November 27 - December 3, 2014
VOL. 63, No. 47
Men who care
www.tsdmemphis.com
Memphis honors ‘strong brother’ Marion Barry on Nov. 28th
Caregivers’ dedication merits attention, awards by Brittney Gathen
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
November is National Family Caregivers Month, which focuses on the challenges family caregivers face. The theme – “Care Comes Home” – zeroes in on home caregiving, shining a light on the toll on caregivers. Although studies show that approximately 66 percent of caregivers are women, men are increasingly taking on the role. That fact factored into the decision that prompted Caregivers Respite, a local organization that helps caregivers take better care of themselves and their loved ones, to honor Reed Hayslett and Bryan Morton. During the ninth annual Caregiver’s Rest Conference held Nov. 11 at The Church Health Center, Hayslett and Morton each won the Caregivers Respite Caregiver of the Year Award. “It felt good to receive the award and (for) them to recognize me, but I don’t feel like a reward was necessary because maybe I was raised in that type of environment where if certain things were needed in your family, you just did it,” said Haysett, who cares for his brother, T.W. Hayslett, who has diabetes, is in a wheelchair and has a defibrillator in his heart. Hayslett’s exposure to caregiving includes having attended a caregiver support group to support his wife as she cared for her mother. He now finds it rewarding to contribute to his brother’s well being, even though he has to do some things without the aid of equipment. Hayslett’s brother appreciates his dedication. “A lot of brothers wouldn’t do that,” he said. “You have families now that are kind of split.” Morton, who works at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, cares for his wife and stepdaughter, who both have chronic conditions. He has worked things out with his work schedule and is quick to acknowledge the strong support system and spiritual life that he relies upon. “As long as my wife and daughter are healthy, that’s my reward – to see that I’ll be there for them,” said Morton, who also was a caregiver for his now deceased first wife, who had Multiple Sclerosis and underwent two surgeries. He looks at caregiving as a normal job, adding that he tries to be strong and motivational for his family. Morton’s wife, Davida Morton, whose health challenges include lupus, admires his dedication and nominated him for the award. She spoke of his dedicated care of her and her daughter, who has fibromyalgia. “He’ll catch a ride, he’ll walk to wherever we are, he’ll catch the trolley to make sure he gets to us, to make sure we’re OK, and that we have medical treatment,” Davida Morton said. “When I’m in pain, unlike in the last marriage, he understands me and my daughter’s conditions.” Bryan Morton also cooks and makes sure that his wife and her daughter get their medications filled, get to the doctor and get their rest. “He’s very motivational. On many days when I don’t feel so well, he always has something positive to say to me and my daughter,” Morton said. “He’s pushing us to live beyond whatever conditions that we’re dealing with.” Janice Williams founded Caregivers Respite in 2010. She started the conference out of her experience of caring for her father. “It made me realize all the things that they (caregivers) go through, SEE CARE ON PAGE 3
Reed Hayslett (left) and Bryan Morton, selected to receive the Caregivers Respite Caregiver of the Year Award, with Janice Williams, who founded Caregivers Respite in 2010.
75 Cents
Memorial service set for Monumental Baptist Church by Tony Jones
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
With their 50th Anniversary benefit gala looming, the Bar-Kay’s Larry Dodson and James Alexander were deep into rehearsal on Wednesday at Club Hughes in North Memphis. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
The Bar-Kays at 50 Event of the year celebration Dec. 4th
by Tony Jones
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Of all the musical icons and careers built in Memphis, no one – and no group – has embodied the history of this city and its African-American population like the Bar-Kays, who will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary with a huge benefit gala at the Cannon Center on Dec. 4th. Just as the Grizzlies’ “Grit and Grind” now captures our modern groove, the Bar-Kays were our home team when it seemed like we would never have anything to cheer for collectively. As it was with their first sellout of the old Mid-South Coliseum decades ago, expect an emotional moment that no Memphis music fan should miss, if at all possible, when founding member James Alexander and lead singer Larry Dodson take the stage to close out the performance at the anniversary show. More than 15 industry peers are scheduled for the salute, including George Clinton and a reunion of
the United We Funk All Stars, which includes the S.O.S. Band, ConFunkShun and The Dazz Band. The event has been structured under the Bar-Kays Foundation to benefit their “Fab Five” community service organizations: Down Syndrome Association of Memphis, United Way of the Mid-South, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Stax Music Academy, and the Allen Jones/Marjorie Barringer/Bar-Kays Scholarship Fund. The fatigue of seemingly a million details connected with the upcoming gala was masked well by Dodson during a recent conversation with The New Tri State Defender. “This is not your normal day on the ranch, but it’s going well. Ticket sales are good, and being involved with the five charities has kept us very busy, but it’s very rewarding. The media has supported us very well,” said Dodson. “We’ve never seen Memphis respond like this. From the mayor’s office to the governor’s office to the congressman’s office, it’s unbelievable how everyone
has come on board to help make this happen. We’ve been through so much. We’ve seen so much. And to still be healthy and performing and to still be relevant after all these years. James and I have just been very humbled by all of this. I’m just…grateful.” ‘We chose to go forward’ The Bar-Kays’ first big hit record, “Soul Finger,” reflected the masterstroke of producer David Porter pulling in kids off the street to shout on the record. Later, our hearts sank when we heard the news that several of the original members of the group had died in a plane crash with Stax superstar Otis Redding. The flame was relit when the documentary film “WattStax” not only showed our boys were rebuilt and strong, but from the way they tore up the stage, about to burn it up again. It was here that the Bar-Kays whose music we came to know and love were introduced. The performance SEE BAR-KAYS ON PAGE 2
‘If I don’t he will kill me’ Ferguson, Mo. officer gives his account of Michael Brown’s death by Stephen A. Crockett Jr. The Root
For the first time since the Aug. 9 shooting pushed the name Darren Wilson into the national conscious, America got to hear the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot unarmed teen Michael Brown speak. From a secret location and only a day after a St. Louis grand jury decided not to charge the 28-yearold officer, Wilson told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he was in fear for his life when he encountered the teen. He noted that he was sorry for the family’s loss but added that he would not do anything different. “He threw the first punch,” Wilson said. Wilson described Brown as being the instigator from the time he approached the teen. He claimed that after asking Brown and his friend to walk on the sidewalk the teen cussed him causing Wilson to confront Brown. He claims that he tried to get out of the car and Brown slammed the door on him and then punched him in the face. A tussle ensued inside the car. “I pulled my gun and said ‘Get back or I’m going to shoot you.’ He grabbed the gun and said, ‘your too much of a pussy to shoot me.’” He noted that he squeezed the trigger three times before a shot went off inside the car. He claims that Brown became angry; that his intensity grew and after hearing the loud shot he didn’t leave the officer but came back in to attack him again. “I wasn’t looking at him. I just like racked it (loaded the gun) excepting another hit and I put my gun up and
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos spoke with officer Darren Wilson about the events that left unarmed teen Michael Brown fatally shot on a Ferguson, Mo. street on Aug. 9th. (Photo: Twitter) fired.” Wilson says he then exited the vehicle. Stephanopoulos asked why “My job isn’t to just sit and wait. I have to see where this guy goes. Wilson told Stephanopoulos that he had never used his gun prior to his encounter with Brown. He claimed that he chased Brown and that Brown stopped running, turned and faced him. Stephanopoulos asked why. Wilson claimed that Brown’s right hand moved toward his waistband and that his left hand was balled tight into a fist. “He starts charging me,” Wilson said. Stephanopoulos noted that eyewitnesses have claimed that Brown turned with his hands in the air. See additional Ferguson stories on Page 6
“That would be incorrect,” Wilson said. “No way.” Wilson told Stephanopoulos that Brown started charging toward him. He claims that before he pulled the trigger he gave himself a mental check. “Legally, can I shoot this guy? And the answer I gave myself was ‘I have too. If I don’t he will kill me.” Wilson said he has no regrets from that Aug. 9 shooting and that he would not have done anything differently, even if Michael Brown had been white. He said that he and his new wife – Wilson got married a week ago – just want to have a normal life. Asked if this was going to be something that haunted him, Wilson was quick to correct the verbiage. “I don’t think it is a haunting…It is always going to be something that happened.”
