The New Tri-State Defender - May 6-12, 2021

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VOL. 70, No. 18

May 6 - 12, 2021

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‘Director’ Davis gets Council’s OK Mask mandate COVID-19 UPDATE:

may be lifted next week

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“For the critics, I want you to know that based on my impression of her, she’s going to bring fresh ideas,” said Councilman JB Smiley Jr. “She brings us something different. She brings us a new perspective….”

Mayor Jim Strickland nominated Davis, who also served as president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), in mid-April In the weeks following her nomination, Davis met with various Memphis leaders to hear concerns.

The new chief faces many challenges. Mem-

Barring some drastic change in the welcomed decline of new COVID-19 infections, a new health directive that may loosen mask mandates could be issued as soon as next week.

“Lifting the mask mandate does not mean throw all caution to the wind,” said Dr. Bruce Randolph, Medical Officer for the Shelby County Health Department. “Whenever a new health directive is issued removing the county’s requirement to wear masks in public, then a sense of personal responsibility should take its place.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee ended public health orders to wear masks in the 89 counties across the state that are directed by the state Health Department last week. Lee asked the largest six counties that operate their own health departments to follow suit and withdraw their mandatory mask orders.

And according to a tweet posted by Mayor Jim Strickland, Shelby County may join the ranks of the un-mask counties. He said the county is “considering dropping its remaining COVID-19 restrictions,” along with the mask mandate.

A new directive next week will most probably make business restrictions such as social distancing in restaurants and other public venues “recommendations” rather than orders.

Masking is also expected to be recommended, but not required.

Considering new cases numbers and levels of vaccinations across the county, rescinding mandatory precautions may be a logical move, if officials are still following the science.

Daily new case levels continue at an even keel.

SEE DAVIS ON PAGE 2

SEE MASKS ON PAGE 2

After securing the support of a majority of the Memphis City Council, C.J. Davis welcomes the embrace of her Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. sorority sisters, who were on hand for her confirmation as the next Memphis Police Department director. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

New top cop takes over in June

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

C.J. Davis’ first day on the job as director of the Memphis Police Department will be June 14.

The Memphis City Council voted 11-1 to approve the hiring of Durham, North Carolina’s former police chief at its meeting on Tuesday (May 4). Her salary will be the same as former director Mike Rallings’ $230,037.60. Rallings retired in April.

Meanwhile, Decarcerate Memphis, a local grassroots organization focused on criminal justice reform, released an open letter outlining actionable steps that the group wants Davis to take in her first 100 days.

The letter calls on Davis to “embrace the community beyond words by taking swift action to reform the culture and structure of MPD.” The 30-year law enforcement veteran will be the first woman to lead MPD. She also has served with the Atlanta Police Department.

‘Pandemic baby’ brings joy in the midst of gloom

Mostly ‘single’ mother turning 100 ‘wouldn’t accept welfare’

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

New mother Kayce Christopher will celebrate her first Mother’s Day this year. The courageous 29-year-old was excited to discover in May of last year she would be bringing a baby into a COVID-ravaged world.

Cleveland Dorse III made his grand entrance on Dec. 18, 2020.

“The first two months, he didn’t go out of the house because of the pandemic, but also, it was very cold,” said Christopher. “Now that so many people have been vaccinated, his dad and I are not so nervous about taking him out. My mom keeps him since I’ve returned to work.

But in May, when I start a new job, we are putting him in daycare.”

Christopher and Cleveland Dorse Jr. have somehow managed to carve out a “normal and happy” life, even in the midst of a pandemic.

“Trey, that’s what we call him since he is the third, is a daddy’s boy,” said Christopher.

“He kicks and squeals when he hears his father come in the door, but me —not so much

— even though I was the one who stayed with him all day.”

Christopher and Dorse are bucking a national trend which indicates that American birth rates in many major cities are on the decline because of the anxieties and uncertainty fueled by the pandemic.

Massive job loss and worries about housing and other financial indicators have slowed birthrates nationwide.

When it comes to celebrating phenomenal mothers this Mothers Day, Mrs. Ruthie Mae Worthy should go right at the top of the list.

To her children, she is the Proverbs 31 woman: “…Who can find a virtuous woman?

For her price is far above rubies…she looketh well to the ways of her household…her children arise up, and call her blessed…”

Mrs. Worthy was born July 27, 1921. Her children are planning a small, intimate party for their mother this summer — a celebration of life, if you will.

For those who have known Mrs. Worthy, her story is an extraordinary saga of a woman who gave to others out of her own need.

“I can remember in our little, two-bedroom house, Mother would take other children in, whole families in when we barely had enough room for us,” said Worthy’s daughter Mae Coleman of Atlanta.

Mrs. Worthy grew up in Capleville, an un-

SEE BABY ON PAGE 9

SEE 100 ON PAGE 9

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Kayce Christopher and Cleveland Dorse Jr. welcome the arrival of their son, Cleveland Dorse III, who was born amid the pandemic. (Courtesy photo)

At 99, Ruthie Mae Worthy has a history of dressing for success. (Courtesy photo)

The New Tri-State Defender

May 6 - 12, 2021

Page 2

NEWS “We’re not saying just go back to business as usual, like the way things were preCOVID-19. Just be conscious of going out in public, whether there may be a need to wear a mask, or maintain six feet of distance.”

— Dr. Bruce Randolph MASKS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Shelby County added 106 more cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday (May 5) and three more deaths, bringing the numbers to a total of 96,050 cases and 1,623 deaths.

“As long as everyone commits to taking personal responsibility for their health and the health of those around them, then we should be just fine,” said Randolph. “We’re not saying just go back to business as usual, like the way things were pre-COVID-19.

Just be conscious of going out in public, whether there may be a need to wear a mask, or maintain six feet of distance.”

Randolph said there are times when it will be perfectly fine to go without a mask. If a person has been fully vaccinated and is spending time with relatives and friends who have also been vaccinated, it should be perfectly fine to go without a mask.

If a person who has been vaccinated is outside and six feet away from other people, then going without a mask should be safe.

“There are scenarios that actually pose very little threat,” said Randolph. “But if you go out in public, and you have been fully vaccinated, to get around other people and you’re not sure of their status, whether or not they have been vaccinated yet or not, that may be a good time to put on a mask. It’s still a good idea to keep a mask with you at all times, just in case.”

Vaccination data shows that a total of 317,549 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine in Shelby County; 223,338 are now fully vaccinated, and 94,211 are waiting to receive their second shot. The county’s goal is to vaccinate 700,000 residents.

Randolph said although the demand for the vaccine is waning, health officials had expected a drastic decline after such a sustained demand for months.

Only 12,673 doses were administered across the county in the last seven days. In comparison, nearly 32,000 doses were administered during the same week last month.

Council delays pipeline vote; Takes up ban on eviction set-outs

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A vote on regulating pipeline construction in Memphis now is in delay-mode until July in an effort to calm rising tensions between Memphis City Council members and Plains All-American Pipeline over construction of the proposed Byhalia Connection Pipeline.

