The New Tri-State Defender - May 25-31, 2023 by The Tri-State Defender

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May 25 - 31, 2023

VOL. 72, No. 21

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MSCS: Class of 2032 makes gains English Language Arts TCAP scores improve from 2nd to 3rd Grades

TSD Newsroom

Turner during her 50th Anniversary Tour in 2009. (Wikipedia)

Tina Turner dead at 83!

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) class of 2032 is making gains, according to Spring 2023 TCAP data, MSCS officials said on Wednesday. On the English Language Arts section of the TCAP, the cohort of students now in third grade, had a seven percent growth in proficiency, defined as “meets expectations” and “exceeds expectations,” and a seven percent reduction in nonproficiency, defined as “below expectations” and “approaching expectations.” The class of 2032 started kindergarten in 2019. Their first year of school was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, meaning the students spent most of their firstgrade year in virtual learning. Last year, in second grade, was their first full year of in-person instruction. “Because of their resilience and our interventions, the class of 2032 is making gains, and we’re optimistic that these gains will continue,”

60 percent of Tennessee third-graders face the risk of retention. See Perspective, Page 4 said Superintendent Toni Williams. “Being one of our youngest groups of students at the start of the pandemic, they will continue to need extra support to move further faster, and the District will continue to provide it.” MSCS provided what was termed key data points: *Last year, the class of 2032 had 48 percent of students score in the below category. This year, the class of 2032 had 42 percent of students score in the below category. *Last year, the class of 2032 had 36 percent of students score in the approaching category. This year, the class of 2032 had 34 percent of

SEE TCAP ON PAGE 2

Unstoppable superstar’s hits included “What’s Love Got to Do With It” NEW YORK (AP) — Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” has died at 83. Turner died Tuesday, after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago. Few stars traveled so far — she was born Anna Mae Bullock in a segregat-

ed Tennessee hospital and spent her latter years on a 260,000 square foot estate on Lake Zurich — and overcame so much. Physically battered, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by her 20-year relationship with Ike Turner, she became a superstar on her own in her 40s, at a time when most of her peers were on their way down, and remained a top concert draw for years after. With admirers ranging from Beyoncé to Mick Jagger, Turner was one of the world’s most successful entertain-

SEE TURNER ON PAGE 2

From Birth to Death – Chapter One: Birth

Why do so many Black women die in pregnancy? One reason: Doctors don’t take them seriously BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Angelica Lyons knew it was dangerous for Black women to give birth in America. As a public health instructor, she taught college students about racial health disparities, including the fact that Black women in the U.S. are nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy or delivery than any other race. Her home state of Alabama has the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. Then, in 2019, it nearly happened to her. What should have been a joyous first pregnancy quickly turned into a nightmare when she began to suffer debilitating stomach pain. Her pleas for help were shrugged off, she

said, and she was repeatedly sent home from the hospital. Doctors and nurses told her she was suffering from normal contractions, she said, even as her abdominal pain worsened and she began to vomit bile. Angelica said she wasn’t taken seriously until a searing pain rocketed throughout her body and her baby’s heart rate plummeted. Rushed into the operating room for an emergency cesarean section, months before her due date, she nearly died of an undiagnosed case of sepsis. Even more disheartening: Angelica worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the university affiliated with the hospital that

Part one of an AP series examining health disparities experienced by Black Americans across a lifetime. treated her. Her experience is a reflection of the medical racism, bias and inattentive care that Black Americans endure. Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States — 69.9 per 100,000 live births for 2021, almost three times the rate for white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black babies are more likely to die, and also

Angelica Lyons tears up while recalling her birthing experience during an interview in Birmingham, Ala., on Feb. 5, 2022. (Photo: WONG MAYE-E) far more likely to be born prematurely, setting the stage for health issues that could follow them through their lives. “Race plays a huge part, especially in the South, in terms of how you’re treated,” Angel-

SEE BIRTH ON PAGE 8

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The New Tri-State Defender

May 25 - 31, 2023

NEWS

TURNER

CONTINUED FROM FRONT ers, known for a core of pop, rock and rhythm and blues favorites: “Proud Mary,” “Nutbush City Limits,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” and the hits she had in the ’80s, among them “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero” and a cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Her trademarks were her growling contralto, her bold smile and strong cheekbones, her palette of wigs and the muscular, quick-stepping legs she did not shy from showing off. She sold more than 150 million records worldwide, won 12 Grammys, was voted along with Ike into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 (and on her own in 2021) and was honored at the Kennedy Center in 2005, with Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey among those praising her. Her life became the basis for a film, a Broadway musical and an HBO documentary in 2021 that she called her public farewell. Until she left her husband and revealed their back story, she was known as the voracious on-stage foil of the steady-going Ike, the leading lady of the “Ike and Tina Turner Revue.” Ike was billed first and ran the show, choosing the material, the arrangements, the backing singers. They toured constantly for years, in part because Ike was often short on money and unwilling to miss a concert. Tina Turner was forced to go on with bronchitis, with pneumonia, with a collapsed right lung. Other times, the cause of her misfortunes was Ike himself. As she recounted in her memoir, “I, Tina,” Ike began hitting her not long after they met, in the mid-1950s, and only grew more vicious. Provoked by anything and anyone, he would throw hot coffee in her face, choke her, or beat her until her eyes were swollen shut, then rape her. Before one show, he broke her jaw and she went on stage with her mouth full of blood. Terrified both of being with

TCAP

CONTINUED FROM FRONT students score in the approaching category. *Last year, the class of 2032 had 16.5 percent of students score proficient. This year, the class of 2032 had 23.6 percent of students score proficient. *The class of 2032’s performance on the Spring 2023 TCAP was on par with last year’s third-graders, or the class of 2031. *This year, statewide, 60 percent of third-graders scored non-proficient and 40 percent scored proficient. According to MSCS, the historic release of raw data by the Tennessee Department of Education does not factor in the accountability measures that make adjustments for English language learners, special education students, and students who were enrolled in MSCS less than 50 percent of the year. Those adjustments usually improve MSCS scores. Interventions working MSCS point to “successful interventions” that contributed to the academic growth of 2032 cohort, including a “significant investment” in Summer Learning Academy and summer programs. In addition, MSCS notes that the district:

