Week of: January 1, 2026
The latest from tsdmemphis.com
City of Memphis awards $600,000 in Safer Communities Grants to 34 nonprofits — Page 4 NEWS
COMMUNITY
MORE MEMPHIS SCHOOLS ARE PASSING THE STATE’S REPORT CARD
MEMPHIANS CLOSE OUT 2025, PREP FOR 2026 WITH KWANZAA CELEBRATIONS — Page 6
— Page 2
Volume 75, Issue 1
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■■ NEWS
TRI-STATE DEFENDER
tsdmemphis.com
More Memphis schools are passing the state’s report card Bri Hatch
President Calvin Anderson
Editor Stephanie R. Jones
Published by The Tri-State Defender POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Tri-State Defender, 1509 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104. GENERAL INFORMATION: Inquiries may be submitted in writing or by calling (901) 523-1818 or by email. TELEPHONE: (901) 523-1818. The Tri-State Defender (USPS 780-220) is published weekly. The Tri-State Defender 1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN, 38104. Second-class postage paid in Memphis, TN. The Tri-State Defender is a member of The National Newspaper Publishers Association and the Tennessee Press Association. All materials covered by copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. (901) 523-1818 | 1509 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104 ••• $60 Annually/$5 Monthly Digital subscriptions are available online at tsdmemphis.com
Week of: January 1, 2026
Chalkbeat
Memphis-Shelby County Schools earned higher marks overall on this year’s state report card, with more schools earning a C or higher and fewer earning Ds in the 2024-2025 school year. But the number of schools earning the lowest grade, an F, stayed relatively stagnant from last year at 23 total. That’s around 11% of the district’s schools. In a press release Thursday, MSCS leaders celebrated one school — Rozelle Elementary, an arts-focused school in Midtown — for climbing from an F grade to a B in one year. “These ratings provide a meaningful snapshot of how schools are serving students and where strong progress is emerging,” the district statement said. This is the third year that the Tennessee Department of Education has released school letter grades in an effort to give parents more easily accessible data on school performance. But the grading system has faced backlash because of its focus on proficiency instead of student growth. MSCS leaders have said that emphasis disadvantages schools serving predominantly students from low-income families. And as of 2023, the grades can mean consequences. Schools earning Ds or Fs could face state Board of Education hearings, be required to submit corrective action plans, or undergo a state audit. About half of MSCS schools earned the same letter grade as last year, while one-third improved by at least one letter grade. Two-thirds of the district’s
Two-thirds of the district’s schools earned a C or higher, representing an almost 6 percentage point increase from the 20232024 school year. schools earned a C or higher, representing an almost 6 percentage point increase from the 2023-2024 school year. Sixteen MSCS schools earned As, the
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About half of MSCS schools earned the same letter grade as last year, and one-third improved. (Ariel J Cobbert/ Chalkbeat)
same number as last year, which lags behind the state average of one in five schools earning the top grade. Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ BUSINESS
November jobs report shows rising unemployment, deepening losses for Black workers By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA
The U.S. labor market showed further signs of strain in November, with new federal data revealing rising unemployment, steep losses in government jobs, and worsening conditions for Black workers, particularly Black men, according to an analysis of the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report and a review by the National Women’s Law Center. Employers added 64,000 jobs nationwide in November, a modest gain following months of data disruptions caused by the federal government shutdown. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent, up from 4.4 percent in September, the last month for which a full labor force survey was completed. The increase places unemployment at its highest level in four years. Behind the headline figures, federal employment continued to fall sharply. Since January, when Donald Trump returned to office, federal payrolls have declined by 271,000 positions. The November report reveals continued reductions tied to deferred resignation programs and layoffs that accelerated earlier in the fall, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rise in unemployment has been uneven, with Black workers experiencing some of the most severe impacts. Black men ages 20 and older saw their unemployment rate jump from 6.6 percent in September to 7.5 percent in November. Black women ages 20 and older recorded an unemployment rate of 7.1 percent in November, slightly lower than September’s 7.5 percent but still higher than any other racial or ethnic group. Long-term unemployment has also become more pronounced for Black workers. Black women who are unemployed are typically out of work for 14.5 weeks, while Black men face average unemployment spells of 12.1 weeks. By comparison, white women experience unemployment lasting about 8.6 weeks, and white men about 9.6 weeks, according to the National Women’s Law Center’s review of federal labor data. The November report shows that overall job growth Week of: January 1, 2026
Unemployment continued to rise in November, with new federal data showing Black workers—particularly Black men—facing some of the highest jobless rates and longer periods without work as the U.S. labor market shows signs of strain. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)
remains concentrated in a narrow set of sectors. Healthcare added more than 46,000 jobs, while construction employment rose by 28,000. Manufacturing lost 5,000 jobs, and transportation and warehousing shed nearly 18,000 positions. Leisure and hospitality also declined, reflecting broader weakness outside a handful of growth industries. Federal officials cautioned that November’s data carries higher-than-usual margins of error due to the shutdown-related survey delays. Even so, economists reviewing the report noted that revisions to late summer and early fall payrolls showed fewer jobs than initially reported, reinforcing signs of a Page 3
