AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH See Calendar of Events on Page 13
February 19 - 25, 2015
VOL. 64, No. 6
www.tsdmemphis.com
75 Cents
A meeting, a moment and the matter of ‘movement’
by Brittney Gathen
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Two mothers – both with sons killed under clouds of suspicion – greeted each other in a gathering room of Unity Christian Church in Memphis’ Whitehaven community. One was from Florida and the other from Arkansas and neither woman was prepared for the tragedy that claimed the life of her child. In various parts of the country, sounds continue to resonate and images painfully signal the mounting concern about African-American lives that end abruptly during violent confrontations. The collective aftermath of the more high-profile instances has brought the birth of #blacklivesmatter and stimulated discussions about whether a neo-civil rights movement is underway. Sybrina Fulton, the mother of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, and Teresa Carter, the mother of 21-year-old Chavis Carter, met at Unity Christian Church after the Heal the Hood Foundation’s Citywide Anti-Violence Youth Symposium on Jan.
9th. Jonesboro, Ark. police maintain that Carter’s son fatally shot himself in the head while handcuffed in the
back of a squad car. “It was very intense and very emotional because we could feel each
NNPA News Service
The Root
President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. meet at the White House on March 18, 1966. (Photo: Yoichi R. Okamoto/White House Press Office via Wikimedia Commons)
SEE BLACK LIVES ON PAGE 2
by George E. Curry
by Breanna Edwards
SEE LETTER ON PAGE 2
Defender last Saturday (Feb. 14th). The two women were able to meet because attorney Benjamin Crump represented the Fulton family and now is representing the Carter family. Learning of Fulton’s planned visit to Memphis to keynote the symposium, Carter and Kareem Ali, who has been working with the Carter family, contacted Crump and arrangements were made for the mothers to meet. What Fulton shared now is part of what sustains Carter. “She told me to continue to pray, never let up, continue to fight and just be strong and keep my head up,” Carter said. “It has helped me with some of my anger because I still have so much anger built up. So, when I go to getting angry or I get upset, then I remember the things she said because that’s what got her through.” Carter uses advice from Fulton to help maintain her focus on positive memories with her son, who died on July 29th, 2012. “I try to think about the good times that me and him shared, and what he’d be doing now, if he was still
Separate Selma marches cancelled as groups unify
LBJ’s condolence letter to Coretta Scott King set to be auctioned President Lyndon B. Johnson’s April 5, 1968 letter of condolence to the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – dated the day after King was assassinated – has been a highly controversial document at the center of a legal battle, and now it is up for auction, the Washington Post reports. In the historic letter, Johnson expresses his condolences to Coretta Scott King and adds that King’s assassin would be found. “We will overcome this calamity,” Johnson wrote. Years later, in 2003, Coretta Scott King gave the letter to singer Harry Belafonte, a staunch supporter and friend of her husband. Around 2008, the Post reports, Belafonte thought to auction the letter through Sotheby’s after Coretta Scott King died, but the Kings’ three surviving children were against the plan, being particularly guarded regarding their father’s legacy. This led to a lawsuit between Belafonte and the King estate after the estate claimed that the letter had been taken without permission, which ended any plans for a possible auction. Belafonte was allowed to keep ownership of the letter after the two sides reached a settlement early last year. Now the letter is set to go on the auction block in early March, just days after the 50th anniversary of the 1965 marches from Selma to Mont-
Teresa Carter (left), whose handcuffed son died of a gunshot in the back of a Jonesboro, Ark. police car, meets Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin – the unarmed Florida teen killed by George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch coordinator acquitted of charges in Martin’s fatal shooting. (Photo: George Tillman Jr.) other’s pain,” said Carter, as she recalled the meeting with Fulton during an interview with The New Tri-State
Caron Byrd, executive director at Ronald McDonald House of Memphis, served as tour guide during a visit Monday by Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (Photos: George Tillman Jr.)
Royalty in Memphis Saudi Arabi’s Prince Khaled tours Ronald McDonald House, National Civil Rights Museum Royalty arrived in Memphis on Sunday in the person of His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Brothers and business partners Jim Byrd and Darrell Byrd partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis to welcome Prince Khaled, whose agenda reflected a visit to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis facilities and some of the city’s historical landmarks, including the National Civil Rights Museum. The Byrd brothers’ business ties in the Memphis business community include owning eight McDonald’s restaurants. Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Memphis, at no charge to its guests, provides supportive services and a “home-away-from-home” for St. Jude families and their children receiving treatment for cancer and other catastrophic childhood illnesses. Prince Khaled’s visit to Memphis was to learn more about the history and mission of Ronald McDonald House of Memphis. The agenda featured lunch with the non-profit’s staff, board members and founders. He also interacted with families, learning about the emotional and physical support they receive when staying at Ronald McDonald House. A member of the Saudi Royal Family, Prince Khaled is the son of His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the
chairman and CEO of Kingdom Holding C o m p a n y, one of the world’s most successful diversified investment holding firms. Prince Khaled is His Royal High- the founder ness Prince Khaled of KBW Inbin Alwaleed Bin vestments, a Talal bin Abdul closed private investment Aziz Al Saud company with holdSee Additional ings in a wide spectrum of photos on companies Page 5 – from construction and engineering to mining and energy companies – across three continents. Since opening its doors in 1991, Ronald McDonald House® of Memphis has provided a home for more than 8,300 children from nearly every state and 45 countries. (To learn more: visit www.rmhc-memphis.org.; www.kbw-investments.com and www.khaledbinalwaleed.com.)
WASHINGTON – A very public conflict between the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, Inc., the local group that has been commemorating the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery March for more than four decades, and the largely white-run The Faith & Politics Institute, a Washington-based group that had organized competing marches in Selma and Montgomery on the weekend commemorating the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” has been resolved with both groups agreeing to participate in a single march in Selma, a coalition of organizations has announced. “The organizations in the unified committee will sponsor one march, the sacred Bloody Sunday re-enactment march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sunday, March 8, 2015,” the 10 major organizations said in a joint press release. “No organizations in the unified committee will sponsor and or participate in any other march.” The Faith & Politics Institute, which focuses on bringing people together to reflect on spiritual values and hold conversations across racial, religious, ideological and party lines, had announced plans to hold a march led by President Obama in Selma on Saturday, the day before the big march, and a separate march and rally on Sunday in Montgomery that would have competed directly with the annual bridge-crossing ceremonies. Rep. Johns Lewis (D-Ga.), who was brutally beaten on “Bloody Sunday,” is closely affiliated with the Faith & Politics Institute. In an “Open Letter” to the group, dated Feb. 11, Alabama State Sen. Hank Sanders of Selma wrote, “It appears to me that Faith and Politics has set out to not only diminish but to destroy Bloody Sunday. You not only scheduled another march on Saturday in Selma but you scheduled a march and rally in Montgomery on Sunday during the afternoon when the sacred Bloody Sunday March takes place in Selma. It would have been so simple to hold your events in Montgomery on Saturday and join the events in Selma on Sunday. However, the arrogance of power has caused you to try to diminish the sacred Bloody Sunday March and Commemoration and change history.” After publication of Sanders’ letter, representatives from 10 organizations – including the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Rainbow PUSH, the National Action Network (NAN), The Faith in Politics Institute, and the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma – came together to resolve the conflict. The end result is that President Obama will speak in Selma on Saturday, March 7, the actual anniversary of the Bloody Sunday, but there will be no march in Selma that Saturday
Alabama state Sen. Hank Sanders’ “open letter” helped set the stage for resolution of a very public conflict over commemorating the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery March.
Dr. Bernard Lafayette is credited by many with helping resolve the conflict over commemorating the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery March.
or in Montgomery on Sunday. The Faith in Politics Institute and local organizers have clashed before. “This was not the first time I am sorry to say that the issue of who will be among those on the front lines has recently become a bone of contention. Faith and Politics has insisted that only SEE SELMA ON PAGE 3
MEMPHIS WEEKEND
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February 19 - 25, 2015
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NEWS
The New Tri-State Defender
BLACK LIVES
CONTINUED FROM FRONT here, versus (me) walking around so angry and bitter,” Carter said. Mothers Carter and Fulton pledged to stay in touch and to consider possibly doing some things together, such as talking to and encouraging other mothers. ‘Houdini Handcuff Suicides’ Carter is on a mission, seeking justice for her son. In 2013, she filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Jonesboro, Police Chief Michael Yates and the two police officers – Keith Baggett and Ronald Marsh – that were present when her handcuffed son reportedly shot and killed himself. A hearing that Carter had expected on Dec. 1 is now awaiting a reset date. A push forward with criminal charges also is on the horizon. On Feb. 10th in Jonesboro, the Carter family held a press conference with attorney Crump and the family of Kendrick Johnson, the Georgia teen found dead in January 2013 in a rolled-up mat in his high school gym and who was later discovered to be missing his organs. Ali said the press conference was a reflection of a “standing together” commitment by the two families. “We made an announcement as it relates to what’s taking place with the criminal aspect of the Chavis Carter case,” Ali said. “The U.S. Department of Justice is doing a federal investigation into the Chavis Carter case. They’re also expanding the investigation to see if the officers in the department are negligent in terms of a lack of training because Chavis Carter was allegedly searched twice and no gun was found on him, but they said he had a gun on him in the back of the police car to commit suicide.” An organized push is underway in Jonesboro and throughout the Mid-South to bring more awareness to the Chavis Carter case. Ali said support includes the family of Victor White III, the 22-year-old Louisiana man who reportedly fatally shot himself while handcuffed in a police car in March 2014. He said the Carter family will join the White family in an upcoming rally at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, La. Ali and Crump have coined the phrase “Houdini Handcuff Suicides” to describe cases such as those involving Chavis Carter, Victor White III and Jesus Huerta, an Hispanic North Carolina teen, who reportedly fatally shot himself while handcuffed in the back of a police car in November 2014. “You have three cases. They all were in the back of police cars and they were alleged (to have committed) suicide, but somehow they were able, with handcuffs behind their backs, to shoot themselves and kill themselves, which is absolutely ludicrous,” Ali said. “So, we’ve coined this phrase – the ‘Houdini Handcuff Suicides’ murders because no one who has their hands behind their back in a police car in that tight space with the handcuffs locked on their wrists … can shoot themselves and still be found in the position that they said. … “That’s why we call them the ‘Houdini Handcuff Suicides’ because if it was able to happen, only Houdini (the famed magician) could do it.” ‘black lives matter’ Fulton’s son, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, died on Feb. 26, 2012. George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch coordinator in Sanford, Fla., was acquitted in Martin’s death in 2013, giving rise to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which started as a hashtag. Momentum picked up in 2014 on the heals
LETTER
CONTINUED FROM FRONT gomery, Ala., the Post notes. However, Belafonte isn’t the one trying to sell. The new consignors are Shirley and Stoney Cooks, Belafonte’s half sister and brother-in-law. According to the Post, Belafonte gave the letter to Shirley Cooks as a symbol of his appreciation for her support during the legal fallout. The minimum bid for the historic letter is $60,000, although Quinn’s Auction Galleries, where the sale is set up, thinks it could net at least $120,000.
