Nashville PRIDE September 8, 2023

Clarence Thomas discloses Harlan Crowe trips See page 3

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EDITORIAL

The beauty of life See page 4

“His Eye is on the Sparrow” See page 6

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Volume XXXVII, Number 36

People Are Talking Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia

Former President Donald J. Trump mug shot In Georgia, Donald Trump has entered a not-guilty plea to 13 criminal charges. The indictment accuses the twice impeached and four-time formerly indicted former president of participating in a plot to rig the state’s 2020 election results.

On Aug. 31, a Trump lawyer submitted a waiver of arraignment to a judge in Fulton County. Many of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in the case have also submitted comparable waivers and pleaded not guilty.

“As evidenced by my signature below, I hereby waive formal arraignment and enter my plea of ‘Not Guilty’ to the indictment in this case,” the document that Trump signed states.

According to Brian Tevis, an Atlanta lawyer representing Rudy Giuliani, the former attorney for Trump, most defendants forego arraignment when a judge allows them to do so.

Tevis, who also said Giuliani would want to forego the formal arraignment, said: “99% of the time, defendants choose to waive formal arraignment and not to have to appear if the judge allows it.”

The charges against Trump, Giuliani, and the other defendants include racketeering and operating a “criminal enterprise.” In a sweeping indictment, District Attorney Fani Willis said they used several tactics to prevent President Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia’s 2020 election from being correctly certified. Trump faces a federal trial in Washington in March 2024 for interfering with the 2020 presidential election. He also faces possible 2024 trials for alleged crimes in Florida and New York, while Willis has announced her intent to proceed with a trial in Georgia next year. In all, the ex-president faces 91 felony counts that could land him in prison for more than 800 years.

“I have discussed the charges in the Indictment and this Waiver of Appearance at Arraignment with my attorney Steven H. Sadow, and I fully understand the nature of the offenses charged and my right to appear at arraignment,” Trump said in the filing.

On Aug. 24, Trump turned himself into authorities at a nearby jail, submitting to a booking photo and fingerprinting. The court set the bond for his release at $200,000.

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September 8, 2023

Nashville goes to the polls Sept. 14 Early voting comes to an end on Saturday. On Thursday, September 14, Nashvillians go to the polls to decide who will represent them in the Special General Election for Tennessee House District 51 and the Metropolitan Runoff Election.

District 51 is currently being represented by former Councilman Anthony Davis who was appointed to the office when Rep. Bill Beck suddenly passed away in June.

Davis was defeated in the Democratic Primary by Aftyn Behn, who is taking on Republican David Hooven in the General Election.

The Metropolitan Runoff Election puts Freddie O'Connell and Alice Rolli running in the September 14, runoff election for mayor of Nashville.

O'Connell finished first and Rolli finished second from a field of 12 candidates.

Freddi O’Connell is a Democratic councilman for District 19 and has served on the council since 2015. Alice Rolli is a Republican former political strategist who was a staffer for Governors Bill Haslam and Lamar Alexander.

According to O’Connell, his top priorities are: “improving basic governmental service such as trash pickup and filling potholes, building a better transportation network, and improving the trust residents have in city government.”

In an interview, Rolli said her priorities are: “ensuring that all first graders in the city could read; improving public safety; not increasing taxes; and building a better relationship with the state to address regional issues such as transit and homelessness.”

The Nashville Council-at-Large runoff is between the top eight finishers from the August 3 General Election. Voters will have to choose four candidates to represent the city.

Of note is candidate Chris Cheng,

Early voting ends this Saturday, September 9. who is a Nashville Native and Army Also on the ballot are candidates Ranger veteran. Cheng earned gradu- for the Council District 4 and Council ate degrees in public policy and busi- District 11. ness from Harvard University. He and Voters can download the his wife own Hot Sauce Nashville, a GoVoteTN app, available in the App local hot sauce company. According to Store or Google Play, to view voterCheng, he is passionate about: specific information. Voters can find • Championing our small busi- Election Day polling locations, view nesses, non-profits, and local entrepre- and mark sample ballots and much neurs; more. The platform is also available at • Investing in our community <GoVoteTN.com>. building assets: parks, greenways, Residents should remember to libraries, art hubs, recreation facilities, bring a valid photo identification with farmers markets, and community cen- them to the polls. A driver’s license or ters; photo ID issued by the Tennessee • Supporting safe and sustain- Department of Safety and Homeland able infrastructure like smooth roads, Security as well as photo IDs issued by clean water, reliable utilities, green Tennessee state government or the fedparks, safe sidewalks, attainable hous- eral government are acceptable, even ing, internet access, and waste man- if they are expired. College student agement.

IDs are not acceptable.

New COVID-19 variant, ‘Pirola,’ raises concerns amid ongoing crises

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Amidst a news cycle that now routinely features wildfires, former president indictments, and extreme weather events, the world is grappling with the resurgence of COVID-19 as a new and

concerning variant, BA.2.86, emerges.

This variant, informally dubbed “Pirola,” has ignited alarm among public health experts due to its substantial spike protein mutations.

Dr. Scott Roberts, an infectious diseases specialist at Yale Medicine,

warned that Pirola exhibits over 30 spike protein mutations compared to the previously dominant XBB.1.5 variant in the United States. The spike protein is critical for the virus’s entry into human cells, and such a high number of mutations raises red flags. In an online Yale Medicine article, Dr. Roberts compared the mutation count to the shift from the Delta to the Omicron variant in 2021, which caused a significant surge in cases due to its immune evasion capabilities.

What’s particularly concerning is that Pirola has been detected in at least six countries, and these cases appear unrelated. Experts said that suggests undetected community transmission and international spread, sparking concerns of a potential resurgence.

According to medical experts, BA.2.86 is a designated variant of Omicron, a variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus responsible for COVID-19.

BA.2.86 stems from BA.2, a previously circulating Omicron subvariant. The variant was first identified in Denmark in late July and made its way to the Continued on page 5

Black Census Project quadruples participation

The most extensive survey of Black people in the United States has gathered nearly 130,000 responses from all 50 states, four times bigger than the 2018 Black Census.

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire The Black Futures Lab announced that it had reached a historic milestone in the Black Census Project survey, which will conclude in October 2023.

The most extensive survey of Black

people in the United States has gathered nearly 130,000 responses from all 50 states, four times bigger than the 2018 Black Census.

“Going into another presidential campaign season, we know that Black communities are still being undercounted and under-engaged,” said Alicia Garza, Founder and Principal of Black Futures Lab, who began designing the Black Census Project after the 2016 election. “It is critical that we engage Black communities early and often. Every day, policy is made about us without us. “We launched the Black Census to transform that–we take the data from the Black Census and use it to inform a Black agenda that serves as a roadmap for policymakers and politicians on how to best address the needs of Black communities.”

Garza continued, noting that “The Black Census is historic and important—there is still time for you to join us and participate so that your voice can be heard.”

The Black Census Project, launched in 2018, engages communities typically under-represented in tra-

ditional surveys and policymaking.

The Black Census Project is gathering information on the opinions and views of Black people. This includes demographics and areas such as LGB+ communities, trans communities, incarcerated Black individuals, Black immigrants, and Black people living in rural areas.

