Nashville PRIDE December 16, 2022

Raumesh Akbari elected vice president by National Black Caucus of State Legislators

Movie Reviews:

vatar: The Way of Water

of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators

of the top organizations representing and serving the interests of African American state lawmakers across the country Members elected Akbari duri

meeting earlier this month The Memphis-based senator just fini

o n a l group’s financial secretary

“It was my absolute honor to be elected and sworn in as the n e x t v i c e p r e s i d e n t o f t h e National Black Caucus of State Legislators ” Sen Akbari said “I fell in love with this organization at my very first conference shortly after I was elected in 2013 You won t find a more dedicated, brilliant, and thoughtful collection of legislators across the country

Brittney Griner back to dunking on court nearly 10 months after detainment

Vanderbilt Poll: TN Republicans favor DeSantis over T rump for 2024 presidential nomination Support for abortion rises in state

Brittney Griner has returned to the court for her first basketball workout nearly 10 months after s h e w a s i n i t i a l l y d e t a i n e d i n Russia

Lindsay Kagawa Colas, her agent, told ESPN that the WNBA star donning a Title IX T-shirt Phoenix Suns shorts, and black Chuck Taylors, hit a slam dunk as her first move on a Texas basketb a l l c o u r t f o l l o w i n g

Medical College agree on path forward

currently

through the end of the current lease agreement which expires at the end of

resolves all outstanding issues and establishes an updated rent structure for the buildings Meharry leases to the city for Nashville General Hospital

Metro will pay a fair market rent to Meharry, which has been validated by two independent real-estate evaluation experts, for the use of the Nashville General Hospital buildings starting at $6 3 million this current year with a 2 5% increase for each consecutive year Previously, the city was paying only the underlying bonds issued in 1995 and which were set to expire next year The agreement also settles all outstanding claims between the two parties This agreement will not affect the city's funding of Nashville General Hospital or the possibility for a new hospital building in the future after the expiration of the current lease

The agreement includes the resolution of receivables and other financial issues between the city and Meharry, which first began leasing the buildings on its campus for use as the city's safe-

By Tim Reynolds, AP Basketball Writer

Basketball taught Paul Silas how to be patient

As a player, he waited 10 years before winning his first championship As a coach, he waited 15 years for a second chance at running a team As a father he waited 20 years before seeing his son get a chance to lead a franchise

“I always tried to remain positive ” Silas said in 2013, and I think it usually worked out ”

Silas who touched the game as a player, coach and president of the National Basketball Players Association died his family announced Sunday Silas, whose son, Stephen Silas, is coach of the Houston Rockets, was 79

H e c o m b i n e d t h e k n o w l e d g e developed over nearly 40 years as an NBA player and coach with an innate understanding of how to mix discipline

ty net hospital in the mid-1990s

”

Silas

“We mourn the passing of former NBA All-Star and head coach Paul Silas, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said “Paul’s lasting contributions to the game are seen through the many p l a y e r s a n d c o a

d , including his son, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas We send our deepest condolences to Paul s family

Paul Silas began his career as a head coach with a three-year stint lead-

Sen

Brittney Griner

Courtesy of Black Information Network

8 from Russian custody via a one-for-one prisoner swap involving convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout She arrived at

Tennessee Republicans favor Florida Gov Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump to be the party s presidential nominee in 2024 by double digits, according to the latest statewide Vanderbilt Poll Among the registered Republicans who were interviewed, DeSantis leads Trump 54 percent to 41 percent in a head-to-head

matchup The survey of 1,180 registered Tennessee voters was conducted between Nov 8 and Nov 28 with a margin of error of ± 3 4 percentage points The statewide poll is co-directed by John Geer Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science and professor of political science, and Josh

Clinton Abby and Jon Winkelried Professor and professor of political science Detailed results and methods can be found at vu edu/poll

The poll focused on the public’s thinking about elected officials, the 2024 election abortion Tennessee s

Tennessee voters who identify as MAGA Republicans hope Trump prevails over challengers, setting stage for showdown in choosing party’s 2024 presidential nominee

Meharry Medical College and Nashville Metro government have come to an agreement that will give millions of dollars to the college for housing Nashville General Hospital

Charlotte Hornets chairman Michael Jordan said On or off the court Paul s enthusiastic and engaging personality was accompanied by an anecdote for every occasion He was one of the alltime great people in our game, and he will be missed

daughter Paula Silas-Guy told The New York Times that her father died Saturday night of cardiac arrest The Boston Globe first reported Silas death

Charlotte Bobcats coach Paul Silas argues a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Charlotte, N C , April 18, 2012. Silas, a member of three NBA championship teams, has died, his family announced Sunday,

Photo/Chuck Burton, file)

New Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

swor n-in – focuses on homelessness

by Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire

Mayor Karen Bass will declare a state of emergency against homelessness in an announcement at Los Angeles’ Emergency Operations Center

The new mayor said the move “will allow her to take aggressive executive actions to confront the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles The declaration will recognize t h

L

Angeles' crisis and break new ground to maximize the ability to urgently move people inside

2021, during an inter-

show Let It Be Known, Bass spoke on homelessness saying it was a humanitarian crisis,” and added that there were 40,000 people in the city unhoused, many living in tents all around the city

who spent $100 million on his campaign

served in the U S House of Represen-

congressional district and was chair of the

Caucus

mem-

was also

2004 to 2010 and spent her final years there as Speaker of the California House

California

first female L

Kounalakis in the audience and Los Angeles’ all-female County Board of Supervisors

“I believe that times

reflection I believe it’s time for Angelenos to remind ourselves where

come from and who we are My father fled Jim Crow Texas during the great African Ameri-

service as a letter carrier It was a union job, and his paycheck supported my brothers and me and allowed my mother to choose to be a homem a k e r W h e n I t h i n k a b o u t t h e d r e a m s o f working people today, I reflect on the fact that my mother and father were able to buy a home in Los Angeles for their family of six with one paycheck,” Bass said in her inaugural speech

Small Arkansas city elects youngest Black mayor in U.S. history

and left his considerable holdings to his wife and four children When the r a i l r o a d t h r o u g h E a r l e w a s b u i l t i n 1 8 8 8 , E a r l e ’s w i d o w c o nstructed a small depot to encourage trains to stop there She named it for her late husband

The most recent train depot was built in 1922 a n d w a s a b a n d o n e d w h e n p a s s e n g e r a n d freight stops were discontinued in the 1960s The old depot now operates as the Crittenden County Museum

Today, the city has an u n e m p l o y m e n t r a t e ( 5 8 % ) b e l o w t h e n a t i o n a l a v e r a g e a n d e n j o y s r e c e n t j o b growth

She then commented on the high cost of housing in Los Angeles

“Tragically our city has earned the shameful crown as being home to some of the most crowded neighborhoods in the n a t i o n : P i c o U n i o n , South L A East L A t h e E a s t Va l l e y We know our mission We must build housing in e v e r y n e i g h b o r h o o d Bass said The new mayor then

f o c u s e d o n h o m e l e s sness, a huge problem in Los Angeles and across the U S I will start my first d a y a s m a y o r a t o u r city’s Emergency Operations Center, where my first act as mayor will be t o d e c l a r e a s t a t e o f emergency on homelessn e s s M y e m e rg e n c y declaration will recognize the severity of our c r i s i s a n d b r e a k n e w ground to maximize our

ability to urgently move people inside and do so for good It will create the structure necessary for us to have a true, unified and citywide strategy to set us on the path to solve homelessness, Bass stated

“If we are going to bring Angelenos inside and move our city in a new direction, we must have a single strategy to unite our city and county

Walgreens launches free Paxlovid delivery services with DoorDash and Uber

DEERFIELD, Ill –

At 18, Jaylen Smith recognizes the need for civic involvement

He believes his small city of Earle Arkansas w

improved public safety m e a s u

blight

will now have the chance to implement

youngest Black mayor in America

earned that distinction by defeating his friend, Nemi Matthews, Sr who works as the city’s street superintendent

elected mayor and it’s

said following his Dec 6

was resc u e d b y K l a n s m e n before he could be executed by hanging Earle died in 1884

The cost of living in the predominantly Demo c r a t i c c i t y i s n e a r l y 2 7 % l o w e r t h a n t h e n a t i o n a l a v e r a g e , a n d the median home cost is $ 6 8 4 0 0 A d d i t i o n a l l y E a r l e P u b l i c S c h o o l s spend $13,778 per student about $1 300 more than the average school e x p e n d i t u r e i n t h e United States

It s time to build a better chapter of Earle, Arkansas ” Smith stated He said he intends to improve public safety, t e a r d o w n a b a n d o n e d houses, and open a new grocery store