The delay, which was agreed upon in good faith by Plains All-American, was cemented when the council registered its consent at Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting.

And, at an earlier session of the Public Works Committee, council members discussed Councilman JB Smiley Jr.’s proposed ordinance to ban eviction set-outs by homeowners and landlords. That item later drew unanimous support on the first of its three readings.

The proposed pipeline ordinance would essentially ban the controversial Byhalia Connection Pipeline from its projected course over Mem-

phis, as well as similar future projects.

As designed, the Byhalia Pipeline would pass over the Memphis Sand Aquifer, which opponents have argued would endanger the city and region’s main source of fresh drinking water.

It would also pass through historically low-income, African-American communities in South Memphis on its path to Byhalia, Mississippi.

That has stirred charges of environmental racism. A legion of opponents has found common cause against the project.

Meanwhile, concerns within the council linger about the broad nature of the ordinance, as well as its constitutionality.

There are other unanswered questions, too. Will it affect existing pipelines? And, what about the sewer system?

Eviction set-outs “Essentially, what this ordinance

does is set a standard that no community will serve as a dumping ground,” said ordinance sponsor Smiley at the committee meeting.

“It should not matter what circumstances you are. It should not matter where you’re coming from. You will not dump trash, you will not dump discarded items on the city’s streets.”

The item would ban dumping of items in bulk capacity curbside on all city streets. It applies to all homeowners and landlords. Multi-family commercial units – such as apartment complexes – contract their waste management. Landlords aren’t supposed to put evicted items out at the curb, although the practice does happen extensively.

Items can range from boxes filled with sundries to furniture, such as couches and mattresses or other large objects.

“This is a problem that exists throughout the whole city,” echoed council member Cheyenne Johnson.

Enforcement of the current ordi-

nance often is problematic because owners can be difficult to track down.

Many are likely out-of-state, including commercial entities and LLCs. As a result, communication is difficult.

According to Smiley, the council has made it a priority in recent months to tackle illegal dumping, in addition to designating areas in need of beautification or blight remediation.

“This is just a continuation of what we’ve been discussing ... cleaning up the city of Memphis,” he said. “I think we all love the city of Memphis. I think we all have a sense of pride when it comes to Memphis.

“But if we want to restore pride into South Memphis, if we want to restore pride in East Memphis, we must do what I consider essential city services … keeping our communities clean.”

He also said the proposed ordinance doesn’t conflict with state law, declaring that, “If it does, there’s a problem.”

DAVIS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT phis is exploring different policies and practices in policing. These include strategies to improve transparency, accountability, community relations and checking excessive force.

While serving as president of NOBLE, she recommended banning chokeholds and the creation of a national officer misconduct database.

“Thank you for agreeing to come and serve here in Memphis,” said council member Jeff Warren. “We’re really, really excited about moving forward with our group violence intervention plan. Your experience there will be invaluable.

“We have a lot of young men and women who are dying needlessly. We are going to try and help you help them as much as possible.”

Seven finalists, including several in-house candidates, already had been interviewed when Davis was proposed for the job. Interim Director James Ryall backed Davis’ nomination.

Same-night minutes on the Davis-approval vote were requested by Councilman Chase Carlisle and seconded by Councilmember Patrice J. Robinson sec. Voting in favor were council members Frank Colvett Jr., Jamita Swearengen, Worth Morgan, Edmund Ford Sr., Michalyn Easter-Thomas, Johnson, J. Ford Canale, Smiley, Warren, Robinson and Carlisle.

The lone no vote came from Councilman Martavius Jones, citing personal feelings. He had indicated a

Memphis City Council members Cheyenne Johnson and JB Smiley Jr. listen intently to C.J. Davis, who secured their support as the next director of the Memphis Police Department. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises) preference for an in-house successor.

However, he vowed to support Davis.

“This is just my personal conviction of what I think this Police Department deserves,” said Jones. “Notwithstanding, whatever I can do to help make you successful, I will do so.”

Councilmember Rhonda Logan abstained, expressing a preference for an internal candidate, but also committed to support Davis.

Decarcerate Memphis In its open letter, the group calls for, among other things, limiting the use of militarized police at protests, making a commitment to engage in good faith with recommendations made by Memphis’ Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board and hosting monthly public meetings to address concerns and take questions and recommendations from community

members.

“With cautious optimism, we see a shift in administration as an opportunity to engage in good faith toward systemic change that will result in a safer, more just city,” the group stated in the letter.

“We welcome the opportunity to meet with the incoming Police Chief in an effort to begin a dialogue toward those ends and look forward to a timely response to these items.”

May 6 - 12, 2021

The New Tri-State Defender

NEWS

Page 3

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Brandon Mitchell, a juror in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd, poses for a picture, in Minneapolis. Mitchell defended on Monday, May 3, 2021, his participation in protest in Washington last summer in the wake of online speculation about his motives for serving on the jury.

(Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP File)

Chauvin juror defends participation in Washington protest

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – One of the jurors who convicted Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd on Monday defended his participation in a protest last summer in Washington, D.C., following online speculation about his motives for serving on the jury and whether it might be grounds for appeal.

A photo, posted on social media, shows Brandon Mitchell, who is Black, attending the Aug. 28 event to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech during the 1963 March on Washington. Floyd’s brother and sister, Philonise and Bridgett Floyd, and relatives of others who have been shot by police addressed the crowd.

That photo recently recirculated online, the Star Tribune reported.

It shows Mitchell standing with two cousins and wearing a T-shirt with a picture of King and the words, “GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS” and “BLM,” for Black Lives Matter.

Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds last May as Floyd said repeatedly that he couldn’t breathe.

Mitchell, 31, acknowledged being at the event and that his uncle posted the photo, but said he doesn’t recall wearing or owning the shirt.

Mitchell was one of 12 jurors who convicted Chauvin of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Mitchell, the first juror to go public, spoke to several media outlets last week, including The Associated Press.

“I’d never been to D.C.,” Mitchell said of his reasons for attending the event. “The opportunity to go to D.C., the opportunity to be around thousands and thousands of Black people; I just thought it was a good opportunity to be a part of something.”

Mitchell and Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, have not returned messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Mike Brandt, a Minneapolis defense attorney not involved in the case, told the AP the revelation alone wasn’t nearly enough to overturn Chauvin’s conviction, but it could be com-

bined with other issues — the announcement of a massive civil settlement to Floyd’s family during jury selection, the shooting of Daunte Wright, the judge’s refusal to move the trial — in an appeal to say Chauvin was denied a fair trial.

Ted Sampsell-Jones, a professor at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law, told the AP that the photo of Mitchell was “evidence that Chauvin can point to in order to establish that his right to an impartial jury was denied.”

