The New Tri-State Defender - November 4-10, 2021 by The Tri-State Defender

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tate Defender

The New Tri-S

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State

Defender, February

OUR STORY,

Defender The New Tri-State Nov. “Our” story on began telling Tri-State Defender. 1, 1951 as the and 2017 “Legends With a February note the TSD will Leaders” salute, with In conjunction its evolution. back we are looking on the celebration, drawing in part on our history, College professor research Rhodes Russell Wigginton 50 and administrator newspaper’s first conducted on the

‘Where there is

9 - 15, 2017,

PART II

Page 4

no protest there

is no progress’

years. Wigginton’s second This is Dr. of a few modifications) segment (with first 50 years. the newspaper’s of this headline When the words A. Maceo Walker, were quoted by and Tri-State Bank president of Insurance Company Universal Life Defender in early in the Tri-State have known how not for 1960, he could would become profound they

November 4 -

Wilson manager L. Alex editor and generaldesegregation of Central 1957. Tri-State Defender Little Rock in during the attempted

in black Memphians. the High School was assaulted responding to Walker was Archives) Americans from Indiana University banning of African at Ellis auditorium, Counts Collection, the Auto Show (Photo: Will captured black but his sentiments the continuous only time to the city, and frustration due students throughout if these claims were true. since legal foolish, the tell broken promises the does would desegregation entry the protest overturned with “We feel that cotton to In an effort to test cars, their refused segregation was them to responded, Tri-State Defender local particular of Education victory sparked them Negroes to cause in restaurants, segregation in Brown v. Board to the Auto Show practices in bus nothing for Reid and William board to end “our school reporters M.L. in 1954. to see if in Memphis schools. Smith arguedtangible effort attack segregationisteating facilities at celebrate.” and other black citizens several places any African Americans country were the library, As students to Little visited As expected, board has not made the within seating, to stage disruptionscity, they would be served. places, and schools. but and throughout racial to operate our school system but most public were countless efforts continued mixed reactions, norms of the comprehensive hopeful that the segregation One they received made a statement that of the the framework of the Constitution law While there the Tri-State was a practice changes occurred. their presence and defied the highest discrimination to overturn segregation, in one measurable soon found out, has stubbornly by the Tri-State African Americans in Memphis was involved be of the land.” past, yet as they event captured picture were watching Defender staff would have to the Defender impressive example. Defender was a front-page African the Tri-State Defender many more battles In support of Smith, and locally before Board particularlyapproximately 60 students bus with the Memphis fought nationally of an integrated they closely. Alongside welcomed the boldly urged and Owen colleges, Americans sitting wherever immediately to Not everyone blacks could rest. However, from LeMoyne incident to of Education to act editorial of the Defender. schools. Tri-State Defender The most memorable status had to desired. a demonstration victory for presence desegregate MemphisMemphis’ black the entire that their for attempts of This small but significantby the death while photographing of Mississippi remind blacks was was arrested The demands Cossitt the Tri- staff by the mid-1950s tempered the libraries at in after the assassination changed little chronicled in Till integration was Medgar Evers the desegregate death of Emmett as community the Brooks Art foreshadowed his civil rights leader the gruesome Peabody and Withers had State Defender Often described the most and mid-1963, Ernest in Money, Miss. never events of 1960, arguably was beaten with events that will in coat ripped off, “one of those run. provoked to had the film death not and Till’s ‘I decided running... a nightstick leave you,” deliberately exposed if I could – not and fear for blacks his camera like anger, sadness, the I’d take it walking Nonetheless, Memphians, by policemen. If I were beaten, everywhere. For the at the newspaper, “lynching” and the proposition his colleagues from proximity of Till’s is dedicated to vivid portrayal backed down under worth his salt Withers never Tri-State Defender’s that news factually as a newspaper Any newsman reminded them to report the his responsibilities of his open casket region’s conditions.’ subject to the that it is his responsibility photographer. tactics they too were and unfavorable intimidation favorable Similar violence. racial Editor, Americans continued troubled times, Despite these month Tri-State Defender Rock against African summer. One persevered with throughout the in Little — L. Alex Wilson, black Memphians relentless spirit attack, someone and escaping assault after the Withers a renewed vigor better the car carrying one day after their fight for fired shots in that would fuel next city. Over the journalist L. Alex attorneys B.L. Hooks, R. Sugarmon, conditions in the as of award-winning with the Rev. Defender highlighted was most recognized A. Willis along few years the community in Wilson. He assaulted and that Gallery. several “freedom Lawson. The who appeared was physically relations who race James students, in man the arrival of a trip to the The High School turbulent year returning from on the front fighters” in Memphis. the Defender the city and paper had experienced. their “Sunday Best” outside of Central desegregation leaders were assist 30 black citizens 1955, were charged to Rock’s Emancipation In November held by Beginning with the presence Somerville arrested after staging sitpage of the Defender, and fined for during Little gala banquet in 1957. Wilson’s who were anniversary, Memphis with disorderly conduct recognized a was attempt County. Fortunately, what of the Brotherhood Proclamation School epitomized Defender staff of African Americans pushed for the local branch at Central High passion that he ins in Fayette men were seriously their actions. The Porters in honor and of the as “real emancipation charged with the same misdemeanor, of Sleeping Car the Tri- none incident. And, L.F. the courage A. Philip Randolph. they described demonstrated as general manager injured in the shooting Willis refused their president, but editor and fine consistently a picture of to Negroes.” and general and the Emancipation Palmer had to pay a higher the State Defender’s editor Hooks, Sugarmon by The paper published violence for of capacity a Sponsored before the threats editor-in-chief County leadership in to succumb to of Shelby for the Randolph speaking manager and later for his alleged to Somerville Defender. Temple CME church Association and returned W. Herbert Brewster, demonstrations. crowd at Martin the Chicago Daily arrested. president H.F. (chaired by Dr. struggle for racial hearing scheduled for those entire Tri-State in Trigg Baptist Church), Progress in the with local BSCP F.S. Newman. Palmer and the received pastor of East any easier after was Overall, African-Americans did not come Patton and treasurer with Randolph the event at Ellis auditorium followed Defender organization Memphians shortly equity in the early 1960s but many black Lt. Lee’s words, more intense repercussions Also featured remained Memphis Walker’s suggestion to (president of highlighted by burned 1960, the City when a cross was office and the Tri-State Defender As the were H.T. Lockard in A. Maceo Tri- “We are waiting to see if For example, NAACP) and will meet afterwards for racial progress. lawn of their the Memphis sworn in today on the front lines. play golf protest the many protestors indicate to on the front editor L.O. Swingler Commission three white youths early 1963 blacks began to efforts of to bringing freedom State Defender building. Although what Park for the people who worked at Currie’s Supper the challenge like Audubon for performing (and the many having dinner Memphians year Mrs. Rosa Negroes in Memphis.” and the Tri- were arrested prank,” the message at places Although this was a public the scenes), black Club. The following Montgomery, called “a change in to only behind an first time. Black Memphians from ready. they Defender was blacks were restricted demanded comprehensive and Parks, the heroine CME Cathedral State Defender were definitely was clear: the racial culture; Memphis’ course, the city. Olive Lee’s statement, piece of Black spoke at Mt. of the Mid-South’s that they got a fair a few courses in day celebration. One week after writer Burleigh influential the hard work to insure Also, through plan. for their women’s Post Tri-State Defender own, the Triexecutive there named a U.S. George protest only a few NAACP and its shake was Memphis’ photographer Also, Memphis Coincidentally, Palmer the local Smith, more than State Defender. at 828 Mississippi Hines, chief that they after his arrest, Capital secretary, Maxine Office (located Lee, Hardin and others reported perseverance changes Lt. George W. from people’s the Auto weeks The local firms announcedpractices. of the for were denied admittance to Blvd.) for its own received a citation D.C. for 100 and champion with the support policies and auditorium, having Press Club of Washington, the political leader in their hiring critical in Smith combined Show at Ellis would remain service in mass Once she was told the news, that “Colored race causes. to Defender the midhis distinguished of the 1950s been told by policemen NAACP is proud in the tumultuous times during today.” By the end replied, “the role communication. necessary for can’t come in here Memphis black have played a prominent sparked a flood 1960s forward. the atmosphere evident among Additionally, their The incident carry out this and was and helping to students continued confrontation and in of letters to the Defender students initiating citizens. college The Memphis African-Americans outcry by black program.” “troublemaking.” of desegregation Tri-State Defender. widespread annual Cotton were initially to picket at the Similar claims the pages of the of Memphis Although many blacks Jubilee owned decided by other businesses activities. Despite With the guidance chairman, Dr. frustrated because they were made Two estimated Jubilee Dr. R.O. Venson calling NAACP education 100 automobiles valued at an One Year, $35.00; approximately upon request. The New Tri-State view these founder Vasco Smith, school $50 million but could not Defender are available Subscriptions, petitioned the om or mailed to to The New Tri-State black parents Mailed subscriptions may take one week. emailed to subscriptions@tsdmemphis.c SUBSCRIPTIONS: TN, 38103. TN, 38103. Delivery Request can be 200, Memphis, by email. Suite John H. Sengstacke Years, $60.00. Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, Street, or Beale (901) 523-1818(901) 578-5037. Defender, 203 Defender, 203 Publisher (1951-1997) Fax: in writing by calling to The New Tri-State may be submitted advertising: (901) 523-1818. Send address changes II classified Any and all inquiries POSTMASTER: Street, Suite 200, Bernal E. Smith display advertising, Inc., 203 Beale GENERAL INFORMATION: President / Publisher Editorial, administration, Media Properties, weekly by Best TELEPHONE: 780-220) is published Ajanaku TN. Best Dr. Karanja A.Editor Defender (USPS postage paid in Memphis, The Mid-South’s The New Tri-State Executive 38103. Second-class Alternative Newspaper Memphis, TN Best Media Powered by Properties, Inc.

10, 2021

At 70, the ‘Defenderg’ Is still ﬁghtin the good ﬁght

the focus ue to command those justice contin his aligned with rights and social ters in Memp Floyd on May Civil rights, humante Defender. As protesthe killing of Georgethis Tennessee of The New Tri-Sta and the world aftermovement, including EnS. Whitlow/ GSW the local around the nation . (Photo: Gary TSD chronicled 25, 2020, the iation award-winning image er) Press Assoc New Tri-State Defend terprises/The

Triissue of the during When the debut er came out State Defend week of November the ﬁrst aper cost 15 1951, the newsp ﬁrst front pagea cents. The very the right. For is pictured at see PAGE 10. back, look

VOL. 70, No. 44

November 4 - 10, 2021

er editor Tri-State Defend manager L. Alex and general assaulted during Wilson was n of Central in the desegregatio in Little Rock High School ’s grandson, Adam 1957. Wilson er of the Sadberry, a memb ony Orchestra, of Memphis Symph amplify the legacy now works to the tenacious TSD his grandfather, d to run. editor who refuse 4. STORY PAGE

INSIDE

his rry gets to know 4 • Adam Sadbe Alex Wilson: Page grandfather, L. the Board of • Message from Page 3 Directors: te Defender: The • The New Tri-Sta Beyond!: Page 2 and Road to 70 … der to Tri-State Defen • Getting the Page 7 the people:

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COVID-19 bills pushed at state level whip up local resistance by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

With former players at its base and cameras aplenty, the Larry Finch statue was unveiled on Thursday. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Unveiling of Larry Finch statue, plaza stir memories, deep-rooted emotions

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A statue of legendary former coach and star guard Larry Finch on the campus of the University of Memphis, his alma mater? Absolutely a no-brainer; should have happened a long time ago, right? “The timing wasn’t right,” said Elliot Perry, one of Finch’s first recruits as a head coach for the Tigers in 1987. “Now we have the “Prodigal Son” in Penny Hardaway (as Memphis’ head men’s basketball coach). Now the timing is right.” No doubt some might quibble with Perry about his timing assessment. Now, however, is not the time to entertain such a discussion. It’s Finch’s time – the recognition of which reached a crescendo with the unveiling on the Park Avenue campus of a statue and plaza in his honor last Thursday (Oct. 28). Vicki Finch, the late coach’s widow, read an interpretation of a poem, “How do I love thee,” saying, “This was a poem not dedicated from me to Larry but this could be a poem dedicated from basketball to Larry.” So true, especially when “basketball” speaks through the voices of players such as Perry and Hardaway, who were recruited by – and gave their all for – “Coach.”

