The New Tri-State Defender -- December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2020

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VOL. 69, No. 53

December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021

2020

www.tsdmemphis.com

RECKONING!

The year called for individuals and groups of people to account for the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest and an election cycle unlike any other in the nation’s history. TSD photographers captured much of it.

The best photos of 2020 continue on Pages 4-5.

On Wednesday (July 1), a day after Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Department Director Michael Rallings detailed the city’s response to multiple sets of demands/suggestions/recommendations from protesters, police arrested 17 protesters after they refused to leave an encampment in front of City Hall for about two weeks. City officials said protesters were asked to leave because of construction scheduled to resume Wednesday morning.

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

$1.00

My insideout look at a vaccine trial

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

It made perfect sense to me. COVID-19 deaths all over the country have consistently been 60-65 percent African American.

(In some cities, it has been as high as 70 percent.)

Two FDA-approved vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are already protecting Dr. Sybil C. millions of healthcare perMitchell sonnel in America. The potential for three actually saving people in the AfriVirus-weary can-American community is something we, ideally, Memphis all desire. Except—there must stay is a strong distrust for vaccines in the African-Amer- on the ican community. safety The third potential vaccourse cine is by Janssen PharPage 9 maceutical Companies, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. A trial study is the last big hurdle before FDA approval. Researchers at St. Jude Research Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science are facilitating the trial at St.Jude.

Which ever vaccine is administered, medical professionals agree that at least 70 percent of the population must be vaccinated to protect everyone.

“We actually need 70-75 percent of the population to be vaccinated,” said Dr. Bruce Randolph, medical director of the Shelby County

SEE VIRUS ON PAGE 2

2020 tests family’s resolve Family of eight sang its way through deadly year

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Michael Frazier can remember the day Shelby County Schools shut down this year in a flurry of pandemic closures.

“It was a Thursday afternoon, and I was at Fairley High School,” said Frazier. “I was supervisor over the floor techs at Fairley and Hillcrest (both in the Whitehaven area). I was also teaching jazz band at Grad Academy, which is the old Southside High School (in Longview Heights). Every thing kind of stopped, but I never did.”

Once schools closed, students and teachers taught and learned virtually, but the custodial staff worked until the normal closing of the school year in May. “Ending the school year like that was emotional for my children,” said Frazier. “I have six at home. There are 10 in all.”

Frazier had to make his way from Summer Avenue and Perkins Road, where he lives, to

Michael Frazier and his wife, Sharee, frame a moment with their six children.

(Courtesy photo) Fairley High School.

“It was really hard because I didn’t have a car, and I worked through May,” Frazier said.

“I had to ride the MATA bus all the way Downtown to the terminal and then catch the bus taking me to Fairley. “Sometimes I couldn’t get on the connecting bus because it could only carry 14 (because of pandemic safety protocols). So, I would have to miss that bus, and sometimes two other buses. There were times I had to walk from Midtown back home. But I kept going. I never quit.”

Getting through the holiday season could have been just as trying, but the Fraziers kept their children busy and happy with a family singing group.

Frazier plays most instruments and his wife, Sharee, sings. The Frazier family brought encouragement and cheer to those on the frontlines of this pandemic.

SEE FRAZIER ON PAGE 2

Evidence response teams from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives process the scene on Monday (Dec. 28, 2020) of the Christmas Day blast in Nashville. (Photo: FBI/ATF via AP)

Christmas bombing marks another dark day for Nashville

by Kimberlee Kruesi and Bobby Caina Calvan

NASHVILLE – When Sandy and Geff Lee finally saw a photo of the building that was home to their Nashville boutique on the day after the Christmas morning bombing, a quiet came over the room.

The rubble was overwhelming. Debris shadowed familiar details. Geff Lee pulled up a map to verify they were looking in the right place.

“That moment? It was silence. It was an eye-opener,” Sandy Lee said, owner of Ensemble. “It was blown up.”

The Christmas Day explosion has sparked shock across the country after a bomb detonat-

ed in the heart of Nashville’s historic downtown and killed the bomber, injured three other people and damaged dozens of buildings.

Yet for those who call Music City home, the bombing feels like a cruel capstone to an already dark year.

“It won’t be the same,” Sandy Lee said.

“You can’t rebuild that.”

In early March, a massive tornado rumbled through the city — uprooting homes, destroying businesses and killing two dozen people.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, shuttering businesses as people stayed home and the virus spread rapidly. Some people who lost their homes in the tornado saw their

SEE BOMB ON PAGE 2

The New Tri-State Defender

December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021

Page 2

NEWS VIRUS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Michael Frazier (Courtesy photo)

FRAZIER

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

“We have sung for police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and fire fighters,” said Michael Frazier. “We just went all over, wherever we were asked to come. This year has been a difficult year, but I think it has given us an opportunity to realize what is important.”

Sharee Frazier agreed.

Virtual school and job loss for many families created a new reality. But for this musical family, Christmas reminded the children that the season is really about the birth of a special baby, Jesus Christ.

“We weren’t able to give our children what we may have wanted,” said Sharee Frazier. “But we have each other, and we are happy together. We tried to convey that joy to other families. I wrote a play, and we performed it at church. The children had fun acting out the original nativity, and everyone enjoyed the play.

We presented it that Sunday before Christmas.”

The Frazier children also attended the Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives (FFUN) toy give-away.

“They were like children let loose in a candy store,” said Michael Frazier. “All six of my children were excited about picking out two brand new toys. I’ve been volunteering with the organization four years now. I direct all the music at FFUN events. We were just grateful the toy drive is here for us.”

Aside from spreading joy through music and a play this Christmas season, the Fraziers also formed a gospel group that sings every Sunday at their church.

“We are the ‘Voices For Christ,’ or as some call us, ‘The Famous Jackson 5,’ said Michael Frazier. “We have been singing at church every Sunday. I am the minister of music, and my wife, Sharee, is the choir director.”

New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ is the church Michael Frazier grew up in. He took his family back there to help the small congregation. The South Memphis church was comprised of so few that the Health Department directive closing down large gatherings at church never affected it.

Sharee Frazier deems this “one of the happiest Christmases” for her family to date.

“Although we weren’t able to give our children all the gifts and toys in past years,” said Sharee Frazier, “our family has given the gift of song and encouragement to everyone within the sound of our voices. Those songs are our gifts to others and to the Savior, Jesus Christ.