“Now more than ever, it is essential that Black trans people are seen, heard, and counted,” said Aria Sa’id, Founder Emeritus of the Transgender District.

“Given all the attacks on trans rights, we know Black trans folks will be the most impacted. While our rights are being taken away and our communities are being targeted, very few people are talking to trans people about what we’re experiencing, and what support we need to live dignified lives.

The Black Census does this and gets information from us about our needs and experiences, and what we want to see for our futures. The experiences of Black trans people matter, not just for us, but for all Black communities.”

Once the Black Census closes in Continued on page 5

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Clarence Thomas finally discloses Harlan Crow financed trips

Justice Clarence Thomas

by Stacy M. Brown, event held at a venue NNPA Newswire owned by Crow’s real senior national estate firm. Crow also correspondent arranged for Thomas’ return flight from Dallas C o n s e r v a t i v e in February after an Supreme Court Justice unexpected icy storm Clarence Thomas has disrupted travel. acknowledged previousThe report also menly undisclosed travel tions a vacation to the expenses paid for by bil- Adirondacks in New lionaire associate Harlan York State in July 2022, Crow. Thomas’s most which Crow again fundrecent annual financial ed. disclosure report on Thomas said he used Thursday included this a private jet for his trip information. because of security conIn 2022, Crow facili- cerns caused by the tated several trips for leaked draft opinion on Thomas, including a the Roe v. Wade case.

May visit to a conserva- Attorney Elliot Berke, tive conference in who helped with the Dallas. Thomas was a report, said that after featured speaker at an carefully reviewing

Thomas’ records, they found no intentional ethical violations. Any mistakes in previous reports were accidental.

The context for this disclosure was a series of criticisms aimed at Supreme Court justices for alleged ethical violations, deriving from a exposé ProPublica Thomas’ detailing acceptance of luxurious trips from Crow, a prominent Republican donor. In Thomas’s previous financial reports, these visits were not disclosed.

Before the first ProPublica article about officials Thomas, changed the disclosure regulations in March.

The changes require disclosing private aircraft travel and staying at privately owned resorts.

The U.S. Judicial Conference, the judiciary’s policymaking body, is responsible for oversight of judicial ethics.

Justice Thomas and his conservative colleague, Justice Samuel Alito, asserted they utilized a legally permissible postponement to submit their annual reports.

The reports, typically due in May and released the following month, were delayed.

Alito’s report included information about travels financed by Duke Continued on page 5

Solitary confinement bill introduced, highlighting racial disparities

by Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent A group of House Democrats is spearheading legislative efforts to dismantle the practice of solitary confinement, a punitive measure that disproportionately affects Black and brown inmates within the American penal system.

Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, a passionate advocate for criminal justice reform, leads this critical initiative. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California, and Jamaal Bowman of New York are among Bush’s colleagues joining the

effort. Together, they have introduced groundbreaking legislation to abolish solitary confinement within federal prisons and jails, effectively addressing a glaring issue within the nation’s correctional system.

The proposed legislation does not merely seek to banish this punitive practice; it also aims to institute vital due process safeguards for individuals where solitary confinement is the sole recourse. Further, the bill offers incentives to states, encouraging them to adopt similar legislation at the local level, fostering a more equitable and humane justice system.

Bush minced no words in denouncing the practice of isolating incarcerated individuals, referring to it as a catastrophe.” “moral She underscored the gravity of the situation, citing United Nations experts who have characterized solitary confinement as psychological torture. “This practice is traumatic for people subjected to it, harmful to communities, and alarmingly, it disproportionately impacts Black and brown individuals, young people, LGBTQ+ members, and other marginalized communities,” Bush passionately asserted.

Rep. Bowman echoed Bush’s sentiments, declaring that such a method of imprisonment has no place in the United States. He emphasized the stark reality that harsh practices like solitary confinement directly target marginalized groups, particularly people of color. “We must put an end to this cruel and traumatic form of punishment for the wellbeing of all,” Bowman insisted.

Rep. Kamlager-Dove expressed her profound disapproval of solitary confinement, likening it Continued on page 5

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Table of Contents Front Page .......................... 1 National/State..................... 2 Local.................................... 3 Editorials ............................ 4 Continuations ..................... 5 Leisure ................................ 6 Pastor, Pew, & Pulpit ........ 7 Health/Education ............... 8

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

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September 8, 2023

Gunman foiled in attempt to target Ambridge Black Church

A heroic intervention thwarted a gunman ‘s attempt to target Greater Dominion Church in Ambridge, PA. Harris threatened the ed history of racism

by Stacy M. Brown, women, all while and the ongoing racialNNPA Newswire attempting to gain ly charged attacks senior national against African Ameriaccess to the church. correspondent The frantic 911 cans, even within the In the small immediately confines of their places Ambridge, Pa., com- calls munity, a quick-think- alerted Beaver County of worship. horrifying The ing witness and swift Regional Police to police response pre- Harris’s presence on episode at Greater Church vented a potential mas- the 300 block of Mer- Dominion sacre at Greater chant Street, and they evokes memories of a informed painful past, with the Dominion Church on promptly Sunday morning, Aug. Ambridge police. As killing of nine people 27. Jeffrey Harris, a an officer approached at the Emanuel African 38-year-old white the suspect, Harris Methodist Episcopal man, now faces a menacingly pointed Church in Charleston, South Carolina, just litany of charges, his weapon.

Bishop Kenneth one of many attacks including aggravated assault and making ter- Crumb of Greater targeting predominantroristic threats, after Dominion Church later ly Black churches in attempting to enter the spoke to WTAE, the United States. predominantly Black revealing the chilling Tragically, several past church with murderous possibility that Harris cases involved the might have succeeded burning of churches by intent.

The ordeal unfold- in entering the church Ku Klux Klan memed just after 9 a.m. on a had he arrived just one bers, highlighting the quiet Sunday morning hour later for his Sun- persistence of racial when multiple con- day service. “There is hatred in some parts of cerned citizens called a whole lot of mass the country.

Among these hor911 to report a man murders going on, clad in a camouflage there are shootings,” rific incidents was the vest brandishing a long Crumb emphasized, burning of the Macegun and menacingly “particularly in the donia Church of God American in Christ in Springtargeting two women African outside the church at community, people tar- field, Massachusetts, 4th Street and Melrose geting our communi- shortly after the elecAvenue. According to ties.” He added that tion of President a criminal complaint, this incident serves as Obama in November the eyewitnesses a grim reminder of 2008. In Knoxville, watched in terror as America’s deeply rootContinued on page 5

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September 9, 2023

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Clemmons honors DaSilva family with traffic sign

Part of Old Hickory Blvd has been renamed in honor of Waffle House shooting victim Akilah DaSilva.

State Representative state 24 and ending at John Ray Clemmons Murfreesboro Pike, presented the family of (State Route 1/U.S. Waffle House Shooting Highway 41). victim Akilah DaSilva “What a beautiful with replicas of the new moment today to see the traffic signs honoring Akilah Dasilva Memohim, on Wednesday, rial Highway sign August 30. unveiled,” said DaSilA portion of State va’s mother, Shaundelle Route 171 (Old Hickory Brooks.

