The New Tri-State Defender - June 23-29, 2022

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June 23 - 29, 2022

VOL. 71, No. 25

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TN Black Caucus hears concerns about gun violence, the economy and more at Memphis tour stop

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Whitehaven residents recently gave state legislators an earful about “out-of-control gun violence and illegal trash dumping in their community.

“We have so much gun violence ripping through Whitehaven every day,” community activist and “mayor of Whitehaven” Hazel Moore told legislators June 16. “People are scared to come outdoors in certain areas. And we realize it’s not just in Whitehaven, but all over the city — all around the country.

“I want to talk about what plan can we put in place to bring about some working solutions.”

Moore’s concerns came during a town hall meeting held by members of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators (TBCSL) at the National Civil Rights Museum, which sparked compelling discussions about issues on the minds of Memphians.

The town hall is part of a TBCSL tour of the state to hear what constituents are saying.

“Gun violence, mass shootings, and high gas prices have been at

SEE CAUCUS ON PAGE 2

Hazel Moore, a fixture in the Whitehaven community, shares her concerns with members of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators.

Rep. Antonio Parkinson, chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators, fields a question during the caucus’ town hall stop in Memphis. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

Tabled: primary ballots for city elections on hold

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Remembering: Fort Pillow …

During a recent ceremony at Memphis National Cemetery, two police officers led a rider-less horse that was followed by a procession of hearses as commemorators recalled the massacre of African-American soldiers at Fort Pillow. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender). Story and more photos on Page 6.

An effort to open Memphis city elections to partisan primaries is in limbo after the item’s sponsor, Memphis City Council member Martavius Jones tabled the proposal indefinitely.

Jones’ move came just before the start of the council’s afternoon session Tuesday (June 21). The ordinance referendum that, if approved, would have been on the November general election ballot, was up for its third and final reading.

Unlike their counterparts in Shelby County, current rules prohibit Democratic and Republican primary elections for city of Memphis office holders.

Jones’ proMartavius posed ordinance Jones would have allowed voters to decide whether they wanted to allow partisan primary elections for the mayor and council members.

Jones’ move drew no objections. A previous vote was delayed by council

SEE PRIMARY ON PAGE 2

Ford pledges to work with community near future factory

by Adrian Sainz Associated Press

BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. – Ford Motor Co. officials on Tuesday pledged to be good neighbors to those in rural west Tennessee who live near the automaker’s planned electric truck factory, a project expected to create thousands of jobs and change the face of the region.

More than 200 people attended a panel discussion at a high school in Brownsville, one of many communities that will likely be affected by Ford’s $5.6 billion project to build electric F-Series pickups at a 3,600acre (1,460-hectare) parcel of land known as the Memphis Regional Megasite in Haywood County.

The project, called BlueOval City, is a joint venture with SK Innovation,

which will build battery factories at the Tennessee site and in Glendale, Kentucky. In west Tennessee, the project is predicted to boost the economies of several counties. Ford plans to employ about 5,600 workers at the plant, while construction of the factory and the arrival of Ford suppliers will create thousands more jobs.

The project is expected to bring both small and large businesses to the

area, including hotels, restaurants, health care facilities and others. Real estate values also could increase. But some residents have expressed concern that those changes could be accompanied by increased road traffic, noise, crime and other issues.

Panelists presented a collective friendly face and discussed subjects ranging from workforce development to environmental issues to philan-

thropy. Ford officials said they were eager to hear from and work with residents to make the project a source of community enrichment.

“As we embark on the journey together, it is our commitment that Ford will be a good neighbor,” said Dave Nowicki, director of manufacturing, battery and electric vehicles,

SEE FORD ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 23 - 29, 2022

Page 2

NEWS

With WDIA radio personality Bev Johnson serving as moderator, Rep. G.A. Hardaway of Memphis shares thoughts at the town hall meeting held by the Tennessee Black Caucus. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

CAUCUS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT the forefront of everybody’s thinking,” said state Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis), TBCSL chairman. “These are serious concerns for everyone, no matter where you go in Tennessee.”

The town hall tours have been a huge success, according to Black Caucus members.

Prior to Memphis, a town hall in Knoxville garnered similar discussions from high gas prices to quality education.

“People all over the state are thinking about public safety,” said state Rep. G. A. Hardaway, also a Memphis Democrat. “Of course, the quality of public education and the economy are also huge concerns.

“Across racial lines, healthcare and livable wages always come up in public discussions because people want to be able

PRIMARY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT member Jeff Warren on June 7.

Language in the item also calls for the elections to be governed by “the primary election provision of the Ten-

FORD

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Construction on the truck factory is expected to begin later this year, but crews already have started ground leveling operations at the site.

Ford has said it plans to start

to take care of their families.”

Whitehaven’s Moore said Whitehaven residents also are disturbed about the trash problem, especially since Memphis used to be ranked among the cleanest cities in America.

Trash and illegal dumping have changed that, she said.

“So much trash is being dumped throughout our neighborhoods,” said Moore. “I just want to know what measures we can take to address this problem. We want Whitehaven to remain one of the city’s most beautiful communities.”

(A Memphis City Council committee Tuesday, June 21, approved the formation of a task force to deal with illegal dumping. The task force will include members from 17 members from different city divisions.)

State Rep. Barbara Cooper (D-Memphis) addressed the issue of gun violence, particularly among young people.

“I have introduced a bill

that has presently stalled in the Senate,” said Cooper. “My co-sponsor, G.A. Hardaway, and I are pushing for the passage of a conflict resolution curriculum in our schools. It would be age- and grade-appropriate for our children.

“So, instead of them fighting and shooting each other, they would be given the tools they need to de-escalate and resolve conflict.”

Hardaway said, along with Cooper’s measure for curriculum conflict resolution, another closely related issue must also be addressed to increase the bill’s effectiveness.

