The New Tri-State Defender - March 25-31, 2021

My ‘trial’ vaccine dose was the real thing

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell Special to The New Tri-State Defender

In a randomized, double-blind study that uses a placebo as a control group, you don’t know from the onset whether you received the substance under scrutiny or an innocuous, salt-water shot that looks like it could be the real thing.

It’s either all or nothing – 50/50.

You’re protected from the ravages of COVID-19, or you are not. The Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine study was being tested at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. On Dec. 14, I became one of 180 test subjects at that location.

There were plenty of Caucasian test subjects, both men and women. But African Americans were needed to test the viability of the vaccine in a population that was much more vulnerable to COVID-19.

I was called in for my six-month office visit. A nasal swab was taken, blood was drawn and questions were asked about any symptoms, either mild or severe, I may have suffered since the last office visit.

This visit had far greater significance than all the others. I received a call. I didn’t recognize the number, and I let it go to voicemail.

The message was a pleasant, friendly voice telling me that she is calling to schedule an ap-

Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell, a participant in the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine study, learned on Wednesday that she was among those who had received an actual dose – not a placebo – on the very first day. (Courtesy photo)

pointment for me to “take the vaccine.”

It is Friday afternoon, just before 5 p.m. I called back, but no one picked up.

I called back Monday, anxious to verify that I was making an appointment to take the vaccine. Yes, that is the purpose of the appointment, I

COVID-19 UPDATE

was told.

Naturally, I assumed I had received the placebo, not the actual vaccine back in December.

So, Wednesday (March 24) when I got to the

SEE TRIAL ON PAGE 2

Vaccination window opens wider

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Amid renewed pitches for area residents to be vigilant about COVID-19 safety protocols, there now is the pronouncement that by April 5 anyone 16 and up in Shelby County will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine shot.

“Today, there were 101 new cases reported,” Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Department medical officer, told The New TriState Defender on Wednesday. “Now, whether there are variants of the virus in that number, we don’t yet know. But we are monitoring the

new cases closely since about 15 percent of those tested last week showed some variants.”

The report of 101 new cases came after two days of totals below the 100 mark. Two new deaths were reported.

Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that Tennessee soon would allow all residents 16 and older to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Tennessee had been distributing the vaccine to health care workers, first responders, senior citizens and people 16 and older who have high-risk health conditions – including cancer, hypertension, obesity and pregnancy – as well as caregivers and household residents of medically fragile children.

On Monday, two new groups became eligible, including Tennesseans 55 and older and those who work in critical infrastructure industries. After having adjusted to vaccinations for those 55 and older, the City of Memphis on Tuesday started giving shots to people 45 and up.

According to Doug McGowen, the city’s chief operating officer, the appointment window will open on Friday (March 26) for those 16 and over to get shots. The first of those vaccinations are on track to begin the following Friday.

The x-factor is the availability of vaccine

SEE COVID-19 ON PAGE 2

County Commission turns one thumb up, one down on pipeline

by James Coleman Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A measure that would have asked the federal government to put a hold on the proposed Byhalia Connection Pipeline project failed on 5-6 vote by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners on Monday.

In a related matter, the commission also defeated, by a 9-2 vote, a resolution that would have approved the sale of two parcels of land earmarked for the project.

The 49-mile Plains All American Pipeline LP project would carry crude oil through Southwest Memphis to Mississippi. It would cut over the Memphis Sands Aquifer, the main drinking water resource for Memphis and Shelby County. Critics fear leaks and other accidents could harm the resource.

“With all due respect, the people at Byhalia may understand Memphis, but they do not live here. They do not drink the water,” said activist Keshaun Pearson of Memphis Community Against the Pipeline.

“They will not suffer the consequences when a spill does happen. We know they happen because only seven percent of spills are detected, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.”

The pipeline also would pass through backyards and properties primarily owned by African Americans, which has the proposed project open to accusations of environmental racism.

Katie Martin, communications manager for Plains and Byhalia Connection, said, “We had to go through South Memphis to connect to the refinery. It was not a choice to choose one people over another. We chose this route on purpose.

“We chose mainly vacant properties to (not) impact the community.”

There are lingering questions about what substantial benefit Memphis and Shelby County will derive from the deal, opponents claim.

“It does not have benefits for anyone except an out-of-state, multi-billion-dollar pipeline company. It puts every one of us, all of our water at risk,” said Pearson.

Opposition to the project has grown into a national story. Former vice president and environmentalist Al Gore recently visited Memphis to voice his disapproval.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis also is appealing to the Biden administration to pause the conduit’s moving forward. The goal is to have the pipeline rerouted or even abandoned.

County Commissioner Mick Wright, who voted against the federal resolution, said, “I just struggle with this. I think it becomes very political when you have a former vice president come into town. It’s harder on people of my particular political variety to join you on things like this. I am just not fully there. I apologize to the sponsors that I am not quite there yet.”

He also expressed the benefits derived from fossil fuels, economic and otherwise, as well as the need for cleaner resources to be developed. Right of way for the pipeline

TRIAL

CONTINUED FROM FRONT office, I found out everyone had been told to come in for the vaccine. But no one really knows who actually received the vaccine.

We were making appointments for the “unmasking,” or the “un-blinding” of test subjects.

A double-blind study means that when the shot is administered, neither the subject nor researcher knows whether it is a placebo or the vaccine.

I am given more forms to sign – releases allowing the

COVID-19

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

doses, with McGowan asking for “a little patience.”

In a video announcement on Monday, Lee noted that, “The federal government has asked us to make sure every adult can receive access by May 1, and Tennessee will beat that deadline.”

Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey later told reporters that the state was able to expand eligibility ahead of schedule largely because people in rural areas have been hesitant to receive the immunization.

Piercey noted that 20 percent of vaccine appointments in western Tennessee are currently full, while half a million appointments remain open statewide.

“If you’re willing or able to drive to another county, there’s

PIPELINE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

was a concern, however.

“I’ve heard the same concerns that Commissioner (Michael) Whaley speaks of from citizens, particularly with regards to our aquifer. But there are some other parts of this that concern me as well, including eminent domain proceedings. That is not how I would prefer to be handled.”

Commissioners Whaley, Reginald Milton, Mickell M. Lowery, Eddie Jones and Tami Sawyer voted in favor of the resolution. It drew no votes from commissioners Mark Billingsley, David C. Bradford, Amber Mills, Brandon Morrison, Van Turner Jr. and Wright. It was sponsored by Sawyer.

The vote ran contrary to the Memphis City Council’s unanimous vote to a similar measure during its March 17 meeting.

Although a message to Washington drew a successful, albeit lukewarm, opposition, the proposed sale of two par-

study doctor to contact my primary physician for more data on me. My temperature was checked and someone on staff left the examination room to see if I am in the vaccine or placebo group.

It doesn’t take long. In four minutes, my file is accessed, the door opens and I am told on the very first day, I received the vaccine.

It was not quite the dramatic moment I was hoping for. I was prepared to take the vaccine because I reasoned that more releases to sign must surely mean I was getting the real thing today.

But no, I have been protected from the virus all along. When the Pfizer and Moderna substances were being rolled out and trucked to every region of the nation, I had already been vaccinated.

However, I still got a needle in my arm – all those vials of blood needed for study.

My next visit is scheduled for Dec. 14, 2021 – my first anniversary in the Ensemble study. My twice-a-week symptom checks will continue. A phone app asks one question – whether or not I am experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19.

This is a two-year study and

research will continue. That is important if scientists are to continue improving the J&J vaccine.

OK, so let’s talk about it. You know, Catholic priests have been in the news asking those who are receiving the vaccine to reject the J&J because “it was made with the cell lines of aborted fetuses.” What? That never came up while the research staff was explaining what would happen during the study. The cell lines of aborted fetuses??? (I didn’t even know what a cell line was. Aborted fetuses, I did know.)

It was troubling, to say the

no restriction,” Piercey said, adding that the state will be working to find ways to convince hesitant rural residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Recent state data showed that about 21 percent of the total population was at least partially vaccinated against the

disease. As of Monday, Tennessee had recorded 11,709 COVID-19 related deaths, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University. That death count was the 15th highest in the country overall and the 20th highest per capita at 173 deaths per 100,000

people.

The 101 new Shelby County cases Randolph reported on Wednesday followed two days of totals below 100. Two new deaths were reported.

Last week, hospitalizations for the virus totaled 32 in Shelby County. This week, 43 are

least. The issue was in the back of my mind as I was having my temperature taken, but I never asked about it. I guess, I didn’t really know how to start that conversation.

Instead, I returned home from the clinic and did a little research. And by “little research,” I mean I “Googled.”

So, here’s the deal. According to Dr. Aleena Banerji, a member of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, fetal cell lines are not the same thing as fetal tissue. Fetal cell lines are cells that are grown in a laboratory

hospitalized from the virus.

Randolph said whether the new cases are the original strain or one of the variants, the preventative measures are still the same.

“It’s so important not to become complacent just because you have been vaccinated,” said Randolph. “We want to keep the numbers on a downward trend. Continue to wear masks in public because you don’t know other peoples’ status – whether or not they have been vaccinated. Avoid large crowds, and use social distancing.”

Officials are cautiously optimistic that there will be no significant rise in cases in the aftermath of wild, beach parties and other careless behavior during spring break.

“Of course, Easter is just around the corner,” said Randolph. “As more and more people get vaccinated and

setting. However, according to Banerji, these cell lines were originally taken from elective abortions in the 1970s and 1980s. The harvested cells have been grown in the laboratory to create fetal cell lines. This medical technology is being used in a wide variety of medical therapies for decades, Banerji said.

I am satisfied that the tissue of aborted fetuses is not being used to produce the J&J vax. I don’t understand all of the bio-research and ethics issues. But what I do understand is enough to offer some measure of peace.

everyone remains diligent about staying safe, the outlook in Shelby County will grow brighter and brighter.”

Vaccinations will be offered this weekend at a City of Memphis pop-up site in Orange Mound at Melrose High School.

Focus on veterans

This weekend, the Memphis Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center is offering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible veterans.

Vaccinations will be distributed at the VA main campus, located at 1030 Jefferson Ave.

You must have an appointment to receive the vaccine.

Veterans may call 901-5238990, press 3, (or 1-800-6368262, press 3) and stay on the line to schedule an appointment.

Vaccinations are available Monday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

cels of land slated for the pipeline’s path drew apprehension. A motion to defer the vote to the April 12 meeting offered by Morrison until the possibility of litigation could be studied was defeated.

“We owe the community a vote,” said Sawyer.

Bradford and Mills voted in favor of the sale. Billingsley, Turner, Sawyer, Whaley, Wright, Milton, Lowery, Morrison and Jones turned it down.

As the project nears, opposition and public awareness have intensified. Activists and other opponents were accused of abusive behavior by a representative of the pipeline during the five minutes allotted to each side of the debate.

