The New Tri-State Defender - June 24-30, 2021

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June 24 - 30, 2021

VOL. 70, No. 25

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One penny gone; County Commission reverses course on tax rate hike

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Shelby County property owners potentially have escaped a property tax hike after county commissioners Monday (July 21) reversed a onecent hike that had been approved on June 7.

The certified tax rate for the fiscal year that starts July 1 and ends June 30, 2022 will remain at $3.45 per $100 assessed value.

If nothing changes, the commission’s action and the Memphis City Council’s decision June 15 not to raise the city’s property tax is good news for homeowners.

State law mandates that the rate be set by July 1 or soon thereafter, if practical.

Nevertheless, the county’s tax issue isn’t quite settled. There is possible wiggle room in the language that leaves the door open to a possible increase.

The “wiggle room” involves different interpretations on when the budget has to be finally approved.

The state would have a problem with the commission reopening its budget deliberations after the start of the new fiscal year, Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower said.

Commissioner Van Turner Jr., a lawyer, interpreted deadline for final approval as being any time before the first Monday in October.Turner was

Marilyn Burose Wilkins served as business manager for the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association (previously the Memphis Education Association) for 40 years. Recognized for her “indelible service” in October 2020, she died this past February. (Photo via MSCEA)

Heartache of a dark winter: How COVID killed my sister Apostle Tony Wade (left) of Divine Life Church was appointed chaplain of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners for the 2020-21 term. Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner Jr. greets him ahead of presenting a plaque. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises) the only “no” vote on passing the tax rate.

Turner said he would begin the process of moving through three new readings of the $3.46 tax rate with the one-cent increase at the next

commission meeting July 26. He expects three commissioners, who were absent Monday and who had earlier voted for the penny increase, to be present.

Reappraisal resulted in property

values rising some 20 percent. The $3.45 rate is the amount the state determines that would produce the same amount of revenue for county government as the revenue collected with the current rate of $4.05.

Through May 31 of this year, Memphis had 98 reported murders, up 10% from the same time period last year.

Rolling out ‘901 WRAP’ as another crime-solving tool

by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

Violent crime in this city has gone berserk” and our streets are “like rivers of blood,” the Rev. Bill Adkins said matter-of-factly while amplifying the need for the new 901 Witness Relocation Assistance Program detailed on Monday.

“You know it and I know it,” added Adkins, pastor of Greater Imani Church, The Cathedral of Faith.

“This is just one initiative joining other initiatives.”

Introduced as “901 WRAP” and to be funded by “the citizenry of Memphis,” the aim is to “move witnesses from their present communities to safer areas, far away from the threats and intimidation they would face in their present community,” Adkins said, flanked by public officials at a news conference.

Greater Imani Church jumpstarted donations with a $10,000 check.

“We need contributions from concerned citizens, other churches, businesses and corporations,” said Adkins, who held an early April press conference decrying “record number of murders, homicides, aggravated assaults, interstate shootings and innocent bystander killings.”

“We can strike a blow against violent crime in Memphis by way of this (901 WRAP) initiative,” the Rev. Bill Adkins said. “There are citizens that are willing to testify in court. We want to help them.

Your financial contributions are needed to keep this program viable.” (Courtesy photo) The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission will receive earmarked contributions, with checks to be made payable to: Memphis Crime Commission RE: 901 WRAP 600 Jefferson Ave. #400 Memphis, TN 38105 Earlier this month, Bill Gibbons, who heads the crime commission and

The best Civil Rights story ever told.

took part in the 901 WRAP unveiling, used an op-ed opportunity to put the spike in local gun crime in this numerical context: “Through May 31 of this year, Memphis had 98 reported murders, up 10% from the same time period last year. The Memphis Police Department indicates that 91% of those murders were committed with guns.

“Nine of the murder victims so far this year were children. Of the 98 victims, approximately 90 percent were Black, 5 percent white, and 5 percent other.”

The move to 901 WRAP would, seemingly, bring additional linkage between the Shelby County Attorney

SEE WRAP ON PAGE 2

Celebrating Thirty Years civilrightsmuseum.org

by Renee Burose-Squires

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

I was prepared for COVID-19.

Sometimes I think I was overprepared and knew too much about coronavirus.

I watched the news incessantly (perhaps it was the former broadcast journalist and news junkie in me).

I paid close attention to the US and Renee BuroseSquires world death toll displayed on television network news graphics.

I listened to the experts, followed CDC guidelines, tracked the data and watched press conferences day in and day out.

I took note of the fact that black and brown people were at a higher risk of contracting the virus.

I even prepared for COVID to take the life of someone close to me.

But I was wrong, I was not prepared for the news that was delivered to me on Feb. 4, 2021, that my very own sibling would fall victim to this horrible disease.

My big sister’s death was sudden, and it took everyone in my orbit by surprise.

“A dark winter” Those three words continue to reverberate in my mind.

I’m not sure who first uttered that warning about what was to come as the infection rate and death toll spiked. I just know, for some reason, I steeled myself. Be-

SEE COVID ON PAGE 2

The New Tri-State Defender

June 24 - 30, 2021

Page 2

NEWS COVID

WRAP

fore the start of the school year, I had read stories about fellow educators rushing to prepare their wills. This is getting serious, I thought to myself. Well, as it turns out I remembered that I already had a will drawn up pre-pandemic. It just needed witness signatures. So, in November of 2020, a fellow teacher and her adult son agreed to be my witnesses. That was that; my affairs were in order.

On Christmas day, about 9 months into the pandemic, I reached out to most of my immediate family members and invited them to a Zoom conference. It was short notice, so I didn’t expect many of them to log in, but to my surprise the familiar faces popped up one by one in the screen of my smart phone. The majority of them, including my sister, Marilyn, lived in Memphis, eight hundred miles away from our winter break getaway in North Carolina. Marilyn, 62, is 4 years older than I am, and I could always count on her to be the first to say, “count me in”. She was one of the first to check in. We wished each other a Merry Christmas and caught up on the latest family news.