“Along with a de-escalation curriculum, mental health must be effectively addressed.

That means all of us taking responsibility for identifying those in our communities who may need help.

“Those who require mental and emotional assistance should be identified before someone gets shot or at-

nessee Election Code or as otherwise authorized by the rules of the party.”

If revived in time – and if voters approve – it would loosen the rules in time for the 2023 city elections.

The amendment is part of a larger review of the charter’s production by 2025.

Entities with ties to the project already have started preparing. The Tennessee Valley Authority is building an electric substation and nearly 10 miles of transmission line to provide power for the site and surrounding area. A board that oversees the Megasite has

Rep. Joe Towns (center) emphasizes a point during the town hall session. Also pictured: Rep. G.A. Hardaway and Rep. Barbara Cooper of Memphis. tacked,” Hardaway said.

Because of the public’s great response to the town halls, more stops across the state will be added to the tour in July, Parkinson said.

He added, “Being able to

hear directly from the people is the best way to understand what our constituents need. Legislative ideas have been taken away from these meetings, and they are being worked on as we speak.”

The event was touted as a gateway to the Juneteenth weekend celebration. WDIA on-air personality Bev Johnson, was town hall moderator.

Nashville is TBCSL’s next site.

election rules undertaken by Jones, who is in his final term.

In May, the council approved a ballot referendum for the Aug. 4 ballot that, if approved by voters, would extend term limits for council members and the mayor from two-consecutive four-year

terms to three consecutive four-year terms.

Approval would apply to the current term-limited council members and the mayor, who also is term-limited. A similar referendum was rejected by voters in 2018.

To date, Mayor Jim Strick-

land has been noncommittal, but has expressed interest in a third term. In any event, the calculus could change if the field is widened through primaries.

The mayor, along with others, has been vocal in opposition to party primaries in

Memphis.

He also said primaries could complicate local efforts to work with officials in Washington D.C. Jones has argued that primaries would give voters a further layer of scrutiny before deciding on a candidate.

met to discuss issues related to the environment. And, the Transportation Security Administration will be resuming service to a regional airport in Jackson, about 40 miles away from the site, in anticipation of an increase in travelers.

Ann McCormick, the project’s environmental and sus-

tainability manager, said Ford has studied the area’s waterways and wetlands, in addition to an aquifer that provides water to homes and business.

Ford has developed a pollution prevention plan to protect water resources at the site and “mitigate any impacts that construction could have.”

Since the announcement of the project last year, some residents have wondered if towns such as Brownsville and Stanton, where the factory will be built, are ready for changes it will bring to their normally quiet, rural communities.

Brownsville resident Jim Miller, 75, said he’s thought

about how the project will affect his town of about 9,800 people.

“I can see it exponentially growing. Whether Brownsville is ready for that, that’s the question,” Miller said.

“You can’t let it overwhelm the culture and history of this area. It’s a fine line you got to walk.”

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 23 - 29, 2022

Page 3

NEWS

Civil jury finds Bill Cosby sexually abused teenager in 1975

by Brian Melley and Andrew Dalton Associated Press

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Jurors at a civil trial found Tuesday that Bill Cosby sexually abused a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975.

The Los Angeles County jury delivered the verdict in favor of Judy Huth, who is now 64, and awarded her $500,000. She said the fact that jurors believed her story meant more than the sum of money or the fact that she didn’t win punitive damages.

“It’s been torture,” Huth said of the seven-year legal fight. “To be ripped apart, you know, thrown under the bus and backed over. This, to me, is such a big victory.”

Jurors found that Cosby intentionally caused harmful sexual contact with Huth, that he reasonably believed she was under 18, and that his conduct was driven by unnatural or abnormal sexual interest in a minor.

The jurors’ decision is a major legal defeat for the 84-year-old entertainer once hailed as America’s dad. It comes nearly a year after his Pennsylvania criminal conviction for sexual assault was thrown out and he was freed from prison. Huth’s lawsuit was one of the last remaining legal claims against him after his insurer settled many others against his will.

Cosby did not attend the trial or testify in person, but short clips from 2015 video deposition were played for jurors, in which he denied any sexual contact with Huth. He continues to deny the allegation through his attorney and publicist.

Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said they would appeal the verdict and he claimed the defense won be-

Bill Cosby arrives for a sentencing hearing following his sexual assault conviction at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown Pa., on Sept. 25, 2018. Jurors at a civil trial found Tuesday, June 21, 2022, that Cosby sexually abused a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Judy Huth appears at a news conference outside the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division station in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2014. Jurors at a civil trial found Tuesday, June 21, 2022, that Bill Cosby sexually abused Huth when she was 16, at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. (AP Photo/Anthony McCartney, File)

cause Huth didn’t win punitive damages.

Jurors had already reached conclusions on nearly every question on their verdict form, including whether Cosby abused Huth and whether she deserved damages, after two days of deliberations on Friday. But the jury foreperson could not serve further because of a personal commitment, and the panel had to start deliberating from scratch with an alternate juror on Monday.

Cosby’s attorneys agreed that Cosby met Huth and her high school friend on a Southern California film set in April of 1975, then took them to the Playboy Mansion a few days later.

Huth’s friend Donna Samuelson, a key witness, took photos at the mansion of Huth and Cosby, which

by of similar acts brought fresh trauma over what she had been through as a teenager.

Huth’s attorney Nathan Goldberg told the jury of nine women and three men during closing arguments Wednesday that “my client deserves to have Mr. Cosby held accountable for what he did.”

“Each of you knows in your heart that Mr. Cosby sexually assaulted Miss Huth,” Goldberg said.

At least nine of the 12 jurors agreed, giving Huth a victory in a suit that took nearly eight years and overcame many hurdles just to get to trial.

