7 25 2012

VOL. 61, No. 29

July 19 - 25, 2012

www.tsdmemphis.com

75 Cents

Candidates race to get in front of voters Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Wiley Henry

President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Solicitor General Donald Verrilli in the Oval Office after learning of the Supreme Courtʼs ruling on the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” (White House photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama is done, if….

African-Americans key to second term NNPA News Service

by George E. Curry WASHINGTON – If the African-American voter turnout reverts to the level it was before Barack Obama was elected president of the United States in 2008, the nation’s first African American elected president will have a difficult time winning a second term in the White House, concludes a National Urban League report.

The report, “The Hidden Swing Voters: Impact of African-Americans in 2012,” was written by Madura Wijewarden and Valerie Wilson of the National Urban League Policy Institute based in Washington. It was released Monday (July 16) The report observed, “In 2012, if the African-American voter turnout rate in every state declines to 60 percent, which was the national voter turnout rate for African-Americans in 2004, then we estimate: “President Barack Obama will not win North Carolina – a decline in African-American turnout will lead to a loss of 63,706 votes, which is 4.5 times the 2008 margin of victory.

“President Barack Obama will have difficulty winning Ohio and Virginia – lower African-American turnout will lead to a loss of almost a quarter of the margin of victory in 2008.”

President Obama may have difficulty matching the record African-American turnout of 2008.

“Some 2.4 million more African Americans

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Map Room. (White House photo by Chuck Kennedy) voted in 2008 compared to 2004,” the National urban League Report found. “This was a 16 percent increase in African Americans who voted to bring the total to 16.67 million voters.”

And that increase was reflected across various age groups.

“African-Americans between 18 to 44 years old had higher turnout rates than their white (non-Hispanic) counterparts – 6 points higher for 18 to 25 year olds and 1.9 points higher for 26 to 44 year olds,” the report stated. “This was the first time any race/ethnic group had surpassed the white (non-Hispanic) turnout.”

In addition, the report found: “The number of African Americans who voted grew by 16.4 percent between 2004 and 2008 – this was an additional 2.4 million African-American voters. This was 2.11 times the rate of growth in the African-American citizen, over 18 years population.”

African Americans clearly made a difference in North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana and Florida.

“The 2008 victory by then-Senator Barack Obama in North Carolina was primarily due SEE OBAMA ON PAGE 2

- INSIDE -

Your honor, my client is a rap artist, not a criminal!

• It’s time to reform SCLC – for good. See Opinion, page 4.

News Analysis

• Young entrepreneur is stepping into the athletic shoe industry. See Business, page 5.

When lyrics become evidence

Using lyrics, then, isn’t just a matter of an art form being

by Erik Nielson sacrificed for the sake of an easy New America Media conviction; it can also be a pernicious tactic that plays upon Torrence Hatch, the Baton Rouge, La., rapper better known to fans as Lil and perpetuates enduring Boosie, faced the trial of his life in stereotypes about the inherent May. Charged with first-degree mur- criminality of young black men.

der in the 2009 shooting death of Terry Boyd, Boosie stood accused of paying his friend Mike “Marlo Mike” Loudon $2,800 to carry out the hit. A conviction would have put him behind bars for good.

But local prosecutors had very little with which to work. With no physical evidence tying Boosie to the crime, they built their case on a prior confession from Marlo Mike – a statement he later recanted at trial – and, more important, Boosie’s rap lyrics.

Despite objections from defense attorneys, District Judge Mike Erwin allowed prosecutors to present lyrics from the songs “187” and “Bodybag,” which they claimed provided evidence of Boosie’s involvement in the murder. Fortunately for Boosie, the jurors were not convinced. After just an hour

of deliberations, they found him not guilty in a unanimous decision.

The lingering issue raised by Boosie’s case is the increasing use of rap lyrics at criminal trials across the country. Rather than treat rap music as an art form whose primary purpose is to entertain, prosecutors have become adept at convincing judges and juries alike that the lyrics are, in fact, either autobiographical confessions of illegal behavior or evidence of a defendant’s propensity toward criminality. Defense attorneys can (and usually do) object, but the presiding judge, who has ultimate discretion in these matters, often allows them anyway.

According to Andrea Dennis, an associate professor at the University of Georgia School of Law who has writ-

• Single parents, help is here! See Community, page 11.

With Early Voting for the Aug. 2 election already underway and running through July 28, candidates are scurrying to take advantage of opportunities to meet potential voters face to face.

Such was the case last Sunday evening (July 15) as about 30 candidates participated in a forum at Mt. Olive CME Cathedral hosted by the Memphis Branch NAACP. Those drawn to the historic church at 538 Linden at Lauderdale included Ninth Congressional District challenger Tomeka Hart and incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen.

Cohen elaborated on his record in Congress and his third consecutive “A” rating on the NAACP Report Card as qualifications for a third term.

“I’m proud of Rep. Steve my accomplishCohen ments as a congressman and the relationships that I’ve established,” said Cohen, pointing to other accomplishments such as the Memphis Minority Business Development Agency Business Center, the American Tomeka Steamship Co., Hart and Tiger Lane at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Hart, a member of the unified school board, also talked about her accomplishments and what she would do if she’s elected to Congress.

“I’ve walked the walk,” Hart said.

“I will be a hands-on congresswoman.

I will create synergy in the district and work across party lines with Republicans.”

She also talked about growing up in North Memphis, making her mark in college, making inroads in the community, her leadership as CEO of the Memphis Urban League, and “helping young people pull themselves up from their bootstraps.”

Four Republicans – Charlotte Bergmann, George S. Flinn Jr., Ernest Lunati and Rollin Wilson Stooksberry are competing for the uphill task of challenging the Democratic Party winner. Bergmann, the Republican nominee in the 2010 congressional race against Cohen, and perennial candidate Lunati showed up at the forum to present their cases and avail themselves to questions from the audience.

In Senate District 30, two veteran lawmakers, Sen. Jim Kyle and Sen. Beverly Robinson Marrero, are going head to head after redistricting by the Republican-dominated Tennessee General Assembly lumped the two in the same district.

Kyle didn’t talk much at the forum, figuring that less is best. He did focus, however, on his 30-year tenure and SEE ELECTION ON PAGE 10

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

Torrence Hatch, aka Lil Boosie

ten about rap lyrics in criminal trials, this gives government prosecutors a powerful advantage. “When courts permit the prosecutor to admit rap music lyrics as criminal evidence, they allow the government to obtain a stranglehold on the case,” Dennis wrote in a 2007 journal article.

It is not exactly surprising that rappers find their lyrics used against them in this way. For years they have been vilified by critics who claim SEE RAP ON PAGE 10

SATURDAY

H -97o - L-75o H-92o - L-72o Scat . T-St orms I so . T- St orms REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Sugar Ray Leonard

• Sugar Ray Leonard discusses his memoir ‘The Big Fight.’ See Sports, page 12.

Friday H-102 L-76 H-94 L-72 H-92 L-73

SUNDAY

H- 9 0 o - L - 7 5 o I so. T-Storms

Saturday H-97 L-74 H-90 L-70 H-88 L-72

Sunday H-94 L-75 H-91 L-72 H-85 L-71

NEWS

Page 2

‘Netflix of Africa’ brings Nigerian films to the world

Walk into any African hair braiding shop or store in the United States and you’ll probably see a Nigerian film blaring from a television screen.

Once only available as pirated DVDs sold by street-side peddlers, the wildly popular “Nollywood” films will now be as accessible at the click of a button – thanks to fledgling firm iRoko Partners, an Internet company that distributes Nigerian films all over the world.

“When we started the company, iROKO Partners, we were trying to solve the massive, I would say, dislocation in the popularity of Nollywood and the value it’s created,” said Jason Njoku, founder and CEO of the company in an interview with CNN. “A big part of what we did was actually focusing on cleaning up and organizing the content so we can provide a superior user experience, something which Nollywood lovers can really be proud of.”

Known as the “Netflix of Africa,” the company recently launched a new Web subscription service that allows subscribers to watch exclusive Nollywood films for $5 a month. Calling itself the “web infrastructure partners to the Nigerian entertainment industry,” the company operates five Internet brands – iROKOtv, iROKING, iROKtv, NollywoodLove and YorubaLove.

And, already, the company has

500,000 registered users.

“Having more than 500,000 registered users in a short space of time demonstrates that the appetite is there,” Njoku told CNN. “People really love this content, which means it should be organized and given to them in the best format possible.

“We’ve spent a lot of money – in the industry, licenses, organizing our team, we’ve got a staff of 100 people – so our view is that some additional value needs to…be given to this new subscription service we’re rolling out, (called) iROKOtv+.”

Broadband restrictions in Africa have forced the company to focus on the 30 million-member African diaspora, with their biggest markets located in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and Germany.

But, the ultimate hope is to tap into the rich, built-in market in Nigeria. With a ripe po-

tential market – offices in London, New York and Lagos – and having secured $8 million in funding from U.S.-based hedge fund Tiger Global, early investors in Facebook, iRoko Partners is well on the way to becoming as big as Netflix, which in April had a total estimated 26 million subscribers to its streaming service.

Said Njoku, “We are really young, as ambitious as we want to be. Are there 25 million people who love this content? Most definitely there are 25 million people in Nigeria who love this content. Are they willing to pay for it? That’s the big experiment we’re kind of playing now.

“So we wouldn’t want to compare ourselves to Netflix but we have an interest and opportunity to at least get somewhere along that line.”

(This story was featured by New America Media and reported by The Afro.)

Poll to highlight concerns of African Americans

(PRNewswire) – A coalition of black civic, entertainment and media organizations are partnering on a poll to examine the impact of the current economic climate, and other hot button topics, on minority voter issues.

Led by Loop21.com, the coalition plans one of the largest national surveys ever to poll the political attitudes and engagement of black Americans. The State of Black Amer-

Tri-State Defender

July 19 - 25, 2012

ica Economy survey will be distributed by a coalition that includes: HuffPost BlackVoices, NewsOne, Los Angeles Urban League Young Professionals, National Bar Association, National Black Law Students Association, National Black MBA Association - NY Chapter, National Black MBA Association - Dallas Chapter, National Black MBA Association - Miami Chapter,

National Action Network, Rising Affluent, Young Professionals United for Change, The Boss Network, Unity Journalists, Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network, A Mighty River.

The survey runs for three weeks and will conclude July 27, with early results available August 6. To take the survey, visit http://www.loop21.com /SOBE/AboutSOBE.

OBAMA

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

to the growth in AfricanAmerican voters in that state,” the report said. “The number of additional African-Americans who voted in North Carolina in 2008 compared to 2004 was nearly nine times the margin of victory in North Carolina – an additional 127,000 African Americans voted and the margin of victory was 14,177.”

The National Urban League study estimated that if John McCain had received an additional two points in support from African Americans in North Carolina, he would have defeated Obama, a lesson that is apparently not lost on Mitt Romney, who has begun courting the AfricanAmerican vote.

Growth in the AfricanAmerican vote between 2004 and 2008 in Virginia was nearly equal to Obama’s margin of victory there in 2008.