“We know that many peo-

ple won’t speak up because of the unconscionable pressure and bullying that has been targeted at our consultants and even at nonprofit leaders. But our supporters are still there,” said Martin, who also accused local media of sitting on letters from pro-pipeline residents.

“Ninety-six percent of landowners have signed easements. Over 8,000 letters of support from Memphians and Shelby County residents have been sent to all the elected officials here and to others throughout the city of Memphis.”

Sawyer defended constituents and opponents of the project from criticisms from Mills, who chided some’s monotone delivery “read straight from script” and “being told to call me” or for sending form letters.

Mick Wright Tami Sawyer

EVANSTON, Ill. – Using tax money from the sale of recreational marijuana, the Chicago suburb of Evanston has become the first U.S. city to make reparations available to its Black residents for past discrimination and the lingering effects of slavery.

The City Council on Monday voted 8-1 to begin making good on its pledge to distribute $10 million over the next 10 years with the distribution of $400,000 to eligible Black households. Each qualifying household would receive $25,000 for home repairs, down payments on property, and interest or late penalties on property in the city.

The move by the Illinois community comes as hundreds of communities and organizations across the country are considering providing reparations. In Evanston, besides revenue from a 3 percent tax on the sale of recreational marijuana, a small por-

tion of the money – $21,340 – is coming to the city in private donations.

Qualifying residents must either have lived in or been a direct descendant of a Black person who lived in Evanston between 1919 to 1969, or that person’s direct descendant, who suffered discrimination in housing because of city ordinances, policies or practices. Also, residents who also experienced discrimination due to the city’s policies or practices after 1969 can qualify.

Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, who proposed the program that was adopted in 2019, said groups in support of reparations have offered pro-bono legal assis-

tance if the program is challenged in court.

“This is set aside for an injured community that happens to be Black, that was injured by the city of Evanston for anti-Black housing policies,” Simmons said.

At the same time, Simmons suggested that the money is just a start to right the wrongs of the past.

“We all know that the road to repair and justice in the Black community is going to be a generation of work,” Simmons said. “It’s going to be many programs and initiatives, and more funding.”

The City Council acted after dozens of citizens addressed the

body and the plan received some pushback from several.

Alderman Cicely Fleming, the lone vote against the plan, said she supports reparations, but what the City Council was debating is a housing plan that is being called reparations. She said the people should dictate the terms of how their grievances are repaired. Fleming described the program as paternalistic, and it assumes Black people can’t manage their own money.

Other communities and organizations considering providing reparations range from the state of California to cities like Am-

herst, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode Island, Asheville, North Carolina, and Iowa City, Iowa; religious denominations like the Episcopal Church; and prominent colleges like Georgetown University in Washington.

The efforts, some of which have been underway for years, have gained momentum in the wake of the death of George Floyd in police custody last May in Minneapolis. President Joe Biden has even expressed support for creating a federal commission to study Black reparations, a proposal that’s languished for decades in Congress.

ISEP: An approach to preventing violence and homicide

by Dr. Bruce W. Randolph Special to

In

percent of all total violent incidents were gun related compared to 60.2 percent in 2019.

Memphis Police Department reported that a record high of 332 homicides occurred in Memphis in 2020. This is 139 (73 percent) more than the number of homicides (191) reported in 2019. 38 (11 percent) of these homicide victims were under 18 years of age.

In 2017, there were 19,510 deaths by assault (homicides) in the United States, 556 in Tennessee and 195 in Shelby County. Homicide rates were 6/100,000 people for the United States, 8.3/100,000 for Tennessee, and 20.8/100,000 for Shelby County. In essence, the overall homicide rate in Shelby County is 3.5 times higher than that of the Nation and 2.4 times that of the State.

Of the 195 deaths that occurred in Shelby County in 2017, 49.2 percent involved victims ages 18-34 and 39.0 percent of the victims were ages 3565. Therefore, 88.2 percent of the homicide victims were ages 18-64. Also, 84.6 percent of the victims were male compared to 15.4 percent female; 85 percent were African American compared to 12.8 percent white and 92.3 percent of the homicides involved a firearm.

Further analysis of homicide deaths in Shelby County revealed that the homicide rates by County Commission Districts ranged from the lowest rate 5.2/100,000 (District 2) to the highest rate 127.5/100,000 (District 10).

The four County Commission Districts with the highest homicide rates are District 10 (127.5/100,00), District 8 (92.5/100,000), District 7 (91.4/100,000), and District 9 (85/100,000).

The four County Commission Districts with the lowest homicide rates are District 2 (5.2/100,000), District 4 (9.3/100,000), District 11 (17/100,000), and District 12 (25.5/100,000).

Only one County Commission District (District 2) has a homicide rate which is less than the rates for the State and Nation. The homicide rate in District 10 (127.5/100,000) is 25 times higher than that of District 2, 6 times higher than Shelby County (total), 15 times higher than the State, and 20 times higher than the Nation.

In an attempt to understand and explain the disparity in homicide rates between County Commission District 10 and County Commission District 2, I reviewed some demographic data from the US Census Quick Facts pertaining to Shelby County, Memphis and Collierville. Although the data are not specific for the two Commission Districts, I believe the data

are representative. County Commission District 10 encompasses the following neighborhoods: South Memphis, Central Gardens, Chickasaw Gardens, Cooper-Young, Midtown, Orange Mound, and Overton Square. While County Commission District 2 encompasses Collierville and portions of unincorporated areas of Shelby County surrounding Collierville.

When comparing Memphis to Collierville, the poverty rate in Memphis is 6.4 times higher, the median household income is 2.8 times lower, and the median value of owner-occupied homes is 3.1 times less (Table 1).

