The Contributor: March 1, 2023

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Vo l u m e 1 7 | N u m b e r 5 | M a r c h 1 - 1 5 , 2 0 2 3

IN THE ISSUE

Contributor Board

Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Christine Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Kerry Graham, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Drew Morris, Andy Shapiro

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

2023

L a N ticia

Año 21 - No. 366

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

GRATIS Febrero/3

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Newspaper Nashville

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Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

w w w. h i s p a n i c p a p e r. c o m

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Nashville, Tennessee

Empresarios hispanos en Nashville, vital y creciente grupo en la comunidad

Sus contribuciones tienen importantes implicaciones económicas y sociales para nuestra ciudad ¿Sabía usted que los empresarios hispanos son un grupo demográfico importante y el de más rápido crecimiento en Tennessee?

Así es.

Los empresarios his- Por Yuri Cunza panos con- Editor in Chief tribuyen a la @LaNoticiaNews economía del estado, aportan diversidad e innovación a la comunidad empresarial y pueden ayudar a desarrollar sus comunidades. Como tal, es esencial apoyar y alentar el espíritu empresarial hispano en nuestra ciudad y en el estado para promover el crecimiento económico y las oportunidades para todos.

tura pueden conducir a la creación de nuevos productos, servicios y modelos comerciales que pueden beneficiar a la economía del estado en su conjunto. Además, la diversidad de la comunidad hispana puede ayudar a crear un entorno comercial más inclusivo y vibrante, que puede atraer más negocios e inversiones a Tennessee.

Extreme Weather

La Noticia + The Contributor

When severe weather comes, homeless encampments pay the price — shelter or no shelter.

La Noticia, one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers in the nation, brings Spanish content to The Contributor.

Foto: La Noticia Newspaper Nashville

En este primer capítulo, exploBank executive Luis Parodi shakes hands with longtime Hispanic entrepreneur Yocundo Salas raremos por qué los empresarios lati- Republic at a Nashville Small Business Recovery Fund (NSBRF) marketing and outreach event hosted by the nos son importantes y por qué sus Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation at Pupuseria Salvadoreña in South Nashville. contribuciones son esenciales para el éxito económico nuestro medio y de crecimiento más alta entre todos los millones de trabajadores. Además, los Estados Unidos. A continuación estados de los EE. UU. Este cre- los empresarios latinos crean nuevos algunas de las razones por las cuales cimiento en el espíritu empresarial se puestos de trabajo a un ritmo más nuestra creciente comunidad empre- traduce en puestos de trabajo y la rápido que otros grupos. El éxito de actividad económica en Tennessee, las empresas propiedad de latinos no sarial es vital para el desarrollo: contribuyendo a la salud económica solo beneficia a sus propietarios, sino Impacto económico: los empresarios general del estado. Las empresas que también brinda beneficios hispanos en Tennessee juegan un propiedad de latinos contribuyen sig- económicos a sus comunidades y al papel importante en la economía del nificativamente a la economía esta- país en su conjunto. estado. Según un informe de dounidense. De acuerdo a la Cámara Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship de Comercio Hispana de EE. UU. Innovación y diversidad: los empreInitiative, la cantidad de empresas (USHCC), las empresas propiedad de sarios hispanos aportan una perspecpropiedad de hispanos en Tennessee hispanos generan más de $ 800 mil tiva única e ideas innovadoras a la empresarial de aumentó en un 63 % entre 2012 y millones a la economía de los EE. comunidad 2017, que fue la segunda tasa de UU. cada año y emplean a más de 3 Tennessee. Sus experiencias y cul-

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

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Desarrollo Comunitario: Los empresarios hispanos también pueden desempeñar un papel crucial en el desarrollo de sus comunidades. A menudo invierten en sus vecindarios y brindan bienes y servicios esenciales que pueden faltar en ciertas áreas. Además, las empresas propiedad de hispanos pueden actuar como modelos a seguir para los jóvenes, inspirándolos a buscar el espíritu empresarial y brindándoles la confianza para tener éxito en el mundo de los negocios.

Vendor Writing

Moving Pictures

Contributor vendors write in this issue about volunteers, God, government, mice and affordable housing.

Pixote brings hybrid film making to the Belcourt.

Is it a documentary? Or a feature? Find out on Tuesday, March 7, at 8 p.m.!

Los empresarios latinos son un componente fundamental de la economía estadounidense y su importancia no deja de crecer. De hecho, la cantidad de negocios propiedad de latinos en los Estados Unidos ha aumentado significativamente en los últimos años. Según un informe de Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, las empresas propiedad de latinos crecieron un 34 % en un período de cinco años, superando el promedio nacional de todas las empresas nuevas.

(CONTINUARÁ.....)

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

In the Feb. 1 edition of The Contributor, the headline "A Few Questions with Councilmember Russ Pulley, District 25" should have read "A Few Questions with Councilmember Tom Cash, District 18." In the Feb. 15 edition of The Contributor, a headline incorrectly identified Delisihia Porterfield as an at-large councilmember of Metro Council. She is the District 29 representative. We regret these errors.

Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

WHO WE ARE

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The Contributor is a nonprofit social enterprise that creates economic opportunity with dignity by investing in the lives of people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

PAPERS

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Buying more papers grows & legitimizes a vendor's business, allowing the vendor to apply for housing.

Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Carli Tharp SNAP Specialist

WHAT WE DO www.juanese.com juanese@usa.com

Contributor Volunteers Christine Doeg , Volunteer Coordinator Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Ann Bourland • Laura Birdsall • Marissa Young • Matthew Murrow • Gisselly Mazariegos • Tyler Samuel • IJ Quinn • Linda Eisele • Jamie Dore • Russ Heldman Cathy Jennings Executive Director

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

por

Contributors This Issue

Linda Bailey • Amanda Haggard • Norma B. • Ridley Wills II • Judith Tackett • Wendell J. • Jeffrey • Barbara Womack • Justin Wagner • Alvine • Israel Bayer • Yuri Cunza • William B. • Lisa A. • Mr. Mysterio • Jen A. • Maurice B. • June P. • Shorty • Joe Nolan

Starting in 2019, our C.O.V.E.R. Program (Creating Opportunity for Vendor Employment, Engagement, and Resources) was the natural expansion of our mission of removing obstacles to housing. We now offer full case management, assistance with housing and rental expenses, addiction recovery, health insurance, food benefits, and SSI/SSDI assistance. We see the onestop-shop team approach radically transforming a vendor's image of self and their place in community.

Since we started in 2007, more than 3,200 different vendors have purchased $2.3 million worth of The Contributor and sold over six million copies, generating over $15 million in income for themselves.

Take the paper, change a life.

Read the paper, change yours.

Ree Cheers SOAR Manager Rachel Ternes Housing Navigator Amy Holt Housing Navigator Mary Margaret Weatherford Housing Navigator Jesse Call Operations Consultant Raven Nye Director of Housing Initiatives Justin Wagner Resource Coordinator & Reporter Barbara Womack Advertising Manager Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom Wills Contributor Co-Founders

Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed.

The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate.

Submissions may be emailed to: editorial@thecontributor.org Requests to volunteer, donate, or purchase subscriptions can be emailed to: info@thecontributor.org Please email advertising requests to: advertising@thecontributor.org

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March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

VENDOR WRITING

A Volunteer Spotlight With A Twist

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Regular readers of The Contributor may be familiar with the Volunteer Spotlights that I write. Well, here’s one with a twist. You see, the person featured in this article is not a Contributor Volunteer. Instead, he volunteers at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn.

Meet Rick Hunt, aka Rick the Elevator Guy. Keep reading. The moniker will be explained and I promise you’ll see what makes him so unique!

Rick grew up in Maryland in a lower/middle class family. He writes, “We didn’t have much, but we were happy.” From his youth on, he experienced social anxiety that ultimately led to panic attacks, a condition that runs in the family.

In spite of that, he proudly served his country in the Air Force from 1973-1977, working as a Crew Chief on F-4 Phantom Jet Fighters. While there, he had some wild and crazy times to be sure, but he’s quick to point out it was the ’70s!

After he got back home, he worked at several golf courses where he developed a love of the game. It was an activity he could do without being around a lot of people.

He visited a few horse racing tracks along the way and soon found he also enjoyed playing the horses — another activity that didn’t require him to be around big crowds.

He met a nice girl in 1979, and after four years together they decided to take the next logical steps in their relationship — marriage, buying a home, and starting a family.

Their son Kevin was born in 1986 and their daughter Kelly came along two years later in 1988. Rick told me that he’s never experienced a love like that. (Speaking as a parent myself, I’m certain that love has continues to grow to this day!)

When the kids were seven and nine Rick's life took an unexpected turn when his wife decided to move out. She eventually married her boss. Meanwhile, Rick kept the house and the kids. Rick was quick to point out she wasn’t a bad person, they were just walking down two different roads in life. He even commended her indicating she paid all her child support. He was a single dad for 10 years!

It was during this difficult time, as he learned about being a good single dad, that he reestablished his relationship with God. He’d always had one, but it had taken a back seat until now.

He found himself in uncharted territory, knowing he could not do everything alone and he needed help that only God could provide so he turned his life over to the Lord. He got on his knees looking for guidance, direction, and a measure of peace.

Since that time he’s ultimately lived the words of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding, in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your path straight.”

(One of his favorite Bible verses.)

That “path” led him to work for a phone company in Maryland (known today as Verizon), where he remained for 33 years!

Though he was raised Catholic, Rick began

attending the Church of the Redeemer in Gaithersburg, Md., It was there he found great preaching, wonderful praise and worship.

He met a pretty Christian girl there, Elaine. She too had been through a divorce.

They dated for two years and got married.

They continued growing closer together as a couple, and to God. Having both been thr ough a divorce, they decided to volunteer to teach a class at church through DivorceCare. org This was not an easy task for them. They were both quiet people who really didn’t like being in front of people, but they felt that “God could use them there.” They continued that work for five years.

After being married for just five years, Rick developed tongue cancer even though he’d never smoked. How did that happen?

According to doctors at Johns Hopkins in Maryland, the HPV virus had been dormant in his body for as many as 10-15 years, ultimately causing his cancer, with no signs and symptoms. He had no idea!

Treatment involved chemo and 35 radiation treatments in 2010. Rick said, “During those initial cancer treatments, we knew God could use us like He did after our divorces, teaching the classes and sharing with others about how Christ had worked in our lives.”

So they prayed, “Lord, if we have to do cancer treatments, PLEASE USE US LORD to share with nurses, people cleaning floors, other patients, because this is all about you, Lord.”

