11 20 2013

VOL. 62, No. 46

November 14 - 20, 2013

www.tsdmemphis.com

75 Cents

Love-packing Optimist still serving children at 100 Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Brittney Gathen

Lenora Green (Courtesy photo)

Acclaimed soprano joins LOC & Stax as artist in residence

Lenora Green, recognized as one of America’s most talented sopranos, has joined The LeMoyne-Owen College and Stax Music Academy as artist in residence.

“We are pleased that Ms. Green brings with her a dynamic portfolio of classical music experience, and has already engaged an expectant, talented Multi-talstudent community ented in instruction and performance,” said Lenora Dr. Cheryl Golden, LOC vice president Green is aland chief academic ready teachofficer. ing her “We are espepupils the cially pleased with the prospect for business forging even side of stronger bonds with Stax through our music. mutual appreciation for Ms. Green’s work, and look forward to many collaborative opportunities.”

As artist in residence, Green will teach master classes, provide vocal coaching, and deliver several recitals and concerts, bridging active relationships between the two institutions, Opera Memphis, and other community entities during her tenure.

Green also is hard at working teaching her pupils the business side of SEE GREEN ON PAGE 2

- INSIDE -

• New book says President Obama had a ‘diss’ list. See Opinion, page 4.

• Meet John Garcia - first Latin American sergeant with Shelby County Sheriff’s Department. See Community, page 8.

• Tenn on a star-spangled search for music success.

See Entertainment, page 9.

At 100 years old, retired teacher and former Sunday school teacher Etha Wiggins has had plenty of time to become passionate about helping young people, and she believes that it is exactly what God called her to do.

“I just love children. I love working with them and teaching them. I give God the credit,” Wiggins said. “He just called me to be with the kids.”

Wiggins is a member of the Curve Optimist Club, the motto of which is “bringing out the best in kids.” She says, “We do different things for them. We teach them positive thinking, good behavior, and academic achievement.”

Wiggins is also the club chair for the Junior Optimist Octagon International (JOOI) Club.

This organization, according to Wiggins, is “kids helping kids.”

“They do several projects. They work on the Childhood Cancer Campaign; that is, they collect aluminum tabs and save them for the Ronald McDonald House. They do a JOOI for reading program. We gather books and pass them out to children. We also do the Souper Bowl. They collect food for the food bank.”

The Junior Optimists, said Wiggins, holds the clue to diminishing crime and violence.

“I’m working with (this) group to diminish crime and violence. They have a clue to diminish crime and violence, and none of you adults would believe it! They are sharing it with the public, but nobody seems to believe it. Nobody believes the clue that we use.”

Wiggins said the clue is love. She is confident that she knows why people don’t believe in the clue. “(They) are working on so many different plans and strategies and things like that,” she said. “When you fight a criminal, he’s going to

Etha Wiggins is smart enough not to try to do too much at age 100, and wise enough to know that young people need help learning how to think positively. (Photo: Louis ʻ Ziggy ʼ Tucker)

fight back…so…love. …God is love. Love can diminish crime and evil.”

Wiggins shared that she was able to become the club chair of the JOOI Club through her involvement in the Curve Optimist Club.

“I organize different JOOI Clubs. We have enrolled seven, but right now, we have only three that are active. They are the Metropolitan Club, Cummings Elementary School Club and

Determined to show that love is the cure for crime and violence, 100-yearold Etha Wiggins distributes handmade flyers that promote the idea and speak to her commitment to young people.

(Photo: Brittney Gathen)

the Sharpe Elementary School Club.”

Wiggins’ main activity right now is working with young people.

“I am not doing too much now, except working with the children. …I’m 100 years old. I beSEE OPTIMIST ON PAGE 2

Obamacare promises: Where things stand CNN

by Matt Smith It has been a rough month or so for the Affordable Care Act and the Obama administration, which has been struggling to get its signature health insurance program off the ground.

Obamacare, the effort to extend health coverage to every American, has already achieved some of its biggest goals: no more denials of coverage for pre-existing conditions, allowing parents to keep children on their policies up to age 26, the eventual phase-out of the “doughnut hole” for Medicare’s prescription drug coverage.

But the big enchilada was the rollout of the online federal and state exchanges for Americans to shop for insurance coverage, and that has been plagued by delays since the October 1 launch. Obama also was forced to admit that his longstanding reassurance that people could keep their insurance plans if they liked them wasn’t holding up, as insurers began sending cancellation notices to an estimated several million people whose individual policies don’t meet Obamacare requirements for comprehensive coverage.

SEE OBAMACARE ON PAGE 3

Only 26,794 people have completed the enrollment process for health care coverage through HealthCare.gov, the federally run online portal for Obamacare health insurance, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius told reporters on a conference call on Wednesday. In addition, 79,391 have enrolled for coverage through separate state-based exchanges. (Photo: CNN/Healthcare.gov)

Champ and the children…

Serenity Holloway

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H- 6 3o - L - 5 0o P a r tl y C l oud y

H- 6 9o - L - 6 2o Few Sho wers

H- 7 1o - L - 5 2o T-Showers

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-60 L-52 H-60 L-46 H-70 L-55

Saturday H-69 L-64 H-68 L-58 H-73 L-63

Sunday H-73 L-50 H-70 L-57 H-74 L-62

As part of the FedEx One Rate, Countless Possibilities Through Education Program, Super Bowlwinning coach Tony Dungy visited students at TFA-supported Ford Road Elementary School on Wednesday (Nov. 13).

Now until Dec. 23, FedEx is donating $1 for every One Rate transaction and use of #countlesspossibilities in social media, up to $200,000.

(Photo: James B. Pittman/FedEx)

NEWS

Page 2

African American Male Image Awards set for Nov. 16

The 19th Annual African American Male Image Awards Banquet – presented by the Hobson-Goodlow Education Foundation and the Memphis Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. – will be held at The Hotel Memphis, 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd., on Saturday beginning at 6 p.m.

Edward Stanton III, U.S. Atty. for the Western District of Tennessee, will be the keynote speaker. Radio personality Bev Johnson of WDIA will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies.

The banquet, which raises funds to support college-bound African-American male high school seniors, also recognizes African-American men in the Memphis community who are role models for brotherhood, scholarship and community service. Banquet co-chair George Hilliard said the Hobson-Goodlow Education Foundation recognizes men who excel in six key areas – arts, business, corporate, community service, education and Religion.

Local honorees for 2013 are: Education – Bobby White, founder and CEO of Frayser Community Schools; Business – Charles Sims Jr., president, The Sims Financial Group, Inc.; Religion – Milton Hawkins, pastor, Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ; Community Service – Van Turner, attorney, Bruce Turner, PLLC; Corporate – Shannon Brown, senior vice president, FedEx; and Arts – Bernal E. Smith II, president and publisher, The New Tri-State Defender.

The fraternity also will present its “Service for Humanity” Award to David Porter, Hall of Fame songwriter and record producer, The Consortium MMT (Memphis Music Town). Individual $1,000 scholarships will be given to five young men who exemplify the ideals of the fraternity.”

The Memphis Alumni Chapter – Tau Iota Sigma – was chartered on June 7, 1935.

James Bailey is president of the Memphis Alumni Chapter.

Tickets are $45 each and a table of 10, $450. For more information, call 901-409-0762.

Tri-State Defender

November 14 - 20, 2013 GREEN

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

The President and I…

Lamman Rucker of Tyler Perryʼs “Meet the Browns” emceed the National Civil Rights Museumʼs Freedom Award Public Forum at Temple of Deliverance COGIC last Wednesday (Nov. 7th) morning and then shared this exchange with International Freedom Award honoree Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland, at the annual gala at the Cook Convention Center that evening. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

OPTIMIST

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

long to Metropolitan Baptist Church and I’ve had different offices and positions of work in the Metropolitan Church. I worked with the missionary society (which) they used to call ‘The Missioners,’ and I

served as director of Christian Education.”

With another reference to JOOI Club, Wiggins said, “JOOI Clubs are working, gangs are out. JOOI clubs are good alternatives for gangs.”

Listening to Wiggins, it’s clear that she has advice for people who work with young people and that she is willing

to share it freely.

“Children want to belong to something,” she said. “The Junior Optimists can kind of help them (gang members) out. …Get friendly with them … and try to win them over.”

(TSD intern Brittney Gathen is a student at the University of Memphis.)

music.

“In this business, it’s not just about talent; it’s about work and being professional,” said Green.

With that end in mind, Green is working with Street Corner Harmonies, a local choir comprised of vocalists and instrumentalists associated with the Stax Music Academy’s SNAP! After School, a program that provides music education, mentoring and unique performance opportunities to youth.

Green ’s also wants to educate the community.

“One of my main goals is outreach,” she said. “I want more people to know about and appreciate opera and classical voice.”

The renowned sopranos first performance is at The LeMoyne-Owen College Fall Recital on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. at Lane Music, 9309 Poplar Ave. in Germantown.

For more information, contact the Arts and Humanities Division at 901-435-1306.

No stranger to the stage, Green’s 2012/13 season showcased her debut on the Michigan Opera Theater stage, followed by a New Orleans Opera Association appearance as Berta in Rossini’s “II Barbiere di Siviglia.” She has appeared as Antonia in Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” and as Donna

Anna in “Don Giovanni” at the Kaye Playhouse with the Martina Arroyo Foundation.

Other roles performed include the Lady with the Cake box in Dominick Argento’s “Postcard from Morocco,” Eurydice in “Orpheus in the Underworld,” and Madmne Lidoine in Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmelites.” She also has appeared at the acclaimed Glimmerglass Festival singing the role of the High Priestess in Verdi’s “Aida,” directed by Francesca Zambello.

Green greatly enjoys performing featured soprano roles on the concert stage appearing in such masterworks as Mozart’s “Coronation Mass in C Major,” “Exsultate Jubilate” and “Vesperae Solennes”; Richard Strauss’s “Vier Letzte Lieder”; Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9”; J. S. Bach’s “St. John’s Passion”; and John Rutter’s “Requiem.”

Her presentations have garnered numerous awards, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council’s District of North Carolina Encouragement award. Green also has emerged victorious in such competitions as the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the William Knight Competition, and the Music Teachers National Association, which named her the national winner of their Young Artist Competition. She also was awarded a young artist prize from the Asolo Festival and Institute for Song Interpretation in northern Italy.

