The New Tri-State Defender - April 21-27, 2022

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April 21 - 27, 2022

VOL. 71, No. 16

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IN POLITICS 2022

Win, win, win…

Attorney Linda Harris (left) makes her opening statement as attorneys Steve Mulroy and Janika White listen and await their turns to address the crowd that turned out for the forum that the Shelby County Democratic Party hosted at the Michael D. Rose Theatre Lecture Hall on Monday. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku/The New TriState Defender)

Democrats vying for District Attorney weigh in on the racialsensitivity factor

TSD Newsroom The backdrop in the Democratic Primary for Shelby County District Attorney General includes the argument made by some that a higher level of racial sensitivity would improve the likelihood of substantive change in the office’s effectiveness in response to ongoing – and mounting – concerns about crime.

With early voting for the May 3 County primary already underway and continuing through April 28, a segment of a forum on Monday held by the Shelby County Democratic

Memphis’ own Kirk Whalum performed the National Anthem on saxophone ahead of the Game 2 tipoff of the Western Conference opening-round series pitting the hometown Grizzlies against Minnesota’s Timberwolves. (right) Jaren Jackson Jr. (center) leads Memphis’ pre-game huddle ritual. See Sports, Page 10. (Photos: Warren Roseborough/The New Tri-State Defender)

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Despite a chancellor’s refusal to stop the state’s takeover of Mason, Tennessee’s finances, negotiations between state and city officials to settle the matter are ongoing.

“Of course, we were terribly disappointed in the ruling,” said Mason Vice Mayor Virginia Rivers. “But we are still encouraged because the judge did not dismiss our case, which gives us the option of further litigation.

“However, since the ruling, attorneys for Mason and the comptrol-

SEE DA ON PAGE 2

Africa in April kicks off celebration No. 35

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

State maintains control of Mason’s finances as settlement talks continue

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Party brought that issue center stage on the wings of a moderator’s question.

The setting was the Michael D. Rose Theatre on the University of Memphis campus. Three attorneys – Linda Harris, Steve Mulroy and Janika White – are vying for the opportunity to unseat incumbent DA Amy Weirich, who is unchallenged in the Republican Primary.

In response to questions from three moderators – Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame member Bev Johnson of

ler’s office have been in negotiations. We are hopeful that a mutually agreeable resolution might be reached through this process.”

Mason officials had sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block the takeover, but a Chancery Court chancellor in Nashville denied the request.

The chancellor, however, did not dismiss the case against the state, leaving the door open for future litigation.

Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mum-

SEE MASON ON PAGE 3

Mason, Tennessee Vice Mayor Virginia Rivers said she believes “both sides are truly working in good faith” to resolve the issue that has led to the state taking control of the town’s finances.

(Courtesy photo)

Visitors from the Republic of Malawi were treated to Memphis-style hospitality during the Wednesday (April 20) business luncheon that signaled the opening of the 2022 Africa in April (AIA) Cultural Awareness Festival.

Malawi is the honored country for this year’s festival, which will through Sunday (April 24).

The banquet hall at Holiday Inn-University of Memphis was the setting for the luncheon, which drew a “who’s who” contingent from in the local corporate, business community.

Dressed in elaborate, native African attire, attendees reveled in the decades-long tradition of opening the annual festival, in its 35th year, with a festive luncheon.

The culminating moment mounted great excitement as Dr. David Acey, executive director and president of AIA, awarded the highly anticipated International Executive of the Year, 2022-2023 title to Downtown Memphis Commission President Paul Young.

Downtown Memphis Commission President Paul Young said it was a cherished honor to receive the International Executive of the Year, 2022-2023 Award presented by the Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender) Young drew praise from both Dr. Acey, and his wife, AIA Associate Director Yvonne Acey, as he came forward to accept the honor.

“We are proud to recognize Paul Young’s exemplary leadership at our

SEE AFRICA ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

April 21 - 27, 2022

Page 2

NEWS

DA

CONTINUED FROM FRONT WDIA, Katherine Burgess of The Commercial Appeal, and The New Tri-State Defender Associate Publisher/Executive Editor Karanja A. Ajanaku – the trio fielded a range of questions between opening and closing statements.

Toward the end of the forum, Johnson noted that district attorneys have “significant decision-making power and the decisions they make have a big impact on the community.”

She then asked the candidates what impact they hoped to make on Memphis and Shelby County.

Pivoting off Johnson’s question, Ajanaku asked the forum’s lone follow-up: “… To make better decisions with impact, some would say that the person who occupies the DA position needs to have a higher level of racial sensitivity.

So, my question is, is there something that points to you as the one amongst the three of you who is most qualified to bring that higher level of sensitivity?”

With the order of response predetermined, Harris answered first.

Attorney Linda Harris “So, several things … one, I grew up in South Memphis and I attended Hamilton High School. I never have lost touch with my community. I am connected. I know what that feels like. I have people who have been affected by the system … cousins, and even a brother who’s been arrested before.

I understand what they feel.

I’ve talked to the people who have been in prison and they told me about the trauma that they experienced and what that’s like coming back into this community.

“I’m a mother of two sons who have had experiences with the criminal justice system. And so all of this makes a difference on how I feel and my compassion. The reason that I started a program called the mass program was because of how my son was treated.

And what I found when I started a program, working with youth is that if you tell them they can succeed … If you tell them and they believe.

