4 3 2013

VOL. 62, No. 13

March 28 - April 3, 2013

www.tsdmemphis.com

Youth ‘responsibility’ march now a part of community’s future Specials to The New Tri-State Defender

by Tony Jones

It’s Saturday, April 20 and a throng of high school students, their parents and civic-minded citizens assemble to march and make a statement that area students have to step up their game to get a good education.

It could happen – and it will happen – if all goes according to the plan outlined Tuesday at the National Civil Rights Museum by Mayor AC Whar-

ton Jr. and Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr. Dorsey E. Hopson II, Esq., interim superintendent of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools, joined them.

The mayors presented a proclamation naming the date of the march as “Student Responsibility Day.” It will begin at 10 a.m. at City Hall and end in the museum’s courtyard.

To start a buzz for the march, a Facebook video contest has been launched. Students have until Monday, April 8 to submit a two-minute

(max) video completing this phrase: “As students, to make sure we receive a quality education, we are responsible for …”

The winning entry will receive $500 and will be featured worldwide on the museum’s website for a minimum of three days.

The march, video and peer-to-peer goal is to have students pledge and inspire their classmates to get to school and their classes on time, be prepared when they get there and fully engage in class and curricular

activities.

“In the debate about the education system, we’ve heard the voices of the TPC (Transition Planning Commission), the school boards, the teachers and the mayors, but there is a voice that has been left out, the individuals that will be affected the most,” said Beverly Robertson, president of the National Civil Rights Museum.

“We are inviting young people from all across Memphis and Shelby SEE MARCH ON PAGE 2

75 Cents

KKK specter may already have ‘helped’ Memphis Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Tony Jones

While the long buildup to Saturday’s Ku Klux Klan rally in downtown Memphis has helped the event draw national attention, public and political watchers here say the KKK’s impending visit has served to bring many people closer together to focus on issues with long-term impact.

Planned to protest the renaming of several parks honoring Confederate war history, the rally by the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is set for 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 30 on the steps of the courthouse at 140 Adams.

“I’m asking Memphians to just ignore them physically, but it’s been beneficial to remind us to forever be aware of the evil within the hearts of too many people in this country; whether it’s racism, sexism or any type of bigotry that rears its ugly head,” said Wharton.

The same applies to the issue of renaming the parks, the mayor said.

“A lot of people are upset at what we’re going through, but in a way it’s a healthy thing because the cost of freedom is eternal vigilance. If you don’t recognize the threat, you can’t guard against the evil.”

SCLC President Dwight Montgomery agrees in principle, noting that the organization’s monthly agenda is aimed at enforcing the legacy of its founder, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by reaching out to all sectors of society to bring forth issues of concern.

Among the guests this week at a SCLC luncheon were the Rev. Keith Norman, Memphis Branch NAACP president, and Lee Millar, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

SEE KKK ON PAGE 2

Man up! …

- INSIDE -

Dorsey E. Hopson II, Esq., is now Interim Superintendent of Memphis/Shelby County Schools after the Shelby County Board of Education tapped him to lead Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools as work proceeds toward a merged district. Hopson introduced the team that he will leading during a press conference Wednesday at the SCS Board of Education. Those on board include SCS Chief of Staff David Stephens, who now is deputy superintendent. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)

• Ben Carson, admirable man with a mistaken philosophy.

See Opinion, page 4.

TSD to host Achieve! Town Hall on Education

• A language interpreting device to aid first responders.

See Business, page 5.

As public education continues its evolution into a number of differing options, The New Tri-State Defender is coordinating a town hall meeting to provide a forum for local residents to learn more and engage in discussion.

The Achieve! Town Hall Meeting on Education is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (March 30) at The Magnet located at 879 McLemore

Ave. “We want to make sure that all parents are well informed and ready to take full advantage of opportunities that exist to increase their child’s potential to achieve academic and career success,” said TSD President/ Publisher Bernal E. Smith II. School leaders, policy makers and education advocates will participate

in a panel discussion that Smith will moderate.

The event will highlight the myriad school options available for students and parents, provide insight on new developments that will affect the way students are educated, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns.

“School choice is a hot topic in our

community,” said Smith. “It is time for everyone to embrace it and understand the importance of having options.”

The Achieve! Town Hall session is tied to the release of the first volume of the Achieve! School Choice Guide. The resource publication is produced by the TSD through a SEE EDUCATION ON PAGE 2

Youth violence prevention to get conference stress Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Dena L. Owens

Youth safety will be the item of interest when Memphis City Schools and the Memphis/Shelby County Children and Youth Council hosts a public forum April 4-5.

From 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. each day at the Teaching and Learning Academy, 2485 Union Ave., the third annual “Assuring Safe Futures for Our Children Conference” (http://thirdannualassuringsafefutures.eventbrite .com/#) will present the latest innovations in youth violence prevention and intervention.

“This is our time to inform the masses – from parents to professional staff who work with children every day – about new practices in youth violence prevention,” said Ronald Pope, MCS director of Student Engagement.

“Youth violence prevention is important for everyone whether a child is at risk or not,” said Pope “We want our entire community aware of what’s going on so that citizens can utilize available resources on a daily basis.”

Conference workshops will cover current and new programs in youth safety, including Memphis “Gun Down” Comprehensive Violence Reduction Strategy, the MCS G.R.A.S.S.Y Initiative (Gang Reduc-

tion Assistance for Saving Society’s Youth), and the new “901 BLOC Squad” Program (Better Lives, Opportunities and Communities).

On April 4, the noon luncheon will feature keynote speaker Eddie Charles Spencer, a former inmate who helps youth by sharing his story of how he turned his life around after incarceration.

On April 5, a morning youth panel (9:15 a.m.) will capture children’s perspectives on youth violence, followed by a noon luncheon featuring James Garbarino, Ph.D., a nationally known expert on causes for youth violence, the coping mechanisms of victimized youth and methods for rehabilitating them. Dr. Garbarino is an author and professor at Loyola University Chicago.

Additional speakers include: District Atty. Gen. Amy Wierich, Mayor A C Wharton Jr., John Aitken, former Shelby County Superintendent of Schools, Dorsey E. Hopson II, Esq., Interim Superintendent of Memphis/Shelby County Schools, and local law enforcement experts.

FOX 13 news anchor Mearl Purvis will be on hand Friday, April 5, to set the tone for the day’s youth safety presentations.

The conference is open to everySEE VIOLENCE ON PAGE 2

Tiger Woods

• For Tiger, winning does take care of everything. See Sports, page 10.

• Mission possible – no texting and driving. See Community, page 11.

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

Getting down for The MED…

The Commodoresʼ James Dean “J.D.” Nicholas (left) and Walter “Clyde” Orange were part of a stellar lineup at The MED Foundation Gala benefit at The Peabody Hotel last Saturday.

(See related story, photos in Entertainment, page 8. (Photo: Christopher Hope)

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H -63o - L-52o S how e r s

H- 6 0 o - L - 5 7 o Few Sho wers

H- 6 6 o - L - 4 7 o Few Sho wers

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-65 L-54 H-58 L-46 H-73 L-51

Saturday H-64 L-58 H-60 L-53 H-72 L-57

Sunday H-70 L-48 H-66 L-45 H-74 L-55

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EDUCATION

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

unique partnership with New America Media and is funded, in part, by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The ACHIEVE! School Choice Guide (Volume 1) was crafted to give the community – particularly parents of school-aged children in public schools – a resource to better understand the changes that are occurring. It shows them how they can access new options and, most importantly, which option is most uniquely suited to serve the needs of their child (children).

“We desire to leverage the long-standing reputation of the TSD as a trusted source of information,” said Smith in the President/Publisher’s statement included in the School Choice Guide.

“Our aim is to make a difference in educating our young people and to help them in their quests to become successful and significant in their life endeavors.”

Smith noted that as elected and appointed officials continue to debate issues from teacher evaluations to school funding, families in the community are left to contend with anxiety and stress.

“The TSD sincerely wants to help alleviate as much of that discomfort as possible by extending empowering information to foster a stronger understanding of the available options.”

VIOLENCE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

one, with organizers pitching it as especially helpful to parents, teachers, athletic coaches, principals, law enforcement experts, juvenile counselors and community members interested in the reduction of youth violence and the emotional well being of youth who have been exposed to violence.

For tickets to the “Assuring Safe Futures for Our Children Conference” on April 4 and 5, visit http://thirdannualassuringsafefutures.eventbrite.com/ #. Agencies qualify for discounts – for every three tickets purchased, a fourth ticket is free. Agencies should contact Gwendolyn Wright at Gwendolyn.Wright@tn.gov for instructions.

To learn more about Memphis City Schools’ efforts to support youth safety, contact Ronald Pope, MCS director of Student Engagement, by emailing him atPoperonaldv@mcsk12.net or calling (901) 416-6295. Citizens may also visit the MCS Department of School Safety, Security & Emergency Management website at http://www.mcsk12.net/ sssem/.

MARCH

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

County to participate in the march as a visible way to declare that they too accept a responsibility for their education.”

Barbara Andrews, the museum’s director of Education and Interpretation, linked the inspiration for the march to a crucial moment in civil rights history that was referenced in Teaching Tolerance Magazine (Spring 2005).

Here’s how the magazine reference read: “On May 2, 1963, the children of Birmingham, Ala., flooded the city’s streets and the city’s jail to challenge segregation. With dogs and fire hoses, police tried to stop them. Yet, in ways their parents could not, the children prevailed, defying the police intimidation that long had plagued Birmingham’s black community.”

Wharton drew upon his personal history to underscore the planned march’s premise that city and county students are facing their own time to stand up for a fair education system.

