Nashville PRIDE December 2, 2022

Racist sentenced to life in prison for Buf falo mass killing of African Americans

A White man who traveled to a Buffalo grocery store in May and killed 10 African Americans, including Black Press writer Katherine Massey pled guilty to 25 criminal counts on Monday and will spend the rest of his life in prison

A grand jury previously indicted Payton Gendron, 19, on domestic terrorism first-degree murder attempted murder, hate crimes, and weapons possession

A single domestic terrorism motivated by hate charge carries an automatic life sentence upon conviction Prosecutors said Gendron acknowledged that he committed the heinous crimes “for the future of the White race ”

A lawyer for the victims indicated relief that the state’s case didn’t go to trial

It avoids a lengthy trial that they believe would be very difficult for the families,” said Terrence Connors, an attorney representing the victims families

“I think it was pretty clear they had no real defense he self-described White supremacist, Gendron, previously pled not guilty to federal hate crime charges Federal law allows for the death penalty in those cases

Prosecutors said Gendron acknowledged that he committed the heinous crimes “for the future of the White race ”

10 counts of hate crimes resulting in deaths

including

His live-streamed shooting spree has left at least 10 dead and several more wounded

Tennessee Human Rights Day Celebration, Dec. 8

(top row l-r) Muriel Nolen, Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier, Rev. Davie Tucker (middle row l-r) Jacob Aparicio, Dr Stephanie Kang, Rev Earle J Fisher (bottom row l-r) Robin Derryberry, A J Starling, and Rev Brian Fesler.

advocate for

Union Local 1235; since the early 1980s he has been with the Tennessee AFL-CIO

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AARP Georgia released key findings from a 2022 runoff election survey that shows candidates should pay close attention to Georgians age 50 and older with issues such as inflation and rising prices, threats to democracy, and Social Security and Medicare top of mind for these voters

Warnock seeking to retain the seat he won in a 2020 runoff, leads the exfootball player by 24 percentage points among voters 18-49

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v e r a l l , t h e A A R P p o l l s h o w s

is

Mayor Cooper hosts annual city Christmas tree lighting ceremony

Lighting Ceremony

Judge L ynda Jones speaks at Women Leadership summit

Democratic Caucus elects

Camper remains Minority Leader – Clemmons elected new Caucus Chair (l-r) Rep John Ray Clemmons and Rep Karen Camper

Assembly of the Tennessee House of Representatives Rep Karen

House Minority Leader and Rep John Ray Clemmons is the newlyelected Caucus Chair

Rep Clemmons said that he s “honored by the trust shown in him by the Caucus membership and said he s ready to get to work on the challenges that lie ahead ” Other positions elected were as follows:

• Assistant Minority Leader Rep Harold Love of Nashville

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent

R a p h a e l Wa r n o c k a n d R e p u b l i c

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on Thursday, December

it applies

Continued on page 5 Continued on page 5 Continued on page 5

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page 3

‘Crisis’ revealed in new recruit police training across America

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent

noting that more than 71% of agencies devote less than five p e r c e n t o f t h e i r t o t a l budget to recruit training

Issued by the Police E x e c u t i v e R e s e a r c h F o r u m ( P E R F ) , t h e report found that nearly h a l f o f t h e a g e n c i e s responding to the survey agreed that spending on r e c r u i t t r a i n i n g h a d increased over the past five years

H o w e v e r t h a t w a s b e f o r e p o l i c e b u d g e t s f a c e d t h e d u a l c h a llenges of cuts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and calls to ‘defund’ the police

The 84-page exposition noted that investments in training could be stalled or reduced at

the very time they need t o i n c r e a s e t o b r i n g about changes required in American policing R e s e a r c h e r s f o u n d that in many jurisdictions: The goal seems to be moving as many r e c r u i t s a s p o s s i b l e through academy training as fast as possible and at the lowest possible cost

They argued that this approach had been driven partly by the desire to quickly get more offic e r s o n t h e s t r e e t a c h a l l e n g e t h a t b e c a m e p a r t i c u l a r l y a c u t e a s officer hirings declined and retirements and resi g n a t i o n s i n c r e a s e d because of the COVID1 9 p a n d e m i c a n d a s homicides and other violent crimes surged “ B e s i d e s r e c r u i t i n g and hiring there is perhaps no activity that is more crucial to the succ e s s o f p o l i c e d e p a r tm e n t s a n d s h e r i ff s ’ offices than how they train recruits research-

ers wrote “Recruit training is w h e r e n e w o ff i c e r s acquire the basic knowledge and skills to do t h e i r j o b s I t ’s w h e r e they learn the right way to do things and have an o p p o r t u n i t y t o m a k e mistakes and learn from

The ascension of Hakeem Jef fries signals Democrats’ willingness to move on from the old guard

by

NNPA

cal civil war, where most Republicans behave as if it s a North vs South redux

For starters Jeffries i s u n a p o l o g e t i c a l l y Black

D u r i n g h i s c a mp a i g n , h e o f t e n w o r e tracksuits When he pres e n t e d a rg u m e n t s f o r former President Donald Tr u m p ’s i m p e a c h m e n t , Jeffries punctuated his remarks by quoting none other than the late hiphop icon the Notorious B I G “ A n d i f y o u d o n ’t know, now you know,” Jeffries said in the quint e s s e n t i a l m i c d r o p moment

But most importantly, Jeffries s ascension into a leadership role as vets like House Speaker N a n c y P e l o s i a n d M a j o r i t y W h i p J a m e s Clyburn step aside sign a l s a m u c h - n e e d e d changing of the guard M o r e p o i n t e d l y Wa s h i n g t o n i n s i d e r s ( a n d m a n y o u t s i d e r s ) h a v e a rg u e d t h a t i t ’s t i m e f o r t h e y o u n g e r generation of leaders to take the helm

B o t h P e l o s i a n d Clyburn are 82

Along with Jeffries, 5 2 t a k i n g o v e r f o r Pelosi, Rep Katherine C l a r k , 5 9 , o f Massachusetts replaces Clyburn as Whip At the s a m e t i m e , R e p P e t e A g u i l a r 4 3 o f C a l i f o r n i a , a s c e n d s t o the role of Democratic conference chair

A s o n e j o u r n a l i s t pointed out, the “oldest

member of the incoming D e m o c r a t i c l e a d e r s h i p team is nearly a quartercentury younger than the youngest member of the c u r r e n t D e m o c r a t i c leadership team ”

“The thing about us is that while we can have s o m e n o i s y c o n v e r s ations at times about how we can make progress for the American people, what we’ve seen is that under the leadership of S p e a k e r P e l o s i , S t e n y H o y e r, J i m C l y b u r n , we’ve constantly been able to come together, J e ff r i e s s a i d d u r i n g a n a t i o n a l l y t e l e v i s e d interview this week

Maxwell Frost, the 2 5 - y e a r- o l d f r o m F l o r i d a p e r h a p s b e s t summed up the changing of the guard in the Democratic party

Frost won the election this month as the f i r s t m e m b e r o f Generation Z to win a seat in the U S House of Representatives where h e ’ l l s e r v e u n d e r

Jeffries’ leadership

I think it s important that we have a gov-

ernment that looks like the people,” Frost said

T h e c h a n g e i n D e m o c r a t i c l e a d e r s h i p comes at a time when their Republican counterparts have seized cont r o l o f t h e H o u s e , w e a p o n i z e d t h e U S Supreme Court, gerrymandered congressional m a p s t h r o u g h o u t t h e country, and have used their pulpits to spark and spread messages of hate and division

A n d w i t h t h e G O P ’s unchecked and u n q u e s t i o n e d l e a d e r, D o n a l d Tr u m p , a n n o u n c i n g h i s 2 0 2 4 W h i t e H o u s e b i d , Democrats have finally read the room and recognized the need to get younger “ A m e r i c a n s h a v e tended to see younger candidates as less qualified to serve in office relative to a middle-aged o r o l d e r c a n d i d a t e , ” Damon Roberts, a politic a l s c i e n t i s t a t t h e University of Colorado B o u l d e r, t o l d C B S News

them, without the serio u s c o n s e q u e n c e s o f making those mistakes in the field

“It is where new officers acquire the foundation of technical knowhow that will stay with t h e m t h r o u g h o u t t h e i r c a r e e r s B u t r e c r u i t

training is about more t h a n j u s t t e c h n i c a l instruction

Recruit training is where prospective officers are introduced to t h e c o n c e p t o f p u b l i c safety and public service The training academy is where police agen-

cies can articulate their p h i l o s o p h y a n d v i s i o n and begin to instill their core values

“ F i n a l l y, r e c r u i t

training is where agencies build and reinforce their culture through the next group of frontline employees

W h i l e p o l i c i n g h a s c h a n g e d i n m a n y respects throughout the years, officers struggle with challenges on seve r a l f r o n t s i n c l u d i n g dealing with individuals in crisis

The report contended that, far too often, police recruits are trained as w a r r i o r s n o t a s guardians and partners intended for civil communities

To e ff e c t c h a n g e , n e w o ff i c e r s s h o u l d r e c e i v e n e w a n d a d equate instruction sensitive to the communities they serve researchers wrote

“The current state of

Researchers concluded the report by noting that American policing needs to re-imagine and retool recruit training.

