The New Tri-State Defender - July 8-14, 2021

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July 8 - 14, 2021

VOL. 70, No. 27

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Ida B. Wells Celebration week (July 11-16) will culminate with the unveiling of the Ida B. Wells monument at Beale Street and Front Street on Friday.

A ‘day of dreams’ inspires Ida B. Wells celebration week

Newly-selected National Civil Rights Museum President Dr. Russell Wigginton: “There are themes, there are patterns, there are examples that are relevant today that can connect back to yesterday or yester-year. And I’m particularly interested in finding those intersections and lifting them up” (Photo: Shirley Jackson)

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Bringing history to life a driving force for new National Civil Rights Museum president

by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

Twenty years ago, then Rhodes College professor Russell Wigginton approached the Tri-State Defender looking to access the newspaper’s archives for his students to write research papers. That outreach evolved to him writing the first 50-year history of the newspaper.

Calling the experience “one of my professional joys in life,” the recently-appointed new president of the National Civil Rights Museum made a point to connect

that experience to the museum during his first interview about the position that he will assume Aug. 1.

“I want you to know that while I knew the importance of primary sources, obviously as a practicing historian, it struck something in me with how the young people, college students at the time, how history started coming to life to them through primary sources,” Wigginton said.

“Keep in mind, the students in Rhodes, most of whom didn’t come from Memphis and didn’t even know about the Tri-State Defender, when they started reading what the Tri-State Defender had been writing

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

about for 50 years, it was like history started coming to life.”

And said Wigginton, “I think there’s opportunity for us here to find interesting ways to lift up primary sources again, and for some people for the very first time. …

That experience with Tri-State Defender really reminded me that we can do all of these fancy technological things now, but there’s still something magical about lifting the words off a page of a magazine or of a newspaper that’s telling the story of its people in an era that was challenging for

SEE NCRM ON PAGE 3

With the pipeline project halted, City Council members weigh deterring future efforts

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Back at Alonzo Weaver Park for an impromptu celebration of the announced decision to halt plans to construct the Byhalia Connection Pipeline, Justin J. Pearson (bottom) said, “The movement is alive and well in Southwest Memphis.” (Photo: Facebook)

An attorney for Plains All-American Pipeline cautioned the Memphis City Council Tuesday (July 6) that anti-pipeline ordinances under consideration could hamstring the city legally and economically.

The ordinance under consideration would ban crude oil pipelines within 1,500 feet of homes or churches in Memphis. It is sponsored by council members Edmund Ford Sr. and Jeff Warren.

The company said Friday (July 2) that it was withdrawing the controversial Byhalia Connection Pipeline project because of declining demand for gasoline during the COVID pandemic.

It made no mention of the vocal opposition to the project.

The council was scheduled to take a final

There was always going to be great fanfare surrounding an Ida B. Wells monument.

Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr. and the Ida B. Wells Memphis Memorial Committee envisioned a day when Wells would finally return to Memphis, the city she loved so dearly.

That “day” begins with a scheduled news conference by Gray and the Ida B. Wells Memphis Memorial Committee at 10:30 a.m. Thursday (July 8), where a schedule of activities for Ida B. Wells Celebration Week will be announced.

The news conference will be at the corner of Beale and Fourth, where Wells did much of her work at historic First Baptist ChurchBeale.

The celebration runs from Sunday (July 11) through Friday (July 16). The culmination will be the unveiling of Memphis’ Wells statue.

“God has a time for everything,” said Gray. “We never stopped working, despite the pandemic. Two weeks ago, I just turned 75. Unveiling the statue of Ida B. Wells and the festivities we have planned surrounding this momentous event, is a day of my dreams, the best birthday present I can imagine.

“When it looked like the pandemic was shutting everything down, we kept on working. We kept on praying. God owns it all.

SEE WELLS ON PAGE 2

Pipeline project’s demise deemed a win by opponents: Page 8 vote on a pipeline ordinance Tuesday. However, an update to the proposed ordinance was introduced.

The update called for the creation of an underground infrastructure advisory board to oversee works that convey hazardous materials, such as crude oil. Like the earlier ordinance, it also is sponsored by councilmembers Edmund Ford and Jeff Warren.

Warren moved for its first reading with no recommendation at the next meeting, on July 20.

Meanwhile, a new path for the pipeline through Mississippi is in the works.

“Any concerns over a pipeline potentially

The best Civil Rights story ever told.

SEE PIPELINE ON PAGE 2

Celebrating Thirty Years civilrightsmuseum.org

The New Tri-State Defender

July 8 - 14, 2021

Page 2

NEWS “Sunday’s message will be a call to action. When voting rights are being threatened across this nation, and the attempt to roll back the clock on civil rights, we must heed the call to fight against these efforts.”

— Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr. WELLS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Nothing can shut Him down.”

The kick-off event is a Sunday church service at the historic First Baptist Church- Beale.

A grand parade and other commemorative activities are in store, but the Sunday message, delivered by Gray, will set the tone for the week.

Gray hopes everyone will especially come out to the Sunday service.

“Sunday’s message will be a call to action,” said Gray. “When voting rights are being threatened across this nation, and the attempt to roll back the clock on civil rights, we must heed the call to fight against these efforts.

“We must stand at the ready to push back, for the sake of our children and our grandchildren coming after us. This is a message we all need to hear.”

The people of Memphis never got the chance to say “thank you” to Wells for speaking out against the heinous injustice of lynching.

Her courageous challenges of the oppressive conditions of bigotry and gross inequality imposed by whites against African Americans in the South produced the fiery, unbridled outcry in her news editorials.

“Ida B. Wells wasn’t afraid to stand up to the powers that be in her day,” said Gray. “Lynching was rampant throughout the South, and she spoke out boldly against it — not only in her speeches, but also in her newspaper.

“We need her brand of activism today. The need to stand up against injustice and inequality is just as important and relevant now as it was back then.”

Gray continued, “The title of my sermon for Ida B. Wells Week is, ‘The Actualized Faith of Ida B. Wells.’ We must not be afraid to stand up for what is right.

“Ms. Wells was barely five feet tall, but she was never afraid to speak out against injustice and unrighteousness. She leaves a legacy of activism for us to follow.”

Wells, however, did not get to continue her work in activist journalism. When three friends of hers, successful businessmen in Memphis were lynched by an angry white mob, Wells, who was one of the co-founders of the NAACP, wrote about it and spoke about it relentlessly.

