Week of: September 3, 2026
The latest from tsdmemphis.com
County government passes torch with the swearing in of newly elected officials — Page 8 NEWS
901 DAY BRINGS THOUSANDS TO BEALE FOR CELEBRATION OF MEMPHIS CULTURE — Page 12
Volume 75, Issue 35
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TRI-STATE DEFENDER
Shelby County adopts new youth detention center rules for solitary confinement By James Coleman
TSD Contributing Writer
tsdmemphis.com President Calvin Anderson
Editor Stephanie R. Jones
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Week of: September 3, 2026
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners approved an amended ordinance Monday, Aug. 24, prohibiting the use of solitary confinement for discipline, punishment or retaliation at the Shelby County Youth Justice and Education Center at 3420 Old Getwell Road. Solitary confinement can only be used now at the youth detention facility as a temporary measure to prevent immediate harm. Children can be detained for just two hours at a time for a total of six hours a day. Corrections officers are also required to perform a face-to-face check on youth in lockdown every 15 minutes. “Staff shall not use seclusion for discipline, punishment, administrative convenience, retaliation, staffing shortages or reasons other than a temporary response to behavior that threatens immediate harm to a youth or others,” according to the updated law, meant to protect detained children while addressing the negative effects of extended isolation. Mental and behavioral impacts range from anxiety, depression and cognitive decline to social regression, aggressive behavior and apathy. And physical changes can include sleep disturbances and muscle atrophy. Still, seclusion can also be used to prevent property damage or an intended escape. Other limited uses include containing the spread of illness or cleaning a room where youth are housed or assigned. Suicide attempts and crisis calls spiked at the the youth detention facility after staff began to rely more on extended isolation. Some youth at the facility, which includes 114 boys’ rooms and 21
rooms for girls, said worker shortages were often the reason for isolation – not bad behavior. The detention center employs about 70 staff members, including 18 teachers, but needs a total of 148. Current staffing levels fail to meet the state requirement of one officer for every eight children during daytime hours. In late 2025, after reports emerged that children as young as 13 were kept in isolation cells – some for 23 hours a day, control of the facility shifted to the Division of Corrections of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Along with protecting the mental and physical health of the children housed at the facility, the ordinance also aims
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to ensure that all youth – including those in isolation – benefit from “restorative practices,” such as accredited education programs, daily group activities and family support. “Youth placed in seclusion shall be offered reasonable access to all services and shall be engaged in regularly scheduled programming, such as school, unless they are an immediate threat to others,” the ordinance reads. The agenda item was sponsored by commissioners Erika Sugarmon, Charlie Caswell, Henri Brooks and Britney Thornton. The amended ordinance passed by a 10-0 vote.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
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Memphis adds mental health as ‘fourth option’ for 911 callers By Lee Eric Smith
TSD Contributing Writer
The first few seconds of a 911 call often determine everything that follows, and information can be just as important as speed. In Memphis, city leaders hope a new method of response during those initial seconds will improve the way mental health emergencies are handled. “Not every emergency is the same,” Mayor Paul Young said. “A person that’s experiencing a mental health crisis may need a different kind of response.” Callers to 911 in Memphis can now identify a mental health crisis alongside requests for police, fire or EMS. Officials say the added option allows dispatchers to recognize behavioral health emergencies sooner and begin coordinating the most appropriate response. The so-called “fourth option” is designed for situations that can quickly become overwhelming for families — someone threatening suicide, experiencing a psychotic episode, suffering an overdose or facing another behavioral health emergency.
‘Police, fire, EMS ... or mental health?’ The added category, announced Wednesday, Aug. 26, at the Memphis EMS command center, adds mental health to the choices callers hear when dialing 911. For families, Young said, the change provides a way to communicate the nature of a crisis from the outset. “This is a mental health crisis. This is the kind of help that we need,” he said, describing the message callers can now convey at the beginning of an emergency call. Once callers identify a mental health crisis, they are not locked into a particular response. Instead, dispatchers Week of: September 3, 2026
begin asking another series of questions to determine exactly what is happening and what resources should be sent. Angie Sullivan, deputy chief of EMS for the Memphis Fire Department, said the call is then transferred to the fire department, where emergency medical dispatchers continue gathering information before deciding how best to respond. In some cases, that means dispatching the city’s CARE Team, a partnership between the Memphis Fire Department and Alliance Healthcare Services that pairs a paramedic with a licensed clinical social worker. The team operates 12 hours a day and responds to behavioral health calls when available, providing both medical and mental health expertise on scene. If the CARE Team is unavailable, Sullivan said, an ambulance is dispatched.
Dispatching the right kind of help The biggest change isn’t necessarily who responds to a mental health emergency. It’s when dispatchers know that’s what they’re responding to. Those first moments on the phone can shape everything that happens afterward. “So many times officers are dispatched to various types of calls without knowing whether or not the individuals ... experience mental health challenges,” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said. “With the fourth option, our supervisors and communications dispatchers can appropriately send quickly the appropriate help.” Davis said the change should also reduce delays by allowing police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and behavioral health responders to be coordinated earlier rather than requiring officers already on scene to request additional resources after discovering a mental
health component to an emergency. Preparing for that response required more than simply adding another option to the opening 911 greeting. Deputy Chief Lauren Farr, who oversees information technology, said emergency medical dispatchers received about six hours of additional training before the rollout, including instruction on “Protocol 41,” a caller-in-crisis protocol designed specifically for behavioral health emergencies. The protocol provides dispatchers with additional questions and tools to help identify the nature of a crisis while building trust and rapport with callers and keeping them engaged until responders arrive.
By the numbers The fourth option comes as Memphis continues handling a substantial number of behavioral health emergencies. Sean Lovejoy, deputy commander of the Emergency Communications Bureau, said Memphis police respond to roughly 25,000 calls each year involving mental illness, suicide-related incidents, overdoses and other behavioral health emergencies requiring Crisis Intervention Team officers. City data displayed during Wednesday’s announcement showed Memphis’ 911 center had already processed more than 421,000 emergency calls through Aug. 25 this year, underscoring the scale of the city’s emergency communications system. Even so, officials do not expect the fourth option to increase the number of mental health-related 911 calls. Lovejoy said that volume has declined in recent years, a trend he attributed in part to the national rollout of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Rather than requiring an emergency response, 988 allows people experiencing emotional distress or other behav-
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ioral health challenges to speak with trained crisis counselors.
