The New Tri-State Defender – April 3-9, 2020

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April 9 - 15, 2020

VOL. 69, No. 15

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‘COVID-19’s heavy impact on African Americans probed

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

The suspicion that African Americans in Shelby County were being disproportionately hit by the spread of the coronavirus surfaced earlier, with concern mounting as data showed that such was the case in other metropolitan areas. Now there is local data – and confirmation.

The Shelby County Health Department released a demographic breakdown of some confirmed cases on Wednesday.

“Of the 267 cases we examined, 68 percent were African Americans, while 29 percent were white,” said Dr. Bruce Randolph, medical director for the Shelby County Health Department.

As of Wednesday, Shelby County had 897 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 21 deaths.

Fatality percentages were not yet available.

This week, concern about disparity accelerated nationally toward a clamor, with alarms sounded by the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, the National Action Network and others. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, president/CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, has declared a “State of Emergency for

For my son EJ Smith, this is a pleasant stroll on a sunny Spring day. For me, it’s part of an all-day strategy to wear the little guy out — so I can finally get some rest.

(Photo: Lee Eric Smith) Answering the call...Dr. Ydell Ismon Sr., one of the prayer chairmen for the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association, prayed in place at Branch of Christ Church, where the Rev. James Morganfield Jr. is pastor, on Wednesday afternoon in keeping with the association’s call for a day of prayer. He pastors Boston Baptist Church. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley) Black America.”

Those concerns confronted President Trump at Tuesday’s White House coronavirus update, with him alternately saying he was concerned, bewildered and that the results of more analysis were forthcoming.

Locally, activists have been viewing the Health Department’s ZIP code map and sounding alarms from multiple quarters about the fate of residents with historically poor access

SEE IMPACT ON PAGE 2

‘Trapped’ at home with a playful toddler, Job 1 is: wear him out

by Lee Eric Smith lesmith@tsdmemphis.com

Testing, testing, 123 – the basics from community level

by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

Dr. Reginique Green of Christ Community Health Services, Inc. openly values the flow of solid COVID-19 information, thinking that “we haven’t seen the worst of it” and knowing that “some people are still not believers.”

Models projecting how many people could die in Shelby County have included the mind-boggling total of 20,000 to far, far less yet still numbing figures. The date and extent of the projected surge also has varied, with the City of Memphis now reportedly looking at April 15 as the peak date for the coronavirus here.

That’s according to a model that suggests the peak gets here before it was projected earlier and that area hospitals would not be pushed beyond capacity. In conjunction with stay-athome orders, frequent handwashing and social distancing, testing is a huge part of the projection and preparation.

Testing 1,000 a people a day is the reported goal of the Memphis-Shelby County COVID-19 Task Force, whose mission includes putting together a testing strategy that makes more testing available to so-called vulnerable populations and under-served.

Green serves on the COVID-19 Task Force

Christ Community Health Services, Inc. began coronavirus testing by appointment on March 21, among the first to do so in Shelby County. (Courtesy photo) and is one of two people now handling coronavirus testing for Christ Community Health Services, Inc. (CCHS), one of the first to do so in Shelby County. Testing there is by appointment only, with Green adding that restriction is administered liberally.

“It is only by appointment because we want to create social distancing. We want to control the environment. We don’t want any dense-

ly populated areas. People are staying in their cars,” she said.

On Monday, CCHS increased its daily COVID-19 testing capacity to 200, up from 50 to 75.

“You lower your window and there’s very minimum chance of you contaminating or in-

SEE TEST ON PAGE 2

For self-employed, getting stimulus relief requires dogged pursuit

by Lee Eric Smith lesmith@tsdmemphis.com

People who work for themselves – those who file 1099s at tax time instead of W-2s – breathed a sigh of relief when President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion stimulus package that included expanded unemployment benefits that would put $600 in their pockets. That was the good news.

The bad news: In addition to being overwhelmed with an unprecedented avalanche of new unemployment claims, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has no existing system for the self-employed to file for benefits – creating chaos, confusion and

Rep. Antonio Parkinson

anxiety for thousands of citizens in need of some cash.

“The system for filing unemployment was not set up for those that are self-employed – and I understand that. I have no issue with that. I get it, ” said state Rep. Antonio Parkinson (Dist. 98 – Memphis), who has fielded numerous calls from constituents

about the problems.

“The problem is that (Gov. Bill Lee) announced (the benefits) . . . and that lets ev-

eryone know that they can apply,” Parkinson continued. “Well, if they’re going to be able to apply, we need to be able to accommodate their applications.”

Data posted at jobs.tn.gov show that for the week ending March 14, 2,708 people applied for unemployment. But by March 28, an additional 133,588 claims had been filed statewide.

Regional data for the Greater Memphis area, which includes Shelby, Fayette, Tipton and Lauderdale Counties show that more than 12,000 applications had been filed in the week ending March 28. There’s no data posted on how many of those applicants are self-employed.

SEE RELIEF ON PAGE 2

My son is kicking my a$$. And it’s not even close.

He’s 2, bursting with energy. I’m . . . okay, fine, I’m eligible for AARP. It’s not a fair fight.

This was a manageable problem just a few months ago, when, y’know, I had a place to go during the day. What’s the word we used to use for it . . . WORK! Right! And the dynamo I lovingly call EJ was spending the majority of his day at daycare.

Well, neither of those things are true now, for reasons we all know too well. Every single day now, I’m facing the perfect storm: Virtually uninterrupted time with an uncommonly muscular and insistent toddler who has discovered the word “no” – and likes to shout it at me at bedtime while physically keeping me from leaving the room.

Like I said, I’m getting my A$$ kicked.

I suppose it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one. Last night, after I finally getting the boy off to sleepy land, I was watching Stephen Colbert videoconference with Chance The Rapper. Colbert asked Chance who was winning, “Team Adults” (Chance and his wife, Kristen) or “Team Kids.”

“It’s like a full-on, one-on-one or two-onone . . . all the time,” Chance said. “They are beating us up.”

“I’ve said before,” Colbert chuckled, “they’re small but relentless opponents . . .”

I glanced over at Ester to give her a knowing look, like “Baby, somebody gets it.” But when I looked over, she’s sitting motionless, her eyes closed, possibly snoring. Dead to the world.

I get that too.

It takes me back to my own childhood, back in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Me and the Maxwell brothers, Leroy and David, would be outside shooting hoops in the driveway. Leroy and I were 10; David was seven. My dad? AARP-Eligible and with a mini-keg instead of six-pack in the midsection.

Anyway, my dad knew he’d never compete with us trying to run around with a bunch of

SEE TODDLER ON PAGE 10

The New Tri-State Defender

April 9 - 15, 2020

Page 2

NEWS

While inequality in healthcare exists, African Americans must find solutions within, he said.

“We must acknowledge our own responsibility in creating more positive outcomes,” said Randolph. “Dr. Martin Luther King said power is never given by the oppressor. We must struggle for it, work for it and demand it. When you are behind in a race, you must work harder and run faster to get the victory.”

Taking responsibility, he said, means being committed to following directions of personal physicians, adhering to the safety precautions put in place and taking full account of your own, personal health.”

Use must be made of the mitigation strategies put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19,” said Randolph, who has a private practice in preventive, family and occupational medicine.

“Prevent spread in the first place by avoiding crowds of more than 10 people. Stay at home because it is safer at home. Wear a mask every time you go out, and practice thorough and frequent handwashing,” he said, wearing a mask.

Individual responsibility also involves taking control of diet and exercise, as well as following physicians’ orders in managing chronic conditions, such as heart disease, COPD, diabetes and renal failure, he said, listing obesity and smoking as additional factors.

While chronic illness is prevalent in the African-American community, Randolph said, “We have the ability to improve our own health. The question is, ‘Do we have the will?’”

A more complete demographic breakdown of COVID-19’s devastation in Memphis-Shelby County is projected to be available by Friday.

Below is a list of existing and new testing locations: • Church Health Location: 1350 Concourse Ave. By appointment only, call (901) 272-0003.

• Memphis Health Center Location: 360 E. H. Crump Blvd.

By appointment only, call (901) 261-2042 • Tri State Community Health Center Location: 1725 Pinebrook By appointment only, call (901) 572-1573 • Case Management, Inc. Location: 3171 Directors Row By appointment only, call (901) 821-5880 or email COVID-19TestCMI@cmiofmemphis.org • Christ Community Health Services Location: 3362 S Third St. By appointment only, Text “Test2020” to 91999 • UT Drive-Through Testing @ Tiger Lane Location: Midsouth Fairground By appointment only, Text “covid” to 901-203-5526

Web traffic is part of the problem, said Labor commissioner Jeff McCord. In a Facebook Live Q&A with state Rep. Jeremy Faison, McCord said that whereLabor as his office commissioner would ordinariJeff McCord ly handle about 10,000 claims over a three-week period, the past three weeks have seen a 250,000 spike in applications. He said his office has added computer capacity and support staff to help manage the surge, but still advises anyone applying to do so after 7 p.m., when the site is less clogged.

McCord said that his office only recently got guidelines from the federal government on how to disburse the stimulus funds earmarked for the self-employed and aims to start processing the claims next week, after Easter.

“Our goal was to start processing those because we got the rules, and we’re programming the computers for the next payment cycle which will be next week,” McCord said.

“We didn’t want to start in the middle of a payment cycle, so well begin to

start that next week. And we think we can meet that goal.”

