The New Tri-State Defender - January 20-26, 2022

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VOL. 71, No. 3

January 20 - 26, 2022

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Parents plea to save two KIPP Memphis schools from closure

by Samantha West Chalkbeat

Impassioned community members pleaded with the Shelby County Schools (SCS) board Tuesday night to keep two KIPP charter schools operating, despite low test scores. The district is considering shuttering them after administrators said the schools failed to meet standards for academic success.

SCS administrators have recommended revoking charters of KIPP Memphis Academy

Middle School and KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary based on low test scores at both schools.

The middle and elementary schools are part of KIPP, a national nonprofit network of public charter schools. Since coming to Memphis nearly two decades ago with the opening of one school, the regional network has grown to five schools – two elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school – and now serves nearly 1,800 students in and around North Memphis.

Three-year TN Ready test averages from the 2016-17 to 2018-19 school years show only about 6 percent of KIPP Memphis Academy Middle students reached or approached mastery in math, according to district records.

During the same time period, about 10 percent of students reached or approached mastery in English.

At KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary, about 10 percent of students reached or approached mastery in English and 18 percent in math, during the same period.

These KIPP Memphis Collegiate Middle School students were fully engaged during this November 2021 photo shared on Facebook.

Antonio Burt, CEO of KIPP Memphis Schools, said he’s not satisfied with the two

SEE KIPP ON PAGE 2

Now anchored in Ida B. Wells Plaza, the statue saluting the journalist-activist resulted from the efforts of the Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr. and the Memphis Memorial Committee.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New TriState Defender)

Ida B. Well’s legacy drives renaming of Fourth St. stretch

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Contributions by journalist and post-Reconstruction civil rights leader Ida B. Wells were recognized by the Memphis City Council during the council’s Tuesday (Jan. 18) meeting after a section of a Downtown street was renamed in her honor.

The resolution passed on its third and final reading. All members of the council sponsored it.

Instead of dutifully following a numerical order, the stretch of Fourth Street between Union Avenue and E. H. Crump Boulevard will be named Ida B. Wells-Barnett Street.

The office of the newspaper she co-owned – Memphis Free Speech and Headlight – was located at First Baptist Church, near where a bronze statue of Wells now rests.

On a printing press in the basement of First Baptist Church-Beale, Wells used her platform to report and write editorials on the horrors of lynching in the Jim Crow South.

She also printed pamphlets that brought national attention to the issue.

Eventually, she and her partners were forced to leave Memphis for the North after threats on their lives by white supremacists.

Wells moved to New York City and later

The LeMoyne-Owen College Memphis Alumni Association held its 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. birthday observance on campus at the Little Theatre. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

Museum a center of education and fellowship on King Day

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Organizations and institutions all over the city honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday (Jan. 17), the national holiday named for the civil rights icon and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

At the National Civil Rights Museum, over the course of the day, thousands tuned in to virtual tributes while others made the trek to the museum’s Downtown Memphis site.

Free admission into the museum was available all day.

A DJ on the stage in front of the museum played nostalgic music by artists such as James Brown and iconic groups that

created the Motown sound of the 1970s.

The scene reflected Dr. King’s desire to see people of all races and creeds uniting under the banner of harmony and peace.

Lines stretched into the museum’s parking lot as families patiently waited to enter the historic edifice.

For many of those families, visiting the National Civil Rights Museum on the King holiday is a cherished rite, bringing local and regional visitors to the former Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

The motel and museum are a sacred mecca of historic photos, exhibits and memorabilia that tell the story, not only of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, but also holds valuable lessons

to youngsters.

Latoya Goodman and her daughter, Zariyah Wilkins, come to the museum on King Day every year.

“It’s important that we make sure our children don’t forget their history,” said Goodman. “Every year, we would bring my grandfather down here, and he enjoyed everything so much. Now that he is no longer with us, Zariyah and I still come here to learn and remember.”

Zariyah’s favorite exhibit is the 1950s-era public-transportation bus, where a cast figure of Rosa Parks sits.

Zariyah knows well how Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus. Her

SEE KING ON PAGE 2

SEE WELLS ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

January 20 - 26, 2022

Page 2

NEWS

“I would say the lynching exhibit is probably the most difficult for Christian (his son) to see. I don’t rush him past anything. I am there to help him understand and ask questions...”

— Craig Hawkins

KIPP

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

KING

CONTINUED FROM FRONT arrest launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which nearly brought the public transit system in Montgomery to financial ruin within a year.

“I like getting on the bus,” said Zariyah. “That’s my favorite exhibit.

I played Rosa Parks during our Black History play at school. I have also played Sojourner Truth. This year, I am playing Maya Angelou.”

For the budding actor, the museum is a place of inspiration, a place where she can try to imagine how each of those women felt when they were trying to make things better for “Black people,” she said.

Zariyah has hopes of pursuing community theater to build up her resume of experience.

Craig Hawkins and Wytisha Buckles brought their children to the museum.

For the three girls and one boy, the favorite exhibit, hands down, was the bus.

“Our children seem to really enjoy getting on that bus,” said Craig.

“What they see gives us a chance to tell them the story about the exhibit and how things actually were back then.”

But for young, African-American children trying to wrap their heads around racial hatred, some exhibits and interactive displays are difficult to understand.

“I would say the lynching exhibit is probably the most difficult for Christian (his son) to see,” said Craig. “I don’t rush him past anything. I am there to help him understand and ask questions...”

Africa in April Festival directors, Dr. David and Yvonne Acey, were also visiting the museum Monday.

But for these “village elders,” visiting the museum on King Day is more a gesture of honor and respect for Dr. King than anything else.

“We participated in a virtual presentation for my school, LeMoyne-Owen College,” said Yvonne Acey. “And the Alpha Kappa Al-

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Lunch Bag Giveback was hosted by the Miller Girls at Joe Ford Funeral Home at 1616 Winchester in Whitehaven. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

Latoya Goodman and her daughter, Zariyah Wilkins, during their annual King Day visit. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell)

Craig Hawkins and Wytisha Buckles brought their children to the museum. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell) pha Sorority, my sorority, presented the school with a sizeable donation.

That’s what we do. We are always showing up for service.”

The museum also announced emphasis this year on “Double V,” vaccines and voting, to address vaccine hesitancy and voter apathy, two issues that are particularly adverse for communities of color in the United States and globally.

Through the Communities for Immunity project, the museum is sharing online resources and a survey to

gauge response to the urgency of being vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

Canned goods were brought to the museum to benefit the Mid-South Food Bank.

The annual blood drive with Vitalant, a national nonprofit organization that collects blood from volunteer donors, continues to help with the blood shortage created by COVID treatment. Donors will receive a free admission pass for up to four people any day in 2022.