Tina Turner performs her hit song “What’s Love Got to Do With It” in Los Angeles on Sept. 2, 1984. (AP Photo/Phil Ramey, File)

Tina Turner performs at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Aug. 1, 1985. (AP Photo/Ray Stubblebine, File) Ike and of being without him, she credited her emerging Buddhist faith in the mid1970s with giving her a sense of strength and self-worth and she finally left in early July, 1976. The Ike and Tina Turner Revue was scheduled to open a tour marking the country’s bicentennial when Tina snuck out of their Dallas hotel room, with just a Mobil credit card and 36 cents, while Ike slept. She hurried across a nearby highway, narrowly avoiding a speeding truck, and found another hotel to stay. “I looked at him (Ike) and thought, ‘You just beat me for the last time, you sucker,’” she recalled in her memoir. Turner was among the first celebrities to speak candidly about domestic abuse, becoming a heroine to battered women and a symbol of resilience to all. Ike Turner did not deny mistreating her, although he tried to blame Tina for their troubles. When he died, in *Has continued professional development around the science of reading and instructional practices. *Has reduced the studentto-adult ratio in K-2, and added before-, during-, and after-school tutoring. Communicating early and often MSCS has approximately 8,500 third-graders in charterand District-managed schools; approximately 7,000 of those students are in District-managed schools. Based on their diagnostic scores, this winter, MSCS alerted the parents of approximately 5,300 students in District-managed schools and auto-enrolled them in Summer Learning Academy, which runs June 20-July 19. According to MSCS, the “proactive step: was taken months ago to prepare families in advance. On Tuesday (May 23) MSCS hosted Part II of the series The Results are In Now What? on Facebook and Twitter live streams. Nearly 3,000 views were noted within the first four hours. MSCS will continue its “regular communication” with families to discuss Summer Learning Academy enrollment, the appeals process, and high-dosage tutoring because the District has work to do until every child is proficient.

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2007, a representative for his ex-wife said simply: “Tina is aware that Ike passed away.” Little of this was apparent to the many Ike and Tina fans. The Turners were a hot act for much of the 1960s and into the ’70s, evolving from bluesy ballads such as “A Fool in Love” and “It’s Going to Work Out Fine” to flashy covers of “Proud Mary” and “Come Together” and other rock songs that brought them crossover success. They opened for the Rolling Stones in 1966 and 1969, and were seen performing a lustful version of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” in the 1970 Stones documentary “Gimme Shelter.” Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett gave Oscar-nominated performances as Ike and Tina in the 1993 movie “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” based on “I, Tina,” but she would say that reliving her years with Ike was so painful

she couldn’t bring herself to watch the movie). Ike and Tina’s reworking of “Proud Mary,” originally a tight, mid-tempo hit for Creedence Clearwater Revival, helped define their assertive, sexual image. Against a background of funky guitar and Ike’s crooning baritone, Tina began with a few spoken words about how some people wanted to hear songs that were “nice and easy.” “But there’s this one thing,”

she warned, “you see, we never ever do nothing nice and easy. “We always do it nice — and rough.” But by the end of the 1970s, Turner’s career seemed finished. She was 40 years old, her first solo album had flopped and her live shows were mostly confined to the cabaret circuit. Desperate for work, and money, she even agreed to tour in South Africa when the country was widely boycotted because of its racist apartheid regime. Rock stars helped bring her back. Rod Stewart convinced her to sing “Hot Legs” with him on “Saturday Night Live” and Jagger, who had openly borrowed some of Turner’s on-stage moves, sang “Honky Tonk Women” with her during the Stones’ 1981-82 tour. At a listening party for his 1983 album “Let’s Dance,” David Bowie told guests that Turner was his favorite female singer. More popular in England at the time than in the U.S., she recorded a raspy version of “Let’s Stay Together” at EMI’s Abbey Road studios in London. By the end of 1983, “Let’s Stay Together” was a

hit throughout Europe and on the verge of breaking in the states. An A&R man at Capitol Records, John Carter, urged the label to sign her up and make an album. Among the material presented to her was a reflective pop-reggae ballad co-written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle and initially dismissed by Tina as “wimpy.” “I just thought it was some old pop song, and I didn’t like it,” she later said of “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” Turner’s “Private Dancer” album came out in May 1984, sold more than eight million copies and featured several hit singles, including the title song and “Better Be Good To Me.” It won four Grammys, among them record of the year for “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” the song that came to define the clear-eyed image of her post-Ike years. “People look at me now and think what a hot life I must have lived — ha!” she wrote in her memoir. (Associated Press Writer Hilary Fox contributed to this report.)

The New Tri-State Defender

May 25 - 31, 2023

Page 3

NEWS

Jim Brown – all-time NFL great running back, social activist – dead at 87 Associated Press Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, the unstoppable running back who retired at the peak of his brilliant career to become an actor as well as a prominent civil rights advocate during the 1960s, has died. He was 87. A spokeswoman for Brown’s family said he passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home on Thursday night (May 18) with his wife, Monique, by his side. One of the greatest players in football history and one of the game’s first superstars, Brown was chosen the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books in a short career spanning 1957-65. Brown led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964 before retiring in his prime after the ’65 season to become an actor. He appeared in more than 30 films, including “Any Given Sunday” and “The Dirty Dozen.” An unstoppable runner with power, speed and endurance, Brown’s arrival sparked the game’s burgeoning popularity on television. As Black Americans fought for equality, Brown used his platform and voice to advance their cause. In 1967, Brown organized a meeting in Cleveland of the nation’s top Black athletes, including Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor, who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to support boxer Muhammad Ali’s fight against the war in Vietnam. In later years, he worked to curb

gang violence in LA and founded Amer-I-Can, a program to help disadvantaged inner-city youth and ex-convicts. On the field, there was no one like Brown, who would blast through would-be tacklers, refusing to let one man take him down before sprinting away from linebackers and defensive backs. He was also famous for using a stiff arm to shed defenders in the open field or push them away like they were rag dolls. “My arms were like my protectors and weapons,” Brown said during an interview with NFL Films. At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, he was dominant, relentless and without mercy, his highlight reels featuring runs around and right through opponents, fighting for every yard, dragging multiple defenders along or finding holes where none seemed to exist. After Brown was tackled, he’d slowly rise and walk even more slowly back to the huddle — then dominate the defense when he got the ball again. Off the field, Brown was a contentious character. While he had a soft spot for those in need, and his generosity changed lives, he also was arrested a half-dozen times, mostly on charges of hitting women. In June 1999, Brown’s wife, Monique, called 911, saying Brown had smashed her car with a shovel and threatened to kill her. During the trial, Monique Brown recanted. Jim Brown was acquitted of a charge of domestic threats but convicted of misdemeanor vandalism. The Los Angeles judge