“ Yo u ’ r e n e v e r t o o young to want to make a difference in your community ” Smith said

In partnership with DoorDash and Uber, Walgreens has announced free delivery of Paxlovid, a COVID-19 oral antiviral therapy, directly to the doorsteps of those who need it With more than 8 000 Walgreens locations offering same day delivery services, available to anyone who lives within 15 miles of participating Walgreens locations the majority of Americans have access to this program, about 92% of the population

This initiative is aimed at increasing access to COVID-19 treatment, with a focus on reaching those in socially vulnerable or medically underserved

areas at a time when COVID-19 cases are beginning to rise again across the United States According to Walgreens COVID-19 Index data, overall positivity rates reached 36% this week This steady rise in cases reinforces the critical need for access to lifesaving treatments

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health disparities and emphasized the need to address longstanding barriers, including access to treatments said Anita Patel, PharmD, vice president pharmacy services development Walgreens “Our pharmacy teams will continue to play a trusted and essential role in

helping to keep people protected from COVID-19, including getting people vaccinated tested and treated as safely, equitably and effectively as possible

Eligible patients must have a Paxlovid prescription from a healthcare provider After the pharmacy has filled the prescription and before it gets picked up, individuals can go online to select Same Day Delivery by visiting <Walgreens com/PrescriptionDelive ry> the Walgreens app or by calling their store This initiative is the latest offering in an ongoing collaboration between Walgreens, DoorDash and Uber to

On Dec 11, Bass, 69, was sworn-in as Los Angeles’ 43rd mayor at a historic ceremony by Vice President Kamala Harris (photo courtesy of @karenbassla/Instagram)

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent

Mayor-elect Jaylen Smith

Walgreen’s COVID-19 initiative is the latest offering in an ongoing collaboration between Walgreens, DoorDash and Uber to increase accessibility of life-saving treatments to medically underserved and underrepresented areas, following the companies’ response to the White House COVID call to action to ensure a safe and healthy winter.

By Cass Teague

Nashville will host two amazing art shows, this month and in Janua r y O n e i s f r e e a n d l o c a l ; t h e o t h e r i s a n a t i o n a l e v e n t y o u should get your tickets for now

The Black Art Mark e t : A r t E x h i b i t i o n BGM Edition will be an e v e n i n g t o r e m e m b e r C o m e s h o p c o n n e c t and celebrate with talented local artists There will be music, live performances Art cash bar a n d m o r e T h e m o s t a n t i c i p a t e d a s p e c t s o f t h i s e v e n t a r e s e e i n g h o w d i ff e r e n t e a c h a r t i s t ’s p a i n t i n g s t y l e c o n v e y s t h e i r m i s s i o n a n d s e e i n g h o w e a c h g u e s t i s d r e s s e d t o express

Join The Black Art M a r k e t o n S u n d a y, D e c e m b e r 1 8 2 0 2 2 from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM CST at VanLeer Studios for an evening of black excellence as they host the 2022 Art Exhibition: Black Girl Magic E d i t i o n i n N a s h v i l l e , TN The mission for this event is to empower all shades roles and diversity of the black women through visual arts Free

Admission

Van Leer Studios is a multi-purpose art space located at 914 Buchanan S t r e e t , N a s h v i l l e , T N 37208 in the Buchanan

event features music by Dj Madmauves Playlist; a Bar with all local black o w

o f whiskey, bourbon, tequila and spirits; art showcase from local artists; live performance & spoken word; creative IG worthy photobooth; and light hors d'oeuvres with vegetarian options For a

ket@gmail com

G

Magic Art Show is sponsored by The Nashville B

M O -

Fyori Vodka, & More; The Annual Barber Battle; and Power Entertainment Event Hashtags are #TheBAM and #BGMArtExbitionTN

Coming January 22, 2023 from 3:00 pm –9:00 pm A Spectacular Black Girl Art Show is a n a

a

T h e C u r a t o r i s Joshua Dingle age 34 f r o m P h i l a d e l p h i a , Pennsylvania, who is a c u r a t o r c o m m u n i c a t o r and founder of A Marvelous Black Boy Art S h o w A S p e c t a c u l a r B l a c k G i r l A r t S h o w, and Feels ATL In September 2019 A Spectacular Black Girl Art Show was launched in Atlanta, GA with a mission to create unique opportunities for aspiring African American visual artists and artisans Since then t h e s h o w h a s c r e a t e d exposure for more than 600 artists in 12 cities across the U S

A f t e r r e a l i z i n g t h e d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e r e p r esentation of black artists in the marketplace, he set out to change that narrative by creating A Spectacular Black Girl Art Show and A Marvelous Black Boy Art Show in Atlanta, GA

by Wanda Clay

It's not any fun in being sick but I realize s o m a n y p e o p l e a r e much worse off than I am As I left another d o c t o r ' s a p p o i n t m e n t Tuesday I got a call about a 36 year old female who doctors are r e f e r r i n g t o H o s p i c e Care Imagine that just 36 years of age with 6 y o u n g c h i l d r e n a n d doctors say less than a few months to live,” s t a t e d P a s t o r E n o c h Fuzz

O f t e n t i m e s t h e r e a r e p e o p l e w h o f e e l sorry about their situat i o n Ye t , t h e r e a r e some times when it is a l m o s t i m p o s s i b l e t o recognize how prayer, t e c h n o l o g y a n d c a r e can turn a medical situation around The Rev Enoch Fuzz pastor of Corinthian Missionary B a p t i s t C h u r c h h a s been living with stage four lung cancer for a couple of years now The word “cancer ” is enough to bring on all

types of issues beginning with the individual’s thoughts of sorrow about what that really means in one s lifestyle

Fuzz said “Yes my back pain is excruciating and stage 4 lung cancer is frightening, but this is no longer a d e a t h s e n t e n c e I ' m g o n n a b e O K Throughout my good days and bad days I'm gonna get well ” As a pastor Rev F u z z c o n t i n u e s t o encourage his congregation and his community with ministry and witness He exemplifies the attitude that encourages acceptance and how faith works with prayer and positivity towards his situation He uses this constant reminder saying Though I struggle and get out of breath tryna put on my shoes there are people who don't have feet to put on a shoe So I'm reminded to keep that positive

outlook There's someone else who'd love to be in my shoes ”

o p r a y I'm here to say, be grateful because there's s o m e o n e e l s e w h o ' s worse off than you Thanks for reading and sharing “Cancer: My Journey in Time each week We pray it will be a blessing to you

o

s t s using various forms of media is a bi-annual art e x h i b i t d i s p l a y i n g t h e work of all black female a r t i s t s u s i n g v a r y i n g forms of media

This show is aimed toward celebrating black women the strength in their diversity, and the power in our unity

Since 2019 Joshua Dingle has curated over 40 exhibitions featuring o v e r 4 0 0 l o c a l a r t i s t s t h a t g e n e r a t e d o v e r $650k in art sales Get y o u r t i c k e t s e a r l y a s Early Bird Tickets are only $15 00, available until December 22 2022 ; G e n e r a l Ti c k e t s a r e $30 00, available only through Jan 20, 2023, and beginning January 20, 2023, Last Minute Tickets will be $40 00

masculinity in the boys and men

serve

is continuing i t s p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h Metro Nashville Public Schools to expand programming in up to 15 e l e m e n t a r y s c

W a w a r d f o r t h e AMEND Together program

By granting YWCA this significant

funding

Rev Enoch Fuzz

Spectacular Black Girl Magic Art team

by William T. Robinson, Jr

As everyone probab l y k n o w s b y n o w, Deion Sanders has made the decision to further h i s c a r e e r b y l e a v i n g Jackson State University and accepting a position a s h e a d c o a c h a t t h e University of Colorado His decision has been met with a myriad of f e e l i n g s r a n g i n g f r o m praise, indifference, disappointment, to downright hate and hostility from the Black community These conflicting feelings may spurn from D e i o n s m o n u m e n t a l s u c c e s s i n b r i n g i n g attention to HBCU football, especially in having t h e i r a t h l e t i c f o o t b a l l programs getting rightfully due recognition S o m e f e e l D e i o n ’s d e c i s i o n t o g o t o Colorado will diminish t h e r i s e a n d a t t e n t i o n n o w b e i n g g i v e n t o HBCU football as well as HBCUs on a national level Deion has brought national attention to the importance and worth of H B C U f o o t b a l l a n d demanded better financ i a l s u p p o r t f o r t h e s e i n s t i t u t i o n s , s o t h e y w o u l d b e i n a b e t t e r position to compete with w e a l t h y p o w e r h o u s e P W I s ( P r e d o m i n a n t l y White Institutions)

There is no question t h a t H B C U s ’ f o o t b a l l

has benefited from the e x p o s u r e a n d r e c o g n it i o n h e r a l d e d b y Sanders He has done such a great job that you find some Blacks who feel his departure from J S U g o i n g t o a P W I powerhouse will undermine all the work he did in opening the door to spawn HBCUs football recognition and accepta n c e e s p e c i a l l y a s i t relates to financial compensation from endorsements sponsorships and national TV coverage

S o m e p e o p l e w h o feel hurt or disappointed compare his actions to o p e n i n g a d o o r t o r e c e i v e t h e l i g h t t h e n abruptly slamming that door These people quest i o n h i s m o t i v e s a n d paint him as an opportunist whose only interest is in himself They literally cry We have been played ” But they should see all the positive results gained from D e i o n ’s i n v o l v e m e n t How can they say that he played HBCUs only for his own benefit?

