Nashville PRIDE December 30, 2022

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The Sporting Year in Review for 2022 See page 7

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Volume XXXVi, Number 52

People Are Talking Former Texas cop gets eleven years in Atatiana Jefferson killing

Atatiana Jefferson and former officer Aaron Dean.

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent Aaron Dean, the White police officer who shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson in her home in Texas, has received an 11-year prison sentence following his conviction on manslaughter charges.

Dean, 38, counted among the officers responding to an “open structure” call at Jefferson’s home in October 2019.

Jefferson, 28, left her door open while she and her eightyear-old nephew, Zion, were inside.

Noticing the open door, a neighbor called police for a welfare check.

Jefferson and her nephew were playing video games that night and Jefferson opened the doors to allow smoke from hamburgers to dissipate after they burned.

Zion, now 11, testified that he was in the room when his aunt was shot.

After the sentence was pronounced, one of Jefferson’s sisters, Ashley Carr, read statements, including one from her sister, Amber Carr, Zion’s mother.

Amber Carr said Jefferson, who planned to go to medical school: “had big dreams and goals” and that her son “feels he is responsible to fill the whole role of his aunt, and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

Ashley Carr called her sister “a beautiful ray of sunshine.”

“She was in her home, which should have been the safest place for her to be, and yet turned out to be the most dangerous,” she said.

The manslaughter conviction allowed the jury to sentence the disgraced former officer to 11 years rather than the 20 years he could have served on murder charges. Body-camera footage revealed that Dean and his partner did not identify themselves as police officers.

Dean and Officer Carol Darch testified that they thought the house might have been burglarized and quietly moved into the fenced-off backyard, looking for signs of forced entry.

Dean drew his service weapon and fired through the window a split-second after shouting at Jefferson to show her hands.

Dean testified that he had no choice when he saw Jefferson pointing a gun at him. But under cross examination he admitted to several errors and conceded that actions before and after the shooting were “more bad police work.”

Zion testified that Jefferson took out her gun because she thought there was an intruder in the backyard.

Ashley Carr said the family wanted the officer sentenced to more time but was still pleased with the 11 years he received.

“Eleven years, that’s the same age as Zion,” Carr said. “Ten months, 12 days, that’s the day that it happened. It’s a message in this. It might not be the message that we wanted and the whole dream, but it’s some of it.”

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Business owners could still be eligible for thousands of dollars from the CARES Act

By Cass Teague If you are a small business owner with five or more W2 employees, you might qualify to receive up to $26,000 per employee (you get the money, not the employee). The Employee Retention Credit for Small Businesses (ERC) is a stimulus program designed to help those businesses that were able to retain their employees during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Established by the CARES Act, it is a refundable tax credit – a grant, not a loan – that you can claim for your business. The ERC is available to both small and mid-sized businesses. It is based on qualified wages and healthcare paid to employees.

Go to the website https://erc filenow.com/inquire58 to get qualified.

The ERC underwent several changes and has many technical details, including how to determine qualified wages, which employees are eligible, and more. Your business’ specific case might require intensive review and analysis. The program is complex and might leave you with many unanswered questions.

There is help to make sense of it all. Dedicated experts who can guide you and outline the steps you need to take so you can maximize the claim for your business are available now. Their services include a thorough evaluation regarding your eligibility, comprehensive analysis of your claim, guidance on the claiming process and documen-

Dr. Bobby Lee Lovett, Beloved Educator, Historian, and Author, services set

The Employee Retention Credit for Small Businesses (ERC) is a stimulus program designed to help those businesses that were able to retain their employees during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yes, you can still qualify if you tation, specific program expertise that a regular CPA or payroll processor already took the PPP! Under the might not be well-versed in, in addi- Consolidated Appropriations Act, tion to fast and smooth end-to-end businesses can now qualify for the process, from eligibility to claiming ERC even if they already received a PPP loan. Note, though, that the ERC and receiving refunds.

When you contact the program, will only apply to wages not used for they will: 1. determine whether your the PPP. business qualifies for the ERC; 2. anaYou still qualify if you remained lyze your claim and compute the max- open during the pandemic if you had to imum amount you can receive; and 3. change business operations due to guide you through the claiming government orders. Many items are process, from beginning to end, Continued on page 5 including proper documentation.

White House responds to migrant buses sent to VP Harris’ D.C. home

Dr. Bobby Lee Lovett

By Cass Teague The Nashville community mourns the passing of Dr. Bobby Lee Lovett, award-winning author, Emeritus Professor of History, and former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Tennessee State University. The homegoing service for Dr. Lovett will be held at First Baptist Church Capitol Hill on Friday, December 30, 2022, at 12:00 pm CST. There will be visitation at the same location beginning at 11:00 am CT. The family requests guests to wear black or dark attire. Masks are required for the visitation and homegoing service.

Dr. Lovett, born in Memphis, Tennessee on January 19, 1943, graduated from Booker T. Washington High School there.

He then earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science at Arkansas AM&N State College (now known as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff). He subsequently earned his Master of Arts and Ph.D. degrees in American History at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Continued on page 5

(file Photo: Vice President Kamala Harris salutes U.S. Marines as she disembarks Marine Two at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Friday, June 25, 2021, to begin her trip to El Paso, Texas. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent The White House has condemned the latest tactic employed by Republican governors, including Texas’ Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who have bused migrants across the country to push President Joe Biden toward stricter border policies.

The latest incident occurred on Christmas Eve amid sub-freezing temperatures.

Three buses carrying 139 migrants from Texas arrived outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence at the Naval Observatory.

Temperatures in the District of Columbia reached as low as single digits, with wind chill factors driving the real ‘feel’ to minus zero.

Biden has called the moves “unAmerican” and “reckless.”

“This was a cruel, dangerous, and shameful stunt,” said White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan.

“As we have repeatedly said, we are willing to work with anyone,

Republican or Democrat alike, on real solutions like the comprehensive immigration reform and border security measures President Biden sent to Congress on his first day in office. But these political games accomplish nothing and only put lives in danger,” Hasan said.

Amy Fischer, a core organizer with the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network, told ABC News that she was outside the Naval Observatory on Saturday night as buses began arriving after about 7:45 pm.

Fischer said the migrants included “a bunch of families,” maybe around 30, as well as adults in groups like spouses and cousins and people traveling alone.

None of them wore cold weather gear, Fischer told the news outlet, though many had blankets to wrap up.

Fischer said that the “vast majority” were asylum-seekers, and all spoke Spanish, with people from Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Nicaragua.

Continued on page 5

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Senate Committee finds widespread employee on inmate sex abuse in federal prisons

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent In August 2016, a grand jury indicted Carolyn Richardson for her role in a conspiracy to procure and distribute oxycodone.

A year later, in the early stages of a 12-year federal prison sentence at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York, Richardson, who said she was deeply remorseful and understood an oxycodone addiction fueled her crime, was hospitalized.

Experiencing complications from a procedure that caused her eyesight to deteriorate, required Richardson extensive eye treatment and periodic visits to hospitals outside of the prison.

A correction officer named Colin Akparanta routinely escorted Richardson to hospital visits and used that time to prey upon her.

“He made himself

out to be someone I could trust,” Richardson testified before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations this month.

She said the officer spoke to her about faith and spirituality and brought her food and medicine.

“I believed that here was one person who cared about me when no one else did. I was Richardson wrong,” said.

After several months, in or around May 2018, Akparanta began to demand sexual favors in exchange for food and medicine.

He switched from working the day to the night shift and entered Richardson’s prison cell at night.

“I did not have a cellmate, and he told me that my cell was in a perfect area because the security camera could not see him coming or going,” she said.

“He was the only officer working the night

shift in my unit, which consisted of approximately 40 female prisoners. He used a flashlight to signal me that he was coming to my cell.”

When Briane Moore, a young single mother, received a 10-year sentence for a drug offense, she said she knew prison would be harsh.

Her first stop was the federal prison Aliceville in Alabama, then FCI Alderson in West Virginia, hundreds of miles from her young daughter in Illinois.

“I accepted that I would be punished for my crime. It was not easy doing time, but I was sentenced and put in prison for my choices,” Moore said.

“I was not sentenced to being raped and abused while in prison.

This should not have happened to me. Speaking about this is not easy, but I am not powerless anymore.