Dr. David Acey and Yvonne Acey of Africa in April. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell) (For more information, visit the National Civil Rights Museum website at: www.civilrightsmuseum.org.)

Angie Stone, Carla Thomas and Wendy Moten performed at FedExForum during halftime of the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration game. (Photo: Warren Roseborough/The New Tri-State Defender)

WELLS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT to Chicago, where she was one of the founding members of the NAACP. The Ida B. Wells Memorial Statue

in Memphis was unveiled on July 16 after the culmination of an effort that “many thought … couldn’t be done,” said the Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr., a key organizer.

As he pitched honoring Wells-Bar-

nett with a statue, Gray said, “There is a great debt of love and gratitude owed Ida B. Wells for all she gave to this city. …

“Though small in stature, Ida B. Wells spoke out against lynching and

wrote her scathing editorials against the racial injustices raging across the south. Ida B. Wells loved Memphis, and we should return that love after 130 years. She should be honored with a statue in this city.”

schools’ academic performance, but said many KIPP students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and often face greater learning challenges.

At KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary and KIPP Memphis Academy Middle, about 86 percent and 78 percent of students, respectively, are considered economically disadvantaged.

Burt, who has headed the charter network since November, highlighted its efforts to improve, including boosting literacy, curriculum and instruction, school culture, and the recruitment of high-quality teachers.

Burt pointed out that the district itself found that if the elementary and middle schools were to close, many of their students would be assigned to other district-managed schools with even lower school performance scores.

According to the report, of the middle school’s 227 students, the district estimated about half would transfer to lower-performing schools, including district-managed schools with sagging test scores and Achievement District schools that the state runs due to chronic underperformance.

Of the elementary school’s 324 students, the district predicted at least 59 would transfer to a lower-performing district or state-managed school, the report states.

Board member Stephanie Love agreed with Burt, and suggested the district may want to consider changing the structure of charter agreements and how administrators decide which charter schools should close.

“I don’t see, especially for the middle school, another viable option for students if they were to consider closing this school,” Love said.

Other board members expressed their support for KIPP and their belief that Burt is qualified to lead a turnaround within the charter network. Burt, who most recently served as SCS chief of schools, received national acclaim for his work turning two low-performing Memphis schools into models of student achievement.

“I am here to support KIPP,” board member Althea Greene said.

“I would really like to give them an opportunity to prove themselves. No doubt, sitting in front of us is a very capable leader.”

Community members and parents echoed board members’ comments.

Dianechia Fields, representing The Memphis Lift, said the parent advocacy organization supports Burt and the KIPP network.

“Looking at the data, yes it’s disappointing, but leadership matters and the leadership that’s in place today and his team – we have faith that they can turn those numbers around,” she said.

Although Temicka Oliver’s daughter, an eighth-grader at KIPP Memphis Academy Middle, wouldn’t be affected if the school were to close after this school year, she fears that other students would miss out on the positive impact the school had on her daughter.

Oliver’s daughter has attended the middle school since fifth grade and previously attended the KIPP elementary school with most of the same classmates. The atmosphere is tight-knit – like a loving family, Oliver said.

“We want all those kids to have the same opportunities as she had,” Oliver said.

Tuesday’s charter grievance hearing came almost a week after the school board decided to close a nonKIPP charter school, the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences, for non-academic reasons at the end of the school year. Memphis Academy of Health Sciences can appeal the decision to the newly formed Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. Also last week, the board spared Memphis STEM Academy after hours of debate over exceeding its enrollment.

The board is scheduled to vote on closing KIPP Memphis Academy Middle and KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary at its Jan. 25 meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Board of Education.

The New Tri-State Defender

January 20 - 26, 2022

Page 3

NEWS

TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Push to stop House map carving Nashville has legal obstacles

by Jonathan Mattise Associated Press

NASHVILLE – Democrats and voting rights organizations have blasted Tennessee Republicans for what they say is a brazen effort to dilute the state’s Black vote by carving up booming Nashville into three likely GOP-controlled congressional districts. But their legal path for getting the new Republican-authored U.S. House map altered faces significant obstacles.

A challenge against the map would likely hinge on arguing in federal court that Republicans diluted the power of minorities based on race, according to legal experts, though an effort in state court can’t be ruled out.

Tennessee Republicans say their plan complies with the law and boosts Nashville’s influence from one House member to three.

The new map may benefit from the hands-off approach by the U.S. Supreme Court on partisan redistricting since maps were redrawn a decade ago. Essentially, the majority said federal court won’t referee the drawing of districts based on historic political leanings, notwithstanding state-level protections and whatever Congress passes in the future.

Another complicating factor — Tennessee lacks the kind of state requirements that advocates in Ohio, for one, have used in recent redistricting challenge wins. Ohio’s Supreme Court declared invalid GOP-spearheaded state legislative and congressional maps in recent decisions.

Those were based on 2015 and 2018 constitutional amendments that re-

quire an attempt at avoiding partisan favoritism.

In Republican-dominated Tennessee, the U.S. House delegation includes seven Republicans and two Democrats, whose districts center on Nashville and Memphis. Republican state lawmakers are looking to split Nashville into three seats, which likely makes any Democrat, including longtime Nashville U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, a significant underdog to retain his seat against a Republican.

As it stands, Nashville’s congressional district extends into two additional counties and has about a 24 percent Black population.

The new district where Cooper lives — jagging through slivers of southern and eastern Nashville as it branches in multiple directions into five other counties — would include about 11.8% Black residents out of those old enough to vote, according to Doug Himes, a House attorney.

The other two would be 8.6 percent and 15.5 percent Black.

Democrats and voting rights groups have offered maps that keep Nashville whole, while grabbing the remaining voters needed from an adjacent county.

The Republican map could see final votes this week. Republican Gov. Bill Lee recently told reporters that right now, he sees “no reason that I wouldn’t be signing it,” which would cement the map for the next decade.

The push has drawn sharp condemnation from opponents who see an effort to diminish the voting impact of Nashville’s Black voters. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who served under then-President

Barack Obama and is the National Democratic Redistricting Committee chairman, said Republicans in Tennessee are “effectively relegating their (Nashville Black voters’) interests to the political backburner.”

Odessa Kelly, a Black Nashville Democrat who has planned to run for Cooper’s seat, likened the proposal to “the new Jim Crow, where racist politicians will do anything to erase us and strip power from us.” Kelly, who would live in a different district, said she is considering her next steps.

And the Tennessee NAACP said the plan dilutes the strongest base of Black urban voters in Middle Tennessee by “placing them in lilywhite, rural districts that are remote — as far as 103 miles – from Nashville-Davidson County.”

Republicans have not directly addressed the impact their plan would have on Nashville Black voters.