“But if you tell them that they’re bad, if you continue to tell them over and over again, they’ll live out those expectations. But when you believe in them, you can make a difference. I’ve lived it. So, therefore I can be sensitive to those issues.”

Moderating the forum for the trio of Democrats seeking to be the nominee to face incumbent Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich in the General Election were (l-r) Katherine Burgess, Karanja A. Ajanaku, and Bev Johnson. (Courtesy photo) Attorney Janika White “Study after study has told us that when we lack diversity in our criminal justice system and our legal community in total, that we create disparity in every level of the system from bail to pleas that are offered to alternatives that are offered to sentencing. We create disproportionate outcomes and Black and brown people are affected the worst in our criminal justice system as it pertains to those disproportionate outcomes.

“At this current time, … only about 10 percent of the prosecutors that are prosecuting crime are Black or brown people … people of color when over 85 percent of the people that are being served in our criminal justice system are people of color. Representation does matter.

“It does matter. And I have been saying … I am from the community. I have been fighting for the community and I have been working in the community to make the changes that I’m talking about right now. But not only have I been in the community, working and fighting, I’ve been actually in the courtroom fighting the very injustices that we’re talking about … talking with families and clients, not them just telling me about it, but going through it with them and seeing that what I’m telling you works.

“It does work when I get a phone call from a client who’s come out of drug treatment and now they’ve been clean four and five and six years. When I have a client, who I sent to get mental illness treatment, and they come out and they say, ‘Ms. White, this is the best I’ve been in years since I was a teenager.’ These things I’m talking about do work. And I believe that we need the right person who can connect these connections to make it work and that’s me.

Steve Mulroy “I’ve been litigating cases in 201 Poplar and Juvenile

Court … last year a Class A felony case that I did. I’ve been litigating in this system every single year for the last 22 years. I haven’t been stuck in some ivory tower. I’ve been in the courts and I’ve been knocking on doors. And I’ve been talking to people as a county commissioner.

“But is diversity and representation important? Absolutely it is important. I’ve always believed that. That’s why I’ve fought for it my entire career. As a civil rights lawyer for the Bill Clinton justice department, I did that.

“On the county commission, I fought for diversity and representation with the appointment of boards and commissions. In minority contracting, I was the person that scrutinized the makeup of county contractors to make sure they were diverse. And I would focus on that same thing in the DA’s office. I just did a press conference recently calling out the lack of diversity in the DA’s office, which is the first thing that I would fix on day one.

“Fortunately, in our county, we have pretty decent diversity and representation at the county level. Of the six countywide offices, the main ones, all but one are represented by African Americans, half are represented by women and there are no white males.

But as important as that is, we should also be thinking about how is the day-to-day life of African-American young men and women gonna be helped by the criminal justice system.

“And we have to figure out who is the best person to actually take on (incumbent DA) Weirich in August. Who is the best person to actually implement systemic change once September 1 rolls around?

“County Mayor Lee Harris, Councilwoman Patrice Robinson, state Senator Ramesh Akbari, County Commissioner Van Turner (Jr.) and so many others think that I’m the right person. They didn’t ask me to step aside. They asked me to step up and that’s what I did and I’m glad that I did. And I hope you’ll agree.”

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Dr. David Acey, executive director and president of Africa in April, and Associate Director Yvonne Acey frame this moment with Paul Young, who was named the group’s International Executive of the Year, 2022-2023. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/ The New Tri-State Defender)

AFRICA

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Downtown Memphis Commission,” said Yvonne Acey.

“He truly has been an inspiration as an administrator who is implementing policies of inclusion and diversity. Being chosen as this year’s ‘International Executive of the Year’ is an honor well deserved.”

Young’s remarks were brief during the event, but a phone interview after the luncheon proved Young and his parents can keep a secret.

“I received a call from Dr. Acey two months ago, informing me that I had been chosen for this honor,” said Young. “I told my parents, but no one else knew. To be named ‘International Executive of the Year’ is such a great honor.

“I consider what I do to be public service. This recognition means that the Aceys see all I am trying to do. This is truly a cherished honor.”

As luncheon host, David Acey

extended words of welcome to guests who came from Malawi, a nation of about 16 million in southeastern East Africa.

“We take great pleasure in welcoming our guests from the Republic of Malawi,” said Acey. “We also want to also take time to recognize the generous support of our sponsors, who make this historic festival possible every year.”

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris presented the Aceys with a commendation from the county.

“We appreciate Dr. Acey and Mrs. Acey for what they have created in Memphis,” said Harris. “Whatever we do here started in Africa, as part of a larger story.

“We are connected to Africa as a people, and we will always be connected. To our guests, we hope you feel the genuine spirit of hospitality and kindness during your stay.”

Elected officials were also on hand to greet luncheon guests and welcome African visitors. Live music and mas-

terful emcee, Stan Bell, “The Bell Ringer,” kept the luncheon light-hearted and celebratory.

This year’s Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival offers a return to pre-COVID standards.

“We are proudly celebrating our 35th year hosting AIA,” said David Acey.

“Our mission is one of educating and honoring a race of people. We are making living, dynamic history, Black history.

And, we have all been a part of this Memphis tradition.’”

The festival will shift into an even higher gear on Friday (April 22) morning when a grand parade will wind its way down Beale Street and into Robert R. Church Park, located at Fourth and Beale Downtown.

