Week of: September 17, 2026
The latest from tsdmemphis.com
Southern Heritage Classic lives up to its name in double-overtime thriller — Page 8
NEWS
ENTERTAINMENT
MEMPHIS FILMMAKER GEORGE W. TILLMAN JR., WHO REFUSED TO LET BLACK STORIES BE FORGOTTEN, DIES AT 71
HATTILOO THEATRE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH NEW PERFORMANCE SPACE
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— Page 16
Volume 75, Issue 37
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■■ NEWS
TRI-STATE DEFENDER
Mississippi police arrest a man in the death of Tasia Fortune By Jaimie Ding and Kristin Hall
tsdmemphis.com 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: September 17, 2026
Associated Press
Mississippi police have arrested a man in the death of Tasia Fortune, a Black woman found hanging from a tree last month. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said at a news conference Friday, Sept. 11, that police had secured search and arrest warrants for 51-yearold Jarques Ratliff and arrested him when they encountered him walking on the street. Brackney said the man had an “association” with Fortune but would not elaborate on their relationship. The state medical examiner’s office determined Thursday evening that the death was a homicide, Brackney said, allowing police to execute the warrants they already had on hand. “This case remains active, and additional arrests will be pending,” Brackney said. Christy Spivey, Fortune’s mother, said Friday after police told her of the arrest that, “I just started crying and told them ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’ “ Spivey said police did not share a motive or whether DNA led them to the arrest. Spivey said she did not know the man who had been arrested, but she was asking her daughter’s friends if they knew him. Spivey described the family as “in disbelief ” and “shock.” “We still don’t have a lot of answers,” Spivey said. Police discovered Fortune’s body hanging in the backyard of an abandoned home in Jackson on Aug. 3. Spivey said she was certain that her daughter, 29, would not have killed herself. “Absolutely not. Even if she could climb that tree, no, no, she would never, ever, ever,” Spivey said. Fortune was the mother of four
children, but she rarely saw two of them, Spivey said. The last time Spivey saw her daughter was in late July for a planned family reunion in Kentucky that was canceled, but her daughter came to see her anyway. “When she was there, there was this pull, like a spiritual pull to her. I needed her. I guess God knew that was going to be it,” Spivey said. Spivey said she and Fortune’s father faced racism and violence as a mixedrace couple in Crittenden County, Kentucky, before Fortune was born. Fortune was taken from her parents and placed in foster care as a child. During her high school years, she moved around among group homes
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and eventually ran away to Mississippi. Spivey wasn’t sure where Fortune was living at the time of her death but said her daughter had been struggling with homelessness in recent years. Fortune had two sisters and was close with them. The father of one of her children was verbally and physically abusive to Fortune, Spivey said. Before she died, Fortune had talked about starting a cleaning business and was trying to get her life in order. “Say her name. Keep it going,” Spivey said. “Because I’m not going to stop until I get answers.” Associated Press writer Josh Kelety contributed to this report.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery announces first five appointments TSD Newswire Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery, who took the oath of office Aug. 31, has announced the first five appointees to county government positions for his administration. “As we move forward, our administration is focused on building a team that reflects the spirit of One Shelby. Our goal is to bring people together, set a high standard for service and ensure the decisions we make contribute to a stronger Shelby County for everyone in our community,” said Lowery in a statement Tuesday, Sept. 15. The new administrative leaders bring decades of experience in public service, county governance, finance, engineering, construction, human resources and organizational management. Together, they are tasked with supporting Lowery’s efforts to strengthen county operations, he said. Felecia Higgs Walker will serve as chief of staff, leading the administration’s day-to-day operations, strategic priorities and community engagement. A native Memphian, Walker brings more than two decades of experience in public service and workforce development. Prior to joining the Lowery administration, she served as a deputy administrator in county government, supporting judicial operations in the Mental Health Court. She is also the founder and CEO of a professional development company that helps students and working professionals navigate career opportunities. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee. Maura Black Sullivan has been Week of: September 17, 2026
science and economics from DePaul University, an MBA from The Ohio State University and a law degree from Loyola University Chicago.
Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery has announced his first appointments to county government: Felecia Higgs Walker, chief of staff; Maura Black Sullivan, chief administrative officer; Brian Collins, chief financial officer; David C. Bradford Jr., director of public works; and Crystal R. Oliver, director of human resources. The five appointees bring decades of experience in public service, government administration, finance, engineering and human resources to Lowery’s administration. (Courtesy photos)
named chief administrative officer. A public sector executive with more than 30 years of experience, Sullivan most recently served as chief operating officer for Metro Nashville Public Schools, where she oversaw district operations for more than 80,000 students and 12,000 employees. She previously worked for the mayor of Chattanooga as chief operating officer, leading city operations and initiatives for public safety, infrastructure, economic development, emergency response and community services. She has also served in leadership roles for the city of Memphis and Shelby County Schools. Sullivan began her career in public service at age 16 as an intern for Shelby County Mayor Bill Morris.