Chavis Carter died of a fatal gunshot wound to the head on July 29th, 2012. Jonesboro, Ark. Police say the 21 year old shot himself while handcuffed in the back of a squad car. (Courtesy photo) of the police shooting deaths of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Mo. and John Crawford III in Beavercreek, Ohio, and the police chokehold death of Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y. According to its website, #BlackLivesMatter is a “call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society.” By self description, the group’s aim goes beyond what is called the “narrow nationalism that can be prevalent within Black communities” and “centers those that have been marginalized within Black liberation movements.” The movement’s demands, so says the website, includes the demilitarization of local law enforcement across the country and support of the passage of the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA), which would prohibit the use of profiling on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin or religion by law enforcement agencies. For some, the concept of
“black lives matter” extends beyond any particular group and is deemed worthy of research, contemplation, discussion and action. “We’re seeing so many countless black lives being taken from us at the hands of police brutality or the hands of any vigilante who thinks they may have the right just to take a black life,” Ali said. “The phrase ‘black lives matter’ is very timely, because if we as a community don’t believe, don’t feel and don’t take it upon ourselves (to acknowledge) the consciousness that black lives matter, who else will?” And blacks lives lost at the hands of other blacks should be acknowledged, said Ali. “In my opinion, when you say ‘black lives matter,’ that’s universal and that’s throughout our community as it relates to ourselves,” Ali said. “That’s a hashtag for our community to put upon ourselves because it matters when we take the lives of our own.”
The Heal the Hood Foundation’s Citywide Anti-Violence Youth Symposium on Jan. 9th drew a crowd to Unity Christian Church, where Sybrina Fulton was the keynote speaker. (Photo: George Tillman Jr. Carter said all lives matter. “Just obey the law and do what you’re supposed to do to prevent any accidental death,”
Carter said. “I think everybody’s life matters, whether it’s black, Chinese, Hispanic; everybody’s life matters.
“I don’t like the saying ‘black lives matter’ because we’re all God’s kids, so I think everybody’s life matters.”
February 19 - 25, 2015
The New Tri-State Defender
SELMA
CONTINUED FROM FRONT members of the Faith and Politics delegation be on the front lines,” Sanders wrote. “We have insisted that some of the nearly 600 other individuals who were also on the Bridge on Bloody Sunday in 1965 be included. In 2013 when Vice President Biden was here, Faith and Politics wanted to allot only 30 places for survivors of Bloody Sunday with 270 places for members of their delegation, including congressional staff members. When an agreement was worked out that it would be half and half, Faith and Politics then had the Secret Service give virtually every place to members of the Faith and Politics delegation. It seems that you value status, power and money far more than you value blood, sacrifice, struggle and history.” According to Sanders, “In the 17 or so years that Faith and Politics has been coming to the Bridge Crossing Jubilee, not once have you organized a March or contributed in any way. You raise millions of dollars by claiming to sponsor the Bloody Sunday March but never paid for even a chair, a porto-toilet, water or anything else. You never organized other people to come if they were not in your delegation. You just show up and insist on privilege even though you refused to be a co-sponsor because you could not be the sole sponsor. This is about your privilege and power. Bloody Sunday is about sacredness, sacrifice and struggle.” Other organizers said that in the annual jousting for positioning in the march, attempts were made to remove Charles Steele Jr. president of SCLC, from the front of the line even though Dr. Martin Luther King’s old organization organized the original march. Messages seeking comment were left Tuesday for both the interim president and communications director of The Faith & Politics Institute but were not returned by press time. The federal government, schools, and many offices in the nation’s capital were closed Tuesday because of inclement weather.
NEWS
Event organizers said Bernard Lafayette, board chairman of SCLC and an early organizer in Selma, played a key role in brokering an agreement between the sparring groups. Lafayette, an ordained minister and longtime civil rights activist, has credibility in both camps and conducts conflict resolution training around the world. With a truce now in place, march organizers are looking to the future with a list of activities that will span five days, from Thursday, March 5, through Monday, March 9. Thursday’s activities will include a play about Jimmie Lee Jackson, whose death was the impetus for the Selma-Montgomery March, and a memorial for the martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement. Friday’s activities will include a session on women in the Civil Rights Movement, an educational summit, a session on organizing tactics, and a mock trial. Saturday’s highlights include a parade, a voting rights workshop, breakout sessions on such topics as environmental justice and mass incarceration, a film festival capped by the Freedom Flame Awards Gala and an Old School blues show and dance. The Sunday schedule begins with a Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King Unity
Breakfast, a pre-march rally at famed Brown chapel AME Church with the bridge crossing at 2:30 pm, followed by a rally and salute to the movement’s foot soldiers. The march from Selma to Montgomery will take place on Monday, ending with a rally at the Alabama State Capitol. A complete listing of events is posted on the website www. selmajubilee.com. The joint press release stated, “The Living Legends Dialogue on Saturday, March 7, 2015 will feature Diane Nash, Bob Moses, Claudette Colvin, Dr. Bernard Lafayette and the youth leaders of the Black Lives Matter Movement.” The coalition said it was also welcoming back “the foot soldiers and leaders of the Voting Rights Movement,” including former Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) President John Lewis, Amelia Boynton, Dick Gregory, and former SCLC stalwarts Joseph Lowery, C.T. Vivian, Andrew Young, Diane Nash, Bernard Lafayette and Jesse Jackson. “Ten major civil rights organizations have unified to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma-to-Montgomery Marches,” they said in a joint press release. “We have jointly created more than 40 events for this historic anniversary weekend…”
Greater Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church 3077 Johnson Avenue – Memphis, TN 38112 Phone: (901) 452-8742
Pastoral Vacancy Announcement Greater Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church is prayerfully seeking a full-time pastor called by God to be the spiritual and administrative leader of the congregation. The candidate must be a born again, baptized believer in Jesus Christ. The ideal candidate will be a leader with sound biblical doctrine as listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:69. The successful candidate will be responsible to God and the church to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to preach and teach the Bible, to provide Christian leadership, and to engage in pastoral care of the congregation. Interested candidates should submit the following: 1. Cover letter, Updated and complete resume, Detailed listing of ministerial and pastoral experiences, Copies of diplomas, degrees, ministerial license, and ordination certificate 5. Four references: Two (2) from pastors/clergy, One (1) from lay person, One (1) personal (should not be a family member) All documents should be submitted to: The Pastoral Search Committee of Greater Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church – P. O. Box 111366, Memphis, TN 38111-1366 - All documents must be received between February 15, 2015 and March 15, 2015.
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Participants, some carrying American flags, marching in the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress)
February 19 - 25, 2015
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The New Tri-State Defender
OPINION
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The ‘righteous’ must unite in America to disperse evil
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How Republicans could sabotage first African-American female attorney general nomination If it weren’t for all this snow falling in the nation’s capital, you’d probably catch a glimpse of that perfect storm brewing over President Barack Obama’s now-famous executive order on immigration reform. It has, once again, emerged as a point of contention on the salted streets between Capitol Hill and the White House, with the forecast telling us that this one shows no signs of letting up. Department of Homeland Security employees are biting their nails to the nub in anticipation of another budget-related shutdown; undocumented immigrants fret over the specter of deportations; and the sister who could become the nation’s first African-American female attorney general is suddenly in a state of confirmation limbo. On the last point, Republicans have managed to cook up a nasty Black History Month calculus wherein they could successfully sabotage Obama’s nomination of Loretta Lynch to become the first African-American woman running the Department of Justice – and get away with it – since folks these days seem more interested in Amber Rose and Khloe Kardashian’s Twitter beefs than they are in the possibility of a failed Lynch nomination. With a Republican-appointed Texas federal judge ruling, predictably, on Monday against Obama’s order, House and Senate Republicans are looking to reclaim their mojo – potentially by challenging Lynch and by forcing a DHS shutdown, knowing that they didn’t pay much of a political price for the shutdown in 2014. Thus, a proverbial come-to-Jesus moment on immigration seems likely in the last frigid days of February. And on Feb. 27 we’ll have a better sense of what’s next. As House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) desperately grabs at immigration as his imaginary switch to whip a raucous caucus into line, the GOP-dominated Senate is stalled. Meanwhile, Hill Dems want to sidestep a HouseGOP-approved DHS-funding bill loaded with poison pills that all but obliterate the president’s quick-fix immigration reprieve. To have Homeland Security shut down is a weird twist for Republicans, since they’re usually the ones crying about spilt security milk, lone-wolf terrorists and decapitating Islamic State, or ISIS, militants at the doorstep. But they’ve seized on the idea of cutting off DHS funding as a means of thwarting the president’s immigration-reform efforts, which would be overseen by Homeland Security. Without funding, the department – with a $61 billion budget overseeing critical security functions like the Secret Service, border protection, Transportation Security Administration agents and the Coast Guard – will shut down. And a day before Homeland Security is expected to shut down, the Sen-
ate is scheduled to vote on whether to confirm Lynch as attorney general. Her confirmation vote was recently ditched into a two-week postponement because of Senate-Republican objections made, Charles D. they say, so that Ellison they can “get an indication from her of the independence that she’s going to have from the White House,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told The Hill last week. That’s senator-ese for “What’s her stance on immigration?” While it’s a very sudden and rude departure from the fairly smooth reception she received during her confirmation hearings – in which the same Grassley said, “As far as I know, Ms. Lynch has nothing to do with the Department of Justice problems that I just outlined” – it’s not surprising. Of course, he’s not going to say that the GOP is holding Lynch’s nomination hostage over indecision on immigration. But somewhere, the devil lurking in the details wants to know what’s more important to the president: fast-tracking an attorney general replacement for his fatigued friend Eric Holder or keeping his executive order in place. Which puts Obama in a tight spot. The country needs a new attorney general and a Department of Homeland Security, but also, according to Obama, sweeping immigration reform. Thus, a tough choice emerges for the White House in the next couple of weeks – or at least that’s what Republicans hope. Pushing a hard line on Lynch’s confirmation vote could mean a government shutdown; but keeping DHS running and letting her nomination fizzle is another demerit on a mixed black legacy that won’t play well with the president’s political base. If his executive order stalls, he risks losing the support of Latino advocates who view immigration as a political jackpot for their vote in 2016. And just in case he hedges his bets on all three, conservatives have an offensive legal game plan wired all the way up the legal food chain, as high as the right-leaning Supreme Court. It could all work out at the last minute. But for now the president’s legislative road ahead is icy, and he’s driving without winter tires. (Charles D. Ellison is a veteran political strategist and regular contributor to The Root. He is also Washington correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune and chief political correspondent for Uptown magazine. Follow him on Twitter.)
(Photo: George Tillman Jr.)
