January 22, 2105

January 22 - 28, 2015

VOL. 64, No. 3

www.tsdmemphis.com

‘Be a doer’ lesson rings out at Be The Dream Celebration

by Brittney Gathen

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Michael Brown Jr.

Report: No federal charges in death of Michael Brown Jr. After a grand jury decided not to indict former Ferguson, Mo. police officer Darren Wilson in the death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown Jr., many hoped that at least civil rights charges Darren might be filed by Wilson the Department of Justice.

Wednesday afternoon the New York Times reported that won’t happen either: “The Justice Department has begun work on a legal memo recommending no civil rights charges against a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., who killed an unarmed black teenager in August, law enforcement officials said.

“That would close the politically charged case in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The investigation by the F.B.I., which is complete, found no evidence to support civil rights charges against the officer, Darren Wilson, the officials said.

“A broader civil rights investigation into allegations of discriminatory traffic stops and excessive force by the Ferguson Police Department remains open, however. That investigation could lead to significant changes at the department, which is overwhelmingly white despite serving a city that is mostly black.”

Playwright Irma Johnson and her mother, Elizabeth Dunbar, settled into their balcony seats at historic Mason Temple careful to make sure that the third member of their traveling party had an ample view of the event dubbed the Be the Dream Commemorative Celebration.

The special guest was part of a special mission – to be in place to get a better understanding of the iconic civil rights figure Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to see the results of his work.

The guest was See ‘A Johnson’s grandBright City’ daughter, Jabrianna on page 4 Williams.

“She’s in kindergarten and she’s learning about Dr. King and the civil rights movement,” Johnson said.

“We thought this would be a great opportunity for her to see the fruit of his labor and the dreamers (of today) that we have in our generation.”

Mason Temple at 930 Mason St. is the central headquarters of the International Church of God in Christ.

On the eve of his assassination in Memphis on April 4, 1968, Dr. King, who came to the city to support striking sanitation department workers, spoke there to a throng of people. It was a night that the late Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks said produced a storm that sounded like a thousand hungry lions. No such threat was evident on Monday morning when Johnson and her three-person crew settled in for the City of Memphis sponsored event – just one of the many varied local

The Be the Dream Commemorative Celebration at Mason Temple was a combination family outing and history lesson for (l-r) Irma Johnson, her granddaughter Jabrianna and her mother, Elizabeth Dunbar.

(Photo: Tommy Gathen).

Outside of Mason Temple, some Sanitation Department workers voiced concerns about present-day issues while carrying signs that harked back to the strike of 1968, which brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis. (Photo: Merritt Gathen)

Toronto’s James Johnson, a fan favorite for the Grizzlies last season, couldn’t get much closer to new Memphis wingman Jeff Green on this play.

The ref deemed it too close, whistling a foul in the game the Grizz won 92-86 over the Raptors at the FedExForum Wednesday night.

For game coverage, visit www. tsdmemphis.com.

Related photos on Sports, page 14.

(Photo: Warren Roseborough)

Here’s the written statement released Wednesday by Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for Brown’s family: “The family of Michael Brown, Jr. will wait for official word from the Justice Department regarding whether or not any charges will be filed against the police officer who shot and killed him. ...The family won’t address speculation from anonymous sources.”

(Sources: Newsone and Associated Press.)

observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.

During the Be the Dream celebration at Mason Temple, sanitation department workers were among the individuals honored for living lives that embody the spirit and legacy of service, sacrifice and hope that defined King’s work.

Mayor A C Wharton Jr. told the crowd that each person must do his or her part to affect change. He refer-

COMMENTARY

5 takeaways from the President’s muscle-flexing SOTU

by Charles D. Ellison The Root

MEMPHIS WEEKEND SATURDAY

H-46o - L-31o

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Cloudly

REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS

Sunny

SUNDAY

H-57o - L-39o

Partly Cloudy

Friday Saturday Sunday H-49 L-29 H-57 L-35 H-61 L-40 H-43 L-31 H-49 L-34 H-48 L-37 H-44 L-34 H-55 L-36 H-61 L-41

enced the movie “Selma” to illustrate his point.

“What that movie illustrates and what Dr. King always stood by was that you don’t do anything alone,” said Wharton, acknowledging that the Selma marches engaged thousands of courageous souls. The same was true of those who participated in the movements in Memphis, he said.

“The movement was bigger than Dr. King or the famed civil rights organizations,” Wharton proclaimed.

“The movement was bigger than any one speech or one activity…what we must learn from today and from this history is that we all have a part to play.”

Ninth District Cong. Steve Cohen spoke of the value of the celebration.

“It’s important that we have such a program to think about Dr. King – not just his words, but what he wants us to do: the actions, the dream that he had,” said Cohen. “And (it’s important) that we honor the people who have done, through their life’s work, the work that Dr. King was doing as well.”

Dr. King’s dream is not fulfilled and still continues, said Cohen, adding that Dr. King focused on issues such as social and economic justice, reprioritizing America’s values and investing in human issues.

Those issues still exist said Cohen, who added a pitch for an increase in the minimum wage.

In addition to the striking Sanitation Department workers from 1968, the honorees were: •Father Nicholas L. Vieron, a white minister who aided the Memphis SEE DREAM ON PAGE 2

Man up!...

The decision to not recommend charges for Wilson has not formally been made, reports the Times. The paper also noted: “There is a high legal bar for bringing federal civil rights charges, and federal investigators had for months signaled that they were unlikely to do so. The Justice Department plans to release a report explaining its decision, though it is not clear when.

“Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has said that he plans to have it done before leaving office, probably in the next month or two if his successor is confirmed.”

FRIDAY

75 Cents

In his next-to-last State of the Union address, a revived and unmistakably ultradefiant President Barack Obama let loose a post-midterm-election liberation song on a chamber of fattened Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

Even with the somewhat humbled plea for “better politics” by the end of an hourlong speech, seemingly dire political realities were ignored for the night. There was little hint of scuttled legislative opportunities over the next two years.

Instead, the president presented an ambitious populist remix, a “middle class economics” lyric and legacy counteraction to Reagan’s “trickle-down economics” that left congressional Republicans seething well after a flat, but pulled-it-off, response

by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

The president of the United States flexed. Free community college.

A long-sought-after solid on child care. Individual tax cuts. Guaranteed

President Obama declares a turning point for the nation. (Screenshot) health care. Higher wages and seven out. A colorful, almost utopic, prodays of paid sick leave. This was, gressive goodie bag of essential items indeed, the we-can-get-with-that for middle-class entry and existence. speech.

Eager to “turn the page,” Obama set Nothing that sounded too good to be politically true appeared to be left SEE OBAMA ON PAGE 2

Gov. Bill Haslam, says Forbes Magazine, now has a net worth of $2 billion. (Photo: tn.gov)

Forbes: Haslam richest elected official in the United States NASHVILLE (AP) – Forbes Magazine says Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is now the country’s richest elected official, citing a rush to the pumps at the family-owned Pilot Flying J truck stop chain due to tumbling fuel prices.

According to Forbes, Haslam’s net worth has more than doubled since August from $980 million to $2 billion.

Haslam has steadfastly refused to publicly disclose his earnings from Pilot, arguing that it would divulge the income of family members who aren’t in public office. But the wealth of the Haslam family was illustrated when the governor’s brother, Jimmy, bought the NFL’s Cleveland Browns for $1 billion in 2012.

Gov. Haslam said Wednesday that he has “no idea” where Forbes gets its information.

“I’ve made a practice of never commenting on personal financial information,” Haslam said after an event related to the Insure Tennessee plan in Memphis.

“I don’t think it’s what the people of Tennessee care about and I’m going to do my job.”

The family business last year SEE RICHEST ON PAGE 2

January 22 - 28, 2015

Page 2

OBAMA

CONTINUED FROM FRONT the tone for two interlocked goals: pushing a robust postrecession recovery that complements foundations for a postwar boom.

“We are 15 years into this new century,” the president opened almost sermonlike.

“Fifteen years that dawned with terror touching our shores; that unfolded with a new generation fighting two long and costly wars; that saw a vicious recession spread across our nation and the world. It has been, and still is, a hard time for many.”

Somehow, Obama managed to deliver a strikingly hopeful gas-prices-are-down, jobs-areup address we could pretty much smile about. While not sure how he’ll top this speech with what will be his highly anticipated last State of the Union in 2016, we sure got a confident Hawaiian Punchful of classic President Obama swagger to last us well into expected knuckle-ups with Republicans.

In the meantime, here are five big-hit takeaways from last night’s State of the Union in case you missed it: “The 2014 midterms? I had nothing to do with that.”

If observers were still wondering what would happen to President Obama in the aftermath of crash-and-burn congressional midterms for Democrats, this SOTU – propped up by two full months of surprise announcements on immigration, Cuba and climate change – ripped through rumors of any early, lame-duck demise.

And, really, that’s what this speech was all about: reminding us that 2014 wasn’t his election. Annoyed by noisy laughs and claps from Republicans when he said “I have no more campaigns to run,” Obama boomed back in ad-libbed sarcastic glory: “I know, because I won both of them.”

So, 2014? That’s something for congressional Democrats to worry about. They didn’t want him on the campaign trail, anyway. And shame on the low-turnout rest of you who voted for the wrong folks.

So, look at me now, says the president. I’m polling near 50 percent and running circles around you while at it.

This was an incredibly middle-class speech. If there’s one place the president wants you to be, it’s in the middle class: He mentioned it about seven times. While the

DREAM

CONTINUED FROM FRONT sanitation workers when they went on strike in 1968 and ultimately drew the support of Dr. King; •Dr. L. LaSimba Gray Jr., senior pastor of New Sardis Baptist Church and president of the Memphis Rainbow PUSH Coalition; •Velma Lois Jones, the first woman to serve as president of the Memphis Branch of the NAACP and the first African-American classroom teacher to serve as president of the Tennessee Education Association; • Dr. Willie W. Herenton, the first African-American elected mayor of Memphis, former Memphis City Schools superientendent and founder and CEO of the W.E.B. DuBois Charter School Consortium; • Nancy Bogatin, a social activist; • Johnnie B. Watson, president of The LeMoyne-Owen College; • Judge Bernice Donald, the first African-American woman to serve as a bankruptcy judge in the U.S. and the first woman to serve as a judge in the history of Tennessee; • Barbara Holden Nixon,

RICHEST

CONTINUED FROM agreed to pay a $92 million penalty for cheating customers out of rebates and discounts. In return, federal attorneys agreed not to prosecute Pilot Flying J as long as the company meets certain conditions. Both Jimmy Haslam, who runs Pilot, and the governor denied any knowledge of the scheme.

Forbes estimates Jimmy Haslam’s worth at $2.9 billion. Pilot’s annual sales were $38 billion, and the company’s trailing 12-month operating income grew from $1.1 billion in August to $1.4 billion.

NEWS

prognosticating jury is still out on the awkwardly cobbled phrase “middle-class economics,” this SOTU scored new points on the political board as it laid out a vision for new American prosperity in the post-war, post-recession era. “(It’s) the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, everyone plays by the same set of rules,” said the president, pulling from old rhetorical beats used countless times over the campaign stump.

But if you’re poor .... Not that he doesn’t care about the poor, but he sure didn’t mention it during his cheery wegot-jobs assessment. “Poverty” was mentioned once – but only in the context of global challenges rather than street-

Somehow, Obama managed to deliver a strikingly hopeful gas-prices-are-down, jobs-are-up address we could pretty much smile about. side woes here at home. And “low income” got a nod, but not without middle class in the same sentence.

We get it: The White House won’t throw ice buckets on a revved-up-economy message when it’s resonating so well with folks on Main Street. The president won’t talk about depressed incomes or the growth of mostly parttime and low-wage jobs or a persistently high poverty rate.

You can’t inspire a nation with that kind of language.

But the president definitely doesn’t want anybody stuck there, hence an attractive middle-class-entry fix-it kit of higher wages, free community college and enhanced child care that the poor and dispossessed can use too.

“War? Not my thing.”

Just as hard is an upbeat, “crisis-has-passed” follow-up to restore confidence at home while folks are gripped with jitters over conflict zones abroad. Obviously, he can’t have Pharrell lay a “Happy Song” White House cut on it – the Islamic State group keeps him reaching for Tums at night; old-school hawks in Congress keep throwing heat on a historic deal with Iran; and Russian President Vladfounder and chair of the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Task Force; and • Modeane Thompson, one of the founding members of the Memphis Panel of American Women.

Community Leadership Awards also were extended to BRIDGES, Knowledge Quest, Latino Memphis and MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association).

Marlon T. Foster, the founder/executive director of Knowledge Quest – an organization that helps youth with intellectual and character development – said receiving an award on the same day Dr. King was being honored was motivation to continue to help youth maximize their potential.