NEWS

Tri-State Defender

Obama reveals Malia’s peanut allergy during bill signing

(CNN) – President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed a bill that, it turns out, hits close to home.

H.R. 2094, the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, was passed with bipartisan support to help students with food allergies, including oldest daughter Malia.

“This is something that will save children’s lives,” the President said at the signing.

“Some people may know that Malia actually has a peanut allergy. She doesn”t have asthma, but obviously making sure that EpiPens are available in case of emergency in schools is something that every parent can understand.”

The new law provides incentives to schools to set up plans to have EpiPens and trained

staff members more readily available.

It gives funding preferences for asthma treatment grants to states where schools keep emergency supplies of epinephrine, allow school employees with training to administer it and develop a plan to make sure trained staffers are available during all school hours.

This is the first time Obama spoke of Malia, 15, having a peanut allergy.

Earlier, the family revealed that she suffered from allergies and that they were part of the decision on what kind of dog to get after the president took office.

OBAMACARE

were determined to be eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but it wasn’t clear how many had joined those state-administered programs.

The reaction from Republicans, who unanimously opposed the legislation, was swift. House Speaker John Boehner called the results “a symbol of the failure of the President’s health care law. It is a rolling calamity that must be scrapped.”

White House spokesman Jay Carney conceded before the numbers came out that they would be lower than expected.

But Jonathan Gruber, the economist who helped design the Massachusetts health care program used as the model for the Affordable Care Act, said the first month’s figures are

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

So, here’s a quick look at some of the problems the Affordable Care Act has encountered and what is being done to address them:

Issue: Enrollments

Target: 7 million by March 31.

Status: More than 106,000 people had signed up by Wednesday – but nearly 80,000 of those joined through the exchanges set up by 14 states and the District of Columbia. The buggy federal website, which handles enrollments for 36 of the 50 states, produced fewer than 27,000.

Another 396,000 people

Page 3

November 14 - 20, 2013

(CNN’s Steve Brusk and Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.)

Marissa Alexander case: no decision on bond theGrio

by Joy-Ann Reid

Marissa Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in prison in May 2012 for firing a warning shot in an effort to scare off her abusive husband. She tried to use Floridaʼs “stand your ground” law to derail the prosecution. (Photo: CNN) “meaningless.”

“The real deadline we have to focus on is March of next year,” Gruber, who also advised the Obama administration, told CNN’s “The Lead.”

“That’s when the individual mandate kicks in. That’s when people need to be signed up, and what we saw in Massachusetts was a large rush before the mandate kicked in.”

Issue: HealthCare.gov

Target: A capacity of 50,00060,000 users at any given time.

Status: Currently 20,00025,000, White House Chief Technology Officer Todd Park said Wednesday. Henry Chao, the chief information officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the site can process nearly

The judge in the case of Marissa Alexander, the Florida mother of three who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot over the head of her husband, who she claimed abused her, made no decision on whether to release her on bond Wednesday (Nov. 13).

Alexander’s attorneys filed the motion for release this week, before Judge James Daniel in Jacksonville. Daniel was the trial judge in Alexander’s original case.

In court, they argued that Alexander poses no threat to society, or to Rico Gray, her husband, with whom she is finalizing a divorce. The lawyers said there is no longer animosity between the two. The state attorney’s office opposed bail, saying there was nothing new about the case, no new evidence, and “nothing new about Marissa” that would indicate she should be granted bond.

17,000 registrations per hour.

“We have much work still to do but are making progress at a growing rate,” Park told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The administration has said it aims to get the website working for a “vast majority” of Americans looking to enroll by November 30. ‘The team is working really hard to hit that goal,” Park said Wednesday.

But Rep. Blake Farenthold, RTexas, expressed some skepticism about that target: “As a former web developer, that was what I was telling clients when we were gonna miss a deadline.”

Issue: Retaining existing plans

Target: In touting the Af-

Alexander has spent 1,007 days behind bars, including a 365-day sentence on a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from a December incident at Gray’s home, months after the August gun incident.

The two have a daughter, who is three and a half years old, and Alexander has two middle school aged twins with her former husband.

Alexander’s conviction was thrown out by an appeals court in September, citing faulty jury instructions.

She was prosecuted by Angela Corey, the state attorney who prosecuted George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in August in the killing of Trayvon Martin.

The judge set a new hearing date for Alexander of January 15th, saying he would decide on bond at another time.

A source close to the case told theGrio that Wednesday’s decision is not necessarily a setback, and that there will be additional filings by Alexander’s defense. The source said the judge could still make a decision on bond before the January 15 court date.

fordable Care Act, Obama repeatedly said, “If you like your health insurance, you can keep it.”

Status: No longer a selling point, as at least 1 million individual policy holders have been told their plans are being discontinued or changed at the end of the year. Congress is weighing different proposals to address the problem.

Obama and other administration officials say those plans offered substandard coverage, leaving people at risk of bankruptcy if they were hospitalized or developed other major medical needs, and that the 80 percent of Americans who are covered through their jobs or government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid won’t see any changes.

But they are now qualifying the pledge by saying that people who had individual plans dating back to before the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act can keep their plans as long as the policies hadn’t been changed by the insurance companies; the ones that have been changed must now meet new minimum standards set in the law.

There are multiple proposals on Capitol Hill to allow people to keep policies that are being canceled. But there’s little indication they would have any immediate effect, and industry experts say the two leading legislative plans leave many questions unanswered.

(CNN’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy and Z. Byron Wolf contributed to this report.)

Page 4

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OPINION

Tri-State Defender

November 14 - 20, 2013

Book claims Obama disses Congressional black leaders

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

Private student loan or credit card – What’s better for college?

An analysis of the recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Student Loan Ombudsman report concluded that private student loans (PSLs) are a risky and high-cost method to pay for a college education. PSLs comprised 7 percent of student loans taken out last year and are 15 percent of the nation’s total outstanding student loan debt.

American consumers currently owe approximately $165 billion on PSLs. “Choosing to pay for college through a private student loan is no better than paying for it on a credit card. Private student loans are generally more expensive and risky for consumers than more-common federal student loans, and dealing with private student lenders can be a tremendous hassle,” states the PIRG analysis.

PIRG also found that high debt borrowers are also disproportionately PSL borrowers, often with $40,000 or more in total debt.

Even worse, PSL repayment was the subject of nearly 65 percent of the more than 4,300 complaints received

by CFPB from October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013. Repayment concerns included fees, billing, deferment, forbearance, fraud and credit reporting. Additionally the inability to repay was found to a pivotal factor in default, debt collection and bankruptcy.

How borrowers incurred these PSL debts is also addressed by PIRG. “In 2008, a majority of PSL borrowers took out less in federal student loans than they could have. Of these borrowers, a full quarter took out no federal student aid whatsoever. …In large part, private student borrowers fell prey to a range of unsavory marketing tactics. …Some lenders deliberately misled borrowers into believing that their private student loan products were superior to federal loans.”

These kinds of financial abuses are among the reasons why the Center for Responsible Lending and other consumer and civil rights allies pushed for and won historic reforms with enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act When lenders of varying financial products and servicers operated with scant – if any – financial regulation, untold abuses occurred.

Now with the CFPB at work investigating complaints, it is important for consumers to share what is wrong or what is not working in the marketplace.

The CFPB’s Student Loan Ombudsman is a statutory office created

within the bureau to assist consumers in resolving private student loan problems. Through this effort, the CFPB assisted hundreds of borrowers to obtain relief from their lenders. The meCharlene dian monetary reCrowell covery is $700; the maximum amount of relief granted thus far is $75,000.

Geographically, PIRG found that states with higher average student debt also tended to have borrowers who complained to the CFPB more frequently. Overall, borrows from the Northeast were much more likely to file a CFPB complaint, with consumers from the District of Columbia having the highest complaint-to-borrower ratio. Conversely, borrowers from the South and Midwest were the least likely to complain.

These regional variations could warrant additional research, especially when one considers that the vast majority of Historically Black Colleges and Universities are located in the South.

Further, How America Pays for College, a 2012 research report from Sallie Mae, the nation’s largest financial services company specializing in education, found that among Black families, 51 percent borrow for college costs and 35 percent of Black students take out loans in their own names to attend four-year institutions, both public and private.

Consumers of color – those hardest hit by student loan debt – should not suffer in silence with student loan problems. If you or someone you know has been harmed by financial abuse, file a complaint with the CFPB. A convenient online form is available to take complaints on student loans and other lending areas at: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/co mplaint/.

The price of higher education is too high and the multiple sacrifices to earn credentials too dear to allow abusive financial practices to go unchallenged.

(NNPA columnist Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.)

UNCF Benefit Bridge Tourney proves worthy of emulation

The Memphis and Shelby County bridge community has set a fresh example of how people can work together for a common cause. The inaugural UNCF Benefit Bridge Tournament initiKathryn I. ated by the Bowers American Bridge Association (ABA) enjoyed the support of black, white, brown, young, old, women, men, Democrats, Republicans and disabled persons.

The Memphis Bridge Unit sent out a SOS for support to raise money for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), with the proceeds designated for The LeMoyne-Owen College.

The American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) was the first to join, agreeing to co-sponsor the tournament. Mick McGuire, manager of M. A. Lightman Bridge Club, put that into motion and Bill Frazee, Lightman’s board chairman, says, “Next year we are going to get more of our members involved.”

The tournament was held (Oct. 26) at the M. A. Lightman Bridge Club.

Social bridge clubs also participated, playing rubber bridge and making contributions from their organizations. Each participant received a gift bag and enjoyed snacks provided by Riverview Bridge Club and other club members.

We had two tournament directors, Tolliver McKinney (ABA) and Brian Cummins (ACBL), who kept the

games moving smoothly. There were 56 duplicate and 8 rubber bridge players. Bridge players know that Dorothy Williams, president of Riverview Bridge Club, put it just right when she said, “The Memphis BRIDGE hands came together like a 7NT opening bid.”

The youngest player was 9 years old, which delighted supporters such as Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Memphis ABA Unit. Next year’s plans, Alexander said, include tapping into college players.

Playing bridge helps one to keep his/her mind sharp, says Alexander.

That echoes with Helen Workman, an ABA member and a graduate of The LeMoyne-Owen College.