A series of COVID-19 bills spewed out by the Tennessee legislature has not gone done well with officials in Shelby County. Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Michelle Taylor said the bills, which came out of an early morning session on Oct. 30, will tie the hands of local health officials to mitigate future developments of COVID-19, if the measures are signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee. Every decision made in the best interest of Shelby County residents would have to go through Nashville, according to Taylor. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, who is an attorney, said the bills do not “feel like” they are on legal footing, particularly the portion that bans a private business from requiring vaccination to enter. Other county officials expressed concern that the bills take away local control and are not based on science, but on further politicizing the pandemic. Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, co-chair of the infection control program at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, and a prominent voice in mitigation decisions in Shelby County, said restricting mask mandates will run the risk of not

SEE COVID ON PAGE 3

Redistricting map still a work in progress for County Commission by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Elliot Perry, Larry Finch Jr., Vicki Finch and Andre Turner. (Photo: Terry Davis) Standing at the podium to deliver his remarks at the Laurie-Walton Family Basketball Center, Hardaway was overcome with emotion. Fittingly, Perry – his friend and former high school teammate – stepped up to comfort him. It was a mo-

ment so touching that it likely will remain etched forever in the minds of those who witnessed it firsthand. “I did not,” said Hardaway, responding

SEE FINCH ON PAGE 2

One Shelby County Commissioner could be squeezed out of a seat after a redistricting map was selected during a meeting of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners Monday (Nov. 1). The possible “squeeze” would result from, based on the latest Census population numbers, placing two commissioners who are up for reelection in the same district, dividing Germantown and putting Collierville High in District 12. There are 13 districts. As it stands now, the affected commissioners are Brandon Morrison and Michael Whaley, both of whom are up for re-election next year, in the same district, which is District 13. However, one more commission step is needed before the new map is official. The map needs one more round of approval, likely to happen during a special called meeting before Monday (Nov. 8). That is when candidates for elected office can start picking up petitions for next year’s county general election. A resolution drawing new district lines for Shelby County Schools board members also got the nod on a 10-0 vote. The vote was held without debate. “It shouldn’t be about me. It should be about

SEE MAP ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

November 4 - 10, 2021

Page 2

NEWS FINCH

MAP

to the question of whether he anticipated getting choked up at that level. “When you understand the last years of his life and how hard it was for him. The last few years of his life isn’t what he deserved. To get this day today is amazing.” Finch, who had his No. 21 jersey retired on Nov. 30, 1974, competed in more than 500 games in 25 years as a player and coach for the Tigers. Finishing his three-year playing career from 1970-71 to 1972-73 as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,869 points, Finch is currently ranked fourth behind Keith Lee, Perry and Rodney Carney. His 22.3 points per game career average remains a Memphis record for those who played 50 games or more. A product of Melrose High School, Finch was highly recruited by major universities during his senior year (196869). With fresh memories of the University of Memphis’ refusal to recruit African-American players, Finch fans urged him to ignore an offer from then Memphis State University. Leonard Draper Sr., a major supporter and longtime mentor for Finch, played a pivotal role in persuading Finch to stay in Memphis. Finch played on the freshman team during the 1969-70 season, making his varsity debut in the fall of 1970. Today, many still make the point that Finch’s decision to play for Memphis was pivotal in positively affecting race relations after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. here at the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968. At the statue-unveiling ceremony, Mayor Jim Strickland read part of a Proclamation designating “Larry Finch Day.” “One of my best honors in life was to be a friend of Larry Finch,” said Strickland. “Memphis just celebrated its 200 years anniversary. “In my opinion, coach Finch was one of the 10 most significant Memphians of all time.” The Larry Finch statue rests in front of the Laurie Walton basketball practice facility on the Park Avenue campus. His legacy is reflected through four plaza plaques: One tells of Finch’s high school days and his prowess in state basketball tournaments. Another is of Finch as a player for the Tigers, including the run to the Final Four and the epic clash against Bill Walton and the UCLA Bruins. A third tells the story of

what’s best for the county … So, I think we’ve got to push ourselves to look at it that way, and that’s what I’ve tried to do personally,” said Whaley, who initially dismissed the choice. “Even if it’s not the most ideal map for me personally, I understand and appreciate this map and how it looks. It’s hard to objectively disagree with it.” Morrison didn’t take a similar philosophical tack. Instead, she tried to poke holes in the commission’s pick throughout the resolution’s debate. She called the map “partisan,” saying it “completely changed her district.” Several Memphis precincts would end up being represented by a Germantown commissioner, too. “I fear that the nonpartisan voice, which I feel like I have within the city, it will be lost if this is the vote,” Morrison lamented. She also criticized the media, saying local outlets had been remiss for not running op-eds (guest editorials) on the subject. “The media actually went past deadline covering this because the work is not done. We extended the time for participation by this body in the committee.” Commissioner Van Turner Jr. pushed back. “I get it. I do it too. If I’m in court and the facts are not on my side … I talk about everybody. It was their fault. They did it. The (Census) numbers are what they are and the demographics have shifted east.” Turner chaired the ad hoc committee on redistricting. Several commissioners also took issue with the process. The commission is required to

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

“I was thinking about the demographics of what he (coach Larry Finch) has done for Melrose, Orange Mound, the University of Memphis and the entire city,” said UofM head men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway. “He was the best ever for so many reasons.” (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Vicki Finch shares reﬂections about her late husband on a day so many were thinking about him. (Photo: Terry Davis) Finch as a basketball coach. He had seven seasons with 20 or more wins. The final one tells of Finch the person.

the heart. You are not doing it for the job, you are doing it from your heart.”

Penny Hardaway

“It is definitely a blessing to be here. Being in his first recruiting class was special to me. … “He put the ball in my hands from day one. He showed a lot of confidence in me. He stayed with me in the times that I struggled. I am grateful for that. I am grateful to (have played) for a mentor and father-figure and my idol. … “You are talking about an icon. You are talking about a person whose name resonates in the community and it is relevant at all times. … It is an honor to be here.

“It is a great day for a lot of reasons. I told myself that I would cherish this day. I did not expect this many people, but I don’t know why (not) because he was loved by everybody. What a wonderful man. … “He loved his family. He was a coach, a mentor and friend. He always talked to me about trying to keep on the straight and narrow. … I stand on his shoulders every day and try to be great. He was the best ever for so many reasons. … “I only see only one banner in there from the National Championship. Every day I walk in there and see that banner, that is when I talk to him. I wish I could get to the point where I could make him proud of me to get us back to there. … “In coaching he cared about his players like I care about my players. … It comes from

Elliot Perry

Andre Turner

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approve a map before amendments can be considered. Commissioner Mark Billingsley (District 4) called for a motion to send the map back to committee for further study. “I understand that time is of the essence, but if we don’t have answers to all of our questions before us, we are really rushing it tonight,” said Billingsley, whose district represents Germantown. Billingsley’s motion was seconded by Commissioner David Bradford (District 2), but failed to sway enough members. Bradford then pitched an amendment that would keep Collierville High in Collierville’s district. It also would have kept Farmington Elementary, one of Germantown’s most popular voting locations, in place. Earlier, Billingsley complained about the changes in the new map. It also failed. Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. then proposed to suspend the rules. However, this failed to gain the two-thirds majority, or nine votes, needed. If the resolution passes, the new boundaries will apply to commissioners elected or re-elected in the county’s general election August 4. Party primaries for the general election are May 3. Winners of the general election assume office on Sept. 1.

READY FOR A SUMMER OF

Recruited by Finch, and known as “The Little General” for his point guard play, Turner now is the Lane College head basketball coach. “This is spectacular. We all have that same story about coming to Memphis, that coach Finch did not ask, but

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told you that you were coming to Memphis. That is what he did to me. Late one Monday night at 11:30 he said, “‘Son, you are coming to Memphis.’ What could else could I say? It was the best decision I could have made. … “It is a blessing to see this statue. When you talk about coach Finch, it is legendary. Someone who mends a city and means so much to so many. Just to be in the midst … I am excited to say I am a part of it, and it is a part of me.” With a 220-130 record that still makes him the university’s winningest coach, Finch left the UofM at the end of the 1996-97 season. In 2002, he suffered a stroke. After a long illness, and with friends and family nearby, he died at St. Francis Hospital on April 2, 2011. He was 60.

“Even if it’s not the most ideal map for me personally, I understand and appreciate this map and how it looks. It’s hard to objectively disagree with it.” — Michael Whaley

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The New Tri-State Defender

November 4 - 10, 2021

Page 3

NEWS COVID

CONTINUED FROM FRONT being able to respond quickly to an uptick or some concerning development in the ongoing pandemic. While officials keep their eyes on the COVID-19 bills, the health department is preparing to make the newly-approved vaccine for children ages 5-11 available for immediate use next week, according to Shelby County Health Department Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Randolph. “The CDC has just approved a vaccine for children ages five to 11,” said Randolph. “We have plans already in place to have young children receive the vaccine. The more people who get a vaccine helps with the overall vax rate. This will decrease the transmission of COVID-19 in school.” Randolph said health officials have an expectation that children in this new age range will be vaccinated at the same rate as the 12-17 age group that took the vaccination in Shelby County. “Of the 12-17 age group, 40 percent of eligible children received the vaccine,” said Randolph. “We hope more children in the younger age group will be brought in to take the vaccine. Parents and guardians can bring their children to the health department at 814 Jefferson Ave. We are also making plans to open the Whitehaven location at the Southwest Community College campus.” Randolph said vaccinations will also be available at pharmacies across Shelby County. Health officials hope pediatricians will also offer the vac-

“Of the 12-17 age group, 40 percent of eligible children received the vaccine. We hope more children in the younger age group will be brought in to take the vaccine.” — Dr. Bruce Randolph

SAVE THE DATE!

