— The Trump administration brought a small number of white South Africans to the United States as refugees Monday. It says it’s the start of a larger relocation effort for members of the minority Afrikaner group who are being persecuted by their Black-led government because of their race.
So what persecution is the U.S. alleging?
Farm attacks
Trump and his South African-born adviser Elon Musk have accused the South African government of having racist anti-white laws and policies, but the claims of persecution and genocide center on a relatively small number of violent farm attacks and robberies on white people in rural communities.
South Africa have been a problem for years but represent a small percentage of the country’s extremely high violent crime rates, which affect all races.
Affirmative action and ‘reverse racism’
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The 59 South Africans had their applications fast-tracked by the U.S. after President Donald Trump announced the relocation program in February. He said Monday that white Afrikaner farmers are facing a “genocide” in their homeland, an allegation strongly denied by the South African government.
The Trump administration has taken an anti-migrant stance, suspending refugee programs and halting arrivals from other parts of the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan and most countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Refugee groups have questioned why the white South Africans are being prioritized.
South Africa says there’s no persecution
The South African government said the U.S. allegations that Afrikaners are being persecuted are “completely false,” the result of misinformation and an inaccurate view of its country. It cited the fact that Afrikaners are among the richest and most successful people in the country, and said they are amongst “the most economically privileged.”
Afrikaners are the descendants of mainly Dutch and French colonial settlers who first came to South Africa in the 17th century. There are around 2.7 million Afrikaners among South Africa’s population of 62 million, which is more than 80% Black.
Afrikaners were the leaders of the apartheid system of white minority rule that ended in 1994.
The U.S. alleges those attacks are racially motivated and the South African government is “fueling” them by allowing anti-white rhetoric in politics and not doing enough to protect Afrikaner communities. The government has condemned the farm attacks, but says their cause is being deliberately mischaracterized.
Violent attacks on farm owners in
The Trump administration has also criticized South Africa’s affirmative action policies as racist against whites and has falsely claimed white South Africans are having their land taken away by the government under a new expropriation law that promotes “racially discriminatory property confiscation.” No land has been expropriated, but Afrikaners who make up many rural communities have raised fears their land might be targeted.
(Associated Press writers Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.)
President Calvin Anderson Editor Stephanie R. Jones
■■ ENTERTAINMENT
October Nights lights up Memphis with soulful serenades and powerhouse R&B
By Ancelious Meeks
Special
to The Tri-State Defender
Mother’s Day weekend ended on a high note in Bluff City as the October Nights: Calling All Lovers tour made a stop at The Orpheum Theatre Sunday night, bringing a soulful celebration of contemporary R&B, highlighted by smooth vocals and nostalgic hits.
The nearly sold-out performance featured Grammy Award-winner October London, platinum-selling songstress Tamar Braxton, and singer-songwriter Ro James, three of today’s most dynamic voices in modern R&B.
Ro James opened the night with a passionate performance that instantly warmed up the crowd. Dressed in his signature edgy style, James performed fan favorites like “Already Knew That” and his breakout hit “Permission,” from his 2017 debut Eldorado. Though it’s been five years since his last album Mantic (2020), James made it clear — he’s still got it. “It’s a blessing to be back on stage in front of y’all,” he told the audience, receiving rousing cheers in return.
Next up, Tamar Braxton proved once again why she remains a standout in both music and media. Known to many through her roles in reality television and as a talk show host, Braxton reminded the nearly 2,000 attendees that music is her first love — and her powerful voice her greatest gift. Backed by a live band and dazzling lights, she
sang selections from her 2015 album
Calling All Lovers, 2013’s Love and War, and Bluebird of Happiness (2017), captivating the crowd with raw emotion and impressive vocal runs.
At 48, Braxton remains as dynamic as ever, earning roaring applause for her emotional delivery and stage presence. Her viral 2014 track “Let Me Know,” featuring Future had the audience singing along word-for-word, further proved her legacy as a consummate vocalist.
“Tamar Braxton delivered a solid performance,” said attendee Nicole Brown, “but October London truly stole the show with his refined and
sophisticated stage presence. We had a wonderful time this evening.”
When it was finally time for October London to take the stage, the room shifted.