Sunday’s (April 24) live music highlight will feature a variety of genres for music lovers. Live, stage performances have made Sunday’s line-up one of the festival’s most popular events.

For the full schedule of AIA events, go to: www.africainapril.com.

The New Tri-State Defender

NEWS

MASON

CONTINUED FROM FRONT power took control of Mason’s finances on April 4.

Mumpower, initially, had demanded that Mason either surrender its charter or relinquish control of its finances to the state. Mason officials voted to keep the charter.

The comptroller took over finances, restricting the town from spending any amount over $100 without permission from the state.

Rivers denounced the move as a “hostile takeover …We felt the state was punishing the present administration for a deficit left years ago by prior administrations.”

Rivers continued, “Thankfully, we have moved on from there, and I believe both sides are truly working in good faith to resolve this issue.”

Mumpower cited a $597,000 fiscal deficit as justification for taking over Mason’s finances.

Mumpower later said $250,000 of the deficit would be given to Mason from the state’s American Rescue Plan funds, a federal, COVID-19 recovery allocation.

“We would remind everyone that the fiscal mismanagement occurred 10 years ago under a different administration,” said Vickie Terry, executive director of the Memphis Branch NAACP. “This current leadership has been working to correct previous mistakes. We feel the comptroller should have come in offering support, instead of demanding the town’s charter.”

NAACP branches all over Tennessee staged a rally of support for town residents and continue to seek ways of offering assistance.

“We are pleased that our legal counsel has worked with the judge to lower the amount of Mason’s monthly repayment,” said NAACP State President Gloria Sweetlove.

“Also, the amount has been increased that Mason officials can spend without the comptroller’s permission. We continue to ask supporters to send funds to help pay off the debt.”

After the chancellor’s ruling, Mumpower issued a statement expressing appreciation for the chancellor’s favorable ruling, but also reiterated that his interest “Has always been the restoration of the town’s financial health…

“We will continue to work with Mason so that it can pay back its debts, operate on a balanced budget, and deliver timely financial statements”.

Memphis Branch NAACP President Van Turner Jr., a lawyer involved in negotiations, is hopeful that “the matter will be settled.”

“I can tell you that the parties are continuing to negotiate,” said Turner. “We are trying to come to a settlement that will resolve the matter.”

Turner declined to predict a time frame for resolution.

Almost immediately after the chancellor’s ruling, the two parties reopened talks.

“I am really hopeful that some resolution can be reached,” said Terry. “Asking Mason residents to give up their charter is unthinkable.

“The town is so rich in history, and many of the residents are descendants of freed slaves, who settled there. This is their heritage. The charter is too high a price to pay.”

Mason is situated along U.S. Route 70 in Tipton County. The population is about 1,337, according to the latest Census figures. However, since the closing of the West Tennessee Detention Facility, the population now is estimated to be about 800.

Blue Oval City, a $5.6 billion Ford electric vehicle plant, will be built four miles away in neighboring Haywood County.

Construction should begin by summer, Ford officials said.

April 21 - 27, 2022

Page 3

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, April 21 - 27, 2022, Page 4

‘Black Out the Polls’ supporters stand their ground against ‘voter suppression’

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Twin needs – getting registered voters to cast early ballots and pushing back on a perceived act of voter suppression – transformed the Downtown area around the Shelby County Election Commission into an activism zone last Thursday afternoon (April 14).

Summoned by the “Black Out the Polls” pitch issued by a coalition of voting rights groups, those who turned out rallied with a resolve that they were participating at the beginning of a to-be-continued push to get voters, especially African Americans, to the polls for the May 3 Shelby County primaries.

“We have an election day coming up in May, and another one in November. We will do what we always do when voter suppression is used against us – we come out stronger,” the Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher, founder of UpTheVote901, told the smaller than the projected crowd.

The protest rally punctuated the second day of the early-voting period that began April 13 and continues through April 28. Only the Election Commission office at 157 Poplar Ave. was designated as a voting site for those days.

The “Black Out the Polls” rally was a next-step move after Special Judge James F. Butler denied (on April 11) a court order directing the Election Commission to open all 26 sites across the county on opening day for early voting.

The request for injunctive relief was part of a larger lawsuit by the Memphis Branch NAACP, UpTheVote901 and the Black Clergy Collaborative that challenged the Election Commission’s plan for the start of early voting as an unconstitutional effort at voter suppression.

Five more early voting sites opened on April 16, with the full slate of 26 sites open on the Monday following Easter. No early voting was held on Good Friday.

The goal voiced for Black Out the Polls was to “overwhelm them with our numbers.” However, the turnover was lower than hoped for.

Undaunted, the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, along with Fisher, held a brief prayer and communion ritual before directing voters to enter the poll at the Election Commission.

“We are intentional in serving the sacrament today because this is Holy Week, the week we do holy work,” said Fisher. “And for those of us in the Black faith tradition, the electoral process is an extension of our faith. …

“As preachers, we are out here saying, ‘The vote is sacred to us.’”

People driving by honked their horns and waved to those lined up to vote.

Most of the early-voting sites

Deborah Manning Thomas

This prayer was part of the communion ritual built into the Black Out the Polls rally in front of the Shelby County Election Commission’s Downtown office on Thursday. (Photos: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell/The New Tri-State Defender)

“We have an election day coming up in May, and another one in November.

