Nashville PRIDE April 28, 2023

Vuyani Dance Theatre at OZ Arts Nashville

See page 2

People Are Talking

Facebook pays $725M to users in privacy settlement

MNPS honors teachers, employees and principals

See page 8

T itans’ stadium receives final approval from Metro Council

April 26,

1 2 T h e

2 6

o Nashville Sports Authority, the owner and landlord of both the current and new stadium unanimously approved the stadium agreement on April 4

The New York Times reports that a settlement administrator has launched a claims website where claimants may enter their information for payment via bank transfer, Venmo or another service

The size of the compensation will depend on how many people file valid claims and how long each applicant used Facebook during the period covered by the complaint although it is expected to be quite small

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e a r t i c l e claimants will split the reward, with the longer-term users receiving a more significant portion

Furthermore the Times reported that Facebook stood accused, along with data and political cons u l t i n g b u s i n e s s C a m b r i d g e Analytica of exchanging user data or allowing it to be accessible to third parties without users permission I n a d d i t i o n t h e l a w s u i t claimed that Facebook did not keep tabs on how third parties used the information

Meta denies any liability or wrongdoing” and asserts that “as many as 87 million users primarily in the United States, may have had their information improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 election

In one of the biggest data thefts in Facebook s history in 2018 Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed the private information of millions of users, according to t h e p u b l i c a t i o n t r i g g e r i n g t h e lengthy lawsuit

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e p a p e r s reporting, Cambridge Analytica exploited the data stolen from Facebook to compile detailed profiles of millions of American voters It made it possible for the firm t o p r o v i d e s u p p o r t t o f o r m e r P r e s i d e n t Tr u m p s 2 0 1 6 c a mpaign I f a v a l i d c l a i m a n t h a s a n active Facebook account, they will receive one point every month

To determine the amount of money available for each point, the settlement administrator will reportedly add the total points a s s i g n e d t o a l l c l a i m a n t s a n d divide that number by the net sett l e m e n t a m o u n t , $ 7 2 5 m i l l i o n minus administrative costs and other fees ”

Each beneficiary will receive

“For more than 25 years, Nashville, Tennessee, has been the Titans’ home, and with the approval of the new stadium agreement, we are grateful to know the Titans will be a part of this great city and state for decades to come said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk “I remember the early days of our time here feeling all the promise and opportunity ahead, and I feel that same enthusiasm and excitement again today We are thankful for the support of Mayor Cooper, Metro Council, the Sports Authority, the state of Tennessee and most importantly the people of Nashville and Tennessee as we all embark on this new chapter together ”

The stadium agreement includes a new 30-year lease and non-relocation agreement between the Titans and the

Rendering of the new Titans stadium scheduled to open in 2027 The stadium was approved by the Metro Nashville Council 26-12 (photo courtesy of Tennessee Titans)

Sports Authority The terms of the new agreement remove the current obligation of Nashville s General Fund to maintain and upgrade the stadium and returns 66 acres of land to the city of

parking lots through 2039 The city has

n n o u n c e d p l a n s t o i n c l u d e t h e returned property in the creation of a

Entertainment icon and human rights activist Harry Belafonte dies at 96

96 His publicist confirmed that the beloved icon died of congestive heart failure at his home in New York

In addition to his children Adrienne B e l a f o n t e B i e s e m e y e r, S h a r i B e l afonte Gina Belafonte David Belafonte and two stepchildren Sarah Frank and L i n d s e y F r a n k , B e l a f o n t e l e a v e s behind eight grandchildren including: Rachel Blue Biesemeyer Brian Biesemeyer, Maria Belafonte McCray, Sarafina Belafonte, Amadeus Belafonte, Mateo Frank Olive Scanga and Zoe Frank

n e w n e i g h b o r h o o d s e t a l o n g Nashville’s Cumberland River The neighborhood through new revenue sources generated by its development, is projected to bring in over a billion dollars to Nashville s General Fund over its first 30 years of development

Continued on page 5

Pres. Biden’s re-election announcement tests resolve of Black voters

H a r r y B e l a f o n t e a t t h e Vi e n n a International Film Festival 2011 ( p h o t o b y M a n f re d We r n e r, Wikimedia Commons)

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire

senior national correspondent

Renowned singer, actor, producer and legendary civil rights trailblazer, Harry Belafonte has died at the age of

Known globally for both for his artistic ingenuity and humanitarian ideals, Belafonte became an early, vocal supporter of the Civil Rights Movement a confidant of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr and financial backer of countless historic political and social causes and events including the antiApartheid Movement, equal rights for w o m e n , j u v e n i l e j u s t i c e , c l i m a t e c h a n g e a n d t h e d e c o l o n i z a t i o n o f Africa

Continued on page 5

‘Tennessee Three’ meet with Biden, Harris at White House

M a n y B l a c k v o t e r s q u e s t i o n w h e t h e r B i d e n s h o u l d b e t h e nominee

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national

correspondent

The news that President Joe Biden is seeking re-election has many curious about how well he will perform among African American voters

According to the results of a recent poll conducted by TheGrio and KFF, Black people had a positive opinion of both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris There remains some debate among Black Americans about whether or not they will support Biden for president in 2024

According to the results of the poll of 1 000 Black voters who were registered between August 24, 2022, and September 5, 2022, 69% of respondents were pleased with Biden s performance

W h e n a s k e d w h e t h e r t h e

House Democratic Caucus members Reps Gloria Johnson Justin Jones and Justin Pearson (affectionately known as the Tennessee Three) visited with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss their commitment to banning assault weapons and standing up for democratic values

e m o c r a t s s h o u l d s e l e c t s o m e o n e other than Biden in the next presidential election, 58% of Black voters answered that they would rather see another candidate run than Biden

Continued on page 5

by Wanda Clay

tasks, we somet i m e s d o n ’t n o t i c e s o m e o f t h e s i m p l e t h i n g s A t a c e r t a i n time in age we may develop a few ailments that cause a bit of difficulty in going through a routine day Nevertheless, it can be muddled through until we get used to that new routine or method It may take a little longer to get out of bed to rise from a chair or walk across the room, but we make the adjustments without possibly r e a l i z i n g t h e c h a n g e for quite a while

When Rev Enoch F u z z , p a s t o r o f Corinthian Missionary B a p t i s t C h u r c h , w a s diagnosed with stage fo u r lu n g can cer h e was met with a myriad of challenges to ordinary routine tasks This journey quickly made him realize how simple t h i n g s a r e t a k e n f o r g r a n t e d Ye t h e i s grateful for also knowing the blessing that comes with change and is careful not to take for granted those who consistently help He made this state-

ment:

“When people are sick they need other p e o p l e , ” s a i d R e v F u z z “ I ' m b l e s s e d b e y o n d m e a s u r e t o h a v e m y t r e m e n d o u s c h u r c h m e m b e r s a n d my sisters who drive from Memphis twice a month to assist their brother They do the chores that I'm not able to do because of the side effects of my illn e s s s i m p l e t h i n g s l i k e c l e a n i n g h o u s e , w a s h i n g c l o t h e s a n d c o o k i n g T h e n m y church members who c o m e t h r e e d a y s a week to make the bed, supply clean linens and take out trash All these are simple things but things I'm not able to p e r f o r m b e c a u s e o f s h o r t n e s s o f b r e a t h , m u s c l e s p a s m s o r s w e l l i n g s i m p l e t hings like going to the grocery store or making sure you take proper medicine They even e n c o u r a g e a n d m o t ivate me to try I know first-hand the importance of support systems

We t a k e s i m p l e tasks for granted like t a k i n g a s h o w e r o r making up the bed etc B u t w h e n y o u c a n ' t

breathe just putting on a pair of pants becomes impossible ”

W h i l e R e v F u z z c o n t i n u e s t o b a t t l e other ills in association with his cancer diagnosis he remains diligent in trying to do all that he can in spite of the difficulties He continues to pray and encoura g e t h e c o m m u n i t y t h r o u g h s h a r i n g h i s j o u r n e y o f u p s a n d downs’ and all the ‘inbetweens ’ along with the simple little things and the big things associated with his life and living with stage four lung cancer

T h o s e b i g t h i n g s a r e r e c o g n i z i n g t h e e n d l e s s b l e s s i n g s o f care and love

K e e p p r a y i n g f o r Rev Fuzz in his health a n d h e a l i n g P r a y, share and be encouraged by his postings, a l o n g w i t h w e e k l y r e a d i n g s o f C a n c e r : My Journey in Time ’

Mayor John Cooper launches heat mapping website and sustainability resources to celebrate Earth Day 2023

by Cass Teague One of South Afr-

i c a ’s m o s t c e l e b r a t e d artists director/choreogr a p h e r G r e g o r y M a qo m a i s t h r i l l i n g a u d iences around the world with this powerful new d a n c e a n d l i v e m u s i c p r o d u c t i o n G r e g o r y Maqoma s Vuyani Dan c e T h e a t r e ( S o u t h Africa) performs Cion: R e q u i e m o f R a v e l s Boléro Thursday, May 4 through Saturday May 6 at 8 PM each evening at OZ Arts Nashville, 6172 C o c k r i l l B e n d C i r c l e Tickets start at only $25 T h e a w a r d - w i n n i n g theatrical experience is carried by the transform a t i v e s i n g i n g o f a n African gospel quartet and features a rousing live score based on the s t i r r i n g h a r m o n i e s o f I s i c a t h a m i y a a n a capella style originating from the Zulu people Inspired by the writings of South African novelist Zakes Mda and Maurice Ravel s legendary composition, the work w eav es a n arrativ e o f greed power and communal mourning

The hauntingly complex and percussive perf o r m a n c e i s s e t i n a graveyard, following a designated mourner as he navigates the tension o f a p o s t - A p a r t h e i d South Africa Maqoma has described the production as “celebratory

o f o u r h u m a n e x p e r ience and a ritual to free the souls of “those w h o h a v e d e p a r t e d those who were taken f r o m t h e c o n t i n e n t through slavery” so that they may find peace “I’m thrilled to welc o m e 1 7 r e m a r k a b l e g u e s t s f r o m S o u t h Africa next week,” says Mark Murphy, OZ Arts

E x e c u t i v e & A r t i s t i c D i r e c t o r T h e b r e a t h -

t a k i n g m u s i c i a n s a n d

d a n c e r s o f Vu y a n i

Dance Theater are the last visiting artists of our 10th season our most international (and most

p o p u l a r ) y e a r e v e r !