And, those are gifts that money can’t buy.”

Health Department. “Then, you can start talking about this herd immunity. If 75 percent is vaccinated, the remaining 25 percent is protected so that the virus is not being transmitted.”

But if we fall short of that percentage, full protection against coronavirus could be jeopardized. There is an undeniable mistrust of the medical profession as a whole.

Even the trial study’s lead investigator, Dr. Aditya Gaur, admitted that communities of color have extreme trust issues of medical institutions. He expressed that sentiment when I called in early December to express interest in participating.

“Oh, so you are a journalist, and you want to participate in our trial study,” Gaur asked.

“That’s great. I think that would help us so much. We have a messaging problem in the black community as well as other minority communities. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts about how we improve our messaging.”

Since the days of slavery, white physicians and institutions have conducted horrific, inhumane experiments on African-Americans.

Perhaps, the most infamous is the Tuskegee Experiment, conducted from 1932-1972, 600 sharecroppers in Macon County signed up to receive free medical treatment: 399 with latent syphilis and 201 in the control group. The study

was set up to observe the stages of untreated syphilis. Those with the disease were allowed to suffer and die.

“The Tuskegee Experiment was highly unethical,” said Randolph. “No research should ever be done without consent. And once penicillin was designated as being effective in treating syphilis, those men with the disease were denied treatment. That went on for 50 years—shameful.”

Even with that historical perspective, I still felt participating in this trial and sharing the experience with TSD r e a d Dr. Aditya ers was Gaur a good idea. My editor was hesitant, eventually telling me that the TSD could not and would not ask that I participate in the vaccine trial.

Determined, I pushed forward. So, I made an appointment, pre-qualified for the trial, and went in on Dec. 14, a Monday. We want vaccines to be effective in all populations, but it’s especially important that African Americans are protected. Our transmission numbers and fatality rate from coronavirus continue to be the highest.

I answered some medical questions, signed some papers, and was officially accepted into the study trial.

It was explained to me that

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received the first dose of the Moderna Inc, COVID-19 vaccine at the United Medical Center in southeast Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. She was vaccinated along with her husband, Doug Emhoff. (Screen capture) the trial was a “double blind” study. That means that some participants will actually receive the vaccine, and others would receive a placebo, which is an injection with no therapeutic benefits. The methodology is used as a control.

Neither the participant nor the physicians know which was administered to whom. Both are in the dark, thus, a “double-blind” study.

Placebo or vaccine, that needle was big. I concentrated on not crying or passing out.

(After all, I’m not six anymore, just felt that way.)

I took the shot, and 15 days out, I feel great. I report on an app how I feel and whether or not I am exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19. Had I experienced any symptoms, I would have been asked another set of questions on the app and returned to the doctors for observation and treatment.

The trial was as uneventful as anything you can imagine.

I told Dr. Randolph Monday night in a phone conversation.

He thought it was great that I did so well. But he continues to be concerned that Shelby County’s African-American

population gets vaccinated.

“There are three types of people,” Randolph said.

“There are those who want the vaccine right off, a second group that wants to wait and see what happens to the first, and the third group which refuses to be vaccinated altogether. We’re hoping most fall into the first two groups.”

It’s early in the trial, but I am doing fine. Go ahead and get the vaccine. Encourage friends and neighbors to do the same.

Let’s commit in great numbers as if our very lives depended on it—because they really do.

BOMB

CONTINUED FROM FRONT jobs disappear.

Things have steadily worsened over the course of the year. The post-Thanksgiving resurgence left Tennessee with among the highest number of cases per capita as state leaders remained hesitant to impose statewide mandatory restrictions. And while the city is known as a health care hub, Nashville’s hospitals have strained to keep up with the stream of COVID-19 patients that have been rushed from all corners of the state.

Those weren’t the only setbacks. Some downtown businesses experienced property damage in late May during a peaceful protest that turned violent in response to racial injustice and police brutality.

Many structures in the tornado’s path remain broken and tangled to this day, a reminder of a bad wound slow to heal.

State and local officials shake their heads in dismay that a city that had been flying high on an economic boom for years managed to pack in so many tragedies in just 12 months.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper recently described 2020 as the city’s “hardest year.”

“We’re getting through the tornado, then COVID. And then this. Just when you start to see the light, it’s taken away in two seconds,” said Pete Gibson, whose tattoo parlor was just across the street from the site of the Christmas Day explosion.

A year earlier, Nashville hosted the coveted NFL draft and proudly announced it would once again host a presidential debate in the 2020 election. It boomed as a destination spot for bachelorette parties.

Businesses along Second Avenue, a narrow-tree lined street where the explosion took place, had found a thriving location with a ready-made tourist market in the Civil War-era buildings up over the

FBI and ATF teams are searching for evidence to assist in the ongoing investigation of the blast that rocked Nashville on Christmas Day. ((Photo: FBI/ATF via AP) years. The explosion took place just off Lower Broadway, the flashy business t h o r Suspected oughfare bomber known for Anthony Quinn Warner. (Photo its bright lights and courtesy of honkyFBI via AP) tonks, on a slightly quieter street that beckoned those looking for refuge from the noise and bustle of the main drag.

More than 40 structures were damaged by the blast.

Because of the active investigation, which has drawn hundreds of federal officials to sweep though the broken glass, bricks and other debris left by the blast, business owners have not been able to re-

turn — not even to survey the damage.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee has said he’s working with the White House to bring federal aid for the city. The mayor has promised to rebuild. But those who made their livelihood in the area fear another precious piece of their city may be lost as they again watch a round of fundraising efforts pop up to help support employees and business owners limp along.

“We’ve always taken such pride to be part of this community and to see those buildings that have survived the Civil War are going to be most likely torn down is really, really sad,” said Carla Rosenthal, the owner of The Melting Pot and Rodizio Grill, both businesses destroyed in the blast that employs roughly 120 staffers combined.

Nearly a quarter of those employees had already applied for unemployment by

end of Christmas.

“We’ve always felt like we were part of what has brought Nashville to become the ‘It City’ as it is,” said Rosenthal, who has owned The Melting Pot for more than 25 years and Rodizio Grill for eight. “We helped build this city.”

Tim Walker, the executive director of the Metro Historical Commission, has been anxious to survey the damage.