Her life was threatened as it had been many times. But this time was different. Friends begged Wells to flee Memphis before it was too late.

Heartbroken for having to leave her beloved Memphis, Wells left, never to return for the remainder of her life.

Gray kicked off the project to erect a statue in honor of Wells, only

PIPELINE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Ida B Wells’ Celebration

Ida B. Wells Week July 11-16, 2021 Sunday

July 11 Community Worship – Celebrating Ida B. Wells 6:00 PM - Keynote Speaker - Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray, Jr. Historic First Baptist Church, Beale Street - Rev. David Helton, Host Pastor 379 Beale Street, Memphis, TN 38103

Tuesday

July 13 Virtual Panel Discussion “Dare to Tell the Truth: Exploring the Enduring Legacy of Ida B. Wells-Barnett” Via ZOOM 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM - Dr. Charles McKinney, The Neville Ferguson Bryan Chair of Africana Studies at Rhodes College will moderate.

Panelists: • Wendi Thomas, Founder and Publisher, MLK50 • Dr. Rychetta Watkins, author of “The Southern Roots of Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s Revolutionary Activism” • Rev. Dr. Rosalyn R. Nichols is the organizing pastor of Freedom’s Chapel Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Email honoringidabwells@gmail.com to request an invitation.)

Thursday

July 15 Pilgrimage to the Lynching Site and Gravesite of Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell and Will Stewart 10:00 AM - Lynching Site: 1500 Block on N. Second Street.

11:00 AM - Gravesite - Zion Cemetery on South Parkway East near Wilson Street.

Dr. Kevin Brooks, Liturgist Ministers Workshop - “How to Stay Awake in the Midst of a Revolution.”

6:00 PM Memphis Theological Seminary - Lindenwood Christian Church, 2400 Union Ave Memphis, TN 38112 at East Parkway South Host of the Gathering - Rev. Dr. Jody Hill - President, Memphis Theological Seminary Rev. Darell L. Harrington – Speaker /Apostle William Bill Adkins, Presiding Officer

Friday

impacting the aquifer were and continue to be exaggerated. There is also no legal basis for these ordinances and they will be overturned when challenged,” warned Cory Thornton, attorney for the Houston-based company.

The City Charter, he said, does not give the council the authority to pass the ordinance because it does not feature the words “crude oil,” but specifically mentions other hazardous materials like gunpowder.

He also accused the council of line-stepping on higher authorities.

“These provisions do not provide any authority for the regulatory oversight concerning the construction and operation of crude oil pipelines ... .The ordinances here are trying to step in areas of regulation already occupied by state and federal agencies.”

Saying there was no “logical, technical or legal basis” for the ordinance, Thornton cited a third-party study commissioned by Plains All-American that concluded the pipeline posed no danger to the aquifer.

“They concluded that it is not reasonably possible to impact the Memphis Aquifer from a crude oil spill because crude oil moves slowly in soil.

This gives time to clean up any spills in the unlikely event that one occurs.

“It takes shallow groundwater 20 to 40 years to reach the deeper Memphis Sand Aquifer, by which time crude oil would be cleaned up, or will be eaten by bacteria and naturally broken down.”

Nevertheless, a study by The U.S. Geological Survey found that “groundwater contamination by crude oil, and other petroleum-based liquids, is a widespread problem.”

The study noted that an average of 83 spills occurred from 1994-96, with each averaging about 50,000 barrels lost, and that an understanding of the “fate of organic contaminants” was

July 16 Ida B. Wells Parade 9:00 AM – Parade – Beale Street (Starting at Main and Beale to 4th and Beale) Celebration & Unveiling of the Statue 11:00 AM – Keynote Speaker – Dr. Alvin O’Neal Jackson Trip to Museum in Holly Springs, Mississippi – Bus Tour with Family 5:00 PM - Departing from New Sardis Baptist Church, 7739 East Holmes Rd., Memphis, TN 38125 7:00 PM – Banquet - The Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum in Holly Springs, Mississippi Email honoringidabwells@gmail.com to request tickets or a seat on the bus by 6/29/2021.

Masks and Social Distancing will be observed at all times during the celebration.

For more information, please contact Dr. L. Lasimba Gray, Jr.at 901.832.1629 or Dr. David L. Acey, Sr. at 901.315.7508 Or email honoringidabwells@gmail.com months before the global pandemic hit the country in 2020.

From no real support to build on, Gray pulled together several Memphians with a call to join the effort to raise money for the project. Not even the prohibitive $150,000 price tag deterred him.

The Ida B. Wells Memorial Plaza

Former Vice President Al Gore detailed his opposition to the Byhalia Connection Pipeline project at Southwest Memphis rally. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/ TSD Archives) needed to design “cost-effective remedial solutions” to cleanup.

Before asking the lawyer to wrap up his comments, one council member was taken aback by the threats of legal action and airing of grievances.

“I thought the conversation would have been more tailored to continued investment in the City of Memphis.

I wasn’t necessarily prepared for a long discussion or thoughts regarding continued conversations around the pipeline and this body,” said JB Smiley Jr., a lawyer.

During a preamble to the more pointed comments, the possibility of future projects was brought up by Plain’s representation.

“As we said throughout the life of this project, we remain committed to the Memphis area and the positive relationships we have developed with local stakeholders. We will continue to build and maintain those relationships as we operate our existing assets, or explore new opportunities in the area,” said Thornton.

San Antonio-based Valero Energy is a partner in the Byhalia project and owner of the Valero Memphis Refinery. In a letter detailing opposition to the ordinances, Eric Brown, the refinery’s vice president and general manager, said the proposals could make it more difficult to maintain and expand a pipeline that supplies jet fuel to Memphis International Airport.

SALES PERSON The New Tri-State Defender is looking for a few sales consultants to sell print ads, digital ads and event sponsorships for the organization. The candidate should have some sales experience. This is a commission based opportunity. For serious inquiries email your resume to administration@tsdmemphis.com.

will not only feature a statue of the civil rights leader and journalist, but learning stations will be unveiled so that visitors may read about the highlights in her life.

The plaza is at the corner of Beale and Fourth.

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 8 - 14, 2021

Page 3

NEWS need to have a consciousness and an awareness and what I would call an ongoing conversation that may or may not be comfortable for everybody all the time. We can be a platform and should be a platform for which that takes place, and certainly (former presidents) Beverly Robinson and Terri Freeman laid the groundwork for me to be able to propel that forward.

