The New Tri-State Defender - December 2-8, 2021

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December 2 - 8, 2021

VOL. 70, No. 48

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Private service serves as farewell to Young Dolph

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“Long live the King of Memphis,” the Rev. Keith Norman told an intimate gathering of about 200 that attended the private funeral services held for renowned Memphis rapper Young Dolph on Tuesday.

“Music, all kinds of music, are genres from God,” said Norman, who delivered the eulogy at First Baptist Church-Broad, where he is the pastor.

“King of Memphis” was the debut studio album by Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., who solidified a loyal and widespread fan base as Young Dolph with the February 2016 release.

The album project was produced

by Dolph’s label, Paper Route Empire.

Dolph was gunned down on the early afternoon of Nov. 17 while purchasing cookies from Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies on Airways Blvd. in South Memphis.

News of his violent death stunned Memphis and beyond. And with ongoing concern that the ambush might lead to more violence, police cordoned off the area around the church, where admittance was limited.

“There were a lot of young people there,” said Pastor Rodney Herron, pastor of St. James Baptist Church in the Castalia community, where Young Dolph has attended from a child. “He had family, close friends,

Deputies to remain in schools after agreement

by Samantha West Chalkbeat

The casket bearing the remains of Young Dolph is readied for transport outside of First Baptist Church-Broad, where a private service was held for the slain Memphis rapper on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of N.J. Ford & Sons Funeral Home.) and artists on his record label. But, the number allowed was small.”

A pervasive police presence secured the gathering, both inside the

church and around the perimeter of church grounds. Metal detectors were

SEE DOLPH ON PAGE 2

Audience participation – no matter how young the audience member – is a built-in part of the performances orchestrated by musician Ekpe Abioto. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Music made for healing right on time at Cummings

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Ekpe Abioto and Company staged a colorful spectacle of African drumming, dancing and singing that brought some joy back to Cummings K-8 Optional School, according to principal Dwana McGuire.

Traditional native dances by two women in the troupe interpreted the drumming of Abioto and the other musicians. The movement roused students from their seats as they sang

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along and interacted with the performers.

McGuire said the Nov. 30 program was good for her students’ well-being.

“We felt the children should have this experience because we wanted the opportunity to bring some joy back into the building,” said McGuire. “We have been through a very traumatic time. And so, this is a way for us to combine the music and learn some history about the music and drumming that we don’t necessarily know in a fun way.”

Cummings was the scene of a Sept. 30

shooting involving two 13-year-old male students. The victim did recover from his wounds.

“It was a very difficult time, but I would say we are 100 percent back to ourselves,” said McGuire. “And so, we’ve been able to navigate those waters very carefully, but really focusing in on making sure we are improving, learning and growing every day. We’ve just been keeping our eyes on the prize.”

Abioto used the drums to lead the children

SEE CUMMINGS ON PAGE 2

After months of tense community debate, the Shelby County Schools board voted to keep sheriff’s deputies in schools and renewed its agreement with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

The board unanimously passed the memorandum of understanding with the Sheriff’s Office at a Tuesday evening meeting, but not before adding an amendment to address community concerns and national conversations about negative interactions between students and campus police.

Per the agreement, Shelby County Schools will pay the Sheriff’s Office $50,000 for 36 deputies who will patrol assigned schools. The district also employs about 100 of its own school resource officers who are not governed by the agreement.

This year’s memorandum includes some changes, such as an additional 16 hours of training for school-based deputies and a job description that also includes mentoring students, fostering positive relationships with law enforcement, and de-escalating conflicts rather than funneling students into the criminal justice system.

After much discussion and several public comments, the board added an amendment requiring officers to follow all board policies — including refraining from interrogating students without parental consent, a concern many students and advocates have voiced over several months.

While the rule was already a district policy, board members demanded its inclusion in the formal agreement with the Sheriff’s Office, emphasizing that they appreciated the courage it took for student advocates to speak out their frustrations with policing in schools.

Board member Stephanie Love said the memorandum must reflect concerns students have expressed after months of board debate.

“On the outside looking in, it would appear that everyone has wasted their time because it’s just a simple MOU. Why couldn’t all of that have been included?” she asked before the amendment passed.

Board member Miska Clay Bibbs said documents should outlive and detail one-on-one conversations.

“We want to ensure the document reflects all of the conversations being had,” she said.

However, the contract doesn’t address all the concerns expressed

by Memphis’ grassroots Counsel-

SEE DEPUTY ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

December 2 - 8, 2021

Page 2

NEWS DOLPH

CONTINUED FROM FRONT also used to screen those attending the service, according to Herron.

The highlights of the service including expressions from Thornton’s two young children.

“There were so many people who wanted to pay tribute to Young Dolph,” said Herron.

“Many of his friends, some he has known from childhood, got up to make remarks concerning his death. His son and daughter spoke very well. He (the son) is about eight or nine, and, I guess, his little daughter must be about six or seven.

“Their mother walked them up to the front and stood with them because they wanted to say something, but she did not speak.”

Final arrangements were not publicly announced because of security and privacy concerns for the family. Thornton was buried in a South Memphis cemetery, which also was not disclosed.

On Nov. 24, a week after Thornton’s homicide, his family released a brief statement: “There are no words that exist, that suffi-

ciently express the pain we are feeling as a family. Losing Adolph, Dolph, Main-Main, changes our lives forever. And while we will take each day as it comes, we are comforted in knowing that he leaves a legacy that reflects his heart. A heart that was for his family. A heart that was for the people.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of love.

We are grateful that his godly obligation to show kindness to the world is being acknowledged.

“As a family, we were blessed to call him our son, our nephew, our brother, our cousin, our partner and our Father. And now, we have the honor of calling him our angel. A role he has always played.”

