VOL. 62, No. 48
December 5 - 11, 2013
SEE PARADE ON PAGE 2
- INSIDE -
• Earnest Townes: A secondchancer who championed exoffenders. See Opinion, page 4. • Thaddeus Matthews: Legal entanglement is a witch-hunt. See Community, page 10. • U of M star in running for off-court honor. See Sports, page 13.
Making sure that the U.S. economy works for every working American is “the defining challenge of our time,” President Barack Obama said Wednesday, Dec. 4. He delivered a speech about what he calls a “dangerous and growing” income and opportunity gap jeopardizing the notion that if people work hard, they can get ahead. (Photo: CNN)
President Obama: wage & income gap eroding American dream by Brianna Keilar and Kevin Liptak CNN
WASHINGTON – The growing gap between rich and poor Americans is threatening the ideals the country was founded upon, President Barack Obama said in remarks Wednesday that appeared to signal a leftward turn in his economic agenda.
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Making sure that the U.S. economy works for every working American is “the defining challenge of our time,” Obama said in a speech at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. He later said the “dangerous and growing” income and opportunity gap is jeopardizing the notion that if people work hard, they can get ahead. “The idea that so many children are born into poverty in the wealthi-
est nation on Earth is heartbreaking enough, but the idea that a child may never be able to escape that poverty, because she lacks a decent education or health care or a community that views her future as their own, that should offend all of us,” Obama said during his remarks. To combat the chasm between haves and have-nots, Obama called for a hike in the federal minimum wage, saying an increase is a good
step for families and the economy as a whole. Democrats on Capitol Hill have pushed for an increase in the federal minimum wage, which currently stands at $7.25 an hour. A proposal would boost it to about $10, and the White House has said Obama supports such a measure. SEE GAP ON PAGE 2
Nonprofit whisperer takes helm at Ford Foundation
Americaʼs second largest philanthropy organization with $500 million in annual giving New America Media
In September, Darren Walker became the second African American and 10th president of the Ford Foundation, America’s second largest philanthropy organization with $500 million in annual giving. After a stint in international law and banking, Walker served as the COO of a non-profit agency in New York before moving to the foundation world, first arriving at the Rockefeller Foundation before being tapped to fill a vice president slot at Ford in 2010. He was interviewed in his New York office by Khalil Abdullah, national reporter for New America Media.
Khalil Abdullah: What excites you most about taking on the presidency of the Ford Foundation? Darren Walker: I have a chance to make a difference by leading a remarkable institution committed to social justice when the very notion of Joe Jackson
75 Cents
‘THE DEFINING CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME’
Dec. 15 set for 2013 TSDmemphis.com Downtown Holiday Parade
The New TriState Defender (TSD) will host its 2nd Annual TSDmemphis.com Holiday Parade in Downtown Memphis on Sunday, Dec. 15, beginning at 2 p.m. The organization and lining up Bernal E. is set for 1 p.m. at Smith ll the corner of Fourth and Beale streets. The parade will be sponsored by Olympic Tax Service. “Many in the community have reached out to us to continue this tradition and of course we had to oblige,” said Bernal E. Smith II, TSD president and publisher. “We listened and embraced the opportunity to extend our brand in serving our readership and the community at-large during this festive season of giving. It is al“Many in the ways great to kids and community bring families out to have reached celebrate during out to us to this time of year what better continue this and place to do it than tradition and the heart of downand historic of course we town Beale Street had to where our offices just happen to oblige.” be.” Last year, the inaugural TSDMemphis.com Holiday Parade was the first such event to unfold along the newly renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. The same route is planned for this year. At 1 p.m., Christmas and gospel songs and other entertainment will get underway as the participating groups and floats are lined up for the 2 p.m. start. The parade route will begin at Fourth and Beale, head south towards Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., proceed west on MLK Jr. Ave. to Second St., proceed north to Beale, then east on Beale Alley and back to Fourth, where it will culminate. The Holiday Lane (grandstand) performances will be judged and awarded by a group of specially invited guests. The parade also presents an op-
www.tsdmemphis.com
Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. (Photo: Courtesy of New America Media) social justice is being contested. Our country’s policies and discourse sometimes feel retrograde, taking us back to when justice was more rationed...particularly for low-income people and people of color. I have a huge opportunity to fortify those voices.
We made great progress...in poverty reduction, employment for low income and low skill workers, in increased participation in higher education and high school graduate rates. ...When I hear, “Oh, the War on Poverty was a waste of time,” I don’t accept that. You have a hard time
convincing me that investments in human capacity and in the potential of people like me to advance in society have somehow been for naught. KA: How would you describe
SEE NONPROFIT ON PAGE 3
With back to wall, Fisk seeks fresh accreditation NNPA News Service
NASHVILLE – Fisk University President Dr. H. James Williams and a team of top Fisk administrators are set to visit Atlanta in early December to make the institution’s final pitch to the powerful Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to give Fisk a clean bill of heath on its accreditation. The outcome of the Fisk meeting with SACSCOC officials, to be announced December 10, will have a profound impact upon Fisk. The 77member board of SACSCOC is to decide whether to remove Fisk from membership in the group or continue its accreditation without conditions. Fisk is Nashville’s oldest institution of higher education.
Loss of SACSCOC accreditation would cost Fisk millions of dollars in income and could precipitate a precipitous decline of the institution. Accreditation by SACSCOC, the premier panel of higher education peers who set performance standards for college and universities across the South, is the yardstick used by the federal government in determining whether an institution of higher learning is eligible to receive federal student aid funds. Loss of SACSCOC accreditation would cost Fisk millions of dollars in income and could precipitate a precipitous decline of the institution. When colleges or universities have lost their SACSCOC endorsements in the past, the actions have triggered a rapid demise of institutions and
some times closure as in the case of Morris Brown College in Atlanta and St. Paul’s College in Virginia. “We’re going to be guardedly optimistic” about Fisk’s prospects, Dr. Williams said in a recent interview. “We feel confident.” Before the full SACSCOC board weighs in, there will be a one-hour, closed-door presentation before a five-member subcommittee of the board that reviews compliance progress so far this year. SACSCOC has had Fisk on probation or warning status for four years, registering numerous concerns during the tenure of past president Hazel
O’Leary about the institution’s financial viability, governance and leadership. The university’s well-regarded academic programs have not been called into question. Over the years, there has been puzzlement in the higher education community over why Fisk had failed to clear its name, despite the specifics in each the SACS report. Since being issued its initial “warning” status, the university had filed four unpersuasive “monitoring” reports with SACSCOC leading up to a SACSCOC notice this time a year ago that Fisk had one more year to comply. The monitoring reports are aimed at measuring a flagged institution’s progress toward compliance. Fisk filed a fifth “monitoring” reSEE FISK ON PAGE 3
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portunity for the community to make contributions or give toys for various toy giveaways happening throughout the city. Participants and parade-watchers are asked to donate a new toy to the toy drive. TSD will collect the contributions and toys and distribute them to various organizations. Parade sponsor, Christian Davis, CEO of Olympic Tax Service, said, “The parade gives us one last opportunity to secure additional gifts for so many children and families in need. We want to make sure those children have a Merry Christmas. The New Tri-State Defender has been a tremendous partner to Olympic Taxes and we want to do our part to make this year’s parade and toy drive a huge success.” Smith said publications such as the TSD have always been rooted in the community. “We continue to report, support and champion the issues and causes important to the community. Hosting the parade and supporting various toy drives during this season is just an extension of that commitment,” said Smith. “We are committed to doing good while doing well and having fun while doing it all! With the TSDmemphis.com Holiday Parade we are purposing to build a new Memphis tradition that young people and families throughout the MidSouth can look forward to each year during this season.” Registrations will be taken through Dec. 12th. Affordable sponsorship opportunities for businesses are still available. For more information on how you can participate in the parade, contact Nina Johnson at 901-679-8545, call the TSD offices at 901-523-1818, or visit www.tsdmemphis.com. (Continuously published for 62 years, The New Tri-State Defender is located at 203 Beale Street, Suite 200. It is owned by BEST Media Properties, Inc. a company started and majority-owned by, TSD President/Publisher Bernal E. Smith II.)
Tri-State Defender
December 5 - 11, 2013
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The inaugural TSDMemphis.Com Holiday Parade last year revived the Memphis tradition of a downtown holiday parade. (Photo: Christopher Hope)
On Wednesday, Obama also made a general push to simplify the tax code, provide more work training in high schools, and make it easier for Americans to save for retirement. Those are notions Obama has presented before; however, by packaging them into a clear plan for the next three years, Obama seemed to be making a play to revive his core of liberal supporters, who over the past several months have weathered the disappointments of his health care rollout and allegations of NSA spying. Obama took sharp aim at Republicans during his remarks, saying they had failed to present their own plans for pulling Americans out of poverty. “If Republicans have concrete plans that will actually reduce inequality, build the middle class, provide more ladders of opportunity to the poor, let’s hear them. I want to know what they are,” Obama said. And he made a forceful call for lawmakers to extend emergency unemployment insurance by the end of the year, saying “Christmastime is no time for Congress to tell more than one million of these Americans” they’ve lost those benefits. The speech came as public approval of Obama sinks to new lows. The botched rollout of HealthCare.gov, coupled with stories of people losing their health plans, has contributed to the drop, but more Americans also say they disapprove of the President’s handling of the
economy, five years after the downturn. A CNN/ORC Poll taken in November showed 59 percent of respondents said things were going badly in the country today. Thirtynine percent – a plurality – said economic conditions are getting worse. While Wall Street indexes and corporate earnings have reached new highs, the situation for low and middle class Americans has largely remained dire, including a jobless rate that remains high and scores of people who have given up looking for work. The current economy is “profoundly unequal,” Obama proclaimed on Wednesday. “Growing inequality and lack of upward mobility that has jeopardized middle-class America’s basic bargain, that if you work hard, you have a chance to get ahead,” Obama said. “I believe this is the defining challenge of our time, making sure our economy works for every working American.” The problem of income disparity, and the fight for a higher minimum wage, have gained renewed attention in the past weeks – low wage fast food workers have staged oneday strikes across the country demanding higher paychecks, and protesters stood outside Wal-Marts and other box stores on Black Friday demanding employees be paid better. Obama’s remarks Wednesday took place at a theater and arts facility in Washington’s Southeast quadrant, an area of the capital where incomes remain low and 45 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
Tri-State Defender
NEWS
December 5 - 11, 2013
Dr. H. James Williams, president of Fisk, says the university is “guardedly optimistic” about getting the caution asterisk removed from its accreditation status. (Courtesy photo: Tennessee Tribune)
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port in September of this year. That report was followed by a previously scheduled October visit to the university campus from a SACSCOC monitoring committee. The recent site visit provided the monitoring committee an opportunity to interview school employees, review documents, ask questions and make suggestions related to compliance. After the visit, the committee sent the university a letter offering guidance on how the institution could tweak its final pitch in preparation for its December meeting with a SACS board committee. “In recent years, SACS has developed and implemented a review process,”’ said Dr. Larry Earvin, president of SACSCOC and HoustonTillotson College in Texas. “In that light, it’s reasonable for all schools to meet that expectation. Dr. Earvin is a Tennessean who graduated from Riverside High School in Chattanooga before going to college and eventually earning his PhD from Emory University in Atlanta.