Known for his velvety tone, throwback soul influence and gentlemanly swagger, London performed like a man born to sing love songs. Signed under the rebranded Death Row Records, now owned by hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, London has been climbing fast, thanks to critically acclaimed albums The Rebirth of Marvin (2023) and October Nights (2024).
With a style reminiscent of Marvin Gaye, yet uniquely his own, London
delivered a polished, magnetic performance that set the tone for a perfect date night. His set featured a tight live band, angelic background singers, and seamless transitions between ballads and upbeat love anthems. Between songs, London humbly acknowledged the immense talent on the tour, telling the crowd, “This is a tour full of singers — not just performers — singers.” Indeed, the tour is a vocalist’s dream. Each artist brought a distinct flavor: James with the smooth sensuality, Braxton with the powerhouse pipes and vulnerability, and London with the timeless soul.
For some concertgoers, especially those celebrating Mother’s Day, the event was like a gift.
“Brunch, gifts, and my husband surprised me with tickets to the October London concert with Tamar,” said Sherri Philmore, who attended with her husband. “My Mother’s Day was simply amazing.”
As the tour continues its 24-city run, produced by The Black Promoters Collective (BPC), Memphis fans were left with a renewed appreciation for real singing — no gimmicks, no backing tracks, just raw talent and unforgettable voices.
Grammy winner October London headlined his eponymous Calling All Lovers tour, performing ballads and upbeat love anthems.
Backed by a live band and dazzling lights, Tamar Braxton captivated the crowd with raw emotion and impressive vocals during the October London: Calling All Lovers tour Sunday at The Orpheum Theatre. (Ancelious Meeks/The Tri-State Defender)
■■ ENTERTAINMENT
Malcolm X continued to shape America after his death
By Terri Schlichenmeyer Special to The Tri-State Defender
Who will remember you in fifty years’ time?
A handful of friends — at least those who are still around — might recall you. Your offspring, grandkids, and greats, and maybe people who stumble upon your tombstone. Think about it: Who will remember you in 2075? And then read “The Afterlife of Malcolm X” by Mark Whitaker and learn about a legacy that still resonates a half-century later.
Betty Shabazz didn’t like to go to her husband’s speeches, but on that February night in 1965, he asked her to come with their daughters to the Audubon Ballroom in New York. Did Malcolm X sense that something bad would happen on that night? Surely, he was fully aware of the possibility, knowing that he’d been “a marked man” for months because of his very public break with the Nation of Islam.
As the news of his murder spread around New York and around the world, his followers and admirers reacted in many ways. His friend, journalist Peter Goldman, was “hardly shocked” because he also knew that Malcolm’s life was in danger, but the arrest of three men accused of the crime didn’t add up. It ultimately became Goldman’s “obsession.”
Malcolm’s co-writer for The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley, quietly finished the book he started with Malcolm, and a small upstart publishing house snatched it up. A diverse group of magazines got in line to run articles about Malcolm X’s life, finally sensing that white America “needed his voice even more than blacks did.”
But though Malcolm X was gone, he continued to leave an impact.
He didn’t live long enough to see the official founding of the Black Panther Party, but he was influential in its beginning. He never knew the triumphs of a convert named Muhammad Ali.
Malcolm left his mark on music. He influenced at least three major athletes. He was a “touchstone” for a president…
While it’s true that “The Afterlife of Malcolm X” is an eye-opening book, one that works as a great companion to the autobiography, it’s also somewhat scattered. Is it a look at Malcolm’s life, his legacy, or is it a “murder mystery”?
Turns out, it’s all three, but the timeline for it isn’t always smooth and that may take some getting used-to. Just when you’re immersed, even absorbed in this book, to the point where you forget about your surroundings, author Mark Whitaker abruptly moves to a different part of the story. It may be jarring.
“The Afterlife of Malcolm X: An Outcast Turned Icon’s Enduring Impact on America” by Mark Whitaker c.2025, Simon & Schuster
$30.99
448 pages
And yet, it’s a big part of this book, and it’s essential for readers to know the investigation’s outcome and what we know today. It doesn’t change Malcolm X’s legacy, but it adds another frame around it.
If you’ve read the autobiography, if you haven’t thought about Malcolm X in awhile, or if you think you know all there is to know, then you owe it to yourself to find “The Afterlife of Malcolm X.” For you, this is a book you won’t easily forget.