“The day I started to heal was the day that I could talk about what

Some finding success while living on less

Special to NNPA Newswire It was supposed to be a part-time job.

But the workload, travel requirements and responsibilities made Keturah Lee’s IT program management position as stressful as any full-time job.

Northeast The Washington resident was working for a federal agency less than 30 hours a week when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.

“But I was doing a full-time person’s job,” she said.

“It was extremely stressful. I was trying to carry all the responsibility and not drop the ball.

It was a never-ending cycle. I felt I always had to be on.”

A few months into the pandemic, Lee decided to become one of the nearly 50 million Americans who quit or changed jobs during

A bipartisan Senate investigation has revealed how the Federal Bureau of Prisons had failed to address the problem of sexual abuse adequately. happened to me without secretary,” Moore said.

“The captain closed being afraid.”

Moore said a captain the door and raped me. at Alderson, who had On another occasion, the raped other inmates, captain himself ordered that I come to his office. began targeting her.

“He was a captain I had no choice but to with total control over obey.

“We always had to me. Once, a building officer ordered me to go follow orders in prison. to the captain’s office. But, most importantly, I There was a secretary’s knew the captain could office within the cap- interfere with my transtain’s office. But when I fer and prevent me from arrived, there was no being closer to my fami-

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K'(L K'(L what has been termed the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021-22.

While some people didn’t have a choice due to loss of employment, many made a move in search of better opportunities.

According to a recent LinkedIn survey, worklife balance was the biggest concern, topping compensation, and benefits. Lee decided to find a job with less pressure and more flexibility, allowing more time for

her volunteer ministry as of Jehovah’s one Witnesses.

As the pandemic raged, she studied to be Sign an American Language interpreter.

She earned a certificate, quit the IT job, started working parttime as a freelance interpreter and found that her prayers were answered.

“I had made it a matter of prayer,” she said.

“I didn’t want to be rash.

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Editorial Department Editor: C. Ailene Lydia Staff Writers: David Lawrence; Wanda Clay

Table of Contents Front Page .......................... 1 National/State..................... 2 Local.................................... 3 Editorials ............................ 4 Continuations ..................... 5 Church ................................ 6 Leisure ................................ 7

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The town of Rosewood, Florida was destroyed by a White vigilante mob in January of 1923.

Centennial remembrance events will kick off on Jan. 7, 2023.

University of Florida is Holland & Knight Law the host sponsor of the Firm; and the presenting centennial commemora- sponsor is the Southern tion; the title sponsor is Continued on page 5

NASHViLLE P*R*i*D*E Staff and Afillates Administration Publisher: Meekahl Davis, CEO Advertising Sales: Scott Davis Attorney: Karen Davis

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Contributing Writers: Alvin Campbell; T.A. Spence; Reeju Davis General Columnists: William T. Robinson, Jr. Church Columnists: Rev. Barbara WoodsWashington, Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. B. Bethel Writers/Photojournalists (fl): Cass F.L.Teague, Jr., Wanda Clay, Justin Darden,

Shiloh Long, Mayes, Inc., Marcus Jones Copy editor: Bill Dorian Production Department James H. Lewis, Jr., manager; Webmaster Lawrence Davis Circulation Department Scott Davis

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Descendants of Rosewood Massacre commemorate 100th anniversary GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Descendants of Rosewood Foundation, Inc. have ann-ounced the Remembering Rosewood Centennial commemoration. This centennial anniversary will honor the legacy of bravery, determination, and perseverance of the eight families impacted by the Rosewood Massacre of 1923. The week-long commemoration will take place at the University of Florida in Gainesville from January 8-14, 2023, and will honor the lives of those lost 100 years ago and explore what the next 100 years look like for Black America. The

ly, closer to my daughter.

“The captain also knew that I was aware that I was powerless and was aware that he could interfere with my transfer to be closer to my family and my daughter.

He then explicitly reminded me of his control.

“In the office, he told me that he knew I wanted a transfer to another prison. He said, ‘The paperwork goes through me.’ He threatened that he would interfere with my transfer if I resisted.

Other times, he sexually assaulted me in isolated areas of the prison. It is hard to explain how this felt fully.

“The captain, who already had complete control over my day-today life, was now enforcing that control over my body and using my desire to see my child to threaten me to stay silent. Finally, the captain made it clear that if I wanted a transfer, I had to accept the abuse.”

Continued on page 5

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Page 3 Nashville PRIDE National/State Cancer...My journey in time Tennessee State Museum January 1 at Corinthian explores histories, legacies – celebration of freedom of Rosenwald Schools in two exhibitions in 2023

By Wanda Clay to celebrate.

Corinthian MisTheir commander,

December 30, 2022

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sionary Baptist Church will ring in the New Year of 2023 with dynamic preaching, communion and the observance of the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation! Members, family, friends and the community are invited to celebrate the new year with Rev. Enoch Fuzz, pastor of Corinthian at 819 33rd Ave. N. At 11 am, the first worship service of the year will have special guest speaker Rev. Stoney Butler of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church from Memphis, Tennessee. During that service, communion will be presided over

by Rev. Fuzz.

It is also a special day of service as Corinthian recognizes the 160th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Lincoln, on January 1, 1863. This observance will be led

by General Sessions Judge Robin K. Hayes.

Many do not recognize this important date (January 1, 1863), because it seems to get lost in the celebration of leaving an old year and coming into the

Rev. Stoney Butler, Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee New Year. The document proclaimed that slaves held in areas still in rebellion “...are and henceforward shall be free.” It also announced the acceptance of Black men into the Union Army and Navy. Yes, this sounds a lot like ‘Juneteenth.’

However, this is the actual day that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, bringing in the New Year of 1863.

When the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect January 1, 1863 African American soldiers in the Union Army had been fighting the Confederacy along the South Carolina coast for nearly an entire year. On January 1st these soldiers assembled with their families

Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson, had been a Unitarian minister and abolitionist before the Civil War. Black and White Boston residents stormed into the city to free Black fugitive slaves who had thought they had reached a city where their liberty would be protected.

Higginson had also been an active participant in the Underground Railroad and was part of a group that supplied material aid to John Brown just before his ill-fated raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859.

Higginson left a diary which recorded these events and eventually became the basis for his best-selling book, Army Life in A Black Regiment, and Other Writings, which was originally published in 1870.

Please continue to pray, enjoy and share Rev. Fuzz’s Meta postings and weekly journey, ‘Cancer: My Journey in Time.’ May you be blessed with the information.

While reading and praying, look up more information on the celebration of freedom as a way to start the new year.

Meharry Sickle Cell Center celebrates 50 years of service to sickle cell disease community For 50 years, the Meharry Sickle Cell Center (MSCC) has diagnosed individuals with hemoglobinopathies and connected them to treatment—working in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH), which performs universal newborn screening for treatable inherited conditions not clinically evident in the newborns, including sickle cell disease. The MSCC houses the Hemoglobinopathy Confirmatory and Reference Laboratory for the TDOH Newborn Screening Program.

Thus, babies who have rendered a positive hemoglobinopathy screen result in our state are referred to the MSCC Laboratory for final confirmatory diagnosis.

Babies born in Middle Tennessee that have been confirmed as having sickle cell disease are referred to the MSCC for follow-up, family education, counseling and referral to a tertiary center, where the patient receives hematology specialty care.

Free hemoglobinopathy testing is also offered to all family members and the community. Babies born outside of the Middle Tennessee region and confirmed by the MSCC are connected to

Dr. Maria del Pilar Aguinaga their respective TDOHdesignated regional genetic centers for proper follow-up.

“The Meharry Sickle Cell Center has been an integral part of the Middle Tennessee community for 50 years, and we strive to provide health care to individuals affected with sickle cell from birth to adulthood, thus involving moms, babies, affected adults, families, caregivers and health care providers,” said Dr. Maria del Pilar Aguinaga, director of the Meharry Sickle Cell Center. “One out of every 365 African American births is diagnosed with sickle cell disease in the US. It is estimated that 100,000 people are affected by this disorder in the country and about 10% of these individuals are of Hispanic ethnicity. Cur-

rently, one in 13 African Americans carry the sickle cell trait. It is important to get tested and understand what carrying the trait means for family planning. We encourage people who want to know more about the disease or get tested to know their sickle cell trait status to schedule a free appointment at the MSCC.” Dr. James E.K. Hildreth, president/CEO of Meharry Medical College, said he believes Meharry’s work on sickle cell is critical. “This is a disease that acutely impacts the Black population. Before the MSCC was officially established in 1972, Meharry had been a place of hope and understanding for those living with sickle cell disease, and I am honored to see the MSCC celebrate 50 years of addressing a disease which has not always received the funding it deserves.”

