7 3 2013

VOL. 62, No. 26

June 27 - July 3, 2013

www.tsdmemphis.com

75 Cents

Historic victory for same-sex marriage supporters CNN

by Michael Pearson

A deeply divided Supreme Court nudged the nation toward broad recognition of same-sex marriage on Wednesday in rulings that advocates hailed as a “joyous occasion” – but still left many questions unanswered.

Voting 5-4 in each of two decisions, justices threw out part of a law that denied hundreds of federal benefits to same-sex couples and cleared the way for gays and lesbians to once again marry in California.

At the same time, the high court declined to make a sweeping statement on the broader issue of same-sex marriage rights nationwide, rejecting California’s same-sex marriage ban but leaving intact laws banning such marriages in 35 other states. New Jersey has civil unions for same-sex couples, while New Mexico’s marriage law is gender neutral and recognizes valid marriages performed in other states.

While the rulings fell short of the goal same-sex marriage advocates have set – eliminating all laws limiting the rights of gays and lesbians to marry – celebrations erupted outside the Supreme Court, as well as in San Francisco and around the country.

In Washington, the couples who sued to dismantle the Defense of Marriage Act and its ban on federal benefits for same-sex couples emerged from the Supreme Court to thunderous cheers, simply holding their arms aloft in victory.

In San Francisco, Crispin Hollins, who had already set a date for his wedding in the wake of the decision, said there was too much to celebrate to be disappointed by what the rulings didn’t do.

“I’m confident that opinion in the United States is shifting towards being in favor of same-sex marriage,

The Memphis Branch NAACP on Wednesday formally announced its participation in a nationwide effort to restore the teeth of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Pictured (r-l): Legal Redress Chairman Van Turner, Executive Director Madeleine C. Taylor, and board members Debra Brown and Coleman Thompson. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

Voting Rights Act:

The new battle begins kajanaku@tri-statedefender.com

INSIDE:

by Karanja A. Ajanaku In Memphis and various cities throughout the nation, the Voting Rights Act battle has begun anew in the wake of an aggressive ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.

In a narrow 5-4 decision, the High Court branded Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, scrapping the formula used to determine which states and localities need preclearance before changing their voting laws.

Although Tennessee was not among the states required to seek preclearance, don’t expect Memphis-based Voting Rights Act supporters – such as the local branch of the

SEE DOMA ON PAGE 2

- INSIDE -

• What it means to be an American. See Opinion, page 4.

• Carter Malone Group hits 10-year mark. See Business, page 5.

SCOTUS aiding and abetting voter disenfranchisement. See Opinion, page 4.

NAACP – to sit out the fight to gain a replacement for what many label as the “most effective tool to prevent voter disenfranchisement.”

On Wednesday, Memphis Branch NAACP Executive Director Madeleine C. Taylor and members of the board sounded out their attention to scrap like heck “to ensure protection for voters in this democratic society.”

They assembled in the branch’s conference room, in front of a backdrop of four local Voting Rights Act stalwarts – the late Jesse Turner Sr., Maxine Smith, Benjamin L.

Hooks and Vasco Smith.

Tennessee’s history in voting rights did not bring the preclearance provision into play, said Taylor. She noted, however, that the state has been involved in making laws to restrict voting rights of citizens, as have 31-plus other states. “(Section 4) represented the regulatory teeth which enabled restrictive measures to be blocked in 14 states by veto, referendums, court decisions or the Department of Justice in the last two years alone,” said Taylor. “This year 11 courts blocked restrictive voting laws.

Most of these dealt with voter suppression through photo identification, felony disenfranchisement, and proof of citizenship laws.”

SEE VOTING ON PAGE 3

Key witness recounts Trayvon’s final call

by Amanda Sloane and Graham Winch HLNTV.com

Bobby ʻBlueʼ Bland

• RIP Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland. See Entertainment, page 8.

• LeMoyne-Owen College nets accreditation through 2023.

See Community, page 10.

• Good Blue: Chief Inspector Larry Hill. See Community, page 11.

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H- 9 5o - L - 7 1o P a r tl y C l oud y

H- 8 9o - L - 6 8o P a r tl y C l ou dy

H- 8 4o - L - 6 6o Partl y Cl o udy

(CNN) — Taking the stand on Wednesday, the third day of the George Zimmerman trial, a friend of Trayvon Martin’s testified about the final moments of the teenager’s life, saying that Martin told her someone was following him.

“A man was watching him,” said Rachel Jeantel, 19, who was on the phone with Martin just before he was fatally shot. “He said the man kept watching him. He kept complaining that a man was just watching him.”

That man was Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch captain charged with second-degree murder for killing 17-year-old Martin in Sanford, Fla., on February 26, 2012. He told police he was pursuing the

teenager because there had been a rash of crime in the area. A confrontation ensued, and Zimmerman said he was forced to kill Martin in self-defense.

Jeantel testified that as he Rachel neared the home Jeantel of his father’s girlfriend, Martin tried to lose Zimmerman.

“And then he said, ‘That N-word is still following me now,’” said Jeantel. “I asked him how the man looked like. He just told me the man looked ‘creepy.’ ‘Creepy, white’ – excuse my language – ‘cracker. Creepy (expletive) cracker.”

Jeantel says she heard Martin talk-

Defense attorney Don West talks to George Zimmerman during day 13 of Zimmermanʼs trial. (Photo: Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel)

ing to Zimmerman in the background of the call.

“He said, ‘Why are you following me for?’ And I heard a hard-breathing man say, ‘What you doing around here?’” said Jeantel.

Jeantel also said she heard a bump

from Martin’s headset hitting something and “wet grass sounds.”

“I start hearing a little bit of Trayvon saying, ‘Get off, get off!’” said Jeantel.

SEE ZIMMERMAN ON PAGE 2

Nelson Mandela on life support, official says REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday H-97 L-71 H-92 L-67 H-97 L-72

Saturday H-91 L-68 H-85 L-65 H-93 L-68

Sunday H-84 L-66 H-80 L-64 H-88 L-67

by Faith Karimi and Robyn Curnow CNN

PRETORIA, South Africa – South Africans lit candles outside the hospital where anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela lay Wednesday night amid a report that the former president was on life support.

An official briefed on his condition said he was on life support, but government spokesman Mac Maharaj declined to comment on the report,

citing doctor-patient confidentiality.

Mandela, 94, considered the founding father of South Africa’s multiracial democracy, has been hospitalized since June 8 for a recurring lung infection.

Authorities have described his condition as critical since Sunday, and after visiting him late Wednesday night, President Jacob Zuma canceled his visit to Mozambique where he was supposed to attend a summit Thursday on infrastructure investment.

As the nation remained on edge,

police barricaded the street leading to the hospital’s main entrance. Wellwishers hung balloons, stuffed animals and messages of support along the wall, and crowds hovering nearby sang “Where is Mandela?”

“We need you!,” one sign read.

“We love you tata, get well soon!” said another, referring to Mandela by the Xhosa word for father.

Several relatives came out to collect some of those items Wednesday.

“He’s going to feel a lot better when he sees these signs,” said David Manaway, Mandela’s grand-

son-in-law.

His former physician and the nation’s exsurgeon general, Dr. Vejay Ramlakan, also visited the hospital Wednesday, said Nelson the national Mandela news agency, South African Press Association.

Mandela became an international SEE MANDELA ON PAGE 3

NEWS

Page 2

Tri-State Defender

June 27 - July 3, 2013

ZIMMERMAN

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

President Obama called Edie Windsor, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court DOMA case, from Air Force One to congratulate her on Wednesdayʼs ruling. (White House photo)

DOMA

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

so it will simply take more time and allow the nation to come along in a way that will provide more lasting support for equality,” he said.

Opponents of same-sex marriage saw both peril and promise in the rulings, expressing dismay in the court’s decision on the Defense of Marriage Act but taking some comfort in the decision not to dismantle same-sex marriage bans nationwide.

“Their refusal to redefine marriage for all states is a major setback for those seeking to redefine natural marriage,” said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. “Time is not on the side of those seeking to create same-sex ‘marriage.’”

What the rulings say

In its divided ruling on the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the high court said legally married same-sex couples must receive the same benefits provided to heterosexual couples. The act had defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, but the court said the law violated the rights of same-sex couples by demoting their marriages to secondclass status when compared to their heterosexual peers.

The court said law wrongly “instructs all federal officials, and indeed all persons with whom same-sex couples interact, including their own children, that their marriage is less worthy than the marriages of others.”

Now, the federal government recognizes the marriage of those same-sex couples who are legally married in their states.

A divided high court also handed a victory to same-sex proponents when it cleared the way for gay and lesbian couples to marry in California, dismissing an appeal to the state’s voter-approved Proposition 8 that banned such marriages.

The 5-4 decision avoids, for now, a sweeping conclusion on whether same-sex marriage is a constitutional “equal protection” right that would apply to all states.

Practical impact

In addition to restoring

same-sex marriage in California, the decisions will eventually allow same-sex couples in states where they’re legally allowed to marry to apply for retirement, survivor and other benefits as married couples.

They’ll also be able to benefit from hundreds of other federal programs that have been, until now, reserved for heterosexual married couples under the Defense of Marriage Act’s definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

But exactly when they’ll get those benefits is unclear.

After the decisions were announced, President Barack Obama ordered a review of federal statutes to ensure the ruling is “implemented swiftly and smoothly.” But he didn’t give a more precise timeline.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he would work to get benefits to service members as soon as possible.

“That is now the law, and it is the right thing to do,” he said.

It’s also unclear when samesex marriages might resume in California.

Gov. Jerry Brown said he wants marriage licenses to begin flowing to gay and lesbian couples the moment the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals confirms that a court order preventing their issuance has been lifted.

Attorney General Kamala Harris said weddings could begin as soon as the order is lifted, which she said she was urging the court to do quickly.

In Los Angeles, the county registrar’s office said they’re ready.

‘Couldn’t be more proud’ Same-sex marriage advocates were, in a word, elated.

“I did not count on them moving this far,” said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who called the rulings “an incredible victory.”

“Today’s historic decisions put two giant cracks in the dark wall of discrimination that separates committed gay and lesbian couples from full equality,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, who called the rulings “a joyous milestone.”

“While we celebrate the victory for Californians today, tomorrow we turn our attention to the millions of LGBT people who don’t feel the reach of

these decisions,” he said.

‘A devastating thing’

Of course, not everyone was pleased by the ruling. While public opinion has shifted strongly toward support of same-sex marriage in recent years, many conservatives, particularly faith-based conservatives, find the idea of samesex marriage incomprehensible and dangerous.