Brian Collins, who is now the county’s chief financial officer, brings experience in banking, finance, law and administration in the private and public sectors. Collins was the finance director and CFO for the city of Memphis under Mayors A C Wharton Jr. and Jim Strickland. He also served as executive director and CEO of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund from 2018 to 2026, overseeing one of the largest public pension funds in the nation, with $65 billion in assets. Collins also taught finance and law at the University of Memphis, the University of Illinois and Loyola University Chicago as an adjunct professor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political
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David Bradford Jr. has been appointed director of public works. A native of Shelby County, Bradford recently completed two terms as a county commissioner, representing District 2 and serving as chair of the public works committee. He has more than 25 years of experience in engineering, design, construction, preconstruction and capital project delivery. He has held roles with SSR Consulting Engineers and Turner Construction Company and has led the development of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems for public agencies, along with healthcare, aviation and commercial facilities. Bradford, who is licensed as a professional engineer in Tennessee and Mississippi, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Mississippi State University. Crystal Oliver will lead the human resources department as director. Most recently, Oliver worked as chief of human resources for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, a position she assumed on July 1, 2025, following a 43-year career with FedEx as vice president of the Memphis World Hub, where she oversaw daily operations for 7,500 employees. She has been ranked nationally on the list of the Top 50 Leaders by Women We Admire, an online publication and professional membership organization for women business leaders.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
For the first time ever, Miss America’s crown sits atop a Black woman’s natural hair Regan Hutsell of Texas made history when she was crowned Miss America 2027 while rocking her natural hair. By Kay Wicker The Grio
A Black Miss America was once hard to imagine, but now one young woman has just been crowned while wearing her natural hair. On Sept. 6, 25-year-old Regan Hutsell earned the 2027 title during the annual pageant at the Palm Beach County Convention Center and The Kravis Center for Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, becoming the 10th Black woman to win and the first to win while showcasing her natural hair. After the contestants had been whittled down to two, Hutsell stood in a satin wine-colored column gown with a corset bodice and a thin wrap around her neck that dangled delicately down her back. Her natural curls were swept into a bouncy pineapple-style high ponytail with a curly bang, when her name was called. Visibly shocked and emotional, she hugged the runner-up, who smiled and mouthed, “I’m so happy for you!” When Hutsell was crowned, her fellow beauty queens surrounded her in a loving, celebratory embrace as confetti and streamers rained down on the stage. Her win includes a $50,000 scholarship and a year of service in 2027. In a voiceover that played as she walked out during the competition’s introduction, Hutsell recited a quote by Maya Angelou: “If you’re always trying to be normal, you’ll never know how amazing you can be,” she said. “Her words are a reminder that if you’re Week of: September 17, 2026
always trying to be the person next to you, it only creates a limited version of who you are. “I spent years trying to fit what I thought the standard of beauty was around me, trying to shape things like my body and my hair into what I saw in those closest to me,” her voiceover continued. “But the moment I learned to embrace myself is when I found my own magic. Life has been not about measuring success based on how well you fit into stereotypes, but by owning and embracing every unique, natural, and innate quality that you already possess.” More than forty years after Vanessa Williams became the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America, and after nine others followed her, Hutsell’s curls mark yet another milestone in the pageant’s long and complicated history with Black women. Hailing from Texas, Hutsell has made a name for herself in the dance world after becoming a Radio City Rockette at just 18 and dancing professionally with companies including the Birmingham Royal Ballet. All things she said during her remarks that she was told she was too tall to ever do. She is also studying health sciences with plans to become a physical therapist. Her community service initiative, “Your Body Is Your Home,” inspired by her own recovery from an eating disorder, encourages healthier relationships with our bodies. Speaking to People magazine, Hutsell said when she first entered pageantry, she was unsure whether she should straighten her hair or wear it naturally,
Miss Texas Regan Hutsell wins Miss America 2027.
especially after years spent in the dance world. She eventually tried straightening it, only to find that her hair “didn’t bounce back” the way it once did. Rather than risk further damage, she decided, “I’m going to wear it as is.” When Miss America first launched in 1921 in Atlantic City to extend the Labor Day tourist season, it was all white. It would remain that way for almost 50
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years, until 1970, when the first Black woman, Cheryl Browne, competed in the pageant, two years after the first-ever Miss Black America pageant was launched. Lencola Sullivan became the first to place among the top five in the 1980 Miss America pageant. Three years later, Williams famously became the first Black woman to win the crown. TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS For generations, Black women have had to navigate beauty and professional standards that treated proximity to whiteness as the ideal, with our hair becoming one of the most persistent battlegrounds. Natural hair has since gone from something deemed unpolished or inappropriate to appearing on red carpets, magazine covers and in boardrooms, new legal protections in some states, and now, rightfully, under the Miss America crown. But Black women certainly do not need Miss America to tell them their natural hair is beautiful. What has changed is the institution bestowing the crown. Miss America went from excluding Black women entirely to allowing them to compete, crowning its first Black winner, crowning nine more, and now, more than a century after the competition began, choosing a Black woman who decided she could wear her natural hair and look the part. Hutsell is not the only Black woman challenging and redefining beauty standards for winners of America’s biggest beauty pageants. Less than two weeks before her win, 31-year-old Justus Kelley, who is Black, was crowned Miss USA 2026, making history as the competition’s first married winner, first
Week of: September 17, 2026
mother to win, and first winner in her 30s. To be clear, all three of those attributes would have left Kelley ineligible for the title just a few years ago, before Miss USA began allowing married women and mothers to compete in 2023 and later eliminated its upper age limit. During the final question of the competition, Kelley’s response highlighted the significance of those changes, arguing that women should not have to choose between ambitious careers, families and pursuing their dreams. Then she won. Just days apart, America’s two largest beauty pageants both sent the same message to the country and the world: The ideal American woman is like nothing we have seen before. Pageants like Miss America have spent generations attempting to package and sell an idealized version of American womanhood, one that has evolved over the years from physical beauty and poise to include ambition, talent, community service, leadership and a genuine sense of purpose. Still, the woman wearing the Miss America crown, in some sense, is being held up as an answer to the question of what an exemplary American woman looks like. In 2026, that answer looks like
Hutsell. It also looks like Kelley. After generations of Black women pushing against the narrow boundaries of beauty, femininity, ambition, respectability, and even who gets to be considered representative of America in the first place, the most fascinating aspect of these wins is that Black women have been chosen — at least, right now — to represent the ideal. But step outside the pageant world and you will find that being a Black woman in America in 2026 can be a harrowing experience. Black women have been disproportionately pushed out of jobs, diversity programs meant to address longstanding inequities are being dismantled, and natural hair discrimination remains real enough that advocates are still fighting for legal protections against it. Meanwhile, some of the country’s most visible Black women have spent the year facing attacks that strike directly at their race and womanhood, from Michelle Obama once again being subjected to the racist and transphobic lie that she is a man to a pregnant Rep. LaMonica McIver facing federal prosecution while far-right activist Laura Loomer publicly hurled racist and misogynistic slurs at her and other Black women.
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It all makes for a really strange contradiction, no? At a moment when Black women are being reminded in very real ways that jobs, authority, femininity, and even our right to simply show up as ourselves are up for debate, two institutions that spent decades being criticized for excluding us and perpetuating some of the narrowest ideas about what women should look like are now holding Black women up as their ideal. There’s still plenty about the pageant world worth interrogating, but who would have thought the beauty pageants in 2026 might be the ones waiting for the rest of America to catch up? During the competition, Hutsell was asked what she wanted her win to leave for young women who would follow. “Hope,” she said. “I stand on this stage today, hoping to be a voice of hope for this nation,” she said. “I am living proof that you can go for dreams that people tell you you can’t accomplish. You can stand on the other side with two feet and use your voice to be proud. I hope to encourage Americans everywhere to use their voice and to never let anybody stop them or hold them back from their dreams.”