We will do what we always do when voter suppression is used against us – we come out stronger.”

— Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher are in African-American churches. Verline Carter, a retired nurse, was among those on hand to voice their belief that the Election Commission’s decision to limit the first days of early voting to the Downtown site amounted to voter suppression.

“Numbers show that Black churches have some of the highest voter turnouts,” said Carter.

“The election commission says they want voters to come out and vote, but then, they keep these sites closed. That action appears to target Black, largely Democratic voters in Memphis.”

Fisher said the voting rights coalition likely lost its legal challenge because the judge was “reluctant to disrupt the early voting process” since it was less than 48 hours away.

“If we had been a week out from the start of early voting, I believe the judge would have ruled in our favor.”

Retired teacher Barbara Miller, 78, said she “parked and walked two blocks to be here” because it was “time out for other people to dictate to us, and we have nothing to say about it.”

Local vocalist Deborah Manning Thomas was direct.

“Opening the election commission and closing our churches appears to be a little voter sup-

Keitra Lowery: “As a Black mother, I thought it was very important to be here. I have a 16-year-old daughter who is graduating this year. I want her to understand we have to fight for what we believe in.

Having to come downtown because our church sites are closed is ridiculous. But I want my daughter to know that our votes matter. Black votes matter.”

Dr. J. Lawrence Turner, president of the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis and pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, shares remarks with voters before communion.

The Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher of UpTheVote901 administers communion at the Black Out the Polls rally.

pression tactic, and I am not with that,” said Manning.

“Parking is limited downtown, making it hard for seniors and handicapped individuals to vote.

But, I came down today anyway for James Meredith, for John Lewis, and for my people.”

The election commission made free parking available for the first two days of early voting, designating a parking lot at the corner of Poplar Avenue and B.B. King Boulevard.

Contesting the voter suppression assertion, Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips testified during the recent court hearing that she relied on her staff’s statements that none of the churches serving as early voting sites would agree to open in advance of Easter Sunday.

She also said low turnout in past county primaries did not warrant having all 26 sites open on the first two days of the period.

Several pastors whose churches serve as early-voting sites said they were not asked if their churches could be open for voting prior to the Easter observance.

Memphis Branch NAACP President Van Turner Jr. repeatedly has said Phillips was saving money where “she has not been asked to save money” and that the Shelby County Commission was the source for funding the opening of more sites.

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The New Tri-State Defender

April 21 - 27, 2022

Page 5

RELIGION

In good company ...

Berean Missionary Baptist Church presented ‘A Journey of Love’ honoring the Rev. Dr. Edward Parker Jr. during a retirement/birthday celebration at The Great Hall and Conference Center, 1900 S. Germantown Road, last Friday (April 15). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

City Revival 2022 ...

The Rev. Dr. Bartholomew Orr, senior pastor of Brown Missionary Baptist Church, was the Monday preacher during Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association’s City Revival 2022, which began Easter Sunday and runs through April 22. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley/ The New Tri-State Defender)

Resurrection Sunday ...

The choir sets the tone for the Resurrection Sunday service held at Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

Legacy: Mary “Ann” Hardaway Hill ...

The life and legacy of Mary “Ann” Hardaway was celebrated last Saturday (April 16) at New Bethel Mississippi Baptist Church, 7786 Poplar Pike in Germantown. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/ The New Tri-State Defender)

Words that matter ...

The CME Ministers’ Alliance of Memphis presented “Reflections on the Seven Last Words From The Cross” – A “Good Friday” service – at Rock of Ages CME Church, 478 Scott Street. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

The New Tri-State Defender, April 21 - 27, 2022, Page 6 “People have told me this afternoon about how much he was loved and that his work was appreciated. That really means a lot to us. We were married for 63 years. If he was still here, we would have been married 63 years, eight months, and four days. And I miss him every day.”

— Marva Hunt

‘Greatest Hits’ – the final creation of artist George Hunt – unveiled by Memphis in May MIM’s official artist honored posthumously

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The freshly renovated Renasant Convention Center lobby was a fitting scene for Tuesday’s official unveiling of the late George Hunt’s final creation for the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival.

Hunt, who was named the official artist for the Memphis in May International Festival, painted “Greatest Hits” for Memphis in May 2020. But the COVID-19 global pandemic hit, and festivities were canceled.

There was no 2020 celebration and only a limited schedule of activities in 2021.

The unveiling ceremony on Tuesday (April 19) featured an adoring crowd of art lovers and fans of the artist, who praised the revealed work and honored the Hunt family with expressions of love for the artist and his work.

Hunt, who had enjoyed past unveilings of his coveted paintings, did not get to see the favorable reception of his new piece. In early December 2021, Hunt died after an extended illness, at the age of 85.

Memphis in May President and CEO James Holt facilitated the unveiling with brief remarks, acknowledging Hunt’s important contributions to the branding of Memphis in May over the years.

“This was George’s last Memphis in May portrait, and it is appropriately named ‘Greatest Hits,’” said Holt. “His representation of Memphis life and music has made a lasting contribution, not only to the festival, but also to our city. We have taken delivery of his final painting…and can now release it for his many fans.”

Hunt’s widow, Marva Hunt, attended the unveiling, along with a daughter and several grandchildren. Asked if she had realized how admired her husband’s work was, she said, ‘Not really.’”

