Nashville PRIDE September 15, 2023

Dr. Agenia Walker Clark named next Fisk president See page 3

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Record number of Black QBs have starting positions in the NFL this season See page 7

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volume XXXvii, Number 37

People Are Talking Coco Gauff makes history

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September 15, 2023

5 former officers charged with federal civil rights violations in Tyre Nichols beating death

Youngest U.S. Open champion since Serena Williams in 1999

Coco Gauff

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent Coco Gauff has etched her name in tennis history as she clinched the U.S. Open singles title, becoming the youngest player since Serena Williams’ historic victory in 1999 when she was just 17 years old. Gauff’s remarkable triumph came after an intense three-set battle against Aryna Sabalenka, with a final score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Amidst the crowd’s roar and the flashbulbs of countless cameras, Gauff stood on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, her trophy shining brightly, and her victory speech filled with a sense of readiness for the fame that will undoubtedly come her way.

“I’m ready,” Gauff said, her youthful confidence evident. “I embrace it. I know how to keep my peace but also embrace all of this around me.”

As Gauff accepted her winner’s check of $3 million, she took a moment to graciously thank tennis legend Billie Jean King, who stood alongside her on the stage. The gesture highlighted Gauff’s perspective, humor, and charm that has set the stage for American sports’ next global superstar. “She is so humble,” said Pere Riba, Gauff’s coach, in the post-match interview. “Her work ethic is so strong, so professional, and she has very good manners. Put all of that together, and she will only get better. She can handle it all.”

Gauff has long been earmarked as one of tennis’ next superstars. Her maturity on and off the court, intelligence, and ability to articulate herself have endeared her to the American public and the global tennis community.

Even prominent figures in the political arena couldn’t contain their excitement. President Joe Biden took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to congratulate the young champion. “Congrats to U.S. Open Champion Coco Gauff,” he tweeted. “You electrified Arthur Ashe stadium and the entire nation–the first of more to come and proof that anything is possible if you never give up and always believe. You’ve made America so proud.”

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, who cheered Gauff during her first-round match against Laura Siegmund, also extended congratulations.

“We couldn’t be prouder of you Continued on page 5 The Nashville PRIDE Newspaper is on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @pridenews

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Shown (l to r): Former officers Tadarrius Bean; Demetrius Haley; Emmitt Martin III; Desmond Mills, Jr.; and Justin Smith (photo courtesy of Memphis Police Dept.).

by Adrian Sainz and Jonathan Mat- through witness tampering. tise, The New Tri-State Defender The charges come nine months Five former Memphis, Tennessee after the violent beating during a Jan. 7 police officers were charged Tuesday traffic stop near Nichols’ Memphis with federal civil rights violations in home, in which they punched, kicked the beating death of Tyre Nichols as and slugged the 29-year-old with a they continue to fight second-degree baton as he yelled for his mother. murder charges in state courts arising Nichols died at a hospital three days from the killing. later. The five former officers, all Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Black like Nichols, have pleaded not Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin and guilty to state charges of secondJustin Smith were indicted in U.S. Dis- degree murder and other alleged trict Court in Memphis. The four-count offenses in the case. indictment charges them with depriva“We all heard Mr. Nichols cry out tion of rights under the color of law for his mother and say ‘I’m just trying through excessive force and failure to to go home,’” attorney General Merintervene, and through deliberate rick Garland said in a video statement indifference; conspiracy to witness after the indictment.

Tyre Nichols tampering; and obstruction of justice Continued on page 5

FDA approves updated COviD-19 vaccines amid rising cases, hospitalizations

Health authorities have emphasized the urgency of vaccination once the shots become available. The new release coincides with a late summer surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and growing concerns over the potential impact of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, in the upcoming fall and winter seasons (photo courtesy of <iStockphoto/NNPA>).

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech in response to the surge in cases and hos-

pitalizations. Both manufacturers have reported that their vaccines demonstrate effectiveness against the currently dominant EG.5 strain in the United States.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, an independent expert group advising the U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will now assess the safety and efficacy of these updated vaccines and provide recommendations for their deployment. Following approval by the CDC director, the vaccines will be available for administration.

The advisory group plans to convene immediately, suggesting that the vaccines may soon be accessible at select pharmacies and healthcare facilities.

Health authorities have emphasized the urgency of vaccination once the shots become available. The new release coincides with a late summer surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and growing concerns over the potential impact of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, in the upcoming fall and winter seasons.

Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, underlined the importance of vaccination in protecting against severe COVID-19 consequences.

“The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the Continued on page 5

Kamala Harris stands strong against racist attacks – affirms readiness to lead

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent In the face of a sustained Republican campaign to stoke fears among White voters, Vice President Kamala Harris remains resolute, highlighting her trailblazing achievements and defending her legacy against racially charged attacks.

Prominent figures within the Republican Party have continued the GOP’s attempt to cast doubt on President Joe Biden’s ability to complete a potential second term, equating a vote for him with a de facto endorsement of Harris as president. Former South Carolina governor and GOP presidential candidate, Nikki Haley, said: “A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris,” while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, positioning himself as a contender for the 2024 presidential race, labeled Harris as “impeachment insurance.”

“They feel the need to attack because they’re scared that we will win based on the merit of the work that Joe Biden and I, and our administration, has done,” Harris said. She further emphasized the historic barriers

Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman vice president. she has shattered throughout her if necessary, Harris affirmed her precareer, including being the first paredness while expressing confiwoman district attorney in San dence in Biden’s leadership. “Joe Francisco and the first Black woman Biden is going to be fine. Let me tell to serve as California’s attorney you something: I work with Joe Biden general. When questioned about her Continued on page 5 readiness to assume the highest office,

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Fmr. President Trump’s latest Jobless rate for Blacks drops controversial rally stokes concerns for America’s future

President Donald J. Trump is introduced on stage Saturday, March 2, 2019, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md. (photo by Tia Dufour, official White House file).

by Stacy M. Brown, fear, Trump accused has recently faced civil presidency that could NNPA Newswire senior President Joe Biden of responsibility for sexual pose even more signifinational correspondent orchestrating a massive assault. His Trump cant challenges to the Former President indictment against him, Organization was also rule of law. “The former Donald Trump has once labeling it as ‘election found guilty of fraud in president’s tendencies again grabbed the interference.’

New York. toward authoritarianism national spotlight with a With unmistakable At his latest rally, could make the 2024 fiery rally in South overtones of racial ten- Trump aimed at election a profound Dakota, where he sion, Trump’s rhetoric Democrats, accusing choice,” CNN’s Stephen unveiled a disturbing targeted immigrants, them of allowing an Collinson wrote followvision of America’s migrants, and people of “invasion of migrants at ing Trump’s South future if his fervent sup- color, reigniting con- the southern border” and Dakota speech. porters catapult him cerns about the direction attempting to revive Trump’s view that back into the White of his political ambi- COVID-19 “hysteria.” the Oval Office grants House. In a dystopian tions. The former presi- This stark speech paint- him unfettered powers speech that echoed dent, indicted four times ed a grim picture of a Continued on page 5 themes of division and and impeached twice, potential second Trump

by Frederick H. Lowe, Special from BlackMansStreet.

Today <TriceEdneyWire. com> – The jobless rate for Blacks dropped, but not far enough to catch up with other ethnic groups. The August jobless rate for Black men fell to five percent compared to the seasonally adjusted average in August 2022 to six percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The unemployment rate for Black women was a seasonal adjusted 4.7% in August compared with 5.9% in August 2022.

Employment continued to trend up in

health care, leisure and hospitality, social assistance, and construction. Employment in transportation and warehousing declined.

The unemployment rate for Blacks compared with Whites, Hispanics, and women was much higher.

The jobless rate for Whites is 3.4%, and for Asians is 3.1%.

The rates for both groups rose in August.

The unemployment rate for Hispanic men is 4.3% and 4.4% for Hispanic women.

The jobless rate for adult women stands at 3.2%; for teenagers, 12.2%; for Blacks, five percent; and for Hispanics the rate it was 4.9% and 4.4% for Hispanic women.

Black economic Alliance Foundation joins Fearless Fund in fighting lawsuit

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent The Black Economic Alliance (BEA) Foundation, a leading organization mobilizing Black business leaders and advocates, announced the submission of an amicus brief advocating against a preliminary injunction to halt the Fearless Foundation, a foundation that aids women of color in securing venture capital for their startups, mainly focusing on Black women entrepreneurs.

