2 13 2013

VOL. 62, No. 6

www.tsdmemphis.com

February 7 - 13, 2013

75 Cents

What state is Shelby County in?

The New Tri-State Defender Staff

Asked by the Kiwanis Club to speak on the “State of the County,” Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr. vowed not to “ sugar coat things.”

“We have serious issues that are facing our county,” said Luttrell, speaking Wednesday at the University Club on Central at Lamar. “Issues that require aggressive leadership and collaboration – issues like education, crime, blight, access to healthcare, juvenile court reform, government ineffiMark ciencies, and lack Luttrell of job growth.

“If we bring the right people to the table, have candid discussions, and educate the public, I believe we can overcome these challenges.”

With a nod to his administration for having “made some serious headway,” Luttrell declared that “some incredibly exciting things” were in store.

Then he maneuvered through the lunchtime address, touching on economic development, fiscal responsibility, culture, investing in young people, neighborhoods and “going forward.”

His points included:

History in the making…

The “Sacred Side of Soulsville” – a play apropo for African American History Month – featured a performance troupe of students from Soulsville Charter School and the Stax Music Academy. It unfolded Tuesday at the Cannon Center and included a pyrotechnic intro to a dance sequence depicting slavery. See review in Entertainment, page 10. (Photo by Warren Roseborough)

By the numbers

Economic development

• Shelby County has experienced “a great loss” of private sector jobs over the last 5 years. Out-migration of people annually has resulted in reduced net income and dollars that would be spent in the local economy.

• Significant accomplishments include the Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), which has assisted 11 companies in communities across Shelby County with growth plans totaling 2,470 jobs, $301 million in associated payroll and $653 million in new taxable investment.

• In addition to the revitalization of the Memphis Fast Forward plan, the Workforce Investment Network has experienced one of its most productive years in recent history.

• Shelby County has a thriving entrepreneurial community, with organizations like Seed Hatchery, Launch Your City and Emerge Memphis that SEE COUNTY ON PAGE 5

- INSIDE -

• Don’t get sacked by bad food choices. See Health, page 3.

• Obama gun photo a mistake.

See Opinion, page 4.

• Look of success? Swagger, polish in; matchy-matchy out.

See Business, page 7.

• Wrong question: Can God answer? See Religion, page 8.

African American History Month

NNPA News Service

by George E. Curry While sheʼs excited about her Grammy nomination and Sundayʼs awards show, Tamela Mann said she likes to focus on people and spreading the word that they can “take all their problems to the King.” (Courtesy photo)

Grammy buzz a good fit for Tamela Mann Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Tony Jones

For Tamela Mann and her legion of Christian-market fans, a truly historic weekend kicks off with a live performance at the University of Memphis’ Rose Theatre on Friday evening.

A gospel-industry showstopper for two-plus decades, Mann will be bringing new fire for her repertoire.

The fuel is the news that she’s been nominated for her first Grammy Award for the No. 1 gospel single “Take Me To The King” from her aptly titled 2012 CD, “Best Day.”

Sounding wonderfully enthusiastic and down to earth, Mann shared the Grammy news and more with The New Tri-State Defender during a telephone interview from her home in Dallas on Wednesday.

“I am excited to be in the number, oh yes,” said Mann, referring to the Grammy nomination. (The Grammy Awards show airs Sunday (Feb. 10) at 7 p.m. on CBS.) “I try not to get too involved with the numbers side of the business and that kind of stuff too much. My husband keeps up with that side of SEE MANN ON PAGE 2

The U.S. Census Bureau has released the following figures about Black America to coincide with African American History Month. I found them interesting enough to share.

Population

43.9 million – The number of African Americans, either alone or in combination with one or more other races, on July 1, 2011, up 1.6 percent from the census on April 1, 2010.

77.4 million – The projected African-American population of the United States (including those of more than one race) for July 1, 2060.

On that date, according to the projection, African Americans would constitute 18.4 percent of the nation’s total population.

3.7 million – The African-American population in New York, which led all states as of July 1, 2011.

Texas had the largest numeric increase since April 1, 2010 (84,000).

The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of African Americans (52.2 percent), followed by Mississippi (38.0 percent).

1.3 million – The African-Ameri-

can population in Cook, Ill., which had the largest AfricanAmerican population of any county in 2011.

Fulton, Ga., had the largest numeric increase since 2010 (13,000).

George E. Holmes, Miss., Curry was the county with the highest percentage of African Americans in the nation (82.9 percent).

Serving our nation

2.3 million – Number of AfricanAmerican military veterans in the United States in 2011.

Education

82.5 percent – The percentage of African Americans 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher in 2011.

18.4 percent – The percentage of African-Americans 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2011.

SEE NUMBERS ON PAGE 2

STREET BUZZ: What would you like to see in and/or from the superintendent who is hired to run the Unified School District?

• Grizz lose back to back amid hunt for consistency.

See Sports, page 12.

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

H- 5 1o - L - 3 5o P a r tl y C l oud y

SATURDAY

H- 5 7o - L - 4 7o Mostl y Cl o udy

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-56 L-34 H-47 L-30 H-64 L-40

SUNDAY

H- 5 7o - L - 4 7o Ra i n

Saturday H-54 L-46 H-56 L-43 H-66 L-52

Sunday H-65 L-44 H-56 L-53 H-69 L-57

Jeff Shelton

“(Homegrown) with some national enlightenment as to the inner workings of a large urban district….This is a grand opportunity for the district to access the wealth of young talent and their ideas as to how to guide this unique educational experience with the new consolidated system.

Though an educational background is important, someone with stringent leadership abilities and a keen sense of community and diversity will be of great value….The key is to place the dollar value in the education of the student and not so much the administration.”

Ebony Williams

“The appointed person should have the ability to secure a stable budget that will allow students to have necessary resources, such as textbooks, to aid in academic excellence….There needs to be more focus on literacy for students and resources available when help is needed, as well as assessments to measure what students are actually learning instead of pushing them through to the next level....The TCAP shouldn’t be the only ‘big assessment’ of the year.”

Mark Lee

“First, the leader must have firsthand experience in the classroom. Having that experience brings an empathetic view of what happens from the teachers’ and students’ perspectives, which should be considered in making vital decisions to bring about the best results. Secondly, that leader must have proven leadership that is validated by records/data that is undisputed. Lastly, I believe the leader should have such inspiration to motivate all parties – students, parents, school personnel, and stakeholders – to do their best in cultivating a district that will encourage the next generation to discover their giftedness and use it.”

Sarita Wilson-Guffin

“Someone innovative and well connected, with business and education networking skills. Proven track record of improving test scores and increasing the number of students who graduate and attend college. Understands the culture of Memphis and supports the unified school district.

Believes in a quality education for all students. Experience with a large school district and has creative ideas to implement in our school system.”

SEE BUZZ ON PAGE 2

NEWS

Page 2

STREET BUZZ: What would you like to see in and/or from the superintendent who is hired to run the Unified School District?

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

NUMBERS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

1.6 million – Among African-Americans 25 and older, the number who had an advanced degree in 2011.

3.1 million – Number of African-Americans enrolled in college in 2011, a 74.0 percent increase since 2001.

Income, poverty and health insurance

Donna Harvey

“I feel a native Memphian would care more about ‘our’ children than a transient that takes the job because of the salary and to enhance their resume. The decision to look outside of Memphis for a candidate was totally and completely wrong. I’ve spoken with a lot of parents about this and they feel the same way.

Nobody cares about our children the way ‘we’ do.

“Furthermore, a native Memphian will want the job because they were more than likely a product of MCS themselves. A person that went through the MCS school system would be perfect for the job. I know there are scores of people here with the talent, education and experience to handle this job.

The decision-makers just need to step up and do what needs to be done instead of what is politically correct.”

Alvin Wright

“The new superintendent needs to have a vision for all students that will lead to every student having the opportunity to be successful in our society.

This person needs to deal with any biases or perceptions that exist as it pertains to our students, teachers and other educational staff.

The superintendent needs to have the courage, boldness, and wisdom to ensure that every student, teacher and principal is being provided with the necessary resources for development.

“An environment of ‘I can’ or ‘I will’ needs to be fostered instead of ‘I can’t.’ The new superintendent should be aware of the cultural needs of our children to ensure that each one’s heritage is properly taught and not distorted. In a nutshell, principals lead, teachers teach, and students come prepared to learn.”

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Christopher Hope

Paula Webb

“Number one, an individual who is dedicated to the total welfare of our children. I believe our system needs someone who can balance the issues concerning their safety and their education with opportunities to advance and share their knowledge. Although money is truly needed to provide our schools with the best teachers, the best materials and the best facilities, we should not comprise the award of gaining government dollars in a manner that dictates a curriculum that is taxing to both the teachers and the students.

“Structure, discipline and organization are key components in the chemistry of a successful school system. If the new superintendent has exhibited those characteristics in their career as an educator, then their record will prove it. Not a resume filled with various titles that does not show nor support a successful partnership between faculty, parents and students.”

The call of duty…

Which came first – the horse patrol assignment or the knowledge of how to ride a horse? Both of these Memphis Police Department officers – spotted downtown Wednesday around the noon hour – said their horse skills came first. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

MANN

Tri-State Defender

February 7 - 13, 2013

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

things. I like to just focus on people and spreading the word to people that they can take all their problems to the King, but I have to admit I am very excited.”

Solidly at the top of the traditional and contemporary gospel charts since it release this fall, “Take Me To The King” was a reunion project for Mann and gospel superstar Kirk Franklin, with whom she began her career in career 1991.

“We reached out to him when we were planning the project,” Mann explained. “He said he really didn’t have anything for us but that he was going out of the country to do some writing. So when he got back he came over and sang it to us, and that’s how the song came to life.”

Of course, the husband she refers to is David Mann. His lovably buffoonish role as comic foil to Tyler Perry’s Madea was a key to Perry’s stage success, as was Mann’s recurring solo turn as the moral center of Perry’s plays. She would bring down the house, spreading the play’s emotional glue in song.