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
NextUp901 launches with new pathways to good-paying careers for young Memphians By Lee Eric Smith
TSD Contributing Writer
A youthful buzz was almost palpable Thursday morning during a gathering of job seekers at a Midtown event venue, generating an upbeat energy that seemed to vibrate through the space without revealing its source. The acoustics at Crosstown Concourse, a mixed-use high-rise where the event was held, can sometimes sound like an echo chamber in places. But mostly, it was the unmistakable hum of young people in motion: conversations bouncing across the room, laughter, applause and the restless anticipation of something about to happen. Then, the host for the youth-oriented confab grabbed the microphone. Within minutes, she had the room chanting a call-and-response: “Next Up! 901!” But the event was not a party or a pep rally. The young adults filling the room were there for jobs, training, internships and information to help them answer one of life’s most pressing questions: What do you want to be when you grow up? NextUp901, a new citywide workforce initiative led by The Collective Blueprint, a 10-year-old career readiness nonprofit, was created in partnership with the city of Memphis, job training providers and local employers. And it was the reason the bubbly young adults had come together. The initiative aims to create a single “front door” that connects adults 18 to 30 years old with free career workshops and coaching, paid training and employment opportunities in various fields, including healthcare, technology and the skilled trades.
One front door “Talent is everywhere in Memphis,” said Mae Abdelrahman, chief of staff Week of: September 17, 2026
for The Collective Blueprint. “But opportunity — real, sustained opportunity — is not.” NextUp901 is designed to tackle a longstanding problem that workforce organizations face. Memphis may have training programs, employers looking for workers and young adults looking for direction, but those pieces often struggle to find one another. “Think of it as our city’s front door to a real career,” Abdelrahman said. “No more wondering where to start or what to apply for. No more questioning, ‘Is this program legit?’” The nonprofit’s approach is simple: one website, one application and access to multiple career pathways. Applications officially opened Thursday, Sept. 10, at NextUp901.org. After completing an online application, the program offers training with career coaching to selected candidates, along with support intended to address some of the barriers to job success such as transportation, childcare and counseling that can derail young adults before a job opportunity ever materializes. NextUp901 is looking to help 1,000 young adults achieve financial success annually, Abdelrahman said, for the next five years for a total of 5,000.
‘Essential city infrastructure’ For Memphis Mayor Paul Young, the initiative is about more than workforce development. “When our young people have more opportunity, everything changes,” Young said. He told the crowd that young people often make decisions based only on the limited options they see in front of them. “If you only see one pathway to get to success, then that’s the one you’re going to take,” he said. “It’s incumbent upon
Young participants in NextUp901 talk enthusiastically about the program’s career opportunities and the support services available to help them succeed, including coaching, counseling and transportation assistance. (Lee Eric Smith/Tri-State Defender)
all of us to make sure that all of our young people know all of the paths.” That means employers have a role, too. Young urged businesses to offer entry-level and middle-skill jobs, internships and job-shadowing opportunities, and to recruit other employers for the effort. “I want you all to treat this like it is essential city infrastructure, just like sewer and water,” Young said, “because that’s exactly what this is.” Although he did not give a dollar figure, Young said the city’s contribution to the program came through Memphis City Council from the general fund, alongside other grant funding raised by the career readiness nonprofit. The return on that investment, he said, should come in the form of a stronger workforce that can attract more jobs, increase incomes and perhaps even produce new businesses. “We know that it takes money to
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operate programs like this,” Young said, “but we also know that it’s going to pay dividends long-term for our city.”
Training meets opportunity Launch partners for NextUp901 are Tech901 and William R. Moore College of Technology, which provide job training in technology and skilled trades. Kate Lareau, director of grants and compliance at Moore Tech and a member of the career-readiness nonprofit’s board, pointed to a contradictory reality: Employers are hiring and training programs are operating, but many seats remain unfilled. “Great programs, great placement rates, and our grads are making seriously great money. And yet there are still empty seats,” Lareau said. “NextUp901 is the bridge between young Memphians and those empty seats.” Aaron Lamey, executive director of TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS Tech901, said demand is growing for skills in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and digital literacy. But for many potential workers, the obstacle is not ability. “The talent is here in Memphis,” Lamey said. “It’s here in this room right now.” What gets in the way, he said, can be unreliable transportation or childcare, significant family obligations or not knowing how to access the opportunity. That was reflected in conversations around the room. A group of program participants enthusiastically ticked off the support they had received — coaching, counseling, help with transportation and assistance navigating personal needs. One said the experience helped her move from uncertainty about her future to knowing what she wants to pursue. Another gave an enthusiastic
shoutout to one of the program’s staff members for the emotional and practical support participants had received.
From bartending to Baked Blessings For Brevin Robinson, NextUp901 is helping her think about career possibilities even as she creates an opportunity of her own. Robinson, a member of the inaugural class of the Career Experience Program for adults 18 to 24, launched Baked Blessings in April. Before starting her at-home bakery, she had spent years working as a bartender. Baking began with experimentation. “It’s been a lot of trial and error,” Robinson said, laughing. “I’ve burnt up a lot of things. It’s been smoky in the kitchen a couple times.” But she kept at it.
“I like making things. I like art. I’m a creator,” she said. One of her specialties is a strawberry cookie loaded with Golden Oreos and white chocolate chips that apparently made an impression on The Collective Blueprint staff after Robinson shared a box of her specialty treats. Alex Robinson, manager of young adult programs for the nonprofit, recalled spotting the professional-looking box and assuming Vrevin had stopped at a bakery before arriving at the nonprofit’s office. She hadn’t. The bakery, baked goods and the box all belonged to Vrevin. Vrevin was among more than 100 young adults who had spent the previous four weeks in the program, working on professionalism, communication and other career-readiness skills before
beginning internships earning $17 an hour, Alex Robinson said. Vrevin said the program has strengthened her confidence and ability to socialize professionally, skills that will serve her whether her next step is working for an employer or growing Baked Blessings. For her, the bigger idea behind NextUp901 may be that opportunity does not mean waiting for someone to open a door. “You can wait for things, and maybe they will come,” Vrevin said. “But in reality, if you want something, you have to go out and get it. You have to create it for yourself.” Sometimes, she added, that is harder than expected. “But if you remain persistent and just go after what you want,” she said, “you can have anything.”
