The New Tri-State Defender (July 16-22, 2020)

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July 16 - 22, 2020

VOL. 69, No. 29

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Gov. Lee: abortion ban, removing Confederate busts and COVID-19

by Karanja A. Ajanaku Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Talking with members of the Tennessee Press Association, Gov. Bill Lee this week detailed where he stands on the six-week abortion ban law, removing Confederate monuments from the state Capitol and his assessment of the state’s status regarding multiple elements associated with fighting the coronavirus.

Amid the pandemic and acknowledging the challenges, Lee said his administration was encouraged by some things – particularly noting a level of testing that he said places Tennessee among the leaders regarding testing by states.

“And while that (testing) is not the entire an-

Gov. Bill Lee

swer to this, it certainly is an important piece of it,” Lee said during a virtual media session on Monday.

Noting that Tennessee just had recorded a record number of new positive cases, Lee pointed out that it coincided with the “largest number of tests we’ve had,” adding a reference to the challenge of lagging test results in Tennessee

and the country.

“I remember just six, eight weeks ago, our goal was to get 10,000 tests a day. Now we’re doing 20 and 30,000 a day. …So testing has

double and tripled and the labs are having a tough time keeping up, but we’re working on that problem in our unified command group daily to try to stay ahead of that….”

In what he called encouraging news, Lee said, “We are the 16th largest state in the country. And for most of this pandemic, we’ve been about 40th in the country in death rate per capita. Most of the states that have a lower death rate per capita are very rural States, but we hit our nursing home populations early with a strategy that paid dividends. … Those numbers can change and they have gone up, but we still have a relatively low mortality rate in our state.”

SEE LEE ON PAGE 10

Criminal justice reform tops Southern Justice Summit

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

Larry Dodson, Sr. Road...

Family and friends of Memphis music icon Larry Dodson Sr. – former lead singer for The Bar-Kays – joined him last Friday for the unveiling of a sign that brought his legacy sharply into view at the corner of Marlin Rd. and Elvis Presley Blvd. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Accounting for context, COVID-19’s case count draws mounting concern

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

Faced with climbing numbers of reported new coronavirus cases, local health officials continue to stress the need to apply context.

“There were 700 new cases reported, with 18 of them probable cases,” said Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter on Tuesday. “But applying context for that number is important. It (the increase) represents a number of days because of the backlog of test results.”

The 700 new cases of the coronavirus were reported between Monday (July 13) and Tuesday (July 14) morning in Shelby County. One virus related death was recorded during the same period, bringing the total to 223.

“Shelby County has a 65 percent recovery rate, meaning those among the 65 percent were able to quarantine for 10 days and remain symptom-free for three additional days. They are well and have since returned to school or work.”

— Alisa Haushalter On Wednesday morning, the number of reported new cases was 249, with six additional deaths recorded. The total of COVID-19 cases was listed as 14,804, with the total-tested figure at 162,448.

The Memphis-Shelby County COVID-19 Task Force holds scheduled briefings twice weekly. At Tuesday’s briefing, Haushalter called the new reported cases “troubling,” adding that the positivity rate from testing was 13.6 percent, way over what officials want to

see, which is less than 10 percent.

Out of several days of testing, the 700 number was the result of 5,233 test results.

“Shelby County has a 65 percent recovery rate, meaning those among the 65 percent were able to quarantine for 10 days and remain symptom-free for three additional days,” Haushalter said. “They are well and have since returned to school or work.”

SEE VIRUS ON PAGE 2

From chokehold bans to ending the money bail system, Tuesday’s (July 14) Southern Justice Summit tackled a myriad topics focused on criminal justice reform.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Tonja Sesley-Baymon, president and chief executive officer for the Memphis Urban League, partnered with six other Urban League organizations across the South to stage a virtual conference on how to fix the justice system.

The conference specifically the South, where African Americans have been traditionally treated unfairly.

Harris made criminal justice reform a cornerstone of his election platform, showing particular interest in Shelby County’s juvenile justice system.

“The need for reform has never been greater,” said Harris, in opening remarks. “We are in a moMarc ment of heightened social Morial consciousness. Reform of our criminal justice system has never been more important.”

The summit culminated in a keynote address

by Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League.

“In 2020, we are seeing the nation’s leadership being challenged like nevLee er before,” Morial said.

Harris “COVID-19 is disproportionately infecting black and brown people.

“And, we all saw George Floyd being murdered, lynched right before our eyes. This is, indeed, a moment in history. We must stand on the side of justice.

We must embrace Black Lives Matter,” Morial said.

Tonja SesleyMorial touted the UrBaymon ban League as one of the nation’s oldest civil rights organizations that has “been in the trenches helping people survive.”

He advocated for “police reimagination and reform.”

“We can’t fix communities with policing,” Morial said. “There must be a new approach for the inner city. Invest money into youth programs, affordable housing, health, and education. It is time to make an involved decision.”

While Morial praised this time of heightened

SEE JUSTICE ON PAGE 2

The New Tri-State Defender

July 16 - 22, 2020

Page 2

NEWS JUSTICE CONTINUED FROM FRONT awareness in protest and advocacy, it remains to be seen whether the activism will transform into a real movement.

Protests and calls for reform must translate into action at the polls. Voting en masse is the only thing that will transform this moment into a movement, he said.

The summit featured local officials, who also made virtual appearances. Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer joined Harris and Sesley-Baymon in welcoming participants to the summit.

City Councilman JB Smiley spoke on chokehold bans and the “duty (of police officers) to intervene (when another is using excessive force)” policy in one of the sessions.

Both reforms have already been adopted by the Memphis Police Department.

County Commissioner Reginald Milton joined Shelby County’s executive director of the Office of Re-entry Harold

VIRUS CONTINUED FROM FRONT The use of hospital beds and intensive-care beds is up 89 percent and 85 percent respectively. These numbers raise an alarm because others with conditions requiring hospital beds may not be able to get one.

Transmission continues, she said, and cases are striking a healthier, younger population.

Recent contacts with these individuals must be identified and given notice. Both city and county governments have rerouted employees to work in contact tracing.

A lawsuit, which was not mentioned, has been filed against Shelby County government by restaurants that have been mandated to shut down completely, or limit daily hours of operation to 10 p.m.

Bar owners allege Shelby County government and Health Department are violating their Fifth Amendment rights by imposing closures. County government and Health Department officials said that bars, classified as “limited service restaurants, are a primary source of community transmissions, Haushalter said.

Plaintiffs charge that mandated closings deprive them of substantive due process and violations of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said although the 700 cases represented several days of testing and a backlog of test results being given, Shelby County is “not out of the woods yet.

“We want to be vigilant about stopping the spread of COVID-19,” Harris said. “Aggressive measures were necessary because numbers are going the wrong way.

“We have mandated the wearing of masks in public, closed bars and limited the hours that restaurants may operate,” Harris said.

The county mayor said health department and county officials are looking closely at what is happening on Beale Street.

Large numbers have been congregating, it has been observed, without the wearing of masks.

Harris said additional interventions may be imposed “if the numbers continue to move the wrong way.”

Masks, social distancing, and use of sanitizer and good hand washing are still being endorsed as the county’s best defense against community spread.

Officials will be looking at the data from new cases to determine the demographics of these individuals and conditions involving the spread.

Collins in discussing the challenges of re-entry for ex-offenders and trends that have developed in the last decade.

The summit also tackled controversial concepts, such as ending the money bail system and how one should defend himself or herself against

the status quo.

A highlight of the summit was a video series titled “Reclaiming Our Freedom,” sponsored by the Urban League’s Southern Region.

During a period between sessions, a topic titled “8 Minutes & 46 Seconds,” the death

of George Floyd was silently observed in that period of time. Floyd was killed May 25 as a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck. A video of Floyd’s death for that space of time sparked an outcry of protest and brought the Black Lives Matter movement to the

forefront.

Morial ended the summit with a strong endorsement for voting in November’s election.