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■■ COMMUNITY
Tom Lee Day 2025 celebrated through poetry and film
TSD Newsroom
May 8, 2025 marked the 100-year anniversary of Tom Lee’s heroic Mississippi River rescue. This local and national hero was celebrated all across Memphis last week, as city leaders and members of his family revived the story of Lee’s courage, selflessness and valor. But one celebration focused on his impact on future leaders and literary stars, and debuted a new film about the day Tom Lee saved 32 people from drowning.
The 4th Annual Tom Lee Poetry and Spoken Word Contest, hosted by Memphis River Parks Partnership, welcomes students to not only connect to the Memphis riverfront through poetic writing, but to connect to a piece of history that can be a guiding light as they come into their own. Since 2022, students have leaned on Tom Lee’s values of generosity, courage and humanity
as inspiration for their original works. This year students from Hutchison, Central and Lausanne were recognized for their artistic prowess.
1st Place: Katie Phan, a freshman at Hutchison, won for her poem “What Kills a Wife.” It was a tale about domestic abuse from a child’s view and that child gaining the courage to no longer be silent. Phan and her teacher both took home a cash prize of $300.
2nd Place: Jericka Self, a junior at Central, won second place for her poem “2:40am.” Paying homage to her deceased sister, Self writes about drastically changing her own hair, and connecting the markings on her body into a neverending loop. She and her teacher both received a cash prize of $200.
3rd place: Christian Love, a sophomore at Lausanne won third place
for his poem “Crease.” This was a self portrait of a young man who was bent but not broken. Love and his teacher both won a cash prize of $100.
At the celebration, which took place at Cossitt Library, each student read their poem before thunderous applause.
Another celebration highlight was the debut of “Shine On: The Story of Tom Lee,” the latest documentary from Last Bite Films, a local film company led by Molly Wexler.
In the opening scene, a familiar face appeared. That of Kenon Walker, the Peabody Hotel’s Duckmaster. He played Tom Lee in this 10-minute short film that re-enacted the day Tom Lee saved white passengers from drowning when the M.E. Norman went down into the Mississippi River. Though most in the room had heard the story, the
film gave new vibrancy and poignancy to a nearly 100-person crowd, which included Tom Lee’s descendants and family members of the survivors. The film was produced, written and staffed by locals, including Anton Mack (actor, producer) and Amanzi Arnett Dowdy (writer and composer), and can be seen on WKNO.
Other celebrations were held at MLGW and in the Klondike neighborhood where Tom Lee’s house still stands. Klondike CDC has plans to renovate the house and make it a museum about Tom Lee’s life, his values and his heroic rescue.
DID YOU KNOW? One of the lives Tom Lee saved was that of a Dixon heir, Margaret Oates Dixon, who would later go on to establish the Dixon Gallery & Gardens in East Memphis.
■■ NEWS
Family of Tyre Nichols: ‘Justice system failed us again’
Hundreds honor victim in rain at National Civil
By Lee Eric Smith Special to The Tri-State Defender
It was 33 years ago this month that we learned that video evidence wasn’t enough to make an all-white jury convict the police officers who brutally beat Rodney King.
Last week, we learned it again — when three of the former Memphis officers accused in the beating death of Tyre Nichols were cleared Wednesday of criminal charges brought by the State of Tennessee. This, despite multiple bodycam and Skycop footage showing Nichols’ fate.
Nichols’ family members were silent in the immediate aftermath of the bombshell verdict. But on last Thursday afternoon, with raindrops masking tears, they made their feelings known at a gathering at the National Civil Rights Museum. Kiana Dixon, Tyre’s older sister, spoke first — and didn’t hold back.
“I thought that having video of them beating my brother to death would be enough, but it wasn’t,” she said. “Not guilty. Not guilty. Not guilty, over and over again, for everything they did, everything the world saw they did to my brother. They clearly didn’t look at the evidence.
“Or maybe they did — and they just didn’t give a f*ck!” she said, near tears.
City and its people still processing stunning verdict
As clouds rolled in over the National Civil Rights Museum. Nichols’ family stood before a crowd of hundreds, braving the rain, their grief and a justice system they say has failed them again.
Rights Museum
The verdict, delivered by a majority-white jury from Hamilton County, cleared Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith of all charges, including second-degree murder.