My first tour of the National Civil Rights Museum by Sitoria Townsend
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Feb. 9, 2015 was an eerie day. It was chilly and windy, with no sunlight to adore or warm me during my first visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. I serve as the 2015 Black History Month co-chair for the University of Memphis. As apart of our monthlong celebration we planned a tour – open to all students and faculty members – of the internationally acclaimed tourist attraction, which encompasses the old motel where Dr. Martin Luther Jr. was assassinated. Fifty people from the U of M showed up for the tour. My co-chair and I were ecstatic. An out-of-state student from Chicago, I have been in Memphis for three years and a visit to the museum was on my must-do list. En route Downtown to Mulberry Street, a friend and I talked non-stop about what we had heard about the museum. I experienced so many emotions during that short car ride from campus. Excited about the chance to finally see the renowned tourist destination, I was anxious nonetheless because I did not know what to expect and I wondered if it would have the seemingly magical effect on me that I had heard in the accounts of others. Also, I felt nervous knowing that I was about to have a personal and intimate encounter with my history. As I stepped out of my car, I noticed other people preparing to enter the museum and they did not look like me. I saw white people, Hispanic people, people of Middle-Eastern descent and Asian people. I knew right then that I was in for a special treat! I walked up to the entrance doors unable to take my eyes off of the balcony where Dr. King was fatally shot. My body experienced a surge of energy that I had never felt before. It was as if I was being prepared for what I was about to witness and experience. The tour began with an exhibition of slavery in the form of statues, writings and interactive experiences
that led us to a video introduction in a small theatre. Supplied with context, the tour officially began as we exited the theatre. Amazed from the jump, I encountered so much information in Sitoria an atypical way Townsend about my culture and the beauty of it. I listened to and interacted with people from the Civil Rights Museum through a phone with the click of a button! I boarded a bus identical to the one Rosa Park’s was on when she refused to give her seat up and move to the back. I got the chance to be a member of the Student Non-Violence Coordinating Committee (SNCC), joining them in a sit-in as I listened to the belittlement, harassment and hurtful words that pierced my heart. I witnessed the Freedom Ride era and talked to people who were jailed. I stood before a replica of a Freedom Ride Greyhound bus burned by a mob of angry white people committed to the status quo of segregation. I was in the crowd listening and watching intently as Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. The point I am making is this: the National Civil Rights Museum is not your average walk-through gallery. It is designed for visitors to be absolutely present in the moment, experiencing the hard-fought fights that so many endured in myriad places and instances. Leaving the gallery, I felt empowered and more fully equipped to know “my people” as fighters and to see myself as a reflection of them. I felt hopeful because the museum showed me that anything is possible when you have a purpose behind your passion. And yes, I did feel the magic that I had heard from the accounts of previous visitors. A museum message thanks visitors for their support. Count me among those thankful for an enriching and life-changing encounter.
Don’t forget Malcolm X in 50th anniversary salutes
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta Lynch and President Barack Obama. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images) SUBSCRIPTIONS: Mailed subscriptions to The New Tri-State Defender are available upon request. One Year, $30.00; Two Years, $55.00. Request can be emailed to subscriptions@tsdmemphis.com or mailed to Subscriptions, The New Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN, 38103. Delivery may take one week. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The New Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN, 38103 GENERAL INFORMATION: Any and all inquiries may be submitted in writing by calling (901) 523-1818 or by email. TELEPHONE: Editorial, administration, display advertising, classified advertising: (901) 523-1818. Fax: (901) 578-5037. EMAIL: Editorial (press release, news, letters to the editor, etc.): editorial@tsdmemphis.com; Display advertising (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): advertising@tsdmemphis.com; Classified advertising (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): classifieds@tsdmemphis.com; Subscriptions/Circulation (subscriptions, subscription price requests, etc.): subscriptions@tsdmemphis.com; Production (technical questions/specs, etc.): production@tsdmemphis.com The New Tri-State Defender (USPS 780-220) is published weekly by Best Media Properties, Inc., 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103. Second-class postage paid in Memphis, TN.
…This year … marks the 50th memorial of the assassination of Malcolm X; it is also the year of his 90th birthday. It seems odd that very little attention is being devoted to the anniversary dates of the life and legacy of such an extraordinary leader. It is as if Black America is gripped by a case of historical amnesia. But this is not the first time we’ve suffered from the disorder…. On Feb. 21, 1990, more than 3,000 people jammed into the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem for the 25th memorial of the assassination of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm X. Another 1,000 or more gathered in the street to watch the program on a television monitor, hastily positioned in a church window. Inside, C-SPAN broadcast live ringing tributes to the life and legacy of our “Black Shining Prince.” … I had the honor of serving as moderator of this memorable occasion. Fortunately, the process of uplifting Malcolm did not end there. On May 19 of that year hundreds of people from around the country gathered in Omaha, Neb., Malcolm’s birthplace, for a national ceremony to celebrate his 65th birthday. This magnificent season of celebrating Malcolm did not occur by accident; it was the outcome of a conscious strategy, a calculated plan devised by a group of leaders determined not to let the legacy of Malcolm be the victim of “historical amnesia.” Celebrating Malcolm X was not about diminishing (Dr.) Martin (Luther King Jr.) but enhancing the
understanding of the life and legacy of Malcolm among the masses of black folks. The campaign was highly successful. For years, the symbol X signified young people’s identification Ron with Malcolm. Daniels Indeed, in 2005, on the occasion of the 40th memorial of Malcolm’s assassination, another massive commemoration was held at Abyssinian Baptist Church. The current lack of major national recognition of the 50th memorial suggests the need for yet another campaign to prevent Malcolm’s memory from being relegated to relative obscurity. It is not that programs are not being planned. … My concern is that the various commemorations are largely among the true believers and taken together they lack the public/visible scope and scale commensurate to the occasion of the 50th memorial of the assassination of Malcolm and the year of his 90th birthday. I simply believe that Malcolm deserves better. (Ron Daniels is president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York. He can be reached via email at info@ibw21.org.)
When I was a kid, Black History Week was a really big deal. Being raised in a devout black Baptist home, our blackness was enmeshed into our faith. Not just in our homes and churches were Rev. Rodney we reminded of Beard our strength and uniqueness as a people, we learned from all of the wise and older folks throughout the neighborhood. Back then it seemed that everybody had a story to tell mostly about black history that really would have been history, if it was included in the history books. When Dr. Carter G. Woodson began promoting Black History Week (it didn’t become Black History Month until 1976) in 1926, it was to be a celebration of what we were taught daily, a culmination of black education in which we would recite or act out what we had learned, sing it in our songs, and speak it in our prose, weaving it into our minds, hearts and souls. In addition to being taught about the prominent names in our history – those of the great educators, doctors, inventors, soldiers, scientists, lawyers, liberators, activists, and politicians – we were taught the other stories as well. And there were plenty to tell, just darker. Much of the truer and darker side of black history will never be told. That black history is already buried in shallow graves with no markers all across this land, on lips that are permanently hushed, in the eyes of those who saw racial atrocities being carried out upon them, and in the broken hearts of what was, and still is, a hopeful people. The darkest story of all is the one about a country whose very core is coated with the notion of white supremacy and hatred – emboldened by religious beliefs – perpetrated against people of other colors. If murderously enslaving a group of people based primarily on skin color for over 400 years isn’t race terrorism, then tell me what is. If twisted social and religious beliefs lead to subjecting that same group to lynching’s, beatings, rape, denial of basic human rights, poverty, marginalization and Jim Crow laws, then explain to me what would be terrorism based on race. We’re outraged by what ISIS is doing because it’s so graphic. But what about the less graphic racial and religious terrorism committed right here in Tennessee and America? Today, the Ku Klux Klan mindset is extended by hate spewers who move among us in dark suits and fancy haircuts, or in blue uniforms, or in religious-looking robes with collars. They have expanded their hate territory beyond blacks to browns and the poor in general. In 2015, lynchings and beatings are financial and more systematic. They are meant to break the middle-class, destroy the poor and bless the 1 percent, who possess 54 percent of the wealth of the entire nation. This modern-day terrorism is funded by the incarceration of people of color in private prisons and by essentially stealing food from the mouths of children who starve every day. What do we do now? Keep protesting and demonstrating. Stop supporting their agendas by supporting their politics and churches. Stop being ignorant to what is right before our eyes. Unite as blacks (we need to start with “us”), browns and with righteous whites that have been on the frontline with us all along. That’s just for starters. When the “righteous” unite in this country, the evil will disperse. When we repent, He will heal the land. Enough is enough! Tell me what you think. (The Rev. Rodney Beard is pastor of The Living Word Community Church in Nashville and president of The National Action Network for Greater Nashville. Contact him at pastorbeard@comcast.net.)
The New Tri-State Defender
NEWS
February 19 - 25, 2015
Page 5
Prince Khaled on tour… (TOP) The National Civil Rights Museum was on the must-see list for Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday. (MIDDLE) Darrell Byrd (left), Jim Byrd (right) and state Rep. Joe Towns Jr. accompanied Prince Khaled. (RIGHT) The New Tri-State Defender President/Publisher Bernal E. Smith II greets Prince Khaled. (Photos: George Tillman Jr.)
TENNESSEE CLERGY FOR EDUCATIONAL CHOICE & SCLC MEMPHIS CHAPTER Petition Drive In Support of Educational Choice
SCLC Memphis Chapter has initiated a Petition Drive In Support of Educational Choice. Currently, we have garnered the support of over 25,000 who have signed the petition. The strategy has been to send workers out into various communities and shopping centers acquiring signatures for the petition. Pastors have been getting members of their congregation to sign the petition as well. SCLC Memphis will continue to call upon pastors and concerned parents and community member across the state of Tennessee to sign on to the petition drive and join us in a press conference in Nashville, TN. The purpose will be to present the Petition Supporting Educational Choice to the Governor and the Legislature and appeal of the people for the passage of the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) this session. Parents with financial means have options, those with limited financial means do not. An educational choice program like an Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) shifts power to low income parents. The OSP, for the first time, will give parents of limited means the power to do what is best for their children. • The Opportunity Scholarship Program should be given to all low income Tennessee families. Access to quality education should not be limited to chil- dren of wealth families. •
Low income families should have more power, not less, and our children should have more options, not fewer.
