VOL. 61, No. 22
May 31 - June 6, 2012
www.tristatedefender.com
75 Cents
Trio of Council budget plans on table as decision time nears Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Tony Jones
Early details about a lending discrimination lawsuit settlement were discussed at a press conference on Wednesday that included (l-r) City Attorney Herman Morris, Leigh V. Collier, Regional Wells Fargo president, Mayor AC Wharton Jr., County Mayor Mark Luttrell, and Kelly Rayne, Shelby County attorney. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)
‘Meat on the bones’ next step after Wells Fargo settlement The New Tri-State Defender staff
Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell called it a rare event that proves everyone benefits when the goal is collaboration. Mayor A C Wharton Jr. noted that the City of Memphis and Shelby County are collaborating with Wells Fargo bank on “a new partnership that will bring stability and renewed prosperity to some of our community’s hardest-hit neighborhoods.” And attorney Webb Brewer, who was on the ground floor of the multimillion lawsuit accusing Wells Fargo of lending discrimination, said that while he is pleased, the hardest part – enforcement of the settlement – likely still is ahead. All of this flowed in the wake of an agreement officially made public on Wednesday. As the day unfolded, Wharton and the regional president of Wells Fargo Bank, Leigh Collier, visited near Prospect and McKellar in South Memphis to announce a deal had been made to dismiss the multi-million dollar predatory lending lawsuit filed by the city and county in January 2010, alleging the bank discriminated against minorities.
You deserve five…
“Under the terms of our new agreement, Wells Fargo will invest $425 million in new home loans in our community, with $125 million of those dedicated specifically to low-income and moderate-income families,” Wharton said. “Wells Fargo will also make $4.5 million available in grants to first-
“Under the terms of our new agreement, Wells Fargo will invest $425 million in new home loans in our community, with $125 million of those dedicated specifically to lowincome and moderate-income families.” Mayor A C Wharton Jr.
time home purchasers, as well as an additional $3 million for a variety of programs related to financial literacy, home buyer counseling, and small business development.” Collier stressed that, “There’s also going to be financial literacy to help with making the payment, caring for the home, etcetera.” Wharton said he was confident that Collier and Wells Fargo understand
that there is so much work left to do to rebuild the neighborhoods that were devastated by the foreclosure crisis of the past several years. “ With Wells Fargo’s support, we are on a path to help many, many Memphians realize the dream of homeownership for the first time, building the foundation for a strong, prosperous city moving forward.” More details would be forthcoming, he said, later adding that favorable timing was crucial to the resolution. “Wells Fargo saw an opportunity to extend its spirit of partnership and, hey, it came together,” Wharton told the media. Here are some details that are known: Wells Fargo will set up a homeownership program that would make $15,000-max grants available to those interested and qualified to buy a home. A family income below 120 percent of poverty of the area median income is required of prospective homebuyers. An eight-hour home education session is required. This must be with an SEE LENDING ON PAGE 3
Rochelle Stevens set a U.S. record in the 200-meter dash for ages 45-49 during her own track invitational at Collierville Elementary School on Saturday (May 26). See related photos in Sports, page 14. (Photo by Warren Roseborough)
H- 7 6o - L - 5 8o P a r tl y C l oud y
SATURDAY
Friday H-80 L-60 H-70 L-53 H-81 L-58
SEE BUDGET ON PAGE 2
City’s Contract Compliance office has ‘Bright’ future The New Tri-State Defender staff
- INSIDE -
SUNDAY
• Oprah delivers ‘crowning’ touch to Spelman grads. See Nation, page 5.
H- 8 1o - L - 6 6o H- 8 8o - L - 7 0o Partl y Cl ou dy Scat. T-Sto rms
REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS
In the budget proposal that District 3 Councilman Harold Collins offers, several items have piqued interest, with his recommendation of how to use the city’s reserve coffers to pay off the last official debt to the Memphis City Schools drawing close scrutiny. Collins says his proposal to withdraw $19.5 million from the city’s reserve will not be detrimental to the city’s bond rating. “That is a misconception,” he said. “If we were to draw on the reserve fund, it would still leave 8.6 percent available to us. That will leave us with 60-plus million in reserve, which will not affect the bond rating. What the bond raters want to know is if the city is able to draw on resources if needed, and that would give us an accessible amount if needed.” Over the past five years, the council has reduced the property tax rate from $3.43 to $3.19, he said, as an illustration of the city’s fiscal strength. His proposal would further reduce the tax rate to $3.11 to be achieved after the funding for schools is removed as part of the budget, another possible indicator that Memphis is still a great placement possibility for businesses. “When we finish with the obligation to the schools, we need to repair the city’s transportation infrastructure,” Collins said. “I believe that if we are after active improvement of the roads and the highways, people will support a bond issuance.” Collins’s Whitehaven district contains two of the city’s major economic engines, Elvis Presley Blvd., (which he successfully secured $47 million in refurbishment funding) and the airport, which is being studied as one the world’s key potential centers in the next age of worldwide urban transport and shipping known as an aerotropolis. The core factor that makes him upbeat that Memphis can create a new paradigm for a successful urban
Transition after 12 years
MEMPHIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY
This year’s version of the annual wrangling between the mayor’s office and the Memphis City Council over the city’s budget for the next fiscal year is expected to eventually give way to a final vote on the budget on Tuesday (June 5). Council members Harold Collins, Edmund Ford Jr. and Jim Strickland each have their own versions of a proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. This week (May 29), they presented those alternatives to the council’s finance committee, veering away from the budget proposal Mayor AC Wharton Jr. presented in April. The mayor’s proposal made the case for a 47-cent property Harold tax increase, Collins which appears dead in the water. Wharton already has moved to finesse any obvious controversy out of the matter. “I’m not going to debate over the tax rate,” Wharton told reporters before the finance committee convened. “Let’s take care of the kids, keep the core services of government and I’ll be satisfied. I’m not going to get tripped up over what the tax rate is.” Besides scuttling Wharton’s proposed tax increase, each of the three council member proposals address hot-button concerns over threatened support for libraries and community centers, with Strickland presenting the idea of turning over management of several community centers to non-profit organizations. A key element in the discussion is the tax rate needed to operate the city on a sound financial basis. The present tax rate of $3.19 is expected to drop to $3.01 after funding for the city schools is dropped from the budget.
Collins: Plan a sound future
Saturday H-82 L-67 H-77 L-61 H-88 L-66
• ‘Messed up’ mind is an opportunity to take control. See Religion, page 8.
Sunday H-89 L-71 H-85 L-64 H-93 L-69
• Eat healthy during the summer. See Health, page 12. Allen Iverson
• Should Allen Iverson return to the NBA?. See Sports, page 14.
May has been pretty much of a blur for Mary L. Bright. It’s the month in which she received the Office of Contract Compliance (OCC) baton passed to her by a predecessor with a 12-year stamp on the position. The OCC is known by many as the place for small, minority and women-owned businesses to go to obtain assistance in doing business with the City of Memphis. Carlee McCullough, Esq., who made the decision to retire on March 23 and start her own firm, McCullough Law, had run the office since 2000. She was the new face brought in to oversee the rebranding of the Office (and the programs) originally created in 1996. Now it’s up to Bright, a former assistant city attorney, to pick up where McCullough left off, overseeing the office that provides oversight to the Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Program as well as the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program. “While I have only been on the job for a brief moment, I am hesitant to come into the position and change a lot of things all at once,” said Bright, a 2004 graduate of the Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville, and who received her B.A. in accounting from Tennessee State Uni-
Now itʼs up to Mary L. Bright to oversee the office that provides oversight to the Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Program as well as the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program. (Courtesy photo)
Going full time!: McCullough Law. See Business, page 7.
versity in 1997. “But just from my brief observation, I would like to work on increasing the number of certified vendors within our EBO and SBE programs, as well as identify areas where EBO and SBE vendors have been left out of the contracting process because no ready, willing and able vendor was there to do the job. I would like to see that there are ready, willing and able EBO and SBE vendors in all contracting opportunities.” McCullough, who was passionate about the subject matter, worked hard to raise the profile of the Office. Under her leadership, the DiSEE BRIGHT ON PAGE 2
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metropolis is “that our core industries are still based within the city limits. Even with the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) programs, they still provide employment, growth and some tax revenue, so anyone not optimistic about the city’s future is flat mistaken.” As a special assistant in the district attorney’s office, Collins heads the county’s juvenile and truancy programs. He said the city cannot afford to close libraries. “Summertime is when kids are ripe for trouble, and the libraries and community centers are a deterrent to it, no question about it,” he said. “That access must be kept available.”
Ford: Preserve the city’s value
City Council Vice Chairman Edmund Ford Jr. (D-6) said his budget alternative reflects his main concern – to protect the city’s homeowners while preserving access to key community support structures for future generations. “My proposal does not increase taxes, protects our bond rating by not dipping into the reserve fund, gives kids access to educational and recreational resources over the summer and allows the most savings,” he said. Ford said he crunched the numbers with the goal of preserving the city’s value, while maintaining real service in areas he felt were crucial to uphold, especially for inner city concerns.
BRIGHT
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versity Developer Incubator, which was a program designed to train minority and women in the area of real estate development, was created. In addition, outreach efforts in the community were expanded, a new Disparity Study was completed and the diversity numbers are now around 30 percent Bright takes over having worked in both public and corporate accounting as well as with the Shelby County Criminal Court Judges and the County Attorney’s Office before joining the City Attorney’s Office in February of 2011. “I am excited about this position because it gives me the opportunity to focus my energy and efforts into an area that historically has been underserved,” said Bright. “I con-
NEWS
Tri-State Defender
May 31 - June 6, 2012
Edmund Ford Jr.
“ M y budget reduces the tax rate from $3.01 to $2.98. It’s the only one offering a reduction, and it’s the first real reduction offered s i n c e
1993,” he said. “Look at Nashville, they have a similar rating, but they are having difficulties in accessing investment funds because of fewer reserves. We must enforce the 10 percent reserve threshold unless absolutely necessary for emergencies.” An algebra teacher at Central High School, Ford joins others who adamantly support libraries in every community. “Here we are facing a time in our lives where we are telling kids and trying to get the message across that education is more important than ever. What kind of message in reality are we sending to kids by closing down libraries, the only institution of learning many kids have available to them over the summer?” The same thing with community centers, which his proposal recommends remain open on Saturdays. “We must make sure all youth have places where they can engage in positive things. If the community center is not open, let them go to the libraries and educate themselves over the summer, but we have to maintain positive outlets for our upcoming generations at all costs. The only thing the
sider myself to be very much a ‘people person’ and this opportunity would allow me the chance to get to know and work one on one with the people within the community.” She hit the ground running (May 2012) and there has not been a dull moment. “I am seeing and experiencing first hand some of the challenges that MWBEs (Minorityand Women-Owned Business Enterprises) and SBEs experience just to receive a sliver of the pie,” she said. “During each day, each meeting, each process, each experience, I am constantly thinking ‘how do we make this process better’ so that these vendors are consistently getting the opportunities and are not left out.” Bright noted “the responsibility to maintain the success of the program and the office” and said it is imperative that the office creates “new oppor-
city does that is more important is emergency services.” Ford also creates budgeting that keeps the city’s golf courses open year round, but more critical, he said, is the need to get at a core problem in many inner city neighborhoods: holding property owners, especially predatory types, accountable for deterioration in many neighborhoods. “What real good does it do having a $3 million budget to fight blight if we don’t have the means to enforce the rules? And the summer time is when blight and its effects are at its peak,” he said.