cooling labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the number of people unemployed for more than six months rose to 1.9 million in November, up from 1.7 million a year earlier. Wage growth slowed to 3.5 percent over the past year, the weakest pace since before the pandemic, adding pressure on households facing elevated prices and limited job mobility. The National Women’s Law Center said it will continue monitoring labor market data by race, gender, and industry to assess how job losses and prolonged unemployment affect women and families as federal employment contracts and hiring remain subdued. TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
City of Memphis awards $600,000 in Safer Communities Grants to 34 nonprofits By Lee Eric Smith
TSD Contributing Writer
The City of Memphis has awarded $600,000 in Safer Communities Grants to support a network of 34 local nonprofit organizations working to prevent violence, expand mentoring and outreach, and bolster community safety across the city. The funding, administered through the Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement, aims to strengthen local partners that provide mentoring, mental health services, crisis response and street outreach in neighborhoods disproportionately affected by violence. Awards were made in prevention and intervention categories to reach residents at varying levels of risk, officials said. “Every one of these organizations helps make our neighborhoods safer and stronger,” Mayor Paul Young said in a statement. “Their work supports people in critical moments and helps Memphis rise toward greater stability and peace.” Councilwoman Janika White, chair of the Public Safety Committee, noted that the grants reflect a broader view of public safety that includes prevention, opportunity and community trust. “As chair of the Public Safety Committee, I am encouraged to see city dollars supporting community partners who are close to the work and close to the people they serve,” White also said in a statement. “Public safety is not just about response. It is about prevention, opportunity and trust, and these grants help us move in that direction together.” The grant cycle runs from Nov. 1, 2025, through Sept. 1, 2026, and includes structured training, data reporting and citywide convenings to encourage accountability and measurWeek of: January 1, 2026
Representatives from nonprofit organizations pose after the City of Memphis awarded $600,000 in Safer Communities Grants to 34 local groups during a ceremony at City Hall in Memphis. The grants support violence prevention, mentoring and community safety efforts across the city. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/Tri-State Defender)
able impact, the city said. While many of the nonprofits receiving funding did not issue formal statements at the time of the award, some shared reflections on social media about the value of this type of support. One recipient, We Fight Monsters Ltd., posted a picture from City Hall holding its Safer Communities Grant certificate on social media, describing the award as “proof that when you show up, love people well and stay planted even when the ground feels hard, something does grow.” Founded as a coalition of volunteers — including former military, law enforcement, people with lived experience of addiction and trafficking, and community members — We Fight Monsters focuses on confronting human and narcotics trafficking, supporting survivors and reclaiming neighborhoods through a blend of outreach, recovery and restoration efforts. The post continued: “Safer communities aren’t built overnight — they’re
The Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement partners with community organizations, nonprofits and faith-based groups to reduce violence through prevention and intervention strategies. Supported by the City of Memphis and Shelby County, the office focuses on gun violence and community-based solutions.
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TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
Memphis Mayor Paul Young speaks during a Safer Communities Grants ceremony at City Hall in Memphis. The city awarded $600,000 to 34 nonprofit organizations focused on violence prevention, mentoring and community safety initiatives. On the cover: Memphis Mayor Paul Young congratulates one of 34 recipients of the 2025 round of Safer Communities grants. An initiative of the Joint Office for Neighborhood Engagement and Safety, the grants help grassroots and street-level organizations help would-be criminals make different choices.
built one relationship, one home, one act of service at a time. Today was a reminder that seeds planted in faith never return void. Grateful to the City of
Week of: January 1, 2026
Memphis, to every partner who locked arms with us, and to every person who believed in this mission long before it ever had a name.
“Never underestimate the power of a planted seed,” the post concluded. “It just might change a city.” The Safer Communities Grants program is part of the city’s broader strategy to invest in organizations deeply rooted in the communities they serve and to strengthen the capacity of those partners as they work to prevent violence and build stability. 2025 Safer Communities Grant recipients The following organizations received funding in this cycle: • Literacy Mid-South • Girls Incorporated of Memphis • Christopher A. Pugh II Center • Memphis in May International Festival Inc. • SchoolSeed • Project STAND • Peer Power Foundation • The Dennis Price Jr. Foundation • Streets Ministries Inc. • City Leadership • SafeWays Incorporated • Dress for Success Memphis • Memphis Thoroughbreds Track Club Inc. • We Fight Monsters Ltd. • 2Unique Community Salvation
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Foundation • Operation Taking Back 901 • Transitional Reentry Adult Program (TRAP) • Customized Veterans Group • BLOC Squad Memphis • Samaritan Counseling Center of the Mid South • BSOY Foundation • Regional One Health • South Side Wildcats • UniverCity Family CDC • Bevo Boys Fitness Academy • Carpenter Art Garden • Heal the Hood Foundation of Memphis • Legacy of Legends CDC • Stop the Killing, Cut the Beef CDC • Boys to Men of Memphis Mentoring Program • Divine Divas Academy Inc. • Hope House Day Care Center Inc. • Mane Up Memphis Inc. • Greater Whitehaven Economic Redevelopment Corporation • Golden Institute For more information about the program and city investments in community safety, visit memphistn.gov/ jointoffice.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ COMMUNITY
Memphians close out 2025, prep for 2026 with Kwanzaa celebrations Habari Gani!
