VOL. 61, No. 18
Two Section/Inserts
April 26 - May 2, 2012
www.tristatedefender.com
Hit-and-run gives way to frightening run-in with police Internal affairs probes a fatherʼs complaint Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Tony Jones
Hickory Hill resident Dale Robinson and his family have filed a complaint with the Memphis Police Department Internal Affairs division alleging that a patrolman choked Robinson after the officer was dispatched to the Robinsons’ home to
file an official hit-and-run report on behalf of their daughter, Alisha, 18. What the Robinson family alleges in their affidavit are two frightening encounters – one by the motorist who hit the car Alisha Robinson was driving, and the second a deeply disturbing run-in with officers sworn to protect and serve to the best of their abilities. The Robinsons’ affidavit names “officer Barrett, badge #357” and “officer Miller, badge #367.” MPD’s media office has confirmed that the
complaint has been filed and is under investigation. The department maintains a no comment policy on such matters until investigations are fully complete. (The TSD had not obtained the first names of the officers nor their personnel records by the newspaper’s deadline.) The March 24 incident began when the car driven by Alisha Robinson was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the parking lot of the Chick-Fil-A Restaurant at 7072 Winchester. She was able to get the make, model and
license plate number but did not immediately call the police, instead choosing to inform her father after he returned home from fishing. In the complaint, Dale Robinson, who operates a computer sales and service business, states that his daughter’s decision not to report the incident was understandable because of her relative inexperience as a driver. After he was told about what happened, the affidavit states, Dale Robinson called the police non-emergency number and officer Barrett was
Dale Robinson
75 Cents
Alisha Robinson
sent to their home. Claiming he was unnecessarily rude from the beginning, the family asserts that Barrett tried to flip the responsibility on Alisha Robinson, allegedly asking her in a suspicious tone, “What did you back into?” And “Why didn’t you report it earlier?” SEE POLICE ON PAGE 2
Racial profiling is on ‘steroids’ NNPA Washington Correspondent
by Freddie Allen
WASHINGTON – “Well, who are they coming to get now?” That’s what Norman Murray thought as police officers ran in his direction with guns drawn. Murray, a native Washingtonian with a slim build and matted dreadlocks, looked around to see who the cops were chasing through his neighborhood in the Trinidad section of Northeast Washington, D.C. Then the officers started firing questions at him. “Where’s the heroine?” The female police officer barked, “You’re a dread. Where’s the weed at? We know you called somebody to sell some weed. Who did you call?” Murray, who was neither using nor selling marijuana, couldn’t believe what was happening. Before he could make sense of the senseless, another officer snatched the can of ice tea Murray was drinking out of his hand and sniffed it for the scent of alcohol. When there was no hint of alcohol, he tossed the can to the pavement, spilling tea on the sidewalk. Unsatisfied, the officers continued to rifle through his pockets. They found his house keys and tossed them aside, too. They found a cell phone, a bag of M&Ms and $1,000 he had to purchase a money order to pay that month’s rent. No drugs. No alcohol. No reason to take him to jail. Murray watched helplessly as one of the officers stuffed his rent money into his pocket. Murray said they kept his cell phone for a month. It took eight months to get his rent money back, and when he did, Murray said, $250 was missing. “It’s not like they don’t know who sells drugs,” Murray said, recalling the shocking events that took place a little over a year ago. It’s an all too familiar scene played out on the corners of our nation’s most impoverished neighborhoods: African-American men targeted by law enforcement without cause. In his 2010 book, “The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Race, Class, and Crime in America,” Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree found that racial profiling cuts across class and racial divides. Ogletree recounted sto-
Africa in April – 2012…
Yvonne B. Acey, associate director of the Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival, Inc., enjoys the church services held last Sunday (April 22) on the final day of the annual Festival. Dr. David L. Acey Sr. is executive director of the festival, which honored the Republic of Mali this year. See Community, page 7, for an additional photo. (Photo by Warren Roseborough)
Ethnic elders online African-American elders log in for computer fun – and jobs St. Louis American/New America Media
by Rebecca S. Rivas
ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Monsanto YMCA is a place that makes elders get up in the morning. It has the largest population of participating African American seniors of any YMCA in the country. Walk into the gym and a 92-yearold African-American woman is leading a chair-aerobics class to a high-energy rhythm faster than you’ll hear in most regular aerobics classes. She doesn’t skip a beat. Walk into the coffee room and almost every seat has been taken by women playing cards or chatting about their classes. Among them is a water-aerobics instructor – who is also in her 90s. “We call this our country club,” said Mildred Boyd, 81, community
SEE PROFILING ON PAGE 2
MEMPHIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
H- 8 2o - L - 6 4o I so . T-St orms
H- 8 3o - L - 5 6o P a r tl y C l ou dy
H- 7 6o - L - 5 5o Partl y Cl o udy
REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS
Friday H-84 L-65 H-72 L-63 H-84 L-62
Saturday H-82 L-59 H-84 L-54 H-84 L-62
Sunday H-78 L-59 H-72 L-47 H-83 L-60
Moving in…
Ramesses II – the statue – has taken up residence on the campus of the University of Memphis, leaving behind its last home, The Pyramid Arena downtown. The 25-foot-tall, 5,000pound fiberglass likeness of the original became a Memphis fixture in 1991. A dedication ceremony noted the transition. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)
For 76-year-old retiree Pinkie Greer of Memphis, being online helps her stay plugged in. “It keeps me alert and aware of whatʼs going on in the world. You feel good about yourself that you can do these things. You donʼt have to be lonely because you can go online and play games, stay busy.”
organizer for the YMCA. But at this country club, older learners are learning new tricks – and sometimes those new skills are landing them jobs they need these days to supplement their Social Security.
Waiting list for classes
Among the biggest attractions at SEE ONLINE ON PAGE 2
- INSIDE -
• Parents should make time for story time. See Opinion, page 4. • Is the spiritual related to the physical? See Business, page 6.
• Trayvon’s killer is free – for now. See Nation, page 5. • High school voter registration push shifts into high gear. See Community, page 7.
NEWS
Page 2
ONLINE
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
the “country club” are the computer classes for seniors, said Boyd, who coordinates the classes and leads some. Boyd has a waiting list to get into the instructional sessions on Microsoft programs and the Internet, but information-hungry learners would rather watch and listen than wait for a regular slot to open up. On a Friday morning this winter, Boyd looked at the 10 African-American women, who stationed themselves at the computers – a few of them nearing 90. “I’ll tell you something cute,” she said. “I came in this morning and read the roll, and I told them, ‘Not one of you is registered for this class.’” As the registered students filtered in, the class crashers had to give up their seats and sit in chairs near the computers to follow along. “We’re a big lab family,” Boyd said. “We’re not going to run anyone away.”
Octogenarian computer instructor
Boyd retired in 2001 from a career at MERS/Missouri Goodwill Industries where she facilitated job training and employment. But she didn’t stay retired for long. When she joined the YMCA as a retiree in 2002, they mentioned that they were looking for help with their Welfare-to-Work program. “So I joined part of the employment team,” Boyd said with a laugh. The seniors kept telling her that they wanted computer classes. The Monsanto YMCA elders were not alone in their growing interest for computers. Computer use among Americans 65 and older has doubled in the past 10 years, while Internet usage among that age group has more than tripled, according to a 2010 report from the Pew Internet Project. In 2004, Boyd asked the YMCA’s executive director if she could get a computer program started, and he agreed. However, soon after the program got up and going, the woman in charge of the classes – Boyd’s boss – left her position. Boyd couldn’t let down the eager learners, so she held onto the classes by teaching them
PROFILING
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
ries that many prominent African-American leaders shared with him about their experiences. “The examples of it affecting people that were doctors, teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, clergy and other professions was a profound reminder that it’s very widespread and deeply affects our community,” Ogletree said. Professor Ogletree’s book highlights example after example of African-American men who were not engaged in any type of criminal activity yet were still profiled by police. Even Eric Holder, now U.S. attorney general, wasn’t able to avoid a plight experienced every day by African-American men in America. He recalled: “I was a young college student driving from New York to Washington (and was) stopped on the highway and told to open the trunk of my car because the police officer told me he wanted to search it for weapons. I remember, as I got back in the car and continued on my journey, how humiliated I felt, how angry I got.” And he was not alone. A 2008 study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics
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Tri-State Defender
April 26 - May 2, 2012
POLICE
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
“To think that we have lived to learn the technology just like the younger generation,” said 76-year-old retiree Pinkie Greer of Memphis. (Photo by Karanja Ade Mosi Ajanaku) herself. Thankfully someone came to her rescue – a representative from the OASIS Institute, a national nonprofit that provides educational and volunteer opportunities to seniors. In 2011, nationwide enrollment in OASIS technology classes topped 7,700 in 90 locations.
Partnering with OASIS
Boyd worked with OASIS to come up with a program, which is similar to their programs in several other locations around St. Louis. “She was doing it all on her own,” said Sharon Hales, community outreach manager for OASIS. “We were able to provide her with evidence-based curriculum,” that is, a teaching approach that had been tested for its effectiveness. Now Boyd organizes the classes, and every once in a while, when the teacher can’t make it, she will step in and teach what she knows. One of the students, Minnie Hall, 88, started taking classes last fall. Recently, she bought herself a computer so she could practice at home. “I love to try to learn things, and the computer has so many things you would never dream of,” she said. “You don’t get too old to learn, but it’s a slow process.” As often happens when people face a steep learning curve
Although blacks, whites, and Hispanics were stopped by police at similar rates, blacks were three times (12.3 percent) as likely as whites (3.9 percent) and twice as likely as Latinos (5.8) to be searched during a traffic stop.
illustrated the perils of DWB – Driving While Black. Although blacks, whites, and Hispanics were stopped by police at similar rates, blacks were three times (12.3 percent) as likely as whites (3.9 percent) and twice as likely as Latinos (5.8) to be searched during a traffic stop. Blacks were also more likely to “experience the use or threat of force” than other groups. Other studies have shown that stopping more blacks doesn’t stop more crime. “The data on racial profiling is unequivocal and it comes from all across the country,” said David Harris, a professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh and an expert on racial profiling. “When police use race, or ethnic appearance, or religious appearance in this way, they do not become more accurate. In fact they don’t even stay as accurate, they become less accu-
together, the computer students have bonded. Last December, the students pulled together funds to throw a holiday party for the teachers. Many have already taken every class available, and they are now starting to take them all again. However, many, including Hall, just pop in unexpectedly whenever they are in the area. “I enjoy seeing the elderly ladies try to learn,” she said. “It’s the most beautiful thing to happen. As you get older you forget it. They are so sweet to you here.”
From learning to working
While the program started off as a way to connect seniors with their families and technology, it has expanded quite a bit. As more and more seniors are giving up their retirement time to get back in the workforce, Boyd and OASIS have responded by offering tailored job-training skills, Hales said. AT&T, which sponsors the YMCA’s program, is aware of this trend and encourages the organization to offer computer classes that would help. “We all know you don’t just walk in and ask for an application anymore,” Hales said. “More often you fill them out online. We have refocused our rate than police officers and security agents who do not use these practices,” Harris said. More police need to be asking, what makes a person suspicious, said Ronald Davis, Chief of Police for the City of Palo Alto, Calif. “Is it their behavior? Are they engaged in criminal activity? Or, is it because they’re wearing a hoodie and they’re black?” At a recent Senate hearing, Captain Frank Gale, national second vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, scoffed at the idea that racial profiling even exists. Despite admitting that he, too, had been a victim of racial profiling, Gale, who is black, said that racial profiling was just “hyped up by activists, the media and others with a political agenda.” Laura Murphy, director of the Washington, D.C. legislative office for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said the problem extends beyond the black community to other groups such as Latinos, Muslims and Asians. “The only way that we’re going to deal with this is to embrace groups outside the black community,” she said. “We have racial profiling on steroids now. It’s hard out here, even when you’re trying to do the right things.”
program so if you want to go back to work, we can help you do that.” The program helped Patricia Young, 73, who recently obtained a position with Cardinal Ritter High School. When Young started at the YMCA, she didn’t know anything about computers, she said. As a retired dental assistant, Young said her money from Social Security is not paying the bills. Young spoke highly of her OASIS teachers. They took her from not knowing how to turn on a computer to feeling comfortable with the various programs, she explained. “Now I feel I can go out and use those skills,” Young said. “I need to work to help pay these bills. Most jobs you get, they want you to be able to work a computer. This is something I can use and something I really want to do.” (Rebecca Rivas wrote this article as part of the MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellowship, a project of New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America. This is the first article in an ongoing series about how new technology is helping African American seniors in social networking, health, community action and small business. Read the other installments at www.tristatedefender.com.)