And in Indiana and Florida, African-American growth over that same period represented nearly 80 percent of the margin of victory in those states in 2008, according to the report.

The progress of 2008 could be undermined if efforts to dilute the African-American vote are successful, the report said.

“Efforts by several states to introduce voter identification requirements and limitations on early and postal voting are casting doubts on whether the diverse electorate of 2008 will

The National Urban League study estimated that if John McCain had received an additional two points in support from African Americans in North Carolina, he would have defeated Obama, a lesson that is apparently not lost on Mitt Romney, who has begun courting the African-American vote.

be maintained, let alone expanded,” it stated. “The stability and legitimacy of the republican form of government depends more on achieving that expansion of the electoral franchise than anything else. This makes 2012 a crucial election.”

Even though phenomenal growth has been achieved in African-American voter turnout, voter registration has not kept pace with that progress.

The 69.7 percent AfricanAmerican voter registration rate in 2008 was 3.8 percent lower than the rate for whites.

But the turnout rate for African Americans was only 1.4 points lower than whites.

If the African-American registration rate of 69.7 percent in 2008 can be increased to 78.3 percent – the same rate as for African Americans in Maryland – and the turnout remains the same as it was in 2008, an additional 3 million African-American voters can be gained this year, according to projections in the National Urban League report.

Getting African Americans registered is half the battle because once they sign up, they are more likely to vote (92.8 percent) than whites (90 percent) or Latinos (84 percent).

Like Bill Clinton before him, Obama became presi-

dent without winning a majority of the white vote. CNN exit polls in 2008 showed Republican candidate John McCain holding a 54 percent to 45 percent edge over thenSenator Obama among white voters.

The November presidential election will pit Barack Obama, the first AfricanAmerican elected president, against Mitt Romney, the first Mormon to win the nomination of a major party for president.

The Urban League report observed, “This expansion of access to the highest office in the land to different racial, ethnic and religious minorities through leadership of both political parties is a cause for celebration.”

For African Americans to celebrate again, however, they will have to match or exceed the enthusiasm generated in 2008.

As the report reminded readers, “This was perhaps the first time in the history of the world that a people had popularly elected a member of a racial minority as their head of state with executive authority.”

(George E. Curry is editorin-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.)

NATION

Tri-State Defender

Rep. Jackson’s medical leave stirs questions

(Courtesy of The Chicago Defender)

Chicago murders key call for collective effort to curb crime Real Times News Service

There’ve been more than 275 murders in the city within the last seven months. The number exceeds the number of soldiers killed in combat during the same time period.

What’s it going to take for it to end? A faith-based leader and veteran police officer said it’s going to take everyone to step up, step out and get involved.

On Sunday, the Honorable Min. Louis Farrakhan used Twitter (@LouisFarrakhan) as one of his outlets to speak against the violence.

“These young people are our children. We’re coming in the streets to show our young people the love that they are missing,” said Farrakhan. “We need to come out of the church, out of the mosque, out of the synagogue and get in the streets where the problems are…Use the wisdom that we have been given to help our people to come out of this condition.”

Community activist and veteran Chicago police officer Richard Wooten urged parents to turn in their children and other family members who are breaking the law.

“As parents, we must begin to focus on the activities of our kids in our home. We must pay attention to what is coming into our homes such as drugs and guns,” said Wooten.

“It now comes to a point where some parents are going to have to turn in their own family members, because if not, those family members are going to be headed towards death or jail.”

Meanwhile, with the city’s homicide rate up nearly 38 percent from last year, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy’s face growing criticism that their crime-fighting initiatives are failing. Among the more recent high-profile deaths was a 7-year-old girl, Heaven Sutton, hit by a stray bullet while selling candy outside her home.

Emanuel and McCarthy used a recent news conference to assert that the gang strategies in place before McCarthy arrived were the ones that failed, not the new ones. More beat officers, they said, are now on the streets and staying in specific areas, replacing the large, specialized units that would temporarily drop into crime-ridden areas. And on Monday, Emanuel announced that he’s devoting another $4 million to tear down vacant buildings where gang members live and store guns and drugs.

Chicago has averaged about 450 homicides a year since 2005, which is a dramatic drop from the roughly 900 homicides the city was experiencing annually in the early 1990s. Still, McCarthy said the current numbers are unacceptable. He pointed out that the city recorded about the same number of homicides last year as New York City, which is three times the size of Chicago.

There is evidence that police are on the right track in their fight against street gangs,” McCarthy said. “This weekend, there was half the number of shootings, half the number of murders as we had the same time last year,” he said, adding that the amount of shootings over the weekend marked the fewest since February.

Emanuel said there are other components of that citywide strategy, including targeting liquor stores and other businesses that police and community activists have identified as gang hangouts.

(The Chicago Defender, a Real Times Media newspaper, reported this story.)

Page 3

July 19 - 25, 2012

Much of Chicago and a goodly portion of the nation’s capital are grappling with questions of why Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) has been out on medical leave for a month with no explanation of where he is and what he’s suffering from.

Most of the colleagues with whom he serves in the House of Representatives who’ve been asked said they have no idea of what the problem might be.

“Rep. Jackson’s office first indicated on June 25 that he was taking a ‘medical leave of absence’ and that he had been gone since June 10,” said the Huffington Post. “The reason initially given was ‘exhaustion,’ but since then, his staff has said that he checked into an in-patient medical facility at an undisclosed location and that his condition is more serious than originally thought.”

Later, without being more specific, the 47-year-old congressman’s office said he is struggling with “physical and emotional ailments” worse than what was previously thought.

His father, civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson, during an appearance on a local Chicago NBC affiliate station, said it was inappropriate to ask about his son’s medical condition.

“No, that’s inappropriate,” he told

the questioner. “I speak as a father.

During this pain, as he comes out of his crisis, we will be with him.

And we hope that Rep. Jesse he’ll be fully restored to his Jackson Jr. health.

Right now, he’s going through a tremendous challenge.”

The congressman’s wife, Sandi Jackson, the alderman from Chicago’s 7th Ward, met with the media recently but would divulge nothing concerning where the congressman is or what he’s suffering from.

“I think it’s important to say that I love my husband very much,” she said during the news conference.

“As a wife, my primary concern is that of my children. I just want to make sure that they are taken care of and provided for, and we’re just going to continue doing the good work that we’re doing here in the city of Chicago.”

The Rev. Jackson said Tuesday that his son is “slowly regaining his strength” and is “taking his time and recovering,’” the Huffington Post reported.

(Special to the NNPA from Our Weekly)

AFSCME union elects first African-American president (NNPA) Delegates to the 40th International Convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME), elected Lee A. Saunders to be president and Laura Reyes to be secretary-treasurer of the union representing 1.6 million public service workers.

Saunders becomes the first African-American elected AFSCME’s president, while Reyes becomes the first woman secretarytreasurer.

“Both Laura and I are committed to our members and cherish this union,” said AFSCME President-Elect Saunders. “We had a vigorous and energetic campaign, but now the union will pull together to win victories for working families and our members all across this great country.”

Saunders said Wall Street and its allies are engaged in an all-out assault against AFSCME members and the services the union provides.

“They know that AFSCME stands in the way of their efforts to destroy the middle class. We are united in our commitment to stand up for the men and women who care for America’s children, nurse the sick, plow our streets, collect the household trash and guard our prisons,” said Saunders. “Our members are a cross-section of America, not some elite group as our opponents try to claim. We are

energized and ready for the battles ahead.”

Pres. Gerald W. McEntee, who retired after 31 years as AFSCME president, said the delegates’ decision to Lee A. elect Saunders Saunders and Reyes “strengthens our leadership and will enhance our ability to face the challenges that await us around the country.”

Saunders will be the fourth president of AFSCME since the union’s formation 75 years ago in Madison, Wis. Arnold Zander served as AFSCME’s first president from 1936, when the union was first chartered by the American Federation of Labor (AFL), until 1964. The union’s second president, Jerry Wurf, was elected at the 1964 AFSCME Convention.

McEntee ascended to the union’s presidency following Wurf’s death in 1981.

AFSCME represents members in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers.

(Special to the NNPA from the Chicago Crusader)

Page 4

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

July 19 - 25, 2012

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

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

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

A Real Times Newspaper

FACEBOOK FAN OF THE WEEK Yvette Curry Brooks

It’s time to reform SCLC – for good NNPA News Service

by Dexter Wimbish I was born a year after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assignation in Memphis but grew up in an era where as the walls of Jim Crow fell, the dreams of African-Americans soared. Americans both black and white were proud of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the organization he co-founded on Feb. 14, 1957 with Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. Josephy Lowery, and other great religious leaders of our time.

It was their inspiration that fueled my early life and professional career that ultimately led me to volunteer my legal services when Shuttlesworth was named SCLC president and CEO in 2004. Less than a year later, I became the organization’s youngest general counsel, the same time Charles Steele Jr. was elected president and CEO following an attempted takeover of the organization at the Jacksonville, Fla. convention.

Yes, SCLC is struggling but it is desperately needed because its mission is still relevant in a society where despite tremendous gains in the past, the poor and disenfranchised from all walks of life needed to have an organization that’s not afraid to raise its voice in protest. I still remember the words of Dr. Shuttlesworth who was forced out after a disagreement with the board of directors when he stated, “Only God can save SCLC!” When Dr. Steele took over the reins of SCLC, he is famous for pointing out that the lights to the building had been turned off. I laugh today because it is ironic that the same company that turned off the lights in the building, the Southern Company, under Dr. Steele’s tenure would partner with SCLC to launch a major capital campaign that resulted in the construction of a debt-free $3.5 million headquarters next door to the original office of Dr. King.

In addition to constructing the building, Dr. Steele led efforts to raise nearly another $3 million for major initiatives, including conflict resolution, HIV Aids Awareness, taser gun reform, bringing down oil and gas prices, and closing the digital divide in minority communities. God has a way making things that seem impossible a reality.

We were all disheartened in 2009 when Dr. Steele announced he was leaving SCLC. To his credit, he never boasted that Charles Steele had done anything; he always said it was God who had revived SCLC. The organization hadn’t reclaimed the power it had in the 1960s but it had turned the corner.

Dr. Steele stated at the outset that he intended to stay three to five years. After year five, he felt he had done his job. Yes, there were tensions with the board over the direction and day-to-day operations of the organization, but the organization was again relevant and solvent. In retrospect, the one thing it was not prepared to do was operate without strong leadership. I remember telling my friend Charles one day, “Mr. President you make things look too easy!” because he has a way of making you feel at ease and you just want to help him because he allows you to see his vision.

Following the departure of Dr. Steele, the organization entered a peReaders weigh www.tsdmemphis.com

in

Young Entrepreneurs: Bows Edition: July 12-18, 2012

on

Mo’s

(With a little more than a year of business ownership under his belt, Moziah Bridges has already made a splash and a name for himself as a young mogul in the making. He is the founder of Mo’s Bows, which makes specialty bow ties for stylish, wellgroomed individuals seeking to make a fashion statement.)

POST: Congratulations on being a producer. Start your tax planning now so the government doesn’t take the majority of your earnings to support those who don’t or won’t work.

BET Awards 2012 – star power,

riod of its darkest hour. The walls of separation between the board of directors and the day-to-day operations of the organization crumbled.

