South End Citizen 11-27-2019

PLEASE SEE LAKE TOWNSHIP 2nd PASS ASSESSMENT LIST

Citizen Week of Nov. 27, 2019

| Vol. 52 | No. 42 | www.citizennewspapergroup.com

SOUTH END

(from left) The Rev. Leonardo D. Gilbert, pastor of Sheldon Heights Church of Christ in Roseland, founded the nonprofit International American Medical Mission whose executive director is DeWayne Mason, a retired Chicago police officer and a deacon at Sheldon Heights Church. Photo credit: By Wendell Hutson

RETIRED NEWS

CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TOTAKE THE POOR MORE THAN MEDICAL 900 VENDORS AND ATTENDEES When DeWayne Mason joined the Chicago Police Department in 1997, he swore to “protect and serve” his community, and even he retired two years SMALL ago, he continues to help people asEXPO a volunteer for a South Side nonprofit organization. PAGE 2 PARTthough IN WOMEN'S BUSINESS

The other break-out sessions were also City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin's well attended and their subjects ranged irst Women's Small Business and from Finding City Funding, How to Start a Entrepreneur Expo was a huge success Business, Using Social Media to Brand and over the weekend. The UIC Dorin Forum more. was packed with small business vendors, The Women's Small Business Expo banks, government experts on distinguished itself from other expos by certification, women leaders from providing for free, a vendors marketplace, corporate boardrooms, and entrepreneurs break-out sessions, a leadership panel and a n the making. During her welcome fireside chat. "Finding financing to start a address, City Treasurer Melissa Conyearsbusiness is tough. Women get a fragment Ervin told the crowd, "Women make up of what men get to start their businesses 50% of the population, but only own a and that needs to change," said Marianne raction of the country's businesses. Not so Markowitz. She is the CEO and one of the great, huh? Let's make this a great day. founders of the Women's Bank of Chicago.

Starting now, today, let's change those The financial institution is the first bank in tats. Let's change the narrative!" the United States to be founded and run by Energized, the attendees packed the PAGE 4 women. Markowitz was a respected vendors' marketplace. The businesses were member of the Obama Administration. She diverse. They ranged from insurance spoke candidly about wanting to close the companies, to craft jewelry makers, to an advertising@citizennewspapergroup.com opportunity gap when it comes to women entrepreneur with a draft for a cell phone and small businesses, as well as her White prototype. Conyears-Ervin's vision for the House years. ree expo was to inform and educate City Treasurer Conyears-Ervin women small business owners and visited vendors in the marketplace, and entrepreneurs about important resources

BUSINESS

Bank of America Makes $400,000 Investment Through Neighborhood Builders Program To Advance Economic Mobility in Chicago

City Treasurer Conyears-Ervin

NEWS

ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 6

PAGE 8

More than 900 Vendors and Attendees Take Part in Women’s Small Business Expo

Red Clay Dance Presents Winter Sharecase and Holiday Party

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2 | CITIZEN | South End | Week of Nov. 27, 2019

NEWS briefly EDUCATION

DESPITE STAGNANT ENROLLMENT, INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE NEARLY $41 BILLION TO THE U.S. ECONOMY NAFSA: Association of International Educators announced new data recently that show that the more than one million international students at U.S. colleges and universities contributed nearly $41 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 458,290 jobs during the 2018-2019 academic year. This represents only a 0.6% increase in job support and creation and a 3.8% increase in dollars contributed to the economy from the previous academic year.

Further analysis showed that for every 7 international students, 3 U.S. jobs are created or supported by spending in the following sectors: higher education, accommodation, dining, retail, transportation, telecommunications and health insurance.

The growth rate of students choosing to study in the United States continues to decline while competitor countries experience double-digit growth (Canada up 16%; Australia up 15%). NAFSA estimates the continued decline in international student enrollment since fall 2016 has cost the U.S. economy $11.8 billion and more than 65,000 jobs.

