3 20 2013

VOL. 62, No. 11

www.tsdmemphis.com

March 14 - 20, 2013

College: is it still a part of building wealth?

Howard spring break program gets a double dose of Memphis Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Nicole R. Harris

When Ayanna McFarland graduated from Whitehaven High School in 2011, she left the Bluff City to pursue higher education. It wouldn’t be the last time her hometown would see the budding leader. Now a junior English and secondary education major at Howard University in Washington, D.C., McFarland has returned to her Memphis roots for a good cause.

In its 19th year, the Howard University Alternative Spring Break Program (ASB) added Memphis to its eight-city roster, making it the largest spring break tour in the program’s history. While in Memphis, Howard scholars split into two groups to tackle four-day mentoring sessions on health and education with approximately 114 Memphis City School students.

“I think the impact is certainly positive because it provides them exposure to college,” said Dr. Jeffery Ryan Futrell, the gang intervention coordinator at Northside High School.

“Hearing the experiences from their own peer groups is really important.

It’s additional exposure for our scholars at Northside.”

In breakout sessions, high school students listened to real-life experiences from the Howard mentors. Topics included financial responsibility, time management and even the lifealtering adjustment of having to do your own laundry.

“Being 18 doesn’t make you grown. Grown is when you pay your own bills and pay for your own stuff,” noted one Howard volunteer during a discussion on responsibility.

With a planning process that took more than one year, creating such a large event in a new city was no easy task. McFarland found opens arms and helping hands in the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals (MULYP).

“She (McFarland) gave me a call and wanted to partner with us,” said Erik Henneghan, MULYP Youth Mentoring & Development Chair. “I

75 Cents

Racial wealth gap triples over 25 years ANALYSIS NNPA

by Charlene Crowell

Volunteer Iman Kialeuka-Tiya assists 9th grade Northside High School student Jasmine Pittman with a financial planning lesson. Kialeuka-Tiya is one of more than 50 Howard University students in town for the Alternative Spring Break program.

(Photo: Nicole R. Harris) Howard University student and Alternative Spring Break Program Site Coordinator, Ayanna McFarland, engages the students on what college life is really like. Vibrant and passionate about the program, McFarland notes that, “This is just one ASB, this will not be the last time”.

(Photo: Nicole R. Harris)

SEE TOUR ON PAGE 2

As long as most of us can remember, African-American communities have taught and believed that a college education is the key to social and economic advancement. But according to a new research and policy brief

by Brandeis University scholars, that long-held belief is only one of several factors affecting Black America’s ability to build wealth.

After Brandeis University’s Institute on Assets and Policies traced 1,700 working Americans households over 25 years, the researchers found that the wealth gap between white and African-American families nearly tripled, increasing from $85,000 in 1984 to $236,500 in 2009. For each dollar in income increase during these years, white wealth grew $5.19 while African-American wealth growth amounted to 69 cents.

“Our analysis found little evidence to support common perceptions about what underlies the ability to build wealth, including the notion that personal attributes and behavioral choices are key pieces of the equation,” said the report by the Brandeis’ Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP).

“Instead, the evidence points to policy and the configuration of both opportunities and barriers in workplaces, schools and communities that reinforce deeply entrenched racial dynamics in how wealth is accumulated and that continue to permeate the most important spheres of everyday life.”

The report ranked the biggest drivers of America’s racial wealth gap: 1. Years of homeownership; 2. Household income; 3. Unemployment;

4. College education and 5. Inheritance/other financial support On average, white families became homeowners eight years earlier than African-American families. Oftentimes inheritance and other financial support favored families with pre-existing wealth. With more white families able to receive family financial

“Our analysis found little evidence to support common perceptions about what underlies the ability to build wealth, including the notion that personal attributes and behavioral choices are key pieces of the equation.”

Report by the Brandeis’ Institute on Assets and Social Policy

assistance, make larger up-front payments for home purchases, they benefited from lowered interest rates and lending costs.

By contrast, African-American homeowners were more likely to have high-interest, risky mortgages even when income and credit scores were comparable to those of whites. As labor market instability tended to affect African American more negatively than whites, accrued monetary assets became the vehicle to withstand the lack of income and eliminated many opportunities to invest to build wealth. As a result, AfricanAmerican mortgage borrowers became more than twice as likely to lose their homes to foreclosure.

Brandeis also found that for white families, homeownership represents 39 percent of family wealth; but is 53 percent of African-American wealth.

Because of historic differences in access to credit, the homeownership rate for white homeowners is also 28 percent higher than the same rate for SEE COLLEGE ON PAGE 2

New pope – the Memphis view Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Dorothy Bracy Alston

Pastor Martin Orjianioke of Holy Names of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church began pastoring in his homeland of Nigeria. He also pastored in Germany before coming to Memphis, where on Wednesday he witnessed history unfold on television.

Along with Pastor Orjianioke in Memphis, Catholics – and nonCatholics – watched as 76-year-old

- INSIDE -

• For African Americans, no change in unemployment. See Opinion, page 4.

• Tigers mount up for C-USA Tournament run. See Sports, page 11.

• AKA’s faithful settle in for ‘ATM’ Regional. See page 12.

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H- 7 3o - L - 5 6o Most ly Sunn y

H- 6 6o - L - 5 6o P a r tl y C l ou dy

H- 6 3o - L - 5 1o Most ly Clo ud y

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-77 L-55 H-68 L-54 H-76 L-50

Saturday H-72 L-59 H-65 L-52 H-78 L-54

Sunday H-65 L-55 H-67 L-53 H-79 L-60

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aires, Argentina was presented to the world as Pope Francis I. The naming of any pope is historic, but this was way beyond that. In a remarkably fast conclave, 115 cardinals made the decision to select the Catholic Church’s first pope from the Americas, the first from outside Europe, and the first Jesuit.

“He is somebody from the new world,” said Pastor Orjianioke. “His election is an expression of the universality of the (Catholic) church and

that God’s promises will be fulfilled.”

With much of the world literally trained on the square in Vatican City, the ascension of Pope Francis I brought closure after the surprising resignation of now retired Pope Benedict XVI, who last month (Feb. 28) became the first pope to resign in 600 years.

“God heard the prayers of millions of Catholics who prayed for a pope.

SEE POPE ON PAGE 7

Pope Francis I, formerly Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Photo: Vatican TV)

Meet the Yanceys – tight knit and focused on healthy living Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Wiley Henry

The Yanceys could easily be the poster family for actually spending time together. They get together at the kitchen table for worship and meals. They even sing, dance and perform professionally as a family.

They also exercise together, trying to stay physically fit to keep up with their demanding schedule.

“We are a busy, revolving family.

We’re just trying to stay active,” said Marcquinne Yancey, who married Johnny 30 years ago. They have three children – Annese, 22, Alaina, 20, and Nygel, 16 – and their most recent addition, 8-month-old grandson, Ari Marcell Yancey.

Staying active includes working out and losing weight, which is why the Yanceys signed up for the Healthy Church Challenge 100-day weight lost competition when it launched on Feb. 2 at Mississippi Blvd. Christian Church.

Johnny and the children also took

Annese (left), Alaina and Marcquinne Yancey perform an African dance while Nygel plays beats on the bongo drum at Spirit of Life Healing Wings International Church. Marcquinne says dancing helps to stay in shape. (Photo by Wiley Henry)

Healthy Church Challenge: A good start to a healthier lifestyle. See page 10.

out memberships at the Hope and Healing Center. Marcquinne did not.

Instead, she decided she’d work out 30 minutes before work and 30 minutes after work at least three days a week. She is the deputy administrator at the Shelby County Division of Corrections.

The Yanceys, members of Spirit of Life Healing Wings International,

also took the Challenge last year.

Johnny, 57, lost 10.8 pounds; Marcquinne, 51, lost 13.7 pounds and hopes to lose at least 10 pounds during this Challenge. This time she is changing up her exercise regimen in the light of some health issues.

“I’ve shortened my sessions,” she said. “I’m lifting weights and using the Stepper more and the vertical climber. It’s a total body workout.”

Marcquinne’s eating habits have SEE YANCEYS ON PAGE 2

Homegoing services for Minerva J. Johnican – former Shelby County Commissioner, Memphis City Council member and Criminal Court Clerk – will be at noon Saturday (March 16) at Parkway Garden Presbyterian Church at 1005 E. Shelby Drive. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday. Ms. Johnican, who died last Friday (March 8) at Methodist University Hospital, was 74. M.J. Edwards Whitehaven has charge.

See Minerva J. Johnican: ‘Unbossed and Unbought’ on Opinion, page 4.

NEWS

Page 2

Tri-State Defender

March 14 - 20, 2013

Bibi Mama, sophomore musical theater and psychology major at Howard University, speaks to students about time management and setting realistic goals. Approximately 114 Memphis City Schools students signed up for the Alternative Spring Break Program hosted by Howard University and Memphis Urban League Young Professionals.

TOUR

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

looked it over it (the ASB program) and saw that they’ve been to New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore and oversees. I thought, why not bring that program to Memphis?”

As one of Memphis’ largest networks of young profession-

COLLEGE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

African-American families.

The State of Lending in America and its Impact on U.S. Households (State of Lending, http://rspnsb.li/stateoflending) published earlier by the Center for Responsible Lending cited similar Pew data. According to that data (from 2000 to 2010), African-American family wealth dropped 53 percent and Hispanic families lost 66 percent. By comparison, average white household wealth dropped only 16 percent.

According to the IASP report, “The paradox is that even as homeownership has been the

YANCEYS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

changed too, and she’s drinking more water as well. “I have to get my portions down. I was eating more,” she said. “It’s a process; it’s a challenge.”

Presented by BlueCross® BlueShield® of Tennessee, the Challenge is designed to address health problems through area faith-based organizations and create a healthier place to live, work and play in Memphis, Shelby County and West Tennessee.

The winning teams of the Challenge will receive prizes that will benefit their churches and health ministries. The grand prize is a $5,000 certificate for fitness equipment and nutritional counseling. There will also be an individual prize awarded to the person who loses the most weight overall.

“If your goal is to eat healthy, work off those unwanted pounds and have some fun doing it, the Healthy Church Challenge is for you,” said Calvin Anderson, senior vice president and chief of staff at BlueCross.

Johnny Yancey has a few unwanted pounds that he wants to get rid off – about 25 to be exact. “I want to stay here on earth a few more years,” he said. “I want to see my kids grow up some more.”

The more Johnny thinks about it, the more it becomes crystal clear to him that African Americans are more susceptible to certain diseases and illnesses than their counterparts. And he doesn’t want to add to the statistics.

“Carrying around a lot of weight causes high blood pressure, diabetes and strokes,” he said, recalling what he’d ascertained from various studies.

A FedEx retiree, Johnny works out on Mondays and Thursdays. He does aerobics, works out on various lightweight machines at the health center, walks the indoor track and eats healthy meals. In fact, he’s a vegetarian, and has been one for 20 years.

“A typical weekly dish is stirfried veggies and broiled tofu,” said Marcquinne, who prepares family meals daily despite having a grueling schedule. “I learned how to cook this way

als, and having recently launched its own mentor program, the partnership between MULYP and Howard University was an easy fit.

