12 26 2013

Happy Holidays!

VOL. 62, No. 51

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

www.tsdmemphis.com

ANALYSIS

Are you willing to stop fattening up pigs this Christmas?

Retirement crisis looms!

Alarming number of African-American households have no retirement account

Dear Readers:

New America Media

by Paul Kleyman

This week, I want to write a letter to YOU! After all, it is Christmas.

Last week, I had the privilege of hearing my 13year-old grandson, Asa, and three of his peers “preach” at his Lucy church. It was the Shaw annual children’s celebration. Each year, young people entering or coming through puberty are selected to deliver sermonettes. They are helped and coached by committed adult church leaders in the preparation and delivery of the “Word.”

The theme this year was PEACE. Children of all ages participated in the program; two girls and two boys preached. The power and uniqueness of gender and age was a joy to observe.

Yet, my greatest joy was seeing the power of The Christ being born and revealed through these four young people.

My grandson’s sermon was titled, “Too Many Voices in Here.” His text was that of Jesus casting out the demons from the possessed man raging in the cemetery. He, like his friends, delivered a powerful message with equal elements of humor, profound insight into human nature and the wonder of healing grace.

So what did I learn that I want to pass on?

The man in the cemetery said he was possessed of legions of demons.

One Roman legion might have as many as 3000 men! That would be for the possessed man at least 3,000-

SEE PIGS ON PAGE 2

Study: Three of four African-American households and four in five Latino households of working age have less than $10,000 in retirement savings. About two-thirds of African-American (62 percent) and Latino (69 percent) households of working age have not one dime in a retirement account, compared to a stillpaltry one-third (37 percent) of white households. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

- INSIDE -

“People of color face particularly severe challenges in preparing for retirement,” according to a new report titled, “Race and Retirement Insecurity in the United States,” by the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS).

Although every demographic group faces significant risks, says the analysis, “Americans of color are significantly less likely than whites to have an employer-sponsored retirement plan or an individual retirement account (IRA), which substantially drives down the level of retirement savings.”

In a live webinar last week, NIRS Research Manager Nari Rhee said that unless the United States addresses the paucity of retirement resources, “I think we’re in real trouble.”

Underscoring the national retirement crisis ahead is the report’s finding that the typical U.S. household nearing retirement has only an average of $12,000 set aside in retirement savings to supplement often modest Social Security checks.

Delving into federal data, Rhee examined racial disparities in retirement readiness among working households age 25-64. She found that three of four black households and four in five Latino households of working age have less than $10,000 in retirement savings, compared to half of white households.

In addition, says the report, about two-thirds of African-American (62 percent) and Latino (69 percent) households of working age have not one dime in a retirement account, compared to a still-paltry one-third (37 percent) of white households.

According to the report, “Workers of color, in particular Latinos, are sig-

The Root

by Janell Ross • Kwanzaa schedule accents cultural awareness, fun. See Community, page 11.

• Tigers tame foe with hometown flavor. See Sports, page 12.

Joe Jackson v. Tyler Stone

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H- 5 4o - L - 3 3o Su nny

H- 5 8o - L - 3 7o S unn y

H- 5 3o - L - 3 2o Cl o udy

Friday H-58 L-34 H-50 L-27 H-58 L-28

Saturday H-60 L-37 H-57 L-32 H-61 L-33

Sunday H-54 L-32 H-52 L-29 H-63 L-34

nificantly less likely than white workers to be covered by an employersponsored retirement plan.” While 62 percent of whites had pensions, just over half (54 percent) of working age black and Asian workers and 38 percent of Latino employees work for an employer that sponsors a retirement plan.

The report stresses, “Some 92 percent of working households do not meet conservative retirement-savings targets for their age and income. Even when counting their entire net worth, 65 percent still fall short.”

Racial disparities between public, private pensions

A major area of retirement security for non-white workers has been landing a government job, such as a postal carrier, teacher or transit worker. According to the NIRS report, 81 percent of all public employees report having an employer-sponsored retirement plan compared to only 52 percent of private employees.

In addition, most retirement benefits in public jobs are in more generous traditional pensions that provide retirees a defined amount every month with cost-of-living increases to keep ahead of inflation. In contrast, most private employers that do offer pensions set up 401(k) type plans to which they may contribute funds, but which leave investment decisions (which funds to put the money in) up to individual workers.

The report emphasizes, “Interracial disparities are much greater in the private sector than in the public sector.”

Rhee said in an e-mail, however, that SEE CRISIS ON PAGE 3

’Tis the season for AfricanAmerican nonprofits to suffer

• 2016 dream ticket: Hillary and Michelle. See Opinion, page 4.

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

75 Cents

Girls on fire…

Rainey Harris (right) sang Alicia Keyʼs “Girl On Fire” and dedicated it to Tennessee State University President (and Memphis native) Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover during the “Winter Wonderland” 2013 Annual Holiday Gala presented by the TSU National Alumni Association Memphis Shelby County Chapter at The Hotel Memphis, 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd., last Friday (Dec. 20.). The alumni chapter also presented Dr. Glover with $51,011.12 check for the TSU Foundation. Photo: Tyrone P. Easley

For Thembi Duncan, it seemed like the kind of opportunity best described as golden.

A popular Washington, D.C., radio talk show wanted Duncan – the new producing artistic director of the African Continuum Theatre Company – for an interview on the air. As recently as 2011, the African Continuum, once billed as D.C.’s only professional black theater company, had a six-figure production budget.

Then, leadership changes and a general malaise around donations hit.

Production stopped. Now, Duncan is working to rebuild, and the radio show was needed visibility at a critical time of year for giving.

But some of the radio callers offered biting commentary. The African Continuum might break even, perhaps even turn a “profit,” if it would move away from snooty plays written by long-dead African-American literary giants. Put a Tyler Perry play on the stage, a caller said. And a good show about a woman wronged or a man scorned and then saved by the blood of Jesus always sells tickets, several callers suggested.

“We are in a rather unusual position in the charitable world,” Duncan told The Root. “Like every other nonprofit, we live and die by donations.

But we are not an organization that feeds hungry children. So there are just some people (to) whom we don’t make sense or seem like a priority.

For others, they can’t see why we don’t simply focus on commercial goals, put on something mass market.

But we contribute something very important to an underserved community, too.”

For nearly every fundraiser, the holiday season is critical, a time when American generosity seems to surge.

And, one little-known truth in a coun-

try where African Americans are frequently depicted and described exclusively as charity recipients and, worse still, “takers,” black Americans respond to the call for charity more often than others. But in black America, the season for giving has also produced another little talked-about reality: Some causes suffer mightily.

Black philanthropic giving – much like white giving – remains overwhelmingly directed at churches.

However, for many black famiAfrican Amer- lies, the giving icans are often stops there. black incheerful Secular stitutions, includgivers, but ing historically the donations black colleges universities, go mostly to and museums and church, leav- other nonprofits, left struggling ing other in- are to survive. stitutions in In 2012, the W.K. Kellogg need.

Foundation, a Michigan-based organization, released a study confirming that African Americans give larger shares of their income to charity than any other group. The report also found that a growing legion of identity-based foundations and giving circles such as the Associated Black Charities of Mayland together funnel about $400 million a year to a wide variety of organizations. It did not look at where these foundations are directing pooled contributions.

A 2005 study did, noting that individual black households are noticeably more generous in religious giving. The average black household contributed $924 to a church or religious institution, the study found, compared to an average of about $814 donated by white households. But, SEE NONPROFITS ON PAGE 3

Page 2 PIGS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

6,000 voices speaking to him at once! He begged Jesus to cast them out.

Jesus did so and cast them into the pigs in the local pig farm, where they subsequently killed themselves from the terror of the demons. The people of the town were so enraged over the lost pig revenue that they chased Jesus out of town.

One profoundly tormented man was saved, but the price was too high to accept.

If you are facing down voices that rob you of your peace, what are you willing to sacrifice to have your peace restored?

How much will you pay to be free?

Does it feel like you are sometimes wandering around in a cemetery, raging and unheard or unable to speak above the noise of the voices coming from within and without?

What would it take for you to hear the sweet voice of the Christ and be set free this season?

The possessed man recognized Jesus as a source of peace and was ready for release. Here are a few possibilities for us: Turn off the phone. Stop texting for one day and see what happens. Stop gossiping and sending hurtful, thoughtless messages that contaminate the air.

Check out the news without buying the load of fear being offered up. Write a letter and demand a balance of good news.

Read a book. Buy a dictionary. Many of our ancestors learned to read by studying the Bible.

Value the price paid by your ancestors for this freedom you take for granted. Go and see “Twelve Days a Slave” before it leaves the theatre.

Make a decision to eat one piece of fruit and some vegetables every day. You need the strength it provides.

Drink eight glasses of water a day. Your bowels need it.

Sometimes the voices are just constipation crying out.

Get up and walk. Don’t just sit there and listen to the voices. Take up your bed and walk!

Commit to one act of random kindness every waking

NEWS

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014 hour. If all you have to give is a smile, start grinning.

Pray for Grace... Not just for yourself, but for others too.

These are just a few ways to take control of the voices and begin to make room for the voice of God, the voice of the Christ within each of us. I listed very inexpensive ways to move into peace. We have become so spoiled and self-centered that many of these will seem like huge sacrifices. How much are the pigs in your life worth to you?

Here is a thought: there is a verse that says, “Beware of casting pearls before swine because they are likely to turn and tear you apart.”