The investigation into Dolph’s killing is on-going. According to police, two gunmen drove up in a white, two-door Mercedes, brandishing weapons, just as Thornton exited his car and entered the shop. Both suspects open fired, hitting Thornton multiple times. They returned to their vehicle and sped away.

Video has been released of the killers and police are still asking for tips. The family has also offered $500,000 for information leading to the suspects.

DEPUTY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Anyone who can help solve the case is being asked to call CrimeStoppers at: (901) 528-2274 (CASH).

N.J. Ford and Sons had charge of final arrangements.

CUMMINGS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT in a call and response of affirmations: “I am a genius. I respect my teachers. I love my parents…”

Students repeated the words and danced to the drums. There was comedy and laughter; lots and lots of laughter.

Abioto said drumming brings happiness because children understand it.

“Children, by nature, even though they are not exposed to drumming, gravitate to it,” said Abioto. “We have traveled all over the country, and it is always thrilling to see. Our people respond, especially children, because culture is the cure.

“We recognize the language of the drums in a deep, primal place within. Drumming is the language of the village. It is universal to African peoples, and we respond with dancing. The drums are purveyors of joy.”

Tuesday’s early afternoon program also featured a pledge, composed by McGuire, that students took, repeating after their principal line by line. They promised to never touch a gun, always respect other people, and to be obedient to their parents and teachers.

“I wrote the pledge for our children,” said McGuire. “My thing for Cummings is love. So, in every thing we do, we make sure that the students are at the forefront of our decision-making. It was easy to get back to our routine since we are here because we love them. This is a trauma-informed school. Cummings is a safe haven for them, a place where they know they can come and be loved.”

McGuire said there are a number of sources for assistance, not only to the students but to the parents as well.

“If the parents are not doing well, it’s very difficult for the students to do well,” said McGuire. “We want to help address issues with the parents which may adversely effect a student’s ability to learn in the classroom.”

Abioto’s motivational learning workshops for children have been facilitated all over the nation.

Their positive messages of developing self-esteem, creative thinking, drug prevention, gang awareness and anti-gun violence have been well received by students and administrators, alike.

The versatile musician plays a number of instruments, including the flute, saxophone and the kalimba (African instrument, better known as the thumb piano).

Abioto is presently promoting two CDs: “I

Referencing the tragedy of one young student shooting another, Principal Dwana McGuire said it was “a very difficult time” for Cummings K-8 Optional School, adding, “… I would say we are 100 percent back to ourselves. … We’ve just been keeping our eyes on the prize.” (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Ekpe Abioto: “It is disheartening what is happening to our children. … Gun violence is destroying them, but the cure is in the culture.”

Am a Genius” and “The Spirit of African Music.” His interactive music video, “Don’t Touch A Gun,” has been recognized and used as an effective tool in teaching students of all ages to stay away from guns.

It is disheartening what is happening to our children,” said Abioto. “Gun violence is destroying them, but the cure is in the culture. I have traveled throughout Africa, and there is

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a zero murder rate because people don’t have guns. Only police officers have guns. And all I have ever seen them do is direct traffic. It is because of the culture. Our cure is in our culture.”

While a student at Shelby State (now Southwest Tennessee Technical College) in the mid-1970s, Abioto was a music major, with a minor in drama.

He later studied with African musician and master drummer Souleymane Diop of Senegal.

ors Not Cops campaign.

Paul Garner, who has spearheaded the movement, called the board’s action a “huge disappointment.” He said nothing of substance changed from the district’s last agreement with the Sheriff’s Office.

“They left so many of the valid concerns that youth and advocates have been bringing up for months unaddressed,” Garner said.

“Essentially, they just voted to uphold the status quo and perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline.”

As of Tuesday evening, over 1,300 community members had written letters to board members and administrators, demanding the district end its ties with the Sheriff’s Office in order to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. The term refers to the likelihood that students of color and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds will become entangled in the criminal justice system early in life and continue that burden into adulthood because of law enforcement presence in schools.

An April Brookings Institution report found that school policing criminalizes typical adolescent behavior, escalating cutting class to a truancy charge and graffiti on bathroom walls to a vandalism charge, for example. In addition, data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights shows that school resource officers are more than twice as likely to refer Black students for prosecution compared with their white peers.

Instead of spending $50,000 to have sheriff’s deputies patrolling schools, advocates urged the board to use the funds to add more counselors, social workers, nurses, and other staff to address mental health concerns and conflict resolution in schools.

In an interview Tuesday, student Zahra Chowdhury said she was inspired to advocate to remove law enforcement from schools after a friend told her about an experience she had with a school resource officer who handcuffed her in eighth grade because she got into an argument with another student.

“Counselors and psychologists and social workers are people who know how to work with youth,” said Chowdhury, a student representative with Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope.

And more of them are needed, Chowdhury said. Fellow students often tell her that they either don’t know who their school counselor is, or they don’t feel comfortable asking overwhelmed counselors for help.

An ACLU report found that in 2015, schools in Shelby County, including other municipal districts, had 1 counselor for every 414 students — compared with the American School Counselor Association’s recommendation of 1 counselor for every 250 students.

While Superintendent Joris Ray said he, fellow administrators, and the board heard and appreciated community concerns about police in schools and increasing student mental health challenges, he highlighted the district’s recent focus on social and emotional learning.

Ray estimated the board has recently allocated about $100 million to mental health supports such as the expansion of the district’s ReSET rooms, designated classrooms for students to regroup after an argument or emotional outburst.

“I don’t think approving an MOU for $50,000 will interfere with that work,” Ray said. “I believe in keeping our students safe, and that’s not an ‘either or’ with social-emotional learning.

We can do both.”