Since 2009, SCLC has been in the nation’s headDexter lines for all the Wimbish wrong reasons.

The organization teeters on being cast aside as an irrelevant relic of the past. Many have called for the organization’s closure.

This would be an unintelligent and ill-advised outcome and one that does not have to manifest itself. SCLC can be saved and it must be saved.

There must be broad-based organizational and true board reform. There must be a new SCLC infused with youth, cross-cultural representation, women, activists, scholars, and members of the business community.

SCLC cannot achieve this goal with continued infighting, but we cannot also jump to the conclusion that all conflict is harmful.

Upon reading several articles over the past few weeks, it sounds like SCLC may be headed back to court as a coalition of chapter presidents and supporters argue that the board of directors is operating outside the confines of the organization’s constitution, which is reminiscent of previous claims that resulted in a deep split within the organization.

I am hopeful that this conflict will turn out much different than previous conflicts. Whenever there is a call for transparency or accountability in any aspect of life those calls demand a response. I realize at times our egos will get in the way of progress, but this is not the time to give way to personality or vanity. Charles Steele Jr. will do great things as president and CEO. I am not telling you what I have heard, I am telling you what I have seen first-hand. However, if SCLC is to reclaim its place as relevant advocate for movement and equality, there must be a major paradigm shift.

An active board of directors must be seated that sets the vision for the organization, spearheads fundraising, and allows the president and CEO to make that vision a reality. A board must spend its time shaping the larger dialogues that affect our community. There must be a level of trust that coexists between leadership, community, and membership that builds the organization up. You cannot ignore your membership base and then blame them because they demand inclusion even if they have to resort to legal means to bring about change.

Instead people have to come and reason together and formulate a plan of action and then bring that plan to fruition.

Unfortunately, before any of that can truly happen there must be healing and a commitment to nonviolence. These are core principles of Kingian nonviolence, a methodology that SCLC has worked to spread across the world. Yet, before we can bring peace to the Middle East, we must bring peace to SCLC.

(Dexter Wimbish is an attorney and licensed minister, based in Atlanta. He served as the general counsel of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 2004-10. He can be reached at dexterwimbish@bellsouth.net.)

WEB POSTS

profanity and emotion Edition: July 12-18, 2012

(Censors were working overtime during “BET Awards 2012” as singers and rappers threw radio edits to the wind and performed explicit versions that made it possible to catch every foul word or reference.)

POST: This is why I do not watch the “BET Awards”...It is an embarrassment to our community.

The FBI, Co-Intel-Pro and the Invaders Edition: July 12-18, 2012

(John Burl Smith, who helped found a group (the Invaders) that famed photographer Ernest C. Withers informed on to the FBI, writes that the “very harsh assessments heaped upon Mr. Withers runs

Romney and the NAACP: A missed opportunity

As anyone who has followed me knows, I have been extremely critical of President Obama’s non-engagement with the black community.

Obama has deliberately ignored the plight of the black community while giving preferential treatment to the homosexual and Hispanic communities.

But I can’t in good conscious criticize Obama and then give the Republicans a pass when they display similar behavior towards the black community. I can’t excoriate black Democrats for following Obama blindly and then remain silent when black Republicans do the same towards Romney.

As I watched Mitt Romney address the NAACP, I tried to force myself to be optimistic about what he would say. But my years of being an avid Republican prepared me for the worst. And that’s exactly what I saw.

Romney had a golden opportunity to make a credible argument for blacks to support him. But because he doesn’t have experienced blacks in his inner circle, he thoroughly embarrassed himself and deserved to be roundly booed. For Romney to speak before a black audience and not talk about the black entrepreneur is like going to church and not mentioning God. This is what happens when you don’t have the right people around you, people who understand communications, messaging and the nuances of the audience being addressed.

That’s the elephant in the room.

Contrary to what the white media thinks, the preachers and politicians are not the leaders in the black community – businessmen and businesswomen are. That Black businessperson is typically head of the board of trustees or the deacon board of the church. So, if you get the business leader on your side, he or she will bring along the minister and the congregation.

Business leaders have a vested interest in having an educated black community because they have to hire people in order to grow their business. Like everyone else, those leaders care about crime and don’t want employees to be victims as they travel to and from work. More than anyone else, business leaders understand the cost of capital issues and therefore are more likely to support a reduction or total abolition of the capital gains tax. He or she is more likely to support school choice and vouchers, all topics the NAACP members can relate to.

So, the point is, the black business leaders are the most important entry point to the black community and Republicans, of all people, are totally ignorant of this fact. And they will remain ignorant of what’s important to the black community until they have campaign staffs that look like America.

Like Jeremiah in the Bible, I have been labeled as one crying in the wilderness. And I am not about to counter to how those of us who empathize with his plight feel about his actions, because for us the pressures felt in those days were like being an occupied people during a war.”)

POST: Thank you for a beautiful article in support of my friend, Dr. Withers!

Your letters to the editor are welcome. For verification, please include your name, address and telephone number.

Mail to: In The Mail, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale St., Ste. 200, Memphis, TN 38103 E-mail: inthemail@tri-statedefender.com Maximum length: 300 words (subject to editing for clarity)

IN THE MAIL

surrender that label now. Am I the only one who is offended that Romney has fewer than five blacks on his national campaign staff and none in top decisionposimaking tions? I am talkRaynard ing about someJackson one who controls a budget, has the final say on hiring, and has the ability to put an event on the candidate’s calendar or arrange a private meeting with the candidate.

Am I the only one who noticed the optics of Romney not having photos of any black Republicans on his campaign Web site? Am I the only one puzzled as to why Romney has never met with a group of black entrepreneurs?

I was stunned to learn that Romney had chosen a recent Democratturned-Republican, Ashley Bell, to be one of his surrogates and to help him craft his speech to the NAACP. Bell is a decent guy, but am I to believe that Romney couldn’t find any veteran black Republicans who have both party credentials and relevant presidential campaign experience to help him craft the speech that would define his relationship with Black America?

Does his staff know people such as Shannon Reeves, Allegra McCullough, David Byrd, Aaron Manaigo, Francis Johnson, Ada Fisher or James House? If they don’t, I will be happy to put Romney’s staff in touch with them and many other able blacks. For Romney to pick a Republican-come-lately over GOP vets who have taken all kind of criticism for supporting the Grand Old Party is a grand old insult to those black Republicans who have toiled for years in the vineyard of Republican politics.

Where are the voices of black Republicans who know better? Their silence is deafening. In this respect, they are just as bad as the black Democrats I have been criticizing.

With Romney’s speech to the NAACP and making Bell one of his surrogates, the candidate has spent more time with black Democrats than he has with black Republicans.

Where is the outrage from black Republicans? Oh, they can criticize Obama for his treatment of blacks, but when Romney does the same thing they get laryngitis. As I often say, the best way to get attention from the Republican Party as a black Republican is to be a black Democrat.

(Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm. His website is: www.raynardjackson.com.)

O u r Facebook Fan of the Week is Yvette C u r r y Brooks, a 1 9 8 0 graduate of the g r e a t Whitehaven High School, which is also the alma mater of our TSD President/ Publisher Bernal E. Smith II. She has degrees from Crichton College in Organizational Management and an MBA in Human Resources from Colorado Technical University.

Brooks is currently employed with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, a true community and marketing partner of the TSD. In reflecting on herself and life overall, the native Memphian says, “Me, I am always in awe of all God has done for me. Every experience, good, bad, happy, painful, has molded me into the person I am. I welcome all that life brings my way, knowing that whatever happens to me is for me and meant to be.”

Her favorite inspirational quote is by the artist, Vincent Van Gogh: “Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.”

We love having Yvette Curry Brooks as a part of the TSD family! Keep loving!

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

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.

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FLASHBACK: 2009

Tri-State Defender

BUSINESS

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Young Entrepreneurs:

Carlee McCullough: Tell us about yourself.

Thabiti Stephens: My name is Thabiti Stephens and I am from Atlanta, Ga. I am a Business Marketing major and a rising junior at Morehouse College. I am the founder and CEO of Steps by Stephens.

CM: What motivated you to get into the athletic shoe industry?

TS: About a week after I graduated from high school, I realized and felt that I spent too much of my money on shoes. So I decided that I was going to start a shoe company.

This way I would eventually save money and still satisfy my craving for shoes.

CM: How did you enter the industry?

TS: Once I decided that I wanted to start a shoe company I started doing all the research needed to begin the process. I wrote a business plan and reviewed it multiple times. I reviewed hundreds of manufacturers and maintained frequent contact with them. It was hard finding one that was willing to work with a company that wasn’t established and couldn’t meet their order sizes.

I started thinking of ideas for shoes, packaging, marketing and materials.

It took 1 1/2 years of groundwork before Steps by Stephens was offi-

MONEY MATTERS

Investing when rates are low

Steps by Stephens

From bow ties to tennis shoes, young entrepreneurs are making their mark on the world. Fueled by creativity, desire and ambition, these young folks are not only inspiring, they are showing us Carlee how it should be McCullough done.

Thabiti Stephens is a case study. At 20, Stephens, owner of Steps by Stephens, is one of the youngest business owners in the athletic shoe industry.

Page 5

July 19 - 25, 2012

For every pair of shoes sold, Thabiti Stephens and Steps by Stephens provides meals to children in need. (Courtesy photo)

cially registered with the state.

CM: Tell us about Steps by Stephens?

TS: Steps by Stephens is a shoe company based in Atlanta. We provide shoes for both men and women.

We produce a high quality casual shoe made from canvas and leather.

CM: I understand that your company is unique in that a portion of sales go to charity. Can you explain how that works?

TS: Yes for every pair of shoes that we sell we provide meals to children in need. We provide the equivalent of three meals of nonperishable goods to children who usually wouldn’t receive their daily meals. We are able to do this through our collaborations with Communities in Schools.

CM: Where did your philanthropic nature come from?

TS: I think growing up in a part of Atlanta were I could see the dramatic differences in social classes had an impact. I had friends that had Bentleys and lived in mansions.

Then I had friends whose families never had a car. I saw that people who are in bad situations at a young age tend to grow up but still live in the same situation as their parents.

Also in class I always saw figures such as the Rockefellers and the Carnegies always gave back to the community. I have since wanted to do the same. They say great people do great things. If I want to be great, then giving back is a good start.

CM: As a full time student, how

do you balance school and the demands of the business?

TS: It is tough at times maintaining over a 3.0 GPA. I feel that I still have a good school and social life while still accomplishing business. I pride myself on making the most of my days. My vice president, Malcolm Conner, who is also my college roommate, helps me manage, handle and run the day-to-day business operations.

My school schedule requires I wake up at 7:30 for my 8 a.m. class.

Seeing that my classes last an hour, I sometimes have hour gaps between classes. During these gaps I return all calls, send emails, fax and take care of anything that I need to handle during market hours. Everything that doesn’t get done during this time I complete after class at 3.

Once I handle all my business then I proceed to my homework and dinner. I try to be in bed by 11:30.

CM: What’s the next step for you?

What’s next for your company?