NCRM

CONTINUED FROM FRONT all of us.”

Here are excerpts from Wigginton’s conversation with TSD Associate Publisher/Executive Editor Karanja A. Ajanaku.

Karanja A. Ajanaku: So it’s three months after you’ve started and you’re looking back. What have you done in that three months?

Dr. Russell Wigginton: … I will have talked and had a one-on-one conversation with every staff member who works at this museum. They will have gotten to know me better and I would have gotten to know them better. I will have a sense of why they work here, what are they passionate about, how can I be helpful to their work, and hopefully they feel comfortable asking me the kind of questions that they get to know me better. …

I’m a relationship-oriented person. This work is hard.

It takes commitment, it takes passion and you have to be with people who you feel like are in it with you. … I will also have spent important time with the board. These are people I know as I’ve been on the board for 11 years, but I want to have different kinds of conversations with them, obviously sitting from this role.

I want to know why they are committed and invested, both philanthropically and otherwise in this place, and I want to know what they’re hoping for when we project to 2025. I will have started to have important conversations with established relationships in Memphis, but also I think opportunity for new relationships in Memphis.

And a piece that I’m particularly keen on is having conversations nationally with corporations and foundations and philanthropic leaders about the museum and the power of the museum. Those conversations will be driven by what I learned from the staff and the board. I certainly have some ideas about what the target areas will be, but this is a collective team effort. This is not the Russ Wigginton show. …

K. Ajanaku: So, I do know that there was some interest in trying to promote from within the staff. Do you have to address that in any kind of way?

Dr. Wigginton: I don’t know. What I can say is I think people who know me know I’m authentic and I’m transparent and I lead with relationships. In my mind, there’s no addressing to be done in that regard. If there is some addressing, it will manifest. But I don’t feel in any way that there’s anything other than goodwill and positive outlook.

“ … (Y)ou can’t visit this museum and fully take it in and not have some moments of discomfort. … But I also think it’s one of those secure places where you should be able to experience that and feel safe in doing so and feel like your fellow human could be feeling and experiencing something very different than you, but you can still do it in this space. – Dr. Russell Wigginton (Photo: Shirley Jackson) It does help that I have established relationships with many of the senior staff at this organization. These are people who I’ve worked with, served on committees with, done things for, had things done for me on behalf of the museum for years. … I’m very confident that we’ll be up and running and clicking on all cylinders pretty quickly.

K. Ajanaku: (Former President Terri Lee) Freeman leaves (and) catches many of us by surprise. Do you think, “whoa, I’d like to do that (be president)? Or, does someone reach out to you and say, “Hey, would you consider this?”

Dr. Wigginton: It was probably a combination. … You know my academic background. I’ve had a 25-year relationship with this museum. And when you do the kind of work that I do, you can’t help but think about what an honor it would be to lead this kind of organization. And what often happens is there are people, who are advocates for the museum, thinking about who might be good candidates for that.

So there were certainly people who raised the question with me. I was in a fortunate position where I’ve had wonderful career at Rhodes College, was deeply enjoying my work for Tennessee SCORE and had the opportunity to think about this position in a really significant way before raising my hand to say I would like some degree of consideration, whatever that may be.

K. Ajanaku: … Ms. Freeman … talked about her desire to have the museum be an entity where things that are unfolding now could be discussed and (the museum) be a center point … . I think that she moved the needle in that regard. Is that something that you can see continuing?

Dr. Wigginton: First of all, she did an amazing job as the leader here by any way you want to measure that. And that is, I would say, one of the

signature parts of her legacy.

I think that’s really important for several reasons. One is it’s a wonderful way to captivate and inspire and engage the next generation of people, who may not appreciate the historical work that this museum stands for… . One of the things I’m particularly interested in is finding those points of connection and intersection.

And I think being a historian influences that.

There are themes, there are patterns, there are examples that are relevant today that can connect back to yesterday or yester-year. And I’m particularly interested in finding those intersections and lifting them up.

I am a teacher. I think you can teach in a lot of different ways.

It doesn’t have to be in a classroom and it doesn’t have to be the Socratic method. …

Part of teaching is also inspiring and this institution is poised to do that across a broad swath of people. And you can’t divorce the tenor of the times from that if you’re going to be as effective of a teacher and an educational resource I think this museum can be.

K. Ajanaku: In the press release (about his selection) you talked about being the person in charge during the times that we’re in. I’m thinking that you’re talking about the social awareness, the social consciousness, George Floyd, all those kinds of things.

Dr. Wigginton: Sure. I’m thinking about those moments and then you think about those historical moments that we point to, Emmett Till, etc. …

I’m also thinking about, dare I say the less prominent moments, because I believe when you start talking about human and civil rights, it’s about every day, not just how do we respond when something traumatic happens. …

And so I’m compelled by those dramatic moments, but also those moments where we’re just moseying along going about our business, but we

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K. Ajanaku: Let me just jump a little bit to … your history background. Can you reach back in your memory bank for the first time you thought of any value for history. What made you go down that road?

Dr. Wigginton: … As a child, I was the kid who would stand in the corner when my grandparents and their friends were talking about life. When my friends, cousins, siblings were outside playing, I went outside and played too, but I’d take a break and come in and just kind of stand in the corner and get an earful. And I was mesmerized by, I think, how they could contextualize the challenges of life and still be positive people and still find joy.

Thinking about my great-grandfather, who was a redcap for the railroad for 50 years and the kind of joy he had in his life; the kind of life he was able to provide for his family. The fact that he toted bags for a living, but he had a ceramic shop, where he spent time and was a very talented artist. As a child, I didn’t understand all the pieces, but it was compelling to me and I never forgot it … such that I wrote a dissertation on Black railroad workers for the same railroad that he worked on. …

I didn’t know I was going to be a historian, but I knew there was something about an appreciation from our people and our past that was a part of me and that I had an obligation and a desire to understand and appreciate at the highest level.

K. Ajanaku: You’ve been on the board for a number of years and you have a history with the museum, you’ve got your ears to the community. Have you ever heard anyone be unhappy with the museum? And if so, what were they unhappy about and how might that be something you have to address?

Dr. Wigginton: I haven’t heard it a lot, but I’m always conscious of the fact that not everybody has as compelling of an experience as you would hope they would. What I will say is I heard it more pre-renovation in that the nature of what the museum was before the renovation made it harder to get the full experience and get it in a way that we’ve come to expect to have experiences. … So it was kind of more about being caught in the technological advancement stage. … What I’ve never heard is there’s a lack of professionalism and warmth and authenticity around telling the story. …

I think (there is) still opportunity, however, to find interesting and unique ways to target and engage more of the Memphis community. People know about it, but a lot of times when something’s in your own backyard, it gets taken for granted.