“To best align the Memphis community for continued ad-

main avenue to building wealth for African-Americans, it has also increased the wealth disparity between whites and blacks,” according to the IASP report.

“Wealth in African-American families tends to be close to what is needed to cover emergency savings while wealth in white families is well beyond the emergency threshold and can be saved or invested more readily.”

So is a college education still a part of building wealth?

The answer is still yes. But the rising costs of college and mounting student loan debts together lead to more students – both African-American and white – leaving school to earn a steady income before gradua-

from my momma, who was cooking this way 38 years ago.”

“We try to keep the kids from fast food,” said Johnny. “But they don’t understand that fast food is not good for them at all.”

Marcquinne and Johnny are on track to losing the weight.

They are making exceptions, strides, and keeping their eyes on a foreseeable goal: a healthy lifestyle. But they are keenly aware that if Annese, Alaina and Nygel want to reach their weight-loss goal, they, too, must work hard and stay focused.

“The girls used to be thin; their bodies are changing,” said Marcquinne. “The girls are out of the house, on their own, and they have to have a balanced life. When you’re older, your metabolism slows down, so I taught them how to shop and cook. We taught them how to eat healthy.”

If worshipping, exercising and eating healthy together comprise the Yancey family routine, music is much more than procedural. It’s their lifeline. Marcquinne is a lead soloist, liturgical dancer, and minister of music at Spirit of Life. She also performs musical theatre and sings in her husband’s band.

Johnny is a well-known jazz musician and music historian.

He plays traditional and contemporary jazz on his trumpet for various local bands, including his own, The Sanctuary Jazz Orchestra, which is comprised of 17 members. He also plays trumpet in the Temple of Deliverance orchestra, plays a weekly gig with the Will Grades ensemble, and teaches

vancement, MULYP must bring the great ideas and fresh perspectives of the city’s young and emerging leaders to the conversations that are shaping the future of this community,” said Henneghan.

tion. For African-American college graduates, 80 percent begin their careers with student debt.

For white college grads, the corresponding debt is 64 percent.

Reflecting on these findings, Tatjana Meschede, the report’s co-author observed, “Public policies play a major role in widening the already massive racial wealth gap, and they must play a role in closing it.

We should be investing in prosperity and equity. Instead we are advancing toxic inequality. A U-turn is needed.”

(Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.)

jazz at Lausanne Collegiate School in Germantown.

Nygel is an honor student in the optional program at Central High School, where he excels in music. He’s been singing, drumming, playing piano and percussion instruments in the school’s marching and jazz bands since the 10th grade.

Nygel also plays gigs outside of school – at the Westin Hotel on Beale Street, for example, with the Stephen Lee and Renardo Ward Band, with the Temple of Deliverance orchestra, and with The Sanctuary Jazz Orchestra, his father’s band.

Annese and Alaina can sing and dance just like their mother, but they have other interests too. Alaina once ran track, jumped hurdles, and ran long distance before graduating Central. Annese used to sing in the choir at Bellevue Middle School. Then she spent time in the cosmetology department at East High School before graduating.

“We’re teaching the baby too,” said Marcquinne. “He’s been sitting in on our aerobic classes since he was 8 weeks old.”

Johnny sums up the entire experience with a little advice: “You have to find time to take care of your health. It’s like playing music. You have to practice. You have to be disciplined.”

(For more information on the Healthy Church Challenge, call 901.278.0881 or visit Facebook.com/The Healthy Church Challenge.)

For McFarland, the collaboration between the two groups is only the beginning.

“What I tried to do was to lay the foundation so that we can come back year after year and it gets better year after

year,” she said.

“Next year, I’ll actually still be the site coordinator for ASB Memphis and I’m going to train up the next leader to take my position for 2015.”

Erik Henneghan (far right), youth mentoring and development chair for the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals, looks on as Alternative Break mentors participate in a fashion show detailing proper business attire.

“Weʼre always looking for people to help, to enrich and to teach. Thatʼs what the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals is all about”.

(Photos: Nicole R. Harris)

(For more information on MULYP mentoring initiatives, contact Henneghan at YouthChair@mulyp.org or visit Facebook.com/MemphisUlyp.)

(Follow Nicole R. Harris @NicTheEditor.)

COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

Page 3

March 14 - 20, 2013

At Evans Elementary, positive and principal are inseparable Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Alisha Tillery

On a Friday afternoon inside the cafeteria of Evans Elementary School, a sea of children danced to “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” one of superstar Michael Jackson’s biggest hits from the 80s. Though the song itself is twice their ages, they jumped and spun around anyway, showing teachers and parents in attendance their best moves.

Those students were being rewarded for good conduct for the month, and in the middle of it all was their principal, Cynthia Alexander-Mitchell.

Alexander-Mitchell is just one of many administrators working toward a more positive climate and culture in Memphis City Schools. The premise is that a positive school culture boosts effective teaching, which increases students’ academic achievement.

Formally on the high priority list due to poor academics, the Southeast Memphis elementary school received $144,000 from the U.S. Department of Education’s Zone Incentive for the most achievement gains based on state value added assessment for the 2011-2012 school year. When Alexander-Mitchell arrived in 2005, she began the transformation over the summer before the school year even began. It started with the building.

“It wasn’t aesthetically pleasing for children,” said AlexanderMitchell.

After plans to repaint the building, which was a dismal tan and brown, fell through, she opted for a new coat on just the doors.

“I wanted the doors painted blue first because the students needed to see that there was something different,” she said.

A community center is located next to Evans and AlexanderMitchell’s next step was to stroll on over, greet students as they entered and to talk with parents.

“It was the little things that helped to shift the perception of the community,” she said.

Alexander-Mitchell used funds from the previous school year to grant teachers’ wish lists for their classrooms. Teachers were involved in intensive professional development provided by the district, including workshops and work sessions on classroom management and instruction and planning.

“From there, we saw dramatic increases in academic gains. We saw children coming back who had recently transferred to other

Evans School principal Cynthia Alexander-Mitchell poses with some of her students during their end-of-the month party for good behavior. schools,” she said.

The veteran teacher and former district employee has created a family atmosphere where teachers, parents and community members are stakeholders, which helps children learn. Sandra Joyner, a teacher at Evans for 18 years, says faculty and students are able to function better.

“It’s more colorful. The atmosphere is more conducive to learning,” she said. “Now, I want my grandchildren to come to Evans.”

Callisha Williamson, a 19year-old former Evans student, often visits her younger sister at school. The school culture was completely different when she attended, she said.

“I respect Ms. Alexander and the improvements she’s made,” Williamson said. “I love the transformation Evans has been through. I feel safe that my sister is here.”

Evans’ faculty and staff continue to implement creative strategies to inspire and help students.

There is a Hopes and Dreams Wall, where students write out their futures, and there are small group counseling sessions for students and Mother-Son/DadDaughter activities.

“We have to be responsible for helping the students see a world

BRIEFS & THINGS

UTHSC and The West Clinic hook up to Help Cure Adult Cancer

More than 100 scientists in the Center for Cancer Research at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and at The West Clinic are banding together to raise money for Memphis’ 2nd Annual Cancer Awareness Day. Cancer Awareness Day has two objectives: To increase awareness about the prevalence of adult cancer in the Mid-South, and second, to raise money to support adult cancer research under way in Memphis. All proceeds from the fund-raising event will support the UTHSC Cancer Research Fund.

Everyone who donates $5 or more to the UTHSC Cancer Research Fund will receive a green bracelet that reads “I Support Cancer Research.”

Where to donate: UTHSC Memphis Campus – Madison Plaza Lobby, collecting on March 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The West Clinic – collecting March 25-29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Midtown, 1588 Union Ave; East Memphis, 100 N. Humphreys Blvd.; Southaven, 7668 Airways Blvd.; Corinth, 2001 State Street.

To donate online, visit www.uthsc.edu/give/endcan cer/.

Free screening for colon cancer at Saint Francis

Saint Francis HospitalMemphis will offer free colon cancer screening kits on March 20-21 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the hospital’s main lobby.

Done in the privacy of one’s home, the “fecal occult blood test” consists of checking for occult blood (amounts of blood that are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye) in 3 stool specimens collected on special cards. The use of fecal occult blood tests is based on the observation that slow bleeding from colon polyps or cancers can cause small amounts of blood to mix with the colonic contents. Since the small amounts of blood are not visible to the naked eye, sensitive chemical tests are needed to detect the traces of blood in the stool.

Participants will be instructed to mail the cards back to the hospital for processing.

BRIEFLY: The North Branch Library, 1192 Vollintine, will be the venue for a college and career fair on March 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dress for success and bring questions and resumes.

For more information, call 415-2775.

Kindergarten teacher Shera Caviness serves her students during a taste party as an extension of their Think Show! project on the five senses. that they otherwise would not see,” Alexander-Mitchell said.

Highly effective principals in MCS and Shelby County Schools populate what’s called the Leadership Effectiveness Initiative Team.

Alexander-Mitchell now serves on it.

“It’s been a positive experi-

ence. Each side has something to offer to make the unified district even more concise,” she said.

What’s her formula for success?

She cites high expectations for all students, encouraging collaboration among staff members and

using assessment data to support student success. Most importantly, focus on the students, and never being afraid of change.

Said Alexander-Mitchell: “My job is to make sure that when students get here, they have everything they need.”

Red & White & Royal

Chantelle Bonds (left) and Mishundra Mason are both Girls Inc. members.

Jaka Davis, a member at the Hickory Hill Center, attended with her father, Charles Johnson.

Miss Red & White 2013, Kiersten Nicole Boyd, waves to the crowd.

Kaiya Newsome of the South Park Center and her grandfather, Nelson Garrett, enjoy the ball after the crowning of Miss Red & White.

Every young girl deserves royalty treatment and that’s just what Girls Inc. of Memphis recently gave some of its participants.

The occasion was the Annual Miss Red & White Ball. Each candidate was a stellar student and well-rounded girl, recommended by their teachers, as well as their center directors.

The royal treatment featured a limousine ride to the ball held at the Memphis Athletic Ministries Grizzlies Center, and a walk down the red carpet in white ball gowns, sashes and tiaras.

Each center crowned a winner, and Kiersten Boyd was the overall Miss Red and White winner, raising over $5,000.

Page 4

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

A Real Times Newspaper

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

Month 00 - 00, 2013

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

Minerva J. Johnican: ‘Unbossed and Unbought’ Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kathryn Bowers

(The political offices – Shelby County Commissioner, Memphis City Council member and Criminal Court Clerk – don’t begin to tell the story of Minerva J. Johnican, who died last Friday Kathryn (March 8) at Bowers Methodist University Hospital.

She was 74. Former state Rep. Kathryn Bowers shares her unique view of the late Memphis trailblazer.)

Almost 42 years ago (March 24, 1971), the U.S. Congress passed the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, looking to clear obstacles to 18 year olds securing the right to vote. That “right” became official on July 1, 1971 when North Carolina ratified the Amendment. No Amendment had been ratified in a shorter period of time.

In 1970, an amendment to the 1965 Voting Rights Act had paved the way for 18 year olds to vote but it was determined that a Constitutional Amendment was required to apply in state and local elections.