“The question will be, ‘Are we still engaged in constructive anger?’ It’s okay to be angry. Be outraged, but focus on

meaningful change.

“Connect protest to policy.

Raise your voices. The peoples’ movement cannot be destroyed or stopped. The moment does not end today. Share the work. Inspire younger voters. We must get to the polls and vote.”

The New Tri-State Defender

July 16 - 22, 2020

NEWS

Page 3

The New Tri-State Defender

July 16 - 22, 2020

Page 4

NEWS

New COVID business guidelines call for some temporary closures

by Dena Owens Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) officials have announced new guidelines for businesses following a recent rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and directives from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Phase II of Shelby County’s Back-to-Business reopening produced a rise in citizens testing positive for the virus, moving from 7 percent in May to 14 percent currently.

According to data dated Wednesday, July 15, SCHD reported nearly 4,827 currently active cases and 229 deaths.

Of the deceased, 128 are African American.

On July 15 alone, 249 new coronavirus cases were reported.

Two days earlier, 86 percent of the Mid-South’s intensive care unit (ICU) hospital beds were in use – including 30 percent COVID cases – leaving only 62 ICU beds available.

To get the virus under better control, plus avoid the spikes emerging in other major cities

with large black populations – including Atlanta, Houston and New Orleans – new directives for Shelby County businesses demand some temporary closures.

“What we know is you really can’t drink at a bar when you have a mask on,” says Alisa Haushalter, Shelby County Health Department Director.

“You have to take it off.

And then when you take it off, you’re talking with other people. That’s high risk for transmission. We have to reduce those settings where it’s high risk for transmission.”

New guidelines for Shelby County businesses include the following: • All businesses and services in Shelby County may open except: bars, limited-service restaurants, clubs and adult entertainment venues.

• Restaurants must end service by 10 p.m. daily and record the first name, last name, time of service and cell phone number of “family units” for contact tracing purposes.

Restaurants must keep seating charts for 21 days and client records for at least 30 days af-

ter the service date.

• Hair and nail salons, barbershops and other personal appearance businesses must maintain a record of all patrons, including the first name, last name, time of service and cell phone number. Records must be kept for at least 30 days after the service date.

• Guidance on school re-openings will be developed in partnership with the schools and provided well in advance for the fall 2020 school year.

• Live music is prohibited unless each performer maintains 18 feet of social distance between performers or any other persons • Scholastic and organized teams not deemed “high-risk” by the National Federation of State High School Associations may conduct practices, but contact must be limited and all social distancing principles should apply as practicable.

High risk sports such as wrestling, football, lacrosse, competitive cheer, and dance should not occur at this time.

• Festivals, fairs, parades, large scale sporting events and large scale community events

‘Ban the Box’ ordinance gets Commission delay “It opens another door for ee based on their findings. those coming out of the sys“We’re working on that part Special to The New Tri-State Defender tem,” Jones said. “We were of the puzzle too, those digital their incarcerators, now we footprints,” Harris said about The “Ban the Box” ordican be their liberators.” further reform. nance will get another shot Jones is one of the original Additionally, there are stipat approval after the Shelby ordinance’s sponsors along ulations to the rule. The ordiCounty Board of Commiswith Commissioners Tami nance would provide an exsioners failed to pass the meaSawyer, Mick Wright, Willie ception to “banning the box” sure Monday.

F. Brooks, Jr., Reginald Mil- for convictions that are directIn another effort to reform ton, Mickell Lowery, Michael ly related to certain jobs such the Criminal Justice system, Whaley, Van D. Turner, Jr., as those dealing with children something Shelby County and Chairman Mark Billings- or sex-offender convictions.

Mayor Lee Harris vowed to do ley.

Still, proponents of the orduring his term, the ordinance While some were poised to dinance said the good will would remove the question vote on the original ordinance, outweigh the negative by proor “box” on county employthere were concerns about viding those with a criminal ment applications asking if the the amended version. Com- history a second chance and someone has been convicted missioner Brandon Morrison reducing recidivism. of a felony. Harris, who inisaid she was concerned of the “Our data shows what sustially presented the ordinance economic impact, making it tainable employment can do to the Commission back in “complicated for vendors to for ex-offenders and his or her April, is hoping that the initiaget through the process.” family,” said Harold Collins, tive gives those with criminal Although the amended mo- the executive director of the histories a second chance at tion failed, based on commis- County’s Office of Re-Entry. employment. After the measion rules, it can still advance Collins pointed out that in sure failed to pass, Harris is to a final vote at the next com- 2018 the office served nearly now urging residents to reach mission meeting. Harris is 400 clients and approximately out to their elected officials to hoping for a better outcome.

16 percent were re-arrested. garner support before the next “Under the Commission “We know that these numvote. rules, we still have one more bers can be reduced signifi“This effort would help put opportunity to find the votes. cantly with Ban the Box,” he an end to the use of criminal The meeting on Jul. 27 will be said.

Helptoprevent histories as a way weed outthe spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19. the last chance to find a path While getting the Commisapplicants for county jobs,” forward. Please contact your sion’s approval is the first step, Harris has said about “Ban Cover he your tweeted cough or sneeze with asaid tissue,he’ll also be workAvoid close contact with people who are sick.

Commissioners,” Harris the Box.” “Too often, African then throw the tissue ing with private companies to after the meeting.

American men have criminal in the trash.

Harris said that Shelby also adopt “ban the box.” histories that hold them back County could join 150 other “But Shelby County plans and keep them from getting cities and counties, including to lead by example,” he said. jobs.” the City of Memphis, with “We’ve got to get our house Before voting, Monday similar legislation. in order first and then we’re Commissioner Eddie Jones Still, some critics of “Ban going to go out and talk about Jr. presented an amendment the Box” have noted that em- this issue in the same way.” to the original ordinance, that ployers can find information The council is set to vote will give businesses incentives about applicants online and Clean on and “Ban the Box” at the next disinfect frequently to remove the box. choose not to hire the employ- touched Commission objects andmeeting, surfaces. July 27.

by Erica R. Williams

STOP THE SPREAD OF GERMS

STOP THE SPREAD OF GERMS Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home when you are sick, then throw the tissue except to get medical care. in the trash.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

cdc.gov/COVID19 Clean and disinfect frequently

March 16, 2020 1:02 PM touched objects and 314915-A surfaces.

are under consideration for future dates.

• Businesses must provide a plan on how to communicate with customers if an employee is exposed to anyone who tests positive for COVID. • Places of worship are not mandated to close; weddings or funerals are permissible under directives set by the State of Tennessee.

• SCHD may take targeted action against specific businesses where COVID-19 outbreaks or clusters occur.

Guidelines for daycares, exercise facilities, long-term care sites and other businesses are

found on the July 15 SCHD Public Health Directive. (See website below.)

Nursing home residents are among groups most vulnerable to the virus.

According to SCHD, healthcare-associated exposure caused 48 percent of current fatalities while 13.9 percent were reportedly caused by close contact (cardiac conditions, diabetes, respiratory issues and obesity are contributing factors).

Fatalities range from age 27 to 99 with an average of 74.

Since March, SCHD has reported 14,804 COVID cas-

es, 9,748 recoveries and more than 162,000 tests conducted.

(For more information, visit the Shelby County Covid-19 Resource Center at: https:// insight.livestories.com/s/ v2/covid-19-resource-center-%7C-shelby-county-tn/ f8b36caa-950f-43b0-99bb4ce4b39bbb41.)

(For technical assistance, call the Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Call Center at 833-943-1658, 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Sunday).

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, July 16 - 22, 2020, Page 5

OP-ED: TVA is committed to serving the real needs of the people of Memphis

by Jeff Lyash Special to The New Tri-State Defender

National NAACP President/CEO Derrick Johnson (Photo: Screen capture via NAACP)

NAACP Freedom Fund attendees get a picture of voting as more than a single-day strategy

by Erica R. Williams Special to The New Tri-State Defender

At 103 years old, the Memphis Branch NAACP is eight years younger than the national organization, whose president said here Saturday that the core strategy of the nation’s oldest civil rights group continues to be voting efforts to change policy.