He called the corridor an important symbol of the city’s history and development, a unique facet of Nashville’s resurgent identity.

Walker noted that some of the historic buildings had been transformed into apartments and condominiums, boutique hotels and Airbnbs.

“We’re very concerned about the damage. I know a lot of the public is,” said Walker, adding that he hopes just some of the buildings are not structurally impaired.

When the tornado hit in March, the community came together — like it is again in the aftermath of the explosion, Stephanie Coleman, the chief growth officer for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce said.

Ten years ago, the city suffered a devastating flood, and it’s been on the rebound ever since, Coleman said.

“We were still on that track, you know, starting in the beginning of 2020. Really everything was looking up, looking bright, for Nashville and our future,” she said.

“This is a situation that we know we will get through,” Coleman said. “The fact that we didn’t lose lives, it gives us the hope. ... I think we’re just thankful that it wasn’t a different story.”

(Bobby Caina Calvan reported from Tallahassee, Florida.)

The New Tri-State Defender

December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021

Page 3

SPECIAL REPORT

Taking measure of the Congressional Black Caucus A reflection on work in the 116th Congress

by Rep. Karen Bass Almost fifty years ago, thirteen Black Members of Congress joined together to advance the common interests of Black people in America and around the world. They were small in number, but mighty in their determination to speak truth to power for unrepresented communities.

In the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges – White supremacy, institutional racism, police brutality, and a global Rep. Karen pandemic, to Bass (D-Calif.), chaired the name a few – 2019-20 the CongresCongressional sional Black Black Caucus.

Caucus has stood the test of time and earned its title as the “Conscience of the Congress.”

Now, almost 50 years later, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) can proudly celebrate the pinnacle of achievement with the election of two of our members to the highest office in the land: President Barack Obama and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris.

The Congressional Black Caucus entered the 116th Congress as the largest and most powerful Caucus in history, with 55 members and five full committee chairs (Elijah Cummings, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; Eddie Bernice Johnson, Committee on Space, Science, and Technology; Robert “Bobby” Scott, Education and Labor Committee; Bennie Thompson, Homeland Security Committee; and Maxine Waters, Financial Services Committee).

In addition to the “Big 5,” 28 CBC members served as subcommittee chairs.

Several individual members of the CBC are well-known for their achievements in Congress and beyond, but all too often, the collective work of the 55 members goes unknown. The movie ‘Hidden Figures’ shared the untold story of the contributions of four African-American female scientists in NASA’s race to put a man in space. Similarly, the Congressional Black Caucus is full of hidden figures – members of Congress working hard to pass laws to improve the lives of their constituents and lift the voices of Black people in America and throughout the African diaspora.

With the gavels of influential committees, such as the Subcommittee on Elections,

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Swearing-In Ceremony for the 116th Congress. (Courtesy photos)

(Left to right) Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Joyce Beatty and André Carson attend the 57th Anniversary of the March on Washington.

CBC members held the power to shape the priorities of the House Democratic Caucus and ensure that the CBC agenda intertwined with the broader Democratic agenda.

For that reason, we were able to advance major CBC priorities in the 116th Congress, including establishing a record of continued voter suppression efforts around the country to lay the foundation for the passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act, providing permanent funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the most transformative policing reform legislation ever introduced.

In collaboration with Latinx, and Asian Pacific Islander, and Native American members of Congress, also known as the Tri-Caucus +2, the CBC demanded a targeted response for communities of color hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, July 17, 2020, Congressman John Lewis died in Atlanta, the city he represented for some 34 years. As Chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis was one of the “Big 6” leaders of the historical March on Washington played a key role in the marches from Selma to Montgomery, a campaign against the blatant voter suppression of Black citizens.

On Thursday, October 17, 2019, Congressman Elijah Cummings, chair of the House Oversight Committee, died in Baltimore, Maryland, his city of birth. He became the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol. In his 23 years in Congress, Congressman Cummings earned a well-deserved reputation for his bipartisanship efforts to deliver results for his constituents, including as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Targeted intervention requires massive testing, tracing, treatment, and eventually vaccine distribution. When the Trump Administration failed to respond, the Tri-Caucus + 2 recruited African American, Latinx, and Asian Pacific Islander and Native American researchers to conduct a national assessment of the health, social, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our communities.

My goal this Congress was to reveal the “Hidden Figures” within the CBC and highlight all we

The CBC will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021 with a larger Caucus and even greater opportunities to advance a Black agenda under a Biden-Harris Administration.

On Sunday, October 27, 2019, former Congressman Jon Conyers Jr., one of the founding members of the CBC, died in Detroit, Michigan. He served 52 years and was the first African American to serve on the Judiciary Committee. have accomplished through our collective partnership. We traveled around the country, hosted hundreds of Black leaders in Washington, DC, and when the pandemic hit, we organized more than two dozen virtual town halls to stay connected with Black communities. Through these activities, we managed to increase the CBC’s email following by 1400 percent, raise the national profile of the Caucus, and ensure that more Americans know who we are and what we are fighting for in Congress.

The CBC will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021 with a larger Caucus and even greater opportunities to advance a Black agenda under a Biden-Harris Administration.

The New Tri-State Defender

December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021

Page 4

The New Tri-State Defender

NEWS

December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021

Page 5

NEWS

2020

Devante Hill, a protest organizer, amplifi es his message. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

The former home of The Commercial Appeal has been transformed into an overflow hospital for COVID-19 patients. With Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris (left) and Mayor Jim Strickland (center with Memphis Strong mask) among those with him on tour, Gov. Bill Lee touted the partnership that resulted in turning the old Memphis Publishing Co. building into an alternate care site. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

THE BEST PICTURES OF

Back at his craft after a pandemic-forced break, William Gandy Jr. trims the hair of Melvin Cole, a long time customer. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Memphis-area protesters with varied backgrounds and interests have found common ground pushing for an end to police brutality wherever its ugliness surfaces. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises.)

Testing for the COVID-19 viral menace got underway, with conditions, at several Greater Memphis-area locations, including the University of Tennessee Health Science Center operation set up at Tiger Lane at the Fairgrounds. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Shelby County Government Division of Community Services, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Kroger partnered to provide food and essential items to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic with funds approved by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners to establish the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund Program. Approximately 300 food and essential boxes were handed out this day during the distribution at Agricenter. (Photo: Brian Ramoly)

Reflecting the diversity that accented local protests in response to fatal shootings by police in various parts of the nation, marchers moved along South Main. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises.)