The Rev. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, found the decision on the Defense of Marriage Act, written

by Justice Anthony Kennedy, immensely troubling.

“Justice Kennedy’s opinion takes us to the brink of nationwide same-sex marriage. And I believe that will be a devastating thing for this country,” he said.

Yes it will, said John Eastman of the National Organization for Marriage.

“When you destroy or redefine the institution, all of society will be harmed, society that’s put such stock in the institution as a counterbalance to government and the way we raise and educate our children,” he said.

Others on both sides found mixed messages in the rulings.

Casey Miller said he initially cheered Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling that essentially recognizes same-sex marriages.

But, he told CNN’s iReport, “As soon as I read some of the news articles describing the decision, it sucked for us and for the majority of same-sex couples living in states with state marriage bans.”

Miller, 50, married John Martin in California before Proposition 8 was overturned.

The couple now lives in Texas where same-sex marriage isn’t recognized.

“Are we still second-class citizens?” he asked.

He called Wednesday’s ruling “an expensive baby step.”

On the other side, the Rev. Rob Schenck, chairman of the Evangelical Church Alliance, said he was disappointed “in the short-term results and the short-term questions that remain unsettled.”

“But,” he said, “the public conversation continues and that’s a good thing.”

(CNN’s Bill Mears, Tricia Escobedo and Josh Levs contributed to this report.)

She told the prosecutor that the screams for help heard on the 911 call made by a neighbor belong to Martin. But on cross-examination, defense attorney Don West read part of a transcript from Jeantel’s deposition, in which she said she wasn’t sure if it was Martin’s voice or not.

“It could be. Like I said, I don’t know but it could be,” said Jeantel, according to the transcript. “The dude sound kind of like Trayvon. Trayvon do got that soft voice and that baby voice sometimes, so it could be, I don’t know.”

Jeantel admitted to West that she lied several times to Martin’s family. She said she told them she was 16, not 18, because she wanted to be treated like a minor and have privacy. She also said she lied about not attending Martin’s memorial service because she was in the hospital. The truth, she said, was that she was afraid to see the body.

“You got to understand, you the last person to talk to the person and he died on the phone after you talked to him – you got to understand what I’m trying to tell you,” said Jeantel. “I’m the last person, you don’t know how it felt.

You think I really want to go see the body after I just talked to him?” Jeantel said.

Jeantel appeared to get frustrated several times during the cross-examination, including one time when West suggested they could break until the morning so she’d have more time to review the deposition transcript.

“No, I’m leaving today,” Jeantel told the defense attorney as she looked over the papers.

“Are you refusing to come back tomorrow?” asked West.

The judge stepped in and asked West to keep the questions and answers to Jeantel’s testimony.

Earlier in the afternoon, jurors heard five other non-emergency calls Zimmerman made reporting suspicious people in his neighborhood. The defense wanted the calls to be thrown

Trayvon Martinʼs parents Tracy Martin, right, and Sybrina Fulton listen while witness Rachel Jeantel gives her testimony to the prosecution during George Zimmermanʼs trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford. (Photo: Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel)

out, questioning their relevance, but the judge ruled they would be allowed in. Prosecutors had argued that the calls show Zimmerman’s state of mind the night he shot Martin.

In one of the calls, made on February 2, 2012, about three weeks before Martin’s death, Zimmerman told the dispatcher he saw a black man walking around a neighbor’s home. He said he also had seen this man walking around the neighborhood on trash days.

“I don’t know what he’s doing, I don’t want to approach him, personally,” said Zimmerman on the recording.

In another call made in October 2011, Zimmerman reported two “suspicious characters” who were “just hanging out, loitering” in his neighborhood. When the dispatcher asked if he can still see the suspects, Zimmerman said no because he “didn’t want to attract attention” to himself.

An eyewitness who also testified on Wednesday said she heard what sounded “like a boy” cry for help during the altercation that ended in Martin’s death.

Jayne Surdyka, Zimmerman’s former neighbor, said she heard screams and opened her window to look out into the courtyard on the night of the shooting.

Defense attorney West challenged Surdyka about what she heard that night, saying it is possible for a teenager

to have a deeper voice and for a man to have a higherpitched voice.

“It sounded more like a boy to me,” said Surdyka.

Multiple times, Surdyka said she saw two men struggling on the ground, one on top of the other, but she couldn’t discern who was on top because it was dark and rainy that night.

Prosecutor Bernie De La Rionda played for the jury the 911 call Surdyka made the night of shooting. On the recording, Surdyka is heard crying and becoming hysterical. The 911 operator stayed on the phone with her to calm her down.

Prosecutors also called Jeannee Manalo, another witness, to the stand Wednesday. Manalo testified that from her point of view inside her townhome, she could see two men struggling on the ground. She also said she believes Zimmerman was on top of Martin during the altercation and that she could see his hands moving.

During cross-examination, Manalo said photographs she saw on the news of a younger Martin support her view that Zimmerman was on top during the altercation. Defense attorney Mark O’Mara asked her if she had ever seen recent photos of Martin. She said no but maintained that based on the photographs, the bigger person was on top, and Zimmerman seemed to be the bigger person.

NEWS

Tri-State Defender

Page 3

June 27 - July 3, 2013

MANDELA

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

figure while enduring 27 years in prison for fighting against apartheid, the country’s system of racial segregation. He was elected the nation’s first black president in 1994, four years after he was freed.

“He is our hero. He is my mentor, my father. He is everything to me,” said Kuda Nyahumzvi, 36. “But when it is his time, we wish his soul could just rest. He spent so long in jail and struggling.”

Even as he has faded from the spotlight, he remains popular and is considered a hero of democracy worldwide.

As South Africans steeled themselves for the worst, details emerged about the family’s meeting in his boyhood home of Qunu on Tuesday. An archbishop also stopped by the hospital and conducted prayers, calling for “a quiet night and a peaceful, perfect end” for the former president.

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba joined the family at the hospital where Mandela remained in critical condition, the South African Press Association reported.

“Fill them with your holy courage and the gift of trusting faith, and take away their fears so that they may dare to face their grief,” he said, according to a copy of the prayer posted on the bishop’’ website.

“And uphold all of us with your steadfast love so that we may be filled with gratitude for all the good that he has done for us and for our nation, and may honor his legacy through our lives.”

During the meeting in Qunu, funeral arrangements were not part of the talks, family friend Bantu Holomisa said, according to SAPA. As a former head of state, plans for Mandela’s funeral are spearheaded by the government, according to Holomisa.

Mandela turns 95 in July.

(CNN’s Faith Karimi wrote and contributed from Atlanta.

CNN’s Brent Swails, Matt Smith, Catherine E. Shoichet, John Raedler and Michael Martinez contributed to this report.)

A networking celebration…

Networking in Memphis celebrated Black Music Month at 300 Art Gallery with a Wednesday evening event that yielded special presentations to vocalists and keyboardist Will Graves, radio personality Myron Mays and the “Queen of Beale Street” Ruby Wilson. From left are: Mays, Networking in Memphisʼ Kelly Price, Wilson and Graves. See related story in Entertainment, page 8. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

VOTING

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Though disappointing, the Supreme Court’s ruling was not a surprise said Taylor.

“In the current environment with the conservative bent of the Court, we had to sort of expect it,” said Taylor. “However, since 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was written, Congress has supported it. It has been reauthorized on at least three occasions. We have to put our faith in Congress to continue to support the Voting Rights Act.” Still, some say the act is outdated and has been ex-

tended beyond its original intent. Van Turner, the Memphis Branch’s legal redress chairman, pointed to the passage of voter ID legislation in Tennessee as a counter to that argument.

“I think there are still challenges as it relates to voting,” said Turner. “These issues have improved but they have not gone away, and this is why the ’65 Voting Rights Act is important in full. Each section was important…

“We think it really was just a poor decision…Hopefully Congress will come up with a formula to allow for preclearance,” he said. “The preclearance allowed us to address issues be-

fore they became issues.”

While much concern was voiced about the possible effect of voter ID laws, African Americans still voted in hefty numbers in the last presidential election. So, is there reason to think a similar response will follow in light of the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act gutting?

“In Memphis and Shelby County a lot of folks were excited about the president’s election,” said Turner. “But that’s the last time we will see him on the ballot. And there are other elections besides presidential elections where voters are affected. Presidential elections normally gener-

ate large turnouts, but in smaller elections where there are gubernatorial elections, where there are local elections, you want have that turnout and you will still have those issues.”

It’s necessary to look at each election, he said. “Those issues will be even more important in smaller elections when everyone is not watching.”

Taylor pointed to rules locally and statewide where districts are being gerrymandered and where polling places are being changed or merged.

“Those are small changes that make a big impact on voter turnout,” she said.

The NAACP national web-

site features a petition asking people to sign up and to urge Congressional representatives throughout their states to support coming together to craft a legislative plan to replace Section 4.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has pledged that his administration will do “everything in its power” to repair the damage done by the Supreme Court’s ruling on Section 4.

Calling the decision a setback, President Obama said, “(It) doesn’t represent the end of our efforts to end voting discrimination. I am calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure every American has equal access to the polls.”

Page 4

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)

The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper

A Real Times Newspaper

OPINION

Tri-State Defender

June 27 - July 3, 2013

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

Bad news for affirmative action backers

Affirmative action polls show deep racial gulf

In the months leading up to this week’s Supreme Court decision on affirmative action, a public opinion poll by ABC News and the Washington Post showed that 76 percent of Americans oppose affirmative action in college admissions. However, a poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that 68 percent of Americans favor the principles behind affirmative action.

How do Americans really feel about affirmative action? The short answer is that it depends on how the question is asked.

The ABC/Washington Post question, asked June 5-9, was posed this way: “Overall, do you support or oppose allowing universities to consider applicants’ race as a factor in deciding which students to admit?”

Of those responding, 76 percent opposed, 22 percent voiced support and 2 percent were undecided.

Public Religion Research Institute, which conducted a poll May 15-19, phrased its question differently: “In order to make up for past discrimination, do you favor or oppose programs which make special efforts to help blacks and other minorities get ahead?”

More than two-thirds of the respondents – 68 percent – favored such efforts, 24 percent opposed, 6 percent were unsure and 2 percent provided other replies.

Note the wording of the questions.