Marion S. Barry Jr.’s legacy of contributions and his deep Memphis-area roots will be saluted during a special memorial service at Monumental Baptist Church on Friday. Former Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie W. Herenton will give the eulogy at the memorial gathering for Barry, who died at United Medical Center in Southeast Washington on Saturday. He had been released from Howard University a few hours before he passed. He was 78. The service, which is set for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., is being hosted by the Memphis Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Referred to as DC’s “Mayor For Life,” Barry, who was elected mayor four times, helped form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and still was serving as a City Council member when he died. Taped smoking Marion Barry crack cocaine in (Getty Images) a hotel room in the early ’90’s, Barry was castigated and publicly ridiculed. He served six months in prison following the incident, overcoming to be reelected to the council for several terms. For many familiar with the accomplishments he achieved during his lifetime, his legacy of contributions cannot be wiped out by his high-profile downfall. The Rev. L. LaSimba Gray, head of the local Rainbow Push Coalition, said the memorial rightly is being held to salute Barry’s lifetime of activism on behalf of the AfricanAmerican community. Gray’s thoughts are repeated time and time again by those who knew him personally, and in news outlets totaling his many accomplishments as a leader for African-American progress. The Washington Post noted that he “plowed hundreds of millions of tax dollars into job training and employment programs, senior centers and social-welfare endeavors. Rankand-file workers were hired by the thousands to serve under Mr. Barry’s newly-appointed supervisory corps of African American middle and top level managers.” It was in his capacity as DC’s mayor that Barry is credited as a success in creating real black power. On her station’s hourlong tribute to Barry, TV One’s Cathy Hughes said, “There was no middle class until he came here and worked to create it.” On the same show, Omar Tyree, the writer who helped Barry pen his recently released biography. “Mayor For Life,” said, “It was revolutionary just to be around him.” According to several compatriots from his youth and professional life, the author’s statement is no exaggeration. Dr. Herenton felt the news personally. SEE BARRY ON PAGE 3
MEMPHIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
H-66o - L-59o
H-68o - L-56o
H-56o - L-47o Sunny
REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS
Partly Cloudy
Cloudy
Friday Saturday Sunday H-62 L-47 H-68 L-59 H-67 L-57 H-52 L-41 H-57 L-53 H-65 L-52 H-63 L-47 H-68 L-53 H-74 L-55
November 27 - December 3, 2014
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BAR-KAYS
CONTINUED FROM FRONT was a major breakthrough. Decked out in white, the sound was black but beyond R&B, foreshadowing possibilities evident from the energy Dodson used to kick off the now iconic show. Then tragedy struck again as Stax closed, tugging on the Memphis community’s heartstrings. Decades later, Stax has resurfaced in a new form and the Bar-Kays, now comprised of Alexander, Dodson and a formidable backup band, are riding the wave of another major hit record as they prepare to throw the show of the year, again. Dodson said the group owes much to deceased mentor and great manager, Allen Jones. “We were there on the very day Stax closed. Literally, the IRS came and shut the doors. Allen came to us and said, bluntly, ‘Well, you have two options. You can break up, or you can go forward. We chose to go forward.” Swallowing it all was tough. Original member Alexander had lost his best friends (in the plane crash) before he was 20. His fellow original member Ben Cauley, who survived the crash, had decided he could not continue. Alexander and Dodson, who had been brought in to core the second formation, forged on past the IRS debacle. They were barely into their twenties. ‘We’re going to pull out all the stops’ With a weekly gig at a nightclub called the Family Affair, the Bar-Kays legend started to build. “It was literally a hole in the wall, tiny. We also rented a place on Cooper and it was between those two places that we wrote the album “Too Hot To Stop” (1976 release) and we were signed with Mercury Records one year later,” said Dodson. “We had a saying, one day we would go from the Family Affair to Madison Square, and it became so ironic. We were playing at Madison Square Garden when we were interrupted by our record label and they gave us our first gold album.”
NEWS
Led by the single “Shake Your Rump To The Funk,” the Bar-Kays were off and running, burning up stages across the country as the premiere opening act in R&B. “Every other album went gold, and the album with “Freakshow” has been our only platinum album. We’re recording our 31st album now. We have enough material for it, but we’re not rushing it,” said Dodson. “‘Grown Folks’ went Top Ten in the nation, and our new single “Up And Down” is doing pretty well. We knew it was a record (his way of describing a hit) when we finished it, but we didn’t know how big it would become. We didn’t know if our audience would accept it because it’s so different. There’s a lot of people that don’t know it’s us to this very day. “We wanted to sound different to appeal to a younger audience,” said Dodson. “It shows that we are still relevant after being in the business this long, and pretty wise about the music that we’re putting out. We’ve been selective about our producers and the sound we are making and a lot of artists are not open to that.” Harking back to that first time they packed the Coliseum, Dodson shares another memory. “That was just an amazing night. We had just played in Dallas, so we had all bought cowboy outfits, everybody. We learned on the way home that we had sold out, and also that we had broke the attendance
record, which I believe had been held by Elvis. It (the anniversary gala) is going to be one of those nights. We’re going to pull out all stops, believe me.” ‘Still relevant and…’ Now 63, Dodson is looking forward to his next birthday, which he plans to celebrate at the 2015 Trumpet Awards. And on June 14, 2015, the Bar-Kays are to be inducted into the R&B Hall Of Fame. “People ask me am I too old to be doing this. Never! We’re a brand. We have our own label. God has given us good health and good strength, wonderful wives, family and a support team,” said Dodson. “Our sons are successful and they keep us and the sound young. James’s son – Jazze Pha – is one of the top producers in the industry. He gave us ‘Grown Folks’ and he has another one for us he’s working on. My son, Larry, is a marketing professional. We have our own booking agency and we own the Master of Funk Tour, which is doing very well. They keep us young,” he said. “So no, we’re not stopping. You can’t stop us. It’s just wonderful to be still around. Still relevant and,” he pauses, “pretty smart, I believe.” Yeah, but where’s Cecil, his snake? “Oh, he’s going to be there, trust me! Believe me, we’re going to pull out all the BarKays’ bells and whistles. This performance is going to be very, very special.”