McCord also laid out how, unlike W-2 employers who pay into unemployment insurance on behalf of their employees, the self-employed don’t pay a “premium” for unemployment insurance. That’s why the system isn’t set up for their claims.

“That system doesn’t exist – nobody’s been paying unemployment insurance for you,” he said. “That’s where the federal stimulus comes in.”

Still, Parkinson is frustrated that there isn’t a separate system set up to handle the self-employed – especially since the state has budgeted hundreds of millions of dollars for emergencies such as this.

“I’m not understanding why we couldn’t set up a separate system for those that are self-employed, even if it’s just to get them on record for their application, and also get a response to them,” Parkinson said. “We’re basically talking about an online form, an application process.

“I do completely understand that we are in a special time where, you know, this is not the norm. I get that.

I get that,” Parkinson emphasized.

“But we need to think outside the box, come up with other strategies and other means of making sure that the people are actually getting served.”

IMPACT CONTINUED FROM FRONT to healthcare.

“While I can’t attest to what has been happening in other areas around the country, I can say that we are committed to making sure Shelby County provides equitable opportunities for individuals in all geographical areas to be tested,” said Randolph.

The New Tri-State Defender participated in a Tuesday afternoon teleconference hosted National NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson.

He called on elected officials to “ensure we are tested, treated, and protected to prevent further spread…and more loss of life in our communities.”

Late Wednesday afternoon, the City of Memphis-Shelby County COVID-19 Task Force announced that, with the help of several health providers, there would be new and expanded testing sites.

According to the media release, “The goal is test 1,000 people each day in addition to the tests already being performed at our local hospitals.”

Randolph, like other health officials, does not think that the coronavirus pandemic created disparity.

“First, we have to acknowledge that so goes healthcare, so goes economic development, education and every aspect of life,” said Randolph.

“Healthcare is a reflection of the system as a whole. There is disparity in outcomes in every facet of our lives.

Racism is a given. This is America, and it’s going to be there.”

Putting a finer point on the effects of racism, Randolph said “blacks of means who have insurance and access to good healthcare” have outcomes that tend to be the same as “their uninsured and poor counterparts.”

RELIEF CONTINUED FROM FRONT Currently, Tennesseans can file for unemployment benefits at www.jobs4tn.gov/vosnet.

A bright red banner at the top of the page reads: “When completing this application please answer the questions to the best of your ability. In order to receive benefits, you must complete the entire process. If you are self-employed, a 1099 contractor or a gig worker, please complete the application and BE SURE TO ANSWER that you are self-employed when the question is asked. After you file your claim CERTIFY WEEKLY.” Parkinson said he went through the application with a self-employed constituent, experiencing the confusion and frustration having the system deny a claim – leaving the applicant wondering if they’ve made an error on the application. Even a confirmation email would be nice, Parkinson said.

“What I’m being told by the Department of Labor is that, yes, when they apply, they may get a denial – but we are still processing their application,” he said. “Well, you need to communicate that to the applicant, and they haven’t done that . . . and some people are just giving up on this because it’s so cumbersome.”

Shelby County Medical Director Bruce Randolph: “We have the ability to improve our own health. The question is, ‘Do we have the will?’”

(Courtesy photo)

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TEST CONTINUED FROM FRONT fecting anybody else, if you’re actually positive,” said Green, a graduate of Xavier University (undergrad) and Creighton University in Nebraska. “In order to be tested, you are screened and chances are you would be more likely to be positive than negative if you’re being screened.”

The test is serious business.

“So, you do have to stick a very, very tiny swab, much smaller than any Q-tip, 10 times smaller than a Q-tip in their nose, but you have to go all the way back to the back of their throat, what we call the pharynx.

Folks call it nasal pharyngeal flap.”

Green said the nose route provides “a much better sampling.” Accounting for weekends and lab delays, results are being returned in 24 to 48 hours. Timing is essential in testing.

“What we’re trying to do is buy time until we have a cure or an immunization to give people. Really, were trying to quarantine everybody, but once you find someone who is truly having the disease, you don’t want to quarantine them, you want to isolate them.”

Quarantine involves taking a healthy person out of circulation so they don’t mix in the population and give or get the disease. If doctors suspect you have it, they’ll sometimes order medical quarantine, with calls to patients to check on their status.

You can also self-quarantine for a variety of reasons, including when temperature readings suggest difficulty.

“But once you are truly positive for COVID-19, that is isolation,” said Green. “Isolation is when an unhealthy person stays away from healthy people. You would need to isolate even from the people in your home by wearing a mask and having something called a sickroom and wiping down all common surfaces.”

Severe cases can develop into pneumonia or respiratory failure, requiring ventilators and hospitalization.

CCHS started testing on March 21.

“We just felt like we needed to....

We bring quality healthcare to the underserved, under-resourced. We want to be sure that everybody has a right to healthcare…. When this happened and we couldn’t get the testing vials because of the limitations, we were like, ‘Oh, my gosh. The entire City of Memphis is under-resourced.’”

They designated 50 of the about 200 vials on hand for testing, “just believing in God that He was going to replace it and bring increase to us.”

Local protocol is to follow CDC guidelines for testing, with the priority being for hospitalized patients.

“The second priority now is actually healthcare workers with symptoms. But the problem has been the criteria,” Green said. “The screening criteria to have the test has been pretty high and we know that we were missing some people….

“Because of the scarcity of supplies – provider protective equipment, the gowns, the gloves, the mask, the shield and the types of vials that we needed to use to test – that is why we kept the criteria higher.”

None tested by CCHS had died at

Dr. Reginique Green the time of this interview. Green said some were hospitalized and “currently fighting for their lives. …

“I’ve always been a crier, and last night I cried just to release.... We take an oath to forestall death and it’s always hard to lose that battle…. It’s hard to lose one life, but when you just see about 300 people dying a day across the country in a different city, it’s overwhelming. It’s overwhelming!”

There is no one the CCHS will turn away, said Green. And if you don’t have a car to make use of drive-thru testing (by appointment), you can still be served.

“If you text text 2020 to 91999 and speak with the nurses…and say that you do not have a car and that you’re concerned, then we have social workers and we will make special arrangements for you. The drive-thru testing is just the safest because you keep your window rolled up until it’s time for the test. We put your paperwork on your windshield. It just provides the safest environment to practice social distancing.”

Since CCHS transitioned to testing with nasal pharyngeal swabs, Green and Dr. Ben Andrews have been doing the testing at the Third St. location.

The goal is to identify others welltrained to do so and increase testing capacity, making it available in other much-needed areas of the city.

For frontline responders such as Green, doing their jobs is a labor of love performed mindful of their own families. She has four teenaged children and her parents are in their 80s.

“I bring my parents groceries.

They have not left their home. I leave them on the porch. My mom and I talk through her window. I chat with her on the phone, but we can look at each other, because it’s through the window and it’s just because I’m in such a high-risk situation.”

As a member of the three-pronged COVID-19 Task Force, Green coordinates closely with the community group, which includes federally qualified health centers. Members have been meeting twice a week, working to develop strategies and plans to increase testing sites and access to testing throughout the city.

“I want you to know Memphis has a robust medical community, more resources than a lot of cities that I’ve ever lived in or known about,” she said.

Green is among those who have been working seven days a week. She took off Sunday and plans to do so on Good Friday.

“Our testing center is going to be closed and we’re going to just pray for Memphis at Christ Community.”

The New Tri-State Defender

April 9 - 15, 2020

Page 3

NEWS

Virtual MLK commemoration strikes a real chord

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

Virtual tribute to Dr. King moves, inspires viewers around the nation Patrick Dailey was among several artists to answer the National Civil Rights Museum’s call for videotaped renditions of “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” The submissions were spliced together for a 5:19 performance of what often is referred to as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite.

(Photo: Screen capture from civilrightsmuseum.org.)

“All in all, it was moving, emotional and representative of the kind of tribute deserving of MLK, 52 years after his assassination,” said Faith Morris, chief marketing & external affairs officer for the National Civil Rights Museum.

“We all held hands virtually, sheltering in place.”

On Saturday, the 52nd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) hosted a virtual commemoration for viewers who tuned in across the nation.

Dynamic excerpts of iconic speeches, moving spirituals and memorable celebrity music performances relived the poignant moments of the landmark 50th anniversary commemoration, staged in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to hold the traditional gathering around the balcony where Dr. King was gunned down.

Many Facebook Live viewers initially were unaware that the “live” was a series of video feeds of the celebration two years ago. Live texting by several viewers clarified the time frame when

some concern was expressed about the lack of social distancing.

“Because of COVID-19, we could not have the commemoration as we usually do – from the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, which is now the site of our National Civil Rights Museum,” said Morris. “And so we went virtual and presented a weeklong commemoration: ‘#RememberingMLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment.’”

Saturday’s observance was the culmination of this year’s anniversary remembrance. Civil rights figures and heavy hitters in peace and justice movements around the globe were featured on the virtual program.

Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, professor of History at Ohio State University, said the museum was built on “hallowed ground” to honor not only Dr. King, but also “a people who never surrendered their humanity though they were so long denied their human rights.”

Dr. James (Jim) Lawson, the civil rights movement strategist and tactician and former pastor of Centenary Methodist Church in Memphis, recalled the process of getting Dr. King here to support the strike by the city’s sanitation workers in 1968.

“After the assassination, every campaign for freedom and equality chips away at the cruelty of our land to reveal a more humane society,” said Lawson.