The scene then shifted to the outside, where officer Barrett allegedly continued his “nasty tone,” telling the Robinsons that he refused to take the report because it should have been called in when it first happened. Dale Robinson claims he repeated to the officer that he needed the report for insurance purposes. Barrett, said Robinson, then loudly told him to go in the house or he would be taken to jail. Robinson, who maintains that he was willing to comply, said he responded, “Take me to jail for what?” At that point, Barrett called for backup, claiming, according to the complaint, that Robinson was resisting arrest. “Take me to jail for what,” Robinson said he asked repeatedly. “I made no effort to resist and simply was asking WHY?” Matthew Terry, the neighborhood yardman, was cutting grass next door. The Robinsons are among his customers, said Terry in an interview with The New TriState Defender. He described them as a “wonderful” family of four (two daughters), noting that Dale Robinson was an upstanding father known to be out fishing or playing softball on a regular basis. “I was cutting the neighbor’s yard next door. A police car came up and the policeman went into the house. I asked Dale what was going on and he told me about the hit and run. They all went into the house and after a little while all came out and looked at the car,” said Terry. “I was on the up path, so I didn’t hear what was being said, but by the time I got to where I was facing them it looked like they were in a heated argument. “Dale started to go inside when the policeman grabbed him and started manhandling him. He threw him against the car and then threw him to the pavement. The guy had a choke hold on him, but one of Dale’s arms was free. He was holding it out, surrendering, but he couldn’t say anything because of the chokehold. His face was in the pavement,” said Terry. “The policeman told him to put his hands behind his
back, but every time Dale tried to do so the policemen said, ‘What you reaching for? What you reaching for?’ He did this three times.” Terry said it was obvious that Robinson was afraid of what was going to happen to him, and that it seemed like the policeman was afraid too. “Dale’s wife and children were screaming, they thought he (the officer) was killing him. We were all telling him to just lie still.” Soon after Barrett handcuffed Robinson, a second car, driven by officer Miller, pulled up. “He pulled his baton out like he was going to automatically hit somebody,” said Terry. “He saw that Dale was handcuffed, but his wife screaming caught his (Miller’s) attention and he went after her, but she ran up into the garage and he left her alone. One of the neighbors knew him and he told Miller point blank, ‘Miller you wrong!’ We tried to get someone that could hear us with a camera on a phone, but we couldn’t. None of us had one with us.” A second witness to the incident was the Robinsons’ neighbor of eight years, Kenya Robinson (no relation). Dale Robinson was already handcuffed when he got to the scene. “The first officer radioed that he had everything under control, and then maybe two minutes Miller later showed up. He got out of the car holding his baton like he was about to hit Mr. Robinson in the head, but the other officer told him, ‘Hold up, I already have him down,’” said Kenya Robinson. “Mrs. Robinson was steady asking questions, and he kept telling her to get back. She responded that she was in her yard and he cursed her real hard and raised the stick like he was about to hit her. I led her in the house and he said something to me and I said ‘alright man,’ and we went into the house. “Some more officers pulled up, and then Miller broke Mr. Robinson’s eyeglasses with his stick. They were laying right by the mailbox in a hat. The other officers advised Mrs. Robinson that she could talk to a lieutenant or could file charges, if they felt something had been done wrong.”
NEWS
Tri-State Defender
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April 26 - May 2, 2012
Message of hope, persistence headed to University of Mississippi Lecturer was rongfully imprisoned for 38 years
OXFORD, Miss. – In 1970, 14-year-old Barney Brown was arrested on false accusations of raping a woman and robbing her husband. It was the last time for nearly four decades that the Florida teenager would walk free. The next time would be upon his release from prison, finally exonerated, 38 years later. Brown will speak about his 38-year imprisonment – a message he said is one of hope and persistence – at 7 p.m. Tuesday (May 1) at the University of Mississippi as part of the Department of Legal Services Speaker Series. The presentation, which includes a question-and-answer session, is set for Farley Hall, Room 202, and is free and open to the public. “His story is so compelling and it crosses many different areas of interest and disciplines on campus,” said Linda Keena, UM assistant professor of criminal justice. “I’ve asked him to share his story starting from the date he was arrested, including processing through the juvenile court and eventually through the adult court, his life imprisonment and how he stayed focused and utilized the different people that were there to help him survive in an institution.” According to the American Bar Association Journal, Brown was first acquitted of all charges in juvenile court, and the rape victim was unable to identify him as her attacker. In violation of the Constitution’s prohibition of double jeopardy, his case was retried in adult court, where he was found guilty. Although he was offered a lesser sentence for entering a guilty plea, Brown pleaded not guilty. In September 2008, inmate 029663’s plea was finally heard in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court, and Brown was released. “I believe that injustice to anyone is a very serious threat to justice to everyone,” Brown said. “If it can happen to Barney Brown down in Miami, Fla., it surely can happen to someone in Oxford, Miss. I believe it’s a great thing for the American public to know my story – a story of hope and not giving up, and the Constitution and the criminal justice system. “Granted it (the justice system) was a long time in working for me – 38 years – but I believe the system does work. At the very grassroots, students and people studying in the field can make it better for all Americans. A time can come when injustice is wiped out; I strongly believe that it can be.” While in prison, Brown earned his GED a year before his class graduated from high school, completed an associates’ degree, pursued multiple vocational opportunities and even taught other inmates how to read, he said. “The key to my freedom was based in education,” Brown said. “I always felt that because I was wrongly imprisoned, I would someday get out and I wanted to have the education skills to be able to sustain myself on the outside. I was looking forward to a day when I would walk out of prison and be able to apply for jobs. When I got out, I had the skills.” Brown is employed as a paralegal in Dade County, Fla. with the Benedict P. Kuehne Law Firm, the law firm that helped gain his freedom. He presents his story across the United States, is dedicated to aiding children in the system, orients new public defenders in Dade County and is a mentor in the GATE program for juvenile weapons offenders. Keena met Brown at the Alpha Phi Sigma criminal justice honor society’s national conference in March in New York. Brown’s presentation will be beneficial to students, faculty and community members of all interests, including students studying law and paralegal studies, corrections, social work, law enforcement, sociology and psychology, she said. “His compelling story really hits on a lot of different disciplines,” Keena said. “These are the people who are actually going to work on the streets and in the courts and the pris-
ons and in the community. By attending, students and faculty can see the theories and procedures discussed in the classroom applied to this case and this life.” Heather Conlon, a criminal justice graduate student from Georgia, also heard Brown speak in New York, and urges others to attend the campus event.
“It opened my eyes,” Conlon said. “His story is very moving – he never gave up when he was imprisoned for more than 30 years. It makes you realize that everyone in prison isn’t guilty. You just have to have faith that the justice system is going to do what it’s supposed to do.” Brown said he will speak on all topics surrounding his jour-
ney to freedom, from being a juvenile in an adult prison, his supportive family and the benefits of education to his current endeavors in Dade County and his belief that hope, positive thinking and persistence conquer all. “I’m going to share my fight for justice,” Brown said. “When I first came to prison, I said, ‘This place is designed to destroy a man, but I’m not going to allow it to destroy me. I’m going to take everything
that is positive and good in prison and I’m going to leave all the negative and bad in prison.’ I believe if one persists, he will succeed whatever his goals are, and I hope I can bring that message to the students.” (For more information on the Department of Legal Studies and the School of Applied Sciences, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/depts./appliedsciences.)
Barney Brown – then and now
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OPINION
Tri-State Defender
April 26 - May 2, 2012
John H. Sengstacke Publisher (1951 - 1997)
The Mid-Southʼs Best Alternative Newspaper
A Real Times Newspaper
• Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher • Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor
Make time for story time Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Tarrin McGhee
(The New Tri-State Defender has partnered with The Urban Child Institute to make sure every child has the best chance for optimal brain development during the critical first three years of each child’s life. This is one in a series of stories and columns in our campaign.)
Everyone is familiar with the “three Rs”: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. This phrase has long been used to describe the essential components of education – the three skill areas that all subsequent learning is built upon. But there is another phrase that we wish were just as familiar: Touch, Talk, Read, Play, or TTRP. These represent the most important activities that parents share with their babies and toddlers, and when it comes to learning, they are just as important as the three Rs. According to The Urban Child Institute, the way that a baby’s brain develops means that early experiences like these have a remarkable influence on later abilities and achievement. During the first three years of life, the brain is wiring itself, creating the connections and networks that support all future development. Efficient connections depend on early positive experiences. Touch, Talk, Read and Play promote early language, emotional, and social skills that contribute to school readiness. The more that children are read to, for instance, the more likely they are to excel in school. Research has also established a link between academic performance in school and the amount of words that a child hears from birth to age three. In other words, long before a child masters reading, writing, and arithmetic, the foundation for these later skills is already being constructed. Without early shared experiences
centered around TTRP, a child is likely to have difficulty when it’s time for the three Rs. It’s never too soon for parents to begin equipping their young children with the basic tools that Tarrin will help them McGhee succeed in school and throughout life. Even in infancy, shared book reading is associated with later language skills. Babies benefit from hearing a larger variety of words than they hear in parents’ everyday speech, and also from the physical and emotional closeness of sharing a book together. Between a child’s first and second birthdays, his ability to comprehend and communicate begins to flourish. Shared reading builds his vocabulary, stimulates his imagination, and teaches concepts like cause and effect. Incorporating story time into a child’s daily or nightly routine is a simple way that parents can help to chart the course for future success and minimize learning challenges that far too many students experience. Even if you do not have children of your own, you can do your part to ensure that all young children in our community have an equal chance to succeed. Take advantage of volunteer opportunities to read to a classroom, or donate books to a school or childcare center that needs them. A small act of kindness is all it takes to make a big difference. Every child is different, and every family has its own parenting style and daily routines. But shared reading is a positive activity that benefits all children. Noted author Dr. Seuss said it best: “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”
WEB POSTS
From our online readers at www.tristatedefender.com
Aviation careers in sight for Wooddale’s ‘fly boys’ Edition: April 19-25, 2012
(Wooddale High School seniors Darius Hooker and Wesley Carter graduate on May 13, and at the same time, each will earn his pilot license. The two “fly boys” – as they are called – are members of the Wooddale Rocket Team, a group of students in the school’s aviation program, which introduces them to aerospace careers. Wooddale’s aviation team has been invited to compete as a finalist in the 2012 Team America Rocketry Challenge in
Washington D.C. on May 12.)
POST: Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!!! Mr. Hooker, Mr. Carter, Mr. (Jeff) Holms (school instructor, pilot, and director of Wooddale’s aviation program) and the cadre of Wooddale supporters. I commend you for your successes to date and I hope to see many more accomplishments in the future! I have participated in aviation career activities at many MCS schools via OBAP and your achievements serve as motivation to return again and again. To further support your endeavors I will contact the school…to offer financial support for your upcoming competition. Again Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! You are off to an amazing start.
FACEBOOK FAN OF THE WEEK Kelly D. Price
Kelly D. Price is retired from the U.S. Army. He and his wife, Starlette Price, have five children and two grandchildren. He is the CEO of Networking in Memphis and FireWolf web design Revolutionary Marketing. A graduate of The Lemoyne-Owen College, Price – although not originally from Memphis – has adopted the city as his home and has committed to making it a better place through his Networking in Memphis events and outreach. His favorite quote is, “Be wise in the use of time. The question in life is not how much time do we have? The question is what shall we do with it.” Said Price: “We only but have a blink of an eye and life is over.” Price and Networking in Memphis is currently working with The New Tri-State Defender to launch a new “Lunch and Learn” Series at African-American owned restaurants throughout the city. Thanks Kelly for being a good partner and a part of the TSD Facebook family!