Jim Brown (Photo: 1961_Kahn’s_Wieners)

In 2013 during the Memphis Grizzlies’ annual salute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. then-coach Lionel Hollins greeted NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown. (Photo by Warren Roseborough/The New TriState Defender Archives) sentenced Brown to six months in jail when he refused to attend domestic violence counseling. He also feuded with Browns coach Paul Brown and later with the team’s management, although he played his entire career with Cleveland. When his playing days ended, Brown set off for Hollywood and eventually settled there. Brown advised Cleveland coach Blanton Collier of his retirement while the team was in training camp and he was on the set of “The Dirty Dozen” in England. Among his films were “100 Rifles,” “Mars Attacks!” Spike Lee’s “He Got Game,” Oliver Stone’s “Any Given Sunday,” and the satire “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” in which he parodied the blaxploitation genre. In

2002, Brown was the subject of Lee’s HBO documentary “Jim Brown: All-American.” Brown was an eight-time All-Pro and went to the Pro Bowl in each of his nine years in the league. When Brown walked away from the game at age 30, he held the league’s records for yards (12,312) and touchdowns (126). A two-sport star at Syracuse — some say he is the best lacrosse player in NCAA history — Brown endured countless racist taunts while playing at the virtually all-white school at the time. Still, he was an All-American in both sports, leading the nation in scoring, and lettered in basketball. Brown was the sixth overall pick of the 1957 draft, joining a team that

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routinely played for the title. He was the Offensive Rookie of the Year that season. He led the NFL in rushing eight times, gaining a career-best 1,863 yards in 1963. He averaged 104 yards per game, scored 106 rushing touchdowns and averaged an astonishing 5.2 yards per carry. A dangerous receiver as well, Brown finished with 262 catches for 2,499 yards and another 20 TDs. “I’ve said many times, and I will always say, Jim Brown is the best,” Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers once said, “and he will still be the best long after all his records are broken.” Brown’s No. 32 was retired by the Browns in ’71, the same year he entered the Hall of Fame. Born on Feb. 17, 1936, in St. Simons, Georgia, Brown was a multisport star at Manhasset High School on Long Island. He later took up golf, and while playing with Jack Nicklaus in the 1963 Cleveland Pro-Am, he shot a 79. Brown is survived by his second wife, Monique, and their child. He was divorced after 13 years of marriage from Sue Brown, with whom he had three children. (This AP story by Tom Withers.)

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, May 25 - 31, 2023, Page 4

More Tennessee 3rd graders tested proficient in reading this year 60 percent face risk of retention

learning disruptions. Lawmakers authorized the creation of summer programs and tutoring during the school year for elementary and middle school grades, while also approving new reading proficiency requirements for third graders to advance, beginning this school year. The resulting state-funded learning interventions have proven popular, but the retention policy has received widespread criticism. It’s “worth remembering this broken 3rd grade retention policy was rushed into law during a 4-day special session without any input from educators or families,” state Sen. Jeff Yarbro tweeted over the weekend. The Nashville Dem- Sen. Raumesh Akbari ocrat questioned the

by Marta W. Aldrich Chalkbeat Tennessee

Tennessee’s third-grade reading proficiency rate jumped by more than 4 percentage points to 40 percent on this year’s state tests. But that means up to 60 percent of its third graders could be at risk of being held back under the state’s tough new retention law. The results, based on preliminary scores, showed some level of improvement in all four of the state’s reading performance categories. The percentage of third graders who scored as advanced readers, the state’s top performance category, rose 3 percentage points to 13 percent, the largest figure in over a decade. Tennessee released the statewide data Monday as families began receiving news about whether their third graders scored well enough on spring tests to move on to fourth grade. While the state won’t release the final scores until this summer, the preliminary scores offer the first statewide glimpse at the effects of a controversial 2021 law passed in an effort to stem pandemic learning loss and boost Tennessee’s long-lagging scores for reading. Gov. Bill Lee, who championed the 2021 law, called the gains “historic.” And Penny Schwinn, the state’s outgoing education commissioner, pointed to Tennessee’s new investments and strategies for literacy, including an array of programs to train teachers on phonics-based reading instruction. “While we still have a long way to go before we reach the goals laid out in legislation,” Schwinn said, “I appreciate the ongoing efforts of Tennessee schools as they implement summer and tutoring programs to provide students not yet on grade level with the supports they need to thrive.” Scores set students on varying pathways to promotion Tennessee has about 75,000 third graders. The early data showed 35 percent scored as “approaching” proficiency, down 1 percentage point from last year; and 25 percent scored “below” proficiency, down by 3 percentage points last year in the state’s bottom category. Another 27 percent were deemed to have met the state’s threshold for reading, up 2 percentage points from last year. Those who weren’t deemed proficient readers may retake the test this week to try to improve their score, or may have to attend learning camps this summer or tutoring sessions this fall to be eligible to advance to fourth grade. But the state’s numbers do not factor in students who are automatically exempt under the law. Those include third graders with a disability or suspected disability that affects reading; students who have been previously retained; and English language learners with less than two years of instruction in English language arts. “Exemption decisions will be dealt with at the local level, in compliance with the law,” said Brian Blackley, a state education department spokesman. District officials spent the weekend an-