During the MLK50 Commemoration in Memphis in 2018, soul music legend Al Green capped the April 4th afternoon with a crowd-pleasing rendition of “Love and Happiness.” The Rev. Jesse Jackson caught the spirit

Wendy Moten adds her vocals to the “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” collaboration featured on the virtual broadcast of “Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment.” (Photo: Screen capture from civilrightsmuseum.org)

Patrick Dailey was among several artists to answer the National Civil Rights Museum’s call for videotaped renditions of “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” The submissions were spliced together for a 5:19 performance of what often is referred to as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite. (Photo: Screen capture from civilrightsmuseum.org.) as renowned saxophonist Kirk Whalum set the musical pace. Unable to hold the traditional commemoration because of COVID-19, the National Civil Rights Museum on Saturday presented a virtual celebration featuring MLK 50 moments (Photo: Warren Roseborough/The New Tri-State Defender Archives) The national founder of the Operation PUSH/Rainbow Coalition, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, called the National Civil Rights Museum the “site of the crucifixion.”

“We went from this balcony to the

White House balcony in 40 years,” Jackson said. “The same man who was called a communist, the same man who they said could not end war, today he is exalted. He is still alive.

Let nothing break your spirit today.”

The commemoration was steeped in storytelling, revealing little-known facts and a deeper understanding of Dr. King.

Also included were: spirituals by the HBCU 105-Voice Choir, master harmonicist Frederic Yonnet, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, vocalist Deborah Manning Thomas and rapper, Tyke T.

The speech portion of the observance ended with highlights from Dr. King’s last public address, now known as “The Mountaintop Speech,” delivered on April 3 at Mason Temple. His voice is heard delivering the celebrated, rhetorical finale: “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind.

Like anybody, I would like to live – a long life; longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

And then, perfectly timed, just as it happened on April 4, 2018, at 6:01 p.m., when the fatal shot rang out, bells began to toll as Dr. King’s favorite song – “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” – played.

Cameras panned the crowd, capturing the emotions of the moment.

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, April 9 - 15, 2020, Page 4

Drawing strength, guidance from Maya Angelou’s legacy

by John Burl Smith Special to The New Tri-State Defender

(The day – April 4, 1968 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died in Memphis was Maya Angelou’s 40th birthday. That intersection was observed recently by social change advocate John Burl Smith, a former Memphis Invader, as he reflected on the 52nd commemoration of Dr. King’s assassination. He and fellow Memphis Invaders met with Dr. King a few hours before he was killed. In his forthcoming book, “The 400th” (1619-2019) From Slavery to Hip Hop),” Smith salutes Angelou – poet, singer, memoirist and civil rights activist – with this chapter (edited for presentation here) titled “Commemorating Another Who Has Passed On.”) Though not planned in the way this narrative developed, yet I reach the end on another icon that is no longer with us. Marguerite Annie Johnson (4-4-1928/5-28-2014) is better known to her adoring and admiring John Burl fans as Maya AngeSmith lou. …

(H)er life was filled with far too many accomplishments to try and detail them here. … Mrs. Angelou enjoyed a beautiful life that included becoming a journalist in Egypt and Ghana, during the decolonization of Africa. She directed, as well as produced plays, movies, and public television programs in the late 1960s.

Then there is Broadway and her fight for human rights. Mrs. Angelou met novelist John O. Killens in 1959 and he convinced her to move to New York City, where she could concentrate and fully develop as a writer.

She joined the Harlem Writers Guild, where she met and worked with several major African American authors….

In 1960, she met civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and she and Killens organized the legendary “Cabaret for Freedom” to benefit the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Later, she was named SCLC Northern Coordinator. …

While in Accra, Ghana, she became close friends with Malcolm X, during his visit in the early 1960s. When Mrs. Angelou returned to the US, she worked with Malcolm, as he began building his Black Nationalist organization, the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAU), just before he was assassinated.

Mrs. Angelou received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees before reaching the 1990s, where she, in 1993, recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration. US President Barack Obama presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2011) to Mrs. Angelou.

Reading all her honors, one might think Mrs. Angelou lived a life of ease and gaiety however, that was definitely not the case.

According to Mrs. Angelou, “I had many hard struggles, but that is life struggle.”

I first met Mrs. Angelou through “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” (1969).

I read that biography while in jail in 1971. I learned, as with so many black

MAYA ANGELOU SAID: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou (Photo: mayaangelou.com)

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” men and women detailed here, she was abused during childhood by her mother’s boyfriend. When she told her uncles, unlike many other abusers, later, the culprit was found dead. The rumor was the culprit had been kicked to death.

The boomerang for Maya was she became so frightened by the power of her words, at age eight; she became mute, refusing to speak for the next five years.

Again, like many other black children, including this writer, a concerned teacher found a way to draw her out of her closed off world. However, Mrs. Angelou’s influence did not end with her passing, the impact of her words continue reaching out from the grave, like a healing balm, to inspire today.

Consider this. I received a post on Facebook that illustrates her truly amazing power. The clip was posted by L. BrooklynPhenix Smith from Great Britain.

While showing Meghan Markle’s courage facing her latest travails, including the backstabbing from the so-called British “royal circle,” the post featured Mrs. Angelou reciting her iconic poem “And still I Rise” (1978).

Brilliantly produced, the clip showed Mrs. Angelou giving a live performance interspaced with video clips of Meghan Markle, poised as always, going about her life with Harry and their baby. The post

Maya Angelou said that for her Dr. King’s message of non-violence was like pouring water on a desert.

(Photo: Twitter/TheRoot) was accompanied by a Youtube.com piece entitled, “The Story about Maya Angelou that you have never heard in her own word!”

Mrs. Angelou’s message is not just for Meghan, but for all black women. Mrs. Angelou made the point in her poem and the video that, if you are a black woman and though you may be hated, verbally abused, attacked unjustly, ostracized and lynched upon the scaffold of ridicule, you should never feel alone or shame, because that has always been the lot of black women.

Black women can never afford to show weakness or to be fragile in the face of such assaults from those bent on their destruction. You must stand tall as a proud vessel of life. It is your beauty that drives those jealous of your femininity and womanly powers and strength that defies incredible odds to gain victory.

Mrs. Angelou’s clarion call is to stand forth when haters try to push you down, and even when they manage to cover you with their lies and plots, still as a black

Maya Angelou and Malcolm X became close friends in Accra, Ghana and were working associates when he was assassinated. (Photo: Twitter/TheRoot) woman, you must rise!!!

That is the demand before all enslaved Africans descendants, women, and men.

We must always reach deep to bring forth the self-love that got slavery’s descendants to “The 400th”.

Mrs. Angelou and Meghan Mackle were both touched by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, which (for) Great Britain was a major pillow and its Crown rest atop the graves it filled with slaves. The attitude that supported that monster – slavery – still lives in the hearts of people who see former enslaved Africans as people they once owned. The world will never change if attitudes remain the same.

(John Burl Smith began as a black power advocate in 1967 and now works for social change, social justice and other progressive causes. He is the author of the forthcoming book “The 400th” (16192019) From Slavery to Hip Hop.”)

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The New Tri-State Defender

April 9 - 15, 2020

Page 5

RELIGION

Funerals evolve in times like these Masks, social distancing, empty churches are the “new normal”

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

The deceased leave behind grieving family and friends, who gather for a last rite of passage: collective mourning and celebration. That was a month ago, before COVID-19 made a jarring – and often deadly – intrusion and before directives from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) became lifelines.

“With this coronavirus pandemic, nothing is the same as it was,” said Joe Ford of Joe Ford Funeral Home. “The state regulatory board strongly recommended that we adhere to guidelines passed down by the CDC. “So, we can’t have loved ones and friends crowded into a church anymore. Only ten people are allowed in a church or chapel at one time.”

Ford and other Memphis-area funeral and cemetery professionals have been encouraged to tune their business operations to a message from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. All regulatory boards fall under this office, including the one directing policy for funeral directors, embalmers and burial services.

In part, the statement reads: “As the rapid spreading of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues throughout our state and nation, we understand that leads to questions on how to continue with your funeral or cemetery businesses… We encourage funeral providers to follow best practices in the conduct of your professional services and follow the guidelines outlined by the CDC, Tennessee Department of Health, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

Limousine rides for family

and close friends have been eliminated, said Ford. People are driving themselves to the venue. Only ten family members are allowed in the church for funerals, now. Other family members and friends wait outside, social distancing as they listen to the service inside.

“The way we have been managing this small number is by rotating family members and friends in and out of the service,” said Ford. “We let family members decide who goes in first, and if, in fact, they would like to rotate various people in and out during the service. It’s just the way we have to do things now. This is our new normal.”

Inside the church, people are spaced at least six feet apart.

“Families lose a good deal of the intimacy and closeness of mourning their loved one together, but things are different right now,” Ford said. “We don’t know for how long, but this is just reality right now.”

Visitation – “the wake” – is not part of the new reality.

Ford and other staff members wear masks to funeral services.

“We have been wearing white masks, but I ordered black ones from Amazon.

This week, we will wear these.

Black ones, I feel, look more formal and more professional.

“All of this is going to take some getting used to, but we’ll get through it. We just have to accept how things are and move on.”

The 10-person limit in a funeral service also is the new norm at M.J. Edwards, where Wendell Naylor is a funeral director.

“We are seeing some families livestream the service over YouTube Live, Facebook Live, or some other service on the Internet,” said Naylor.