Outside of Mason Temple some current sanitation workers used the occasion to voice ongoing concerns.

“We’re showing solidarity for the 1968 workers, but we’re also trying to bring attention to the fact that…the insurance premiums have gone up – which (means) they have to make a decision whether they’re going to eat, pay their rent, or pay for their insurance,” said Maurice Spivey, a crew chief with the city of

imir Putin just doesn’t know when to give up, even when his economy is crumbling in the face of Obama-imposed sanctions.

Which made this part of the State of the Union particularly tough and, arguably, unconvincing on some levels.

There’s sharp, renewed interest and worry on foreign policy, but this speech seemed eager to simply squish this in the middle because it had to – and only because some show of force on topics like the Islamic State and attacks in Paris gives the president a little wiggle room with normally uncooperative Republicans.

Taking the political map – and conquering it. In a new, very Republican Congress, red-state faithful are convinced they’ve got what it takes to retake the White House in 2016.

But not so fast. This State of the Union was a glaring reminder that Obama likes to play long game – and play it well. He’s probably not going anywhere and he wants to dominate the entire political map while at it.

In the meantime, he’s finding strength in a national-issues campaign through all the upcoming policy thick and thin. States like New York, California, Colorado, Texas and West Virginia were name-dropped like political Morse code for future battlegrounds.

“I’ve watched Americans beat back adversity from the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains; from Midwest assembly lines to the mid-Atlantic seaboard,” said the president.

There was lots of candy for the middle-class, public vouches for veterans and outreach to white female voters who strayed from the Democratic fold. While it wasn’t anything for #BlackLivesMatter to scream about, the speech fittrf in needed nods to voting rights, Ferguson and criminal justice, along with hints on police and community relations.

Everyone under the demographic sun got something, if not everything he or she wanted, with the president clearly loading bases for the next Democratic presidential nominee up for bat.

(Charles D. Ellison is a veteran political strategist and regular contributor to The Root. He is also Washington correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune and chief political correspondent for Uptown magazine. Follow him on Twitter.)

Memphis Sanitation Department.

“We’re out here as an opposing view so that these men will not be used as stage props, (and) they won’t be used as photo ops.”

Spivey said that solutions to the concerns would be negotiating and eliminating efforts to privatize sanitation jobs.

“While you’re giving them a plaque, you’re taking food off their table, you’re taking dignity and respect from them,” Spivey said. “Without those men who went on strike in 1968, you wouldn’t have black mayors; you wouldn’t have black city councilmen; you wouldn’t have any black dignitaries in this city. It’s because of their sacrifices that we’re out here today.”

All in all, it was day to remember for Johnson, her mother and her granddaughter Jabrianna, who wants to grow up and become a doctor.

Dr. King “helped us,” said Jabrianna, adding that she enjoyed program.

Reflecting on the decision to bring Jabrianna, Johnson summed it up this way: “We want her to know that she can be a dreamer and a thinker – and (that) she needs to be a doer.”

The New Tri-State Defender

President Barack Obama waves before giving the State of the Union speech before members of Congress in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday evening, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/ Getty Images)

The New Tri-State Defender

January 22 - 28, 2015

Page 3

WORLD

BLACK CUBANS

Restoring US ties is cool, but America, keep your hang-ups about race at bay Will the current racial tensions in America seep into Cuba and awaken a sleeping giant?

by Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosel The Root

It doesn’t matter how much Cuba’s culture changes now that the U.S. has restored diplomatic relations; if you’re waiting for black Cubans to set off some sort of racial revolution, don’t hold your breath.

That’s according to some black Cubans who shared their thoughts on race with The Root.

Omar Diaz is a 28-year-old black Cuban actor living in Miami who immigrated to the U.S. when he was 4 years old. He said that while he’s rooting for a democratic Cuba, he hopes that black Cubans will continue to benefit from the Castro revolution’s decree that Cubans prioritize nationalism over race.

Ruben (a pseudonym) is a 52-year-old black photographer and book publisher. He is the only interviewee still living in Cuba. Even though he spoke passionately about racial inequality in Cuba, he explained why he and most black Cubans don’t quite see themselves as Afro-Cuban or black Cuban – just Cuban.

First cousins Elia E. Espuet and Sira Perez, on the other hand, both strongly identify as Afro-Cubans. Both women, ages 63 and 62 respectively, immigrated to the U.S. when they were teenagers in the late 1960s, Fidel Castro having assumed power in 1959. They could easily pass as African Americans, though they vividly remember how they were advised not to, in order to escape the brutality facing black Americans fighting for civil rights. That distinction – Cuba’s kind of racism versus America’s kind of racism – stuck with them.

They maintain that black Cubans have it better in some ways on that front.

Georgina Rodriguez, 53 – their mulatto, as she describes herself, cousin (who was categorized as “white” in Cuba when she was born) – doesn’t want Americans spewing their “racial framework” and “neoconservatism” all over Cuba. She argues that the former doesn’t account for all of Cuba’s ethnicities, and the latter will only widen the inequality gap.

The Root: As American influences trickle into Cuba in the years to come, is there a concern that the racial progress that Castro’s communism ushered in will become undone?

Elia Espuet: Yes – I’m inclined to believe that as relations with Cuba and the United States go forward, the rich white Cubans will marginalize the black Cubans on the island. Unfortunately, I don’t see things becoming better for black Cubans.

Georgina Rodriguez: Agreed. I mean, everyone in Cuba – black, white and mulatto – will benefit from better infrastructure and greater access to goods, food and medicine. The Castro regime will no longer have an excuse for its totalitarian control over people’s thoughts or actions, and the Cuban people will finally be thrust into the modern world with Internet and everything. But there is a degree

Afro-Cuban boys playing in Trinidad, Cuba. (Photo: Jplavoie/Wikimedia Commons) of wariness with regards to the potential socioeconomic inequalities that America’s kind of neoconservative capitalism brings with it.

TR: But doesn’t socioeconomic inequality already exist in Cuba? White Cubans are disproportionately represented in politics; they have the best-paying jobs—they live in the best neighborhoods. Communism certainly didn’t cause that inequality, but it doesn’t exactly allow for social and civic expressions like homosexuality or freedom of speech, either.

GR: African Americans have more equal rights “on paper” than Afro-Cubans, but that hasn’t eradicated racism in American society or its institutions like the police. Look at Ferguson and Trayvon Martin for instance.

In Cuba, the races live side by side much more than they do in the U.S. There is far less de facto segregation in Cuba. Families are so much more mixed, and so racial hatred in Cuba doesn’t run as deep as in America, because everyone has a black grandma cooking in the kitchen unseen. So I would definitely say that there is more racial equality in Cuba than in the USA in many ways.

TR: There’s poverty in Cuba. Black Cubans – who were always marginalized – have felt that the hardest. Will their financial well-being improve if the embargo is lifted and American dollars start to trickle into Cuba with more ease and less restrictions?

Omar Diaz: Definitely – I’m looking forward to the economic benefits. Most black Cubans aren’t receiving financial help from relatives abroad— like white Cubans do—because, remember, blacks didn’t leave Cuba at the time of the revolution.

Castro’s policies appealed mostly to the poor, so they stayed. Now that the channels are opening up, someone like me, a black Cuban, can go back to my island, open up a business there, or open up a business here in the U.S. and help my black Cuban relatives.

TR: What do Cuba and the U.S. have in common when it comes to race relations? What are some of the differences?

GR: In terms of similarities, a white or light-

skinned Cuban would definitely prefer their children not to marry a negro because there is the idea that their descendants are going to take a step back socially – atrasarse.

But people are very understanding of attraction, lust and love. So interracial couples happen a lot in Cuba, and it’s definitely not a taboo; people don’t stare at you and your kids don’t get stigmatized.

The differences: The day-to-day experience of the average black person in Cuba is far less scary than in America. Black lives are not endangered in Cuba, simply because there is far less crime and guns are illegal.

Sira Perez: Yeah, I don’t recall being threatened in Cuba, nothing like the racism here in the U.S. Now, racism does exist in Cuba, but again, it’s just different. For instance, when I was a child, I wanted to take ballet lessons at a school in Havana, but I knew that was a dream that would never come true because of the color of my skin and not having the right connections.

I also remember looking through the holes of the gate to this exclusive tennis club and dreaming of one day to be able to participate. That was also an impossible dream at the time, but I guess that as a black Cuban, I conformed and accepted our place in society.

TR: Do you think black Cubans will become more racially conscious and want to exalt their blackness – for lack of a better term? Bring more awareness to their African ancestry?

Ruben: I don’t think America’s social influence

will affect black Cubans. Cuba has been exposed to tourism and has had contact with the developed world for 20 years; that exposure hasn’t triggered a renewed awareness of ethnic identity. Nor has racism become stronger or weaker, in my opinion.

OD: I do think there would be a rise in black culture, but there wouldn’t be a movement to create a Black History Month in Cuba, per se, because, again, Cubans were conditioned to put nationalism before race. Black Cubans wouldn’t do anything to separate themselves, but more so to bring more awareness to black culture and to celebrate it.

Black Cuban public figures, like Celia Cruz, for example, will be celebrated. If a democracy is put in place and restrictions against certain kinds of activism are lifted, people that need to be celebrated in Cuba are going to be celebrated. And a lot of those people are going to be black Cubans for sure.

African culture is in the food and it’s in the music – and those are the two most important things in Cuba. (Laughter.)

TR: Is that level of racial consciousness a good thing or a bad thing?

GR: I prefer the racial framework in Cuba and other Latin American countries because there are more options than black or white – an attitude that I think the USA needs to adopt now that there are so many bi- and multiracial people. Ruben in Cuba rejects the term “Afro-Cuban,” while Elia and Sira in the U.S. accept it. In my opinion, that’s the U.S. racial framework that Elia and Sira have learned to apply.

January 22 - 28, 2015

Page 4

OPINION

The New Tri-State Defender

Feed children the ‘movement’

John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951-1997)

The Mid-South’s Best Alternative Newspaper Powered by Best Media Properties, Inc.

Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor

’68 memory frames view of ‘exceedingly rare’ school In the spring of 1968, while growing up in Indianapolis, my mother scooped up me and my three younger siblings and told us that she was going to take us to hear the next president of the United States speak. It was a misty, overcast night but I was excited to go – even if I had to stand in the rain.

When we arrived at the near northeast park, the mainly African-American crowd was buzzing with expectation. Though just 11 years old, I knew that this was a big deal. Soon, Robert Kennedy and his staff arrived at the park. But they didn’t look happy. We were about 30 yards away and I could see the tension on the faces of Kennedy and his team. I sensed something was wrong. From the very beginning, they did not look like they were at a presidential campaign rally.

Finally, Bobby Kennedy stood on the back of a truck and announced to all of us that Martin Luther King Jr. had just been assassinated in Memphis. The crowd, including my mother, all began to gasp, scream, then cry. As sad as I instantly felt, I was determined not to cry. I wanted to be strong. I do remember thinking, however, as the light drizzle fell on my face, it would help to camouflage my tears – but I did not cry.

As people were dealing with the shock, some of the folks in the back were getting agitated. I could feel the anger rising. Bobby Kennedy then gave one of the most famous speeches in American political history. He quoted the poet, Aeschylus; talked about the need for love, not hate and then calmed the crowd in a way no one else could do by letting them know that he understood how they felt – especially since, as he said, “a white man killed my brother.” With each word he spoke, you could feel his anguish, his agony and his compassion.

That night, nearly every major American city burned in rioting because of the anger over Dr. King’s murder; not Indianapolis. Bobby Kennedy did what no other white man in America could do that night: he connected with an African-American crowd in a way to dissuade them from striking out because of Dr. King’s death. A surreal spiritual energy descended on us all during that intense emotional moment.

For those of us watching and listening to him, Bobby Kennedy was no longer a white man talking to black folks; he was a man who had lost a loved one to a senseless act of violence consoling a group of people who had just lost a loved one to another senseless act of violence. We were all connected through our humanity.

I thought of that night during a recent visit to my Indianapolis hometown. I was visiting the Oaks Academy, a private pre-K-8 elementary school located just five blocks from the park where Bobby Kennedy gave his now legendary speech.

The school is one of a kind. Ninety-seven percent of the 600 plus kids

are proficient in both reading and math. Indeed, the school’s scores are among the best in the state.

Fifty percent of the kids are on free or reduced lunch.

Almost sixty percent of the Oaks students Kevin P. are recipients of Chavous scholarships from the Indiana Opportunity Scholarship Program. But here is the really remarkable thing about Oaks Academy: the other fifty percent of the kids come from middle class to upper middle class families. In fact, some of the wealthy parents drive from as far away as Carmel, a well-to-do suburb, to enroll their kids in the school.