Tri-State Defender Platform
1. Racial prejudice worldwide must be destroyed. 2. Racially unrestricted membership in all jobs, public and private. 3. Equal employment opportunities on all jobs, public and private. 4. True representation in all U.S. police forces. 5. Complete cessation of all school segregation. 6. Federal intervention to protect civil rights in all instances where civil rights compliance at the state level breaks down
DISTRIBUTION: Tri-State Defender is available at newsstands, street sales, store vendors, mail subscription and honor boxes throughout the Greater Memphis area. No person may, without prior written permission of the Tri-State Defender, reprint any part of or duplicate by electronic device any portion without written permission. Copyright 2012 by Tri-State Defender Publishing, Inc. Permission to Publisher, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Back copies can be obtained by calling the Tri-State Defender at (901) 523-1818, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Staying at home is a luxury AfricanAmerican women cannot afford
When Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen said that Ann Romney had “never worked a day in her life,” Romney behaved as if she had just hit the lottery. She smugly made the media rounds talking about how hard it was for her to raise her five sons. And she’s right. Stay at home moms work extremely hard to cook, clean, run a shuttle for their children and their various activities, participate in school activities such as “Room Mom” and “Cookie Mom.” How do I know, having never had chick or child? A very dear friend, a Harvard-educated lawyer, has been mostly home with her children, one of whom is my godson, for the past decade or so, and it shows. I digress. Hilary Rosen misspoke when she said Ann Romney had never worked. What she could have said is that Ann Romney never needed to work in the paid labor market. Even when Mitt Romney was in graduate school, they survived by living on the returns from their investments, according to them. So it isn’t that Ann Romney never worked, it is simply that she was never forced to. This entire conversation is a blast from the past, reminiscent of articles that I wrote in the 1980s. Even then this was a mostly white women’s conversation since few AfricanAmerican women have or are married to the kind of wealth that would allow them to stay home. Conservative, stay-home moms often say that people have to make sacrifices to stay at home, perhaps cutting out luxuries such as restaurant meals and extra clothing. But unless food is a luxury, there are African-American women who are in the labor market simply because they have no choice. The official unemployment rate among African Americans is 14 per-
cent. The actual rate is more like 26 percent, and in many inner cities the AfricanAmerican male unemployment rate is nearly 50 percent. This is a burden to AfricanAmerican women who often don’t Julianne have the economMalveaux ic assistance they need to raise a family. As a result of this burden, nearly 40 percent of African-American children live in poverty, too often supported by a single mom (more than 40 percent of African-American households are headed by women). While there is a group of African American stay-at-home moms called Mocha Moms, and there is little data to suggest the size of the African American stay-at-home mom population, it is clear that historically, African-American women had no choice but work. I am not invoking ancient history when I reference the women who, as maids, were paid to take better care of their employer’s children than they could possibly take of their own. And often when paid, used clothes and leftover food substituted for cash. Patriarchal tradition kept white women home, while white men were paid a “family wage” that was, by definition, enough to support a whole family. Such patriarchal tradition was not economically present in the African-American community. Few African-American men were paid a family wage, but instead something like a subsistence wage. Women needed to work to help keep the family together.
Until the late 1980s, the labor force participation of African-American women exceeded that of white women, which means that proportionately more of us were working. African-American women’s earnings often make the difference between poverty and comfort for their families. Mommy wars? Give me a break. Let’s talk about survival wars. Even those African-American families who have been blessed with higher education and “good jobs” are well aware that African Americans are “last hired, first fired”. Too many so-called middle class families are a paycheck or two away from poverty. Last time I checked, African-American households had only two percent of our nation’s wealth, hardly a cushion to fall back on, with few investment returns to live on when no one is working. April 17 was Equal Pay Day, which counts the extra days women have to work to earn as much as a man did last year. This hits women of all races, but it may hit AfricanAmerican women harder. We can only laugh and shake our heads at Hilary Rosen’s faux pas and Ann Romney’s smugness. We working African-American women, stay at home or in the paid labor force understand that “life for us ain’t been no crystal stair”. Educated or uneducated, middle class or working class, the labor market has never been a level playing field for African-American women, and our salaries show it. Mommy wars? We fight survival wars in the workplace and in this economy.
(NNPA columnist Julianne Malveaux is president of Bennet College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.)
How you say what you say is a skill taking on new meaning
The skill with which we use language ultimately determines whether freedom’s song is sung in perfect harmony. Healing words can create openings for real dialogue, but hurtful words can close down a dialogue. In the global economy, citizenship carries with it a new responsibility: We must build strategic vocabularies and create purposeful action plans. We need to do more than vote. Each of us must help manage political conflicts, challenge biases and constantly seek the higher ground. Below are a few ideas to ponder in this election season:
Choose words wisely
Use a vocabulary that can create conversational openings. For example, say, “Help me to explore this issue through your cultural lens.” Use polite, affirming and inclusive language. Look for an opportunity to say, “I see your point” or “That’s an interesting perspective.” In crucial dialogues, replace the word “you” and “them” with the words “we” and “us.” Let go of loaded language that shuts down meaningful dialogue. Avoid words such as “racists” and “bigots.”
Challenge your biases
laboration and new knowledge.
Seek out positive information about groups that you may view in a negative light. For example, if you think women are catty, then Linda S. make a mental Wallace note every time you see women demonstrating supportive and nurturing behaviors. Unless you consciously look for behaviors or facts that contradict your beliefs, your blind spots might keep you from seeing the world as it is.
Be a team player
Accept disagreement
Let go
If you believe your views are the only ones with legitimacy, then you restrict growth for yourself and your community. A diversity of views is problematic only when there is a skills gap. We should handle tensions so they do not impair our ability to make evidencebased decisions. We must accept that there are many ways to view issues, and each perspective may offer a path to col-
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Mail subscriptions to the Tri-State Defender are available upon request. One Year, $30.00; Two Years, $55.00. Domestic subscriptions must be addressed to: Subscriptions, Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. Delivery may take one week. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tri-State Defender, 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN. 38103. GENERAL INFORMATION: Any and all inquiries can be made in writing, by calling (901) 523-1818 or by e-mail. TELEPHONE: (901) 523-1818 Fax: (901) 578-5037.
Hard work and good intentions will not bridge political and cultural divisions. Each of us needs to develop new competencies to support diverse views. We must audit our actions, language and beliefs and make regular adjustments. We must empathize with others and respond accordingly. We must be patient with those who were taught to be prejudiced. We must become culturally agile and able to see through one another’s eyes. We must monitor and control our emotions so we can effectively participate in crucial conversations. The anger, hatred and prejudices that reside within us can destroy us over time. When we let go of them, we free ourselves from a prison that restricts our creativity and keeps us locked up in the past. (Linda S. Wallace can be reached at theculturalcoach@aol.com. For more information, visit, www.theculturalcoach.com.)
E-MAIL: Editorial e-mail (press releases, news, letters to editor, etc.): editorial@tri-statedefender.com; Display advertising e-mail (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): advertising@tri-statedefender.com; Classified advertising e-mail (ads, advertising price requests, etc.): classifieds@tri-statedefender.com; Subscription/Circulation e-mail (subscriptions, subscription price requests, etc.): subscriptions@tristatedefender.com; Production e-mail (technical questions/specs, etc.): production@tri-statedefender.com. The Tri-State Defender (USPS 780-220) is published weekly by Tri-State Defender Publishing Co., 203 Beale Street, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103. Second Class postage paid at Memphis, TN.
Tri-State Defender
NATION
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Trayvon’s killer free – for now Bond hearing raises questions NNPA News Service
by George E. Curry WASHINGTON – George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., was released from jail on bond shortly after midnight Monday (April 23) morning and left for an undisclosed destination. Zimmerman, who wore a brown jacket and blue jeans, was fitted with an electronic monitoring device before being released. He was carrying a bag as he left the facility with an unidentified man in a white BMW, according to news reports. During a court hearing last Friday, Zimmerman’s bond was set at $150,000 bond. Because he had to put up 10 percent of that amount, only $15,000 was required to secure his release Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder and had been held in custody at Seminole County Jail in Sanford after being arrested 45 days after the Feb. 26 incident. Police questioned Zimmerman after the shooting of the unarmed teenager, but released him after Zimmerman claimed to be acting in self-defense. Florida is one of more than 20 states that have enacted Stand Your Ground laws that give broad protection to citizens who feel their life is being threatened. It was only after widespread protests, many led by students, Al Sharpton and other civil rights leaders, that a special prosecutor was appointed by the governor. The prosecutor skipped impaneling a grand jury and filed the second-degree murder charge against Zimmerman. Attorneys for Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, have argued that Zimmerman was the aggressor, following the youth on a rainy Sunday night after being instructed by a police dispatcher not to trail the teenager. On one tape of a call Zimmerman made to police the night of Feb. 26, the dispatcher specially told Zimmerman not to follow the teen. He replied, “Okay,” but pursued him anyway. After a physical confrontation, Zimmerman pulled his 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol and fatally shot Martin once in the chest. While being questioned by
his attorney Friday, Zimmerman apologized to M a r t i n ’s parents, who were in attendance at the bond hearing. George “I wantZimmerman ed to say I am sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little b i t younger than I am, Trayvon and I did Martin not know if he was armed or not,” Zimmerman said. However, that directly contradicts what Zimmerman, 28, said on police tapes. There was this exchange: Dispatcher: How old would you say he looks? Zimmerman: … late teens. Dispatcher: Late teens, OK. Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, said Monday on “CBS This Morning” that Zimmerman would not have apologized to the Martin family Friday if O’Mara had known the family felt it was the wrong time. The nationally-televised bond hearing raised as many questions as it answered. Supporters of Trayvon were disappointed that Dale Gilbreath, one of the state’s lead investigators, performed so poorly on the witness stand. An affidavit of probable cause, signed by Gilbreath and another investigator, T.C. O’Steen, stated: “Zimmerman confronted Martin and a struggle ensued.” Under questioning by defense attorney O’Mara, the investigator acknowledged that he did not know who initiated the fight. Gilbreath was also
unable to defend his assertion that Zimmerman had profiled Trayvon. For tactical reasons, prosecutors typically try to disclose as little information as possible during pre-trial proceedings, such as a bond hearing. However, because the state requested that Zimmerman’s bond be set at $1 million, they were expected to make a stronger showing in court. The defense requested a bond of $15,000, which is the amount he ultimately paid to secure his release. The decision to put Zimmerman on the stand at his bond hearing could later be problematic for the defense. If a decision is made to not let Zimmerman take the stand at his murder trial, some jurors may hold that against him, though the judge will certainly instruct them not to infer anything from that decision. Until his trial, Zimmerman will be out on bond but will have his whereabouts monitored via satellite by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. imposed a 7 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew on Zimmerman, lifted his passport, and said he cannot have access to guns or alcohol, and must not have any contact with Trayvon’s family. A GPS tracking device will be used to monitor his movements. The teen’s parents placed a ‘‘Card of Thanks” advertisement in the Miami Herald’s obituary page on Sunday. In the ad is a photograph of Trayvon wearing a hoodie, a garment he was wearing when he was killed. The parents said they “wish to express their heartfelt appreciation for all your words of encouragement, your peaceful rally support, the millions who signed petitions, poems, painting, music, video tributes, monetary gifts to our defense fund (Wepay.com) and all other acts of kindness shown to them during this difficult time.” (George E. Curry is NNPA Editor-in-Chief.)
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BUSINESS
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Tri-State Defender
April 26 - May 2, 2012
ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY
A conversation with Rev. Gary Faulkner
Is the spiritual related to the physical? In the ecumenical world, the Rev. Gary Faulkner, pastor of Cummings Street Missionary Baptist Church located at 8800 Winchester Rd., is a pack leader when it comes to fitness and supplements. He’s a client of LP Fitness, whose owner/operator, Leonard Peques, was in our spotlight last week on sportsrelated businesses. Pastor Faulkner not only leads one of the largest congregations in the city, he is also a distributor of AdvoCare®. Carlee McCullough, Esq.: Tell us about yourself. Rev. Gary Faulkner: I am a native Memphian and I’ve been pastoring for about 17 years.