Acknowledging the need to protest the law-enforcement killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and others, Derrick Johnson, who also serves as CEO, put this question to the virtual audience attending the Memphis Branch NAACP’s Freedom Fund series event: “How do we stop talking loud and saying nothing and realize that we have to do more?”

The “more” voiced by Johnson, special guest and former U.S. Sec. of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro and others was to engage the process of voting.

“We can protest until we are blue in the face,” said Tennessee NAACP President Gloria Jean Sweet-Love, “but if we don’t get out and vote, it doesn’t make a difference.”

Johnson stressed that voting is not a single-day action.

“We go to the vote so people can walk into office carrying the values that our lives matter, carrying the value that structural racism exists and must be changed, carrying the value that collectively, at this moment, we have to as a nation make a decision: “Are we going to move forward into the future, or are we going to go back to the reality that we know all too well?”

Castro, who was also a former 2020 Presidential candidate, emphasized the importance of making an actual plan to vote.

“I say have a plan because across this county in states and in DC you have people that are trying to suppress the vote, especially of African American voters,” he said.

Castro also encouraged voters to consider if their lives have been made better under the current administration and to vote for the things that matter most to them and their families.

“People should be thinking about their healthcare, their child education. They should be thinking about the job they have or don’t have. They should be thinking about how hard hit their communities have been and the fact that there hasn’t been more done.”

During the two-hour-long event, the Memphis Branch NAACP highlighted some of the organization’s accomplishments within the past year, including the most recent call to end the state of Tennessee’s Nathan Bedford Forrest Day and the push to extend absentee ballot voting.

In June, a judge ruled that Tennessee must give all registered voters the option to cast a ballot by mail.

The local NAACP branch also has called out the Shelby County Election Commission for a lack of transparency related to voting practices, specifically involving voters who may have mistakenly turned in incomplete voting applications.

In 2018, the Memphis NAACP, along with the Tennessee Black Voter Project, successfully sought a court order against the Election Commission, which was required to have a process for voters to fix any incomplete registration on Election Day. The Freedom Fund event, which was held virtually in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the major fundraiser for the Memphis Branch NAACP. Recognized for

Former HUD Sec. Julian Castro. (Photo: Screen capture via NAACP)

Memphis Branch NAACP President Van Turner Jr. and Gale Jones Carson, first vice president, presenting awards during the 2020 Freedom Fund event. (Photo: Screen capture via NAACP) their service were the event co-chairs: Shelby County Assessor Melvin Burgess II, Regional One Health Chief Administrative Officer Tish Towns and Latino Memphis Executive Director Mauricio Calvo.

Deidre Malone, former Memphis Branch president, was presented the President’s Award.

Castro was presented with a Game Changer Award for his work in black and brown communities. He acknowledged the need for more accountability from elected officials.

“It takes people with the courage to make the right decision to stand up to pressure, to actually improve the lives of folks that they said they would serve when they were elected to office,” Castro said.

“People need to see the difference that you make when you are in that office. If their lives don’t change, then they are going to say: ‘It’s all the same. It doesn’t matter whether I vote for this person or I don’t vote at all.’”

Johnson embraced Black Lives Matter and other groups protesting as a way to combat racial inequality.

“We’re going to love them. We are going to embrace them. We are going to support them because those are our children,” he said.

“Those are our folks. So what if they decided to take a strategy different than ours? … We need to embrace and protect them. And when someone comes up against them, speak out for them.”

There are many issues that are important to the people of Memphis — both right now and for the city’s long-term future.

Since I joined TVA a little more than a year ago, you’ve clearly expressed them to me…TVA contributing to local communities and having more presence in Memphis. TVA helping to drive overall economic growth and reducing the energy burden on Memphis families. And producing cleaner energy, while providing low electric rates that remain stable in the coming years.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about who MLGW should purchase power from in the future.

Other entities have thrown out numbers of huge potential savings, because they have an interest solely in making a profit for themselves.

TVA has been respectful of the ongoing MLGW Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process, providing insights we’ve gained through 80-plus years of serving Memphis and MLGW. Now it’s time for us to make clear to you the real value of our partnership — instead of making speculative promises of potential savings decades into the future (with no mention of the billions of dollars MLGW and Memphis would be required to spend).

This week, TVA outlined a series of proposals – based on the feedback we’ve received – to serve the Memphis community moving forward. At TVA, we believe the people of Memphis deserve a partner focused on addressing their needs.

TVA’s proposals will invest in Memphis’ core communities and regional economic growth. This includes investing $100 million over the next 10 years to support revitalization of the core communities and community development. As part of these proposals, TVA will also establish Memphis as the hub for city revitalization and energy reduction resources – creating up to 100 additional TVA jobs in downtown Memphis.

We will continue our economic development partnership, which in cooperation with MLGW, has attracted or retained more than 40,000 jobs and $5.4 billion in investments in just the past eight years. And we will work with Memphis to enable the Port Development Project,

which could be worth more than $5 billion in economic activity.

TVA is also committed to strengthening our community partnership to address the disproportionate energy burden on many Memphians. We already invest more than $71 million a year in the community.

In terms of providing cleaner energy, TVA is a national leader – with the most renewable capacity of any utility in the southeast. Nearly 60 percent of the energy we generate comes from carbon-free sources.

We are committed to producing more clean energy while maintaining our focus on delivering the reliable, low-cost electricity you expect and deserve.

Today, TVA gets renewable energy from about 4,000 locations across seven states. We are prepared to partner with MLGW to develop and install up to 200 megawatts of its own solar generation with potential savings of approximately $15 million a year over the next 20 years.

When it comes to energy costs and stability, Memphis starts from a position of strength. In partnership with TVA, MLGW today provides the third lowest costs in the nation among its peers. Our intent is to keep energy costs stable over the next decade.

Beyond cost, providing reliable energy is important to your families and Memphis businesses. TVA has delivered power to MLGW with 100 percent reliability for over 20 consecutive years. We are investing an additional $72 million during the next four years in the Memphis area to prepare the transmission system for future growth and jobs.

Collectively, TVA is prepared to deliver $2 billion in benefits to the people of Memphis. These are real, tangible investments, not hypothetical figures in a study. These are commitments TVA will deliver, not unbacked promises. These are facts others conveniently leave out of their sales pitch.

A lot of people want to sell Memphis and MLGW electricity for their profit and benefit. TVA wants to serve you and your community for your benefit — $2 billion worth to be precise.

That’s the value of our public power partnership. And that’s the firm commitment TVA presented to Memphis and MLGW leaders this week.

TVA President/CEO Jeff Lyash: “TVA wants to serve you and your community for your benefit – $2 billion worth to be precise.” (Courtesy photo)

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 16 - 22, 2020

PERSPECTIVE

Page 6

NEWS

THE CULTURAL COACH

Is it wrong for White people to protect their heritage?

by Linda S. Wallace

A centenarian salute to Helen Johnson

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Dear Cultural Coach: When immigrants keep their old customs and values, it changes our community. Their music is different, and there are shows in foreign languages on my TV. We are losing the home we once knew. People are walking around speaking a language we can’t understand. Businesses post signs in languages we can’t read. Statutes that we cherish are under assault. Don’t we deserve to preserve our heritage?

– I want to be me Dear I want to be me: Thank you for a question that pulls us outside of our comfort zones and challenges us. It is clear that you are frustrated, yet you made an effort to join the conversation. Thank you.

This question is normally discussed in living rooms rather than in newspapers because, when it is voiced publicly, the speaker often is yelled at or canceled, as the young folks say. It takes courage to step forward and ask the tough questions that often go unspoken.

Right now, I hear a few folks gasping in disbelief. Let me remind them that inclusiveness, which is our goal, requires that we listen respectfully to a wide range of views and learn to view issues from all angles.

I suspect most people would agree that White Americans have the right to cherish their family heritage and customs – even when mistakes are part of the legacy.