There was no fall football for SCS student-athletes and the disappointment was self-evident among this group of protesters unhappy with the decision. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

No stranger to protests as a member of the civil-rights-movement-renowned Lee family, attorney Peggy Jane Lee (above) was among about 200 lawyers and supporters that rallied and marched downtown on a Wednesday morning. Organized by the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association, the Memphis Bar Association and the Association for Women Attorneys, the march was a way of saying time was up for racism in the community, including the legal system. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Faith Morris, chief marketing and external affairs officer for the National Civil Rights Museum, greeted this young visitor after the museum reopened following an extended closing forced by the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Serving the Pentecostal Temple COGIC congregation is a way of life for Bishop Charles H. Mason Patterson Sr., even when a pandemic keeps the sanctuary closed and the parking lot becomes a place of worship. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Morrow family friends and supporters were in attendance at Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. Church in Orange Mound for the infant baptism of Mason Mitchell Morrow conducted by Pastor Willie Ward. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Dr. Kimberly Brown, an ER physician at Baptist Hospital DeSoto in Southaven, said the coronavirus was having a disparate impact on low-wealth communities. (Courtesy photo)

The evening of the fifth night of protests in Memphis included this show of force in response to demonstrators in the Beale Street Entertainment District. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

On Election Day 2020, one Democrat and one Republican were assigned to a table, with 60 such combinations fanned-out across the FedExForum floor to count absentee ballots. (right) A trio of ballot counters confer. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021, Page 6

THE CULTURAL COACH

Being biracial should be a bridge, not a wall

by Linda S. Wallace

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Dear Cultural Coach: “I am one of four biracial children in my family. My grandfather and I were doing an essay on the state of Black youths in America. I brought the question to my grandfather, ‘Where do I fit in?’ My grandfather’s reaction was, Linda S. ‘What do you mean?’ I Wallace explained that I am neither Black nor White.

Then he asked me how I felt, and I said, ‘At school, for example, when I hang out with the Blacks, then the Black girls see me as a Black girl. But when I hang out with the White girls, some Black girls see me as a White girl.’ In my family on my mom’s side, my grandfather does not claim me.”

– In between two worlds Dear In between: You belong to the cultural communities of both your mother and your father.

It is unfortunate that some of your relatives won’t claim you because you are biracial. Please don’t let their beliefs define you.

Don’t ever give anyone the power to change the way you feel about yourself.

Every so often in life, you will cross paths with individuals who are prejudiced or just mean. It is important to learn how to repel these statements so that you can hold on to self-confidence and pride.

Let’s suppose that a classmate walks up to you one day and says, “You are a duck.” How might you feel? Well, you probably will think that is a pretty funny thing to say. “Hey, I am a girl, not a duck, thank you,” you might say with a chuckle. You are not likely to worry about that comment because, in your heart, you know the person was way off base.

If people ever try to tell you that your race makes you inferior, respond the same as you would to some poor soul who thinks you are a duck: “Wow, that is one confused person!”

Remember that racist language tells us more about the person speaking than the people being discussed. Racists build themselves up by tearing others down. That tactic limits their personal growth and their future.

When life places us in difficult or uncomfortable situations, we get to choose how to respond. Will we be a peacemaker or a fighter? Will we be a leader or a divider?

Practice defensive strategies by learning how to take the sting out of insults or cruel remarks.

Biracial and multiracial children are destined to play an important role in the development of our modern-day American family.

As the offspring of two cultural groups that are prone to argue and bicker, you have a wider circle of influence than most of us.

Use it wisely. Adults in two racial communities support you, love you and protect your dreams.

The next time someone teases you about your skin color, I want you to say, “I am the ladder over the wall of racial distrust.”

Then claim your place in history.

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

Address your questions to culturalcoach@ aol.com.)

Tray M. Cunningham shared this social media post, which Shelby County Schools retweeted Sept. 11: “Week 2: 2020 is teaching me that although I’m a teacher, I’ll forever be a learner. Folded hands #SCSVirtualVictory #TheShire #Year5 #LearningNeverStops #NewIdeas #NewStrategies #BlackMenTeach #GermanshireStrong.”

(Photo: SCS on Twitter)

Educators, thank you for your sacrifices

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

First, let me congratulate and welcome our nation’s new designated Secretary of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona.

We celebrate the Biden administration’s choice, which needs approval by the U.S. Senate, for this very important position and I’m sure we are all anxious to begin the hard work of providing high-quality educational opportunities to all of America’s children.

We look forward to doing a deeper dive on Dr. Cordona next month and explore some of the challenges his administration will face going forward.

I started writing this column focused on an entirely different set of issues. But as I thought about the many challenges facing educators in 2020, I decided to reverse course and focus on things we should be thankful for as we move forward to bringing an end one of the most horrific public health chapters in our nation’s history – the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is an excellent time to reflect on the future of our educational institutions and their leadership. We must assess the damage and use what we are learning to strengthen our educational infrastructure and make it better.

There are many chapters to be written about our experiences in 2020. We have withstood the most egregious assaults on our democracy in the history of our nation.

Our economy is under incredible stress as we are being ravaged by the most devastating public health crises in our lifetime.

But through it all, American resolve, ingenuity, and resiliency have found a way.

But as we look back, my heart goes out to the students, teachers and staff who work and attend our K-12 schools and institutions.

Your work and sacrifices have been duly noted. Your worth and value have

been amplified and, at some point soon, our appreciation as a nation needs to be appropriately demonstrated.

These individuals have sacrificed their lives (and that of their families) to provide Curtis teaching and learnWeathers ing opportunities for millions of children throughout the nation under the most stressful of circumstances.

Many returned to in-person learning at their schools even though they feared for their students’ and colleagues’ health and safety. They continue to work each day to make the in-person learning experience as safe and productive as possible.

Others, both students and teachers, use online virtual platforms to conduct classes from the confines of their homes.

Neither of these is a perfect solution to the current crisis. Learning loss will occur and, in some communities, it will occur at an extremely high level.

Students, teachers and staff will get sick, and some will even die as a result of getting infected with the coronavirus.

