The New Tri-State Defender – March 19, 2020

Get TSD news, online anytime at TSDMemphis.com

VOL. 69, No. 12

March 19 - 25, 2020

Looking out for the highly ‘vulnerable’

by Joy Doss

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Erica R. Williams

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

INDIVIDUAL PROFILES: Pages 6-7 (Photos: Demarcus Bowser) pretty good lookin’ present and future.

Yes, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. There will always be blemishes.

To those who need something else, go ahead and sow your Joy oats elsewhere.

Doss Leave the folks here who have true love in their hearts to carry on, grittin’ and grindin’ it out!

In this first column, we profile and share the stories of six Memphians. From music production to social justice advocacy, our first group of Expats and Repats run the gamut.

I’m a repat, so let’s start with a tiny piece of my puzzle….

Name: Joy Doss

Hometown: Memphis Lived In: Brooklyn, NY (12 years) Occupation: PR Consultant, Event Planner, Mommy to Addison I Love Memphis: Because there is no place like home! Memphis culture is so very, very specific. You kinda know a Memphian when you see – or hear – one.

What makes me so Memphis, Mane? Good, bad or ugly, I keep Memphis in my heart and a lil bit of “Pimphis” in my pocket no matter where I am. Don’t sleep.

Other “Negro Geography” Fast Facts: Went to THE High School, Central. College at UT Knoxville and Fashion Institute of Technology (NY). Proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority INcorporated. Of course!

So, that’s me in a nutshell. Read on and check out these other dope Memphians!

An acute need for multiple expressions of deep-seated love

by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

I’d not yet heard of the coronavirus or the COVID-19 nomenclature when TSD’s #ACCESS901 columnist Joy Doss broached me about the expat-repat concept several months ago. I embraced it free of any acute need to give my mental and emotional systems a much-needed break from a flood of news about a pandemic.

Yet, here we are. The series was delayed several times for varying reasons and was on standby when much of the planet got turned upside down in tandem with the rest of the nation and the world. While most eventually recover from the virus

$1.00

Coping with COVID-19

Taking stock of our expat-repat connectivity Let me start by stating the obvious.

Memphis is riddled with flaws as a city and a populace. This we know. Chief among them is an inferiority complex. I say this because other cities have issues, too, but their natives don’t seem to drag and downplay their cities quite like we do.

And trust, I definitely have issues with the city! But I love my city, I do. Part of loving something or someone is about embracing the ugly or uncomfortable bits while you celebrate and have all the feels for the lovely bits.

There are so many interesting people here and it’s not the predictable few you always hear about. This #Access901 expat-repat column is the first in a series that highlights people who have planted roots here on purpose.

NOT people that feel stuck but people with options. Moreover, these are people who have lived and/or have travelled to many other places and chose to either come home or make Memphis their home for the foreseeable future. They are investing in the city, its people and its legacy. They are building. They are representing.

Sometimes on the world stage!

In this framework, “Expat” and “Repat” are used in the hyperlocal sense.

The Expats (expatriates) are people who have left their hometown to make Memphis their hometown. The Repats (repatriated Memphians) like me are the prodigal sons and daughters, who have spent a significant time away from home then found their way back. Each of these people add their experiences elsewhere to the very distinctive, inimitable flava of Memphis.

To live in Memphis successfully is to love it unconditionally. You have to let Memphis be what it is with its own personality, traits and culture. We are who we are. It is what it is. And it ain’t what it ain’t.

You will never be happy here, if you continue to look for New York City things, Atlanta things, Chicago things or even Nashville things here. We got our own drip.

Yes, we have a storied and much-ballyhooed history, but we also have a

www.tsdmemphis.com

without hospitalization, it has proved to be deadly. And the stupefying fact that inadequate testing blocks us from knowing the extent of the infestation in the U.S. is sobering, if not downright frightening.

So, we move forward listening to our health professionals, washing our hands religiously, distancing ourselves from each other appropriately, isolating ourselves as called for and being hospitalized when things have gotten that far out of balance.

All of which brings us back to Expats and Repats and the first in a series crafted to highlight people who have planted roots in Memphis on purpose. They are, Doss says, “NOT people that feel stuck but peo-

ple with options.”

As we hunker down, I thought it would be therapeutic to debut Expats & Repats, focusing in on people who love Memphis, flaws Karanja notwithstanding. I’m A. Ajanaku thinking that reading about the love of others will provide a reference point for each of us to reflect on our love for Memphis and its people.

We are going to need multiple expressions of deep-seated love for our city and each other in the days, weeks and months ahead.

The elderly and working poor, specifically those in African-American communities that experience the highest poverty rates in Shelby County, are the focus of some local leaders as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic become ever more real.

“Many African Americans and the working poor will be affected by the domino effect of this gradual shut down more than anyone because of the lack of insurance, resources and food access -- along with employment challenges,” Tennessee state Rep. Antonio Parkinson said.

Parkinson feels the state was not prepared for the severity of the virus’ impact. As of Wednesday, there were 73 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Tennessee, including four in Shelby County.

And while Gov. Bill Lee has declared a state of emergency, along with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s recent emergency declaration, local leaders said they’re not sure if the actions will be enough to support the African American community.

In an effort to provide some relief to working class families, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a multibillion-dollar bill Friday that guarantees sick leave for workers and their families affected by the coronavirus. It also injects funds into state unemployment reserves and guarantees free COVID-19 testing.

The Senate passed the bill Wednesday and

SEE VIRUS ON PAGE 2

ACTS OF FAITH

Spiritual leaders wrestle how to deal with COVID-19

by Lee Eric Smith lesmith@tsdmemphis.com

Can’t go to work. Can’t go to a Grizzlies game or concert. Can’t go to a movie. Can’t even go to a library or museum.

Those would all be places where we could escape from the anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic – to at least pretend that our way of life hasn’t permanently changed.

Church and other places of worship would be on that list too, probably at the top – it’s the only one that’s more than a diversion. People go to worship expecting someone to reassure them, tell them everything is going to be fine because it’s in God’s hands.

Believers can still hear that message on Sundays, but they ain’t gonna be inside the building when they do. More and more places of worship are practicing social distancing, telling

SEE FAITH ON PAGE 10

The New Tri-State Defender

March 19 - 25, 2020

Page 2

NEWS

Fourth COVID-19 case reported, SCS students to return April 6

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A fourth case of the coronavirus has been confirmed in Shelby County, but the case is unconnected to the previous three, officials said.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), we announced three. We now have four, and the fourth case is not connected to cases one and two…which are connected.

“It is not connected to case number three. But like case number three… this particular case number four, we believe, is also associated with travel,” said Dr. Alisa Haushalter, director of Shelby County Health Department.

Health officials believe the COVID-19 virus was contracted when someone visiting the fourth victim’s home was ill. The visitor contracted outside of Shelby County.

While there is still no evidence of community-based transmission, Haushalter said, “however… it is a red flag because we’re beginning to have

more cases that are not connected.

“This indicates that we can anticipate more cases as we move forward,” she said. “For both cases number three and number four, we are still engaging in the contact investigation. That’s a very lengthy investigation in partnership with the individual and others that have knowledge of where they’ve been and who they’ve been in contact with.

“And then, there’s a need to identify those contacts, interview those contacts, prioritize their risks, and then place them in quarantine.”

Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Joris Ray took the occasion to announce that students’ return to school has been pushed back from the originally projected date of Monday, March 30 to Monday, April 6.

In addition, some 60 sites will be opened throughout the county for students to pick up food packages for children who may be food insecure.

“The health and safety of our

students, their families and staff members continue to be our highest priority,” Dr. Ray said.

Dr. Ray said many students have contacted contacting about prom, graduation and school activities.

All school activities, practices, performances, parent meets are postponed during this school closure.

Other updates for SCS include:

• The ACT April 4 test date has been postponed until June 18.

• Starting Monday, March 23, the 60 walk-up or drive-up food distribution sites will open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., for students 18 and under. Charter, private, all students are included.