TS: The next step for me is school in the fall. Hopefully I can make some youth entrepreneur list, which has always been a goal of mine. For Steps By Stephens, we will be releasing a red shoe in the fall and two more colors before the spring.

CM: Any closing remarks?

TS: Steps by Stephens products are available for sale at www.stepsbystephens.com.

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

Interest rates have been exceptionally low for three years now — and are expected to remain so through the end of 2014, according to the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, market volatility has been high.

These are challenging times for risk-averse investors who want to improve their returns.

If you are retired or approaching retirement, capital preservation is important, but you also want your portfolio to outpace inflation in order for it to last throughout retirement. So how do you factor the prospect of continued low interest rates into your investment strategy?

Cushioning with cash

In a low-interest-rate environment, savings accounts, bank money market accounts, CDs, and other cash alternatives offer low earnings potential. However, these generally stable vehicles may still play a role in helping mitigate the impact of market volatility in your portfolio.

It’s also important to keep reserves in liquid accounts to handle unexpected as well as routine large expenses and to take advantage of future investing opportunities.

Bracing with bonds

Like cash alternatives, bonds may play a key role in your portfolio regardless of low interest rates, but you should choose your investments based on the same sound criteria you would utilize if interest rates were higher. Bonds with longer maturities generally offer higher yields than short- and medium-term bonds. However, you may not want to commit to long-term bond investments in the current interest-rate environment because you might not be able to take advantage of more attractive yields when rates rise in the future.

Diving into dividends

Equities may offer the potential to outperform cash and bond investments, but they carry higher risks. If you have trepidations about investing in a volatile stock market, one approach is to focus on well-established companies that pay dividends.

Cash reserves held by U.S. corporations are currently near a 50year high. And some companies with excess cash are paying higher dividends. In 2011, companies in-

cluded in the S&P 500 offered 388 dividend increases, compared with only 261 in 2010.

The amount of a company’s dividend can fluctuate with its Charles Sims earnings, which are influenced Jr., CFP by economic, market, and political events. There is no guarantee that a corporation will continue paying dividends in the future.

Although companies that pay dividends may not offer the growth potential of some newer companies that reinvest their profits, dividend-paying stocks may be less volatile. And if you have a longer-term time horizon, reinvesting any dividends can increase the potential for total return – share price appreciation or depreciation plus all investment earnings, including dividends and interest. Of course, as demand for dividend-paying stocks increases, their prices can become more expensive.

The return and principal value of stocks, bonds, and cash alternatives fluctuate with market conditions.

Shares, when sold, and bonds redeemed prior to maturity may be worth more or less than their original cost. The FDIC insures bank CDs, savings accounts, and money market deposit accounts, which generally provide a fixed rate of return, up to $250,000 per depositor, per federally insured institution. Investments seeking the potential for higher yields also involve a higher degree of risk.

Even though a low-interest-rate environment can be challenging, there may still be opportunities for careful investors. Just be aware that if you’re searching for higher yields, you could take on more risk than may be appropriate for your situation.

(Charles Sims Jr. is President/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group.

Contact him at 901-682-2410 or visit www.SimsFinancial 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.)

Saint Francis nets honor for cardiac and orthopedic services

The 2012 Benny Awards!...

The Black Business Association named Benny Awards winners in 10 categories at its annual banquet at the Holiday Inn – University of Memphis on July 12. The winners were: Community Involvement, AT&T; Corporate Involvement, Methodist Lebonheur Healthcare; Business Purchasing, Fed Ex; Woman-Owned Business, Dr. Linda Tharp, OD; Business Professional, Bigfoot Tire & Trucking; Business Development, Alt Consulting; Professional Service, Networking in Memphis; Service Provider, Porter Security; Propel Excellence Awards, Brown Baptist Church, The New Olivet Baptist Church, Breath of Life Christian Center; Business of the Year, R&S Vending.

(Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis has been designated a UnitedHealth Premium site for cardiac care, cardiac surgery, heart rhythm disorders, surgical spine and total joint replacement.

Hospitals must meet or exceed UnitedHealthcare’s rigorous quality criteria based on nationally recognized medical standards, including programmatic structure, patient care processes and clinical outcomes that are submitted by the hospital to UnitedHealthcare.

“We are very proud to receive

these quality designations,” said David L. Archer, Saint Francis president and CEO. “Our continuous improvement in designation programs such as these reflects our unwavering commitment to providing high-quality care for our patients through the use of evidence-based practices.”

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis, a 519-bed full service hospital, is located at 5959 Park Ave. To learn more about Saint Francis Hospital, visit www.saintfrancishosp .com.

RELIGION

Page 6

Tri-State Defender

July 19 - 25, 2012

LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE

Check your lens if you’re not living the life you love

Dear Lucy: I do not love the life I am living now, period. I read your column, I love it, but the truth is that I don’t like anything about my life right now. I am so disgusted with myself because I cannot shake these feelings of unhappiness. Help!

– Signed: KB

Dear KB: Your letter was longer but I shortened it for the sake of the column. The word perception is defined as how we see things. How we see things has a lot to do with what I call the “lens” of perception, or what we are expecting to see. Perception is also colored by time. Are we seeing through the lens of the past, present or future?

You are simply speaking of a bad case of discontent. Discontent with the present is a wonderful indication that it is time for a change, time to ask yourself the hard questions, time to be true to yourself. Most of all, discontent drives us to make a move.

When the discomfort becomes un-

Lucy Shaw

bearable many of us will finally move. That is negative motivation. That is depending upon outward circumstances and an uncomfortable environment to make decisions for us. That is not living in the everpresent now and now is all we re-

ally have.

A much better motivation is to be true to yourself, your own desires, your own talents, self-appreciation and beginning to create a life that you can love. If you don’t like the one you are living, then be honest, take full responsibility and make one that you can love. Only you can do this for you.

Are you stuck in the past? That’s probably guilt and unforgiveness. Guilt

over past mistakes, should’a, could’a and didn’t. Let them go and forgive yourself for every past mistake.

Stuck in the future? Then you are stuck in a fear of the present. We all have times when we don’t trust ourselves to make right decisions and it seems easier to just daydream about not being in the reality of the moment.

However, it is what you think and do right now that creates your future.

If you are not happy in your now, not loving the life you are living, then your spirit is simply asking and urging you to do something different, to perhaps be with someone different, be in another place. Focus on being true to what you are feeling and only make the decisions that have to be made right now. Don’t waste your precious now deciding on what can be decided next week. Listen closely to your soul’s urging. Give God credit for having great intentions for your life! Trust yourself to listen, interpret, to be honest, faithful and obedient.

Every path is a path of and for per-

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Nona N. Allen

NNPA News Service

The African Methodist Episcopal Church this week moved to set the record straight about a story posted (July 1) on the “Charisma News” website and Facebook page. The story reported that the AME Church was threatening to withdraw support from President Barack Obama because of his stance on same sex marriage and that the AME Church was partnering with an organization called The Coalition of African American Pastors.

“As a denomination, we do not endorse candidates for any political office,” said Bishop Samuel L. Green Sr., president of the AME Church Council of Bishops. “As such, we cannot ‘withdraw’ support from President Obama because we cannot endorse any candidate for political office and did not endorse the President. No organization has been authorized to speak for the AME Church.

Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, chairperson of the AME Church’s Commission on Social Action, said neither the AME Church nor its leadership is involved with or partnering with the Coalition of African-American Pastors.

Walker said there was a method to the selection process. “We chose the artists and gave them the song that would stretch them and their gifts,” he said.

Variety was the goal of the album said Walker and Gilliard – producers who have worked with gospel artists nationwide. The album also reflects the duo’s desire to work with artists from their hometown.

“We needed to put Memphis gospel on the national scene,” said Gilliard. “We have not had a nationally known artist since (Olanda) Draper.”

“The Gospel of Memphis” is on the DMG label, owned by Mr. Del, a former member of Three Six Mafia. The project is available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Zune.

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 ASSOCIATE MINISTERS

ST. ANDREW A.M.E. CHURCH 867 SOUTH PARKWAY EAST Memphis, TN 38106

Dr. Reginald L. Porter Sr., Pastor

767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126

(Special to the NNPA News Service from the L.A. Watts Times)

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

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

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

“Ministering to Memphis-Spirit, Soul and Body”

TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST

—Ecclesiastes 3:1

(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.)

The story in “Charisma News” bore a sad and striking resemblance to other stories that either stretch or totally abandon the truth in an effort to divide and conquer the AfricanAmerican community, AME church officials said, condemning what was labeled “an effort to sow discord and misinformation.

The AME Church Social Action Commission has been directed to continue to encourage all citizens, and especially those touched

by AME churches, to register and exercise the right to vote.

In the Episcopal Address to the worldwide church, the Bishops of the Church said, “We call upon each of our congregants to become registered and vote on election day…and urge all of our churches to conduct voter registration drives” Bishop John R. Bryant, Senior Bishop of the AME Church, said, “We shall continue to advocate for the well being of all humankind, so that they can freely hear the liberating Gospel of Jesus the Christ.”

672 So. Lauderdale 38126 P.O. Box 314 Memphis, Tn 38101 Phone (General) 774-1572 Pastor: 775-0740 Secretary: 775-1909

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

and joy in your life. It is simply a decision and one that you will have to use your will to affirm over and over until you break the habit of believing that you don’t deserve to be happy right now. I will be doing a seminar on the “Power of Will” on in Wednesday through Friday (July 2022) at First Unity Church. You may call my office for details, 901-9070260.

The time for living is NOW! Lucy

AME Church leaders irked after website reports rift with President Obama

‘Gospel of Memphis’ crafted to raise the profile of local artists

Traditional Memphis gospel music has a particular sound. It is not the hip slappin’ sound of Mississippi or the large choir sound of Chicago. It is a sound that is almost indescribable.

It’s the reassuring and inspirational sound of a Bishop G.E. Patterson. It is the overwhelming holiness of a Dr. William Herbert Brewster.

This is the traditional Memphis gospel music sound.

June 19 (2012) marked a change in the traditional Memphis gospel music sound. The turning point was the nation-wide release of “The Gospel of Memphis” by the Key of D. Producers David Gillard and Marque Walker (Key of D) gathered a montage of Memphis gospel artists such as Darrel Pettis, Lisa Knowles, Markevius Faulkner and Courtney Little to break new ground.

Songs on the project range from tributes to hip-slappin’ quartet gospel, to jazzy, to bluesy, to R&B, to contemporary gospel. One of the most refreshing cuts is Little’s “I Just Love to Praise Him,” which immediately brought to mind thoughts of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.

fecting us. I look back on the experiences that I felt at the time were horrific mistakes ten years ago. Now, I see them with perfect clarity, knowing that they were not mistakes. They were corrections on my path. Had I not endured them and allowed myself to find the lesson in them, I would not be who I am today and I would not like myself nearly as much as I do.

Believe it or not, the world is actually a friendly place and God has a plan for each of us. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

God’s expected end for you is good. Why not spend your time in the present moment with your thoughts in line with God’s thoughts of peace for you? Allow and accept an expected end of goodness.