Strickland: Facing the facts
District 5 City Councilman Jim Strickland cut right to the chase of his concerns during a visit to The New Tri-State Defender last week. “The census shows that we have a shrinking population base, about a half percent a year,” he said in an interview with TSD President/Publisher Bernal E. Smith II. “And I don’t think that can be attributed to white flight, or black flight, it should really be defined as middle class flight and I believe it’s caused by the property tax rate. “Compared with what they pay in Nashville, which is consolidated, we pay nearly 75 percent more in taxes than they do. It hurts us in business and it hurts us in population growth,” he said. “People in business say people vote with their taillights and that’s what we are facing here. If we hadn’t annexed as we have, we would have a net loss since 2000.”
tunities for the MWBE and SBE in our community.” “It is my hope that the baton stays forever afloat. No matter who is in the position of Contract Compliance Officer, the goals of the program should be fulfilled for the MWBEs and SBEs in the community,” she said. Vendors will find Bright encouraging them to maintain high expectations for the office. “Vendors should expect to receive the same level of service that they have received thus far. They should still feel free to call and come by to find out about opportunities or to get questions answered and share their experiences,” she said. (For additional information about the Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) and/or Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program, call the City of Memphis-Office of Contract Compliance at 901-636-6210.)
Strickland does not want to increase property taxes. “If we could move (reserve funding) down to 5 percent, we Jim could use Strickland $35 to $40 million to pay off the schools and then just work on the city budget.” There are basically two issues to address, the city’s budget and the school’s budget, said Strickland. “The mayor has said he can run the
city effectively on the $3.01 tax rate and that’s where we must remain, if at all possible. Everything above that is for the schools,” he said. “What I recommend is that we ought to pay this final obligation with one-time funding, instead of the 47-cent tax increase the mayor requested. Even if it was earmarked for one-time use, I don’t believe it would ever go away.” Strickland feels the best funding mix, “Would pay for it with one-time funding; $9 million from the sale of the defense depot, combine it with $20 million from a fund set aside to pay for employee health benefits in the future. That’s actually an original idea
from the mayor. What I have added on my own is the recommendation to dip deeper into the reserves,” he said. “I researched and found that most cities and states keep about a 5 percent reserve, so if we could utilize between $30 and $40 million dollars and maintain a 5 percent reserve. The reserve threshold is set by the mayor and approved by the council. We can change it if we need to.” As for keeping the community centers open, Strickland has proposed allowing nonprofits to take over several throughout the city. However, blowback during the last budget session may have been a strong indicator that his suggestion may not make the final cut.
NEWS
Tri-State Defender
Page 3
May 31 - June 6, 2012
TSU alumna returns as Fortune 500 executive-on-loan
NASHVILLE (TSU News Service) – Patricia Brewer Hairston has landed a “rare” opportunity to give back to her a l m a mater. The 1977 graduate of Tennessee State University, an executive at Corning IncorpoPatricia rated, a Brewer Fortune Hairston 500 company, will be working at TSU for one year as an “executiveon-loan” funded by Corning. As the Corning executive-
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approved nonprofit group. Eligibility includes living in the home for five years. “Like the City of Memphis, the County will use money from the agreement to initiate housing assistance initiatives and address blight in areas affected by the foreclosures,” said Luttrell. “The agreement signifies an important step in our ability to sit down with businesses like Wells Fargo and find a workable solution to a major problem that affects thousands of people throughout Shelby County.” Brewer, a partner in the law firm of Brewer & Barlow, which specializes in social justice and civil rights issues, along with his partner, Steve Barlow, initially represented Memphis and Shelby County in the discriminatory lending lawsuit against Wells Fargo. “We (Memphis and Shelby County) were sort of like at a fork in the road because this was going to be a long and grueling litigation. I feel, and always did, that we could have been successful (with the suit) and in the end we were in getting past dismissals and all of that,” said Brewer. “Still there is an awful lot of time and expense involved and I think it’s a sensible decision to try and get the most relief that can be gotten now for people in Memphis that are in need. Who knows where a lot of those people would have been in five to seven years when the case would have wound it’s way to conclusion.” Next up is getting “meat on the bones” of the terms of the settlement, he said. “It (foreclosure) continues to be a big problem. I do think this is a big help,” said Brewer. “There are a number of other things, like the agreement between the Justice Department and the states attorney generals, there have been a number of private lawsuits or governmental actions. No one of them is like a panacea or solution to everything, but I hope that all of them kind of put together like a quilt is changing the situation a great deal. A lot of these agreements, like the one just reached here in Memphis, are brand new. So how effectively they end up being – I am optimistic, but you don’t know.” From past work, enforcing a settlement is probably the hardest part of it, said Brewer. “At least there is a lot happening right now in terms of new protection for consumers, new relief,” he said. “It’s still a big uphill thing and you know, unfortunately the blighting that’s happened, it is going to take a whole lot to reverse the damage that has been done in neighborhoods.”
C&A
Dr. Stacy L. Spencer and the church he pastors, New Direction Christian Church, were identified incorrectly in a story about reaction to President Obama’s support of samesex marriages in our May 24-30, 2012 edition. The New Tri-State Defender regrets the errors and extends an apology to Dr. Spencer and New Direction.
on-loan, Hairston will work closely with TSU leadership to advance the goals of the Supply Chain Management Program and other leadership initiatives at the institution. “This is an opportunity that I cherish,” Hairston said. “I always wanted to give back to Tennessee State University, and this is certainly a way to do so in a more meaningful
way.” Hairston, director of Global Transportation and Trade Compliance at Corning, currently chairs the TSU Supply Chain Management Program Governing Board, a leadership group of nine leading Fortune 500 companies that collaborate and work with the University to review curriculum, lead research, and develop students
for future leadership in supply chain management. She has been a member of the board since 2006. TSU President, Dr. Portia Holmes Shields, called Corning “a forward-thinking company” for assigning Hairston to TSU where she can have a direct impact on the development of future supply chain management professionals.
“We are thrilled to see her return to us so capable and a more strengthened graduate with a level of technical and executive expertise that can only be helpful to Tennessee State University,” she said. Hairston, who will also work with the president of TSU in an advisory capacity, has received high commendation from the Vice President of University
Relations and Development, Dr. William Nelsen, with whom she has been working closely. “TSU is very fortunate to have an executive of her caliber and qualification to be assigned to this institution,” he said. “We look forward to her leadership on important projects that would advance this university.”
Page 4
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OPINION
Tri-State Defender
May 31 - June 6, 2012
• Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher • Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor
FLASHBACK: 2008
Summer ripe with possibilities for early childhood development Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Tarrin McGhee
The annual observance of Memorial Day serves as a gentle reminder that summer is right around the corner. During this time of year, adults and children of all ages relish thoughts of long-awaited opportunities to enjoy extended periods of daylight, playtime, rest and relaxation. In the few short weeks before summer starts, parents across America will also find themselves pondering the same question: How to keep the kids occupied for the next three months? For those with school-age children, the answers are easier to find. Summer camp, sporting activities, and visits with extended family are all popular summer past-times. However, it can be a bit more challenging for parents with younger children to identify ways to keep their little ones entertained and more importantly, eager and ready to start kindergarten. To give Mid-South families with children ages three and younger a head start on this task, The Urban Child Institute has prepared a list of recommended outings and activities that are both fun and educational.
Tour a Museum
From the time a child is born, the sights, sounds, colors, and shapes he encounters are shaping the way his brain grows and develops. A trip to the Children’s Museum of Memphis, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, or other museums around town can help you introduce your child to new and positive experiences that promote brain development.
Go downtown
Learning opportunities for young children are available in just about every corner of the city, but they’re especially plentiful downtown. Visiting the historic Peabody Hotel to see the famous duck walk, riding the Main Street Trolley, and spending a day at the Mud Island River Park are just a few examples.
Play outdoors
Playing promotes development of
cognitive, social and emotional skills in young children. Outdoor recreational activities are abundant in the summer months: the Memphis Zoo, Shelby Farms Park, the Wolf River Trails, the Tarrin Greenline, and McGhee My Big Backyard at the Memphis Botanical Gardens are excellent venues where young children can spend time playing with peers and learning about nature.
Read
Early language and literacy abilities are an important part of kindergarten readiness. Get a library card or sign up with Books from Birth for free to help your child develop a love for reading and story telling early on. According to The Urban Child Institute, story time strengthens language, literacy and thinking skills. By reading to a young child, you can help ensure that he is well prepared when school begins.
Visit your neighborhood elementary school
It’s never too early to help a child become excited about learning. Taking your little one to visit the school that she will soon attend can be a fun way to help prepare her for the journey ahead. The Urban Child Institute’s “Kindergarten Readiness Begins at Birth” parenting guide explains in depth how engaging in activities such as these can greatly improve a young child’s potential to succeed in the classroom. This summer, parents should take advantage of these opportunities to strengthen the foundation for their child’s future achievement and success. (The New Tri-State Defender has partnered with The Urban Child Institute to make sure every child has the best chance for optimal brain development during the critical first three years of each child’s life. This is one in a series of stories and columns in our campaign.)
SAMPLE PLATTER: WHAT’S BEING WRITTEN Under-publicized black Republicans and success stories the race card NNPA News Service
NNPA News Service
by Raynard Jackson
by Bill Fletcher Jr.
Judging from most of the media coverage about the state of Black America, some could reasonably conclude that blacks are on the verge of extinction. The world knows about all the baby mama drama, heated debates over the “N” word, and what Beyoncé and Jay-Z named their baby. Yes, these are real events, but our grandparents and great grandparents would be ashamed of our community. Not because we have not made progress, but because we have failed to instill in our people a sense of history about our past, even the recent past. There was a time that we could blame the “white media” for the way blacks were portrayed, but now that we own both print and broadcast outlets, no longer can that be our excuse. I challenge black media to get back to their original mandate of uplifting and educating our people….
I would like you to do me a favor. We all know Republicans. In fact, you may be a Republican. So, here is my request. The next time you have a discussion with a Republican friend of yours – or if you are a Republican – ask them a question for me: Why do the Republicans keep falling back on the race card in challenging President Obama? Don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting that the president should not be criticized. In fact, regularly criticize his policies in my commentaries. No, I am talking about something very different. I am asking, why do Republican-aligned groups regularly play with the race card. Or, perhaps I should go further and ask, even when they do not play the race card, why are they all too often silent when the race card gets played?...
(Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.based public relations/government affairs firm. His web site is: www.raynardjackson.com.)