Last Friday (May 19), individual ELA scores for third graders were shared with Tennessee school districts, which are responsible for communicating with families about their student’s score and pathways to fourth-grade promotion, including the TCAP retake opportunity, free summer camp and/or tutoring in the upcoming school year. (Photo: tn.gov)

alyzing preliminary scores that the department shared with school leaders late Friday afternoon. Knox County Schools was among the first school systems to report district-level results, with more than a third of its third graders at risk of retention. The district shared scores with families on Friday night and gave them until Sunday to sign up their child to retest this week. More than 1,200 Knox County third graders retook the test on Monday, said spokeswoman Carly Harrington. About 38 percent of Nashville students face possible retention based on an analysis of performance and exemptions by Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. Chattanooga-based Hamilton County Schools reported that more than one-fifth of its third graders either did not score proficient in reading, or did not meet the state’s exemption criteria. “We are in the process of notifying families right now,” spokesman Steve Doremus said Monday. In Rutherford County Schools, a large suburban district south of Nashville, about 30 percent of third graders may have to satisfy additional learning requirements to be eligible to advance to fourth grade. School officials in Memphis did not immediately answer Chalkbeat’s questions about third-grade performance. “We’re working to support the families of our third-grade students over the

next few days as they prepare for retests, appeals, our MSCS Summer Learning Academy, and end-of-year celebrations,” Memphis-Shelby County Schools said in a statement. In releasing statewide data on Monday, the department reversed course from its stance last week. Historically, the state has not publicly released data from preliminary student-level scores, which are protected by federal confidentiality laws. Blackley said Friday that would continue to be the case. On Monday, however, he said the public release of some statewide results was an attempt to increase transparency because of the high stakes for third graders. “We understand there’s a lot of interest,” he said, “so we wanted to give a comprehensive view of third-grade data for English language arts as soon as possible.” Critics of retention law step up their criticisms This year’s third graders were the youngest students affected by school disruptions during the pandemic. Their kindergarten year was shortened by three months when Gov. Bill Lee urged public school officials to close their buildings in March 2020 to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Lee later called the legislature in for a special 2021 session to address ongoing

adequacy of the state’s financial investment in education, its interpretation of scores from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, and the law’s focus on third graders. “Maybe, just maybe, our efforts should focus on instruction & interventions in K-2 (if not earlier),” Yarbro wrote. In Memphis, Sen. Raumesh Akbari said the possibility of holding back thousands of third graders based on a single test score was “manufactured chaos.” “There are so many student interventions we could be supporting to improve reading comprehension. High-stakes testing, with the threat of failing third grade, is not one of them,” said Akbari, who chairs the Senate Democratic Caucus. Many school officials also question whether TCAP is the best measure of a child’s ability to read. “The promotion requirements around one TCAP data point don’t portray simple ‘reading ability,’” Rutherford County Schools Superintendent James Sullivan said in a statement. “Instead,” he said, “the TCAP third grade English Language Arts assessment is a measure of a student’s performance on all Tennessee Academic ELA Standards including the ability to interact, decipher, comprehend, and analyze comprehensive text.” Adrienne Battle, director of schools in Nashville, said her district did not agree with the law’s retention policy, but is working with its families to navigate the law’s impacts. “It is important for children, parents, and the community to understand that if a student didn’t score proficient on this one test, it does not mean they failed, that they cannot read, or that they are not making learning progress,” Battle said. “Tennessee has some of the highest standards in the nation for student expectations.” Local pushback caused legislators to revisit the law during their most recent legislative session. Among other things, lawmakers widened criteria for determining which third graders are at risk of being held back, but the changes won’t take effect until next school year. (Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@ chalkbeat.org. Laura Testino contributed to this report from Memphis. Contact her at ltestino@chalkbeat.org.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

May 25 - 31, 2023

NEWS

Students at Rozelle Creative and Performing Arts Elementary were showcased in this high-energy performance. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

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As was the case at Springdale Elementary, the celebration at Rozelle included members of the Memphis 13, and the foundation committed to extending its legacy.

New murals reﬂect Memphis 13 legacy at Rozelle and Springdale elementary schools TSD Newsroom Two Memphis elementary schools – Rozelle Creative and Performing Arts Elementary and Springdale-Memphis Magnet Elementary – recently unveiled murals commemorating the courageous actions of the Memphis 13, the group of African American students who integrated Memphis City Schools during the civil rights era. The mural unveilings are new milestones in honoring the Memphis 13’s enduring legacy. Hosted by Principal Carmen Gregory, Springdale Elementary held a celebration to honor school partners, including the Memphis 13 Foundation and the Memphis 13. On hand for the unveiling of the artwork by artist Jamond Bullock were members of the Memphis 13 and The Memphis 13 Foundation. Bullock crafted his work to depict the historic journey of the Memphis 13 and

At Springdale, this young student had a commanding presence.

their unwavering commitment to equality in education. Going forward, the mural is envisioned as an inspiration and educational tool, engaging students in conversations about civil rights and fostering a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by these trailblazing individuals. “The murals serve as tangible reminders of our collective responsibility to advocate for equal opportunities in education,” Gregory said. “The Memphis 13’s remarkable courage and resilience continue to inspire us, and their legacy will forever be etched into the fabric of our school.” At Rozelle Elementary, Dr. Taurus M. Hines, the school’s principal, welcomed guests, faculty, students, and members of the Memphis community to a red-carpetthemed ceremony. Tennessee State Representative G.A. Hardaway led the ribbon cutting and dedication, which included Dr. Angela Whitelaw, deputy superintendent of Schools and Academic Support. “These murals are powerful tributes to

This welcome sign reflects the barrier-breaking move of the Memphis 13. the Memphis 13, who paved the way for inclusivity and educational equality in our community,” said Hines. “We hope these

Artist Jamond Bullock was the creative force behind the murals at Rozelle and Springdale.

The mural at Springdale Elementary.

vibrant artworks inspire our students to embrace the values of tolerance, unity, and social progress.” Michelle Robinson McKissack, a Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board member (and mayoral candidate) gave remarks and brought regards from the school board. Embracing the theme of unity and progress, the mural, which also was painted by Bullock, is designed to capture the resilience and determination of the Memphis 13 while serving as a daily reminder of the ongoing pursuit of equality and justice within the school community. Both events showcased the collective effort and collaboration between the schools, talented artists, and community organizations. The mural unveilings were made possible by grants from the Memphis 13 Foundation, an organization founded by members of the Memphis 13. The foundation aims to empower students, promote diversity, and foster equity within the education system.