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youth unemployment as a social justice issue? DW: This is not only a phenomenon in the United States, it’s a global phenomenon. If there are no job and career opportunities for young people, you’re going to have social unrest and instability. This is part of the broader challenge around inequality because it reduces opportunities for many while accreting huge benefits to a few. So, there is a global struggle around justice. Faces may look different but the social features in a given society are similar.
KA: How do you explain Ford’s role to newcomers trying to learn how America works? DW: The non-profit sector is a somewhat uniquely American phenomenon. It’s understandable for some immigrants to be unable to contextualize it when they arrive. Immigrants experience the Ford Foundation through organizations and people who look like them. ...If you are Hmong from Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos, and you turn up in Minneapolis, you learn that Ford is supporting a local Hmong-run organization to help immigrants transition or with legal advocacy. We don’t say, “Hmong community, we’re the Ford Foundation; you need to know who we are.” Our job is to fund those organizations. They give us legitimacy. We don’t give them legitimacy. This is not about our brand.
KA: How do you answer a community organization when its leaders say, “We want to go in a different direction from your top-down mandate?” DW: I ran a community organization and have been on the receiving end of top-down dictates. When I worked in Harlem, people said, “Here’s what we think you need.” That
Dr. Williams, recruited last winter from his post as Dean of the College of Business at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, has spent much of his time at Fisk working to help the institution present itself in a better light in December than it has in previous years. “In the final analysis, what SACSCOC wants us to show is we are financially viable,” Dr. Williams said. “We have shown we are, in fact, financially viable. …In the past couple of years we had deficits and had to make the case of why we had deficits,” Fisk finished the 2012-13 year in the black, exceeding its fundraising goals for 2012 and 2013. “We’re in the black for the first quarter of this year (201314) and have made a number of fundamental changes in how we handle our financial affairs. Plus our enrollment (now 645 students) is up in the last two years.” During the SACSCOC presentation, the Fisk team will include Board Chair Barbara Bowles, Chief Financial Officer Gary Moore, Vice President of Enrollment Management Anthony Jones and Vice President of Institu-
experience has informed my posture more than anything. You have to listen. Our programs have to be informed by those affected and whom we seek to empower.
KA: The foundation world is enraptured by metrics. How do you measure effectiveness? DW: Many great movements and societal transformations would not have been achieved if we started with “Can we measure it?” Not all that needs to be done is “metricable.” Putting everything through a standardized metrics approach would squelch innovation and new ideas.
But knowing what works is important and necessary. We’ve known situations where things that are not working still get funded and things that are working get underfunded. I’m sensitive to this issue of balance.
KA: An example of how you address that balance? DW: There’s thinking that says, with respect to black men and boys, single-sex education is better. I would like to know if this works. That takes a rigorously designed program to actually know. Here, I like metrics. If you tell me this is better, in terms of achievement and success, that’s where I want policy to be directed.
But who is to say that litigation and public interest law, which are having a hard time, should be defunded because a metric would tell us, oh, well, they’re not succeeding right now? That doesn’t mean we should stop funding public interest and legal work.
KA: Where do arts and culture fit in the social justice agenda? DW: There are aspects of cultural programming, like arts education, where you can measure impact on student achievement, particularly for low-income students. But there is a more profound idea of un-
tional Advancement Edwina Hamby. Williams and his team will be allowed to speak and make any final comment before the SACSCOC board subcommittee, which will then makes its recommendations to the organization’s executive council. The 13-executive council then accepts the recommendations of the board committee or makes recommendations of its on to the full 77-member board. The entire board then takes a final vote whether to clear the asterisk from its accreditation of Fisk or vote it out of the organization, the equivalent of stripping it of its SACS accreditation standing. “All eyes are on SACS,” said Johnny C. Taylor, president and chief executive officer of the Washington-based Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a long established nonprofit fund that raises million of dollars each year to support minorities attending HBCU’s. “It’s the most important thing facing these institutions,” he said of Fisk and other colleges and universities having compliance issues with the SACSCOC. (Special to the NNPA from The Tennessee Tribune)
derstanding the human condition that comes from exploring our culture and all its forms and vibrancy. ...Engaging in ideas and self-examination is what great art does, whether it’s James Baldwin holding up the mirror to us about racism and homophobia, or Diego Rivera challenging our notions of economy and industry.
I know from my own experience that culture and the arts nurture the soul and allow us to have dignity. Inequality and poverty rob one, particularly children, of their dignity and aspirations. Culture encourages the imagination. My imagination saved my life; my ability to believe, beyond the experience I was having on any given day, in what the future could be. KA: Much ethnic media are dependent on advertising yet that for-profit model is being disrupted by the Internet. Can foundations keep this media vibrant? DW: Ford can’t save media. We can engage the questions: what is the field going to look like or the future pipeline of journalists; who’s going to employ them; what business models are sustainable? Foundations are not always best positioned to know the answer. We are best positioned to convene the people who can solve these problems.
Look, I grew up on the Houston Forward Times newspaper in Houston, Texas, going to my grandmother’s. It’s still there, I was just in Houston. When I was in Harlem, I was in a story someone did on an organization I worked for. My mother gave it to my grandmother who said, “Well, that is great that he’s in the New York Times. But when is he going to be in Jet?” To her, when I was going to be in Jet or the Forward Times, that’s when she would know I had arrived. That media is still so important.
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Parenting – The pitfalls The Root
by Danielle C. Belton
Hitting your child is bad. (But don’t yell at me for writing it. Yell at science. Multiple studies say so.) Most school districts have moved away from corporal punishment entirely, and even though you will find some very staunch pro-“whoopings” enthusiasts, they remain greatly outnumbered by the multitudes who think that any hitting of a child is abuse. But you have to do something as a parent to get your kids to behave. Some parents have simply traded one technique (hitting) for another (yelling). Instead of “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” these parents are of the “Spare the mouth, spoil the child” variety. The kind of parents who angrily curse their kid out in Target to the shared embarrassment of everyone. But before you pat yourself on the back too hard for choosing to tell Junior off instead of lighting up his behind, a new study published by the University of Pittsburgh has found that yelling at a child as a form of discipline is as bad as There is no just spanking. “perfect” way The response the study onto parent, be- to line included a cause all par- lot of frustrated ents are hu- parents asking can they man beings.... what do to discipline their children. Spanking and yelling are both considered damaging. Time-outs don’t work. Bribing your kids isn’t considered wise. So what’s a parent to do? The grab bags of go-to punishments for wayward kids are quickly becoming no-goes. But what was bubbling up underneath all this frustration was the real concern of parents desperately not wanting to screw up being a parent. It was one of mothers and fathers who fiercely love their children, want them to be safe, stay out of trouble, do well in school and grow up to be well-adjusted adults. Parents who fear that if their children grow up to be “a hot mess,” it will be their fault because they either didn’t hit their kids or hit them too much, didn’t yell or yelled too much, tried time-outs but caved in after five minutes, who did all the things you’re not supposed to do because, let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to know just what to do when a child doesn’t mind. The reality is, you are going to screw your kid up ... a little, even if you do all the right things that the experts tell you to do. There is no “perfect” way to parent because all parents are human beings who bring a lifetime of experiences and issues to the parenting table, making them inherently flawed. Now, there are ways to mitigate damage. Child abuse and neglect are still awful and not recommended under any circumstance. You can try not to yell or hit and focus more on reasoning with your child, talking things out, ignoring temper tantrums and focusing on positive reinforcement, as studies suggest. Or you could try my parents’ most potent method: guilt. Before I was born, my parents made the conscious decision that they were not going to hit me or my sisters to get us to behave. It was my mother’s idea, and my father, despite
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
OPINION
Tri-State Defender
December 5 - 11, 2013
coming from a household that believed in corporal punishment, decided to go along with it. Other parents, often surprised to learn of my mother’s complete disdain for hitting children, would ask her why she saw hitting as bad. She had a go-to response that was both heavy-handed and full of guilt bait: “They beat the slaves and they still wanted to be free.” It was pretty much a conversation killer. My mother, who was a stay-athome mom, was a hands-on, attentive, loving and organized parent who set clear boundaries and always followed through. She was always confident and self-assured, even when she had no idea what she was doing. There was no way to pit her and my father against each other because my father always, always, always deferred to her, and neither of them made a major parenting decision without consulting the other first. She also believed that you tailored how you parent based on how your child is, and I was an emotionally needy, sensitive child who was overinvested in getting my mom and dad’s approval. Hitting me or yelling only scared me so bad that I wouldn’t remember what the “discipline” was for anyway. But the thought that my parents wouldn’t love me if I wasn’t well-behaved was pretty strong. If my parents said they were “disappointed” in me, it was like being stabbed. If I was told that my behavior was ruining everyone else’s day and was rude, I felt bad for being such a burden. Once, I watched an old episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show with my father about teens sneaking out of the house. After the show ended, my father said that it would break his heart if I ever lied and did anything like that to him. Not that it was wrong or potentially dangerous to sneak out, or “Don’t do that because I say so,” but that I would hurt the man who cared for me and loved me dearly. “Oh, no! Daddy won’t love me if I act like a normal teenager!” was all my brain said. So I was an extremely well-behaved teen who complained about how strict my parents were but never truly challenged them on their right to be in charge, out of fear that they’d stop loving me. Guilt was very effective for my parents. And I grew up to be a fully functioning adult ... who’s also pretty neurotic and probably too focused on people-pleasing. Sure, there are worse problems I could have, but the point is, every style of parenting has consequences. With my parents’, it was that I didn’t feel capable of taking care of myself or making my own decisions without their help until I reached my 30s. I still love my parents. And for the most part, most kids will continue to love their parents even if they don’t have much of a clue as to what they’re doing. Because there is no way to be perfect. Every parent is sort of fumbling about and guessing what’s right or wrong, comparing notes with other parents while keeping an eye on the experts. You should try your best no matter what, hoping that in the end your love and guidance will get your child to adulthood, prepared to be a healthy, functioning member of society. But you probably still shouldn’t hit or yell at your kids. (Danielle C. Belton is a freelance journalist and TV writer, founder of the blog blacksnob.com and editorat-large of Clutch magazine.) DISTRIBUTION: Tri-State Defender is available at newsstands, street sales, store vendors, mail subscription and honor boxes throughout the Greater Memphis area. No person may, without prior written permission of the Tri-State Defender, reprint any part of or duplicate by electronic device any portion without written permission. Copyright 2013 by Tri-State Defender Publishing, Inc. Permission to Publisher, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Back copies can be obtained by calling the Tri-State Defender at (901) 523-1818, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Earnest Townes: Urban warrior… the real deal
FLASHBACK 2012
Obamacare – 6 ways it can help end HIV/AIDS epidemic in U.S. The Root
by Hilary Beard With politicians, public health experts and epidemiologists announcing that the United States is at the beginning of ending the AIDS epidemic and that we will soon usher in an AIDS-free generation of youths, each World AIDS Day, on Dec. 1, takes on increasingly special significance, especially for African Americans. Because the nation’s HIV/AIDS epidemic is unfolding disproportionately in black communities, black America has the most to gain by ending it. Getting there requires that more HIV-positive people are diagnosed (currently, almost 20 percent of black people with HIV don’t know it) and then linked to care, retained in care and prescribed HIV-fighting medications (called anti-retrovirals) – and, ultimately, that they get their virus under control (viral suppression), a sequence called the HIV care continuum, or HIV treatment cascade. Although African Americans are more likely to get tested than whites, once they do test positive, many don’t get the health care they need. And a mere 21 percent of black people who have been diagnosed with HIV have their virus under control, fewer than whites and Latinos. Which is critical, because people whose virus is suppressed both protect their own immune systems and are 96 percent less likely to transmit HIV to others, meaning that treatment is also prevention. Each step along the HIV care continuum involves going to the doctor. But while black people make up 13 percent of the population, 19 percent of us don’t have health insurance, and scores of Americans – of all backgrounds – have health insurance policies that don’t offer prescription coverage or aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. This remains a serious problem, considering that HIV meds can easily cost upward of $12,000 per year. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” addresses many of these problems, bringing us closer to ending America’s HIV/AIDS epidemic. Here’s how: 1. Requiring that all Americans have health insurance increases the odds that the roughly 240,000 Americans who don’t know that they have the virus will get tested for HIV and diagnosed, receive appropriate care and treatment and reach viral suppression. 2. Young adults under age 26 can
already be covered on a parent’s health insurance policy, including those who have HIV. Black teens and young adults ages 13 to 24 represent 57 percent of new infections in that age demographic. Hilary 3. The ACA Beard prohibits health insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions, including HIV/AIDS, and from kicking people off their plans or raising their rates astronomically if they get sick. Such practices had prevented many people with HIV from accessing both the care and prescription medications they need—meds that help reduce the black community’s viral load. 4. The ACA requires that all health insurance be of good quality. So from hospitalization to maternity care to mental-health services, Obamacare establishes a minimum set of 10 essential health benefits that all insurance policies must offer, including prescription benefits that include lifesaving HIV drugs. 5. Obamacare eliminates annual and lifetime caps on health insurance coverage, which is particularly important with HIV, which can be tremendously expensive to treat. 6. Expanding Medicaid to cover people often labeled the “working poor” disproportionately benefits African Americans and other people of color, who are overrepresented among the un- and underinsured (pdf). Unfortunately, many governors have refused to expand Medicaid, and nearly 60 percent of uninsured black people with incomes below the new Medicaid-expansion limit live in states not expanding Medicaid at this time. They are disproportionately located in the South, where the HIV epidemic is worst. (To learn more about how Obamacare affects people with HIV, visit Greater Than AIDS’ Obamacare and You website.)
