VOL. 63, No. 5
January 30 - February 5, 2014
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
www.tsdmemphis.com
75 Cents
‘P’s of Progress’ Wharton highlights specific projects for 2014 in State of City address
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Carlissa Shaw, Esq.
Alice Walker at London Premier of “Beauty In Truth.” (Photo: Brenda Lawley)
Spotlight:
Alice in Walkerland! The ʻPBS American Mastersʼ Interview
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Kam Williams
Alice Walker made history as the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as the National Book Award in 1983 for her novel “The Color Purple.” An internationally celebrated author, poet and activist, Walker’s books include seven novels, four collections of short stories, four children’s books, and volumes of essays and poetry. Here, she talks about her career and about the documentary “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth,” which premieres on PBS’ American Masters series on Friday, Feb. 7th at 8 p.m. CT.
Kam Williams: Hi Alice. I’m so honored to have this opportunity to interview you. Alice Walker: Oh, I’m so glad to be talking with you, too, Kam. …
KW: I’ll be mixing in my questions with some from readers. Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: “How do you feel about having the biopic coming out about you?” AW: Well, it’s very interesting because I almost never do anything for Black History Month, because I feel it’s just another way to separate us. It’s amusing to me that it would be coming out as a Black History presentation on PBS. But on the level of the film, I like it. And I love the producer (Shaheen Haq) and the filmmaker (Pratibha Parmar). I think they were incredibly devoted. They did it on a hope and a prayer, and at one point had to rely on crowd-sourcing because of the huge expenses.
KW: I learned so much about you from the film. For instance, I was surprised to hear that Howard Zinn had been a professor of yours in college. AW: He was already teaching at Spelman when I arrived as a freshperson. Then, I took his class the following year, because I had gone to the Soviet Union and wanted to learn more about Russia, and I think he was the only person in all of Atlanta who knew anything about Russian literature, which I loved. He was teaching Russian literature, the language, and SEE WALKERLAND ON PAGE 3
Any list drawing upon “P” words to address conditions in Memphis would easily be dismissed as invalid if poverty were not given a prominent place. Mayor A C Wharton Jr. drew upon what he called the “5 P’s” Wednesday morning as he addressed the State of the City to a crowded auditorium at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Amid “Potholes,” “Pensions,” “Public Safety” and “Planning,” Wharton put “Poverty,” which was paramount to Shelby County Democratic Party Chair Bryan Carson. “I listened very closely to Mayor Wharton’s State of the City address. Although I was very pleased with his 5 P’s plan for Memphis, what caught my attention more was the city’s Blue Print for Prosperity initiative to reduce our 27 percent poverty level by 10 percent by 2024,” said Carson. “There is much poverty and a high percentage of working poor in Memphis that desperately needs addressing. When the poverty issue is addressed, all of Memphis will be benefited.” Wharton’s address was relatively brief. He tackled poverty head-on, acknowledging that “Memphis is near the top of this unfortunate list.” “With a 27 percent poverty rate … I am looking forward to launching … one of the most innovative programs to reduce poverty of any city in the United States, the Memphis Blueprint for Prosperity,” he said. The goal is to reduce poverty 1 percent per year for the next 10
Mayor A C Wharton Jr. drew upon alliteration to make his points in the State of the City address he delivered at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law on Wednesday (June 29th). (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) years. “Instead of providing additional checks to low income people, we want to reduce the cost of living in the city of Memphis,” he said. With the theme of the 5 P’s, Wharton discussed both the current progression and future of Memphis. “We cannot, however, be so tomorrow minded that we are no good to the immediacy of today,” Wharton declared to a room full of politicians, city workers, community leaders, concerned citizens, law students, and
media. In the job growth and development sector, Wharton highlighted the Workforce Investment Network, which boasts 735 citizens with criminal backgrounds receiving job skills and coaching. He also praised the Industrial Readiness Training Program (IRT) at Southwest Tennessee Community College. The program prepares participants for employment by developing marketable job skills and credentials. The IRT job placement
rate is 98 percent for the first two classes.
Potholes
The first “P” that Wharton addressed was the metaphoric and literal Potholes in the city of Memphis. Making no excuse about the amount of work that needs to be done, he focused on quality of life issues that SEE WHARTON ON PAGE 2
Highest rate of African-American murders? Omaha, Neb., says new report
theGrio
Number of black homicide victims and rates by state in 2011
by Kunbi Tinuoye Nebraska, known for its large agricultural industry, has surprisingly claimed the top spot as the state with the highest incidence of AfricanAmerican murder victims, according to newly published research. Analysis by the Violence Policy Center (VPC) shows Nebraska has the highest African-American homicide rates for 2011, the most recent year for which comprehensive national data is available. Nebraska, which has a population of approximately 1.8 million people, led the nation with an African-American homicide victimization rate of 34.43 per 100,000. The state’s No.1 ranking topples more obvious places like Michigan, which ranks third on the top 10 list and Pennsylvania that comes in at forth place. “The figures are surprising be-
State ranking by rate 14 15 34
State Tennessee Arkansas Mississippi
No. of homicides 229 93 135
Rate per 100,000 21.15 20.32 12.14
Source: Violence Policy Center. Black Homicide Victimization in the United States
cause most people think of Nebraska as a white state,” says VPC executive director Josh Sugarmann. “But the majority of the killings are in Nebraska’s largest city, Omaha.” Omaha’s population was listed as 420,000 people. Thirty African Americans were murdered in Nebraska in 2011 and based on police reporting 27 were killed in Omaha. One explanation could be that the city has staggering poverty affecting
specific pockets of the population. Omaha has the unenviable position of ranking 1st among U.S. cities for the total number of African Americans who qualify as low-income. John Crank, a criminal justice professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, points to a clustering of the killings in the city’s most socially deprived areas, mainly in the north. “Most Omaha neighborhoods had no homicides,” said Crank. “The ma-
jority of violent crime and killings are isolated to specific areas. …A lot is gang-related, a fair amount of retaliation. Then you have crime committed by gang members that are not acting on behalf of their gangs.” In reality, the homicide rates for Omaha are dwarfed in comparison to murder data from the tough streets of SEE MURDERS ON PAGE 2
ENTERTAINMENT
OPINION
SPORTS
Are you ready for the Super Bowl? Trombonist Kameron T. Whalum will be when he performs during half time with Bruno Mars.
President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 28. Now everybody is talking.
University of Memphis head coach Josh Pastner is a beacon of positive energy, and his Tigers are a reflection.
MEMPHIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
H- 5 2o - L - 4 3o C l oud y
H- 5 0o - L - 3 7o Few Sho wers
H- 4 9o - L - 3 6o Partl y Cl o udy
REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS
Friday H-60 L-45 H-46 L-43 H-61 L-51
Saturday H-55 L-35 H-50 L-36 H-69 L-51
Sunday H-52 L-36 H-49 L-33 H-68 L-50
See Page 7
See Page 4
See Page 12
NEWS
Page 2 WHARTON
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
can be overcome in the short term. He detailed projects that have been completed in the city, including: the Watkins Bridge and Airways Bridge replacements projects, installation of an average of 1000 curb ramps for wheelchair bound citizens, and the MEMFix and MEMShop projects that support local entrepreneurs. Among other plans for the city is a “complete and comprehensive plan for the redevelopment and re-use of the Southland Mall area. We will soon break ground on the Raleigh Mall project, which will involve relocating central services to that site.” Both projects are much-needed restorations of shopping centers in two of Memphis’ most vulnerable communities. Wharton also mentioned the development that is taking place in the downtown-Midtown area, including: the reestablishment of the Pyramid, Main Street Project, the new management of Beale Street, the $1.5 billion capital projects in the Memphis Medical Center, and the Crosstown project, which is a public-private partnership that he says as transforming Memphis’ “single most example of urban blight into a new vertical urban village of health wellness and education.” Potholes also had a practical meaning for the mayor. “All Public works personnel will now be charged with identifying and reporting potholes and code violations,” he said. Public Works is set to increase the number of lane miles repaved this fiscal year by 45 percent.
Pensions/Public Safety
“The pension crisis in the city was caused by a perfect storm, which contributed to a loss of $500 million in the pension fund,” said Wharton, vowing that he would not place the pension problem onto the taxpayers knowing that most taxpayers themselves do not have a pension. Turning to the “P” of Public
Tri-State Defender
January 30 - February 5, 2014
MURDERS
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
Mayor A C Wharton Jr. drew a final round of applause from members of a State-ofthe-City audience that included politicians, city workers, community leaders, concerned citizens, law students and media. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) Safety, Wharton drew applause when he emphatically announced that, “crime is down,” proclaiming that there a “20,000 fewer victims when comparing these numbers to 2006.” Youth gun violence is down by 13 percent from 2012, said Wharton, attributing the declines to the focused police work of Director Toney Armstrong’s community outreach programs, and intervention services such as 901 B.L.O.C.
Squad and the MED’s Violence Intervention Program. The mayor added that there must be some comprehensive efforts to assure crime prevention in the city. “We cannot arrest and jail our way out of the crime issue that we have,” he said.
Planning
Wharton’s last “P” was a reference to the “Plan.”
As for a plan, well, that is still in the development phase, with the mayor assuring that there will be a written plan in the next couple of weeks. True to his plan to be brief, what moved to wrap up by making a call to bring an end to what he called the “tale of two cities.” Said Wharton: “We are ONE Memphis and we will work together against the odds to ensure that opportunity is real in the lives of every citizen.”
Chicago or Detroit, since Nebraska has a small population. Nebraska is overwhelmingly white. About 88,000 African-American people reside in the state, accounting for only about 4.7 percent of the state’s population. The AfricanAmerican community is concentrated in Omaha. Other findings in the study highlight that African Americans across the nation are disproportionately affected by homicide. African Americans are four times The study finds more likely to be murdered than the the African- national average. Of these, four out of five African-American homicide vicAmerican tims are killed with guns, reveals the homicide vic- analysis by VPC, a Washington, D.C.timization rate based research and advocacy group promotes gun control. in 2011 was thatThe study finds the African-Ameri17.51 per can homicide victimization rate in was 17.51 per 100,000, while the 100,000, while 2011 overall national rate was 4.44 per the overall na- 100,000. The national homicide victional rate was timization rate for white Americans was 2.64 per 100,000. 4.44 per “Black homicide victimization is an 100,000. ongoing devastating crisis and the role played by guns, usually handguns can’t be denied,” said Sugarmann. Now in its eight year, the VPC study, Black Homicide Victimization in the United States, based on unpublished FBI SHR data, concludes that homicide rates in the African American community is a national crisis, yet it is all too often ignored outside of affected communities. “The thing that has been disturbing is that this has been a problem for an ongoing problem for decades but there has not been enough done to address this crisis,” said Sugarmann. (Follow Kunbi Tinuoye on Twitter at @Kunbiti.)
