10 23 2013

VOL. 62, No. 42

www.tsdmemphis.com

October 17 - 23, 2013

75 Cents

No Confidence!

Local teachersʼ group at odds with Education Commissioner The New Tri-State Defender Staff

“Enough is enough.”

With Memphis-Shelby County Education Association President Keith

Williams supplying that catchphrase, the M-SCEA this week issued a unanimous vote of no confidence in Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman.

The action came at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the association’s Representative Assembly, and served as another nail in the coffin that Huffman critics are trying to bury him in.

“Since his appointment by Gov.

Bill Haslam as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Education in April 2011, Commissioner Huffman has shown only a lack of respect and contempt for Tennessee’s teachers, our unions and our system of public education,” said Williams.

That certainly is a far different view of Huffman’s performance than the one held by Haslam and the spokesman for the Tennessee Depart-

ment of Education.

“In the past several years, tens of thousands of additional Tennessee students are on grade level in math, reading, and science. The commissioner is committed to improving academic achievement and doing what is best for children in Tennessee,” Kelli Gauthier, director of Communications for the state Department of Education, wrote Wednesday in an e-

Kevin Huffman

Keith Williams

mailed response to an inquiry by The New Tri-State Defender.

The vote by M-SCEA comes about SEE CONFIDENCE ON PAGE 3

Memphian is West Tenn.

Teacher of the Year Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Aisling Maki

Melissa Collins, Ph.D., a second grade teacher at John P. Freeman Optional School, was recently named 2014 West Tennessee Teacher of the Year by the Tennessee Department of Education.

The state’s Teacher of the Year Awards honor teachers for their commitment to students and classroom gains in achievement.

Collins was among the nine finalists recognized by the Dr. Melissa Tennessee DeCollins partment of Education during a banquet held earlier this month in Nashville.

A nationally board certified teacher, Collins has served as an educator for 12 years. She has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, National Science Teaching Association Sylvia Shugrue Award and, most recently, the 2013 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence.

“Words cannot express how I feel to be recognized as West Tennessee Teacher of the Year,” Collins said. “I have been recognized on so many levels. However, it feels great to be recognized by your own state.

For me, there’s no place like home … it gives me great pleasure to represent the highly effective teachers we have in the Shelby County School System. I’m only one of many effective educators SEE COLLINS ON PAGE 3

- INSIDE -

• Why I’m saying goodbye to football. See Opinion, page 4.

• Ja Rule stars in faith-based tale of redemption. See Religion, page 7.

• Author on track with ‘Soul Train’ bio. See Entertainment, page 8.

• Griz work to purge ‘preseason sloppiness’. See Sports, page 12.

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H- 7 3o - L - 5 1o Most ly Sunn y

H- 6 6o - L - 4 5o P a r tl y C l ou dy

H- 7 1o - L - 4 8o S unn y

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-73 L-51 H-72 L-50 H-76 L-55

Saturday H-68 L-45 H-65 L-40 H-75 L-46

Sunday H-72 L-48 H-69 L-43 H-76 L-47

Little Princesses…

The Childrenʼs Ball was held Oct. 11 at The Childrenʼs Museum of Memphis. The evening including ballerinas, fencing battles, a royal dance, a treasure hunt, carriage rides and treats from “The Lollipop Tree and Cookie Dessert Forest.”

Havana Mix Cigar Emporium owner Robb Hunter serves his daughter, Rhegan (left), and her friend, Micah Simpson.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

SOMETHING TO OFFER

Building on rites of passage FedEx exec touts value of emergingleaders program

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Matt Timberlake

(This is the first in a series of periodic stories that The New Tri-State Defender is featuring about people and organizations that have “Something To Offer” as Memphis journeys toward general recognition as a “Great American City!”

Michael J. Dones, corporate marketing manager with FedEx Sponsorship & Social Media Advertising, is a Memphis man with many rites of passage dotting the history of his life and career.

After high school graduation, the Bay Area native headed to Atlanta, earning an undergraduate degree at Morehouse College and an MBA at Clark Atlanta University. Soon after, he and his new wife accepted jobs with FedEx and made the move to Memphis, where they settled in, had children, and thrived.

Now, Dones is a key executive with a massive global corporation, is an active Memphian and father, and has served on boards for organizations with missions he’s believed in, like The New Memphis Institute, whose Fellows program was one of Dones’ most influential rites of passage.

As an undergrad, Dones was a forward for the Maroon Tigers, part of the team that went on to the Division 2 Final Four in 1990. He recalls the bus rides to the tournament, swapping stories with Morehouse alumni like Spike Lee, Samuel L.

Jackson and Edwin Moses.

“It was great,” said Dones.

“We played at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. It was fantastic. I still wear the ring.”

Michael He also found J. Dones time to travel to Africa during college, as part of the Operation Crossroads Africa program.

“It was 1989 and Namibia had just split from South Africa, and the south of the continent was confronting the issue of apartheid,” he said. “I was one of seven undergraduates from seven different schools to travel to these countries in the southern part of Africa. It was a fascinating time.”

After his whirlwind college experience, his career came calling. He found the path early, locking into a company with a trusted brand and a solid future, where he began making a name for himself.

Then, in 2005, Dones heard of the New Memphis Institute’s Fellows program, a 12-month immersive course for emerging leaders that arms them with the tools, experiences and connections needed to become powerful forces for positive change in the city of Memphis. The Fellows program moves beyond simply exposing participants to community challenges, empowering emerging leaders to take action, driving progress around our city’s SEE DONES ON PAGE 2

President Obama delivers a statement and answers questions in the Brady Press Briefing Room to the White House press corps regarding the government shutdown. (Photo: Mark Walz/CNN)

A deal done, but this year’s been a legislative dud for Obama CNN

by John King It began with high hopes and lofty rhetoric, as a newly reelected President Barack Obama ended his State of the Union wish list with a call to action: “It remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter in our American story.”

But 2013 will hardly be remembered as a great chapter. Instead, even with Wednesday’s debt ceiling and government funding deal, this is a wasted year in Washington, one of more band-aid budgeting, polarized partisanship and Republican chaos.

Yes, public opinion polls suggest the government shutdown and debt ceiling crisis is more damaging to Republicans than to the President and his fellow Democrats.

And Obama gives up little in the

deal struck Wednesday to fund the government through January and raise the debt ceiling through early February.

But with precious time in his second term ticking by, it is safe to say the President is losing even as he may “win” the short-term political blame game.

Consider the priorities laid out in his February State of the Union Address: • A new jobs plan • Infrastructure investments targeting roads and the 70,000 American bridges he noted are deemed structurally unsound • An increase, to $9 an hour, in the federal minimum wage • A guarantee of quality preschool education for every child in America • New background checks for gun SEE OBAMA ON PAGE 3

NEWS

Page 2

Nissan accused of alleged union busting in Mississippi NNPA News Service

by Freddie Allen

Twenty miles north of Jackson, Miss., at a Nissan auto plant in Canton, Nissan North America has violated international labor laws in a decadelong campaign against unions that civil rights activists have called “systematic and unrelenting,” according to a new report.

Through first-hand accounts from former and current workers, the report by the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP and Lance Compa, an international labor law scholar, details how plant managers and consultants manufactured a fiercely antiunion environment of fear and intimidation as plant workers assembled a number of Nissan models, including Altima sedans, Titan trucks, and Armada sports utility vehicles, and helped Nissan make more than $4 billion in annual net profits.

Even though workers at Nissan plants in Japan, Australia, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia and Mexico were allowed to unionize, Rosalind Essex, an engine quality technician at the Canton plant, said that she was told during training that, “Nissan is a nonunion company” and “Nissan has never had a union.”

Essex said, “It’s like they wanted to put the fear of God in you from day one.”

According to the report, Canton plant workers reported a number of transgressions committed by Nissan management including favoritism and unfair treatment, retaliatory job assignments, lack of consideration for seniority, denial of bathroom use and freezing of the pension plan.

In an effort to ensure trans-

Tri-State Defender

October 17 - 23, 2013

parency, researchers allowed Nissan to comment on the report as it was being prepared.

Nissan maintains that it has adhered “to the principles of respect for freedom of association and the effective right to collective bargaining outlined in the (United Nations Global Compact) and the 1998 (International Labor Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights to Work),” and that “employees have chosen to maintain a direct relationship with the company rather than inviting an outside party like the UAW to speak for them.”

Researchers and workers’ rights activist contend that Nissan has ignored those basic principles at its Canton plant.

“Under international law and pursuant to its own stated commitments, Nissan is supposed to respect human rights standards on workers’ freedom of association – the right to organize and the right to collective bargaining,” stated the report. “But in the Canton plant, contrary to its cooperative approach to dealing with unions elsewhere in the world, Nissan has launched a sus-

DONES

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Derrick Johnson of NAACP supports plant workers.

(Photo: Freddie Allen/NNPA News Service)

tained, aggressive campaign of fear and intimidation to nullify these rights.”

According to the report, “Contrary to international standards, U.S. labor law gives wide latitude to employers to launch aggressive campaigns against workers’ organizing efforts.”

The report continued: “Employers cannot make outright threats such as ‘if you vote for a union, we will close the workplace.’ But they convey the same message using a variety of subtle communication ploys that have been perfected by anti-union lawyers and consultants.”

At a press conference last week, Lance Compa, an international labor law scholar, said that Nissan takes advantage of modern technology,

broadcasting anti-union programs on TV monitors throughout the plant, showing shuttered Ford and GM plants and workers who have lost jobs.

“There’s a lot of good news about UAW and about General Motors and about Ford, but that news does not go up there,” said Compa.

Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP Mississippi State Conference, said that the quality of work conditions at the plant are important because the workers there are members of local organizations, churches and community groups.

“Our role is to make sure that we can be a voice for workers who cannot be a voice for themselves,” said Johnson.

most pressing needs.

Dones credits his journey through the Fellows program with giving him a valuable new perspective on how to be successful in Memphis, and how to share that success with the community.

“I was working at FedEx and heard about the Fellows program,” Dones said. “I looked into it and it was amazing! Young professionals, half from other cities, but many from Memphis, too, looking to learn about Memphis history but also to get involved in shaping its future.”

Dones believes his enthusiasm for Memphis was initially sparked by his opportunity at FedEx as well as his positive experience as a New Memphis Fellow.

“It worked out well that FedEx was a top brand and that I had the Fellows program to make new friends and connections” said Dones. “We had another offer from another brand but felt that Memphis would be good for us. We thought we’d be here for just a few years, but 18 years later… FedEx is great.”

He credits the city, too, saying Memphis’ history and potential combine to make it the perfect place to live, work and raise a family.

“It’s a great place,” he said.

“So many parts to Memphis. It’s not one homogenous community. It has so many neighborhoods with distinct character.

Once you find your area, you find there’s a perfect fit for you here. We have some great schools and great communities.”

He went on.

“Going through the Fellows program changed my perception of what was possible for Memphis. Being included in this group of young leaders helped me to also feel this level of optimism for our city. Not just professionally but personally. It was inspiring to see other Fellows and think about us all as the leaders of this city. It was encouraging to be around so much talent and potential.”