(Hilary Beard is co-author of Health First! The Black Woman’s Wellness Guide and has led the Black AIDS Institute’s volunteer journalists to the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., and Vienna. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.)
FACEBOOK FAN OF THE WEEK Name: Milton Howery lll
Milton Howery III is this week’s TSDFacebook Fan of the Week! A Memphis native, Howery graduated from Whitehaven High School, received a Communications Degree from University of Memphis, and now works for the Memphis Cook Convention Center. He enjoys local music from artists such as Kris Thomas and Skewby. Thanks Milton for excelling in Memphis and for being a part of the TSD Facebook family! SUBSCRIPTIONS: Mail subscriptions to the Tri-State Defender are available upon request. One Year, $30.00; Two Years, $55.00. Domestic subscriptions must be addressed to: Subscriptions, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Delivery may take one week. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. GENERAL INFORMATION: Any and all inquiries can be made in writing, by calling (901) 523-1818 or by e-mail. TELEPHONE: Editorial and Administration: (901) 523-1818. Display Advertising (901) 523-1818. Classified Advertising (901) 523-1818. Fax: (901) 578-5037. E-MAIL: Editorial e-mail (press releases, news, letters to editor, etc.): editorial@tristatedefender.com; Display advertising e-mail (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): advertising@tri-statedefender.com; Classified advertising e-mail (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): classifieds@tri-statedefender.com; Subscription/Circulation e-mail (subscriptions, subscription price requests, etc.): subscriptions@tri-statedefender.com; Production e-mail (technical questions/specs, etc.): production@tri-statedefender.com. The Tri-State Defender (USPS 780-220) is published weekly by Tri-State Defender Publishing Co., 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103. Second Class postage paid at Memphis, TN.
Memphis lost a true soldier last weekend. An urban warrior in the fight to save young men and juvenile delinquents from a lifetime of ignorance and incarceration left us too soon. I perTony sonally lost a colNichelson league and a friend who was there for every major and minor event that helped children in this town. Longtime community activist and champion for ex-offenders, my friend Earnest Earnest Townes, passed Townes away on Saturday (Nov. 3) morning after a brief illness. Earnest died at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, with family and friends present. A Marine Corps veteran from the Vietnam era, Earnest worked for the past two decades helpEarnest spent ing ex-offend28 years build- ers who were that ing his “Shift- making difficult transiing Gears” tion back to He transitional ini- society. was also a protiative and fessional coun“The Key Turns selor with subabuse Twice” youth stance survivors. Earnest was presentation 62 for troubled whenyears old he teens and their passed, but he lived a hunparents. dred years of real street-level experiences. He leaves behind scores of colleagues, family members and countless individuals who have been helped by his work on incarceration reform issues and youth development. He also left a lot of unfinished business that this community and its “leaders” will have to address, eventually. During the 1980s, Earnest did eight years at San Quentin prison and other facilities. He spent the next 28 years building his “Shifting Gears” transitional initiative and “The Key Turns Twice” youth presentation for troubled teens and their parents. Both programs are highly regarded and are often used by local law enforcement agencies, as well as the Shelby County Correctional Center, in their “Fatherhood” program. Earnest was There have a mentor to me lots of othbeen few men and er people who to come along needed to in the history know about realities of of Memphis the gang life, inwho needed no carceration, reand title or acco- demption making serious lades to make contributions their mark. to the places live. He Dedrick “Ted- we was a major dy” Withers contributor – fact, the was such a in “glue” – that man. Minister for the past six Sukura Abdul years has built body of work Yahweh is such awith our Man a man. There of the House entoring have been oth- M program. Last ers, but June, he and other successEarnest mentors Townes was ful chaperoned the real deal. 100 young men from Memphis to Birmingham, Ala. for an historic annual mentoring event hosted at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. His work included hundreds of presentations to students, gang members, parents and public officials. Recently, he hosted a major public forum at the Urban Child Institute that highlighted the serious obstacles facing ex-offenders and reentry candidates. There have been few men to come along in the history of Memphis who needed no title or accolades to make their mark. Dedrick “Teddy” Withers was such a man. Minister Sukura Abdul Yahweh is such a man. There have been others, but Earnest Townes was the real deal. Strong, courageous, compassionate, funny, giving, loyal and dedicated to the mission he was on. I’d say those are some really good traits for me, and for every man, to follow. Rest in peace, good warrior. (Radio personality Tony Nichelson is founder of The 110 Institute)
NATIONAL NEWS
Tri-State Defender
Page 5
December 5 - 11, 2013
Marissa Alexander: free but not yet in the clear theGrio
by Zerlina Maxwell
A Florida judge finally released Marissa Alexander from prison last week, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s the first time Alexander has been home in three years, since she was convicted of aggravated assault for firing a warning shot into the air during a confrontation with her abusive husband, Rico Gray. During the incident, Alexander alleges Gray strangled her and that she retrieved her gun and fired a warning shot in self-defense. There is no duty to retreat in Florida. Alexander was originally convicted and sentenced to 20 years under Florida’s “10-20-Life” mandatory minimum statute, which carries harsh sentences for gun-related crimes. The case garnered national attention when the court refused to accept Alexander’s ‘Stand-Your-Ground’ defense, even though she was using
a licensed weapon, she was inside her own home at the time, she was defending herself, and no one was hurt. I n Marissa March, Alexander Alexander will face a new jury at her second trial, which was awarded after an appeals court found that the judge improperly instructed the jury on self-defense. The appeals court ruled that the jury instruction at her original trial was improper because it shifted the burden of proof onto Alexander, requiring her to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she was battered by Rico Gray. The burden of proof is supposed to be on the prosecution, who is required to prove that Alexander was not acting in self-defense.
Alexander need only prove her claim of self-defense by a preponderance of the evidence, the lowest burden of proof. State’s Attorney Angela Corey, who handled both Alexander and George Zimmerman’s trials, appears to be going full steam ahead into the second trial, despite calls for her to drop the charges and let Alexander go home. The second trial will be a challenge for Alexander. Despite all of the public pressure since the Zimmerman verdict, to get Alexander out of prison, Angela Corey is planning on going forward with the second prosecution. State’s attorneys have a lot of discretion to not proceed with a case but at this point and time, Corey insists that Alexander’s actions three years ago deserve punishment. In an interview with theGrio this spring, Corey defended her aggressive prosecution of Alexander, saying that ‘Stand Your Ground’ shouldn’t apply “(b)ecause she was not fleeing
from an abuser. A judge heard all the facts and evidence and said that this was not a case of ‘Stand Your Ground.’ You have to compare what (Marissa Alexander) said to what the victims said. There were two young children there as well. None of the physical evidence corroborates her story. There was the 911 call … and you can clearly hear the distress in Rico Gray’s voice. They had a verbal argument [in which] he said ‘I’m outta here,’ and she said, ‘I’ve got something for you.’” At the second trial, this version of events will be explained for the jury but perhaps this time they will consider the fact that Mr. Gray admitted to threatening Alexander’s life, strangled her during the dispute at issue, and the jury will finally be able to weigh this fact under the proper legal framework for self-defense. Under Florida law, in order for a defendant to claim self-
defense they must meet a minimal burden of production, considering the following five factors: “There must be this minimal degree of evidence showing that the defendant was not the aggressor, that the threat defended against was imminent and otherwise unavoidable, that the degree of force used was proportional to the threat faced, that the defendant violated no duty to retreat, and that the defendant’s conduct was reasonable under the circumstances.” Based on the relevant factors, Alexander did act in selfdefense when she fired the warning shots, but because of the improper jury instruction the first trial resulted in a conviction. At her second trial, she is expected to have a much better chance to prevail because an appropriate application of the self-defense factors may flip the jury in Alexander’s favor. Angela Corey also has the power to set Alexander free for good by dismissing the charges, instead of going to
trial a second time. That’s what Alexander’s supporters are asking for and the public pressure on Corey will be intense between now and the beginning of the second trial. Public pressure, and not what takes place in the courtroom, may set Alexander free before or after a second trial. The media attention may force Corey to do the right thing and let Alexander out of prison permanently to get on with her life. A second jury may be familiar with some aspects of the case because of what’s been reported in the media and they may be more sympathetic to her defense than the first jury. The question is whether either Angela Corey or the second jury will finally view Marissa Alexander as a victim, who had the right to defend herself from an abusive husband and who doesn’t deserve prison. (Follow Zerlina Maxwell on Twitter at @ZerlinaMaxwell.)