During their testimony, Cosby attorney Jennifer Bonjean consistently challenged Huth and Samuelson over errors in detail in their stories, and a similarity in the accounts that the lawyer said represented coordination

Judy Huth’s lawsuit was one of the last remaining legal claims against him (Bill Cosby) after his insurer settled many others against his will. loomed large at the trial.

Huth testified that in a bedroom adjacent to a game room where the three had been hanging out, Cosby attempted to put his hand down her pants, then exposed himself and forced her to perform a sex act.

Huth filed her lawsuit in 2014, saying that her son turning 15 — the age she initially remembered being when she went to the mansion — and a wave of other women accusing Cos-

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between the two women.

This included the women saying in pre-trial depositions and police interviews that Samuelson had played Donkey Kong that day, a game not released until six years later.

Bonjean made much of this, in what both sides came to call the “Donkey Kong defense.”

Goldberg asked jurors to look past the small errors in detail that he said were inevitable in stories that were 45 years old, and focus on the major issues behind the allegations. He pointed out to jurors that Samuelson said “games like Donkey Kong” when she first mentioned it in her deposition.

The Cosby lawyer began her closing arguments by saying, “It’s on like Donkey Kong,” and finished by declaring, “game over.”

Huth’s attorney reacted with outrage during his rebuttal.

“This is about justice!” he shouted, pounding on the podium. “We don’t need game over! We need justice!”

The Associated Press does not normally name people who say they have been sexually abused, unless they come forward publicly, as Huth has.

Outside court, a group of four women who said they represented dozens of Cosby’s sexual abuse victims celebrated the verdict.

Chelan Lasha, who testified against Cosby in the Pennsylvania case, was in tears. She said he had drugged and assaulted her in the Elvis Presley suite of the Las Vegas Hilton when she was 17 years old.

“He’s a boogey man, he’s a sexual predator, he’s a deviant,” Lasha said.

“He’s horrible. It’s one more victory.

I came here to stand with Judy. I’m proud of Judy. I’m glad for the outcome.”

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, June 23 - 29, 2022, Page 4

Mother-daughter testimonies hit home during January 6 hearings Karanja A. Ajanaku The New Tri-State Defender

Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, were little known – if at all – to most Americans before Tuesday’s session of the House Jan. 6 committee. Now, for many, they are the faces of the depth that former President Donald Trump and his allies sunk to in their ill-fated attempt to overthrow the November 2020 presidential election.

Moss and Freeman were the targets of Trump-camp falsehoods accusing the former Georgia elections workers of pulling fake ballots from a suitcase. Their wrenching testimony – Moss before the committee and Freeman via video – detailed how their lives have been turned upside down and inside out.

As he introduced Moss, Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, the committee chairman, called Moss and her mother “two of the unsung heroes in this country doing the hard work of keeping our democracy functioning for every American.”

Thompson then noted what was to come, including questions about threats Moss and Freeman received following the 2020 election. In response to Thompson, Moss, who served 10-plus years as an election worker, said she never had experienced anything like it.

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) handled the bulk of the questioning of Moss, introducing video testimony from Freeman along the way.

Schiff: … I understand that you were employed by the Fulton County Registration and Elections Department for more than 10 years and I understand that you love that job. Please tell us what made you so fond of the work that you did?

Moss: Well, I’ve always been told by my grandmother how important it is to vote and how people before me, a lot of people, older people in my family did not have that right. So, what I loved most about my job were the older voters. Younger people could usually, do everything from their phone or go online but the older voters like to call, they like to talk to you, they like to get my card. They like to know that every election I’m here and even college students, a lot of parents trusting me to make sure their child does not have to drive home. …

I like being the one that if someone can’t navigate my voter page or they want a new precinct card and they don’t have a copy machine or a computer or all of that, I could put it in the mail for them. … I even remember driving to a hospital to give someone her absentee application. That’s what I love the most. …

Schiff then walked Moss through the “dramatic turn” that occurred when “Rudy Giuliani (the president’s lawyer) publicized the video of you and your mother counting ballots on election night. President Trump, Rudy Giuliani and others claimed on the basis of this video that you and your mother were somehow involved in a plot to kick out observers, bring suitcases of false ballots for Biden into the arena and then run them through the machines multiple times.”

None of it was true, said Moss, later testifying that she learned of the video when called into the office by a boss.

“Well, when I saw the video, the first thing that I said was like, ‘Why are they doing this, what’s going on?’ And they just told me that Trump and his allies were not satisfied with the outcome of the election

Former election worker Wandrea “Shaye” Moss regarding receiving threats: “A lot of threats, wishing death upon me, telling me that I’ll be in jail with my mother and some things like be glad it’s 2020 and not 1920. … A lot of them were racist; a lot of them were just hateful….” Ruby Freeman, Moss’ mother, is pictured on the right. (Photo: Screen captures)

Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, the Jan. 6 committee chairman, called Wandrea “Shaye” and her mother, Ruby Freeman, “two of the unsung heroes in this country doing the hard work of keeping our democracy functioning for every American.”

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.): “No election workers should be subject to such heinous treatment just for doing their job….”

and they were getting a lot of threats and being harassed online and asked me have I been receiving anything? And I need to check on my mom.”

Moss testified that she doesn’t use Facebook much and discovered the threats when directed there, where she discovered “a lot of horrible things …. A lot of threats, wishing death upon me, telling me that I’ll be in jail with my mother and some things like be glad it’s 2020 and not 1920. … A lot of them were racist; a lot of them were just hateful….”

Schiff: In one of the videos we just watched Mr. Giuliani accused you and your mother (of) passing some USB drive to each other. What was your mom actually handing you on that video?

Moss: A ginger mint.

Schiff then played a tape of Trump making false allegations about Moss and Freeman repeatedly during a call with Secretary Raffensperger. In a reference to Freeman, Trump is heard saying, “She’s a vote scammer, a professional vote scammer and hustler.”