Head of School Andrew Hart works hard to keep the racial and socio-economic balance of the school in place. His waiting list consists of equal parts poor kids and kids from wealthy families. Both groups benefit from the socialization experience of being exposed to someone from a totally different world.

For instance, Hart shakes his head when talking about how extremely different Christmas break is for his kids. One set of kids may go to Vail to ski over the break, while another group of kids have the primary responsibility of taking care of and watching their younger siblings.

How does Oaks do it?

“It helps that most of our kids enroll at our school in pre-K and remain here until they are ready for high school,” says Hart. “So all of our kids and their families feel like they are part of a community. The kids all grow up together. And all are close, irrespective of their backgrounds.

They are connected through their shared experience at our school, through our values and our humanity.”

Today, with America’s schools more segregated than when the1954 Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court decision legally struck down the practice of “separate but equal,” it is exceedingly rare to see a school with such a diverse socio economic mix of students. It is more rare to see a school community so dedicated to preserve that mix.

When I left the amazing Oaks Academy, I drove by Martin Luther King Park, where I witnessed history that tragic night in 1968. As I glanced at the memorial located on the spot where Bobby Kennedy spoke, I thought about both Kennedy and King’s dream of a colorblind society and the irony of how that society is more evident at the tiny elementary school down the street than in most places in America.

(Kevin Chavous is senior advisor and executive counsel for the American Federation for Children and co-founder of Democrats for Education Reform)

A ‘bright city’

by Mayor A C Wharton Jr. As I sat on stage at Mason Temple (on Monday) during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. BE THE DREAM Commemorative Celebration, I could not help but be reflective.

Behind me sat the surviving sanitation workers who went on strike in 1968. Their courage has inspired the world, and we wanted to remind them that they remain heroes for us locally.

Across from me sat three individuals we awarded whose efforts are helping to introduce the concept of Universal Parenting Places to Memphis for all parents to use as a resource.

As I looked up on the screens and watched the speech Dr. King gave in that very pulpit the day before his assassination, I considered how powerful images are to telling a story.

In that connection, I considered our successful fundraising effort that has resulted in our providing free admission to the movie “Selma” for at least 10,000 local 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students.

During the event, I spotted several of the volunteers who (last month) participated with One Memphis Operation Christmas Basket, which allowed us to share the gift of a packed food basket with over 5,500 needy families. This was in addition to those who helped to clean up a few neighborhoods and deliver MIFA

Standing on the back of a truck, Robert “Bobby” Kennedy announced that Martin Luther King Jr. had just been assassinated in Memphis.

We must have honest conversations about abortion in America As we mark the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that found a woman’s right to privacy includes her right to an abortion, the political attacks waged on women’s health in statehouses across the country have gotten out of hand. Many of the laws being introduced are purported to protect women, but they do the opposite.

As lawmakers consider policy on women’s health, they must listen to women’s health care providers, who know that abortion is safe – and will only stay safe if we make sure it is accessible and legal.

Studies show that three in 10 women in the U.S. has an abortion and that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed in the U.S. Data, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicate that abortion has over a 99 percent safety record. Women experience major complications from abortion less than one percent of the time, and in those rare cases when complications do occur, they are similar to those that may occur from miscarriage, which obgyns and other health care professionals treat routinely.

Planned Parenthood has a national set of standards based on the expert recommendations of the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. As a high-quality provider of medical care to women across America, ensuring the health and safety of our patients is fundamental to our mission.

Unfortunately, with the passage of Amendment 1 on November 4, we are likely to see laws in Tennessee that interfere with the doctor-patient relationship and make abortion less accessible. Amendment 1 is a state constitutional amendment that allows our state legislators to pass laws restricting access to abortion, even in cases of rape, incest or threats to the life of the woman. Amendment 1 passed narrowly in the state by a vote of 53 percent. In Shelby County, the largest county in Tennessee, over 65 percent of registered voters cast ballots opposing Amendment 1.

We have already seen one bill introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly that is an intrusive mandate purported to protect women.

Rep. Rick Womick’s (R-Rutherford Co.) bill requires that women seeking an abortion have an ultrasound.

In the event the woman doesn’t want to look at the ultrasound, the provider is required to describe the image on the ultrasound screen in detail – even over the woman’s objection –

and make audible the sound of the heartbeat.

The bill also introduces a 24-to72 hour waiting period. The bill makes no exceptions for women who are victims of rape or incest or a woman whose Ashley doctor determines Coffield that she would suffer serious health consequences if she carries the pregnancy to term.

Planned Parenthood routinely provides ultrasounds as part of a standard medical protocol for abortion.

We work with patients so that the care we decide on together is based on a woman’s personal experience and medical situation. There is a big difference between what a doctor determines is necessary and politicians forcing doctors to use ultrasounds for political and ideological reasons. The waiting period imposed in this bill will make it more difficult for women traveling from rural areas to access abortion and will increase the costs of care for all women.

Nationally, the abortion rate is the lowest rate since 1973. In 2013, 14,216 women had abortions in Tennessee compared to 17,479 in 2000, a 19 percent decrease. The decline is likely due to growing use of reliable long-acting contraceptives, like the IUD, which are available to women free of charge at Planned Parenthood here in Memphis. Our Free Condoms Memphis program, which gave away 295,815 condoms in 2014, is also a proactive vehicle to reduce unintended pregnancies.

Yet abortion will always need to be a component of women’s health care. To ensure abortion remains safe and legal, we must replace misinformation with the facts and start having honest conversations. At Planned Parenthood, we are proud to provide abortion services, and we ensure that women have accurate information about all of their options.

Ultimately, decisions about whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy, or raise a child must be left to a woman with the counsel of her health care provider, her family, and her faith.

(Ashley Coffield is president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region, an affiliate of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.)

“Studies show that three in 10 women in the U.S. has an abortion and that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed in the U.S. Data, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicate that abortion has over a 99 percent safety record.”

Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

meals as a service project (on MLK Day).

And then I looked out in the audience and saw people from all backgrounds and neighborhoods coming together for a good cause as we applauded those individuals and organizations who have and continue to make a difference.

I could say that yesterday was special – and it was. But, EVERY day I see something, meet someone, hear a story, or observe an activity that reminds me why the future of this city is bright. It’s because the hearts and the souls of the people who call Memphis home always find a way to shine.

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When I was 10 years old I knew enough about the civil rights movement to know that I had to be a part of it. I remember telling my mother twice that I was going to ride my bicycle to see my friends who lived Rev. Rodney near demonstraBeard tions in my community. She gave me explicit instructions to “stay away from that” for fear of being hurt. I went anyway. I will never forget my heart pounding watching our people stand up for our rights in peaceful, yet powerful demonstrations.

Our parents talked to us about civil rights, voter rights, racism, equality, education and being engaged in the movement; it inspired us. As kids, we talked about the struggle. I remember many summer nights when we would sit on the porch and talk about everything we could think of, trying to understand the culture in which we lived. We “Somehow, after didn’t have we all got what video games, TV, we wanted or cable needed – such satellite raas a home in a dio, drugs or sexdesegregated alcohol, ual exploits, community, or anything enrollment in a else. We did, previously seg- h o w e v e r , regated school, have brilliant minds, or a seat in formally racist t h o u g h t s restaurants and about our exbars – I guess istence, matuwe thought that rity and each to talk we had finally other to. arrived.”

Somehow, after we all got what we wanted or needed – such as a home in a desegregated community, enrollment in a previously segregated school, or a seat in formally racist restaurants and bars – I guess we thought that we had finally arrived. Consequently, we forgot or abandoned the vehicle (movement) that had brought us so far, not realizing that it required regular maintenance, including tune-ups.

I, too, became a bit comfortable and distracted. I didn’t keep up my part of the maintenance by carrying forward the dialogue of the movement with my children. I mean come on. I had great relationships with white friends that I actually enjoyed as a waiter at TGI Fridays, the hippest restaurant chain in the country during the 70’s, and my favorite job of all, working with liberal, hippy/musician/restaurant people.

We worked together as a team “on the floor” and when the shift was over we partied all over town, drinking at bars and restaurants with other waiters and bartenders.

Most of us were musicians who would do sets in clubs late into the mornings, and then party some more. We hung out at each other’s “cribs,” passing around bottles of liquor.

When my kids began going to school, they never went to the one around the corner. We drove them to the best integrated schools, even if we had to wait, or pay. Many of their friends were white and they enjoyed those relationships as well as I did mine.

OK…so I didn’t talk about race with them often enough, knowing that it made them uncomfortable, what with us being so fully accepted in “mixed culture.” That was good –teaching diversity in the new world, right? I didn’t teach them what I was taught because I was living the life that I was taught that the movement would bring; and here it is…I had it! Right?

Wrong! The hate hadn’t gone away but became like a thick piece of tough red meat (protein) on a 50-year simmer. It’s now being served up in heaping doses by the “wrong” (some say the “right”) to their base, and they’re hungry for it.

If we actually begin a dialogue with our young people, we will discover that they want and need their “social and political protein” as well. But how will they get it?

We have to talk, and then listen to them. Kids are more aware than we know and they’re tired of milk; they want and need meat – the meat of the issues – so that they can be a part of the movement right now.

Trust me, they do!

So, tell them. They are listening and are in need of protein to be able to fight! Truth is the path to freedom.

Enough is enough! Tell your kids what they need to know…already.

(The Rev. Rodney Beard is pastor of The Living Word Community Church in Nashville and president of The National Action Network for Greater Nashville. Contact him at pastorbeard@comcast.net.)

January 22 - 28, 2015

The New Tri-State Defender

NATION

Page 5

Justice Samuel A. Alito:

Five principles of citizenship “Good citizenship is not easy.” – U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Special to The New Tri-State Defender

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. discussed the importance of citizenship at Community College of Philadelphia’s 2015 Judge Edward R. Becker Citizenship Award luncheon.

“Good citizenship is not easy,” he told an audience of students, judges, lawyers, business and civic leaders. “It requires hard work.”

Alito, who was the seventh recipient of the Becker Award, spoke on January 15, the actual birthdate of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The citizenship award, sponsored by the College’s Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society, honors the late Edward R. Becker (1933-2006), a Philadelphia native, scholar and a highly respected jurist who served with Alito on the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

Becker was a civil servant noted for his down-to-earth humility, his ability to connect easily with diverse groups and for upholding the highest standard of the law. With Becker’s widow, Flora, and his children, Susan and Charles, seated in the audience in the Great Hall, Alito used Becker’s life to offer five guidelines on good citizenship. He laid out five principles that Judge Becker adhered to in living a life as a legal scholar, a family man and a public servant.

A connection to the place where you live Judge Becker was a Philadelphian who worked hard for the city and its people. Americans today, however, are very mobile and do not live in one place for a very long time, Alito noted. He said this freedom, plus the ease to communicate with anyone in the world via social media is a good thing, but, for many people, the freedom of movement “has become much more important than physical proximity and that can have its downside.”

Alito said, “A number of commentators have made the point in recent years that our country is becoming more stratified (and) that we are losing a common culture that the country is dividing up based on all sorts of things. That, of course, is contrary to what we aspire to as a nation and it is certainly contrary to what Ed Becker stood for.”

Reach out to a diverse group of people Becker was a one of the finest federal judges in history, Alito said. Yet he made it a point to interact with “real” people by taking public transportation to get to and from work, and using the public entrance of the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, even though there was a private entrance for judges.

Becker was concerned that federal judges were vulnerable to “black robe disease,” which “is the thing that happens when you put on the

robe of a judge” and receive the constant respect shown to them in court and in public, Alito said to laughter.

Real concern for real people encountered in daily life Alito said Becker learned from his father at an early age to “treat people with dignity and consideration.” Becker followed that advice daily. In fact, he read the Philadelphia Daily News, billed as the “people’s paper,” daily to stay abreast of the everyman’s issues and challenges.

“It is sometimes a lot easier to love people in general than it is to love people in particular,” Alito noted. “Ed was not like that. He loved both. He had a great concern for people in the abstract but also for the particular people he came in contact with.”

Improving spirit Alito remembered Becker as “a man who made a big difference in my life.” He compared Becker’s life of service to others to that of Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin, an inventor, a writer and a signer of the Declaration of Independence who helped to establish the nation’s first lending library.

“As we know, Franklin had a wonderful, pragmatic, problem-solving spirit,” Alito said.

“As a young man, Franklin believed that he could rise in the world even though he lacked formal education, family connections, social standing and wealth…If he had of lived a little longer, he might have founded the Community College of Philadelphia.”

Hard work, public service and striving for excellence Alito encouraged the College’s students in attendance to get involved in public service and work hard like Judge Becker. He recalled Becker as “a legendary worker” who read legal briefs during halftime of watching Philadelphia Eagles games and during intermissions at concerts.