Booming entrepreneurship among black women NNPA News Service
by Jazelle Hunt
WASHINGTON – Cheryl Lofton had never intended to be a small business owner. Her grandfather, J.C. Lofton, was the first African American to own a tailoring school and related business in Washington, D.C. She spent her summers working with him, learning the craft. She was able to earn money while enrolled at Howard University by ironing, mending, and tailoring her classmates’ clothes. When her grandfather became ill, she found herself spending more time on the business – including purchasing a new building – and less time sewing and attending to financial matters. “The day I opened the doors to the new building was the day he died,” she recalls. “I was the first college-educated person in my family, and I
went so I w o u l d n ’t have to join the family business. But my conscience w o u l d n ’t let me let the business go Jazelle under. At Hunt the time, no one else in the family was interested or able.” Today, it’s her name on the doors: Cheryl Lofton & Associates. However accidental, Lofton is part of a national trend. Since 1997, the number of African American womanowned businesses has skyrocketed by more than 250 percent. Today there’s an estimated more than 1.1 million Black woman-owned businesses in existence, with an estimated
$44.9 billion in revenue for 2013, according to a report commissioned by American Express OPEN, which analyzed Census data. “While firms owned by women of color are smaller than non-minority womenowned businesses both in terms of average employment and revenues, their growth in number and economic clout is generally far outpacing that of all women-owned firms,” the report explains. Most of the businesses are one-woman shows: According to the National Women’s Business Council, 96.5 percent of black woman-owned firms are non-employer status. The small remaining employer businesses owned by Black women provided 272,000 jobs this year. New York, Georgia, and Texas are home to the highest number of black womenowned businesses. In North Carolina, black women-owned
businesses are thriving. “Women of color haven’t had as much access to mobility in the corporate world. Even though there’s this sense that diversity is important you just haven’t seen it reflected,” says Farah Ahmad, policy analyst at the Center for American Progress. “There’s this urge for businesswomen of color to start their own businesses and have professional and career success in that way.” But entrepreneurship carries its own obstacles for Black women, especially those in male-dominated fields. (For this reason, Lofton makes it a point to do business with other women owners – including her barber, her tailor shop’s plumber, and her home’s landscaper). Lofton said her grandfather’s male clients did not take her seriously once she took the reigns. “I’m both female and black, that’s like a double whammy.” Among African American
households, 53.3 percent of wives are breadwinners, according to the Center for American Progress. Lofton says her childhood home ran similarly – she’s not sure whom the breadwinner was, but her mother held the purse strings and “worked miracles.” These trends in women-driven business have not gone unnoticed. The U.S. Small Business Association offers more than 100 centers across all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and American Samoa, where women can get training on starting and growing small businesses. “What’s interesting is that the sheer number of businesses has been really large, but the number of employees and revenue has been really low,” Ahmad explains. “It’s the exact type of entrepreneurship the government says drives our economy, and there needs to be a look at investing in these businesses.”
For black women who are interested in starting a business, the resources are out there. The federal Minority Business Development Agency offers help with everything from expansion tips to loan and grant information. Such organizations also exist at the state level, in most cases. And a Forbes article titled, “Minority Women: Entrepreneurs: GoGetters Without Resources,” recommends joining women’s associations and trade groups. Lofton also has advice for black women considering going into business for themselves. “Be dedicated to what you do, and work hard every day to grow your business,” she says, adding the importance of mutual support among women business-owners. “Women are everywhere now. I think we’ve gotten a lot more respect by stepping out. They know we can do it, and we will do it.”
BUSINESS
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Tri-State Defender
December 5 - 11, 2013
ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY
Too many times pride stands in the way of folks asking for help. But if you are a small business, asking for help is the only way to stay above the fray. One area that business owners tend to run from is tax preparation. Whether the business is fledgling or experienced, tax preparation is always dreaded. It is a necessary evil that cannot be avoided under any circumstance. Here’s a snapshot of the tax issues that can arise and detrimentally affect a business:
Tax deductions
While it is common in a small business to wear multiple hats, preparing the taxes is not recommended unless the owner has been specifically trained. We highly recommend an accountant or certified public accountant maintain responsibility for the annual taxes and the quarterly tax filings as well. They are usually well versed in deducThis is a question you could soon begin asking as a recent rise in interest rates contributed to price declines in many bond funds. News the Federal Reserve feels comfortable enough with the strength and state of our economy to consider a change in current monetary policy is, without doubt, a positive development. Unfortunately, for some bond investors, good news may be bad news! Bond prices and yields have an inverse relationship, meaning they move in opposite directions. This means as yields (interest rates) rise, bond prices (values) can fall. Many investors – driven by fear, the need for income, increasing underweight allocations, or
Business tax pitfalls
tions that are specific to your business area. M o s t business owners do not possess the expertise or time to Carlee McCullough consistently stay abreast of the changing tax laws and to unearth the many deductions that may be applicable to a business. The money spent on a true professional will be well worth it.
Pay what’s due
Rather than expecting to receive a large refund from the Internal Revenue Service, plan to pay what is due. When Uncle Sam holds your money for whatever the time period, the business owner and/or taxpayer forgoes the
Employee withholdings
Under no circumstances should a business owner use the employee withholdings to cover business shortfalls. This is an absolute recipe for disaster. The business owner can become personally liable for these payments as well as incur substantial penalties. Borrowing or pinching off of the withholdings will only dig the owner into a deeper hole. The effects of the business owner using the withholdings and not paying child support payments as deducted can have an even more detrimental effect on the employee resulting in increased arrearages, suspended licenses or even jail time. Withholdings
are off limits and there are no exceptions.
Fluctuating pay
If the business is a corporation, it is subject to double taxation. There is a tax on the corporate level and another tax when a dividend is declared. Some small businesses avoid the dividend by simply adjusting the salary from year to year of the senior executives based on earnings. One year the president may earn $50,000 but the next year the salary may be $150,000. The increase in salary must be justified or the Internal Revenue Service may disallow the payment as unreasonable compensation and an avoidance of corporate taxes. Be cautious and discuss the best treatment with the tax professional.
Independent contractors
All employees are not inde-
pendent contractors and cannot be categorized as such as a means of avoiding taxes and withholdings. An independent contractor provides goods or services to another entity under terms specified in a contract or within a verbal agreement. There are tax ramifications based on the classification. Employers share in the cost of Social Security and Medicare taxes with an employee. However, independent contractors are primarily responsible for their own withholdings, quarterly tax payments, etc. Additionally, they typically fund their own benefit packages. Differentiating between an employee and an independent contractor is typically based on evaluation of various factors with various degrees of importance, which fall into three general categories: control (does the employer control the work performed), organization (the degree to which the worker is integrated into the
MONEY MATTERS
You can lose money invested in bonds
other factors – have invested heavily in bonds. Over the past five years, this demand has helped drive bond p r i c e s Charles Sims Jr., CFP h i g h e r , lowering yields and subjecting many investors to the often ignored or forgotten risks associated with these investments, one of which is
NBA rookie can’t touch salary in trust fund by Stephen A. Crockett Jr The Root
Michael Carter-Williams’ transition into the NBA wasn’t long. In his first game with the Philadelphia 76ers, he finished with 22 points, 12 assists, 9 steals, 7 rebounds and just one turnover in 36 minutes in the season-opening victory over the Miami Heat. His nine steals were an NBA record for a rookie in his first game. Still, his transition to making millions is something his mother wanted to make sure didn’t take the 22-year-old by storm. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, CarterWilliams’ mother, Mandy Carter-Zegarowski, along with her best friend, Traci Tracy, who function as his management team, put his entire rookie salary into a trust that he can’t touch for three years,
use of the funds and any related interest that could have been earned if the funds had been in their possession. Discuss this strategy with your tax professional so that penalties are not assessed for any underpayments when necessary.
ensuring that Carter-Williams will not be a NBA flame-out, at least financially. Carter-Williams’ rookie contract guarantees him $4.5 million over his first two seasons. He could make a total of $10 million, if the Sixers pick
“interest rate risk”. “Interest rate risk” is a term used to describe how an investment’s value will change due to an increase or decrease in interest rates. As a simple example: a bond yielding 4 percent is more valuable to investors if interest rates fall to 2 percent and is less valuable to investors if interest rates rise to 6 percent. This is because their fixed interest income would either be greater than or less than what a new investor would receive purchasing a bond at current rates. Interest rate risk affects all bondholders, but typically bonds with Philadelphia 76ers star point guard Michael CarterWilliamsʼ mom put his firstyear salary into a trust fund that he canʼt touch for three years. Michael CarterWilliams (Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images)
up the final two seasons of his contract, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. But Carter-Williams’ wallet isn’t empty. The point guard still has Nike and Panini trading cards endorsement money to blow.
longer maturities and/or lower yields are most impacted. One measure you can use to gauge how much interest rate risk your investment may have is “duration”. Duration, measured in years, can be used to estimate a bond’s price sensitivity to a move in interest rates. Fortunately for investors, duration is reported by most bond mutual funds & exchange traded funds (ETFs) and can be found by visiting the fund company’s website. So how do you apply this information? The general rule is for every +/- 1 percent move in interest
rates a bond’s price will move inversely (opposite) by a percentage equal to that of its duration. As an example: assume a bond has a duration of 6 years and interest rates rise 1 percent, the effect would be a 6 percent decrease in the price of the bond. Under the same example, had rates fallen 1 percent the bond’s price would have increased 6 percent. Going forward, it is unlikely bonds will generate the returns many investors have grown accustomed to over the past few years. However, bonds are and will remain an important asset class because
business) and economic realities (whether the worker benefits from his or her own labor).
Separation of powers
For checks and balances, the check writer/signer should not be the person that also balances the checkbook or performs the accounting. Too many businesses have gone under due to embezzlement. The function of writing checks and accounting for the checks should be separated at all times. No matter how long the business owner has known the check writer, understand that temptation is great and many have been fooled for years. Avoid the temptation and separate the functions. (Contact Carlee McCullough, Esq., at 5308 Cottonwood Road, Suite 1A, Memphis, TN 38118, or email her at jstce4all@aol.com.)
of the income and long-term diversification they provide. By using duration as a guide and having a conversation with a financial planner to discuss what impact rising rates may have on your portfolio, you can help reduce the chance of any unexpected surprises. (Charles Sims Jr., CFP, is President/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group. The information in this article is not intended as tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security.)
RELIGION
Tri-State Defender
December 5 - 11, 2013
RELIGION BRIEFS
Page 7
Lily of Valley MBC needs your help to help others
Lily of the Valley Missionary Baptist Church is located in the heart of North Memphis near Chelsea and Firestone. Several church families and members of the neighborhood (students, disabled vets, homeless. etc) depend on the church for help and with the holidays draw near the congregation is gearing up to “be a blessing to those in need.” “At Lily of the Valley we believe that all individuals should be given the opportunity to experience great things regardless of their social or economic status,” said Jackie Bougard, mission coordinator. “With that being said, we are hosting a Christmas Dinner Event at our church on Saturday, Dec., 21 from 2-6 p.m.” The dinner will benefit the homeless, displaced, less fortunate, and/or anyone in need. Bougard said the dinner is part of the church’s effort to create “an atmosphere where those in need will experience the real reason for the season.” Lily of the Valley is going to need some help. They’ve issued a call for prepared food items such as (turkey & dressing, ham, gravy, vegetables, desserts, drinks, cranberry sauce & other miscellaneous items). “We also need items to put in care packages, including deodorant, soap, toothbrushes, hats, gloves, scarves and socks,” said Bougard. “If you are able to contribute monetary donations, we certainly welcome those too.” (For more information, contact Jackie Bougard at 901-352-1338 or email lilyofthevalleymbc@gmail.com. Visit www.facebook.com/lotvmbc; Online donations: www.youcaring.com/lotvdinner.)