The New Tri-State Defender
The New Tri-State Defender
November 27 - December 3, 2014
NEWS
him to take part in the creation of SNCC, which became one CONTINUED FROM FRONT of the pivotal organizations of rights movement. “I had to drive down Latham the civil Barry traveled from city when I heard about his death,” to Ascity Africansaid Herenton. “I remember Americanenergizing youth to fight for him as a young man, and their own futures, returned remember the work he did often to Memphis,hewhere his for our people. We grew up reputation and work inspired together in South Memphis. local community activist Coby I received advise from him, Smith to become a member Andy Young and others when of The Invaders, a MemphisI became mayor. His mother based youth activist group. died several years ago, and “I was a couple of years both of our mothers were so younger but I fell under proud of us. influence through the “We shared the same his he was doing struggle, it’s just the economic organizing the city. He had strata of Washington, D. C. throughout trained at the Highlander was larger, but Marion was been which is located here a champion,” said Herenton. School, in Tennessee. It was kept quiet “He propelled Africanthen, but a great many of American business to thrive. back the civic rights leaders were He was a strong brother.” in non-violent, passive Barry’s upbringing fed his trained resistance there,” said Smith. ambition. Born in Itta Bena, “He brought that training Miss., his activist roots sunk back and trained into the soil here in Memphis us in it.toItMemphis Rev. James Bevel as a student at Booker T. who camewas with the idea that Washington High School the youth up be the front and LeMoyne College. He line troopsshould because of was president of LeMoyne’s the time they would most not lose NAACP, and his organizing jobs if they got arrested. But and networking skills suited
BARRY
The late Marion Barry, civil rights pioneer and “D.C. Mayor for Life” helped accent the historic first inaugural of former Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie W. Herenton. (Photo from inaugural cover reflects photo by the late Ernest Withers.)
CARE
CONTINUED FROM FRONT and I did not want anyone else to have to go through that,” Williams said. At work in the nursing field since 1995, Williams has been an RN since 2009. Her medical background notwithstanding, she had to step into a different role as a caregiver. “It’s a different mindset, it’s a different set of emotional feelings, and it’s different in the amount of time. It’s a very consuming job because you give up things and assume a responsibility to meet someone else’s needs, even if you’re not prepared for it,” Williams said. The purpose of the conference was to recognize the countless sacrifices that caregivers give on a daily basis. Their health received major emphasis. “It’s important to make sure that they’re taking care of as well, so they can do the things they need to do for their loved ones properly,” Williams said. “They cannot
Reed Hayslett, who is the primary caregiver for his brother, T.W. Hayslett, was raised “in that type of environment where if certain things were needed in your family, you just did it.” (Photo: Stroudmark Photography) take care of other people unless they take care of themselves. We’ve learned if they get a break, they can make it.” Williams hopes that Caregivers Respite can continue to help dedicated
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caregivers such as Hayslett and Morton. In January, the organization will host an event for working family caregivers. “I want to make sure that everything a caregiver needs, they can get,” Williams said.
it was Barry that promulgated the idea and put it into effective action,” said Smith. “He understood black power long before it came to the forefront, especially the fact that the political power that we were fighting for needed to be tied to economic power. I traveled extensively working in the movement and everywhere I went Marion Barry was there. When Emmett Till’s mother came to Memphis, he was there to meet her. We had a conference at Lemoyne. He was head of the D.C. government and made time to come. We loved Marion Barry. A lot of people did.” Smith’s Invaders compatriot, Minister Sukara A. Yahweh, met Barry while in D.C. working on the Poor People’s Campaign. “They were trying to destroy Dr. King’s reputation after sending provocateurs to sabotage the peaceful protests and Marion was right there organizing. I remember riding the bus with his mother. He was an example of, and the reflection of, the African-
American male struggling to reach positive heights and the struggles and pressures that you have to wrestle with when trying to challenge wrongful structures and ideals.” The final word goes to a colleague that worked directly with Barry in his second term as mayor, Dr. Kilolo Ajanaku, a consultant in the behavioral health field, worked directly with Barry during his second term as mayor. “I was an intern, then later came employed under his administration, and I worked under his administration throughout my employment with the city. Whenever Mr. Barry walked into a room, everybody would stop and give him a standing ovation,” she said. “I met people everyday whom his work touched. I set aside my class today to honor him. Fully 50 percent of the people in that class had family or knew someone that he had helped, either through his office or (he) had given them money personally. Personally!”
November 27 - December 3, 2014
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OPINION
The New Tri-State Defender
John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951-1997)
The Mid-South’s Best Alternative Newspaper Powered by Best Media Properties, Inc.