Tri-State Defender
NEWS
January 30 - February 5, 2014
Alice Walker on set of “Beauty In Truth.” (Photo: Shaheen Haq)
WALKERLAND
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
some of the politics. We became really good friend when I took his class, but then he was fired.
KW: For doing more than just teaching? AW: He helped us desegregate Atlanta. That was moving because he took a lot of abuse for that. He and Staughton Lynd, a fellow professor who was also from the North, stood with us. They were certainly behind us. In fact, they often stood in front of us. This had a huge impact on me. But one of the reasons I was very careful about speaking about the relationship I had with him and Staughton was because, in a racist society, if you acknowledge a deep love for and a deep debt owed to white teachers, they tend to discredit your own parents and your own community. And I was very unhappy about that because I come from somewhere and from specific black people in the South, including my parents, who built our first school, and rebuilt it after it was burned to the ground. And they used to bake pies and cakes to raise money to keep it going. So, I learned to struggle from a very early way in a way that was truly indigenous to the South. You have to keep at it! [Chuckles]
KW: The film also left me with an appreciation of your deep connection to nature. I have that, too. I go for a walk in the woods every day. It’s very spiritual to me. AW: The forest is the first cathedral. I felt that from the time I was a child. I credit my mother with that. I used to think it came from her NativeAmerican side. Whichever it was, she instinctively connected with nature, and taught me that. Church just could not hold my spirit. It was a beautiful, little church, too. As sweet as could be. It was at a bend in the road, with a big, oak tree sheltering it. Still, I wandered right out the window, mentally and emotionally, got into the trees, and never left.
KW: Kate Newell says: “How did you feel about the screen adaptation of ‘The Color Purple?’” AW: I was worried about the film at first, because I’d never had a movie made of any of my work on a big scale like that. There had only been a couple of small, student efforts before that. “The Color Purple” was so overwhelming that I actually brought a magic wand to New York City for the premiere, and pointed it at the screen in the hope that movie didn’t embarrass all of us. Lo and behold, it turned out to be a beautiful picture. The audience was so into it, gracious and emotional, laughing when they should be laughing, crying when they should be crying. I got to feel it as a living work of art, as something useful. My interest in creating anything is that it be useful. People can love the beauty of it, but they should also use it to grow, to deepen.
KW: What was it like dealing with the blowback for the next several years coming from critics who said “The Color Purple” was anti-black men? AW: It actually lasted for a decade. How could you imagine that people could be mad at you for so long? I felt a great
deal of weariness. But because it wasn’t the first time that I had been heavily criticized, I learned that you just keep going and turn to other things, which I did. I went on to write “The Temple of My Familiar,” which may be my favorite of my novels, because it was a miraculous gift that I had no idea how I got it. I had a dream one night that I went down into a non-existent sub-basement of my little house in Brooklyn. There was a trap door and I went down further and found these indigenous South American people speaking Spanish and making all these incredible things. I didn’t speak a word of Spanish but I sensed that I was being guided to a new focus. And to make a long story short, I ended up going to Mexico, I learned one word, “leche,” which means milk, and I started writing this novel. So, the blowback, in a way, faced me in a new direction, which was very interesting. …
KW: Dinesh Sharma says, “In my new book, ‘The Global Obama,’ Professor Ali Mazrui refers to the President as a ‘great man of history.’ Professor Henry Louis Gates of Harvard agrees. You have written several essays about Barack Obama. How do you feel about his presidency thus far?” AW: I’m very disappointed in Obama. I was very much in support of him in the beginning, but I cannot support war. I cannot support droning. I cannot support capitulating to the banks. I cannot support his caving in to Netanyahu (Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu). There’s a long list of this administration’s initiatives that I find unsupportable. “I think many black people support him because they’re so happy to have a handsome black man in the White House. But it doesn’t make me happy if that handsome black man in the White House is betraying all of our traditional values of peace, peoplehood, caring about strangers, feeding the hungry, and not bombing children. I’m very disappointed. “More than disappointed, I think I’ve actually returned to a kind of realism about how the world works. That’s helpful. Because in a way, no matter who’s in charge of the corporation that the United States is, the direction in which it is taken seems to be inexorable. So, you just get the job of being the front man for four or eight years. Now, most people realize that’s what you are. …
KW: I think the black community sort of got checkmated in terms of its own agenda. And very vocal folks who try to hold Obama accountable are having their blackness questioned or their blackness revoked, like Tavis Smiley. AW: That’s okay. It’s better to have your blackness taken away than to stand there and lie about who you actually are. That’s the trap. In fact, Cynthia McKinney just sent me a piece by somebody about how, for the first time in history, black people are supporting the wars, the military strikes on Syria, and other awful things, as if they woke up and became entirely different people. It’s totally distressing! Look at the NDAA [The National Defense Authorization Act], look at the Patriot Act, look at the NSA, and the ruthless droning of civilians. I pretty much lost it when they droned the grandmother who was teaching her grandchildren how to pick
okra. It seems to me the ones who are the real threat are the ones who are in power. … KW: I was struck by something you said in “Beauty in Truth”: “The pain we inflict on children is the pain we later endure as a society.” AW: Boy, is that scary, when you consider what we’re doing to children all over the planet. They’re the ones who are truly being terrorized by all the madness adults are perpetrating. …
KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier says: “You learned to read at a very young age. You were in the first grade when you were four years old. Illiteracy is still an ongoing issue around the world. Do you think that exposing a child as early as possible to education can be a determinant in decreasing the level of illiteracy on a global scale?” AW: I know from having had a child, and from having been a child myself, that children will copy you. So, the best way to get them to read, is to read. The best way to get them to do anything is to do it yourself, and they will absolutely copy you. That way, you don’t have to worry about what’s supposedly age appropriate; a child will pick something up when the child is ready. KW: It was heartbreaking in “Beauty in Truth” to hear you talk about being estranged from your daughter. It was very touching. AW: Hmmm… I like hearing that it was moving, and provocative in a way, because these things do happen to us. The very thing you think will never happen to you, happens! And then you get to see, oh, that’s because life is alive! (LOL)
KW: Toni Banks says: “Thanks for ‘Meridian.’ It’s my favorite work of yours.” She asks, “was the novel biographical fiction?” AW: Not really. There was a young woman in SNCC (the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) whose name was Ruby Doris (SmithRobinson). She was someone I didn’t really know, but I heard about how she was having such a really hard time with the men in the organization. That was one of my early introductions to patriarchal behavior, which undermines progress. If the men are going to try to keep the women down, everybody’s going to be stuck back there somewhere. So, she was a person I was thinking about, and I also wanted to write about the sort of spiritual and inspirational work that a lot of people in the movement were doing. … KW: The Rev. Florine Thompson asks: “What advice might you offer young adolescent females searching for positive self-identity? AW: Love yourself. Just love yourself. In fact, the love of the self cures every kind of problem you have with yourself. For instance, if someone calls you nappy-headed, it rolls right off your body, if you love nappy hair. Or if someone calls you buck-toothed or too black, that won’t be a problem if you love being buck-toothed or black. If you love it, then so what. The development of self-love cures many of the ills that people suffer from. KW: Thanks again Alice, it’s been a privilege. AW: Thank you, Kam.
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OPINION
January 30 - February 5, 2014
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What the President can accomplish in 2014 from his State of the Union
President Obama’s speech on Tuesday night, like most State of the Union addresses, covered nearly every major issue. But here’s a concrete look at what he can actually get done in his sixth year in the presidency:
Highs and lows of Obama’s State of the Union speech The Root
by Keli Goff Tuesday night was State of the Union time again, which meant two things: President Barack Obama had to pull off the most difficult oratorical balancing act there is Keli for any president: Goff delivering a substantive policy speech that manages to inspire and move Americans. And it means that we do what we do after every State of the Union address—grade his performance. So, below is a list of highs and lows from the president’s speech. Please feel free to let us know if you think we missed any in the comments section below. High
Giving voice to ʻmen of colorʼ
For much of his presidency Obama has faced criticism from many in the black community, including yours truly, for not more candidly acknowledging the specific problems that plague African Americans, men in particular. Issues like racial profiling and unemployment have disproportionately impacted men of color, but rarely has their story been told by this president, or any president, particularly before a racially diverse national audience. But with the simple words, “And I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing especially tough odds stay on track and reach their full potential,” the president gave voice to the millions of men of color whose voices have previously been silenced and forgotten. Low
Barely there gun control
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that left 20 children dead occurred just over one year ago, and in response, in his 2013 State of the Union address, the president made gun control a major focus. Shortly before his speech and right on the heels of the Newtown, Conn., tragedy, was also the shooting death of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton. Her parents attended last year’s State of the Union Address as guests of first lady Michelle Obama, and the first lady attended Hadiya’s memorial. This year, though, there was only a brief reference to as-yet-undone gun-control legislation. High
Making the case for health care reform (Finally)
If President Obama had defended the Affordable Care Act as clearly, deftly and ferociously as he did in this year’s State of the Union, it’s hard to see how anyone in the GOP would have had the chutzpah to continue trying to fight it the way they have, so hard for so long. The president managed to channel some humor by saying, “Now, I do not expect to convince my Republican friends on the merits of this law,” which drew laughs from members of both parties. He then delivered the devastating blow, saying, “But I know that the American people are not interested in refighting old battles. So again, if you have specific plans to cut costs, cover more people, increase choice, tell America what you’d do differently.”
Tri-State Defender Platform
1. Racial prejudice worldwide must be destroyed. 2. Racially unrestricted membership in all jobs, public and private. 3. Equal employment opportunities on all jobs, public and private. 4. True representation in all U.S. police forces. 5. Complete cessation of all school segregation. 6. Federal intervention to protect civil rights in all instances where civil rights compliance at the state level breaks down
Get Republicans to sign bills in their self-interest
High
Equality for women
According to ABC News’ Twitter feed, Facebook data indicated that the part of President Obama’s speech in which he focused on equal pay for women was one of the most popular social media moments of the night. The moment captured the president at his most confident—cheered on by boisterous applause, but no doubt by what the enthusiasm that greeted his comments might mean for the GOP. The last month has been an unmitigated disaster for Republicans, who’ve spent much of the time since losing the last presidential election trying to convince American women, many of whom voted for President Obama, that there is no “war on women.” While Republican men like former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee have been in the news for all of the wrong reasons in recent weeks, in his speech, the president got to solidify his reputation as a man who not only respects women, but sees them as equals. Low
Forgetting reproductive rights
His spirited defense of women’s equality in the workplace is what made his virtual silence regarding lingering inequality when it comes to reproductive rights all the more jarring. Birth-control coverage is one of the signature components of the health care law he defended so vigorously in his speech and is in danger of being struck down by the Supreme Court. High
Shouting out the son of a ʻbarkeepʼ
Some of President Obama’s most pointed criticism, particularly from conservatives, has been that he has not made enough of an effort to encourage bipartisanship, which made the reference to his political adversary House Speaker John Boehner one of the most memorable and effective moments of this year’s State of the Union, drawing a needed laugh and bipartisan applause. Invoking the American Dream, that anyone from anywhere can work hard and make it, he said, “I believe that here in America, our success should depend not on accident of birth but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams. That’s what drew our forebears here. It’s how the daughter of a factory worker is CEO of America’s largest automaker–—how the son of a barkeep is Speaker of the House.” It reminded Americans of the friendly, likable candidate Obama they elected. High
Paying homage to a brave soldier
There were few dry eyes when the president paid homage to Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg, a soldier he befriended at an event just months before a roadside bomb in Afghanistan would leave Remsburg in a coma for three months. Remsburg sat next to the first lady at the State of the Union, having endured a grueling rehabilitation process. And by closing his address with Remsburg’s story, the president helped remind everyone in the room the reason why they are all there. Cheering Remsburg was one issue that Republicans and Democrats definitely agree on. (Keli Goff is The Root’s special correspondent. Follow her on Twitter.)