“I guess I really didn’t,” said Marva Hunt. “People have told me this afternoon about how much he was loved and that his work was appreciated. That really means a lot to us. We were married for 63 years. If he was still here, we would have been married 63 years, eight months, and four days.

And I miss him every day.”

Holt gave Mrs. Hunt an opportunity to greet the crowd and share expressions of appreciation for honoring Hunt.

When the unveiling marked the program’s end, attendees took a copious number of photos of the painting, as well as Hunt’s family posing with the signature portrait.

Hunt’s signature style involves the use of bold, vivid color, abstract depictions of people, and exaggerated features, such as large hands playing a keyboard.

Of course, there are musical instruments in this year’s portrait, and the depiction of an owl on the lower left side.

“George would sometimes use animal images in his paintings,” said Holt. “I remember asking him once about their significance. I wish I could remember what he told me. But he would paint an owl or a duck in some of his creations.”

Holt said Hunt has been painting the festival’s art since 1992 when he was first named the official artist of Memphis in May. “I remember that he was supposed to paint a signature piece for the next three

The late George Hunt’s last Memphis in May portrait – unveiled on Tuesday – was named “Greatest Hits.” (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

Members of George Hunt’s family got a fresh appreciation of the talent of the late artist. years,” said Holt. “But the response to those portraits was so overwhelming, we decided George would be our official artist.

I miss my dear friend.”

Kash Yeargin, 22, one of Hunt’s grandsons, admitted he had not fully appreciated the fact that his grandfather was a famous artist.

“I guess I’m only just really getting to understand what my grandfather’s art meant to so many people,” said Yeargin.

“It wasn’t until I started going to more and more of his events as I got older. But most of the time, he was just ‘Grandfather.’ We actually shared him with so many people who also loved him.”

The afternoon unveiling also showcased a special exhibit in the Renasant Convention Center entitled “The Art of Hunt.”

Holt told attendees that the “retrospective exhibition of Hunt’s colorful Beale Street Music Festival paintings” will be on permanent display.

Posters of “Greatest Hits” will soon be available, Holt said.

Marva Hunt reflects on her late husband, artist George Hunt.

Some of the works of the late artist George Hunt, whose signature style involved the use of bold, vivid color, abstract depictions of people, and exaggerated features, such as large hands playing a keyboard.

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, April 21 - 27, 2022, Page 7

“Alcenia’s has the world’s greatest customers and the world’s largest family and I am so thankful!”

— Betty Joyce “B.J.” Chester-Tamayo

After winning the Memphis Branch NAACP’s ACT-SO competition, Tyler Lewellen will compete in the national competition set for July in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

(Courtesy photos)

Alcenia’s, the Downtown restaurant that Betty Joyce “B.J.” Chester-Tamayo has run for 20-plus years, has reopened and is serving up the same delicious food and love that her customers have come to expect. (Courtesy photo)

New décor, same delicious food drawing customers old and new to Alcenia’s

by Brianna Smith-Herman Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Synonymous with Alcenia’s, Betty Joyce “B.J.” Chester-Tamayo has reopened the Downtown diner following a 390-day hiatus forced by the pandemic.

The doors to the remodeled soul food sanctuary swung open for customers last Thursday (April 14).

Dressed with bright new colors that accent a fun decor, the restaurant that Chester-Tamayo has run for 20-plus years is serving up the same delicious food and love that her customers have come to expect.

“Sometimes I just come in here and sit and look around and realize how good God is,” said Chester-Tamayo.

Less than two years ago, losing Alcenia’s seemed like a disturbingly real possibility.

“I didn’t even know if I was gonna have this place … because the owner was trying to sell it,” said Chester-Tamayo. “Then I was in a battle with the city because part of the street in front of the restaurant was closed for construction, and then the pandemic came and everything shut down.”

Still, she kept believing.

As the pandemic raged, Chester-Tamayo kept her dining room closed and relied on takeout and mail-order business.

On the receiving end of what she calls “God grace,” Chester-Tamayo obtained grants from the Memphis Medical District Collaborative, the Downtown Memphis Commission, River City Capital and the Epicenter. In December 2020, she used the funds to buy the 317 N. Main building that long has housed Alcenia’s.

In March 2021 she closed down for a complete renovation.

“So, it’s just unreal. It’s unimaginable. I don’t take it lightly,” said Chester-Tamayo. “Alcenia’s has the world’s greatest customers and the world’s largest family and I am so thankful!”

Many in the family of customers came together for the grand reopen-

Teen’s piano prowess nets national stage as Memphis NAACP ACT-SO finalist

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A sign that things have changed at Alcenia’s. (Courtesy photo) ing and to check out the makeover.

The kitchen is much larger and equipped with new appliances. The dining room is now painted white, with a huge window allowing a view of The Pyramid, which houses a Bass Pro superstore.

A black wall in the back showcases a colorful Alcenia’s sign in the center.

While newness is apparent from the roof to the floors, the revamped Alcenia’s retains an air of familiarity courtesy of the many plaques, news articles, and awards that tell the story of Chester-Tamayo’s ongoing commitment to success.

Chester-Tamayo opened Alcenia’s in 1997 to “heal her heart after the untimely death of her son,” according to an entry on the restaurant’s website. “She wasn’t a cook and had never worked in a restaurant. She used her mother’s recipes and called her mom in Mississippi often to make sure preparations were right.”