Since all of our recent

e v e n t s h a v e s o l d o u t

I m writing to make sure

y o u g e t t i c k e t s i n a d v a n c e f o r t h e p e rf o r m a n c e I m m o s t e x c i t e d a b o u t : S o u t h

A f r i c a n c h o r e o g r a p h e r a n d d i r e c t o r G r e g o r y M a q o m a ' s C i o n : R e q u i e m o f R a v e

ESTATE SALES/ VEHICLES/REAL ESTATE

Have you thought about an auction?

“Most money in the shortest time” 1-877-292-6611 or 1-615-292-6619

“The urgent threat of c l i m a t e c h a n g e h a s made all of us familiar with the threat of urban heat and other extreme w e a t h e r e v e n t s E d u cating residents on these topics is a big part of how to both mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change It is fundamental to our city’s l o n g - t e r m e c o n o m i c s u c c e s s s a i d M a y o r

Cooper I n t h e U S , h e a t waves harm more people than all other meteorological hazards comb i n e d a n d d i s p r o p o rtionately affect commun i t i e s o f c o l o r I n N a s h v i l l e c l i m a t e change is predicted to

w o r s e n e x t r e m e h e a t m o r e t h a n a n y o t h e r weather threat N a s h v i l l e ’s H e a t

Impacts StoryMap aims to raise awareness about the issue of heat risk

Specific features of the S t o r y M a p i n c l u d e a n explanation of the urban heat island effect results o f t h e S u m m e r 2 0 2 2 heat mapping campaign, maps of the warmest and most socially vulnerable a r e a s i n N a s h v i l l e , a c t i o n s r e s i d e n t s a n d p r o p e r t y o w n e r s c a n take to reduce heat risk, a n d a c t i o n s M e t r o Departments are taking i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h community partners to reduce heat effects

The StoryMap also includes a survey that will give the city a better u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f r e s id e n t s ’ p e r c e p t i o n s o f heat risk and behavior

d u r i n g e x t r e m e h e a t events

The Story Map can be accessed at www stor y m a p s a r c g i s c o m / s t ories/16fd1aafa83e423ba 0ddf3ed110b068f Cooper is also releasing a Family Sustaina b i l i t y A c t i o n P l a n d e v e l o p e d b y h i s Sustainability Advisory C o m m i t t e e T h i s r e so u r c e a i m s t o e n g a g e and encourage families and households to make Nashville a more healthy, resilient, and sustainable city by reducing g r e e n h o u s e g a s e m i ss i o n s T h e F a m i l y S u s t a i n a b i l i t y A c t i o n Plan includes a carbon footprint calculator and s t e p s h o u s e h o l d s c a n t a k e t o r e d u c e t h e i r impact The action plan a n d r e l a t e d r e s o u r c e s

Continued on page 5

NASHVillE P*R*i*D*E

2022 Nashville heat mapping

Anchors away! Tucker Carlson out at Fox; Don lemon fired from CNN

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national

correspondent

Tw o c o n t r o v e r s i a l news anchors at competing cable networks are out of jobs

F o x N e w s h a s announced it has severed t i e s w i t h r a c e - b a i t i n g a n d M A G A s u p p o r t e r Tucker Carlson just one week after the network settled a defamation suit f o r $ 7 8 7 5 m i l l i o n i n p a r t b e c a u s e C a r l s o n joined others in promoti n g t h e B i g L i e t h a t i n c l u d e d c l a i m s t h a t Dominion voting machines were fraudulent

D o m i n i o n h a d a ll e g e d t h a t s t a t e m e n t s made on Carlson s show after the 2020 election were defamatory T h e c o m p a n y claimed that messages between Carlson and his t e a m w e r e p r o o f t h a t t h e y k n e w c l a i m s D o m i n i o n ’s b a l l o tcounting machines were used to manipulate the presidential election in favor of Democrat Joe Biden were false “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” Fox News said in the

Don Lemon

statement

The company did not offer an explanation for Carlson s departure

At CNN, Don Lemon a n n o u n c e d o n Tw i t t e r M o n d a y t h a t h e w a s absolutely “stunned” by the network’s decision to fire him Lemon’s termination comes during a year in w h i c h t h e l o n g t i m e anchor and host repeatedly has run into controversy In February, Lemon startled viewers and cohosts when he implied t h a t G O P p r e s i d e n t i a l candidate Nikki Haley, 51 was past her prime

Earlier, Haley made c o m m e n t s s u g g e s t i n g that political candidates

News readers abandoning Facebook, Twitter in ‘Back to the Future’ moment for media

over 75 should submit to m e n t a l c o m p e t e n c y t e s t s , r e m a r k s L e m o n and co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins didn t appear to agree with “Nikki Haley isn’t in h e r p r i m e , s o r r y, Lemon said “When a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s ” P r i m e f o r w h a t ? Harlow said

L e m o n t h e n c h a llenged his colleagues to Google when a woman is past her prime

H a r l o w p r o v i d e d L e m o n w i t h a n o u t , o ff e r i n g t h a t h e m a y h a v e b e e n r e f e r e n c i n g childbearing years “ D o n ’t s h o o t t h e messenger I m just saying what the facts are,” Lemon said “Google it ” I n M a r c h a s t o r y published by Variety liste d a l l e g a t i o n s a g a i n s t Lemon that he mistreated female colleagues at CNN “ I a m s t u n n e d ” Lemon wrote After 17 years at CNN I would have thought someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly ”

Ar my removing Confederate name of V irginia Fort to honor Black heroes

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire

senior national correspondent F o r t L e e , Vi rg i n i a , named in honor of Confederate General Robert E Lee, will take on a new name that honors two Black Army trailblazers The fort will honor Lt Gen Arthur Gregg a n d L t C o l C h a r i t y Adams, the U S Army said in a statement on April 25 re-designation ceremony was held April 27 honoring the two Black officers whom officials said excelled in the field o f s u s t a i n m e n t a n d made significant marks in U S Army history

Lt Gen Gregg rose from the rank of private t o t h r e e - s t a r g e n e r a l d u r i n g h i s m i l i t a r y logistics career, which began just after WWII and spanned nearly 36 years, the release noted Gregg 94 will be the o n l y l i v i n g p e r s o n i n modern Army history to h a v e a n i n s t a l l a t i o n named after him

Lt Col Adams was the first Black officer in t h e Wo m e n s A r m y A u x i l i a r y C o r p s ( l a t e r known as the Women’s Army Corps) in World War II and led the first

A re-designation ceremony April 27 honored the two Black officers whom officials said excelled in the field of sustainment and made significant marks in U S Army history

p r e d o m i n a t e l y B l a c k

WAC unit to serve overseas: the storied 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

“We are deeply honored to have Lt Gen A r t h u r G r e g g a n d L t Col Charity Adams as the new namesakes for o u r i n s t a l l a t i o n , ” M a j G e n M a r k S i m e r l y commanding general of t h e U S A r m y C o mb i n e d A r m s S u p p o r t C o m m a n d a n d s e n i o r commander of Fort Lee, stated in the release O ff i c i a l s s a i d t h e

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent

At the beginning of the 2000s, some of the most essential ideas in d i g i t a l m e d i a w e r e h o m e p a g e t r a ff i c , blogs, and niche email newsletters

And as the digital news media business starts to turn around again they are the ones t h a t m e d i a o rg a n i z at i o n s a r e l o o k i n g t o m o r e a n d m o r e according to a report from the global news platform Semafor

For the past decade, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have been the virtual front pages of the internet showing a mix of p o p u l a r n e w s a n d whatever articles and v i d e o s s o c i a l a l g or i t h m s t h o u g h t y o u wanted to see

post is one of nine Army i n s t a l l a t i o n s b e i n g r ed e s i g n a t e d i n a c c o rd a n c e w i t h D e f e n s e Department-endorsed recommendations from the congressional Nami n g C o m m i s s i o n t o remove the names symb o l s , d i s p l a y s , m o n uments, and paraphernal i a t h a t c o m m e m o r a t e the Confederate States of America or those who voluntarily served under the C S A C o n g r e s s d i r e c t e d t h e f o r m a t i o n o f t h e

Continued on page 5

Howard Gentry Criminal Court Clerk

Metropolitian Nashville & Davidson County

Expungement Services Available

If you have a criminal record your ability to get employment housing, and possibly education can be hampered by the public record that exists regarding your case

The Metro Nashville Criminal Court Clerk Expungement Service offers residents with criminal histories, the opportunity to have information about arrests, convictions and sentences deleted from Davidson County public records There are specific qualifications that the petitioner must meet to be approved for the expungement of their records

For more information contact the Nashville Criminal Court Clerk's office at 615-862-5601 or go to ccc nashville gov and click on the Services tab

Digital publications popped up to get peop l e ’s a t t e n t i o n a n d money followed in the hopes that the website or the Brooklyn ‘dos and don ts guide could really be this genera-

tion s New York Times or MTV S e m a f o r r e p o r t s that Facebook s sharp turn away from news and the merciful death of blue check Twitter,

For the past decade, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have been the virtual front pages of the internet, showing a mix of p o p u l a r n e w s a n d w h a t e v e r a r t i c l e s a n d videos social algorithms thought you wanted to see Continued on page 5

T rump’s base is dwindling

by William T. Robinson, Jr

Some polls show the P T Barnum circus show (featuring Donald Trump) is dwindling Remember P T Barnum was an American showman and politician, famous for being identified with the slogan There s a sucker born every minute Many people feel that die hard followers of Trump fit that slogan when continuing to follow Donald Trump after he has made it plain and clear that he only loves himself Time and time again, Trump has shown he has no problem throwing his staunchest supporters under the bus Many are quick to conclude that if you still support Trump you shouldn’t be insulted when referred to as a sucker However, you must consider that some people’s strong propensity for hate and racism supersedes their intelligence or ability to make sound decisions

Many of those still supporting Trump and making excuses for his unsavory immoral actions claim they feel he is a savvy politician and they can relate to his political economic views But many would concur that those still supporting Trump lack a moral compass and quite frankly (if the truth was told) see Trump as the last promise of the Great White Hope who will resurrect a bygone time where White supremacy reigned Let’s make no mistake: Trump plays to a White nationalist, racist base grasping at straws to retain dominance over others they see as inferior White lawmakers in rural southern towns and communities know Trump is a joke but fear

William T Robinson, Jr

losing support from many of their constituents reeking of adulterated racism Many of Trumps supporters are southerners with hopes that the south will rise again, led by Trump keeping them loyal to him despite his unscrupulous and immoral demeanor