New Memphis’ Fellows Information Sessions provide a taste of what emerging leaders of the city are doing to make meaningful change happen in our community. The hour-long sessions give busy professionals a chance to hear from Fellows alumni, who lead the group through conversations about the program. The sessions allow for Q&A and are a great way for interested professionals to learn more about New Memphis and the Fellows program.

“I feel optimistic about the city,” Dones said. “New Memphis really contributes to that.

I’m still with FedEx, running the sponsorship and social media department, and what I learned through the Fellows program about the richness of diversity has added to my ability to do my job well.”

“It reinforced my belief that all of us in the city have something to offer Memphis.”

Tri-State Defender

OBAMA

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

purchases and, the President asked, for an up or down vote on new gun restrictions, including a ban on certain assault style weapons • Plus sweeping immigration reform, including, in his words, “a reasonable pathway to earned citizenship.”

Also in his address: a plea to end the budgeting by brinksmanship and crisis and a hopeful call for bipartisan negotiations on tax reform and Medicare and other entitlement spending.

Eight months later – as the end of that critical first year of the presidential term comes into focus – none of those priorities has been realized. Not one.

And Washington’s dysfunction appears to be only deepening, as differences between Democrats and Republicans are often overshadowed by the internal civil war within the GOP. Don’t count on that environment improving once

CONFIDENCE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

a month after nearly 60 superintendents signed off on a letter that painted Huffman as an education commissioner who “considers school teachers, principals and superintendents impediments to school improvement rather than partners.” That move prompted a letter from Haslam to school superintendents.

Noting that the state was at a critical juncture with key reform elements, Haslam cautioned against getting sidetracked. There was a need, Haslam wrote, for a “fresh approach to communications” with Huffman.

“With his continual words of praise and support, Gov. Haslam seems to be extremely happy with the commissioner’s efforts to destroy public education in the state and especially in Shelby County and to continue demoralizing attacks on dedicated education professionals,” M-SCEA President Williams said in statement circulated after Tuesday’s no-confidence vote.

“Tennessee and its students will depend on educators to clean up the mess and to repair the damage already inflicted by the policies of Commissioner Huffman, his department and the unelected state school board. Commissioner Huffman is trying to hijack our profession, and we’re joining the superintendents and education associations across the state in fighting back.”

According to Williams and M-SCEA, Huffman – while framing his initiatives as “education reform” – has: • Promoted unfair, invalid teacher and principal evaluations, • Lowered most of the base teacher salary schedule while converting the state’s teacher salaries to a pay-for-test scores system, and • Threatened teachers’ licenses based on error-prone, inaccurate data.

“In Shelby County especially, Commissioner Huffman has urged school closures and state takeovers of local schools even though local I-Zone initiatives have had more academic success,” said Williams. “He has failed to provide any additional funds for the transition as has been done in other districts that merged.”

True education reform, said Williams, ensures that education professionals and unions are at the table, creating solutions to achievement gaps, designing reliable evaluation systems that improve teacher and student performance, and dealing with other education issues.

“The best way to reform public education is to make sure we all respect, fund and support the hard work of our education professionals who are dedicated to the children of our state and who, unlike Commissioner Huffman, are licensed to teach in our state.”

(This story reflects reporting by TSD freelancer Kelly Martin)

NEWS

Page 3

October 17 - 23, 2013

Washington stumbles its way past this latest crisis.

The deal provides a temporary fix – essentially kicking the can down the road to January and February to give Congress and the White House time to negotiate.

A welcome respite, perhaps, but the issues wont get any easier over the course of those three or four months, and the politics – believe it or not – could get even more difficult because those new deadlines are early in the midterm election year.

COLLINS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

we have in our district.”

Collins said her personal teaching style centers on the belief that every student is unique, and teachers should plan their lessons to accommodate all learning levels.

She’s an advocate for integrating technology into daily lesson plans and curriculum as a great way to accommodate different learning levels and styles, as well as to prepare students to compete in today’s

workforce.

She also believes educators should raise the bar high for all students in order to help close the achievement gap.

“When you expect more, students really do achieve more,” said Collins, who also puts a premium on bringing real-world experiences to the classroom.

“For instance, I went to Brazil and I brought back musical instruments to show my students,” she said. “During a physical science lesson, I will locate Brazil on the map, permit them to listen to Brazilian

music, show pictures, and tell them how the instruments were constructed. As a culminating activity about sound, they will create their own personal instruments.”

An advocate of inquirybased learning, Collins said teachers should create “learning labs” for students that allow them to collaborate in groups – posing questions, formulating hypotheses, recording, reporting and presenting to their peers. She said the learning style is particularly useful for teaching science.

As for teaching at John. P.

Freeman Optional School, Collins finds her work environment tremendously fulfilling.

“Each and every day, I find it rewarding to enter my building,” she said. “Teachers are busy working with students to boost student achievement. We work collaboratively to ensure that our students are proficient and advanced. The parents collaborate with the teachers to make sure students are successful.

“And my principal, Monica Smith, provides me with the appropriate feedback to ensure that I continue to grow and develop as a teacher.”

Page 4

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

A Real Times Newspaper

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

October 17 - 23, 2013

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

Why I’m saying goodbye to football Special to CNN

by Roxanne Jones

I fell in love on a Monday night.

Now, many may say a teenage girl can’t know about such things. But that night as I watched Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett roll downfield 99 yards for a touchdown, I fell head-over-heals in love with the NFL. It was January 3, 1983 – “Monday Night Football,” Dallas vs. Minnesota. I’d never seen anything so inspiring. Dorsett was so free, so graceful and so powerful to me. He was focused and determined. Watching him break free of his competitors, those who wanted to bring him down and stop him from reaching his goal, I was in awe. And I knew then that his run capsulized all that I wanted to accomplish in my life.

That football game is one of my most cherished childhood memories. I have been a passionate NFL fan since that moment – though I switched my loyalties to the Philadelphia Eagles, my hometown team. My family has never understood my love affair with the league.

They have balked as play dates, family events, even church services have been rearranged or skipped to fit my football calendar. I ended up spending much of my career in sports journalism, a dream job if ever there was one.

But after 30 years, my love and respect for the game is fading. And I’m seriously considering giving up football completely. I don’t want to, but I am left with little choice.

I’ve come to this pass because of a recent airing of “League of Denial, The NFL’s Concussion Crisis,” the PBS documentary that details the hidden story of the NFL and brain injuries.

Based on a book by journalists Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, the program examines the NFL’s attempt to cover up medical science that has linked Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, called CTE, to concussions in NFL players. Players with CTE have battled depression, memory loss, and in some cases dementia.

The NFL consistently has denied any connection. But many of the men who play the game feel differently.

“I think I’m just paranoid. But ... from their standpoint, I think they are looking forward to covering their own (butt) more than anything, more than player safety,” Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl champion Terrell Suggs told the Baltimore Sun. Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, whose concussion in 1994 was featured in the documentary, told PBS: “I do not have a son; if I had a son, I wouldn’t necessarily discourage him from playing football, but I don’t know that I would encourage him to play, either ... I don’t know what the data show, but I haven’t sensed there’s been a reduction in head injuries. With that in mind, that’s concerning. As long as we’re having contact and as long as there are collisions, there’s going to be head injuries.”

The NFL, which did not participate in the documentary, agreed in late August to a $765 million settlement in a concussion lawsuit with more than 4,500 players and their families.

The proposed settlement allows the NFL to avoid a public trial to fight accusations that the league concealed what it knew about the dangers of head injuries. Under the terms of the pending settlement, which is still awaiting approval by a judge, the NFL likely won’t have to disclose internal files about what it knew, or when it knew of any links between concussions and permanent brain injury.

When I watch the games today, the awe is gone. Instead, I thank God that my son never wanted to play football, that it was basketball that stole his heart. And I find it ironic and a bit disingenuous that the NFL, in an effort to make the game more attractive

Tri-State Defender Platform

1. Racial prejudice worldwide must be destroyed.

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

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

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

5. Complete cessation of all school segregation.

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

to its 44 percent female audience, adorns the players and the field in Breast Cancer pink.

Imagine where breast cancer research would be today if the science around the cause of the disease Roxanne was rejected, or Jones covered up.

Imagine if women were told to ignore the warning signs of this killer disease, or if we were denied access to lifesaving treatment.

Today, instead of telling kids how football helped to inspire me to go after what I want in life, I advise them and their parents to avoid the game at all costs. It’s not safe at any level.

Play other sports.

I’m not alone. The Hall of Fame Giants linebacker Harry Carson, who was a leading voice in the documentary, doesn’t believe the game is safe for children today.

“I pray parents understand all they’re getting into when they allow their kids to play football,” he said.

“My oldest son luckily gravitated to basketball, and as a doctor he understands what concussions are about.

My younger son didn’t play, and to this day I’m grateful,” said Carson, who begs his daughter not to let his grandson play.

“Because concussions happen all the time on every level of football, the long-term damage is terrible, and we’re seeing evidence of it all the time.”

I agree. I’ve worked with former NFLers who suffer blackouts in midsentence, after being diagnosed with numerous concussions over their careers. And many of us knew Junior Seau and others football players who have taken their own lives. Too many of us in the sports industry stood by and watched yesterday’s heroes implode, or fall into depression in retirement.

It’s easy to sit back and pontificate about why so many players are violent, both on and off the field, or how they ended up with ruined lives. We often blamed the players themselves.

“They were irresponsible men, or had bad agents, girlfriends, wives who took advantage of them,” we explained. We blamed everything but the game itself for so many ruined lives and serious psychological problems.

Now I see that I have been an enabler, blindly protecting the game – the game that afforded me a lucrative career at ESPN. How could I criticize any NFL commissioner for doing the same? We have all made a very comfortable living off the game and the backs of men like Harry Carson, Tony Dorsett and Junior Seau.

I want to save my relationship with the league but it needs to own up about CTE. Stop endlessly denying the findings of medical science that say playing football can cause permanent brain damage. End the lies. Just admit we have a problem. That is the first step. Stop the slick marketing campaigns to keep telling our children all they need to learn is a “safe way to hit in football,” while denying each hit comes with a dire consequence.

This relationship is toxic. If my beloved NFL continues to lie and deny while men and boys are suffering and dying, then it’s time for this fan to say good-bye.

(Roxanne Jones is a founding editor of ESPN The Magazine and a former vice president at ESPN. She is a national lecturer on sports, entertainment and women’s topics and a recipient of the 2010 Woman of the Year award from Women in Sports and Events. She is the co-author of “Say It Loud: An Illustrated History of the Black Athlete,” (Random House) and CEO of Push Media Strategies.)

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Dr. Ben Carson: ‘Gifted Hands,’ foot in mouth

Dr. Ben Carson became the darling of conservatives earlier this year by stridently attacking the Affordable Care Act with President Obama sitting just a few feet away.

Carson, who was serving as the keynote speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast at the White House, said, “Here’s my solution: When a person is born, give him a birth certificate, an electronic medical record, and a health savings account to which money can be contributed – pretax – from the time you’re born ’til the time you die.

When you die, you can pass it on to your family members, so that when you’re 85 years old and you got six diseases, you’re not trying to spend up everything. You’re happy to pass it on and there’s nobody talking about death panels.