Perry’s successes propelled the Manns into their own hit television spinoff, “The Browns,” in which Tamela Mann plays the beleaguered, common-sense foil to her husband’s over the top screen foolishness.

Off air, Mann says she and her husband have led a committed Christian life since being wed 25 years ago. They’re anticipating a big celebration for their anniversary this April, per-

haps even a Grammy-shaped cake – among the many things she says they couldn’t afford when first married.

When they were recording “Take Me To The King,” neither Mann nor her team had any inclination that the song would make her queen of the gospel charts this year.

“You have that hope that people are going to like it, and I’m grateful that it has taken off like it has,” she said.

More than a vocalist, Mann is part of the hands-on team for her recordings.

“I see it like a gumbo, or a roller coaster,” she said of recording. “Best Day” has something for everyone, from traditional to contemporary lovers. I even get deep into the R&B side for the young people on ‘Back In The Day Praise’ that lets them ride and bop their heads a little bit.”

The CD also includes the old landmark “I Need Thee Every Hour,” which Mann reaches for whenever she needs a little encouragement, and “The

Blood Song,” which connects listeners to her bringing. (I got of taste of her singing this one during the interview.)

At the Grammys on Sunday, Mann will be wearing a gown crafted by Atlanta-based designer, Maria Harper. And then back to work. She and her husband have completed 10 episodes of a new lifestyle and cooking show that they are shopping. One the episodes was filmed at Texas Motor Speedway.

She laughs at the image of “Mr. Brown” careening at 200 miles an hour in a racecar, but corrects us that it will be the everyday Mr. Mann featured in the show. But as her career has shown, anything could happen.

“I’ve been singing since I was eight, but never envisioned all that God has given us,” said Mann.

“When I get up on stage, I sing like He’s sitting in the first row. I don’t care where I am, if I feel the need to praise, I share my feelings with the audience.”

$32,229 – The annual median income of AfricanAmerican households in 2011, a decline of 2.7 percent from 2010 27.6 percent – Poverty rate in 2011 for African Americans.

80.5 percent – Percentage of African Americans that were covered by health insurance during all or part of 2011. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011)

Voting

11.1 million – The number of African Americans who voted in the 2010 congressional election, an increase from 10 percent of the total electorate in 2006 to 12 percent in 2010.

55 percent – Turnout rate in the 2008 presidential elec-

tion for the 18- to 24-year-old citizen African-American population, an 8 percentage point increase from 2004.

Blacks had the highest turnout rate in this age group.

65 percent – Turnout rate among African-American citizens regardless of age in the 2008 presidential election, up about 5 percentage points from 2004. Looking at voter turnout by race and Hispanic origin, non-Hispanic whites and African Amerricans had the highest turnout levels.

Families and children

61.9 percent – Among households with a black householder, the percentage that contained a family in 2012. There were 9.7 million African-American family households.

45.2 percent – Among families with African-American householders, the percentage that were married couples in 2012.

1.2 million – Number of African-American grandparents who lived with their own grandchildren younger than 18 in 2011. Of this number, 48.5 percent were also responsible for their care.

Homeownership

43.4 percent – Nationally, the percentage of households with a householder who was

black who lived in owner-occupied homes in 2011.

Jobs

28.2 percent – The percentage of African Americans 16 and older who worked in management, business, science and arts occupations.

Businesses

$135.7 billion – Receipts for African-American-owned businesses in 2007, up 53.1 percent from 2002. The number of African-Americanowned businesses totaled 1.9 million in 2007, up 60.5 percent.

37.7 percent – Percentage of African-American-owned businesses in 2007 in health care and social assistance, repair and maintenance, and personal and laundry services.

10.6 percent – Percentage of all black-owned firms operating in 2007 in New York, which led all states or stateequivalents. Georgia and Florida followed, at 9.6 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively.

(George E. Curry is editorin-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He can be reached via, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/ currygeorge.)

HEALTH

Tri-State Defender

Page 3

February 7 - 13, 2013

CHEF TIMOTHY

Don’t get sacked by bad food choices

by Chef Timothy Moore

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Now that the Super Bowl is over, it’s time to move forward with the game of life.

Each of us should focus on the things that are important to our overall health – such as exercising and eating healthy – to keep diabetes, high blood pressure, Dr. Timothy o b e s i t y Moore and stress from ravaging our bodies.

Some people may be looking for an oasis in the desert or a quick fix to their health problems. In reality, regardless of the problem, it’s what you consume that can cause debilitating diseases to sack your body. In fact, it’s the foods that you thought were good for you that are causing the problems.

Many of us grew up on crispy fried chicken, mashed potatoes smothered with gravy made from pan drippings, and a hot tin of buttery rolls. This was Sunday dinner at my mother’s house, a southern meal that didn’t go to waste.

Now, since I cook without grease or butter, I often hear people say, “If it has no grease or butter, it cannot possibly taste good.”

Well, let me tell you, that’s a misleading statement. I hear it all the time. No wonder there is a decline in overall health in this country.

“So how can I change my health for the better?” I’m glad you asked. It’s not complicated at all. First, eat foods that are nutritious. Maintain an exercise regiment. Drink plenty of water.

And then change your lifestyle.

Making a lifestyle change may take a little time, but don’t despair. You’ll get there.

If you’re serious and really want to achieve success, you’ll make it work. If you are trying to lose weight or regain your health, the foods you consume can be a lifesaver, or a death sentence.

It is so important to read food labels. Don’t be misguided by labels that say organic, natural, gluten-free and a host of other false advertisements. Processed, prepackaged foods, for example, are loaded with sodium, cholesterol, transfat and other problematic ingredients.

If you’re eating the wrong foods, it won’t take long before the pounds start adding up and your health starts declining. No one really knows what it feels like to be overweight unless you’ve been there. The same applies to diabetic sufferers and those undergoing emotional stress.

You won’t know how it feels until you’ve walked in their shoes.

Everyday we’re faced with certain challenges and obstacles. Some are small, while others appear larger than life.

We need to learn to look at

those issues with both eyes open and not just focus on the far distant horizon, which, at times, can be a misleading blur.

Too many times we concentrate on things that we think are important, but in actuality are not. Focus on those things that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.

Many of us are stressed to the max, which, in most cases, is self-inflicted. It can lead to premature death too.

Don’t be afraid to change your lifestyle. It may even change your appearance. One thing is for certain: Once you decide to change your inside – that is by eating the right food

– the outside will change for the better and you’ll look radiant and energized.

So, keep the focus on being healthy. It’s not just about how much weight you want to lose, how many miles you’ve run or how much time you’ve spent in the gym. If you focus on eating healthy, you’ll see a

change – a marked one. Put in the hours and make those simple changes that are necessary to succeed.

(Dr. Timothy Moore teaches nutrition, heart disease and diabetes reversal through a plant-based lifestyle. He is a professional speaker, wellness

coach and personal plantbased chef. He is the author of “47 Tips To Reverse Your Diabetes.” He can be reached by email at cheftimothy@ cheftimothymoore.com, visit him at www.cheftimothymoore .com or follow him at w w w. t w i t t e r. c o m / cheftimmoore.)

Page 4

OPINION

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

A Real Times Newspaper

Tri-State Defender

February 7 - 13, 2013

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

Black Women’s Agenda group leads call for gun control

by Gwainevere Catchings Hess

Special to the New Tri-State Defender

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson and members of the 16th Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit rang the NASDAQ Closing Bell last Thursday (Jan. 31). (Photo: Zef Nikoll)

The state of equality and justice in America

ʻAmerica stands at a crossroadsʼ

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. America stands at a crossroads. We can take the high road toward equal access to high quality public education, reaffirm our commitment to democratically elected public officials, end the failed war on drugs, recommit to the right of workers to bargain for better conditions, lower our dreadful rate of hyper-incarceration and implement the affordable care act.

Or, we can travel in the opposite direction and move the nation away from equal opportunity and justice.

One reason our political bodies are so sharply divided is over this question of justice. Some Americans seem to believe that we have done enough to achieve justice. Others understand that the struggle for justice and equality is a continuing American project that requires patience and perseverance.

There are some disturbing trends.

A decade ago, there were 40 million uninsured people. Today, the number is closer to 50 million.

There is greater income inequality and more poverty. Average Americans have lost trillions of dollars in family wealth – largely the result of unregulated real estate markets. We have not yet regulated exotic Wall Street investments like derivatives.

Our incarceration rate continues to grow; we imprison more people than any other developed nation in the world, per capita, while drugs are more plentiful and lower priced than they were a decade ago.

Fewer boys are finishing college and the rate at which we produce engineers is dropping. We rank lower in health outcomes than much poorer nations. These trends must be addressed and reversed if we are to continue to prosper and lead the world.

We seem fatigued with questions of racial and ethnic justice. Affirmative action is under attack, again.

Racial profiling, abuse of prosecutorial discretion, excessive use of police force, runaway juries, disparate sentencing and selective prosecution are generally accepted as normal, not exceptional.

While we celebrate the promise of the Lillie Ledbetter Act, too much race discrimination lurks in our work places. Instead of looking at our immigrant population as a strength to be cul-

tivated, we ignore, or pander to them.

Our civil rights apparatus is fraying. There is a trend away from joining and supporting organizations – churches, unions, and civil rights organizations.

Rugged individualism is no substitute for institutional voices for justice and equality. Noah built an ark to withstand the flood. Those who could swim died outside the ark.

Those who could not swim survived inside the ark. Good swimmers can’t swim 40 days and 40 nights. We need strong institutional bulwarks to protect us from exclusion and prejudice.

Perhaps the most disturbing trend is away from the universal franchise.

The right to vote secures every other right. We are encountering stiff headwinds that threaten to undermine democracy itself.

Despite “Citizens United,” money is not speech. Our elections should not be bought and sold like vacation homes and yachts. Latter day, politically driven obstacles – voter suppression – is un-American. There is no political goal that justifies dishonest schemes to disenfranchise American citizens.

