The New Tri-State Defender - June 16-22, 2022

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June 16 - 22, 2022

VOL. 71, No. 24

Leave or stay?

Local groups push to replace TVA as power source

$1.00

Ora Jackson, 100, honored as choir disbands after 47 years

by TSD Newsroom Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division’s first public release of information about bids it has received for a possible new electric power supplier drew criticism Tuesday (June 14), regarding the fairness and transparency of the bidding process.

The criticism came during an “Alternatives to TVA: Economic & Environmental Benefits for Memphis” luncheon at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous barbeque restaurant Downtown.

“This is the first in a series of luncheons to present alternatives to TVA,” said Pearl Walker of Memphis Has the Power. “The presentation by GDS Consultants last week was biased toward TVA and lacked key information.”

Walker was referring to a June 9 joint meeting of the MLGW board and the Memphis City Council at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, which revealed the first public look at cost estimates and bids as the utility ponders whether to leave TVA for a new electric power provider.

The names of the bidders were not disclosed, nor were the bids, a situation that drew Tuesday’s criticism.

MLGW President and CEO J. T. Young said the information will be made public when he and his staff make a recommendation to the MLGW board in August.

Luncheon hosts charged that GDS gave a “three-hour infomercial for TVA” in the June 9 presentation.

Consultants were also criticized for ignoring 27 bids submitted in the RFP (Request For Proposal) process.

Memphis has been with TVA for 81 years and is the federally owned power company’s largest customer.

Advocates of Memphis leaving TVA said their studies estimate the city could save from $425 million

www.tsdmemphis.com

Herman Morris

Pearl Walker

David Upton (Photographs by Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender) to more than $450 million annually through a new provider, which would translate into reduced utility costs for residents.

Tuesday, however, GDS estimated the savings, based on two scenarios, would only be between $25.7 million and $55.3 million annually.

“We felt GDS did an excellent job

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

Ora Jackson thought she was simply attending a luncheon event with 11 other remaining members of the Western Regional Choir of Memphis.

As it turned out, a special surprise was planned for the 100-year-old Jackson at the “Black Tie Farewell Luncheon” May 21at Holiday Inn-University of Memphis.

“We honored Mrs. Jackson as the oldest member of Western Regional Choir of Memphis,” said Remell C. Hobbs, one of the luncheon’s coordinators.

“We also gave special recognition to Florence Guy, treasurer of the choir for many years.”

Jackson had no idea she would be honored.

“I didn’t know anything about it,” said Jackson. “If we had known, my family would have been here with me. But it was still such an honor to be recognized.”

Jackson will turn 101 on July 5. She still can remember the glory days of Western Regional Choir.

“Back in the days before we started the choir, singers from different churches would just get together and sing at the National Baptist Convention,” said Jackson. “This one particular time when we were riding back home, somebody said, ‘They always enjoy us. Why don’t we just stay together and form a choir?’”

That was the start of Western

Ora Jackson’s long and faithful service with the Western Regional Choir was acknowledged at a recent luncheon that served to take note of the choir’s farewell.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender) Regional Choir.

Hobbs also remembered the beginning.

“The Western Regional Choir got started in 1975 because the singers thought it would be great to form a choir to sing at the convention,” said Hobbs. “That was the same year my mother died. I joined in October of 1975.”

Hobbs explained that choir members came from “all over.”

“You see, we were the Western Regional Choir of Memphis, but there were others who were a part of the choir,” said Hobbs. “For instance, there was the Western Regional Choir of Henning (Tennessee). …

SEE CHOIR ON PAGE 2

SEE TVA ON PAGE 2

In the year Juneteenth ‘grew up,’ Memphis Juneteenth makes ‘top 8’

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A scene from the musical that helped kick off Juneteenth. (Courtesy photo)

The 29th Annual Memphis Juneteenth Festival is one of eight named “top celebration spots in the nation.”

Memphis Juneteenth President Telisa Franklin is elated, calling 2022, “the year Juneteenth grew up.”

“This was such an honor to win this recognition,” said Franklin. “My vision has always been for more than just a day. …

“This is the celebration of our freedom in this country. This is our festival. We came of age this year. We

grew up.”

The expanded schedule of events landed Memphis on the Matador Network’s eight leading destinations list of Juneteenth celebrations. Matador Network is a widely popular travel site that promotes “diversity and humanity through travel as a transformative experience.”

Memphis shares their prestigious designation with such iconic Juneteenth landmarks as Galveston and Houston, Texas; Charleston, South Carolina; Washington D.C., and At-

SEE JUNE ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 16 - 22, 2022

Page 2

NEWS

“It was a joy to be a part of the Western Regional Choir. But things change.

That’s just the way it is. I was blessed to be there the very first day, and I just witnessed the end. Those were some wonderful days. We still have our memories. We are blessed.”

— Ora Jackson

“We felt GDS did an excellent job in carefully laying out the risks involved in leaving TVA. ... When you talk about numbers like $450 million dollars in potential savings, you would have to look at the initial investment needed upfront.”

— Scott Brooks

Pictured are the 12 remaining members of the Western Regional Choir of Memphis. Seated (l-r): Larry Abston, Florence Guy (treasurer), Ora Jackson (oldest member), Dorothy Williamson, Remell Hobbs and Mary Abston (vice president). Standing(l-r): Rolanda Pittman (musician), Felicia Taylor, Helen Smith, Brenda Johnson, the Rev. Charles Johnson, and Gloria Scott. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

CHOIR

CONTINUED FROM FRONT “Members came from different cities, but all together, we made up the Western Regional Choir.”

Jackson remembered the choir’s popularity.

“We went everywhere singing, and we always had such a good time,” said Jackson. “It was a family choir. There were parents and children, husbands and wives. It was common for multiple members of a family to sing with Western Regional.

My husband and I were members together.”