To all of you, your work and sacrifices are much appreciated and will not be forgotten. Like so many other essential workers in our society, your dedication is commendable and should be vigorously celebrated after the dangers of this virus have been diminished.

Colleges and universities have made substantial contributions to the mitigation of this pandemic.

I have a newfound awareness and respect for their work and their contributions to our society’s health and wellness.

We forget that the brain trust we rely on to fight pandemics and other public health crises is a product of the dedicated work of our colleges and universities.

Their public health professors and departments have stepped to the forefront in providing not only guidance for their respective campuses, but they have participated directly in research efforts to develop vaccines and treatments for fighting the coronavirus.

We are proud of their work and salute their impressive intellectual capabilities and professionalism.

During this pandemic, the American people have been held hostage to our political leadership’s epic failures from top to bottom. Our president abandoned us, the Secretary of Education never showed up to the party and, in many cases, state-level leadership has taken on the flavor of its political affiliations.

At the local levels, however, superintendents, school leaders, and teachers are doing their best to carry out directives from those above them.

I commend principals and teachers, particularly, for doing the hard work, making the tough decisions while managing the very stress-laden teaching and learning processes our children are now engaged in.

When we eventually return to a more normal existence, we will walk away from this pandemic with new skills, knowledge and technologies that can be used to fight future public health crises.

The year 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for educators. But once again, we have reaffirmed the incredible resiliency of our profession.

So, to our fellow educators and their support teams, THANK YOU! We hope and pray that 2021 is a better year and that we continue to use what we are learning to improve the lives of our children and our communities.

God bless you and please stay safe.

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

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The New Tri-State Defender

December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021

Page 7

RELIGION

Farewell to a ‘preacher’s preacher’…

Held over three days, homegoing services for the Rev. Dr. John Lee Payne (left, bottom) concluded on Sunday (Dec. 27) at Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, where Rev. Payne had served, along with his wife, Dorothy (front row, right), since January 1970. The Rev. Gregory Stokes officiated the service. Mr. Payne was 87. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

In Georgia, Warnock brings faith and activism to the arena

by Sudhin Thanawala The Associated Press

ATLANTA – In 2008, when Barack Obama was under fire for a sermon his former pastor delivered years earlier, the aspiring president distanced himself from the preacher’s fiery words that channeled Black Americans’ anger over racism.

The Rev. Raphael Warnock defended Jeremiah Wright. “When preachers tell the truth, very often it makes people uncomfortable,” he said on Fox News.

Now Warnock is the politician running for office and the one under attack for his sometimes impassioned words from the pulpit. And once again, he is not backing down. Warnock, 51, says his run for U.S. Senate in Georgia — one of two races on Jan. 5 that will determine control of the Senate — is an extension of his years of progressive activism as head of the church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached.

Warnock is calling for bail reform and an end to mass incarceration; a living wage and job training for a green economy; expanded access to voting and health care, and student loan for-

giveness. It’s an unabashedly liberal platform that may galvanize the Democrats he needs to turn out to vote in the runoff election.

But it also carries risks. His opponent, Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, has blasted his rhetoric and proposals as “radical,” socialist and out of step with Georgia residents.

It’s a line of attack that could sway moderate suburban voters in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate in 20 years.

“I’m a pastor who is running for political office, but I don’t think of myself as a politician,” he told The Associated Press. “I honestly don’t know anything to be other than authentic.”

Warnock would join a small group of other ministers in Congress, including at least one other Black pastor, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. He said his model was King, “who used his faith to activate change in the public square.” In high school, he listened to the civil rights icon’s sermons and was particularly drawn to “A Knock At Midnight,” in which King exhorts churches to serve as the “critic of the state” and fight for peace and economic and racial justice.

Warnock has embraced that mission. In 2007, he warned that the U.S. could “lose its soul” in a speech that condemned President George

W. Bush’s decision to send more troops to Iraq.

At the Georgia Capitol in 2014, he was arrested while protesting the refusal of state Republicans to expand Medicaid.

After the killing of George Floyd by police in May, he expounded on the country’s struggle with a “virus” he dubbed “COVID-1619” for the year when some of the first slaves arrived in English North America.

Warnock attended Morehouse College and earned a Ph.D. in theology from Union Theological Seminary, funding his education with help from student loans and federal grants. His older brother Keith, one of 11 siblings, served more than 20 years in prison for a first-time, drug-related offense, and Warnock has used his case to argue for criminal justice reform.

Warnock knew early on that he wanted to enter the ministry. His father was also a preacher, and enlisted his son at a young age to help him read the small print in a biblical reference book because he refused to get prescription glasses.

Warnock recalled giving his first sermon, “It’s Time I be about My Father’s Business,” at 11.

His social activism is part of a tradition of resistance in many Black churches that developed from the fight against racial inequality. Black

In this Nov. 15, 2020 file photo, Raphael Warnock, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks during a campaign rally in Marietta, Ga. As the head of the Atlanta church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, Warnock has not shied away from impassioned sermons and forceful advocacy on behalf of the poor and disadvantaged.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) pastors have called out the country’s troubled racial history using terms that can be discomforting to outsiders.

In his much-scrutinized sermon, Wright decried the country’s mistreatment of Blacks with the exclamation, “God damn America.” Loeffler has used the clip in an ad that accuses Warnock of defending Wright’s “hatred.”

Loeffler has also used snippets of Warnock’s own sermons to argue that he is against police and the military. In one clip, Warnock says that nobody can serve “God and the military.” Warnock, who has two brothers who are veterans and whose father served in World War II, has said he was preaching from a biblical text and trying to impart a lesson about prioritizing God and laying a moral foundation for life.

The New Tri-State Defender

December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021

Page 8

ENTERTAINMENT

IN MEMORIAM: Rap Legend, Whodini’s John ‘Ecstasy’ Fletcher, dies at 56

by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. NNPA Newswire

The blogosphere is weeping over the loss of John “Ecstasy” Fletcher of the legendary rap group Whodini! Fletcher, known as “Ecstasy” was found dead in his Atlanta-area home Wednesday.

The Brooklyn rap trio Whodini! had hits throughout the 1980s including “Friends,” “The Freaks Come Out at Night,” “One Love,” “Five Minutes of Funk,” “Big Mouth” and “Funky Beat.”