“I remember when my friends and I wanted to go downtown to march at the Capitol Theatre,” said Wharton. “My first cousin told us that his father had told him that his boss warned him that if he went, his job was gone and his father’s job too. So it is so critical that we instill in today’s kids that they must speak out and do something positive.

“This is their time to bring attention to the positive things they can do and that they have a role in getting a good education.”

NEWS

Tri-State Defender

March 28 - April 3, 2013

KKK

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Both are opposed to renaming the formally Confederatethemed parks.

Millar has sought to distinguish his group from the KKK. “We don’t believe in anything they stand for and we’re together on that and wish the Klan wouldn’t come to Memphis,” Millar recently told a local television station.

On Monday, Montgomery spent an hour on a morning talk show on WLOK (1340 AM). “(People) expressed that while they detest the KKK, there are more important things at stake than worrying about them and those parks,” Montgomery said. “But what people tell me as SCLC President, my colleagues on the Baptist Ministerial Association and Operation PUSH, we need to focus on making thorough changes that help and benefit African Americans and everyone in this city.”

Issues of concern that are resonating with people, said Montgomery, are “the pay cuts suffered by city employees; how contractors have messed up people’s home through the HARP Program, which is supposed to help the poor renovate their houses, and nothing has been done about it; and how 1,000 African Americans will be losing their jobs because the merged school system will be privatizing custodial services.”

Montgomery contrasted the planned KKK march with an SCLC roundtable discussion to be held March 28. It will feature leaders from the Jew-

The Rev. Dwight Montgomery, Memphis SCLC president, makes a point within earshot of Lee Millar (right) of the Sons of the Confederacy, and Shep Fargotstein. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)

ish and Latino communities, as well as Millar from the Sons of the Confederacy.

“At all of our activities to honor Dr. King, we (SCLC) support all voices that want to make a positive change,” Montgomery said. “This issue (KKK visit) has given many people more focus.”

State Rep. Barbara Cooper (District 86) is among those who assert that nowhere is such a focus more needed than in the Tennessee General Assembly. Cooper and colleagues in the Tennessee Black Caucus have warned for months that the Republi-

CORR march set for Friday, March 29

On Friday (March 29), the Commission on Religion and Racism (CORR) plans a protest march to remove the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue and “end the symbol of Memphis being a city sanctioning and embracing racism.”

The March will proceed from Memphis City Hall to the Bedford Forrest statue on Union, where CORR will ask Mayor AC Wharton Jr. and the City Council to renounce Bedford Forrest as the “image and symbol of racism representing the mentality of Memphis leadership; and vote to remove the statue and rename the park.”

For more information, contact Dr. Isaac Richmond, national director, CORR, Emeritus at 901-870-5267, or email corrnational@gmail.com.

Klan rally option: ‘People’s Conference’

On Saturday (March 30) at the Memphis Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the HEART OF THE CITY will host a free event that will have music, dance, food and culture and a focus on building a long-term movement that “opposes racism and discrimination of any kind in our city on March 30 and everyday thereafter.

The pivotal section of the event is the first annual MEMPHIS UNITED: People’s Conference on Race and Equality.

For more information, contact Brad Watkins, organizing director at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, at 901-725-4990, office; 901-495-0818, cell.

Craigmont High senior Kalema Taalib-din will serve as the student coordinator for the march. At the press conference, she literally stole the moment with her brief remarks and her bright personality.

Already accepted into American University, Taalib-din speaks with an Oxford professor’s precision and an approachable Memphis tone. She discussed the reality that the march must reach and inspire not just the academics, but also the so-called “hoodie” and “diva girl” set.

“Yes, I have good friends from all over the spectrum,” said Taalib-din. “I came from private to public school and everybody was like, ‘Why are you talking like that?’ But I just kept on being myself and pretty soon the people I would hang with started chilling on being themselves. Ideas come from everywhere.”

Taalib-din is on the advisory board for TWEET (Teens Who Engage Equity in Tennessee),

a statewide effort she explains is committed to being a game changer for how today’s kids participate in their schools.

“TWEET was designed to tackle not only the climate side of going to school, like teasing and bullying and being a nerd – me! – but also to give students a stake and say so in what they learn in the classroom,” she said.

Taalib-din said her goal and TWEET’s goal is to start tackling barriers.

“The thing is, it’s not just the ‘smart students’ that have ideas and make contributions, but they still don’t want to step forward so much of the time because it’s a nerd issue. But it’s the nerds that grow up to run things.

“You’re only holding yourself back if you don’t participate in your school,” she said.

“It’s time to stop being afraid and get yourself ready for your life, and nobody controls how much you can accomplish but you.”

can Party’s overwhelming vote advantage in the Tennessee General Assembly may lead to the pushing through of legislation intentionally harmful to African-American interests and the poor in Memphis.

And this despite opposition from more moderate voices, including Gov. Bill Haslam in some instances.

The cited examples include Senate Bill 132. Sponsored

by Republican Sen. Stacy Campfield, the proposed legislation would cut welfare benefits to parents whose children fail to make satisfactory academic progress in school.

Campfield has said that he designed the legislation with

the idea of getting parents to become more concerned and involved with their children’s education.

That recently drew this response from state Sen. Jim Kyle (D-Memphis): “How does Sen. Campfield expect a child to do his homework when there is no food on the dinner table?”

Tri-State Defender

March 28 - April 3, 2013

Page 3

Page 4

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

A Real Times Newspaper

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

March 28 - April 3, 2013

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

Ben Carson, admirable man with a mistaken philosophy

Special to CNN

by Cynthia Tucker

Like giddy teenagers, Republican activists have fallen for another charming, personable and accomplished black conservative. Dr. Ben Carson is the newest object of their crush, Cynthia which was born Tucker of a desperate need to attract more black men and women as highprofile standard-bearers.

You can’t blame Republican loyalists for swooning over the doc, a renowned surgeon who rose from poverty to head pediatric neurosurgery at Baltimore’s famed Johns Hopkins Hospital. If wooing voters of color were simply a matter of finding an attractive black face with an inspiring personal story and an impressive resume, Carson would be hard to beat.

But black voters tend to be more discerning than that. They have shown an unerring instinct for rejecting condescension and dismissing tokenism. There are many black Americans who admire Carson for his professional accomplishments (I’m one of them), but that admiration is unlikely to translate into votes.

One of the reasons is that Carson doesn’t seem to know black Americans’ political values very well. In his most recent book – a political tract called “America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great” – he writes: “Many African-Americans voted for Obama simply because he was a black man and not because they resonated philosophically with his policies.”

In fact, black voters have been increasingly allied with the Democratic Party since the 1960s when Lyndon Johnson pushed through significant civil rights legislation. Al Gore received about 95 percent of the black vote in 2000, John Kerry about 93 percent in 2004.

Moreover, Carson seems to have adopted the view, popular among so many ultra-conservatives, that the Democratic Party appeals to voters who shun the work ethic.

Talking to The New York Times recently about his conservative views, Carson described himself as a “flaming liberal” in college who later became disaffected with the Democratic Party. “One thing I always believed strongly in was personal responsibility and hard work,” he said.

“I found the Democrat Party leaving me behind on that particular issue.”

That notion – fallacious though it is – is at least as popular among black conservatives as among white ones.

I’ve been hearing it from black Republicans for at least two decades.

Several years ago, I interviewed a black conservative running a doomed campaign for a suburban Atlanta congressional district. She had no prior political experience, no policies to advance, no program to sell. Her platform consisted of her belief in hard work, which she contrasted, at least implicitly, with black Democrats’ supposed preference for sloth.

That view is as puzzling as it is infuriating. It may charm those white conservatives who hold stereotypical views of black Americans, but it bears little resemblance to the realities that inform their choices at the ballot box.

In his memoir, “Gifted Hands,” and

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

in his motivational speeches, Carson talks about his impoverished childhood and his remarkable semiliterate mother. Married at 13 only to later divorce her philandering husband, she enforced high academic standards for Carson and his brother while working two or three jobs as a maid or nanny – and battling debilitating depression.

Carson eventually got into Yale and became, at 33, the youngest person to head a department at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is famous for separating conjoined twins.

That’s a compelling and powerful tale. But it differs from those of other hardworking black people I know only in the degree of success that Carson attained as a result, not in the measures of ambition, industriousness, discipline and self-respect his mother instilled in her children.

Yet black Americans know better than to believe those traits are enough to guarantee success. History taught us better. Just look back over the last decade and a half. In 2000, according to the U.S. census, less than a quarter of black Americans – 22.5% — lived in poverty. By 2010, that number had risen to 27.4 percent. Was there a sudden outbreak of indolence among black folk over that period? Or were there outside forces that conspired to knock them back down the economic ladder?

As long as the Republican Party refuses to acknowledge that, it will have little to offer workers of color – and declining appeal to younger whites. They, too, understand the limits of self-reliance.

To be helpful to the GOP, Carson would have to remind them of the caprice of capitalism and the generational reach of racism’s barriers. Instead, he sounds like the standard-issue Ayn Rand acolyte, no different from Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan. He opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and supports a flat tax.

For good measure, he’s also a religious conservative who disputes evolution.

It’s no wonder that conservatives have started to trumpet him as their Great Black Hope. Psychologists believe that romantic interest increases when people mirror each other’s gestures. Carson perfectly reflects the beliefs of his suitors.

Still, this romance is unlikely to blossom into a long-lasting love affair. There are too many misunderstandings, too many unspoken expectations, too many half-baked assumptions. And some of those half-based assumptions are Carson’s.

(Cynthia Tucker, a Pulitzer Prizewinning syndicated columnist, is a visiting professor at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.)