H o w e v e r y o u m a y feel about Deion you cannot diminish his role as a mentor, motivator and positive role model for young Black men That goes without saying His messaging was influential in Black athletes supporting or considering HBCUs He lit-

erally helped kick start a resurgence of Black athl e t e s a s w e l l n o t t o mention Black students opting to go to HBCUs H e c h a n g e d t h e l a n dscape of JSU and the city of Jackson for the better That is irrefutable JSU has a new field and a w i n n i n g t e a m D e i o n helped to revitalize the c i t y o f J a c k s o n e v e n with the water problem t h e y w e r e h a v i n g H e changed the trajectory of how HCBU football is looked at nationally, and brought College Day to JSU These are unprecedented accomplishments and blessings that warrant praise and thanks that cannot be refuted

Right or wrong you c a n n o t d i s m i s s w h a t Deion has done to promote and highlight JSU and HBCUs Some even perceive him as being ‘heaven sent ’ Maybe his time at JSU was over (his contract was only for three years), and he i s d e s t i n e d f o r e v e n greater things Many of h i s s u p p o r t e r s d o n ’t think he has abandoned supporting HBCU football or HBCUs and may be in an even better position to bring light and support to them

The media may be presenting Deion in a bad light by saying that many Blacks hate him However the feeling is

m o r e o f b e i n g d i s a ppointed or hurt because of the phenomenal job he has done The word hate is such a strong word and may be intentionally used to divide the Black community as pertains to Deion

Many of his supporters find themselves conflicted in their feelings They are happy for him but sad that he is leavi n g T h o s e w h o a r e angry may feel he is a h y p o c r i t e w h o s o l d Black athletes and the Black community a bill of goods about supporting HBCUs Then he did a n a b o u t f a c e Originally his messaging was that Black athletes should consider and s u p p o r t H B C U s o v e r PWI p o werh o u ses He came across for many as the ‘messiah’ who was going to help save and promote Black athletes a n d o t h e r B l a c k s t udents encouraging them to come home and support their own institutions

Many feel his departure will cause a dismantling of the enthusiasm e x c i t e m e n t , a n d a t t e nt i o n h e g e n e r a t e d f o r H B C U f o o t b a l l a n d HBCUs as well It is realistic to assume that many of his top recruits w i l l f o l l o w h i m t o Colorado

It would be under-

standable that feelings and emotions are running all over the place in t h e B l a c k c o m m u n i t y e s p e c i a l l y f r o m t h o s e who feel Deion hasn’t stayed long enough to fully elevate HBCUs to the level he once spoke of One must also unders t a n d H B C U s a l u m n i and their students have a fierce loyalty to HBCUs t h a t s u p e r s e d e s o t h e r Black alumni or students at PWIs

I n a l l f a i r n e s s t o D e i o n , w e s h o u l d remember he is a man with dreams and aspirations He shouldn t have to apologize for bettering himself and reaching for his dreams Isn t that what we drill into our children only with the c a v e a t o f c o n s i d e r i n g ‘what if one gained the world only to lose one’s soul? Dion is well off m o n e t a r i l y, s o o n e s h o u l d n ’t c o n c l u d e h e sold out for the money But even if the money was a factor, isn’t he e n t i t l e d t o g o f o r h i s dreams with our blessing?

Maybe Deion s only mistake is that he did his job so well with uplifting JSU and awareness to HBCUs football that his d e p a r t u r e r a t t l e s o u r emotions and for some causes a loss of hope Regardless of how one may feel at this time

William T Robinson, Jr

let’s congratulate Deion on a job well done and give him our blessings in his new role We cannot conclude that Deion is through as an ambassador for HBCU football Whether we see it or not, he may be in a better position to promote and bring more attention to HBCUs’ greatness D e i o n i s o n l y o n e man We must realize that there is too much g r e a t n e s s r e s o n a t i n g from HBCUs to minimize the continued rise of such prestigious instit u t i o n s t o o n e m a n Deion did a great job, but HBCUs will continue to grow on their own merit It is up to the Black community to put our energy, monies and voices to promote our HBCUs

M a y b e w e s h o u l d stop looking for someone else to make a diff e r e n c e w h e n w e c a n make the difference

Proposed Jour nalism Competition Preservation Act’s negative impact on small minority-owned newspapers

Chavis, Jr

I n S e p t e m b e r l a wm a k e r s i n Wa s h i n g t o n r u s h e d t h r o u g h m a j o r l e g i s l a t i o n t h a t w o u l d reward massive legacy m e d i a c o r p o r a t i o n s a t the expense of smaller community-focused and m i n o r i t y - o w n e d n e w sp a p e r s W h i l e t h e Journalism Competition Preservation Act (JCPA) is meant to protect publications like those in the N a t i o n a l N e w s p a p e r Publishers Association, i t w o u l d u l t i m a t e l y threaten our ability to inform our communities, line the pockets of massive media conglomerates and hedge funds, and lead to the proliferation of harmful misinformation Good intentions s o m e t i m e s h a v e n e g ative and counterproductive consequences

T h e g o a l t o f o s t e r quality local journalism a n d j o u r n a l i s t j o b s i s well-intentioned Local n e w s o u t l e t s p r o v i d e Americans with important information about the political economic and cultural issues that m a t t e r t o t h e m T h e n e w s i n d u s t r y h a s r e a c h e d a n i n f l e c t i o n point, and much work is

publications

Newspaper employment has fallen by 70% in the past 15 years and 20% of America s counties are at risk of becoming news deserts The top 25 media chains now own a third of all U S newspapers Thousands of newspapers have been acquired by hedge funds and private equity firms l i k e A l d e n G l o b a l C a p i t a l o r b y m e d i a behemoths like Gannett, L e e E n t e r p r i s e s a n d M c C l a t c h y F o r t h e s e m e d i a c o m p a n i e s , a local newspaper is an asset for profit, not a valuable source of local information Big media chains acquire newspa-

pers lay off journalists a n d s t a ff d r i v e d o w n wages and shutter publications forever as they spend millions on executive salaries and stock buybacks

N o w t h e s e s a m e m e d i a c o m p a n i e s a n d hedge funds are a step closer to receiving huge p a y o u t s , w i t h o u t a n y

accountability or transparency to direct funds to local journalism and j o u r n a l i s t s T h e J C PA would require tech platforms to carry and pay any eligible news publisher for access to cont e n t W h i l e t h i s m a y, again, seem well intentioned at first look upon d e e p e r i n s p e c t i o n t h e

law defines access so broadly it will require p a y m e n t f o r s i m p l y crawling a website or sharing a link Similarly, while a number of cong l o m e r a t e s a r e s c o p e d into the bill, true independent or small newsp a p e r s a r e e x p l i c i t l y excluded from the legislation because the bill says that an eligible publisher must earn more than $100,000 per year M a n y A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n a n d o t h e r BIPOC news outlets are i n d e p e n d e n t l y o w n e d Furthermore, these news outlets have developed and grown their audie n c e s b e c a u s e m a i ns t r e a m m e d i a p u b l i c ations excluded the pers p e c t i v e s o f m i n o r i t y voices

The Black Press built our own news outlets to support our own voices As a result this legislation would only further reinforce harmful racial exclusion trends, rather than actually help smaller local publications like those in the NNPA

S i m i l a r l y r e c e n t amendments to the bill requiring non-discrimin a t i o n w o u l d r e q u i r e platforms to carry and pay for hate speech and

o b j e c t i o n a b l e c o n t e n t that could be harmful to BIPOC communities If passed the JCPA would b o o s t m i s i n f o r m a t i o n a n d e x t r e m i s t c o n t e n t News publications from either side of the aisle t h a t s u p p o r t e x t r e m i s t v i e w s w i l l n o t o n l y receive money, but tech p l a t f o r m s w i l l b e required to carry them on their services

