The Tri-State Defender — November 30 - December 6, 2023 by The Tri-State Defender

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VOL. 72, No. 48

November 30 - December 6, 2023

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L.O. Swingler

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Karanja A. Ajanaku

From Swingler to Ajanaku, The TSD mission continues TSD Newsroom

The annual Season of Remembrance hosted by the Shelby County District Attorney’s ofﬁce afforded family members and supporters of victims of violence the opportunity to share remembrances of loved ones. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/ GSW Enterprises/The Tri-State Defender)

Area crime concerns reverberate amid pain and need for solutions

by James Coleman The Tri-State Defender

Fielding questions as family members and supporters of victims of violence gathered for the annual Season of Remembrance event, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy outlined law enforcement efforts to address soaring violent crime rates in Memphis, including the city’s record-setting homicide rate.

The AG’s comments came during an interview at the University of Memphis on Monday (Nov. 27). The Season of Remembrance, which predates Mulroy’s election as DA, was his second. “We have an unacceptably high homicide rate, and we all need to come together as a community to do what we can about it. And unless we all come together and work together, we’re not going to be able to stop this scourge of violence,” Mulroy told reporters.

On Nov. 20, it was announced that Memphis suffered its 352nd homicide of the year, a new record. With 32 days left in 2023, the grim statistic has surpassed the previous high of 346, set in 2021. Since the announcement, the number has climbed to 359. The surging rate is often blamed on a revolving door judicial system that turns al-

SEE CRIME ON PAGE 2

Simple and direct, that was the mission statement published on the front page of The Tri-State Defender’s first edition 70-plus years ago. It was a mission statement that reflected the hopes and aspirations of African Americans struggling to grow and develop amid the harsh, inhumane conditions underpinning the reality of the “Jim Crow” South. Upon its founding in 1951 by renowned publisher John H. Sengstacke and over the past 72 years, The Tri-State Defender has been led by a succession of dedicated editors, who have worked diligently to see that the newspaper lives up to its mission statement. Editors such as L.O. Swingler, the Defender’s first editor, and L. Alex Wilson, who was severely beaten by an angry white mob as he covered the desegregation of Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957. For the past 16½ years, The TriState Defender has been guided by Executive Editor Karanja A. Ajanaku,

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Gov. Lee proposes extending school voucher program statewide, to all students by Marta W. Aldrich Chalkbeat Tennessee

Sens. Raumesh Akbari (left) and London Lamar, both of Memphis, listen as Rep. John Ray Clemmons of Nashville criticizes Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s education voucher expansion proposal during a news conference on November 28, 2023. – (Marta W. Aldrich/ Chalkbeat)

Gov. Bill Lee proposed Tuesday to take Tennessee’s education voucher program statewide, starting with up to 20,000 students who would get taxpayer money next school year to attend a private or home school. The Republican governor also called for all K-12 students to be eligible for vouchers beginning in 2025. Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act, offering $7,075 annually for each participant, would mark a massive expansion of eligibility for a voucher program that was billed as a pilot project and is now in its second year. The state’s education savings account program, which currently is limited to three urban counties, has just under 2,000 enrollees. During an announcement in Nashville attended mostly by lawmakers

and allies, Lee said statewide voucher eligibility was his vision for Tennessee during his first gubernatorial campaign in 2018, when he called for more education choices for parents. “Parents know what’s best for their child as it relates to education,” he said, adding that the vouchers would give all Tennessee families the freedom to choose a good fit, whether it’s in public, private, parochial, or home schools. His plan would eventually eliminate income requirements and change who could benefit from the vouchers. Rather than giving students from low-income families an opportunity to attend private schools — the original stated purpose of Lee’s education savings account program — the universal vouchers Lee now proposes could also subsidize tuition costs for students from more affluent families who already attend private schools. It’s uncertain whether the final leg-

islation would hold private or home schools accepting voucher money to the same accountability standards that public schools are subject to, including testing requirements or the A-F letter grades that the state is preparing to give out for the first time in December. “The final details of this legislation aren’t worked out,” Lee told reporters after his announcement. “This is Day One. This will be a legislative effort.” But Lee’s proposal will face a battle when the General Assembly reconvenes in January. Even under a GOP supermajority, Tennessee’s voucher law squeaked through the House of Representatives in 2019, after sponsors agreed to limit the program to a few urban areas. The open-ended cost of universal vouchers will be an issue in a state