America is not a race, or a religion, color or language. America is built on a set of noble, but fragile premises: All men are created equal; one person-one vote; majority rule. It is these principles that make the American experiment work – undoing them could unravel the fabric of the nation.

Yet, I remain optimistic.

Our union has been in the process of perfecting itself throughout its entire existence. America has been a laboratory experiment in justice and equality. The enslaved never adjusted to being considered less than human.

Women never adjusted to secondclass citizenship. Workers refused to acquiesce to exploitation. Seniors refused to accept the indignity of poverty after a life of industry. Young people refused to be seen and not heard.

That is the genius of the American experiment – we become a better, stronger nation when we insist that the nation live with its conscience.

(The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is President/CEO of the Chicago-based Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. This article – the fourth of a 20-part series – is written in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. For more information, visit www.lawyerscommittee.org.)

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Tri-State Defender Platform

1. Racial prejudice worldwide must be destroyed.

2. Racially unrestricted membership in all jobs, public and private.

3. Equal employment opportunities on all jobs, public and private.

4. True representation in all U.S. police forces.

5. Complete cessation of all school segregation.

6. Federal intervention to protect civil rights in all instances where civil rights compliance at the state level breaks down

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The White House on Saturday (Feb. 1) released a photo of President Barack Obama shooting skeet last August, backing up a recent claim that he had fired a gun before. (White House photo: Pete Souza)

Obama gun photo a mistake CNN

by LZ Granderson When then Sen. Obama was running for president, many of his critics accused him of being a Muslim – as if being a Muslim in a country that prides itself for its freedom of religion is a bad thing.

In fact a Pew Research Center poll taken October 2008 found 16 percent of voters who identified as conservative Republicans thought he was, despite numerous photos of him and his family attending a traditional Christian church.

Despite Obama saying he was a Christian.

In July 2012, that number increased to 30 percent despite more photos of him attending a Christian church. Despite Obama repeating he is a Christian.

In 2008, his critics accused him of not being born in the U.S. – despite the Republican governor of Hawaii verifying that he was and birth announcements from 1961 in the state’s two primary newspapers.

So in 2011, to appease these critics, Obama released the long form of his birth certificate. And in 2013 a poll taken by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that 64 percent of Republicans believe Obama “is hiding important information about his background and early life, which would include what’s often referred to as ‘birtherism.’”

Or as I like to call it – craziness.

Which brings us all to Skeet-gate.

In yet another attempt to appease irrational critics, the White House released a photo of the president shooting a gun to prove he is not an enemy of the Second Amendment and that he has in fact shot a gun before (as if that’s required to not want criminals or the mentally ill to have access to semi-automatic weapons.)

And surprise, surprise, skeptics are not satisfied, saying the picture is fake and his affinity for shooting phony, even though there’s evidence of President Obama talking about practicing shooting a rifle with members of the Secret Service way back in 2010.

“One picture does not erase a lifetime of supporting every gun ban and every gun-control scheme imaginable,” said Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the National Rifle Association.

Well, Arulanadam should tell Michael Bloomberg about all of Obama’s gun-control support because it seems each time there’s been a mass shooting the outspoken mayor of New York tears into the president.

“The president has spent the last three years trying to avoid the issue, or if he’s facing it, I don’t know of anybody who has seen him face it,” Bloomberg said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” days after the Aurora shooting.

Bloomberg was right of course.

As a candidate in 2008, Obama talked about reinstating the federal ban on assault weapons, but he hadn’t aggressively addressed guns from a policy perspective until December’s Newtown tragedy. In fact, in a blatant display of hypocrisy, while the NRA demonized Obama for

something he didn’t do, they endorsed Mitt Romney, who actually did sign a law banning assault weapons while governor of Massachusetts.

But those are all just facts.

And when LZ you’re dealing Granderson with crazy people, it doesn’t really matter how many facts you present, because – well – they’re crazy and they’re just going to believe what they’re going to believe.

I thought the president learned this lesson after the whole Muslim/birther slander hurled his way in his first term. But, barely a couple of weeks into his second term, here

Barely a couple of weeks into his second term, here Obama is once again releasing photos in an effort to silence irrational critics who pay no attention to the facts.

Obama is once again releasing photos in an effort to silence irrational critics who pay no attention to the facts.

Some of his critics are justified in their challenges to his policies because the facts don’t support some of his administration’s claims.

Some critics are concerned about the direction of the economy and legitimately think he is doing a sub-par job. But there are some who just want to watch his world burn and they don’t give a damn what else or who else burns with him. And it doesn’t matter how many documents the White House releases, Obama simply will not win those people over.

“A lot of people want to see his college transcripts,” Donald Trump said in an interview with CNBC last year. “They’re not looking at his marks, his grades. ... They want to see, what does he say about place of birth. Now, those transcripts have disappeared, nobody seems to be able to get them.”

After college transcripts it will be his marriage license.

Then fingerprints.

Then toenail clippings.

This constant push to prove “he’s not one of us” is not going to go away.

So the next time the NRA or Trump or whoever else feels the need to question Obama’s cred, instead of posting pictures of him shooting a gun or going to church or what have you, he should post a graphic showing he’s the first president since Eisenhower to capture at least 51 percent of the popular vote twice.

That mandate from the American people is really all the cred he needs.

(LZ Granderson, who writes a weekly column for CNN.com, is a senior writer and columnist for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter: @locs_n_laughs.)

Like many Americans, I was horrified to learn that the National Rifle Association (NRA) has chosen to press its case for armed guards in the nation’s schools with a commercial referencing Gwainevere President ObaCatchings ma’s daughters.

Hess Haven’t enough of our children been victimized by our inability to address gun violence?

Instead of lashing out and attacking anything and anyone who suggests there is a need for gun control legislation, The National Rifle Association should consider the model the Johnson & Johnson company provided during the 1982 Tylenol tampering scandal.

When seven people died in Chicago after taking Tylenol extrastrength capsules laced with cyanide, Johnson & Johnson took 31 million bottles of Tylenol off the shelves and proactively made the public aware of the crisis. Recalling the popular painkiller and offering tablet replacements free of charge to the public clearly was not a profitable decision. However, Johnson & Johnson used the crisis to do the right thing and helped create a new culture of tamperproof medicine bottles. Now, three decades later, we’ve all come to expect that every off-theshelf medicine we consume will be presented in tamperproof containers.

The difference between the NRA and Johnson & Johnson is that the makers of Tylenol did not attempt to blame others. The company took action that reaffirmed its commitment to “doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use (its) products and services...”

The NRA has not placed the American people first, nor has it sought to create a meaningful dialogue as to what can happen when guns are misused. Instead of making the most of a teachable moment – an opportunity to collaborate and consider solutions with mental health providers, Hollywood producers, video game creators, recording companies, and environmentalists who promote a habitat for large swaths of land for hunters, skeet and trap shooters – the NRA sidestepped the issue by taking aim at the President’s daughters and recommending that we arm more Americans.

As president of The Black Women’s Agenda (BWA) Inc., I lead an organization that is dedicated to advancing, securing and protecting the rights and well-being of black women. Along with our 19 National Collaborating Organizations – sororities, civic, service, and faith-based – we represent millions of women across the U.S. and worldwide. The safety of our families has always been our priority, and I believe the NRA’s behavior has been reprehensible and reckless.

The National Rifle Association has yet to make a credible argument as to why civilians need to have assault weapons or why there shouldn’t be background checks that would help keep criminals and those wrestling with mental illness and other demons from shooting, maiming and killing our loved ones in schools, movie theaters, shopping malls or in front of our homes.

This is the time for action, not attack ads.

On Feb. 14th – Valentine’s Day – The Black Women’s Agenda will kick off the “For the Love of Families” initiative encouraging our membership and like-minded individuals to call or email the NRA and request that the organization make a genuine effort to forge partnerships with Congress, the Obama administration and key players in the campaign for gun safety.

In addition, we will contact our Congressional representatives to press them to pass a ban on the sale and production of assault weapons and gun magazines with more than ten rounds, as well as legislation calling for background checks for individuals seeking to purchase guns.

I invite you to join us in this effort.

Email the NRA at https://contact .nra.org/contact-us/aspx, or call 1800-672-3888. Tell the organization there is still time to step up and play a constructive role in promoting gun safety.

Also, contact your representatives in Congress (U.S. Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121) and tell them you are counting on them to protect your family by voting responsibly on this issue. There are lives at stake.

(Gwainevere Catchings Hess is president of The Black Agenda, Inc.)

Tri-State Defender

COUNTY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

put applicants through entrepreneurial boot camp then connect them with venture funders.

• On Feb. 10th, The Memphis Cook Convention Center will host the “largest ever” startup conference, with start-up companies and venture funders.

• EDGE and chamber officials are continuing to recruit businesses such as Mitsubishi Electric and Electrolux.

• Continued county government support for small, minority and women-owned businesses by ensuring access and opportunities to compete for contracts on “some of our most significant projects.”

• Across the county, “we are finding that applicants are not meeting the minimum employment requirements. This has caused a great deal of discussion surrounding job readiness initiatives.”

• In an effort to create a single voice on the state level, “we successfully managed to have every single municipal chamber sign a Memorandum of Understanding so that our individual visions can be aligned for the greater good of Shelby County.”

• With Gov. Haslam’s administration placing added emphasis on workforce investment, “We intend to leverage that emphasis by cultivating collaboration and engagement between industry, government, and the citizens that they serve.”

Fiscal responsibility

• The financial management of the County is solid despite increasingly complicated demands.

• As the City of Memphis continues to trim services and budget burdens, “we too must look at services that no longer need to be under the umbrella of county government.”

• His administration has been shrinking county government. “From FY 10 to FY 13, we reduced general 188 fulltime general fund positions, which equates to a spending reduction of $11.7 million.”

• With the two school dis-

NEWS

tricts combining this fiscal year, “we stand to lose about $68 million in funding from the City of Memphis. Combined, the schools systems budgeted expenditures are expected to exceed revenue in fiscal 2013 by $36 million.”