T h i s w i l l m a k e i t e v e n h a r d e r f o r p l a tforms to moderate harmful and false content We know that communities l i k e o u r s w i l l s u ff e r most C o n g r e s s a n d t h e Senate should reject the current draft of the JCPA and go back to the drawing board on real solutions for America’s local n e w s p r o b l e m s s o l ut i o n s t h a t b e n e f i t a l l A m e r i c a n s , i n s t e a d o f just giving handouts to the biggest media corporations in the nation ( D r B e n j a m i n F C h a v i s J r i s p re s id e n t / C E O o f t h e N a t i o n a l N e w s p a p e r P u b l i s h e r s A s s o c i a t i o n ( N N PA ) b a s e d i n Washington, D C representing the interests of t h e B l a c k P re s s o f America since 1940 )

“The exorbitant rates c h a rg e d t o t h e S e c r e t Service and agents frequent stays at Trumpowned properties raise s i g n i f i c a n t c o n c e r n s about the former president s self-dealing and may have resulted in a t a x p a y e r- f u n d e d w i n dfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses” – House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep Carolyn B Maloney It’s not clear whether

the opportunity to funnel taxpayer funds into his p r i v a t e b u s i n e s s w a s Donald Trump s primary motivation for seeking the presidency What is crystal clear however is that he took every opportunity to do just that and lied about it along the way The House Oversight Committee revealed that the Trump Organization charged the Secret Servi c e u p t o $ 1 , 1 8 5 p e r n i g h t f o r h o t e l r o o m s used by agents protecting Trump family members

That’s five times the g o v e r n m e n t r a t e a n d nearly 24 times the $50a-night rate the Trump Organization claimed to be charging Tr u m p v i s i t e d h i s o w n p r o p e r t i e s m o r e than 500 times during his presidency, and the Trump Organization has c o n t i n u e d t o b i l l t h e Secret Service since he left office and began liv-

ing in his properties fulltime

The records released by the Oversight Comm i t t e e , w h i c h c o v e r more than $1 4 million in self-dealing are merely the tip of Trump’s iceberg of graft The cost to the taxpayer of tax dodges, deceit, and self-dealing by Trump s f a m i l y a n d c o m p a n i e s r e a c h e s i n t o t h e h u ndreds of millions

A Wa s h i n g t o n P o s t investigation found that Trump’s company raked in at least $2 5 million in t a x p a y e r m o n e y a n d $5 6 million in campaign funds during his presid e n c y a n i n c o m p l e t e a c c o u n t i n g , a s s e v e r a l federal agencies refused to turn over records to the Post

T h e Tr u m p s i l l i c i t t a x p a y e r- f u n d e d w i n dfall included exorbitant overcharges like $2 600 per night for a house at M a r- a - L a g o , $ 5 0 p e r palm for decorative palm

t r e e s , $ 7 , 7 0 0 f o r a c a t e r e d d i n n e r f o r 3 0 (more than $250 a plate) and more than $1 000 in liquor for a White House staff meeting

Eric Trump executive vice president of the Tr u m p O rg a n i z a t i o n , falsely claimed the business was required by law t o c h a rg e t h e f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t , a n d t h a t g o v e r n m e n t e m p l o y e e s were charged only “like 50 bucks” per night for hotel rooms

But Trump’s fleecing of the American taxpayer did not begin with his presidency According to The New York Times:

“He and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from t h e i r p a r e n t s , r e c o r d s , a n d i n t e r v i e w s s h o w R e c o r d s i n d i c a t e t h a t Mr Trump helped his father take improper tax d e d u c t i o n s w o r t h m i llions more He also helped for-

m u l a t e a s t r a t e g y t o undervalue his parents’ real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars on tax returns, sharply reducing the tax bill when those properties were transferred to him and his siblings

Ironically the fortune Tr u m p i n h e r i t e d ( a n d largely squandered) was built on taxpayer-funded subsidies and loans of the very kind he sought to eliminate as president Shortly after President F r a n k l i n D R o o s e v e l t c r e a t e d t h e F e d e r a l Housing Administration in 1934, Trump’s father, Fred Trump, used FHA loans to build apartment buildings

During World War II, he built more than 1 000 apartments for the Navy a t t a x p a y e r e x p e n s e After the war, he sold apartments to returning veterans funded by the G I B i l l T h e e l d e r Tr u m p s t a x p a y e r- b o lstered wealth backed the

major real-estate project t h a t l a u n c h e d D o n a l d Trump’s own career As president Trump p r o p o s e d t h e l a rg e s t retrenchment of federal h o u s i n g a i d s i n c e t h e U S Housing Act was enacted in 1937

Trump has not been accused of breaking any l a w s w i t h t h e b r a z e n bilking of the taxpayers revealed this week But p r e s i d e n t s ( e v e n e xp r e s i d e n t s ) s h o u l d b e held to a higher standard than ‘technically legal’ and the House Oversight C o m m i t t e e s w o r k s h o u l d r e s u l t i n s a f eguards to prevent future presidents from abusing the power of the office for personal gain ( D i s c l a i m e r : T h e v i e w s a n d o p i n i o n s expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect t h e o f f i c i a l p o l i c y o r position of <BlackPress U S A c o m > o r t h e N a t i o n a l N e w s p a p e r Publishers Association )

b y D r B e n j a m i n F

still needed to secure a b r i g h t a n d s u s t a i n a b l e f u t u r e f o r m i n o r i t yowned

While a number of conglomerates are scooped into the bill, true independent or small newspapers are explicitly excluded from the legislation because the bill says that an eligible publisher must earn more than $100,000 per year

Dr Benjamin F Chavis, Jr

by Marc H Morial, President/CEO, National Urban League

economy, education and climate change, among other topics

Registered voters in Te n n e s s e e , i t a p p e a r s , a r e u n i n t e r e s t e d i n a repeat of the 2020 presid e n t i a l e l e c t i o n , G e e r and Clinton said Among all registered voters surveyed, only 36 percent want Trump to run for U S p r e s i d e n t a n 8 percent decline from the December 2021 Vanderbilt Poll Only 22 percent think President Joe Biden should run for reelection

Perhaps of greatest relevance are the divisions emerging among Republicans in the GOP stronghold of Tennessee When asked 34 percent of Republicans say they are “more of a supporter o f t h e M a k e A m e r i c a Great Again, or MAGA, m o v e m e n t ” t h a n t h e y are a supporter of the Republican Party ” That s o m a n y R e p u b l i c a n s think of themselves as more MAGA than class i c s u p p o r t e r s o f t h e G O P h a s i m p o r t a n t implications, given the d i ff e r e n c e s b e t w e e n MAGA and non-MAGA Republicans

Consider the followi n g : I n a p o t e n t i a l matchup between Trump and DeSantis, 60 percent of MAGA Republicans back Trump Yet 66 perc e n t o f n o n - M A G A R e p u b l i c a n s b a c k DeSantis This is a stark difference, according to the pollsters

But it would be premature to think Trump cannot win the Republic a n n o m i n a t i o n t h e fact that he has a solid b a s e o f s u p p o r t e r s among the MAGA vote could be a path to the n o m i n a t i o n R e p u b l icans use a winner-takeall system for allocating primaries If the antiTr u m p v o t e i s s p l i t among two or three candidates, the former president could have the support of enough delegates to capture the nomination Tr u m p s s u p p o r t has waned, but there’s s t i l l a c l e a r p a t h f o r Trump to win the nomination,” Geer said “The d i ff e r e n c e s b e t w e e n MAGA Republicans and n o n - M A G A R e p u blicans also pose a problem for Republicans as they try to govern over the next two years ”

Consider the follow-

and engage the state, the federal government the private sector and every other stakeholder And so I call on our City Council, our City Attorney and City Controller, to continue the work we started during the transition on a unified and urgent strategy to solve homelessness I call on the County of Los Angel e s w i t h i t s a u t h o r i t y o v e r h e a l t h , i n c l u d i n g

Paxlovid

ing: Only 21 percent of M A G A R e p u b l i c a n s agree with the statement “ J o e B i d e n w o n t h e 2020 presidential general election By contrast 5 1 p e r c e n t o f n o nM A G A R e p u b l i c a n s believe Biden won Less than 40 percent of MAGA Republicans t h o u g h t t h e 2 0 2 2 midterm elections were counted fairly and accurately nationwide comp a r e d t o 6 2 p e r c e n t of non-MAGA Republ i c a n s 7 1 p e r c e n t o f I n d e p e n d e n t s a n d 9 6 percent of Democrats