BEA CEO Samantha Tweedy emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship, highlighting its pivotal role in achieving the American dream and economic prosperity.

She noted the systemic obstacles Black entrepreneurs, particularly Black women, faced in establishing and expanding their businesses.

“Fearless Fund helps Black women overcome those barriers, which is good for Black work, wages, and wealth and good for our economy as a whole,” Tweedy wrote in a statement on Sept.

11. “Given BEA Foundation’s own recent polling that showed widespread support for businesses taking active steps to reflect the racial diversity of this country, it is clear that those trying to claw back pathways to economic progress for the Black community are out of

Renowned civil rights advocate Ben Crump and others have vowed combat Blum’s to actions. Founded in 2019 by three Black women, Fearless Fund has championed economic empowerment and opportunity for women of color. Their

(l-r) Fearless Fund co-founders Arian Simone and Ayana Parsons. step with the vast major- back advancements in ity of Americans.” racial diversity within The amicus brief by the business sector, civil the BEA Foundation rights advocates said. focuses on the chal- Recent polling shows lenges confronting widespread support for Black women entrepre- businesses promoting neurs. It highlights the racial diversity in Amerpersisting discriminatory ica. The support is systems, pointing out robust across different that Black women busi- races, ideologies, and ness owners encounter a generations. It is also rejection rate three times rooted in the belief that higher than their White diversity drives greater counterparts. Moreover, profitability and innovaTweedy noted that Black tion. women receive less than Earlier this year, one percent of venture Edward Blum’s Americapital funding. The can Alliance for Equal Fearless Strivers Grant Rights launched legal Contest, one of the ini- action against Fearless tiatives, aims to rectify Fund. The lawsuit, these historical injus- brought before the U.S. tices and unleash a reser- District Court in Atlanta, voir of untapped talent alleges that the Fearless and innovation for the Fund discriminates agabetterment and growth inst non-Black women. of the economy.

Experts said the suit The legal action could present a pivotal against Fearless Fund moment in the ongoing represents a broader discourse on race in the trend of attempts to roll workplace.

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flagship initiative, the Fearless Strivers Grant Contest, has provided substantial financial support to Black women entrepreneurs, with awards reaching up to $20,000. However, Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights contends that this program

violates a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which prohibits racial discrimination in contracts.

Blum asserts that certain members are being excluded based on race, and they demand redress for what they perceive as Continued on page 5

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Local

Cancer… My Journey in time

A matter of when

by Wanda Clay When Rev. Enoch pastor of Fuzz, Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church, began his journey with stage four lung cancer in 2020, so did the panCOVID-19. demic Over the past three years of the pandemic, deaths have not been eliminated. But they have slowed down tremendously. Vaccination studies were completed with vaccines administered, along with other methods of care for handling variations of the COVID virus.

Throughout these past few years Rev. Fuzz has encountered a variety of ailments that accompanied his journey with cancer. He has been hospitalized, bed-ridden, had medications changed, had visits to the emergency room, relocated to secluded locations for quiet rest—along with a plethora of other health-related concerns and cares during this journey. Through it all, he was not subject to COVID. As COVID-19 has become as common as catching a cold or the

flu, many people have contracted a variant of the virus. But recently symptoms have mostly been more subdued with a positive testing.

However, no matter how careful and covered we were with masks over the past few years, it seemed ‘when’ and not ‘if’ many found themselves with positive COVID results. Sadly, Rev. Fuzz tested positive early this week for COVID—but with no symptoms. He is feeling fine, yet confined to bed rest. Although there may not be symptoms with some variations of COVID, those with positive tests always seem to be a little more fatigued than usual. Liquids and bed rest are still helpful.

We breathe a little easier now that there are more quick recoveries.

However, precautions are still advised.

As Rev. Fuzz continues his journey, it is now September, the month of his birthday celebration! Rev. Fuzz will experience his 68th birthday, September 30. His birthday celebration will be held on Sunday, October 1,

Rev. Enoch Fuzz at 1 pm in the parking lot of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church. It’s set to be “the best birthday party in whole wide the world!”

Keep praying and Rev. supporting Fuzz—and never forget to include prayers for your network of people. Readers are encouraged to offer special prayers for a quick healing of Rev. positive Fuzz’s test.

COVID-19 are also Prayers requested for others encountering COVID, because it is still a frightening malady and serious health concern.

Keep viewing Rev. Fuzz’s posts on Meta and be informed and encouraged by reading the weekly ‘Cancer: My Journey in Time’ column.

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Fisk names Dr. Agenia Walker Clark as their next president The Board of Trustees of Fisk University has appointed Dr. Agenia Walker Clark as its next president, effective November 6. She will be the university’s third female head and the 18th president of the 158-year-old-university, one of the nation’s highest-ranking Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

She replaces interim president Frank Sims, a member of the Board of Trustees, who has served in that position since 2021.

Clark most Dr. recently served as CEO for the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. During her 19-year tenure there, she increased the operational agency’s efficiencies, increased its reserves, built new facilities, and transformed the agency into one of the highest performing of the 111 councils in the Girl Scout network.

“Dr. Clark’s lifelong dedication to improving the lives of young people, along with her unique combination of fundraising and brandbuilding skills, are exactly what Fisk needs today,” said Juliette Pryor, chair of the Fisk Board of Trustees.

“I know that Dr. Clark’s bold ideas will positively impact our community campus today while assuring a

Dr. Agenia Walker Clark fast-growing trajectory for the future.”

Prior to the Girl Scouts, Dr. Clark was the vice president of Human Resources for the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation; senior director of Human Resources at Vanderbilt University; and had directed human resourfor Canadian ces telecommunications provider Nortel Networks, where she also served as a manager of government relations.

“To serve a new generation of brilliant, socially minded students—not unlike their counterparts of decades past, like W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, John Lewis and Dr. Diane Nash—is surely the honor of my lifetime,” said Clark. “No institution of higher-ed has a richer legacy, or a richer promise for the future, than Fisk.”

Dr. Clark was named ‘Nashvillian of the Year’ in 2021 and as one of ‘Nashville’s 100 Most Powerful People,’ 2015–20, by the Nashville Business Journal. An inductee into the Academy for Women of Achievement, she is also a Nashville Post PersonIn-Charge (2014–21).

She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF), a member of the 2016 Class of Leadership Tennessee, and 1996 Class of Leadership Nashville.

She currently serves on the corporate board of directors for FirstBank Financial Corporation as well as the boards of trustees for Belmont and Simmons Universities – and is a trustee emerita on the board of the Haslam School of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Dr. Clark earned a B.S. and MBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her Doctorate in Leadership from Vanderbilt University.

The year-long search for Fisk’s 18th president was led by Board Trustee JoLinda Herring (’85) in conjunction with executive search and leadership advisory firm, Russell Reynolds Associates.

“The board was searching for a uniquely bold and visionary leader, and we found her in Dr. Clark,” said Pryor.

Honoring a rich tradition: Community Foundation of Middle TN and Black Philanthropy Month ‘Love in Action’ was front and center through CFMT’s ‘Give Black, Give Back’ initiative equal members of the human family. At the conclusion of the conversation, Kia took a moment to announce her departure as co-chair.

“Some of us are there to begin, middle or end a project, or some of us can do all of it,” said Kia. “And while I love the idea of doing it all, it is

Dr. LaDonna Boyd; Phylanice Nashe; and Gail Carr Williams at the “Give Black, Give Back's” Black Philanthropy Month Reception.

Community Founda- ably encompasses the ing Mrs. Gail Williams, tion of Middle Tennessee Black community.

Dr. Turner Nashe, and (CFMT), an organization Throughout the Mrs. Phylanice Nashe. dedicated to connecting month of August, the Their heart felt stories generous individuals Community Foundation, resonated deeply, shedwith nonprofit partners and its ‘Give Black, Give ding light on the chalworking to help our Back’ initiative, hosted a lenges and resilience community thrive, series of enlightening often inherent in the recently concluded its discussions and events Black philanthropic jourcelebration of Black Phi- while actively promoting ney. lanthropy Month. This awareness on its social Give Black, Give dedicated effort embod- media channels. These Back also organized a ied the spirit of giving activities underscored virtual grantee reception, and empowerment with- the spirit of giving, honoring four remarkin the Black community, empowerment, and com- able Black-led nonprofcelebrating a legacy of munity that defines its with $500 grants, resilience, generosity, Black Philanthropy amplifying their misand collective action.

