May 28 2015

May 28 - June 3, 2015

VOL. 64, No. 20

www.tsdmemphis.com

75 Cents

Ready to serve Southwest Board of Regents names Dr. Tracy D. Hall president

by Karanja A. Ajanaku Kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

Dr. Tracy D. Hall

Dr. Tracy D. Hall now has the best opportunity she has experienced up to this point to act on her strongly held belief about the value of “quality, affordable education” to a community.

On Wednesday, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved TBR Chancellor John Morgan’s recommendation that Hall succeed Nate Essex as president of Southwest Ten-

nessee Community College, the largest community college in the state.

Essex’s retirement is effective June 30.

“I believe that access to a quality, affordable education is critical to the economic survival and development of communities,” said Hall in her application seeking the Southwest presidency. “As such, I have dedicated my career to working exclusively at urban colleges and believe fervently in the potential of all people.”

Hall earned a doctorate from the

University of Missouri-Columbia in educational leadership and policy analysis, a master’s degree from Wichita State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She emerged from a field of 65 applicants and four finalists who visited Southwest late last month. Her first day as Southwest president will be July 13.

“We are fortunate to have Dr. Hall join the Tennessee Board of Regents,” said Morgan. “We expect she will be the right leader at the

right time to help address the unique opportunities at Southwest. Her credentials are excellent, and her experience in engaging all constituents and building a strong, successful and collaborative team while recognizing unique strengths and opportunities is the right fit.”

Hall has served as vice president for academic affairs at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park since 2011. Her responsibilities SEE HALL ON PAGE 3

Exploring hip-hop culture ‘Pedagogy, community action and identity’

by Brittney Gathen

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

From being associated with criminality to being blamed for the decline of Christianity in America, hip-hop has gotten a bad rap. The desire to get at the truth of the genre was in full effect recently at Hattiloo Theatre.

Hip-hop’s influence was probed during a panel discussion titled “Exploring Hip-Hop Culture: pedagogy, community acProbing panel tion and identidiscussion at ty.” The event was part of HipHattiloo Hop Appreciation Week, an annual celebration.

Co-organizer Giovanni Dortch said the purpose was to showcase hip-hop as an art form.

“We wanted to do something in Memphis because Memphis has a definite hip-hop community that is very vibrant and active and we wanted to honor that, as well as celebrate the music and the community,” Dortch said. “A lot of people are critical of hip-hop (and) a lot of people look at hip-hop as problematic. So what we wanted to do was show how throughout American culture, Memphis culture and African-American culture that hip-hop is an art form and it’s an actual culture; not just music.”

Hip-Hop and criminality The panelists for the May 19 probe were: Dr. Zandria Robinson, assistant sociology professor at the University of Memphis; Alex Turley, vice president of real estate at the Henry Turley Company, vice president of retail services at CBRE and a local deejay; Andria Lisle, public relations manager for the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and volunteer DJ for 89.9 WEVL FM; and C’beyohn, a local hip-hop artist and member of the Memphis and Shelby County Music commission.

With local educator Jason “Da Hater” Harris as the moderator, the panel dove into hip-hop’s often asserted association with criminality.

SEE HIP-HOP ON PAGE 3

MEMPHIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

H-86o - L-70o

H-83o - L-69o

H-81o - L-67o

Thunderstorms Thunderstorms Thunderstorms

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Friday Saturday Sunday H-86 L-70 H-83 L-68 H-81 L-65 H-86 L-65 H-85 L-67 H-83 L-66 H-87 L-67 H-87 L-67 H-87 L-68

A graceful exit for B.B. In the fitness of its form, the Beale Street farewell to Riley B. King, the “Beale Street Blues Boy” known as B.B., showed grace in its simplicity and sincerity. Those who knew him as family shared his last Beale Street ride with some who knew him as a friend and a mentor and a throng that thrilled to a talent-ladened career lived out in dignity. For a photographic tribute keepsake, see page 6.

(Photo: Shirley Jackson)

‘I felt like nobody really recognized what we did’

Remembering the Memphis 13: Part 1 Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Historical markers taking note of the integration of elementary schools in Memphis will be dedicated at four sites on Oct. 3.

The Shelby County Schools (SCS) board approved the dedications on Tuesday evening, clearing the way for a well-deserved honor for the Memphis 13, the group of students that stepped into the schools and ushered in change. On Oct. 3, it will be exactly half a century since the little warriors were sent to all-white Bruce, Gordon, Rozelle and Springdale elementary schools Four members of the Memphis 13 were given a standing ovation at Tuesday’s school board session, where a resolution approving the four markers was approved on the consent agenda after being read at the May 19 meeting. On dedication day, a ceremony will be held at each school site, with an escorted procession between ceremonies.

The next step is to complete the text for the four markers. The Markers Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday (June 2) at the Holiday Inn, 3700 Central Avenue. Daniel Kiel, producer of the “Memphis 13” documentary, will be in attendance.

Shepherding the markers push through the SCS was the Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba Gray, the consistent force behind a text that puts the story of the Memphis 13 in context. Here are excerpts: “There was no collective agreement among the Memphis 13 to keep silent.

“Still, the first-graders who were

(The New Tri-State Defender has partnered with The Urban Child Institute to make sure every child has the best chance for optimal brain development during the critical first three years of each child’s life. This is one in a series of stories and columns.)

WORDS MATTER: How speaking to babies affects development

by Tarrin McGhee

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Three members of the Memphis 13 and the mother of a fourth are framed in this photo taken after the passage Tuesday of a resolution granting permission to place historical markers at four Memphis elementary schools integrated in 1961. Pictured: front row (left to right): Romanita Morris, mother of Harry Williams, Jacquelyn Moore, Sheila Malone and Sharon Malone; second row (left to right): Daniel Kiel, Alvin Freeman, Supt. Dorsey Hopson, (Shelby County Historian) Jimmy Ogle and Dr. L. LaSimba Gray. (Courtesy photo) the first African-American students to be enrolled in all-white Memphis City Schools in 1961 grew up rarely, if ever, discussing the experience.

“Not with their parents, their siblings, their spouses or children. They continued through school, never tell-

ing classmates or, later, colleagues at work about their sometimes painful memories.

“Some say now they wish someone had asked them to talk about that SEE MEMPHIS 13 ON PAGE 2

This week I have the wonderful and rare opportunity of spending quality time with my newborn niece, Tyne. At only 9 days old and counting, we have already engaged in a significant amount of girl talk, with our conversations centering mainly on how beautiful, special and precious she is.

With Tyne living in Texas and me in Tennessee, soon our faceto-face interactions will be few and far between. So during this time together I want to ensure that we talk often. Not only because I am simply ecstatic about her arrival, but also because I recognize that hearing language is valuable to her mental development.

For babies and infants, the speech of their parents and caregivers is important. Even before a baby can talk back, the amount and type of words that she hears SEE WORDS ON PAGE 2

May 28 - June 3, 2015

Page 2

MEMPHIS 13

CONTINUED FROM FRONT time. “‘I hadn’t said nothing about it because I felt like nobody really recognized what we did,’ said Harry Williams, who attended Bruce Elementary School for three years. “‘It’s sad that this happened in Memphis and people don’t know,’” said Sheila Malone Conway. ‘We were forgotten.’

Conway and her twin sister, Sharon Malone, attended Gordon. “‘E.C. (Freeman Fentress), in her obituary, it wasn’t even mentioned. It should have been,’ said Joyce Bell White,

NEWS

MEMPHIS 13 AT A GLANCE • Menelik Fombi (then Michael Willis) • E. C. Freeman Fentress • Alvin Freeman • Deborah Ann Holt • Dwania Kyles • Sharon Malone (Conway) • Sheila Malone • Jacqueline Moore • Joyce Bell White • Leandrew Wiggins • Clarence Williams • Harry Williams • Michael Willis who attended Rozelle for three years. Fentress, also at Rozelle, died in 2010.

“Alvin Freeman attended

Gordon and Leandrew Wiggins went to Rozelle. The two graduated from Southside High together.

Even before a baby such as newborn Tyne can talk back, the amount and type of words that she hears from parents and other adults matter. (Courtesy photo)

WORDS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT from parents and other adults matter.

Speaking to and with your baby during her earliest stages of development is a component of positive and responsive parenting, and it also promotes and facilitates language learning. Creating and maintaining a robust language environment for your child during the first three years of life offers benefits that will last a lifetime.

Naturally, the type of verbal input that young children receive varies from home to home. But there are essential components that all parents should attempt to provide.

The Urban Child Institute and other leading early childhood development experts maintain that verbal interaction with young children should hinge on the following aspects: Responses are prompt – responding to your baby’s signal for attention within a brief time will allow her to recognize the link between the two events.

Responsive behaviors are informative – responsive parents label objects, describe events, ask questions and try to introduce a few new concepts as their baby moves further along in development.

Responsive parents are attuned to their baby’s abilities – they adjust their responses to match their child’s skill level.

As children develop and discover new abilities, sensitive parents respond in new ways to their emerging skills.

Affecting social and emotional development Besides promoting language development, speaking to your child positively and eagerly responding to her needs will strengthen her feelings of safety, security and emotional attachment.

Babies are perceptive. They are aware of much of what is happening in their environment, and they make their own interpretations about various experiences. Babies and infants can infer emotions such as joy, excitement, love or even sadness and fear from the tone of voice that parents and other adults use with and around them. Negative feelings and emotions cannot only hinder a baby’s healthy language and speech development, but can also cause her to exhibit negative behaviors as she matures into childhood and adulthood.

It’s important for parents to recognize and minimize risk factors in the home as early as possible. Circumstances differ for different families, but the good news is that all babies have similar needs when it comes to learning communicative skills and becoming socially and emotionally well-adjusted.

During every interaction

Tarrin McGhee and newborn niece Tyne are building a base for ongoing conversation, with McGhee caring the load – for now. (Courtesy photo) with your young child, speak positive words. Use a soft, gentle and reassuring tone. Smile and make eye contact. Look for opportunities to engage in healthy and robust conversation, whether it’s during feedings and diaper changes, or while cuddling or reading.

Moving beyond infancy, the amount and type of words that your baby has heard will affect

her ability to communicate her wants and needs, in addition to influencing her future learning.

As for my niece Tyne, I am going to do whatever it takes to make sure that she will never be at a loss for words, or lack an abundance of love and affection. And in my physical absence, I will trust and rely on my sister and brother-inlaw to pick up the slack.

Naturally, the type of verbal input that young children receive varies from home to home.

But there are essential components that all parents should attempt to provide.

“‘We never talked about it,’ said Wiggins. Freeman did not respond to requests for an interview. “‘I never talked about it with my parents. I never talked about it with my siblings at all,’ said Menelik Fombi, who in 1961 was Michael Willis, a first-grader at Bruce.

“This year their place in history is being recognized in a 45-minute documentary film

by University of Memphis law professor Daniel Kiel. “‘As a Memphian, nobody knows this story and the reverberations,’ he said. ‘It’s so obvious that what we are now, who we are now as a community, can be tied back to that

The New Tri-State Defender

time and to the busing era 10 years later.’

“Even the NAACP, which scoured the community before the fall of 1961 to find those 13 students who would be right for the task, moved on shortly after the children started school. A Christmas party that year was the last time the first-graders had contact with the organization. “‘I feel they should have kept up with us to see how we were doing,’ Conway said. ‘Did you graduate from high school? Are you going to college? You did something to change this city and they should have followed up to see how we’re doing now. No-

body is looking for financial gain from this. It’s just the fact that we were forgotten.” “(The late) civil rights activist Maxine Smith says the NAACP was a small group with a lot on its plate in those turbulent times. “‘We were hitting it on so many levels that it was hard to keep up with each case,’ said Smith, then a member of the NAACP board, and subsequently its executive secretary for 33 years. ‘We were plaintiffs in every lawsuit. We were organizing Downtown demonstrations, sit-ins, pray-ins. We were stretched. … “‘I take my hat off to these 13 kids.’’