Believe it or not many of Trump’s White supporters claim to be die hard Christians, leading one to believe that maybe there is another Bible that many are not aware of It is apparent that old, southern White men drenching in the sweat of racism divisiveness and hate are unlikely to change their stripes But many of their young descendants are refusing to carry on their legacy of hate and racism They include young, educated, intelligent conscientious White adults who are no longer prisoners of the lies and practices of their elders who attempt to indoctrinate them to hate and exhibit racism toward others These young White adults are destined to help turn the tide in eradicating hundreds of years of discrimination, degradation, and injustice toward Blacks and people of color

While the moral compass may have subsided or disintegrated for

many older Whites the light of truth and justice is alive and burning bright in many of their children Reality brings about truth, and although White elders herald White supremacy the theory is being challenged by their children The rhetoric many White children are being taught (degrading other races as inferior) is being denounced and challenged Young White children are not buying the lies They are growing up and interacting with their Black peers, whom they see as their equals

Despite attempts to ban the history of Blacks the internet allows young people to fact check the achievements and accomplishments of a people they were taught to be inferior White racists supporting Trump are losing their young White base and the vote in the future will reflect this change

If you are dismissing the attitude and views of our young people, especially young White adults you are a fool

The old regime of old White men dictating racist and bigoted legislation will eventually end This will come about with young people of all races united, going to the polls and voting these old dinosaurs out of office

Those politicians blatantly flaunting racist and divisive rhetoric and practices will end up on the wrong side of history leaving their family a legacy of shame Like it or not, it will be the descendants of staunch racists who will help turn the tide to better this country, making it represent and respect all its people The writing is on the wall

Clarence Thomas does not belong on the Supreme Court

by Svante Myrick (TriceEdneyWire com)

– It s been over 30 years s i n c e J u s t i c e C l a r e n c e

Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court seat once held by the g r e a t T h u rg o o d M a rshall, and it s safe to say that his reputation for u n e t h i c a l b e h a v i o r (which was poor to start w i t h ) h a s o n l y g o t t e n worse W h a t a r e w e s u pposed to think about a justice s career that started with allegations of s e x u a l h a r a s s m e n t , m o v e d o n t o e x t r e m e coziness with conservat i v e p o l i t i c a l d o n o r s then multiple instances of questionable gifts and payments to himself and his wife and now revelations that years of free trips and perks lavished o n h i m b y r i g h t - w i n g billionaire Harlan Crow w e n t u n r e p o r t e d despite laws that clearly say he is in violation? Even after the news of C r o w ’s l a rg e s s e f i r s t b r o k e i t g o t w o r s e : Crow had also bought T h o m a s ’s m o t h e r ’s h o u s e i n S a v a n n a h , a helpful real estate deal t h a t T h o m a s n e v e r reported either

We could think that Thomas either doesn’t k n o w o r d o e s n ’t c a r e about the ethical stand a r d s e x p e c t e d o f a Supreme Court justice or the laws that apply to him as a public employe e B u t T h o m a s i s a g r a d u a t e o f Ya l e L a w School Ignorance is not a b e l i e v a b l e d e f e n s e here So we have to conclude that Thomas just doesn’t care about the rules or thinks that he can ignore them

That’s not the kind of person who belongs on the Supreme Court If he wanted to do the decent a n d h o n o r a b l e t h i n g Thomas would admit his wrong-doing and resign Calls for him to resign are coming from prod e m o c r a c y g r o u p s including the one I lead top media outlets, and members of Congress

But Thomas doesn’t

investment in our planet that we need

by Ben Jealous (TriceEdneyWire co m) –

The theme for the 5 3 r d E a r t h D a y l a s t Saturday was a timely

o n e : I n v e s t i n O u r

P l a n e t T h i s c o u n t r y has just begun to do that through the infras t r u c t u r e a n d c l e a n energy packages that

P r e s i d e n t B i d e n a n d Congress approved in 2021 and 2022 More money than we spent getting astronauts to the Moon will be spent in the next d e c a d e t r a n s f o r m i n g

o u r e c o n o m y We r e moving from an economy that destroys places and people with pollution and climate threats t o o n e t h a t c a n l i f t them up everywhere We have the technolog y a n d t h e d e m a n d , a n d n o w t h e f e d e r a l investment, to power your house for less, to power your car for less, and to create good jobs that will last because they aren t killing the planet

Earlier in the week we saw how misguided the opposition is to this c o m m i t m e n t t o a healthier safer world powered by abundant s o u r c e s w h e n H o u s e S p e a k e r K e v i n M cCarthy gave a speech at the New York Stock Exchange That’s Ground Zero for private sector investing in this c o u n t r y, i f n o t t h e world He made clear that he and his colleagues don’t want to begin a renewal of the American economy through c l e a n e r j o b s T h e y want instead to make t h i n g s e a s i e r f o r t h e fossil fuel companies that raked in a record $200 billion in profits in 2022

McCarthy, in fact, said he s willing to risk

Ben Jealous

the full faith and credit of the United States to extend our reliance on the dirtiest and most volatile energy sources and push even more money into the pockets of Big Oil and Gas He t o l d t h o s e i n v e s t o r s and financiers in New York that he would tie support for raising the f e d e r a l d e b t c e i l i n g ( h o w m u c h w e c a n borrow to pay what we already owe) to a grab bag of giveaways to corporate polluters in their energy package

H e ' s t a k i n g u s h o s t a g e i n t h i s w a y because he knows that a n e n e rg y b i l l w i l l never become law if it undermines longstanding environmental laws that give the public a say in new projects and permits if it cuts a new program to slow climate change by reducing methane emissions and if it eliminates help to disadvantaged comm u n i t i e s t o g e t t h e low- and zero-emission technology they want His bill does all that damage and more H e s a i d h e w a s looking forward when what he described will lock us in a gas-powered economy that we can t afford The idea that oil and gas companies need more help can’t stand up to the facts that they’ve made

m o r e t h a n e v e r, a n d they already have the right to drill in thous a n d s o f p l a c e s t h a t they haven’t used Beyond decimating e n v i r o n m e n t a l s a f eguards, the plan harms those at the bottom end of the economy with c u t s t o p r e s c h o o l access nutrition programs for women and children, and medical care for veterans McCarthy and his colleagues try to put a f o l k s y s p i n o n t h e i r backward ideas by saying our families must stick to a budget and can t spend more than t h e y e a r n s o w h y should the federal government? Raising the debt ceiling isn’t about n e w s p e n d i n g i t ’s about paying for what we’ve already spent A better analogy for what they want to do to the once-in-a-lifetime investment that we’ve agreed to make, and so clearly need, is this Imagine wanting to get h e a l t h y a n d b u y i n g e x p e n s i v e r u n n i n g shoes and a gym membership then stopping for pizza on the way h o m e f r o m e v e r y workout That’s what w o u l d h a p p e n i f t h e handouts to dirty corporations ever came to pass We v e g i v e n o u rselves the chance to transform our economy in ways that will help save the planet Now w e m u s t s t a n d f i r m against self-interested p o l l u t e r s a n d p o l i t ic i a n s w h o w a n t t o threaten us into slowing down ( B e n J e a l o u s i s e x e c u t i v e d i re c t o r o f t h e S i e r r a C l u b , t h e n a t i o n s l a rg e s t a n d most influential grassro o t s e n v i ro n m e n t a l organization)

have a history of doing the decent and honorable thing So that means others will have to hold him accountable The question is how

There are plenty of calls for impeachment, but with a Republicanc o n t r o l l e d H o u s e t h e option would appear to be off the table Meanwhile, the Senate will hold hearings and may call Thomas himself to testify That is an important step I would add that two other steps are absolutely essential right now: a Justice Department investigation and Supreme Court reform including an enforceable code of ethics

The Justice Department has clear grounds t o i n v e s t i g a t e T h o m a s under a federal disclosure law that applies to g o v e r n m e n t o ff i c i a l s i n c l u d i n g S u p r e m e Court justices The law authorizes DOJ to pursue both civil penalties and criminal fines from g o v e r n m e n t o ff i c i a l s who fail to report gifts as legally required Thomas has claimed that the generosity he r e c e i v e d f r o m H a r l a n Crow was just “personal hospitality, not subject t o r e p o r t i n g E v e n i f some of that were true, some perks like free use of Crow s private jet for Thomas’s personal travel, and the real estate t r a n s a c t i o n i n G e o rg i a are, according to most ethics experts clearly in a different category

The Justice Department can give a definit i v e a n s w e r a s t o w h e t h e r T h o m a s ’ actions were not only u n s a v o r y, u n e t h i c a l , i m p r o p e r a n d a l l t h e

rest but also absolutely illegal And it can call for imposition of a monetary fine Even more important than the cash fine would be the impet u s a f i n d i n g o f g u i l t would give to any effort to remove Thomas A n d t h e n t o h e l p ensure that trust in the Court isn’t further eroded by scandal after scand a l w e n e e d t o h a v e Supreme Court reform That means an enforcea b l e c o d e o f e t h i c s s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r t h e Court, written to address the full range of ethical questions that could ever apply to justices’ behavior In the longer term w e s h o u l d a l s o h a v e Supreme Court expansion to counteract the far-right capture of the Court that was achieved b y t o t a l l y u n e t h i c a l means But that is a larger conversation It has been painful to watch Thomas’ corrupt behavior and its effect on the Supreme Court

This is especially true given the historic signifi c a n c e o f t h e s e a t h e o c c u p i e s We n e e d judges on all our courts ( n o t j u s t t h e h i g h e s t ) who act with humility and who understand the impact of their decisions on everyday Americans Courts really do make a difference in the lives of everyday people They should be led by trustw o r t h y f a i r- m i n d e d judges who value equality and justice uphold t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n , a n d p r o t e c t c i v i l a n d h u m a n r i g h t s f o r a l l Americans