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
(Bill Fletcher Jr. is a senior scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies, the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum, and the co-author of Solidarity Divided. He can be reached at papaq54@hotmail.com.) DISTRIBUTION: Tri-State Defender is available at newsstands, street sales, store vendors, mail subscription and honor boxes throughout the Greater Memphis area. No person may, without prior written permission of the Tri-State Defender, reprint any part of or duplicate by electronic device any portion without written permission. Copyright 2012 by Tri-State Defender Publishing, Inc. Permission to Publisher, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Back copies can be obtained by calling the Tri-State Defender at (901) 523-1818, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Racist ‘Talk’ with white children
In the wake of the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., stories appeared in newspapers, on broadcast outlets and on the Internet about “the talk,” a candid conversation black parents have at some point with their black sons about surviving in a society that devalues them as humans. In an April 5 article published in Taki magazine (takimag.com), National Review contributor John Derbyshire wrote, “Yes, talk about the talk is all over.” Under the headline, “The Talk: Nonblack Version,” he said, “There is a talk that nonblack Americans have with their kids, too. My own kids, now 19 and 16, have had it in bits and pieces as subtopics have arisen. If I were to assemble it into a single talk, it would look something like the following.” He then listed a series of clearly racist and undocumented comments. Among them: • The default principle in everyday personal encounters is, that as a fellow citizen, with the same rights and obligations as yourself, any individual black is entitled to the same courtesies you would extend to a nonblack citizen. That is basic good manners and good citizenship. In some unusual circumstances, however – e.g., paragraph (10h) below – this default principle should be overridden by considerations of personal safety. • In consideration of personal safety, Derbyshire advises: Avoid concentrations of blacks not all known to you personally; Stay out of heavily black neighborhoods; If planning a trip to a beach or amusement park at some date, find out whether it is likely to be swamped with blacks on that date (neglect of that one got me the closest I have ever gotten to death by gunshot); Do not attend events likely to draw a lot of blacks; If you are at some public event at which the number of blacks suddenly swells, leave as quickly as possible; Do not settle in a district or municipality run by black politicians; Before voting for a black politician, scrutinize his/her character much more carefully than you would a white; Do not act the Good Samaritan to blacks in apparent distress, e.g., on the highway and if accosted by a strange black in the street, smile and say something polite but keep moving. • As you go through life, however, you will experience an ever larger number of encounters with black Americans. Assuming your encounters are random – for example, not restricted only to black convicted murderers or to black investment bankers – the Law of Large Numbers will inevitably kick in. You will observe that the means – the averages – of many traits are very different for black and white Americans, as has been confirmed by methodical inquiries in the human sciences. • Of most importance to your per-
sonal safety are the very different means for antisocial behavior, which you will see reflected in, for instance, school disciplinary measures, political corruption, and criminal convictions. George • These differE. Curry ences are magnified by the hostility many blacks feel toward whites. Thus, while black-on-black behavior is more antisocial in the average than is white-on-white behavior, average black-on-white behavior is a degree more antisocial yet. • A small cohort of blacks – in my experience, around five percent – is ferociously hostile to whites and will go to great lengths to inconvenience or harm us. A much larger cohort of blacks – around half – will go along passively if the five percent take leadership in some event. They will do this out of racial solidarity, the natural willingness of most human beings to be led, and a vague feeling that whites have it coming. • The mean intelligence of blacks is much lower than for whites. The least intelligent ten percent of whites have IQs below 81; forty percent of blacks have IQs that low. Only one black in six is more intelligent than the average white; five whites out of six are more intelligent than the average black…“Life is an IQ test.” • There is a magnifying effect here, too, caused by affirmative action. In a pure meritocracy there would be very low proportions of blacks in cognitively demanding jobs. Because of affirmative action, the proportions are higher. In government work, they are very high. Thus, in those encounters with strangers that involve cognitive engagement, ceteris paribus the black stranger will be less intelligent than the white. In such encounters, therefore—for example, at a government office – you will, on average, be dealt with more competently by a white than by a black. Derbyshire ended his article by saying, “You don’t have to follow my version of the talk point for point; but if you are white or Asian and have kids, you owe it to them to give them some version of the talk. It will save them a lot of time and trouble spent figuring things out for themselves. It may save their lives.”
(Next week: The National Review’s Long History of Racism) (George E. Curry, editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA), can be reached through www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.)
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IN THE MAIL
Disneyland is cool, but there are trips more valuable
When you leave the United States, you’ll often find “cultural tourism,” or the opportunity to enjoy a culture and also purchase trinkets or more substantial items in markets around the Julianne world. In Ghana, Malveaux we look for kente cloth, statues, and masks. In other African countries, the offerings are often similar, but Zimbabwe is known for its marvelous and distinctive Shona sculpture. South African offers Ndebele dolls, among other items. And so it goes. During my recent trip to Peru, I had the opportunity to buy genuine baby alpaca scarves, shawls, and even a coat. We also had an example of cultural tourism, perhaps at its worst, when we went to a village off the Amazon River and were allowed to go into a family’s home to “see how they live.” Was their poverty exaggerated? It’s not clear that it was. But behind one closed door was a television set that contrasted sharply with the simple life our guards said people lived. Our visit to a classroom, too, was lovely and charming, except that the children had been clearly prepped for us. I suppose there is no harm in the show and tell, but in some ways it raised myriad questions, and offered few answers. The cultural tourism in Peru got me to thinking about what we offer in the United States. With the building of the King Monument in Washington, D.C., along with the city’s many other attractions, including the Frederick Douglass Museum, the Museum of African Art, the Native American Museum, Howard University, the new Howard Theatre, and so much more, Washington ought to be a prime location for African-American cultural tourism. Never mind that “Chocolate City” has turned neopolitan, it’s not yet chocolate chip, and the presence of AfricanAmerican culture is strong There are African-American heritage and history museums all around the country, museums that did not exist half a century ago. They all are important and stunning enough to visit, including the Birmingham Museum of Civil Rights, the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, N.C., the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, the California African American Museum in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis at the Lorraine Hotel, where Dr. King was shot. There are other historic sites and points of interest, including the King Center in Atlanta, where both Dr. King and Coretta Scott King are encrypted. Apart from the museums, all of these cities offer rich opportunities to explore African-American history, and to provide children with both context and education. I was motivated to write this column when a friend shared that she plans to take her two grandchildren to Disney World in Florida this summer. I have no inherent objection to Disney World, or at least none that I will go into in this space. However, young people are often exposed to amusement parks and far less frequently exposed to our history. And with the cultural wars raging, too few public schools (and even colleges) are offering adequate information about African-American history, culture, and heritage. Thus, a young white boy felt okay about a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that included wearing blackface. What was he thinking? What were his parents thinking? Their actions were a result of cultural ignorance, and a lack of knowledge about history. Similarly, young African Americans show a singular lack of knowledge when they bandy the “n“ word about. Sure, some say they do it to remove the historical stigma of a word that has been used to denigrate our people. However, from my perspective, it offers ignorant whites, who relish use of the racial slur anyway, to question why AfricanAmerican people can use the word while white people can’t. Cultural tourism in the United States can’t erase all of the ignorance out there, but knowledge is power and our young people, if not all Americans, can certainly benefit from cultural sites in the United States. In any case, from my perspective, you’d learn a lot more than you would from a trip to Disneyland. (NNPA columnist Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.based economist and writer,)
Tri-State Defender
AFRICA BRIEFS Free speech or racism? Semi-naked portrait sparks debate
Smoldering anger over a full-length painting of South African President Jacob Zuma, with his genitals exposed, has forced a confrontation between those who support free expression and those who see racism “alive and well and living on the tips of the tongues of most white South Africans.” “The Spear,” by satirical artist Brett Murray, had been hanging at the Goodman Gallery until the gallery owners removed all of Murray’s works this week, bowing to growing pressure from ANC loyalists and others. At a march by thousands of ANC supporters, handwritten signs read: “President Zuma has a right to human dignity and privacy,’ “We say no to abuse of Artistic expression,” and “Draw your white father naked, not our president.” The painting – which forms part of Murray’s “Hail to the Thief II” exhibition – has already been sold. Buti Manamela, national secretary of the Young Communist League, weighed in, saying: “The movement has always promoted freedom of expression, but you cannot denigrate important figures.” Ferial Haffajee, editor of City Press that carried the picture, fired back: “We take down the image in the spirit of peacemaking – it is an olive branch. But the debate must not end here and we should all turn this into a learning moment, in the interest of all our freedoms. “Of course, the image is coming down from fear too. I’d be silly not to admit that. The atmosphere is like a tinderbox: City Press copies went up in flames on Saturday; I don’t want any more newspapers burnt in anger.” Julius Malema, the expelled president of the ANC’s youth wing said “Banning newspapers simply because we disagree with them, and boycotting them on the basis of believing that our conception of truth is absolute, poses a real threat to our democracy.”
Nigeria’s new oil law is foreign-firm friendly
Nigeria’s long-awaited oil reform bill is a Christmas stocking stuffed with goodies for the multinational oil companies who have been feasting for years on the nation’s rich supply of crude oil.
NATION
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Provisions that would have forced the government to publish how much oil it pumps and all the payments it receives from oil firms – in an industry where secrecy is blamed for corruption – have been stripped from the bill. “I expect the petroleum industry to be happy. I expect many Nigerians to be upset,” said Pedro Van Meurs, an oil and gas expert, in a press interview. The Petroleum Industry Bill, stuck in committee since 2009, was fasttracked this year by President Goodluck Jonathan. Under the new law, anyone who “interferes” with the oil minister will be fined or imprisoned. And it allows the oil minister and the directors of state institutions to receive gifts, which will not please civil society groups calling for an end to graft. Meanwhlle, tempers are flaring over the failure of President Jonathan to punish those who orchestrated the $6.8 billion fuel subsidy scam.
African leaders look to Diaspora support for development fund
A fund to harness the financial resources of African citizens abroad was endorsed this week by African leaders at the wind-up of the Global African Diaspora Summit, held in Johannesburg. The fund, managed by the African Union Commission, would lure the Diaspora to contribute to Africa’s development. According to the AU, the continent needs about $60 billion in the next 10 years to meet its infrastructure needs. But unity on the continent was poorly displayed in the host city, which has seen anti-immigrant sentiment growing among locals. Jason Chiwuzie Osuafor, president of a Nigerian immigrants organization, cited systematic prejudice by those who are supposed to protect the law. ‘The main problem is one of police brutality. Between last year and this year, we’ve registered 10 Nigerians killed by policemen in mysterious circumstances,” said Osuafor. Anti-immigrant fever is spreading outward. In Namibia, residents of a shanty town area have been threatening action against Zimbabwean squatters whom they claim have started “grabbing land” from native Namibians. President Jacob Zuma gave the summit’s closing speech. Source: Global Information Network
Oprah delivers ‘crowning’ touch to Spelman grads Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Kenya King
Only Oprah Winfrey, the “Queen of Talk,” can breathe life into timeworn clichés and make them as authentic and delectable as grandma’s home-cooked meal. Oprah served up a dose of confidence-boosting oratory, telling the more than 500 Spelman graduates to “put your crown on your head and wear it” at the college’s 125th commencement Ceremony. “It’s already paid for,” she said. “Paid for by the blood, from the lynching, the tears and the sweat. From the toil and the trails and the sorrows, from the burdens and the weariness. Paid for by the sit-in and by the setbacks….Even though they hadn’t experienced it or tasted freedom, they knew they were planting seeds of freedom that would bear the fruit that is now you. This is their day as well,” said Winfrey. In knowing the graduates reflected an image of herself, Oprah prayed long and hard, she admitted, about what she would say that day. “You represent who I am, who I have been and who I can be in the world,” said Winfrey. At the commencement, Winfrey
was also awarded Spelman’s Board of Trustees National Community Service Award for the millions of dollars she has given toward education with her Angel Network and Oprah Winfrey Scholars program. Actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith and HIV/AIDS educator Dazon Dixon Diallo both received honorary degrees from Spelman for their community work and accomplishments. The graduates anxiously listened to Winfrey’s refreshing delineations of the proverbs “know thy self” and “do the right thing. Winfrey described herself as a vessel to espouse words of wisdom from lessons learned, and said she hopes that “when the times get tough,” the students will recall her words. Winfrey outlined how to always be an “unforgettable woman.” She said, “What I recognize now is it is my choice to in every way, in every example, in every experience to do the right thing and the excellent thing, is what has created a brand.” Winfrey stressed that three important decisions would carry the students for a lifetime: the decision to know oneself, to serve and to do what’s right. “You must have some kind of vision for your life even if you don’t know
the plan. You want to be in the driver seat,” said Winfrey. Most importantly, she said, being famous fades in time, and that the significance one brings to service is lasting. “In three years you won’t be able to name the ‘Housewives of Atlanta,’” she joked. Oprah Winfrey even brought Celie from “The Color Purple” with her to make her point about doing the right thing and not toiling over getting revenge on those who wronged you. In the voice of Celie, “everything you even try to do to me, already done to you,” said Winfrey. “So doing the right thing even when nobody knows you’re doing the right thing, always bring the right thing to you, I promise you that. I stand as a witness,” she said. “My life is so blessed, I can’t even take it in sometimes. It will lead you to not just a gifted life and rewarding life that fills you up, but a sweet life. That’s what you want. You want the sweetness. You want it to be so sweet so that even when the storms come and they will, you’ll know – this too shall pass. The storm is passing over and you shall not be moved, because you know who you are.” (Source: Atlanta Daily World, a Real Times Media newspaper.)