The New Tri-State Defender

May 28 - June 3, 2015

Page 3

NEWS

HIP-HOP

HALL

“Hip-hop was an alternative to being in jail or being a criminal, essentially,” Turley said, making reference to Boogie Down Productions’ 1987 album “Criminal Minded” as a socially responsible record.

Robinson described hip-hop as “the art that emerges as a political response to the problems and the conditions that exist in urban communities.” It is, she said, seen as a problem, when it is a response.

A sociologist and ethnographer who studies communities, Robinson has researched hip-hop.

“In my work, I think of hip-hop artists as the researchers; they’re our eyes into the community,” said Robinson.

“If we think about hip-hop as a teaching tool, we would learn a lot.”

Asked how he resists the expectations of criminality in hip-hop in his music, C’beyohn said he aims to make relatable music.

“I think hip-hop is the mirror that America doesn’t want to look into; it’s a reflection of what’s going on,” C’beyohn said. “For me, it’s important to have music that relates to people.

It’s important for me to touch all people, not just a certain demographic or area.”

included more than 30 career and technical programs, academic support services and instructional resources, stackable credentials for workforce development, faculty oversight and the African American Male Initiative.

For six years, Hall served as associate dean of instruction at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley in Kansas City, Mo., where she managed strategic planning efforts, articulation agreements, career and technical program reviews and P-16 initiatives. She taught speech, mass communication and intercultural communication at the campus from 1999-2004.

Two years prior she led Kennesaw (Ga.) State University’s minority student retention services. Hall was an instructor of speech and intercultural communication courses at St. Louis Community College-Meramec from 1993 until 1997.

On her application, Hall offers a glimpse of her thoughts about the importance of engaging students.

“For more than 20 years, I have remained committed to actively engaging students both in and out of the classroom,” wrote Hall. “In fact, my dissertation title was ‘A pedagogy of freedom: Using hip hop in the classroom to engage African-American students.’ I am particularly passionate about serving the needs of underserved students and communities.”

In addition to her membership in numerous professional and civic organizations, Hall has participated in the Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership, the American Association of Community College’s Future Leaders Institute, National Council on Black American Affairs Mid-Level Management Institute, and the Kaleidoscope Women’s Leadership Conference.

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Panelists probing hip-hop’s influence included Dr. Zandria Robinson, assistant sociology professor at the University of Memphis; Alex Turley, vice president of real estate at the Henry Turley Company, vice president of retail services at CBRE and a local deejay; and Andria Lisle, public relations manager for the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and volunteer DJ for 89.9 WEVL FM. (Photo: Brittney Gathen)

Hip-Hop and appropriation With artists such as Iggy Azalea and Macklemore as points of reference, the panel examined the concept of appropriation.

“The music business is like a plantation. You’re working for ‘the man’ and you see very little results,” said Lisle, alluding to a comparison of the music industry and a slave plantation highlighted in David Banner’s lecture “The State of Hip-Hop,” which he delivered at Rhodes College in 2013.

“You get a lot of things upfront, but you don’t make any money in the back end,” Lisle said.”

There are so many businesses were black culture is appropriated by whites, he added.

“All I can say to that is don’t play the game, don’t be a part of the machine. The music industry is changing; it’s not really based on records you sell, it’s based on what else you have to sell. If you buy into the culture that you have to be on a major label, then you’re not going to be the one succeeding. All the money’s going to be made by your manager.”

Robinson offered this view: “The industry is predicated on needing to constantly morph and change, so a white face doing black things is always interesting,” Robinson said. “I

Hip-hop panelist C’beyohn, a local hip-hop artist and member of the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission, also performed during the day’s examination of hip-hop’s influence.

Reactions and what’s next

Giovanni Dortch (right) and Danian Jerry co-organized the event showcasing hip-hop as an art form. don’t think that black people can stop appropriation, and I don’t think it’s black people’s responsibility to stop appropriation.”

Hip-hop in action The day’s probe of hip-hop offered those attending an opportunity to share during the “Hip-Hop in Action” segment.

Playwright, director and teaching assistant Chandra Kamaria said she

uses hip-hop as a teaching tool to help struggling readers. Lyrics from songs such as Eric B. and Rakim’s “I Ain’t No Joke” help developing readers understand different strategies they can use to sound out words and identify language patterns.

“They respond to hip-hop,” Kamaria said.

“I know that hip-hop is definitely something they can use as a tool for literacy, and I plan on trying to develop that further in the future.”

Terance Pollard, also known as “Crisis 901,” labeled the day informative and said the event taught him more about the historical context of hip-hop.

A follow-up event in the fall will focus on hip-hop, political engagement and community activism.

Danian Jerry, the event’s co-organizer and author of the futuristic, hip-hop novel “Son of the Iron Mic” (which will come out in December), put the spotlight on unity.

Said Jerry: “I think these events are important for the black community, for bringing people together for something that is positive and showing them aspects of their own culture that are viewed to be negative and showing them how they can use those things in a positive way.”

(To view Dr. Hall’s complete application materials, visit http://tinyurl.com/tracydhall.)

May 28 - June 3, 2015

Page 4

The New Tri-State Defender

OPINION

Actress lends voice to school-choice movement

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951-1997)

The Mid-South’s Best Alternative Newspaper Powered by Best Media Properties, Inc.

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

You cannot honor one person by dishonoring another

There are a number of issues relative to the proposed renaming of Third St./Hwy. 61 in honor of B.B. King.

First, a significant portion of it has already been officially (through state legislative action) renamed in honor of the Rev James L. Netters (senior pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church). In 1991, an effort led legislatively by then-State Sen. John Ford was approved and allowed for an official (as opposed to an honorary) renaming. To change that now dishonors Dr. Netter’s legacy and in turns dishonors B.B. King.

Secondly, it took nearly 50 years for Memphis to appropriately rename a street for another dynamic King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And when it did, it chose an obscure PORTION of Linden Avenue with few actual addressed businesses or residences on it. In my opinion it was certainly beneath the level of honor that should have been provided. That being said, although a great man with interna-

tional appeal and impact, I would argue that If BB deserves Third, MLK deserves Poplar or Union.

Bottom line, sure a street renaming is appropriate, but not the entire portion of Third. Maybe Bernal E. Third north of Smith II Crump to Chelsea, maybe Second, maybe Front … maybe something else, but taking an honor from one man to honor another is no honor at all.

In the words of BB, be careful Memphis, don’t make your (this) move too soon.

(Bernal E. Smith II is president/ publisher of The New Tri-State Defender. Reach him at besmith@tsdmemphis.com.)

Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Jay-Z and Beyoncé are following a rich tradition Hip-hop culture is about transformation. It is more than a global genre of music. Hip-hop is a transcendent cultural phenomena that speaks to the soul, mind, body and spirit of what it means to dare to change the world into a better place. Hip-hop is not just about acquiring funds or “stacking paper.” It is also about giving back. I have personally been a long term advocate for the unbridled intellectual genius and social consciousness of hip-hop.

So when I heard that recently Jay-Z and Beyoncé travelled together to Baltimore, Md. in the wake of the massive “Black Lives Matter” protests, I was not surprised. In fact, I give them both a big thumbs-up salute in gratitude for their leadership example. The impact of the injustice of the horrific police killing of Freddie Gray was profound not only in Baltimore, but also across the nation.

They did not wait for a “cooling off” period before going to the scene of the protests. Jay and Bey also spent some quality time consoling Freddie Gray’s family. Giving back sometimes involves more than financial contributions. Taking sincere acts of solidarity and empathy with those who cry out for equal justice is also a meaningful expression of caring and lending one’s public brand to support the demand for justice.

One of the reasons why I believe that the combined creative talent of this gifted couple will continue to soar with career success is that they both believing in giving back. They give back substantively to their communities in New York, in Texas and throughout the world. From assisting global Red Cross efforts to helping the United Nations to provide safe clean drinking water to millions of people in Africa, Jay-Z and Beyonce continue their transformative philanthropic campaigns.

Of course whenever public icons such as Jay and Bey attempt to help make a difference for besieged and underserved communities, there will always be a cynical group of “player haters.” But all of the negative responses to the goodwill actions of Jay and Bey will in no way be successful in tarnishing their righteous acts of helping others.

I well remember when the Godfather of hip-hop, Russell Simmons, was joined on New York City in 2001

by P. Diddy, Sister Souljah, Queen

Latifah, Jay-Z, Will and Jada Smith, and many other hip-hop icons to establish the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) as a nonprofit advocacy organization. The artists Benjamin F. decided that the theme of HSAN Chavis Jr. would be “Taking back responsibility” for the empowerment of families and communities in America and internationally.

Jay-Z and Beyonce have helped HSAN immeasurably over years to register millions of young people to vote and to encourage Get-Out-TheVote (GOTV) programs in many cities and states. Again, it was not surprising to hear Jay-Z’s latest rap featuring lyrics about the unjust deaths of Freddie Gray, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. In classic Jay-Z style, he poetically said, ““You know when I work, I ain’t your slave, right?

You know I ain’t shucking and jiving and high-fiving, and you know this ain’t back in the days, right? Well I can’t tell how the way they killed Freddie Gray, right? Shot down Mike Brown how they did Tray, right?”

Beyonce also has a very long list of charities that she supports financially, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Oxfam, UNICEF, Global Poverty Project, and Keep a Child Alive. Yet, probably one of the most private and telling acts that Jay-Z and Beyonce have done over the past year anonymously was the paying of thousands of dollars for the release from jail bails for the hundreds of persons arrested in Ferguson and in Baltimore who were protesting police brutality.

In the 1960s, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, James Baldwin, Dick Gregory and many other performing artists and authors would pay the bail money to get hundreds civil rights workers out of jails during the many struggles for equality and justice.

Thus, Jay-Z and Beyonce today are continuing that proud tradition of giving to support the causes of freedom, justice and equality.

(Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.)

The Overmedication of children in foster care On any given day nearly one in four children in foster care is taking at least one psychotropic medication – more than four times the rate for all children. Nearly half of children living in residential treatment centers or group homes take psychotropic medications. Children in foster care are more likely to be prescribed multiple psychotropic medications at very high doses, although research shows higher doses can result in serious side effects.

Viewers of the ABC News program “20/20” may remember Ke’onte Cook from a few years ago, a 10-year-old who had already spent four years in foster care being treated with a dozen different medications for conditions including seizures, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. Ke’onte had never been diagnosed with the conditions some of the medications were meant to treat. Under his adoptive parents’ care he stopped taking all the medications and started relying on therapy, and with that new treatment plan he was transformed.

Why are some children in foster care being overmedicated, and what steps do we need to take to do something about it?

Psychotropic medications act on the brain and central nervous system to cause changes in mood, behavior, or perception. They can be effective treatments for certain serious mental health conditions but there is a growing concern that too many children in foster care are overmedicated – in some cases as a form of behavior control.

Children who come into foster care often have been exposed to multiple traumatic events including the removal from their families, and may be at higher risk for mental health problems and emotional disorders.

Too often multiple medications may be used without other kinds of effective treatments that might better address the underlying trauma children are experiencing. There’s evidence some children in foster care are subjected to powerful medications at very young ages and/or in combinations and amounts that are unsafe for children of any age. Many psychotropic medications are not approved for use in children at all.

Often children in foster care are prescribed drugs without any psychotherapy because resources aren’t available. They may not receive a proper initial diagnosis or any of the ongoing monitoring or extra services that should accompany the use of such powerful drugs – all essential considering the serious side effects from some that can include nightmares, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, and even death.

The “20/20” special included the heartbreaking story of Gabriel Myers, a Florida seven-year-old who hung himself in his foster family’s bathroom. A state investigation concluded the use of psychotropic drugs was a contributing factor in his death.