TVA and Memphis Celebrating TVA’s 87th Anniversary in Memphis

On Tuesday (Nov.9), between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. the Shelby County Health Department will offer free ﬂu vaccines at Southwest Tennessee Community College - Gill Campus, located at 3833 Mountain Terrace Memphis, TN 38127. cine to their young patients, according to Randolph. Somerville-based pediatrician, Dr. Derrick Hamilton, said he not only recommends that all eligible children and teens get the vaccine, he tells other families that all of his own children are vaccinated. “My three children, ages 18, 16 and 12, have been vaccinated,” said Hamilton. “When it comes to masking and vaxing, I don’t really understand people talking about the government trying to take away their rights. When it comes to our children, I would think we want to err on the side of

caution.” The government is not “forcing vaccination upon you,” Hamilton said, but everyone is being encouraged to take the vaccine to achieve herd immunity so “this thing can go away.” Randolph said Wednesday the vaccine is expected to be available in Shelby County during the second week in November. (For more information on scheduling vaccines for young children, call the health department at: 901-222-9000.)

Service: Then & Now

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, November 4 - 10, 2021, Page 4

Partisan politics spells ‘real trouble’ for education by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Have you ever heard the saying, politics and education don’t mix? Well, me neither, I just made it up. But it is true. When partisan politics become more important than what is in the best interest of our children and their education, then we are in real trouble. But, of course, according to that definition, we have been in real trouble for quite some time. Three very important things happened during the past couple of weeks that remind us that the politics of Tennessee lawmakers is undoubtedly more important than the health and wellbeing of our teachers, children and citizens as a whole. First, the Tennessee General Assembly, in a special session last week, rushed through COVID-19 related legislation seeking to stop local governments, school systems and businesses from enacting COVID-related rules designed to protect their constituents. The legislation specifies that, during the existence of any declared pandemic, the governor has exclusive authority to issue executive orders and directives concerning each county’s health department in the state of Tennessee. These bills “prohibit the commissioner of health and any local health department, board, entity, or official from superseding, vacating, contradicting, or refusing to comply with any such executive order or guber-

natorial directive.” This legislation will, in effect, handcuff local leaders from making decisions that are in the best interest of their constituents. It prevents county health officials from issuing orders, rules Curtis and regulations that Weathers are necessary or appropriate to protect the general health and safety of their communities. When health departments and school systems decide to impose masks mandates, they are doing so to protect the health and wellbeing of students, families and employees. What other reasons could there be? Tennessee legislators apparently believe otherwise. They believe school systems that make such decisions threaten the individual liberties of parents, who should have the right to refuse and reject vaccines and mask mandates if they so choose, regardless of whether their decisions threaten the health and safety of those around them. This legislation will surely cause confusion for businesses and school systems, especially if such orders are not aligned with federal mandates. By the way, did you know that eight years ago, many of today’s anti-mandate Republican legislators voted in favor of a vaccine mandate to fight the spread of meningitis on college campuses? I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Eight years ago, with near-unanimous

support, the General Assembly passed a requirement that incoming college students living on campuses be vaccinated against meningitis. A pair of West Tennessee Democrats sponsored the Jacob Nunley Act of 2013 after Nunley, a Middle Tennessee State University student from Dyersburg, died of the disease. The Republican-led General Assembly actually imposed a statewide vaccine mandate based on the death of one person! According to state records, the meningitis bill passed the House 94-1 and the Senate 30-0. I remind you, as of today, hundreds of thousands of people have gotten sick and have died from COVID-19 and yet our legislature wants to prevent local governments and school systems from issuing the same type of mandate they overwhelmingly approved just eight years ago. What happened to Republican concerns for individual liberties back then? It simply was not an issue. And neither should it be today. So, what has changed? The POLITICS! Secondly, they now want to thicken the partisan divide in our state by putting forth measures that allow school board races, which heretofore have been nonpartisan contests in Tennessee, to attach Democratic or Republican labels to candidates on the ballot. This issue has taken on new significance in light of the hostilities that continue to unfold at school board meetings across Tennessee and the nation over controversial issues like mask mandates and critical race theory.

Sponsors of this bill say that voters need more information to help them select candidates that reflect their ideals, beliefs and values. That is nonsense. We have gone this long without such information on our ballots; why now? The POLITICS! And lastly, the Tennessee Department of Education school funding town hall meetings taking place across the state is a good idea. I watched the broadcast of the meeting held in Shelby County. It always is good to hear from citizens in our community about the education of our children. However, I am not a huge fan of these types of town hall meetings. It always has been my belief that these types of meetings serve as texture or cover for decisions that have already been made. There has been a lot of talk about a new Student Base Funding formula. We need more information on how such a formula works and how it will serve us better than what we currently have, and not serve as a slight-of-hands effort to move towards tuition vouchers. One thing we can forever be sure of is that the health and wellbeing of the individual citizens of our state are far less important than the politics of our leaders and their own personal agendas. Always keep that in mind. Stay safe, Memphis! (Follow TSD education columnist Curtis Weathers on Twitter (@curtisweathers); email: curtislweathers@gmail.com.)

87 years: A commemoration of the MLGW TVA partnership by Mark Yates

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Growing up in Whitehaven, I always had a particular pride in my city. So, when telling someone where I was from, even as a young man, I stood up a little straighter when I said the word – Memphis. Memphis is a tapestry of many talents – a collective of amazing, committed, innovative people who strive every day to make life better for their neighbors. And I’m proud to be here, doing what Memphians do best – work toward a brighter future by building powerful partnerships. The best example I can give of a long-standing partnership that has helped propel Memphis into the future is the one between Memphis Light Gas and Water Division and the Tennessee Valley Authority, which will hit its 87-year milestone this Saturday (Nov. 6). To celebrate this historic Memphis event, we are hosting a TVA Tailgate Party before the University of Memphis homecoming game on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Tiger Lane at the Liberty Bowl Stadium. The event is free, and the public is invited. Even as I near my first anniversary with the TVA as its West Region Vice President, I am drawn to reflect on the 87th anniversary of the TVA and MLGW partnership, and all we have accomplished together. In April 1934, after the newly developed

Tennessee Valley Authority was formed under the Roosevelt administration, Memphis officials met with TVA to discuss how they could make life better for their citizens. Those officials returned home conMark vinced that TVA would Yates help make Memphis “a great city of prosperous, happy people.” Seven months later, in a special election on Nov. 6, 1934, residents voted by a margin of 16-to-1 to join the TVA system. On that day, Memphis and TVA started their interconnected journey. Memphians were so enthused about the potential of the partnership, they named a street Downtown after the vote. TVA was equally pleased. Because of Memphians who believed in TVA, we could fulfill our mission of making life better for the people we serve. In 1935, the unified Memphis Light & Water Division was formed to oversee power and water systems, and a contract was signed with TVA. Four years later, when the City of Memphis bought the privately-owned Memphis Power & Light, TVA contributed $2.1 million of the $17.3 million price tag. TVA, Memphis and MLGW have been partners since then – with one notable ex-

ception. Memphis left the TVA system in 1958 when the federal government proposed allowing a private company to construct a generating plant to serve the Memphis area in lieu of TVA. Memphis opted instead to build Allen Steam Plant and generate its own power. In 1965, recognizing an opportunity to lower its costs and provide more stable rates, MLGW returned to the TVA system. Fast forward to 2021, TVA serves 10 million people in seven states. Memphis is still our largest customer. The former Allen plant, built by MLGW in 1956, has been shuttered and replaced with TVA’s $1 billion Allen Combined Cycle Plant, which is also home to a 1-megawatt solar farm. This site can generate roughly 1,000 megawatts of power – or enough to help MLGW power more than 500,000 homes and businesses. In early February of this year, when Memphis was hit by a winter vortex, MLGW and TVA worked together to keep the power on for our citizens and avoid the countless hardships wreaked on many cities across the Southern states. However, MLGW and TVA work together to power not just our homes and businesses here in Memphis, but our potential, too – by helping create a future we all believe in. When the COVID pandemic hit the world in 2020, TVA provided MLGW with $20 million in bill credits as part of TVA’s pandemic relief program.

We also contributed $400,000 to match MLGW’s efforts to provide 550,000 meals through food banks and utility bill support through the TVA Community Care Fund. Both of those programs were renewed by TVA again this year to continue helping those hit hardest by the pandemic. MLGW and TVA are partners in public power, meaning we work together to use stable rates and reliable power to attract businesses that develop our area’s economy and provide new opportunities for families and the community. This partnership has helped bring more than 47,000 jobs and $6 billion in investment to the MLGW service area in less than a decade. After 87 years, TVA is still committed to Memphis and determined to remain the public power provider for MLGW. We remain dedicated to energy, the environment and economic development. We continue to focus on our mission of making life better for the people we serve. So, if you are ever strolling through Downtown Memphis to catch lunch or after a special event, and you happen to come across the street sign for “November 6 St.,” remember nearly 90 years of partnership between TVA and Memphis, working together to serve our community. Hope to see you on Saturday. Mark Yates Regional Vice President, West Region TVA

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The New Tri-State Defender, 1509 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104. GENERAL INFORMATION: Any and all inquiries may be submitted in writing by calling (901) 523-1818 or by email. TELEPHONE: Editorial, administration, display advertising, classified advertising: (901) 523-1818. Fax: (901) 578-5037. The New Tri-State Defender (USPS 780-220) is published weekly by Best Media Properties, Inc., 1509 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104. Second-class postage paid in Memphis, TN.

The New Tri-State Defender

November 4 - 10, 2021

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RELIGION BOOK REVIEW

Pastor Whalum examines ‘God’s addiction to worship’ in new book by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr. just released a new book titled “God is Addicted to Worship. And I Am His Supplier.” While portraying God as an addict of anything might raise some eyebrows, the book is actually a scripture-based work on “why your worship isn’t working.” Worship in the traditional sense of the word for many Christians is a time of solemn attention directed toward God. There is sometimes a worship leader who instructs congregation members to raise their hands and close their eyes. There may be a “worship” song playing, for soft singing and meditating. Members of Christian churches in various denominations have experienced this mode of worship. Whalum’s scholarly work questions what our established paradigm of worship has been. “God is Addicted…” raises questions for the engaged reader to answer and challenges the traditionally outward show of worship in a corporate church service. Is true worship even possible in a corporate setting? The answer is actually “no,” unless there is some physical action involved. Whalum’s mantra of achieving “true worship” is not new. Visitors to the New Olivet Worship Center service can attest that this particular mega-church is a bit unusual. Many have witnessed, first-hand, walking into the sanctuary and finding people lying prostrate and still on the altar. Whalum, himself, has lain on the altar with his people. It is quite a remarkable sight. (The book even provides photos of people actually “worshipping” in this way. Children, teens and adults are pictured lying on the floor in front of the church where the altar is.) An interesting passage in the book explains what these actions of worship are: “…The word Worship is derived from the Greek translation of the original Hebrew text. The Greek word for Worship is proskuneo…” Whalum assesses that the physical actions involved in true worship includes blowing kisses, falling upon the knees and lying prostrate to honor the presence of God. That is a far cry from corporate worship traditions that involve raised hands and proclamations of adoration and love to God. In short, the meaning of these actions, Whalum explained, is the lowering of oneself in importance and the lifting or reverence of God. Worship, he contended, involves the physical shrinking of oneself before an adored lifted up divine being. Whalum recounted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Mountaintop” speech and the day following that speech – the day King was assassinated. King was being criticized by that time, not by white clergy, but by “a growing number of Black preachers.” But even so, during his Mountaintop speech, King still said: “…You know what’s beautiful to me? It’s to see all these ministers of the gospel here tonight. It’s a marvelous thing.” Whalum explained his interpretation of what Dr. King was saying: “It’s a marvelous thing when preachers of

The Rev. Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr.’s scholarly work questions what our established paradigm of worship has been. (Courtesy photo) the gospel get together on one accord. King knew that fateful night that he was addressing the ones responsible for teaching our people how to worship, so that the full power of God could be released in the earth.” Because, King said, “The God we worship is not a weak and incompetent God.” Whalum admitted to being a “self-proclaimed apostle of Worship.” He has conducted a number of true worship conferences for pastors and preachers over the years. Some church leaders have discounted his message, but Whalum said that just as there is “true worship,” it is possible to have “false worship.” Perhaps, some of the most important questions Whalum’s book addresses is: Why does worship matter? What is the benefit of getting it right? What is the evidence that one’s worship is working? What is the real purpose of worship? The short answers are worship, true worship, touches the heart of God. And since God seeks “true worshippers,” He will delight in those who are seeking real communion with Him in earnest. And since God delights in His relationship with true worshippers, they can then expect that something good will happen as a result of their worship, Whalum said. There are more than 60 scholarly references cited in this book. Extensive scripture passages will hold a ring of truth to Christian readers. “God is Addicted…” will challenge the sincerest of believers. (For information on where to pick up the book, call the New Olivet Worship Center: 901454-7777.)