He added: “Speaking frankly, Chauvin did not have a fully impartial jury in the sense we usually give criminal defendants. That wasn’t the fault of the judge or the prosecutors, it was simply a function of the incredible publicity and public pressure” surrounding the trial.

Mitchell said he answered “no” to two questions about demonstrations on the questionnaire sent out before jury selection.

The first question asked: “Did you, or someone close to you, participate in any of the demonstrations or marches against police brutality that took place in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death?” The second asked: “Other than what you have already described above, have you, or anyone close to you, participated in protests about police use of force or police brutality?”

Mitchell told Nelson during jury selection that he had a “very favorable” opinion of Black Lives Matter, that he knew some police officers at his gym who are “great guys,” and that he felt neutral about Blue Lives Matter, a pro-police group. He also said he had watched clips of bystander video of Floyd being pinned and had wondered why three other officers at the scene didn’t intervene.

He said he could be neutral at trial.

Mitchell told the Star Tribune that last summer’s protest was “100% not” a march for Floyd.

“It was directly related to MLK’s March on Washington from the ’60s … The date of the March on Washington is the date … It was literally called the anniversary of the March on Washington,” he said.

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, May 6 - 12, 2021, Page 4

“What I appreciate about his (Rep. Justin Lafferty) soliloquy is the fact that he gave us his truth, his rationale as to why he was supporting the amendment to force teachers through law to whitewash historical events. This is exactly what needs to happen in our state. There is a need to have a conversation in truth in order to move our state forward.”

— Rep. Antonio Parkinson

GOP lawmaker: Three-Fifths Compromise was to end slavery

by Kimberlee Kruesi The Associated Press

NASHVILLE – A Tennessee Republican falsely declared Tuesday that an 18th century policy designating a slave as three-fifths of a person was adopted for “the purpose of ending slavery,” commenting amid a debate over whether educators should be restricted while teaching about systematic racism in America.

During lengthy debate on the GOP-controlled House floor, several Black lawmakers expressed concerns about the bill’s impact on how certain subjects would be taught in schools, specifically highlighting the ThreeFifths Compromise. The policy was made during the nation’s Constitutional Convention in 1787 and classified that three-fifths of a state’s slave population could be counted toward its total population when apportioning taxes and states’ representation in Congress.

Historians largely agree the compromise gave slaveholding states inordinate power over choosing a president – and decisions of the Continental Congress. That clout eventually faded when Northern state populations began to rapidly rise.

Rep. Justin Lafferty, who is white, stood up and talked at length about what he saw as sparking the compromise. At one point he asked colleagues to note on paper their best guess for the reasons that led to the policy.

“By limiting the number of population in the count, they specifically limited the number of representatives who would be available in the slave holding states and they did it for the purpose of ending slavery,” Lafferty said. “Well before Abraham Lincoln. Well before Civil War.” None of the other lawmakers in the chamber directly challenged Lafferty’s false claims but some applauded when he finished talking.

Rep. Antonio Parkinson, a Memphis Democrat and chairman of the General Assembly’s Black Caucus, said in a later statement that Lafferty’s comments were troublesome.

“Rep. Lafferty’s statement about how the Three-Fifths Compromise was created to end slavery was alarming but the real insult was when the House Republicans clapped for him when he finished his diatribe,” he said.

Parkinson added that conversations about race in the Tennessee Legislature have always been “very uncomfortable.”

“What I appreciate about his soliloquy is the fact that he gave us his truth, his rationale as to why he was supporting the amendment to force teachers through law to whitewash historical events,” Parkinson said. “This is exactly what needs to happen in our state. There is a need to have a conversation in truth in order to move our state forward.”

A spokesperson for the House Republican caucus did not immediately return emailed questions on Lafferty’s comments.

While the House overwhelmingly approved the legislation on Tuesday, the GOP-controlled Senate chamber refused to accept the House bill hours later. Its fate now remains unclear in the final days of the legislative session.

Lafferty’s comment echo sentiments expressed last month by Colorado Republican Rep. Ron Hanks last month, who said the Three-Fifths Compromise “was not impugning anybody’s humanity.” In 2019, Oregon Sen. Dennis Linthicum, a Republican from

McConnell vs.

The 1619 Project

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Rep. Justin Lafferty, R-Knoxville, speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the State Capitol in Nashville on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

Lafferty falsely declared that an 18th century policy designating a slave as three-fifths of a person was adopted for “the purpose of ending slavery,” commenting amid a debate over whether educators should be restricted while teaching about systematic racism in America. (Tennessee General Assembly via AP) Klamath Falls, argued that the designation of slaves as three-fifths of a person was not racist.

Tuesday’s discussion also comes as a handful of states are considering restrictions on how schools and state agencies should talk about race and racism.

In Oklahoma, lawmakRep. Antonio Parkinson ers advanced legislation that would ban the socalled “critical race theory,” which includes prohibiting education instruction that individuals, by virtue of race or gender, are inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.

The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt for his consideration. Meanwhile, a growing number of organizations have organized to urge Stitt to veto the measure.

Idaho’s Republican Gov. Brad Little signed off on a similar proposal last week, arguing it was needed to prevent schools and universities from “indoctrinating” students.

Meanwhile, a recently enacted version in Arkansas doesn’t apply to K-12 schools or colleges and universities but instead focuses primarily on employee training.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday allowed the bill to become law without his signature, a move governors have traditionally taken to express displeasure with bills without vetoing them.

The lawmaker behind Arkansas’ measure said it was aimed at preventing “divisive” concepts being taught state employees, particularly by third party groups.

Elsewhere across the country, conservative lawmakers say they fear that white students are being taught that they should be ashamed for past wrongs carried out by earlier generations, such as slavery.

But opponents counter that such measures may be unenforceable and a violation of free speech.

“We are about to engage in a huge encroachment on the First Amendment,” Arkansas Democratic Sen. Linda Chesterfield said in a debate last month.

And in New Hampshire, it remains unclear if a similar bill would prevail after several participants at a public hearing on the budget urged lawmakers to abandon it.

Matthew Houde of Dartmouth-Hitchcock, one of the state’s largest employers, said the bill there would undermine the health system’s efforts to advance “diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.”

(Associated Press writers Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire and Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho contributed to this report.)

I was minding my own business last week, all set to dive into the issue of state testing and learning loss in our schools.

Suddenly, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and 37 of his Republican colleagues showed up on my doorstep with this letter addressed to the U.S. Department of Education complaining about the 1619 Project.

McConnell apparently read my column a few Curtis weeks ago and decided Weathers he’d heard enough about Nicole Hanna Jones and the 1619 project and felt compelled to leap into action (just kidding).

Anyway, they left me no choice. I have to address this issue, AGAIN! The Department of Education has added two additional rules or priorities to its federal grants program supporting American History and Civics Education. In doing so, they made specific reference to the 1619 Project and scholar Ibram X. Kendi’s teachings on anti-racism.