His foster father said the doctor who prescribed the many drugs Gabriel was taking – some so strong that even the pharmacy filling them raised red flags – would spend no more than five minutes with the little boy before sending him out the door with anoth-

er prescription.

We must do better. Last year JooYeun Chang, Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau in the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration Marian Wright for Children, Edelman Youth, and Families (ACF), tes“Why are some tified before children in fos- Congress that ter care being despite importovermedicat- ant steps taken ed, and what by the Adminissteps do we tration and Conneed to take to gress to promote do something the monitoring about it?” and management of psychotropic medications and the development of trauma-informed practices, too many child welfare agencies lack the proper non-pharmacological treatments to address the mental health needs of children in foster care.

This year, for the second time, in President Obama’s budget proposal ACF and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have jointly proposed a demonstration to promote trauma-informed psychosocial interventions to meet the complex needs of children who have experienced maltreatment and other trauma and to address the overuse of psychotropic medications for children in foster care.

The Administration seeks to reduce the over-reliance on drugs and increase the use of appropriate screening, assessment, and interventions.

ACF is asking Congress for $250 million over five years to create the necessary infrastructure to do this, including creating a special workforce to recruit families who can care for children receiving alternative treatments; better training in trauma-informed practice for child welfare professionals; better coordination between child welfare and Medicaid agencies in case planning and case management; and better data collection and information sharing by child welfare agencies, Medicaid, and behavioral health services.

The budget request also includes an additional $500 million for CMS to provide incentives to states that demonstrate improvements to reduce inappropriate drug prescribing practices and overutilization of psychotropic medications, increase access to evidence-based and trauma-informed therapeutic interventions, promote child and adolescent wellbeing, and improve outcomes for children in the child welfare system.

These common sense and necessary steps build on best practices already in place in some states. May is National Foster Care Month and now is the right time to ensure children in foster care get the treatment and care they truly need.

(Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund.

For more information go to www. childrensdefense.org.)

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I think every person that walks the face of the earth has a calling and passion that they are meant to maximize to make our world a better place.

For me, my passion and calling Keshia Knight comes through Pulliam acting, but it also shows up through my nonprofit Kamp Kizzy.

Kamp Kizzy gives young people the opportunity to learn, share, explore and expand their horizons through workshops, candid discussions and the opportunity to meet and “pick” the brains of some of the top individuals in their given professions.

Now that we have been doing Kamp Kizzy for nearly a decade, there are some undeniable that have been reinforced through this work.

The first truth is that when children are exposed to careers, opportunities and people that inspire, they become more determined about pursuing their life’s work. The second great truth that has been cemented through this work is that education is the great equalizer for children who might come from underserved communities and cities. And because the second truth is so near and dear to my heart, I have joined forces with a great organization, the American Federation for Children. Its mission is to make sure that all children have access to a quality education.

An unfortunate reality for far too many families in our great country is that they are limited in their ability to access the best education for their children. Oftentimes, these barriers are due to lack of financial resources or their zip code and/or address is in a part of town that relegates them to inferior educational opportunities.

Our country is founded and thrives on opportunity and the mere fact that so many of our children are not getting the educational opportunities that they so richly deserve is one of the reasons that I unabashedly lend my name and voice to the issue of school choice.

Disproportionately, children of color and lesser financial means are the ones who are subjected to poor schools that have been underperforming for decades. Giving their families more quality options when it comes to their children’s education is one of the ways that we can proactively solve this mammoth of an issue.

Finally, I just want to explicitly and emphatically state that, for me, the issue of school choice is about children. It is not about political party, affiliation or any other motive that does not derive itself from doing what is best for our children. I will humbly ask that you, like I, add your voice and support to American Federation for Children and the work that it continues to do for our children, especially those who are low-income and working-class and deserving the opportunity to access great schools.

(This column is being re-run by special request.)

(For more information on American Federation for Children, visit www.federationforchildren.org or www.championsforchoice.com.)

Hey grads, Listen up!

by Akilah Green The Root

Here are 3 pieces of advice I wish someone had told me (or that I had written down) at graduation: 1. Listen. Duh! Just like in postapocalyptic movies, when someone who has gone before you takes time to report back on what lies ahead, listen! In fact, write it down. Even if what they have to say doesn’t make sense or seem relevant right now, as “the old folks” say, “If you just keep on living ....”

2. That said, your parents only know what they know.

While your parents were right about more things than you’re willing to acknowledge yet, you’ll discover that they were wrong about a few things too. Be open to the possibility that some of the things you were taught were misguided or just plain wrong. Don’t hold it against them.

3. Life is once.

People waste years, decades and entire lifetimes chasing other people’s dreams. You don’t have to know what your dream is on graduation day.

Try several options until you figure out what fulfills you. And when that thing stops fulfilling you, try something else. You only get to do this thing once. So make the most of it.

The New Tri-State Defender

May 28 - June 3, 2015

NATION

70 members of Congress call on President Obama to ‘ban the box’ “Banning the box in federal hiring would help those who are fighting for a fair opportuniThe Root ty to show their qualifications for employment ... it is the smart thing to do for our national More than 70 members of Congress are call- economy, which sorely needs the talents and ing on President Barack Obama to “ban the contributions of all of our citizens,” said Rep. box” for federal jobs.

John Conyers (D-Mich.) in a statement.

The “box” in question is one that appears on “The federal government should not be in federal hiring applications, asking job seekers the business of erecting barriers between those if they have a criminal record. As part of an ef- who have made a mistake and are looking [for] fort to reduce mass incarceration, many around a job,” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who is the country have rallied for local governments leading the effort, said in a statement. and workplaces to “ban the box” from their hir“Almost 1 in 3 adults in the United States ing forms. has a criminal record ... this creates a serious Now Congress is getting in on the action by barrier to employment for millions of workers, asking President Obama to take action. especially in communities of color hardest hit “One in four Americans has a conviction his- by decades of overcriminalization,” said Rep. tory, which often excludes them from the work- Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who is the rankforce and from housing, creating new layers of ing member on the House Judiciary’s Subcomcrisis for our communities,” said Rep. Danny mittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland SecuriDavis (D-Ill.) in a written statement. ty and Investigations.

“Ban the box is important for incarcerated inSix states have already adopted “ban the dividuals to have dignified lives,” Davis added. box” laws. Several private companies have In their letter to the president, the members now adopted “fair chance” hiring including: of Congress wrote, “We urge you to build on Wal-Mart, Koch Industries, Home Depot, Bed your administration’s commitment to adopting Bath & Beyond and Target. More than 90 cities fair-chance hiring reforms by committing the and counties have also adopted “ban the box” federal government to do its part to eliminate policies. unnecessary barriers to employment for people The effort is supported by activist groups with criminal records.”

Policy Link, the American Civil Liberties The U.S. continues to lead the world in the Union and All of Us or None, which are pushrate of incarceration. More than 70 million ing a national initiative to assist ex-offenders to Americans have an arrest or conviction that re-enter society after serving time in jail. would likely show up in a routine criminal-backDorsey Nunn of All of Us or None, who supground check, according to the National Em- ports the effort by the members of Congress, ployment Law Project. Blacks and Hispanics said, “This effort could not have come at a are disproportionately affected. Studies have better time to reflect that all black lives matshown that 1 in 3 African-American men will ter, including the lives of people with arrest and spend some time in prison during his lifetime. conviction histories.”

The Congress members want the president to sign an executive order requiring federal con(Lauren Victoria Burke is a Washington, tractors to refrain from inquiring about criminal D.C.-based political reporter who writes records in the first stages of the hiring process. the Crew of 42 blog. Follow her on Twitter.)

by Lauren Victoria Burke

“What would actually be revolutionary, brand new, and fresh is if community wisdom was listened to and (corporations) worked with the people who are directly impacted by the institutions that they have to live with everyday” – Jitu Brown

A call to curb the expansion of charter schools in African-American communities

by Freddie Allen

Senior Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – A coalition of parents, students and advocates for strong neighborhood schools continue to pressure civic leaders to end the expansion of charter and contract schools in African-American and Latino communities across the nation.

Jitu Brown, the national director of Journey for Justice Alliance, a coalition of community, youth and parent-led grassroots organizations in 21 cities, said the fight for public education – which suffers with the expansion of charter and contract schools – is a human and a civil rights issue.

As voices from the community were increasingly drowned out by philanthropic groups seeking wholesale educational reform, the state takeover of schools, corporate charters and appointed school boards have become the status quo, Brown said.

According to Education Week, a magazine published by Editorial Projects in Education, a nonprofit that produces K-12 educational content in print and online, more than 60 percent of philanthropic donations funneled into education (of) young people in the United States went to charter and contract schools in 2010. Less than 25 percent of funding went to those programs about 15 years ago.

“What would actually be revolutionary, brand new, and fresh is if community wisdom was listened to and (corporations) worked with the people who are directly impacted by the institutions that they have to live with everyday,” said Brown.

Brown described two separate and unequal sets of expectations, one for white and middle class children and another, lower set of expectations for African-American and Latino children that often influence education policy.

Those disparities will continue until society finds the courage to confront them.

“We want what our friends in other communities have, said Brown. “They don’t have contract schools, they don’t have charter schools in middle class White communities they have world-class neighborhood schools.”

Daniel del Pielago of Empower DC agreed.

As the education organizer for Empower DC, a grassroots group that supports low- and moderate-income District residents living in the nation’s capital, Pielago said that when communities work together, and when they’re given the chance to put together solutions that work, they find success that doesn’t require corporate intervention.

That success is embodied by the community school model championed by groups such as the Alliance.

According to the Coalition for Community Schools, a network of educational groups that provide support for youth develop-

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“We know that these attacks on our schools and our public education system is an attack on our communities.” – Daniel del Pielago of Empower DC ment family and health services, community schools feature an “integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement” that promotes “student learning, stronger families and healthier communities.”

Helen Moore, the co-chairperson of the Keep the Vote/No Takeover Coalition in Detroit, said that the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently working its way through a Republican-led Congress still at odds with President Barack Obama, should give communities the power to control the destinies of their children.

Moore said that neither the “No Child Left Behind” Act, George W. Bush’s education initiative, nor President Obama’s “Race to Top” fulfilled what was supposed to really happen: giving African-American and Latino school systems the power and resources they needed to implement high-quality educational programs for their children.

“What’s lost in the minutiae of school closures is the dismantling of good neighborhood schools,” said Brown. “There were actually solid well-performing schools in our community that were receiving schools for students that lost their schools due to closures.”

Two years later, Brown said, those schools often saw their test scores plummet, creating a cascading effect. Overcrowded classrooms make it harder for teachers to do their jobs, lowering morale and (having) a negative impact on an already stressful learning environment.

“One of the casualties of corporate education interventions is the removal of black teachers, a significant part of the bvlack middle class. And who are they replaced by? They are replaced by newer, younger, whiter and more transient teachers,” said Brown.

“We are all for teaching diversity, but we also know that that is a civil rights issue. Children have the right to look at their teachers and dream that they can be that.

They should be able to see themselves.”

Earlier this month, the Alliance hosted a conference in Newark, N.J. in an effort to strengthen national networks and equip activists, parents and other community stakeholders with the tools to organize and combat myriad inequities that exist in public school systems nationwide.

The group also advocates for more penalties for schools that lean too heavily on zero tolerance policies that disproportionately suspend and expel students of color for minor infractions. It favors more federal support for schools that implement restorative justice and student leadership development programs.

“We know that these attacks on our schools and our public education system is an attack on our communities,” said del Pielago.

Brown said, “We should have positive student development and discipline policies. That doesn’t mean that if a student brings a knife or a gun, we’re going to throw rose petals at the child. We need to treat our young people like discipline is supposed to teach a lesson and suspending children is not teaching them anything. What teaches them something is creating a culture where they learn how to be accountable for their actions.”