When we were not fighting a nasty little bug known as COVID-19, Philadelphia had St. Patrick’s Day parades, and we loved to saunter through the Italian market, and celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Oktoberfest, Chinese New Year and Kwanzaa. The responsibility for honoring and preserving one’s ancestry and customs rests with individuals and cultural communities.

In a multiethnic America, we don’t have to be a member of that community to participate and join in. Culture is a rare social currency that, when shared, still pays a generous rate of return.

This concept of cultural distinctiveness, however, makes it harder for us to maintain a sense of “oneness,” which every cultural group seeks, yet defines differently.

For our democracy to function efficiently, it needs a common currency: common values, language, beliefs and principles. Each group must be willing to give up a little in order to support a shared future. This may mean learning to speak English or it may mean learning to tolerate spoken languages that we can’t understand. Each community must seek the right balance.

Isn’t it odd that, in 2020, we are wrangling with the same problems as the Founding Fathers when they struggled to balance states rights against the need for a federal government? It’s the same challenge put before a new, very rest-

Helen Johnson (front row, second from right) has strong family support from her five children and grandchildren (several of which are pictured here). (Courtesy photos)

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

less generation.

Sooner rather than later, we need to decide how much each cultural community should be expected to adapt to forge a joint sturdy enough to keep distinct cultural communities connected and strong. Freedom comes with responsibility Linda S. and demands sacrifice.

Wallace Before we start complaining that diversity is an unfair burden, consider this fact: We already have social adaptation skills that enable us to steer through stormy cultural transformations.

Each new generation of teens alters the fabric of popular culture. As I grew up, I savored the soulful sounds out of Philadelphia. My favorite groups faded and were replaced by disco fever, rock music, bubble-gum music, rap and hip-hop.

Life is a cultural mosaic. Each generation adds its own piece, and that changes the way everything appears.

America is, and always has been, a nation evolving before our eyes. Ethnic groups get a bad rap when they are accused by White supremacists of “changing their country.”

To them I say: Your children always were going to change your music, your dance and your family customs. They were always going to rebel against old historical narratives and question the status quo. Apologies to Walt Disney but that’s the circle of life.

Most of us graciously accept that our cherished songs, sayings, and customs eventually will move away from the spotlight.

That doesn’t mean that we ever have to forget.

There are oldies stations, classic-movie channels and museums.

When we work towards inclusion, no man, woman or child ever has to forget who they are or where they came from. Respect your ancestry and heritage but never impose it on other groups.

(Linda S. Wallace is a free-lance journalist and communication specialist, who helps clients develop cross-cultural messages for the workplace and the media. Readers are invited to submit questions on work or personal problems related to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical differences to Theculturalcoach@aol. com.)

Helen Johnson now is living in her 101st year – a milestone passed on June 11. Family and friends noted the occasion, grateful for the opportunity.

“Our mother is a member of Christian United Missionary Baptist Church,” said Daphene Johnson, one of Johnson’s five children.

“She was recognized as one of the oldest members at our original home church, Hill Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, back in 2018.”

The matriarch of a loving home, Johnson and her late husband, Edward Johnson Sr., were intentional about creating a nurturing environment. Before Helen Johnson, she was Helen Woods born in Holcomb, MS., an unincorporated community between Grenada and Greenwood.

Her mother, Malinda Williams, raised Helen and her brother, Odell Polk, largely on her own. Helen’s father, Frank Woods, was only in her life sporadically.

The family moved to Parkin, Ark. While Helen was still quite young, her mother passed away. She was sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Memphis, probably in her early teens, according to Daphene.

Helen attended Florida Street School and completed the eighth grade, which was the norm for African-American children in the 1930s and ’40s. Helen met a young Edward Johnson, who courted her for a while. When she was 19 or 20, Daphene says, they married.

When her older children were young, Helen Johnson stayed at home and raised them while her husband worked. As the older children reached school age, Daphene remembers her mother working intermittently.

The Johnsons grew up in the Hollywood Community of North Memphis.

“People who grew up with us in Hollywood call her ‘Ms. Helen,’” Daphene said. “Those at Hill Chapel, where we were brought up, call her ‘Mother Johnson,’ and her grandchildren call her ‘Mama

Helen Johnson and her husband, Edward Johnson Sr., were intentional about creating a nurturing environment for their children.

Dear.’”

In those days, the Hollywood Community was truly a village.

“Mother didn’t care, if she saw some child doing something wrong, she corrected them just like she did us,” Daphene remembers, adding that her mother also spent time with children. “Every child was her child. Mother and women like her created ‘the village.’”

Years later, Mrs. Johnson volunteered at the Syracuse Community Health Center in New York, where Daphene worked, until she was 95. While living in Syracuse with her daughter, Mrs. Johnson attended Bellegrove Missionary Baptist Church.

“Mother Johnson” taught Sunday School – the primary class, ages 6-8 – for decades. She taught at Hill Chapel when the children were growing up and continued teaching at Christ United Missionary Baptist Church.

For Daphene and her four siblings, their dad was “a doting father to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.” Mrs. Johnson called their father “Daddy” and Mr. Johnson’s children and grandchildren called him “Papa Daddy.”

Mrs. Johnson believed in honoring her husband as head of the house. She lovingly cared for him through an extended illness until his death in 1985.

Daphene Johnson’s siblings – Geraldine Haynes, Edward Johnson Jr., Sharlene Williams and Raymond Johnson – join her in celebrating their mother’s 101st year.

The New Tri-State Defender, July 16 - 22, 2020, Page 7 “I am stuck in the house and I’ve written a couple of coronavirus related songs about its effect on the world. Quarantine forced me to revisit some songs that I already had and before you know it, I had an album,” — Al Kapone

Al Kapone brings his rawedge lyrics to the blues with new album

by Tracy Sow Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Nearly everyone has heard the triple platinum collaborations with hip-hop and country or rock.

The collaborations have launched, saved, or revised musical careers.

Much of the nation strolled down the “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X, and “Walk this Way” with Ron-DMC and Aerosmith.

If rap is an offspring of the blues, it is almost expected that would be a mega collab.

There have been some single releases, but a whole album is rare with notable artists of blues and hip-hop genres performing on a project together.

Grammy nominated rapper Al Kapone has unapologetically released “Hip-Hop Blues” under his surname AK Bailey. He assembled some big-name surprises: John Mayer, Melissa Etheridge and Eric Gales for this collection.

AK does not depart from the raw edge lyrics that gained him fame as a gangsta rapper and one of the pioneers of Memphis rap. His growth as an artist is evident as he incorporates great musicians with incredible singers to create a vibe embodying the rich international musical culture of Memphis.

This project has been a long time coming to fruition. According to Kapone, he talked to Oona Mitchell (of famed Royal Studio) about the idea and they both agreed with the viability of such a project. But the project got shelved until now.

Years of collaboration came to a halt because of social gathering restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am stuck in the house and I’ve written a couple of coronavirus related songs about its effect on the world.

Quarantine forced me to revisit some songs that I already had and before you know it, I had an album,” he said.

AK Bailey is no stranger to the blues world, he toured more than 40 cities with “Take Me to the River,” featuring some of blues greatest such as Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush and Charlie Musselwhite.

So, there was no doubt that there is a space for blues and hip-hop to coexist on the same stage.

Knowing the two genres were complimentary was no consolation when asked to perform for Bobby Rush’s 86th birthday at the historic Club Paradise in front of a hardcore urban blues crowd.

Kapone was reluctant to perform and compared his nervousness to being like the first time hitting the stage. True to form, he wowed the crowd with all the grit of his rap shows.

After all the worries of acceptance, the ladies in the audience were on their feet dancing throughout and he got swarmed leaving the stage by old fans and the newly gained ones.

Blues and rap were derived from struggle, hardship.

They creatively express the condition of a people while offering a glimpse into their common-life experiences.

Bailey is an extremely proud father. His son designed the “Hip-Hop Blues” album cover. His daughter obtained her Masters of Fine Arts and partnered with some of her graduate friends to form a mass media group.

