstrated while singing Vaughan classics such as “Send in the Clowns” and “I Got Rhythm” and lesser known pieces such as “Round Midnight” and “Autumn Leaves,” Jam proved her love for and abilities in traditional jazz music. Her ability to “scat” through song place her among those that we remember as the “greats” in jazz. In October, Looking around at the Jamille “Jam” delighted faces of the audiHunter will reence, it was clear to see lease the live that they were equally enrecording of her thralled with the singer and tribute to Sarah the magic of the music – Vaughan, along the magic of the moment. with two original And when the final note singles. sounded, there was a breath of a pregnant pause as if we were expecting just a little bit more. Then the artist took her bow to a thunderous eruption of applause and celebration. Job well done, Jam. I felt like I had just met Sarah Vaughan. This was Hunter’s second Sarah Vaughan tribute concert, and she will release the live recording of this project, along with two original singles in October. (For more information on this fantastic Memphis artist, visit her website www.iamjammusic.com and sign up for her email list.)
Jamille “Jam” Hunter and her band of talented local musicians, Mood Swing Plus, gave the Hattiloo Theatre the feel of a 1940’s Harlem nightclub. (Photos: Christopher Hope)
Memphian transforms Mondays from mundane to ‘Melodic’ by Anthony M.J. Maranise Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Monday is a word that few love to hear. It signals the beginning of another week of work or studies; more “we-time” and less “me-time;” more stress and more mess… for most of us. HowShana Jay ever, a local Memphis poet, author, and musician is seeking (and successfully so) to transform our usual outlook on Mondays into anything but bleak. Her name is Shana Jay. Drawing upon her inner-creativity, Shana began writing at the age of seven. She discovered great comfort and joy in the process after she began to keep a journal of her emotionalthoughts following her mother’s divorce. Later in life, at age 27, she wrote “Lemon Drop Martini,” a poem that chronicled her interior-struggles as she faced a divorce of her own. At the urging of many of her friends, she kept on writing and eventually produced enough poems to compile her
Shana Jay is the host of “Melodic Mondays” at the Silver Spoon Lounge & Restaurant off of Mt. Moriah Extended. (Courtesy photos) first book, “A Piece of My Heart” (2011), out of which two more volumes would follow. Shana’s poetic now works include: “A Piece of My Heart, Volume II: The Unedited Truth” (2012), “A Piece of My Heart, Volume III: Love Out Loud” (2013), and her most re-
cent release, “All That I Am” (2013). After finding much inspiration through the events and happenings of life itself, and having the desire to take a brief respite from writing so intensely, Shana sought to reach-out to others who share her love of all that is creative.
“God chose me to share my gifts with others, but it’s not all about me,” she says. “My real gift is the ability to share. I want to give others an opportunity to share their gifts.” Over one year ago at the 300 South Main Gallery in Downtown Memphis, Shana began to assemble a synergistic collection of local persons with various musical, poetic and artistic abilities to participate in a showcase of talents she calls “Melodic Mondays.” “The first crowd was rather thin for the first three months, but when we moved locations to Silver Spoon, the crowd took off,” Shana said of the initial launch. On August 25th, she hosted and celebrated the one-year anniversary of “Melodic Mondays” at the Silver Spoon Lounge & Restaurant off of Mt. Moriah Extended in front of a near-capacity crowd of well over 150 people. I was fortunate enough to be in-attendance at this event, and was absolutely taken aback by the positive energy, melding together of cultures, relaxing, yet rejuvenating environment, and the excitement and appreciation for the artistic talents and abilities of so many fellow Memphians. Toward the end of an evening filled with live musical performances, poetic readings, and even
various artistic displays, I was able to meet the woman who started it all, Miss Shana Jay, whose story moved me to write this review. She, along with her gifts and talents for writing, event promotion, and creative arts as well as the local talents she features, are reasons to celebrate the good that remains in Memphis, despite the negative publicity often attributed to it. Shana said, “For me, being able to share such creativity with others is my ministry in this world. God is showing me that salvation – bringing people together – cannot only be found inside the walls of the church, but in others as well.” Melodic Mondays are featured each and every month (usually on the 4th Monday) at Memphis’ own “Silver Spoon Lounge & Restaurant.” To purchase Shana’s books, if you are interested in becoming a “Melodic Mondays” sponsor, or simply wish to attend and find out more information, visit her website: www.shanajay.com. (Anthony Maranise, OblSB is a freelance writer and lifestyle coach who specializes in the intersections between sport, spirituality, and religion & cultural and racial cohesion. He is with the Master’s Program in Catholic Studies at Christian Brothers University.)