In Memphis, Inner-City Voter Education, Inc. – a non-partisan nonprofit organization – was born in 1970. Minerva Johnican and I cochaired and Yvonne Acey was the publicity chairman.

We were three young ladies embarking upon an awesome task of registering the new enfranchised voters. It was important to us that they become participants in the voting process but they also must be educated as well. We agreed with President Eisenhower, who in his state of the Union message in 1954, said, “For years our citizens between the ages of 18 and 21 have, in time of peril, been summoned to fight for America.

They should participate in the political process that produces this fateful summons.”

We were not old enough to vote at that time but we heard the message as well as others across the nation. The Inner-City Voter Education Committee hit the City of Memphis like a reverse windstorm, not blowing the tall trees down but making them stand tall and upright. We got teen members as part of our organization who had not yet graduated from high school and some were college students. At LeMoyne-Owen College, we had “Right On Workshops,” which included known speakers to educate and to motivate.

We recruited members of the socalled radical groups to join us, The Black Panthers, Invaders and CORE. They became our security and kept the peace, but most of all they helped to spread the message.

We worked with the NAACP and the League of Women Voters. We also had support from large corporations like Tri-State Bank, Stax Recording Studio and Coca-Cola.

Though our efforts, in less than one year we had registered tens of thousands of new voters.

Our efforts were so successful that the leadership in Memphis felt somewhat threatened, but all we wanted to do was register voters. We even got the attention of John Lewis out of Atlanta, who was chairman of Voter Education, Inc. He came to Memphis at our request to help us reach our goal. He is now a Congressman from Georgia.

We also got the attention of New York Congresswoman Shirley Chism, who was running in the Democrat Primary for President of the United States. She was the first African-American woman to run for president. She also came to Memphis at our request and it was a huge success in increasing our volunteer numbers. If you have ever heard “Unbossed and Unbought,” that was Shirley Chism’s campaign logo in 1972. Minerva adopted her slogan.

In 1972, the country was electing a president and we got busy working

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

For African Americans, no change in unemployment

Minerva J. Johnican

Minerva was there for every movement, including the women’s liberation movement.

She organized the Volunteer Women’s Roundtable. It was a statewide, bi-racial group that was made up of professional and community women.

on the delegate selection process.

Not only did we get elected, but all the delegates from Shelby County had to come through our caucus because we had the numbers. This was the first Democrat National Convention that was open to more minorities and women.

We were hell bent on going to Florida to vote for Shirley Chism, but George Wallace won the State of Tennessee with a winner take all system. We were bound by law to vote for George Wallace but we issued a press statement stating that we would not vote for him.

As a result, we received numerous death threats to the extent that we had to inform law enforcement and obtain legal counsel. We were informed that since we would be in Florida, Tennessee could not enforce Tennessee law there. Not only did we vote for Shirley Chism, but we ran her campaign committee at the convention.

We could see that our “wind storm” was causing some of our leadership to have concerns about what we were doing. We decided it was time for the leadership to come together. Time was out for all the divisiveness, political brokering and no plan for the future.

Some of the leaders would not even come in the same room together. Memphis was the city where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed and that should have been a wake-up call for the leadership to come together.

We were not attempting – nor did we have the desire – to be leaders. We just wanted to register and educate the voters.

In secret, we put together an elaborate, first-class leadership summit, with beautiful invitations fit for a president and we sent them registered mail. We did not tell them that we were calling the meeting. Some way the cat got out of the bag and only one person showed up. That meeting is still waiting to be held today, but we tried.

Minerva was there for every movement, including the women’s liberation movement. She organized the Volunteer Women’s Roundtable. It was a statewide, bi-racial group that was made up of professional and community women. The group focused on uplifting women.

I think the only movements Minerva did not get involved in were your personal movements that only you can make.

Several weeks ago, she told me she was ready to go home and that if I didn’t like it, I was being selfish.

So I am happy she got her wish.

Until the end, Minerva Jane Johnican was “Unbossed and Unbought.”

DISTRIBUTION: Tri-State Defender is available at newsstands, street sales, store vendors, mail subscription and honor boxes throughout the Greater Memphis area. No person may, without prior written permission of the Tri-State Defender, reprint any part of or duplicate by electronic device any portion without written permission. Copyright 2013 by Tri-State Defender Publishing, Inc. Permission to Publisher, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Back copies can be obtained by calling the Tri-State Defender at (901) 523-1818, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

When unemployment numbers were released last Friday (March 8), commentators reacted joyfully. Alan Krueger, who heads the White House Council of Economic Advisors, described the creation of 247,000 jobs as a victory because the predictions were that the economy would only generate 170,000 jobs. Unemployment rates went down to 7.7 percent, while predictions were that they would drop to 7.8 percent.

Some might call this good news, but many might wonder who is affected by this good news.

A deeper examination of the unemployment data shows the disappointing reality that African-American unemployment rates remained level, at 13.8 percent. Meanwhile, white unemployment rates fell to 6.8 percent and the rate for white men dropped to 6.3 percent. The racial disparities in unemployment rates are not new, but it is hypocritical to celebrate a drop in white unemployment rages, without noticing or mentioning the stagnation in black unemployment rates.

More than new construction jobs were generated last month, but since black unemployment rates remained level, that suggests that African Americans are not being brought into that industry (if at all) at the same rates that whites. Implicitly, these data make the case for continued affirmative action, especially in wellpaid jobs.

In times of economic hardship, those hiring are inclined to look after their own instead of spreading the jobs around. And recent data suggests that African Americans enter the labor market with a shallower rolodex than whites. Fewer contacts mean fewer job opportunities.

Whose employment situation has improved?

The number of long-term unemployed remained level at 4.8 million people who have been unemployed for 37 weeks or more.

To be sure, this is a drop from the 39 weeks of Julianne a year or so ago.

Malveaux Still, the situation for some of the unemployed has simply not improved. One of the reasons that the unemployment rate dropped is because 130,000 people dropped out of the labor force because they could not find jobs.

Eight million people work parttime for economic reasons. They would take full time work if only they could find it. The number of “marginally attached” workers stands at 2.4 million. If underutilized workers are included, the unemployment rate is 14.3 percent for everyone. If the relationship between underutilization and reported unemployment is the same for African Americans as for whites, then the real unemployment rate is 25.5 percent, or almost a fourth, for African Americans. That’s alarming, yet as I watch televised reports on African-American unemployment rates, this is unmentioned.

African-American unemployment rates are at more than Depression levels, which ought to be completely unacceptable. It is not. Yet few are paying attention to the plight of the unemployed, underemployed, or out of the labor force African-American worker.

The White House and others love to talk about all of us being in the same boat. Yet some are hanging onto the

board by their fingernails, and others are drowning. And some are struggling to row. Others are riding relatively smoothly through this recession, watching their situation improve.

CEA Chairman Krueger says the data from this employment report suggests that we are well on our way to economic recovery. From my perspective this recovery is neither robust nor inclusive. In order for this recovery to be fully celebrated, every sector of Americans should see their material conditions increase. They’ve increased for some. What about the others?

Where are their advocates?

Too many African-American leaders are asleep at the wheel when it comes to the employment situation. Unemployment rates become a line in their speeches, not a lode for their leadership. High unemployment rates explain why so many African Americans, at the economic margins, don’t support civil rights organizations. They are asking what’s in it for me.

What if huge numbers of unemployed people were mobilized?

What if, in their economic misery, some rose up and demanded that Congress and others pay attention to their situation? To watch the situation of whites improve, while African-American unemployment rates remain the same, suggests that the vision of a post-racial society is extremely unrealistic.

African-American people are bearing a disproportion amount of pain in the current employment situation. African-American people are starving, and it seems that no one, not even civil rights advocates, will act on their behalf.

(Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer.)

In Detroit, no more business as usual

I recall almost a decade ago when former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick at the height of his powers walked up to me at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and asked, “Can a brother get a good word from you?”

My response was, “Mr. Mayor, give me something good to write about.”

Apparently, the mayor was concerned that he wasn’t getting favorable press from the media and that journalists like myself and others were too critical of his administration, and thus he needed a break.

Yesterday (March 11) morning, standing in front of the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit waiting for the historic verdict in Kilpatrick’s corruption trial, I could not help but recall all of my interactions with the man who once wielded so much power that anyone close to him was to be avoided.

When the verdict came in rendering the former mayor guilty on 24 counts and his longtime friend, Bobby Ferguson, guilty on nine counts of racketeering and extortion, the most serious charges, it ended an important chapter in Detroit’s history. His father, Bernard Kilpatrick, was found guilty on one tax charge.

Plain and simple, the Kwame Kilpatrick era has officially ended and now Detroit must move on to the next chapter, and we will know this week if that chapter will mean the Bankole era of an emerThompson gency manager.

Kilpatrick had so much potential when he first took office and because of political power and hubris, wasted that potential.

In 2004, Kilpatrick was a keynote speaker at the DemocratKwame ic National ConKilpatrick vention in Boston with then-Sen. Barack Obama. Years later, Obama went to the White House and Kilpatrick sunk into insurmountable legal troubles that now

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will send him to prison for a very long time. How quickly things change and to see history come full circle in this way is a big loss for Detroit because the former mayor was talented but decided to use his talents for something other than upholding the public trust.

The level of arrogance since the Kilpatrick scandals began that the former mayor displayed was unbelievable. Even when his mounting legal troubles began he arrogantly told the news media, “Detroit, you’ve set me up for a comeback,” hoping to be vindicated from all his issues that were at the center of the public corruption trial. Our elected officials should be held to a higher standard, and the lesson here from the Kilpatrick verdict is that those who swore to uphold public trust must do so diligently.

This case will go in the annals of history as one of the most riveting trials in public corruption. The diverse jury, which included African Americans and a Hispanic, sent a strong message: No more business as usual in Detroit.

(Bankole Thompson is senior editor for the Michigan Chronicle.)

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BUSINESS

Tri-State Defender

Page 5

March 14 - 20, 2013

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

MONEY MATTERS

Considering the costs of long-term care

by Charles Sims Jr., CFP Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“All of my clients are very down-to-earth, non-pretentious people who want to put on a great event for their guests.” – Andria Lewis (Photos: www.alewisevents.com)

For event planner Andria Lewis, it’s all about details

by Carlee McCullough

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Whether pulling together a wedding for 300 or handling a corporate event for 5,000, Andria Lewis Events has demonstrated what professionalism and attention to detail looks like at the highest levels.

Lewis’ signature events, which are known for vibrancy and color, have been featured in Essence and Ebony magazines.

Carlee McCullough, Esq.: Tell us a little bit about Andria Lewis.

Andria Lewis: Andria Lewis is a survivor, literally and figuratively speaking. I think that is a trait that enables me to juggle so many things at once with my clients. I find a way to make it all work.

CM: What type of services does Andria Lewis Events LLC offer?

AL: We offer corporate and social planning. That encompasses everything from conventions and corporate incentives and holiday events to milestone birthdays (16, 21, 30, 40, 50+) to the most wonderfully masterful and creative weddings you will ever have the pleasure of attending.

CM: How did you become interested in the event planning business?

AL: Seventeen years ago, my cousin asked me to help plan her wedding. She didn’t do it because she thought I knew what I was doing. She asked because we were close and had grown up together.