Before logging off, we said our goodbyes and I remember my mother told everyone she loved us. I know it sounds rather depressing, but I had a sinking feeling that this would be the last time I would see one of my family members.

A month later, in the brandnew year, I looked forward to another virtual gathering: my daughter’s baby shower.

As the grandmom-to-be and host of the Zoom event, I remember choosing January 24 as the day to hold the shower because it would be exactly 2 months from her due date of March 24. January 24 was also the day I learned Marilyn had tested positive for COVID-19.

She told me the news in a matter-of-fact manner; she was a little more than half-way into a 14-day quarantine. As far as relatives and friends could tell, Marilyn was symptom free. During the shower, she appeared to be in good spirits-laughing and participating in games. When it was time to end the shower, she asked to stay in the conference a little longer, and I happily obliged.

Her daughter Chante stuck around as well. It had been Christmas since we all got together and caught up, and I sensed that Marilyn was restless and lonely and craved some company.

In the back of my mind, I knew that a person could be asymptomatic and easily pass along the virus. An asymp-

General’s Office, the Memphis Crime Commission, Memphis Police Department (MPD), the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee High Patrol and other “involved citizens.”

Adkins said a conversation with MPD Lt. Thurman Richardson keyed him to the “major problem” of a “lack of witnesses willing to testify in court … . Threats and intimidation are constant in some of our neighborhoods by the very people who commit the crimes.”

Richardson told him of a California program that offers witness relocation.

How many cases go unsolved because of uncooperative witnesses?

“It’s hard to measure a negative,” said Shelby County District Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich, noting that the problem is an everyday issue at her office.

“We don’t know what we don’t know. … I would think that a large percentage of our unsolved homicides would fall into that mix of somebody knows something, somebody saw something and they are either unwilling or unable to pick up that phone and share that information.”

Roughly 40 percent of the homicides in Memphis this year are currently unsolved.

“The question becomes what percentage of those are unsolved because of fear from a witness,” said MPD Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe, adding that the percentage is “unmeasurable” at this point.

New Memphis Police Chief

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

The auditorium in the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association building at 126 Flicker St. was named in recognition of Marilyn Burose Wilkins’ dedicated service. (Courtesy photo)

Marilyn Burose Wilkins tomatic person could also die of the virus, but as much as I read up on coronavirus, those cases did not stick out to me.

After all, some of my closest friends contracted the virus, became very sick and developed complications, but they survived. Marilyn was living with COVID-19, but you wouldn’t know from talking to her.

Six days after the baby shower, Marilyn called me and said the 14-day quarantine was over and she couldn’t wait to leave the house. Alas, her doctor said not so fast. Another test is warranted. I was not surprised to hear this, as it was part of the protocol. The next day, the results come back positive. It left me puzzled, but I now question why I wasn’t more alarmed. At the time, Marilyn seemed to handle the news pretty well, texting “2pm CST -Test came back positive, another week of isolation.” As I re-read her message, I sensed that my response, while encouraging, was a bit trite, “Oh wow, sorry about that. Hang in there.” An hour later, we were on the phone, Marilyn sounded like her usual self. That was Sunday, January 31. It would be the last time I spoke to her.

Four days later, she was found deceased in her home.

Officially, the cause of death was complications from COVID-19. According to Chante, Marilyn had complained of pain in her leg, and it’s believed she developed a blood clot. When I got the news, I bawled my eyes out, I wailed, I was in disbelief. I cried out that this can’t be, because I had just talked to her a few days ago. My emotions were raw: I yelled and cursed

anyone whom I felt had downplayed the seriousness of this disease and refused to wear masks or keep their distance, going as far as to blame them for her death.

Anxiety grew as the date of the funeral drew close. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I got my wish, if only temporarily. The funeral was postponed for a week because of an ice storm in Memphis. It didn’t take long to thaw, and we eventually celebrated Marilyn’s life on February 24. The program was titled “Celebration of a Queen”, and the service was fit for a queen, right down to the royal color of her casket. Everyone dressed in purple or displayed a dash of purple in their attire, as this was Marilyn’s favorite color. The funeral procession followed a horse drawn carriage bearing her casket to the gravesite where she was laid to rest not far from my dad’s and two siblings’ gravesites.

Since my sister’s death, I’ve continued to keep up with the news, but not like before. I’m occasionally drawn to the national news infection rate and death toll graphic but can hardly bring myself to look at the number. With the announcement of those so-called “grim” milestones, I started to realize that my sister is now a statistic. She is one of the 600,000 plus Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19.

In late March, we marked what would have been Marilyn’s 63rd birthday. Three months later, she was honored by the Memphis and Shelby County Education Association for 40 years of service. An auditorium was dedicated in her name.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the conversations my sister and I had earlier in the year about the COVID-19 vaccine. I received my first dose of Pfizer in late January and am now fully vaccinated. Marilyn had sounded hopeful that she would be vaccinated.

Sadly, it was too late for her.

As much as I prided myself on preparing for the worst, I wish I had more time with my sister to hope for the best.

Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said MPD has “a great clearance rate” every year. However, even if 60 or 65 percent of the cases are cleared, she said, the other unsolved cases “could potentially be because someone was intimidated or there are other reasons; even injured sometimes by individuals that are still out and roaming about. …

“Our officers do a lot of work to try to solve cases,” Davis said. “This is a great opportunity for individuals to feel safe during the adjudication process. And, hopefully, it is a short-term relocation.

I think that is what the aim would be. That it would be short term in those immediate days and hours after an incident has occurred and they are in a safe place.”

Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. echoed the need for wide scale participation. “We’re calling on all Memphians, all business leaders. Please, be a part of this. Help us to help make Memphis a safer community.”

Buddy Chapman, who directs Memphis Crime Stoppers, noted that he has maintained since his days as MPD director that, “Crime is not a police problem; crime is a community problem. And a community will only suffer from crime as much as it is willing to do so.”