The ABC/Washington Post question provided no context for evaluating affirmative action admissions, only whether respondents support or oppose using race as a factor. On the other hand, the Public Religion Research Institute approach placed the issue within the context of “past discrimination” and using “special efforts” to help people of color get ahead.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, conducted May 30-June 2, showed Americans evenly divided on the issue.

Respondents were asked to choose between two statements: A) Affirmative action programs are still needed to counteract the effects of discrimination against minorities, and are a good idea as long as there are no rigid quotas and B) Affirmative action programs have gone too far in favoring minorities, and should be ended because they unfairly discriminate against whites.

In that poll, 45 percent of the respondents said affirmative action programs are still needed to counteract the effects of discrimination against people of color. But the same margin – 45 percent – said they feel the programs have gone too far and should be ended because they unfairly discriminate against whites.

A closer examination of the numbers show a deep racial divide. For example, 71 percent of African Americans strongly believe affirmative action programs are still needed, compared to only 20 percent of whites and 39 percent of Hispanics. Another 11 percent of blacks feel affirmative action should continue, but did not feel as strongly about it. Among Hispanics, 29 percent were in that category and 14 percent of whites.

When supporters – strong and not as strong – are added together, 82

percent of African Americans want to retain affirmative action, compared to 68 percent of Hispanics and 34 percent of whites.

When you add the two categories of those wanting to abolish affirmaGeorge tive action, a maE. Curry jority of whites – 56 percent – support such a move, compared to 7 percent of African Americans and 24 percent of Hispanics.

A CNN/ORC poll, conducted June 11-13, asked the question: Do you approve or disapprove of affirmative action programs at college and law schools that give racial preferences to minority applicants?

The reference to “racial preferences” is a loaded term unlikely to elicit a favorable response. In this case, 68 percent of respondents said they disapprove of affirmative action as it was defined, 29 percent approved and 3 percent expressed no opinion.

Affirmative action should be viewed in light of overall racial attitudes in America.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, people of color and whites have closely aligned views on whether Dr. King’s dream of equality has been fulfilled.

In the CNN/ORC poll conducted Jan. 14-15, respondents were asked: “Martin Luther King gave his famous ‘I Have a Dream Speech’ at a civil rights march in Washington in 1963. In your view, do you think the U.S. has fulfilled the vision King outlined in that speech, or don’t you think so?”

According to the poll, 51 percent of whites in the U.S. believe Dr. King’s vision has been fulfilled; 49 percent of non-whites subscribe to that view.

Unfortunately, the poll does not separate the black responses.

In an Aug. 4-7, 2011 USA/Gallup Poll, 55 percent of black respondents said they believe relations between blacks and whites will always be a problem, compared to 44 percent for whites, with 2 percent unsure.

That same poll showed how differently blacks and whites view the proper role of government.

When asked about the role government should play in trying to improve the social and economic position of blacks and other people of color, 59 percent of blacks said the government should play a major role, 32 percent said a minor role, 8 percent said no role and 1 percent was unsure. Among whites, only 19 percent said the government should play a major role, 50 percent said a minor role, 30 percent said no role and 1 percent was unsure.

(George E. Curry is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA. He can be reached via www.george curry.com. Follow him at www. twitter.com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook.)

SCOTUS aiding and abetting voter disenfranchisement

The Supreme Court just aided and abetted those who seek to suppress our right to vote.

A narrow majority has ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. This is the formula used to determine which states and localities need preclearance before changing their voting laws.

With the formula scrapped, the Department of Justice’s most effective tool to prevent voter disenfranchisement has been put on hold ... for now.

The decision also gives Congress clear authority to enact a new formula that ensures no one is denied the right to vote. But whether or not Congress acts is up to us.

The Supreme Court’s decision is extreme, and simply unconscionable.

At least 31 states are considering laws to make it harder to vote by restricting early voting periods, enacting harsh voter ID laws, and instituting the modern day equivalent of poll taxes.

The target for these discriminatory laws is clear: communities of color, and young, women, elderly, and disabled voters.

The extremists responsible for these

laws probably think today’s ruling is a big win.

They are smiling ear to ear as they read the Supreme Court’s decision.

Not for long, my friends. In 2006, the NAACP mobilized thousands to protect Benjamin Todd Jealous the Voting Rights Act. We’re already working to protect voting rights in all 31 of these states, and to aggressively demand Congress expand Section 4 to include each and every state that has restricted the right to vote.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, tell your representatives they must defend our voting rights.

(For more information, visit www.naacp.org/defend-voting-rights.)

(Benjamin Todd Jealous is president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.)

What it means to be an American

With the deepening polarization of our country, I have been reflecting on the cause of this polarization.

One of the major issues confronting the U.S. is what it means to be an American. This may sound a bit trite, but this is at the heart of a lot of the intractable problems we are facing as a country. Everyone wants to carve out their own identity, with individuality being the motivating force behind the move, not the betterment of America.

There was a time when we were simply all Americans. Then we became Irish-Americans, JewishAmericans, African-Americans, Homosexual-Americans, Illegal-Americans, etc.

There used to be the Chicago Bulls, the Jackson 5, and the Supremes. Then they became Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, and Diana Ross and the Supremes.

We used to rally around the principle of being an American. We “Pledged Allegiance (now optional),” we sang the national anthem at public events (now controversial), we prayed at graduations (mostly illegal and very controversial).

Blacks, Jews, and Mexicans celebrated their heritage, but still considered themselves Americans first.

Now that has all changed. You have people in the country that cannot speak English and have no interest in learning. They expect America to accommodate their unwillingness to learn our language.

Now you have illegals in the country demanding rights; homosexuals wanting to become a protected class based on their sexual preference, and you have the county of Los Angeles required to print ballots in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Japanese, and Korean.

These ballots are mandated by federal law. The Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 was originally enacted to prohibit state and local governments from denying or abridging the right to vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” a right guaranteed by the 15th Amendment.

It applied to political jurisdictions with a history of denying such rights to black Americans and was specifically aimed at removing barriers to voter registration.

It was intended to be a temporary remedy. But in 1975, Congress greatly expanded the Voting Rights Act’s original intent by inserting special protections for “language minorities.” The so-called language minorities singled out for protection under Section 203 of the Act were: American Indians, Asian Americans, Alaskan Natives, and citizens of Spanish Heritage. For the first time in our history, states and counties with substantial populations of these newly-protected protected language minorities were required to provide ballot and elec-

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

tion materials in languages other than English.

Our shared values, not our uniqueness, is what makes us Americans. The English language should be the language we can rally around and the Raynard language that Jackson creates a common bond.

When you focus on the individual, the group loses its identity. We must get back to what it means to be an American. We must speak one language – our national language – and not have our motives questioned for insisting on that basic requirement.

No other country abandons its language to accommodate “language minorities” who don’t speak its national language.

One of the beauties of America is that we are free to disagree. Recently, however, the Language Police for various groups are trying to infringe on the rights of others with whom they disagree. Your disagreeing with me on affirmative action, doesn’t make you a racist; your disagreeing with me on abortion, doesn’t make you immoral; your disagreeing with me on war doesn’t make you a warmonger. Rather, it simply means we have a difference of opinion. That is what being an American is all about – respecting our differences, but yet the acknowledging of our commonality.

Homosexuals have called me homophobic because I don’t agree with their lifestyle choices. Those in the country illegally think that I don’t have a heart because I don’t support amnesty. Many liberal blacks think I am a sellout because I am Republican.

Why can’t it be, “I disagree with you, now let’s go to dinner.”

It would be a sad world if we only surround ourselves with people who share our opinions. If we agree on everything, one of us is not thinking. On the other hand, a healthy exchange of views helps us refine our arguments. And if we’re open-minded, it might even cause us to change our opinions from time to time.

We celebrate the Fourth of July next week and this will be an ideal time to reflect on what it means to be an American. Our difference of opinion should not be divisive, but a tie that binds us. So, whether we agree or disagree, we are all Americans.

(NNPA columnist Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached via www. raynardjackson.com. Follow him on Twitter at raynard1223.)

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The Supreme Court’s ruling Monday, while not the death blow to affirmative action that many of its supporters had feared, continues a push led by the Court’s conservatives to impose very high stanPerry dards on any conBacon Jr. sideration of race in public policy and will likely make it harder for universities and other institutions to defend racial preferences in future cases.

The Court’s 7-1 ruling in practice does not affirm or reject the affirmative action programs at the University of Texas at Austin or any other school in the country, so its direct implications depend on how the Court and lower courts interpret the justices’ words. But the ruling ensures affirmative action programs across the country will be continue to be challenged in court, and it weakens the defenders of affirmative action on two grounds.

First, the Court opted against affirming the University of Texas’ admission program, which at first glance looks like a non-decision, but actually is a bold stance by the justices.

The University of Texas at Austin’s program was the kind of affirmative action it seemed the Supreme Court supported. The program was modeled after the method used by the University of Michigan’s law school, which the Court upheld in 2003. The Texas program, like the one at Michigan, does not expressly give points in the admissions process to students simply for being black or Hispanic, or impose racial quotas for the school as a whole.

Most students aren’t affected by the program, as 75 percent of the school’s students enter through a system in which the top 10 percent of each high school in Texas are admitted automatically. The remaining quarter of the students are considered through a “holistic” program that considers race, but also family income and other factors. White students can benefit from this second admissions system as well, so it is not solely for minorities, at least according to the university.

Two lower courts had backed the Texas’ system, and the U.S. Supreme Court could have done so as well. It did not invalidate the Texas’ admissions system, but the Supreme Court’s decision to send the system back for a consideration at a lower court was definitely not an endorsement. And the refusal to affirm the Texas approach suggests that Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Court’s key swing vote, may never outright say he opposes all considerations of races at universities, but also never rule in favor of an admissions program that does so.

“Like so many educational institutions across the nation, the University has taken care to follow the model approved by the Court,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissent.

She added, “I would not return this case for a second look … the University’s admissions policy flexibly considers race only as a “factor of a factor of a factor of a factor” in the calculus.”

Just as significantly, Kennedy’s opinion creates a new, higher threshold for the consideration of race in admissions policies.

In the future, for an affirmative action program to be defended, it must be shown that “no workable raceneutral alternatives would produce the educational benefits of diversity.” Those words are likely be invoked by every litigant who files against an affirmative action plan in the future.

The justices did not explain exactly how that standard would be applied. But it will complicate the University of Texas in defending its diversity program, as the university’s 10 percent plan on its own has increased the number of black and Hispanic students at the school without any direct consideration of race.