• Parents, starting late Wednesday, March 18, can access resources to engage students with learning guides for all grades, in English, Language Arts, Math, Science, and a hybrid plan with virtual learning opportunities through Voices of Shelby County

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Food prep activities, packaging and refrigerated truck loading were on display at the Shelby County Schools (SCS) Nutrition Service Center, 3176 Jackson Ave., in advance of the meal plan distribution during district-wide closure in response to COVID-19.

(Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises) properties. There are roughly 6.7 million residents in HUD housing.

Like local officials, however, housing advocates and lawyers across the country are demanding a nationwide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures.

In their letter, Easter-Thomas and Sawyer also urged the release of low-level non-violent inmates in order to curb widespread COVID-19 transmission in county jails.

Monday, the Shelby County Public Defender’s office issued a similar plea. Public Defender Phyllis Aluko called for the release of the office’s clients who are being detained solely because they cannot afford bond.

“Allowing these clients to be released pending resolution of their charges will ensure that they are not forced to choose between remaining incarcerated where they will be particularly vulnerable to an outbreak of Covid-19 and accepting a plea bargain solely to get out of an environment that poses a risk to their health,” a press release issued by the office stated.

Two inmates at Shelby County Division of Corrections have been tested for COVID-19 after showing

symptoms of viral infection. The results of those tests are still pending.

Public safety isn’t the only concern that leaders said can drastically affect African- American communities.

School closures and their impact on education also is a top concern during the Covid-19 pandemic.

To combat the issue, Easter-Thomas and Sawyer also penned a letter to Gov. Lee calling for the suspension of state testing for the 2019-20 school year. This comes on the heels of Shelby County Schools’ recent announcement to extend school closures until at least April 6.

Legislation was introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly earlier this week to suspend state testing and waive the required 180 days of classroom instruction this year.

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases climb nationally and locally, leaders said they’re hoping to mitigate the spread of the virus by providing more access to healthcare in communities of color.

Christ Community Health Services recently announced the opening of a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in the parking lot of its location at 3360

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• Students who do not have digital access at the home can pick up instructional support lessons at the site where food is being picked up.

Dr. Ray expressed concern about the digital divide and the level to which “this crisis has amplified the digital divide.”

The goal moving forward, he said, is to have a digital device in the hands of each student. He called on corporate and community partners to

financially support the effort to level the playing field for students who do not have computer access at home.

When full school operations resumed, the administration will look at postponements. However, Dr. Ray said the possibility must be considered that this may be the end of the school year.

Additional information on food distribution, instructional support, and facts regarding the coronavirus can be found on the district’s website: scsk12.org.

“If people aren’t able to go to work and pay their bills, we don’t want to exasperate our already high level of poverty in Memphis by increasing evictions because people cannot pay their bills.”

– Michalyn Easter-Thomas

VIRUS

sent it to President Trump for his signature.

In an emergency tele-call hosted by the NAACP Monday, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris urged attendees to reach out to their senators in support of what she considered a “crucial bill for communities of color.”

“The devil is in the details,” Parkinson said of the bill. “No one knows who will be eligible for that relief. And how it needs to be paid back. And more importantly do we thinking it’s going to be enough for our people?”

The state representative said he and other leaders will continue working in the meantime by introducing legislation at the state level that will provide SNAP and emergency unemployment benefits for those in need.

And while he said he’s optimistic about the success of those efforts, they are still in the preliminary phases.

Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer and Memphis City Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas are looking for more immediate results from the county. The two issued a letter to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Sheriff Floyd Bonner calling for them to issue a freeze on evictions for the foreseeable future.

“If people aren’t able to go to work and pay their bills, we don’t want to exasperate our already high level of poverty in Memphis by increasing evictions because people cannot pay their bills,” Easter-Thomas said via a live video on her website. “We want to keep the average worker in mind.”

The President said Wednesday the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has halted all evictions and foreclosures until May 1 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The order only applies to HUD-owned

The drive-thru became the option of choice for many Starbucks customers after in-store seating was eliminated and only orders to go taken inside because of COVID-19. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

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Third St. Testing will take place by appointment only, Saturday, March 21, from 8:30 am to 11:30 am.

“Christ Community serves the individuals who have great need,” Shantelle Leatherwood, chief executive officer, said. “We focused on the Third Street location because of the elderly population in that area and we want to ensure the individuals with a need have access to care.”

Pastor Ricky Floyd, senior pastor of Pursuit of God Transformation Center in Frayser has a similar goal to serve individuals in need of assistance.

He and his team, in partnership with the Mid-South Food Bank are preparing to give away hundreds of food baskets Friday to residents who reside in the 38127 and 38107 Zip codes (Frayser and part of North Memphis).

“We are in a community that is already challenged with the lack of resources and in a crisis or a time of panic, the law of self-preservation kicks in. We as a community and especially the church must take this crisis opportunity to display to the community who Christ is,” Floyd said.

With the uncertainty of what’s to come surrounding the impact of the growing pandemic, leaders are hoping their effort will alleviate some of the anxiety and hardships that residents may potentially face. But, they’ve made it clear, the work cannot be done in silos.

“The pandemic is going to force the African-American community to become the village again,” Rep. Parkinson said. “It’s going to force us to share resources, help out neighbors

and create even stronger bonds with children, parents, and communities.”

Free Internet access and Low-Cost Broadband ?

To help families shelter in place through this health crisis, some utility, phone and cable companies are taking steps to connect low-income families to digital technology during this critical time.

For example, Comcast Corp. is offering free access to its Xfinity WiFi hot spots for everyone, including non-subscribers, for the next 60 days.

To find an Xfinity WiFi Hotspot, check the hotspot location map at wifi.xfinity.com or download the Xfinity WiFi Hotspots app from the App Store or Google Play.

As school districts and colleges move classwork and instruction online, Comcast also is offering 60 days of complimentary service for individuals who sign up now for Internet Essentials, which is available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month. The Cable giant also will increase Internet speeds for the Internet Essentials service from 15/2 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps, which will be the speed of the service going forward.

“In this way, we will ensure that Internet Essentials customers will be able to use their Internet service for all their increased needs as a result of this health crisis,” Comcast officials said.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water has suspended disconnections and late fees until further notice.

Check with your Internet, phone or utility provider for additional details.

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The New Tri-State Defender

March 19 - 25, 2020

Page 3

If I could do one thing, I’d make sure we stay healthy.

If you could do one thing for your community, what would it be? More walk-in clinics? More funding for health services closer to home?

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, March 19 - 25, 2020, Page 4

#ACCESS901

Boss Up: Dolen Perkins-Valdez

by Joy Doss

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Memphian Dolen Perkins-Valdez is super dope. I have had long-time great admiration and respect for her.

First, she is one of the only people I know who went from Memphis to Harvard University, where she double majored in African-American Studies and East Asian Studies. She also is the highly regarded author of the historical fiction work “Wench,” which was her debut as a novelist.

To hit the New York Times bestseller list on your first go-round… goals goals GOALS! “Wench” explores the lives of four young, enslaved women of color, who are mistresses of their wealthy white masters.

They are Southerners, who spend summers at Tawawa House, a resort in the free state of Ohio.

How did she come up with this idea? Reading.

Good writers oftentimes are avid readers. As she was reading the “Biography of a Race” about W.E.B. Du Bois, she came across the passage where Du Bois called Wilberforce University in Ohio, where he was teaching at the time, a “strange place.”

It was a place where Southern men took their black/slave mistresses on “vacation.” She was fascinated and wanted to pull this thread a bit more.

She did some digging, but there was scant recorded information. She decided to make it up. She bounced it off a good girlfriend, who advised her to write it or she would!

And here we are. Inspiration is any -- and everywhere friends! She says the lesson she learned from writing “Wench” was, “…to follow my nose. If you’re curious about the story, readers will be curious about the story.”

Perkins-Valdez, a professor of Creative Writing at American University, admits that, “Growing up I didn’t know a writer and didn’t know writing was a possibility.”

Then in college she wrote a short story she describes as a “silly romance story.”