Stacy M Brown,

Newswire senior national correspondent N e w Yo r k R e p Hakeem Jeffries is proba b l y p r e c i s e l y w h a t D e m o c r a t s n e e d i n America s brutal politi-

Jeffries punctuated his remarks by quoting none other than the late hip-hop icon the Notorious B I G

Cancer: My jour ney in time

A reason to listen to the words you read

by Wanda Clay

After surgery for two weeks, with zero to a minimum of talking p l u s d e a l i n g w i t h minor cold symptoms t h a t I ' m s u re w o u l d have been the flu if I'd not taken the flu shot, it brings me to rebuttal for all the people who re s i s t t h e f l u a n d COVID vaccines People have free choice but their reasons for doing something or not should be reasonable The reason people give for not taking vaccines is that they don't know what's in the vaccines Well, I say you don't know what's in Tylenol a s p i r i n , M c D o n a l d ' s h a m b u rg e r s o r K e ntucky Fried Chicken but never question taki n g o r e a t i n g e i t h e r They don't know whose flying the plane, but t h e y b u c k l e u p a n d takeoff One of the reasons I ' v e s u r v i v e d t h i s chronic illness is the use of medication and vitamins Medical scie n c e h a s h a d a s t ron o m i c a l a d v a n c e s i n t h e p a s t 2 0 y e a r s Lifespans are extended as the result I know l o t s o f p e o p l e t h a t

by Danielle Smith, Producer

Health experts beli e v e Te n n e s s e a n s c a n reverse pre-diabetes and p r e v e n t t h e o n s e t o f Type 2 diabetes

D r To b i A m o s u n assistant commissioner o f f a m i l y h e a l t h a n d w e l l n e s s f o r t h e Te n n e s s e e D e p a r t m e n t of Health, said in pred i a b e t e s w h e n a p e rson s blood sugar levels are higher than normal but haven’t spiked high enough to be diagnosed a s Ty p e 2 d i a b e t e s , patients often show no symptoms

“A pre-diabetes level is considered when you have a hemoglobin A1C level of between 5 7% a n d 6 4 % I f y o u ’ r e 5 6% and less you re in the normal range; 6 5% and higher, you’re in the d i a b e t e s r a n g e ” Amosun said

A b o u t 7 3 0 , 0 0 0 Tennesseans have been diagnosed with diabetes, which is 13 6% of the adult population in the state Amosun emphasized that, if left untreate d t h e c o n d i t i o n b e c o m e s m o r e s e r i o u s over time, causing such health problems as heart d i s e a s e s t r o k e n e r v e d a m a g e , v i s i o n p r o blems and kidney disease

Amosun pointed out obesity and family history are among the risk factors for pre-diabetes a n d d i a b e t e s S h e e x p l a i n e d t h e o b e s i t y d a t a t h e y a r e s e e i n g across the state is showing more obesity concerns among men than w o m e n , a n d i n r u r a l populations compared to urban It also tends to be higher among people of color And among children, she said, four of 10 in Tennessee are obese

“ P e d i a t r i c o b e s i t y we know about 40% of Tennessee children in K12 are either overweight or obese Amosun said “ O v e r w e i g h t o r o b e s e means that they’re hitting the 85th percentile f o r t h e i r B o d y M a s s Index or higher ”

Every day 7 5 million Americans rely on insulin to manage their blood sugar levels and help prevent the compli-

treatment who

believe in medicine I wanna thank my doctors and nurses and

me survive to see and serve another Christmas holiday It's not fun being sick, but I realize that there are m

o p

e worse off than me So in my illness I have

Ye s , I could complain about it taking so long to get my shoes on, until I'm reminded of someone who don't have shoes or even feet We have so much to be grateful f o r – R e v E n o c h Fuzz

S o m e t i m e s w e want to hear the exact thoughts of Rev Enoch F u z z p a s t o r o f Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church, while h e c o n t i n u e s o n h i s journey with stage four lung cancer and all of w h a t h e i s g o i n g through as a result of t h i s d i a g n o s i s A s a chronicling of his journey each week of his story is written here w i t h s o m e q u o t e s regarding his thoughts On occasion, his words tell his story best as h i s t h o u g h t s a l l o w r e a d e r s t o s e e f o r yourself,’ giving reas o n t o l i s t e n t o t h e w o r d s y o u r e a d a n d know that Rev Fuzz is not just a preacher but also a humble witness to God’s word Amen C o n t i n u e t o p r a y for Rev Fuzz and a complete recovery on his continuing journey towards healing Text a prayer to his phone or on his Facebook page Rev Fuzz is always in continuous prayer for y o u a n d t h i s w o r l d Thanks for reading and s h a r i n g ‘ C a n c e r : M y Journey in Time’ each week We pray it will be a blessing to you

t N a s h v i l l e s n e i g h b o r h o o d s , a n d issued a call to action for Nashvillians to eat and s h o p l o c a l d u r i n g t h e h o l i d a y s e a s o n T h e a n n o u n c e m e n t c a m e a day before Small Business Saturday, a national retail holiday to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities

To officially kick off t h e # S h o p S m a l l N a s hville social media camp a i g n , M a y o r C o o p e r visited some local business owners this week in N o r t h N a s h v i l l e a n d Green Hills to recognize their valuable contributions to neighborhoods, t h a n k t h e m f o r t h e i r efforts and investment and to purchase gifts for friends and loved ones The businesses included N a s h v i l l e To y s & Books, Levy’s, Woodcuts Gallery and Framing, and The Trenches Gallery

“ N a s h v i l l e ’s s m a l l b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y embodies our city’s spiri t o f e n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p and plays an essential role creating jobs and shaping a Nashville that works for every neighb o r h o o d , ” s a i d M a y o r John Cooper

A s f o l k s b e g i n s h o p p i n g t h i s h o l i d a y season I’d encourage all Nashvillians to visit one of our incredible local shops to find something unique and meaningful f o r t h e i r f r i e n d s a n d loved ones When you shop local take a photo

and post it with the hasht a g # S h o p S m a l lNashville and I’ll do the same

Mayor Cooper joined C a t o a t Wo o d c u t s G a l l e r y a n d F r a m i n g located at 1613 Jefferson S t r e e t t o m e e t w i t h owner Nate Harris and thank him for his more than 35 years of business i n h i s t o r i c N o r t h N a s h v i l l e T h e y b o t h encouraged residents to s u p p o r t N a s h v i l l e ’s small businesses and to show their support via social media by using the hashtag #ShopSmallNashville P a r t i c i p a t i n g l o c a l b u s i n e s s e s w h o h a v e joined the Shop Small Nashville initiative have pledged to donate 10% o f t h e i r s a l e s t o t h e Community Foundation o f M i d d l e Te n n e s s e e

Our neighborhoods make up the fabric of our city and Nashville is blessed with so many g r e a t l o c a l b u s i n e s s e s and nonprofits that help

a

e e a c h n e i g h b o rhood unique,” said Hal Cato CEO of the Comm u n i t y F o u n d a t i o n o f Middle Tennessee “We hope Nashvillians will j o i n u s i n s u p p o r t i n g S m a l l B u s i n e s s N a s hville as our community comes together to celebrate this season of light

D

N i c o l e B r a d y,

for

and individual b u s i n e s s a t U n i t e d Healthcare noted beginn i n g J a n 1 ,

and that cost and financial burden,” Brady stated “People will be able to be better adherent to t h e i r m e d i c a t i o n s a n d take them more regularly o c t o r s p o i n t e d o u t during the pandemic, a l o t o f p e o p l e s k i p p e d t h e i r r o u t i n e w e l l n e s s v i s i t s t o c h e c k t h i n g s like blood pressure and b l o o d g l u c o s e l e v e l s Diabetes is manageable a n d e v e n p r e v e n t a b l e with medical checkups, a healthy diet and regular exercise

cations of living with diabetes

r

chief medical officer

employer

Rev Enoch Fuzz

T h e C F M T w i l l t h e n donate those proceeds to five non-profits: Keva, I n c ; E a s t N a s h v i l l e Cooperative Ministries; The Branch Nashville; B e l l e v u e C o m m u n i t y F o o d B a n k ; a n d T h e H e i m e r d i n g e r F o u n d ation

m

k

Pictured (l to r): hal Cato, Nate harris, and Mayor Cooper at Woodcuts Gallery and Framing

Rappers dehumanizing their race

by William T Robinson, Jr.