2011 was supposed to be Rick’s rebuilding year. Now back at work full time he was looking good and feeling good. That is until he went back to Baltimore for his final check-up.

He went there thinking, I’m done with this, one last visit and I’m out of here. FINALLY! However, that’s not what happened.

Instead, he was told his cancer had returned and he needed surgery. He was stunned! They said they would need to remove his tongue and his voice box. He said, “I thought I will never be able to speak again, or eat food?” He indicated that makes the holidays a particularly hard time of year. (That’s how long I’ve been trying to convince him to let me tell his story, because I AM CERTAIN it’ll benefit ANYONE who takes time to read it!)

As if that’s not bad enough, it was then that he heard something he thought he’d never hear, ‘‘You may need hospice.”

He said he and his wife went home to think about it and pray about it. One day, while Elaine was at work, he sat on the sofa praying and just talking with God. He said, “Okay, Lord, whatever your will is, I'm ready.

PAGE 4 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

If you are ready to bring me home, I’m excited, and a big part of me is ready. Lord, I give you my two kids. They are your children. I trust that you will watch over them.” He indicated that he actually had peace moving forward after that.

In 2012 they did remove his tongue and voice box. He can no longer speak or eat solid food. (Those happen to be two of my favorite activities, and honestly I’m not sure I’d be SO understanding, and I’ve always thought I had a strong faith.)

He cannot breathe from his nose or mouth, and he has a hole in his neck. As a result, he has to place food in a Vita-Mix blender, add water, and mix to drink his meals.

In one of our many conversations trying to convince him to allow me to do this article, I asked him if anyone had anything “special” for him after they learned about his story. He nodded yes and rolled up his sleeve to reveal two tattoos on his left arm. One says “Neck Breather,” and the other simply says, “Can’t Speak.” He told me they serve as his “medical alert bracelet.” I told him that was a GREAT idea, GENIUS! He smiled and wrote back, “I can’t lose them!”

For the last 10 years although he has not said a word, the impact he’s had on those he meets is immeasurable!

Dealing with his new reality, he wrote, “I remember asking God how can you use me if I can no longer speak? That's when God quietly said, ‘Trust me’, so I did.” Though, he admits it took some time to adjust.

Rick and Elaine, now his wife of 18 years, moved to Mt. Juliet in 2013, and for the last three years he has been known to locals around here as ‘Rick, The Elevator Guy’ at Summit Hospital in Hermitage, Tn. That’s where I met him.

One day, after yet another disappointing doctors visit, I wasn’t in the best mood. I was feeling sorry for myself, wallowing in self-pity.

That is until Rick cheerfully greeted me as he does more than 100 patients each day as they enter and exit the facility, helping individuals on and off the elevator (hence the nickname).

But trust me when I say, HE DOES SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT for the people he serves!

Here are just a few examples: Rick helps EVERYONE get to where they’ve got to go, whether it’s finding loved ones in the ICU, transporting others from the lobby to their appointments or to the ER, making sure wheelchairs are available for ALL who need them. He even takes time to visit patients undergoing chemo trying to encourage them and make them smile.

Something else folks may not know is that he often prays for them as he goes along!

In case you need proof of his level of activity, his phone app said he’d walked 63 miles in January while he was on duty! Needless to say, he STAYS busy!

As I prepared to leave on that first day we met, now with a smile on my face, I noticed a sign that a patient had made for him that explained his condition. (I have to admit, I’d always wondered, but thought it’d be rude to ask.)

VENDOR WRITING So even though he hasn’t said a word in 10 years, believe me when I say, he is living proof, that ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS EVER COULD! Other patients have also taken note of all he does to help people, and he continues to inspire them. Even the hospital recognizes what a treasure they have. They gave him a well-deserved Humanitarian Award in recognition of his service!

In case you’re wondering how he communicates with people since he doesn’t speak, he expressed to me that he doesn’t know sign language. He uses a pen and paper to convey his thoughts. Definitely old school, but effective.

I’ve also discovered he’s pretty good at texting!

I asked how he summons the courage and strength needed to do all that he does. He responded, “Everyday I wake up, I have a short prayer, ‘Father please pour your love all over me today, and use me Lord to share that love with others.’ ” To some, that may sound simple, but remember, this is a guy who has social anxiety and panic attacks and doesn’t typically like being around people. He admitted at times it’s STILL difficult to do.

In spite of that fact, he wants everyone to know that everything he does is to bring honor to his Heavenly Father.

For me, I think it can be summed up nicely using Philippians 4:13, “[He does] ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens [him].”

Now approaching 70, Rick acknowledged he’s had some difficult challenges and heavy burdens

to carry in his life. He let me know he still does, especially in regard to his health, which could possibly lead to taking some time off from his volunteering duties.

I asked if he planned to return to his post not if but when he recovers. He nodded yes, and pointed heavenward, which prompted me to ask, “God willing?” He nodded yes, and smiled.

He’s always quick to point out that, “GOD has used ALL HIS STRUGGLES to draw me closer to HIM.” Even after everything he’s endured, he’s aware that someone ALWAYS has it worse. I agree. My mom always used to say the same thing! I asked if there were any other benefits to having such a strong, unwavering faith. He wrote, “I have real peace. Only GOD can do that!”

The end result? He continued, “Elaine and I have a simple life. We are content, and don't need much to be happy.”

After EVERYTHING he’s been through, he concluded with this thought, “It’s been an INTERESTING JOURNEY!” As always when writing stories like this, I ask the readers of The Contributor to offer up prayers in his behalf. After all, you can NEVER get too many of those!

So if you’re ever in the area, or if you just want to meet Rick for yourself, rest assured, you’ll be warmly welcomed anytime he’s on duty, and if you do, I promise you’ll leave encouraged!

Just remember: Even though he doesn’t communicate verbally, there’s no need to speak up, he can hear you just fine!

Through the communities help...

315 Individuals moved from encampments to permanent homes last year.

Lives touched.

Lives changed.

Lives saved.

Visit SalvationArmyNashville.org to learn more about our LIFNAV program.

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

TENNESSEE HISTORY CORNER

Herman Lay built his potato chip empire in Nashville

BY RIDLEY WILLS II Does this name ring a bell? It should. Herman Lay was one of Nashville’s Haratio Alger success stories.

When banker Sam Fleming Jr. and his wife, Josephine, were living on Grabar Lane in the 1930s, one of their neighbors was a young man named Herman Lay. In 1983, Mr. Fleming reminisced about Lay, saying “My first recollection of Herman Lay was when he lived around the corner from me off Granny White Pike. He had a small pickup truck (a Model A Ford) and used it to deliver potato chips to the few customers he developed. He was always extremely pleasant-one of those people whose company you

always seek. He was tremendously enthusiastic and persuasive, so much so he convinced Ed Johnson, who had an ESSO service station at 2001 Belmont Boulevard (now Circle K) to take stock in his new company rather than cash, for the gasoline that Lay needed, but had no money to pay for.”

The stock that Mr. Johnson took in lieu of cash would, in time, make him a multi-millionaire. Before moving his company to Atlanta, Herman Lay produced potato chips in what is today the Belmont Store, a small brick building at the corner of Portland Avenue and Belmont Boulevard.

Mr. Fleming said “we (Third National Bank) financed Lay in the early days when he was in Nashville and then when he went to Atlanta and then on to Dallas.” Lay’s company, Lay Food Products, merged with a Texas company to become Frito-Lay. In time, Herman Lay became a loyal member of the board of Third National Bank.

Over the years, Herman and Bernice Lay and their daughter Mary gave Belmont College (now University) $23 million, made possible by the stock given them by their good friend, Ed Johnson, many decades ago.

Ridley wrote a book!

Longtime writer for The Contributor Ridley Wills II has published a book cataloging all of his work writing History Corner articles for the paper from over the past decade. All proceeds from the book will be donated to The Contributor to continue its mission of providing low-barrier income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness so that they can find sustainable housing.

FIND THE BOOK AT THESE LOCAL STORES: • Belle Meade Mansion Gift Shop: 5025 Harding Pike • Elder's Bookstore: 101 White Bridge Road • Fort Negley Visitors Center: 1100 Fort Negley Boulevard • Historic Belmont: 1800 Belmont Blvd.

• Logos Book Store: 2136 Bandywood Drive • Parnassus Books: 3900 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 14

• Landmark Booksellers: 114 East Main Street, Franklin TN • Hot Pink: 831 Franklin Pike, Brentwood TN • Duck River Books: 124 Public Square, Columbia TN

PAGE 6 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Learn More about Including People with Lived Experience in Homelessness

BY JUDITH TACKET T In this issue, I would like to outline some thoughts and observations about how we truly integrate the voices of people with lived experience. My intent is to generate some ideas and hopefully encourage all of us to take active steps toward moving away from tokenism. Having said that, I hope we also start to recognize how many people we work with on a daily basis actually have lived experience, and how we can integrate their knowledge in our approaches.

First off, there are two terms that I want to distinguish between: people with lived experience and people with lived expertise. Those are distinct descriptors, and after asking people who have experienced homelessness if they prefer that I use the term “lived expertise,” I got mixed responses.

Some don’t care either way. Others feel strongly that an experience is something that happened to them while an expertise is something they acquired and worked toward. A person can have both, lived experience of homelessness as well as have become an expert in homelessness.

Therefore, I choose to stick with the term lived experience in this column out of respect to the people who felt they did not seek out to be experts in homelessness by losing their housing.

But I’d like to recognize that people with lived experience also have expertise. It is up to them, though, to decide how they would like to present their expertise (whether it be in homelessness and/or any other areas of expertise).

I also recognize that a topic like this may induce certain feelings in some readers. Over the years, I have observed how uncomfortable the provider community has become when it comes to referring to people for whom they provide services and support. Terminology has changed.

Some providers are more comfortable with the term consumers rather than clients. Others use guests, friends, or neighbors, and so on. I want to acknowledge that being uncomfortable is not a bad place to be. When we are uncomfortable, we are generally more sensitive, which is a step in the right direction.

Yet, I think it’s important that we talk about the fact that for decades we did not recognize or acknowledge the power structure we created in the nonprofit sector between people who needed help and those of us who were in the decision-making seats who decided how the limited resources in our communities are divided up. And if we recognized it, we felt we were the experts who had done our research and we knew best.

In the past decade, the tide has been changing, and we realize that what works for us, may not always work for the people we are attempting to serve.