BRIEFLY: The Church Health Center is taking orders for Christmas cards (including both honorarium and memorial cards). This year’s card features a print by local artist John Robinette. To send cards to the people on your list and support the work of the Center, call 901-272-7170or visit churchhealthcenter.org. BRIEFLY: Golden Leaf Cathedral will hosts its Christmas Concert on Dec. 15th at 3 p.m. at the church at 1439 N. Hollywood Blvd. Golden Leaf Cathedral will provide clothes to all in need from its Christmas Clothes Closet. The event is free. For more information, contact Minister Vinvecca Gray, 901-581-4112. BRIEFLY: “Simply Wonderful,” a Christmas concert featuring the Grammynominated Ledisi, will be held at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church at 70 N. Bellevue in Midtown on Dec. 8. The free concert is being presented to help the community “to rediscover the miracle of Christmas.” It is set to begin at 4 p.m. The host pastor is the Rev. Jason L. Turner. BRIEFLY: A Timeless Christmas Benefit Concert and Silent Auction, featuring national recording artists Personal Praise, will kick off the holiday season on Sunday (Dec. 8.) Hosted by community leader and music industry icon B. Jackson at Lake Grove Missionary Baptist Church at 265 Leath St., the event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Presented by Person2Person Management. BRIEFLY: Apostle Adam Davis and Word on the Move International is hosting a conference called “Apostles and Prophets, The Glory Revealed” for clergy and aspiring clergy from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and at 7 p.m. on Jan. 16-17 at Rita’s on the Squarte at 500 West Broadway in West Memphis, Ark. The conference is free, with registration required. To register, visit Eventbrite.com and search for the conference. For more information, call 870-394-4596 or go to Facebookbook and type in the conference name.
Witness…
Commemorating…
Kym Williams performs an interpretative dance during the 33rd Annual Fall Fundraiser hosted by Thelma Nelms and Mission Possible: COSM (Christian Outreach Service Mission) at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis on Sunday.
Pastor Charles H. Mason Patterson Sr. delivers the “Preached Word” and Elder L. Curtis Morris bears witness during a Thanksgiving morning service at Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
About Pope Francis and the ‘Joy of the Gospel’ NNPA News Service
by Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Pope Francis is displaying an extraordinary style and passion that demands our attention. He addresses the needs of the poor, embraces the outcasts, and loves those on the margins of society. In this recent “apostolic exhortation,” The Joy of the Gospel, he raises a moral challenge to both his church and his Jesse L. world. Jackson Sr. Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pope Francis calls upon people of faith to “go forth” to preach and practice their faith. “I prefer a church,” he writes, “which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy for being confined and from clinging to its own security.” Pope Francis raises a profound moral voice against “trickle-down theories,” which put a “crud and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power.” We have created “new idols,” he warns, in the worship of money and markets. The result is that “human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded.” We have witnessed “a globalization of indifference,” in which the poor are dehumanized and ignored. Pope Francis’s exhortation, more than 50,000 words long, deals broadly with the church, the papacy, and matters of the faith. He
is not a revolutionary. He states that the priesthood will remain open only to men, that the church’s opposition to abortion will continue. But he directs new focus and passion to the growing inequality between and within countries, the stark contrast between the wealth of our technology and invention and the poverty of our ethics. Here he addresses directly the plight of today’s America. We suffer mass unemployment while the stock market hits new highs. Profits set records, but working people don’t share in the rewards. The top 5 percent pockets literally all of the rewards of growth, while the remainder struggle to stay afloat. This extreme inequality, Pope Francis writes, is the direct product of “ideologies which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation. A new tyranny is born” and with it widespread corruption and tax evasion among the most powerful. Money, Pope Francis argues, “must serve, not rule.” This is not a secondary concern, but the heart of the mission of today’s church. Pope Francis says just as the commandment says, “Thou shalt not kill,” we must say, “Thou shalt not” to an economy of “exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills.” He warns of the corruption and the ethical poverty of ignoring the poor. In our politics, poverty has become literally unspeakable. Politicians talk about defending the middle class, or “middle out economics.” The poor are scorned as lazy or incompetent. Politicians vote to cut off food stamps, to cut unemployment insurance, even to cut back programs of nutrition for impoverished mothers and infants,
PRAISE CONNECT
while they refuse to close the tax havens that allow multinational corporations and the wealthy to avoid paying taxes. Too many politicians devote their energy to raising funds from the affluent and protecting their interests. They seek careers and fortunes not public service. Pope Francis sees this as a moral corruption, and calls for “more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people and the lives of the poor.” At the same time, Pope Francis issues a stern warning to the complacent. Without justice, there can be no peace. Building up police and armaments offers no answer. Peace will come only when there is hope, and a committed effort to provide opportunity and justice to those who are locked out or pressed down. Economic populism is not foreign to the Catholic Church and has been articulated by previous holders of the papacy. But Pope Francis’s clear words and bold style make his message compelling. This is an authentic worldchanging gospel of good news. This is a return to the original gospel that Jesus taught. It seeks not pity for the poor; it seeks their emancipation. And churches cannot be silent in the face of growing inequality and desperation. People of faith must “go forth” and be willing to be “bruised, hurting and dirty” in the cause of justice. This is a charge all of us, whatever our faith, should take to heart. (Jesse L. Jackson Sr. is founder and president of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition. You can keep up with his work at www.rainbowpush.org.)
-A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHES-
METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH Dr. Reginald L. Porter Sr., Pastor
767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126
ASSOCIATE MINISTERS
901-946-4095 fax 948-8311
Rev. Davena Young Porter Rev. Linda A Paige Rev. Luecretia Matthews SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY Sunday School .....................8:30 am Morning Worship Service ....10:00am
WEDNESDAY Bible Study .........................10:30 am Mid-Day Prayer Meeting .....12 noon Evening Prayer Meeting........7:00pm
FRIDAY Cable Channel 17 ............... 8:00pm
Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. —Matthew 7: 1-2
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. —Phillipians 4:13
ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, December 5 - 11, 2013, Page 8
WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?
MAKING MUSIC IN MEMPHIS
‘Black Nativity,’ ‘Best Man Holiday,’ Madea and parties galore In the midst of what is turning out to be a very busy holiday season, I have somehow found time to catch a couple of movies! As far as the AfricanA m e r i c a n moviegoer is concerned, this Myron holiday season Mays has been very nice. We have at least three major films that are geared toward “us” that will be in theatres by Christmas day. Of course, the first was “Best Man Holiday,” which was a great film that I’d go see again and you should see at least once. Then there was “Black Nativity,” which opened this past weekend and stars Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese, Angela Bassett and Forrest Whitaker. Not quite the blockbuster that I hoped for, however, it still was a really good film. “Black Nativity” had a lot of good moments, most of which came with music. If you watched the trailers, it should have come as no surprise that this film was actually a musical. If you get to check it out, be sure to pay close attention to Mary J. Blige’s scene where she sings. That had to have been the most soulful Christmas music I have heard in a long time. I’m not sure if this was actually lip-synced, but both Bassett and Whitaker’s characters sang as well. If it wasn’t actually them, it was at least great acting. It’s a film the entire family can watch with no issue. The Rev. T.D. Jakes was one of the executive producers and there is actually no profanity. Regardless of what you think about the movie, it’s probably one that will be around AfricanAmerican households for many holidays to come. You know how we do it. Another that will probably be around as well is “A Madea Christmas,” which opens on Dec. 13th. I’m sure we can expect the standard Tyler Perry formula as well as a few racial twists sprinkled in here and there. Secrets will be revealed, old relationships will be tested and at the end of the movie, everyone will feel all nice, warm and fuzzy on the inside. And of course there’s Madea, who is pretty much an entire world of her own. Dare I say it? I’m actually looking forward to seeing it. Yeah, I know that we have been hit over the head with Madea for years now. However, we might be in for a surprise this time…or maybe not. But at least you will feel all nice warm and fuzzy on the inside. And that’s what Christmas is all about, right?
Christmas Party Tour
While I’m on the subject of the holidays, the time has come for my Annual Holiday Party Tour. Nothing official, it’s just me attending as many holiday parties as I can before Christmas Day! As it stands, there’s gotta be at least 13 Christmas parties on my agenda this year! It kicked off this week with the Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum’s annual function at the FedExForum. It was a top-notch affair as always! Partygoers enjoyed the sounds of Will Grave & Soul and dined on some of the most delicious food ever prepared. An assortment of great door prizes were given away as well. When the first ticket was pulled, guess who won? Yes, for the first time I actually won something! Do you know how many useless raffle tickets I have collected until now? Shouts out to Luke Yancy and his staff for putting on another great event.
Parting shot
Stay tuned! Next week, I’ll have more as I continue my 2013 tour. It’s the Leadership Memphis, The Conventions & Visitors Bureau and the New Memphis Institute holiday parties…and that’s just this week alone. Happy Holidays, so far! Until then, that’s what’s happening! (Got a Holiday event you’d like for me to add to my tour? Email me at myron@whatshappeningmyron.com.)
Soul balladeer Jaheim had the ladies mesmerized as he sang all of his hits at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis on Saturday night (Nov. 30). (Photos: Warren Roseborough)
The looks on these ladies face show that they are in groove-mode as Jaheim performs at the Orpheum Theatre.
Dana Dane performed Friday night (Nov. 29) at the Hard Rock Café on Beale Street. His “Dana Dane with Fame” album was certified gold. In the U.S., his biggest hit was “Cinderfella Dana Dane,” which reached Billboardʼs No. 11 in 1987.
As opening acts go, Chrisette Michelle was sensational opening up for Jaheim. The fan favorites included “Blame It On Me.”
John Mayer mixed rock, jazz, country and a touch of R&B during his performance Friday night at the FedExForum.