Tipsters, who report crimes can now receive up to $2,000, a recent doubling of the $1,000 payout “in attempt to get more people to call,” Chapman said.

“I am somewhat concerned that our calls have dropped off over the last few months.

I think a part of that is the COVID issue; people aren’t out and they aren’t hearing.

But I would urge anyone who knows anything, anyone who sees anything, anyone who knows where someone is hiding, call 528-CASH.” Witness relocation already is done on a small-scale, as-needed, almost crisis basis, said Weirich. “We don’t have a pool of money set aside in the DA’s budget, the sheriff’s budget or the police director’s budget for this type of victims service. …

“But if the resources are there and depending upon the case and the seriousness of it, the level of threat, we will have to make those determinations in terms of length of relocation and the amount of assistance we are able to provide.”

Factoring for the typical number of cases handled in a year and instances in which the need for witness relocation has become an issue, Weirich said, “our best guess” is that “a couple of dozen times a year we would need to dip into this fund and take advantage of it for victims and witnesses.”

Adkins emphasized that 901 WRAP is envisioned as about more than relocating witnesses.

“We are going to give them a jumpstart in life,” he said, “from a community they are leaving to a better community to live; better schools, better neighborhoods. We are going to provide programs of assistance to help them get that better start; to make things uncomplicated in their life.

“We’re gonna help these people who are willing to help us. People who are willing to testify in our courts deserve our support and we want to support them on many levels.”

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 24 - 30, 2021

Page 3

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, June 24 - 30, 2021, Page 4

Juneteenth national holiday – long overdue, but right on time!

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

When I heard the news last Thursday that President Joe Biden had signed legislation making June 19th, Juneteenth, a national holiday I was shocked, but in a good way.

It caught me totally Curtis by surprise. I did not Weathers see it coming!

What was even more shocking was the overwhelming support in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U. S. Senate. The House voted 415-14 to send the bill to the president.

The Senate passed the bill June 15 under a unanimous consent agreement that expedites the process for considering legislation. It takes just one senator’s objection to block such agreements. No one did, however.

Amazing!

The end result, the United States Congress passed, and then President Joe Biden signed, a law enacting Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Miracles can still happen I suppose.

President Biden noted himself the overwhelming support for the bill from lawmakers in both parties.

I would have expected more Republicans to be adamantly opposed to such legislation, given the political environment we tend to operate in these days.

Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Montana), one of the few Republican lawmakers who opposed the effort, said creating the federal holiday was an effort to celebrate “identity politics.”

But what is Juneteenth and why is it so important?

Simply put, it was the day, June 19,1865, Major General Gordon Granger informed plantation owners in Galveston, Texas, that Abraham Lincoln had declared the last of enslaved Black people free under the terms of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States and has been an African-American tradition since the late 19th century.

So, the Congress of the United States has established June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day — a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States of America.

It is the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983.

Most states recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or have an official observance of the day, and most states hold celebrations.

Before this new legislation, Juneteenth was a paid holiday for state employees in only four states, Texas, New York, Virginia and Washington.

At a time when Black Americans continue to face systemic challenges, such as the racial wealth gap, police brutality, disproportionate incarceration and persistent health disparities, making Juneteenth a national holiday may seem like a small gesture.

Zelitra Peterson-Traylor – “an amazing self-taught artist” – showcased her creativity at the Juneteenth celebration hosted by LeMoyne-Owen College.

(Photo: Shirley Jackson)

Heartfelt exchanges accented the LOC Juneteenth celebration. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) But this is really a BIG DEAL folks... albeit long overdue!

Getting to this point took years of hard work and longstanding efforts by activists, several legislative attempts and, of course, the momentum generated by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Congress has, in various years, passed resolutions honoring Juneteenth, but it was not until last year that lawmakers considered making it a national holiday.

So, to all those people who have worked tirelessly over the years to make the Juneteenth national holiday a reality, CONGRATULATIONS! People like Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr. M.D., founder, and chairman of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) and Lula Briggs Galloway, who spent decades lobbying for national recognition of Juneteenth.

Both Dr. Myers and Galloway are deceased, but their legacy is now complete.

President Biden said that signing this legislation into law June 17 will go down as “one of the greatest honors” of his presidency.

“We have come far, and we have far to go, but today is a day of celebration,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, the nation’s first African-American and first female vice president.

The front lawn at LeMoyne-Owen College provided a Juneteenth showcase for budding talent. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) After hearing about the bill, I could not help but think about Nikole Hannah-Jones and her Critical Race Theory (CRT) journey with the 1619 Project.

CRT opponents I am sure are banging their heads against the proverbial wall after hearing the news that this legislation had passed with such overwhelming congres-

The LOC Juneteenth celebration was an empowering event. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) sional support.

Juneteenth celebrations will provide yet another platform to engage the American people in dialogue about race relations in this country.

Critical Race Theory discussions will surely be at the forefront of those discussions.

I hope it encourages our schools and communities to find creative ways to teach and celebrate Juneteenth in dramatic and exciting ways.

I hope it ignites deep, probing discussions of all kinds, exploring various viewpoints, beliefs and perspectives.

I hope this newfound collaboration amongst our legislators on this topic will inspire them to do more to address the systemic racism that continues to wreak havoc in our society.

In a statement celebrating this momentous occasion, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts), one of the bill’s authors, said it best: “For far too long, the story of our country’s history has been incomplete as we have failed to acknowledge, address, and come to grips with our nation’s original sin of slavery.

“Today’s Senate passage of our legislation to commemorate Juneteenth as a federal holiday will address this long-ignored gap in our history, recognize the wrong that was done, acknowledge the pain and suffering of generations of slaves and their descendants, and finally celebrate their freedom,” Markey said.

While the Juneteenth National Independence Day federal holiday is long overdue, it is still right on time.

Good job United States Congress. Well done!