Do these disparities explain why the homicide rate in County Commission District 10 is 25 times greater than the homicide rate in County Commission District 2? I don’t think so. There are many poor people who do not commit violent crimes or homicide, and there are many rich people who do. While a lack of money may be a contributing factor to violence, I do not think it is the underlying cause.

Poverty alone does not explain why some people will drive down the interstate shooting at each other. Nor does it explain why someone will shoot innocent children playing in the yard, or shoot someone during the course of an argument.

Poverty is not an excuse nor does it explain why we are experiencing an epidemic of violence and homicides in Shelby County. We must explore deeper to get to the root cause(s)of violence and homicides). Just as a plant has multiple contributing roots, so do violence and homicide have multiple contributing causes.

Disparities in health status, life expectancy, and excess deaths between and whites and blacks are well known and acknowledged. Health status is poorer, life expectancy is lower, excess deaths are higher amongst African Americans compared to whites.

In developing strategies to address these disparities, two important things must be considered:

First, one must look outside the health sector and ask the question, who owns and controls income and wealth in the society? Health disparities are reflections of disparities in income, wealth, and political power in a given society.

Secondly, one must understand the relationship between the determinants of health and illness. These determinants include biological, environmental, behavioral, social, political and economic factors.

Numerous studies have shown that there is a relationship between socioeconomic status and health status. The higher the socioeconomic status, the better the health status of the individual or group. The lower the socioeconomic status, the poorer the health status of the individual or group. This relationship has been known to exist since the 12th century.

Analysis of the demographics of

Shelby County, Memphis and Collierville has led me to conclude that the relationship between socioeconomic status and health status that has existed since the 12th century continues today into the 21st century.

Today this relationship is known as “social determinants of health” –conditions in which we are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, age and die. Health disparities that persist today are the result of disparities that exist in these “social determinants of health”.

Risk factors for homicide include race, gender, mood or mental health disorders, reckless behavior, gang involvement, drug involvement, access to weapons or firearms, family history of violence, drug use, low family socioeconomic status, antisocial behavior, family abuse, substance abuse, minimal family involvement, and increased neighborhood crime. Often, the victim and suspects are acquaintances, friends, spouses, intimate partners, and family members.

Given that the contributing factors to violence and homicide are multifactorial, strategies for preventing violence and assault related deaths must involve multiple, simultaneous, comprehensive and sustained approaches. The approach that I am proposing involves practicing the concepts of “ISEP”:

I – Intellectual Transformation resulting from:

• Acquisition of knowledge and skills (education)

• Enhanced awareness and consciousness

• Commitment and willingness to change

• Positive thinking

• Love and respect of self and others, and one’s culture, and heritage

S- Social Change brought on by:

• Changing attitudes, values, practices, norms, and culture

• Establishing positive, productive, and healthy personal relationships

“We must explore deeper to get to the root cause(s) of violence and homicides. Just as a plant has multiple contributing roots, so do violence and homicide have multiple contributing causes.” –Dr.

Bruce W. Randolph

• Developing social cohesiveness and unity

• Engaging in collective work and responsibility

E- Economic Empowerment resulting from:

• Working productively

• Earning, saving, and investing money

• Spending and consuming wisely

• Developing businesses and creating jobs

• Pooling resources and forming coalitions

P- Political Engagement by:

• Becoming organized, forming coalitions and getting involved

• Influencing public policy and legislation

• Voting and seeking public office

• Advocating, lobbying, and campaigning

• Promoting and protecting one’s interest

The concepts of “ISEP” must be practiced on multiple levels: individual, family, community, city, county, state and nation. Unless, we individually and collectively, practice the concepts of “ISEP”, no significant changes in social determinants of health, violence and homicide will occur.

What would be the response of the people living in County Commission District 2 if the homicide rate was 127.5/100,000 instead of 5.2/100,00, almost 25 times higher? I believe that the response would be very dif-

ferent than the response that is currently occurring in County Commission District 10. I also believe that the reason why the homicide rate in County Commission District 2 was 5.2/100,000 rather 127.5/100,000 is because the people living in District 2 practice the concepts of “ISEP”.

We must come to realize that the change that we desire begins within, within our minds, hearts, families, neighborhoods and communities. We must realize that we have the power to bring about change if we have the will to do so. Others may help, but only we can liberate ourselves from the bondage and terror of violence, assault related death, and disparities in education, income, wealth, and health.

It is important that we understand that the first step toward freedom is to overcome fear. A fearful people will never become a free people. As a society, we must no longer allow our children, families, neighborhoods and communities to be terrorized.

Lessons from our country’s history teaches us that change never occurs without struggle, sacrifice, and service. The questions that we must all ask and answer are:

What struggle am I willing to engage in, what sacrifice am I willing to make, and what service am I willing to give?

Am I willing to practice the concepts of “ISEP”?

(Health Dr. Bruce Randolph (MD, MPH) is the health director for Shelby County.)

Former Harlem Globetrotter pastor makes smooth moves in pandemic

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

If there’s one thing former pro-basketball player and Pastor Eric Lee has learned during the pandemic, it’s that strategic moves work both on and off the basketball court.

“I met with my church leaders when the pandemic first hit,” said Lee. “And I told them, ‘There are some things in the budget that you won’t be getting.’ We did the same thing Jesus did when He fed the 5,000. He organized, He mobilized and He maximized available resources.”

How does that translate?