Reaching for the UNCF theme, Workman – a retired educator – says, “I know that a mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

As chairperson of the UNCF benefit, I take note that this was our first year and that we had only a few months before the tournament. In 2014, we are going to reach out to other ABA and ACBL clubs across Tennessee. We envision at least three sessions.

A founding member of the UNCF, The LeMoyne-Owen College is the only UNCF institution in Tennessee.

Time and again, the college has proved its worth to the AfricanAmerican community and to Greater Memphis.

The amount we raised, $2,203, is a starting point for ongoing support.

On behalf of the committee, I thank everyone who participated and contributed. And, just as importantly, we appreciated the attitude and manner in which you choose to step up.

Up minimum wage now

The first federal minimum wage of 25 cents an hour was established in 1938. Since then, it has been raised 22 times. It’s time to increase the floor for the 23rd time, from its current $7.25 to at least $10 an hour.

According to the Center for Economic Policy Research, the value of the minimum wage peaked in 1968. If the minimum wage had been indexed to the official Consumer Price Index each year, the minimum wage today would be $10.52. The last time the minimum wage was raised was in 2007, when it was raised from $5.15 to $7.25.

Still, there is resistance.

Republican leaders say raising the minimum wage will cost jobs. But opponents, such as Washington Post columnist Jared Bernstein, argue that rather than job loss, employers compensate by charging higher prices and increasing productivity.

Another common myth is that employers shouldn’t be forced to pay young people the minimum wage.

But 88 percent of workers who would be affected by raising the minimum wage are at least 20 years old and a third are at least 40 years, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

EPI found that of the workers who would benefit from the raise: The average age of affected workers is 35 years old; • 88 percent of all affected workers are at least 20 years old; • 35.5 percent are at least 40 years old; • 56 percent are women; • 28 percent have children; • 55 percent work full-time (35 hours per week or more); • 44 percent have at least some college experience.

The federal minimum wage is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act. There are approximately 3.6 million workers, or 4.7 percent of all hourly paid workers who are at or below the federal minimum wage of 7.25 an hour. Employers are allowed to pay students and the disabled – defined as those “whose earning or productivity is impaired by age, physical or mental deficiency, or injury” – less than the minimum wage. It also places limits on workers who derive part of their income from tips.

A study by the Congressional Research Service found that 40 percent of those earning the minimum wage or less work in “food preparation and serving related occupations.” It also discovered that 72.2 percent have at least a high school diploma and 8 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities testified before Congress in February: “I would note that over recent decades, the minimum wage has been allowed to erode and is now 20 percent lower, after adjusting for inflation, than in the late 1960s. For this and a number of other reasons (relating in part to globalization of the economy), wages for low-paid

jobs have fallen.”

A fact sheet by Economic Policy Institute found, “A disproportionate share of minorities will benefit from a minimum wage increase. African Americans represent 11 percent of George the total workE. Curry force, but are 18 percent of workers affected by an increase. Similarly, 14 percent of the total workforce is Hispanic, but Hispanics are 19 percent of workers affected by an increase.”

Washington State has the highest state minimum wage at $9.19, indexed to inflation. California enacted a law that will raise its minimum wage to $10 over three years. Some cities have wages that are even higher.

The minimum wage is $10.55 in San Francisco. And in the recent election, New Jersey voters approve a constitutional amendment increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25.

Where city or state minimums exceed the federal standard, workers receive the higher wage.

The movement to increase the federal minimum wage has stalled in Congress. In March, the House voted 233 to 184 against raising the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2015, with all Republicans voting in the majority.

Two Democrats, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa and Rep. George Miller of California have sponsored legislation, called the Fair Minimum Wage Act, to raise the federal minimum wage. The hope to overcome past opposition by adding some sweeteners for small businesses, including allowing them to deduct the full cost of equipment and expansion up to $500,000 in the first year.

In his State of the Union address in February, President Obama proposed a federal minimum wage of $9.

The EPI study stated. “When describing who would see a raise if the minimum wage were increased, it is important to look at everyone who earns between the current minimum wage and the proposed new one, as well as workers earning just above the new minimum wage (who would likely also see a small pay increase as employers move to preserve internal wage ladders). The typical worker who would be affected by an increase in the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2015 looks nothing like the part-time, teen stereotype: She is in her early thirties, works full-time, and may have a family to support.”

(George E. Curry is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He can be reached via www.georgecurry.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook.)

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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

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Thanks to the book “Game Change,” which captured the behind-the-scenes drama of the 2008 presidential campaign, authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann are now as feared Keli among those Goff keeping political secrets as Karinne “Superhead” Steffans is feared among the rappers and athletes worried about being namechecked in her next tell-all.

The most recent revelation to leak from their latest book, “Double Down,” is a good reminder of why Halperin and Heilemann cause such nervousness among the political elite. According to the Daily Beast’s overview, the book claims President Obama and his advisors were irritated by what his aides dubbed the “professional left” and “professional blacks.” Not black professionals, but those who professionally highlight or exploit racial politics.

The book goes on to say that the president considers New York Rep. Charles Rangel “a hack” and that the Rev. Jesse Jackson essentially had been banned from the White House.

The Washington Times also reported that according to the book, Rep. John Lewis and Jim Clyburn were the only two members of the CBC whom President Obama respects, writing, “Apart from Georgia congressman John Lewis and Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, Obama had nearly as much contempt for the CBC as he did for the Tea Party Caucus.”

But the most eye-opening revelation to come from this section of the book is the allegation that the president is still hung up on an allegation that has haunted him since early in his career, that he is not “black enough” and that he actually asked aides during the 2012 campaign, “Am I still not black enough?”

While these anecdotes are not exactly explosive, they are revealing. For one, the president’s tight relationship with rapper Jay Z (birth name Shawn Carter) has been puzzling for many, particularly in light of the fact that Jay Z is a former drug dealer who has proved politically embarrassing to the president. (See the Cuba kerfuffle.)

But in private conversations, some African Americans have speculated that having been raised by white Americans, the president has been on a lifetime journey to affirm the authenticity of his black experience, and that for better or worse he gravitates to men he feels can help him do that no matter how toxic they seem. (See the Rev. Jeremiah Wright or Jay Z.) The fact that he was still raising the “Am I still not black enough?” issue after winning the presidency indicates that he still cared whether others thought he was black enough, and makes it likely he would be willing to do something (even if it meant hitching his wagon to a rapper) to prove that he is (in the eyes of those who define “blackness” in such terms).

His public closeness with the likes of Jay Z makes his so-called “contempt for” members of the Congressional Black Caucus even more bizarre.

As I have written consistently since President Obama took office, I understand, as all Americans should, that he was elected to be the president of the United States of America, not of black America. But if the president could point to a significant list of accomplishments from his administration that have benefited the black community, then perhaps he would be in position to dismiss the Congressional Black Caucus as an unnecessary irritant.

But considering that the first black president has made few strides on issues like unemployment within the African-American community, it seems a bit rich for him to refer to any members of the Congressional Black Caucus striving to hold him accountable as hacks. If anything, perhaps he, and black Americans, would be better served if President Obama spent more time with African-American members of Congress and less time with black celebrities like his buddy Jay Z. Then perhaps he would have more firsthand, on-the-ground intel regarding what an authentic black experience is like for those of us not imbued with the power and status of being called Mr. President.

(Keli Goff is The Root’s special correspondent. Follow her on Twitter.)

Tri-State Defender

BIZ BIT

BUSINESS

November 14 - 20, 2013

Page 5

Delta Regional Authority invests $250,000 to grow minority-owned businesses

The Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum this week got a financial boost toward expanding its strategic training and development assistance model for minorityowned businesses to six states in the Delta region.

The Delta Regional Authority is investing $250,000 in the expansion in partnership with Mayor AC Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr. The investment is part of the DRA’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Initiative.

The funding will provide support for 10 training events for businesses owned by women and minorities in Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

The announcement was made Tuesday (Nov. 12) at the MMBC Continuum at 158 Madison Ave.

MBDA Business of the Year (Pictured l-r): Enlightenment, Inc. DBA APS Facility Maintenance – Lorenzo Myrick (finalist); Artisan Constructors, LLC – Kirby & Satoria Salton (finalist); Chism Hardy Investments – Carolyn Hardy (finalist); Beverly Goines, executive director, Memphis MBDA Business Center; ServiceMaster Facilities Maintenance, Inc. – Andre Coleman, Troy Watson & Vincent Lee (winner); Luke Yancy III, president & CEO, The MMBC Continuum. (Photo: Isaac Singleton)

Veterans Workshop, Job Fair set for Nov. 19

The Bartlett Campus of National College of Business & Technology at 5760 Stage Rd. will host a free workshop and job fair exclusively for veterans and their families next Tuesday (Nov. 19) from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Penny Patterson of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve will present a workshop with information on how to market yourself when jobhunting, veteran-focused job search advice, and résumé tips.

Representatives from Hero to Hired Jobs, Job Connection Education Program, Veterans Employment for the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Veterans Placement Services will also provide resources.

For more information, contact Sammie Hawkins, career center director at 901-213-1681 or at sqhawkins@national-college.

Walmart VP pitches principles to biz-seeking entrepreneurs Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Myron Mays

Kevin S. Jones, Walmart Corporation VP of Inbound Transportation, shared the principles the corporation relies upon when doing business with suppliers. (Photo: Isaac Singleton)

Service, price and commitment to the community are bankable principles the way Kevin S. Jones sees them and he shared that viewpoint while in Memphis last week.

Vice President of Inbound Transportation for Walmart Corporation, Jones was the keynote speaker last Friday (Nov. 16) at the Holiday InnUniversity of Memphis as the Mid-South Minority Business Council (MMBC) Continuum and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center wrapped up MEDWeek 2013.

Walmart, said Jones, was founded on the principles of service, price and commitment and still operates on them today. Small business owners who become part of the corporation’s system of suppliers mirror Walmart’s embrace of those principles, he said.

In 2013, Walmart has spent over $11.6 billion in Tennessee. With nearly 9,000 locations in exis-

tence since 1962, Walmart plans to open an additional 500 stores worldwide by 2016.

Jones voiced the corporation’s commitment to increasing sourcing for minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. He said Walmart guarantees employment for veterans.

MEDWeek is an annual recognition of the power of minority-owned businesses to fuel the economy. A week of classes and seminars included bid training and leveraging cost and pricing strategies.