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Week of: September 17, 2026
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TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ SPORTS
Southern Heritage Classic lives up to its name in double-overtime thriller Alcorn State’s 53-51 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff delivered historic performances and a reminder that Black college football deserves a bigger stage By Lee Eric Smith
TSD Contributing Writer
In an unbiased media universe, Saturday’s Southern Heritage Classic would have been the lead story on major sports networks, rather than a brief mention in a football roundup for historically Black colleges and universities. Because that was one heck of a football game. Alcorn State’s 53-51 double-overtime win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff had just about everything: 104 points, 1,124 yards of offense, a 100-yard interception return, a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback, a blocked field goal as regulation time expired, and a would-be game-ending fourth-down stop overturned by replay. But that wasn’t the final play. UAPB quarterback Garrison Davis tried a twopoint conversion that would have forced a third overtime, but the pass was incomplete. Alcorn won. The third year of a new era for the classic game is in the books, after Jackson State University pulled out in 2023 and Tennessee State declined to continue participation in early 2025, both schools citing financial reasons. Although the crowds were smaller and the lower bowl more sparse for this year’s game, passionate fans from the competing institutions were treated to an exhilarating game that may go down as the best one ever.
They promised a good one At Friday’s Southern Heritage Classic Coaches Luncheon, UAPB coach Alonzo Hampton and Alcorn State coach Cedric Thomas spent much of their time talking less about beating each other than about the responsibility that comes with coaching young men attending HBCUs. Week of: September 17, 2026
Alcorn State University wide receiver Armon Wright makes a grab Saturday during the Southern Heritage Classic. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender)
Thomas, a UAPB alumnus, had plenty of affection for his alma mater. Before closing his remarks, he offered a prediction that required neither analytics nor a scouting report: “It’s gonna be a damn good game.” He undersold it. The Alcorn State Braves jumped ahead 12-3 in the first quarter, but the UAPB Golden Lions kept answering. The Braves carried an 18-17 lead into halftime before the Golden Lions took their first lead in the third quarter on Davis’ 39-yard touchdown pass to D’Avery Robinson. Then came the fourth quarter. And any semblance of a normal football game disappeared. With UAPB leading 24-18 early in the fourth quarter, Golden Lions defensive back Michael Henderson intercepted Alcorn quarterback Jaylon Tolbert near the goal line and took it the other way — all the way — for a 100-yard touchdown. That should have been a backbreaker, but the teams traded touchdowns, including a 54-yard UAPB scoring run followed by a 68-yard Alcorn touchdown pass. UAPB intercepted Tolbert again, but failed to Page 8
Alcorn State University head coach Cedric Thomas, in the cap, is presented the Southern Heritage Classic trophy after his team’s 53-51win Saturday, Sept. 12, over University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
capitalize, and Alcorn eventually erased a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 38. Then came what seemed to be the end. Alcorn drove to the UAPB 3 yard line in the closing seconds TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ SPORTS
Good food, fellowship and fan support are hallmarks of a successful Southern Heritage Classic.
and lined up for a chip-shot field goal to win it. Henderson blocked it as time expired. Overtime.
A wild game gets wilder As remarkable as Henderson’s two potentially game-saving plays were, what happened before kickoff made them even more so. Henderson had arrived in Memphis that morning after attending his grandmother’s funeral in Atlanta, according to UAPB Athletics. “Michael Henderson is one of the best human beings I’ve ever been around,” Hampton said afterward. “To see him play the way he did, I’m sure he was honoring his grandmother. I was extremely happy for him.” Henderson finished with nine tackles in addition to the 100-yard pick-six and blocked field goal. And for a moment in overtime, it appeared his remarkable night would end with a UAPB victory. The Golden Lions scored first. Alcorn answered, but on fourth down near the goal line, the Braves appeared to come up short. Turnover on downs. Game over. Except it wasn’t. Replay showed Alcorn receiver Armon Wright had broken the plane. Touchdown. The extra point tied the game at 45 and sent a classic game that had already lasted more than four hours into a second overtime. Alcorn struck first in the second overtime, with Ernest Temple scoring from 2 yards out. The Braves then successfully converted the required two-point Week of: September 17, 2026
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South.
Alcorn State University’s Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite marching band.
attempt, Caleb Anderson connecting with Wright to make it 53-45. But UAPB refused to go quietly. Jaylen Jennings scored on an 18-yard run, pulling the Golden Lions within 53-51 and setting up one final but unsuccessful two-point try.
and Webber combined for 183 yards on the ground. The 104 combined points were the most in Southern Heritage Classic history, according to Alcorn State Athletics. It was the fourth overtime game ever and the first since 2006. Hampton knew how close his team had come. “It was a hard-fought game, and we had a good chance to win it,” he said. “It’s going to hurt for 24 hours, but we can’t let this game beat us twice.” He also gave credit where it was due. “Hats off to Alcorn,” Hampton said. “They fought, they never flinched, and they kept battling. It was a good football game.”
One for the record books Tolbert finished with 485 passing yards and five touchdowns. Temple rushed for 144 yards and two scores. Kelly caught six passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. For UAPB, Davis threw four touchdown passes and added 67 yards rushing, while Jennings Page 9
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
Memphis filmmaker George W. Tillman Jr., who refused to let Black stories be forgotten, dies at 71 Filmmaker, photographer and former TSD contributor spent decades preserving stories of Black Memphis history By Lee Eric Smith
TSD Contributing Writer
George W. Tillman Jr. spent much of his life making sure other people’s stories would not be forgotten. There were Memphis’ first Black police officers; the musicians and personalities who made Club Paradise part of the city’s soul-music history; the women who gathered by the hundreds of thousands for the 1997 Million Woman March. And finally, there were 11 young Black football players from Memphis whose journey to Fisk University became deeply intertwined with Tillman’s own. George W. Tillman Jr. — Memphis filmmaker, screenwriter, photographer, former Tri-State Defender photojournalist and an indefatigable chronicler of Black history — died Sept.12 at a local hospital. He was 71. For his sister, Judith Gibson, the motivation behind much of her brother’s work could be distilled into four words. “He said, ‘We are always forgotten,’” Gibson recalled. “‘There are so many other stories, Judy, that need to be told.’” So Tillman kept telling them.
