November 20 - 26, 2014
VOL. 63, No. 46
www.tsdmemphis.com
75 Cents
Funding on the way for Southbrook Mall renovation
by Tony Jones
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
A grant earmarked to assist in reviving the once-thriving Southbrook Mall in Whitehaven was set to be announced today (Nov. 20th) in City Hall by Mayor AC Wharton Jr. Full details were not available at The New Tri-State Defender’s Wednesday print deadline time. However, Public Information Officer Dewanna Lofton said the grant would provide $2.1 million in funding to the mall’s owners – Southbrook Corporation – for muchneeded repairs to the roof, lighting and heating and air conditioning infrastructure. The funding marks the first positive
$2.1 million grant set for unveiling
news for the facility, which will be renamed Southbrook Towne Cener, for quite some time. Once buzzing with a multi-plex movie theatre, hot boutiques and consistent foot traffic, the facility has long been dormant. Though she did not have details in advance of the announcement, Southbrook Corporation’s Board Vice Chairman Cherry Davis said board members were excited and optimistic about the news. After forming their non-profit corporation and winnowing down several facility studies, market surveys and renovation plans, Southbrook Properties made several unsuccessful applications for funding
Robert Lipscomb
Cherry Davis
to the Memphis City Council. Extensive meetings kept the process alive, leading up to this week’s announcement.
“What had to occur is that we had to have a meeting of the minds to come together as a group to create fresh thinking and define our goals,” said Davis. “Our first request was for $1.5 million but we found out that our project did not qualify for the particular funding stream as it was structured. But this is expected to be what we really need to move forward. No more guessing, no more speculation.” Davis said Southbrook’s board is looking at more than “just a retail facility. (Our) goal is to create something that will last. We had to understand what we were qualified for and where potential funding was available.”
She credits Memphis Housing and Community Development Director Robert Lipscomb as a great energizer. Lipscomb credits Wharton’s full commitment to the process. “We have been meeting for months with the goal to create the highest and best use of that facility for the people of Whitehaven. They deserve the best we can achieve and that is our goal,” Lipscomb said. “Another important aspect is that this is just a first step and there are potentially more to come in the future. Whitehaven has a lot of upsides that have not been maximized. That’s why we wanted something really nice to go with Graceland and let the people in Whitehaven know they are really important. And that includes Southland Mall as well. There’s great potential here we intend to tap.”
As grand jury decision looms, St. Louis-area churches offer safe spaces Clergy train in ‘de-escalation’
The shopper’s guide to a happy, costeffective holiday by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell
Special to the New Tri-State Defender
OK, let’s face it. We’ve all done the max-out-every-credit-line approach to holiday shopping. After the New Year, we spent the next 10 months paying off the balances. Then, it’s back on that holiday crazy train for the next year. Gift cards can be great, except that doling them out to all the grandchildren, nieces, and nephews can get pricey. And quite frankly, that $20 gift card to Macy’s won’t go very far for your 21-year-old grandson. He’ll still have to add another $20 of his own money to get a keychain he likes. The truth is that we, consumers, are in a power struggle with the merchants and shopkeepers. They woo us out of our hard-earned money and credit worth for what is purported to be the lowest prices for the highest-quality goods. It’s easy to be caught up in the whirlwind rapture of searching for the perfect gift for everyone we love. We can moan all day about how Christmas has been commercialized, and that people forget that the birth of Christ is “the reason for the season.” But who doesn’t love to receive a gift, or watch the face of a loved one opening a package of that thing for which they have wished the hardest? Alas, a solution that fits everyone’s budget, no matter how meager. Take full advantage of the virtual bonanza of bargains and specials being paraded in television ads, store mailers, discount coupons and competitor-match offers. The amount of savings we glean SEE GUIDE ON PAGE 2
MEMPHIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
H-50o - L-54o
H-59o - L-53o
Showers
REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS
Showers
SUNDAY
H-68o - L-51o
Scattered Storms
Friday Saturday Sunday H-52 L-44 H-59 L-54 H-69 L-48 H-48 L-38 H-59 L-49 H-66 L-55 H-66 L-52 H-70 L-58 H-73 L-58
by Kenya Vaughn, Bridjes O’Neil and Sandra Jordan NNPA News Service
Churches throughout the St. Louis region will offer “safe spaces” following the grand jury’s decision on whether to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. Clergy are among those who are readying the community for what many are expecting to be a nonindictment of Wilson for the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown Jr. on August 9 – and the unrest that is also expected to ensue. “The churches will have food available if people need to come in off the street and find respite,” said Rev. Renita Lampkin, pastor of St. John AME Church in St. Charles, Missouri. “There will be people who will provide comfort and offer a sense of community.” Four African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches will serve as safe havens, including St. Luke’sElmwood Park, St. James, St. Paul and St. Peters. The Metropolitan Congregations United Clergy Caucus and
Rev. Osagyefo Sekou trained peaceful protestors in non-violent civil disobedience on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at Greater St. Mark Family Church in Ferguson, Mo. (Photos: Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American) Metropolitan Clergy Coalition announced that their confirmed safe spaces include Christ Church Cathedral, Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, Samaritan UMC, First Congregational Church of St. Louis, Webster Groves Christian Church, Epiphany UCC and Central Reform Congregation. The coalition will also host a prayer service and freedom rally the day of the grand jury announcement, which could be as soon as this Friday, Nov. 21. The prayer service and rally will be held at 7 p.m. on the day