Asked why he support a map that splits Black voters into three districts, Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton told reporters “the map on the congressional satisfies the Voting Rights Act; it’s fair, it’s constitutional.” Sexton has argued it’s better for Nashville to have more representatives in Congress, without noting they would likely be all Republicans philosophically at odds with a Democratic-tilted city. Republicans have also noted that Democrats have sliced off some of Nashville in previous redistricting; however, it wasn’t nearly to the degree under the current GOP plan.

The governor, who said he isn’t looking closely at the map yet, added that he thinks lawmakers “are mak-

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ing sure that every section is represented.”

The state Democratic Party has promised to sue over the map. Others could join.

However, there are fewer avenues to take redistricting complaints to court than the last time lines were drawn nationwide. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that partisan gerrymandering of congressional and legislative districts is none of its business.

Courts have, however, barred redistricting aimed at reducing the political representation of racial minorities for a half-century. Protections exist under the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, which the U.S. Department of Justice has used to sue Texas over its state and congressional maps. Both have varying degrees of

proof required in the courts.

“The best, and really the only real case, that they would have is that somehow there is a disadvantageous racial effect that is more than just a partisan disadvantage,” said James F. Blumstein, a University Professor at Vanderbilt University’s law school.

Nationally, Republicans need a net gain of five seats to flip U.S. House control.

While both parties have gerrymandered, these days Republicans have more opportunities. The GOP controls the line-drawing process in states representing 187 House seats compared with 75 for Democrats.

The rest of the states use either independent commissions, have split government control or only one congressional seat.

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, January 20 - 26, 2022, Page 4

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the Black Press of America

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Vice President Kamala Harris provided a message of hope while striking an encouraging tone during an exclusive interview with the Black Press of America.

Harris, who cut her teeth as a California prosecutor, state attorney general, and later as an influential U.S. senator, said that despite many setbacks to voting rights, she and the entire Biden-Harris administration haven’t and won’t stop fighting.

“I will tell you that I gave a speech with President Biden at Morehouse College, and afterward, I had a quiet visit with Ambassador Andrew Young because I was looking to him for inspiration,” Harris told a recent gathering of publishers and journalists from the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

“Based on what history has taught us, Ambassador Young said in a nutshell that freedom is a constant struggle. But we don’t give up. That’s where I am. I’m not giving up. …

“We are going to keep on. This is a movement for voting rights. Coretta Scott King said the fight must be fought and won with each generation. This is certainly a moment that we should not have to be in, which is fighting against blatant laws that are designed to target specific communities that obstruct access to the ballot box.”

Vice President Harris offered that she’s leaned on “folks from every walk of life.”

She also declared that all must remain purposely intentional and optimistic.

With Democrat Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Krysten Sinema of Arizona having dealt seemingly death blows to any hopes of passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote measure, Harris declined to blame them alone.

“We have a fight in front of us. I will emphasize that there also are 50 Republicans who took an oath to support and defend the Constitution,” Harris said.

“I’m not prepared to absolve them of their responsibility to stand in the shoes and in the legacy of the Republicans who, in 2006 in that chamber in the U.S. Senate, voted 98-0 in favor of the extension to the Voting Rights Act. “Let us be clear about the challenge here and who the protagonists and the antagonists are. The bottom line is that we must march on and fight on. It’s not new to us.

We can’t be tired even though we are frustrated, and yes, disappointed, if not angered that we’re continuing to have this fight.”

In the news she provided exclusively to the Black Press, Harris announced the first National Roadway Safety Strategy.

“It’s about putting $6 billion into state and local government to improve safety on the roads,” she said.

“It’s about funding for local communities for better streetlights, ensuring crosswalks are safe. We’re talking about the elderly, the mother with the stroller, the father with the stroller – people given enough time to cross the street. It’s a very big thing when you talk about the quality of life and when you live in communities where they rely on public streets to walk to church, to get the kids to school, to get them to the bus stop.”

NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. called the meeting with the Vice President “a tremendous boost

Regarding the protracted effort to strengthen voting rights protection, Vice President Kamala Harris told Black Press of America, “Let us be clear about the challenge here and who the protagonists and the antagonists are. The bottom line is that we must march on and fight on. It’s not new to us. We can’t be tired even though we are frustrated, and yes, disappointed, if not angered that we’re continuing to have this fight.” (Photo via NNPA News Service)

Vice President Kamala Harris embraces a young supporter. In an exchange with Black Press USA, Harris said she has taken inside the White House “what we need to do to address particular health needs of Black women in connection to what they do as wives, mothers, grandmothers, and leaders in the community.” (Photo: Whitehouse.gov) for the NNPA.” “Speaking directly with Vice President Kamala Harris today was a tremendous boost for the NNPA as we begin our yearlong promotion and celebration of the 195th anniversary of the Black Press of America,” said Chavis.

During her first year in office, Harris has met with heads of state, prime ministers and other dignitaries. Many, she said, had expressed concern about voting rights in America and the many voter suppression laws that have passed in Republican-led states since the 2020 election.

“I hosted at the Vice President’s residence, (former German Chancellor) Angela Merkle, and while talking about China and Russia, she asked, ‘What is going on with voting in America?’” Harris shared.

“We as Americans are about to take ourselves off the map as a role model for what democracy should be. (The world) is watching.

“You watch what a role model does. I

met with the Presidents of Zambia and Ghana in my office, and they were talking about these issues. It has a direct connection to our standing around the world. We lose our legitimacy. (Voting rights) is a domestic issue, but it will impact our standing in the world.”

When discussing the administration’s success, Harris noted the massive bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed last year.

She pointed out that the bill contains significant funding for public transportation, a vital issue for people of color and the poor.

“African American workers are four times more likely to take public transit than white workers,” Harris noted.

“If we’re not putting funding in public transportation – $90 billion specifically – it means that if you miss your bus, you might lose an hour waiting for the next, and you could lose your job. So, it’s a big deal.”

She noted that the bill funds broadband in areas where none exist, and many find it hard to afford. Additionally, the infrastruc-

ture bill removes lead pipes and lead from paint, a serious problem facing many African American and low-income households.

Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris said more than 200 million Americans had received vaccines and that 75 million have gotten booster shots since President Biden took office. She noted the economic bounce back in the six million jobs the administration has created and the near-record-low 3.9 percent unemployment.

“One of the things I’m so proud of is to put the issue of Black maternal mortality on stage at the White House,” Harris told the NNPA. “Black women are three times more likely to die from childbirth, and that’s a function of several things, including racial bias in the medical health system.”

She pointed to intentionally putting training at the top of the list.

“The training community would be doulas and midwives who understand and know communities and who will give dignity to the families they serve,” said Harris.

“Another issue that disproportionately affects African-American women is fibroids. Again, I’m talking fibroids inside the White House and what we need to do to address particular health needs of Black women in connection to what they do as wives, mothers, grandmothers, and leaders in the community.”