“He once gave me this advice about getting a haircut,” Alito said. “He said I was wasting time by not working while I was getting a haircut. He said I should tell the barber that when he was trimming the hair on the right side of my head, I could be holding a brief in my left hand and reading it and then we could reverse.

I didn’t see that but I fully believe he did it.”

The audience for the Becker Award included people from myiad walks and stages of life, including Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

Many students clearly understood they had had a front seat to history.

“A lot of people take community college for granted,” Indiana Crousett told a reporter for the Philadelphia Metro. “It’s a pleasure and an honor to have a Supreme Court justice here.”

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. at Community College of Philadelphia, where he detailed five principles of citizenship during a luncheon on the birthday (Jan. 15th) of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Courtesy photo)

Page 6

January 22 - 28, 2015

NEWS

The New Tri-State Defender

FedEx volunteers help fight hunger on Dr. King’s Day

This SCLC moment brought together (l-r) Kevin Bradshaw, president of Local BCTGM 252G; Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr.; the Rev. Dwight Montgomery, Memphis SCLC president; keynote speaker Dr. H.K. Matthews; and Michael Benjamin, co-founder of the Step Up for Students program in Florida.

(Photo: Merritt Gathen)

SCLC provides platform to look back and forward

by Brittney Gathen

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

In 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with other activists and ministers, founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to advance civil rights in America in a non-violent manner. Dr. King served as president of the organization until his death in 1968.

On Monday, the Memphis chapter of the SCLC and guests gathered at Cane Creek Baptist Church at 1785 Blvd. South to commemorate the life and legacy of its first president.

Honorees included: • Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr., pastor of The New Olivet Baptist Church and former school board member of Memphis City Schools; • Dr. Jacqueline Crockett, co-founder and senior pastor of Word of Deliverance Faith Ministries; • Kevin Bradshaw, president of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) 252G union; • Michael Benjamin, co-founder of the Step Up For Students program in Florida; • The Memph15 of the Show Me $15 Campaign; and • Dr. Willie W. Herenton, former mayor and City Schools superintendent, who was unable to attend.

Those on hand included Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr. The Rev. Dwight Montgomery, president of the SCLC and pastor of Annesdale Cherokee Missionary Baptist Church, presented the honorees. Dr. H.K. Matthews, a civil and human rights activist and an associate of Dr. King, was the keynote speaker.

“I’m very fortunate,” says FedEx Senior Project Analyst Antoinette Johnson.

“I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is coming from. But I know that there are others who just want to eat.

This is a basic human need and I’m glad to be able to assist someone.”

Johnson was one of 50 volunteers who assembled 10,000 meal packages at the Memphis FedEx Headquarters as part of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service project with the Stop Hunger Now organization.

Nationwide, more than 300 FedEx volunteers packaged meals for the world’s hungry in Atlanta, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Newark, N.J., Boston, as well as Memphis. Stop Hunger Now meal-packaging events are a volunteer-based program that coordinates the streamlined packaging of highly nutritious dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables and 23 essential vitamins and minerals.

The Stop Hunger Now project was a new experience for Inside Sales Executive Fatima Barnes, who has only been with FedEx for a few months. “I didn’t know what to expect going in, but now that I’m here, it’s fun and it’s for a good cause at the same time.”

Stop Hunger Now appreciates the FedEx volunteer support, especially on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. “On a day that is all about service, FedEx is showing its commitment to give back,” said Chris Craven, corporate outreach director at Stop Hunger Now. “We appreciate people taking time out of their own holiday to package meals for the hungry.”

Around the world, nearly 805 million people lack adequate food. Stop Hunger Now operates meal packaging locations in 19 cities throughout the U.S. and four international locations in South Africa, Malaysia, the Philippines and Italy. More than 450,000 volunteers from corporations, churches, schools

Now has delivered aid and disaster relief supplies in the form of food, medical supplies, clothing, school supplies and more to thousands of disaster victims and other hungry and vulnerable people in 65 countries.

Stop Hunger Now meal-packaging programs offer volunteers the opportunity to participate in a hands-on international hunger relief program and to become educated, engaged advocates for the world’s poor and hungry.

In 2013, Stop Hunger Now packaged 38.6 million meals in the U.S. and an additional 3.3 million meals were packaged by international locations. and civic organizations have packaged Stop Hunger Now meals.

“People take for granted a simple meal every day,” says FedEx Inside Sales Account Executive Corey Newman. “So being able to do this and provide for the needy is just, it’s really special and it makes me feel good to do it and help people out.”

Founded in 1998, Stop Hunger

When referring to Dr. King, Mayor Luttrell referenced the biblical story of Queen Esther. Like Esther, who was placed in the king’s palace, Dr. King was “uniquely placed” in Memphis, he said.

“Throughout the Bible history and the history of mankind, we see situations where people are uniquely placed. Today, we honor a man who was uniquely placed. Tragically, he was placed here in Memphis, but certainly the legacy lives on,” the mayor said.

The King holiday was not restricted to simply honoring King’s unique placement,” he added.

“I think we all have our unique place in our own way; and days like today give us opportunities to reflect on our calling, to identify our unique gifts, and to see how we can apply them, because if not you, who? If not now, when?”

Mayor A C Wharton Jr. emphasized the importance of mending a “society that has been torn” and owning up to responsibilities, regardless of background.

“The more precious things in life are [made] by tiny little portions,” Wharton said, using as an example stitches that compose fine garments.

“I don’t know how big a stitch is, but every stitch is critical to mend the fabric of our society that has been torn. It’s been torn by racism, sexism, class-ism, you name it,” said Mayor Wharton, noting that Dr. King fought and died working against these issues.

The mayor emphasized the importance of each person doing his or her part to help affect change.

“One person, one day, one step at a time, doing something – that’s our call today,” Wharton said “Take that one stitch for repairing the fabric for the torn society. As I look at the honorees, they all in their way are doing just that. You’re not talking about the dream, you’re not singing about the dream, but you are being the dream.”

In addition to Stop Hunger Now, about 50 FedEx volunteers became painters for MLK Day, helping to spruce up the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences. They painted the auditorium floor, several rooms, hand railings and even painted Lion paws on the sidewalk in support of the school mascot.

One man, one play: Bringing Dr. King back to life

“Our unique place”

Stitching together a torn society

A helping hand…

Rabia Louis Haynes performs as Bobby in the one-man stage play “If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Were Alive Today.” (Courtesy photo)

by Wiley Henry

whenry@tsdmemphis.com

Rabia Louis Haynes was 13 years old when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968.

Forty-six years later, the spirit of Dr. King is embodied in a one-man stage play entitled “If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Were Alive Today.”

“I wanted to keep Dr. King’s legacy alive,” said Haynes, an actor, writer and director, who will perform the

play at the Harrell Performing Arts Theatre in Collierville at 440 West Powell Rd. The show dates are Jan. 29 – 31 at 8 p.m.; Feb. 1 at 3 p.m.; Feb. 5 – 7 at 8 p.m.; and Feb. 8 at 3 p.m.

The play is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes without intermission.

General admission is $20; students and seniors: $15; and groups of 12 or more: $10. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mlkplay.eventbrite. com or at the door on the day of the play at no additional cost.

Haynes has loaned his thespian tal-

ents to the stage play numerous times since 2011, the year he fleshed out the script. In fact, he’s rolled out the play in Memphis five times in four years before a bevy of theatregoers.

“Our greatest enemy is forgetfulness. Non-violence is still the way to go even in 2015,” said Haynes, adding that young people in particular need stimuli in the form of entertainment. “They don’t have the attention span to listen to Dr. King’s words of non-violence.”

Haynes wanted to do something that’s entertaining, yet maintain the seriousness of the message that Dr. King tried to convey. “Society as a whole did not hear Dr. King,” the actor said. “Society often responds out of fear.”

Haynes brings “Dr. King back to life as the audience follows the experiences of a man named Bobby who finds himself in unfavorable situations and relies on the guidance of his hero, Dr. King, to overcome whatever obstacle it is that he is facing in that moment.”

The hypothesis of Haynes’ stage play is as close to reality in 2015 as it were during the turbulent civil rights movement when throngs followed the iconic civil rights leader and looked to him as their moral compass.

Whether there is one person or 100 people in the audience, Haynes said the play has earned the respect of the audience and kudos for him. In fact, “I’ve never done a show where I didn’t get a standing ovation.”

The honorees speak out Honorees such as Benjamin and Bradshaw used the event as an opportunity not just to accept awards but also as a platform to voice their concerns.

Benjamin encouraged the audience to hold legislators accountable, exercise their voting rights, and invest in young people.

Bradshaw and members of the Memph15 of the Show Me $15 Campaign urged the audience to support the fast food workers working for a minimum wage increase.

Keeping the dream alive Dr. H.K. Matthews spoke from the topic “Keeping the Dream Alive.” He compared the biblical story of Joseph to the story of Dr. King. Like Joseph, he said Dr. King had a dream. And just like Joseph’s brothers conspired to dispose of him, he said a “coward” chose to kill Dr. King because he dared to share his dream.

“You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream,” said Matthews, noting that without Dr. King’s dream, there wouldn’t be President Barack Obama or African-American elected officials.

Matthews compared America to a plane that has faulty landing gear. But God is a “master mechanic” who can help fix the problems, he said, adding that people need to be accountable for their actions.

“Don’t you ever think that the dirt we do in this world…that we’ll get away with it, because God is still on the throne.”

Matthews said that if Dr. King were alive, he’d be disappointed if he saw things such as young men sagging and young men degrading women by calling them out of their names.

Thanked everyone who was involved in the struggle, he encouraged them to keep persevering despite what obstacles they might face.

Crowd reaction Peggy Taylor was satisfied with the event. She said she took away the importance of investing in the youth, information about what is going on, and the importance of trying to be better as a human race as a whole.

“This was awesome,” she said. “I wouldn’t take anything away from it.”

MLK Day at the museum...

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day crowd at the National Civil Rights Museum. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

The ‘Kyles’ award...

Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and his wife, attorney Ruby Wharton, were the recipients of the inaugural Samuel B. Kyles Award during the annual observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Day at Monumental Baptist Church.

The observance is coordinated by the Memphis Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

January 22 - 28, 2015

The New Tri-State Defender

Page 7

BUSINESS

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY

Tax refunds can be used for investments or to pay off debt It is that time of year again when folks receive W-2s, 1099s or a combination of both. For those anticipating a refund, trips to the tax preparer are anxiously planned.

Some folks cannot wait for the W-2; they push the envelope with their last pay stub in hand. And those armed with the knowledge that they will have to pay prepare themselves to file an extension to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

With so many options of what to do with the money, let’s discuss some of the more popular options.

Adjust the tax withholding If your refund was large, you may want to consider adjusting the tax withholding so that you can bring more money home. While Uncle Sam is using the money all year, it may be put to better use in your hands during the year.

Pay off student loans Depending upon your profession, you may have student loans the size of a mortgage. But the first step to paying off the student loans is to pay

Carlee McCullough, Esq.

something. The payments could begin with the proceeds from the tax return.

With consistency and dedication, student loans can eventually be paid off.

accounts moves you on the road to wealthy one step at a time. Everyone needs a cushion, rainy day fund, or emergency fund. The rainy day fund will help to eliminate the need to use the credit cards and assist in keeping the credit card balances down in case of an emergency.

Pay off credit cards

Retirement age is right around the corner for many of us. But it is sure to arrive if we live long enough.

Therefore, the earlier the retirement preparation the better it will be for you in the long run. Investment in money market accounts, stocks, mutual funds or IRAs are all vehicles that smooth the way for retirement.

With changes in retirement and insurance plans, no one knows what to expect in the future. Therefore, who can go wrong with strong savings to make up the shortage whatever it may be.

Credit cards with high balances and high interest rates should be paid off first. This provides a great savings moving forward since you will not be incurring interest on the balances. Try to discontinue the use of the card if at all possible, however. The purpose of paying the credit cards off is defeated if you simply pay them off and charge more.

Build savings for the rainy day fund Paycheck to paycheck is a way of life for many people. So increasing your savings or money market

Build savings for retirement

Contribute to children’s college fund Kids grow up so fast, and if they are on the college track the

years appear to fly by even faster, especially if the parents are going to contribute to college tuition.

Contributions to a 529 account have become a popular vehicle for those having to put children through college. With college costs on the rise everywhere, it is important to start saving early.

Home improvements Those long overdue home improvements can be accomplished with a tax refund. Some improvements actually increase the value of the home. But the repairs will most certainly decrease the deterioration to the home, thereby helping to at least maintain the value. Kitchens and bathrooms add value. However, other small repairs such as painting can also upgrade the look of your home.

Take a vacation There is nothing like a vacation to rest the mind. We have come to the conclusion that the work may not ever stop. But the body needs rest and relaxation to rejuvenate itself.