HEALTH

AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION® AND VSP® VISION CARE COLLABORATE ON PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE TO SAVE SIGHT IN PEOPLE WITH DIABETES The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently announced a new collaboration with VSP® Vision Care, a VSP Global® company which serves nearly 90 million members as the largest and only national notfor-profit vision benefits provider, to focus on an often overlooked but costly and devastating complication of diabetes: eye disease. This initiative will focus on the crucial role annual comprehensive eye exams play in the early detection, intervention and prevention of eye disease and vision loss caused by diabetes.

The new eye health initiative will be launching in 2020 as part of the ADA’s Overcoming Therapeutic Inertia campaign to accelerate care, treatment and early intervention to improve the lives of people living with and those caring for people with diabetes.

Additional campaign resources and updates will be released in the coming months.

LAW & POLITICS

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ALLOCATES $19.7 MILLION TO HELP JURISDICTIONS REGISTER, TRACK SEX OFFENDERS AND PROTECT YOUNG ATHLETES The Office of Justice Programs’ Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) recently announced awards of nearly $15.8 million to help states, U.S. territories and tribal communities develop and improve their systems to register and track sex offenders. SMART also awarded $2.3 million to help protect participants in U.S.-Olympic and Paralympic athletic programs from abuse and $1.6 million to maintain the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website.

The awards will be used to help jurisdictions meet the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. Jurisdictions will develop and enhance their sex offender registration systems in order to better track and monitor sex offenders, reduce violent crime and improve public safety.

Retired Chicago Police Officer Provides Medical Assistance to the Poor Continued from page 1

BY WENDELL HUTSON Contributing Writer

When DeWayne Mason joined the Chicago Police Department in 1997, he swore to “protect and serve” his community, and even though he retired two years ago, he continues to help people as a volunteer for a South Side nonprofit organization.

After first joining the organization in 2009 as a volunteer security consultant, Mason has been executive director of the International American Medical Mission, 11355 S. Halsted St., since 2016. And even though he is not paid a salary, he said this role allows him to do what God has called him to do.

“I love what I do. It is where God has placed me at this point in my life and I am a firm believer that you do not question God, you just do as he asks,” said Mason, 65, a deacon at Sheldon Heights Church of Christ in Roseland. “My whole life has been about serving people. I was raised in the church so helping people is all I know.”

The organization embarks on three medical missions annually mostly international locations where Mason said the need for medical assistance is the greatest. On each mission, an outdoor clinic is set up for people, from children to adults, to receive a free, basic medical examination and medication from doctors and nurses.

“We do missions in the U.S. too but most of our missions have been internationally where simple things like clean drinking water is not always available,” explained Mason, a West Chesterfield resident. “Sexually transmitted diseases are another big problem we see in Third World countries where there’s no contraceptive method used. Therefore, their STDs run rampant and wild, and many females come into our clinics with a venereal disease.”

Since its 2006 inception, IAMM has hosted medical clinics in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Belize where Mason, a husband, father and grandfather, returned earlier this month. He said locally, IAMM has visited Texas, Puerto Rico and south suburban Country Club Hills. And moving forward, Mason said IAMM plans to host a mission in Nigeria and Africa.

“It is our goal to have a mission in Africa in 2021,” he said. “And we want to do more U.S. missions as well but we know the United States is the richest country in the world and there are plenty of resources available here.”

IAMM was founded by the Rev. Leonardo D. Gilbert, pastor of Sheldon Heights Church of Christ, and was done so as an act of God, he said.

“It (IAMM) is the way Jesus did ministry.

He healed the people and IAMM’s mission is help, hope and mission,” said Gilbert, a former technician and research assistant

in the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Illinois Hospital. “The medical missions that we do are about being a blessing to others.”

Each year, Gilbert travels with IAMM to its medical missions even though he is no longer the executive director.

“I have not missed one mission yet but I’m sure that will change as years go on,” added Gilbert. “The work I do with IAMM is much like the work I do at the church as a Christian.”

And while life as a Chicago cop can sometimes be stressful and challenging, Mason said it is also a rewarding career.