911 or 988? One of the city’s goals is making sure residents understand the distinction between the two systems without discouraging anyone from seeking help. Educational materials released Wednesday explain that 988 is intended for people experiencing emotional distress, suicidal thoughts or other behavioral health crises who need counseling, support or referrals. Situations involving immediate danger, serious injuries, overdoses requiring emergency medical care or threats to life and safety should still be directed to 911. Officials stressed, however, that callers should not feel they must diagnose a crisis before asking for help. Lovejoy said dispatchers are trained to ask follow-up questions, determine what resources are needed and send the appropriate response. Months in the making Young said the initiative has been in development for six to seven months after community members raised the idea and city leaders began looking at similar efforts in other communities. Wednesday’s announcement marked the public rollout. “It was something that the community has asked for,” Young said. “We saw a need for it, and we were able to execute.” TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
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Civil rights groups make urgent plea for voting rights in DC, ahead of midterm elections By Matt Brown and Matthew Junkroski
Derrick Johnson, NAACP national president, speaks at the 2026 “Defend the Vote” March on Washington on Friday, Aug. 29, 2026.
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Voting rights, the work of the civil rights movement and racial justice took center stage on the National Mall Friday, with protesters gathering ahead of midterm elections and following a wave of changes to voting laws and redistricting that some have condemned as detrimental to Black Americans. Hundreds of people, including a contingent from Memphis, gathered near the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the 2026 “Defend the Vote” March on Washington, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, echoing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 march. The event follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark April decision in Louisiana v. Callais that reinterpreted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, allowing Southern states to redraw their congressional maps in a way that erodes equal representation in Black communities. “We’ve been doing these marches for years, but this is probably the most important because this is the first year we are marching that the voting rights bill has been nullified by the Supreme Court,” Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, said in an interview with The Associated Press. A contingent of Memphis members of National Action Network also joined in the march.
Some call it a ‘very dangerous moment in American history’ Friday’s event harkened back to King Jr.’s historic March on Washington for Week of: September 3, 2026
The Rev. Al Sharpton, center, (with director/actor Spike Lee to his right) leads the 2026 “Defend the Vote” March on Washington on Friday, Aug. 29, 2026. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender)
Jobs and Freedom in 1963, when more than 200,000 people gathered at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, came at a fraught moment, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the Vietnam War bitterly divided Americans. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., one of dozens of speakers at the event, said that now is a “very dangerous moment in American history” and that the “dream of a more just and equitable society has never been under greater threat than it is right now.” He placed blame on Republican President Donald Trump and the Supreme
Court’s conservative majority, listing attempts to purge voter rolls, obtain sensitive voter data, restrict mail-in and early voting, and redraw Congressional districts as part of threats to voting rights. “Today, we have a president along with the Supreme Court members he appointed carrying out the most significant assault on voting rights since segregation, targeting virtually every aspect of the electoral system,” Sanders said. Martin Luther King III told the AP the Civil Rights movement’s work “is further eroding” in the wake of the April ruling. He said his father would be disap-
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pointed with the state of the country, but current civil rights advocates should be undaunted. “Had he lived, we’d be on a totally different trajectory,” the younger King said. “These would not be issues; they would have been resolved. I don’t think he would be surprised because he understands our history and understands those who are trying to retain power. But the challenge is challenging our communities to engage even more.” King’s Drum Major Institute, a progressive think tank and community action group, co-hosted the march with Sharpton’s group. Ray Turner, a 65-year-old Maryland retiree, sat Friday on the steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He came independently, carrying a sign that read “(Puny) Hands off our elections.” “The lies about the 2020 election being stolen continue to be sounded, even though they’ve been disproved,” Turner said, adding, “Now they’re trying to use this to prevent people who are legal citizens, legal voters, from voting.” Sharpton said the Trump administration’s immigration policy for Haitians and white South Africans, as well as cuts to social programs, are unifying concerns for this year’s march attendees. But redistricting efforts by Republican-led states set to reduce the number of Black lawmakers in Congress loom large. “This march is about people who refuse to be counted out. When the
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
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Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., speaks on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the “Defend the Vote” March of Washington on Friday, Aug. 29, 2026. King is flanked by her parents Martin Luther King III and Andrea Waters King.
courts and the legislature broke apart District 6, they did not just redraw lines,” Rep. Cleo Fields, D-La., said in a texted statement. “They told hundreds
Week of: September 3, 2026
of thousands of Black families from Baton Rouge up through the Delta that their voice could be taken away at any moment.”
Fields’ district was central in the Supreme Court decision that hollowed out the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The court ruled that his district, created just one term ago to permit a second majority-Black district in a state where Blacks make up 33% of the population, was unconstitutional because it relied too heavily on race. The court has held that maps can be redrawn for partisan reasons. Louisiana’s legislature rushed to redraw the district after the decision, reshaping it to cluster around predominantly white communities in the Baton Rouge area and southern Louisiana. Fields has opted not to seek reelection to Congress and instead is pursuing a seat in the state Senate. Tennessee quickly followed suit with reconfiguring its congressional districts. The state’s lone majority Democratic district, which was also majority Black, was sliced into three majority Republican districts. The city of Memphis itself is now parceled among three districts made up of majority Republican voters. Patricia Lurry, president of the National Action Network’s West Tennessee Chapter, the march was important
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this year to ensure the voices of marginalized people are being heard. “What’s happening now is affecting our people and their right to vote,” Lurry told the Tri-State Defender. “Your voice is your vote, and they’re trying to silence our voice.” Ahead of Friday, organizations participating in the march filed new claims in their federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting. The Supreme Court cleared a path Monday, Aug. 24, for possible implementation of the order, though it remains unclear how much can be put in place before the midterms. Late Thursday, Aug. 27, a federal judge in Boston who is hearing some of the lawsuits against that executive order put a temporary halt on the administration from moving forward with it. Time is running short to make any significant changes to voting in the midterms, with the first mail ballots scheduled to be sent out this week. Associated Press writers Gary Fields in Washington and Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
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Heidi Kuhn urges Shelby County voters to show up for 8th District race By Shawnee Calhoun
TSD Contributing Writer
Heidi Kuhn has spent nearly three decades serving in Shelby County government in roles such as public health caseworker, victim advocate and criminal court clerk, before running for office outside the county’s borders. But now, Kuhn is the Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District. She worries it’s a political race that gets no attention. “I feel like most of the concentration has been on the 5th and the 9th,” Kuhn said in an Aug. 18 interview with the Tri-State Defender. “I really appreciate this opportunity to share what I feel for the 8th district.” Kuhn’s path to Congress runs through a mayoral bid for Shelby County that failed to pan out. She lost the Democratic primary race in May, after declining to seek another term as criminal court clerk in order to run. Following the May election, Tennessee’s Republican-controlled legislature redrew the state’s congressional map, splitting Shelby County across the 5th, 8th and 9th districts. Kuhn entered the race for the newly configured 8th, encouraged by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who has chosen to retire when his term ends in January, and former U.S. Reps. Harold Ford Sr. and John Tanner, she said. In November, Kuhn will face incumbent Republican David Kustoff after defeating three other candidates in the federal Democratic primary on Aug. 6 with nearly 52% of the vote.