“They will come in and set

Dr. Neichelle Guidry says that while shelter-in-place directives disrupt routine, there are multiple ways to celebrate and observe the holiday period. (Photo: revneichelle.com)

Celebrating Easter while in shut-down mode Joe Ford and the staff at Joe Ford Funeral Home have taken to wearing masks as they roll with changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell)

“All of this is going to take some getting used to, but we’ll get through it. We just have to accept how things are and move on.”

— Joe Ford up a cell phone on a tripod, and people can go on their Facebook page or follow whatever instructions are given to be a part of the final services. The family posts the livestream prior to the service.”

Naylor said there will be no funerals open to the public for as long as the pandemic lasts.

And as is the case at Joe Ford Funeral Home, limousines and visitations on the night before service are, for now, on hold.

Edgar Miller with N.J. Ford Funeral Home said that with the 10-person limitation it’s important to allow the family to decide as a unit how to handle the announcement of arrangements.

“Before this pandemic, we would post the time and date of funeral arrangements, but this is a different world we’re living in now,” said Miller.

“We leave it up to the family to announce if they will livestream the funeral service, or how they will handle these new changes.

“There is no visitation, and no service will be open to the public. The family decides who will actually attend. But we continue to do what we can to create a memorable homegoing experience. Only ten people allowed inside.

That’s just what it is.”

Ford believes most changes are temporary, though no one knows for how long. He and his fellow funeral directors have one continuing-business path forward: evolve and adapt to the pandemic.

“I guess the closest thing I’ve seen to this COVID-19 is Hurricane Katrina in 2006,” said Ford. “My son had just gone back to school and he lost all his belongings, every thing he had. I guess the event, itself, changed some things.

“With the virus, we may see more graveside services.

We’re going to look into offering glass-top sealers so the deceased can still be viewed at the graveside. Things have changed, and we’ve got to find ways to give the family the best experience possible, even in these times.”

by Brianna Smith Special to The New Tri-State Defender

With people under various restrictions, including stayat-home orders and self-isolation, families are devising alternative ways to observe the spring holidays. They include streaming online Easter church services, hosting virtual Passover dinners, holding family-only egg hunts in the backyard and more.

The Rev. Dr. Neichelle Guidry has some interesting thoughts and advice to share about how we all can still celebrate and observe the holiday, despite mandatory shelter-in-place directives.

Scholar and millennial minister, Dr. Guidry and I attended Clark Atlanta University. She currently serves as the Dean of Sisters and director of the WISDOM Center at Spelman College.

Outside of academia, Dr. Neichelle is the creator of “She Preaches,” a virtual community and professional development organization that aspires to uplift African American millennial women in ministry through theological reflection, fellowship and liturgical curation.

The host of the Modern Faith Podcast, Guidry has been featured in multiple major publications and information outlets.

Here are a few points she’d like to share to uplift our readers on balancing tradition with precaution: • We’ve got each other – Our current situation mirrors that of the early church in Acts. They had no physical church building or expensive production to celebrate their faith. They had each other, just as we do now.

• Service together – Holding our own “scaled down” Easter services with friends and family on video conferencing platforms that involve prayer, singing hymns, reading the story of the resurrection, reflecting on what we are learning during this crisis as it’s unfolding during lent, and our hopes for resurrection in our lives post-crisis.

• Lean-in – This Easter is a time to lean-into being stripped of our excess and mobility by making more time for reaching out to those we haven’t spoken to in a while, rest our bodies, practice gratitude, accomplish goals and more.

• Embrace & appreciate - Embracing and appreciating the small things that are making the biggest difference in our daily lives.

(For more faith-based information from Dr. Guidry, visit www.RevNeichelle. com.)

The New Tri-State Defender, April 9 - 15, 2020, Page 6

ALL OVER TOWN

Wedding day blues – adjusting to a pandemic

Brianna A. Smith and Lorenzo Herman (fall 2019), (Photo: Ariel Cobbert)

How COVID-19 is disrupting My wedding planning

by Brianna A. Smith Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Jonathan and Tsciena Barnes wedded in an intimate ceremony on May 18, 2019 and were looking forward to having their dream wedding, until COVID-19 hit. (Courtesy photo)

by Brianna A. Smith Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Save the dates were sent, photos were taken, vendors were booked, wedding countdowns began and then the coronavirus hit.

The COVID-19 has disrupted daily life around the world and there’s no clear answers to what the future may bring. Now couples engaged to be married in the coming year, such as my fiancé and I, are faced with decisions regarding whether it’s best to postpone, cancel, continue or adjust plans for the special day.

As of March 15, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended the cancellation of large gatherings, including weddings, for eight weeks. While unfortunate, this means that weddings are out until mid-May, or possibly longer.

There were approximately 23,000 weddings scheduled to have taken place in the United States this past weekend, according to the Knot, a popular wedding-planning website.

Weddings represent the antithesis of social distancing. They’re gatherings of intimate friends and mysterious personages, many of whom arrive via a complex network of travel options.

Jonathan and Tsciena Barnes were set to re-say their vows on March 21 in St. Augustine, Florida, a small tourist city on the Atlantic coast about 40 minutes from Jacksonville.

“We weren’t as upset about having to postpone our wedding because we got married legally May 18, 2019,” said Jonathan. “It was a small ceremony with our immediate family in St Augustine, Florida and afterwards we went on our honeymoon.”

Their plan to return to St. Augustine for a more formal ceremony was hijacked by virus concerns.

They, like other engaged couples, were stuck in limbo, planning as if the wedding was still on while following the coronavirus news and realizing the chances of it happening — at least in the way they imagined — were getting slimmer.

“We decided to postpone on March 16, the Monday before our wedding,” said Tsciena. “Guidelines were issued on that day, re-

questing the public’s compliance with limiting mass gatherings to no more than 10 people.”

Jonathan said, “We had a lot of family and friends traveling as well as elderly guests and we believed that postponing was our only option to not expose our loved ones to the virus.

“We started by calling the venue first, then our wedding coordinator, guests and then the other vendors to fill them in on our decision.

The process was pretty easy. Every one of them were understanding and accommodating.”

Tsciena added, “Having to postpone the wedding after a year’s worth of anticipation and planning wasn’t ideal, but the situation was beyond our control and ultimately the health and safety of our friends and family come first.

“We’re grateful that our vendors have been flexible and our loved ones are still excited to celebrate with us at a later date.”

It’s not just guests and couples who are feeling the effects of the pandemic. The coronavirus outbreak, like it has in other sections of the economy, is expected to have a profound impact on the $100-billion-a-year wedding industry.

“The wedding industry is obviously enormous,” said Kristen Maxwell Cooper, editor-in-chief at the Knot. “There’re about 1.8 million weddings that happen every year. So that’s a ton of money.

A ton of people that are impacted by this.”

When I reached out to wedding planner and event designer Delyrria Franklin, she didn’t have very long to chat. She was busy on the phone with couples and their vendors about the status of

their upcoming nuptials.

It’s a scene that’s increasingly playing out for vendors as couples rearrange wedding plans amid fears over COVID-19 and travel restrictions.

“I’ve had to completely postpone weddings and/or work with couples to determine how to still have their wedding within the restrictions of the pandemic,” said Franklin. “It’s difficult to reschedule an entire wedding within a week and then have to make sure all vendors are available on a later date.”

Franklin understands that an upcoming wedding in “an emotional” time for couples.

“I remind them that they are still on a journey to become one, it may just look a little different than what they originally planned or it may have to happen at a later date.

“I also ensure them that as their wedding planner, I am with them every step of the way and that the changes we’re making are for the health interests of everyone.”

Nakeisha Green, a local florist and owner of Petals Studio, prides herself on her custom wedding flower bouquets.

Aside from weddings — the early spring season is huge for florists — and leads into Easter and proms.

“We are working from a proactive standpoint, trying to reschedule our affected events as quickly as possible so we can start the process of transitioning plans and vendors to a new date.

“Once the new date is locked in, we can go back to a state of normalcy with planning,” Green said. “We really want to give our

My advice for navigating wedding planning during this unprecedented COVID-19 situation is to take a pause, don’t make any hasty decisions, and really think about what you value most for your wedding.

On March 20, exactly eight months until our destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, my fiancé, Lorenzo Herman and I received a notification on our phones that the United States restricted nonessential travel to Mexico.

I was shaken, stunned, flabbergasted.

COVID-19 is affecting our wedding a tad bit differently than the other couples I wrote about.

Luckily, in January I said ‘yes to the dress’ and we had our site visit to Mexico in February.

However, finding bridesmaids gowns and accessories have become a hassle because many retailers in the United States import dresses from China, where the outbreak is said to have started and where many factories have been forced to close.

As a result, bridal stores have been struggling to source garments since the pandemic picked up and the safer-at-home order means that bridal stores, such as David’s Bridal have been ordered to close.

For a bride, groom or wedding planner, the challenge is every day that passes is a day closer to the special day. So, for people to have to sit tight or even try to plan for a pivot in the face of so much uncertainty is especially tricky.

Our wedding venue has temporarily closed, causing communication to be delayed.

“The shutdown of the venue is not ideal, but I understand the measure,” said Herman. “It puts me more at ease knowing that it has been shut down and it gives them time to clean, disinfect and change anything that needs to be changed prior to our wedding day.”

As a result of the coronavirus some of ours friends have been laid off from their jobs and now lack the financial resources to afford to attend our wedding. Many have had to renege.

Herman said, “Because some of our guests have been financially impacted it makes accounting for them difficult, the longer there is a safer-at-home order and things remain closed the longer our guests may not have the funds to afford to be in attendance by November.”

