Get TSD news, online anytime at TSDMemphis.com
June 3 - 9, 2021
VOL. 70, No. 22
www.tsdmemphis.com
$1.00
Revved up, ready to roll …
Workers begin the process of removing the remains of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife from Health Sciences Park. (Photo: Facebook)
On-site pushback surfaces as removal begins of Confederate general’s remains An upset of the No.1 seeded Utah Jazz was an uphill battle from the jump for the No. 8 seeded Grizzlies. And while a game 1 victory buoyed hopes, Memphis entered game 5 in Salt Lake City staring elimination in the face. During the pre-tipoff huddle for game three at FedExForum, the Grizzlies revved up to bring the fight they’ve shown in each game. (Photo: Warren Roseborough). (See story, related photos on Sports, Page 9.)
African American Music Appreciation Month
It’s time to give the drummer some by Phyllis Dixon
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Memphis has a rich musical heritage, with local icons such as Rufus Thomas, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. Jones, Stax and Hi Records known worldwide. Drummer Howard Grimes is probably not on that list, but should be. “Timekeeper - My Life in Rhythm,” is his story. It is a gritty, unapologetic tale that doesn’t hold back – like Memphis, the city he was born and raised in. The city where he reached professional heights, which included playing drums on million-selling records, performing at Carnegie Hall and on “American Bandstand.” And, the city where he was homeless, living in his car. But also, like Memphis, it is a story of faith, perseverance and redemption. Howard Grimes was born in 1941. He is the oldest of nine children and recalls growing up in a close-knit North Memphis neighborhood that is now Interstate 40-240. He attended Manassas High School, where he and Isaac Hayes were in the same homeroom and marching band. He began playing in clubs in the 1950s while barely a teen, and his Beale Street descriptions transport the reader back in time. He was at Stax, before it was Stax, playing on Carla Thomas’ first hit on Satellite Records, as it was known then, and Stax hits by Sam and Dave, William Bell and Booker T and the MGs.
On Entertainment, Page 7: ‘From Memphis to the World’ He became part of the band at Hi Records, collaborating with producer Willie Mitchell and playing on almost all of Al Green’s hits. His playing and professionalism were highly regarded in the industry, and he played with artists not usually associated with Memphis, such as Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye and Cyndi Lauper. In 1967, while touring with poprock band, Paul Revere and the Raiders, a sold-out show in Montgomery, Alabama was almost cancelled when the coliseum owner refused to let a “n----r” on stage. The rest of the group (Grimes was the only Black band member) refused
SEE MUSIC ON PAGE 2
Call for ‘Personal responsibility’ is working for County residents by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
As vaccination numbers climb, new daily cases of COVID-19 are falling, according to Shelby County Health Department statistics. A total of 662,594 vaccines have been administered; 359,635 people have now been fully vaccinated. Full vaccinations consist of two vaccine shots taken weeks apart. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines continue to be in abundant supply in Shelby County. When vaccines were highest in demand, thousands were being administered across Shelby County in a day. Now, the average number of vaccines currently given daily is 1,132. The rolling average for new cases of COVID-19 is 59.
Wednesday’s new case number was 22 – the lowest number of reported daily cases this year – bringing the total number of cases in Shelby County to 98,779. Two deaths were reported, bringing the death toll from the virus to 1,677. There were 38 new cases reported Tuesday; 42 Monday and 48 Sunday. “The county’s COVID-19 outlook is very good,” said Dr. Bruce Randolph, medical officer for the Health Department. “There was a bit of fear that dropping the mandate for masking would lead to a spike in new cases and hospitalizations. But I am happy to say that did not happen. Of course, we are watching the aftermath of this past Memorial Day weekend,”
SEE COVID ON PAGE 2
by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Three-plus years after an equestrian monument to Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest was removed from Health Sciences Park in the Medical District, work has begun to relocate the remains of Forrest and his wife. The relocation work began Tuesday and – like the removal of the statue – it flamed a pushback. As Tami Sawyer, who led the community charge for removing Forrest’s statue, spoke with reporters on the site Tuesday, a lone protester – a volunteer on the excavation crew – threatened the now-Shelby County Commissioner and hurled expletives her way. Sawyer, who became synonymous with the 2017 “Take ‘Em Down 901” effort to have multiple Confederate-era statues removed, continued speaking as the man shouted out lyrics to “Dixie,” the de facto anthem of the Confederacy. “We are not post-racial America,” said Sawyer. “We are not post-racial Memphis. This hatred and this racism is large and loud.” Later on social media, Sawyer posted about the effect the confrontation had on her. “Hard day,” she wrote. “I won’t lie and say I feel great, but stronger women than me survived this racist game, and so can I.” Forrest’s equestrian statue, which stood over the grave of the Confederate general and his wife, and the monument of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president, were taken down under the cover of night on Dec. 20, 2017. The former Ku Klux Klan leader and his wife will be reburied at the National Confederate Museum at Elm Springs, where the statue also has been relocated. The site is in Columbia, Tennessee. The remains of Forrest, who was also an ardent slave trader, had been entombed in the park for more than a
SEE REMAINS ON PAGE 2