That’s not Clarence Thomas

(Svante Myrick is president of People For the American Way Prev i o u s l y h e s e r v e d a s e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f People For and led campaigns focused on transf o r m i n g p u b l i c s a f e t y r a c i a l e q u i t y, v o t i n g rights and empowering young elected officials Myrick garnered nationa l a t t e n t i o n a s t h e youngest-ever mayor in New York state )

it’s always the guns

by Marian Wright Edelman

Gun violence takes a relentless toll in our nation

Every day more than 300 people are killed or injured by guns in the United States and most of their stories never make the news at all But this was yet another week when multiple gun tragedies made national headlines One of those tragedies started out as a celebration: Alexis Dowdell s Sweet 16 birthday party at a dance studio in Dadeville Alabama on April 15 She and her family had been planning the party for months, and the dance floor was filled with young people and a DJ when gunfire broke out More than 30 people were injured and four were killed, including Alexis older brother, 18year-old Philstavious Phil Dowdell Alexis remembered Phil pushing her to the ground to protect her in the chaos but the next time she saw him he was lying in a pool of blood She told an interviewer: “I got on my knees and he was laying face down And that’s when I grabbed him I turned him over, I was holding him I was trying to be strong instead of panicking And so I said: You re going to be all right you’re a fighter you’re strong ” But Phil a high school senior and star athlete who had a football scholarship to Jacksonville State University, was gone along with another 17-year-old Dadeville High senior and two more young guests Many of those injured remain hospitalized in serious condition

The nonprofit Gun Violence Archive which keeps track of mass shootings in the U S where four or more victims are killed or injured by guns, notes that there have been more than 165 mass shootings so far in 2023 more than one a day On April 15 there were seven mass shootings the most in a single

Marian Wright Edelman

day so far this year So the devastating mass injuries and deaths at a birthday party that night were heartbreaking, but they were not unusual for America But those stories about the everyday trauma and tragedy of mass shootings were also joined this week by the latest headlines about a series of ‘mistake’ shootings

On April 13 in Kansas City, Missouri, 16-yearold honors student and musician Ralph Yarl was shot in the head and arm after mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell while trying to pick up his younger brothers from a friend’s home The man who shot him said that when the 5’8” 140-lb teenager came to his door, he looked out and saw a six-foot-tall Black man and felt “scared to death ” Instead of asking any questions he immediately shot Ralph through the locked glass storm door Two days later in Hebron New York 20year-old Kaylin Gillis was shot and killed after she and a group of friends mistakenly drove into the wrong home’s driveway The young people, who were in a rural area with no cell phone service, had already realized their mistake and were trying to leave when the homeowner started firing on them hitting Kaylin inside the car where she was sitting in the passenger seat And on April 18 in Elgin Texas two elite high school cheerleaders returning from practice were shot after one of them mistakenly opened the door to the wrong car in an H-E-B grocery

store parking lot Eighteen-year-old Payton Washington, who was planning to attend Baylor University in the fall on an acrobatic and tumbling scholarship and who had already overcome physical challenges after being born with only one lung, was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition with injuries to her spleen and other organs

All of these only-inAmerica atrocities took place the very same week that many Republican politicians were attending the National Rifle Association’s annual convention to pledge their allegiance to the gun lobby Reuters Pictures shared a series of photos from the convention of children as young as six and seven holding guns whose triggers barely fit their small hands as they pointed them at the camera Shannon Watts the founder of Moms Demand Action said afterwards in an interview: “Responsible gun owners and parents would not allow a child to put their finger on a firearm’s trigger while pointing it at other people even if they’re props It s more clear than ever that the NRA s goal was never to teach children about responsible gun handling but to market guns and gun extremism to a new generation ”

But there is a large majority of Americans who favor common sense gun safety laws, who did not vote to put the NRA in charge of our national security, who are not grooming our own children and grandchildren to become gun extremists and who do not want our children and grandchildren to be shot or killed because they attended a birthday party, recognized the wrong car in a parking lot, or accidentally drove to the wrong address In our nation with more guns than people, we know we need to do something about the guns

Svante Myrick

T itans’ stadium... from page 1

The team will also c o n t r i b u t e n e a r l y $ 4 8 million over the life of the lease to the Nashville Needs Impact Fund, a f u n d d i r e c t e d b y t h e Metro Council to support city needs such as public education public transit, affordable housing, and several other areas Tonight is a huge win for Nashville taxpayers,” said Nashville Mayor Cooper We ve eliminated a billion-dollar liability created by an aging stadium lease and created a platform for t h e c i t y t o t h r i v e f o r d e c a d e s T h i s w a s always about more than f o o t b a l l T h i s v o t e unlocks the East Bank Vi s i o n f o r N a s h v i l l e s n e x t g e n e r a t i o n I t e n a b l e s a t r u e s m a r t g r o w t h p l a n f o r t h e decades ahead It will expand our transit network, create affordable housing, build parks and civic space activate the w a t e r f r o n t , a n d d r i v e resilience and sustainability It allows us to build a transformational northsouth boulevard From n e i g h b o r h o o d s a c r o s s the city, this plan will cut commute times by getting cars off the interstate for intracity trips It will allow frequent, fast, a ff o r d a b l e b u s s e r v i c e w i t h d e d i c a t e d l a n e s connecting residents to jobs and new opportunities This is how a city

e ff e c t i v e l y m a n a g e s g r o w t h I t c r e a t e s a b r i g h t f u t u r e f o r Nashville, and I m grateful for Metro Council’s support and confidence in this plan

The stadium is currently estimated at 1 75 million square feet, with a capacity of approxim a t e l y 6 0 0 0 0 I t i s anticipated to bring in year-round events, with aspirations to host Super

B o w l s N C A A F i n a l Fours, College Football P l a y o ff s , Wr e s t l emanias and more It will a l s o c o n t i n u e t o h o s t Tennessee State Univers i t y h o m e f o o t b a l l g a m e s , e x t e n d i n g t h e l o n g - s t a n d i n g p a r t n e rship between TSU and the Titans The stadium w i l l i n c l u d e a 1 2 , 0 0 0 square foot community space to host classes for local schools, job trainings and other community-minded events

G r o u n d b r e a k i n g i s e x p e c t e d t o o c c u r i n early-to-mid 2024, with an opening anticipated in 2027 It will set a goal o f a c h i e v i n g a U S Green Building Council

L E E D G o l d c e r t i f i c ation Titans games and other major events will continue to operate in t h e c u r r e n t N i s s a n Stadium until the new building opens Today marks a huge milestone for both the Tennessee Titans organization and the city of Nashville as we move

Harry Belafonte... from page 1

forward with plans for a n e w s t a d i u m , ” s a i d Ti t a n s P r e s i d e n t /

Burke Nihill We are extremely excited about this building’s ability to host the world s best and greatest events, but this agreement is about so much more than a stadium This is a generat i o n a l o p p o r t u n i t y t o address our city s priorities and ensure its health and vitality for the next 30 years Our city and o u r s t a t e h a v e b r i g h t futures ahead, and we’re humbled by the opportunity to continue to be a part of it ”

T h e Ti t a n s a r e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r $ 8 4 0 million of stadium funding and any cost overruns Five-hundred million dollars will come from a contribution from the state of Tennessee The remaining $760 million of the $2 1 billion budget will come from revenue bonds issued by t h e M e t r o S p o r t s Authority to be repaid t h r o u g h a o n e - p e r c e n t i n c r e a s e i n D a v i d s o n County s hotel occupancy tax, in-stadium sales tax 50% of sales tax from future development of the stadium’s campus, rent paid by the team, and a pre-existing ticket tax of three dollars per ticket sold that will carry over to the new building T h e s t a d i u m b u d g e t includes stadium-related infrastructure required to open the building

Facebook lawsuit... from page 1

t h a t s u m t i m e s t h e i r point total Officers of Meta and their agents cannot participate in the s e t t l e m e n t H o w e v e r, u s e r s a c t i v e o n Facebook between May

24, 2007, and December 22 2022 can apply until August 25 by submitting their mailing addresses email addresses, phone numbers and Facebook usernames

The final hearing to accept the settlement is set for September 7 in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s D i s t r i c t C o u r t f o r t h e N o r t h e r n D i s t r i c t o f California

Pres. Biden... from page 1

Additionally, the results of the survey suggested that an astounding 70% of Black voters would cast their ballots for Harris if she were to run for president, revealing the possibility that African Americans would offer more support to Harris than Biden

Further there remains a greater degree of disagreement among Black voters who identify as Democrats or who lean toward the party he poll reveals a consensus among respondents (49%) that the party ought to put forward Biden as its candidate for another term he remaining half of voters have indicated that they would want the Democrats to select a different candidate for president in 2024

Even among Black voters there s a wide range of viewpoints about the question of whether Biden should be the nominee

Those under the age of 50 and those who lean Democratic are more

likely to seek a different candidate than those over the age of 50 who want Biden to run for a second term This is especially true of Black Democrats

Fifty-seven percent of Black Democrats and Democrats-at-heart aged 50 and over want Biden as the nominee, however only 42% of all Democrats and Democrats-at-heart want the party to choose someone else

Meanwhile, the Republican Party has struggled to win Black voters, and the poll shows that this pattern hasn t changed The anger and obstruction that Repub-licans have shown toward Barack Obama throughout the years, in addition to their resistance to a voting rights law in Congress, make gaining the Black vote an uphill battle for the GOP

By identifying themselves with Christian nationalists and organizations with roots to White supremacy some Republicans have made

He was one of the organizers of the 1963 M a r c h o n Wa s h i n g t o n and led a delegation of H o l l y w o o d l u m i n a r i e s , including: his best friend Sidney Poitier as well as Paul Newman; Sammy Davis, Jr ; Marlon Brando; Rita Moreno; Tony Curtis; James Baldwin; Burt Lancaster; Joanne Wo o d w a r d ; D i a h a n n C a r r o l ; B o b D y l a n ; Mahalia Jackson; Peter, P

Ossie Davis; and Tony Curtis

T h e f o l l o w i n g i s from Belafonte’s bio on the HistoryMakers: Born to immigrant parents in H a r l e m o n M a r c h 1 , 1927, Harry Belafonte spent much of his youth i n h i s m o t h e r ’s h o m e country of Jamaica

Though difficult life in Jamaica was full of rich cultural experiences t h a t i n f l u e n c e d B e l afonte s art At the beginning of World War II Belafonte returned to Harlem with his mother and brother He had trouble integrating into the new environment and later dropped out of high school to join t h e U S N a v y A f t e r Belafonte was honorably discharged he went back to New York where he worked odd jobs until two free tickets to the

American Negro Theatre ( A N T ) c h a n g e d h i s life Belafonte auditioned f o r t h e A N T a n d earned his first leading role in Juno and the Paycock In 1953, he made his f i l m d e b u t o p p o s i t e

D o r o t h y D a n d r i d g e i n Bright Road He won a Tony in 1954 for his performance in Almanac

A t t h e s a m e t i m e , Belafonte developed his singing talents having p a r l a y e d a s e r i e s o f nightclub performances into a record contract

H i s t h i r d a l b u m ,

C a l y p s o , t o p p e d t h e charts for 31 consecutive weeks and was the first record to sell more than one million copies