The most important factor right now is taking care of ourselves, our well-being and not putting our loved ones at risk.

We are staying calm and keeping faith that our big day will still happen as planned. There are too many uncertainties right now, and everyone is learning how to handle the situation to the best of their abilities. clients a sense of calm as quickly as possible to help restrict the negative emotional impact of the virus as much as we can.”

She added, “The upside of this is I have some time to play catch up — check inventory, update my website and restructure the inhouse business.”

As I scrolled through my Instagram timeline, I came across a flier postponing the wedding of my friends Savannah Clay and Cullen Johnson.

They were initially getting married in June, but decided to postpone on March 21.

“We realized that the situation was becoming worse and we didn’t want to put our loved ones at risk,” said Johnson. “We prayed about it and listed the pros and cons and eventually made the decision from there.”

Clay said, “Even though this wasn’t our original plan we are trusting God for what he has in store.”

April 9 - 15, 2020

The New Tri-State Defender

Page 7

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE #ACCESS901

Alexa, homeschool my kids!

by Joy Doss Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Millions of parents have been drop-kicked into a homeschooling situation. Like me, some already work from home. Others had to make a quick-step. Distressingly, some are furloughed and not working at all.

Regardless, it makes for fraught times as we try to figure out their stuff and our stuff at the same time.

That task is piled atop of pushJoy ing through Doss cabin fever, slogging through a swamp of uncertainty and conflicting information and managing the anxiety of living in what feels like a bizarre dystopian novel. To remain semi-sane, I meditate, exercise regularly, pray like crazy and selectively tune out the news.

All that to say, ALEXA, HOMESCHOOL MY KIDS! Cause we ain’t ready! And we don’t know nothin’ bout this new math of theirs!

For me, it’s mostly a space invasion. My sixth-grader mostly is like a self-cleaning oven – very independent and wants no help.

But she gone get this supervision.

We review assignments daily. Her school was online within days, operating via Google Meet and Google Classroom, which means her teachers are still doing the teaching and I am not responsible for creating a makeshift curriculum.

She has a designated space for her Google Meets (lighting is everything of course!) and still holes up in her dungeon/bedroom for homework. We are fortunate to have both a laptop for her and a tablet. Outside of Google Meets

and assignment deadlines, she is on a loose schedule. My main rule is homework and classwork finished by 5 p.m.! I also keep her weekly tutor appointment, now via FaceTime.

I checked in with some mommy friends to see what’s up with them.

Cherhonda Mason-Ayers, a married mom with a fifthgrade student in Shelby County Schools, has been teaching for 17 years. She has a different approach: “I actually moved our son’s desk from his room into my workspace to help him understand, WE ARE STILL LEARNING AND WORKING. Our new norm is that we do these things TOGETHER. I have a bell … and even made a hall pass for him to do things like go to the rest room or get a drink of water. According to him, I am doing way too much!”

She gauges good stopping points between their respective Zoom meetings, laughing at the thought of such.

Her son’s teachers provide assignments on Sunday evenings and use Zoom to have face-toface meetings and answer questions about assignments.

Her advice for keeping it together? “PRAYER! Once we move beyond this pandemic, I hope people will realize how important human connection is!”

The stay-at-home mandates have forced Ann Perry Wallace and her three children – ages 10, almost 16 and 17 – to slow their normally fast-paced family life down.

An actress, writer and program manager at Playback Memphis, Ann often works at home, so creating and converting separate corners for everyone was imperative.

Coincidentally, they just moved into a larger home in midtown.

“I do make them get up, wash up, get on decent clothes and get their breakfast before starting so they can feel like they’re doing

more than just playing around,” she said. “I have carved out a makeshift office in my bedroom.

I get up, pray, meditate, shower, get dressed, get coffee and breakfast, make up the bed.”

The bed made signals the start of the workday.

Her husband, Darius, shares the kiddo responsibilities. The Wallace kids mostly manage without their parents, “attending” school through distance learning models.

They prepare their own breakfast and lunch and have dinner as a family.

Periodically throughout the day, the Wallaces stop so Darius can lead the family in Tai Chi practice.

“This relaxes and energizes us,” Ann says.

Like Cherhonda, Ann relies on prayer. “I cannot control what happens so I have to pray. Psalms 91 is my bestie right about now.”

My friend Kelly Hodrick lives in Union, NJ, where she is mom to Carter, who is in pre-K, and third-grader Malcolm. At 8 a.m., she’s attempting to log into work, fix breakfast and open home school for the day.

She normally works from home once a week; having the kiddos adds a twist. The family is working to create a schedule close to what is normal for the kids, who

take breaks throughout the day and must complete their assignments by 4:30 p.m.

“Third grade is fully up and running via Google Classroom.

Assignments…posted daily…are a combination of both class ‘lessons,’ homework, as well as projects and quizzes. For Pre-K, the daycare has recently started daily 30-minute classes via Zoom for the kids to reconnect and share and also reinforce learning, including sight word development, reading, storytelling, show and tell, etc.”

Her older son’s school has provided helpful online resources that have been a part of the regular curriculum.

Her recommendations for sanity?

“Prayer, daily scriptures (Biblestudytools.com), DJ D-NICE Club Quarantine, Drizly liquor delivery, daily kee-keeing with my girls and my line sisters.”

Be encouraged all. And remember – We’re Memphis Strong!

(Resources: Free curriculum, www.alicefayeduncan.com; WKNO and Bounce for all ages school on TV; work exercises for all ages, www.IXL.com. If your child’s school doesn’t provide access, the monthly membership is about $20 per child ($4 for each additional child) for core classes.)

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, April 9 - 15, 2020, Page 8

KEEPING TRACK: Part II

Designated TSD trio shares living through COVID-19 journeys

by Jerome Wright jwright@tsdmemphis.com

Last week, The New Tri-State Defender told readers about three Memphians, whose life paths have been altered as a result of the COVID-19 virus, and local and state governments’ efforts to slow the virus’ spread.

Margaret Cowan works with “her moms,” who are striving to gain greater financial independence to create a better life for themselves and their children.

Cowan’s weapon for making a difference in the lives of these mothers is her nonprofit I Am My Sister’s Keeper. She describes herself as the organization’s “founding keeper.”

William Gandy Jr. is a barber. He comes from a family of barbers. His late father William senior, who everyone simply called Gandy, was a barber, trimming the heads of some of the best-known folks in Memphis.

William, also like his father, is an accomplished singer and musician.

The Whitehaven barber shop where he works, like most barber shops and beauty salons in the area, has closed because, under safer-at-home orders, they are not considered “essential” businesses.

James Cook is proprietor and partner with KC Eatery, which operates Runway 901 Bar & Grill and Lenny’s Grill and Subs at Memphis International Airport.

Because of a lack of airport passenger traffic through the airport because of virus fears, he had to close Runway 901 and Lenny’s is barely holding on.

Cowan, Gandy and Cook are just three of the people here and across the country, who have been impacted – some more than others -- by officials’ efforts to slow the spread of the virus. “Stay at home” mandates have closed all kinds of businesses, resulting in thousands of layoffs and

furloughs, or reduced services.

The gravity of the situation is reflected in the number of Tennesseans applying for unemployment last month. .Last week, the new unemployment claims in Tennessee jumped to about 94,500, up from 39,100 the previous week and 2,700 three weeks ago, according to the Associated Press..

Here is the first weekly update on how they are coping.

▪▪▪▪ Margaret Cowan: Cowan works with 20 single mothers. They are building a “village,” where they support each other in their quest to improve their financial situations.

Cowan said these are not single mothers who are living in poverty, but women who are taking steps to do better for themselves and their children.

Her work involves a lot of contact with the women and frequent interaction between all of them. Last week, she said Safer-at-home mandates curtailed that interaction. Yet, they still found a way to interact while practicing social distancing.

“On Wednesday (April 1) we had a Zoom (conference) call and decided we would hold Zoom meetings every Thursday.

“We had a good time and you could tell there was so much joy …” to connect with one another.

Last Saturday (April 4), Cowan said, the group met in the parking lot of the Frayser-Raleigh Senior Center, where they sat in their cars and chatted among themselves -- social distancing, of course.

“It was fun. They want to do that every week, too,” Cowan said.

Cowan also shared some good news.

The laid off hotel manager she told The New Tri-State Defender about last week has been approved for unemployment benefits.

Margaret Cowan and some of the single moms she is working with gathered on the Frayser-Raleigh Senior Center parking lot on April 4th. Lorian Anderson (foreground), a friend of Cowan’s, joined the outing. (Courtesy photo)

Adjusting to a new reality, William Gandy Jr. is trying to write more music. (Courtesy photo) And, her organization received $1,000 from the Community Foundation, which will be used to help “her moms,” including the other recently laid off hotel employee Cowan, who mentioned last week.

Beyond these happenings, Cowan said she and one of the organization’s board members are working to complete a strategic plan, with three key goals -- buying homes that “her moms” can live in until they can buy their own, garnering more corporate sponsors and improving the organization’s portfolio, which she hopes will improve their chances of attracting the sponsorships.

▪▪▪▪ William Gandy: Gandy is one of six barbers who found themselves without their hair grooming jobs when their Whitehaven shop closed because of safer-at-home orders.

When Gandy was not trimming hair, he was constantly out and about, performing his music and attending

Ballot is set for Aug. 6 elections

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

The ballot in the August 6 election will be filled with many familiar names.