Fast forward seventeen years and I have been in business full-time for over eight years.

When I look back, I realized I had always planned parties and events. I just never connected the dots until after my

c o u s i n ’s wedding.

C M : Did you create a business plan before starting your own business?

Carlee AL: Not McCullough initially. I created my plan about a year into deciding this is what I wanted to do when I grew up. I was in my mid-twenties at the Andria time. I reLewis member the summer I did sit down to create my business plan. I lived in the library researching and learning what profit and loss statements were and how they related to me. I now update my business plan each December to keep current with company goals.

CM: Who is your ideal client?

AL: Our corporate clients could be any company or public entity that needs professional services for their events (we have a contract with a department within the City of Memphis that we execute events for). My social clients are generally college-educated, with a master’s degree, people between the ages of 25-33. That’s just the average. We have certainly had clients from all walks of life and who range in age from 21-48 (weddings). We have had celebrity clients as well. All of my clients are very down-to-earth, non-pretentious

people who want to put on a great event for their guests.

CM: How do you market your business?

AL: Social media is huge for us (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Vendor and past client referrals are our largest marketing tools, however.

We’ve recently placed (March 2013) our first print ad in over four years. And that was specifically to reach our next market (Southeastern states).

CM: In your opinion what does it take to run a business?

AL: A lot of moxie and thinking outside the box. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.

CM: What is the biggest hurdle in landing new business?

AL: I believe that what you want wants you. If I put in the time to put together a great proposal and give it my all during the presentation, it’s left up to God at that point.

CM: Given the current state of the economy, would you

say now is the best time to become an entrepreneur?

AL: I may not be the right person to ask this question because I will always tell somebody to jump out and do what you love. That’s how I started.

I got fired from a job (after planning for about 10 years on the side) and I found a corporate client in New Orleans and pitched myself to him. I had some business cards made and now eight years later, I have a great company. I’m published nationally about four times per year (Municaluchi Bride, Essence.com, Ebony.com, TheKnot.com) and I have two weddings that were voted Most Stylish Wedding in Memphis for two consecutive years.

You just get out there and do it! If it’s meant to be, the seed will already be planted within you. You already know what to do. It’s simply a matter of implementing it.

(For more information about Andria Lewis Events LLC, visit www.alewisevents.com.)

It may not be pleasant to think about the possibility of being unable to take care of yourself, but about seven out of ten people over age 65 are expected to need some form of long-term care during their lifetimes.

Many people might be able to stay in their own homes and receive care from family members or friends. But a surprising number – 20 percent to 49 percent, depending on the study – may need expensive full-time care in an assistedliving facility or a nursing home.2 The cost of care varies widely among different facilities and from state to state.

National median rates are $3,300 per month for an assisted-living facility and $222 per day for a private room in a nursing home. On an annual basis, that adds up to $39,600 and $81,030, respectively.

About one out of five people who enter a nursing home stay for at least five years, so there is a significant risk of extended outof-pocket costs. Wherever you live, it would be wise to factor in the potential costs of long-term care into your retirement savings strategy.

Limitations of government programs

Medicare does not pay for custodial care. However, skilled nursing care services may be covered if they are medically necessary to help improve a patient’s condition. If a doctor authorizes such care and admission to a skilled nursing facility oc-

c u r s within 30 days of a qualifyi n g threeday hosp i t a l s t a y , M e d icare will Charles pay covSims Jr. ered serv i c e s (subject to Medicare deductibles) for the first 20 days, but the patient is responsible for a daily copayment for days 21 through 100.

After 100 days, Medicare provides no coverage at all.

Home health care might be covered by Medicare if it is “reasonable and necessary” to treat an acute illness or injury.

Medicaid — a joint federal and state program designed to assist low-income individuals — offers some long-term-care coverage.

But it can be difficult to qualify for Medicaid, the choices of care are more limited, and households may have to “spend down” their assets in order to obtain benefits.

Unfortunately, you can’t anticipate when a health crisis could occur that requires the need for long-term care.

As with many of life’s challenges, the wisest course is to be prepared.

(Charles Sims Jr., CFP, is President/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group. The information in this article is not intended as tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security.)

RELIGION

Page 6

Tri-State Defender

March 14 - 20, 2013

‘Cute and Casual Easter Shake’ is ready to roll at Saint Andrew

by Rev. Kenneth Robinson and Rev. Marilynn Robinson

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Saint Andrew AME Church is choosing to go against the grain this year, encouraging churchgoers to come to “The Saint” on Easter Sunday dressed in casual attire, and then to leave the sanctuary for the streets, to perform “The Resurrection Shake” on South Parkway.

Traditionally, churchgoers in the South come to church dressed up on Easter Sunday.

Getting a new Easter outfit has been a common cultural practice for children and adults who celebrate Easter.

For 20 years at Saint Andrew, fifth Sundays have been “Come As You Are” Sundays, when everybody – from the pulpit to the pews – intentionally dresses down, even if that is a departure from their customary attire. It’s been a mission-driven, evangelistic statement to the public, and to the thousands of persons who are served annually by The Saint’s outreach programs, that the Lord isn’t looking at the outward appearance, but at people’s hearts.

Since this 5th Sunday coincides with Easter, Saint Andrew will be opening its doors wide to all who want and need to hear about the new life – not the new outfit – that Easter offers.

The attire for the day is what we are calling “Cute and Casual for The Cross.” The

idea is that children can still look cute saying their Easter speeches while they and all the adults will be appropriately attired but totally casual. Individuals, parents and families looking for a comfortable, open and welcoming place to worship are invited to Easter Services.

Casual clothing levels the playing field. We’ll all be able to focus on “The Cross” and the “Resurrection,” rather than on what everyone has on.

Following the 11 a.m. “Resurrection Service,” we are encouraging St. Andrew’s members to spill out into South Parkway in their cute and casual clothes to perform their own version of the YouTube sensation, “The Harlem Shake.” Their “Resurrection Shake” is to further celebrate their new life in Christ – very publicly – as the members literally shake off the “grave clothes” of their old lives.

The purpose of the unusual Easter celebration is practical and Biblical.

First, many families are still caught in the grips of a stubborn recession, and simply should not feel the pressure to spend limited resources on new Easter outfits purchased more for the day and the tradition than for other practical use.

Second, the commercialization of Easter and the focus on clothing stand in contrast to the spirit of “The Word,” and as a barrier to reaching persons in the community who may desire to take this particular Sunday to come to

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

Instead of cursing, why not bless?

Rev. Kenneth Robinson and Rev. Marilynn Robinson church. Jesus’ ministry was not limited to the faithful, nor to the privileged, nor to any select group; but was rather extended to everybody. Jesus included everybody in His ministry, in the benefits that came through His death, and in the new and better life that resulted from His resurrection.

For these reasons, we believe that Easter is certainly the day for everybody to hear that message unencumbered by concerns about what they have or how they look. Taking the celebration “to the streets” will use a contemporary media sensation to send a contemporary message to everybody in South Memphis that Jesus is yet alive and relevant, and that everybody can have a new life in Christ.

At a glance

The Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. and the Rev. Marilynn S. Robinson are the pastors of Saint Andrew.

The first of four Easter observances begins at 6 a.m. with the “Son-Rise” Service, followed by the 9 a.m. Easter program, the 11 a.m. Resurrection Celebration Service, and then “The Resurrection Shake.”

Saint Andrew is located at 867 South Parkway E. For more information, visit www.saintandrewamec.org; call 901-948-3441.

Dear Lucy: My son is seven years old and he has already been to three different schools. He just won’t behave, sit still, stop talking or pay attention. His Dad says that he was the same way as a kid and I know that even though I was smart in school I was also a smart aleck. But we have tried everything with this boy and I am frustrated.

What can you recommend.

– Frustrated

Dear Frustrated: When we are frustrated, we eventually get around to prayer, so I am sure you have put some calls in to the Lord also. Today, I want to share something called “The Blessing Technique” with you.

It is to be used for a solid 21 days. So mark your calendar when you begin.

Sit down and write out all of the things about your son that peeve you or that you would like to see changed. Select three to five of the worst ones. Now rewrite each of them as you would like to see them. For example, “Billy just will not be still and pay attention” becomes “Billy is more and more able to sit still and focus on what is important in the moment.” This is now a positive outcome rather than a negative expectation.

The next step is to take your positive outcome statement and turn it into a blessing. For example, “I bless, bless and bless, praise, praise and raise Billy’s ability to sit still and focus on what’s important in the moment.” This must be done three times a

day for 21 days.

We can use the “Blessing Te c h nique” on anything that we find disturbing.

In fact, it Lucy m a y Shaw work better if you changed the other persons name to “my,” “I” or “me.”

For example, “I bless, bless and bless, praise, praise and raise my ability to sit still and focus on what’s important in the moment.”

So often, the things that bother us the most about others are the things we cannot seem to change in ourselves.

We are often seeing the parts of ourselves that we don’t like or have not been able to change. This becomes especially hard in parenting because we are afraid that we will fail or that our children will “be like us” in our worst ways! We look for these things to show up and when they do, we get upset and make a mountain out of a molehill by setting the expectation for them to happen over and over again. We get what we look for. And often, what we see is how that same trait or habit caused problems for us and we don’t want our children to have the same experience as ours.

Instead of cursing, why not bless? As we bless and praise

what we truly want, we change our own attitude.

How does that work? Praising, raising and blessing raises our own thoughts to a higher level of good. This creates an attraction in our lives for what we want instead of what we don’t want.

We also get rid of the fear that blocks our good. We simply cannot receive into our lives what we do not accept.

Criticizing, condemning and judging brings attention to what we don’t want. Yet, our attention to the negative makes the negative look like we are more willing to accept it than the positive. Blessing, praising and raising shifts our attention to what we want that is positive.

Make your list today of what you really want to see and experience. Maybe it is in your marriage, at work, how you handle your money or food. Try the blessing technique three times a day for 21 days and watch the healing take place. Try not to miss a single day. It’s the consistency and persistence that counts.

Blessing you, Lucy

(You can watch Lucy on Channel 17 (Comcast) every Thursday at 10:30 am. (Send your questions to her by U.S. mail to: Heartworks4U, LLC; 4646 Poplar Ave. Ste 201, Memphis, TN 38117 or by email to lucy@heartworks 4u.com. Get your free gift at http://www.heartworks4u.com/)

RELIGION BRIEFS Greenwood CME sets Holy Week Celebration

Greenwood Christian Methodist Episcopal Church at 3311 Kimball Ave. has announced its Holy Week Celebration line-up and it begins with a Palm Sunday Celebration at 10:30 a.m. on March 24.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the week: March 27, 6:45 p.m., the Rev. Dr. Walter Green of Friendship Baptist March 28, 6:45 p.m., the Rev. Dr. Roderick Lewis, General Secretary of Publications “Communion Celebration” March 29, 11 a.m., Good Friday, “Seven Last Words of Jesus,” CME Alliance March 29, 6:45 p.m., Dramatization Experience: “The Passion” March 30, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Easter Egg Hunt March 31, “Resurrection Celebration”: 7 a.m. – the Rev. Dr. Melvin Smith, Mt. Moriah East Baptist; 8 a.m. – Fellowship Breakfast; 9

a.m. – Sunday School Hour: Easter Program; 10:30 a.m. – The Rev. Clarence K. Heath, host pastor, Morning Worship For more information, call 901-744-7665

Mt. Sinai MBC announces Easter weekend services

Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church at 4097 Lucy Road will host Holy Ghost Revival and Resurrection Celebration Weekend, with services March 29-March 31.