The district by the numbers The 8th District now stretches across 12 counties, from East Memphis through Lakeland, Arlington, Germantown, part of Collierville and Bartlett, Week of: September 3, 2026
then north and east through slices of Tipton, Fayette, Gibson, Crockett, Decatur, Haywood, Henderson and Madison counties, before ending at Perry County, the westernmost edge of Middle Tennessee. One specific change stands out to Kuhn. Cordova was not part of the old 8th District, but the new map moved it inside the district’s boundaries. Kuhn points to Cordova’s inclusion, along with the broader shift of other Democratic-leaning Shelby County precincts into the district, as one reason she believes the seat is more competitive than its Republican-held history suggests. The concentration of blue precincts is central to Kuhn’s case that the seat is winnable. Certified returns from the Tennessee Secretary of State show Kustoff, who has held the seat since 2016 and ran unopposed in the Republican primary, collected 65,421 votes districtwide on Aug. 6 — about 20,000 more than the combined 45,778 votes cast across the four-way Democratic field, which Kuhn won with 23,783 votes. To close that gap by November, Kuhn must consolidate the roughly 22,000 Democratic primary voters who backed one of her three opponents and court independent and moderate Republican voters to grow turnout beyond the existing base. “(Voters are) tired of the high prices. They’re tired of the high gas, groceries, and so they want some change,” Kuhn said. “Since the majority of our votes come from Shelby County, we can try and get those independents as well as ‘small r’ Republicans to cross over.”
ICE, the National Guard and CoreCivic Much of Kuhn’s platform centers on federal immigration enforcement in
Shelby County. If elected, Kuhn said she would request a Department of Homeland Security, Inspector General or Government Accountability Office review of ICE task force operations locally. She also opposes the presence of the National Guard in Memphis. “The National Guard should only be deployed when there is a national emergency,” Kuhn said. “In my opinion, there’s not a national emergency here in Memphis and Shelby County.” Kuhn is also concerned about CoreCivic, the private prison operator that runs an ICE detention facility in Mason, Tennessee — a town about 35 miles northeast of Memphis in neighboring Tipton County in the 8th District. “There is complete secrecy. There is no transparency,” she said. “To me, it seems illegal.” Kuhn said she opposes what she described as racial profiling connected to immigration enforcement, including reports of legal residents being questioned about their immigration status in public. Kuhn would support restricting federal funding tied to 287(g) agreements, a formal deal between ICE and law enforcement agencies that allows ICE to deputize local or state police to carry out certain immigration enforcement duties.
Cost of living and the minimum wage Asked how she would use a seat in Congress to address the rising costs of groceries, housing, household goods and childcare, Kuhn returned repeatedly to the federal minimum wage, unchanged at $7.25 an hour for more than two decades. Kuhn said she would back the Raise the Wage Act, a proposed bill to raise the minimum wage by 2030 to
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Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn captured the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional District on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender)
$17 an hour. “We need to make sure that people don’t have to work two and three jobs to be able to afford diapers or to pay for childcare,” she said. “It makes it very difficult for them to get ahead.”
SpaceXAI and data centers in South Memphis For SpaceXAI’s data center in South Memphis, Kuhn said she’d support a congressional inquiry or EPA investigation into whether the company’s natural gas-powered turbines have operated within Clean Air Act limits. She would also call for a moratorium on new data centers until these facilities are regulated. “It is concerning to me that we are putting these data centers in poor neighborhoods, and those are the ones that are being affected the most,” she said, adding that she wants the data they collect to be scrutinized.
Redistricting and voting rights Kuhn called the map that split Shelby County across three congressional districts a deliberate effort to dilute Black TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS voting strength. “There’s no question — when it was gerrymandered, they specifically wanted Republicans to take over those three districts,” she said. “They wanted to really take the Democratic vote away and silence the Black vote.” Kuhn said she would cosponsor legislation restoring the Voting Rights Act preclearance provision, which required states known for discriminatory voting practices to submit any changes to their election laws for approval by the federal government. For example, she would support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, proposed federal legislation that would reinstate and strengthen protections for voting rights. She also opposes proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration. And she wants to advocate for the automatic restoration of voting rights for incarcerated individuals when they
are released from prison. It’s an issue that she is interested in pursuing with outgoing U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, who had pushed similar legislative proposals before leaving her seat in Congress to run an unsuccessful race for U.S. Senate.
Expungements As criminal court clerk, Kuhn pushed for Shelby County judges to sign off on case expungements in the courtroom immediately after a charge is dismissed or not prosecuted, rather than leaving the dismissal on a defendant’s record indefinitely. Kuhn said five of Tennessee’s largest counties have agreed to adopt automatic expungement policies, though Shelby County is so far the only one to actually implement it. “My thought is, if it’s dismissed or not prosecuted, that person should get a second chance,” she said.
State takeover of Memphis schools Kuhn opposes the state’s takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Though she acknowledged a congressional seat has no direct authority to reverse state action, Kuhn said she would look to federal levers such as Title I oversight and compliance reviews under the Every Student Succeeds Act to protect funding and student rights through the transition. She would also ask the U.S. Department of Education to review whether the state’s takeover plan complies with civil rights and equity requirements tied to federal funding. And she opposes using taxpayer dollars for private school vouchers. Instead, she wants to increase teacher pay and replace the state’s single standardized test, TCAP, with multiple measures of student progress.
Asked what she would do to protect Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Act funding during the takeover transition, Kuhn acknowledged she is still working out her position. “That’s a good question, and to be honest with you, I haven’t really considered it,” she said. “You gave me something to think about, and I’m going to look into that a little bit more.”
Closing message Kuhn’s closing pitch to District 8 voters is simple: Show up. Only 23% of registered voters turned out for the August primary. “I think the greatest thing to tell my constituency is the fact that they need to get out and vote, because their voice needs to be heard,” she said. “I’m going to make decisions on what West Tennesseans need. You’ve got to talk with them, not at them or for them.”