Government should focus on pursuit of pro-business, job creating policies
Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor
SPECIAL REPORT
African Americans still devastated by HIV/AIDS
As we prepare to commemorate World AIDS Day on Monday, Dec. 1, this is a good time to look at how the epidemic continues to devastate our community. A fact sheet by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation noted, “Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by HIV/ AIDS since the epidemic’s beginning, and that disparity has deepened over time. Blacks account for more new HIV infections, people estimated to be living with HIV disease, and HIVrelated deaths than any other racial/ ethnic group in the U.S.” Fact sheets by CDC and Kaiser also show: Today, there are more than 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S., including more than 506,000 who are African American. Although African Americans represent only 12 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for 44 percent of new HIV infections and an estimated 44 percent of people living with HIV in 2010. The rate of new HIV infections per 100,000 among African-American adults/adolescents (68.9) was nearly eight times that of whites (8.7) and more than twice that of Latinos (27.5) in 2010. The rate for African-American men (103.6) was the highest of any group, more than twice that of Latino men (45.5), the second highest group. African-American women (38.1) had the third highest rate overall, and the highest among women. In 2010, African-American gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men represented an estimated 72 percent (10,600) of new infections among all African-American men and 36 percent of an estimated 29,800 new HIV infections among all gay and bisexual men. More new HIV infections (4,800) occurred among young AfricanAmerican gay and bisexual men (aged 13-24) than any other subgroup of gay and bisexual men. In 2010, African-American women accounted for 6,100 (29 percent) of the estimated new HIV infections among all adult and adolescent African Americans. This number represents a decrease of 21 percent since 2008. Most new HIV infections among African-American women (87 percent; 5,300) are attributed to heterosexual contact. The estimated rate of new HIV infections for AfricanAmerican women (38.1/100,000 population) was 20 times that of white women and almost five times that of Hispanic/Latino women. Of HIV diagnoses among 13 to 19 year olds, almost 70 percent are to African-American teens, even though they constitute approximately 16 percent of the adolescent population in the U.S. HIV was the fifth leading cause of death for African-American men and the seventh for African-American women, ages 25-44, in 2010, which is higher than any other racial or
ethnic group. N o t surprisingly, most of the AfricanAmerican HIV/ AIDs cases are in the South, where the majority of African Americans live. The Kaiser fact sheet observed, George E. “Regionally, the Curry South accounts for the majority of blacks newly diagnosed with HIV (61 percent in 2011) and blacks living with an HIV diagnosis at the end of 2010 (55 percent). “HIV diagnoses among blacks are clustered in a handful of states, with 10 states accounting for the majority (68 percent) of blacks living with an HIV diagnosis at the end of 2010. New York and Florida top the list. While the District of Columbia had fewer blacks living with an HIV diagnosis in 2010 (10,995), it had the highest rate of blacks living with an HIV diagnosis at the end of 2010 (4,260.3 per 100,000); a rate more than 3 times the national rate for blacks (1,242.4). “Ten large metropolitan areas accounted for over half (59 percent) of blacks living with an HIV diagnosis at the end of 2009. The New York and Miami metropolitan areas had the greatest numbers of blacks living with an HIV diagnosis.” Like most females, AfricanAmerican women are more likely to have been infected through heterosexual transmission than their white counterparts, who are more likely to have been infected through drug use than African-American women. Though males are more likely to have been infected through sex with other men, heterosexual transmission and injection of drugs account for a greater share of new infections among African-American men than white men. Although 75 percent of African Americans in the 18-64 age group report having been tested for HIV the – the highest of any group – within the last 12 months, 17 percent of African Americans living with HIV do not know they are infected. That’s crucial because the sooner an HIVpositive person enters treatment, the better chance he or she has of living a long, relatively normal life. Overall, HIV is not at the high levels it was in the 1980s, but we are a long way from eradicating this scourge. (George E. Curry is editor-inchief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He can be reached via www.georgecurry.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook.)
Medicare’s ‘Extra Help’ available for prescription medications Making ends meet should not mean going without your medications. If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for Medicare’s Extra Help program to pay for some health care and prescription drug costs. Drug costs in 2015 for most people who qualify for Extra Help will be no more than $2.65 for each generic drug and $6.60 for each brand-name drug. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services estimates that more than 2 million people with Medicare may be eligible for Extra Help, but aren’t currently enrolled to take advantage of these savings. A recent law changed how your income and assets are counted: • Life insurance policies don’t count as resources. • Any help you get from relatives, friends, and others to pay for household expenses – like food, mortgage, rent, heating fuel or gas, electricity, water, and property taxes – doesn’t count as income. Many qualify and don’t know it Even if you were previously turned down for Extra Help due to income or resource levels, you should reapply. If you qualify, you’ll get help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage premiums, copayments, and deductibles. To qualify, you must
make less than $17,505 a year (or $23,595 for married couples). Even if your annual income is higher, you still may be able to get some extra help. Your resources must also be limited to $13,440 (or $26,860 for married couples). Resources include bank accounts, stocks, and bonds, but not your house or car. No cost or obligation to apply It’s easy and free to apply for “Extra Help.” You or a family member, trusted counselor, or caregiver can apply online at socialsecurity.gov/ i1020 or call Social Security at 1-800772-1213. TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778. All the information you give is confidential. You can also get help in your community from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), and many tribal organizations. For information about how to contact these organizations, visit Eldercare.gov. To learn more about Medicare prescription drug coverage, visit Medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. SOURCE: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
I know we don’t want to talk about this…but it’s time ‘Child abusers were everywhere during my years in junior high and high school.’
When I was seven years old my best friend was RJ. His dad and mine were friends that worked on cars together, dragged raced them once a month and talked trash about the war a lot. Dad Rodney was Air Force and Beard RJ’s dad was an Army veteran, who had actually been wounded in battle. RJ and I did everything together back then – shooting marbles, swinging on the Tarzan vine down in the woods, playing cowboys and Indians – but the highlight of our relationship was riding our bicycles all over the neighborhood. RJ was two years older and I followed him on my bike far beyond the approval bounds of our parents. I went with RJ to places that I never would have on my own. One day all of that changed when RJ came to my door to tell me to meet him one house down at the home of a family that was much like mine. They had four boys all relatively in the same age group as my older brothers. From house to house in the neighborhood that I was raised in, we were like family and the closer the proximity, the closer the bond. Released by my mother after chores, I went where RJ directed me, knocking on the open door of my neighbor’s house. I did not get an answer but I could hear music playing. As was our custom back in the ‘50’s, I proceeded in while calling out to our neighbor. What I found upon entry was the second oldest son, Jack Jr., coming down the hallway (which I had started down) with absolutely no clothes on, and I could see RJ standing behind in the same manner and state of undress. Instinctively, because my brothers did not behave that way ever, I turned to leave and Jack Jr. grabbed my arm and dragged me into the bedroom then proceeded to pull down my short pants and underwear. I don’t why I fought so hard and resisted so violently, but I did and got away. Even though Jack Jr. could not rape me, I was still molested, get it?