I think we have to do some things that are intentionally Memphis to make sure that this entire community is galvanized by a space that a whole lot of people across this country and world come here just to visit.

K. Ajanaku: So 30 years … (the NCRM) is getting ready to acknowledge. I actually can remember being on the (old Shelby County) Courthouse steps when Judge (D’Army) Bailey … (secured the Lorraine Motel, now the centerpiece of the museum, from foreclosure.) …

Talk to me a bit about 30 years and, to the degree that you can, about what you think the focus might be.

Dr. Wigginton: As some-

body who had an established relationship with Judge Bailey myself, and then obviously having been a part of the board and knowing the museum for more than a decade … I think of the museum from a couple of different perspectives. I think if you were to ask 30 years ago if this museum would have over 300,000 visitors in its peak year, it would have been mind-blowing for people at that time. I think if you would have talked about that people come from all over the world to experience this place, it would have been a shock at that time. I also think that if you were to ask people 30 years ago if we would still be having some of the conversations today that we were having 50 years ago, that might be troubling too.

So to me, when you mix all of that up, I think we have a responsibility to capture all of the goodness and all of the tender spots of that when we present ourselves. And I think you can do that in ways that still allow people to be engaged. I mean, you can’t visit this museum and fully take it in and not have some moments of discomfort. … It doesn’t matter what your background is.

This place should cause some degree of discomfort along the way, whether it’s guilt, anger, sadness, what have you.

But I also think it’s one of those secure places where you should be able to experience that and feel safe in doing so and feel like your fellow human could be feeling and experiencing something very different than you, but you can still do it in this space.

And then we have an obligation to make sure our curriculum and our ways of engaging people when they’re physically not here also feel supportive. So, it’s not just a moment in time, but it’s an experience that extends beyond the two to three hours that you may be in this physical space.

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, July 8 - 14, 2021, Page 4

At the University of Memphis, the African American Male Academy’s mission is to “identify, recruit and induct African American male students into a culture of inclusive excellence.” (Photo: www.memphis.edu/african_american_male_academy/)

Wanted: Black male teachers; your services are desperately needed!

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

This time of the year, school systems and their principals are busy interviewing and hiring new teachers, filling vacancies caused by the pandemic, and just the normal attrition process that naturally occurs at the end of an academic school year.

But the search for good black male teachers has been a journey over the years fraught with disappointment and frustration for many school systems.

As a former principal, I was always on the lookout for black male teachers, primarily because of the unique perspective they brought to the teaching and learning process and because they were such a rare find. I was fortunate, however, to hire several young men that turned out to be exceptionally good teachers.

Although slightly more than half of all public-school students are children of color, teachers of color account for only about 17 percent of all U.S. public school teachers. In addition, about 7 percent are African American, and only 2 percent are African American males.

The dearth of black male teachers at the K-12 level is not a new phenomenon.

The education community has been grappling with this issue for decades with little progress to show for its efforts.

Research shows that, for black boys, having a teacher of the same race correlates with the greater likelihood of attending college, improved academic performance, and better behavior in the classroom.

According to studies by Johns Hopkins University and American University, these positive outcomes can have an impact well into adulthood and can potentially shrink academic achievement gaps significantly for students of color.

But, despite these benefits, teachers of color are leaving the profession at a staggering rate.

This fact, Curtis of course, Weathers has not escaped the attention of Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray. So, one of the first priorities of his administration was to recruit more African American male teachers, especially at the elementary level.

But attracting quality Black male candidates to the teaching profession has been incredibly difficult. The working conditions in many high-poverty, urban schools are not always conducive to long, fulfilling careers — for anyone.

Last year, SCS and its charter schools lost over thirty Black male classroom teachers through promotion and retirement due to COVID-19. While that number may not seem like a lot, these teachers were extremely hard to replace while at the same time trying to increase the district’s overall numbers of Black male teachers.

Gestalt Community Schools’ teacher, Berry Nailer, is a prime example. He taught 7th-grade social studies for five years but was recently promoted to Resident Dean of Scholars. So, while he will not be in the classroom, he will still be able to work closely with students in his school building, especially his male students.

But replacing him in the classroom will be difficult.

Mr. Nailer, when asked if he enjoyed teaching, responded, “Absolutely! I enjoyed every moment of it. I love to teach not just content but teaching them how to do this thing call life.”

Many of the lessons Black

Man Up’s purpose is to “recruit, train and place a talented pipeline of men of color who can be impactful in any school setting and to work relentlessly to ensure the success of all students.” (Screen capture from manupteach.org)

Source: http://www.scsk12.org/ourboys/ male teachers like Mr. Nailer bring to the classroom go far beyond academic content and pedagogy. Their unique lived experiences create a rich curriculum that contributes to student success in ways that cannot be graded or

easily quantified.

When asked what he thought contributed most to the lack of black male teachers in our schools, his response — “teacher pay” and the “rigor and responsibilities” of teaching.

Shelby County Schools and its partners are working extremely hard to put infrastructure in place to support the development of Black male students and attract quality Black male teachers to our school system.

There are three high-quality initiatives currently in place that deserve recognition: The Man up Teacher Fellowship, the University of Memphis African American Male Academy, and the district’s African American Male Empowerment Initiative. I love these initiatives!

These programs are laser-focused on finding and developing black male teachers and giving them the opportunity to have successful careers that can impact our young boys in positive and lasting ways.

While these three programs are off to a great start, the more people know about them, the better their chances of success.

But the work cannot stop there.

If we want to persuade more black males to join the ranks of the teaching profession, colleges and universities need to be much more aggressive in their recruiting efforts.

Communities should respect and celebrate male teachers in the same way it idolizes celebrities and sports figures.

As Fredrick Douglas once said: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

I am thankful for our male teachers, black and white. But we need our Black male educators to step up and go the extra mile to help our young boys achieve success. I know we are asking a lot from teachers (all of them). But they are sorely needed right now more than ever.

So, let us celebrate our Black male teachers and encourage more college students to consider joining this incredible fraternity of K-12 educators.

Stay safe, Memphis; it’s not over yet!

Information • Inspiration • Elevation Published by Best Media Properties, Inc.