The language in the rule includes the following: “There is growing acknowledgment of the importance of including, in the teaching and learning of our country’s history, both the consequences of slavery and the significant contributions of Black Americans to our society. This acknowledgment is reflected, for example, in the New York Times’ landmark “1619 Project” and in the resources of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History.”

Apparently, McConnell and his Senate colleagues are upset and are now pressuring Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to stop any proposed rule that invokes the 1619 Project and promotes “revisionism” of U.S. history.

“Our nation’s youth do not need activist indoctrination that fixates solely on past flaws and splits our nation into divided camps,” they wrote. Furthermore, “Taxpayer-supported programs should emphasize the shared civic virtues that bring us together, not push radical agendas that tear us apart.”

What! Wait a minute. Stop the presses!

Surely these are not Republicans who are concerned about bringing us together rather than tearing us apart?

I think it is rich that all of a sudden, this particular group of Republican Senators find it necessary to voice concerns about someone’s “politicalized and divisive agenda.”

In the letter, McConnell and his colleagues further write, “Families did not ask for this divisive nonsense. Voters did not vote for it.”

Of course, I take issue with that assertion as well. In the last election, more than 74 million Republicans voted to retain the services of arguably the most “divisive” president and administration in the history of our nation.

So, they did, in fact, “vote for it.”

For the record, the 1619 Project’s author, Nicole Hanna Jones, and the New York Times Magazine made it clear about the goal of their project. It was to re-frame American history by considering what it would mean to establish 1619 as our nation’s birth year instead of 1776 and place the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.

This assertion, of course, has been controversial to say the least.

But at the center of the controversy is the contention by Hanna-Jones that the defense of slavery was, in fact, the true impetus of the Revolutionary War. She implies that the primary reason the colonists decided to declare their independence from Britain was because they wanted to protect and preserve the institution of slavery.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has asked Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to abandon curriculum in American schools that McConnell argues tells a revisionist history of America’s founding. He includes the New York Times 1619 Project in the mix. (Twitter)

Bulletin board created by University City High School students during their investigation of issues explored by The 1619 Project. (Photo by Christina Sneed. St. Louis, 2020) The Times, through its spokesperson Jordan Cohen, defended the project as “landmark, groundbreaking journalism.”

He wrote, “It deepened many readers’ understanding of the nation’s past and forced an important conversation about the lingering impact of slavery, and its centrality to America’s story.”

The 1619 Project is doing exactly what it was intended to do, which is to facilitate a national conversation about a significant part of our history that many believe has been distorted.

Keep in mind there is nothing inherently sinister about revising or revisionist history.

People do it all the time when they find worthy artifacts that help bring additional clarification to what was initially thought or believed.

I must admit, my view of America has changed significantly after reading and reminiscing on the material included in the 1619 Project.

It has created a whole new level of interest for me and has provided a framework by which to evaluate real-time events happening around me.

My whole perspective of the institution of slavery and the African-American experience has been enriched.

To me, the 1619 Project is the “but wait a minute” or “but consider this” version of an essential piece of American history.

I am happy to see it being referenced and legitimized by our governmental institutions, regardless of what certain groups might think or say.

The bottom line is that McConnell and company see no reason to change how white America views its role in the brutal history of the African slave trade.

They are uncomfortable with the idea of taking a fresh new look at the African-American experience in this country.

Then again, many see this attack as just the latest attempt by Republicans to stoke outrage within their conservative base about President Biden’s agenda, which McConnell and company are portraying as a “radical overreach into every aspect of American life.”

As far as I can tell, the Department of Education is moving forward and has no intention of removing or revising language regarding the 1619 Project or any other references in the federal grants program that offend Republicans.

And that is as it should be.

Stay safe everyone!

(Follow TSD education columnist Curtis Weathers on Twitter (@curtisweathers); email: curtislweathers@gmail.com.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

May 6 - 12, 2021

Page 5

RELIGION

Young bishop brings fresh view to church leadership

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Bishop Elijah Marshall, who leads Holy Remnant Kingdom Center, is a bit of a rebel. Stepping beyond the reach of denominational rule and organizational ties, this exceptional prelate is breaking the mold of the bishopric.

“Jesus said those who would be greatest among you shall be your servant,” said Marshall. “I think we’ve lost sight of that. As shepherds and church leaders, we must be the shining example of servanthood.”

This view is revolutionary or, at least, uncommon among denominations and faith- based organizations.

But, said Marshall, it should not be.

Church leaders and administrators are to be examples and servants among those with whom God has entrusted them to.

“Our church is independent from a denomination, but we are Pentecostal in character,” said Marshall. “When I go to preach at another church, and there is no musician, I am happy to play the piano or organ. When we first started our church, I had to do

everything — sing, play, and preach.

That’s just the way it was.”

In his mid-thirties, Marshall feels he has evolved into a caring, mature pastor who has learned how to sacrifice for his church family in a way that promotes their own growth and maturity.

Marshall’s journey toward the ministry began in Shelby, Mississippi, where he was born into the gifted Marshall family.

“In my mother’s family, everyone plays the piano, or the organ, drums, or something,” said Marshall. “And if you don’t play an instrument, you sing. I sing and play instruments. My wife and oldest daughter sing, and my son plays drums.”

The family moved to Memphis when Marshall was 5 years old. Marshall moved to Lexington, Tennessee when he was 16 to live with his father. (Lexington is 20 miles east of Jackson on the drive to Nashville.).

He graduated from Lexington High School in 2005. When he was 19, Marshall returned to Memphis and worked for a while before returning to school.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Liberty University and

a second bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Belhaven University. Presently, Marshall is working on a third degree online in Secondary Education.

For Marshall, fulfilling the office of a church bishop involves taking a prominent, active role in working to support his family, being a great father to his children, and a loving husband to his wife.

“So many people have lost faith because of what they have witnessed among those who serve in offices of leadership in the church,” said Marshall. “We don’t want people put off from the church by building wealth for ourselves and acquiring lots of material things. Our main focus must be on drawing people with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly, many churches have strayed so far away from that.”

From 1998 to 2005, Marshall had served as an associate minister at Peter’s Rock Holiness Church. He was ordained to the ministry in 2005, and two years later, became an elder.

In 2008, Marshall founded his own ministry, Holy Remnant Kingdom Center. He was consecrated to the office of bishop in October, 2020, by

The bishop’s family (l-r): Elexis Marshall, 13; Sarah Marshall, 11; Bishop Elijah Marshall; his wife, Alexis Marshall, and Marquet Wade, 16. (Courtesy photo) Hope Covenant Connection.

In 2009, the church joined a fairly young denomination, Church of Holiness in Christ (COHIC). The organization had actually broken off from Church of God in Christ (COGIC), and became an independent, separate entity. Marshall and the Holy Remnant church family broke away from COHIC in 2016.

