The New Tri-State Defender - July 22-28, 2021

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July 22 - 28, 2021

VOL. 70, No. 29

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Calling Dr. Michelle Taylor: The County Mayor wants you to run the Health Department!

by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

Fielding yet another request to direct a journalist seeking Dr. Michelle Taylor, a guard on duty at the Vasco A. Smith Jr. County Administration Building remarked, “She must be an important person.”

For the guard and many others in Memphis and Shelby County, getting to know Taylor is a matter of growing import. Nominated by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris – and pending July 26th approval by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners – Taylor could become the next director of the Shelby County Health Department.

“Hey, it’s not me that’s important.

It’s the community that’s important,” said Taylor in a conversation with The New Tri-State Defender on Monday.”

“And the Health Department, of course, needs leadership. … you need somebody who can steer the ship and help the Health Department get back to what it has always done really well, which is protecting the health of the community.”

Dr. Alisa Haushalter resigned as Health Department director in February. She had drawn fire from the Tennessee Department of Health regarding concerns associated with local adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

(NOTE: On Wednesday, a Board of Commissioners committee voted to back Taylor’s nomination. However, a memo detailing opposition by an

interview panel surfaced during the meeting, stirring concerns.)

Born in North Dakota and well-rooted in Memphis (White Station High School graduate), Taylor – a pediatrician – has this academic pedigree: Howard University (biology major); James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University; a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center; Harvard University master’s degree in business administration; and a public health doctoral degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Her recent past includes a stay in Andrews, Maryland, where she was an aerospace medicine division chief for the Office of the Air National

Dr. Michelle Taylor: “Memphis has always been home base, even though I wasn’t born here. I still claim Memphis because we moved back here when I was a baby, went to college classes with my parents over at Memphis State, if nobody could babysit. And the rest is history.” (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) Guard Surgeon General.

A conversation yields the conclusion that her brand of leadership is anchored with a strong inner attitude and a commitment to data and trans-

parency in steering clear of pretense regarding community health needs.

In nominating her, Mayor Harris

SEE TAYLOR ON PAGE 2

Ida B. Wells hailed as an inspiration for consciousness – then and now!

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

History and consciousness go hand in hand, sharing the trait of crossing through time and giving the living the opportunity to embrace them in the course of making progress. Such was the case with the unveiling of a five-foot tall image of Ida B. Wells on Friday.

The bronze statue of the anti-lynching champion faces west toward the Mississippi River, looking out from a raised grassy platform that crowns Ida B. Wells Plaza at the corner of Beale Street and Fourth Street.

A sea of people filled the plaza adjacent to Robert Church Park, where they witnessed drapes of glittering gold removed from the sculpture.

Additional images Page 9

The image revealed was that of a dignified woman whose death-defying resolve moved the ceremony’s keynote speaker, Dr. Alvin O’Neal Jackson, to construct a message he entitled “What Shall We Do On the Day of Reconstruction?”

The executive director of the Poor People’s Campaign, Jackson brought to life the times she lived in (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931), honing in on the 1890s when the crusading journalist/activist documented the lynching of Black people, exposed the deadly lie that it was just punishment reserved for criminals and was

SEE STATUE ON PAGE 2

Members of Ida B. Wells’ family (l-r) – Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter; Tiana L. Ferrell, great-great-granddaughter and her daughter; Daniel Duster, great-grandson and David Duster, great-grandson -- added to the realness of the unveiling of the statue that marked Well’s life, work and legacy. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Life expectancy mark lowest since WWII

Biggest fall for African Americans since mid-1930’s

by Mike Stobbe The Associated Press

NEW YORK — U.S. life expectancy fell by a year and a half in 2020, the largest one-year decline since World War II, public health officials said Wednesday. The decrease for both Black Americans and His-

panic Americans was even worse: three years.

The drop spelled out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is due mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic, which health officials said is responsible for close to 74 percent of the overall life expectancy decline.

More than 3.3 million Americans

died last year, far more than any other year in U.S. history, with COVID-19 accounting for about 11 percent of those deaths.

Black life expectancy has not fallen so much in one year since the mid1930s, during the Great Depression.

Health officials have not tracked Hispanic life expectancy for nearly

as long, but the 2020 decline was the largest recorded one-year drop.

The abrupt fall is “basically catastrophic,” said Mark Hayward, a University of Texas sociology professor who studies changes in U.S. mortality.

Killers other than COVID-19 played a role. Drug overdoses pushed life expectancy down, particularly for whites. And rising homicides were a

small but significant reason for the decline for Black Americans, said Elizabeth Arias, the report’s lead author.