I was seven years old being accosted by a pedophile. I didn’t know anything about sex or violence, but somehow I knew that wasn’t right. I lived in a home full of love, nurture, respect, kindness and – above all – a family that was about God and here I was being attacked by a pervert. I shouldn’t have even known what that was. I was completely terrified and shouldn’t have known emotions like that. I was shamed and violated so much so that I couldn’t tell anyone, ever, until I was an adult in therapy. I never brought it up with RJ again because that relationship became tenuous at best and never one that I trusted (along with anyone else). At seven years old, this incident opened my eyes from then on. I came to realize that the guy next door was a pedophile when I saw RJ going into his house, the one house that my parents and brothers told me and my sister to never go into for any reason. Child abusers were everywhere during my years in junior high and high school. Beginning in the eighth grade, I learned of them among teachers, band directors, coaches, principals, down-lows, music instructors and even ministers and other authority. Sound familiar? We gossiped about it. Some blamed the children for being “just fast girls” who were asking for it, but most of these kids had no family foundation and were prey for predators. We wouldn’t talk about it. (We had to protect our professionals in the sixties from scandal and innuendo.) We couldn’t be honest, make them accountable or judge them because we had to keep them on the pedestals we put them on. So we didn’t do anything, which is what we are doing right now, nothing to protect our kids and women. I got away but not RJ. Running from that scene, I remember Jack Jr. closing the door with RJ standing there…trapped. I know we don’t want to talk about this. But we have to, and do it right now. So, I just told my story. Tell me yours. Let’s start talking about it. Enough is enough. Tell me what you think. (The Rev. Rodney Beard is pastor of The Living Word Community Church in Nashville and president of The National Action Network for Greater Nashville. Contact him at pastorbeard@comcast.net.)
‘This process is broken’ “We went through as much evidence as we could and saw how completely unfair this process was….We object publicly and loudly on behalf of Michael Brown Jr.’s family, that this process is broken. The process should be indicted.” – Benjamin Crump, attorney for the family of Michael Brown Jr.
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Last week, President Obama called on Internet providers to be regulated under Title II of the Telecommunications Act. This would lead to broadband providers being regulated based on policies developed Roby S. during the Great Williams Depression. His statement goes against a generation of bi-partisan agreement that established a system of light-touch government oversight. The Internet has flourished under this bi-partisan approach. In fact, private sector broadband providers have invested more than $1.3 trillion in our economy since 1996. In this pro-business environment, a robust network has been built out across the nation, providing the vast majority of Americans – 99 percent – with access to broadband. These investments spurred the economy, and changed the way we live and the way we do business. Businesses are growing and producing new high-paying jobs in part because high-speed connectivity has introduced them to new customers and enabled them to expand to new and larger markets. At the same time, employees and workers are using broadband connectivity to further their educations and develop the skills they need to grow in their careers. In short, this is one of the most successful areas in our economy, and at a time when many Americans continue to look for quality jobs and work to acquire higher skills to be prepared for better careers, we should be focused on policies that promote expanded deployment of broadband infrastructure and increased broadband adoption among consumers. Unfortunately, what the President proposed last week – aggressive government control and regulation of the Internet sphere – would lead to the opposite. His proposal would lead to a system that would cause tremendous disruptions in the market and one that – if followed by the FCC – would stifle our economy, impair innovation, jeopardize private investment in vital infrastructure, and hamstring an energetic and thriving component of our economy. Unsurprisingly, a bi-partisan chorus of rebukes followed the President’s statement. Tennessee’s own former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. remarked that an approach akin to that proposed by the President would lead to unprecedented government interference in the Internet, hurt consumers and innovation, and threaten millions of jobs. In addition, the President’s misguided proposal also includes wireless providers, and in recent years, the wireless sector has done more to close the digital divide than any other broadband deployment effort. Just as broadband is vital to businesses – opening up new markets and connecting customers to vital products and services – it is also essential in our homes. Through wireless accessibility and smartphone innovations, broadband is more widely available, it is more affordable, and ever-greater numbers of Americans are adopting broadband each and every day. People from all walks of life are using wireless broadband and technology to positively impact their lives – whether as business owners, through on-line education opportunities, or with telemedicine. In short, broadband is essential to the way we live our lives today. Our economy and our communities depend on a robust network, fueled by private investment, growing through constant enhancing and upgrading to meet growing consumer demands. Because of this, it is vital that our elected officials reject the President’s position on this issue and instead pursue and continue the policies that have brought us the Internet we all know and enjoy today, and that will encourage further investment in wired and wireless broadband accessibility and adoption. As we continue to fight to strengthen our economy, create jobs, and provide opportunities for families across America, our leaders in Washington D.C., must pursue policies that encourage private investment, job creation, and business growth. (Roby S. Williams is president of the Black Business Association of Memphis.)
The New Tri-State Defender
November 27 - December 3, 2014
Page 5
NEWS
The shopper’s guide to a happy, cost-effective holiday The sequel
3. Novelties will be the thing that your loved ones will remember. Leave the hideous ties and dreadful socks in the store. They already have a mountain of both at home they wouldn’t be caught dead wearing. Let your gift be thoughtful. It can pertain to a favorite hobby, like golf or bowling, tools for the do-ityourselfer, omelet makers and baking utensils for those who love the kitchen, a counter grill for winter barbeques, gardening tools for gardeners, nostalgia items for history buffs – the possibilities are endless. Choose a novelty gift, and then sit back and enjoy the praise coming your way throughout the coming year.
by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell Special to the New Tri-State Defender
If you’re now reading this article, it means that you survived the dramatic foretaste of frenzied things to come. Approximately $56 billion dollars was spent nationwide over the course of the four-day “pre-Black Friday weekend,” Friday through Monday. And that was just the warm up. Now, it’s time to suit up for the real deal. Many more millions are expected to converge on malls, department stores, boutiques, specialty shops and everything in between. Stores already open for Black Friday deals will be open on Thanksgiving. Some will begin their holiday bonanza of bargains on Wednesday, and still more open just after Thanksgiving dinner around the table is done – 6 p.m. The frenetic onslaught of relentless shoppers scrambling for the big bargains will be out in full, frenzied force. Please accept my condolences if you plan to climb aboard this year’s holiday crazy train. Many will be singing the “I-said-I-wouldn’t-do-thisagain, maxed-out credit blues” long after the Christmas lights have been turned off and decorations are back in the attic. Now that you know better, you can cast an all-knowing eye on those poor saps at work, in your church, and at your neighborhood association meetings moaning about spending most of 2015 paying off the debts of 2014. First, there are some always-remember-and-neverforget rules of engagement, and some sure-fire suggestions on choosing the perfect gift for loved ones and friends. Then, it’s on to some great places to find the best deals for your pocket. • Begin with a serious budget that does not include credit card limits and signature loans. Use only what has been set aside for holiday shopping over the course of the year. Or, if purchases cannot be paid off in full immediately when credit card bills come in January, don’t buy. Using bill money to shop will put your
Brick and mortar: Give the gift of wine this holiday season. (Courtesy photo) family in an unnecessarily, like you wouldn’t believe. precarious position. • Don’t fall for the okey• Make a list and check it doke. It sounds good that you twice. Gifts for immediate can get a 50-inch television for family, small children and $218 somewhere. Thousands young people in your clan, are reading the same ad you your spouse or “lil boo,” and are, and the store didn’t long-time family friends go stock but 35. A vicious early first. Favored co-workers, morning scramble to be church members, and valued “among the first” is not an acquaintances should go on emotionally healthy start to a secondary list. They would the holiday shopping season. feel just as special with the There will be more, and you gift of a phone call, lunch will see those savings again. A date, or some other gesture of little patience can mean a big kindness. (As you go down the payoff. list and purchases climb closer • Keep in mind the three and closer to budget, it may be “n’s”: necessary to take the last few 1. Navigate wisely through people off the gift list and add the unyielding bombardment them to your secondary list. of never-before-seen, unheardThey will still appreciate you: of savings every merchant will it really is “the thought that declare. You have a limit, and counts.”) you have a list. Don’t violate • Join forces with a couple either. of sisters or favorite cousin 2. Negotiate in this to share the cost of some big- commercially charged, ticket item for the kiddos. You empty-the-shelves dance will all stretch your dollars so with merchants. Everything much further. is negotiable, if you take the • Stick to your budget and time, especially in boutiques your lists. Remember: you and specialty shops. If you really are not Santa Claus, and offer to buy five of a certain there is no little army of elves item and ask for a discount on making Christmas gifts for the purchase, you will likely you to pass out to everyone. get it. Who understands the • Resist the temptation to concept of buying in bulk make high-dollar purchases better than store managers and for the household. New merchants? Items marked as appliances, furniture and “irregular” may not have met automobiles should not be the manufacturer’s standard, bought during the holiday but are perfectly sound and season. If you think these visually flawless to you. Ask bargains are great, just wait for an additional discount. until Dec. 26th. Big-ticket You’re the shopper. You hold items are going to drop in price all the cards.