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Can the unity of the March on Washington be duplicated?

In five months, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. In 1963, the March was jointly called by the Civil Rights Movement’s “Big Six” – A. Philip Randolph, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, James Farmer and John Lewis.

At this point, it is unclear whether today’s leaders will come together and rally around the theme of jobs and justice as leaders did on August 28, 1963.

Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III are planning a march in Washington. Bernice King has announced a commemoration of the “I Have a Dream” speech at the King Center in Atlanta to observe the 50th anniversary. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Dr. King’s old organization, will be holding its annual convention in the nation’s capital the week of the anniversary and is considering holding an activity.

The foundation that raised more than $100 million to erect the MLK monument on the National Mall – and was forced by King’s children to drop the reference to Dr. King in its name – is still hoping it can participate in a joint celebration by all of the civil rights groups.

Interestingly, the Big Six managed to come together when the black unemployment rate was 6.7 percent, compared to 3.2 percent for whites. The unemployment rate for blacks 20 and older in February was 12.7 percent – nearly double what it was at the time of the March on Washington.

Of course, any discussion about the preservation of Dr. King’s legacy invariably involves his three remaining children – Martin III, Bernice and Dexter. While appreciating the King family’s desire to protect intellectual property left to them by their father, including his “I Have a Dream” speech, I have been critical of their decision to charge what had been known as the Martin Luther

King National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. a licensing fee of nearly $3 million to use his name, likeness and quotes in conjunction with a monument erected to him on the NaGeorge tional Mall.

E. Curry I also upbraided them for, after making the decision to charge a licensing fee, refusing to extend the agreement, forcing the foundation to change its name (it is now The Memorial Foundation) and limit the scope of the monument-connected activities it had planned to advance Dr. King’s legacy.

Roland Martin and Joe Williams have an interesting article on rolandmartinreports.com about the controversy.

We had a heated discussion Sunday on “Washington Watch with Roland Martin” about the King children’s interaction with Harry Johnson and the group that raised the money for King monument on the Mall, the first to honor an African American. In response to my earlier column on the subject, Armstrong Williams wrote a column claiming I had slandered the King family and “For Mr. Curry to spread the falsehood that the King family is charging schools for the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech is not only wrong, but embarrassing to these good people.”

After schooling Armstrong Sunday on the difference between “slander,” defamation that is spoken, and “libel,” which is written, I told him I couldn’t have possibly made that charge because I never used the word “school” anywhere in my column. He waited four months to reply and still didn’t get it right. To his credit, Armstrong acknowledged his error on-air and apologized.

During the program Sunday,

Roland said he had spoken with Tricia Harris, a King representative, who said the money paid to the Kings was for corporations that exploited Dr. King’s image and they had not received money from the foundation for using quotes and the likeness of Dr. King.

I said, “She’s lying.”

Harris sent me a note taking exception to my comment and said, “It’s a great American tragedy when influential African Americans attack the King family for protecting and benefiting from Dr. King’s work when he set it up that way.”

Actually, King, Inc. was created after Dr. King’s assassination.

Therefore, he did not “set it up that way.” Second, the licensing agreement does in fact extract a fee from the mall foundation in exchange for using his likeness on materials and quotes at the memorial.

Let’s be clear: No one is objecting to the King siblings profiting from their father’s intellectual properties.

The issue is, unlike the descendants of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, they are trying to personally profit from a national monument that honors their father and the struggle he led.

David Garrow, a Pulitzer Prizewinning King biographer, told Roland Martin and Joe Williams: “It’s not as if (King, Inc.) is using any of this income for charitable good deeds. We’ve seen none of that whatsoever. It appears to be simply self-enrichment for a small number of people.”

As great as he was, the March on Washington wasn’t about Dr. King.

It was about jobs and freedom. Sadly, 50 years later, we need a similar march that unites our leaders around those same issues.

(George E. Curry is editor-inchief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He can be reached via www.georgecurry.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.)

Susan Taylor’s NAACP-gala appeal to put out the ‘fire’

by Wiley Henry

The Memphis Branch of the NAACP’s Freedom Fund Gala drew a crowd of supporters to the Grand Ball Room of the Memphis Cook Convention Center (March 20) for an annual event that brings out the best in Memphis.

Each year a keynote speaker tops off the evening with a poignant message that undergirds the message and mission of the NAACP. For the 37th gala, however, the keynote speaker graced the stage with poise, enthusiasm and zeal, and urged the audience to consider mentoring African-American children.

“We’re only asking for an hour a week of your time. We’re not asking you to become parents. We just need a little of your time,” said Susan L. Taylor, a celebrated magazine columnist who rose through the ranks as a fashion and beauty editor, editorial director, and finally the editor in chief emeritus of Essence magazine.

Taylor took aim at the deplorable conditions in African-American communities across the country and singled out African-American males as an endangered species worth saving. These communities, she pointed out, have been devoid of educational opportunities and ravaged by poverty and drugs.

“We need to invest in education,”

she said.

Taylor founded “Essence Cares” in 2006, which morphed into the “National Cares Mentoring Movement.”

The mission is two-fold: to increase high Susan school graduaL. Taylor tion rates and create safe “toptier schools in every underserved community in this nation.”

She said mentors are recruited, connected and then deployed wherever they are needed.

“The village is on fire and children are screaming for support (available resources),” she said.

“They represent the healing water our children need to survive this crisis moment.”

Taylor’s remarks underscored the work already in progress at the NAACP and highlighted in its own goals and mission. The Rev. Keith Norman, senior pastor of First Baptist Church-Broad, who was elected in October of 2012 as the organization’s new branch president, laid out a strategic plan for going forward.

He calls it the “5 Game Changers for the 21st Century”: 1) renewing a focus on voter education and maintaining voting rights; 2) making sure

that all children have access to a free, high quality public education; 3) leveling the field for affordable health care and access for all; 4) building systems of wealth and strengthening economic sustainability for all; and 5) ensuring public safety and criminal justice.

The 5 Game Changers coincide in many ways with Taylor’s goal to end violence in the African-American community, rid the community of blight, and stop the express train to juvenile facilities and penal systems that “warehouse” AfricanAmerican males.

Madeleine C. Taylor, the executive director of the Memphis branch, said Taylor’s remarks were on-point and that her work in the community is desperately needed in this day and time to help lift the African-American community out of economic despair and low educational attainment.

“We have been vigilant in our pursuit of a thorough education for African-American children by sponsoring the ACT-SO (Afro-Academic Cultural, Technological, Scientific Olympics) competition for high school students,” said Taylor.

“Many of them have excelled in Science, Humanities, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Entrepreneurship.”

Fighting for economic parity, justice and freedom is still vital to the NAACP’s mission, Taylor added.

BUSINESS

Tri-State Defender

A device that interprets language to aid emergency responders

A device that can interpret language between emergency on-scene responders and the people they transport is being touted as the latest technological advancement in rescue operations.

Rural Metro Ambulance, a company that provides ambulance service in Shelby County, including the unincorporated areas, is believed to be the first group in the country to use such a device.

“Our on-scene responders, or emergency rescuers, are sometimes faced with the inability to communicate with the people they are called to transport to area hospitals and other facilities,” said Nikki Gast, Rural Metro Ambulance market general manager.

“If there is a communication problem, this device will help save valuable time and lives.”

When using the device, a simple press of a button dials an interpreter, who can directly communicate with the patient, even if they do not speak the same language. The interpreter can detect the dialect and language and transfer

A press of a button dials an interpreter, who can directly communicate with the patient, even if they do not speak the same language.

the call to another person who can communicate with them.

“Language barriers keep people from getting the help that they need in an emergency situation and in a timely manner,” said Gast.

“This device is an essential component in our quest to deliver spotless service in Shelby County without being hampered by the patient’s dialect and language.”

Gast said the device will help take out some of the guesswork when responding to an emergency in the field.

Emergency rescuers are training on the device and expecting to use it in Shelby County in a few weeks.

MONEY MATTERS

Property ownership: What’s the best form for me?

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Charles Sims Jr., CFP In planning your estate, it is customary to consider wills and trusts (as well as intestacy) as a means of property distribution. As a matter of fact, the manner in which you hold title to your assets may supersede provisions contained in other transfer documents. Likewise, significant tax benefits can be gained (or lost) depending on the characterization of your property.

Let’s take a look at the general classifications of ownership.

Sole ownership occurs when one owns a complete interest in property. Ownership is passed by the typical transfer documents, or by the laws of intestate succession. The complete interest is included in the estate of the decedent. Because of this, the beneficiary receives a full step-up in basis. This, in essence, brings up the original purchase price to the fair market value, thereby eliminating a capital gain.

Sole ownership

Joint tenancy exists when two or more persons share equal, undivided interests in property. Joint tenancy is not limited to spouses. Anyone can share joint interests, but there are tax benefits when this arrangement is shared only between husband and wife (qualified joint tenancy).

A joint property interest cannot be passed through traditional documents, such as a trust or a will.

Ownership of a joint interest passes by “operation of law” to the surviving joint owner(s).

Further, property held in joint tenancy will not be subject to probate.

Under qualified joint tenancy, half of the property is included in the first decedent’s estate. Because of this, the surviving spouse obtains a stepped-up basis only on the first decedent’s half of the property.

If any non-spouses participate in joint ownership, the entire value of the property is includable in the decedent’s estate, reduced to the extent that the estate can prove that the surviving tenant(s) contributed to the cost of the property.

Another form of joint ownership — tenancy by the entirety — is similar to joint tenancy, but it can only be created between husband and wife. Unlike joint tenancy, an interest cannot be

Joint tenancy

Page 5

March 28 - April 3, 2013

transferred without the consent of the spouse. Tenancy by entirety is only recognized in certain states.