Color us Bleu…
Andrea Fenise and crew were among 100-plus celebrants who helped open the patio at Bleu Restaurant and Lounge for the summer and launch a series of “Retro on the Patio” parties. After last weekʼs Rat Pack style opening, the backdrop shifts to the funky 70ʼs this Thursday (April 26), with party time again from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Bleu at 221 South Third, across from the FedExForum. (Photo by Darriel Photography)
MONEY MATTERS
Where there’s a will, there’s a way
When U.S. congressman and former entertainer Sonny Bono died in a skiing accident in 1998, he died intestate – without a valid will. More than a decade later, his heirs were still contesting his estate. Other famous people who died intestate include Abraham Lincoln, Pablo Picasso and Howard Hughes. This situation is not unusual; only 35 percent of Americans have a will. If you have a will, you’ve taken an important step to help ensure that your assets are distributed as you wish, but it’s also important to update your will regularly as circumstances change. If you don’t have a will, you’re risking unwanted outcomes and potential problems for your heirs. Although it’s natural to feel uncomfortable about estate planning, a will might make a big difference for those you love.
Making your own choices
A will enables you to specify not only which assets you want to give and to whom, but also who you want to administer your estate. It may be the most appropriate way to designate guardians for minor children or for adult children with special needs. Any parent of children who need care should have a will, regardless of financial assets. If you die without a valid will, the state may decide how your assets will be distributed. Typically, assets would go to the spouse and children, but state laws vary widely, and there are different distribution formulas. When the deceased dies intestate and leaves no spouse or children, the situation becomes more complicated. Having a will does not avoid probate, the legal process by which assets are distributed. However, a will might make probate more efficient and less expensive. A will is a good start in estate planning. Here
are some other documents to consider: • Beneficiary designations for life insurance policies, IRAs, 401(k) plans, and similar accounts generally supersede a will, so it’s important to keep them upto-date. • A living will specifies your wishes for medical care Charles Sims in the event that you become incapable of making or comJr., CFP municating those wishes. • A power of attorney authorizes someone of your choosing to make financial or medical decisions on your behalf. • A trust enables you to specify how assets are distributed after your death and may help avoid probate and estate taxes. Even if you have a trust, you should have a will. The use of trusts involves a complex web of tax rules and regulations. You should consider the counsel of an experienced estate-planning professional and your legal and tax advisors before implementing such strategies. It may be difficult to think about estate planning issues while trying to manage the many challenges of daily life. However, documenting your preferences now could make a big difference for your heirs and help ensure that your legacy is handled according to your wishes. (Charles Sims Jr. is President/ CEO of The Sims Financial Group. Contact him at 901682-2410 or visit www.SimsFinancial Group.com. The information in this article is not intended to be tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek tax or legal advice from an independent professional advisor.)
C.M.: What made you commit to becoming physical fit? Rev. Faulkner: I used to do about six worship services on Sunday and realized I needed to take better care of myself. I started being very mindful of my health and working out. I was taught that every hour in the gym equals one less day in the hospital. In my line of work, I am concerned about not only my health but the health of my members as well. It is hard to serve God when you are sick. Now I have more of a holistic ministry, which includes eating right and diet, getting the proper rest, and consuming AdvoCare® supplements.
C.M.: How hard was it to commit to the process? Rev. Faulkner: It actually happened in several phases. The first phase for me was the exercise phase. When I realized the importance of taking care of myself I was committed to not contributing to anything that was harmful to my own health and future. Once I made up my mind it was just a matter of following through. The second phase was the diet portion. Overnight my diet changed. I made up in my mind that I was only going to put into my body that which belonged. I made a true lifestyle change. My change was so radical that my son, who will be graduating from college this year, saw me and my diet and said, “Hey dad, I want to try your diet.” This was without my pressuring him. C.M.: What would your daily food intake look like? Rev. Faulkner: I start the day with my AdvoCare® supplements. I do an AdvoCare® meal replacement shake and have breakfast of brown rice and grilled chicken. For lunch I will have a salad. Later on I will have some fruit, almonds and a smoothie. For dinner I may have grilled chicken or lean beef, broccoli, and baked sweet potatoes. There are three major components to my program: exercise,
diet, and supplements.
Carlee McCullough
C.M.: What would you say is most responsible for your success in building your body? Rev. Faulkner: I am always in contact with someone in the hospital or conducting a funeral. Seeing it up close and personal, I wanted to be a positive contributor in the lives of my people. Not only do I want my people spiritually well, I want them well physically. My fitness gives me a cutting edge when I talk. Eat right, exercise and take your supplements. I can say these things because I am doing them. I know what works.
C.M.: What was the most difficult part? Rev. Faulkner: The most difficult has been diet. You have to prepare ahead of time. It is not the temptation of wanting something outside of the meal plan. But you have to prepare in advance. When you do not plan ahead, that is when you want to grab something quickly. I have to put thought into it daily. Rev. Gary Faulkner
C.M.: Were there any products that you used in the transformation? What did those products do for you? R.F.: I talk about Advocare® – not because it is the only one, but because this is what I use. You can go to www.FaulknerNutrition.com and purchase the products that I use.
C.M.: Is the spiritual related to the physical? Rev. Faulkner: Yes we are more than just physical. It is a trinity. We have our bodies, minds, and our spirits. We are a trilogy and they play off of each other. The better I feel, the better I can serve. It is hard to serve God when you are sick. There is a direct connection to a person’s health and their spirituality. C.M.: Do you have any closing words that you would like to share with us? C.M.: Thank you for this opportunity. I just want folks healthy and I believe that I can be a catalyst for that. I want people to make it to heaven. But I want people as well and fit as possible while they are here on earth. (Contact Carlee McCullough, Esq., at 5308 Cottonwood Road, Suite 1A, Memphis, Tenn. 38118, or email her at jstce4all@aol.com.)
COMMUNITY
Tri-State Defender
CommunityLIFT micro-grants surprise – and please – winners Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Tarrin McGhee
The recipients didn’t know what was coming, but they could not have been more pleased, even with advance notice. On Monday (April 23) Community LIFT awarded nine micro-grants to support community improvement projects in three neighborhoods that the organization has selected for comprehensive redevelopment. Three winners each from South Memphis, Binghampton and Frayser communities were surprised by the announcement made at a reception and program dubbed for finalists by Community LIFT. It was an attempt to keep the winners a secret until the grants were awarded. “It was a very competitive application process, and we wanted to do something fun to notify the winners,” said Eric Robertson, president of Community LIFT. “The individuals and organizations who received the Uplift grants were all chosen for having innovative projects that will make a substantive impact in their communities once implemented.” The grants are intended to enhance small-scale projects that support placed-based, grassroots community action activities; and promote neighborhood pride, cultural history, healthier living, sustainability, educational exposure, community peace and unity. In February of this year, Community LIFT issued a request for proposals to community development corporations, neighborhood associations, community-based organizations, teachers, principals, and individuals within the South Memphis, Binghampton and Frayser communities. Uplift grant winners include: Historic Broad Avenue Business Association; Binghampton resident Susan
Community LIFT awarded nine micro-grants to support community improvement projects in three neighborhoods, with three winners each from the South Memphis, Binghampton and Frayser communities. (Courtesy photo) Kizzee; Give Youth a Chance; Fresh Start Life Inc.; Baby Feat; Lifeline to Success; Communities of Shalom; Venezia Spencer (teacher at Booker T. Washington High School); and Michele Mason (principal at Carver High School). The projects that the Uplift grant recipients are leading address a variety of community needs and concerns. Among them, blighted homes will be painted along Sam Cooper, a new community garden will soon sprout in Binghampton, a book club and mentoring program for juvenile offenders will be established in Frayser, and field training for cosmetology students and assistance with job readiness will be provided to South Memphis residents. “I was very encouraged and excited after receiving the Uplift grant,” said Minister Derek Flake, Founder of Fresh Start Life Inc. – a non-profit organization focused on improving literacy rates among urban youth in Frayser, and helping them to make positive life choices. “The funds provide an opportunity to help prove the credibility of our organization and to build upon it,” Flake said. Community LIFT was created on
A “Top Ladies” salute…
November 10, 2010 as a local community development intermediary to fill the void of scaled, comprehensive neighborhood redevelopment. The organization serves as a clearinghouse to aggressively pursue access to and gain the trust of wider capital and political markets, with the purpose of channeling funding from public and private sources to make sound investments in resourcepoor neighborhoods and community development organizations. Community LIFT is the only intermediary of its kind in the city of Memphis. Ashley Cash, program officer, said the Uplift grant initiative, sponsored by Regions Bank, was designed to provide project funding to grassroots groups, community organizations, and individuals that would otherwise find it difficult to obtain financial support. “There are a lot of really great people working to do some great things in their neighborhoods who often confront challenges to getting their projects off of the ground,” said Cash. “We know that the individuals that we have selected will put the funds to good use.”
The New Tri-State Defender President/Publisher Bernal E. Smith II was among those honored for excellent community service during the Top Ladies of Distinction, Incorporatedʼs Ladies Choice Awards Luncheon last Saturday (April 21). Presenting the honors were Lady Yvonne H. Osborne (right), PhD, president, and Lady Rhonda Lambert Treadwell, luncheon chairperson. (Photos by Tyrone P. Easley)
Ladies by choice…
The Top Ladies of Distinction, Incorporated Memphis Charter was out in force for the groupʼs annual banquet at the Memphis Marriott East.
Let’s connect…
Dexter Haygood – one of the finalists from televisionʼs “The X Factor” – reaches out toward the Africa in April, Cultural Awareness Festival, Inc. crowd that came ready to enjoy. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)
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April 26 - May 2, 2012
BRIEFS & THINGS Deltas to host Scholarship Breakfastand Silent Auction
Twelve Shelby County high school students will receive a 2012 Bettye Donahue Scholarship sponsored by the Shelby County (TN) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at the 2nd annual “Hats for Bettye Scholarship Breakfast and Silent Auction” on Saturday (April 28) at Appling Banquet Manor at 1755 Appling Road in Cordova. The recipients are: Tiereny Calvin, Terrica Dixon, Jerelyn Carmichael, Brandon Hooks, Alisha Nicks, Alexandria Miller, Adrianne Miller, Kailyn Townsend, Gerricka Woods, Marian Glass, Steven Johnson, and Simone Hawkins. The scholarship’s namesake, Bettye Donahue, enjoyed a 30-year teaching career with Memphis City Schools and served as president of the Memphis Education Association. She is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and played an integral role in chartering the Shelby County (TN) Alumnae Chapter. For more information contact Dr. Sheila Flemming-Hunter at flemminghunter@comcast.net or 901.871.2813.
‘Next steps’ for schools on town hall agenda for May 1
School Board Commissioner Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr. will host the 2nd annual countywide town hall meeting for teachers, parents, students and community stakeholders on Tuesday (May 1) at 6 p.m. The meeting is to receive input so that “next steps” can be taken to “reclaim our schools for every child in Shelby County.” Free popcorn will be provided for children. The New Olivet is located at 3084 Southern Ave. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
Local Democrats plan resource center opening
The Tennessee Democratic Party will host the grand opening and Ribbon Cutting for the West Tennessee Democratic Resource Center on Saturday (April 28), with the opening at 1 p.m. and the ribbon cutting at 2 p.m. The special guests are Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Congressman Steve Cohen. The center is located at 3294 Poplar Ave., Suite 310. Attendees are asked to donate office supplies to help operate the new regional resource center. The sponsors are: A & R Bar-B-Que, Cooper Hotels, Ryan Properties, and Wharton. BRIEFLY: Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell will deliver the commencement address to Southwest Tennessee Community College’s Class of 2012 on May 5, at 10:30 a.m. at the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss. BRIEFLY: Victory University conducted its first internal United Way Drive last December, with a first year campaign goal of $2,000. An total of $10,257.00 was reached by early spring. President Shirley Robinson Pippins recently presented the campaign results to the United Way of the Mid-South. The United Way also presented an award to Victory University for outstanding organizational achievement and commitment in support of the 2011 campaign for United Way of the Mid“South. BRIEFLY: The next Transition Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday (April 26) at 5 p.m. This meeting will be at the Memphis & Shelby County Construction Code Enforcement Office in the large conference room, 6465 Mullins Station Road. For more information, visit www.ourvoiceourschools.org.