“It was a very difficult break,” said Marshall. “A great moral failing with the leadership caused the breach in our fellowship with COHIC. Because church leaders must uphold a higher

standard, failings are devastating to the entire body of believers. We had to leave the denomination. “ Even with a 30-member congregation, Marshall has tremendous faith that new vision and growth are on the horizon for Holy Remnant.

“The Lord has sustained us through this pandemic,” said Marshall. “And we’ve never stopped moving this past year. We are looking for better and greater in 2021.”

Holy Remnant Kingdom Center is at 3757 Orchi St., in the Nutbush community.

About ‘Love Day’ …

The Rev. Dr. S.H. Mickens and his wife, Patricia Mickens, observed their 20th Pastor & Wife’s Love Day celebration at Lake Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 265 Leath St., on May 2. The Rev. Wylie Harris Sr., 95, the retired pastor of Grey’s Creek Baptist Church in Collierville, was the guest speaker. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Worship on the block …

Pentecostal Temple Institutional Church Of God In Christ, 229 S. Danny Thomas Blvd., hosted a Worship & Block Party Celebration last Sunday (May 2) to encourage church members and people in the neighborhood to get vaccinated for COVID-19. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, May 6 - 12, 2021, Page 6

‘Room In The Inn’ finds room for the recovering and families in transition

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Patrice Bates Thompson is glad to open restaurant doors after a brief hiatus.

(Courtesy photo)

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Kenneth Randolph, 55, is a chef and a gardener.

He’ll tell you he’s been cooking since he was 5 years old and will whip up a dish fit for gods.

The charming and engaging man also is one of the first client residents to move into Room In The Inn (RITI), a transitional housing facility for families struggling with homelessness and for recently discharged hospital patients who need a place to heal and recuperate.

Room In The End is operating as a partnership with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

Bishop Henry Williamson, presiding prelate of the First Episcopal District, is proud of the facility that celebrated its grand opening on April 19, with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

“This partnership gets us closer to what Dr. King talked about, the beloved community,” said Williamson. “We need to find ways to engage and serve those who are living in Dr. King’s ‘other America.’”

While the historic Collins Chapel Hospital structure was being restored, Williamson envisioned reopening a medical facility, but he said, God had other plans.

“It was really a faith walk,” said Williamson. “God did not tell me everything in the beginning. There was just an urgency I felt to restore the building. I just felt we need to move forward with the work. Once the work was done, God would give us guidance.”

The partnership with Room In The Inn started when Rev. Lisa Anderson, executive director of RITI Memphis, was driving by the building, stopped the car, got out and peeked into a window to see what was going on inside.

“We needed a building, and I just stopped to take a look inside,” said Anderson. “That’s kind of how this partnership got started. We needed a transitional housing building and the CME Church shared our vision of providing shelter for the homeless in some capacity.”

The building at 409 Ayers St., in North Memphis, operates as transitional housing for two sectors of those who are experiencing homelessness or housing transition — individuals requiring a place to recuperate from a medical procedure and families without a home.

The CME Church owns the building and is leasing it to RITI. Room In The Inn’s Recuperative Care Center and the Family Inn, where families are being housed, can serve 21 recuperative care patients and 14 families at full capacity.

All Room In The Inn programs will offer supportive services to create a pathway to housing and self-sufficiency for guests.

For Randolph, Room In The Inn was a blessing to him as he wondered if he would have to return to a Travelodge Motel, where he had been staying since late February.

“I’m originally from Jackson, Tennessee,” said Randolph. “I graduated from Jackson

Sixteen and rolling …

Last year on Talia “Bliss” McGuire’s 15th birthday, a drive-by celebration – forced by the pandemic – noted the occasion. This year, her mother, Tabitha McGuire, engineered another driveby observance, with a notable difference being that those that were vaccinated were allowed to get out of their vehicles, take pictures and leave with a snack.

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Kenneth Randolph is one of the first to recover in the RITI Recuperative Care Center.

Four Way reopens partially as pandemic numbers decline

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Pictured from left are: RITI Executive Director Rev. Lisa Anderson, CME Bishop Henry Williamson, Dr. Doris Williamson, Bishop Williamson’s wife of 47 years, and Juliette Waddell Pittman, special administrative assistant to Bishop Williamson. (Photos: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell) Central-Merry High School and, then, went on to Lane College.

Through the years, Randolph has struggled with two colossal challenges, homelessness and diabetes.

“What people don’t realize is that homelessness can happen to anyone, given the right circumstances,” Randolph said. “I’ve met a lot of people out there on the street.

“There was this doctor who was very prominent and wealthy. He misdiagnosed a lady’s pregnancy. He lost his job and everything he has. I see him now. This man says he has found more peace on the street than he ever had in his big home.”

Room In The Inn for Randolph opened just in time to help his road to recuperation after a recent amputation of his right leg just before the knee.

“In 2019, I was in Jackson, and I had my diabetes treated,” said Randolph. “There was some kind of a hairline-fracture that they didn’t see in Jackson. It was not discovered until I came to Memphis, and I ended up having to have part of my leg amputated.”

When Randolph woke up from his amputation, he said he felt jubilant because “the Lord

spoke to him.

“I felt light, bright, and jubilant because the Lord said, ‘I took your leg, but I spared your life.”

Collins Chapel CME Connectional Hospital was founded in the early 1900s by the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church.

It originally had maternity and surgical wards during a time when few medical facilities admitted or served African Americans.

Throughout the COVID pandemic, Room In The Inn has continued to provide shelter and meals in partnership with more than 50 congregations.

The CME First Episcopal District has more than 180 churches in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Williamson is also board chair of Collins Chapel Connection. Williamson has presided over the First Episcopal District for the past seven years.

(Tax-free donations to Room In The Inn can be made by calling the administrative office at: 901-467-2091.)

Soul food lovers can rejoice, now that The Four Way Soul Food Restaurant has partially reopened for business.

Last week’s surprise grant award of $40,000 on the “Today” show, not to mention the great response to getting vaccinated in Shelby County, portended the re-opening of dine-in services.

“We’re just happy to be getting back to business in some degree,” said Patrice Bates Thompson. “This pandemic has taken a toll on everyone. Families, businesses – everyone has had to make some changes and adjustments to survive.”

In the past few weeks, the eatery has been closed, even for take-out orders. Calls to the restaurant would simply roll over into the automated voice mail.

Not only has take-out service resumed, but limited dine-in hours are available Thursday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Diners who made Four Way their after-church lunch spot can once again enjoy a meal on the first, second and third Sundays of each month.

The grant was presented as a part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The initiative supports restaurants that are a part of the historic registry.

The funds are to be used for sprucing up and refurbishing the façade of the restaurant, which may include painting, scenic landscaping and clearing away accumulated trash and debris.

American Express funded the program through its “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” grant initiative.

For Thompson, the grant is a morale booster for the Four Way staff, who have had to make sacrifices over the past year as the restaurant, at times, shut down during the shelter-in-place orders and limited work opportunities while inside dining shut down for an extended period.