Are you willing to receive the pearls of peace that are offered to us year round by Christ?

Are you willing to stop fattening pigs to sell for what you could get for free just by asking for Grace?

Are you willing to step up and become a new voice, a single voice of sweet, sweet PEACE? Merry Christmas and Peace On Earth To All, Lucy

(Check out Lucy Shaw’s website at http://www.heartworks4u.com. Send your to lucy@heartworks4u.com.)

(For help with the feelings that get in the way of prayer and peace of mind, get Lucy’s new book, “BE NOT ANXIOUS.” Order it directly from her at 901-907-0260 or go to her web site www.heartworks4u.com.)

Dressed for business…

Tri-State Defender

“Santa” made a stop at the Havana Mix Cigar Emporium downtown before his biggest day of the year.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Tri-State Defender

CRISIS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

although public employment “has helped narrow racial and ethnic inequalities and strengthen the middle class,” that trend is changing. Polls show falling public support for public-service workers and their pensions, while pension coverage in the private sector is also declining.

“Black workers are more heavily represented in the public sector than are other major r a c i a l groups,” says the “Black workr e p o r t , ers are more w h i c h m e a n s heavily repthey are resented in more apt the public to have the older type sector than of penare other sions that do not de- major racial pend on groups.” stock market fluctuations.

Latino households are half as likely (12 percent) as white or black households to have a traditional pension. This is partly because far fewer Hispanics work in public sector jobs and are highly concentrated in low-wage industries, the study says.

The new analysis supplements a report NIRS published earlier this year, “The Retirement Savings Crisis: Is It Worse Than We Think?”

The study found that 45 percent, or 38 million workingage households, have zero assets in retirement accounts.

Suggesting possible solutions, NIRS called for strengthening Social Security “to stabilize system financing and enhance benefits for vulnerable populations.”

Social Security for AfricanAmericans and Latinos

The NIRS report comes on the heels of a recent paper titled, “Social Security Is Especially Important to Minorities” by economist Paul Van de Water of the Center for Budget

NEWS

Page 3

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

and Policy ...African Priorities.

Americans Van de W a t e r ’ s and Hispanics analysis is as a group a response each pay to a narr o w e r more in Sostudy by the Urban cial Security Institute taxes in a concluding given year t h a t than they reAfrican Americans ceive in beneand Hisfits. panics as a group each pay more in Social Security taxes in a given year than they receive in benefits.

But Van de Water counters that although the share of payroll tax contributions from African American and Latino workers in a single year may exceed their share of benefits, “this doesn’t change the fact that African Americans and Hispanics will typically receive above-average returns on their contributions over their lifetimes.”

Van de Water adds, “Low earners are also more likely to become eligible for Social Security disability benefits.”

Many more black, Latino and A s i a n w o r k e r s “Low earners tap Social S e c u r i t y are also more disability likely to beb e n e f i t s come eligible prior to ret i r e m e n t for Social Set h a n curity disabilwhites.

A m o n g ity benefits.” seniors, he went on, Social Security represents 90 percent or more of income for 35 percent of whites, 42 percent of Asian Americans, 49 percent of African Americans and 55 percent of Hispanics.

“The fact remains that Social Security is particularly important for minorities,” Van de Water said.

“This analysis is part of Facts on Ethnic Elders,” a monthly column on research findings about ethnic elders present and future. It is supported by a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies.)

In Black America, the season for giving has also produced another little talkedabout reality: some causes suffer mightily.

(Photo: Thinkstock)

NONPROFITS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

black families were a bit less generous in secular giving, donating an average of $439 to these organizations compared to the white-household average of $510.

“Blacks have $1 trillion in buying power,” said Marybeth Gasman, director of the Penn Center for Minority-Serving Institutions at the University of Pennsylvania. “... African Americans give more of their discretionary income to charity than any other racial or ethnic group in America. Why isn’t more going to HBCUs, those institutions that birthed the black middle class as we know it?”

Gasman’s job has given her a deep understanding of where African Americans do spend their money. Gasman estimates that today, at least 60 percent of black charitable dollars go to churches, but the other 40 percent is available and, she says, should be aggressively pursued by secular nonprofits and HBCUs. When it comes to HBCUs, the impact of that pattern is stark, Gasman said. On average, about 20 percent of alumni from all the nation’s colleges and universities con-

tribute to their schools. That figure ranges from 5 percent to 7 percent at public HBCUs and 9 percent to 10 percent at private HBCUs. Walter Kimbrough, president of the New Orleans-based HBCU Dillard University since 2012, has emerged as an outspoken voice calling on black America to do a better job supporting HBCUs. At first glance, he would seem an unlikely spokesman.

Kimbrough thinks the financial troubles of HBCUs are often overstated and questions of relevancy are driven by deeperseated suspicion and disdain for black institutions.

Yes, some black colleges and universities are in serious trouble (three have closed, and others have lost accreditation in recent years). Some schools need to make the hard decision to shut down, consolidate with another school or eliminate some majors, Kimbrough said.

Yes, many need to specialize and invest in developing academic niches at which they excel. (Dillard, for example, produces the second largest number of black undergraduates with physics degrees in the country.) And, yes, many need to improve alumni relations and invest in larger fundraising operations, he said.

But, HBCUs are educating and graduating larger-thanaverage shares of first-generation and low-income college students, something crucial to the country’s future economic success, Kimbrough said. And with 103 HBCUs left around the country, HBCUs are closing at a far slower clip than women’s colleges, while educating increasingly diverse student bodies.

Still, Kimbrough has been blunt about calling on black America – über-wealthy entertainers and athletes and moderateto modest-income individuals alike – to support the nation’s HBCUs. And, as the son of a United Methodist Church minister, he rebuffs claims that black America simply does not have the money to do so.

“It’s not that black people don’t have the money or the habit of giving,” said Kimbrough. “I do understand that there is an income gap, that we earn 75 cents on the dollar or something like that and have one-tenth of the wealth of whites. But charity does exist in black America, and it begins and ends for a lot of people in the church.”

Kimbrough, like Gasman, thinks that HBCUs and churches may need to work closely together to encourage a

concept first described by the Urban League’s Marc Morial: civic tithing Frank and direct fundraising appeals for HBCUs need to happen in pulpits. Religious institutions need to commit to funding student scholarships at HBCUs. People in the pews also need to begin to give to secular and not overtly religious black-serving nonprofits, which are fighting to educate students, and provide and boost social justice or civil rights, with the same regularity that they do their churches, he said.

“We are not going to get into a battle with the church, but perhaps we do need to partner more closely to find ways to share some of the charitable dollars and attention,” said Kimbrough. “The data doesn’t lie. That’s where the money is going.”

Back in Washington, D.C., Duncan found herself reaching the same conclusion as Kimbrough: Churches may be a new and important font of support.

This summer, the African Continuum was one of a small group of theater companies selected to stage a play about the four little girls killed at Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church. As a D.C.-based theater troupe, the African Continuum had the opportunity to perform “Four Little Girls” inside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It drew an overflow crowd. And, in a series of D.C.-area churches where the performance was also live-streamed, the play drew significant audiences, Duncan said.

“Those church-viewing rooms seem to have generated a lot of interest in what we’re doing,” said Duncan. “I think that’s even generated a few three-figure donations. And while we can’t put on a play without a major gift, I think we really accomplished something. We are on their radar.”

(Janell Ross is a reporter in New York who covers political and economic issues. She is working on a book about race, economic inequality and the recession, due to be published

by Beacon Press next year.

Follow her on Twitter.)

Page 4

OPINION

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

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SPECIAL REPORT

U.S. winning the ‘War on Poverty’ NNPA News Service

by Jazelle Hunt WASHINGTON – Nearly 50 years after President Lyndon B. Johnson declared war on poverty, a new report finds that robust social safety net programs are slowly leading the nation to victory.

According to the report, “Trends in Poverty With an Anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure,” the poverty rate has dropped 40 percent since 1967, as a result of provisions such as housing vouchers, free school lunch unemployment benefits, Social Security, food stamps, and more. Without these programs, the researchers find, the percentage of Americans living in poverty would be twice as high.

“Our research tells us that these programs are important for families struggling to put food on the table and find adequate shelter,” says study coauthor Christopher Wimer, a research scientist at the Columbia Population Research Center. “For a family of four our measure puts the poverty threshold higher at about $25,000 a year, which is not going to go so far.”

The Census Bureau introduced the official poverty measure (OPM) in 1963 to aid in distributing federal aid.

At that time it was based on income and the cost of food. Today, the measure is based on a family’s size, cash income, and ages of its members.

The study’s authors say that it’s an outdated and insufficient measure— not only are there non-cash types of income (such as food stamps or housing subsidies), but also the OPM excludes tax burden, and only considers families linked by blood, marriage, or adoption (same-sex partners or cohabiting couples with children, for example, do not count as family).

It seems the Census Bureau picked up on these deficiencies; in 2010 it introduced the supplemental poverty measure (SPM). This measure uses an improved threshold, a more inclusive tally of a family’s expenses and resources, and a broader definition of “family.”

Although the SPM is only intended for research use (the OPM is still used for federal spending), the authors contend that it offers a better picture of American poverty.

According to the OPM, the poverty threshold is around $23,000, and has been since the late ‘90s. The SPM offers a higher threshold, largely because it reflects changes in cost of living more acutely – and it also means more people qualify as poor.