Bailey was asked what advice would he give a father that aspires to be a rapper?

He responded, “I would tell him the most important thing is to be present in your children lives.”

Towards the end of the interview, I accused him of being an undercover geek. He sighed, as I continue spilling the tea.

You are truly a renaissance rapper with a vibrant corporate career in Information Technology (IT), I persisted.

He sighed deeply again and cracked up laughing. “Yes, I am a proud father, rapper and undercover geek!”

He explained, “I have never discussed this aspect of my life in any interview.”

He shared, after the economic changes in 2008 that he needed to develop other options. He already had the knowledge of computers from the music industry.

However, not formerly educated in technology meant he had to find a way to transfer his skill to revenue.

He called the very person he had performed a benefit

Al Kapone, who has released “Hip-Hop Blues” under his surname, AK Bailey, shares a stage with renowned bluesman Bobby Rush. (Courtesy photos) free of charge to seek advice on entering the IT market.

The man offered him an opportunity to gain experience by working weekends only, graveyard shift and the rest is history.

As society develops a new norm because of the pandemic, most live performances have been canceled for the rest 2020.

Because of that, Bailey said, “Right now, the “Hip-Hop Blues” album is available at akmemphis.com. Understand that this is a sneak-preview. I will be adding some songs and making some changes. So, I must get it now to have bragging rights that I have the original.”

I told Bailey I had reached out to some blues legends for their critique of the album.

“Oh wow, what did they think,” Kapone asked?

Theodis Ealey “The Stand Up in It Man” said, “I think, it is a very fresh concept of playing the blues that is long overdue. I will tell you, like good friend Little Richard told me. ‘Whoever does not like it needs to get out the mustard and catch-up.’ Kapone took this as high praise coming from a blues legend.”

Bobby Rush said, “There is nothing new under the sun, but he did album good, no real, real good.”

Al Kapone mixing it up with guitarist extraordinaire Eric Gales.

July 16 - 22, 2020

The New Tri-State Defender

Page 8

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Vanity Fair’ cover shot by Black photographer for 1st time The new issue of Vanity Fair featuring a powerful image of Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis marks the first time the publication has featured the work of a Black photographer on its cover.

The historic image of Davis, shot by photographer Dario Calmese, shows the 54-year-old in profile, her back facing the camera. Davis is wearing a blue gown with a deep plunge in the back, hand on hip.

The publication has “had a prob-

lem in the past with putting Black women on the covers,” Davis says in an interview for the magazine.

Radhika Jones, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, writes in the issue that 17 Black people have been on the cover in the 35 years between 1983 and 2017, and that she was determined to fix the lack of representation when she took over the job.

She said in publishing Calmese’s photo of Davis on the cover, “we celebrate him and honor his vision at this height-

ened moment in American history.”

“Calmese describes his cover concept as a re-creation of the Louis Agassiz slave portraits taken in the 1800s — the back, the welts,” she writes.

“This image (of Davis) reclaims that narrative, transmuting the white gaze on Black suffering into the Black gaze of grace, elegance and beauty.”

In her Vanity Fair interview, Davis discusses the recent racial justice protests, her upcoming role as Michelle Obama, her impoverished upbringing

in Rhode Island, and the challenges of being a Black woman in Hollywood, among other topics. The issue hits newsstands on July 21.

Vanity Fair’s July/August cover star is Oscar winner Viola Davis, who’s set to star as Michelle Obama and blues legend Ma Rainey. The magazine’s tweet about the cover notes that Davis talks with Sonia Saraiya about her journey out of poverty and into the deeply troubling Hollywood system.

REVIEW

‘Fatal Attraction’ in 2020 is called ‘Fatal Affair’

by Mark Kennedy Associated Press

If you’re of a certain age, much of the new Netflix thriller “Fatal Affair” will be very familiar. That’s because it’s really just a diluted retelling of another, similarly named film — 1987′s “Fatal Attraction.”

Weirdly, that doesn’t mean this one — reuniting Omar Epps and Nia Long — isn’t worth microwaving a bucket of popcorn and connecting to Netflix when the kids are asleep. It’s actually a bit of a romp, even if the filmmakers didn’t intend that. This is a thriller that feels safe the second time around. You can even enjoy it with the sound off.

Both films share similar DNA — a middle-aged and wealthy but slightly bored spouse has a fling and then that lover goes on a full-on psychopathic rampage until one of them has to die. In 1987, Glenn Close was the spurned lover and Michael Douglas was the cheater.

“Fatal Affair” scrambles the deck, but not by much. Long stars as a well-to-do lawyer in a luxurious beachside property outside San Francisco who is stalked by an unstable acquaintance from her college days, played by Epps.

“I do have the perfect life, the perfect husband, the perfect daughter, the perfect home,” Long’s Ellie tells Epp’s character David when they have a few too many drinks after work one night. (Too bad she’s not in a perfect film.)

David, who crushed on Ellie 20 years ago, is still smitten and probes a weakness in his prey.

“You deserve to be with a man who appreciates you,” he tells her.

They make out in one of those dimly lit, beautifully appointed empty and clean nightclub bathrooms that only appear in movies. She suddenly pulls away and goes home. That’s it. (“Affair” in the title is kind of a stretch). He starts a slow boil to Crazytown, but thankfully this time there’s no bunny in the pot.

The second half of the film is the familiar chasing down of his obsession — outwitting caller ID, peeping and blackmailing, the nasty unexpected dinner show-up, the turning her best friend against her. But director Peter Sullivan doesn’t have his heart set on a white-knuckle thriller. He is more happy with a Lifetime film.

Sullivan — who also co-wrote the script with Rasheeda Garner — likes surface beauty more than internal strife. He offers lazy, hazy editing you’d come to expect from a daytime movie, filled with pretty people alone, deep in thought, then sighing and turning toward home, a determined expression on their faces. Waves crashing on the shore are a motif. (Drink whenever you see ’em).

This is a world of the insular rich, where very nice kitchen knives in a very nice wood block are going to be used in ways their German makers never intended. It’s a world of big fluffy beds in mansions and where an Audi with Ellie in the diver’s seat slowly follows a Lexus piloted by David through San Francisco.

It has a script where Ellie, gazing off into the ocean at sunset, tells her daughter, “Now I can breathe.” This is where Epps’ David plays

This image released by Netflix shows Nia Long, right, and Omar Epps in a scene from “Fatal Affair.” (Beth Dubber/Netflix via AP) a high-level computer hacker but hasn’t yet enabled biometrics on his own cellphone and chooses terrible passwords on his personal laptop.

Twenty-one years after starring as lovers in “In Too Deep,” Long and Epps get few chances to let sparks fly and the script always gets in the way. “You’re a bad influence,” she tells him.

“Things don’t have to be awkward between us,” he tells her. (Well, to be fair, they kind of do.)

There are some nice updates to the same old story, especially the addition of cellphones and security footage to make things feel intrusive.

And the filmmakers have incorporated some old tech, namely an LP of that disco favorite

“Forget Me Nots,” which is now made forever creepy.

If you rejoice when David appears dead with some 20 minutes to go in the film, you are an optimist. Did you expect that final part would be all about Ellie repairing her marriage in a loving montage? Oh, no. This will end in blood.

Just kidding, not a lot — happy landings for all the main nice characters. No one you cared about is ever in real jeopardy and this film will disappear from memory like butter in that popcorn bowl.

“Fatal Affair,” a Netflix release, is rated TV14 for sex and language. Running time: 89 minutes. One star out of four.

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, July 16 - 22, 2020, Page 9

Judge sets trial date for Tennessee’s 5-year-old school funding lawsuit

by Marta W. Aldrich Chalkbeat Tennessee

A five-year-old lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s system of funding public schools is scheduled to go to trial next year.

Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle set the long-awaited trial date during a conference call last week with attorneys in the case. The litigation pits school districts in Memphis and Nashville against the state over whether Tennessee allocates enough money for K-12 education, especially for its urban students.