The New Tri-State Defender

May 25 - 31, 2023

ENTERTAINMENT

Deborah J. Robinson

Silver foxes showing off! “The Silver Fox Experience” was an eye-popping evening at the Great Hall & Conference Center, 1900 S. Germantown Rd., as Deborah J. Robinson presented the 55-and-up fashion show last Sunday. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

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COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, May 25 - 31, 2023, Page 7

First Class Montessori stages final graduation after 31 years by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Parents, grandparents, siblings and friends watched eight excited youngsters graduate from pre-K and kindergarten at 1st Class Montessori School on Monday (May 22). It was the last of 31 graduation ceremonies for the Midtown school. The doors will close for good at the month’s end. “After graduation was over on Monday, we asked parents to please let the children stay at school,” said Evelyn Hibbler, 1st Class Montessori founder. “We had all kinds of goodies for all the children and special events planned for the rest of the week. I just need to spend a little more time with my children.” Graduates brought down the house with their big song finale: “Education is my brain power, Graduation is my shining hour…” Commencement speaker Dr. Jeffrey Futrell congratulated the “young kings and queens.” “I’ve spoken at a lot of places,” said Futrell. “But this ranks right up there at the top.” Futrell is the founder of Memphis’ Young Man University, a non-profit organization committed to the spiri-

tual, intellectual and physical development of boys and teens. “Dr. Futrell was the perfect speaker for this final graduation ceremony,” said Hibbler. “He does such phenomenal work with young boys in the community. I gave him three minutes, and he was great. The children were interacting with him and taking in those wonderful words of encouragement.” Hibbler, who will turn 70 in late October, has enjoyed the satisfaction of multiple generations of little ones coming through 1st Class Montessori. “Children who came to us in those early years returned and brought their children to 1st Class Montessori,” said Hibbler. “It is so gratifying to see first-hand some of the fruit of your labor. It was my dream to build a multi-racial student body that would reflect the cultural array of faculty. The Lord really answered my prayer concerning the success of this school.” After the May 22 ceremony, Hibbler was reflective about the years and how quickly they passed for her. “I can still remember a teacher and I going door-to-door on Peabody to introduce ourselves and tell neighbors about our school,” said Hibbler. “It was an all-white community,

Evelyn Hibbler, 1st Class Montessori School founder, said, “It was my dream to build a multi-racial student body that would reflect the cultural array of faculty. The Lord really answered my prayer concerning the success of this school.” (Courtesy photos) and no one was happy about us coming there. I particularly remember this one elderly lady saying, ‘Why are you coming here? We don’t want you here, and you know what I’m talking about.’ “Then she slammed the door, and I went right on to the next house.” According to Hibbler, challenges in those early days were plentiful, including “never enough money to

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Special to The New TriState Defender

Drumming it up in South City … With historic Booker T. Washington High School serving as part of the community backdrop, South City MEMFix delivered on its theme “History Lives Here: Progress, Prosperity, Purpose.” The collaboration involved SCORE CDC and BLDG Memphis and produced a mix of sights, sounds and information last Saturday (May 20). (Photos: Karanja A. Ajanaku/The New Tri-State Defender)

do everything” and city codes for private schools to keep the doors open. Those rough, early years became prosperous and rewarding. At a point, every academic level offered from pre-K through grade 5 had waiting lists. In between, there were a few lean years. And, then came the pandemic. “It was only by God’s grace that we survived the total shutdown of a global pandemic,” said Hibbler. “That was a crippling blow, and it came from nowhere, out of left field. But the Lord helped us through. “When everything opened back up, our students returned, and things were great.”

Shuttering the school’s doors is “bittersweet for me. I’ll miss being in the classroom,” said Hibbler. “However, I am ready for the next chapter.” There are numerous possibilities for Hibbler with her multiple gifts and interests. “I created a character called, ‘Miss Classy,’ said Hibbler. I released a CD of learning-based music. I want to see Miss Classy developed a bit more, and I want to write new music for children. “And, of course, I have been an ordained minister for about 10 years. Who knows what’s about to unfold? Only God and I am excited about that.”

City’s summer youth job program is geared and ready

Book explores tension between race equity and capitalism

Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, a number of business leaders made passionate promises to invest in racial equity as a response to the public cries for change. Dr. Adriane Johnson-Williams says many have failed to deliver because they did not understand the complexities involved in changing a whole culture. She writes about that and more in her first book, “Not Your Father’s Capitalism: What Race Equity Asks of U.S. Business Leaders.” A book launch event was held recently at Novel Books. Johnson-Williams is the founder and principal of Standpoint Consulting. “Not Your Father’s Capitalism” is crafted to show business leaders how to consider the humanity in business and provide the tools leaders need to shift the culture so that promises can be kept. The book is dedicated to the Black

The last graduating class of 1st Class Montessori School.

Dr. Adriane Johnson-Williams signed copies of her book after a discussion about its theme and focus. (Courtesy photo) women who came before Johnson-Williams. “I dedicate this book to my mother, foremothers, and all the Black women and daughters of Black women whose wisdom is as valuable as it was hard-earned.” Johnson-Williams acknowledged that she was provided a path to this moment through white male sponsorship; white men who opened the door, showed her the way through and advocated for her as she accessed spaces that often were closed to Black women. The juxtaposition between the Black women in her dedication and the white men in her acknowledgments set the tone for the evening,

which explored the central topic of her book: the uncomfortable tension between the tenets of capitalism and Dr. Johnson-Williams’ call to action to build race equity into these spaces. After a brief reading from the preface, Johnson-Williams took questions from the audience, including “How do we get this book into the hands of those who need it?” and more conceptual questions around merit, degrees and qualifications, colonialism, and reparations. The night concluded with signatures, photos, and hope that this is the first step towards race equity for her beloved city of birth, Memphis, and business leaders nationally.