‘From Labor to Reward’ … The life and legacy of Bishop W.A. Sesley, founding pastor of Morning Star Church Worldwide Ministries, was celebrated Oct. 30 at the church at 3161 Park Ave. Bishop Sesley died Oct. 21. He was 82. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Lake Grove Baptist Church celebrated … The Rev. Dr. Sam H. Mickens and his wife, Ruthie Mae Mickens, embrace during the celebration of his 65th birthday at Lake Grove Baptist Church, 265 Leath St., where he is the pastor. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, November 4 - 10, 2021, Page 6

CONCERT REVIEW

J. Howell’s RedRoom Experience was truly memorable

City Council delays final vote on limiting pipelines

by Brianna Smith-Herman

by James Coleman

While some say Memphis can be a tough crowd to impress, J. Howell didn’t have much persuading to do when he brought the RedRoom Experience to the Halloran Centre For Performing Arts and Education at the Orpheum Theatre. The show (Oct. 29) was sold-out. Fans poured into the venue, making their way to the merchandise table and the bar to get something to commemorate the night. Between sets, familiar R&B music blared Brianna through speakers, rangSmith-Herman ing from “Damage” by H.E.R to “Some Way” by Phyllis Hyman. The house lights went down at 8 p.m., signaling that it was time for the show to begin. Memphis’ R&B artist Ashton London opened the show, taking the audience through his introspective journey as a young man in love. London, began his four-song set with “Levels” and ended with his new song “Interfere with Love.” He also gave us a chilling rendition of Jazmine Sullivan’s “On It” and, when I say that man can sing…. He can sanggggg!! Minutes later, Dondria Nicole sauntered to the stage in her sparkling sheer black jumpsuit. The Atlanta native opened with SWV’s “Weak.” Her set consisted of more great R&B singing. She performed her latest single “Let it Be” and ended her set with her most famous song “You’re the One,” from her debut album “Dondria vs. Phatfffat.” Following Dondria’s set, the anticipation for the headliner’s arrival heightened as the band and stage props, and dancers made it to the dark platform. With the stage just right, the crowd was greeted by the sounds of the organ from the album’s premier track. Shortly after, J. Howell appeared on the stage and he began his set with “Love You in The Morning.” As he sang, he flung his black and red coat open revealing his chest. He also wore a black boater hat, black jeans and black Prada tennis. “Welcome to the RedRoom Experience!” he said. “We gone fall in love, we gone cry, we gone get sexy.” He glided right into his single “Fire” off his debut album before sending the audience into bliss with his latest summer single “Why You Hurting Me.” As soon as the bassline from “Somethin About Ya” started, the crowd roared again because, like me, they couldn’t get enough of this soulful serenade. As the end of the show drew near, we were anticipating what’s next and what will close the show? Howell eased through the second verse of “Talk,” as he introduced Kyle Hippy for his entrancing verse, and that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Hippy, who’s from West Memphis, brought that animated rapper energy to the set. From start to finish, Howell took his fans on a rollercoaster ride of sounds, emotions, vibes, and feelings, as he performed his entire debut album, “RedRoom.” He commanded the stage with each note and interaction, prompting fans to hang on to every little moment. Ironic as this may sound, because both artists are from Memphis, but in my opinion, J. Howell is reminiscent of my favorite female singer, K. Michelle. His vocals peak unlike a lot of artists and it’s all-natural. He guides the music instead of having the music guide him. He is the focus and he is able to vividly paint pictures with his lyrics.

New language in an amended ordinance, along with a raucous crowd of meeting-crashing protesters, were enough to upend the Memphis City Council’s move to a final vote on a pair of ordinances to limit pipelines The amended ordinance would regulate pipelines being placed under streets, public medians and other rights of way. Many activists at the Tuesday council meeting had concerns about pipelines being termed “public utilities” in amended wording. The other ordinance gives the council final say on pipelines located near MLGW wellheads, for example. Both measures were written by City Council Attorney Allen Wade. The amendments – intended to clarify the language – prompted several questions from activists during public comments. “This is the first time we are hearing all of the updates really summarized in this expedient

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

fashion,” said Keyshawn Pearson, board member of Protect Our Aquifer. “So, we are asking that we delay the vote, just in order that we are able to comprehensively understand all the language that is presented.” Some of the concerns had to do with language in a state law that could exclude Internet providers. Pearson also requested information on how the right of way will be enforced for oil pipelines in coordination with current pipelines. “There is no statute in Tennessee, I’m told by council, that allows for a crude oil pipeline to be specified as a public utility,” Ward Archer. “Two things: first, although we appreciate all the hard work, we certainly wish we had time to see it before tonight; we would like for it to be delayed so we can have a chance to see it. “Secondly, we’re concerned with those words in their classifying a crude oil pipeline as a public utility will be an opening for the pipeline to come back, which we do not want.” Others praised the amendments. “We are grateful to you, Attorney Wade,” said Justin J. Pearson of the group Memphis Com-

munity Against the Pipeline. “We are grateful for you, city council, for the work you did trying to improve this ordinance.” Pearson added that he believed his concerns about carve outs for pipelines to build in their own rights-of-way had been addressed with the changes. “From what I was hearing, it sounded good. But we would like the opportunity to actually read it,” he said. Council Edmund Ford Sr. also asked for a delay in the vote. In a fiery speech, he argued that a position a council member holds on an issue affecting their district should influence other member’s votes. Ford added that he wanted meetings to explain any changes to those in attendance. At the end of public comments, members of the activist group Dia de los Muertos converged on the meeting after marching against gun violence in Robert Church Park. Several people made impassioned, critical and loud speeches against various members of the council before being escorted out by deputies.

Jimmie Lunceford 2021 Legacy Awards

Keeping Jimmie Lunceford’s legacy alive… The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group Inc., and its president, Ronald C. Herd II, presented the Jimmie Lunceford 2021 Legacy Awards at the Halloran Centre in Downtown Memphis on Sunday Night. The annual celebration of Memphis Music Heritage perpetuates the legacy of Lunceford, the jazz alto saxophonist, bandleader and once a Manassass High School athletics instructor. The gala, which capped the Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival, Oct. 24-31, included salutes to WDIA radio personality Bev Johnson and Valetta Brinson, whose wide-ranging vocal skills has led to performances in the Caribbean, Japan, the United Kingdom and various parts of the United States. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

County mayor’s office offers fellowship in journalism, government TSD Newsroom The Office of Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris is seeking applicants for a new, six-month long fellowship designed to expose early career journalists to local government and public policy. The Mayoral Fellow in Journalism and Government will have opportunities to pitch stories, research and write press releases, contribute to the communications team, and gain valuable

government experience. Although all journalists are eligible to apply, the Mayor’s Office is particularly interested in broadcast journalists with fewer than 10 years of media experience. The Mayoral Fellow will receive full benefits, a salary and work in downtown Memphis. “Shelby County is a large, diverse, urban county with seven great cities including, world famous Memphis, Tennessee. Our hope is to

find an early career journalist with a heart for public service and an ambition to gain valuable government experience,” said Harris. “We want to expand and grow our talent pipeline.” Candidates can apply by sending a cover letter and current resume to Shelby County Press Secretary Frankie Dakin at frankie.dakin@ shelbycountytn.gov. The application period is open through November 30, 2021.

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November 4 - 10, 2021

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CLASSIFIEDS NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce. County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notiﬁed of on-line bids. There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register: • Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to Log-In at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If you have any questions about the registration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 969-7246. If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid. SEALED BID DUE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, 2021 AT 2:00 PM CST (SB-I000708) (MC# 646) 2021 FIRE PUMPER By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY PUBLIC NOTICE THE MEMPHIS URBAN AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION In compliance with federal regulations 23 CFR 450, the Memphis MPO is proposing one (1) amendment to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-23 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is associated with a Short Air Quality Conformity Demonstration Report for Shelby County, TN as well as exempt amendment(s) associated with an Air Quality Exempt Packet. Additionally, the Memphis MPO will present for adoption the 2018-2022 Safety Performance Measure Targets (PM1) for the States of Tennessee and Mississippi, the FY 2023-26 TIP Project Prioritization Criteria, and the 2022 Memphis MPO Calendar. The FY 2021 Annual Listing of Obligated Projects (ALOP) will also be included as part of the meeting agenda. The public is hereby given notice that the documents above are available for review and download from the Internet at: www. memphismpo.org. Additionally, the English language copies and the Spanish language summaries are also available for public review in the library systems of Shelby, Fayette, DeSoto, and Marshall counties. Written public comments will be accepted through Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Comments may be submitted to Pragati Srivastava, Memphis MPO, 125 N. Main Street, Room 450, Memphis, TN 38103 or via email at Pragati.