A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n s have a long history of b e i n g d e v a l u e d a n d dehumanized by Whites who subjugated them for p e r s o n a l g a i n w h e t h e r e c o n o m i c , s o c i a l , o r p o l i t i c a l T h e r e i s n o shortage of the intellect u a l g e n i u s , c r e a t i v i t y, and productiveness generated by African Americans that can be hidden or overlooked regardless of those in power to prove otherwise

We know we live in a country that too often relegates African Americans to a second-class status, regardless of their n u m e r o u s a c c o m p l i s hm e n t s a n d a c h i e v em e n t s T h i s t r e a t m e n t began with the arrival of A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n s t o this country as slaves Their pursuit for respect, acceptance, and equality has been an uphill battle No doubt the cries of the ancestors from their graves is for their children to be respected and given the dignity they were denied W h i t e o p p r e s s o r s ’ aim and goal to keep African Americans from realizing their potential and greatness as a people was fueled by keepi n g t h e m f r o m b e i n g united Teaching African A m e r i c a n s t o d i s t r u s t and hate each other was p a r a m o u n t t o k e e p i n g them enslaved Common sense dictates that if an i n d i v i d u a l p e r s o n a l l y doesn t like who they are, they will not like or respect people who look like them

This country has a history of hundreds of y e a r s o f b r a i n w a s h i n g Blacks as well as Whites into believing every nega t i v e s t e r e o t y p e y o u c o u l d c o n j u r e a b o u t African Americans

A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n s quest for acceptance and equality is now being hampered and polluted by young rappers, both male and female, aiding i n t h e i r o w n p e o p l e ’s degradation and dehumanization This is far f r o m b e i n g a c o i n c idence This exploitation by Blacks against their o w n r a c e i s a w e l lp l a n n e d a n d o i l e d m a c h i n e b e l o n g i n g t o t h e p o w e r s - t h a t - b e , especially those in the m u s i c i n d u s t r y, c o ns u m e d w i t h m a k i n g money at whatever the cost

T h e W h i t e s e x e c utives running many of these recording companies decide and promote what type of music these B l a c k r a p p e r s a r e t o

d e l i v e r t o t h e p u b l i c

T h e s e s t a r v i n g a r t i s t s (knowingly or unknowingly) achieve monetary wealth at the expense of demeaning and exploiti n g t h e i r r a c e W h a t other ethnic group does that? These Black rapp e r s c o n s i s t e n t l y u s e d e g r a d i n g e x p l e t i v e s describing females, promoting gang and thug l i f e a n d B l a c k h a t e Their fans don t seem to be the wiser They don’t see that some of these self-serving rappers are t r a i t o r s o b s e s s e d w i t h m a k i n g m o n e y a t t h e e x p e n s e o f e x p l o i t i n g their own race Some Black female rappers are no better than their male c o u n t e r p a r t s s e x u a l l y exploiting themselves in p r o v o c a t i v e s e x u a l dance and rap, as well as c a l l i n g w o m e n e x p l et i v e s t h a t a r e m o r a l l y debasing

The harm these rappers have done and continues to do is monumental in scope, literally aiding and keeping the African American comm u n i t i e s i n t u r m o i l w h e t h e r b y p r o m o t i n g the sale of drugs gun v i o l e n c e g l o r i f y i n g Black on Black crime (especially murder), or disrespecting and sexua l l y e x p l o i t i n g B l a c k women This practice of Black rappers devaluing B l a c k p e o p l e i s s o prevalent and pervasive that it has become normalized and acceptable with a huge fan following among the young There is little if any c r y f r o m t h e B l a c k churches elders or parents calling out the rappers or their young foll o w e r s f o r s u p p o r t i n g this filth or demanding these rappers stop cont r i b u t i n g t o o u r o w n d e g r a d a t i o n S i l e n c e from older adults is considered acceptable And the spiraling exploitation continues

L a c k o f g u i d a n c e from the older generation contributes to these y o u n g A f r i c a n A m e r ic a n s a c c e p t i n g a n d adopting the often-negative behaviors from their p e e r s i n t h e s t r e e t s They rationalize that the d e b i l i t a t i n g l o v e t h e y find in the streets is all they know and it s better than no love at all R a p p e r s p r o m o t i n g their defiling and belitt l i n g r h e t o r i c m a k e s t h e m e n e m i e s o f t h e B l a c k c o m m u n i t y Ye t they are ironically being herald as iconic supers t a r s t o m a n y y o u n g adults

What is it going to take for some of these

William T Robinson, Jr

r a p p e r s t o r e a l i z e t h e tremendous harm they are doing to the psyches of a young generation s u b c o n s c i o u s l y b u y i n g into self-hate for themselves and people who look like them?

Many rappers are not h e l p i n g t o b r i n g t o fruition the dream and hope of the slaves who l o n g e d f o r d i g n i t y respect and equality for their children qualities they were denied Too m a n y r a p p e r s a r e n o t p o r t r a y i n g t h e p r o u d , intelligent and beautiful people that we know we are and want the world to see They are doing the ancestors and their race a grave injustice D e g r a d i n g y o u r r a c e , promoting violence, and manifesting disunity can be seen as the epitome of disrespect for those who gave their sweat, tears, and lives for this c o u n t r y p r a y i n g a n d hoping to be respected as a people

There are too many positive educated intell i g e n t A f r i c a n A m e r ic a n s a c h i e v i n g a n d accomplishing things to build their race up They are not given half the recognition due to them i n u p l i f t i n g A f r i c a n Americans up as a people However, too many r a p p e r s i n t h e p u b l i c light are using their popularity to devalue and exploit their own race in the pursuit of the dollar bill

We m u s t e d u c a t e s a l a c i o u s , e x p l o i t a t i v e rappers on their role in bastardizing their people all in the name of profit We as a people must demand better and refuse to support those who disrespect us as a people Our role in contributing to our own disrespect and exploitation m u s t s t o p ! M a y b e i f more of these Black rapp e r s k n e w t h e i r t r u e B l a c k h i s t o r y t h e y wouldn’t be so quick to belittle and exploit their own even for money

P S : Rappers occasionally giving out toys a n d f o o d t o i m p o v e rished communities does not negate or undue all t h e i r r e p a r a b l e h a r m they have done in helping to destroy the Black family and community They must take responsibility for their comp l i c i t y i n g i v i n g t h e world a tarnished narrat i v e o f w h o A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n s a r e a s a people

State continues attack on TSU by denying them land grant funding – an alarm at TSU’s gate

by Kenneth Caine, Save TSU Community Coalition

I t i s b e c o m i n g a p p a r e n t t o m a n y o b s e r v e r s t h a t t h e r e appears to be an attack on HBCU land grant universities when comp a r e d t o t h e i r W h i t e c o u n t e r p a r t s T h i s i s true for most HBCUs, b u t e s p e c i a l l y T S U which has for decades been denied land grant f u n d i n g w h i l e t h e other land grant univers i t y i n o u r s t a t e h a s received each and every d o l l a r o f t h e i r l a n d grant funding and much more

It is no secret that H B C U s a c r o s s t h e country have not been treated equally in the distribution of monies entitled to them This has allowed White land g r a n t i n s t i t u t i o n s t o p r o s p e r a n d f l o u r i s h w h i l e H B C U l a n d g r a n t s h a v e s u ff e r e d financially concerning o ff e r i n g s c h o l a r s h i p s , maintaining infrastruct u r e , p r o v i d i n g m o r e c o m p e t i t i v e a c a d e m i c p r o g r a m s , p a y i n g instructors and staff to meet their missions especially as applies to providing the best state of the art environment for research and education by way of infrastructure

B u t t h e s e H B C U s (especially TSU) have w e a t h e r e d t h e s t o r m s b y p r o d u c i n g e x c e ptional alumni who are m a k i n g m o n u m e n t a l d i ff e r e n c e s i n t h e world

This prolific attack has been spearheaded b y t h e s t a t e o f Te nn e s s e e b y c o n t r o l l i n g funds they kept from TSU for many years T h e s e a r e f u n d s t h a t would have made TSU c o m p a r a b l e t o U T, e s p e c i a l l y a ff e c t i n g housing The very argument the state is using to try and make TSU s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n l o o k incompetent in managing its business affairs c a n b e a t t r i b u t e d t o racism and malfeasance o n t h e s t a t e ’s p a r t M o n e y d u e t o T S U t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r s could have been used to keep TSU updated in being able to adequatel y h o u s e a l l t h e i r e n r o l l e d s t u d e n t s a p r o b l e m t h a t d o e s n t seem to be a problem for the state s favorite son UT F i r s t o n e m u s t u n d e r s t a n d t h a t l a n d grant institutions were founded by the Morrill Act to provide agricult u r a l v e n u e s , p r o v i d e e x t e n s i v e i n n o v a t i v e research, and to serve t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e c o mmunities As a result, there are both individual public and private s t a k e h o l d e r s F e d e r a l funding to these land grants must be matched by the states where they are located, using a student calculated formula It has been proven

t h a t s t a t e l e g i s l a t u r e s h a v e d e p r i v e d t h e i r H B C U s o f m i l l i o n s (even billions) of dollars, while overly fundi n g t h e i r W h i t e l a n d g r a n t u n i v e r s i t i e s These funding disparities have aided in the proliferation of big state of the art White univers i t i e s w i t h a l l t h e a m e n i t i e s t o a t t r a c t record numbers of stud e n t s w h i l e H B C U s a r e f u n c t i o n i n g o n shoestring budgets at times, striving to stay afloat and exist Land grant universit i e s ( e s p e c i a l l y T S U ) should be applauded for m a k i n g g o l d b r i c k s f r o m s t r a w, b u t s t a t e legislatures seem persistent in their manipulation in paying these universities the money they were cheated out of Some of these state legislatures (as in the case of TSU) have the audacity to blame the universities of being at f a u l t w h e n t h e y a r e actually the victims