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Week of: September 3, 2026
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TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
County government passes torch with the swearing in of newly elected officials By James Coleman
TSD Contributing Writer
A new chapter in Shelby County government has begun as a new class of Shelby County leaders were sworn into office on Monday, Aug. 31. Supporters, family and wellwishers packed the stage and audience seating of the Renasant Convention Center in Downtown Memphis to witness the changing of the guard. Applause from the standing room only crowd ranged from polite to raucous as the nearly 30 office holders individually repeated the litany. Each official was sworn in by the person of their choice. Their first moments in office were blessed by a prayer from Pastor Keith Norman of First Baptist Church Broad. “We gather keeping in mind that we shoulder the hope of many generations before us and the expectant hopes of those whom have elected us,” said Norman. “Each vote embodied something, dear God, where people cast their hope into the hands of someone whom they believe will represent their best interests.” Topping the list were Mayor Mickell Lowery and Sheriff Anthony Buckner. They will begin a four year and six year terms, respectively. Both were welcomed by their predecessors, former Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Sheriff Floyd Bonner. Other area notables were on hand for the event too, including Memphis Mayor Paul Young. Lowery and Buckner lead a large slate of Democrats elected during the recent cycle. Lowery, who just wrapped up his second term on the Shelby County Commissioner, emerged from a
Week of: September 3, 2026
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Color Guard at the Shelby County swearing in ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at the Renasant Convention Center. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender) ON THE COVER: Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery is sworn in on Monday, Aug. 31, at the Renasant Convention Center. His wife Chonisa Lowery holds the Bible for him with their daughters Milan, Myla and Bruin beside them.
seven-candidate primary in May to an easy Aug. 6 win. In his victory speech, he vowed to address early childhood education as a first order of business. Lowery was given his oath by circuit court Judge Cedric Wooten. Buckner was also a popular choice. Both received standing ovations as they stood to repeat their oaths. Numerous uniformed officers gathered in a block of seating and in the Renasant Cen-
ter balcony. Dozens of SCSO vehicles fronted the cobble stones of Main St. In addition to the ongoing Operation Safe Memphis task force, Buckner also inherits a decaying and overcrowded jail at 201 Poplar. Both will likely be addressed at some point by the newcomers. Another group with say in the matter is the Shelby County Commission. Eight new commission members
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were sworn into their respective district offices. Among them are Rhonda O’Dell, District 1; Derek Mills, District 2; Michelle Dial, District 3; Mark Billingsley, District 4; Will Richardson, District 8; Karen Streeter, District 9; Lashanta Rudd, District 10; and Amber Huett-Garcia, District 13. They join five holdovers from the previous term. The incumbents include Shante Avant, District 5. The current
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS “We gather keeping in mind that we shoulder the hope of many generations before us and the expectant hopes of those whom have elected us. Each vote embodied something, dear God, where people cast their hope into the hands of someone whom they believe will represent their best interests.” — Pastor Keith Norman
Shelby County Sheriff Anthony Buckner is surrounded by his wife Chrystal Buckner and their children Anderson and Zaria after he is sworn in on Monday, Aug. 31, at the Renasant Convention Center.
Three generations of public servants: Newly sworn in Judge Javier Bailey II swears in his father Javier Bailey Sr. as assessor, with his wife Stacey Bailey holding the Bible, as his father Walter Bailey looks on at the Renasant Convention Center on Monday, Aug. 31.
chairwoman of the commission helped emcee the event. She welcomed back incumbents Charlie Caswell, District-6; Henri Brooks, District 7; Miska Clay Bibbs, District 11; and Erika Sugarmon, District 12. The new makeup gives the Democrats a 9-4 majority. Districts 1-4 are represented by Republicans. Commissioners serve four year terms. Term limits mandated that voters turn the page on the Shelby County Clerk’s Office. After Monday’s swearing-in, LaSonya Hall will be on familiar ground in the largely administrative office. The erstwhile Shelby County deputy chief administrative officer has a distinguished career as a political ap-
bent is Willie Brooks, who will return for a second term as Register of Deeds. Brooks and Jones are former members of the county commission. The former also served on the Memphis Shelby County Schools board. During the ceremony, two new members were inducted into service on the MSCS board. T.L. Harris will represent District 6 and Tanya Frey will take the reins of District 8 on the nine-member body. Their entry comes at a delicate time. On July 1, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting a state takeover of the school system by a nine-member state appointed board.
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pointee. Hall has also served as interim director of the Shelby County Health Department and the director of the Memphis Public Parks Dept., among others. She replaces Wanda Halbert. Another revenue-collecting office welcoming a new leader is the Trustee’s Office. Joseph Lee III will replace well-regarded Regina Newman in the task of collecting property taxes and managing county funds. Meanwhile, former Memphis City Council member Jamita Swearengen returns for another run as circuit court clerk . Likewise, longtime public servant Eddie Jones will return as probate court clerk. Another familiar incum-
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A decision on a preliminary injunction is pending. The intervention by the Republican-controlled legislature followed a forensic audit of MSCS flagged $54 million in potential fraud out of an annual budget of $1 billion. Also sworn into office were a handful of judges, including Javier Bailey II to the 30th Judicial District Criminal Court, Division VIII; Judge Shayla Purifoy, General Sessions Civil Court, Division II; Judge Taylor Batchelor, General Sessions Criminal Court, Division VII; Judge Chris Frulla, Circuit Court, Division III; along with Chancellor Lonnie Thompson, Chancery Court, Part II.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
BUSINESS ■■
Obama Presidential Center team offers Memphis firms a roadmap to bigger contracts Ardmore Roderick executives say scaling up takes more than landing the job — it takes capacity, cash flow, quality control and knowing when to say no By Lee Eric Smith
TSD Contributing Writer
A big contract can transform a small business. It can also put one out of business. That was among the lessons two veterans of the Obama Presidential Center brought to Memphis on Aug. 25, sharing what they learned working on one of the nation’s most visible construction projects with minority-owned and smaller firms hoping to grow into bigger opportunities of their own. At The Mid-South Business Continuum’s Economic Development Forum, held Aug. 26-27 at the Renasant Convention Center, Cherryl Thomas and Sam Boye Jr. of the construction firm Ardmore Roderick offered a behindthe-scenes look at what it takes to move from being able to win larger work to actually being prepared to deliver it. And their case study came with uncommon stakes.