History on deck…
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed the U.S. Navyʼs first contingent of women submariners assigned to the Navyʼs operational submarine force to the Blue Room of the White House on Monday (May 28). The 24 women were accepted into the Navyʼs nuclear submarine program after completing an intensive training program and serve on ballistic and guided missile submarines throughout the Navy. Also attending were Admiral Mark Ferguson (left), Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (right). (White House photo by Pete Souza)
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Alzheimer’s & African Americans: ‘Two to three times more likely than whites’
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – “He was saying that some fellow across the street was taking gas out of his truck,” said Ann Small about her husband James. “I know that he (the neighbor) would never do such a thing – and then he accused someone of taking tires off of his truck. I didn’t pay much attention to it. Then after he was diagnosed, a lot of these little things come to mind.” James Small, who is African American, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. African Americans living in the United States are two to three times more likely than whites to be diagnosed with the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
She didn’t see it coming
Small’s wife didn’t see it coming. She wondered if the changes in his personality – his angry outbursts – just meant that the two were spending too much time together. “Anything I’d say, he would be negative about it,” Small remembered. “Every day it was something new.” The couple’s daughter described her father as a handyman around their house, yet routine home improvement projects started taking him hours. Another time he became confused while driving on the highway and wanted to stop the car. She ended up receiving the task of taking him to a neurologist, who made the diagnosis. While someone can live with Alzheimer’s disease an average of 8 to 10 years, and
up to 20 years in some cases, the disease is ultimately fatal, and there is no cure. Juanita Williams said she screamed and cried alone in her car for over 10 minutes after learning that her husband Chuck Williams, a professor, had early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In the doctor’s office, she said, her husband slumped forward as though a weight had come upon him. She was strong for him then, but broke down as she rode alone to pick up his prescription. Now nine years later, Williams continues to care for her husband as he nears the advanced stages of the disease. “I’m not in denial. It’s getting worse for him,” she said, “and I think he needs so much more help.” She has begun to consider assisted living or longterm care.
Dangerous silence
“People aren’t comfortable about telling people about it because they feel embarrassed, and they don’t understand it. That’s their business,” said Dorothea Harris, a licensed social worker. Harris heads the Family Memory Care for African program at Volunteers of AmericaMinnesota. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease of the brain and results in memory loss as well as personality and behavior changes in those afflicted. In the end stages of the disease, sufferers have difficulty swallowing and may be unable to control movement.
According to the National Institute on Aging, 5.1 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. In Minnesota, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 110,000 people ages 65 or older will have the disease by the year 2025. “As a black community, we don’t want to talk about it,” said Ann Small about Alzheimer’s disease. Her husband has diabetes and his mother had dementia, two factors that increase the risk for Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Chuck Williams also has diabetes. African Americans also have higher rates of vascular diseases, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. About 44 percent of African Americans ages 20 or more have high blood pressure, one of the highest levels in the world, according to an American Heart Association 2011 statistics report. Cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer’s disease may have common risk factors.
Education to combat denial
Combating the disease includes increasing awareness and education about Alzheimer’s disease among African Americans. “What’s needed first is education after they come out of denial,” said Ellen Johnson, senior aide at Volunteers for America. Johnson, who works with Dorothea Harris, said, “Most
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people don’t know what it is. They don‘t know why the person is doing what they’re doing.” Early diagnosis is important because some of the limited medication available can help some patients more effectively manage symptoms and during the initial stages of Alzheimer’s. Yet many African Americans do not become diagnosed until the later stages of the disease. Juanita Williams, for instance, knew something was wrong with her husband. She described him as intelligent and very responsible, but he began to behave irresponsibly. He refused to see the doctor until she gave him an ultimatum: Either go to the doctor or get out. He chose to go to the doctor. Chuck Williams had a brother, on the other hand, who also exhibited symptoms in his early 60s, but he was not diagnosed until the disease had progressed to the middle stages. The family just thought he had a kooky personality, Juanita said, until he became lost and had two accidents. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which affects people before age 50, is uncommon, but it has genetic links and tends to run in families.
Post diagnosis: what’s next?
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease does not necessarily mean immediate, drastic life
Solomon Carter Fuller was the first African-American psychiatrist and worked closely with Alois Alzheimer in uncovering the disease Alzheimer would first describe in 1906. changes, but there are ways for families to prepare and plan for the future stages. On May 15, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which includes among its goals strategies to support families and caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease and to address ethnic and racial health disparities. Additionally, the Alzheimer’s Association has a webpage for African Americans (www.alz.org/ africanamerican) explaining
Alzheimer’s disease and the 10 warning signs. They also provide information for caregivers, such as the support group, and Alzheimer’s helpline (1-800-272-3900). In addition, those new to family caregiving will find useful information at www.WhatIsACaregiver.org.
(Andrea Parrott wrote this story as part of a MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellowship, a project of New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America.)
BUSINESS
Tri-State Defender
MONEY MATTERS
How can you insure your future?
Long ago, people realized that there is strength in numbers. For hundreds of years, we have been joining forces against all kinds of calamities – including financial troubles. T h e concept of insurance Charles Sims is simply Jr., CFP that if enough of us can pool our money to form a large enough fund, then together we can handle practically any financial disaster. Our motivation for contributing to this fund is our own eligibility to draw from it in the event of a disaster. One for all and all for one, so to speak. An early example of the concept comes from the Code of Hammurabi, Babylonian laws dating back to 1700 B.C., which contain a credit insurance provision. For a little higher interest, the ancients could exempt themselves from repayment of loans in the event of personal misfortune. A citizen of the Roman Empire could buy life insurance through the Collegia Tenuiorum for slaves and wage earners, or the Collegia for members of the military. The funds provided old-age pensions, disability insurance, and burial costs. In spite of some complications and occasional bureaucratic snarls, the system has worked remarkably well through the ages. Today, virtually all heads of families should carry life insurance. Most financial advisors also recommend automobile, health, homeowners, personal liability, professional liability and/or malpractice disability, and long-term-care insurance. Purchasing individual or family insurance coverage is probably one of the most important financial decisions you will make. A great deal of study and advice is needed to choose wisely. A few basic guidelines can safely be applied to most consumers. (Beyond these, each individual’s needs are unique and should be carefully assessed by an expert.) 1. How much insurance do you need? A good rule of thumb is: Don’t insure yourself against misfortunes you can pay for yourself. Insurance is there to protect you in case of an event with overwhelming expenses. If anything short of a calamity does occur, it will usually cost you less in actual costs than the insurance premiums you would have paid. 2. What kind of policy is best? Broader is better. Purchase insurance that will cover as many misfortunes as possible with a single policy; for example, homeowners insurance that covers not only damage to the house itself but also to its contents. Carefully examine policies that exclude coverage in certain areas, the “policy exclusions.” 3. From whom should I buy? Always buy from a financially strong company. Take the time to shop around for the best prices with the most coverage for your specific situation. You may be able to save money by buying multiple policies from the same agent. Always use an agent that represents many companies. You will know he/she is “your agent”, and not the company’s agent.
(Charles Sims Jr. is President/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901-682-2410 or visit w w w. S i m s F i n a n c i a l Group.com. The information in this article is not intended to be tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek tax or legal advice from an independent professional advisor.)
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May 31 - June 6, 2012
ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY
Going full time!: McCULLOUGH LAW:
“On Our Way To Wealthy” was designed as a weekly business column to inform and inspire African Americans to create and build wealth in our community. Over the last two years, we’ve profiled all types of businesses. From sports agents to stylists and contractors to security firms, their thoughts and steps have been laid out so that others may follow. We have also provided advice on business plans, funding a business and marketing the business. The profiles have covered startup, family and long established businesses. With every article I have grown more and more inspired to join their ranks full time. With approval from the City Administration, I had my own part-time boutique entertainment law firm. However, full-time I served as the Contract Compliance Officer for the City of Memphis. In that capacity I was responsible for the City’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program, the Small Business Enterprise Program, and the Diversity Developer Incubator. For over twelve years I met with hundreds of businesses, all seeking to increase sales by reaching out to government. My interaction with businesses over the years provided the much-needed stimulation to take advantage of my
retirement opportun i t y (March 2 0 1 2 ) with the City and focus on McCULLOUGH LAW full time. Carlee H e r e ’s McCullough an “On Our Way To Wealthy” self-profile of McCULLOUGH LAW and our practice areas.
Business
As a former Certified Public Accountant, my knowledge and understanding of complex issues coupled with the ability to provide solutions is somewhat unique. Providing solid legal advice and counsel is the primary mission of our firm. We assist in business formation and business planning in deciding whether to operate as a closely held business, limited liability company, partnership or corporation. We also provide advice about contracting, directors’ and officers’ liability, dissolution, franchising, reorganization, trade association membership and activity, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, business successions, and shareholders’ rights.
Entertainment
In the area of entertainment, we facilitate and negotiate business deals. From business formation to trademarks and copyrights, we have concentrated in this area for many years. Having served as the Legal Liaison to the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission, as well as the Memphis & Shelby County Film Commission, we understand the landscape of the City and State as it relates to entertainment. Holding law licenses in California and Tennessee, McCULLOUGH LAW concentrates on the following entertainment topics: Film & television: Option agreements, finance, talent agreements, screenwriters, film directors, actors, music composers/directors, trade union agreements, distribution, theatrical releases, DVD releases, intellectual property including copyrights and trademarks. Music: Record label, music licensing, publishing, talent (artists, musicians, producers) agreements, synchronization rights, music industry negotiations, copyrights, trademarks. Publishing: Print and digital media issues, including advertising, models, author agreements and intellectual property issues.
Divorce
While divorce is frequently a painful ordeal, it can also serve as a new beginning. We help bring closure.
Social Security/Disability
If you have been denied benefits or need assistance in the process, McCULLOUGH LAW is here to help you navigate through the process. We understand this may be the most challenging time of your life and therefore we are sensitive to the situation and eager to provide help.
Bankruptcy
In life, unexpected events happen that make it difficult for individuals or businesses to pay bills. The law allows relief in certain circumstances. At McCULLOUGH LAW, we help identify the appropriate relief. The most types of bankruptcy cases are: Chapter 7 is commonly referred to as “straight” bankruptcy or “liquidation.” The debtor is required to give up property that exceeds certain limits known as “exemptions.” Chapter 11 is commonly referred to as “reorganization.” This type is frequently used by businesses and individuals with very large debts.