Schiff: Donald Trump attacked you and your mother using her name 18 times on that call. Ms. Moss, can you describe what you experienced listening to former president Trump attack you and your mother in a call with the Georgia secretary of state?

Moss: I felt horrible. I felt like it was all my fault like if I would have never decided to be an elections worker. I could’ve done anything else but that’s what I decided to do. And now people are lying and spreading rumors and lies and attacking my mom, … going to my grandmother’s house. … I felt so bad, I just felt bad for my mom.

And I felt horrible for picking this job and being the one that always wants to

help and always there, never missing one election. I just felt like it was my fault for putting my family in this situation.

“Well, it wasn’t your fault,” said Schiff, then turning to the video testimony of Moss’ mother.

“My name is Ruby Freeman. I’ve always believed that when God says that he’ll make your name great but this is not the way it was supposed to be. I could have never imagined the events that followed the presidential election of 2020,” said Freeman.

“For my entire professional life, I was lady Ruby. My community in Georgia, where I was born and lived my whole life, knew me as ‘Lady Ruby.’ I built my own business around that name, Lady Ruby’s Unique Treasures, a popup shop catering to ladies with unique fashions. I wore a shirt that proudly proclaimed that I was and I am lady Ruby. … I wore that shirt on election day 2020, I haven’t worn it since and I’ll never wear it again.”

Freeman said she now won’t even introduce herself by name anymore.

“I get nervous when I bump into someone I know in the grocery store who says my name. I’m worried about who’s listening. I get nervous when I have to give my name for food orders, I’m always concerned of who’s around me. I’ve lost my name and I’ve lost my reputation.

“I’ve lost my sense of security all because a group of people, starting with number 45 and his ally, Rudy Giuliani, decided to scapegoat me and my daughter, Shea, to push their own lies about how the presidential election was stolen.”

Schiff: Ms. Moss, how has this experience of being targeted by the former president and his allies affected your life?

Moss: It’s turned my life upside down.

I no longer give out my business card, I don’t transfer calls. I don’t want anyone knowing my name. I don’t want to go anywhere with my mom because she might yell my name out over the grocery aisle or something. I don’t go to the grocery store at all, I haven’t been anywhere at all. I’ve gained about 60 pounds. I just don’t do nothing anymore. I don’t want to go anywhere. I second guess everything that I do.

It’s affected my life in a major way and in every way all because of lies for me doing my job; same thing I’ve been doing forever.

In more video testimony, Freeman detailed how she decided to leave her home and go into hiding after the FBI told her that it would not be safe for her there before January 6th and until the inauguration.

Freeman: I stayed away from my home for approximately two months. It was horrible, I felt homeless. I felt I can’t believe this person has caused this much damage to me and my family to have to leave my home (where) I’ve lived there for 21 years.

And I’m having to have my neighbors watch out for me and I have to go and stay with somebody. It was hard, it was horrible.”

Schiff: Ms. Moss, I understand that people once showed up at your grandmother’s house, tell us about that experience.

Moss: I received a call from my grandmother. This woman is my everything. I’ve never even heard her or seen her cry ever in my life. And she called me screaming at the top of her lungs like, “Shea, oh my God.” Just freaking me out, saying that there were people at her home and they knocked on the door and, of course, she opened it …

And they just started pushing their way through claiming that they were coming in to make a citizen’s arrest. They needed to find me and my mom, they knew we were there and she was just screaming and didn’t know what to do and I wasn’t there. So, I just felt so helpless and so horrible for her and she was just screaming. I told her to close the door, don’t open the door for anyone.

Moss said her grandmother is “70 something” and “she likes to get her steps in, walking around the neighborhood. And I had to tell her, ‘You can’t do that, you have to be safe.’ And she would tell me that at night, people would just continuously send pizzas over and over to her home and they were expecting her to pay for these large amounts of pizzas. She went through a lot that she didn’t have to. And once again, it made me just feel so horrible.

Schiff said that in addition to the personal impact of the experiences, he found it “most disturbing … how these lies discourage longtime election workers from continuing to do this important work.”

Moss told Schiff that no permanent election worker or supervisor showed in the video still worked there and that she had left her position as well.

Schiff thanked Moss for testifying before the committee and “for your service to our democracy. What we have just played is a truly horrible and appalling sample.

But just (a) sample of the things that were said about you and your mother following the election.

“I want to say how very sorry I think we all are for what you’ve gone through and tragically you’re not alone. Other election workers around the country have also been the subject of lies and threats. No election workers should be subject to such heinous treatment just for doing their job ….

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 23 - 29, 2022

RELIGION

Page 5

‘God’s goodness’ over generations powers birthday celebration for centenarian

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Thursday, June 16, was one of those rare occasions when Inez Ayers goes out on the town for a party.

And with good reason—it was her 100th birthday. Family and friends hosted a party at Jim’s Place Grille in Collierville for food, fun, and lots of birthday gift surprises for Ayers.

“Aunt Inez is the descendent of a colorful cast of characters who left a great, family legacy for us,” said Lonnie Yates, Ayers’ nephew and family historian. “We love times like these when we all get together and share a few laughs. Our family has been so blessed over the years.”

Ayers wore a crown and gushed over pink roses, along with the gifts her family gave her. The fit-for-aqueen gathering was another opportunity to reminiscence God’s goodness in generations past, Yates said.

Ayers grandfather, Henry Covington, was born a slave in 1845, Big Creek, MS. Covington had a number of children, including Henry, Ayers’ father. Grandpa Henry was a farmer, having acquired many acres of land after slavery ended.

In the 1890’s, Covington “ran into some trouble” with local whites, according to Yates. One of Covington’s sons, who was only 16 at the time, knew that night riders would come looking for his father. Tom drove his father to the next county and put him on a train. Where Covington went is lost to the family because all of Ayers’ siblings are dead. Covington was never saw him again.