All unfolded under the umbrella theme of “Traversing the Life Cycle of Minority Owned Businesses.”

The luncheon capped the week and featured the annual presentation of the Robert R. Church Sr. Achievement Awards. The 2013 winners are: Apex of the Year Award –The City of Memphis.

Scalable M/WBE Business of the Year –Strategists Technology, Inc. M/WBE Quality Assurance Award – Kerr Brothers, Inc. MBDA Business of the Year – ServiceMaster Facilities Maintenance, Inc.

BUSINESS

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Tri-State Defender

November 14 - 20, 2013

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Keen-eye attention needed to make day-cares work Entrepreneurs with a passion for childcare and child development may become attracted to the idea of day-care business and what they consider a lucrative calling. The demand for services is increasing steadily and as the industry has evolved, so have the reimbursement formulas.

Parents in search of quality childcare typically will find their options fall into three categories: family care provided by a relative, in-home care provided by a nanny or babysitter, or day-care center.

Competition among daycare businesses is fierce. As more people move into the childcare business that equates to more options for parents and potentially diluted attendance at many centers.

On the face of it, a move into childcare would appear a profitable business venture. However, state regulations have increased, funding formulas have caused decreased payments, and many centers are barely operating at break

even.

A keen eye must be kept on the revenues and expenses, if an entrepreneur is going to have a profitable Carlee McCullough business in childcare.

Additionally, the owner must also be adept at managing staff, marketing and promoting the business and, most importantly, provide quality service.

Owners who are not personally adept in these areas must reach for someone who is.

Learning centers

Parents’ now have increased expectations of the services provided by day-care centers and those that are most profitable are seasoned learning institutions. Researchers have

discovered that years one through six are the most important years in a child’s development. The exposure, instruction, training and habits formed during this time affect the child’s ability to learn in future years. Parents now are demanding more structured learning environments.

Location!

Prior to investing in a location for a childcare business, performing a brief survey around the area would be advisable. Also, consider the zoning laws and determine whether a childcare center is allowed in the area. It is imperative that the potential business owner consider where the children in the community are currently being served and the parents’ opinions of centers in the area.

The number of eligible children in the area is extremely important. The children could be residents of the area or their

parents could work in the area. If the children are not relatively close, then the owner of the center may need to provide transportation and an excellent reason for parents to send their children to an outof-the-way center.

Licensing & insurance

The health, safety and well being of the child are of the utmost importance to the parents and the community.

Proper licensing and insurance is required by the state, which also requires background checks on employees.

Insurance is a major cost component of the childcare business model. General liability and workers compensation are the beginning of the insurances required.

Community service

Day-care centers provide notable community services.

Today, families have to decide

whether it is in the best interest of the family for a parent to remain home with the children or use the services of a childcare center so that the parent can join the work force.

With divorce and the increased numbers of single parents, the need for childcare is a constant. For single parents, remaining home to take care of the children is not typically an option. Parents must work to provide for their children.

These centers provide a service to parents by delivering the care they need and freeing them up to work.

Businesses benefit because their employees have the appropriate childcare and a clear mind to focus on work. Additionally, day care centers support the local economy by purchasing goods and services and paying salaries and taxes.

Government funding

The government will provide funding for certain services and items for qualifying,

low-income clientele. According to the state’swebsite, Tennessee offers a Child Care Certificate Program, which is Tennessee’s assistance program for low income and at risk children.

Funding for the Certificate Program comes from the federal Families First/TANF block grant and the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). This is often referred to as the subsidized child care program. Families must be determined eligible

by Department of Human Services (DHS) staff before they can participate in the program.

Both licensed and unlicensed providers can participate in this program and receive reimbursement from DHS when caring for eligible children.

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

MONEY MATTERS

Insurance to leave a legacy Many people purchase term life insurance to help protect their families when their children are young and dependent on them for support. By definition, term policies have ending dates, and it’s not unusual to allow a term policy to lapse without obtaining replacement coverage after children leave home and can support themselves.

Even if you do not need life insurance to replace lost income for your dependents, you may want insurance for other purposes, such as paying final expenses or leaving a legacy. For these needs, you might consider a survivorship life insurance policy.

Also called second-to-die

insurance, a survivorship life insurance policy insures two people and pays a benefit after the death of the second Charles insured Sims Jr., CFP p e r s o n .

The premiums are usually less expensive than premiums for a single-life policy because they are based on the life expectancies of both insured individuals.

This can be especially help-

The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. ful later in life, when an individual life insurance policy may be more expensive or difficult to obtain. Survivorship policies can also be used to insure business partners, and options may be available to insure more than two people, if appropriate.

Survivorship life insurance is often used to pay estate taxes, which typically do not become an issue until estate assets pass to non-spouse heirs.

Fewer estates may be subject

to federal estate taxes now that the higher exemption amount ($5.25 million in 2013) has been made permanent by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.

However, heirs often face other expenses in settling an estate, including probate and state estate taxes, which typi-

cally have lower exemption levels than federal estate taxes. The death benefit from a survivorship life insurance policy can help pay these expenses without requiring heirs to sell assets or dip into their inheritances.

As with most financial decisions, there are expenses associated with the purchase of life insurance. Policies commonly have mortality and expense charges. In addition, if a policy is surrendered prematurely, there may be surrender charges and income tax impli-

cations.

The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. Before implementing a strategy involving life insurance, it would be prudent to make sure that you are insurable.

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

RELIGION

Tri-State Defender

RELIGION BRIEFS

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

St. John Baptist Churh celebrates its 145th anniversary

St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 640 Vance Ave., will observe its 145th church anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 3 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Fred C. Lofton, pastor of New Shiloh Baptist Church. The Shiloh choir will render special music. The theme is “Solidarity with the Saviour through Righteous Living.”

St. John was organized in August 1868 by a group of former slaves. The church was first located at the corner of Washington Avenue and Fourth Street, and moved to its present location in 1953 under the leadership of the Rev. A. McEwen Williams.

Barbara J. Parks and Deacon Tarrius A. Gray are the event co-chairs. Rev. Henry L. Key is the new pastor and the twelfth one for this historical church.

The public is invited. Transportation will be available if needed. For more information, call (901) 525-1092.

New Friendship Baptist honors pastor and wife

The members of New Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 724 E. Georgia Ave., will celebrate and show their appreciation and love to Rev. Emerson D. Wright Jr. and first lady Bobbie Foster Wright on Dec. 1 at 11:30 a.m. for 28 years in ministry.

The public is encouraged to attend.

Reality show linked to noted bishop’s heart trouble

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November 14 - 20, 2013

A number of African-American pastors are denouncing the new reality television show “Preachers of LA.” One of the show’s preachers, Bishop Noel Jones, hasn’t been feeling well these days.

Is it because of the harsh criticism from preachers across the religious spectrum?

Jones said his illness may be the result of work overload.

But against medical advice, he vows not to slow down.

“I’m not feeling good. I had an ablation because of an atrial flutter,” he said. “My heart wants to add beats.”

Jones has been advised to slow his scheduled down. But the 63-year-old Jones is not about to slow his schedule down to follow his doctor’s orders.

“They want me to be in the bed,” he said.

Jones also said the reality show is partly the reason for his health issues.

Where was God in the Philippines?

CNN

by Daniel Burke The disasters are always different and often devastating. But the questions they raise are hauntingly familiar.

In the days since Super Typhoon Haiyan swept through the Philippines on Thursday, survivors are frantically searching for lost family members and international aid groups are springing into action.

Officials say the death toll may rise to 10,000 in the heavily Catholic country.

How can we make sense of such senseless death and destruction?

Was God in the whirlwind itself, or present only in the hands helping to provide food, water and shelter?

These questions may not be new, but we keep asking them, perhaps because the answers remain so elusive.

For many Americans, a paradox sits at the heart of their thinking about natural disasters. According to a survey taken after 2011’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan, most Americans (56 percent) believe that God is in control of everything.

But more Americans blame hurricanes, earthquakes and other storms on global warming (58 percent) than on an angry and punishing deity (38 percent), according to a 2011 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute.

“These kind of questions

Aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan at Daan Bantayan, Cebu, Philippines. (Photo: Alfel Benvic Go/iReport) about God being in control and there simultaneously being suffering are the kind of things that keep seminarians up at night,” institute CEO Robert P. Jones said in 2011.

“They’re thorny theological issues.”

The Bible’s Psalm 107 says that, “For (God) commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves thereof. ... He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the water springs into dry ground.”

But, as the poll shows, most

Americans have moved past the idea that God causes natural disasters, wrote Stephen Prothero, a frequent CNN contributor, in a 2011 column.

“When it comes to earthquakes and hurricanes, our authorities are geologists and meteorologists,” Prothero said as he rode out Hurricane Irene on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

“Most of us interpret these events not through the rumblings of the biblical prophet Jeremiah or the poetry of the Book of Revelation but through

the scientific truths of air pressure and tectonic plates.”

For atheists, storms like Haiyan are proof that God doesn’t exist, author and activist Sam Harris said.

“Either God can do nothing to stop catastrophes like this, or he doesn’t care to, or he doesn’t exist. God is either impotent, evil or imaginary,” Harris said after Japan’s tsunami. “Take your pick, and choose wisely.”

God may or may not be in withering storms, but many religious leaders say they sense a divine presence in the aftermath, as people across the world mobilize to lend a hand.

Rabbi Harold Kushner is one of the most famous names in the realm of theodicy, a branch of theology that tries to explain the unexplainable: why a good God would allow bad things to happen.

After Japan’s tsunami, Kushner called nature “an equal-opportunity destroyer,” making no distinctions between sinners and saints.

But Kushner, author of the bestselling book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” said he sees God’s hand in the resilience of people whose lives have been destroyed and in the “goodness and generosity” of strangers who donate and pray for the survivors.

That still leaves a tricky question, though: Why do humans suffer, sometimes terribly, in the first place?

There’s no good answer,

says the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and best-selling author.

“Each person has to come to grips with that,” Martin said.

“It’s not as if some magic answer can be found. But the idea of God suffering along with us can be very helpful.”

Muslims, on the other hand, see stormy trials as tests from God, said Sayyid Syeed, national director of the Islamic Society of North America’s Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances.

“Muslims believe that God tests those he loves, and these tragedies also serve as a reminder to the rest of us to remain grateful to God for all our blessings and cognizant that we must support those in need,” Syeed said.