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The Tri-State Defender

November 30 - December 6, 2023

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NEWS

CRIME

CONTINUED FROM FRONT leged criminals loose soon after arrest. Critics of the system say that fact puts more pressure on an outmanned area law enforcement agencies as they try to stem the violence. That criticism of a “porous” justice system is mirrored in the example of 18-year-old Edio White. On Thanksgiving Day, 15-year-old Anthony Mason was slain in Binghamton during a robbery. Another 15-year-old, Conner Tucker, is accused of pulling the trigger. Police said White drove the getaway car. He was released on his own recognizance. Both suspects face first-degree murder charges. “Violence is the top priority of this office, and homicide is the worst of all offenses. And we’re going to do everything we can in that case and in every other case we have that’s pending to make sure that justice is done,” said Mulroy. According to the Shelby County Crime Commission, the major violent crime rate has risen 5.6 percent compared to last year’s numbers. It was exceeded by a 9.6 percent rise in Shelby County’s overall crime rate. Folded within the numbers is a 10 percent jump in gun related incidents in Memphis. There were 510 incidents more than the prior year. The county’s top prosecutor also used the event, which brings together family and friends of victims of violence, to outline plans to address Memphis’ soaring violent crime rate.

VOUCHERS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT where financial experts have warned lawmakers recently that Tennessee’s government needs to control spending in coming years. Lee said his voucher proposal would be funded through a separate scholarship account, not the funding structure currently in place for public schools, but he didn’t provide a cost analysis. Lee is trying to ride the momentum of other states with Republican-controlled legislatures — including Florida, Iowa, and Arkansas — that passed massive expansions of their voucher programs this year amid parent anger over pandemic-era school closures and disagreements over what kids are taught in public schools. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a fellow Republican who signed a law in March creating a school voucher program in her state, appeared on stage with Lee for his announcement. She heralded the work of their states as part of a “conservative education revolution,” with vouchers as a centerpiece. More important for the legislative battle ahead were pledges Tuesday by Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally to advance Lee’s voucher agenda. Sexton, a charter school advocate and likely candidate for governor in 2026, voted against Lee’s education savings account bill in 2019 and did not say why he now supports Lee’s proposal. However, the legislature’s Democratic leaders said Lee and GOP leadership are in for a fight — similar to the one in Texas, where a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and rural Republicans beat back Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher bill this month during a special legislative session. During a morning news conference, Tennessee Democrats

Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy speaks during the Season of Remembrance event at the University of Memphis. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The Tri-State Defender) These efforts will include contributions from the U.S. Department of Justice. Tuesday (Nov. 28), it was announced that Memphis will join Houston, becoming the second city to host a Violent Crime Initiative. The data-driven initiative is expected to be accompanied by a surge in federal law enforcement officials, resources, and expertise. These include RICO prosecutors and violent crime experts. They will work closely with the Memphis Police Department forensic experts, along with counterparts with the FBI and the ATF. The influx follows an August summit Mulroy hosted. The conference drew area leadership, including both the Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and the Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. They were joined by leadership of the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon. The meeting brought a consensus on shared priorities took shape, including adding charged that statewide vouchers will weaken public schools and lead to cuts in everything from school personnel to arts and athletic programs, plus increased property taxes for residents. And they pledged to work across the aisle with Republican lawmakers who have been skeptical of vouchers from the outset. “On the House side, we’re already reaching out to local officials to join us in supporting public schools,” said Rep. John Ray Clemmons, a Nashville Democrat and House caucus chairman, noting that public school districts are typically the largest employers in the state’s rural communities. Democrats also warned that, under the governor’s plan, private schools will be able to choose the voucher students they want to accept, especially from families that are already bound for a private education. “What this is is a coupon program for rich families who do not want to pay the full price of tuition,” said Sen. London Lamar of Memphis, leader of the Senate Democratic caucus. Meanwhile, leaders of groups both for and against vouchers said they were mobilizing for the fight ahead. Among the pro-voucher contingent is Americans for Prosperity in Tennessee, part of a conservative network backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, and the American Federation for Children, whose founding chairperson was Michigan billionaire Betsy DeVos. Groups opposing Lee’s plan include the state’s two largest professional organizations for educators, the Tennessee Education Association and Professional Educators of Tennessee. Tennessee has been a battleground state in the school choice movement, with a coalition of conservative political organizations using outof-state money to campaign against incumbent lawmakers