Covington’s daughter and her husband would also have to flee years later. Her husband reportedly shot a gun. A white woman sitting on a horse fell off because the horse reared up, and she fell off. The couple went immediately home, gathered their belongings and children, and left.

“I’ve been researching our family history for 30 years,” said Yates. “I found the youngest of the couple’s children in Dyersburg. She is in her 90s and lives in a nursing home there. Her name is Anna. I called and said, ‘Anna, this is your cousin, Lonnie.’ She said, ‘I am not Anna.’

It’s funny. After all these years, she thinks someone may still be looking for them. She is the only one left.”

Inez Ayers got the royal treatment during the celebration of her 100th birthday. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley/The New TriState Defender) Covington’s children inherited the land and farmed, just as their father had. Henry, Ayers’ father, born in 1874, was about 18 when his father was forced to flee.

Ayers was born June 16, 1922, in Calhoun County, MS, the daughter of farmer who was born in 1874.

When she was a teenager, Ayers left the farm and moved to Memphis to live with an older sister.

The sister and her husband owned Martin’s Beauty and Barber Shop.

Ayers enrolled in Booker T. Washington High School. It is unclear how long she attended.

According to Yates, Ayers opened her own business for a couple of years. It was called Daps Restaurant, located on Wellington, in South Memphis. When integration came about, business slowed to a crawl. And like many other African Americans entrepreneurs, she was forced to close.

Ayers worked in a pharmacy on Beale Street, and later, she went to Memphis City Schools where she worked for 19 years as a teacher’s assistant.

She married Lynwood Ayers, an electrician, who preceded her in death. The couple’s only daughter is Ayers’ caregiver.

Ayers only leaves home for doctors visits and special occasions.

She is a long-time member of Metropolitan Baptist Church, where she faithfully attended until health issues prevented her.

“Discovering family history is important,” said Yates. “It doesn’t take long to look back and see how far God has brought us. Aunt Inez is living history. Her story is our story. We are grateful she lived to see this birthday.”

The “queen” for the day, Inez Ayers gets some help with her crown.

Juneteenth Music Extravaganza: ‘Celebrating Our Forefathers’

As Juneteenth celebrations rang out through the weekend, the new federal holiday was observed with a music extravaganza at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church. Presented by the 1st Episcopal District, the extravaganza event featured three musical segments, with the Rev. Peris J. Lester I, the host pastor, issuing the call to worship. Bishop Henry M. Williamson Sr., the district’s presiding prelate, delivered closing remarks. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

The New Tri-State Defender, June 23 - 29, 2022, Page 6

Dr. Alfred McKinney sets the tone on sax for the Fort Pillow commemoration. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

Remembering anew the lives lost at Fort Pillow

Trumpeting the memory of the troops who died at Fort Pillow.

Commemoration dovetailed with Juneteenth 2022

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Commemorators lined the entrance of Memphis National Cemetery on Friday (June 17), watching as the two police officers led the “rider-less horse.”

A solemn procession of hearses followed, the symbolic motorcade bringing fallen United States Colored Troops from Fort Pillow to their final resting place.

“This is how the memorial begins every year,” said Callie Herd of We All Be Group, Inc. “There were never any funeral services for those soldiers. They were initially thrown into mass graves, the wounded buried along with the dead.”

The event was a precursor to Juneteenth, the national holiday observing the June 19, 1865, emancipation of slaves in the former Confederate states.

“The Fort Pillow Massacre occurred on April 12, 1864,” said Callie Herd.

“This year is the 158th anniversary of the slaughter, and our sixth year honoring more than 100 soldiers who were taken from the mass graves and re-interred here at National Cemetery.”

Fort Pillow overlooked the Mississippi River in Lauderdale County, about 60 miles north of Memphis. Callie Heard continues There may be as many as to anchor the Fort Pil200 U.S. Union troops in the low commemorations.

Fort Pillow section.

National Cemetery soldiers offered a 21-gun salute. A solemn call of the drums by Ekpe Abioto paid homage to the colored troops.

Dr. Alvin McKinney, Memphis’ own “Prime Minister of Joyful Jazz,” played a soulful, sax rendition of “The Star-Bangled Banner,” America’s national anthem, and the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”

“It’s important for us to remember the sacrifice of these soldiers,” said Ronald Herd, son of Callie Herd. “It is also important to remember that the soldiers at Fort Pillow were massacred, even as they tried to surrender. The 1,500 Confederates were under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

“Forrest’s attempt to re-write history was useless,” said Ronald Herd. “Eyewitness accounts have those men being shot down like animals, on his direct order. Black women and children were also killed. They bashed in the heads of Black children. This memorial acknowledges what really happened and rejects any attempts at revisionist history.”

A permanent marker in the Fort Pillow section at National Cemetery bears the name and image of Peter Williams, the only Colored soldier whose image survives. His descendent, 88-year-old Joe Williams of Radcliff, Kentucky helped Callie Herd fill in some of the blanks.

“Peter Williams was my great-great-great grandfather,” said Williams. “He was the slave of Jack Williams in Savannah, Tennessee. Peter was a free man, a wanderer.

“When he came to Savannah and met Elsa, one of Jack Williams’ slaves, Peter asked to marry her. Jack Williams would only allow the marriage if Peter became his slave.

That’s how he came to belong to Jack Williams.”

Pouring libations with the ancestors in mind.

Ekpe Abioto adds the sounds of the kalimba to the commemoration, with an assist by Patricia Lee. Peter, Elsa, and their three young children, followed Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William Sherman when they came through and captured Savannah.