From athlete to storyteller Born Aug. 17, 1955, Tillman came of age in Memphis during a period when the city — and the nation — was struggling through profound racial change. Before there was a filmmaker, there was an athlete. Tillman distinguished himself in Week of: September 17, 2026
football and track as a teenager, earning recognition as a quarterback and hurdler at Messick High School before continuing his athletic career at Fisk University in Nashville. He was part of Fisk’s 1975 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship football team. Gibson remembers flying into Memphis from her home in Washington, D.C., to watch her younger brother compete and recalls his love of sports as one of the defining passions of his youth. But a knee injury at Fisk effectively ended Tillman’s hopes of pursuing football professionally. “Sports was one of his loves until he hurt his knee when he was playing football at Fisk and he couldn’t play anymore,” Gibson said. “And I guess that’s when he went to the next thing — his next love, which was film and photography.”
The interest was already there. “He was always wanting to do that,” Gibson recalled. “He always said, ‘I got a story to tell, and I’m going to show you that. I’m gonna produce a story.’” Tillman would spend decades making good on that promise. His filmmaking biography traces one early spark to seeing “Wattstax” — a documentary about a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles — while attending Fisk. By the late 1980s, he had begun pursuing filmmaking more seriously,
eventually studying screenwriting and developing projects that overwhelmingly centered Black life, history and culture. His body of work would include projects such as “My Brother, My Friend,” about HIV/AIDS; “Two Million Women Marched,” documenting the 1997 Million Woman March; “The True Blue Lawmen of 1948,” about Memphis’ first Black police officers; “The Birth of Soul Music,” exploring the legacy of Memphis’ Club Paradise; and “Pride, Poise & Dedication: The Unsung Story of Coach George Glymph,” about the legendary South Carolina basketball coach who led his team to five state championships between 1974 and 1996. “The Birth of Soul Music” was selected for the Hometowner Spotlight at the 2023 Indie Memphis Film Festival. Again and again, Tillman returned to history that risked slipping from public memory.
‘We are always forgotten’ Perhaps no project was more personal than “The Lucky Eleven.” Tillman began working on the documentary in 2009, tracing the journey of a group of Black Memphis football players who enrolled in Fisk University in the early 1970s, when opportunities at predominantly white colleges remained limited. Tillman was part of that story. The young athletes had grown up playing football together in Memphis. Several went on to professional football and careers beyond the sport.
But as the years passed, members of the group began dying. “It took us a long time to make this film,” Tillman told TSD writer Can-
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Filmmaker George W. Tillman Jr. began work in 2009 on what was perhaps his most personal project, “The Lucky Eleven,” a film about a group of Black Memphis football players who attended Fisk University where they made their marks on the gridiron. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)
dace Gray in 2025. “Several of the men passed away during the course of filming, but this story is so important, it had to be told.” Gibson said her brother felt a responsibility to make sure their accomplishments survived them. “He wanted to make sure that the story got out about the guys, ‘The Lucky Eleven,’” Gibson stated. “He said, ‘That story should be told.’” The project evolved over years, with versions screened at Fisk. It was selected as a Hometowner Feature at the 2021 Indie Memphis Film Festival. In August 2025, just days before his 70th birthday, Tillman celebrated another milestone as “The Lucky Eleven,” was screened at Malco’s Studio on the Square. It had taken more than 15 years. For Tillman, that persistence was part of the point. “I’ve seen good and bad days,” he told the TSD in that 2025 interview. “Now it’s about supporting our community and teaching the kids what it means to persevere, endure and not give up. “I refuse to give up.”
A storyteller and part of the TSD story Tillman’s relationship with the TriTRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS “We would talk till the sun would be coming up,” Gibson said. “We’d be laughing and talking like kids.” “He was a fun-loving person.” Tillman also spoke openly about the faith behind his perseverance. “I come from a praying family — my mother and father, all my brothers and sisters,” he told Gray in 2025. “We were in church.” He remembered a card his sister once sent him bearing a message he carried with him: “When you shine the light on others, the light shines even brighter on you.” “And I believe that,” Tillman said. His final years tested that resilience.
‘You gotta get back up’
Filmmaker George W. Tillman Jr., left, and bluesman Bobby Rush collaborate during the making of “The Birth of Soul Music,” Tillman’s documentary exploring the roots and evolution of Memphis’ soul music legacy. Tillman, who died Sept. 12 at 71, spent decades documenting Black history, culture and community. (Photo courtesy of George W. Tillman Jr.)
State Defender extended beyond being the subject of its coverage. He worked as a TSD photojournalist and contributing writer, photographing and reporting pieces of Memphis history as they unfolded. In 2015, for example, Tillman interviewed the Rev. Ralph White about his role in helping facilitate the surrender of Tremaine Wilbourn following the killing of Memphis Police Officer Sean Bolton. Tillman’s photography also appeared with TSD coverage of community leaders and government and local news. In 2019, Tillman told TSD readers a remarkable story of his own involving Memphis guitarist Larry Lee and a piece of a guitar said to have been smashed onstage by Jimi Hendrix. Lee had entrusted the artifact to Tillman years earlier; Tillman eventually worked to have it preserved for public display. Sometimes the history was intensely personal. Week of: September 17, 2026
Brother from another mother When Florence Louise Jackson-Taylor died in 2022, Tillman remembered the Orange Mound matriarch in the pages of the TSD as his “Mother from God.” He had met Jackson when he was 15. After football, basketball or track practice, Tillman would go to her house and eat and spend time with her children. One of those children, Velda Jackson-Taylor, remembers wondering at first who the boy was who kept showing up at their home. Her brother, Lavon Jackson, was Tillman’s best friend. The Jackson home was closer after practice than Tillman’s own home near Parkway and Airways, Jackson-Taylor recalled, and before long George was eating dinner with the family. Eventually, nobody thought of him as a guest. “George was really close to our family,” Jackson-Taylor said. “He would come over, he would tell me and my
sisters what he wanted us to put on his plate, what food he wanted to eat, everything. George loved my mother.” The relationship endured for decades. “George was always a nice person,” Jackson-Taylor said. “His personality never changed, his attitude never changed. He was just a really fun, nice guy to be around.”