Tenancy in common provides an undivided interest in property between two or more people. Unlike other forms of joint ownership, Charles Sims Jr., CFP however, these interests can be owned in different percentages.

A tenant in common can use the traditional transfer documents, but interest cannot be passed by operation of law.

Tenancy in common

Under community property statutes, all property earned or acquired by either spouse is owned in equal shares by each spouse. The essential principle of community property is that the earnings of either husband or wife and the revenue from their property belong not to the producer but to the community of the husband and wife.

For estate conservation purposes, there are no restrictions on how each spouse can give away his or her half of the community property. There is no law requiring one person to leave his or her half to the surviving spouse, although, of course, many do.

Currently, nine states have community property laws: Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The amount includable in the estate of a decedent is based on his or her percentage of ownership. The beneficiary of the property interest receives a stepped-up basis on that portion of the property. It is important to remember that the beneficiary can be chosen by the decedent. This is in contrast to joint tenancy, under which the surviving joint tenant(s) automatically inherit the interest of the decedent.

Community property

(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.)

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Byrd helps Ronald McDonald House maintain businesswith-heart course Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Carlee McCullough Throughout Women’s History Month, we have recognized women who are making an impact in their industries. We close out our month-long salute with a conversation with Caron Byrd, who is making a difference in the community through a great cause, Ronald McDonald House.

Frequently when we talk about business, we are referring to “for profit” entities. The same knowledge and skill sets are required to effectively run a non-profit. As the executive director of Ronald McDonald House, Byrd directs one of the most successful non-profits in the area.

Carlee McCullough: Tell us about yourself.

Caron Byrd: Personally, I’m the mother of two: a 19 year-old son, Jackson; and a 16year-old daughter, Paris. I’m a native of Houston. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, with a B.S. in Communications and received my J.D. from George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Va. In 1995, I relocated to Memphis.

CM: Tell us all about Ronald McDonald House? What services does your company provide?

CB: Ronald McDonald House is a “homeaway-from-home” to families who have a child being treated for cancer at St. Jude.

Families stay from 7 to 90 days, with the average stay being about 24 days. We have outdoor playground facilities; large communal kitchens and dining areas; laundry facilities; a meditation room; teen room; arts & craft room; and game room.

Families at Ronald McDonald House have all the comforts of home while they have to be away from their own communities and support systems. And the great thing about Ronald McDonald House is that it’s completely free of charge. That’s a tremendous gift to a family faced with the financial impact of a life-threatening disease.

CM: Most people do not look at non-profits as a business. Please explain the business side of your non-profit.

CB: A non-profit is definitely a business. I like to think of it as a business with heart or a business that provides some social good. We have to budget and plan just like a for-profit business. A non-profit provides people with the opportunity to improve their community or the lives of the members in their community. People invest their resources of time and/or money in the non-profits that connect with their desire to do “good” in their community.

There are so many organizations doing good work in our community. Resources are scarce and just like with for-profit business, non-profits have competition. We have to “sell” people on choosing our organization as the one with which they should volunteer or donate money.

CM: How important is philanthropy to

Carlee McCullough

Caron Byrd

Ronald McDonald House?

CB: Philanthropy is the center of everything that happens at Ronald McDonald House. When people connect emotionally with a cause – either because of a personal connection or because the cause moves them, they get involved and they want to make a difference. We have a small staff and we rely on people from the community getting involved as volunteers to serve as an extension of staff. Funding from the community is critical and financial donations of any size – whether it’s $25 a month or a $25,000 grant – it makes a tremendous difference.

CM: What’s next for Ronald McDonald House

(RMH)?

CB: We just completed a capital campaign and capital improvements throughout Ronald McDonald House. This year, we’re going to offer more opportunities for Ronald McDonald House families to go to some of the great attractions in Memphis. We’re launching a transportation program that will take families to attractions like the Memphis Zoo; a Memphis Redbirds game; or to the theatre to see a play.

CM: What can people do to become involved in RMH? CB: Volunteering is a great way to get involved. And the best way to learn more about Ronald McDonald House is to come and take a tour. We schedule tours each month. A great way to learn about all the opportunities we offer is to visit our website at www.rmhc-memphis.org or “Like” us through Facebook at www.facebook.com/rmhmemphis.

CM: What advice would you give to others interested in starting a non-profit?

CB: Do your homework. Find out if there are other organizations that provide the same or similar service. If so, look for ways to collaborate or ways that you can fill voids.

CM: Parting words?

CB: Thank you to the Tri-State Defender for being such a great supporter of Ronald McDonald House and for shining a light on our mission.

(For more information, contact Caron Byrd at Ronald McDonald House of Memphis; 535 Alabama Ave.; Memphis, 38105; e-mail: caron@rmhc-memphis.org; business phone: 901-529-4055.)

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

Make www.tsdmemphis your home page

RELIGION

Page 6

Tri-State Defender

March 28 - April 3, 2013

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

Kickboxing exercises keep Healthy Church Challenge participants on their toes Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Wiley Henry

Madison Hopkins kicks her legs and swings her arms and Bettie Nelson throws a left jab followed by a right cross.

This is not your average step class.

It’s kickboxing in its simplest form and taught by a certified personal trainer, who kept dozens of Healthy Church Challenge participants on their toes during a March 9 workout session at Mississippi Blvd. Christian Church.

“My goal is to inspire people to reach their goal,” said Yacqui Peete, 41, who got men, women and children to stretch, bend, kick and punch to loosen up their limbs. “I’m trying to get people to change their lifestyle. If you fall off the wagon, dust yourself off and keep going.”

Hopkins and Nelson were expending the same amount of energy on the gym floor, but the only difference is their age. Hopkins, the daughter of Maurice and Lawinter Hopkins, is 3 years old, and Nelson, a retired lockbox clerk, is 66.

“It’s the norm for me. I do this every day,” said Nelson, a member of The Healing Cathedral Christian Church, who works out four days a week doing cardio kick boxing, aerobics and walking the treadmill at the Church Health Center.

“When you get older, your metabolism slows down. And I’m just trying to strengthen my bones and stay at a size 14.”

Hopkins worked out alongside her mother at one end of the gym floor, and her 2-yearold brother, Matthew Hopkins, worked out with their father at the other end. They mimicked every kick and jab, and jumped around incessantly.

“I participated in the Challenge last year,” said Lawinter Hopkins, 28, an employee at the Advertising Check-in Bureau. “My husband is involved this year. That’s why we brought our children along so all of us can live a healthy lifestyle and maintain our health.”

A member of Citadel of Deliverance Church of God in Christ, Lawinter Hopkins has dropped 20 pounds since last year’s Challenge. Relatively healthy by self-description, she wants to lose about 60 pounds to ward off diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and other debilitating illnesses.

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

Sing it with me…

‘Wishing you a song in your heart’

Lawinter Hopkins and her 3-year-old daughter Madison worked out on March 9 with dozens of other Healthy Church Challenge participants at Mississippi Blvd. Christian Church. They followed the lead of personal trainer Yacqui Peete as she demonstrated several kickboxing exercises. (Photo by Wiley Henry/The Carter Malone Group) 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.

Lawinter Hopkins said the Challenge is an “eye-opener” and “exciting.” The family, she said, had initially planned to do something else on that weekend, but decided that working out together was far too important to miss.

Nelson is keeping up with various workout regimens, both at the Church Health Center and when she is participating in workouts during the Challenge. “I got in a good workout for today,” she said.

She initially started working out in 2011 after doctors diagnosed her with low bone density.

“I went to the doctor because my legs were getting

numb. My hip joint was deteriorating and I had stabbing pain,” Nelson recalls. “But I don’t have those problems anymore since I started working out.”

Peete encourages women such as Nelson and Hopkins to start thinking about themselves and not spend the majority of their time taking care of others. “They do everything for everybody else,” she said. “They need to think about themselves.”

She paraphrased a verse in 1 Corinthians 6:19 to justify why the body should be treated with respect. “The Bible says the body is our temple, so we need to treat it as such.”

(For more information on the Healthy Church Challenge, call 901-278-0881 or visit www.Facebook. com/TheHealthyChurchChallenge.)

Dear Lucy: My next door neighbor is a music freak. He plays music all day long. He gets up at 6:30 in the morning and starts to blast. When he comes home at six in the evening he starts to blast again. He always turns it down when I ask him to, but I just don’t understand how someone can need to listen to music like that. What do you think?

– Earplugs Wanted

Dear Earplugs: The good news is that your neighbor will turn the music down when you ask. The fact that you have to ask and he is cooperative about it may simply mean that while quiet is important to you, music is equally important to him.

I also love the quiet and always have. My husband would clock how long I could happily ride in the car with him in total silence. He loved talking and listening to music.

He liked coming home and having music and television on at the same time. I was raised to escape into a book whenever I had free time. He was raised to enjoy the distraction and escape that music or TV provides.

Our methods of survival and escape inside our home environments was simply different. As we learned to live together we figured out ways to compromise about how we needed our shared space to work. It was so worth it. He appreciated and took advantage of my joy of reading and I learned to enjoy music more.

So, you and your neighbor have reached a good compromise.

When we encounter things we don’t understand we either judge or seek understanding. I applaud your patience and desire to understand. Music is more than entertainment. For many it is a much needed escape and comfort; and for some it is the only escape.

I like what JayZ says about rap... He says that he was so surprised when so many people appreciated and fell in love with his music. Many told him that they did so because his stories were also their stories and experiences set to a beat that allowed them to digest and process them without being overwhelmed.