“Number one. And also, for the people who were indigent who don’t have any money we can make contributions to their HSA (Health Savings Account) each month because we already have this huge pot of money. Instead of sending it to some bureaucracy, let’s put it in their HSAs. Now they have some control over their own health care.”

Predictably, the Right wing rushed to embrace him. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the crew at Fox News were ecstatic that a prominent African-American neurosurgeon shared their world view. Jonah Goldberg, a columnist for the Right-wing National Review, compared Carson to racial apologist Booker T. Washington. David Graham, writing in The Atlantic, called him Herman Cain without the “personal skeletons.” And the conservative Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed under

the headline, “Ben Carson for President.”

Carson became a paid contributor to Fox News, was hired to write a weekly column for the Rightwing Washington Times, and George became in deE. Curry mand as a speaker at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and any national event that attracts more than three conservatives.

Professionally, Carson is no dumb man. He earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his M.D. from the University of Michigan. At the age of 33, he became director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the youngest major division director in the school’s history.

In 1987, he led a 70-member surgical ream that separated twins who had been joined at the back of the head. After the successful 22-hour surgery, Carson gained national recognition. His autobiography, “Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story,” was published in 1992. The book recounts how his mother, Sonya, reared him and his older brother, Curtis, after she and her husband, Robert, divorced when Ben was 8 years old. In 2009, TNT released a television movie with the same title as his book, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Ben Carson. In 2008, George W. Bush presented Carson with the Presidential Medal

of Freedom.

Carson has made several controversial remarks after his appearance at the White House. In March, he said on Fox TV: “Marriage is between a man and a woman. No group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association), be they people who believe in bestiality, it doesn’t matter what they are. They don’t get to change the definition.”

Under pressure, Carson withdrew as commencement speaker for the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

He also apologized for “not the best choice of words,” called his critics racist, and then apologized again.

Of all of his outrageous comments, his latest one ranks among the most egregious.

Speaking at a Voter Values Summit, Carson said, “I have to tell you that Obamacare is, really, I think, the worst thing that’s happened to this nation since slavery. It was never about healthcare, it was about control.”

First, the Affordable Care Act does what its proper title implies – it makes health care affordable to millions of people, including the uninsured. If making insurance more affordable, not allowing insurance companies to reject people with preexisting conditions and allowing children to remain on their parents’ insurance policies until they are 26 years old isn’t about healthcare, the esteemed neurosurgeon doesn’t know the definition of healthcare.

Second, any idiot knows that having access to healthcare is not worse than slavery.

Enslaved Africans had no rights, as the Supreme Court ruled in its

‘The key turns twice’

All too often when media coverage speaks of an individual who has been formerly incarcerated, it is usually in a negative context (i.e. arrested again, person of interest, not new to the criminal justice system, lengthy arrest record).

Following this coverage, depending on the gravity of the crime, there may be public outcry as to “why was he/she released in the first place?” As a result, seemingly all offenders are then cast into that same category.

It would be asinine to even suggest every offender returns to society with positive goals and the desire to be a productive member of his/her community. I, too, cringe upon hearing the news of another exoffender having committed the same or a more appalling crime. Yet, I do contend that amidst that population is a sector with aspirations and hopes of moving forward in their lives!

Therefore the question looms, “Are we to stereotype all ex-offenders into one category?”

We entrust the Board of Parole and Probation as well as our legal and judicial systems to put in place policies, procedures and regulations to govern the incarceration, release and reentry of offenders. It is their charge and/or responsibility as deci-

sion makers to maintain the standards and provisions mandated by law to safeguard both the rights of society and the offender.

It goes without saying that they have a gruEarnest eling job. I can’t Townes say I would want it – would you? In most instances, after the offender is incarcerated, little focus or emphasis is entertained by society as to what transpired and what efforts were made toward deterring future criminal behavior. Yet, the frowns and discontentment of society surface when the provisions of the law and the decision makers grant release.

Despite the sentiment of public opinion, one fact must be faced: “The key does turn twice!”

At some point, the bulk of those individuals incarcerated will be released. They will again be confronted with issues and concerns such as employment, housing, healthcare and livelihood. The manner in which they approach and address these areas will depend largely and

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foremost on their mindset and what tools of preparation they were afforded during the incarceration period (i.e. education, vocation, and behavior programs).

Additionally, it is even more dependent on their encounter of “the bars beyond the bars.” If the doors of hope, opportunity and vision are closed, the door of progress may as well be dead-bolted.

(Earnest Townes of Shifting Gears Community Outreach can be reached via email at shftgrs@yahoo.com. Call him at 901644-9215.)

NOTE: A Resource and Information Fair for Ex-Offenders will be held at the Pipkin Bldg. (Fairgrounds) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 23. Shifting Gears Community Outreach, along with 60 to 70 other agencies, organizations and service providers, will take part in a collaborative effort to address issues and concerns that may impair ex-offenders’ positive reintegration within our communities. The endeavor is being sponsored and hosted by the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) and the Tennessee Re-Entry Collaborative (TREC) in partnership with the City of Memphis and Shelby County.

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

Tri-State Defender

October 17 - 23, 2013

Page 5

BUSINESS

Page 6

Tri-State Defender

October 17 - 23, 2013

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Stepping into ObamaCare The path for small businesses Despite a federal government shut down, enrollment for ObamaCare – officially known as the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – went live on Oct. 1 and will continue through March 31, 2014. The legislation is groundbreaking for Americans, but the jury is still out on the execution of the program.

The intent is to give more Americans access to affordable, quality health insurance and to reduce the growth in health-care spending. No, it isn’t designed to replace private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.

The new law issues a mandate that most Americans obtain health coverage by the year 2014, obtain an exemption or pay a fee on their taxes for every month they do not have coverage. Most states established specific health insurance marketplaces (also known as exchanges), allowing citizens to shop for health insurance using cost assistance. Since Gov. Bill Haslam chose not to set up a marketplace, the Tennessee exchange was put in place by the federal government.

The exchanges are online price comparison websites

w h e r e health insurance can be purchased.

Those up to four times the federal poverty level (FPL) may qualiCarlee McCullough fy for reduced premiums via tax credits or out-ofpocket assistance, or Medicaid for those states implementing Medicaid expansion.

The Community Health Alliance (CHA) is the health insurance co-op for Tennessee. CHA has a promotional enrollment program offering free smartphones to qualified individuals.

The smartphones include unlimited talk, texting, 1.2 GB of data and is preloaded with contact information for a CHA representative. The phones can also be used to track the enrollees, and stay connected with them via phone, email or text.

1) Coverage for people with pre-existing conditions;

Benefits

2) All new insurance plans will cover preventive services, including annual checkups, mental health, maternity care, mammograms, and colonoscopies, for no out-of-pocket costs; and 3) Provisions are included that prevent insurance companies from dropping enrollees when they are sick or if honest mistakes are on the application; prohibit gender discrimination, unjustified rate hikes, life-time and annual limits.

Citizens who currently have access to insurance through their employer or Medicare/ Medicaid are encouraged to maintain it. The application will even recommend that citizens apply for Medicare, if they qualify.

Who’s eligible?

Log onto the website www.HealthCare.gov. Choose your state. Create an account by providing basic information, choosing a username, password and security questions. Complete the application. After comparing the eligible plans and programs, pick a plan that suits your needs and budget.

How to enroll

Then enroll. The coverage will start January 1, 2014.

Small businesses

The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is a new option to provide coverage to employees under ObamaCare. The benefits of using the plan are: The business can control the coverage offered and how much is pay toward employee premiums.

The business can compare health plans online and make an educated informed business decisions.

The businesses may qualify for a small business health care tax credit worth up to 50 percent of the premium costs.

The balance of the premium costs not covered by the tax credit can be deducted from your taxes. The tax credit is only available for plans purchased through SHOP.

Businesses eligible

Small businesses with 50 or fewer full time equivalent employees are eligible to obtain coverage for their employees.

If a business owner is self employed with no employees, apply under the individual plan

MONEY MATTERS

How much do I need to save?

Many Americans realize the importance of saving for retirement, but knowing exactly how much they need to save is another issue altogether. With all the information available about retirement, it is sometimes difficult to decipher what is appropriate for your specific situation.

One rule of thumb is that retirees will need approximately 80 percent of their pre-retirement salaries to maintain their lifestyles in retirement. However, depending on your own situation and the type of retirement you hope to have, that number may be higher or lower.

Here are some factors to consider when determining a retirement savings goal.

your family – as well as your own past and present health issues. Also consider that life spans are becoming longer Charles Sims Jr., CFP with recent medical developments. More people will be living to age 100, or perhaps even longer. When calculating how much you need to save, you should factor in the number of years you expect to spend in retirement.

The first factor to consider is the age at which you expect to retire. In reality, many people anticipate that they will retire later than they actually do; unexpected issues, such as health problems or workplace changes (downsizing, etc.), tend to stand in their way. Of course, the earlier you retire, the more money you will need to last throughout retirement. It’s important to prepare for unanticipated occurrences that could force you into an early retirement.

Future health-care needs

Retirement age

Although you can’t know what the duration of your life will be, there are a few factors that may give you a hint.

You should take into account your family history – how long your relatives have lived and diseases that are common in

Life expectancy

Another factor to consider is the cost of health care. Healthcare costs have been rising much faster than general inflation, and fewer employers are offering health benefits to retirees. Long-term care is another consideration. These costs could severely dip into your savings and even result in your filing for bankruptcy if the need for care is prolonged.

Another important consideration is your desired retirement lifestyle. Do you want to travel? Are you planning to be involved in philanthropic endeavors? Will you have an expensive country club membership? Are there any hobbies you would like to pursue? The answers to these questions can

Lifestyle

help you decide what additional costs your ideal retirement will require.

Many baby boomers expect that they will work part-time in retirement. However, if this is your intention and you find that working longer becomes impossible, you will still need the appropriate funds to support your retirement lifestyle.

If you think you have accounted for every possibility when constructing a savings goal but forget this vital component, your savings could be far from sufficient. Inflation has the potential to lower the value of your savings from year to year, significantly reducing your purchasing power over time. It is important for your savings to keep pace with or exceed inflation.

Inflation

Many retirees believe that they can rely on their future Social Security benefits. However, this may not be true for you. The Social Security system is under increasing strain as more baby boomers are retiring and fewer workers are available to pay their benefits.

And the reality is that Social Security currently provides only 42 percent of the total income of Americans aged 65 and older with at least $57,957 in annual household income.1 That leaves 58 percent to be covered in other ways.

Social Security

After considering all these

And the total is…

factors, you should have a much better idea of how much you need to save for retirement.

For example, let’s assume you will retire when you are 65 and spend a total of 20 years in retirement, living to age 85. Your annual income is currently $80,000, and you think that 75% of your pre-retirement income ($60,000) will be enough to cover the costs of your ideal retirement, including some travel you intend to do and potential

Although quite controversial, the Affordable Care Act is inching forward. Protesters, for and against the controversial measure, demonstrated when the U.S. Supreme Court weighed arguments about the lawʼs constitutionality. (Photo: Brian Yaklyvich/CNN)

rather than under SHOP. If the business offers coverage under SHOP, it must offer coverage to all employees working 30 hours or more on average.