The man behind the camera Gibson remembers that same warmth, although with the affectionate realism of a sister. “He was a good brother overall,” she said. “He did some things that I did not like, and I’m sure I probably said some things that he didn’t like. But nonetheless, he was my brother.” During Tillman’s Fisk years, Gibson was living in Washington, D.C. When Tillman and friends traveled toward New York, she recalled, they sometimes dropped him off at her home. Brother and sister would sit on the porch talking.
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A serious bout with Legionnaires’ disease hospitalized him, and Gibson said Tillman subsequently faced other significant health problems. Gibson said Tillman suffered from blood clots in his legs and lungs. His cause of death was heart failure, she added. Yet in his 2025 TSD interview, Tillman framed even his hardships through the language of an athlete who had learned to get up after being knocked down. “To be a champion, to be the best, you have to work hard and make sacrifices,” he said. “That was embedded in me as a championship-winning athlete. When you get knocked down, you gotta get back up.” Tillman is survived by a son and two grandsons who live in Ottawa, Canada, as well as siblings and extended family. Additional survivor information was not immediately available. A memorial service will begin at 11 a.m., Oct. 3, at First Baptist Church-Lauderdale, 682 South Lauderdale St., Memphis, TN 38126. For Jackson-Taylor, the boy who started showing up at her family’s house after practice never really stopped being another brother. “George will always be in our hearts,” she said. “He will always be like another brother to us. He will always be there in spirit, and we really love George Tillman.” TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
Sept. 11 ranks among the most historic events in many Americans’ lifetimes, polling shows By Linley Sanders and Jennifer Peltz Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Twenty-five years later, the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, are still remembered as among the most important historic events in many Americans’ lives, according to a new poll. A new Ipsos poll finds that about half of U.S. adults name the 9/11 attacks in an open-ended question about the most important historic occurrences in their lifetimes. That’s despite other momentous events that have happened since then, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the elections of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The polling points to the enduring legacy of 9/11, even as many Americans today are too young to have experienced or comprehended the event a quarter century ago. Ipsos found that the vast majority of Americans remember where they were when they heard about the attacks, and about two-thirds of Americans say it impacted the country “a great deal.” Separate polling from Gallup finds about 3 in 10 U.S. adults say they permanently changed the way they live their lives because of the attacks. Despite the widespread impact, the Ipsos poll finds relatively few Americans will be marking the anniversary in some way. Only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults plans to do something to commemorate Friday’s 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Kevin Noel, 51, remembers watching the catastrophe unfold after he got out of a subway station to head to work near the World Trade Center Week of: September 17, 2026
that morning. To this day, the smell of the deadly inferno comes back to him whenever he’s in the area. He views 9/11 as the most historic event he’s lived through and believes “we’re going to be remembering this for the rest of history.” He plans to reflect on it privately on Friday. “Every Sept. 11, I just — it’s a traumatic day for me where I just go silent,” Noel said.
The 9/11 attacks top the list of defining moments in many Americans’ lifetime For Americans who can remember the Sept. 11 attacks, they were a defining moment. When U.S. adults were asked to list up to five of the most important historic events in their lifetime in the open-ended question — where respondents answered in their own words — the Sept. 11 attacks overshadowed the much more recent COVID-19 pandemic, which 31% of U.S. adults mentioned. Other events, including the elections of Trump and Obama, space expeditions and the fall of the Berlin Wall, were cited by many Americans as defining moments. For Americans 65 and older, the most frequently mentioned events were the Sept. 11 attacks, followed by President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, space expeditions and the Vietnam War. Clara Kiel, 88, says World War II had more impact on her life personally, as it hung over her childhood and she knew people who served. But she recalls the shock of watching 9/11 happen on TV from her living room. She also plans to take a moment to reflect privately on the 25th anniversary.
“It always seems like there’s something in history that changes the way people think,” said Kiel, a retired secretary in Onamia, Minnesota. “9/11 did it for the generation that grew up through that.” For younger Americans under 35, COVID-19 is more prominent. About half of U.S. adults under 35 say the pandemic was among the most impactful events of their lifetime, while about one-third mention 9/11. A significant share of younger adults were not born when the attacks happened, or were too young to remember where they were at the time. About 6 in 10 adults who were born after the attacks say they first learned about 9/11 in a class or through schoolwork, according to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in August. Californian Kainoa Ilac, 18, who’s heading to college in Los Angeles, learned about the attacks from his parents, who are history teachers. “I think that I and a lot of my peers in my generation still feel the effects of that day,” from airport security to awareness of the government’s ability to monitor communications, he said.
Americans overwhelmingly say the 9/11 attacks impacted the country About 9 in 10 Americans say the attacks on Sept. 11 impacted the United States “a great deal” or “quite a bit,” according to Ipsos. Roughly 7 in 10 say it had at least “quite a bit” of impact on the world, and about 6 in 10 say it had a significant impact on their generation. Closer to 3 in 10 say it impacted their family or them personally. Americans ages 50 and older are especially likely to say the attacks affected
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Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks, Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Navy Adm. Christopher W. Grady, and other officials stand for a flag unfurling during an observance ceremony at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial on Sept. 11, 2024. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech/ Wikimedia Commons)
them personally. Among the roughly 1 in 10 Americans who plan to mark the day, about 7 in 10 say they will participate in a moment of silence, and most, 56%, will display an American flag. Lakesha Crowell remembers 9/11 in detail, including where she was sitting in her sophomore world history class in Meridian, Mississippi, when the teacher disclosed that two planes had hit New York’s World Trade Center. She recalls the security changes, the economic fallout, the way some people around her began looking differently upon foreigners, and the sense of vigilance at both individual and national levels. “It affected us a lot, because it changed our way of living, and it changed our way of thinking,” said Crowell, 40.