The New Tri-State Defender

December 2 - 8, 2021

Page 3

NEWS

Stacey Abrams vowed to “put my head down and keep working toward one Georgia.”

(Screen Capture)

Stacey Abrams is running for Governor of Georgia The Democrat would give her party a midterm boost by winning

by Keith Reed Theroot.com

It’s official: Stacey Abrams has her eyes on the Georgia governor’s mansion.

Abrams announced in a video posted to her Twitter account on Wednesday afternoon that she plans to be on the ballot to be the Democratic Party’s nominee to try to unseat Republican incumbent Brian Kemp in next year’s race.

Her announcement underscores Georgia’s importance in the crucial 2022 midterm elections. Since her 2018 loss to Kemp, Abrams has become one of the most formidable figures in her party. She built an infrastructure centered around the fight against voter suppression in Georgia, and her organization, Fair Fight PAC, has raised a reported $100 million since 2018. The Atlanta Journal Con-

stitution reports that that surpasses any other candidate for office in 2022 – and that’s only counting money raised through June of this year.

Millions of that money went to help other Georgia Democrats, including U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who rode a wave of anti-Trump sentiment on the way toward turning the once deep-red state purple in 2020.

With all that swirling, Abrams enters a gubernatorial race in what’s become a swing state and what could be a bellwether for broader national political changes, given its rapidly shifting demographics. In Atlanta, the state’s capital and for decades regarded as the nation’s Black cultural and political capital, white voters had a slight participation edge over Black voters in last year’s presidential

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contest. Abrams, herself a Black woman, will be running in a state that now has the highest number of Black women legislators in the nation.

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Abrams has already acknowledged that she’d like to be president one day. Flipping the Georgia governor’s seat would build a lot of momentum.

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, December 2 - 8, 2021, Page 4

Gov. Bill Lee: “Critical race theory is un-American. It fundamentally puts groups of people above the sanctity of the individual, is a fundamental principle of this nation. It’s appropriate that we would not teach critical race theory in this state. (Screen capture)

The battle over critical race theory continues!

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The newswire has been bursting at the seams lately with articles about critical race theory (CRT).

It seems as though there’s a new story or twist to this issue every week, and there’s always a new dimension to the CRT debate that intrigues me.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared my thoughts on this issue. But I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the fireworks to begin.

I’m sure the CRT watchdogs have their antennas up scanning the landscape looking for lawbreakers to prosecute. But honestly, I’m anxiously waiting for the instance in which our state (any state) tries to punish a teacher, school or district for violating these new CRT laws.

But let’s back up just a little bit and refresh our memories about what critical race theory is all about.

While this may seem like a recent issue, the literature on CRT is vast and deep.

Simply put, CRT promotes the notion that the United States is fundamentally or irredeemably sexist or racist and that an individual is inherently privileged, racist or sexist because of their race or gender.

Furthermore, CRT implies that American social institutions (i.e., the criminal justice system, housing market, education system, labor market, and healthcare system) have racism embedded in its regulations, procedures, rules, and laws that lead to differential outcomes by race.

In 2019, Nikole Hannah-Jones, in her New York Times piece, The 1619 Project, lit the fuse for this issue.

The 1619 Project seeks to put the history and effects of enslavement and Black Americans’ contributions to democratic reforms at the center of American history.

Unfortunately, since its release, conservative politicians across the country have used it as a wedge issue to divide their communities and drum up support for political campaigns at local, state and national levels.

As an educator, I cannot remember a time recently when education or a topic with such educational implications has been such a polarizing issue – well, may-

be the Common Core debate.

But in the past, education was mostly a bipartisan affair at the national level. There were gentlemen’s agreement about the need to improve schools for children Curtis from low-income Weathers families through new standards, stricter accountability measures and expanded choice.

In recent years, however, that kind of alignment between parties started to unravel.

The Trump administration can certainly take credit for much of the undoing.

One recent poll (PIE Networks & QUAL Research) found that 42 percent of white voters believe that there is too much focus on “issues related to race and racism.”

That compares to just 7 percent of Black voters, who believe there is not enough focus on such issues.

Asian-American and Hispanic voters were somewhere in between.

In May, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation restricting what public school teachers can discuss in Tennessee classrooms about racism, white privilege and unconscious bias.

Just last month, the state legislature strengthened parts of the bill that dealt with the financial penalties against large school districts that violated the new law.

In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves is calling for a ban on critical race theory, even though there is no evidence that it is being taught in Mississippi public schools.

In a statement from the Mississippi Department of Education, they confirm, “CRT is not part of the state’s academic standards.

In May of this year, Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation restricting what public school teachers can discuss in Tennessee classrooms about racism, white privilege and unconscious bias. (Screen capture) We do not have evidence that it is being taught in Mississippi public schools.”

Lawmakers in Arkansas say that teaching CRT in public schools is “unconstitutional” and are threatening school systems and educators with legal action if caught teaching it in classrooms.

A new law, Act 684, even allows parents to request school officials not to teach certain instructional materials to their children.

CRT has become the new boogie man for right-wing organizations like The Heritage Foundation and media outlets like Fox News.

The Heritage Foundation has attributed a host of issues to CRT, including the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ organizations in schools and diversity training in federal agencies (which they somehow see as divisive).

“When followed to its logical conclusion, CRT is destructive and rejects the fundamental ideas on which our constitutional republic is based,” says The Heritage Foundation.

All of this would be laughable if it weren’t so serious.

Many think this issue is simply impossible to enforce. It is challenging, to say the least, to police what goes on inside hundreds of thousands of classrooms.

But many educators fear that such laws

could have a chilling effect on teachers who might self-censor their lessons out of concern for student, parent, or administrator complaints.