To study poverty trends over the last 45 years, the researchers used today’s SPM threshold and applied it to American families’ household data since 1967 (adjusting for inflation).

That year, the official poverty rate was 14 percent; and it hasn’t changed much since then, lingering between 11 and 15 percent over 45 years of data. But with the SPM, the poverty rate has steadily declined—in 1967 it

would have been 26 percent. It’s come down to 16 percent as of 2012, which means that poverty has fallen 40 percent since 1967.

The measure also reveals the impact of anti-poverty programs and policies by examining the effect of taxes (tax requirements, breaks, and credits) and transfers (in-kind federal income, such as housing vouchers and free school lunch). Without including taxes and transfers in the SPM measure the poverty rate would have been 27 percent in 2012. In other words, tax breaks and safety net programs have saved 13 percent of lower-middle income Americans from poverty.

Elise Gould, an economist with think tank nonprofit, Economic Policy Institute also believes in the potential of this measure.

“We absolutely see that if we look at measures – even just the OPM – that if it had not been for these economic programs more people would be in poverty. All these programs like sick days, housing vouchers, child care credits, help lift people out of poverty,” she says. “And the SPM is absolutely the best thing today to examine that. Trying to recreate it back in time is a great undertaking.”

The researchers also calculated SPM-based poverty rates for the elderly, working age people, children, and for those in deep poverty (who live on 50 percent or less of the poverty threshold). Taxes and transfers have kept deep poverty around five percent since the ‘70s. Without them, that rate would be closer to 15 and 20 percent.

This study comes at a time when media spotlight has focused on the rising tide of poverty, especially for urban children. But this month Congress approved nearly $40 billion of cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) over the next decade, starting last month. One in seven Americans will be affected.

“It’s not that we’ve solved the problems through these programs – there’s still 15 or 16 percent of the country living in poverty under our measure,” Wimer says. “But our research shows that programs like SNAP do a decent job of helping families meet their food costs, which clears room in the budget to pay rent.”

Gould, who also studies economic mobility, believes that while safety net programs are essential, they’re only half the battle.

“Government support has done an incredibly good job in helping people, but pre-tax and pre-transfer income for people really hasn’t changed a lot,” she explains.

“You have to really think of ways to increase people’s income and that usually means better wages. When the economy is not doing a great job of serving and providing jobs for ordinary people, the government has to step in. With both aspects, you can do a fair amount to alleviate poverty in this country.”

FACEBOOK FAN OF THE WEEK Name: Angela Rixter-Kelley

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

Angela Rixter-Kelley is this weekʼs Facebook Fan of the Week! She is a Memphis native, who graduated from Westwood High School and received her college degree from the University of Memphis. She is now the owner and instructor of The Tea Room Charm and Finishing School, where she teaches manners, modeling and social skills to the youth.

Angela loves to enjoy life, and being a mother is one of her greatest joys. She lives by the quote, “If you have faith, you can do any and all things. Just believe.”

Thanks Angela for excelling in Memphis and for being a part of the TSD Facebook family!

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.

Tri-State Defender

For many, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are the most popular and well-respected women in the nation.

2016 dream ticket: Hillary and Michelle NNPA News Service

by Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. The 2016 national elections are not that far away. It is timely and important that we not wait until then to begin having constructive discussions about who should be given the opportunity and responsibility to succeed President Barack Obama.

The questions of the future of politics, economics and equal justice should never be avoided. Especially given all the voter suppression enactments in many states over the last two years, we should be more vigilant about being politically conscious and civically active. My motive, therefore, is to stimulate a proactive dialogue now about the possibilities for viable candidates for the next national elections.

Even with three more years in office, I believe that President Obama will be judged by history as one of the most effective presidents ever. He will be credited for leading the It is long recovery and reoverdue for a vival of the U.S. qualified and economy by enexperienced couraging the of the women to be passage $787 million elected presi- American Reand Reindent and vice covery vestment Act, president of with Wall Street the United reaching its highest investment States. level, ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, getting the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress, rebooting the U.S auto industry, signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act ensuring equal pay for women, signing into law the Fair Sentencing Act that significantly reduced the sentencing disparities in drug laws that have been devastating for African Americans and Latino Americans, and appointing the first African Americans as Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security.

Therefore, any realistic speculation about who could be successful in following President Obama and Vice President Biden to the White House in 2016 should first be made in context of establishing continuity with the Obama administration’s progress in economic revival, ending poverty, and providing leadership in implementing a more inclusive national agenda for the empowerment of all people who strive for a better quality of life in the United States.

It is long overdue for a qualified and experienced women to be elected president and vice president of the United States. Here’s a way to do both at one time: I propose and endorse the election of Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton as the next president of the United States and Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama as the next vice president of the United States in 2016.

Think about how millions and millions of voters would readily desire with great enthusiasm to have the historic opportunity to vote for two former first ladies of the U.S. to be president and vice president. Today,

Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are the most popular and well-respected women in the nation. But this is not to be reduced to a mere popularity contest. The truth is both Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are very qualified, experienced and capable of leading the United States.

Hillary Clinton, a Yale law graduate, former U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Senator is an expert on both domestic and foreign policy. The Democratic Party will be victorious in 2016 if Hillary Clinton is nominated for president. Of course, the vice presidential candidate in 2016 will be chosen by the nominee of the Democratic Party. As I have traveled recently around the country, I am pleased to report that there is a growing support for Michelle Obama to run for public office and being vice president would be a perfect fit.

Michelle Obama is a Harvard Law graduate and a seasoned expert on community development and health care issues with a particular commitment to ending poverty for all people.

Let’s be clear: they should not be elected because they are women; they should be elected because they are qualified to lead our nation. And those who profess to have a problem with electing two women didn’t complain when we’ve elected two men throughout the history of this nation.

We all remember the tremendous surge in voter turnout in 2008 and again in 2012. And we know what created that enthusiasm. There are real repressive forces, however, that are now at work to increase systematic efforts to suppress voting rights and voter turnout both the midWe need to for term 2014 and keep the for- 2016 national We ward thrust elections. cannot afford to of the go backwards. progress of We need to keep forward the Obama- the thrust of the Biden admin- progress of the bama-Biden istration into O administration a Clinton-Oba- into a Clintonma adminis- Obama adminisin 2016. tration in tration The future of 2016.

America and the world will once again be at stake.

The political and public discourse will need a new stimulus in order to arouse a massive turnout of voters who will be committed to a progressive agenda and further socioeconomic transformation of our society and nation into a better place. What’s your view? Who will you support? Who will you vote for? Let the debate begin.

“Forward ever, backward never!”

This is not a time for cynicism or pessimism. We must envision the future for tomorrow out of how we see the present today. I see the Hillary Clinton-Michell Obama ticket as a winning ticket for 2016.

(NNPA columnist Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is President of Education Online Services Corporation and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and can be reached at http://drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/.)

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We know that African-Americans are powerful consumers; and, that consumers across-the-board fall into very specific categories. Even though we may not have consciously thought about it while making our lists and checking them twice in the stores or online, chances are we automatically classified our gift recipients into consumer groups, as was encouraged by consumer insights from research for Nielsen.

Now, this might seem a little “after the fact,” but, these insights are not only fun, but studying our trends as consumers helps businesses craft the messages and outreach strategies to engage us and better meet our needs (and their bottom line) down the road. This year’s gift guide survey, focused on five consumer categories: working moms, sports fans, arts enthusiasts, connected consumers and status seekers.

According to the survey, the working moms in Cheryl your life typicalPearson-McNeil ly buy and appreciate anything that helps to keep their lives organized and moving forward. For instance, working moms are more likely to thrive on all varieties of coffee, and enjoy specialty coffee packages. Working moms are 23 percent more likely than other consumer groups to visit the local pizza place, so it makes sense that a pizza stone and ingredients would have been a good gift. Other great presents would have been a tablet PC or any kind of home décor or decorative storage pieces.

This year’s Sports Fans gift guide for purposes of survey were survey fo- this defined as U.S. cused on five adults who say consumer they’re interestin the MLB, categories: ed NBA, NFL or working NHL. We know sports fans moms, sports that (no matter the fans, arts en- age) can never enough thusiasts, get sports stuff. connected These conconsumers sumers are 36 more and status percent likely than othseekers. ers to shop at a sporting goods store for equipment or gear. They love tickets to any game and are nearly three times more likely to purchase sporting events tickets themselves (hint, hint for future giftgiving). Sports enthusiasts want to be able to enjoy their games on multiple screens and are 34 percent more likely to purchase HDTVs and 38 percent more likely to spring for a tablet PC. Then, we’ve got our Arts Enthusiasts, who love all things fine art.

Twelve percent of those surveyed, who classified themselves as such, appreciate donating (or charitable donations made in their name) to arts organizations. These consumers are 48 percent more likely to do yoga/pilates (kinda artsy, I guess) and are 41 percent more likely to patronize art museums.

The survey shows Connected Consumers, U.S. adults who own a laptop/notebook, computer, smartphone and tablet, to be more social and a bit more curious about exotic cultures (27 percent) and cuisine.

Great gifts would have been coffee gift cards, as they are 66 percent more likely to visit a coffee house/bar. Fifty-four percent of this consumer group was more likely to buy a Blu-Ray player. They also have their eyes peeled for the latest restaurant ratings guide for their city.

The final category in the survey were the Status Seekers. You know – the “hostess with the most-est.”