• The County Sheriff has determined that the impact to his budget will be $4.2 million if the city follows through and stops providing in-kind security after the merger.

• Realistically ... we have to expect the school budget to reflect a deficit. The County will have to consider funding that deficit.”

• “We need to require the schools to try to be as efficient as possible. However, we must put the children first…. There is nothing more important than educating all children in Shelby County…if we don’t, we will regret it 18 years later, for sure.”

• An overarching agreement with the Department of Justice to reinstitute public defenders in Shelby County Juvenile Courts will cost the County an estimated $4.5 - $6.5 million annually.

• Property taxes for the current year are expected to be just under $700 million, which is 60 percent of total County revenue. “We cannot legally reduce funding to education and debt service must be funded. We will need to look at every opportunity to increase revenue and reduce costs.

Culture

• “We need to move towards investing in the community preemptively.”

• The Office of Sustainability has funding to be used to increase resources for recycling, energy efficient upgrades on buildings, and building a network of greenways, parks and open spaces.

• Working to create a culture of healthiness in Shelby County includes engaging senior level leadership to be champions for healthier lifestyles and making employees aware of their personal health issues.

• The Healthy Shelby countywide initiative is focused on addressing infant mortality, acute illnesses, and end of life care.

February 7 - 13, 2013

“For the first time in a long time, we’ve made significant progress in our infant mortality rate.”

Investing in young people

• Memphis and Shelby County Achieves provides last dollar scholarships for high school students. In its first year (2012), the scholarship was offered to 359 seniors. This year, there already are 3,094 total applicants.

• The Young Professionals Advisory Council meets regularly to discuss important topics and to develop strategies for recruiting, retaining, and developing young people.

Neighborhoods

• Shelby County, Memphis specifically, is seriously challenged by issues of vacant properties and blight. The Public Affairs Office assists citizens in establishing neighborhood associations and then holds monthly neighborhood partnership meetings to address concerns and provide raining opportunities.

• The settlement last year with Wells Fargo resulted in millions of dollars for citizens to apply for down payment assistance to buy a home. Shelby County leveraged $600,000 and put it to work in the homes of “the socio-economically disadvantaged to keep people in their homes.” In a partnership with the Memphis Area Association of Governments, “a large portion of our elderly applicants” were directed towards a $75,000 fund for similar purposes.

• Funds from Luttrell’s Charitable Golf Tournament were donated to Northaven Elementary, “an area that we’ve worked hard to improve.”

• The Mayor’s Action Center is developing a rapid response system.

• Initiatives such as “Meet the Mayor” are helping to restore faith in government.

Going forward

“In order for our government to create a legacy, we have to stay engaged with the living, breathing communities within the County,” said Luttrell.

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NEWS

February 7 - 13, 2013

U of M set to host ‘The Warmth of Other Suns’ author

Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author, will deliver the Belle McWilliams Lecture in American History at the University of Memphis on Thursday (Feb. 7) evening.

The first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, Wilkerson will speak during an event that begins with a reception at Rose Theater at 6 p.m. Her lecture is set for 6:30 p.m.

In her book, “The Warmth of Other Suns,” Wilkerson describes one of the great underreported stories of twentieth-century American history: the “Great Migration” of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North.

She tells the story of three who made the journey, of the forces that compelled them to leave,

and of the many others – famous and not so famous – who went as far as they could to realize the American Dream.

“Wilkerson has created a brilliant and innovative paradox: the intimate epic. At its smallest scale, this towering work rests on a trio of unforgettable biographies, lives as humble as they were heroic,” write the judges of the Lynton History Prize from Harvard and Columbia Universities.

“In powerful, lyrical prose that combines the historian’s rigor with the novelist’s empathy, Wilkerson’s book changes our understanding of the Great Migration and indeed of the modern United States.”

A former correspondent for the New York Times, Wilkerson conducted over 1200 interviews over 15 years for “The

Warmth of O t h e r Suns.” It has won over ten major literIsabel ary prizes, Wilkerson including the National Book Critics’ Circle Award for Nonfiction, and has been named to over thirty periodicals’ lists for “Best Books of the Year.”

Wilkerson’s lecture is made possible by the Department of History, the Program in African and African-American Studies, the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, the Department of English, the Center for Research on Women, the Department of Journalism, and Facing History and Ourselves.

Tri-State Defender

Tri-State Defender

BUSINESS

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Why 4G may lead to bigger smartphone bills

Look of success?

Swagger, polish in; matchy-matchy out Despite the success of moguls who have made casual dress cool and trendy, the first impression is still a lasting impression whether you are in corporate America or in business for yourself.

Russell Simmons, Master P, Richard Branson and Steve Jobs proved that a suit is not a requirement to earn serious wealth. While brilliance, genius and creativity are associated with each, they share another commonality – they dressed appropriately for the business models they created.

In the business world, there is considered to be a Return on Investment (ROI) to the way you dress. When your attire is polished, there is ROI. Note, however, that a polished look does not have to mean expensive and name brands.

So let’s evaluate the makings of a well-groomed individual.

Confidence When the outfit is put together well, the confidence level rises and the posture is even better. Clients and customers respond well to confidence and the appearance that you know more about the product or service than they do.

Hair Neatly styled hair makes the statement that you are here for business. Hair that is not a distraction for all of the wrong reasons is a must. But again it depends on your environment and what you are trying to communicate.

Shoes Whether for men or women, shoes should be shined and fit appropriately. Shoes complete the outfit and can absolutely ruin a great look if not in good shape.

Fragrance Smelling good is a plus in any setting. In a professional setting, it is a sign of great grooming. It is like the cherry on top of ice cream sundae.

The key is that the fragrance should not be overwhelming for others.

Page 7

February 7 - 13, 2013

Suits vs. casual In a professional environment, a suit is always appreciated.

Dressing like you Carlee McCullough are a boss is key to becoming one. If you are a boss, it lets ev er yo ne know that you are the “go to person” without uttering a word.

Russell But reSimmons member t h i s : whether the outfit is a suit or casual, fit is the key. It should not be too tight, too loose, too short or too long. It should fit just right.

Nails Clean, neat and trimmed nails are a must in business.

Chipped polish and nails do not help to create a professional look.

Gucci, Prada or Vintage A pricey name brand is not the key to a great look. Gucci can look awful if the fit is not right. Vintage or resale stores can offer huge bargains on great finds.Sometimes name brands from prior seasons can be found for a fraction of the cost.

Complimentary colors – Not matchy-matchy A well-put together look for women is not so “matchymatchy.” Red suit, red stockings, red shoes, red purse and red accessories are just plain overkill. The colors should be complimentary and at times contrasting to make a statement.

The art of attraction Couple a stylish-and-pol-

CNNMoney

by David Goldman

Music and fashion mogul Russell Simmons is a walking testament to the value of dressing appropriately for your business model. (Courtesy photo)

ished look with knowledge, wit and charm and people will be drawn to you. Doors will be open and people may be calling you. In sum, people are drawn to success, even if it is just the look of it. Successful clients and customers want to be affiliated with other successful people.

Eyewear Glasses have now become a fashion statement. Styles today can range from retro to nouveau. Whether they are used only as a statement or to aid visually, make them bold and chic, not silly and comical.

Swagger Accent all of the above with a confident walk and you are sure to land that client. The key to a polished look is being confident in the look that you are presenting to the world.

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

NEW YORK – Thinking about upgrading to a 4G phone? Prepare to pay more.

Before you know it, those 2gigabyte data caps your carrier put in place just aren’t going to cut it.

The average American will use 6.2 GB of data on their mobile devices each month in 2017, according to the latest annual Visual Networking Index released by Cisco. To put that into context, Americans used just 752 MB Americans on average last year.

If data plans stay the same five years down the road, the average user’s smartphone bill could grow by $40 a month.

The wide-spread roll-out of 4G, the lightning-fast wireless networks that all four of the major carriers are in the process of deploying across the country, is expected to be the main culprit. 4G is capable of speeds comparable to your home broadband service, and it’s roughly 10 times faster than 3G. By 2017, Cisco predicts that the average smartphone connection speed will grow more than three-fold.

The faster the connection, the more stuff people consume on their mobile devices – particularly large video files, which will be the primary driver behind the download explosion, Cisco says. Streaming video services such as Netflix, Hulu and Google-owned YouTube are expected make up twothirds of downloads in five years.

The number of 4G devices is relatively small now. Just 1 percent of devices were connected to 4G networks last year – but those smartphones and tablets accounted for 14

The average American will use 6.2 GB of data on their mobile devices each month in 2017, according to the latest annual Visual Networking Index released

by Cisco. Americans used just 752 MB Americans on average last year. (Photo: Nokia/Google/Apple) percent of global mobile traffic. By 2017, Cisco estimates that 10 percent of the world’s devices will have 4G connections, and they will make up almost half of all traffic.

Clearly, people who have (or plan to buy) 4G-capable phones will download like crazy. That has vast implications for wireless carriers – and your wallet.

Today’s mobile-data-peruser average sits just below the entry-level 1 GB data tier that Verizon has put in place and well under the 3 GB tier that AT&T offers. But if Cisco is right that we’ll all be consuming 6.2 GB-permonth on average in five years, those same Verizon or AT&T customers would have to pay $40 a month more in their cell phone bills to cover all that data.

The companies haven’t exactly been shy about stating the rationale behind switching to tiered and shared data plans. As customers rack up more and more gigabytes on their 4G devices, they pay more.

But if those plans don’t change, carriers with data caps or tiers are going to have a revolt on their hands.

For the time being, Sprint

and T-Mobile continue to offer unlimited data service for mobile customers “As you have more people using bandwidth-intensive applications on the networks, carriers are putting data caps in place,” said Thomas Barnett, manager of Cisco’s Visual Networking Index team.

“But carriers will need to evolve their tiers for cell service to remain affordable – while still getting those top users reined in.”

AT&T and Verizon declined to comment on whether they’d consider raising their tiers as average use ticks higher in the future.