Schools will feel pressure to find systems that don’t directly invoke race, although critics of the 10 percent plan note that it in some ways relies on segregated high schools to result in diversity at the University of Texas.

(Perry Bacon Jr. is a columnist for The Grio. Follow him on Twitter at @perrybaconjr)

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BUSINESS

Tri-State Defender

Page 5

June 27 - July 3, 2013

Carter Malone Group hits 10-year mark in stride Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Wiley Henry

Roby S. Williams has seen businesses come and go.

Ninety percent of them are start-ups that fail to sustain themselves the first couple of years in the marketplace, said Williams, president of the Black Business Association of Memphis, a non-profit network of African-American entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations.

Not all businesses fall by the wayside. One of them – The Carter Malone Group, LLC, a public relations, marketing and advertising firm – beat the odds and celebrated its 10th anniversary on June 21.

More than 150 celebrants crowded the Calliope Room in Downtown Memphis and paid tribute to the firm’s president and CEO, Deidre Malone. The venue was in close proximity to where Malone had opened her first office.

“It’s remarkable!” Williams exclaimed. “She began her business with experience. She conceived it and developed it with solid strategy, practical processes and consistent execution. I salute her for 10 years.”

CMG opened its doors for business on May 23, 2003, with one client, the National Baptist Congress.

“I was the Vice President of Marketing Development for ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital making six figures,” Malone recounted.

“When the National Baptist Congress was scheduled to come to town, my pastor said they needed someone to handle public relations. I told my husband about it and he supported my decision to step down from my job at ALSAC/ St. Jude.”

After tending the needs of NBC, CMG started growing exponentially. Malone and her team would go on to earn several VOX Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (including this year’s VOX

The 29th Annual Benny Awards produced myriad images. Pictured (from left): Myron Mays, Roscoe Dixon, Carlee McCullough, Ron Busby, Deidre Malone, Tannera George Gibson and her brother, and Roby Williams. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

BBA salutes trio of founders at Benny Awards

Deidre Malone, president/CEO of The Carter Malone Group, is flanked by supporters and well-wishers Atty. Ricky E. Wilkins of the Law Office of Ricky E. Wilkins (left) and Jerry Chipman, former Senior Vice President of Public Relations and Communications for ALSAC/St. Jude Childrenʼs Research Hospital. Chipman, a producer, director and actor as well, was Maloneʼs mentor at St. Jude. (Photos

by Wiley Henry/The Carter Malone Group)

Award for “Best in Show” for BlueCross BlueShield’s Healthy Church Challenge weight loss campaign), a national Gabriel Award from Unda-USA, and a Telly Award for regional broadcasting. Malone herself was nominated for an Emmy Award.

“We are a small firm in comparison to others in the industry, but we’re able to compete on a larger scale because we are driven, trusted and proven, and because we’ve built brand awareness for the firm,” said Malone, a former Shelby County Commissioner and member of the Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) Board of Directors.

“It takes perseverance and belief in your product,” said Sandra Burke, a consultant for Dress for Success, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women.

“It takes patience and continuous analyzing, reviewing and

looking at what you can do to keep your business successful.

And you have to have a strong infrastructure for your business as well: family, friends and staff.”

In 2011, CMG became a charter member of the Tennessee Public Relations Alliance with Moxley Carmichael Public Relations in Knoxville, McNeely Pigott and Fox Public Relations in Nashville, and the Hispanic Marketing Group of Nashville. The alliance offers blanket geographic coverage for products and issues in Tennessee.

CMG has worked with several organizations and represented such luminaries as the late International Presiding Bishop G. E. Patterson and the current International Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake.

With more than 20 active local and national clients, Malone said she’s looking forward to extending CMG’s

reach across the state of Tennessee by creating the kind of communication strategies that keeps the firm out front in the industry.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment, especially in today’s economy,” said barbeque maven Patrick Neely, who along with Gina Neely have endeared themselves to millions on the Food Network’s top-rated “Down Home With the Neelys” cooking show.

“It’s difficult to wear so many hats… dealing with taxes, insurance, managing people. It requires a lot of hard work. That’s why she is so successful,” Neely said. “I truly tip my hat to Deidre and all her accomplishments.”

Neely had been a client of CMG’s as well and attended Malone’s 2nd-year celebration in 2005.

“We (Gina) still call on Deidre for advice and solicit her opinion,” he said.

MONEY MATTERS

Need flexibility? Universal life insurance may be the answer

Universal life insurance was developed in the late 1970s to overcome some of the disadvantages associated with term and whole life insurance. As with other types of life insurance, you pay regular premiums to your insurance company, in exchange for which the insurance company will pay a specific benefit to your beneficiaries upon your death.

As with whole life insurance, a portion of each payment goes to the insurance company to pay for the pure cost of insurance. The remainder is invested in the company’s general investment portfolio, with the potential to build cash value.

Most universal life policies pay a minimum guaranteed rate of return. Any returns above the guaranteed minimum vary with the performance of the insurance company’s portfolio. The policyholder has no control over how these funds are invested; funds are managed by the insurance company’s professional portfolio managers.

However, universal life policies are very flexible. As the policy owner, you can vary the frequency and amount of premium payments and also increase or decrease the amount of the insurance to suit changes in your situation.

For example, if your financial situation improves significantly, you can increase your premiums and build up the cash value more rapidly. On the other hand, if you find yourself under a financial strain, you can reduce your premiums, or you may even be able to deduct premium payments from the cash value of the policy. Of course, changing the premium or withdrawing part of the cash value in your policy will affect the rate at which your cash value accumulates. It

may also reduce the size of the death benefit.

A n y cash you withdraw from your universal life policy is considCharles ered “baSims Jr., CFP sis-first.”

You won’t incur a tax liability until your withdrawals exceed the premiums you’ve paid into the policy. Any amount that exceeds the premiums will be taxed as ordinary income.

It is possible to structure many universal life policies so that the invested cash value will eventually cover the premiums. You would then have full life insurance coverage without having to pay any additional premiums, as long as

the cash-value account balance remains sufficient to pay for the pure cost of insurance and any other expenses and charges.

Access to cash values through borrowing or partial surrenders can reduce the policy’s cash value and death benefit, increase the chance that the policy will lapse, and may result in a tax liability if the policy terminates before the death of the insured. Additional out-of-pocket payments may be needed if actual dividends or investment returns decrease, if you withdraw policy values, if you take out a loan, or if current charges increase. Guarantees are contingent on the claims-paying ability of the issuing company.

The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. As with most financial decisions, there are

expenses associated with the purchase of life insurance.

Policies commonly have mortality and expense charges. In addition, if a policy is surrendered prematurely, there may be surrender charges and income tax implications.

For investors who want the flexibility to change their premiums or death benefits, a universal life insurance policy may be ideal. If you are considering purchasing life insurance, consult a professional to explore your options.

(Charles Sims Jr. is president/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901-682-2410 or visit www.

SimsFinancialGroup.com.)

Tanner George, Roscoe Dixon and Rufus Jones – three founders of what became The Black Business Association – were honored during the group’s 29th Annual Benny Awards Friday (June 21) at the Memphis Marriott on Thousand Oaks Blvd.

The Benny Awards event recognizes business accomplishments by minority and women owned businesses. It also honors corporations that have supported the organization’s efforts.

George, Dixon and Jones were instrumental in The Black Business Association organization being founded in 1974 as the Back Merchants Association. George and Jones are deceased.

The Benny Awards keynote speaker was Ron Busby of the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce. Myron Mays, the BBA’s director of development and communications, said the event was held as a luncheon this year for the first time since the Annual Benny Awards began in 1984.

The shift was an effort to attract a larger audience.

Traditionally it has been held as a black-tie dinner.

About 100 people attended.

Awards and winners: Outstanding Community Service: City of Memphis Division of Housing & Community Development; Outstanding Corporate Involvement: Methodist Healthcare; Outstanding Business Purchasing: Fed Ex; Outstanding Business Development: Electrolux; Outstanding WomanOwned Business Award: Deidre Malone – The Carter Malone Group; Outstanding Professional Service Award: Jack SteeleCenter for Orthotics & Prosthetics; Outstanding Service Provider Award: Ricky Tucker- Rix International; Outstanding Business Professional Award: Carlee McCullough – McCullough Law; Outstanding Business of the Year Award: Dr. Ivory Taylor - MUTV-1.

RELIGION

Page 6

Tri-State Defender

June 27 - July 3, 2013

‘All things work together for good’

Readings on tap for new entry into Christian fiction market

“In The Shadows of Bliss” – a new entry in the Christian fiction market – begins in the land of Bliss, a heavenly Alisa construct Lynn w h e r e souls grow to fruition. They stay there until being born brings them to earth, where the “foibles and twists of life challenge us to fight human temptation and earn our rightful return to a state of Bliss.”

First-time author Alisa Lynn tells the story of Wesley, a pure soul soon to embark on a surprising journey of discovery and adventure. Her intro tour kicks off in Memphis with advance public readings arranged by custom publishing imprint marketer Heritage Publishing, a Nashville-based firm.

“In The Shadows of Bliss,” Wesley’s soul bonds with the gifted inspirational singer Arie, for whom his spirit aches and can never be whole without. Preview readers say the book puts you in mind of “General Hospital’s” famous romantic duo Luke & Laura, but with a resounding moral perspective on true love, intrigue and action.

“In The Shadows of Bliss” then morphs into a suspenseful adventure full of earthly pitfalls illustrating the twists of life many of us face. Wesley faces battles, triumphs, ego-driven self-will, errors, temptations and lusts, dances while driving in his Corvettes and more. Readers will fight for him as he fights to retain his soul, but will he make it Lynn is a socially active entrepreneur, wife, mother and grandmother who enjoys worshipping and working in her local church. Known within her personal circle as a gifted writer with a passion for community service, Lynn found comfort and joy in keeping personal journals and volunteer community public relations. Those twin elements grew into her first novel and a series aimed at the Christian market.

The Memphis-area advanced readings will be Thursday (June 27) from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Playhouse on the Square, and Sunday (June 30) from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 300 South Main Gallery.

The Youth and Young Adult Choir put the moves on for Annual Youth Day 2013 at Progressive Missionary Baptist Church last Sunday (June 23). (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley) With the theme “Youth Working Together for Christ,” Progressive Missionary Baptist Church at 394 O.C. Collins Sr. Ave., celebrated Annual Youth Day 2013. Pictured (from left): Marisha Allen, mistress of ceremonies; Annette Head, chairperson; the Rev. Dr. James B. Collins, Progressive M.B.C. Pastor; Macon M.B.C. Pastor Quinton Ballard, afternoon speaker; Reneka Jones, cochairperson.