They love to entertain and are nearly three times more likely to open their homes to guests. The Status Seekers are 50 percent more likely to plan to purchase a video game system, so that’s an awesome gift choice. And, interestingly, they are 43 percent more likely to have attended an R&B/Rap/Hip Hop concert in the past 12 months.

It has been my great pleasure to bring these kinds of consumer insights to you over the last four years. No matter what consumer preference category you or those you gifted fall into, I encourage you to always choose wisely.

You’ve got the power. And, don’t forget to chat with us on Twitter or Facebook, so we can keep the conversation going.

(Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Nielsen.

For more information and studies go to www.nielsen.com.)

Tri-State Defender

BUSINESS

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

WORKFORCE READY

Fast food industry, wage neglect and state of jobs You may have heard about the fast food strikes happening across the country in advocacy of raising minimum wage to $15 an hour. Workers here in Memphis even protested in early December. An estimated one in four Memphis workers is paid less than a living wage, according to Workers Interfaith Network.

Why would anyone ever think about paying fast food workers that much?

Well, everyone should be thinking about it! Why? Because more than half of fast food workers are also dependent on us, the taxpayer, for some form of public assistance to make ends meet, according to a recent study – Fast Food, Public Cost – conducted by Sylvia A. Allegretto.

The study points out that “nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of public benefits spending goes to working families – that is families with a working member. With jobs that put their earnings below subsistence needs, our measurements indicate that these families must rely on Medicaid, food stamps, the Earned Income Tax Credit and other support to provide the food, shelter and healthcare for which their jobs alone will not pay.”

The fast food industry stands out for both its low wages and a lack of full time work hours. The median hourly Herbert wage for Lester core nonmanagerial frontline fast food workers, those working at least 27 weeks in a year and 10 hours a week, is $8.77 an hour. The median hours for these jobs are 30. As a result, annual earnings in the fast food industry are well below the income needed for self-sufficiency.

Fast food industry jobs are also much less likely than other jobs to provide health benefits. Only 13 percent of core frontline fast food workers receive health benefits through their employer, compared to 59 percent of workers as a whole.

A data brief prepared by the National Employment Law Project points out that while the 10 largest fast food giants earned $7.4 billion in profits last year, they paid $53 mil-

lion to their highest paid executives, distributed $7.7 billion in dividends and stock buybacks and cost the tax-payer $3.8 billion dollars.

In another time, when manufacturing was king, fast food jobs where great entry-level jobs. With the exodus of manufacturing jobs, the recession and the move towards a service economy, the average fast food worker is now 28-29 years old and may be a single parent with a high school diploma.

Fast food giants do not use the model popularized by many companies in which they pay part-time employees a wage significantly above minimum wage and offer fulltime health benefits. And, if current trends continue, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this may very well be the model of the future for persons with no more than a high school education, just behind jobs such as home health aid and in retail.

What are your thoughts on increasing minimum wage?

And more importantly, how does this “new” model affect jobs here in the Bluff City?

(To reach Herbert Lester, email WORKFORCE READY at inthemail@tri-statedefender.com)

Page 5

BUSINESS

Page 6

Tri-State Defender

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Moving on up!

Professional Coaching and Leadership Development is a movement going on in corporate America and with highly motivated individuals. While the practice is not new, it is new to many.

RIX International has been dedicated to providing this service for many years. With many successes under its belt, RIX International delivers coaching and development to entrepreneurs and corporations.

Gwendolyn Tucker has joined her husband in maintaining the firm’s tradition of excellence.

Carlee McCullough: First, tell us a little bit about your background.

Gwendolyn Tucker: I was born and grew up in Northwest Florida near Pensacola. I am an accountant by education.

Prior to joining my husband in the company he founded, I held successive roles in Fortune 500 companies in the paper industry for more than 20 years in accounting, internal audit, service excellence, information technology, change management and human resources. I received my designation as a certified public accountant (CPA) in the state of

Professional coaching & leadership development Ohio 1992.

in

C.M.: What does profess i o n a l coaching and leadership development entail?

Carlee G.T.: McCullough Coaching helps to “fast track” individuals in reaching their goals. Often, people spend too much time floundering, unsure of how to develop and reach their goals.

In the workplace, too much talent is “sitting on the bench.”

Professional coaching first of all is designed to help the individual and teams become more successful. Successful people in sports and in business have a coach to help them “Get Results!” A coach helps you determine/see “Crystallize” your goals. Then your professional coach “holds you Accountable.” In doing so, you set meaningful goals and you have a higher likelihood of achieving success!

C.M.: How did you become interested in professional coaching and leadership development? How long have you been in this field?

G.T.: Although I have been in the coaching business close to seven years, I have been engaged in the business of coaching for most of my career.

I am very fortunate to have worked for organizations that valued growth and development. They invested in their employees. I have reported to some great leaders who served as coaches and mentors. Their only request was: “pay it forward.” Now, I get to work with leaders and individuals to help them seize opportunities to grow and develop.

C.M.: What emerging trends do you see affecting professional coaching and leadership development?

G.T.: As it relates to professional coaching, an emerging trend will be the ability to work with a group of individuals in cohorts. Therefore, I believe peer-coaching cohorts will serve both the individual and the organization well. Although individual coaching

will have its place, colleagues will help each other grow. That will be facilitated by a skilled coach who can effectively address the need of each peer in the context of a group/cohort.

As it relates to leadership development, coaching for leaders will be done in concert with developing a highly functioning team. Finally, as with other facets of business, the use of technology is essential to the success of the coaching process for both the coach and the client.

C.M.: Who is your target audience?

G.T.: Although we have worked with organizations of various sizes, our target organization has 100-500 employees. In any organization, we seek decision-makers that are ready to invest in themselves and the people in their organization to improve both productivity and profitability. We always welcome individuals and small businesses who are serious about investing in their professional development and most importantly achieving and exceeding their goals.

C.M.: What are successful

entrepreneurs doing differently?

G.T.: I believe the most successful entrepreneurs are strategic in their thinkGwendolyn ing and Tucker their actions. They find out what works and do more of it. They avoid activity that is unproductive and unprofitable. They stick to their “True North.”

C.M.: How important has “branding” been for your company?

G.T.: It has been very important. You can never underestimate the value of branding. At RIX International, we have worked very hard to help people understand who we are, what we do – but more importantly, how we can help them meet and exceed their goals. Consistently delivering on commitments has helped to reinforce our brand.

C.M.: What was the best ad-

vice you received along the way as far as your business goes?

G.T.: Building a successful business is a process. And process takes time.

C.M.: What advice would you give to entrepreneurs wanting to start a business?

G.T.: You must be passionate about what you do. You also must be able to turn that passion into profits.

C.M.: What are some daily habits that made you successful?

G.T.: Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” has significantly impacted my thinking and actions over the past 20 years or so. As such, I tend to plan and lay out each day’s activity in light of my long-term goals (both personal and professional). I do allow flexibility for the unexpected.

C.M.: Any closing remarks?

G.T.: Thank you for this opportunity!

(For additional information, v i s i t www.rixinternational.com.)

MONEY MATTERS

We are earning more money, but where is it?

Since the 1960s, householdincome growth for African Americans has outpaced that of whites. Median adjusted household income for African Americans is now 59.2 percent that of whites, up slightly from 55.3 percent in 1967 (though in dollar terms the gap has widened).

But those gains haven’t led to any narrowing of the wealth gap between the races. In fact, after adjusting for inflation, the median net worth for African-American households in 2011 ($6,446) was lower than it was in 1984 ($7,150), while white households’ net worth was almost 11 percent higher. High-earning married African-American households have, on average, less wealth than low-earning married white households.

Exactly why income gains haven’t translated into wealth gains for African Americans is something of a puzzle. Researchers have identified several possible factors – less intergenerational inheritance, higher unemployment and lower incomes, differing rates and patterns of homeownership, marriage and college education – without reaching any consensus on their relative importance. There is little understanding of why the black-white wealth gap exists, despite an almost embarrassing number of potential explanations.”

Value of primary residence was the single biggest asset for both groups, but much

more so f o r AfricanAmerican households: On average, housing wealth accounted for 49 percent of Charles Sims Jr., CFP A f r i c a n American household assets, compared with 28 percent for the average white household. But the average home value was far lower for African-American households: $75,040 versus $217,150.

Not only is home ownership lower among African Americans than whites, but that African-American-owned homes tend not to appreciate in value as much as whiteowned homes, which is attributed to “residential segregation artificially lower(ing) demand, placing a forced ceiling on home equity for AfricanAmericans who own homes in non-white neighborhoods.”

African Americans also tend to carry proportionately more mortgage debt, at higher rates, than whites. And the housing crash was harder on blacks than whites (though both groups fared better than Hispanics).

Beyond housing, one striking difference between African-American and white household assets was the role of business ownership. Equity

in businesses was the secondbiggest asset class among white households, accounting for 18 percent of average assets, and grew 106 percent in value between 1983 and 2010.

Among African-American households, however, business equity accounted for less than 4 percent of assets on average, and actually lost value between 1983 and 2010. After primary residence, the single biggest asset type for black households was “other residential property,” accounting for about 12 percent of average assets; but that asset class only grew 37 percent in value between 1983 and 2010.

Retirement accounts were the third-biggest asset class, on average, for both AfricanAmerican and white households, and rose in value over the past three decades at similar rates. But African-American households, on average, started out with far less in their accounts: $1,496 in 1983, compared with $9,483 for white households.