Boulevard/Hobson “We are so grateful Pike) has been renamed to Representative Clemthe “Akilah DaSilva monsfor making this Akilah DaSilva Memorial Highway” in happen. memory of the twenty“To see Akilah’s for sensible gun laws musi- name on the Old Hicko- since DaSilva’s death. three-year-old cian, producer, writer, ry Blvd stretch means This year, she also had a photographer and engi- so much to us. It is a second son become a neering student who physical remembrance victim of gun violence died tragically during a of our beloved Akilah, and is now recovering.

“We will continue to shooting at the Antioch but it also serves as a fight for common sense Waffle House in 2018. reminder that gun vioThe signs were official- lence forever changes gun reform to ensure no other family loses a ly installed last week on lives. the stretch of State DaSilva’s mother, loved one. We are proud Route 171 beginning at Shaundelle Brooks has to have this as a part of the intersection of Inter- been active in the fight Akilah’s legacy

Cancer… My Journey in time

Having a good network

Rev. Enoch Fuzz As the Reverend Enoch Fuzz, pastor of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church began his journey with stage four lung cancer, he has maintained that he has a great network of friends, family, church members, doctors and prayer warriors.

He said that it is “no wonder that he is healing.

The calendar has circled back around giving him the opportunity to share another birthday and celebrate his years in ministry as well as other annual events.

Pastor Fuzz said, “I have gratitude for the prayers and support from my church as a whole and individual members; for support of family and friends. Not many people have the tremendous support system I have. No wonder I'm healing. I get to celebrate the life marks of my own life like 50 years in ministry and 68 birthdays. But, also celebrate other people.

National grandparents day is September 10, and the annual Sunday School picnic is September 9.” There are also “innumerable opportunities to serve the struggle of community justice; to fight against social wrongs

like attacks by the State Republican legislature against Tennessee State University.”

Pastor Fuzz feels so grateful “To feel better enough to lead efforts in community development in Bordeaux and fundraising for American Baptist College.

Though I need to be mindful that I'm not healed but healing if I stick to doctor’s advice.”

The way one lives their life by developing relationships with family, friends, and community is an indication of the type of network that may be needed in the time of difficulties.

Sometimes a network of friends are small and mighty and sometimes a person’s network may be larger and include close friends to a mass of public support. No matter the case, check your network and keep your network informed.

Realizing that there is a great advantage to having a good network, Rev. Fuzz ended his thoughts this week by saying, “Today is a good day to live!”

Keep praying and supporting. And, never forget to include prayers for your network of people. It’s not just your prayer network that can help you to heal. It’s social, emotional, physical and mental. Prayer and getting along in this life with others goes a long way in healing.

Keep viewing Pastor Fuzz’s posts on Meta and be informed and encouraged by reading weekly, “Cancer: My Journey in Time.”

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Editorials

The beauty of life

by William T. Robinson, Jr. I can only imagine the countless times I looked around and at the marveled unprecedented majesty and beauty I have been blessed and privy to enjoy. How can you not acknowledge the result of God’s paintbrush manifested all around us, offering spectacular scenery pleasing to the eyes, in perfect harmony? You have only to inhale and exhale to know that God is in charge and orchestrating and putting things in perfect sync.

How can anyone question that God’s love and mercy knows no bounds? I have only so much patience being around those who are constantly complaining and finding fault when there is so much around us that should be keeping us in awe and reminding us of God’s unconditional love. It is only fair to acknowledge the good as well as the bad in our lives, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. Even in our darkest hours, we are offered a glimpse of light that promises us we have not been forsaken and in given time we will understand.

This world is not perfect because of man’s ever-present desire to control and taint what is divine and spiritual.

However, no one can deny the beauty in the sky, land, and waters that we are privy to daily. The beauty of God’s omnipresence is not only found in the beauty of nature that surrounds us but in the goodness of so many people that we encounter on a daily basis that manifest his love. In fact, the love and benevolence manifested by others, especially in times of need, only solidifies the beau-

William T. Robinson, Jr. ty of the soul within our neighbors and love ones.

I cannot argue that the world is not without its share of gloom and doom with vestiges of transgressions constantly filling our heads. But when we concentrate on what is real and important, we can’t fail to see that life is ever presenting us with the beauty and goodness that God has provided to mankind because he loves us. If only we could love God as much as he loves us, it would make it easier for us to glorify God by doing his will.

I believe in doing God’s will, we further open our eyes to the good and beauty we can find in life, even in the smallest of things. We should have a greater appreciation in being healthy and being provided with our basic needs as well as with some of the things we want. We are more than blessed when we have the energy, insight, and resources to be able to help others down and out and suffering.

I can only assume that those caught up in and self-idolatry debauchery are less likely to see and appreciate the true beauty provided around them. It is written that you have to look beyond the things in this mundane world to seek the wisdom to know what is really important.

The real beauty and pur-

pose in life is realized when one finds true enjoyment, purpose, and fulfilment in serving others. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to find the true purpose of man, but we spend too much time finding worldly superficial reasons trying to justify our existence.

God is the author and creator of life and he gets no better pleasure than in having his children enjoy and appreciate his work, something too many people take for granted. Part of his love for us is creating a beautiful world that is in sync with nature, offering us a plethora of beautiful and enticing scenery that is pleasing and enjoyable.

What can be more beautiful than some of the sunsets we have witnessed, or a sunny day showcasing beautiful flowers, or cool breezes rescuing us from really hot days. But hands down, nothing surpasses the beauty of the people he puts in our lives and their influence in making us better people. If you haven’t figured that love is our interaction with others and appreciating the blessings we experience each and every day, then you must be blind.

Next time you relax with friends whether in the confines of your home or backyard, or social gatherings, know you are loved. God’s beauty can be seen in every aspect of nature and in your personal lives. question Without many people would argue that the greatest beauty is found in the inner beauty of the people God puts in our lives through our love ones, family, and friends.

Sometimes we just need to be still and listen and observe the beauty ever present around us.

We must have fewer disposable neighborhoods, more good Green jobs

by Ben Jealous (TriceEdneyWire.com) –Nicknames like the Motor City and Motown make clear that the auto industry built Detroit.

Cars did a lot to give the neighborhoods in and around the 48217 zip code on the city’s southwest side their nickname too—Michigan’s most polluted zip code.

A Ford plant, a U.S. Steel mill and, most prominently, a Marathon Oil refinery that’s the only one in the state and one of the nation’s largest have fouled the air for decades in what locals call the Tri-Cities.

In all, the Environmental Protection Agency monitors more than four dozen polluters in the area that’s home to poor Blacks and Hispanics.

In the mid-1960s, Interstate 75 dissected what was a vibrant neighborhood and added the fumes of 100,000 cars and trucks a day.

Many trace their roots to the 13 original families that settled there in the Great Migration, and houses are a big part of neighborhood families’ wealth.

Residents of the 48217 have fought for years to slow the pollution, protesting, and appearing at public hearings for decades.

The corporate interests have won more often than not.

The city historically traded the promise of jobs for residents’ interests. Marathon promised 51% of jobs at the refin-

Ben Jealous ery would go to city residents when it won a $175 million tax abatement for an expansion in 2007. A decade later six percent of the workforce was from Detroit.