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U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
GOP again spins bogus Obama-the-Dictator line
The day before President Obama’s fifth State of the Union Address, Valerie Jarrett, assistant to the president, bluntly told this writer in an exclusive interview that Obama would not hesitate to use the power of his pen to get action on vital initiatives that he feels should be passed. At the same moment that Jarrett declared Obama would take action to attempt to break the GOP’s torpedo of vital legislation backed by the White House, House Speaker John Boehner was equally blunt and saber rattled Obama that he’d better not think of taking unilateral action on legislation or else. Boehner didn’t spell out what the “or else” would be. There was really no need, because Boehner – as a troupe of GOP Obama bashers before him – is again cynically spinning the bogus line that Obama is recklessly usurping the Constitution by skirting Congress and going it alone on passing legislation. Obama is near the bottom on the list of presidents in the number of executive orders issued. The last president that issued orders at a lower rate than Obama was Grover Cleveland. GOP Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush issued far more executive orders per day in office than Obama. It’s not really the number or rate of executive orders, however, that Obama has issued that’s raised the hackles of the GOP. It’s the executive orders that he has issued that have given the GOP ammunition to attempt to intimidate and politically bash Obama. The GOP saw an opening to raise the canard of Obama as the alleged Constitutional and congressional usurper when he signed a series of orders on gun control nearly a year ago. Obama took the action precisely because he knew that gun control legislation was a virtual dead letter in Congress at the time and that there was almost no chance that things would change given the iron grip that the NRA has on Congress. Obama would have had to spend precious time, energy, and resources jawboning anti-gun control congressional Democrats, wage an all-out battle with the gun lobby, and the NRA, and risk losing the political momentum that he needed to do battle with GOP congressional obstructionists in the battles over the debt ceiling, spending cuts, and deficit reduction. The executive orders on gun checks were, as executive orders go, a last resort and piecemeal attempt to at least get something on the books on guns. Obama was under no illusion that the executive orders on guns could in any way take the place of comprehensive gun control legislation. Only Congress can pass a gun control law that would have the full force of law behind it. Obama, as most presidents, knows that the whimsical or cavalier use of executive orders to bypass Congress
or to legislate from the Oval Office not only will trigger a powerful public backlash, and reinforce the opposition’s usual charge of dictatorial abuse, but can and often have been overEarl Ofari Hutchinson turned by Congress, which has the power to change (in this case scrap) an executive order. The courts also have the same power. And there have been times when the courts have declared an executive order unconstitutional or simply vacated the orders. That’s not all. An executive order issued by one president is not even safe from another president. The textbook example of the transitory nature of an executive order is the socalled Mexico City Policy that required all non-governmental organizations that receive federal funding to refrain from performing or promoting abortion services as a form of family planning in other countries. Reagan issued the executive order in 1984. Clinton overturned it in 1993. Bush reinstated it and Obama rescinded it as one of his first acts when he took office in January 2009. The ultimate proof of the severe limits of what an executive order can actually accomplish is the executive order that Obama said he’d issue and the GOP’s cynical and contradictory response to it. The GOP adamantly opposes Obama’s proposal to hike the minimum wage. The executive order he’ll issue boosting the minimum wage extends only to new federal contracts issued and then only if other terms of a contractual agreement change. Boehner apparently suffered momentary amnesia from his full throated rip of Obama as a tyrant in the use of executive orders when he quipped that this executive order would have near zero effect. Obama’s vow to wield the executive pen whenever and wherever he thinks he must amounts to a frontal challenge to the GOP to cease its relentless, dogged, and destructive campaign of dither, delay, denial, and obstructionism to anything that has the White House stamp on it. The GOP knows this but that won’t stop it from eagerly spinning its politically self-serving line of Obama the dictator. The aim as always is to tar him as a ruthless and ineffectual leader while painting itself as the supposed responsible guardian of the constitutional process and thus an innocent victim of a Democratic president’s legal abuse. (Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author, political analyst and an associate editor of New America Media. Follow Earl Ofari Hutchinson on Twitter.)
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In a briefing before the speech, a senior White House official said the lesson the administration has learned from the last five years is that Obama’s attempts to court Republicans Perry through relationBacon Jr. ship-building, like having private dinners with key GOP senators, is unlikely to work. Putting some Republican ideas into his initiatives, as Obama did with the economic stimulus and the health care law, also doesn’t tend to draw Republican support. The key, as this official noted, is to find issues where working with Obama will help Republicans politically. In that context, Obama’s proposal for universal pre-kindergarten is likely dead. Updating the Voting Rights Act or the Putting some increasing minimum Republican wage, two othideas into his er Obama priwill oninitiatives, as orities, ly be approved Obama did with if polls show epublicans the economic Rwill lose in the stimulus and fall elections if the health care they oppose mealaw, also does- these sures. So Oban’t tend to ma will tout a inimum draw Republi- m wage hike pubcan support. licly in part to drive up support for it enough that Republicans feel compelled to sign some kind of increase. In this context, White House officials are most optimistic about immigration reform, because they argue the GOP needs to improve its image among Hispanic voters for this fall’s elections and even more before the next presidential campaign. To be sure, White House officials said that last year too, and then watched immigration reform stall in Congress. But the biggest chance for a major legislative achievement in 2014 is on immigration.
Smartly use the symbolic powers of the presidency
Obama repeatedly mentioned taking executive actions to implement his ideas. In reality, that is a very limited tool: millions of Americans would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage, while Obama’s executive order to increase pay for people working under federal contracts would affect several hundred thousand at most. What the president can do is lead by speaking and highlighting issues. By bringing a spotlight, as he did on Tuesday, to the challenges people who have been unemployed for a long time face in getting new jobs, he could affect the thinking of some corporations or hiring managers. His education summit earlier this month encouraged colleges to consider new ways to help low-income students apply, perform well while on campus and eventually graduate. His push to make sure no American spends more than 30 minutes in line before they can cast a vote could galvanize officials around the country to examine ways to improve their processes on Election Day.
Start building toward a postObama Democratic Party
As Obama’s chances of enacting major policies shrinks as his tenure moves closer to an end, the president’s speeches and ideas should be considered as more of a guidepost to a Democratic successor than proposals he expects to pass. His proposal to expand pre-kindergarten education, while not being approved by Congress, is appearing in the agendas of Democratic candidates for governor throughout the country and is very likely to be touted by Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden or whoever is the Democrats’ candidate in 2016. Measures to make it easier to vote and to increase the minimum wage can be passed in states too, even if aren’t achieved federally. The president’s emphasis on declining social mobility could be an entire theme for Clinton’s candidacy.
NATIONAL
Tri-State Defender
Northwestern student athlete efforts to unionize could be a game changer theGrio
by Stefen Lovelace
A group of Northwestern have players began the process of forming a labor union, and ultimately, this story may end up being the biggest sports story of the year. They’re hoping to be recognized as employees of their university rather than the student-athletes they currently are. Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter reached out to National College Players Association President, and 2001 UCLA linebacker Ramogi Huma, to help he and his fellow teammates earn athlete representation. He felt that they deserved to have better rights than current NCAA rules provide. The players will be fighting for these rights, and to formally unionize, under an entity called the College Athletes Players Association (CAPA). Their main demand is to better the current medical conditions offered to collegiate athletes. Typically, those that defend the NCAA and argue that student athletes get a free ed-
NNPA
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January 30 - February 5, 2014
ucation, forget that these athletes can lose their scholarships if they get hurt and can no longer perform. CAPA would work to change that, as well as give players better concussion protection; a very relevant demand considering the new information we continue to learn about head injuries’effect on football players. Their main argument – that they’re already treated like employees already, and should be compensated as such – is a valid one. Between mandatory
meetings, practice, games, and travel — in addition to a traditional college workload – participating in a sport is a full-time job. For football players, there’s little time or opportunity to find additional work outside of their sport…a sport that currently generates more than $5 billion for the major conferences alone. “Players are not complaining about this arrangement,” [National Labor Relations Board National Political Direc-
Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter
tor Tim] Waters said of the 40plus-hour work weeks being devoted by players to their sport. “They’re just calling it what it is — pay for play.” A case like this could take years to resolve. It’s possible that Coulter and his teammates will never get the opportunity to reap the benefits of their work. In the bigger picture though, it doesn’t matter. Just forcing discussion on amateurism in collegiate sports at the legal
level is a game-changer. Said ESPN.com legal analyst Lester Munson: “…the Wildcats’ effort to establish a union may not accomplish exactly what the players wanted to accomplish, but actions by the players are part of a historic process that could change the face of college sports.” CAPA is not demanding students be paid…yet. But that would almost certainly be the next request. College football television deals continue to skyrocket, university athletic apparel garners millions, and NCAA executives continue to cash million dollar paychecks, while 18 to 22 year-olds – adults by every definition – are still forced to play for free and be happy with the free education. Northwestern isn’t a powerhouse football school. It’s known for academics. Colter and his teammates know what the implications of their action will have on their careers, and the careers of future players moving forward. Clearly, the debate over whether athletes should be paid and given more benefits has be-
come loud enough that Colter feels that the time is now to try to make change. Regardless of the eventual outcome, this is a major story with legs. SI.com legal analyst Michael McCann sees Northwestern as just the first of many schools and players who will look to unionize: “I think others will join. I think we’ll see other schools do this. They’re smart, the folks that are doing this. I’m speculating, but I think there will be a trickle effect. I suspect every couple of weeks, we’ll see a new school join. That’ll revisit this topic over and over again, and it’ll give the impression that there is growing support for it.” Discussion will continue whether student-athletes deserve better compensation, and thanks to Colter and his teammates, that discussion may finally lead to a resolution. Even if they lose, just elevating that discussion is a major victory. (Follow Stefen Lovelace on Twitter @StefenLovelace.)