Four school board members and 13 Tennessee House members are seeking re-election in the county general, and state and federal party primaries – all filing their petitions to run before the April 6 deadline.

As of now, according to Shelby County Election Commission officials, the election is set to move forward as planned amid the growing COVID-19 concerns.

As Shelby County Schools’ leaders navigate the challenges that have been presented by the current pandemic, it’s a critical time for school board members.

The health crisis is one of the reasons long-time Commissioner Kevin Woods decided, in a last-minute announcement, to seek re-election. Earlier this year, he’d publicly said that he was not planning to run.

“After careful consideration and conversations with my family, community members and friends, I decided to seek re-election to the Shelby County Schools Board,” Woods said in a statement last month.

“These are extraordinary times and the health and well-being of our education systems are at stake. I owe it to District 4, family, employees, as well as my fellow board members to continue to help work through these difficult challenges.”

His decision prompted Joann Massey, director of Business Diversity and Compliance for the City of Memphis, to withdraw her petition and throw her support behind Woods.

“District 4 is in real good hands

with Kevin Woods,” Massey said.

“My campaign team that I formed, as well as my donors, I am asking them all, publicly, to support Kevin in another term.”

Allison Fouche, the city’s deputy chief communications officer, also had filed a petition to run for the District 4 seat, but withdrew it after Woods’ announced that he would seek re-election.

Woods, who serves as the market president for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, has been a board member since 2011during the planning stage leading to the official merger of the legacy Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools districts on July 1, 2013.

He was appointed to the position and in 2012 he defeated Memphis pastor and former city school board member Kenneth Whalum Jr. for the seat.

Also seeking re-election for a third term, is Stephanie Love who represents District 3. Love was first elected in 2014 and later re-elected in August of 2016. She currently serves as the vice-chair for the Shelby County Board of Education, the chair of Community Engagement Committee and co-chair of the Legislative Committee.

Scott McCormick, who represents District 5 and serves as the board’s vice chair also is seeking re-election.

Prior to serving on the SCS board, McCormick served on the Memphis City Council from 2004 to 2008.

Also seeking re-election to her current position in District 7 is Miska Clay Bibbs, who works as the chief of staff for Teach for America Memphis.

While the other school board in-

cumbent will have to face off with at least one contender, District 2 School Board Commissioner Althea Green will be running unopposed.

Greene, the board’s only former educator and current pastor of Real Life Ministries, was appointed by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in 2019. She filled the role of longtime board member Teresa Jones, who resigned to accept a City Court judge appointment.

School board races for Shelby County Schools are staggered every two years. This means only about half of the board is up for election every two years.

Also, on the August 6 ballot, voters will have to choose their top candidate for Tennessee House seats.

Almost all of the incumbentGeneral Assembly members are seeking an additional term.

Seeking re-election in their party primaries are: Republican Mark White (R-83), Joe Towns (D-84), Barbara Cooper (D-86), Karen Camper (D-87), Larry Miller(D-88) and John Deberry (D90).

London Lamar (D-91), G.A. Hardaway (D-93), William Vaughan (R-95), Antonio Parkinson (D-98), and Tom Leatherwood (R-99).

Rep. Karen Camper, who is also House minority leader, will be running unopposed.

Hardaway almost had a contender, but his opponent’s petition to run was not qualified by the deadline, leaving the longtime representative running unopposed. Hardaway has served as District 93 representative since 2006.

Cooper, a retired Memphis school teacher, has served in the legislature for more than two decades. She was elected in 1996.

In the state Senate primaries, incumbents Sara Kyle (D- 30) and Paul

events, among other things.

He said he has had to “readjust to the reality” of being off and safer-athome orders. He is trying to finish a book he has been working on over the past five years. He also is writing more music.

“I’ve had to cut back a lot, but I’m healthier. I’ve actually lost weight. I finally had a chance to use my juice machine more.”

He said he has been in contact with his fellow barbers, who asked him to contact the shop’s owner to see when the owner thinks they will be back to work. The owner told him that will happen whenever the “safer at home” mandates are lifted.

As expected, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland on Monday extended the city’s mandate through April 21. Dr. Manoj Jain, an infectious disease expert, who is advising city officials on the virus pandemic, later said it isn’t clear when Memphis might lift the mandate.

And, Gandy said some of his customers still are trying to get him to do some “underground” barbering, but he consistently has refused.

▪▪▪▪ James Cook: Last week, Cook, who has operated businesses at the airport for more than 10 years, said the lack of airport traffic forced him to close Runway 901, but he had been able to keep Lenny’s open with a reduced staff, primarily because of business from airport employees.

He said Monday Lenny’s staff was down to two employees, including himself. Wednesday, he said, it was

just him.

He had to cut operating hours from 5 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., to 5 a.m. to noon. He had to let six Lenny’s employees go.

He explained that, from his vantage point, about 200 passengers a day are coming through the terminal and that the airport has adjusted its staff scheduling to reflect the loss of traffic.

“These people (laid off Lenny’s employees) were supposed to hold things down. Now, I’m the manager, the cook, the cashier and HR (human resources).”

Still, he is able to maintain a sense of humor. Asked Monday why, with only one employee, he had to be HR director, he laughed and said, “I’m priding myself on getting to work on time.” Now that he is the only employee, the HR humor also has a sobering serious side.

Humor aside, though, things are getting tight.

Memphis Airport Director Scott Brockman, told media outlets last week that customer traffic is down between 95 percent to 97 percent.

That pretty much mirrors what is happening at airports nationally.

Cook said he still is able to get supplies, but the amount he normally purchases has dropped tremendously.

“I normally buy between $4,000 to $6,000 worth at a time. I only order about $1,000 now.”

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

Here is a full list of all of the candidates who have filed petitions for the April 6 election. Incumbents are designated by “I.” Shelby County School Board District 2 Althea E. Greene (I) District 3 Aaron Youngblood Jesse Jeff Stephanie Patrice Love (I) District 4 Kristy Sullivan Tamarques Porter Clyde Pinkston Kevin Woods (I) District 5 Paul Evelyn Allen Mauricio Calvo Sheleah Harris April Ghueder Scott McCormick (I) District 7 Miska Clay Bibbs (I) Trevor Johnson Banks Tennessee House of Representatives District 83 Jerri Green Mark White (I) District 84

Joe E. Towns (I) Phyllis Parks Dominique Primer William Frazier District 85 Alvin Crook District 86 Kenny Lee Dominique Frost Daryl L. Lewis Rob White Barbara Cooper (I) Austin A. Crowder District 87 Karen D. Camper (I) District 88 Larry J. Miller (I) Orrden W. Williams, Jr District 90 Torrey C. Harris Catrina L. Smith John J. Deberry Jr. (I) District 91 London Lamar (I) Doris Deberry Bradshaw District 93 G.A. Hardaway (I) District 95

Rose (R-32) are seeking re-election.

There also will be party primary races for federal House of Representative districts. In two races that affect the Memphis area, Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis has three challengers in the Ninth District August primary, including former Shelby County Democratic Party chairman Corey Strong, who announced he would be running last summer.

Other Democratic contenders in the race include, M. Latroy Alexandria Williams and Leo Awgowhat.

Republicans Charlotte Bergmann, who has run unsuccessfully against

William Kevin Vaughan (I) Lynnette P. Williams District 96 Dwayne Thompson Patti Possel District 97 Allan Creasy Gabby Salinas Brandon S. Weise John Gillespie Clifford Stockton III Ruby Powell-Dennis District 98 Antonio Parkinson (I) Charles A. Thompson District 99 Lee Mills Tom Leatherwood (I) Tennessee State Senate District 30 Sara P. Kyle (I) District 32 Scott Throckmorton Paul W. Rose (I) Julie Byrd Ashworth

Cohen before, and Charles L. Shapply also filed petitions for the position in the Republican primary.

Additionally, primaries for the U.S. Senate seat that’s currently held by Republican Lamar Alexander is up for grabs. Alexander is not seeking re-election.

Thirteen Republican are vying for the Republican nomination; five Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination. Six independent candidates for the seat will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Locally, the Election Commission is set to meet virtually to certify all candidates on April 14.

The New Tri-State Defender

April 9 - 15, 2020

LEGACY

CLASSIFIEDS

John McFerren, dead at 95, fought for racial equality in Fayette County

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

John McFerren, a key civil rights warrior in Fayette County, Tenn. during the 1960s died from natural causes April 4.

His death occurred on the 52nd commemoration of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis.

McFerren was born in Somerville, the Fayette County seat, on Oct. 28, 1924, to Eugene and Estella McFerren, the fifth of six children.

In the summer of 1959, McFerren decided to commit his life to equality and racial justice.

After attending the trial of Burton Dodson, an African-American accused of killing a white deputy in a 1940 shootout, McFerren started a voter registration drive.

Dodson couldn’t be judged by a jury of his peers because few blacks were on the voter rolls, and only voters could sit on a jury. Many believed he was innocent.

Although Fayette County was 70 percent African-American, a small ruling class of white landowners had controlled the majority for generations. McFerren and other activists launched a massive voter registration drive to register African Americans.

This led to organized retaliation by Fayette County whites against McFerren, his family, fellow activists and sharecroppers on the farms of white landowners.

“When I was born, the movement had already started, and both my father and mother were deeply involved,” said Daphene R. McFerren, McFerren’s daughter, and executive director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis.