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS 1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 PH (901) 523-1818 FAX (901) 578-5037 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. DEADLINES: Display ads Friday 5 p.m. Classiﬁeds ads Monday 5 p.m. STANDARD RATES: $6.00 per line for 1 column ad. Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation. For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tsdmemphis.com. BEER PERMITS Flat Rate: $35 GENERAL INFORMATION:

Srivastava@memphistn.gov. The Memphis MPO Transportation Policy Board (TPB) will hold a public hearing on Thursday, November 18, 2021, 1:30 p.m. The full meeting agenda including details on how to participate in the meeting will be made available 10 days prior to the meeting on the Memphis MPO’s website: (memphismpo.org). It is the policy of the Memphis MPO not to exclude, deny, or discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, immigration status, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, veteran status, familial or marital status, disability, medical or genetic condition, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law in its hiring or employment practices, or in its admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services, or activities. For any and all inquiries regarding the application of this accessibility statement and related policies, or for persons that require aids or services to participate either in the review of these documents or during the hearing, please contact Nick Warren, at 901-6367146 or Nick.Warren@memphistn. gov. This notice is funded (in part) under an agreement with the State of TN and MS, Departments of Transportation. LEGAL NOTICE Request for Proposals RFP Number 22-0001 water treatment & testing services Sealed proposals for Water Treatment Testing Services will be received by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, Memphis International Airport, 4150 Louis Carruthers Dr, Memphis, TN 38118 until 2:00 PM local time, December 1, 2021. A listing of all proposers responding will be posted to the Authority’s website one (1) hour after the response deadline. Responses to Requests for Proposals will not be publicly opened. A complete Request for

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Proposals Packet with submittal instructions, additional data, and response format may be found on the Authority’s website (www. ﬂymemphis.com) on or after November 2, 2021. A pre-proposal conference will be held November 9, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. via zoom conferencing (Link: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/84895619295?pwd=c3VtQjRTYVNJYXdnTjJCTisrUGtzQT09) All Proposers are responsible for checking the Authority’s website up to the submission deadline for any updates, addenda or additional information. In accordance with the Authority’s purchasing policies, the Authority will give a preference to businesses located in Shelby County, Tennessee when awarding contracts and making purchases, unless prohibited by law. The successful Proposer must sign a contract with the Authority that includes Federal Aviation Administration provisions, if applicable, regarding the Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis-Bacon, Afﬁrmative Action, Debarment and Suspension, and Drug-Free Workplace, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all responses to this Request for Proposals in whole or in part; to waive any informalities, technicalities, or omissions related to this Request for Proposals; and to reject responses on any other basis authorized by the Authority’s purchasing policies. The Authority is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination based on the grounds of age, race, sex, color, national origin, disability, marital status, military service, or sexual orientation in its hiring and employment practices and in the admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services, and activities. By order of: Scott A. Brockman, A.A.E. President and CEO Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority

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: Land On Land, LLC Tax Parcel #: 07501800001110 Tax Sale #: 1701 Price Offered: $100.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:00 p.m. on December 6, 2021, 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: West Tennessee, LLC Tax Parcel #: 06904300000130 Tax Sale #: 1023 Price Offered: $1500.00 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 1:30 p.m. on December 6, 2021, 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: West Tennessee, LLC

Tax Parcel #: 07205700000490 Tax Sale #: 1302 Price Offered: $2250.00 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 December 6, 2021, 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: Takeover Mic Gang, LLC Tax Parcel #: 09002000000060 Tax Sale #: 1002 Price Offered: $1500.00 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 December 6, 2021, 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: Eric Mcintosh Tax Parcel #: 08205600000170 Tax Sale #: 1203 Price Offered: $2625.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on December 6, 2021, 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: Yaveda Nesby Tax Parcel #: 07101400000770 Tax Sale #: 1402 Price Offered: $1875.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:30 a.m. on December 6, 2021, 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: Bryce &amp; Brown Home Builders LLC Tax Parcel #: 07105900000220 Tax Sale #: 803 Price Offered: $1125.00 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 December 6, 2021, 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

SEE PAGE 8

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November 4 - 10, 2021

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CLASSIFIEDS FROM PAGE 7 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: Curtis Brittman Tax Parcel #: 04706200000240 Tax Sale #: 1502 Price Offered: $300.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:30 p.m. on December 3, 2021, 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: Brennae L. Brooks Tax Parcel #: 07524400000060 Tax Sale #: 1002 Price Offered: $50.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:00 p.m. on December 3, 2021, 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: Patricia Frank Tax Parcel #: 05007200000160 Tax Sale #: 804 Price Offered: $1125.00 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 1:30 p.m. on December 3, 2021, 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: Bryce &amp; Brown Home Builders LLC Tax Parcel #: 07105900000120 Tax Sale #: 505 Price Offered: $1125.00 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 December 3, 2021, 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: Bryce &amp; Brown Home Builders LLC Tax Parcel #: 07105800000070 Tax Sale #: 804 Price Offered: $1238.00 Terms: Cash

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 December 3, 2021, 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:

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 December 3, 2021, 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.

Bryce &amp; Brown Home Builders LLC Tax Parcel #: 07105500000220 Tax Sale #: 504 Price Offered: $1688.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:30 a.m. on December 3, 2021, 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: Bryce &amp; Brown Home Builders LLC Tax Parcel #: 07105700000010 Tax Sale #: 803 Price Offered: $1125.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher,

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SPORTS

The New Tri-State Defender, November 4 - 10, 2021, Page 9

In a flash, LeMoyne-Owen College gets back on track with Olympian Rochelle Stevens by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

It’s possible to be in search of a key person, reach for help and end up realizing that the helper is the one you were looking for all along. Pencil in Olympian Dr. Rochelle Stevens as the “one” to revive the track and field program at LeMoyne-Owen College. Stevens, a two-time Olympian (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996), has been hired to coach the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track programs, which have been dormant since 1998. The announcement was Terry Davis made last Thursday (Oct. 28) afternoon. “As LeMoyne-Owen College works to enhance our academic and athletic programs, this is an awesome step,” said new LOC President Dr. Vernell Bennett-Fairs, who earlier secured NBA veteran Bonzi Wells to coach the men’s basketball team. Helping Wells is former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, who won an NBA championship with Portland. Charged with revitalizing LOC’s track and field program, Athletic Director William Anderson said, “Rochelle made it easy. She has a dynamic personality. I reached out to Rochelle initially to pick her brain to see what direction she could put me in. Through those conversations it was quite evident that she was the right person for the position. …” The track programs are set to be back in motion for 2022. A state champion at Melrose High School, Stevens earned All-American

LeMoyne-Owen College President Dr. Vernell Bennett-Fairs (left), along with Athletic Director William Anderson, officially welcomes aboard Dr. Rochelle Stevens as track and field coach. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises) status 11 times at Morgan State University in Maryland. For nearly 30 years, she annually has hosted a Rochelle Stevens track event for regional track aspirants, with 30,000-plus participants during that span. Elated to have been selected by Anderson and honored to be working with Dr. Bennett-Fairs, Stevens said, “I am looking forward to shaping and molding our student-athletes.” This is the first college-level coaching

job for Stevens, who said she will have to get used to being called coach. “I am so excited to be able to give back to the community on a larger scale. We have an opportunity to offer 30 scholarships to the men’s and women’s programs. I am looking for the diamond in the rough for LeMoyne-Owen College.” Memphis has a lot of talent, said Stevens, who was trained and coached by her mother, Apostle Beatrice Hollowell-Davis. “That (the local talent) was one of the

reasons I had my track meet, so we could expose the talent. A lot of times they don’t receive those D1 (division one) scholarships because their times are not as fast. (They) would be a perfect fit for our program. I definitely have a relationship with so many athletes and I have vision to see (the) skill set that they have.” Through her foundation, Stevens has awarded numerous scholarships while also serving the community in various other ways.

LeMoyne-Owen College celebrates Homecoming in style on Court Square Liaudwin Seaberry Jr.

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

To say that LeMoyne-Owen College went all-out in its celebration of homecoming would be an understatement. Pride and excitement filled the air Saturday morning as homecoming festivities kicked off Downtown on Court Square. The city’s sole historically Black university, which was established 159 years ago, brought out its dance squad, pep squad and marching band to honor the school’s sports teams. The teams recognized during the proceedings included the volleyball team, and men’s and women’s basketball squads, as each player from all three programs were introduced by name. All three squads squared off in competition later in the day, and those teams received the majority of attention during the homecoming occasion. New track and field head coach Dr. Rochelle Stevens was honored during the event as well. She was not shy about her accomplishments, which include capturing a gold medal from the 1992 Olympics. Stevens possesses a plan for the takeoff of the track program at LeMoyne-Owen. “I am proud to be a part of LOC and I am looking forward to producing some champions!” Stevens said. “My program will begin in the fall of 2022, and I thank you for the opportunity.” LOC Athletic Director William Anderson also attended the event and was given a round of applause by the audience. Despite being on the job for only a year,

LeMoyne-Owen College, which has made several recent moves heightening its local profile, brought its homecoming celebration Downtown last Saturday. (Photo: Liaudwin Seaberry Jr.) Anderson is credited with bringing in former NBA star Bonzi Wells to coach the men’s basketball squad and Stevens for the school’s track squad. The feeling of school unity spread among students and faculty alike, as both

danced and sang along to the songs played on the loudspeakers outside. The atmosphere and excitement rubbed off on cheerleader Eva Fondren, a sophomore participating in her first LOC homecoming. She enjoyed the environment and

wasn’t shy in voicing her enthusiasm. “It feels great being a part of the spirit and pride at LeMoyne-Owen, especially since I’m a transfer from a PWI (predominantly white institution). The atmosphere is definitely different here.”

The New Tri-State Defender

November 4 - 10, 2021

Being part of a community means looking out for your neighbor. That’s why we’re encouraging you to get the free COVID-19 vaccine. It’s a proven way to lower the chances you’ll get sick from the virus. To find COVID-19 resources and support, including where to get a vaccine, go to bcbstupdates.com.

Page 10

The New Tri-State Defender

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, February 9 - 15, 2017, Page 4

OUR STORY, PART II The New Tri-State Defender began telling “Our” story on Nov. 1, 1951 as the Tri-State Defender. With a February 2017 “Legends and Leaders” salute, the TSD will note its evolution. In conjunction with the celebration, we are looking back on our history, drawing in part on research Rhodes College professor and administrator Russell Wigginton conducted on the newspaper’s first 50 years. This is Dr. Wigginton’s second segment (with a few modifications) of the newspaper’s first 50 years.

November 4 - 10, 2021

At 70, the ‘Defender’ Is still ﬁghting the good ﬁght

When the debut issue of the TriState Defender came out during the first week of November 1951, the newspaper cost 15 cents. The very first front page is pictured at the right. For a look back, see PAGE 10.