Memphis already has surpassed the previous record high of 346 homicides set in 2021. more teeth to violent crime charges, along with guaranteed prison time for repeat offenders. “With violent crime in particular, we have a number of initiatives that we’re doing just in our DA’s Office,” said Mulroy in the interview. “Once they get to us, I’ve issued instructions that for non-fatal shootings, aggravated assaults, and criminal attempted murder – it’s much harder to dismiss those cases. “There’s a checklist of things we have to do…We have to get approval from the very highest levels of the office before we can dismiss those cases.” Data sharing is also a priority. Mulroy said, “We need to

do a better job of sharing data with each other and keeping track of the data so we can do data-driven decision making. We can bend the curve on this violent crime. You’ll be hearing more about that in the months to come, especially in the new year.” To reduce recidivism among non-violent offenders, discussion centered around better coordinating with intervention programs, like Memphis Allies. The city’s Group Violence Intervention program is another option. Together, the programs could provide a layer of supervision, by adding requirements to probation. Some of the conditions under discussion were drug treatment, along with job training

who oppose vouchers. Lee’s newest proposal, if approved, would put Tennessee on track to become the 10th state to adopt a universal voucher program, joining Arizona, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and West Virginia. But the change would happen before state officials have enough data to evaluate the effectiveness of its current education savings account program, still in its second year of operation. For the 2024-25 school year, Lee proposes to provide 10,000 “scholarships” for students who are considered economically disadvantaged, have a disability, or are eligible for Tennessee’s current education savings account program. Another 10,000 would go to a universal pool of students across the state. Beginning in 2025-26, Tennessee would offer vouchers to any K-12 student. A one-page promotional document circulated by the governor office said Tennessee would prioritize “currently enrolled students, low-income and public school students if demand exceeds available funding.” For years, Tennessee has been in the bottom tier of states in funding public education and remains in the bottom half nationally, even with a $1 billion increase this year as part of Lee’s overhaul of Tennessee’s education funding formula. In 2020-21, before the latest investment, national data ranked the state 37th for per-student funding. And in its annual grades for education funding, the Education Law Center gave Tennessee two F’s for funding level and effort, and a D for funding distribution.

Gov. Bill Lee calls for a statewide education voucher program in Tennessee during an event in Nashville on Nov. 28, 2023, as Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders participates in his announcement. (Photo: Marta W. Aldrich/Chalkbeat)

(Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.)

The Season of Remembrance event has become part of the healing process. and placement. Memphis is plagued with nonviolent offenses, particularly property crimes. In

addition to robberies, these often include vehicle-related crimes, like car thefts or property thefts from break-ins.

The Tri-State Defender

November 30 - December 6, 2023

We hear you. And we’re here to help. All through 2023, we listened — to our clients, teammates and the many communities we serve. And truly hearing what they would like the power to do helped us strengthen our partnerships — and welcome new ones along the way. From couples just starting out to entrepreneurs looking to launch a business, together we accomplished a lot. We can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store. Trevia Chatman President, Bank of America Memphis

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PERSPECTIVE The Tri-State Defender, November 30 - December 6, 2023, Page 4

Black life expectancy jumped by 1.5 years

Overall, American life expectancy still isn’t what is was before COVID Associated Press U.S. life expectancy rose last year — by more than a year — but still isn’t close to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 rise was mainly due to the waning pandemic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers said Wednesday. But even with the large increase, U.S. life expectancy is only back to 77 years, 6 months — about what it was two decades ago. Life expectancy is an estimate of the average number of years a baby born in a given year might expect to live, assuming the death rates at that time hold constant. The snapshot statistic is considered one of the most important measures of the health of the U.S. population. The 2022 calculations released Wednesday (Nov. 29) are provisional, and could change a little as the math is finalized. For decades, U.S. life expectancy rose a little nearly every year. But about a decade ago, the trend flattened and even declined some years — a stall blamed largely on overdose

to a second CDC report released Wednesday. Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. went up slightly last year after two big leaps at the beginning of the pandemic. And through the first six months of this year, the estimated overdose death toll continued to inch up. U.S. life expectancy also continues to be lower than that of dozens of other countries. It also didn’t rebound as quickly as it did in other places, including France, Italy, Spain and Sweden. Steven Woolf, a mortality researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University, said he expects the U.S. to eventually get back to the pre-pandemic life expectancy. But “what I’m trying to say is: That is not a great place to be,” he added. Some other highlights from the new report: — Life expectancy increased for both men and women, and for every racial and ethnic group. — The decline in COVID-19 deaths drove 84 percent of the increase in life expectancy. The next

deaths and suicides. Then came the coronavirus, which has killed more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. since early 2020. The measure of American longevity plunged, dropping from 78 years, 10 months in 2019 to 77 years in 2020, and then to 76 years, 5 months in 2021. “We basically have lost 20 years of gains,” said the CDC’s Elizabeth Arias. A decline in COVID-19 deaths drove 2022’s improvement. In 2021, COVID was the nation’s third leading cause of death (after heart disease and cancer). Last year, it fell to the fourth leading cause. With more than a month left in the current year, preliminary data suggests COVID-19 could end up being the ninth or 10th leading cause of death in 2023. But the U.S. is battling other issues, including drug overdose deaths and suicides. The number of U.S. suicides reached an all-time high last year, and the national suicide rate was the highest seen since 1941, according