A court officer confirmed Wednesday the judge has reserved four weeks for the trial beginning October 18, 2021.

An accompanying order is expected to be filed this week in Davidson County Chancery Court.

The trial’s outcome could have major implications for how Tennessee public schools are funded. If successful, the case could force the state to invest more in K-12 education, which already consumes about $6.5 billion of the state’s $39.6 billion budget.

Shelby County Schools filed its lawsuit in 2015, arguing the state doesn’t allocate enough money to provide an adequate education, especially through urban school systems that serve more students who live in poverty, have special needs, or come from non-English-speaking homes. Met-

ropolitan Nashville Public Schools joined the case two years later.

Officials with the Memphis district said Wednesday they are eager for the court to address what they view as shortcomings in the state’s school funding formula called the Basic Education Program, or BEP. “A trial date gets us closer to resolution,” said Kenneth Walker, chief legal officer for Shelby County Schools.

In hundreds of thousands of pages of documents filed in the case, the state’s attorneys have questioned whether the court has the authority to order the legislature to increase funding for a government service that would require either a tax increase or a redistribution of

state revenue.

The attorney general’s office, which has sought to dismiss the case multiple times, released a statement Wednesday saying the state is glad to defend the BEP and maintains that “decisions about school funding should be made by the people’s elected representatives.”

Gini Pupo-Walker, who heads The Education Trust in Tennessee, said she hopes the approaching trial spurs Gov. Bill Lee and state lawmakers to start “reimagining school funding” to focus more on student needs. In recent years, the state’s budget increases for education primarily have targeted teacher pay.

“Funding is a critical lever to addressing longstanding

issues of achievement and opportunity and closing gaps between student groups, especially low-income students and students of color,” said Pupo-Walker, who also serves on Nashville’s school board.

Chris Caldwell, a former Memphis school board member who pushed for the lawsuit, said a trial is “long overdue.”

Shelby County Superintendent Dorsey Hopson speaks about the district’s funding lawsuit against the state as school board member Chris Caldwell looks on.

“The state of Tennessee has had a record of underfunding education at the same time that they’re continuing to put hundreds of millions of dollars into

The Memphis Fire Department, Golden Gate Cathedral and the Good Samaritan group teamed up to serve lunch to those in need in the Raleigh area on Monday as part of a weeklong effort.

Lending canine support was Astro, the MFD’s therapy dog.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

by Jerome Wright jwright@tsdmemphis.com

(This is the 12th installment of The New Tri-State Defender’s ongoing account of three Memphians coping with the coronavirus amid government-directed efforts to slow the virus’ spread.)

Things continue to look up

Local Alpha Phi Alpha chapter nears $20K March of Dimes fundraising goal Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Each year, The March of Dimes’ “March for Babies” campaign raises funds to support mothers and families who have children that are born prematurely. And even as COVID-19 cases spiral upward locally, Damon Hunter, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., makes a passionate case for why people should donate to the March of Dimes’ “March for Babies” drive.

It also is a rather obvious case.

“Babies didn’t stop being born when the pandemic hit.

Premature babies didn’t stop being born,” said Hunter, who is spearheading the fraternity’s local March for Babies effort. “In fact, there could be an increase (in births) because many people are staying home together (because of the pandemic).

“We stand in the gap to help those moms, babies and families that are most in need,” Hunter said.

According to the March of Dimes website, premature birth (birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and its complications are the leading

(Chalkbeat reporter Laura Faith Kebede contributed to this report.)

Living through COVID-19, Part XII

Meeting the need...

by Lee Eric Smith

their rainy day fund,” Caldwell said. “I hope the trial’s outcome pushes the state to fulfill its responsibility to educate all children in Tennessee.”

The lingering case had been expected to go to trial in 2019 but slowed when the presiding judge, Claudia Bonnyman, retired that January. Since taking over, Lyle has refereed numerous hearings and motions, most recently amid logistical challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.

A similar funding lawsuit against the state was dropped in January by Hamilton County Schools and six smaller districts in southeast Tennessee.

cause of death of babies in the U.S. In the United States, about 380,000 babies are born prematurely each year, according to the site.

Locally, the March of Dimes 2019 Report Card gave Tennessee a “D,” with a preterm birth rate of 11.1 percent. Shelby County got an “F” with a preterm birth rate of 12.5 percent.

“So this drive directly impacts the Memphis premature baby community,” Hunter said. “It shows up in the forms of research, equipment for the survival of preemie baby. The reason we raised the funds is that it’s so expensive.”

Babies who survive premature birth often have long-term health problems, including cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, chronic lung disease, blindness and hearing loss.

Consequently, the infants can spend weeks or months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

“Depending on how long a premature baby stays in NICU, that determines the cost,” Hunter said. “They fit in the palm of your hand, their hearts and lungs are not developed. The money we raise helps purchase equipment to help these babies breathe.”

The pandemic hasn’t slowed

Members of Alpha Phi Alpha’s March for Babies team at a kickoff event. Pictured are: Tre Willis, Rex Gipson, team captain Damon Hunter, James Jones, and Larry Mattix. (Courtesy photo) down Hunter and his Alpha brothers. The Alpha Phi Alpha team has raised more than $17,600 so far this year – making Alpha Delta Lambda chapter the tops in the fraternity nationwide as well as the top fundraising team in the Memphis area. They are hoping to hit their goal of $20,000 by the campaign deadline of Aug. 15.

It helped that they started early. Even though the campaign didn’t officially kick off until March, Hunter said his team started organizing in January and had raised $1,500 before getting officially underway.

“Planning and preparation were key,” he said. “Much of what we’ve been able to raise has been smaller donations, in the $5 to $50 range. But we’ve had some very generous people who gave from $50 to $200. It’s a nice mix.”

The cause is personal for Hunter. Years ago, he and his wife lost a child in utero — a

child that would have needed NICU care had it not been stillborn. Now they’re raising two teenage boys, but his passion for premature health care hasn’t dimmed. “I care about communities,” Hunter said. “I care about Memphis.”

“Once people understand the impact on the families and communities of premature babies, they are more compelled to be involved – and they get involved by giving because they understand,” Hunter said.

“The pandemic shows the passion and love that the residents of Memphis have for rallying together and unifying behind a cause,” he said.

“Memphis better understands the why of prematurity – better now than ever.”

To support the Alpha Phi Alpha team’s drive to $20,000, click here. Or to search for another March for Babies team or individual, visit the March for Babies search page.

With his rising confidence in the volume of passenger traffic at Memphis International Airport, entrepreneur James Cook this week reopened the second of two businesses he been forced to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concerns about the virus resulted in airline passenger traffic dropping to a trickle. That was bad news for Cook’s Runway 901 Bar & Grill and Lenny’s Grill and Subs, along other concessionaires at the airport.

Three weeks ago, passenger traffic had picked enough to allow Cook to reopen the Lenny’s, although on a reduced schedule of 5 a.m. until noon. He said he has been averaging about 100 customers a day.

On Tuesday (July 14), Cook reopened Runway 901, also on a reduced schedule and with a limited menu.

“We still are only opening Lenny’s from 5 a.m. to noon and Runway 901 from noon to 4 p.m. They are next door to each other, so it works out well,” he said.

Runway 901 served 70 customers Tuesday. “Anything over 50 is good,” Cook said.

When The New Tri-State Defender checked with Cook two weeks ago, he anticipated closing the deal on a building he purchased in Whitehaven. He plans to turn it into the “Living Room Lounge,” a place to get a drink and a meal, and relax.

He closed the deal and has reached out to the Greater Whitehaven Economic Redevelopment Corporation (GWERC) for help in securing a loan or grant to help with the rehab of the building.

Good news and bad Margaret Cowan’s daughter, Cayden, was involved in a traffic accident Tuesday (July 14) night at Germantown Parkway and Dexter,

while driving Cowan’s car.