Dr. Chavis applauded Harris for her “detailed responses to questions posed by our NNPA member publishers from across the nation.”

“They were very informative and substantive,” Chavis concluded.

“The truth is some in the mainstream media have not given the progress of the Biden-Harris administration the recognition that it deserves. We in the Black Press will continue to give voice on the critical issue of voting rights, health care, criminal justice reform, and the protection of American democracy as articulated by Vice President Harris.”

(Follow Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent @StacyBrownMedia.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

January 20 - 26, 2022

Page 5

RELIGION

21st pastoral anniversary serves as a time of reflection and renewed vision

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Bishop Linwood Dillard Jr., at 43, is poised to celebrate 21 years in ministry on Feb. 27.

Dillard and the Citadel of Deliverance Church of God in Christ at 4350 Hacks Cross Rd., southwest of Bill Morris Parkway, affectionately called “Citadel,” are gearing up to welcome thousands of friends and well-wishers to the church family’s sprawling new campus for the celebration.

“God has been faithful,” said Dillard. “We acquired our new property in southeast Memphis, December of 2020. What God has shown us through this COVID-19 pandemic is that circumstances and conditions change, but He never does. God continues to bless and provide through whatever upheavals we may be witnessing.”

Not only did Citadel acquire a larger edifice for its rapidly growing membership, but its leader was promoted to jurisdictional bishop over more than 40 churches in November, 2018.

Greater responsibility and a massive financial obligation weigh heavy on Dillard as the early-2020 global shutdown takes immediate toll on religious institutions and other integral threads in 21st-century life.

“Any time a crisis hits, take out your notebook,” Dillard said. “School is in session. And over these past two years, God has taught us some invaluable lessons. We have learned what is really important.

“Families were forced to grow close. Our relationships and the peo-

Bishop Linwood Dillard Jr. and the Citadel of Deliverance Church of God in Christ are gearing up for the celebration of his 21 years in ministry. (Courtesy photo) ple around us are important, not the things we have placed our affections on. We have learned how to adapt and adjust, how to repurpose and retool. Whatever our situation, it is still the Lord who makes us to prosper.”

The challenges of the past two years have both sparked thoughtful reflection on how far “the Lord has brought us,” said Dillard.

It also generates hope for greater vision as “we step into a brand-new

year,” Dillard added.

“I can remember being just six or seven, and people in the church saying, ‘That boy is going to be a preacher,’” said Dillard. “Then, when I was about eight, an evangelist came to the church. While he was preaching, he just stopped in the middle of the sermon, and came over and laid hands on me.

“He said, ‘Oh my God, he is going to be a mighty man of God one day.’ I

had a God-moment that day.”

Dillard represents the fifth generation of pastors in his family. His grandfather is Pastor Emeritus Elijah Dillard of Paradise Church of God in Christ. It always was known that Dillard would preach the gospel.

“I graduated from Whitehaven High School and went up to the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga,” said Dillard. “I graduated with my Bachelor of Engineering and went on

the Christian Brothers University to pursue my master’s in engineering.

Right now, I am just a few hours from completing my masters. But God had another plan.”

Dillard ended up at Pentecostal Theological Seminary, pursuing ministerial education.

“We make plans and the Lord laughs at them,” Dillard said.

Dillard continued, “God was telling me to trust Him. I was trusting God, but I was going to help Him out. That struggle went on until I did finally surrender. My wife, Stephanie, and I had the first Bible study in April of 2001 at our home. There were five of us.”

Despite the mockers and the skeptics, the congregation grew, Dillard said. When 22 were worshipping with Greater Dimensions Ministry, the church had its first official service at the Pickering Memorial Community Center in Germantown.

They moved after a few months to the Holiday Inn- East Memphis.

By October 2002, the congregation bought four acres and erected a new 350-seat church. The 2020 move marks another phase of expansion.

Citadel’s multi-million-dollar complex serves as the headquarters of the Tennessee Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, where Dillard is prelate.

“I want to host (more) meetings for pastors and leaders,” said Dillard.

“I’ve always supported and loved pastors. They need that support more than ever now.

“There is so much we can do to mentor and help them as they shepherd God’s people. We have the potential for greater vision and greater works.”

In the spirit of Dr. King’s life, legacy ...

Deborah Manning Thomas helps set the musical context at Monumental Baptist Church for the birthday/holiday observance. (right) The Pastor Marcus Newson Singers performed at the Little Theatre on the campus of LeMoyne-Owen College, where the Memphis alumni association held its annual tribute. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, January 20 - 26, 2022, Page 6

COVID-19 UPDATE

D.A. Weirich details a key obstacle to street-racing prosecutions

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

As Memphis continues to grapple with an epidemic of street racing, Memphis City Council members learned during the Tuesday, (Jan. 18) Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meeting that most charges eventually are dismissed.

One of the biggest challenges, it turns out, is proving drag racing actually occurred.

“Law enforcement is doing the best they can under the limitations of the law policies,” said Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich.

The DA described a legal system hamstrung by policies, both local and state, which vaults the prosecutorial bar. Ethical considerations often lift the bar even higher.

“Just because an arrest is made and someone is charged with a crime, doesn’t automatically transfer into a situation where we are able to proceed further and where we are able to proceed to a conviction, either in front of a jury, in front of a judge, or through a guilty plea,” said Weirich.

Instead, most cases are “nolle prossed,” or dismissed by prosecutors. Last year, for example, 23 out

of 33 drag racing charges were dismissed.

Meanwhile, 636 out of 780 reckless driving cases met the same fate.

“The nolle process, dismissed without cause, the DLOP’s ˗ there are a whole host of reasons why prosecutors dismiss cases, whether it’s drag racing, murder, or anything in between. The number one reason is we can’t prove our case,” said Weirich.

She continued, “These are not stand-alone charges. In other words, most of these reckless driving numbers that you’re looking at; that charge is going to be connected to a driving under the influence charge.

A charge of reckless driving automatically accompanies any DUI charge. Ironically, most arrested for reckless driving or drag racing are charged with a DUI too.”

Yet, drag racing occurrences frequently are charged as reckless driving because the former can be difficult to pin on an individual. Most arrests aren’t made until days after the occurrence. This is because of MPD’s no-chase policies. Proving who drove the car is another matter.

“That presentation might be more depressing than I anticipated,” said committee chair Worth Morgan. “We know that the car fled, but we can’t prosecute that individual because

District Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich we can’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they were the driver, especially if multiple people had access to the car.”

Cumbersome state policies also add to the problem. Forfeiture or seizure of a vehicle is prohibited unless the driver has been charged. The offender must also be the sole owner of the car.

Locating the vehicle also presents its own set of problems.

“There’s nothing stopping them from selling that car, or hiding it, or giving the car to someone else. So, law enforcement then must spend time and energy locating that car if those other two conditions have been met as well,” Weirich said.