Lee started thinking outside of the box, or, outside of the four walls of St. Paul Baptist Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

St. Paul sponsored several new outreach ministries on social media platforms that have helped many.

The church hosted, “Talk About It Tuesday,” a partnership with a licensed

counselor who would come on and talk about some issues many were experiencing, such as depression, financial pressure and job loss, marital difficulties and relationship challenges.

Another church partner provided sound, valuable advice about finances and money management.

Also, many have been blessed with the dynamic teaching of the Sunday School Superintendent Dennis Luckett, a retired firefighter.

“We have enjoyed sharing Sunday School lessons with our members and so many new friends and followers,” said Luckett. “God has truly sustained us and kept us strong through this pandemic.”

As a pastor leading people through a pandemic that required periods of “safer at home” and isolation, Lee wanted to maintain the sense that St. Paul is a church family.

“We had to keep our us together,” said Lee. “We had to stay connected. I believe God served notice to all mankind

that He is still the Supreme Authority. COVID-19 shut down the entire world. Can you imagine if He removed Himself altogether and let everything happen that could happen? But through it all, God gave us some creative strategies which have helped us.”

One of the more popular activities has been movie night. Once a month, a drive-in movie is set up on the parking lot — big screen, huge projector. Everyone loves sitting in their cars and enjoying movie night, Lee said.

Lee feels the pandemic broadened the reach of small churches everywhere with social media.

Like many pastors, Lee found he was on equal footing with mega-churches. Virtual, live broadcasts and the ZOOM meeting platform were accessible to everyone.

“During our challenges with COVID-19, the Lord did several things,” said Lee. “The church as a whole has become a beacon of hope and light again.

Women’s history gets Mt. Pisgah salute ...

Steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the Lord through unprecedented times was the line of thought that set the context for the observance of Women’s Day at Mt. Pisgah CME Church in Orange Mound. The Rev. Dr. Angela M. Cooley

associate minister of Christ Missionary Baptist Church, was

featured

“The gospel has gone further, and God has broadened our reach. We’ve had many to come in and view our services from all over the country. And that is a tremendous blessing.”

Lee grew up in the Mississippi Delta city of Indianola and attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on a basketball scholarship.

He went on to play ball professionally with the Harlem Globetrotters and the Porta La Cruz Mariners in Venezuela.

Later, he graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg with a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management. Lee also holds master’s degrees in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing, and in Divinity.

Lee moved to Oklahoma City where he met his wife, Victoria Lee. It was there at Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church under Pastor A. Glenn Woodberry that Lee answered God’s call to preach the Gospel.

St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, like so many other churches across the South, was started under a brush harbor sometime after the slaves were freed.

The growing congregation later purchased property at 5960 Pleasant Hill Rd., on Feb. 22, 1886, in Pleasant Hill, Mississippi, present-day Olive Branch.

A white, frame church was built there. In 1937, the church purchased an acre of land to be used as a cemetery.

A larger church building was later built, and the historic congregation calls the location home.

Reading is fundamental …

The value of reading is a priority in The One Church One School program that now is 25-plus years old. CME Bishop Henry M. Williamson, presiding prelate of the 1st District, and Dr. Doris Williamson promoted the ongoing value of the program during the CME Convocation at Mt. Olive Cathedral last week (March 19). (below) Bishop Williamson and Dr. Williamson present a $1,000 check to Lucie E. Campbell Elementary school. Pictured (l-r): The Williamsons, Asst. Principal LaTosha Wiseman, Asst. Principal Jeremy Martin, Principal Latoya D. Jeems, and the Rev. and Mrs. Mason of Mason Florists.

(Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Pastor Eric Lee and his wife, Victoria Lee. (Courtesy photo)

(bottom left),

the

speaker. Radio personality Bev Johnson was among the notables.

(Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

The New Tri-State Defender, March 25 - 31, 2021, Page 6

Alma

LENS & LINES:

Lewis Hassell’s 95th Birthday

The tenth child of Elmo Lewis and Mattie Lewis was a girl that the Madison, Tennessee couple named Alma. That was 95 years ago.

Much has happened in the intervening years. While there has been sadness, there has been much happiness, including a drive-by birthday celebration for the now Alma Lewis Hassell held last Saturday (March 20).

Mrs. Hassell’s birthday actually was Feb. 23. Severe weather that restricted movement citywide last month forced a delayed celebration.

For her 95th birthday salute, 50-plus cars with well-wishers maneuvered to and by her home in Castalia Heights, where she has lived for 51 years.

“She is just the joy of everyone’s life,” said her daughter, Margaret, who heaps much love on her, along with her brother, Anthony Hassell Sr., and a host of other relatives and friends.

Retired from Goldsmith’s, where she handled men’s alterations and tailoring, Mrs. Hassell loves to travel.

“I’m a retired flight attendant. My mother has seen the world …” said her daughter, adding, “her two favorite places are Hawaii and Paris, France.”

(Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/ GSW Enterprises)

‘This is the Fire’ will spark a discussion

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

This really makes your blood boil.

This. The racism gone amok, discrimination, the protests that don’t seem to work, nobody’s listening. You’re hot under the collar over it all, totally inflamed, ready for real action, and in “This Is the Fire” by Don Lemon, you’ll find some sometimes-warm, sometimes-scorching thoughts to sit with first.

Coincidentally or not, as a trial begins soon in Minnesota, this book opens with a poignant letter from Lemon to his young nephew on the evening of George Floyd’s death.

Lemon writes of the legacy he got from his parents, his grandmother and his beloved older sister, and he tells his nephew that the boy is “old

enough to know what’s going on...”