The jury was picked from outside Shelby County because of defense concerns about media saturation and bias — an argument the family rejected.
“They said we weren’t smart enough here in Memphis to make an impartial decision,” said RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’ mother. “So they went to Hamilton County, where they didn’t care enough to see the truth.”
“Justice for Tyre!”—even in the rain
The sky opened up just as the family began to speak. But the crowd — nearly 300 strong — held its ground against the rain, shouting “Justice for Tyre!” and raising fists as the storm rolled over Downtown Memphis.
One by one, family members took the mic: Kiana. Then LaToya Yiza, the younger sister. Then Rodney Wells, Tyre’s stepfather. Then RowVaughn. Each voice carried a different note — anger, pain, disbelief, resolve. But all pointed to the same conclusion: This isn’t over.
“I’m not devastated. I’m disgusted,” LaToya said. “The justice system failed us again. But this fight doesn’t stop here.”
Mayor and Chief respond: “We will heal together”
On the night of the verdict, Mayor Paul Young and Police Chief C.J. Davis released a joint video statement urging calm and promising continued reform.
“Today, my prayers are with the
Nichols family and our entire city,” Young said. “I understand the pain we’re feeling as a life was lost at the hands of officers whose actions don’t reflect the values of our Memphis Police Department. Memphis is still healing, and that healing demands that we work together.”
Davis, who was police chief in the previous administration and created the controversial SCORPION unit that the acquitted officers belonged to, echoed Young’s remarks.
“Policing in Memphis must always be ever-evolving and continuously improving, and I am confident that our team is ready to further the work of creating ongoing change,” she said. “As I have stated before, we believe in improved policing, in training, and in progress we are seeing daily.
“We recognize the pain and grief this incident has caused, and the men and
women of the Memphis Police Department remain committed to rebuilding trust and working together toward a stronger, safer Memphis for all,” she added.
Unforgiving crowd
Those calls for calm and progress didn’t land well for many in attendance Thursday. Multiple speakers and members of the crowd directly called out Young and Davis by name, criticizing their “scripted” statements and perceived lack of accountability.
“Fire CJ Davis!” one person shouted from the crowd.
“Mayor Young needs to resign!” came another.
From the stage, speakers accused city leadership of failing to push for deeper reforms after Nichols’ death and questioned why the SCORPION unit — whose officers were involved in the
RowVaugn Wells speaks about the not guilty verdict handed to police officers accused in her son’s beating death, as Kareem Ali of Ben Crump’s law firm shields her from the rain. (Photos: Gary S, Whitlow/Tri-State Defender)
beating — was ever allowed to operate with such force.
Activists expressed frustration with the city’s resistance to transparency and community oversight, and they demanded answers about why reforms have been slow, uneven or hidden from public view.
“Grace ain’t forever.”
Rodney Wells, Tyre’s stepfather, didn’t hide his disappointment with the verdict, the city and the system that delivered it.
“This has been a long, long journey,” he said. “How the hell do we have a trial and not one count? Not one out of 21?”
■■ NEWS
He also revealed something unexpected: that the family had once considered relocating to Chattanooga, where the jury came from to avoid alleged bias in Memphis.
“We were thinking about moving to Chattanooga. But not anymore,” he said. “To hell with even visiting.”
Then he added, almost incredulous:
“There are Black people in Chattanooga. You mean to tell me you couldn’t find even one for that jury?”
Wells also pushed back against what he called the public’s overuse of the word “grace” to describe how his wife had carried herself in the wake of their son’s death.
“It was her grace that gave this city peace,” he said. “When the activists wanted to burn this city down, she told them no. But let me tell y’all something: Grace ain’t forever. Y’all don’t have any
more grace with this family.”
“I’m going to make my son right.”
RowVaughn Wells didn’t just learn that her son had been beaten to death — she felt it.
“I felt pain the night my son was being beaten,” she said. “I didn’t know what it was at the time, but now I know. A mother knows when her child is in trouble.”
She described the heartbreak of watching the videos — of hearing her son call out for her as officers kicked, punched and struck him. Then came the added agony of realizing that even that video footage wasn’t enough to bring her family justice.
“I thought surely, this time, the video would be enough,” she said. “But it wasn’t.”