K
Children gather near a Kwanzaa table display featuring fruit and traditional colors during a Dec. 29 celebration at Mecca Memphis in the Whitehaven Shopping Plaza. A child holds up a book while a community member reads during a Dec. 29 Kwanzaa celebration at Mecca Memphis in the Whitehaven Shopping Plaza.
wanzaa celebrations took place all over Memphis this holiday season, celebrating the Afrocentric holiday of family and culture from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. One of those celebrations happened Monday evening, Dec. 29 at MECCA Memphis in the Whitehaven Shopping Plaza to celebrate Ujamaa — cooperative economics. Decked out in Afrocentric gear, families and children packed into the gallery/cultural space for a Kwanzaa celebration that blended ritual, storytelling and youth-centered participation. With African masks, carvings and artwork lining the walls, the room became both a gathering place and a living exhibit of African cultural expression. TSD Photojournalist Gary S. Whitlow was on hand to capture the Watoto celebration and more. Check out these images!
A participant lights candles on the kinara during a Dec. 29 Kwanzaa celebration at Mecca Memphis in the Whitehaven Shopping Plaza. Week of: January 1, 2026
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TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ COMMUNITY
Youth participants lead a song during a Dec. 29 Kwanzaa celebration at Mecca Memphis in the Whitehaven Shopping Plaza. A young participant reads from a prepared statement beside a Kwanzaa display during a Dec. 29 celebration at Mecca Memphis in the Whitehaven Shopping Plaza.
Community members and children raise clenched fists during a call-and-response moment at a Kwanzaa celebration at Mecca Memphis in the Whitehaven Shopping Plaza on Dec. 29. Habari Gani! Scenes from a Ujamaa celebration at Mecca Memphis in the Whitehaven Shopping Plaza. Week of: January 1, 2026
Photos by Gary S. Whitlow, TSD Photojournalist Page 7
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ ENTERTAINMENT
And now, a word from the people who cook your food . . . Book review By Terri Schlichenmeyer Four stars and three weeks. That’s the rating you’ve seen for the hottest restaurant in town, and how long before you can snag reservations for a table there. The service is said to be stellar, their signature dish exquisite, the presentation awe-inspiring, and the desserts sublime. It’ll be worth it. So while you’re waiting (and drooling), read “Voices from the Kitchen, edited by Marc Meyer, then you can compliment the chef – and others. How many times a month do you visit your favorite restaurant? Marc Meyer says that without the work of immigrant labor, the answer would be zero because that restaurant probably “would not exist.” From construction, to growing and harvesting the food, from oven to table, people “from other nations” have been instrumental in America’s restaurants. In this book, Meyer presents stories of people who work in the restaurants he and his business partners own. The workers live in New York City but they represent immigrant food workers everywhere in America. Vico came from Mexico because, as the eldest, he was responsible for his family after his father died. He’d wanted to go to college but there was no money for it then. Fany did go to college and had hoped to find a good job, but violence in her native Honduras sent her to the U.S., where she met her wife and found happiness. Armando says he and his siblings were “looking for opportunities.” He found a job in a kitchen, where “MalayWeek of: January 1, 2026
sians taught me” to speak English and to cook. Alonso left El Salvador to avoid joining a gang. Lucia came to America illegally (“I’m not going to lie.”) as a child. Mamadou came from Burkina Faso with a student visa and stayed, though kitchen duties are “women’s work” in his homeland. Carlha’s father taught her to cook. Mohammad owned many cows in Gambia before immigrating. And Anna Marie got a job in a kitchen thanks to her Irish accent. Pick up “Voices from the Kitchen,” and you’ll know immediately that this is not a book about food. If you’re expecting recipes, nope. No sizzling drama, either. What you’ll find here, instead, is food for thought. This collection, though sometimes identically-told, is also unique and individual in the many tales of immigration that editor Marc Meyer presents. Over and over, you’ll read about dreams and hopes, escape from violence, and wishes for betterment. You may notice that everyone here talked about doing anything to get started in America, cleaning houses, babysitting, collecting garbage, doing whatever it took to survive. Theirs is a collection of tales of taking pride in a job well-done but not being too proud to temporarily work one’s self up from the very bottom. It’s inspiring, jaw-dropping, and really quite reflective. If you’ve ever craved international dishes, ordered Chinese or Mexican or Thai or otherwise patronized a restaurant that serves them, this is a mustread. Likewise, if you’ve been thinking about immigration issues and you want to bite into them further, “Voices from the Kitchen” is a good entree. Page 8
“Voices from the Kitchen: Personal Narratives from New York’s Immigrant Restaurant Workers,” edited by Marc Meyer c.2025, Beacon Press $29.95 240 pages
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com