RELIGION BRIEFS

Hill Chapel reaches out with ‘We Serve’ event

Hill Chapel Missionary Baptist Church will host a community outreach at Morris Park on Saturday (June 29) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The theme is “We Serve.”

Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Robert E. Jones I, their vision is to meet some of the basic needs of men, women, and children within the community.

In conjunction with community partners, Hill Chapel will provide meals, health screenings, clothing, haircuts, and spiritual nourishment.

There also will be trained social service counselors and a host of other community resources on site.

Jeff Brinston, a deacon and one of the event organizers, said the entire Hill Chapel congregation takes pride in giving.

“We have the opportunity and mandate to be a blessing to the poor and less

fortunate of the city. This incredible responsibility can only be accomplished if we come together and provide resources for our city,” said Brinston.”

Hill Chapel is located at 4523 Raleigh LaGrange Rd. The Rev. Robert E. Jones I is the senior pastor.

For more information, call the church office at 901-266-3022 or visit outreach@hillchapelmb.org.

Nu Nation Youth Ministry Training Conference set

Pastor Russell St. Bernard, nationally known author and Outreach Magazine’s 2012 Youth Ministry Expert, will conduct a four-hour youth ministry leadership workshop on Saturday (June 29) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Andrew A.M.E. Church on S. Parkway.

Pastor Russell is the author of “Fresh” a 31-day student devotional and “After the Music Stops,” which focuses on helping youth ministries and youth ministry leaders serve their

students in a more effective way. He has also developed student and adult curriculum for The Urban Youth Workers Institute’s National Youth Ministry Conference “Reload”. Russell is the youth minister at Reid Temple AME Church in Silver Spring, Md. According to workshop organizers, the training offers “innovative approaches to reaching the youth in our churches and communities as well as offering encouragement, new ideas, and an opportunity to connect and share with other youth leaders, youth pastors, and youth workers throughout the city.”

Sponsored by St. Andrew’s Nu Nation Youth Ministry, the session is open to all who work with youth whether in a church setting, at a nonprofit or in a school. Registration is $20 per person.

St. Andrew A.M.E. Church is located at 867 S. Parkway East and is pastored by the Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. and the Rev. Marilynn S. Robinson. For more information and

PRAISE CONNECT

to register, contact the Rev. Fekecia Gunn at nunationyouth@gmail.com or call St. Andrew at 901-9483441.Visit www.saintandrewamec.org

BRIEFLY: The New Olivet Baptist Church’s W.O.W. Factor, A VBS/ Youth Weekend Experience culminates with The Youth Experience during Sunday (June 30) services. For more information, including events and details scheduled Friday and Saturday, contact Tiffany Newby at tnewby@olivetbc.com.

BRIEFLY: The Annual Community Fundraiser of The Greater Sixth Street Missionary Church will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the church at 1613 Mitchell Street in Humboldt, Tenn., on Saturday (June 29). All participants are asked to wear jeans and white Tshirts. Donation: $25 per family (limit of five). For more information: Pastor Thomas Emery, 731-928-2195; Monica Sherman, 731-868-6686; email – helpministries.org@yahoo.com; Visit www.helpreliefministries.com.

-A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHES-

METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH Dr. Reginald L. Porter Sr., Pastor

767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126

ASSOCIATE MINISTERS

901-946-4095 fax 948-8311

Rev. Davena Young Porter Rev. Linda A Paige Rev. Luecretia Matthews SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

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

Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter

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

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

— Proverbs 1:7

—Ecclesiastes 9:11

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

(901) 948-3441

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

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

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

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

“Ministering to Memphis-Spirit, Soul and Body”

Tri-State Defender

RELIGION

June 27 - July 3, 2013

When we get together…

Pastor Phillip Williams (second on the left) and Minister Toni Williams (not pictured) of Fresh Wind Christian Center at 561 South Prescott led the celebration of Family and Friends Day 2013 last Sunday (June 23). After the service, members and visitors gathered to fellowship and break bread. (Photo courtesy of Pinkie Greer)

‘Youth Investing Their Lives in Christ’…

The Children & Youth Choir of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church-Westwood provided ministry through music during the Annual Children & Youth Day Celebration last Sunday (June 23). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Zacardi Cortez jams ‘1 On 1’ radio smash

In 2012, Zacardi Cortez made a big splash with his best-selling debut CD “Zacardi Cortez: The Introduction” (Worldwide Music Inc.). The album peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart and earned him a Stellar Award nomination.

After a brief recording hiatus, Cortez is back in the studio and has recorded a soulful new song now playing on the gospel and urban AC radio airwaves. The piano ballad “1 on 1” was sent to radio programmers last week.

The song anchors the latest installment in the Gospel Mix CD series Worldwide Music, Inc. CEO Kerry Douglas. The new 30-track set, “Kerry Douglas Presents Gospel Mix VI,” releases August 20, 2013. It boasts tracks by Tamela Mann, Ruben Studdard, Ted Winn, James Fortune & FIYA, Bryan

Wilson, Earnest Pugh, Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, Evelyn TurrentineAgee and a host of upand-coming artists.

Zacardi “The Cortez song is a b o u t spending one on one time with God,” says Cortez, a Houston native. “We all go through those times when we just have to put everything else aside – turn off the TV, put the video game down, stop taking phone calls – and just concentrate on our relationship.

“It can be your relationship with your girlfriend, your child or God,” said Cortez.

“We all need that one on one time with the ones we love to let them know that we do love them and that’s the real message of the song.”

The 27-year old Cortez began his career singing with his family, The Cortez Singers, and recording with his musical godfather, John P. Kee. He first gained notice as the lead on James Fortune & FIYA’s 2008 breakthrough hit “The Blood” and their subsequent #1 smash, “I Believe.”

Cortez is knnown for his intricate vocal gymnastics, fiery hoops and smooth tone. His rousing track “One More Time” (featuring John P. Kee) spent six months on the Billboard Top Ten Hot Gospel Songs chart.

(For more information, visit www.mrkerrydouglas.com or www.zacardicortez.com.)

Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, June 27 - July 3, 2013, Page 8 African-American Music Appreciation Month:

That’s a wrap!

No one ever accuses Memphis of being short on talent. With a church seemingly on every other corner, the choirs are filled with voices worthy of placing on compact discs. Blessed with schools such as Overton and Stax to train and hone those tones, Memphis churns out the “Voices” regardless of genre.

But as we all know, only a few have the disposable income, relationships and the perseverance to make it. It is hard to say who among the “newbies” may wind up along side the Memphis-rooted greats that include The Bar-Kays, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Aretha Franklin, Kirk Whalum, BB King and Al Green.

We have watched as Eightball & MJG, Juicy J and DJ Paul, Three 6 Mafia and Yo Gotti have all risen to national acclaim. With television shows, Academy Awards, soundtrack placements, and the like, these guys are showing us how to do it modern day.

Let’s take a look at who is on deck and ready to bat in the various genres of music.

Gospel

Perfection is an award-winning, Memphis-based contemporary gospel quartet. The men in this group are usually suited and dressed to impress. Their voices are powerful and worthy of praise, helping them win the 2013 Allstate Gospel Superfest.

With hits such as “What Is This” and “God’s On Your Side,” it is clear that these gentlemen are on their way to the top. Album notes describe their

Carlee McCullough

sound as vintage and soulful. Steve Maples, Gerrod Allen, Chris Williams and Kevin Lake are producing timeless music that touches the lives of young and old, men and women.

Rap/Hip Hop

OG Boo Dirty is remaining true to the street sound that Memphis has become known for. Although the content is not for children, the sound is infectious and will have you bouncing to the beat.

As he continues to move beyond legal challenges, he is releasing songs featuring Gucci Mane and Young Dolph. OG Boo Dirty is contributing to that next generation of artists in the lanes of Three 6 Mafia.

Young Dolph is certainly not one to let OG Boo Dirty rise without him.

His lyrics are for mature folks but again the sound is contagious. The beats are banging and are sure to have the clubs rocking. Equipped with videos and a team, Young Dolph is killing the game with mixtapes. With over 470,000 hits for the “A-Plus Official Music Video,” the word is spreading about Young Dolph.

Jazz

Lila embraces the roots of Memphis through the sounds emitted from

her violin. Classically trained as a hip jazz violinist accompanied by a band, this petite lady has traveled the world and shared her gift internationally. “South Memphis Blues” is just one of the many endearing songs in her repertoire. While jazz is one of her genres, she is versatile. Lila is just as comfortable in hip hop, soul, alternative, rock and reggae.

R&B

Kris Thomas made us proud and represented us well on “The Voice.”

His falsetto was memorable beyond his years. He has a place on the international stage and is poised to go far. As a preacher’s kid, is there any surprise that Thomas has a voice that is as smooth as silk.

As a Stax Music Academy alum, he is representing them well. According to his website, his goal is to “connect lyrically, but inspire musically” with the hopes of creating and sharing his own musical legacy to the world. Kris is moving in the right direction.

Parting shot

And with that, we conclude our month-long celebration of African American Music Appreciation Month. Originally created as Black Music Month by President Jimmy Carter in June 1979, President Obama now refers to the celebration as African-American Music Appreciation Month (AAMAM). The celebration highlights the rich musical contributions of African-American musicians, composers, singers and songwriters to the nation and the world.

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

Michelʼle, who rocked the Soul Classics 103.5 Ultimate Family Reunion, tells The New Tri-State Defender that sheʼll be starring in “R&B Divas of L.A.” – a reality show premiering next month. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)

Michel’le a crowd-pleaser at Ultimate Family Reunion The New Tri-State Defender.com

by Warren Roseborough As the sun began to go down Saturday (June 22) on the 7th Annual Ultimate Family Reunion sponsored

by Soul Classics 103.5, you could tell who the crowd at Mud Island River Park most wanted to see – R&B singer-songwriter Michel’le.

Known for hits such as “No More Lies,” “Something In My Heart” and “Nicety,” she did not disappoint, sounding good and looking amazing.

Michel’le seemed surprised but very pleased that so many knew the words to her songs. Guys galore

shouted that they loved her, including one who caught her attention.

Thank you, she said, jokingly asking the whereabouts of his wife and girlfriend.

I had the chance for a brief interview with Michel’le, curious about what she was doing besides touring, and what plans she had for her career.