She says, “I started to think maybe I can do this!” She applied for Jamaica Kincaid’s

workshop at Harvard, but was rejected. “I thought I just may not be a good writer. But I didn’t let that discourage me. I ended up enrolling in an MFA program for that reason. I knew I had a lot to learn.”

Joy Lemons meet lemDoss onade.

The major “aha!” came after college graduation, when she was home in Memphis for a bit.

“I would be sitting at my desk writing all day long. I would get up and write from about 8 a.m. until about 4 p.m. One day, I walked to Baskin-Robbins near my apartment … and (after talking with the lady who worked there) I realized I had lost track of the days!”

That’s when she realized that she could do this all day every day because that’s how much she enjoyed writing.

People always tell us to follow our passion. If there’s something you love to do and would do for free, then that’s your path.

But, no one said the path would be paved or without some fails. For instance, in her very first MFA workshop, her story got torn to shreds.

Speaking candidly, Perkins-Valdez says, “It was really painful, but also really sobering because I realized just how much I had so much to learn. I had never known how hard it was to write a good story…. It’s good to have that humility but you have to keep moving forward.”

However, she only recommends the MFA program if you can afford it. Do NOT rack up the debt.

Other pearls of wisdom: • It’s harder to find an agent than a publisher. Agents reject about 95% of the manuscripts they read. It’s not because you aren’t a good writer, but because they have their own interests. It has to be something they want to read.

• Don’t forget about the smaller presses.

Many of them are doing wonderful work.

• Everyone’s process is different. Her timeline from start to finish is about five

Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Photo: Gianni Neiviller) years, some take two years. But it can also depend on your other commitments – kids and family, job, other writing projects.

Perkins-Valdez is a married mom of two. She has several commitments and a job-job. So how does she push through? Again, she is transparent.

“Honestly, I don’t! Balls drop all the time. I just do my best and try not to be too hard on myself. Also, I have a lot of support, so that helps too.”

Perkins-Valdez also published a second historical fiction novel, “Balm,” in 2015, which is true to her five-year timeline. So, there should be something coming up soon right? Yes! She is working on another project but will be a contributor in the upcom-

ing anthology “Suffragette City” about the 1915 women’s suffragette march in New York City. The book is scheduled to released will be released in October to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the march and the 101st anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

“I’m happy that the editors included by voice because I wanted a black woman’s voice to be heard.”

We hear you. We see you. And we stand! #becauseofthemwecan.

Both books are available via all outlets – bookstores, Amazon, Audible, Kindle. Follow her here: @dolenperkinsvaldez on IG and @dolen on Twitter.

Eyeing COVID-19 and the consequences for African Americans

by Erica R. Williams

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“This virus will have dire consequences on so many, but specifically African Americans, which suffer from higher rates of chronic illness.”

That was part of the message of Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, conveyed Sunday evening during the NAACP’s emergency town-hall tele-call about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The truth is that there are so many within this nation that are disenfranchised from receiving adequate and affordable care due to socio-economic circumstances,” said Johnson The NAACP hosted the tele-call to focus specifically on the virus’ potential impact on communities of color.

“It’s going to be a tough several weeks ahead and things will get worse before they get better,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, who was among the health experts, elected officials and faithbased leaders that joined Johnson on the call.

“We know that older people and people with underlying health conditions, like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, are twice as likely to develop serious outcomes versus otherwise younger, healthier people,” Adams said. “These are conditions that we know affect African Americans at disproportionate rates. And we have to address them.”

Also “attending,” were: Sen. Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, La June Montgomery Tabron (President & CEO, W.K. Kellogg

Foundation), Dr. Rich Besser, (President & CEO Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), Dr. Jerry Young (president, National Baptist Convention), the Rev. Traci Blackmon (United Church of Christ), and Nicolette Louissaint (PhD, executive director, Healthcare Ready).

Harris noted a distrust among people of color and the government, along with health care providers.

She urged citizens to encourage their neighbors to go to the doctor when they feel sick and take necessary precautions.

Adams reiterated Harris’ plea, first saying that he’s aware of the distrust that some may have of him due to his affiliation with the current administration. He then reassured the audience that he “knows what it’s like growing up poor, black, and with

minimal access to healthcare,” adding that he’s spent his life fighting for “the poor, disadvantaged, and people of color.”

“I hope I can earn your trust,” he said. “Because now is a critical time.”

Adams also highlighted a threepoint plan that he said can help mitigate the impact of the virus: * Start off by knowing the risks, if you have any pre-existing conditions or are 60 and older; * Understand and control circumstances by social distancing and not gathering in places of 50 or more people; and * Be sure to get the facts through trusted sources such as the coronavirus.gov website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In June of last year, U.S. Surgeon Gen. Dr. Jerome Adams addressed the NAACP in Detroit. Later, he tweeted, “I have always said there is power in partnerships. When it comes to health, we cannot operate in silos. We need partnerships and collaboration. When we fight together for health—we win! ...”

Sunday evening, he talked with NAACP President/CEO Derrick Johnson and others on the NAACP’s emergency town-hall tele-call about the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: Twitter)

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The New Tri-State Defender

March 19 - 25, 2020

Page 5

RELIGION

Declining numbers, coronavirus crisis fuel closure of Holy Names

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Several years of declining membership and waning numbers of new congregants forced the Catholic Diocese of Memphis to consider a complete closure of Holy Names of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church, just north of Downtown Memphis.

The threat of a full-blown, coronavirus outbreak in Shelby County hastened the date of closure.

“Membership at Holy Names has continued a steady decline,” said Rick Ouellette, director of communications. “Of course, we hate to see any of our churches having to close.

“Holy Names was special. It was diverse. Although it was situated in an African-American community, the Sisters of Charity attended mass there.”

Since congregations throughout the city are moving to online and streaming worship services because of the COVID-19 outbreak in Shelby County, it seemed an appropriate time to close the church.

“And actually, Holy Names was not completely closed,” Ouellette said. “It was actually merged with St. Mary’s Catholic Church downtown. However, some congregates are choosing to go to Little Flower Catholic Church, also located near Downtown Memphis.”

After “a thorough evaluation and prayerful consideration,” Presiding Bishop David P. Talley of the Memphis Diocese felt it was time to finally close the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church, according to Ouellette.

“It was still a very difficult decision, although based primarily on the declining number of parishioners in attending mass,” said Bishop Talley.

“The parish of Holy Names experienced a dramatic reduction in registered parishioners, and most parishioners who live in the territory choose to worship elsewhere.”

The parishioners who have continued to worship at the Holy Names Church for years have been faithful to their parish, because it was their church, said Ouellette. Those who

LEGACY: Roosevelt Brown (1933-2020) TSD Newsroom

A neighborhood fixture at 697 Keel Ave., Holy Names’ parishioners were proud of the church’s 70-year history and desired to see a revival. (Courtesy photo)

stayed were proud of the church’s 70year history, and they desired to see a revival and the congregation return to its former glory.

However, a decline of the neighborhood, where the church stood at 697 Keel Ave. in North Memphis, has suffered over the past three decades with school closings, the decline also of homeowners in the community, and the loss of neighborhood businesses. Deserted buildings and blight have also plagued surrounding neighborhoods.

Parishioners remained faithful to the church they loved, and they are to be commended for that, Bishop Tall-

ey said. But it was evident that with fewer and fewer parishioners attending mass there, the time to close was near.

The final Sunday Mass at Holy Names was celebrated on March 8, with a gathering in the fellowship hall following the Mass. All sacramental records from the Holy Names Church will now be preserved at St. Mary Catholic Church in Downtown Memphis.

“It was a bittersweet end,” said Ouelette. “All sacred furnishings from Holy Names were carefully and lovingly removed from the church.