Businesses also log onto the website www.HealthCare .gov.

Choose your state. Create an account by providing basic information, choosing a username, password and security questions. Complete the application.

After comparing the eligible plans and programs, pick a plan that suits your needs and budget. Then have the employees enroll. The coverage can start as soon as January 1, 2014. For any questions regarding SHOP, call 1-800-706-7893.

How do businesses enroll?

health-care expenses.

After factoring in the $12,000 annual Social Security benefit you expect to receive, a $10,000 annual pension from your employer, and 4 percent potential inflation, you end up with a total retirement savings amount of $760,000. (For your own situation, you can use a retirement savings calculator from your retirement plan provider or from a financial site on the Internet.)

This hypothetical example is used for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the performance of any specific investment. The estimated total for this hypothetical ex-

As families strive to provide a good life for their family, employees will undoubtedly take healthcare into consideration when seeking employment or staying with an employer in 2014. So businesses that currently provide no coverage to employees should consider it as an option in an effort to not only maintain current employees and attract new ones, but also because it is the right thing to do if the business can afford it.

Competitive advantage

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

ample may seem daunting.

But after determining your retirement savings goal and factoring in how much you have saved already, you may be able to determine how much you need to save each year to reach your destination.

The important thing is to come up with a goal and then develop a strategy to pursue it.

You don’t want to spend your retirement years wishing you had planned ahead.

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

SimsFinancialGroup.com.)

RELIGION

Tri-State Defender

RELIGION BRIEFS

‘I’m in Love with a Church Girl’

Unity Youth Fest sets Oct. 19 celebration

Unity Youth Fest – brought to you by City Changers of Memphis – is celebrating its 7th year on Saturday (Oct. 19) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mud Island River Park, 125 North Front St. The purpose of the event is to “bring hope and healing to this generation” by educating families of the services and tools available to them in a fun-filled and familyoriented environment.

Attendees can expect: music performances from Christian artists Plumb, Tedashii, Josh Wilson, Mikes Chair, Jekalyn Carr; Gospel rapper D3. The host will be Memphis’ own FRO! The day will include product and service vendors, food trucks, game trucks, rides and inflatables, a Church on Church volleyball tournament and carnival games.

Tickets are free for all youth ages 17 and under, and $10 for adults ages 18 and over. Tickets are available online at www.youth festmemphis.com or may be purchased at the event. We will also have product and service vendors, food trucks, game trucks, rides and inflatables, Church on Church volleyball tournament, carnival games, and much more!

For more information, email admin@youthfestmemphis.com or visit www.youthfestmemphis .com.

Mt. Zion Taska MBC ‘burning’ its mortgage

Page 7

October 17 - 23, 2013

Mt. Zion Taska Missionary Baptist Church is celebrating its 142nd Church Anniversary and the “Burning of our Mortgage” with a weekend activities Nov. 8-10.

Mt. Zion, located at 519 Mt. Zion Rd. in Byhalia, Miss., was established with worship service under a “Bush Arbor” in 1871.

Since acquiring land for a permanent building, the church has undergone several renovations.

“Our latest project was the construction of a new sanctuary, which was completed in 1999. We have now been blessed to pay it off,” said Pastor Brandon A. Blake.

Here’s the itinerary for the celebration: Nov. 8 – Reunion Choir Concert, 7 p.m.

Nov. 9 – Memorial “Bush Arbor” Service & Walk, 9 a.m.

Nov. 9 – Black-tie banquet at 6 p.m. at New Sardis Ballroom, 7739 East Holmes Rd. in Germantown. Tickets: adults, $25; Children, 12 and under, $15. Guest speaker, Dr. Terence L. Taylor, pastor of Mt. Joyner MBC. Nov. 10 – Church Anniversary and Mortgage Burning Worship at 2:30 p.m., with special guest Bishop Edward Stephens and Golden Gate Cathedral.

For ticket information, contact Dorothy Todd at 662-8514054/662-851-0294, Margaret Brown at 901-831-5475, or Dorothy Garrison at 901-6501728.

Ja Rule stars in faith-based tale of redemption

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

Rapper Ja Rule was paroled from prison earlier this year after spending a couple of years behind bars for a weapons violation and tax evasion.

In a case of art imitating life, he now stars in a faith-based tale of redemption revolving around a hip-hop producer endeavoring to go straight following his release from jail.

“I’m in Love with a Church Girl” was actually inspired by a true story, but not Ja Rule’s. Rather, the autobiographical screenplay was penned by convicted coke dealer-turnedpreacher Galley Molina while incarcerated in a California penitentiary.

The movie is set in the San Jose native’s hometown where the ex-gangsta now serves as youth pastor at the Evergreen Valley Church.

Narrated by Ja, the picture’s protagonist is a fictional character called Miles Montego. As the flashback flick unfolds, we find Miles returning to the ’hood after a stint in the slammer.”

He immediately gets a good piece of advice from his Bible-thumping mom (Marjorie Mann), namely, to attend services on Sunday in order to meet a good God-fearing woman who might help keep his nose clean.

Sure enough, he soon falls in love at first sight with Vanessa (Adrienne Bailon), a clerk at a store specializing in Christian-oriented products.

The two hit it off, despite her concern about all the bling and his degenerate-looking posse. Eventually, Vanessa becomes convinced that he’s left the life of crime behind, but the same can’t be said about the DEA Agent (Stephen Baldwin) still tailing Miles him with hopes of arresting him again.

Given the film’s spoiler of a title,

Ja Rule and Adrienne Bailon Star in “Iʼm In Love With A Church Girl.” (Courtesy photos) there’s a sense of inevitably about “I’m in Love with a Church Girl.”

This easy to predict morality play is certain to resonate with the Evangelical demographic, and it even has a chance of attracting a mainstream audience because of the presence of the charismatic Ja Rule in the lead role.

A faith-based modern parable with a positive message for both believers and wayward souls ripe for redemption.

Vivian Berryhill (right), president and founder of the Memphis areabased National Coalition of Pastors Spouses (NCPS), attended the world premiere in California of “Iʼm In Love With A Church Girl.” NCPS – tapped by the film company to host five national premiere screenings – will spearhead a national conversation on healthy marriage over the next several months.

Very Good (3 stars) Rated PG-13 for PG for violence, suggestive content, mild epithets and mature themes Running time: 118 minutes Studio: Reverence Gospel Media Films Distributor: Film District

You’re welcome here…

Elder Charles H.M. Patterson, senior pastor of Pentecostal Temple COGIC, held his daughter, Callie Mason Indiana Patterson, aloft as the 16th Annual Calendar Tea sponsored by the churchʼs Birthday Clubs got underway last Sunday (Oct. 13). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley.

Appreciation Celebration…

Union Valley Baptist Church at 1051 E. McLemore Ave. acknowledged 54 years of service and expressed appreciation to Dr. H.O. Kneeland Jr. and “lady” Angela Kneeland during a celebration last Sunday (Oct. 13.) The guest speaker was Pastor Edward Parker of Berean Baptist Church. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

PRAISE CONNECT -A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHES-

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

767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126

ASSOCIATE MINISTERS

901-946-4095 fax 948-8311

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

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

WEDNESDAY Bible Study .........................10:30 am Mid-Day Prayer Meeting .....12 noon Evening Prayer Meeting........7:00pm FRIDAY Cable Channel 17 ............... 8:00pm

Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter

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

—Matthew 7: 1-2

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

—Phillipians 4:13

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, October 17 - 23, 2013, Page 8

WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?

Gates unlocked!

Hey ‘SNL,’ where’s the diversity?

I’ve been watching “Saturday Night Live” since way back to the days when the star of the show was pretty much Eddie Murphy. Of course comedian Garrett Morris came way before Murphy Myron did. But I was Mays born in 1973 and my memory only takes me back so far.

Murphy’s Buckwheat, Gumby and Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood skits were classic. Post-Eddie there hasn’t been much “diversity” on the show.

He left in 1984, and to my viewing eyes there seems to have been a void ever since.

For years, I could not understand why there were rarely any AfricanAmerican hosts on the show. The first I can remember was actually Eddie Murphy…and he was still a cast member at the time. This was back in 1982 when Nick Nolte was scheduled to host the show but became ill.

Eddie had starred with Nolte in “48 Hours,” so he was tapped to host the show as a last minute replacement.

In recent years, however, “Black Hollywood” has risen to new heights and there has been an increase in African-American hosts such as Martin Lawrence, Charles Barkley, Sinbad and. more recently, Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart.

And to its credit, “SNL” eventually evolved to do well with AfricanAmerican cast members such as Tracy Morgan, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock and, more recently, Kenan Thompson and Jay Pharaoh. However, these days they seem to have forgotten about African-American female comedians.

Looking back at “SNL’s” history, there haven’t been many AfricanAmerican female comedians. During the 1980-81 season, Yvonne Hudson was the first African-American female to be featured on “SNL,” although she wasn’t an official cast member. In 1985, Dinitra Vance actually became the first AfricanAmerican female cast member.

Vance’s milestone came some 10 years after the show began and her tenure only lasted a season. Comedian Ellen Cleghorne fared better (1991 to 1995). In 2000, Maya Rudolph, daughter of Minnie Ripperton, joined the show. But there hasn’t been an African-American female on the cast since Rudolph departed in 2007.

Recently, cast member Jay Pharaoh told theGrio that the producers of “Saturday Night Live” needed to pay more attention to diversity, suggesting the talented comedian Darmirra Brunson for the show.

Brunson plays the part of Drew in Tyler Perry’s OWN comedy “Love Thy Neighbor.” She also has an impressive list of impersonations of her own, including Beyoncé, Kerry Washington, Mariah Darmirra Carey, Nicki MiBrunson naj, Oprah, Rihanna and Wendy Williams. First Lady Michelle Obama is not yet in her repertoire, although she can probably pull that one off too.

Cast member Kenan Thompson recently told TV Guide that he has vowed to no longer play “female” characters. I’m not sure if this is a result of the absence of African-American female cast members on the show. Could it be that “SNL” hasn’t hired any African-American females for the show because Thompson usually plays them in most of the skits.

As it stands, it’s been six straight years without an African-American female cast member. Could it be that there are just no African-American female comics out there who are qualified for the job? Nonsense! There has gotta be one out there somewhere.

You only need one, right?

I agree with Pharaoh. Darmirra Brunson would make a great cast member…or at least a featured player on the show whenever there is a need for an African-American female. “SNL,” she’s right there in front of you. At least consider it, and if it doesn’t work out, at least you can say you made an attempt.

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

“The African Americans” interview Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

(Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. talks about his new PBS series, “The African Americans,” which premieres on Tuesday (Oct. 22nd) at 9 p.m. CT.)

Kam Williams: What was the biggest challenge in covering 500 years of African-American history in a six-hour PBS-TV series?

Dr. Henry Louis Gates: Precisely that, covering 500 years of AfricanAmerican history in six hours.