MSCC services include hemoglobinopathy testing, genetic counseling and education about sickle cell and other blood disorders to the community and health care providers.

The Adult Sickle Cell Clinic, housed at Nashville General Hospital, provides specialty care to adults with sickle cell or other hemoglobin disorders.

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In the early 20th century, a historic collaboration led to the building of nearly 5,000 public schools in the Southeastern United States to improve education opportunities for African American students. In 2023, the Tennessee State Museum will focus on sharing the histories and legacies of what were known as Rosenwald schools, with two temporary exhibitions.

The first show, a traveling photography exhibit by Andrew Feiler, titled ‘A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America,’ will run from February 23, 2023–May 21, 2023.

For his photography exhibition, Feiler drove more than 25,000 miles, photographed 105 schools, and interviewed former students, teachers, preservationists, and community leaders from each participating state.

Feiler’s book of the same title, now in its third printing and available at the Tennessee State Museum Store, includes an introduction by former Rosenwald school attendee and congressman, John Lewis.

It contains 85 images that capture interiors and exteriors, schools restored and yet-to-be restored, and portraits of people with compelling connections to these schools. The accompanying traveling exhibition originated at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia, and can currently be viewed at the National Civil

Frank Brinkley and Charles Brinkley, Sr. – educators, brothers, Rosenwald School former students. (photo by Andrew Feiler) Rights Museum in Memphis. The Tennessee State Museum is the next stop on its tour.

The second show, ‘Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee,’ will run from June 16, 2023 through February 25, 2024. Created in partnership with Fisk University’s John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library, home of the Julius Rosenwald Fund archive, the exhibition

will focus on the work of alumni, descendants, and scholars to research and preserve the historic records, stories, and buildings associated with Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee. Tennessee State Museum staff are currently traveling the state to meet with stakeholders in preparation for the exhibition.

“Over the span of 25 years, the building of these schools helped Continued on page 5

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Page 4

Nashville PRIDE

Editorials

Working together to win

by William T. Robinson, Jr. Nashville is growing and prospering at an exponential rate. The city has a diverse population that reflects a need to welcome an administration reflecting the concerns of all its citizens. We need leadership that is open and inclusive to allowing everyone at the table to work together to decide and implement what is in the best interests for the city. It would be to Nashville’s advantage to have leadership that has knowledge and experience in the problems affecting the city when it comes to exponential growth, affordable housing, traffic, and crime.

We need leadership that can work effectively to combat or balance the needs of citizens as well as that of big businesses bringing jobs and growth to the city. We don’t want elected leaders with no experience, whose only interest may be in securing a name for themselves or pushing or supporting private entities working against the interests of the average citizens.

At this time, we have Sharon Hurt publicly announcing as a candidate for mayor of Nashville. Hurt is no stranger to Nashville and has put in the work with 23 years as CEO of JUMP (Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership) and serving two terms as Council Member at Large for the city of Nashville. During her race for Council Member at Large, she won with a significant and impressive affirmation from all Nashvillians as the highest vote getter in the run off, especially with the African American community.

Sharon Hurt has been a valuable, committed servant in advocating for the public she was elected to serve. It is unlikely

William T. Robinson, Jr. that anyone has the experience or better knowledge of the workings of Nashville and ideas to make this a better city. Sharon is an African American that if elected would make Nashville proud and manifest and reflect the progress this city has made in promoting diversity and inclusion.

She would be a win for all of Nashville.

Sharon should and could win if her efforts are not sabotaged by clandestine forces using divisive tactics to divide and conquer. Such tactics have been used several times to keep African American candidates from obtaining victories in many elections. This involved African Americans running for the office of mayor who had no experience, willfully running—knowing they could not win for whatever reasons. That split the African American vote, literally allowing a White, unqualified candidate to walk in. This is a well used tactic. Make no mistake, the African Americans being used know it and were probably being compensated.

In the Black community, Blacks that are part of these diversions are called ‘sellouts.’

We, as African Americans, must wake up and get behind the best African American running for an office and support that qualified candidate if we are

going to be successful in getting more competent African Americans elected to offices such as mayor or governor.

Common sense dictates that an influx of African Americans running for the same office divides the Black vote. For the most part, that secures it for a White candidate who may not be qualified or acceptable.

It would be wise to suggest that if there are African Americans who are serious about running for mayor, they should meet and reach a consensus of who is best qualified to represent and serve the community based on experience, exposure and electability. For some competing Blacks, this means bowing out, dismissing egos, and supporting who is considered the best electable candidate for the office of mayor. This would show the motives of those putting the community first, and not themselves. Sometimes a potential candidate should consider that maybe it is not the right time for them to run for an office. Perhaps they should consider a future run.

If you are an African American determined to run for the office of Nashville mayor regardless of conventional wisdom or rational thinking, just be aware you are playing a divisive role and are complicit in potential, depriving qualified African Americans from holding a job that could make us all proud. If we have the potential of having an American African mayor it is paramount we all get behind one qualified Black candidate. It was the Black community that has elected the past four or mayors in five Nashville. In Nashville, it is evident that Sharon Hurt is that candidate.

Let’s play to win!

This holiday season, judges give us something to celebrate

by Ben Jealous (TriceEdneyWire) – I’ve written about the importance of judges a few times over the last year. And every time I do, I realize that many people have never met a judge. Or they have, but it was at a time when they’d rather have been anywhere else. So the idea that judges are on my mind as something to celebrate this holiday season may strike you as strange. But bear with me.

Since President Biden came into office, he has made it a priority to nominate federal judges who are not only legal stars but are diverse, come from underrepresented professional backgrounds, and have a deep commitment to civil rights. Many of them have been civil rights lawyers or public defenders. This is a real change, even from past Democratic presidents.

For decades, presidents most often nominated corporate lawyers or prosecutors to the bench.

Those people were also overwhelmingly White and male. Not anymore.

At the federal circuit level, which is the level above the district or trial courts and just below the Supreme Court, 41% of Biden nominees have been Black. So far, more Black women have been confirmed to the circuit court bench than during all previous presidencies combined. At the district level, Biden has nominated people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and people of diverse faiths, who are historic ‘firsts’ on their respective courts. Not only that, but

we have our first Black woman on the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Her presence inspires me every day, even though there are many reasons to be dissatisfied with the Court’s far-right majority.

Thanks to President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, the pace of nominations and confirmations has been fast, very fast. This was critical, because during the Trump presidency, the Far Right raced to confirm as many ultraconservative judges as possible. President Biden is beating Trump’s pace with one of the fastest confirmation processes ever. As I write this, 97 lifetime federal judges have been confirmed in the first two years of Biden’s presidency.

Trump had 85 in his first two years. Biden’s pace is the second fastest in a quarter century.

And when the Senate returns in January, there will be a spectacular roster of nominees just waiting for the final step in their confirmation process: people like Nancy Abudu, an advocate for voting rights and civil rights through her work at the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU; Natasha Merle, an advocate for racial justice at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; Tiffany Cartwright, a civil rights litigator whose cases include police misconduct; and Julie Rikelman, the longtime litigation director for the Center for

Ben Jealous Reproductive Rights.

So why does all this matter? It’s not just because having people from underrepresented communities on our courts is inspiring to see and long overdue. Both of those things are true.

It’s because the nominations and confirmations represent the administration’s commitment to building fairer courts overall. The Biden administration is actively seeking out judicial nominees who will improve the quality of decision-making on our courts because of the lived experience they bring. It’s seeking people who have seen the justice system from all sides, in their work or in life. People who are committed to upholding rights for everyone, not just the wealthy or privileged. And already, decisions by fair-minded Biden nominees have improved justice for many Americans in areas like workers’ rights and the environment.

When we have fair judges and fair courts, our lives are dramatically better. Fair courts hold police officers accountable for brutality. Fair courts protect our right

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December 30, 2022

‘Jan. 6th Committee’ report marks a chapter – not the end

by Jesse Jackson News Analysis (TriceEdneyWire The compelling report of the January 6th Committee, detailing the conspiracy that led to the sacking of the Capitol on that day of infamy, marks a chapter, not the end of the struggle for democracy.