In her signature squeaky and childlike voice, Michel’le shared that she will be starring in “R&B Divas of L.A.” – a reality show premiering July 10 on TV1. There is already an “R&B Divas of Atlanta.” The L.A. cast will also include Shante Moore, Kelly Price, Dawn Robinson formerly of EnVogue, and Lil Mo.

RIP Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland

Services for Bobby ʻBlueʼ Bland will be at First Baptist Church-Broad at 2835 Broad Ave. at noon Thursday, June 27. The family has asked that all memorials be sent to The Blues Foundation, which will assign them to the HART Fund.

Also, the family is allowing the blues community to share the celebration of Blandʼs life via this link: www.ustream. tv/channel/bobby-blandmemorial

Bobby Blue Bland performing at the 6th Annual Tri-State Blues festival August 8, 2008 at the Landers Center formally the Desoto Civic Center in Southhaven. (Photos: Warren Roseborough)

Bobby Bland (left) with R&B legend Billy Paul at Night of Stars Concert Benefiting The Med.

For Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, there IS love in the heart of the city

Blues and soul balladeer Bobby “Blue” Bland, whose signature hits include “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City,” died beloved and revered last Sunday (June 23). He was 83.

Bland’s son Rodd told CNN that failing health had forced his dad off the stage earlier this year.

“He had a hole in his stomach that had become tumorous, and it was emptying into his bloodstream.” Bland passed at his home in Germantown.

“He was in my arms,” his son said. “But I’m not going to lie. I could have used at least 20 more years.”

Many credit Bland with helping to usher the blues into the modern era. His “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” was sampled on Jay-Z’s 2001 album, “The Blueprint.”

“He never b**ched about not getting his due,” said his son, who formerly was a drummer in his father’s band. “When I took him to Beale Street for ribs and catfish, fans would come up to him. He was always courteous, polite and kind. And humble.

That’s what I admired.”

Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, son of legendary musician and producer Willie Mitchell, told the

Associated Press that Bland “brought a certain level of class to the blues genre.”

Robert Calvin Bland was born January 27, 1930 in Rosemark, Tenn. Bland moved to Memphis in the late ’40’s. He played with Billy “Red” Love and other influential Delta musicians. His first recording was “Dry Up Baby” (Modern 848).

Bland entered the Armed Services in 1952 and joined the Johnny Ace Revue after his discharge, having signed with Duke Records. His first smash hit was “It’s My Life Baby.”

In the ’50’s and early ’60’s, Bobby “Blue” Bland was one of the main creators of the modern soul-blues sound. Along with such artists as Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and Junior Parker, Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with blues and R&B. His style of soul-blues was punctuated with a big-band sound and slick, B.B. King-flavored guitar riffs.

Bland moved to Memphis with his mother and began his career, first as a singer in the gospel group the Miniatures, then in the loosely knit blues group the Beale Streeters, which included such future blues stars as Johnny Ace, B.B. King, Junior Parker

and Rosco Gordon .

Bland’s first recordings were from 1950 to 1952, when he cut sides for the Modern and Chess labels. Shortly after his discharge in 1954, he began a long-term relationship with Duke Records.

This would result in dozens of records, many of them big sellers in the R&B market.

His first Duke single, “It’s My Life, Baby,” was released in 1955.

Two years later, Bland scored with the seminal Texas shuffle “Farther Up The Road,” which went to number 1 on the R&B charts. Follow-up records included two 1961 hits, “I Pity the Fool,” which also made it to number 1 on the R&B charts, and “Turn on Your Love Light,” which went to number 2. “That’s the Way Love Is,” a 1963 release, gave Bland his third number 1 hit.

From 1957 to 1961, Bland played the chitlin’ circuit with Junior Parker and his band, the Blue Flames. In 1961 Bland broke with Parker, went out on his own, and rose to his greatest popularity.

Because Bland neither composed nor played an instrument, he relied on others for songs and inspired instrumentation. Joe Scott, his bandleader and arranger, and for years one of Duke label owner Don Robey’s chief talent

Bobby Bland and his wife at the Night of Stars Concert Benefiting The Med.

scouts, helped create Bland’s bigband sound. Just as important to Bland’s sound was guitarist Wayne Bennett, who complemented the horns and Bland’s vocals with jazz-influenced solos, a la T-Bone Walker and B.B. King.

Bland worked with Scott and Bennett until 1968 when the band broke up, partially the result of Bland’s alleged alcohol problems. But Bland resuscitated his career in 1972, this time with producer Steve Garrie and bandleader Ernie Fields Jr. Rather than dwell on R&B ballads, Garrie gave Bland a blues-based sound that resulted in two of his more commercially successful albums: “California Album” (1973) and “Dreamer” (1974).

Both works were released on the ABC-Dunhill label, the company

that purchased Duke in 1972.

Despite Bland’s extensive recording catalogue, his longterm success on the R&B charts, and his near-constant touring (often with longtime friend B.B. King), he rarely crossed over into the pop realm. Dozens of blues and R&B influenced rock vocalists, however, have credited Bland as a main influence.

Throughout the ’70s, ’80s, and early ’90s, he continued to record, mostly for the Jackson, Miss., blues label, Malaco.

Bland was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

(This report includes information via www.bobbyblu ebland.com/ and wire reports.)

ENTERTAINMENT

Tri-State Defender

Page 9

June 27 - July 3, 2013

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam’s Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

Channing Tatum (left) and Jamie Foxx star in “White House Down.”

(Photo: Reiner Bajo/Columbia Pictures) Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kam Williams

For movies opening June 28, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

“The Heat” (R for violence, crude humor and pervasive profanity) Good cop/bad cop comedy about a straitlaced FBI agent (Sandra Bullock) who grudgingly agrees to work with a foul-mouthed Boston police officer (Melissa McCarthy) with a short fuse in order to apprehend a ruthless Russian mobster. With Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport and Tony Hale.

“White House Down” (PG-13 for profanity, violence, brief sexuality and intense action) Action thriller about a cop (Channing Tatum) recently rejected by the Secret Service who comes to the rescue when the President (Jamie Foxx) is abducted by a paramilitary group.

With Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Woods and Richard Jenkins.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

“A Band Called Death” (Unrated) Reverential rockumentary revisiting the rise and fall of Death, the short-lived, African-American trio credited with inventing punk music in 1971 before flaming out without ever releasing an album. Featuring siblings Bobby, David and Dannis Hackney, with appearances by Alice

Cooper and Henry Rollins.

“Byzantium” (R for profanity, sexuality and graphic violence) Vampire thriller about the deadly consequences which result when two mysterious strangers (Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton), new to a coastal resort town, are unwittingly befriended by a couple of clueless locals (Caleb Landry Jones and Daniel Mays). With David Heap, Warren Brown and Ruby Snape.

“Copperhead” (PG-13 for an unsettling sequence) Civil War saga about an upstate New York family torn apart by the conflict. Principal cast includes Francois Arnaud, Lucy Boynton and Casey Thomas Brown.

“Homegoings” (Unrated) D.O.A. documentary highlighting the grace and beauty of African-American funerals as explained by noted, Harlem undertaker Isaiah Owens.

“How to Make Money Selling Drugs” (Unrated) Tongue-in-cheek documentary offering tips on entering the narcotics trade while questioning the wisdom of the country’s draconian drug laws. Street cred courtesy of 50 Cent, Eminem and Russell Simmons.

“I’m So Excited” (R for crude humor, graphic sexuality and drug use) Pedro Almodovar wrote and directed this mile-high romantic comedy revolving around the reactions of the passengers and crew facing their mortality aboard an imperiled airplane that might not make it to Mexico City. Ensemble cast includes

Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz, Cote Soler and Hugo Silva. (In Spanish with subtitles)

“Laurence Anyways” (Unrated) Out-ofthe-closet drama, set in the Nineties, examining the strain on a relationship after a guy (Melvil Poupaud) informs his girlfriend (Suzanne Clement) of his plans to undergo a sex change.

Supporting cast includes Nathalie Baye, Monia Chokri and Susan Almgren. (In French and English with subtitles) “Petunia” (Unrated) Dysfunctional family dramedy about a couple of emotionally-stunted brothers (Eddie Kaye Thomas and Tobias Segal) whose adult relationships are in crisis as the consequence of a childhood spent under the thumb of psychoanalyst parents (Christine Lahti and David Rasche). With Thora Birch, Brittany Snow and Michael Urie.

“Redemption” (R for profanity, brutal violence and graphic nudity) Jason Statham stars in this vigilante thriller as a homeless and alcoholic, disgraced soldier who assumes a fake identity to exact revenge after the rape and murder of a girlfriend (Victoria Bewick). With Vicky McClure, Senem Temiz and Agata Buzek.

“Some Girls” (Unrated) Screen adaptation of the Neil LaBute play about a groom-to-be (Adam Brody) who embarks on a cross-country road trip prior to the wedding to make amends with ex-lovers for his past transgressions. Co-starring Kristen Bell, Zoe Kazan and Emily Watson.

HOROSCOPES

June 27-July 3, 2013

ARIES Before you spend your money check the quality of the goods. This rule applies to intangible goods as well. Make the first move with your honey this week. Be sweetly aggressive.

TAURUS Let your creative juices flow. Advice from a child has a reward in it. On the job, coworkers will help you expand your sense of accomplishment. Only you can stand in your way.

GEMINI Opportunity knocks this week, be ready and waiting. An old love resurfaces. This week is good for you financially. Look for a special opportunity at work. Families matters, spend time with yours.

CANCER Creativity comes from a deep source.

Take the chance to pursue creative goals.

Others will understand later. You and a child can come to an unmatched understanding.

LEO This week is a week to let your diplomatic side work for you. Forcing will get you nowhere. No man or woman is an island, focus on togetherness even if you are annoyed with people.

VIRGO Take advantage of a burst of energy.

Body and mind are in sync. Don’t take things too personally this week, you might get your feelings hurt. If you do, tonight is a great time to make-up. Make the call.

LIBRA You have wonderful ideas about interior decorating. Be ready to accept a great opportunity at work. Money doesn’t matter tonight, don’t make finances more important than they need to be.

SCORPIO The influence of someone close can make all the difference in the world. Don’t go alone. Your achievements are closely tied to someone who might not have agreed with you in the past.

SAGITTARIUS You and your honey have so much to talk about, listen! He or she is trying to come out of a whole new bag. Accept! Change is a good thing this week. Expect to travel soon.

Savor the thought.

CAPRICORN If nothing much is happening on the job, remember that chilling is good sometimes.

Use this week to return phone calls and answer letters. Be low key. Wonderful things flow from what you don’t do.