Not a presidential library Just as Barack Obama was no ordinary president, the Obama Presidential Center was more than another major construction project. Presidential libraries traditionally have served as physical repositories for an administration’s records and artifacts. Obama chose a different model, something broader, more ambitious — more audacious — than that. His presidential library is the first all-digital library administered by the National Archives, while the Obama Foundation built a separate physical center on Chicago’s South Side. The 19.3-acre campus in Chicago’s Week of: September 3, 2026
Jackson Park includes a museum, a Chicago Public Library branch, gardens, athletic facilities and public spaces — part of the legacy of the nation’s first Black president, built on the South Side where his political career began. “We needed passion from everybody about this project,” said Thomas, Ardmore Roderick’s chief strategy officer. “It was so important to the president, to the city of Chicago.” But prestige did not make the job easier. For all the talent, resources and global reach of the Obama Foundation, Boye noted one fairly significant gap in its résumé. “They don’t know how to build,” Boye said. “They’re running a foundation. This is the only building they were ever going to build.” That meant surrounding an ambitious vision with people who knew how to turn it into permits, budgets, schedules, specifications, concrete and steel. For firms gathered at EDF, that was part of the larger lesson: Growth requires knowing what you can do, what you cannot do yet and what capacity you must add to get to the next level. “Just because somebody’s handing you a big contract right now doesn’t mean that’s your contract,” Boye cautioned. “You might have to pass over that and let the blessing come next time.”
From access to capacity The Economic Development Forum is built around helping smaller firms gain access to larger opportunities, and, just as importantly, prepare themselves to handle them. The Obama Presidential Center
At the Mid-South Business Continuum’s EDF2026, Travis Spence of Ford Motor Company (left) led a conversation with leaders of Ardmore Roderick construction firm, Sam Boye Jr., vice president of Buildings & Facilities, and Cherryl Thomas, chief strategy officer. The firm helped manage construction of the Obama Presidential Center. (Lee Eric Smith/Tri-State Defender)
offered a natural case study. Thomas founded Ardmore Associates, one of the firms originally selected to help manage development of the Center. It later merged with The Roderick Group to become Ardmore Roderick. Boye is vice president of the firm’s Buildings & Facilities practice. The Obama Foundation set ambitious goals for participation by minority-owned businesses, local workers and firms from targeted Chicago ZIP codes. But intentionally opening the door for smaller contractors raised another question: Once they got in, could they survive the opportunity? One immediate issue for small operations to consider is cash flow. “If you want to put a woman or minority business out of business, don’t pay them,” Thomas said. Large companies,
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she said, may be able to absorb waiting 90 or 120 days for payment. Small companies often cannot. Boye said the Obama Foundation agreed to a 15-day payment cycle, removing a barrier that can make even a potentially lucrative contract dangerous for a smaller firm. But faster payment cannot fix a company that simply takes on more work than it can handle. Boye said participation goals on major projects can create pressure for smaller firms to grow very quickly. A contractor may suddenly be asked to double or triple its capacity. He urged owners to ask whether the company is truly ready to deliver on a major contract. “You see that number at the bottom of the contract, right?” Boye asked. TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
BUSINESS ■■ “And you think, ‘I gotta have it, I gotta have it!’ But do you? Do you?”
Grow into the work Knowing your present capacity, Boye said, does not mean accepting it as permanent. One way smaller firms can move into larger work is through strategic hiring.A company itself may never have managed a billion-dollar program. But if it hires someone who has, that experience becomes part of the firm’s capacity — and part of its case for winning larger projects. “Start thinking about strategic hires that can say that they have that experience and they can bring that to your firm,” Boye said. A larger contract may require more workers, stronger internal controls, additional insurance or bonding capacity, more sophisticated project management and enough working capital to keep operations moving. “At the end of the day, you will have a contract,” he said. “And that contract will have requirements for you to execute.”
Getting the job is not delivering the job One of Boye’s strongest warnings involved something less glamorous than winning a multimillion-dollar contract: quality control. A smaller contractor may have performed the same type of work successfully for years, he said, only to encounter different specifications on a larger project. He offered the example of a contractor installing insulated piping the way the company has always done it. The work moves forward. Eventually, walls close around it. Then an inspection reveals that the project specifications required something different. “The worst thing that can happen is you’re doing work, you think you’ve done two, three, four weeks of really good work, only to find out you’ve got to tear it up and do it again,” Boye said. “It can really, really tear you up.” Week of: September 3, 2026
Thomas said contractors can get into trouble when experience tempts them to substitute their own judgment for what architects and engineers have specified. “You might be sitting there saying, ‘Oh yeah, but I’ve done it and it worked just fine,’ but it’s only going to work so long,” she said. “Don’t ever change a spec. EVER.”
From mud and concrete to something special For all the lessons about contracts, cash flow and quality control, Boye said there were times during construction when the larger meaning of the Obama Presidential Center could be difficult to see. For years, workers looked at “concrete, mud, water” and the unfinished pieces. Boye said he and others would remind them: “This is something special. We’re going to be a part of something special.” The center opened in June. Only then could the finished campus fully reveal what all those years of schedules, specifications, contractors, concrete, mud and water had produced. Boye said visitors have openly wept as exhibits, news clips, speeches and other images that carry them back to Obama’s rise, to the years when a politician from Chicago’s South Side, a man with what Boye jokingly called “this crazy name,” began emerging on the national stage. For those who had spent years turning the vision into something tangible, he said, that reaction was the payoff. “It was delayed gratification,” Boye said. “We said, ‘Wait and see. Wait and see.’ And it delivers.” And for anyone planning a visit, Boye said, be ready for the emotional pull. “You go right back. You go back to how you were feeling in ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06,” he said. “And this guy with this crazy name said, ‘I might just be the first Black president.’ And so you will instantly go into a time warp. “You’re going to go back there, and you’re going to feel it. You’re going to feel the weight of it.”