The report includes both criminal referrals for the conspiracy to block the peaceful transfer of power, and details reforms to protect against any repeat in the future.

Far broader reforms are needed, however, if our government is in fact to be a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” as Abraham Lincoln pledged in his historic Gettysburg Address.

Our election system grievously remains deformed. Voter participation has been rising in recent elections but remains far below that of other democracies.

Nearly one in four eligible voters is not registered to vote.

In states across the country, partisan legislatures restrict access to voting, often targeting voters of color.

Partisan gerrymandering enables those with a minority of votes to win a majority of legislative seats. Big money (often dark money of unknown sources) increasingly dominates our elections. And, while the 2022 elections turned back many of the most election partisan deniers, now there is a systematic effort to elect partisans as election officials empowering partisan legislatures to overturn the results of elections they do not like.

Democracy isn’t set in concrete. It is a fragile plant that must be tended to. The founding of our democracy was a bold and earthshaking act. Yet, from the beginning, it was flawed.

Initially only White, male property owners could vote. It took years of struggle, and a Civil War (the bloodiest in our history) for the right to vote to be extended to all citizens, including Blacks, women, and the young.

The January 6th Committee focused on the events of that day and on Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn and discredit the election. But the erosion of democratic elections goes much further than that. In the past decades, the Supreme Court (in divided, partisan opinions) has gutted the Voting Rights Act, opening the door once more to racially targeted voting impediments. It has ruled that the federal courts have no role in limiting parto vote and strike down laws aimed at voter suppression. Fair courts protect our jobs, our air and water, and our right to health care, including abortion care. The list goes on and on.

So in addition to celebrating all the great new judges the Biden administration and Senate leadership have given us, there’s one more thing we can do.

All of us can call our senators’ offices in Janu-

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman, Jan. 6th Committee tisan gerrymanders.

And even worse, it has opened the door to limitless election contributions, including by corporations.

The Congress just passed the Election Count Act to clean up the procedures by presidential which elections are determined, to deter the mischief that Trump pursued. Much more is needed to put meat back on the bones of our democracy.

For example, it is preposterous that registering to vote is so difficult, and that nearly a fourth of eligible voters are not registered.

A sensible reform would be to use the census to register everyone automatically—and then make it easy for voters to update their status automatically when they use any government service like applying for a license.

In the last Congress, the House of Representatives passed the most consequential voting rights reforms of the last half-century in the For the People Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act that revived the Voting Rights Act. The For the People Act created federal standards that would make voting registration far easier, eliminate partisan gerrymandering, and counter the dominance of big money by providing a six to one match of small donors, requiring disclosure of financial sources, and cracking down on foreign money and meddling in our elections.

Passed in the House, it fell to a Republican filibuster in the Senate. Republicans were wrong to oppose it. Democrats were wrong to not make it possible to bolster democracy and free elections by majority rule, carving out an exception to the filibuster.

In the next year, these vital reforms face forbidding hurdles.

The new Republican House leadership will likely oppose putting the legislation forward.

The Senate remains frozen by the filibuster.

Democracy can’t wait, however. States with Democratic or bipartisan majorities should move forward ary and encourage them to keep up to the momentum by confirming all the rest of the president’s judicial nominees. It’s an easy way to make a difference.

As I’m thinking of things to be thankful for this holiday season, I’m thankful that many of our federal courts really are changing for the better.

So many of the rights and freedoms we’ve worked for in the past

Jesse Jackson with state versions of the For the People Act. They can try out ways to limit big money in politics. The our Democratic Party itself can govern its own primaries and set up its own rules without requiring Republican approval.

In the last election, democracy was on the ballot. And voters clearly indicated that they did not want our elections to be subverted by partisan machinations. Now as we head into 2024, our strengthening democracy and limiting the role of big money in our elections is still unfinished business. The struggle to build a more perfect union must and will go on.

In the 1820s and 1830s, for example, Jacksonian Democrats unilaterally pushed to enfranchise poor and working-class White men.

The 15th Amendment, which prohibited states from Black denying Americans the right to vote, passed Congress in 1869 with precisely zero Democratic votes.

Reconstruction-era Democrats were equally unified against the 14th Amendment and the Ku Klux Klan Act. Should Republicans have waited for Democrats to come around while people of color were denied full citizenship?

This is not an argument to postpone election reform. It’s an argument for Republicans to get on the right side of history.

This is a blinkered and naive view of redistricting. As my colleague Michael Li points out, Republican map drawers have used the redistricting process to shore up the districts they already gerrymandered heavily in 2010.

As a result, North Carolina Republicans could carry 71% of the state’s seats in Congress with just 47% of the vote. Texas Democrats would have to win 58% of the vote to be favored to capture 37% of the state’s congressional seats.

The redistricting process has been particularly damaging to voters of color, whose districts were carved up to minimize their voting power. This isn’t gerrymandering in retreat. It’s gerrymandering 2.0. and will work for in the future depend on this progress. We need to keep it going.

(Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. A New York Times bestselling author, his next book Never Forget Our People Were Always Free will be published by Harper Collins in January 2023.)

The editorials on this page do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers or staff of this newspaper.

December 30, 2022

www.pridepublishinggroup.com

Continuations

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Dr. Bobby Lee Lovett... from page 1 Dr. Lovett began his career teaching history in the Memphis Public School System (19691970) and then moved to college teaching at Eureka College (19701973). He came to Tennessee State University in 1973, where he taught history and African American history for 30 years, serving as Dean of the TSU College of Arts and Sciences for more than 10 of those years.

As a historian, Dr. Lovett authored over eight books on American and African American History, nationally recognized by historical institutions and universities across the country. Among them are A Touch of Greatness: A History of Tennessee State University; The African American History of

Nashville, 1780-1930: Elites and Dilemmas; How It Came to Be: The Family’s Boyd Contribution to African American Publishing from the 19th to the 21st Century; and The Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee: A Narrative History.

Dr. Lovett was a pillar in the Tennessee historical community. He was also a civically engaged leader in the Nashville community throughout his life, who proudly served on the Boards of Directors for many organizations. His research and articles have appeared in numerous documentaries, history books, encyclopedias, and scholarly journals.

Dr. Lovett was a faithful member of the historic First Baptist Church Capitol Hill for

more than 35 years, where he served on the Board of Trustees. He was a Life Member of Alpha Psi Kappa Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Lovett was married for over 38 years to Mrs. Lueatrice Green Lovett, a former educator in Nashville Public Schools. He was the proud father of five children: Todd, Bridget, Kenyatta, Catherine, and Leigh. His children blessed him with five beautiful grandchildren: Omari, William, Kiersten, Kyle, and Kennedy. He is also survived by his younger brother, Julian Lovett, his aunts, Annie Hill and Josephine Ivory, his uncle, George Cotton, and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He transitioned on Friday, December 23, 2022.

White House... from page 1 She added that Texas Gov. Abbott’s administration sent the migrants.

In August, the Texas Division of Emergency Management said that the state had spent more than $12 million busing migrants to Washington and New York who had crossed from Mexico.

A state government spreadsheet that CNN obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that, as of August 9, Texas had paid $12,707,720.92 to Wynne Transportation, the charter service that is

taking migrants to the two cities.

Additionally, the 43 buses that departed Arizona for the District of Columbia between May and August, carrying over 1,500 migrants, have cost that state more than $3 million.

Reportedly, the cost of each bus was approximately $83,000, bringing the total to date to around $3.5 million, according to the governor’s office, which said about two to three buses depart Arizona per week, based on demand.

In the two days since Fischer talked to ABC News, her group had helped people make further travel plans to their final destinations while a “handful of folks” who are planning to stay in D.C. have been relocated to a hotel as they prepare to put down roots.

She said the groups left on the buses from Texas, knowing they were headed to Washington. “I think people are always a little bit confused. People are always a little bit scared,” Fischer said.

Living on less... from page 2 I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision.”

Even without the pandemic as a catalyst for taking a hard look at priorities and life goals, the Witnesses’ emphasis on service and family has led many in that Christian faith to make similar employment choices over the decades and given them a wealth of experience in learning to find success living on less.

“Living a balanced, simple life protects us, because it gives us more time and energy for spiritual things,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“Spirituality has a direct impact on a person’s emotional wellbeing, which is why Jesus said that those conscious of their spiritual need are happy.