Couples with small children, lovers strolling through the mall, hoards of teens out enjoying the music and crowds, and the serious bargain shopper hoping to score big on holiday savings – they’ll all be out shopping this weekend. Everywhere the eye can see, there will be people and their cars. If you must brave the coming invasion, then you must. Here are some of the best places to go: • Walmart, K-Mart, and Target: Discount leaders all year ‘round will offer a ton of savings on clothing, jewelry, toys, games, and more. But be prepared for waiting in checkout lines for multiple hours. One couple last week waited five hours in line to make their purchases. Five hours. (And that was just the preview.) • Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Burlington’s: Watches, jewelry, winter sweaters, dresses, costume jewelry, and household furnishings and home décor are being offered at prices that are absolutely too good to pass up. • Nike Outlet, Old Navy, and Banana Republic: For that hard-to-buy-for “tween,” teen, or young adult, check
out the buys and bargains, especially the buy-one-getone and buy-one-half-offsecond offers that abound everywhere. (We wouldn’t even think of wearing these rags, but the kids love this stuff!) Novelties: Give the gift of drama: Unlike the real-life, unsolicited drama of family and friends, our City Beautiful offers an impressive array of stage productions to suit even the most demanding critic on your list. Purchase tickets for an upcoming play or consider season tickets from: Playhouse on the Square, TheatreWorks, Hattiloo Theatre, Theatre Memphis, New Moon Theatre Company, and Bluff City Tri-Art Theatre. Go online or call for additional information on each. Give the gift of pampering: There is nothing – and I mean, nothing – like luxuriating in the de-stressing confines of a great spa with an attentive staff. Memphis has quite a few to offer: Serenity Day Spa, for full spa treatments, is presently running 50-80 percent off specials through Groupon. The Rejuvenation Center is also running up to 56 percent off specials on Groupon. Go to Groupon online and give a spa day to a loved one for pennies on the dollar. (They’ll think you paid too much.) Go to Massage Envy online and check out their dirtcheap offerings: One hour massage, $49; Sugar Foot Scrub Therapy, $10; Aroma Therapy, $10; Deep Muscle Therapy, $12. Give the gift of travel: www. vacationstogo.com offers 82 percent discount on lastminute cruises. Call and book one for a ridiculous rate, and then gift-wrap those tickets to surprise that special someone. Give the gift of wine: CorksCrew Wine Club offers a membership for everyone.
You specify the number of bottles per month, what you would like to spend, taste preference, and duration of membership. They will handle the rest. This is the perfect gift for the wine connoisseur in your life. Give the gift of sports: ESPN’s “30 For 30 Fifth Anniversary Collection” is being offered to the sports fanatic in the house. The price is $149, regularly selling at $250.This will be a gift that keeps on giving. Give the gift of barbeque: Remind family and friends who live out of town why Memphis is the arguable barbeque capital of the world. Send a mouth-watering package from any of the following (Shipping options are available as well).: Central BBQ, Corky’s Charles Vergos Rendezvous, and Jim Neely’s Interstate Bar-B-Q. Remind them of why nobody does it like Memphis. And last, but certainly not least, buy up a ton of bubble bath, spa facial wash, lipsticks and eye shadow, lotions and potions from your local Avon and Mary Kay representatives. At the end of the year, they will have a ton of items that were never picked up, or surplus merchandise. These will make wonderful beauty baskets you can put together and wrap yourself. You can also pick up a hefty stash of other items at dollar stores and beauty supplies for incredible savings. Creativity is a gift to be always given away. There, you have it; all my tips and trips for surviving this holiday season. Trust me. You’ll get the big payoff on Christmas Day just watching those faces light up when they open your gift. Revel in the joy – the real joy – of this season: a time of enjoying family, reflecting on the goodness of God over the past year, and celebrating the birthday of all birthdays. Be blessed and happy this season. Imagine the possibilities in 2015!