Hobbs remembered Jackson’s husband, John Jackson, as a gifted singer, with a rich, baritone voice that made him a crowd favorite.

Ora and John Jackson were long-time members of Central Baptist Church.

Western Regional Choir prominently showcased the works of two Memphis gospel composers, who garnered national fame for their prolific songwriting — Lucie Campbell and Dr. W. Herbert Brewster.

Campbell wrote more than

100 gospel songs. And from 1930 to 1962, she debuted a new song annually at the National Baptist Convention.

Brewster is credited with writing more than 200 songs, several which became gospel standards. Brewster also was pastor of historic East Trigg Baptist Church in South Memphis from 1930 until his death in 1987.

“We did quite a few Herbert Brewster songs,” Jackson said.

“They are still some of my favorites: ‘Let Us Go Back to the Old Landmark’ and ‘Move On Up a Little Higher.’ Choirs

don’t sing his songs anymore.

But back in those days, Dr. Brewster’s songs were everything.”

Western Regional Choir of Memphis’ membership peaked at 102, according to the choir’s recorded history.

“It was a joy to be a part of the Western Regional Choir,” said Jackson. “But things change. That’s just the way it is. I was blessed to be there the very first day, and I just witnessed the end. Those were some wonderful days. We still have our memories. We are blessed.”

“Black mothers and the healthy birth of Black children” were lifted up at the Community Baby Shower. (Courtesy photo)

JUNE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT lanta.

“The “Bluff City” has been hosting an annual Juneteenth event for nearly 30 years. This year, the Memphis Juneteenth Festival will host a Freedom 2.5 Walk Run, a Greek Step Show, a musical, a car show, and a community baby shower.

“Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, which is located in a former safe house along the Underground Railroad, hosts an annual Juneteenth celebration that features spoken word, African music, and drumming, and libations to the Ancestors. the creative schedule of events,” according to the Matador Network website.

“Culture. Freedom. Love” is the maxim of Memphis’ local incarnation of the national holiday.

Around this adage, Franklin designed a “real festival,” not just a sprinkling of events here and there.

“The planning of each event was meticulous and intentional,” said Franklin. “Each one represents some aspect of our culture and community. This is

the celebration of us, a festival like Africa in April and Memphis in May. We are a city of festivals.”

Two inaugural events kicked off Juneteenth, a community baby shower and a musical.

“We opened with the Community Baby Shower on June 5,” said Franklin. “We lift up Black mothers and the healthy birth of Black children. The child mortality rate in Memphis only a few years ago was that of a third-world country.

Mothers and children are the heart of our community.”

Women well received the baby shower, according to Franklin. But “Juneteenth The Musical” thrilled theater lovers and children of all ages. It premiered on June 10, at Pursuit of God Transformation Center in Frayser.

“I thought it would be great to have the Juneteenth story dramatized on stage,” said Franklin. “So, I called Chrysti Chandler, director of the Young Actors Guild, and asked if she would write and direct ‘Juneteenth The Musical.’”

Chandler was pleased with the play’s two performances on June 10.

“I was so excited about writ-

ing and directing ‘Juneteenth The Musical,’ said Chandler.

“I researched to discover the truth about why freedom in Texas came so late, on June 19, 1865. I brought in singers, Rooted Souls of Hernando, Mississippi. They already had the dialect down. The play’s reception was tremendous.

This is just the beginning.”

Franklin said her team has lofty expectations for upcoming events scheduled this weekend.

Saturday (June 18) is filled with several big, don’t-miss events, as Juneteenth opens at Health Sciences Park downtown at Madison Avenue. and South Dunlap St., formerly Nathan Bedford Forrest Park.

“The park will open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., both days,” said Franklin. “Vendors will be everywhere, and everyone is welcome on both days. Sunday (June 19) is the culmination. Planning has been such a joyous time. It is so exciting to see everything play out.”

The Freedom 2.5 Mile Run/ Walk starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday in Health Sciences Park.

A Car Show, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is also set in the park.

At 6 p.m., the park with ignite with a friendly rivalry with

Juneteenth’s Greek Step Show.

Additional details and a full schedule of events is available on the Memphis Juneteenth Festival website: www.juneteenthfreedommemphis.com.

Chris Dawson of GDS Consultants last week presented the firm’s findings regarding bids received for a possible new electric power for Memphis. (Photo: Screen capture)

TVA

CONTINUED FROM FRONT in carefully laying out the risks involved in leaving TVA,” said Scott Brooks of TVA Public Relations.

“It also reinforced what we have been saying over the past two years. When you talk about numbers like $450 million dollars in potential savings, you would have to look at the initial investment needed upfront. You have to consider inflation affecting supply chain risk and other factors.

“What happens if building is delayed and taking longer than first and projected? GDS emphasized the very concern we have laid out all along.”

Luncheon organizers touted the merits of Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), a collective of energy partners.

David Upton, with Friends of the Earth, said MLGW was “not an honest broker.”

“J.D. Young has already said how he wants this to go,” said Upton. “He has already said MLGW is not leaving TVA any time soon.

“This GDS study has cost over $1 million over several years. And the process is even more murky. TVA is a high energy burden on Memphis. We are its largest customer.

“All our money is going to Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Breaking with TVA and going with MISO will keep our money right here.”

F o r m e r - M L G W- c h i e f turned-environmental-advocate, Herman Morris, with

“This GDS study has cost over $1 million over several years.

And the process is even more murky.

TVA is a high energy burden on Memphis.

We are its largest customer.”

— David Upton Friends of the Earth, said Memphis “can do much better than TVA.” “The use of solar and wind to generate electricity will not contaminate the environment,” said Morris. “Memphis has poor air quality from contamination over the past five years.

“Solar and wind are renewable sources of power. They are cheaper and greener.”

In a related development Tuesday, East Tennessee businessman Franklin Haney, said he was one of the power-provider bidders.