One must remember t h a t H B C U s c a m e about because Whites d i d n t w a n t o r a l l o w Blacks into their colleges and universities Now some people are arguing that HBCUs are irrelevant and unable to m a n a g e t h e m s e l v e s Give us break! The only r e a s o n H B C U s f a l l short of equaling some P W I s i n s i z e a n d amenities is because of gross racism in applying funds It is apparent that many state legislatures favor their PWIs (from which most of the W h i t e l e g i s l a t o r s a r e a l u m n i ) S u c h i s t h e case with Tennessee’s White Republican controlled legislature and it is obvious what they think of TSU Te n n e s s e e S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y ( o r i g i n a l l y Te n n e s s e e A & I [ Te nnessee Agricultural & I n d u s t r i a l S t a t e ] ) w a s granted the status of a land grant university It has come to the surface that the state of Tennessee owes the university hundreds of millions of dollars in missi n g a n d h e l d f u n d s ( r e p a r a t i o n s ) S o m e speculate the state of Tennessee intentionally built up the University of Tennessee (a White land grant university) depriving TSU of land g r a n t f u n d i n g i t w a s supposed to match

Let’s make it clear that we have state legisl a t o r s p a r t i a l t o U T K n o x v i l l e a n d w o u l d like to see the state take over TSU It is no secret t h a t t h e s e l e g i s l a t o r s have done everything possible to present TSU in a negative light by trying to highlight anything that makes TSU look bad especially as it applies to its housing p r o b l e m s i n f r a s t r u cture or lack of adequate s t u d e n t f u n d i n g , a t t i m e s w h i c h c a n b e attributed to inadequate

Nancy Pelosi is most successful, ef fective Speaker of the House in U.S. history

by Marc Morial (TriceEdneyWire) –

History will note she is the most consequential Speaker of the House of Representatives in our history There are countless examples of how she embodies the obligation of elected officials to uphold their oath to God and country to ensure our democracy delivers and remains a beacon to the world In everything she does, she reflects a dignity in her actions and a dignity she sees in the lives of the people of this nation – President Biden

When the National Urban League convened our first in-person conference in three years, in July, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joined us for the opening rally at the Martin Luther King, Jr , Memorial

There s an assault on our democracy, she said That s why we have to

fight for voting rights, and we will not stop until we achieve voting rights: removing obstacles of participation and the voter suppression laws doing away with their nullification of elections removing big special interest money from suffocating our political system, so that everyone’s voices are heard ”

As her historic fourth term as Speaker of the House draws to a close, it is nearly impossible to express the full impact of her decades of leadership and the profound legacy she leaves behind It has been my privilege to know and collaborate with Speaker Pelosi since her earliest days in Congress, when I was a Louisiana state Senator, throughout my two terms as Mayor of New Orleans and the last two decades with the National Urban League One of my most treasured

mementos is a pen she gave to me that President Obama used to sign the Affordable Care Act

Of all the legislative and policy initiatives on which she and I have worked together it was the passage of the ACA that demonstrated her unmatched mastery of the legislative process and the power of her determination When her party’s loss in a Senate special election cost them a filibuster-proof majority, many (including President Obama s own chief of staff) publicly declared the ACA dead and advocated for a watered-down piecemeal approach Speaker Pelosi derided the proposal as an “eensy weensy bill,” telling President Obama, “I know there are some on your staff who want to take the namby-pamby approach That s unacceptable

The vote-wrangling

that Speaker Pelosi employed to bring the bill to meet the pen I now treasure will be the subject of graduate seminars on public policy for generations to come

But as large as her speakership may loom in the history books, she was no less bold or impressive as minority leader

In 2018, she broke the record for longest House speech, spending eight hours and seven minutes reading the emotional letters of young DREAMers undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children who aspire to become U S citizens Characteristically, she wore her four-inch heels the entire time Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy bested her record by four minutes last year: “But if he wanted to outdo her, he should ve done it in stilettos Rep Alexandra

Ocasio-Cortez said Whether leading the majority or minority, she has long been a target of misogynistic attacks false accusations and conspiracy theories and threats of violence led by members of the opposing party Tragically, this campaign of demonization culminated in a brutal attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi, by a rightwing conspiracy theorist intent on abducting her Yet she herself has never resorted to personal attacks She has risen above the rancor and insults leveled at her without responding in kind She continues to exude grace and is the personification of the iron fist in a velvet glove

When she was sworn in as the first woman Speaker of the House in 2007, she noted that women had waited more than 200 years to shatter the marble ceiling of

funding from the state W h i l e m o n i e s a r e due to TSU it is apparent that state legislators want to control every a s p e c t o f h o w t h e monies are suppose to be spent Keep in mind, this is the same legislature that deprived TSU of funding that could h a v e p o s s i b l y m a d e TSU comparable to UT Knoxville

The latest attack on TSU is being circumvented by having TSU e x p l a i n i t s l a rg e s t e n r o l l m e n t , a l l e g i n g recruiting and student funding improprieties The most discriminatory part of this is that UT had record enrollment also, but nothing was said or done! I repeat, UT had a record enrollment of first-year students this year also Not one time was UT called to a Senate Hearing nor did they receive statew i d e p e r s e c u t i o n f o r their enrollment or were they accused of admitting too many students But TSU was! This is outright discrimination on its face

This is just a ploy to try to make TSU look i n c o m p e t e n t i n h a nd l i n g i t s b u s i n e s s affairs so the state can control the land grant f u n d s o w e d t o T S U Honestly, does it make sense that the very people that cheated TSU out of monies should c o n t r o l t h e m o n i e s w h e n i t h a s t o b e repaid? The state has even issued ultimatums t o w a r d T S U t o h e l p assure their takeover

The students at TSU m u s t u n d e r s t a n d t h a t when TSU is allotted the land grant with no s t r i n g s , t h e s t u d e n t s win TSU will be in a better position to eradicate the financial concerns many of the students may now entertain in regards to their future

T S U a l u m n i t h e Black community and TSU stakeholders must be willing to call out the key state legislators in Tennessee who are so adamant about portraying TSU’s administration as incompetent and inadequate in managing its academic and fiscal r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s P r e ssure must be applied, so t h e s t a t e w i l l d o t h e r i g h t t h i n g w h e n i t comes to TSU Beware the snakes are surfacing and we must be united in calling them o u t t o p r o t e c t o u r beloved TSU Let’s show the state how much we love our TSU We are asking T S U s t u d e n t s , t h e Black community, TSU stakeholders, and TSU alumni to put on their boxing gloves We are not going down without a fight We must expose what we see as blatant i m p r o p r i e t i e s a n d racism on the part of the s t a t e O u r m a n t r a i s ‘Justice will prevail ’

Marc Morial

Congress As she said, “Women weren’t just waiting, women were working Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America, that all men and women are created equal

Her commitment to that promise never has wavered throughout her illustrious career She has been steadfast in her support for civil rights and civil liberties I’m proud to call her my friend On behalf of the National Urban League and our nationwide network of affiliates, I thank Speaker Pelosi for her years of dedicated service and her friendship to the League

U n l i k e t h e m a n y

unarmed Black people killed during encounters with law enforcement, the White racist is alive to plead not guilty in court

“While past violent W h i t e s u p r e m a c i s t attacks seem to have factored into this heinous act we must acknowledge that extremist rhetoric espoused by some media and political leaders on the right promoting theories that vilify or dehumanize segments of o u r s o c i e t y l i k e t h e great replacement theor y, ’ i s a f a c t o r t o o , ” w r o t e U S H o u s e H o m e l a n d S e c u r i t y C h a i r m a n B e n n i e Thompson in an earlier statement C o u n c i l o n A m e r ic a n - I s l a m i c R e l a t i o n s

(CAIR) National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell added that the organization condemns the White supremacist terrorist attack targeting Black men and women in Buffalo and the racist rhetoric that has sparked such violence

“The constant repetition of White supremacist conspiracy theories o n s o c i a l m e d i a a n d even mainstream media outlets has led to horrific violence in places as distant as Christchurch, El P a s o O s l o a n d

C h a r l e s t o n , M i t c h e l l said

“Those who promote racism, White supremacy, antisemitism, Islamo p h o b i a a n d o t h e r forms of bigotry must be held accountable for the violence they inspire ” Mitchell added that CAIR has often spoken against those who promote the great replacement’ and other racist conspiracy theories