High school voter registration push shifts into high gear It’s billed as the 1st Annual Citywide High School Voter Registration and it is scheduled for Friday (April 27) from 11:30 am to 2:30 p.m. The drive links the River City Chapter Of The Links, Incorporated; the Memphis Alumnae Chapter Of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; the Shelby County Tennessee Alumnae Chapter Of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; Stand For Children; Epsilon Phi Chapter Of Omega Psi Phi; Rainbow Push; the Memphis Branch NAACP; the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals; and the Memphis Alumni Chapter Of Kappa Alpha Psi, Incorporated. Volunteers are being sought, with an optional training session for volunteers to be conducted by the Election Commission on Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Email your name, email, phone number and the school where you would like to volunteer to iamavoter2012@gmail.com. Here are the voter registration sites: Adolescent Parenting Program 205 N. Claybrook Street, 38107 416-4412 Booker T. Washington High 715 S. Lauderdale, 38126 416-7240 Carver High 1591 Pennsylvania, 38109 416-7594 Central High 306 S. Bellevue, 38104 416-4500 Cordova High School 1800 Berryhill Rd., 38118 416-4540 Craigmont High 3333 Covington Pike, 38128 416-4312 Douglass High 3200 Mt Olive Rd, 38108 416-0990 East High 3206 Poplar, 38111 416-6160 Fairley High 4950 Fairley, 38109 416-8060 Frayser High 1530 Dellwood, 38127 416-3880 Hamilton High 1363 Person, 38106 416-7838 Hillcrest High 4184 Graceland, 38116 416-3104 Hollis F. Price Middle College 807 Walker Ave., 38126 435-1765 Kingsbury High 1270 N. Graham, 38122 416-6060 Kirby High 4080 Kirby Parkway, 38115 416-1960
Manassas High 781 Firestone, 38107 416-3244 Martin Luther King Transition Center 620 S. Lauderdale, 38126 416-7320 MCS Prep - Northeast 968 N. Mendenhall, 38122 416-2132 MCS Prep - Northwest 1266 Poplar, 38104 416-4400 MCS Prep - Southeast 5396 Mendenhall Square Mall, 38115 794-3744 MCS Prep - Southwest 1234 College Street, 38106 416-7884 Melrose High 2870 Deadrick, 38114 416-5974 Memphis Adult High 703 S Greer, 38111 416-4840 Memphis Health Careers Academy 80 W. Olive, 38106 416-1950 Middle College High 750 E. Parkway S., 38104 416-4550 Mitchell High 658 Mitchell, 38109 416-8174 Northside Alternative Center 1212 Vollintine Avenue, 38107 416-9838 Northside High 1212 Vollintine, 38107 416-4582 Oakhaven High 3125 Ladbrook, 38118 416-2300 Overton High 1770 Lanier, 38117 416-2136 Raleigh-Egypt High 3970 Voltaire, 38128 416-4108 Ridgeway High 2009 Ridgeway, 38119 416-8820 Sheffield High 4315 Sheffield, 38118 416-2370 Trezevant High 3350 Trezevant, 38127 416-3760 Westwood High 4480 Westmont, 38109 416-8000 White Station High 514 S. Perkins, 38117 416-8880 Whitehaven High 4851 Elvis Presley, 38116 416-3000 Wooddale High 5151 Scottsdale, 38118 416-2440
RELIGION
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Tri-State Defender
April 26 - May 2, 2012
LIVING THE LIFE I LOVE
Hey tiger, let go of my livelihood
Dear Lucy: During the last year I lost my job and had to really tighten my belt financially. However, I have also gained 20 pounds. I tried dieting, it doesn’t work. The more I worry about money, the bigger I get! What’s up with that? I feel like a fat, guilty, out of work slob. – CY
Dear CY: Lately, I noticed that the two most popular self-help topics are dieting and making or saving money. I think they are actually two sides of the same coin. Dieting and finding money can both be related to scarcity thinking...the idea or belief that there is not enough. Not enough food, not enough money, not enough love, not enough work; just “not enough!” When we set up a budget, we can choose to budget to scarcity thinking, “I have to deprive myself of what I really want because I don’t have enough money.” So the whole time we are on this budget it’s all about what we don’t or can’t have. Alternatively, we could choose to
budget to a goal with a clear purpose or what I call intention and motive. For example, “my goal is to expend my resources at this particular level so that I can create a particular level of surplus that will Lucy allow me to learn Shaw the skill of discipline, create greater financial freedom, faithfully pay my creditors according to my ability to pay and increase my giving to my church.” Here you have a goal, a purpose and a motive that you can measure and feel good about. Now that sounds a little more complex than “I only make $100 and my bills are $200 so I have to do without, blah, blah, blah.” It is the difference between avoiding something and approaching something. While having an income that does not cover our ex-
penses (for whatever reason) is scary, dodging creditors and being angry, resentful or ending up in despair is also ugly! So what does this have to do with putting on weight? A basic survival need is eating. Our brains are wired to cause us to fight, flee or freeze in times of stress. To the extent that we can, we will successfully fight to survive and provide the basics of food, clothing and shelter. When we have surplus money, we are more likely to go out and buy extra clothing, house stuff, junk food and so forth. The more surplus money we have, the more sophisticated we get in our surplus spending. When we start budgeting or cutting back because we believe that our choices are profoundly limited and there just is “not enough,” we may stuff down the awful, uncomfortable feelings that come up out of that by trying to fill that gaping hole in our hearts with food. When we believe that we no longer have the power to fight or run, we freeze.
How does freezing work? We surrender to the threat, find a way to ease it and make it endurable...over eating or eating when we are not hungry for food is a way to do that. Spending is no longer a viable alternative. It’s not really about the money or the food as much as it is about our having learned how to manage stress and what we learned as children about handling bad feelings, disappointment, rejection and threats to our self-worth. It is so easy to judge ourselves and others harshly for being over weight or financially challenged. You are not the only person who can make this connection between your weight and your finances. Are there overweight people without financial problems or broke people who are not overweight? Sure! But, we can all benefit by learning the fundamentals of understanding how the primitive part of our brain works and the impact of stress on our behavior. We behave according to what we believe to be reality. Losing
one’s livelihood may not be the same as being stalked and possibly eaten by a tiger, but it certainly can feel like it! When being stalked by a tiger, I need to eat all I can because I don’t know when the next meal is coming or when I may become the meal! So what if it’s all in my mind? As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Begin today to give thanks again and again for visible and invisible abundance. Give thanks for what you are learning in this experience. Park your mind in the space called gratitude, listen for divine inspiration and act on it! Kill that tiger! Lucy
(Check out Lucy Shaw’s website at http://www.heartworks4u.com. You may send your questions to her by U.S. mail to: Heartworks4U, LLC; 4646 Poplar Ave. Ste 201, Memphis, TN 38117 or by e-mail to lucy@heartworks4u.com.) (For help with the feelings that get in the way of prayer and peace of mind, get Lucy’s new book, “BE NOT ANXIOUS.” Order it directly from her at 901-907-0260 or go to her web site www.heartworks4u.com.)
RELIGION BRIEFS Monumental’s salute to women rolls forward
The women and other members of Monumental Baptist Church at 704 South Parkway East began celebrating Women’s Month on Apri1 1and have already experienced some meaningful activities. The month continues with a mission project to donate “gently worn” shoes to people in countries that have been devastated by hurricanes and severe flooding, and with a visit to the Salvation Army to provide food and encouragement to persons who are homeless. A primary fundraising effort is Monumental’s Woman of the Year contest and the woman winning this title will be announced at a dinner theater event at the church on Saturday (April 28) at 5 p.m. The celebration culminates on Sunday with the Rev. Mary E. Moore, assistant pastor at St. Paul Baptist Church and former pastor of New Salem Baptist Church, as the speaker for the 11 a.m. worship service. Rev. Moore is a board member of the “Elders of Education” at Memphis Theological Seminary and member of the Mayor’s Multi-Cultural and Religious Affairs Office. She holds a Diploma in Pastoral Ministry from the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe, South Africa. The Women of Worship Choir will help accent the morning service and will also be in concert at 3:30 p.m., along with guest choirs from Mt. Zion Baptist Church and New Bellevue Baptist Church. The Women’s Month theme is “Christian Women, Guided, Unified and Compelled by Love.”
Second Annual Laymen Banquet set for April 27
The Memphis District Laymen Association’s Second Annual Laymen Banquet is Friday, (April 27) at 7 p.m. The fundraiser will help to continue programs aimed at strengthening Christian men, fostering brotherhood and mentoring youth. The keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Edward Parker, pastor of Berian Missionary Baptist Church. It will also feature musical gospel entertainment by Brother’s Love and a delicious meal. The event will take place at Lake Grove M.B. Church located at 265 Leath St. The Memphis District Laymen Association is part of the National Baptist Laymen Movement,
an auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. One of the National Baptist Laymen Movement’s major initiatives is an Adopt-ASchool program in which the Memphis district is participating. Funds for the banquet will be used to continue these efforts. “Our purpose is to unite men. We live in a society where black men are not always seen in a positive light. This organization is full of Christian men who work hard, take care of their families and serve diligently in their churches and their community,” said Charles L. Ewing Sr., presiding president of the Memphis District Laymen Association. “It is important that we fellowship with one another, learn from each other and work together to create programs that not only benefit ourselves but others as well.” said Ewing. Tickets are $35 each. For ticket information, contact Jacob Mickens at jakemickens@bellsouth.net or 901-281-7668. BRIEFLY: Greater Hope Baptist Church Life Center is the venue Saturday, April 28, for a free health seminar “empowering you to take the refreshing challenge” with chef Timothy K. Moore, TSD columnist and author of “47 Tips To Reverse Your Diabetes.” The event begins at 11 a.m. BRIEFLY: Greater Faith Tabernacle will host Community Outreach Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church at 905 E. Shelby Drive at Fairfield on May 12. The day will include a health fair, with information on diabetes, lupus, cholesterol and smoking. Blood pressure and HIV/AIDS screening will be offered, along with massages. The host pastor is the Rev. Orlester Johnson. For more info, call 901-3464429 or 345-9959 BRIEFLY: The Rapha Health Ministry at St. Andrew A. M. E. Church will host “Sweatsuit Sunday” on April 29th from noon until 3 p.m. at the church at 867 S. Parkway East. Activities include, age-appropriate exercise classes, line dancing, Zumba, healthy cooking and health education classes, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. For more information, call 901-9483441. The Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D., is pastor, and the Rev. Marilynn S. Robinson, MPH, is co-pastor. BRIEFLY: Avery Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church at 882 East Trigg Ave. celebrates 149 years in the Memphis community on Sunday, April 29, during its 11 a.m. service and a special service at 2:30 p.m. with the Rev. Gary Faulkner of Cummings Street Missionary Baptist Church. The Rev. Hilda D. Taylor is pastor.