We’re at a moment when we can change these patterns, when places across the country like the Tri-Cities can get relief and we can stop creating them in the first place. The hundreds of billions that the federal government has committed to infrastructure and clean energy, more money than we spent sending astronauts to the moon, can do that.

For example, there’s $3 billion alone set aside for communities like 48217 that have felt the most environmental and climate harm. It’s not enough, but it’s a significant start.

When it comes to the auto industry, our country is spending heavily to speed the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), from a $9.2 billion loan the Energy Department gave Ford and its South Korean partner this summer to build battery plants to $7,500 tax

credits for car buyers who choose new EVs. We’re lowering the cost of supplying the bigger demand for EVs that we are building for automakers at the same time.

It begs the question why Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis are trying to make the work to build EVs less desirable for their 150,000 employees represented by the United Auto Workers. Their contract expires in less than two weeks.

A critical part of the negotiations underway is the question of how workers in plants making EVs will be treated.

It’s a question not just for this contract, but for years to come as EVs become the standard for U.S. car buyers.

The automakers are forming joint ventures to open battery plants where they don’t have to pay the wages that they do at vehicle assembly plants. The union points to the starting pay at an Ohio battery plant that’s half the top pay at gas powered car plants. The companies also are placing new plants in Southern states with right-to-work laws to avoid unions.

The people who make cars shouldn’t have to choose between a green, sustainable job and one that pays good wages they’ve negotiated. That’s not what American taxpayers expect in return for the incentives flowing to the auto industry.

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September 8, 2023

When will we raise the minimum wage? by Dr. Julianne Malveaux The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009.

Several states have a higher minimum, but a predictable few, including Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Alabama, are stuck at that low minimum. If the minimum wage kept up with inflation, it would be at least ten dollars an hour today. However, twenty-two states are stuck on exploitation and refuse to raise their minimum wage.

Restaurant workers get even shorter shrift.

The minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 an hour, which means they are expected to earn up to the minimum wage or more with their tips.

But tips are discretionary and arbitrary; sometimes people tip the expected 15 to 20 percent, and sometimes they don’t.

How can they eke out a living wage on other people’s arbitrary judgment?

Were they likable?

Friendly? Kind? It doesn't matter. Did you get your food? Was it hot and delivered in a timely way? If I had my way, I'd charge enough for food to pay workers properly. Tipping is a practice that harkens back to enslavement.

People should be paid for their work and not have to skin and grin to make a living wage.

In the wake of Labor Day, though, it makes sense to consider how workers experience exploitation and what we must do about it.

Workers around the country are resisting exploitation, whether it is Hollywood writers or on university campuses. As of this writing, the United Auto Workers is

on the cusp of a strike, which will have significant repercussions for our economy. A United Parcel Service Strike was narrowly averted, and it, too, would have weakened the economy. With labor productivity up, workers are unwilling to settle for paltry 2 and 3 percent annual increases when food and gas prices are rising by 5 and 6 percent. There seems to be willingness to no increase wages to keep workers "even", and President Biden, with his "Bidenomics” seems to see the big picture, but not the small one. People are hurting, and employers are pocketing profits and exploiting workers.

The Institute for Policy Studies released a report, Executive Excess 2023, in which they highlight the 100 companies that have the lowest pay and the greater ratio of CEO pay to median worker pay. Some of these companies have federal contracts, which means when they offer low pay to workers, they also get subsidies from the rest of us, the taxpayers who support food stamps, medical care, and other amenities that workers who earn little qualify for.

The report shows that the ratio between CEO and median worker pay is 603-1. The average CEO in the Low Wage 100 earned $15.3 million a year, while the average worker earned a scant $31,672 a year. The most significant offender was Live Nation Entertainment.

CEO Michael Rufino earned $139 million, 5414 times more than the average worker who earned $25,673 a year. Amazon, a large federal contractor, is among the most exploitative. But they

aren’t alone. Too many companies rip their workers off and also enjoy federal largesse.

Given these massive paychecks and massive profits, why can’t we raise the federal minimum wage, and why can’t we pay workers more? Predatory capitalism suggests that employers must extract surplus value from workers. That means that, despite rising worker productivity, employers should attempt to pay as little as they can. The outrageous CEO to worker pay ratios suggest that companies benefit from paying so little.

Will workers revolt?

Can they?

Too many workers are frightened to strike.

They need their jobs and their unions may not have sufficient strike funds to allow them to be out for a long period of time. Do they need their jobs with exploitative terms and conditions of work? Must they work with unfair pay? Is it time for workers to unite?

What would happen if you went to your morning coffee shop to find no one there?

Waited for a bus to find no dirver, no bus?

Managed to get to work to find no coworkers?

Wandered to lunch to find no one serving?

Tried to stop at a supermarket heading home to find no one working and no food available?

Managed home to sort out a mess? We depend on workers but we don’t want to pay them. We agree with their labor actions but don’t want to manage inconvenience.

We thought about Labor Day, but we don’t think about workers. When will we raise the federal minimum wage.

Labor Day 2023 celebrated

by Lee Saunders (TriceEdneyWire.com ) –As we celebrated Labor Day, it was an exciting time as any in recent memory to be a part of a union. Working people are seeing what the union difference is all about, and they want to be a part of it.

Unions are overwhelmingly popular as the newest Gallup poll on attitudes toward labor unions shows.

Across the country, there is a bold surge of worker activism, as more people raise their voice on the job and claim their seat at the table. Workers are organizing with renewed vigor and winning some of our best contracts in decades. In the cultural sector, for example, 6,000 workers at museums, libraries, zoos and other cultural institutions have joined AFSCME since 2019.

Municipal workers in New Orleans (a part of the country that hasn’t historically been laborfriendly) won collective bargaining rights this summer.

In city after city, we are seeing that same energy and enthusiasm during local job fairs that AFSCME is sponsoring as part of ‘Staff the Front Lines,’ our new initiative to recruit qualified people for vacancies in public service. Job seekers are flocking to these hiring events in droves. Nearly 200 people showed up in Philadelphia on a recent Monday afternoon.

They have heard our message that public service jobs are good jobs that can support a family and provide a career path. These are very often union jobs that come with strong protections, plus a unique sense of solidar-

ity and fellowship with your co-workers. You get excellent benefits, including a pension so you can one day retire with dignity. These are also jobs with a purpose that allow you to make a difference in the lives of your neighbors.

Our strategy is working. After a huge drop in public sector employment during the pandemic, we are seeing a bounce back, especially in places where we enjoy strong partnerships with employers. Those bestin-decades contracts we’re negotiating are helping retain valued public service workers.

And many employers are making steady progress bringing in new people who want to do work that strengthens their communities, while enjoying the rights and freedoms of union membership.

Nationwide, July was the 16th consecutive month of growth in state and local government jobs, with a total of 315,000 added since the beginning of this year.

But there are still many positions to fill.

So we are casting a wide net. In many places, we are doing grassroots outreach to young people, to communities of color and to populations that are underrepresented in these jobs. That means, for example, working with faith leaders, asking them to spread the word in their churches and mosques that public service employers are looking for new talent, e.g., nurses, corrections officers, sanitation workers, school bus drivers and more. We will do what it takes, because it’s critical that the public service workforce look like our com-

Lee Saunders munities.