PUBLIC NOTICES / CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL NOTICE Request for Qualifications RFQ Number 27-0009 On-Call Cabling Services Provider Sealed proposals for On-Call Cabling Services Provider will be received on Opengov. com-MEM or by physical copy via USB at the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, Memphis International Airport – Receiving Dock, 4150 Louis Carruthers Drive, Memphis, TN 38118, until 1:00 pm local time, on Thursday, October 8, 2026. A listing of all proposers will be posted on Opengov one (1) hour after the response deadline. Responses to the Request for Qualifications will not be publicly opened and read. A packet with submittal instructions, additional data, and response format may be found on the Authority’s website Flymemphis.com or Opengov.com-MEM on or after Wednesday, September 2, 2026. A pre-proposal meeting will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 1:00 pm at Authority’s Board Room on the Mezzanine Level, Terminal B of the Memphis International Airport, 2491 Winchester Road, Memphis, TN 38116. All attendees must register at Opengov. com-MEM. All Respondents are responsible for checking the Authority’s website or Opengov up to the submission deadline for any updates, addenda, or additional information. In accordance with the Authority’s purchasing policies, the Authority will give preference to businesses located in Shelby County, Tennessee when awarding contracts and making purchases, unless prohibited by law. The successful Respondent must sign a contract with the Authority that includes Federal Aviation Administration provisions, if applicable, regarding the Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis-Bacon, Debarment and
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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. Suspension, Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment, Domestic Preferences for Procurements, and Drug-Free Workplace, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all responses to this Request for Qualifications in whole or in part; to waive any informalities, technicalities, or omissions related to this Request for Qualifications; and to reject responses on any other basis authorized by the Authority’s purchasing policies. The Authority is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination based on the grounds of age, race, sex, color, national origin, disability, marital status, military service, or sexual orientation in its hiring and employment practices and in the admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services, and activities. By order of: Terry Blue, A.A.E. President and CEO Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
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■■ COMMUNITY
Memphis Mayor Paul Young presented legendary Stax songwriter and producer David Porter with a Key to the City during 901 Day festivities on Beale Street on Sunday, Aug. 30. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender)
901 Day brings thousands to Beale for celebration of Memphis culture By Lee Eric Smith
TSD Contributing Writer
Thousands of Memphians filled Beale Street on Sunday, Aug. 30, as 901 Day once again transformed one of the city’s most famous streets into a showcase of Memphis music, art, creativity and culture. More than 300 Memphis creatives were featured throughout the day, with live music, dance, fashion, film, arts and crafts, youth programming and family activities spread across Beale Street and Handy Park.
Week of: September 3, 2026
Performers included students from Stax Music Academy as part of a lineup spanning established artists and some of the city’s emerging creative talent. One of the day’s signature moments came when Memphis Mayor Paul Young presented legendary Stax songwriter and producer David Porter with a Key to the City. Porter, whose songwriting credits include such classics as “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” was also honored with a special musical tribute featuring Stax Music Academy, KIRBY and EJ Jones. The day’s programming also included a “Memphis
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Remembering Tay Keith” presentation honoring the late Grammy-winning Memphis producer. The celebration brought together some of the city’s political leadership as well. Young shared the stage with newly elected Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery for a 901 Day moment. This year’s main celebration was held two days ahead of the actual Sept. 1 date, with organizers opting for a weekend festival rather than trying to accommodate the large crowds on a Tuesday work and school day.
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ COMMUNITY
901 Day: DJ Stan Bell
Week of: September 3, 2026
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TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
BUSINESS ■■
EDF2026: Expert says AI can’t replace ‘human in the loop’ By Lee Eric Smith
TSD Contributing Writer
Bethanie Nonami did not come to Memphis to warn business owners that artificial intelligence is coming. Her message was more urgent: It is already here. “Last year, we could dabble. We could play. We could do some things,” Nonami told attendees during a Lunch & Learn keynote at the Mid-South Business Continuum’s 2026 Economic Development Forum. “This year, we can no longer play.” Nonami, an internationally certified AI consultant and award-winning TEDx speaker, spent the better part of an hour showing them why. Using several of today’s most popular AI platforms (and some other lesser known ones), Nonami demonstrated how an entrepreneur could start with little more than an idea and use artificial intelligence to clarify a business concept, research a market, develop a strategy, create marketing materials and even build a website. And when the session was over, she put a QR code on the screen offering attendees access to additional training, prompts and an AI fluency certification. It was both a lesson and a challenge: If business owners have been waiting to figure out whether AI matters to them, Nonami argued, that decision has largely been made for them. “AI’s not coming for your job,” she said. “It’s coming for your value.”
The human part matters more For all the conversation about learning ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other platforms, Nonami said the most valuable AI skills may have relatively little to do with technology — the skills that a machine can’t duplicate. Judgment. Communication. Critical Week of: September 3, 2026
thinking. Empathy. Experience. Knowing which problem needs solving in the first place. You know, the things that make us human. “AI is just a tool,” Nonami said. “Is it technology? Yes. But what we have to understand is our judgment, our empathy, our compassion, our perception, our experience. None of that is programmed or exists in AI. But you, with AI — incredibly powerful.” That distinction matters, she said, because simply learning how to make AI complete tasks provides only incremental value. Writing an email faster is useful. So is producing a better résumé, image or brochure. But as the technology makes execution easier, Nonami said the greater opportunity lies in using AI to make better decisions and produce better business outcomes. “Humans who can guide AI toward better outcomes are those that are being recognized and rewarded,” she said.
So where do you start? Perhaps the most useful part of Nonami’s presentation for an entrepreneur intimidated by AI was also the simplest: Start with something you already know. “You don’t have to know the thing before you use the thing,” she said. Nonami began her demonstration in ChatGPT with questions for business owners about their own gifts, abilities and experience. “What do people always come to me to do?” she asked, challenging the audience to ask of themselves. From there, she showed how a business owner could give an AI platform basic information about what they do and ask it to serve as a “brand strategist and thought partner” — helping identify a value proposition, potential customers and what makes the business different. Someone wanting to experiment
could start with something as simple as: I run a business that does (describe what you do). I help (describe your customers) accomplish (describe the result). Act as my brand strategist and thought partner. Ask me questions about my strengths, customers and goals, then help me develop a clear value proposition and explain what makes my business different. Don’t know how to write the perfect prompt? Nonami said that is not a reason to stop. “I can literally go in there and say, ‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to use this. What do I do? What can you help me with?’” she said. Don’t like to type? Tap the mic button. “You can just ramble and AI can figure it out,” she said. The important part is not accepting whatever the machine produces as the final word. “You ultimately decide,” Nonami said. “That’s called ‘human in the loop.’”
Different tools for different tasks Nonami also discouraged business owners from thinking AI begins and ends with one chatbot. During the demonstration, she used ChatGPT to help brainstorm and define a business concept, then moved the information into Google Gemini for deeper market research. From there she used Claude to develop strategy. She loaded the resulting material into Google’s NotebookLM, which can work from a collection of source material to generate summaries, audio, presentations and other content. She demonstrated Lovable, which can build websites and applications from plain-language instructions, and Marblism, a platform offering AI “employees” for functions such as scheduling, social media, lead generation and answering calls. The point wasn’t about memorizing
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AI expert Bethanie Nonami shares tools for successfully using AI with attendees at the Mid-South Business Continuum’s 2026 Economic Development Forum on Aug. 25 at the Renasant Convention Center. (Gary S. Whitlow/Tri-State Defender)
six products, but understanding that different tools can be useful for different jobs, and that entrepreneurs should not become dependent on only one. “Sometimes ChatGPT is fire, sometimes Claude is better, sometimes Perplexity is good, sometimes Gemini is better,” Nonami said. “It just depends.”