(Chuckles) Well, I’ve been working on this for seven years. The biggest challenge was deciding which stories to tell. In a one-hour documentary, you can tell maybe ten stories.

That’s how the documentary is structured.

I wrote to forty of the greatest historians of both African and AfricanAmerican history, and hired them as consultants. I had them submit what they thought were the indispensable stories, the ones they felt this series absolutely had to include. And we got about a thousand different suggestions, which we had to boil down to seventy. So, my producers and I worked with these consultants and came up with seventy, which we think are exemplary of the larger arc of African-American history between 1513 and 2013. We covered half a millennium, and it’s amazing.

Ericka Blount Danoisʼ book about “Soul Train” is must-have item for African-American homes and anyone interested in African-American culture.

A stone gas honey!

Author on track with ʻSoul Trainʼ bio

P

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Tony Jones

op culture writer Ericka Blount Danois’ book about “Soul Train” makes you want to grab a bowl of ice cream and cookies (or yogurt and fruit considering the book’s generation’s age), call up an old friend and have a long, bounding conversation about the good old times and the beauty of youth.

Entitled “Love, Peace, and SOUL: Behind The Scenes Of America’s Favorite Dance Show –Soul Train: Classic Moments,” Danois’ naturally flowing style brings all the beauty, fun, love, drama and tears of a family reunion without the messy cleanup. A must have for AfricanAmerican homes and anyone interested in African-American culture.

Baby Boomers beware. Trying to recreate the dance moves that electrified America when “Soul Train” boomed across the nation could be hazardous to your health.

Danois will be in Memphis on Saturday (Oct. 19), signing copies of her book at the Stax Museum from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.. No confirmation – yet – of a “Soul Train” line.

“Love, Peace and Soul” crisply pinpoints that “Soul Train” delivered a sustained testament that Black America was no long willing to accept boundaries. Danoi salutes its creator, Don Cornelius, as a giant of our times, recalling on page 20 that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once visited the headquarters of Soul Train’s sponsor, Johnson Products, and declared, “Now, this is black power.”

Cornelius’s hard-won snaring of Afro Sheen’s producers catapulted the company into becoming the first black-owned firm on the New York Stock exchange. His own well-coiffed crown became a universally recognized symbol of the product’s effectiveness.

Danois’ behind-the-scenes pursuit charts “Soul Train’s” cultural impact. It is dotted with reminisces of the artists and guests and dutifully notes a string of off-camera careers that grew or expanded because of the show.

The book respectfully illuminates Cornelius’s

Pop culture enthusiasts will find Ericka Blount Danois, the author of the new book about “Soul Train,” signing copies of her work in Memphis on Saturday (Oct. 19) at the Stax Museum. (Courtesy photo)

tragic suicide, sharing stories of the persona that many of us never would have imagined coming to such a painful end. It details his relationship with the infamous Dick Griffey, with whom Cornelius partnered to establish Solar Records, jumping away before Shalamar, Lakeside, The Gap Band and Midnight Star turned the label into the new Motown.

And rap’s emergence, leading to the need to create the iconic Soul Train Awards, is in there too.

The book’s best recollection, however, is how the Soul Train dancers invented a fresh perspective for generations of black youth by simply letting us be what we wanted to be. At least for a moment, every weekend, on mostly blackand-white television sets, the slogan “black is beautiful” became an attainable truth without restraint.

KW: What was your biggest surprise?

HLG: The biggest surprise for me, without a doubt, was that the first black people who came to the United States weren’t the 20 who arrived in Jamestown in 1619. All of us Dr. Henry had been taught Louis Gates that. Well, guess what? The first African came to Florida in 1513.

And the huge shock is we know his name, Juan Garrido, and that he wasn’t a slave. He was free! This brother was a conquistador who came with Ponce de Leon. He was looking for the Fountain of Youth just like the white people were.

Then, the first slave came to Florida in 1526. The first one we know by name, Esteban, which means Stephen, came a couple of years later. So, we start with the stories of Juan Garrido and Esteban to show that African-American people have been here a century longer than anyone thought, and that the diversity we see in the African-American community today has existed since the beginning. You had one guy who was a slave, and another who wasn’t.

And I actually know what happened to them. Garrido ended up getting good jobs and a pension in Mexico, which was the center of New Spain, as it was called. Esteban ended up being killed by the Zuni Indians.

KW: I haven’t seen any of the series yet, but I found the book very informative and surprising, and I majored in Black Studies.

HLG: Yeah, like the amazing story of Anthony Johnson. This man was a slave, then became free, accumulated 250 acres, and even had his own slave, a black man who took him to court in Virginia in 1654.

That man argued that he should be freed like an indentured servant. But Johnson, who we believe was a pure African from Angola, said, “No way, you’re my slave.” And the court agreed, ruling that the man was a slave for life. So, we can see that the complexity we witness inside the African-American community today has always been there. Black people were just as noble and just as ignoble as anybody else.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier … an Afro-Canadian… (would) … like to know whether the new PBS series will touch on the stories of escaped slaves who fled to Canada.

HLG: … As far as covering Canada, absolutely! We go to Ontario where we recount the feats of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Many people don’t know that she left the United States to live in the Province of Ontario. We go to her church in the small town of St. Catherines. …

SEE GATES ON PAGE 10

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 9

October 17 - 23

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening Oct. 18, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“12 Years a Slave” (R for violence, torture, sexuality, nudity and ethnic slurs) Adaptation of the autobiography of the same name chronicling the ordeal of a black man (Chiwitel Ejiofor) born free in New York who was kidnapped and sold into bondage in the Deep South. A-list ensemble includes Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano and Quvenzhane Wallis.

“Carrie” (R for profanity, sexuality, graphic violence and disturbing images) Chloe Grace Moretz plays the title character in this remake of the 1976 Stephen King classic about a shy teenager who uses her telekinetic powers to exact revenge on the classmates who teased her at the senior prom. With Julianne Moore, Judy Greer, Portia Doubleday and Gabriella Wilde.

“Escape Plan” (R for violence and pervasive profanity) Action thriller starring Sly Stallone as a wrongfully-imprisoned structural engineer (Sly Stallone) who with the help of an industrious cellmate (Arnold Schwarzenegger) orchestrates a jailbreak from a high-security facility he designed. Featuring 50 Cent, Vinnie Jones, Jim Caviezel, Amy Ryan, Vincent D’Onofrio and Sam Neill.

“The Fifth Estate” (R for profanity and violence) Espionage thriller retracing the forma-

tion of Wikileaks on a shoestring budget by co-founders Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Daniel Domsceit-Berg (Daniel Bruhl), as well as the organization’s quest to expose political corruption with the help of whistleblowers.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“All Is Lost” (PG-13 for brief profanity) Robert Redford stars in this seafaring adventure revolving around an ancient mariner’s solo voyage across the Indian Ocean which turns into a desperate struggle for survival when his yacht collides with a shipping container adrift on the high seas.

“American Promise” (Unrated) Delayed gratification documentary chronicling the efforts of two African-American families to improve their sons’ life prospects by placing an emphasis on the quality of their education.

“Big Ass Spider” (PG-13 for violence and gore) Sci-fi horror flick about an exterminator (Greg Gunberg) who joins forces with a team of scientists to subdue a giant alien spider rampaging around Los Angeles. With Lin Shaye, Ray Wise and Lloyd Kaufman.

“Camille Claudel” 1915 (Unrated) Bittersweet biopic highlighting the life of the reclusive sculptor (Juliette Binoche), a lover and protégé of Auguste Rodin who was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital in the South of France by her brother (Jean-Luc Vincent) after developing schizophrenia. With Emmanuel Kauffman, Marion Keller and Robert Leroy. (In French with subtitles) “Haunter” (PG-13 for brief profanity) Har-

rowing horror flick about a girl’s ghost (Abigail Breslin) attempt to warn another teenager (Eleanor Zichy) before she becomes a serial killer’s (Stephen McHattie) next victim. With David Hewlett, Sarah Manninen and Michelle Nolden.

“I’m in Love with a Church Girl” (Unrated) Ja Rule stars in this faith-based tale of redemption recounting former convict Galley Molina’s transformation from drug-dealing gangsta’ to Born Again pastor with the help of a good woman (Adrienne Bailon). Supporting cast includes Stephen Baldwin, Michael Madsen, Vincent Pastore and T-Bone.

“Kill Your Darlings” (R for sexuality, profanity, drug use and brief violence) Murder mystery which draws together three legendary Beat Generation poets: Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston), William Burroughs (Ben Foster) and Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe). With Elizabeth Olsen, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kyra Sedgwick.

“Paradise” (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, substance abuse and mature themes) Crisis in faith dramedy about a devout Christian (Julianne Hough) who publicly renounces God after being severely burned in a plane crash before heading to Las Vegas to indulge in worldly pleasures. With Russell Brand, Holly Hunter, Nick Offerman and Octavia Spencer.

“You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” (Unrated) Otherworldly drama revolving around a deceased playwright (Denis Podalydes) who miraculously casts and stages one of his celebrated works from beyond the grave. Starring Mathieu Amalric, Pierre Arditi and Sabine Azema. (In French with subtitles)

HOROSCOPES

Oct. 17-23, 2013

ARIES This is a gold-star week. You’ll be positively glowing at any and all social events. Many gifts, both tangible and intangible, come to you through friendship and from close ties. Enjoy your fabulous self very much. Your sweetheart may want to talk about a deeper commitment.

TAURUS More luck, more opportunities, and more love are in the stars for you this week. Enjoy this up-cycle, and let the things you do with your gifts and talents have lasting effects. Social gatherings are favored. Wear your brightest smile and trust your intuition.

GEMINI Give yourself a chance to learn all you can about love. This is a week when you are open to new ideas. Make those ideas center on relationships. Financial matters are worrisome but they can wait.

CANCER Your thoughts turn from spending and socializing to a more spiritual area. While you may feel that you still have much to do in the next, this week is good for taking some time for yourself. Love and romance vibrations remain constant; count your blessings!

LEO Ask for second opinions and shop around; it will be worth the time in savings. Something at your workplace may cause you a momentary qualm, but it’s really nothing but high spirits from co-workers. Don’t look for trouble! The present moment is rich with romantic promise.

VIRGO During the next few weeks you’ll find yourself wanting to RUSH around. Try to take it easy instead. Everything will happen according to plan, and you’ll feel much calmer and happier with yourself and with others!

LIBRA Get any negative energy out of the way quickly by turning a situation into a solution… your mind will intuitively find the best answer if you focus on a resolution. A partner or best friend brings a extra glow to you, as your thoughts and feelings are in harmony.

SCORPIO Keep focused. Your attention is likely to be distracted by someone’s foolishness. Don’t let yourself be seduced by something that looks a whole lot better than it’ll turn out to be.

SAGITTARIUS You’ll need all the expertise you possess to deal with the distractions that will come into your life. Float on the surface of things. If you go deep you could get lost chasing after clarifications that are not going to come. Seek compensation from a relationship that has a long history.

CAPRICORN Some people around you may be a little grumpy, but you are still in the mood to behold the glad tidings that you feel in your heart. Your family is happy and well, and so are you… think about it, and enjoy a lovely, loving week.