“There are several things I can attribute to being a police officer that has helped today as a volunteer worker. My leadership abilities and being able to control situations with crowds I learned as a police officer,” added Mason. “But I don’t miss being a Chicago police officer because I did my job well and served the community to the best of my ability and I have wonderful memories as a result.”

As a deacon, Mason said these days he is busy saving souls in church.

“Lord willing, I am at church every Sunday singing, praying and bringing people to Christ,” he said. “I try to live my life as God would want me to do and I will continue doing so until he is ready to call me ‘home’ where my journey will be complete.”

COMMENTARY

Holiday Consumerism: Who Decides What “Nobody Really Needs?”

BY THOMAS L. KNAPP

“Wasting resources, capital and income on stuff nobody really needs,” Charles Hugh Smith wrote in 2017, “is a monumental disaster on multiple fronts. Rather than establish incentives to conserve and invest wisely, our system glorifies waste and the destruction of income and capital, as if burning time, capital, resources and wealth on stuff nobody needs is strengthening the economy.”

I come across the “stuff nobody needs” argument frequently, from voices all across the political spectrum, for reasons ranging from economic to environmental to spiritual.

I also notice that in the featured portrait on Smith’s blog, he’s holding what appears to be a pretty sweet Gibson Les Paul electric guitar.

Does anyone “really need” an

electric guitar?

Presumably Smith believes he needs one. Maybe even an authentic Les Paul. Maybe even more than one guitar (like the Fender Stratocaster or clone thereof pictured elsewhere on his site).

And who has the right to veto his judgment on the issue, so long as the “resources, capital and income” he’s “wasting” on it are his own?

I settled for an inexpensive Epiphone model of the Les Paul for my own, perhaps larger than justifiable, guitar collection (my wife frowned at the price tag of the genuine Gibson).

I wouldn’t dream of claiming that my “need” for a Les Paul is more urgent than, say, a starving child’s need for a hot meal or a homeless person’s need for shelter.

On the other hand, my purchase of that guitar helped

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create paychecks that put meals in bellies and roofs over heads.

Economic demands are mutually self-fulfilling. Your purchase of a cup of fancy coffee puts caffeine in your bloodstream and money in the pockets of those who brought it to you — money they can spend fulfilling THEIR needs.

The same thing goes for planes, trains, automobiles, electric guitars, and the latest slice-it, dice-it, cook-it contraptions you (yes, I know it’s you) buy after watching those cheesy infomercials.

Yes, large-scale consumer economies produce negative “externalities” such as environmental damage.

Yes, those externalities are bad things which a more just economic system would build back into prices so as to discourage “over-consumption” and/or encourage more efficient and less damaging production techniques.

Current economic systems, including all state regulatory schemes, be they called “capitalist,” or “socialist,” or some hybrid, tend to subsidize those externalities. You pay for them with your taxes, whether you actually buy the subsidized goods or not.

That being the case, there’s no reason to feel guilty for buying this year’s “frivolous” holiday gifts that “nobody really needs.” Not because holiday shopping “strengthens the economy,” but because you want to give them and the recipients want to get them.

PS: Santa, bring me a Gretsch, please.

Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @ thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.

CITIZEN | South End | Week of Nov. 27, 2019

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NEWS

Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, speaks during a news conference Feb. 11 at the Capitol in Springfield. The IMRA was one of the most vocal backers of an online sales tax measure approved by the General Assembly during its fall veto session. Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki

Lawmakers move to boost online sales tax compliance Veto session legislation puts cyber, brick-and-mortar stores on level playing field

BY JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois Jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com

Springfield –Lawmakers passed a legislative fix during the recently adjourned fall veto session which proponents say could help the state realize $380 million in annual tax revenue by increasing compliance with existing online retail transaction tax laws.

Supporters say the new law will ensure the state’s full 6.25 percent sales tax rate and any locally-imposed taxes will be collected at the point of destination on sales made through online marketplaces or by remote retailers that do a certain amount of business in the state.

That means retail products purchased online and shipped to Illinois addresses will generate the same tax revenue as products purchased locally in stores no matter where they are shipped from.