Although Brown said he supports parents who seek innovative educational alternatives for their children, he called for a federal moratorium on all charter and contract school programs.

“The prerequisite to choice is stability,” said Brown. “You can’t anchor a community with schools where people have contracts to run them. (School) privatization and community schools cannot coexist. They are like oil and water.”

May 28 - June 3, 2015

Page 6

NEWS

The New Tri-State Defender

LEGACY: RILEY B. KING Sep 16, 1925 - May 14, 2015

Farewell ‘B.B.’

Saying goodbye to B.B. King was an emotional load that led these three family members into each other’s arms at one point during the processional that carried the “King of the Blues” along Beale Street one last time. (Photo: Shirley Jackson)

Councilwoman Wanda Halbert, Mayor AC Wharton Jr., Councilman Joe Brown, and blues great Bobby Rush pay their respects along with others as the procession travels down Beale Street. (Photo: Nina Allen-Johnson)

Ruby Wilson, “The Queen of Beale Street,” handles the vocals on this musical salute to B.B. King. The band included Preston Shannon (second from right), who has his own note on Beale Street. (Photo: George Tillman Jr.)

Loved internationally, B.B. King’s Beale Street Processional was heavy with media capturing the moves and mood swings of his family.

(Photo: George Tillman Jr.)

B.B. King’s drummer for 37 years, Tony “T.C.” Coleman, accompanies his dear friend and father figure on the final ride down Beale Street. (Photo: Nina Allen-Johnson)

Bobby Rush’s harmonica tribute struck a chord with those who, like Rush, turned out in a show of respect for the “Beale Street Blues Boy.” (Photo: George Tillman Jr.)

As the hearst carrying the remains of B.B. King moved slowly forward, a wave of sorrow touched this member of his family.

(Photo: George Tillman Jr.)

May 28 - June 3, 2015

The New Tri-State Defender

BUSINESS

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Social media monetized to the fullest; Part 2 Celebrities have mastered the use of social media for self and product promotion. Kim Kardashian holds the record for most Instagram “likes” for her wedding photo. Kendall and Kylie Jenner have over 30 million followers together. Robert Downey Jr. achieved over 3 million Carlee followers in six months.

McCullough, Rihanna was banned Esq. for nudity and came back with a vengeance. This is one way that the Internet has been used for “money making” purposes. But there are other ways to make money using social media other than the direct sell approach.

Ad revenue

African Americans least likely to get business loan from banks New study: 77 percent of African-American business owners use personal cash to finance their businesses

by Freddie Allen NNPA News Service

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – African-American business owners face tougher challenges than other groups when seeking bank loans, according to a new study by the Gallup polling company commissioned by Wells Fargo.

Nearly half (47 percent) of African-American-owned businesses operate in the South and the study found that 77 percent of African-American business owners use personal cash to finance their businesses.

African-American business owners were less likely to borrow money for business reasons than Asian and Hispanic business owners.

“Twenty-two percent of African-American business owners say they felt that discrimination from a financial institution based on their race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation had impacted their chances to obtain credit for their business,” according to the report. “Among those who indicated they needed credit, African-American owners, in particular, say they were not able to get all the credit they needed.”

According to the report, 13 percent of African-American business owners obtained the credit they needed, compared to 20 percent for Hispanic owners, 24 percent of Asian owners and 23 percent of owners in general.

The report also found that the larger the loan request, the higher the rejection rate.

Overall, 27 percent of applications for larger loans were turned down and only 7 percent for smaller ones.

The highest rejection rate – 38 percent – was among African-American business owners seeking a loan of at least $250,000; 17 percent of African Americans seeking a loan less than $50,000 were rejected. By comparison, 33 percent of Asian owners were turned down for larger loans and 14 percent for smaller ones. For Latino business owners, the rejection rate was 26 percent for large loans, and 15 percent for smaller ones.

Once banks declined a loan to African-American business owners, they were more likely to apply for credit again than other small business owners.

In a statement, Lisa Stevens, the head of Small Business for Wells Fargo, said that serving diverse communities has long been a focus area and priority.

“For this reason, we commissioned the Gallup study, which gave us new insight into the perceptions and experiences of diverse business owners working with banks, and how we can improve as a company and as an industry,” said Stevens.

Ron Busby, president of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., said there is some good

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Some schools of thoughts believe that ad revenue is not a good way to make money today due to the notion that people prefer to browse sites that are entertaining without ads.

However, the market is still moving forward and thriving. Realistically, when was the last time you browsed a site and did not see a pop up ad?

Subscriptions Websites tend to be subscription-based. If you have web-based products/videos that are desired regularly that consumers or viewers subscribe to it on a monthly basis, you are on the right track. With a subscriber base of 25,000 at $1.00 per month, the math is easy at $25,000 per month from the comfort of your home. While that base may be a long stretch, a portion of it is more reasonable and can pay some bills.

Educational videos Although educational videos are not the most profitable, there is money to be made.

Online tutoring including one-on-one sessions can make money. Video creation for companies that are already in the business is an option.

YouTube According to eBiz, YouTube is the most popular video website on the Internet, with over 450 million unique visitors per month.

YouTube has proven to be a site that pays money to those that rise in the space. Diligence and dedication to the task at hand is needed. There are a few steps that may help in the process:

Ron Busby news amid the bad.

“If we’re being successful with the limited amount of resources that we have today, our future looks wonderful,” said Busby. “I think for black businesses to be successful, they need to go in proactively. They need to have established relationships with their bankers early on before there’s an opportunity. …

When they’re first thinking about starting a business, they need to start a relationship with their banker.”

In an effort to address some of the challenges affecting minority business owners related to the lending industry, Wells Fargo committed to a four-point plan that includes more education and credit coaching for borrowers and $75 million in grants and investments in micro-lending

programs aimed at diverse business communities.

“We know that in order to address the range of financial needs within all of our communities, we need to support and work with the ecosystem of organizations that serve small businesses,” Jon Campbell, executive vice president, government and community relations for Wells Fargo, said in a statement.

“Through this increased investment and connections with community lending organizations, we are making meaningful strides toward increasing access to capital for small businesses, as well as helping more business owners get the coaching and educational resources they need to succeed financially long-term.”

1. Every YouTube account has a channel attached to it. So the first step to monetizing YouTube is to set up and build an ac-

count and/or a YouTube channel. Make sure to add key words that are relevant to your site to help build traffic.

2. High quality, short content should be uploaded regularly. You want to drive traffic to the site consistently and frequently.

Tag the videos and photos with key words that describe the content.

3. Don’t try to perfect your content.

Even if something misses the mark but your posting is regular, viewers will return. Just strive to improve with each posting.

4. Building an Audience. The key to increasing your money online is building an audience. People need to be attracted to your photos or videos.

5. Respond to comments. In Hollywood, there is a saying that “No publicity is bad publicity.” The same can be true on social media. But it is important to not be drawn into viewers’ negativity. Interact with your viewers and responses can be a good thing.

6. Monetize the videos. On YouTube you must enable monetization by clicking the Monetization tab. This means that YouTube is allowed to “Monetize with Ads.” 7. YouTube Partner. Partners have a large number of viewers. Your channel must have at least 15,000 cumulative watch hours over the last 90 days.

8. Do not use copyrighted material.

Copyrighted material is borrowed content that you do not own or did not create. This is the fastest way to have your video taken down.

Google AdSense Setup Google AdSense to start collecting payments. You will need PayPal or a bank account and a mailing address. Only those 18 years or older may create an account.

With Google AdSense, you will start to earn money per ad click and a smaller amount per view. The money will not be great at first but it will start to add up over time.

Instagram Currently ad free, Instagram is gaining ground for advertisers because it is a “more subtle” sell with less competition. Many notable brands are now recruiting Instagram sites with heavy traffic to strategically place their brands. Social media celebrities have been found to be more influential than traditional celebrities because folks can better relate to them. The impact has been outstanding. Instagram photography has become a six-figure income for those with representation.

In the realm of social media, friends take on a whole new meaning and can actually mean money.

(Contact Carlee M. McCullough, Esq. at 901-795-0050; email – jstce4all@aol.com.)

May 28 - June 3, 2015

Page 8

RELIGION

The New Tri-State Defender

COMMENTARY

Muslim lives matter, too

by Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Columnist

Within days of the murders of three Muslims in Chapel Hill, N.C., a crazed gunman shot several people in Copenhagen, allegedly targeting an illustrator who caricaturized the Prophet Muhammad. One could not have contrasted the media’s response more starkly.

In the case of the Chapel Hill killings, it took a near Twitter uprising to gain the attention of the mainstream media to the tragedy. In the case of Copenhagen, the mainstream media responded near instantaneously.

In the aftermath of the Chapel Hill executions, the question of #MuslimLivesMatter has emerged. Actually, it is important to widen the scope. Muslims and non-Muslim Arabs are in the crosshairs of racist, right-wingers in the U.S. Yet, it is not only the targeting of Muslims and non-Muslim Arabs, it is also the targeting of history.

In this regard, the right-wing response to President Obama’s Prayer Breakfast remarks about the manner in which religion can be used to justify heinous crimes is relevant.

Those who attacked Obama for suggesting that horrors have been committed in the name of Christianity, along with other religions, have decided that it is appropriate to defy historical facts.

One example, which President Obama did not mention, was the Holocaust carried out against the Jews by the Nazis. The Nazis saw themselves as being good Protestants. They even expressed contempt for Catholics! This is a documented fact. This is not about interpretation and it is not about rhetoric.

Those who ignored the Chapel Hill murders, and/or those who seek to deny that it is a clear example of a hate crime, are those who wish to ignore history and the historical context of these killings.

Muslims and non-Muslim Arabs have been the subject of long-running attacks, caricaturizations, racist insults, and, yes, lynchings, since, well prior to the September 11, 2001 terrorist assaults. Though “children of the Book,” Muslims in the U.S. have never been accepted within the Ju-

deo-Christian binary but have been treated as “other.” They have been a source of mystery in the mainstream, a Bill Fletcher group to be toleratJr. ed during the best of times and demonized during the worst.

Arabs have had a very contradictory relationship to U.S. history, in part depending on whether they are Muslim, Jewish or Christian, and also depending on what period in history they arrived in the country. Many Arabs assumed a “White” identity for as long as they could, resulting in complicated and often tense relations with other communities of color. After the terrorist attack, all Arabs found themselves in the category of notorious people of color.

There will be no exit in the near future.

The Chapel Hill killings and the initial anemic media response was quite similar to the response to the lynchings of other peoples of color, whether African American, Latino, Asian or Native American. These are killings to be excused away, to be blamed on an individual, at best, or, under certain circumstances, to be blamed on the victim.

This is what is at stake when we hear that the killings may have been about a parking space. Instead of taking seriously the fears and concerns that the victims had prior to their deaths, many mainstream commentators have ignored this altogether, not to mention ignored the larger social/ political climate that describes any violent act by a Muslim or Arab as an act of terrorism, and any act against a Muslim or Arab as potentially justified, irrespective of how horrendous.

Did someone say that this was a post-racial society?

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the host of The Global African. He is a racial justice, labor and global justice activist and writer.

Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr. com.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

‘Upon this rock...’

Masons from Diamond Lodge #299 R&AM perform during Eureka True Vine Baptist Church’s Cornerstone Celebration Service Sunday (May 24) at 3510 Millbranch.

Special guests included Pastor Larry Hayes, New Galilee M.B. Church; Keisha Carr, New Horizon Apartments; Kristopher Adams, Students First; and Bishop Terry Williams, Semmes Street M.B. Church. The host pastor is Elder Frederick D. Tappan. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Honor due...