Month. sions and origin stories.

Globally recognized A poignant moment The recipients of these since 2006, Black Phi- during this month-long grants were Black lanthropy Month serves celebration was Give Lemonade; Nashville as a powerful testament Black, Give Back's Freedom School Partnerto the enduring legacy Black Philanthropy ship; Community Clinic that defines the Black Month Reception held of Shelbyville and Bedcommunity across gener- on August 17 at Commu- ford County, Inc.; and ations. It highlights the nity Foundation’s head- Creative Girls Rock! myriad ways in which quarters. The event witReflecting on this Black individuals and nessed a captivating year's theme, ‘Love in groups give back, blend of emerging tal- Action’ and its return to emphasizing the vital ents from the nonprofit, the core meaning of phirole of collective action corporate, and entrepre- lanthropy, co-founders in uplifting underserved neurial sectors mingling Kia Jarmon and Lisa communities. with trailblazers who Swift-Young shared their This year's theme, have laid the foundation insights on Facebook ‘Love in Action,’ envi- for today's growth and Live as they closed out sioned moving beyond prosperity. At the heart the month's festivities. the rhetoric of philan- of the evening was a This included the expresthropy as love for compelling panel discus- sion that Black Philanhumanity to make it real sion moderated by thropy Month centered in Black communities. CFMT's Keith King and on love of self, society, By doing so it harkened featured esteemed and the planet we share, back to philanthropy's CFMT family members including Black commuessence that unquestion- and contributors, includ- nities everywhere as

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important for me to do what I came to do and step away.”

Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and its Give Black, Give Back initiative remain steadfast in their commitment to honoring the tradition of giving and empowerment within the Black community.

Although Black Philanthropy Month 2023 has concluded, a dedication to fostering love, unity, and generosity within humanity, including Black individuals, continues to shine brightly 365 days a year. Learn more about Give Black, Give Back at <www.BlackGiv ingBack.com>.

Page 4

Nashville PRIDE

Editorials

empower Blacks to challenge segregation and the South’s system of legal apartheid.

A Federal Jobs Guarantee would offer every person a job with a living wage. Instead of paying unemployment to laid-off workers, the government would provide wages to put people to work.

There is no shortage of necessary work to be done. Our infrastructure remains decrepit and dangerous, and even Biden’s infrastructure bill only provides a down payment on what needs to be done. climate Catastrophic change and extreme weather require a massive effort to strengthen our defenses against catastrophe, to clean up after calamities that are growing worse and more frequent, and to make the transition to renewable energy and energy Biden’s efficiency.

Infrastructure Reduction Act again makes a down payment, but much more needs to be done.

Similarly, it makes sense to invest on the front side of life rather than pay more on the backside, to invest in childcare and head start, the universal pre-K on the front side rather than welfare, jail care and despair on the back side.

Every family with children could save literally thousands of dollars a year if the government joined other industrial countries in providing comprehensive assistance for families with children.

A Federal Jobs Guarantee would help mitigate the wild gyrations of our economy that wreak so much damage to families.

During downturns, the Federal Guarantee would expand and ensure that everyone has a job rather than going on welfare or unemployment. During booms, the program would contract as the private sector expanded and that would help keep inflation from getting out of control.

A federal jobs guarantee would put a floor under wages across the economy, much the way a minimum wage does now, except far more effectively. That would

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. empower workers to demand more from their employers and give employers incentives to become more efficient.

Most important, a federal jobs guarantee would keep working families from being brutalized when prices begin to rise. Instead of raising interest rates to throw workers out of work, officials Federal would focus on monopoly pricing, on price gouging, on supply chain disruptions, on the financial barracudas that jack up prices and pocket predatory profits before driving good companies into bankruptcy.

The program would be easily affordable.

Every worker employed would, of course, pay taxes—and not collect unemployment or welfare. With unemployment now near record lows, this is a good time to transition to a job guarantee.

Polls show, not surprisingly, that this idea is particularly popular, among working-class people across both parties. Contrary to the jibes of the right, Americans want to work in jobs with a living wage.

Donald Trump seems intent on running on revenge and retribution for what he sees as indignities and injustices of the past. Joe Biden seems intent on running on his record of accomplishments, which are better than he’s given credit for. But this too looks backward not forward. Most Americans want to know what can be done to secure their futures, not re-litigate the past. Those who seek to lead this country should rouse us with their vision and their program for the future.

If they do, a federal jobs guarantee is an idea whose time has come.

$2.7 Billion settlement pending Federal Court approval: Fake credit repair and debt relief scams date back to 2016

Charlene Crowell

by Charlene Crowell NEWS ANALYSIS (TriceEdneyWire.com) - As consumers complain about the real-life challenges of keeping pace with the rising costs of living, key financial reports reveal that the challenges are as high and widespread as this summer’s scorching heat.

In early August, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released its quarterly report on household debt and credit. At mid-year, the nation’s total household debt rose to $17.06 trillion – a $2.9 trillion increase since the start of the pandemic recession in late 2019.

Little wonder then, that millions of consumers became susceptible to phone calls and advertising that promised financial relief. At the same time, businesses looking to make major profits from others’ financial woes have been busy. Chief among these financial predators are debt relief and credit repair firms that make promises, collect upfront fees and never

deliver for consumers.

On August 28, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced a $2.7 billion judgment against major members of this industry. An order now awaiting federal court approval would also ban these firms from telemarketing credit repair services for 10 years for illegal actions dating back as far as 2016.

“Americans across the country looking to improve their credit scores have turned to companies like CreditRepair.com and Lexington Law. These credit repair giants used fake real estate and rent-toown opportunities to illegally bait people and pad their pockets with billions in fees,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “This scam is another sign that we must do more to fix the credit reporting and scoring system in our country.”

CFPB’s lawsuit charged its defendants with failure to perform legitimate credit monitoring services. Its legal challenges cited the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) that requires fees for tele-marketed credit repair services be paid after – not before the promised credit repair has been completed. The rule also requires that credit repair firms provide documentation that substantiates the promised

September 15, 2023

Protecting a way of life and the planet

Job for all

by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. (TriceEdneyWire.com) – A job for all. Everyone ready and able to work will get a job, a good job that pays enough to bring a family above the poverty line–guaranteed by the federal government. At a time when our political leaders seem more intent on driving us apart rather than bringing us together, a federally guaranteed jobs program is an idea bold enough to break through the muck.

Moreover, when Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, essentially announces that he will continue to fight inflation by raising interest rates until millions lose their jobs, it is long past time to stop sacrificing workers and their families for prices that they do not control.

A federal jobs guarantee is not a new idea.

Coming out of World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt argued that Americans had come to understand that political and social rights had to be accompanied by ecorights.

He nomic pledged an Economic Bill of Rights that included the right to a job for everyone willing and able to work. Sadly, he died before he could make that promise real.

A. Philip Randolph, a visionary leader of both the labor and the civil rights movement, took up Roosevelt’s promise, arguing that “if full employment can be maintained in a war for destruction, it can also be maintained in peace for construction.” The mobilization for World War II had created a booming economy with full employment. Now the question was what would be done in the peacetime. Both FDR and Randolph argued that a Federal Jobs Guarantee would provide the foundation for a thriving democracy and a just society. Randolph joined with other labor leaders to push Congress to pass a Full Employment Bill. Their efforts were stymied by the business lobby, conservatives in both parties, and by Southern Democrats fearful that full employment might

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results were achieved within six months. Additional counts in the complaint charged that the defendants used deceptive acts and practices in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (CFPA).

Two of the lawsuits’ defendants, Lexington Law and CreditRepair. com, are the largest credit repair brands in the country. The credit repair services are marketed and offered through a web of lesser known but related entities operated nationwide and had more than 4 million customers who were subjected to telemarketing. In 2022 alone according to CFPB, the defendants had combined annual revenues of approximately $388 million.

To generate credit repair sales for Lexington Law and CreditRepair.com, defendants used a network of marketing affiliates that advertised a variety of products and services, often related to consumer credit products.