Recently, I found a document, which inspired this column, that I wanted to bring to your attention. It is called “Nothing About Us Without Us: Seven Principles for Leadership & Inclusion of People with Lived Experience of Homelessness.” It was published in 2016 by the Lived Experience Advisory Council, a resource hub curated by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, a national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada.

WH AT I S LI V E D E XPE R I E N CE ?

Lived experience is defined as “personal knowledge about the world gained through direct, first-hand involvement in everyday events rather than through representations constructed by other people.”* It is also defined as “the experiences of people on whom a social issue or combination of issues has had a direct impact.”** *Chandler, D., & Munday, R. (2016). Oxford: A dictionary of media and communication (2nd ed.).

New York, NY: Oxford University Press. **Sandu, B. (2017, July). The value of lived experience in social change: The need for leadership and organisational development in the social sector. Retrieved from thelivedexperience.org/report/

Here are the seven principles for leadership and inclusion of people with lived experience of homelessness, per that document:: 1. Bring the perspective of our lived experience to the forefront.

HOW TO DO IT: • Join us in creating awareness of the issues.

• Stand beside us, not behind or in front.

• Help us make sure that no one is left out or misrepresented.

• Ensure that your organization’s communications, fundraising, research, and programs do not reinforce the misconceptions that homelessness is caused by individual problems, or can be solved by charity.

• Use professional influence to help advance the goals identified by first voice people.

• Dedicate time and resources to advocacy, and support grassroots social change efforts.

2. Include people with lived experience at all levels of the organization.

HOW TO DO IT: • Hire us in positions at all levels – frontline, administration, and management.

• Invite us to join the organization’s Board and committees.

• Include lived experience of homelessness as a dimension in your organization’s equity and diversity policies.

• Create a liaison within municipal and provincial governments, including city councils and police boards.

• Work towards sustainability and advancement for “peer” positions, so that those hired on as “peer counsellors,” “peer researchers,” etc., can advance to permanent positions.

3. Value our time and provide appropriate supports.

HOW TO DO IT: • Anticipate the compensation and supports that will be required to properly

include people with lived experience, and include those costs in funding applications.

• Compensate us well for the time spent in consultation, not only with token gift cards or minimal honorariums.

• Remember that these issues have a huge impact for us, because we can relate to the experience. Create a welcoming environment in which it is safe to express emotions.

• Develop new ways of doing business long meetings and bureaucratic procedures can be very draining and alienating, not only for people with lived experience!

• Provide training and capacity-building to all members of the organization, including those with and without direct experience of homelessness.

• Ensure that the timeframe for an initiative includes the time required to form a good working relationship and do things at a reasonable pace.

4. Challenge stigma, confront oppression and promote dignity.

HOW TO DO IT: • Give us a common ground to work from by providing Anti-Oppression 101 training to all members of the organization, from participants to volunteers to frontline staff and management.

• Confront oppression through the use of anti oppression models, which are inclusive.

• Educate around intersectionality – that is, the ways that oppressions such as racism, sexism, classism and ableism work together and reinforce each other.

• Review organizational policies and practices to ensure they promote equity, dignity, and rights of people facing homelessness.

5. Recognize our expertise and engage us in decision-making.

HOW TO DO IT: • Mandate people with lived experience

PAGE 8 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

into more decision-making roles in organizations dealing with issues of homelessness and marginalization.

• People with lived experience can put pressure on decision-makers to include us in influential roles by speaking when we can, by using social media, and all other methods at our disposal.

6. Work together towards our equitable representation.

HOW TO DO IT: • Include equitable representation as a goal in the organization’s strategic planning process.

• Set concrete objectives and specific timeframes, and work towards them.

• Identify other organizations that have successfully implemented equitable representation, and get their advice and mentorship.

• Evaluate the organization’s progress, seeking input from people with lived experience in the process.

7. Build authentic relationships between people with and without lived experience.

HOW TO DO IT: • Cultivate an environment of caring, acceptance and openness where differences are celebrated and everyone’s contribution is acknowledged.

• Ensure that all members of the organization are included in social activities, and that those activities are accessible to all.

• Break down rigid roles such as “service provider” and “service user.”

• Celebrate together.

I encourage you to read the entire document on the Homeless Hub* online at https://www. homelesshub.ca/NothingAboutUsWithoutUs. As we keep reminding each other how important it is to integrate the voices of people with lived experience, we also need to be careful that we do not try to expose and unintentionally even exploit people with lived experience.

What I mean by that is that it is OK to speak up and point out when people with lived experience are missing in a conversation. It also must be said that a person should never be forced to identify themselves as having experienced homelessness when they are participating in a discussion, and the decision to reveal that information should always be up to the individual. Respect how we all want to introduce ourselves and leave it up to each individual whether they want to share that they have experienced homelessness.

It is a fine line to ensure that we provide the support and respect to people who have been marginalized and stigmatized — often for years. We will make mistakes. But we also will learn. And in the end, that’s what it’s all about. Positive change happens when we grow together.

VENDOR WRITING

Samantha Mills is from New York and studies nursing at a local university. She aspires to be a caring and knowledgeable nurse. She buys The Contributor to help vendors and read the great articles.

ART BY CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR WENDELL J. #5314

Seth, Ella, Hollie and Mae are a group of best friends. They have supported each other throughout the years, while living in Nashville. They buy The Contributor and read great articles and support vendors ART BY CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR WENDELL J. #5314

Remember the Goal B Y JE F F RE Y, CONTRIBUTOR V E NDOR

There is a faith based movie I watched years ago with this title.

A lot can be taken from it if you watched it.

Not a day passes by that the first thought I have is to say, “Good Morning Jesus,” “Good morning God!” I accepted the fact that I am actually part of the family. Then I head to 7-11 to my fill of coffee and my work begins as I enjoy spreading cheer.

In most sports should you take your eye off the ball, it could be costly to the entire team. This is the goal.

Eventually everyone I encounter asks or figures out the source of the cheer. As I enjoy my morning with them, patiently awaiting sunrise.

Then I usually feel the nudge to go down to the street and begin phase two of the day.

There are rules of engagement that I follow. Which help me “Remember the Goal.”

1. Enjoy the day while being myself.

2. Never take my eye off the ball.

3. Give people the opportunity to be a good steward with money by giving and helping properly.

4. Get as many people as possible to take the paper and read the paper.

5. Remove myself from the past should I feel myself unable to do the previous four properly.

There have never been two days the same. On two separate days people have walked to me extremely suicidal. I was able to stop this by being myself, both left my corner sober and having an entirely new countenance.

One thanked me for being a good steward with what God had clearly given me, smiling as he left. Many have left in dismay saying, “I wanted to bless you with what I have, instead it was I who have been blessed, thank you for being here! My response usu-

ally is to thank them for helping me to be on my post. Getting people to smile and perhaps change the outcome of their day is awesome to do while remembering the goal. The money isn’t on the top of my list to do that day. It’s actually a by-product of keeping my eye on the ball. Some love to come by and get my breakfast, lunch or dinner. There are also those who have or want me to go inside the restaurant to eat with them. I am very joyful to speak to children and plant a huge smile on those innocent faces.

Many come by and share a huge wave, perhaps a toot toot on the horn and smile as I remember them from such an encounter. Some help everytime they see me, some can’t. The feeling I get by the, “Hello, Jeff,” is great as it helps me to remember the goal. Usually as I show my Contributor badge properly I say to myself “Game on.”

Because of The Contributor, and the support I don’t walk two hours each

way for a free meal. I always have enough to buy things I want. I don’t stay at the encampment knowing the food delivery is shortly coming.

I go and engage and get in the game, while being able to take care of my own needs.

In the days of old, the gladiators would use sport games to train for the times of war. Today our city of Nashville is clearly at war. Much bloodshed takes place in the streets where we live. Every time I hear an ambulance I wonder if they are on the way to pick up a casualty of this war. Gunshot victim, stabbing victim or worse yet a lifeless body. Even if by suicide is certainly a sobering reminder. Not everyone is called to be on the front lines. It is not the place to be lest you are called. Some are needed to help and be in the grandstand helping out, even if by giving you daily strength by cheering you on. My Contributor badge helps me

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

to be available. Remember this. Even if you are sitting back enjoying a bag of popcorn watching all this take place, refusing to help such nonsense as you see it. No man can serve two masters you are being counted for or against. Should you refuse to use your gift of discernment you may be fighting on the wrong side or cheering on is just the same. A horsemen in the revolution is weighing in the balance every word, every action, yes, every in-action as well. Like it or not, you are engaged simply by being here. Having my name engraved in a brick wall on the pathway at Bicentennial Park doesn’t excite me at all. Knowing the horsemen has been handed the gold brick with my name on it to favorably tilt the scale does. As I dance on the streets of gold someday seeing this brick of gold will be awesome. I hope this wasn’t boring, time to rest the pen, put on my badge and go engage ! “GAME ON!”

COVER STORY

‘Do You Want To Make History?’

Fisk’s head coach of gymnastics prepares the team for NCAA history

BY BARBARA WOMACK When Fisk gymnastic head coach Corrinne Tarver first reached out to potential recruits for the gymnastic team, she led with a simple question, "Do you want to make history?"

At the end of February, those who accepted her offer did just that: they became the first HBCU gymnastic team to compete in the NCAA level.

Tarver, who was a gymnastics star during her time at the University of Georgia, was the first black gymnast in UGA’s history and was the first African-American to win an NCAA all-around championship. Tarver also previously served as the Assistant Gymnastics Coach at The University of Pennsylvania, the Associate Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Stockton University and most recently came

to Fisk from her position as Assistant Director of Athletic Compliance at Syracuse University.

The members of the first HBCU gymnastic team to compete at NCAA level include Zanna Brewer, Lyndsi Callier, Hailey Clark, Zyla Coleman, Jordynn Cromarti, Breyana Daniels, Kaylei McDonald, Libert y Mora, Naimah Muhammad, Morgan Price, Allyah Reed-Hammon, Kiara Richmon, Kiana Session, HyCei White and Alyssa Wiggins.

When asked what it was like being on this team, Jordan Cromarti said, “this team is very surreal; we don't know what impact we are making on the world... this team is something special.”

The women on this gymnastics team have brought inspiration and growth to

the African American community. They have sold out meets, garnered much attention from numerous high profile media sources, such as appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show, and they have competed on ESPN several times.

The Lady Gym Dogs, as they are called, have brought a much needed positive light to the Fisk University community.

"It is important that we represent ourselves, our school and the HBCU community with pride and dignity," Tarver said.