As the raindrops finally broke up the press conference, it didn’t break up the movement. Dozens of attendees marched through downtown Memphis shouting, “Justice for Tyre.”
Rodney Wells, Tyre Nichols’ stepfather listens as Atty. Earnestine Hunt Dorse addresses the rally crown.
Following a rally at the National Civil Rights Museum, supporters of Tyre Nichols’ family march through Downtown Memphis.
■■ COMMUNITY
“We’re not just rebuilding a building. We’re rebuilding how Memphis thinks of itself — how it heals, how it grows, how it includes. Clayborn Temple can be that space.”
— Anasa Troutman
is called Culture Shift. Troutman has shared her Culture Shift framework — including the introductory course, Culture Shift 101 — with thousands of artists, organizers and changemakers, teaching how culture and storytelling can drive meaningful social change. She has worked with a wide range of cultural and justice-focused organizations, among them the National Black Arts Festival and Highlander Center, the Kellogg Foundation, Sony Music, and artists such as India.Arie and social justice advocate Kat Taylor. She has been involved in national cultural policy conversations, including during the Obama administration.
In what Troutman describes as one of the most defining moments of her work, she remembers sitting on the stage of Clayborn Temple with civil rights icon the late Rev. James Lawson, who came to Memphis when The BIG We was acquiring the building.
“He (Lawson) told me something that changed my life,” Troutman recalls. “He said, ‘I want people to stop saying we were building a civil rights movement. That’s not what we were trying to do. We were trying to build God’s Kingdom on Earth.’”
“Hearing Rev. Lawson say that reframed everything for me,” she said. “This isn’t just about rights. It’s about how we live as human beings, how we show up for each other, and how we create a world of abundance for everyone.”
Troutman believes Memphis is uniquely positioned to show the world how a cultural shift takes place. She says Memphis can lead this transformation. Despite the fire, she still envisions a future in which Clayborn Temple is once again a sacred place of gathering,
connection and radical imagination — a hub for community entrepreneurship, cooperative economics, storytelling and healing.
“We are at a turning point. I see people I’ve never seen before showing up saying, ‘We’re in. We’re doing this.’ The fire didn’t kill the vision — it ignited something in people.”
In the days since the fire, support for restoring Clayborn Temple has poured in from across the country. This includes commitments from legacy organizations such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. It also spurred campaigns like Choose901’s “Rising from the Ashes.” Mayor Paul Young has reaffirmed the city’s commitment to restoring the church.
Troutman’s belief in the potential of Clayborn Temple and Memphis is unwavering. “Memphis is the right size, at the right time, with the right people. I don’t see the opportunity for transformation anywhere else like I see it here.”
Clayborn Temple, she says, will rise again — not just in structure, but in the spirit that forged the declaration “I AM A MAN,” the iconic rallying cry first proclaimed by striking sanitation workers in the church’s basement — an enduring call to recognize the humanity and dignity of every person.
“When we say ‘The BIG We’, we mean it,” said Troutman. “Our job now is to say ‘yes’ — to open the doors, to let people walk in, to learn how they want to show up. If we can treat every person as worthy, just because they were born, recognize there is enough abundance for everybody, imagine what Memphis — and the world — could be.”
Bonus Prize
Get your ticket by May 16 for a chance to win the Ultimate Memphis Basketball Experience including season tickets to the Memphis Grizzlies, season tickets to the Memphis Tiger’s men’s basketball, and Peabody Weekend Getaway, courtesy of Regions Bank, Campbell Clinic and The Peabody Memphis.
■■ COMMUNITY
Southwest Tennessee Community College to celebrate historic 2025 commencement
First graduating class from Medical District High School to cross the stage
TSD Newsroom
A group of high school seniors from Medical District High School will be the first in their class to graduate as college sophomores during Southwest Tennessee Community College’s 2025 commencement ceremony Thursday.
Among the 1,295 candidates set to receive a total of 1,312 degrees and certificates, 43 high school seniors from MDHS will earn dual credentials — an achievement that positions them ahead of their peers as they continue into higher education.
The students represent a groundbreaking partnership between Southwest and Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Opened in 2021 on the college’s Union Avenue Campus, MDHS allows students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree in either health science, information technology or general studies.