Cowan, founding keeper of the nonprofit I Am My Sister’s Keeper, said the driver of the other vehicle turned into her daughter’s path. Cowan’s vehicle was heavily damaged.

Cayden, who was picking up her sister from work, did not appear to be seriously injured, although her mother was scheduled to take her to a doctor Wednesday to be evaluated.

Meanwhile, Margaret Cowan said the resources made available to her through the Network for Good’s Jumpstart program are exciting.

Her nonprofit, which works with single mothers to help them increase their earning potential, received free services for a year, valued at $10,000, from the program. Network for Good advises nonprofits on how to maximize their fundraising, using the latest technology and resources.

“The data base they have is a tremendous resource.

I’m very exciting” about what this will mean for moving her nonprofit forward, she said.

COVID-19 concerns COVID-19 cases in Memphis/Shelby County have been spiraling upward and that has barber William Gandy Jr. concerned that barber shops and beauty salons could be ordered to shut down again as a way to slow the virus’ spread.

Shelby County’s reported COVID-19 cases climbed to 14,804, up 249 from Tuesday, as of Wednesday morning, according to county officials.

And, the positivity rate from testing also is ticking upward.

County Health Department officials and other Shelby County leaders have talked about instituting tripwires, specific measurements such as rate of new case growth and ability to contact trace new cases, that would launch moves for increasing or relaxing social-distancing restrictions.

Gandy, meanwhile, said his customer volume remains about 50 percent below normal because of virus concerns.

(Jerome Wright is deputy editor for The New Tri-State Defender.)

The New Tri-State Defender

July 16 - 22, 2020

Page 10

NEWS So we began the process of opening with the Tennessee Pledge and with guidance for schools. …

“Yes, there’s more patients because people are out and about. But yes, there’s a way to mitigate the spread of that, and that’s by doing those basic things: wear a mask, wash your hands, stay home if you’re sick, and social distance when possible. And all of that together will allow us to maintain livelihoods and protect lives and move forward in a way that works in the midst of a global pandemic until there’s either treatment or a vaccine.

LEE CONTINUED FROM FRONT Identifying hospital capacity as one of the most important numbers, he acknowledged climbing numbers and said hospital capacity “remains workable. In other words, we have capacity in our hospitals in terms of beds and ICU beds and ventilators. … I’m on calls with the Tennessee Hospital Association on a very frequent and regular basis. And that’s one of the numbers that’s important.”

He pitched the need for Tennesseans to remember the simple things that individuals can do keep the state economy flowing and people safe, such as wearing masks. Lee said he has delegated authority to county mayors so that those counties that have particularly challenging numbers and community spread can implement mask requirements, “Everywhere I go, I don’t always have to wear a mask, but everywhere I go, I talk about just how important it is that people engage in protecting themselves and their family and their neighbors with masks. I realized that there are areas of our state for which there’s very little spread and there’s not a need to have a string of strong requirements there, but increasingly there are areas in our state that have significant COVID spread.”

Masks are not a political issue, he said, hailing them as “a simple way to help us with all of our other mitigation efforts.

It’s a simple way to help and do your part.”

Repeating messages is an essential part of fighting the virus, he said, again plugging the value of Tennessee Pledge as a way that companies can make certain that they’re safe for their patrons and employees.

“We have to continue to challenge businesses, ‘Have you followed the Tennessee Pledge?’ There’s very clear guidelines for a vast number

Gov Bill Lee: “We’re going to have this virus for some time. Like I said before, you can’t shut down. You can’t mandate things that are unsustainable. And so that’s going to always be my approach.” (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) of industries that can participate and help us all keep our economy going. A lot of times I’ll say to folks, the choices that we make will allow us to have the choice to keep our businesses. And that’s what we’re hopeful for.”

Federal Cares Act funding for businesses shut down through the safer-at-home orders targets 31,000 businesses qualified for the funds, he said, noting the need for businesses to have updated tax information in the hands of the Department of Revenue.

Schools, he said, are economic drivers in the community.

“It’s one of the reasons, one of the small reasons why we want to make sure our kids go back to school,” he said.

“The biggest reason is because kids learn best in-person at school. There’s a great deal of agreement about that. And our Department of Education is working tirelessly, giving districts the information and the tools that they need to make sure that we can get our kids back into school. Let’s get

them into school safely, with social distancing and PPE and rethinking the way the school day works. …

“We’ve also made $81 million in grants to our K-12 and higher education institutions, making sure that they have everything they need to open safely. That’s Care’s money as well.”

Lee’s session with TPA came shortly after he signed the six-month abortion ban bill passed by lawmakers and struck down by a federal court soon after Lee affixed his signature. Saying the measure “protects the life of the unborn in our state,” Lee called the legislation “one of the most important to me.”

“And there’s already been immediate opposition, but in my heart, I believe it’s a really important step.”

During a Q&A session, Lee provided these responses.

High School sports in the fall: Gov. Lee: We are working with the TSSAA and are working aggressively with them. ...

We asked them to give us what they believe is the safe guidance to practice and to play football and soccer, and then we wanted to make certain that those recommendations by them fit within the broad guidelines that we have going forward. But the short answer is I expect we’ll have those suggestions shortly from the TSSAA. …We just want to make sure it’s very clear to all the schools out there, all the parents out there, what it’s going to look like.

Q: Do we believe that the increase in cases is only from testing? Or is there anything like the protests or the reopening of businesses that are also involved in that?

Gov. Lee: …the increase in the number of cases, probably simply a matter of people relaxing their approach to life, right? I mean, we had stayat-home orders and everyone was closed up and everyone was very diligent and people weren’t going to work and businesses were closed, but that’s unsustainable. …

Q: Will you advocate to the State Historical Commission what they should do to either confirm or override what the Capitol Commission voted, especially with (American Civil War) Admiral (David Glasgow) Farragut.

Gov. Bill Lee: “There is a real need for people to know who Admiral Farragut is and who Nathan Bedford Forrest is and what their lives are.

And particularly Nathan Bedford Forrest, who’s got a very complicated life that includes being in leadership of KKK, but he also has the end of his life story. That’s a story of redemption that many people point out. It’s a complex history. And I have said all along, we don’t remove history. We don’t white wash history. And by the way, we see a lot of that happening around the country, and this is not what that is. …

But we need to provide context. There was a real question, and I think the Capitol Commission brought this up, as to why those military figures were actually in the Capitol when their sense was that it should be reserved for government leaders that have had business in the Capitol. … So the Capitol Commission believes that the best place for that context to tell the full story is in the state museum right next door, where there will be

a display, where there will be an exhibit for important Tennessee military figures, including Farragut and the others….

I mentioned the national story of removing monuments and kind of this mob mentality approach to getting rid of history. I think that’s the wrong approach. And what we’ve done in Tennessee, what the Capitol commission did, is exactly what ought to happen. …

And the Historical Commission is a part of that process.

They will take up the exact same issue. It’s filled with appointments that are from one end of the state to the other, that are representative of Tennesseans; they will make that decision based on what they believe is historically appropriate for the state.”

Q: Any additional executive orders that would give local governments more power to react to what’s happening in their communities?

Gov. Bill Lee: Well, I think that the General Assembly will probably look at appropriate ways to address issues like that. After this pandemic, we’ve all learned a lot. I will say this: No, I’m not looking at additional measures beyond what we’ve currently instituted. ... What I want to do is encourage people to adopt habits rather than be heavy handed and mandate. …

We’re going to have this virus for some time. Like I said before, you can’t shut down.

You can’t mandate things that are unsustainable. And so that’s going to always be my approach. …

Now, we’re going to protect the most vulnerable citizens, like our elderly, with regulations that keep people out of nursing homes, for example. … But there’s a right way to approach this from my view that is not too heavy handed and it gives people information and options, that it reminds people that their decisions have implications.”

CLASSIFIEDS the date of this notice at MATA’s Administrative Offices, located at 1370 Levee Road, Memphis, TN 38108 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

Public Notice Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Goals The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA), in accordance with regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 49 CFR Part 26 proposes an overall minimum goal of 14.64 % for participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) on Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assisted contracts during the fiscal year from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2023.