Fletcher and his fellow MC Jalil Hutchings and Drew “Grandmaster Dee” Carter rocked the mic with electrifying iconic performances at Fresh Fest 1984, which featured Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC, The Fat Boys, Newcleus & the Dynamic Breakers, New York City Breakers and Turbo and Ozone from “Breakin’” fame.

Known for wearing shorts, cowboy boots and a Zorro hat, Fletcher’s swagger, good looks, soulful voice and smooth delivery made him a sex symbol among early Hip-Hop fans. Their live shows were legendary, holding their own with superstar groups like Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys and a young Todd “L.L. Cool J” Smith, as evidenced by being included on the legendary 1986 “Raising Hell Tour.”

Managed by Russell Simmons and a part of the Jive Records family, Whodini! made history and made stars in the process. They were one of the first rap groups to successfully blend rap with R&B/Soul, churning out hit after hit. While many rap artists of that time were braggadocious, Whodini promoted partying, having a good time and weaved tales of complicated friendships and relationships making brilliant use of iambic pentameter, rhythmic rhymes and visual storytelling.

Whodini’s “Magic’s Wand” is the first rap song with a music video that was not

“Ecstasy” was part of the Brooklyn rap trio Whodini! The group had hits throughout the 1980s, including “Friends,” “The Freaks Come Out at Night,” “One Love,” “Five Minutes of Funk,” “Big Mouth” and “Funky Beat.” performance based but actually visualized a story. Produced by producing legends Larry Smith and Thomas Dolby (yes, the iconic artist), “Magic’s Wand” is one of the most sampled songs in Hip-Hop history. The song highlighted their relationship with rap pioneer Mr. Magic’s iconic radio show “Rap Attack” on WBLS. Whodini made six studio albums, four of which were certified platinum. Whodini’s self-titled debut was recorded in Europe, produced by German uber-producer Conny Plank, demonstrating their ability to successfully blend Europop, Synthpop, R&B, Soul, West African oral traditions and Caribbean beats and rhythms.

Their albums included “Whodini” (1983), “Escape” (1984), “Back in Black” (1986), “Open Sesame” (1987), “Bag-a-

Trix” (1991) and their comeback album “Six”on Jermaine DuPri’s So-So-Def label producing the hit single “Keep Running Back.” DuPri got his start in the industry as a backup dancer for Whodini! in the early 1980s.

Whodini’s energetic performances were buoyed by outstanding back up dancers like DuPri and Shiller Shaun “Kangol Kid” Fequiere and Fred “Doctor Ice” Reeve (Jalil’s younger brother). The two were originally known as the dancing duo The Keystone Dancers. They went on to perform for Whodini, eventually forming one half of the popular rap group UTFO, whose hip-hop classic “Roxanne, Roxanne” is a hip-hop banger and classic.

In 2007, Whodini! was honored at the Vh-1 Hip-Hop Honors. In 2012, the rap

legends were featured on TV One’s “UnSung” series, presented with the Icon award at the Underground Music Awards and inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. In 2018, the epochal group received the Hip-Hop Icon Award at the Black Music Awards ceremony held in Nashville. Despite their legendary albums, performances and influence on the rap musical genre, Whodini never won a Grammy.

John “Ecstasy” Fletcher was 56. A cause of death has not been released at this time.

Rest in power.

(Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., is founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual. Follow The Burton Wire on Twitter @TheBurtonWire.)

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021, Page 9

COVID-19 UPDATE

Virus-weary Memphis must stay on the safety course

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

There was good news and there was bad news at Tuesday’s (Dec. 29) Shelby County Joint Task Force COVID-19 update.

Vaccinations for “1a1” individuals began on Monday. More than 800 first responders, hospital personnel, long-term facility staff, and others connected to the medical field received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine. Another 800 or more were expected to be vaccinated Tuesday.

The vaccine is completed in two dosages.

The bad news: COVID-19 spread was uncontrolled going into the weekend.

Because of an alarming surge in new cases, the Health Department on Dec. 21 issued a new health directive, No. 16, which went into effect Saturday (Dec. 26) and runs through Jan. 22. The directive, among other things, limits the capacity of retail outlets to 50 percent and restaurants to 25 percent.

The Shelby County Commission recently approved fines for businesses that do not comply. Businesses found in violation can be fined $50 per violation. Repeat offenders face

the possibility of closure.

“Mask fine reinforcement starts today,” said Health Department Director Dr. Alisa Haushalter. “The Shelby County Commission passed an ordinance last week authorizing the Health Department to issue fines prior to closing a business.”

The new case total for Tuesday was 371, with 12 new deaths. To date, there have been 66,084 cases of COVID-19 and 861 deaths. Of those deaths, 59 percent continue to be African American.

“We need to remind businesses that entertainment and recreation venues are closed altogether, as ordered by the Dec. 26 Safer At Home Health Directive,” said Randolph.

“Those are the places where there tend to be crowding and very large gatherings.”

Included in those businesses completely shut down are museums, the zoo, game rooms, theaters, hookah lounges, concert halls, pool halls and other places of leisure, Randolph said.

Restaurants must continue to be closed at 10 p.m., said Randolph.

Even on New Year’s Eve when spontaneous celebrations of a new year kick off at midnight.

“Restaurants must be closed ev-

ery night by 10 p.m., even on New Year’s Eve,” Randolph said. “No live performances or entertainment is allowed. No dancing, no standing, and no gathering — these are all prohibited.”

Data leading up to the post-Thanksgiving health directives and fines forced health officials in Shelby County into extreme measures to control the surge.

“Looking at a month out, the number of cases was growing exponentially,” said Haushalter. “Our hospital capacity is already being strained. Acute bed capacity is at 89 percent, and ICU bed capacity is at 93 percent. More cases lead to more deaths.”

Health officials feared the surge would force hospitalizations beyond what the countywide capacity could handle.

Prior to the new health directive, numbers over the prior week showed a growth in cases of more than 670 daily, with at least six deaths each of those days.

County officials issued another health directive Saturday (Dec. 26) that closed movie theaters across the county, leaving only the Malco Summer Drive-In, at 5310 Summer Ave., open.

Shelby County Health Department Medical Director Dr. Bruce Randolph emphasized that employers must provide adequate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for employees. The risk must match the level of exposure in the workplace, he said.