Learning as you go Nonami’s point wasn’t that entrepreneurs need to master every platform. They need enough confidence to start using them, while continuing to question what the technology produces. “The number one skill you need to have with AI right now is confidence, even if you don’t think you know all the things,” she said. Nonami reminded attendees that companies, consultants and technology firms are themselves experimenting with AI as the tools continue to evolve. That makes human judgment even more important, she said — deciding what makes sense, verifying the information and remaining accountable for the result. “AI fluency is basically your ability to think, decide and lead confidently alongside AI,” she said. TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS
Autopsy shows Tennessee National Guard fatally shot 20-year-old armed man in the back By Jack Brook and Kristin M. Hall Associated Press/Report for America
Tennessee National Guard members assigned to a federal anti-crime task force in Memphis fatally shot an armed 20-year-old man in the back, according to an autopsy report obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, contradicting police accounts that said the man was facing the troops when they fired. Authorities have said that Tyrin Johnson of Nashville turned toward guard members with a gun while running from them in the early morning hours after the Fourth of July holiday in downtown Memphis when he was fatally shot in the chest. But according to an autopsy report shared by Johnson’s family, a single bullet went in the right side of his back and exited through his upper right chest. The autopsy findings, reported earlier by The Commercial Appeal, were prepared by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center Office of the Medical Examiner, which did not respond to a request for comment. The guard members were assigned to the Memphis Safe Task Force, created by President Donald Trump, who last year sent troops and federal agents to Democratic-run cities that he described as overrun with crime. The task force was involved in four fatal shootings between May and July. Evaniel Johnson says that guard members had no justification to shoot his grandson in the back. “If he ain’t caused you no threat, you know what I’m saying, you have no reason to be killing,” said Evaniel Johnson, a former correctional officer with the Davidson County Sheriff ’s Office in Nashville. Officers responded to a call about shots fired a few blocks away from Beale Street and saw a person armed Week of: September 3, 2026
“Be transparent — you shot him in the back. I just want to make sure somebody be responsible for what happened. Some accountability. They ain’t never going to bring my grandson back.” — Evaniel Johnson with a gun leaving, said Memphis police. The Associated Press obtained a Tennessee National Guard report via a public records request that said two Guard members responded to the Memphis police radio call, left their vehicle and approached the suspect, who “rounded on them and pointed a tan handgun at them.” The guard report said both troops fired their service weapons, M17 handguns, and then Memphis police arrived shortly after. Kim Wheeler-Elder, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said neither her agency nor the Shelby County District Attorney’s office “have seen a report from the National Guard” and asked the AP where it had obtained the publicly available document. Erica Williams, a spokesperson for the Shelby County District Attorney’s office, said her office receives information from the TBI. The bullet had a slightly upward trajectory through Johnson’s body, the autopsy report said. That would be consistent with him running away from the shooter, said Dr. Steven White, a certified forensic pathologist who did not do Johnson’s autopsy but reviewed the report for the AP. The report said that there was no soot, gunpowder stippling or muzzle imprint around the wound, which White said indicated Johnson was likely
shot from more than 3 feet (0.91 meters) away. “Be transparent — you shot him in the back,” Evaniel Johnson added. “I just want to make sure somebody be Tyrin Johnson responsible for what happened. Some accountability. They ain’t never going to bring my grandson back.” In the autopsy report, an “investigative narrative” based on an account from a TBI agent also states that Johnson was turning toward law enforcement with a gun. “The unknown male grabbed at his waistband,” the report stated. “Law enforcement officers saw the unknown male draw a firearm. Law enforcement officers then shot at the unknown male, striking him once in the chest.” Andre Wharton, an attorney representing Johnson’s family, told the AP that the narrative presented by law enforcement does not match the autopsy findings of a single bullet wound in the back. “I just see some kind of blatant inconsistency there, in terms of what law enforcement reports,” Wharton said. “The versions don’t seem to match.” The manner of death is listed as “homicide,” which typically is used when a
“I just see some kind of blatant inconsistency there, in terms of what law enforcement reports. The versions don’t seem to match.” — Andre Wharton Page 15
death is caused by the actions of another person, but often doesn’t factor in intent or carry any legal weight. To date, no criminal charges have been filed. The NAACP Memphis Branch called for accountability for Johnson’s death. “The autopsy found that this was a homicide. We call for swift indictment of those involved,” Kermit Moore, the branch’s president, said in a statement. “How many murders by this “Unsafe Task Force” does it take for it to be disbanded? There is no justification for shooting a fleeing person in the back. Too many citizens feel unsafe because of this task force.” TBI said the investigation is “open and ongoing” and directed AP to the medical examiner’s office when asked to confirm the autopsy findings. The AP has a pending request for a copy of Johnson’s autopsy from the Shelby County Medical Examiner’s office. According to the autopsy report, Johnson was carrying a “handgun magazine with rounds.” Wharton said it was not illegal for Johnson to be carrying the ammunition in Tennessee. Johnson’s family has asked authorities to show them surveillance video or other evidence that he was pointing a weapon at the guard members. Evaniel Johnson said that the family has still not been shown any video of the moments leading up to the shooting. Trump’s decision to send Tennessee National Guard troops to Memphis to combat crime was met with a mixed response from residents and was the subject of a lawsuit, though it did not result in widespread protests. Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ NEWS Besieged for sending racist text messages, Senatobia police chief is fired by city leadership Harold Vanderford submitted his resignation letter to city leaders days after news reports revealed that he had frequently used racist slurs in text messages. By Mukta Joshi and Joseph Cranney
Mississippi Today/Verite News
Leaders of the northern Mississippi city of Senatobia fired their embattled police chief late Tuesday, Sept. 1, days after Mississippi Today, Verite News and The New York Times reported that he had routinely used degrading language and racist slurs against Black people in his text messages. Chief Harold Vanderford, known as Hal, had submitted a resignation letter earlier in the day, but the city’s Board of Aldermen voted to reject it and moved to terminate him instead. Vanderford’s department has been heavily scrutinized in the wake of a white officer’s fatal shooting of Kohen Wiley, a Black toddler, after police officers responded to a shoplifting call at the local Walmart in June. “We did not accept Vanderford’s resignation and fired him,” Alderman Chris McConnell said, adding that the decision had been unanimous. Vanderford and a department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In recent days, Vanderford had not responded to multiple phone calls and written messages from reporters, including notes left at his home and office. Until the city leadership appoints a permanent replacement, the department will be led by Lt. Angelica Maze, Week of: September 3, 2026