However, the bar to prove reckless driving is much lower - proof the offender drove in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.

“I promise you as we are discovering these policies and the holes and gaps in them, the individuals we are pursuing know it like the back of their hands,” warned Morgan.

Weirich recommended that reckless driving be bumped up to a higher misdemeanor to a felony, allowing seizure of the vehicle at arrest.

In his view ...

Memphis-area photographs by Memphis-area photographer Mark Stansbury Sr. (left) are captured in his new book, “Through the Lens of Mark Stansbury.” A book signing was held at Southbrook Mall last Saturday (Jan. 15). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

A sporting tribute ...

The annual MLK Day Earl Lloyd Sports symposium is a partnership involving the Memphis Grizzlies, the National Civil Rights Museum and the Hyde Foundation. Former NBA stars Muggsy Bogues and Allan Houston were award recipients, along with Elvin Hayes (who was not able to attend). Symposium participants (l-r) Brevin Knight, Grizzlies commentator; Bogues; Houston and Pete Pranika, Grizzlies play-by-play announcer. (Photo: Warren Roseborough/The New Tri-State Defender)

Always a priority need, blood donations are even more in demand during the pandemic. Visitors to the National Civil Rights Museum had the opportunity to donate on MLK Day. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

At-home testing set to become more readily available as the push to vaccinate continues

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Online ordering for COVID-19 tests began on Wednesday (Jan. 19) amid a declaration by President Biden’s administration to purchase one billion tests to give to Americans, free of charge.

That may make things a bit simpler and easier in Shelby County and myriad other places saddled with long lines at testing sites, the lack of available testing appointments at pharmacies and guessing at whether a household has a COVID-19 infection.

“In-home testing is an important step,” said Dr. Manoj Jain, a local infectious disease specialist. “It’s important to know whether you have COVID-19 or not. Multiple people can be infected by someone who doesn’t know they have the virus. But, vaccination, full vaccination with a booster, provides an individual with so much more protection.”

Dr. Michelle Taylor, director of the Shelby County Health Department, told Shelby County commissioners Wednesday (Jan. 19) the Health Department is ordering 90,000 home COVID-19 test kits to distribute throughout Memphis-Shelby County.

And, in yet another battle-against COVID-19, a White House official said the Biden administration plans to distribute 400 million high-quality N95 masks for adults free of charge at thousands of pharmacies and other locations starting next week.

To receive the free home testing kits from the federal government, log on to https://special.usps.com/ testkits.

A call line for ordering will be opened for those who do not have access to the internet, the Biden administration said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that a person be tested if symptoms begin at least five days after coming in close contact with someone who has the virus.

Testing also is recommended if a person is attending a large gathering indoors with people who may or may not be vaccinated.

In Memphis-Shelby County, the seven-day average for new cases between Jan. 13 and Wednesday (Jan. 19) was 1841, according to Shelby County Health Department statistics.

Although that number seems high, there was a significant drop in the number of new cases since Monday (Jan. 17).

There were 77 COVID-19-related deaths over the same period.

“More than 90 percent of severe illnesses, hospitalizations and

Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell, a participant in a COVID-19 study, monitors her condition. (Courtesy photo)

“In-home testing is an important step.

“It’s important to know whether you have COVID-19 or not.

Multiple people can be infected by someone who doesn’t know they have the virus.”

— Dr. Manoj Jain deaths are the unvaccinated,” said Jain. “The best protection we have is vaccination. Many of the deaths we are experiencing are preventable.”

Dr. Bruce Randolph, Health Department medical officer, repeatedly has said the same thing since vaccinations became available. They are still available in Shelby County, free of charge.

But the effort to get people vaccinated is hindered by a political and philosophical divide over, among other things, regarding vaccine mandates, the safety of the vaccines, and even masking requirements.

Parents and school administrators, for example, have fought over masking mandates in schools.

There are more than 20,000 free testing sites across the country.

(For a list of testing sites in Memphis-Shelby County, go to https:// www.shelby.community/covid-19testing/).

In addition, the Biden administration provided schools $10 billion in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to make tests available to K-12 school districts.

Additionally, nearly $6 billion in ARP dollars will cover free testing for uninsured individuals, testing in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and mental health facilities.

The Biden administration also announced that private health insurance companies would be required to cover at-home COVID-19 tests as of Jan. 15.

The New Tri-State Defender

NEWS

January 20 - 26, 2022

The $245 million modernization project at Memphis International Airport is nearing completion.

Airlines, restaurant and retail employees will conduct training for their staff in the coming weeks.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley, The New TriState Defender)

NOTICE TO BIDDERS Shelby County Government has issued Sealed Bid number I000659B, Process Officers Uniforms. Information regarding this Bid is located on the County’s website at www.shelbycountytn. gov . At the top of the home page, click on the dropdown box under “Business”, Click on “Purchasing” and “Bids” to locate the name of the above described Sealed Bid. SEALED BID I000659B DUE DATE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022 AT 3:30 PM CST (SB-I000659B) Process Officers Uniforms Juvenile Court Clerk

Memphis International Airport to open new concourse on February 15 Modernization project nears completion

Memphis International Airport (MEM) will open its modernized B concourse on February 15, with the first flight at the new concourse scheduled to be a Delta Air Lines flight arriving at 6:18 pm.

Departing flights will begin operations at the new concourse on February 16.

As the $245 million project nears completion, work continues on concessions, retail and airline operations space on the ground level. Airlines, restaurant and retail employees will also conduct training for their staff in the coming weeks.

Progress on the project has been slowed in recent months by COVID, workforce, and supply chain-related issues.

The multi-year project features the modernization of the spine and east leg of MEM’s B Concourse, as well as consolidation of all airline, retail and food/beverage operations. The redesign includes the addition of wider corridors, moving walkways, larger boarding areas, higher ceilings and increased natural lighting.

The project also includes much-needed seismic upgrades.

“This is an exciting day for MEM, Memphis and our passengers,” said Michael Keeney, chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority

CLASSIFIEDS

Board of Commissioners.

“We are truly reinventing the Memphis travel experience, and we can’t wait to welcome our passengers on February 15.”

Highlights • Higher ceilings • Larger gate areas and wider corridors • Moving walkways • Increased natural lighting • New and enhanced restaurant/retail options • Children’s play area • Stage for live music in Rotunda area • Additional lounge areas • Additional charging stations • New air-conditioned jet bridges • All-new art program that includes 61 different artworks representing 62 artists, all of which are from or connected to Memphis.

Construction details: • The stem and southeast leg of the B Concourse will be completely modernized and will house all airline, retail and restaurant operations.

• The southwest leg will only be utilized for international arriving flights and was not redesigned during the first phase of modernization.