Jobs are awaiting 3,000-plus teens and young adults through the efforts of the City of Memphis Office of Youth Services. “We are providing meaningful work experiences that will be impactful and enriching at a very critical stage of a young person’s development,” said Youth Services Director Ike Griffin. “These programs help build character and a sense of pride and responsibility in holding a real job.” The Youth Services Office is in its 10th year. “The concept of partnering with Memphis businesses and corporate entities for summer employment of youth started about 15 years ago when Dr. Herenton was mayor and Sara Lewis was special assistant to the mayor,” said Griffin. “They started out with 1,000 jobs in 2008. Since then, the program has expanded tremendously.” MPLOY is the official name of the six-week, youth jobs program that runs in June and July. Young people, ages 14-22, participate in two segments of the program. MPLOY also teaches young people soft skills training, such as resume writing and interviewing. The entry-level positions and internships offer the youth participants adult-level job skills with long-term benefits. The first segment is MOYS (Memphis Office of Youth Services) Institute for 14- and 15-yearolds. Participants 16-22 are in the MPLOY program. They work for FedEx, Smith & Nephew, and other participating employers in Memphis. The jobs are offered by private, non-profit, and government employers. “These young people earn everything,” said Griffin. “They must show up on time, follow the rules of the workplace, and participants sign a pledge that they understand there is 0-tolerance; any infraction means expulsion. “In addition, participants must

complete volunteer work, community service, and there must be parental involvement. These are requirements, not optional. Our programs are character-building.” MPLOY Plus is the fall version of summer MPLOY. Also, the Memphis Ambassadors Program (MAP) is a year-round initiative for high school students, getting them involved in community service projects and the Summer Leadership Academy. To participate, students must maintain a 3.0 average and fulfill the volunteerism, community service, and parental involvement requirements. MAP participants are paid for their academic achievements. Those with higher gradepoint averages receive higher payment. “So these students are rewarded for their perforIke mance,” said Griffin Griffin. “Their time is productively used in study and fulfilling MAP requirements. Giving young people structure and guidance saves them from roaming the streets and getting into trouble.” Griffin launched a new initiative called, “I Am Included.” “This program is for students with disabilities,” said Griffin. “They all receive the same stipend, and the requirements for participating are the same as the other programs: parental involvement, volunteerism, and community service. “And, this year, I have implemented another activity. Each of these students will write a book entitled, ‘My Story in a Special Way.’ This is empowering for our young people with disabilities.” The next application period for the Youth Services program is Dec. 2023. For more information, visit cityofmemphisyouth.org.

The New Tri-State Defender

May 25 - 31, 2023

NEWS

BIRTH

CONTINUED FROM FRONT ica said, and the effects are catastrophic. “People are dying.” To be Black anywhere in America is to experience higher rates of chronic ailments like asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and, most recently, COVID-19. Black Americans have less access to adequate medical care; their life expectancy is shorter. From birth to death, regardless of wealth or social standing, they are far more likely to get sick and die from common ailments. Black Americans’ health issues have long been ascribed to genetics or behavior, when in actuality, an array of circumstances linked to racism — among them, restrictions on where people could live and historical lack of access to care — play major roles. Discrimination and bias in hospital settings have been disastrous. The nation’s health disparities have had a tragic impact: Over the past two decades, the higher mortality rate among Black Americans resulted in 1.6 million excess deaths compared to white Americans. That higher mortality rate resulted in a cumulative loss of more than 80 million years of life due to people dying young and billions of dollars in health care and lost opportunity. A yearlong Associated Press project found that the health challenges Black Americans endure often begin before their first breath. The AP conducted dozens of interviews with doctors, medical professionals, advocates, historians and researchers who detailed how a history of racism that began during the foundational years of America led to the disparities seen today. Angelica Lyons’ pregnancy troubles began during her first trimester, with nausea and severe acid reflux. She was prescribed medication that helped alleviate her symptoms but it also caused severe constipation. In the last week of October 2019, while she was giving her students a test, her stomach started to hurt badly. “I remember talking to a couple of my students and they said, ‘You don’t look good, Ms. Lyons,’” Angelica recalled. She called the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital’s labor and delivery unit to tell them she was having a hard time using the bathroom and her stomach was hurting. A woman who answered the phone told her it was a common pregnancy issue, Angelica said, and that she shouldn’t worry too much. “She made me feel like my concern wasn’t important, and because this was my first pregnancy, I decided not to go because I wasn’t sure and thought maybe I was overreacting,” Angelica said. The pain persisted. She went to the hospital a few days later and was admitted. She had an enema — a procedure where fluids are used to cleanse or stimulate the emptying of bowels — to alleviate her constipation, but Angelica continued to plead with them that she was in pain. “They were like, ‘Oh, it’s nothing, it’s just the Braxton Hicks contractions,’” she said. “They just ignored me.” She was sent home but her stomach continued to ache, so she went back to the hospital a day later. Several tests, including MRIs, couldn’t find the source of the issue. Angelica was eventually moved to the labor and delivery floor of the hospital so they could monitor her son’s heartbeat, which had dropped slightly. There, they performed another enema that finally helped with the pain. She also was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a dangerous condition that can cause severe pregnancy complications or death. Then she began to vomit what appeared to be bile. “I got worse and worse with the pain and I kept telling them, ‘Hey, I’m in pain,’” Angelica said. “They’d say, ‘Oh, you want some Tylenol?’ But it wasn’t helping.” She struggled to eat dinner that night. When she stood up to go to the bathroom, she felt a sharp pain ricochet throughout her body. “I started hollering because I had no idea what was going on,” she said. “I told my sister I was in so much pain and to please call the nurse.” What happened next remains a blur. Angelica recalls the chaos of hospital staff rushing her to labor and delivery, putting up a blue sheet to prepare her for an emergency C-section as her family and ex-husband tried to understand what went wrong. She later learned that she nearly died. “I was on life support,” recalled Angelica, 34. “I coded.” She woke up three days later, unable to talk because of a ventilator in her mouth. She remembers gesturing wildly to her mother, asking where her son, Malik, was. He was OK. But Angelica felt so much had been taken from her. She never got to experience those first moments of joy of having her newborn placed on her chest. She didn’t even know what her son looked like. Maternal sepsis is a leading cause of maternal