BOOK REVIEW
ʻFront Row Seatʼ – an improbable-journey story
From South Central LA to President Bush’s photographer Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Kam Williams
Who’d ever think that a black kid from South-Central Los Angeles could grow up to become the personal photographer of a Republican President of the United States? But that’s precisely the unlikely career path enjoyed by Eric Draper, who served as head White House shutterbug from 2001-09. How did he get the job? Eric Well, after covering the 2000 Draper campaign for the Associated Press, he was invited by George Bush to a Christmas party at the Texas governor’s mansion. Taking a page out of the President-elect’s own playbook, Eric summoned up the gumption while shaking his hand and looking him straight in the eye to paraphrase one of his popular stump-speech refrains: “I want to be your personal photographer.” Bush took the inquiry seriously, and hired Eric a week later, after closely examining his portfolio. And over the next eight years, Draper would be a constant companion and an eyewitness to history, accompanying the Chief Executive on trips to 70 countries and 49 states. During that period, he snapped close to one million official photos, covering everything from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, he was also afforded access to the Bush family in private moments, whether at the White House, Camp David, or at their summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. “Front Row Seat” is an 11 by 12-inch coffee table book featuring hundreds of samples of
Draper’s best work, including iconic images of Dubya campaigning in a cowboy hat, listening to secretary of State Condi Rice play piano, visiting wounded warriors in the hospital, and praying with Coretta Scott King and two of her children. Together, these intimate pictures combine to paint a poignant, behind-the-scenes portrait of our 43rd President, and to confirm that he was right in giving that ambitious kid from the ’hood a spot on his staff.
Excerpt
“I was privileged to work with Eric Draper during my entire Presidency. I got to know him
(pg. xiv)
during the 2000 Presidential campaign. “I saw right away that Eric is not only an excellent photographer; he is a fine person. I came to trust his judgment and made him chief White House photographer… “He earned my confidence and that of the White House staff. As a result, he had a front row seat for all eight years of my Administration… “This behind-the-scenes account is a unique look at my personal life as well as some of the events that defined my Presidency. Many of the images in these pages are being released for the first time. “I hope you enjoy Eric’s work as much as I do. His photographs chronicle an exciting, dramatic, fulfilling eight years of my life.” – From the foreword by President George W. Bush
“Front Row Seat A Photographic Portrait of the Presidency of George W. Bush” by Eric Draper Foreword by President George W. Bush University of Texas Press Hardcover, $50.00 240 pages, Illustrated
(To order a copy of Front Row Seat, visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0292 745478/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20)
ENTERTAINMENT
Tri-State Defender
Page 9
December 5 - 11, 2013
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam’s Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun Christian Bale and Zoe Saldana star in “Out of the Furnace,” a crime thriller about an excon steel worker seeking vengeance when his brother (Casey Affleck) disappears after getting involved with a local crime ring. Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Kam Williams
For movies opening Dec. 6, 2013
BIG BUDGET FILMS
“Inside Llewyn Davis” (R for profanity and some sexual references) Oscar Issac plays the title character in this Coen Bros musical dramedy, set in Greenwich Village in 1961, chronicling a week in the life of a struggling folk singer. With Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and Max Casella. “Out of the Furnace” (R for profanity, drug use and graphic violence) Vigilante crime thriller revolving around a just-paroled ex-con (Christian Bale) who ventures from the Rust Belt to the Northeast to rescue a younger brother (Case Affleck) who’s gotten mixed up with mobsters. Ensemble cast includes Forest Whitaker, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana, Willem Dafoe and Sam Shepard.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
“Crave” (Unrated) Psychological thriller about a crime scene photographer (Josh Lawson) disturbed by wanton street violence who loses his tenuous grasp on reality when a romance with a beautiful woman (Emma Lung) goes sour. Support cast includes Ron Perlman, Edward Furlong and Christopher Stapleton. “Ernest & Celestine” (Unrated) Anthropomorphic animated adventure about the unlikely friendship forged between a bear (Lambert Wilson) and a mouse Pauline Brunner). Voice cast includes Lauren Bacall, Anne-Marie Loop and Patrice Melennec. (In French with subtitles) “Expecting” (Unrated) Adoption dramedy about a barren housewife (Radha Mitchell) who finally gets a chance to start a family when her pregnant best friend (Michelle Monaghan) offers to turn over the unplanned fruit of a one-night stand. With John Dore, Michael Weston and Mimi Kennedy.
“Implanted” (Unrated) Sci-fi thriller about an accident victim’s (Justin Leak) struggle to separate fact from fiction when an experimental, life-saving procedure performed by his neurologist father (Robert Prago) goes awry. Supporting cast includes Jason Turner, Deborah Childs and Jackie Goldston.
“A Journey to Planet Sanity” (Unrated) Wacky conspiracy theories are the subject of this investigative documentary chronicling a skeptic (Blake Freeman) and a gullible geezer’s (Leroy Tessina) cross-country quest for the truth about aliens, psychics and the paranormal.
“Khumba” (Unrated) Computer-animated adventure about a semi-striped zebra (Jake T. Austin) rejected by his own kind who embarks on a perilous trek in the company of several other species in search of a safe watering hole. Voice cast includes Liam Neeson, Steve Buscemi and Laurence Fishburne. “The Last Days on Mars” (PG-13 for brief profanity) High attrition-rate horror flick about a crew of astronauts who mysteriously perish one-by-one while collecting specimens on the surface of Mars. Co-starring Liev Schreiber, Romola Garai, Elias Koteas and Olivia Williams. “Lenny Cooke” (Unrated) Diminished hoop dreams documentary about a Brooklynborn, high school basketball phenom who never got a chance to play in the NBA after declaring himself eligible for the draft instead of attending college.
“Live at the Foxes Den” (Unrated) Midlife crisis drama about a jaded corporate attorney (Jackson Rathbone) who, after a night spent carousing, impulsively quits his job at a prestigious law firm to pursue a new career as a saloon singer. With Jocelin Donahue, Jack Holmes, Brian Doyle-Murray and Elliott Gould. “Merry Christmas” (Unrated) Ensemble comedy about nine, cash-strapped New York-
ers who agree to forgo their annual holiday outing in Aspen in favor of participating in a murder mystery weekend in Pennsylvania. Co-starring Alexandra Stewart, Antony Langdon, Tibor Feldman, Wally Dunn and Angelique Cinelu.
“S#x” Acts (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama, set in Jaffa, about an ostracized teen (Sivan Levy) who naively tries to elevate her social status by sleeping with the most popular guys at her new high school. With Eviatar Mor, Roy Nik and Niv Zilberberg. (In Hebrew with subtitles) “Swerve” (R for violence, profanity, sexuality and nudity) Aussie crime thriller about a Good Samaritan (David Lyons) who ends up on the run from a ruthless hit man (Travis Hitman) and a crooked cop (Jason Clarke) after stopping to help a gun moll (Emma Booth) with a suitcase of cash at the scene of a car accident which claimed the life of her mobster beau. Support cast features Roy Billing, Vince Colosimo and Andy Anderson. “Tim’s Vermeer” (Unrated) Forgery documentary, directed by mute magician Raymond Joseph Teller, tracing inventor Tim Jenison’s attempt to duplicate the work of Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. “Twice Born” (R for violence, rape, sexuality, nudity, profanity and drug use) Flashback drama about a widow’s (Penelope Cruz) reflections upon returning home to Bosnia with her teenage son (Pietro Castellitto) for the first time since barely escaping war-torn Sarajevo alive when he was an infant. With Emile Hirsch, Adnan Haskovic and Saadet Aksoy. (In Italian, English and Bosnian with subtitles)
“White Reindeer” (Unrated) Maudlin character study, set in suburban Virginia, where we find a grieving woman (Anna Margaret Hollyman) grappling to make sense of life in the wake of an unexpected tragedy at Christmastime. Cast includes Joe Swanberg, Lydia Hyslop and Laura Lemar-Goldsborough.
HOROSCOPES
Dec. 5-11, 2013
ARIES You’ll enjoy a special rapport with a loved one this week, so use the vibe to deepen the level of intimacy. Your creativity allows you to say exactly the right thing at the right moment. TAURUS This is a wonderful week to give up a negative routine, guy! If you’ve been biting your nails or sneaking a cigarette, this week your emotions are centered on life-affirming habits. Let your natural inclination toward perfect health lead you on your way. GEMINI You are very popular at work this week. Part of your rise in the employee polls is due to your can-do attitude. Another part is the smile on your face as you consider your wonderful life. Believing it is being it! CANCER An unexpected errand may lead to an encounter with a person who will have an influence on your future. Keep your bright eyes alert to unusual possibilities and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised at the end of the week. LEO A cozy week is yours for the asking. Relax and spend some time unwinding from your busy week. Family or close friends will want to join you in your relaxation. Your place is the natural spot for gathering people together. VIRGO There is a vibration this week that urges people to reveal secrets. Your usually strong loyalty to a friend or co-worker may be weakened if you engage in any idle chatter. Stick to the facts this week and you’ll be fine! LIBRA Stop sometime this week and take a quick inventory of how right your instincts have been recently. If you are like most, the count is probably high! This is an excellent week to simply smile when people offer advice. You know what’s best for you, so trust your instincts and do that. SCORPIO One of your gifts is that you have an ability to think big! Picture your future on a canvas as big as the sky. Take some small measure this week toward that future, and rejoice. Make sure that positive vibrations surround you during the week. SAGITTARIUS If you brought your work home with you this weekend, you’ll have trouble relaxing. A moment of quiet time with yourself will bring you back to your center. Your work really can wait! Rest is important to a busy one like yourself. CAPRICORN Everyone needs appreciation in his or her life. Take some time out this week to seek those whom you really appreciate, and let them know what they mean to you. Appreciate yourself, while you’re at it! AQUARIUS You’re in the mood for adventure. If a short trip isn’t possible, spend some time exploring a subject that interests you so that you feel as if your mind has traveled someplace new. Arm-chair traveling with a good book will help still your restlessness. PISCES This week is like a present! Observe it and enjoy it! The vibes are perfect for a long lunch with a friend, for a long walk in the park, or just for watching the sunrise. Be aware of the beauty that surrounds you this week. Source: NNPA News Service
COMMUNITY
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Tri-State Defender
December 5 - 11, 2013
BRIEFS & THINGS UTHSC, Lifeblood plan holiday blood drive
The need for blood during the holidays is great. That’s why the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and Lifeblood are joining forces to host a Holiday Blood Drive for the campus and the community on Friday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. While there currently is no shortage of blood, the holiday season affects donations, according to Lifeblood MidSouth Regional Blood Center. Whole blood has a 42-day shelf life and platelets last only five days from the date of collection. Types O-negative and B-negative are usually the most needed by patients in the Memphis area community. Many people are traveling and taking time off work to be with family during the holidays, which typically means a decline in donors. Hospitals need about 300 units of blood each day, making the need for blood donors constant. The Lifeblood Holiday Blood Drive at UTHSC will be held in room 305 of the Student-Alumni Center at 800 Madison Avenue. To make an appointment, call 901-529-6320 or go to www.lifeblood.org.
HOT Buttered Soul Awards set ‘Jam Session’ for LOC
The HOT Buttered Soul Awards presents a “Jam Session” beginning at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7th at The LeMoyneOwen College Theatre. Performing artists will include The Temprees; Ben Cauley, former member of the original BarKays; drummist and saxophonist Ekpe; pianist Phillip Joiner; blues vocalist Joy, sister of Shirley Brown; Albert King Jr. & the “Final Touch Band”; Brenda Rutledge, former trombonist for Johnny Taylor; Gospel vocalist Apostle Nickey Paradise; former STAX writer, producer and pianist Ronnie Williams. The event will include multiple tributes, including those to “Boss Ugly Bob,” Percy Friends, J. Blackfoot and Evelyn Young. Other tributes will note the talent and contributions of Bobby O’Jay, Ronnie Williams, John Gary Williams & The Mad Lads, The Temprees, LaTroy Williams, Robert Jackson, Clyde Hopkins, Jesse Mae Anderson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ekpe, Brenda Rutledge, Wayne Jackson & The Memphis Horns, Art Matthews, Ron Kent and Suhkara Abdul Yahweh. The evening also will feature the Miss Black Memphis Pageant Royal Court. Tickets: $25, $20 with a toy at the door. For more information: 901690-9044.