Confidence in government’s ability to protect Americans from terrorism is down Americans are divided on whether the country has become safer from foreign attacks since 9/11. The Ipsos poll found about one-third of U.S. adults say the country is “more safe,” and a similar share say it is “less safe.” The remaining one-third, roughly, say the U.S. is about as safe as it was before the attacks. TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
PUBLIC NOTICES / CLASSIFIEDS NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing online until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, October 2, 2026, as shown below: MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION AND REHABILITATION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE. SEALED BID DUE ONLINE AT 9:30 a.m. Friday, October 2, 2026 1. Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Jobs. Detailed specifications for the items above may be obtained through the Neighborly Portal beginning Friday, September 18, 2026. All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 222-2301; or for information in Spanish 901-222-7601. Award recommendations will be posted at the following website https://www.develop901.com/ housing upon review of the bid opening results. As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Business Registration Number (BRN) prior to submitting your response. We have now transitioned to conducting bids online through Neighborly. If you have not already signed up, you can do so at https:// portal.neighborlysoftware.com/SHELBYCOUNTYTN/contractor. All documents submitted must be current and uploaded into your
TSD CLASSIFIEDS 1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 PH (901) 523-1818 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. DEADLINES: Display ads Friday 5 p.m. Classifieds ads Monday 5 p.m. Neighborly account. Bids submitted without all required documentation will be unacceptable. Paisley Pogue (Paisley.Pogue@shelbycountytn. gov or 901-222-7611) will be assisting with any questions you may have regarding uploading the documents. All new contractors will need to register with the Neighborly portal in order for their bids to be accepted on projects. Interested contractors not currently on the contractor list should contact the Department of Housing in order to schedule a meeting with the Housing Site Inspector. Paper copies of bids are no longer available. The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs. The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein. By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Scott Walkup, Administrator
Debris on surrounding roofs at the site of the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 28, 2001. (Andrea Booher/ FEMA News)
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say the country has become safer. Recent Gallup polling found most U.S. adults, 55%, have “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of confidence in the U.S. government to protect its citizens from future acts of terrorism. That faith was at its highest, 88%, in polling conducted in the days after the 9/11 attack. It has ticked down over the 25-year trend, but the most recent measure is among the lowest recorded, similar to a poll conducted just after a deadly 2015 mass shooting in southern California. Additionally, about one-third say they are “very” or “somewhat” worried that they or someone in their family will become a victim of terrorism. That’s down from about 6 in 10 who said that in the days following Sept. 11, 2001. David Bronkhurst, a 49-year-old in Bloomingdale, New Jersey, recalls that after the attacks, his then-partner volunteered at the World Trade Center disaster site, handing out supplies to Week of: September 17, 2026
rescue and recovery workers, and some friends changed career paths to join the fire department. Other friends on the city’s police force died from cancers after they were exposed to toxins from the ash and dust at ground zero, he said. He plans to attend an annual candlelight procession from a neighboring town to his own. Bronkhurst doesn’t consider the country safer now than it was before the attacks — but he doesn’t worry too much that terrorism might strike him or his family. “You can’t go through life being scared,” he said. Peltz reported from New York. The Ipsos poll of 1,013 adults was conducted Aug. 21-23 using a sample drawn from Ipsos’s probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Page 13
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
Commission stays the course: Avant nabs consecutive run as chair By James Coleman
TSD Contributing Writer
Shelby County Commissioner Shante Avant will chair the county commission for another year after fellow board members re-elected her during their regular meeting, Monday, Sept. 14. Avant, who is the third Black woman to serve in the role, emerged from three rounds of voting along party lines with a 9-4 win over Commissioner Mark Billingsley. The Democratic Party currently holds a 9-4 majority on the commission. “My hope is that we are now moving forward together as one body,” said Avant, who represents District 5, which encompasses Downtown Memphis, South Memphis, Frayser, the Medical District and parts of Midtown. Charlie Caswell, Henri Brooks, Will Richardson, Karen Streeter, LaShanta Rudd, Miska Clay Bibbs, Erika Sugarmon and Amber Huett-Garcia voted for Avant, who voted for herself. Billingsley, who voted for himself, picked up votes from Rhonda O’Dell, Derek Mills and Michelle Dial. All are suburban Republicans. In addition to presiding over meetings, the commission chair determines committee assignments and workflow, and serves as primary spokesperson for the body. Top issues facing the commission include universal pre-K, funding for a new county jail, the presence of the federal task force and the possible state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Avant called the post a “privilege.” Four nominees competed for the chair position. Brooks nominated herself. Avant, who made history in the county as the first Black woman elected to represent a newly formed district
Week of: September 17, 2026
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners re-elected Shante K. Avant at their meeting Monday, Sept. 14, to serve another term as board chairwoman. (Gary S. Whitlow/ Tri-State Defender)
“My hope is that we are now moving forward together as one body.” — Shante Avant in 2022, was tapped by Caswell. Both Mills and O’Dell opted for Billingsley. During the selection process, commissioners appeared to put a premium on experience. Avant and Brooks both served on the previous commission board. Billingsley, who served on the board from 2014 to 2022, including a stint as chair in his final year, was elected to a four-year term in August to represent suburban District 4. The only newcomer, Rudd, who was defeated by the late G.A. Hardaway in the 2024
Democratic primary for the Tennessee House of Representatives District 93, was quickly eliminated. Avant led all nominees with six votes during the first round of voting. Billingsley was second with four votes, followed by two votes for Brooks. Rudd was removed from the race after picking up only one vote. Commission rules require two votes to proceed to the second round. “We have serious challenges. We need leadership that is willing to confront them honestly and bring this commission together around solutions,” said Billingsley. “We must restore fiscal responsibility to protect Shelby County’s ability to make its own decisions. If we fail to act, we risk state intervention and decisions being made in Nashville,
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instead of here.” The second round of voting yielded similar results. Brooks picked up a vote from Rudd, but failed to overcome Avant or Billingsley, who each finished with the same number of votes as the first round. During the third round, the race narrowed to the top two vote recipients. Brooks, who was the favorite among fellow Democrats for the pro tem slot, netted a decisive 9-4 win over Billingsley for second in command. A former state representative, she previously served on the commission from 20062014. Along with regular commission responsibilities, a pro tem presides over committee sessions and assumes the chairperson’s duties during the leader’s temporary absences. Brooks’ nomination speech emphasized her 12 years on the commission and seven years in Nashville. She also took the opportunity to share her criticisms of the commission. “This county commission office has some critical issues that need to be addressed,” she said. “Right now, our authority is being undercut by chronic tardiness, a casual disregard for our permanent rules of order, a breakdown in the professional respect in our ability to work with respect with all commissioners. This is a legislative body and it must be governed like one.” Brooks offered no details or specific incidents as evidence of her complaints. During the meeting, commissioners also set their standard salary at $34,900 for fiscal year 2027. As chair, Avant, who is also the president and CEO of the family advocacy nonprofit Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, will earn $36,900.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ ENTERTAINMENT