Some movies have director’s cuts. The director’s cuts don’t have the music behind them. When you watch the scene without the music it’s drab and not nearly as filled

PRAISE CONNECT

Bishop K.D. Johnson harmonizes with the New Macedonia Baptist Church choir during the Founderʼs Day celebration last Sunday. The church was celebrating 67 years of ministry. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

with emotion, anticipation or emotional release.

Can you imagine what the m o v i e “Jaws” would be like withLucy out the Shaw music?

Some of us live our lives to the backdrop of music. I recently went on the inaugural Soul Train Cruise. Listening to Patti Labelle, the Ohio Players and War, to name a few, in live concert each of six nights was like reliving my life from the 60’s thru the 90’s. Every song brought back a very specific, detailed, living color memory!

It was very healing because some of those things I needed to remember just so I could love them for the lessons I learned from them. It was amazing to watch people spontaneously get up and dance. The really cool thing was how the words just came back to mind and the entire audience sang along with every song!

Music, dance and song, whether in church, at home, at the movies, at the club, riding along in the car, alone or with others is a way of managing our spiritual health and emotional release. Sometimes it allows us to laugh, sing, dance and cry all at the same time.

And like all things, it really works well when it is balanced and conscientious.

Maybe you can find the music that touches your soul, brings you peace and urges you to sing along, to tap your feet or helplessly dance with joy.

Wishing you a song in your heart, Lucy

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

(For help with the feelings that get in the way of prayer and peace of mind, get Lucy’s new book, “BE NOT ANXIOUS.” Order it directly from her at 901-907-0260 or from her website.)

-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

Here to tell you…

RELIGION

March 28 - April 3, 2013

Minister Alicia Norman of First Baptist ChurchBroad was the featured speaker as St. John Baptist Church celebrated its annual Womenʼs Day program.

Vanessa L. Gray was named “Woman of the Year.” (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

St. John ready for Easter Cantata No. 20

The Twentieth Annual Easter Cantata – “The Seven Last Words of Christ” by Theodore Dubois – will be performed by the St. John Community Chorale on Good Friday (March 29) at 4 p.m.

The event will be held at St. John Baptist Church, 640 Vance Ave. Rosetta Peterson is the director; David A. Caudill, organist; Joy M. Plunkett, pianist; and Stan A. Bell, narrator.

The musical is sponsored by the Music Committee of St. John Baptist, Alexus D. Lewis, Sr., chairman.

The Community Choral consists of St. John members and singers from 15 other churches. Congregations represented include Bethel Presbyterian, OBMS, Brown Baptist, Cummings Street Baptist, Mt. Pisgah CME, St. Andrew AME, St. Augustine Catholic, Salem-Gilfield Baptist, Sanctuary of Inner Self, Second Congregational United Church of Christ, Holy Temple Ministries, and guest Seventh Day Adventist baritone from Los Angeles, Robert D. Taylor.

Soloists are: Emma Ballard, Willie Cage, Robert Thornton, Terrance Walker, Osie B. Lewis, Sr., Robert Taylor, Henry C. Ford, Paul L. Lee, Diane Johnson, Darryl Hulon, Noah Bond, Thaddeus Fields, Warren Watkins, and Gladys Scott.

For more information, contact: Joyce Springfield-Collins – e-mail: jscl4333@aol.com, phone: 901-785-3350, cell: 901:289-6573; or Rosetta Peterson – 901-324-6956.

RELIGION BRIEFS Easter weekend events set for New Friendship

New Friendship Baptist Church at 1490 Gold Ave. will several events as part of “Easter Weekend with The Ship.”

The weekend of events begins at 7 p.m. Friday (March 29) with “The Last Words of Jesus.” The New Friendship Mass Choir will perform, along with a special guest artist.

Clergy participating include the Rev. Tim Jackson, Olivet Fellowship; the Rev. Aaron Letcher, Magnolia First Baptist; the Rev. Zedric Clayton, Real Faith Christian Church; the Rev. William Smith II, Collins Memorial CME; the Rev. David Anderson, Brown M.B. Church; the Rev. Derrick Anderson, Brown M.B. Church; and Minister Kia Granberry of Mississippi Boulevard On Saturday, “Fun in the Park,” will be held in Lincoln Park behind Hamilton High

School. The event – set for 10 am. to 3 p.m. – will feature prayer for the community and Greater Memphis, and also include an Easter Egg Hunt, games and free food.

On Sunday, patrons are invited to “come as you are” for “The Celebration,” which begins at 10 a.m.

The host pastor is the Rev. Paul K. Reed, and the co-pastor is the Rev. Debra G. Reed.

For more information, call 901-774-9324.

BRIEFLY: Greater Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church will host Community Awareness Day – Reaching Out to the Community on April 6 at the church at 191 E. Holmes Rd. Area healthcare agencies and various resources in the Mid-South will provide information at the event, which is set for 9 a.m. to noon. The host pastor is the Rev. Joe E. Hayes. For more information, contact VEthel Patterson

Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, March 28 - April 3, 2013, Page 8

WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?

Fantasia: Losing to win

It took a minute to grow on me, but Fantasia’s new song “Lose to Win” is actually one of my favorite songs out right now. As always with every great Myron song, you can Mays almost look behind the music and find a portal into the singer’s heart and soul.

Now with Fantasia, you don’t have to look very far. She proudly puts that portal on display for the entire world to see. Since winning “American Idol” back in 2004, we have watched her evolve into a Grammy-winning performer, but not without her share of “self-inflicted” troubles.

Most of those troubles related to her boyfriend, Antwan Cook.

In 2010, Cook’s ex-wife, Paula, accused Fantasia of knowingly pursuing a relationship with her husband despite knowledge of their existing marriage. Fantasia’s version is that she began seeing Cook after he separated.

Not convinced, Paula sued Fantasia under North Carolina’s Alienation of Affections Law, which allows the abandoned spouse to file a suit against the individual responsible for the failure of the marriage. A judge later ruled in Fantasia’s favor.

Also in 2010, Fantasia was hospitalized after overdosing on aspirin and an unknown sleep aid.

While it was first reported that her injuries weren’t life threatening – she was suffering from dehydration and exhaustion at the time – it was later classified as a suicide attempt.

Fantasia eventually owned up to the incident, saying that she didn’t care about anything and simply wanted out. In late 2011, she announced her pregnancy and gave birth to her second child.

Yes, Cook was the father.

The April cover of Sister 2 Sister Magazine features Fantasia, who recently revealed to Jamie Foster Brown that she and Cook are no longer together. She acknowledges “learning from the disappointment and growing from the experience,” telling Brown that, “If I don’t love myself, then I can’t be in a relationship.”

That sounds like winning to me.

On another note

Although we’re scheduled to have some unwanted visitors in town this weekend (read KKK), there are enough things going on to keep your focus elsewhere.

This Friday night, Brothers 7 presents the first Urban Hang Suite of 2013 at the all-new Flirt Night Club located at 3659 S. Mendenhall. Doors open at 10 p.m. You can find out more information at brothers7.com.

Then on Saturday, there’s The TakeOver from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Pearl’s Oyster House located at 299 South Main. You can find all the details on their Facebook page.

And of course, there’s the What’s Happening Myron Book Club Meeting at T.J. Mulligans, 362 North Main, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. This month’s book is “The Best Kept Secret” by Kimberla Lawson Roby. If you haven’t read the book, don’t worry, just come on out and see what we are all about.

Also, Jae Henderson will be the local featured author. Admission is always free and the first 25 ladies receive a free gift courtesy of my friends at Ampro and Kingdom Kreations Day Spa. I hope to see you somewhere over the weekend. Until then, that’s what’s happening!

(Got an event you’d like for me to cover or attend? Email me at Myron@whatshappening myron.com)

The Ohio Players reached into their extensive bag of hits for the crowd attending The MED Foundation Gala at The Peabody Hotel last Saturday. (Photo: Christopher Hope)

MED Foundation Gala: The Spinners, Ohio Players & the Commodores Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Christopher Hope

With The MED Foundation Gala as the setting and The Peabody Hotel serving as the venue, an estimated 800 people were treated to a glamorous evening (March 23) accented by three legendary R&B groups – the Spinners, Ohio Players and the Commodores.

A few hours before their performances, I seized the opportunity to talk with members of each group.

Here is some of what I heard and learned:

Ohio Players

Christopher Hope: When it comes to fundraisers, are those shows treated any different than a regular show?

Clarence “Chet” Willis: When it comes to performance, it can almost become routine sort of speak. When you have some situations where you’re doing something for a good cause, it’s motivating. We have a hospital where I live in Atlanta named Grady that is like The Med here in Memphis. I was like, “Oh, this is one of those hospitals that help people that don’t have the necessary expenses to pay for their medical problems. This hospital (the Med) is a hospital that has upped the bar and that’s a good thing.”

CH: Do you have moments in your down time that you just play your guitar for your own personal enjoyment?

C. Willis: Lately, if I’m not doing a show with the band and I’m not at the studio at my home, the times I pick up my guitar just to play, it’s exactly what that is. When I do that, there’s nothing planned as far as trying to do a song because songs come. Songs are like a transmission from God. Sometimes it’s like if I’m going to sit down and try and go through the mechanics of trying to put together a song, it doesn’t work.

Sometimes if you’re just sitting around, then all of a sudden I feel like these chords….It’s like you just happen to be receiving at that particular time. God is transmitting all the time….

CH: When you record songs that turn out to be hits, do you think that 20 or 30 years down the road it would be the song, a crowd favorite?

C. Willis: Never! … I don’t think any of us ever thought that because at the time the song or the idea felt good and it happened to resonate with the people. The thing that it is still resonating with folks, that’s a good feeling.