Tri-State Defender
Page 11
September 25 - October 1, 2014
ENTERTAINMENT E-BRIEFS
OPENING THIS WEEK
Raku artist and more set for Potters Guild Show & Sale
Kam’s Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
Denzel Washington stars in the title role of this screen version of the ‘80s TV series “The Equalizer”
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
For movies opening Sept. 26, 2014 BIG BUDGET FILMS “The Boxtrolls” (PG for action, peril and mild crude humor) Animated fantasy revolving around an orphan (Isaac HempsteadWright) raised in a cave by trash-collecting trolls targeted by an evil exterminator (Ben Kingsley). Voice cast includes Elle Fanning, Tracy Morgan, Toni Collette, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. “The Equalizer” (R for graphic violence, sexual references and pervasive profanity) Denzel Washington stars in the title role of this screen version of the Eighties TV series about a retired spy-turned-hardware store clerk who reluctantly starts moonlighting as crime fighting vigilante on the streets of Boston. With Chloe Grace Moretz, Martin Csokas, Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo. “Pride” (R for profanity and brief sexuality) Historical drama recounting real events unfolding in the United Kingdom during the summer of 1984 when a group of gay activists rallied to the side of striking coal miners. Ensemble cast includes Bill Night, Imelda Staunton, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott and Dominic West. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS “Advance Style” (Unrated) Aging gracefully is the focus of this documentary chronicling the fashion sense of some Manhattan socialites over 60 who are challenging the conventional cultural assumption equating beauty and youth. “Believe Me” (PG-13 for profanity) Buddy comedy about a broke college senior (Alex Russell) who enlists the assistance of a few classmates to raise his tuition by forming a fake charity designed to fleece gullible Christians. Cast includes Nick Offerman, Christopher McDonald, Zachary Knighton, Miles Fisher, Sinqua Walls and Johanna Braddy. “Days and Nights” (Unrated) Dysfunctional family drama, loosely based on Chekhov’s play “The Seagull,” revolving around the havoc wreaked by reckless desire indulged over a holiday weekend at a retreat in rural New England. Ensemble cast includes Katie Holmes, Allison Janney, William Hurt, Jean Reno and Ben Whishaw. “Good People” (R for profanity and graphic violence) Crime thriller about an American couple (Kate Hudson and James Franco), living in London, who end up on the run from mobsters after finding a fortune in cash hidden
in their dead tenant’s apartment. With Omar Sy, Tom Wilkinson and Anna Friel. “Jimi: All Is by My Side” (R for profanity, sexual references and drug use) Oscar-winning scriptwriter John Ridley (for 12 Years a Slave) wrote and directed this rocktrospective chronicling Jimi Hendrix’s (Andre 3000) life in London prior to the release of his debut album. Featuring Imogen Poots, Hayley Atwell and Ruth Negga. “Lilting” (Unrated) Romance drama, set in London, where a Chinese-Cambodian mom (Pei-pei Cheng) mourns the untimely death of her son (Andrew Leung) with the help of the gay lover (Ben Whishaw) she never knew he had. With Peter Bowles, Naomi Christie and Shane Salter.
whose identity they stole. “Smiling through the Apocalypse” (Unrated) Reverential biopic about Harold Hayes (1926-1989) editor-in-chief of Esquire Magazine at the height of its heyday in the Sixties. Featuring commentary by staff writers Gore Vidal, Tom Wolfe, Nora Ephron and Gay Talese.
Lester Jones, an arts educator in the Shelby County School system, is an artist working in raku – “a process by which pottery is fired at a relatively low temperature and then moved while hot to a closed container with combustible materials that ignite and cause a reaction creating colors and patterns in the pottery’s surface.” Jones, whose work has been collected by the Tennessee State Museum and many others, is also a member of The Memphis Potters’ Guild, an association of artists from Memphis and across the South who work in clay. His work will be on display during The Memphis Potters’ Guild Annual Holiday Show & Sale set for Nov. 21st-Nov. 23rd. The show will take place at the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Goldsmith Civic Center, 750 Cherry Road in Audubon Park. It will feature the work of the best ceramic Artists in the MidSouth: locally made tableware, hand-thrown pottery and hand-modeled sculpture, in addition to jewelry and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Jones and artists working in porcelain, stoneware, earthenware, raku and other ceramic techniques. Show times are: Nov. 21, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Nov. 22, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Nov. 23, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information: Call the Memphis Botanic Garden at 901-576-4100 or 901-4939627. Or, visit www.thememphispottersguild.com.