AQUARIUS Take care of a number of minor matters; you’ll feel as if you’ve happily accomplished the tasks of Hercules when they are all cleared up. Your ideas and words are very well-received; speak your mind. You are the social one!

PISCES Happy-happy-joy-joy. You’ll have a song on your lips as you make your way easily through a thicket of tasks and obligations. This week brings a surprise from a partner…anticipate it with a glad heart!

Source: NNPA News Service

Page 10

ENTERTAINMENT E-BRIEFS

Jazz-A-F!RE session headed to Soulsville

Competition open for Broad Ave. water tower project

The Memphis Black Arts Alliance (MBAA) Jazz-A-F!RE continues Oct. 27th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at its new location – The Towne Center at Soulsville, USA located at 915 East McLemore Ave. (across from the Stax Museum).

The new location for the cool sounds and rhythms of Memphis jazz signals a combining of forces with the LeMoyne-Owen Community Development Corporation. For Jazz-A-F!RE audiences the added value includes a larger venue and cabaret seating.

At Jazz-A-F!RE, the first hour features performances by professional musicians and instructors from MBAA’s FireHouse Community Arts Academy. The second hour (from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.) is a BYOI (Bring Your Own Instrument) jam session welcoming audience members to the stage. And yes, natural instruments (voices) can be part of the mix.

Admission is a $10 tax deductible cover charge. Refreshments will be available.

Since 1982, the Memphis Black Arts Alliance-FireHouse Community Arts Center has provided culturally-inspired opportunities to learn, experience, perform and celebrate dance, music, theater, visual and literary arts in a broad array of activities that “help children, families and individuals meet today’s challenges, creatively.”

The UrbanArt Commission has launched a national competition for the Broad Avenue Water Tower Public Art Project, which will lead to the installation of public art on the water tower, transforming it an iconic work of art.

The water tower concept could include lighting or other innovative 2D or 3D concepts beyond a mural design. The Water Tower Public Art Project is part of a larger placemaking initiative that includes the transformation of the warehouse dock below the water tower into a performing arts stage on weekends.

The project is funded by a grant from ArtPlace America.

The Binghampton Development Corporation, in partnership with the UrbanArt Commission, the Broad Avenue Arts District and Loeb Properties, are inviting artists/teams to apply for the Broad Avenue Water Tower Public Art Project. The deadline for those interested is Nov. 8. The budget is $70,000. Finalists will receive $1,000 honoraria for proposal development.

Eligibility? Artists currently living in the United States. Previous public art experience is required.

GATES

KW: Documentary director Kevin Williams says: “While making our film, Fear Of a Black Republican,” and also while screening it around the country, we have come across multiple divides, political affiliation, age, education, geographic, over the use of the term “black” versus “African-American.” Have you encountered different preferences in your travels around the country?

HLG: No, I find that people today tend to use them interchangeably. I use African-American, because I teach African Studies as well as African-American Studies, so it’s easy, neat and convenient.

But sometimes, when you’re in a barbershop, somebody’ll say, “Did you see what that Negro did?” A lot of people slip in and out of different terms effortlessly, and I don’t think the thought police should be on patrol. …

(For more information, visit the FireHouse Community Arts Center, at 985 South Bellevue Blvd., on Tues. through Fri. from 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, call 901-9489522 or visit www.memphisbla ckartsalliance.org.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: “…What’s it like to unearth, authenticate and publish a previously undocumented historic manuscript?”

HLG: … It’s like finding a treasure chest hidden in a cave. It’s the ultimate rush! Finding and authenticating “The Bondwoman’s Narrative” by Hannah Crafts was one of the greatest thrills of my whole life.

(Chuckles) http://www.amazon .com/exec/obidos/ASIN/04466902 95/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

KW: Harriet also observes that in your memoir, “Colored People,” you evoke an extraordinary sense of community at the annual picnics. How can we look back and recapture that sense while at the same time moving forward to a more multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society?

HLG: Well, I think that is what we do by preserving and telling our stories. If you don’t tell your stories, other people will tell their story about you. It’s important that we nurture and protect these memories. Things change. Existence means change. So, the kind of precious memories about being black for my generation won’t exist for my kids’ and grandkids’ generations unless we preserve them through fiction, through film, through comic books, and every other form of media we can possibly utilize to perpetuate the story of the great African-American people. …

(For more information, visit: http://www.urbanartcommission.or g/open-projects. Or, contact Siphne Sylve: ssylve@urbanart commission.org or call 901-4540474 x101.)

BRIEFLY: The Black Revolution on Campus will the focus of a lecture by the Hooks Institute 2012 National Book Award Winner, Martha Biondi, on Oct. 24 – lunch at 1 p.m., lecture at 1:30 p.m. – at the River Room, University Center, University of Memphis. The event is free.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: “How do you want to be remembered?”

HLG: … I want to be remembered as someone who tried to bring the story of our ancestors to the broadest possible audience. I want to be remembered as a man who loved his race.

(To see a preview of “The African Americans,” visit: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africanamericans-many-rivers-tocross/video/

(To order a copy of the TV series’ companion book, visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obid os/ASIN/1401935141/ref%3dnosim /thslfofire-20.)

October 17 - 23, 2013

Employment

Dement Construction Company, LLC (DCC, LLC) is in the initial stages of starting a construction project in Shelby County. DCC, LLC is in the process of determining employment opportunities for personnel in various job classifications. DCC, LLC participates in an On-The-Job (OJT) Program which provides employees training opportunities in a wide-field of job classifications and potential for advancement.

Minorities, females, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Please direct inquiries to the DCC, LLC website at: info@dementcontruction .com An Equal Opportunity Employer.

Legal notices

Notice of Public Comments Being Accepted The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) hereby gives notice that comments will be accepted from the public on proposed changes on fixed-route bus service until 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 25, 2013. No changes to MATAplus or Trolley service. No change to fares. The proposed changes are as follows: PROPOSED FIXED-ROUTE BUS SERVICE CHANGES 7 Air Park – Add one outbound trip in the am peak beginning at about 5:00am.

The trip will begin at Lamar and Bellevue.

11 Thomas – Route change for Weekday Nights and Sunday. Outbound from the North End Terminal (NET): right on A.W. Willis, left on Thomas, left on Pear, right on North Second/Whitney, left on Dellwood, left on Steele to end of the line at Steele and Corning. Inbound: right on Corning, right on Watkins, right on Frayser, left on Steele, right on Dellwood, right on Whitney/N. Second, left on Pear, right on Thomas, right on A.W. Willis, left on Second, right on Shadyac into NET. 13 Lauderdale – Route change for Weekday and Saturday. Inbound: regular route from Alice & Laramie to Central Station and then right on Front, and right A.W. Willis to the NET. Outbound: left on Shadyac, right on Third, right on Jackson, left on Front to Central Station; leaving Central Station, right on Front, right on G.E. Patterson and continue regular route to the end of the line.

20 Bellevue – Add one inbound trip to downtown in the am peak period beginning around 5:00 am.

36 Hacks Cross – Route change for Weekday and Saturday. Outbound: Regular route from NET to Union & Pauline, right on Pauline, left on Crump/Lamar and continue regular route to the end of the line at Hack Cross. Inbound: regular route from Hacks Cross to Lamar, right on Somerville/Linden, right on Pauline, and continue regular route to the NET. 39 South Third – Adjust schedule times at timepoints on Western Park branch on Weekday and Saturday.

42 Crosstown – Adjust schedule times to add four minutes to run time of each trip. Slight increase in frequency. Eliminate am and pm peak period trips serving Job Corps Center. See route 46-Whitehaven for replacement service.

46 Whitehaven Flyer – Change name to 46-Whitehaven. Route change for Weekday. Serve all stops along the route instead of only selected stops and serve the Jobs Corps Center in Whitehaven. Inbound: Job Corps Center at McAlister, left on Millbranch, right on Winfield, right on Elvis Presley/Bellevue and continue regular route to NET. Outbound: regular route to Millbranch & Winfield, straight on Millbranch, and right on McAlister to Job Corps Center.

52 Jackson - Route change for Weekday, Saturday and Sunday. Outbound: regular route from NET to Austin Peay, right on Covington Pike to end of the line at Wal-Mart. Inbound: from Covington Pike, right on Yale, left on Austin Peay, and continue regular route to the NET. 53 Summer – Route change for Weekday and Saturday. On trips that serve Binghampton, the loop will operate the same as Night and Sunday loop. Outbound: regular route from NET to Tillman, right on Tillman, left on Johnson, left on Holmes, right on Summer, and continue regular route to the end of the line. Inbound: regular route from the end of the line to Summer & Holmes, left on Holmes, right on Johnson, right on Tillman, left on Summer and continue regular route to the NET. 57 Park – Route change for Weekday, Saturday and Sunday. Inbound: from the end of the line (St. Francis or Kirby Road), regular route to Lamar, right on Lamar, left on Harbert, right on Bellevue, right on McLemore, regular route to the end of the line. Outbound: regular route from Benford & Davant to McLemore & Bellevue, left on Bellevue, right on Lamar, and continue regular route to the end of the line (Saint Francis or Kirby Road).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting MATA at 901-274-6282 or publiccomments@matatransit.com. Written comments can be submitted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2013 and can be mailed to 1370 Levee Road, Memphis, TN 38103; e-mailed to publiccomments @matatransit.com; or faxed to 901-7227123.

CLASSIFIEDS 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

MATAʼs Board of Commissioners will review and consider the comments and address the service changes at the October 28, 2013 Board meeting. If approved, the proposed service changes will be effective on December 1, 2013.

William Hudson, Jr., President/General Manager NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38134 until 9:30 a.m. on October 31, 2013 as shown below: MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REHABILITATION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE. SEALED BID SBI-000232 DUE: Thursday October 31, 2013 1. Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead based paint safe work practices and techniques.

Detailed specifications for items above may be obtained in the Shelby County Department of Housing at the aforementioned address. All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600.

As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance Eligibility Number prior to the submitting your response. Your EOC number must be displayed on the outside of your envelope for each bid submission.

As a condition precedent to being awarded jobs involving Lead Based Paint, contractors must be certified through EPA as an RRP contractor and/or show proof of application to EPA for said certification and be certified through the State of Tennessee as a Lead Based Paint Firm.

Proof of licensing at time of bid submission is required by the Shelby County Department of Housing.

The label, which is attached to the specifications shall be completely filled out and attached to the bid submission envelope. You must display your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number or your Locally Owned Small Business (LOSB) Number on the outside of your envelope and a copy of all licenses and insurance policies must be included in your submitted bid package. Unless the label is completely filled out and your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number is noted thereon your bid may be returned to you unopened. Should your label be lost or misplaced, please note the appropriate information in the lower left-hand corner of your envelope.

The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs.

The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.

By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR., MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Jim Vazquez, Administrator

PUBLIC NOTICE SHELBY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING SECTION 3 CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION FOR CDBG, HOME, LEAD HAZARD CONTROL, AND OTHER GRANT ACTIVITIES Shelby County, through the Shelby County Department of Housing, provides a variety of services utilizing federal funds from the U.S. Department of HUD which benefit low-to-moderate-income individuals throughout Shelby County.