Another key set of findings in the survey focused on public sentiment around access to abortion The Supreme Court ruling in June in D o b b s v J a c k s o n Women's Health Organization cleared the way f o r s t a t e s t o r e s h a p e abortion law in the U S nearly 50 years after the court protected abortion rights at the federal level in the Roe v Wade decision

T h e d e c i s i o n h a s sparked ongoing debate a b o u t t h e a b o r t i o n issue including in Tennessee, which recently r e v i s e d i t s l a w s i n response to the Dobbs d e c i s i o n D e s p i t e t h i s attention, however, few registered voters in Tennessee are aware of the c u r r e n t r e s t r i c t i o n s o n abortion adopted by the state government When a s k e d t o i d e n t i f y t h e statement that is closest t o t h e c u r r e n t l a w i n Tennessee, only 19 percent were able to identify it Meanwhile 36 percent said they did not know enough to say, and the remainder think the law is something different than what it is

In regard to views about abortion, 75 perc e n t t h i n k a b o r t i o n should be legal in Tennessee if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest Support for such e x c e p t i o n s i s s t r o n g regardless of partisans h i p 6 2 p e r c e n t o f Republicans, 78 percent of Independents and 93 p e r c e n t o f D e m o c r a t s agree That said there is also strong support for a b o r t i o n r e s t r i c t i o n s after 15 weeks under s o m e c o n d i t i o n s F o r this question, 69 percent o f r e g i s t e r e d v o t e r s including 88 percent of Republicans, 47 percent o f D e m o c r a t s a n d 6 2

mental health and subs t a n c e a b u s e t o l o c k arms with me We have already started these discussions Bass told the crowd

I n a c i t y o f m a n y challenges Bass fouryear term will no doubt be eventful But her long p o l i t i c a l r e s u m e a n d experience as a community activist and establishment actor in local state and federal govern-

p e r c e n t o f I n d e p e n de n t s t h i n k “ a b o r t i o n should be illegal after 15 weeks except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother

Further, there is evid e n c e t h a t o p i n i o n s toward abortion in Tennessean have changed, in part due to the Dobbs d e c i s i o n I n 2 0 2 2 3 7 p e r c e n t o f t h o s e s u rv e y e d s a i d t h e y w e r e pro-choice up 15 points from 2012, when only 22 percent favored prochoice policies The support for a pro-life posit i o n d r o p p e d f r o m 4 6 percent in 2012 to 36 percent in 2022

Clinton said the three m o s t n o t a b l e t h e m e s f r o m t h e 2 0 2 2 p o l l results are suggestive of the challenges Republicans are facing chall e n g e s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e i r u n d e r w h e l m i n g performance in the 2022 midterms

“I do think that this particular poll unlike a l o t o f p r e v i o u s p o l l s , s p e a k s t o s o m e p r o blems that are going on n a t i o n a l l y, C l i n t o n said “Our results show t h a t t h e R e p u b l i c a n Party is clearly divided, and Republicans are trying to figure out who t h e y a r e a n d w h i c h issues they want to prioritize We saw hints of this in the debates over the issue of abortion in v a r i o u s s t a t e s a n d b y c o m p a r i n g h o w w e l l R e p u b l i c a n s t a t e w i d e candidates did depending on how MAGA they were

“Our poll reveals just how stark some of these differences are,” Clinton added “While this is not as much of an issue in Te n n e s s e e , w h e r e t h e R e p u b l i c a n p a r t y i s e x t r e m e l y s t r o n g t h e splits we find in Tennessee Republicans have i m p o r t a n t i m p l i c a t i o n s f o r h o w R e p u b l i c a n s react nationally and in other states as they look forward to running the H o u s e o f R e p r e s e n t atives and trying to take back the White House in 2024 ”

The Vanderbilt Poll is supported by the Cent e r f o r t h e S t u d y o f Democratic Institutions at Vanderbilt University In 2015, the Vanderbilt Poll became a charter member of the American Association for Public O p i n i o n R e s e a r c h ’s Transparency Initiative

ment will no doubt be beneficial as she navig a t e s p o l i c y o v e r t h e next four years in office ( L a u re n Vi c t o r i a Burke is an independent journalist and the host of t h e p o d c a s t B u r k e f i l e She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered She may be contacted at <LBurke007@ gmail com> and on twitter at @LVBurke )

delivery... from page 2

increase accessibility of life-saving treatments to medically underserved and und-errepresented areas, following the companies’ response to the White House COVID-19 call to action to ensure a safe and healthy winter

To use Same Day Rx Delivery, you must be opted into ‘prescription status alerts ’ It will appear as an option if the order is before that store's cutoff time for the day

Certain health plans do not cover, or participate in, Same Day Rx Delivery Check with your health plan for further details The plan excludes California Same Day Prescription Delivery is available on eligible prescriptions only Most prescription orders are available to be delivered to the patient's home the same day Orders must be received by 4 pm to be eligible for

Same Day Rx Delivery Note that while most prescriptions are expected to be delivered the same day, some deliveries may not be eligible for delivery due to prescription type, delivery address, holidays, weather or other delivery constraints Age-restricted items are not eligible for delivery Other exclusions may apply For details, visit our Help Center

YWCA receives... from page 3

YWCA will also develop and offer up to six c o m m u n i t y p r e s e n t ations per year to assist m e n a n d / o r b o y s i n developing healthy relat i o n s h i p s , c h a l l e n g i n g social norms that supp o r t v i o l e n c e a g a i n s t women and girls

A M E N D To g e t h e r w a s l a u n c h e d b y Y W C A N a s h v i l l e & M i d d l e Te n n e s s e e i n

2013 as was previously called the MEND program

T h e i n i t i a t i v e c u rrently serves boys and young men in 26 MNPS schools and community organizations

The Nashville Preda t o r s a r e a l o n g - t i m e s u p p o r t e r o f t h e p r ogram, and recently committed $100,000 to further this work

T h e l o c a l p r o g r a m w a s r e b r a n d e d a s A M E N D To g e t h e r –e m p o w e r e d b y t h e Nashville Predators this past October

I n 2 0 2 0 , A M E N D

To g e t h e r e x p a n d e d t o serve youth at YWCA affiliates across the U S The program is currently active in nine differe n t Y W C A s a c r o s s seven states

"I am proud to renew N a s h v i l l e ' s f i r m c o mmitment to the nation's oldest and largest histori c a l l y B l a c k m e d i c a l i n s t i t u t i o n a n d t o o u r s a f e t y n e t h o s p i t a l Nashville General," said M a y o r J o h n C o o p e r "Meharry and Nashville General are at the center of our efforts to address h e a l t h d i s p a r i t i e s i n Nashville, and this new agreement sets the stage for that work to grow stronger in 2023 There is no better example of t h o s e e ff o r t s t h a n D r Hildreth and Meharry's e s s e n t i a l p a r t n e r s h i p with the city to help lead our response to the pandemic I'm looking for-

w a r d t o s t r e n g t h e n i n g t h a t p a r t n e r s h i p a n d moving forward together toward a more equitable future "

The 415 000 square foot property located on Albion Street was origin a l l y b u i l t t o h o u s e M e h a r r y ' s H u b b a r d Hospital In the 1990s, t h e c i t y n e g o t i a t e d a l e a s e a g r e e m e n t w i t h Meharry to relocate its safety net hospital from i t s l o c a t i o n o n H e r m i t a g e Av e n u e F o l l o w i n g r e n o v a t i o n N a s h v i l l e G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l r e o p e n e d Meharry physicians and r e s i d e n t s h a v e t r e a t e d patients at the hospital and its clinics for more

Brittney Griner...

Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for a routine evaluation early last Friday Colas said Griner is unsure about her return to the WBNA which is set to begin its regular season on May 19, 2023 Griner played frequently i n R u s s i a d u r i n g t h e WNBA offseason before her detainment If she wants to play i t w i l l b e f o r h e r t o

than two decades "This is an important day for Meharry and for our faculty, students and r e s i d e n t s , " s a i d D r Hildreth "The city of Nashville has been our home for 146 years, and we are proud to have played a critical part in caring for the community especially during the pandemic when we tested, treated and vaccinate d h u n d r e d s o f t h o us a n d s o f N a s h v i l l i a n s

This agreement demonstrates the commitment of Mayor Cooper and city leaders to Meharry, and we look forward to working together to create a healthier future for Nashville "

from page 1

s h a r e ” C o l a s t o l d ESPN She has the holidays to rest and decide what’s next without any p r e s s u r e S h e s d o i n g really, really well She seems to have endured this in pretty incredible ways ”

B u t o ff t h e c o u r t Griner s life has been changed forever Reinteg r a t i n g i n t o d a i l y l i f e may be challenging for t h e b a s k e t b a l l p r o , a

U S - b a s e d e x e c u t i v e who was held abroad for years told CNN “She’s reintegrating i n t o a w o r l d t h a t h a s c h a n g e d f o r h e r n o w F r o m a p u r e s e c u r i t y s t a n d p o i n t s h e s n o t going to be able to move in the world the way she did Colas said “It’s not a fate that she asked for, but I think she s going to try to utilize her fame for good ”

Paul Silas... from page 1

ing the then-San Diego C l i p p e r s s t a r t i n g i n 1 9 8 0 A f t e r s p e n d i n g more than a decade as an assistant he returned to being a head coach and spent time with the Charlotte Hornets the New O r l e a n s H o r n e t s , t h e Cleveland Cavaliers and the Charlotte Bobcats

He took four of those teams to the playoffs, w i n n i n g e x a c t l y 4 0 0 games 387 in the regular season, 13 more in the postseason Stephen Silas got into the NBA world when his father was coaching in Charlotte, starting as an advance scout and event u a l l y s e r v i n g a s a n assistant on his father s staff with the Hornets in 2000 It took Stephen Silas two decades to get a chance to be a head coach, that coming when H o u s t o n h i r e d h i m i n 2020

“My dad, obviously, he was my No 1 mentor s o m e o n e w h o I c o u l d lean on, ask questions and he asked questions of me,” Stephen Silas said in a 2021 document a r y p r o d u c e d b y t h e Rockets about his coaching journey “He really v a l u e d m y o p i n i o n which was kind of weird t o m e , m e b e i n g s o young and not having

much experience ”

Stephen Silas persevered for a long time b e f o r e g e t t i n g h i s b i g c h a n c e H e s a w h i s father wait a long time for the job he wanted as well Paul Silas was fired by the San Diego Clippers in 1983 and wouldn t have a head coaching opportunity again until 1999 coming when Dave Cowens for whom Paul Silas was an assist a n t , s t e p p e d d o w n i n C h a rl o tt e a fte r a 4 -11 s t a r t t o t h e s h o r t e n e d 1998-99 season

“I stayed positive I had a positive attitude, P a u l S i l a s t o l d t h e Rotary Club of Charlotte while giving a speech t h e r e i n 2 0 1 3 “ E v e n though I couldn’t get the job I said No I m not going to be negative I’m going to be positive ’”

E v e n t u a l l y S i l a s w o u l d t a k e o v e r i n Cleveland He got there in 2003 the same year t h e C a v a l i e r s d r a f t e d J a m e s “ I c o a c h e d L eBron for two years his f i r s t t w o y e a r s , a n d L e B r o n w a s u n b e l i e vable Paul Silas said A t 1 8 y e a r s o l d , h e knew about Bill Russell, he knew about a lot of p l a y e r s w h o c a m e through that most players his age don’t even

k n o w A n d h e u n d e rstood the game In time, James would become a champion It took Paul Silas a few years to get to that level as a player as well

He was a five-time A l l - D e f e n s i v e t e a m selection who averaged 9 4 p o i n t s a n d 9 9 rebounds in 16 seasons with the St Louis and Atlanta Hawks Phoenix B o s t o n , D e n v e r a n d Seattle Silas won two titles with the Celtics the first coming in his 10th season as a player and claimed a third with the SuperSonics At 3 6 , h e w a s t h e n t h e N B A’s o l d e s t p l a y e r when he retired And as the union president, Silas oversaw a time where r o s t e r s g r e w s a l a r i e s r o s e a n d b e n e f i t s improved

R e s p e c t e d b y a l l those who encountered h i m t h r o u g h o u t t h e NBA we are grateful for his contributions to the game across a lifetime in b a s k e t b a l l t h e S u n s said Sunday

Paul Silas played his c o l l e g e b a s k e t b a l l a t C r e i g h t o n , a v e r a g i n g 2 0 5 p o i n t s a n d 2 1 6 rebounds in three seasons He was voted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017

Sen. Akbari elected... from page 1

Fellow Tennesseans a l s o w o n l e a d e r s h i p roles in the group: Rep H a r o l d L o v e , J r ( DNashville) was elected t o s e r v e a s p r e s i d e n telect; and Reps Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis)

and Torrey Harris (DM e m p h i s ) b o t h w o n roles as ‘at large members of the executive committee

The National Black C a u c u s o f S t a t e Legislators serves as a

n a t i o n a l n e t w o r k a n d advocate for public policy and action on critical issues affecting African A m e r i c a n s a n d o t h e r marginalized communit i e s , a c c o r d i n g t o i t s website

Church

by Barbara A Woods Washington, M Div

40 years ago I was standing in the Pulpit of Gordon Road Church, Atlanta, as Pastor My first appointment after graduating Master of Divinity Gammon Theological Seminary It was such a great work that I ll only take remembrance now of the Children and the Youth Ministries; at the moment in time of the “Atlanta Missing and Murdered Children’s Crisis

This whole thing that Dr Thurman came to see is that when knowledge comes’ “the relations between things are seen for the first time ” Not a small thing at all that this current world wide web of ‘artificial intelligence’ is occupied with 4 Types of Knowledge Representation’; “Relational Knowledge” at the top of this list But in dropping the ‘artificial’ from ‘intelligence so much has been written on the essence of ‘relational thinking where the individual life is constituted by seeing and understanding their relationships to some things other than themselves

I am reminded of this major cognition gained as Pastor: Five generations of Family life living in the Church or not! A relational knowledge that matters far too little in our current existence But when knowledge comes’ “the relations between things are seen for the first time ”

I have in the last year built a line of TShirts with 400+

designs (Talk about God in Creation)! The Catalogue is HBCU themed The knowledge gained in studying the histories of each school is beyond spiritual enormity

Observing again this thing Education is legislation” The 1954 “Brown vs The Board of Education resulted in the closing of 12 HBCU Community and Junior Colleges in the state of Florida alone by the time of the Civil Rights Act West Virginia had 3 HBCUs “Brown” brought integration to two West Virginia State and Bluefield State with an influx of white students

The 3rd, Storer College was shut down in 1955 Talk about a loss of knowledge Storer College Harper ’s Ferry, WV

Some things are said at every opportunity When I began teaching Philosophy of Religion I soon came to terms with the warfare; much akin to warfare in the Church’s Bible Study Classes Knowledge came to see that this was the very first public religion course that every single one of us has had AND on the College Level!

So this Knowledge of Salvation as Bible identified in the Christmas texts IS Life! The songs of the Church continues to resonate for me to give the understanding that my ancestors transmitted through their faith We have heard the joyful sound Jesus Saves Jesus Saves Spread the tidings all around, Jesus Saves Jesus Saves ” My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge of Salvation

This Knowledge of Salvation” is a story yet untold! So Imma just repeat the Christmas Story from last week’s column in continuation of the Season:

“To consider Knowledge being Biblical is to first look to see where it is located in scripture Starting out with the First Chapter of Luke WOW What a Word to receive in this Christmas Season

“And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord” And Elizabeth also gives birth to a son which folk want to know why she chose the name John? “None of your kindred is called by that name As this text unfolds, John’s Father Zachariah is filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied “And you child will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,”

“Knowledge of Salvation for Christmas!”

Reach out by email: m y f a t h e r s m a n s i o n press@gmail com

Faithful Utterances

Secr ets that ar e not safe

by Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew

This summer, a childhood friend called me to inform me about the death of a mutual friend I was stunned Although I hadn t seen her in years I was saddened by the loss She was known in her community for being so kind, a prayer warrior and so generous with her time and resources She was so young I wondered if something was wrong if she had been ill there had to be a reason someone so young passed away

It was days ago that I discovered that her death was due to suicide Someone who had been helping others, making sure that everyone was good and was always happy, encouraging and supportive to others felt that she could not go on any further It was easier for her to take her life than to go through whatever she was experiencing

The pain and loneliness that one must go through to even con-template taking their life must be agonizing It’s easy to talk about why someone shouldn t do this and that it is a permanent solution to a temporary problem

Yet, in the midst of the pain, sometimes people need more than our lip service and our prayers Sometimes people need to know that we see them, that they are loved and that there are safe spaces for them to be vulnerable and open about what they are going through

If the church is a hospital for our souls, then there is a disconnect in many congregations across the country We are not treating people with the care and concern that they need to

live life abundantly It’s like going to the grocery store to purchase food to go home with tires It might be something worthy and useful, but it isn’t what I need

We must create the space to check-in with others It’s more than the small talk but being intentional about listening deeply

It s allowing spaces that support and sustain instead of offering judgement and condemnation because their issues are not yours

A recent article in USA Today discusses another secret that many churches will not address either HIV and AIDS The article states there were 7 000 women diagnosed with HIV in 2018 and Black women made up more than 4 000 cases, the CDC says Overall, 1 in 9 women are unaware they have the virus For many women, when they discover they have the virus they are embarrassed and ashamed because of the stigma that goes along with being diagnosed

Hiding secrets and not having a place to release one’s pain is killing us on so many levels What would happen if we created spaces for transparency in our homes relationships churches and communities? What would happen if people could open up and share what they are feeling, are going through and feel safe in being honest about their struggles? What if we could offer the help that people needed in our congregations and communities instead of ignoring their cries with replies of “just pray about it ”

Secrets keep us in the dark “No one after light-

Dr Froswa Booker-Drew

ing a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand so that those who enter may see the light (Luke 8:16 ESV) Are our congregations contributing to the darkness? Is it possible that we are not sharing the light of love with others that they would rather suffer in silence?