Vietnamese Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, whose native country remains in Haiyan’s path, said such storms remind us that our lives are impermanent and the importance of treasuring each moment.

“This is the best that we can do for those who have died: We can live in such a way that they can feel they are continuing to live in us, more mindfully, more profoundly, more beautifully, tasting every minute of life available to us, for them,” Hanh said.

(Daniel Burke is CNN Belief Blog co-editor. Follow @BurkeCNN. Stephen Prothero, Jessica Ravitz and Eric Marrapodi contributed to this report.)

Presenting the honorees...

Much love...

Rev. Russell Bailey (left), senior pastor of the Victory Church of Memphis, laughs with the Rev. Dr. Kent Hall, who along with his wife, first lady Denise Hall, was honored recently during the coupleʼs “Pastor and Wife Love Day” at Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1821 Kansas St. Dr. Hall is the senior pastor. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Elder Charles Moore and first lady Gwendolyn Moore were feted recently at Lambert Church of God in Christ, 1070 Keating St., during the coupleʼs 9th annual “Love and Appreciation” day. Elder C.H. Mason Patterson, pastor of Pentecostal Temple Institutional Church of God in Christ, delivered the “preached word.” (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

COMMUNITY

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Tri-State Defender

November 14 - 20, 2013

☺ ☺D BLUE G☺

CHEF TIMOTHY

Sergeant John Garcia

Battling cancer by learning to love your ‘who’

KC: If you were asked, what would be the number one thing that you believe in your heart should be done to bridge the gap between the Latino community and law enforcement, what would it be?

Sgt. Garcia: If the world was mine?

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kelvin Cowans

by Chef Timothy Moore, N.M.D, C.N.

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

While working with cancer clients from all over the United States, I continually hear women ask why this dreaded disease happens to them. One such person is 26-year-old Joan, who is originally from Nairobi and now lives in Texas.

Joan has brain cancer that is spreading throughout her body.

Especially prevalent in young AfricanAmerican women, the disease has der a i l e d Joan’s o n c e promising career in Dr. Timothy engineerMoore ing.

O v e r and over again, Joan has questioned God about why the frightening cancer has entered her body and boxed up her dreams and goals.

At one point, Joan stopped caring about her life, thinking that she was going to die soon anyway. That mindset led her to embrace a downhill lifestyle. She became pregnant and now has a 15-month-old daughter.

Joan’s daughter, however, became a game changer, triggering a new, positive way of looking at life. Joan wants to live and watch her child grow up.

A particularly troubling part of Joan’s journey was her encounter with the medical system. She had come away from an encounter with her physician’s nurse thinking that radiation and chemo treatments would help her recover. Later, the same nurse told her that none of the treatment had stopped the spread of the cancer.

Joan said she had tears in her eyes and that her voice was trembling when she reminded the nurse of what Joan had taken as the promise of a recovery. Today, many journeying down paths similar to Joan’s find themselves in a quandary about what to do and/or who to believe when it is comes to medical care.

All women, and especially African Americans, must seek out and ask questions of their primary care physicians. What are the options, whether conventional medicine or an alternative holistic approach? Given these choices, one will be able to make better decisions about what road to travel for recovery.

As I talk to African-American women about cancer, I share that the foundation for better health comes down to understanding themselves and learning to love who they are for themselves.

The questions I ask them are: What makes you happy about life? And, do you love yourself?

(Dr. Timothy Moore teaches nutrition, heart disease and diabetes reversal through a plant-based lifestyle. He is the author of “47 Tips To Reverse Your Diabetes.’’ He can be reached by email at cheftimothy@cheftimothymoore.c om or visit him at www.cheftimothymoore.com.

Follow him at www.twitter.com/cheftimmoo re.)

Please join the TSD Fan Page on Facebook

(Just as a neighborhood should not be judged by the actions of a few bad apples, neither should law enforcement agencies. In partnership with the new Community Police Relations Project, The New Tri-State Defender’s “Good Blue” column spotlights law enforcement officers who do it right. This week’s focus is on Sgt. John Garcia of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department.)

Sergeant John Garcia of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) has been serving the Memphis community for sixteen years. He is the first Latin American to achieve the rank of sergeant in the 150-year history of the SCSO and that makes him proud.

When you add Garcia’s 21 years of service in the U.S. Navy, the fact that he is the Spanish training instructor for the SCSO, part-time criminal justice instructor at Remington College, Nonconnah Blvd, a certified hostage negotiator and has been a Little League baseball coach in the Bartlett-Ellendale community, well, then the entire community becomes proud.

Originally from Queens, New York, Garcia fills his spare time with “lots of stuff,” but mostly spending time with his wife and son. Season ticket holders, it’s a family of Grizz lovers.

“That’s awesome, go Grizz,” I said, pivoting toward my “Good Blue focus.

Kelvin Cowans: “What are you doing in the community?”

Sgt. John Garcia: “I’m an instructor at Remington College, I teach Criminal Justice. I feel that’s one way I can give back to the community.

We have students that are looking to go into law enforcement and with me currently being in law enforcement I think it’s a good deal for them to have someone presently doing so to give them experienced teaching. Not only as an officer, but as a person as well.”

KC: Being from the Latino community, what are your views as far as the community and police relations – good, bad, needs work?

Sgt. Garcia: I think it’s right in line with all of the other demographics of our community. We are making strides with a little ways to go. I think that the Latino community is willing to come together and do what’s best for everyone involved.

The only down fall I believe is that the Latino

KC: All yours, we just living in it King Garcia.

What’s on your scroll?

Sgt. Garcia: I think the goal should be the same across the board for all citizens. I wish I could snap my finger and end racism. We should treat each other with respect and dignity everyday. It’s time out for us waiting on a tragedy for us all to come together and pass a boot around, taking up money or deliver a bag of grocery. This is from my heart.

ʻItʼs time out for us waiting on a tragedy for us all to come together and pass a boot around, taking up money or deliver a bag of grocery.ʼ – Sgt. John Garcia (Photo: Kelvin Cowans)

community doesn’t come out in huge numbers when there are meetings around town to discuss very important matters. It’s mainly in part because they believe that we are gathering to enforce deportation, but that’s not true. Neither is that our job. Our job is to solve crime. In these meetings we come to record information to share information and the concerns of the community.

KC: What grade do you give law enforcement on their effort with the Latino Community – A,B,C,D,F? Sgt. Garcia: I’m going to give it a “B” and here’s why. There is a language barrier because every officer is not fluent in Spanish and not every citizen is fluent in English. so there is a miscommunication often times that is happening.

So some officers can’t give a hundred percent due to that.

KC: Where did you get ideology? Is that police training, home training?

Sgt. Garcia: “I think I got that from home. We were raised to treat people right no matter if they are rich or poor and no matter their race. I think in our city we are always kind of gradually doing things and that’s not good. We have got to move forward on many issues in our community. One of my favorite sayings is by a guy named Will Rogers. He said, “Even if you’re on the right track you will get run over if you just stand there.

KC: Let’s do a little word association, first thing off of your mind.

KC: Yesterday.

Sgt. Garcia: Successful.

KC: Today.

Sgt. Garcia: Blessing

KC: Tomorrow.

Sgt. Garcia: Promise.

KC: Memphis Community.

Sgt. Garcia: Hope!

NOTE: The next Community Police Relations Forum will be an all-Spanish-speaking session on Saturday (Nov. 16) from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (at El Mercadoto de Memphis at 3766 Ridgeway Rd. (For questions about CPR Memphis, contact Melissa Monie of The Mid-South Peace and Justice center at 901-591-7776.)

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

Colleague conference rewards top-performing SCS Teachers

Attendees at the Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers conference were high-performing teachers selected for their passion for education and desire to elevate their profession. (Courtesy photos)

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Aisling Maki

A teacher-inspired, teacher-led conference drew about 100 of Shelby County Schools’ topperforming teachers to the Mid-South Convention Center in Robinsonville, Miss. last week.

The Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers (ECET2) conference was sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It offered workshops and tools designed to inspire and motivate teachers and support their continued excellence in the classroom.

Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson addressed the attendees – all high-performing teachers selected for their passion for education and desire to elevate their profession.

He commended them for commitment to their transformative-yet-rarely celebrated work.

“You all represent everything that’s right with public education … standing up here today, I see a clear picture of what effective teaching looks like,” Hopson said.

The conference stemmed from the collaborative vision and work of a group of legacy Shelby County Schools and Memphis City Schools teachers. Last winter, the group participated in a national ECET2 conference hosted by the Gates Foundation in San Diego.

A planning committee worked late nights and early mornings to design the conference, even as the district transitioned into the unified Shelby County Schools district.

“As a project manager, this experience has been rewarding,” said Sheryl Gasque, chairperson of the Shelby County Schools ECET2 conference. “The group of people with whom I work have been able to go into their classrooms every

Shelby County Schools Supt. Dorsey Hopson told attendees, “You all represent everything thatʼs right with public education.”

day and maintain high standards of effective teaching, and then come to planning meetings and continue to be creative and excellent as we planned this event for other teachers.”

The theme of the conference was “Teachers’ Voices Matter,” and Vicki Phillips, director of education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said the event gave teachers access to their most valuable existing resource: each other.

“They finally understand that they can benefit from your experience and expertise – that nobody understands teaching better than teachers,” Phillips said.

According to Gasque, feedback from ECET2 attendees was overwhelmingly positive. Teachers said they enjoyed the opportunity to connect with one another and to be recognized for their hard work.

New AKAs…

The Epsilon Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at the University of Memphis welcomed these new sorors at the Rose Theater last Saturday (Nov. 9). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, November 14 - 20, 2013, Page 9

Morris Chestnut: ‘The Best Man Holiday’ interview Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

Morris Chestnut made his big screen debut opposite Ice Cube in John Singleton’s “Boyz n the Hood,” and subsequently enjoyed his breakout role as the groom-to-be in Malcolm Lee’s “The Best Man.” Here, he talks about reprising the memorable role of Lance Sullivan in the eagerly-anticipated sequel, “The Best Man Holiday.”

Kam Williams: Hey Morris, thanks for another interview.

Morris Chestnut: No problem, no problem, Kam. Thank YOU, again.

KW: I loved the film. It was like attending a reunion with a whole lot of folks I hadn’t seen in a longtime.