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 8 - 14, 2021

Page 5

RELIGION

LEGACY: Rev. Wemyth DeWayne Breckenridge Sr.

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Music in the air...

After this sermon-setting selection at Tuesday’s meeting of the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association, the Rev. David Fitzgerald, pastor of Mt. Gilliam Baptist Church in Orange Mound, spoke on “Moving from a Dilemma to a Deliverance.” (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Back on familiar ground...

Mount Moriah-East Baptist Church, where the Rev. Dr. Melvin Charles Smith is pastor, held its reopening ceremony on Sunday, July 4. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

An age-old tradition was honored recently as a revered pastor was laid to rest – the unveiling of the mourning drapes, or the mourning drapery.

In the African-American church, upon the death of the senior pastor, his or her chair is draped in black and purple cloth (or just black cloth) in the pulpit. It is the “unfillable chair,” and the covering stays in place, generally, for 30 days.

In the case of Pastor Wemyth DeWayne Breckenridge, who was eulogized at First Baptist Church-Broad Street Saturday (July 3), two chairs were actually draped in his memory.

On Friday night (July 2), his chair was covered in mourning drapes at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, where Breckenridge was senior pastor.

Saturday, during his funeral service, the ritual laying of the drapes across a chair in the pulpit was performed.

The gesture was fitting since Breckenridge got his start in ministry under the leadership of his father, Pastor Oddie Breckenridge, at First Baptist Church-Broad Street, where the funeral was held.

“When a church loses its pastor, that is a tremendously sad time of corporate grieving for the flock,” said Dr. William Young, founder of mental health and “the Black Church” grief counseling and mental health programs.

“Rituals and ceremonies around a death are important in helping the living experience a healthy grieving process. This is especially true for the black church,” Young said.

Young explained that the ritual gives a church family time to grieve together and to experience the draping as one body sharing a common source of sorrow.

“In the Old Testament, 40 days was the length of time for grieving,” said Young. “Grief is normal, natural and necessary. We, as a people, have repressed feelings of sadness in the time of loss. But to get through the grief process, we must talk about how the death has affected us.

“A local church losing a pastor experiences shared, corporate feelings of grief. Rituals, such as the mourning drapery, is therapeutic and cathartic.”

For Breckenridge, two church families are mourning: Mt. Sinai, the church he led, and First Baptist Broad Street, where he was trained in various capacities of service in the church. This was the place where he first accepted a call to the ministry.

Breckenridge was educated in the legacy Memphis City Schools and graduated from Northside High School in 1974.

He enrolled at the University of

Following tradition, the legacy of the Rev. Wemyth DeWayne Breckenridge Sr. was acknowledged with the draping of the pastor’s chair. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Mother Ora Breckenridge sings “Surely” at the legacy celebration for the Rev. Wemyth DeWayne Breckenridge Sr.

Rev. Wemyth DeWayne Breckenridge Sr. Tennessee, Knoxville, where he pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Breckenridge was a senior adjuster for State Farm for 30 years, before going to MetLife Insurance.

He later went into business with his

sons, Frankey (“Butch”) and Matt at Anderson Contractors.

Breckenridge publicly acknowledged a call to preach in 2004. He accepted the pastoral leadership of Mt. Sinai in July 2013.

Breckenridge married Tereasa Fay Clark-Anderson and four children were born to the union: Frankey Jermaine, Christya Marieva, Wemyth DeWayne II and Matthew Ryan.

Breckenridge graduated was a member of the 2019 Leadership Memphis spring class and the Methodist Hospital Clinical Pastoral Excellence Class in that same year.

He tackled every assignment and task with a selfless, generous spirit, for which he was characteristically known.

According to his printed obituary, Breckenridge always reminded his children to “remember who you are and whose you are.”

The New Tri-State Defender, July 8 - 14, 2021, Page 6

Rainbow Connection executive producer Arthur Robinson (left), with Dr. Willie W. Herenton, who was the People Convention’s choice for mayor, and film staff member Wiley Henry. (Photos: Tony Jones, INK!/Larry Walker)

Rainbow Connection executive producer Anniece Robinson and the Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr.

Chronicling the 1991 People’s Convention

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

It was a story that needed to be told – how the 1991 People’s Convention paved the way for Memphis to elect its first African-American mayor.

“Unbroken: The Story of the 1991 People’s Convention” brought out old friends and original conveners to the screening of a history-making documentary, told through actual footage and interviews of some major players in the event.

Sponsored by 16 Bars Entertainment, a red-carpet caliber showing of “Unbroken” premiered at the MVP Movie Theater, 7051 Malco Crossing, Saturday (July 3).

Rainbow Connection principal Anniece Robinson and film director Chuck O’Bannon made the historic record a reality.

“It was important that what happened back in 1991 was told,” said O’Bannon. “Because had we not told what actually happened at the People’s Convention, those who write the history books get to tell the story. And what is written in history books is not always the truth. This was our story to tell.”

The film event was a culmination of “From Memphis To The World,” a series of activities launched in June to spotlight the opening of 16 Bars Entertainment in Memphis and introduce Chi-Kairo, its lead recording artist from the Virgin Islands.

Tennessee House Minority Leader Rep. Karen Camper congratulates director Chuck O’Bannon.

The entertainment enterprise provided funding to the documentary project and showcased the finished product.

“Dr. Willie Herenton, of course, was chosen as the consensus candidate,” said O’Bannon. “And Dr. Herenton talks about two particular instances when the black community in Memphis united on one accord: When Dr. King was assassinated, and in 1991 during the People’s Convention. I believe that is true.”

Robinson’s husband, Arthur Robinson, took all of the actual footage recorded at the People’s Convention. Robinson ran into the child of an original convener at the convention, and there was a whole conversation about what happened.

“I started to think back on what took place during that convention,” said Robinson. “This documentary is a snapshot in history at a time when there was great polarization. Some people had become discouraged. We had tried to run black candidates for mayor, but there was this runoff that favored the other side. And, there were always too many black candidates that divided the vote. We had to run a consensus candidate everybody could get behind.”

The stage was set in 1988, when the late Dr. Talib-Karim Muhammad, in a class-action lawsuit, challenged at-large elections. Muhammad’s lawsuit was incorporated into a U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit.

The Justice Department alleged the city’s election process violated provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. U.S. District Judge Jerome Turner mandated a plan “which will eradicate the minority vote dilution.”