There’s been enough complacency: “Silence is no longer an option.”

Once was a time, though, when things were kept quiet.

“My life has been blessed...” says Lemon, “but let’s be real: I grew up gay and Black in the South in the 1970s.”

Raised by an extended family of women, he heard stories of voter suppression, the denial of education and too many hard times. Several years ago, Lemon went to Africa with his mother, to a fortress where slaves left that continent; he grew up in Louisiana and knew about the area’s dark past. He acknowledges that things have changed; that some things are “‘different this time’,” but they’re still the same, whether you live in poverty you’ve been manipulated to be in, or you live in a well-to-do en-

clave and try to Shop While Black. Racism, he points out, is so endemic that we don’t always see it sometimes, or know its entire history. We condemn White Supremacy without understanding how it ever existed in the first place, we march to “defund the police” but forget that many Black families likewise fear a neighborhood without them.

“Racism... is a contagious assailant,” he says.

“Healing is you and me standing on the John Lewis Bridge. We can get there... if we’re willing to do the work.”

As today’s books go, “This is the Fire” is pretty thin. It doesn’t look like much, but dive inside for 10 minutes and you’ll see that it’s thick with hope.

And yet, one might argue that, despite that the words here are fresh and

current, author and CNN Tonight anchor Don Lemon doesn’t tell readers much that’s new. George, Breonna, Jacob, Stephon, Sandra, their names are familiar, and absolutely no one has forgotten the last White House administration. Readers get a bit of biography and that delicious Lemon sense of wry humor, but what else?

Perspective. Lemon’s thoughts are the kind that make you gasp. They’re I-never-sawit-that-way avowals that leave room for self-education, reparation with wisdom, honest reflection, and fixing what’s so deeply and wrongly embedded in this country. They demand that you think. Now.

And so, whether you’re up for a heated argument, a fiery debate, or just a warm talk with someone, this is the perfect time to read those words. “This is the Fire” will spark a discussion.

“This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism” by Don Lemon c.2021, Little, Brown $28.00 / $35.00 Canada 224 pages

Alma Lewis Hassell

COMMUNITY

The New Tri-State Defender, March 25 - 31, 2021, Page 7

SCS eyes normal school calendar after COVID summer ‘crunch’

Vote set for April 6

by Laura Faith Kebede Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Shelby County Schools leaders want to return to their regular school year calendar after a year of pandemic related changes – an option supported by most parents and teachers in a district survey.

The 2021-22 school year would begin Aug. 9 and end the Friday before Memorial Day under a proposal Superintendent Joris Ray presented to school board members Tuesday evening.

The proposed calendar means the upcoming summer break will be three weeks shorter than normal, but ensures that fall semester exams wrap up before winter break starts on Dec. 20. School board members are scheduled to vote on the calendar during their meeting Tuesday, April 6.

For the last year, policymakers and families have been focused on trying to stay well and help students learn. Discussions about the school calendar are an early sign of a desire by teachers, students, families, and district officials to return to normalcy even as effects of the pandemic linger.

District leaders started this school year three weeks late because of COVID-19 and to allow more time to distribute devices for virtual learning. The last day of school this year is June 16.

Because a new summer program required by state law is slated to start in early July and run for four weeks, participating teachers would only have one weekend off, and students would have only one week off before going back to school in August.

“It’s nonstop,” said board member Stephanie Love. “I understand that it’s give and take, but we’re going to have to show our teachers some grace somewhere down the

line.”

The Tennessee Department of Education allowed the district to shorten its summer program from six weeks to four, Ray said.

Superintendent Joris Ray speaks with a Riverwood Elementary staff member in the cafeteria with his mask on

Normal Memphis summer programs need about 1,800 teachers, said Shawn Page, the district’s chief of academic operations and school support. District officials expect needing double that number to instruct up to 30,000 eligible students.

Ray acknowledged the summer is “a bit of a crunch.”

But in conversations with small groups of teachers about the calendar, Ray said they were more concerned about making sure next year would end by Memorial Day than about a shorter summer. Starting Aug. 9 allowed them to do that.

Earlier this month, the district surveyed teachers, parents, administrators, central office staff, and other district employees. When offered two calendar options, about 64% of teachers and 66% of parents preferred the one with an earlier start date. About half of the 10,000 participants were parents, a third were teachers, and the rest were other employees.

Given teachers’ desires to end the year by Memorial Day and keep weeklong breaks for fall, Thanksgiving, and spring, board member Kevin Woods said this option was the best.

“Knowing that we have to say yes to all the other things that teachers want puts us into quite a box for formulating the calendar,” he said.

Board member Michelle McKissack said she hopes to see more creative solutions in the future such as starting the school year a little later by cutting a few days from Thanksgiving break and switching to virtual days so people could travel.

by James

Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. is responding on multiple fronts to an ethics probe into a transaction his company allegedly conducted with the recipient of a Shelby County Board of Commissioner grant.

Ford is accused of pitching his company, E&J Computers, as a vendor for Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South in the lead up to its receiving a $450,000 grant award from the commission. Ford claims he recused himself by leaving the room during the vote.

The matter is currently under investigation by the District Attorney General’s Office for the 17th Judicial District. Shelby County District Atty. Amy Weirich has recused herself

because her office receives funding from the County Commission.

The probe follows a report to Shelby County Attorney Marlinee Iverson that asserted Ford violated the county’s code of conduct. It recommended prosecution. A county ethics commission meeting slated for Tuesday (March 23) was postponed. The commission will wait for the special counsel’s findings before further action is taken.