Beale St. day spa & salon To host mixer, toy drive
Kingdom Kreations Exclusive Day Spa & Salon, located at 203 Beale Street, Ste. 201, will host a holiday mixer on Dec. 18 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Small toys will be accepted as part of the event, which partners Kingdom Kreations with Johnny G’s (Beale Street eatery) and Light of Glory’s International Church’s (LOGIC)annual Stuff the Stage Toys for Kids Christmas outreach. “It’s an honor to bring joy and great tidings to our kids,” said Kingdom Kreations owner Stephanie Brown, speaking also for Johnny G’s owner Bud Chittom and the Rev. Stephen Brown, LOGIC’s pastor. “Come out in holiday attire, celebrate and donate to the kids while enjoying an evening of live music, fun, door prizes and food provided by Johnny G’s Creole Kitchen.” Parking will be at the Westin Hotel. Holiday vendors on display will include author Jae Henderson, Pouts and Week-Makeup, The Candle Bakery, Bejou Purses, Dee’s Jewelry and Whitley Yarbro’s Wine (tasting station.” For more information, 901-5902136.
Down to the bone…
Billene Durham and volunteers at the Union Mission de-boned 100 turkeys on Tuesday before preparing meals on Wednesday to distribute to those in need on Thanksgiving. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)
Indictment confirmed, Thaddeus Matthews points finger at D.A. Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Wiley Henry
Talk show host and blogger Thaddeus Matthews walked into the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office on Monday (Dec. 2) looking for confirmation that a grand jury had indicted him on three accounts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He left just as confused as he had been when Memphis police arrested him a year ago for a criminal offense that Matthews said actually was a case of him trying to help an unidentified woman help a child. “They have no record of an indictment against me,” Matthews said after making the trek downtown. Media outlets and social media have been rattling with word of Matthews’ indictment, prompting him to go see for himself. On Nov. 14, 2012, Matthews was arrested for posting a pornographic photograph on his Facebook page of a minor child (under the age of 5) performing a sex act on a man. He was booked (#12144898) and charged shortly thereafter with sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and especial-
ly aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. The next day, he posted a $100,000 bond and was released. Vince Higgins, communications director for the Shelby Thaddeus County District Matthews Attorney General’s Office, confirmed Tuesday that a record of Matthews’ indictment does exist. The indictment number is 1305772. “They had it, but it wasn’t entered into the system by the criminal court clerk’s office, which is the official repository of records,” Higgins said. Matthews was indicted Nov. 26, said Higgins, noting that the confusion may have occurred as a result of the Thanksgiving holiday. “Just because they didn’t have it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.” If Matthews is found guilty of all three felony counts, he could serve between two and 30 years in prison. Matthews said the DA’s office should have notified him before issuing a release about the
grand jury indictment. Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy P. Weirich, said Matthews, is out to silence him for his “noholds-barred” verbal assault on local politicians – including the DA herself – and the political establishment in Memphis and Shelby County in general. Weirich wasn’t available to respond to Matthews’ charges. “Knowing the district attorney and prosecuting cases for over 20 years, she wouldn’t let politics get in the way,” said Higgins, noting that Weirich’s motto is to “prosecute the guilty and protect the innocent.” While Matthews is innocent until proven guilty, Higgins said, “Our prosecuting team will be prosecuting the case to the best of its ability.” Matthews said the clash with law enforcement is clearly a witchhunt to end what he described as his reputation for being “the baddest man on radio and the Internet.” The request for help that he received (and posted on Facebook) was marked urgent, he said. It read: “Hello there is a picture of a 3 or 4 year old girl performing oral sex on a man in a bathroom circulating Around Facebook and insta-
gram. It is very graffic and difficult to look at. This needs to be reported but I don’t know whose child is in the pic. You can see the child’s face clearly. I could email the pic if u like. I just wanna help the baby but don’t know how. I think they are from the Memphis area [sic].” More than 20,000 people saw the photograph, Matthews contends. “How come the person who sent me the photograph hasn’t been arrested? Is this selective prosecution in the DA’s office? This is not about a child, but how to kill off Thaddeus Matthews.” Last year, the Memphis Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit arrested and charged two juveniles – 13 and 16 – for their actions in connection with the photograph of the child. The youth allegedly posted and emailed the photograph. They were charged with one count of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. “They got one charge. Why did I get three charges for the same offense?” Matthews asked. “I tried to help a child. … Saving a child is always the right thing to do.” Matthew’ next court date on the matter is Jan. 29 in Criminal Court, Division 2.
Toy drive to aid Graves Elementary
Fresh Start International Ministries & University is targeting Graves Elementary School (K-5) for its inaugural toy drive. Organizers are asking for donations of toys with a minimum $10 value. Toys can be dropped off at The Belle at 5241 East Raines Rd. on Dec.10th and Dec. 17th from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A special drop-off day will be Dec. 14 from noon to 2 p.m. at The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center located at 800 East Parkway. Financial donations may be made to www.fsim.info. Click donate and a toy will be purchased for you. For more information, including on how to volunteer, call 901-628-1435 or 901-335-1733. BRIEFLY: Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, Inc. will host its 2014 Bowl-A-Thon Kick-off Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 18 at 307 Madison Ave. City Councilman Lee Harris (District 7) will be the keynote speaker. BRIEFLY: Comcast will host a luncheon addressing the digital divide on Dec. 9 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Boys & Girls Club Technical Training Center at 903 Walker Ave.
The making of servant leaders …
Memphis NAACP Youth Council members volunteered – sorting and packing food – at the Mid-South Food Bank on the day before Thanksgiving, sorting and packing food. The 60 students brought 119 pounds of peanut butter to donate to the Food Bank, along with their cash donation for turkeys. Caché Truitt, Youth Council president, thanked the students and parents who pitched in. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)
Tri-State Defender
COMMUNITY
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December 5 - 11, 2013
Lawyer earns Tennessee Bar Association honor
Earl W. Houston II, an attorney with the Memphisbased law firm of Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston, Earl W. P.C., is one Houston ll of only 33 attorneys throughout Tennessee selected to participate in the Tennessee Bar Association’s 2014 Leadership Law Program. The 11-year-old leadership program is designed to train lawyers to serve as leaders in their legal and civic communities.
Health Department launches first mobile APP
The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) on Wednesday launched a new campaign aimed at reducing the infant mortality rate utilizing mobile devices and social media. “As we continue our work to reduce the infant mortality rate in Shelby County, we realize being innovative in our use of social media is necessary to increase our public outreach,” said Yvonne Madlock, director of the SCHD. B4BabyLife, now available for Android and iPhone users, is the department’s first mobile application encouraging healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. B4BabyLife is designed to help prevent infant mortality and provide families with information and resources before, during and after pregnancy. Special features include the following: Prenatal Information Safe Sleep Information Access to Local Resources Ways for Fathers to Help Information on Family Planning Staying Healthy Before and Between Pregnancies Residents of all ages, including those planning a pregnancy or any caregiver, are encouraged to download the FREE mobile application.
Longevity speaks volumes…
Bishop William A. Dean of Omega Temple Church and his wife, Frances Dean, celebrated their Silver Anniversary at the Botanic Gardens last Saturday, with the Melodic Truth singers adding their own special accent to the evening. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
Page 12
HEALTH
December 5 - 11, 2013
TIPS TO BE FIT
Is deodorant safe when exercising? NNPA News Service
by Vince Faust “Are deodorants that control wetness safe?” Mary, Philadelphia
Deodorant companies are always telling us we shouldn’t sweat. The truth is, you should never stop your body from sweating. Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself. If you stop this process you could do a lot of harm to your body. As your body’s temperature rises small blood vessels in your skin expand and draw heated blood to the surface. You also begin to sweat from the pores in your skin. As the sweat evaporates it draws heat away from the skin and blood vessels. The cooler blood then recirculates throughout your body. If you stop your body from sweating you could overheat your system. You can also aggravate the skin if you have a problem with blemishes and you don’t allow our body to sweat naturally. The difference between regular deodorants and antiperspirants is that deodorants will allow your body to sweat. Use a deodorant or finely ground baking soda instead of antiperspirants. Before applying make sure your underarm area is completely dry.
Gaining weight
“Everyone wants to lose and there is a lot of information on the subject. I need to gain weight. What should I do? – John, Philadelphia
There is no magic to gaining weight. You must have a sound plan that includes good nutrition, aerobics and some toning exercises. You should begin a food diary to keep track of the foods you’re eating. You should be taking in at least 17 calories
per pound of body weight. That means a hundred pound person should be taking in no less than 1700 calories daily. Try to divide your food intake into six small meals. Gradually work into this program by first getting in three meals, and then add one additional meal as your system gets use to the added food. Start with small portions, and then build on the amount of food. Keep your meals simple by eating only one or two types of food at a time. Eat at least every three hours. The key to getting this amount of food is planning. Exercise is also an import part to any weight gaining program. Increasing your caloric intake can cause you to have another problem, fat. You should exercise at least three times a week with toning exercises and do some type of aerobic exercise two to three times a week. Exercise will help to insure that the weight you gain will be quality weight. I want you to start lifting weights three times a week. Pick one or two exercises for each body part. This is easy if you go to a gym, they’ll have almost all the equipment you need to get a good workout. If you want to workout at home, invest in a set of a set of adjustable dumbbells. Do 2 sets for each exercise. I also want you to walk or jog 3 times a week. The exercise will create a demand for more muscle, which will help you to grow. Between the eating and the workouts you should gain some good quality weight.
Caught in a thunderstorm
“What do you do if you’re running and a thunderstorm comes up?” Sally, Camden, N.J.
If you get caught in a thun-
derstorm while exercising outside, here are some tips that could help you get out of a potentially dangerous situation. Avoid high or open places. Don’t stand near lone trees or isolated structures. Avoid flagpoles, metal bleachers, utilities lines, fences and metal railings. To tell if the lightning is too close, count the number of seconds between the flash of the lightning and the sound of thunder and divide by five. This is the number of miles that the storm is away from you. If the number you get is between less than seven the storm is too close and you should try to find safe shelter.