A century-plus celebration…

The Rev. Dr. Roosevelt Joyner, pastor of Koinonia M.B.C., was the guest speaker as Progressive M.B. Church members and their pastor, the Rev. Dr. James B. Collins (left), celebrated Progressive’s 102nd church anniversary last Sunday (March 15). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Speaking of legends…

Floyd Franklin (standing) was among those to receive Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital Living Legacy Awards bestowed by the First Episcopal District, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where Bishop Henry M. Williamson Sr. (seated) is the presiding prelate. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

The life of Dr. Roosevelt Brown, who founded the Arkansas Sickle Cell Anemia and was the husband of Arkansas State Sen. Dr. Irma Hunter Brown, was celebrated on Tuesday in Little Rock. He was 86.

Dr. Brown, who was born in Chatfield, Ark., grew up in West Memphis, Ark., and later taught there at Wonder High School.

A U.S. Army Roosevelt veteran, he atBrown tended Howard University College of Dentistry in Washington, D.C., where he later interned at Georgetown University.

Returning to Arkansas and through the course of his career, Dr. Brown worked at University of Arkansas Medical Science Center, the Arkansas Department of Health, Jefferson Comprehensive Clinic and the Dental Clinic at College Station. His dental work history spread over four decades.

An avid golfer, Dr. Brown was a founding member of the Twenty Four Holers Golf Association.

He also was a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and a Connecting Link.

He was a Deacon at Greater Archview Baptist Church and a present member of Union AME Church.

In addition to his wife of 57 years, Dr. Brown also leaves a daughter Rosetta (Kevin) Brown Coleman, three granddaughters, Railen Mason, Kaivyn Coleman and Raga Brown, two great-grandsons, a great granddaughter and numerous family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that charitable gifts be made to the Arkansas Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association Scholarship Fund at P.O. Box 55104, Little Rock 72215 or to the charity of the donor’s choice in Dr. Brown’s name. Ruffin & Jarrett Funeral Home of Little Rock had charge.

The New Tri-State Defender

March 19 - 25, 2020

Page 6

NEWS

EXPAT-REPAT CONNECTIVITY IMAKEMADBEATS a/k/a James Dukes

Hometown: Memphis Lived in: Brooklyn, N.Y., 7 years Occupation: Producer, Musical Engineer I Love Memphis: People from Memphis are disrupters, the ones who are willing to speak on taboo issues without hesitation. I love what’s happening here.

I’m so Memphis, mane!: …Memphis is in its own world, regardless to what’s going on next door. As a kid, I hated it; as an adult, now I love it. Now, this tunnel sound locked in its own world became the sound of hip hop. It’s been bubbling in this pot for a long time. It stayed Memphis and didn’t pull in other stuff. The major importance of the high hats in Memphis music – it’s unique to us and nowhere else.

I spoke with IMAKEMADBEATS at the CMPLX, which sits at the edge of Orange Mound. We chatted about The Prodigy, derivative poetry, uppity Negroes, the DJ scene in Europe and more. The whole conversation was dope. So refreshing!

IMAKEMADBEATS sits at the helm of Unapologetic, which is home to musical, performance and visual artists such as Cameron Bethany, AWFM and Catherine Patton. He’s also worked with Solange, Busta Rhymes and Ludacris as well.

Like most of us who left and returned, IMAKEMADBEATS’ experiences and opportunities helped him develop a new love for Memphis.

He re/connected with the sense of community here and the new movement that was afoot.

“Memphis communities have been filled with specific people for long, long periods of time,” he said. “The buy-in to community isn’t that deep in a city where there are transplants. New York is a transplant city, people come and leave.

(More importantly,) opportunities are no longer exclusive to having to live in a “big” city. The connectivity of the Internet and social media gives us access to information and people.”

Growing up, he spent a lot of time visiting his mom on the East Coast. “I used to think other places like DC and New York were so aware and up on stuff. But I was so wrong. …

“Factually and objectively, there’s no place like Memphis and I’ve been a lot of places.”

Still, he plan on staying here.

“But I saw that people were finally frustrated enough. When you find a frustrated community, you find a community primed for change. People will say, ‘This isn’t here. That isn’t there.

So we’re about to start our own stuff. And invest some money.’ Which this place, as we are sitting in, the CMPLX, is a result of this (frustration).”

So what’s up with the mask? Is it the social anxiety that he has talked about? Is he creating an international man of mystery persona?

Is it dismantling the cult of personality? According to Dukes, it’s all of the above, plus it forces people to focus on the music and the art rather than defaulting to presumptions based on height, looks, race, etc.

As we talked more about the music and his inspiration, which comes from anywhere and everywhere, IMAKEMADBEATS cited his major superpower as being surrounded by really creative people with dynamic backgrounds.

“We’re all different, but we’re all OK with being vulnerable with each other. …That’s what it is. Art is vulnerability. Then using it and emotion within that vulnerability to create.”

Art is the most “art” when you do things in the midst of uncertainty, he said. “It’s always something daring. …It isn’t about technical ability, but in what direction did you push this technical ability that was new and daring and different? These are the artists that are extraordinary and legendary.”

I would say we are looking at a legend in the making. And he’s from Memphis, mane!

Joia Erin

Hometown: Memphis Occupation: Policy Advocate, Just City.

Also, host of Ladies Night on SCS Radio 88.5FM Lived in: New York (2 years), New Orleans I Love Memphis: I love Memphis for our neighborhoods. Not only do we take pride in our high schools, we take pride in our neighborhoods. I love that Memphis has so many hidden jewels. And that so many people do things nationally.

I’m so Memphis, mane!: I’m a product of Memphis City Schools. We produce black excellence over there even though people will say it’s Eurocentric. I also use a lot of Memphis slang! I love a good cookout, spades and UNO tournaments. And

IMAKEMADBEATS a/k/a James Dukes

Joia Erin

Adriane and Trinette Johnson-Williams Go Grizzlies, of course!

Joia Erin returned to Memphis in 2011. You may have seen her discussing social justice on the national stage as a speaker for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s Capital Punishment Conference. Or, maybe she was advocating for the mentally ill, the poor, people of color and those more often on the receiving end of the country’s noxious policymaking. Or, maybe you’ve heard her, until recently, as the host of Ladies Night on 88.5FM/SCS radio.

Since her mom always wanted a lawyer in the family, Joia started down that path at Loyola University in New Orleans. However, it was clear to her mentors that she wanted to change the law, not argue it or make cases. Eventually, she switched her masters track to public policy after detouring to New York working for XXL, The Source, Vibe Vixen and managing artists, tours and festivals with Vital Marketing.

When she learned that her 90-plus-year-old grandmother was ailing, she came right home.

“I wanted to hear her tell me, ‘go put some clothes on’ one more time,” she said, laughing.

“And I didn’t want to be one of those grandchildren that get the call in the middle of the night and have to find my way back to Memphis.”

Joia connects to and with people, as a collective and as individuals, whether here, in New Orleans or in New York, where she had conversations with and learned from people with different faiths, family structures and ethnicities.

“New York made me more compassionate to different cultures and people. Being the daughter of a pastor and evangelist, you tend to drift (toward) conservative. There’s nothing wrong with being a person of faith, but you also have to be a person of tolerance. You cannot measure your moral compass by everyone else’s.”

Back at home, she was welcomed warmly, which buffered her as she made the necessary social and professional adjustments. For in-

stance, growing up she – like many of us – was taught to always work twice as hard and be twice as good as our white counterparts. In New York, she embraced the need for a more global perspective regarding competition and the importance of having an elevator pitch ever ready.

Adjustments notwithstanding, she continues to be enthralled by Memphis’ distinctive and inherent flava.

“Some neighborhoods have been able to maintain their identity and culture…the candy lady is still on the street. I love hearing stories of Orange Mound and Smoky City and Cooper Young and South Parkway…how the black elite lived along the Parkway.”

For Joia, the people here continue to be a big part of the Memphis sauce, which is exported globally.

“I have always been attracted to people. …

The Kameron Whalums, Elise Neals – people who left Memphis to do things nationally then bring that spotlight back on us. David Porter, Isaac Hayes, Cybil Shepherd.”

Leaving Memphis and coming back provided her a time frame in which to measure her social and mental growth. That measurement reflects a greater appreciation for Memphis and – in particular – a deeper appreciation for the elders in the community.