Officials said the government has not and will not make vaccination mandatory, but the Health Department will provide everyone the answers they need to make an informed decision.

“We need at least 70 percent of the population to be vaccinated,” said Haushalter. “Many concerns will be resolved once this happens.”

Haushalter said the Tennessee Department of Health is expected to revise who will be prioritized in this first round of vaccines, “either today or tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 30).”

Presently, individuals over 65 and those plagued with “morbidly chronic” conditions may be vaccinated in this first round, Haushalter said. These conditions include chronic lung, heart, kidney, and liver disease, as well as those with sickle-cell and diabetes.

For questions and appointments for vaccination, call the Health Department at: (901) 222-9000.

Kwanzaa 2020 – a virtual experience …

Forced to pivot by the coronavirus pandemic, Osupa Moon, Cookie Moon and Mid-South Kwanzaa, Inc. took the annual cultural celebration online and onto the airwaves. On Day 4 – Ujaama (Cooperative Economics) – Ekpe Abioto and Pearl Walker shared the libation ceremony on video. The schedule for the rest of the week, includes a virtual celebration of the seventh principle – Imani (Faith) – on New Year’s Day. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Free online training program offers a path to tech jobs TSD Newsroom Generation USA, a nonprofit organization that transforms education to employment systems, and Southwest Tennessee Community College are partnering to offer free online Digital Marketing Analyst and IT Help Desk Technician training to the Memphis metropolitan area beginning in January 2021.

“Generation and Southwest share the same mission and vision for the citizens of Memphis and the MidSouth – to empower individuals to enter the workforce as skilled technicians,” said Dr. Tracy D. Hall, president of Southwest Tennessee Community College.

This initiative is part of Verizon’s

Citizen Verizon plan to prepare 500,000 individuals for jobs of the future by 2030. Verizon is investing more than $44 million over several years to support the work of Generation to close the opportunity gap for workers and increase their access to digital skills.

Through this partnership, Generation and Southwest will provide individuals the opportunity to build or retool their technology skills and equip them with essential soft skills so they are ready on day one for the job. Graduates will be able to explore apprenticeships, internships, continuing education as well as full-time employment.

The courses are open to anyone seeking to expand their skills set and pursue a career in the technol-

ogy field.

Southwest awards associate degrees and certifications in more than 120 programs of study; its 98.5 percent job placement rate complements Generation’s goal of fostering employment systems to prepare, place, and support people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible.

“We are excited to partner with Southwest Tennessee Community College to help bring these programs to individuals and to empower students to create their own pathways for career success,” said Sean Segal, Generation USA CEO. “Not only are we providing students with the necessary skills to be prepared for jobs in the digital world, we are equipping them with mentorship

and social support services, while amassing a network of companies to help place graduates.”

In addition to these programs, Generation offers a myriad of online reskilling programs that provide free resources and access to multiple career pathways and fulltime employment opportunities in high-demand technology sectors including Jr. Cloud Practitioner and Jr. Web Developer. Each program takes an average of 10 to 12 weeks to complete.

The application deadline for the full-time, weekday Memphis training is Jan. 1, 2021; classes start Jan. 4. For information on how to apply for the programs, visit Digital Marketing Analyst or Help Desk Technician.

Gov. Lee calls for special session on education

by Marta W. Aldrich Chalkbeat Tennessee

Gov. Bill Lee called Tuesday for a special legislative session next month to focus on escalating challenges with Tennessee education during the pandemic.

The Republican governor wants the newly elected 112th General Assembly to convene on Jan. 19 to look specifically at education before taking up other business during its regular session.

On the agenda will be questions about state testing accountability next spring as the pandemic continues, as well as funding for teacher pay and schools for the following academic year.

Lee also wants lawmakers to approve initiatives to address learning loss and a comprehensive literacy package to improve students’ reading proficiency.

“We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense disruption for Tennessee’s students, educators, and districts, and the challenges they face must be addressed urgently,” Lee said in a statement.

“Even before the virus hit, and despite years of improvement, too many of our state’s students were still unable to read on grade level. I’m calling on the legislature to join us in addressing these serious issues so we can equip our hardworking educators and districts with the resources and supports they need to set our students on the path to success.”

Leaders of both chambers of the General Assembly said they support the special session.

“Tennessee has made tremendous improvements in education over the last decade. The virus has begun to put all of that at risk,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally. “It is of paramount importance that we take steps to reverse the learning loss that has taken place and prevent any further erosion of our progress.”

House Speaker Cameron Sexton said a statewide response is necessary to blunt the pandemic’s impact on education.

“Our goal is to make sure students are learning in the classroom, teachers have the resources they need, and our students have additional assistance in their educational journeys to improve their chances of success,” Sexton said.

Details about each issue will be released by Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn “in the near future,” according to a news release from the governor’s office. That includes a plan to launch a literacy program dubbed “Reading 360,” which will leverage a federal grant to support a phonics-based approach to reading instruction in the early grades.

In early 2020, the legislature appeared to be on track to approve a major literacy package. However, the spreading coronavirus and a related economic slowdown sidelined the $36.5 million proposal in June.

The same GOP-controlled legislature maintained funding for K-12 schools for this academic year, but also rolled back a promised pay raise to teachers.

The leader of the Senate Democratic caucus said Tuesday that any new education investments should address systemic funding issues that go beyond this year’s learning losses.

“The coronavirus did not create inequities in education and it is not the cause of our teacher retention crisis, but it did make these problems worse,” said Sen. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis.

“No matter what ZIP code you’re in, every child deserves a great, wellfunded public school, and our teachers deserve a safe working environment that respects and rewards their contributions,” she said.

Tennessee’s last special session was in August after the governor called legislators back to Nashville for a week. They passed protections to businesses from lawsuits arising from the coronavirus and new penalties for protesters camped on state property to demand racial justice.

SPORTS

The New Tri-State Defender, December 31, 2020 - January 6, 2021, Page 10

First win for Grizzlies comes as Ja Morant goes down

by Najee El-Amin

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

With just under four minutes remaining in the second quarter of Monday’s (Dec 28) game versus the Brooklyn Nets, Grizzlies’ nation started experiencing a rapid heartbeat with implications far beyond one game.

After attempting to block the shot of Nets’ forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Ja Morant landed unevenly on his left ankle. The Rookie of the Year and team leader limped off the floor, writhing in pain.