Alcenia Chester-Clark died in 2019. She, along with Chester-Tamayo’s granddaughter, Alcenia Tamayo, is the restaurant’s namesake and “constant inspiration.”

(Alcenia’s is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.)

When Tyler Lewellen returned to school on March 25, nothing was quite the same. He had gained instant rock-star status at Overton High School after fellow classmates learned that the accomplished classical pianist was a Memphis Branch NAACP ACT-SO finalist.

“It was announced in the morning and in the afternoon,” said Lewellen, 15. “Thursday (March 24) was the competition, and the awards ceremony followed the performances. My friends thought it was ‘pretty cool,’ and I thought so, too.”

African-American youth competed from all over the city in the 2022 NAACP’s ACT-SO project. The “Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics” is a yearlong achievement program to encourage high academic and cultural excellence among high school students. Mentoring and scholastic enrichment activities lead up to the culminating national competition.

Lewellen learned in late February that he was a semi-finalist in the “Music: Instrumental/Classical” category. The final showdown was March 24, at Parkway Gardens Presbyterian in July in Atlantic City, New Jersey.Church.

Local finalists will join the nation’s best and brightest on a national stage “When Tyler was very young, just a toddler, I noticed him being drawn to musical instruments,” said Ricky Lewellen, Tyler’s father, and keyboardist at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Westwood. “The day he walked over to the piano and touched the keys, I knew he would love music.”

Ricky Lewellen has been a church musician since second grade. He started on the guitar. He picked up music with his natural ear, even before formal lessons. Tyler, like his father, also plays multiple instruments by ear.

“It runs in our family, our gift for music,” said Ricky Lewellen. “I started Tyler’s formal lessons in first grade. Although I teach piano, I got him a teacher, and you could just say I was his coach.”

Learning to read music and play the piano was a particularly joyful experience, Tyler said.

“I have always enjoyed playing the piano,” said Tyler. “Of course, I love gospel and all other music. But I especially love classical pieces. They are more intricate and complex. I enjoy the challenge of perfecting them.”

Ricky Lewellen noticed that his son, Tyler, showed an interest in musical instruments as a toddler. Now 15, Tyler envisions becoming a classical pianist.

For the national competition, Tyler has narrowed his selection to be one of two pieces: Claude Debussy’s “1st Movement of the Arabesque” and Frederic Chopin’s “Fantaisie Impromptu.”

He is leaning toward the much more difficult Chopin piece.

“I have been practicing on ‘Fantaisie Impromptu,’ and I have almost finished learning it,” said Tyler. “It is far more intricate, and the level of difficulty is considerable, but it has been a satisfying experience learning it. I believe it will be Chopin.”

Tyler is confident he can perfect the composition before July, thanks to his photographic memory.

Charice Lewellen, Tyler’s mother, reminds everyone she married into the family and did not acquire musical talent by osmosis.

“My husband always says the only thing I can play is the radio,” she said. “But Tyler’s dad and I are his biggest cheerleaders. He wins every competition he enters. My job is to scream and jump when he wins and embarrass him.”

Tyler is a sophomore at Overton High, a creative performing arts school. He attended Colonial Middle, also a creative performing arts school. He plans to pursue a career as a classical pianist.

ACT-SO includes 29 competitions in STEM, humanities, business and performing, visual and culinary arts.

Almost 300,000 young people have participated in the program since its inception. This is the program’s 44th year.

The New Tri-State Defender

April 21 - 27, 2022

Page 8

NEWS

“The anti-democracy wave that began to rise after recordhigh Black voting rates in 2008 and crested with the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder to gut the Voting Rights Act has now broken against ‘The Big Lie,’ the relentless campaign to invalidate the 2020 election.”

— Marc Morial

Troubling findings in Urban League’s 2022 State of Black America report

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial said factions of state and federal lawmakers, working in concert with shady political operatives and violent extremists, are dangerously close to dismantling American democracy and establishing autocratic rule.

The organization’s 2022 State of Black America report outlines “the conspiracy and the urgent case for a national mobilization to protect and defend our most sacred constitutional right,” Morial noted in the report titled, “Under Siege: The Plot to Destroy Democracy.”

“The anti-democracy wave that began to rise after record-high Black voting rates in 2008 and crested with the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder to gut the Voting Rights Act has now broken against ‘The Big Lie,’ the relentless campaign to invalidate the 2020 election,” Morial wrote.

Using data and analysis from research partner, The Brennan Center for Justice, the Urban League noted that this year’s edition of The State of Black America exposes the four main tactics employed in the plot: gerrymandering, voter suppression,

misinformation, and intimidation.

“Politicians have used these tactics for generations, to exclude voters of color and to give their parties an edge,” Morial said.

“But never before has the nation seen such an insidious and coordinated campaign to obliterate the very principle of ‘one person, one vote’ from the political process.

‘It is an astonishing reversal of a two-century moral arc that has bent, if slowly and unevenly, toward universal suffrage,” he said.

In acknowledgement of Georgia’s status as “ground zero” in the assault on democracy, the Urban League released the report at an event at Clark Atlanta University featuring students from Atlanta’s four HBCUs, Urban League affiliate presidents from around the country, and other national civil rights leaders.

The release coincided with the 2022 launch of “Reclaim Your Vote,” the National Urban League’s civic engagement campaign, celebrated with a voter mobilization rally on the university’s Promenade.