While the state has already been collecting the revenue on several transactions, proponents say the recently passed bill is aimed at increasing compliance with an existing law created in response to a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court decision, South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc., which paved the way for state taxation on out-of-state retailers.

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association was one of the most vocal backers of the online sales tax measure. Rob Karr, IRMA’s president, said the change passed in the veto session would shift reporting requirements away from individual sellers, therefore streamlining tax remittance.

The new measure would require online marketplaces to collect and remit the tax to the state on behalf of the sellers that utilize their platforms, including third-party sellers.

“The marketplaces asked to do this because it’s just easier,” Karr said. “And it’s easier for the department of revenue and others to do it be-

cause now instead of having to monitor, audit every single marketplace seller, they now just do that for the marketplace facilitator.”

For remote retailers selling independent of online marketplaces, the tax would apply to those that do $100,000 or more worth of business or complete 200 or more separate transactions annually in Illinois, as they would be considered under law to be maintaining a place of business in the state. Karr said that threshold was deemed reasonable by the Supreme Court in the Wayfair decision.

Per the new legislation, these sellers would have the option to contract with certified service providers, which are companies that collect and remit the tax to the state. Those providers would retain the retailer’s discount of 1.75 percent of the taxes remitted, which the sellers would otherwise have been entitled to under state law.

The new legislation also reinserts use tax

language which was removed when the original budget implementation bill passed in June.

According to IRMA, the language is needed to protect state revenue in the event of an “adverse court decision” regarding the retail tax.

Per IRMA estimates, the added compliance resulting from the legislative fixes could result in more than $460 million in combined state and local revenue in fiscal year 2021, which begins July 1, 2020, and ends June 30, 2021. That sum breaks down to $200 million from remote retailer provisions for state government and $40 million resulting from locally-imposed taxes, and $180 million from state marketplace sales with $45 million generated for locally-imposed taxes.

The measure was passed as part of Senate Bill 119, a broad-ranging follow-up to the budget implementation bill passed in June. It had bipartisan support in both chambers and has been sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Nature’s Grace and Wellness, LLC Approved For Adult-Use Springfield, Ill. –The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has approved another cultivation center that can grow cannabis for adult-use purposes in advance of adult-use cannabis becoming legal on January 1, 2020.

Nature’s Grace and Wellness, LLC in Vermont, IL is now licensed to

grow for adult-use bringing the number of cultivation centers growing for the January 1st launch to 11.

Currently only cultivation centers licensed to grow medical marijuana can apply for early approval adultuse growth. Social equity applicants will have additional opportunities

to open cultivation centers in an upcoming phase.

In addition to Nature’s Grace and Wellness, LLC, ten other cultivation centers have been licensed for adultgrowth: • Cresco Labs, LLC- Lincoln • Cresco Labs, LLC- Kankakee www.citizennewspapergroup.com

• Cresco Labs, LLC- Joliet • Curative Health Cultivation, LLC- Aurora • PharmaCann, LLC- Dwight • PharmaCann, LLC- Hillcrest • Revolution Cannabis, LLC (DBA Ascend Illinois)- Barry • Wellness Group Pharms, LLC-

Anna • GTI Rock Island, LLC- Rock Island • Compass Ventures, Inc.- Litchfield Applications for licenses for craft growers, infusers and transporters will be available through IDOA beginning on January 7. The application deadline is March 15, 2020.

4 | CITIZEN | South End | Week of Nov. 27, 2019

BUSINESS Bank of America Makes $400,000 Investment Through Neighborhood Builders Program To Advance Economic Mobility in Chicago Bank of America recently announced it has awarded $200,000 in funding and leadership resources to both Chicago Scholars and Enlace Chicago as part of Bank’s signature Neighborhood Builders® program.

The nonprofits were selected as 2019 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders for their dedication to addressing issues fundamental to economic mobility across the Chicago area.

Chicago Scholars is making an impact by selecting, training and mentoring academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders.

Enlace Chicago is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of Little Village residents by fostering a safe and healthy environment and by championing opportunities for educational advancement and economic development.