Typically, according to CFPB, telephone agents pitched so-called credit repair services to the consumer, and later transferred calls to agents employed by a separate firm who would attempt to close the credit repair sale. This second firm would be paid by defendants for each sale closed with the deceptive practices that

by Ben Jealous TriceEdneyWire.com-The Sacred Place Where Life Begins. That’s what the Gwich’in people call the coastal plain of Alaska where they live.

The Porcupine Caribou on who the Gwich’in have relied for tens of thousands of years for their subsistence way of life migrate hundreds of miles each spring to give birth to their calves there. So that Gwich’in name rings true.

It was that life that the Biden administration protected for years to come with the announcement last week that it was cancelling oil and gas drilling leases in the 19.6-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and moving to prohibit drilling in another 13 million acres of protected lands bordering the refuge.

It wasn’t just the Gwich’in, who have been fighting drilling for nearly 50 years, and the caribou who won. The Inupiaq people who live at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, polar bears, musk oxen, Dall sheep, and birds you can find in all 50 states have roots in the Arctic Refuge.

That corner of Alaska is one of the world’s last untouched wild places, our country’s largest wildlife refuge, and the only one designed specifically for wilderness purposes. Its continued existence in its pristine, rugged state signals our commitment to nature and our appreciation of its wonder. It’s a

Ben Jealous sign of our national character.

But the value isn’t just symbolic. We’re on pace this year to produce more oil in the United States than ever before.

Creating a glut will only extend our addiction to fossil fuels when we know that we need to move swiftly in the direction of burning less.

And the trade-off is infrastructure needed to drill that will destroy the refuge forever.

It’s a trade that the American people repeatedly have said they don’t want to make. In polls in recent years, roughly two thirds of voters opposed drilling in the Arctic Refuge. After the president’s decision to allow another Alaskan drilling project to proceed months ago, this is the leadership most voters want.

The argument of proponents that Arctic drilling will boost U.S. energy independence and national security fall short when you know that all the oil under that part of Alaska is barely a year of the nation’s consumption by many estimates. We won’t drill our

way out of the need for fossil fuels, but we certainly can drill our way to irreparable damage to the climate in just a few years.

Protecting indigenous people and their way of life in Alaska should demonstrate that we can stand firm to defend more communities on the front lines of climate change against the unabated greed of Big Oil. An unscathed, unmatched landscape shouldn’t be the test for doing right be our neighbors and by the planet.

Too often, we’ve allowed a few people lacking political power and desperate for economic opportunities to bear the immediate cost of bad environmental choices. The flaw is that more often than not, we all end up paying.

Whether it’s the cancer alleys created in the communities neighboring refineries along the Mississippi or coastal towns repeatedly crushed by extreme weather, they’re only the first to feel the burden. As the hottest temperatures ever recorded showed us this summer, no one can escape the toll that fossil fuel charges the planet.

(Ben Jealous is executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Never Forget Our People Were Always Free, published in January.)

Wealthy extremists attack funding for Black women entrepreneurs

by Marc H. Morial TriceEdneyWire.com-“In the face of persistent, systemic discrimination against Black people and all people of color arising from our country’s long history of racism, Ed Blum and his recently created front group are bent on dismantling programs benefiting the Black community. They seek to kneecap any effort to undo entrenched racial inequalities and further cement the status quo of inequitable market access” -- Damon Hewitt, president/ executive director of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. In recent years, women entrepreneurs of color have started companies at more than four times the rate of the overall population.

In 2021, 17% of Black women were in the process of starting or running new businesses, compared to 10% of White women, and 15% of White men.

While Black women represent 14% of the female population, they account for 42% of net new women-owned businesses.

Black women business owners who apply for funding are rejected at three times the rate of White business owners.

Only three percent of Black women-owned companies mature and survive longer than five years. Last year, only 0.1% of venture capital funds went to Black and

Latino women founders.

Anti-racial justice activist Edward Blum, backed by wealthy, darkmoney foundations, contends the system is rigged—in favor of Black women.

Blum has filed suit against the Fearless Fund, a venture capital firm that has awarded $26 million in investments and $3 million in grants in the last four years to more 40 businesses led by women of color.

Blum, who was behind the lawsuit that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended affirmative action in college admissions, is on a well-funded and increasingly successful crusade to preserve systemic racial inequities and the advantages they afford people like himself and his backers.

As if to add insult to injury, he is suing under a post-Civil War law intended to protect Black Americans from racial discrimination.

His lawsuit (like his many others) makes a mockery of both the law and the very idea of racial equity.

The National Urban League has joined in filing an amicus brief in the case, along with Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Action Network, NAACP, National Coali-

Marc H. Morial tion on Black Civic Participation, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF. As the brief explains, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was explicitly designed to further the aims of the Thirteenth Amendment by creating a remedy for discrimination against Black people that hampered their ability to enter into contracts and fully participate in the nation’s economy.

Programs like Fearless Fund, which strengthen Black Americans’ rights to equal participation in the marketplace, are indisputably authorized under federal law.

Fearless Fund founders Ayana Parsons and Arian Simone, both Black women with deep experience in business, estimated they took 300 meetings with potential investors before getting their first $5 million in funding.

Blum and his extremist backers apparently don’t think 300 is enough.

led consumers to believe only a single entity was involved.

Court approval of the settlement will: Ban the perpetrators from telemarketing for 10 years: The companies will be banned from telemarketing credit repair services or selling credit repair services that others marketed through telemarketing for 10 years. The companies will also be banned from doing business with certain marketing affiliates. These bans will attach to the companies even after the bankruptcy proceedings are complete.

Require notices to consumers: The companies will be required to send a notice of the

CFPB settlement to any remaining enrolled customers who were previously signed up through telemarketing. The notice will inform consumers of the CFPB’s lawsuit, the court’s summary judgment holding, the settlement, the consumer’s right to cancel their credit repair services, and the process for canceling the service.

Impose a $2.7 billion judgment for redress: The order would impose a $2.7 billion judgment against the companies for redress. Due to the companies’ financial insolvency, the CFPB will determine whether the CFPB’s victims’ relief fund can be used to make payments to those harmed by the per-

petrators.

Impose more than $64 million in civil penalties: The order would impose a $45.8 million civil money penalty against Progrexion Marketing and a $18.4 million civil money penalty against the Heath law firm.

“Credit repair companies that offer quick fixes are often scams that disappear with consumers’ hard-earned money,” noted Pamela Hernandez, a regional manager with the Better Business Bureau.

Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene. crowell@responsiblelending.org.

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

September 15, 2023

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Continuations

Page 5

Nashville PRIDE

5 former officers charged for civil rights violations... from page 1 “Tyre Nichols should be alive today.”

U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz in West Tennessee said at an afternoon news briefing that the state and federal cases are on separate tracks.

Ritz declined to predict how quickly they would proceed.

Kristen Clarke, who leads the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division, said at the appearance that the five former officers used excessive force, failed to advise medical personnel about Nichols’ injuries and conspired to cover up their misconduct.

“In our country, no one is above the law,” she said, adding she met earlier Tuesday with Nichols’ mother and stepfather.

Caught on police video, the Nichols beating was one in a string of encounters violent

between police and Black people that sparked protests and renewed debate about police brutality and police reform in the U.S. Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, attorneys for Nichols’ family, said in a statement that the federal indictment “gives his family hope as they continue to grieve his loss and inspire change in his honor.”

Attorneys for several of the former officers said the indictment was no surprise, and some added that their clients will defend themselves against the charges.

The indictment says the officers failed to tell dispatchers, their supervisor and emergency medical technicians that they knew Nichols had been hit repeatedly, trying to cover up their use of force and shield themselves from criminal lia-

bility.

Additionally, the indictment alleges instances where the officers used their body cameras to limit what evidence could be captured at the scene: Martin moved his body camera where it wouldn’t show video of the beating; Haley and Smith activated theirs only after the assault; and Haley and Mills took theirs off when emergency medical personnel were on the scene.