AQUARIUS You can turn that obstacle into an opportunity at work. Check out the players carefully. Watch your back and hold your tongue around workplace rivals. Aggressively seek agreement.

PISCES Don’t let your outer space infringe on your inner peace. Control situations that might affect your ability to get that important job done. Remember people are only human.

Source: NNPA News Service

Page 10

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Legal notices

NOTICE TO PUBLIC The following person(s) has asked the city of Memphis Alcohol Commission for permission to sell beer for ON premise consumption.

Applicant: HOSPITALITY INC. CHRISTOPHER STEFFE DBA: COURTYARD STE 205 Location: 3076 KIRBY PARKWAY Anyone desiring to circulate a petition FOR or AGAINST said establishment selling BEER at this location must secure the petition blanks for the undersigned Commission at 2714 Union Avenue Extended 1st Floor. Must be filed no later than Tuesday, July 16, 2013 Eugene Bryan, Member; Sherman Greer, Member; Erma Hayslett, Member; Martavious Jones, Member; Billy Post, Member; Johnsie Wallace, Member; Wayne West, Member; Chase, Barry, Member;

I, Lawrence King, on June 11,2013 declare this NOTICE to any person, individual, or being that has CLAIMS or LIABILITIES against ( Estate Known As Monza Trust) along with any attachments or interests in said properties: 3474 Fox Meadows, 2883 Emmet, 6039 Rosewind, 5112 Ginger, 6228 Scarletcrest, 5423 Kindlecreek, 5407 Riverdale, 7226 Woodshire, 7355 Woodshire, 5484 Chinkapin Oak, 7126 Country Oak, and 5995 Seminary are hereby notice to come forward and make public any such CLAIMS or LIABILITIES within 30 days of first notice, after which time any and all said claims shall be null and void. Send claims to P.O.Box 40723, Memphis, TN 38174.

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The Shelby County Schools Procurement Department will facilitate a Reverse Auction for technology equipment and services on July 8, 2013. Go to our website at: http://www.mcsk12.net/procurement/ to see all specifications, details, and event registration information.

Bids will be evaluated and the best bid meeting specifications will win the bid. SCS prefers one vendor for technology purchases and services , but will consider multiple vendors.

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

PUBLIC BID OPENING - DUE JULY 15, 2013 AT 2:30 PM SEALED BID #SBI-000222 FITE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS A voluntary pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 9:00 AM, at the office of the Shelby County Roads and Engineering Building Conference Room, 6449 Haley Road, Memphis, TN 38134.

A public bid opening will be held July 15, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. in the office of the Administrator of Purchasing, located at, Vasco A. Smith Jr., Administration Building, 160 North Main Street, Suite 550, Memphis, Tennessee 38103.

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

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

Classifieds NOW ACCEPTS Call Tri-State Defender @ 901-523-1818 Even small ads get noticed.

June 27 - July 3, 2013

COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

LeMoyne-Owen College nets accreditation through 2023 The LeMoyne-Owen College has the official word administrators, staff, faculty and students had wanted to hear – reaffirmed.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges (SACS) sent word June 20 that the college’s accreditation is reaffirmed for the next 10 years.

SACS is the recognized regional accrediting body in 11 Southern states for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees.

Accreditation is the education community’s version of the “good housekeeping seal.” The stamp of

approval also is necessary for the college to compete for federallyfunded research grants and for its students to receive federally-subsidized financial aid.

“I am deeply grateful to our faculty, administrators and staff for their time, talent and dedication during this process,” LOC president Johnnie B. Watson said. “It speaks highly of the strength of the College in academic programs and support units.

Watson LOC looks forward to “building upon these strengths as we add programs and expand our offerings.”

The reaccreditation is viewed as “a ringing endorsement” of the

college’s Quality Enhancement Plan, which focuses on improving students’ oral communication skills.

Watson said the reaffirmation was never in doubt.

“We had no sanctions, penalties or warnings during the process,” he said. “It was routine and very smooth. We are very pleased with the outcome and look forward to continued success academically and financially.”

LeMoyne-Owen College awards bachelor’s degrees in arts, science and business administration in 22 major areas of study. The college’s average enrolment is 1,100, a figure that has doubled in the past 7 years.

Campaign launched to support public school children

by Aisling Maki

Our Children. Our Success., a new campaign created to bolster community support for public school children, kicked off across Memphis and Shelby County this week.

Led by a coalition of community partners, the campaign was launched to encourage the entire community to participate and invest in the lives, education and general wellbeing of our children.

“RISE, through its programs, has always served as a connector between parents, the community and the schools,” says Linda Williams, president/CEO of the RISE Foundation, a campaign community partner.

“The Our Children. Our Success. campaign is another way that we can support families with real time-information that’s critical to the academic success of children this coming school year.”

The growing list of community partners includes the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis; Church Health Center; Latino Memphis; Literacy Mid-South; New Direction Christian Church; and Urban Youth Initiative.

Core messages of the Our Children. Our Success. campaign include accountability for the community’s children; supporting teachers and students to ensure quality education; reimagining the approach to teaching and learning; utilizing transparency to foster mutual trust; and building a positive, shared belief that every child can succeed.

The campaign features a series of billboards throughout the city and county, public service announcements airing on local radio stations, and open forums to discuss ways in which the community can support its children.

“The Urban Youth Initiative and

our network of partner ministries look forward to continuing our support of public education, as we have for the last 19 years,” said Cheryl Beard of Urban Youth Initiative, Linda a campaign Williams community partner.

“There’s nothing more important to our future and the sustainability of this community than ensuring the successful development of our young ones.

Receiving a high quality education is paraCheryl mount to their Beard success, and all of us must collectively engage in this common goal.”

Beard is among the representatives from partner organizations who are serving as campaign spokespersons, lending their voices to radio PSAs emphasizing shared ownership of public education and articulating how their respective organizations support the community’s children.

Additionally, partner organizations’ logos can be seen on Our Children, Our Success. campaign billboards across the city and county and the organizations plan to host a series of community forums at the local Boys & Girls Clubs.

“The top priority of the Boys & Girls Club is education advancement,” says Vincent Borello, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. “Our Children.

Our Success. is essential so that children and parents know what the county school program will look like for the students.”

Also part of the campaign, a “Back-to-School Weekend” is planned for August 3-4, 2013. Faithbased organizations throughout Memphis and Shelby County will be asked to pray for students and encourage their congregations to support children through activities such as tutoring and mentoring.

The campaign is privately funded through SchoolSeed, formerly known as the MCS Foundation, an independent nonprofit that works with the community to support efforts that positively impact teachers and students.

SchoolSeed is the independent fiscal agent of the $90 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support teacher effectiveness. SchoolSeed is also responsible for raising $20 million in local matching funds to support work in the public school system.

Partners involved in Our Children.

Our Success. agree that a community without a strong school system won’t attract quality workers, that an undereducated workforce is a major roadblock to a flourishing Shelby County, and that everyone benefits when the entire community invests in education.

“Providing a quality education is the first step to ensuring that our children become well-rounded citizens who can compete in a global economy and in turn give back to the Shelby County community,” said William Mitchell of CryeLeike Realtors, who serves as board chairman of SchoolSeed. “I support the Our Children. Our Success. Campaign because their success is the paramount return, and everyone will benefit from that investment.”

Al Bell taps new PR firm to lead iconic brand Real Times News Service

Soul music pioneer and entertainment industry executive Al Bell has selected Courtney Marketing PR as the agency of record for his brand.

Courtney Marketing will draw on a network of resources and capabilities to include creative, public relations, social media communications and loyalty positioning.

“It has been my desire to share my personal and professional story in various platforms,” Bell said. “The strategic alliance with Courtney Marketing PR gives me optimal declaration to exponentially reach more audiences and to share more about the evolution of my journey.”

While Courtney Marketing PR’s focus will be devoted to branding and marketing Bell’s personal legacy and life story, Al Bell Presents, LLC, an intellectual property management corporation, where Al Bell is founder and chief executive officer, will maintain its internal marketing organizational structure.

Jonathan Bell, vice president of Al Bell Presents, LLC explained that Courtney Marketing PR was selected because “they unequivocally understand our goal of positioning theAl Bell brand within a myriad of disciplines.”

In addition, the agency has demonstrated a high level of confidence, integrity and understanding of clearly communicating Al Bell’s imprint.

“My father’s legacy is as compelling and relevant as the diverse industries that he has represented for half of a century,” Jonathan Bell said. “Our goal is to connect his brand and his legacy beyond music and entertainment with the world.”

Angela Courtney, principal of Courtney Marketing PR describes Bell as an iconic mogul who offers a truly unique and rich perspective through the creation of cross-functional movements: social movement, music and entertainment movement and corporate and business movement that transcends generations.

(Source: Staff)

Michigan

Chronicle

COMMUNITY

Tri-State Defender

☺ ☺D BLUE G☺

BRIEFS & THINGS New digs for South Memphis Farmers’ Market

Works, Inc., and the South Memphis community will celebrate the completion of the new home of the South Memphis Farmers’ Market, with a ribbon-cutting event Thursday, June 27 at 11 a.m. at 1400 Mississippi Boulevard at S. Parkway East.

Following remarks by Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr. and other community leaders, there will be tours of the new facility, cooking demonstrations by the U.T. Extension staff, and the outdoor market will be operating.

For more information, contact Roshun Austin at The Works, Inc. at 901-946-3800 or 901-336-1639.

Kappas in Southaven to celebrate new chapter

The Brothers of Southaven (MS) Alumni Chapter is inviting “our fellow brothers” of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. within the surrounding area to its chartering ceremony and reception/celebration.

The event will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday (June 29) at Landers Center, 4560 Venture Dr. in Southaven.

Following the charter ceremony there will be a reception/party at 7 p.m., with a suite available for brothers to socialize. Light Refreshments will be served. The event is free for ladies before 8 p.m.

Spirit of SRVS event on July 27

Co-chairs Jeany and Anthony Dionne and Cindy and Russ Mire will join honorary chairs Christy and Jason Yarbro in anchoring The Spirit of SRVS event on Saturday, July 27, at the Hilton Memphis, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd., from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The evening will include a silent and live auction, vintage wines from around the world and delights from Memphis’ finest restaurants. Entertainment will include legendary musicians Eddie Harrison, Dr. Bill Hurd, the Company d Dancers and SRVS’ featured performer, Andre Thomas.

Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased online at www.srvs.org/spiritofsrvs.