B u ff a l o M a y o r B y r o n B r o w n

Publishers Association s live daily morning show, Let It Be Known, that Gendron surveilled both the community and the grocery store as part of the attack s planning Brown said the teen surveilled the area for several days and targeted a busy place in an area predominantly populated by Black people Gendron s manifesto said: “Zip code 14208 in Buffalo has the highest Black percentage that is close enough to where I live ”

p code is 78% Black and among the top two percent of zip codes nationwide with the highest p e

population

In addition, it has the h

p o p u l a t i o n o f a n y z i p c o d e i n u p s t a t e N e w York

Well, this manifesto tells everything to us And that is what’s so bone-chilling about it is that there is the ability for people to write and s u b s c r i b e t o s u c h philosophies filled with hate ” New York Gov Kathy Hochul said after the shootings

“The White supremacist acts of terrorism that are being fermented on s o c i a l m e d i a a n d t o know that what this one individual did has been shared with the rest of the world as well as the l i v e - s t r e a m i n g o f t h i s military-style execution t h a t o c c u r r e d i n t h e s t r e e t s o f m y h o m etown ”

K a t h e r i n e M a s s e y was one of Gendron s victims She spent her life trying to clean up and help her community While she retired from Blue Cross Blue Shield M a s s e y, 7 2 , r e m a i n e d active in her community a s t h e C h e r r y S t r e e t block club president and as a columnist for the Buffalo Challenger an NNPA member newspaper “She was the greatest p e r s o n y o u w i l l e v e r meet in your life,” her n e p h e w, D e m e t r i u s Massey told reporters

Hakeem Jef fries... from page 2

T h a t v i e w p a r t l y comes from age requirements

To serve in the U S House a candidate must be at least 25 A U S Senator must be at least 30 while a presidential hopeful can’t be younger than 35

People do seem to be pretty positive toward having a younger representative Roberts said S t r e s s e d a n d s i c kened by thoughts of their r i g h t s a n d d e m o c r a c y s l i p p i n g a w a y, y o u n g Americans across gender racial geographic a n d e d u c a t i o n l i n e s b a n d e d t o g e t h e r l a s t week to help save the D e m o c r a t s f r o m w h a t many foresaw as a siza b l e m i d t e r m d e f e a t

John Della Volpe the director of polling at the H a r v a r d K e n n e d y S c h o o l I n s t i t u t e o f Politics wrote in an editorial

“In the eyes of many young voters this is how America meets its destiny: when the passion of t h e g r a s s r o o t s m e l d s with the power of instit u t i o n s t o f o rg e progress Della Volpe wrote

“As political analysts methodically review the numbers after an election for the ages, anyone interested in the winning formula for 2024 should c l o s e l y e x a m i n e t h o s e between the ages of 18 and 39 G e r a l d Wa r b u rg , a professor of practice of

p u b l i c p o l i c y a t t h e Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public P o l i c y n o t e d t h a t turnover in the youthchallenged leadership of the Democratic House and Senate caucuses had frozen for decades

U n t i l n o w, a l l D e m o c r a t i c l e g i s l a t i v e l e a d e r s w e r e o v e r 7 0 years of age Wa r b u rg c o n t e n d e d that both parties might now welcome the opportunity to pass the torch t o a n e w, p o s t - b a b y boomer generation with fresh ideas

P e l o s i a n d D e m oc r a t s , Wa r b u rg s a i d , “had the courage to step back, making way for n e w l e a d e r s a n d n e w ideas ”

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AARP poll...

A A R P n o t e d t h a t individuals 50 and older make up 62% of likely runoff voters

Wa r n o c k c o n t i n u e s to enjoy a commanding 8 3 - p o i n t l e a d a m o n g B l a c k v o t e r s 5 0 a n d older

“Georgia voters 50 and older are a critical voting demographic that b o t h c a n d i d a t e s a r e c o m p e t i n g f o r i n t h i s runoff election, Debra Ty l e r- H o r t o n , A A R P Georgia state director said in a news release

“ G e o rg i a r e s i d e n t s want their leaders to provide solutions to inflation and the rising cost o f l i v i n g p r e s e r v e democracy and protect their health and financial security ” Tyler-Horton

said T h e m e s s a g e i s clear, if these candidates want to win the U S Senate seat they should p a y a t t e n t i o n t o t h e i s s u e s t h a t m a t t e r t o Georgians 50-plus

T h e s u r v e y a l s o found that a significant majority (70%) of voters t h i n k t h e c o u n t r y i s h e a d e d i n t h e w r o n g d i r e c t i o n w h i l e j u s t 4 9 % t h i n k t h e s a m e about the direction of the state

Meanwhile, 63% of voters said they are worried about their financial situation

T h e v a s t m a j o r i t y (90%) of voters 50 and older said they are highly motivated to vote in the runoff election

On behalf of AARP the bipartisan team of pollsters Fabrizio Ward a n d I m p a c t R e s e a r c h conducted the survey

T h e f i r m s i n t e rv i e w e d 1 , 1 8 3 l i k e l y Georgia voters

Interviewees included a statewide represent a t i v e s a m p l e o f 5 0 0 likely voters, an oversample of 550 likely voters aged 50 and older and an additional overs a m p l e o f 1 3 3 l i k e l y Black voters in that age bracket

O ff i c i a l s c o n d u c t e d t h e s u r v e y b e t w e e n November 11-17, 2022

F o r m o r e i n f o r m ation on how when and w h e r e t o v o t e i n Georgia, visit <aarp org/ Gavotes>

Human Rights Day... from page 1

A c o m m i t t e e o f human rights organizat i o n s , n o n p r o f i t s , a n d advocates, including the Te n n e s s e e H u m a n R i g h t s C o m m i s s i o n , Metro Human Relations Commission Tennessee U n i t e d f o r H u m a n Rights, the Scarritt Benn e t t C e n t e r t h e N a s h v i l l e c h a p t e r o f A mn es ty In tern atio n al, the Church of Scientolo g y a n d o t h e r s w o r k t o g e t h e r e a c h y e a r t o plan the event Human Rights Day is a day to remember past advances in human ri g h t s t o h o n o r t h o s e who have made our lives b e t t e r, ” s a y s p l a n n i n g c o m m i t t e e c h a i r R e v

Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology in Nashville It s also a day to refresh and restore and be inspired for the following year, a n d a s o r t o f a n n u a l r e u n i o n o f t h e s t a t e ’s v a r i o u s a g e n c i e s a n d organizations who work d a i l y t o m a k e h u m a n rights a fact The day centers around the Univ e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n o f Human Rights and this year we focus on how h u m a n r i g h t s a d v a n c e universal freedom

T h e e v e n t w i l l b e live in person this year, after two years of virtual events during the pandemic

To ensure the safety

and health of all, extra p r e c a u t i o n s a r e b e i n g t a k e n Te m p e r a t u r e s c r e e n i n g s w i l l t a k e place at entry and the committee asks that anyo n e w h o m a y h a v e symptoms of illness to please view the event later when it is posted online The event venue this year is the Church of S c i e n t o l o g y, 11 3 0 8 t h Av e S N a s h v i l l e T N 37203

There is no charge for admission but donations are being accepted t o c o v e r c o s t s o f t h e event R e g i s t r a t i o n i s a t TnUHR org, with more i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e event and human rights

Democratic Caucus... from page 1

• House Floor Leader

Rep Bill Beck of Nashville

• Minority Whip R e p J a s o n P o w e l l o f Nashville

• Caucus Vice-Chair Rep Bob Freeman of Nashville

recruit training demands t h a t w e r e t h i n k , a n d remake, the system for how new police officers a r e t r a i n e d , ” t h e researchers wrote We n e e d n a t i o n a l consensus and national standards on what the training contains how it i s d e l i v e r e d , a n d b y whom

T h i s r e p o r t m a y present a grim picture of t h e c u r r e n t s t a t e o f recruit training but it also puts forth a series of principles that can help guide the transformation of training to meet the c h a l l e n g e s o f p o l i c i n g f o r t o d a y a n d t o m o rrow

• C a u c u s Tr e a s u r e r

Rep Gloria Johnson of Knoxville

• C a u c u s S e c r e t a r y Rep Ronnie Glynn of Clarksville

• Leader Pro Temp o r e R e p L a r r y Miller of Memphis

and operating philosophy of that academy,” Wexler said

If on the other hand the recruits pause, look you in the eye, and offer a more conversational ‘Good morning, sir ’ or ‘ H o w a r e y o u t o d a y, ma am that tells you something else

I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e a b o v e R e p D w a y n e Thompson of Memphis and Rep Johnny Shaw of Bolivar were elected to fill the two House Democratic positions on the Joint Fiscal Review Committee

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More participants are expected as the holiday season continues

C h u c k We x l e r, t h e executive director of the PERF said one could ascertain much about a police training academy f r o m t h e m o m e n t a n individual walks in the door and encounters a group of recruits “ I f t h e r e c r u i t s i m m e d i a t e l y b a c k u p against the nearest wall look straight ahead, and b a r k o u t i n u n i s o n , G o o d m o r n i n g ma’am!’ or Good aftern o o n , s i r ! ’ y o u p r e t t y much know the culture