During the luncheon, he said his company, the Franklin L. Haney Company, has partnered with ACES Power Marketing, General Electric, NTE Energy, Morgan Stanley, and Leeward Renewable Energy to provide Memphis with solar and natural gas energy.

Haney, the first bidder to go public, said the partnership could save Memphis and Shelby County $356 million a year.

Haney once proposed selling nuclear energy to Memphis.

(This story reflects a report

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 16 - 22, 2022

Page 3

NEWS

Zelitra Peterson-Traylor – “an amazing self-taught artist” – showcased her creativity at the Juneteenth celebration hosted by LeMoyne-Owen College. (Photo: Shirley Jackson/The New Tri-State Defender Archives)

Despite push, states slow to make Juneteenth a paid holiday

by Kimberlee Kruesi and Cheyanne Mumphrey NASHVILLE (AP) – Recognition of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the U.S., gained traction after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. But after an initial burst of action, the movement to have it recognized as an official holiday in the states has largely stalled.

Although almost every state recognizes Juneteenth in some fashion, many have been slow to do more than issue a proclamation or resolution, even as some continue to commemorate the Confederacy.

Lawmakers in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and other states failed to advance proposals this year that would have closed state offices and given most of their public employees paid time off for the June 19 holiday.

That trend infuriates Black leaders and community organizers who view making Juneteenth a paid holiday the bare minimum state officials can do to help honor an often overlooked and ignored piece of American history.

“Juneteenth marks the date of major significance in American history. It represents the ways in which freedom for Black people have been delayed,” said Democratic Rep. Anthony Nolan, who is Black, while arguing in favor of making Juneteenth a paid holiday in Connecticut on the House floor. “And if we delay this, it’s a smack in the face to Black folks.”

Juneteenth commemorates when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War and about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Southern states.

Last year, Congress and President Joe Biden moved swiftly to make Juneteenth a national holiday. It was the first time the federal government had designated a new national holiday since approving Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Yet the move didn’t result in an automatic adoption from most states.

In Alabama, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey issued another proclamation marking Juneteenth a state holiday earlier this week after state lawmakers refused to take action on a bill during their legislative session even after she voiced strong support for making it a permanent holiday back in 2021. The state closes down for Confederate Memorial Days in April.

Similarly, Wyoming’s Republican Gov. Mark Gordon issued a statement last June saying he would work with lawmakers to make it a state holiday but no legislation was filed during the 2022 session.

In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee quietly tucked enough funding – roughly $700,000 – to make Juneteenth a state paid holiday in his initial spending plan for the

Heartfelt exchanges accented the LOC Juneteenth celebration last year. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku/The New TriState Defender Archives) upcoming year.

Despite the bill gaining traction in the state Senate, GOP legislative leaders maintained there wasn’t enough support for the idea even as Tennessee law currently designates special observances for Robert E. Lee Day, Confederate Decoration Day and Nathan Bedford Forrest Day. “I asked many people in my district over the last few days, well over 100 people, if they knew what Juneteenth was and only two of them knew,” said Republican Sen. Joey Hensley, who is white and voted against the proposal. “I just think we’re putting the cart before the horse making a holiday that people don’t know about.”

In South Carolina, instead of working to approve Juneteenth as a holiday, Senate lawmakers unanimously advanced a bill that would allow state employees to choose any day they want to take off instead of the Confederate Memorial Day currently enshrined as a paid holiday in state law. However, the House sent the bill to a committee where it died without a hearing when the Legislature adjourned for the session.

At the same time, many of these Republican-led areas have advanced bills limiting what can be taught about systematic racism in classrooms, while also spiking proposals aimed at expanding voting rights and police reform.

This year, nearly 20 states are expected

to close state offices and give most of their public employees time off. At least six states officially adopted the holiday over the past few months, including Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, South Dakota, Utah and Washington. A bill introduced in California passed the Assembly and moved to the Senate this month, and individual cities such as Los Angeles have already signed proclamations making Juneteenth official.

“Becoming a state holiday will not merely give employees a day off, it will also give residents a day to think about the future that we want, while remembering the inequities of the past,” said Democratic Del. Andrea Harrison, who sponsored the Juneteenth legislation in Maryland this year. “It will help us to reflect how far we’ve come as a nation, how much more we need to do as humankind.”

Attempts to give Juneteenth the same deference as Memorial Day or July Fourth didn’t begin to gain traction until 2020, when protests sparked a nationwide push to address race after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the deaths of other Black people by police officers.

“George Floyd protests against police brutality brought awareness to Juneteenth because there were people of all races learning about its significance for the first time following a public push to self-edu-

cate and learn more about Black history, culture and injustices,” said Tremaine Jasper, a resident and business owner in Phoenix who has attended Juneteenth celebrations across Arizona with his family.

Some cities in Arizona, including Phoenix, have declared Juneteenth an official holiday, paying city employees and closing municipal buildings. However, lawmakers are not currently considering statewide recognition.

“There are so many other important issues that we need to tackle – education, political issues, reparations – before we prioritize making Juneteenth a statewide holiday,” Jasper said, noting that those looking to celebrate know where to go.

Jasper, who was born and raised in Arizona, said it is going to be an “uphill battle” to get the state to recognize Juneteenth because there is not a large enough Black population outside of its largest cities to make the push.

Arizona was also slow in recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day, not doing so until 1992. It was one of the last states to officially recognize the civil rights leader.

(Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. Mumphrey reported from Phoenix and is a member of The Associated Press’ Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her at https://twitter.com/cheymumph.)

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, June 16 - 22, 2022, Page 4

Black Press receives coveted White House credentials

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Seventy-two years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited Harry S. McAlpin Jr. of the National Negro Publishers Association to cover an Oval Office news conference, and 82 years after the founding of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the Black Press can freely cover the White House.

The NNPA has received a hard pass, allowing near-unfettered access to the White House.