Other problems affected Black and Hispanic people, including lack of access to quality health care, more crowded living conditions, and a greater share of the population in

SEE LIFE ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 22 - 28, 2021

Page 2

NEWS TAYLOR

CONTINUED FROM FRONT said, “I believe Dr. Taylor is the right person to lead our Health Department and pull us all toward shared responsibility.” To Taylor, that means “really being honest with the community about how connected we are, even if we don’t always like to think about it.

“So that means being honest about the data, being honest about what that looks like, and really, truthfully, being honest about what that looks like for different subsets of people and how that may be different. …

And then saying, ‘OK, we’re not into pointing fingers. We’re not playing a blame game. Let’s talk about why we’re in this together,’” said Taylor “… And if you start to think about the fact that the people that you love are part of a larger community, then

STATUE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT forced to leave town by the backlash.

“It was White lash against Black progress and achievement,” said Jackson. “Ida B. Wells was the first to recognize that the cause of this sick, White violence was not sexual, but economic. And for that she was exiled from this city. But here she stands today.”

Jackson called Wells a truth-teller. “…We, too, can be truth-tellers. We, too, can make a difference,” said Jackson. “…This can be our day of new beginnings. This can be our day of reconstruction.”

Wells’ life, said Jackson, “reminds us that it doesn’t take a whole lot of us to do what needs to be done. God can do a whole lot with just a few, just a remnant, just a handful … the poor can promote new priorities for this nation. And today, I’m fired up and ready to go.”

LIFE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT lower-paying jobs that required them to keep working when the pandemic was at its worst, experts said.

Life expectancy is an estimate of the average number of years a baby born in a given year might expect to live. It’s an important statistical snapshot of a country’s health that can be influenced both by sustained trends such as obesity as well as more temporary threats like pandemics or war that might not endanger those newborns in their lifetimes.

For decades, U.S. life expectancy was on the upswing. But that trend stalled in 2015, for several years, before hitting 78 years, 10 months in 2019. Last year, the CDC said, it dropped to about 77 years, 4 months.

Other findings in the new CDC report: • Hispanic Americans have longer life expectancy than white or Black Americans, but had the largest decline in 2020. The three-year drop was the largest since the CDC started tracking Hispanic life expectancy 15

it makes it easier to start to talk about shared responsibility.”

Taylor’s parents, who were raised in South Memphis, married at 18.

She was born a week after her mother turned 20. Her father joined the Air Force and after his discharge, the family moved back to Memphis.

Taylor’s mother later enlisted. The military family subsequently moved to Alaska and later to California. She spent most summers back in Memphis with her grandmothers.

Keenly aware that many children in Memphis have few experiences outside of Shelby County, Taylor was asked about how she might address disparities, particularly those regarding health.

“First, I will tell you that that’s a job that’s bigger than any health director or any individual public health practitioner. … Second, it really is about arming people with data.

That’s one thing that I know that the Health Department has done well, particularly over the last 10 years, is start to present that data by ZIP code so people can see it,” she said.

“Across the board, across race and socioeconomic background, when you show people data in that way, in that kind of population way, but still personal, then it motivates people to want to know, ‘Okay, how can I help?

What is it that I can do to try to alleviate this issue?’”

Then, she said, “… you get people ready to have a discussion about all of the other things that play into health, besides just the numbers.

What is your blood pressure? What is your blood count? When was the last time you saw a doctor or a dentist? …

“You can start to have a conversation with people about what it means to be under-resourced and how that plays into disparities. Or, what it

means to be a child living in poverty and how that plays into disparities and how that can follow you for a good portion of your life and health.

I think it’s important for whoever would have stepped into this role to understand that and to be able to work on it.”

Public health is a “marathon, not a sprint,” said Taylor, pointing to Shelby County’s infant mortality rates, which she became familiar with during an earlier stint with the local health department.

“The needle has moved in the right direction, but there’s still a lot of work to do. … And some of it has to do with improved sanitation, improved social conditions for some people, improved opportunities to gain education. … those are the types of things that people don’t always think about playing into health.

“And so it’s important for people who

represent and work for the health department to be able to explain that to the community at large and their part in it.”

A cancer survivor, Taylor notes that her status as a doctor provided here “a level of privilege” regarding access to care options.

“I would love it if we got to a point where women, no matter what stripe, and just people with an illness in general, are getting the kind of care that I received,” she said. “Now what I will say about most providers in this community is they’re doing the best they can for their patients. I truly believe that. But you do have disparities in health.”