“ A c a d e m i e s h a v e traditionally followed a paramilitary, boot camplike model that emphasizes discipline deportment, following orders, a n d a s t r i c t h i e r a r c h y where recruits are often o n t h e l o w e s t r u n g Discipline and following the chain of command are certainly important and necessary aspects of police training and operations But when those elements become so pervasive that they overs h a d o w a l m o s t e v e r ything else, it can undermine the academy’s mission which is to prepare new police officers to serve and protect their communities with compassion and humanity ”

R e s e a r c h e r s c o ncluded the report by noting that American policing needs to re-imagine and retool recruit train-

ing T h e y r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t o ff i c i a l s r e t h i n k how academies are operated and staffed, what t h e r e c r u i t c u r r i c u l u m contains and how the training is delivered and by whom They also suggested authorities rethink how to use reality-based scen a r i o t r a i n i n g m o r e broadly and effectively and how recruit training i n t e g r a t e s w i t h f i e l d t r a i n i n g o n c e r e c r u i t s leave the academy

“Re-imagining policing begins with tackling how police officers are t a u g h t ” s a i d We x l e r This report is a blueprint for fundamentally r e t h i n k i n g t h e c u r r e n t way we train new police o ff i c e r s f o r d i s m a ntling the existing model a n d b u i l d i n g a n e w approach

“The goals are ambitious and far-reaching B u t w e h o p e t h a t i f p o l i c e a g e n c i e s c a n attract those who possess the ‘right stuff,’ we can provide them with the kind of training that w i l l t a k e u s i n t o t h e future guided by a new way of thinking

my ‘Bio Statement’ is very poignant in this Just below my name you c a n f i n d a p u r p o s e d r i v e n l i f e a s : “ A # Tr u t h S e e k e r a n d A

#LoverOfKnowledge”

This will not be an easy task; this revelation regarding “Knowledge is Biblical Education is not I n t h a t 2 0 2 2 American life, and cult u r e a n d b e i n g a n d thinking, and doing is so systemically bound by this Great Divided A i s l e ” w h i c h w a g e s w a r a g a i n s t Tr u t h There is a natural tendency among us to listen and hear with our own limited perspectives; ready to respond in antagonism I invite you to see that you are e i t h e r l e a r n i n g o r t e a c h i n g ” i n e v e ry dialogue

W h i l e w e h a v e been given by definition of these two most powerful words, (even in their English forms), a synonymous understanding, I can now see strictly by revelation alone that these two words are polar opposites and must be seen I N a n d O F t h e mselves!

Between 1740 and 1834, South Carolina, G e o rg i a Vi rg i n i a M i s s i s s i p p i , N o r t h C a r o l i n a , L o u i s i a n a , and Alabama all passed ‘Anti-Literacy Laws’ SC 1740 GA 1770 VA 1819 MS 1823 NC 1830 LA 1830 A L 1 8 3 1 M i s s o u r i (admitted as a Slave State in 1821) 1847

“Whereas, the havi n g s l a v e s t a u g h t t o

w r i t e , o r s u ff e r i n g them to be employed in writing may be attended with great inconveniences; Be it enacted, that all and every p e r s o n a n d p e r s o n s whatsoever, who shall h e r e a f t e r t e a c h o r c a u s e a n y s l a v e o r slaves to be taught to write, or shall use or employ any slave as a scribe, in any manner of writing whatsoever, h e r e a f t e r t a u g h t t o write, every such person or persons shall, for every such offense forfeit the sum of one hundred pounds, current money ” South Carolina Act of 1740 ( R e v i s e d 1 8 0 0 & 1834)

That all meetings o r a s s e m b l a g e s o f slaves or free negroes o r m u l a t t o e s m i x i n g a n d a s s o c i a t i n g w i t h s u c h s l a v e s a t a n y m e e t i n g - h o u s e o r h o u s e s , & c , i n t h e n i g h t ; o r a t a n y S C H O O L O R S C HO O L S f o r t e a c h i n g t h e m R E A D I N G O R W R I T I N G e i t h e r i n the day or night, under w h a t s o e v e r p r e t e x t , shall be deemed and c o n s i d e r e d a n U NL AW F U L A S S E MBLY; and any justice of a county, &c , wherein such assemblage shall be either from his own k n o w l e d g e o r t h e information of others, o f s u c h u n l a w f u l

assemblage &c may i s s u e h i s w a r r a n t , directed to any sworn o ff i c e r o r o ff i c e r s a u t h o r i z i n g h i m o r them to enter the house or houses where such unlawful assemblages, &c , may be, for the purpose of apprehending or dispersing such slaves, and to inflict c o r p o r a l p u n i s h m e n t o n t h e o ff e n d e r o r offenders, at the discretion of any justice of the peace, not exceedi n g t w e n t y l a s h e s ” Virginia Revised Code o f 1 8 1 9 ( R e v i s e d 1830)

G e o rg i a ’s 1 8 2 9 Anti-Literacy Act Sec 11 “And be it further enacted, That if a n y s l a v e n e g r o o r free person of colour, or any white person, shall teach any other slave, negro, or free p e r s o n o f c o l o u r, t o r e a d o r w r i t e e i t h e r written or printed chara c t e r s , t h e s a i d f r e e p e r s o n o f c o l o u r o r slave shall be punished by fine and whipping, or fine or whipping at the discretion of the court; and if a white p e r s o n s o o ff e n d i n g he, she, or they shall be punished with fine, not exceeding five hundred dollars, and imprisonment in the common jail at the discretion of the court before whom said offender is tried ”

A s s e n t e d t o , D e c e m b e r 2 2 1 8 2 9 G e o rg e R G i l m e r, Governor (First enacted 1870)

Here, for me, lies t h e m o s t s i g n i f i c a n t a n a l o g o u s d i r e c t i o n a l in seeing the gravity o f t h i s r e v e l a t i o n : K n o w l e d g e i s B i blical Education is not E d u c a t i o n i s ‘Legislated’! 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

The dash is very important

by Dr Froswa Booker-Drew

I will never forget that unique voice that w a s s o s o f t , b u t y o u could always hear her joy She was consistently kind, generous, and a fighter Our grandmothe r s w e r e b e s t f r i e n d s Our grandfathers were o n t h e d e a c o n b o a r d together We were both in youth ministry as kids at First Baptist Church on Henderson Avenue in S h r e v e p o r t , L o u i s i a n a But our lives moved in different directions after high school She went on to become a fierce warrior in the domestic violence space advocating for women She was well known and respected for the ways in which she served others D e s p i t e t h e m e d i a a t t e n t i o n s h e r e c e i v e d f o r b e i n g a c h a n g e agent she was still down to earth and a true lover of people It was painful to find out that she had become ill and that on S u n d a y, s h e p a s s e d away It was a blessing to grow up with such a b e a u t i f u l p e r s o n w h o was always a light The l e g a c y s h e h a s l e f t behind for her mother t w o s o n s f a m i l y friends, and those she served is monumental Death is something that we will all face It is inevitable

The day will come when each of us will leave this body We will leave behind our possessions our jobs our relationships My friend is the epitome of a life well lived

Her Facebook page is filled with tributes of t h e k i n d n e s s s h e d i splayed to others I am

sure this weekend at her services the tributes of her character and compassion will continue to be shared Some of us g e t s o f i x a t e d o n t h e w r o n g t h i n g s a s w e strive for success We can get so focused on the end result that we don t t h i n k m u c h a b o u t t h e process or the people People don’t remember when you are gone what y o u w o r e , h o w m u c h you made, or the titles you had throughout your career People remember h o w y o u m a d e t h e m f e e l T h e y r e m e m b e r what you said how you treated them your traits and the impact you had on their existence

What will people say about you when you are no longer here? Are you too busy building a life of success or one of significance? The impact of m y c h i l d h o o d f r i e n d s life will reverberate for years beyond her time on earth I am comforted i n k n o w i n g t h a t s h e lived a wonderful life but more so that because of her belief in God and s t r o n g f a i t h , I k n o w where she is Do not let your hearts be troubled Yo u b e l i e v e i n G o d ; believe also in me My Father ’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am You know the way to the place where I am going,” John 14:1-4

God has prepared a place for her I am saddened by the loss of such a wonderful human but

Dr Froswa Booker-Drew

m y g r i e f i s d i ff e r e n t “Now we do not want you to be uninformed, b e l i e v e r s , a b o u t t h o s e w h o a r e a s l e e p [ i n death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have n o h o p e [ b e y o n d t h i s p r e s e n t l i f e ] 1 T h e s s a l o n i a n s 4 : 1 3

A M P A l t h o u g h t h e d a t e s o f J a n u a r y 1 4 , 1 9 7 2 N o v e m b e r 6 , 2 0 2 2 , o n l y s h a r e h e r birth and death, it doesn t offer any indicator w h a t h a p p e n e d i n t h e dash Her dash was one that was transformative

In her dash she made those around her better Her dash made a difference What is happening with your dash?

Live a life that matters

Live a life that blesses others

M o s t i m p o r t a n t l y live a life of accepting believing unconditionally, knowing intimately, and walking daily with G o d R e s t w e l l , m y friend Your legacy of love lives on!