The homegoing for TSGT Reginald O. Scott was held May 22 at St. James A.M.E. Church at 600 N. Fourth Street, with the burial at West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery. His mother, Gwendolyn J. Smith, is presented with the flag by a member of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard. Scott, 64, died May 26. He served 20 years, retiring as technical sergeant. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

ENTERTAINMENT The New Tri-State Defender, May 28 - June 3, 2015, Page 9

Multi-title success on 2015 Spring Power List African-American authors with multiple titles are well represented on the Spring 2015 edition of the Power List of Best-Selling African-American Books – proof that they have developed a wide audience for their books and a solid fan base.

The authors with multiple titles are: Walter Mosley – “Rose Gold” ( No. 4, hardcover fiction); “Little Green” ( No. 6, hardcover fiction); and “Debbie Doesn’t Do It Anymore” (No. 8, hardcover fiction).

Steve Harvey – “Act Like A Success, Think Like A Success: Discovering Your Gift and the Way to Life’s Riches” ( No. 2, hardcover non-fiction); “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy and Commitment” (Expanded Edition); (No. 5, paperback non-fiction).

Ben Carson – “One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America’s Future” (No. 5, hardcover non-fiction); “America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great” (No. 10, paperback non-fiction).

Ashley & Jaquavis – “The Cartel 5” (No. 3, paperback fiction); “The Cartel 4” (No. 7, paperback fiction).

K’Wan – “Animal 3: Revelations” (No. 4 in paperback fiction); “Animal 2: The Omen” (No. 8, paperback fiction).

The Power List is compiled by collecting data from online booksellers, random samples on relevant Facebook pages and a quarterly survey of 1,200 African-American book clubs. The list is usually released on the fourth Monday in the month following each calendar quarter, and is a joint project of AALBC.com and Cushcity.com.

(For more information, contact Troy Johnson: troy@aalbc.com; Gwen Richardson: grichardson@cushcity.com.)

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Honoring black writers: 10 books for your summer reading

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The most recent New York Times’ summer reading list left out a whole lotta blackness.

by Kimberly Weathersby theGrio

The New York Times 2015 summer reading list only contained books written by white authors. There are amazing books that were written and published by black writers since 2013 and they deserve recognition.

Here’s 10 of those: (The descriptions below are excerpts from the books’ Amazon pages) • “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2014) Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Ifemelu heads for America, where she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Obinze had hoped to join her, but instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland.

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• “An Untamed State” by Roxane Gay (2014) Mireille Duval Jameson, the strong-willed youngest daughter of one of Haiti’s richest sons, is kidnapped in broad daylight and held captive by a man who calls himself The Commander. As it becomes clear her father intends to resist the kidnappers, Mireille must endure the torments of a man who resents everything she represents.

• “Boy, Snow, Bird” by Helen Oyeyemi (2015) In the winter of 1953, Boy Novak arrives by chance in a small town in Massachusetts, looking, she believes, for beauty – the opposite of the life she’s left behind in New York. She marries a local widower and becomes stepmother to his winsome daughter, Snow Whitman. A wicked stepmother is a creature Boy never imagined she’d become, but elements of the familiar tale of aesthetic obsession begin to play themselves out when the birth of Boy’s daughter, Bird, exposes the Whitman family secret.

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• “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson (2014) Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the civil rights movement.

• “Buck: A Memoir” by M.K. Asanta (2014) A coming-of-age story about navigating the wilds of urban America and the shrapnel of a self-destructing family. M.K. Asante was born in Zimbabwe to American parents: his mother a dancer, his father a revered professor. As a teenager, he was alone on the streets of North Philadelphia, swept up in a world of drugs, sex, and violence. His memoir is an unforgettable tale of how one precocious, confused kid educated himself through gangs, rap, mystic cults, ghetto philosophy, and, eventually, books.

• “Don’t Waste Your Pretty: The Go-toGuide for Making Smarter Decisions in Life & Love” by Demetria Lucas (2014) “Don’t Waste Your Pretty” is the much-anticipated dating and relationships manifesto from author, life coach and award-winning blogger Demetria L. Lucas. Demetria’s latest advice guide is a compilation of popular questions asked by clients and readers. Lucas delivers the advice in a fun, knowledgeable and blunt manner, quickly solving dating and relationships dilemmas.

• “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” by Charles Blow (2014) New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow

mines the compelling poetry of the out-of-time African-American Louisiana town where he grew up – a place where slavery’s legacy felt astonishingly close, reverberating in the elders’ stories and in the near-constant wash of violence. Blow’s attachment to his mother – a fiercely driven woman with five sons, brass knuckles in her glove box, a job plucking poultry at a nearby factory, a soon-to-be-ex husband, and a love of newspapers and learning – cannot protect him from secret abuse at the hands of an older cousin.

It’s damage that triggers years of anger and searing self-questioning. Finally, Blow escapes to a nearby state university, where he joins a black fraternity after a passage of brutal hazing, and then enters a world of racial and sexual privilege that feels like everything he’s ever needed and wanted, until he’s called upon, himself, to become the one perpetuating the shocking abuse.

• “God Help the Child” by Toni Morrison (2015) The first novel by Toni Morrison to be set in our current momen weaves a tale about the way the sufferings of childhood can shape, and misshape, the life of the adult. At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose stunning blue-black skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love. There is Booker, the man Bride loves, and loses to anger. Rain, the mysterious white child with whom she crosses paths. And finally, Bride’s mother herself, Sweetness, who takes a lifetime to come to understand that “what you do to children matters. And they might never forget.”

• “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon (2013) Kiese Laymon’s debut novel is a Twain-esque exploration of celebrity, authorship, violence, religion, and coming of age in Post-Katrina Mississippi, written in a voice that’s alternately funny, lacerating, and wise. The book contains two interwoven stories. In the first, it’s 2013: after an on-stage meltdown during a nationally televised quiz contest, 14-year-old Citoyen “City” Coldson becomes an overnight YouTube celebrity.

The next day, he’s sent to stay with his grandmother in the small coastal community of Melahatchie, where a young girl named Baize Shephard has recently disappeared. Before leaving, City is given a strange book without an author called “Long Division.” He learns that one of the book’s main characters is also named City Coldson – but “Long Division” is set in 1985. This 1985 City, along with his friend and love-object, Shalaya Crump, discovers a way to travel into the future, and steals a laptop and cellphone from an orphaned teenage rapper called…Baize Shephard. They ultimately take these with them all the way back to 1964, to help another time-traveler they meet protect his family from the Klan. .

• “Loving Day” by Mat Johnson (2015) Warren Duffy has returned to America for all the worst reasons: His marriage to a beautiful Welsh woman has come apart; his comics shop in Cardiff has failed; and his Irish American father has died, bequeathing to Warren his last possession, a roofless, half-renovated mansion in the heart of black Philadelphia. On his first night in his new home, Warren spies two figures outside in the grass. When he screws up the nerve to confront them, they disappear. The next day he encounters ghosts of a different kind: In the face of a teenage girl he meets at a comics convention he sees the mingled features of his white father and his black mother, both now dead. The girl, Tal, is his daughter, and she’s been raised to think she’s white. Spinning from these revelations, Warren sets off to remake his life with a reluctant daughter he’s never known, in a haunted house with a history he knows too well. In their search for a new life, he and Tal struggle with ghosts, fall in with a utopian mixed-race cult, and ignite a riot on Loving Day, the unsung holiday for interracial lovers.

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May 28 - June 3, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

The New Tri-State Defender

FILM REVIEW

‘San Andreas’ serves up a smorgasbord of destruction

by Kam Williams

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“The True Cost” (PG-13 for mature themes and disturbing images) Eco-documentary examining the toll exacted by the fashion industry on underpaid employees sewing the clothes and on the Earth’s natural resources.

If you were afraid to swim in the ocean after watching “Jaws,” you might be just as reluctant to visit San Francisco after seeing this spectacular disaster flick. Directed by Brad Peyton (“Journey 2”), “San Andreas” features a character-driven plot as riveting as its dizzying special f/x.

The film stars Dwayne Johnson as Ray Gaines, a highly-decorated helicopter pilot with over 600 rescues on his resume. At the point of departure, we find the fearless L.A. Fire Department chief risking life and limb to pluck an accident victim (Stephanie Johnston) from a car dangling precipitously over a deep canyon. To you or me, attempting such a dangerous maneuver would be unthinkable, but to Ray, it’s merely business as usual.

Meanwhile, Professor Lawrence Hayes (Paul Giamatti) is delivering a lecture at California Institute of Technology on the incredible power of earthquakes. Then, when a colleague (Will Yun Lee) detects some unusual seismic activity in the vicinity of the Hoover Dam, the two quake chasers rush off to observe the event firsthand.

They arrive in time to witness the considerable wrath wrought by a shift in tectonic plates registering 7.1 on the Richter scale. Worse, their state-of-the-art gizmo indicates that this event wasn’t an anomaly but rather a precursor to an impending disaster of much greater magnitude.

The ensuing rip in the San Andreas fault wreaks havoc all across the state of California. Of course, Chief Gaines jumps into action, plucking his estranged wife, Emma (Carla Gugino), from the roof of a teetering skyscraper before pointing the chopper in the direction of the epicenter, San Francisco.

That’s where their terrified daughter, Blake (Alexandra Daddario) called from after being abandoned by her mom’s billionaire boyfriend (Ioan Gruffudd). At least she is in the company of a couple of chivalrous, young British lads (Art Parkinson and Hugo Johstone-Burt).

Nevertheless, the search is on, as the desperate parents negotiate a perilous gauntlet to the Bay Area via air, sea and land, encountering everything from turbulence to tsunamis to landslides en route. Unfolding like a classic Seventies disaster flick, “San Andreas” serves up a smorgasbord of readily-identifiable archetypes: the musclebound hero, the effete coward, the damsel in distress, the terminally-nerdy professor, and so on, each played with perfect aplomb by a talented cast.

Still, the best reason to catch this bombastic summer blockbuster is for the eye-popping panoramas, which must be seen in 3D to be appreciated fully.

“Welcome to This House” (Unrated) Lyrical biopic about the closeted love life of Pulitzer Prize-winner Elizabeth Bishop (19111979), the secretly-gay Poet Laureate of the United States.

Excellent (4 stars) Rated PG-13 for intense action, incessant mayhem and brief profanity Running time: 114 minutes Studio: Warner Brothers Pictures

Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. “The Rock” to wrestling fans, has met his match with Mother Nature in the disaster movie “San Andreas.”

Johnson plays a helicopter pilot in search of his exwife and daughter who are stranded in earthquake-strewn California. (Courtesy photo)

by Kam Williams

For movies opening May 29, 2015

BIG BUDGET FILMS “Aloha” (PG-13 for profanity and suggestive comments) Oscar-winner Cameron Crowe (for Almost Famous) wrote and directed this romantic comedy about a disgraced astronaut-turned-defense contractor (Bradley Cooper) who divides his time between a feisty Air Force pilot (Emma Stone) and a long-lost ex-girlfriend (Rachel McAdams) while on assignment in Hawaii. Supporting cast includes Alec Baldwin, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Jay Baruchel and Danny McBride.

“San Andreas” (PG-13 for action, mayhem and brief profanity) 3-D disaster flick, unfolding in the wake a devastating earthquake, about a helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) who flies with his ex-wife (Carla Gugino) from L.A. to San Francisco to rescue their missing daughter (Alexandra Daddario). With Paul Giamatti, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi and Will Yun Lee. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS “Barely Lethal” (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, violence, drug references and underage drinking) Action comedy about a teenage spy (Hailee Steinfeld) who fakes her own death in

order to have a normal life, only to find the treacherous waters of a suburban high school as challenging as international espionage. Featuring Jessica Alba, Samuel L. Jackson and Jaime King.