“The Song” (PG-13 for mature themes including substance abuse, crude references and smoking) Musical drama examining the toll exacted upon an aspiring singer’s (Alan Powell) marriage after a tune he wrote for his wife (Ali Faulkner) turns him into a superstar. Featuring Danny Vinson, Aaron Benward Jude Ramsey.
“The Little Bedroom” (Unrated) Unlikely buddies drama about an elderly widower (Michel Bouquet) who finds himself befriended by the grieving young nurse (Florence Loiret Caille) assigned to care for him after a bad fall. Cast includes Joel Delsaut, Valerie Bodson and Eric Caravaca. (In English and French with subtitles)
“The Two Faces of January” (PG-13 for and smoking) Adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith best seller of the same name, set in Athens in 1962, about a couple of American sightseers (Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst) who, against their better judgment, help their tour guide (Oscar Isaac) cover up a murder. With Daisy Bevan, David Warshofsky and Ozan Tas. (In English, Turkish and Greek with subtitles)
“Plastic” (R for sexuality, nudity, drug use, graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Fact-based tale about a couple of British hackers (Ed Speleers and Will Poulter) whose multimillion-dollar, credit card scheme lands them in the crosshairs of a sadistic gangster (Thomas Kretschmann)
“Two-Night Stand” (R for sexuality, profanity and drug use) Romantic comedy about two strangers (Miles Teller and Analeigh Tipton) forced by a snowstorm to share another night between the sheets after a disastrous one-night stand. Featuring Victor Cruz, Berto Colon and Jessica Szohr.
Lester Jones: “I create non-functional raku fired ceramic art. My sculptural work of men, women, and children is noted for capturing the human spirit of ordinary people.” (Facebook)
Page 12
September 25 - October 1, 2014
Tri-State Defender
NEWS THAT JUST MIGHT WORK
My 10-point plan for ‘right now’ Two years ago, I had one in a series of engaging and ongoing conversations with the TSD’s Executive Editor Karanja A. Ajanaku about creating fundamental and sustainable change in the quality of life in Memphis, particularly for African-American people. At the time, I shared with him that I would eventually help 100,000 felons get their voting rights back. I projected personally paying a legal firm to handle each of the 100,000 cases. I envisioned a free YouTube documentary video showing how I (SixFour) – a second-chancer – got my voting rights back. And I openly talked of the collective power that could result. Recently, I recalled that conversation after Dr. Ajanaku asked me to consider writing an explanatory piece about “Fam Mob,” a term police said rampaging youth shouted during an out-of-control episode that resulted in the beating of several people on the Kroger parking lot of the Poplar Plaza Shopping Center in East Memphis. I responded via text with an intense, soapbox-energy replete with indictments. “Young black kids from our high schools have over 50 different gang names, aka gangs you can join. ‘Fam Mob’ is just another one,” I wrote. “The main story is why haven’t the citizens of Memphis called a meeting to ask for the resignation of the mayor, district attorney and chief of police. They cannot stop crime. Those kids could’ve been yelling ‘ice cream’ …doesn’t matter…it’s crime.” Continuing, I tacked on this: “The people of this City do not fear the Law or the consequences of their actions because the Laws are not severe, the Mayor is a lawyer and not a Mayor, the D.A. doesn’t realize she needs counseling from former criminals to curve crime and the Chief of Police does not have the respect of his Officers, thus crime is out of hand...from children up to adults.” Not done, I added, “ALSO, whoever runs Juvenile Court released 8 of the 11 perpetrators of the Kroger beating in less than 9 days. Unacceptable. Under proper leadership all of those kids arrested should have automatically been held for at least 30 days and parents dealt with in every manner under the law...Off my soapbox.”
Kelvin “SixFour” Cowans Dr. Ajanaku took me in and responded this way: “OK...read once and will chew...wondering what 10 things you would do and in what order you would do them upon accepting the premise that you are ‘the man in charge’... and especially if all of the things had to be expressed in affirmative terms.” With that invitation, I recounted our conversation from 2012 and laid out my 10-point plan for “right now.” Here it is: • Set aside jobs, aka city jobs of grass cutting of City property for felons and only felons…no one else; former felons and recently released. Crime goes down because people we know who would definitely have
committed a crime, if pushed, now have jobs. • The City should build its own LibertyLand (amusement park) and thus control all money generated from it. And there would be plenty of money as this city is overpopulated with kids who have nothing to do. • Create parenting classes...not as a punishment but as a criteria to do anything child related. • Speeding is not a problem in Memphis; an issue, but not a problem. MAKE those officers be on foot at least two hours per shift, walking neighborhoods or malls or Krogers! It would create conversation…conversation is good in at least 500 countries. • Delete ALL Public Service
Shows…they are irrelevant. • Create an expensive movie theater (owned by the City) for only ages 30 and up. Grown people love movies and love to watch them in peace. We would pay $15 per movie and $10 dollars for popcorn, if we knew there would be peace in the theater. • Open at least one more creative art school...These kids are thinkers, not necessarily desk students. • Stop putting council and school board meetings on TV... (They) send a visual that you all do not get along (so) why should the people. • Allow Channel 17 to show the trials of murders, robbery and rape and sentencing. This would curve crime. • Any and all candidates or incum-
bent for any position must debate three times for any position on three different stages – youth, adult and media. “I stand by my words 100 percent,” I wrote. “You’re welcome to call this column, if you choose to print it, ‘That Just Might Work!’” (Kelvin (SixFour) Cowans is a freelance columnist whose contributions to The New Tri-State Defender include Fresh Fruit, a periodic look at upcoming and rising talent from Memphis and the surrounding areas, and Good Blue & You, a column that spotlights law enforcement officers who do it right. He can be reached at kelvincowans@hotmail.com.)