Called the ultimate White House credential, the hard pass allows on-demand access to the famed Pennsylvania Avenue complex.

“The National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Senior National Correspondent, Stacy Brown, has once again enabled our national trade association representing the Black Press of America, to make another historic yet contemporary step forward with the official acquisition of the White House hard-pass,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “The hard pass gives the NNPA daily access to the White House,” Chavis remarked.

As a correspondent for the NNPA member newspaper, the “Atlanta Daily World,” McAlpin covered his first White House press conference in 1944.

However, the White House Correspondents Association vehemently objected to the African American journalist and routinely blocked him from covering the White House.

President Roosevelt intervened after a group of Black leaders expressed their frustration.

Still, the Association pushed back.

“The president could break the color line for his press The hard pass conferences, but he gives the NNPA access could not rewrite the daily to the White WHCA’s member- House. ship policies,” George Condon, the author of a forthcoming work on the history of the Association, told NPR. “They blackballed (McAlpi)] from ever joining the Correspondents’ Association or attending the group’s annual dinner.”

In 2014 the Association finally paid tribute to McAlpin, who died in 1985, with the first Harry S. McAlpin Jr. Scholarship awarded to a college student.

Earlier this year, the Association honored Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington.

However, while honoring the trailblazers, the Association failed to acknowledge Chavis and the NNPA, which purchased a table for 10 at the dinner only to be issued two tickets and seated in the very back of the crowded ballroom.

Perhaps, with the coveted White House hard-pass acquisition, the Association and the rest of the press corps that covers the administration will show more deference to the NNPA and the Black Press of America, which celebrates its 195th anniversary in 2022.

“At this pivotal era in American history, having daily access for the NNPA to the news and issues at the White House that impact the quality of life of Black America and other communities of color are so important and timely,” Chavis concluded.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association will observe the 195th anniversary of the birth of “Freedom’s Journal” and the Black Press during its annual convention in New Orleans. The theme is “195 Years of the Black Press: Amplifying our Voices for Freedom, Justice, Equality and Equity.”

Black Press consumers’ message to NNPA: Keep growing, amplifying community news

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association of the 230-plus Black-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America, is poised to observe the 195th anniversary of the birth of Freedom’s Journal and the Black Press.

An informative and entertaining convention kicks off at the Hilton Riverside Hotel on June 22 in New Orleans with the theme, “195 Years of the Black Press: Amplifying our Voices for Freedom, Justice, Equality, and Equity.”

NNPA Newswire has embarked on fourpart series featuring some of its most dedicated consumers ahead of the convention.

Already during the series, readers and other consumers have shared why the Black Press remains vital after 195 years.

In Part II, they’ve asserted what they’d like to see from the Black Press today and in the years and decades ahead.

“I would like to see the Black Press continue moving and growing forward,” said Joni King, who has championed NNPA’s live morning show, “Let It Be Known,” since its inception in January 2021.

Artist Jacoby Jelks, who once appeared on an NNPA livestream, wants the Black Press to expand to other mediums.

“From now on, I would like to see the Black Press continue to grow. This could be in the form of owning television stations, podcasts, digital apps, media companies, and marketing solutions to guarantee visibility that challenges the outdated mainstream’s longstanding narratives that are sometimes stereotypical when concerning Black culture,” Jelks stated.

Michelle Madison, who subscribes to BlackPressUSA.com, said the onslaught of social media has made it challenging in many ways, “with more and more people receiving much of their news via the internet.”

However, Madison offered her belief in a

“two-fold method.”

“First, there needs to be a contrived effort to attract people to purchasing, subscribing, and reading actual newspapers,” Madison insisted.

“Second, there needs to be a focus on addressing those that rely mainly on social media for their news. Based on my own informal research, many baby boomers and millennials seldom purchase newspapers.”

Madison continued: “Typically, these groups are more inclined to subscribe to an online news service. However, I know of people in the age range of 50 and older who purchase newspapers and support Black media.

“However, that group is waning. The Black Press must make a concerted effort to attract them. Also, the readers should feel that their voice is being heard. I believe that this could be achieved by proactively incorporating millennials and generation X into the editorial content and staff of Black newspapers.”

She concluded that the Black Press “must aggressively seek advertisers and subscribers that are not afraid to hear the truth, according to Black people.”

Subscriber David Youngblood added that the Black Press should employ younger reporters and storytellers of all ages.

“I would like to see more voices challenge my progressive beliefs,” Youngblood asserted. “I would like to see more history lessons and more interviews with members of Congress.”

Youngblood encouraged the Black Press to continue efforts to bring subject matter experts on programs like Let It Be Known.

“I’d like to see a brief feature of each newspaper every day where they tell us what’s in the news in their specific city,” he said.

“Not just crime and violence, but local good news with local people.”

Entrepreneur Ashley King said she’d like the Black Press to include other marginalized voices in its coverage.

“Particularly other races and those with disabilities,” King stated. “I would also like

for us to highlight more positive stories of those in the majority that help, support, and propel the Black voice,” she stated.

Chenadra Washington of the Washington International PR Firm admitted that it wasn’t until recently that she discovered the value of the Black Press.

“I am 35, and I texted a few friends, and they didn’t know anything about BlackPressUSA,” Washington said.

“With that, more brand awareness is needed, especially for generations younger than me.”

For decades, Isiah Gamble said he’d been a consumer of such Black Press jewels as The Amsterdam News, Philadelphia Tribune, and the AFRO. He said he’d passed that appreciation down to his grandchildren, who regularly peruse the pages of the Black Press.

“I feel sorry for those who say they don’t know the Black Press,” Gamble remarked.

“I feel sorry because they should be ashamed. The Black Press is an institution like no other.

“Sure, having younger voices move in is always a good idea for any business, but if you’re paying attention to the Black Press and not the hustle and fake stuff put out by other news organizations, you’d know that the Black Press speaks to all of us, young and old, male, and female, poor and wealthy.”