Living by that principle takes constant effort as we each strive to maintain life balance.”

Video programs with practical suggestions

based on scriptural principles on <jw.org>, the Witnesses’ official website, helped Lee appreciate the value of a simple lifestyle and helping others through her ministry.

“Having less is also good for less stress,” she said.

“I’m living within my means. Not consuming so much and having and buying just what I need has helped me live a life that’s less stressful.”

Gail Martin likewise has no regrets about reassessing her priorities more than two decades ago.

She left a high-powered but all-consuming job as a systems analyst to put faith and family first.

“I can prioritize studying the Bible, my religious meetings and my volunteer ministry,” said Martin of Riverside, California.

“I’m also able to spend three months a year in Illinois with my family and help my

brother care for my mom.”

The key to long-term success at living on less, she said, is regular life reassessment.

“What might work now may eventually not work,” she said.

“Sometimes, you have to make adjustments. It’s a continuous process.

She often goes back to the free resources on <jw.org>, searching for scriptural counsel on how to “handle your finances, choosing a career, how to be happy and whatever it might be that you need to look at your priorities and your values.

Martin is currently reevaluating her life to prepare for retirement.

She doesn’t yet know what adjustments she will make to simplify her life further, but she’s holding on to what makes her happy.

“I feel like if you put priorities first like family and God, that’s a lot more fulfilling than working yourself to death,” she said.

Rosenwald Schools... from page 3 change the lives of thousands of African American children,” said Ashley Howell, executive director of the Tennessee State Museum. “This greatly affected Black education and informs Black history in the South. The exhibitions are a wonderful opportunity to share these stories (many of them lesser known) on the power and importance of community, collaboration, and philanthropy.”

Born to Jewish immigrants, Julius Rosenwald rose to lead Sears, Roebuck & Company and turn it into the world’s largest retailer.

Born into slavery, Booker T. Washington became the founding principal of the Tuskegee Institute. Together, the two men launched a program to partner with Black communities to build public schools for African American children. During the time,

African American students faced obstacles posed by racial segregation, violence, and discrimination.

From 1912 to 1937, the program built 4,978 schools across 15 southern states, including 354 in Tennessee. Rosenwald schools drove dramatic improvement in Black educational attainment and educated the generation who became leaders of the Civil Rights movement

Nashville PRIDE

Page 5

Senate Committee... from page 2 In 2019, Captain Jerrod Grimes received a 10-year sentence for unlawfully engaging in sexual activity with female inmates at Alderson.

A bipartisan Senate has investigation revealed how the Federal Bureau of Prisons had failed to address the problem of sexual abuse adequately.

In a new report issued by Senate investigators, dozens of witnesses, including survivors of sexual abuse, and former and current prison officials, laid out how rampant abuse is in federal lockups.

Wardens, guards, chaplains, and other prison workers have all been accused, charged, or convicted of sexually abusing prisoners.

Federal law prohibits sex between prison employees and prisoners, even if it’s consensual.

Officials found that employees had abused female prisoners in at least 19 of the 29 federal facilities over the past decade.

In June 2021, the Department of Justice revealed that as of 2018, inmates reported 27,826 allegations of sexual victimization, or a 15% increase from 2015. Of the 27,826 allegations, 55% allegedly occurred at the hands of prison staff.

Managers in at least four prisons failed to apply federal law intended to detect and reduce sexual assault.

Further, officials said hundreds of abuse charges remain among a backlog of 8,000 internal affairs misconducts that haven’t been investigated.

More than 5,400 allegations of sexual abuse made by female and male inmates against prison employees have been recorded over the past 10 years.

MCC in New York; the Federal Correctional Complex Coleman in Florida; Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn; and Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, in California, were identified as sites where employees could target female inmates without fear of discipline.

A jury found Ray Garcia, the former warden at Dublin, guilty of seven charges of sexual abuse this month after prosecutors charged him with assaulting female inmates and forcing them to pose for nude photographs.

At least 17 current or former employees at Dublin were under investigation for sexual abuse, including the prison’s former pastor.

“Having experienced the jarring sexual abuse, I came to learn that officer-on-inmate sexual

abuse is a pervasive issue throughout the BOP system, though rarely acknowledged in public,” Richardson said.

“I have learned that there are challenges in the criminal prosecution of the abusers, especially because officers often do not use overt threats or physical force to obtain sex with inmates, but rather a psychological manipulation and the inherent power dynamic, as in my case. Even though BOP has a zerotolerance policy toward sexual abuse, it is extremely difficult for inmates to step up and report the abuse. It feels that there is no real protection from the guards retaliating against you under a pretext or harassing you with their authority.

“Even when the abuse is reported, inmates are kept in the dark about the progress of the investigation, and the repeated questioning is jarring and emotionally scarring to relive the trauma.”

Brenda V. Smith, a law professor at the American University’s Washington College of Law, said women in every penal system in United States, the including the federal system, have experienced unequal services and opportunities and physical and sexual abuse.

Smith directs the Community Economic and Equity Development Law Clinic and serves as director of the Project on Addressing Prison Rape.

“District of Columbia women prisoners were forced to trade sex in exchange for food, work opportunities, visitation, preparation of reports and recommendations to the court detailing their progress,” Smith told the Senate committee.

“Women also challenged their lack of privacy, including crossgender searches and viewing by male officers often while they were unclothed.

“Women complained of being viewed while disrobing or showering by the staff of the opposite gender.”

Smith said women also have complained of intrusive pat searches, being importuned for sex, and having to trade sex for food, work assignments, visits with family, and completing paperwork for their probation, parole, or release from custody.

“There are common elements of vulnerability in each of these women prisoner’s victimization.

First, these women, as you know, often bring multiple well-known vulnerabilities into the correctional setting: past histories of childhood

and adult physical and sexual abuse; poverty; involvement with powerful systemic actors like courts; child protection; housing, and immigration authorities that control their existence and their families’ existence; fear and deprivation that is part of the custodial experience,” Smith said.

“I could name many more elements, as could you. These factors create the levers of pressure that correctional staff can employ to ensure compliance with both legitimate and illegitimate requests.

“Given this inequality of power, women bargain, capitulate, and comply even as they fear for their lives, their freedom, and often for their families. these “Combine levers with a toxic culture, the forced compliance that is a part of the custodial environment and powerful system actors who appear to be all-powerful and above rules, regulations, and indeed the law, women make a choice to survive even if survival means rape.”

Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who chaired the subcommittee, noted that the hearing counted as part of a bipartisan two-year effort to investigate conditions of incarceration and detention in the United States.

“From corruption at the U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta in Georgia to the Department of Justice’s failure to count almost 1,000 deaths in custody across the country, to abusive and unnecessary gynecological procedures performed on women in Department of Homeland Security custody,” Ossoff said, “it is important to acknowledge that law enforceprofessionals ment working in our prisons have among the hardest jobs in our country. I believe the vast majority of BOP employees share our goals of ending sexual abuse once and for all in federal prisons.

“I also want to state for the record the subcommittee investigated sexual abuse of women in federal prison because of some of their unique considerations: women are more likely than male prisoners to have suffered from trauma and sexual abuse prior to incarceration, and are particularly susceptible to subsequent abuse in a custodial setting. However, the subcommittee fully acknowledges that sexual abuse is not limited to female prisoners.”

DOJ officials said they are in the process of overhauling policies that could allow for the compassionate release of inmate victims of prison employee sex abuse.

Rosewood... from page 2 Poverty Law Center.

The goal of this carefully curated week of events is twofold. First, to gather in community for a larger conversation around race in America, human rights and civil rights, land ownership and wealth accumulation; second, to forecast what the next 100 years look like for the next generation.

Events include the Rosewood Traveling Museum opening at the University of Florida, Wreath Laying Ceremony, The Legacy Forum, Next Gen seminars, movie screenings, and special guest appearances from some of the country's leading scholars, activists, and cultural workers.

A century ago in Levy County, Florida, the town of Rosewood experienced one of the most horrific events in American history. In January 1923, a racially

motivated attack decimated the predominantly African American town and devastated its residents. This massacre has been discussed and dissected for years. Despite being terrorized by those events, survivors and descendants of Rosewood got justice— becoming the first African Americans to receive reparations from a legislative body in America.