One thing to say about something that is good, we were…blessed to have the opportunity to do these things at that particular

Pictured (l-r): Mayor AC Wharton Jr., Arkansas state Sen. Keith Ingram and guest, Crissy Garrett Haslam and Gov. Bill Haslam, Dr. Reginald W. Coopwood (president and CEO, The MED), and Sen. Mark Tennessee (R-Collierville).

time….It doesn’t matter what millennium it is. If it’s good, it’s good.

CH: What gets you up and excited for a show?

C. Willis: We have what we call a show that is basically when we do all the hits people can relate to. They pretty much know all the hits because they’ve been around for so long. It’s refreshing to know they still remember these songs and have a good time listening to them and dancing.

Spinners

CH: When it comes to fundraisers, are those shows treated any different than a regular show?

Spinners (Marvin Taylor, Charlton Washington and Henry Fambrough): We do 2-3 shows like this a year. When we come out, we give our all. One time we went to the hospital to visit the kids that had cancer. It was very heart touching. Some came (to the show) and some couldn’t make it. For those who could come, we invited them on stage. It was very heart touching.

So to come here and be a part of this event is huge! We were told The Med helps to take care of those who may not have insurance benefits to cover their medical cost. So for the Spinners to be asked to be a part of this, we are privileged to do so.

CH: Do you have any Memphis connec-

Walter “Clyde” Orange supplied the words to “Brick House,” one of The Commodoresʼ biggest hits. (Photo: Christopher Hope)

tions?

Spinners: We’ve been coming through Memphis since the ’60s and ’70s. We were once part of your Memphis In May event.

Marvin Taylor: I have family here in Memphis, so I’ve come here for family reunions and performed at Silky Sullivan’s.

CH: How often do you tour?

Spinners: We’re on the road about 65-70 percent of the year. We work all throughout the year, but we may take two weeks off.

During the week mostly, we don’t work. We work the weekends. When the summer comes, it’s more during the week. In the summer, we’re like, “Man, I wish I could go home.” When winter comes around, we’re like, “Man, I’ll be glad when I can get out this house!”

Commodores

CH: When it comes to fundraisers, are those shows treated any different than a regular show?

Commodores (Walter “Clyde” Orange and James “J. D.” Nicholas, who replaced Lionel Richie as lead singer): It’s always great to be a part of something that benefits other people; to reach out and to lend a helping hand. It’s about give and take....

CH: What gets you up and excited for a SEE MED ON PAGE 8

Marvin Jackson of The Spinners has family in Memphis. (Photo: Christopher Hope)

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 9

March 28 - April 3, 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 29, 2013

“G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (PG-13 for profanity, brief sensuality and pervasive violence) Revenge-themed sequel finds the intrepid, special force Army unit on a mission to save the world while clearing its name after being framed by a traitor (Arnold Vosloo) posing as U.S. President (Jonathan Pryce). Starring Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and RZA the rapper.

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“The Host” (PG-13 for violence and some sensuality) Sci-fi thriller about a young woman (Saoirse Ronan) who is willing to risk everything to save mankind after an unseen race of parasitic aliens starts erasing people’s memories. With Diane Kruger, William Hurt, Frances Fisher and Bokeem Woodbine.

“The Place Beyond the Pines” (R for violence, sexuality, pervasive profanity, and teen drug and alcohol abuse) Gritty crime saga about a motorcycle stunt rider (Ryan Gosling) whose moonlighting as a bank robber to support his girlfriend (Eva Mendez) and newborn puts him on a collision course with an ambitious, rookie police officer (Bradley Cooper).

Cast includes Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta and Bruce Greenwood.

“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

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

MED

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

show?

Commodores: Just the fact that we have an audience that’s waiting for us….We are very blessed that we are able to still continue to tour...especially at this stage in our career.

We’re just happy to be able to perform in front of audiences today just like we were back in the day.

CH: When you come to Memphis, is there a place you make sure to visit?

Walter ‘Clyde’ Orange: Beale Street! I have a best friend (who) lives here in Memphis. We went to Alabama State College. We played in the marching band. We know much of the same people and there are some good people here in Memphis. Do y’all still have that pyramid-looking thing? We have one like it in Vegas.

Pere Ponce, Daniel Gimenez Cacho and Macarena Garcia. (In Spanish with subtitles)

“Code of the West” (Unrated) Ganja documentary revisiting the heated, 2011 debate in Montana about whether it should become the first state to repeal its medical marijuana law.

“Family Weekend” (R for sexuality and drug use) Quality time comedy about a frustrated teenager (Olesya Rulin) who takes her parents (Matthew Modine and Kristin Chenoweth) hostage after they fail to attend her jump rope competition. With Joey King, Shirley Jones and Chloe Bridges.

“Mental” (Unrated) Dysfunctional family dramedy about a charismatic nanny (Toni Collette) hired to raise five teenage sisters (Lily Sullivan, Bethany Whitmore, Malorie O’Neill, Nicole Freeman and Chelsea Bennett) whose institutionalized mother (Rebecca Gibney) suffered a nervous breakdown after being unable to cope with their politician father’s (Anthony LaPaglia) shameless philandering. With Liev Schreiber, Caroline Goodall and Kerry Fox.

“Renoir” (R for nudity and brief profanity) Costume drama, set on the French Riviera during the summer of 1915, revolving around the convalescence of Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir’s (Michael Bouquet) son, Jean (Vincent Rottiers), a soldier wounded while serving in World War I. Cast includes Christa Theret, Thomas Doret and Michele Gleizer. (In French and Italian with subtitles) “The Revolutionary Optimists” (Unrated) East Indian documentary, set in the slums of Calcutta, where poor kids are being empowered to overcome poverty by picking themselves up by their bootstraps. (In Bengali with subtitles) “Room 237” (Unrated) Conspiracy theory documentary deciphering the subliminal se-

CH: Of all the songs you’ve recorded, what is your favorite?

W. Orange: “Brick House!” That song was really a blessing for us. “Brick House” is an interesting story. It wasn’t always called “Brick House.” It was called “Matchbox.” We needed a song like the Ohio Players’ hit, “Fire.” Our producer demanded that we write something. We always started with writing the music with no words. We wrote the music, went in the studio and recorded it and that’s all we listened to, to see if the song would go on the album or not. When it got to that track, it was two thumbs down. So that means it’s kicked to the side and you never hear from it again.

Without anyone knowing, I went into the studio with our assistant engineer and put words to it. I liked it so much because it was the only “funky” song that we had. We had all of these ballads with Lionel Richie that we needed something to move the crowd.

cret messages supposedly hidden in the movie The Shining by director Stanley Kubrick. Featuring archival footage of Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise and the late Scatman Crothers.

“Somebody Up There Likes Me” (Unrated) Buddy comedy about best friends (Keith Poulson and Nick Offerman) who are both in love with the same woman (Jess Wexler). Cast includes Kevin Corrigan, Megan Mullally and Stephanie Hunt.

“Temptation” (PG-13 for violence, sexuality and drug use) Tyler Perry wrote and directed this modern morality play about a jaded marriage counselor (Jurnee Smollett) who cheats on her husband (Lance Gross) of six years with a wealthy media mogul (Robbie Jones). With Kim Kardashian, Vanessa Williams and Brandy Norwood.

“Triumph of the Wall” (Unrated) Buddy documentary that took eight years to complete about two pals’ two-month road trip.

“Violeta Went to Heaven” (Unrated) Francisca Gavilan stars as the title character in this reverential biopic about the life and times of the legendary Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra. With Thomas Durand, Christian Quevedo and Gabriela Aguilera. (In Spanish, French and Polish with subtitles) “Welcome to the Punch” (Unrated) Catand-mouse crime thriller, set in London, about a father (Mark Strong) and son’s (Elyes Gabel) attempt to elude a determined detective (James McAvoy) after a heist gone bad.

With David Morrissey, Daniel Mays and Andrea Riseborough.

“Wrong” (Unrated) Serendipitous drama about a dog lover (Jack Plotnick) who touches the lives of numerous strangers while searching for his missing pet pooch. Supporting cast includes Eric Judor, Alexis Dziena and Steve Little.

When our producer came in and heard it, his famous words were, “Clyde, I believe that you got you one!” Most people would think it’s Lionel Richie or it’s his production. It’s not.

Through the industry, it strengthened our work.

CH: How did you become a member of the Commodores?

John J. D. Nicholas: I used to sing with Heatwave and we came in to do “Soul Train.”

The Commodores were there to do the same show. After the show, they asked us to open for them on the tour they were about to start.

Many years later, Heatwave disbanded and because we kept in touch, the Commodores asked me would I come over because they needed a new co-lead singer. I was always a fan and would even go to see them in concert in London where I’m from. I’ve been with them 29 years now and we’re still having as much fun as we did back then!

HOROSCOPES

March 28-April 2, 2013

ARIES You may find that discussions at home have taken a sudden, spiritual orientation. Give everyone room to express their personal beliefs without trying to preach your point of view. Your open-mindedness helps you with deep learning this week.

TAURUS Feeling bold, are we? Well, go with the flow of your feelings! No other sign can call on inner courage as easily as you. Whether at home, at work, or out on the town, let your personal statements be stylish and bold!

GEMINI Tempers may flare around you this week but it’s nothing personal, so keep your mind on your own work and let others act up. You’ll be doing yourself a big favor if you get some exercise this week!

CANCER Restless feelings may arise over health matters, or perhaps education or the lack of it. Do what you need to do to feel comfortable with yourself. If it involves seeing a dentist or taking a class, what’s stopping you? Self-improvement can be a very enjoyable game!