Indeed, many of them are struggling to teach topics like the American Civil War or the Civil Rights Movement or use any text by an African- American author because many of them teach or write about racism to various extents.

Some teachers have made it clear, however, that they have no intentions of playing by rules. They vehemently disagree with the direction this issue is headed and the negative impact it can have on teaching and learning in the classroom.

When it’s all said and done, people are simply pushing for this nation to reflect its true ideals. The only way this can properly occur is by acknowledging the systemic barriers that prevent us from getting there.

Systemic racism is not simply a thing of the past. It is up close and personal, and people of color contend with its implications on a daily basis.

This issue may slow or disfigure the teaching and learning of Black history for a while, but I can assure you, educators who care will find a way.

(Follow TSD education columnist Curtis Weathers on Twitter (@curtisweathers); email: curtislweathers@gmail.com.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

December 2 - 8, 2021

Page 5

RELIGION

Union Valley’s Dr. H. O. Kneeland dead at 90; pastor for 60 years

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The Rev. Herbert O. Kneeland, longtime pastor of Union Valley Baptist Church, died at his home on Sunday (Nov. 28) after an extended illness. He was 90.

Linda Kneeland Holland said her father had just left the hospital on Saturday, the day before his death.

“I will miss my father,” said Holland. “But I know he was ready to go home and be with the Lord. I heard him saying over and over, ‘Mercy, Lord, please come and take me.’ And quickly, the Lord did just that. I guess it was around noon when Daddy took his last breath.”

Among the expressions of grief and condolences to the family is a statement released on Monday by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis, who said: “Pastor Kneeland shepherded and served his community in all its needs and was an inspiration to us all. He

was the Dean of the clergy pastoring thousands and mentoring dozens and dozens. His life of good deeds will be felt in Memphis for years to come.”

Kneeland cut his teeth in the pastorate at Woodstock Baptist Church, a small congregation in Frayser, at a time when Frayser was still the country, Kneeland often said.

“I was pastor at Woodstock for two years before the Lord brought me over to Union Valley,” Kneeland told The New Tri-State Defender in 2018.

“I guess you could say the church and I have grown up together. For 60 years, it has been my life. I have been as close to some members as I was to my own family.”

A young and zealous Kneeland took a small but faithful congregation from a few members to more than 2,000 over the years. His energetic preaching and passion for ministry swept over South Memphis.

In 1968, Kneeland joined other ministers who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in support of the

Spirit-filled Sunday ...

The Rev. Dr. Rickey L. Dugger Sr. offers a prayer during service at Norris Avenue Missionary Baptist Church, 1437 Norris Rd., last Sunday (Nov. 28). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

A century plus one ...

Raines Avenue Baptist Church was the venue for the celebration of Ester Mason’s 101st birthday last Sunday. Helping him celebrate was his wife, Hazel Mason, and their daughter, Patsy Dugger, the wife of the Rev. Dr. Rickey L. Dugger Sr., pastor of Norris Avenue Missionary Baptist Church. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

striking sanitation workers.

Kneeland’s first order of business was to create a building fund drive for the church. His vision for growth and effective outreach would call for more expansive grounds and a larger sanctuary. In less than a year, the church had raised enough to purchase the present site at the corner of Cummings Street and McLemore Avenue.

During a Sunday service in the summer of 2018, Kneeland collapsed in the pulpit, leaving members and loved ones concerned for his health.

Retirement was discussed, but Kneeland continued as pastor until a progressively debilitating illness prevented him.

Kneeland was working with community activist Johnnie Mosley and others to establish social services outreach in the church.

“Pastor Kneeland was concerned about the decay and blight in the community where Union Valley was,” said Mosley.

“We were all working to secure

grant money to help impoverished families still living there. Many had moved out of the area, but those left were faced with high violent youth crime, teen pregnancy and school drop-outs. He felt he could not retire because of the needs.”

Kneeland felt strongly about the need for fathers in households and lamented the absence of them in many South Memphis.

“Back in those days when Union Valley first moved here, most households had two parents,” Kneeland said in an interview with The New Tri-State Defender. “Now, many Black families consist of a mother raising children without the presence of a father in the home. Strong, caring fathers are no longer the head of the household. This is the big problem in our community.”

Sunday-only church is not enough, Kneeland said.

“People need emotional support, spiritual guidance and practical help because the needs have grown so

Rev. Herbert O. Kneeland wide and diverse,” he said.

“Wholistic ministry, addressing the whole needs of a person, is required.

New leadership, effective leadership, must be put into place to come behind me. The work must continue.”

Holland said at that time that her father needed a stint in his heart, and the family hoped he would retire.

“Daddy was still concerned for the people living around the church,” Holland said. “He never really stopped working until illness forced him to. He loved his church, and he loved the community.”

Final arrangements were still pending at the time of publication.

A service of Thanksgiving ...

Tradition was served at Pentecostal Temple COGIC, where Bishop Charles H. Mason Patterson Sr. and congregation held the church’s annual Thanksgiving service last Thursday morning.

Pictured (l-r): Freddie Hunter, Missionary Debra Davis and Faye Garrett.

(Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

The New Tri-State Defender, December 2 - 8, 2021, Page 6

It’s going to be a ‘Bluff City Christmas’ this year

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The upcoming weekend holiday festival will make certain that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Friday through Sunday (Dec. 3-5), the Bluff City Christmas Experience will invade the Hickory Ridge Mall with food, entertainment, bargain shopping and a Christmas parade.

“We are excited about hosting the Bluff City Christmas Experience in the Hickory Hill community,” said Telisa Franklin, better known for staging the city’s Juneteenth celebration. “All events have been designed to offer fun for the whole family. Christmas is a time for family and giving, and we want to celebrate that.”

Friday evening’s kickoff event features holiday shopping and carols, along with featured recording artTelisa ist Courtney Franklin Little as the evening’s entertainment.