Please join our coalition of ministers, representing approximately 50,000 congregants, which has been following the debate regarding education policy in the General Assembly with great interest. We strongly support the passage of voucher legislation, Senate Bill 0999 (SB 0999) / House Bill 1049 (HB 1049). This is the Opportunity Scholarship Bill (Voucher Bill) we are supporting in Tennessee, sponsored by Sen. Todd Gardenhire and Rep. Bill Dunn. We look forward to standing alongside you and those elected officials who will put our Tennessee children first and foremost. If you agree, please add your name to the other 25,000 who have signed the petition, and take the added step of contacting your legislator, sharing it with your friends and having them contact their legislator in support of passing the Opportunity Scholarship Program (SB 0999 / HB 1049). Thank you for your interest. Warm Regards, Dr. Dwight Montgomery Pastor, Annesdale Cherokee MBC President, Memphis Chapter, SCLC 901.488.4798 | sclcmemphis@yahoo.com
February 19 - 25, 2015
Page 6
NATIONAL
The New Tri-State Defender
ANALYSIS
More African-American men in prison than college? Not true! Over the years, the myth about there being more African-American men in prison than in college has taken on a life of its own In a 2013 column for The Root, Howard University professor and Congressional Black Caucus Foundational analyst Ivory A. Toldson said that the myth about there being more African-American men in prison than in college is “the most frequently quoted statistic about African-American men in the United States.” An article in the Feb. 12 edition of Vox.com talked about the myth’s source, its impact on communities of color and evidence that clearly proves the myth’s fallacy. Over the years, the myth has taken on a life of its own, being cited by everyone from civil rights leaders to African-American scholars and local community leaders. Its origins have been traced back to a 2002 report from the Justice Policy Institute titled “Cellblocks or Classrooms: The Funding of Higher Education and Corrections and Its Impact
on African-American Men.” The report asserted that “(n)early a third more African-American men are incarcerated than in higher education,” an observation that both sent shockwaves across America and resonated with groups striving to boost African-American male academic achievement and college enrollment. Vox.com pointed out that the statistic’s sobering ramifications were not lost on Barack Obama, who mentioned it during a 2007
NAACP forum, saying, “We have more work to do when more young black men languish in prison than attend colleges and universities across America.” Former NBA great Charles Barkley also used the false stat in 2012 to explain why he felt compelled to carry a gun. “You know, we as black people always, we don’t have respect for one another,” he said. “You know, we’ve got more black men in prison than we do in college, and crime in our neighborhoods is running rampant.” The stat was so widely accepted that many African Americans began referring to jails and prisons as “the Black man’s university,” a thinly veiled reference to nationalist leader Malcolm X’s years behind bars. Despite the wide acceptance of the “Black men in prison” myth, the numbers don’t support the myth. According to the U.S. Census, about 18,508,926 people
in the U.S. population are African-American males, of all ages. In 2013, 1,437,363 were enrolled in college, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. As of the middle of 2013, there were 219,660 African-American males in local jails, and 526,000 African-American males were in state or federal prison, totaling about 745,000 behind bars, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Prisoner Statistics Program. Dr. Toldson believes that the 2002 “Cell Blocks Versus Class room” report was based on incomplete data, adding that in addition to being inaccurate the 13-year-old data is now outdated. “I pulled the data from 2001 that the Justice Policy Institute used (for the ‘Cellblocks or Classrooms’ report) and I noticed that at least 1,000 colleges weren’t reporting their head count of African-American
males then,” Toldson told NPR in 2013. “And I also noticed that a lot of colleges that didn’t report any numbers, when the Justice Policy Institute wrote their report, were historically black universities. They were big, state universities that I’m pretty sure had some black males present at the time.” Essentially, the number of African-American males enrolled in college was undercounted, providing an inaccurate view of the state of African-American males in the U.S. While the college numbers are not as dire as the 2002 report suggested, the recent nationwide protests show that there is still a great deal of room for improvement in the lives of African-American males. A wide assortment of programs aimed at improving academic performance and college among African-American males are yielding positive results
with statistics showing that the enrollment of African-American males in college rose from 693,044 in 2001 to 1,437,363 in 2013. While the “Black men in prison” myth was often used by policymakers, community organizers and leaders with the best of intentions, because it is a falsehood it has proven to be harmful to communities of color. It paints a negative picture of African-American male academic achievement and feeds into the stereotype that African-American males are predisposed to crime and violence. Toldson summoned up the perils that come with allowing this myth to continue to live: “(W)e will not sufficiently support black male college students – nor college-bound students – if we simply keep perpetuating the myth that juxtaposes their needs with those of black males in the criminal-justice system.”
arrested for minor crimes at higher rates than other offenders and spend time in jail where their conditions deteriorate. “Serious mental illness, which includes bipolar disorder, schizophre¬nia, and major depression, affects an estimated 14.5 percent of men and 31 percent of women in jails – rates that are four to six times high¬er than in the general population,” the report said. “According to the [Bureau of Justice Statistics], 60 percent of jail inmates reported having had symptoms of a mental health disor¬der in the prior twelve months.” On the inside, jailed inmates with few options pay private phone companies exorbitant fees to stay in touch with loved ones on the outside. Some jails also charge for laundry
services, room and board, and medical care. “Add to this child support payments, credit card debt, rent, and other living expenses that can accumulate during incarceration – often with late charges or compounded interested tacked on – the financial picture for many leaving jail is very bleak,” said the report. High bail amounts often contribute to that bleak financial picture and “combined with overloaded courts, a situation arises in which defendants can spend more time in jail pretrial than the longest sentence they could receive if convicted.” The report recommended introducing debt payment plans, making basic re-entry tools available for everyone leaving jail, and problem-solving courts that address socioeconomic issues surrounding
incarceration including substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness. While some jurisdictions have made modest gains in steering individuals away from jails and curbing the length of sentences, the report said that systemic reform would take significant cooperation among all local law enforcement officials. “The misuse of jails is neither inevitable nor irreversible,” the report said. “To both scale back and improve how jails are used in a sustainable way, localities must engage all justice system actors in collaborative study and action. Only in this way can jurisdictions hope to make the systemic changes needed to stem the tide of people entering jails and to shorten the stay for those admitted.”
Jail population overlooked in reform efforts
by Freddie Allen NNPA News Service
WASHINGTON – In a system that is often overlooked by the public and misused by law enforcement, African Americans account for more than one-third (36 percent) of the jail population, according to a new report from the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonpartisan research and policy group. The report titled, “Incarceration’s Front Door: The Misuse of Jails in America,” details the practices and policies that funnel a disproportionate number of Black men and women in and out and back into jails. In the introduction to the report, Nicholas Turner, the president and director of the Vera Institute wrote that jails are necessary for some people, but too often ordinary people are “held for minor violations minor violations such as driving with a suspended license, public intoxication, or shoplifting because they cannot afford bail as low as $500.” The report said that roughly 75 percent of sentenced offenders and those awaiting trial in jail were there on nonviolent traffic, property, drug, or public order offenses. And while they sit, life goes on without them. Bills pile up, rent goes unpaid and hourly wage workers watch paychecks shrink or they just get fired. Turner added: “Single parents may lose custody of their children, sole wage-earners in families, their jobs – while all of us, the taxpayers, pay for them to stay in jail.” In everyday dialogue, people often use “jails” and “prisons” interchangeably, but these tools of the criminal justice system serve distinct
African Americans account for 25 percent of the 12 million jail admissions every year. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) of people in jail accused or purposes. “Unlike state prisons, convicted of a drug crime inwhich almost exclusively hold creased sharply in the 1980s.” Even though, state and fedpeople serving state sentences, jail populations are heteroge- eral prisons house more inneous, making them particu- mates, jails record about 19 larly challenging to manage,” times more admissions. African Americans account for 25 the report said. Pretrial detainees, locally percent of the 12 million jail and state sentenced inmates, admissions every year. “Black males, in particular, apprehended pretrial or sentenced inmates from other are arrested at a younger age jurisdictions and Immigration and at higher rates than their and Customs Enforcement white counterparts, often giv(ICE) detainees all bunk in lo- ing them a longer ‘rap’ sheet cal jails, while local jurisdic- regardless of the charges or the tions collect fees. Sentences eventual dispositions of the can range from a few hours to cases,” the report explained. months for more serious of- “Schools in minority neighfenses or overcrowding at oth- borhoods are more likely to have law enforcement officers er facilities. But just like mass incarcera- on site and to embrace ‘zero tion in prisons was sparked by tolerance’ policies.” The report continued: “With the War on Drugs, the growth in the jail population also arrest records on file at earlier soared because of drug arrests. ages, subsequent contacts with “From 1981 until 2006, police result in more severe when they peaked, total drug case outcomes as these young arrests more than tripled, from men come of age.” When people suffering from 560,000 to 1.9 million, and the drug arrest rate (per 100,000) mental health disorders find grew 160 percent,” according themselves homeless, unemto the Vera report. “The share ployed, or on drugs they are
February 19 - 25, 2015
The New Tri-State Defender
Page 7
BUSINESS
ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY
Avoiding the path of negativity W i t h ups and downs, stresses and stressors all a part of business, a positive outlook and attitude can Carlee go a long McCullough, way. Esq. F r o m negative people to negative communications, entrepreneurs are faced with the choices of accepting the norm or striving and demanding better. Although there is no one way to success, the path paved with negativity is a tough road to travel for bosses and managers.
not combatted with the appropriate vaccine. Always provide an alternative way for employees to express their feelings while letting it be known that the negative is never allowed. If there is a problem, provide rewards for solutions to those issues. Encourage creativity Encourage your employees to provide solutions, ideas and answers to problems. Do not downplay or minimize any suggestion. By encouraging the constructive feedback, creative juices are promoted throughout the environment and performance rises. ‘Betty the Busy Bee’
Negative people The impact of negative people on your business and life can be draining to say the least. It can be early in the morning and after dealing with “Debbie Downer” a person can be exhausted for the rest of the day. “Debbie Downer” not only pulls the mood down, but the energy level and atmosphere becomes toxic after a while. “Debbie Downer” can be you, a co-worker, an employee or the boss. Negative communications It is so easy to lash out in emails that we lose sight of
the devastation that can be left behind. We can overload folks, send mixed messages and be very aggressive online. Translating emotions from previous situations or experiences to co-workers, employees and employers can be so easy to do. But we must catch ourselves and understand that nothing good comes from misplacing our emotions. There should be no negative emails or communications. If there is something to be com-
municated, say it verbally and move on. But never say anything that you do not mind the world hearing. Stop negativity Perpetuating the negativity is the same as performing it. If you see the behavior is detrimental to the environment and the business but do nothing, you are just as much at fault as the one that spews the negativity and gets away with it. A
leader promotes positivity and solutions to problems. Negativity allowed to grow and spread can be toxic and detrimental to those trying to make a positive impact. Train those that gravitate towards negativity to provide solutions to problems rather than complaints. Festering negativity Negativity is like an infectious disease. It can spread if
Most offices come with “Betty the Busy Bee.” With her superior attitude, she appears to be so busy making coffee, stocking the refrigerator, and providing basic reporting that she makes others feel that they are not performing their basic duties. However, when apples to apples are compared, “Betty the Busy Bee” is not doing anything that justifies her attitude or salary. Understand that “Betty” is good at masking the fact that she really does not do much in the office and the true “Worker Bee” will soon grow tired of carrying the burden. Communicate: Now, today and tomorrow
Talk to your employees, team, staff and co-workers. Ambiguity is just as bad as negativity. When team members understand where they are headed, everyone hopefully understands their role and position in getting to the finish line. Without communication and a clear understanding, staff will be in a perpetual state of seeking understanding, which results in decreased productivity and efficiency. Reward the ‘Worker Bees’
Personalities do not equal “Worker Bees.” It is so easy to get caught up in those that are the most popular or pleasant. Employees that crank out the work need to be rewarded for their efforts. It does not have to be advertised or publicized, but the “Worker Bees” need to be compensated or they will leave in search of appreciation for what they have to offer. Rest and relaxation
The grind of entrepreneurship can take its toll. With rest, relaxation and exercise, the body is being prepared to withstand obstacles that are sure to come. Exercise helps the body to focus, stimulates energy and thwarts depression.
(Contact Carlee M. McCullough, Esq. at 901-7950050; email – jstce4all@aol. com.)