Referencing “under-resourced patients,” Taylor said there must be more focused consideration on, “How do we start to work with that type of population so that they can receive care in a way that I received it. …

“I really think that we need to start looking at it in that kind of frame. …”

The ceremony

“…This can be our day of new beginnings.

This can be our day of reconstruction.”

— Dr. Alvin O’Neal Jackson poured into the plaza area and into Church Park.

Gray set the order of the day, detailing the program. Africa in April Associate Director Yvonne Acey introduced Lynn Norment, former editor of Ebony Magazine, as the mistress of ceremony.

Everyone stood for the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” – all three verses. Elected leaders and civil rights organizations followed with tributes, resolutions and words of honor fitting for Ida B. Wells.

Welcoming Wells “back” to Memphis were Mayor Jim Strickland, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen,

Holly Springs, Mississippi Mayor Sharon Gipson, President and CEO of Memphis Tourism Kevin Kane, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway and Downtown Commission President Paul Young.

Dr. Rychetta Watkins brought Wells to life in her characterization of the honoree. Cequita Monique, accompanied by the poignant, woeful saxophone sounds supplied by Ekpe Abioto, belted out a goosebump-triggering rendition of Billy Holliday’s “Strange Fruit.”

After Jackson’s keynote, Michelle and Daniel Duster, Wells’ great-grandchildren, shared their acknowledgement and thanks in brief remarks. Then they led the crowd from the tent for the unveiling of the statue designed and created by Memphis-area artists Andrea Lugar and her husband, Larry.

With Abioto’s African beats punctuating the joy, some were stirred to impromptu dancing in spirit-filled acknowledgement of Wells’ life, work and legacy.

Ekpe Abioto’s drum beats helped set the musical backdrop for the unveiling of the memorial to Ida B. Wells. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

among seniors.

That’s why last year’s decline was just half as much as the three-year drop between 1942 and 1943, when young soldiers were dying in World War II. And it was just a fraction of the drop between 1917 and 1918, when World War I and a Spanish flu pandemic devastated younger generations.

Life expectancy bounced back after those drops, and experts believe it will this time, too. But some said it could take years.

Too many people have already died from COVID-19 this year, while variants of the coronavirus are spreading among unvaccinated Americans — many of them younger adults, some experts said.

Onlookers took a collective breath as the statue of Wells – right hand on her hip, left hand gripping a tribute to her “Free Speech” newspaper – was unveiled. The moment capped the effort of the Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr. and the Memphis Monument Committee.

There was shouting and clapping and music. African drums had played an expectant drum roll as the drapery was removed. As Gray, Wells’ great-grandchildren, both mayors and others gazed upon the statue, phone cameras and those wielded by professionals captured the moment.

The morning started with a parade down historic Beale Street.

Marching in honor of Ida B. Wells.

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises) By the time the ceremony set for 11 a.m. began, a crowd had assembled under a tent at the plaza as a band entertained jazz-style. Waves of people

years ago.

• Black life expectancy dropped nearly three years, to 71 years, 10 months. It has not been that low since 2000.

• White life expectancy fell by roughly 14 months to about 77 years, 7 months. That was the lowest the lowest life expectancy for that population since 2002.

• COVID-19’s role varied by race and ethnicity. The coronavirus was responsible for 90 percent of the decline in life expectancy among Hispanics, 68 percent among white people and 59 percet among Black Americans.

• Life expectancy fell nearly two years for men, but about one year for women, widening a longstanding gap. The CDC estimated life expectancy of 74 years, 6 months for boys vs. 80 years, 2 months for girls.

More than 80 percent of last year’s COVID deaths were people 65 and older, CDC data shows. That actually diminished the pandemic’s toll on life expectancy at birth, which is swayed more by deaths of younger adults and children than those

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“We can’t. In 2021, we can’t get back to pre-pandemic” life expectancy, said Noreen Goldman, a Princeton University researcher.

(The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.)

The New Tri-State Defender

July 22 - 28, 2021

Page 3

PERSPECTIVE

An update on President Joe Biden’s promise to ‘Have our Backs’

by Rep. James E. Clyburn BlackPressUSA

July 20, 2021, marked six months that Joseph R. Biden has been President. When I endorsed Joe Biden for President in January 2020, I said, “we know Joe, but most importantly, Joe knows us.”

In his remarks following the endorsement, Joe Biden pledged that, if given the opportunity, he would nominate a Black woman to the United States Supreme Court, something that is long overdue. In his first official act as Presidential nominee he picked a woman of color to be his running mate. And when he was declared winner of the Presidential contest, Joe Biden acknowledged the pivotal role Blacks played in his success, declaring that he would “have our backs.”