“Gemma Bovery” (R for sexuality, nudity and profanity) Screen adaptation of Posy Simmonds’ graphic novel of the same name, set in Normandy, about a baker’s (Fabrice Luchini) pursuit of a British beauty (Gemma Arterton) who has just moved to town with her furniture repairman husband (Jason Flemyng). With Isabelle Candelier, Niels Schneider and Mel Raido. (In French and English with subtitles) “Heaven Knows What” (R for violence, sexuality, disturbing images, graphic nudity, pervasive profanity and incessant drug use) Screen adaptation of “Mad Love in New York City,” Arielle Holmes’s unpublished memoir, a tawdry tale of self-destruction and love between a couple of heroin addicts (Holmes and Caleb Landry-Jones) living on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Support cast includes Eleonore Hendricks, street legend Buddy Duress gore rapper and Necro.

“I Believe in Unicorns” (Unrated) Bittersweet drama about a vulnerable teenager (Natalia Dyer) who resorts to escapist fantasies to cope when her first romantic relationship turns violent. With Peter Vack, Julia Garner, Amy

Seimetz and Toni Meyerhoff.

“Results” (R for sexuality, profanity and drug use) Midlife crisis comedy, set in Austin, revolving around a recently divorced millionaire (Kevin Corrigan) who starts dating his hard-nosed personal trainer (Cobie Smilders), much to the chagrin of her jealous boos and ex-boyfriend (Guy Pearce). With Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker and Tishuan Scott.

“Survivor” (PG-13 for action, violence and brief profanity) International thriller about a double-crossed, U.S. Foreign Service Officer (MillaJovovich), stationed in London, who ends up on the run and trying to clear her name in time to thwart a terrorist attack planned for New Year’s Eve in Times Square. A-list ensemble includes Pierce Brosnan, Angela Bassett, Emma Thompson, Dylan McDermott and Robert Forster.

The New Tri-State Defender

Help Wanted

OPERATIONS MANAGER WANTED – Port Commission Memphis, TN. Needed to direct coordinate and exercise functional authority for planning, organization, control, integration and completion of projects within areas of assigned within the jurisdiction of the Memphis and Shelby County Port Commission. To see full Job Description please visit http://www.adamskeegan.com/Career-Center/Job-Listing/tid/35/rtm/544#sthash.3saZW72J.dpuf Hub Laborer Needed, Great Pay, CDL Req, 100% home time, FT Position, Benefits offered. Stop by 3910 I-55 N East Service Road in Marion or call Scott at 855-9025160

Legal Notices NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS OF STATE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION BIDS TO BE RECEIVED 06.19.16 Sealed Bids will be received by the Town of Guys at their offices in Guys Community Center until 1:00 P.M.., June 19, 2015. and opened publicly at Guys Community Center at that hour. The reading of the bids will begin at 1:01 P.M.

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS 203 Beale Street, Suite 200 Memphis, TN 38103 PH (901) 523-1818 FAX (901) 578-5037 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

DEADLINES: Display ads Monday 5 p.m.

Classifieds ads Monday 5 p.m.

RATES: Standard rates: $9.50 per line for 1 column ad.

Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation.

For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tsdmemphis.com Tennessee Roadscapes is an initiative from The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) that provides opportunities for a variety of environmental and beautification programs in Tennessee. The Tennessee Roadscapes grant program provides funding for roadside landscaping on TDOT right-of way. The town of Guys has applied for and been awarded grant money for improvements

May 28 - June 3, 2015

Page 11

CLASSIFIEDS BEER PERMITS Flat Rate: $30 GENERAL INFORMATION: Some categories require prepayment.

All ads subject to credit approval. The New Tri-State Defender reserves the right to correctly classify and edit all copy or to reject or cancel any ad at any time. Only standard abbreviations accepted. Copy change during ordered schedule constitutes new ad & new changes. Deadlines for cancellation are identical to placement deadlines. Rates subject to change.

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

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER assumes no financial responsibility for errors nor for copy omission. Direct any classified billing inquires to (901) 523-1818. at two gateway signage locations intending to enhance the roadside.

PROPOSAL CONTRACTS WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL THE TIME SET FOR OPENING BIDS A Prime Contractor must prequalify with the Department of Transportation in accordance with Section 54-5-117 of

the “Tennessee Code Annotated” and Tennessee Department of Transportation Rule 1680-5-3 prequalification of contractors before biddable proposals will be furnished.

The Town of Guys hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation, and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age, race, color, religion, national origin, sex or disability in consideration for an award.

The Town of Guys 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.

Telephone Megan Rinehart 731-239-4700 THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND ALL BIDS IS RESERVED Bidding documents and information, and plans, may be obtained by contacting: Lose & Associates Inc. Attn: Andrew Kraeger 1314 5th Ave North, Suite #200 Nashville, TN 37208 615-242-0040

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Shelby County Government is soliciting Seal Bids for the provision of Construction Services to provide asphalt resurfacing

Westwood looks to the future

and associated pavement markings for various roads in Shelby County Tennessee. The Seal Bid is located on the County’s website at www.shelbycountytn. gov, click the link “Department” at the top, then P for the Purchasing Department, ten click on the link “Bids.”

DUE THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015 AT 2:30 PM SEALED BID #SBI-000332 2016 STATE AID ASPHALT RESURFACING PROJECT Voluntary Pre-Bid Conference: A prebid conference will be held at 9:00 AM, Thursday, June 4, 2015 at the following location: Shelby County Roads and Engineering Department, Conference Room, 6449 Haley Road, Memphis, TN 38134.

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

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

Senior Class Day at Westwood High School on May 14 brought special recognition of the valedictorian, Jaylon Lane (4.0), and salutatorian, Cenetria Crockett (3.8). The The Longhorn Scholarship Foundation Class of 1977 Westwood High School reprincipal is Isaac White Jr. Incorrect information was included in a cutline in last cently awarded its alma mater two $500 presentations and purchased an online week’s edition. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley) literacy program for the School.

May 28 - June 3, 2015

Page 12

HEALTH

The New Tri-State Defender

Boost your health and drop pounds by cutting out 1 ingredient: sodium

by Robbie Ann Darby The Root

Did you wake up this morning feeling a few pounds heavier than the night before, yet have no clue how this happened? Well, chances are you didn’t gain an ounce.

You’re probably just bloated. So stop blaming your scale for playing tricks on you and try one simple trick: Ditch the sodium.

Americans today consume 50 percent more than the recommended daily amount of sodium, and diets high in it not only raise blood pressure levels but also increase the pounds (temporarily) in the form of water weight.

If you’re afraid to break up with the saltshaker, then let’s shake things up with these tips.

Try this fresh idea Cooking with salt and pepper exclusively is so 1940s, which is why I’ve recently been having fun with herbs.

Shocking for me, since I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with them. I mean, there’s nothing worse then buying a bundle of basil for a recipe that calls for only a teaspoon and having to throw the rest out once it wilts in the fridge. But those days are over.

No, I don’t have a garden in New York City. I actually have a garden in my cupboard, thanks to Litehouse Instantly Fresh Herbs. They aren’t dried herbs, y’all, they’re fresh! Well, they’re freeze-dried fresh herbs.

Which means that with a drop of water, they come back to life—with all the flavor, nutrients and even the original shape! There is just one simple ingredient: the herb.

No additives and no funky stuff to make it last longer on your shelf.

Make over your meats Speaking of fresh, cut out packaged meats and go for fresh cuts of beef, poultry or pork. They do contain sodium naturally, but the content is much less than the massive amounts of extra sodium added to processed meats like bacon, ham and deli meat. Basically, the longer you’re able to keep your meat in the fridge, the higher the sodium content.

Be a pro with produce With farmers markets popping up everywhere and even our first lady showing us how to acquire a green thumb, there really isn’t an excuse not to eat fresh produce. But if your budget is low or if you’re unable to shop locally, then go for the canned and frozen fruits that are low in sodium, and the frozen vegetables that are labeled “fresh frozen.” All of those added syrups, seasonings and sauces are just sodium in disguise.

Flip it and reverse it The boxes and labels of the foods you eat, that is. Sodium content is always listed, but even sodium’s bestie, sugar, can mask the high sodium content a food may have. So check every label for both of these ingredients.

Watch out when you dine out Before you meet the crew for dinner on Friday night, be sure to do your research. Some restaurants will list the sodium content of their dishes, but if this information is unavailable, go for items that have no additives, heavy dressings or sauces, or tons of cheese. All of these ingredients are packing in the sodium department, so either skip them or ask for them on the side so that you can control things. Still not sure what to order? Just get what you want and request that the dish be served without salt.

Don’t be fooled by your tricky taste buds Beware of products that don’t taste salty, because the salt may still be in there. As in really in there. For instance, cottage cheese is on many “good for you to eat” lists, but the sodium content is superhigh. Think over 400 milligrams for one 1/2-cup serving of some low-fat versions. Other slick sodium offenders include some seltzer waters, bread and even cereal.

Savor other flavors Ultimately, salt preference is an acquired taste, which means it can be unlearned. So be patient, because it may take up to six to eight weeks to ditch your salt-and-vinegar-chip addiction for good. In the meantime, have fun with other nonsodium flavors, like herbs, healthy oils, and even the juice of citrusy fruits like lemons and limes.

Be wary, however, of salt substitutes. These options can be dangerous for those who have been told by their doctor to limit potassium intake, so ask before you swap one issue for another.

(Robbie Ann Darby is a Texas-born, California-raised actress and dancer turned fitness expert. She has over 10 years of experience in the fitness and wellness industries and currently lives in New York City. Be sure to follow her fun and sweaty life on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more RAD tips!)

Most Americans consume far more sodium than is recommended, leading to high blood pressure and bloating. There are alternatives. (Courtesy photo)

Chef Joseph Paire, executive chef of Todd Gray’s Wathershed (Washington, D.C.) and Chef Todd Richards, executive chef and co-owner of The Pig &The Pearl (Atlanta) Reynond Darthard (aka Chef Rey), executive chef of the Houston Rockets (Houston), and Tiffany Derry, chef and TV personality (Dallas).

‘DJ Grill Crashers’ – traveling crash cookouts DES MOINES, Iowa (PRNewswire) – Summer signals the start of the grilling season and the National Pork Board (NPB) wants to encourage Americans to spice up this year’s grilling celebrations with the unexpected flavor of lean, heart-healthy pork cuts.

Incorporating healthier options into everyday occasions is important – especially for African Americans who disproportionally suffer from several heart disease categories such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.

“Pork should be a nutritious component of every family’s diet, especially with the lean cuts available,” said Celebrity Chef Tiffany Derry, a finalist on Season 7 of Bravo’s “Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars.”

“One easy way to do that is by changing your cooking methods like grilling over frying to achieve a healthier meal,” said Derry.

Derry is one of four celebrity chefs teaming up with the NPB for its African-American consumer campaign, “DJ Grill Crashers.” The campaign aims to inspire African Americans to cook and enjoy pork in more creative and healthier ways.

“DJ Grill Crashers” is an extension of the National Pork Board’s ongoing summer campaign, “The Grill Crashers,” that launched last week. The campaign includes a series of “crashes” (or BBQ pork flavor takeovers) across the country where pork takes center stage at grilling

Celebrity chefs and radio DJs partner with the National Pork Board to bring “healthy and delicious pork” to African-American BBQs. celebrations as well as new pork-inspired recipes and tips. It also features the participation of comedic actor Donald Faison, an avid griller who will share how to create bold flavors on the grill with juicy, tender pork chops.

Chef Joseph Paire, executive chef of Todd Grays Watershed (Washington, D.C.), will kick off “DJ Grill Crashers” season in June followed by Todd Richards, executive chef and co-owner of The Pig & The Pearl (Atlanta), Reynold Darthard a.k.a Chef Rey, executive chef of the Houston Rockets, and Derry (Dallas).

They will partner with radio personalities in their communities to crash BBQ cookouts and cook lean pork chop recipes with soulful side dishes.