• There will be 23 gates available to airlines, which can accommodate about 6 million passengers, about 50% more traffic than MEM’s pre-pandemic levels.

• Continued long-term growth at MEM could facilitate another modernization phase for the west leg of the B Concourse, which contains about 15 more gates that could increase capacity to nearly 11 million annual passengers.

• Ticketing/check-in will continue in the A, B and C Terminals.

• Security screening is not anticipated to change and will primarily be consolidated to B, although a second security checkpoint at C will also be available for periods of heavy traffic.

• The A and C concourses will be closed but will be retained for possible future use. The end of the C concourse will be removed to facilitate more efficient airline traffic to and from the B concourse.

Budget details • The modernization project and associated enabling projects are expected to cost approximately $245 million.

• No local tax dollars will be used to fund the modernization project – the airport does not receive any local tax revenue.

• Project funding will include general airport revenue bonds, state and federal grants, passenger facility charges (PFCs) and other Authority capital funds.

(Learn more about the modernization project at www.flymemphis.com/modernization.)

Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT NOTICE TO BIDDERS Shelby County Government has issued Sealed Bid number I000704A, Purchase of New and Unused 2022 Model Fleet Replacement Vehicles for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Information regarding this Bid is located on the County’s website at www. shelbycountytn.gov . At the top of the home page, click on the dropdown box under “Business”, Click on “Purchasing” and “Bids” to locate the name of the above described Sealed Bid. SEALED BID I000704A DUE DATE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, 2022 @2:30 PM (CST) (SB-I000704A) Purchase of New and Used 2022 Model Fleet Replacement Vehicles for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Public Notice Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Division of Water Resources (DWR) Notice Requesting Public Comments on Draft Permit Actions FILE # NRS 19.020 The purpose of this notice is to advise the public of the following proposed permit action and solicit comments and information necessary to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed activities on the aquatic environment.

Pursuant to The Tennessee Water

Page 7

Quality Control Act of 1977, T.C.A. §69-3-108 and Tennessee Rules, Chapter 0400-40-07, the proposed activity described below has been submitted for approval under an Aquatic Resource Alteration Permit and Section 401 Water Quality Certification. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act requires that an applicant obtain a water quality certification from the state when a federal permit is required. This notice is intended to inform interested parties of this permit application and draft permit and rationale, and to ask for comments and information necessary to determine possible impacts to water quality. At the conclusion of the public notice period a final determination will be made whether to issue or deny the permit.

PERMIT COORDINATOR Mike Lee Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation Division of Water Resources, Natural Resources Unit William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 11th Floor Nashville, Tennessee 37243 (615) 532-0712 Mike.lee@tn.gov APPLICANT Darren Sanders, Project Manager Shelby County Government 6463 Haley Road Memphis, TN 38134 (901) 222-7744 LOCATION Rodney Baber Park, South of James Road at North McLean; Memphis, Shelby County Latitude 35.196487; Longitude -89.987906 To view the proposed location of these impacts and the watershed condition, visit the Division’s map viewer at http://tdeconline.tn.gov/ dwr/ and search on the permit number or coordinates listed in this Public Notice.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION / PURPOSE This project is part of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded National Disaster Resilience Grant awarded to Shelby County. The park was flooded during the 2011 storm events and was rendered unusable. As a part of the grant, Shelby County plans to renovate the existing Rodney Baber Park located south of James Road at N. McLean Avenue in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. The subject site will be regraded and filled to raise the primary program areas out of the floodplain to maintain usability during large storm events and meet the requirements of the 2015 awarded HUD Resiliency Grant The subject site is approximately 55.6 acres in size and is in need of improvements and enhancements. Construction will disturb approximately 49 acres The site improvements will consist of new soccer fields, a pavilion, greenways and trails, fishing lake with fishing pier, and associated improvements such as utilities, educational wetlands,

SEE PAGE 8

The New Tri-State Defender

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 and landscaping.

The project site will drain to the southern limits of the property and outfall through 3 existing culverts under Interstate 40. The baseball fields will serve as infiltration and will slow runoff onsite. Stormwater runoff will collect in pipes throughout the site and discharge to the southern portion of the site, ultimately out falling into the Wolf River.

A new lake will be constructed at the eastern end of the property.

The proposed fishing lake will provide new habitat for fish and wildlife as well as recreation. The lake will be fed from Stream 4 overflow and will discharge into Stream 4 further downstream when normal pool elevation is breached. There will two fountains installed in the lake for aeration to provide a beneficial habitat for water species.

There are approximately 3.5 acres of existing wetlands on the project site with 0.47 acres of wetlands (wetlands 1-5) to be impacted. A pedestrian span crossing will be constructed over stream 4 and stream 2 while an existing crossing will be used on Stream 3.

Compensatory mitigation for the proposed disturbance of the 0.47-acre wetland will be accomplished through the purchase of 1.00 wetland mitigation credit from the Mt. Tena Wetland Mitigation Bank in the Wolf River on Fayette County. The remaining 3.04 acres of wetlands will be placed under Land Use Restrictions.

ANTIDEGRADATION STATEMENT In accordance with the Tennessee Antidegradation Statement (Rule 0400-40-03-.06), the Division has made a preliminary determination that the proposed activities will result in de minimis degradation because the applicant proposes to provide in-system mitigation to offset any appreciable permanent loss of resource values.

For more information, please reference Tennessee’s Antidegradation Statement which is found in Chapter 0400-40-03 of the Rules of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

FACTORS CONSIDERED In deciding whether to issue or deny this permit, the Division will consider all comments of record and the requirements of applicable federal and state laws. The division will consider the nature, scale, and effects of proposed impacts. The Division will consider practicable alternatives to the alteration, loss of waters or habitat, diminishment in biological diversity, cumulative or secondary impacts to the water resource, and adverse impacts to unique, high quality, or impaired waters.

HOW TO COMMENT TDEC is requesting public comment on this proposed permit action. Obtaining a broad range of facts and opinions on Agency actions is one of the best ways to ensure appropriate decisions.

Persons wishing to comment on the proposal are invited to submit written comments to the Division. Written comments must be received within thirty days following distribution of the approved public notice materials (including signage and newspaper ad). Comments will become part of the record and will be considered in the final decision. The applicant’s name and permit number should be referenced. Send all written comments to the Division’s address listed below to the attention of the permit coordinator. You may also comment via email to water. permits@tn.gov.

After the Division makes a final permit determination, a permit appeal may be filed by the applicant or by any person who participated in the public

January 20 - 26, 2022

CLASSIFIEDS

comment period whose appeal is based on comments given to the Division in writing during the public comment period or in testimony at a formal public hearing. If it is hard for you to read, speak, or understand English, TDEC may be able to provide translation or interpretation services free of charge. Please contact Christa Morphew at 615-360-0382 or christa.morphew@tn.gov for more information.