A news release noted that, for the first time, The State of Black America includes a companion poll, the Pulse of Black America. Conducted by Benenson Strategy Group, the poll found that an overwhelming majority Black Americans be-

lieve strongly in the power of their vote to make a difference when it comes to social and racial justice, police violence, and economic opportunity.

“But almost as many agree that elected officials are not doing enough to protect voting rights and are in fact doing more to limit voting rights than to protect them,” the authors stated.

They said the 2022 Equality Index, the National Urban League’s semi-annual calculation of the social and economic status

of African Americans relative to whites, is 73.9 percent, slightly up from the revised 2020 Index of 73.7 percent.

Rooted in the Three-Fifths Compromise of 1787, which counted enslaved African Americans as “three-fifths” of a person, the Index would be 100 percent under full equality, the authors wrote.

Officials said because of a lag in data collection, the 2022 Equality Index does not capture the full effect of the COVID-19 pandemic or the resulting economic recession, but does capture changes during the pandemic for homeownership, unemployment rates, and school enrollment.

“For these metrics, the 2022 Equality Index illustrates how precarious social and economic gains are for Black Americans,” said economist Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity, and Race, who analyzed the Index for the report.

“It is also evidence of how vulnerable Black Americans are to economic and public health crises. The Equality Index is an aggregate analysis of centuries of structural racism that can be a starting point for crafting policy to dismantle anti-Black racism in America.”

(This report by Stacy M. Brown is courtesy of the Washington Informer.)

The New Tri-State Defender

April 21 - 27, 2022

CLASSIFIEDS

Shelby County Government has issued Sealed Bid number I000728, Vehicle Tire Replacement for the Shelby County Fleet Services and the Shelby County Sheriff Department. 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 I000728 DUE DATE THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022 @2:30 PM (CST) (SB-I000728) VEHICLE TIRE REPLACEMENT 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 Golf Cart Mechanic Ben Nelson Golf and Outdoor Specializing in sale of Golf Cars, Utility Vehicles, Parts and Accessories, as well as repair and service of vehicles.

Ben Nelson Golf and Outdoor in our Memphis, TN location is looking for candidates with mechanical experience to be a part of our service team. Golf Carts, Power Sports or Lawn Equipment repair experience preferred, but not required. Applicant must possess their own tools and be able to complete preemployment screening. Applicants should send resume to link provided or may apply in person at 2085 Covington Pike Memphis, TN 38128.

Applicants may call (901) 5388881 with any questions Ben Nelson Golf and Outdoor is an Equal Opportunity Employer Job Type: Full Time Pay: $12.00-$18.00 per hour DOE plus monthly commissions and benefits Job Type: Full-time Pay: $12.00 - $18.00 per hour

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38134 until 9:30 a.m. on May 6, 2022, as shown below:

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS

1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 PH (901) 523-1818 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

DEADLINES: Display ads Friday 5 p.m.

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STANDARD RATES: $6.00 per line for 1 column ad.

Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation. For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tsdmemphis.com.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Some categories require prepayment.

All ads subject to credit approval. The

9:30 a.m.: May 6, 2022 1. Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead safe work practices and techniques; and 2.

Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Jobs.

Detailed specifications for items above may be obtained in the Shelby County Department of Housing at the aforementioned address beginning Friday, April 22, 2022. All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 222-2301; or for information in Spanish 901-2227601. Award recommendations will be posted at the following website https://www.develop901. com/housing upon review of the bid opening results.

As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance Eligibility Number prior to the submitting your response. Your EOC number must be displayed on the outside of your envelope for each bid submission.

Reminder: Effective January 2020, in order for your bids to be accepted on projects, contractors must have met with the Housing Site Inspector and received a receipt for the current Shelby County Housing Construction and Rehabilitation Specifications Manual. Interested contractors not currently on the contractor list should contact the Department

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

BUYING A NEW HOME?

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

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER assumes no financial responsibility for errors nor for copy omission.

Direct any classified billing inquires to (901) 523-1818.

of Housing in order to schedule a meeting with the Housing Site Inspector. If you are currently on the contractor list but have not received a receipt for the current Construction and Rehabilitation Specifications Manual, please schedule an appointment to do so.

The label, which is attached to the specifications shall be completely filled out and attached to the bid submission envelope.

You must display your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number or your Locally Owned Small Business (LOSB) Number on the outside of your envelope and a copy of all licenses and insurance policies must be included in your submitted bid package. Unless the label is completely filled out and your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number is noted thereon your bid may be returned to you unopened. Should your label be lost or misplaced, please note the appropriate information in the lower left-hand corner of your envelope. The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs.

The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

DOWN PAYMENT

ASSISTANCE HOMEBUYERS FOR

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Page 9

As the state of Tennessee’s housing finance agency, THDA provides financial assistance to help approved homebuyers with their down payment and closing costs.

Scott Walkup, Administrator

Talk to your lender and Realtor® or visit

GREATCHOICETN.COM

MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REHABILITATION AND LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE. SEALED BID I000733 DUE AT

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SPORTS The New Tri-State Defender, April 21 - 27, 2022, Page 10

Grizzlies floor Timberwolves with punch from the bench in Game 2

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Memphis hit Minnesota so hard with its bench that the resulting win now is recorded as the largest margin of victory in the franchise’s playoff history.