Diversity in the public service has a rich history. Jobs in state and local government have been an economic lifeline for generations of Black people, especially when other doors of opportunity were slammed shut. This is my family’s story, so this is personal for me.

My father drove a city bus in Cleveland, Ohio—a good union job that gave us some modest security and stability. We weren’t living on Easy Street for sure, but there was food on the table for dinner and a roof over my head at night.

We want to give more people of all races that chance—the chance to be one of the everyday heroes of public service, the chance to be a part of something bigger than yourself by joining a union.

This Labor Day, we honored the sacrifice of all working people. And we affirmed that life is better in a union. In the months and years to come, through ‘Staff the Front Lines’ and other campaigns, we will keep fighting to help more people discover the union difference.

(Lee Saunders is president, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees [AFSCME].)

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

September 8, 2023

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Continuations

2nd Annual MNPS Celebration of Schools Parade and Fair, Sept. 9 Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), in partnership with the Tennessee Titans, invites the community to the second annual Celebration of Schools Parade and Fair.

The event will take place at Nissan Stadium on Saturday, September 9.

"In recent months, our district has achieved Level 5 TVAAS growth for the second consecutive year, and we continue to outpace the state in educational growth," said Dr. Adrienne Battle,

Director of Metro Nashville Public Schools.

"These milestones reflect the hard work and dedication of our students, staff, and families. This celebration is not just an event, but a platform to spotlight the diverse talents and unique qualities that our schools and student groups bring to our community. We invite all current and prospective MNPS families to join us, engage with district and school leadership, and learn how they can be

active participants in the continued success of their child’s educational journey."

The parade will showcase students and faculty from various district-run MNPS schools. High school marching bands will lead the procession for their clusters, which circle Nissan will Stadium and conclude with performances on the stadium's east side.

For updates and information about the event, visit mnps.org/parade.

New COVID-19 variant, ‘Pirola,’ raises concerns ... from page 1 United States in August.

Knowing that cases aren’t linked indicates broader circulation, significantly as COVID-19 surveillance has waned, medical experts asserted.

The Centers for Disease Control and (CDC) Prevention reported that current COVID-19 tests and medications, such as Paxlovid, Veklury, and Lagevrio, seem effective against Pirola. However, Pirola may be more adept at infecting individuals who have had COVID-19 or have been vaccinated. There isn’t any current evidence that it causes more severe illness.

The increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. is attributed to XBB lineage viruses rather than Pirola. The multitude of mutations in Pirola raises concerns about its potential to bypass immunity from natural infection or vaccination.

Dr. Roberts emphasized that ongoing studies would reveal the true nature of Pirola’s threat.

The unprecedented number of mutations in Pirola is reminiscent of significant shifts seen in other respiratory viruses, such as the 2009 swine flu. However, he noted that these variants sometimes fade away without causing a significant impact.

The critical question now is whether Pirola will follow the explosive pattern of growth Omicron or fade away, as everyone hopes. As of August 30, the CDC has identified Pirola in at least four U.S. states through samples from individuals or wastewater.

Some regions have reinstated mask mandates in response to the spike in COVID-19 cases. Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, is among the institutions requiring masks in clinical areas to protect patients and staff. The CDC reports a nearly 19% increase in weekly new COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S., marking the sixth consecutive week of ris-

ing admissions.

The arrival of new vaccines COVID-19 from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax in midSeptember is expected to offer robust protection against variants. Until then, experts stress that masking remains a crucial tool for safeguarding against COVID-19, even for individuals with normal risk levels, depending on their location and contacts.

Dr. Stephen Thomas of the Upstate Medical University in Syracuse told NPR that the facility has reverted to mandating masks.

“We wanted to, No. 1, protect our patients, and, No. 2, protect the men and women who work in our facility, and take care of them,” Thomas told NPR. “So, we implemented universal masking for staff, visitors, and patients only in clinical areas.

So, we’re a university.

We’re large. We have a lot of non-clinical regions. Universal masking is not being mandated in non-clinical areas.”

Solitary confinement... from page 2 to a grave human rights violation that would be condemned in any other context or country. She also emphasized the necessity of treating incarcerated individuals

as human beings, mainly if the goal is rehabilitation and significantly reducing recidivism rates.

“If we aspire for those within the penal

Page 5

Nashville PRIDE

Black census... from page 1 October, Black Futures Lab said it would use the survey to design and release the Black Agenda 2024 in early 2024.

The Black Agenda 2024 is a policy roadmap that will inform legislators nationwide of the critical priorities of Black communities across America. The tool will also help activate and involve Black voters before elections. Officials said it would encourage Black communities to participate and use their political power to inform, influence, and impact institutions and decision-makers involved with Black people.

“With the 2024 presidential elections right around the corner, and the first GOP debate kicking off tonight, we know Black votes matter; Black people do too,” said Angela Rye, Principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies. “To be powerful in politics, Black people must curate, shape, and push our own political agenda—a Black agenda–and the Black Census Project

equips us to do that. That is why this project is tremendously important.”

According to a news release, over 30,000 Black people nationwide participated in the first Black Census Project in 2018. The Black Futures Lab used the results to identify pressing legislative and policy priorities, turning the survey into a national, state, and municipal policy platform to guide 2020 Presidential candidates as they devised strategies to earn the support of Black voters.

In 2022 and 2023, Black Futures Lab collaborated with over 50 Black-led grassroots organizations, more than a dozen national media partners, and Black influencers. The organization said it has reached over 129,000 Black people nationwide. Most respondents (64%) are from the South; 14% are from the Midwest, 13% are from the Northeast, and 10% are from the West. Nearly half (40%) of respondents are ages

60+; a quarter are 50–59, 17% are 40–49, 12% are 30-39, 4% are 25–29, and 4% are 18–24. Initial findings show the top three issues for Black people are: • Low wages that are not enough to sustain a family: 39% • Gun violence: 32% • Schools that fail to prepare children adequately: 32% “This is the largest survey of Black people in American history— there is nothing else that comes close,” said Michael Harriot, writer, and author of Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America.

“This is a way for people to actually know what Black voters want, and what Black voters are concerned about. It also has historical significance and gives us the ability to dispel myths about Black people with real data.” Some participants who complete the survey at BlackCensus.org will be eligible to receive a $20 gift card.

Gunman foiled... from page 2 Tennessee, in January 1996, a fire destroyed the Inner-City Baptist Church, which had racial slurs painted on its walls. Similarly, in February 1996, a group of churches within a six-mile radius in Louisiana were set ablaze on the anniversary of the sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina.

On June 21, 1995, four former Ku Klux Klan members set the Macedonia Baptist Church on fire in Manning, South Carolina.

The fire was one of many that plagued predominantly Black

churches across the South during that period, and Macedonia Baptist was awarded $37.8 million in a decision against the Klan. A jury believed that the Klan’s rhetoric had motivated the men to commit this heinous act.

This week, U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, DPa., wrote to the Department of Justice, asking for a federal investigation into the event to see whether Harris had violated any civil rights laws and, if it was determined he committed federal crimes, to pursue him to

the maximum degree possible, according to a press release. “With hate crimes on the rise across the country, including against Black Americans, it is understandable that any community would be concerned by an armed individual terrorizing a place of worship,” Deluzio wrote to the federal authorities. “A community not too far away from the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Greater Dominion congregation knows too well the harm that an armed individual filled with hate can do.”

system to emerge rehabilitated and less likely to re-offend, we must prioritize treating them as individuals deserving of dignity and respect,” Kamlager-Dove stated.