Methodist Hospital gives gift of technology

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis received a special delivery when Stephanie Harrell, desktop support supervisor for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and Toreko Rowell, desktop support driver, recently arrived with 50 laptop computers.

“This donation will quite literally change lives,” said Vinny Borello, president and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. “These computers will help our kids build computer skills, do their homework and it will also give them an opportunity to work on their resumes and search and apply for jobs.”

With several local Boys and Girls Clubs experiencing a computer shortage, the laptops are arriving just in time. Computers are a valuable asset to the centers and organizers are excited to have more computers coming in.

BBB issues consumer alert

The Better Business Bureau is issuing a consumer alert about Inspirational Keys Performing Arts Academy, which operates performing arts oriented programs and summer camps.

BBB has received 16 complaints this month from consumers in Memphis, Louisville, Ky., and Ft. Worth, Texas. Complaints include allegations that camps have not provided services as advertised, camps have been shut down abruptly, and promised refunds have not been received.

Inspirational Keys had an F record with the BBB prior to receipt of the recent complaints for failing to respond to earlier field complaints.

Page 11

June 27 - July 3, 2013

Chief Inspector Larry Hill Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Kelvin Cowans

(Just as a neighborhood should not be judged by the actions of a few bad apples, neither should law enforcement agencies. In partnership with the new Community Police Relations Project, The New Tri-State Defender’s “Good Blue” column spotlights law enforcement officers who do it right.

This week’s focus is on Chief Inspector Larry Hill, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Executive Officer Courts Division.)

Chief Larry Hill was well groomed, had a strong hand and the inviting demeanor of a favorite uncle. He was in full Shelby County Sheriff’s Department gear – his money-green pants clashing with the blue collar badge shirt. To citizens, these colors have always meant that someone has arrived to handle some business.

I noticed that Chief Hill had enough stars and stripes on his uniform to create a flag. Yes, Larry Hill has been on the job and doing it well. He’s not a Dallas Cowboys fan, so how else would he have collected so many stars?

Kelvin Cowans: Chief Hill, I see someone left all of this Pittsburgh Steeler stuff lying around your office, and you don’t have to put up with that. People ought to treat you better than that, sir.

Chief Larry Hill: (Laughs) No man, that’s my team. I’ve been a Steelers fan for as long as I can remember.

KC: You don’t have to be a Steelers fan to know how they play – hard hitting and straight forward. You mentioned that you became an Elder at your church and that’s pretty straight forward as well.

Chief Hill: Yes, I attend World Overcomers Church pastored by A. R. Williams. I was promoted to Eldership back in late 2010. I’m responsible for teaching and mentoring but my work is mostly in the community. I help with the Big Brother Big Sister program and exercise my gifts in those areas. I also work with Delta Sigma Theta in their program titled Embodi, and we take the youth head-on and pour into them all that we have. We try to instill in them a progressive mind set at a young age so that they can be ready for what life has for them.

We don’t want to see them going down the wrong path and ending up on the wrong side of the law.

KC: How long have you been in Law Enforcement?

Chief Hill: I’ve been in law enforcement for 25 years. I started out in the Undercover Narcotics division and worked myself up to Patrol, then Fugitive, then Swat Team, and on to Community Policing. I was one of the original members of that group. I was a training instructor. I’ve pretty much done it all.

KC: Indeed! What moved you into this profession?

Chief Hill: College, the different classes I took pushed me in this direction. I got my bachelor’s and majored in Criminal Justice at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. was where I grew up before we moved to Memphis, and we lived in South Memphis. So as a child, we didn’t have much. I’m talking St. Louis and South Memphis. That was how I grew up – in the ghetto.

We also lived in Whitehaven for a time, but my focus is really on the ghettos we lived in. And truthfully, in the 1970’s, St. Louis was 15 times worse than Memphis – drugs, drive-bys, etc. It was horrible, and for me I feel it my duty to give back to those same kids who I can relate to. I feel like I was blessed to make it out. They need a role model, and I try to be the best one I can be. I don’t want to see children grow up in an environment where there is no hope.

These kids need our time.

KC: What is a common misconception you get from youth

“The common misconception is that police officers are bad, and it is viral. Still, this is the area of which I get an opportunity to show them different.” – Chief Inspector Larry Hill (Photos: Kelvin Cowans) not a game. And with kids you have to show them passion in what you’re doing, and I bring that every time. That’s how I play it, and I drill it home from my heart to theirs. I feel that if that child fails, then I fail.”

KC: Let’s do a little word association. I’m going to say a word and I want the first word that comes to your mind. South Memphis.

Chief Hill: Development.

KC: North Memphis.

Chief Hill: Empowering.

KC: East Memphis.

Chief Hill: Engaged.

KC: Whitehaven.

Chief Hill: Productive.

KC: Westwood.

Chief Hill: Improvement.

KC: Memphis, Tennessee Chief Hill: Potential

As a mentor, Chief Inspector Larry Hill says, “I bring it from the heart that life is not a game.”

about police officers?

Chief Hill: The common misconception is that police officers are bad, and it is viral. Still, this is the area of which I get an opportunity to show them different. We build a relationship from there, and it’s what we call “Locker Room.” We let them say whatever they want to say without being penalized, and that allows a platform for complete honesty on both of our sides.

KC: I was reading a journal report on how you can judge a lot

about a person by whom their favorite football team is. You’re a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and they are a hard-nosed, tough team year in and out. So how does that translate in your life when you’re dealing with youth? Because sometimes I’m sure you have to use tough love.

Chief Hill: That is true. It all depends on who is in front of me.

I have to make sure I adjust my mentoring to the level of the child I’m dealing with. But first and foremost, it is all about respect. I bring it from the heart that life is

KC: What’s your favorite Bible verse?

Chief Hill: Matthew 7:7. It says, “Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you.” These are very tough times in our world and especially in our community. People are going to have to realize that if you don’t ask you won’t get an answer, that if you don’t knock then no one will know that you are there, and if you don’t seek, you will never find anything. You have to do all of these things because without them, there is no vision and no goal.

KC: I like that and with that, the doors of the church are open.

(Kelvin Cowans can be reached at kelvincowans@hotmail.com.)

Memphis teen ready for ‘Down-Under’ voyage

Daria Letcher, a high school student at Hutchison School, has been chosen as a global ambassador for People to People. On Sunday, June 30th, she will be traveling with a select group of students to Australia, where they will be visiting and getting hands-on experiences at

the Zoo and community services.

The daughter of Sherrye Letcher, Daria will be spending a day with a Marine Biologist studying live organism in the ocean. She is 15 and a certified Diver.

Daria will be gone for 15 days.

She had to do a lot of fund-raising and studying to prepare for the trip because all site visits are hands-on training. She is the only traveler from Tennessee going to Australia.

In the 1960s, Daria’s grandmother was part of the sit-ins movement. Today she mark’s

Daria’s Australian journey as milestone because in 1960 her generation could not even go to the library to read about Australia.

“What a civil rights break through,” says Sherrye Letcher.

For the record, Daria wants to be a marine biologist.

Daria Letcher

Page 12

HEALTH

June 27 - July 3, 2013

CHEF TIMOTHY

‘Full plates’ and obesity overload African-American women

Four out of five African-American women have a problem with being obese and each year that number seems to increase. This is an epidemic that must be reversed.

I talked with a woman recently about her weight problem and her struggle to lose the pounds. She had tried every type of diet and weight loss program on the market, but none of them helped her lose the weight. So, instead, she decided to accept the fact that she would never return to her former self, when she was more than 50 pounds lighter.

An integral part of the household, too many African-American women busy themselves around the house and care for the children without regard for themselves. Sedentary lifestyles are associated with weight gain.

Another factor is that stress and constant worry may cause anxiety and emotional trauma. When this happens, the impulse to overeat becomes acute. In many cases, the overeater may not choose the healthiest food.

I work with African-American women quite often, and many of them resist changing their diet to improve their health. I’m not harping on African-American women – if that’s what you think. In my opinion, women in general may resist a diet change – even if it means they’re likely to lose weight in the process.

Whether the woman is a housewife, corporate professional, single, laborer or student, there are pressures in life that may become burdensome and lead to unwise decisions regarding health. Fancy diets and fads will never work if women continue to gorge on pizza, fried chicken, Chinese food, burgers, fried pies and microwave dinners. This unhealthy mix contributes to the obesity rate.

I’m sure no one wants to be overweight.

However, women in particular don’t always fare well in relationships and marriages when they have a weight problem. Here’s my position: women with low self-esteem are often subjected to domestic abuse – whether it’s emotional, verbal or psychological.

Although a person’s low self-esteem or un-

Dr. Timothy Moore

flattering opinion of herself/himself often leads to overeating and weight gain, it should not lead to constant badgering, stares and nasty remarks. But it does.

People can be insensitive, mean and unfeeling.

So if you’re overweight or obese and have a hard time losing the weight, don’t despair. Here’s what you can do instead: eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, and try to be a little more active. That means you’ll have to get up and

move your body.

Moving your body will make all the difference in the world. You’ll feel a lot better and start losing weight if you just walk three days a week for 30 minutes. Light aerobics will work too. Then you can start stretching, bending, rotating your torso and swinging your arms to further loosen up your body. Exercising is the key to good health, but do it gradually. But don’t forget to eat nutritious meals.

If you’re sincere about losing weight, take control of your life and put together a plan. It doesn’t matter if you’re an African-American woman or not, there are grave consequences to overeating and being obese. It’s just that too many African-American women have more than enough on their plate to deal with.

(Dr. Timothy Moore teaches nutrition, heart disease and diabetes reversal through a plantbased lifestyle. He is a professional speaker, international wellness coach and personal plantbased chef. He is the author of “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.)

Tri-State Defender

Back-to-School Health Fair set for UTHSC The 25th annual Citywide Back-to-School Health Fair will take place on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) campus on July 20.

Sponsored by various community partners, the free health fair event is designed to provide necessary physical exams and immunizations to students going back to school.

More than 1,000 students are expected to attend, Backpacks will be given to student participants.

Due to the upcoming school merger, UTHSC is hosting the event on its campus for the first time instead of at a local high school. It

will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UTHSC Student-Alumni Center at 800 Madison Ave., between Dunlap and Manassas.

“Events such as these are vital in our community, especially in the inner city,” said Pam Houston, director of Special Events and Community Affairs at UTHSC. “An abundance of these residents do not have the means for these services, and as an institution that promotes patient-centered health care, we hope to encourage the community to stay up to date with their medical necessities.”