Legislation introduced to update Voting Rights Act by Zenitha Prince
A bipartisan, bicameral group of congressional lawmakers has introduced legislation to update the Voting Rights Act, one of the central victories in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and ConJohn Conyers gressman (D-Mich.) recently introduced H.R .3899, the Voting Rights Amendment Act, in the House. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (DVt.) will file a companion bill in the upper chamber. The legislation arose out of a June 2013 Supreme Court
decision in Shelby v. Holder that struck down Section 4 of the VRA. That key provision determined which jurisdictions would be covered by Section 5 of the law, which requires states with a history of discrimination against minority voters to obtain federal preclearance before implementing new election laws. “Through months of negotiation and compromise, Congressmen Sensenbrenner and Conyers and I have agreed on a bipartisan and bicameral proposal to restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act that were weakened by the Supreme Court’s decision last summer,” Leahy said in a statement. “Our sole focus throughout this entire process was to en-
sure that no American would be denied his or her constitutional right to vote because of discrimination on the basis of race or color. We believe that this is a strong bipartisan bill that accomplishes this goal and that every member of Congress can support.” According to the new nationwide coverage formula set out in the bill, a state will be covered by Section 5 if it commits five voting violations in the last 15 years and at least one of the violations is committed by the state itself. A political subdivision within a state can be covered if it commits three voting violations in the most recent 15 years or commits one violation in that period and has had “persistent
and extremely low minority voter turnout.” The state or subdivision will be covered for 10 years unless they obtain a “bail-out.” Civil rights groups hailed the bipartisan effort to update the historic legislation. “We are highly gratified that Congress has worked so diligently in a bipartisan manner to address the issues that allows us to modernize Section 4 and other parts of the Voting Rights Act,” said Hilary Shelton, the NAACP’s Washington bureau chief and senior vice president for advocacy and policy. Shelton told the AFRO he believes “strongly” that the bill “would pass constitutional muster.” However, he added,
activists do have some concerns. While most of the 16 states wholly or partially covered by Section 5 hail from the South, “as we watched the last few elections we saw big problems in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania that were not covered by the law,” he said. “We’d like to continue working with lawmakers to amend some parts of the bill to expand coverage (to such jurisdictions.)” First signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, the VRA has been reauthorized four times in the intervening years, usually with bipartisan support. Conyers, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a cosponsor of the original
VRA legislation, said he was glad to again do his part to bolster voting rights in America. “After being sworn in as freshman member of the 89th Congress, the first vote of consequence that I took was for the Voting Rights Act,” he said in a statement. “Although the Shelby County v. Holder decision struck at the heart of the Act, today, it is with much pride that my colleagues and I are introducing a strengthened and renewed Voting Rights Act to reaffirm our constitutional commitment to the cornerstone of our democracy: the right to vote.” (Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper)
BUSINESS
Page 6
Tri-State Defender
January 30 - February 5, 2014
ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY
The business of romance: A ‘HiHeelz’ approach, Part 2 Romance should not be placed on the shelf until Valentine’s Day. At times, relationships need spice and many are lost on where to begin the process. HiHeelz Concierge Service provides ideas and direction for those in need. Customers need only to bring their sweetheart and have the confidence to pull off the evening. Part 2 of our look at the Business of Romance continues with the completion of our conversation with Dennette Smith-Ross, the founder and owner of HiHeelz Concierge Service.
Carlee McCullough: What is the greatest reward in running your own business? Dennette Smith-Ross: I control my own destiny and work/life balance. I am doing what I am passionate about. I feel pride in building something of my own, but most of all I connect with my clients.
CM: In your opinion, what does it take to run a business? DSR: It takes a business plan, capital, marketing strategy and confidence. The most important quality for me to have is confidence. As is often said, no one will believe in you if you do not believe in yourself. And customers prefer to do business with professionals who appear
DSR: A client calls or emails me. We set up a time to meet and talk.
competent and secure in their abilities. I love what I do, so it comes easy.
Carlee McCullough
CM: If you had one piece of advice to give to someone just starting a business, what would it be? DSR: GO FOR IT!!! Just do it.
CM: Is now the best time (in this economy) to become an entrepreneur? DSR: Anytime is the best time to become an entrepreneur. Dennette Smith-Ross
CM: Do you notice any new trends in the marketplace? If so, what are they? DSR: Maybe not so “new” but social media is a huge trend that is helping small businesses grow.
CM: What does the future look like for small business owners in our community? DSR: What’s happening in business is what’s happening in our personal lives. I’m not a huge fan of studies that predict the future, but I do re-
CM: What types of marketing do you employ? DSR: I use social media @hiheelzconcierge on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Referral marketing has been a huge success for me as well.
CM: What books or resources would you recommend for individuals starting out in business? DSR: “Strategy and Structure” by Alfred D. Chandler spect those that try. Their job is to look at the past, analyze the present and conduct surveys to gain insight into the future. Based on all of this information, you try to provide a road map for what’s to come. In this case, I have found that tomorrow’s successful small business owners will be far more reliant on technology than today’s entrepreneurs. They’ll have to be more connected in a mobile world
market to customers in ways only imagined today and blur the lines between the virtual and physical worlds, like Apps for smartphones and tablets. I am on my way to that technology.
CM: Do you have a website? DSR: No website due to the nature of my business and the confidentiality agreement. People want exclusivity.
CM: How does the process work? DSR: A client will call me. We will talk about their needs and what they want for their evening. A client will tell me about his wife/girlfriend or boyfriend/husband and I customize an evening to fit their needs and desires. I fulfill their fantasy. CM: How does a potential client book your services?
CM: Any closing remarks? DSR: Find something you are passionate about and would do for free and you will succeed. Oh yeah, did I mention there is a confidentiality agreement so your secrets are SAFE with me. (Contact Info: 323.578.5764 or hiheelzconcierge@gmail.com.) (Contact Carlee McCullough, Esq., at 5308 Cottonwood Road, Suite 1A, Memphis, Tn. 38118, or email her at jstce4all@aol.com.)
MONEY MATTERS
Should you wait to claim Social Security?
Many people file for Social Security as soon as they stop working and/or become eligible for benefits. Full retirement age is 66 for most baby boomers and 67 for those born in 1960 or later, but Americans can claim early worker benefits starting at age 62. The monthly benefit increases with claiming age by up to 8 percent a year, so filing early could cause you to lose
out on thousands of dollars in benefits, especially if you enjoy a long life. Consider this hypothetical example: Charles P a u l Sims Jr., CFP
Americans can claim early worker benefits starting at age 62
could receive an annual benefit of about $15,400 if he files at age 62, $20,500 if he files at age 66 (full retirement age), or $27,100 if he waits until age 70. If Paul waits until age 70 to file for Social Security and
lives to age 95, he could receive about $677,000 in cumulative benefits (in today’s dollars). This compares with roughly $500,000 if he files early at age 62. If you are relatively healthy
and have other savings to draw upon in retirement, it may be in your best interests to delay claiming benefits. Married couples may also be able to increase their total benefits by coordinating when and how they file for Social Security. In general, you should weigh your financial resources, potential taxes, health, life expectancy, and
other factors when making this important decision. For more information, visit the Social Security Administration website at www.ssa.gov. (Charles Sims Jr. is president/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901-682-2410 or visit www.SimsFinancialGroup.co m.)
WORKFORCE READY!
Hiking the minimum wage – we must do our part Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Herbert Lester
American humorist and social commentator Will Rogers once observed that we in America have the best government money can buy. I think he was right, and so did the Supreme Court. Reporter and author William Grieder makes much the same argument when he points out in “Who Will Tell the People” that the distinctions between politicians of differing stripes are
Herbert Lester
not nearly as pronounced as we m i g h t think. According to G r i e d e r, they all have two things in common: c o n stituencies
and customers. Constituencies elect them and customers finance them. Both theorists (Rogers and
Grieder) would also probably agree with Abraham Lincoln that you can fool some of the people all the time; and you can fool all of the people some of the time; but (thank God) you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. It’s time for those of us who take citizenship seriously not to be fooled or sold out. In his State of the Union message, President Obama announced that he would use the power of Executive Order to raise the minimum wage for federal employees to $10.10 an hour. He also challenged Congress
to do the same for the rest of the nation. Thirteen states have already raised their own minimum hourly wage, effective January 1. The President’s argument is simple: People who work full-time jobs should not have to also depend on assistance from others (public or private) to make ends meet. His solution: decrease income inequality and increase social mobility. Makes sense to me. We need to inundate our Congressmen and Senators with letters, phone calls, emails and everything else in
support of this initiative. I would not put all my apples in any one barrel though. We also need to focus on what I call the “3 E’s” (like we need the 3 R’s: reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic). Entrepreneurship – Find a need and fill it better than anyone else. Start your own business. Education – Learn all you can. The average worker will be trained in as many as five different occupations in the course of a lifetime. Learn not only how to do your job, but make yourself
indispensable. Do your job better than anyone could imagine. Economic self-sufficiency – Pay your own way. There’s no shame in needing a hand up; we all do from time to time. Handouts, however, are a different story. Contact agencies, such as Kairos Services to take the beginning steps to practice the “3 E’s.” (To reach Herbert Lester, email WORKFORCE READY at inthemail@tri-statedefender.com.)
ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 30 - February 5, 2014, Page 7
WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?
Become a Super Bowl ‘fit-in’ fan in one lesson Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Myron Mays
Are you ready for the Super Bowl? You know, the big game at the end of the football season? Have you been religiously glued to your TV sets each and every Sunday afterMyron noon watching Mays every game, analyzing every single play and offering color commentary on your Facebook timeline? Well, this week’s column is not for you. Lol! No…really! Somewhere there’s someone out there who just doesn’t get it. There’s actually a person who’s thinking even as I speak, “I don’t get it.” There’s someone out there who has not watched a single game this season but will be amongst some of the biggest football fans in the world on this Sunday. They’ll be pretending to be enjoying the game, but thinking to themselves, “I don’t get it.” They will be easy to spot because they will be the ones going to the restroom “after” the commercials. Speaking of commercials, to some of us they have almost become as popular as the game. And they keep getting more and more entertaining each year. I don’t believe they show the best commercials because the audience is at an all-time high. I think it’s so that non-football fans can be entertained as well. Some of these commercials are mini-movies and can basically tell an entire story in just a couple of minutes. For some of us non-football fans, that will be the only thing that we will be able to follow. But for those who really wanna fit in this Super Bowl Sunday and have something to keep you occupied between commercials, here’s your “Super Bowl Cliff Notes.“ courtesy of the What’s Happening Man. Here we go… This Sunday Feb. 2, 2014, the Seattle Seahawks will take on the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII (48). This game will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New York City. There’s been talk of possibly having to move the date of the game, if the weather gets bad leading up to it. The Broncos are the favorite and are expected to win. The quarterback for the Broncos is Peyton Manning. He has had a good year considering a couple of years ago he was released by the Indianapolis Colts and faced recovering from neck surgery. This is his third time in the Super Bowl, winning once, where he led the Colts to a win in 2007 against the Chicago Bears. The Seahawks are considered the underdog. This is only their second time in the Super Bowl in franchise history. The quarterback for the Seahawks is Russell Wilson. This is his first time playing in a Super Bowl and only his second season in the NFL. One name you might hear come up in conversation is cornerback Richard Sherman. He’s known for big talk and controversies, as he recently went off on a rant on Fox Sports calling himself the “best corner in the game.” Bronco’s fans in the room will probably make reference to him and make him the butt of their jokes, if the Broncos do indeed win the game. The halftime show will feature Bruno Mars and if you survive all the excitement, new episodes of “New Girl” and “Brooklyn NineNine” air immediately after the game. So, there you have it. Now you’re ready to ready to fit in and appear to be a real football fan…at least for a day!