Bobby Rush, who was born Emmett Ellis Jr. outside of Homer, Louisiana, turned 90 years old on November 10. Still going strong as a performer, Rush was a headliner at the M-Town Funk & Blues Fest at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts last Saturday (Nov. 25). (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The Tri-State Defender) largest contributor was a decline in heart disease deaths, credited with about 4 percent of the increase. But experts note that heart disease deaths increased during COVID-19, and both factored into many pandemic-era deaths. — Changes in life expectancy varied by race and ethnicity. Hispanic Americans and American Indians and Alaska Natives saw life expectancy rise more than two years in 2022. Black life expectancy rose more than 1 1/2 years. Asian American life expectancy rose one year and white life expectancy rose about 10 months.

But the changes are relative, because Hispanic Americans and Native Americans were hit harder at the beginning of COVID-19. Hispanic life expectancy dropped more than four years between 2019 and 2021, and Native American life expectancy fell more than six years. “A lot of the large increases in life expectancy are coming from the groups that suffered the most from COVID,” said Mark Hayward, a University of Texas sociology professor who researches how different factors affect adult deaths. “They had more to rebound from.”

COMMENTARY

Last-minute effort to rescue controversial surveillance program sparks concerns by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Bipartisan efforts are reportedly underway among US congressional leaders to salvage the controversial Section 702 surveillance program, with a last-minute provision possibly slipping into the crucial National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Private talks between Republican and Democratic leaders, leaking late last week, have raised concerns about House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer attempting to revive Section 702 without the support of their party members. Section 702, part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA),

has faced criticism for its alleged misuse by the FBI, allowing warrantless access to the communications of various groups, including protesters, activists, donors, journalists, and even members of Congress. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging Congress to reconsider reauthorizing Section 702 in the NDAA. In a letter co-signed by 30 civil society groups, the ACLU opposes any attempt to include this authority in “must-pass” legislation. According to Kia Hamadanchy, Senior Policy Counsel at the ACLU, using the NDAA to reauthorize Section 702 without full legislative scrutiny betrays the public’s trust. Hamadanchy warned that the ACLU will oppose the legislation if the NDAA includes an extension allowing Sec-

tion 702 to persist beyond April 2024 without fundamental reforms. “To use the NDAA to reauthorize a mass spying program that has been so flagrantly abused without going through the full legislative process and robust debate betrays the public’s trust,” Hamadanchy said. “If congressional leadership includes an extension that allows Section 702 to continue to operate beyond April 2024 – and which does not include fundamental reforms – the American Civil Liberties Union will have no choice but to oppose the NDAA and score the vote. Members must reverse course before it’s too late.” Elizabeth Goiten, senior director of Liberty and National Security at the Brennan Center for Justice, add-

ed historical context. After 9/11, the government sought to evade FISA’s constraints by claiming inherent executive authority. Goiten stressed the importance of addressing gaps in FISA’s exclusivity provision, preventing the government from obtaining sensitive data without legal restrictions and bypassing oversight. “There is ample reason for concern that the government is exploiting these gaps to collect some of the most sensitive data Americans generate without adhering to FISA’s requirements, including by purchasing it from data brokers,” Goiten asserted. “Congress should fill the holes in FISA’s exclusivity provision and bar the government from buying its way around FISA and other legal re-

The controversial Section 702 surveillance program, which is part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), has faced criticism for its alleged misuse by the FBI, allowing warrantless access to the communications of various groups, including protesters, activists, donors, journalists, and even members of Congress. strictions on governmental access to Americans’ data.” (Follow Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent, @StacyBrownMedia)

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The Tri-State Defender

November 30 - December 6, 2023

RELIGION

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Songsgiving delivered! TSD Newsroom

illed as “An Evening of Praise and Thanksgiving,” Songsgiving at New Life of Memphis Church, 6825 Holmes Rd., was as good as advertised. The Sunday night (November 19) affair began about 6 p.m. and for two-plus hours afterward, praise and thanksgiving unfolded against a backdrop of soul-stirring music. From the outset, worshippers were invited to rise to their feet, clap their hands and join in as if part of “big mass choir” singing “Magnify Him.” They readily joined in. The talent-ladened evening featured multiple mu-

(Photos: William Weeks/The Tri-State Defender)

sical voices. Among them were Bishop Kevin B. Willis Sr., K.J. Willis, Pastor Cortney Richardson, Leslie Ross, Jonathan Chandler, Julian Cross, Pastor Courtney Franklin and Pastor Derrel Petties. Bishop Willis’ closing prayer included an observation and a reminder: “It’s been an awesome year. What a way to end the year, giving God praise. … We pray that as we go down from this place – and we are going down from this place – that Your presence will remain with us. “As we walk through this season of thanksgiving, remind us that we don’t have to wait until Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) to tell you thanks. Every day is a day of thanksgiving.”