At the arrest scene, the officers afterward discussed hitting Nichols with “straight haymakers,” even as Nichols’ condition deteriorated and he became unresponsive, the indictment said. Nichols could be seen on police video on the ground, slumped against a police car. indictment The accuses the officers of gathering after the beat-

Coco Gauff... from page 1 on and off the court, and we know the best is yet to come,” Barack Obama wrote. The former First Lady paid tribute to Gauff’s “hard work and grit” and shared a cherished photo of their meeting after that memorable firstround match. Former

President Bill Clinton joined the chorus of praise, describing Gauff’s victory as “incredible” and expressing optimism for the future of American tennis. Serena Williams, whom Gauff credits for inspiring her dreams, shared her excitement on Insta-

gram, writing: “Ahhhhh !!!! Amazing!!!!”

Gauff reflected proudly on her victory. “My dad took me to this tournament, sitting right there, watching Venus and Serena compete, so it’s really incredible to be here on this stage,” she said.

Trump rally... from page 2 raises concerns about his potential behavior if reelected, particularly regarding his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results by intimidating local officials. He turned the spotlight away from his actions, characterizing legal accountability as a threat to democracy.

“We’re either going to go one way or the other, and if we go the other, we’re not going to have a country left,” Trump warned his South supporters, Dakota promising unity, and justice if he returns to power.

The ominous tone follows a March rally where Trump positioned his 2024 campaign as an avenue for “retribution” against perceived enemies, intensifying the autocratic undertones of his campaign and causing deep concerns for voters and adversaries.

Critics who once dismissed Trump’s belligerence as mere performance are reevaluating their stance in the face of substantial evidence presented in criminal indictments.

The indictments allege that Trump misused his presidential authority to undermine the election and used social media and public appearances to intimidate judges and potential jurors ahead of his trials.

Trump’s comments about using presidential

power to launch investigations against political opponents, made with a sarcastic tone at the rally, are alarming given his history of following through on threats. His belief in almost unlimited constitutional power is evident in his pending indictments for election interference and handling classified documents. As Collinson noted, Trump railed in his speech that the cases filed against him would “allow” him, if re-elected, to call his attorney general and order an investigation into his adversaries. political “Indict my opponent, he’s doing well,” Trump said, implying that was exactly what Biden had done.

His legal troubles are an ongoing concern as Trump seeks to avoid prosecution by returning to the White House.

Numerous reports have surfaced suggesting he aims to reshape the federal government to root out disloyal career employees, furthering his agenda to consolidate power. Trump’s divisive track record on racial issues has also come under scrutiny, with past controversies ranging from discriminatory housing practices to the infamous Central Park Five case, where he called for the execution of wrongfully accused Black and Latino teenagers. As noted by

PBS and others, Trump has used racist language against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Black man, calling him an “animal.”

He called Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis “a rabid partisan,” and paid for an ad that falsely claimed Willis was involved in a romantic relationship with a gang member she prosecuted.

“This is who Donald is,” Cliff Trump executive Albright, director of Black Voters Matter, a voting advocacy group, stated in August. “He’s been this way all his time in public life.” The former president’s response to his latest indictment appears consistent with his strategy of relentless attacks, often infused with racially charged language. While not employing explicit slurs, Trump’s speech refers to a dark history of dehumanizing Black individuals, drawing criticism from experts and observers.

“He’s taking that historical racialized language that was offensive and insulting, and the subordinating of Black persons, applying it in a contemporary space and really bubbling up that history,” Bev-Freda Jackson, a professor in the school of public affairs at American University, told PBS earlier this year.

ing and saying, among other things, that “I thought when he wasn’t going to fall, we about to kill this man.” The indictment does not specify which officer made that statement.

The indictment also alleges the officers falsely stated Nichols actively resisted arrest at the beating scene and that he grabbed on Smith’s protective vest and pulled on the officers’ duty belts.

A hearing was set for Friday morning in a federal lawsuit filed by Nichols’ mother against the five ex-officers, the city of Memphis and its police department. The former officers then have a scheduled appearance Friday afternoon in

state court.

The Justice Department announced an investigation in July into how Memphis Police Department officers use force and conduct arrests, one of several “patterns and practices” investigations it has undertaken in other U.S. cities.

In March, the Justice Department said it was conducting a separate review concerning use of de-escalation force, strategies and specialized units in the Memphis Police Department.

The officers were part of a crime-suppression team that officials disbanded after Nichols’ death. However, members of that ‘Scorpion’ unit have been moved to

other teams.

Elsewhere, a federal civil rights case was filed last year against four Louisville, Kentucky, police officers over a drug raid that led to the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman whose fatal shooting helped fuel racial justice protests that swept the nation in 2020.

In Minneapolis, former police officers were convicted of violating the civil rights of George Floyd, whose death sparked those protests.

Former officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years after pinning Floyd to the pavement for more than nine minutes as the Black man “I can’t pleaded: breathe.”

COviD-19 vaccine... from page 1 agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated,” Marks wrote in a news release.

Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Medical Deaconess noted that Center, despite an increase in infection rates and hospitalizations, the rates of severe disease, hospitalizations, and death are still significantly lower than in previous years.

Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, highlighted the significance of this decision, especially with COVID-19 cases on the rise again. He said that nearly all individuals aged six months or older in the U.S. are eligible this season’s for vaccine, COVID-19 even if they have not been previously vaccinated.

The updated vaccines are approved for individuals 12 and older, with emergency use authorization for those aged six months to 11 years. The bivalent Moderna and Pfizer/ BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the

United States.

According to the FDA, babies and young from six children months to four years who have not been vaccinated can receive three doses of the updated Pfizer/BioNTech shot or two doses of the updated Moderna booster. Those who have been previously vaccinated will follow specific dosage guidelines. For those five and older, a single dose of the updated vaccines is recommended at least two months after their last COVID-19 shot, irrespective of previous vaccination.

Bancel, Stéphane of Moderna, CEO emphasized the critical role of updated vaccines in protecting the population during the peak respiratory virus season.

“COVID-19 remains a leading cause of death in the U.S. and poses a significant threat to vulnerable populations, particularly as we enter peak respiratory virus season,” Bancel said.

The mRNA vaccines have been adjusted to combat the XBB.1.5 Omicron sub-variant of the coronavirus and related strains.

The FDA anticipates that COVID-19 vaccine compositions may need annual updates, similar

to seasonal influenza vaccines.

Dr. Ugur Sahin, of CEO/co-founder BioNTech, said: “Our goal is to provide people with worldwide COVID-19 vaccines that are adapted to circulating virus variants or sublineages.”

The updated vaccines, administered in a single dose, are expected to be available at no cost to those in need.

Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine has not yet received FDA authorization but is currently under review for individuals aged 12 and older.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans cover the total cost of vaccines, eliminating co-pays for insured individuals. The uninsured or underinsured can access the vaccine at no cost through the CDC’s Bridge Access Program, a temporary initiative set conclude by to December 2024.

Officials noted that this is the first instance of vaccines being provided through the commarket. mercial According to CNN, during a Pfizer investor call in October, officials estimated a potential list price of $110 to $130 per single dose for adults.

Kamala Harris... from page 1 every day,” she told CBS News. “The work that our administration has accomplished under Joe Biden’s leadership is transformative.”

As Republican criticism has increasingly taken on racial undertones, Harris has emerged unbothered. In a July op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, Jackie Calmes said: “Republican racism has finally weaponized Kamala Harris.” Harris, the first woman, Black Amer-

ican, and person of South Asian descent to hold the office of Vice President, has consistently confronted such attacks with unwavering resolve. Harris has decried a broader national agenda she perceives, encompassing contentious issues such as book bans and so-called ‘don’t-say-gay’ laws.

She also spoke vehemently about the historical legacy of slavery and racism, dispelling any notion of what DeSantis

called its benefits.

“Come on. Adults know what slavery really involved. It involved rape. It involved torture.

It involved taking a baby from their mother. It involved some of the worst examples of depriving people of humanity in our world,” Harris passionately said.

“We will win reelection. There’s too much at stake, and the American people know it.”

Fearless Fund... from page 2 a violation of their rights. Alphonso David, a civil rights attorney, president/CEO of The Global Black Economic Forum, emphasized the undeniable inequality in today’s playing field.

“Today, the playing field is not level. That is beyond dispute,” said David.

“Those targeting Fearless Fund want to propagate a system that privileges some and

shuts out most. They want us to pretend that inequities do not exist.

They want us to deny our history.”

Crump asserted that Blum severely underestimated the resilience of Fearless Fund. “Blum thought they would be the easiest ones to pick off. Oh, was he wrong,” Crump said. Support for Fearless Fund’s cause extends to organizations like the NAACP Legal

Defense Fund, the National Women’s Law Center, and the law firm Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher.