McConnell said. Civil Rights Atty. Ben Crump, who is representing Kohen’s family, said firing Vanderford was “the right decision.” “But Kohen Wiley’s family still deserves answers,” Crump added in a statement. “What happened to their 1-year-old baby?” Nearly 3 months after the toddler’s death, Crump said, police still haven’t released police body cam footage of the shooting. “The racist language that cost Chief Vanderford his job is exactly why this family cannot simply be told to trust the process. Release it. Give this family the facts they are owed.” In late August, reporters for Mississippi Today, Verite News and The New York Times revealed that Vanderford had used a racist slur more than a dozen times in a series of 10 text conversations dating to last summer. One day before Vanderford’s termination, the outlets published the uncensored messages along with the steps they had taken to verify them. Vanderford took the helm of the department last October, and the racist messages continued after his appointment. In one text message, Vanderford described having a “racist moment.” In another, he wrote that he “almost beat a nigger and white woman’s ass a few minutes ago.” He also wrote that he had been saying the slur loudly many times
at home, and hoped his neighbors had heard him. Five of Vanderford’s acquaintances confirmed that the phone number associated with the messages belonged to the chief. On Monday, Demetrius Garrett, an at-large alderman, told reporters that he had no hesitation in saying that he would move to immediately terminate Vanderford, “if these allegations are true.” Garrett ultimately made the motion to terminate Vanderford on Tuesday. Senatobia’s aldermen had met with Vanderford twice in closed-door sessions after the revelations about his text messages. After the first session on Aug. 25, a statement attributed to the mayor and the board of aldermen expressed confidence in the chief after he “voluntarily and willingly” appeared before city leaders and provided “sincere” responses to their questions. That statement did not elaborate on the questions posed to Vanderford or the specifics of his responses. McConnell disavowed the city’s statement, saying it had not been voted upon by the Board of Aldermen even though it was attributed to them. Garrett said the same thing about the statement Monday. He added that he had personally asked the mayor to resign from his position, too. “We need a mayor that cares about the people,” Garrett said, adding that when a city doesn’t have such a mayor, “you land yourself in situations like this.” Mayor Greg Graves hasn’t responded to numerous requests for comment
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Harold Vanderford, former chief of the Senatobia Police Department. (Senatobia Police Department, via Facebook)
from reporters in the last month. Vanderford has said nothing about the June shooting publicly, and Kohen’s family said Vanderford hadn’t offered condolences privately, either. The city’s Board of Aldermen placed the officer involved, Sgt. Hunter Foster, on leave two days after the shooting, which remains under investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Since Vanderford took over as chief, Foster has separately faced at least two complaints that he used racially offensive language with co-workers, Mississippi Today reported in July and August. In the months leading up to the shooting, Foster referred to a Black officer as a “Black motherfucker” and directed another derogatory remark toward a white co-worker who has a daughter with a Black woman, according to internal department complaints. There’s no indication that Vanderford took any disciplinary action against Foster, who was allowed to remain on patrol. TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com
■■ ENTERTAINMENT From Harlem to haute couture: Audrey Smaltz’s extraordinary journey through fashion Book Review By Terri Schlichenmeyer Snaps, zippers, buttons, ties. Pull that garment up, wrap it around. You know what you like and how to wear it. The color is perfect for your skin tone. The fabric enhances your form. You always look your best and, as in the new book “Every Inch a Lady: My Amazing Journey from Dear Harlem to Haute Couture & Beyond” by former model Audrey Smaltz with Alina Mitchell, your best is fabulous. ”Born, bred, toasted, buttered, jellied, and honeyed in Harlem,” Audrey Smaltz was a force to be reckoned with almost from the time she could walk. Her parents imbued confidence in her, they nurtured her creativity and sent her to charm school, but they never allowed her to create a stir. “That,” says Smaltz, “is not what ladies did.” By the time she was a teenager, Smaltz was modeling for New York City designers. Then, she started working for a married man. And had an affair with him. After ending the affair, she attended college, worked a series of jobs that taught her about fashion, along with a few jobs that were unsuitable for her. Later, an ill-fated marriage took her to Chicago where she eventually landed a position at Ebony magazine in the revered Black publication’s New York office. Working at Ebony was a career-changer, in a way. Smaltz was able
Week of: September 3, 2026
to travel the world and learn more about fashion, but she didn’t exactly get along with her boss. But while she was there, she helped launch cosmetics brand Fashion Fair and led global couture procurement for Ebony Fashion Fair, a traveling runway show. Seizing an opportunity, Smaltz decided to launch her own company, Audrey Smaltz, Inc., a “fashion production business.” But designers refused to take a chance on her. Undaunted, she reorganized, rebranded, hit the streets and knocked on doors until she finally found one client, which led to many others. That’s how Ground Crew, Smaltz’s fashion show backstage management firm, was born. Through it all, the 89-year-old Smaltz’s personal life has been a whirlwind. She dated “more men than you can shake a book at,” settling down occasionally, briefly. Fashion had always been her first love, but she accidentally found real love, “the love of a woman,” in a leadership class. Writers often are encouraged to add lots of “color” to their stories. Read a little of “Every Inch a Lady,” and you’ll notice immediately that co-authors Smaltz and Mitchell quite literally take that to heart, mentioning nearly every color of the spectrum in their fashion compendium. Still, Smaltz is a wonderfully lively storyteller, speaking with the energy of a woman much younger to the hearts of those who love fashion. Vintage clothing collectors will also enjoy reading about how the industry operated
decades ago. Smaltz says she experienced racism – typical for pre-Civil Rights America, but doors were closed for other reasons that will astound anyone who’s savvy about the fashion industry, even today. If you are a fashionista, find “Every Inch a Lady,” and snap it up.
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“Every Inch a Lady: My Amazing Journey from Dear Harlem to Haute Couture & Beyond” by Audrey Smaltz with Alina Mitchell, foreword by Michael Kors c.2026, Amistad $27.99 256 pages
TRI-STATE DEFENDER | tsdmemphis.com