Those attending are asked to wear their “ugliest Christmas sweaters.”

Saturday is the holiday highlight, a Christmas parade, starting on the southeast side of the mall, with a route circling the mall.

After the parade, the experience will feature, inside, a Christmas exhibit, carousel rides for the children, a live entertainment lineup and more food and shopping.

An estimated 50 groups and more than 30 businesses have signed up for the parade.

Sunday, a Christmas Taste Test will be sponsored by area restaurants and caterers to benefit Porter-Leath Children’s Center. A sampling of eatery favorites will be provided for attendees.

Shelby County Drug Court Judge Tim Dwyer is the grand marshal of the parade. He is known for giving nonviolent adult offenders with drug-related criminal charges a second chance.

The honorary grand marshal is Devante Hill, a local pastor and community activist.

Franklin feels the weekend of events around Christmas is a great tradition to begin for the Hickory Hill community.

“So much is said about the crime and murder rates involving young people in this community,” said Franklin. “Our children and families should be encouraged with positive experiences, and they should not have to go outside of their community to find those events and activities.

“This is the first of what we hope will be many more years of getting families out at the mall to enjoy the holiday season. Vendors and businesses will enjoy an economic boost as well. It’s a winwin for everyone.”

Franklin said people from all over the city are invited to attend the Bluff City Christmas Experience. There is free admission for all three days.

Hickory Ridge Mall is at 6075 Winchester Road. For more information, visit www.BluffCity Christmas.com.

The Energizers are ever ready to show their moves. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Annual Whitehaven holiday event grows ‘new tradition’ with community awards

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to the New Tri-State Defender

The 2021 Whitehaven Holiday Marketplace served up more than just great eats.

The week-long annual celebration, which kicked off on Sunday (Nov. 14), culminated in the presentation of two Community Award recipients, who have made significant contributions to the Whitehaven community.

“We started a brand-new tradition, which will be a part of our Holiday Marketplace,” said founder of the I Love Whitehaven Neighborhood and Business Association, Pearl E. Walker.

“Ms. Hazel Moore and the late Mr. Lawrence Johnson were inaugural recipients of this year’s honors. We plan to make the award presentation an integral part of this annual event.”

Every year, the Holiday Marketplace spotlight shines on Whitehaven businesses and reminds everyone to join Whitehaven residents in spending holiday dollars with community businesses.

The Whitehaven Holiday Festival runs in conjunction with Whitehaven Black Restaurant Week. Both events are planned annually during “I Love Whitehaven Week.” The Whitehaven parade also has been an important component of this week, but the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the parade from happening for the past two years.

“The parade did not happen for the second year,” said Walker. “We didn’t have it last year because of the global pandemic. This year, we were able to sponsor the Holiday Marketplace. And for that, I am grateful.”

Moore expressed a sense of honor for the Whitehaven Community Award.

“I started off Downtown at The Peabody and Goldsmith’s as a hair stylist,” said Moore.

“Then, I moved from Downtown to the Bonro Shopping Center in Westwood. “As the first Black business owner, things weren’t very good sometimes. I had a desire to want to see some things change. So, I got involved with politics and community leaders.

“Rev. James Netters was working in the Westwood community to make it what it should be, and (the late Tennessee state representative) Teddy Withers was running for elected office. I worked to help him get elected.”

Whitehaven icon Hazel Moore shares reflections as she becomes one of the first two recipients of the Whitehaven Holiday Marketplace Community Award.

Moore moved to the Whitehaven community two years later. Things with African Americans in the community weren’t any better.

But a shift change was taking place. White Whitehaven residents were moving east to Hickory Hill and African Americans were moving in to the community. Moore continued her activism and also, made a name for herself as an avid business woman and community leader.

“My hair salon became a meeting place where people came to get information,” said Moore. It was a hub of community life. Then, Whitehaven residents began to call me the mayor of Whitehaven. I guess the salon was my mayor’s office.”

Johnson, owner of Lawrence Johnson Realtors Inc., died in May of 2020 from COVID-19 complications, but the Johnson family was on hand to receive his award.

“My dad always lived in Whitehaven,” said his son, Spencer Johnson. “He grew up right there on Whitehaven Lane, with pigs in the back yard and everything. That was back when Whitehaven was still the country. He attended Geeter High School.”

Spencer Johnson, who now works in the realtor’s office, said it was an honor for the

community to recognize the contributions of his father after all these years.

“I saw dad do so much for people,” said Johnson. “And he did so much because he loved the work. He had a passion for it. He loved helping people buy homes, who had some issue that hindered them.

“Dad would use his relationships with finance companies and banks to make home ownership possible for these people.”

Johnson said he is doing every thing he can to make sure the legacy of his father continues through the office Lawrence Johnson started decades ago. Agents at the office are still big proponents of home ownership and they try to help everyone to that end, Johnson said.

Walker said, “This year we honored two very worthy icons in our community… There will be opportunities next year and the year after for us to honor those who continue the work of making Whitehaven a great place to live and work for all its residents.”

This year’s eateries participating in Black Restaurant Week included: Bala’s Bistro, Millbranch Wings & More, Da Zone, Da Rib Shack, Lucky Chow, Muggin Coffee House, Trap Fusion and Uncle Lou’s.

This musical performance by Wyndi Oh helped accent the Whitehaven holiday event.

Spencer Johnson, the son of the late Lawrence Johnson, received his father’s Whitehaven Holiday Marketplace Community Award.

The New Tri-State Defender

December 2 - 8, 2021

Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT “My mom is really the one who brought to my father and our family the love and passion and importance of the arts and culture and entertainment,” she said. “While my father was in it, making all the deals, my mother was the one who gave me, for example, my love of literature, my love of filmmaking, my love of storytelling.”