As a Neighborhood Builder awardee, each organization also

receives a year of leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader at the organization, a network of peer organizations across the U.S., and the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact.

Over the past 15 years, Bank of America has invested $240 million in 49 communities through Neighborhood Builders, partnering with more than 1,000 nonprofits and helping more than 2,000 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills.

“It’s amazing that after 15 years, our Neighborhood Builders program continues to drive such a significant impact throughout Chicagoland,” said Paul Lambert, Chicago market president, Bank of America. “Our Neighborhood Builders alumni play such an integral role in shaping their communities, and Chicago as a whole. It’s through programs like this that our nonprofit partners have the power to plan strategically for growth and longterm sustainability.”

Bank of America recently announced it has awarded $200,000 in funding and leadership resources to both Chicago Scholars and Enlace Chicago as part of Bank’s signature Neighborhood Builders® program.

Enlace Chicago convenes, organizes and builds the capacity of Little Village stakeholders to

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confront systemic inequities and barriers to economic and social access. By definition, Enlace means ‘to bring together or connect’ and its partnerships include a wealth of community stakeholders and local, regional and national organizations and coalitions.

“My vision for Little Village is a united, safe community where families continuously invest and engage in their own development, and where our community finds opportunities for growth,” said Katya Nuques, executive director, Enlace Chicago. “As the leader of Enlace Chicago, I want that self-determination to be the engine that drives change; for our staff, participants, and the entire community.

The combination of funding and leadership development available through the Neighborhood Builders program makes it a unique opportunity, both today and for years to come.”

Chicago Scholars offers a unique seven-year, holistic program model to students who have demonstrated leadership in their schools, communities, or homes and are committed to furthering their education.

The nonprofit is proud to develop talented, diverse leaders by empowering academically ambitious students who will be the first in their families to attend college or are from underresourced communities in Chicago.

The programs help these students overcome systematic barriers to succeed in college and their

careers while preparing the city’s businesses and organizations for the next generation of leaders.

“I believe that education is not a merit of socioeconomic status, but a valuable resource to pull marginalized youth out of poverty and into leadership positions that positively influence their communities,” said Dominique Jordan Turner, CEO, Chicago Scholars. “We strive to position Chicago Scholars as an influencer and a convener. I want our organization and our peers to think about ourselves as part of the system that we want to – and can – change.”

Since 2004, through its Neighborhood Builders program, Bank of America has partnered with 32 nonprofits in Chicago, investing $6.4 million to provide financial education and economic mobility opportunities within the Chicago area.

The invitation-only program is highly competitive, and leading members of the community participated in a collaborative selection process to identify this year’s awardees.

Examples of the leadership training topics include human capital management, increasing financial sustainability, and storytelling. Neighborhood Builders is just one example of how Bank of America deploys capital in communities, builds cross-sector partnerships, and promotes socioeconomic progress as part of its approach to responsible growth.

CITIZEN | South End | Week of Nov. 27, 2019

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6 | CITIZEN | South End | Week of Nov. 27, 2019

NEWS

MORE THAN 900 VENDORS AND ATTENDEES TAKE PART IN WOMEN'S SMALL BUSINESS EXPO City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin's first Women's Small Business and Entrepreneur Expo was a huge success over the weekend. The UIC Dorin Forum was packed with small business vendors, banks, government experts on certification, women leaders from corporate boardrooms, and entrepreneurs in the making. During her welcome address, City Treasurer Melissa ConyearsErvin told the crowd, "Women make up 50% of the population, but only own a fraction of the country's businesses. Not so great, huh? Let's make this a great day.

Starting now, today, let's change those stats. Let's change the narrative!"

Energized, the attendees packed the vendors' marketplace. The businesses were diverse. They ranged from insurance companies, to craft jewelry makers, to an entrepreneur with a draft for a cell phone prototype. Conyears-Ervin's vision for the free expo was to inform and educate women small business owners and entrepreneurs about important resources and programs available to help create, grow and sustain their business.