Ansonia Lyons bottle feeds her son, Adrien Lyons, in the television room of her parents’ home. (Photo: WONG MAYE-E) mortality in America. Black women are twice as likely to develop severe maternal sepsis, as compared to their white counterparts. Common symptoms can include fever or pain in the area of infection. Sepsis can develop quickly, so a timely response is crucial. Sepsis in its early stages can mirror common pregnancy symptoms, so it can be hard to diagnose. Due to a lack of training, some medical providers don’t know what to look for. But slow or missed diagnoses are also the result of bias, structural racism in medicine and inattentive care that leads to patients, particularly Black women, not being heard. “The way structural racism can play out in this particular disease is not being taken seriously,” said Dr. Laura Riley, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. “We know that delay in diagnosis is what leads to these really bad outcomes.” In the days and weeks that followed, Angelica demanded explanations from the medical staff of what happened. But she felt the answers she received on how it occurred were sparse and confusing. A spokesperson for the University of Alabama at Birmingham said in a statement to The Associated Press that they couldn’t talk about Angelica’s case because of patient privacy laws. They pointed to a recent internal survey done by its Obstetrics and Gynecology department that showed that most of its patients are satisfied with their care and “are largely feeling respected,” and said the university and hospital “maintain intentional, proactive efforts in addressing health disparities and maternal mortality.” Angelica’s son, Malik, was born eight weeks early, weighing under 5 pounds. He spent a month in intensive care. He received home visits through the first year of life to monitor his growth. While he’s now a curious and vivacious 3-year-old who loves to explore the world around him, Angelica recalls those days in the ICU, and she feels guilty because she could not be with him. “It’s scary to know I could have died, that we could have died,” Lyons said, wiping away tears. For decades, frustrated birth advocates and medical professionals have tried to sound an alarm about the ways medicine has failed Black women. Historians trace that maltreatment to racist medical practices that Black people endured amid and after slavery. To fully understand maternal mortality and infant mortality crises for Black women and babies, the nation must first reckon with the dark history of how gynecology began, said Deirdre Cooper Owens, a historian and author. “The history of this particular medical branch … it begins on a slave farm in Alabama,” Owens said. “The advancement of obstetrics and gynecology had such an intimate relationship with slavery, and was literally built on the wounds of Black women.” Reproductive surgeries that were experimen-

James Lyons kisses his grandson, Adrien Lyons, in the kitchen of his home. (Photo: WONG MAYE-E) tal at the time, like cesarean sections, were commonly performed on enslaved Black women. Physicians like the once-heralded J. Marion Sims, an Alabama doctor many call the “father of gynecology,” performed torturous surgical experiments on enslaved Black women in the 1840s without anesthesia. And well after the abolition of slavery, hospitals performed unnecessary hysterectomies on Black women, and eugenics programs sterilized them. Health care segregation also played a major role in the racial health gap still experienced today. Until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Black families were mostly barred from well-funded white hospitals and often received limited, poor or inhumane medical treatment. Black-led clinics and doctors worked hard to fill in the gaps, but even after the new protections, hospitals once reserved for Black families remained under-resourced, and Black women didn’t get the same support regularly available for white women. That history of abuse and neglect led to deep-rooted distrust of health care institutions among communities of color. “We have to recognize that it’s not about just some racist people or a few bad actors,” said Rana A. Hogarth, an associate professor of History at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “People need to stop thinking about things like slavery and racism as just these features that happened that are part of the contours of history and maybe think of them more as foundational and institutions that have been with us every step of the way.” Some health care providers still hold false beliefs about biological differences between Black and white people, such as Black people having “less sensitive nerve endings, thicker skin, and stronger bones.” Those beliefs have caused medical providers today to rate Black patients’ pain lower, and recommend less relief. The differences exist regardless of education or income level. Black women who have a college education or higher have a pregnancy-related mortality rate that is more than five times higher than that of white women. Notably, the pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women with a college education is 1.6. times higher than that of white women with less than

Page 8

a high school degree. In Angelica Lyons’ home state of Alabama, about 40 mothers die within one year after delivery. The toll on Black mothers is disproportionate. The state’s infant mortality rate for 2021 was 7.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The disparities between Black and white babies is stark: The infant mortality rate in 2021 for white mothers was 5.8, while the infant mortality rate for Black mothers was 12.1, an increase from 10.9 from the prior year. Black babies account for just 29% of births in Alabama, yet nearly 47% of infant deaths. A 2020 report by the Alabama Maternal Mortality Review Committee found that more than 55% of 80 pregnancy-related deaths that they reviewed in 2016 and 2017 could have been prevented. Alabama launched its Maternal Mortality Review Committee in 2018 to investigate maternal deaths. But Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s Department of Public Health State Health Officer, said work remains to collect a fuller picture of why the disparities exist. “We certainly know that from national numbers as well that Black women have worse maternal outcomes at every income level, which is pretty startling,” said Dr. Harris. “Age matters and just overall ZIP code matters. Unfortunately, where people live, where these children are born, is strongly associated with infant mortality. I think we’ll see something similar for maternal outcomes.” And concerns about access and barriers to care remain. In Alabama, 37% of counties are maternity care deserts — more than 240,000 women live in counties with no or little care. About 39% of counties don’t have a single obstetric provider. Alabama is not alone in this. More than 2.2 million American women of childbearing age live in maternity care deserts, and another 4.8 million such women reside in counties with limited access to maternity care. Angelica Lyons said she wanted to seek maternal care at another hospital but the University of Alabama was the only one near her home equipped to handle her high-risk pregnancy, which included high blood pressure near the beginning. Dr. Harris acknowledged the lack of access to care is a barrier for Black women who live in the state’s rural areas. Much of the state’s public health efforts are targeted along the rural Black Belt, which gets its name from the rich soil but it was also a region where many plantations were clustered. Centuries later, the Black Belt continues to be a high-poverty region with a large Black population. More than half of the nation’s Black population lives in the South. “We’ve talked a lot about structural racism and the impact of that on African American women and how it has no place in society,” Harris said. “I think we have to publicly call it what it is.” Doctors told her she was suffering from regular morning sickness, though she was vomiting blood. She was eventually diagnosed with an excessive vomiting disorder, hyperemesis gravidarum, and was extremely dehydrated. Ansonia spent months in and out of the same hospital where her sister had been treated. “They said, ‘Welcome to the pregnancy, sweetheart. This is what pregnancy is,’” Ansonia, 30, recalled. “I told her, ‘No, this is not normal for me to be throwing up 10 to 20 times a day.’ My own primary care wasn’t listening to me.” Ansonia said throughout her pregnancy she encountered hospital staff that made stereotypical jokes, calling her child’s father her “baby daddy,” a trope often lobbed at Black parents. “She said, ‘So, your baby daddy, where does he work?’” Ansonia recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t know what a baby daddy is but the father of my child is at work.’ She asked where he worked and I told her he had two businesses and she acted like she was surprised.” Ansonia said staff assumed she didn’t have any health insurance, when she had insurance through her employer. Ansonia has Type 2 diabetes and had issues with her blood pressure and heart throughout the pregnancy. She started to see a cardiologist and by the time she was 21 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She was placed on a medley of medications, and her doctors decided to deliver the baby early via C-section. Ansonia was scared, given everything she witnessed her sister go through nearly two years prior. “There were several times I told my boyfriend that I thought that I was going to die,” she said. Cesarean delivery rates are higher for Black women than white women, 36.8% and 31%, respectively, in 2021. Problems continued for Ansonia after the delivery. She ended up needing a blood transfusion and was unable to see her son for his first few days of life. A few months postpartum, she was still vom-