LEO Set a limit on what you can do for others this week. You’ll enjoy your feelings more if you are straightforward about refusing a less than appetizing assignment. Trust your feelings and say “No, I won’t.” Clear boundaries help you define yourself.

VIRGO Let happiness flow inside and outside of you this week. Refuse to be drawn into any pseudocrisis and you’ll stay happy. Stay quietly on task and you’ll have accomplished much by the end of this busy week.

LIBRA A dream in which you already are what you hope to be will offer much insight into your current situation. Take some practical steps to keep the focus on this wonderful vision. You know you can be what you see!

SCORPIO Do you realize that you are the only one who can tell you what to think and how to feel? Let go of any behaviors that are keeping you from achieving the things you want to achieve. Be creative and positive this week.

SAGITTARIUS You can be very efficient this week if you set your will to the task. New ideas will occur to you as you are working steadily, so keep pencil and paper nearby to jot down your latest brilliance!

CAPRICORN Avoid getting involved in any office politics or family feuds this week. The week’s energy is excitable, but not necessarily exciting. Do your own thing and be proud of what you do.

Let others do their own thing, so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.

AQUARIUS A message this week may necessitate travel on your part, and you may feel obligated to do something you don’t want to. Let the energy flow past you and do what you think best. Who you are is who you are – be glad about it!

PISCES You wake up feeling peaceful and wise. Discussions with a close friend may reveal the source of your inner freedom in a very tangible way. So talk about it. You’ve got everything good to gain.

Source: NNPA

Page 10

SPORTS

March 28 - April 3, 2013

TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS

For Tiger, winning does take care of everything Special to CNN

by Roxanne Jones

I’m not mad at Tiger Woods, or Nike.

Those people who are up-in-arms that Woods has climbed back to his standing as the world’s No. 1 golfer and that he is no longer asking for our forgiveness are hypocrites.

“Winning Takes Care of Everything,” proclaims his most recent Nike ad, as a focused Tiger crouches in the background. When I first saw the ad, I thought: Wow, bold move by Nike. It’s an in-your-face, unapologetic statement.

Back in 2009, when Woods took his public plunge into disgrace by cheating on his wife with a long list of silicone-enhanced beauties, we criticized him for being a fake. We said he’d lied not only to his wife but also to his adoring public, who apparently thought he was a near-God. We said he was the role model for our kids.

But I never thought it was Tiger’s job to teach my son how to be a responsible, loving husband or father.

That’s a job for parents. Of course, I’m not excusing his behavior, but I am not his judge. His wife and family – and Tiger himself – really were the only ones hurt by his actions.

Well, now Tiger is being real. He’s being honest with the public. We should be happy. He’s finally speaking his mind so there can be no ques-

tion of what type of man he is today.

And I say, good for him.

And good for Nike for standing by him through what was in the end just a personal flaw. It’s not like he’s Lance Armstrong, who used enhancement drugs throughout his career and sabotaged an entire sport for years. Woods did not have to give back his championships because he cheated his sport, his fans or his sponsors.

Don’t be mad at Tiger. It was never him we were disappointed in anyway. It was the cheating boyfriend or spouse who broke our hearts and split up our families. Be mad at the problems in your own personal life.

Or, be mad at yourself. I know when I’ve screwed up, if I’m honest, the first person to be upset with is myself. Tiger has nothing to do with my life or relationships.

The Nike ad may be offensive to those who don’t quite understand sports culture, or work in extremely competitive environments such as sales, or Wall Street, and even politics. But in those worlds, nothing could be truer than “winning takes care of everything.” In those worlds you are only as good as your last big win.

How many times have we said to ourselves at work: “I can turn my career around with one success on my next project?” Or, “One win will make my bosses happy and all will be forgotten?” How many of us say to our kids who play sports: “Hang in

First NBA player with MS takes the court

203 Beale Street, Suite 200 Memphis, TN 38103 PH (901) 523-1818 FAX (901) 578-5037 HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm

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Tiger Woods plays golf at The Barclays at Bethpage State Park in New York. (Photo: Steve Machalek/CNN)

there. All you need is one game-winning goal and that will change everything. Everyone will forget you haven’t scored all season.”

Winning does change things. Just think of Super Bowl Champion Ray Lewis, who the NFL calls one of the best men to ever play the game. Or former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, who was a king for a decade, surviving numerous scandals until he was forced to resign amid NCAA rules sanctions. Tressel then went on to work for the NFL. Why? Because he knows how to win.

Does anyone think Joe Paterno would have lasted so long at Penn State among the allegations of child sex abuse if the football program was down-and-out? No, sadly, it was the

winning and the big money that kept Paterno and others safe. Heck, even Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton reclaimed their status as kingmakers after personal disgraces.

We are a forgiving nation. For me, nothing is better than someone who can get back up and succeed after a bloody knockout. Tiger got back up.

And I hope this time around he can relax, be himself and enjoy the game.

(Roxanne Jones is a founding editor of ESPN The Magazine and a former vice president at ESPN. She is a national lecturer on sports, entertainment and women’s topics and a recipient of the 2010 Woman of the Year award from Women in Sports and Events.)

GRIZZ TRACK

CNN

by Caitlin Hagan Chris Wright was playing professional basketball in Turkey last year, working toward achieving his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA, when something strange happened at the end of practice.

“I’m running sprints, just normal sprints, and I run and touch the baseline, go back and my foot gives out,” said Wright, now 23.

“I just thought I slipped or something like that. But I noticed my foot started getting numb and it just got progressively worse.”

By the time Wright showed up to practice the next morning, he had lost feeling in his right leg. Before practice was over, the numbness had spread to the entire right side of his body. But doctors initially said nothing was wrong and told him to take it easy.

“They told me just to rest for a day and see how it felt in the morning,” he remembered.

“When I went back ... it had gotten worse. It was harder for me to walk, it had spread to my left foot and it just became, basically taking over my body – it was crazy.”

Eventually Wright found a specialist and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease that involves the immune system attacking the central nervous system. He had never heard of it before.

“A few of my teammates knew exactly what it was, but I wasn’t aware,” he said.

Fortunately, Wright was in peak physical condition at the time of his diagnosis, something he credits for how well he’s doing today.

“Good physical condition, eating right, getting the proper rest, that all plays a major role,” he explained.

“Yeah, there may be limitations, but you can still live your life,” says Chris Wright about multiple sclerosis. (Photo: CNN)

“Obviously you have to change a few things, you can’t be going out all the time. ... But definitely my conditioning and being an athlete has definitely, definitely played a major role.”

Not only did Wright return to the court less than three months after being diagnosed, he made history two weeks ago when he signed a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

With the stroke of a pen, Wright became the first person with MS to play in the NBA. The Mavericks did not re-sign Wright when the 10-day contract expired.

Meanwhile, he said, “I’m doing pretty well. I have to do an IV injection once every month, that takes about a two-hour process,” he said.

Still, he said, “It’s all been a blessing.”

Asked what he would tell other patients with MS, Wright didn’t hesitate: “Don’t be afraid to step out and do what you want to do,” he said.

“Don’t believe it’s a crippling disease that will just handle you the rest of your life. Yeah, there may be limitations, but you can still live your life.

And I just wear that sign on my chest proudly, and you know, I’m a part of the MS society.”

CLASSIFIEDS

Tri-State Defender

Zach Randolph managed 15 points and 11 rebounds against Paul Pierce and the Celtics as the Grizzlies delighted their FedExForum faithful with a 110-106 victory last Saturday (March 23). On Wednesday, Memphis lost 108-101 to Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks in New York. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)

Upcoming Schedule

Fri., March 29 – at FedExForum vs Houston Sat., March 30 – at Minnesota Mon., April 1 – at FedExForum vs Houston Wed., April 3 – at Portland

NOTE: All-Star center Marc Gasol is out indefinitely. The seven-foot center re-aggravated an abdominal tear against the New Orleans Hornets on the road on March 22. The injury was originally sustained on March 6 when the Grizz faced the Portland Trailblazers.

GENERAL INFORMATION Some categories require prepayment.

All ads subject to credit approval. TriState Defender reserves the right to correctly classify and edit all copy, or to reject or cancel any ad at any time.

Only standard abbreviations accepted.

Copy change during ordered schedule constitutes new ad & new charges.

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ADJUSTMENTS; PLEASE check your ad the first day it appears. Call 901-523-1818 if an error occurs. We can only offer inhouse credit and NO REFUNDS are issued.

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Legal notices

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Interested parties must download the solicitation directly from the Countyʼs website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. Please visit the Countyʼs website at www.shelbycountytn .gov. All solicitations are listed under “Purchasing Bids.”

DUE THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 AT 2:30 PM SEALED BID #SBI-000205 “SITE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE PEGGY EDMISTON ADMINISTRATION CENTER – STAGE 4” Pre-Bid Conference: A voluntary pre-bid conference will be held at 9:00 AM, Monday, April 1, 2013 at the following location: Shelby County Roads and Engineering Department, Conference Room, 6449 Haley Road, Memphis, TN 38134.

Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR., SHELBY COUNTY MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Interested parties must download the solicitation directly from the Countyʼs website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. Please visit the Countyʼs website at www.shelbycountytn .gov. All solicitations are listed under “Purchasing Bids.”

DUE THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 AT 2:30 PM SEALED BID #SBI-000204 “RALEIGH MILLINGTON ROAD BRIDGE PROJECT” Pre-Bid Conference: A voluntary pre-bid conference will be held at 9:00 AM, Monday, April 8, 2013 at the following location: Shelby County Roads and Engineering Department, Conference Room, 6449 Haley Road, Memphis, TN 38134.

Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED By order of MARK H. LUTTRELL, JR., SHELBY COUNTY MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

ALL INTERESTED BIDDERS The Shelby County Board of Education will accept written proposals for Property and Automobile Insurance.