In addition to the vendors' marketplace, there were 12 break-out sessions focusing on where to get business financing, how to land government contracts, and more. "I couldn't wait to come," said Shanara Carter of Bronzeville.

"This is one stop shopping. I need all the help I can get to grow my business."

Women business owners are less likely to apply for, or receive, funding from financial institutions to get the assistance needed to grow their businesses.

"Where's the procurement panel?" many attendees asked. It's a fact that despite the number of companies that are qualified as women owned business enterprises, very few of these businesses are awarded significant government contracts. The City of Chicago Department of Procurement conducted a panel and there was standing room only.

The other break-out sessions were also well attended and their subjects ranged from Finding City Funding, How to Start a Business, Using Social Media to Brand and more.

The Women's Small Business Expo distinguished itself from other expos by providing for free, a vendors marketplace, break-out sessions, a leadership panel and a fireside chat. "Finding financing to start a business is tough. Women get a fragment of what men get to start their businesses and that needs to change," said Marianne Markowitz. She is the CEO and one of the founders of the Women's Bank of Chicago.

The financial institution is the first bank in the United States to be founded and run by women. Markowitz was a respected member of the Obama Administration. She spoke candidly about wanting to close the opportunity gap when it comes to women and small businesses, as well as her White House years.

City Treasurer Conyears-Ervin visited vendors in the marketplace, and took photos as the six hour event began to wind down. "I hope you have this again next year," an attendee said as she pulled out her camera and asked to take a selfie.

"Absolutely!" Conyears-Ervin promised.

"And it will be bigger and better!"

WWW.CITIZENNEWSPAPERGROUP.COM

City Treasurer Conyears-Ervin

CITIZEN | South End | Week of Nov. 27, 2019

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8 | CITIZEN | South End | Week of Nov. 27, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

Red Clay Dance Presents Winter Sharecase and Holiday Party Red Clay Dance Company (RCDC) engages its community by hosting a Winter Sharecase and Holiday Party Saturday, December 14 at 2 p.m. at Fuller Park Auditorium, 331 W. 45th Place, Chicago.

The performance features students of Red Clay Dance Academy, the official school of Red Clay Dance Company, and Red Clay Dance’s Youth Ensemble. The Academy is committed to offering world-class dance training for youth, teens, and adults. Classes are open to students aged one and older from beginners to advanced dancers.

The gathering is also the culmination of an online series of commentaries this fall, entitled Words to Live By. Each post has focused on a different word that has importance and meaning for the RCDC community: Artivism, Glocal, and Community Engagement. The commentaries are available at redclaydance. wordpress.com. There will be a brief discussion on the series after the performance, followed by a holiday celebration with music, refreshments, games, and prizes.

Red Clay Dance Company (RCDC) will host a Winter Sharecase and Holiday Party Saturday, December 14 at 2 p.m. at Fuller Park Auditorium, 331 W. 45th Place, Chicago.

Event Details: Red Clay Dance Academy presents its Winter Sharecase and Holiday Celebration Saturday, December 14 at 2 p.m. at Fuller Park Auditorium, 331 W. 45th Pl., Chicago.

Admission is free; RSVPs are required at redclaydance.com/performances.

All programming is subject to change.

For more information about RCDC, visit redclaydance.com.

About Red Clay Dance Company Red Clay Dance Company lives to awaken “glocal” change through creating, performing, and teaching dances of the African Diaspora—change that transforms cultural and socioeconomic inequities in our local and global community. Founder Vershawn Sanders-Ward conceived the idea of RCDC while on her first trip to Senegal, West Africa, when she became fascinated by the interconnectedness of dance and everyday life. The name Red Clay comes from her childhood memories of playing in red earth during her summers in Mobile, Alabama.

RCDC is supported by the Chicago Community Trust, the Alphawood Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at the Richard H Driehaus Foundation, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Springboard Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

National Museum of African American Music Assembles All-Star Band of Creative Agencies to Launch Grand Opening When the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) officially opens its doors in the summer of 2020, it will be a firstof-its-kind cultural institution that celebrates the tradition of the people behind Black music and the music’s significant impact on the soundtrack of American society.