MC: Oh, that’s great!

KW: I’m going to mix my questions for you in with some sent in by fans.

MC: Perfect!

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What did it mean to you to reunite with the cast to shoot this sequel?

MC: It was just wonderful coming together again after all these years, especially since we’d had such a great experience before. It gave me a good feeling inside to reunite, almost like family. We’d accomplished so much the first time, and it was pretty much the same with the sequel.

KW: Chalyn Toon asks: Does Lance trust Harper around Mia knowing their past? Does Lance and Mia’s relationship suffer from his being haunted by the images of what happened between his wife and best friend?

MC: That’s interesting. Lance definitely trusts Mia. And I’ve always been that type of person. You really don’t have to worry about your spouse, as long as you trust him or her. If you trust your spouse or whoever you’re in a relationship with, everybody else doesn’t matter.

KW: How did you feel about the arc of your character this go-round?

MC: I was really excited about how all the characters were layered and had depth to them. Malcolm [director Malcolm Lee] wrote a really great script. As for Lance’s arc, I think this is one of the best roles I’ve ever had in a movie.

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

MC: There are so many messages, because the film has a number of storylines. One thing I love about making an ensemble film like this is that you can have 10 people come away from it with 10 different messages.

KW: Director Rel Dowdell asks: Would you consider your role in “The Best Man” or in “Boyz n the Hood” to be your signature role, since both are iconic?

MC: (Chuckles) Wow! Thank you, Rel, I appreciate that. I’d like to think that they both are. “Boyz n the Hood” definitely put me on the map and really brought me into the game.

Hopefully, this one does the same thing, twenty-something years later, because I feel very strongly about it.

It’s a great, emotional role in a great movie overall.

KW: Patricia says: You have been in the movie business for decades.

What advice do you have for aspiring actors who want to achieve longevity?

MC: I would say focus on your craft. Nowadays, a lot of people come to quote-unquote Hollywood thinking that they just have to be different or do something outlandish or have a huge personality to become a star. But I think that if you just focus on the craft, you’ll have a better chance at longevity. …

KW: The Anthony Mackie question: Is there anything that you promised yourself you’d do if you became famous, that you still haven’t done yet?

MC: I never made any promises like that to myself, because I didn’t pursue acting to become famous. I was actually just trying to make a living. …

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

MC: Perseverance. They don’t give up. They just continue to strive for what they want. …

Serenity Holloway, 14, records an a capella version of the national anthem at the Hot City Entertainment studio in Millington. (Photo: Wiley Henry)

A ‘star spangled’ search for a music career 14-year-old looking for the door to open Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Wiley Henry

H

games.

itting all the right notes to the “Star Spangled Banner” may be a little difficult for some singers, especially if it’s a capella, but not for 14-year-old Serenity Holloway. The gifted singer, songwriter and keyboardist hopes the Memphis Grizzlies will select her to sing the country’s national anthem before the tip-off of one of its basketball

Performing the patriotic song before thousands is a cinch for Serenity, and practicing the song will only make her better, said Rena Clay, Serenity’s mother, during a recent recording session at Hot City Entertainment in Millington.

Clay has been working with Serenity to make sure that her “gift” is polished and that she puts her best foot forward while singing a song – like annunciating her words, getting the pitch and timing correct, and remembering the lyrics.

“Do you have the lyrics to the national anthem?” Clay asked Serenity.

“I know it, mom,” said Serenity, rehearsing the song in her head. “It goes like, ‘Oh, say, can you see….”

“I figured you’d say that,” said Clay, giving Serenity the matriarchal look. “I just want to make sure you sing it right. We don’t want any mishaps.”

After putting down two recordings of the anthem – one in a higher registry and the other, a little lower – Joseph Fulton, the CEO and president of Hot City Entertainment, gave a thumb’s up to both versions.

Serenity, however, felt she could have done better.

“I’m used to hitting those higher notes,” she said, expressing to Fulton that she’d just gotten over a cold and wanted to sing the anthem again and again until she was completely satisfied.

Fulton sees in Serenity an innate and blossoming ability to transform lyrics into a melodious sound.

“When I first met Serenity, she had a very humble spirit,” said Fulton. “I like that about her. When I heard her sing, her voice was anointed. I said, ‘Wow, what a powerful singer for a 14 year old.’ That’s why I invited her to Hot City Entertainment, where we teach and develop young, talented people.”

Serenity has been singing since she was 18 months old, “before she could talk,” said Clay. “She was humming the theme song to ‘Barney and Friends’ (a children’s television series on PBS stations). She was able to keep the tune.”

At seven, Serenity was belting out gospel songs in church and the congregation was taken aback. Compliments started pouring in and the adulation continued to fuel Serenity’s passion for music.

“I recognized the maturity in her voice and that’s when I decided to enroll her in voice lessons when she was 8 years old,” Clay said.

Serenity spent a year studying with renowned vocal coach Bob Westbrook in his Germantown studio.

Westbrook has coached several “American Idol” contestants, along with Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.

Westbrook helped Serenity finesse her style. After she gained more experience, Clay sought ways to get Serenity noticed. She performed at talent shows and other venues. At nine, Clay and her husband, Daniel Clay, took her to New York to audition at the legendary Apollo Theatre.

“I made it, but the show was cancelled before it aired,” said Serenity, an eighth-grader who sings in the Horn Lake Middle School choir in Horn Lake, Miss. She sings alto and second soprano and has the ability, she said, to move up and down the musical scale with relative ease.

Although Serenity sings, writes and plays the keyboard, her real passion is to own her own studio and the necessary equipment to produce music, even if she’s not producing her own.

“I want to be a successful producer and songwriter,” she said. “I would rather be in the background. I would rather be successful than famous.”

Serenity already has produced at least 25 music videos for YouTube. One of her original songs pays homage to 17-year-old R&B/pop recording artist, actor and heartthrob Jacob Latimore. The song has received more than a quarter million hits.

Admittedly one of Jacob’s “Jewels,” a term of endearment for Latimore’s fans, Serenity’s lyrics are a testament of her appreciation. And just by happenstance, she met her crush in 2011 at a gas station in Mississippi.

By self-description, Serenity’s style of music falls into the context of Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alicia Keys.

“She inspires me,” said Serenity, who gives props to Beyoncé as well. “I was inspired by Beyoncé’s “B’Day” CD. It was the first CD that I got when I was five or six.”

While music is Serenity’s life, Danielle Clay, her 6-year-old sister, aspires to be an actress. The Shadow Oaks Elementary first-grader already is showing potential, said Clay, who anticipates working with Danielle to develop her craft.

Serenity can’t see herself doing anything that doesn’t involve music. “I can’t see myself being a doctor or lawyer,” she said. “Some people belong in the workforce. Not me.”

In May, Serenity has an audition scheduled at Class Act Studio NY, an award-winning acting studio for kids and teens in New York. Meanwhile, her mother is looking for an agent.

“I want her to have longevity,” said Clay, who encourages Serenity to stay focus. “We’re not in a hurry, but we’re waiting on God to open the door.”

Serenity has been singing since she was 18 months old, “before she could talk. ...She was humming the theme song to ‘Barney and Friends’ (a children’s television series on PBS stations). She was able to keep the tune.”

“I want to be a successful producer and songwriter. ...I would rather be in the background. I would rather be successful than famous.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 10

November 14 - 20, 2013

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

Morris Chestnut, who plays Lance Sullivan in the “Best Man Holiday,” joins a stellar cast of familiar faces in the sequel to the 90ʼs film. (Courtesy photo)

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening Nov. 15, 2013

tourist traveling to Bucharest who falls in love with the wife (Evan Rachel Wood) of a ruthless Romanian mobster (Mads Mikkelsen).

Narrated by John Hurt and featuring Rupert Grint, Melissa Leo and Vincent D’Onofrio.

(In English and Romanian with subtitles)

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“The Best Man Holiday” (R for profanity, sexuality and brief nudity) Christmas-themed sequel, set 15 years after the original, finds college pals reuniting to reminisce, find romance and revive rivalries. Ensemble includes Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs.

“The Book Thief” (PG-13 for violence and mature themes) Adaptation of the Mark Zusak novel of the same name, set in Nazi, Germany and revolving around an abandoned 9 year-old girl (Sophie Nelisse) adopted by foster parents (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson) hiding a Jewish refugee (Ben Schnetzer) from the SS. With Kirsten Block, Nico Liersch and Sandra Nedeleff. (In English and German with subtitles)

“Charlie Countryman” (R for sexuality, nudity, drug use, pervasive profanity and brutal violence) Shia LaBeouf portrays the title character of this romantic comedy about a

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“12-12-12” (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity and violence) Satanic possession horror flick about a demonic baby born on 12-12-12 (Double 6-6-6, get it?) who proceeds to murder everyone in his midst. With Sara Malakul Lane, Samantha Stewart and Jesus Guevara.

“Dear Mr. Watterson” (Unrated) Reverential retrospective chronicling the career of Calvin & Hobbes comic strip creator Bill Watterson. Includes commentary by Seth Green, Berkeley Breathed and Bill Amend.

“Faust” (Unrated) Adaptation of Goethe’s classic play about a man (Johannes Zeiler) who comes to regret selling his soul to the devil (Anton Adassinsky) for boundless knowledge and worldly pleasures. With Isolda Dychauk, George Friedrich and Hanna Schygulla. (In German with subtitles) “Final: The Rapture” (PG-13 for vio-

lence) Faith-based drama featuring a quartet of parallel tales revolving around Judgment Day. Starring Jah Shams, Mary Grace a nd Masashi Nagadoi. (In English, Japanese and Spanish with subtitles)

“The Great Fallacy” (Unrated) Political expose’ highlighting the present plight of Puerto Rico and simultaneously proposing solutions to alleviate the beleaguered island’s host of financial and social woes. (In Spanish with subtitles) “Lion Ark” (Unrated) Animal cruelty documentary uncovering Bolivia’s illegal trade in circus lions. Featuring Bob Barker, Jorja Fox and David Kopp.

“Nebraska” (R for profanity) Road trip drama about a father (Bruce Dern) and son (Will Forte) who travel from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim the prize money in a million-dollar sweepstakes. With Stacy Keach, June Squibb and Bob Odenkirk.