Gamble concluded: “I believe the one-piece missing is that the Black Press should look into being more visible at events like the Essence Festival, the Jamaican and Puerto Rican parades, and even going over to Europe and sharing their stories there.”

The NNPA’s convention and the celebration of the 195th anniversary of the Black Press is open to the public. For great hotel rates and tickets to some of the signature events at the convention, visit https://www. nnpa-events.com/ (Follow Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent, @StacyBrownMedia.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 16 - 22, 2022

Page 5

RELIGION

Black Catholic nuns:

A compelling, long-overlooked history

by David Crary Associated Press

Even as a young adult, Shannen Dee Williams – who grew up Black and Catholic in Memphis, Tennessee – knew of only one Black nun, and a fake one at that: Sister Mary Clarence, as played by Whoopi Goldberg in the comic film “Sister Act.” After 14 years of research, Williams – a history professor at the University of Dayton -- arguably now knows more about America’s Black nuns than anyone in the world. Her comprehensive and compelling history of them, “Subversive Habits,” was published May 17.

Williams found that many Black nuns were modest about their achievements and reticent about sharing details of bad experiences, such as encountering racism and discrimination. Some acknowledged wrenching events only after Williams confronted them with details gleaned from other sources.

“For me, it was about recognizing the ways in which trauma silences people in ways they may not even be aware of,” she said.

The story is told chronologically, yet always in the context of a theme Williams outlines in her preface: that the nearly 200-year history of these nuns in the U.S. has been overlooked or willfully suppressed by those who resented or disrespected them.

“For far too long, scholars of the American, Catholic, and Black pasts have unconsciously or consciously declared -- by virtue of misrepresentation, marginalization, and outright erasure -- that the history of Black Catholic nuns does not matter,” she writes, depicting her book as proof that their history “has always mattered.”

Williams begins her narrative in the pre-Civil War era when some Black women, even in slave-holding states, found their way into Catholic sisterhood. Some entered previously whites-only orders, often in subservient roles, while a few trailblazing women formed orders for Black

This 1898 photo provided by the Sisters of the Holy Family (SSF) shows members of the religious order of African-American nuns in New Orleans. One of the oldest Black sisterhoods, the SSF, formed in New Orleans in 1842 because white sisterhoods in Louisiana, including the slave-holding Ursuline order, refused to accept African Americans. (SSF via AP) nuns in Baltimore and New Orleans.

Even as the number of American nuns – of all races – shrinks relentlessly, that Baltimore order founded in 1829 remains intact, continuing its mission to educate Black

youths. Some current members of the Oblate Sisters of Providence help run Saint Frances Academy, a high school

SEE NUNS ON PAGE 6

Right back atcha …

The Rev. Dr. Harold Middlebrook spoke at Tuesday’s meeting of the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association, preaching for the Rev. Carl Shields (pastor Antioch Baptist Church and the association’s vice president). His sermon title was “Boomerang.” (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

Hear this ...

One year later …

Bishop Henry M. Williamson (second from left), chair of the Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital Board of Directors and presiding prelate of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church’s First District, takes in the comments of the Rev. Lisa Anderson, executive director of Room In the Inn Homeless Ministry, which is housed in the renovated hospital. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

The Rev. O.C. Collins Sr. was in familiar territory as he spoke during Progressive Baptist Church Anniversary Revival.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New TriState Defender)

The New Tri-State Defender

June 16 - 22, 2022

RELIGION

Page 6

NUNS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 serving low-income Black neighborhoods.

Some of the most detailed passages in “Subversive Habits” recount the Jim Crow era, extending from the 1870s through the 1950s, when Black nuns were not spared from the segregation and discrimination endured by many other African Americans.

In the 1960s, Williams writes, Black nuns were often discouraged or blocked by their white superiors from engaging in the civil rights struggle.

Yet one of them, Sister Mary Antona Ebo, was on the front lines of marchers who gathered in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 in support of Black voting rights and in protest of the violence of Bloody Sunday when white state troopers brutally dispersed peaceful Black demonstrators. An Associated Press photo of Ebo and other nuns in the march on March 10 — three days after Bloody Sunday — ran on the front pages of many newspapers.

Over two decades before Selma, Ebo faced repeated struggles to surmount racial barriers. She was denied admittance to Catholic nursing schools because of her race, and later endured segregation policies at the white-led order she joined in St. Louis in 1946, according to Williams.

The idea for “Subversive Habits” took shape in 2007, when Williams – then a graduate student at Rutgers University – was seeking a compelling topic for a paper due in a seminar on African American history.

At the library, she searched through microfilm editions of Black-owned newspapers and came across a 1968 article in the Pittsburgh Courier about a group of Catholic nuns forming the National Black Sisters’ Conference.

The accompanying photo, of four smiling Black nuns, “literally stopped me in my tracks,” she said. “I was raised Catholic …

How did I not know that Black nuns existed?”

Mesmerized by her discovery, she began devouring “everything I could that had been published about black Catholic history,” while setting out to interview founding members of the National Black Sisters’ Conference. As her research broadened, she scoured overlooked archives, previ-

Shannen Dee Williams, associate professor of history at the University of Dayton, speaks to her students during a class, Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Dayton, Ohio. Williams spent 14 years researching America’s Black nuns, and her history of them, “Subversive Habits,” will be published May 17. Williams found that many Black nuns were modest about their achievements and reticent about sharing details of bad experiences, such as encountering racism and discrimination. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster) ously sealed church records and out-ofprint books, while conducting more than 100 interviews.

“I bore witness to a profoundly unfamiliar history that disrupts and revises much of what has been said and written about the U.S. Catholic Church and the place of Black people within it,” Williams writes.

“Because it is impossible to narrate Black sisters’ journey in the United States -- accurately and honestly -- without confronting the Church’s largely unacknowledged and unreconciled histories of colonialism, slavery, and segregation.”