Beef
“All my friends give beef a bad rap. Can I eat beef without feeling guilty?” – John, Houston
If you eat beef sensibly there is no reason you cannot include it in your diet. Three ounces of cooked lean beef contains one quarter of your daily requirements for iron and is a good source for zinc and B vitamins. That same three ounces contains 24 grams of protein, which is half your daily protein requirement for most people. When you buy beef, choose lean cuts of meat. Select is the best grade of meat, next comes Choice and then Prime. By choosing Select you reduce the fat by 15 percent. Eat meat alone or with a salad. You should skip the potatoes, bread, and the pasta, these foods will slow down the digestion of meat. You can eat starchy foods later with a nonprotein meal. Beef is a good food source if you know how to include it in your diet. Before starting your fitness program, consult your physician. (Special to the NNPA from The Philadelphia Tribune)
Tri-State Defender
SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, December 5 - 11, 2013, Page 13
Pastner-led Tigers get their first ‘big win’ Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by J.R. Moorhead
The last time the University of Memphis’s basketball team met the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, OSU’s sophomore guard Marcus Smart had a career day scoring 39 points, more than all four of Memphis’ senior guards combined. At one point in the first half of that game, Smart was outscoring the Tigers by himself. So it was easy to see that containing Smart would be the focal point of the rematch in Orlando on Sunday evening (Dec. 1). During the first half, Memphis was able to do just that but still trailed by 10 (42-32) at halftime and it looked like the Tigers might be setting themselves up for a big disappointment. Then it happened. The Tigers rallied in the second half Memphis outscored OSU 41-26 and defeated the No. 5 Cowboys 73-68 to win the Old Spice Classic. It was a huge win for the Tigers. They were able to redeem themselves after getting throttled by OSU a couple weeks ago. Memphis also defeated their first top 25 team with Josh Pastner as head coach. A weight has definitely been lifted for the young coach, who has been criticized for never winning the big games, despite winning 27-plus games each of his years as Memphis’ coach. Memphis will undoubtedly jump in the polls that will be released on Monday, although the biggest gain might be in confidence. The Tigers are loaded with talent and now they know that they are capable of beating a top tier team. And that’s something that they hadn’t done since the NCAA tournament in 2008 (beating No. 3 UCLA). This will be a trademark win for Pastner and his Tigers headed forward and the True Blue Nation has to be thrilled to see their hometown team finally win a “big” game.
The road to the championship
Over the last few seasons, The University of Memphis’ basketball team has had high hopes and high preseason rankings headed into the year. This season was no different. The Tigers started the year ranked in the top 25, and climbed as high as No. 11 before they faced off against No. 7 Oklahoma State. It was a game Memphis would want to forget and the embarrassing loss would drop the Tigers to No. 21 in the polls. As predictable as the high hopes and preseason rankings has been Memphis’ poor showing in their early season tournaments. Yet, this time around the Tigers had a little added motivation headed into the Old Spice Classic in Orlando – a possible rematch with Oklahoma State. In the first round, Memphis was slated to play Sienna on Thanksgiving Day. The Tigers started off slow, but eventually steamrolled Sienna by a final of 87-60. Next up, the Louisiana State Tigers. Memphis actually trailed LSU at halftime and for most of the second half. LSU was shooting a remarkable 78 percent during the second half, but Memphis continued to hang around. Those percentages aren’t realistic for any real length of time and eventually LSU cooled off. Memphis stayed consistent pulling out a 76-69 victory. The win sent the Tigers to the championship game of the Old Spice Classic and the stars would align as Oklahoma State also won their two games. The stage was set for a rematch Sunday night (Dec. 1). And now we know how they turned out.
NOTE: THE Tigers return home Dec. 7 to face Northwestern State.
GRIZZ TRACK
Reserves come up big in win over Suns
Memphis ends home-losing streak
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Kelley Evans
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley was back in his normal space – mind and body – on Tuesday (Dec. 2). He didn’t have to carry the weight of the team. “I thought Mike Conley didn’t look as tired as he normally does because we put our bodies on people and got him open,” said Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger. “Then he can make plays. He’s dropping it off. He got 14 assists. I can imagine a lot of those are to our bigs when they’re rolling to the basket or punching it underneath the backboard.” Memphis’ grit-and-grind defense was back in effect at FedExForum as the team snapped a fourgame home losing streak. They came up big and clawed into a solid Phoenix Suns offense garnering a 110-91 win. The Grizzlies had a solid first quarter (23-19), with all starters putting up points. Conley finished with 18 points. Ed Davis started the game in place of Zach Randolph, who missed his second consecutive game due to a toe injury. His status is day to day. Davis racked up 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Suns 43-41. They scored 56 points in the paint to the Suns’ 36 and led by as many as 21. The biggest Suns lead was 10. There were six lead changes and the game was tied four times. Jon Leuer led all scorers, coming off the bench with career-high 23 points and three blocks. “Jon Leuer did a lot of good things besides just make shots,” Joerger said. “He guarded pretty well.” Leuer played with confidence on offense showing off his spin moves and dunks before a crowd of 15,069. “First couple of plays, getting in there and grabbing some rebounds and making my first couple of shots…from there confidence starts to build and from there on I was just feeling good,” said Leuer. Memphis came into the game as the only Western Conference team with a better road record than home record. The Grizzlies went into the second half down by eight (54-46). The team battled back with a vengeance going on a 24-7 run that resulted in 36 points in the third quarter and an 82-74 lead heading into the final frame. “Hopefully we just keep getting better as a team and each guy kind of flourishes in the minutes he gets to play, develops his game and develops in our system,” Joerger said. “That way when those guys (Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph) come back we’ll be deeper. “ Marcus Morris led Phoenix coming off the bench with 18 points and scoring 13 in the second quarter.
Jackson’s off-the-court moves net Allstate nod
University of Memphis’ Joe Jackson has been nominated for the 2014 Allstate Good Works Team, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced Tuesday. Jackson joins 74 other NCAA Division I players from across the nation as nominees for the honor. Jackson is one of three players from the American Athletic Conference nominated for the Allstate/NABC Good Works Team, along with Houston’s Mikhail McLean and SMU’s Shawn Williams. In its second year, the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® honors players at all levels of college basketball that represent the sport’s finest in the areas of leadership and charitable achievements amongst their peers. The 2014 Allstate NABC Good Works Team (two fiveman teams) will be announced in February of 2014. Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® will be invited by AllJoe state, an official corporate partner Jackson of the NCAA®, to the 2014 NABC Convention and 2014 NCAA® Men’s Final Four® in Dallas, where they will participate in a community project in the city. A preseason Wooden and Naismith awards candidate (both for National Player of the Year), Jackson has helped lead the Tigers to a 5-1 record and the 2013 Old Spice Classic championship. The 6-foot-1 guard leads Memphis in scoring (14.2 ppg), assists (21) and steals (12) and is second on the team in free throw percentage (85.0). He is shooting 46.3 percent from the field. The homegrown Jackson graduated this past August with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. He is working on a second bachelor’s degree in nonprofit development and administration during the 2013-14 academic year. An involved student-athlete, Jackson has been involved in Memphis and its surrounding communities. This past summer, he assisted in the building of a playground at Hanley Elementary School in his neighborhood of Orange Mound. Jackson also has visited several elementary schools and youth organizations, where he has read books to schoolchildren and given talks to youth about focusing on schoolwork and staying positive in pursuit of their dreams. During preseason drills each year, Jackson, along with his Tigers teammates, hold Kamp Tiger, a basketball camp held after a Tigers practice for Special Olympians, SRVS, the Arc MidSouth, STEP and Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Former Clippers guard Drew Bledsoe of the Suns has a hard time trying to drive by the tough defense of Mike Conley. The Grizzlies beat the Suns 110-91.
Brook Lopez (left) and Joe Jackson battle Kosta Koufos of the Grizzlies for the rebound. The Grizzlies lost the game to the Nets 97-88. (Photos: Warren Roseborough) “The second half was terrible,” said Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek. “They scored 65 points in the second half. You’re not going to beat anybody when you give up 65 points in a half.” Suns center Miles Plumlee said, “I think we got too relaxed, they turned it up, and that’s what happens. They were too comfortable on the pick and rolls. (Mike) Conley was able to create a lot for his team.” Plumlee finished with 11 points.
Before the Suns, a Nets downer
The victory over the Suns was an emotional counter to last Saturday night’s 97-88 loss to the struggling Brooklyn Nets at the FedExForum. In that starting lineup was Tayshaun Prince, Tony Allen, Conley, Davis and Kosta Koufus. It was the first time Memphis had played a regular season game without Gasol (left MCL sprain) and
Randolph (toe injury) since Randolph joined the Grizzlies at the start of the 2009-10 season. “The identity is ever-changing without Marc (Gasol) and without Zach (Randolph),” Joerger explained. “It doesn’t really matter who you have playing. We should be able to get on people defensively; we should help each other and be very active in trying to do those things defensively although the offense may change at times. The Nets’ Joe Johnson led all scorers with 26 points. He noted how hard the Grizzlies played without Gasol and Randolph. “They still played hard,” Johnson said of the Grizzlies. “This is part of the NBA, injuries happen. Guys are going to be out. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. We’ve been going through that all year.” NOTE: The Grizzlies will face Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday (Dec. 5) at FedExForum.
U OF M SUFFERS SENIOR DAY DRUBBING Keiwone Malone puts the Tigers in scoring position with this over the shoulder catch. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Tigers turn in dud game against Temple Owls Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by J.R. Moorhead
Every time a team takes the field, it has to be ready to play. Plenty of great teams have been beaten by lesser opponents because they overlooked their competition. The University of Memphis Tigers are by no means a “great” football team, so it is even more essential to come into every game ready to give all. Headed into their game this past Saturday (Nov. 30) against the Temple Owls, the Tigers were actually a 10-point favorite. Perhaps that line got to Memphis’ head because the Tigers certainly didn’t live up to that projection. It was Senior Day at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and unfortunately it wasn’t the send-off that the upperclassmen would have imagined. Temple was fresh off two disheartening losses. Falling 28-21 to UConn last week and 39-36 to UCF the week prior, the Owls had shown some progression over the last few weeks despite their 1-10 record. The Owls were determined to close one out and it showed as they trounced the Tigers 41-21. Memphis was able to score late in the second quarter, but they trailed 17-7 at halftime. It seemed as if the Tigers might be able to keep it within striking distance, but the Owls matched Memphis’ two touchdowns in the third quarter. Temple would go on to score 10 more points in the fourth, while blanking the Tigers.
Running nearly 80 plays on offense, Temple outgained Memphis 534 yards to 228. Those 534 yards would be a season worst for the Tigers’ defense, with the previous mark (470) coming in the opener against Duke. It seems feasible to give up 470 yards in the first game of the year to a Duke team that is now headed to the ACC championship. But 534 yards to a 110 team on Senior Day is utterly unfathomable. Memphis is now 3-8 heading into the season finale against UConn. With the progress that the Tigers had shown in recent weeks and on the season as a whole, it would be easy to say that Memphis should come away with a win against UConn. However, after the 41-21 loss to a 1-10 Temple squad this past weekend, it becomes much more difficult to be confident that the Tigers will pull one out this coming weekend. During head coach Justin Fuente’s first year, Memphis won its last three matchups and finished 4-8. When the Tigers entered the American Athletic Conference this season, they definitely took a step up in competition and for the most part Memphis has looked marginally better than last year. Yet, they stand to finish with a 4-8 or 3-9 record depending on the outcome of their last game. While there is solid ground to talk about how the Tigers have made improvements, at the end of the day wins are how a team is measured. And that leaves many wondering if Memphis will ever get over the hump and become a legitimate contender in football.
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