‘I will do so, the Lord helping me…’
Elder L.T. Frye Jr. was installed as pastor of Holy Trinity Church of God in Christ at 5115 Tulane Road last Sunday (April 22). Bishop David A. Hall Sr., Prelate, Tennessee Headquarters Jurisdiction, was the presiding officer. (Photo by Tyrone P. Easley)
Fun on high…
PRAISE CONNECT -A WEEKLY DIRECTORY OF MINISTERS & CHURCHES-
Greenwood Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 3311 Kimball Ave. Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 744-7531 (901) 744-7664
Clarence Kelby Heath Wednesday Pastor
Noon - 1 p.m. 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
767 Walker Avenue Memphis, TN 38126
9 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
901-946-4095 fax 948-8311
(901) 948-3441
Early Morning..........7:45 AM Church School..........9:45 AM Morning Worship......11:00 AM
Rev. Davena Young Porter Rev. Linda A Paige Rev. Luecretia Matthews
Bible Study For Youth and Adults Tuesday - 7:00 PM “Spirit, Soul, and Body!” AM 1070 WDIA Sundays, 10:00-10:30 AM
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY Sunday School .....................8:30 am Morning Worship Service ....10:00am WEDNESDAY Bible Study .........................10:30 am Mid-Day Prayer Meeting .....12 noon Evening Prayer Meeting........7:00pm
FRIDAY Cable Channel 17 ............... 8:00pm
TV Cable Access Broadcast Tuesdays, 7:30 PM, Channel 17 Website:www.saintandrewamec.org
Dr. & Rev. Mrs. Reginald Porter
TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST
672 So. Lauderdale 38126 P.O. Box 314 Memphis, Tn 38101 Phone (General) 774-1572 Pastor: 775-0740 Secretary: 775-1909 WEEKLY SERVICES
Sunday Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Night YPWW 5:00 p.m. Night Service 6:00 p.m. Tuesday Night Prayer 6:00 p.m. Bible Study 7:15 p.m. Wednesday Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m. Friday Morning Prayer 9:00 a.m. Night Service 7:30 p.m. BROADCASTS 9:30 a.m. Sunday WDIA - 1070 AM
No Telecast Service
ST. ANDREW A.M.E. CHURCH 867 SOUTH PARKWAY EAST Memphis, TN 38106
Dr. Reginald L. Porter Sr., Pastor
ASSOCIATE MINISTERS
Worship Services
Sunday Sunday School Worship Service
METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH
The Rev. Dr. Reginald D. Terry, pastor of Springdale Baptist Church at 1193 Springdale St., and the Rev. Monroe Blocker, assistant pastor, during a skybox break at the Memphis GrizzliesCleveland Cavaliers game at the FedExForum on Monday (April 23). (Courtesy photo)
Dr. David Allen Hall Pastor
“The Founder’s Church”
First Pastor: Senior Bishop C.H. Mason
THE BLVD Ea s t 6745 Wol f Ri v e r B oule v a r d @ Ki r by Pa r k wa y ( i n t he Cl a rk Ope r a Me mphi s Ce nte r ) Me mp h i s T N 3 8 1 2 0
Dr. Frank A. Thomas Senior Servant
Child Care Center (901) 948-6441 Monday-Friday 6 AM- 5:30 PM Emergency Food Pantry Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, Pastor & Clothes Closet Rev. Marilynn S. Robinson, Co-Pastor Wednesday 6 PM-8 PM
“Ministering to Memphis-Spirit, Soul and Body”
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. — Proverbs 1:7
Tri-State Defender
RELIGION
New charge, new shepherd…
April 26 - May 2, 2012
The Rev. Edrin Alexander of Little Rock was installed as the new pastor of Columbus Baptist Church at 324 North Decatur last Sunday (April 22) at Oak Grove Baptist Church, where the Rev. Donald Johnson is pastor. Rev. Alexander follows in the footsteps of Rev. John Jackson Campbell (23 years) and the Rev. Dr. A.E. Campbell Sr. (42) years. Pictured (l-r): back row – the Rev. Dwight Townsend, the Rev. Eric the Alexander, the Rev. Donald Johnson; front row – First Lady Tammie Alexander, the Rev. Edrin Alexander, professor Reginald Gaston, and the Rev. Ronald Cleaves. (Photo by Earl Edwards Sr.)
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ENTERTAINMENT Tri-State Defender, Thursday, April 26 - May 2, 2012, Page 10
WHAT’S HAPPENING MYRON?
Laugh, shout, cool out and slim down!
I’ve long thought that there should be a show like the one that will unfold at the White Palace Lounge on Friday (April 27). Get ready because the Bad Girlz Comedy Show is here. This will be a Myron great opportunity Mays for the Memphis area to see what kind of female comedy talent we have in the Bluff City. I’m expecting a whole lot of fun. Hosted by Model Lea, the event will feature Sonia Faylene and my good friend Mzzz. Kecia. Yep, she does use all of those Zs. Also on the show will be Poet and Model AJ and entertainer DaLady. Music will be provided by DJ Maurice. The White Palace Lounge is located at 4141 Hacks Cross Road next to Cracker Barrel. Tickets are $10 before 8 p.m. and $15 thereafter. For more information, including tickets, visit www. paschalhildrethentertainment.com or call at 901-896-8419.
WOWW Women’s Expo
On May 5 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., join WRBO’s Kristee Lane for the WOWW Women’s Expo at the Southland Mall. There will be plenty of vendors to visit and information to receive. WOWW’s purpose is to uplift women in every aspect of their lives. The Expo is designed to give women an opportunity to gather information on education, spiritual awareness and a variety of other topics. The objective is simply to inform women of the many options available to them in the Mid-south. The goal is to provide vendors with an outlet to share their product information with women and other interested parties. For more info, call Lane at 901340-0370.
Jonathan Butler
Grammy Award nominee and South African Jazz recording artist Jonathan Butler will perform at St. Andrew AME Church on May 5 at 7 p.m. Opening acts are the a cappella group Committed, second-season winner of NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” and The American Spiritual Ensemble. General admission is $35. VIP tickets, including a reserved seat and meet & greet with the artists, are $50. A limited number of tickets ($50 each) are available for an intimate conversation and brunch with Butler on May 5 at noon. Tickets can be purchased on line by visiting www.cdfmemphis.org.
NAACP Gospel Fest
The NAACP Memphis Gospel Fest is a benefit for the Memphis Branch NAACP ACT-SO youth program. It’s going to take place Saturday (April 28) at the University Of Memphis Rose Theatre. The doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. The NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. ACT-SO includes 26 categories of competition in the sciences, humanities, business, and performing and visual arts. For more information, please visit www.GetToThis.com.
TRAVEL/ THEATRE
Eight (days) is not enough
London does not disappoint
Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Pamela E. Williams Southwest Tennessee Community College’s Theater and Music Appreciation classes recently completed their 2012 London study abroad experience. Pamela Williams, a Theatre Appreciation student, shares her account.
Watching Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira on the “Today Show” as they covered the Royal Wedding from London, England in April 2011 prepared me very little for the picturesque city I would encounter a year later. A ten-hour plane ride and a six-hour time change could not squelch my excitement about seeing The Queen’s country. After standing in customs for what seemed life forever, students from Southwest Tennessee Community College’s Theater and Music Appreciation classes were allowed to collect luggage and board the famous red doubledecker bus – transit we would get to know well while in London – to transport us to our residence for the coming eight days. Located in the Chelsea District, our IES dormitory rooms were small and compact, but no matter, because other than sleeping, we would see very little of them. In London, people drive on the left in cars where the driver sits on the right. My classmates got a good laugh at my expense as I tried to enter a London cab. I was to ride up front with the driver, so when I proceeded to get into the cab, I attempted to enter from the right side of the car – the driver’s side. The cab driver thought this was hilarious as well and asked if I wanted to drive. In addition to cab and bus rides, we also traveled by train and tube, London’s underground transport. We hit the ground running, taking in the first of four plays, “Snookered,” the story of four Pakistani friends dealing with race, death and religion in London, at the famed Bush Theatre. In the next eight days, both Theater and Music classes would take in the Broadway productions of “Les Misérables” and “The Lion King,” along with symphonies and operas. The culture of London would then extend its hand toward the sights of the capital city of England. It was a humbling experience to walk the corridors of the Westminster Abbey and see the tombs of the queens of old and the memorials of the likes of Charles Dickens and George Frideric Handel, famous for his oratorio “Messiah.” As we walked over the graves of famous poets, musicians and scientists, one could not help but to be in awe by the serene nature of the church. A church service and a two-hour tour is just not enough time to embrace the entire Abbey. During the remainder of our stay, our classes were further immersed in London’s culture by visiting the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum. Nothing, however, could prepare our eyes for the beauty of the countryside along the outskirts of London. After checking out Buckingham Palace – who could go to London and not visit The Queen’s palace – a chartered bus drove us up to Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, where
Southwest student Pamela E. Williams is framed by Buckingham Palace.
Southwest professor Levi Frazier said one of the highlights of the trip was visiting the British Museum, which houses the Basalt or Shabaka stone, named after Egyptian Pharaoh, Shabaka. On this stone is written The Memphite Dramas, the oldest recorded dramatic scripts ever found, which gives Memphis, Egypt the title, by most authorities, as the birthplace of theatre. The Memphite Dramas not only celebrate the birth of the world and man, but they also celebrate the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by Menes. (Courtesy photos)
lush green grass grows even in winter. The architecture alone is worth the two-hour trek. We visited and toured Oxford University, where some portions of the Harry Potter films were made, as well as the birthplace of William Shakespeare and his world famous Globe Theatre. As if our senses couldn’t be overwhelmed any further, cue an acting workshop at the impressive University of Surrey and you have someone who wants to relocate to London. A tour down the River Thames yielded a memorable view from the water of Parliament and the London Bridge. And from a capsule on the London Eye, the aerial view of Big Ben and the cityscape took our breath
On stage
The Biggest Loser update
Well, the big day is this weekend for me and my participation in The Bigest Loser Memphis. During the entire month of April, I have been hard at it doing aerobics, walking the track, watching everything I eat and resisting the temptation of my world famous pasta alfredo. Saturday (April 28) is the monthly weigh-in day. Last month, at my first weigh in, I came in at 229 pounds. This time around I’m hoping to have reached my goal of 220. I’m pretty confident that I’ll be there. I’d better be, lol. I’ll be sure to share the details with you next week. For more information visit www.blmevents.com. Until then, that’s what’s happening.
(If there’s an event you’d like for me to cover or attend, please email me at Myron@whatshappeningmyron.com.)
“The Amen Corner” is running now through May 6 at the Hattiloo Theatre at 656 Marshall Ave. For more information, call 901-502-3486 or visit Hattilootheatre.org. (Courtesy photos)
away from above. As we took in the sights of London, we also experienced amazing cuisine. Although we experienced Italian and Mediterranean fare, we couldn’t leave London without trying her famous fish and chips. I would be remised if I didn’t mention the weather there. Yes, it is just like you might imagine: cloudy most days, rainy one minute and then sunny the next. Mix in the cold and you have typical London weather in the winter. Weather aside, I am planning another trip to London to take in all the sites I didn’t see. Eight days just wasn’t enough for this Southwest College student.
Margaret, pastor of a Harlem church, has led everyone to believe her husband Luke abandoned her with their son. After Luke arrives unexpectedly, events unfold showing that Margaret in fact left Luke in pursuit of a religious life.
ENTERTAINMENT
Tri-State Defender
Page 11
April 26 - May 2, 2012
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam’s Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Kam Williams
For movies opening April 27, 2012
BIG BUDGET FILMS
“Bernie” (PG-13 for violent images and brief profanity) Jack Black plays the title character in this crime comedy about a smalltown, Texas mortician who goes to great lengths to keep up the illusion that the wealthy widow (Shirley MacLaine) he’s killed is still alive. With Matthew McConaughey, Rick Dial and Veronica Orosco.
“The Five-Year Engagement” (R for pervasive profanity and sexuality) Battles-of-thesexes comedy chronicling the increasingly strained relationship of a very busy bride and groom-to-be (Emily Blunt and Jason Segel) who keep having to put off their wedding plans. Support cast includes Kevin Hart, Rhys Ifans, David Paymer and Mindy Kaling. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” (PG for action, mild epithets and crude humor) Animated kiddie adventure about a competition among three buccaneer swashbucklers (Hugh Grant, Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek) to capture the coveted Pirate of the Year Award by wreaking the most havoc on the high seas. Voice cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Martin Freeman and Brian Blessed.
“The Raven” (R for graphic violence and grisly images) 19th Century murder mystery which finds poet Edgar Allen Poe (John Cusack) joining forces with a young detective (Luke Evans) to apprehend the serial killer on the loose in his beloved Baltimore. Featuring Alice Eve, M. Emmet Walsh and Brendan Gleeson. “Safe” (R for profanity and graphic violence) Action thriller about a retired Mixed Martial Arts fighter (Jason Statham) who comes to the rescue of a 12 year-old Chinese girl (Catherine Chan) who’s been abducted by the same mobsters who murdered his wife and children. With Chris Sarandon, James Hong and Anson Mount.
“Sound of My Voice” (Unrated) Mind control drama about an investigative journalist (Christopher Denham) who, with the help of his girlfriend (Nicole Vicius), infiltrates a religious cult only to fall under the spell of the charismatic leader (Brit Marling) he had hoped to expose as a charlatan. Supporting cast includes Avery Kristen Pohl, Davenia McFadden and Kandice Stroh.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
“96 Minutes” (R for violence and pervasive profanity) Fact-based crime thriller about
Justin Martin (left) and David Oyelowo in “96 Minutes.” (Courtesy photo)
a couple of college coeds (Brittany Snow and Christian Serratos) who find themselves carjacked and kidnapped by a wannabe gangster (J. Michael Trautmann) with a reluctant accomplice (Evan Ross). With David Oyelowo, Sylvia Jeffries and Hosea Chanchez.
comedy about a soft-spoken zookeeper (Jenna Fischer) who falls for a struggling street performer (Chris Messina) in spite of pressure from her domineering sister (Malin Akerman) to date a pompous, self-help guru (Topher Grace). With Lucy Punch, Bob Odenkirk and Rich Sommer.