Courtesy photos
Super Bowl halftime, a Hooligan and hardwork
XLVIII
Memphisʼ Kameron T. Whalum on a starʼs path Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Kelvin Cowans
When Bruno Mars performs live at the Super Bowl halftime before 100-plus million television viewers on Sunday, Kameron T. Whalum, a super-talented trombone player with deep Memphis roots, will be in his familiar spot amid Mar’s onstage backers, aka the Hooligans. I’ll be in front of a television – superproud of the man who grew out of the youngster that I once made the starting point guard and captain of the basketball team that I coached and mentored at New Olivet Baptist Church, where Kameron’s dad, the Rev. Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr., is pastor. Kameron made all the difference in the season we had that summer, as we blew some teams out by halftime. When the games were tight, rather than going off – as I sometimes have – I’d leave the locker room (after knocking over some paper cups) and allowed Kameron to motivate them. I detected leadership in Kameron; he carried an aura of winning, an essential trait shared by many successful people. He absolutely had it as a child, not at all surprising considering the ample supply of role models in the Whalum family tree. With the big game looming, Kameron and I shared this conversation.
Kelvin Cowans – What’s it feeling like lil bro, you getting ready to perform with Bruno Mars in front of roughly 110 million people. You ready? How does it feel? Kameron Whalum – It feels good man. I would say it’s a dream come true, but to be honest, I never really thought about doing the Super Bowl, but I watch it all the time and it is huge. So honestly, it was beyond my thoughts, and now that we’re doing it, it’s crazy. It’s going to be fun to be up there with Bruno Mars and my fellow Hooligans and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
KC – I was checking out your Twitter pics and it showed where you guys were doing a show in Colorado and the crowd was enormous. How do you deal with performing in front of that many people. KW – Crowds get me excited. The crowds of like a couple hundred people are more nerve racking for me because it’s more intimate and I can see that person’s face and that persons face. But when there are thousands and thousands of people it’s easier to do. I’m far more nervous to sing at church than I am (before) 15,000 people. …
KC – What’s the show looking like, any new songs? Come on now, tell it all. KW – Ha! Bro, I can’t tell you all that but I can tell you that it’s going to be fun to watch. The people are surely going to get what they’re use to getting from us. You’re going to get good songs and a good time. We’re going to make you forget about the game for a minute. KC – As a former mentor of yours I’m overly excited to see you perform at the halftime of the Super Bowl. I feel just as
AT A GLANCE
Kameron T. Whalum Instrument: Trombone Background: The son of Sheila Whalum and the Rev. Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr., pastor of The New Olivet Baptist Church. A line of talented musicians runs through his family, including his brothers, saxophonist Kenneth T. Whalum III and Kortland Whalum; and his un-
proud as your family does to see you on such a large stage in your career. Can you share with the readers the importance of mentors to youth. KW – Mentors are very important to the development of young people. I appreciated having you around because you were consistent. Everybody thought you were cool but you were also sincere and that goes a long way. You along with other men that dedicated yourselves to us whether it was for sleepovers in the gym or trips or the basketball team or the debate team, we felt that. So much so that now that I’m a little older, I myself realize that the young men around our church are now watching me. So what do I do? I reflect on how my mentors treated me and display to these young guys a positive picture. When they see me on “Saturday Night Live” or doing a show for Victoria Secrets or performing on an awards show, then they see me later that week right there in church with them and talking with them. I’m around all the time so that they can ask questions. Even when they’re not asking questions they’re always watching and I know that. My parent’s taught me that people will
cles, Kevin Whalum and Grammy Award winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum. Education: Overton High School; Morehouse College Upcoming performances: Feb. 1st – Super Bowl halftime show with Bruno Mars and the Hooligans. Feb. 7th – Kameron Whalum live at The Hard Rock Café on Feb. 7th at 9 p.m.
now always watch everything you say and do and they meant everything. So I’m cool with that and I respect that. If you don’t want to be watched in my field of work, then you have to go do something else.
KC –You mentioned to me that (after the Super Bowl) you have a set that you are doing down on Beale Street. What’s that about? KW – Kameron Whalum live at The Hard Rock Café on Feb. 7th at 9 p.m. It’s my first show and I just want to introduce myself to people that may just know me from Bruno Mars or the church. I want to make my name in demand more than what it is. I’m bringing it together so that people can know that I really love music. I make beats, I play the trombone and I produce. I write songs as well and I compose music and I do sing. I sung on the “Ellen” show and about a month or so ago I sang the National Anthem at our Memphis Grizzlies game. I’m doing things and I just want to bring them to the front. The truth is I’ve been doing a lot of these things since middle school. On SEE WHALUM ON PAGE 8
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 8
January 30 - February 5, 2014
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam’s Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Kam Williams
For movies opening Jan. 31, 2014
BIG BUDGET FILMS
“Labor Day” (PG-13 for sexuality, mature themes and brief violence) Jason Reitman wrote and directed this adaptation of the Joyce Maynard best seller of the same name about a depressed single-mom (Kate Winslet) who, along with her son (Gattlin Griffith), ends up kidnapped by the escaped con (Josh Brolin) she unwittingly offers a ride. Cast includes Tobey Maguire, James Van Der Beek and Maika Monroe.
“That Awkward Moment” (R for sexuality and pervasive profanity) Romantic comedy revolving around three confirmed bachelors (Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller) who make a pact to remain single only to have the promise tested when two of them fall in love. With Imogen Poots, Mackenzie Davis and Jessica Lucas.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
“12 O’Clock Boys” (Unrated) Crime does pay documentary profiling a biker gang of troubled teens inexplicably given free rein by the police to terrorize the citizens of Baltimore.
“At Middleton” (R for sexuality and drug use) Romantic romp revolving around the antics of a couple strangers (Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga) who meet and fall in love while
WHALUM
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
that night I just want people to come out and enjoy my show, close your eyes and just mellow out to some of these songs.
KC – I’m very aware of your musical talents and happy to be able to say that some of your beats will be featured on my album this summer. Can we dare say that we’ll get a Kameron Whalum album in the future. KW – Hopefully. I’m very happy where I am right now being with Bruno and being a Hooligan. We’re about to get ready to go back on tour in Australia and Asia and then we start an American tour, so we on the grind. But yes, to make an album was my dream growing up, that and being an NBA player. I didn’t know I was going to be 6 foot 1. Had I known then, I would’ve taking it a bit more serious, ha!
their kids are taking a tour of a college campus. With Taissa Farmiga, Tom Skerritt and Spencer Lofranco.
“Best Night Ever” (R for profanity, graphic nudity, drug use, crude humor and pervasive profanity) Parody of the road trip genre about a bride-to-be (Desiree Hall) who gets more than she bargained for when she ventures to Vegas with her bridesmaids for a bawdy bachelorette party. Co-starring Samantha Colburn, Eddie Ritchard, Crista Flanagan and Jenny Lin.
“Breaking the Frame” (Unrated) Reverential retrospective chronicling the career of iconoclastic, visual artist Carolee Schneemann, best known for her explorations of eroticism and gender.
“Brightest Star” (Unrated) Romantic dramedy about a jilted college grad (Chris Lowell) who tries to make himself over to win back his uptight ex (Rose McIver), only to meet a free-spirited bohemian (Jessica Szohr) who likes him just as he is. Support cast includes Allison Janney, Clark Gregg and Peter Jacobson. “Charlie Victor Romeo” (Unrated) Aviation disaster post mortem deconstructing the final moments of a half dozen, doomed commercial airliners via a combination of animation and black box transcripts. “Jobriath A.D.” (Unrated) “It’s better to flame out than to fade away” biopic recounting the brief career of Bruce Wayne Campbell (1946-1983), aka Jobriath, the first openlygay rock star, and the first to die of AIDS. KC – I noticed you guys are always playing ball like all the time. Are they real like that, they play ball like we do in Memphis or what? Can Bruno play good? KW – In the states we hoop everywhere because we’re playing in NBA arenas; everywhere Kameron from the Miami Heat Whalum court on down. It’s part of our work out and so everybody plays. Performing is hard work, so you have to stay in shape. KC – Can Bruno hoop? Seriously? He’s like 4 foot and two books. KW – Believe it or no, Bruno got game. He’s got an unorthodox game and it’s hard to defend.
“Love Is in the Air” (Unrated) Transatlantic comedy about a lawyer (Nicolas Bedos) who makes the most of a second shot at romance with his ex-girlfriend (Ludivine Sagnier) when he finds himself seated next to her on a flight from New York to Paris. With Jonathan Cohen, Arnaud Ducret and Brigitte Catillon. (In French and English subtitles)
“Peter Brook: The Tightrope” (Unrated) Life’s a stage biopic, shot with five hidden cameras, highlighting legendary theater director Peter Brook’s creative process. “Somewhere Slow” (Unrated) Road flick about a fugitive from justice (Jessalyn Gilsig) who is befriended by a teen drifter (Graham Patrick Martin) she meets while on the run after a botched convenience store robbery. With Robert Forster, Lindsay Crouse and David Constabile.
“Tim’s Vermeer” (PG-13 for profanity) History of art documentary, directed by Raymond Joseph Teller (mute half of Penn & Teller), tracing inventor Tim Jenison’s attempt to decipher how 17th C. Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer managed to paint so realistically over a century before the invention of photography.