"The future starts with honoring the lives that were taken, acknowledging the trauma that was left behind, sharing the stories of the past, and celebrating the promise of all that lies ahead," said Gregory Doctor, the cousin of Arnett Doctor, the descendant who led the fight for the families' historic reparations settlement.

“We look at this event as a launch pad for progress and are hon-

ored to lead the charge in shaping what the next 100 years looks like for our country."

There are eight families whose direct descendants remain to tell the stories of resilience and fortitude that defined the town of Rosewood: the Bradleys, the Carriers, the Colemans, the Edwards, the Evans, the Goins, the Halls, and the Robinsons families. But a simple request two years ago sparked this centennial movement.

Before she passed away, The Rosewood Family, Inc. historian Barbara Scantling Moore asked the family members to pass on the knowledge of the Rosewood legacy to the public. Inspired by Barabra's request, The Descendants of Rosewood Foundation, Inc. was born, ready to be a source of inspiration for the next 100 years and beyond.

Page 6

Nashville PRIDE

Church

Faith of A Mustard Seed

by Barbara A. Woods Washington, M. Div. So the direction has been given in the quest to define ‘knowledge’.

Clearest of definitive thought is that of Howard Thurman. As a word for the New Year... to bring in 2023; this is, again, in his words: "But when knowledge comes, the whole world is turned upside down. The meaning of begins to things emerge. And more importantly, the relations between things are seen for the first time. Questions are asked and answers are sought. A strong restlessness comes over the spirit and the enormity of error moves over the horizon like a vast shadow. Struggle emerges as the way of life. An appetite is awakened that can never be satisfied."

(Howard Thurman) To see ‘education is legislation’ lends to a view of control not being driven by knowledge. (I did say that ‘knowledge is Biblical’!) I have thrown up my hands with this ‘Hershel Walker campaign’ which by the way, I was in Atlanta on the 2022 Election Day Runoff. Fact is that I no longer have interest in leaders whose most important constituents would even do that... —whatever ‘THAT’ was.

As one who had not been taught to value education in my environment, I come forth as that one who was just able to complete the courses placed before me during my matriculations. I pause here to inventory my matriculations but yield to those who are lost on the accomplish-

Barbara A. Woods Washington, M. Div. ments of other lives.

But when I think of my matriculations, I can’t help but go find me a mule and ask you to hold it.

The use of stimulants to treat increasingly younger children became an epic proportion issue in the medical community when in 2000 “Trends in the Prescribing of Psychotropic Medications to Preschoolers,” was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In examining psychotropic drug prescription rates for 2-to4 yr olds in three geodiverse graphically Medicaid programs, this report found that between 1991 and 1995 the prevalence of Ritalin tripled in two regions and increased by 170% in a third. Dr. Lawrence Diller writes “Running On Ritalin” to sound an alarm saying the ‘explosion in Ritalin’ occurred in 1991 for the use in children.

Marked by deep seeded ambiguities, it is hard to determine just how the medical systems and educational systems got foothold to bullying parents into placing their children on Riatlin, (Meth) —at the point of entering the schools. By 2001 PBS produced “Med-

icating Kids” a FRONTLINE investigation into the rapidly growing use of psychoactive drugs for children.

By 2002 New York State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz stated that: “Under my legislation, schools will not be able to scare parents into administering pyschotropic drugs to their children.” This legislation had already been introuduced in Texas, California and Virginia. At the heart of these Bills was a growing concern for guidance teachers, counselors and other school staffers who pushed Ritalin to control hyperactive, disruptive and distracted students. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) is now sorting through the millions, first diagnosed as children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)... now among the ever more rising need to administer Disability Assistance to this massive population as ADULTS of Mental Illness.

“Knowledge is Biblical.

Education is not.” Seeing Education as, first... Legislation.

But, ’The real that a nation with so many Colleges and Universities; not just in it’s most urban cities but also it’s remotest of townships. My excitement is up right now officially enrolled in a Vanderbilt University course “The Underground Railroad” which is a Monday evening starting January 9.

Reach out by email: myfathersmansion press@gmail.com

Faithful utterances Cycles we experience

by Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew It’s the holiday season, a time of happiness, family and sharing time with those we love. Yet, there is such a dichotomy going on at the same time. I had a few minutes to scroll through Facebook to witness this occurring: I saw graduations, births of babies, and celebrations. I also saw the announcement of deaths, hospitalizations, and illnesses as well. How can both of these realities exist at the same time?

The reality is that life is filled with polar opposites existing at the same time. It can be disorienting to balance between moments of happiness and sadness. We accept these differences in relationships of people being diametrically opposite but it’s often hard for us to see this in our existence. It’s important that when we endure these experiences that we are grounded. Otherwise, we can become off balanced.

When we fail to remain centered, our balance is skewed, and it can be easy to get hurt or hurt others because we have lost our footing.

Sometimes in life, we are hit with moments that knock us off our feet. It’s important to realize that if we keep moving, we can hurt ourselves. It’s okay to stop, acknowledge the pain and take a break, if necessary, to recuperate.

For many of us, we continue to fall, remain off-balance and lose our center because we don’t ask for help. You don’t have to do this life alone.

Life isn’t’ fair or easy.

God never said it would

be. Good times and tough times co-exist.

“For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike,” Matthew 5:45, CSB. The Bible reminds us that life has cycles that we must pay attention to: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace,” Ecclesiastes 3:18.

Recognizing this doesn’t make it easier, but it does help us to center our hope not in ourselves but in an allknowing Father who is there throughout every season. God knew from the beginning of time that these experiences would be a part of our journey. It is our hope, our faith, and love that will keep us afloat when the storms hit us and rest assured, they will. We hold on to these scriptures to guide us through, to center us and help our balance even when we are shaky: • "So we fix our eyes

Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal," 2 Corinthians 4:18.

• "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer," Romans 12:12.

• "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will not be shaken," Psalm 62:5-6.

It’s inevitable that we will experience change in our lives from joy to grief. It’s important to know what is anchoring you through those moments. No matter the season, take God with you so that you can stand even when the storm is strong. Remember, that despite the joy that the holidays bring for many are also a time of pain for others. Be kind, patient, consistent in checking in, offer love and support. Many need this right now.

(Dr. Froswa’ BookerDrew is the host of the Tapestry podcast and the author of three books for women. She is also the vice president of Community Affairs for the State Fair of Texas.

To learn more, visit , <drfroswa.com>.)

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December 30, 2022

Expressions of faith Discipline

by Bishop-elect Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. Ever since man’s fall in the Garden of Eden, sin has come into existence in man’s life.

Man’s efforts to fill the void and direct his life has failed to meet his deepest desires. Man in his quest to find life has also failed to satisfy the God who created mankind in His own image.

God has faithfully revealed the right way to live, but mankind’s desire is the wrong ways to live life. This is why man’s quest to find life has failed. So let us look at the three ways mankind chooses to live.

There are three different ways one can choose to live.

1) Asceticism, which is people’s effort to please God by strict selfdenial. People who practice this self-denial, hope to gain merits with God by depriving themselves of spiritual reasoning.

They are denying the rightfulness of what God has created for man’s good—to live holy and right before God. To them this is a foolish way to live—working each day to live right and holy before God. No, a lifetime of asceticism is not what I will do—knowing that it can-

not bring fulfillment or acceptance of God. 2) Undisciplined life is the second way people try to find fulfillment.

This is the opposite of asceticism. It allows whatever feels good to happen now. People think they can believe and act as they please without consequences.

Such living is a choice to forget God. God does not matter at this time. It obviously does not satisfy the soul, because it constantly requires something new and different all the time because being without God is not fulfilling.

Observe the recreation of man and the commercialism of this world and you will see that mankind is not satisfied.

Something else is needed for their life besides God. 3) Christian discipleship is the right way to live, which is the way of God. Jesus taught that Christian discipleship is the way to live. “Then said Jesus to His disciples, if any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life will lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake will find it. For what is a man profited, if he should

Bishop-elect Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Or what should a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He will reward every man according to his works,” Matthew 16:24-27.

First, we must repent of all our sins and trust in Jesus for salvation.

Jesus will be our Lord and King. We will live for Him because we love Him, and we need His saving power. We will deny ourselves sinful ways for His glory, not for merits. We will serve Christ, not ourselves, as we exercise the gifts He gives us. God’s way will satisfy our soul both now and in eternity.

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and all His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” Matthew 6:33.