Joe Biden has accomplished a lot, and a lot remains to be done. I maintain that the best predictor of future performance is past behavior. I also maintain that this country does not need to be made great. It already is.

Our challenge is to make the country’s greatness accessible and affordable for all its citizens. To meet this challenge, President Joe Biden has put together the most diverse Cabinet the country has ever seen, and many of his appointments are history making. Consider the following: • Lloyd Austin, III, the first African American to head the Defense Department; • Cecilia Rouse, the first African American to chair the Council of Economic Advisers; • Janet Yellen, the first woman to head the Treasury Department; • Xavier Becerra and Alejandro Mayorkas, the first Latinos to head

Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, respectively; • Isabel Guzman, the first Latina to lead the Small Business Administration; • Deb Haaland, the first Native American to lead the Interior Department; • Katherine Tai, the first Asian Pacific Islander to serve as the U.S. Trade Representative; and • Pete Buttigieg, the first openly LGBTQ member of a Presidential Cabinet; And, while not the first African Americans to hold these positions, Biden named Marcia Fudge to head Housing and Urban Development, Michael Regan to head the Environmental Protection Agency, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield as Ambassador to the United Nations.

Executive orders On his first day in office Joe Biden signed 17 of his 52 executive orders, and since then, he has taken other significant executive actions. Many of these actions have reversed “45’s” policies that discriminated against Blacks and other minorities, such as lifting the ban on immigration from African and Muslim countries; and repealing the ban restricting federal entities and contractors from holding diversity and inclusion training. He issued a directive to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to shore up the implementation of the Fair Housing Act. And he instructed federal agencies to report later this year on improving equity in their offices, their policies, and their programming.

The Biden Administration has launched an all-of-government effort to expand federal contracts with small and disadvantaged businesses (SDB).

Today, just 10 percent of federal contracts are with SDBs, and President Biden has set a goal to increase that by 50 percent by 2026, translating to an additional $10 billion investment over the next five-year period.

To further fulfill his promise to “Build Back Better,” President Biden has launched some unprecedented legislative initiatives: three of which are the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the American Jobs Plan, and the American Families Plan. The American Rescue Plan has been signed into law and the benefits of its centerpiece, the Child Tax Credit, began reaching the American people on July 15th.

Child Tax Credit (CTC) Experts say that expansion of the CTC will decrease the children living in poverty by half, with an even greater decrease among Black children. It is putting up to $3600 per child under 6 and $3000 per child ages 6 through 17 into parents’ pockets, starting with monthly payments over the next 6 months, to help families get back on their feet after COVID 19’s devastation.

Black farmers The ARP contains $5 billion to right the wrongs visited upon Black farmers by the Department of Agriculture for nearly a century, wrongs that resulted in huge losses of land and wealth. Now, Stephen Miller, a former White House Senior Advisor to “45,” has formed the “American First Legal Foundation,” and they are suing to deny relief to Black farmers.

The judiciary While the opportunity to appoint a

Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC), House Majority Whip: “I just completed six town halls where I heard from some who feel that much more needs to be done; and I agree.”

Black woman to the Supreme Court has yet to present itself, we can look at Biden’s appointments to lower courts to know that he is keeping his word to “have our backs.” Biden has gotten eight judges confirmed, the most at this point in a presidency since Nixon. There is a sense of urgency considering that “45” stacked the court with 230 new judges, several of them declared unqualified by the American Bar Association. To date, Biden has nominated a total of 32 federal judges including several of whom are Black, Hispanic, and Native American; and the first Muslim American nominated to the Federal District Court.

HBCUs The ARP invests in historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority serving institutions (MSIs). This legislation includes a record $3 billion in funding for these institutions, which can be used to support vulnerable students, monitor and suppress the coronavirus, and reengage students whose education was disrupted by the pandemic. There is also a temporary student loan debt relief provision included in the ARP, which dropped student loan interest to 0 percent and extends a pause on payments through September 30 of this year. The leg-

islation also makes any debt forgiveness non-taxable.

Going forward I just completed six town halls where I heard from some who feel that much more needs to be done; and I agree. I also heard that reparations need to be made a priority. I agree with that as well but will not wait for legislation to pass before making some much-needed repairs.

Ours is not an autocratic system.

The legislative process is very deliberative with a significant number of checks and balances. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s programs seeking equity and fairness for Black Americans were not accomplished all at once. The 1964 Civil Rights Act did not apply to the public sector until it was amended in 1972. The 1965 Voting Rights Act was gutted by the Supreme Court eight years ago. The Fair Housing Act became law in 1968, and we are still beseeched by “redlining” in home sales and lending. Yes, much more needs to be done.