MONEY MATTERS
Too good to be true? Bernie Madoff became infamous for perpetrating what may be the biggest P o n z i scheme in history — Charles Sims costing Jr., CMFC, unsusLUTCF pecting investors more than $17.5 billion in principal and $47 billion in phony profits. In a classic Ponzi scheme, the person committing the fraud usually pays investors their returns with their own money or with money from other investors, instead of any actual investment profits. Such schemes are destined to fail because the payout to investors depends on steady inflows of money from new investors. Madoff was exposed as a fraud during the 2008 market downturn. When many of his investors wanted to pull their money out, he didn’t have the funds to pay them. Still, Madoff is not alone in his willingness to trick people out of their life savings. Investment fraud losses of about $22 billion are reported annually. Whether dangling phantom riches or tailoring sales pitches to their targets, some criminals have a knack for drawing people into financial scams. Knowing what to look for could help you guard against the following types of investment fraud. Pyramid schemes A Ponzi scheme is one type of pyramid scheme. Ponzi schemes usually center around a person or institution that serves as the hub for collecting and directing money, whereas pyramid schemes are so named because the few early investors at the top are paid by larger groups of recruited investors. Each level of recruits tries to persuade more people to join in order to recoup their investments. Pyramid schemes eventually collapse when it becomes impossible to convince enough new people to participate. Pump and dump
This type of antees purport to Ponzi scam typically offer investors schemes uses emails or the usually cen- extremely high Internet to offer ter around yields in a relahot stock tips and a person or tively short period promises of instant institution of time through acriches. The stock that serves cess to bank notes is usually rela- as the hub from large internatively worthless for collecting tional banks. Such just prior to the and directing investments don’t scam. Thousands exist, and the scam money... of people could artist usually just be contacted in an takes off with the attempt to artificially in- money. flate the stock price. After the stock price climbs, the Affinity fraud scammers sell their entire positions and stop promotSome investment scams ing the stock. Without new target an identifiable group, buyers, the price plummets such as religious or ethnic and many investors are left communities or the elderholding worthless stock. ly. These scams play on the built-in trust that exists Fictitious instruments within these groups, and the scammer is often (or prePrime bank notes or guar- tends to be) a member of the
group. In fact, many victims of investment fraud say
they met the seller through a mutual friend, which should serve as a warning not to trust someone simply because he or she is a member of the same professional group, religious group, or social circle that you are in. It’s important to investigate the facts and perform your own due diligence to determine whether a potential investment is suitable. Also be wary of any unsolicited emails, high-pressure sales calls, and investment opportunities that “guaran-
tee” outstanding profits or are touted as risk-free. Legitimate investments with the potential for higher returns typically involve greater risk. Finally, remember that any investment should fit with your overall savings goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.
(Charles Sims Jr., CMFC, LUTCF, is President/CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901-6822410 or visit www.SimsFinancialGroup.com.)
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February 19 - 25, 2015
RELIGION
The New Tri-State Defender
TRAILBLAZER: DR. HENRY LOGAN STARKS
Poet uses life experiences as fodder for collection of poetry John J. Mask depended on God to transform him from a lifestyle of gangbanging to a lifestyle of service to God by Wiley Henry
whenry@tsdmemphis.com
Before John J. Mask knew that words could elicit a response and speak volumes, he lived life on the edge of the rugged streets of Gary, Ind. Life was full of uncertainty. So by the time he was 14, he’d been shot in the face below the right eye, grazed by a bullet twice in the back, and stabbed twice in the arm. “I knew it wasn’t my time John J. to go, because God had a purMask pose in my life,” said Mask, a former street-tough who gangbanged until his mother made the decision to send him to his sister in Brownsville, Tenn. to keep him alive. But Mask didn’t stay put. He backtracked to Gary and stayed another year before returning to Brownsville. “The gang tried to kill me,” said Mask, finally giving up gang-life and joining the Army. He stayed there 15 years and started life anew. “I made a conscious decision to go to the military to get some discipline,” he said. “I knew if I didn’t change, I would face prison, the grave, and hell.” The transformation was finished. But instead of living his life by his own volition as he’d done in his teens, Mask surrendered everything to God. Afterward, he put pen to paper and, like a scribe, inked a collection of poetry that traces his meandering journey and unmasks his innermost thoughts. After penning his first poem in 2006, Mask published his first book of poetry in 2009. He intermixed words to evoke images that formed the basis of the book “One Man’s Mind,” a collection of poems that testifies, inspires, encourages, teaches, bemoans, and brims with a spiritual overtone. In 2010, Mask followed up with another collection of poetry entitled “Revealing the Mask.” The title is self-explanatory and likewise imbued with imagery of a spiritual nature. It is a testament of where the author has been and the relationships he’s forged along the way. God is the epicenter of this book of poetry as well. But Mask unloads a plethora of his thoughts on the reader about life, love, joy, pain, the ghetto experience, his emotional tailspins, and God’s omnipotence. You’d also find in the collection God’s omnipresence and His ruling hand at work. God wants to see our faces/ That’s why he allows devastation in various places/ The killing is in great demand/ That’s why God wants us to read His
words, Mask writes in the poem “God’s Face.” The words to one of Mask’s earlier poems were revealed to him in “bits and pieces,” he said, while driving along in his BMW. He took it all in and penned “I Hear the Screams, Do You Know What I Mean?” It is a sad state of affairs that spells out domestic violence. Mask is deeply engaged in the telling of his experiences via poetry and, in many cases, simple prose. It was the blood that saved me, he writes in the first two lines of “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” a poem from “One Man’s Mind.” The poem traces Mask’s earlier beginnings when his mother interceded on his behalf. In essence, she gave (sacrificed) her life to save him just as Jesus Christ gave his life to save us. Mask is No. 8 of his mother’s 10 children and the youngest of three of her boys. His parents, Floyd Mask Sr. and Darlene Nelson, were divorced when he was a child. She raised her large brood as a single parent by herself, he said. “A lot of people ask me how do I do what I do,” said Mask, 49, providing answers to questions about his past indiscretions and his profound poetic expressions. “I can’t do it without the Lord. He inspires me. And I always invite the Holy Ghost to lead and guide me.” God turned it all around, said Mask, a former law enforcement officer who retired two years ago due to a botched surgery. “No one knows what another man goes through unless they’re in another man’s shoes,” he said. Mask has been in ministry since 1988. He was ordained in 1992 at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Stanton, Tenn. He is currently serving in ministry under Bishop Gerald Coleman Sr., senior pastor of Faith Keepers Ministries in the Raleigh-Frayser community. Mask and his wife Marie are the parents of five children: Marquita, 27; Jasmine, 26; Joshua, 25; James Anthony, 21; and Ashante, 21. They also are the grandparents to Carmi, 4; Fred, 3; and Berkia, 2. Since his transformation, Mask has tried to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, but added: “I’m not Jesus, but I try to symbolize myself as a Christian. Anything I can do to help somebody, that’s what I’ll do. I’m just trying to do what God wants me to do.” “One Man’s Mind” was published by Curry Brothers Marketing and Publishing Group in Nashville. “Revealing the Mask” was published by Feel Me Publishing also in Nashville. The author is planning to release two additional books of poetry soon. (For more information, contact John J. Mask at (901) 283-6144 or by email at johnmask47@yahoo. com or johnmask50@yahoo.com ).
The Memphis Theological Seminary presented its 28th Annual Dr. Henry Logan Starks Scholarship Dinner & Awards Ceremony Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Hilton Memphis. Bishop Bettye Alston (right), pastor of New Beginning Ministeries, an MTS alumna, and founding committee member and chair of the dinner steering committee, was presented a bouquet of flowers. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
For outstanding service, awards were presented to Rachel Shankman (left), who received the President’s Humanitairian Award; Dr. Joeann Ballard, Distinguished Service Award; Dr. Jerry L. Christian, Outstanding African American Alumnus; and Pastor Pearly M. Stone, Outstanding African American Alumna. The Legacy Award was presented to Prescott Memorial Baptist Church.
The theme of the evening was “Celebrating 50 Years of Light: Remembering Our Trailblazers.” Some of those in attendance included Vivian Scales (left), her daughter Cynthia Scales, Bishop Bettye Alston, Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and his wife, Atty. Ruby Wharton.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
ENTERTAINMENT The New Tri-State Defender, February 19 - 25, 2015, Page 9
BOOK REVIEW
‘Reach’ by Kam Williams
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Many successful African Americans seem to forget where they came from after they enjoy a measure of success and make it out of the ghetto. However, there are also those who remember their roots and maintain a lifelong connection to the black community. These role models serve a critical function since, as editor Ben Jealous puts it in the Introduction to the inspirational book “Reach,” “We cannot imitate that which we have never seen, heard, or read about.” Jealous, the former president of the NAACP, asked 40 African-American males, some famous, some lesser-known, but each an everyday hero, to share his personal story of triumph in the face of adversity. The contributors to this timely tome include rapper Talib Kweli Greene, actors Lou Gossett, Jr. and Lamman Rucker, choreographer Bill T. Jones, civil rights activists Al Sharpton and Reverend Joseph Lowery, NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, and former Obama Administration green energy czar Van Jones, to name a few. Each one’s essay opens with his portrait, age, title and a description of what community he continues to serve. For example, singer/philanthropist John Legend reflects upon growing up in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio, where he and his siblings were homeschooled by their mom because his folks couldn’t afford the tuition for a Christian academy. He goes on to describe how he was profoundly affected by the death of his maternal grandmother when he was 10, and how he was further traumatized by his parents’ divorce just a year later, especially since his father took full custody of all the kids. Nevertheless, John managed to make it to the heights of the music industry, and now generously gives back out of a sense of gratitude. He concedes that, “There was nothing more important to the outcome of my life than the early support I had from family and mentors outside of my home, the access to a piano to practice on, and forums like the church and the community choir in which to hone my craft.” An enlightening collection of uplifting narratives by ordinary brothers of extraordinary achievement.
The 87th Academy Awards will air live on ABC this Sunday, February 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
The envelope, please!