The weekend of observances begins Friday, March 29 with Good Friday Holy Ghost Night at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, March 30, Impartation begins at 6:30 p.m. At 11 a.m. on Easter, there will be a Miracle and Healing Service.

The host will be Elder Joe Johnson, Mt. Sinai’s senior pastor, with the special guest Dr. Chima Nnorom, MD, of New Iberia, La. For more information, call 901-872-0711.

On solid ground…

Washington Chapel CME Church celebrated Menʼs Day last Sunday, March 10.

The theme was: “The Solid Men of Washington Chapel Worshipping Together, Praying Together, and Staying Together.” The Rev. Keith Norman, senior pastor of First Baptist Church-Broad and president of the Memphis Branch NAACP, was the guest speaker. The menʼs choruses from Washington Chapel and First Baptist Broad provided musical selections. Terrance Turnage Sr. served as Menʼs Day chairman; Robert Caldwell and Lionell Thomas Sr., co-chairmen. The Rev. Bethel L. Harris Jr. (seated right) was the host pastor. (Photo by Wiley Henry)

PRAISE CONNECT -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

—Revelation 1:8

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

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

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

— Proverbs 1:7

Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter

ST. ANDREW A.M.E. CHURCH

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

—Ecclesiastes 9:11

867 SOUTH PARKWAY EAST Memphis, TN 38106

(901) 948-3441

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

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

TV Cable Access Broadcast Tuesdays, 7:30 PM, Channel 17 Website:www.saintandrewamec.org Child Care Center (901) 948-6441 Monday-Friday 6 AM- 5:30 PM Emergency Food Pantry & Clothes Closet Wednesday 6 PM-8 PM

Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, Pastor Rev. Marilynn S. Robinson, Pastor

“Ministering to Memphis-Spirit, Soul and Body”

Tri-State Defender

POPE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

One who expresses a profound sense of humility. He shares the attitude of the people,” said Orjianioke.

“Additionally, it struck me that he said, ‘I’m here to evangelize Rome.’ He’s not an insider bringing the message of Christ. He has come to Rome to hear the message of God and from there he will carry the message to other parts of the world.”

In a written statement released to The New Tri-State Defender, Bishop J. Terry Steib – Bishop of the Diocese of Memphis – said, “All of us from the Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee congratulate our new pontiff, Pope Francis, and pledge our support and allegiance.”

The selection was a pleasant surprise, Bishop Steib said in his statement.

“The fact that he is a religious who took the name Francis speaks to his humility. His choice of names also speaks well of how he plans to guide the church in focusing on the needs of strengthening and evangelizing the universal Church. The fact that the Holy Spirit chose him from Latin America to serve as the Supreme Pontiff is indeed a grace.”

Michael Synk, a practicing, church-going Catholic of 55 years, said, “It’s a big day for Catholics and the new pope.

His name brings optimism for

RELIGION

renewal to t h e Church. It represents the new l e a d e r ’s spirituality and where his papacy is going.”

S y n k noted that Bishop J. Pope FranTerry Steib cis I was named after two important saints: “St. Francis Xavier, the first Jesuit priest full of missionary zeal. He took Catholicism east to Japan and India.

And St. Francis of Assisi, who started the order of monks and priests, and who expressed love and charity. He (Francis) had a call from God to reform the Church and make it more simple. I look at this as bringing love and charity to the whole world.”

Pope Francis I began his papacy by bowing and asking the parishioners to “Pray for me.”

He also asked prayer for his predecessor. Concluding, in Italian, he said, “Have a good evening and rest well…We’ll see each other soon.”

Those reporting on his character and pastoral style, speak of him as being known to Argentineans as a charismatic, humble and simple man. As a lover of the poor, he reportedly denied himself the luxuries former Buenos Aires cardinals enjoyed. He does not own a car.

He took public transportation to work, lived in a small home and cooked his own meals.

March 14 - 20, 2013

Father Tim Sullivan, pastor of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, called the new pope “a breath of fresh air.”

“We don’t want a bureaucrat, but someone with a vision. He’s not part of a club; that inner circle, but one who will bring a fresh perspective.

He has a reputation that is progressive on social issues and a commitment to the poor. He’s very good at that,” said Sullivan.

“He has a sense of the world – not European based, but will be open. He’s used to working with non-Catholics, ecumenicals, those of the Christian faith and inter-faith, those Christians and non-Christians,” said Sullivan.

During the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, then-Cardinal Bergoglio gained the second-highest votes in several rounds before he bowed out of the running.

“He has worked with the Church and the government in Argentina. He’s dealt with an oppressive governmental system…It’s important to realize he’s not a bureaucrat,” said Pastor Sullivan.

(Dorothy Bracy Alston is a consultant, journalist, author, freelance writer and, adjunct English professor.

Visit Dorothy’s blog at http://www.CisbaAssociates.bl ogspot.com; follow her on Twitter @dbalston, Facebook at www.facebook.com/dorothybracyalston, email her at DBAlston@hotmail.com or call 901-570-3923.)

Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, March 14 - 20, 2013, Page 8

WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?

We Want Marvin!

Just when we thought we were gonna get a Marvin Gaye movie, it might be snatched away from us…again!

Remember when news of the movie first came out and Jessie L. Martin of NBC’s Myron “Law & Order” Mays was attached to it?

Then for some reason it didn’t happen. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t believe that Martin was actually officially cast in the project. It sure seemed like the sensible thing since he looks so much like Marvin Gaye. The producers saw it differently and decided to cast Lenny Kravitz in the role.

However, Kravitz ended up backing out of the project due to pressure from Marvin’s family. Then, Martin was “officially” hired to replace him.

Now, Marvin’s ex-wife, Janis Hunter, is reportedly urging him to follow in Kravitz’s footsteps and walk away from the project.

Hunter was married to Marvin from 1977 to 1981. It’s been reported that she is furious about plans to make this movie. The film was to be based off of a book called “My Brother Marvin” (written by Marvin’s sister, Zeola), which Janis has described as a little difficult to read.

Will Jessie back out? I certainly hope not. I really think we deserve a Marvin Gaye movie. We have loved Marvin for years and still do nearly 30 years after his death. His music still touches us today.

It’s quite understandable that there are probably some aspects of his life that some of his family would rather not become public. It’s also understandable that there may be some aspects of “their” live that they would rather not become public. And when his story is told, their story will be indirectly told as well.

It reminds me of another film that we may never see, the biopic of James Brown. As it stands right now, there is a great script just sitting there collecting dust waiting on family members and those who have the rights to his story to reach an amicable agreement. Spike Lee is reportedly attached to the project as director, with Eddie Murphy chosen for the role.

But we may never see this project, at least with Eddie Murphy in it.

He’s 51. There’s only gonna be so long before he’s not able to do those splits that James Brown used to do. I don’t think James Brown himself was doing those at 51.

When I think of these types of movies, I often think of the 2004 hit movie “Ray,” which was the biopic of singer Ray Charles. We have loved Ray Charles for years. And still do years after his death. But there are parts of the movie where we weren’t supposed to like him.

There were some things he did that we really didn’t care for. However, we still loved him. And the movie was great. As a matter of fact, he was discovered by youngsters who didn’t even know Ray Charles.

His music is woven into the fabric of popular culture and we cannot forget that. He wasn’t just this supernatural being whose life was just as perfect as his music. Ray Charles was a human being…and guess what? So was Marvin. I’d be willing to bet the farm that after the movie is made and we actually get to see all sides of the man we have loved for years, we will still love him after the credits roll.

BOOK REVIEW

This Is the Day: The March on Washington Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

“There have been many marches since, and several before, but no other march to the nation’s capital captured our collective imagination like the March on Washington of August 28, 1963… The momentous pilgrimage showcased an inspired… Martin Luther King, Jr., the celebrated leader of black America who hadn’t yet delivered an entire speech that the nation had listened to…

“Gospel legend Mahalia Jackson… encouraged her friend to depart from paper…

“Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin,” she bellowed from the background. And respond to her call King did… King cast aside his prepared speech… to weave the dream metaphor into the tapestry of the nation’s self-image, and in the process he grafted black folk to the heart of American democracy.”

– Excerpted from the Essay by Michael Eric Dyson (pgs. 1-5) “Leonard Freed’s photographs of the March on Washington depict both the march and the marchers… For the participants, this was both a serious and a happy occasion, a chance to exercise their rights and to petition their government for a redress of ancient grievances. The marchers are at once sober, somber, and gleeful—proud to be present as they sense history is being made.”

– Excerpted from the Foreword by Julian Bond (page ix)

When you think of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, what automatically comes to mind for most people is Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. And while Dr. King’s remarks certainly deserve every bit of recognition they have garnered over the years, it is also important to remember that hundreds of thousands of ordinary American citizens committed to civil rights had descended on the National Mall to attend the event.

I was only a child at the time, but I can still readily recall the palpable concern in the air about the folks from the neighborhood boarding buses for DC. After all, the press had been speculating about the prospect of rioting and arrests if the crowd were unruly, so those participating were doing so with the prospect of considerable personal risk in mind.

Fortunately, the glorious gathering went of without a hitch and came to represent a watershed moment in U.S. History. Now, a half-century later, we are lucky to have an opus like “This Is the Day” available to remind us of that high point in the nation’s non-violence movement.

The book is essentially a photographic essay chronicled by Leonard Freed (19292006) before, during and after at the March.

His beautiful black & white images are rarely of the leaders (only one of Dr. King), but rather are evocative portraits of the movement’s hopeful foot soldiers who’d trudged from all over the country to petition the government for equal rights.

A few of the photos captured are wide-angle panoramas which give a sense of the mammoth scale of the demonstration. But most are intimate snapshots, which afford you an opportunity to read each of the earnest subject’s faces.

Besides the timeless stills, the tome is devoted to the reflections of civil rights leader Julian Bond, who was at the March, as well as to a very colorful essay recounting the day by Michael Eric Dyson, written with a profusion of the popular professor’s trademark rhetorical flourishes. It also features a postscript by Paul Farber analyzing the gifted Freed’s approach to his craft.

Overall, this timely tome is a perfect way to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of one of the most important landmarks in AfricanAmerican history.

“This Is the Day: The March on Washington” Photos by Leonard Freed Foreword by Julian Bond Essay by Michael Eric Dyson Afterword by Paul Farber J. Paul Getty Museum Publications Hardcover, $29.95 120 pages

Parting shots

This Friday, visit the website and check out the all new “What’s Happening Radio Show.” Each and every Friday you can stay connected to what’s happening in the city. My special guest this week will be Memphis’ own Tim Terry. He’s gonna talk about his latest single, his upcoming tour and his charity, The Born to Live Foundation. He is also working on his third album. You can get all that plus the Hollywood Report and other great features. New episodes will be posted each Friday at 11 a.m. at whatshappeningmyron.com.