The Tri-State Defender

November 30 - December 6, 2023

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Tri-State Defender Editor and General Manager L. Alex Wilson was assaulted during the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock in 1957. (Photo: Will Counts Collection, Indiana University Archives)

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CONTINUED FROM FRONT who took on the additional role of Associate Publisher in 2018. From the outset, Ajanaku aspired for the newspaper “to chronicle the African-American community becoming a model for African Americans regarding building upon the best of John H. the community’s past and Sengstacke getting the most out of its potential, including generating wealth to ‘save its children.’” This week, as The Tri-State Defender and some of its community partners acknowledge and celebrate its 72-year legacy, Deidre

“To uphold the principle of equality of opportunity in employment, education, politics, and all fields of human endeavor.” – L.O. Swingler, the Tri-State Defender’s founding editor Malone, vice president of the newspaper’s ownership group, summed up Ajanaku’s leadership with these words: “Dr. Ajanaku is a pure journalist and leads The Tri-State Defender with a steady hand. It has not been easy, but we know, and our readers know that the quality of reporting from The TriState Defender is specific to an African-American audience that has a voice through the TSD media platforms in large part due to the leadership and passion of Dr. Ajanaku.”

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COMMUNITY The Tri-State Defender, November 30 - December 6, 2023, Page 8

Restoration of Historic Melrose High School taking shape by Florence M. Howard Special to The Tri-State Defender

A multi-million-dollar redevelopment of the old Melrose High School has received a major financial boost thanks to $3 million in federal funding. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis announced the funding Monday (Nov. 27) at the historic building as Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and jubilant Melrose alumni celebrated the announcement. The historic building at 843 Dallas is the iconic landmark of prep sports glory, cultural pride and a once-thriving African-American business community. It is the first neighborhood in America to be built by and for African Americans, and the Melrose redevelopment is considered a major piece in the neighborhood’s reinvigoration. The original Melrose building was built in 1938, closed in 1979 and declared a historical landmark in 2001. Current plans for the revitalized building – a $16 million project – include a job training center, a large library with a children’s library, a genealogy center and senior living apartments for two dozen seniors on the top floor of the three-story building. Alumni member Hazel Glover-Jones plans to be among the occupants when it opens next fall. She said the old school stayed vacant for years until Mary Mitchell organized the Orange Mound Heritage. Melrose Alumni Association President Denise Williams Greene said that the “Re-Imagine Historic Melrose” project started in 2022 while mayor-elect Paul Young was head of the Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development and Jevonte Green, a Melrose graduate, was a HCD staff member. According to the Melrose Alumni Association, the school’s history began in 1890 when District 18 School of Shelby County was established. There, the children were educated in a two-story framed, unheated building.

The redevelopment of the old Melrose High School is expected to be completed in time for residents to move into the senior living apartments by next fall.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen secured $3 million in federal community grant funding for the Melrose redevelopment project. The residents believed in family values and education, so the school became an important part of the community. The school’s name was later changed in honor of Dr. Melrose, a philanthropist and humanitarian, who gave much of his service to school, civic, and community activities. Messick to the north in the Buntyn community was the school for whites, and Melrose in Orange Mound was the school for Blacks. Students attended Melrose in grades 1 through 8 and Booker T. Washington for high school. When Fannie M. Kneeland was ap-

Mayor Jim Strickland listens as a supporter of the Melrose redevelopment project speaks to its value.

pointed principal of the newly named Melrose School, she was also the only teacher. Melrose grew to a three-teacher school and graduated its first class, a group of five girls in 1894. When the city annexed the area in 1919 and Melrose became part of the city school system, students were educated in an 11-classroom, outmoded stucco structure. In 1929, a reporter from the Memphis Press-Scimitar visited the school and reported many conditions that needed remedy, “…ill-heated, illlighted, ill-kept, bad in itself, with

(Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The Tri-State Defender)

Forgotten Souls Fall Festival – 2023 Each year for the past 18 Thanksgivings, Stanley “Cam Mtenzi” Campbell and the House of Mtenzi Museum at 1289 Madison Avenue have stepped forward to feed and clothe the homeless with the help of community partners.

‘temporary’ additions … propped up on wooden pegs and roofed only with a species of paper.” The building, considered to be a firetrap, was three-quarters of a mile from the car lines, and the surroundings were muddy. There were no electric lights, and the janitor used a lantern. The 703 students were crowded, using the cloakrooms as extra classrooms. William Alexander Lynk was principal, and the reporter gave high marks to Lynk and his faculty. A new building was badly needed.