Freshman Morgan Price of Lebanon, Tenn., said that she is enjoying being around her own culture in a learning environment.

“Since we are the first, we have a lot of eyes on us and our support system is excellent. Seeing the fans and little girls

PAGE 10 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

cheering us on was super fun,” she said.

Under Tarver’s leadership, the team has shown that they are able to compete with any gymnastics program in the country. The Lady Gym Dogs have six more meets left for the remainder of the season and they appear to be ready and willing to show off their gymnastic stuff to the world.

"My goal for this team is for them to do the very best they can do and for us to become a blueprint for other HBCUs to add gymnastics to their athletic roster,” Tarver said. “Coaching this team has been very humbling. It has been something that's been a long time coming and so I am so proud to be able to bring the team to the floor of a historically Black college and university. It is the first time ever, so we are ready to go.”

NEWS

A Few Questions with At-Large Councilmember Zulfat Suara

Z

BY JUDITH TACKETT

ulfat Suara is highly respected in the Nashville community and beyond.

She was the first immigrant elected to an at-large Metro Council seat, the first Muslim immigrant elected to the Metro Council, the first Muslim immigrant elected in the state of Tennessee and she was also the first Nigerian woman (as far as we know) to win an election in the United States.

The Contributor talked with Suara as part of a series called A Few Questions With where we interview councilmembers about their district’s most pressing issues.

METRO COUNCIL COMMITTEES: • Education, chair • Affordable Housing • Budget and Finance

What made you decide to run for an at-large seat rather than a district seat in 2019 and will you run for a second term?

Once I decided to run for office, I looked at the issues that are important to me. I was very much interested in the budget and in education. Those are countywide issues. Also, when I looked at the history of the work that I’ve done statewide for the last 20 years, … I felt like the majority of people who know me and my work are not in one area of the city. I wanted to have the ability to represent them, especially in the Muslim community. All live in different parts of the county. That’s why I decided to run for an at-large seat.

I just announced my intention to run for re-election and will have my official kick-off on March 6.

Which constituents do you hear from the most, and what are the main issues you hear about?

These days the issue that’s on everybody’s mind is affordable housing.

Every time something is going on in a district, I am copied on those emails as well.

Housing and the budget are the main issues for people countywide.

You chair the Education Committee. Where do you think Metro stands in terms of funding public schools, and where are opportunities for improvement?

In the last two to three years, the Mayor has done a good job of increasing our funding for MNPS (Metro Nashville Public Schools).

But that doesn’t mean we fund everything that needs to be funded. [For example,] in the last two years we did a good job with putting in social-emotional learning. We need to build on that to be able to make sure we have it in every school. We started in elementary school, and I think we’re looking into middle school and high school. So, we need to make sure that that happens.

Funding these new initiatives is great, but we also need to look at whether they are working.

So, one thing I decided to do this year as chair of the Education Committee is to have early conversations with [Metro Schools] so that we learn how schools are operating and not just give money during the budget season. Metro Council and [Metro Schools] always talk around

budget time. This year, we decided to invite [the School Board] Chair Rachael Elrod and some of the school board members to our Education Committee. We talked about funding from the state, did they get what they needed, how was the enrollment number, is it higher, is it lower.

I wanted to make sure we have a continuous conversation. The MNPS board has been very gracious to come to our meeting to give us an update.

I’m hoping that we build on our relationship with the school board, so that we’re not just looking at the budget numbers but also are asking the questions in terms of programming and performance and then have the opportunity to pass some information to them as well in terms of what impacts their constituents.

What are your thoughts on community-based budgeting?

I love it! If you were on the trail with me when I was running and look at my website, I ran on three things: I ran on education, I ran on a livable wage for Nashville and I ran on community-based budgeting, although I called it participatory budgeting.

I love participatory budgeting because it allows the community to have input on how the money is being spent. The people on the ground actually know where the most urgent needs are. We do not have the money to do everything. So, we need to prioritize. That’s where community-based budgeting comes in.

The community knows what is best for them.

I love it, and I’m so grateful for former Councilmember Fabian Bedne, who has done an amazing job on getting participatory budgeting started in North Nashville. We are about to get started on another round, and I hope we can build on it.

The Metro Council is currently looking at the Capital Improvements Budget. Do you see eventually an opportunity for the participatory budgeting process to include input directly in the Capital Improvement Budget?

Most of the things that are funded through participatory budgeting are capital funding in nature. You usually don’t use that process for operations, you use [it] for solid things like sidewalks and building something.

Once we are out of ARP (American Rescue Plan) funds, then yes, we are looking into opportunities where the community decides on what they want to do. Our proposals for the Capital Improvement Budget right now [come] from the councilmembers, and the councilmembers listening to their constituents, obviously, in terms of deciding what needs to be done. But the council gets to prioritize. So I hope we’ll get to a point where there [will] be a process where it will not be council-driven, it will be community-driven.

As a minority, an immigrant and an overall trailblazer (first Muslim woman elected in

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

the State of Tennessee), where do you see opportunities for Metro to strengthen equity for any underserved populations?

There are a couple of things we can do better.

One is in the area of representation in terms of people having the opportunity to serve. We’re still fighting for improved representation on boards and commissions. Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda [recently] presented a bill that I think is amazing that will help with that. It will make sure that when we select members for a board or commission that we make sure it is very diverse, that we have voices of everyone that we represent on there. That people in the immigrant community can come to the table and can actually speak to what their community needs.

If people are not part of the conversation, then they are not part of the decision-making. So being able to have diverse participation on boards and commissions and on the decision-making bodies will be great.

Another thing that has come to light is that language has always been a barrier, especially for the immigrant community. The information that’s provided is all in English. When people don’t have access to information, they don’t have access to services. So, I’m hoping we can improve on our language services. In the last budget season, we put in some money into interpretation services and language services. In our council meetings, we now have somebody who comes and interprets for Spanish-speakers. I think that’s a movement in the right direction.

FEATURE

When weather worsens, encampments pay the price — shelter or no shelter

F

or many, unsheltered life is a last resort. With no home in the city, the ultimate refuge a person has may be the ground beneath their feet and whatever supplies they can pull together.

It’s only possible to live this way through unceasing effort. It often involves trekking between temporary havens in dangerous areas, enduring the elements with limited cover and clothing and learning survival skills on the fly.

When temperatures drop below freezing, thunderstorms roll in, tornadoes gather, hail rains, campsites flood and so on, all this effort can turn futile in a matter of seconds.

“If you’ve ever been camping in below freezing weather, that’s what they’re dealing with every single day,” said Julie Bendler, an outreach specialist with

BY J U S TI N WAG N E R Mental Health Cooperative. “This has been a very mild winter, but you’ve gotta figure, with our low temperatures and our freezes, no amount of clothes is gonna get them warm enough. I think it really affects them mentally and it breaks them down and weakens them.”

As an outreach specialist, Bendler has seen firsthand the toll inclement weather can take on unsheltered people. MHC works with all populations in Nashville on behavioral health, mental health and substance-use services.

“There’s a distinct different feeling in the camps when it’s cold versus when it’s hot outside … when it’s cold outside, you’re not gonna get them out of their tent, the tents are wrapped in tarps there’s fires around the various encampments, but they’re freezing. It’s definitely taking a mental toll on them.”

Meredith MacLeod from Shower the People, an organization that provides shower and laundry services for people in Nashville, echoed this sentiment, saying that mental health issues can present more during harsh seasons.

“Just the added stress of not being able to sleep well because they’re up all night walking, because it’s so cold they have to keep their bodies moving, or they haven’t been able to sleep because they’re being woken up by a storm,” McLeod said. “The resources that can help keep them warm like propane and heaters and blankets are so scarce, I think that has a lot to do with it.”

Bendler explained that while in the summertime, camping is time-consuming, in the winter, it can be debilitating and paralyzing. Storms compound this issue.

PAGE 12 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

“That was something [people at one camp] had mentioned last week, they had their tents up on these pallets but they were soaking up the water. The water had gotten so high from the storm that it got everything in the bottom of their tent wet.”

In times like these, additional shelter options such as Metro’s cold weather and extreme weather shelters do open up — and more frequently than ever, due to a raise in the temperature necessary to be forecast before the shelters can open — but many unsheltered Nashvillians feel unsafe in shelter environments on principle, Bendler explained. In other cases, they are too cold to leave their camps for food, let alone walk to the city and make their way to a shelter.

“I think they’re making [shelters] accessible, but people are afraid to leave

FEATURE

“There’s a distinct different feeling in the camps when it’s cold versus when it’s hot outside … when it’s cold outside, you’re not gonna get them out of their tent." | PHOTOS BY ALVINE

their stuff. You leave for a couple of hours and everything’s gone… that’s all they own. If they’re scared to leave their stuff, how do you get them out of a camp or what do you do to make them feel safe?”

Furthermore, access and information can be a barrier. During the most recent storms that hit Davidson County, where tornado chances crept up to 10 percent, three tornado warning sirens were not in operation, according to the Nashville Office of Emergency Management.

Many people who live outdoors unsheltered may not have a phone — let alone a charged, working one — at any given time, which can leave them unaware that a storm is coming until it is too late to be proactive.

Lisa Wysocky of Colby’s Army, an organization that often provides ser-

vices and supplies to unhoused neighbors during extreme weather, noted that this information barrier presents a major safety issue.

“We do call or text people when bad weather is coming in. We don’t know how many people actually receive that, if their phone is charged or if they even have their phone with them,” Wysocky said. “News channels did a good job of getting that word out, but that’s not going to affect our homeless population.”

“It’s a big safety hazard,” she said.

“Just say high straight line winds or a tornado did come through a specific area where there were homeless. There’s no notification and there’s no place for them to go, really.”

Wysocky explained that sometimes the people she works with are able to make it to a nearby store or other build-

ing and take shelter during harsh weather, but as Bendler noted earlier from her experience, many were reticent about leaving their belongings.

“You have to plan to get wherever the bus is going to be,” Wysocky said.

“And some of our people, if they’ve got developmental delay or if they’ve got issues with addiction or mental illness, they might not be able to plan that out ahead of time.”

Renee Pratt, executive director of Metro Social Services, said the following when the Severe Weather Overflow Shelter opened Feb. 16.

“It is imperative that we provide special covering for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, not just when it’s dangerously cold, but when there is a severe stretch of weather that can endanger our neighbors. It is not only the

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

mission of Metro Social Services, but it is our duty to do so. We’ve successfully protected Nashville’s most vulnerable during such times for years. Though it means long days and nights for our staff, it more importantly means lives saved for those who need our help.”