Some of your most creative thoughts

MONEY MATTERS

may come when the body is at ease.

Additionally, the memories of travel can last a lifetime. If you use the tax refund money, you can avoid the use of credit cards.

Contribute to a charity Lending a helping hand to others is always a great thing. Also, the donation may be tax-deductible for the next year. There are so many worthwhile charities. Choose one and make a donation. Charities can make a dollar go far.

Gifts or windfalls during the year While the suggestions are definitely appropriate for tax refunds, they also apply to gifts or windfalls during the year. From casino or lottery winnings to inheritances, the source of the money is not as important as its use.

With dedication, that rainy day fund can grow in no time.

(Contact Carlee McCullough, Esq., at 5308 Cottonwood Road, Suite 1A, Memphis, TN 38118, or email her at jstce4all@aol.com.)

What tax deductions are still available to me?

Tax reform measures are enacted frequently by Congress, which makes it hard for U.S. taxpayers to know which deductions are currently available to help lower their tax liability. In fact, a former head of the IRS once said that millions of taxpayers overpay their taxes every year because they overlook one of the many key tax deductions that are available to them.

One of the most overlooked deductions is state and local sales taxes Taxpayers may be able to take deductions for student-loan interest, out-of-pocket charitable contributions, moving expenses to take a first job, the child care tax credit, new points on home refinancing, health insurance premiums, home mortgage interest, tax-preparation services.

Of course, some tax deductions disappear as adjusted gross income increases. And some deductions are subject to sunset provisions, which your tax professional can help you navigate.

BIZ BITS WLOK names two staff members to key positions WLOK Radio has named Walter J. Hunter as its general sales manager. He has been with WLOK since July 2005, serving as a marketing consultant for six years prior to being promoted to the position of sales manager in 2011.

In his new position as general sales manager, Hunter will oversee all sales operations at WLOK. Prior to joining WLOK, Hunter had an extensive background in radio sales and programming in Florence, SC. He holds a masters degree in business administration from South University.

Bobbie Thompson has been named the assistant program director at WLOK Radio. She has been the host of WLOK’s morning talk show “Let’s Talk About It” since Sept. 3, 2013.

“Let’s Talk About It” airs 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Thompson also has hosted WLOK’s weekly public affairs program, Rainbow PUSH/ Memphis, since July 2007. This broadcast airs from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday nights. It has been on the air longer than any other public affairs program in Memphis radio.

Prior to joining WLOK, Thompson held administrative positions at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work and the Tennessee Department of Human Services. She has a Master of Administration degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee College of Social Work.

Consider a Traditional IRA One of the benefits of a traditional IRA is the potential for Charles Sims tax-deductible contriJr., CMFC, butions. In LUTCF 2014, you may be eligible to make a tax-deductible contribution of up to $5,500 ($6,500 if you are 50 or older).

Contribution limits are indexed annually for inflation.

In 2014, for example, if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is $60,000 or less as a single filer ($96,000 or less for married couples filing jointly), you can receive the full tax deduction. On the other hand, if your AGI is more than $70,000 as a single filer ($116,000 for married couples filing jointly), you are not eligible for a tax deduction.

Partial deductions are allowed for single filers whose in-

comes are between $60,000 and $70,000 (or between $96,000 and $116,000 for married couples filing jointly). If you are not an active participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you are eligible for a full tax deduction.

Another key deduction is unreimbursed medical and dental expenses Remember that you may only deduct medical and dental expenses to the extent that they exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI) and were not reimbursed by your insurance company or employer. Individuals older than 65 can claim qualified expenses that exceed 7.5 percent of AGI through 2016.

In addition to medical and dental expenses, certain miscellaneous expenses — primarily unreimbursed employee business expenses — can be written off if they exceed 2 percent of AGI, subject to the limitation on itemized deductions that exceed certain thresholds. Some of the expenses that qualify for this deduction are union dues,

small tools, uniforms, employment agency fees, home-office expenses, tax preparation fees, safe-deposit box fees, and investment expenses. Your tax advisor will be able to tell you exactly what’s deductible for you.

The end of the year is the time to take one last good look to determine whether you qualify for a tax credit or deduction or whether you’re close to the cutoff point.

If you’re not close, you may opt to postpone incurring some medical or other expenses until the following year, when you may be able to deduct them.

On the other hand, if you’re only a little short of the threshold amount, you may want to incur additional expenses in the current tax year.

With a little preparation and some help from a qualified tax professional, you may be able to lower your income taxes this year. You just have to plan ahead.

(Charles Sims Jr., CMFC, LUTCF, is President/CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901-682-2410 or visit www.SimsFinancialGroup.com.)

January 22 - 28, 2015

Page 8

RELIGION

The New Tri-State Defender

The residual effects of domestic violence can cause some to snap

by Lyndia Grant

Special to the NNPA from The Washington Informer

The late Farrah Fawcett earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of Francine Hughes in the 1984 television movie “The Burning Bed.” The TV adaptation shows flashbacks while Francine stands trial for murder after she snapped one day.

She poured gasoline around the bed of her sleeping spouse, doused him, lit a match and walked away.

Her husband, Mickey, drove her over the edge after more than a decade of domestic abuse.

The purpose of this column is to show how some of us get out of domestic violence successfully, while others, like a former co-worker, simply snap. They

lose their minds or they kill the perpetrator the way Fawcett’s character, Francine, did in the movie.

Thank God I Lyndia didn’t snap!

Grant Forty years ago, I married a tall, handsome Marine who turned out to be violent. I was 19 years old, and I had a “good government job” working for the U.S. Tariff Commission, which is now known as the International Trade Commission.

Some of my co-workers there have become my best friends.

But one of them changed.

The violence in my marriage began during my honeymoon.

It frightened me terribly that my husband grabbed me around my throat, choking me because of something I said that displeased him. Shocked by what had happened, I jumped on the telephone with a teary plea to my father, asking him to come and get me.

By the time Daddy arrived, my husband had persuaded me to stay.

He hugged, apologized, and was kind. It was only just beginning.

Today, I’m not sorry I stayed. I have three beautiful adult children and three lovely grandchildren as a result of that union.

I’m a firm believer in Romans 8:28, which reads, “And I know that all things work together for good, to them who love the Lord,

and who are called according to His purpose.”

My co-worker’s story didn’t end very well. She had been a minister, married with two children, a boy and a girl. She appeared happy, came from the Pentecostal faith. She shouted, preached and loved the Lord.

She was a special person.

Here’s what happened to her: About 15 years later, after having lived in California with my husband and children, I returned home to Washington, D.C., to start my business. One day, in the grocery store, I ran into my former co-worker – my minister friend. It was the end of the year, and she invited me to her home to bring in the new year together with her and a few friends.

Back from California after

seven years, I had no plans, so I accepted. That evening, I realized something was different about her. She was dancing like a crazy woman to “Little Red Corvette” by Prince. She danced with such frenzy that I thought, “And this woman was a staunch, saved minister, who talked about the Lord, quoted scriptures and acted saved.” Something had changed!

Although I was afraid to ask, soon she shared her life story with me. She told me that she was an outpatient from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Southeast, with the armband to prove it. She said her husband had held a gun to her head and played Russian roulette, taunting her with each click of the trigger. She said that she fully expected to die with this lethal

game of chance. He chased her down the street with his car in an attempt to run her over. He beat her; he tortured her. It was all too much. It caused her to snap.

It matters how much strength you have within. I don’t know if she was a young Christian. I might have been abused on the outside, but the Christ in me kept me. My friend, on the other hand, didn’t fare as well. Will you come out of the violence whole, or will you snap?

Lyndia Grant is an author, inspirational and motivational speaker, radio talk show host and columnist; visit her new website atwww.lyndiagrant.com and call 202-518-3192. Tune in Fridays at 6 p.m. to the radio talk show, 1340 AM, WYCB, a Radio One Station.

Convicted or conflicted?

by James Washington

Special to the NNPA from the Houston Forward Times

ATOP’s 15th year revival...

Anointed Temple of Praise (ATOP) celebrated its 15th anniversary on Jan. 16 and its anniversary revival at the church’s location at 3939 Riverdale Rd. The Rev. George Parks Jr. (above), senior pastor of Riverside Baptist Church, delivered the sermon.

Dr. Thomas L. Murray (left) is ATOP’s senior pastor. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

I have often thought, heard and to some degree concluded that Jesus, as was Paul, was killed because He dared to stand up and speak truth to power. He and many of His followers, convicted by their beliefs, professed and preached that the ruling religious law of the day, although large and in charge, was indeed corrupt and deserving of renunciation. In my office I have a poster, which states, “One man with courage makes a majority.”

Until recently, I had never associated this powerful statement with the life and death of Jesus Christ. But the courage of faith coupled with the commitment to act on that faith sometimes leaves you in the unenviable position of being alone.

Have you ever found yourself so committed to a course of action, so positive in your convictions and your resolve, so steadfast in your purpose that nothing could change your mind or your behavior? I suppose we should all be so blessed to at least once in our lives know that we know.

Can you now imagine Jesus, so sure, so confident, so right that even in death, He knew that He knew? I must then ask the question of you and myself. What do you know? What does your faith and courage allow you to be the majority of when numerically you’re in the minority? The point is that at some time during your faith-walk, you will find yourself walking absolutely by yourself. Inevitably, one day it will become necessary for you, as well as me, to take a position of faith that will perhaps alienate you from so called friends and family, just as Jesus was alienated from the hierarchy of the church of His day. Expect to one day be forced to take a stand based solely on faith.

Maybe it’s already happened to you. I know it has happened to me. On that day you con-

sciously decide to choose the Lord over, or instead, of the world. You know that you know.

People who are recognized in this world as having principles and integrity are supposed to be honored for their stances even when they go against popular opinion. The bible teaches us that those men and women of God were often victimized, sometimes ridiculed and often times crucified.

The bible also lets us know these are the exact people we should emulate. These people, who are our faith examples, lived lives ‘set apart.’ We’ve all heard the phrase “stepping out on faith.” Reality suggests that this is a very scary, sometimes lonely place to be. The beauty of this spiritual reality is God cannot show up until you step out.

Our struggle with faith is one of clearly trying to recognize its power. Without the absolute conviction of the inherent power of faith, we never get a chance to experience the Hand of God at work in our own lives.

We’re afraid. It’s probably the biggest fear that we have with the most devastating of consequences; to believe that you know versus knowing that you know. I will concede that we are put to the test on a daily basis.

Do you believe or don’t you? If you do, prove it.

Put some substance behind the phrase “faith-based initiative.” Put some effort behind your vocal commitments. The truth is we so easily sound like it’s a forgone conclusion regarding our faith, when in actuality we shy away from the courage it takes to stand alone and stand for God in this world. My belief is that the first step, the first time, is the hardest. But after that, God takes over and takes us places we could never imagine. From me to you, I wish you the imagination of the saints and faith the size of a mustard seed.

May God bless and keep you always.

ENTERTAINMENT From Yo Memphis to Hollywood in pursuit of The New Tri-State Defender, January 22 - 28, 2015, Page 9

the dream

by DeAara Lewis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“Who knew that a young Memphian like myself would be out here working for Warner Brothers?”

That’s the question Justin Hart rhetorically asked, chuckling with an innocent pride.

Hart graduated from Yo Memphis, a charter school in Memphis and headed straight to Middle Tennessee State University, where he obtained a degree in broadcast journalism. After doing a brief stint in Connecticut, he decided that his heart was in Hollywood.

It is seldom an easy decision to step into the realms of uncertainty to follow a Hollywood dream. However, quite a few native Memphians have made the transition to great success, including African-American actors Elise Neal and Morgan Freeman.

Some of the hurdles to Hollywood success are universal. Unless an actor has some deep connections or hits a streak of luck, getting a theatrical agent will be a challenge and take time. Getting into SAG-AFTRA, the actor’s union which guarantees wage protection and pension plans, can be an uphill battle when just starting out and in some cases be initially counterproductive.

Still, there are some roadblocks that are specific to African-Americans actors gaining momentum in twinkle town. In spite of the entertainment capital’s liberal reputation, its practices of diversity are often hypercritical and erratic at best.

In 2014, we celebrated as Lupita Nyong’o won best supporting actress at the 86th Academy Awards for her role in “12 Years a Slave.” The film also won for Best Picture, which encouraged the belief that – as Halle Berry noted in her 2002 Academy Award win – the glass ceiling was broken wide-open. In fact, in the past 17 years, the Academy Awards has seemed to take a favorable trajectory towards more diversity only to revert back to its old, unspoken practice of “Whites Preferred” in the 2015 Oscar’s lineup.