Hazel Glover-Jones, a member of the Melrose Alumni Association, has plans to live in the senior living apartments that are part of the redevelopment of the old Melrose High School. (Photos: Screen captures) To avoid a fire hazard to schoolchildren, city officials obtained financing for a new building. Upon completion of the new building, the smaller Park Avenue School was closed, and its students were sent to Melrose. Completed in 1937, the new Melrose School building had 24 classrooms, a library, offices, a health department clinic, sanitary conveniences on each floor and provision for future classrooms and an auditorium. As noted in The Memphis Press-Scimitar (Nov. 16, 1937), “It will be fireproof. It will be for ‘Negroes’.” Shortly afterwards in 1938, Melrose and Park Avenue Schools merged when the new brick, steel, concrete, and fireproof building was constructed with 79 classrooms, a well-equipped library, three science laboratories, two soundproof music rooms, a shop building, and a combination cafeteria-auditorium on the 11.65-acre campus. In 1972, Melrose High School moved to its present location at 2870 Deadrick Avenue. In 1979, LaVaughn Bridges was appointed principal. In compliance with the “middle school” concept, the seventh and eighth grades were removed in 1995. Since then, Melrose High School has served grades 9 through 12. In 1997, Melrose was cited by the Memphis Education Association as School of the Year. In 1999, it was designated as a Title I School. In 2004, Melrose was again chosen as School of the Year by the Memphis Education Association. The Melrose High School Alumni Association is a 501(c)(3) organization with chapters in Memphis, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles. (For more information, visit https:// melrosealumniassociation.com.)

The Tri-State Defender

November 30 - December 6, 2023

NEWS

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Jim Holt set to retire after guiding Memphis in May for 25 years TSD Newsroom James L. “Jim” Holt, who has served as president/CEO of the Memphis in May International Festival for 25-plus years, will retire effective January 31, 2024. “I have been contemplating retirement for a few years, but I wanted to help guide the organization through the unforeseen challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as our displacement and eventual return to Tom Lee Park and the riverfront,” Holt shared in a letter to Al Gossett, Memphis in May’s 2024 board chairman. Following Holt’s retirement, long-time Memphis in May executive, Mack Weaver, will assume the role of Interim President on February 1, 2024. Weaver is the organization’s executive vice president and

“I have been contemplating retirement for a few years, but I wanted to help guide the organization through the unforeseen challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” — Jim Holt has served in the capacity of chief financial officer since January 1999. Holt assumed the role of executive director of the non-profit organization in October 1998. During his tenure, he oversaw: • Growth of the Beale Street Music Festival and World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest to national and international acclaim. • Introduction of the Great American River Run. • Salutes to 22 honored counties, and • Production of the 2019 Bicentennial celebration for

the City of Memphis and Shelby County. Gossett said Holt’s “expertise and dedication have played a pivotal role in shaping Memphis in May into a renowned month-long celebration and a destination for Memphis and the entire Mid-South region. He has built a highly capable and experienced team, and we are deeply grateful for his contributions.” In his retirement letter, Holt termed it “an extraordinary privilege” to serve Memphis in May. “Together with our remarkable team, board leadership,

CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL NOTICE Request for Bids RFB Number 19-1423-40-01 CARGO BUILDING 4 ROOF REPLACEMENT

Packet with submittal instructions, additional data, and response format may be found on the Authority’s website on or after November 30, 2023.

Sealed bids for Cargo Building 4 Roof Replacement will be received by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, Memphis International Airport, 4150 Louis Carruthers Drive, Memphis, TN 38118, until 2:00 PM local time, on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. Responses will be opened and publicly read thirty (30) minutes after the response deadline via Microsoft Teams Meeting. Join Teams Meeting:

A pre-bid meeting will be held Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. in the Authority’s Board Room on the Mezzanine level, Terminal B of the Memphis International Airport, 2491 Winchester Road, Memphis, TN 38116. Attendees, please register at www. eventbrite.com.

Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer, mobile app or room device. Click here to join the meeting Or call in (audio only) Meeting ID: 214 058 570 89 +1 872-242-8851,233975547# United States, Chicago Phone Conference ID: 233 975 547# Passcode: JgcCfd A complete Request for Bids

All Respondents 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 preference to businesses located in Shelby County, Tennessee when awarding contracts and making purchases, unless prohibited by law. The successful Bidder 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, Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment, Domestic Preferences for Procurements, 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 Bids in whole or in part; to waive any informalities, technicalities, or omissions related to this Request for Bids 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: Terry Blue, A.A.E. President Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority

and the hundreds of dedicated volunteers and supporters throughout this organiMack zation, Weaver we have achieved significant milestones and navigated both challenges and triumphs. … I have full confidence in our capable team and leadership, who will continue to guide Memphis in May toward even greater success in the future.” (For more information, visit www.memphisinmay.org.)