“This attack does not change our mission,” said Arian Simone, CEO/co-founder of the Fearless Fund.

“We will remain steadfast on ensuring that the Fearless Fund will continue to empower women of color entrepreneurs.”

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September 15, 2023 Leisure www.pridepublishinggroup.com Multiplicity: Blackness in Americanafest 2023 brings great American roots music to Music Contemporary American City from around the world Collage exhibition opens

By Cass Teague The 23rd annual at Frist Art Museum Americanafest, September 19–23 in Nashville, Page 6

Nashville PRIDE

Derek Fordjour. Airborne Double, 2022. Acrylic, charcoal, cardboard, oil pastel, and foil on newspaper mounted on canvas; 60 x 100 in. Frances Fine Art Collection. Courtesy of the artist and Petzel Gallery, New York. weather, Helina Metafe- Nashville community.

by Cass Teague Saturday’s schedule: The first major ria, Wardell Milan, Joiri museum exhibition Minaya, Troy Montes 10:15 a.m., Welcome; devoted to the subject, Michie, Devin N. Mor- 10:30 – 11:20 a.m., Multiplicity: Blackness ris, Wangechi Mutu, Kahlil Robert Irving in Contemporary Ameri- Narcissister, Rashaad with Rebecca VanDiver, can Collage presents 80 Newsome, Lovie Olivia, PhD, associate professor major collage and col- Ebony G. Patterson, of African and African Pindell, American art, Vanderbilt works Howardena lage-informed Richmond- University; 11:30 a.m. – that reflect the breadth Jamea Deborah 12:20 p.m., Nyugen E. and complexity of Black Edwards, identity. Featuring an Roberts, Lanecia Rouse Smith and Paul Anthony Tschabalala Smith with María Elena intergenerational group Tinsley, of 52 living artists, Mul- Self, Vitus Shell, Devan Ortiz, curator, Modern David Art Museum Fort Worth; tiplicity explores the Shimoyama, varying ways collage is Shrobe, Lorna Simpson, 1:30 – 2:20 p.m., Jamea employed and how the Nyugen E. Smith, Paul Richmond-Edwards and Smith, Rashaad Newsome with technique suggests Anthony diverse conceptual con- Shinique Smith, Micka- Tiffany E. Barber, PhD, cerns such as cultural lene Thomas, Kara assistant professor of hybridity, notions of Walker, Didier William, African American art, University of California, beauty, gender fluidity, and Kandis Williams.

Plan now to attend a Los Angeles; 2:30 – 3:20 and historical memory.

By assembling pieces of Curator’s Tour for Multi- p.m., Tay Butler and Gaignard paper, photographs, fab- plicity: Blackness in Genevieve ric, and salvaged or Contemporary American with Anita N. Bateman, repurposed materials, Collage, as part of the PhD, associate curator of these unified composi- Multiplicity Opening modern and contempotions express endless Celebration, on Friday, rary art, Museum of Fine possibilities of Black- September 22, 2023, Arts, Houston; 3:30 – p.m., Helina constructed narratives from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. in 4:20 despite our fragmented the Ingram Gallery; free Metaferia; Lovie Olivia; for members; gallery Michael Ewing, indesociety.

Artists include Nina admission required for pendent curator; and Chase Williamson, Chanel Abney, Derrick not-yet-members.

And, you won’t want 2022–2023 fellow, Frist Adams, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Radcliffe to miss the Artist and Art Museum, with Katie organizing Bailey, Sanford Biggers, Scholar Conversation on Delmez, McArthur Binion, Brit- Multiplicity: Blackness curator of Multiplicity tney Boyd Bullock, in Contemporary Ameri- and senior curator, Frist Mark Bradford, Tay But- can Collage, also as part Art Museum. The exhiZoë Charlton, of the Multiplicity bition, organized by the ler, Andrea Chung, Jamal Opening Celebration, on Frist Art Museum, is Cyrus, M. Florine Saturday, September 23, accompanied by a cataDerek 2023, from 10:15 a.m. – logue with scholarly Démosthène, Fordjour, Genevieve 4:30 p.m. in the Frist essays, and will travel to Gaignard, Lauren Auditorium; free; first other venues.

Also opening SepHalsey, Kahlil Robert come, first seated. Hear Irving, Tomashi Jack- from Multiplicity artists tember 15, and running son, Arthur Jafa, Rashid and catalogue contribu- through December 31, Johnson, Yashua Klos, tors during this series of 2023 in the Gordon ConYoYo Lander, Rick conversations that take a temporary Artists ProjLowe, Kerry James Mar- deeper dive into the ect Gallery, is Raqib shall, Rod McGaha, exhibition’s themes and Shaw: Ballads of East Lester Julian Merri- its impact in the and West.

Record number of Black QBs have starting positions in NFL for 2023-24 season

by Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire contributor On the opening day of the 2023-24 National Football League season, a historic record was set.

For the first time in the history of the NFL, 14 Black quarterbacks took the snap on week 1. Last season, 11 Black quarterbacks started on week 1. Week 1 starters include: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs); Jalen Hurts (Eagles); Lamar Jackson (Ravens); Dak Prescott (Cowboys); Deshaun Watson (Browns); Russell Wilson (Broncos); Geno Smith (Seahawks); Desmond Ridder (Falcons); Joshua Dobbs (Cardinals); Justin Fields (Bears); Jordan Love (Packers); Bryce Young (Panthers); C.J. Stroud (Texans); and Anthony Richardson (Colts).

The 2023 NFL Draft marked the first time in NFL history Black men were selected in the top three positions for quarterback. The position was once seen as a White, male-dominated one until players such as Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham revolutionized the position and the game of football.

In the modern era, the NFL has seen an increasing number of Black quarterbacks breaking barriers and achieving success. Players like Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, and Patrick Mahomes have become stars in the

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes

(photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Patrick Mahomes/All Pro Reels, D.C. USA).

league. Mahomes is currently one of the most recent standout Black quarterbacks. He led the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory and has won the NFL MVP award.

The history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL is a story of perseverance. Breaking down racial barriers in the NFL has been a long and difficult road in a sport that is now dominated

by African Americans.

But the quarterback position has been a special problem: Teams from college on up have been reluctant for decades to encourage Black players to play quarterback. Many talented Black athletes were denied opportunities to play quarterback.

In the 1920s Fritz Pollard became one of the first African American quarterbacks in the NFL. He played for the Akron Pros in 1920, making him one of the league's first Black players. He also became a

player-coach. But he was a rare, early pioneer in the time of Jim Crow racial segregation. In 1968, Marlin Briscoe became the first Black quarterback to start in the NFL during the modern era. He played for the Denver Broncos and later transitioned to a wide receiver position.

In the 1980s, Houston Oilers QB Warren Moon became one of the most prominent Black quarterbacks in NFL history. Moon started as a star in the Canadian Football League before joining the NFL in 1984.

He had a highly successful NFL career, earning nine Pro Bowl selections and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 1988, Washington Redskins QB Doug Williams made history in Super Bowl XXII (1988) when he became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He led them to a victory and was named the game's MVP. Philadelphia Eagles QB Randall Cunningham was known for his athleticism in the 1980s and 1990s. Cunningham was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. While there have been significant strides in the representation of Black quarterbacks in the NFL, there is an ongoing recognition of the need for continued diversity and inclusion in all positions in professional football, including owner and head coach.

Tennessee, brings together music industry professionals and fans alike for five days of discovery, insight and connections. It showcases hundreds of artists and bands throughout many not-able venues, and also features a firstrate industry conference, with the top tier of the music business discussing current industry topics and issues.

Musical festivities kick off with the Americana Honors & Awards, celebrating luminaries and welcoming the next generation of trailblazers, while offering one-of-a-kind performance pairings at Auditorium.

Ryman 2023 Americanafest Festival Passes, $149, available online, allow admission into all evening showcases and select special events.