“Citizen Gangster” (Unrated) Diminished dreams saga, set in the wake of World War II, revisiting the real-life exploits of Eddie Boyd (Scott Speedman), a decorated Army veteran who began robbing banks to support his family when his fledgling acting career failed to pan out. Featuring Kelly Riley, Kevin Durand and Brian Cox.
“The Highest Pass” (Unrated) Fate-tempting documentary about Adam Schomer, a defiant 27 year-old who takes to riding a motorcycle around the Himalayas without a helmet after an Indian guru predicts his imminent, untimely demise in an automobile accident.
“The Broken Tower” (Unrated) James Franco stars in this bittersweet biopic recounting the abbreviated life and career of Hart Crane (1899-1932), a celebrated gay poet who took his own life by jumping off an ocean liner right after being assaulted for making a pass at a crew member. Support cast includes Michael Shannon, Stacey Miller and Vince Jolivette.
“Dolphin Boy” (Unrated) Overcoming-theodds documentary, set in Israel, about an Arab teenager left mute by a brutal beatdown who makes a miraculous recovery after his therapist prescribes a rehab regimen that involves swimming with dolphins in the Red Sea for four weeks. (In Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles)
“Elles” (NC-17 for explicit sexuality) Juliette Binoche stars in this midlife crisis drama about a Parisian journalist inspired to reevaluate her own sexuality while researching an article about college coeds who enjoy supporting themselves by moonlighting as prostitutes. With Anais Demoustier, Joanna Kulig and Louis-Do de Lencquesaing. (In French and Polish with subtitles) “The Giant Mechanical Man” (PG-13 for sexuality and brief profanity) Quirky romantic
“Headhunters” (R for nudity, graphic sexuality and gruesome violence) Multi-layered mystery, set in Norway, about a corporate headhunter (Aksel Hennie) who risks his career to steal a priceless painting by Rubens from a well-heeled client (Nikolaj CosterWaldau). With Julie Olgaard, Eivind Sander and Synnove Macody Lund. (In Norwegian and Danish with subtitles)
“Inventing Our Life” (Unrated) Communal living documentary examining the rise and decline of Israel’s 100 year-old Kibbutz Movement.
“Payback” (Unrated) Screen adaptation of visionary Margaret Atwood’s game-changing rumination of the same name explores various forms of debt: not only economic, but societal, spiritual, environmental, personal and criminal. “Restless City” (R for drug use and brief sexuality) New York City tale of survival about an African immigrant (Sy Alassane) who sells bootlegged CDs on the street of Manhattan while trying to make it as a musician and encouraging his hooker girlfriend (Sky Grey) to find a respectable line of work. With Herve Diese, Ger Duany and Danai Gurira. (In English, French, Wolof and Yoruba with subtitles)
HOROSCOPES
April 26-May 2, 2012
ARIES If you didn’t get invited to the party, that’s okay. If your air conditioner doesn’t work, if one of your favorite pieces of clothing has a spot on it, if your dinner guest didn’t show up, smile. Your ability to accept misfortune with a smile is going to be important to you this week. TAURUS This week will teach you a valuable lesson about money. Make a mental note of how you got into the shape you’re in so that you can avoid future mistakes of the financial kind. Request advice from a friend in money matters. GEMINI Emphasize generosity. Give and the gift itself will turn into a reward. This week is excellent for making important decisions and for reaching agreements with others. Agreement with your lover might be the most important one to try to reach. CANCER You have opportunities to win big this week. Make the most of them. Stay alert to possibilities concerning a career move. You might see something that you believed was lost. It comes back to you this week. Give it your full attention. LEO Feel deeply for the sorrow of a loved one. They can sense your commitment and that will be a comfort. Change is coming into your life. Handle it in the manner that you usually handle change. Anchor yourself in the past and move forward. VIRGO Charm is an extremely effective tool for you this week. Charisma works better than at any recent time, especially at home. Shine brightly and let your glow work for you. Your self-image is you most effective tool. LIBRA The spiritual package you’ve been waiting for is likely to arrive this week. It should assure you that you’ve been on the right track. Your insights can be an inspiration to those who work with you. Love is the reward for generosity. SCORPIO This week let your gentle spirit shines through. Your rough and tumble side is not appropriate for the relationships that you’ll encounter. Someone will need your understanding and sympathy. Give it with sensitivity. SAGITTARIUS Look for financial good news this week. Wow! It’s about time. This week might be a good week to window shop for a big vacation or extravagance purchase. Be sensitive to your lover’s needs this week. You may have been thinking too much of your own needs recently. CAPRICORN Be especially sensitive to your spirit and your intuition this week. They are your sixth sense that will alarm you of a situation that you should avoid. You’ll also be alerted to meet a new person who will be important to your personal life in the near future. Expect the unexpected from your lover. AQUARIUS Do not feel alone in facing your tumultuous circumstances this week. Call upon your support system and do not be afraid to ask for help. The people closest to you will feel a new respect for you. PISCES Do not narrow your options by accepting any offer that is put on the table this week. Discover how resourceful you are and capitalize on your own strengths and ability make things happen. Don’t underestimate yourself, especially this week! SOURCE: NNPA News Service
Page 12
HEALTH
CHEF TIMOTHY
Prostate cancer – ‘If my father had been screened earlier…’ by Chef Timothy Moore Ph.D, N.M.D, C.N. Special to the Tri-State Defender
Life is full of possibilities, but is death imminent? If you take life for granted, then death will await you at every possible turn. But when I think about the onslaught of prostate cancer and the possibility of death, my father, Robert Briscoe, comes to mind. I remember talking to him about life and his sharing of interesting stories about the world and what it has to offer – whether we believed we had a purpose in it or not. When the conversation about prostate cancer arose, it struck a chord in me that this Arkansas farmer, somewhat of a healthy specimen at the time, didn’t take his illness seriously until it was too late. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in late 1993 after experiencing pain in his groin. He thought it would go away, he told me. The cancer had advanced so far along until there wasn’t anything the doctors or anyone else could do. He was 95 years old and discovered too late that he indeed wanted to live. Death, however, could be seen through the prism of his eyes. I was torn apart. He’d ignored my request that he should see a doctor. The request fell on death ears and the frequent nightly urination continued. The pain was relentless and the cancer literally ripped the inside of his body to shreds. He was full of life on the outside and joy had permeated his soul. I’d thought to myself: What a blessing to be able to be alive and in good health at the age of 94. After observing my father at that time and trying to comfort him during his waning hours on earth, he’d manage to say, “I’m blessed.” Then he’d look off into space, where he’d drift into a peaceful state of mind. Charlotte Cavin, a registered nurse and manager of a diabetes education program at Baptist Rehabilitation in Germantown, explains the importance of eating healthy during the official launch of The Healthy Church Challenge 100-day weight loss competition at Southwest Tennessee Community College on March 10. Yusuf Boyd, owner of Biomechaniks, provided comments as well. (Photo by Wiley Henry)
AfricanAmerican men generally are apprehensive about seeing a doctor. We tend to fear the doctor and would rather not know what ails us. Women tend to be different. They’ll see a doctor without hesitation to keep that ticking Dr. Timothy bomb from exploding inside Moore their body. Prostate cancer also is a ticking bomb that can be extinguished if diagnosed early. But this debilitating disease affects so many men in the African-American community. According to a study published in 2000 by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, African-American men were found to be at nearly twice the risk for prostate cancer compared with white men. Prostate cancer is less common in men who do not eat red meat, according to Pubmed Health, a research service provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). The average age for prostate cancer to appear is usually around 60, but death often happens to those over the age of 75. The symptoms of prostate cancer vary: delayed or slowed start of urinary stream; dribbling or leakage of urine, most often after urinating; slow urinary stream; Straining when urinating, or not being able to empty out all of the urine; blood in the urine or semen; and bone pain or tenderness, most often in the lower back and pelvic bones (only when the cancer has spread). According to the American Cancer Society, there are more than two mil-
CLASSIFIEDS
Tri-State Defender
April 26 - May 2, 2012
lion prostate cancer survivors. Without proper awareness, that number is expected to increase. That’s why men over 40 should get their prostate checked or have a PSA (Prostatespecific antigen) test done to determine the likelihood of developing prostate cancer. So what else can be done to prevent prostate cancer? You should eat a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables and exercise regularly to prevent the onset of prostate cancer. You should also pay attention to changes in your body and discuss treatment options with your primary care provider if you’re in the early stages of prostate cancer. There are several treatment options. For men in the early states of prostate cancer, your doctor may recommend surgery and radiation therapy. If the cancer has spread, treatment may include hormone therapy, surgery and chemotherapy. Monitoring the cancer with PSA tests and biopsies is also part of the treatment. The American Prostate Cancer Research Fund, Inc. (APCRF), a Mississippi-based charity dedicated 100 percent to prostate cancer, offers free prostate screening exams. The APCRF will travel to any event for cancer screenings or you can visit their office in Olive Branch, Miss. Call Sheree Thomas at 662-8909870. Screening saves lives. If my father had been screened earlier, he may have lived just a little while longer. (Dr. Timothy Moore teaches nutrition, heart disease and diabetes reversal through a plant-based lifestyle. He is a professional speaker, wellness coach and personal plant-based chef. He can be reached by email at cheftimothy@cheftimothymoore.com or visit him on the Web sites at www.cheftimothymoore.com or www.twitter.com/cheftimmoore.)
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NOTICE TO PUBLIC The following person(s) has asked the city of Memphis Alcohol Commission for permission to sell beer for ON premise consumption. Applicant: Double J Smokehouse & Saloon LLC, Jeff Stamm DBA: Double J Smokehouse & Saloon Location: 124 E. GE Patterson Anyone desiring to circulate a petition
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FOR or AGAINST said establishment selling BEER at this location must secure the petition blanks for the undersigned Commission at 2714 Union Avenue Extended, Ste. 100. Must be filed no later than Tuesday, May 1, 2012. Wayne West, Chairman;Billy Post, Member; Eugene S. Bryan, Member; Erma Hayslett, Member; Martavius Jones, Member; Jimmie Kelly, Member; Ricky Middlebrook, Member; Sherman Greer, Member; Jared Johnson, Member; Aubrey J. Howard, Executive Secretary City of Memphis Alcohol Commission
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Diabetes Educator: Exercise on the days you eat
Stresses eating healthy, losing weight to avoid obesity, chronic diseases Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Wiley Henry
The medical community has long recognized the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight. Losing the extra pounds will usually result in lower blood sugar, reduced blood pressure, improved cholesterol levels, increased energy, improved breathing and, in some cases, less dependency on medication. These are facts that medical doctors explain to their overweight patients who are suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes “and what I educate my patients about,” says Charlotte Cavin, a registered nurse and manager of a diabetes education program at Baptist Rehabilitation in Germantown. “Obesity is increasing and there are all sorts of reasons,” said Cavin, who spoke about the importance of healthy eating during The Healthy Church Challenge 100-day weight loss program weigh-ins. “It’s more fast foods; it’s bigger sizes,” she said. “People are eating without thinking. When you are obese, you’re probably from an obese family. So it’s familial. It’s not as much genetic, but how you’re raised.” To get patients on the right track to losing weight, Cavin insists that they stop drinking sweet drinks. “Sweet tea and cold drinks; those things are just calories,” she said, recalling a woman who lost 100 pounds in one year after giving up Cokes. Hundreds of men and women of
all shapes and sizes are participating in the Healthy Church Challenge and working on losing as much undesirable weight as possible. The extra weight, Cavin says, is the result of overeating and not making the right food choices. “It’s not always what they’re eating but how much they’re eating,” she explained, adding, “Inactivity causes obesity. When you don’t exercise, the food just sits there and turns to fat. I tell my patients that they only have to exercise on the days that they eat.” There is a correlation between obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and any other chronic disease, Cavin said. “High cholesterol, for example, causes strokes and heart attacks. High blood pressure destroys the eyes and kidneys – so does diabetes. Exercising helps the bad cholesterol to come down and the good cholesterol to go up.” Cavin also notes that people who suffer with sleep apnea are likewise at risk for having a heart attack. And if a person is overweight or obese, she says, a chronic illness may not be too far off in that person’s future. The key to good health is to exercise, Cavin said. The need for more of it in our community prompted Baptist to sponsor the Healthy Church Challenge. “I recommend five minutes a day, every day,” said Cavin. “Walking is probably the best. You need to exercise while you’re healthy enough to do it.”