CLASSIFIEDS Legal Notices ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Separate sealed BIDS will be received by the City of Germantown at the office of the Procurement Director at 1930 South Germantown Road, Germantown, Tennessee until 2:00 p.m., Local Time, on the 15th day of October, 2014, and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud for the construction of: Project The Project is briefly described as follows: Railroad Crossing Improvements – West Street at Poplar Pike and North Street Copies of the CONTRACT DOCUMENTS and plans and specifications may be examined and obtained at the following location(s): City of Germantown - Owner Procurement Director 1930 South Germantown Road Germantown, TN 38138 Examined Only at: Builder’s Exchange 642 S. Cooper Street Memphis, Tennessee 38104 Graw Hill Construction Dodge Plan Room 1604 Elm Hill Pike Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37224 A non-refundable fee of $25.00 plus 9.75% sales tax must be paid per CD or DVD set of said documents, plans and specifications. Each BID must be submitted on forms provided in the BID PACKET DOCUMENTS provided and either accompanied by a BID BOND, properly executed on the form provided, or a Certified check or Cashier’s check drawn on a National or Tennessee Bank in the amount of five percent (5%) of the TOTAL BID PRICE and payable to the City of Germantown. The City hereby notifies all bidders that no Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal has been set on this contract. However, the use of DBE or minority and women owned firms is encouraged. The City hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids responses to this invitation, and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age, race, color, religion, national origin, sex or disability in consideration for an award. The City is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with polices of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national ethnic origin, age, disability or military service. A Prime Contractor must prequalify with the Department of Transportation in accordance with Section 54-5-117 of the “Tennessee Code Annotated” and Tennessee
TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS 203 Beale Street, Suite 200 Memphis, TN 38103 PH (901) 523-1818 FAX (901) 578-5037 HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm DEADLINES: Display ads Monday 5 p.m. Classified ads Monday 5 p.m. RATES: Standard rates: $9.50 per line for 1 column ad. Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation. For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tri-
statedefender.com BEER PERMITS Flat Rate $30 GENERAL INFORMATION: Some categories require prepayment. All ads subject to credit approval. Tri-State Defender reserves the right to correctly classify and edit all copy, or to reject or cancel any ad at any time. Only standard abbreviations accepted. Copy change during ordered schedule constitutes new ad & new charges. Deadlines for cancellation are identical to placement deadlines. Rates subject to change. ADJUSTMENTS: PLEASE check your ad the first day it appears. Call 901-523-1818 if an error occurs. We can only offer in-house credit and NO REFUNDS are issued. TRI-STATE DEFENDER assumes no financial responsibility for errors nor for copy omission. Direct any classified billing iinquiries to 901-523-1818.
President/Chief Executive Officer - United Way of the Mid-South (UWMS) UWMS seeks a proven, successful, and credible leader to serve as its President/Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 1923, UWMS has been a highly valued leader in improving the quality of life for Mid-Southerners. Qualifications required to lead the organization into the future include significant experience as Chief Executive or senior executive, preferably in an organization with an emphasis on revenue generation and a commitment to operational excellence and results. A Bachelor’s degree is also required and postgraduate studies are desired. Competitive salary and excellent benefits. A complete job description/candidate profile can be found on our website at www.uwmidsouth.org. Send resume and cover letter to match criteria to: Executive Search Committee P.O. Box 750730 Memphis, TN 38175-0730 United Way of the Mid-South is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Department of Transportation Rule 16805-3 prequalification of contractors before bid-able proposals will be furnished:
or all BIDS submitted. Procurement Director City of Germantown, Tennessee
The successful BIDDER shall be prohibited from discriminating against any individual due to the individual’s race, creed, color, national origin, age, or sex.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Complete CD and DVD’s bid packages are available from the Purchasing Division, 1930 S. Germantown Rd., Germantown, TN 38138, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or by e-mail request at procurement@germantown-tn.gov. The following information must be included in the request for a copy of any bid: Tennessee Department of Transportation Prequalification Information, Contact Name, Company Name and Address, Telephone and Fax Number, Bid Number, and Bid Date.