(Dr Froswa BookerDrew is the host of the Tapestry podcast and the author of three books for women She is also the v i c e p re s i d e n t o f Community Affairs for the State Fair of Texas To l e a r n m o re , v i s i t <drfroswa com> )

expressions of faith

Ready

b y B i s h o p - e l e c t D r Monterey D Lee, Sr

“Be therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at the hour when y o u t h i n k n o t ” L u k e 12:40

T h e w o r d ‘ t o d a y ’ really means to be prep a r e d m e n t a l l y a n d p h y s i c a l l y f o r a c t i o n s a n d e x p e r i e n c e f r o m God

Jesus repeatedly said He [Christ] would leave this world but He would r e t u r n a t s o m e f u t u r e time

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in m e i n m y F a t h e r s h o u se are man y mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I w i l l c o m e a g a i n , a n d receive you unto myself; that where I am there you may be also And whither I go you know, and the way you know ” John 14: 1-3

H e a l s o s a i d a Kingdom is being prepared for His followers the people of God A heavenly, idealized, spiri t u a l K i n g d o m a r e s t o r e d e a r t h l y Kingdom

Christ s return at an unexpected time is not a trap where God hopes to

catch us off guard God i s d e l a y i n g C h r i s t ’s return so more people will have a better chance to follow Christ

The Lord does not s l a c k c o n c e r n i n g h i s promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us not willing that any should p e r i s h , b u t t h a t a l l should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9, KJV)

The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promi s e s , a s s o m e p e o p l e think he is In fact, God i s p a t i e n t b e c a u s e h e wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to b e l o s t ( 2 P e t e r 3 : 9 IEV)

D u r i n g t h i s t i m e b e f o r e H i s r e t u r n w e have the opportunity to live out our belief and to reflect Jesus’ love as we r e l a t e t o o t h e r p e o p l e who are ready for the Lord’s return In today’s key verse, why did Jesus say “be ready” instead of “get ready”?

Because we will not be able to get ready at the time Jesus comes His coming will be as s u d d e n a s a f l a s h o f lightning

For as the Lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of M a n b e , ” M a t t h e w

24:27

So there will be no time to make any preparation

We are moving away from fearful be ready t o w i t n e s s , n o t m o r e anxious but trusting; no more greed, but genero u s g i v i n g ; n o m o r e hate but love We are g r o w i n g m o r e l i k e C h r i s t , s o w h e n H e comes we will be ready to greet him joyfully What can we do to be ready? Believe on the L o r d J e s u s C h r i s t Repent and confess all your sins and believe that the blood of Christ c l e a n s u s f r o m a l l unrighteousness

Make up your mind to live a holy life and follow him all the way Jesus promises a reward for those who have been faithful to him This is why we must be focused on God’s agenda so that w e c a n h a v e a c l e a r d i r e c t i v e We n e e d t o move toward God before the coming of the Lord Lord give it to me now!

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 Dr Monterey D Lee, Sr

By Cass Teague

a Nash-

will present

“Insomnia’s My Closest Friend a new work by performance poet Tavius Marshall and composer Joshua Dent The performance will take place D e c e m b e r 5 a

h

Analog at Hutton Hotel Additionally, chatterbird will host a post-event talkback session featuring clinical psychologist, writer, and professor Dr Raquel Martin focused on mental health-related resources and challenges for Black communities I n s o m n i a

and musical retro-

presented masculinity Marshall and Dent have created a show that discusses their own personal perspective on the l a c k o f r e p r e s e n t a t

and conversation around the issue

“

around Black / Biracial mental health is a forgotten side note in our socie

s a i d M a r s h a l l

This show is not only a conversation about my and Josh’s shared experiences, but also hopefully a d o o r w a y t o a n y o n e who needs access ”

Performed by chamber ensemble and a theatrical thesis of words and thought, the work discusses the struggle of b e i n g “ o t h e r e d ” i n a world already not built for oneself

“ I ’ m r e a l l y e x c i t e d about the collaborative nature of this project; b u i l d i n g a p i e c e w i t h friends trying to address such a rarely explored topic within the scope of modern classical music said Dent chatterbird is a chamber music ensemble that e x p l o r e s a l t e r n a t i v e

instrumentation stylistic diversity, and interdisciplinary collaboration in order to create thoughtful, intimate, and invent i v e m u s i c a l e x p e r iences

F o r m e d i n 2 0 1 4 , c h a t t e r b i r d p e r f o r m s c l a s s i c a l m u s i c t h a t skirts traditional bounda r i e s , s l i d i n g b e t w e e n classical jazz hip-hop rock, avant-garde, and c o u n t r y, c r e a t i n g a thoughtful and inventive w a y t o d i s c o v e r a n d experience modern classical music chatterbird b r i n g s c u t t i n g - e d g e c h a m b e r m u s i c r e p e rtoire into spaces where y o u w o u l d n t u s u a l l y find it, like bars, galleries, breweries, basements and everywhere in between Tavius Marshall has been a poet and storyteller in Nashville for more than 20 years He is the project lead and creator of the podcast /

live show The Mixer: L e g a l t o B r e w s i n c e 1967” and the comedy fiction podcast Spooning in the Apocalypse ”

Tavius believes that stories are the essential element that defines us as human beings; he has spent his career dedicated to crafting, forming, and sharing these stories so that we can reinvent our definitions of ourselves J o s h u a D e n t b e g a n playing cello at the age

Cheekwood’s W inter Concert Series ushers in 2023 with captivating music

of 14 in Kissimmee, FL

Tw o y e a r s l a t e r, J o s h u a b e g a n l e a r n i n g i m p r o v i

a t i o n a n d exploring genres outside of the classical umbrella of music Towards the end of Joshua’s studies a t F l o r i d a S t a t e University Dent decided i t w a s b e s t t o p u r s u e music by learning in the p r o f e s s i o n a l w o r l d i n d i ff e r e n t w a y s S i n c e then, Joshua moved to N a s h

abrasiveMedia an active composer, and an active member of chatterbird

Concert Series

Set in Cheekwood s Massey Auditorium, the trio of intimate concerts aims to expand perspectives and delight music lovers T h e p e r f o r m a n c e s take place on January 2 8 , F e b r u a r y 1 0 , a n d February 23 at 7 pm

We are thrilled to w e l c o m e t h i s s t e l l a r l i n e u p o f w o r l d - c l a s s mu s ician s an d o ffer a way for guests to escape the winter blues in the bright and airy setting of

The 12-piece Nashv i l l e J a z z O r c h e s t r a s Big Band will kick off the first installment of t h e c o n c e r t s e r i e s o n January 28

Swinging with saxophones trumpets tromb o n e s , a n d a r o b u s t r h y t h m s e c t i o n , t h e group channels the big b a n d h e y d a y t h a t d e f i n e d t h e 1 9 1 0 s through the 1940s O n F e b r u a r y 1 0 , nine-piece super group Tudo Bem brings their s u b l i m e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s

of Brazilian music With a n a m e t h a t m e a n s ‘ e v e r y t h i n g ’s g o o d ’ i n Portuguese Tudo Bem moves through samba, baião, forro, bossa nova, a n d c h o r o w i t h g r a c e and joy

G r a m m y w i n n e r s Wi l l B a r r o w – – p i a n o a c c o r d i o n , a n d v o c a l s – – a n d G i o v a n n i R o d r i g u e z – – b a s s a n d p e r c u s s i o n – – a r e j o i n e d b y g u i t a r i s t J e r o m e Degey vocalist Crystal Miller, and percussionist Bryan Brock

In the third and final installment on February 23, contemporary classic a l m u s i c e n s e m b l e Intersection will present

F o u n d e d b y K e l l y Corcoran in 2014 Inters e c t i o n u s e s m u s i c t o elevate new and unique voices build communit y, a n d e n g a g e i n a n ongoing dialogue

T h e p r o g r a m w i l l feature additional musical repertoire and original choreography from the Ensworth School of Dance

C o n c e r t t i c k e t s a r e $ 3 5 f o r C h e e k w o o d m e m b e r s a n d $ 4 5 f o r n o n - m e m b e r s G u e s t s may purchase admission online at <cheekwood org/calendar/winter-concert-series/>

Tenn. T itans honor local minority businesswoman as 2022 Playmaker

Ti t a n s c o n t r o l l i n g o w n e r A m y A d a m s S t r u n k p r e s e n t e d D r Kimberly Clay with the Tennessee Titans’ 2022 P l a y m a k e r s a w a r d , a n h o n o r r e s e r v e d f o r remarkable women making an impact in their community In her role a s f o u n d e r a n d c h i e f e x e c u t i v e o ff i c e r o f N a s h v i l l e - b a s e d P l a y Like a Girl! Clay leads the organization s work to level the playing field by leveraging the skills g a i n e d f r o m s p o r t s t o p r o p e l y o u n g w o m e n into competitive, maledominated careers in science, technology, engin e e r i n g , m a t h e m a t i c s a n d r e l a t e d f i e l d s (STEM+)