Wysocky noted that while the weather shelters were accessible, they were not necessarily accessible to those in encampments, who may not have the resources or information needed to plan a trek to the nearest shelter. It presents a problem which, given weather just bad enough, could be deadly for many.

“It’s a significant problem, and one that could be very devastating,” she said.

“If a tornado or a significant cold snap came through, our people would not be prepared, it would be very tragic. I wish I had the solutions, and I don’t.”

INSP

Death on the streets: An American tragedy

BY ISRAEL BAYER The winter of 2017 Portland, Oregon, was hit with an unusually long ice storm. It would be deadly for people experiencing homelessness. Four people would tragically die of exposure.

An older woman would walk into a downtown parking garage and die an agonizing death alone in the unforgiving storm. Another victim froze to death at a bus stop, only blocks away from a family member's home. The third and fourth victims died alone in the doorway of a local business and in a densely wooded area of the city.

If that wasn’t enough, another homeless woman gave birth to a stillborn child in the freezing rain that dreadful week. After giving birth, presumably alone, the woman was found by police completely distraught and

cradling her deceased child. She was homeless and experiencing a mental health collapse. It was more than devastating.

A local reporter was interviewing me about the deaths.

Did I know any of the victims that died? Has Portland ever seen anything like this? What was it really going to take to prevent these kinds of deaths on the streets in our community? Did I have thoughts…?

My mind went blank. I didn’t have any answers.

“Israel, are you there,” the reporter asked.

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Are you OK?” “Can I call you back?”

“Absolutely, but I’m on deadline.”

It’s hard to describe what homelessness does to the people experiencing it, their family, their friends and the people working on the front lines of poverty.

The trauma of homelessness is more than overwhelming. Reality is distorted. Logic is rare. Life is primal. There is nothing remotely rational about the circumstances of homelessness in, the USA, one of the richest countries in the world.

Every time I wrote a story about someone who passed away on the streets, I would tell myself that the more stories like these are read, the more the public and/or government might want to take action to support housing justice in our community.

Most days though, I wasn’t so sure.

PAGE 14 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

I had spent the better part of that week working on a story, including doing interviews with the family of one of the victims who had frozen to death on the streets. I was hoping to provide a snapshot of the harsh reality the families of people experiencing homelessness face when a loved one on the streets passes away and why we should be prioritizing more affordable housing in our community. Unfortunately, it was a story I had written before.

At the last minute, the family decided they didn’t want the story of their father and husband to be told through the lens of a human being freezing to death homeless on the streets. While I was disappointed with the family’s decision to not talk to me on the record, I certainly couldn’t blame them.

INSP

If I was honest with myself, I’m not sure I would have wanted a reporter presenting the legacy of my father or son through this lens either, regardless of how thoughtful the writer might have been. What a painful experience.

Having worked on the streets for the previous two decades, the amount of trauma and death I had witnessed and reported on over the years had shaken me to the core. I had spent many sleepless nights at the bedsides of people on the streets that found themselves on the edge of death. Pneumonia. Heart attacks.

Drug overdoses. Burn victims. Attempted deaths by suicide. Sometimes people pulled through; sometimes they didn’t. The experiences almost always left me completely wrecked and lacking any kind of normalcy.

My world felt upside down.

I thought about the first person I had ever written about who died on the streets: about a young woman who had taken her own life, and her mother, who had visited me afterwards.

I kept a worn out copy of a poem I wrote about her tucked away in my desk drawer. Sometimes after talking to a family member who had died on the streets, or writing a story about homeless deaths, I would read it to myself and think about that girl and all the people who had died during my tenure of working on the front lines.

For years my executive editor, Joanne Zuhl, and I had been writing about the stories of people that had died on the streets. Our collective work contributed to efforts by local governments in the region to create a methodology and system to track and report the number and causes of homeless deaths in the region. Their stories were almost always heartbreaking.

Holding back tears, Krista Campbell, a mother whose son had passed away on the streets talked to me about her son’s experience. At 42 years old, James Michael Bostick had lived a hard life. Her son had been battling addiction and homelessness for more than 13 years.

“Some people might see him as just another homeless junkie that died, but he was an incredible man,” said Krista. “He had an incredible heart. He was my precious baby. I suppose in the back of my mind I had been expecting the call for years. I prayed for him every single day.

When the call came, nothing I’ve been through in my life prepared me for what had happened. We’ve both lived a hard life. Still, I’ve lost my son. My dear son.”

James left behind a mother, a brother and three daughters.

There’s nothing that can prepare someone for that kind of conversation. All you can do is listen and provide support. As I held back tears

of my own, not having any real answers, we talked for nearly an hour.

I listened to Krista laugh and cry, telling me countless stories about James, sometimes pausing to tell me she couldn’t believe he was gone. She told me about his bright blue eyes and beautiful smile. She told me that he was a kind and comforting man that loved Jesus.

Like many people, Krista said she didn’t understand the mental health issues her son faced. “Demons grabbed hold of my son years ago, and I felt helpless,” Krista would say. “I didn’t know anything about depression. I didn’t know he was bipolar, then eventually paranoid schizophrenic. I found out about other mental disorders James was facing after I Googled all the medication found in his backpack after his death. There

“It’s hard to describe what homelessness does to the people experiencing it, their family, their friends and the people working on the front lines of poverty.” were voices in his head that wouldn’t leave him alone. Mental health and addiction took hold of his life and held him until his very last breath. Then, it was God that took him home.”

“The average person doesn’t always know how to deal with addiction and mental disorders,” said Krista.

“We feel stricken with fear for our suffering family members. We feel disgust in ourselves for not doing something more to help him.”

It’s something I would hear over and over from the families of people who have passed away on the streets.

Not only are people dealing with the trauma of losing a child, individuals or families are often grieving alone.

The loss of a child or a death in the family is never easy. It can be even harder when the family member is homeless. The feeling of judgment from peers and the stigmas attached to having a family member die on the

streets can be isolating and torturous.

The average age of homeless deaths in many communities across the country hovers between 40 and 50-years old. One would have to go back decades, possibly centuries, to find another demographic of people that were dying that young in America. The leading causes of death for people on the streets are accidental drug overdoses, natural causes and death by suicide.

“People experiencing homelessness die young, and from often preventable causes,” said Paul Lewis, a former health officer for Multnomah County. “You can’t help but conclude that the lack of housing has contributed to these realities.”

Research has long shown living on the streets exacerbates existing health problems and causes new ones.

Chronic diseases are difficult to manage under stressful circumstances.

Acute problems such as infections, injuries, and pneumonia are difficult to heal when there is no place to call home.

It’s not uncommon in America for many people experiencing homelessness that are dealing with life threatening ailments to be released straight from the emergency room right back to the streets, or into a crowded shelter.

“Everyone’s family has a story, and this is part of our story,” Mary, the sister of a man who died on the streets of Portland once told me.

“It’s a devastating story. We could have helped him, absolutely. I’m not holding anybody responsible, but as a society we let him down.” Research shows that at least 20 people in America die homeless every single day. The numbers are absolutely staggering.

It’s unconscionable.

Needless to say, I never did get back to that reporter. I’m still not sure what I would have said. After more than 20 years of working on the front lines of homelessness it’s hard to find any kind of logic in a land where housing remains a commodity and human beings on the streets hold no actual value in the eyes of the federal government. A land where thousands of people experiencing homelessness are left to die every year, alone and forgotten. Their stories untold. Ghosts left to haunt our streets with no safe place to call home. A real American tragedy.

We have such a long way to go.

Israel Bayer is an award-wining writer and housing advocate and works with the International Network of Street Papers.

Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

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LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

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Newspaper Nashville

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Nashville, Tennessee

Empresarios hispanos en Nashville, vital y creciente grupo en la comunidad

Sus contribuciones tienen importantes implicaciones económicas y sociales para nuestra ciudad ¿Sabía usted que los empresarios hispanos son un grupo demográfico importante y el de más rápido crecimiento en Tennessee?

tura pueden conducir a la creación de nuevos productos, servicios y modelos comerciales que pueden beneficiar a la economía del estado en su conjunto. Además, la diversidad de la comunidad hispana puede ayudar a crear un entorno comercial más inclusivo y vibrante, que puede atraer más negocios e inversiones a Tennessee.

Así es.

Los empresarios his- Por Yuri Cunza panos con- Editor in Chief tribuyen a la @LaNoticiaNews economía del estado, aportan diversidad e innovación a la comunidad empresarial y pueden ayudar a desarrollar sus comunidades. Como tal, es esencial apoyar y alentar el espíritu empresarial hispano en nuestra ciudad y en el estado para promover el crecimiento económico y las oportunidades para todos.

Desarrollo Comunitario: Los empresarios hispanos también pueden desempeñar un papel crucial en el desarrollo de sus comunidades. A menudo invierten en sus vecindarios y brindan bienes y servicios esenciales que pueden faltar en ciertas áreas. Además, las empresas propiedad de hispanos pueden actuar como modelos a seguir para los jóvenes, inspirándolos a buscar el espíritu empresarial y brindándoles la confianza para tener éxito en el mundo de los negocios.

Foto: La Noticia Newspaper Nashville

En este primer capítulo, exploBank executive Luis Parodi shakes hands with longtime Hispanic entrepreneur Yocundo Salas raremos por qué los empresarios lati- Republic at a Nashville Small Business Recovery Fund (NSBRF) marketing and outreach event hosted by the nos son importantes y por qué sus Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation at Pupuseria Salvadoreña in South Nashville. contribuciones son esenciales para el éxito económico nuestro medio y de crecimiento más alta entre todos los millones de trabajadores. Además, los Estados Unidos. A continuación estados de los EE. UU. Este cre- los empresarios latinos crean nuevos algunas de las razones por las cuales cimiento en el espíritu empresarial se puestos de trabajo a un ritmo más nuestra creciente comunidad empre- traduce en puestos de trabajo y la rápido que otros grupos. El éxito de actividad económica en Tennessee, las empresas propiedad de latinos no sarial es vital para el desarrollo: contribuyendo a la salud económica solo beneficia a sus propietarios, sino Impacto económico: los empresarios general del estado. Las empresas que también brinda beneficios hispanos en Tennessee juegan un propiedad de latinos contribuyen sig- económicos a sus comunidades y al papel importante en la economía del nificativamente a la economía esta- país en su conjunto. estado. Según un informe de dounidense. De acuerdo a la Cámara Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship de Comercio Hispana de EE. UU. Innovación y diversidad: los empreInitiative, la cantidad de empresas (USHCC), las empresas propiedad de sarios hispanos aportan una perspecpropiedad de hispanos en Tennessee hispanos generan más de $ 800 mil tiva única e ideas innovadoras a la empresarial de aumentó en un 63 % entre 2012 y millones a la economía de los EE. comunidad 2017, que fue la segunda tasa de UU. cada año y emplean a más de 3 Tennessee. Sus experiencias y cul-

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

por www.juanese.com juanese@usa.com

PAGE 16 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Los empresarios latinos son un componente fundamental de la economía estadounidense y su importancia no deja de crecer. De hecho, la cantidad de negocios propiedad de latinos en los Estados Unidos ha aumentado significativamente en los últimos años. Según un informe de Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, las empresas propiedad de latinos crecieron un 34 % en un período de cinco años, superando el promedio nacional de todas las empresas nuevas.