Historians have been unable to identify the nation’s first Black Catholic nun, but Williams recounts some of the earliest moves to bring Black women into Catholic religious orders.

One of the oldest Black sisterhoods, the Sisters of the Holy Family, formed in New

Orleans in 1842 because white sisterhoods in Louisiana, including the slave-holding Ursuline order, refused to accept African Americans.

The principal founder of that New Orleans order — Henriette Delille — and Oblate Sisters of Providence founder Mary Lange are among three Black nuns from the U.S. designated by Catholic officials as worthy of consideration for sainthood. The other is Sister Thea Bowman, a beloved educator, evangelist and singer who died in Mississippi in 1990 and is buried in Williams’s hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are about 400 African American religious sisters, out of a total of roughly 40,000 nuns.

That overall figure is only one-fourth of the 160,000 nuns in 1970, according to Catholic researchers at Georgetown Uni-

versity. Whatever their races, many of the remaining nuns are elderly, and the influx of youthful novices is sparse.

Williams told the AP she was considering leaving the Catholic church – due partly to its handling of racial issues – as she started researching Black nuns. Hearing their histories revitalized her faith.

“As these women were telling me their stories, they were also preaching to me in a such a beautiful way,” Williams said. “It wasn’t done in a way that reflected any anger -- they had already made their peace with it, despite the unholy discrimination they had faced.”

What keeps her in the church now, Williams said, is a commitment to these women who chose to share their stories.

“It took a lot for them to get it out,” she said. “I remain in awe of these women, of their faithfulness.”

The New Tri-State Defender, June 16 - 22, 2022, Page 7

Drawn by the opportunity to raise money for Heal the Hood’s youth-oriented initiatives, celebrities recently squared off in the Celebrity All-Star Basketball Game. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

Heal The Hood kicks off its ‘Cool Summer’ with focus on positivity, safety TSD Newsroom With school out for the summer and the official start of the season on the horizon, the Heal the Hood (HTH) Foundation of Memphis has launched its “Cool Summer” initiative to “set the tone for a positive and safe summer in Memphis.”

The weekend kickoff featured a Youth Basketball Camp and Celebrity All-Star Basketball Game.

At the Friday camp, youth ages 7 to 18 learned or got a refresher in the fundamentals of the game in a safe and fun environment. Each participant received a T-shirt, instruction through coaching and drills, lunch, and more. Former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins helped the players learn some NBA moves.

On Saturday, the All-Star Celebrity Basketball Game featured rappers/songwriters/producers Kia Shine and Al Capone, along with award-winning super producers Drumma Boy and Boo Mitchell. Also on hand were various professional wrestlers and other special celebrity guests.

Both events took place at Ridgeway High School, located at 2009 Ridgeway Rd. Created by Ladell Beamon, The Heal the Hood (HTH) Foundation of Memphis is a nonprofit organization that provides positive outlets for youth and young adults through singing, dancing, art, acting, motivational speaking, screenwriting, and modeling.

HTH’s in-school and summer programming seeks to positively influence young people to think before making life-altering decisions, get out of gangs, stay away from drugs, alcohol, weapons, and other objects of mass destruction.

The Cool Summer initiative reflected HTH picking up after a two-year hiatus.

“We had to shut down for two years because of COVID,” said Beamon as he reflected on the history of the initiative.

“What it’s all about is basically bringing celebrities together, all types of stars ….

We have pro ballplayers that have been at the University of Memphis. So many different people …

“A lot of the celebrities have come in to play basketball but at the same time they were doing it to raise funds for the kids and the summer programs because there is a lot of violence that happens in the city of Memphis.”

Fortunately, said Beamon, “When we say heal the hood, we are not just talking about the ‘hood.’ We’re talking about the suffix at the end of words like brotherhood, fatherhood, parenthood, priesthood.

Everybody has a hood. If we can heal those hoods by using the arts, we know we can change our neighhoods and communities.”

Mitchell, who is co-owner of Royal Studios, said he was happy to help raise funds for HTH, particularly their “Hero Empowerment Center that will be going into the

Sydney Neely, host of “The Shortcut.”

LaDell Beamon, Boo Mitchell and Dustin Starr.

Terrance Love performs at halftime.

Al Kapone

Drumma Boy

Kia Shine scores two.

Hickory Ridge Mall.

“It’s an amazing complex that they are building to give some of these kids activities and stuff to do after school and keep

youth engaged with music and empowering our youth to strive for more, do more, achieve more. I am happy to have my face in the place.”

Willie Kemp, former UofM player.

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, June 16 - 22, 2022, Page 8

Tennessee’s TCAP test scores show improvement

by Samantha West Chalkbeat Tennessee

Tennessee’s second set of pandemic test scores improved across all subjects and grades, largely returning to pre-COVID levels.

But historically underserved student populations – including children with disabilities, those from low-income families, and students of color – continue to lag behind their peers.

State-level results released Tuesday showed an overall increase in proficiency since 2021, when the first pandemic scores followed national trends and declined across all subjects and grades for public school students in grades 3-11.

The latest scores start Tennessee on a new trajectory for improvement based on standardized tests under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, also known as TCAP. The results have been highly anticipated nationally after Tennessee invested early in summer learning camps and high-dosage tutoring to try to accelerate learning after a third straight school year of COVID-related disruptions.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said those investments played a large role in children’s academic recovery, and she commended the hard work of local school leaders and educators.

“Our districts have been working really hard to ensure that all of our students are able to grow and to improve coming out of what has been a very challenging three years,” Schwinn said during a Tuesday morning call with reporters.

But Schwinn also acknowledged that Tennessee student achievement is not where she wants it to be. Just 30 percent of Tennessee students met or exceeded grade-level expectations in math this school year, according to Tuesday’s data, compared with about 25 percent during the 2020-21 school year. And about 36 percent of students were considered proficient in English language arts – a 7-percentage-point rise from last year.