Before operations were completely halted, some take-out service was available.

A national audience watched as Thompson was given the welcome news about the grant.

She applied months prior to that time, along with other legendary establishments across the nation.

Thompson inherited the business from her parents, Willie Earl and Jo Ellen Bates, who bought the historic restaurant in 2002. Like her parents, Thompson has worked to not only maintain the iconic restaurant as an integral part of its community, but also to provide employment for workers who are just like her family.

“It always meant a lot to my parents that Four Way provided jobs and helped people provide for their families,” said Thompson. “We want to continue to do all we can to make sure people have a place to work. Maintaining employment for our staff is very satisfying and a big part of why I love doing what we do. And, of course, we love our customers who have been so loyal over the years.”

Clint and Irene Cleaves opened The Four Way in 1946 as a restaurant, pool hall and barbershop at its present location at Mississippi Blvd. and Walker Ave. Not only did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eat at The Four Way, he shot pool there as well.

Clint Cleaves was chauffeur to Mayor E. H. Crump when Cleaves opened for business 75 years ago. Because of Crump’s influence, The Four Way enjoyed almost immediate success and a well-known reputation for the best food in town. Much was also made of the stellar serving staff.

Out of an abundance of caution, seating for dine-in service will be limited as social distancing measures are observed.

The New Tri-State Defender

May 6 - 12, 2021

Page 7

COMMUNITY

Women empowerment brunch reflects ‘I am here for you’ view Zenobia “Queen” Jackson

Special to The New Tri-State Defender The Sundresses, Sunhats and Sunflowers Women Empowerment Brunch was held at the home of Victor and Sheri Neely last Sunday (May 2).

The catered event was attended by 20 successful women, who are community and nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals who work in or service Greater Memphis.

Overcomers one and all, they endured the pandemic caused by COVID-19, which is why the Empowerment Brunch was so timely.

The attendees enjoyed Chef Jeff’s catered food, networked, shared words of encouragement and left feeling inspired and motivated.

Brunch host Sheri Neely was invited to the White House last year and attended the Black Entrepreneurship Summit after being identified as a “game changer in entrepreneurship.” She recently started a nonprofit, the Brinson Neely Foundation, that includes programming to empower female entrepreneurs of all ages.

Neely is the CEO of the award-winning Neely Agency, a public relations, marketing, advertising and casting agency, which specializes in developing strategies, messaging and campaigns for underserved populations.

“Although this brunch was centered around my birthday, the ladies didn’t know the goal of the brunch was for them,” Neely said. “We have all been through so much as business owners and professionals during the last year, we needed this time together to encourage and motivate each other. I was so inspired by the out-

Sheri Neely

The Sundresses, Sunhats and Sunflowers Women Empowerment Brunch was an occasion where women could be that uplifting voice, that shoulder to lean on, that hand to squeeze and give that smile that says, “I am here for you.”

(Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises) come of the brunch, I decided to make it an annual event.”

Minority women control 44 percent of women-owned businesses in the United States, up from 20 percent in 1997, according to Census data and projections by research firm Womenable.

Minority women are starting up businesses at much a faster rate than their White counterparts.

While the number of White women-owned businesses grew 40 percent from 1997 to 2016, those owned by Black and Hispanic women showed much higher growth rates at 518 percent and 452 percent, respectively, according to the analyzed data.

However, the pandemic was responsible for more than 400,000 small businesses closing their

doors throughout the country, with minority, small-owned businesses hit the hardest. The Biden Administration has committed to helping alleviate some of the pandemic burden through the American Rescue Plan so that African-American woman-owned business owners such as those at the brunch can continue to recover and focus on thriving through the years to come.

Neely said the Sundresses, Sunhats and Sunflowers Women Empowerment Brunch provided a setting for many connections and deals and most importantly was an occasion where women could be that uplifting voice, that shoulder to lean on, that hand to squeeze and give that smile that says, “I am here for you.”

Zenobia “Queen” Jackson, an author, philanthropist and purposeful speaker, teacher and wellness coach, attended the empowerment brunch. The host of the QueenTruthSpoken podcast, Jackson is in the business of effectuating change in the lives of women through experiential learning.

“There are moments in life that transform the way we as women see ourselves, the way we see the sister sitting next to us and know that we are God’s chosen vessels to do amazing things for such a time as this,” Jackson said.

“May 2, 2021 was that day and moment when every woman in the room became one singular mighty voice and she said, ‘I am here, I am loved, I am healed, I

Selma Brinson am an overcomer, I will serve in love and grace and I am my sister’s keeper.’ Simply grateful to have been in the room,” said Jackson.

Also on hand was Selma Brinson, founder/CEO of Brinson Tax Service and an advocate of Black-owned businesses, having partnered with several family members to help them launch their businesses.

“If you think we are on top of the mountain, realize that we got up there on the rough side,” said Brinson, who supports varied nonprofit initiatives throughout the year.

The New Tri-State Defender

May 6 - 12, 2021

Page 8

CLASSIFIEDS NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce.

County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids. There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register: • Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to “Sign In” at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit If you have any questions about the registration process, contact ESM Solutions at (877) 969-7246.

If you have any questions about information contained in the bid documents, contact the Purchasing Department at (901) 222-2250 and ask to speak to the Buyer listed for the bid.

SEALED BID DUE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 AT 2:30 PM (CST) LAUNDRY INJECTION CHEMICALS FOR SHELBY COUNTY CORRECTION CENTER AND SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SB-I000658 (MC 622) By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR 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: Eric W. Martin Tax Parcel #: 04203400000280 Tax Sale #: 1503 Price Offered: $300 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 10:30 a.m. on June 1, 2021, 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: Eric W. Martin Tax Parcel #: 04203400000260 Tax Sale #: 1503 Price Offered: $300 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 June 1, 2021, 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: Frank Sea Tax Parcel #: 02606700000180 Tax Sale #: 1203 Price Offered: $500 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 June 1, 2021, 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: Lacretia Muse-Jones Tax Parcel #: 06901800000310 Tax Sale #: 1604 Price Offered: $700.11 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 1:00 p.m. on May 28, 2021, 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: Arnell Weeder Tax Parcel #: 07601400000100 Tax Sale #: 1604

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Price Offered: $600.44 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 10:30 a.m. on May 28, 2021, 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: S & L Realty Partners Tax Parcel #: 0934180B000240 Tax Sale #: 1604 Price Offered: $1,500 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 May 28, 2021, 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:

Thomasena Howard Tax Parcel #: 07522000000120 Tax Sale #: 1203 Price Offered: $800 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 May 28, 2021, 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: Zabrian M. Sherrod Tax Parcel #: 08400100000200 Tax Sale #: 1604 Price Offered: $800 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 2:30 p.m. on May 27, 2021, 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: Zabrian M. Sherrod Tax Parcel #: 08400100000190 Tax Sale #: 1301 Price Offered: $3,000 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 May 27, 2021, 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: Jimmy Reed (Blissful Properties) Tax Parcel #: 09000200001200 Tax Sale #: 1604 Price Offered: $26,000 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 1:30 p.m. on May 27, 2021, 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

The New Tri-State Defender

May 6 - 12, 2021

Page 9

NEWS Grandmother, grandson graduate together this Mother’s Day weekend

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

If heroine badges were to be handed out this Mother’s Day, two moms in one Memphis family would be among the honorees.