Conference + Festival Passes are $549. For more information, or view the lineup online at: americanamusic.org The Americana Music Association (501(c) 6) and its educational arm, the Americana Music Foundation (501 (c)3), are professional not-for-profit organizations whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world and to Americana preserve music through education. They endeavor to strengthen understanding, awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage, shine a light on inspiration and promote future creators’ capacity and engagement. They produce educational programs, musical performances and public events Ameriincluding canafest, Americana Honors & Awards pro-

See and hear the Shindellas perform Saturday, September 23 at Basement East for AmericanaFest. gram, NYU’s Ameri- best songwriters I've cana Artist-In-Resi- heard in the past 30 dence program and years,” LaVette says.

Smithsonian’s Roots to “LaVette!” arrived in Pop series.

June on Jay-Vee For over two Records, the label codecades, the Ameri- founded by Jordan and canafest conference has Meegan Voss. provided a premier eduThe Shindellas will cational forum to dis- conclude their two cuss varying cultural month national tour, industry-related with dates in Memphis, and topics among top pro- New Orleans, Baton fessionals and artists Rouge, Raleigh, Bellfrom the Americana ingham, Seattle, Portcommunity. This year, land, Sacramento, on the conference returns September 23 at The to The Westin Nashville Basement East for from Sept. 20 - 22 with AmericanaFest.. New over 70 insightful ses- West Records celesions, while the night- brates its 25th annivertime music festival fea- sary at Musicians Cortures more than 200 ner with a free outdoor electrifying showcases concert featuring Rodthroughout notable ven- ney Crowell Trio, ues in Music City.

Buddy Miller, North Keynote speakers at Mississippi Allstars, its conference feature Emily Nenni, Esther renowned musicians Rose, The Secret SisRosanne Cash & John ters, and The Wild Leventhal, Bettye Feathers, Friday from LaVette & Steve Jor- 3PM - 9PM at Centendan, Lyle Lovett, Marty nial Park.

Stuart, Rufus WainNMAAM Songwritwright & Emmylou ers Rounds artists will Harris, and Lucinda perform in-the-round Williams. “Reunited in inside the Roots Theater Music: Bettye LaVette at the National Museum & Steve Jordan,” at of African American 1:00PM on Thursday, Music in downtown brings together Bettye Nashville at 12 Noon LaVette and Steve Jor- daily.

The lineup dan to discuss their lat- includes AHI, Joy est collaboration for her Clark, and Denitia on album “LaVette!” They Wednesday; Mia Borwill discuss their ders, Julie Williams, accomplished careers and Thunderstorm Artis and creative processes, on Thursday; and Simeplus what led to record- on Hammond Dallas, ing an album of songs Phillip-Michael Scales,

by Randall Bramblett. and Yasmin Williams “I think he's one of the on Friday.

September 15, 2023

www.pridepublishinggroup.com

Pastor, Pew, & Pulpit

Faith of A Mustard Seed

by Barbara A. Woods Washington, M. Div. We have previously looked at the ‘Assault on the Waterfront of Montgomery’ which has sparked both national and international attention, even if only by means of “The Chair’; but serving to move us from the education, or lack thereof... when it comes to the historical significance of the State of Alabama in the systemic oppression in which Africans born in America CONTINUE to be held captive. By the way, the most powerful layman in the American Justice System, Senator Mitch McConnell, who has held the US Senate Seat since 1985 from Kentucky... who as of 2023 has broken the record for the longest serving Senate Leader... was born in Sheffield, Alabama! Who told you that the South lost...

The Civil War? What ‘eyes’ have yet to see...

In the ‘must do’ work of ‘Reformation’ to build Black Community and Black Church, this move from ‘Education to Knowledge’ lands us back in... Alabama.

In 'HIS OWN WORDS'— from 'The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.' "In the entire country, there was no place to compare with Birmingham. The largest industrial city in the South, Birmingham had become, in the thirties, a symbol for bloodshed when trade unions sought to organize. It was a community in which human rights had been trampled on for so long that fear and oppression were as thick in its atmosphere as the smog from its factories. Its financial interests were interlocked with a power structure which spread throughout the South and radiated into the

Barbara A. Woods Washington, M. Div. North. The challenge to direct nonviolent, action could not have been staged in a more appropriate arena."...

"If you wanted to contribute to and be a part of the work of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, you would not have been able to join a local branch. In the state of Alabama, segregationist authorities had been successful in enjoining the NAACP from performing its civil rights work by declaring it a “foreign corporation” and rendering its activities illegal."...

"There was one threat to the reign of white supremacy in Birmingham. As an outgrowth of the Montgomery bus boycott, protest movements had sprung up in numerous cities across the South.

In Birmingham, one of the nation̓s most courageous freedom fighters, the Reverend Fred had Shuttlesworth, organized the Alabama Christian Movement for Rights— Human ACHR—in the spring of 1956. Shuttlesworth, a wiry, energetic, and indomitable man, had set out to change Birmingham and to end for all time the terrorist, racist rule of Bull Connor.

When Shuttlesworth first formed his organisoon zation—which became one of the eighty-five affiliates of our Southern Christian ConferLeadership

ence—Bull Connor doubtless regarded the group as just another bunch of troublesome “niggers.”

It soon became obvious even to Connor, however, that Shuttlesworth was in dead earnest. Back at Christmas 1956, Shuttlesworth̓s home was bombed and completely demolished. In the winter of 1956, his church, Bethel Baptist, was dynamited by racists, and later in 1957, Shuttlesworth and his wife were mobbed, beaten, and stabbed. They were also jailed eight times, four times during the Freedom Rides.

At the May 1962 board meeting of SCLC at Chattanooga, we decided to give serious consideration to joining Shuttlesworth and the ACHR in a massive direct action campaign to attack segregation in Birmingham.

Along with Shuttlesworth, we believed that while a campaign in Birmingham would surely be the toughest fight of our civil rights careers, it could, if successful, break the back of segregation all over the nation. A victory there might well set forces in motion to change the entire course of the drive for freedom and justice. Because we were convinced of the significance of the job to be done in Birmingham, we decided that the most thorough planning and prayerful preparation must go into the effort. We began to prepare a top secret file which we called “Project C”—the “C” for Birmingham ̓s Confrontation with the fight for justice and morality in race relations.”

What then, shall we say to these things... or think, or do... with these things?

By email: myfa thersmansionpress@ gmail.com

expressions of Faith: The Lord alone is God”

by Bishop-elect Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. “The Lord alone is God! He created the heavens and made a world for His people to live in, instead of creating an empty desert. The Lord alone is God; there is no other,” Isaiah 45:18-19.

The Lord did not speak in a dark secret place or command Jacob’s descendants to search for Him in vain.

The Lord spoke the truth.

As the Lord God, He made a promise and His faithfulness is true.

Whatever you do, don’t forget or doubt the Lord.

You will not have to be uncertain when it comes to His word or His righteousness for your life.

He is Jehovah and does not lie. He has declared Himself to be the Creator of the world. His truth will reveal His purpose for your life. He did not create the world in vain or ‘tohu’—Hebrew for an empty place. He created a world for His sons and daughters who would go forth and do His will by keeping true fellowship with Him as Father and Creator. All He asks of you is to remember Him for what He has done for you.

Worship Him as Creator.

As He created the world, He made you the foundation of all things. It is for you to enjoy. Jehovah is the Creator. Do not look to idols when you know there are no other gods. He made the heavens, the earth, its inhabitants, and has promised His love will be manifested to all

mankind. He gave His blessing for you and your descendants. He gave His people Cyrus who made sure that His people returned back home. When others see His restoration, they will become converted and live in His service for perfect freedom.

Do not worship idols or idolic gods, including: Baal [bool] -- the god of fertility and weather [rain and storms].

Astarte [a-star-de] -goddess of war and sexual love.

Asherah [ass-she-ra} -- The wife of God [Yahweh]. She had her own prophets and was a part of the ancient Babylonian religion.

Chemosh [kimmush] -- the god of the Moabites. This god’s focus was war and destruction.

Dagon [day-gen] -the god of bounty and one of the oldest demon lords. We will have much grief from him.

Moloch [mar-lick] -the god of child sacrifice, a pagan god.

Tammuz [tim-mus] - the god of new life, seasonal death and rebirth of crops.

God told the Israelites: ‘You built alters to worship these gods and goddesses as a sign of pagan worship.

The gods the children of Israel worship are the enemies of our soul, because sacrifices were made to theses gods.

Look to Me and all that I have and will do for you.