But due to discriminatory employment patterns, “black workers predominate in fields that are least likely to have employer-based retirement plans and other benefits, such as administration and support and food services. As a result, wealth in black families tends to be close to what is needed to cover emergency savings while wealth in white families is well beyond the emergency threshold and can be saved or invested more readily.”

Average household debt rose steadily among both whites and African Americans from 1983 to 2007. But while white households’ debt continued to rise between 2007 and 2010, to an average $113,598, it fell among African-American households

over the same period, to an average $53,199 – mainly because of a decline in home mortgage debt. Overall, though, African-Americans continue to carry more debt relative to their household assets than do whites: 34.5 percent of average assets, versus

14.5 percent for white households.

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

RELIGION

Tri-State Defender

Page 7

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

RELIGION BRIEFS

BRIEFLY: Castalia Baptist Church at 1540 Castalia St. will hold its Watch Meeting Service on Dec. 31, beginning at 11 p.m. The Rev. Dr. Randolph Meade Walker is the host pastor.

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 Square 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 870394-4596 or go to Facebook and type in the conference name.

St. John’s Cantata embrace Building on tradition…

For 24 years, St. John Baptist Church has presented its annual Christmas Cantata.

DEADLINE

The deadline for the Religion Briefs calendar is Monday at 10 a.m.

Send items to The New Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale St., Ste. 200, Memphis, Tenn.

38104 Email items to inthemail@tri-statedefender.com. Call 901-523-1818 for details.

Follow me…

Rosetta H. Peterson was in familiar territory directing “Son of the Highest,” the annual Christmas Cantata at St. John Baptist Church. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of the year. But, political correctness has turned Christmas into Christmess.

One way of dissecting the word is Christ-Mas, which in Spanish would be more Christ. If we had more of Christ, I am quite sure we would not have so much deviancy in our society – high divorce rates, high teenage pregnancy, or high crime rates, etc.

Some people and corporations no longer feel like they can wish a person a Merry Christmas. On the advice of lawyers, they feel compelled to say Happy Holidays. I wish I were joking, but this the truth. How is it possible to take Christ out of Christmas when the very root of Christmas is Christ?

Two weeks ago, Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School

What a Christ-mess

on Long Island, N.Y., managed to do just that.

Their 5th graders performed their annual Christmas carols. One Raynard of the Jackson songs they sang was “Silent Night,” but with a twist. According to radio station WCBS, “the school removed several religious references from the song; this included “holy infant” and “Christ the savior.” According to the school, this was done to avoid offending non-Christians.

This is why political correctness makes no sense. So, let me make sure I understand

– you want to change the words to a Christian song in order not to offend non-Christians; thereby offending Christians! Huh? Who is the arbiter of what is offensive? In this case, it is an arbitrary principal of a middle school. What happens if the principal is an atheist? Does he cancel the Christmas concert all together?

Why is it that we Christians have to give up our beliefs in order to make someone else feel good? How about other groups extending to us the same courtesy?

How about the homosexual community accepting the fact that we Christians believe that homosexuality is incompatible with our beliefs and values without calling us names?

Should they not be required to give up their beliefs to make us heterosexuals feel good?

If their movement is truly

about understanding and tolerance, as they claim, when will we see this demonstrated by their actions?

Not everyone celebrates Christmas and that’s fine; but please don’t force your beliefs on others who do celebrate Christmas. Not everyone accepts homosexuality and that should be fine also.

America must get back to its roots – of embracing God, putting Christ back in Christmas, and the continued promotion of freedom of speech.

What the political correctness police did to Phil Roberson from the TV show “Duck Dynasty” should never happen to anyone else. He called homosexuality a sin and was suspended from the TV show indefinitely; all because he was standing up for his Christian values. I think everyone should boycott A&E, the TV

network that carries this show.

To all my homosexual folks, where is the understanding and tolerance for Phil’s beliefs? The Bible is in total support of his position.

If you don’t agree with his beliefs, then don’t watch his TV show. Corporate sponsors should learn to take principled stands in situations like this. If enough people stop watching the show, then the appropriate business decision would be to remove corporate support for the show. But to have 2 or 3 percent of the population (estimates of the percentage of homosexuals in the U.S.) to deny a majority of the population the option to see a TV show is political correctness gone wild.

It is inconceivable to me that Christmas has become so controversial. I don’t like the sport of figure skating, but I don’t demand for it to be tak-

PRAISE CONNECT

Under the direction of Rosetta H. Peterson, St. John Baptist Church presented its 24th Annual Christmas Cantata, “Son of the Highest,” by Dick Bolks last Sunday at the church at 640 Vance Ave. With David A. Caudill at the organ, Joy M. Plunkett on the piano, and Stan A. Bell and his son, Micah, narrating, this year’s cantata featured singers from 16 area churches as part of the St. John Community Chorale. Ten denominations were represented.

Soloists were Diane M. Johnson, Alexus D. Lewis, Terrance Walker, Naomi W. Moody, Emma J. Ballard and Jessionna Wilkins, understudy.

The chorale welcomed the newly-elected pastor of St. John, the Rev. Henry L. Key. The event was sponsored by the New Era Club, where Velton R. McDonald is president.

en off of TV. I despise radio shock jocks Don Imus and Howard Stern. They both have made a career out of making racially incendiary statements about blacks. I have no problem with them being on the radio and having major corporate sponsors. I just refuse to listen to their radio shows.

So, to those who don’t believe or choose not to celebrate Christmas, that’s OK; but please don’t tread on my right to celebrate this most holy of Christian holidays.

(Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached through his Web site, www.raynardjackson.com.

You can also follow him on Twitter at raynard1223.)

-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 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014, Page 8

LITERATURE

The 10 Best Black Books of 2013 (Non-Fiction)

by Gabrielle Douglas

“Harlem Street Portraits”

by Harvey Stein

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

1. “(1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race” Edited by Yaba Blay, Ph.D. with photography by Noelle Theard

“The Lace Wig Bible: How to Style, Care & Maintain Lace Wigs”

by Morgan R. Gantt

2. “Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities”

by Craig Steven Wilder

“Where Did Our Love Go? Love and Relationships in the African-American Community” Edited by Gil L. Robertson, IV

3. “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants”

by Malcolm Gladwell

“Shattered Mirrors: Broken in Plain Sight”

by Karl Allen Griggs

“PHD to Ph.D.: How Education Saved My Life”

by Dr. Elaine Richardson

4. “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross”

by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Dr. Donald Yacovone

“240 Ways to Close the Achievement Gap”

by M. Donnell Tenner, M.Ed.

5. “Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine”

by Adrian Miller

“Journey to the Woman I’ve Come to Love: Affirmations from Women Who Have Fallen in Love with Themselves”

by Miki Turner

6. “This Is the Day: The March on Washington” Photos by Leonard Freed

“God’s Graffiti: Inspiring Stories for Teens”

by Reverend Romal Tune

7. “No Place for Race: Why We Need to Address Economic and Social Factors That Are Crushing Us Every Day”

by Rodney L. Demery

“Soul Recovery: 12 Keys to Healing Addiction”

by Ester Nicholson

8. “The Speech: The Story behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream”

by Gary Younge

“My Guide to Love & Romance”

by Mama Jones

9. “High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of SelfDiscovery That Challenges Everything You Know about Drugs and Society”

by Dr. Carl Hart

10. “The Motherhood Diaries: A Humorous Look at Motherhood in the New Millennium”

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Honorable Mention

“If You Can See It, You Can Be It: 12 Street-Smart Recipes for Success”

by Chef Jeff Henderson

“Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair”

by Nikki Walton with Ernessa T. Carter

“Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson”

by Barbara Ransby

“Sugar in the Blood: A Family’s Story of Slavery and Empire”

by Andrea Stuart “Men We Reaped”

by Jesmyn Ward

“How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America”

by Kiese Laymon “Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker”

by Stanley Crouch “Harlem Nocturne”

by Farah Jasmine Griffin

“Life upon These Shores”

1. To order a copy of “(1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/098966450 3/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20 2. To order a copy of “Ebony & Ivy,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/159691681 8/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20 3. To order a copy of “David and Goliath,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316204 366/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

by Henry Louis Gates

“Jim Crow Wisdom”

by Jonathan Scott Holloway

4. To order a copy of “The African Americans,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/140193514 1/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

“Boomerangs to Arrows”

by Sharon Norris Elliott “Self-Inflicted Wounds”

by Aisha Tyler

“The Rejected Stone: Al Sharpton and the Path to American Leadership”

by Reverend Al Sharpton

“A Matter of Life or Death: Why Black Men Must Save Black Boys in America’s Public Schools” Edited by Dr. Michael W. Nellums and Dr. Walter Milton, Jr. “Front Row Seat: A Photographic Portrait of the Presidency of George W. Bush”

by Eric Draper “Guiou: The Other Blacks”

by Gloria J. Arnold

“The Wealth Choice: Success Secrets of Black Millionaires”

by Dennis Kimbro, Ph.D. “Raising the Bar “

5. To order a copy of “Soul Food,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/146960762 X/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20 6. To order a copy of “This Is the Day,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1606061 216/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

7. To order a copy “No Place for Race,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/061590870 5/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20 8. To order a copy of “The Speech,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/160846322 2/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20 9. To order a copy of “High Price,” visit:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062015885/ref %3dnosim/thslfofire-20

10. To order a copy of “The Motherhood Diaries,” visit:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/15930 9499X/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Book-clubbers end year with ‘The Family Business 2’ The Whatʼs Happening Myron Book Club meets monthly on every third Saturday afternoon at The Grindz Coffee & Tea located at 8195 Dexter Road, Suite 104 in Cordova.