The greatest power you have is the power to choose...the power to decide. Today you can decide for peace

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

Focus on unity…

RELIGION

July 19 - 25, 2012

Bishop Philemon Turner Sr., founder of the Tabernacle Fellowship Ministries, focused on “A Call to Unity” during his keynote address at the 24th Annual Tabernacle Fellowship Ministries Convention at the Memphis Airport Hotel & Convention Center, July 1015. (Photos by Tyrone P. Easley)

Hearing and believing…

First Lady Deborah Turner of Lordʼs Tabernacle offers praise during the keynote address Sunday (July 15) by her husband, Bishop Philemon Turner Sr., founder of the Tabernacle Fellowship Ministries Convention.

A building-block event…

The Rev. Dr. John W. Crittle of Macedonia Baptist Church was the special guest speaker at the Advocate Fellowship Baptist Church First Annual Family and Friends Day held Sunday (July 15) at the church at 5134 Millbranch, Ste. 130, with the Rev. Y.C. Cox Jr. the host pastor.

Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, July 19 - 25, 2012, Page 8

FILM REVIEW

A fascination with Abraham Lincoln H

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Nona N. Allen

Batman trilogy finale deserves a tip of the cape Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

“The Dark Knight Rises” brings down the curtain on the brilliant Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. Each of the earlier episodes, “Batman Begins” (2005) and “The Dark Knight” (2008), earned a spot on this critic’s annual Top Ten List, No. 9 and No. 1, respectively.

Given how the late Heath Ledger played The Joker to perfection, delivering an inspired, Oscar-winning, career performance in the previous installment, you knew it would be hard for Nolan to find as compelling a character for his highly-anticipated finale. And if “The Dark Knight Rises” does have a weakness, it lies in the fact that its primary villain pales in comparison.

Otherwise, the movie measures up to franchise expectations, though its convoluted plot and 2¾ hours running time is likely to have younger kids squirming in their seats.

The picture’s point of departure is eight years after the end of the last adventure, when Batman selflessly accepted the blame for the untimely demise of District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). The broken, embittered vigilante has apparently kept a low profile over the intervening years, allowing the Gotham Police Department to fight crime on its own.

But that’s only until the arrival in town of Bane (Tom Hardy), a cardcarrying member of the association of assassins known as The League of Shadows. Although his speech is pretty much muffled by a Hannibal Lecter-like contraption affixed to his face, you don’t need to understand his unintelligible mumblings to know that he’s a maniacal menace.

The masked terrorist is hell-bent on blowing up the city with a nuclear device and, of course, it isn’t long before Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) needs help handling the mayhem.

Meanwhile, Batman’s alter-ego Bruce Wayne already has his hands full with Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a cat burglar he catches snooping around his mansion. Fortunately, Wayne still has loyal assistants in his butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and weapons/vehicle/gadgetry specialist Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Plus, he forges a new friendship with John Blake (Joseph-Gordon-Levitt), an idealist cop with excellent instincts who might be sidekick Robin should the series be spun off.

Outfitted with a state-of-the-art motorcycle and hovercraft, a revivified Batman engages his evil adversary with an unbridled enthusiasm.

And between purist Nolan’s loyalty to 35mm film and live action stunts, what’s served up onscreen proves to be nothing short of spectacular.

A tip of the cap, or should I say of the cape, to a terrific trilogy for the ages!

onest; Emancipator; Greatest President.

These are a few of the terms often used to describe Abraham Lincoln; nowhere on this list is the word fascinating – until now.

Lately there has been a growing fascination with our 16th president and those fascinations range from the academic to the borderline absurd.

Recently, I attended the “Forensic Frolic,” a Memphis City Schools Honor Camp program finale. A group of students led by Beth Rower, a middle school U.S. History teacher, staged a reenactment of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, with a twist. The students brought in modern crime fighters to solve the murder. The life and death of Abraham Lincoln is state-required information for students, said Rower.

That same week, I saw an actor on the “Today Show” promoting “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter,” a movie by Tim Burton. This farce of a film portrays Lincoln as president by day and vampire hunter by night. (And yes, I am having a difficult time wrapping my head around this one.)

I am not sure what’s driving this growing interest in Lincoln, but one effort stands out.

Stephen Carter, author of “Jericho’s Fall” and “The Emperor of Ocean Park,” has penned one of the best works of historical fiction that I have ever read. “The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln” is a novel that supposes Lincoln survived the assassination attempt by John Wilkes Booth, but Vice-President Andrew Johnson did not. After Johnson dies, Congress brings impeachment charges against the president for overstepping his authority during the Civil War. Several twists and turns lead readers to and through the impeachment hearings.

Along the way, Abigail Canner, a young black woman hired to help with the presiStephen dent’s case, is pulled in deepCarter er than she ever intended.

A first glance, I was intimidated by the 512 pages, but as I began to read I couldn’t put it down! I found myself anticipating the next moves of characters and trying to guess the villains. However, I must confess that I am a “nerd”. I love history, especially presidential history. I watch shows on the History Channel and PBS about the presidents.

If the presidents are not your idea of fun, you will still like this novel. In fact, I would recommend it to the student (older, of course) who does not like history. It is a great way to enjoy a mysterious thriller and study history.

Take note: it is a novel, and there are some historical inaccuracies that should be fairly easy to spot for those with even a little bit of familiarity with U.S. history. Carter does an excellent

NNPA News Service

by Gary L. Flowers I recently read with great interest an article written by Patrice Peck in the Huffington Post titled, “50 Books African Americans Should Read.” My interest in the list was particularly piqued by the fact that I, too, have compiled a list of “must reads” for black people – and all people, for that matter – on the contribution of black people and their thoughts to human history. Unlike her list (primarily fiction), my interpretation of such a book list is rooted in historically researched books (primarily non-fiction).

As many African Americans take time this summer to attend national conventions and family reunions, I suggest opening the following books for a better understanding of Black History relative to the origins of civilization, women’s history, Trans Atlantic slave trade, colonial history, Harlem Renaissance, civil rights history, black culture, economics, and racism, politics and public policy.

Origins of Civilization

Michael Wesley (President Lincoln), Amber Scott (Mrs. Lincoln) and Daneka Norfleet (John Wilkes Booth) do some fine-tuning in the final dress rehearsal for “The Assassination.” (Photo by Nona Allen)

• Diop, Cheikh Anta. “The African Origins of Civilization.” Chicago: Chicago Review Press, Inc. (1981) • James, George G. M. “Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy.” African Islamic Mission Publication (1954) • Van Sertima, Ivan. “Egypt Revisited.” Transaction Publishers (1997) • Van Sertima, Ivan. “They Came Before Columbus.” New York: Random House (1976) • Van Sertima, Ivan. “Blacks in Science.” Transaction Publishers (1983) • Van Sertima, Ivan. “Blacks in Early Europe.” Transaction Publishers (1985) • Williams, Chancellor. “Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race from 4,500 B.C. to 2000 A.D.” Third World Press (1971) • Welsing, Dr. Frances Cress.

“The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors.” Third World Press (1990) • Browder, Anthony. “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization.” Institute for Karmic Guidance

Women’s History

• Van Sertima, Ivan. “Women in Antiquity.” Transaction Publishers (1995) • Noble, Jeanne I. “Beautiful, also are the Souls of my Black Sisters: A History of the Black Women in America.” Prentice Hall (1978)

Trans Atlantic Slave Trade job of taking a mundane historical event and infusing it with modern day excitement.

“The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln” – available this month from Random House – is being offered in audio and ebook formats. I give it 4 out of 5 bookmarks.

• Johnson, Charles. “Middle Passage. New York:” Penguin Press (1990)

Colonial History

• Higginbotham, A. Leon Jr. “In the Matter of Color: Race and the American Legal Process, The Colonial Period.” Oxford University Press (1978) • Douglass, Frederick. “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas: An American Slave.” Boston: Anti-Slavery Office (1845) • Walker, David. “David Walker’s Appeal: To the Colored Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, the Those of the United States of America.” Black Class Press (1994) • Egerton, Douglas R. “Gabriel’s Rebellion: The Virginia Slave Conspiracies of 1800 and 1802.” University of North Carolina Press (1993) • Styron, William. “Confessions of Nat Turner.” New York: Random House (1967)

Harlem Renaissance

Very Good (3 stars) Rated PG-13 for sensuality, profanity and intense violence.

Running time: 165 minutes Distributor: Warner Brothers

Christian Bale as Batman in “The Dark Knight Rises.” (Photo by Ron Phillips/Warner Bros.

Pictures)

50 ‘must reads’ for African Americans

Benjamin Walker in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” (Photo courtesy Twentieth Century Fox)

• Huggins, Nathan Irvin. “Voices from the Harlem Renaissance.” Oxford University Press (1994) • DuBois, William Edward Burghardt. “The Souls of Black Folks: Essays and Sketches.” Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co, (1903) • Martin, Tony. “Race First: The Ideological and Organizational Struggles of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association.” Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press (1976) • Woodson, Carter G. “The Miseducation of the Negro.” Associated Publishers (1933) • Hurston, Zora Neale. “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott (1937)

Civil Rights History

• DuBois, William Edward Burghardt. “Black Reconstruction in SEE 50 ON PAGE 9

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

lord (Koji Yakusho) responsible for his son-inlaw’s (Eita) suicide. With Goro Daimon, Takashi Sasano and Hikari Mitsushima. (In Japanese with subtitles)

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening July 20, 2012

“The Queen of Versailles” (PG for mature themes and mild epithets) McMansion documentary about music mogul David Siegel’s two-year effort to build the biggest and most expensive single-family home in the United States for his wife, Jackie.

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“The Dark Knight Rises” (PG-13 for sensuality, profanity and intense violence) Latest Batman adventure, again directed by Chris Nolan, has the Caped Crusader (Christian Bale) coming out of exile to match wits with a mysterious cat burglar (Anne Hathaway) and with a masked terrorist (Tom Hardy) determined to destroy Gotham City. Ensemble cast includes Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“30 Beats” (R for nudity, profanity and sexuality) Romantic comedy, set in the midst of a summer heat wave, about ten New Yorkers ensnared, due to forces beyond their control, in a web of desire woven by a chain reaction of seduction and self-discovery. Starring Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Jason Day and Vahina Giocante.

“Grassroots” (R for pervasive profanity and brief drug use) Unlikely-buddy dramedy about a just-fired journalist (Jason Biggs) who

50

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

America.” Simon & Schuster (1935) • Kluger, Richard. “Simple Justice: The History of Brown vs. Board of Education and America’s Struggle for Equality.” Knopf Publishers (1975) • King, Jr., Martin Luther. “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” New York: Harper & Row (1967) • Koltz, Nick. “Judgment Days: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon B. Johnson and the Laws That Changed America.” Mariner Books (2006) • Ellison, Ralph. “Invisible Man.” New York: Random House (1952)

Black Culture

Page 9

July 19 - 25

• Asante, Molefi Kete. “Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change.” Amulefi Publishing Company (1980) • Cruse, Harold. “The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual: A Historical Analysis of the Failure of Black Leadership.” Harper Trade (1984) • X, Malcolm. “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” New York: Random House (1965) • Huron, H.F. “Music is my Mistress: The Life of Duke Ellington.” Da Capo Press (1976)

Morgan Freeman and Marion Cotillard in “The Dark Knight Rises.” (Photo by Ron Phillips/Warner Bros. Pictures)

grudgingly agrees to campaign for an eccentric pal (Joel David Moore) running for a seat on the Seattle City Council. With Tom Arnold, Cedric the Entertainer, Christopher McDonald and Lauren Ambrose.