We have a real opportunity to love others well so that there are not more situations like the ones I’ve witnessed and experienced

We can embrace others in love so that they don’t feel the need to hide their pain They can feel heard, get help, and trust that their secrets are safe with us A gossip reveals a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence (Proverbs 11:13)

Check on those you love especially the strong ones Sometimes the weight is too heavy in carrying everyone else’s secrets

Dr Froswa’ BookerDrew is the CEO of Soulstice Consultancy and the founder of the Reconciliation and Restoration Foundation (r2fdn org) She is the author of 4 books including Empowering Charity: A New Narrative of Philanthropy (Baylor University Press) and the host of the Tapestry podcast

expressions of faith Do you r emember?

b y B i s h o p - e l e c t D r Monterey D Lee, Sr “You saw the great work of the Lord, you f e a r e d t h e L o r d a n d believe the Lord and the Man of God

The children of Israel dwelt in the wilderness for 40 years for not trusting God All that God did for you, yet you did not remember The Lord b r o u g h t y o u i n t o t h e l a n d o f t h e A m o r i t e s , and gave you their land as they fought with you; I destroyed them before you Balak the son of Zippor King of Moab arose and warred against you, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you but your God would not hear him and He blessed you Do y o u r e m e m b e r ? Yo u went over Jordan, and came to Jericho and the men of Jericho fought against you The Amorites, the Canaanite, the Hittites and others that came against you and God delivered them into y o u r h a n d D o y o u remember? He sent the h o r n e t s b e f o r e y o u , which drove them out t h e t w o k i n g s o f t h e Amorites Not with your sword or your bow but God gave you a land for w h i c h y o u d i d n o t labour Do you remember? Exodus 14:31

In vs 3, God took you In vs 4 God gave you In vs 5, God sent

you I n v s 6 - 8 G o d brought you

In vs 10, God would not listen to you In vs 11, He delivered you In vs 12 He gave you more In vs 13, He gave you a land for which you did not labour and cities which you did not build, and vineyards and oliveyards you did not plant Now hear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth Put away t h e 2 0 0 0 g o d s w h i c h your fathers served on t h e o t h e r s i d e o f t h e flood, and in Egypt; and s e r v e t h e L o r d I f i t seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you w i l l s e r v e ; t h e g o d s w h i c h y o u r f a t h e r s served or the gods or the Amorites in whose land you dwell, but for me and my house, we will serve the LORD

The Nation promises to worship and obey the Lord

L o o k a t J o s h u a s decision: “ as for me and my house we will serve the Lord

J o s h u a ' s d e c i s i o n m a d e n o h e s i t a t i o n Joshua's decision meant that he lived above the evil influence of others J o s h u a ' s d e c i s i o n w a s deep, clear, fixed, wellgrounded Joshua's decision was openly made J o s h u a ' s d e c i s i o n w a s carried out, and Joshua's

Dr Monterey D Lee, Sr

d e c i s i o n w a s k e p t through his whole life

We w i l l s e r v e t h e Lord and serve the Lord only

T h e I s r a e l i t e s a n sw e r e d a n d s a i d , ‘ G o d f o r b i d t h a t w e s h o u l d f o r s a k e t h e L o r d t o serve other gods; for the Lord our God, He is the one that brought us up and out of our father ’s land of Egypt, from the house of bondage and did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way we w e n t , a n d a l l p e o p l e through whose lands we t r a v e l e d t h r o u g h T h e

Lord drove out before us all the people including the Amorites whose land we now live in We too will worship the Lord, because He is our God and we are His people

‘It is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt We will serve the Lord for He is our God ‘We do remember ’

Nashville PRiDe Directory of Churches

40th Avenue Church of Christ 616 40th Avenue North Nashville TN, 37209 www 40thavecoc com

Sunday School 9:00 a m Sunday Worship 10:00 a m & 6:00 p m Bible Study: Wed 7:00 p m & Thurs 11:00 a m (615) 329-2325 Min Dr Charles A Beaman

Church of Scientology & Celebrity Centre Nashville 1130 8th Ave S Nashville TN 37203 615-687-4600 7 days a week with Service every Sunday at 11AM scientologyccnashville org Senior Pastor: Rev Brian Fesler

Clark Memorial United Methodist Church 1014 14th Ave North Nashville, TN 37208 Ph: (615) 329-4464 FAX: (615) 321-0975

Sunday Worship: 8:00 a m /10:45 a m Herbert Lester Jr pastor clarkumcnashville org Cleveland Street MBC 608 Cleveland Street Nashville, TN 37207 615-227-1149

Sunday Worship: 10:45 a m /9:15 Church School clevelandstreet baptist@comcast net www clevelandstreet baptistchurch com Dr Donald Snead, pastor

Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church 819 33rd Avenue N Nashville TN 37209 (615) 977-6855

Sunday School 9:30 a m Sunday Worship 11:00 a m

Wed Worship: 7:30 PM Rev Enoch Fuzz pastor

Ezra Emmanuel Ministries 2606 Union Hall Rd Clarksville TN 37040 www ezraemmanuel min org 9 a m Sunday worship 6 p m Wednesday Hr of Empowerment 931-378-1092

Overseer Danelle M Stephens

Gospel United Missionary Baptist Church 3700 Fairview Dr Nashville, TN 37218 615-876-7022

9:30 Sunday School Sunday Worship: 11:00 a m Pastor Carlos A Jones

Greater St John Baptist Church 2200 26th Ave No Nashville, TN 37208 (615) 263-9450 Sunday Worship: 10:45 a m Herbert T Brown, pastor

Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church 2334 Herman Street Nashville TN 3728 615-329-2779

Sunday School @ 8:45am Sunday Worship @ 10:00am

Bible Studies: MondayThursday @ 6pm; Wednes days @ 12 noon gordonmemorialumc org Rev Dr Paula B Smith, Pastor

Jefferson Street MBC 2708 Jefferson Street Nashville TN 37208 615-329-2990

Morning Worship: 10 a m Rev Aaron X Marble, pastor

John Wesley UMC 901 Benton Avenue 615-298-2019 Sunday worship 8am/11am Daniel M Hayes Sr pastor jwesleyumc@ bellsouth net http://jwesleyumc org/

Lake Providence MBC 5891 Nolensville Pike Nashville, TN 37211 (615) 833-5539

Sunday worship: 8am/11am Rev H Bruce Maxwell pastor

The Living Word International Church 5100 Wyoming Ave Nashville TN 37209 615-297-7437

Worship Times: 11:00 a m 7 p m (1st & 2nd Sun ) Bishop Adebanjo thelivingwordcogic com

Mt Lebanon MBC 222 Franklin Lime Stone Rd 11:00 a m worship service 615-596-0456 jamesgreen@yahoo com Rev James J Green, pastor Mt Vernon MBC 1022 New Providence Pass Madison, TN 37115 Sunday Worship 11 a m 615-860-0213

Bishop Willie Joy pastor mtvernon1022@cocast net

Nehemiah Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Thomas E Hunter, Sr 916 16th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37208 615-942-5261

Sunday School:9:00am Sunday Service: 10:00am Tues Bible Study:6:30pm nehemiahmissionary baptistchurch com New Salem A M E Church 1800 4th Ave N Nashville, TN 37208 615-964-7246

Sunday Worship 11 a m Pastor Eddie L Sneed

Payne Chapel AME Church 212 Neil Avenue (615) 262-3675

Sunday Worship: 10 am Rev W Antoni Sinkfield Schrader Lane Church of Christ 1234 Schrader Lane Nashville, TN 37208 (615) 329-0950

Sunday Worship: 7:45/10:15 a m /5:00 p m

Robert Gardenhire, Pastor Spruce Street Baptist Church 504 Spruce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Worship at 11 a m (615) 329-4105 Pastor Raymond Bowman