The proposed goal and its rationale will be available for inspection for fifteen (15) days from

MATA and the U.S. Department of Transportation will accept comments on the goals for thirty (15) days from the date of this notice.

Comments to MATA should be directed to: Anthony Amos Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Officer 1370 Airways Blvd Memphis, TN 38108 aamos@matatransit.com 901-722-7165 Open Position - CAPTAIN BLUE SUEDE BRIGADE Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC), the organization charged

with making Downtown a better place to live, work, learn, engage and invest, is seeking to add a Captain to its Blue Suede Brigade (BSB) team. The Captain position is fundamental to providing everyday field/patrol leadership and support to the team. The selected candidate, or candidates, must have a track record of leadership; team and morale building; motivating, supporting and encouraging subordinate team members; and great communications and problem-solving skills. The successful candidate will lead by example and strive to bring out the very best in every member of the Blue Suede Brigade.

Sergeants, and Brigadiers) in patrolling Downtown Memphis as hospitality and safety ambassadors. The BSB serves as supplemental eyes and ears for the business community and law enforcement agencies. The BSB also monitors and assists in mitigating environmental conditions to ensure that Downtown is clean, safe, attractive, and welcoming. https://www.downtownmemphiscommission.com/about/dmc-jobopenings/captain---blue-suedebrigade/ Please email resume and notice of interest to Christine Taylor, taylor@downtownmemphis.com

POSITION SUMMARY: Under the supervision of the Director of Safety & Hospitality, the Captain of the Blue Suede Brigade will lead, support, and supervise the members of the Blue Suede Brigade (Lieutenants,

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

We’re Known By the Money you Keep!

ONLINE SHOPPING, PICKUP & DELIVERY MIDTOWN, WHITEHAVEN AND SOUTH THIRD ST. DAILY • 10 AM - 7 PM * Delivery up to 6 mile radius from each store. $10 flat delivery fee waved on first order for first time Cash Saver online shopper. Checkout total must be greater than $15 for pickup and delivery.

Prairie Farms

Prairie Farms

Prairie Farms

Sour Cream or Dips

Turner

Orange Juice

Fruit Drink Gallon

16 Oz. Selected Varieties

Pint. Selected Varieties

Plus 10% Added at Checkout

Plus 10% Added at Checkout

Plus 10% Added at Checkout

Plus 10% Added at Checkout

Half Gallon

98¢

98¢

98¢

Ice Cream

98¢

PRICES GOOD JULY 8, 2020 - JULY 21, 2020 MIDTOWN: WHITEHAVEN: SOUTH MEMPHIS: 1620 Madison Ave. 4049 Elvis Presley Blvd.

1977 S. Third St. See the Memphis Cash Saver grocery ad at memphiscashsaver.com

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 “Vendors” block at top • Click “Register Now” box • Click on “Mercury Commerce Vendor Registration” line • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If 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 Purchas-

ing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE TUESDAY, AUGUST 11TH, 2020 AT 2:30 PM CST “PURCHASE OF INMATE CLOTHING FOR THE SHELBY COUNTY DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS, JUVENILE COURT, AND SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE” (SB-I000615) (MC# 606) By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

The New Tri-State Defender

July 16 - 22, 2020

Page 11

SPORTS

LeMoyne-Owen lands two-star guard Shepherd

by Terry Davis Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Tariq Shepherd, the twostar point guard out of Detroit shunned the bright light of a Division I basketball offer from hometown university Detroit Mercy and other schools to select LeMoyne-Owen College as his college choice.

Shepherd is a 5’11’ guard from SPIRE Institute prep school in Geneva, Ohio. He played for East English High School in Detroit from the ninth through the 11th grade.

He is a guard who can either be a playmaker or a scoring guard. He can score six or eight points with 20 assists or he can go off for 30 points.

He played on The Family AAU team with the likes of Greg Elliott (Marquette) and Mark Rocket Watts Jr. (Michigan State). The team competed on the elite EBYL Nike basketball circuit.

Shepherd is a son of a basketball coach. His father Durand Shepherd was the head coach of St. Martin De Pores High School from 1999-2007.

His team won a Michigan state championship in 2003 in Class C. He has coached the likes of McDonald’s All-American (2003) Brandon Cotton and Jordan Brand All-Star (2006) Derrell Summers. Both played

for Michigan State.

Coach Shepherd said about his son, “I just wanted my son to pick the school that would make him happy. I think the Black Lives Matter movement had an impact on his decision.

(LeMoyne-Owen head men’s) Coach William Anderson did a great job of making him feel like he was at home.”

According to coach Shepherd, his son wants to help create a movement for future players to attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). He wants to be at LeMoyne-Owen College for four years to make a name for himself and to put the school on the map.

The younger Shepherd’s decision mirrors one made earlier this month by highly ranked prep basketball player Makur Maker, who announced he play for HBCU Howard University.

Maker is ranked No. 16 on the ESPN 100 list for 2020.

His announcement made national headlines because he was the first five-star prospect to commit to an HBCU since ESPN began ranking prospects in 2007, according to The Undefeated.

When he is not in the gym, Shepherd is a tennis shoe collector and plays 2K games.

Although he is a shy person, he attracts others to him and he shows great leadership.

In Tariq Shepherd, LeMoyne-Owen’s Magicians will get a guard skilled as a playmaker and shooter. (Photo: endlessmotor. net) LOC’s Anderson is not like most Division II coaches. He targets several top-tier recruits to play for his team. Most coaches think this is a waste of time, but Anderson knows it will pay off either on the front end or on a player’s decision later down the road.

Anderson has developed deep relationships across the country. He has coached for more than 20 years on the Nike circuit.

Shepherd is not the first player from Detroit to play for the Magicians. Charlie Edge and Smokey Gaines blazed the trail. Both players have had their jerseys retired by the school.

The thing that impressed Anderson the most about Shepherd was his leadership skills. He will bring a different mindset and is a coach on the floor. His teammates will respect him on the court.

Hungry to return to the NCAA tournament, the University of Memphis Tigers moved forcefully in the right direction with the recruiting of Moussa Cisse. (Photo: CBS.com)

Tigers land a ‘big get’ with Lausanne’s Cisse

by Terry Davis Special to The New Tri-State Defender

With several schools awaiting Moussa Cisse’s decision about where he would play college basketball, the Lausanne Collegiate School star chose the University of Memphis.

The waiting list also included Florida State, Louisiana State University, Georgetown and Kentucky.

Cisse was scheduled to be a part of the Class of 2021 before doing the necessary things to graduate a year early. He ranked in the top 10 of the Class of 2021. The No. 9 ranked player in Class of 2020, he is rated first among the nation’s centers.

For Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, Cisse is a big get. The six-foot-teninch-tall center is from New York City, where at various times he played with Lester Quinones and Precious Achiuwa. Quinones returns for his sophomore year with Memphis. Achiuwa is headed for the NBA. Cisse, who is considered one of the top defensive players in the country, is known for his shot blocking ability and defending the rim. That’s a plus for the Tigers’ up-tempo game.

Several weeks ago, it looked as though Cisse was heading to LSU. Down the stretch, Memphis closed the gap, with most national re-

cruiting analysts adjusting their projections to put the Tigers at the top of his choices.

Memphis’ successful recruiting of Cisse came after losing out to Jaylen Green to the G-League and Greg Brown to the Texas Longhorns.

Hungry to return to the NCAA tournament, the Tigers moved forcefully in the right direction with Cisse, who will join with returning veterans and the possibility of some talented incoming graduate transfers.

Cisse led Lausanne to a Tennessee State Championship last season and was selected as Tennessee’s Mr. Basketball for Division 1.

The New Tri-State Defender

July 16 - 22, 2020

Being together is more important than ever.

That’s why you can count on us to be by your side.

Because serving you is our mission. And being right here for you is the promise we’re keeping.

©BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc., an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

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