I can assure you that work on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and H.R.40 (Reparations Study) are just a few priorities of mine and the Congressional Black Caucus.

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, July 22 - 28, 2021, Page 4

Sounding the alarm: COVID incompetence putting state’s children, educators in harm’s way

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Just when you think things couldn’t get any worst, this happens!

Last week, amid pressure from Republican lawmakers, the Tennessee Department of Health fired Dr. Michelle Fiscus, medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs. The firing came as a total surprise and without cause or explanation.

Dr. Fiscus responded with a blistering 1,200word rejoinder in which she said how ashamed she was of Tennessee’s leaders.

Fiscus accused legislators of using her as a scapegoat and that she was terminated to appease state lawmakers angry about the department’s efforts to vaccinate teenagers against coronavirus.

According to Fiscus, the agency has been dialing back efforts to vaccinate teenagers since June.

They also made critical changes to its overall vaccination outreach initiatives by rolling back significantly the dissemination of vaccine information to and for minors, which was not limited to just COVID-19, but all vaccines.

To make matters worse, they are threatening to dissolve and reconstitute the entire Tennessee Department of Health in order to quell its vaccine marketing efforts to minors.

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) blasted the firing of Fiscus, saying she was “sacrificed in favor of anti-vaccine ideology.”

These actions have gotten the attention of the national media and the White House. As a result, Tennessee seems to have now become the poster child of the anti-vaccine movement in this country.

But make no mistake about it, this kind of disruption will further hinder our state’s fight against the pandemic and negatively impact school openings in the coming weeks.

Thankfully, both the Shelby County Health Department and Nashville’s Metro Health De-

partment released statements last week, saying they would not follow state guidance and would continue promoting childhood vaccinations.

Apparently, the goal of Republican lawmakers is to vaccinate as few of our citizens as possible.

Curtis We seem to be competWeathers ing with Mississippi and Alabama for the lowest vaccination rate in the country; they are both tied at 33 percent. Tennessee is not far behind at 38 percent.

As of last week, the vaccination rate in Shelby County was only 35 percent.

In recent weeks, the spread of COVID-19 and other variants in Shelby County has been getting worst, not better.

After months of declining infections, the average number of new cases per day has more than doubled in the past two weeks. In addition, the average positivity rate in the same period jumped from 2.2 percent to 5.4 percent.

Doctors say they are beginning to see more and more young people with severe illnesses.

Health experts are concerned that not enough people are getting vaccinate and, as a result, more people will continue to get sick and die “unnecessarily.”

We need to sound the alarm.

The political leadership in Nashville — legislature and governor’s office — puts our children’s health and safety at risk by sowing confusion and undermining the state’s vaccine rollout.

All Tennessee schools are expected to return to in-person learning next month when the 2021-2022 school year begins.

The start of this school year, however, could be a train wreck waiting to happen when it comes to the COVID-19 virus and its Delta variant, which currently is the dominant virus variant.

It feels as though we’re sailing into a “perfect storm.”

Many educators have yet to be fully vaccinated and will return to a much more relaxed COVID environment in their schools, possibly resulting in more unnecessary sickness and death.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, for example, has called for universal masking in all schools. The academy points out that most school-age children are not yet eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and many schools are not planning to track the vaccination status of students, teachers and staff.

The combination of new variants of the virus, the efforts of anti-vaxxers who want to sow doubt about the vaccine and a bunch of insane state Republican lawmakers who want to continue politicizing vaccine marketing and distribution give me tremendous cause for concern.

I would encourage school leaders to be extra vigilant this year when preparing for school openings.

Strictly enforce pandemic guidelines, flush out your anti-vaxxers and make clear the messaging that will be communicated to students and families.

Vaccines are the safest and most effective health interventions for fighting infectious diseases. Therefore, we should be encouraging our teenagers to get vaccinated.

Teens who don’t get vaccinated are at a greater risk of hospitalization, death or long-term COVID-related complications.

There are people out there who oppose the use of vaccines to fight not just COVID-19 but any and all infectious diseases, and these people actively spread misinformation about their safety and efficacy.

This kind of conduct undermines school systems’ efforts to open and operate safely.

So, to you Gov. Bill Lee and to you Republican state legislators, who choose to flex your political muscle by firing Dr. Fiscus (at this critical time) for no legitimate reason, you have gone too far.

I am appalled at the anti-vaccine rhetoric being spun by conservative politicians here in Tennessee and across the nation. It is mind-boggling.