“These young scholars have shown extraordinary commitment and maturity — earning college degrees while still in high school,” said Tracy D. Hall, president of Southwest. “They are on a clear path to meaningful careers in high-demand fields. This head start not only empowers them with credentials, but also with confidence, purpose and a deeper understanding of what’s possible for their lives and families.”
Hannah Sweezer, valedictorian of the inaugural MDHS class, will serve as the student commencement speaker. She will graduate with an associate’s degree in health science along with a high school diploma. The Memphis native maintained a 4.73 GPA, served as both senior class president and the school’s first elected student government president, and was named to the Dean’s List for four consecutive years.
Sweezer plans to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to study biochemistry and aspires to become a physician.
“I knew that I always wanted to leave a legacy,” Sweezer said. “Doing dual enrollment here at Southwest excelled me beyond measure. Not only did I receive a degree at 18 years old, but I became the first valedictorian of my high school and the first high school student to speak at commencement. I have gained personal insight into the medical field and my future career, and to that I am forever grateful.”
Wakima Tutwiler, principal at MDHS, called Sweezer “a remarkable standard-bearer for all future graduates,” praising her passion for learning and leadership. “Hannah’s exceptional work ethic and relentless curiosity inspire her peers and garner admiration from her teachers. I am confident that she will continue to make a significant impact, setting a remarkable standard for future graduates of Medical District High School,” Tutwiler said.
Other MDHS graduates shared how
the program helped shape their academic and professional goals.
Yamani Salgado, class salutatorian, will graduate with an associate degree in information technology and attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the fall. A first-generation college student and oldest of three siblings, she credits the dual enrollment program with building her confidence and focus.
“Taking dual enrollment courses while in high school gave me a deeper understanding of strength, dedication, time management and communication. I am better prepared for my academic future in higher education,” Salgado said.
Javion White also will receive an associate degree in information technology. He plans to attend the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He said the program helped him gain early experience in a college environment and introduced him to peers with similar aspirations.
“This program gifted me lifelong friendships and relationships with people with such bright futures,” White
said. “It has also gifted me the opportunity to get a head start on college and my career by getting experience with professors and college classes while also gaining college credits.”
Memphis Mayor Paul Young will deliver the 2025 commencement address.
“Mayor Young’s commitment to education and job creation aligns perfectly with Southwest’s mission to empower students and strengthen our local workforce,” Hall said.
She said Southwest is a pipeline for Memphis’ future. More than 98% of Southwest graduates remain in the Memphis area, directly contributing to the local workforce and economy.
“Our students graduate career-ready and community-minded. Most importantly, they remain here to make a difference,” Hall said.
The graduation ceremony takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Landers Center, 4560 Venture Drive in Southaven. It will be livestreamed on the college’s Facebook page at @SouthwestTN.
For more information, visit https:// southwest.tn.edu/graduation/index.php
Yamani Salgado, Hannah Sweezer and Javion White, members of the first graduating class of Medical District High School, pose ahead of Southwest Tennessee Community College’s historic 2025 commencement ceremony in Southaven, Miss. The trio will receive both high school diplomas and associate degrees as part of a groundbreaking dual enrollment program between Southwest and Memphis-Shelby County Schools. (Photos courtesy of Southwest Tennessee Community College)
Six graduating seniors added to Rhodes College’s Hall of Fame; commencement is Saturday
TSD Newsroom
Six graduating seniors’ portraits are being added to Rhodes College’s Hall of Fame on the second floor of Southwestern Hall. They are Keith Adams, Shanteise Bonds, Anh Duy Hoàng, Dylan Morris, Anna Yates and Sana Zein-Sabatto. Selection to the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1931, is based on individual merit, leadership in student activities, service to others and overall contributions to the campus community. Honorees are chosen by their peers. Election to the Hall of Fame is considered one of the highest honors that can come to a student.
• Keith Adams, a biology major from Stone Mountain, Georgia, has studied drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) genetics at Rhodes, worked in the bacteria and infectious disease lab at Emory University, and studied how African bush elephants affect other species in the ecosystem and other environmental phenomena in Namibia and Botswana during an intensive 2024 Namibia Maymester.
Adams is a STEM Cohort Mentoring Program participant and has presented research conducted at Emory at the Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology Conference. His leadership goes beyond the classroom, serving as a captain of the varsity baseball team, president of Men of Distinction and a mentor for first-year students as part of the Multicultural Vision Program. Adams also volunteers with the Refugee Empowerment Program in Memphis. Off-campus, Adams has been an intern at Southaven Internal Medicine.