Meanwhile, African-American actors as well as the entire Hollywood industry are still feeling the after shocks of the recent Sony Hack scandal. The fallout sent Sony executive Amy Pascal running to Al Sharpton for damage control after disclosure of her racially insensitive remarks regarding President Obama, Kevin Hart and comparing movie stars taking small screen roles to the trend of white actresses adopting black babies.

Recently, outspoken African-American actor Jesse Williams, who is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Jackson Avery on “Grey’s Anatomy,” blasted Hollywood’s implicit racial hierarchy and its regular portrayal of African Americans in what many deem as negative roles.

Williams also offered perspective to those who not only are frustrated with seeing a steady stream of negative black imagery on the screen, but who are mutually angry at the actors who accept those parts.

“You have to decide to wear a due rag and rob some white person on a TV show or pay your mortgage and raise your family.”

These are all possible realities African Americans may face when courting the Hollywood dream. And there is no lack of opinions about what many believe to be the dismal reality of African-American actors and perhaps even more data to support those beliefs.

For Memphian Hart, these are temporary roadblocks, not permanent structures.

“I’m such a hustler and I work extremely hard for what I have that I’ve been molded into understanding that everybody does not have your best interest out here in L.A. I’ve definitely noticed the racism, but I am so focused on what I am doing and no matter what, I always have a positive attitude.”

He is currently working as a production assistant/guest booker on Fox’s, “The Real,” a compet-

Justin Hart’s

journey

amid the ‘Holly-

wood-isracist’

narrative

Undaunted about stepping into the realms of uncertainty to follow his Hollywood dream, Memphis native Justin Hart has a toehold on success. (Courtesy photos)

Memphis native Justin Hart tells those with Hollywood aspirations to “Believe in yourself and just go for your dreams.”

Justin Hart: “I’ve definitely noticed the racism, but I am so focused on what I am doing and no matter what, I always have a positive attitude.” itive offering to ABC’s “The View” and CBS’s “The Talk.”

It stars Tamar Braxton, Loni Love, Adrienne Bailon, Jeannie Mai, and Tamera Mowery- Housley.

Before that, Hart worked on “Paternity Court,” “The Arsenio Hall Show” and Keke Palmer’s “Just Keke.” His plan is simple and strategic: start off behind-the- scenes, make the contacts, build his network and work his way to the front of the camera.

Hart says he does not focus on the perpetual dialogue of negative stereotypes and images of African-Americans in Hollywood because he is aligning himself with people who are showing the positive.

He chooses instead to take the road paved by Sidney Portier’s words to a once young up-and-coming Denzel Washington: “The first 2, 3 or 4 films you do in this business will dictate how you are perceived.”

Asked if he had any advice for other African Americans wanting to make the move to Hollywood but reluctant because of the constant “Hollywood-is- racist” narrative, Justin offered this: “Believe in yourself and just go for your dreams. Shoot for the stars and don’t let anyone tell you any different.”

Or in the famous words of India.Arie, “So you act, so you feel, so you are.”

Lee Daniels: The ‘Empire’ interview

by Kam Williams

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

After directing and/or producing such successful feature films as “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Monster’s Ball” (for which Halle Berry won an Academy Award), and “Precious” (for which Mo’Nique won hers), twotime Oscar-nominee Lee Daniels (for “Precious”” has set his sights on TV for the first time. Here, he talks about directing the new nighttime soap opera “Empire,” co-starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson.

Kam Williams: What was the source of inspiration for “Empire?”

Lee Daniels: My partner, Danny Strong, came to me with this idea of telling a story about my life, and merging that with music and the hiphop world. He wrote “The Butler” and originally wanted to do “Empire” also as a movie.

KW: I had no idea it was semi-autobiographical. Why TV, as opposed to the big screen?

LD: What happened was we decid-

ed that’s enough with movies, let’s do it for television so that we could bring this to life for America on a weekly basis. It picks up, historically, where “The Butler” left off, and deals with relations.

Lee Daniels race It’s a little bit (Courtesy like my family, photo) a little like some friends of mine with money, their world, and a little like some of my friends without money, their world. I think it’s the African-American experience.

KW: Which character are you?

Lucious Lyon (played by Terrence Howard)?

LD: I’m Lucious… I’m Jamal…

I’m all of the characters. My sister and my cousins are Cookie (played

by Taraji P. Henson). Cookie’s little bit of all of them.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks:

“How do film actors like Terrence and Taraji make the transition from the big screen to the small screen?”

LD: That’s a very good question and a very complicated one, because with film we get the luxury of time.

It works at a different pace. It’s nice and slow. As a film director and as film actors, you get used to a certain rhythm that’s slow. But with TV, it’s hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry. It’s a different pace. So, it’s about adjusting to the pace. It’s not meant for everybody.

KW: Has the frenetic pace frustrated you?

LD: No, I think it’s made me a better director, because I have to think fast. I no longer have the luxury of taking my time. Does that make any sense?

KW: Absolutely! Chalyn Toon asks: “Did you consider other actors or did you always envision Taraji and Terrence for the lead roles?”

LD: I always considered Taraji, SEE DANIELS ON PAGE 10

Lee Daniels is out to make a point with the lead character’s hostile relationship with his gay son in “Empire.” Lucious – played by Terrence Howard – grew angry because his son walked around in his mother’s heels and literally folded him up and discarded him.

(Courtesy photo)

Page 10

by Kam Williams

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

For movies opening January 23, 2015 BIG BUDGET FILMS “The Boy Next Door” (R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and violence) Psychological thriller about a young man (Ryan Guzman) who becomes obsessed with his recently-divorced neighbor (Jennifer Lopez) after they share a one-night stand. Cast includes John Corbett, Kristen Chenoweth, Hill Harper and Ian Nelson.

“Mortdecai” (R for profanity and sexuality) Screen adaptation of the Kyril Bonfiglioli best-seller of the same name about a globetrotting art dealer’s (Johnny Depp) search for a stolen painting containing clues leading to a missing Nazi gold fortune. With Olivia Munn, Ewan McGregor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany and Jeff Goldblum.

“Strange Magic” (PG for action and scary images) Animated musical, inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, revolving around a battle among elves, goblins, fairies and imps over a powerful potion.

Voice cast includes Meredith Anne Bull, Kristen Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Alfred Molina and Maya Rudolph.

January 22 - 28, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

DANIELS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

and brief sexuality) Poignant character portrait starring Jennifer Aniston as a woman who befriends the just-widowed husband (Sam Worthington) of a suicidal member of her chronic pain support group (Anna Kendrick). Ensemble cast includes Adriana Barrazza, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Lucy Punch, Mamie Gummer and Chris Messina.

(In English and Spanish with subtitles) “The Duke of Burgundy” (Unrated) Romance drama revolving around a lesbian couple’s (Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara

“Manny” (PG-13 for violence and bloody images) Pugilism biopic, narrated by Liam Neeson, about Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao. Featuring commentary by Mark Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven and Jimmy Kimmel.

“Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter” (Unrated) Reverential biopic about Martha Hill (1900-1995), the visionary founding director of Juilliard’s Dance Division.

“Mommy” (R for violence, sexual references and pervasive profanity) ADHD drama chronicling a grieving widow’s (Anne Dorval) frustrations while raising her violent, teenage son (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) alone.

With Suzanne Clement, Patrick Huard and Alexandre Goyette. (In French and English with subtitles) “Red Army” (PG for mild epithets and mature themes) Cold War documentary highlighting the exploits of the Soviet Army’s hockey team, the most successful sports dynasty in history. (In English and Russian with subtitles) “Salvation Army” (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama, set in Casablanca, about a gay teen’s (Said Mrini) search for identity in a society in denial about the existence of homosexuality. With Amine Ennaji, Karim Ait M’Hand and Frederic Landenberg. (In French and Arabic with subtitles)

“Son of a Gun” (Unrated) Cat-and-mouse crime caper, set in Perth, about a 19 year-old petty thief (Brenton Thwaites) who, “Against the Sun” (PG for maagainst his better judgment, beture themes and mild epithets) comes the protégé of Australia’s World War II survival saga recountPublic Enemy #1 (Ewan McGreing a trio of airmen’s (Tom Felton, gor) after the two stage a daring Jake Abel and Garret Dillahunt) jailbreak. With Alicia Vikander, real-life ordeal in a lifeboat after Matt Nable, Tammie West and Jaditching their plane over the Pacific Gwyneth Paltrow stars in “Mortdecai,” about a globetrotting cek Koman.

Ocean. Featuring Nadia Parra. art dealer’s search for a stolen painting. (Courtesy photo) “Song One” (PG-13 for sexual“Big Muddy” (R for violence, ity and brief profanity) Romance profanity, sexuality and some nudity) Nadia D’Anna) sadomasochistic relationship. With drama about a woman (Anne Hathaway) who Litz and Justin Kelly co-star as mother and Eugenia Caruso, Fatma Mohamed and Monica falls in love with a local musician (Johnny son operating on the wrong side of the law in Swinn.

Flynn) after returning to Brooklyn to care for this remarkable neo noir reminiscent of Red her comatose brother (Ben Rosenfield). With Rock West from debut director Jefferson Mo“The Humbling” (R for profanity, sexuality Mary Steenburgen, Li Jun Li and Gideon neo. Cast includes David La Haye, Stephen and brief violence) Oscar-winner Barry Levin- Glick.

McHattie and James Le Gros. son (for “Rain Man”) directed this adaptation of the Philip Roth best-seller of the same name “We’ll Never Have Paris” (R for sexuali“Black Sea” (R for violence, graphic images about an aging actor (Al Pacino) whose life is ty and profanity) Romantic comedy revolving and pervasive profanity) Buried treasure adven- turned upside-down when he embarks on an around a contrite guy (Simon Helberg) who ture starring Jude Law as a submarine captain ill-advised affair with a considerably-younger ventures from New York to Paris to propose who goes rogue to search for a sunken ship sup- lesbian (Greta Gerwig). Support cast includes to his ex-girlfriend (Melanie Lynskey) after posedly loaded with gold. With Scoot McNairy, Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin, Mandy Pat- sabotaging their relationship. Cast includes Ben Mendelsohn and Jodie Whittaker. inkin and Kyra Sedgwick.

Maggie Grace, Alfred Molina, Zachary Quinto, Jason Ritter and Judith Light.

“Cake” (R for profanity, substance abuse INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

The New Tri-State Defender

but even though Terrence and I are very good friends and had worked together on “The Butler” and were thinking about doing “The Marvin Gaye Story.” But I didn’t know if he’d do TV. I was thinking of Wesley Snipes for the role, but word on the street was that Taraji wasn’t feeling it anymore. Then she told me, “I’ll do it, but only if Terrence does it.” I went, “girl, you ain’t even got the job yet.” And I was like, “Terrence ain’t going to do TV.” But then he said he would, and there you go.

KW: Chalyn also says: “Most writers avoid dealing with homosexuality within the black community. What made you choose that path?

Unlike your counterpart, Shonda Rhimes, who has depicted white males in a passionate relationship, perhaps to target a whiter audience, you’ve put two males of color in a gay relationship. Why did you choose to do so?”

LD: I did it because I think it’s time to destroy a myth in the black community about gay men.

When I was doing research for “Precious,” I went to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis here in New York City, because the movie dealt with AIDS. What I expected to see was gay men, but what I found were African-American women and children who’d been infected with HIV by black men on the down-low. They were on the d-l because their pastor says, because their minister says, because their neighbor says, and their homeboy says, “You can’t be gay.” Black men on the d-l are killing our women. I can’t hate the men on the d-l, I only hate that they’re on the d-l, because our people forced them to be. So, this is really dedicated to educating. This is the civil rights movement of our generation.

So, this is really dedicated to educating.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier: “You are working on a Richard Pryor biopic. What does he mean to you?”

LD: The more research I do, the more I uncover not only his brilliance, but how much of a pioneer he was at a time that was harder on African-Americans than it is right now, if that’s imaginable. His experience as a black American was very similar to mine. We both come from troubled backgrounds. He was very open about his sexuality, and what he did, and he spoke the truth. And he fought for the truth for everybody. And because he was so tormented, he was a drug addict, and so was I.

Our similarities are strangely connected. So, he speaks to me. He was ahead of his time, and he didn’t even know that he was changing the world through humor. He was uniting African-American and white Americans through his humor. He didn’t know, and I hope to do him justice.

KW: Marcia Evans says: “Lee, I’m major proud of all your work, and I’m digging ‘Empire.’ Congratulations on your weight loss. You’re looking good. Vegan is working for you.”

LD: [Belly laugh] I’m not really vegan. I’m vegan-ish. I have a piece of lamb every now and then.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Lee, and best of luck with “Empire.”

LD: Thank you, Kam. Talk to you soon.

(To see a trailer for Empire, visit: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBzu_jKLJek.)