They are putting their political agendas ahead of sound medical and scientific counseling and making what already is very difficult vaccine messaging even more challenging.

There are very ugly and dire consequences associated with such actions.

Please, stop the insanity. Help our children get vaccinated and our schools open safely.

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

Looking back at the teacher odyssey caused by COVID-19

by Angela Sargent

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

On March 13, 2020, around noon, the announcement came over the PA system, “Teachers, please prepare students for dismissal.

School will be closing early.” Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine what was in store for education, as I knew it, after that day.

Students and teachers, not only of Shelby County, but globally, were sent home for what turned out to be the remainder of the 2019-2020 and most of the 2020-2021 school year. Teachers were instructed after Spring Break to creatively provide classwork to students. The wheels in my head began to turn. Something was happening.

My capacity was being threatened.

I will never forget that day, calling parents trying to explain something I knew nothing about. I was trying not to panic while still engaging my students. The fear of the unknown had already begun to brew. In my 22 years in education, this had never happened before. Little did I know how wrong. Spring Break goes by and we get an email that informs us that school will be closed indefinitely per the CDC. Teachers were instructed to use a virtual platform to deliver instruction, classwork, and homework to students. Things had just gotten real. There was a new superintendent in town (figuratively)--a highly contagious virus

with no cure or antidote, COVID-19. I finished the rest of the 2019-2020 year by sending video messages via Class Dojo twice a day until May 22, 2020.

The summer was isolated and filled with training on Microsoft Teams, a software platform we were Angela instructed to use in order to Sargent make the process smoother. Educators jokingly call it “The Enforcer”. The trainings were mundane but necessary. This was the new way of life, the new way of teaching.

I had to be prepared. Driven by my passion for teaching and my childlike curiosity, I explored Microsoft Teams even more. I consulted fellow educators for advice and short cuts on how to master this platform as quickly, yet effectively, as possible. My students and parents were going to be expecting instruction one way or the other. I had to be prepared.

As August 2020 rolled around, I had created over 20 virtual classroom settings, PowerPoint presentations and slideshows. I had attended all of the scheduled Microsoft Teams trainings.

We were informed that all students would be issued a learning device, a basic iPad loaded only with software needed for instruction and

assessments. I was ready, or so I thought.

The school start date was pushed back until the first week of September. I was losing my mind. Isolated, I was aimlessly trying to prepare for the unknown all while keeping my cool.

Pre-Service began in late August and teachers, along with parents were in a panic. There were a lot of questions about how, when and where learning was going to take place. I held several meetings where I offered comfort and transparency to incoming parents and families.

We walked through logging into the learning device; we discussed possible technical obstacles; we even discussed privacy concerns. As I spoke to parents, surprisingly, I began to experience some sort of ease in knowing they were not expecting a miracle. They just wanted an understanding.

Finally, teachers were allowed into the building, still isolated to their classroom but at least in the building. The fear of catching the virus was at an all-time high. The water fountains were covered with plastic and hazard tape. Stickers were on the floor to ensure 6 feet of distance between all people. Parents were not allowed in the building. All business had to be handled either on the phone or outside in the front of the building. The teachers’ lounge was totally off limits. Staff had to use the restroom closest to their classroom to ensure the virus could be traced to a specific location. The building was

void of the chatter and laughter of children; it was quite solemn.

Despite all of that, my assistant and I hit the virtual world running. None of the slides, PowerPoints, or virtual classrooms worked. What worked were routines and a concrete plan to combat the distractions in each home represented on the screen.

As time went on, our days got easier. Learning was truly taking place. Students were showing up on time eager to participate and be heard.

Parents were our greatest assets in maintaining a calm flow during instruction.

By March 11, 2021, when parents were given a choice whether to continue virtually or return their student to the physical building, I had gotten in the swing of things, yet it was time to adjust again. I have an even-split classroom, ten students in person and ten online. Everyone continued to use their devices, wear masks, and practice strict safety precautions.

I made it a priority to make sure that no matter the students’ location, they would receive my undivided attention and felt valued. Was it an easy task? Absolutely not. However, my capacity as a teacher increased and strengthened.

I committed and gave my all and made sure that they received the best I had to give.

(Angela Sargent is Pre-K teacher at Sea Isle Elementary School.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 22 - 28, 2021

Page 5

RELIGION

Ministers’ workshop at Ida B. Wells event sets course for more ‘difficult’ conversations

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

On the eve of the unveiling of Ida B. Wells’ statue in Memphis, local ministers laid bare their experiences and impressions about race and the ethnic divide that persists.