Memphis in May International Festival (MIM) selected Ghana as its honored nation for 2020. Charles Ewing (left), who served as chairman of the MIM Board, and MIM President James L. “Jim” Holt (right) traveled to Ghana to collaborate with Dr. Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso, Traditional Chief of Asante Juaben; President, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce; President, Pan African Chamber of Commerce and leader of Ghana’s Private Sector Council. (Courtesy photo)

SPORTS

The Tri-State Defender, November 30 - December 6, 2023, Page 10

Under construction: laboring Grizzlies thumped at home by Timberwolves Terry Davis

Special to The Tri-State Defender

If – as star guard Desmond said – the Memphis Grizzlies are “still a work in progress early in the season,” the labor is clearly wearing on the team’s mentality. “Pissed. Guys are definitely frustrated,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said after the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves (12-4) ruled the court at FedExForum, sending the Grizzlies to their eighth home loss with a 11997 thumping on Sunday. “They know that we’ve got to play better.” Winless at home, the Grizzlies (313) have got to play with more urgency and togetherness and be more dialed in, said Jenkins. “I mean, these guys are pissed. They should be; that’s what’s motivating them. We’re clearly not getting the results and the play that we need. We know what we’re capable of. We’re just not fully doing it right now. “These guys are grasping for it; they’re fighting for it. We talked about in the locker room, heard the things that they were saying like, ‘we got to be better.’” Minnesota, which occupies first place in the Western Conference, jumped on the Grizzlies from the start, taking a 15-3 lead and forcing Jenkins to call two timeouts in the first three minutes. The Grizzlies got back into the game, pulling within two points (26-24) with 55 seconds left in the opening quarter and were down by five heading into the second. The Timberwolves again turned

into dominators in the second quarter outscoring Memphis 29-17 to take a commanding (60-43) lead into halftime. Former Grizzlies star point guard Terry Mike Conley had Davis a season high 4 three-pointers in the first half, highlighting the fact that Memphis is last in the NBA in allowing points beyond the arc. At the end of the third quarter, Minnesota led by 24 (90-66). In the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies made a run and cut the deficit to a dozen (102-90). The Timberwolves quickly responded with three back-to-back three-pointers and put the Grizzlies’ fire. Conley had his best three-point shooting game of the season for Minnesota. He connected on 6 three-pointers and scored 18 points, along with 10 assists. It was Conley’s first double-double of the season. Minnesota, which made 15 three-pointers in the game, was led by Anthony Edwards, who scored 24 points and had 6 assists. Karl Anthony-Towns had 18 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 points. Minnesota outrebounded the Grizzlies 42-35. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 18-points. Santi Aldama had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Derrick Rose had 14 points off the bench and Bismack Biyombo had 10 points. Ziaire

Derrick Rose, who has been used cautiously this season, had one of his better games for the Grizzlies against the Phoenix Suns. He scored 17 points in 21 minutes in the 110-89 loss to Phoenix at FedExForum. Afterwards, Rose talked about the team’s communication issues on defense: “If we’re not going to talk on the defensive end, there’s no way in hell we’re going to win these games. That’s just honestly speaking. Communication is huge in this league, especially on this level.” (Photos: Terry Davis/The Tri-State Defender) Williams had 11 points and David Roddy had 11 points off the bench. Jaylen Nowell, who is on a 10-day contract, played 12 minutes and scored 4 points. For the Grizzlies, the countdown to the return of two-time All-Star Ja Morant from his NBA suspension is down to 9 games. His first home game is projected to be on Dec. 21. Meanwhile, Bane, who scored 13 points, along with 4 assists and two rebounds, was asked if the Grizzlies, whom many thought could weather the loss of Morant and still be in the hunt for the conference title, had lost their edge. “I wouldn’t say that we’ve lost the edge. I think that we just got some guys that are in new positions and new roles, and we’re kind of trying to find our new identity, our new man-

tra, he said. “Before, guys that have been in a program for a while and we’ve all played together for a while, it was kind of natural, but we’re still a work in progress early in the season.” Next The Grizzlies will continue the pursuit of their first win this season at FedExForum when they host the Utah Jazz (5-11) on Wednesday (Nov. 29) at 7 p.m. Quote’em Head coach Taylor Jenkins on the play of Nowell Jenkins, who got his first action via a 10-day contract: “Good burst. Obviously, a guy that can come in and score the ball

… hasn’t really had any practice time with us. Told him go out there and just play within the offense, play simple. He was actually dialed in on the game plan defensively, did a really good job there. “Came in, thought he moved the ball well. … His ball movement was really good, trying to get connected with his teammates after just a couple of days. I was really impressed, and we’ll see moving forward….” Jenkins on getting the opportunity: “Oh, it’s everything. It’s a blessing. You know, just been waiting and trying to learn how these guys play, (and the) playbook, and for Coach to throw me out there today. I just wanted to make a positive impact without scoring. I just wanted to come in and provide a spark.”