When the words of this headline were quoted by A. Maceo Walker, president of Tri-State Bank and Universal Life Insurance Company in the Tri-State Defender in early 1960, he could not have known how profound they would become for black Memphians. Walker was responding to the banning of African Americans from the Auto Show at Ellis auditorium, but his sentiments captured black frustration due to the continuous broken promises since legal segregation was overturned with the Brown v. Board of Education victory in 1954. African Americans in Memphis and throughout the country were hopeful that comprehensive racial discrimination was a practice of the past, yet as they soon found out, many more battles would have to be fought nationally and locally before blacks could rest. The most memorable incident to remind blacks that their status had changed little by the mid-1950s was the gruesome death of Emmett Till in Money, Miss. Often described as “one of those events that will never leave you,” Till’s death provoked anger, sadness, and fear for blacks everywhere. For Memphians, the proximity of Till’s “lynching” and the Tri-State Defender’s vivid portrayal of his open casket reminded them that they too were subject to the region’s racial violence. Despite these troubled times, black Memphians persevered with a renewed vigor and relentless spirit that would fuel their fight for better conditions in the city. Over the next few years the Defender highlighted the arrival of several “freedom fighters” in Memphis. In November 1955, the Defender recognized a gala banquet held by the local branch of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in honor of their president, A. Philip Randolph. The paper published a picture of Randolph speaking before a capacity crowd at Martin Temple CME church with local BSCP president H.F. Patton and treasurer F.S. Newman. Also featured with Randolph were H.T. Lockard (president of the Memphis NAACP) and TriState Defender editor L.O. Swingler having dinner at Currie’s Supper Club. The following year Mrs. Rosa Parks, the heroine from Montgomery, spoke at Mt. Olive CME Cathedral for their women’s day celebration. Also, Memphis named a U.S. Post Office (located at 828 Mississippi Blvd.) for its own Lt. George W. Lee, the political leader and champion for race causes. By the end of the 1950s the atmosphere necessary for confrontation was evident among Memphis African-Americans and in the pages of the Tri-State Defender. With the guidance of Memphis NAACP education chairman, Dr. Vasco Smith, approximately 100 black parents petitioned the school

‘Where there is no protest there is no progress’

Tri-State Defender editor and general manager L. Alex Wilson was assaulted during the attempted desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock in 1957. (Photo: Will Counts Collection, Indiana University Archives) board to end segregation in local schools. Smith argued “our school board has not made any tangible effort to operate our school system within the framework of the Constitution but has stubbornly defied the highest law of the land.” In support of Smith, the Defender boldly urged the Memphis Board of Education to act immediately to desegregate Memphis schools. The demands of Memphis’ black community chronicled in the TriState Defender foreshadowed the events of 1960, arguably the most

the protest foolish, the students responded, “We feel that cotton does nothing for Negroes to cause them to celebrate.” As students and other black citizens continued to stage disruptions to the segregation norms of the city, measurable changes occurred. One event captured by the Tri-State Defender was a front-page picture of an integrated bus with African Americans sitting wherever they desired. This small but significant victory for integration was tempered by the death

‘I decided not to run. If I were beaten, I’d take it walking if I could – not running... Any newsman worth his salt is dedicated to the proposition that it is his responsibility to report the news factually under favorable and unfavorable conditions.’

— L. Alex Wilson, Tri-State Defender Editor, one day after escaping assault in Little Rock turbulent year in race relations that the city and paper had experienced. Beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation anniversary, Memphis African Americans pushed for what they described as “real emancipation to Negroes.” Sponsored by the Emancipation Association of Shelby County (chaired by Dr. W. Herbert Brewster, pastor of East Trigg Baptist Church), the event at Ellis auditorium was highlighted by Lt. Lee’s words, “We are waiting to see if the City Commission sworn in today will meet the challenge to bringing freedom to Negroes in Memphis.” Black Memphians and the TriState Defender were definitely ready. One week after Lee’s statement, Tri-State Defender writer Burleigh Hines, chief photographer George Hardin and others reported that they were denied admittance to the Auto Show at Ellis auditorium, having been told by policemen that “Colored can’t come in here today.” The incident sparked a flood of letters to the Defender and widespread outcry by black citizens. Although many blacks were initially frustrated because they owned automobiles valued at an estimated $50 million but could not view these John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951-1997)

The Mid-South’s Best Alternative Newspaper

particular cars, their refused entry to the Auto Show sparked them to attack segregationist practices in bus seating, the library, eating facilities at most public places, and schools. While there were countless efforts to overturn segregation, the Tri-State Defender staff was involved in one particularly impressive example. Alongside approximately 60 students from LeMoyne and Owen colleges, the entire Tri-State Defender editorial staff was arrested for attempts to desegregate the libraries at Cossitt and Peabody and the Brooks Art

Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor

Gallery. The students, who appeared in their “Sunday Best” on the front page of the Defender, were charged with disorderly conduct and fined for their actions. The Defender staff was charged with the same misdemeanor, but editor and general manager L.F. Palmer had to pay a higher fine for his alleged leadership in the demonstrations. Palmer and the entire Tri-State Defender organization received more intense repercussions shortly afterwards when a cross was burned on the front lawn of their office building. Although three white youths were arrested for performing what they called “a prank,” the message was clear: the Defender was an influential piece of Black Memphis’ protest plan. Coincidentally, only a few weeks after his arrest, Palmer received a citation from Capital Press Club of Washington, D.C. for his distinguished service in mass communication. Additionally, Memphis black college students continued their “troublemaking.” The students decided to picket at the annual Cotton Jubilee activities. Despite Jubilee founder Dr. R.O. Venson calling

of award-winning journalist L. Alex Wilson. He was most recognized as the man who was physically assaulted outside of Central High School during Little Rock’s desegregation attempt in 1957. Wilson’s presence at Central High School epitomized the courage and passion that he consistently demonstrated as the TriState Defender’s editor and general manager and later editor-in-chief for the Chicago Daily Defender. Progress in the struggle for racial equity did not come any easier after 1960, but many black Memphians and the Tri-State Defender remained on the front lines. For example, in early 1963 blacks began to play golf at places like Audubon Park for the first time. Although this was a public course, blacks were restricted to only a few courses in the city. Also, through the hard work of the local NAACP and its executive secretary, Maxine Smith, more than 100 local firms announced changes in their hiring policies and practices. Once she was told the news, Smith replied, “the NAACP is proud to have played a prominent role in initiating and helping to carry out this program.” Similar claims of desegregation were made by other businesses

throughout the city, and only time would tell if these claims were true. In an effort to test desegregation in restaurants, Tri-State Defender reporters M.L. Reid and William Little visited several places to see if they would be served. As expected, they received mixed reactions, but their presence made a statement that African Americans in Memphis and the Tri-State Defender were watching closely. Not everyone welcomed the presence of the Defender. However, while photographing a demonstration after the assassination of Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Evers in mid-1963, Ernest Withers had his coat ripped off, was beaten with a nightstick and had the film in his camera deliberately exposed by policemen. Nonetheless, like his colleagues at the newspaper, Withers never backed down from his responsibilities as a newspaper photographer. Similar intimidation tactics against African Americans continued throughout the summer. One month after the Withers attack, someone fired shots in the car carrying attorneys B.L. Hooks, R. Sugarmon, and A. Willis along with the Rev. James Lawson. The community leaders were returning from a trip to Somerville to assist 30 black citizens who were arrested after staging sitins in Fayette County. Fortunately, none of the men were seriously injured in the shooting incident. And, Hooks, Sugarmon and Willis refused to succumb to the threats of violence and returned to Somerville for the hearing scheduled for those arrested. Overall, African-Americans in Memphis in the early 1960s followed A. Maceo Walker’s suggestion to protest for racial progress. As the efforts of the many protestors indicate (and the many people who worked behind the scenes), black Memphians demanded comprehensive change in the Mid-South’s racial culture; and there to insure that they got a fair shake was Memphis’ own, the TriState Defender. The people’s perseverance combined with the support of the Defender would remain critical in the tumultuous times during the mid1960s forward.

Tri-State Defender editor and general manager L. Alex Wilson was assaulted during the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock in 1957. Wilson’s grandson, Adam Sadberry, a member of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, now works to amplify the legacy of his grandfather, the tenacious TSD editor who refused to run. STORY PAGE 4.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Mailed subscriptions to The New Tri-State Defender are available upon request. One Year, $35.00; Two Years, $60.00. Request can be emailed to subscriptions@tsdmemphis.com or mailed to Subscriptions, The New Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN, 38103. Delivery may take one week. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The New Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN, 38103. GENERAL INFORMATION: Any and all inquiries may be submitted in writing by calling (901) 523-1818 or by email. TELEPHONE: Editorial, administration, display advertising, classified advertising: (901) 523-1818. Fax: (901) 578-5037. The New Tri-State Defender (USPS 780-220) is published weekly by Best Media Properties, Inc., 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103. Second-class postage paid in Memphis, TN.

Civil rights, human rights and social justice continue to command the focus of The New Tri-State Defender. As protesters in Memphis aligned with those around the nation and the world after the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, the TSD chronicled the local movement, including this Tennessee Press Association award-winning image. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/ GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

INSIDE •

Adam Sadberry gets to know his grandfather, L. Alex Wilson: Page 4

•

Message from the Board of Directors: Page 3

•

The New Tri-State Defender: The Road to 70 … and Beyond!: Page 2

•

Getting the Tri-State Defender to the people: Page 7

Page 2

TSD AT 70

The New Tri-State Defender

The New Tri-State Defender: The Road to 70 … and Beyond!

by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

n the 194-year history of “the Black Press,” The New TriState Defender – in multiple forms – has lived 70 of those mission-driven years. The beginning was a moment of courage born largely in response to a treacherous Jim Crow mindset that propelled white citizens forward with often deadly intent to block African-Americans’ pathways to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

On Nov. 1, 1951, Lewis Ossie Swingler, who had been the editor of the Memphis World, was in charge as publisher and editor when the Tri-State Defender rolled out its first issue. A 10-point program on page six, the Editorial page, listed this as point No. 5: “To uphold the principle of equality of opportunity in employment, education, politics, and all fields of human endeavor.” A single issue was 15 cents. Subscription rates were $6 for a year, $10 for two years. Also available was a special introductory offer: seven issues for $1. Billed by self-description as “The South’s Independent Weekly” and birthed to serve “1,000,000 Negroes in the Tri-State Area,” the Tri-State Defender set forth to be “an expression of the desires and needs of the community.” Its founder was John Herman Henry Sengstacke, who at one point owned the nation’s largest chain of newspapers focused on African Americans. A civil rights advocate, Sengstacke in 1940 formed the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which now has 230-plus members, including The New Tri-State Defender. According to the first edition’s lead editorial, a newspaper is “only as great as its readers make it. Its strength comes

from the energy pumped into it by the people. Its muscles and bones are the determination of the people; and its heart is the conscience of God-fearing men and women.” The newspaper’s name – as detailed in that first editorial – was “chosen” by “you, the people …. It symbolizes the fulfillment of your hopes and dreams.” With adept leadership in place, the Defender commenced with its effort to present a comprehensive look at the Black communities in the tri-state region. Included in its approximately 15 pages of text were news, pictures, cartoons, household hints, women’s and youth pages, sports and entertainment features. Throughout the Defender’s inaugural year, the newspaper laid the foundation as a newspaper that was committed to being at the pulse of the tri-state region’s Black communities. Always with racial progress at the core, the Defender featured stories ranging from Memphis as a rich African-American cultural center to courageous individuals who challenged the racial status quo of the era. Not restricted to what happened locally, the Tri-State Defender brought news of segregation cases that happened all over the nation to its readers. Impressively, the newspaper pointed out how Black citizens of the tri-state

region were pioneers in forcing racial improvements despite the racial mores of the South. The best example in the 1950s was the local response to the U. S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision that reversed the “separate but equal” doctrine on May 17, 1954. The Tri-State Defender captured the sentiment of the time in its November 6, 1954 newspaper: “We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court and look upon it as another significant milestone in the Nation’s quest for a democratic way of life and in the Negro’s long struggle to become a first-class citizen…This is part of an evolutionary process which has been going on in the South and the Nation for some time.” The Tri-State Defender’s ability to keep the progress of the race at its core yet remain a newspaper that included all aspects of the African-American community was reflected in how the newspaper connected sports and desegregation. In an article entitled, “Integration is a Two-Way Street,” the Defender reminded its readers that African-American people had a responsibility to initiate integration attempts as well. The newspaper showed how sports took the lead with several Black colleges competing against white schools on the gridiron. And when banks throughout the state of Mississippi put a “freeze” against loaning African Americans money to buy homes and start businesses, the Tri-State Defender encouraged all to join an effort to raise funds for those denied credit in their own state African Americans in Memphis and throughout the country were hopeful that comprehensive racial discrimination was a practice of the past, yet they soon found out many more battles

would have to be John H. fought nationally Sengstacke and locally. The most memorable incident to remind Blacks that their status had changed little by the mid-1950s was the gruesome death of young Emmett Till in Money, Miss. For Memphians, the L. O. proximity of Till’s Swingler “lynching” and the Tri-State Defender’s vivid portrayal of his open casket reminded them that they too were subject to the region’s racial violence. Despite the troubled times, Black Memphians persevered with a renewed vigor and relentless spirit that would fuel their fight for better conditions. Over the next few years, the Defender highlighted the arrival of several “freedom fighters” in Memphis. By the end of the 1950s, the atmosphere necessary for confrontation was evident among Memphis African-Americans and in the pages of the Tri-State Defender. The demands of Memphis’ African-American community chronicled in the Tri-State Defender foreshadowed the events of 1960. Beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation anniversary, Memphis’ African Americans pushed for what they described as “real emancipation to Negroes.” At one Tri-State Defender writer Burleigh Hines, chief photographer George Hardin and others reported that they were denied admittance to the Auto Show at Ellis auditorium, having been told by policemen that “Colored can’t come in here today.” The incident sparked a flood of let-