For the readers in the What’s Happening Myron Book Club, December’s featured selection was, well, serious businesses, thanks to author Carl Weber.

“The Family Business 2” by Weber is his 18th release. It’s an element in the 12-part series “The Family Business,” which follows members of the Duncan family as they maneuver in the automobile industry by day and indulge in a world of drugs and murder by night.

In a recent interview, Weber shared with me his concept for “The Family Business.”

“I was interested in the gangster and Godfather-esque type stories,” said Weber. “So I started to develop the concept for the family business. I wanted to do something similar to Dallas, with a lot more edge.”

Weber also shared that the third book in the series is due to be released by next summer, with a television pilot to be filmed in April of

2014. Another one of Weber’s books is set to be developed into a bigger project as well. Filming has been scheduled for “The Man in 3-B,” which will be released in theatres in late 2014. Actor MorMyron ris Chestnut has Mays been attached to the project.

The What’s Happening Myron Book Club meets monthly on every third Saturday afternoon at The Grindz Coffee & Tea located at 8195 Dexter Road, Suite 104 in Cordova. Aside from the featured selection, each month a local author is invited to come out and talk about his or her book and background.

This past Saturday (Dec. 21), Megan Mottley was the featured lo-

cal author and publisher. In addition to her book, “Glamour Girl: How to get the Ultimate Makeover,” Mottley is the publisher of Divine Magazine.

A freelance writer for nine Carl years, Mottley is Weber also the mother of a 12-year-old daughter named Kaitlin, who has helped to shape her journey.

The next meeting will be held on Jan. 18th from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.

The next reading selection will be “The Twelve Tribes of Hattie” by Ayana Mathis.

(For more information on the What’s Happening Myron Book Club, v i s i t www.whatshappeningmyron.com)

At the December meeting of the Whatʼs Happening Myron Book Club, Megan Mottley was the featured author. In addition to her book, “Glamour Girl: How to get the Ultimate Makeover,” Mottley is the publisher of Divine Magazine. (Photo: courtesy of Myron Mays.)

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 9

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

HOROSCOPES

OPENING THIS WEEK

Dec. 26, 2013 – Jan. 1, 2014

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

Usher attended the premiere for Justin Bieberʼs movie “Believe” in Los Angeles on Dec. 18. The documentary is about the promotion of Bieberʼs third studio album.

(Courtesy photo)

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening Christmas Day 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“47 Ronin” (PG-13 for intense violence, disturbing images and mature themes) Martial arts saga, set in 18th C. Japan, about a biracial outcast (Keanu Reeves) who joins a group of grieving samurai seeking vengeance for the murder of their sensei. With Ko Shibasaki, Hiroyuki Sanada and Min Tanaka. (In English and Japanese with subtitles)

“August: Osage County” (R for profanity, sexual references and drug use) Meryl Streep heads an A-list cast in this adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, about an dysfunctional Oklahoma clan’s reunion for the funeral of its self-destructive patriarch (Sam Shepard). Ensemble includes Julia Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, Margo Martindale, Ewan MaGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mul-

roney and Julianne Nicholson.

“Grudge Match” (PG-13 for violence, sexuality and profanity) Sly Stallone and Robert De Niro co-star in this comedy about a couple of aging boxers coaxed out of retirement for a rematch three decades after their first scheduled bout was canceled. With Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin and Kim Basinger.

“Justin Bieber’s Believe” (PG for brief profanity and mature themes) Reverential biopic offering a revealing, behind-the-scenes look at the 19 year-old pop icon. Featuring appearances by Usher, Will.i.Am and Ellen Degeneres.

“Lone Survivor” (R for graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Adaptation of Marcus Luttrell’s (Mark Wahlberg) memoir recounting his harrowing ordeal as a member of a team of Navy SEALs ambushed by the Taliban while on a mission in the mountains of Afghanistan. With Eric Bana, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch.

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (PG for violence, crude humor and mild epithets) Ben

Stiller directed and stars as the title character of this remake of the 1947, Danny Kaye classic based on the James Thurber story about a mild-mannered milquetoast with a fertile imagination. Support cast includes Kristen Wiig, Jon Daly, Kathryn Hahn and Shirley MacLaine.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” (R for violence, graphic nudity, explicit sexuality, drug use and pervasive profanity) Cautionary biopic recounting the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a notorious penny stockbroker convicted of securities fraud in 2003. With Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Rob Reiner and Jon Favreau.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“The Invisible Woman” (PG-13 for sexuality, mature themes and brief violence) Historical drama revolving around Charles Dickens’ (Ralph Fiennes) clandestine relationship with the mistress (Felicity Jones) he kept hidden from the height of his career until his death. With Kristin Scott Thomas, Michelle Fairely and Tom Hollander.

ARIES You’ve done a lot of things in life that no one has agreed with at the beginning. Finding agreement this week will be difficult, but it should not deter you from moving forward. Feeling sorry for your loneliness will discolor what you are doing. Be happy that you are alone.

TAURUS Eternal optimist, eternity is now. Get in touch with your hopefulness and be a beacon to others.

Try not to be taken in by promises made by others or promises you’ve made to yourself. Concerning your own affairs, avoid contemplating lofty subjects and seeking long-ranged solutions.

GEMINI Some say optimism is fantasy. Suppose the good thing you’re optimistic about never comes. This week you’ll know that the joy of anticipating it is joy enough. Just the certainty of coming goodness is present goodness. The joy of tomorrow is available this week.

CANCER You might be looking into the buying or selling of a piece of property, and this week seems to be a favorable week for this type of negotiation. Be careful with the intricacies of the matter. Pay attention to details or it could cost you a great deal later.

LEO Your multi-tasking abilities will kick into high gear this week. While it’s sometimes difficult for you to know how to handle a particular situation, this week you’ll know the perfect answer. Everything good is unfolding!

VIRGO Your self-discipline helps you to do more this week. People will be watching as you zip around with style and grace! Broaden your cultural horizons by trying new foods and meeting new people.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised!

LIBRA Sociable, lovable you! You can have a wonderful week this week if you hook up with like-minded friends. You’ll find that many are on your wavelength this week. Appreciate your ability to bring people together.

SCORPIO You’ll be full of good ideas this week, so make sure you write down the ones you don’t have time to put into action. You’ll want to share your thoughts on a grand scale, and your mind will seem truly universal to you. Try to be patient with those who are staggered by your brilliance.

SAGITTARIUS This week let your gentle spirit shine through.

Your rough and tumble side is not appropriate for the relationships that you’ll encounter. Someone will need your understanding and sympathy. Give it with sensitivity.

CAPRICORN You’re faced with a formidable task but when you defeat it, you’ll take big steps toward a goal. Weigh in and give it your best. Your energy is high. The task looks larger before you start. Compromise with a partner. The immediate future promises love.

AQUARIUS Yield to the harmony that lies below the surface of any seeming disagreement. Serenity is more important than your sense of righteousness. Questioning the motives of others will make your mind too suspicious to benefit from the unclear way in which love will present itself this week.

PISCES Your intuition is showing, and you may surprise yourself as much as you surprise another by making a sudden intuitive leap and saying what you feel.

You may feel as if you can read a certain someone’s mind. Use your gift for good.

Source: NNPA News Service

Page 10

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS OF CONSTRUCTION BIDS

TO BE RECEIVED January 28, 2014

Sealed Bids will be received by the Town of Arlington, at their offices in Town Hall, 5854 Airline Road, Arlington, Tennessee, 38002, until 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, January 28, 2014 and opened publicly at Town Hall, 5854 Airline Road, Arlington, Tennessee, 38002 at that hour. The reading of the bids will begin at 2:00 P.M.

The Town of Arlington is soliciting proposals for Construction Services for the Airline Road & Douglas Street Widening and Signalization project in Arlington, Tennessee.

A non-mandatory pre-bid conference will be held Monday, January 13, 2014 at 10:00 A.M., at Town Hall, 5854 Airline Road, Arlington, Tennessee 38002.

PROPOSAL CONTRACTS WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL THE TIME SET FOR OPENING BIDS

A Prime Contractor must prequalify with the Department of Transportation in accordance with Section 54-5-117 of the “Tennessee Code Annotated” and Tennessee Department of Transportation Rule 16805-3 prequalification of contractors before biddable proposals will be furnished.

The Town of Arlington hereby notifies all bidders that a 10% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal has been set for this project and must be met or exceeded.

The Town of Arlington hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation, and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age, race, color, religion, national origin, sex or disability in consideration for an award.

The Town of Arlington is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the

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December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

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THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED Bidding documents and information, and plans, may be obtained by contacting Drake Danley at Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., 6625 Lenox Park Blvd, Suite 117, Memphis, Tennessee 38115, 901374-9109, upon receipt of a $200.00 nonrefundable deposit.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS OF CONSTRUCTION BIDS

TO BE RECEIVED JANUARY 23, 2014

Interested parties must download the so-

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licitation directly from the Countyʼs website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. Please visit the Countyʼs website at www.shelbycountytn.gov. All solicitations are listed under “Purchasing Bids.”

Sealed Bids will be received by Shelby County Government, at their offices in 160 North Main Street, 9th Floor, Memphis, Tennessee 38103, until 2:30 P.M., January 23, 2014 and opened publicly at 160 North Main Street, 9th Floor, Memphis, Tennessee 38103 at that hour. The reading of the bids will begin at 2:30 P.M.