“It made me want to sit at the feet of those people who made a change and transformed Memphis,” she said. “And we are still transforming….”

Adriane Johnson-Williams, Trinette Johnson-Williams

Hometown (Adriane): Memphis Occupation: Special Assistant to the President for Strategy and Planning, Lemoyne-Owen College Lived in: Morgantown, WV, Washington, D.C, Wisconsin (25 years)

I Love Memphis: Because it’s my home.

It’s where my people are. And it’s a black city.

I’m so Memphis, mane!: I am both Lemoyne College and Wellesley College at the same time.

Hometown (Trinette): Puerto Rico by way of Canton, Miss.

Occupation: Owner, TJ Builds Moved to Memphis: In high school I Love Memphis: I love it because it’s so diverse. There are people from everywhere here. Not because of something fancy; people just want to put their roots. I felt this is where my roots should be. It’s home.

I’m so Memphis, mane!: I’m hustling every day! To me, Memphis is about that hustle for a lot of people. I get respect from real Memphians because of how I hustle.

----- ----Adriane Johnson-Williams and Trinette Johnson-Williams met five years ago in Memphis and married in 2014. Adriane is from Memphis and Trinette moved here from Como, Miss., by way of Puerto Rico.

Having lived in several cities, Adriane was in a transition phase, struggling with the decision about what to do next. She weighed whether to go back to D.C. to work in education reform or come home.

“I wasn’t sure what I would do at home. At some point, I was hearing about the (schools) merger process (in Memphis) and I was reading the articles. A lot of the comments that people were making were disturbing.”

Confident in what she knew about politics and sociology and about school improvement, Adriane concluded, “I can do something at home. …I want to work as hard as I can to dismantle all the mess that’s holding us back.”

Now, even when she feels disheartened, Adriane has no desire to leave Memphis.

The New Tri-State Defender

March 19 - 25, 2020

Page 7

NEWS

EXPAT-REPAT CONNECTIVITY Photos: Demarcus Bowser Thus, she will continue to work both here and there to bring light to young lives. Here next book, “A Kofi Tale,” is tied to West Africa and centers around Kofi Annan, the Ghanian diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, who served as secretary-general of the United Nations.

Big Sue

“Memphis is special. …I appreciate really complex problems. How do you solve a problem like Memphis? It’s very complex here but it’s worth it because it’s my town. Any improvements I make for black folks here, I make for my family. So I don’t want to leave. I can.

Even if I can’t make a living here, I’m not leaving because I can make a living in other ways.”

Does she see change in Memphis?

“Driving around, I noticed that certain parts of the city are glowing and sparkling. …White people are moving into parts of the city that I didn’t expect to see.”

Though Adriane describes herself as a realist, she is steadfastly optimistic about the future of Memphis. She nods to the emerging class of thinkers, doers and creators making their own way despite pressures to leave, feeling purposely silence, a lack of upward mobility and so on.

“Because they’re joyful in what they’re doing, that joy is going to sustain and help us to have a brighter future for black folk.”

Trinette’s dad moved the family from Puerto Rico to Memphis, settling in Germantown when she was in high school in the early to mid80s. In Puerto Rico, Trinette, who speaks fluent Spanish, encountered many who assumed she was African; in Memphis, the assumption often was that was Puerto Rican or “other,” especially with her reddish ponytail!

She finished high school at Kirby and initially found it easy to get a job, she said, largely because people believed her to be different because of the way she spoke. An opportunity with FedEx presented her with multiple options to move elsewhere.

“I wanted to stay here because it most felt like home,” she said. “I didn’t want to be anywhere too country or too fast. Memphis was the right speed.”

As she moved along in her process and up the ranks in construction, it became more difficult to get work, even with 10 years of construction experience and a master’s degree. Her number one fan (Adriane) spoke with some people who helped open some doors.

Her company, TJ Builds, specializes in woodwork – fences, closets, cabinets, doors. She also does construction management and provides

Big Sue

owner-representation services, which positions her to be the translator on a job site to facilitate communication between Spanish-speaking workers and non-Spanish-speaking contractors.

Much like Adriane, Trinette thinks of the greater good and about how to improve the lives of those around her.

“I pay my independent contractors a good wage so that they can handle the taxes and be able to do something other than buying a loaf of bread,” she said.

“Down the line, I see my business renovating and flipping homes to make affordable housing. So often people buy homes in these neighborhoods and raise the price points to where people who are used to living there are priced out. I would like to make money but I don’t want to get rich and leave our people out of the picture.”

Trinette and Adriane share a clear vision of the future. It’s both realistic and optimistic and right here in the “M. Onward!”

Katina Rankin

Hometown: McGhee, MS /Jackson, MS Occupation: Anchor, Local 24 News Moved to Memphis: 5 years ago I Love Memphis: Because of the children. During the time when I wrote my first children’s book, “Up North, Down South,” I fell in love with the children here. When I gave away books they received it like they were receiving a new bike at Christmas.

And it touched my heart.

I’m so Memphis, mane!: I think I was (so Memphis) before I came. Memphis is really just a larger Jackson. So I naturally became (so) Memphis….

--- ---The kids in Memphis are what has kept her here and endeared her to our fair city.

Five years ago, Katina moved here from Jackson, MS, having also worked at news stations in Nashville and in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. Memphis is an intentional choice but like many professionals, she had options.

“I used to always say I want to go here or there but I stopped that. What I want is not always what God wants. So, I sit still until He says go or stay.”

Katina Rankin

Memphis was not unfamiliar territory; her sister lived here for some time. Katina traveled to and from Memphis on the weekends to help with her niece and nephew.

Then came the definitive clarion call she was seeking.

“I thought that I was coming to Memphis for television. (But) it was about those babies. It wasn’t until I got to Memphis that I published that book. It sat in a box for nine years. And it was published out of pain. My mom was diagnosed with blood cancer. For 6 months, I would leave work at 10:30 p.m. and drive four hours to McGhee (Mississippi, her hometown).”

During a visit home, she came across the manuscript for her children’s book “Up North Down South.” She recalled climbing into bed with her mother and reading it to her.

“Mom smiled and said two words – ‘publish it.’ Had I not come here and gone through that experience with her, I would have never published that book.”

That book since has taken her across the globe. See what happens when you’re still?

Live it and learn, people!

She told me of her visit to the Noyaa school in Jamestown, Ghana, her work with them to secure new land and the 30-minute documentary she is producing. She speaks fondly of her time spent in schools reading to kids and giving away books, impressing upon students the importance of reading.

As a poor kid growing up, books had been her passport. Now, when she signs books, she always includes this message: “With books you can go places. #Read.”

She loves that Memphians have “embraced me even as an outsider. They just welcome me in like I’ve been here the whole time. It’s priceless. Not every city is this way.”

What’s next for the journalist, do-gooder and griot? More books of course! And more work with kids, and in particular, Noyaa (now called Genesis), the school adopted.

Acknowledging and expressing concern for the low literacy and the high poverty rates in our own backyard, Katina said in Jamestown there is “an unimaginable abject poverty – children sleeping on abandoned boats or in boxes on the beach amidst an intolerable stench with no running water or sewage system.”

Hometown: Born in Chicago, grew up Omaha, Neb. Occupation: On-air personality, K97/ iHeart Media (syndicated in 30 markets), program director V101, assistant program director K97, imaging for V103 in Chicago, voiceover work for iHeart radio Moved to Memphis: Since 1996 at University of Memphis, 22 years minus the one year she was gone.

I Love Memphis: The first thing that attracted me to Memphis was the people.

When they say “Southern hospitality” they had Memphis in mind. When you walk down the street and make eye contact, they say hello. They greet you. It’s just a different way of life. There’s a lot of love and a lot of pride. Being here, seeing how things are growing and how they’re changing yet maintaining its identity is one of things I love about the city.

I’m so Memphis, mane!: If there was a checklist, I probably checked off a couple. I’ve lived in multiple neighborhoods. I cut my teeth in North Memphis. I wanna eat at a restaurant that’s run and cooked

by Memphians. That’s what make me (so Memphis)…. Ain’t it mane?”