“Hari-Kiri: The Death of a Samurai” (Unrated) 3-D remake of the 1962 revenge saga of the same name revolving around a struggling samurai warrior (Ebizo Ichikawa) who decides to even the score with the feudal • Baraka, Amiri. “Blues People.” Harper Perennial (1999) • Belafonte, Harry. “My Song.” New York. Knopf Publishing (2011)

Economics

• Sargeant, Edward, Ed., et al. “Black Labor, White Wealth: The Search for Powers and Economic Justice.” PowerNomics Corporation of America (1994) • Anderson, Claude. “PowerNomics.”

PowerNomics Corporation of America (1994) • Blackmon, Douglas. “Slavery by Another Name.” Anchor Reprint Edition (2009) • Williams, Eric. “Capitalism and Slavery.” University of North Carolina Press (1994)

Racism, Politics and Policy

• Walters, Ronald W. “White Nationalism Black Interests: Conservative Public Policy and the Black Community.” Detroit: Wayne State University Press (2003) • Jackson, Jr., Jesse L. “A More Perfect Union: Advancing New American Rights.”

New York: Welcome Rain Publishers (2001) • Higginbotham, A. Leon, Jr. “Shades of Freedom: Racial Politics and Presumption of the American Legal Process, Volume 2.” Oxford University Press (1996) • Bell, Derrick. “Faces at the Bottom of the

“Wagner’s Dream” (Unrated) “The Show Ain’t Over ‘til the Fat Lady Sings” documentary chronicling the daunting host of challenges encountered by Manhattan’s Metropolitan Opera in the process of mounting a very ambitious production of Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle. Featuring appearances by James Levine, Carl Fillion and Peter Gelb. (In English and French with subtitles)

“The Well-Digger’s Daughter” (Unrated) Faithful remake of the 1940 classic based upon the Marcel Pagnol romance novel about a working-class widower (Daniel Auteuil) who finds himself emotionally-conflicted when one (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) of his six daughters is left pregnant by a wealthy Air Force pilot (Jaques Mazel) fighting in the First World War . With Kad Merad, Jeanne-Pierre Darroussin and Nicolas Duvauchelle. (In French with subtitles)

Well: The Permanence of Racism.” New York: Basic Books (1993) • Robeson, Paul. “Here I Stand.” New York: Othello Associates (1958) • Robinson, Randall. “The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks.” Penguin Group Publishing (2000) • Guinier, Lani. “Lift Every Voice: Turning a Civil Right Setback into a New Vision of Social Justice.” New York: Simon & Schuster (1998) • Ellison, Ralph. “Invisible Man.” New York: Random House (1952) • Alexander, Michelle. “The New Jim Crow.” New Press (2012) • Haygood, Will. “The King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.” (2006) • Rodney, Walter. “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.” Howard University Press (1974) • Frantz Fanon. “The Wretched of the Earth.” New York: Grove Press (1963) • Achebe, Chinua. “Things Fall Apart.”

Knopf Doubleday Group (1994) Reading leads to reasoning, which renders righteous results.

(Gary L. Flowers is executive director and CEO of the Black Leadership Forum, Inc. He can be reached at glflowers@ blackleadershipforum.org.)

HOROSCOPES

July 19-25, 2012

ARIES Be flexible as others present changes and new schedules for a group activity. Your easygoing attitude will allow you to reschedule appointments easily. Watch the sun rise it’ll be good for your spirits!

TAURUS Give your busy brain a rest and work your body this week. It’s a great day for physical activity that can loosen up muscles and relieve tensions. You’ll receive some practical advice from a distant relative.

GEMINI Family responsibilities may feel like a chore this week. If you relinquish control of the situation, a natural order will occur, and things will organize themselves. You can let people be who they are.

CANCER A secret may be revealed in a casual conversation. Your confidence is valued and appreciated. Take it all in! There’s no returning to what has been once you realize the gift you’ve been given.

LEO A friend from the past could suddenly appear in your life. This could be a highly beneficial reunion for both of you. Let bygones be bygones, and renew this friendship. Love isn’t used up just because it’s shared.

VIRGO Drive the speed limit this week or you could wind up with a ticket. Why rush? Serenity is available if you only stop and listen for it inside of you. Discharge your usual obligations with dignity and count your blessings.

LIBRA Justice is on your mind again this week. This may be in a cosmic sense, or you may still be speeding along trying to get a ticket. Slow down and relax your brain-energies! The universe knows how to take care of itself and of you. Trust!

SCORPIO No need for rowdiness, wild ones. You can make your point without waving your hands and arms about wildly! Speak your wisdom softly, gently this week, so that others can hear it and benefit.

SAGITTARIUS Things speed up again this week and you are in a highly creative mood. An outspoken female in your circle may illuminate a thorny question for you. You’ll be surprised and pleased by what you hear.

CAPRICORN One of your most unique gifts is the power to change your mind. You know how to change the way you think, and it gives you great personal magnetism. This week you may be called upon to change the way you think about a person close to you. Do it.

AQUARIUS Focus intently on the personal this week.

Others may seem scattered or impersonal, but it’s not about you. Keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself until others are more receptive to your good vibrations.

PISCES A personal decision is made, and you are happy for the person who makes it. This person may be younger than you, but you’ve got a karmic bond between you. Enjoy the excitement of moment, and know that faith is being kept by your very actions.

Source: NNPA News Service

HEALTH

Page 10

CLASSIFIEDS

Tri-State Defender

July 19 - 25, 2012

CHEF TIMOTHY

It’s poppycock to think you can get protein only from eating meat

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

If you’re a vegan like I am and rely solely on a plant-based diet for good health, you may have been approached with this question: “Where do you get your protein if you’re not eating meat?”

We are a nation of animal lovers.

We raise them as pets, and others we eat as food. If you think about it for a moment, it sounds gross for someone to eat a carcass. Can a pig or hog be someone’s pet? I don’t know. What about a cow or a little lamb? Lamb chops might taste good to some people, but I can’t stomach it.

If you’re so concerned about getting protein in your diet, there is a way. Many of the children in warravaged Africa and other barren lands are suffering from malnourishment.

But you’ll never hear about them being deficient in protein. Rice is a staple in those lands, and it is rich in protein.

I used to be a carnivore. Like most people, I consumed my portion and someone else’s. I loved it and paid the price, though. My health started spiraling out of control. It didn’t take

ELECTION

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

leadership in the Senate.

“I’m the elected Senate Democratic leader in the Tennessee General Assembly,” said Kyle. “I led the fight against extreme Republican ideas, such as the voter ID law and cutbacks to the lottery.”

Marrero touted her “good” work in the district and intentionally avoided mentioning her opponent.

“I’ve done a good job representing all people of Memphis, even though my district was divided,” said Marrero, who has a life-time membership with the NAACP. Integrity, she added, is important to her as a public servant.

Redistricting also pitted two other veteran legislators, G. A. Hardaway Sr. and Mike Kernell, in House District 93.

Kernell cites among his acomplishments House sponsorship of the Tennessee Education Lottery Bill and strong opposition to the Tenncare cuts of 2004.

Hardaway didn’t say much during his opening remarks. He reserved his comments for the question-andanswer session and focused instead

RAP

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

that rap and criminality go hand in hand. This is thanks in large part to lyrics that glorify illegal behavior, but also to the long list of performers who have served time in jail, effectively blurring the line between art and reality.

When they end up in court, this blurred line sometimes comes back to haunt them, and as a result, many rappers over the last two decades – including well-known artists Mac Dre, Snoop Doog and Beanie Sigel – have seen their lyrics used against them in criminal proceedings. In the last several years, though, the practice has become widespread, with many cases involving amateur rappers who, imitating the conventions of commercially successful “gangsta” rap, attempt to project a criminal persona. When juries hear their lyrics, these rappers are often far less fortunate than Boosie.

‘We really do the sh—’

Clyde Smith (aka “G-Red” or “Tattoo Face”) is also from Louisiana. In December of 2010, Smith and three other people were pulled over when Smith was allegedly clocked going 19 mph over the speed limit. When he couldn’t produce a driver’s license, police searched his car and found him with the prescriptions drugs hydrocodone, Xanax and Soma, which he had purchased in neighboring Texas.

Despite the fact that he had prescriptions for all of the drugs, that no pills were missing from any of the containers and that he had a documented medical condition that justified his use of the drugs, he was charged with possession with intent to distribute.

At trial the following May, the judge overruled vigorous objections from defense counsel and allowed the prosecutor to show the jury two YouTube videos. In one, a video for a song called “B.M.F. Freestyle,” Smith raps, “Another trip to Texas ...

long for me to realize that it was my fault that my health was failing – all because I was greedy and addicted to the carcass.

We are taught that protein comes from cows, pigs, chickens, and other forms of animal products.

Dr. Timothy It is my contention that we Moore don’t need animal protein to survive. We really don’t. In fact, the top leading authorities are on the wrong side of this issue. The truth of the matter is a plant-based diet will provide all the protein you need to survive.

If you’re in ill health, though, you’ll have to watch out for heart attacks. They kill 1.2 million people a year, and they’re totally preventable.

By choosing a low-fat, plant-based diet, lives could be saved, according to the American Heart Association.

But death is inevitable if the pathway to good health is blocked because of bad eating habits or

consistently consuming a diet of animal carcasses.

So how much protein is required to keep a person healthy? The World Health Organization recommends that men and women obtain 5 percent of their calories from protein. This would equate to 38 grams of protein for a man burning about 3,000 calories a day and 29 for a woman burning 2,400 calories a day.

The issue is the quality of the protein that’s needed for an individual.

Rice, for example, provides 71 grams of protein, while potatoes provide 64 grams. Lets look at the percentage of calories from plant-based protein, the kind we consume daily: Green vegetables: Asparagus, 42; broccoli, 42; carrots, 10; lettuce, 40; Onions, 32; mushrooms, 12; and spinach, 51.

Starchy vegetables: Black beans, 27; cassava, 10; corn, 11; kidney beans, 27; peas, 28; potatoes, 8; sweet potato, 7; Grains & Flours: White Rice 7, white flour, 11; whole wheat flour, 16; brown rice, 9; cornmeal, 9; and oatmeal, 15.

Animal foods: Beef, 53; chicken, 46; pork, 29; salmon, 43; whole milk, 21; skim milk, 39; human milk 5, cheddar cheese, 25; cottage cheese, 69; and eggs, 32.

NEWS

on universal pre-K in public schools.

“Now is the time to force the discussion on pre-K,” said Hardaway.

Then he challenged school board candidates to make pre-K a priority on their agenda, “both for discussion during the campaign cycle and after the election is over.”

Hardaway also talked about getting out the vote, one of the NAACP goals and objectives to empower its constituents.

Dr. Warner Dickerson, president of the Memphis Branch NAACP, said the goal of the forum was to inform the public about the candidates who are presenting themselves for public service.