Among, the ruling’s impact was the end of runoff elections in mayoral and other citywide races.

If the majority African-American population could just run a consensus candidate, the city would elect a “black mayor,” organizers were sure.

“We were called stupid, people said it would never work,” said Anniece Robinson.

“There were four of us who started out meeting in my back yard — Dedrick “Teddy” Withers, Shep Wilburn, Vernon Ash, and myself. Teddy wanted Shep to be the spokesperson for the convention because he was an insider. But Teddy was the original architect of the People’s Convention.”

Tennessee state Rep. Barbara Cooper was co-chair of the People’s Convention, Robinson recalled. Withers had just lost his bid for mayor in 1987.

Set at the Mid-South Coliseum, despite torrential rain, and prohibitively high insurance requirement, the People’s Convention went on at the appointed time.

“In spite of all the obstacles, 3,500 to 4,000 people showed up for the convention,” said O’Bannon. “As a result, there was a consensus candidate named when it was all said and done. Dr. Her-

The documentary’s director, Chuck O’Bannon, awaits audience reaction. enton ended up winning by 142 votes. If we could get on one accord today, like those conveners did back then, there is nothing we can’t do in the city of Memphis.”

Robinson said future screenings and distribution of the documentary won’t be for some time, until she completes the legal paperwork on the project.

Robinson said she hopes the documentary will inspire modern-day activists to unite in consensus as everyone works to move Memphis forward.

“We are now in final editing stages for presentation to distributors and the film festival circuit, with the goal of gaining a national release platform,” Robinson said.

16Bars CEO Tripp Morrow agreed to provide funding because he concurs with the tagline that the People’s Convention is the “most important exercise in grassroots democracy in Memphis history.”

More than a dozen of the original conveners are featured in the final cut.

Henri Brooks (left), a convener of the People’s Convention, with attorney Linda Harris.

The New Tri-State Defender

July 8 - 14, 2021

Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT

Delores’ Legacy Soiree provided an opportunity for family and friends to salute Ryan James and note his success as an actor and model. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Ryan James with his aunt, Dr. Ida Payne Lofton, whose late sister, Delores Coburn, was James’ mother. (Courtesy photo)

Delores’ Legacy Soiree honored Memphis-born actor, Ryan James

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

He sings, dances, acts and memorably starred in three of the ten episodes of “Underground Railroad.”

Ryan James, model and actor hails from Memphis. He was honored July 3 during an evening soiree hosted by friends and fraternity brothers at an elegantly designed, invitation-only affair at the Diamond Event Center, 3885 South Perkins Road.

“Ryan was coming home, and my sister, June Hammonds, and I planned this soiree in his honor,” said Dr. Ida Payne Lofton, James’ aunt. Lofton and Hammonds are sisters of James mother, Delores Coburn, who died in 2013.

“People always say Ryan and

I look more alike than his mother did,” said Lofton. “We both have the red hair and freckles. We wanted Ryan to know how proud we are of him, and how happy we are about his success.”

Ryan James McDade’s modeling and acting careers were just taking off when his mother died. Her only son, he grew up in Whitehaven, graduated from Whitehaven High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Media Production-Communications.

“Ryan graduated in 2009, but it was hard finding a job in television,” said Lofton. “I was the one who encouraged him to move to Atlanta. He just started pursuing his dreams and working whenever he could. And today, he is a successful actor and model. We

wanted to honor Ryan and celebrate the legacy his mother, Delores, left behind.”

McDade, whose professional moniker is “Ryan James,” was seen in “The Killing Secrets” on Amazon Prime, and was most notably cast in the 10-episode Amazon Prime series “Underground.”

McDade plays in the sixth, seventh and eighth episodes.

He also boasts success in the print model industry, having represented such brands as Delta Airlines, Sprite, Gucci, other major clothing brands, and skin care products.

Brian Ingram, along with Lofton and Hammonds, decorated the venue, Lofton said. Ingram is a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brother of McDade’s, and helped to coordinate the event’s color scheme.

Red and white are Kappa colors.

Black is for “our skin,” said Lofton.

The elaborate red-and-white program included historical text that exemplified the “legacy” of racial pride and dignity that Ryan’s mother, “Delores,” held to. It reads, in part: “…Delores discovered that her African ancestors, indeed, had legacies that they were able to pass down to their descendants from one generation to the next for the last 20 generations. Of utmost importance, these legacies were built on the innate human qualities of: • Recognizing and praying to a higher Spiritual Being; • Having faith that prayers would be answered; • Practicing self-determination; • Having patience and emotional stamina to endure the atrocities

of enslavement; • Practicing survival and coping skills; • Staying physically and mentally strong; • Learning to read and write discretely; • Learning how to eat and to distinguish among medicinal, poisonous, and edible plants; • Having the audacity to maintain hope; • Establishing secret codes for communication; • Learning how to think and function independently; and • Expressing love and supporting each other. … Delores also left a legacy that she passed to the next generation that included virtues of morality, based on faith, hope, and love, the bedrock of Christianity.”

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, July 8 - 14, 2021, Page 8

Foundation hosts festival to help address stem cell cancer

by Sydney Jones

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Friends and family were able to enjoy the soulful sound of Memphis Blues while also getting a taste of bourbon samples and barbecue at the Memphis Barbecue Blues and Bourbon Festival hosted by the Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation Saturday (July 3) at Grind City Brewing Co. The Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation hosted the event to raise money for children with stem cell cancer and their families. The foundation also raises money to sustain families going through bone marrow treatment.

Founding member Eric Dunn got involved when his goddaughter needed a bone marrow transplant. During that time, the family struggled financially and Dunn noticed there were more families dealing with the same financial problems.

“Why not create a foundation that can help someone that’s going through the same issues? That’s looking for hotels and can’t pay for them.

That’s gotta pay $300-plus for medication. That need food and beverages all while taking care of their own bills at home,” Dunn said.

Dunn became one of the founding members of the Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation after recognizing these problems.

The average bone marrow surgery costs about $380,000 per patient. Insurance only covers about 80 percent of the costs. The Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation covers the remaining 20 percent by partnering with different agencies to ensure the rest of the cost is sustainable.

The foundation also used Saturday’s event to honor San Francisco 49ers player Shon Coleman, who was once a St. Jude patient and is now the first NFL player in history to play as a cancer survivor. The foundation declared July 3 as Shon Coleman’s Day and will host the Memphis Barbecue Blues and Bourbon Festival annually to honor him.

The Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation is working on partnerships with more agencies to host more fundraising events.

People can donate through Cashapp to $BoneMarrow901 or go to the Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation Facebook page.

(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.)

Suga Shack, located at 392 Beale Street, is attracting crowds with live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.

(Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Suga Shack sprouts during the pandemic with growing aspirations

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The new Beale Street spot, Suga Shack, opened during the very throes of the pandemic and its owner, Larry Springfield, is eyeing more access for patrons as Shelby County continues to shake loose from the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I opened Suga Shack on May 29th of last year,” Springfield said. “Standing on the outside looking in, May of 2020 might seem like a terrible time to open a new business. … But it was kind of pee or get off the pot, if I can just put it like that.

“The landlords were wondering what I was going to do, the partners were wondering what I was going to do. I figured I would go ahead and just open. It was better for me to bump my head when things were slow.”

Suga Shack is anchored at 392 Beale Street, west of Fourth Street and just outside of the entertainment district’s primary stretch. “We are attracting crowds because of the live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. As the world continues to open up, we plan to implement more access to the venue for our patrons.”

Springfield is maintaining his optimism as health officials are warily monitoring the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. Daily new cases in Shelby County continue to decline as officials urge vaccine holdouts to get the shot.

More than a month ago, Shelby County

Suga Shack owner Larry Springfield is the lead singer of the house band, Suga Daddies. was declared more than 70 percent protected from the virus. As masks and social distancing requirements were lifted, mobility increased, with many in search of – perhaps in need of –night life fun.

According to Tennessee’s health commissioner, Dr. Lisa Piercey, the state trend is following the national trend. Almost all of those who are getting infected and dying from COVID-19 in Tennessee are unvaccinated.

Tennessee, she said, is in a “race against time” to get as many people vaccinated as possible before the Delta variant spreads across the state.

Safety protocols implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and the Shelby County Health Department actually helped business, Springfield contends.

“We were just running lean and preserving our resources as best we could,” he said.

“We could only be open certain hours. We were only serving food and open for pick-up and delivery. And because we were open and operating with employees, that made us eligible to receive a grant here and a loan there.

We just kept on plowing through until we made it through.”

Free of the restrictions, Suga Shack has begun building a faithful following of patrons who love the food and pack the house on Friday and Saturday nights for the live music.

“Our house band is the Suga Daddies, and I am the lead singer,” said Springfield. “I’ve been a professional singer since 1989 when I got my first paying gig. Suga Shack is a long held dream of mine. I always wanted a venue where I could showcase young, new talent, and give performers a chance to be seen and heard the way I was given a chance.”

“Once the world is open,” Springfield said, “we will host fresh, new artists on stage to compete in a talent show. … It will be the audience’s choice and the winner will get to perform in our live show.

“Either I am the luckiest man alive, or God was with me. I choose to believe the latter.”

Suga Shack serves food Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the “Late Night Menu” is served from 7 p.m. to 12 midnight, during the live music sets.

(For pick up food orders and more information, call Suga Shack at: 901-343-6772.)

Pipeline project’s demise deemed a win by opponents

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The fact that the Byhalia Connection Pipeline project is dead is being hailed as a victory by opponents regardless of the reasoning advanced by the entity that proposed to build it.

“Byhalia Connection LLC … is no longer pursuing the Byhalia Connection construction project, primarily due to lower US oil production, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Brad Leone, director of communications for Plains All American, said in statement released last Friday (July 2).

Jubilation spread quickly. Members and supporters of the Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP) took to social media. Some gathered in Southwest Memphis at Alonzo Weaver Park, the scene of several passion-filled rallies against the pipeline project.

The 49-mile crude oil pipeline envisioned in the Plains All American Pipeline LP project would have cut through southwest Memphis and

passed over the Memphis Sands Aquifer, the main drinking water resource for Memphis and the larger area. Opponents feared leaks and other accidents would harm the vital resource.

This was one of the many signs of opposition to the proposed Byhalia Connection Pipeline that were on display at a Southwest Memphis rally. (Courtesy photo) Justin J. Pearson, co-founder of MCAP, emerged as a key community figure spearheading opposition. On Friday, a Facebook live post showed an elated Pearson screaming with unbridled joy before making an impromptu three-minute speech.

“God be glorified,” Pearson shouted. “Today, we just got the news that the Byhalia Pipeline has been cancelled by Plains All-American and Valero Energy Corporation. …

“If anybody is asking if the movement is alive today, you have your answer. The movement lives in Memphis, Tennessee…”

Throughout pandemic-marked 2020, Plains All-American Pipeline

held information meetings to share project plans, take in feedback and address concerns. From the beginning there was skepticism and pushback, with the dispute at one point becoming a court matter.

Rep. Steve Cohen appealed to President Biden to pause the project.

And, the Memphis City Council is weighing a proposed ordinance that would prevent oil pipelines from being built within 1,500 feet from parks, churches and schools.

The projected date for beginning construction of the pipeline was the first of this year. Unhindered, the pipeline was to have been finished before the end of 2021.

On October 17, Boxtown community and environmental justice advocates came together to join forces in an effort to stop the pipeline. What evolved into a movement to stop the Byhalia Connection garnered national attention.

Former Vice-President Al Gore, an environmental champion, and Dr. William Barber II, co-chair of the

Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, were featured as speakers at community rallies.

“Memphis has spoken,” state Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) said in an issued statement. “ I am so proud of the people in Southwest Memphis, from Boxtown and Weaver Road to West Junction! This is grassroots community action at work. This is what it looks like to take a stand and refuse to back down.

“Thank you to the organizers and leaders who lifted the voices of our neighborhoods – Justin Pearson, Kizzy Dunlap Jones, Kathy Robinson, Memphis Community Against the Pipeline and Protect Our Aquifer.

Thank you!”

Pearson said there is more work to do. “…This is our home. This is our water. This is our future. We are powerful people. We are capable people… Our movement and momentum continues to grow.”

The fight against environmental racism and environmental injustice

will continue, he said.

“The cancer rate is four times the national rate in southwest Memphis. There are 17 toxic release sites in this community. But every community has a right to be treated fairly, to live a healthy existence. That fight will continue.”

In advocating for the pipeline project, Plains All American maintained its safety and promoted a plan to invest more than $20 million in communities along the routes. That included having “invested in more than 30 Mid-South organizations in 2020 to address community needs and support the people who live in proximity to our pipeline.”