FILE REVIEW The permit application, supporting documentation, including detailed plans and maps, draft permit and rationale, and related comments are available for review on the internet at the Division’s dataviewer at DWR Permits in TN::::: by entering the permit file number listed in the title of this Public Notice. The file may be viewed and copied at the address listed below.

Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation Division of Water Resources, Natural Resources Unit William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 11th Floor Nashville, Tennessee 37243 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Flintco, LLC. has been selected as Construction Manager/ General Contractor (CM/GC) for the following project: Gaisman Park Soccer Field Improvements Construction Documents Prequalified subcontractors are invited to submit complete bids for this project. Examine documents at Construction Manager’s office. Obtain documents via distribution on Construction Manager’s FTP site. Plans will be available to bidders January 17, 2022.

Plan deposits are not required. All bidders, if not prequalified, must pre-qualify in accordance with Instructions to Bidders. Non-Discrimination policy applies.

Project Description: This project consists of constructing two (2) new soccer fields with associated lightings, new concrete sidewalks, landscaping, and storm drainage.

Advertisment: This advertisement will publish on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 and close on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

Bid Packages: Bid Package No. 26A – Electrical Bid Package No. 31A – Erosion Control, Site Demolition, and Earthwork Bid Package No. 32A – Site Concrete Bid Package No. 32B – Athletic and Recreational Surfacing Bid Package No. 32C – Landscaping Bid Package No. 33A – Storm Drainage Bids Received At: Flintco, LLC 2179 Hillshire Circle Memphis, TN 38133 Ph. 901-372-9600 Until: 2:00PM Local Time On: Thursday, February 3, 2022 Plan Deposit: None Required Construction Manager: Flintco, Inc. 2179 Hillshire Circle Memphis, TN 38133 Contact: Logan Rogers, Senior Estimator logan.rogers@flintco.com Ph. 901.612.2885 Bonding Requirements: A performance and payment bond is not required for this project.

Licensing Requirements: Bidders shall be familiar with the Contractors Licensing Act of 1994, as currently amended, codified in Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 62-6-101, et seq. A contract will not be awarded that conflicts with state licensing laws.

Pre-Bid Conference: 2:00 PM Local Time Wedensday, January 26, 2022 Gaisman Community Center 4221 Macon Road

Memphis, TN 38122 Pre-Bid Conference is not mandatory.

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency Tax Parcel #: 04002200000220 Tax Sale #: 1304 Price Offered: $1700.00 Terms: Cash

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Kist Brothers Investments, LLC Tax Parcel #: 07311000000490 Tax Sale #: 1701 Price Offered: $47000 Terms: Cash

Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency Tax Parcel #: 0400240000040C Tax Sale #: 1503 Price Offered: $2400.00 Terms: Cash

Hannelore R. Inman Tax Parcel #: 04106400000020 Tax Sale #: 1603 Price Offered: $600.00 Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:00 a.m. on February 18, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 1:30 p.m. on February 21, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on February 21, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency Tax Parcel #: 04002400000630 Tax Sale #: 89.2 Price Offered: $1000.00 Terms: Cash

Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency Tax Parcel #: 04002300000400 Tax Sale #: 1304 Price Offered: $2400.00 Terms: Cash

Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency Tax Parcel #: 04002200000150 Tax Sale #: 1304 Price Offered: $1900.00 Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:00 p.m. on February 21, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 1:00 p.m. on February 21, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:30 a.m. on February 21, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency Tax Parcel #: 04002400000630 Tax Sale #: 89.2 Price Offered: $1000.00 Terms: Cash

Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency Tax Parcel #: 04002300000270 Tax Sale #: 82.2 Price Offered: $1100.00 Terms: Cash

Memphis & Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency Tax Parcel #: 04002200000110 Tax Sale #: 1004 Price Offered: $1900.00 Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 2:00 p.m. on February 21, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on February 21, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:00 a.m. on February 21, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on February 18, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: LaKeisha DeBose Tax Parcel #: 0750280000038C Tax Sale #: 1603 Price Offered: $500.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:00 a.m. on February 18, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: LaKeisha DeBose Tax Parcel #: 07501300000130 Tax Sale #: 1604 Price Offered: $600.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:30 a.m. on January 18, 2022, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

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Page 8

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SPORTS The New Tri-State Defender, January 20 - 26, 2022, Page 9

Steven Adams of the Grizzlies takes the resolution on an in-game conflict in his own hands, transporting the Bulls’ Tony Bradley away from the spot where the trouble flared. (Photo: Warren Roseborough/The New TriState Defender)

Jaren Jackson Jr of the Grizzlies blocks the shot of Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan. (Photo: Warren Roseborough/The New Tri-State Defender)

later in the second quarter when he returned to the court.

Return indeed!

Jackson, who recently was selected as the NBA Cares Player of the month for his continued contributions to the community, finished the game with 5 blocked shots, 14 points and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes of action.

Star point guard Ja Morant once again gave America a reason to watch him play.

Terry He had a top-play-worthy 360 layup in trafDavis fic that got fans out of their seats.

The game got a little wired up in the fourth quarter. Morant was driving to the basket when an encounter with Tony Bradley slowed him down.

The two players grabbed jerseys. Memphis center Steven Adams literally picked Bradley up and carried him to center court.

Both Morant and Bradley were assessed technical fouls and Bradley received a flagrant foul for his actions.

Morant finished the game with 25 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

“He (Bradley) tried to trip me,” said Morant. “That is not a basketball play, so I reacted. He was grabbing my jersey and I told him to get off me. He was still grabbing my jersey. I don’t do any pushing or shoving. Whatever else happened after that happened.”

The Bulls (27-15), who were noticeably short-handed, were led by DeMar DeRozan with 24 points. The Bulls had 5 other players in double digits led by Ayo Dosunmu with 15 points.

Morant said the victory “was big time for us, especially after coming off a loss. We had to turn the page and get back in the column we want to be in, which is the winning column. It’s big time.

“We have to take this momentum and energy on the road. It’s a big road trip for us and we definitely needed this win.”

Next up for the Grizzlies (31-15) will be a four-game road trip.

It will be a challenging one.

Memphis has won 12 of the last 13 road games.

The schedule: Milwaukee (Jan. 19), Denver (Jan. 21), Dallas (Jan 23) and the Spurs on (Jan. 26).

The Grizzlies will return home to face the Utah Jazz on Jan. 28.

Grizzlies, Greater Memphis ‘win’ MLK Day game

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

One of the best teams in the West – Memphis – played the team with best record in the East – Chicago Bulls – during the 20th Annual MLK Day game with the winners being the Grizzlies and Greater Memphis.

The Grizzlies won the game (119-106) and got back on the winning track after their historic 11-game win streak had been snapped two days earlier.