The New Tri-State Defender

Legal Notices NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FISCAL YEAR 2016 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN Shelby County’s Department of Housing will hold a public hearing to discuss the Shelby County housing and community development needs in preparation of the Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Action Plan (HUD Program Year 2015) at the following date, time and location: Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 5:30 p.m.

Peggy Edmiston Administration Building 1075 Mullins Station Road, Room W-263, Memphis, TN 38134. Attendees should enter the Peggy Edmiston Administration Building using entrance W-2 (center wing on west side of building).

If you plan to attend the public hearing and have special needs, please contact the Department of Housing at (901) 2227600 by 4:30 p.m. Thursday February 12, 2015 and we will work to accommodate you. Citizen input and public participation is strongly encouraged.

The FY 2016 Annual Action Plan establishes the basis for the use of entitlement funds for the period of July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016. The primary purpose of this hearing is to receive comments on community development needs for the FY 2016 Annual Action Plan which is the entitlement grant application to HUD for Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Grant.

Shelby County anticipates receiving $1,065,000 in CDBG and $299,203 in HOME funds in Program Year 2015. The Annual Plan will be submitted to HUD on or before May 15, 2015.

The Hearing will also provide an update on current activities under the CDBG and HOME Programs, information on Section 3 contracting opportunities; and provide information on other programs operated by the Department of Housing.

Persons wishing to comment on the above subject but who are unable to attend the meeting may do so by writing to Mr. Scott Walkup, Shelby County Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. Shelby County will schedule an additional public hearing in April 2014 to present the draft Annual Action Plan for 2015 for public comment before it is submitted to HUD. For additional information contact the Department of Housing at 901-222-7600 or TTY at 901-222-2300.

The Shelby County Department of Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services. Equal opportunity/ equal access provider.

Para mas información en Español, por favor llame al 901-222-4289.

Mark H. Luttrell, Jr. Mayor Jim Vazquez, Administrator Shelby County Department of Housing NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: TD & TN, LLC Tax Parcel # 07207100000700 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #1603 Price Offered: $5,400.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:00 p.m. on February 11, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: TD & TN, LLC Tax Parcel # 07207800000170 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #1607 Price Offered: $7,200.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:30 p.m. on February 11, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: TD & TN, LLC Tax Parcel # 07207100000700 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #1603 Price Offered: $5,400.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:00 p.m. on February 11, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581

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NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: TD & TN, LLC Tax Parcel # 07206000000100 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #1595 Price Offered: $4,100.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 1:30 p.m. on February 11, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: TD & TN, LLC Tax Parcel # 07210100000450 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #1620 Price Offered: $5,400.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 1:00 p.m. on February 11, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Kevin McKinney Tax Parcel # 05207000000190 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #1157 Price Offered: $6,000.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:30 a.m. on February 12, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Henry F. Beard Tax Parcel # 02500700000270 Tax Sale #0103 Exhibit #3523 Price Offered: $50.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on February 12, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Henry F. Beard Tax Parcel # 02500700000280 Tax Sale #0103 Exhibit #3525 Price Offered: $50.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on Feb-

January 22 - 28, 2015

Page 11

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THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER assumes no financial responsibility for errors nor for copy omission. Direct any classified billing inquires to (901) 523-1818. ruary 12, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Perfect Real Estate Investments LLC Tax Parcel # 04708000000380 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #988 Price Offered: $5,000.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on February 12, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: James I. Jackson, Sr. Tax Parcel # 02601500000510 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #229 Price Offered: $4,000.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:15 a.m. on February 5, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: James I. Jackson, Sr. Tax Parcel # 03108300000430 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #570 Price Offered: $5,000.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:00 a.m. on February 5, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Terry D. Douglas Tax Parcel # 03701600000310 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #697 Price Offered: $3,500.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on February 16, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED NOMINAL CONSIDERATION CONVEYANCE OR SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A.

§ 67-5-2509(d), that Shelby County Government has received a Request for a Nominal Consideration Conveyance to acquire the following property: Biker’s & Social Clubs 4 Change Tax Parcel #05004700000010 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #4574 List Price: $7,000.00 Terms: Cash Additional requests for Offers to Purchase may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional Offers to Purchase are received and found acceptable, all prospective Purchasers will be notified and the property will be re-advertised based upon the acceptable offer. If no additional acceptable Offers to Purchase are received, the property will thereafter be conveyed to the above purchaser for Nominal Consideration as approved by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners “AS IS -WHERE IS” without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED NOMINAL CONSIDERATION CONVEYANCE OR SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2509(d), that Shelby County Government has received a Request for a Nominal Consideration Conveyance to acquire the following property: Biker’s & Social Clubs 4 Change Tax Parcel #05004700000020 Tax Sale #0703 Exhibit #9312 List Price: $7,000.00 Terms: Cash Additional requests for Offers to Purchase may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional Offers to Purchase are received and found acceptable, all prospective Purchasers will be notified and the property will be re-advertised based upon the acceptable offer. If no additional acceptable Offers to Purchase are received, the property will thereafter be conveyed to the above purchaser for Nominal Consideration as approved by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners “AS IS -WHERE IS” without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED NOMINAL CONSIDERATION CONVEYANCE OR SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2509(d), that Shelby County Government has received a Request for a Nominal Consideration Conveyance to acquire the following property: Biker’s & Social Clubs 4 Change Tax Parcel #05004700000030 Tax Sale #1001 Exhibit #4574.1 List Price: $7,000.00 Terms: Cash Additional requests for Offers to Purchase may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional Offers to Purchase are received and found acceptable, all prospective Purchasers will be notified and the property will be re-advertised based upon the

acceptable offer. If no additional acceptable Offers to Purchase are received, the property will thereafter be conveyed to the above purchaser for Nominal Consideration as approved by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners “AS IS -WHERE IS” without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581

NOTICE OF PROPOSED NOMINAL CONSIDERATION CONVEYANCE OR SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2509(d), that Shelby County Government has received a Request for a Nominal Consideration Conveyance to acquire the following property: Biker’s & Social Clubs 4 Change Tax Parcel #05004700000040 Tax Sale #1001 Exhibit #4574.2 List Price: $7,000.00 Terms: Cash Additional requests for Offers to Purchase may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional Offers to Purchase are received and found acceptable, all prospective Purchasers will be notified and the property will be re-advertised based upon the acceptable offer. If no additional acceptable Offers to Purchase are received, the property will thereafter be conveyed to the above purchaser for Nominal Consideration as approved by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners “AS IS -WHERE IS” without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Mario Noel Tax Parcel # 04706700000360 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #978 Price Offered: $4,000.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:00 p.m. on February 17, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A.

January 22 - 28, 2015

Page 12

The New Tri-State Defender

CLASSIFIEDS

§ 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Sameer H. Mansour & Anwra Alkanashli Tax Parcel # 07210400009690 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #1621 Price Offered: $20,000.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on February 13, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall

thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Bobricia Catron

Tax Parcel # 0934180B001590 Tax Sale #1002 Exhibit #2220 Price Offered: $4,500.00

Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 3:00 p.m. on February 16, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE,

MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: 1. Purchaser: Nassar Ozrail & Mohammad Issa Tax Parcel # 07511600000010 Tax Sale #0803 Exhibit #331387 Price Offered: $5,000.00

Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) days of the initial publication of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 11:00 a.m. on February 12, 2015, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

SHELBY COUNTY LAND BANK 584 ADAMS AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103 MIKE BLACKWELL (901) 222-2581

Shelby County Schools wants to close more schools, expand iZone Under plan, Lincoln Elementary, SouthSide Middle would close next year

by Daarel Burnette Chalkbeat Tennessee

Shelby County School administrators want to shutter two chronically underperforming schools, transform two under-enrolled schools, pull hundreds of students from three schools being taken over by the state, and re-enroll those students at schools nearby.

A sweeping proposal to rejigger where students attend schools in several low-income neighborhoods was presented Tuesday during a work session of the Shelby County School Board.

The plan could prevent the district from losing hundreds more students to the state’s Achievement School District (ASD), which is tasked with taking over chronically underperforming schools either by directly operating the schools or handing them over to charter organizations, which are publicly funded but independently operated organizations.

The board is scheduled to vote March 31 on the proposed changes.

Almost all of the students affected would be moved to Memphis’ Innovation Zone, known as the iZone, a costly but mostly effective effort to improve academic outcomes through interventions such as overhauling teaching staff, bringing in a new principal, and providing special flexibilities from state laws.

The ASD has agreed not to interfere with schools in the district’s iZone, which have outperformed several ASD

Supt. Dorsey Hopson asked the board to close two schools and pull students from several others. (Photo: Kyle Kurlick/Chalbeat, Tennessee) schools. students are meeting basic state expec“At some of these (district) schools, tations, and to move its students to Riv80 percent of these kids can’t read,” erview Middle School, which currently Supt. Dorsey Hopson told the board. operates as an iZone school.

“That’s not cutting it. … The question Hopson asked the board to pull stuis: Do you want your school to be op- dents from Brookmeade and Spring erated by the Izone or the ASD? That’s Hill Elementary and Airways Middle the question we have to ask. If you look schools, which are being taken over by at the results of iZone, I think the re- the state a grade at a time, and to send sults speak for itself.” them to nearby schools.

Administrators asked the board to Administrators also asked to turn close Lincoln Elementary School, Northaven School, which currentone of the state’s lowest performing ly serves students from kindergarten schools, and move the students to through eighth grade, into an elemenA.B. Hill Elementary School, which tary school and to turn Woodstock would be brought into the iZone. They Middle and High School into a middle proposed closing South Side Middle school because of under-enrollment.

School, where only one-fourth of the Northaven Middle School students

would be sent to Woodstock Middle School and Woodstock High School students would be sent to Trezevant High School.

The plan, if approved, would downsize staff and shutter several buildings for the financially strapped district, saving an estimated $2.8 million. Several dozen buildings scattered across Memphis either are more than half empty or shuttered because of closings in recent years and hundreds of families having moved out of economically depressed areas. The district has laid off several hundred teachers in response to a drop in tax revenue and losing several thousand students to new charter and municipal schools.

The proposed closings, which will be debated at community meetings during the next several weeks, are bound to stir frustrations. Parents and teachers have complained that recent closings have caused unnecessary chaos.

“You know we’re going to fight this,” said Toni Jackson, a South Side physical education teacher who has opposed previous state efforts to take over the school. “The gloves are coming off.”

The plan is partly in response to the looming fate of almost a third of its schools being lost to the ASD. Several of the ASD-approved charter organizations have taken over schools one grade at a time, creating an awkward situation for district employees

who operate in the same building but know their jobs likely will end soon.

Hopson has said that services such as clerical work and professional development often are duplicated and that teacher morale and retention is low.

The ASD has argued that colocation gives charter schools time to perfect their models and traditional public schools an opportunity to share resources and best practices.

The district wants to move seventhand eighth-graders at Airways Middle School to Sherwood Middle School, an iZone school; second- through fifth-grade students at Brookmeade Elementary to Lucie E. Campbell Elementary School, also an iZone school; and fourth- and fifth-graders at Spring Hill Elementary School to Keystone Elementary School.

Westwood Elementary would remain co-located with Freedom Prep Elementary next year because no nearby school can accommodate its thirdthrough fifth-grade students.

The iZone expansion effort would be funded by money the district will receive from a newly announced funding settlement with the city, as well as philanthropic and federal money.

Board members said Tuesday that this is the first time they’ve seen a schools closing plan that involves an academic pitch to parents. Board Chairwoman Teresa Jones noted that students who move schools rarely see academic gains.

“We live and die by data,” Jones said.

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BRIEFS& THINGS Southern Education Foundation reaches for Tomeka Hart

The Southern Education Foundation (SEF) has selected Tomeka Hart as vice president of Programs, putting her in position to help the organization with its aim of advancing equity and excellence in education for all students in the South, particularly low income students and students of color.

“Tomeka comes with a strong commitment to the issues we care about and deep knowledge of the region,” said SEF President Kent McGuire. “She carries with her more than 15 years of professional experience as a former local school board member, public school educator, and dedicated community partner working with a broad range of stakeholders to develop the kind of coalitions, strategy, and policy we hope to carry forward at the foundation.”

As the vice president of Programs, Hart will lead and support SEF’s programmatic work to improve student outcomes from early childhood to adulthood, helping the CEO and staff to implement a broad range of advocacy, research, and coalition building activities across the Southern region.

Hart, who serves as the vice president of African American Community Partnerships for Teach for America (TFA), will join the foundation officially Feb. 1.

“For years, I have followed SEF’s work and used many of their reports to inform my own efforts to improve educational equity and opportunity for all students,” said Hart. “I hope to contribute to the continued development of this kind of programming and find new ways to make a difference for vulnerable students from cradle to career across the South.”