Located in the heart of Downtown Nashville, Tennessee, the museum will be the newest crown jewel to Nashville’s royal musical landscape. In support of its pending grand opening, NMAAM leadership has tapped into an all-star “band” of creative agencies to lead the marketing communications push and drive interest and excitement with future guests.

Now that the museum space at Fifth + Broadway has been secured, gallery and artifact layouts have been completed and construction is underway, NMAAM’s team of creative agencies, led by agency of record Authentique Agency, will deliver on the overall brand strategy, marketing execution, public relations, advertising, experiential marketing and special events. The NMAAM agency team is a collection of award-winning marketing

professionals from around the country who reflect the diversity and content of the museum as well as the homegrown pride and musical spirit of Nashville.

“As the first ever museum solely dedicated to the preservation and advancement of Black Music, we were very intentional about being relevant and inclusive when building the marketing team for our grand opening,” said H. Beecher Hicks, III, NMAAM president and CEO. “This museum tells the story of not only the musical contributions of Black people in America, but also the personal stories behind those who paved the way in creating these genres and making them global phenomena. We’re excited and encouraged that we have a diverse team of marketing professionals leading this project and that the team reflects both the content in the museum and the local Nashville community.”

Lead agency Authentique based in Atlanta, Georgia, has been working with NMAAM since 2017 and was officially named lead Agency of Record in July 2019.

The Authentique Agency is a

full-service marketing consulting firm focused on leveraging the power of identity. A certified minority and LGBT-owned firm, Authentique is intentional about creating brand campaigns that genuinely reflect multicultural and LGBTQ life, voices and viewpoints.

The agency believes that to build affinity, a brand must observe the intersectionality of cultural identity, and account for how it influences a consumers’ decision-making.

Learn more about Authentique at AuthentiqueAgency.com.

Additional supporting agencies include: Flowers Communications Group (FCG) is responsible for national and multicultural media relations in support of NMAAM. FCG is an award-winning, certified minorityand woman-owned integrated marketing communications firm based in Chicago, Illinois with nearly 30 years of experience creating connections with some of the world’s most iconic brands and diverse consumer audiences. For more information, visit ExploreFCG.com.

MP&F Strategic Communications headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee www.citizennewspapergroup.com

is spearheading local and regional media relations along with community relations support for NMAAM throughout the greater Tennessee area. MP&F is an award-winning, full service public relations firm that has been developing high-impact strategic communications for local, regional and national clients for more than 30 years.

Learn more at MPF.com.

Go West Creative Group headquartered in Nashville has signed on to lead experiential efforts associated with NMAAM’s public grand opening celebrations planned for summer 2020. Go West Creative Group is a marketing services company specializing in large scale events, business meetings, conferences, product launches, road shows and tours, recognition events, marketing content production, branded media experiences, and installations. See more of their work at GoWestCreativeGroup.com.

Dufour Collaborative from the Washington, D.C. metro area has been tapped to lead the execution of private signature events and the grand opening gala that will also take place in the summer of 2020.

The Dufour Collaborative is one

of the nation’s premier experience design firms, specializing in orchestrating large attendee events that move, delight, and unite people.

Notably, the Dufour team led the launch of opening events for The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. in 2016.

Check out more of their work at DufourCollaborative.com.

These five agencies along with internal NMAAM staff comprise the complete marketing team that will inform and connect with consumers and stakeholders to bring the vision of NMAAM’s leadership and the Board of Directors to life come opening day and beyond.

As the NMAAM grand opening quickly approaches next year, each creative agency is actively engaged in the planning process and supporting a number of existing museum programs. This work includes building partnerships with local and national businesses, music industry executives and music talent. All of these stakeholders will play important roles in celebrating the success of the museum and its place among cultural institutions across the world.

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12 | CITIZEN | South End | Week of Nov. 27, 2019

Coca-Cola Spice Cinnamon - 10”h X 13”w Bring a little spice to the table.

Job No: 401597655_07a Client Name: Coca-Cola

Trim: 10" x 13"