“Sunlight Jr.” (Unrated) Matt Dillon and Naomi Watts co-star in this baby maybe drama about a Florida couple whose struggle to survive on minimum wage jobs is compounded by an unplanned pregnancy. Support cast includes Norman Reedus, Tess Harper and Yvonne Gougelet.

Tri-State Defender

HOROSCOPES

Nov, 14-20, 2013

ARIES Love gets you back on an even keel, and you feel balance and much appreciation for all of the blessings in your life. Your creativity is soaring; let some of your wilder ideas free and watch them fly TAURUS Sometimes, a path down the middle is better than taking sides in an issue that may lead to discomposure of your emotional harmony. Your challenge this week is to double-check arrangements or tasks that others say they have done. Be discreet, but if it involves your schedule or needs, do check twice.

GEMINI Your mind is sending bubbles to the top of your consciousness, signaling the imminent arrival of a couple of brilliant ideas. These ideas may even come as you are in your bubble bath or asleep in your comfy bed, so keep a notepad and pen nearby at all times to capture those impressions as they make themselves known to you.

CANCER Check the fine print carefully this week. You may find yourself in a number of positions this week to advance your financial state. Be sure you have scrutinized the details before signing on any dotted lines. A partner or relative could seem to be urging you toward one of these opportunities; examine that one with love and common sense.

LEO Keep your sunny side up and avoid arguments with anyone who seems to give off any negative vibes in your direction. You know in your heart that what you do in the world is much needed. Others know too, they just may have a hard time admitting it this week.

Look for love to give you a lift.

VIRGO Your philosophical principles are ready for a larger congregation.

Your hard work, patience, and determination to present a positive outlook will be paying off this week.

You’ll be blessed with an intuitive flash of all that you have going for you, and the realization will make you very happy. You’ll be encouraging many others with your manner of being in the world.

LIBRA Be cautious about when and where you present your ideas this week. There’s some minor jealousy lurking about, and it wants to rain on your gorgeous parade. Be calm and keep your faith in yourself high.

You’ve earned the respect and admiration of many by simply acting with complete faith in the rightness of your actions. Take all criticism, constructive or otherwise, with a grain of salt SCORPIO Your charm is unstoppable, and your poise is unflappable, sweeties. Continue to take advantage of all of your gifts this week and be your whole, wonderful self. If you take a high road where shared property is discussed, you may wind up with more than you started with. Exercise some caution when dealing with negative energy, whether from people or just a vague intuition.

SAGITTARIUS You need to stay in a positive zone to make your magic happen. A flirtation on the part of a younger person towards you needs to be gently discouraged.

Trust has been placed in you; don’t inadvertently betray it. If in doubt, retire to your home and do some cleaning and catching up by telephone with the folks back home.

CAPRICORN A happier mood is in store if you spend some of your emotions on a mate or family member. Your sensitivity to criticism should be kept in check as much as possible this week, because you don’t really want to spend your perfect moments feeling temperamental, do you? Others mean well, they just don’t express themselves perfectly every time.

AQUARIUS A very pleasant week is in store as peace seems to be the dominant current. Your experience will tell you how best to proceed with a close relationship. Right words and actions can restore all to the previous beauty.

PISCES Friends call and you should answer their requests to join them. You’ll have a nice week out if you go, with lots of camaraderie and good fellowship. You’ll be creating energy for a very inspiring environment.

Source: NNPA News Service

SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, November 14 - 20, 2013, Page 11

Lady Saluqis open with two losses The Southwest women’s basketball team opened the regular season and conference play last weekend at the Verties Sails Gymnasium, losing to Chattanooga State 79-70 (Nov. 8) and to Cleveland State 7574 the next day.

A j e e S m i t h came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points and also dished out four asMatoria sists in the Henley loss to C h a t tanooga State. Dominique Malone added 13 points. Angela Hardy had 15 points and led the team with eight rebounds.

Against Cleveland State, Matoria Henley scored 14 points on six of 10 shooting, and was one of three Lady Saluqis with four assists.

Keoshia McGhee recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lady Saluqis continue TCCAA play this week when they travel to Morristown (Tenn.) Friday (Nov. 15) to take on defending champion Walters State then to Harriman (Tenn.) on Saturday to play Roane State.

Southwest men split conference games The Southwest men’s basketball team opened conference play over the weekend at the Verties Sails Gymnasium, defeating Chattanooga State 85-84 in overtime on Nov. 8, and losing to Cleveland State 82-80 on Nov. 9.

T h e Saluqis are now 31 overall and 1-1 in the Tennessee Community College Athletic AssoDeVante ciation.

Jones D e Va n t e Jones scored 29 points on 10 of 16 shooting to lead the Saluqis to the win over Chattanooga State. He followed that with a 35-point game in the loss to Cleveland State.

Other top performances in the Chattanooga State game were by Rasheed Brooks with 17 points and four assists, and Andre Brown with a gamehigh 13 rebounds. Craig Hill was the only other double-figure scorer in the Cleveland State game with 10 points. He was also the top rebounder with nine boards.

The Saluqis continue TCCAA play this week when they travel to Morristown, on Friday (Nov. 15) to take on conference rival Walters State then to Harriman on Nov. 16 to play Roane State.

Jackson Dillon (left) and Terry Redden of the Tigers stop Abou Toure of UT-Martin from getting a first down. (Photos: Warren Roseborough)

For the Tigers, a win is a win, but…

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by J.R. Moorhead

This season the question has been: Who is beating the Tigers – their opponents or themselves?

Memphis (1-6) has had a chance to come away with a win in most off its losses, but costly mistakes have proved too much for the Tigers to overcome. So many would say the Tigers are, in fact, beating themselves.

With all that being said, Memphis still has a good opportunity to string together some wins late in the year and making this season somewhat respectable.

The latest prospect for a win came this past Saturday (Nov. 9) on homecoming against the UT-Martin Skyhawks. UT-Martin beat Memphis last year on a late field goal and from the looks of it early in the game, the Skyhawks seemed to believe they could beat the Tigers again this year.

Seven penalties (for 63 yards) and an interception from the Tigers in the first two quarters helped UT-Martin to a 6-0 lead late in the first half. Despite all the miscues, Memphis QB Paxton Lynch was able to scramble 6 yards for a score right before halftime and the Tigers took a 7-6 lead to the locker room.

The third quarter proved to be a stalemate and Memphis took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter and many Tiger fans had to be having déjà vu; however, two turnovers by the Sky-

Tigers running back Brandon Hayes breaks a tack’e and runs for a first down.

hawks proved to be their demise.

In the fourth quarter, Lynch completed a 12yard pass to running back Brandon Hayes for a touchdown and running back Sam Craft also scored on an eight-yard scamper. With a 21-6 victory, the Tigers improved to 2-6.

Although Memphis was able to come away

with the win, it was very sloppy and Coach Justin Fuente wasn’t exactly pleased with his team’s effort.

“I told the kids that I’m happy for you, but I’m not very proud of you. I’m happy we found a way to win the ball game, it is a lot better than not finding a way to win but we can’t do those things and we have got to be accountable to each other.

There is a bunch of examples of us not doing that,” said Fuente.

“Those things,” he was referring to were “penalties, poor execution and turning the ball.”

The Tigers had two turnovers and 12 penalties for a whopping 123 yards.

Memphis now leads the country in penalties. “ I view it as the ability to maintain your focus and understanding you’re hurting everybody in the group when you take those actions upon yourself,” said Fuentes.

The Tigers are clearly not maintaining that focus.

Memphis heads to Tampa this weekend (Nov. 16) to take on the South Florida Bulls. The Bulls are 2-6 also and have had their fair share of struggles this year (losses to McNeese State and Florida Atlantic).

The Tigers will try to win back-to-back games for the first time this year.

“We’ve played some good people on the road and given ourselves an opportunity to win. (We) look forward to the focus and challenge of going on the road. We need to find a way to get over the hump,” said Fuente.

Tigers exit tune-up ready to roll Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by J.R. Moorhead

Fans in True Blue Nation were clamoring after the story surfaced that their University of Memphis Tigers had been beaten, quite handily, by the Baylor Bears at a secret scrimmage last week.

Memphis is ranked No. 13 in the nation preseason and this private game had many questioning what to expect this season.

So when Memphis took the floor for an exhibition game last Friday (Nov. 8) against Christian Brothers University, Memphis fans packed the house to get a look at the Tigers for themselves.

And what did they see?

Memphis head coach Josh Pastner deployed a very heavy rotation – with 11 players getting quality minutes. No one player put in more than 22 minutes during the 40-minute exhibition.

Pastner would often substitute all five players on the floor, much like a hockey line switch.

“I don’t know if I will keep doing it, but I liked it,” Pastner said of the rotation. “It really wears teams out.”

Returning contributors Joe Jackson, Shaq Goodwin and Chris Crawford logged 17, 16 and 15 minutes of playing time, respectively. It seems as if the heavy rotation was Pastner’s way of getting a better look at his new players in a live scenario.

With news that Tiger transfer David Pellom would under knee surgery, another big question mark was who would fill that void. Freshman

Tigers Nick King (left) and Kuran Iverson come up with the loose ball vs CBU. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)

Austin Nichols started the game and looked very good offensively, scoring 9 points and pulling down 4 rebounds. Nichols and Goodwin looked to be developing some chemistry in the high-low game and should be something to watch for this season.

Nick King, another Tiger freshman, recorded a double-double (12 points and 10 rebounds) and

added 3 steals and 2 assists in 22 minutes. King looked very strong, but he knows he has worked to do. He went 2 of 6 from the free throw line and admitted that he was starting to cramp up towards the end of the game.

“Take it day by day,” he said, referring to taking care of his body and practicing his free throws.

The surprise of the night was the 6’10, 310pound freshman forward Dominic Woodson.

Woodson went 7-7 and scored 14 points in 18 minutes. Woodson is a load, but with the ball in his hands around the rim, he was a graceful as a ballerina. If Woodson keeps improving, he could play a serious role this year frustrating the other big men in the American Athletic Conference.

As for the actual game, CBU was able to keep it close for a while, but the depth and rotation of the Tigers eventually wore the Buccaneers down.

Memphis won 92-63 and this tune-up game looks to have the Tigers firing on all cylinders.

Pastner and his Tigers are focused on the task at hand.

“Winning is not a birthright,” Pastner said at the end of the press conference. He wouldn’t answer any questions concerning his goals for the season, saying he is “always only focused on the next game.”