B e l a f o n t e a l s o secured a television outlet with his hour-long s p e c i a l , To n i g h t w i t h

B e l a f o n t e , w h i c h w o n him an Emmy

He became the first

A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n T V producer His company HarBel, went on to produce one Emmy nominee after another

In the early 1950s, Belafonte developed a strong relationship with Dr Martin Luther King J r B e l a f o n t e w o r k e d t i r e l e s s l y t o m o b i l i z e artists in support of the civil rights movement

In 1985, he again ral-

lied the global artistic

c o m m u n i t y t o r a i s e a w a r e n e s s o f t h e f a m i n e s w a r s a n d droughts plaguing many African nations

U S A f o r A f r i c a r a i s e d m o r e t h a n $ 6 0 m i l l i o n f o r t h i s c a u s e with ‘We Are the World’ a n d H a n d s A c r o s s America ’ A l o n g t i m e a n t iapartheid activist, Belaf o n t e h o s t e d f o r m e r South African President Nelson Mandela on his triumphant visit to the United States Belafonte maintained his commitment to service as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador “The lifelong commitment, courage, global leadership and legacy of t h e H o n o r a b l e H a r r y Belafonte will always be c h e r i s h e d a n d r e m e mbered by billions of peop l e t h r o u g h o u t t h e world ” said NNPA Presi d e n t / C E O , D r B e nj a m i n F C h a v i s , J r “Belafonte was a gifted talented and transformative freedom fighter for a l l o f h u m a n i t y T h e N a t i o n a l N e w s p a p e r P u b l i s h e r s A s s o c i a t i o n ( N N PA ) s a l u t e s t h e memory of Harry Belafonte and recommits to the struggle for freedom justice and equality that Belafonte so boldly epitomized and embodied ”

Heat mapping... from page 2

c a n b e f o u n d a twww nashville gov/depa r t m e n t s / m a y o r / s u s t a i na b i l i t y - r e s i l i e n c e - e n v ironment/family-sustainability-action-plan

t a i n a b i l i t y - r e s i l i e n c ee n v i r o n m e n t / p h o t oc o n t e s t / g a l l e r y P h o t o s w e r e o n d i s p l a y a t

Nashville Earth Day at Centennial Park on April

22

it impossible to gain the support of Black voters he track record that Biden has on racial issues has also been debated in the Black community

His efforts to pass a comprehensive voting rights package and reduce gun violence have been unsuccessful but he has honored campaign vows to select a Black woman as his vice president

Additionally, Biden has fulfilled his promise to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court Biden also must overcome the problems caused by some of his supporters privately and publicly bashing Harris an issue that has alienated some Black voters

Four years after announcing his campaign for the 2020 election that finally resulted in the defeat of the criminally indicted and twice-impeached Donald Trump, Biden again seeks to beat back a run by the MAGA leader

Vuyani Dance... from page 2

Hall, 1000 17th Avenue N o r t h J o i n e n s e m b l e m e m b e r s f r o m S o u t h Africa’s Vuyani Dance Theatre for a dynamic v o c a l m a s t e r c l a s s c e n t e r e d a r o u n d

Isicathamiya a cappella singing and harmonizing T h i s w o r k s h o p i s designed for pre-profess i o n a l s i n g e r s , p r o f e ss i o n a l s i n g e r s a n d

lovers of a cappella harmonies

A Friday Night Post-

Show Conversation on Friday May 5 following the performance at OZ Arts F r i d a y n i g h t t i c k e t holders are encouraged to remain in the theater after the show for a spec i a l c o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h t h e a r t i s t s o f Vu y a n i Dance Theatre

A FREE Contemporary Dance Masterclass o n S a t u r d a y, M a y 6 , 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, at OZ Arts 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle Led by m e m b e r s o f S o u t h Africa s Vuyani Dance T h e a t r e , t h i s d y n a m i c 9 0 - m i n u t e c l a s s w i l l i n t r o d u c e i n t e r m e d i a t e and advanced movers to the athletic styles of the company

V irginia Fort... from page 3

Naming Commission in t h e 2 0 2 1 N a t i o n a l D e f e n s e A u t h o r i z a t i o n Act and charged it with providing these recommendations T h e C o m m i s s i o n i s s u e d i t s t h r e e - p a r t report to Congress in the summer of 2022 Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III accepted all the Commission’s recommendations that September

On Jan 5 William

A LaPlante the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainm e n t d i r e c t e d a l l Department of Defense o rg a n i z a t i o n s t o b e g i n implementing those recommendations “The Naming Commission sought to recommend names that are ‘inspirational to the soldiers and civilians who s e r v e o n o u r A r m y posts, and to the comm u n i t i e s w h o s u p p o r t

them Simerly stated T h e y d e l i v e r e d exactly that with these t w o i n s p i r i n g l e a d e r s a n d t h e i r t r e m e n d o u s accomplishments (from World War II through the Cold War) speak to the important history of this installation and to the courage, dignity, and devotion to duty that we strive to instill in every soldier training here at the home of the Army Sustainment ”

Finally, Cooper recognized winners in the Sustainability Advisory C o m m i t t e e s P h o t o C o n t e s t , w h i c h h i g hl i g h t s e n v i r o n m e n t a l challenges and opportunities across the city T h e f u l l p h o t o gallery can be viewed a t w w w n a s h v i l l e g o v / d e p a rtme n ts /ma y o r/s u s -

E a r t h D a y i s c e l ebrated annually on April 22 as a day to demonstrate support for envir o n m e n t a l p r o t e c t i o n H o w e v e r N a s h v i l l i a n s are encouraged to celebrate Earth Day every day by making a commitment to the environment and to sustainabili-

ty Visit www nashville gov/departments/mayor/ sustainability-resiliencee n v i r o n m e n t t o l e a r n about Mayor Cooper ’s work on sustainability resilience, and the environment Visit www nashville g o v / d e p a r t m e n t s / g e n e ra l - s e r v i c e s / s u s t a i n a b i l ity/socket/tips and www n a s h v i l l e g o v / d e p a r tments/water/zero-wastenashville to learn how y o u c a n r e d u c e y o u r e n v i r o n m e n t a l i m p a c t each day

News readers... from page 3

the shutdown of BuzzFeed News, layoffs at Insider (the first public mass layoffs in the comp a n y ’s h i s t o r y ) , a n d Vice’s growing need to sell are all signs that the social web that defined the 2010s for news consumers is over And the new era is strangely like an earlier one which suggests that t h e 2 0 1 0 s w e r e a detour, not the new path forward ” A t t h e s a m e t i m e , streaming services are starting to look like TV and the news has also g o n e b a c k i n t i m e , Semafor said

Many news organiz a t i o n s h a v e n o t i c e d p e o p l e a r e n ’t r e a d i n g t h e i r s t o r i e s o n F a c ebook or Twitter

T h e y g o r i g h t t o t h e m b y o p e n i n g t h e websites on their phones or computers

The story of HuffPost, which Verizon left f o r d e a d a n d i s n o w BuzzFeed s only news b u s i n e s s t h a t i s s t i l l going, can teach us a lot

After cuts the liberal site now earns money again thanks to its loyal h o m e p a g e u s e r s a n d a d v e r t i s e r s w i l l i n g t o pay for some of its safer content such as lifestyle and identity coverage Digital media entrep r e n e u r J o n a h P e r e t t i told the rest of the BuzzFeed team:

“We’re going to put most of our news efforts into HuffPost HuffPost i s a p r o f i t a b l e b r a n d with a highly engaged l o y a l f o l l o w i n g t h a t doesn’t rely as much on social media

“People who want to know what’s going on in t h e w o r l d a n d m a k e sense of it will find the HuffPost site more use-

own In a deal reached last w e e k , F o x N e w s w i l l have to pay Dominion Vo t i n g S y s t e m s $ 7 8 7 million, and it’s possible that the people in charge of Fox News won’t be happy about this

B u t S e m a f o r n o t e d that the network could t a k e s o m e c o m f o r t b e c a u s e t h e o u t l e t ’s w e b s i t e , w h i c h h a s always been one of the m o s t p o p u l a r i n t h e U S , has seen a significant increase in traffic in t h e p a s t f e w m o n t h s especially to the homepage H o w a r d P o l s k i n president of TheRighti n g , s h a r e d d a t a f r o m S i m i l a r We b w i t h S e m a f o r t h a t s h o w e d that more than 70% of t h e s i t e ’s u s e r s w e n t straight to the homepage last month

A small portion came f r o m a s e a r c h a n d a minimal number came from social media

To d a y s l a n d s c a p e looks like the following:

The Drudge Report i s t h e c o u n t r y s m o s t popular news website P e r e t t i i s w o r k i n g o n getting more people to visit HuffPost s site In a d d i t i o n , i n d e p e n d e n t writers including Matt Y g l e s i a s a n d A n d r e w S u l l i v a n , s h a r e s h o r t daily posts summarizing n e w s a b o u t p o l i t i c s , media, and technology

• The most influential people in Washingt o n a r e r e a d i n g M a r k H a l p e r i n ’s D C t i p s h e e t T h e e d i t o r- i nchief of Politico reads it all the time and is a fan, as are many well-known White House writers

• M o r e a n d m o r e n e w m e d i a c o m p a n i e s find that readers want news and analysis sent to their email inboxes

O l d n e w s j u g g e rn a u t s , i n c l u d i n g t h e

N e w Yo r k Ti m e s a r e m a k i n g m o n e y b y c h a rg i n g t h e i r p a y i n g members for exclusive content like news and crossword puzzles

A digital media veteran, Josh Marshall, said today’s media environment looks very familiar

Ta l k i n g P o i n t s Memo which Marshall started, was one of the first political blogs

I n t h e 2 0 0 0 s i t s n e w s a n d a n a l y s i s gained a small but loyal following

D u r i n g t h e s o c i a l media boom, however, B u z z F e e d a n d Vi c e which were much more extensive than TPM, ate up the small amount of advertising money those digital publications had T P M s u r v i v e d t h e chaos by staying small building an early subs c r i p t i o n b u s i n e s s b y c u l t i v a t i n g a m e d i u msized audience of liberal readers, and refusing to chase scale Marshall told Semafor that this was “a little bit of being smart a little bit of being lucky, and a lot of not being willing to give up the control I needed to get the resources to scale in a serious way ”