of the announcement at West Side Missionary Baptist Church, 2677 Dunn Rd. AME clergy urged people to stock up on medication, food, water, working flashlights, batteries and to keep vehicles filled with fuel in case access to basic services and necessities are interrupted due to unrest. MCU clergy issued a “moral summons” at a press conference last Friday (Nov. 14) at Central Reform Congregation, reiterating that they stood in solidarity with protestors in the fight for justice for Michael
Brown Jr. “In the wake of the killing of Michael Brown and the violence that has followed, we concerned clergy of St. Louis feel called to consecrate the streets of St. Louis as safe places for all our citizens – and in particular our black and brown children,” said Rev. Dietra Wise Baker, pastor of Liberation Christian Church and cochair of the MCU Clergy Caucus. Wise Baker vowed that clergy will be seen and heard in the event of continued unrest. For more than a month, interfaith clergy leaders from across the St. Louis region have been planning and undergoing “de-escalation training.” Rev. Shaun Jones of Mt. Zion Baptist Church-Christian Complex would not discuss details, but said a nonviolent day of action is being planned in Clayton. Greater St. Mark Family Church has been one of the locations for nonviolent direct action trainings hosted by the Don’t Shoot Coalition, which represents 50 advocacy organizations. “If you feel like the police need to know when to get ready, don’t you think the community needs to know when to get ready?” said Michael McPhearson, Don’t Shoot Coalition co-chair and executive director of SEE DECISION ON PAGE 2
When law and mentoring intersect
Career Reception event was a bridge builder
“moving to Memphis or moving back to Memphis and doing work for the county or the city. What struck me is that they didn’t seem as interested in doing private sector work,” she said. “I thought a lot of young professionals were leaving (the Memphis area), a mass exodus of young professionals. I have heard that. But in terms of these law students, I didn’t get a sense of that at all. The people who spoke here, the leaders of the community, said this is one of the best places to work, and I agree with that.”
by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com
The second annual Career Reception for law students – hosted by the City of Memphis’s Law Division – served as the intersection of interests that Carl Carter and J.B. Smiley Jr. brought to City Hall last week. Carter, who was there on the lookout for International paper, where he is the associate general counsel, was also on hand to represent the Tennessee Bar Association, where he serves on the board of governors and represents the eighth district. Smiley, a Memphis native, is a law student at William H. Barnes School of Law in Little Rock. “Those of us who are professionals and who have been blessed to be successful, we need to reach back, pull up, help out, push forward or what have you,” said Carter within earshot of a nodding and missionoriented Smiley. “I wanted to do my best to come back home and network with professionals in the community that I want to practice in,” said Smiley. The lawyer and the would-be lawyer both rated the gathering a success. Last year the participating students came from the University of Mississippi and the University of Memphis. This year, Vanderbilt, the Nashville School of Law and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock also sent students. Deputy City Attorney Regina Morrison Newman said nearly every local government law office,
Don’t fall for the misconception
With experience at several government-level offices, Assistant County Atty. Marlinee Iverson has learned the value of “new blood” that brings in “unique perspectives, different perspectives.” (Courtesy photo) many of Memphis’ large and small Iverson was there to inform and to be law firms, and corporations such as alert for “new blood,” which she said International Paper and TruGreen, is important to government offices. sent representatives to speak to the “I am really committed to Shelby students about career opportunities County and the city. I’ve worked in a and internships. Also represented lot of the offices here. I’ve worked for were Memphis Area Legal Services, the DA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Counsel on Call, Memphis Bar We really want to get a thriving Association, National Bar Association group of attorneys. The young ones and members of the local judiciary, just out of law school have something including Circuit Court Judges Jerry to offer because they have unique Stokes and Gina Higgins. perspectives, different perspectives,” “The annual reception furthers said Iverson. the goals of the administration of “We’re going to get new blood Memphis Mayor AC Wharton Jr. to in that challenges us maybe on offer opportunities to youth and to old patterns and get us to look at make Memphis the City of Choice things differently, resolve problems in which to live, work and recreate,” differently. That’s why I think a said Newman. “We look forward to program like this, where we get to growing this event in future years.” meet students who are just graduating and encourage them to apply for ‘New blood’ offices like ours, helps us.” Iverson said she encountered a lot Assistant County Atty. Marlinee of students who were interested in
Some 30 years ago, Carter was a law student. He knows the “tremendous benefit” derived when there is a function that serves as a networking opportunity for law students who will be graduating or law students looking for some employment to start connecting with potential employers. “It is no secret that the jobs prospects are not what they used to be, but what I tell people is that with a little extra effort making some connections, events like this provide a tremendous benefit because they create the opportunity for you,” said Carter. “I commend the mayor and the City of Memphis’ Chief Counsel Herman Morris.” A native Memphian, Carter attended Morehouse College and the University of Virginia School of Law. “I was fortunate enough to be able to return to Memphis right after law school to clerk for the Honorable Odell Horton Jr. Clerking for Judge Horton, being here working downtown in the federal building was a tremendous experience.” SEE LAW ON PAGE 3