A Minister’s Workshop, moderated

by Pastor William A. “Bill” Adkins Jr. of Greater Imani Cathedral of Faith, invited participants to discuss, “How to Stay Awake in the Midst of a Revolution.”

Adkins offered a friendly warning that it would be “a difficult discussion.” Pastors and other clergy persons, mostly African American, listened to each other, asked questions, and invited the handful of white counterparts in attendance to share their hearts. Adkins was right. Some moments were very difficult.

Faculty and personnel from Memphis Theological Seminary sponsored the event, holding it at the neighboring Lindenwood Christian Church.

Adkins raised the tenor of the direction quickly.

“I guess my job this evening is to be a provocateur,” Adkins said.

“I wonder, are we in the midst of a counter-revolution?

Republicans used to be the very people who loved democracy, but now they hate it.

They are rolling back voting rights.

Democracy is not friendly to them because democracy demands equality. Democracy demands justice. In Arizona and Georgia, and in other places, so many are trying to inhibit voters from getting to the polls.”

Pastor Darrell L. Harrington, of New Sardis Baptist Church, ushered in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with an uncanny rendition of an excerpt from the civil rights leader’s final sermon.

“Brothers and sisters, in order to make a difference in the world in which we live, you have to be awake,” said Harrington. The inflection of his words and the rhythmic cadence of speech, were the incarnation of Dr. King’s voice and manner, imitated to perfection. In those incredible, timeless moments, Harrington was Dr.

“Confident Christian Men”...

Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. Church in Orange Mound observed Men’s Day last Sunday (July 18), with the celebration including honorees Dr. Rickey Hudson, Robert Crawford and William Harris.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

King. Dr. King was speaking.

Much was made of Dr. King’s life and work, and the spirit of courage and justice that Ida B. Wells demonstrated here in the city of Memphis. Soon, it was time for participants to speak.

“I have two daughters who grew up in the United Methodist Church,” said Martha Lyle Ford, director of the Center For Faith and Imagination, at Memphis Theological Seminary.

“They have been taught extensively about liberation theology. My youngest daughter said to me about the white church: ‘Why would I pledge allegiance to an institution that has hurt so many people that I love?’ I have hope for the younger generation, but not for the white church.”

Monica Brodie, an African-American minister and recent graduate of Memphis Theological Seminary, said problems persist between the races because people don’t want to admit they have been wrong.

“We have to learn that if we are going to grow, we must learn to admit when we are wrong,” said Brodie.

“We have to just say, ‘My tradition was wrong.’ No one wants to say that Jim Crow was wrong. No one wants to say that slavery was wrong. There are some things we’ve just got to face head-on.”

Dr. Jody Hill, president of Memphis Theological Seminary, told the gathering that “the words being spoken were convicting.” Hill said Harrington invited him to come and march in the streets with him when the protests against George Floyd’s murder were raging in Memphis and all across the globe.

“My brother asked me to come and march,” said Hill. “I have never done anything like that before. I’m a centrist, a moderate, and I know that’s a four-letter word to a lot of folks. I’m a peacemaker. I don’t want to make waves. But I realize that if we don’t say something, we are complicit.”

Hill then conveyed an intriguing conversation he had with an African-American co-worker, who like Hill, has a hearing-impaired son.

“This lady was sharing with me that she has a hearing-impaired son, and she fears for his life every time he goes

Pastor William A. “Bill” Adkins Jr. and Dr. Jody Hill have a frank exchange about race. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell)

Pictured (back row, l-r): Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr., Dr. Jody Hill, Rev. Dr. Alvin O’Neal Jackson, Pastor William A. “Bill” Adkins Jr.; (front row, l-r): Rev. Dr. Kevin Brooks, Pastor Darrell L. Harrington, Rev. Sonia Walker. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley) out,” said Hill. “She is afraid that the police will tell him something, and because he can’t hear, they may see him as being non-compliant. Well, I have a hearing-impaired son, and I have never been fearful about him being pulled by the police. We have made a neighborhood, but not a brotherhood.

I thank all of you for challenging me to be more like Jesus.”

Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr. said in closing remarks that the workshop was significant and “a beginning” of having open and honest dialogue about race, what the issues are, and how “together they can be addressed.”

Adkins issued one last exhortation to attendees to be willing to sacrifice to create a better world for generations to come.

“Always remember it’s not what you say, and it’s not even what you do,” said Adkins. “The question is, ‘What are you willing to suffer?’”

Embraceable ...