Oscar predictions 2015 Who will win, who deserves to win, who was snubbed by Kam Williams
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
While “Selma’s” Academy Awards stock plummeted in the wake of allegations of historical inaccuracies, that of “American Sniper” simultaneously skyrocketed, thanks to both booming box-office returns and very positive word of mouth. However, “Sniper” probably had too much ground to make up to catch “Birdman,” the early favorite in the Best Picture sweepstakes. I see “Birdman” garnering 4 awards overall, followed by “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” with 3. The only other multiple winners will likely be “Boyhood,” “Whiplash” and “The Theory of Everything,” at 2 each. Faithful readers will remember that a year ago, yours truly accurately predicted the results in 21 of 21 categories (I skipped the short films), so anyone who used my picks in their office pool fared pretty well. However, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Besides forecasting the winners below, I also suggest which nominees are the most deserving. Furthermore, because some great performances are invariably overlooked by the Academy entirely, I also point out those who should’ve been nominated. The 87th Academy Awards will air live on ABC this Sunday, February 22nd at 7:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. PT, and will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Best Picture Will Win: “Birdman” Deserves to Win: “Selma” Overlooked: “Nightcrawler”
“Reach 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading, and Succeeding” Edited by Ben Jealous and Trabian Shorters Foreword by Russell Simmons Atria Books Paperback, $15.00 304 pages, Illustrated ISBN: 978-1-4767-9983-4
Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu (“Birdman”) Deserves to Win: Ava Duvernay (“Selma”) Overlooked: Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”) Best Actor
Will Win: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo (“Birdman”) Deserves to Win: Dan Gilroy (“Nightcrawler”) Overlooked: Paul Webb (“Selma”) Best Adapted Screenplay:
Will Win: Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) Deserves to Win: Michael Keaton (“Birdman”) Overlooked: Jake Gyllenhaal (“Nightcrawler”) Best Actress Will Win: Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) Deserves to Win: Marion Cotillard (“Two Days, One Night”) Overlooked: Jennifer Aniston (“Cake”) Best Supporting Actor Will Win: J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”) Deserves to Win: J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”) Overlooked: Rick Garcia (“Nightcrawler”) Best Supporting Actress Will Win: Patricia Arquette (“Boyhood”) Deserves to Win: Emma Stone (“Birdman”) Overlooked: Jessica Chastain (“A Most Violent Year”)
Will Win: Graham Moore (“The Imitation Game”) Deserves to Win: Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”) Overlooked: Peter Landesman, Gary Webb and Nick Schou (“Kill the Messenger”) Predictions for Secondary Categories
Animated Feature: “How to Train Your Dragon 2” Foreign Language Film: “Ida” Documentary Feature: “Citizenfour” Cinematography: “Birdman” Costume Design: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Production Design: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Film Editing: “Boyhood” Makeup and Hairstyling: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Original Score: T”he Theory of Everything” Best Song: Glory (“Selma”) Sound Editing: “American Sniper” Sound Mixing: “Whiplash” Visual Effects: “Interstellar”
COMMENTARY
A beef reshaped by race and class
Excerpt “I’m aware that, for black men today, racism is still an obstacle that causes tremendous anger and suffering… Whether it’s the kind of racially charged violence that led to the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Jordan Davis, and countless other black, unarmed young men; or the predatory mortgages that invaded our neighborhoods; or the continuation of America’s obsession with warehousing millions of us in prisons and jails across the country—our people have been hit hard… “No matter how great the challenge is, you must breathe deep and keep pushing through. That is what the great men in this book have done during the course of their lifetimes.” – From the Foreword by Russell Simmons (pages xvi-xvii)
Best Original Screenplay:
Best Director
by Danielle C. Belton The Root
If an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, what does a tweet for a tweet do? If you’re talking Khloe Kardashian’s newly minted social media beef with Amber Rose, it probably leaves most of the world entertained, while exposing the fact that even socalled sexual liberation comes with the baggage of race and class. Monday’s exchange between the two social media empresses quickly devolved into “Who is the biggest whore” among their followers, despite the fact that the professional difference between Rose and “Team Kardashian” is near negligible, save for race and class. Rose is a bodacious, biracial Cape Verdean queen who grew up hardscrabble in Philly; the Kardashians are the privileged, socialite sisters of Beverly Hills, best known for how they look in bodycon dresses. All of them are basically professional pretty people. All of them have posed in various states of undress – both on purpose and “caught in the act” accident. Both Rose and Khloe’s sister, Kim Kardashian, have known rapper Kanye West carnally and allowed him to ruin their respective wardrobes. Their fight was the exact result of the “choose your choice” wing of third-wave feminism, where women are (rightfully) encouraged to be their true sexual selves without being demonized for it, but still find themselves devolving into contradictory absurdities because too many women want to be able to claim the protection of third-wave feminism while using the old-fashioned ammo of sexism to tell their competition to put on some pants and shut up. In this case, the catalyst was the alleged relationship between Khloe Kardashian’s baby sister, Kylie Jenner, who is 17, and rapper Tyga, who is 25, and what it means to have your stuff together as a teenager. The drama started when Rose went on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club
Amber Rose; Khloe Kardashian (Photos: Jesse Grant/Getty Images; Jason Merritt/Getty Images) and was asked about the relationship between Kylie and her rumored boyfriend Tyga. (Tyga denies they are a couple.) Rose – who is friends with Tyga’s ex, Blac Chyna – made it clear, true or not, that she thought the relationship was pretty foul. “She’s a baby; she needs to go to bed at 7 o’clock and relax,” said Rose, which sparked the ire of Khloe Kardashian. In defense of her sister’s right to “choose her choice” (even if it is the possible choice of dating a guy eight years older than she is when she is still a teen), Kardashian tweeted that Rose started stripping at 15, adding that her sister Kylie has her life and career together at 17 – something that is clearly debatable, since, as a child of wealth and privilege, Kylie is hardly self-made. But Kardashian still “went there,” implying that Rose had no place to talk because – as a teenage stripper – Rose could not have had her life all that together. This is the crux of the problem: Kardashian opened the tragicomic door by suggesting that Kylie Jenner’s actions
(real or imagined) as a child of privilege are somehow more mature and logical than Rose’s underage decision to strip to survive poverty. The truth is, at face value, the differences between two teens making questionable sexual choices when they’re still developing are negligible. Things only become complicated when race and poverty rewrite the rules, making one woman’s scarlet letter another’s proud expression of individuality. White supremacy may see a difference between a 9-year-old Kylie playing stripper for a reality show and a 15-year-old Amber entering sex work when she wasn’t even old enough to drive, but that’s just plain racism and classism rolled into one. Both are learning the same lesson – your worth is intrinsically tied to whether people want to have sex with you – only one had to learn it without a trust fund to fall back on. What’s fascinating is that all the money in the world didn’t stop the Kardashians from reaching the same conclusion Rose was forced to contend with under less optimal circumstances. Seeing the classist hypocrisy of
Kardashian’s attack, Rose quickly burst any illusion of superiority when she tweeted that she would “be that lil whore to support my family like ur older sister is a whore 2 support hers,” referencing the entire career of Kardashian’s more famous sister, Kim. Then Rose dropped the mic with a pithy “#DontPanic” tweet referencing a song by Khloe Kardashian’s boyfriend, French Montana. Kardashian’s mistake is one a lot of women in her position make. While not being a bad hustle, being “professionally pretty” is a space that is hard to navigate politically. You are essentially trying to flip traditional looks-based sexism to your advantage. As a result, some looks-focused careerists find themselves arguing about or defending sexist nonsense. They fall to the inherently competitive nature of their field, where there is a finite number of ballers/magazine covers/etc. and there’s always someone younger and prettier. So women like Kardashian end up using the same arguments thrown at them against perceived attackers, fighting with the anti-feminist nuclear option, “slut shaming.” It’s mutually assured slut-struction. It’s like McDonald’s calling smaller burger chain Whataburger inedible. You’re both slinging cheap meat. What are we really talking about here? Khloe Kardashian can’t throw a burger under the guise of “when we choose to do it, it’s clean, but when you choose to do it, it’s dirty because ... reasons” and hide her hands. What are those reasons, anyway? That Amber Rose grew up black and poor and the Kardashians didn’t? And yet for some, that will be the dividing line that determines whose nude pictures, dental-floss bikinis and rapper-dating habits are “classy” and whose are not. You can choose your choice, but you can’t choose the consequences.
(Danielle C. Belton is a Washington, D.C.-based satirist and blogger. Follow her on Twitter.)
Page 10
February 19 - 25, 2015
ENTERTAINMENT
The New Tri-State Defender
Craig Robinson: Backwards in time again by Kam Williams
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Actor Craig Robinson talks about reprising the role of Nick in “Hot Tub Time Machine 2,” a sci-fi comedy co-starring Rob Corddry, Clark Duke and Adam Scott.
Kam Williams: What was the primary challenge you faced in getting back Craig Robinson 2009. into the hot tub? Craig Robinson: (Photo: Mark SebasWith the addition of tian/commons.wikiAdam Scott to the media.org) principal cast, the primary challenge was whether there would be chemistry. But that worry quickly changed to “Oh, it’s on!” … Besides that, the heat was an issue at times, since we shot in New Orleans for a couple months.
Tracy Morgan plays the role of Keyshawn in the romantic comedy “Accidental Love.” (Courtesy photo)
by Kam Williams
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
For movies opening February 20, 2015 BIG BUDGET FILMS “The DUFF” (PG-13 for profanity, partying, pervasive sexuality and constant crude humor) Mae Whitman plays the title character in this coming-of-age comedy as a homely teen upset about her reputation around school as her pretty BFFs’ (Skyler Samuels and Bianca Santos) “Designated Ugly Fat Friend.” Cast includes Bella Thorne, Allison Janney, Romany Malco, Robbie Amell and Dr. Ken Jeong. “Hot Tub Time Machine 2” (R for pervasive profanity, incessant sexuality, crude humor, graphic nudity, violence and drug use) Sci-fi sequel, set a decade in the future, finds buddies Jacob (Clark Duke) and Nick (Craig Robinson) getting back into the hot tub to travel back in time to undo pal Nick’s (Rob Corddry) murder at the hands of an unknown assassin. With Chevy Chase, Adam Scott, Gillian Jacobs, Thomas Lennon and Kellee Stewart. “McFarland, USA” (PG for violence, mild epithets and mature themes) Kevin Costner stars in this true tale, set in 1987, about a high school track coach who transforms his underachieving cross-country team into championship contenders after recruiting some fleet-footed Latino students. Ensemble cast includes Maria Bello, Hector Duran, Daniel Moncada, Vincent Martella and Carlos Pratts. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS “Accidental Love” (PG-13 for profanity
and sexuality) Romantic comedy adapted by David O. Russell from the best-seller “Sammy’s Hill” by Kristin Gore (Al’s daughter). Principal shooting began in 2008, but Russell abandoned the troubled project a couple years later, and subsequently refused to take a directing credit. The plot revolves around a small-town waitress (Jessica Biel) who turns into a nymphomaniac after being shot in the head by a nail gun. With Jake Gyllenhaal, Tracy Morgan, Bill Hader, Kirstie Alley, James Marsden, Catherine Keener and James Brolin. “Approaching the Elephant” (Unrated) Alternative education documentary chronicling year one at the Teddy McArdle Free School located in Little Falls, New Jersey, where classes are optional, challenging authority is encouraged, and conflicts are resolved by majority rule. “Blackbird” (Unrated) Bittersweet coming-of-age drama revolving around a black choir boy’s (Julian Walker) struggle with his sexuality while a member of a tight-knit, Southern Baptist community. With Mo’Nique, Isaiah Washington and Kevin Allesee. “The Business of Disease” (Unrated) Holistic medicine expose’ warning about how physicians have conspired with the pharmaceutical industry to hypnotize the masses into forgetting the body’s natural ability to heal. Featuring commentary by Sonia Barrett, Brad Bartholomew and Brian David Anderson. “A Convenient Truth” (Unrated) Politically-incorrect mockumentary about a camera crew which chronicles a California assem-
blyman’s (Alan Berman) solution for a host of societal ills, including climate change, unemployment, obesity and illegal immigration. With Kevin Hauver, Elise Rovinsky and Gilli Lesser. “Drunktown’s Finest” (Unrated) Navajo drama examining a promiscuous transsexual (Carmen Moore), a college-bound Christian (Morningstar Angeline), and her absentee baby-daddy (Jeremiah Bitsui) as they attempt to escape their harsh lives on the reservation. Cast includes Loren Anthony, Shauna Baker and Pierre Barrera. “Gloria” (R for profanity, sexuality, graphic nudity) Musical biopic chronicling the meteoric rise and ultimate disgrace of Gloria Trevi (Sofia Espinosa), the politically and sexually provocative salsa singer popular in the Nineties when she was celebrated as the Mexican Madonna. With Osvaldo Rios, Ricardo Kleinbaum and Marco Perez. (In Spanish with subtitles) “Queen and Country” (Unrated) John Boorman wrote and directed this semi-autobiographical drama, a sequel to Hope and Glory (1987) revolving around a patriotic Brit (Callum Turner) who enlists in the army to serve his country in the Korean War. Featuring Caleb Landry Jones, David Thewlis and Pat Shortt. “Wild Tales” (R for violence, profanity and brief sexuality) A half-dozen discrete dramedies, exploring the very destructive effect of stress, depression, deception, inequality, infidelity and injustice on different individuals. Cast includes Liliana Ackerman, Luis Manuel Altamirano, Damian Benitez and Cristina Blanco. (In Spanish with subtitles)
KW: Sangeetha Subramanian says: “Craig, sequels can be great for reviving themes and running jokes from an original movie. Was that the case with “Hot Tub Time Machine 2,” or does the sequel focus more on breaking new ground? CR: …We definitely tip our hat to the original, but we also break new ground. It’s a marvelous mixture!
KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: “Did you worry about running the risk of being typecast by agreeing to do the sequel?” CR: Not at all. I’ve been typecast already. (Chuckles) I was first typecast after playing a bouncer in “Knocked Up.” Right away, I had four or five offers to play another bouncer. People kept saying, “Hey man, I got this role for you as a bouncer.” But in my mind, I was thinking, “Well, I’ve done that.” Then, when I was playing Darryl on “The Office,” some people started hating on me, saying I was best in small doses after a publication announced that I had landed a lead in a movie. So, I’m not going to worry about being typecast, I’m just going to continue doing what I do. …
KW: You made a pilot for a TV series called “Mr. Robinson.” When’s the show coming on? CR: We don’t have an air date yet, but we’ve already taped the premiere and the second episode in front of a live studio audience. We’re having a blast! It’s about me as a substitute music teacher whose first love is playing with my band. We use my actual band, The Nasty Delicious. And you get introduced to my childhood sweetheart from many, many, many years ago. She’s now a teacher at our old high school. I start subbing there just to be near her, but I fall in love with the school and I’m so good with the kids that I’m offered a permanent position. I take the job, and hijinks ensue. …
The New Tri-State Defender
February 19 - 25, 2015
Page 11
February 19 - 25, 2015
Page 12
The New Tri-State Defender
CLASSIFIEDS
Legal Notices
THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS
NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Robert Cox Tax Parcel # 02105100000040 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #123 Price Offered: $1,200.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 1:00 p.m. on March 13, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort. SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581
203 Beale Street, Suite 200 Memphis, TN 38103 PH (901) 523-1818 FAX (901) 578-5037
NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Robert Cox Tax Parcel # 02105100000080 Tax Sale #1400 Exhibit #89.5 Price Offered: $50.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 1:35 p.m. on March 8, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort. SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Govern-
HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. DEADLINES: Display ads Monday 5 p.m. Classifieds ads Monday 5 p.m. RATES: Standard rates: $9.50 per line for 1 column ad. Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation. For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tsdmemphis.com ment has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Anita Grove Tax Parcel # 02106200000090 Tax Sale #0903 Exhibit #2644 Price Offered: $3,500.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 3:30 p.m. on March 11, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort. SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Jerry Blakeley Tax Parcel # 02505200000200 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #215 Price Offered: $2,700.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must at-
BEER PERMITS Flat Rate: $30 GENERAL INFORMATION: Some categories require prepayment. All ads subject to credit approval. The New Tri-State Defender reserves the right to correctly classify and edit all copy or to reject or cancel any ad at any time. Only standard abbreviations accepted. Copy change during ordered schedule constitutes new ad & new changes. Deadlines for cancellation are identical to placement deadlines. Rates subject to change. ADJUSTMENTS: PLEASE check your ad the first day it appears. Call (901) 523-1818 if an error occurs. We can only offer in-house credit and NO REFUNDS are issued. THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER assumes no financial responsibility for errors nor for copy omission. Direct any classified billing inquires to (901) 523-1818. tend a Public “Bid Off” at 12:00 p.m. on March 9, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort. SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38134 until 9:30 a.m. on March 2, 2015 as shown below: MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REHABILITATION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE. SEALED BID SBI-000300 DUE: March 2, 2015 1. Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead based paint safe work practices and techniques; and 2. Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Jobs. Detailed specifications for items above may be obtained in the Shelby County Department of Housing at the aforementioned address. All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County
Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 2222301; or for information in Spanish 901222-4289. As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance Eligibility Number prior to the submitting your response. Your EOC number must be displayed on the outside of your envelope for each bid submission. As a condition precedent to being awarded jobs involving Lead Based Paint, contractors must be certified through EPA as an RRP contractor and/or show proof of application to EPA for said certification and be certified through the State of Tennessee as a Lead Based Paint Firm. Proof of licensing at time of bid submission is required by the Shelby County Department of Housing. The label, which is attached to the specifications shall be completely filled out and attached to the bid submission envelope. You must display your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number or your Locally Owned Small Business (LOSB) Number on the outside of your envelope and a copy of all licenses and insurance policies must be included in your submitted bid package. Unless the label is completely filled out and your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number is noted thereon your bid may be returned to you unopened. Should your label be lost or misplaced, please note the appropriate information in the lower left-hand corner of your envelope. The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs. The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein. By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR., MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Jim Vazquez, Administrator ALL INTERESTED BIDDERS The Board of Education of the Shelby County Schools will accept written bids for the Chiller Replacement at Administration Bldg. Visit our website for additional information: http://www.scsk12.org/uf/procurement/ bids.php Questions concerning bid/RFQ should be addressed to Jonathan Lawshe, (901) 416-5497 or emailed to lawshej@scsk12. org. Thank you for supporting Shelby County
Schools. Cerita Butler, Director Procurement Services City of Bartlett, TN
INVITATION FOR SEALED BIDS The City of Bartlett is seeking Request for Qualifications for Engineering Services. The engineering consulting firm must be on TDOT’s pre-approved list. Sealed proposals are to be received no later than 4:00 pm on Thursday, March 12, 2015. All submittals must be labeled “FY201502-020 “ENGINEERING SERVICES OLD BROWNSVILLE ROAD WIDENING PROJECT” and addressed as follows: Mayor A. Keith McDonald City of Bartlett 6400 Stage Rd. Bartlett, TN 38134 Information regarding this Bid is posted on the City’s website at www.cityofbartlett.org Bidders may direct inquires to Debbie Cairncross, Purchasing Agent at 901385-6416 or email dcairncross@cityofbartlett.org or clarifications to the Project Scope, email Rick McClanahan, P.E. at (901) 385-6499 or rmcclanahan@cityofbartlett.org The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informality in the bidding process. The City of Bartlett is an equal opportunity employer, and will not discriminate against any individual for any reason.
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The New Tri-State Defender
February 19 - 25, 2015
Page 13
NEWS
African-American History Month Calendar 2015 As African-American History Month winds through its third week, a variety of events are set for Greater Memphis and the region. Ballet Memphis presents four original works in its winter mixed-repertory show, “I Am,” which will run Feb. 20-22 at the Playhouse on the Square, 66 South Cooper. Feb. 20 at 8 p.m.; Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. (Paywhat-you-can Community Day. Advanced reservations/purchase by phone or in person encouraged. $5 minimum for credit cards.); Feb. 21 at 8 p.m.; Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $10, $22, $43, $72, with group rates available; For more info: 901-737-7322; visit www. balletmemphis.org. The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis: Feb. 24, noon-1:30 p.m. in the Bluff Room (UC 308) – Hooks Institute National Book Awards Luncheon. Daniel Matlin, history lecturer at King’s College London will speak about his book, “Around the Corner:
African-American Intellectuals and the Urban Crisis”; 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., River Room (UC 300) – Mapping Civil Rights and Tent City Website Release Event. Created Equal Film Series: Feb. 19 – “The Abolitionists” at the Memphis Public Library & Information Center, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.; Feb. 26 – “Freedom Riders” at the National Civil Rights Museum, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cossitt Branch Library, 33 South Front St.: “Sammy Davis, Jr., the Truth” will be at the library throughout February. The Lemoyne-Owen College: Feb. 21 – Harambee Festival. Feb. 22-28 – Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Week; Feb. 23 – Counseling Center, Making the Grade; Feb. 28 – National TriO Day Celebration. For more information: http://www.loc.edu. The Medtronic African Descent Network: The Rev. Dr. Kenneth S. Robinson will be awarded the inaugural Medtronic Trailblazer
Honor for 2015 during a program set for noon to 1 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Medtronic Spinal, 1800 Pyramid Place. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art: On Feb. 26 at 7 p.m., curator and activist photographer, Matt Herron, will give a talk related to the the exhibit “This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement,” which opens Feb. 14 and features 157 black-and-white images by nine activist photographers from 1963-67. Numerous events are planned to coincide with the exhibition, including a free community day, a secondary exhibition with three local artists Marcellous Lovelace, Frank D. Robinson and Siphne Sylve - and a photography exhibition running currently at the National Civil Rights Museum featuring images by Ernest Withers from the Brooks’ permanent collection. For more information: www.brooksmuseum.org. New Sardis Baptist Church, 7739 E. Holmes
Rd., will recognize the 2015 Living Legends at 11 a.m. Feb. 22. For more information: 901-754-3979. Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum at 826 No. Second St.: Feb. 28 – Young Artists Market: Memphis Talented Black Artists, featuring artist/entrepreneur Maurice Bridges, owner of Mo’s Bo’s; artists’ exhibits. Admission: $10 adult, $8 students (ages 4-17); Group rates available. Reservations: call Heritage Tours at 901-527-3427 or email: heritagetours@bellsouth. Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Memphis Chapter Feb. 19 – SCLC Memphis & Faith Leaders Rally in support of fast food and minimum wage workers’ efforts to get the minimum wage raised in Tennessee. Time: 7 p.m.; Annesdale Cherokee MBC, 2960 Kimball Ave. Feb. 20 - SCLC Memphis Banquet focusing on Education Choice and Economic
Empowerment at 7 p.m. at Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Community Fellowship Hall,1098 S. Wellington. Keynote: Dr. C.S. Greer, vice president of the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association, which will provide music. Feb. 26 – SCLC Memphis, along with pastors of the Tennessee Clergy for Educational Choice, will hold a press conference calling on Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Geneeral Assembly to pass the Opportunity Scholarship Program” legislation this legislative session. Time: 8 p.m.; Location: Nashville, state Capitol. Feb. 28 – SCLC Memphis, parents, students and pastors meet with members of the Shelby County Legislative Delegation concerning educational choice. Time: 1 p.m.; Location: Annesdale Cherokee MBC. University of Memphis: Feb. 20 – Mahogany Awards and Freedom Ball, UC Ballroom, 7 p.m.; Feb. 22 – First Baptist Church-Broad, 10:45 a.m.; Alpha Phi Al-
pha, Miss Black and Gold, Rose Theatre, 7 p.m.; Feb. 24 – Lunch w/ a leader, Dr. Douglas Scarboro, 1 p.m.; Stand Your Ground Panel Discussion, UC Theatre, 7 p.m.; Feb. 25 – Igniting Excitement, Fountain View Room, 1 p.m.; SAC Cinema “Lincoln” in the UC Theatre, 4 p.m.; Feb. 27 – Closing Ceremony with Arthur S. Holmon, UC Bluff Room, 1 p.m.; SAC Cinema “Lincoln” in the UC Theatre, 7 p.m.; Feb. 28 – Personal Branding Conference, University Center. University of Mississippi: Renowned author, educator and syndicated radio host Michael Eric Dyson, a sociology professor at Georgetown University, will deliver a keynote address at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19 in the Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom at the Inn at Ole Miss. Admission is free and open to the public. (For more information about UM Black History Month events, visit http://inclusion.olemiss.edu/ or call the Center for Inclusion at Cross Cultural Engagement at 662-915-2191.)
