VOL. 63, No. 23
June 12 - 18, 2014
www.tsdmemphis.com
75 Cents
Silence is not an option! Coalition steps up to spotlight economic and business disparities
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Carlissa Shaw, Esquire “We are sending a clear signal that we can no longer afford to do business as usual in this community,” said Darrell Cobbins, president and chief executive officer, Universal Commercial. Cobbins was among a group of notable minority business owners and leaders who gathered at the National Civil Rights Museum to address economic and business disparities in minority business contracts in Memphis and Shelby County on Tuesday (June 10th). The first of those business leaders to address the crowd of media, business owners and concerned citizens was Ron Redwing. “Our goal is to spotlight these disparities in a way that brings about swift and significant change,” said Redwing, president of 100 Black Men of Memphis. “If Memphis is to rise and become a ‘world-class’ community, all of its citizens must be active participants in its economy.” The coalition’s aim is to increase the number of minority- and womenowned business contracts in Memphis and Shelby County over the next five years, aligning its efforts with the City of Choice and Blueprint for Prosperity initiatives. As a group, the coalition has committed to target this change based on a focused agenda carried out through dialogue, strategic partnerships and direct action. During his address, Cobbins highlighted Memphis’ well-known
- INSIDE -
Wharton, Luttrell respond to call to put disparities on front burner The New Tri-State Defender staff
Ron Redwing (speaking) and Darrell Cobbins (left) helped give voice to a coalition formed to address economic and business disparities in minority business contracts in Memphis and Shelby County. (Photo: George Tillman Jr.) poverty statistics, as well as the multiple disparity studies that have been conducted. Those sources clearly show that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. “We all own some of the problem,
but we now should own some of the solution,” Cobbins said, emphasizing that “the task before this community is not recruiting a middle class, but creating one.” Patrick “Trey” Carter, a self-de-
scribed “second generation social entrepreneur” and President of Olympic Career Training Institute, SEE SILENCE ON PAGE 2
kajanaku@tri-statedefender.com
Rickey Smiley
• Take 10-plus with comedian Rickey Smiley. See Entertainment, page 8. • Fatherhood: Rising to the ultimate challenge. See Opinion, page 4. • The Fulton Four: A family of artists. See Community, page 11. • True soldier Jim Brown on ‘A Little R&R on Sports.” See Sports, page 12.
Lionel Hollins (left) NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown
MEMPHIS WEEKEND SATURDAY
SUNDAY
H- 8 4o - L - 6 8o H- 8 5o - L - 7 0o H- 8 8o - L - 7 2o Scattered T-Storm Scattered T-Storm Scattered T-Storm REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS
Friday H-84 L-68 H-84 L-65 H-85 L-70
SEE DISPARITIES ON PAGE 2
Health, well-being and good business: a ‘happy’ combination at McD’s by Karanja A. Ajanaku
FRIDAY
If a group of business and community leaders succeed with the initiative they announced Tuesday morning, increased minority business participation within the public and private sectors of Memphis and Shelby County will become a front-burner issue. Determined to affect what they called “the disproportionate number of contracts awarded to minority and women businesses over the last twenty years,” the group sounded an alarm at a press conference at the National Civil Rights Museum.” Leading up to Tuesday’s announcement, the group made two backdrop observations: Census data from 2007 finds that black-owned businesses in the Memphis metro area received one percent of business receipts in the Memphis MSA. Although the City has improved MWBE prime participa-
Saturday H-86 L-72 H-86 L-67 H-85 L-71
Sunday H-88 L-73 H-84 L-69 H-89 L-71
Fast-food giant McDonald’s USA is on a mission to help nurture a healthier America, with Dr. Cindy Goody, director of nutrition, carrying a supersized load of responsibility. Goody and a crew of McDonald’s representatives brought their message to The New Tri-State Defender recently after visiting 50-plus students Director of with ages five to nine at nutrition an area Boys and Club. The push visits TSD Girls there was telling the kids how they could eat from the MyPlate recommended food groups “wherever they are as well as at McDonald’s” They also talked to a similar number of 10- to 14-year-old students. The level of engagement overall was impressive said Goody, weaving in the fact that promoting “movement” is part of McDonald’s education awareness outreach. “It’s not about weight loss. It’s about self-esteem and feeling good about one’s self,” said Goody. McDonald’s is divided into regions and the great southern states are a
Dr. Cindy Goody, director of nutrition for McDonaldʼs USA, said social responsibility relative to nutrition is good for business. (Photo: Shirley Jackson)
model, said Goody, in talking about health and well being among children specifically. Three years ago, McDon-
ald’s USA – 14,000 restaurants, 27 million people each day served – made a commitment to improve nutri-
tion choices offered at its restaurants. “One of the keys and pillars of that strategy was championing children’s well being in what we serve, what we offer to children, what we market to children.” The push includes a new mascot, Happy, whose job is to be a brand ambassador for health eating and physical activity. And coming to a restaurant near you (July 4th nationally) is a low-fat Strawberry Go-Gurt made by General Mills exclusively for McDonald’s. McDonald’s, said Goody. has committed to advertising meals to children under the age of 12 “that fulfill certain nutrition criteria that have been outlined by the U.S.D.A. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, as well as the Institute of Medicine. And there are other advertising guidelines.” Also, there is a commitment to offer produce or low-fat dairy automatically in every Happy Meal. At the end of the day, however, McDonald’s is a business, a big business. And while some might have difficulty taking the company’s business interests in stride with the declared push on health and well-being, Goody said SEE GOODY ON PAGE 3
Dr. Angelou’s ‘giving spirit’ felt at memorial service DʼArmy Bailey at the memorial service for Dr. Maya Angelou, which was held at Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University on June 7th (Photo: Courtesy of DʼArmy Bailey)
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by D’Army Bailey
(Attorney and former Circuit Court Judge D’Army Bailey, a civil rights activist, author and actor, attended the memorial services for Dr. Maya Angelou, along with his wife, Adrienne Bailey. This is his special account.)
Dr. Maya Angelou was memorialized Saturday (June 7th) at Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University with full recognition of her broad political and literary influence across the globe. A diverse crowd from across the country, and some from abroad, filed in under the banner hanging at the chapel front featuring a picture of Dr. Angelou and the words “A Celebration of Rising Joy.” Inside, abundant long stemmed white lilies flowed from large vases and white roses formed a broad ribbon in front of the podium. On display were massive black and
white photographs of Angelou in her younger years, of President Obama placing a medal around the seated An-
gelou’s neck, and of a graceful and spiritual older Angelou accompanied by the phrase: “I’ve learned that people
will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Among those paying respects were Attila Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, gospel singer Bobby Jones and his choir, Michael Eric Dyson, Bernice King, daughter of Dr. King, Elaine Steele, former aide to Rosa Parks, Adrienne Bailey, Belva Davis Moore, first major black woman broadcaster in San Francisco, India Arie, Julianne Malveaux, Atty. Gen. Eric Holder and Donna Brazile. During the service President Bill Clinton spoke of Dr. Angelou’s perseverance and poetic resonance. Valerie Ashford Simpson sang; Andy Young talked of his great admiration and Cicely Tyson spoke of their decades long friendship and spiritual bond. First lady Michelle Obama told the crowd that ordinarily her mother doesn’t try to tell her what to do but on learning of Dr. Angelou’s death said to SEE ANGELOU ON PAGE 3