Footnote: The 14 House Republicans who voted against the bill are Andy Biggs of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Ronny Jackson of Texas, Doug LaMalfa of California, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom McClintock of California, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Mike Rogers of Alabama, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Chip Roy of Texas and Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin.

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

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 24 - 30, 2021

Page 5

RELIGION

The Rev. Willie Ward Jr. (left): “There should be an urgency in all of us to train our children and grandchildren to take over the church.” (Right): A Children’s Day speaker sets the tone during the youth-oriented service (June 13) at Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. Church in Orange Mound. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Training Christian youth now to solve church’s ‘graying’ problem

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Churches of every denomination in cities all over the country are seeing a distressing decline of membership numbers.

An Orange Mound pastor said there is a solution to that challenge.

“What we are seeing is the graying of the church,” said Pastor Willie Ward Jr. of Mt. Pisgah CME Church.

Ward continued, “What churches are experiencing is the loss of our young people. We have them when they are young, up to the age of 18, when their parents bring them, but we’re losing them when they go off to college. They are not returning to church.”

Ward said the mass exodus of young people may take 10, 15 or

20 years to resolve, but the CME Church is planning one important solution: Begin a strong focus on child evangelism with children between the ages of 3-5 years old.

“Presiding Bishop Henry Williamson is partnering with an international childhood evangelism program,” said Ward. “Along with the program for younger children is a teen training program for children 11-13, who will be taught to share with their peers about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Ward said the partnership will help stem the tide of children leaving the church as soon as they can make their own decision about whether or not to continue going to church.

“Evangelizing children as early as possible could lead to

a lifetime commitment to Jesus Christ,” said Ward. “Not just for the CME Church, but in every denomination. There should be an urgency in all of us to train our children and grandchildren to take over the church. They will be the new leadership of the church.

We are getting older, and we are moving off the scene.”

Ward said that all Christians “are called,” and must serve do everything possible to share Christ with a “dying world.”

“When I go to the grocery store, I hand out cards,” said Ward. “On the front of the card, it reads: ‘Where meeting the needs of people is more important than the church meeting.’ More important with coming to join Mt. Pisgah or any other church should be meeting the needs of people. That’s the

purpose of the church.”

Ward said the only way a church can be effective in its surrounding community is to pursue holistic ministry, or ministry that not only addresses the spiritual needs of a person, but also answers physical and material needs.

“Our church is involved with a number of social services organizations,” said Ward. “One of them is Manhood University, where men who have been formerly incarcerated can receive assistance in finding a job and getting resettled on the outside.

If I am preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and people are still unemployed, uneducated, hungry, or homeless, then I am not doing my job.”

Ward has been pastor of Mt. Pisgah CME Church for almost

14 years. July will mark his 14th anniversary.

Prior to serving at Mt. Pisgah, Ward was pastor for 10 months at Mt. Hebrew CME Church in Piperton, Tennessee, just east of Collierville.

Following that assignment, he was pastor of Washington Chapel CME Church in Memphis for 10 years. Mt. Pisgah is only his third assignment.

“Before I was a pastor, my wife and I sold real estate,” said Ward. “I was 44 years old when I accepted a call to preach. It is up to us to do all we can to make sure the church goes on long after we are gone.

“A man must understand that if he makes the decision to live without the Lord in this life, he makes the decision to live without the Lord in the next.”

Leon Gray Jr. – ‘I pray I honor my father’s footsteps’

by TSD Newsroom On an enlarged photo of Leon Gray Jr. – outside of the sanctuary where his homegoing was held – was a snippet of words so in keeping with the observance of Father’s Day. The words were those of Gray himself, who died June 11 at Methodist Hospital in Germantown. He was 62.

His life and legacy were celebrated last Friday (June 18) at New Sardis Baptist Church, where he long had been a member.

The son of Minnie Bond-Gray and Leon Gray Sr., Gray, who was born

on Feb. 22, 1959, was remembered as a man of “many” words and whose voice was heard wherever he worked.

That included as special assistant to Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael, legislative assistant for the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, work in television and radio broadcast media and emceeing community events.

Here are the words Gray once uttered and that were shared on his commemoration program: “There was a lot of making that contributed to who I am today; but the most influential person in my life

Leon Gray Jr., who is shown here as the infant son of Leon Gray Sr., embraced his father as “... the most influential person in my life.” has been my Dad. I often tell myself if I can manage to become half the man Leon Gray Senior was – I will have accomplished a lot. My Dad was a provider and a role model that was willing to teach me everything he knew patiently and with kindness. He was tough on me at times;

The family of Leon Gray Jr. during the service celebrating his life and legacy. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley) but never left any doubt in my mind about his love for me and his family.

As I’m raising my sons I often recall things my Dad did while nurturing me from boy to man. I pray I honor my father’s footsteps.”

Gray leaves four sons: Leon Gray

III, Brian DuPoint-Gray, Joshua Nole Gray, and Jordan Nicholas Gray.

He also leaves to cherish memories Sherry J. Walker-Gray; a daughter, Nickesha Sanders; a sister, Amelia Mattix; a niece, Karmelia Mattix and a host of other relatives and friends.

The New Tri-State Defender, June 24 - 30, 2021, Page 6

Telisa Franklin, organizer of the Juneteenth Urban Music Festival, talks to the crowd as she introduces attorney Van Turner Jr., director/president of Memphis Greenspace and a Shelby County Commissioner (Photo: Shirley Jackson)

There were plenty of pleasantries to see, hear, feel, taste, touch and smell at the Juneteenth Urban Music Festival 2021 in Health Sciences Park. (Photo: Shirley Jackson)

Culture, fun served with a ‘family’-reunion flavor at Juneteenth Urban Music Festival

by Sydney Jones

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Families, friends and some who journeyed alone enjoyed Black musical artists and took a deeper look into African customs while enjoying some of the best food trucks the city has to offer at the first Juneteenth Urban Music Festival held in Health Sciences Park in the Medical District on Saturday (June 19).