Hey, get out to see the Hattiloo Theatre’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” It’s playing all this weekend.

Tickets start at $18. Call 901-5290009 for more information or visit thattiloo.org.

Until then, that’s what’s happening!

Why Crackle is the best ‘TV’ you’re not watching Real Times News Service

By Cornelius A. Fortune TV just isn’t what it used to be, and that’s a good thing. With a wide variety of choices from on demand programming to Hulu and Netflix, it’s easy to stay entertained.

From Sony Pictures Entertainment, Crackle was launched in 2007, and according to former Crackle president Josh Felser in a Wall Street Journal article, “Unlike YouTube we’re not going to have millions of people sharing on our site. We’re going to take the best people and promote them and syndicate them.”

That was bold statement then, but it seems so simple today. Thanks to

advances in mobile (and broadband) technology, the Crackle model of providing familiar content to viewers has made popular shows such as “Seinfeld,” “Sanford & Son,” “Good Times,” and others available in a variety of formats (tablet, smartphone, smart TV).

Throw in Hollywood favorites “District 9,” “Harry Brown,” “Underworld,” and you’re seeing the real evolution of television, albeit on the Net. Oh sure, it’ll be awhile before Crackle really competes with our home cable setups, but with Netflix’s Original Series “House of Cards” already a success, the sands are starting to shift. HBO is pushing its own mobile platform, HBO Go, pretty hard these days (for now, it’s

only available for current subscribers, but who knows? that may soon change).

Crackle in particular, is an unusual case. I had Crackle as an app on my Blu-ray player for at least a couple of years before I actually ventured into it. You pay a low cost for Hulu Plus and Netflix, but Crackle is free, and this seems to be

more in line with the way people view content on the Internet – that is, content should be free. Crackle took this to the next level by providing quality videos so you could give your YouTube account a rest from time to time. And who wants to keep watching snippets of videos anyway?

If you’ve never had an opportunity to see Marvel’s Anime line of shows, “X-Men,” “Wolverine,” “Iron Man,” and “Blade,” you should this weekend. I once asked in a blog post “Where’s the new Anime movement?” and a lot of it’s right on Crackle.

Crackle is also available as an app for iOS or Android devices. For more information, visit www.crackle.com.

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 9

March 14 - 20, 2013

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 March 15, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“The Call” (R for violence, profanity and disturbing content) Crime thriller about a veteran 911 operator (Halle Berry) who gets a shot at redemption when she’s forced to confront a killer from her past after taking a call from a desperate kidnap victim (Abigail Breslin). With Morris Chestnut, Michael Imperioli, David Otunga and Michael Eklund.

“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” (PG13 for profanity, sexuality, dangerous stunts and a drug-related incident) Buddy comedy about a pair of successful Las Vegas magicians (Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi) whose breakup because of ego problems makes way for the rise of a talented competitor (Jim Carrey) performing outrageous stunts on the street. Ensemble cast includes Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde, James Gandolfini, Brad Garrett and Jay Mohr, with cameos by David Copperfield, CNN’s Erin Burnett and MSNBC’s Richard Wolffe.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“Blancanieves” (PG-13 for violence and sexuality) Silent version of a classic fairy tale, set in the 1920’s, reimagines Snow White (Angelina Molina) as a bullfighter being rescued from a wicked stepmother (Maribel Verdu) by a half-dozen, tiny toreadors. Ole, Sneezy! With Pere Ponce, Daniel Gimenez Cacho and Macarena Garcia. (In Spanish with subtitles)

“Clip” (Unrated) Rebel without a cause saga, set in the suburbs of Belgrade, revolving around a wayward teen (Isidora Simijonovic) who copes with her horrible home life by drinking, doing drugs and have sex with a disrespectful classmate (Vukasin Jasnic). With Sanja Mikitisin, Jovo Maksic and Monja Savic. (In Serbian with subtitles) “Crazy & Thief” (Unrated) Surreal fantasy, set in Brooklyn, about a 7 year-old girl (Willa Vy McAbee) who takes her 2 year-old brother (John Huck McAbee) on a search for a time machine located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Support cast includes Gregory Cook and Graham Stanford.

“From Up on Poppy Hill” (PG for mature themes and incidental smoking) Animated family adventure, set in 1964, about a group of school kids’ attempt to save their clubhouse from a wrecking ball to make way for the Tokyo Olympics. With voice work by Gillian Anderson, Masami Nagasawa and Keiko Takeshita. (In Japanese with subtitles)

“Ginger & Rosa” (PG-13 for profanity and disturbing material involving teen sexuality, drinking and smoking. Elle Fanning and Alice Englert co-star in this coming-of-age drama, set in London in 1962, revolving around the test of two teens’ lifelong friendship at the dawn of the Sexual Revolution. Cast includes Annette Bening, Oliver Platt and Christina Hendricks.

“I Killed My Mother” (Unrated) Canadian wunderkind Xavier Dolan wrote, directed and stars in this semi-autobiographical, dysfunctional family drama about a gay teenager’s strained relationship with his single-mom (Anne Dorval). With Francois Rimbaud, Suzanne Clement and Patricia Tulasne.

“K-11” (Unrated) Jailhouse drama about a powerful record producer (Goran Visnjic) who awakens behind bars after a drug-induced blackout to find himself sharing a cell with a transsexual diva (Kate del Castillo), a transgendered teen (Portia Doubleday) and a predatory child molester (Tiny Lister). Support cast includes Jason Mewes, P.J. Byrne and D.B. Sweeney.

“My Amityville Horror” (Unrated) “I Survived” documentary featuring Daniel Lutz’s account of the host of horrors which terrified his family in 1975 before inspiring a best-selling book and a hit film franchise.

“Philip Roth: Unmasked” (Unrated) Reverential retrospective about the life and career of the legendary author of “Portnoy’s Complaint,” including interviews with the Pulitzer Prize-winner, as well as reminiscences by Mia Farrow, Jonathan Franzen and Martin Garbus.

“Reality” (Unrated) Fact-based tale about a

fishmonger (Aniello Arena) who supplements his modest salary by pulling off scams with his wife (Loredana Simioli) until he develops an obsession with becoming a reality show contestant. With Nando Paone, Nello Iorio and Nunzia Sciano. (In Italian, Neapolitan, Latin and English with subtitles)

“Reincarnated” (R for profanity, sexuality and pervasive drug use) Rastafarian mockumentary has Snoop Dogg traveling to Jamaica where he changes his name to Snoop Lion before trying to reignite his career as a reggae artist. Featuring appearances by Dr. Dre, Bunny Wailer and Damian Marley.

“Spring Breakers” (R for profanity, nudity, drug use, graphic sexuality and pervasive violence) Crime comedy about four, bored college coeds (Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine) who become beholden to a drug dealer (James Franco) when he bails them out of jail after a restaurant robbery gone-bad. With Heather Morris, Cait Taylor and Lauren Vera.

“Upside Down” (PG-13 for violence) Scifi romance about a young man (Jim Sturgess) who embarks on a perilous intergalactic trek to reunite with the love of his life (Kirsten Dunst) a decade after they were separated as teens on twin planets being pulled in opposite directions. With Timothy Spall, Agnieshka Wnorowska and Neil Napier.

“Vanishing Waves” (Unrated) Mind control thriller about a team of neuron scientists who experiment with the thoughts inside the brain of a comatose young woman (Jurga Jutaite). Co-starring Marius Jampolskis, Brice Fournier and Sharunas Bartas. (In Lithuanian and English with subtitles)

HOROSCOPES

March 14-20, 2013

ARIES Wear your smile like it was your favorite fashion accessory this week. You’re sure to feel better when you see how many times your smile is returned to you this week. Do what makes you happy this week.

TAURUS You may feel restless this week because you have an excess of mental energy. You can channel that into productivity by applying your fine mind to tasks that you have been putting off for a while. You’ll feel great at the end of the week.

GEMINI You wake up feeling as good as you want to feel! Affirm your right to a healthy, happy, joyfilled life and that’s what you’ll find that you have this week! Lucky! Treat yourself to a lottery ticket!

CANCER Watch for petty arguments at your workplace this week. Sail past any grumbling coworkers with a smile and think about how your soul vibration radiates your happiness.

You’ll look and feel very attractive to positive vibrations.

LEO A compromise may be in order; luckily, it’s easy for you to be flexible. That special other person will be very appreciative of your ability to go with the flow when necessary. You are truly one-of-a-kind!

VIRGO Peace is flowing all around you this week.

Soak up the harmony as if it were sunshine and smile, smile, smile. You’ll be in sync with partners, family, friends, and even co-workers. Enjoy!

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

SCORPIO Sociable, lovable you! You can have a wonderful week this week if you hook up with like-minded friends. You’ll find that many are on your wavelength this week.

Appreciate your ability to bring people together.

SAGITTARIUS Your intuition is showing, and you may surprise yourself as much as you surprise another by making a sudden intuitive leap and saying what you feel. You may feel as if you can read a certain someone’s mind. Use your gift for good.

CAPRICORN Happiness is where you find it this week.

How hard are you looking? It’s easy for you to pull your thoughts away from any negative emotions and flow with your inner harmony.

Let yourself be very happy this week.

AQUARIUS Someone close to you may be acting up or acting out. Try to respond with patience and love. If that seems impossible, turn it over to your higher power and get on with your own joyful life.

PISCES You look as lovely as can be this week, as you breeze through the week like a butterfly.

All communications are effective, and even more to your liking, they are fun! Enjoy some verbal soul vibrations with good friends later in the week.

Source: NNPA News Service

Page 10

HEALTH

CHEF TIMOTHY

Healthy Church Challenge: A good start to a healthier lifestyle

The following are truths that I find hard to ignore: Fifteen percent of Americans go to a gym every year.

Only 8 percent of those who have purchased contracts use their gym memberships. Yet Americans spend $2.6 billion a year in gym-related fees.

BlueCross® BlueShield® of Tennessee Inc. (BCBST), an independent, not-for-profit, health benefit plan company based in Chattanooga, is keenly aware that Tennessee has a health problem. And Memphis, recently dubbed the fattest city in America, could be considered the poster child for obesity.

With Memphis and other American cities sliding rapidly toward an epidemic, BCBST is standing in the gap, hoping to reduce the obesity rate with its sponsorship of the Healthy Church Challenge 100-day weight loss competition, which launched Feb. 2. This is the second year for the Challenge.

On Saturday (March 9), I observed many of the participants weighing in and working out vigorously at Mississippi Blvd. Christian Church. Yacqui Peete, a certified personal trainer with BIOMechaniks in Germantown, led them in a kickboxing workout, while I offered practical solutions to losing weight. I talked about nutrition and developing better eating habits.

Exercising and losing weight are essential for a healthier lifestyle. Dr. Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America’s Health, said, “With 6 million new cases of diabetes, 5 million cases of heart disease and stroke, and more than 400,000 cases of cancer in the next 20 years, we are on a tragic course that would have a horrible impact on the quality of life of millions of Americans and could overwhelm an already over-

burdened health care system.”