“Our goal is to provide voter empowerment through voter registration, voter education, get-out-the-vote activities and election monitoring,” said Dickerson, noting that the forum was just one of the events that the NAACP plans to host to achieve its objectives.

In the race for Shelby County District Attorney General, Democrat Carol Chumney spoke to why she should be the next DA. “I have 17 years of ethical public service and 25 years in private practice as an attorney,” she said after the forum. “I will be tough on crime and bring equal justice, especially to the victims of crime. I will be firm and

we going doctor shopping.”

In another video, called “Behindthe-Scenes,” Smith – still in character as G-Red, but talking instead of rapping – insists to the camera that “We really do the sh— that we rap about. Like, we really take those trips.” Although he took the stand and repeatedly claimed that his raps were fiction and intended to entertain, the predominantly white jury had seen all it needed.

Smith was found guilty and, because he had a prior record, was sentenced to a jaw-dropping 30 years in prison. According to Carolyn McNabb, his attorney, the rap lyrics were “the primary motivator for the guilty verdict.” Despite having a very strong defense, she knew that the YouTube videos were going to seal the outcome.

“I knew when the jury saw them, it was over,” McNabb said. “That’s why I fought so hard to keep them out.”

‘This is not a joke!’

Five months later, aspiring rapper Olutosin Oduwole also found himself on trial and facing jail time for his lyrics. In July 2007, Oduwole’s car ran out of gas, forcing him to abandon it on the Edwardsville campus of Southern Illinois University, where he was a student. When school authorities found the car, they also found a crumpled piece of paper stuffed between the seats on which Oduwole had made written reference to a PayPal account and included the lines, “If this account doesn’t reach $50,000 in the next 7 days then a murderous rampage similar to the VT shooting will occur at another highly populated university. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!” Police immediately searched Oduwole’s apartment, where they found a legally acquired handgun. They also learned that he had been trying to purchase additional guns, also legally, and that was all they needed.

Oduwole was charged with attempting to communicate a terrorist threat.

At the October 2011 trial, defense attorneys argued that Oduwole was an amateur rapper who took compulsive notes about ideas for his lyrics.

So if someone asks you where you get your protein, just explain to them that eating vegetables and starches will provide more protein than required. Question: Can a plant-based diet help you overcome all your health-related issues? I believe so.

Studies have been done regarding the impact of such a reversal in the diet on the modern man or woman.

Many of these studies have shown that human beings who take in a large variety of fruits and vegetables actually have a much lower chance of contracting several kinds of diseases.

You can get protein from fruits and vegetables, but don’t be naïve thinking that eating meat provides your only source of protein. That’s poppycock!

(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 is the author of 47 Tips To Reverse Your Diabetes. He can be reached by email at cheftimothy@cheftimothymoore.com, visit him at www.cheftimothymoore.com or follow him at www.twitter .com/cheftimmoore.)

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Employment

On the eve of early voting District 4 School Board candidate Kevin Woods, with the aid of about 100 volunteers, gave away gas and school supplies. Vehicles packed the Exxon parking lot at Riverdale and Winchester for their place in line at “Pumping for Polls.” Woods is running against District 4 incumbent Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr. (Photo by Nicole R. Harris)

fair, and administer justice according to the law.”

Chumney’s Republican opponent, Amy Weirich, was not at the forum.

Weirich was appointed to the district

They even brought in an expert witness who reviewed Oduwole’s other notebooks of lyrics and compared them with the note.

She testified that the writings on the crumpled note were clearly an idea for a rap song or “the formative stages of a rap lyric.” She also testified that Oduwole was an aspiring “gangsta” rapper and that his lyrics comported with what one might expect from someone in that subgenre.

Nevertheless, the all-white jury convicted the 26-year-old Oduwole, who is black, and he was later sentenced to five years in prison.

In both of these cases and many others, courts effectively deny rap the status of art. Rather than accept it as a kind of poetic fiction, they instead take it as a literal expression of reality. This is no doubt thanks in part to testimonials from rappers themselves, who, in order to be regarded as authentic, frequently claim that what they rap about is a life they’ve experienced firsthand. Judges and juries don’t necessarily know that this is as much marketing strategy as it is reality, an ignorance that prosecutors either share or exploit.

However, even casual fans understand that exaggeration and hyperbole are hallmarks of the genre.

Rappers are putting on an act, even if it’s one that in some ways mirrors their reality. Their use of alternate names ought to make this obvious.

“Most rappers use a stage name or something other than their ‘government name’ when performing,” Todd Boyd, professor of critical studies at the University of Southern California, told The Root. “This suggests that they are characters with a persona.”

And sometimes that persona is a far cry from the person behind it.

Rick Ross, one of the most popular rappers today, uses his lyrics to portray a criminal lifestyle patterned after the real Rick Ross, a notorious Los Angeles gangster. The rapper – whose real name is William Leonard Roberts II – is no brazen criminal himself, though. In one of life’s delightful ironies, it turns out that he once worked as a prison guard.

attorney post after Bill Gibbons left in January 2011 to join Gov. Bill Haslam’s cabinet as Commissioner for the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

But focusing on a Rick Ross persona, or one like it, gives prosecutors a powerful tool at trial, especially when their cases are weak. And this, argues Andrea Dennis, is a reason to exclude rap lyrics altogether. “I tend to favor exclusion,” she told The Root, “because of reliability and prejudice concerns that may result in conviction despite insufficient other evidence.”

‘It’s art, stupid’

Although jurors are supposed to acquit when there’s reasonable doubt, the weight of lyrics can be too great, particularly if those lyrics reinforce preconceived notions about the defendant. Indeed, as Boyd reminds us, in these trials authorities are often prosecuting someone “who already looms as a threatening stereotype in the minds of society.”

Using lyrics, then, isn’t just a matter of an art form being sacrificed for the sake of an easy conviction; it can also be a pernicious tactic that plays upon and perpetuates enduring stereotypes about the inherent criminality of young black men.

These same stereotypes make it difficult for many people to regard rap as a legitimate art form in the first place. According to Paul Butler, professor of law at Georgetown University (and a former prosecutor himself), “Some people have always had a hard time conceptualizing the young black men who are the primary creators of hip-hop as artists.”

For Butler, this helps explain why rap lyrics are so frequently introduced. But it also reveals a glaring double standard.

“Using lyrics as evidence against hip-hop artists is as preposterous as bringing organized crime charges against the author of ‘The Godfather’ or gang charges against the director of ‘Scarface,’” he says. “It’s art, stupid.”

(Erik Nielson is assistant professor of liberal arts at the University of Richmond. His research focuses on African-American literature and hiphop culture. He wrote this analysis for The Root.)

Assessment Administrators We are seeking motivated individuals to proctor assessment sessions with 4th ,8th-, and 12th- grade students in schools for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Must be available January 28 – March 8, 2013. Paid training, paid time and mileage reimbursement for local driving, and weekly paychecks. This is a part-time, temporary position. To apply, visit our website at www.westat.com/CAREERS and select “Search Field Data Collection Jobs.”

Search for your state, find the NAEP Assessment Administrator position and select the “apply to job” button. For more information e-mail NAEPrecruit@westat .com or call 1-888-237-8036.

WESTAT EOE

Office Assistant needed to organize and assist. Basic computer and organization skills needed. $430 per week interested persons should contact: msherman231@ gmail.com for more info and also discuss wages.

Legal notices

Public Notice: Persons having interest in 1966 Chevy Impala 2D VIN#I68676R222577 contact B. Brinson, 295 Parkdale Dr, Memphis, TN 38109 by certified mail return receipt by August 2, 2012.

IN THE LAKE CIRCUIT COURT SITTING IN CROWN POINT, INDIANA IN RE: THE DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE OF: LATONYA JOHNSON, wife/Mother vs.

LARRY JOHNSON, Husband/Father SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION You are hereby notified that a Complaint has been filed by LATONYA JOHNSON in the above-captioned Court naming you as a Husband/Father. Wife/Mother seeks relief as stated in said Petition. You must respond within thirty (30) days after the last notice of the action is published and in the event you fail to do so, judgment by default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in said Complaint.

Dated: 5-18-2012 Lisa A. Berdine Hammond Legal Aid Clinic 5231 Hohman Avenue, Suite 605 Hammond, Indiana 46320 PH: 219-853-6611 Atty. No. 24795-45 Attorney for: Wife/Mother

The Shelby County Brownfields Council is requesting applications for Phase II Environmental Site Assessment applications from property owners or those with a financial interest in properties located in the Wolf River Brownfields Assessment Project Area. The application deadline is Friday, August 3, 2012 at noon. For additional information, contact Marion Jones at 5767181 or to download a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment application, please go to http://www.shelbycountytn .gov/index.aspx?NID=1427.

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COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

Page 11

July 19 - 25, 2012

Single parents, help is here!

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kimberly McGrew

Single parents in need of road map to a better life for themselves and their families will have access to a conference designed to help them this weekend.

“The Conference for Single Parents” will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday (July 21) at the Pursuit of God Transformation Center, 3171 Signal Street. Nicole Gates, campaign coordinator for the Shelby County Office of Early Childhood and Youth and author of “Success Over Statistics. I Choose!” is the pioneer

behind the confere n c e , which is geared toward men a n d women, both custodial and non-custodial parNicole ents.

Gates “With Memphis having so many single parent households, it was essential to have this workshop,” said Gates. “Who is reaching out to these single parents?”

According to www.city-da-

ta.com, Memphis is number 35 on the list of top 101 cities with the highest percentage of single-parent households.

With a population of 650,100, 53 percent of Memphis households are headed by single parents. There are 78,541 single-parent households – 9, 607 headed by men and 68,934 by women. Nearly 1 in 5 teenagers is pregnant in Memphis, which is double the national average.

The conference will feature 16 workshops that include Money Management, Personal Development, Family Literacy, Matters of the Heart, Parenting by Personality, Entrepreneurship, and more.

Those conducting workshops will include Summer Owens, the author of “Life After Birth,” who will examine being a teenage single parent.

Peggy Russell will teach the importance of personal development and finding balance between work, school, kids and overcoming obstacles.

“I’m actually teaching a workshop on ‘I Choose’ and it’s talking about the power of choice and how as a single parent you have a choice every day to either make life better for your kids or wallow in your self-pity,” said Gates, who encourages single parents to become entrepreneurs.

“I am a firm believer that if

you cannot find a job, create a job. Find something that you’re passionate about,” said Gates. “When I was going through my divorce, I leaped right into entrepreneurship and was very successful at it. So I know it can work, but you have to be passionate about it because it’s a lot of hard work.”

During the workshop focused on budgeting, parents will examine their bills (which they are asked to bring) and create a budget based on the bills and their income. The conference will also teach the parents (especially men) how to exercise their rights with the child support system and how to nurture their children.

The conference includes free breakfast, lunch and childcare. There will be a template of contacts so the parents can keep in touch with any speakers and have some information to take home. To register, visit http://theconferenceforsingle parents.eventbrite.com.

“My expectations are that people leave and they are motivated and driven to make a difference in, not just their lives, but the lives of their children,” said Gates.