But those tiers have clearly been very effective. American mobile customers offloaded half of their traffic to Wi-Fi networks last year. In other words, the prospect of paying more has forced customers to think twice about when they need to use a 3G or 4G network.

By 2017, Cisco forecasts that 66 percent of smartphone and tablet traffic will be over Wi-Fi. So that may be a way for consumers to keep watching Netflix on their phone or tablet without paying an arm and a leg to their carrier.

RELIGION

Page 8

Tri-State Defender

February 7 - 13, 2013

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

Dear Grandma: Hudson, Keyes & Beyoncé dominate on ‘Super’ stage

Dear Lucy: I watched the Super Bowl Game yesterday and saw history. There were these three incredibly beautiful and talented African-American women dominating the screen with their moving performances. Jennifer Hudson was dressed like a 20’s, curvy schoolteacher with a voice from heaven. Alicia Keyes was decked out in an elegant red gown crooning while playing her craft on the piano. And then there was the mega-star, Beyoncé who proved hands down that she can sing, dance, be a generous friend and take over a stage, stadium and screen. Things have really changed.

No matter how proud I was of Beyoncé, I could not help but think that my grandmother would have rolled over in her grave to see her lack of clothing and public dance moves like that! I am not in the group that criticizes Beyoncé, I am just considering how much has changed.

– “Just Saying” Dear “Just Saying”: “There is

nothing new under the sun.” Today, we just have Internet, television and awesome technology to make sure that there is maximum exposure of whatever one’s pleasure happens to be.

Lucy I am not a footShaw ball fan but I jumped at the opportunity to watch this Super Bowl and see these female stars dominate the screen in an unprecedented way.

These are young women in the very competitive world of musical performance. They shine because they are not only mega-talented but because they are also few in number.

You are right, there was an interesting contrast in how each of them presented. Appropriately, Jennifer was dressed for singing with a group of chil-

dren. Alicia was dressed with a solemn nod to the mood of the country for our soldiers. Well, Beyoncé was dressed as Beyoncé; doing what Beyoncé is wellpaid and trained to do...provide entertainment over the top!

Every Super Bowl show is expected to deliver on this. She is “hot,” draws a crowd and is capable of creating a little controversy. After dealing with her lip-sync fiasco of last week like a brilliant business woman, she went on to prove why she was invited to the Super Bowl. This morning, unable to criticize her performance, she was accused of throwing the Illuminati sign out during her performance. Now the Illuminati is presumed to be a small, elite, super-secret group of influential individuals who have shaped the course of world events for centuries.

Yes, I know not only my grandmother, but my mother would have been alarmed and appalled by the public display of flesh and suggestive moves. When I was in junior

high I desperately wanted to be a majorette. My mom wasn’t having it. I tried out anyway and was turned down because I was too skinny!

My Mom never found out but she made sure I joined the band and was fully covered up in pants and a hat.

My best friend was selected to be a majorette and had big fun being one.

Her parents loved her as much as mine loved me. My friend was no less a great teenager just like me, trying to solidify her identity. Her parents’ ideas about flashing flesh in public were just different from my folks.

While my mother would not allow me to be a majorette, I can remember her being very proud to mention Josephine Baker as a successful, beautiful, flesh-flashing black rebel who had to move to France to be recognized for her special talents in a bygone era. Then, as now, “over the top” sells and entertains. We don’t have to watch nor do we have to buy.

Opinions on covering and uncovering women are as diverse as the Mus-

lim Burka to the nudist camps.

Many of us do things that we think are and will be kept private, while others do things as a part of their livelihood. At the end of the day, free will still reigns and judgment is personal.

And what about that game? Awesome and entertaining, too.

Lucy

(You can watch Lucy on Channel 17 (Comcast) every Thursday at 10:30 am. (Send your questions to her by U.S. mail to: Heartworks4U, LLC; 4646 Poplar Ave. Ste 201, Memphis, TN 38117 or by e-mail to lucy@heartworks4u.com. Get your free gift at http://www. 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 from her website.)

RELIGION BRIEFS

SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING

Wrong question: Can God answer?

2001 Choir reunion set for Monumental Baptist

NNPA News Service

by James Washington

If you’re like me, prayer is a subject that keeps popping up because sometimes out of sheer habit, I keep doing it. Intellectually I understand its purpose and its benefit. But sometimes I get lost in the reality of who and under what circumstances I’m moved to sincerely pray. It’s then that I want my prayers answered on my time for my reasons, forgetting or not wanting to remember all things happen for a reason; God’s reason to be precise.

This past Sunday, the minister reminded me that God’s plan happens on God’s time and our job is to be open and ready for His answer to our prayers.

Simply put, he said, delay is not denial. God answers all prayer in His time, in His way, with His power and for His purpose. That’s it and we have to deal with it.

But as Christians when you think about it, God’s time, His will and power for His purpose is not so bad. As a matter of spiritual fact, we should prefer it that way even when we have the audacity to think we know what’s best for us.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts (higher) than yours.” (Isaiah 55:8-9.)

First of all, God answers all prayer in one of three ways: 1.) Yes, 2.) No, or 3.) Not now. The question is never can God answer. The real question is, “Does your faith acknowledge that you know He can?” One of the hardest things to reconcile is that there are times that God puts you in helpless impossible situations in order to let you know it’s all about Him. “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but he was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” These words… were written not for him alone, but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Romans 4: 20-24.)

The more you read about and try to really comprehend prayer the more you come away knowing how pure this communication should be between you and God. There is no disbelief for a child who

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24.) (Photo illustration by Karanja A. Ajanaku)

believes in Santa Claus because his parents told him to. God keeps telling us to believe in him. Can you? Do you really?

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24.)

Each and every time it comes down to that belief thing. Prayer always calls your faith into question.

I sometimes pray for the faith that accesses the power of God. This is not ego on my part but humility to ask that I might be a vessel empty enough of me to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe God’s grace will flow more freely and through me, His will will be done. Wouldn’t you like to know that kind of power up close and personal in your own life? Think again about why that mustard seed example was given in the first place.

“Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?” (Matthew 17: 19.)

They couldn’t do something they thought they should have been able to.

“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20-21.)

Unfortunately faith is tested each and every day.

Most times I think we merely look at it as “life happens” and try to move on, get past it at least until life serves up the tragically impossible. Prayer comes to mind first when unwavering faith is called for. As I catch myself praying out of habit sometimes, I’m reminded it’s more about God and less about my circumstance.

Put it in God’s hands and let it go. Believe me. I know personally that’s so much harder than it sounds. But my God said in His time, in His will, by His way and because of His power, it will be done.

I’m just trying to take those words to the bank.

PRAISE CONNECT

(Special to the NNPA from the Houston Forward Times)

In 1989, the Rev. Samuel B. Kyles named the youth singing aggregation of Monumental Baptist Church “The 2001 Choir,” with a focus on them bringing to the worship experience songs that would attract other youth and young adults to the church and to the ministry of music.

While a staunch promoter of traditional styles of music with very concrete lyrics (the Doctor Watt hymns, for example), Kyles wanted the group to sound “differently” from the established adult choirs of the church. He understood the importance of this group being able to express their faith and praise through music that was, at the time for them, considered contemporary.

Now the members of The 2001 Choir, many with children and young adults of their own, wish to “go back” and rekindle the love and camaraderie they enjoyed.

Under Minister Ben Boyd, they plan to “back-track” for some great Gospel music.

The reuniting will take place on Sunday (Feb. 10) at 5 p.m. at Monumental Baptist Church, 704 South Parkway East.

Annual Family Day at Castalia Baptist

Castalia Baptist Church, 1540 Castalia St., will observe its Annual Family Day Celebration with two services on Sunday (Feb. 10).

The Rev. Johnny Harrison, Castalia’s associate minister, will speak at the 8 a.m. service. The Rev. Dr. Randolph Meade Walker, pastor of Castalia, will speak at the 11 a.m. service.

A new “Family Of The Year” will be chosen based on “dedicated service in the community.

-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

TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST

672 So. Lauderdale 38126 P.O. Box 314 Memphis, Tn 38101 Phone (General) 774-1572 Pastor: 775-0740 Secretary: 775-1909

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

WEEKLY SERVICES

Sunday Sunday School 9:00 a.m.

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Night YPWW 5:00 p.m.

Night Service 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday Night Prayer 6:00 p.m.

Bible Study 7:15 p.m.

Wednesday Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m.

Friday Morning Prayer 9:00 a.m.

Night Service 7:30 p.m.

BROADCASTS 9:30 a.m. Sunday WDIA - 1070 AM

No Telecast Service

Dr. David Allen Hall Pastor

— Proverbs 1:7

“The Founder’s Church”

First Pastor: Senior Bishop C.H. Mason

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

—Revelation 1:8

ST. ANDREW A.M.E. CHURCH

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

—Ecclesiastes 3:1

867 SOUTH PARKWAY EAST Memphis, TN 38106

(901) 948-3441

Early Morning..........7:45 AM Church School..........9:45 AM Morning Worship......11:00 AM Bible Study For Youth and Adults Tuesday - 7:00 PM “Spirit, Soul, and Body!”

AM 1070 WDIA Sundays, 10:00-10:30 AM

TV Cable Access Broadcast Tuesdays, 7:30 PM, Channel 17 Website:www.saintandrewamec.org

Child Care Center (901) 948-6441 Monday-Friday 6 AM- 5:30 PM Emergency Food Pantry Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, Pastor & Clothes Closet Rev. Marilynn S. Robinson, Co-Pastor Wednesday 6 PM-8 PM

“Ministering to Memphis-Spirit, Soul and Body”

LIVING WELL 101

Tri-State Defender

February 7 - 13, 2013

Relationships, listening & the ‘better’ factor Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Chandra Clark

Building a case for better relationships through better listening, Florida A&M University professor Chandra Clark offers these tips for becoming “more active, engaged listeners.”

CONSIDER THE COMMUNICATION CONTEXT. The physical setting, time and location of a communication exchange may well impact its reception. For example, if you have a sensitive message for someone, it may be better to speak in person or by phone rather than via text or email.