Almost everything Sue said throughout our chat is so Memphis. She embodies some of the best characteristics of our people and our city.

She celebrates Memphis and feels pride in our city.

“Every time a Memphian does something, we all celebrate. And we claim everybody regardless. If you were here when Triple 6 won the Oscar, you would have heard Memphians collectively losing their minds!”

The majority of Memphis folks don’t subscribe to “Big I’s and little u’s,” she said.

“Memphians are all approachable no matter what their station. They are all approachable.

Anybody from the city, any who left or came back…doesn’t matter what you do. It’s a family.”

Sue transferred to the University of Memphis with ambitions of becoming the female Spike Lee. She was a little daunted by the process and wasn’t that confident in her writing.

However, she has always loved music and has wanted to DJ since she was a young girl. Figuring it out in Omaha proved to be challenging, as there was no real access to the equipment she needed.

Once at U of M, she changed course to study communications. She’d done some radio in Omaha and worked at U92 while in college.

Subsequently, she was hired by Hot 107. Still, she didn’t get behind the turntables until she started receiving vinyl from a friend at Bad Boy, which renewed her enthusiasm.

“I bought turntables from DJ Jus Born, then he put together a crate for me (to work with).

DJ Spiderman gave me my nickname and my first mixer. It really speaks to Memphians looking out for each other, she said.

“The thing that continues to push Memphis forward when we talk about the culture is reaching out and helping someone else. Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Whatever success I have is because someone reached out.”

She had her first gig in 2004 (she still has the flyer!) in North Memphis and it was on from there.

She advises, “Continue to extend the hand and as Issa Rae says, network sideways. People tend to get into a certain space and they feel threatened by what’s younger and what’s next.

There’s more than enough and if you’re on your business, there’s always more for you.

“If your hands are so full of blessings that they’re overflowing, you have to share that.

Whatever I’ve learned, whatever I can hand off, whatever I can share, I will.

Sue plans to stay in Memphis as long as we will have her. She brings a sense of familiarity, friendship and a listening ear to her fellow Memphians.

“If I can share a joke or make the day better, I want to do that. And if I can be a source of inspiration for, especially for the younger ones, I consider myself blessed.”

So, I suppose we keep Sue; she can stay. Really, we’re happy to claim you, Sue!

The New Tri-State Defender

March 19 - 25, 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 8

ALL OVER TOWN

Social distancing is serious?

by Brianna A. Smith

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“The single most important thing you can do to avoid the virus is reduce your face-to-face contact with people,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University professor and longtime adviser to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As the coronavirus makes its way around the globe health officials and politicians statewide and worldwide are declaring emergencies.

In an effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic The CDC recommended against any gatherings of 50 or more over the next eight weeks.

Many public schools, libraries, universities, places of worship, sporting and cultural institutions have shut down temporarily.

These measures are an attempt to enforce distance between people, better known as social distancing, a proven way to slow pandemics.

Yet, young adults still don’t seem to be taking social distancing seriously.

My Instagram account was filled with friends and colleagues at bars, restaurants, airports and other public gatherings this past weekend as if nothing had changed.

I attended the Soul Food Truck Festival, held in Memphis this past weekend.

I admit that before doing in-depth research, my mentality was “there is no fun in staying at home and being all worried.”

Once I realized the seriousness of the virus, I immediately canceled my flight

to Florida that was scheduled for the end of this week and began taking precautions. (In a time when the coronavirus has decimated air travel, don’t be tempted.)

Statistically, millennials are more likeBrianna A. ly to be carriers for Smith COVID-19 because there are more of us.

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that adults between the ages of 20 and 35 now make up the largest living population, surpassing the baby boomers. Young adults also are less likely to show symptoms, which means they are more likely to spread the coronavirus without realizing it.

I believe that there’s a lack of information about both the virus and what “social distancing” actually is and that is causing a bit of confusion.

Some people think “OK, no school, no work, let’s have a play date!”

Well, that’s not social distancing.

Social distancing is not the same as self-quarantine or isolation, two other practices being utilized to minimize the coronavirus spread.

This involves remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance whenever possible to limit the ability of the virus to spread.

Other measures include working from home if possible, organizing meetings via video calls rather than face to face and avoiding unnecessary use of public trans-

The message on this Beale St. marquee signals the importance of social distancing in the effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

(Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

portation.

If you do have to be out and about, the World Health Organization recommends maintaining a distance of at least three feet between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. It is also recommended to avoid physical contact with others in social situations, including handshakes, hugs and kisses.

Since the transmission of the virus has continued across the U.S., there has been an influx of attention on social media to sway millennials to stay away from crowds.

Social distancing requires sacrifice. It’s time we take responsibility for our generation and the generations before and after us.

During this pandemic it will be important to follow any Public Health social distancing instructions or any other instructions or orders that may be given.

So please stay informed and plan ahead and prepare to hunker down for at least a month, possibly longer.

It is uncertain how long the pandemic will be ALL OVER TOWN.

The New Tri-State Defender

March 19 - 25, 2020

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For Memphis: Call/Text Travis @ 901-713-2640 OR Nadia @ 281-755-9489 For Nashville: Call/Text Charlie @ 615-674-0021 OR Crystal @ 612-470-9009 The following vehicles will be auctioned off@3430 Democrat rd Memphis TN 38118. On 03/31/2020. 2007 chevy Tahoe 1gnfc13j97r312777 / 2009 ford f250 1ftsw21569ea83026 / 07 Chrysler 300 2c3la23w27h630048 / 2007 Lexus ls250 jthbk262372032865 / 2008 Ford f250 1ftsw21r18ec48322 / 2012 ford fusion se 3fahp0ha7cr417072 LEGAL NOTICE Request for Bids RFB Number 20-0023 East Employee Lot Fence Sealed bids for the purchase and installation of the East Employee Lot Fence will be received by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, Memphis

International Airport, 4121 Runway Road, Suite B, Memphis, TN 38118-6613, until 2:00 PM local time, April 9, 2020. Responses will be opened and publicly read thirty (30) minutes after the response deadline at the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority’s Project Center located at 4225 Airways Blvd., Memphis, Tennessee 38116. A complete Request for Bids Packet with submittal instructions, additional data, and response format may be found on the Authority’s website on or after March 12, 2020.

A mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held March 24, 2020 at 2:00 PM in the Authority’s Board Room located on the Mezzanine Level, Terminal B of the Memphis International Airport, 2491 Winchester Road, Memphis, TN 38116. Only those attending will be allowed to submit responses to this RFB. All Bidders are responsible for checking the Authority’s website up to the submission deadline for any updates, addenda or additional information. In accordance with the Authority’s purchasing policies, the Authority will give a preference to businesses located in Shelby County, Tennessee when awarding contracts and making purchases, unless prohibited by law. The successful

PUBLIC NOTICE SHELBY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PROPOSED FY 2021 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN (JULY 1, 2020– JUNE 30, 2021) The Shelby County Department of Housing (SCDH) has prepared the proposed Program Year 2020 Annual Action Plan for the period from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 for Shelby County Fiscal Year 2021. This plan is required by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the receipt of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program Entitlement funds. The Proposed Annual Plan describes activities proposed by SCDH to address housing and community development needs, especially needs in low- to moderate- income areas of Shelby County outside of the City of Memphis.