Ford responded through his attorney, Allan Wade, who accused Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris of using the power of his office to attack political opponents. Ford has also formed a political defense fund. Harris’ office responded in a written statement:

“Mayor Harris has never had any conversations nor has he met with the special counsel hired to investigate an alleged quid pro quo against Com-

missioner Ford. Furthermore, Mayor Harris was not involved in any way in the decision to hire the special counsel. These are only allegations and everyone, including Mr. Ford, is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

“The Mayor plans to stay mission-focused on the work ahead, which includes advancing a series of ethical reforms that were already in the works, but that now seem even more urgent.”

Ford reportedly is weighing a defamation suit against the special counsel and two local news organizations.

TSD Newsroom

Historic Clayborn Temple – as a way to cultivate sustainable, thriving Black communities – is hosting Thrive, a live virtual event, on April 5. The aim is to increase awareness of restorative economics, contributing to the establishment of cooperatives and other restorative economic models in the heart of Memphis.

Attendees, who can register for

free, will learn best practices from food, housing and multi-stakeholder co-ops. Organizers also pitch access to other restorative economic models that allow community members to own the benefits of their contributions.”

“Black people have always been used for their labor with little benefit to themselves or their communities.

This has meant less economic stability and less economic power for the city’s majority population,” said Ex-

ecutive Director Anasa Troutman.

“Thrive will provide these Memphians with the knowledge and resources to create resilient, sustainable communities.”

The event will include presentations from restorative economics and cooperatives experts and practitioners, including Nwamaka Agbo, Erin Dale Byrd, Roneice Gilkey, Kayon Montaque, Troutman and Ed Whitfield, along with breakout conversations and a question and an-

swer session. “Our guest speakers have a deep passion for this work and a profound understanding of what we’re hoping to accomplish here in Memphis,” said Troutman. Home of the 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike and the campaign’s iconic “I AM A MAN” signs, Historic Clayborn Temple has

Edmund Ford Jr.

The Shelby County Schools board met in their headquarters auditorium for their first work session in person since the pandemic began. (Photo: Shelby County Schools/Chalkbeat)

University students deliver double-digit returns in TVA Investment Challenge

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University students in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Investment Challenge Program delivered double-digit returns in 2020, outpacing the S&P 500 Total Return Index for the calendar year, despite tremendous market volatility brought on by COVID-19.

“The year 2020 was difficult, and to see the Investment Challenge teams overcome adversity to outperform trained market professionals is exceptional,” said TVA Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Risk Officer Tammy Wilson.

“For over two decades, the Investment Challenge Program has inspired the next generation of financial professionals and advanced the careers of over 10,000 students by teaching quantitative, qualitative and teamwork skills that are highly valued by today’s employers.”

Students from 24 universities in TVA’s seven-state area generated a 22.79 percent average return on investment in 2020. Nineteen Investment Challenge teams outperformed the S&P 500 by an average of 18.40 percent. Teams that outperform the S&P 500 in a calendar year earn performance awards for their respective universities.

These top-performing teams beat the S&P 500 in 2020 to earn awards:

• Alabama A&M University

• Austin Peay State University

• Belmont University

• East Tennessee State University

• Lipscomb University

• Middle Tennessee State University

• Mississippi State University

• Mississippi University for Women

• Murray State University

• Tennessee State University

• Tennessee Tech University

• Union University

• University of Memphis

• University of North Alabama

• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

• University of Tennessee at Martin

• Vanderbilt University

• Western Carolina University

• Western Kentucky University

“The Investment Challenge Program exemplifies TVA’s legacy of service, and it’s

“For over two decades, the Investment Challenge Program has inspired the next generation of financial professionals and advanced the careers of over 10,000 students by teaching quantitative, qualitative and teamwork skills that are highly valued by today’s employers.”

— Tammy Wilson

an excellent program for students to interact with working professionals and gain practical experience by managing real portfolios with faculty oversight and appropriate guardrails,” said Wilson.

TVA’s Investment Challenge is one of the nation’s largest student-managed investor programs. Each year, student teams actively manage stock portfolios for TVA, designing long-term investment strategies and selecting investments under the guidance of faculty members and within investment guidelines established and monitored by TVA.

Students have collectively outperformed the S&P 500 total return of 7.73 percent by 68 basis points annually since inception in 1998; an excess cumulative return of 78 percent. Through 2020, assets managed in the Investment Challenge have grown to $14 million primarily through positive investment returns.

Investment Challenge teams have earned $1.3 million in performance awards for their schools over the life of the program.

Other participating universities include Christian Brothers University, Trevecca Nazarene University, University of Alabama in Huntsville, University of Kentucky and the University of Mississippi.

(For more information about the Investment Challenge Program, visit www.tvainvestmentchallenge.com.)

Tigers calculate way to NIT win over Dayton

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The mathematics of basketball – at the most basic level – involves “figuring” what to do in response to challenges and opportunities. When things add up the result can be a NIT post-season victory such as Memphis’ 70-61 win over Dayton in the first-round game on Saturday.

“Dayton did a great job of disguising their 1-3-1 zone,” said Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway. “In the second half we did a good job of figuring it out. … I am really proud of our guys.”

Next up for the Tigers will be a quarterfinal matchup against Boise State on Thursday.

Memphis played with effort and energy the entire game and gave no indication of a letdown about not making the NCAA tournament.

Landers Nolley II started the game like a man on a mission that he knew how to get done. He scored 10 of the Tigers’ first 12 points.