These services are carried out under the auspices of federally funded programs such as CDBG, HOME, and LEAD BASED PAINT HAZARD REDUCTION. These programs all encourage the use of Section 3 Contractors as designated by Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as found at 24 CFR Part 135.

Currently, the Department of Housing is accepting certification from Section 3 contractors for program participation in the aforementioned programs.

This certification will insure that Section 3 contractors are notified of opportunities to participate in projects during the Shelby County Department of Housingʼs program year which runs from July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014.

All Contractors and Section 3 contractors interested in participating in Shelby County Department of Housing contract-

Tri-State Defender

DEADLINES; Display ads Monday 5 p.m.

Classified ads Monday 5 p.m.

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

ing activities during the Fiscal Year 2014 should attend a contractor meeting scheduled at the Department of Housing on Tuesday November 5, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. in Room W-263 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. If you plan to attend the public hearing and have special needs, please contact the Department of Housing at (901) 222-7600 and we will work to accommodate you.

Interested contractors may also contact: Mr. Tom Fletcher Shelby County Department of Housing 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38134 (901) 222-7608 TTY Number (901) 545-4584 Shelby County Government and the Shelby County Department of Housing are equal opportunity employers and encourage both the enrollment and participation of minority and female owned and operated businesses, companies certified as Locally Owned Small Businesses through the Shelby County Equal Opportunity Compliance Office, and Section 3 Contractors in all programs.

Para mas información en Español, por favor llame al 901-545-4265.

The Shelby County Department of Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services. Equal opportunity/equal access provider.

Attest: Jim Vazquez Administrator

Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (“Authority”) Addendum No. 1 To Request for Bids 13-1364-00 For Boiler Tube Replacement in Boilers 3 &4 Issue Date: October 11, 2013 RECITALS WHEREAS, The Authority issued a certain Request for Bids MSCAA Project 131364-00 Boiler Tube Replacement in Boilers 3 and 4 issued on October 1, 2013 (the “RFB”); and WHEREAS, The Authority now wishes to amend certain of the Specifications set forth in the RFB; NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants, agreements and conditions set forth in the RFB: Item No. 1 The bid due date has been extended as follows: Sealed bids for the Boiler Tube Replacement in Boilers 3 & 4, MSCAA Project No. 13-1364-00 will be received by the Staff Services Division of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA), 3505 Tchulahoma Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38118, until 2:00 PM local time on Monday, October 28, 2013, BIDS WILL NOT BE RECEIVED AT ANY OTHER LOCATION, and thereafter will be opened and publicly read. No bids will be accepted after the stated deadline.

A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. local time at the Memphis International Airport Terminal A Baggage Lobby, located at 2491 Winchester Road, Memphis, TN. Only those attending will be allowed to submit responses to this Request for Bids.

The MSCAA hereby notifies that it will review and award contracts in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4a and Title 49, Part 26, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act. MSCAA further notifies all Bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age, race, sex, color, national origin, creed, religion, sexual orientation or disability in its hiring and employment practices, or in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services and activities. The DBE participation goal for this contract is 0% in accordance with the requirements of the Contract Documents.

SPECIFICATION ATTACHMENTS:U None DRAWING ATTACHMENTS:U None This addendum must be signed, to acknowledge receipt, and dated by the respondent and returned to the Authority as part of the respondents RFB response.

Failure to do so may be grounds for disqualification of the response. The signed addendum, acknowledging receipt of Addendum No. 1 by the respondent, must be included in the response packet, immedi-

COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

BRIEFS & THINGS

October honors for area educators

“Businesses United to Recognize Educators” celebrated the October honorees on Tuesday (Oct. 15) at the Downtown Econo Lodge at 22 North Third Street.

Seven distinguished educators and educational programs were saluted, along with a “Friend to Education” from the business sector.

The honorees were: • Marilyn M. Simelton, John P. Freeman Optional School – The Margaret B. McKissick-Larry Outstanding Female Educator of the Month Award.

• Mark R. Owens, Carnes Elementary Optional School – The Commodore C. Primous Outstanding Male Educator of the Month Award.

• Bonnie Winters, Thurgood Marshall Charter Schools of Career Development – The Pat B. Moore Outstanding Auxiliary Educator of the Month Award.

• Talethia A. Steward, Cromwell Elementary School - The John W. White Outstanding Principal of the Month Award.

• The Marcus Mosiah Garvey Institute & Teaching Academy, Jibril Shabazz, Principal – The Sara L. Lewis Outstanding School of the Month Award.

• Northside High Gang Prevention Program, Dr. Jeffery Ryan Futrell, director – The Ophelia Watson Flowers Outstanding Program of the Month Award.

• Roosevelt Hancock Jr. - Retired administrator, Memphis City Schools – The Willie W. Herenton Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award.

• Elaine Turner, executive director and founder of Heritage Tours – The Jimmy Delnoah Williams Outstanding Friend to Education Award

Page 11

October 17 - 23, 2013

Block Party and Picnic For Peace – A free and purposeful good time Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Brittney Gathen

According to State Rep. Antonio Parkinson (District 98), the Block Party and Picnic For Peace had four anchoring purposes, including helping people improve their quality of life through education, employment and health.

“The other three purposes were to showcase the businesses in the community, create an economic impact in the community where the event is, and create an event that would increase the pride in the community,” said Parkinson.

Now in its seventh year, the Block Party and Picnic For Peace has grown tremendously in length and attendance. What started off as a threehour event with an attendance of 300 has grown into a three-day event with

an attendance of about 13,000.

The 2013 Block Party and Picnic for Peace is a free event that will be held at the Ed Rice Community Center at 2907 N. Watkins from Friday through Sunday (Oct 18-20). Sponsors include Kroger, Methodist North Hospital, Black Market Strategies, State Rep., Antonio Parkinson.

“People are starving for something good, something positive in their community,” said Parkinson.

“We are able to fill that void by having this event.”

For many, the health-related offerings are much sought-after helping hands.

“It’s doing everything we wanted it to do, even with people that are uninsured,” said Parkinson.

“With Healthy City Health and Wellness Affair, which is our health fair that happens inside of the Block Party – the largest health fair in the

city, with over 40 vendors there, presented by Methodist North Hospital – a lot of people come that get free access to tons of health related offerings such as blood pressure and glucose screenings, free physicals for the kids, all kinds of things that are health related. And it doesn’t cost them anything.”

Here’s the schedule for the 2013 Block Party and Picnic for Peace: • Friday, Oct. 18 – Media Launch, 6 a.m.-10 a.m.; field trip for day Cares and elementaries, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; senior activities, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Nancy Apple, noon-1 p.m.; senior prom-dance social for senior citizens, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.; My School Rocks! Talent Competition, Wreck Kidz, D3, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Sat., Oct. 19 – 5K For Peace Run/Walk to Fight Childhood Obesity (#BP5K), 8 a.m.-10 a.m.; Wake Up! Shape Up! Saturday Bootcamps

Hattiloo, Hattiloo, Hattiloo!...

While construction continues on the new Hattiloo Theatre complex that is scheduled to open next year in Overton Square, this yearʼs season of performances rolls on with the current production of “Steel Magnolias,” which features (l-r) Emma Crystal, Bronzjuan Worthy, Jackie Muskin, Gia Broadway and Sophia Livingston. (Photo: Audrea Zucker)

Black Girls CODE plans gaming workshop at CBU

The Memphis chapter of Black Girls CODE will host its fifth workshop on Nov. 2 in the Nolan Engineering Building at Christian Brothers University; 650 East Parkway South.

Classes will focus on game development using Scratch, part of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab. “Our upcoming game development workshop will be an illustration of the diversity of opportunities for girls in computer science. We hope after this and every workshop that girls begin to understand how easy and fun it is to code, and that some of them opt to pursue careers in software” said Meka Egwuekwe, Core Team Lead.

Taught by Dr. Juan Carlos Olabe of Christian Brothers, the workshop will be geared towards introducing participants to animation, gaming, and creating interactive stories. No prior programming experience is required for the class.

Workshops are $35 per child, with limited scholarships available.

Check-in will begin at 9 a.m., and class at 10 am. Parents are encouraged to register children online as soon as possible. The workshop is open to girls ages 10-17.

Community Outreach Lead Nicole Harris credited Christian Brothers and sponsors like Lokion Interactive for helping to “empower girls who may never otherwise have the opportunity to learn about programming.”

Those who want to volunteer should visit www.blackgirlscode.com.

Businesses or organizations interested in food sponsorships or swag bag donations are encouraged to reach out to Non-Technical & Fundraising Lead Tonya Meeks at tonya.meeks @gmail.com. For more information, contact Meka Egwuekwe, Core Team Lead, at meka@lokion.com or 901484-4203. Online Registration: https://bgcmemphisgameworkshop .eventbrite.com.

BRIEFLY: Dr. Helmut Steinberg of UT Methodist Physicians will speak on “Diabetes prevention and management” at Methodist South Hospital during the lunch and learn event scheduled for Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. –to1 p.m. in meeting rooms A & B, basement floor level, 1300 Wesley Drive in Whitehaven. The event is free and open to the public. Free blood pressure and glucose screenings will be available. A light lunch will be served and seating is limited, so register by calling 888-777-5959.

BRIEFLY: During the University of Memphis Marcus Orr Center for the Humanities’ lecture on Oct. 24, Dr. Kevin Mumford, professor of History at the University of Illinois, will lecture on “Beyond the Closet: Reinventing African American Gay History, 1963-1988” in the University Center Theater. A welcoming reception will be at 5:30 p.m. in the theater lobby followed by the lecture at 6 p.m. The lecture is free, with affordable parking in the Zach Curlin Ave parking garage, directly across from the University Center.

BRIEFLY: Goodwill Homes Community Services will put on a seminar designed to address confusion about health care reform next Tuesday (Oct. 22) at the Senior Citizens Center at 163 Raines Rd. The seminar will be presented by Stuart Zalowitz, a NAHY Healthcare Reform consultant with Zalowitz Frisch. For more information, call 901-844-6787.

(#WakeUpShakeUp), 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Healthy City Health and Wellness Affair presented by Methodist North Hospital (#LoveYourself), 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Children’s Programming – Outside Stage, 10 a.m.-noon; Hip Hop for Peace-Hip Hop and Rap/DJ, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.; • Inside Stage – 11 a.m. - Parent/Teen Interactive: Real and Uncut

by Breath of Life Christian Center; 12:15 p.m.- 5 Listens-Town Hall Meeting; 1:30 p.m. - Pursuit of God Praise Team; 2 p.m.- Iyse Gibson; 2:30 p.m. - Line dance; 2:45 p.m. Success in the City: 7 women, 7 stories - Real and Uncut!; 4 p.m. - Will Graves and Soul; 5 p.m. - Lil Rounds; 6 p.m. - The Dealer’s Band; • Sunday, Oct. 20 – Pursuit of God Transformation Center Service, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; flat screen giveaway, 4 p.m.; car giveaway courtesy of Rangeline CDC, 5 p.m.