A voluntary pre-bid conference will be held at 9:00 A.M., Wednesday January 8, 2014 at Shelby County Road, Bridges, and Engineering Department, 6449 Haley Road, Conference Room, Memphis, Tennessee 38134.

SEALED BIDS DUE THURSDAY JANUARY 23, 2014

CNN forbids Roland Martin bookings

“The TV world can be so cold.

When you’re out, you’re out. And sometimes sooner than you might expect,” Betsy Rothstein wrote Thursday (Dec. 19) for FishbowlDC. “There are 17 days left on Roland Martin’s CNN contract. But the powers that be appear to be shutting it down early. With his contract ending April 6, some producers have been informed not to book him, FishbowlDC has learned. We knew something was awry when we noticed Martin hadn’t tweeted his usual #bringthefunk alert on Twitter that he’d be appearing on (Erin Burnett’s” ‘Out Front,’ which he hasn’t done in a month. On Wednesday he tweeted that he did Canadian TV. The Canadians can find time to bring Martin’s funk, but not CNN? “Let’s get this straight. That semiusual appearance he had on Thursdays during Carol Costello’s slot?

Gone. It’s been three weeks since he appeared on her program and months since he appeared on ‘The Situation Room.’ He was also (nonexistent) during CNN Inauguration coverage in January. A final appearance on his close friend, Soledad O’Brien’s program, which ends next week? That appears to be a dead end proposition, too. . . .”

Martin told “Journal-isms” he had nothing to say about the report, and a CNN spokeswoman did not respond to an inquiry.

Meanwhile, Martin disclosed that he actually learned in December that his contract was not being renewed.

He left the impression until this week that no decision had been made.

In an interview with Brooke Obie of Ebony, Martin said, “Well, I was actually told in December by Ken

Jautz, the executive vice president (of CNN), that the contract wasn’t going to be renewed. (CNN President) Jeff Zucker has a vision for the network and wants to see different faces and I get that. I enjoyed working there, I have a lot of colleagues that I have grown to like and respect at CNN and so the bottom line is you work in places and then you move on. . . .”

Obie also asked, “But with the loss of Soledad O’Brien and now you, and Jeff Zucker naming Jake Tapper the ‘face of the new CNN,’ do you think that the vision Zucker has for CNN may be a ‘White-out?’”

Martin replied, “Look, I don’t know. We haven’t seen the full vision (of Zucker yet). That determination will have to be made later; it’s very early in the game. That’s pretty much all I can say to that.

“One of the things I always talk about is having multiple opportunities, multiple platforms and revenue streams to be able to lay out your message. At CNN, I just come in when they call, but I have had the advantage of having other platforms where I was able to talk to cabinet secretaries and the First Lady and the Vice President, the President and Senators. And I think that what’s most important is, I’ve always kept a foot in black media. I’m absolutely committed to building up black media and I think that is absolutely important in 2013 that we have strong black cable networks, strong black websites, magazines, and newspapers where we’re able to focus on our issues and our stories and highlight our people and not necessarily wait for somebody else to do it. . . .

“I start every job with the premise, ‘You’re going to get fired anyway.’

I’ve lost jobs before, I’ve had contracts not renewed and it didn’t get me down. I didn’t get upset, I just keep it moving. . . .”

PROPOSAL CONTRACTS WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL THE TIME SET FOR OPENING BIDS

A Prime Contractor must prequalify with the Department of Transportation in accordance with Section 54-5-117 of the “Tennessee Code Annotated” and Tennessee Department of Transportation Rule 16805-3 prequalification of contractors before biddable proposals will be furnished.

Shelby County Government hereby notifies all bidders that a 10% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal has been set for this project and must be met or exceeded.

Shelby County Government hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation, and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age, race, color, religion, national origin, sex or disability in consideration for an award.

Shelby County Government is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drugfree with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

Telephone 901-222-1100 THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR., SHELBY COUNTY MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT ALL INTERESTED BIDDERS

The Shelby County Board of Education will accept written RFP for Learning Management System for SCS and RFIʼS (4) for: 1. Digital Curriculum with a Learning Management System 2. Learning Device 3. Student Monitoring System and 4.

Mobile Device Management.

Visit our website for additional information: www.scsk12.org-Departments, Procurement Services link, click on Bids & RFPs.

Questions concerning proposals should be addressed to Procurement Services at (901) 416-5376.

Thank you for your interest and responses.

Jacqueline Saunders, Director Shelby County Schools – Procurement Services NOTICE TO BIDDER(S)

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS DUE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014 AT 4:00 PM

Shelby County Government, (the County), an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer, seeks to retain the services of one or more consultant firms to provide professional services related to the following: “MEMPHIS MPO PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES INVENTORY” (RFQ# 14-012-26) By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

HELP WANTED IMC Global Inc. is offering a position of Payment Clerk & Office Asst.

Earn extra income.

Flex. schedule + benefits that takes only little of your time.

Requirements * Must be efficient and dedicated Please send resume to: hrimcglobalcorpkbates@gmail.com This great opportunity is limited.

Roland Martin at the St. Jude Childrenʼs Research Hospital Inaugural Benefit in January (Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

Tri-State Defender Classifieds get results!

The Root

by Richard Prince

SBI # I-000222B FITE ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Tri-State Defender

Tri-State Defender

COMMUNITY

Page 11

December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014

Nico Anderson: FRESH FRUIT

‘I am a movement’ Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kelvin Cowans

(Fresh Fruit is Kelvin Cowans’ periodic look at upcoming and rising talent from Memphis and the surrounding areas.)

The Third Annual Kwanzaa Pageant will be held Dec. 29th at the Union Ave. campus of Southwest Tennessee Community College, with doors opening at 4 p.m. (Photo: Courtesy)

I caught up with Memphis Music Producer Nico Anderson while he was doing a little Christmas shopping so we could talk a little music. The Oak Court Mall was packed beyond parking room and inside the people were elbow to elbow frantically shopping for deals. Nonetheless, Nico – aka Trackstar – was mellow and, as he put it, always ready to talk about music.

Kelvin Cowans: When did you start producing music?

Nico Anderson: Let me see, I graduated Trezevant High School in 2005, so it had to be right around 2007 that I started getting serious about music. I had always loved it but it was then that I really started moving in a professional manner about it.

KC: What produced the change?

NA: My brother, Bishop. He’s the one in our family that is musically inclined and watching him grind hard at it for so long actually sparked something in me.

KC: Who are some of your early music influences?

NA: That’s easy, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. I was just watching “The Wiz,” which is a soulful remake of “The Wizard of Oz” and I was enjoying every performance by the artist. They were off the chain. That album is also produced by Quincy Jones and it’s a musical classic.

The kinara (candle holder) is used in Kwanzaa celebrations across the United States.

(Photo: courtesy)

KC: It seems like your heart is definitely for producing.

NA: Yeah, as you know, I rap also, but there’s nothing like hearing a beat and then picking the voice that you think goes great with that beat and then producing something so creative that people love it. That’s essentially what music is – sounds, rhythms, voices meshed together that become one unit that is desirable to the ear.

Happy Kwanzaa!

K

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Brittney Gathen

wanzaa, which means “first fruits of the harvest,” is celebrated from Dec. 26th to Jan., 1st annually, with the purpose of honoring, acknowledging and saluting African-American heritage.

Created by Dr. Ron Karenga, the holiday was first observed from Dec. 26, 1966 to Jan. 1, 1967. An emphasis is put on the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa (Nguzo Saba) – Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba and Imani.

As Kwanzaa has aged, the celebration has grown, with a number of ceremonies and events now offered throughout Greater Memphis. Two groups – Memphis Kwanzaa International and MidSouth Kwanzaa Incorporated – provide seven days of events.

Here is this year’s Kwanzaa guide:

Mid-South Kwanzaa Inc.

President: Ayanna Ruby Payne Theme: “Red, Black, and Green, Black on Black Love” Day 1: Umoja (Unity) Thurs., Dec. 26 Honoree: Patricia Lee

2 p.m. – Board of Education Auditorium. Sponsored by SCS and the Orange Mound Progressive Women, Firm Believers in Christ Worship Center - Dr. Eric & Cynthia Boyland, DeNitra Payne of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 7 p.m. – Unity Christian Church, 3345 McCorkle Rd. Sponsored by the Rev. Eric Donaldson

Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) Fri., Dec. 27 Honoree: Elmore Nickelberry

10:30 a.m. – Lewis Center for Senior Citizens, 1188 N. Parkway. Sponsored

by Adimu & Pearl Ali. 6 p.m. – Brown Missionary Baptist Church, 980 Stateline Road E. Sponsored by Dr. Bobbie Shaw-Hunter.

Day 3: Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility) Sat., Dec. 28 Honoree: Randy Wade

6 p.m. – Exum Towers, 3155 Sharpe Ave. Sponsored by Reuben & Lula Barnes.

Day 4: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) Sun., Dec. 29 Honoree: Omo Esudele

4 p.m. – Slavehaven, 826 N. 2nd St. Sponsored by Heritage Tours.

7 p.m. – Alpha Church, 1084 E.

McLemore, Sponsored by LeQuita & Willie Eva Sims.

Start: 6 p.m.

10:30 a.m. – Orange Mound Senior Service Center, 2590 Park Ave. Sponsored by Carolyn Crawford & Frances Barnes.