Chapter 13 is commonly referred to as “debt adjustment.” This type requires a debtor to file a plan to pay some of the debts from current income.
Non-Profits
McCULLOUGH LAW is highly experienced in the formation of non-profits.
Wills
At McCULLOUGH LAW, we draft wills for individuals with a desire to direct the disposal of their assets upon death. Wills give a person an opportunity to provide instructions about who should serve as your personal representative (called an executor) and who should receive your assets. Wills also can name a guardian for a minor child and make arrangements for the care of a disabled child or adult. So know that I am now a fulltime entrepreneur who can more fully understand the pain, challenges and rewards of all that we have been profiling – and will be profiling in the future. We are truly On Our Way to Wealthy! (For additional information about McCULLOUGH LAW please visit www.McCullough LawFirm.com.) (Contact Carlee McCullough, Esq., at 5308 Cottonwood Road, Suite 1A, Memphis, Tenn. 38118, or email her at jstce4all@aol.com.)
Black Enterprise matriarch was a guiding force
(PRNewswire) – Family matriarch and a guiding force of Black Enterprise, Barbara Kydd Graves, died last week (May 25) at Howard University Hospital after a more than three-year battle with gall bladder cancer. She was 74. The wife of Earl G. Graves Sr., the founder, chairman and publisher of Black Enterprise, she played a vital role in the growth and development of the publication and media company, and its mission of economic empowerment and wealth building for African Americans. Since the launch of Black Enterprise Magazine in 1970, Barbara Graves, an alumna of Brooklyn College and a former elementary school teacher, held every major position, including
editorial director, circulation director and chief financial officer, during the 40plus-year Barbara Kydd history of t h i s Graves company. Along the way, she is credited with grooming and developing several generations of executive leadership, including sons Earl Jr., Johnny and Michael, all of whom have worked as executives at Black Enterprise. Graves also cofounded and guided the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, the premier
“She served as mentor and guide to several generations of employees, managers and professionals. Above all, she genuinely cared for every member of the Black Enterprise family, and held a special passion for children and young people in particular.” Earl Graves Jr.
networking event and conference for women executives of color. “My mother was a steadfast
and loving partner and counselor to my father; his quiet source of strength and inspiration,” said Earl Graves Jr.,
president and CEO of Black Enterprise. “She served as mentor and guide to several generations of employees, managers and professionals. Above all, she genuinely cared for every member of the Black Enterprise family, and held a special passion for children and young people in particular.”
RELIGION
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Tri-State Defender
May 31 - June 6, 2012
LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE
‘Messed up’ mind is an opportunity to take control
Dear Lucy: I am having such an awful time paying attention. I am a serious student and just graduated high school. I intend to be somebody and make a difference in the world. But, I just can’t concentrate or pay attention anymore. My mind is just thinking all the time. Sometimes it’s good stuff and most of the time it’s just junk that I can’t turn off. My Auntie reads your article and said to ask what you think. – Signed, Messed up!
Dear Messed up: Congratulations on your graduation and a shout out to all of those who are moving on to a new adventure in life learning. This is also an excellent time to be asking the question you have. The human mind is such a wonderful and powerful thing! It is what sets us apart from the lower animals. Animals think purely instinctively. Humans have the capacity to choose their thoughts and to reason from one conclusion to another. The very best of reasoners are the people who learn to consciously control and choose their thoughts. Something wonderful is about to happen in your life because there is a willingness in you to listen to your spirit, which is urging you to take control! Theron Q. Dumont wrote a book “The Power of Concentration” close to 100 years ago. It is full of concentration exercises
and wisdom about the gift and power of concentration. You can get it free online at www.freepower ofconcentration.com. One of the things Dumont says is that “The successful man is not always the smartest man but he is always the man who can control his thoughts.” He also says that, “ConcentraLucy tion is just a case of willing Shaw to do a certain thing and doing it.” And this thing, will or will power, is the real key to controlling your thinking. Very few people understand the correct use and development of will power and so they become failures in life...not because they are dumb, but because they never train themselves to be still, to concentrate and to listen. This takes will power and will power is not force. Will power is our power of free will and free will is the power to choose and to do so consciously. A mind that is not disciplined will simply terrorize you, sometimes making you believe you must be crazy. Yet, it is just like an undisciplined child. Fixing this is possible and requires the use of will power, patience and de-
termination. The payoff is being able to have anything you put your mind to. Here is one of the easy concentration exercises and is to be done for seven days in a row. If you miss a day start all over. Try to do it at the same time each day at a time and place where you will not be disturbed. Get a notebook so you can write about your experience each time you finish. Sit down comfortably in front of a clock with a second hand and for 10 minutes, pay your undivided attention to the movement of the second hand only. Relax fully, but don’t allow your body to distract you. You will want to scratch, move and all sorts of things. Simply tell yourself that attending to the clock is what you joyfully choose to do right now. Each time you find your thoughts going to yesterday, tomorrow or anyplace other than the present moment, gently bring yourself back to the boring moment by choosing to do so. When the time is up, write about it. With each passing day, you will grow more confident in your ability to choose your thoughts and you will also become very proud of your ability to make a decision and follow through on it. This is what sets the successful apart from the failures. You may do this anytime, anywhere by giving your attention for 10 minutes to your fingertip, a doorknob, an imag-
inary dot on the wall. You may gaze at any object as long as it is basically boring. Your generation, more than any other, has been taught to crave entertainment. This will help you to break that habit also. When I find my thoughts trying to terrorize me or overpower me, I remember this verse, Isaiah 26:3 “thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee....” As the unruly thoughts show up, I consciously look for God or goodness in the thought by asking “Where is God in this?” It works every time and will bring me back into control without having to get in a fight with my thoughts! Don’t be “messed up,” use your gift of free will...choose! Lucy
(Check out Lucy Shaw’s website at http://www.heartworks4u.com. You may 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.) (For help with the feelings that get in the way of prayer and peace of mind, get Lucy’s new book, “BE NOT ANXIOUS.” Order it directly from her at 901-907-0260 or go to her web site www.heartworks4u.com.)
Now hear this…
RELIGION BRIEFS
BRIEFLY: Vacation Bible School at the Castalia Baptist Church at 1540 Castalia St. will be held June 4-8 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m, with classes for ministers, adults, youth, and children of various ages. Curtis Bush is principal, with Stewart White and David Burton assistant principals. The Rev. Dr. Randolph Meade Walker is pastor. BRIEFLY: The Church Health Center’s next free Congregational Health Promoter class, which helps people start or strengthen a health ministry in their congregation, begins June 5 and meets for eight consecutive Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. at Church Health Center Wellness, 1115 Union Ave. For information or to sign up, call 901-261-8833 or email fco@churchhealthcenter.org. BRIEFLY: The 5th Annual Men’s Health Summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 9 at THE UT Alumni Center, 800 Madison Ave. The event is for ages 12 and up, participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call 901-261-8833. BRIEFLY: Rust College will host a luncheon during the Mississippi Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church on June 8 at 12:30 p.m. at the Jackson Convention Center. Tickets are $25. Tickets my be reserved by mailing a check to Rust College, c/o Emma Miller, 150 Rust Avenue, Holly Springs, MS 38635. For more information, email emiller@ rustcollege.edu or call 662-252-8000 ext. 4904.
The Rev. Clay Evans, 87, pastor emeritus and founder, Fellowship Missionary BaptistChurch-Chicago, delivered “The Gospel Story” under the theme “Remember Not To Forget” as Mt. Vernon Baptist Church-Westwood celebrated its 110th Anniversary last Sunday (May 27) at the church at 620 Parkrose Ave. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley).
PRAISE CONNECT -A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHES-
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. —John 13:34
METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH
767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126
ASSOCIATE MINISTERS
ST. ANDREW A.M.E. CHURCH 867 SOUTH PARKWAY EAST Memphis, TN 38106
Dr. Reginald L. Porter Sr., Pastor
901-946-4095 fax 948-8311
(901) 948-3441
Early Morning..........7:45 AM Church School..........9:45 AM Morning Worship......11:00 AM
Rev. Davena Young Porter Rev. Linda A Paige Rev. Luecretia Matthews
Bible Study For Youth and Adults Tuesday - 7:00 PM “Spirit, Soul, and Body!” AM 1070 WDIA Sundays, 10:00-10:30 AM
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY Sunday School .....................8:30 am Morning Worship Service ....10:00am WEDNESDAY Bible Study .........................10:30 am Mid-Day Prayer Meeting .....12 noon Evening Prayer Meeting........7:00pm FRIDAY Cable Channel 17 ............... 8:00pm
TV Cable Access Broadcast Tuesdays, 7:30 PM, Channel 17 Website:www.saintandrewamec.org
Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter
THE BLVD Ea s t 6745 Wol f Ri v e r B oule v a r d @ Ki r by Pa r k wa y ( i n t he Cl a rk Ope r a Me mphi s Ce nte r ) Me mp h i s T N 3 8 1 2 0
Dr. Frank A. Thomas Senior Servant
“Ministering to Memphis-Spirit, Soul and Body”
TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST
672 So. Lauderdale 38126 P.O. Box 314 Memphis, Tn 38101 Phone (General) 774-1572 Pastor: 775-0740 Secretary: 775-1909
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
WEEKLY SERVICES
Sunday Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Night YPWW 5:00 p.m. Night Service 6:00 p.m. Tuesday Night Prayer 6:00 p.m. Bible Study 7:15 p.m. Wednesday Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m. Friday Morning Prayer 9:00 a.m. Night Service 7:30 p.m. BROADCASTS 9:30 a.m. Sunday WDIA - 1070 AM
No Telecast Service
— Proverbs 1:7
Dr. David Allen Hall Pastor
“The Founder’s Church”
First Pastor: Senior Bishop C.H. Mason
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. —Ecclesiastes 3:1
Greenwood Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 3311 Kimball Ave. Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 744-7531 (901) 744-7664
Worship Services Sunday Sunday School Worship Service
Clarence Kelby Heath Wednesday Pastor
Noon - 1 p.m. 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Child Care Center (901) 948-6441 Monday-Friday 6 AM- 5:30 PM Emergency Food Pantry Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, Pastor & Clothes Closet Rev. Marilynn S. Robinson, Co-Pastor Wednesday 6 PM-8 PM
9 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
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. —Revelation 1:8
Tri-State Defender
RELIGION
May 31 - June 6, 2012
Sexuality-religion issues get Morehouse focus
ATLANTA – Morehouse School of Medicine on Wednesday (May 30) announced the creation of an endowed academic chair devoted to issues related to sexuality and religion. The Marta S. Weeks and David E. Richards Endowed Chair in Sexuality and Religion will develop innovative health and pastoral services as well as teaching, research and public leadership related to issues that bridge the topics of sexuality, religion and medicine. “Through this unique chair, Morehouse School of Medicine will provide national and international leadership addressing the challenges of sexuality and sexual health in the worlds of medicine and religion,” said David Satcher, M.D. Ph.D., 16th Surgeon General of the United States and founder of Morehouse School of Medicine’s Satcher Health Leadership Institute and its Center of Excellence for Sexual Health. The Marta S. Weeks and
David E. Richards Endowed Chair in Sexuality and Religion represents more than a decade of work by Satcher, who in 2001 released the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior. That document outlined a framework of initiatives to strengthen the national dialogue on sexual health. It recognized that sexuality and religion are deeply connected in the United States and that public health would benefit from coordinated efforts of leaders in public health and religion as well as other major constituencies with deeply held beliefs relating to sexuality. “While the chair will address sexual health issues in all communities, it will place a particular emphasis on underserved populations, which is integral to Morehouse School of Medicine’s mission,” said Satcher. “The continuing disparities in access to quality health care services for minorities, poor people, and other disadvan-
taged groups results in a weakened public health infrastructure, which ultimately affects everyone.” The endowed chair will focus its efforts on: Teaching sexuality and sexual health topics to current theological and medical students; Training the next generation of religious and healthcare leaders to meet the sexual health challenges of both disciplines; Bringing together leaders of constituency organizations that have diverse viewpoints for consultations and consensus-building; Research directed toward documenting and suggesting ways to overcome disparities in sexual health with a special focus on underserved communities.