And many more…

Little Mary-Isabella Grace was the center of attention last Saturday (Oct. 12) at a birthday party where family members noted her first birthday.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Speaking of recognition…

The Orange Mound Toastmasters saluted charter members during a presentation last Friday (Oct. 11). Pictured (l-r): Sitting – Ernestine Reser, Martha L. Jones, Betty Gales, Mary Mitchell, Clarence B. Johnson, Eunice Carruthers and Rubysteen Tucker; Standing – John Wallace, Christopher Sweet, Rosanna Kendall, Virginia L. Ezell, Mae Yancy, Linda K. Williams, L. Kaye Houston, Michael E. Saine and Percy Wiggins. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

New CEO for Chickasaw Council Boy Scouts

Long-time Boy Scout Executive Richard L. Fisher has joined the Chickasaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) as its new chief executive officer in Memphis.

“Our program here in the Mid-South is strong and the commitment from the communities we serve is outstanding,” said Fisher.

“I’m very excited to be here and for the opportunity to share my heartfelt belief in the lifechanging impact of Scouting.”

Fisher joined the Memphis-based Chickasaw Council as chief executive officer last month after 24 years of service with Scout councils primarily in the Midwest, and most recently in Detroit. The Chickasaw Council operates on a $3.8 million annual budget and with a staff of 33 who coordinate the activities of nearly 4,000 volunteer Scout leaders across 17 Mid-South counties.

“Richard brings a set of skills, an infectious enthusiasm and a passion for Scouting principals that will serve our Scouts and Scout leaders well, especially as we expand our urban ScoutReach Richard program,” said ChickaL. Fisher saw Council Board Chairman Jimmy Lackie.

The Chickasaw Council has a $12 million “Keep the Campfires Burning” capital campaign underway to fund major improvements at Camp Kia Kima and Camp Currier. During his career, Fisher has raised more than $16 million.

Fisher has demonstrated his ability to reach underserved youth, including writing “Gangs, Language, Colors and Signs,” a training guide for volunteers working in gang-infested communities. He also created a 3-on-3 basketball tournament to recruit older boys to Scouting and developed a program through which sons could connect on a monthly basis with mothers who were incarcerated and participate with them in Scouting activities at their correctional facilities.

Fisher grew up in Chicago and St. Louis and graduated from the University of Kansas. He and his wife, Marci, have two daughters.

Students’ Rights Summit set for Gandhi-King Youth Conference

ACLU-TN will present the “Youth in Action: Students’ Rights Summit” as part of the 2013 Gandhi-King Youth Conference on Friday (Oct. 18).

The summit offers middle and high school students the opportunity to explore how the Constitution affects their day-to-day lives. Participants will choose from interactive workshops outlining students’ rights on issues, including privacy, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and expression, juvenile justice, bullying, youth activism, LGBTQ

equality, and interactions with law enforcement.

Workshop leaders include Shelby County Commissioner and University of Memphis law professor Steven J. Mulroy, Tennessee Youth Court Program Coordinator Denise Bentley, Memphis Public Library Collection Development Manager Alan Stewart, SisterReach CEO Cherisse Scott, Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center Executive Director Will Batts, ACLU of Tennessee board member and Attorney Partner at Apperson Crump,

PLC Bruce S. Kramer, and student representatives of the Memphis Branch NAACP’s Youth Council.

“We’re excited to connect youth with community leaders to discuss how they can leverage their rights to empower themselves and initiate the change they want to see in the world,” said Claire Gardner, ACLUTN community engagement associate and event organizer.

The summit is being offered as part of the Gandhi-King Youth Conference, cosponsored by BRIDGES and Mid-South Peace and Justice Center.

The conference is for middle and high school students only. Registration and breakfast are from 7:30-8:30 a.m. on the day of the conference.

The program will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Cost of attendance is $20 per student, with scholarships are available. Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge. The conference will be held at the BRIDGES Center, located at 477 North 5th Street in Memphis.

For more information, visit http://www.bit.ly/SRSGKYC or call 615-320-7142.

SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, October 17 - 23, 2013, Page 12

Tigers looking to get over the hump

Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers on October 13 at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. (Photo: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Next chance to ʻfinishʼ comes Saturday against SMU at home.

Special to The New TriState Defender

by J.R. Moorhead

Columnist rips Adrian Peterson’s decision to play after tragedy The Grio

by Todd Johnson New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick strikes again.

This time, he is focusing on Adrian Peterson.

His latest column rips he Minnesota Vikings running back and reigning NFL MVP for his decision to play with his teammates in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

Peterson’s Vikings lost 35-10.

Mushnick writes that it’s “sickening” Peterson would make such a decision given the news of his dying son, who was allegedly murdered by a grown man.

But Mushnick doesn’t stop there – he piles on: With his resources, how could Peterson, the NFL’s MVP, have allowed his son to remain in such an environment? Did he not know, or not care? Or not care to know? Or not know to care?

Money can’t buy love, but having signed a $96 million deal, he could not have provided his child – apparently his second from a “baby mama” – a safe home?

So not only does Mushnick write that Peterson’s decision to play sickens him, he suggests that Peterson should have essentially bought this baby boy “another life.”

You got all that? According to Mushnick, it’s Peterson who should share some of the blame for at least not putting his son in a better environment.

Nevermind the fact that Peterson had reportedly just learned the son was biologically his.

If you want to write a column, which says that Peterson’s incredible talent as a football player doesn’t guarantee he’s a great person off the field, that’s one thing.

I’m not sure now is the time to write that column, but perhaps down the road.

Perhaps a column solely criticizing certain media for not making a distinction between Peterson the man and Peterson the football player is in order.

Great players don’t always equal great men or great women.

But Mushnick seems more concerned with bringing Peterson down in a time of personal tragedy under the guise of nuanced media criticism.

After all, this is the same columnist who suggested the Brooklyn Nets might as well be called the New York N****** because Jay-Z has used the word in past songs.

Offensive writing is Mushnick’s gimmick. It’s his game plan – one that has been rightfully panned by top sports blogs.

His column intended to question Peterson’s character. But all it did was raise the very same question – more legitimately in this case – about him.

(Follow theGrio.com’s Sports Editor Todd Johnson on Twitter @rantodd.)

Quincy Pondextor, who led the Grizzlies in scoring, including 17 points in the first half, drives to the basket and is fouled by Miroslav Raduljica of Milwaukee. (Photos: Warren Roseborough)

Griz work to purge ‘preseason sloppiness’ Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kelley Evans

With four preseason games left, the Memphis Grizzlies are looking to cut down on turnovers and careless mistakes.

The “preseason sloppiness” will cease, Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger said on Tuesday after the team defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 102-99 at FedExForum.

Now 2-2, the Grizzlies entered the game averaging 20 turnovers but only turned the ball over 13 times. They played without Mike Miller, Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, Tayshaun Prince, Willie Reed and newly-signed guard Andre Barrett. The team will play its next three tilts on the road before finishing the preseason against Houston on Oct. 25 at FedExForum.

Against Milwaukee, Quincy Pondexter topped his career single-game high of 17 points, leading all scorers with 24 points in his first start of the season.

“He had a very good summer, came in in great shape, and had a lot of confidence,” Joerger said of Pondexter.

“He got his feet wet the other night, and then tonight, getting to start, I think it’s good confidence for a guy. I like what he brings as far as being able to shoot the basketball.”

Marc Gasol and Jerryd Bayless finished with 18 points.

Milwaukee (0-4) came into the game seriously looking for a win but failed to execute in the final seconds down the stretch. The Bucks only brought back four team members from last season and they’ve added former Grizz guard O.J. Mayo to the mix.

The Grizzlies showed grit in pulling out the victory.

Memphis led by as many as 11 points. There were seven lead changes and the game was tied eight times. Down 9792 with one minute left to play, the Grizzlies reeled off 10 straight points to take a 102-97 lead with three seconds left.

That stretch included a game-changing play courtesy of Grizz point guard Mike Conley, who drove for a layoff only to be fouled by Mayo. Conley got the shot off, with the basketball slowly rolling around the rim before falling

Tony Allen of the Grizzlies greets former teammate O.J. Mayo, who now is a starter for the Milwaukee Bucks after playing for Dallas last year.

in. Conley made the free throw, ringing up a three-point play and triggering screams from the crowd of 11,164 as the Grizzlies took the lead 98-97.

“We were in a situation there, down two with a six- or seven-second differential,” said Joerger. “You need to execute whatever you run. We were trying to get a quick one so we would have the last opportunity whether we scored on the first one or not, and we did. Tonight we were good against Milwaukee executing out of the timeouts.”

Brandon Knight led the Bucks in scoring with 19 points. He also added four rebounds and five assists.

The Grizzlies’ losses have been to the Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks, with wins over Maccabi Haifa and the Bucks.

They will hit the road to play the Orlando Magic, the Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors. The Grizzlies open the season in San Antonio against the Spurs on Oct. 30. The home opener is Nov. 1 versus the Detroit Pistons.

Zach Randolph of the Memphis Grizzlies (left) battles Brian Randle of MACCABI HAIFA Israel for a loose ball in a preseason matchup the Grizzlies won easily, 116-70.

An underdog going up against the Cougars in Houston last weekend, the University of Memphis football Tigers had been steadily improving and the thought of a victory wasn’t beyond the realm of reality.

The Tigers clearly believed that, holding a 1510 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Unfortunately for the “Big Blue Nation,”the Cougars rallied handing the Tigers (1-4) a 25-15 setback, their fourth loss this season.

For Memphis, it was the second time in as many games in conference competition that the Tigers had the lead late in the game and couldn’t come away with a win. After a chaotic finish, Memphis stumbled the week before against UCF after edging ahead early in the fourth quarter.

Many may question why the Tigers can’t finish, but maybe they need a different perspective. Because when you look at the past few seasons, Memphis was getting blown out pretty consistently and rarely ever had a chance to pull out a win against a quality opponent.

“The way it goes is that it’s so close, the difference is so razor thin every single week that, you know, they make a couple plays and you don’t make a couple plays and you lose,” said Memphis head coach Justin Fuente after the Tigers’ latest loss.

So how do you solve that problem?

“The bottom line is you’ve got to get the job done, and we will. We’ll absolutely get it done,” said Fuente. “We just have to continue to head in the right direction. Your margin of error is very small. I anticipate we’ll continue to keep improving, keep getting better and keep playing hard.”

And anyone who questions the Tigers’ improvement under second-year coach Fuente is either blind or hasn’t been watching. The most obvious example is Memphis jumping from 117th to 11th in Division-I defensive rankings in just two seasons.

The Tigers’ defense has been the main reason Memphis has been competitive this season.

Still, the improvement that everyone is looking for is the one in the win column. Memphis’ next chance to do that will be this weekend (Oct. 19) against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. However, don’t read too much into their record, with losses coming against Texas Tech, Texas A&M, TCU and Rutgers.

SMU is coming off a bye week, so Coach June Jones, Texas transfer QB Garret Gilbert and the Mustangs should be ready for game day.

The Tigers look to stay confident and hungry.

“An opportunity is right there in front of us. Our kids have done a great job of battling away and we’ve got to find a way to get over the hump,” said Fuente.

NOTE: Game time is at 11 a.m. at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, with ESPN regional coverage