Page 3 ters to the Defender and widespread outcry by African Americans. Although many were initially frustrated because they owned automobiles valued at an estimated $50 Bernal E. million but could Smith II not view these particular cars, their refused entry to the Auto Show sparked them to attack segregationist practices in bus seating, the library, eating facilities at most public places, and schools. Among the myriad efforts to overturn segregation, the Tri-State Defender staff was involved in one particularly impressive example. Alongside approximately 60 students from LeMoyne and Owen colleges, the entire Tri-State Defender editorial staff was arrested for attempts to desegregate the libraries at Cossitt and Peabody and the Brooks Art Gallery. Along with the students, the Defender staffers were charged with disorderly conduct and fined for their actions. Editor and general manager L.F. Palmer had to pay a higher fine for his alleged leadership in the demonstrations. Palmer and the entire Tri-State Defender organization received more intense repercussions shortly afterwards when a cross was burned on the front lawn of their office building. A few weeks after his arrest, Palmer received a citation from Capital Press Club of Washington, D.C. for his distinguished service in mass communication. That small but significant victory for integration was tempered by the death of award-winning journalist L. Alex Wilson – renowned as the man physically assaulted outside of Central High School during Little Rock’s desegregation attempt in 1957. Wilson’s presence at Central High School epitomized the courage and passion that he consistently demonstrated as the Tri-State Defender’s editor and general manager and later editor-in-chief for the Chicago Daily Defender.

TSD AT 70 Progress in the struggle for racial equity did not come any easier after 1960, but many African Americans and the Tri-State Defender remained on the front lines. In an effort to test desegregation in restaurants, Tri-State Defender reporters M.L. Reid and William Little visited several places to see if they would be served. As expected, they received mixed reactions, but their presence made a statement that African Americans in Memphis and the Tri-State Defender were watching closely. Not everyone welcomed the presence of the Defender. While photographing a demonstration after the assassination of Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Evers in mid-1963, Ernest Withers had his coat ripped off, was beaten with a nightstick and had the film in his camera deliberately exposed by policemen. Nonetheless, like his colleagues at the newspaper, Withers never backed down from his responsibilities as a newspaper photographer. The people’s perseverance combined with the support of the Defender would remain critical in the tumultuous times during the mid-1960s forward. The Tri-State Defender continued to be recognized on the national scene throughout the middle and late 1960s. The most prominent example was the nomination of John Sengstacke to the National Alliance of Businessmen’s Executive Board by President Lyndon Johnson. The 15-member group advised the government on ways to cope with unemployment. As the only African-American selected, Sengstacke’s presence was important for the consideration of African-American concerns. In particular, Sengstacke’s appointment was critical for morale as citizens offered their support for the emerging sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis. The presence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. garnered national notoriety for the strikers, yet the momentum from this attention came to a crashing halt with King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. The entire world stood still until the

SEE 70 ON PAGE 11

The New Tri-State Defender

The parent company BEST Media Properties, Inc. has a five-member board of directors. The directors are: Deidre Malone, vice president (L to r); Calvin Anderson, president; Towanda PeeteSmith; Vanecia Belser Kimbrow, Esq., secretary; and the Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr., treasurer.

From the Board of Directors:

‘Join us …as we observe and celebrate’

Noted Memphian and journalist Ida B .Wells said, “The people must know before they can act and there is no educator to compare to the press.” I am humbled and honored to serve as president of Best Media Properties, the parent company of The New Tri-State Defender. I salute the work of past and present publishers for sustaining an independent press. The New Tri State Defender provides coverage of issues to a segment of the community that needs and deserves an independent perspective that educates, informs and inspires. We invite our readers to join us in the coming year as we observe and celebrate 70 years of continuous publishing by the Tri-State Defender. – Calvin Anderson President, Best Media Properties

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TSD AT 70

The New Tri-State Defender

Grandson works to amplify legacy of tenacious TSD editor who refused to run by Laura Faith Kebede

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

ransfixed by a microfilm slide on the fourth floor of Memphis’ central library, Adam Sadberry had never felt so close to his grandfather, a stalwart in the Black press who died decades before he was born. Ever since Sadberry moved to the city in 2019 as the acting principal flute with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, he made it a habit to visit the library and scroll through old newspaper clippings. They were filled with words written by his grandfather L. Alex Wilson, one of the first editors of the Tri-State Defender. His grandmother, Emogene Wilson, used to tell Sadberry that he was just like his grandfather. When he was passionate about something, he would throw himself into it and shut out the rest of the world until he accomplished what he set out to do. Sadberry’s passion now: Amplify L. Alex Wilson’s largely forgotten legacy as a tenacious journalist and the man who refused to run when a white mob attacked while he covered the historic integration of Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957. Photos of the beating ran on the front page of the New York Times and some believe the shocking images, in part, urged President Eisenhower to take action. And on that microfilm slide, Sadberry had found the Tri-State Defender column Wilson published the day after. “I decided not to run. If I were to be beaten, I’d take it walking if I could – not running,” the column read. “Members of the red-blooded democracy loving mob acted swiftly. They sensed (I realize now) my determination... “Strangely, the vision of Elizabeth Eckford, one of the nine students, flashed before me as she with dignity

This story is a collaboration between the New Tri-State Defender and WKNO-FM. You can listen to a version of this story on wknofm.org strode through a jeering, hooting gauntlet of segregationists several days ago.” Sadberry said reading the column was an out-of-body experience. “I felt like I was being sucked into literally the Civil Rights Movement, like I was there with him experiencing the same fear and chaos that he was,” Sadberry said. The discoveries over the past two years have given Sadberry inspiration when he needed it most and their telling by Sadberry comes as The New TriState Defender kicks off a year-long celebration of its 70th anniversary. The newspaper’s first edition was distributed during the first week of November 1951. For years, Sadberry felt he didn’t belong as a Black man in the predominantly white classical music industry. But learning about his grandfather’s courage and determination has given

On a recent visit to the gravesite of his grandfather, L. Alex Wilson, Adam Sadberry brought his flute and played “Going Home” – the same song he played for his grandmother in her final days. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender) him confidence to use his music as a tool to highlight overlooked stories of Black accomplishment. For years, Sadberry felt he didn’t belong as a Black man in the predominantly white classical music industry. But learning about his grandfather’s courage and determination has given him confidence to use his music as a tool to highlight overlooked stories of Black accomplishment. “I’m still just in disbelief at the coincidence of me winning a job with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra while we were in the middle of the next civil

rights movement … after my grandfather had been so heavily involved in the first one,” Sadberry said. “And to see his work and really feel what he felt in a new context in just a modern-day light was pretty jaw dropping – and has me fueled to keep on,” he said. In honor of Wilson, Sadberry will perform classical songs by pioneering Black composers Jan. 15 at Crosstown Theater. Photos of his grandfather and projections of his work covering the Civil Rights Movement will scroll in the background.

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TSD AT 70

The New Tri-State Defender

A microfilm slide on the fourth floor of Memphis’ central library gave Adam Sadberry a sense of being closer to his grandfather – L. Alex Wilson – than ever before. He scrolled through old newspaper clippings filled with words written by Wilson, a crusading journalist. (Photos: Laura Faith Kebede)

‘Aggressive, courageous and effective’ journalist Wilson was born March 30, 1909 in Orlando, Florida. When he was a young man, he came across the Ku Klux Klan marching in his hometown. He took off running. But he promised himself that if he had another opportunity, he wouldn’t run again, a former colleague Moses Newson recalled years later in a news article said. He later became a Marine and went to Korea as a war correspondent, where he won the highest award in the Black press for feature writing. In 1955, the nation’s leading Black newspaper, the Chicago Defender, sent him to Memphis to run its fledgling Southern chapter, the Tri-State Defender, as Black people galvanized opposition to racial segregation laws. Wilson not only became an indispensable voice in analyzing Memphis news, but a leading voice in telling the national story of the Civil Rights Movement, said Hank Klibanoff, a co-author of “The Race Beat: the Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation.”

“I felt like I was being sucked into literally the Civil Rights Movement, like I was there with him experiencing the same fear and chaos that he was.” — Adam Sadberry

“Beyond doubt, L. Alex Wilson was one of the absolute most aggressive, courageous and effective journalists who covered civil rights,” Klibanoff said. Wilson traveled to Sumner, Mississippi to cover the trial of Emmett Till’s accused murderers, and even found and interviewed a witness the white press couldn’t locate. A year later, he was on the frontlines of sharing the stories of the thousands of Black Alabamians who boycotted segregated buses. By the time the spotlight of the civil rights struggle turned to nine Black students at Central High School in Little Rock in 1957, Wilson was a leading documenter of the movement. While on his way to the high school’s entrance to await the students’ arrival

on Sept. 23, a throng of angry white people blocked his path. The other Black journalists retreated. But Wilson, 6 feet, 3 inches tall in a suit and fedora, kept walking. Members of the mob began to kick and push him down. One white man jumped on his back and choked him. “And every time he hit the ground, he stood, took a breath and got back up,” Klibanoff said. “He creased his hat, put it back on, and kept walking.” Aggravated by Wilson’s calm, the mob continued to take turns attacking him. A white woman cried with pity nearby, but offered no assistance, Wilson wrote. Finally, one white man hit Wilson on the head with a brick. “He fell like a tree,” said James Hicks, who recalled the attack in the

PBS documentary “Eyes on the Prize.” Eventually, Wilson made it out of their grasp. Left behind in Memphis was 20-yearold Dorothy Gilliam, who later became the first Black woman at the Washington Post. Wilson had hired her as a rookie reporter and coached her to “write with precision and never to overlook the ironies.” As she was making routine phone calls for her late shift, she caught a glimpse of the office’s television and watched footage of Wilson’s beating in horror. “His thing was almost like, I’d rather be dead and scared,” said Gilliam, who included Wilson in her 2019 memoir “Trailblazer.” “Of course, he didn’t want to die. But he would not give those screaming bigots the joy of seeing him run.” “They kept screaming, ‘Run, damn you, run,’” she continued. “Because… that was the image they wanted to have – that Black people were fearful.” Images of the beating appeared across the nation. Letters poured into the Tri-State Defender from Black and white supporters nationwide. The newspaper’s staff included a let-

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TSD AT 70

The New Tri-State Defender

Adam Sadberry reflects at the Elmwood Cemetery gravesite where his grandfather, L. Alex Wilson, and Wilson’s wife, Emogene, are buried. She died on Christmas Day 2019. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender) ter of their own, praising his “iron grit that awes and awakens us.” But Wilson never was the same after the attack. He suffered from headaches and developed Parkinson’s disease, yet still managed to move back to Chicago as top editor of the Chicago Defender. He died three years after the assault at the age of 51 on Oct. 11, 1960.