A cordoned-off area around a plaza that is being deconstructed served as a reminder that the site of the festival previously was known as Nathan Bedford Forest Park. The plaza is where an equestrian statue of the former Confederate cavalry general, slave trader and Ku Klux Klan grand wizard once stood, and where Forrest and his wife, until recently, were buried.

Juneteenth was born as a celebration of Black Union soldiers delivering news (June 19, 1865) in Galveston, Texas of the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved peo-

ple in the South and Southwest. Saturday’s celebration in Memphis followed President Joe Biden’s signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which two days earlier made Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Attendees young and old clearly were ready to celebrate the holiday, Black culture and have fun.

The festival featured live entertainment and a variety of vendors and food trucks, including fan-favorites such as Parker’s Water Ice and others that introduced and served crepes, rare herbs and spices, and much more.

One of the most exciting parts of the Urban Music Festival was seeing the youth, who made ample use of a kids zone, also take notable interest in learning about African traditions and customs. They were able to explore that cultural aspect at different vendor stations, where vendors happily shared insight on African drums, statues, art and other artifacts on display.

“It’s really nice to be out

Minister Suhkara A. Yahweh (left), familiar to many as Lance Watson (“Sweet Willie Wine”) when co-founding The Invaders as the civil rights movement unfolded in Memphis; and James Deke Pope, second president of the Black Student Association at then-Memphis State University (University of Memphis), enter Health Sciences Park after attending a Juneteenth observance on the campus of LeMoyne-Owen College. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

The Outdoor Museum gave attendees an opportunity to reflect on major events in the sojourn of African people in America, including the murder of George Floyd. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) here celebrating this holiday with other people that look like you,” said one of the festival attendees.

Many of the festival’s attendees compared the community event to a family reunion.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” better known as the Black National Anthem, was sung with a unifying reverence.

“I’m paying tributes to Ms. Opal Lee from here since I can’t be in Fort Worth, where I’m from, by allowing people

to come make videos sending her a thank you message,” said attendee, Don Mooney.

Lee, 94 and known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” fought fiercely for the national holiday, once walking 1,400 miles and netting 1.6 million signatures on a petition delivered to President Barack Obama. Lee, who lives in Fort Worth, was in Washington, D.C. when President Biden signed the bill making Juneteenth a pub-

A vendor reaches for a buyer’s selection. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) lic holiday and talked with him afterwards.

In Memphis, as people strolled the Juneteenth Urban Music Festival, sat on the grass, enjoyed entertainment and stood in line for turkey legs, there were numerous expressions of gratitude for the opportunity to honor those

who struggled mightily for the freedom of Black people and the securing of their civil rights – an ongoing mission.

(Sydney Jones, who is on track as a May 2023 graduate of Clark Atlanta University, is a summer intern at The New Tri-State Defender.)

Juneteenth rings with pride, remembrance in Orange Mound

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

They came from all over Orange Mound to celebrate Juneteenth.

Saturday (, June 19) was a historic day of celebration commemorating the day emancipation came to 250,000 African-American people in Texas, more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on Jan. 1, 1863.

“This was a first in a community that is a historic landmark for being the first African-American community in America built on home ownership,” said state Rep. G.A. Hardaway (D-Memphis), the event’s primary organizer, referring to Orange Mound.

“We made it a community-driven event to promote both the economic and the educational aspects of Juneteenth.”

This year’s celebrations in Orange Mound and across the nation were sweetened by President Joe Biden signing a bill on June 17, declaring Juneteenth a national holiday.

The Juneteenth celebration in Orange Mound was put together with the youth in mind. (Courtesy photo) Hardaway, Shelby County Board of Education member Joyce Dorse-Coleman, and leading Orange Mound Community organizations hosted the all-day affair from at Orange Mound Park on Carnes Avenue.

The celebration this past weekend also marked other legislative victories for the holiday being officially

recognized.

State Sen. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville) and Hardaway were primary sponsors of a state bill that passed this year, marking Juneteenth as an annual day of special observance. It was signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in April. bill which passed in April.

“This year is extra special because of that legislation,” said Hardaway.

“We want our children to know, not only about Juneteenth, but also about the history of their community. Orange Mound was built by African Americans for African Americans.

The vestiges of that pride and identity are still with us today.”

LaTonia Blankenship, a community organizer who helped Hardaway pull the celebration together in three weeks, said Orange Mound businesses and residents came together to make it happen.

“We had food trucks and basketball,” said Blankenship. “There was a Children’s Corner for our young people between the ages of 4-12.

Three readers read books by African-American authors, and Melrose High School majorettes and flag girls danced.

“There were spoken word and poetry stage performances. There was a deejay to play music, vendors, and exhibitors. Every one of those businesses, including the food trucks, had

ties to Orange Mound.”

In other words, it was all Orange Mound, all day, putting on for their community, “Orange Mound, TN.” Children had fun with games and puzzles to teach them about Juneteenth and the Emancipation Proclamation. Many of them won food and other prizes.

“This is the first of many Orange Mound Juneteenth celebrations,” said Hardaway. “We must be responsible for teaching our children their history. Recognizing the greatness within will give them purpose and direction in their lives.”

Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas, and has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1866.

On June 19, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed and enforced the freedom of enslaved people in Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.”

Former slaves celebrated their freedom for the first time in 1866.

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, June 24 - 30, 2021, Page 7

Vernon Townsend is ‘father’ of Hamilton High drum majors

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The first drum major to lead the Hamilton High School band, Vernon Townsend was the “father” of a succession of high-stepping drum majors for the Wildcats of South Memphis.

In 1965, thin at 6’3” and decked out in his new drum major’s uniform (tall white hat and blue accents, white baton accented with blue tassels, Townsend stepped out onto the football field at Melrose Stadium, with legendary Hamilton High School Principal Harry T. Cash announcing the game from the press box.