“The Wait” (R for sexuality, profanity, drug use and brief nudity) Paranormal thriller about a pair of grieving sisters (Jena Malone and Chloe Sevigny) who disagree about whether or not to bury their recently-deceased mother after receiving an enigmatic phone call from a psychic assuring them that she’s about to be resurrected. With Luke Grimes, Devon Gearhart and Michael O’Keefe. KC – I will accept that publicly. Tell me something, who are some of the most down-to-earth entertainers that you’ve met? KW – Honestly, I haven’t met anyone who wasn’t; Katy Perry, Miley Sirus, Usher, Boys to Men, Babyface and The Beach Boys. The Beach Boys came out to hear us play one night and they told Bruno that they hadn’t heard a trombone player like that in a long time and I was taken away by that compliment. These are the Beach Boys. But everyone has been cool. KC – Looks like you’re amongst family then because I know you’re cool. The student has become the teacher. KW – Thanks bro! Everybody stay tuned, I have big stuff coming up. Follow me on Twitter @kameronwhalum or Instagram kameronwhalum. (Kelvin Cowans can be reached at (kelvincowans@hotmail.com)
Tri-State Defender
HOROSCOPES
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5, 2014
ARIES You’ll face a formidable task but if you defeat it you’ll take big steps toward a goal. Weigh in and give it your best. Your energy is high. The task looks larger before you start than it will once you’ve put your shoulder into it. Compromise with a partner. This week will bring more love than usual. Look for it TAURUS Speak out. Take center stage. Any subject you choose is ripe for the “rap.” People listen. Friends and associates will be impressed. Forgive a jealous soul who lingers nearby. Don’t neglect the home front. GEMINI Enjoy yourself. The need to do that will be very apparent this week. What will not be as apparent is the key to your enjoyment which will depend on the attitude you take to someone who has been getting on your nerves. Don’t think about them. Whenever the picture of their face appears in your mind use your imagination to turn that picture into a cartoon. Laugh. CANCER If you didn’t get invited to the party, that’s okay. If your air conditioner doesn’t work, if one of your favorite pieces of clothing has a spot on it, if your dinner guest didn’t show up, smile. Your ability to accept misfortune with a smile is going to be important to you this week. LEO This week will teach you a valuable lesson about money. Make a mental note of how you got into the shape you’re in so that you can avoid future mistakes of the financial kind. Request advice from a friend in money matters. Love and money mix well. VIRGO Emphasize generosity. Give and the gift itself will turn into a reward. This week is excellent for making important decisions and for reaching agreements with others. Agreement with your lover might be the most important one to try to reach. LIBRA You have opportunities to win big this week. Make the most of them. Stay alert to possibilities concerning a career move. You might see something that you believed was lost. It comes back to you this week. Give it your full attention. SCORPIO Feel deeply for the sorrow of a loved one. They can sense your commitment and that will be a comfort. Change is coming into your life. Handle it in the manner that you usually handle change. Anchor yourself in the past and move forward. SAGITTARIUS Charm is an extremely effective tool for you this week. Charisma works better than at any recent time, especially at home. Shine brightly and let your glow work for you. Your self-image is you most effective tool. CAPRICORN The spiritual package you’ve been waiting for is likely to arrive this week. It should assure you that you’ve been on the right track. Your insights can be an inspiration to those who work with you. Love is the reward for generosity. AQUARIUS This week let your gentle spirit shines through. Your rough and tumble side is not appropriate for the relationships that you’ll encounter. Someone will need your understanding and sympathy. Give it with sensitivity. PISCES Look for financial good news this week. Wow! It’s about time. This week might be a good week to window shop for a big vacation or extravagance purchase. Be sensitive to your lover’s needs this week. You may have been thinking too much of your own needs recently. Source: NNPA News Service
RELIGION Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 30 - February 5, 2014, Page 9
LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE
A spirit of expectancy may be the jumpstart you need Dear Lucy: Do you ever find yourself unable to do the things you used to just love doing? I am not depressed or sad but I cannot read, go to the movies or write or any of the small pleasures I used to enjoy. I turn on a favorite show and very soon just turn it off. How do I jump start myself again? – Stalled
Dear Stalled: I am hearing this from many people lately, including myself. The good news about a “stalled” vehicle is that it’s not dead. We can check the battery, the fluids and the gas tank. If all that fails, we can get towed or pushed to help. I like it that you know that you are not de-
pressed or sad. I think we are all g o i n g through a special time on the planet right now. We are all b e i n g Lucy called to a Shaw spiritual awakening. It shows up as a nagging need to do something different, to think more deeply, to be still, to pray, to be quiet, to be thoughtful and kind, to spend less, to waste less. If we are sensitive enough we pay attention as
you are and ask the first question, “Am I sad or depressed?” When the answer is no, it is your soul’s call to pay attention to deeper things.
1. Check the battery. Maybe you need a new one. The things that used to fire you up no longer connect. Maybe you need to read, write or watch something totally new and different. 2. Now beyond finding a new spark, check your fluids...literally. Drink water. Dehydration has been known to slow us down. Really. It may also be a call to do something physical like exercise, walking or getting outside. 3. Check the gas. Sometimes we have a spiritual ener-
gy leak that precedes actual physical illness. It shows up as a vague discontent in our lives. Whenever I am headed to a necessary change of thought, action or lifestyle, I go through a period of discontent that I don’t understand. If I don’t pay close attention and see what my soul is trying to tell me, I can end up sick or totally unproductive. It is as if I know that something needs to happen and I need to cooperate. So how do you cooperate? First, I go with the flow. I surrender to the time by using it to pray, study and simply be still and see what God is trying to show me. Second, even if I am led to
stop eating, I persist in keeping myself hydrated with water and green drinks. Third, I am very careful to create a spirit of expectancy for something wonderful. I refuse to imagine anything scary or unhealthy coming into my life. I know that something good and wonderful is on its way. And last, but not least, I know that I cannot use willpower to make it to go away faster. I have to practice patience and faith in the belief that change is a very good thing. It is also a good time to search out areas where I need to do some forgiveness work. Nothing gets rid of negativity or wards off illness and gets me unstuck better than forgiv-
ing myself, events and others. Try some of this and let me know where you find yourself a few months from now. Stop that energy leak and allow your new self to show up. Blessings, Lucy
(Check out Lucy Shaw’s website at http://www.heartworks4u.com . Send your questions to lucy@heartworks4u.com.) (For help with the feelings that get in the way of prayer and peace of mind, get Lucy’s new book, “BE NOT ANXIOUS.” Order it directly from her at 901-907-0260 or go to her web site www.heartworks4u.com.)
FORWARD THINKING
Breaking the ‘Baby Boy’ mindset by Pastor E.A. Deckard NNPA News Service
“A nation or civilization that continues to produce softminded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan.” – Dr Martin Luther King Jr. In 2001, John Singleton produced a very popular movie, entitled “Baby Boy” starring Tyrese Gibson and Snoop Dogg. The movie is centered around the life of a character named Jody who was a young black man being raised by a single mother in the hood while contending with the struggle to become a man. The main character Jody, in the movie, was also referred to as “Baby Boy” because he had the mindset of a child and was totally dependent on the care of his mother. Unfortunately this theme is still being played out on the big screen and in the lives of young men across America. “Baby Boy” took no responsibility for his life or actions, possessed no level of self-discipline, and continued to display an immature attitude toward life. Until, we as a community come together to coach and educate the single mother families in our communities and churches we will continue to see the “Baby Boys” of this
generation creating negative situations for themselves and others. The alarming facts are staring us in the face: increased number of drop outs, excessive crimes being committed, early fatherhood, and low self-esteem are all factors in the “Baby Boy” mind-set. Today my focus through “Forward Thinking” is to release six principles to break the baby boy mind-set and empower men to develop into men after God’s own heart. 6 principles to breaking the “Baby Boy” mind-set
CHALLENGE YOURSELF – The bible declares you can do all things therefore I challenge you to make up your mind this season of your life to stop making excuses and start making progress. Tiger Woods once stated the hardest part of being a champion is not defeating my opponent but challenging myself to rise to whatever level of excellence is needed to win. I know life may sometimes feel like an uphill battle but remember hurdles are to be leaped, odds are to be defeated, and haters are to be silenced. I challenge you to challenge yourself to becoming a better you this year no matter what your current situation looks like. CHECK YOUR HABITS – Your habits are simply who
you are therefore it is very important in this season of your life that you evaluate all your habits. You will never be able to improve the quality of your life beyond the quality of your habits. Keep in mind your habits are the vehicle transporting you where you are going in life. CREATE ACCOUNTIBLITY GROUP – Assume responsibility for your life. Brothers stop depending on your mother to take full responsibility for the affairs of your life and also stop blaming the lack of a father in your life for the poor decisions you’ve made in your life. Re-
gardless of your current situation it’s time to surround yourself with people who will push you, lift you, and if need be check you. Understand a man that does not take responsibility for his destiny will always end up being a man full of regrets and excuses. Accountability motto: I am the reason I’m here and I’ll be the reason I get up from here. CONTINUE TO PRESS – There is an old saying quitters never win and winners never quit therefore I encourage you to continue to press and never give up. As I watched the Seattle Seahawks defeat the San Francisco 49ers
for a trip to the Super Bowl the quarterback of the Seahawks (drafted behind 6 other quarterbacks) Russell Wilson stated he used being over looked as motivation to push himself into being the best player he could be. This season of your life make up your mind you will push until you win. CONFIDENCE TO DREAM BIG – The bible states that God is able to do more than we can think, ask, or image therefore we must release our faith and gain the confidence to dream big. I challenge you stop focusing on what you can’t do or have
PRAISE CONNECT
not been able to do in your past and start dreaming big. There is a great big world just waiting on you to take your place and the first step is dreaming big enough to see yourself there. In the face of social injustice Dr King had to faith to dream big. COMMIT TO EQUIPPING YOURSELF – We have all heard the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. In order to improve the quality of your life you must commit to equipping yourself with a mind-set powerful enough to cancel the “baby boy” mindset you once possessed. This season you must put new tools in your hand, new knowledge in your head, expose your eyes to new sights, and allow your feet to travel new circles. As Forward Thinkers we must overcome the “Baby Boy” mind-sets and mature into responsible men capable of leading, guiding, and protecting our communities.
(Pastor E.A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green Houston International Church located in North Houston. Contact Pastor Deckard at www.ghic.net or via Facebook.) (Special to the NNPA from the Houston Forward-Times)
-A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHES-
METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH Dr. Reginald L. Porter Sr., Pastor
767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126
ASSOCIATE MINISTERS
901-946-4095 fax 948-8311
Rev. Davena Young Porter Rev. Linda A Paige Rev. Luecretia Matthews SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY Sunday School .....................8:30 am Morning Worship Service ....10:00am
WEDNESDAY Bible Study .........................10:30 am Mid-Day Prayer Meeting .....12 noon Evening Prayer Meeting........7:00pm
FRIDAY Cable Channel 17 ............... 8:00pm
Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. —Matthew 7: 1-2
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. —Phillipians 4:13
Page 10
RELIGION
January 30 - February 5, 2014
Tri-State Defender
MORTGAGE BURNING SERVICE
The Rev. Darrell Webster Sr. (center), pastor of Zion Hill M.B. Church, celebrated the mortgage burning of the churchʼs fellowship hall on Jan. 26. Celebrants included Queen Barnes, Betty Turner, Evangelist Sadie Ruffin, Landa Alexander, Webster, Vanessa McKinley, Mother Dorothy Harmon, Robie Pollion, Pat Steven and Mother Lucille Vick.
The Mt. Moriah-East Youth Department presented “The Musical Message of East” during the Super Saturday prelude to Super Sunday at Mt. MoriahEast Baptist Church. The evening included a salute to these Music Department standouts.
Guest artist Debra Manning Thomas sings to the glory of God during Super Sunday 2014 at Mt. Moriah-East Baptist Church. Bishop William S. Wright of Liberty Church of Christ was the nightʼs speaker during a Super Sunday 2014 service (Jan. 26th) at Mt. MoriahEast Baptist Church, where the Rev. Dr. Melvin Charles Smith is the host pastor. Also pictured: Dr. Ydell Ishmon Sr.