PA R A P H R A S E / A S K QUESTIONS. With this strategy, we repeat what we think the other person has just said, but using our own words.

For example, you could say something like, “So what I hear you saying is…” This gives you the chance to clarify whether you have properly understood the other person. It also gives them the opportunity to correct any misconceptions you might have regarding the communication. Likewise, asking questions of the other person is also a way to

clarify what has been spoken.

Paraphrasing or asking questions decreases the chances of you jumping to conclusions, and it also communicates to the other person that you care.

PAY ATTENTION TO FEEDBACK. Feedback is the verbal and nonverbal responses of receivers during the communication process, and can be either positive or negative. Nodding, texting, yawning, and giving eye contact are all examples of feedback and can alert us to what the other person is feeling or thinking (no matter what they actually say). We can respond effectively to feedback in many ways. For example, if our listener gives us a quizzical look, we might rephrase what we have just said, or ask them if they have a question.

NOTE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION. The aforementioned feedback examples are also forms of nonverbal communication, which also includes tone of voice, gestures, all body language, etc., and can also shed light on the other person’s thoughts or feelings. In fact, according to research, between 60 to 70 percent of our communication

is nonverbal.

BE MINDFUL OF GENDER AND/OR CULTURAL DIFFERENCES. For example, studies show that men and women generally communicate differently. Men tend to focus more on what is said during a conversation, while women tend to focus more on the relationship between the speaker and listener. While men seek comprehension, women seek empathy and connection.

According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, all human beings have a need to belong.

We achieve this sense of belonging through our relationships. By improving our communication skills through becoming better listeners, we can enhance the quality of these relationships, and thus, our overall quality of life. So listen up!

(Chandra Clark is an assistant professor in the department of English and Modern Languages at Florida A&M University. Join Clark on Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. for a live Twitter chat for expert advice on relationship building through better communication. Follow @ FAMU_LivingWell.)

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ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, February 7 - 13, 2013, Page 10

WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?

REVIEW

Valentine’s Day – the countdown

Can you just feel it in the air?

There’s nothing like love, huh?

It’s “Boo Season #2” – better known to the masses as St. Valentine’s Day! It’s that one day a year that you have to prove to Myron that special Mays someone how much you care…because the other 364 days just really don’t matter.

It’s also that one day per year that most guys seem to have a shortage of creativity. I’ve seen guys stand in line on Feb. 14th with an arm load of candy and roses and leftover cards from Walgreens because they waited to the last minute and simply did not do their proper planning.

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day of love and warm and fuzzy feelings, at least for the special person in our lives. It wasn’t meant to be a stressful day for you. It doesn’t have to be a chore…neither does it have to be expensive.

Besides, it’s the thought that counts, right? Short on thoughts?

Well, don’t fret my friend. As always, I’m here to save the day.

These days, places such as “Groupon,” “Living Social” and “SweetJack” have made it very easy and affordable to buy almost anything. And during “Boo Season #2,” a guy can really look like a real Valentine’s Day professional. From candy to chocolate-covered strawberries to roses delivered to that special person, this can be a godsend for that guy who is on a budget. You can actually pay only a fraction of the cost of what everyone else is paying…and your special someone will never know.

Don’t like standing in long lines to have dinner? Me either! Why not prepare dinner at home? There are a ton of great recipes that don’t require a great deal of culinary skills. How do you find them? Google! It doesn’t take much to prepare a nice candle light dinner for the one you love.

Top it off with a nice inexpensive bottle of wine.

Here are a few extras: Play her favorite song.

Just call to say “I Love You.” Whisper sweet things in her ear.

Hold her hand.

Sing her a song.

Pay her cell phone bill.

OK, maybe the last one’s not very creative. But you get the idea right?

Oh yeah, here’s one more thing.

Don’t wait until next Thursday to buy a Valentine’s Day card. Go and pick one up today. There’s no excuse. I mean they’ve been there since the day after Christmas.

There you have it! It all starts with ideas…and now you have a few of them. And you have seven whole days to make it happen.

So get it in gear, times a wasting.

In the meantime, here’s what’s happening:

Fresh Trax at Stax

Looking for new places to get your original music played? The Music Commission has a new marketing program that you might be interested in.

Fresh Tracks at Stax Museum is a new way to get your music to the masses and receive honest feedback from consumers and fans. Fresh Trax will be held every first Thursday at 6 p.m. at Stax Museum, 926 East McLemore. The first listening session is Feb. 7th. For more details, call the Music Commission at 901576-6850.

Mardi Gras Reloaded

It’s Mardi Gras season, even in Memphis! So come party, eat and drink at 300 Art Gallery located at 300 South Main in downtown Memphis. Enjoy free food (9-11 p.m.). Admission is $15 and includes beads, mask and one hurricane or grenade drink! Doors open at 9 p.m. Doors close when everybody goes home.

Parting shot

The Memphis Black Expo is taking place in a couple of weeks; also one of your favorite authors is coming to town. Yes, Zane! She will be here later this month as well. I’ll have details on when and where plus a whole lot more. So stay tuned! Until then, that’s what’s happening!

(Got an event you’d like for me to cover or attend, email me at Myron@whatshappeningmyron.com)

“Itʼs all about the kids,” is a common refrain associated with Soulsville events. (Photos by Warren Roseborough)

Historical musical scores another hit for Stax Museum Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Tony Jones

he “Sacred Side of Soulsville” – performed at the Cannon Center Tuesday evening (Feb. 5) – brought the word pastiche to mind. Pronounced “pas-tēsh,” it paints a picture of “stylistic imitation.”

With that backdrop, I can say definitively that the celebration of the Stax Museum’s 10th anniversary hit a distinct high note with a play performance so apropo for African American History Month.

Combining a Broadway-style performance troupe from Soulsville Charter School and the Stax Music Academy as orchestra and stage troupe, the show’s writer, Justin Merrick, began the stage story in Grandville, Miss., lighting up the stage with a pyrotechnic intro of an eloquent dance sequence depicting slavery.

The story arched into the always-raging debate of nightclub culture versus church culture, vignettes of significant cultural time points and ended in a night of applause, “ooohs,” and “aaahhs.”

Merrick’s script ended perfectly with a significant performance by original Stax gospel maverick, the Rance Allen Group, and then the Stax kids closing with the O’jays’ hit, “Put Your Hands Together.”

It was a great moment. Rance Allen’s Stax work has long been considered a hallmark of early gospel. You can find quite a few old-schoolers who were in youth choirs when Allen debuted at Hamilton High School with a performance of “(Gonna Be A) Showdown” that is still talked about today.

His “That Will Be Good Enough For Me” went national at the same time and is considered a classic that only gifted singers dare approach. A master stroke was following up the Rance Allen Group’s performance with the praying classic from the O’jay’s crystal album about slavery, “Ship Ahoy.”

One of the fun things about covering Soulsville events is how you can seldom get a grownup to speak with you. “It’s all about the kids,” is the refrain to any question. And then you will be introduced to an articulate young person speaking real English about her/his experience at the Soulsville Charter School or the Stax Music Academy.

I came across an example of such in perfect trio while backstage during the intermission.

“It’s taught me about different genres of music and how to present myself professionally,” said April Horner, a Stax Academy student, who is an 11th grader at Whitehaven High School. “I would have never thought that I would love country music, but now I do. It’s something.”

Jalissa Logan, a “prospective scientist” and a 10th grader at Soulsville Charter School, was an extra in the production. “I’m just trying to get to that next level and it’s fun working for it so I can get better.

Ten-year-old Kyla Greer, a Stax Academy theatre student who attends Highland Oaks Elementary School, said, “I’m an actress, dancer and singer and it’s given me great exposure.

“I was able to attend the Dance Theater of Harlem this summer. I had to audition and was chosen. New York was so huge! I may want to become a Rockette!”

T

Rance Allen salutes the gospel roots he formed during the original Stax label days.

Academy parent Roniece Gilkey, April Horner, Jelissa Logan and Christopher Davis share smiles during intermission.

Gilkeyʼs son Kyler performed in the production.

“Sacred Side of Soulsville” playwright Justin Merrick running to ensure smooth scene transition.

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 11

February 7 - 13, 2013

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

Morris Chestnut (left) and Jason Bateman in “Identity Thief.” (Photo courtesy Universal Pictures) Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening February 8, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“Identity Thief” (R for profanity and sexuality) Crime comedy about an account rep’s (Jason Bateman) attempt to wrest control of his name back from the con artist (Melissa McCarthy) 2,000 miles away who stole his identity and went on a spending spree. Ensemble cast includes Amanda Peet, T.I., Jon Favreau, Morris Chestnut, John Cho and Robert Patrick.

“Side Effects” (R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and violence) Psychological thriller about an anxious young woman (Rooney Mara) whose life starts to unravel soon after she starts taking mood altering medication to deal with the return home of her recentlyparoled husband (Channing Tatum) With Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Vinessa Shaw.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“Caesar Must Die” (Unrated) Rehabilitation drama, set in Rome, revolving around maximum-security prison inmates’ preparation for a public performance of Shake-

speare’s Julius Caesar. Starring Salvatore Striano, Cosimo Rega and Giovanni Arcuri. (In Italian with subtitles) “Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder” (Unrated) Reverential retrospective about painter, beat poet and liberal activist Lawrence Ferlinghetti featuring archival footage of family, friends and colleagues like Allen Ginsburg, Amiri Baraka and Dennis Hopper.

“A Glimpse inside the Mind of Charles Swan III” (R for nudity and profanity) Charlie Sheen stars in the title role of this romantic comedy about a heartbroken graphic designer who comes to grips about being dumped by his beautiful girlfriend (Katheryn Winnick) by crying on the shoulder of his sister (Patricia Arquette) and a couple of pals (Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman). With Dermot Mulroney, Aubrey Plaza and Marc Coppola.