Rose Mary Johnson, proprietor of Higher Learning Enrichment Academy (HLEA), and her daughter, Rashana Johnson, have produced a gentleman and a scholar, Braylin Wilson.

Johnson and Johnson will be on hand to cheer Wilson as he graduates from the University of Memphis on Saturday (May 8) one day before Mother’s Day. Rose Mary Johnson is a fellow graduate who will join Wilson as he marches in the ceremony.

For the Johnson-Wilson family, this weekend will be a non-stop party. The graduation will be staged at the Liberty Bowl Stadium, where masking and social distancing will be enforced. The ceremony will be livestreamed for those playing it safe right now.

“Ms. Rose,” as she is called at her school, will receive a bachelors degree in Liberal Studies in Childcare, with an emphasis on Social Services.

“I want to use my degree to advance my preschool into public or private education,” said Rose Mary Johnson. “I want to continue providing an excellent curriculum for young children and expand the grade levels of our students.”

Wilson, 22, earned his bachelors degree in Psychology, with a minor in Healthcare and Society. He has been accepted into the graduate program for Psychology at the U of M. “I actually started my education at my grandmother’s preschool,” said Wilson. “I was one of the salutatorians when I graduated from the academy.”

Rose Mary Johnson has been in the childcare industry for 26 years, getting her start with a family home daycare that grew too large to continue in her home, which to the creating of the Higher Learning Enrichment

Ruthie Mae Worthy shown here with four of her children (l-r) Faye Ward, Joe Couch (deceased), Jean Trass and Mae Coleman. (Courtesy photo)

100

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Braylin Wilson and Rose Mary Johnson are grandson and grandmother. The pair will graduate together on Saturday, May 8, from the University of Memphis. (Courtesy photo)

“My mother kept Braylin at her daycare. This enabled me to be a fulltime college student.

I just don’t know how I would have made it without the love and support of my mom.”

— Rashana Johnson Academy.

The advanced academic curriculum for toddlers has made Ms. Rose’s school a popular choice in the Hickory Hill community.

The other heroine of this story is Rashana Johnson, Wilson’s mother.

“I was 17, a senior in high school, when I had Braylin,” said Rashana Johnson. “It was one of the scariest moments of my life. But my mother brought a sense of normalcy back to my life.”

Rose Mary Johnson insisted Rashana finish school. Rashana graduated from Ridgeway High School in 1999.

The young mother was motivated to excel in her higher education pursuit for her son.

“My mother kept Braylin at her daycare,” said Rashana. “This en-

abled me to be a full-time college student. I just don’t know how I would have made it without the love and support of my mom.”

Ms. Rose doesn’t see her role in helping raise her grandson as anything extraordinary. That’s just what grandmothers do, she said.

“Especially in our community, if another baby comes along for a teenage daughter, the grandmother steps in,” said Rose Mary Johnson. “Rashana had to finish high school and continue her education. There was just no argument about that. Today, she holds a masters degree in Education.

Braylin and I are very proud of her.

Rashana is a U of M alumnus.”

Rashana is an administrator at HLEA, and looks to help her mother take the school to new levels of academic offerings in higher grades beyond preschool.

For now, the double graduation this weekend is more than enough.

“I guess if you talk about wonderful mothers, my mom ranks right up there at the top,” said Rashana. “She helped me with my baby when I needed her the most. Mom and Braylin are best friends, partners in crime, all of that. Ms. Rose is the best mother, the best grandmother. And Braylin thinks it’s cool that she’s going to graduate with him.”

“While I was pregnant, I decided that despite all the sickness and sadness around me, I was not going to let anything stress me out, or make me angry.

I truly believe that a mother’s mood effects that child either positively or negatively, when she is pregnant. It all depends on her.”

— Kayce Christopher BABY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT In a study released by Guttmacher Institute, one in three women in the U.S. said they wanted to delay having a child or have decided to have fewer children because of COVID-19.

Nine months into the pandemic, many states reported a sharp decline in birth rates compared to prior years.

But for this young family, the joy of expecting a baby far outweighed any trepidation about the state of the world.

“Trey just kind of dropped in on us, and from the very first day, he has been a source of great enjoyment,” said Christopher. “He was not an accident or a mistake. Our baby was a nice surprise for our whole family.

Every day, he is our good news, in the midst of so much bad news.”

Christopher said she was oblivious to the fact that she was pregnant for the first two months.

“There were some changes I noticed in my body,” said Christopher.

“So, I went and got a pregnancy test, and I took it. When it came back positive, I woke Cleveland up from his nap. He’s a truck driver, and he was asleep. But I had to tell somebody.

After I showed him the pregnancy test, he said, ‘I don’t know what I’m looking at.’ And I said, ‘I’m pregnant.’”

Dorse was overjoyed about the pregnancy after being with Christopher for three years. He had only one question for the expectant mom: “So, do we want to get married first, or go ahead and buy a house?”

Christopher felt there would be time enough for both prospects when the pandemic ends, so they delayed both.

Trey laughs and screams all day because he is “such a happy baby,” Christopher said. “Mom” attributes the baby’s pleasant demeanor to the way she handled her pregnancy.

“While I was pregnant, I decided that despite all the sickness and sadness around me, I was not going to let anything stress me out, or make me angry,” Christopher said. “I truly believe that a mother’s mood effects that child either positively or negatively, when she is pregnant. It all depends on her. We are happy, and Trey is happy. I think babies pick up on the spirit of a home.”

Christopher works as an administrative assistant at the Center for Health and Justice Involved Youth on the University of Tennessee Health

The birth of their son, Cleveland Dorse III, was a 2020 positive for Kayce Christopher and Cleveland Dorse Jr. (Courtesy photo) Sciences campus.

In May, she starts her new job at the West Cancer Clinic as a scheduler.

‘I’m excited about the new job because it gets me closer to working in my field,” she said.

“I finished school last year, also in the pandemic,” Christopher said.

“My son was born in 2020, and I completed my degree in 2020. In spite of the pandemic, it was a pretty good year for our family.”

incorporated community in southeast Shelby County near Lamar and Shelby Drive.

As far as Mrs. Worthy can recall, according to her son, Donnie Couch, there were no stories passed down to her or her sister from their grandparents.

“We never heard any talk of Mother’s grandparents being slaves,” said Couch, executive director of Donnie Couch Counseling and Consulting in Memphis. “The only thing our mother ever talked about was that she remembered her family always working in cotton fields.”