He claimed that, in some ways, the demise of the social web had given him hope because it had pressured publishers to pursue vira-bility at all costs and occasionally put the relationship between users and publ i s h e r s a s a n a f t e rthought “ I t ’s s h o w n a g a i n t h a t s i z e i s n t e v e r ything, and it’s made a site’s best chance of survival a close relationship with its audience,” he said I think those are all good things, and they usually help us ”

Faith of A Mustard Seed

By Barbara A Woods Washington, M

Div

Many leaders 'take', 'grab hold of', 'snatch', 'steal' IDEAS and run away on a freight train that is in many cases destined to run completely out of steam

To be sure, there is the p o s s i b i l i t y a n d t h e probability that a collision is destined perhaps death and destruct i o n f o r t h o s e w h o would follow a 'false prophet' in the direct i o n o f a b o r r o w e d idea I had disturbance i n m y s p i r i t i n t h e n u m e r o u s a g e n d a s a t t a c h e d t o t h e " 5 0

A n n i v e r s a r y o f T h e M a r c h O n Wa s h i n gton" and find the need t o d i s s e c t t h e i d e a s a w a y f r o m T H E VISION

It occurs to me, that 'A Vision' has the kind of depth that 'writes on the wall' the ordered life events of the 'Visioneer' (OK I know No such word in the E n g l i s h L a n g u a g e M o r e i m p o t e n c e ? )

But, the ONE WHO IS THE VISION has a life l o n g e x p e r i e n c e , ordered by God clearly destined the handwriting is on The Wall; for such a time as this! 'The Visioneer' of the 1963 March on Washi n g t o n i s A s a P h i l i p Randolph Son of an African M e t h o d i s t E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h p a s t o r, A Ph ilip R an d o lp h was born in 1889 in Crescent City, FL Valedict o r i a n o f h i s 1 9 0 7 C l a s s a t C o o k m a n I n s t i t u t e i n J a c ksonville, his aptitude and adept(itude) came early M o v i n g n o r t h t o H a r l e m , h e f o u n d a comrade in Chandler Owen, Columbia Law, a n d t o g e t h e r t h e y opened an employment agency 'THE BROTHE R H O O D O F LABOR' By 1917 the t w o h a d w e l l e s t a blished their Magazine, ' T H E M E S S E N G E R ' with Asa as Editor He took the 'Message' of Blacks claiming their rights in Labor to the s t r e e t s a n d c o u l d b e

heard from 'soapboxes' a l l o v e r H a r l e m a n d beyond By 1925, a group of P u l l m a n P o r t e r s received his message and asked for his hand He organized them as T H E B R O T H E RHOOD OF SLEEPING C A R P O RT E R S I t t o o k 1 2 y r s , b u t i n 1 9 3 5 t h e A m e r i c a n F e d e r a t i o n o f L a b o r ( A F o f L ) r e v e r s e d i t s p r e v i o u s p o s i t i o n t o grant an international charter Now the first successful black trade union in 1937 won the contract with the Pullman Company, breaking the resistance of a corporate giant T h e O r i g i n a l MARCH ON WASHINGTON was scheduled for July 1, 1941

T h e O rg a n i z a t i o n s / Leaders of this march i n c l u d e d : Wa l t e r White NAACP; Lester

G r a n g e r, N a t i o n a l Urban League; Frank C r o s s w a i t h , N e g r o L a b o r C o m m i t t e e ; J F i n l e y Wi l s o n , Imp ro v ed B en ev o len t Order of Elks of the World; and Rev Adam C l a y t o n P o w e l l J r p a s t o r, A b y s s i n i a n Baptist Church NYC Randolph warned President Franklin D Roosevelt that he would l e a d t h o u s a n d s o f b l a c k s i n a p r o t e s t March on Washington I n h i s l a s t m i n u t e failues to prevent the very thought of this P r e s i d e n t R o o s e v e l t issued Executive Order 8802, barring discrimin a t i o n i n d e f e n s e industries and federal b u r e a u s a n d c r e a t i n g the Fair Employment

Practices Committee

1 9 4 8 R a n d o l p h again moved to fight d i s c r i m i n a t i o n T h i s t i m e i t w a s a g a i n s t s e g r e g a t i o n a n d J i m

C r o w i n t h e A r m y Navy and Air Force He had since WWI persuaded blacks not to fight and after WWII, founded the LEAGUE

resulting in a n o t h e r P r e s i d e n t Harry S Truman signi n g E x e c u t i v e O r d e r 9981 commanding an end discrimination not o n l y i n t h e a r m e d forces, but also in federal civil service jobs When the AFL merged with the CIO in 1955 Randolph was made a v i c e p r e s i d e n t a n d member of the execut i v e c o u n c i l H i s t o r y records George Meany saying, "Who the hell a p p o i n t e d y o u a s g u a r d i a n o f a l l t h e Negroes in America?"

A n d , P r e s i d e n t Woodrow Wilson calli n g h i m " T h e m o s t d a n g e r o u s m a n i n America "

In 1963 he again organized a March on Washington for "Jobs and Freedom" He took t h e p o d i u m f o r h i s speech saying: "We a r e n o t a p r e s s u r e group; we are not an organization or a group o f o rg a n i z a t i o n s ; w e a r e n o t a m o b " h e declared in a booming b u t c o n t r o l l e d v o i c e "We are the advance g u a r d o f a m a s s i v e m o r a l r e v o l u t i o n f o r jobs and freedom This revolution reverberates t h r o u g h o u t t h e l a n d , touching every village where black men are segregated, oppressed and exploited " Some have indeed "stolen" the ideas and " l e g a c y " o f T H E MARCH ON WASHINGTON; but it is to the Agenda of the A PHILIP RANDOLPH

I N S T I T U T E t h a t F I R S T P L A C E m u s t be given b y e m a i l : m y f a t h e r s m a n s i o n p r e s s @ gmail com

Expressions of Faith

I’m worth a fruitful death (part 3)

by Elder Lady Brandy J Lee, Guest minister

“Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his f r i e n d s Yo u a r e m y friends, if you do what I give you orders to do No longer do I give you t h e n a m e o f s e r v a n t s ; b e c a u s e a s e r v a n t i s w i t h o u t k n o w l e d g e o f what his master is doing:

I give you the name of friends because I have given you knowledge of all the things which my Father has said to me You did not take me for yourselves, but I took you for myself; and I gave you the work of going about and producing fruit which will be forever; so that whatever request you make to the Father in my name he may give it to you John

15:13-16 (BBE) Will you be like the grain seed and be willing to be buried in order to produce much fruit?

Remain in God and He will bless you with your hearts desires No longer do you have a title of servant but you are a friend of God God has chosen you to be His o w n Yo u h a v e b e e n given the gift of life and your heart desires as you r e m a i n o b e d i e n t o b edience, servant leaders h i p , e t e r n a l l i f e , a n d friendship!

You are worth a fruitful death! God sees the value of your life as precious and

Faithful Utterances Grappling with grief

by Dr Froswa Booker-Drew

The last few weeks have been painful It s difficult witnessing the amount of loss Friends have lost parents spouse s c h i l d r e n a n d c o ll e a g u e s R e a d i n g t h e tributes and the expressions of love have been t o u c h i n g T h e i m p a c t t h e s e i n d i v i d u a l s h a v e had on others is immeasu r a b l e W h e t h e r t h e impact was personal or professional, it was prof o u n d T h e y c h a n g e d lives in congregations, campuses and communities Their legacies will live on well beyond their b r i e f t i m e o n e a r t h Death isn’t easy I find myself irritated when we tell those who are grieving not to cry, as if crying is somehow a lack of faith

N o m a t t e r h o w strong a person’s faith is it hurts We can become so holy that we are no earthly good by quoting s c r i p t u r e w i t h o u t demonstrating compassion We forget that they are human Whether we know the end is expected or sudden, it is difficult to grapple with losing someone that you love Crying is natural T h e p a i n i s r e a l , a n d grief is a process Allow people to go through it Recognize that everyone d o e s n o t p r o c e s s a n d deal with grief in the s a m e w a y I n s t e a d o f judging it’s our job to love be there and offer support in addition to our prayers

In John 11, Lazarus w a s s i c k H i s s i s t e r s , M a r y a n d M a r t h a o f B e t h a n y s e n t w o r d t o Jesus about his condition Jesus knew Lazarus had died and was on his way back to Bethany Lord Martha said to Jesus if you had been here my brother would not have died ” John 11: 21 When Mary reached

the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would n o t h a v e d i e d W h e n Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled “ W h e r e h a v e y o u l a i d h i m ? ” h e a s k e d “Come and see, Lord,” they replied Jesus wept Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him! But s o m e o f t h e m s a i d ,

C o u l d n o t h e w h o opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” John 11: 32-37 There’s so much in this text that is applicable for our lives today:

1) Jesus was aware of L a z a r u s c o n d i t i o n H e knew before getting to Bethany of his death

2) God understands our pain and hurts with us when we go through life changing loss

3) Jesus is moved by o u r p a i n G o d i s n o t standing by unaware or untouched by our suffering

4) Despite their pain, Mary and Martha, trusted God’s power in their pain

5) There will always be those from the outside who have opinions about what should or did happen and what we go through is our personal journey with Christ

L a z a r u s h a d b e e n dead for four days and I’m sure by that time, his s i s t e r s h a d g i v e n u p h o p e I n o u r d e e p e s t , darkest hours if we call on Jesus, he shows up Even when everything is hopeless, we are never a l o n e i n o u r l o s s A f r i e n d w h o s e f a t h e r passed a few years after my father s death asked how I managed my grief I told her that it was a d a y - b y - d a y p r o c e s s

Dr Froswa Booker-Drew

Some days were better than others but without my faith in God, I would not have made it I also knew that grief has a way of taking over and keeping us bound If we are not careful we can create living tombs that confine us from experiencing life to the fullest w h i l e w e a r e h e r e I knew the best way to c e l e b r a t e m y f a t h e r ’s memory was to live a l i f e t h a t h e c o u l d b e proud of and one that g l o r i f i e s G o d s g o o dness M a r y a n d M a r t h a were not alone There was a community offering support If you are walking through a season of loss, know that y o u a r e n o t a l o n e I f Jesus cried because of Lazarus’ death and witnessing the grief of his sisters, know that you s h o u l d e x p e r i e n c e t h e r a n g e o f f e e l i n g s t h a t c o m e w i t h l o s s o f a loved one Know that J e s u s i s w i t h y o u throughout the process and that you can have hope in the midst of your p a i n ( 1 T h e s s a l o n i a n s 4:13-14) You are never alone! (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> )