The band broke out with a crowd favorite. Whatever it was, the halftime crowd was feeling it, said Townsend, ask to share a “Fathers” day look back by The New TriState Defender.

Stirred to their feet, some in the crowd danced while others clapped and sang.

The band moved into formation with some fancy but subdued dance steps as the high-stepping Townsend marched to the beat, leading and directing the band through practiced formations.

Suddenly, Townsend broke into a low, hip-thrusting dance modeled on performances he had seen by Black drum majors on the college level.

“I got our band director, Mr. Thomas Doggett, in so much trouble,” said Townsend. “Mr. Cash (the principle) didn’t play that. All the band’s routines were choreographed, and Mr. Cash got after Mr. Doggett for that dancing I did. I remember Mr. Doggett asking me, ‘What were you thinking?’”

A cherished memory the trailblazer has long held.

“I went to Magnolia School up through the eighth grade,” said Townsend. “When I got to Hamilton in the ninth, I heard the band practicing one day. At that time, the board of education provided the school with instruments. I really wanted to play drums. I went to the band director and asked if it was too late to join the band.

As a trailblazing drum major at Hamilton High School, Vernon Townsend (center) learned and developed strong, trustworthy leadership qualities and later focused on passing them along to his sons Vernon Townsend II (left) and Torrik Townsend. (Courtesy photo) He said they were full. All the instruments were taken.

“But my older sister had played the clarinet at Melrose. I just started playing the clarinet. It was just sitting in the attic collecting dust.”

He made the senior band in his sophomore year.

Drum majors were already in place at Booker T. Washington, Manassas and Douglass High Schools when band director Doggett announced that Hamilton would have its first drum major try-outs.

“For some reason, I could always march with a sense of rhythm, and I could kick high,” said Townsend. “Five of us tried out. I got all my friends together, and they were supposed to cheer for me. Well, it worked, and I was chosen.

“But, our uniforms were so old, and I

didn’t have a drum major’s uniform. So we stopped wearing uniforms and dressed in white shirts, black pants and white shoes.

I wore a tam on the side of my head and a blue ascot. That was junior year, my first full year as drum major.”

Senior year came with new uniforms and the first ever drum major’s uniform.

Townsend rocked with the best of Memphis’ drum majors, setting a high bar for the Wildcats that followed.

As he looked toward college, Townsend, like other African-American drum majors in high school, focused on Tennessee State University and Florida A&M University, both with renowned bands. One day, a guidance counselor gave him a pamphlet of Kentucky State College, now Kentucky State University.

“I was reading the pamphlet, and there

was one thing I read that let me know this was the school for me,” said Townsend.

“The pamphlet said there were 233 boys, and 500 girls on campus. I said, ‘Yep, that’s where I’m going.’”

Kentucky State’s band director was Ed Smith, a friend of Doggett’s.

“When I got there, Mr. Smith talked to me about being the next drum major. The drum major he had was a senior. I did become the next drum major, but I left after my second year. I came home and started making money. I just never went back.”

At Hamilton, Townsend became fond of a special girl, Gloria Rankins. He knew her whole family growing up in Castalia Baptist Church. She’d been his prom date.

Rankins had gone off to California to attend Los Angeles City College, where her oldest sister was living. She came home and reunited with Townsend.

“I asked her every month to marry me,” said Townsend. “She would say ‘no.’ I kept asking, and she kept saying ‘no.’ Then one month I asked her, and she said ‘yes.’ I was like the dog that chases a car. What do you do once you catch it?”

The two married in December 1968, and their first child was born in June 1970.

Townsend later became one of the first African-American route salesmen for Coca-Cola.

“Coca-Cola and Hart’s Bread had been criticized because they had no Black route salesmen,” said Townsend. “They hired five or six of us in that first round. I made $140 a week. That was great money.

“After that job, I just kept moving up and onward. I started working for a trucking company. I was always blessed to move up wherever I worked.

Still a member of Castalia Baptist Church, Townsend, 74, now is chairman of the deacon board. Today, he is retired and works one day a week at the Links of Pine Hills Golf Course.

“Somebody asked me why I’m always promoted everywhere I go, and I just say that I’m blessed,” Townsend said. “And it all started way back there in the marching band at Hamilton High School.”

COVID-19 UPDATE

By the numbers, Memphis still holding steady

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Double pleasure …

Hamilton High School staff and alumni association members joined with friends and family of James Q. Bacchus in a celebration of his retirement and his 69th birthday last Thursday (July 17).

After a three-year run at Hamilton, Bacchus is turning over the “key” to a new principal, Blanchard Diauva (left), who now is vice principal.

(Photos: Shirley Jackson)

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Memphis/Shelby County continue to remain low, but officials are being watchful for a possible rise in the number of the more contagious Delta variant cases, especially among the unvaccinated.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 26 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday (June 23), 14 Tuesday (June 22), 31 Monday (June 21) and 38 Sunday (June 20).

Six new COVID-related deaths were reported Monday, according to the Health Department.

“The average number of new cases per day continue to be less than 50 percent,” said Shelby County Health Department Medical Director Dr. Bruce Randolph. “The trajectory of the virus is still going in the right direction. Our active cases are decreasing, and the positivity rate of COVID-19 tests is less than 5 percent.”

Overall, 382,103 people have been fully vaccinated. The Health Department declared that Shelby County was more than 70 percent protected because of the combined number of individuals receiving the vaccination and the number of coronavirus survivors protected by the natural defense of antibodies in the blood.

COVID vaccinations average 1,144 per day, and the seven-day, rolling average of new COVID-19 cases is 40, according to Health Department statistics, “We are pleased with what the numbers are showing in Shelby County,” said Randolph.

“The remaining vaccination centers are wind-

ing down, and most will probably be closed by the end of June. However, those who have not been vaccinated may do so through pharmacies offering the vaccine, a private physician’s office, and at some point, through the Health Department.”