Rev. Donald Walker Jr. (center), pastor of the Rock Church Memphis, was the guest speaker during the mortgage burning service of Zion Hillʼs fellowship hall. Here, he joins the Rev. Darrel Webster Sr. as he sets abaze the mortgage papers. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
Mt. Moriah-East: ‘Something To Shout About’ Mt. MoriahEast saluted its music department during Super Saturday. Here, Jas William of Citadel of Deliverance COGIC played his part as the emcee.
It didnʼt take long for national guest artist Evelyn Turrentin Agee to reach a feverish pitch during song praises for the Lord.
James Wade (left) and William Hudson Jr., president and general manager of Memphis Area Transit Authority, were honored for outstanding achievement. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)
COMMUNITY
Tri-State Defender
Page 11
January 30 - February 5, 2014
BRIEFS & THINGS
NAACP names co-chairs for Freedom Fund Gala
Dr. Reginald W. Coopwood, president and CEO of the Regional Medical Center, and Daniel Weickenand, president/CEO of Orion Federal Credit Union, are the 2014 co-chairs of the Memphis Branch Dr. Reginald NAACP’s Freedom W. Coopwood Fund Gala. Madeleine Taylor, Memphis Branch NAACP executive director, introduced the 38th Annual Freedom Fund Gala co-chairs on Tuesday (Jan. 28th) during a luncheon at the Crescent Club. of the Memphis Branch of the NAACP “It is an honor to Daniel Weickenand be representing this organization and to continue to try to build up this great community that I call home through our efforts with the Memphis Branch NAACP,” Weickenand, the 2014 corporate co-chair. “It’s a pleasure and an honor to serve in this capacity for an organization that has such a long history of making sure equality exists in this country and this community, and I am looking forward to serving in such an esteemed capacity this year.” said Coopwood, the community co-chair. The NAACP has selected leaders from the Memphis community to serve as fundraising co-chairs each year since the Freedom Fund Gala was started in 1977. The interracial chairs represent an effort to cross racial barriers and work for a common cause within the Memphis community.
‘Cruise with us…’
The National Council of Negro Women – the Memphis-Shelby County Section – presented “The Best Dressed Fashion Show” with a Fantasy Island theme at the Memphis Hotel last Saturday (Jan. 25th). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)
A work of faith…
At the Memphis Cares Mentoring Movementʼs Sixth Anniversary and Annual Mentoring Awards Program last Saturday (Jan. 25th) at the Memphis Education Association Bldg. Board Chair Willie F. Brooks Jr. presented the Imani (Faith) Award to representatives of the Shelby County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for the EMBODI (Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing) initiative. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)
Beware: Super Bowl DUI saturation
As Super Bowl Sunday approaches and football fans across the country prepare for the game, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has joined forces with the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office to spread the message about designating a sober driver on Super Bowl Sunday, because – “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.” According to NHTSA, in 2011, 9,878 people were killed in alcohol-impaireddriving crashes. These crashes were 31 percent more likely to occur on weekends than on weekdays. Shelby County Sheriff’s Officers will be conducting DUI saturations and high visibility enforcement on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 2nd), to reduce the number of impaired drivers and distracted drivers on Shelby County roadways. The enforcement will be funded with $200,000 in federal grant dollars under an agreement with the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office.
DA Weirich works with officers, community leaders to increase school safety
Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich is working with law enforcement officers, school principals and guidance counselors to combat school violence by identifying warning signs among teens. The efforts are part of an initiative by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference to help community leaders keep schools safe amid continued national incidents of juvenile violence. The conference hosted a “Protecting Our Children: Proactive and Prepared” seminar on Wednesday (Jan. 29) in Nashville, where Phil Chalmers, a nationally recognized expert on teen violence, trained attendees on how to help teens in trouble while keeping schools and communities safe. “Training sessions and resources from the conference keep us updated on what’s happening nationally that could have an impact here at home,” said Weirich. “We do everything we can to help our police officers and school officials take action and prevent the same kinds of tragedies we see on the news from happening here.” Attendees learned how to identify gang and cult practices, spot danger signs among teens like obsessions with violence and weapons, and what to do to keep teens safe and get them any necessary help. “We often deal with juvenile violence that could have been avoided if someone had known what to do,” said Guy Jones, deputy director of the conference. “We want to equip the community with the tools they need to turn a potential teen killer into a teen who gets help.” BRIEFLY: Methodist North Hospital’s next stroke support meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11 in Day Room One, HealthSouth Rehabilitation, 4100 Austin Peay Highway. Topic: “Light at the end of the tunnel: How seasonal depressive disorders affect stroke patients.” For more information, contact Connie Holland at 901-516-5947 or visit www.methodisthealth.org.
West Tenn. Day Trippin’ bus tours to spotlight African-American heritage
Town Squares in two West Tennessee communities are gearing up for an increased number of visitors this February, during the 2014 Black History Month Celebration. Every Tuesday in February, Heritage Tours, along with the Memphis Area Association of Governments (MAAG), will host the West Tennessee Heritage and “Roots” Day Trippin’ Bus Tour. The first ten seats on the bus are free, thanks to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Tourism. “West Tennessee is so rich with stories of the African-American experience, the positive as well as the struggles,” said Commissioner Susan Whitaker, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “This is a wonderful opportunity to share these stories while highlighting unique places from Slave Haven in Memphis to the Alex Haley Museum in Henning. This tour will attract thousands of visitors who were unaware of the significant and fascinating heritage of these communities.” The 2014 Inaugural West Tennessee Heritage and “Roots” Day Trippin’ Tour will depart from the Visitors Center on Riverside Drive along the banks of the Mississippi River. There will be a driving tour, highlighting African-American historical sites in Memphis, including the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, the National Civil Rights Museum, the W. C. Handy Memphis Home & Museum, Beale Street Historic District and other sites, before traveling to Henning, Tenn. In Henning, heritage enthusiasts will tour the Alex Haley House Museum & Interpretive Center, the boyhood home and final resting place of the Pulitzer Prize-Winning author of “Roots,” and the gravesites of Chicken George and other relatives at Beth-
In Henning, Tenn., heritage enthusiasts will tour the Alex Haley House Museum & Interpretive Center, the boyhood home and final resting place of the Pulitzer Prize-Winning author of “Roots.” (Courtesy photo)
lehem Cemetery. “This is a great opportunity for people who want to participate in observing Black History Month, but don’t quite know where to start,” said Pamela Marshall, executive director of the Memphis Area Association of Governments (MAAG). “We are encouraging individuals, civic and senior groups, school and church groups to join us for these exciting tours of the many things to see and do, this Black History Month.... all within a day trip of Memphis.” The West Tennessee excursion will continue up the road to the newly renovated Ripley Historic Downtown Square. While on the square, the Bank of Ripley will welcome visitors by inviting them to its annual Black History Month exhibit. A southern meal at a local restaurant will top off the Lauderdale County tour, before heading to Tipton County. Visitors will enjoy the Covington Downtown Square, the home of the Annual Chocolate Tour and hidden treasures in the many antique shops on the Square. Historian and City Councilwoman Minnie Bommer will lead a discussion on the contributions of African Americans in Tipton County history and the plans for a new African American Culture and Heritage Museum in Covington. The cost for the Black History Month West Tennessee Day Trippin’ Bus Tour is $40. Every Tuesday during the month of February, the bus will leave the downtown Memphis Visitor’s Center on Riverside Drive at 9 a.m. and return at 3:30 p.m. To reserve a seat, call Heritage Tours at 901-527-3427. Email: heritagetours@bellsouth.net (The project is in agreement with the Tennessee Historical Commission and the Alex Haley Museum & Interpretive Center.)
Bernal E. Smith II (right) and Jerome Mincy. (Courtesy photo)
Puerto Rico hookup spurs talk of Memphis sports-weekend TSD President and Publisher Bernal E. Smith II and former Memphian and Hamilton High School basketball superstar Jerome Mincy are discussing plans for a Celebrity Basketball and Golf Weekend in Memphis, featuring retired NBA stars and a basketball camp for inner city youth. Smith and Mincy connected last week in Puerto Rico. Smith attended the National Newspaper Publishers Association Mid-Winter Conference in San Juan and attended a dinner hosted by fellow publisher Walter Smith (New York
Beacon). who also has a residence in Luis, Puerto Rico. Smith and Mincy connected at that dinner. Born in Puerto Rico, Mincy’s family later moved to Memphis, where his mother and father still reside. After starring as a collegiate ball player at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Mincy went on to play in the NBA with the Knicks. Later, he played professionally in Europe, South America and ultimately in Puerto Rico, where he is in the Hall of Fame and a celebrated favorite son.
SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, January 30 - February 5, 2014, Page 12
Shaq Goodwin drives to the basket and is fouled by Chris Perry of the University of South Florida. The Tigers defeated USF 80-58.
Geron Johnson (left) of the Tigers tries to steal the ball from Josh Health of USF.
Nick King of the Tigers grabs a rebound over Javontae Hawkins of USF.
Tigers reflect Pastner’s positive energy Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by J.R. Moorhead
University of Memphis head coach Josh Pastner has a pretty firm grasp on his position, but when the day comes and he steps down from his job there are plenty of fields in which he could pursue a new career. To name a few: motivational speaker, yoga instructor, Hindu Brahman, and last but not least, a proton. The common link: Positive energy! All joking aside, this guy exudes positive energy. It’s hard to be in the same room with him without suddenly feeling better about life in general. So, it’s not a big surprise that Pastner channels that philosophy into his coaching. When his players bring that high energy and focus to the game, the Tigers can be one of the best teams in the country. There is one player that the coach points to as an on-court energy beacon, Sophomore Shaq Goodwin. Shaq always has a smile on his face, but don’t mistake that grin for weakness. It’s because Goodwin truly loves to play the game and he doesn’t seem to take a single possession for granted. “Other players feed off Shaq,” said Pastner. Goodwin has totaled 33 points and 16 rebounds in his last two outings. And it’s easy to see the other players stepping up, with the Tigers routing both Houston (82-59) and South Florida (80-58). Sunday afternoon (Jan. 26) against USF at FedExForum, the Tigers started out lethargic, but their press defense lead to a few turnovers right before half. Chris Crawford and Joe Jackson knocked down back-to-back threes and a six-point lead grew to twelve in a flash. In the second half, the Tigers found their rhythm, knocking down 7 of 12 from beyond the arc. That’s the type of shooting the True Blue Nation has been waiting to see. Memphis won by a margin of 22, but it surely could have been larger had Pastner kept the hot-handed starters in the game down the stretch. At this point in the season, Pastner doesn’t think it’s about the “X’s and O’s but rather the Jimmys and the Joes.” Any coach can draw up a play, but it’s up to the players to execute it. Against USF, the Tigers recorded 23 assists on 25 made baskets. That stat is a testament to unselfish play and signals that the players are really gelling right now. Memphis has 12 regular season games remaining, or as Pastner puts it “480 minutes of basketball,” and they look to keep their momentum rolling.