Nashville PRiDE Directory of Churches

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

Sunday School @ 8:45am

Father in order for us to h a v e e v e r y t h i n g w e n e e d e d a n d w a n t e d Jesus took us for Himself, and has not passed a l o n g t h e t o r c h o f spreading the love and knowledge He has grante d u s w i t h i n t o t h e w o r l d T h i s s p r e a d i s fruitful, and will produce even more fruit as we nurture it

Knowledge is to be nurtured and we are to r e m a i n h u m b l e i n r e m e m b e r i n g a l l t h a t Jesus sacrificed in order for us to be priceless

“Now it is clear to them that whatever you have given to me comes f r o m y o u : B e c a u s e I h a v e g i v e n t h e m t h e words which you gave to me; and they have taken them to heart, and have certain knowledge that I came from you, and they have faith that you sent me My prayer is for them: my prayer is not for the world, but for those whom you have g i v e n t o m e , b e c a u s e they are yours (All mine are yours and yours are mine) and I have glory in them And now I will b e n o l o n g e r i n t h e world, but they are in the world and I come to you Holy Father keep them in your name which you have given to me, so that they may be one even as we are one While I was with them I kept them safe in your name which you have given to me: I took care of them and n o t o n e o f t h e m h a s come to destruction but only the son of destruc-

Elder Lady Brandy J Lee

tion, so that the Writings might come true And now I come to you; and these things I say in the world so that they may have my joy complete in t h e m , ” J o h n 1 7 : 7 - 1 3

(BBE) No matter the situations we face day in and o u t , w e m u s t r e m a i n cognitive of God s purpose and value granted on our lives We were c h o s e n a s H i s o w n t a u g h t w i t h o b e d i e n c e and sacrifice, we became servants unto death for the glory of God, and are now called friends! Die to your humanness daily and take up your sanctif i c a t i o n t h a t G o d h a s granted unto you You a r e w o r t h a f r u i t f u l death What is buried has potential for growth with the right nutrients As we continue to look to God we are being watered b r i g h t e n e d , s t r e t c h e d , g r o u n d e d w e e d e d p l u c k e d a n d b l o o m e d into the greatest potential we possess S o s m i l e b e c a u s e you are worth a fruitful death

Sunday Worship @ 10:00am Bible Studies: MondayThursday @ 6pm; Wednesdays @ 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

Genius of little Richard explored in new film

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire

Senior National

Correspondent

To m a n y, L i t t l e Richard lived a complicated life, from his outwardly gay and hypersexual ways to his brilliant but amazingly disrespected career

Putting aside his pers o n a l a n d f l a m b o y a n t lifestyle, one could find i t h a r d t o a rg u e w i t h Richard s statement in L i t t l e R i c h a rd : I A m

Everything a new documentary by award-winn i n g f i l m m a k e r L i s a Cortés M i c h a e l J a c k s o n w a s i n s p i r e d b y m e

Prince James Brown, I d i s c o v e r e d h i m J i m i

Hendrix was my guitar player,” Richard says in the 98-minute film that includes homages from o t h e r s h e i n f l u e n c e d , like Mick Jagger John

Waters, and Billy Porter

Indeed, in one telling moment while Richard i n d u c t s t h e l a t e O t i s Redding into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Jagger sits in the audie n c e l i s t e n i n g i n t e n t l y and almost embarrass-

With Elvis Presley renowned as the king of rock ‘n’ roll mainly for mainstreaming Black music, the documentary leaves no doubt that Little

i n g l y a s R i c h a r d r e c o u n t s h o w t h e Rolling Stones served as t h e f l a m b o y a n t ‘ Tu t t i Frutti’ singer ’s opening act and how he helped their careers Born Richard Wayne P e n n i m a n i n M a c o n G a , i n 1 9 3 2 , L i t t l e Richard left his home as a young boy when his f a t h e r d i s c o v e r e d Richard was gay Cortés who won an Emmy for The Apollo, and served as executive producer for the Oscar-

winning film Precious, said Richard wasn’t just the king of rock n roll but the architect “ L i t t l e R i c h a r d i s part of music history and the inspiration to many artists Jimi Hendrix is p l a y i n g i n h i s b a n d Cortés said in an interv i e w w i t h L e t I t B e Known the Black Press of America s live morning news program “ J a m e s B r o w n i s brought to Macon, Ga , t o r e c o r d h i s f i r s t h i t b e c a u s e o f L i t t l e

The Sporting life Disney’s Aladdin at TPAC in May Edition

Richard He’s a conductor on this little rock ‘n’ roll train

Wi t h E l v i s P r e s l e y renowned as the king of rock ‘n’ roll mainly for m a i n s t r e a m i n g B l a c k music, the documentary l e a v e s n o d o u b t t h a t R i c h a r d d e s e r v e s t h a t title and more “ P e o p l e k n e w h i s c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e B e a t l e s , b u t h e t a l k s a b o u t t h e s e f i v e g u y s t h a t h e m e e t s i n Europe,” Cortés said

“But when he goes to Hamburg Richard has one musician with him, a v e r y y o u n g B i l l y P r e s t o n S o h e i n t r oduces Billy Preston to t h e B e a t l e s A n d a s many people know Billy Preston then goes on to b e c a l l e d w h a t s o m e people consider the fifth Beatle

“So you see the connection there And you understand that he s the catalyst and the inspiration for so many ” Throughout his illustrious career, however, the music world failed to recognize the genius of

by Cass Teague

T PA C p r e s e n t s Disney s Aladdin May

2 - 7, 2023 in Andrew

J a c k s o n H a l l , w i t h tickets starting at only

$35 Discover a whole new world at Disney’s

A l a d d i n t h e h i t

B r o a d w a y m u s i c a l

From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of A l a d d i n , a t h r i l l i n g production filled with unforgettable beauty, m a g i c , c o m e d y a n d b r e a t h t a k i n g s p e c t acle It s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite T h e c h a r a c t e r o f the Genie was based o n j a z z g r e a t s C a b

C a l l o w a y a n d F a

r t h e Broadway Cast Marcus M Martin is Genie in the North American Tour Cast for his National Tour Debut Go to the official P R I D E w e b s i t e f o r m y e x t e n d e d o n l i n e c o l u m n w i t h m o r e details

Celebrate inter national Jazz Day this weekend

Brazil; Vienna, Austria; and Fairbanks Honolulu, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC USA featuring perf o r m a n c e s b y D i a n n e Reeves, Marcus Miller, D e e D e e B r i d g e w a t e r

C h r i s t i a n M c B r i d e , Somi, Melody Gardot, Sérgio Mendes Cyrille

A i m é e , A n t o n i o Sánchez, John Beasley and many more

The All-Star Global Concert will be webcast worldwide on Sunday April 30 at 3 pm CDT on j a z z d a y c o m , u n e s c o o rg h a n c o c k i n s t i t u t e

o rg , t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Jazz Day YouTube and Facebook channels, and other outlets Jazz festivals around the world will also be commemorating International Jazz D a y t h r o u g h s p e c i a l events

To l e a r n a b o u t t h e hundreds of other events planned in all 50 U S states and 190+ countries across the world v i s i t j a z z d a y c o m / events

L o o k i n g b a c k o n twelve years of International Jazz Day, Herbie Hancock remarked “As

GREGORY MAQOMA’S

by Cass Teague

P r o c l a i m e d a t UNESCO in 2011 at the i n i t i a t i v e o f U N E S C O G o o d w i l l A m b a s s a d o r

H e r b i e H a n c o c k , a n d recognized by the United Nations General Assemb l y, I n t e r n a t i o n a l J a z z D a y b r i n g s t o g e t h e r countries and communit i e s w o r l d w i d e e v e r y year on April 30 The H e r b i e H a n c o c k I n s t it u t e o f J a z z i s U N E S C O ’s p a r t n e r i n the organization and promotion of International J a z z D a y a r o u n d t h e world The program for the 2 0 2 3 c e l e b r a t i o n o f International Jazz Day, with participation from more than 190 countries will feature an extraordin a r y s e l e c t i o n o f j a z z performances from Austria to Zimbabwe highl i g h t i n g t h e p o w e r o f jazz in bridging differe n c e s a n d p r o m o t i n g unity and peace through i n t e r c u l t u r a l d i a l o g u e

and collaboration

To kick off the International Jazz Day weekend PBS will debut a one-hour special on Friday evening, April 28 at 9:00 pm CDT locally on W N P T, c h a n n e l 8 1

“International Jazz Day f r o m t h e U n i t e d Nations highlights the

2 0 2 2 A l l - S t a r G l o b a l Concert with performances by Herbie Hanc o c k , D a v i d S a n b o r n , S h e m e k i a C o p e l a n d

G r e g o r y P o r t e r, L i z z Wr i g h t , J o s é J a m e s ,

Hiromi Marcus Miller R a v i C o l t r a n e , Te r r i

Lyne Carrington, Zakir

H u s s a i n B r i a n B l a d e L i n d a M a y H a n O h , J o e y A l e x a n d e r a n d more It will re-air late n i g h t F r i d a y / S a t u r d a y morning at 1:00 am, and again late night Sunday/ Monday morning at 3:00 am U N E S C O D i r e c t o r-

G e n e r a l A u d r e y A z o -

ulay, recalling the significant role played by jazz

in modern history stated, “On this International Jazz Day, musicians a r o u n d t h e w o r l d a r e once again answering, in g r e a t n u m b e r s , t h e resounding call for peace through music Born out of struggles for justice, jazz inspires us to build a f u t u r e t h a t r e f l e c t s i t s spirit – united in the cele b r a t i o n o f d i v e r s i t y J o i n u s o n t h i s J a z z J o u r n e y a r o u n d t h e World’ and witness the power of music

T h e f l a g s h i p J a z z Day event a spectacular All-Star Global Concert, hosted by Herbie Hancock will take viewers on an international tour o f s i g h t s a n d s o u n d s showcasing jazz in all its diversity

The concert will feature performances from Beijing China; Beirut

L e b a n o n ; C a s a b l a n c a , Morocco; Johannesburg, S o u t h A f r i c a ; M a r o ndera, Zimbabwe; Paris, France; Rio de Janeiro,

Nashville Children’s Theatre presents Hip Hop Cinderella NCT announces 2023-24 season lineup

is a community dedicated to bringing inspiring, educational, family-friendly programming to guests of all ages NCT is the oldest children’s theatre in the country and they’ve been bringing professional theatre to young audiences for nearly a century Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop, NCT presents Hip Hop Cinderella through May 21, 2023