“We are thrilled to partner with these four recognized chefs to bring the African-American community healthy, flavorful and inspiring pork recipes,” said Jose de Jesus, director of multicultural marketing at the NPB. “We hope to inspire people to crash their own cookouts with pork and make it a memorable experience for their family and friends.”

Recipes

Cider-Brined Porterhouse Pork Chops – Brushed with a maple syrup and hard apple cider glaze, they are recommended with sweet potato salad or fresh succotash; 290 calories, 7 grams of fat.

Saucy Salsa Ribeye Bone-In Pork Chops –Inspired by colorful Caribbean flavors; 200 calories, 8 grams of fat.

Sugar & Spice New York Pork Chops – Loaded with sweet and peppery flavors; 250 calories, 7 grams of fat.

Pina Colada Ribeye Bone-In Pork Chops – Tropical sauce; 180 calories, 7 grams of fat.

For best results, NPB recommends cooking pork chops to an internal temperature between 145 degrees F and 160 degrees F with a 3-minute rest. A digital thermometer is recommended.

(For more information, visit PorkBeinspired.com/GrillCrashers. Follow Pork Be inspired on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share photos of backyard crashes featuring delicious pork recipes using #grillpork.)

(Additional information at www.pork. org.)

He cries alone: African-American men and PTSD

by Ericka Blound Danois The Root

They’re crying out for help. But will anyone listen?

They are African-American men, struggling with mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder—many are veterans, but many more are civilians struggling in secret, ashamed.

These are men like 26-year-old James Brown. Brown served two tours in Iraq.

When he returned home he was diagnosed with PTSD. He ended up going to jail for a court-appointed sentence in 2012 in El Paso, Texas. That’s where several guards reportedly detained him in riot gear and forced him to the ground. He began bleeding through the ears, nose and mouth and his kidneys shut down. According to media reports, the guards did not order medical attention for him. He went into the jail on a Friday. By Sunday, he was dead.

Brown’s case, which is still pending investigation, points to many issues surrounding PTSD, thecriminalization of mental health as it relates to black communities and disparities in treatment. PTSD severely affects people’s chances of gaining and maintaining steady employment. According to the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, on any given night, nearly 50,000 veterans are homeless and roughly 40 percent of those homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic.

“It wasn’t until 1979, that PTSD became a legitimate mental health diagnosis,” Ron Armstead tells The Root. Armstead works with the Black Caucus Veterans Brain Trust to level disparities for black veterans. “Prior to 1979, there were problems targeting PTSD as a legitimate diagnosis. There still isn’t a silver bullet treatment for it. But there are a variety of treatment modalities that people are using.”

The issues surrounding PTSD and diagnosis are compounded by health disparities in African-American communities. Many African-American men are reluctant to go to the doctor because of misdiagnosis or mistreatment. There is also the perceived weakness surrounding asking for help for men. Armstead says many men may not see PTSD as something for which one even go to the doctor.

According to Dr. Annelle Primm, who has worked in the area of health disparities as it relates to African Americans for decades, co-founding a treatment program which provided in-home mental health treatment to patients, a PTSD diagnosis is more common in women than men, and that disparity holds true in African-American communities.

Black men are less likely to receive a diagnosis of PTSD. The idea that coming forward for help is seen as a weakness, Primm says,

Whether they are veterans or victims of violence, black men are less likely to seek help for post-traumatic stress disorder. (Courtesy photo) is directly related to stereotypes that people hold of individuals with mental illness—that mental illness is laziness or a character flaw rather than a disease.

“Some black men, because of how they are socialized, think that people with mental health problems should snap out of it and literally pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” says Primm. “This attitude is particularly pronounced in military cultures.”

Dr. William Lawson, chair of the department of Howard University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, says that black veterans are more likely to experience PTSD because they are often on the front lines of battle and more likely to have experienced previous traumatic experiences.

Lawson remembers a patient who kept seeing body parts floating in the air. The patient had been in a foxhole during Vietnam and a grenade fell down the hole and blew up everyone in it. He kept seeing visions of that happening.

Lawson says in many cases, like this patient, he found that doctors were misdiagnosing them as schizophrenic. PTSD, an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, being hyperreactive, and withdrawal, among other symptoms, is a diagnosis where veterans are given financial relief, whereas schizophrenia isn’t a diagnosis eligible for financial aid.

“We did testing and many people didn’t see PTSD as a black person’s disease because of racist notions,” Lawson said.

“PTSD assumes that a person has insight and sensitivity. People assume that black people are invulnerable, that we do not have a functional apparatus to experience any kind of mood complexity.”

Outside the veterans’ system of support, there isn’t a lot of support for black men and

PTSD. Thomas Mellman, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research and Stress/ Sleep Studies Program at Howard’s College of Medicine, has been working on studies on black veterans and sleep disorders, but also of 18- to 35-year-olds and sleep disorders in inner-city areas in Washington, D.C., where violence and trauma have occurred. Mellman has found that talk therapy can be a healthy form of treatment and that having people write about their traumatic experiences went a long way toward relieving distress.

Dr. Tanya Alim, a Washington, D.C.-based psychiatrist, found during her studies that 50 percent of patients who had been exposed to trauma developed PTSD, but only 17 percent had been recognized and entered into treatment.

Armstead, who has been advocating for black veterans to elected officials for over 20 years, has found that a variety of treatment works to alleviate PTSD for African-American men who are skeptical about traditional treatment modalities.

“I never told them that they were in treatment or in therapy. They would come to me and say, ‘I just enjoy rapping with you.’ I never said to a veteran he was a patient or a client; he was a veteran and we talked like equals,” says Armstead. “For group therapy, we had ‘rap groups,’ instead of labeling it as therapeutic intervention.”

But first, it’s important for black men to seek treatment.

“There is a stigma associated with going to get help,” says Armstead. “Brothers won’t go in to a doctor until they see some blood.”

(Ericka Blount Danois is an award-winning journalist, writer, editor and professor.

Follow her on Twitter.)

May 28 - June 3, 2015

The New Tri-State Defender

Page 13

COMMUNITY

BRIEFS & THINGS MPD sobriety checkpoints at two spots on May 30 The Memphis Police Department will conduct two Sobriety Roadside Safety Checkpoints on Saturday (May 30).

The first location will be Elvis Presley near Shelby Dr. and the second at Winchester near Mendenhall. The checkpoint will be from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Officers will evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug and take corrective actions for other violations.

The checkpoints will be 100 percent funded by federal grants funds under an agreement with the Governor’s Highway Safety Office.

Single-parenting sessions set for June 2 kickoff Universal Parenting Place at Knowledge Quest will host singleparenting sessions at 990 College Park Drive, Suite 104 starting June 2 at 9:30 a.m. Sessions will be held every Tuesday during June.

Universal Parenting Places are judgment-free zones where parents can receive professional counseling, information and emotional support for familyrelated issues or concerns, no matter how small.

All classes are free and open to all parents who live in Shelby County. For more information, contact Latasha Mister-Echols at 901-207-3694.

Save the date for Douglass convention The National Douglass Alumni Corporation presents the “There’s no place like home” 37th Annual Convention at the Hilton Memphis July 2-5.

The Memphis chapter of the alumni group will host the event.

Registration packets are available at Douglass High School, Douglas K-8, from class presidents and chapter presidents. Or, request via email at griffinkdj@gmail. com.

BRIEFLY: The 2015 Frayser Spring Festival – Frayser: Surviving, Growing, Changing – will be held May 30 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Ed Rice Community Center, 2907 Watkins St. Shop with vendors; learn about area community organizations; enjoy entertainment, activities and fun for the whole family; and meet the new Frayser Community Association officers.

The annual election for the Frayser Neighborhood Council also will be held. For more information: President Mary Shipp, 901-6055752, mshipp61@gmail.com; Vice President David Vincarelli, vinciarelli@aol.com or Patricia Burnett, patricia_burnett@att. net; Carrie Wright, treasurer, mrscarriewright@yahoo.com.

BRIEFLY: Shelby County Schools and the Shelby County Interscholastic Athletic Association will host the Chipping for Children Golf Classic: Best Ball Golf Scramble in support of the district’s anti-bullying programs at Tunica National golf resort in Robinsonville, Miss. on June 5. Registration available through June 1 for individuals and teams. Tee time: noon. Sponsor: Well Child. For more information: Tongela Taylor, 901-416-994; taylortl2@scsk12.org.

BRIEFLY: “Reaching Out to Our Community” is the theme of Community Day, which Greater Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church (191 East Holmes Rd.) is hosting on June 6 from 9 a.m. to noon. The focus will be on health. Free HIV testing. For more information: Vee Patterson, 901486-7735. The Rev. Joe E. Hayes is senior pastor.

BRIEFLY: Spotlight Entertainment Summer Camp – a full day camp will run June 1 through July 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with extended care available and lunch included.

Highlights: Campers act in a short film that will premiere at Malco Studio on The Square, dance classes, Wet-N-Wild Wednesdays, Field Trips and 15plus electives from arts and crafts to Zumba. Cost: less than $75 per week. Space is limited. For more information, contact LilyRoze Studios at 901-308-2135; email: www.lilyrozestudios.com.

BRIEFLY: Healthy Shelby Partnership will host the Men in Motion: Men’s Health Expo, a hypertension awareness event encouraging men to maintain a healthy blood pressure, on June 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church, located at 2835 Broad Ave. To learn more about the Healthy Shelby Partnership and the 140/90: Living Life Under Pressure hypertension awareness campaign, visit http:// commontablehealth.org/healthyshelby.php.

Members of the Blues City Cultural Center’s Seek to Serve Program Class of 2015 joined community leaders in January to learn about neighborhood sustainability and economic development. The workshop was held at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Memphis Branch, the workshop’s sponsor. (Photo: Wiley Henry)

First-time authors write their way toward overcoming obstacles Literary project supports servant leadership in affordable public housing

by Wiley Henry

whenry@tsdmemphis.com

Overcoming obstacles and turning them into successes is the crux of a recently published book of narratives written by members of a leadership program expressly designed to develop, enhance and promote servant leadership among persons living in affordable public housing.

“Don’t Count Me Out: Contending Voices,” compiled and edited by Carolyn Matthews for Blues City Cultural Center’s Seek to Serve Program, is the end-product of an idea spawned three years ago by a facilitator for Seek to Serve.

“The book idea was incubating for a few years with the grassroots leadership training leaders, Naomi Dyson and Deborah Frazier,” said Matthews. “Dyson conceived the title and Frazier searched for ways to sustain the momentum and document the history of the organization.”

“She (Dyson) felt the participants had such rich stories of overcoming that needed to be told,” added Frazier, who co-directs (with her husband Levi Frazier) Blues City Cultural Center (BCCC), an arts organization using the arts to enlighten, empower and transform.

A subsequent book signing is set for Wednesday (June 3) at 6:30 p.m. at Southwest Tennessee Community College’s Parrish Library, Room 101.

Some of the authors will be available to read their work.

Martha Perine Beard, vice president and regional executive of Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis – Memphis Branch, wrote the book’s preface. Robert Lipscomb, executive director of the Memphis Housing Authority, touted Seek to Serve in the book’s foreword.

“Don’t Count Me Out: Contending Voices,” published recently

by Blues City Cultural Center, is a collection of narratives and poetry written by members of Seek to Serve, a program that promotes servant leadership.

“Seek to Serve” was created to reinforce to residents that they are valued citizens of Memphis,” Lipscomb wrote. “They have positive gifts and talents that should be shared to make Memphis better, and are vital to its well-being.”

Program participants had much to express in writing workshops facilitated by Matthews, who sought ways to hone their creativity in narratives by using their own voice. She also interviewed them about their lives in their homes and in the class.

“I wanted to stay close to the initial premise of the project – to share the impact of Seek to Serve on the lives

the authors,” Matthews explained.