What life will you live—a life that will please God or a life that will please mankind?

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

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 Church of Scientology & 615-329-2779 Celebrity Centre Sunday School @ 8:45am Nashville Sunday Worship @ 1130 8th Ave S 10:00am Nashville, TN 37203 Studies: Monday Bible 615-687-4600 Thursday @ 6pm; 7 days a week Wednes days @ 12 noon with Service every gordonmemorialumc.org Sunday at 11AM Rev. Dr. Paula B. Smith, scientologyPastor ccnashville.org Senior Pastor: Rev. Brian Fesler Jefferson Street MBC 2708 Jefferson Street Clark Memorial Nashville TN 37208 United Methodist 615-329-2990 Church Morning Worship: 1014 14th Ave. North 10 a.m.

Nashville, TN 37208 Rev. Aaron X. Marble, Ph: (615) 329-4464 pastor FAX: (615) 321-0975 Sunday Worship: John Wesley UMC 8:00 a.m./10:45 a.m.

901 Benton Avenue Herbert Lester, Jr.,pastor clarkumcnashville.org 615-298-2019 Sunday worship Cleveland 8am/11am Street MBC Daniel M. Hayes, Sr. 608 Cleveland Street pastor Nashville, TN 37207 jwesleyumc@ 615-227-1149 bellsouth.net Sunday Worship: http://jwesleyumc.org/ 10:45 a.m./9:15 Church School Lake Providence MBC clevelandstreet 5891 Nolensville Pike baptist@comcast.net Nashville, TN 37211 www.clevelandstreet baptistchurch.com (615) 833-5539 Dr. Donald Snead, pastor Sunday worship: 8am/11am Corinthian Missionary Rev. H. Bruce Maxwell, Baptist Church pastor 819 33rd Avenue N. Nashville, TN 37209 The Living Word (615) 977-6855 International Church Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

5100 Wyoming Ave. Sunday Worship Nashville, TN 37209 11:00 a.m.

615-297-7437 Wed. Worship: 7:30 PM Worship Times: Rev. Enoch Fuzz, pastor 11:00 a.m. 7 p.m.

Ezra Emmanuel (1st & 2nd Sun.) Ministries Bishop Adebanjo 2606 Union Hall Rd. thelivingwordcogic.com Clarksville, TN 37040 www.ezraemmanuel Mt. Lebanon MBC min.org 222 Franklin Lime 9 a.m. Sunday worship Stone Rd. 6 p.m. Wednesday 11:00 a.m.

Hr of Empowerment worship service 931-378-1092 615-596-0456 Overseer Danelle M. jamesgreen@yahoo.com Stephens Rev. James J. Green, Gospel United pastor Missionary Baptist Church Mt. Vernon MBC 3700 Fairview Dr. 1022 New Nashville, TN 37218 Providence Pass 615-876-7022 Madison, TN 37115 9:30 Sunday School Sunday Worship 11 a.m.

Sunday Worship: 615-860-0213 11:00 a.m.

Bishop Willie Joy, pastor Pastor Carlos A. Jones 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

December 30, 2022

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Page 7

The Sporting Year in Review 2022

By Cass Teague This is a quick look at some headlines of 2022 in sports. For more about each, please look online at the official PRIDE website.

Titans. Began the year losing in the playoffs 19-16 to eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati at home. This season, they went to a division-leading 7-3, lost five consecutive losses (at press time), to 7-8, and might not make the playoffs. Their game at Jacksonville January 8 will decide; a win gets the AFC South and hosting a playoff game the following weekend; a loss ends their season.

TSU. Volleyball won their conference for the first time, and they played in the NCAA Football tournament. suffered a dismal 4-7 (23) season under 2 nd year coach Eddie George, now 9-13. Basketball Men are currently 8-5 ; Women are currently 5-6 this season, at press time.

Fisk. Their new gymnastics team, the first HBCU Intercollegiate Women's Artistic Gymnastics Team, competes in NCAA Division I starting in January.

Predators. Finished 45-30-7, lost in the playoffs first round; 14-13-5, 6th in the Central division at press time.

High Schools. PearlCohn and East made it to the state football finals.

(top row l-r) The Tennessee Titans have two African American quarterbacks on their roster now, Malik Willis and former UT star Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs was signed on December 21, 2022, coming from the Detroit Lions practice squad, Eddie George (left) and Deion Sanders have met coaching their teams twice in the Southern Heritage Classic, and Brittney Griner missed the 2022 WNBA season being wrongly imprisoned in Russia, (bottom row l-r) Serena Williams has retired from pro tennis as the undisputed greatest of all time, Bill Russell being awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama at the White House, February 2011. The legendary NBA All-Star died on July 31, 2022, Russell Wilson (left) and Lewis Hamilton (right) at a Formula 1 event, and Fisk University gymnastics coach and athletic director Corinne Tarver.

East won their state bas- in March in a massive Ohio State at 7 pm CST, tion, Mission 44, with 20 (MEAC) beat the Jackketball championship. trade. He signed a five- after #2 Michigan faces million pounds (about son State University World Cup. Argenti- year, $245 million con- #3 TCU at 3 pm Satur- $24 million U.S.) to help Tigers (SWAC), in Deion na beat France in the tract. At press time, the day, December 31. Win- people from under-repre- Sanders” final game final; Lionel Messi team is 4-11, last in the ners play Monday, Janu- sented groups. before he left for the scored twice.

AFC West. ary 9, 2023 at 6:30 pm.

Soccer. U.S. Wom- University of Colorado.

Broncos. The NFL Tennis.

Serena F1. Broncos owner ens Soccer settled their The “Prime Effect.” franchise has the most Williams announced her Sir Lewis Carl Davidson lawsuit in February to At JSU, coach Deion fascinating ownership “evolution away from Hamilton, MBE strug- ensure equal pay for “Prime Time” Sanders team in sports -- Sir tennis” / retirement. gled through the worst male and female players. elevated the HBCU and Lewis Hamilton, ConNBA. Golden State season of his F1 racing CBB. Kansas Jay- its football and academic doleeza Rice, Melody Warriors won the cham- career. The only black hawks won the NCAA schools’ visibility and Hobson (wife of George pionship. driver ever in Formula Division I men’s champi- desirability. For his Lucas), and three memWNBA. The Las One has seven world onship; South Carlina immeasurable impact bers of Sam Walton's Vegas Aces beat the Con- championships and Gamecocks the women’s making HBCUs more family, who paid $4.65 necticut Sun. numerous records (most Champions. significant in mainstream billion for the team in CFB. Defending wins, pole positions, Celebration Bowl. culture, he will always August. The team had NCAA FBS champion podium finishes, etc.). North Carolina Central be appreciated and celeacquired Russell Wilson #1 Georgia faces #4 He endowed his founda- University Eagles brated.

10 best films of 2022 Franco Harris, Steeler knew?

She Said (***1/2) The #MeToo movement and its ramifications are on view in this powerful feminist ode.

Screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewiz and the very astute director Maria Shrader retrace the steps New York Times journalists Jodie Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) took to investigate the Harvey Weinstein allegations. It’s a journey of discovery that’s ty breaks hearts. Glee- consistently awe-inspirby Dwight Brown, Film critic for Dwight son’s relentless vitriol ing. The reporters help BrownInk.com, NNPA shocks. Kerry Condon witnesses and victims of as Pádraic’s concerned Weinstein’s sexual abuse News Wire and Barry coalesce and make damCall it a comeback! sister In 2022 the movie indus- Keoghan as the court aging public accusations try roared back with jester and son of an abu- with taut editing and high-quality films, stel- sive father add to the powerful acting. It’s a lar performances and excellent ensemble act- thriller, a cautionary tale great artistry. For the ing. Evocative cine- and a day of reckoning record, movie theaters matography and a gor- for one of the movie aren’t dead yet and geous score make this is industry's biggest bulstreaming is a part of the a spellbinding men- lies. equation and not the gone-wrong fable.

Till (****) Black Panther: Wakwhole picture.