Clarence Thomas... from page 2 Law School and Notre Dame Law School, with the latter involving a stay in Rome, Italy.

The remaining seven justices upheld the standard practice of submitting their annual financial disclosures, which included their income, assets, gifts, and stock holdings. Justices may request an extension of up to 90 days to meet this requirement.

In response to these revelations, Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have urged the Supreme Court to implement new ethical guidelines.

Thomas justified Crow’s gifts as “personal hospitality,” a classification that did not require disclosure under the previous regulations.

His recent report elaborated on this viewpoint in a section detailing his methodology.

Additionally, the report addressed Crow’s acquisition of Thomas’ family-owned real estate in Savannah, a transaction that ProPublica initially revealed.

According to reports, Crow reportedly acquired several properties, including sites on the same street, for $133,000. In one of the homes, Thomas’ mother resided. The report clarified that Thomas’s loss on the transaction resulted from his prior investment of up to $75,000 in his mother’s property.

As a financial setback, Thomas said he had neglected to report the sale.

In previous submissions, Thomas omitted the disclosure of bank

accounts and other reportable financial matters held by his conservative political activist wife, Ginni Thomas, according to the report.

An August 2023 ProPublica report exposed that Justice Thomas received a minimum of 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, numerous VIP passes to sporting events, and two lavish resort stays, all financed by billionaire backers, during his tenure on the bench.

ProPublica reported that Thomas, typically “perched in the skybox at sporting events, had at least two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.

“This accounting of Thomas’ travel, revealed for the first time here from an array of previously unavailable information, is the fullest to date of the generosity that has regularly afford-

ed Thomas a lifestyle far beyond what his income could provide. And it is almost certainly an undercount,” the report asserted.

“While some of the hospitality, such as stays in personal homes, may not have required disclosure, Thomas appears to have violated the law by failing to disclose flights, yacht cruises, and expensive sports tickets, according to ethics experts.”

Democrats and ethics experts assailed the justice for his undisclosed trips and gifts. “Justice Thomas has brought shame upon himself and the United States Supreme Court with his acceptance of massive, repeated, and undisclosed gifts,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) tweeted on the social media platform now known as X. “No government official, elected or unelected, could ethically or legally accept gifts of that scale. He should resign immediately.”

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September 8, 2023 Leisure www.pridepublishinggroup.com Kennie Playhouse Theatre Arts & Business Council invites you to presents “His Eye is on the Sparrow” Page 6

Nashville PRIDE

2023 Periscope Pitch

(Top) Emmanuel LeGrair, Sam Davidson, (Bottom) Mia O. McNeal, and Adrianna Flax.

by Cass Teague artists at their showcase Meet the Periscope booths and discuss the Class of 2023 in person, businesses they've learn about their creative developed this year. businesses, and watch 8 You'll experience new finalists pitch their busi- art, hear inspiring music, nesses live on stage, at watch compelling The Arts & Business videos, and learn about Council of Greater the talented artist entreNashville Celebration of preneurs. At 7:00 p.m., 10 Years of Creative the Periscope Pitch Entrepreneurship. Their begins.

2023 Periscope Pitch + The Judges for this Entrepreneur year’s competition are Artist Showcase starts on Adrianna Flax, founder Wednesday, September and owner of AM Flax 13 at 6pm CDT, at OZ Consulting; Emmanuel Arts Nashville 6172 LeGrair, who oversees Cockrill Bend Circle Community EngageNashville, TN 37209. ment Initiatives at R.H. The event is free and Boyd and is the founder open to the public. of The Commonwealth; Come see their 10th Mia O. McNeal, the class of artist entrepre- Senior Director, Industry neurs showcase their Relations and Inclusion work, unveil their cre- for the Country Music ative business plans, and Association, and Sam share how you can sup- Davidson, CEO of the port their entrepreneur- Nashville Entrepreneur ial dreams. Periscope Center. The program Pitch highlights the busi- ends with a graduation ness acumen, innovative and award presentation spirit, and artistic ceremony announcing prowess of local artists, the award winners. makers, and entreprePeriscope Nashville neurs across an array of is an annual business disciplines development intensive artistic including music, dance, that empowers working film/video, theater, artists to see their crepainting, photography ative practice through an and more. entrepreneurial lens.

The evening begins This year’s class conwith the Artist Entrepre- sists of 25 artists workneur Showcase from ing in an array of disci6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Mix plines including visual and mingle with the art, fashion, music, jew-

elry, and more, chosen through a competitive application process and scored by a panel of community reviewers.

The 2023 Class of Periscope Nashville consist of the following artists (with their pronouns) and their disciplines, alphabetically by first name: Alexa Lipman (she/her) - Visual Art; Ariel Bui (she/her) – Music; Asia Pyron (she/her) – Dance; Beth Barnard (she/her) - Visual Art, Sculpture; Brooke Hoffert (they/them) - Public Art/Creative Placemaking, Visual Art, Curatorial Arts; Bryson Finney (he/him) – Music; Cassy Laessig (she/her) - Visual Art; Dalia Garcia (she/her) - Visual Art; Darius Montgomery (he/him) - Fashion/Textiles, Visual Art; Gina Sicilia (she/her) - Music, Culinary Art; Grace Chee (she/her) - Visual Art; Kayleigh Walder (she/her) Public Art/Creative Placemaking, Visual Art; Kristin Wiens Keyes (she/her), Public Art/Creative Placemaking; Leroy Ramon Dawson (he/him) - Visual Art; Lisa Jennings (she/her) Visual Art; Martha Morales Purucker (she/her) - Visual Art; Smith Princella (she/her) - Film/Television, Literary Arts; Renea Weston (she/her) – Music; Sam Drapeaux (they/them) - Visual Art; Henderson Sharita (she/her) - Visual Art; Stephanie Graves (she/her) - Visual Art; Susan Thornton (she/her) - Jewelry/MetThalia Ewing als; (she/her) – Music; Tree Lily Butcher (she/her) Visual Art; and Yamil Conga (he/him) – Music.

Register online, at: www.abcnashville.org/p eriscope. Learn more about The Periscope: Entrepreneur Artist Training and learn more about the Arts & Business Council at: ww.abcnashville.org or contact 615-460-8274.

Sean “Diddy” Combs gifts back rights to Bad Boy artists

Sean “Diddy” Combs has gifted his Bad Boy family with life-changing anniversary gifts.

According to Billboard, the music mogul has decided to return the publishing rights of his label’s artists and songwriters to their rightful owners.

The move resulted in Bad Boy Entertainment’s host of creatives quickly signing agreements to regain control of their intellectual property.

Ma$e, Faith Evans, The LOX, 112, and the Estate of the Notorious B.I.G. are among those who have already inked deals to reclaim their rights, as per Billboard. Combs started the process in May 2021 to sell the catalog, but the details of the arrangements are still unknown.

For years, the administration of publishing on behalf of Bad Boy was entrusted to EMI, a subsidiary of Sony Music Publishing/Sony Corporation of America.