“It (the MLK Day game) never gets old,” said Memphis forward Jaren Jackson Jr. “It is something that is a staple in our city.

It means a lot to everyone here in the community. You can feel it in the atmosphere. …

“We play hard every night, but it is important to make sure that you go out and know who you are representing when you are out there. We always love to play on this day. I hope we always keep it here.”

Memphis got a big scare in the first half when Jackson fell hard to the court and limped off. A noticeable gasp was released

Jersey retirement at East High brings James Wiseman full circle

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

James Wiseman’s ascension to the NBA recently meshed with the athletic heights he scaled at East High School, yielding a convergence suited for the retirement of his high school jersey.

“It was crazy,” said Wiseman, putting words to the emotions he felt as he walked inside East for the first time in a while last Monday (Jan. 10).

“It reminded me of the games I used to play here. It was fun and exciting.

It means a lot just being recruited by Memphis and playing with Coach Penny (Hardaway).”

Drafted by the Golden State Warriors as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Wiseman did not return alone for the retirement of his jersey. Accompanied by Golden State teammates, the presence of the 7-foot, 240-pound center footer triggered fond memories.

“I had the pleasure to coach him his junior and senior year,” said East High boys basketball coach Jovente Holmes. “Just to see the strides that he made. We are always talking about his ending goals. This is one of his ending goals, being one of the best to

come out of this school.”

The Warriors were in Memphis to take on the Grizzlies at FedExForum. They lost 116-108 as Memphis racked its 10th straight victory. Wiseman did not play as he continues to nurse a knee injury that dates back to the 2020-21 regular season when he missed the last 19 games.

“He is just a great kid,” said Holmes. “He spoke Mandarin and (was) very smart. He had a 4.5 GPA. He was in the national honor society.

He would talk to the nerdiest to the coolest student in school.”

At East, Wiseman anchored two state-championship teams, one coached by Hardaway. Later recruited by Hardaway to the University of Memphis, Wiseman encountered eligibility issues and only played part of one season for the Tigers.

The visit to East was the second time in three years that the Warriors have made a trip to a Memphis-area high school gym. In December 2018, they supported Ian Clark, who was on the Golden State roster when his jersey was retired by his alma mater, Germantown High School.

Although he didn’t make it to the Wiseman jersey ceremony, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said, “I

The retirement of James Wiseman’s No. 32 jersey was a high-profile affair at East High School, where he helped the Mustangs win two state championships. (Photo: Terry Davis/The New Tri-State Defender)

“I felt good seeing James’ jersey retirement.

I am happy for him. He is my brother and we have a lot of memories here.”

— Alex Lomax talked to a few of the guys who were there, and they loved it. They were laughing that many of James’ classmates are still in school and he got his jersey retired.

“It happens fast but he’s such a young guy and it’s great to see him honored in that regard. … Last year, he was getting ready to come to Memphis and I think he was put

in quarantine in Houston and didn’t even get to make the trip we had here.

So, I’m really happy for him that he’s finally back here.”

University of Memphis center Malcolm Dandridge, who played with Wiseman at East, said, “James and I stay in touch. I am super excited … he came down here. I am happy for him.”

Dandridge’s UofM teammate, guard Alex Lomax, was on the East team that won the state title during Wiseman’s first year at East. With each challenged by injuries over the last year, the two have called one another to keep theirs spirits up.

“I felt good seeing James’ jersey retirement,” said Lomax. “I am hap-

py for him. He is my brother and we have a lot of memories here.”

Wiseman’s injured knee has required two surgeries, the last in December following an April operation.

“His rehab is going really well,” said Kerr. “His knee is feeling really good. His spirits are up and he’s bouncing around practice with high energy. He’s getting ready to play with some contact and it’s exciting just to see a smile on his face and see him back after this long absence.

“I’m thrilled for him and thrilled for us too. … With that size and skill and being such a good, diligent worker, there’s no doubt in my mind that James is going to have a good career.”

The New Tri-State Defender

January 20 - 26, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 10

LITERATURE

Experience another side of novelist Zora Neale Hurston

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

That’s just the way it was.

People did things differently in times past. They were a little more likely to judge others, a little less apt to open their minds. They had notions we might think are odd; they held beliefs that we know now are wrong. But as in the new book “You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays” by Zora Neale Hurston, times change. Sometimes.

Throughout her career of nearly forty years, Zora Neale Hurston prodigiously wrote novels that resonate today. In this nonfiction book, readers get a taste of the other side of Hurston’s career: her journalism, essay-writing, and a reflection of the times in which she lived.

In the essay “High John de Conquer,” she offers “some help to our brothers and sisters who have always been white” by introducing them to a man who “romps... clowns, and looks ridiculous” and then disappears. John de Conquer is a scamp and a “mystery,” but he also offers hope and “the secret of Negro song and laughter.”

If you ever imagined what it was like to have been captured and sold into slavery, “The Last Slave Ship’ is Hurston’s interview with Cudgo Lewis, the last survivor of the Clotilda. Lewis told Hurston about a rivalry between villages, his capture, the cruelty of the Dahomey king, and the eradication of an entire tribe of people.

Here, Hurston writes of novelist Fanny Hurst, encouraging readers to sample Hurst’s work. She mourns that white publishers of her time were reluctant to offer more diverse works because they believed that “the average American just cannot conceive of it.” She writes first with pride about attending Howard University, then about what led to her disillusionment and why she called Negro colleges “Begging Joints.”

She writes about noses and charm, being “a little colored girl,” and of having no race. With barely simmering anger, she reveals her “Most Humiliating Jim Crow Experience.”

And she reports on the lengthy trial of Ruby McCollum, an experience that left Hurston in a dream “of fog and mist...”

For sure, “You Don’t Know Us Negroes” isn’t a book to

Zora Neale Hurston (Photo courtesy of Barbara Hurston Lewis, Faye Hurston and Lois Gaston)

“You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays”

by Zora Neale Hurston, edited and with an introduction

by Genevieve West and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. c. 2022, Amistad $29.99 464 pages

and think about what’s been said. It’s natural that you would anyhow: much of what author Zora Neale Hurston observed in her day is still relevant now; Hurston died on the very cusp of the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, and so racism and race issues feature highly in the works inside this book.

What’s unexpected – and very delightful – is Hurston’s voice. Some of these stories ring with a wonderful sense of sarcasm that tells you everything you need to know about Hurston’s mindset. Some tales ache with frustration. Others spark like lightning in a jar.

This is a carry-it-everywhere-with-you kind of book, perfect for times when you need some introspection as diversion. “You Don’t Know Us Negroes” is like that, and that’s just the way it is.

take – or read – lightly.

From the beginning of the introduction to the very last words on McCollum, this book demands that readers stop

(“You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays” became available on store shelves January 18.)

NMLS#402669