— Nicole Avant

Jacqueline Avant, wife of music legend, killed in shooting Associated Press BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Jacqueline Avant, a Los Angeles philanthropist and the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant, was fatally shot at their home in Beverly Hills, California, early Wednesday, police said.

Police and paramedics arrived at the home after a 2:23 a.m. call to find Jacqueline Avant, 81, with a gunshot wound, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook said at an afternoon news conference. She was taken to a hospital, but did not survive.

The suspect or suspects were gone when police arrived. No one has been arrested and the motive remains unclear, Stainbrook said. Nothing was stolen from the house, and no one else was injured.

“Someone went into the home, we don’t know the purpose behind it,” the chief said.

“I don’t think it’s a random attack but I can’t speculate on that.”

Jacqueline Avant was a longtime local philanthropist who led organizations that helped low-income neighborhoods including Watts and South Los Angeles, and was on the board of directors of the International Student Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The Avants’ daughter, Nicole Avant, is a film producer and former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and is married to Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer

Ted Sarandos.

“The entire family wishes to thank everyone for their outpouring of love, support and condolences for Jacqueline Yvonne.

Jacqueline was an amazing woman, wife, mother, philanthropist, and a 55-year resident of Beverly Hills, who has made an immeasurable positive contribution and impact on the arts community,” the Avant and Sarandos families said in a statement. “She will be missed by her family, friends and all of the people she has helped throughout her amazing life.”

Former President Bill Clinton also paid her tribute.

“Jackie Avant was a wonderful woman, a great partner to Clarence and mother to Alex and Nicole, an active citizen & a dear friend to Hillary and me for 30 years,” Clinton said on Twitter. “She inspired admiration, respect & affection in everyone who knew her. We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed.”

Grammy-winning executive Clarence Avant is known as the “Godfather of Black Music” and was recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The 90-yearold was also a concert promoter and manager who mentored and helped the careers of artists including Bill Withers, Little Willie John, L.A. Reid, Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

He founded Sussex Records and Tabu Records in the 1960s and 1970s, and was

Jacqueline Avant, left, and Clarence Avant appear at the 11th Annual AAFCA Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2020. Jacqueline Avant was fatally shot early Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Mark Von Holden Invision/AP, File) chair of Motown Records in the 1990s.

The Avants were married in 1967. They also have a son, Alexander Du Bois Avant.

Nicole Avant produced a Netflix documentary about her father, 2019′s “The Black Godfather.” In an interview with NBC News about the film, she talked about her mother’s role in the family.

“My mom is really the one who brought to my father and our family the love and passion and importance of the arts and culture and entertainment,” she said. “While my father was in it, making all the deals, my mother was the one who gave me, for example, my love of literature, my love of filmmaking, my love of storytelling.”

TMZ first reported Jacqueline Avant’s death.

Stainbrook, who is in his first week

as chief, said no one else was injured in the shooting. A security guard was at the home. He would not further describe the interaction between the shooter and Jacqueline Avant.

“I want to reassure the Beverly Hills community that the city remains safe, and one of the safest in the nation,” the chief said.

Basketball icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson wrote on Twitter that he and his wife were “devastated” by the news of Avant’s death, calling her “one of our closest friends.”

“This is the saddest day in our lives,” he wrote.

(By Chris Pizzello, Stefanie Dazio and Andrew Dalton, who reported from Los Angeles.)

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, December 2 - 8, 2021, Page 8

Living through COVID-19 Part XIX

Cook said Lenny’s will remain Lenny’s, but Runway 901 Bar & Grill will have a new name and concept. The new name will be Stage Left and will be a bar and pizzeria.

“There will be no grace period when we move. We’ll close (after business hours) one night and be open for business (in the new concourse) the next day,” Cook said.

by Jerome Wright jwright@tsdmemphis.com

The COVID-19 virus and its variants continue to dominate international, national and local news as a top news story some 20 months after the pandemic began to severely impact how people went about their daily lives.

Locally, The New Tri-State Defender (TSD) has chronicled since April 2020 how three Memphians – barber William Gandy Jr., nonprofit head Margaret Cowan and entrepreneur James Cook – have managed their personal and professional lives over the past 20 months. We last checked in on them in late May.

The music hasn’t stopped

Good news on the grant front Margaret Cowan, founding keeper of the nonprofit I Am My Sister’s Keeper, and her organization continue to strive as the number of new COVID-19-related new cases and deaths in Memphis-Shelby County ebb and flow.

I Am My Sister’s Keeper’s main mission is to help single working mothers increase their earning potential.

Cowan said her organization received a $10,000 grant Nov. 17 from the Thomas W. Briggs Foundation for a program the nonprofit has for housing for mothers and a savings match program to help the mothers save for a down payment to purchase a car.

The Briggs Foundation is “dedicated to Memphis area arts, civic, education, social service and youth organizations whose initiatives and programs have broad and transformative impact on the city of Memphis and its constituencies” and “elevate educational achievement and socioeconomic advancement and promote pride in the Memphis community.

Briggs, a Memphian, founded the Welcome Wagon Company, which became Welcome Wagon International.

In more good news, I Am My Sister’s Keeper recently received a $40,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.

B. Sutton Mora, the foundation’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, in an email to The New Tri-State Defender, said the money comes from the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund, managed by the Community

Margaret Cowan with her family during a pot luck Thanksgiving dinner for her mom last week. (Courtesy photo)

“It is a general operating grant meant to help sustain organizations that have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 battle. Margaret and her group have been doing great work and our grants subcommittee recommended their grant to the Advisory Committee in the last grant round.

— B. Sutton Mora Foundation.