(CONTINUARÁ.....)

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

VENDOR WRITING

My Tattoos

BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

When I was younger, I was forced out of my mom’s home by two of my brothers.

One is dead now and the other one is my baby brother. One of them was drugging and the other one was a seven-day drinker. When my momma gave me my rent money back, I spent all of it on drugs so I found myself homeless. So I was on Dickerson Road at a tattoo shop and they asked if I wanted to stay there and help clean things for them.

After a while in that arrangement, I felt obligated to them and asked how I could show my appreciation for them for what they were doing for me. And the owner of the shop said out of the blue, “Why don’t you let us tattoo your head?”

These angel wings on the top of my head used to be horns. And people were

scared of me. So, eventually I saved up $200 to change them into angel wings. So, you could say I bought my way into heaven!

The next tattoo was the three stars because I believe in my country. I wasn’t able to serve my country but I love my country. So I got three stars to represent the country and the state of Tennessee.

If anyone knows me they know I’m all the time asking questions. It’s just part of my nature I guess, so I got the question mark.

On the back of my head I have a skeleton angel with bloodshot eyes. I’ve done died once in real life and came back.

That’s what the skeleton with bloodshot eyes means. The eyes mean two different things. I can sense people when they are behind me. It’s an ESP thing. I’m usually

right because it’s saved me twice. Once in Salem, Oregon, I sensed a guy was behind me with a knife when I was leaving the pool hall, and when he came too close I already had my knife out and he ran. The second time was when I was in Portland, Oregon, playing my music on the street, and on the way home I was followed again.

This time the guy had a big stick. I sensed that and turned around with my knife again, and I don’t know what I could have done against that big stick, but I wasn’t gonna let anyone take my money.

I’ve got two sets of wings on the back of my head too. One set means I died and got sent back. I was sent back by some of my old family that passed away. When I saw them they were at the age they would be now, not they age they were when they

passed away. My dad said, “The Lord’s not ready for you.”

I also got a tattoo on my chest in 1968 that was put in with three needles and toilet paper ink. It didn’t stay. It was a key to change my heart. Because I was in love at the time. It did its job.

This one on my arm is from 1968. It’s another patriotic thing for me. It used to be in color but I scraped the color out myself. I’m very tough. I might put it back into color but I can leave well enough alone.

I also used to have knuckle tattoos.

One said “love” and one said “hate,” but I scraped those out with a tin can because I’m not scared of anything. I’m not scared of dying because if I’m going anywhere I know the Lord’s ready for me.

Affordable Housing: A Right, Or A Necessity?

BY LISA A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Affordable housing is now a commitment that is repairing decades of harm in Nashville.

Many of us might be skeptical of politicians in general, but we have to acknowledge that Mayor John Cooper is coming through with flying colors in the livable, affordable housing mandate he set in response to voter’s wishes. He is actually implementing the platform he ran on. Congratulations to Mayor Cooper for his acts of integrity.

To read more about his initiative and his partners, you can go to this link. https://www.nashville.gov/depart-

ments/mayor/housing/barnes-fund I am curious to hear from our readers whether they think that people should earn their housing at whatever the market is demanding, or whether housing should be scaled to the actual pay scale in Nashville.

If you are on the right wing side of the spectrum, you might feel that people have to earn the right to housing. On the left side, you would say that everyone already deserves housing simply for existing.

But have we considered what gave birth to this debate in the first place?

We have placed arbitrary values on people based on what kind of income they are able to generate for our GOP. But there’s so many kinds of work that are unpaid or on acknowledged.

An act of kindness, child care, parenting, house work, general chores and repairs used to be counted as part of a valuable household “income“.

Since the advent of the industrial era, corporate bosses did not see fit to pay the wife at home or the caretaker at home who was doing all the work that their worker could not do. It would be fair to say that the United States went

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

through a long period where no one was valued unless they could put money in the pockets of a corporation. And only for so long as they were able to do that.

In fact, we all have at least a vague idea of the hard fight to gain equitable wages in the first place. It took nearly 100 years.

Funny that, so did women getting the right to vote. And let’s not talk about the 500 years towards emancipation.

So my question is, if we can’t or won’t actually pay our “boots on the ground" people a living wage, then we must provide alternative housing, correct?

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis—but he was arguably the most precocious and well-read of this eminent and intellectually fertile group. He was also known to have influenced Dorothy Sayers, T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden.

Lacking a proper degree unlike his fellow Inklings, this genius Cockney-speaking author, editor, critic, and playwright was eminently well-versed in both philosophical and theological writings of the remote past as of the present day (the mid-20th century) and used this familiarity to good effect in his poetry, supernatural fiction and his lesser-known devotional selections designed for the spiritual benefit of the faithful in the Church of England. This series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year, beginning with Advent (i.e., December) and ending in November, and reaches far beyond the pale of the philosophical and theological discussions of his day. It was under his hand, for instance, that some of the first translations of Kierkegaard were made available to the wider public.

It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

2nd Wednesday in Lent

2nd Monday in Lent

SORROW for sin and sorrow for suffering are ofttimes so twisted and interwoven in the same person, yea, in the same sigh and groan, that sometimes it is impossible for the party himself so to separate and divide them in his own sense and feeling, as to know which proceeds from the one and which from the other. Only the all-seeing eye of an infinite God is able to discern and distinguish them.

Thomas Fuller: A Wounded Conscience.

IN suffering and tribulation there are really certain situations in which, humanly speaking, the thought of God and that he is nevertheless love, makes the suffering far more exhausting . . . For either one suffers at the thought that God the all-powerful, who could so easily help, leaves one helpless, or else one suffers because one's reason is crucified by the thought that God is love all the same and that what happens to one is for one's good . . . The further effort which the idea of God demands of us is to have to understand that suffering must not only be borne but that it is good, a gift of the God of love.

Kierkegaard: Journals.

2nd Thursday in Lent . . . THE trust by which this woman was tried is: to love her Saviour more than her sin. Ah, there was perhaps one who loved Christ more than fa- ther and mother and gold and goods and honour and reputation, and yet loved his sin more than his Saviour, loved it, not in the sense of willing to remain in it, to continue to sin, but in the sense of not being quite willing to confess it. Frightful this is in a sense, but it is true, and every one who has merely some little knowledge of the human heart can verify it: there is nothing to which a man holds so desperately fast as to his sin.

Kierkegaard: Three Discourses at the Communion on Fridays.

2nd Friday in Lent MY will, therefore, He took to Himself, my grief. In confidence I call it grief, because I preach His Cross. Mine is the will which he called His own, for as man He bore my grief, and man He spake, and therefore said, “Not as I will but as Thou wilt.” Mine was the grief, and mine the heaviness with which He bore it, for no man exults when at the point to die. With me and for me He suffers, for me He is sad, for me He is heavy. In my stead, therefore, and in me He grieved Who had no cause to grieve for Himself.

St Ambrose: On the Faith.

2nd Saturday in Lent BLESSED whoso loveth thee, and his friend in thee, and his enemy for thee. For he alone loses none dear to him, to whom all are dear in him who cannot be lost . . . Thee none loseth but who leaveth.

St Augustine: Confessions.

JESUS, while his disciples slept, wrought their salvation. He has wrought that of each of the righteous while they slept, both in their nothingness before their birth and in their sins after their birth.

Pascal: Pensées.

Second Sunday in Lent HE seeth all our living here a penance, for kind loving in us is to him age-lasting penance in us; which penance he worketh in us, and mercifully he helpeth us to bear it . . . For this penance goeth never from us till what time that we be fulfilled.

Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

ALTHOUGH Christ died as man, and His holy soul was separated from His spotless body, nevertheless His Godhead remained unseparated from both—from the soul and from the body.

St John Damascene: On the Faith.

2nd Tuesday in Lent MEN perish with whispering sins, nay with silent sins, sins that never tell the conscience they are sins, as often as with crying sins: and in hell there shall meet as many men that never thought what was sin, as that spent all their thoughts in the compassing of sin.

Donne: Sermons.

LONG I mistook seeing the end for being in the way.

Patmore: Life.

3RD WEDNESDAY IN LENT THE Christ of God was not then first crucified when the Jews brought Him to the cross; but Adam and Eve were His first real murderers; for the death which happened to them in the day that they did eat of the earthly tree was the death of the Christ of God or the divine life in their souls. For Christ had never come into the world as a second Adam to redeem it, had He not been originally the life and perfection and glory of the first Adam.

William Law: The Spirit of Love.

3RD THURSDAY IN LENT WHAT is Christ but the death of the body, the breath of life?

And so let us die with Him that we may live with him. Let there then be in us as it were a daily practice and inclination to dying, that by this separation from bodily desires of which we have spoken, our soul may learn to withdraw itself, and . . . may take upon herself the likeness of death, that she incur not the penalty of death.

St Ambrose: On the Death of Satyrus.

ALL angels, all saints, all the devils, all the world shall know all the deeds that ever thou didest, though thou have been shriven of them and contrite. But this knowledge shall be no shame to thee if that thou be saved, but rather a worship, right as we read of the deeds of Mary Magdalene to her worship and not to her reproof.

Middle English Sermons.

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT THE enticement of earthly lusts creeps in and the outflow of vanities takes hold of the mind, so that the very thing which you desire to avoid you think upon and turn over in your mind. It is difficult for a man to guard against this; to escape it altogether is impossible. For our heart is not in our own power, and our thoughts suddenly stream forth and confound our mind and reason, and draw us in directions other than we purposed. Who, indeed, among the many passions of this body, among the many enticements of this world, can walk securely and purely? The eye looks, and the sentiment of the mind is deflected; the ear hears, and the resolution is perverted; the sense of smell acts and hinders thought; we touch and take fire.