(For more information on Morehouse School of Medicine and the institution’s latest endowed chair in sexuality and religion, please visit www.msm.edu.) Source: PR Newswire
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ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, May 31 - June 6, 2012, Page 10
LENS & LINES
WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?
Tales of woe and owe: Rodman, Flav, T.O. and more
Remember Dennis Rodman, the colorful, flamboyant character who once played professional basketball? Once upon a time, this guy seemed to be on top of the world, an NBA star as well a very popular figure off the court as well. Myron It seemed like everyMays where you looked, you saw Dennis Rodman. The guy was exciting. Now it seems as if his life has become an E True Hollywood Story, you know the ones that don’t have a happy ending. As I type these words, former NBA star Dennis Rodman is in family court to be sentenced on four counts of contempt for failing to pay child support. Interestingly enough, he is not the only one having such an issue these days. Rapper and reality show star Flavor Flav is facing about 180 days in jail for failing to pay the mother of three of his children over $111,000 in back support payments. A magistrate in Albany County, N.Y. called for the sentence and for his driver’s license to be revoked as well. Amazingly, a revoked license might actually save him from the recent traffic violations he has been cited for lately as well. “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson has been paying his but has recently been accused of not paying enough. The National Enquirer is reporting that Jackson’s ex-wife, Elizabeth, had to fight to get more child support for their teenage daughter, an amount that reflects his increase since becoming the fixture that he is on the show. Jackson is estimated to be worth about $40 million. Unless you’ve been on another planet, you have probably heard more about former NFL’er Terrell Owens financial woes than that you ever heard about him being on the field. He was recently on an episode of “Dr. Phil” essentially being hammered by his children’s mothers for being a deadbeat dad and being hundreds of thousands of dollars behind on his child support payments. I guess no matter how big you get or how far you fall, the children will always be there, so will their needs.
The beat... The place to be...
The audience showed up well before sunset Saturday, to watch the air show and concert by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the Bar-Kays. (Photo by Brian Ramoly)
Sunset Symphony
Stilian Kirov conducts the Memphis Symphony Orchestra while Michael Beard the original drummer with the Bar-Kays, creates the funk. (Photo by Brian Ramoly)
On a brighter note
“Men in Black 3” managed to push the “Avengers” into the number two spot this past Memorial Day weekend, pulling in a four day total of over $70 million, setting a record for the franchise. I got a chance to take some “Myron” time this weekend and decided to catch a film. I absolutely loved it. As a matter of fact, it was my favorite out of the three. I think it was kind of creative plot wise how they went back in time to save Agent K from being assassinated. I don’t want to give any of the movie away, but casting Josh Brolin as a young Agent K, was a genius idea as well. While they are back in time, they also take that opportunity to give you a little background on Agent J’s character as well. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check it out yet, take a couple of hours out of your schedule and check it out.
Soul men...
Larry Dodson (left) and James Alexander along with a full Bar-Kays band and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra played soul hits including “Mustang Sally,” “Soul Man” and “Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay.” A musical tribute to Isaac Hayes brought dancing girls on stage. The concert and fireworks that followed capped off the Memphis in May International Festival. (Photo by Brian Ramoly)
You BET you
Ballet on Wheels presents ‘The Wiz’
Follow the whimsical story of Dorothy, the Lion, Scarecrow and the Tin Man in this well-known 1970’s urban musical as it comes to life via a modern day dance production. Set to the backdrop of jazz, modern ballet and hiphop production numbers, this dance performance is a must see for all ages. Come on and ease on down the road and experience “The Wiz.” Event information: June 2, at 7 p.m. and June 3 at 3 p.m. Age appropriate for grades K-12. Purchase tickets at balletonwheels.org, or call 901-870-4348,or visit http://www.eventbrite.com/event/29130 66059!
Comedy & Spoken Word
Listen, learn, laugh, at Poetry and Comedy night hosted by The Immortal Hardface. This night will be epic. First local comics will grace the stage and then the second half you will be edutained by “The Art of Words” brought to you by “The Kings of Cometry”: Hardface, Lenny Cain, Mista and Petty the Poet & other special guests. VIP tables are available and they include a CD and DVD. Call 901-569-6661 for details. Admission is $5 at The Zodiac Restaurant and Lounge at 6135 Mt. Moriah. This event will be recorded for DVD and CD.
(Got an event you’d like for me to cover or attend? Email me at Myron@ whatshappeningmyron.com)
Winners from the Mid-South BET Music Awards Next Big Music Star tour stop (from left to right) Jennifer Holmes, Quennell Owens, Jã Alan, & Chavonne Lanise following the competition. One of five stops on the tour, contestants won the chance to record a music track in the fully equipped mobile studio. Determined by a panel of judges and online voters, the grand prize winner will perform at 106 & Parkʼs BET Awards Ceremony on July 1, 2012.
BET judges (l-r) Sharee Manning and Selena Spencer-Lipscomb, along with singer and BET YoungStars Award nominee Jacob Latimore, listen to auditions for the BET Music Awards Next Big Music Star Mobile Tour on Sunday at Mud Island River Park. (Photos by Nicole R. Harris)
Tri-State Defender
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 11
May 31 - June 6, 2012
Dreaming…
May 31 to June 6, 2012
At the Hattiloo Theatre, the current production ʻDreamgirls,ʼ which features (l-r) Mario Williams (Jimmy Early), Breyannah Tillman (Lorelle), Nia Glenn Lopez (Effie), and Noelia Warnette-Jones (Deena). For more info, call the box office at 901-5250009. (Courtesy photos)
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam’s Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun Specials to the Tri-State Defender
by Kam Williams
For movies opening June 1, 2012
BIG BUDGET FILMS
“Battlefield America” (PG-13 for profanity, drug use and mature themes) Overcomingthe-odds drama, set in L.A., about a charismatic businessman (Marques Houston) who hires a choreographer to help a rag-tag team of inner-city kids prepare for an underground, hip-hop dance competition. With Lynn Whitfield, Valarie Pettiford and Mekia Cox.
“Piranha 3DD” (R for sexuality, profanity, drug use, graphic nudity and gory violence) High body-count, horror sequel set at the grand opening of an adult-themed water park whose patrons are blissfully unaware of an impending attack by a swarm of man-eating fish. Starring Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush, Ving Rhames, Christopher Lloyd, Gary Busey, David Hasselhoff and Elise Neal. “Snow White and the Huntsman” (PG-13 for intense violence and brief sensuality) Medieval variation on the classic fairytale finds the fair princess (Kristen Stewart) banished to the forest where she plots revenge against the evil queen (Charlize Theron) with the help of 8 dwarfs and the swordsman (Chris Hemsworth) ordered to kill her. Cast includes Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone and Toby Jones.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
“5 Broken Cameras” (Unrated) Middle East documentary chronicling a family of Palestinian farmers’ non-violent protest against the Israeli government’s confiscating land in their tiny, West Bank town for the benefit of profit and politically-motivated, real estate developers. (In Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles)
“6 Month Rule” (R for profanity and sexuality) Battle-of-the-sexes comedy, set in
HOROSCOPES
Shreveport, Louisiana, revolving around a confirmed bachelor (Blayne Weaver) who finally decides to settle down when he unexpectedly falls head-over-heels for a woman (Natalie Morales) he can’t just seduce and abandon as usual. With Jamie Pressley, Martin Starr and Vanessa Branch.
“Apartment 143” (R for profanity and terror) Found-footage horror flick about a team of parapsychologists’ investigation of strange phenomena occurring inside of a haunted house. Starring Francesc Garrido, Fiona Glascott and Rick Gonzalez.
“A Cat in Paris” (PG for action, violence and mature themes) Animated crime caper about a cat who leads a double life, living with a grieving, 7 year-old orphan (Oriane Zani) by day, and working with a kindhearted burglar (Bruno Salomone) by night. Voice cast includes Dominique Blanc, Bernadette Lafont and Jean Benguigui. (In French with subtitles) “Cellmates” (Unrated) Unlikely-buddy comedy about the friendship which blossoms behind bars between the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan (Tom Sizemore) and a Mexican farm worker/community organizer (Hector Jimenez), when the two are forced to share a tiny prison cell. With Stacy Keach, Kevin P. Farley and Olga Segura.
“Chely Wright: Wish Me Away” (Unrated) Out-of-the-closet documentary about the blowback felt by country singer Chely Wright after making the difficult decision to inform her family and fans that she’s a lesbian.
“Crooked Arrows” (PG-13 for suggestive language) David vs. Goliath sports flick featuring a team of Iroquois underdogs competing against better-equipped rivals in a prep school league lacrosse tournament. With Brandon Routh, Michael Hudson and Gil Birmingham. “For Greater Glory” (R for graphic violence and disturbing images) Faith-based historical drama revisiting the events surrounding the Cristeros War (1926-1929), an insurrection
ignited by the Mexican government’s decision to secularize the country by outlawing Catholicism. Starring Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Ruben Blades, Peter O’Toole and Bruce McGill. (In Spanish and English with subtitles) “Hide Away” (PG-13 for sensuality, mature themes and brief profanity) Bittersweet tale of redemption about a regretful businessman (Josh Lucas) who tries to recover from an unspeakable tragedy by restoring a fixer-upper sailboat on a remote island off the coast of Michigan where he’s befriended by a waitress (Ayelet Zurer), a cashier (Casey LaBow) and an ancient mariner (James Cromwell). With Jon Tenney, Anne Faba and Taylor Nichols.
“High School” (R for nudity, sexuality, crude humor, pervasive profanity and incessant drug use) Misery-likes-company comedy about a high school valedictorian (Matt Bush) who tries to get the entire senior class stoned after he’s suspended for failing a drug test just before graduation. Cast includes Adrien Brody, Michael Chiklis, Colin Hanks and Mikelti Williamson. “The Loved Ones” (Unrated) Gruesome horror thriller about a jilted, high school coed (Robin McLeavy) who plots revenge with the help of her father (John Brumpton) against the hunky classmate (Xavier Samuel) who turned her down as his prom date. With Victoria Thaine, Jessica McNamee and Richard Wilson.
“Pink Ribbons, Inc.” (Unrated) Non-profit expose’ investigating what happens to the millions of dollars raised in the name of breast cancer, the corporate charity that Madison Avenue marketing experts have dubbed “The Dream Cause.”
“U.N. Me” (PG-13 for disturbing images and mature themes involving genocide and rape) Incendiary documentary indicting the United Nations as a corrupt, bribe-taking outfit of fake peacekeepers who frequently fail to intervene while witnessing crimes against humanity and who have even participated in murders at the scene of international hotspots.