“The generals took everything between Savannah and Corinth, Mississippi,” said Williams. “Peter and his family followed the Union Army to Corinth and later to Memphis. I had 35 ancestors join the Union Army, including Peter. Peter was ordered to take the Colored Troops to guard Fort Pillow. Peter was wounded and thrown onto a pile of dead soldiers.

“Somebody from Jack Williams’ plantation — one of the son-in-laws — said, ‘That looks like Peter over there.’

He went over, and it was Peter. He felt for a pulse, and Peter had a pulse. Although barely alive, Peter was pulled from that pile of bodies being dumped into a mass grave.”

Peter recovered and came back for his family after the war. Peter died in 1915, at the age of 83. He passed down stories of the war and life at Fort Pillow to his children and grandchildren. Those same stories survive today, according to Joe Williams.

Fort Pillow State Historic Park Manager Robby Tidwell, a European American, has attended the memorial every

The color guard in motion.

Wreaths added to the day’s commemoration year in Memphis.

“I have been here over the past five years,” said Tidwell. “The Memphis commemoration is always on a Friday, and ours is on a Saturday, when many people are off from work. We bring four wreaths from Memphis and place them in honor of the fallen soldiers. These events are important because people want to know what really happened. They want to know the truth.

“We want to continue educating people about the Fort Pillow Massacre,” said Tidwell. “We want to preserve the park and preserve its history.”

The New Tri-State Defender

June 23 - 29, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT

Show hard love to this version of ‘Black Panther’ and share it

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

After school and Saturday mornings were devoted to fighting crime.

There you were, seven, eight, nine years old, hard-bodied, brave, and fireproof – at least, in your mind. Along with your ancestors and others with superpowers, you were invincible. And in “Black Panther” by Don McGregor, Rich Buckler, Billy Graham, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby, you’ll see that it all started with a “dark line.”

In the years between the middle of the Depression and the middle of World War II, over “seven hundred super-powered do-gooders debuted” in comic books, nation-wide. After the war was over, comic books continued to be popular but the super-hero genre faded to just a small group their publisher called the Justice League of America.

This spurred rival publisher Marvin Goodman to “sit up and take notice.” He decided that his comic book company needed its own superhero team and he partnered with several talents to create the Marvel Universe. In the early 1960s, Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four were joined by several other superheroes “in the same story-world,” each with a unique talent; in 1966, the Black Panther became one of them.

The character appeared at exactly the right time. Say the authors, the origins of the Black Panther reflected what was going on in the U.S. socially, politically, and in civil rights. The introduction of the Black Panther arrived between Jim Crow and the founding of the Black Panther Party for

Self Defense. America, say the authors, “was confronting the deep historical consequences” of what it had done to its Black citizens and T’Challa was his own man. He didn’t need white superheroes to save the day for him.

There were a few ragged edges to the character – at first, there were “hints” that the Black Panther might spin into a comic book villain – but readers of the early story ultimately rested easier. The Fantastic Four and the Black Panther were always in good hands, both in Wakanda and elsewhere...

Imagine, says Nnedi Okorafor in her foreword, being a small child of immigrants from Nigeria, trying to visit a comic book store back when older white males were its usual customers. She fled the store then, empty-handed, and returned to comic books when she was an adult and found a character that looked like her. The earliest incarnation of that character and his comic book story are found inside “Black Panther.”

Fans can rejoice: the latter takes up the bulk of this book, chronologically and in full-color, just like the original comic books offered. But patience: before you get there, read the overview of comics in general, Marvel Comics, specifically; Okorafor’s foreword; and a volume introduction to this character. Turn to the back for an essay on the Black Panther, and plot synopses with creator’s notes. It’s the whole deal.

The bonus, for fans of both movie and comic book, is that you can read this paperback release of the hardcover book without worry. Show hard love to this version of “Black Panther” and share it, knowing you’re someone else’s hero.

“Black Panther”

by Don McGregor, Rich Buckler, Billy Graham, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby c.2022, Penguin Classics Marvel Collection $28.00 377 pages

Page 7

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, June 23 - 29, 2022, Page 8

SCS board to consider $5.5 million of safety and security upgrades

by Samantha West Chalkbeat

A month after a gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas – and nearly six months after a shooting at a Memphis school rocked the community – Memphis-Shelby County Schools administrators want to spend $5.5 million on safety and security upgrades.

District officials on Tuesday called the upgrades imperative for keeping students and school staff safe amid a rise in gun violence.

The proposal calls for spending just over $2.5 million to replace outdated alarm and card access systems at several schools to ensure all doors are locked at all times. It also includes about $2.9 million for new security cameras inside and outside schools, backup power supplies, servers, and intercom systems at school entrances to monitor visitors before allowing them inside the building.

“Some of our buildings are old, and the equipment is old, too,” Carolyn Jackson, the district’s chief of safety and security, told Chalkbeat after Tuesday’s board meeting.

“We’re reimagining what safety and security looks like going into next school year.”

The proposed upgrades follow the Uvalde shooting, but they are part of an ongoing push to improve safety in the district as it confronts escalating gun violence in Memphis schools and surrounding neighborhoods.

In late September, a shooting in a stairwell at Cummings K-8 Optional School left a 13-year-old boy injured and a classmate in custody. A month later, a shooting outside Street Ministries near Kingsbury middle and high schools left three teens and an adult injured.

And in December, two MSCS teens – Phillexus Buchanan, a 15-year-old Hamilton High School student, and Breunna Woods, a 16-year-old Wooddale High School student – were shot and killed during a gas station ambush after a high school basketball game.

After the Cummings shooting, Supt. Joris Ray recruited former Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong to lead a review of district safety practices.

Ray also floated the option of creating a district peace force, composed of armed school resource officers rather than the sheriff’s deputies who currently police Memphis schools. Such a force could focus on restorative practices and building relationships with students, Ray said, and would answer directly to the school system. The peace force was originally proposed by former Supt. Kriner Cash.