‘Musical journalism’ Wilson is buried in Memphis’ historic Elmwood Cemetery alongside his wife, Emogene, who died on Christmas Day 2019. On a recent visit to Wilson’s gravesite, Sadberry brought his flute and played “Going Home” – the same

song he played for his grandmother in her final days. A Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak, wrote the song, but it was famously sung by Black baritone and political activist Paul Robeson at Carnegie Hall in 1958. The song is an example of the kind of storytelling Sadberry wants to highlight in his music since reading his grandfather’s work. He calls it “musical journalism.” Poring through Wilson’s sharp commentary on racial inequity, Sadberry recognized their shared desire for excellence, but felt he had more to live up to in how he used his career to affect change. “My grandfather’s legacy has affected me in the sense that I no longer play the flute to play the flute,” he said. “I

play it with a mission to tell stories and share information and to bring relevance to my work.” That desire sharpened last summer during the widespread protests against police brutality following George Floyd’s death. “I want this to be something that is honest and authentic and rooted in something bigger than myself,” he said. One of the songs Sadberry plans to include in his January tribute is “Mother and Child” by William Grant Still. Known as the “Dean of African-American composers,” Still broke a lot of barriers in the classical world while also arranging songs for artists such as blues legend W.C. Handy. Growing up in Montgomery, Texas, a mostly white town north of Houston,

Sadberry felt like he had to be a perfectionist on and off the stage in order to assimilate and be accepted. Learning about his grandfather’s strong sense of identity and refusal to shrink back in the face of opposition solidified Sadberry’s resolve. “I was trying to make people forget, in the sense, that I was Black so I could blend in,” he said. “But now it’s they’re getting the full package and the full package alone.” Sadberry hopes to finish Wilson’s biography from the writings his grandmother collected. And while Sadberry never met his grandfather, he clings to his immortal words in the pages of the Tri-State Defender as a window into his heart. And that is enough to transform him.

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The New Tri-State Defender

Getting the Tri-State Defender to the people Getting rewarded for a labor of love

15 cents – ‘a lot of money for a boy my age’

‘Everyone was … excited when I came around’

Good to know ‘it’s still being published after all those years’

“Selling the Tri-State Defender was my very first job. I was about 9 or 10. “I lived right there near the corner of Lamar Avenue and South Parkway. I had regular customers that I developed on my weekly route. “I would deliver the paper right there on Chadwick Circle where most of my customers were. I would come back to collect the money. That was my weekly routine. “The paper was 15 cents, I remember. I would go and turn my money in, and I was given my $5 for the week. “That was a lot of money for a boy my age. You could do a lot with $5 back in those days.” – George W. Tillman Jr. Independent film maker, historian

“Selling the Tri-State Defender was my first real job. I was 13 at the time. I lived on Hayes Street in Castalia growing up,” said Pastor Larry Lewis of Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding Ministries. “I would sell the Tri-State Defender door-to-door. Everybody wanted one, and so, I did very well each week. The paper was either $.15 or $.25, I can’t quite remember. But everyone was always excited when I came around with a new edition every week. “I especially loved going to the barbershop. Everybody bought a copy at the barber shop. That would be my last stop because I liked to sit and listen to the men talk about what was in the news. Those conversations meant a lot to me. “I have thought of those times in my adult life. My father was in our home, but I liked what those men represented to me at 13…” – Pastor Larry Lewis Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding Ministries

“I sold the Tri-State Defender as a boy. “I can’t quite recall how old I was when I started, but I had a friend who sold the Memphis World. We kind of competed to sell the most papers each week. “After a while, the Memphis World closed, and I just continued selling the Tri-State Defender. “It’s good to know that it’s still being published after all those years.” – Michael Arvin Retired

TSD AT 70

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The New Tri-State Defender

‘It was important to carry the paper’

A seed ‘that continues to be nurtured’ “I was taught that all work is honorable. “Starting as a paperboy, delivering the Tri-State Defender was a beginning which planted a seed that continues to be nurtured. “At age 81, I am still working. Thank God!” – Dr. Willie W. Herenton. First African-American superintendent, Memphis City Schools First African-American elected Mayor of Memphis

“I ran a corner store in Orange Mound from 1970, for nearly 30 years. It was right there at the corner of Carnes Avenue and Pendleton Street. We carried the Tri-State Defender each week and sold it right there on the counter. “I hired little boys and girls to work in the store. They were all between the ages of about 10-12. I taught every one of them how to run that business, including how to sell the paper. “The Tri-State Defender was sold there up to the last day the store was open. It was a newspaper about our community, and it was important to carry the paper. “There were four or five stores on Carnes during that time. We all carried the Tri-State for the convenience of our customers.” – Cleveland Jackson Former owner of Jackson Store

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‘The paper sold itself’

‘I was the man in Binghampton’

“Our family had three stores in Memphis, and we carried the Tri-State Defender in all of them. Jones Big Star was over there on McLemore Avenue, right near where Stax Recording Studio was. “My father was State Rep. Rufus Jones, and I was the youngest. I worked in the stores the most because I was the youngest, and everyone else had gone off to college. I remember we got a bundle of papers every week. “Our ads ran each week in the Tri-State, and we had to get the specials and changes in every Wednesday, if my memory serves me correctly. The papers were placed right there under the phone booth near the entrance of the store. “The Tri-State Defender was important to the Black community, and people looked for it each week when they came to shop for their groceries. We really didn’t have to do much selling. “The paper sold itself.” – Dorothy Jones, Daughter of State Rep. Rufus E. Jones and Marvis LaVerne Jones, one of the Memphis State 8

“Selling the Tri-State Defender was my first job. I started when I was about 10, in the fourth grade, I believe. “I was all up and down Binghampton. I had Binghampton all to myself. I was the man in Binghampton. I sold it to my customers on my route and on Sunday at Providence AME Church. “I would get the papers on Thursday and start after school on Thursday through the weekend. I kept that job up to the seventh grade. It sold for $.15, and I made $.06 off of every paper I sold. “I made so much money. I loved it.” – Ekpe Abioto Memphis-based musician, founder African Jazz Ensemble

The New Tri-State Defender

TSD and the Morris connection Fixtures and North Memphis activist, Alma Morris, along with her husband, Charlie Morris, rode around each week with two bundles of the Tri-State Defender. Charlie Morris sold the newspaper in his barbershop on Evergreen Street in North Memphis. Alma Morris sold the Tri-State Defender all over the city, including the Vollintine community where she lived. The Morrises – both deceased – were among some of the strongest supporters of the Tri-State Defender. – Alma Morris and Charlie Morris Community activists, North Memphis advocates

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The New Tri-State Defender

THE TSD: A LOOK BACK

January 1956

April 1960

August 1963

March 1968

April 1968

June 1971

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 “King” was put to rest. After a period of grieving, the resiliency of African Americans in Memphis had them back fighting for Dr. King’s dream later in the year. The tumultuous times of the 1960s caused many people to question whether continuing the fight for justice was worth the consequences. Yet as the Tri-State Defender reminded its readers, the unforgettable assassinations of prominent Civil Rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Dr. King were all that the people needed to “keep on keeping on.” Those who marched with Dr. King in Memphis included a young educator named Willie W. Herenton, who became Dr. Willie W. Herenton, the first African American to run Memphis City Schools and later the first African American elected Mayor of Memphis. TSD chronicled the evolution of Dr. Herenton, who became the longest serving mayor in the city’s history. John Sengstacke passed in 1997 and the company’s assets were placed in a trust and sold to Detroit-based Real Times Media (RTM) in 2003. Seven years later, Bernal E. Smith II, a Memphis entrepreneur with deep community roots, was named publisher of the Tri-State Defender. In October 2013 – and for the first time in its storied 62-year history, the Tri-State Defender became locally owned and operated. RTM sold the assets of Tri-State Defender, Inc. (TSD) to BEST Media Properties, Inc., a Tennessee Corporation established by Smith and backed by a local investment group that became its board of directors. Smith set an accelerated course forward into the digital and multi-media age. “The TSD is a great brand with significant historical meaning and respect throughout the Greater Memphis community,” said Smith. “We plan to leverage the brand for future growth and impact here in the Mid-South and ultimately on a global basis.”

TSD AT 70 As headlines about police brutality and discrimination resurfaced, Smith pushed the newspaper to continue going beyond just reporting the news. “We’re getting into the issues and in some instances really being a tool for change,” he said. Tragedy struck toward the end of October 20, 2018, when Smith, who had significantly raised the newspaper’s public profile, died at his home at age 45. The ownership group stepped forward, with individual members taking on specific tasks. The TSD’s news operation continued steadily under the direction of Executive Editor Karanja A. Ajanaku, who preceded Smith at the newspaper and had been named associate publisher shortly before Smith passed. As the newspaper-turned-multimedia company dealt with its internal evolution and moved forward, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The TSD pivoted, converting to a mostly remote-based operation and jumped full bore into providing the community with solid, news-you-can-use information to navigate through the public health hazard. Now 70 years old, the TSD is positioned to build upon the vision of Smith and of the Tri-State Defender’s founders. The fact that what once was called the community’s “baby” is still about the business of service seven decades later is a testament to the need and its roots. “In this environment when a number of newspapers are dying, we are celebrating the continuity and strength of TSD in this community and the Black Press in general,” said Calvin Anderson, president, Best Media Properties. Beginning with this special edition on the week of the Tri-State Defender’s founding and continuing for the next year, the TSD will showcase its body of work over the years while renewing its commitment to be a valued voice in the region. (This story reﬂects the research of Dr. Russell Wigginton and the Memphis Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.)

The New Tri-State Defender

CONGRATULATING THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER for

70 YEARS OF SERVICE

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The New Tri-State Defender

Help Is On The Way! Determined to “do something great for my people … before I leave this world,” Clift Dates, retired founder of CDA security, has teamed with the Afro-American Police Association (AAPA) for the first in a series of musical events crafted to promote unity in the community. “Help is on the way,” says Dates, co-founder of the AAPA and a longtime promoter of musical talent. According to Dates, community unity is a basic building block for the fundamental mindset shift he advocates as an absolutely necessary prerequisite for the community to evolve into a safer, healthier, nurturing environment for its future – the children. The musical mission – sponsored by the Afro-American Police Association and Clift Dates Consultants (CDC) – lifts off Friday, November 5 at Brinson’s Downtown, 341 Madison Ave. at Danny Thomas Blvd. Tickets are $20 and available via Cashapp ($Aapa1973); $25 at the door. Reserve VIP: $50 per person, table of 8. Call 901- 650-7868 or 901-650-5589.

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