ARIES Feather the nest. Stock up on stuff for the long haul. Cement relationships. A friend needs your support. Enjoy giving it. You will receive good news about a pal. TAURUS Be cautious and conservative with money. You are extremely witty this week. Allow others to enjoy your good humor. Your leadership skills are very high, and others will follow. GEMINI This is a good time for you to seek agreement on a plan that involves a relative. Take the time to remind your lover how much you care. Get a little sentimental if you have to. Don’t be too critical of that softer side of your personality. CANCER You’ve made your point. Now wait. Wait for the feedback about the impact it had on the people around you. Be careful of those who don’t celebrate with you. They feel the impact and are resisting the positive effects. LEO Be sharp! All of your needs will be met in indirect ways. Gifts will come from unexpected sources. They will be carefully packaged to go unnoticed. Unwrap everything and look inside. There will be empty boxes, but there will also be a prize in an unanticipated situation. VIRGO Push. Now is a good time to push. Your energy is higher than ever. Someone might get offended, but you can’t please everyone. Hire a pro for something that you planned to do yourself, especially if expertise is involved. LIBRA Review your “to do” list again. You may need to slow down to discover something that you didn’t realize while you were in the flow of events. Your lover is going to be a little difficult to understand. Back off if an argument arises. You’re probably the one who is too busy. Forgiving yourself is often harder than getting someone else to forgive you. SCORPIO Make a special effort to spend all week with your lover, husband or wife. Your sense of the importance of relationships is keen and this is a good time to strengthen your passionate partnership. Take your lover to a party. Devote attention. SAGITTARIUS The flock will come to you for direction. Give it gracefully. Know that your insights will help a lot if you deliver them in the right way. If you are a mother, guidance will be the best gift you can give others this week. CAPRICORN Most people don’t know how often dreams and reality blend into that practical consciousness of yours. Knowledge comes from a dream you’ve had lately. This week is a good week to get started making that dream a reality. AQUARIUS Cooperation is key this week in your relationship with your partner. Even if you know you’re right, let your partner have his or her way in the early going. Your staying power will give you influence or control in the late rounds. PISCES At home, projects flourish as family cooperates. They do love you and they are tired of being difficult. However, time spent by yourself leads to important insights. It’s a favorable time for research and study. Source: NNPA New Service
Page 12
HEALTH
CLASSIFIEDS
Tri-State Defender
May 31 - June 6, 2012
CHEF TIMOTHY
With – or without – Will Smith, eat healthy during the summer by Chef Timothy Moore Ph.D, N.M.D, C.N. Special to The New Tri-State Defender
It’s unusual for me to sit back and listen to rapper Will Smith’s “Summertime,” a hodgepodge of rhymes and phrases about the advent of summer. The intro/chorus goes like this: “Summer, summer, summertime/Time to sit back and unwind.” When I think about summer, I think about the hot blazing sun beaming down on me. And, of course, the unhealthy foods that people tend to eat because cooks at home tend to prepare minute-meals rather than suffer over a hot stove when it’s sweltering outside. I’m sure many of you opted to barbeque on the grille this past Memorial Day. Pork ribs, beef ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers are familiar entrées that even I once enjoyed before I changed my diet to ensure longevity of life. I’d weighed 300 lbs. and suddenly realized that I was on my way to meeting the grim reaper. In fact, I gorged more during the summer months. I’d eaten myself nearly to death before I realized that I could live life more abundantly, if I eat a healthy portion of fruits and vegetables. Now that I’m a vegan, I’ve learned to enjoy life.
New study:
“Just a little somethin’ to break the monotony,” Will Smith sang. For me, it was a diet change that freed me from the lethargic summer months decades ago. What about you? Some of you were just like me: You overate Dr. Timothy until your hearts were content and Moore your stomachs filled with little room to spare. Well, for those who don’t get the point, you’ll keep eating and eating until you lapse into ill health. Your saving grace, without a doubt, will be a diet change consisting of more fruits and vegetables. Have you had any problems with your health lately? If so, I’m sure the problem stems from an inadequate consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and an over-indulgence of pork, beef, chicken and other unhealthy animal products. If you’ve been having headaches, blurred vision, breathing heavily and sweating profusely, you may need to change your diet. I’m often asked how does one
change his or her eating habits. With a cornucopia of food items to choose from, you’d need sheer will power and the support of loved ones and friends to keep you on task. You’d also need to change your lifestyle and avoid distractions. And, by all means, don’t put yourself in a predicament where you’ll relapse. Not many people, I’m sure, are willing to give up eating food that tastes good and that may not be healthy for them. And then too, if you are invited to a feast and actually go, it may be extremely difficult to say no when the aroma of food is wafting across your nose and your taste buds are increasing the moisture in your mouth. Without thinking, you may find yourself gorging on foods you’ve been trying to avoid. Diabetics will have a problem too if they’re enticed by the sweet goodness of strawberry cheese cake, German chocolate cake, carrot cake, and fried pies, for example. No one can eat just one slice. I couldn’t do it even when I swore I wouldn’t eat another slice. Let me say this: I got an opportunity to work with a group of people recently who asked me to help them change their eating habits. As we were going through a basic food understanding, I could tell by talking to them that a lot of the information that they’d gleaned from reading food la-
bels was being misunderstood and, I don’t mind saying, a bit misleading. When we discussed fat grams in food, they were puzzled and didn’t know that 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories, and that the average person can eat 200 grams of fat per day. I explained to my inquisitive friends that most calories are from fat and could be one of the reasons that some people can’t lose weight. Food labels shouldn’t be hard to read. Most people, I’m sure, don’t like counting calories and keeping up with the amount of fat that they consume each day. Obesity and diabetes, for one thing, are on the rise and too many people are fighting to stay alive. Will Smith – aka the Fresh Prince – rapped about summer madness in Philadelphia, but the madness that he put to music does not equate to the countless Americans who gorge on the wrong foods when it gets too hot in the kitchen to prepare a healthy meal. (Dr. Timothy Moore teaches nutrition, heart disease and diabetes reversal through a plant-based lifestyle. He is a professional speaker, wellness coach and personal plantbased chef. He can be reached by email at cheftimothy@cheftimothymoore.com or visit him on the Web sites at www.cheftimothymoore.com or www.twitter.com/cheftimmoore.)
Health care reform won’t boost access to care or outcomes for minorities in Tennessee
A new study entitled “Health Care Reform: the Impact on Minority Populations in Tennessee” looks at the barriers to care for minorities that will persist despite the expanded coverage and services that health care reform promotes. (Photos courtesy of the BlueCrossBlueShield of Tennessee Health InstituteSM.)
CHATTANOOGA – Despite reform, minorities in Tennessee will continue to have less access to health care services and poorer health outcomes in general than other Tennesseans, according to the latest study by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health InstituteSM. The study entitled “Health Care Reform: the Impact on Minority Populations in Tennessee” looks at the barriers to care for minorities that will persist despite the expanded coverage and services that health care reform promotes. “What we’ve found through this study is that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will most likely have a favorable outcome on access to insurance coverage,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Steven Coulter, president of the institute. “However, it will not necessarily translate to actual access to medical care for several reasons.” One of the purposes of the PPACA is to reduce or eliminate the disparity in coverage by race that currently exists. However, as the research finds, minority populations in Tennessee tend to be concentrated in geographic areas where health care facilities are already operating at capacity. This increased demand for care will lead to longer wait times at those doctors’ offices accepting new patients. In particular, access to care in the west and east regions will be of greatest concern. Favorable and unfavorable areas for minority care in Tennessee can be tracked by county, or down to ZIP-code level, through the new Health Care Access Index developed by the Health Institute. This is the third report issued by the institute, a division of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, designed to provide decision makers a fact-based, intellectual framework for public discussions on health care policy matters. The report is available on the Tennessee Health Institute section of the BlueCross website. Future research topics and presentations of the Tennessee Health Institute will focus on health care reimbursement variations, risk adjustment, and best-practice answers regarding the health status of Tennesseans.
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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 WEDNSDAY, JUNE 27, 2012 AT 2:30 PM SEALED BID #SBI-000170 CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, PROJECT SET NO. 6 PIN# 040595.00 Pre-Bid Conference: 2:30 PM, June 20, 2012 at the following location: Shelby County Road 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
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Tri-State Defender
BRIEFS & THINGS Speakers set for 2012 Kennedy Day Dinner
Jimmy Naifeh, who was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1974 and was Speaker of the House from 1991 to 2009, will be honored at the traditional Kennedy Day Dinner on June 8, 2012. Naifeh, who served longer as Speaker than anyone else in Tennessee history, will be awarded the Kennedy Award by the Shelby County Democratic Party. The keynote speaker will be D’Army Bailey, attorney, judge, author and a founder of the National Civil Rights Museum. Bailey now practices with the law firm of Wilkes and McHugh. Park Overall, actress and Democratic candidate for the United States Senate, will speak on women’s issues. The Kennedy Day Dinner is a fundraiser sponsored by the Shelby County Democratic Party. The event will be held at the Balinese Ballroom at 330 North Main Street from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. Dinner tickets are $100 per person or $1000 for a table. A VIP reception will precede the dinner (6 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and tickets are $50. All tickets may be purchased online (www.shelbydem.org) or by calling 395-4729 for more information.
Page 13
May 31 - June 6, 2012
‘Key objects’ push underway at Civil Rights Museum The National Civil Rights Museum is focused on revamping the Lorraine Motel exhibitions in anticipation of a partial opening during the period from Nov. 2012 to Dec. 2013. And with the expectations of including more stories, updating historical facts, and creating more engaging and interactive experience, a push is on to acquire some key objects, said Barbara Andrews, director of Education and Interpretation. Specifically, a search is underway for:
WWII related items – any branch of service, male or female; graduation robes or associated items such as mortar board or diplomas especially from HBCU’s; Afro-centric items from the black power/nationalist period of the 1960’s, including but not limited to dashikis, afro picks, music albums, neck bracelets and chains, artwork and posters; Kwanzaa related items – preferably older and not the new and more polished looking kinara and
cups; Anything representative of Black Mondays or elementary school memorabilia from Memphis students c. 1950s, ie. report cards, notes, pictures, yearbooks, certificates, books; NAACP memorabilia, including lifetime and annual membership cards, c. 1940-60s. The National Civil Rights Museum is located at 450 Mulberry. For more information, call 901521-9699.
Gala to benefit Pat Gill Scholarship Fund
The Phi Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will host its Annual Gala benefiting the Patricia A. Gill Scholarship Fund on Saturday (June 2) at 7 p.m. at The Racquet Club of Memphis. The theme is Glitz and Glam, “A Pink Carpet Affair” with award presentations, live auction, and entertainment by Memphis’ Trio Plus Band. Phi Lambda Omega will recognize Pat Gill Scholarship recipients and four members of the Memphis and Shelby County community will be honored in the areas of arts, philanthropy, political activism and religion. Pat Gill, a charter member of the Phi Lambda Omega Chapter, was a well-known performing artist in the Memphis community before her death to breast cancer in 1999. In 2000, the Pat Gill Performing Arts Scholarship was created in response to rising college education costs and the reduction in available financial aid. To purchase, contact Gloria Jenkins, fundraising chairman, at 901497-4973 or andrewjnkns@bellsouth.net.