“Lore” (Unrated) World War II saga, set in 1945, about a 14 year-old girl (Saskia Rosendahl) who leads her younger siblings (Nele Trebs, Mika Seidel, Andre Frid and Nick Holaschke) on a perilous, 500 mile trek to grandma’s house in Hamburg after their Nazi parents (Hans-Jochen Wagner and Ursina Lardi) are arrested by Allied soldiers. With Sven Pippig, Philip Wiegratz and Kai Malina.

“The Playroom” (Unrated) Dysfunctional

family drama, set in the Seventies, revolving around four troubled siblings (Olivia Harris, Ian Veteto, Jonathon McClendon and Alexandra Doke) who escape to their attic while their alcoholic parents (John Hawkes and Molly Parker) are entertaining guests downstairs.

Cast includes Jonathan Brooks, Cody Linley and Lydia Mackay.

“A Rubberband Is an Unlikely Instrument” (Unrated) Down-and-out documentary about a Brooklyn family’s attempt to keep their head above water while dealing with gentrification and financial woes during the waning days of the G.W. Bush administration.

“The Sorcerer and the White Snake” (PG-13 for sensuality, violence, action sequences and frightening images) Martial arts fantasy based on an ancient Chinese legend about a sorcerer’s (Jet Li) fight for the soul of a physician (Raymond Lam) who has fallen in love with a 1000 year-old snake disguised as an attractive young woman (Eva Huang).

With Vivian Hsu, Zhang Wen and Charlene Choi. (In Mandarin with subtitles) “Top Gun” (PG for action sequences, sexuality and profanity) 3D re-release of the 1986 Tom Cruise classic chronicling the competition among some daredevil Navy pilots to graduate at the top of their class. With Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan.

HOROSCOPES

Feb. 7-13, 2013

ARIES Your mind is busy this week with thoughts of new projects and the things you want to get done. Best course of action is to clear up pending and overdue items. You’ll have a clean desk in no time and will feel genuinely content and relaxed for the week.

TAURUS Lots of opportunities are swirling around you, and it will require some diligence on your part to make the most of some of them.

You’ll be happy you put in some extra effort this week!

GEMINI Stay focused on the tasks before you this week and find a way to do your work with love. The pace will pick up soon enough, and the vibrations will be more to your liking. Enjoy a sociable week.

CANCER A quiet week will work wonders for you.

Make an effort to slow your pace, both physically and mentally this week. Use your imagination to think of quiet ways to entertain yourself.

LEO While you may have much work facing you in the beginning of the week, a steady, patient attitude will help you accomplish a great deal this week. Be good to yourself and take things nice and slow. You’ll finish what you need to.

VIRGO While you may have much work facing you in the beginning of the week, a steady, patient attitude will help you accomplish a great deal this week. Be good to yourself and take things nice and slow. You’ll finish what you need to.

LIBRA This week is another week when your intuition and insights are remarkable. A lesson you learned in the past may suddenly reveal itself as more this week; you’ll have plenty of food for thought.

SCORPIO Someone whose values are different than yours may annoy you this week if you let them. Let your most tolerant mind-set rule, and enjoy being able to listen to others’ points of view. You’ll feel very blessed by the end of the week.

SAGITTARIUS You learn something this week that makes you very happy. One of your most wonderful gifts is your ability to be delighted with all forms of learning and education. This is a terrific week for personal delight.

CAPRICORN Shopping has its appeals this week, and you’ll want to check your bankbook balance before indulging in anything that is whimsical and expensive. Give yourself hours to think about what’s important to you. Control impulses this week.

AQUARIUS A road trip might be in the offing; grab a friend and go dutch-treat. You’ll enjoy yourself more if you are sharing costs this week. Mutual generosity in all things will make your week perfect.

PISCES This week is likely to make you feel young again. You’ll want to play jokes and tricks on people around you. Make sure they are ready to deal with your playful mood. Enjoy yourself, you fabulous being!

Source: NNPA News Service

Page 12

SPORTS

CLASSIFIEDS

Tri-State Defender

February 7 - 13, 2013

TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS

Grizz lose back to back amid hunt for consistency Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kelley Evans

The Memphis Grizzlies are trying to work their way back to grit-andgrind basketball and apparently it’s going to take some time.

After back-to-back losses and the All-Star Game break looming, the Grizzlies are a team experiencing the pain associated with attempting to regroup and grow on the fly.

On Wednesday, Memphis suffered a 103-92 loss on the road to the Atlanta Hawks. The day before (Feb. 5), the Phoenix Suns took them down (96-90) at the FedExForum.

It all comes down to finding the team chemistry with the new pieces that are in the puzzle and finding ways to play to their strengths.

Against Phoenix, the Grizzlies showed glimpses of playing as a unit, but it all fell apart in the final frame.

The Grizzlies have played the Suns four times and the series is split 2-2 for the season. Phoenix out-rebounded the Grizzlies 40-34. Memphis forced 22 turnovers.

“The disappointing part is that they outscored us in the paint 52-40 and they got 11 offensive rebounds for 16 second-chance points,” said Grizz head coach Lionel Hollins.

Phoenix outscored Memphis 31-19 in the fourth quarter. Suns guard Goran Dragic finished the game with 17 points, including 15 scored down the stretch.

Dragic said it feels good when you win those kinds of games.

“In the fourth quarter, I was playing off the ball,” Dragic said. “I just got momentum. I was feeling great

and scored off some baskets.”

Grizz guard Jerryd Bayless led all scorers with 29 points off the bench.

All-Star Zach Randolph has been in an offensive slump lately, but he got it together to pitch in 21 points and 13 rebounds. New Grizz Tayshaun Prince finished with 11 points.

Randolph took only one shot in the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t look inside,” Hollins said. “I will take the blame for that.”

“It’s a real frustrating loss,” Randolph said. “I feel like we should have won the game (against Phoenix). We had a chance to win and we didn’t get the win. It takes time to get acclimated and get all of the plays. It’s a variety of things. It’s a tough loss, a disappointing loss. We should have won the game.”

Center Marc Gasol finished with six points and fouled out in the fourth quarter. Starting point guard Mike Conley finished with nine points.

“It’s a work in progress,” said Conley. “We have to find plays everyone is familiar and comfortable with. We just have some times where we have miscommunication with new guys and older guys who have been here. We just have to do a better job finding plays that work for everyone.”

Marcin Gortat led the Suns with 20 points and Jermaine O’Neal scored 14 off the bench.

Last night in Atlanta, Randolph led the team with 20 points. Conley finished with 17 and Bayless continued to be a spark off the bench pitching in 17.

The Grizzlies will face the Golden State Warriors on Friday at FedExForum.

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Jerryd Bayless has been a spark off the bench as of late. (Photo

by Joe Murphy)

Legal notices

Grizz players, execs and fans groove at gala for St. Jude

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE PEABODY PLACE PARKING GARAGE 250 PEABODY PLACE AVENUE The Memphis and Shelby County Parking Authority, (dba) Downtown Parking Authority, is seeking proposals for management of the PEABODY PLACE Parking Garage located at 250 Peabody Place in downtown Memphis.

Copies of the Request for Proposal may be downloaded at www.downtown memphiscommission.com The deadline for submitting a response to the RFP is 2:00 p.m. on February 28, 2013 Downtown Parking Authority Downtown Memphis Commission

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kelley Evans

The thought of Glen – a former patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a huge Grizzlies fan – brought tears to the eyes of many at the Fourth Annual Grizz Gala at the Gold Strike Casino Resort last Saturday.

The annual fundraiser was designed with children such as Glen in mind. Glen recently lost his bout with cancer, a sobering fact noted in a letter read to the crowd during the event. One couple agreed that they would celebrate the rest of the night for Glen and his life.

Sold out for the second consecutive year, the blue-tie affair gave fans the opportunity to join the Grizzlies in one of the team’s ongoing expressions of community giving.

“The Memphis Grizzlies are incredible friends to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Emily Callahan, chief marketing officer at St. Jude and a first-time gala attendee.

“Events like tonight – the Grizz Gala – to the first-class experience they give us at the Grizz games are important. The players come to the hospital and they have tea parties with the children. They put smile on their faces. I would not change anything.”

All proceeds from the gala benefit the Memphis Grizzlies House, which houses the families of patients that travel to Memphis to undergo treatment. The facility can accommodate up to 100 families and features an enclosed playground, fitness room and basketball court located on the campus of St. Jude.

This year – as always – the gala afforded new team members and new executives the opportunity to experience how their star power can make a difference in the lives of children battling illnesses.

“It’s my first time here and I am amazed at the support that’s given to the team and to St. Jude,” said Grizz guard Jerryd Bayless. “It’s a great event and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

For Grizzlies CEO and Managing

Dr. Womback takes a photo of her friend, Alex Rice, and Zach Randolph at the 2013 Griz Gala held at Gold Strike Casino.

Grizz rookies Chris Jackson (left) and Tony Wroten do the rookies dance at Grizz Gala 2013. (Photos: Warren Roseborough)

Partner Jason Levien, his first Grizz Gala also was his first event with St. Jude.

“It means a lot because the second

day I was on the job with the Grizzlies I went to visit St. Jude and I was blown away,” said Levien.

“I was blown away by the work

they’re doing, just by the campus, by the way they treat their patients. It was incredible. To have a tiny little role in helping them, it means a lot.”

2013 ‘City Championships’ to call FedExForum home

FedExForum will host one of the longest and best traditions in Memphis basketball, the 2013 MIAA High School “City Championships,” for the first time on Saturday (Feb. 9) at 1 p.m.

The 2013 City Championships will be a historical moment for the MIAA, as it is the last year under the name of Memphis Interscholastic Athletic Association – a move associated with the schools merge across the county.

Past stars of the MIAA “City

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Championships” – ongoing since the 1950s – include legendary Memphis players such as Larry Finch, Larry Spicer, John Gun, James Bradley, Todd Day, Penny Hardaway and Elliot Perry.

“Memphis is basketball and each year the City Championships showcases the homegrown talent and tradition our city is famous for,” said Hardaway, a Memphis Grizzlies owner and the “Honorary Chair.”