Author examines why sickle cell cure remains elusive, whether hope lies ahead Book review By Terri Schlichenmeyer Four weeks of testing, and you are exhausted. Two gallons of blood, maybe three, have been drawn from your body. You have lain on tables, gone through the bore of diagnostic imaging machines, and been scanned so often that you have lost count. Then, finally, your doctors identify your medical problem. In the new book, “Curved Air,” author Kevin Davies examines what happens when the diagnosis is sickle cell disease, also called SCD, and what hope lies ahead. Though SCD was known in parts of Africa and likely existed in the United States for hundreds of years, the genetic blood disorder was first identified more than a century ago, says Davies. It is one of about 7,000 known genetic diseases, and a relative newcomer to disease research. Considered a “Black disease,” sickle cell — and the agonizing pain it causes — was never prioritized by the medical research community and discrimination often derailed “sickle cell warriors,” healthcare providers, researchers and advocates trying to combat the disease. But white people also can and do get SCD. Still, disease-specific research remains scant. When someone is diagnosed with SCD, a genetic mutation causes their red blood cells to curve and get stuck in blood vessels, rather than flow freely as blood cells are supposed to do. This diminishes the oxygen supply to parts
Week of: September 17, 2026
of the body, causing a variety of conditions including inflammation, pain, jaundice, stroke and damaged organs, Davies says, while anemia can cause chronic fatigue and shortness of breath. And the anticipation of pain crises causes anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder for many SCD patients. Says Davies, more than 40 million people carry one copy of the genetic mutation that causes SCD, and 500,000 babies worldwide are born with the disease every year. In past decades, research has been conducted haphazardly. The confluence of malaria, human population and mosquitoes in some parts of the world helps spread the disease. Papers have been written, and treatments have been tried, used and discarded. Then researchers discovered that genetic testing could prevent new cases, a heartbreak for would-be parents faced with the decision to terminate a pregnancy. But some never gave up hope that sickle cell disease might someday be cured. Then a brave volunteer named Victoria Gray, a Black woman who had suffered debilitating pain from SCD, stepped forward in 2019 to become the first person ever to receive CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy after it was approved by the FDA. According to the National Institutes of Health, CRISPR is an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, a technology that allows scientists to change DNA in living beings to treat genetic disorders, blood diseases and infectious condi-
“Curved Air: A Biography of Sickle Cell Anemia and the Quest to Cure the First Molecular Disease” by Kevin Davies c.2026, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press; $29.95; 338 pages
tions. We should all learn about SCD, and this is your book for the lesson. Before you dive into “Curved Air,” however, know that Davies is the editor of The CRISPR Journal, so you can expect the latest information on the technology. But the information is heavy-laden with details and terms not easily grasped and burdened by acronyms that can be overwhelming. Informative, yes, but the book may also send you elsewhere looking for clarity, which
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really should also come from the same text. And yet, if you or someone you love has SCD, this is still your book. It explains the origins of the disease, why a cure has not been found and what kind of hope you can hold. Though the narrative is sometimes padded with journalistic fluff that might annoy readers eager to get to the science, it is a good start on the path to understanding. Indeed, “Curved Air” will teach you. Then again, it also might test you.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ ENTERTAINMENT
Hattiloo Theatre celebrates 20 years with new performance space, coffee shop and expanded vision By Candace A. Gray
TSD Contributing Writer
Hattiloo Theatre, the first and only Black repertory company in Memphis and the Mid-South, turns 20 on Sept. 22. The cultural and creative hub will celebrate the milestone with the launch of its newest performance space, Culture Box, replacing the former Black Box, where smaller stage productions were mounted at the theater’s 37 Cooper St. location in Midtown. With a capacity of 40, audiences can experience games, competitions and live performances in the renovated venue. “Years ago, at the Marshall location, we had the makings of a box,” said Jarrod Walker, theater manager for Hattiloo. “We did a little comedy, spoken word. I guess you could say it was a trial run for the real Culture Box.” Before the new space was conceived, Walker and Ekundayo Bandele, the theater’s founder and CEO, would drive around the city dreaming about their next steps, said Walker, who joined the company three years ago. They also spent time with about a dozen staffers, sharing their vision with them, he continued. For him, seeing it all come to fruition is fulfilling. “As we looked at the building and started assessing how we could generate new revenue streams, we kept coming back to the idea of a performance lounge,” said Walker. “And as we worked on the plans and started construction earlier this year, we said, ‘We can have this done by the 20th anniversary!’ and we did just that!” The Culture Box will host karaoke and game nights, comedy shows, poetry and live music, complete with drinks and snacks, throughout the week. Tuesday Toy Box Karaoke and games Week of: September 17, 2026
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for 6:00 p.m. start Admission is “pay what you can” Wednesday Laugh Box Comedy showcase Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for 7:00 p.m. show $12 in advance, $15 at the door Thursday Speaker Box Spoken word poetry slam for cash prize Sign up begins at 6:30 p.m. for 7:00 p.m. show Friday and Saturday Music Box Live music each night Two shows at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before each show $20 in advance, $25 at the door The concept for a space where the cultural arts could be regularly presented was developed with input from local artists and performers, who are now able to showcase their talents, said Walker. Bandele hosted an “Artists Dinner Salon” series to share meals and ideas with the artistic community, helping to flesh out the vision and strategy. “We champion the arts, Black artists and Black theater,” said Walker. “And we want people from Memphis and beyond to experience these rich cultural experiences our community has to offer.” The 20-year anniversary also calls for special show runs, said Walker, such as “Speak, Salvation, Speak,” which just wrapped and was written by Bandele, featuring Harry Lennix, perhaps best known for “The Blacklist,” an FBI drama that ran for 10 years on NBC. Next up is “Footlights to Spotlights: Black Theatre’s Path,” which runs Sept. 22-23. A concert at the Overton Park Shell is also planned. Along with the new performance space, Café Loo, a new coffee shop inside the theater complex, offers bev-
Jarrod Walker, theater manager for Hattiloo Theatre, talks about the venue’s newest performance space, the Culture Box.
The Culture Box at Hattiloo Theatre will host karaoke and game nights, comedy shows, poetry and live music, complete with drinks and snacks, throughout the week.
erages and gifts before and after shows. A new courtyard with indoor and outdoor lounge areas and a new 100-seat theater have also been installed. “We’re setting ourselves up for the
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next 20 years,” said Walker, “investing in young playwrights, supporting the arts.” To learn more, visit https://hattiloo. org/. TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com