In Mrs. Worthy’s time, it was a rural stretch of cotton fields own by the Caple family.

Mrs. Worthy, as a young lady, moved from “the country” into Memphis. Like many young women coming to Memphis from rural parts of Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, Mrs. Worthy cleaned the private homes of white families.

She married and had three children. Her husband died in an automobile accident. Mrs. Worthy married a second time and had three more children.

Both marriages were short-lived.

For most of her young life, Mrs. Worthy was a single mother with six children to raise.

“Mother would never accept any help from the government,” said Coleman. “We wished she would take the cheese. We said, ‘Madea, why can’t we just get the government cheese and peanut butter?’ We would be so hungry. And Mother would say, ‘Won’t no government cheese or peanut butter ever come in this house. I’m working to take care of my children.’”

The family grew up in the Castalia area of South Memphis, near Magnolia Elementary School.

When Mrs. Worthy was hired at the old John Gaston Hospital as a housekeeper, she still didn’t make enough money to sustain her household, but they were never “turned outdoors.”

“Sometimes we didn’t have lights, and sometimes we were hungry and didn’t have food, but Madea would say, ‘You’ll always have a roof over your head. We’ll never be turned outdoors.’”

All those years working at the hospital, Mrs. Worthy would ride two buses to get to work. She was never late and she never called in — except this one day when she wasn’t at the bus stop and she missed her bus.

“All those years, Madea would wear her dress and heels to ride the bus,” said Coleman. “When she got to work, she would change into her clean and starched uniform. Then, when she got off from work, she would change back into her dress and heels.”

People would line up to look out the window to see Mrs. Worthy leave the hospital. She was what people called “a real lady.”

According to Coleman, Mrs. Worthy took such pride in her dress

“Madea would always say she hated how hard her grandmother had to work. And she hated how the young, white children would address black elders by their first name. Mother promised herself that no one would ever treat her like that. She would tell anyone, ‘My name is Mrs. Worthy.’”

— Mae Coleman and carriage because growing up, she hated how hard her grandmother had to work in the fields and how whites treated African Americans in Capleville.

“Madea would always say she hated how hard her grandmother had to work,” said Coleman. “And she hated how the young, white children would address black elders by their first name. Mother promised herself that no one would ever treat her like that. She would tell anyone, ‘My name is Mrs. Worthy.’”

“My mother took pride in her work,” said Coleman. “You don’t see that kind of dedication any more.

Oh, about that time she missed the bus? After that day, the head man at Memphis Transit Authority told those drivers not to ever leave without picking up Mrs. Worthy. He told those bus drivers, ‘If she is not at the bus stop, go and knock on the door. Something must be wrong.’”

John Gaston was demolished to make way for The MED, Regional One Medical Center. Mrs. Worthy retired from the hospital after 35 years. She suffered her first stroke, so there would be no retirement celebration for her then.

But The Med administration made sure Mrs. Worthy was celebrated a few years back in a banquet event. She had suffered a second stroke and could not attend, but her children and some other relatives were there.

The past ten years have been a wonderful time of reacquaintance and reconciliation for Mrs. Worthy and her son, Couch. It has been a heart-warming love affair between the two.

“I left home when I was 14,” Couch said. “I used to tell my mother not to worry about me. I’ll take care of myself.”

Today, Couch, a successful psychotherapist, bathes and dresses his mother every morning and brings her into the office with him.

“My mother has never cared about anything more in this world than her children,” said Couch. “So, after my mother suffered a second stroke, she came to live with me. I couldn’t do anything less, all those sacrifices Mother made for us. It’s been 10 years now, and we are closer than we have ever been, even with the dementia.”

Mrs. Worthy is just one of so many mothers worth lauding on Mother’s Day.

The New Tri-State Defender

May 6 - 12, 2021

Page 10

SPORTS

Reeling Grizzlies seek to right ship on the road

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

With a head coach’s eye, Taylor Jenkins sees the Memphis Grizzlies showing signs of getting better amid losses in four of their last five games, including a Monday night loss (133-129) to the New York Knicks Terry after surrendering a Davis double-digit lead in the second half.

Over the next five days, the Grizzlies’ next three games are on the road, beginning with a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night followed by a stop in Detroit and a game against the Toronto Raptors.

Memphis has fallen to the ninth slot in the Western Conference a half game behind the Golden State Warriors. Teams six through 10 compete in play-in games for the playoffs.

“I think we’ve just got to find ways to get better. I know we haven’t gotten the results in the last couple of games, but the spirit of our group is great,” Jenkins said after the meltdown against the Knicks. “They keep putting in the work, and we know we’ve got a grueling schedule ahead of us. So we’ve just got to continue to embrace this opportunity.

“This is great for this group to go through this. It’s not easy this time of year,” said Jenkins. “The guys are starting to understand that and embrace that and appreciate that a little more. I thought tonight was reflective of where we’re getting better, and hopefully we get better results moving forward.”

The game against the Knicks followed a loss to the Orlando Magic and was particularly disappointing considering Memphis

Memphis’ Dillon Brooks and New York’s Taj Gibson battle for the loose ball. (Photo: Warren Roseborough) led by 20 points in the second half and lost on a three-pointer at the buzzer by rookie Cole Anthony. When it was over, Jenkins and star guard Ja Morant had been ejected in a sequence that also included a technical foul on Dillon Brooks.

“I would say tensions were flying,” Brooks said. “We felt like we never got calls or whatever the case may be, but we still have to fight through it. We did the wrong things. They out-rebounded us, they played harder, they got into us and played physical.

“We have to react, but not retaliate,” said Brooks. “We have to react, take that punch and punch back. That’s a good group of guys (the Knicks) over there. They are coached really well. It’s just tensions flying.”

Julius Randle led the Knicks with 28 points. Former University of Memphis star Derrick Rose finished with 25 points in just his second game in Memphis since leaving for the NBA, where he earned MVP and All-Star status before injuries.

The Knicks dominated inside, scoring 54 points while limiting the Grizzlies to 34 points in the paint. New York (37-28) has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning 12 of the last 13 games.

The Grizzlies made a late charge, cutting a double-digit deficit down to five points (101-96) with 5:28 left in the game. Effort notwithstanding, they only scored two points in the next three minutes. Morant’s drives to the basket produced no points and, to his mounting fury, no foul calls.

Then came the ejections.

Desmond Bane had his best career scoring game as a member of the Grizzlies. He scored 22 points and connected on four of three-pointers. Brooks led Memphis with 25 points, including five shots from deep.

Morant finished the game with 8 points.

Jenkins called Bane’s performance huge.

“I always talk about how much work he puts in. Tonight was one of his best games of the season. Obviously, knocked down a lot of shots, but I thought he was just confident with the ball in his hand, making the right plays, came up with some loose balls, some rebounds. I thought he had a pretty good defensive effort on the ball.”

(Note: Memphis beat Minnesota 139135 Wednesday night.)

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