Notably, EMI still handles Combs’ publishing.

Providing artists with

publishing rights could mean tens of millions of dollars for their bottom line, as sales of publishing have steadily increased over the years.

For example, Dr. Dre recently sold his catalog for more than $300 million, and Justin Bieber netted north of $200 million.

This generous move

by Combs coincides with the 30th anniversary celebration of Bad Boy Entertainment this year. The decision follows a longstanding public feud between Combs and Ma$e, one of Bad Boy’s hitmakers. The rift arose when Combs criticized the Recording Academy during his 2020 Industry Icon Award acceptance speech for undervaluing Black artists in R&B and rap. Ma$e confronted his former label boss in an Instagram post. He revealed that he offered $2 million to buy back his publishing, but Combs said no. Ma$e further alleged, “Your past business practices knowingly have continued to starve your artist purposely and

have been extremely unfair to the very same artist that helped u obtain that Icon Award on the iconic Bad Boy label.”

The post shed light on longstanding grievances, including Combs retaining Ma$e’s publishing rights from 24 years ago in exchange for a mere $20,000.

In a later interview with The Breakfast Club in 2022, Combs stated that Ma$e owed him $3 million for an album advance that was never received.

Bad Boy Entertainment, founded by Combs in 1993, has enjoyed a storied history in the music industry. The label quickly became successful, with many albums and singles that went gold, platinum, or multiplatinum. The artists included Craig Mack, the Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Ma$e, Total, 112, The LOX, and Diddy himself. Over the years, the label’s illustrious roster has also featured talents like Carl Thomas, Shyne, Dream, Danity Kane, and French Montana. Additionally, it housed an in-house writer/producer collective known as The Hitmen, which included notable figures like the late Chucky Thompson, Stevie J, Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, and Mario Winans. Recent releases under the Bad Boy banner include Machine Gun Kelly’s 2022 album “Mainstream Sellout” and Janelle Monae’s latest offering, “The Age of Pleasure.”

Connye Florance and Saanheah Jamison

by Cass Teague Amidst all the backto-school mania and summer fun, comes a hope-filled musical production celebrating the life and legacy of Ethel Waters. “His Eye is on the Sparrow” honors the life of that forgotten hero…Ethel Waters This is the first of two installments of the Forgotten Heroes Series, to be produced by Kennie Playhouse Theatre (KPT), during their 2023-2024 season. “His Eye is on the Sparrow” performances will run from Thursday, September 21 through Sunday, October 1, 2023 “His Eye is on the Sparrow (The Ethel Waters story)” written by Larry Parr, takes place during the time when Vaudeville, Broadway and Hollywood were all thriving. This two-person musical production follows the life of Ethel Waters and celebrates her ability to rise from the ashes. Nashville favorites Connye Florance and Saaneah Jamison will take audiences through the hurdles of self-doubt and deprivation, to the rise of a star in the timeless sky.

Kenny Dozier, founder of KPT, who is

also directing the play, said he chose to honor Ethel Waters because she is not given enough credit for being one of the first black women to shatter the glass ceiling and perform in Vaudeville, on Broadway stages, and in Hollywood films. From being born in an alley to a 12 year old mother as a result of rape, navigating her mother’s mental illness while being raised by her grandmother seemed insurmountable. Somehow, though, she found the strength to allow her talent to catapult her into a successful career in show business. She is proof that, “It’s not how you start that matters, it’s how you finish,” Dozier said.

Kennie Playhouse Theatre is offering special discounted performances for senior citizens and school audiences during the run of the show. To learn more about “His Eye is on the Sparrow” performance times and tickets visit: www.kennieplayhousetheatre.com. “His Eye is on the Sparrow” is 7:30 P.M. nightly, Thursdays – Sundays, with Saturday & Sunday Matinees at 2:30 p.m. at the Z. Alexander Looby

Theater, 2301 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Nashville, TN 37228. Tickets are available at: www.kennieplayhousetheatre.com Part Two of Forgotten Heroes is “Pure Confidence,” and runs November 27 through December 10, 2023. The high stakes world of Civil War-era horse racing is the stage for this riveting drama of slavery and Reconstruction. Both Simon Cato, a smart, cocky ‘colored’ jockey, and his horse, Pure Confidence, are owned by Colonel Wiley Johnson. Cato uses his wits and his championship winnings to buy his and his wife’s freedom.

Kennie Playhouse Theatre (KPT), is the professional black theater company producing mainstream plays in Nashville, Tennessee.

KPT hosts acting workshops, youth drama camps, and produces quality productions that give the underserved in the acting community opportunities to perform before a diverse audience. The productions commemorate the African American experience and inspire the dreams of youth through education.

KPT’s mission is to create a platform that gives the underserved acting community an opportunity to perform for a diverse audience.

Producing high quality theatrical productions that are entertaining, historical, stimulating and educational commemorating the African American experience, while engaging and inspiring the dreams of youth through education.

September 8, 2023

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Pastor, Pew, & Pulpit

Faith of A Mustard Seed

by Barbara A. Woods Washington, M. Div. A major part of the black experience in America is that moment when a head of household finds him or her self with their ‘back against the wall’. It is a moment of desperation, despair, and desolation.

There is no avenue for payment of the most important of the three survival and living Entities: Shelter! Facing the fear of where will the money come from in order to meet a very demanding ‘rent’ payment has been a very ‘sick unto death’ experience that has caused the individual to know the truest definition of ‘aloneness’ than can even be imagined. It reaches into a second and a third month of waking up daily with no end to this compounding demand that now occupies all facets of the being. Here and now, ‘forces’ from the institutionalized powers and principalities are mounting and holding full sway over the individual’s life… with no avenue for payment of the most critical of the three survival and living entities: Shelter… in view.

I realized early in my life of providing “Shelter, Food and Clothing”, just as my immediate matriarchs had to do for us as their descendants, that there were no privileges to the economic systems in being black in America. By the time that I carried as a credential for my life a Bachelors Degree earned from an Historically Black College University, I soon realized that even it held no clue to navigating the economic systems in which we are forced to live.

I was already a Pastor in the Church the year that I stood on Jefferson Street with a group of my Alumni classmates and friends when I asked what did each learn about economics in their ‘Four Years of Study’? “Nothing” someone said as he named the Instructor who taught him the ‘single Economics’ course that was required of any

Barbara A. Woods Washington, M. Div. and all majors. As I tried to come up with the name of my Economics Instructor, we realized in that space in time that they had all been ‘foreigners’! By the time I served a teaching post at Bennett College, I was now clear that an HBCU Education taught ‘Nothing’ about economics for Black America. One Class. Almost always taught by a foreigner!

Dr. Claude Anderson has been that voice of Black America who has ‘stood on the watchtower’ to give the economics of Black America… or lack thereof —it’s most clearest definition. As Founder and President of ‘The Harvest Institute’, he writes the Summer 2006 President’s Message with a sub-title ‘Running Against the Clock’: “The social systems that locked Blacks, and only Blacks, onto the bottom social and economic rung were ‘Slavery and Jim Crow segregation’. For a brief period after each system was abolished, lawmakers made a weak effort to correct the damage those systems had imposed on Blacks. The efforts were short lived and each time, focus quickly shifted from Blacks to amorphous and broad groups such as minorities, people of color, language groupings, diversity, multicultural and poor people. Not only did Black civil rights leaders allow the hijackings and conceptual shifts, they themselves began to aggregate Blacks with broader groups, forever confusing the issues, social policy and Black people. Once the shift occurred, Blacks could no longer see their own group self interest clearly. They allowed them-

selves to loose their unique identity, history and suffering. That is why it is difficult for Blacks to lay a claim for reparations, Affirmative Action, Black history and other preferences and special treatment.”