When his players bring that high energy and focus to the game, the Tigers can be one of the best teams in the country.
Josh Pastner signals the next move that he wants from his Memphis Tigers. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
NOTE: The Tigers hit the road for a two game swing to face the UCF Knights (Jan. 29) and the surging SMU Mustangs (Feb. 1). Final score: Memphis 69, UCF 59.
’73 Tigers reunion will add even more pop to upcoming Gonzaga game The Feb. 8th battle between the University of Memphis Tigers and the high-profile Gonzaga Bulldogs already had the makings of a big-time event, including a national television audience. Now the evening is going to be even more special. Forty-one years after the then-Memphis State Tigers made a historic run to the NCAA National Championship game, members of the team and the coaching staff will be honored during halftime of the Tigers-Bulldogs scrap at the FedExForum. Three starters from the championship game against UCLA, forwards Larry Kenon and Billy Buford and point guard Bill Laurie, are expected to attend, as well as their teammates and all of the members of the late Gene Bartow’s coaching staff. “The University of Memphis has produced numerous outstanding basketball teams
since the 1950s but none more renowned than the 1973 squad,” said Tiger Athletics Director Tom Bowen. “Our fans, as well as local civic leaders, are quick to point out the healing effect that this team had on the City of Memphis during a very difficult time. Following the 1968 assignation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., racial tensions in Memphis continued to boil. During that tumultuous time, a group of 14 young Memphis Tiger basketball players banded together and produced a season that many say helped to start the healing process for Memphis. “We are pleased that so many of the surviving players and coaches are coming back to enjoy a weekend of Tiger basketball,” Bowen said. “I think that the events we have planned will be enjoyed by the members of that team and our fans alike.”
In addition to Kenon, Laurie and Buford, former Tigers Ken Andrews, Bill Cook, Clarence Jones, Shannon Kennedy, Jim Liss, Doug McKinney, Ed DeSchepper, Jerry Tatzlaff and John Washington are expected to attend. Assistant coaches Lee Hunt and Wayne Yates will be in attendance, along with graduate assistant coach Ed Young and team manager Ted Turnipseed. In recent years, the team has lost head coach Bartow, as well as All-American guard Larry Finch and forwards Ronnie Robinson, Wes Westfall and John Tunstall. Reunion events will begin with a private dinner for team members and their spouses on Friday evening, Feb. 7th. There will be a tour of athletic facilities and a luncheon on campus on Saturday followed by the halftime ceremony during the Gonzaga game Saturday night.
The late basketball phenom Larry Finch, who set records as a guard for then Memphis State University Tigers and as head coach for more than 10 seasons, shares a warm moment with friends, including Randy Wade (right). (Photo: TSD archives)
Tri-State Defender
ALL INTERESTED BIDDERS
The Shelby County Board of Education will accept written proposals for Request for Proposal (RFP) - Custodial Cleaning Services. Visit our website for additional information: www.scsk12.org-Departments, Procurement Services link, click on Bids & RFPs.
Questions concerning proposals should be addressed to Procurement Services at (901) 416-5376.
Thank you for your interest and responses.
Jacqueline Saunders, Director Shelby County Schools – Procurement Services LEGAL NOTICE TO BIDDERS Replacement of Medium Voltage Switchgear MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 2491 Winchester Road, Suite 113 Memphis, Tennessee 38116 MSCAA Project Number 07-1233-01
Sealed bids for the Replacement of Medium Voltage Switchgear, MSCAA Project No. 07-1233-01, will be received by the Staff Services Division of the MemphisShelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA), 3505 Tchulahoma Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38118, until 2:00 PM local time on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, and immediately thereafter will be opened and publicly read. No bids will be accepted after the stated deadline. BIDS WILL NOT BE RECEIVED AT ANY OTHER LOCATION.
The scope of work generally consists of furnishing and installing equipment pads, manholes, duct banks, conduit, and all appurtenances associated with the installation of the new source transfer switch, PMH-10 switchgear and manual switchgear on Airways Blvd. Also included is the removal of existing fiber cable in the existing power duct bank along with extending the telephone conduit. A new parallel 500MCM Cu feeder from PMH-10 switchgear to the terminal will also be added. The Contractor shall provide professional services as necessary to secure the required building permits and approvals from the governing agencies. Maintenance of airport site security, in accordance with MSCAA and FAA regulations, are specifically included.
Bid Documents may be obtained and found on our website (www.mscaa.com) on or after Wednesday, January 29, 2014. Bid documents may be examined at the following locations in Memphis, TN: Builderʼs Exchange Plans Room, McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge Plans Room, Memphis Area Minority Contractorʼs Association, Mid-South Minority Business Council, National Association of Minority Contractors, and Renaissance Business Center Bid Room.
All Respondents are hereby notified that all updates, addenda and additional information, if any, shall be posted to the MSCAA website (www.mscaa.com) and Respondents are responsible for checking the MSCAA website up to the time of the Bid submission deadline. A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on Monday, February 10, 2014 at 1:00 PM local time at the Airport Project Center, located at 4225 Airways Blvd, Memphis, TN. Immediately following the meeting a tour will be available of the project site.
The MSCAA hereby notifies that it will review and award contracts in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4a and Title 49, Part 26, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act. MSCAA further notifies all Bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, Disadvantaged, Business Enterprises (DBE) will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age, race, sex, color, national origin, creed, religion, sexual orientation or disability in its hiring and employment practices, or in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services and activities. The DBE participation goal for this contract is 0% in accordance with the requirements of the Contract Documents.
Each bid must be by a contractor licensed in Tennessee and accompanied by a 5%
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Bid Guarantee. In accordance with TCA §62-6-119, the Bidder, and where applicable, one contractor/subcontractor performing electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or masonry work must have its license number, expiration date of the license, and that part of the classification applying to the bid shown on the outside of the envelope containing the bid. Failure to supply all information on the outside of the envelope will result in the return of the unopened envelope to the Bidder. The successful Bidder will be required to execute a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each in the amount of 100% of the Contract Price. Liquidated damages for delay in contract completion shall be as stated in the Contract Documents. No Bidder may withdraw an opened bid within the defined period following actual bid opening without MSCAAʼs consent. Award will be made to the lowest and best responsible qualified Bidder, if any contract is awarded, based on the best combination of base bid plus individual add-alternates deemed, at MSCAAʼs sole discretion, to be in MSCAAʼs best interests regardless of whether the individual add-alternates are ultimately constructed or not constructed. MSCAA reserves the right to reject any or all bids in whole or in part and to waive any informalities, technicalities or omissions therein. MSCAA also reserves the right to reject bids from bidders that have pending litigation or claims with MSCAA, or if such bid includes a proposed subcontractor or supplier that has pending litigation or claims with MSCAA, if MSCAA determines, in its sole discretion, such litigation or claims may adversely affect the ability of the parties to work efficiently and effectively under this contract, or for any other reason as determined by MSCAA. Any such bid will be returned to the bidder. See Instructions to Bidders in the project specifications for a further description of this and other reservations of rights. The MSCAA hereby notifies that effective July 1, 2013 the Authority shall give a preference to businesses located in the County of Shelby, State of Tennessee in awarding contracts and making purchases whenever the application of such a preference is reasonable in light of the dollar-value of the proposal/bid received in relation to such expenditures and pursuant to the terms and conditions that are outlined in the adopted policy as amended.
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for the Purchasing Department, and then click on the link “Bids.”
DUE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2014 AT 2:30 PM SEALED BID #SBI-000242 HVAC RETROFIT, 201 POPLAR AVENUE
Voluntary Pre-Bid Conference: A pre-bid conference will be held at 9:30 AM, Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at the following location:
Shelby County Criminal Justice Center, 201 Poplar Avenue, Auditorium First Floor, Memphis, TN 38103.
Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service. THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR., SHELBY COUNTY MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT
MEMPHIS-SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY By Scott A. Brockman, President & CEO
Flintco will be accepting bids on the Memphis Zoo Zambezi River Hippo Camp by noon, Tuesday, February 18, 2014. Flintco is an equal opportunity employer. In keeping with the Fair Business Program, we encourage and invite bids from all Eligible Business Enterprises, including WBE, MBE, SDB, SBE, and HBE companies. Bids can be faxed to 901-372-8989 or emailed to memphisestimatting@flintco.com by noon on bid day. NOTICE TO BIDDER(S)
Shelby County Government is soliciting Seal Bids for the provision of Construction Services to provide HVAC Retrofit, Shelby County Criminal Justice Center, 201 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103. The Seal Bid is located on the Countyʼs website at www.shelbycountytn.gov, click the link “Department” at the top, then P
NOTICE OF ELECTIONS REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES MAY 6, 2014
Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-12-111(a), the Shelby County Election Commission hereby gives notice that, pursuant to Section 2-13-203(a) and (d), Republican and Democratic Primaries will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 in all wards and precincts in Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee.
These County Primaries are being held to elect each partyʼs nominees for offices to be filled in the August 7, 2014 County General Election as follows. District Attorney General County Mayor County Commission, Districts 1 thru 13 County Assessor of Property County Trustee Sheriff Circuit Court Clerk Criminal Court Clerk Juvenile Court Clerk Probate Court Clerk County Clerk Shelby County Register
Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated, Sections 2-5-101(a)(2) and Section 2-5204(b)(1) the qualifying deadline for candidates for the County Primary and for independent candidates for those offices is Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 12:00 Noon; and the withdrawal deadline is Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 12:00 Noon. NOTICE TO WRITE-IN CANDIDATES
Notice is further given by the Shelby County Election Commission that pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotate, Section 2-8-113(c) any person attempting to be elected by write-in ballots shall complete a notice requesting such personʼs ballots be counted in each county of the district no later than fifty (50) days before the election by 12:00 Noon.
Any person desiring to conduct a write-in campaign shall file a Certification of WriteIn Candidacy Form with the Shelby County Election Commission office, 150 Washington Ave., Suite 205, Memphis, Tennessee or Election Operations Center, 980 Nixon Drive, Memphis, Tennessee no later than 12:00 Noon on March 17, 2014 for the County Primary Elections on May 6, 2014 and June 18, 2014 for the August 7, 2014 County General Election. NEW PHOTO ID LAW EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2012
Federal or state government issued photo ID is now required to vote in person, unless an exception applies. College student IDs will not be accepted. To learn more about the new law and its exceptions, please call (901) 222-1200 or visit GoVoteTN.com. SHELBY COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION Robert D. Meyers, Chairman Norma Lester, Secretary Dee Nollner, Member Steve Stamson, Member Anthony Tate, Member
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2003 Buick Rendezvous 3G5DB03E53S607745 ABD Please call 901-493-0352 (Shelly)
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