C l a y ’s w o r k w a s spotlighted in a commerc i a l a l o n g s i d e Ti t a n s r u n n i n g b a c k D e r r i c k H e n r y w h o r e c e n t l y t e a m e d u p w i t h P l a y Like a Girl and Bridges t o n e A m e r i c a s t o increase girls access to p o s i t i v e w o m e n r o l e m o d e l s a n d m e n t o r s across Nashville

Dr Kim began her career as a public health analyst at the Centers for Disease Control and Prev e n t i o n E a r l y i n h e r

career, she saw the gender gap in education and h e a l t h f i r s t h a n d w h i l e working in underserved communities across the South

This led her to establish Play Like a Girl during her doctoral studies in health education In 2007 she returned to the classroom (this time, as a tenure-track professor) a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f G e o rg i a w h e r e s h e t a u g h t a n d c o n d u c t e d research exploring longterm cancer survivorship in women

Dr Kim is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, Tulane University Schools of Public Health and Social Work a n d t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f A l a b a m a a t B i r m

n gham where she received her Ph D in Health Educ a t i o n a n d P r o m o t i o n Her work on behalf of y o u n g w o m e n h a s earned her the following n a t i o n a l r e c o g n i t i o n s : D a i l y P o i n t o f L i g h t Award; Toyota Everyday Hero; Xavier University s 40 Under 40; and, Nashville Business Journal’s 50 People on the Move, among others She is a semi-finalist f o r t h e 2 0 2 0 L’ O r é a l

Women of Worth Award

Dr Kim serves on the leadership team for the Nashville Chapter of Elevate Network which is an international community of professional women committed to a more equal world where women achieve career success

She is also a member of the leadership team for Tennessee Girls Coll a b o r a t i v e t h e l o c a l affiliate of the National G i r l s C o l l a b o r a t i v e bringing together organi z a t i o n s a c r o s s t h e nation that are committ e d t o i n f o r m i n g a n d encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM In a d d i t i o n s h e m e n t o r s college women and is a member of the Scholars h i p C o m m i t t e e f o r Women in Technology Te n n e s s e e H e r p a s t service includes appointments to the board of directors for YWCA of N a s h v i l l e & M i d d l e Te n n e s s e e a n d J u n i o r League of Nashville

The local organization s reach and impact spans beyond the local level

T h i s w e e k , N F L players across the league will wear custom cleats

to showcase Play Like a Girl as part of the NFL’s national ‘My Cause My Cleats campaign Custom Play Like a Girl cleats will be worn by seven players in NFL games, including: Greg N e w s o m e ( C l e v e l a n d B r o w n s v s H o u s t o n Texans, 12/4); Jonathan J o n e s ( N e w E n g l a n d P a t r i o t s v s B u ff a l o B i l l s , 1 2 / 1 ) ; M i c h a e l Brockers (Detroit Lions vs Jacksonville Jaguars 1 2 / 4 ) ; Ty l e r M a b r y, Jalen ‘Teez’ Tabor, L J Collier and Poona Ford Jr (Seattle Seahawks vs L o s A n g e l e s R a m s , 12/4) Players will auct i o n t h e i r g a m e - w o r n cleats at <NFL com/auction>

P r o c e e d s w i l l b e donated to Play Like a Girl

Cheekwood s newly renovated Massey Auditoriu m , ” s a i d D i r e c t o r o f M u s i c & P u b l i c P r ograms Mark Mason

Aaron Copland s Appalachian Spring

Nashville Jazz Orchestra’s Big Band

Dr Kimberly Clay

TSU expert cautions parents to ‘be on the watch’ with new spike in RSv cases

by Emmanuel Freeman R S V, o r R

Virus, is on the rise in Tennessee, with spike in cases and hospitalization especially among infants and children Experts caution parents to be more proactive in helping to keep their children symptom free

Dr Wendelyn Inman an epidemiologist and public health expert says while adults may only show signs of the common cold RSV among children (especially those under a year old) shows more severe symptoms because their lungs are more susceptible to the inflammatory effects of the virus

“In some cases, children showing these symptoms need supplemental oxygen and hospitalization because of severe respiratory infections said Inman professor and director of the public health program in the College of Health Sciences She warns parents “to be on the watch ”

“If you have an infant wash your hands frequently and keep sick friends and family members away to prevent the spread of RSV,” she said “Watch your child If they show any symp-

toms, take them to the pediatrician as soon as possible ”

I n m a n a l s o c a u t i o n s p a r e n t s t o avoid close contacts, cover coughs or sneezes, and clean surfaces (doorknobs, car seats, mobile devices) frequently

T h i s s u m m e r a s i n Te n n e s s e e there was an increase in RSV cases in many areas of the country with the expectation it would accelerate in the f a l l T h e t r e n d h a s p l a y e d o u t a s expected, and even more adults in Tennessee are coming down with RSV, according to local news reports

At TSU, officials say over the past 5-6 weeks, there has been “a drastic” uptick in the number of sick visits to the Student Health Services Clinic for upper respiratory symptoms, such as cough congestion running nose and others

L

healthy individuals the virus will only usually cause mild cold-like symptoms ” said Dr Dorsha N James interim medical director of student health “In light of our decreasing COVID cases, I would make the assumption that we are seeing some cases as a

result of RSV

On COVID-19 and the flu two of the three viruses with RSV that are going around the officials warn individuals to get immunized as the surest way to avoid serious illness or hospit a l i z a t i o n F l u a c t i v i t y r e p o r t e d l y i n c r e a s e s i n O c t o b e r a n d p e a k s between December and February “Get your flu shots and get vacci-

nated for COVID-19 as soon as possible if you already haven t Inman said We are seeing that people who are immunized against COVID and the flu are still not in the majority of the cases that are severe and dying ” For more information on how to protect against RSV, COVID or the flu, visit the Tennessee Department of Health at <www tn gov/health html>

Conversations about cancer screening should be priority this holiday season – it can save your life

by David Ford

The holidays are a time to gather with friends and family for food fun and great conversations But imagine t h o s e c o n v e r s a t i o n s n o t g o i n g a s planned and the joy of being with your loved ones overshadowed by someone sharing that they have cancer You may not have been ready to have that discussion, yet it was happening And you may not be prepared to talk about screenings with your loved ones but it s necessary As someone who has had two different cancers in my life I cannot stress enough the importance of getting screened

It was 2015 when I first heard those earth-shattering words: “It’s cancer ” I thought back to a conversation with my doctor just a few months earlier when they recommended a routine colonoscopy screening Instead of getting it done right away, I kept putting it off My life was busy I had a family and was in the midst of a successful career It just wasn t a priority for me and all the while I was unknowingly putting myself at risk Then flash-forward to a critical moment with my doctor It was too late; surgery was needed to treat my cancer

If I’d gotten my colonoscopy, a screening for colon cancer, when it

was recommended it’s possible that I could’ve avoided surgery treatment and the emotional toll I put on my family Even though the treatments saved me, I had to learn the hard way not to take unnecessary risks with my life So, three years later, when my doctor recommended screening for prostate cancer, I did not wait I completed the screening immediately, and we were able to find and treat my second cancer at an early stage Now I am once again cancer free and sharing my story to

should be getting screened

According to the American Cancer Society one in two men and one in three women will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, yet the discussion of cancer screening remains taboo in our community Now is the time to start having conversations about cancer screening and having it often Be an example for your friends and family It s okay to say: Hey, as your buddy I want us to be together 20 years from now Make sure you re taking care of yourself That includes g o i n g t o t h e d o c t o r a n d g e t t i n g screened for cancer ” It may be a tough conversation to have but you may be the one that could make a lifesaving difference

Cancer wasn’t something I was prepared to factor into my life But through my experience, I learned some tough lessons It is important to listen to my doctor I need to take the time to share with others, so they don t make the same mistake It s necessary to go to the doctor on a timely basis It s o k a y t o h a v e s c a r y c o n v e r s a t i o n s about health with loved ones And if a doctor recommends cancer screening get screened T h r o u g h m y w o r k w i t h t h e American Cancer Society, I have seen

that cancer doesn’t discriminate It’s not just older people getting cancer anyone can be at risk This is the reason why it is so important for you to talk to a doctor about the type of health care and screening you may need You can’t play around with your life It’s more than just a cancer screening, it’s a way to help ensure that we will be around for our families The longer we are around, the more opportunities we have to live our dreams and to see our loved ones achieve their goals

As we prepare to gather for the holidays whether it’s a large gathering or with immediate family I encourage you to have a conversation with your l o v e d o n e s a b o u t r e g u l a r c a n c e r screening I hope that you take the steps yourself to schedule an appointment to get screened If you need canc e r s c r e e n i n g r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s , resources, as well as tips to start the c o n v e r s a t i o n v i s i t < c a n c e r o rg / g e tscreened> A small discussion can make a lifesaving difference so please don t wait (David Ford is a two-time cancer survivor ‘senior government relations m a n a g e r ’ a t S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a Edison and member of the American C a n c e r S o c i e t y C a n c e r A c t i o n Network board of directors )

Dr Wendelyn Inman

Dr Dorsha N James

David Ford