“That’s just how it was. We knew that we were sharing our parents with many people. As children, we didn’t feel neglect-

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“…One of my church members and friend, Herman Strickland Jr., died yesterday, and it shook me to my core. He was a great Christian brother who loved his wife and two daughters…a kind and loving man. He will never be forgotten but truly missed.” – Dwayne A. Jones, friend The First Baptist Church on Kitchen Street posted on its Facebook wall: “It is with deep sadness to inform you that Bro. and Sis. Strickland’s son, Herman Strickland Jr., passed away this morning. Please pray for the family during this difficult time for strength, comfort, and understanding.”

Strickland, a long-time Memphis banker known for his civic and professional efforts to boost African-American communities and Memphis, died April 5. He was 60.

This past Sunday, Strickland, a longtime deacon, was scheduled to lead the prayer during online services at New Olivet Worship Center in Cordova.

In stunning and dramatic fashion, he was heard praying at the appointed time.

Members of the congregation and visiting friends watching the online service posthumously heard Strickland’s voice, praying for the last time.

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Described as one who could see the big picture, John McFerren never wavered in pursuit of racial equality.

In the video from which this image was captured, he extolled the importance of economic independence in achieving racial equality. (Screen capture from video posted by the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute.) ed. My father was bigger than life and big enough to share.”

Whites retaliated against the movement by evicting African-American sharecroppers in December, 1960. McFerren set up army tents for the evicted families on land owned by two African-American farmers.

This “Tent City” housed these families until it was disbanded in April, 1963. But the nation and the world scrutinized Fayette County for its voter suppression and inhumane treatment of African Americans.

On November 16, 1959, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit against the Fayette County Democratic Executive Committee to stop it from suppressing the African American vote in the primaries.

It was the first case in the nation to be filed under the 1957 Civil Rights Act. Later, the Justice Department obtained relief from the federal court to prevent white landowners from evicting African- American sharecroppers because they registered to vote.

“I believe that some people are born to see the big picture,” McFerren said. “For my father, his responsibility was far greater to just his family. It was to his people as well.

“I remember one time, my father was beaten up really badly because he wouldn’t stop his civil rights activities.

My uncle took him to the hospital. When he came home, I could tell he had been beaten badly. But nothing ever stopped him.

“When others were beaten, my father would have my mother drive them to the hospital in Memphis where blacks could go. They saw the big picture. That is now my perspective. I see the big picture.”

McFerren and wife, Viola H. McFerren, opened McFerren’s Grocery and Oil Company to provide food, gasoline, and other services. It was open for more than 50 years, on Highway 195.

His brick structure was the central meeting place for student activists, civil rights workers, and labor unions.

Protest marches would start there and end at the Fayette County Courthouse.

McFerren was a World War II veteran. He was preceded in death by his oldest son, John McFerren, Jr., and exwife, Viola.

He is survived by four children: Jacqueline McFerren, Claudia McFerren-Jones, Daphene R. McFerren and Harris N. McFerren.

Online tributes, expressions of sympathy pour in for Herman Strickland Jr., 60

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchel

Page 9

He had sent the 10-minute pre-recorded prayer to his pastor, Dr. Kenneth Whalum Jr., earlier in the week. “…Help us to endure, Lord.

Please help us to stay as safe as we possibly can, Lord. Help us to get through this…”

The words from Strickland’s recording were striking in the solemn moment of corporate prayer.

Strickland was a senior vice president and credit officer for Pinnacle Financial Partners in Memphis. His stellar career unfolded at First Tennessee Bank (now First Horizon), where he worked for 34 years.

When he left First Horizon, he was head of the diversity banking group. He joined Pinnacle in 2015.

With all Strickland’s accolades and board memberships, Whalum said the banker was most impressive in his love for God. “I knew him for 30 years, and he was a true worshipper,” said Whalum. “Every Sunday morning before service began, you would find Herman lying prostrate on the altar, unashamed of his relationship with God. It was an unapologetic show of humility and meekness in a man of his stature. What an example for our young people.”

Strickland and his wife, Rhonda Strickland, ran New Olivet’s married couples’ ministry for 10 years. He was also involved in the Rights of Passage Ministry, a program

for the guidance and mentoring of yo u ng men.

Herman StrickStrickland l a n d earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Arkansas State University management and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Memphis. He also graduated from the Darden School of Commercial Lending, University of Virginia.

Strickland was a former instructor at the Barret School of Banking at Christian Brothers University. He served on numerous boards throughout his career, among them the Memphis Urban League, Leadership Memphis, Community Lift and the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, University of Memphis.

R.S. Lewis and Sons Funeral Home has charge of services.

Because of COVID-19 stay in-place guidelines, viewing scheduled for Friday (April 10) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at R. S. Lewis at 2944 Walnut Grove Rd. and funeral services set for Saturday (April 11), also at the Walnut Grove location, are restricted to family members only.

An announcement is forthcoming about whether the funeral will be lived streamed.

LEGAL NOTICE Request for Bids RFB Number 20-0028 Operations & Maintenance Relocation Services Sealed bids for providing services for Operations & Maintenance Relocation will be received by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, Memphis International Airport, 4121 Runway Road, Suite B, Memphis, TN 38118-6613, until 2:00 PM local time, April 28, 2020. Responses will be opened and publicly read thirty (30) minutes after the response deadline at the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority’s Project Center located at 4225 Airways Blvd., Memphis, Tennessee 38116. A complete Request for Bids Packet with submittal instructions, additional data, and response format may be found on the Authority’s website on or after March 27, 2020.

All Bidders are responsible for checking the Authority’s website up to the submission deadline for any updates, addenda or additional information. In accordance with the Authority’s purchasing policies, the Authority will give a preference to businesses located in Shelby County, Tennessee when awarding contracts and making purchases, unless prohibited by law.

The successful 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, 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: Scott A. Brockman, A.A.E. President and CEO Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority NOTICE TO BIDDERS Shelby County Government has issued Sealed Bid number I000612, Tree Trimming and Pruning Services. Information regarding this Bid is located on the County’s website at www. shelbycountytn.gov . At the top of the home page, click on the dropdown box under “Business”, Click on “Purchasing” and “Bids” to locate the name of the above described Sealed Bid. DATE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 6th, 2020 at 2:00 PM (CST) (SB-I000612) TREE TRIMMING A mandatory pre-bid meeting to address questions will be held April 21, 2020 at 10:30 A.M. (CST). Due to the preventive measures prompted by the Corona virus, all Shelby County Government Public-facing meetings/ services will be limited to phone, video, and online transactions whenever possible. All interested respondents are required to participate in this meeting. Vendors can access the meeting via teleconference by utilizing the following access codes: • External number: +19012222777 • Meeting ID: 9012222251# • Meeting PIN: 2458#

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

wise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids. There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register: • Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to “Vendors” block at top • Click “Register Now” box • Click on “Mercury Commerce Vendor Registration” line • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If you have any questions about the registration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 9697246. If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE THURSDAY, APRIL 30TH, 2020 AT 2:30 PM

“TONER CARTRIDGES” COUNTY WIDE (SB-I000616) (MC# 609) By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Listing Information/ Advertisement Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools SPECIFICATIONS FOR LAWN MOWING & LANDSCAPING SERVICES April 6, 2020 Interested parties are expected to familiarize themselves with the existing conditions at each school campus before submitting a proposal. No additional compensation will be paid for work listed in this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) which Contractor did not include in the proposed price due to failure to inspect existing site conditions affecting the satisfactory performance of work specified herein.

The Contractor must currently be in the business of providing lawn mowing and landscaping maintenance services of this type and must have been doing so for a minimum of at least four (4) consecutive years. All applicable federal, state, and local laws, ordinances and regulations must be adhered to.

DELIVER PROPOSALS TO: Freedom Preparatory Academy Attention: Teresa Thornton, Senior Director of Network Operations RFP: Lawn Mowing and Landscaping Services 3750 Mill Branch Road Memphis, TN. 38116 SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY TO: tthornton@freedomprep.org DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSAL(S): Monday, April 20, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. CST

NOTICE OF PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND RELEASE OF CLAIMS IF YOU BURIED A FAMILY MEMBER AT GALILEE MEMORIAL GARDENS CEMETERY (“GALILEE”) OR YOU PAID FOR A BURIAL AT GALILEE FROM JANUARY 1, 2011 THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2014 PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED

This Notice is to let you know about a proposed partial settlement of a class action lawsuit against nine funeral homes related to the Akilah Louise Wofford v. M. J. Edwards & Sons Funeral Home, Inc. et al., Case No. CH-14-0197 lawsuit. (the “Wofford lawsuit”) To learn more about this partial settlement or to obtain a copy of the Claim Form you will need to send in to get money, please visit [www.galileeclassaction.com] or, you can call 901-859-1009 and these documents will be mailed to you. The folks entitled to get money out of this settlement are called Class Members in this Notice.

Summary of the Settlement Terms Nine funeral homes have agreed to settle and pay Class Members $2,280,750.00 (the “Settlement Amount”) in exchange for a release and dismissal of all claims. The lawyers handling the case for Class Members are going to ask Memphis Court Chancellor Kyle to award $90,000 from the settlement funds to the nine families that helped get these funeral homes to settle because they took time out of their lives to help everyone get money for the harm caused out at Galilee.

Also, the lawyers working on this case have never been paid and are going to ask the Court to pay 37.5% which equals $855,281.25 of the Settlement Amount to them as their legal fee and are going to ask to be paid back $69,791.94 in litigation expenses. Chancellor Kyle will consider all of this and he gets to decide how much the lawyers will be paid in this case.