In the “Update on The Byhalia Connection Project” that Plains All American issued, Leone said this: “We value the relationships we’ve built through the development of this project, and appreciate those that supported the project and would have shared in its ongoing benefits, including our customers, communities, energy consumers, landowners, area contractors, and suppliers…”

The New Tri-State Defender

July 8 - 14, 2021

Page 9

CLASSIFIEDS Vice Plant Manager – Memphis, TN. Req’d: Bach’s in Electrical Eng. followed by 10 yrs of progressive managerial exp. including min. 5 yrs of exp. as sr. mgr., general mgr., director, plant mgr., or similar, in the power transformers mfg. ind. Mail resumes to: Hyosung HICO, Ltd., 2865 Riverport Road, Memphis, TN 38109.

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: Build A Legacy, Inc. Tax Parcel #: 03508000000150 Tax Sale #: 602 Price Offered: $1,275 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 August 11, 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: Davidson Realty, LLC Tax Parcel #: 07204100000190 Tax Sale #: 1604 Price Offered: $15,400 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 August 11, 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: Nice Comfort LLC Tax Parcel #: 0750880A000200 Tax Sale #: 1501 Price Offered: $1,200 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 August 10, 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: Belizario Felix Matias Tax Parcel #: 06903100000030 Tax Sale #: 1701 Price Offered: $14,300 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 2:00 p.m. on August 10, 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: ProServices Contractor & Consulting, LLC Tax Parcel #: 06005900000140 Tax Sale #: 1201 Price Offered: $1,800 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 1:30 p.m. on August 10, 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: ProServices Contractor & Consulting, LLC Tax Parcel #: 06005900000150 Tax Sale #: 1604 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 1:00 p.m. on August 10, 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: ProServices Contractor & Consulting, LLC Tax Parcel #: 05900600000160 Tax Sale #: 1701 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 10:30 a.m. on August 10, 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: Nice Comfort LLC Tax Parcel #: 07200400000700 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 10:00 a.m. on August 10, 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: Nice Comfort LLC Tax Parcel #: 07500300000160 Tax Sale #: 1503 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 August 10, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 07106000000090 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 9:00 a.m. on August 11, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 06005900000610 Tax Sale #: 902 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 9:00 a.m. on August 10, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 07106000000070 Tax Sale #: 1604 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 2:30 p.m. on August 9, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 07508300000110 Tax Sale #: 1603 Price Offered: $700 Terms: Cash

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS 1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 PH (901) 523-1818 FAX (901) 578-5037 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

DEADLINES: Display ads Friday 5 p.m.

Classifieds ads Monday 5 p.m.

STANDARD RATES: $6.00 per line for 1 column ad.

Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation. For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tsdmemphis.com.

BEER PERMITS Flat Rate: $35 GENERAL INFORMATION:

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 August 9, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 07106200000040 Tax Sale #: 1502 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 1:30 p.m. on August 9, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 04801000000140 Tax Sale #: 1502 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 1:00 p.m. on August 9, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 04900800000590 Tax Sale #: 1603 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 10:30 a.m. on August 9, 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

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ADJUSTMENTS: PLEASE check your ad the first day it appears. Call (901) 523-1818 if an error occurs. We can only offer in-house credit and NO REFUNDS are issued.

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER assumes no financial responsibility for errors nor for copy omission.

Direct any classified billing inquires to (901) 523-1818.

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: Desmond Hearn Tax Parcel #: 04302300004090 Tax Sale #: 1503 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 10:00 a.m. on August 9, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 07202900000020 Tax Sale #: 1603 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 9:30 a.m. on August 9, 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: Brothers Investors LLC Tax Parcel #: 07201100001020 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 9:00 a.m. on August 9, 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.

during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on August 6, 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: Jason Martin Tax Parcel #: 07522700000120 Tax Sale #: 1302 Price Offered: $2,500 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 August 6, 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: Jason Martin Tax Parcel #: 07101400000820 Tax Sale #: 1304 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 August 6, 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: Jennifer Purnell Tax Parcel #: 04802200000420 Tax Sale #: 1602 Price Offered: $8,000 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 9:00 a.m. on August 6, 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

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: Jason Martin Tax Parcel #: 09001500000140 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

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 8 - 14, 2021

Page 10

SPORTS

Pentagon chief allows Naval Academy grad with Memphis roots to pursue NFL job Associated Press WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that the U.S. military will allow Naval Academy graduate Cameron Kinley – a 2017 graduate of Lausanne Collegiate School – to pursue a career in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Acting Navy Secretary Tom Harker had denied Kinley’s request to delay his commissioning. But Austin reversed that decision, saying that “we know Cameron will take every opportunity on and off the field to ably represent the Navy and the military to the American people and to assist us in our recruiting efforts.”

President Joe Biden said he was “pleased” by Austin’s decision, adding, “I am confident that Cameron will represent the Navy well in the NFL, just as he did as a standout athlete and class president at the Naval Academy.”

In a letter posted Tuesday on Twitter, Kinley wrote: “I am extremely appreciative of Secretary Austin’s decision

“We look forward to welcoming him (Cameron Kinley) back inside the ranks as a naval officer.”

— Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and I am excited to represent our fine military in the National Football League. This past month has been very challenging and I am thankful for everyone who has supported me in any way.”

Kinley, a cornerback, signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent. He will now be able to attend the Buccaneers’ training camp later this month.

Austin said Cameron will be enlisted in the Inactive Ready Reserve during his NFL career, after which “we look forward to welcoming him back inside the ranks as a naval officer.”

Kinley was one of four Memphians on the Naval Academy team that played at

Cameron Kinley the Liberty Bowl in 2019.

A three-sport standout at Lausanne, Kinley earned letters in basketball (1), football (4) and track & field (3). He netted First-Team Div. II AllState (Tenn.) recognition in football his senior year Kinley’s resume of honors also include him receiving first-team All-Metro and Best of the Preps honors. He served as captain of the football team his senior year.

A two-time all-region track performer who was also twice named Best of Preps, Kinley served as class secretary as a junior and co-class president as a senior.

Cameron Kinley showed while at Navy that he has the skillset to play in the NFL. (Photo: Twitter) Cameron Kinley has been hanging on to footballs since his youth. (Photo: Twitter)

“I am extremely appreciative of Secretary Austin’s decision and I am excited to represent our fine military in the National Football League. This past month has been very challenging and I am thankful for everyone who has supported me in any way.”

— Cameron Kinley

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