“It is a general operating grant meant to help sustain organizations that have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 battle. Margaret and her group have been doing great work and our grants subcommittee recommended their grant to the Advisory Committee in the last grant round ($2,823,000 operating grants in total).”

The Community Foundation awarded I Am My Sister’s Keep a $25,000 grant from the same fund in March.

Cowan said her organization currently is working with 12 mothers. “We gained some and lost some for various reasons.

They have to be working or in school.”

She is anticipating the possibility of sharing office space with MoXie Way, Inc., whose mission is to “encourage youth engagement by providing safe places to learn, grow and inspire others.”

“It will be a good collaboration because they service children,” Cowan said.

By design, Cowan also has increased her presence on so-

cial media, especially Facebook.

Most of her postings are inspirational sayings.

“They are things I like to share with someone else, who might need it,” Cowan said.

As for herself and her nonprofit being able to strive during the pandemic, Cowan said, “It’s the power of God. We had to look for different ways to do things. … It’s also important to know when to ask for and accept help.”

Getting back to normal…

The recent uptick in airline passenger traffic has been good news for James Cook, who operates two eateries at Memphis International Airport – Lenny’s Grill and Subs, and Runway 901 Bar & Grill.

The COVID-19 pandemic-related drop in passengers forced, along with difficulty in finding staff, resulted in Cook severely curtailing operating hours for both businesses.

His Lenny’s is back to full hours and the bar and grill is operating longer.

Airport officials recently said

air traffic has rebounded since the pandemic, although not back to pre-pandemic levels.

The officials projectJames ed a total of Cook 78,000 travelers to move through security checkpoints between Nov. 19 and Nov. 29 for the Thanksgiving travel period. That is a 90 percent increase compared to Thanksgiving 2020.

When The New TSD last checked with Cook, he was having trouble finding qualified staff, partly, he surmised, because of enhanced unemployment benefits from the federal government.

Despite the expiration of the enhanced benefits, finding qualified employees still is a problem here and nationally, especially in the food-service industry.

“We’re still having trouble finding qualified staff. We raised our starting pay to $12 an hour, but we’re not getting applications,” Cook said.

He said referrals from his employees have helped him find staff.

Cook is preparing to move his businesses into the airport’s modernized B Concourse when it reopens. The $245 million project is expected to reopen before the end of the year or in January.

Barber William Gandy, who also is an accomplished musician, singer and songwriter, has not let the pandemic get in the way of making music.

In September, he headlined a Grown & Sexy concert at the Orpheum Theatre, featuring Gerald Richardson, Karen Brown, Keesha Daniels and Chick Rodgers.

On Dec. 12, he will present a Merry Birthday and Happy Christmas Gala at the Marriott Memphis East. His birthday is Dec. 22.

Motorists who frequent Elvis Presley Boulevard near Graceland probably have seen the homeless womWilliam an pushing Gandy a shopping cart, filled with her belongings, along the busy thoroughfare.

Gandy decided to write a song, “Homeless Lady of Graceland,” about her, but “not just about her, but about all homeless people.”

Here are some of the lyrics: “GOD never intended for anyone to be Homeless with the abundance of wealth in America we can do better.

“I see you every day pushing your little cart morning, noon and night down by Graceland.

“I know I’m not the only one who See’s you, in my mind I know others see you too.”

Chorus: “Homeless lady of Graceland “There’s a better place.

“I write this song from my heart “Let’s make this song go viral you will be homeless no more.”

Gandy said the song can be found on most internet music platforms.

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

Remembering “forgotten souls” ...

On Thanksgiving Day, the parking lot of Stanley Campbell’s House of Mtenzi, 1289 Madison Ave., was a destination point for some in need and others with helpings hands. The 15th annual “Forgotten Souls Fall Festival” provided necessities such as clothes, food, hygiene products and more. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

The New Tri-State Defender

December 2 - 8, 2021

Page 9

NEWS Giving with warm hearts …

CLASSIFIEDS 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: Randii Renfro Tax Parcel #: 08201500000110 Tax Sale #: 1304 Price Offered: $4500.00 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 January 13, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

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

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: MODIFICATION: Phillips Bryant Trust Tax Parcel #: 03500700000090 Tax Sale #: 1701 Price Offered: $4000.00 Terms: Cash

On Wednesday (Dec. 1), staff and volunteers with Operation Warm, along with FedEx volunteers, distributed 500 brand-new coats to students at Levi Elementary School. FedEx team members also passed out food items donated from Blessings in a Backpack, as well as school supplies.

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

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 January 13, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

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

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS 1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 PH (901) 523-1818 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

DEADLINES: Display ads Friday 5 p.m.

Classifieds ads Monday 5 p.m.

STANDARD RATES: $6.00 per line for 1 column ad.

Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation. For additional information contact Sales Dept. at

to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Jessica de Oliveira Henrique Tax Parcel #: 04201200000200 Tax Sale #: 903 Price Offered: $675.00 Terms: Cash

(901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tsdmemphis.com.

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

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

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

spective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:30 a.m. on January 13, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

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 January 13, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

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

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

Calvan Scott Tax Parcel #: D0147000002920 Tax Sale #: 1604 Price Offered: $400.00 Terms: Cash

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

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 January 13, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

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: Donna S. George Tax Parcel #: 04302300004100 Tax Sale #: 1503 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 pro-

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:

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: JRI, LLC Tax Parcel #: 07510800000740 Tax Sale #: 901 Price Offered: $2250.00 Terms: Cash

SALES PERSON

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 January 13, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

The New Tri-State Defender is looking for a few sales consultants to sell print ads, digital ads and event sponsorships for the organization. The candidate should have some sales experience. This is a commission based opportunity.

For serious inquiries email your resume to administration@ tsdmemphis.com.