The Flyers showed first-half resolve, led by a point (28-27) at halftime and began the second half with a 6-0 spurt. That’s when the Tigers took them to school with a 9-0 run on baskets by Moussa Cissé, Nolley, and Williams capped by a Lester Quinones three pointer.

Memphis ended the game with a 15-2 attack. And when Boogie Ellis hit his first points of the game (a three-pointer with 6:31 remaining), the Tigers took a one-point lead (58-

“If we continue to get offensive rebounds, we will be tough to beat.”

— coach Penny Hardaway

57) and never let it go.

“We just figured it out,” Hardaway said of the Tigers’ big runs in the second half. “We did not try to do too much at one time. Everyone started to understand the flow of the game.”

Memphis limited its turnovers to 10 and had 17 offensive rebounds.

The Tigers shot 58.6 percent in the second half (17-29) and made seven of 11 shots from 3-point territory after the break. Their 28 field goals in the game came off of 18 assists and they dominated the boards (44-26), limiting the Flyer to two offensive rebounds.

“We can get to the championship

and win it, if we continue to play like this,” Hardaway said. “We crashed the glass. It adds points for us. It gives us second opportunities. We saw Houston do it to us. We learned from that. We have a good offensive-rebounding team as well. If we continue to get offensive rebounds, we will be tough to beat.”

Quinones, who had his third double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) of the season, talked about the team gelling.

“Everyone realized how talented a team we had. When people around the country talked about Memphis they talked about our talent,” said Quinones, adding that things would “continue to get better” if the Tigers “let everything come to us. …”

NOTES AND NEXT:

Nolley led the way for the Tigers with 21 points, six rebounds and five

assists. D.J. Jeffries added 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. Quinones went 5 for 5 from the field in the second half.

Dayton senior guard Jaylen Crutcher, the former Ridgeway High School player, who played on Hardaway’s AAU team, was keyed on by a Memphis defensed that limited him to six points and three assists.

Hardaway closed his post-game remarks by sending prayers to longtime local sportscaster Jarvis Greer, a former Memphis Tigers football player. Said Hardaway to Greer: “I know you just got over cancer. I can’t wait to see you again. You are a legend in our town and congratulations.

God Bless.

Memphis will return to the campus of North Texas State for its second round matchup against Boise State, with the game set for approximately 8 p.m. CDT Thursday (March 25) on ESPN.

Grizzlies show Celtics will to win in third quarter; claim the victory in OT

by Terry Davis Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Ja Morant’s big-time dunk punctuated a third quarter keyed by the defense as the Memphis Grizzlies beat Boston 132-126 in overtime, casting aside a 10-game losing streak to the Celtics (21-22).

Oh that third quarter, the first Memphis had taken from Boston all season. The Grizzlies (20-20) outscored the Celtics 3421 and led 94-86 headed into a final frame that ended with the teams tied at 117.

As had been the norm, the Grizzlies trailed the Celtics (65-60) at the half.

“We addressed a few things at halftime that we needed to clean up,” Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I thought our offense was obviously playing really, really well. In that first half, defensively as I mentioned a moment ago, we had some breakdowns assignment-wise; some communication lapses.

“We were able to pull the clips and show them. I thought that allowed us to go out there and take away some of the free looks that they had in the first half but weren’t able to get in that third quarter.”

Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks reflect that winning is fun. (Photo: Terry Davis) Morant scored nine points and had assists in the quarter. Kyle Anderson had seven points and four assists in the third quarter, which Memphis led by nine (8172) at one point.

Playing without stars Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, Boston fell behind by 10 (99-89) before rallying for the tie at the end of regulation. The Celtics were paced by Jaylon Brown with 27 points and Jeff Teague’s 26.

In overtime, Dillon Brooks seized the show for the Grizzlies, scoring five of his 24 points and giving Memphis a cushion. Morant finished with 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds

Asked whether the win showed Memphis’ growth and resilience in making tough plays, Morant said, “Yes. Once the ball goes up in the air at the beginning of the game, we’ve got to go out there and lock in, do what we have to do and just play hard.

“Try to win every loose ball, get every rebound. Just be aggressive and try to get stops. It felt like tonight us just continuing to fight and being able to lock in late in the game won us this game.”

NOTES AND NEXT:

* The Grizzlies are 2-0 in overtime games. They defeated the Nets 116-111 in Brooklyn.

Memphis had a season-high 38 assists. Brooks and Anderson each had seven assists.

Boston was led by Jaylon Brown with 27 points and Jeff Teague with 26 points.

* Grizz center Jonas Valanciunas racked a double-double (16 points, 19 rebounds) for the 27th time in 35 games.

* Desmond Bane went on a personal 7-0 run in the second quarter, finishing with 10 points in the frame for Memphis.

* During his pregame media availability, Jenkins wore a shirt which read, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all.”

Said Jenkins: “This is way more important (than basketball). I think in our country right now, especially with what happened in Atlanta and what happened in the spring and summer (of last year), in the history of our country, now is the time. Speak up. Act. Do what’s right. Be a voice for those that don’t have a voice. That’s what it is. It’s obviously in honor of MLK Day, so we’re going to wear that with pride today.”

* The game was the last at FedExForum until March 31, when the Grizzlies play the Utah Jazz at 7 p.m. Memphis has 12 home games left in the regular season.

Terry Davis

De’Anthony Melton, who scored nine points in the Grizzlies’ win over Boston, fires over Robert Williams III. (Photo: Terry Davis)

BLACK HEALTH IN AMERICA

Real Talk Real Change is back with episode two where we discuss COVID, Pregnancy & Doctors in the Black community.

Carlos Watson, Host