Collaborative sets South Memphis area clean up
Prestigious Learning Academy (PLA), Women Empowerment Knowledge and Nurture (WE KAN), and Network Maintenance will hold its first collaborative South Memphis Area Community Clean Up on June 14. The “Community Clean Sweep” will be held in the Gaston Community, where volunteers will meet at Prestigious Learning Academy located at 399 Gaston. Sign up continues until June 12 at 5 p.m. The event will not only be a clean up but a celebration of improvement as well. There will be catered food and door prizes for the volunteers (more are needed). Prestigious Learning Academy is a daycare center that caters to underprivileged and underrepresented children in the community. WE is an organization/support group that presents an opportunity for young ladies to promote societal change through self-improvement. Network Construction is a small construction company that does residential/commercial building and renovations to better improve communities. For more information, contact Prestigious Learning Academy via Shondra Hampton at Prestigiousla@yahoo.com; or WE KAN through Breyanna Hampton at Wekan2011@gmail.com.
BRIEFLY: The Greater Memphis Chamber is hosting a free public forum on Memphis International Airport Service Issues on June 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Christian Brothers University (University Theater) at 650 East Parkway South. Seats are limited and registration is required. Contact Donna Hall at dhall@memphischamber.com or call 901-543-3558. BRIEFLY: Mid-South models are ready to “Rock Da Runway” on Sunday (June 3) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Raleigh Springs Mall. The fashion and entertainment production will feature Atlanta artist JL singing his latest hit “Addicted” and Valerie U Rock Bumpus (K-Mel) and more. Discounted Tickets: $20/door. Tickets: 901-650-4955; or 251-454-5644. Come dressed to impress; refreshments served. Sponsored by: Katwalk Planet of Atlanta, Dreamland Productions & Raleigh Springs Mall, Ms. Lady JJ, Freelance video /TV Shows. For more info: visit www.ajedreamland.co
Me? Oh my!...
Myeshia L. Field, a University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy graduate, gets support from her father, the Rev. Franklin Deberry, as she is moved by a portrait of her painted by her uncle, Larnell C. Givhan (right), during the Fifty-Third Annual Honors and Awards Convocation at First Baptist Church on May 24. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)
Health Department issues West Nile virus alert Mosquito spraying underway
The Shelby County Health Department has received confirmation of mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus within the areas of ZIP codes 38107, 38122, 38053, 38127, and 38002. Since April, the Shelby County Health Department’s Vector Control Program has treated areas by applying larvicides to standing bodies of water. As an additional precaution, the Health Department is conducting truck-mounted spraying (adulticiding) of EPA-approved insecticides, weather permitting. ZIP codes 38053 and 38127 were serviced Wednesday (May 30). Here is an updated schedule: Thursday, May 31: 8:15 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. for ZIP Codes 38108, 38111, 38117, 38120, 38122, 38128, 38133 and 38134. Monday, June 4: 8:15 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. for ZIP Codes 38103, 38104, 38105, 38107, 38108, 38112, 38114, 38118, 38126.
Individuals with chronic health problems such as asthma or other lung conditions may want to remain indoors during the time of spraying if they live in one of the affected areas. Residents who do not want their residences to be sprayed should contact the Health Department’s Vector Control Program at (901) 324-5547. Humans can catch the West Nile virus through being bitten by an infected mosquito. Although West Nile virus can occasionally cause severe disease, most human infections are mild, resulting in fever, headache and body aches that last only a few days. Symptoms of severe disease include a high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma or convulsions. Persons over age 50 and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of severe disease. They should especially be careful to avoid mosquito bites. Citizens are also encouraged to be vigilant as it relates to controlling mosquito populations
around their homes and businesses. Citizens are encouraged to: Wear DEET-containing mosquito repellants according to label directions. Eliminate standing water where mosquitoes can lay eggs. Check properties for objects – including old tires, flower pots and drip plates, tin cans, buckets, and children’s toys – that collect rainwater and either drain or dispose of the water. Install or repair windows and door screens. Empty, clean and refill birdbaths and small wading pools weekly. Empty and refill pets’ water bowls every few days. Repair failed septic systems. Repair leaky outside faucets. Clean rain gutters and down spouts. Secure swimming pool covers tightly and remove any standing water after rainfall. Store wheelbarrows, canoes and boats upside down
Court hearing looms for Matthews Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Tony Jones
For the records…
Concern about deleted voting records prompted this setting at the Shelby County Election Commission this week. Former City Councilman Edmund Ford (right) was there checking his records and urged others to do the same after a blog site stirred uncertainty. (Photo by Andrew Withers)
Controversial – yet wildly popular – independent blogger and radio personality Thaddeus Matthews will appear before arbitrator D.J. Alisandratos on Tuesday, June 5th to decide if he will possibly be returning to the airwaves soon. Matthews is embroiled in a dispute with Pollack Broadcasting, the owner of WPLX Radio, where Matthews’ acerbic, shock-jock style made him a popular media figure, but may have also gotten him kicked off the air; unfairly he says. He also alleges that the owner of WPLX, William Pollack, has never met the stipulations of the contract leasing broadcast time to Matthews, including violation of basic FCC regulations. But it was Matthews’ blunt dismissal of Republican congressional candidate Charlotte Bergmann that may have caused the arrangement to sever. After a terse interview, Matthews literally cursed Bergmann and directed her to remove herself from the broadcasting studio. Pollack sent Bergmann a letter of apology and by week’s end Matthews was off the air. Pollack has said that he is a member of the Tea Party, as is Bergmann. It is on this basis that Matthews
Ride for life event unfolds on June 3
The Ride for Life Bike-Bike-A-Thon, designed to promote organ and tissue donation awareness, will roll out Sunday (June 3), beginning at 2 p.m. at Memorial Park at Poplar Ave. and I-240.
On site registration begins at 1 p.m. Select health screens will be offered free. Other free activities will include entertainment for kids and adults, with a miniature biking tour available for
feels he has concrete proof that his expulsion from the station was illegal and unethical, but Pollack answers that Matthews owes more than $80,000 in lease fees. “And I am going to prove at the arbitration that he is in violation of several stipulaThaddeus tions of the contract, includMatthews ing a buyout clause,” said Matthews. “I have supporters that are interested in bringing the show back to the public and he is refusing to honor the agreement. I ran for 21 months and made WPLX a powerful commodity in the media market here. I am in no circumstances going to lie down and let him steal the value of my hard work.” Responding to a TSD interview request, Pollack said via email, “I appreciate your interest. However, we are a privately owned company. It is not our policy to comment on pending litigation. “As per one of your questions, may I suggest Pollack Broadcasting is a 33-year-old company with no record of defaulting on our obligations. Mr. Matthews’ assertion of such is contemptible, at the very least.”
children inside the park. The event is sponsored by the Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. Other sponsors include Memorial Park Funeral Home & Cemetery and Saint Francis Healthcare. Register at www.memphishightailers.com. For more details visit midsouthtransplant.org.
SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, May 31 - June 6, 2012, Page 14
Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet Allen Iverson (Courtesy photo)
Should Allen Iverson return to the NBA? by Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley NNPA News Service
On the heels of Allen Iverson’s heartfelt return to the Philadelphia 76ers home playoff game against the Boston Celtics for Game Six, the conversation started. Iverson, a perennial All Pro guard, didn’t exit the National Basketball Association (NBA) the way he or anyone would’ve preferred. As he introduced the game ball to a standing ovation in front of the 76ers crowd, talk of a possible return to the league for Iverson surfaced among anyone watching. Columnists Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley took it one step further as they pondered whether or not an Iverson comeback would be a good one. Perry Green: No way, no how and no thanks! Iverson’s exit out of the league was sad but one that’s already set underneath a stone that doesn’t need to be turned. He was a great player during his tenure but that tenure has run its course. At this point in his career he would be a sideshow. Thanks for the memories A.I., you’re done. Stephen D. Riley: An Iverson return would be great for him and great for the league. He dazzled us for over a decade with blinding moves and breathtaking quickness. No, he’s not the same player he was and he never will be but for a talent as strong as Iverson, he deserves another shot on somebody’s roster next fall. P.G.: Why? Iverson’s contribution to the league has been mostly based on selfish, self- absorbed behavior. From the saggy pants to the arrests to the anti-practice habits, Iverson has reaped more harm than good for the league. He was a hell of a player but also a hell of the headache. S.D.R.: Headache and complaints aside, he’s a Hall of Famer. There’s always a place for a return for a Hall of Famer. Anybody watching the 76ers’ home finale with Boston for Game Six could feel the love that the city of Philadelphia had for him. It’s obvious his fan base is still very large in that area and across the NBA. You paint Iverson as if he’s some pickpocket. He was a great, great player who deserves to end his career on his own standards.
P.G.: How many chances should one man get? Two? Three? Four? Iverson’s been flirting with reentering the league for a while and on his last stop he balked at coming off the bench. Same selfish Iverson, putting himself ahead of the team. We’ve seen this script before and it doesn’t end well. Iverson’s career is etched in our minds, no need to scramble that up with a sad attempt to give him a proper sendoff. Thanks again A.I. You’ll be missed but not forgotten.
(Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper)
TSD newspaper locations
Setting records...
Olympic legend Rochelle Stevens, age 45, runs at her own Invitational Track Meet. She ran the 200—meter dash in a time of 25.19 seconds, breaking the 45-49 record of 25.28. (Photos by Warren Roseborough)
Leading...
Tyler Bell, 8, crosses the finish line with a win.
Age is no factor... Give me that...
Kenneth Lee, 53, celebrates a win in the seniors-level competition.
Jada Simelton (left) of the Thoroughbreds receives the baton from team mate Kindra Richmond. The Thoroughbreds went on to win the relay race.
Sports weekend to honor LOC’s Coach Johnson
The Memphis Alumni Chapter of The LeMoyne-Owen College (LOC) will host its JCJ Sports Weekend honoring Coach Jerry C. Johnson on June 14 through June 16. Johnson served as head basketball coach and athletic director at the college for 46 years. He led the Magicians for 1,268 games with 821 wins while mentoring a number of future professional basketball players, doctors, lawyers, politicians and educators. He will turn 94 on June 20. His career has been documented in a new film documentary entitled the “First Forgotten Champions: The Legacy of Jerry
Johnson.” In addition to the invitationonly premiere of the film, highlights of JCJ Sports Weekend include renaming of the school gymnasium on June 14 at 10 a.m., the Celebrity Golf Scramble on June 15, 8 a.m. at Tunica National Golf Course in Tunica, Miss., the Coaches Clinic on June 16, 9 a.m. at C. Arthur Bruce Hall, and a culminating event dubbed the Suits and Sneakers Birthday Celebration: It’s A Party – Fun…Food…Games on June 16, also in Bruce Hall gymnasium. An excerpt from the film will
be shown during the birthday celebration, along with video tributes and birthday greetings for Coach Johnson. Proceeds from the JCJ Sports Weekend will be used to endow the Jerry C. Johnson Scholarship Fund. For event tickets and other information, call the LOC Athletic Office at 901-435-1235 or Memphis Alumni Chapter president Jeffrey Higgs at 901-672-8364. The “First Forgotten Champions” movie produced by Morreco Coleman of Daydream Studios features former players, such as Robert Newman (Most Valuable Player, 1975), other college alumni, elected officials
and community leaders. In addition to Newman, those featured in the movie include Jack Collins, Willie Gregory, Dr. Willie W. Herenton, Clint Jackson, Travis King, Larry Lewis, Rickey Means, Robert Newman and Bobby Todd. Also featured are: Memphis Councilman Myron Lowery; Congressman Steve Cohen; coaches John Calipari, Josh Pastner and Verties Sails Jr.; LOC Trustee Board Chairman Robert Lipscomb and President Johnnie B. Watson, as well as Coach Johnson’s daughter, Wanda Haywood, and his son, Jerry Johnson Jr.
Coach Jerry C. Johnson