MSCS officials have remained tightlipped about Armstrong’s findings, saying releasing them could compromise safety protocols. They did not immediately respond to questions on Wednesday about whether the district is still considering a peace force.

But Ray has continued to focus on school safety, and after the string of incidents in the fall, he pleaded with parents and community members to help the district prevent further violence.

In the latest round of districtwide restructuring moves, Ray added three new leaders to the district’s department of safety and security, and named Jackson the official chief of the department. She had been interim chief since Gerald Darling retired from the role in January.

The school board is slated to vote on the proposed security upgrades at its next business meeting on June 28.

(Samantha West is a reporter for Chalkbeat Tennessee, where she covers K-12 education in Memphis. Connect with Samantha at swest@chalkbeat.org.)

Merry Meri Cosplay cosplaying as villain Shego, from the animated show, Kim Possible (Photo: Meri Williams/ Instagram: MerryMeriCosplay)

Aydrian Shores cosplaying as Usagi Tsukino from the anime, Sailor Moon (Photo via Aydrian Shores)

Black Cosplayers are Creating Their Own World in the Cosplay Community

by Destiny Royston

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Saturday morning cartoons showed Dragon Ball Z Kai and Spiderman having fun and saving the day, showing kids a colorful and adventurous world through the eyes of superheroes.

Cosplayer Ralphael Burks, also known as Okami King, grew up watching cartoons and anime. Now, in the real world, he enjoys spending his free time cosplaying the characters he admired.

“Seeing characters like Goku from Dragon Ball or Spiderman as a kid, it made me want to be them in a way,” Burks said, “especially nowadays when you have Black superheroes like Black Panther. You can really see yourself in them.”

Cosplaying has become an outlet for people of all ages to express themselves as they resonate with a fictional character.

So, they dress as that character, mimicking their mannerism and personality.

Although cosplaying brings people who are alike in a world of creativity, not everyone is accepting of someone with darker skin cosplaying as a fair skin character.

The local three-day cosplay convention, Anime Blues Con, recently held a panel called, “Cosplaying While Black, hosted

by Meri Williams, whose cosplayer name is Merry Meri Cosplay. There she discussed diversity in the cosplay world and how a character is more than just their skin tone.

“If a character resonates with me in some capacity, I was like I will cosplay as them. Regardless of if their fair or dark skin” Williams said.

Williams was introduced to cosplay in 2007, after leaving her hotel room where a cosplay convention was held nearby.

“When I left my hotel room, I saw people dressed up in costume and thought, ‘You can do that?’ And so, I was like I must do this. It looks like so much fun,” Williams said.

She has faced racism during her time as a cosplayer. During her panel, she recalled cosplaying as a fair skin fictional character, and someone made racists comments towards her.

She explained how those kinds of comments are hurtful, but it never discouraged her from doing what she enjoys.

“Don’t let anybody discourage you from doing what you want to do and being who you want to be,” Williams said. “If you want to dress up or cosplay regardless

Destiny Alexis Royston posing as Chun-Li from the video game series, Street Fighter, at Anime Blues Con 2019 (Photo: Destiny Alexis Royston/ Instagram: WritingFairie) of anything, do that. And that haters can hate.”

Fourteen years later, Williams has grown her Merry Meri Cosplay fanbase and continues to be a representation of Black cosplayers.

Hosting panels and cosplaying at Anime and Comic Conventions in various states, Merry Meri spreads the message of being yourself and having fun along the way.

The panels stress the importance of not only African-Americans being represented in the cosplay community, but also creating a “safe space” for Black cosplayers to interact with each other and participate together in conventions, Local cosplayer, Aydrian Shores, also known as Aya, who lives in Japan, began cosplaying in 2011. Watching Sailor Moon and seeing herself in the magical protagonist, Usagi Tsukino, Shores began to not only cosplay as her, but also make her cosplay from scratch, bringing the character to life through herself.

“The huge positive is making your character come to life,” Shores said. “What would your favorite character look like if they were you?”

Shores recalled styling her first cosplay wig in 2014, Son Goku from the anime in Dragon Ball.

“I didn’t know that I loved styling wigs

Ralphael Burks cosplaying as Kirito from the anime, Sword Art Online, at Anime Blues Con in 2021 (Photo: Ralphael Burks/ Instagram: Okami.

King) until I styled my first Son Goku wig,” she said. “You can explore talents you never knew you had!”

Shores explained how diversity in cosplay is important, and how she resonates with other Black cosplayers who face racism.

“So far I have not experienced any issues within the cosplay community as a Black cosplayer, and that is entirely because I have Albinism,” Shores said. “But it can also be an obstacle with connecting with other Black cosplayers.”

Like Shores, Ralphael Burks hasn’t experienced racism in the cosplay firsthand, but still believes representation is important.

Every February, during Black History Month, Burks participates in the “28 Days of Black Cosplay,” where Black cosplayers post pictures each day cosplaying as their favorite character.

“Last year during the 28 Days of Black Cosplay, I cosplayed as Black Panther,” Burks recalled. “Having that option to cosplay is enjoyable but having a Black superhero to cosplay as makes the experience even more relatable.”

Burks recalled how growing up, there wasn’t a lot of Black superheroes to choose from, but now there is more representation in the media when it comes to Black fictional characters.

The New Tri-State Defender

June 23 - 29, 2022

NEWS

Tennessee GOP leaders urge delay of toddler COVID-19 shots

by Kimberlee Kruesi

2012 Audi A7, VIN# WAUYGAFC4CN049700 Contact Gary Calhoun 901-801-0128 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: Monte I. Blayde Tax Parcel #: 09007600001320 Tax Sale #: 1703 Price Offered: $10,200.00 Terms: Cash

Associated Press

The shots offer young children protection from hospitalization, death and possible long-term complications that are still not clearly understood, according to an advisory panel of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 30,000 U.S. children younger than age 5 have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and nearly 500 coronavirus deaths have been reported in that age group, said Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general.