Visit our website for additional information: www.mcsk12.net-Departments, Procurement Services link, click on Bids & RFPs. Questions concerning proposals should be addressed to Procurement Services at (901) 416-5376.

Thank you for your interest and responses.

Jacqueline Saunders, Director Memphis City Schools – Procurement Services

Tri-State Defender

COMMUNITY

Page 11

March 28 - April 3, 2013

CHEF TIMOTHY

A ‘SAD’ state of affairs looms, if you don’t eat healthy

by Chef Timothy Moore Ph.D, N.M.D, C.N. Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The winter months were relatively mild – not too frigid for Southerners like myself. Surprisingly, the birds are chirping, the pollen count is sure to rise, and the icky bugs are surfacing again.

Winter, it seems, is relative. The common denominator for us all is that being cooped up inside during a long winter without the sun’s warm glow bathing our skin can lead to emotional discomfort and depression.

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health described this problem in 1984 as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. It is a syndrome that causes people in cooler climates – where the nights are long and the days are short – to lapse into a state of depression until the return of spring and summer.

According to The Mayo Clinic, the clinical description of SAD’s symptoms is social withdrawal, hopelessness, lethargy, over-sleeping and weight gain. SAD generally eases its assault on the sufferer when daylight is extended and rigid temperatures are vanquished. But no one will forget the aftermath of mental depression and emotional upheaval.

One in 55 Americans has some type of emotional disorder, news reports have shown. If you’re like the majority of people, it should come as no surprise that a lot of individuals may need a warm hug, someone to love, and much-needed attention as they contend with SAD. I have not experienced SAD – not that I know of. But I’ve been told that the winter months can be grueling, like you’re being locked up for a season, shut out or placed in a box.

I would imagine that a burst of light would be all that’s needed to free oneself from the cold, dark conditions associated with SAD. Do you feel trapped sometimes in a cold, dark place that reminds you of being in a tight closet, or in some deep dark hole away from everyone and everything? This is what SAD feels like, I’m told. But don’t be surprised by naysayers who’d try to convince you that the absence of light during the bitter chill of winter months is less stressful and taxing on the mind and body.

SAD is real. But don’t worry. It goes away when spring arrives.

However, since depression and emotional discomfort stemming from SAD is seasonal, you’d still need to focus on your physical health. You still should eat healthy foods

throughout the year to avoid becoming physically ill. I can’t stress eating healthy enough.

Too many people are unhealthy as a result of eating nutrient-starved foods.

Yes, SAD is real. But it shouldn’t matDr. Timothy ter whether the days are short Moore or the nights are long. A good diet, I believe, will remedy your health problems, including depression and emotional discomfort. There will be challenges of course, but don’t be dismayed. We’re all facing and struggling with something in our life.

We have to be vigilant and eat the foods that will keep us mentally and physically healthy. If your emotions are bottled up, you can release them with a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables. It will make you feel a lot better and keep you balanced. Now if you’re unstable, that’s another column.

The hardest part about any of this is trying to strike a balance in life. A good diet of course is germane, but you also must exercise, drink plenty of water and change your lifestyle.

We all have felt lousy at times, but we can overcome that feeling.

If you’re experiencing SAD, you’re one of many. But I can assure you that if you focus on eating healthy, your state of mind will change. You wouldn’t be concerned about the short days and long nights of winter. You just need to be healthy to deal with the climate change.

How much can you really handle if you’re SAD? Besides eating a good diet, I suggest you communicate your feelings and emotions.

You’ll be surprised to find someone going through the same problem.

So regardless of the situation, learn to live – even if you find it difficult to adjust to the climate change.

(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.)

BRIEFS & THINGS

Commissioner Brooks and TSD team up to help needy students at Airways Middle

Shelby County Commissioner Henri E. Brooks and The New TriState Defender will host the inaugural Henri E. Brooks Easter Egg Hunt at Airways Middle School for approximately 100 deserving children on Thursday (March) at 1 p.m.

“This event has been on my heart for several years and I’m blessed to be able to continue to give back to my community,” said Brooks.

“Some of these wonderful children are actually homeless and I hope this event will help them know that they are not forgotten. I have always believed it does not matter where you start out in life, it is where you end that is important.”

Airways Middle School (home of the Jets) is located at 2601 Ketchum Rd. Dr. LeCharle Harris is the principal.

South Memphis grand opening for “Social Suds”

The City of Memphis’ Housing, Community and Development Division, Assisi Foundation, United Way, Literacy Mid-South, and many other interested parties will be in South Memphis April 3 at 10:30 a.m. at 1044 S. Bellevue They all will be celebrating a unique approach in providing social services – at a Laundromat.

South Memphis Alliance (SMA), a local community-based nonprofit agency, is kicking off its latest endeavor, the SMA Laundromat and Resource Center.

“After doing business next door to a Laundromat for several years, we recognized that many of the customers there not only needed some of the services we were already providing, but were sitting there for extended periods of time without knowing or having a way to access services,” said SMA Executive Director Reginald Milton.

SMA purchased the Laundromat, and with support soon found itself in the laundry business with the SMA Laundromat and Resource

Center. The SMA Laundromat and Resource Center has space for customers to attend classes, receive tutoring, have assistance filling out job applications, and much more, while taking care of the basic necessities of laundering their clothes.

For more information about SMA and/or this event and other upcoming events, visit www.SMAweb.org, “like” the alliance on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthMemphi sAlliance, or call 901-774-9582.

The Omicron Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., doing their signature stroll as a tribute to the late Clifton B. Gibbs, a fraternity member who was killed in a collision with a distracted driver. (Photos by Shirley Jackson)

Zii Davis models jewelry designed by Brittany Jackson of FabGlam Accessories.

Larissa Redmond, founder of the Collegiate Life Investment Foundation, is committed to raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

Mission possible – no texting and driving New foundation sounds the alarm at special event

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Brittany Jackson

One event with two focuses – raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and showcasing local businesses – drew dozens to the Grand Ballroom at Rhodes College last Saturday (March 23).

The host was the Collegiate Life Investment Foundation (C.L.I.F.), which built the evening around its first fashion show entitled “Distracted Runway 1.0.” At the base of the foundation is a painful story.

On Feb. 1, 2012, Clifton B. Gibbs, a Christian Brothers University graduate and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., was critically injured in a car accident involving another car, whose driver was driving distracted, and a school bus. Two days later,

Gibbs, 23, died from his injuries.

Larissa Redmond, Gibbs’ fiancé, decided to set up C.L.I.F in remembrance of him. She was determined to help raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, whether it be texting, eating, talking on the phone, putting on makeup or anything else in the long line of notworth-it activities.

With that backdrop, Distracted Runway 1.0 unfolded, giving attendees a chance to see some up-andcoming designs from small businesses run by young adults. Those featured in the show were: La’Belle Couture, designed by Ashley; Team You are Bless, designed by Garrison Green; FabGlam Accessories, designed by Brittany Jackson; Big Impressions, designed by Demetrius Blade; and PREPared Fashion, designed by Prep Curry.

Gibbs’ fraternity brothers were featured in the show as a tribute to him.

Morgan Hanna, a student at Rhodes

College, and Essence Owens, C.L.I.F.’s project coordinator, helped make the path for Distracted Runway 1.0 possible. And while each individual had a personal take on the events meaning, the shared thoughts were making sure Gibbs’s memory lived on and spreading the word the word that driving distracted is just not worth it.

Food was served courtesy of Davielle Boyce, owner of Davielle’s Dee-Licious Entrees, and a silent auction featured the works of various artists around the city and products donated by the Memphis Grizzlies.

“The amount of support we received from family, friends, strangers and vendors was more than we had ever anticipated,” said Owens.

“I am humbled by the knowledge and experience I’ve gained and look forward to continuing to expose the dangers of distracted driving.”

(For more information on C.L.I.F. or information on how you can get involved, visit www.cli2f012.org.)

Building Blocks Mentoring Program gets Cricket help to award scholarships

Building Blocks Mentoring Program, a non-profit organization that empowers social development through mentoring, will award two $500 scholarships to graduating seniors, Gerry Echols and Jainism Williams.

The scholarship presentation will be March 28 at 6 p.m., at Cricket Wireless’ 1460 Union Ave. store.

The Building Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund is fully sponsored

by Cricket Communications, Inc. Stephon Smallwood, BBMP director, said,“We are confident that our winners, Mr. Echols and Mrs. Williams, will do an outstanding job both inside the classroom and outside, serving their college communities for the next four years.”

Echols, son of Gerry Echols and Ursula Flippin, is a graduate of Southwind High School. He will be attending Middle Tennessee State University to study criminal justice.

Williams, daughter of Sincerea Thompson, also is a graduate of Southwind. She will be attending Mississippi State University to study biochemistry.

“Cricket is committed to serving our community,” said Brian Bender, Cricket sales director for Memphis. “We are very proud to partner with an organization that will continue to change lives for the better in Memphis.”

For more information about Building Blocks Mentoring Program, visit www.bbmprogram.org.

Lunch & Learn!...

James Wesby (above), co-founder of Blocally, a location-based social mobile app to help people search for black-owned businesses and social events, provided details at Networking in Memphisʼ Lunch & Learn outing on Tuesday at Alceniaʼs Southern Cuisine, at 317 N. Main St. Andrea Johnson, owner of The Bubble Bistro, spoke on “Women in Business.” She was introduced by Kelly Price. The networking event was sponsored by The New Tri-State Defender. (Photos: George Tillman Jr.)

Page 12

March 28 - April 3, 2013

Tri-State Defender