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

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This year, the goal was to spread even more warmth to many more students.

Memphis Grizzlies representatives and Grizz Girls were among those delivering donations.

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SPORTS

The New Tri-State Defender, December 2 - 8, 2021, Page 10

Grizzlies win 2nd straight without Ja Morant, top Raptors 98-91

by Ian Harrison Associated Press

TORONTO – Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 25 points, Desmond Bane had 23 and Dillon Brooks 17 as the Memphis Grizzlies won back-to-back games, beating the struggling Toronto Raptors 98-91 Tuesday night.

After beating Sacramento Sunday, Memphis won again without leading scorer Ja Morant, who sat for the second game because of a sprained left knee. Morant is expected to miss at least two weeks.

“It’s not about doing more, it’s about playing better, even with Ja out of the lineup,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.

Jackson, who shot 8 for 14, said the Grizzlies aren’t trying to do too much without the influential Morant.

“You can’t force it,” Jackson said.

“You’ve just got to be able to go out there and fill those gaps where he might have done something else.”

Bane made five 3-pointers and Jackson had four for the Grizzlies, who never trailed and led by as many as 17 points.

“He really can do it all out there,” Jackson said of Bane. “There’s really no limit to what he can do.”

Brooks, who is from suburban Toronto, played in Canada for the first time since Feb. 2018.

“This game was circled, for sure,” Brooks said. “I love playing here. It’s been a dream. It’s been circled for a while.”

Brooks said he heard some trash talk from Toronto staffer and fellow Canadian Jamaal Magloire on the Raptors’ bench. Brooks responded by facing the crowd and yelling “This is my house,” after hitting a pull-up

Ja Morant on crutches during the Sacramento game was a sobering sight for Memphis fans. (Photo: Terry Davis/The New Tri-State Defender)

Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks drives past Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet during the first half of Tuesday’s game in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, Scottie Barnes had 19 and Fred VanVleet 15 as the Raptors lost their third straight. Toronto has lost five straight home games. The Raptors are 2-8 at home this season.

“We’ve got to fix that,” Siakam said. “It’s not acceptable. We can’t play like that at home. We’ve got to be better, no excuses.”

Raptors forwards OG Anunoby (left hip) and Khem Birch (right knee) each sat for the seventh straight game, while guard Gary Trent Jr. (right calf) missed his second. Guard Goran Dragic remains away from the team because of a personal matter.

The Raptors had won seven of

the past eight meetings, including a Nov. 24 win at Memphis in which the Grizzlies squandered a 12-point halftime lead.

However, Toronto also came in having lost four straight at home, its longest losing streak north of the border since November and December 2013.

Toronto had twice as many turnovers (eight) as assists (four) in the first half. Memphis led 50-39 at the break.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of space,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “They kind of baited us into some early shots, and we kind of kept taking them one after another, and didn’t make many.”

Trailing 56-45 at 9:23 of the third,

the Raptors used a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to one. That was the first of three times before the end of the quarter that Toronto trailed by a single point, but they were never able to tie or take the lead.

Memphis led 70-67 through three quarters, then scored seven of the first nine points in the fourth.

Barnes hit a 3-pointer with 19.5 seconds left to make it 95-91, but Brooks answered with a pair of free throws to halt the comeback effort.

“It was a hard-fought battle and we made the plays in stretch-time to seal it,” Brooks said.

TIP-INS Grizzlies: Guard Ziaire Williams

(left knee) and Guard Sam Merrill (left ankle) were out. … Bane has scored 10 or more in the first quarter of five of his past six games. …

De’Anthony Melton had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Raptors: Svi Mykhailiuk made his second straight start in place of Trent. … Yuta Watanabe scored 11 points. … VanVleet led the Raptors with nine rebounds. … Toronto scored a season-low 37 points in the first half of an Oct. 20 home loss to Washington.

BLOCK PARTY Jackson made an impressive block on Barnes’s dunk attempt early in the fourth.

DISTANCE DUO Bane and Jackson combined to shoot 9 for 16 from 3-point range.

The rest of the Grizzlies shot 1 for 18 from long range, with Brooks (1 for 5) getting the other make.

UP NEXT Grizzlies: Host Oklahoma City on Thursday night.

Arlington coach Ashley Shields at work in the huddle.

(Photos: Gary S. Whitlow)

Annual MLK Tournament delivers at 50

TSD Newsroom

The 50th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Basketball Tournament (Nov. 20-27) was an integral part of the Thanksgiving holiday week for teams and their supporters.

The tournament featured games played at Kirby, Melrose and Hamilton high schools, with competition on the middle-school and highschool levels.

The Lowrance Lady Tigers and the Havenview Tigers were winners in the middle-school competition.

The Whitehaven Tigers won the boys high school championship, with Arlington’s Tigers taking the girls’ title.

Viewed widely as one of the most competitive tournaments in the U.S., the Annual MLK Tournament was organized by the late Lloyd

Wide receiver Gabriel Rogers glides in for a touchdown against Tulane.

Winning when it counts ...

In a do-or-die game for eligibility to play in a post-season bowl game, the Memphis Tigers got it done against Tulane, winning 33-28 in front of 27,416 at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium last Saturday. Next up for the Tigers (6-6) is a trip to Hawaii for the Hawaii Bowl. The Green Wave finished with a 2-10 record.

(Photos: Terry Davis)

The Memphis Academy of Health Sciences squared off against – and defeated – Douglass in a pre-championship round of high school boys’ teams.

Williams of Hamilton High School and Vertis Sails of Melrose High School. In 1993, the tournament expanded to include girls, with middle

schools added to the mix in 2009.

The tournament includes the presentation of scholarships to qualifying senior student-athletes.

Quindell Johnson of the Tigers tackles Tyjae Spears.