SEE HEALTH ON PAGE 9

The New Tri-State Defender

My name is Nakirah Harvey I have 2007 Silver Chevy Malibu LT vin #1G1ZT58F97F136440. Contact number 901-707-0241.

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38134 or online until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, June 9, 2023, as shown below: MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION AND REHABILITATION 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 I000815 DUE IN PERSON OR ONLINE AT 9:30 a.m.: Friday, June 9, 2023 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 from the Shelby County Department of Housing at the aforementioned address or through the Neighborly Portal beginning Friday, May 26, 2023. All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 222-2301; or for information in Spanish 901-222-7601. 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 (EOC) Eligibility Number prior to submitting your response. We are now transitioning to conducting bids online through Neighborly. If you have not already signed up, you can do so at https://portal. neighborlysoftware.com/ SHELBYCOUNTYTN/contractor. All documents submitted must be current and uploaded into your Neighborly account. Bids submitted without all required documentation will be unacceptable. Paisley Pogue (Paisley.Pogue@shelbycountytn. gov or 901-222-7600) will be assisting with any questions you may have regarding uploading the documents. All new contractors will need to register with the Neighborly portal in order for your bids to be accepted on projects. Interested contractors not currently on the contractor list should contact the Department of Housing in order to schedule a meeting with the Housing Site Inspector. Paper copies of bids are also available. If submitting paper copies, the label which is attached to the specifications must be completely filled out and attached to the bid submission envelope. You must display your current SAM Unique Entity ID Number, 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

May 25 - 31, 2023

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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 your bid will be considered unresponsive. 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 Scott Walkup, Administrator

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: MEMPHIS ACQUISITIONS LLC Tax Parcel #: 04203200000250 Tax Sale #: 1801 Price Offered: $3,500.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on June 26, 2023, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Ofﬁce, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort. Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Brandon LaGrone Tax Parcel #: 07510900000470 Tax Sale #: 1803 Price Offered: $6100.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on June 26, 2023, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Ofﬁce, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort. Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION,

HEALTH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 iting and having fainting spells that led to her being admitted to the hospital off and on. Her arms suffered from bruising from needles used to treat her throughout the pregnancy. She had always been slow to heal from any bruising, a common problem for diabetics. Yet a doctor who had been involved throughout her entire pregnancy questioned why she had bruises on her arms and asked if she “smoked weed” or took any other recreational drugs. The hospital declined to comment, citing patient privacy laws. “I said, ‘This is from me being stuck so many times and having to be in the hospital.’ I told him I don’t do any drugs,” she said. He still sent her blood work off to be tested. The tests came back negative. “That just made me not trust them, it made me not want to go back,” she said. There are indications that the sufferings of Black mothers and their babies are being recognized, however late. In 2019, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, an Illinois Democrat, and Rep. Alma Adams, a North Carolina Democrat, launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus. It is now one of the largest bipartisan congressional caucuses. The caucus introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act in 2019 and again in 2021, proposing sweeping changes that would increase funding and strengthen oversight. Key parts of the legislation have been adopted but the bill itself has yet to be approved. Biden’s budget for fiscal year 2024 includes $471 million in funding to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates, expand maternal health initiatives in rural communities, and implicit bias training and other initiatives. It also

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BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Johnny Jones Tax Parcel #: 07508700004970 Tax Sale #: 1804 Price Offered: $$5,700.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:30 a.m. on June 26, 2023, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Ofﬁce, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort. Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Ryan Smith Tax Parcel #: 0450340000030 Tax Sale #: 1803 Price Offered: $$4,000.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:00 p.m. on June 23, 2023, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Ofﬁce, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

requires states to provide continuous Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum, to eliminate gaps in health insurance. It also includes $1.9 billion in funding for women and child health programs. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra told The Associated Press more must be done at all levels of government to root out racism and bias within health care. “We know that if we provide access to care for mother and baby for a full year, that we probably help produce not just good health results, but a promising future for mom and baby moving forward,” he said. Shelonda Lyons always taught both her daughters the bitter truth of racism, hoping it would prepare them to navigate life growing up in Birmingham, the Deep South city known for its place in civil rights history. “When we were young, she was showing us those images of all the Black people being hung, being burned on the trees,” Angelica said, pointing to a book that remains on the family’s coffee table. “She wanted us to understand it, to know where we lived and that racism was something that we might have to deal with.” But Shelonda never could have prepared for the treatment her daughters endured during their pregnancies. She remembers feeling helpless and angry. “It’s like a slap in the face to me because at what point do you realize that you’re dealing with human beings? That it doesn’t matter what color they are,” she said, adding that now she worries any time they or her grandsons need to go to the doctor. “I don’t have a lot of trust.” Angelica underwent two surgeries in the weeks that followed her C-section to repair internal damage and address her infection. She had to wear a colostomy bag for several months until she healed. More than three years later, her stomach re-

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Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Anika Britton Tax Parcel #: 02904100000270 Tax Sale #: 1802 Price Offered: $$4,000.00 Terms: Cash

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