• Shanteise Bonds, a biology and health equity double major from Memphis, has laboratory research experience in the Molecular Immunotherapeutic Research Lab at Rhodes, analyzing protein structures to enhance therapeutic approaches for autoimmune disorders. She has conducted HPV Cancer Prevention research at St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital and held internships at Baptist Memorial Hospital and University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Bonds is a STEM Cohort Mentoring Program participant and student development team member of the L & Leola Educational Advancement Foundation. Bonds serves as a student representative on the Board of Trustees and as a Rhodes Ambassador. She also serves as program chair for the Multicultural Vision Program, co-chair of the Class of 2025 Senior Gift Committee, vice president of the Health Professions Society and vice president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. In addition, Bonds is a member of Africana Women Supporting Ourselves and Maintaining Excellence, the Minority Association of Premedical Students, Black Student Association, Mortar Board Honors Society and TriBeta Biological Honor Society.
• Anh Duy Hoàng, a philosophy, politics and economics major from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has dedicated himself to immigration advocacy at Rhodes and beyond through student organizing, legal support and policy work. At ImmSchools, he contributes to policy research and drafting briefs for the Department of Education and school districts. At the Community Legal Center in Memphis, he assists with immigration filings for refugee families.
On campus, Hoàng has worked in the Department of International Studies, served as co-president of All Students Interested in Asia, worked as a resident assistant, and was elected RSG senator. He also founded and served as president of the International and Immigrant Students Association. Hoàng was a 2024 fellow with the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies, where he researched legal access for immigrants in Memphis. He is being inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society this year.
• Dylan Morris, an environmental sciences major from Clarksville, Tennessee, has conducted community engagement and data science research,
where he used GIS mapping to analyze public transportation accessibility in Memphis and contributed to federal grant proposals for Hospitality Hub, a nonprofit addressing homelessness. He also served as a Rhodes Summer Fellow at Shelby Farms Park Conservatory, conducting market research and supporting GIS mapping initiatives.
On campus, Morris is co-director for the Laurence F. Kinney Program, leading initiatives that connect Rhodes students with nearly 100 Memphis service organizations. In 2023, he was named Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Sophomore of the Year, an honor recognizing his leadership abilities. Beyond his work in community engagement, Morris has served as the Interfraternity Council president, a Rhodes Diplomat, an Academic Peer Coach, Peer Assistant and a Rhodes Student Associate.
• Anna Yates, a philosophy, politics and economics major from Little Rock, Arkansas, serves as president of the Rhodes Student Government (RSG), leading initiatives to strengthen communication between students and the administration. Her previous RSG roles include vice president, senator and various committee chairs. Her academic achievements include receiving the Political Economy Department Sophomore of the Year Award and an internship at the United States House of Representatives. Yates also has worked as an intern with the International Justice Mission.
Beyond academic pursuits and RSG involvement, Yates is a Writing Center fellow and participates in the Rhodes College Dance Company, the Reformed University Fellowship Leadership
Team, and Kappa Delta Sorority. She is being inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society this year.
• Sana Zein-Sabatto, a biology major from Nashville, has conducted amphibian husbandry and behavioral research at the Memphis Zoo, pollinator conservation research with the Wild Bee Lab, and environmental field studies across the Amazon, Andes and Galápagos Islands through the Rhodes Ecuador program.
On campus, she co-founded the Middle Eastern Student Association and has served as the publicity chair for the Muslim Student Association.
Zein-Sabatto helped launch a campus-wide recognition for World Hijab Day and Arab-American Heritage Month. She also has served as an ambassador for Health Professions Advising and a representative for the Annual Giving Fund. In addition, Zein-Sabatto is a member of Mortar Board, TriBeta Biological Honor Society, and KAO environmental honor society. Beyond Rhodes, she serves as a volunteer at the Humane Society and a board member for the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament.
Rhodes College Commencement
The 176th Commencement of Rhodes College will be held Saturday, May 17, at 8:30 a.m. in the Hubert F. Fisher Memorial Garden on campus. Tickets are required for guests, and the program will also stream live at www. rhodes.edu.