I had to see for myself from Dr. William Barber’s renewal of the mighty protest movement of our inheritance just how smoothly other interest groups could enter with their own agendas and emerge with their demands met.

Anderson continues his President’s Message saying: “Why is there so little progress when Blacks have the strongest legal and moral grounds for justice due, than any other identifiable group in America?” “To a large degree, history repeats itself with Black people because we continue to sue and march for the wrong things. Instead of establishing a sharp accurate focus on issues that would actually correct the results of centuries of government imposed economic exclusion, our Black leaders allowed their focus to be sidetracked into illusory dreams and broad ambiguous concepts.

These leaders invite competitive groups to frame and control Black issues.

Competitive groups like immigrants, gays, women and language groups have been allowed to hijack the suffering and civil rights language of the Black struggle. Competitive groups even pretend that their treatment is the same as the treatment of Blacks. These groups paint a picture of Slavery and Jim Crow, but they alter the images and revise the story to suit their goals. They obliterate Black images from the plantations, lynchings and riots and substitute their own images.

With no history of systematic exclusion from the economics, education and the social systems of this country, competitive groups then gain unearned benefits and sympathy.“ Email Rev. Barbara at: myfathersmansiopress @gmail.com

Expressions of Faith: But Now!

by Bishop-elect Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. Isaiah 45:12-13 12 KJV) I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

12 TEV) I created the world and covered it with people; I stretched out the sky and filled it with stars.

13 KJV) I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build My city, and he shall let go My captive, not for price nor reward, smith the LORD of hosts.

13 TEV) I have done the right thing by placing Cyrus in power, and I will make the roads easy for him to follow. I am the Lord All-Powerful!

Cyrus will rebuild My city and set My people free without being paid a thing. I, the Lord, have spoken.

In this day and time, God is looking for leaders that He can trust to do His will. Leaders that are lead by the spirit of God. God is establishing His will in God fearing men and women who are called by Him to bring forth liberation to His people through His word. This is an assignment that is God size and strategically designed by Him. This is not the time to hit and miss, no, we must hit with out missing. God says I have made all things by My hands. The world, the sky, and the stars. I have done this for My people, so they will know that I am God the Creature of

all things. I will do the right thing, by placing the right person in power who will do My will and rebuild My city (the Temple of God), for My people to worship and learn about Me. I will a point one who will here My call and redeem My people for I can trust spirit that is in him. I will make the roads easy for him to follow My divine order.

1. Cyrus, will rebuild My city (My Temple).

2. Cyrus, will set My people free 3. Cyrus, will not look to be paid a thing. I, the Lord, have spoken.

Look at 45:1 1) Cyrus, My chosen one, I have taken hold of your right hand to help you 2) Capture nations 3) Remove kings from power 4) City gates will open for you, not one will stay closed 5) I, will level mountains 6) I will break the iron bars on bronze gates of all cities 7) I will give you treasures hidden in dark and secret places 8) All will know that I, the Lord God of Israel, have called you by name.

I am the Lord allpowerful! And you will obey Me. What ever you do make sure it’s God’s doing, for the evidence of God call will be on Him and His (God’s) people will be set free. I, the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 45:14 14) My people, I, the

Faithful utterances The light that shines

by Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew My mother told me growing up that you never know who is watching you. As a kid, I didn’t always believe her until I would hear elders talking about what they witnessed in the neighborhood or at church.

Things I thought that went unnoticed were captured on their mental screens about some of the children and adults that I knew. Those images left a visual impression that had consequences even if they were not stated. I was reminded often that I was representing my family and I never wanted to make them look bad. It was a responsibility I didn’t take lightly.

As much as times have changed, some things are still the same.

My dear friend was recently speaking at the TEDx event in Dallas.

While sitting in the audience during intermission, a group accompanying one of the speakers was talking very close to my seat. Sitting there, I was looking aimlessly at them, smiling politely.

The speaker commented that I was looking at them as if something was wrong with them. She got very agitated to the point that her two friends grabbed her and turned her away. I was stunned that this older accomplished woman was posturing to come at me only because I looked at her.

Her brother immediately began sharing her accolades and although I was impressed with her experiences, I was disappointed. In that moment, she didn’t see me or herself as a ‘queen’ but as a competitor. I was not

sure of the narrative that was being created in her mind at that moment but it was not accurate or fair to either of us. This person didn’t know me and yet, her behavior has left an impression on me that will not be forgotten.

This situation was a reminder to me of a comment my mother made when I was a child: You never know who is watching. I didn’t stop being kind to her family or stop smiling. I made a decision to remain ‘my best self’ not because others were there, but because I also knew God was watching and that ultimately, I represent Him. As believers, I think many of us forget this.

As baffling as this situation was for me, God has a way of using these experiences to teach me valuable lessons. I don’t know this woman’s faith journey but as a believer, I can say that we need to be mindful of how we show up in the world.

One day, we will have to account for our every word, every action. As I get older, I’m becoming more mindful that my actions do not have just earthly consequences.

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken,” Matthew 12:36.

We have a responsibility in the way that we carry ourselves.

“You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? And you yourselves will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

You are the world’s light—a city on a hill,

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father,” Matthew 5:13-16.

People who stray away from the faith often comment that they can’t tell Christians apart from those in the world. That means we are not representing our Heavenly Father well. “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another.

This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other,” John 13:34-35 (MSG).

The world doesn’t see our love. Today was a glaring reminder that actions speak louder than words. I know I will continue to work hard in my love walk.

Do your actions demonstrate what you believe or who you serve? Can those around you see your light? Or have you lost your flavor?

Dr. Froswa’ BookerDrew is the president of Soulstice Consultancy and the founder of the and Reconciliation 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 United Methodist Church 1014 14th Ave. North Nashville, TN 37208 Ph: (615) 329-4464 FAX: (615) 321-0975 Sunday Worship: 8:00 a.m./10:45 a.m.

Herbert Lester, Jr.,pastor clarkumcnashville.org

Bishop-Elect Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. Lord, promise that the riches of Egypt and the treasures of Ethiopia will belong to you. You will force into captivity those tall people of Seba. They will bow down and say, the only true God is with you; there are no other gods.

God is with thee! All that have oppressed you will come from the Egypt and Seba ( the Arabs) and fall down and acknowledge that Jehovah is the only God and He is with you. I will bring the labour of Egypt and its wealth, along with powerful nations that see the mighty hand of God on your life. This is the plane of God for His people. They eye and the purposes of God is on His people. All will recognize that this is God’s doing.

Isaiah 45:15 15) People of Israel, your God is a mystery, only He alone can save.

16) Anyone who makes idols will be confused and disgraced.

17) But Israel, I, the Lord, will always keep you safe and free from shame.

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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 8, 2023

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