Here’s the story: The galaxy has lost its mojo and it is up to Cinderella and her rapping robot companion Runka to get it back This futuristic

Continued on page 8 Hip Hop Cinderella plays through May 21 at Nashville Children’s Theatre

the world’s largest, most inclusive celebration of jazz music, International Jazz Day unites people across the globe Jazz has always been about expanding boundaries –i n s p i r i n g m u s i c i a n s toward the future and its i n f i n i t e p o s s i b i l i t i e s

This year we are thrilled that the All-Star Global Concert will reflect this expansive identity in a n e w w a y, b y s h a r i n g with our audience a rich p a l e t t e o f s o u n d s o n more than a dozen stages in every corner of the planet ”

VUYANI DANCE THEATRE

CION: REQUIEM OF RAVEL’S BOLÉRO “ECSTATIC VITALITY… AN

Genie - Michael James Scott (photo by Deen van Meer © Disney)

Richard deserves that title and more

(From left) Erena Terakubo, Jeremy Pelt and Gregory Porter perform at the 2022 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert at the United Nations (Photo: Steve Mundinger / Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz)

by Cass Teague Nashville Children s Theatre

Biden signs executive order establishing

Of fice of Environmental Justice

by Stacy M Brown, NNPA Newswire

senior national correspondent President Joe Biden has signed an e x e c u t i v e o r d e r t o e x p a n d o n h i s administration’s environmental justice goals which include delivering clean air and water to communities nationwide The first of its kind order establishes the Office of Environmental Justice at the White House

“For far too long communities across our country have faced persistent environmental injustice through toxic pollution underinvestment in i n f r a s t r u c t u r e a n d c r i t i c a l s e r v i c e s and other disproportionate environmental harms often due to a legacy of racial discrimination including redlining,” White House officials said in an online release

These communities with environm e n t a l j u s t i c e c o n c e r n s f a c e e v e n g r e a t e r b u r d e n s d u e t o c l i m a t e change

T h e W h i t e H o u s e s a i d B i d e n ’s g o a l i s t o e n s u r e t h a t e v e r y o n e , r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e i r s o c i o - e c o n o m i c status or race and ethnicity, reaps the benefits of cleaner air and water

P r e s i d e n t B i d e n a n d Vi c e President Harris believe that every person has a right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and live in a healthy c o m m u n i t y n o w a n d i n t o t h e future,” White House officials said

During his first week in office

President Biden launched the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our nation s history

To continue delivering on that vision, today the president will sign an e x e c u t i v e o r d e r f u r t h e r e m b e d d i n g environmental justice into the work of federal agencies to achieve real, measurable progress that communities can count on

The executive order is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s wholeof-government effort to confront longstanding environmental injustices and inequities White House officials said

For far too long communities across our country have faced persistent environmental injustice through toxic pollution underinvestment in i n f r a s t r u c t u r e a n d c r i t i c a l s e r v i c e s , and other disproportionate environmental harms often due to a legacy of racial discrimination including redlining,” they wrote These communities with environm e n t a l j u s t i c e c o n c e r n s f a c e e v e n g r e a t e r b u r d e n s d u e t o c l i m a t e change Administration officials said the order aims to better protect overburd e n e d c o m m u n i t i e s f r o m p o l l u t i o n and environmental harms Biden’s actions direct agencies to consider measures to address and prev e n t d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e a n d a d v e r s e environmental and health impacts on

communities, including the cumulative impacts of pollution and other burdens like climate change

Additionally, the White House said it requires agencies to notify nearby communities in the event of a release of toxic substances from a federal facility and to hold a public meeting t o s h a r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n r e s u l t i n g health risks and necessary precautions F u r t h e r, t h e o r d e r h o n o r s a n d builds on the foundation of ongoing environmental justice work officials said Under the executive order, agen-

c i e s w i l l c o n t i n u e t h e i r e ff o r t s t o a d v a n c e e n v i r o n m e n t a l j u s t i c e i n ways that complement and deepen prior work

The executive order uses the term “disproportionate and adverse” as a simpler, modernized version of the phrase disproportionately high and adverse” used in a previous executive order

T h o s e p h r a s e s h a v e t h e s a m e m e a n i n g b u t r e m o v i n g t h e w o r d ‘high’ eliminates potential misunderstanding that agencies should only be c o n s i d e r i n g l a rg e d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e effects,” officials said

‘T ruly Amazing’ – MNPS honors Teachers, Employees, Principals of the Year

M o r e t h a n 1 3 0 b u i l d i n g - l e v e l Teacher of the Year winners along with top support employees and princ i p a l s , g a t h e r e d w i t h t h e i r f a m i l y members principals and district leaders for the event

“The work you do both in and out of your classrooms every day the effort you make, the hours you put in, the commitment you show: It is truly amazing ” Director of Schools Dr A d r i e n n e B a t t l e t o l d t h e w i n n i n g teachers

“ A t t h e s a m e t i m e s u p p o r t employees are doing critical work behind the scenes every day to make sure our teachers students their families and other employees have what t h e y n e e d M e a n w h i l e , p r i n c i p a l s make sure it all comes together day after day so that teaching and learning can happen in a safe and healthy environment ”

• Middle school teachers: Rachael

B e g a r l y C r o f t M i d d l e ; P r e s t o n

We a v e r, A n t i o c h M i d d l e ; K e n t o n

Wesby, Isaac Litton Middle

• High school teachers: Caroline Brooks Dubois, Nashville School of t h e A r t s ; P r i n c e s s G o r d o n - A z i z , Nashville Big Picture High School; Meredith Lavigne, Pearl-Cohn High School

T h e d i s t r i c t a l s o c e l e b r a t e d i t s

Support Employees of the Year and Principals of the Year: Support Employees of the Year include: Lakisa Dobbins, Exceptional E d u c a t i o n p a r a p r o f e s s i o n a l , W h i t e s Creek High School; Howard Kiger tutor, John Overton High School; and J o y P i l l o w - J o n e s , C o m m u n i t y Achieves site manager Jones Paideia

Elementary School P r i n c i p a l s o f t h e y e a r i n c l u d e : L a t o y a C o b b , A m q u i E l e m e n t a r y School; Dr Rommie Vasser Jr , Rose Park Middle School; and Dr Brenda

D i a z , N a s h v i l l e B i g P i c t u r e H i g h School

The other six finalists for Principal of the Year include:

E l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l p r i n c i p a l s : Brenda Steele Old Center Elementary; J a m e s U r q u h a r t , N o r m a n B i n k l e y Elementary • Middle school principals: Dr Trellaney Lane, Isaiah T Creswell Middle School of the Arts; Dr Jeremy Lewis Croft Middle

• High school principals: Dr Henry Johnson, W A Bass Learning Center; Susan Siegel Murrell at Glenn School

H e a v y r u s h - h o u r r a i n s c o u l d n ’t dampen the spirit Wednesday evening at Music City Center as MNPS celebrated its Teachers of the Year, Support Employees of the Year and Principals of the Year with awards photos and music

Tayla Brown a pre-kindergarten teacher at Cambridge Early Learning Center in Antioch, was named the overall MNPS Teacher of the Year The other eight finalists for Teacher of the Year include:

• E l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l t e a c h e r s : Meghan Bell, Crieve Hall Elementary; A l l i s o n M a r l o w, P a r a g o n M i l l s Elementary

little Richard... from page 7

Tayla Brown proudly displays her Teacher of the Year award L i t t l e R i c h a r d a n d h e c o n t i n u a l l y reminded them of the egregious oversight I n 1 9 9 7 t h e A m e r i c a n M u s i c

Aw a r d s f i n a l l y g a v e R i c h a r d t h e recognition he craved and deserved

In receiving the Award of Merit the emotions Richard usually wore on his sleeve were revealed as plainly as ever It s been a long time coming he said after composing himself during that ceremony

The award s inscription noted that Richard is the founding father who

sent rock n roll into orbit with his super-charged performances and spirit He’s served as an inspiration to his fellow artists U n a b a s h e d l y c a n d i d ( a n d s o m e m i g h t s a y c o n c e i t e d ) , R i c h a r d l e t loose “I am the originator I am the emancipator I am the architect of rock n roll he said I am the man that started it all I want you to know tonight that rhythm and blues had a baby and somebody named it rock n roll

NCT 2023-24 Season... from page 7

remake of a classic fairytale is complete with a wicked stepmother, two social media obsessed stepsisters and a dreamy prince who is throwing a Rap Competition to turn the beat around “Ella C” attends the rap competition but ends up leaving behind a glittering sneaker that sends the prince and her wicked stepmother on a warp-speed chase throughout the galaxy

This musical is based on the Brothers Grimm Cinderella fairy tale Ella C deals with the grief of losing her father

The Zurka family is wealthy and view themselves as superior to Runka, the house staff they refer to as the help A character is depressed and another promises a therapist and that he is not alone The play runs 60 minutes and there will not be an intermission

Directed by Ernie Nolan, with Choreography by Dominic Moore-Dunson Maya Riley is Ella, James Rudolph II is Runka, Gerold Oliver is the Prince, Sarah Michele Bailey is a Step Mother Meggan Utech is a Step Sister, and Jordan Tudor is a Step Sister

Written by Scott Elmegreen with Music and Lyrics by Rona Siddiqui, and Story

Adaptation by Linda Chichester & David Coffman this World Premiere production is presented through special arrangement with HipHopMusicals com Coming this fall Executive Artistic Director Ernie Nolan has announced

the 2023/24 season lineup, which is comprised of 6 productions, 5 of which are world premieres for family audiences Whether playing on the basketball court or swimming in the deep blue season, our heroes this season celebrate and embrace their unique qualities and personalities They face the worlds they live in and announce, “I am courageously me!

The world premiere of STRONG INSIDE, adapted and directed by Tyrone L Robinson from the best-selling book by Andrew Maraniss, opens September 7 and plays until September 26 2023 This portrait of fortitude is the inspirational true story of Nashville native Perry Wallace Recruited and accepted to Vanderbilt Wallace made history as the first African American to play college basketball in the deeply segregated Southeastern Conference Perry s story asks a powerful question,” says Nolan, “How do you do something you love while surrounded by hate?

Three Little Kittens opens August 12 2023 in the NCT Snuggery Charlie and the Chocolate Factory plays November 4 through December 17, 2023 The Gingerbread Kid runs January 27 2024 until February 25 The Flopsy Bunnies: A Peter Rabbit Adventure runs March 9 - June 30, 2024 in the Snuggery Disney s Finding Nemo runs April 6 - May 19, 2024

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