November 27 - December 3, 2014
Page 6
NATIONAL
The New Tri-State Defender
Outrage over Ferguson grand jury decision by George E. Curry NNPA News Service
WASHINGTON – Long after St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert M. McCulloch announced Officer Darren Wilson would not be prosecuted in connection with the killing of unarmed Ferguson, Mo. teenager Michael Brown and burning tempers and flames had subsided, African-American leaders were still expressing their disappointment in a criminal justice system that failed Brown. “It has been fairly obvious from the beginning that the predominate belief in Ferguson and St. Louis was that Darren Wilson, the killer of Michael Brown, was not going to be indicted by a Bob McCullough-led grand jury,” Jesse Jackson said in a statement. “In a rambling statement of the grand jury’s process and conclusion – which did little to inform – Bob McCullough acted in the capacity of a defense attorney who misused the grand jury process ‘as a trial’ without professional legal cross-examination.” The issue is not the “unfortunate and unwise” violent protests that followed, said Jackson. “The issue is the lack of federal uplift for the community even now. The issue is the lack of federal enforcement of civil rights laws. The issue is that Ferguson’s police and fire departments do not represent the people are in violation of the law, yet it continues to receive federal funds.” In a Huffington Post blog, the Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network asked what’s the point of a grand jury if it is hearing evidence it would hear in a jury trial. “In Ferguson, there are witnesses who say Brown had his hands up when he was shot. That should be enough probable cause to go to trial to determine if officer Wilson is guilty or not. It is at trial that he can then defend himself and his attorneys can present their own witnesses and their own defense.” Whether it is the death of Brown, Eric Garner or “the many others who die at the hands of police all across this country,” it’s important to remember one key thing, Sharpton said. “The victims don’t have the ability to cross-examine or refute theories. They don’t have the ability to hide out somewhere for months while a grand jury deliberates. And they don’t have the ability to defend themselves as some may attempt to assassinate their character either in a courtroom or in the court of public opinion. They are dead, silenced forever.” National Urban League President Marc H. Morial committed to continue to fight for justice and accountability in the death of Brown. “(We) first and foremost urge the Department of Justice to continue a full and thorough investigation to determine whether federal civil rights charges should be filed against Officer Wilson, as well as to carry out federal reviews of police misconduct and implement key recommendations for police reform,” said Morial. “The excessive use of force by law enforcement in our communities is unacceptable, and we know that we cannot prevent future similar tragedies unless and until there is systemic change across the nation in the area of police reform.” Charles Steele Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), said the grand jury’s decision is “just another painful step in the long journey to justice…we will not quit until justice is the norm in America instead of the exception in the deaths of our unarmed black men and women.” Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a federation of approximately 200 African-American newspapers, called the decision not to indict Wilson
Protestors face off with police in Ferguson, Mo., after a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson. (Photo: Lawrence Bryant/St. Louis American)
Black Civic Participation, said McCulloch’s “gross mishandling of this case is inexcusable….We join the civil rights and social justice community in a call for an end to racial profiling of our young black men and women who are losing their lives across the country at alarming rates at the hands of police officers who are sworn to protect and serve.” Jeffrey Mittman, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, said while many officers carry out their jobs with respect for the communities they serve, there must be a confrontation with the “profound disconnect and disrespect that many communities of color experience with their local law enforcement…. “We must end the prevailing policing paradigm where police departments are more like occupying forces, imposing their will to control communities,” said Mittman. “This ‘us vs. them’ policing antagonizes communities by casting a blanket of suspicion over entire neighborhoods, often under the guise of preventing crime.”
A Ferguson firefighter surveys rubble at a strip mall that was set on fire when rioting erupted following the grand jury announcement in the Michael Brown case on Nov. 25 in Ferguson, Mo. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, is escorted away from in front of the Ferguson, Mo., police department on Monday (Nov. 24), after a grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Brown. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) “another systematic and tragic slap in the face of equal justice in the United States… We are the ‘Voice of the Black Community’ and the NNPA will not be silent or rest until there is justice in the Michael Brown case and other cases of racially-motivated police killings and violence in our communities across the nation.” The NAACP announced a 7-day, 120-mile march from Ferguson, Mo. to Jefferson City, the state capital, on Saturday (Nov. 29th). “Our ‘Journey to Justice: Ferguson to Jefferson City’ march is the first of many demonstrations to show both the country and the world that the NAACP and our allies will not stand down until systemic change, accountability and justice in cases of police misconduct are served for Michael Brown and the countless other men and women who lost their lives to such police misconduct,” said NAACP President Cornell William Brooks. Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on
The New Tri-State Defender
November 27 - December 3, 2014
Page 7
November 27 - December 3, 2014
Page 8
The New Tri-State Defender
BUSINESS
ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY
The Office@Uptown No one loves a good restaurant more than I do. I am most impressed with creative concepts and unique presentations. The Office@Uptown has a winner on its hands. We all have had to eat at our desk on more than one occasion, but The Office@ Uptown has created a unique experience where patrons can enjoy a relaxed meal or participate in a working lunch in a conference room. Soups, sandwiches and salads are all prepared to perfection. Join us as Valerie Peavy shares her vision with us. Carlee McCullough: Thank you for taking the time to share with our readers your experience and knowledge. Tell us about Valerie Peavy? Valerie Peavy: I am from South Memphis, a graduate of the University of Memphis and Southside High School. I have over 30 years’ experience in business with 11 ½ years in corporate and more than 20 years as an entrepreneur, first as an IT provider and now nearly two years in the hospitality industry. I am married to Jeff Harrison and am the proud mother of two sons, Brian Garrett and Eric Peavy, one daughterin-law, Sara Garrett and one granddaughter, Bria Rose. My kids live in Houston, Texas, and Washington, D.C., and I visit them as often as I can, especially when
I’m in Houston to see my granddaughter. C.M.: How did you get into the restaurant business? V.P.: I really did not have plans to be in the restaurant business when we bought the building. It was while my husband and I were renovating t h e building that my youngest son Eric said he Carlee thought McCullough it would a perfect spot for a café. He had just returned from France and had experienced all the wonderful neighborhood cafés in Paris and thought this location would be a good fit for one. My comment to him was that if, and when, it becomes one he would run it. It was only as we began to improve the building that we saw the potential to do more than just have this space as an office for our businesses. We first opened the business up in October 2012 and offered basic office services while we developed the café. Then in April 2013 we opened up the café. C.M.: How did you arrive
Valerie Peavy waiting on customers Erika Conley, Sophom Kuoy and Rachel Benford. (Photos: TyRon Wells)
amenities. As we looked for variety in food options for lunch, Jeff was renovating our building. It was then we found there were limitations in this area as well. So we thought back to what Eric had said and said let’s go for it. At first it seemed to family and friends that this would not work merging two very different service businesses but I just knew in my heart that it would. Every step of this process I sought confirmation that we were on the right path and I must say God answered and still answers in such positive ways that we are in the right place.
Valerie Peavy and Jeff Harrison at “The Office@Uptown” Uptown there was no place to concept? fax or copy documents. With V.P.: It truly grew us having a copier, printers, organically, and by that I mean and a fax machine, we said it grew as a result of us seeing let’s offer basic office services the need. We first saw that in along with some shared office
C.M.: What inspired you to get into the restaurant business? V.P.: I can’t say I was inspired. I often tell people that I have never uttered the words “one day I would like to own a restaurant,” because I never once thought about owning, running or working in a restaurant. I really believe this is part of the plan for my life. Because I am working harder than I have ever, and I mean ever worked in my life and I absolutely love it. This time last year I was being treated for cancer and never once thought we had made a mistake in opening this business. God gave me complete peace in this decision. Jeff and I have been
blessed tremendously by all the people we have met over the past couple of years. Memphis is truly a wonderful place and our customers are the best.