Battle-tested in the Bahamas, Tigers talk of fighting forward TSD Newsroom Down on a mat that was 35-points deep in the second half, Penny Hardaway’s University of Memphis Tigers decided to “fight to the end” of the championship game in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas on Saturday. That they did – and pulled within 14 before losing 79-63 to a highly-executing Villanova team – left Hardaway and the 5-1 Tigers sifting through what the starting point guard, Jahvon Quinerly, called a “wake us up” experience for building blocks for going forward. “Coming down here to this tournament, wanted to play against the best, got the opportunity to play three good games, got to the championship game. Man, what a great experience,” Hardaway said. “Obviously we wanted to win, but lost to a really good Villanova team that executed, made shots, played great D, stayed together. … “And we’ll just have to learn from this as a staff and as a team. This one will go on me because the true Memphis basketball was in that second half. And definitely it was good to see my team fight to the end.” Villanova used a 12-0 run late in the first half to lead by as many as 30. The Tigers’ deficit ballooned to 35 midway through the second half when Memphis, which shot just 15 percent in the first half, respond-

Jaykwon Walter looks for an opening with Villanova’s Mark Armstrong on defense. (Photo: gotigersgo.com) ed with a press and 21 unanswered points on 9-of-11 shooting. Quinerly’s nine points helped the Tigers get within 14 with 4 1/2 minutes to go before the monster rally ended. “I told the team, ‘Let’s have some pride. Let’s go out there and leave it on the floor,’” Quinerly said. “Villanova was the more disciplined team…. I played for Villanova (6-1) before; that’s a winning culture over there. And we (the Tigers) needed something like this, I feel like, to wake us up.” Quinerly provided a peak into the Tigers’ locker room during the half-

time break. “I was just trying to keep everybody calm. And tensions were high, but at the end of the day, like I said, I feel like we needed something like this…. We beat two good teams (Michigan and the then-No. 20-ranked Arkansas) out here, and I feel like we kind of let off the gas pedal a little bit.” Hardaway acknowledged that it seemed as if everything that could go wrong did so in the first half for the Tigers. “That first half was definitely a nightmare because we couldn’t make a shot, we couldn’t get a rebound,

we couldn’t do anything right,” Hardaway said. “And you could just see the team just losing confidence by the second, and we never changed momentum. So that’s, to me, on a bad coaching job in the first half. Couching his next remarks as “not really changing the tone,” Hardaway said, ot making excuses, Hardaway said, “But we don’t really have everything in yet that I usually use. So, we kind of had to stay with what we had. “And in the second half the guys just said, ‘Hey, we’re just going to go all out. We’re going to prove that we are better than what we showed in the first half’ … definitely was proud of that effort.” TJ Bamba scored 13 points and all of Villanova’s starters scored in double figures. David Jones scored 13 points, Quinery 12 and Caleb Mills 10 for the Tigers, who made only 7 of 25 from beyond the three-point arc. Next up for the Tigers is battle in Oxford, Mississippi against Ole Miss on Saturday (Dec. 2). “We can’t take this entire weekend and just be in the dumps because we lost to a good team. We beat two really good teams,” said Hardaway, answering yet another question about getting up off the mat after the championship game drubbing. “(We) go right on the road when we get home, three more really good teams (Ole Miss, VCU, Texas A&M). So, we’re trying to build for March

“We can’t take this entire weekend and just be in the dumps because we lost to a good team (Villanova in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game in the Bahamas). We beat two really good teams (Michigan and Arkansas). ... We got to go on to the next thing…. It’s only a loss if we don’t learn from it.” -UofM Coach Penny Hardaway. (Screen capture)

Jahvon Quinerly: “Every team needs a wake-up call. So hopefully this is our wake-up call” (Screen capture) and April … that’s what this tournament did for us. It’s getting us prepared … we’ll go back and regroup and be ready for the next game…. “We got to go on to the next thing…. It’s only a loss if we don’t learn from it.” (This story includes a report by the Associated Press.)

The Tri-State Defender — November 30 - December 6, 2023

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by James Coleman The Tri-State Defender