Chancellor Kyle will have a final hearing on this partial settlement to consider whether it’s fair and should be approved so everyone can then get paid money but there is nothing he can do to force the defendants to offer more money in settlement to you. The final hearing will take place in Chancellor Kyle’s courtroom at the Shelby County Courthouse on Adams Avenue at 1:00 p.m. on March 23, 2020.

Until Chancellor Kyle decides about the lawyers’ fees and expenses, we can’t tell you exactly how much money you might get from this settlement.

In order to get any money from this settlement, you must have buried a family member at Galilee or paid for the burial of someone at Galilee between January 1, 2011 and January 31, 2014 and you must fill out and mail in a Claim Form by June 15, 2020. However, if you have already sent in a claim form related to the earlier settlement in the Wofford case, YOU DO NOT NEED TO FILE A NEW CLAIM. You will automatically be included in this settlement as well.

If you need to file a claim, You need to mail it to: CMM Settlement Solutions, P.O. Box 341316, Bartlett, Tennessee 38184.

You can hire your own lawyer and object to this settlement if you don’t like it, but you must mail your written objection to CMM Settlement Solutions by February 28, 2020. If Chancellor Kyle approves the settlement it is FINAL, you will be stuck with it and the nine settling funeral homes will be released from all liability in this case. The case against the rest of the funeral homes will continue to go forward and you might get more money from them later depending on a court’s ruling.

If you have any questions, you may call 901-859-1009 or you may visit [www.galileeclassaction.com]. You can get a copy of a Claim Form on the website. If you don’t have the internet, please call 901859-1009 and someone will help you get the forms you need to get money from this settlement.

PLEASE DO NOT CALL OR WRITE THE COURT, THE CLERK’S OFFICE, OR ANY DEFENDANT ABOUT THIS NOTICE OR THE SETTLEMENT. ONLY CMM SETTLEMENT SOLUTIONS HAS THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO FILE A CLAIM Para un formulario de reclamo en Español, por favor llame al 901859-1009 visite nuestro website (www.galileeclassaction.com).

Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce.

County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless other-

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The New Tri-State Defender

April 9 - 15, 2020

Page 10

NEWS We’re Known By the Money you Keep!

Foresight, desire to help yield free mask giveaway

Special purchases with unbeatable low prices. get it now!

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

When they’re gone, they’re gone.

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Camp Chambers founder Jimmy Chambers last week had a feeling that a government-level suggestion to wear face masks in public might be coming as the coronavirus continued its march through Shelby County.

He said to wife and program director, Ressie Chambers, “Let’s give away free face masks.”

And in perfect superhero fashion, they have saved the day for many.

“We organized Camp Chambers back in 2014 to mentor and tutor youth who might be facing some challenges,” said Jimmy Chambers.

“I’ve been with Christ United Methodist Church for 30 years. They have a private school that is predominantly white, and I am the head basketball coach. So, it has not only been boys in Frayser who have come through our program, but also Christ Methodist students. All children need support at some time.”

So, how did he get into the mask giveaway business?

Well, it starts with the need.

After some deliberation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a recommendation recently for everyone to wear face masks when they go out in public. The Shelby County Health Department has endorsed that recommendation for all Shelby Countians.

Then there are the sobering numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases. As of Wednesday (April 8, according to the Shelby County Health Department, the number of virus-related deaths in Memphis-Shelby County was 21. The total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the county had climbed to 897.

Statewide reported cases of COVID-19 were 4,632 by Wednesday afternoon, with 65 deaths.

While officials are recommending wearing facial masks, they are as difficult to find as hand sanitizer, toilet paper and rubber gloves. Homemade, do-it-yourself masks are recommended, leaving the N95 masks for medical professionals. The DIY option seems simple enough, except it’s just not an option for everyone.

“We just want to help,” Chambers said. “I knew people were having trouble finding protective items, including masks. And then, I thought about people who may be out of a job and can’t afford to pay for a mask. I asked my wife who we might get to make the masks for Camp Chambers.”

They posted the free-mask giveaway on their Facebook page, and it exploded with requests and pleas for masks.

“We have even mailed some to Jackson, Tennessee,” said Ressie Chambers. “We’ll even ship them out to those who need them. Of course, this is not what we normally do. But then, these are not normal times, and however we can be a

TODDLER CONTINUED FROM FRONT fifth-graders. Or, at least that’s what I told myself up until my 50th birthday. Now, I realize the truth: He was just tired.

Pretty much all the time. But he played with us anyway.

So instead, he’d post me and the guys up – ain’t no way a skinny 10-year-old gonna push his big ol’ backside off of the block. And as a true student of the game, he’d back us all the way down and hit us with that Kareem-style skyhook. Over and over and over again.

Yet again, my father teaches me lessons in new and unexpected ways. He used his brain to win – even as his body was telling him to go somewhere and sit down.

Likewise, if I am to defeat my child – that is, get him to go to bed at a reasonable hour without too much fuss – I can’t play him straight up. I need a strategy.

Bottom line is, I gotta wear his little behind out. I ain’t talking about hitting him; I’m talking about burning all that energy up. Oh, I should mention that he broke his addiction to midday naps some time ago.

And I gotta be patient with him at the same time. After all, he’s just a 2-year-old bundle of energy just doing what 2-yearolds do.

If I get upset at him for acting like he’s a toddler when he actually is a toddler . . . like I said, patience.

Thus, my quest to get EJ to

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“We just want to help” is the rallying cry for Jimmy Chambers and Ressie Chambers, who are making and giving away masks. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell)

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blessing, that’s what we want to do.”

The colorful and uniquely made masks come from Linda Renee Riley, Ressie Chambers’ hair dresser.

Camp Chambers started off ordering 100 from her, paying for that batch, and ordering another hundred. We’re down to our last few from that first hundred, but we expect to have additional masks to fill more orders this week.”

Camp Chambers doesn’t plan to stay in the mask giveaway business. Once the coronavirus has passed, school-age children will once more be the main focus of the organization.

“Saving our youth, one life at a time” is the non-profit’s adage. This includes children with behavioral issues, young people who need gang awareness counseling and intervention, anti-bullying workshops, classes in personal responsibility, good citizenship, and any students in Frayser and beyond who just want to “hang out” with “The Chambers.”

“Of course, we’re not a camp at all,” said Jimmy Chambers. “Our services to youth are available all year ‘round. We got that name years ago when there was a child misbehaving, and a lady said, ‘Alright, I’m going to take you over there to Camp Chambers.’ And the name just kind of stuck.”

The couple rehabbed a blighted house at 2559 New Raleigh Road, and made it the organization’s headquarters.

While there is no cost for the masks, most recipients make donations to Camp Chambers.

“We appreciate all donations,” Jimmy Chambers. “They are just helping to get more masks on the faces of those who need them. We’ll keep ordering more and giving them away as long as there is a need. We’ll see this thing to the end. Looks like the coronavirus may be in it for the long haul, and so are we.”

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(To contact Camp Chambers, call: (901) 2446320, or email: campchambers@att.net. Visit the website at: www.campchambers.com.)

bed by 8:30 p.m. starts at about 11 a.m. By that point, he’s had breakfast, he’s watched Morphle on YouTube Kids. “Let’s go for a walk, son,” I tease.

“Wanna go outside?”

We put on his shoes. In my head, I’ve already mapped out a route that keeps us socially distant and off of main roads with traffic. Lately, I’ve added a street to the route with a very gradual uphill incline. Walking uphill = burning energy.

I simultaneously groan and cheer when he snatches my finger and starts running us both down the sidewalk. Groan, because my knees sound like popcorn sometimes. But cheer, because burning energy!

If I’m lucky, sometimes, I’ll get a chance to lock myself in the home office/studio and focus my brain for a few on work. The reality is, my eyes glaze over as I just try to catch my breath. And it’s always short-lived.

Large chunks of the day are spent with me trying to move my legs with a 35-pound weight attached to my pants leg. Or, he gets clingy and wants to climb up on my shoulder – climbing on my back and neck to keep me from putting him down.

He doesn’t play fair either.

I know he’s too young to understand what he’s doing when he charges at me, headbutting me in ways that pretty much ensure I won’t be giving him a sibling. Fellas, feel my pain.

By dinner time, I’m trying to put him in a food coma of

sorts, trying to feed him something that’ll accelerate the drowsy. But the boy is mostly a vegetarian, unhampered by metabolism-slowing animal protein. But at least I’m in the homestretch. One more energy burn, bath time and then hopefully, rest for the weary.

But I’m tired, don’t feel like running after this boy. I decide instead to tickle and rassle (that would be “wrestling” to the uneducated) him, noticing he’s just flailing his legs up in the air like he’s riding a bicycle – looks like burning energy to me.

I’m listening for heavy breathing. I’m watching for the eye rub and the yawn. I cross my fingers.

Bath time. Bedtime with a book. It’s not always smooth, but we get there. He settles down and eventually drifts off.

Time: 9 p.m. Baba wins the day, but it’s a fleeting victory – after all, the boy will be recharged and ready to wear me down once more when the sun rises.

Don’t mistake all of this as me complaining. Mostly, I just didn’t want to write another somber story about these times we’re living in. Besides these are the moments that make up the memories we cherish about our kids later in life – you know, the ones we’ll use to embarrass them in front of their friends when they’re older.

I’m blessed to be EJ’s dad, and blessed to have these days to spend time with him.

I just wish I was blessed with the energy to keep up with him, too.

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