I will save you [Israel] and destroy Babylon. I will be your redeemer

Bishop-Elect Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. and will blot out all of your sins. You will have a new Jerusalem. So whatever you do don’t be a godless people, because you know that I am God. Listen to Me, northern Kingdom of Israel; listen to Me, southern Kingdom of Judah: I am your God. To every survivor from every nation: gather around Me! Learn how senseless it is to worship wooden idols or pray to helpless gods. I am the only God! No others are real, I will bring about justice, and I have the power to save you. I invite the whole world to turn to Me and be saved.

I alone am God! No other are real.

My salvation is for everyone. As God, I will make it clear that My people will be in place for the whole world to see and come to know Me as Creator. I have sworn by Myself. The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return— unto Me, every knee shall bow; every tongue shall worship Me as Lord.

I invite the whole world to turn to Me and be saved. I alone am God! No others are real.’

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Faithful utterances The wrong bread

by Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew One of my dear friends from high school and I have a pattern.

When we find a video that is riveting concerning scripture, we send it to the other for an opinion. There are times when we don’t agree and I always welcomed the opportunity to have a spirited conversation.

Despite our different religious up-bringings in the church, we share some fundamental beliefs. I also appreciate that our conversations are always in a spirit of love—it’s never to condemn but always out of a desire to understand.

Recently, he sent a video of a blogger chastising a pastor about his sermon. In the sermon, the pastor commented that we have it all wrong. Adam was created with only one rib which demonstrated the brokenness of man and Eve was created whole because she had both ribs. The blogger felt that this type of teaching was creating a church that pushed men out and catered to women. Others on YouTube created similar content criticizing this message as appealing to women.

For me, it wasn’t about a message that pandered to women. The pastor was trying to convey that a woman’s worth is not tied to being in a relationship–agreed.

My issue was that it was the message of the pastor that God made something that was broken.

“God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female,” Genesis 1:27, MSG. So, if God created humans in his image, then we can deduce that God is not broken. God did not look

at what He created and felt that it was malfunctioned: “God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased,” Genesis 1:31, GNT. Scripture continues to remind us of God’s stance on His creation: “For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,” 1 Timothy 4:4. If God can look at what He made and see the goodness in it, we, too, need to rejoice and not reject the creation of God. In a world that has so many sound bites and the desire to go viral immediately, Christians have become captive to the desire to sound provocative in order to be seen and get more likes. We need to be very careful in not just taking the word of anyone that quotes scriptures (you should even check me) or is in a pulpit. “Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” 2 Timothy 2:15.

You need to study for yourself beyond your time in the pews on Sunday morning.

I don’t have a heaven or a hell to put this pastor or anyone in but I want to encourage you to do the work. It’s important that you read the ‘word.’

“Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and bewitching performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better.

But I’ve given you fair warning,” Matthew 24:24, MSG. We are told this repeatedly: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world,” 1 John 4:1.

Jesus told his disciples to be careful of false teaching. “The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread when they crossed the lake. Jesus then warned them, ‘Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ The disciples missed it. They thought Jesus was referring to actual bread. ‘Don’t you know by now that I am not talking to you about bread? Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees Sadducees!’” and Matthew 24:24, MSG. Finally, the disciples understood that Jesus wasn’t talking about the yeast used to make bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:1-12).

The Pharisees and Sadducees were both church leaders who were not teaching the people correctly. Just like the disciples, we miss it, too.

The leaders may have changed but be mindful because the spirit is still the same.

(Dr. Froswa’ BookerDrew is the president of Soulstice Consultancy and the founder of the Reconciliation and Restoration Foundation.

She is also the author of four books and the host of the Tapestry podcast.)

Nashville PRiDe Directory of Churches 40th Avenue Church of Christ 616 40th Avenue North Nashville TN, 37209 www.40thavecoc.com Sunday School 9:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.

Bible Study:Wed. 7:00 p.m. & Thurs 11:00 a.m.

(615) 329-2325 Min. Dr. Charles A Beaman

Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church 2334 Herman Street Nashville, TN 3728 615-329-2779 Sunday School @ 8:45am Sunday Worship @ 10:00am Bible Studies: Monday Thursday @ 6pm; Wednesdays @ 12 noon gordonmemorialumc.org Rev. Dr. Paula B. Smith, Pastor

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

Jefferson Street MBC 2708 Jefferson Street Nashville TN 37208 615-329-2990 Morning Worship: 10 a.m.

Rev. Aaron X. Marble, pastor

Clark Memorial UMC Worship service: Sundays 10:00 am Address:1017 14th Ave. N. 615-329-4464 Senior Pastor: Rev. Toi King Cleveland Street MBC 608 Cleveland Street Nashville, TN 37207 615-227-1149 Sunday Worship: 10:45 a.m./9:15 Church School clevelandstreet baptist@comcast.net www.clevelandstreet baptistchurch.com Dr. Donald Snead, pastor Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church 819 33rd Avenue N. Nashville, TN 37209 (615) 977-6855 Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.

Wed. Worship: 7:30 PM Rev. Enoch Fuzz, pastor Ezra Emmanuel Ministries 2606 Union Hall Rd. Clarksville, TN 37040 www.ezraemmanuelmin.org 9 a.m. Sunday worship 6 p.m. Wednesday Hr of Empowerment 931-378-1092 Overseer Danelle M. Stephens Gospel United Missionary Baptist Church 3700 Fairview Dr. Nashville, TN 37218 615-876-7022 9:30 Sunday School Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Pastor Carlos A. Jones Greater St. John Baptist Church 2200 26th Ave, No. Nashville, TN 37208 (615) 263-9450 Sunday Worship: 10:45 a.m.

Herbert T. Brown, pastor

John Wesley UMC 901 Benton Avenue 615-298-2019 Sunday worship 8am/11am Daniel M. Hayes, Sr. pastor jwesleyumc@ bellsouth.net http://jwesleyumc.org/ Lake Providence MBC 5891 Nolensville Pike Nashville, TN 37211 (615) 833-5539 Sunday worship: 8am/11am Rev. H. Bruce Maxwell, pastor The Living Word International Church 5100 Wyoming Ave. Nashville, TN 37209 615-297-7437 Worship Times: 11:00 a.m. 7 p.m.

(1st & 2nd Sun.) Bishop Adebanjo thelivingwordcogic.com Mt. Lebanon MBC 222 Franklin Lime Stone Rd. 11:00 a.m. worship service 615-596-0456 jamesgreen@yahoo.com Rev. James J. Green, pastor Mt. Vernon MBC 1022 New Providence Pass Madison, TN 37115 Sunday Worship 11 a.m.

615-860-0213 Bishop Willie Joy, pastor mtvernon1022@cocast.net Nehemiah Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Thomas E. Hunter, Sr. 916 16th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37208 615-942-5261 Sunday School:9:00am Sunday Service: 10:00am Tues. Bible Study:6:30pm nehemiahmissionary baptistchurch.com

New Salem A.M.E. Church 1800 4th Ave. N. Nashville, TN 37208 615-964-7246 Sunday Worship 11 a.m.

Pastor Eddie L. Sneed Payne Chapel AME Church 212 Neil Avenue (615) 262-3675 Sunday Worship: 10 am Rev. W. Antoni Sinkfield Schrader Lane Church of Christ 1234 Schrader Lane Nashville, TN 37208 (615) 329-0950 Sunday Worship: 7:45/10:15 a.m./5:00 p.m.

Robert Gardenhire, Pastor Spruce Street Baptist Church 504 Spruce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Worship at 11 a.m.

(615) 329-4105 Pastor Raymond Bowman St. John A.M.E. Church 1822 Formosa Street Nashville, TN. 37208 (615) 320-1026 sainjohname@aol.com Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m.

Rev. Lisa Hammonds St. Luke A.M.E. Church 355 Blythe Ave. Gallatin, Tenn. 37066 615-452-3137 Sunday School 9:15 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Rev. Dr. Barbara J.Crawford St. Matthew MBC 2412 Osage Street (615) 329-0173 Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.

Rev. W.B. Armstrong, pastor St. Paul A.M.E. Church 3340 W. Hamilton Ave. Nashville, TN 37218 (615) 876-7219 Rev. Harold Moses Love, Jr. www.stpaul-amec.com Word of Life Christian Center International 4100 Clarksville Pike Nashville, TN 37218 (615) 876-3086 Sunday Worship: 11:00 am Rev. Alexander Arthur

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September 15, 2023