Meanwhile, four more cases of Delta variant have been confirmed in Shelby County for a total of 18, as of Tuesday afternoon.

Officials said the new cases are not connected to other cases here.

Regarding contagiousness, the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) is thought to be more than 50 percent more contagious than the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7.). Because of that, scientists have said it could produce large numbers of serious cases, especially among those who have not been vaccinated.

Vaccines approved in the U.S. are effective against Delta variant.

“We want to be sure that everyone continues to take personal responsibility for their own health,” said Randolph. “For those who have not been vaccinated, the level of risk and vulnerability continues to be much greater.”

Randolph continued, “Those individuals are encouraged to keep wearing a mask, observe social distancing in public and avoid indoor spaces that are poorly ventilated. But we are definitely encouraging everyone who has not done so to get the vaccine.”

Those who are 12 years of age and above may receive the vaccination. If anyone needs a ride to get to a vaccination center, call: 901743-RIDE901, or 743-3901.

Those who are homebound and need the vaccination may call: 901-222-SHOT, or 222-7468.

The New Tri-State Defender

June 24 - 30, 2021

Page 8

COMMUNITY

John P. Freeman teacher nets Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year TSD Newsroom Dr. Melissa Collins, a second grade science teacher at John P. Freeman Optional School, has been selected as a 2021 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award recipient.

Collins will receive a prize package valued at more than $30,000. It includes $25,000 to expand computer science and/ or robotics education and a $5,000 teacher cash award.

Selected from among thousands of eligible teachers, Collins learned of the honor when colleagues surprised her with an Amazon box filled with Amazon Future Engineer swag.

“The Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award gives me hope for a better future for my students through believing in them and understanding that others, like Amazon, care about our kids, too,” she said.

“Receiving this award meant the hard work and dedication that I have devoted to students paid off for them.”

SCS Supt. Dr. Joris M. Ray said the “HEART work exhibited by Dr. Collins never ceases to amaze. … The way she incorporates innovative teaching and learning practices into her classroom every day is awe-inspiring and we are grateful for her devotion to her students and school.”

John P. Freeman recently was awarded the prestigious Tennessee STEM School Designation for 2021. Plans call for using the prize to help supply and renovate two labs; an imagine lab, designed to spur imagination and innovation focusing on stem coding and robotics, bioengineering and health science as well as a computer science lab where students will have access to 3D imaging technology.

Collins has received national and local

“The Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award gives me hope for a better future for my students through believing in them and understanding that others, like Amazon, care about our kids, too.”

— Dr. Melissa Collins praise over the past several years, including being inducted into the 2020 National Teachers Hall of Fame, winning the Presidential Award, the West Tennessee Teacher of the Year, a 2018 Top 50 Global Teacher Prize and being nominated for a 2018-19 LifeChanger Award.

“It has been an especially difficult year for teachers, so we are excited to recognize their hard work and commitment to their students’ success,” said Victor Reinoso, global director, Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon in the Community.

“The Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award recipients work diligently to help students in underserved and underrepresented communities build life-changing skills to propel their futures in computer science. We celebrate their tireless efforts to increase access to technology and computer literacy in their classrooms and beyond.”

Collins is one of ten teachers across the country who received the Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award. Recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, including their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator and

Dr. Melissa Collins: “As a product of this school system, I know what it means to have hardworking teachers push students to do their very best day in and day out.” (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/TSD Archives) compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students. Scholarship America reviewed applicants and selected the award recipients.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the market for computer science professionals will grow 11 percent between 2019-29, much faster than the average for all occupations. As of May 2020, the median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $91,250, which is more than twice the median annual wage for all occupations.

Computer science is the fastest-growing profession within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field, but only 8 percent of STEM graduates earn a computer science degree, with a small percentage from underrepresented com-

munities. Students from underserved and underrepresented communities are 8 to 10 times more likely to pursue college degrees in computer science if they have taken AP computer science in high school.

Amazon Future Engineer is a childhood-to-career computer science education program intended to inspire and educate millions of students globally, including hundreds of thousands of students in the U.S. each year.

This year, Amazon has a goal to reach 1.6 million students from underrepresented communities globally through Amazon Future Engineer with real-world-inspired virtual and hands-on computer science project learning. The program is currently available in the U.S., UK, France, and Canada.

The New Tri-State Defender

June 24 - 30, 2021

Page 9

COMMUNITY

Ground-level progress …

A dedication and groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday (June 22) at 291 E. Pontotoc Ave., signaled the Church of God in Christ’s progress toward adding 20 homes to its Owens Place Townhomes development. Those on hand included Mayor Jim Strickland and new COGIC Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard. (Photo: Twitter)

Leaping into love …

Andrew (Drew) Bailey and his fiancé, Dr. Zaneta Ivy, intentionally chose Juneteenth for their wedding, infusing it with African-American traditions on the lawn of the Memphis Museum of Science and History (previously known as the Pink Palace Museum). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Senior salute …

The Westwood High School Class of 2021 was center stage during a senior salute at the school at 4480 Westmont Rd. on June 9. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

GETTING IT RIGHT In last week’s print edition, Johnnie Mosley, a librarian at the North Branch Library, was identified incorrectly in an article under the headline “As COVID restrictions come down, Memphians are happy to get out” and particularly in reference to this comment: “Since the pandemic hit, we have only been able to sponsor virtual events online to keep everyone safe. …

We missed our community, and they seem to have missed us just as much.

Everyone was just happy to get out after being shut in for a year.”

Johnnie Mosley

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.