7 p.m. – Lester Community Center, 317 Tillman St. Sponsored by Osupa Williams, Frances Barnes & TillmanBinghampton CDC.

6 p.m. – Fundraiser and banquet to raise donations for our “Healthy Children: Healthy World” programs. Key presenter(s): Minister Suhkara Yahweh, along with other community leaders.

Live jazz with Smooth Jazz Man Michael Townsend, along with singing, plenty of food, spoken word, dancing and fun. Donations $40/ticket. Dinner: 7 p.m. Ticket info: 901-239-1555; 901210-1218.

Day 5: Nia (Purpose) Mon., Dec. 30 Honoree: Owen Tuggle

Day 6: Kuumba (Creativity) Tue., Dec., 31 Honoree: Levi and Debra Frazier

4 p.m. – Kwanzaa Pageant, Southwest College, Union Campus, 737 Union Ave. Sponsored by RBG Productions.

7 p.m. – Java Complex, 1423 Elvis Presley Blvd. Sponsored by Johari Brittenum.

Day 7: Imani (Faith) Wed., Jan. 1 Honoree: John Gilmore

4 p.m. – University of Memphis Panhellenic Bldg. Sponsored by the African & African American Studies Department & Commissioner Henri Brooks.

Family of the Year: Morris & Pam Hill

Memphis Kwanzaa International President: Dr. Kaia Naantaanbuu Theme: “Healthy Children: Healthy World” Day 1: Umoja (Unity) Thurs., Dec. 26

9 a.m. - Libation to the Ancestors at the Slave Auction Block at the corner of A. W. Willis (Auction St.) and Main St. 10:30 a.m. – Free continental breakfast at The African Place, 581 N. Third St., for community reflections on “Walking in the Footsteps of the Ancestors.”

4 p.m. – Doors open for the Kwanzaa Children’s Celebration, Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave. Program starts at 5 p.m. Keynote speaker: Amina Naantaanbuu, a sophomore at University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Emcee: Omari Baruti, senior at Morehouse College.

Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) Fri., Dec. 27

5:30 p.m. – Memphis Kwanzaa Center, 1549 Elvis Presley Blvd. Keynote speaker: Mary E. Mudiku, artist and prison therapist; Topic: “Raising Positive Children in a Negative World.”

Day 3: Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility) Sat., Dec. 28

Day 4: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) Sun., Dec. 29 5 p.m. – Memphis Kwanzaa Center, 1549 Elvis Presley Blvd. Keynote speaker: Dr. J.A. Stovall, Chair of the Division of Social Science, Rust College, Holly Springs, Miss. Topic: “Diamonds at Your Feet: Breaking the Shackles of Economic Slavery.” Start: 6 p.m.

KC: What do you have coming up in 2014?

NA: Work, work and more work. I’m releasing my mixtape titled, “No Days Off Part 2” in early January. Then me and D.J. JB. Smoothe out of Nashville will collaborate on a mixtape in late February titled, “Sweet Serenade.”

Also, I just signed with Six~Four Management and I will be featured on you guys’ mixtape titled, “Unsigned, Underrated & Unphased” due out by summer 2014. I am a movement and the people I collaborate with are working on big things themselves, so it’s all good.

KC: Speaking of movements, how does it make you feel to see the kind of talent coming out of Memphis. There’s Yo Gotti, Juicy J, Don Tripp, Young Dolph, etc. These fellas are getting it in. You can’t pick up a magazine or turn to a hip hop radio station without hearing them.

NA: That’s true, and what I feel about it is all love. They paved the way for anybody out of Memphis who says they have a gift of doing rap or producing music. They are pure motivation because no one can argue with the fact that they are living it,which means if you work hard and stay focused you can to.

I have complete confidence in myself that I can be successful.

I get down with PCF (Pay Checks First), that’s T-Bizzle and Stang Maine who do music with Project Pat, who is Juicy J’s brother. I mess with The University of Six~Four Records and Trigga-Trigga from New Orleans and I get down with so many other artist I can’t even name them all, Producers like TrillBoi and rappers like Champ. What I’m saying is that I make music with everybody because everybody know everybody.

KC: Where can fans find your music?

NA: Man, they can get my music out of my lap, off of my back seat and out of my trunk. Anybody that know me will tell you that I will roll down on you with my work.

(Trackstar music can be downloaded by singles or albums at www.datpiff.com. Reach him at Twitter: @DaTrackstar; Instagram: @DaTrackstar; Facebook: Bishop Trackstar.)

(Kelvin Cowans ans@hotmail.com.)

can

be

reached

at

kelvincow-

Day 5: Nia (Purpose) Mon., Dec. 30

5:30 p.m. – “After Freedom Has Come, Restoration Must follow.”

Keynote speaker: Dr. Sharif Ashanti Absus-Salaam M.D. (Orthopedic Surgeon, Methodist Hospital). Location: The African Place, 581 N. Third St. Start: 6 p.m.

Day 6: Kuumba (Creativity) Tue., Dec., 31

The West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning, Tenn., 480 Green Chapel Rd. Keynote speaker: Gang interventionist, Dr. Jeffrey R. Futrell of Young Man University. To travel with us, call 901-239-1555.

9 p.m.-midnight – New Year’s Eve celebration, Kwanzaa Center, 1549 Elvis Presley Blvd. Free refreshments, dancing, music. A night of family fun cohosted by the Senegalese, Ghanaian and other African communities.

Day 7: Imani (Faith) Wed., Jan. 1

6 p.m. – Topic: “How Do We Restore Faith in the Midst of Guns and Gods and Gangs in a World Gone Mad.” Dr. Yao F. Modey, Rust College associate professor of history; author of “The Angry Gods Of Africa.” Feast: authentic, porkfree African and African-American dishes after the program. To donate food or to participate in any of the events, call 901-210-1218, 901-239-1555 or 901264-2419

“Man, they can get my music out of my lap, off of my back seat and out of my trunk. Anybody that know me will tell you that I will roll down on you with my work.”

– Nico “Trackstar” Anderson (Photo: Kelvin Cowans)

SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, December 26, 2013 - January 1, 2014, Page 12

Tigers tame Memphis-powered Redhawks Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by J.R. Moorhead

The city of Memphis has proved to be fertile recruiting ground throughout the years and the University of Memphis usually has its basketball star of choice. But, there are only 12 roster spots.

And it seems Southeast Missouri State University and coach Dicky Nutt have established a pipeline to pull some of the excess talent out of the city. Case in point: five of the 12 players on Southeast Missouri are from the Memphis area and four of those are in the starting lineup for the Redhawks.

Now, it has already been established that it would be impossible for the Tigers to sign every recruit that comes out of the city, but that

doesn’t stop those players from feeling a little slighted. And when those that got overlooked return home to the Bluff City, they often use that added motivation to produce some stellar games.

As the rained poured down this past Saturday (Dec. 21), the Tigers took the floor against the SEMO Redhawks. The bad weather wouldn’t deter the Memphis faithful, as just over 15,000 fans found their way to the FedExForum to see how it would all play out.

Early on this season, a few of the Tigers’ opponents have been able to stagnate Memphis’ offense by packing the lane on defense. By shrinking their defense down, opponents try to stop the Tigers from getting the ball to their big men and force the guards to shoot more mid-range jumpers and three pointers.

Even though Memphis took a 3830 lead into halftime, SEMO’s strategy seemed to be working in the first half, as the Tigers only went 1-8 from beyond the arc and missed several open jump shots.

Memphis’ three-point percentage wouldn’t get any better in the second half and the Tigers would finish 2 of 17 from deep (11.8 percent).

Nonetheless, Memphis was still able to come away with a 77-65 victory.

Coach Josh Pastner used a press in the second half, causing multiple Redhawk turnovers (11 in the second half) that resulted in quick scores for the Tigers. Pastner mentioned in the post game interview that he believed that the press was what helped Memphis ultimately win the game.

Going forward, a possible cause for concern is that the Tigers were

Photos: Warren Roseborough

Antonio Cleveland, who grew up in Memphis, retrieves the loose ball for Southeast Missouri.

out-rebounded by their opponent once again. Pastner believes that winning the 50/50 balls made up that difference. He also thinks that Memphis’ success will come from their senior-laden frontcourt.

The problem with that is if teams continue to pack the lane against Memphis, which they probably will, the guards are going to have to get much better at coming up with rebounds. The Tigers will not have another 2-17 game either, but against better teams they will have to make open shots at a greater volume to stretch the defense.

For now, Pastner and his Tigers have a few days to rest and recuperate over the holidays. They take the court next on Saturday (Dec. 28) against Jackson State in a final tune up before they open their conference schedule.

Joe Jackson of the Tigers starts a fast break.

All eyes are on Shaq Goodwin of the Memphis Tigers as he throws down a thunderous dunk.

Former Memphis Tiger D.J. Stephens was in attendance with his daughter.

Stephens received a standing ovation when it was announced that he was in the house.

Nino Johnson, one of several Southeast Missouri players from Memphis, slams down this basket as three Tigers bear witness.

GRIZZ TRACK

Zach Randolph scores over Derrick Favors of Utah during Monday nightʼs game at the FedExForum.

(Photos: Warren Roseborough)

New Grizzlies Forward James Johnson (left) blocks the shot of Gordon Haywood of the Jazz.

Memphis led at the half 53-48 en route to a 10494 victory. (See story at www.tsd memphis.com)