‘I am honored to chair the City

Championships and wish all the teams competing at FedExForum this February 9, the best of luck.”

The tournament will consist of six games and it begins with a 16A vs.

16B girl’s game and concludes with the 16AAA boy’s game. The East High School AAA boys won the state championship in 2012 and earned a mention in ESPN’s Top 25.

Tickets are now on-sale. General admission tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Limited floor

seats will be available for $50.

Tickets are valid for all six games.

Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office or by phone at 800-745-3000. (Additional fees may apply for all tickets purchased through Ticketmaster.)

(For more information, visit fedexforum.com, “like” FedExForum on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@FedExForum)

LEGAL NOTICE TO FURNISHERS OF LABOR AND MATERIALS TO PRO-SITE CONSTRUCTION, LLC FOR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS ALONG HOLMES ROAD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS CONTRACT NUMBER CA1214394 Notice is hereby give that SHELBY COUNTY is preparing to make settlement with PRO-SITE CONSTRUCTION, LLC for necessary and related work for the construction of SIDEWALKS ALONG HOLMES ROAD/SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS All persons holding claims against the Contractor, PRO-SITE CONSTRUCTION, LLC or their agents for materials or labor entering into the construction of this project must file itemized notice of such claim (two copies) with the original copy sworn to before a Notary Public. This notice to be received at the office of Clifton Davis, Administrator of Purchasing, Suite 550, 160 North Main, Memphis, Tennessee 38103, on or before March 27, 2013 in order to obtain the advantages afforded to claimants by legal statute.

Respectfully submitted, Clifton Davis Administrator of Purchasing Shelby County Government

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS DUE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 AT 4:00 PM Shelby County Government, Tennessee, an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer, seeks to retain the services of one or more engineering consulting firms to provide professional services related to the following: “MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES, 201 POPLAR HVAC RETROFIT” (RFQ# 13-001-35) Pre-Bid Conference: A voluntary pre-bid conference will be held at 9:00 AM, Monday, February 11, 2013 at the following location: Shelby County Support Services 584 Adams Avenue Conference Room Memphis, TN 38103 By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS DUE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 AT 4:00 PM Shelby County Government, Tennessee, an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer, seeks to retain the services of one or more engineering consulting firms to provide professional services related to the following: “VISUAL STREAM SURVEY SERVICES” (RFQ# 13-001-36) By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

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COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

February 7 - 13, 2013

Page 13

Online vs. in line Changes in 2013-14 student transfer process Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Dena L. Owens

“Instead of getting in line, parents will get online,” says William White, executive director of Research, Assessment, Evaluation and Student Information at Memphis City Schools.

White’s words concisely describe the new General Choice Transfer process, designed as an easier way for parents to apply for student transfers in the public school system.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb, 15, and running through April 1, parents throughout Memphis and Shelby County may apply for student transfers for 2013-14 using any available computer with Internet access without standing in line.

For the first time, parents with children in either district, Memphis City Schools (MCS) or Shelby County Schools (SCS), may apply for student transfers to any school in the city or county that will be a part of the unified district in 2013-14, provided that space is available.

Whether at home or work, or at locations with free public Internet access (such as a church or public library) at 10 a.m. sharp on Feb. 15, parents can open the online student transfer application by visiting www.mcsk12.net or www.scsk12.org, the Web sites of MCS and SCS. Parents can even use a smartphone to apply, if their phone supports online forms.

To log-in, parents must enter their child’s name, birth date, current grade and school, and either their Social Security Number or district PIN (personal identification number).

Still first-come, first-served

The General Choice Transfers process is an entirely online procedure, which combines the “Open Enrollment” process of MCS and the “Student Transfers” process of SCS. Regardless of where parents apply, applications will still be considered based on the order that they are received, just as done in years past in both districts.

Once a parent hits the submit button, the computer will stamp the application date and time, indicating the exact order. Parents will then see instructions on how to review the status online.

Rewriting history...

The Memphis City Council has passed a resolution (Feb. 4) renaming three Confederate-themed parks — Confederate Park (top left), Nathan Bedford Forrest Park (top right) and Jefferson Davis Park (above). The names have long been a source of controversy. The park names became a more pressing issue after two Tenn. legislators sponsored the “Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2013” that would have prevented a city from renaming a statue, plaque, monument or park named in honor of a war. The council acted before the state law could go into effect. The three parks have been renamed Memphis Park, Health Sciences Park and Mississippi River Park, respectively. (Photos by Brian Ramoly)

A more efficient process

“The General Choice Transfer process gives parents a choice using an easier, streamlined method,” said White. “The ease comes in being able to apply online at any available location.”

Angela Hargrave, director of Student Services at SCS, has worked closely with White to develop the wholly online system. She explains, “In addition to efficiency, the new process allows more families across Shelby County to have more choices for their child’s education than ever before.”

No paper applications will be printed or accepted with the new process.

Computer help for parents

On the first day of the application period (Feb. 15), MCS and SCS staff will be available to help parents with little to no experience with computers at two locations: MCS Technology Training Center, 3772 Jackson Ave.; and the SCS Gray’s Creek Administrative Office, 2800 Gray’s Creek Rd. Parents with challenged access to computers may also apply at these locations: MCS Northeast Regional Office (Treadwell CTC, 920 N. Highland).

MCS Southeast Regional Office (Airways Middle School, 2601 Ketchum).

MCS Northwest Regional Office (Vance Middle School, 673 Vance Avenue).

Southwest Regional Office (Walker Elementary School, 322 King Road).

Child’s current school or assigned neighborhood school (Not the requested school)

Transfer priority & enrollment spaces

On Jan. 29, the Shelby County Board of Education approved a school admissions policy outlining priority considerations for all new 2013-14 General Choice Transfer requests. Considerations such as sibling transfers and school employee priorities can be reviewed by visiting: http://www.scsk12.org/Policy_Manual/pm/ 6000/6002.html.

A list of 2013-14 available enrollment spaces at all MCS and SCS schools will be posted online on each district’s Web site for parents to review starting Monday (Feb. 11).

Parents of students on current MCS or SCS transfers were informed that their transfers are in force through the exit grade of the child’s current school. If a child is on a current transfer, parents are not required to re-apply for a 2013-14.

Application processes for Optional and International Baccalaureate programs continue during the General Choice Transfer period, but are separate from this process.

(For details about General Choice Transfers, visit www.mcsk12.net or www.scsk12.org, or call 901-416-5830, MCS Student Enrollment and Records, or (901) 473-2560, SCS Student Services.)

The local NAACP & ‘5 Game Changers’ Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Wiley Henry

A strategic plan helps a new group president put a stamp on the course he or she has in mind.

The Rev. Keith Norman, the new president of the Memphis Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), recently rolled out his.

Dubbed the “5 Game Changers for the 21st Century,” Norman’s plan comes as the Memphis Branch NAACP pushes forward with its annual fundraising campaign, the Freedom Fund Gala, which takes place March 20 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Norman, senior pastor of First Baptist ChurchBroad, has taken over the NAACP reigns held for 11 years by Dr. Warner Dickerson.

The game changers, he pointed out, are 1) renewing a focus on voter education and maintaining voting rights; 2) making sure that all children have access to a free, high quality public education; 3) leveling the field for affordable health care and access for all; 4) building systems of wealth and strengthening economic sustainability for all; and 5) ensuring public safety and criminal justice.

“The work of the NAACP is as vital today as ever before and our existence is truly needed.

However, I strongly believe that the battleground has shifted,” said Norman. “Although racial tensions are still far too prevalent within the context of our civilized society, the manifestations of racist actions have become more systemic and rooted within the culture and are not as easily recognized.”

Norman says his primary focus is to take the branch to the people and revitalize the image of

the branch as an active participant and leader in the struggle for human and civil rights.

“I hope to visit corporations, hospitals, schools, churches and other institutions to speak to large and small groups alike to hear them as well as to share in the mission of the NAACP today,” he said.

This effort is called “The NAACP: Where You Are?” Norman said.

“This effort will hopefully provide some clarity in the re-branding efforts of our once great institution and create an opportunity to share with people on how they can join with us and become a part of the fight in the emerging concerns of the day, as well as to help us to shape a current pursuit for our collective future actions.”

Norman’s community service is widely known, including his involvement in revitalizing the Binghampton community. He spearheaded the completion of a $2 million multipurpose family life/worship facility that is anchored in the community he serves. He also is overseeing the renovation of a 50,000-squarefoot abandoned building that will be known as The H.O.P.E. Zone. H.O.P.E., which stands for Haven of Perfective Empowerment, will be dedicated to Christian education, senior living, and temporary housing for the homeless.

Norman says his ministry and the work he’s doing for the NAACP are one in the same – serving a predominantly African-American community. Following great leaders who’ve served the Memphis branch and left great legacies is an honor that Norman doesn’t take lightly.

“Serving as president to the Memphis Branch as well as serving in any capacity beyond the pulpit, whether it is on the board of a hospital or advisor to elected officials, is sim-

The Rev. Keith Norman, the new president of the Memphis Branch NAACP, speaking at the U of M during a celebration of the community accomplishments of Cato Johnson last week (Feb. 1). (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)

ply an extension of my service to the calling of God,” said Norman.

Norman’s election as president of the Memphis branch coincides with his service as the Tennessee State Conference NAACP Religious Affairs Chairman and his election to the Special Contribution Fund Board of Trustees of the NAACP’s national office in February of last year. At the local branch, he’d served as the Religious Affairs Chair.

“I believe that God calls men and women to serve the Kingdom agenda, and that the Kingdom agenda is wherever we find ourselves,” he said. “I am serving for the time in which the Lord has given me with the realization that one day that time will come to an end.”

Cato & company…

Cato Johnson (right) received the Authur S. Holmon Lifetime Achievement Award at the University of Memphis last week.

He also joined U of M President Dr. Shirley Raines in unveiling the 2013 Black History Month Poster – the work of Xavier Jones (left). Gov. Bill Haslam (far right) attended the celebration. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)

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February 7 - 13, 2013

Tri-State Defender