St Ambrose: De Fuga.

WE seek truth in ourselves, in our neighbours, and in its own nature: in ourselves, judging ourselves; in our neighbours, sympathizing with their ills; in its own nature, contemplating with a pure heart.

St Bernard: The Steps of Humility.

3RD MONDAY IN LENT DESIRE never does anything else but pursue and flee; and whenever Desire pursues what it should, and as far as it should, a man keeps within the limits of his perfection. This Desire, however, must be ridden by Reason . . . Reason, like a good horseman, directs Desire with bridle and spur. It uses the bridle when desire is pursuing (and this bridle is called Temperance, which prescribes the limits up to which pursuit may be carried); it uses the spur when Desire flees, in order to turn it back to the spot from which it wishes to flee (and this spur is called Courage or Magnanimity, the virtue which points out the spot where we ought to take out stand and to fight).

Dante: Convivio.

I LOVE because I love; I love in order to love.

St Bernard: On the Song of Songs.

3RD FRIDAY IN LENT

3RD TUESDAY IN LENT

OUR Lord wishes to reveal what He is; Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, hath everlasting life. As if He said; He that believeth on Me hath Me: but what is it to have Me? It is to have eternal life: for the Word which was in the beginning with God is life eternal, and the life was the light of men. Life underwent death, that life might kill death.

St Augustine, quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea.

THE very toys of all toys, and vanities of vanities, (those ancient favourites of mine) were they which so fast withheld me; they plucked softly at this fleshly garment, and spake softly in mine ears: Canst thou thus part with us? And shall we no more accompany thee from his time for ever? And from this time forth shall it no more be lawful for thee to do this or that for ever? . . . And now I much less than half heard them, nor now so freely contradicting me face to face, but muttering as it were softly behind my back, and giving me a privy pluck as I went from them that I might look once more back: yet for all this as I hesitated they did hold me back from snatching away myself, and shaking them off, and leaping from them to the place I was called unto; for violent custom thus rounded me in the ear: Thinkest thou to be ever able to live without all that?

But by this time it spake very faintly.

St Augustine: Confessions.

3RD SATURDAY IN LENT . . . EVERYTHING the good man is suffering through God he is suffering in God, and in suffering my suffering in God, God is my suffering, my suffering God. Eckhart: The Book of Benedictus.

DOST thou wish that it always cost Me the blood of My humanity, without thy shedding tears?

Pascal: Pensées.

Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher

PAGE 18 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

FUN

HOBOSCOPES PISCES

As I understand it, the first law of thermodynamics is that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only moved around. And the second is like it, that energy in systems tends to move from a state of order toward chaos. This reminds me, Pisces, that though there are many things about yourself that you feel you’ve lost, it may be that they aren’t gone at all. Perhaps they’re just not in the stacks where you thought you left them. Maybe those things are just spreading out from your life and into the lives of everyone around you. Or maybe I don’t understand thermodynamics.

ARIES

You should see my new astrologer’s watch! Each number is a different sign of the zodiac and it syncs with my phone and tells me the best time to consult the stars regarding your impending well-being and/or doom. It’s been ticking along fine, but today it completely stopped working at exactly half-past Aries. It’s hard to say, but I think that means you might need to take a break.

In fact, you might get a break even if you don’t stop to take one. For my part, I think it means I need to get on the phone with tech-support.

TAURUS

You want your burger with extra mustard and no onions? Absolutely! You’d like the deluxe car wash with undercarriage-sparkle? Sure thing! You’d take your coffee with a little steamed oat milk and a stopper for the lid? Guaranteed! But aren’t you starting to worry, Taurus, that the things you’re asking from life are a little too…achievable? If the only answer you ever hear is “yes” you might not be asking the important questions. Stretch for a “no” this week just to see how well you recover. You might be surprised.

GEMINI

I think of all those big stories that begin with the words “And It came to pass…”

And I love that little twist of language, Gemini. It tells you everything you need to know.

Even the most important events in the grandest stories never come to stay. They come to pass. And this will too, Gemini. No matter how permanent it seems today, there is one thing I can guarantee.

Good or bad, it won’t stick around.

CANCER

I called-in to this tech support-line to see if my astrologer’s watch is still under warranty. First I entered my serial number and zip code. Then it wanted my middle name and the last four digits of my social. Now it’s asking if I’d like to speak to a support-wizard or a technical-vizier.

Sometimes, Cancer, our one simple question leads to three more complex ones. But keep asking yours and answering the ones that come back. Eventually you might get through to a real person.

SCORPIO

Everybody’s been trying to get you to think outside the box lately, Scorpio. I know that sounds edgy and revolutionary and all, but I think it’s overrated. Boxes are just the categories we put things in. You have good reasons for your boxes. It’s how you get things done. Inside the box thinking has gotten you a long way. The only thing I’d suggest, Scorpio, is that you may have too many things crammed in there. Keep the important stuff in the box and toss some of the other things out. It’ll give you more room to shake things around.

LEO

I regret to inform you that this month’s pragmatic-existentialism ‘n’ roller-skating night has been canceled due to low attendance at last month’s nihilist rock-climbing event. If you want your diverse interests to be represented in our group activities, Leo, you’re going to have to open those evites and respond. The more opportunities you take, the more there will be in the future. And if you like the future, you’ll love next week’s futurist-poetry bowling night. Get your name on the list while it’s still on the calendar!

SAGITTA R IUS

People love circles, Sagittarius. But there aren’t really circles in nature. I mean, not perfect circles, anyway. Planets and eggs and water droplets are all circular, but not quite circles. We came up with circles in our math classes and then we just started making them everywhere. People love circles. A perfectly arched line that returns to itself. But if you find yourself always returning here, Sagittarius, remember that it’s a choice. They don’t exist in nature. Not really.

VIRGO

The story goes that the king got a warning from the prophet. The seer said that things were looking dangerous and that the ruler should take heed. Nobody knows if it would have helped if the monarch had listened to the mystic.

All we get from the story is that things turned out just as badly as the fortune-teller told. That’s why I try to be more specific in my alerts, Virgo. None of these vague “bewares.” And for you, my regal friend, I just want to emphasize that this is a good week to back up your data and check your batteries.

LIBRA

I’m on hold waiting for tech support and I know this song from somewhere.

It’s the one with the drums that go like “tik-tik-tah-badaba-tah-badaba” and then the guitar is all “wreeewr-sk-wrEEEwr-doo” and it builds up slow right to the part where the vocals should come in and then there’s a click and a guy says “Due to unusually high call volume, all our technicians are busy helping other customers. Please stay on the line.” And then it starts over. “Tik-tik-tah.” These loops can be maddening. A song that never starts.

If you’re tired of waiting, Libra, I suggest you hang up on this one and turn on the radio. They’ll at least get to the chorus.

CAPRICORN

After waiting on hold for tech support for more than 45 minutes, I’d all but given up hope. But then I met Conrad. Conrad told me my limited edition astrologer’s watch is still under warranty. Conrad says he’s doing everything he can to help. When Conrad couldn’t get instant approval for a free repair, he used his team-manager passcode to override the ticket-chain.

Conrad’s not supposed to do that, but he did it for me, Capricorn. In five to nine business days I’ll receive a replacement watch at no additional fee. Sometimes we get what we ask for, Capricorn. If you can’t get it from the fates, try Conrad.

AQUA RIUS

I can never remember what day we’re supposed to wear green, Aquarius. I’ve been wearing it all month just in case.

It’s the only way to be sure nobody will surprise-pinch me when I least expect it. Precautions are important, Aquarius, it’s true. But I wonder if caution is keeping you from taking some risks that are worth taking. Wear whatever color you need to wear to stay safe, but don’t let it stop you from being known.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a trained physicist, or a team-manager. Mr. Mysterio is, however, a budding intermediate podcaster! Check out The Mr. Mysterio Podcast. Season 2 is now playing at mrmysterio.com. Got a question, just give Mr. M a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

VENDOR WRITING

2+2=5

BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR One of the saddest lessons of history is this: if we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken.

Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back." ­— Carl Sagan The speaker of the Tennessee House has said that he would like the legislature to consider turning down the $1.8 billion the federal government sends to Tennessee to educate our children. His rationale seems to be that there are too many strings attached to those funds. Requirements like standards of achievement for teachers and students and for how in-

clusive school programs must be to insure each student, regardless of who they are or where they come from, has the equal ability to succeed are too cumbersome for our legislators. A free, quality public education in Tennessee would become a thing of the past.

Speaker Cameron Sexton would like to see our schools run, "the Tennessee way."

When I stopped to consider what exactly he meant by "the Tennessee way," I got a little shiver down my spine. As far as I can tell from the legislation being proposed this year, it means that students will be lied to continually as the Tennessee government seeks to indoctrinate them with the conservative social dogma of ignorance, division, and intolerance. And they will do it by saying that God is on their side. Which leaves me wondering how

they can possibly believe God takes sides.

The Tennessee Code Annotated is our set of state laws that govern the citizenry.

There is a section that outlines the once inalienable right of parents to make decisions about how to educate their children and to seek the physical and mental health care they think appropriate. Now our legislative Republican super-majority wants to amend those rights. They want the state to control the education and medical decisions instead of parents.

They're taking control of our children, "the Tennessee way!"

Our governor and legislature have been directly responsible for the highlypublicized gross failures of Tennessee's Department of Children's Services. If those in charge are such bad stewards of the children in the care of the State, how

can any parent feel confident that those same State officials will make decisions that will lead their children into a bright, successful future. The State' s failed track record, going back years and years, speaks for itself.

Tennessee Republicans want to control the past. They want to burn the books that document America's sins. They seek to obliterate the blood-soaked, hardfought human rights of women, immigrants, Blacks, gays, transgender citizens, children and their parents. One has to wonder how long it will take for them to come for those who aren't in the minority.

How long will it be before they come for you? Perhaps they already have! Unless we speak out for those who have no voice, unless we protect our parental rights, we are all just frogs in a pot — waiting.

Everyone Playing Their Part(s)

BY MAURICE B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Within this emotional space on earth that is known and called living, we all try or strive to respect and honor one another to the best degree that's possible by and through our means even though our concepts of striving to make it do what it do is and are sometimes totally different and very difficult, but at a point the same. Also within this enormous game called life, there are true sets of rules and regulations that are set to be abided by, which is considered to be known as "Justice", or is it "Blind Just As"? Then again we all believe and know that what is "just" for one individual doesn't mean that it's "just" for the next person or set of people. Even identical twins do not always have the same mindset as one another.