“As the participants shared their stories, there was a dominant thread: overcoming adversity due to lack of resources, unhealthy relationships, or from self-limiting mindsets or societal marginalization.”

Noticing the similarities in their stories, it became clear to Matthews “that this theme running through the stories was the life force of the impact of Seek to Serve (a six-month program) because it revealed how they were changed by their participation.”

Editing the colloquial voice can present a challenge, said Matthews, an accomplished writer whose poetry and prose have appeared in “Homespun Images: An Anthology of Black Memphis Writers,” “The Laurel Review,” “Newsmagazine,” “Jewel Magazine,” and the forthcoming “Cave Canem Anthology: 2010.”

“When you say to someone, ‘I value you. I want to teach you how to articulate YOUR issues and concerns, because you have something meaningful to contribute to your community, and I care about what you say,’ I think it is important to trust that their voice is powerful enough to communicate their message. (And) preserving their voices validates their message.”

The grassroots servant leadership program began with an idea on a Walgreen’s parking lot between Frazier and Lipscomb, then the newly appointed director of the Memphis Housing Authority. Frazier was program director at Leadership Memphis.

There were 22 affordable housing communities in Memphis at that time, and Lipscomb, Frazier recalls, saw the need for a leadership program that would train the presidents of those housing communities.

The year was 2000. The following year the first class graduated. The Seek to Serve program, however, stayed with Leadership Memphis until 2007 and then moved to the Uptown Resource Center, where it is currently located at 314 A.W. Willis Ave. “One of the goals of this servant leadership program is that a participant will NOT talk about his or her accomplishments or problems, but search to praise or help his neighbor,” said Frazier. “As a result, we celebrated the accomplishments of others and what they had done at home, at church, and in their community.

“This book says you never stop trying...you never stop learning... you never give up. It takes the group to encourage the individual. So it’s more than encouraging yourself; it’s about encouraging your neighbor and then you are encouraged.”

BCCC, whose tag line is “ARTS FOR A BETTER WAY OF LIFE,” has received funding and support from neighborhood grants – Community Development Block Grant, FedEx, St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Tennessee Arts Commission, and ArtsMemphis.

“Don’t Count Me Out: Contending Voices” was published with funds from ArtsMemphis’ Arts Build Communities (ABC) grants. Funds also were derived from the IOBY (In Our Backyard) crowdfunding program, an online fundraising platform.

(For more information about the book “Don’t Count Me Out: Contending Voices,” or Blues City Cultural Center’s Seek to Serve Program, contact Deborah Frazier at 901-292-2397 or by email at dfbluescity@yahoo.com. The website is www.bluescitycc.org)

High honors bestowed upon UTHSC dean TSD Newsroom

Vet lives matter…

Family and friends of Calvin Wilhite anchor themselves at Fourth and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., the spot where the 26-year-old Army sergeant was fatally shot Sunday morning after witnesses said he defended his girlfriend and was walking away from two men last seen fleeing in a silver or green Ford Taurus. On Wednesday evening, police were still seeking the suspects in the death of Wilhite, who had served in Iraq. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

Family in need…

Hamilton High School has established the Kenisha Clark Benevolence Fund to defray the cost of funeral and burial expenses for Clark, who was killed May 22 in an automobile accident the morning after receiving her diploma. To donate: Visit the Kenisha Clark Benevolence Fund at http://bit.ly/1Az0L8J

Distinct honors were recently awarded to Marie Chisholm-Burns, MPH, MBA, FCCP, FASHP, dean and professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC).

Dr. Chisholm-Burns received the Clinician of Distinction Award from the American Society of Transplantation at the recent 2015 American Transplant Congress in Philadelphia.

The prestigious award is given to a non-physician clinician who is considered an expert in his or her field, whose career is dedicated to transplant, and who is recognized for outstanding contributions to clinical transplantation.

Chisholm-Burns’ background is in patient care with a focus on solid-organ transplant patients. She founded and directs the Medication Access Program in Georgia, which helps to provide medication to roughly 820 solid-organ transplant patients.

The statewide network facilitates medication adherence, as well as interdisciplinary care and support for transplant patients.

Chisholm-Burns has served on the editorial boards of several journals, including the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. She has pub-

Dr. Marie Chisholm-Burns, dean of the College of Pharmacy at UTHSC, received the Clinician of Distinction Award from the American Society of Transplantation (AST). With her are (left) Kenneth Newell, AST immediate past president and James Allan, AST president.

(Courtesy photo) lished textbooks that have been adopted in many schools of pharmacy, medicine and nursing. Two textbooks coedited by Dr. Chisholm-Burns received the Medical Book Award from the American Medical Writers Association.

Her work has appeared in more than 275 publications, and she has received approximately $10 million in external funding for research from organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and several foundations.

The American Pharmacists Association awarded her its 2014 Research Achievement Award. She also received the

2013 Literature Award for Sustained Contributions given by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Research and Education Foundation.

A pharmacist since 1992, Dr. Chisholm-Burns became dean of the College of Pharmacy at UTHSC in 2012.

Previously, she was professor and head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science for the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona. She received her BS and PharmD degrees from The University of Georgia, her MPH from Emory University and her MBA from the University of Memphis.

SPORTS

The New Tri-State Defender, May 28 - June 3, 2015, Page 14

From the streets to the golf course to champion

by Kelley D. Evans

W

kdevans@tsdmemphis.com

hen you pair the words golf and college student, the name Dominique Worthen may not be the first one to come to mind. He didn’t grow up belonging to any country club.

In fact, he didn’t pick up a golf club until he was 13 years old. He once thought he would be a professional basketball player.

Yet on May 10, Worthen won the Individual Invitational PGA National Minority Collegiate Championship.

The 54-hole stroke-play championship consists of four divisions: NCAA Men’s Division I, Men’s Division II, Men’s NAIA and Women’s division teams, plus the invitational competition for minority men and women contestants.

The Individual Invitational is open to students listed on the roster of their college golf team or part of The PGA of Kelley D. America’s PGA Golf ManEvans agement programs and in one of the ethnic origins listed: African-American, Hispanic-American, Native or Alaskan American, Asian or Pacific Island America.

Worthen fit the bill.

A senior at The LeMoyne-Owen College (LOC), he won the Individual Invitational with a 217. On the first day of the competition he carded a 76. He finished the second day with a 67, five strokes under par. In the final day, he carded a 74, three strokes over par.

What does Worthen think of his accolades?

“Golf saved his life,” he said.

He believes this so much, that the phrase is his Twitter handle: @golfsavedmylife.

Worthen was born in Flint, Mich. In 2013, the city topped the list as the most dangerous city in America having a per capita violent crime rate seven times higher than the national average. t was replaced in 2014 by its neighbor, Detroit, just an hour away.

So growing up was no piece of cake. He saw crime at his own front door. His grandmother raised him until the age of 13. His father was then awarded sole custody and he moved to Macon, Ga. That’s when and where he learned the game of golf.

“The lifestyle there (in Flint) was contradictory to the life I wanted to live,” he said.

Two months after Worthen moved to Georgia, his older brother – four years his senior – was arrested and is currently facing 187 years for various charges.

“That was a guy that I wanted to be like until I grew up and grew out of thinking that selling drugs and riding around in stolen cars is the life to live,” Worthen said. “I used to feel like it was my fault, that if I was with him I could’ve changed it.”

Worthen left everything he was accustomed to having when he moved with his father.

“Everything you know, you have to separate from it,” he said. “I thank God I was able to do it.”

Golf was a difficult transition for him because it was not familiar territory.

“At first I refused to play the game of golf.

Nobody looked like me. I didn’t understand the game. I wouldn’t fit in.”

Dominique Worthen: “I see myself believing in myself like everybody else believes in me. I’ve got to harness that confidence.”

On Tuesday, Dominique Worthen stepped into the office of Mayor A C Wharton Jr., who among other things, acknowledged the young golfers’ achievement with a City of Memphis proclamation. (Courtesy photos) While riding with his father on the golf cart he fell in love with the game.

“Golf is not a just a sport,” he said. “It’s not a game. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a dignified game.”

Worthen made SIAC history. He was the first player to win the SIAC Player of the Year award, earn a selection to the All Conference Team, along with winning the SIAC Conference Championship MVP award, and an All Tournament First Team award – all in one week.

Before entering the LOC program he attended Savannah State University, later transferring to Texas Southern University. In search of a place to hone his skills he made one final transfer.

“I was just trying to find the best situation for me in a place where I could grow as a man first of all, grow as a student second of all, and third of all grow as a golfer,” he said. “That’s all I was looking for. A lot of things that were offered to me weren’t really produced, but I made the best out of

each situation I was in.”

The difference between those programs and LOC, he says, is their core beliefs. Worthen describes LeMoyne-Owen College as offering classical conditioning.

“I’ve had to learn how to be my own coach,” he said. “In each situation I had to teach myself.

Experience is the best teacher. I didn’t have much direction. But that helped me as a player now.

Now if I make a bad swing, I know how to correct myself. It’s something I acquired throughout my collegiate career. I use to look at it as a disadvantage, now I look at it as an advantage.”

He is focused on staying committed and not stopping.

“I was in situations in college where golf wasn’t the most favored sport of the school. Golf is kind of the gray area in some HBCUs. It’s kind of hard to stay committed and keep that drive when it’s not being appreciated.”

He bestows the title of the most influential person in his life on his dad.

“My goal is to go where he wanted to go. My dad bought me a basketball goal before he bought me golf clubs. I wanted to play professional basketball. He believed in me doing what I wanted to do. He didn’t want me to walk in his footsteps.”

On Tuesday, Worthen received a proclamation from the city of Memphis presented to him by Mayor A C Wharton Jr. In the next five years Worthen sees himself competing on a PGA tour.

“I see myself believing in myself like everybody else believes in me. I’ve got to harness that confidence,” he said.

“I definitely feel that I have the athletic ability to compete. I’ve just got to believe I can do it all the time. It’s a matter of finance for me right now. It takes money to make money in golf. I didn’t and I don’t have that advantage right now.”

(Follow Kelley D. Evans on Twitter: @KelleySthrnGrl.)

LENS & LINES

Rochelle Stevens’ annual track meet turns silver Two-Time Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist (‘96,’92) Rochelle Stevens hosted her hosted her 25th Annual Invitational Track Meet at St. George’s Independent School, in Collierville last Saturday (May 23).

Presented by Nike and I-Heart Media, the

event benefits the Rochelle Stevens Foundation, which has assisted 10,000-plus amateur boys and girls in Track & Field between the ages of 6 to 18 years old since 1990.

This years sponsors were: Nike, I Heart Media, Home Depot, Cummins Corp, Blue

Cross Blue Shield of TN, Fed Ex, City Auto, Pepsi, Shelby County Sheriff’s, Chick Fil La, Costco, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Landers Ford, Word of Life Healing Ministry, Cigna Health Care, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Brown Baptist Missionary Church, Plummer

Financial Services and state Sen. Reginald Tate.

The open meet was for ages 2 to 70. The competition pitted athletes in the 50 meters (2-5 years); 1500, 4x100 relay, 400, 100, 800, 200 and 4x400 relay(6 to 70 years); shot put and long jump.

Pictured (l-r) Margret Wilburn(1956 Olympic Bronze medalist), Calvin Anderson (senior VP/ chief of staff, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee), Marvin Ellison (J. C. Penny’s president/CEO designee), Rochelle Stevens, Joel Codgill (area general manager, Home Depot), and Beatrice Davis (Gold & Silver medal Olympic coach)

Sen. Reginald Tate, Olympian Rochelle Stevens and state Rep. G. A.

Olympian Trell Kimmons leads the way with other elite Olympians in the 200 meter dash.

Young participants running 4x100 meter relay. (Photos: Photos: Michael T. Newman)