Schools across the state also saw a slight improvement in science, with about 40 percent of students at or above grade level achievement. That’s a 2-percentage-point improvement from last year.

Social studies scores, meanwhile, continued to shoot up – as they have since 2017 – with

38 percent of high school students and 43 percent of middle schoolers meeting or exceeding expectations this year, compared with 33 percent and 36 percent, respectively, last year.

Schwinn pointed out the persistent academic disparities for students of color, children from low-income families, those with disabilities, and those learning to speak English, compared with their white peers.

In math, only 8 percent of students with disabilities, 21 percent of Hispanic students, 13 percent of Black students and 14 percent of students from low-income families met or exceeded grade-level expectations. English language arts was the same story, with 8 percent of students with disabilities, a quarter of Hispanic students, 20 percent of Black students and 19 percent of economically disadvantaged students considered proficient.

English language learners made the smallest gains of any student demographic group this year. Just 15 percent of ELL students were considered on grade level in both math and English language arts this year – not much different from 13 percent and 12 percent, respectively, in 2020-21.

Every other demographic group improved modestly in math and English language arts, according to the state.

In 2019, before the pandemic hit, Tennessee students had improved in nearly every math subject, older students showed gains in English, and more than half the schools improved in most subjects.

In response to the grim results of 2021, Gov. Bill Lee’s administration took aggressive steps to accelerate learning, starting with its push to keep instruction in person after COVID safety concerns prompted many schools to shift to remote and hybrid models.

Summer learning programs are now in their second year under Tennessee’s accelerated learning law passed during a special legislative session in early 2021. A statewide tutoring program also launched, while new requirements for thirdgrade retention will kick in with the upcoming school year.

The release of statewide data under testing vendor Pearson came about six weeks earlier than in recent years.

District-level data, which is being reviewed by district leaders, is expected to be released in July.

Good company …

Sidney Chism’s annual Father’s Day Political Picnic put him in the company of Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis and a representative of the “future.” (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

In service of …

The Life Together Escape Program, which focuses on strengthening the lives and well being of ex offenders, celebrated its first anniversary last Saturday (June 11) at Temple of Church of God in Christ, 672 S. Lauderdale. Bishop David Allen Hall is host pastor and executive director of the program. Yvonne D. Williams is the director. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

South Side …

This South Side High School class recently held its 50th reunion with service in mind to the Mid-South Food Bank, the Diabetes Foundation and LeMoyne-Owen College. The reunion was held at T.O. Fuller State Park.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New TriState Defender)

Most Shelby volunteer boards won’t ask about criminal past

by Associated Press

Shelby County’s Board of Commissioners has approved an ordinance that removes questions about criminal histories from most applications to join volunteer boards and commissions.

Sponsored by Democratic

and Republican commissioners, the Fair Chance to Serve ordinance takes away an important barrier for Shelby County residents with criminal records who want to serve on volunteer commissions and boards.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said the ordinance can “expand the opportunity for

ex-offenders to reintegrate back into society.”

“Someone who has made a mistake and has a record should not be denied or discouraged from volunteering to serve their community,” Harris said. “When barriers to civic engagement and volunteer service are removed, we all benefit.”

Democrat Van Turner Jr. and Republican Mick Wright sponsored the ordinance.

“Candidates who have been through the justice system have paid their debt to society and have been thinking about ways to turn their lives around,” Wright said. “They will bring different perspectives and expertise to serve our

communities.”

Turner, who also is president of the Memphis Branch NAACP, said, “I believe eliminating the criminal background check for individuals seeking membership on volunteer boards is absolutely the right thing to do. We want to make sure that we allow ex-offenders every opportunity to

transition back into society, and this new law facilitates that process.”

In 2020, a “Ban the Box” ordinance supported by Harris and approved by the commission removed questions about arrests and convictions on county government job applications.

The New Tri-State Defender

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 27, 2022, as shown below: 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 I000745 DUE AT 9:30 a.m.: May 27, 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, May 13, 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 901-222-7601. 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 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 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 Scott Walkup, Administrator NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce.

County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids.

There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register: • Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to Log-In at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit vIf you have any questions about the registration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 969-7246.

If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE WEDNESDAY, JULY 13TH, 2022 @2:30 PM “ENVELOPES FOR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS” (SB-I000756) (MC# 661) By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY LEGAL NOTICE Request for Proposals MSCAA Project Number 19-1423-27-01 Consolidated Baggage Mod-

June 16 - 22, 2022

Page 9

CLASSIFIEDS

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.

Classifieds ads Monday 5 p.m.

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

ifications in Terminal A and B - Design-Build Construction - REBID Sealed, priced proposals for Consolidated Baggage Modifications in Terminal A and B - Design-Build Construction - REBID will be received by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, 4150 Louis Carruthers Drive, Memphis, TN 38118, until 2:00 p.m. Local Time on 7/7/2022. Proposals will not be received at any other location. The Proposal Documents, including a description of the scope of work, the required response format, and additional instructions may be obtained on or after 6/7/2022 online at www.flymemphis.com.

A Virtual Pre-Proposal Meeting will be held Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. local time via phone/video conferencing (link: https://us06web.zoom. us/j/82401261458?pwd=ZHA2NWw1THVmeHR5cnZhZWZzRFdVZz09; phone: (312) 626 6799; meeting ID: 824 0126 1458; passcode: 471983). Instructions on Pre-Proposal Meeting and Site Visit request can be found at https://www.flymemphis.com/ rfps-rfqs. Attendance at the Pre-Proposal Meeting is strongly recommended.