She said doctors don’t really recommend that their patients exercise if they’ve been sedentary for years without doing a stress test first. But if they choose to, “they don’t have to walk fast to begin with, just one foot in front of the other.” Though Cavin’s work at Baptist is focused on diabetes education, she stressed the importance of losing weight, eating healthy and exercising to prevent the onset of diabetes. They’re inextricably linked together, she said. “The more weight you have the more insulin resistant,” said Cavin, a diabetes educator since 1987. “Things that impact insulin resistance are exercise and weight loss. For example, 80 percent of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have a weight problem.” For those who are taking medication, Cavin said it’s best to remain under the doctor’s care until you are healthy enough to stop. The next weigh-in is Saturday, May 5, at Church Wellness Center, 1115 Union Ave., from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Healthy Church Challenge will hold an Obesity Summit on Saturday, June 16, 2012, at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. The finale is June 17 at the Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival in Douglass Park. Both events are free and open to the public. Along with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the Challenge is sponsored by Baptist Memorial Health Care, News Channel 3, Hallelujah 95.7 FM, The New Tri-State Defender, and the Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival. For more information, call 901278-0881 or visit Facebook.com/The Healthy Church Challenge for health tips and weight-loss testimonies.
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SPORTS Tri-State Defender, Thursday, April 26 - May 2, 2012, Page 13
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Different level, same goal…
Five on 5 Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Sherman A. Jones
Airways middle school coach has “strong” approach Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Sherman A. Jones
Sports are a wonderful way to get exercise, enjoy as recreation and challenge that competitive spirit. With the change of every season follows a change in the sport being played. It’s Track & Field season in the MIAA and the Middle School City Finals are Friday (April 27). The Jets of Airways Middle School will be competing in three events during those city finals and also have a participant in the TMSAA West Sectional that will be held next week. This isn’t familiar territory for Airways in this particular sport, but there’s a new coach and he believes his new home is “on the rise!” The Jets are coached by Shon Hinds. Coach Hinds is no stranger to the sport, but this is his first coaching job at the middle-school level. I got the chance to get his responses to a few questions about coaching and a few other things. Coach Hinds makes it known that he’s coaching at a different level, but the goal still remains the same. Tri-State Defender: Coach Hinds, tell us about your track & field experience. When did you first become involved with track & field? Coach Shon Hinds: I was a track and field athlete in High School (Whitehaven) and Middle School (Airways). I first began coaching the sport in 1993 at Southside High School. I didn’t run in college because I was awarded a football scholarship. Football was my dream, but I used track to
Five questions were put to members of the Airways Middle School Girls Track & Field Squad on Wednesday: 1. What do you enjoy most about school? 2. What do you enjoy most about Track & Field? 3. Who’s your most influential role model? 4. What do you want to do for a career? 5. How will Track and Field help you in life? Check out their responses.
better my speed, agility and endurance.
TSD: What led you to Airways Middle? Coach Hinds: Truthfully, there were positions being cut from my former school. When I searched for another position, I saw the opportunity to come back to my alma mater, so I took advantage, and here I am.
TSD: Have you coached middle school students before coming to Airways? Coach Hinds: No! It’s been an up-and-down experience, but I just chose to take the same approach I took with my high school students. I was preparing high school students for college, and now I’m preparing middle school students for high school. I try and get them to take life more serious. We talk about having a prosperous future and the steps it takes to be prosperous as a student-athlete.
TSD: What influenced you the most to become a track & field coach? Coach Hinds: It’s real simple. I recall not having a father in my life and when I was a student-athlete my track and field coach was that father figure that I needed. He helped to mold me. He taught me to use sports as a common theme for life, survival for life. So once I graduated from college and my dream of playing professional sports came to an end, I said, “Coaching is what I want to do!” I wanted to give back to children what I got out of it: father-figure, role model, lifestructured things…That’s what means most to me with
Airways Middle School Coach Shon Hinds with track and field members Marquisha Mitchell, Denise Butler, Reona Thomas, Marneka Oliver. (Courtesy photo) any sport.”
TSD: What do you consider as one of the most important things that helped you to become successful in working with young people? Coach Hinds: How people measure success is always different with every individual. My success with young people is seeing when they get that light back. When those young people begin to accept people the way they want people to accept them. When they begin to understand life and take it as a HARD challenge and know that you have to work hard for the things that you get. Life’s not easy. It’s not time to play; no one is going to give you anything. You have to go and get everything you want. I think that, me being that “drill sergeant” in their life, giving them discipline, and watching the moves that they make from the way they smile, frown, walk, and talk. They will eventually get “it”. They never understand while they’re with you, but when they leave you it begins to kick in. I think it’s my purpose to work with young people. TSD: As a first-year coach at Airways, what would you
say has been most gratifying up to this point? Coach Hinds: Working with this group of kids, especially the girls. I hate to say it, but at first there was nothing but struggle! I had to change their mindsets, their beliefs, and show them that hard work and discipline pays. I had to teach them how to carry their selves as young ladies. I’m getting to see them blossom now. Now I just keep adding water to the seed and it’s blossoming. I coach boys and girls, but me being a man trying to teach girls how to be women was a hard concept for them to understand. TSD: What is one thing you hope your student-athletes have learned from you this season? Coach Hinds: Real simple – start strong and finish strong! No matter what the outcome may seem to be, start strong and finish strong. Persevere through all and any situation.
TSD: What is one thing that you have learned from working with this group this year? Coach Hinds: I’m getting old (He says with a smile and laughter). I’ve learned to be more patient, even though
Marquisha Mitchell – 8th grade, 3.2 GPA, City & TMSAA West Sectional finalist in girls 200m dash and the first leg of the City finalist in the 4x200m relay. I get to learn new things. WINNING and supporting my teammates. Coach Hinds I would like to be a lawyer. Learning not to give up on anything. Reona Thomas – 8th grade, 3.2 GPA, City finalist in girls 200m dash, 100m hurdles and the fourth leg of the City finalist 4x200m relay. Extra Curricular activities. The competition. I have a lot of role models, but I like Coach Hinds the most. I want to be a renowned fashion designer and later become a teacher. Track and Field has taught me about being dedicated and never give up. Finish strong! Marneka Oliver – 8th grade, 3.0 GPA, the third leg of the City finalist in the 4x200m relay. Learning, the teachers and getting to meet new people. My coach and my teammates. Coach Hinds… I’d like to be a lawyer. Strive for what I want. Denise Butler – 8th grade, 2.6 GPA, the second leg of the City finalist in the 4x200m relay. The chance to be on the track team. My track coach. I love this quote from him: “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” Coach Hinds… I want to be a doctor. I think I can earn a scholarship for college by being on the track team.
there were frustrating moments. Although it’s been rough, I realized that I do still have the passion and the love for the sport. My rewards are them going out and doing what I teach them to do. It’s like watching a picture in motion. After all the work being put in from all of the tough moments…when you get to
watch it take place, it’s a beautiful thing.
TSD: Is there anything else you’d like to add or say for the readers out there? Coach Hinds: To all those who pay attention to middle school athletics, look out. Airways Middle is on the way! We’re on the rise!
GRIZZ TRACK
Season ends as outreach continues Grizzlies praise
ticket holders
A “dream” dinner tailored for 10-year-old Cortavious Shephard put him across the table from Rudy Gay. (Photo by Kelley Evans)
Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Kelley Evans
The Memphis Grizzlies’ regular season has come to an end but the spirit of thanksgiving rolls on. As the team heads into the first round of the playoffs, the players decided to throw a party to say thanks to season ticket holders. On Sunday (April 22), more than 1600 season ticket holders packed into Golf and Games to spend a fun, fan-filled day with their favorite players. The 11th annual MVP and season ticket holder celebration was an exclusive affair that allowed attendees the opportunity to play games, take pictures and obtain autographs from members of the entire team. Annually for the past five years, Carly Knight, manager of promotions for the Memphis Grizzlies, has planned the event. “The whole point of it is to say thank you to our fans,” Knight said. Whether playing golf, batting balls, eating or mingling in the crowd, it wasn’t hard to spot any player of choice. The minigolf course was filled with children putting with Tony Allen. Children chased Quincy Pondexter, shooting him with water until he was soaked and needed to change clothes. Rookie Josh Selby walked around as a photographer, snapping candid photos of the crowd and randomly ordering fans to pose for snapshots. Newcomer Marresse Speights took pictures with fans and signed autographs. Zach Randolph appeased mobs of fans, while Rudy Gay manned the photo and autograph table. Camera in tow, Pondexter said,
Gay turns into a dream weaver Special to the Tri-State Defender
by Kelley Evans
After face painting, Marresse Speights stops to sign an autograph and snap a photo with a young fan. (Photo by Kelley Evans)
“It’s fun to come out here with the fans who support us through thick and thin,” Pondexter said. “I never knew things like this existed. The fans have been telling me how much they appreciate me being here and how much they love my game. It made me feel really good about being here. I love the fans and I love this city.” Gay said he enjoys interacting with the fans every year. “This event means a lot because it’s not about us, it’s about the fans.” Speights, who said he was surprised by the large turnout, said “I’m getting a lot of love out here.” O.J. Mayo is no stranger to thanking Grizz fans for their sup-
port, posing for pictures and engaging fans in conversation during the two-hour event. “It’s good to come out and have fun with the fans, get to talk and socialize a little bit,” he said. On the miniature golf course not far from Allen, Head Coach Lionel Hollins was talking competitive golf trash to his opponent for the day, pausing for pictures and autographs. “This is an opportunity to give back to the fans,” Hollins said. “It gives them a chance to get face-to-face with the coaches and players because when they come to the arena a lot of the people are not very close because we’re working.”
Grizz star forward Rudy Gay recently experienced an evening of “Are You Smarter than a FifthGrader” – just not on the television show. It was to one of his biggest and most important fans that he answered every question that was thrown out at him. “How old are you?” “I’m about to be 26,” Gay replied. “Oh. I thought you were 18….You look 18.” Gay laughed. “I like this kid,” he said. Fifth-grader Cortavious Shephard waited patiently for his favorite NBA player to sit down and have dinner with him. This was no ordinary day for Cortavious. It was a “dream dinner” tailored exclusively for him. On Sunday (April 22), Gay shared laughs with the 10-yearold St. Jude patient Cortavious and his parents, Nakeisha and Brad, over dinner at Bleu Restaurant and Lounge across the street from the FedExForum. Diagnosed in November with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a cancer that starts in the bone marrow, Cortavious’ cancer is now in remission. The family traveled from Brownsville, Tenn., and attributes his speedy recovery to prayer. Hosted by C Spire Wireless, the dinner was no chance meal. In an attempt to pass on a remarkable gift to a deserving child, the com-
pany contacted St. Jude. “Rudy is a wonderful ambassador for St. Jude who has done a remarkable job of sharing our St. Jude mission with basketball fans across the country,” said Rick Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. “Our official partnership with NBA Cares and the support of the Grizzlies and C Spire through events like Hoops for St. Jude Week helps St. Jude continue conducting pioneering research and care for children with deadly diseases, all while ensuring that no family will ever pay St. Jude for anything.” For Gay, the experience was rewarding. “First, I’m humbled that he is a fan of mine. I want to make his day. He’s gone through so much. I hope it means as much to him as it does to me.” C Spire Wireless, the official wireless partner for the Memphis Grizzlies and FedExForum, is a presenting sponsor for the team’s successful involvement in the NBA’s Hoops for St. Jude Week. “For a quarter century, C Spire has been committed to supporting education, strengthening communities and improving lives through its philanthropic initiatives, partnerships and employee volunteerism,” said Hu Meena, president and CEO of C Spire Wireless. “We’re thrilled to partner with Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to make this ‘dream’ dinner happen for this precious 10-year-old St. Jude patient and his family.”
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April 26 - May 2, 2012
Tri-State Defender