Lee’s spokesperson Casey Black said in an email that the governor’s office was re-

viewing the letter. She did not immediately respond to questions whether the state would delay or change the distribution of the vaccine.

The Tennessee Department of Health did not respond to an email with similar questions.

Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has remained mostly constant around 1,800 per day, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins. Tennessee has seen 26,620 COVID-19-related deaths to date. That death count is the 12th highest in the country overall and the fifth highest per capita.

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.

Mayor JIM STRICKLAND MEMPHIS OFFICE OF YOUTH SERVICES

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 1:30 p.m. on August 24, 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: Daniela Santiago Dutra Tax Parcel #: 05902600000280 Tax Sale #: 1701 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 1:00 p.m. on August 24, 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.

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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: Daniela Santiago Dutra Tax Parcel #: 05902800000280 Tax Sale #: 1701 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 10:30 a.m. on August 24, 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: Mario Young Tax Parcel #: 07521300000090 Tax Sale #: 1702 Price Offered: $2900.00 Terms: Cash

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 August 24, 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: Torian Eddie Tax Parcel #: 04502500000110 Tax Sale #: 1703 Price Offered: $3000.00 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 23, 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

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NASHVILLE – Top Tennessee Republican House leaders on Wednesday urged Gov. Bill Lee to delay the state’s health department from distributing and promoting the COVID-19 vaccines to infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

In a letter sent to the Republican governor, House leaders said they had too many concerns surrounding the vaccine for those under 5 years old.

“We ask that you direct the Tennessee Department of Health to halt distribution, promotion or recommendation of COVID-19 vaccines for our youngest Tennesseans,” the letter stated. It was signed by leading Republicans including House Speaker Cameron Sexton and House Majority Leader William Lamberth.

The lawmakers added that the “COVID-19 emergency has long passed in Tennessee” though that declaration is disputed by public health experts.

The letter came just days after Florida raised eyebrows for being the only state in the country not to preorder the vaccine for its toddlers. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wouldn’t facilitate their distribution, but the shots are available to those who want them.

Tennessee’s Republican lawmakers have long been skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccine ever since it became available in late 2020, even as U.S. regulators have maintained the shot is safe for adults and children. Nevertheless, the GOP-controlled General Assembly has enacted legislation largely banning vaccine requirements and some members threatened to dissolve the state’s health agency after it encouraged kids to get the vaccine.

Shots for the nation’s youngest children became available this week, expanding the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 6 months.

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 23 - 29, 2022

SPORTS

Page 10

Grizzlies’ fans looking back and forward as draft day looms

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The Memphis Grizzlies’ season ended less than a month ago. Since then many fans have wondered what might have been, particularly since the team the Grizzlies battled ferociously – the Golden State Warriors – won the NBA title.

The road to a possible championship is front and center for Memphis as the Grizzlies prepare for the NBA Draft on Thursday evening.

Recent history has been good for the Grizzlies regarding the draft.

Three years ago, the team drafted Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke.

Two years ago, another gem was found in Desmond Bane.

And last year the team selected Ziaire Williams, who contributed significant minutes this past season.

Memphis has three picks in the draft: Number 22 and 27 in the first round and a second-round selection.

The Grizzlies took care of some administrative business last week when they extended their head coach Taylor Jenkins to a multi-year contract. Jenkins was hired June 11, 2019, has compiled a record of 128-99 and has reached the playoffs in the last two seasons.

The Grizzlies have established a franchise record for scoring average in each of Jenkins’ three seasons and averaged 115.6 in 2021-22.

During the exit interviews with the team, there were multiple expressions about how special the just completed season was and about how good it would be to keep the team in tact for another run for the upcoming season.

Reality check: it is most likely at least two key members of the team may not return next season, Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones.

Jones received praised for how he led the team to a 26-7 record when he started in place of Morant. Jones will be most coveted by other teams to lead their offense. He has a great assist-to-turnover ratio and has become one of the best backup point guards in the league.

Anderson’s versality and his willingness to accept any role that the coaching staff has asked of him are major plusses. However, his contract asking price may just be out of what the Grizzlies are willing to pay him considering they have a large contact extension in the amount of

Ja Morant, who is due for a big pay hike, greets Dillon Brooks as the Grizzlies faced off against the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of this past season’s playoffs. (Photos: Warren Roseborough) $186 million they will offer Morant in July.

Anderson averages 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds last season.

Draft There are many paths that the Grizzlies can go this year.

First, they can stand their ground and simply select the best players available with their two first-round picks.

Secondly, they can package this year’s picks and some players and try to move up to the coveted number 4 slot. This is projected to be one of the deepest drafts in a very long time.

Rumors and trade speculation have been run-

Treated to a season that took Memphis deep into the second round of the playoffs, Grizzlies’ fans are ready to keep the ball rolling.

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ning rampant since the season ended.

Dillon Brooks was the only rotational player who did not meet with the media as part of the exit interview process. Also, there was a sense that Anderson and Jones were meeting with the media for the last time as a member of the Grizzlies’ organization.

Two players in this year’s draft that may be on the Grizzlies’ radar are Jalen Duren and Kennedy Chandler.

Duren, a rim protector and physical player, could add a dynamic to the team when they face

physical teams. Chandler could be a replacement for the departing Jones.

Grizzlies General Manager Zack Kleiman was named the NBA Executive of the Year and has earned the respect of the Grizzlies fan base by selecting and developing talent that other executives decided to pass on.

Kleiman has the base excited about what is to come with this year’s draft.

The draft site is Brooklyn, NY. It begins at 7 p.m. and all the excitement will be over by 11:30.