In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce. County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids. There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register:
THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED. The City may waive any informalities or irregularities. The BIDS and contract documents are subject to review and approval from Tennessee Department of Transportation. The Board of Mayor and Alderman of the City is the final authority and shall have the right to reject any single BID
• Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to “Vendors” block at top • Click “Register Now” box • Click on “Mercury Commerce Vendor Registration” line • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If you have any questions about the regis-
tration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 969-7246. If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid. SEALED BID DUE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014 AT 2:30 PM NEW & UNUSED 2015 KNUCKLE BOOM TRUCKS (SB-I000280) (MC# 465) By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL JR., MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT
NOTICE TO CONSULTANT ENGINEERS REGARDING A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS The Town of Collierville, Tennessee, an Equal Opportunity Employer, seeks to retain the services of professional consulting engineering firms to provide various engineering services related to the repaving of roads at various locations throughout Collierville. This project is funded through STP under the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Locally Managed Program. The project shall adhere to all applicable Federal and State, procedures and regulations. The professional consulting engineering firms must be on TDOT’s pre-approved list and must have unlimited status. Professional services to be performed, but not limited to, include: 1. Design services to complete each project phase according to TDOT 2. Local Government Guidelines Environmental services to secure State and Federal permits 3. Assemble and evaluate bid package 4. Consultant Engineering Inspection Complete proposal packages are available from the Purchasing Division, 500 Poplar View Parkway, Collierville, TN 38017, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by facsimile request at 901-457-2258; or by email request at tocpurchasing@ci.collierville.tn.us. The following information must be included in the request for a copy of any RFSOQ: Contact Name, Company Name and Address, Telephone and Fax Number, RFSOQ Number, and RFSOQ Due Date. Deadline for statements of qualifications for RFSOQ2014-006, submitted to the General Services Department, 500 Poplar View Parkway, Collierville, TN 38017, is THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014 2:00:00 p.m. (local time). The names of submitting proposers will be publicly read aloud at these times in the Board Chambers at 500 Poplar View Parkway, Collierville, Tennessee.
ects with TDOT. 2. Qualification and availability of staff. 3. Demonstrated ability to meet schedules without compromising sound engineering practice. 4. Amount of work under contract with TDOT and others. 5. Knowledge of Federal and TDOT Local Government Guidelines, as well as CEI requirements. Evaluation proceedings will be conducted within the established guidelines regarding equal employment opportunity and nondiscriminatory action based upon the grounds of race, color, sex and creed or national origin. Interested certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms as well as other minority-owned and women-owned firms are encouraged to respond to all advertisements. Payment for services shall be made based on work complete in each section of the scope of service. The Town of Collierville reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, accept proposals in part or whole, waive defects, informalities or minor irregularities in proposals or proposal process and to make proposals awards, as deemed, to be in its best interest. The Town is not responsible for delays occasioned by the U.S. Postal Service or any other means of delivery employed by the proposer. Similarly, the Town is not responsible for, and will not open, any proposal responses that are received later than the date and time stated above.
NOTICE TO PUBLIC The following person(s) has asked the city of Memphis Alcohol Commission for permission to sell beer for OFF premise consumption. Applicant: Hisham Muthanna DBA: Yale Tobacco Discount Location: 5126 Yale Road Anyone desiring to circulate a petition FOR or AGAINST said establishment selling BEER at this location must secure the petition blanks for the undersigned Commission at 2714 Union Avenue Extended 1st Floor. Must be filed no later than Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Billy Post, Chairman Eugene Bryan, Member Barry Chase, Member Africa Gonzalez-McCloy, Member Sherman Greer, Member Erma Hayslett, Member Jared Johnson, Member Johnsie Wallace, Member Wayne West, Member ****NOTE: This ad should appear in newspaper of general circulation****
Proposal packages must be sealed and clearly marked on outside of the submitted package: RFSOQ2014-006 – “Engineering Consultant – Repaving”
No later than Wednesday, September 17, 2014.
The factors that will be considered in evaluation of proposals are:
Aubrey J. Howard, Executive Secretary City of Memphis Alcohol Commission
1. Past experience with similar proj-