The Grizzlies matched and surpassed the Timberwolves’ energy, reeling in a 28-point win (124-96) and evening the Western Conference opening-round series at FedExForum at one game apiece.

“They did big time for us,” said Memphis’ starting guard Ja Morant, referencing the bench effect and particularly pointing to the group’s energy level.

“A lot of credit goes to those guys. It allows us to not have to play a lot of minutes Terry because we have so Davis many guys who are capable of making plays and helping us win ball games.”

The bench scored 60 points, with Brandon Clarke, Ziaire Williams and Tyus Jones each contributing 13 points.

“So many different contributions,” said Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins of the bench play. “Obviously one of the biggest ones is (Xavier Tillman Sr.). So proud of him staying ready, coming out, making a tremendous impact defensively and offensively.”

Tillman had 13 points and 7 rebounds in slightly less than 21 minutes on the floor.

Subbing for starting center Steven Adams, Tillman gave the Grizzlies a presence in the center position that had been lacking in the 130-117 Game 1 loss.

“Wild X (Tillman) appeared and got us going,” said starting forward Jaren Jackson Jr. “He’s doing what he does. I’ve seen him put in a ton of work, so I wasn’t shocked by any of it. It helped everybody out.

“You’ve got to be ready when you’re called upon. Credit to him for being ready.

He’s always ready. That definitely helped for sure. He came back in through the second punch, through the third. It was good.”

Tillman said staying mentally ready “is not that hard at all, especially with great teammates. … I had in mind if someone goes down to foul trouble or injury, be ready to go….”

For significant stretches of the regular season, Tillman was not in the regular rotation. “It has had its ups and downs,” he said.

“I had a period where I caught my flow.

I was taking advantage of all my workouts.

Then I had the times, where (he thought) what is the use if I am not going to play. I was able to lock in … to get back on track. Coming in today, it was the fruits of my labor.”

Detailing the bench contributions of the rookie Williams, Jones as a floor general and the effective second-half play of De’Anthony Melton, Jenkins said, “We’re going to need that. I think the biggest thing for our team was just everyone needs to play better, and I thought we got that tonight.”

Morant led the way with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists. Jackson had a bounce-back game with 16 points, 7 rebounds and a block. He played 26.5 minutes, with his ability to stay on the floor a vital part in the win. Sharpshooter Desmond Bane had 16 points, connecting on 3 of 4 three-pointers.

The win was Memphis’ first home playoff victory since Game 4 of the 2017 firstround series against San Antonio. The Grizzlies got off to a much better start than the 9-2 hole the team fell into in Game 1.

And when Morant scooped in a layup the game was knotted at nine.

The pace was excruciatingly slow in the first three minutes, with five foul calls and two official reviews. At the end of the first quarter, there had been 20 fouls called, with four Grizzlies (Jackson, Dillon Brooks, Clarke and Adams) having two each. An NBA record 33 free throws were attempted in the opening quarter.

Memphis weathered the foul storm and took a slim lead (33-32) into the second quarter (33-32). Tillman’s presence was

Xavier Tillman Sr. came off the bench with force offensively and defensively for the Grizzlies, helping propel Memphis to a blowout win over Minnesota, evening the best-of-seven, opening-round series at one game apiece.

(Photos: Warren Roseborough/The New Tri-State Defender)

Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Grizzlies blocks the shot of Taurean Prince of the Timberwolves.

Ja Morant scores past the resistance of Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Malik Beasley.

Tyus Jones, a major contributor off of the Memphis bench, absorbs the defense of Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards. noticeable as he scored seven points and racked up key rebounds. When Melton connected from deep, the Grizzlies grabbed a 10-point lead (44-34) with 9:04 left in the first half. Bane’s 23-foot jumper gave the Grizzlies a 58-44 advantage with 2:22 left.

Memphis led 60-49 at the halftime break.

A key first-half factor was Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns picking up

his third personal foul with 7:08 left. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Timberwolves in the first half (24-18). They only allowed 49 points in the first half compared to 41 points in the first quarter of Game 1.

Memphis kept the pressure on, starting the third quarter with a 10-2 run capped by a three-pointer by Morant that forced the Timberwolves into a timeout with the score

70-51 with 9:32 remaining in the frame.

The Grizzlies got a scare at the 3:56 mark of the third quarter when Morant suffered a lower-body injury and hobbled to the bench with Memphis leading 87-63.

Exiting the court, he returned to the bench area with a few seconds left in the quarter and the Grizzlies ahead 96-77.

Morant played four minutes in the fourth quarter and showed no signs of a lingering injury.

Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, who was a major pain for the Grizzlies in Game 1 with 36 points, was held under his season average and finished with 20 points. Towns finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

As for the importance of the Game 2 win, Jackson said, “Crazy important, amazingly important,” quickly adding, “No highs, no lows. Stay level. It doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, it’s the best of seven. That’s all that matters. You’ve to win the game, so whatever it takes to get that win.”

Game 3 will be in Minnesota on Thursday night (April 21) beginning at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on TNT and Bally’s Sports.

The series returns to Memphis for Game 5 next Tuesday (April 26), with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m.

Tillman – for one – will be happy to get back to FedExForum.

“Every game so far this crowd has been amazing,” said Tillman. “When we go on a run, we can’t hear ourselves. We have to give sign language to get the calls. I can’t wait to come back here for sure.”