NOTE: The Tigers open their season Thursday night (Nov. 14) against the Austin Peay Governors at the FedExForum. For coverage, visit TSDMemphis.com.)

GRIZZ TRACK Welcome back…

Former Grizzlies reserve – and now a member of the Golden State Warriors – Marreese Speights gets a friendly greeting from former teammate Zach Randolph during the pre-game warm-up at the FedExForum last Saturday (Nov. 9th).

(Photos: Warren Roseborough)

Take that...

Zach Randolph, who led the Grizzlies in scoring with 23 points (also chipping in 11 rebounds) scores over Marreese Speights. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 108-90. On Wednesday (Nov. 13th), former Grizz star Rudy Gay returned to FedExForum with the Toronto Rapters. For the story, visit TSDMemphis.com

Page 12

SPORTS

November 14 - 20, 2013

‘Almost a slave mentality’ NNPA chairman says of NFL

LEGAL NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Memphis Management Group, LLC (MMG) and Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCVB)

Hereby issues a Request for Proposal for an INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT for the Memphis Cook Convention Center (MCCC) and Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCVB) Bids may be obtained at the office of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, 47 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, 38103 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Bids may also be obtained by sending a request in writing via email to mmgrfp@memphisconvention.com or via fax at 901-543-5360.

TriceEdneyWire.com

by Hazel Trice Edney The chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a federation of more than 200 black-owned newspapers, says the Washington Redskins’ team – under fire from a Richmond, Va. publisher – is in sync with the entire National Football League in its apparent oppressive treatment of black businesses and consumers.

“It’s almost a slave mentality. They put us on the field and we entertain the master but we’re not reaping any benefits from the business side of it,” Campbell says. “It’s not just the Redskins. If you look around the country, the NFL as a whole pretty much neglects black businesses and the black community,” said Campbell, publisher of the Arizona Informant Newspaper.

He continued, “Here in Arizona, our Arizona Cardinals does zero with the black community. Every now and then they might show up for a token black event. But, I don’t see our African-American newspaper here in Phoenix or in Arizona being supported by the Arizona Cardinals. I believe if you called other newspapers that have (teams) in their markets, I don’t believe they’re doing much for them either. I believe the NFL as a whole takes the Black community for granted although we are their major product on the field.”

Campbell was responding to questions pertaining to a conflict between NNPA member Ray Boone, editor/publisher of the awardwinning Richmond Free Press, and the Richmondbased Washington Redskins Training Camp, which is partially owned by Bon Secours Health System.

In a letter to NAACP Chairman Roslyn Brock and CC’d to Campbell, Boone states that the team contracted no business with Black-owned or locally owned businesses at its first Richmond training camp between July 25 and August 16. That includes the failure to advertise in the Black-owned Richmond Free Press while advertising with the Whiteowned conservative daily, the Richmond Times Dispatch, which has a history of prosegregation leadership. The conflict is steeped in an ageold battle constantly waged by black newspapers, which are historic targets for advertising discrimination.

While Bon Secours placed paid advertisements for the training camp in the Times Dispatch, the Free Press was sent press releases, Boone said in an interview.

Brock, who has served as NAACP chair since 2010, is vice president for advocacy and government relations for the Bon Secours Health System, Inc., in Marriottsville, Md. Boone believes her corporate position has caused her to compromise her stance for economic justice in the Richmond case.

“Bon Secours, along with Mayor Dwight C. Jones and the Washington team, blatantly denied, contrary to the Mayor’s pledge, black businesses and other local businesses the opportunity to receive vendor contracts inside

CLASSIFIEDS

the training camp,” Boone wrote in a Sept. 27 letter to Brock.

“Characteristic of Richmond government and big businesses, this Bon Secours decision disgracefully enhanced Richmond’s shameful reputation as ‘The Capital of Poverty,’ with 25 percent of Richmond’s population suffering in poverty.”

When Brock had not responded to his letter for more than a month, Boone followed up with a Nov. 1 email pointing out, “This raises the unavoidable question of whether Bon Secours is restricting you from living up to your responsibility to honor the NAACP mission?”

He continued, “In the interest of fairness and the image of the NAACP, I respectfully suggest that you break your silence.”

Brock responded to Boone by email that same day, stating, “The matter you reference in your letter is local in nature and should be handled directly by the Richmond Branch NAACP and Salim Khalfani at the Virginia State Conference NAACP. I have forwarded your correspondence to them and shared the information with the leadership of Bon Secours Health System in Richmond.”

In an email, responding to a question from the Trice Edney News Wire this week, Brock said that she had not publically commented on Boone’s complaint because it is a local issue.

Brock’s email said she had “also discussed the matter in detail with” Campbell, who is serving his second term as NNPA chairman. At a Sept. 17 reception in D.C., Campbell, Boone and other NNPA publishers praised Brock for her leadership and gave her an award for social justice.

While Campbell verbally blistered the NFL, including the Redskins, he balanced his response by saying he agrees with Brock that the issue in Boone’s case is local since the economic decisions appear to have been made by the mayor and Bon Secours’ Richmond entities.

“At the end of the day, I think (the criticism of her) is unfair just because she works for Bon Secours. That’s her day job. We all volunteer at some time with the NAACP,’ Campbell says, referring to Brock’s volunteer chairmanship. “While we want to see Mr. Boone and his publication

ʻThey put us on the field and we entertain the master but weʼre not reaping any benefits from the business side of it.ʼ – N N P A Chairman C l o v e s Campbell

get what it deserves and more so; that is definitely a local issue.’

Boone, who recently announced he has stopped using the term “Redskins’ in the Richmond Free Press because it is ‘racist,” argues that the Redskins’ and Bon Secours’ exclusion of Black businesses underscores and illustrates the team’s mentality under the controversial name, which is receiving growing national pressure for change.

In her email to the Trice Edney News Wire, Brock also clarified that the NAACP has long stood against the Redskins name because of its roots in racism.

“The NAACP passed a resolution more than ten years ago against racial slurs being used as mascots. In the last few months the NAACP signed on letters with the Oneida Tribe, based in Washington and the National Coalition on American Tribes especially in support of their efforts to change the Redskins name,’ she wrote.

Neither Mayor Dwight C. Jones nor Virginia NAACP President King Salim Khalfani could be reached for comment by deadline. Bon Secours representatives did not return repeated phone calls.

Meanwhile, Boone, a recipient of the State NAACP’s Oliver W. Hill Freedom Fighter Award, remains focused on his quest for economic justice, promising Brock “fairness and balance’ in upcoming coverage of her leadership positions with the NAACP and Bon Secours.

Such economic battles have been hard fought in Richmond and in black and grassroots communities across the nation. Former Richmond City Councilman Chuck Richardson, known for his historic advocacy for black businesses and contractors, recalls researching Washington Redskins’ racism as far back as 1961. That’s when he wrote a research paper in junior high school about the team and how the Redskins was “the last professional football team to allow blacks to play for them,” he said in an interview.

“This harkens back to that painful time. It hurt then and I would have thought that a greater degree of change might have occurred, but the mentality still exists. It seems so much has changed and yet so much remains the same.”

CRITICAL DATES: Issue Request for Proposals: Thurs, Nov. 14, 2013 Due Date for Proposals: Tues, Dec. 03, 2013 4:00 p.m.

Evaluate Proposals: Wed, Dec. 04, 2013 Interview Bidder(s), if required: Thurs, Dec. 05, 2013 Announce Successful Bidder:

Tri-State Defender

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AWARD OF CONTRACTS WILL BE DETERMINED BY MMG/MCVB AND WILL BE BASED ON THE CRITERIA OUTLINED IN THE RFP. MMG/MCVB ENCOURAGES THE PARTICIPATION OF MBE AND WBE BUSINESSES AS DEFINED BY THE CITY OF MEMPHIS - IN THE BID PROCESS. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

Bidders are required to have a minimum of three (3) years experience providing Information Technology Consulting services as well as strong customer service.

Unsigned bids will be considered nonconforming. Bids containing terms and conditions other than those contained herein, may be considered nonconforming.

MMG/MCVB reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informality in bidding.

Statement of ownership, Management and Circulation

(Required by 39 USC 3685) 1. Publication Title, Tri-State Defender.

2. Publication Number, 0780-0220.

3. Filing Date, 11/08/2013.

4. Issue Frequency, Weekly.

5. Number of Issues Published Annually, 52.

6. Annual Subscription Price, $30.00.

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103-4598, Shelby County.

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: Best Media Properties, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103-4598, Shelby County.

9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor, Bernal E. Smith, II, General Manager; 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103-4598, Shelby County.

9a. Executive Editor; Dr. Karanja Ajanaku, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103-4598, Shelby County.

9b. Managing Editor: N/A 10. Owner: (If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent of more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and address of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address:) Best Media Properties, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103.

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None 11a. Complete Mailing Address: Bernal E. Smith, II (51%), Denise William (12%), Carolyn Hardy (14%), Cliff Dates (5%), Ron Redwing (10%), Natasha Donerson (3%), LaSimba Gray (5%).

12. Tax Status: (The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status of federal income tax purposes: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months.

13. Publication Title: Tri-State Defender.

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: October 31, 2013.

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Greater Memphis Area 15a. Total Number of Copies: (Net Press Run) Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 5,500 No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 5,500 15b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541. (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceeding 12 Months: 132. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 118 (2) Mailed In-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 418: No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 372 (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including

Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 850: No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 850 (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Prededing 12 Months: 800; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 800 15c. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4); Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 2,200. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 2,140 15d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0 (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Included on Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 0: No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0 (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 850; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 850 15e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 850; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 850 15f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 3,000; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 3,000 15g. Copies not Distributed: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 2,500; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 2,500 15h. Total: (Sum of 15g, 15g): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 5,500; No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 5,500 15i. Percent Paid (15c. divided by 15f. times 100): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 73.33%; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 71.33% 16. Total circulation includes electronic copies.

Report circulation on PS Form 3526-X worksheet.

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Publication required. Will be printed in the 11/14/2013 issue of this publication.

18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Bernal E. Smith, II, Publisher. Date: 11/8/2013.

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information request on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including multiple damages and civil penalities).

Tri-State Defender

November 14 - 20, 2013

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November 14 - 20, 2013

Tri-State Defender