Tuesday evening, the Grizzlies announced Morant will be sidelined three to five weeks after suffering an ankle sprain.

Even though no fans were in attendance, it is fair to say that the gruesome fall had many fans, who were watching or listening to the game, holding their breath.

Morant would leave the floor in a wheelchair and would not return to

the game. Despite the shocking turn of events there still was a game to be played and the rest of the Grizzlies did not take it lightly.

Memphis would maintain a goodsized lead within the first half, but Brooklyn would not let the same thing happen in the second. The Nets rallied to gain the lead several times, but at the end of regulation the game was tied 106-106.

Thanks to some overtime heroics

by Kyle Anderson, the Grizzlies were able to obtain their first win of the year, 116-111.

Anderson not only led the team with 28 points (a career high), he was also able to knock down three critical free throws at the end of the game to solidify Memphis’ lead.

Dillon Brooks followed with 24 points and 4 assists.

Jonas Valanciunas also let his presence be known by earning his third consecutive double-double of the year hustling up 14 rebounds and 14 points.

With a hard-fought victory under

their belt, the Grizzlies would normally be ecstatic and anxious for their next chance to prove themselves.

Unfortunately, with the current circumstances surrounding Morant, it doesn’t seem like they’ll be able to enjoy their win the to the fullest.

Coach Taylor Jenkins and many of his players sent their best wishes to the injured guard, but they also wanted to make it clear that the team will keep pressing onward and pick up the slack for him.

“So tough to see Ja go down,” said Jenkins. “It sends a shock for a second but then the guys just kept plowing along. Great contributions up and down the entire lineup.”

The question that now remains is where do the Grizzlies go from here?

They still have two more games to play during this road trip, facing off with the Celtics and the Hornets before coming home to battle the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The Grizzlies now have to get more

Forced off the court by a sprained ankle that will keep him sidelined for three-to-five weeks, Ja Morant stayed engaged as his teammates rallied to beat the high-powered Nets in overtime in Brooklyn. (Screen capture) creative with their offense and some players must step up to the plate and take on a larger role.

It appears Jenkins will try to utilized both Tyus Jones and Brandon Clarke on a more consistent basis.

Both had their playing time drastically increased during the game.

Guard De’Anthony Melton’s playmaking contributions also will be needed during the Grizzlies offensive reboot. He’s still out of the lineup due to COVID-19 protocol, but is expect-

ed to soon return.

The good news out of Monday’s game is that the season still is young.

All signs currently point toward Morant being able to eventually return, so all hope is not lost.

The rest of the Grizzlies starters, as well their bench, proved that they can still hold their own against tough competition.

Now, all that is left to see is whether they can continue playing at the level while Morant mends.

Memphis’ Montgomery Bowl win was well grounded, finally

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Something that has been missing showed up in Montgomery, Alabama on Wednesday and Memphis head football coach Ryan Silverfield may be smiling about it for several more days.

The Tigers won the 2020 Montgomery Bowl with a 25-10 victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls, largely on the strength of the best running attack Memphis has mustered in five-plus games. Led

by Asa Martin’s 96 yards on the ground, Memphis rushed for 188 yards and maintained control in the final minutes with its ground game.

“It is going to be hard to get this grin off my face,” Silverfield said.

“I will enjoy this until Christmas and on to next year.”

It was the first bowl win for the Tigers since defeating BYU in the Boca Raton Bowl in 2014 and the first bowl victory for any member of the current team. The senior class tied the 2019 seniors for winningest class in program history with 38 wins.

“We have talked about the resiliency of our team all year. A lot of adversity with this football team all year, but to finish with an 8-3 record, I am so proud of them,” Silverfield said. “It is an honor to coach these young men and I couldn’t be more honored to hoist this trophy with them.”

Silverfield finished his first season with an 8-3 record, the best winning percentage for a firstyear coach in the history of the Memphis program. He is the first Memphis coach to win a bowl game in his first season.

Throughout a season made unbelievingly more challenging by

the pandemic, Silverfield wore a Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital pin. He wore it on the outside of his rain suit for the bowl game.

“I want to give a shoutout to the children at Le Bonheur and St. Jude, all our frontline healthcare workers, for the work they have done in this pandemic,” he said.

After the game, record-setting quarterback Brady White, who was named the Montgomery Bowl MVP, confirmed that he had played his last game in a Memphis uniform. He finished the game with 284 passing yards and three touchdowns.

It was 14th time White had thrown for three touchdowns in a game. White finishes his career with 10,690 passing yards, 90 touchdown passes and 28 wins – all the most in the program’s history.

“The football speaks for itself,” said White, putting more value on making a positive impact while spreading hope, excitement and joy.

“I will bleed (Tigers) blue for the rest of my life …”

White had some great targets to throw to on Wednesday. Sophomores Javon Ivory and Tahj Washington each had 100-plus yards receiving, 126 and 105 respectively. The passing touchdowns went Ivory, Calvin Austin III and Joseph Dorceus.

Ivory, who dealt with injury setbacks during the season, said, “I prayed every day. … That helped me stay strong with everything that was going on in my life. I have been through a lot of adversity this season. I am grateful to have everyone around me to get me to this point.”

Dorceus, a defensive lineman, has been used as a fullback on

The Montgomery Bowl victory was the first bowl win for the Tigers since defeating BYU in the Boca Raton Bowl in 2014 and the first bowl victory for any member of the current team.

(Photos: Terry Davis)

Tahj Washington was a force in the passing game for the Tigers. short yardage plays. He has three career receptions and the touchdown reception in the bowl game was his first.

Maligned much of the season, the Memphis defense had one of its best performances, only allowing 88 yards in the first half and 10 points in the game.

Quindell Johnson led the way, again, in tackles with 11. Senior

T.J. Carter had four tackles and his fourth career fumble recovery.

Thomas Pickens, a senior linebacker, had eight tackles and the game-clinching interception in the final minute of the game.

Riley Patterson, the Tigers’ senior kicker, connected on a 53yard field goal to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead that they never surrendered. He has been selected to

participate in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Accounting for the pandemic, the NCAA has given every senior the option of playing another season. Many of the Tigers have said they would make a decision after the bowl game. Silverfield said he may not know until early January which players will opt to play next season.