St John A M E Church 1822 Formosa Street Nashville TN 37208 (615) 320-1026

sainjohname@aol com Sunday Worship 10:00 a m Rev Lisa Hammonds

St Luke A M E Church 355 Blythe Ave Gallatin Tenn 37066 615-452-3137

Sunday School 9:15 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Rev Dr Barbara J Crawford

St Matthew MBC 2412 Osage Street (615) 329-0173

Sunday Worship 11:00 a m Rev W B Armstrong, pastor

St Paul A M E Church 3340 W Hamilton Ave Nashville TN 37218 (615) 876-7219 Rev Harold Moses Love, Jr www stpaul-amec com

Word of Life Christian Center International 4100 Clarksville Pike Nashville TN 37218 (615) 876-3086

Sunday Worship: 11:00 am Rev Alexander Arthur

Barbara A Woods Washington, M Div

Bishop-elect

Movie Reviews: A vatar: The Way of Water

by Dwight Brown film critic for and NNPA News Wire (****)

It s more than you can possibly imagine A fantasy world so vivid and real it commands your full attention for 3h 12m And when it’s done you ll still want to linger in this heightened state of make believe

You d think after creating The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic and the ground-breaking Avatar that writer/director James Cameron had put all his creative cards on the table But no, he’s just getting started He’s so juiced up he s concocted premises and storylines for Avatar 3, 4, and 5 For now he’s completed the sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water the most astounding film of the year Credit Cameron, his cowriting team (Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver) and fellow producers for thinking out of the box in the most technologically advanced and spiritual ways But the real showstoppers are a complex stereoscopic 3D multicamera system (cinematographer Russell Carpenter), an AI process that captures actors’ movements applies algorithms and then the layers of animation that bring the 3D-CG characters to life

A crack visual effects team (Joe Letteri and Richard Baneham) expands an audiences’ conceptions of what tech wizardry can be Evocative production design

creates a netherworld (Dylan Cole and Ben Procter), wondrous colors dazzle (art directors Robert Bavin and crew) and exotic costumes mesmerize (Deborah L Scott) The stunning visuals mean you’ll have to pry your eyeballs off the screen before leaving the theater

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) an ex-paraplegic Marine, morphed into a blue being, a Na vi He is now the head of the Omatikaya clan on the moon Pandora He s coupled with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and they parent their kids Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity JoLi Bliss) and their adopted teenage daughter, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) who feels out of place: “Why am I different?

All is well until human invaders “The Sky People, led by the monstrous Recom Col Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) target him and his moon’s resources Miles heads an elite team of soldiers who ve been resurrected as recombinants (recoms) This menacing force infiltrates Pandora, threatens and chases Sully’s family and forces them to flee Sully: ‘I just want to keep my family safe ” The Sullys seek refuge in the ocean-bound territories of the Metkayina clan As they navigate the ways of the water, their presence arouses their new hosts’ suspicions Danger shadows them

The very engaging plotline dotted with the Sully family s perils, is never less than compelling and easy enough to follow even with its plethora of characters and odd animals If you miss a detail it doesn t matter, you’ll get the gist The only story device that becomes a nuisance is the children’s odd propensity to ignore their parent s warnings and get themselves in trouble It’s an overused ploy that makes you wish the writers had found other ways to put the family in jeopardy so someone could ride to an exhilarating rescue

The adventure never stops It s measured out rhythmically, rarely giv-

ing your heart beat a chance to slow down The colors, creatures, settings, costumes, props weapons and fights bombard you During interludes, the family’s bonding with plants and animals becomes as amazing as the hardcore action scenes That combination of kinetic energy and transcendental moments makes this film soar

You want the Sullys to find peace You fully understand that any bliss may come at a price for them and their protectors Minutes then hours roll by, and when the film ends you only wish for more That you could binge-watch Avatar for an entire weekend And

with the future arrivals of chapters 3 4 and 5 that will be a welcomed reality in years to come Hard to fathom what the cast did to make their characters’ movements so fluid Filming under water brought them grace, but even their land scenes make them look like dancer/warriors All including Kate Winslet and Cliff Curtis (Once Were Warriors) as the heads of the Metkayinas, are incredible However, Saldaña s very primal interpretation of a mother/warrior is a standout performance from a group of actors who swing for the rafters with every emotion fear anger, jealousy, love, sadness, grief, relief, tri-

Cameron and his team have taken the art of film and fantasy to a new level Nothing you ve screened previously not even the first Avatar can prepare you for the images you will see, journey you’ll join and feelings that will envelope you It s the kind of experience that makes young audiences crave repeat viewings And with no other act/adv/fan films on the horizon theaters will be packed with Na’vi devotees for months to come Expect this precious gem to develop into a $3bn goldmine That estimate unlike the film will be well within everyone’s imagination

Watch the 45th Kennedy Center Honors Dec. 28

in spirit encouragement and support My heartf e l t t h a n k s g o t o t h e many people who have blessed my path by helping my talent to blossom and by giving me the chance to be heard I am

i n c r e d i b l y h u m b l e d t o join such a prestigious f a m i l y o f a r t i s t s , a n d d e e p l y g r a t e f u l t o t h e K e n n e d y C e n t e r f o r bestowing me with this incredible honor ”

Tune in Wednesday

December 28 at 7 p m CST as a star-studded #KCHonors lineup pays t r i b u t e t o U 2 A m y G r a n t G l a d y s K n i g h t G e o rg e C l o o n e y, a n d Tania León on CBS and Paramount+

By Cass Teague The John F Kennedy

Center for the Performing Arts feted the 45th H o n o r e e s f o r l i f e t i m e artistic achievements in a ceremony held recentl y T h e h o n o r e e s a r e a c c l a i m e d l e g e n d a r y singer of soul Gospel R&B, and pop Gladys K n i g h t ; C u b a n - b o r n A m e r i c a n c o m p o s e r conductor, and educator Tania León; actor and f i l m m a k e r G e o rg e Clooney; Christian and p o p s i n g e r- s o n g w r i t e r Amy Grant; and iconic Irish rock band U2, comprised of band members Bono The Edge Adam C l a y t o n , a n d L a r r y Mullen Jr

D e b o r a h F R u t t e r Kennedy Center President, said, “For nearly a h a l f - c e n t u r y, t h e Kennedy Center Honors has represented the very best of America’s creative culture The event t o o k p l a c e S u n d a y, D e c e m b e r 4 t h i n t h e Kennedy Center Opera House, and will be telev i s e d We d n e s d a y, December 28th at 7 pm

Yo

could never have told me as a young girl starting my career that I would be honored on a stage such as this with artists and humanitarians such as these it just wouldn t have seemed possible It would have been the dream of all dreams I have been blessed with so much in my life and this certainly stands with t h o s e a c h i e v e m e n t s a t the top of that list

To be honored as a K e n n e d y C e n t e r H o noree is among the highlights of my career I

stand here with my fans my family, my friends, my team, and my faith in accepting such an amazing distinction

It is dedicated to all t h o s e w h o p a v e d t h e path for me to be able to accomplish the wonderful blessings I ve been a b l e t o r e c e i v e T h e Kennedy Center ’s commitment to the arts is unparalleled and I am so v e r y g r a t e f u l f o r t h i s moment ”

Rubenstein later said “a brave, young Cuban refugee turned Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and music ambassador, Tania León has blessed America for more than f i v e d e c a d e s w i t h h e r a s t o u n d i n g l y o r i g i n a l compositions and cont i n u e s t o b e a m a j o r i n f l u e n c e o n c l a s s i c a l music

“Little did I imagine w h e n s t u d y i n g i n L a H a b a n a t h a t l i f e w a s going to grace me with such a distinction!” said Tania León My first t h o u g h t s w e n t t o m y ancestors: they believed in my dreams and what we lack ed in material wealth, they made up for

Journey across space and time.

mount+ David M , Kennedy C e n t e r C h a i r m a n s a i d in her 55-year music career, legendary singer and America’s beloved E m p r e s s o f S o u l G l a d y s K n i g h t w e n t from the Pips of Georgia

Installation view of Matthew Ritchie: A Garden in the Flood 2022, Frist Art Museum.

Photo: John Schweikert. © Matthew Ritchie

Experience A Garden in the Flood, an exhibition featuring the work of transmedia artist Matthew Ritchie that includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, and a new video work with music composed by Hanna Benn and performed by the Fisk Jubilee Singers with their late music director, Dr. Paul T. Kwami.

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The cast of Avatar The Way of Water

The 45th class of Kennedy Center Honorees. Front row (l-r) Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, George Clooney, Tania León Back row: members of the band U2 (Courtesy: www kennedy-center org)

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