In 2007, the American Diabetes Association reported that a total of $174 billion a year was spent on diabetic care. In 2012, the new total for financing those requiring diabetes care rose to $245 billion. The figDr. Timothy ure was based on a projected fiveMoore year span.

People come in all shapes and sizes. Those who are overweight I’m certain are trying to overcome their weight problems, but to no avail.

Some of them may be frustrated and in extreme cases, suicidal. I would venture to say these people are looking to overcome their weight problems.

I’ve talked to individuals all over the country, and some of them expressed fear of what others think about them – about their weight, for example. What are you afraid of? Do you feel if you are in good health and able to have a great life that people would begrudge you for it? I say who cares what others think.

With all that said, the bottom line is we are eating the wrong foods and it’s causing the majority of our health problems. So what is really inside some of those food packages that are causing such uncontrollable binges that most likely will lead to weight gain?

Even with all the allowed trade secrets imposed on food manufacturers, they don’t have to disclose or specifically name certain ingredi-

ents. It just leaves me wondering what is really in those packages. For example, when was the last time you bought an apple and it tasted just as sweet as 100 percent apple juice?

Again, I pose the question. Do you really know what you’re eating?

There is no doubt that it’s food that’s causing you to break out in a rash, eczema and IBS, for example. What about your unexplainable weight gain? It’s the food that you’re eating that’s causing the problem and the additional pounds.

You should continue to strive to better your health, though. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about what you are eating. Keep asking until you get an answer. After I finished my pitch about proper nutrition and healthy eating habits, I opened the floor up for questions.

The questioners were serious about losing weight. I was prepared nonetheless for the deluge. But most of the questions were similar. Some of them wanted to know about the fat content in certain foods, such as nuts. And they didn’t realize they could gain weight at the salad bar.

That’s because most people load their salad with a fatty dressing.

The Healthy Church Challenge is a good start to a healthier lifestyle.

(Dr. Timothy Moore teaches nutrition, heart disease and diabetes reversal through a plant-based lifestyle. He is a professional speaker, international wellness coach and personal plant-based chef. He is the author of “47 Tips To Reverse Your Diabetes.” He can be reached by email at cheftimothy@ cheftimothymoore.com, visit him at www.cheftimothymoore.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/cheftimmoore.)

Super size? Yes, please, say Mississippi lawmakers

by Joe Sutton and Dana Ford CNN

The same day a judge blocked a ban on the sale of large, sugary drinks in New York City, senators in Mississippi approved, by a 50-1 vote, a bill that would prevent similar efforts in their state.

The legislation is known as the “Anti-Bloomberg” bill because the proposed ban in New York is supported by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“We believe there’s enough regulation,” said Mississippi state Sen. Tony Smith, the bill’s author and a restaurant owner.

“If the market demands that I serve a more healthy food, I’ll do that to meet the market demand,” he said. “But ... why should I risk my capital, my hard work, my efforts that I’ve put in to build a restaurant on the thinking of what a government official thinks?”

On Tuesday, one day after the bill passed the Senate, the office of Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said the

“It doesn’t prevent local government from promoting healthy foods. What it does do is prevent them from creating policy mandates for the sake of consistency and uniformity.”

Mike Cashion

proposal is under review.

If the governor signs it into law, the legislation would prevent Mississippi counties, districts and towns from banning food based on its nutritional information. It would also stop them from enacting rules that

would cap portion sizes.

Smith said that he is confident Bryant will sign the bill, which passed the state House by a 92-26 vote.

“I am glad that it has happened.

It’s a step forward in the right direction to make sure that any future policy discussion be centralized at the state legislature,” said Mike Cashion, executive director of the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association, a group that lobbied for the legislation.

“It doesn’t prevent local government from promoting healthy foods.

What it does do is prevent them from creating policy mandates for the sake of consistency and uniformity,” he said.

According to the most recent report by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Mississippi had the nation’s highest rate of obesity. Some 34.9 percent of the state;s adult population was obese in 2011, it said.

On the other extreme, Colorado ranks as the skinniest state. An estimated 20.7 percent of that state’s adult population was obese in 2011, the report said.

Exoskeleton allows paraplegics to walk CNN

by Matthew Gannon

The idea of “wearable robots” may seem like something out of a movie, but this technology is already being used in real life.

Started as a project for the military, the exoskeleton has transformed from a device designed to allow soldiers to lift heavy loads and walk further to one that enables people with disabilities to step out of wheelchairs and stand upright.

The “Ekso” is a bionic exoskeleton developed by Ekso Bionics that gives paraplegics upright mobility.

While the commercial version of the Ekso has recently been made available to hospitals and rehabilitation centers, the company hopes to make the technology more accessible so that people can use it at home and in their everyday lives, with a personal version releasing in 2014.

CEO Eythor Bender sat down with CNN to talk about Ekso, the bionic exoskeleton he helped develop.

CNN: How many years have you been working on exoskeletons?

Bender: We have been working on exoskeletons for the last 10 years.

It started as a project with the military and it was funded by DARPA, the same people who funded the Internet and GPS systems. So it was groundbreaking technology, and in the year 2005 we had a breakthrough in terms of making sure that the weight of the exoskeleton transfers

all the way down to the ground. So the user who is wearing it – it usually weighs up to 50 pounds – doesn’t feel the weight at all. And that’s so important because obviously you are trying to make their lives easier, not more difficult.

CNN: What powers the exoskeleton?

Bender: What we are using here is electric motors, and there are four of them, which is actually quite unique especially when you compare it to (technology used by) amputees.

Prosthetics so far have usually had one moving component, and in this case you have in one system four moving components. You have four motors – two sitting at the hips and two at the knees – and that’s what you hear.

And it’s driven by a battery pack sitting on the back. In the middle, between the two batteries, is a computer and so that is pretty much it.

It’s an outer frame that pretty much mimics the bone structure. There are 15 sensors in it that almost re-create your nerve system. And then there is the computer, which is really the brain of the whole thing.

CNN: What is your long-term hope or vision for this product in terms of helping people on the medical side?

Bender: Our hope is simply to help people in wheelchairs to live a fuller life. They already live a pretty full life. They can do pretty much anything except they can’t walk, and

CLASSIFIEDS

Tri-State Defender

March 14 - 20, 2013

that is such a basic need if you think about it. We all learn to walk even before we learn to talk, and suddenly in the prime of your life you are deprived of that basic need. We are determined to provide at least a tool that people can have, whether it is about walking for part of the day or it is in the recovery phase or rehabilitation or simply in daily living where people want to go about and do things during the day just like an amputee would use a prosthetic leg during the whole day.

CNN: Will the Ekso exoskeleton eventually be available in homes for people to use whenever they want?

Bender: Yes. We see it as a companion during the whole day. It’s not going to happen overnight for us to get there. We have been on this journey, working with the best rehab centers around the world improving the Ekso and making it better. But at the same time, through working with users in rehab centers, it is helping us take the first step into homes so that we can develop a product – and it’s probably going to be products – that help people not only to gain their health back or get back on their feet, but simply to become a mobility tool similar to the wheelchair. The wheelchair by the way has been around for 1,500 years and it is pretty much the single mobility tool for people that can do pretty much anything else.

(Edythe McNamee and Madison Park contributed to this report.)

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Legal notices

Flintco will be accepting bids on the Soulsville Multipurpose Building on 3/26/2013. The project consists of 15,500sf of new construction for Soulsville Charter School with the Gymnasium designed as a FEMA storm shelter. The project includes a commercial kitchen and servery, locker rooms, offices and classrooms, and associated site work, landscaping, and hardscaping.

The Soulsville Multi-Purpose BuildingSoulsville Academy is a Dual-Use FEMA 361 Safe Room that is partially funded by The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State of Tennessee, through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

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.

Sealed Bids only will be accepted by 4:00 pm 3/26/2013 for Traffic Controls, Asphalt Paving, Site Concrete, Millwork, Acoustical, Tile, Epoxy Flooring, Resilient Flooring, Painting, Canopies, Specialties, and Athletic Equipment trades.

LEGAL NOTICE TO BIDDERS Asbestos Abatement of Regency Inn & Suites Memphis International Airport MSCAA Project Number 12-1348-01 Sealed bids for the Asbestos Abatement of Regency Inn & Suites, MSCAA Project No. 12-1348-01, will be received by the Staff Services Division of the MemphisShelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA), 3505 Tchulahoma Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38118, until 2:00 M Local Time on Wednesday, March 27, 2013, and immediately thereafter will be opened and publicly read. BIDS WILL NOT BE RECEIVED AT ANY OTHER LOCATION. The scope of work generally consists of the asbestos abatement in the former Regency Inn & Suites located at 2411 Winchester Road, Memphis TN 38116. Work efforts include, but are not necessarily limited to, the abatement of approximately 87,350 square feet of spray applyed textured ceilings throughout a 206 room, 3 story hotel facility, abatement of silver coat roof sealant scattered throughout the roof, and disposal of all asbestos contaminated materials (including some carpet and furniture.)

Bid Documents may be obtained and found on our website (www.mscaa.com) on or after Friday, March 8, 2013. 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. Information regarding obtaining bid documents, addenda to these documents and any other additional information may be found on our website (www.mscaa.com).

All Respondents are hereby notified that all updates, addenda and additional information, if any, shall be posted to the MSCAA website and Respondents are responsible for checking the MSCAA website up to the time of the Bid opening.

A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at 9:00 AM at the Project Center, 4225 Airways Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee 38116. The project site will be available for inspection immediately following the meeting.

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, Minority and Women Business Enterprises (D/M/WBE) 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 D/M/WBE participation goal for this contract is 24% in accordance with

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Each bid must be by a contractor licensed in Tennessee and accompanied by a 5% Bid Guarantee. In accordance with TCA §62-6-119, the Bidder, and where applicable, one contractor/subcontractor performing electrical, plumbing or heating ventilation 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.

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MEMPHIS-SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

By Larry D. Cox, President & CEO

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38134 until 9:30 a.m. on Monday April 1, 2013 as shown below: MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REHABILITATION AND LEAD HAZARD CONTROL JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE. SEALED BID (SBI-000203) DUE: Monday April 1, 2013 Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead based paint safe work practices and techniques, and Detailed specifications for items above may be obtained in the Shelby County Department of Housing at the aforementioned address. All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 2227600.

As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance Eligibility Number prior to the submitting your response. Your EOC number must be displayed on the outside of your envelope for each bid submission.

As a condition precedent to being awarded jobs involving Lead Based Paint, contractors must be certified through EPA as an RRP contractor and/or show proof of application to EPA for said certification and be certified through the State of Tennessee as a Lead Based Paint Firm. Proof of licensing at time of bid submission is required by the Shelby County Department of Housing.

The label, which is attached to the specifications shall be completely filled out and attached to the bid submission envelope.

You must display your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number or your Locally Owned Small Business (LOSB) Number on the outside of your envelope and a copy of all licenses and insurance policies must be included in your submitted bid package. Unless the label is completely filled out and your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number is noted thereon your bid may be returned to you unopened. Should your label be lost or misplaced, please note the appropriate information in the lower left-hand corner of your envelope. The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs.

The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.

By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR., MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Jim Vazquez, Administrator

Tri-State Defender Classifieds get results!

SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, March 14 - 20, 2013, Page 11

Marshun Newell

Teneisha Lurry

Southwest lands Newell and Lurry on AllTCCAA team

Five Southwest men’s and women’s basketball players were voted all-conference by coaches in the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association, including first team selections Marshun Newell and Teneisha Lurry.

Newell, a 6’3”sophomore swingman from Middle College High, averaged 18 points per game this season and led the Saluqis with 4.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He scored double figures in all but one of the games he played, with as many as 20 points eight times, and a career-high of 28 points against Motlow State.

Also one of the team’s top rebounders, Newell recorded four double-doubles and grabbed a careerhigh of 13 boards against Dyersburg State. In addition, he had a near triple-double against Mid-South with 15 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Justin Street, a 6’5”sophomore forward from Sheffield High School, was selected second team All-TCCAA. Street led the Saluqis in scoring (18.3), rebounding (9.7) and blocked shots (2.1) per game.

Lurry, a 5’7”guard from Melrose High School, led the Lady Saluqis with averages of 15.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. She also led the team with 60 three-point field goals made and ranked second with 2.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

Lurry scored in double-figures 20 times this season including a careerhigh 40 points against Wallace StateHanceville. She also made doubledoubles with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Arkansas Baptist and 17 points and 11 rebounds against Cleveland State.

Tenisha Hobson, a 5’11” sophomore forward from Forrest Hill High School in Jackson, Miss., and Brandi James, a 5’4”sophomore guard from Fairley High School, were named second team All-TCCAA. Hobson was the Lady Saluqis’ second leading scorer with an 8.2 average and was also one of the top rebounders with a 4.2 average.

James averaged 7.5 points per game and led the conference in assists with a 6.9 average, which also ranked seventh nationally. She dished out at least 10 assists five times this season including a career-high of 15 against Mid-South.

Hardware in tow, Tigers mount up for C-USA Tournament run Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by J.R. Moorhead

The stat sheet told the story – Joe Jackson: 17 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds, 6 steals; U of M Tigers 86, UAB Blazers 71.

A once heated rivalry between the two CUSA competitors has cooled over the years, but neither Jackson nor his Tiger teammates needed the rivalry factor for any added stimulation to get the job done at the FedExForum last Saturday. The victory sealed the Tigers’ unblemished run through the C-USA regular season, as they notched a perfect 160 record.

On Wednesday, Jackson was named the CUSA Player of Year – his fourth honor of the week. On Monday, he was named to the AllC-USA first team. A day later, he was picked to the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District IV and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 11 teams.

For Jackson, the selections are padding to an already impressive career. In 2011 and 2012, he was awarded the MVP in the C-USA tournament. This season, he eclipsed the 1,000 point mark as a Tiger and joined the 350 assists club. The milestones move Jackson to 31st in Memphis history in scoring (1,148) and 10th in career assists (393).

And, presumably, he has one more year to play as a Tiger.

While Jackson was the only Tiger to be recognized on the C-USA first team, some of his teammates were also acknowledged for their body of work during the 2012-13 season.

Senior D.J. Stephens, junior Geron Johnson and sophomore Adonis Thomas were all named to the all C-USA third team. Memphis was the only team to have four players named to the all C-USA teams. It was the sixth time in the last eight seasons that at least three members of the Tigers team received C-USA recognition.

U of M coach Josh Pastner on Wednesday was named the C-USA Gene Bartow Coach of the Year.

For the Tigers, the next step is the C-USA Tournament in Tulsa. Their dominant play throughout the season earned them the No. 1 seed and a first round bye. The tournament began Wednesday, including a game No. 8 Marshall and No. 9 Tulane. Tulane came out on top and they get to play Memphis on Thursday.

Memphis has already earned a bid to the NCAA tournament, but the manner in which the Tigers conduct themselves this week will determine their seeding in the “big dance.”

Although a heavy favorite to win the C-USA tournament, a slip up could drop them significantly come “Selection Sunday.”

The Tigers are floating around a seven or an eight seed and the next few games could swing that needle on way or the other. To win the NCAA tournament, the Tigers will have to beat good teams and seeding could make an easier path to glory. If the Tigers slide to an eight or nine seed, they will have

Memphisʼ Joe Jackson and Jordan Swing of UAB go all out for this loose ball.

Jackson was fouled on the play. (Photo by Warren Roseborough)

Ferrakohn Hall shares Seniors Day honors with his family and the fans.

to play a one seed in the second round, which is not a favorable route.

The Tigers need to win the C-USA tournament and do so in impressive fashion to move up in the rankings and se-

cure a better seed.

NOTE: Stan Simpson, Charles Holt, Ferrakohn Hall and D.J. Stephens were honored during Seniors Day.

Should Bulls’ superstar Derrick Rose return this season?

by Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley NNPA News Service

Nearly one year after suffering a horrific ACL tear, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has been cleared to return to the NBA. But after an offseason rehab campaign fueled by heavy media coverage, Rose still isn’t ready to suit up for Chicago.

LeBron James and the Miami Heat are steamrolling competition as the Eastern Conference leaders, the Indiana Pacers control the NBA’s Central Division – with Chicago a close second – and with every game that Rose misses, the window might be closing on a possible Finals appearance for the Bulls. However, the Bulls’ faithful are still hopeful for a deep run in the Eastern conference playoffs with Rose at the helm but should the injured Bulls star bother to return this season?

Stephen D. Riley: Things are shaping up for a Heat/Pacers Eastern Conference finals this season. Rushing Rose back into action isn’t going to do anything for Chicago except risk Rose re-aggravating his injury, which could hurt the Bulls for years to come.

You can’t expect a guy fresh off an injury like that to return to MVP form just two months before the playoffs start. I don’t even think Chicago has enough talent to compete with those two teams, or even

the New York Knicks, even with Rose playing. The best strategy for them right now would be to play the season out, add a piece in free agency and bring Rose back naturally with a full offseason and training camp under his belt.

Perry Green: You’re talking about a team that made the Eastern Finals in 2011 with Rose running the show, why wait until next season?

We’ve already seen NFL running back Adrian Peterson nearly rush for 2,000 yards – and win the MVP award – coming off an ACL injury, and Rose is every bit as much an athlete as his gridiron counterpart.

This isn’t like years past, where an ACL would require extensive rehab.

If the doctors have cleared Rose, then it’s time for him to step on the hardwood. Miami and Indiana are both talented, but nobody plays defense like Chicago and nobody has a game-changing point guard like Rose. I would give them every bit a chance to make it out of the East with Rose in the lineup.

SDR: Remember, Peterson started out slowly before eventually cranking it up for the second half of the season. Early on, he had to figure his knee out before fully trusting it. How ready would Rose be by the time playoffs started in late April? And how good would Chicago be?

Basketball is all about chemistry and you’d be asking them to topple teams that have pretty much played together all season. It’s too much to ask a team to quickly gel in a month

and a half around the return of a star player, one that’s coming back from a major medical procedure on his knee.

PG: Throwing away a season, and simply handing an open road to the NBA Finals to someone else, because you feel your team won’t gel in time to put up a significant fight is inexcusable. You’re paid to compete and I don’t see any competiveness in the franchise or the franchise player if Rose doesn’t return this year.

I love Rose’s game and fearlessness, but as the best player on a team full of veterans Rose owes it to those guys to not let them give away a season because he’s not “mentally ready” to return. He doesn’t even have to come back as the daredevil superstar he used to be – his mere presence alone would elevate the play of his teammates.

SDR: The thing about Chicago is that every contending team in the East – Miami, Indiana, New York and even Brooklyn – has added more firepower and superstar players, while Chicago has stood pat. Even Rose’s return might only buy them an extra playoff game, or push them into the second round, until the more talented and cohesive teams start showing their true colors in the playoffs.

This isn’t years ago when a healthy Rose was good for 60 wins and domination of the conference. The landscape has changed in the Eastern Conference. Both Rose and the Bulls need to understand this, and do

Derrick Rose of rhe Chicago Bulls (Photo: Warren Roseborough)

what’s smart and what’s right for every party involved. Let Rose sit out the season and try to retool for a big run next year.

PG: Just because he hasn’t played all year doesn’t mean he won’t fit right in with the team chemistry. The Knicks just signed veteran power forward Kenyon Martin after he hadn’t played basketball for nearly a full season, and he’s already making an impact for them. According to reports, Rose has been cleared to play, and he’s only holding back until he can leap and dunk off his left foot like he did pre-injury.

With Rose’s work ethic, it should only take another week or two before he’s back to 100 percent. If anything, I say put him back into motion as

soon as possible, especially if the rest of the East has improved as you claim. You say Chicago has no realistic chance of winning a championship this year. Well, if that’s the case, let Rose play now and gain some meaningful playing time before heading into next season. The more reps he has with his team, the better off he can serve them in the future.

Remember, this is Rose’s team.

He’s still the biggest star on the squad. If he’s cleared to play, let him play and let the cards fall where they lay. You can never go wrong with playing a legitimate superstar.

(Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley wrote this column for the AFRO Sports Desk.)

COMMUNITY

Page 12

March 14 - 20, 2013

AKA’s faithful settle in for ‘ATM’ Regional

With a global point of view in mind, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. members have converged on Memphis for the 81st South Eastern Regional Conference.

The four-day conference – March 14-17 – is projected to attract 3,000-plus sorority members from the 105-yearold international sorority’s South Eastern Region – Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi (known as the “ATM.”) Additional guests are expected to pour into the “Bluff City” from various points – nationally and internationally.

The conference theme is “Global Leadership Through Timeless Service: Let the Good Times Roll Through Timeless Service.”

All public events will be held at the Memphis Marriott Downtown and the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Planned activities during the four-day conference include: The ATM “Investing in Our Future” Girls’ Youth Summit; March 14, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The summit is free and open to fifth through 12th-grade girls. Sessions will include: “Tips on Protecting

Yourself,” “Fighting Teenage Obesity,” “Loving My Black Hair,” and “Why Girls Fight.”

Community service projects, including a school supply and gift card collection throughout the conference for Karat Place, Inc.; the Memphis Union Mission’s Moriah House; and the YWCA of Greater Memphis. Sorority members with expertise in human resources are also scheduled to host a pre-conference job readiness workshop on March 12 at 6 p.m. at the Moriah House for the shelter’s clients.

A public meeting and reception will be held on March 14 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. It will feature recognition of Tennessee and Mississippi public servants in social justice and human rights, and health, with a focus on asthma prevention and environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Those being honored are Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr.; Bolivar County Sheriff Kelvin Williams; Jackson (Tenn.)

City Councilman Ernest Brooks II, Esq.; Dianne Collins Mitchell; the Honorable Jack Reed Jr.; Mississippi state Rep. Kelvin O’Neal Buck; Daphne M. Nelson; and A.J. Stovall, Ph.D.

Tri-State Defender

WDIAʼs Bev Johnson helps spread the word about the AKA regional conference. Pictured (lr): Adrienne P-K Washington, South Eastern Regional Director, Dr. Cassandra Turner, and Lashell Vaughn, chair of the 81st South Eastern Regional Conference. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. members – 3,000-plus – will be moving about downtown Memphis for the 81st South Eastern Regional Conference.