SCDH was notified of CDBG and HOME allocation amounts and is basing this proposed plan on actual allocation amounts as follows: $1,197,084.00 in CDBG funds, $650,000.00 in CDBG Prior Year Unallocated funds, $10,000.00 in CDBG Program income, $417,723.00 in HOME grant funds, $150,000.00 in HOME Prior Year Unallocated Funds, $15,000.00 in HOME program income, and $93,987.68 in local match funds for use during Shelby County’s Fiscal Year 2021. The following table summarizes resources and expenditures in this Proposed Annual Plan: Anticipated Resources Allocation Prior Year Unallocated Match Program income TOTAL AVAILABLE

CDBG

HOME

1,197,084.00 $

417,723.00

$

1,614,807.00

$ 650,000.00 $ $ $ $ 10,000.00 $

150,000.00

$

800,000.00

93,987.68

$

93,987.68

15,000.00

$

25,000.00

$

676,710.68

$

2,533,794.68

$

Project Name

Housing Rehab/Minor Home Repair $ $ CHDO Set-aside Community Development/Infrastructure Projects $

1,857,084.00 $

CDBG

Total Funds

HOME

TOTAL

350,000.00 $

572,279.93 $

922,279.93

$

62,658.45 $

62,658.45

750,000.00 $

- $

750,000.00

Public Service $

50,000.00 $

- $

50,000.00

Program Delivery $ Administration and Planning $

210,000.00 $

- $

210,000.00

239,416.80 $

41,772.30 $

281,189.10

TOTAL $

1,599,416.80 $

676,710.68 $

2,276,127.48

The Proposed Annual Plan for July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 will be available for public review from April 1, 2020 through April 30, 2020 at the Shelby County Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38134 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additionally, these documents will be available at the following library branches in Shelby County if they are open to the public: Benjamin Hooks Central Library, Arlington Library, Bartlett Library, Collierville Library, Germantown Library and Millington Library and by clicking on the Reports and Plans link under the Department of Housing webpage on the Shelby County website at http://www.shelbycountytn.gov/388/ Housing. In the event that Shelby County Government and/or libraries are closed to the public, the Proposed Annual Action Plan for Program Year 2020 will still be publicly available electronically at the link above.

In order to solicit public comments on the Proposed Annual Action Plan SCDH will hold an in-person public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at the Shelby County Code Enforcement, Training Room, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134.

The training room can be accessed directly from the parking lot west of the Code Enforcement building. Attendees should park and follow the signage that leads to the training room. . In addition to an in-person public hearing, there will be two virtual public hearings; Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 11:00am and Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 5:30pm. To join the virtual hearings go to this web address https://zoom.us/j/3793977959 and dial (301) 715-8592. If you plan to attend the public hearings and have special needs, please contact the Department of Housing at (901) 222-7601 by Tuesday, April 14, 2020 and we will work to accommodate you. In the event that Shelby County Government is closed to the public at the time of the in-person public hearing, the hearing will be canceled. The virtual public hearings will still be conducted even if Shelby County Government is closed to the public.

For those unable to attend the public hearings, written comments will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. on May 1, 2020. Written comments should be addressed to Ms. Sydney Wright (Sydney. wright@shelbycountytn.gov), Shelby County Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. SCDH will respond to written comments within five working days of their receipt.

For questions concerning the Program Year 2020 Proposed Action Plan, please contact the Department of Housing at 901-222-7600 or TTY at 901- 222-2300.

Para mas información en español, por favor llame al 901-222-3993.

The Shelby County Department of Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or provision of services. Equal opportunity/ equal access provider.

Lee Harris, Shelby County Mayor Attest: Scott Walkup, Administrator Department of Housing

Bidder must sign a contract with the Authority that includes Federal Aviation Administration provisions, if applicable, regarding the Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis-Bacon, Affirmative Action, Debarment and Suspension, and Drug-Free Workplace, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all responses to this Request for Bids in whole or in part; to waive any informalities, technicalities, or omissions related to this Request for Bids; and to reject responses on any other basis authorized by the Authority’s purchasing policies.

The Authority is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination based on the grounds of age, race, sex, color, national origin, disability, marital status, military service, or sexual orientation in its hiring and employment practices and in the admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services, and activities.

By order of: Scott A. Brockman, A.A.E. President and CEO Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority NOTICE TO BIDDERS Shelby County Government has issued Sealed Bid number I000607, Purchase and Installation of a Seamless Floor and Wall System in the IRC Building 1, 961 Sycamore View, at the Shelby County Division of Corrections.

Information regarding this Bid is located on the County’s website at www.shelbycountytn.gov . At the top of the home page, click on the dropdown box under “Business”, Click on “Purchasing” and “Bids” to locate the name of the above described Sealed Bid. SEALED BID I000607 DUE DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 13th, 2020 at 2:30 PM (CST) (SB-I000607) Purchase and Installation of a Seamless Floor and Wall System in the IRC Building 1, 961 Sycamore View, at the Shelby County Division of Corrections A MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETING WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, MARCH 27TH, 2020 @9:30 A.M. (CST) AT 6200 HALEY ROAD, CORRECTIONS MAINTENANCE OFFICE, MEMPHIS, TN 38134.

ALL INTERESTED RESPONDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING. FAILURE TO ATTEND THIS MEETING WILL RESULT IN THE REJECTION OF YOUR BID, I.E. CONSIDERED AS NON-RESPONSIVE. 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.

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Tareyton Mason Tax Parcel #: 02201600000020 Tax Sale #: 1601 Price Offered: $200.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 3:00 p.m. on April 3, 2020, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

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Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Roger 104 K Plan Tax Parcel #: 08201200000080 Tax Sale #: 1601 Price Offered: $800.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on April 3, 2020, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Kenyatta Mathena Tax Parcel #: 04204900000150 Tax Sale #: 1302 Price Offered: $1400.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on April 1, 2020, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Remembering W.C. Handy...

In town to review the plans for the renovation of Handy Park on Beale St. and maximizing use of the W.C. Handy home, Dr. Carlos Handy (right), the grandson of W.C. Handy (Father of the Blues), stopped by office of The New Tri-State Defender with the Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr., and Dr. Handy’s wife (not pictured), Dr. Maribel Handy. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

COVID-19 Response Fund launched

The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, City of Memphis, Shelby County Government, United Way of the Mid-South and Momentum Nonprofit Partners/MidSouth Philanthropy Network have launched the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund.

Hosted by the Community Foundation, the fund is seeded with a $250,000 donation from the Nike Foundation.

It will provide flexible funding to nonprofit organizations working with impacted community members dealing with the economic consequences of the outbreak in West Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas, and Northern Mississippi.

The first phase of the rapid-response grants will ad-

dress: • The economic impact of reduced and lost work because of the novel coronavirus outbreak; • Immediate needs of economically vulnerable populations caused by closures and cancellations related to COVID-19; • Increased demand for medical information and support; and • Fear and confusion about the outbreak among the region’s most vulnerable residents.

Grants will be based on the amount of funds received, with the first round of grants being allocated in the next few weeks.

To donate online and learn more, visit cfgm.org/COVID.

Uplift the Community Grant Are you interested in having a positive impact on your community and need an “Uplift” to get you started?

The NAACP Memphis Branch, The New Tri-State Defender and Kroger Delta Division are partnering on the Uplift Your Community Grant Program.

If you are a 501(C)3 and have a program or idea on how to:

Improve your community Decrease crime Decrease blight Please consider applying for the grant.

The grant application process opens on January 16, 2020 and closes on March 31, 2020. For more information about grant criteria visit the NAACP Memphis Branch website at www.naacpmemphis.org.

THE NEW

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Page 9

TRI-STATE DEFENDER

The New Tri-State Defender

March 19 - 25, 2020

NEWS

Memphis in May uncertain as group returns from Ghana

All booked up...

Effective Wednesday, March 18, all city library branches will close until further notice.

Library programs and events have been suspended until further notice.

Book drops will be available for returns. (Photo: Brian Ramoly)

FAITH

CONTINUED FROM FRONT their flocks to stay home and watch online.

Which brings us to this defining moment for spiritual leaders and their followers from every faith tradition and denomination: How do you bring people together to worship, fellowship and serve when you can’t physically bring people together?

That was the fundamental theme addressed Tuesday during a webinar hosted by Church Health.

Christian, Muslim and Jewish clergy gathered – some remotely via videoconference – to discuss everything from how to alleviate fear, how to maintain food ministries and services that the needy rely on, and the fiscal realities of having zero butts in seats on Sundays for God knows how long.

Of course, it started with a prayer – specifically Bishop David Talley of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, in the spirit of religious unity, sharing a prayer from an Episcopal bishop.