“And then maybe they will reach out and help another single parent. Life can be successful for you and your children. I am an example of it.”

BRIEFS & THINGS

Afghanistan via Mississippi…

Soldiers Kevin Stroud, Steven Moore, Steven Richards and Victor Smith – all of Memphis – stand at attention before leaving for Camp Shelby Mississippi for two months of pre-deployment training prior to being deployed to Afghanistan. They are members of the130th Military Police Company of the Tennessee National Guard, the first National Guard unit to deploy to Afghanistan since 9/11. (Photo by STROUDMARK Photography)

iWorship…

Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church presented its Youth iWorship Weekend July 13-15, with the theme of “A New Season.” In addition to success-based workshops, praise sessions and various speakers, the weekend included a visit by the Memphis Fire Department and a guided tour inside a fire truck for this group of attendees.

(Photo by Shirley Jackson).

BRIEFLY: SCLC Memphis has re-scheduled the “First in a Series-Gang Peace Summits” for 4 p.m. Saturday (July 21) at Annesdale Cherokee Baptist Church, 2960 Kimball Ave., where the Rev. Dwight Montgomery, SCLC Memphis president, is pastor.

BRIEFLY: Monumental Baptist Church will celebrate the Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles’s 53 years as the church’s pastor during it Pastor’s and Wife’s Anniversary observation on Sunday (July 22). The celebration will culminate with an afternoon program at 2 p.m. at the church at 704 S. Parkway East.

BRIEFLY: Castalia Baptist Church, 1540 Castalia St., will celebrate its Annual Homecoming Day on Sunday (July 22). Dr. Randolph Meade Walker, the host pastor, will speak during the 8 a.m. service. The Rev. Charles Becton, pastor of New Rock Hill Baptist Church of Sardis, Miss., will be the 11 a.m. service speaker.

BRIEFLY: Mid-South Lions Sight And Hearing Service will host its Give the Gifts Dinner and Auction fundraiser at the Memphis Marriott East on Aug. 4 beginning at 5 pm.

For more information on how to donate items or purchase tickets, contact the Mid-South Lions office at 888-546-6042 or via email at info@midsouthlions.org. The group’s website is www.midsouthlions.

BRIEFLY: TnAchieves is holding a reception for prospective mentors for the 2013 school year on Tuesday, August 14th from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Kemmons Wilson room at the Holiday Inn & Suites Wolfchase Galleria. Locally, Memphis/Shelby Achieves is a joint program sponsored by the offices of Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell Jr. and Mayor A C Wharton Jr. For more information, visit www.tnachieves.org or contact Kaci Murley at 901258-2177 or kaci@tnachieves.org .

BRIEFLY: The Jackson Madison County African American Chamber of Commerce will recognize first responders in Jackson and Madison County at its Second Annual Celebrity Golf Classic on Tuesday, Sept. 11, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start at Bent Tree Golf Course, 2993 Paul Coffman Drive in East Jackson. Tournament sponsor is D & L Grocery and Catering.

For more information, call 731-424-2030 or send an email to aachamber731@yahoo.com.

Methodist ranks as best hospital in Memphis

Back together again…

The Westwood High School class of 1977 celebrated its 35th reunion July 13-15.

The Westerners met for a meet and greet on Friday, toured the Stax museum, Saturday and then later enjoyed a program and banquet. The weekend ended with a church service. Former track Coach, Sturmon Cullins, returned from Denver to deliver the keynote address. Event coordinators were Pamela Lee, Christopher Howard and Elbert Brent. (Photo by Alma Bell Kilgore)

U.S. News & World Report has named Methodist Memphis Hospitals the best hospital in Memphis among 25 hospitals in the Memphis metropolitan area.

Methodist Healthcare’s four Memphis metro adult hospitals are licensed as one. They are: Methodist University Hospital, Methodist North Hospital, Methodist South Hospital and Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital.

Methodist was cited as high performing in 12 medical specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes/endocrinology, ear/ nose/throat, gastroenterology, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology and

neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology.

Rankings in these specialties are based on reputation, services and volumes, safety and clinical outcomes. No other hospital in the state was recognized for this many specialties.

Methodist also ranks as the No. 3 hospital in the state, with the No. 1 and No. 2 hospitals being outside the Memphis area.

“We are honored that once again the outstanding care Methodist provides to our patients is being recognized on this prestigious list,” said Gary S. Shorb, president and Chief Executive Officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.

“I thank our physicians and Associates who render extraordinary patient care every day and whose caring and dedication have created an environment of quality patient care.”

Earlier this year, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, part of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, was named to U.S. News & World Report’s 2012-13 Best Children’s Hospitals in five areas: neurology/neurosurgery; orthopedics, pulmonology, nephrology and cardiology/heart surgery. The hospital ranked in four specialties in 2011, and this year added a fifth area – pulmonology – to its list of nationally ranked programs.

SPORTS

Page 12

Tri-State Defender

July 19 - 25, 2012

Sugar Ray Leonard:

‘The Big Fight’ Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

Sugar Ray Leonard captured the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and later became the first fighter to earn over $100 million over the course of an enviable career. After winning world championship titles in five different weight classes, he retired from the ring in 1997. His 36-3-1 record includes 25 wins by knockout.

Today, Ray lives in California with his wife, Bernadette, and their children, Camille and Daniel. Here, he discusses his moving memoir, “The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring.”

Kam Williams: I have a lot of questions from fans who sent in questions for you. Editor/legist Patricia Turnier says: “I am from Montreal where you won your gold medal at the ’76 Olympics.

What is your best memory of the city?”

Sugar Ray Leonard: My very best memory of Montreal was the moment inside the Olympic arena when I was waiting under the stadium and those majestic gates opened up. It was a whole other world. Kam, I was just a youngster from the ghetto. I suddenly felt like a star. It was emotionally overwhelming. It was something I’d wanted, but it was also something I didn’t understand. It was a whole different world, and Montreal was an absolutely beautiful setting unlike anywhere I’d ever been before. So, Montreal in ’76 was an encompassing experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.

KW: Patricia also says: “It is widely known that it is very difficult for men to talk about sexual abuse. What made you decide to go public with your story, and was it a cathartic and healing experience to write about it?”

SRL: It was cathartic, Patricia. I only wish that I had had the courage and the knowledge to have gotten that out of my system, out of my mind or my heart years earlier. But there is no book, there is no manual to tell you how to deal with sexual abuse. I saw Todd Bridges talk about being abused on “Oprah.” Something that he said, or an expression that

he made that gave me that little boost I needed to be open about it and to talk about it as transparently as I did. When I told my wife, she couldn’t believe it. She was petrified, because it’s such a no-no, taboo, a hands-off subject. But I’d have to say hearing Todd Bridges on “Oprah” was my watershed moment.

KW: Mike Ehrenberg asks: “Was the Dicky Eklund knockdown, highlighted in the movie ‘The Fighter,’ legit?”

SRL: It was legit that I was knocked down, or pushed down. (Chuckles) But I remember that fight like it was yesterday because that guy, Dick Eglund, was so unorthodox. And it was the first time in my life I really experienced racial hatred from the fans. We’re talking about Boston back in ’78.

KW: … Mike has one more question: “Do you regret coming out of retirement past your prime to fight Terry Norris and Hector Camacho?”

SRL: Do I regret it? Yeah, I do, but it took that to wake up to the fact that my time was over, my time was gone. Sometimes it just takes that kind of beating, if you will, to wake up. It does. I didn’t want to take it. I took it in intervals. The first time was in ’91. I retired and came back in ’97. Woo! I mean, come on! I don’t know, man. A six-year layoff? That was crazy! My career was relatively short, whether you look at either its length in years or the number of fights I had. But it was brutal.

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says: “With mounting medical evidence that contact sports aren’t providing ample equipment to mitigate against cerebral concussions, how would you feel about boxing associations mandating protective headgear for fighters, not just for sparring, but also during bouts?

SRL: I’m not in favor of that because we learn as amateurs how to protect ourselves. And that’s why there’s a third man in the ring, the referee. And that’s why there has to be a very strong boxing commission that doesn’t allow guys in the ring who don’t belong there. Look at football, where you still have injuries no matter how much they improve the hel-

The Memphis War Eagles, winners of the Coach K Summer Classic Championship, have visions of a national championship. (Courtesy photo)

AAU Championship dreams for 3rd Grade Memphis War Eagles Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Sugar Ray Leonard (Courtesy photo)

mets and other equipment. Boxing’s a poor man’s sport. We can’t afford to play golf or tennis. It is what it is. It’s kept so many kids off the street. It kept me off the street. What’s my options?...

KW: Yale grad Tommy Russell says: “I really respect your admission about battling drug abuse during the tough times of your professional life. What is the most important thing you have learned from that experience?”

SRL: I learned that I had character defects, that I was allergic to alcohol and drugs, and that I had an obsession with all the bad stuff. But thank God that I woke up and that I had good people around me to support me. There’s not much more I can say about it. You have to want to be a better person….

KW: What inspired you to write the book?

SRL: To be honest, I don’t know. I started one back in 1982 or ’83 when I first retired. But I was only 25 or 26 and not ready to write my memoirs….

KW: Judyth Piazza asks: “How do you define success?”

SRL: Success is attaining your dream while helping others to benefit from that dream materializing.

The quest for the 3rd Grade AAU National Championship will have the Memphis War Eagles in Orlando for the competition that begins July 30 and runs through Aug. 5.

Some four months ago, the Memphis War Eagles were simply a group of young men coming together for the very first time to play the sport they all love passionately. The 12man squad heads to Orlando with the opportunity to complete an undefeated season.

According to the team’s coaches, the plan is to stick with the formula that has worked thus far: “keep God first, trust and believe in their talents.” The result has been six tournament championships and 24 consecutive victories.

The Memphis War Eagles Basketball program is under the leadership of trainer and coach Frank Harris, who runs the program with families and mutual respect for team members in mind. Players, coaches and family members pray before and after practices and games because the foundation of the entire program is Christ.

Though Harris oversees the War Eagles Basketball Program, the undefeated 3rd Team’s head coach is David Kizer, who is assisted by Kylan Chandler. During every

tournament, Kizer takes time for Bible study and devotion with the boys Kizer and Chandler made the choices that narrowed the squad from the 40 that tried out to the 12 poised for a historic run. The teams leading scorer, Kennedy Chandler, has been named by several other teams nationwide as the No. 1 player in 3rd Grade AAU. Davon Barnes leads the teams in rebounds and assists, while the remainder of the starting five – Jordan Mitchell, Alden Applewhite and Dwight Holmes – are formidable forces.

The War Eagles roster also includes Carter Chandler, a dependable go-to man, who has knack for scoring timely 3-pointers; Cameron Dunacan, who has a way of dominating the court and creating key-plays; Ryan Rucker, who forced numerous from every opponent; and Thomas Kizer, Joel Lyons, Ethen Perkins and Robert Smith, each of whom has stepped up at vital times.

For the War Eagles, the string of tournament victories include the War Eagles Invitational, The Coach K Spring Hoop Fest, 3rd Tennessee AAU Champions, the 2012 PrimeTime Super 60 in New Orleans, and the We R Russell National Championship.