The very savvy Check out the best in anda Forever (****) director Chinonye ChukLeave it to filmmak- wu and brilliant co-writcinema in 2022. Enjoy. er extraordinaire Ryan ers Michael Reilly and Best Feature Films Avatar: The Way of Coogler to find the most Keith Beauchamp have compelling way to respectfully turned the Water (****) A human turned respect the demise of the tragic death of Emmett avatar and his family first Black Panther and Till into a galvanizing Chadwick story of courage. The era flee from an elite team eulogize of soldiers. They find Boseman. Both their and places are meticurefuge in an ocean- souls live on in this lously recreated. The bound territory among ingenious and beautiful most gruesome aspects amazing sea creatures. (cinematographer Aut- of the incident are wiseWriter/director James umn Durald Arkapaw) ly recollected off camCameron and his tech sequel that invites era. It’s a choice only crew have taken the art Mesoamerican warriors filmmakers with the of fantasy film to a new into the mix. Angel Bas- greatest sensitively for level. Nothing you’ve sett owns the screen. the subject, family and screened previously (not Tenoch Huerta Mejía viewers would make. even the first Avatar) can introduces a dynamic Till’s murder sparked a prepare you for the element. And Letitia new era in the civil images you will see, Wright holds it down as rights movement and journey you’ll take and the legend of the African stirring performances by feelings that will enve- king becomes an immor- Danielle Deadwyler as lope you. The most visu- tal spirt.

Mami and Jalyn Hall, as A Jazzman’s Blues her sweet son, keep that ally astounding film of (***1/2) the year. history alive.

Tyler Perry tucked The Banshees of Top Gun: Maverick away his light comedy (***/12) Inisherin (****) Best friends in an sensibility to create a Tom Cruise single isolated village on a serious work of art. Two handedly carries the star-crossed weight of this gigantic small Irish isle go young, through a rough patch. lovers (Joshua Boone, action/drama. As a top Colm (Brendan Glee- Solea Pfeiffer) in the naval aviator pushing son) decides Pádraic deep south try to weath- 60-years-old, his charac(Colin Farrell) is dumb er all the complications ter Maverick trains the and beneath him. Colm: of racism. next generation of fightBut can’t. Perry takes er pilots, and it isn’t “I just don’t like you anymore!” Things go this fated notion to the easy. Director Joseph awry, escalating into an highest level with a Kosinski’s (TRON: abusive, emotional psy- complex and melan- Legacy) and cinematogcholic script that is com- rapher Claudio Miranchological war.

Writer/director Mar- plimented by exquisite da’s (Life of Pi) make tin McDonagh magically music, art direction, pro- the footage’s daring aercrafts a toxic bromance duction design, cos- ial displays stunning. for the ages—layered, tumes and cinematograA multi-ethnic young perceptive, simple and phy. Adult romantic cast breathes new life oafish. It’s a bitter tale melodramas don’t get into a 30-year-old premthat heads down an much better than this. ise. Miles Teller, Monica increasingly macabre No wrinkles. No mis- Babaro, Manny Jacinto takes. Perry the consum- Raymond Lee and Jay path.

Farrell’s vulnerabili- mate auteur? Who Ellis (Insecure) shine.

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who caught ‘immaculate reception,’ dies

by Will Graves PITTSBURGH, Penn. (AP) — The ball fluttered in the air and all but one of the 22 players on the Three Rivers Stadium turf on that cold December day 50 years ago essentially stopped.

Franco Harris never did.

The Pittsburgh Steelers running back kept right on going, the instincts that carried him through his life both on and off the field during his Hall of Fame career taking over, shifting the perception of a moribund franchise and a reeling region in the process.

The Steelers rarely won before his arrival in 1972. The moment his shoe-top grab eternally known as the ‘immaculate reception’ entered the lexicon, they rarely lost.

Harris, whose headsup thinking authored the most iconic play in NFL history, has died. He was 72. Harris’ son, Dok, told The Associated Press on December 21 that his father died overnight. No cause of death was given.

His death comes two days before the 50th anniversary of the play that provided the jolt that helped transform the Steelers from also-rans into the NFL’s elite, and three days before Pittsburgh was scheduled to retire his No. 32 during a ceremony at halftime of its game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Harris had been busy in the run-up to the celebration, doing media interviews Monday to talk about a moment to which he is forever linked.

“It is difficult to find the appropriate words to describe Franco Harris’ impact on the Pittsburgh Steelers, his teammates, the city of Pittsburgh and Steelers Nation,” team President Art Rooney II said in a statement. “From his rookie season, which included the ‘immaculate reception,’ through the next 50 years, Franco brought joy to people on and off the field. He never stopped giving back in so many ways. He touched so many, and he was loved by so many.”

Even in retirement, Harris remained a fixture in the community and a team whose standard of excellence began with a young kid from New Jersey who saw the ball in

Pittsburgh Steelers' Franco Harris (32) eludes a tackle by Oakland Raiders' Jimmy Warren as he runs 42-yards for a touchdown after catching a deflected pass during an AFC Divisional NFL football playoff game in Pittsburgh on Dec. 23, 1972. Harris died on Wednesday morning, Dec. 21, 2022, at age 72, just two days before the 50th anniversary of the ‘immaculate reception’. (AP photo by Harry Cabluck, file) the air and kept on run- 45, then outracing several ning. It wasn’t uncom- stunned Raider defenders mon for Harris to stop by to give the Steelers their the Steelers’ practice first playoff victory some decades after facility to chat with play- four ers who weren’t even founder Art Rooney, Sr. born before his fateful brought the still-fledgling NFL to western Pennsylplay.

“I just admire and vania.

“That play really replove the man,” Coach Mike Tomlin said. resents our teams of the “There’s so much to be ’70s,” Harris said after the learned from him in terms ‘immaculate reception’ of how he conducted him- was voted the greatest self, how he embraced the play in the league’s first responsibilities of being 100 years in 2020.

Though the Raiders Franco for Steeler Nation, for this community. He cried foul in the moment, embraced it all and did it over time they somewhat with such grace and class embraced their role in and patience and time for NFL lore. Oakland linebacker Phil Villapiano, people.”

Harris ran for 12,120 who was covering Harris yards and won four Super on the play, even attended Bowl rings with the Steel- a 40th anniversary celeers in the 1970s, a bration of the play in dynasty that began in 2012, when a small monearnest when Harris ument commemorating decided to keep running the exact location of Harduring a last-second ris’ catch was unveiled. heave by Pittsburgh quar- Villapiano still plans to terback Terry Bradshaw attend Saturday night’s in a playoff game against jersey retirement ceremony for his former rivalOakland in 1972.

With Pittsburgh trail- turned-friend, and is just ing 7-6 and facing fourth- fine with the mystery that and-10 from its own 40- still surrounds what actuyard line and 22 seconds ally happened at 3:29 pm remaining in the fourth on Dec. 23, 1972.

“There’s so many quarter, Bradshaw drifted back and threw deep to angles and so many running back Frenchy things. Nobody will ever Fuqua. Fuqua and Oak- figure that out,” Villapiland defensive back Jack ano said. “Let’s let it go Tatum collided, sending on forever.”

While the Steelers fell the ball careening back toward midfield in the the next week to Miami in direction of Harris. Game the AFC championship, officials weren’t sure who Pittsburgh was on its way deflected the pass; replays to becoming the dominant team of the 1970s, were inconclusive.

While nearly every- twice winning back-toone else on the field back Super Bowls, first stopped, Harris kept his after the 1974 and 1975 legs churning, snatching seasons and again after the ball just inches above the 1978 and 1979 the turf near the Oakland seasons.

Page 8

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December 30, 2022

Another boost in the fight against hunger Supporting community wellness and doubling employee donations.

Bank of America proudly continues to support our employees’ health and safety while addressing food insecurity in our local communities, which typically spikes during the winter months.

Our employees are taking action to support the important work of our local food banks. For those who let us know they’ve received a coronavirus booster and/or a flu shot, we’ll donate $50 for each to a local hunger relief organization. In addition, employees can double the impact of their personal donations to fight hunger with our matching gifts program. Through these efforts, we’ll donate more than $8 million to address food insecurity in our local communities.

The team here in Nashville recently presented Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee with a check for $30,000. This contribution is in addition to our long-standing philanthropic support to help fight hunger and food insecurity across the country. We are proud to be able to help our community as we work together to move forward.

Tyson Moore President, Bank of America Nashville

What would you like the power to do?® Learn more at bankofamerica.com/nashville

Donations in each market reflect $50 per employee who has recorded their booster, $50 per employee who has recorded a flu shot and an additional company contribution. Vaccination boosters and vaccination reporting are voluntary. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. © 2022 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.