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The New Tri-State Defender

June 24 - 30, 2021

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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: Sharonda Warren Tax Parcel #: 07209800000400 Tax Sale #: 1602 Price Offered: $600 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 July 22, 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: Ciera Gray Tax Parcel #: 07500500000130 Tax Sale #: 1202 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 1:30 p.m. on July 22, 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

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an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Evertt Doty Tax Parcel #: 04004200002160 Tax Sale #: 1502 Price Offered: $5,000 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 10:30 a.m. on July 22, 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: Lee Joyce Lee Tax Parcel #: 02100300000270 Tax Sale #: 1701 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 10:00 a.m. on July 22, 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: Lanora Owens Tax Parcel #: 09007600000840 Tax Sale #: 803 Price Offered: $4,000 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 9:30 a.m. on July 22, 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: Justin Ford Tax Parcel #: 04702000000480 Tax Sale #: 1604 Price Offered: $14,500 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 9:00 a.m. on July 22, 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: Terry Brown Tax Parcel #: 07207900000410 Tax Sale #: 1101 Price Offered: $3,500 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 July 21, 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: Makele McGhee Tax Parcel #: 07611000000090 Tax Sale #: 1701 Price Offered: $32,700 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 July 21, 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

June 24 - 30, 2021

Page 11

SPORTS

The ‘Golf Father’ taught respect, character to ‘young, Black golfers’

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Charles Hudson was one year in as the new golf pro at Pine Hill Golf Course.

Surrounded by hundreds of children in an underserved community, he envisioned a golf clinic to teach African-American youth skill and technique.

Older, experienced regulars would help coach and instruct.

It was summer, and the kids were hanging out at the park — not much else to do.

Finally, Hudson was ready to cast his net. Who wanted to learn how to play golf?

As it turned out, hundreds did.

In 1990, a 15-year-old Tiger Woods had won the Junior World Golf Championships. Hudson became golf pro in 1989.

That next year, he organized a youth tournament. Young golfers from out east came over to compete with untrained African-American children.

“There were 80 or 90 junior golfers competing. An older lady came to me and said, ‘Those children from the other side of town should not be competing with our children.

They are getting pars and birdies, while our children are shooting tens and twenties for each hole.’

“It was true. Our children didn’t know technique. They had developed no skill, and they had no idea about the rules and etiquette of the game.”

Hudson knew a youth golf program could change all that. He began to work out how such a project would actually work.

It was a massive undertaking. Nothing of

“As much as I loved golf, it was only the vehicle being used. I could have been teaching swimming or basketball. It was all the same.”

— Charles Hudson that sort had ever been attempted.

But there were few activities for children. How many could he save from getting into trouble with a youth program?

It was settled. Hudson would become the “golf father.”

“That was the beginning of our MidSouth Junior Golf Association, in 1991,” said Hudson. “I left flyers in churches and other places in the community where kids were — at corner stores and at other businesses in the area.

“More and more kids were coming every day. At its peak, about 200 kids were there. I had a lot of help from the golfers who played there weekly. Many of those children had no father in the home. So, I knew a big draw for them was just spending time, nurturing time, with a black male, teaching and encouraging them, especially our boys.”

So, Hudson became director of a golf program for “black youth” that would teach them patience and discipline. They would learn how to persevere; that there would be both winning and losing. Both should be faced with grace and civility.

“As much as I loved golf, it was only the

During his retirement ceremony (December 2018), Charles Hudson accepted a certificate noting his long service and accolades that reflected his dedication to extending the game of golf to youth. (Photo: George W. Tillman Jr./TSD Archives) (Right): A young Tiger Woods saluted Pine Hills golf course pro Charles Hudson during a Memphis visit in August 1997. (Courtesy photo) vehicle being used,” said Hudson. “I could have been teaching swimming or basketball. It was all the same.

“Mid-South Junior Golf was so much more than just playing golf. It was about building character and teaching life lessons. We knew full well that we were, in many ways, surrogate fathers and the only older, caring men spending time with these young people.”

Hudson groomed a team of “golf fathers” to instruct, mentor and love children who were not their own.

“The program got so full in the summer that we started having it year-round,” said Hudson. “Even if a child did not stay with the program, we had the chance to teach and mentor them for a time. And, that was the important thing. Everybody isn’t going to be a Tiger Woods, but they can grow up to be a good, productive citizen…”

From the Mid-South Junior Golf Association, more than 30 participants went on to win golf scholarships to attend college.

And on the local junior golf scene, young African-Americans were winning tourna-

ments and shutting down the competition.

“We were creating winners, but more importantly, we were building character and providing strong male role models that looked like our kids,” said Hudson.

Hudson attended Southern University on a golf scholarship, although he played basketball in high school. The golf team had only five or six members because golf courses in Louisiana did not allow African-Americans to play. Southern University, in the heart of Baton Rouge, could provide only limited competition for the golf team. Hudson never forgot how that made them feel.

“After college, I was director of the Boys Club in Richmond, Virginia,” he said.

“That was followed by 12 years with the Boys Club in Memphis. Boys like Penny Hardaway and others came through there.

“So, I came to know the importance of mentoring young people, firsthand. It can transform a life. I told my three daughters to get involved with just one young person, at least one. Remember the love and encouragement they received, and pass it on.”

The best Civil Rights story ever told.

Celebrating Thirty Years civilrightsmuseum.org

The New Tri-State Defender

June 24 - 30, 2021

Page 12

Making a lasting impact in Memphis At Bank of America, we have long been committed to advancing racial equality and economic opportunity in the communities where we work and live. Recognizing the urgency of the moment, we’ve expanded our longstanding efforts to drive progress by committing an additional $1.25 billion over five years to create opportunity for people and communities of color.

By partnering with organizations here in Memphis, we’re continuing to align our resources to help drive sustainable progress locally. Our investments and partnerships will help address critical issues and long-term gaps including: • connecting workers to new skills and enhanced job readiness • expanding affordable housing options for more people • ramping up lending and support to local small businesses • increasing access to healthcare and addressing food insecurity

Working together We’re collaborating with a variety of organizations to help our community move forward. They include: CodeCrew Christ Community Health Advance Memphis Methodist Healthcare Foundation

We know there’s so much more work to be done. Together with our local partners, we can make a real difference. What would you like the power to do?®

Go to bankofamerica.com/community to learn more about the work we are doing with our incredible partners.

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