“Lord God, may we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake,” Talley prayed. “May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home remember those who must choose between preserving their health are making their rent.

“May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when our school closes remember those children who will go hungry with no school meals,” Talley continued.

“May we who have to cancel our trips remember those who have no place to go. May we who are losing our margin money remember those who have no margin at all. May we who settle in for quarantine at home remember those who have no home.

“As fear grips our country, let us choose love…. Amen,” he concluded.

For as much reverence and respect we confer on our spiritual leaders, it can become easy to forget that they are human too – which is to say that underneath the appearance of unshakable faith, many are wrestling internally with murky questions about how to do their jobs.

Listening to them do it out loud among their peers was a rare peek behind the curtain.

“The biggest piece for us as clergy is wrestling with our theological

by Dena S. Owens

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

beliefs about what is faith and what’s not faith,” said Dr. Stacy Spencer of New Direction Christian Church. “I hear a lot of pastors saying, ‘We just gotta have faith, God has us covered.’

But on the other side of that is the practicality of looking at science and faith integratively and seeing that the numbers are speaking to us – that we must take caution and tell our people to take cover.

“If we continue to do as we’ve been doing and meet and we’ve been meeting, the mortality curve will continue to spike,” Spencer said. “But if we stopped meeting, we can flatten that curve a lot sooner. So it took a paradigm shift for me to say that as a faith leader, I’m being more responsible for my people by not meeting.”

Citing stark data from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Rabbi Micah Greenstein of Temple Israel said they were among the first to shut down worship services.

“Whether we’re Muslim, Christian or Jew, the saving of human life takes precedence over everything else,” he said. “We have some of the leading infectious disease (experts) … and the data shows that one-third to onehalf of the entire population will be infected with this.

“I think the single most dangerous disservice we can do as faith leaders is to say that it’s going to be okay,” Greenstein added.

Rev. J. Lawrence Turner of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church delivered his Sunday message to a mostly empty sanctuary last Sunday, but the Facebook livestream had more than 8,000 views. Given how much pastors feed off of the energy of a live audience, he had other church leaders in pews to help simulate the energy of a full house.

“Preach with as much passion as you would if the sanctuary was filled with people,” he said. “And if you have a worship team, let them minister as normal.”

“People watching online, they must feel like they’re there to stay engaged,” added Bishop Linwood Dillard. “So we stay interactive, we’re talking about taking prayer concerns on the feed. People can (post), ‘Please pray for such and such,’ and during the altar call you call that person’s name. . . they feel like you’re actually in the room with them.”

But what about the money? Every religious center relies on its membership’s financial gifts to continue its work – financial gifts that are

dropped in a physical basket at a physical altar.

Online giving is certainly easier and more common than in years past, but will these places of worship be able to count on that?

“There is this tension of ‘Okay, we’re not meeting in the building.

People are not coming,” Spencer said. “God, we got to trust you, that somehow we’re still going to be able to meet the needs of ministry and pay our bills.

“But the bottom line for me,” he added. “is that I believe that if we take care of the people, God will take care of us.”

Bishop Phoebe Roaf, who heads the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee, was scheduled to be in the room for the webinar, but teleconferenced in instead – with good reason. She attended a church event in Chattanooga in early March but later learned that despite having no symptoms, she had been near someone who later tested positive for COVID-19.

“It just sort of shows that all of us can be at risk and not even know it,” she said.

In this crisis, sometimes the religious practices themselves can put worshipers at risk. Muslims pray five times daily across eight mosques in Memphis, a ritual in which they kneel and prostrate themselves, putting their faces to the floor with no idea how many people have done the same – or what pathogens they are carrying.

The Memphis Islamic Center recently hosted a meeting that included three infectious disease doctors who laid out in elaborate detail the risks of continuing to keep mosques open for prayer.

“If somebody walks in, and he had the virus, and he walked out, but then somebody came later on and prayed in that same position . . . That’s it.

It’s game over,” said Imam Anwar Arafat. “And the doctors explained that very clearly. And it was a hard decision.”

Then he quoted a verse from the Holy Qu’ran, indicating it’s better to preserve a single life than to preserve a house of worship.

“I understand during times of crisis, people try and find solace in prayer and go into the House of God,” Arafat added. “But we also have to make sure people turn their own homes into places of worship.”

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“They took our temperatures when arriving at the airport and again before departure on the return,” said Calvin Anderson, president of Best Media Properties, Inc., and publisher of The New Tri-State Defender.

Anderson, referring to his recent global travel, was one of 43 Memphians touring the Republic of Ghana, the 2020 Memphis in May International Festival honored nation in West Africa.

Each year, interested locals travel to MIM’s honored nation at cost.

The fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic, (COVID-19), has forced reduced travel schedules worldwide, which caused some MIM travelers to adjust flight times.

Prior to, and during their stay, there were no COVID-19 cases in Ghana.

Today, there are six reported cases in that nation.

The United States has nearly 6,500 COVID-19 cases, resulting in 105 deaths. As of The New Tri-State Defender’s press deadline Wednesday, Tennessee reported 73 active cases, including four in Shelby Count, and no deaths.

COVID-19 has disrupted American lives through closed schools and businesses, and cancelled events.

Many workers have been ordered to work from home (or simply hunker down at home) to promote “social distancing,” as a way to slow the spread of the virus.

Memphians, like most Americans, have scrambled to buy groceries, fuel, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bottled water and masks, and are cautioned to stop hoarding as needed items will still be available.

Panicked citizens have emptied grocery store shelves, leaving vital supplies scarce and causing price gauging in some cases.

“The ability to observe another country in their disease prevention process (was insightful),” Anderson said, adding that Ghanaians did not display a sense of panic, but carried-out the routine process for disease prevention prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“They were ‘calmer’ and not all-consuming like here. There were hand sanitizer stations at every location and the people practiced ‘social distancing’ recommended by WHO. We aren’t nearly as prepared for emergencies.”

Anderson said Ghana residents and tourists practiced preventive measures, but still visited the marketplace and other attractions. He added that Ghana officials did not observe the nation’s traditional hand shake, but met and greeted travelers with bows and elbow touch at this time of crisis.

Prior to the trip, Memphis travelers were required to take a series of shots (approximately eight in total) that prevent the spread of disease, includ-

ing malaria and yellow fever.

(A COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available, but research is underway worldwide, including at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. First shots of a trial vaccine were given Monday at Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle.)

Memphis in May 2020 Uncertain The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends postponing or cancelling events with more than 10 people in the next two weeks, as well as those involving more than 50 guests over the next eight weeks.

In six weeks, Memphis’ monthlong May celebration is set to start, but may face cancellation or postponement as advised by local health officials.

Anderson said a decision on MIM was not discussed during the Ghana trip, but will be once all 43 travelers return to the Bluff City this week.

After the third case of COVID-19 was reported in Shelby County on Tuesday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland issued a declaration of emergency in order to receive state and federal funds that pay for crisis interventions.

Beale Street Music Festival, World Championship Barbeque Cooking Contest, Great American River Run and International Salute to Ghana events may come to a halt, eliminating MIM’s estimated $111 million economic impact through 100,000plus visitors.

Cancellation will affect hotels, restaurants, airlines, ground transporters and retailers, and ultimately, workers.

However, President Donald Trump and the federal government are working to help the travel industry, small businesses and individuals out of work with temporary financial support.

Help in the form of cash payments and/or low-interest loans will soon be announced in detail.

Other major festivals have been cancelled due to COVID-19, including South by Southwest in Texas and the Ultra Music and Calle Ocho festivals in Florida.

California postponed Coachella and Stagecoach festivals until October.

If postponed, the three-day Beale Street Music Festival may have a different line-up due to conflicts in artists’ schedules. If cancelled, ticket sales (totaling more than $1 million at present) will be refunded.

Currently, rock, rap, pop, blues and country acts include Lil Wayne, Nelly, Weezer, The Lumineers, Three 6 Mafia, The Smashing Pumpkins, and others.

(For more information about Memphis in May International Festival, visit https://www.memphisinmay. org.)