We have those that strive to abide by the street code which is considered that of only existing in life, then we have those that strive to abide by the governed law which is called and claimed to be the way that's acceptable in society's eyes as rightfully and "just" living. In both there are the deep aspects of existing and living that brings about the major situation/issue called "struggling." Upon the circumstances of struggling we have those in both that are willing to do some things that are strange for extra peace of change. Yeah, the phrase "something strange" differs in multiple aspects, but at the same span, it's to sell one's self-esteem for a lesser degree than what one is worth only to reach higher grounds in

life instead of facing the difficult roads that lead towards beautiful destinations.

Observing the avenues towards the beautiful destinations within this emotional space the multiple set of regulations and constraints fall up under three categories: infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies. Infractions are those that could be examined as a slap on the hand in law because they are mainly a form of a warning. Next in the stage of law we

have misdemeanors, which is a small form of punishment. Then we have felonies as they all have different phases in which relies on what degree an individual violates the governed law.

The governed laws cover multifarious of circumstances and conditions of this emotional space from juvenile crimes, domestic crimes, assault crimes, death crimes, identity theft crimes, money laundering crimes, manslaughter crimes,

PAGE 20 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

kidnapping crimes, arson crimes, burglary crimes, organized crimes, cyber crimes, drug trafficking, assault and battery crimes, embezzlement crimes, homicide crimes, human trafficking crimes, manslaughter crimes, and terrorist crimes.

We are all playing our part(s) and the voting process has placed many into different powers and seats to bring in "Justice" or "Just-As"to the best respects and honor to and for the circumstances and situations that we all face while living in this emotional space. We've placed Sheila Callaway in the seat of Juvenile Justice, I'Ashea L Myles in the seat of chancery court part 3, Allegra Walker Birdine in the seat of division 4 general sessions court, Robin Kimbrough Hayes in the seat of division 5 general sessions court, Rachel Bell in the seat of division 8 General Session Court, Khadijah Babb in the seat of Division 5 Criminal Court.

To wit within their thought processes of betterment in this emotional space they choose to fight together doing their part with compassion and mercy to stabilize the unfit and unstable loopholes of justice that will permit many individuals to contain the major idea of togetherness.

As they welcome all to educate themselves to the actions of "court watch" whereas within a designed action of signing up for a period of Q&A will nourish the mindset on what and how things go according to and in each courtroom.

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arubenfeldlaw.com

202 South Eleventh Street Nashville, Tennessee 37206 Telephone: (615) 386-9077 Facsimile: (615) 386-3897

March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 21

VENDOR WRITING

Cheddar and Cheese B Y J U N E P. , C O N T R I B U T O R V E N D O R

Good morning everyone, as everyone knows my two friends Mice and Cheddar have been under the weather for a couple of days. Hope he’s not got covid. Cheese has been taking good care of him. She would make a good nurse. I’ve been so blessed and grateful I’ve not got it cause you all know I’m around a lot of people. Blessed I am. Well just been laying low. Weather crazy. Up and

down cheddar does not like the high winds, me too. I can do the cold and hot, but that wind is crazy out here lately.

Well for me I just had my third CT scan.

Blessed all is clear. Still cancer free. My God is an awesome God. Been a little ruff here lately.

No ride to work. Well nowhere. But God always makes a way. Well come see me Bi-Rites Grocery on Belmont. And have a blessed day.

The Last Ride B Y SHOR T Y, C ON T RIBU T OR V E ND OR

I woke up this morn, earlier than normal.

I tossed and turned all night long. I was thinking, is this my last ride to enjoy thing.

I do sell The Contributor paper and try to enjoy the rest for my life with my significant other and finer things of life, watching

THEME: THE OSCA R S ACROSS 1. Adam and Eve's son 5. Blink of an eye, for short 8. Tricep location 11. Laughing on the inside, in text 12. ____ bowl, frozen dish 13. Bid on a house, e.g.

15. Show off 16. Actor's role 17. Nostrils 18. *"Everything Everywhere All At Once" or "The Fablemans" nominee 20. Trampled 21. Humpty without t 22. *Cate Blanchett's 6-time nominated movie 23. Store in a silo 26. Tiny crustacean 30. Chop off 31. Not digital 34. Cut with a beam 35. Empty spaces 37. Not good 38. Relating to pond scum 39. Capri or Catalina 40. Lament 42. ____ Khan 43. Full event 45. *He's won the most academy awards 47. Jump key 48. Not yes, nor no 50. Male sibs 52. *"The Fablemans" composer John ____, 53-time nominee 55. Resin-producing tree

56. Call to Mary 57. Get-out-of-jail money 59. Bye, in Castile 60. Ages and ages 61. Competitive advantage 62. Appetite 63. Farm female 64. Fender-bender damage DOWN 1. Key often used with ctrl 2. Gold rush, e.g.

3. Purse with notions 4. Leechee, alt. sp.

5. Dandruff locale 6. This bird gets the worm?

7. Give a traffic ticket 8. Big do 9. Cattail, e.g.

10. *"____ Harris Goes to Paris," Best Costume Design nominee 12. Tarzan and such 13. Like beer at a kegger (2 words) 14. *"The Banshees of Inisherin" nominee 19. Polynesian dance, pl.

22. Dress like Ancient Greeks 23. *Austin Butler's gyrating character 24. Gallows loop 25. Oil crisis 26. *Last year's Best Picture winner 27. Like a Druid, e.g.

28. Missouri River tributary 29. Flying nuisance 32. Lend a hand in crime

33. Order's partner 36. *"Guillermo ____ ____'s Pinocchio" 38. "My wife can vouch for me," e.g.

40. Address to a boy, slangily 41. Bucolics 44. Desert traveler's hope 46. Bikini Bottom locale 48. Variation of meow 49. Skirt shape 50. Past tense of bid 51. Roman remain, e.g.

52. Cry of glee 53. Like a fullfledged Mafia man 54. Leo or Libra 55. Jared's competitor 58. Allow

grandkids grow and people in general hustling and bustling to go to work. So I guess this is it, yall have made me very very happy.

I am very pleased to meet all of you on this journey or the last ride for me.

WE ARE THE WEEDS THAT WON’T GO AWAY.

By Lisa A. We are the weeds that won’t go away.

We are underfoot, trampled, damaged, bruised, and ragged.

So as you hurry through your day, pause a moment and look our way.

I am thou, and thou art me We are from the same stuff made; And as I wade through the traffic, through the cement, through the trash, through your exhaust fumes, I am out here in it. The world you have made.

Whatever you are consuming, discarding, or moving through, I live here.

Won’t you join me for a moment?

Won’t you walk here for a while?

A weed is something that we don’t want, It pops up in our best laid plans. It destroys what we think we want to be growing.

Yet most weeds are good food. They are valuable. They were valued by our ancestors as real nutrition.

We are the weeds that are in your way.

Won’t you stop along our way?

PAGE 22 | March 1 - 15, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

MOVING PICTURES

What’s Real and What’s Written 'PIXOTE' BRINGS HYBRID FILM MAKING TO THE BELCOURT

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC One of the most interesting recent trends in movies has been the blurring of the line between documentary and narrative filmmaking.

I haven’t heard discussions about this trend or read articles about it, but it’s real and it’s relevant given that Hèctor Babenco’s searing 1980 film Pixote: The Law of the Weakest is coming to The Belcourt Theatre this month.

This blurring of real life and made-up movies didn’t come out of thin air. Werner Herzog’s made a number of pictures that dance between film fiction and documentary, and decades of found footage films have grown a massive audience for horror stories that screen like documentaries. There are lots of candidates for the grandfather of narrative/documentary mashups, but my vote goes to Orson Welles’ F for Fake (1973), which is an experimental movie essay on the very notion of authenticity that asks viewers if seeing is actually believing. The movie doesn’t present itself as a fiction, but it’s full of the movie magic devices and techniques we normally expect from story films. Orson Welles plays himself, but there’s no denying that he is putting on a performance in every frame he fills. F for Fake, like any good magic trick, like any good con, is made-up of equal parts charm and deception.

But, like a carnival game or some sorcerer’s showcase in Las Vegas, getting fooled is all part of the fun.

More recent examples of the trend include Bart Layton’s American Animals (2018), which features a great cast (Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan) re-enacting a real life art book heist at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky. Layton’s ver-

sion of the crime story plays alongside interviews with the real life criminals sharing their versions of the actual break-in and theft.

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (2020) appears to be a documentary about the last night at a Las Vegas bar before it closes. In reality, the Roaring ‘20s watering hole was staged inside of a real bar in New Orleans, and the patrons who gather there to say goodbye to their favorite dive are local non-actors cast by directors Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross. Flee (2021) uses animation to tell the true story of a man who fled war-torn Afghanistan for Denmark. I’m not a fan of animated sequences in documentary films, and it was probably only a matter of time before factual filmmakers went full cartoon. That aside, the animation here gives director Jonas Poher Rasmussen free reign visually speaking, and it makes narrative movie techniques like flashbacks feel natural.

Pixote: The Law of the Weakest begins with a score of Bernard Herrman-esque strings and director Hèctor Babenco’s writing and directing credits. Another credit reveals that the movie is based on a novel — Childhood of the Dead

by José Louzeiro. In the film’s first scene Babenco addresses the camera directly while standing on a sloping hillside near a crowded favella in São Paulo, Brazil. Babenco relates that Brazil’s massive population of children living in the streets with no family connections cannot be subjected to criminal prosecution. This leaves them targeted by criminals who use little kids to do some of the dirtiest and most dangerous work in the country’s drug and sex trades. Fernando

Ramos da Silva was an 8-year-old child actor who had appeared in stage plays before being cast as the film’s title character. That said, he was also living in poverty with his widowed mother and nine siblings in a shack in Diadema on the outskirts of São Paulo, and didn’t have to do much research to understand Pixote’s life. This hybrid movie is a classic because of its one-of-a-kind depictions of real life street kids in Brazil, and because the line between what’s real and what’s written literally means life and death here. Fernando Ramos da Silva became a star when Pixote

achieved international acclaim, but his struggles to achieve literacy inhibited his acting career. He was gunned down by police at the age of 19.

Pixote screens at the Belcourt Theatre on Tuesday, March 7, at 8 p.m..

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville.

Find out more about his projects at www. joenolan.com.

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