BRIEFLY: Mayor A C Wharton Jr. will deliver the annual State of the City address at 11 a.m. on Jan. 29th at the Hattiloo Theatre, 37 South Cooper. Wharton will look back at the challenges and achievements of 2014 and look forward to his administration’s continued focus in 2015 on three key areas: economic development, job creation and workforce development; crime fighting and eliminating blight; and creating a culture of excellence in government.

BRIEFLY: Congressman Steve Cohen has been selected to serve as Ranking Member of the Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee for the 114th Congress.

The post, which Cohen also held for much of the 113th Congress, gives the Congressman broad jurisdiction over constitutional amendments, constitutional rights, Federal civil rights, ethics in government, medical malpractice and product liability, legal reform generally, and relevant oversight over those issues. Cohen was also selected to serve on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, which has jurisdiction over patent and trademark laws, as well as regulation of information technology, Administration of U.S. Courts, Federal Rules of Evidence, Civil and Appellate Procedure, and judicial ethics.

BRIEFLY: The Memphis City Council has approved the appointment of Pamela Z. Clary to the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Board of Commissioners. Clary, who was nominated by City of Memphis Mayor AC Wharton Jr., replaces Ruby Wharton, whose term expired on Dec. 31, 2012. Clary’s term begins immediately and will expire on Dec. 31, 2020. She is the executive vice president and partner for Community Capital, LLC and previously served as deputy director of Finance and deputy director of Housing and Community Development for the City of Memphis.

BRIEFLY: The Collage dance Collective presents “RISE” at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts Downtown at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 25) before taking show to the THEARC Theater in the nation’s capital on Jan. 31st.

“RISE” showcases Collage’s professional company dancers alongside dance stars of tomorrow. Tickets, Cannon Center performance: http://bit.ly/1KZIq6E. For more information: 901-8001873. Visit: www.collagedance. org.

BRIEFLY: Leaders from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will conduct a public hearing at T.O. Fuller State Park on Jan. 27th to gather input and discuss the business and management plan for the park. Time: 6-7:30 p.m.; reception: 5-6 p.m. Location: T.O. Fuller State Park, clubhouse; 1400 Pavilion Dr. For more information: www.tnstateparks.com.

January 22 - 28, 2015

Page 13

COMMUNITY

Analysis of 13-year-old sexual assault kit points to convicted rapist Results highlighted in taskforce monthly report

An aggravated rape that occurred in Memphis in January of 2001 has been linked to a suspect convicted of rape in Jackson, Tenn. through the analysis of a 13-year-old sexual assault kit.

Deputy Chief Jim Harvey’s disclosure of the development came with the release of The Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) Taskforce’s monthly report for January 2015. Mayor A C Wharton Jr. created the taskforce to tackle the city’s bulging inventory of untested kits.

The victim in the 2001 case has been notified that her kit analysis resulted in a match with the man convicted of the Jackson rape in 1985. An indictment could come as early as this week.

Harvey detailed the sexual assault history of the suspect in the 2001 attack.

“He served three years in prison for that (1985) conviction and after release he was arrested again in 1988 for aggravated rape in Jackson, Tenn. The case was not prosecuted. In 1999, he

was arrested yet again for aggravated rape, this time in Memphis. In that case, he was indicted, but not convicted,” Harvey said.

“He did not stop offending, and in 2005 he was convicted of rape in Shelby County and sentenced to seven years. This individual is currently a registered sex offender and on parole for aggravated assault and living in the Nashville area.”

According to the SAK taskforce’s report, 4,892 of the more than 12,000 kits on hand have been analyzed or are at the lab awaiting analysis. As a result of kit testing, Memphis Police Department detectives have initiated 281 investigations, including 105 that are active and 176 that are closed.

Investigations have resulted in 52 indictments of known individuals or their DNA profiles. Of those 52 indict-

ments, 19 rapists have been identified, including 14 believed to be multi-case offenders.

Of the 19 named rapists: ·10 were already incarcerated in prison for other crimes. ·2 were already in jail awaiting trial for other crimes. ·7 were physically arrested on the indictment. The average bond amount is $207k. ·None are at large or fugitives from justice.

Among the 52 indictments the taskforce is reporting are 33 “John Doe” indictments against perpetrators whose identity had not yet been revealed.

However, in recent weeks two of them have been named and are in custody on $250,000 bond each.

All 52 indictments are for aggravated rape, which is a Class A felony punish-

able by up to 60 years in prison.

The taskforce leaders also reported that construction has started on the evidence storage facility that is expected to be completed in May. To fund the SAK testing effort, the City has allocated $4.25 million and the state has given $1 million.

The $512,855 funding gap must be closed before the City can receive the $750,000 challenge grant awarded by Plough Foundation in May of 2014.

Funds now on hand include $12,645 in individual donations made to the Sexual Assault Resource Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis via this link: http://www.cfgm.org/ sexual-assault-resource-fund/.

Sexual assault survivors in need of service can call the Memphis and Shelby County Rape Crisis Center at 901222 4350. Those with a case pending and seeking information can call the MPD Hotline at 901-636-3438.

(To view the SAK taskforce’s monthly report on-line, visit http://www.memphistn. gov/SexualAssaultKitBacklog.aspx.)

ALL FOR LOC

The 57th International Tea – a benefit for The LeMoyne-Owen College was held Jan. 18th at the Alma C. Hanson Student Center on the college’s campus. Pictured (l-r): The Rev. Anthony Henderson, Tea co-chair; LOC President Johnnie B. Watson; and Dr. James L. Netters Sr., Tea chairman. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

The LeMoyne-Owen College Memphis Alumni Chapter hosted the Student Success through Scholarship program on Jan. 18th at the Holiday Inn on Democrat Rd. Jesse Chatman (left), chairman of the MLK Committee, and Jeffrey T. Higgs, alumni chapter president, presented the Lillie Loggins Award to Anita Curry Jackson.

The National Council for Negro Women held its Best Dressed Fashion Show benefit at the Hilton on Ridgeway on Jan. 17th. The NCNW presented The LeMoyne-Owen College with a $4,000 donation.

NAACP announces 2015 Freedom Fund Gala co-chairs Leaders are selected from the Memphis community

Pictured (l-r): Memphis Branch NAACP Executive Madeleine Taylor, Jason Little, Beverly C. Robertson, and the Rev. Keith Norman, president of the Memphis NAACP. (Courtesy photo)

Jason Little, president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health care, and Beverly C. Robertson, a principal at TRUST Marketing & Communications and the recently retired president of the National Civil Rights Museum, will co-chair the Memphis Branch NAACP’s Annual Freedom Fund Gala.

Madeleine Taylor, executive director of the Memphis Branch, announced the 2015 co-chairs at a recent luncheon at Baptist Memorial Healthcare.

“We welcome these distinguished community leaders to our annual fund raising effort. This will be our 39th Annual NAACP Freedom Fund Gala as we celebrate the NAACP and its partnership for change in this community,” said Taylor.

Little was selected as the 2015 corporate co-chair.

“It’s a pleasure and an honor to serve in this capacity for an organization that has such a long history of making sure equality exists in this country and this community, and I am looking forward to serving in such an esteemed capacity this year,” said Little.

Robertson was selected as the 2015 community co-chair.

“It is an honor to be representing this organization and to continue to try to build up this great community that I call home through our efforts with the Memphis Branch NAACP,” said Robertson.

The NAACP has selected leaders from the Memphis community to serve as fundraising co-chairs each year since the Freedom Fund Gala was started in 1977. The interracial chairs represent an effort to cross racial barriers and work for a common cause within the Memphis community.

‘Selma’ unites…

Comrades N Community Inc. invited fifty students of The Memphis Business Academy Charter School to a private viewing of the movie “Selma” on January 16th at the Hollywood Cinema on Stage Road as part of their MLK Holiday Celebration. Afterwards, the students engaged in a Q&A session with area civil rights pioneer Georgia “Mother” King. (Courtesy photo)

SPORTS

The New Tri-State Defender, January 22 - 28, 2015, Page 14

GRIZZ TRACK

Tigers no match for Golden Hurricane The University of Memphis was an underdog going into the Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla. on Wednesday night.

Those predicting a relatively easy victory by the Golden Hurricane were right.

The Tigers (11-7, 4-3) came up 18 points short against Tulsa (13-5, 6-0), losing 73 to 55.

These game notes put the outing in perspective The series With the loss, Memphis now leads the all-time series 23-14.

Despite the setback, the Tigers have won 23 of the last 26 meetings with the Golden Hurricane.

Wednesday’s loss ended the Tigers’ win streak in the series at three straight.

The 18-point Memphis loss was the biggest in the series with Tulsa. The previous largest margin of defeat was 17 points on two occasions (8063 in 1964-65; 64-47 in 196768).

This shot attempt by Toronto’s Kyle Lowry had zero chance of success with Marc Gasol’s paw all over it and Zach Randolph in back-up mode. (Photos: Warren Roseborough) Nick Calathes of the Grizzlies adds to Memphis’ bench-scoring total with this drive to the basket ahead of former Grizz guard Kyle Lowry of the Raptors.

Team view Memphis’ loss is the first regular-season setback in the city of Tulsa since the 197071 season. The Tigers had won their last 11 regular-season games in the city of Tulsa (10 wins over Tulsa; 1 over Oral Roberts).

Memphis’ last setback to the Golden Hurricane in the city of Tulsa came on Jan. 16, 1971 – 44 seasons ago.

Tulsa out-rebounded Memphis 40-36. Memphis is 1-5 when out-rebounded by its opponents this season.

The Tigers had 17 turnovers, the most since they had 19 miscues vs. USC Upstate Dec. 17.

Memphis was 5-for-18 from the three-point arc vs. Tulsa.

It was the 473rd-consecutive game in which the Tigers hit at least one three-pointer. The last time Memphis failed to hit a three-pointer was vs. Alabama in November of 2001.

Zach Randolph, who turned in another workman-like performance against Toronto, puts his shooting touch on display.

Players Avery Woodson grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.

Woodson scored 15 points for his eighth double-figure scoring game of the season.

Avery Woodson hit three three-pointers. It is the 12th time this season that he has hit two or more three-pointers in a game.

Austin Nichols scored 12 points for his 14th double-figure scoring game of the season.

It is his 11th double-digit performance in last 12 games.

Nichols had three blocked shots and went over 100 for his career (102). He has 15 multi-block shot games this season and 27 for his career.

Shaq Goodwin tied a season high with three blocks.

Nichols started his 52ndstraight game Wednesday.

Up next Memphis closes its short two-game road trip at Tulane on Saturday, Jan. 24. Game time is 7 p.m. (CT) at the Smoothie King Center, home of the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. ESPNU is televising the match-up.

Mike Conley (right) of the Grizzlies puts the defensive squeeze on Terrence Ross of the Raptors during Memphis’ 96-82 win at the FedExForum Wednesday night.

Back-to-back sweeps for Southwest

The Southwest men’s and women’s basketball teams continued their strong play in a sweep of both Volunteer State and Motlow State over the weekend at the Verties Sails Gymnasium.

On January 16, LaKyesha Stennis scored 19 points and Keoshia McGhee had another double-double with 18 points, and a career-high 21 rebounds, as the Lady Saluqis defeated Volunteer State 68-65. Down one point at the half, Southwest held Volunteer State to only 27 percent field goal shooting in the second half, and outscored the Lady Pioneers 34-30 after the break.

Stennis scored a season-high 26 points, and Brandi Whitaker had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Lady Saluqis past Motlow State 80-75 on January 17. Southwest outrebounded Motlow State by a 6242 margin, led by McGhee’s 17 boards.

In their most dominating perfor-

mance of the season, the Southwest men defeated Volunteer State 10748 after scoring the first 23 points of the game.

Six players scored in double figures led by Johnathan Burroughs-Cook (17), Rasheed Brooks (15), Jalen McGaughy (14) and Jimario Rivers (13). The leading rebounder was Jalen Blackwell, who grabbed 10 rebounds in only eight minutes.

The final game of the weekend was a battle of two nationally-ranked teams with the 8th-ranked Saluqis defeating 24th-ranked Motlow State 96-74.

Brooks had his best game of the season with 25 points (on seven of 11 field goals, three of five three-pointers, and eight of eight free throws), nine rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and three steals.

In addition to Brooks, several other Saluqis had outstanding games, including Rivers (17 points, six rebounds), Bur-

LaKyesha Stennis roughs-Cook (15 points, seven rebounds), and Dominic Nelson (career-high 13 points, four blocked shots).

This weekend, the Southwest bas-

Rasheed Brooks ketball teams will travel east for conference games at Walters State in Morristown, Tenn., on Jan. 23rd and Roane State in Harriman, Tenn., on Jan. 24th.