C.M.: Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into the restaurant business? V.P.: Do your homework and get someone to advise you on the finer points of the business. Rodney Shelton was a great asset to us as we planned and opened the business. His expertise helped. I really mean saved us from making some crucial mistakes. Also, find good people with great attitudes to be a part of your team. I have the best staff. They make me look good every day.
C.M.: Any closing remarks? V.P.: I want everyone to know The Office@Uptown is located in one of the best communities in Memphis. Uptown has great places to live and work in this part of Downtown Memphis. (Contact Carlee McCullough, Esq., at 5308 Cottonwood Road, Suite 1A, Memphis, TN 38118, or email her at jstce4all@aol. com.) (Valerie Colvin Peavy can be reached at (901) 5221905, by e-mail at valerie@ theofficeatuptown.com, or log onto www.theofficeatuptown. com)
MONEY MATTERS
Retirement risks to consider The road to a comfortable retirement is full of risks, and they don’t end when you stop working. As an investor, you are probably aware of market risk. You might also have considered longevity risk — the risk that you could outlive your retirement assets. Here are four additional risks that may be worth considering, whether you are in the accumulation phase of your retirement journey or are already spending down your savings. Inflation The inflation rate has been relatively low over the last five years, averaging about 2.25 percent per year. But even that level can eat into the purchasing power of your savings. And
long-term inflation tr e n d s have been higher, averaging 2 . 8 5 percent annually over the last 30 Charles Sims y e a r s . Although Jr., CMFC, you may LUTCF want to tilt your portfolio toward more conservative investments after you retire, you still might allocate some assets to stocks and other investments that have the potential to outpace inflation. Of course, all investments are subject to
market fluctuation, risk, and loss of principal. When sold, they may be worth more or less than their original cost.
normal. You might also have to adjust your spending habits.
Unexpected events
According to the 2013 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees, Social Security benefits should be fully funded at current levels until 2033, when the trust funds may be exhausted. After that, payroll taxes would be able to fund only about 77 percent of scheduled benefits. Depending on your age, you might need to scale back your expectations for Social Security as a major source of retirement income.
A recent survey of Americans aged 50 to 70 found that the average respondent had experienced four “derailers” that temporarily knocked them off track in saving for retirement, with an average loss of $117,000. This may sound daunting, but setbacks could be mitigated by maintaining an emergency savings fund. When you are faced with an unexpected event, the wisest approach may be to resume saving at the highest rate you can afford when your life returns to
Social Security
Sequencing The most complex challenge could be sequencing
risk, which refers to the timing of unfavorable portfolio returns, especially in the early retirement years. This could result from adverse market conditions and/or an inappropriate withdrawal strategy. The dramatic market downturn during the Great Recession brought this into focus for many retirees, but sequencing is an ongoing issue that could require regular adjustments to your allocation and withdrawal strategies in response to changes in the market and/or your personal situation. Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss. Each of these risks presents
its own challenges and potential solutions. Addressing them properly requires a solid strategy that balances a variety of factors. You may benefit from professional help in analyzing and addressing these risks as they apply to your own situation. Although there is no assurance that working with a financial advisor will improve investment results, a professional who focuses on your overall objectives can help you consider strategies that could have a substantial effect on your long-term financial situation.
(Charles Sims Jr., CMFC, LUTCF, is President/CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901-682-2410 or visit www.SimsFinancialGroup.com.)
November 27 - December 3, 2014
The New Tri-State Defender
Page 9
RELIGION
Coalition of black churches launches #HandsUPDon’tSpend campaign The verdict is in: Darren Wilson will not be prosecuted for killing Michael Brown. However, a Baltimore pastor and activist is calling for a nationwide economic mobilization to send a message.
(Baltimore, MD.) Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, pastor and founder of Empowerment Temple Church and president of the Empowerment Movement, has launched a new national economic mobilization effort titled #HandsUpDon’tSpend. The campaign will kick off Thanksgiving Day at retail establishments nationwide, from Nov. 27 Dec. 2. This strategic collaboration is anchored by faith-based
denominations from across the country united to demonstrate the power of the African-American dollar. The Empowerment Movement, a non-partisan organization, is supported by the AME Church, AME Zion, COGIC, Progressive, Bible Way Churches, Full Gospel, Gospel Music Workshop of America, CME, United Covenant Churches, Harvest Churches, Fellowship of International Word of Faith, Church of God,
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Congressional Black Caucus. Tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in this economic mobilization effort, which encourages supporters to refrain from spending during the most highly-anticipated shopping time of the year – Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, through Cyber Monday. “Police brutality has no place in modern law enforce-
ment.” Dr. Bryant said in a public statement. “However, American history continues to repeat itself. Exactly one year after the death of Trayvon Martin, Black America is once again pleading for the justice system to uphold the principles of justice and equality for countless victims including Michael Brown, Eric Garner and John Crawford. “We have come to recognize that petitions and marching have not changed the land-
scape of our justice system,” Dr. Bryant continued. “Neither has it changed the alarming rate of police brutality cases against African Americans in America. Therefore, we have decided to shift the impact of our power to what the government understands – the almighty dollar.” Dr. Bryant was heavily involved in the Trayvon Martin case as the family’s advocate and spiritual advisor. Today, he serves in the same capac-
ity for the family of Michael Brown. Those who decide to join in the #HandsUpDon’tSpend campaign, Dr. Bryant says the intended message is to “flex your power by not shopping during the busiest shopping period of the year.” In support of the #HandsUpDon’tSpend campaign, the Empowerment Movement will also be supporting the Walmart workers’ protest on Black Friday.
‘Solidarity with the Savior Through Obedience...’
Longevity...
The congregation at St. John Baptist Church, 640 Vance Ave., celebrated their 146th year in service to the Lord on Sunday, Nov. 23. The committee included Vanessa Gray (left), co-chairperson; the Rev. Henry L. Key, pastor; Dr. James L. Netters, senior pastor, Mt. Vernon Baptist Church and guest speaker; Ardie Hardy; and Ronald Clark, chairperson.
Hilda G. Massey (left) was recognized as the oldest member of St. John Baptist Church during the church’s 146th anniversary. She was presented a plaque in honor of her longevity. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
A birthday celebration...
Thirty-six years in ministry...
Bertha Jean Morris Stephens, the mother of Bishop Edward H. Stephens Jr. (left), pastor of Golden Gate Cathedral, and the Rev. Danelle Stephens, pastor of Ezra Emmanuel Ministries in Clarksville, Tenn., celebrated her 80th birthday Saturday (Nov. 22) at the Memphis Salvation Army Kroc Center.
The Rev. Isaac A. Wright Sr. and Heleanor Wright, the pastor and first lady of New Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, celebrated 36 years in ministry on Sunday (Nov. 23). The couple is joined by their grandchildren. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)