All Proposers are responsible for checking the Authority’s website up to the submission deadline for any updates, addenda or additional information. The successful Proposer must sign a contract with the Authority that includes Federal Aviation Administration provisions, if applicable, regarding the Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis-Bacon, Affirmative Action, Debarment and Suspension, and Drug-Free Workplace, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Each Proposal must be made by a contractor licensed in Tennessee and be accompanied by a 5% Proposal Guarantee. The successful proposer must execute a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond in the amount of 100% each of the Contract Price and meet the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal for this project, which is 3%.

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

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

By order of: Scott A. Brockman, A.A.E. President and CEO Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority

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

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

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

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

NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce.

County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids.

There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register: • Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to Log-In at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If you have any questions about the registration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 9697246. If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 AT 2:30 PM CST

NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce.

County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids.

There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register: • Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to Log-In at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If you have any questions about the registration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 9697246. If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 AT 2:30 PM CST Limestone Materials (SB-I000751) (MC# 663) By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce.

County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids.

There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register:

ESM Solutions at (877) 9697246. If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 AT 2:30 PM CST Ready Mix Concrete (SB-I000754) (MC# 664) By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce.

County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids.

There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register: • Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to Log-In at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If you have any questions about the registration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 9697246. If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 AT 2:30 PM CST Concrete and Metal Pipe (SB-I000755) (MC# 666) By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR

• Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to Log-In at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

If you have any questions about the registration process, contact

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby

Sand and Gravel (SB-I000749) (MC# 662)

In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce.

County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids.

There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register:

County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Avilenne Rivas Tax Parcel #: 05800200000010 Tax Sale #: 1703 Price Offered: $4000.00 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 August 17, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

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

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Walter Morgan Tax Parcel #: 07310800000210 Tax Sale #: 1702 Price Offered: $35,100.00 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 9:00 a.m. on August 17, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

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

We're Known By the Money You Keep!

• Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to Log-In at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If you have any questions about the registration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 9697246. If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 AT 2:30 PM CST Plant Mix Asphalt Material

Miller Lite Beer

Bud Light Beer

$

$

24 Pk, 12 Oz. Cans

2361

Plus 10% Added at Checkout

12 Pk, 12 Oz. Cans

1181

Plus 10% Added at Checkout

Michelob Ultra Beer 18 Pk, 12 Oz. Cans

2022

$

Plus 10% Added at Checkout

(SB-I000750) (MC# 665) By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR

See the full Memphis Cash Saver grocery ad at memphiscashsaver.com

SALES PERSON The New Tri-State Defender is looking for a few sales consultants to sell print ads, digital ads and event sponsorships for the organization.

The candidate should have some sales experience. The position will offer both commission and base pay. For serious inquiries email your resume to administration@ tsdmemphis.com.

The New Tri-State Defender

June 16 - 22, 2022

Page 10

SPORTS

With Omaha in mind, Kerrick Jackson takes reins of Memphis Tigers baseball

by Liaudwin Seaberry Jr.

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Pictured (l-r): Blair DeBord (associate athletic director and baseball administrator), Kerrick Jackson, Laird Veatch.

Major League Baseball Draft League.

In addition, he coached Southern University from 2018-2020, guiding them to a SWAC championship in 2020.

As a former baseball agent and someone who has been in the coaching ranks for more than 20 years, Jackson’s credentials made him a name that could not be overlooked.

“As we were in the process of looking for our new head coach, one name that we kept hearing was Kerrick Jackson,” Veatch said during the news conference. “When we talked with him, it was obvious that he went from being one of the candidates to being the candidate for this position.”

Jackson’s familiarity with the Memphis area appealed to Veatch

and DeBord because he scouted the area while associated with the Washington Nationals organization.

Jackson also visited the Bluff City while coaching at Southern University in 2019.

He told his wife he saw the potential of U of M baseball becoming a dynasty in the making.

FedEx Park, the home stadium for Memphis baseball, has received more than $3.5 million worth of renovations. Jackson expects his team to embrace the expectations that come with such an investment.

He has spoken with members of the Tigers baseball squad, and it’s abundantly clear that only their best efforts will be accepted by him.

“The goal is Omaha,” Jackson said, referring to the venue where the top eight teams in college baseball convene for the College World Series.

“If someone does not think that it is something that can be done, he shouldn’t be here. Plain and simple.”

Omaha seems a long shot for the Tigers in their current state, as the team last qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2007.

But Jackson remains unfazed by the challenges associated with building up a baseball program at Memphis.

“This is a place I think can win, and win big,” he said. “You’re going to get the best out of these players, on and off the field.”

BUYING A NEW HOME?

DOWN PAYMENT

ASSISTANCE HOMEBUYERS FOR

Kerrick Jackson shares his desire to tap into the baseball talent in Greater Memphis as he takes over the baseball program at the University of Memphis. (Courtesy photos)

Asked about becoming the first African-American coach in the University of Memphis Tigers baseball history, Kerrick Jackson’s eyes began to fill with tears.

The show of emotion came during a news conference June 8.

“The fact that we are in 2022, and are still talking about firsts, and that I am that first, it really means a lot,” Jackson said.

The hire makes Jackson the third African-American baseball coach in Division 1 baseball outside of the historically Black colleges and universities. The other coaches are Elton Pollock at Presbyterian College and Edwin Thompson at Georgetown University.

Jackson’s arrival to the University of Memphis coincides with the retirement of longtime baseball coach Daron Schoenrock, who stepped down after 18 seasons.

In addition, the University of Memphis now features three Black coaches among their primary sports, with Katrina Merriweather and Penny Hardaway spearheading the women’s and men’s programs, respectively.

Prior to being chosen by Memphis Athletic Director Laird Veatch and associate athletic director Blair DeBord to succeed Schoenrock, Jackson served as the president of the

“As we were in the process of looking for our new head coach, one name that we kept hearing was Kerrick Jackson. When we talked with him, it was obvious that he went from being one of the candidates to being the candidate for this position.”

— Laird Veatch

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