ELEGANT EPSILON EPSILON
Award winners at the Annual Prominent Black Women’s Reception hosted by the Epsilon Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. were: Dr. Robin E. Henderson, Educational Enrichment; Joy R. Stout, Family Strengthening; Judy C. Martin, Health Promotion; LaVerne M. Bobo, Environmental Ownership; and Yvonne B. Acey, Global Impact; Chapter Award winners were: Olivia Dunigan, Legacy Award & Outstanding Soro; Nakisha S. Henderson, Membership Intake chairman; and Donimica Binkley, New Soror of the Year.
Dr. Inetta F. Rogers, an associate minister at Grace M.B. Church and founder of Memphis Inter-Denominational Fellowship, Inc., was the keynote speaker during the Annual Prominent Black Women’s Reception hosted by the Epsilon Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. at the University Center Ballroom Suite last Sunday (Feb. 15). (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
February 19 - 25, 2015
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COMMUNITY
BRIEFS & THINGS
GJJD BLUE & YJU
Officer Cassandra Leake
Lifeblood and ‘Divine Nine’ pair up for 12th annual blood drive Lifeblood and the Memphis Metropolitan Pan-Hellenic Council are hosting their 12th annual “Greeks for Life” blood drive on Feb. 28th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Alma Hansen Student Center on the campus of The LeMoyne-Owen College at 807 Walker Ave. The collaboration matches the Lifeblood Mid-South Regional Blood Center and the Divine Nine, which consists of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Iota Phi Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta and Sigma Gamma Rho. Each day Mid-South area hospitals transfuse approximately 300 units of blood products. The Divine Nine is giving blood as a way to ensure that the area’s hospitals and patients have blood when they need it. “The Memphis Metropolitan Pan-Hellenic Council, in conjunction with Lifeblood, is honored to be allowed to continue its endeavor of giving back to our community with this year’s blood drive,” said Shelley Lyles Madison, president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. The blood drive was created as a way to increase the number of African-American donors in the Greater Memphis area. Additionally, Lifeblood and the Pan-Hellenic Council hope to heighten the entire community’s awareness of the importance of donating blood, particularly during the critical winter months, when the number blood donations typically decrease but the need is still great. Due to the recent winter weather, the community’s blood supply is critically low and Lifeblood is asking all eligible donors to help stabilize the community blood supply and support local hospitals by donating at a blood drive or donor center near them. Muslims in Memphis annual celebration set for March The 13th Annual Muslims in Memphis Celebration will be held throughout March with a series of events at various locations. On March 1st, the community is invited to join with “Stop the Hunger”, an international hunger relief agency, to help distribute food to children and families in countries all over the world. Last year, volunteer organizations helped to pack over 50,000. The event will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 1888 Bartlett Road, Memphis An open discussion with CNN contributor Theresa Corbin is set for March 7th. The discussion is entitled, “An open invitation to understand Islam and Muslims.” Kosher & Halal comedy night on March 21st will feature Muslim comedian Omar Regan and Jewish comedian Samson Koletkar. Come out and enjoy a fun night of laughter. On March 29th, Dr. Yasir Qadhi an assistant professor at Rhodes College will present “The truth about Radical groups, , presented by. Dr. Qadhi holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Yale University and is aresident scholar of the Memphis Islamic Center. Those who wish to attend must R.S.V.P or purchase a ticket for select events. Visit muslimsinmemphis.org. BRIEFLY: Women in Education convenes its first 2015 educational forum from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday (Feb. 21st) at the Whitehaven Library at 4120 Millbranch at Raines Rd. For more information, contact Etta Chavez at 901-208-6524 BRIEFLY: The Sexual Assault Kit Taskforce will host its 4th community forum on Feb. 23rd from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, 1900 Union Ave. The agenda includes discussions about upcoming projects to reset the community’s attitudes about domestic violence and sexual assault, prevention strategies and how Memphis-area women’s organizations can strengthen such efforts. Seating is limited. Mayor A C Wharton Jr. created the taskforce to address the sexual assault kit backlog. To view the monthly report, visit: http:// www.memphistn.gov/SexualAssaultKitBacklog.aspx.
The New Tri-State Defender
‘Minimal to me can be the world to someone else’
done for me. (Crying)
by Kelvin Cowans
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
KC: So, a Caucasian police officer doing Saturday morning Bible Study in a black neighborhood with black women off the clock. Yeah, you should be crying, you’re a mountain mover. Officer Leake: I believe that being hands-on in a community makes a big difference in the community. I think it’s cool to let kids come over to your squad car and talk on the mega phone or look at all the buttons and ask all the questions that they want about it. We understand as officers that we have to maintain a safe look out at all times, but it’s my prayer that we also understand that it’s just as important to be kind and friendly, engaging even. I took a group of girls to “The Nutcracker” and they were blown away. I took them to Olive Garden and some had never been. Many of them haven’t been on the other side of town and all they know is their neighborhood. I feel like that since God has blessed me to be in this space of leadership that I should put my best foot forward, realizing that what’s minimal to me can be the world to someone else.
(Just as a neighborhood should not be judged by the actions of a few bad apples, neither should law enforcement agencies. The New Tri-State Defender’s “Good Blue & You” column spotlights law enforcement officers who do it right. This week’s focus is on Cassandra Leake, an officer with the Memphis Police Department assigned to the Airways station.) The daughter of a retired police officer, Cassandra Leake is a 17-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department. While the DNA of protecting and serving the community runs in her veins, there is another element to her nucleus – love. At Bellevue Baptist Church, there’s a program called “Bellevue Loves Memphis” and Officer Leake has been a part of it for three years. Through it, she and her husband are touching and changing lives, one Bible Study at a time. Officer Cassandra Leake: This program that we have at Bellevue Baptist helps bridge the gaps in schools and communities. We do different things with it such as work projects where we may paint a house or fix up a playground in a neighborhood. During these assignments is where we take the opportunity to preach God and Jesus to the people that we are helping. My husband, Dana, and I and some ladies from our Sunday school class … initially went to Tulane Apartments in Whitehaven to do a pampering class for the women … things such as facials and demonstrated to them how they can use products at home to get just as great results as the professionals. You know, remedies that I myself use. We had another lady that did hair and things of that nature and they loved it. My husband, who is also a deacon at our church, held a Bible Study as we were doing this event. It was then that a missionary from this community asked us could we regularly show up and conduct a Bible Study. That birthed what we are doing there now.
KC: I’m going to say a word and you speak the first thing come to your mind…Tulane Apartments. Officer Leake: Hope.
Officer Cassandra Leake, a 17-year-veteran of the Memphis Police Department, teaches the D.A.R.E. program at Fairley High School. (Photo: Kelvin Cowans) Kelvin Cowans: How has the reception been for you guys there? Officer Leake: It’s been great. Things grew really fast and before we knew it we had two Bible studies going on. One where my husband taught the adult men, and another where I teach the women and kids. What was funny was that the people of this community didn’t know for the longest that I was a police officer. But I also teach the D.A.R.E.
program (Drugs Abuse Resistence Education) at Fairley High School and the G.R.E.A.T. program (Gang Resistence Education And Training) at Geeter Middle School, so the kids eventually was like, “Ms. Cassie. I saw you at my school today.” So then my cover was blown. It wasn’t that I was trying to hide it, I just wanted them to know me for me on a personal level. I’m just as excited to see them. You know I can’t put it into words the benefits that this has
KC: Fairley High and Geeter Middle. Officer Leake: Beautiful. KC: D.A.R.E and G.R.E.A.T. Officer Leake: Needed. KC: Memphis. Officer Leake: Awesome. KC: Memphis Police Department Officer Leake: Community. KC: Memphis Grizzlies. Officer Leake: Playoffs. (Kelvin Cowans can be reached at kelvincowans@hotmail.com.) (Join the Good Blue and You Instagram page – goodblue_you.)
Shelby County launches The Blueprint for Safety initiative News conference and roundtable discussion set for Feb. 19th. Shelby County Government and representatives from law enforcement, social services and community agencies across Shelby County will announce details this week about The Blueprint for Safety, a new, comprehensive response to domestic violence. A news conference was set for Thursday, February 19th, at the Urban Child Institute, 600 Jefferson. The initiative is funded by a $300,000 federal grant through the U. S. Department of Justice. “The Blueprint for Safety team has been holding continual meetings since 2010. We’ve looked in-depth at the causes and responses to domestic violence,” said Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr.
We’ll now have a unified approach to address these cases investigated by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Memphis Police Department.” The Shelby County Division of Community Services coordinated The Blueprint for Safety initiative. “The workgroup has included representatives from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Memphis Police Department, Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, Family Safety Center, General Sessions Court Division 10 (Domestic Violence Court) and a host of non-profit support agencies that provide support for domestic violence victims,” said Martha Lott, director of the Shelby County Com-
munity Services Division. The Blueprint for Safety will make use of best practices for domestic violence cases, from the time a call is received by law enforcement through follow-up resources for victims. Memphis follows other cities, St. Paul and Duluth, Minnesota and New Orleans that have adopted The Blueprint for Safety model. Following Thursday’s news conference, representatives with the Office of Violence Against Women will conduct a roundtable discussion with The Blueprint for Safety implementation team. Discussion topics will include Shelby County’s response to domestic violence cases since the Violence Against Women Act was
passed by Congress in 1994. The act set aside federal funds towards the prosecution of violent crimes against women and created a mandatory restitution process for offenders. The roundtable discussion will also focus on how Shelby County Government will monitor the progress of The Blueprint for Safety initiative to make sure the new domestic violence policies and procedures will be followed. (For more information, contact Lia Roemer, The Blueprint for Safety coordinator, at 901-222-2043, lia. roemer@shelbycountytn.gov or go to http://www.praxisinternational.org/ blueprintforsafety.)
JUNETEENTH’S ‘FREEDOM OF FASHION’ The Juneteenth Urban Music Festival presented “Freedom of Fashion,” a fashion show and dinner Friday, Feb. 13 at the Airways Professional Building, 3385 Airways Blvd. “Although the Juneteenth Urban Music Festival is celebrated annually in June, it is the
goal of the Juneteenth organization to deliver more quality events throughout the year,” said Telisa Franklin, the festival’s executive director. Crystal Brown blew her saxophone, Timothy Moore performed spoken word, and Stanley Photos: Wiley Henry
Smith’s models from Erole Expose paraded their colorful and stylish outfits before a packed house all night long. “Freedom of Fashion” will set the stage for a whole new experience for Juneteenth supporters,” Franklin said.
The New Tri-State Defender
February 19 - 25, 2015
Page 15
COMMUNITY
‘A Celebration of Life and Love’ Eugene Phillips hosted his annual birthday celebration at Owen Brennan’s Restaurant Feb. 10, 2015 on behalf of the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Because of friends like you, thousands of dollars have been contributed to the hospital and many have been helped,” Phillips said.
Friends near and far came out to support Phillips.
Phillips welcomes his dinner guests and thanks them for their continued support.
Longtime friends like Jocelyn Dan Wurzburg (left) devotes her time and makes a contribution each year.
In appreciation for a job well done. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
The Wedding Celebration Of
Nedia Moore Brassell & Rev. Dr. James L. Netters Sr. Saturday, The Fourteenth of February, Two Thousand Fifteen • Mt. Vernon Baptist Church - Westwood, 620 Parkrose Ave.
The bride, Mrs. Nedia Moore Brassell Netters, and her bridesmaid. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
Rev. Dr. James L. Netters Sr. and his groomsmen. Mr. and Mrs Netters.
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February 19 - 25, 2015
The New Tri-State Defender