Pastor Bethel L. Harris Jr. and his wife, Deborah Greene Harris, were saluted as Collins Chapel C.M.E. Church celebrated Pastor and Wife’s Anniversary (July 11). (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

The New Tri-State Defender

July 22 - 28, 2021

SPORTS

Southwest turns to Jarrett Stephens as athletic director, men’s basketball coach TSD Newsroom Jarrett M. Stephens – a Cleveland, Ohio native with Memphis ties and a decade-plus of experience coaching intercollegiate basketball, is set to become the new athletic director and men’s basketball coach at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Stephens, the assistant men’s basketball coach at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, assumes his new roles on August 16.

“I’m honored to take over a program that not only has a tradition of success built on the shoulders of legendary Coach Verties Sails Jr., but also has had recent success,” Stephens said.

“Our student athletes will represent Southwest Tennessee Community College with integrity, and when people think of our program and department, they will think of excellence.”

Southwest President Tracy D. Hall is looking to Stephens to “advance our program athletically and academically. …

“He has an excellent track record for helping student athletes move on to the next level on the court and in the classroom. His strong ties to Memphis will help him be a powerful advocate who can generate increased community awareness, engagement, goodwill and

“Excited to see that Southwest hired Jarrett.

He will build a winning culture and take them back to the glory days of Coach Sails. Great hire!”

— Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway investment in our students and athletic program.”

Stephens served as assistant men’s basketball coach for Indian River State College (2012-14) and Clark Atlanta University (2008-09). He also served as the associate head men’s basketball coach at his alma mater, LeMoyne-Owen College (2009-10), where he also head coach of men’s and women’s cross-country and director of Intramural Sports.

Stephens, who received a Bachelor of Arts in political science and government at LeMoyne-Owen College (2000) and a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from FAMU (2021), began his career coaching youth as a varsity basketball coach for Treadwell High School (2001) and later coached high school basketball in Ft. Pierce, Florida (2010).

In 2011, he was named the Am-

ateur Athletic Union’s national director of Skills Development for the AAU All-American Camps. He further honed his skills as associate head coach at IMG Academy, a boarding school known for cultivating top high school student athletes.

“Excited to see that Southwest hired Jarrett,” said University of Memphis head men’s basketball coach Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. “He will build a winning culture and take them back to the glory days of Coach Sails. Great hire!”

Josh Pastner, Georgia Tech head men’s basketball coach and former UofM head basketball coach, called the Stephens-Southwest connection, “an excellent fit for both parties. … “(F)or someone who knows how important basketball is to the city of Memphis, coach Stephens will do one heck of a job with that program in that city. Without a doubt coach Stephens will be hanging banners both with academic accolades and championships on the floor in the Verties Sails Gymnasium.”

Integrity and excellence are the building blocks Jarrett M. Stephens plans to employ in taking what he called a “tradition of success” to the next level at Southwest Tennessee Community College. (Courtesy photo)

Page 6

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, July 22 - 28, 2021, Page 7

Whitehaven film studio gets Council scrutiny, OK

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A proposed mixed-use film studio to be located in Whitehaven received the go-ahead from the Memphis City Council Tuesday (July 20).

BLP film studio is planned for the intersection of Scaife Road and Elvis Presley Boulevard. In addition to soundstages, the 85-acre-site, as currently planned, will include administrative offices, a hotel, gift shop and a RV parking area.

Film, television and commercials would be produced there.

“We are anticipating that traditional construction activities will start in the spring of next year,” Jason Farmer, founder and CEO of BLP film studios told the council’s Planning and Zoning Committee.

The Black-owned studio is expected to be phased-in over 2½ years.

The project had been approved by the Land Use Control Board in June.

“This is incredibly exciting. Look, the industry is moving out of the state James of California Farmer into tax-friendly states. I hope the state government supports your endeavor and gets more behind film and television,” said committee Chair Chase Carlisle.

Carlisle, a real estate and development executive, revealed he cut his teeth in Los Angeles working on a Warner Bros. lot for Thunder Road production company.

“My only concern is night time filming. A lot of times ‘call shoots’

can be for 12:30 (or) one o’clock in the morning. Depending on what you are shooting ... there’s car chase scenes being filmed at 1 in the morning.

“You know what, take a camera down to Riverside Drive, we’ll shoot that scene for you. (laughing). I just want to make sure that residents are not disturbed with night time filming that is not going on inside a soundstage,” said Carlisle, referencing the street’s reputation for late-night street racing.

Farmer reassured the committee that he was sensitive to the issue of noise. He too is a Whitehaven resident. Nevertheless, the point struck a nerve.

“If we approve it, I want you to put it in there. If I hear it, close it down.

The reason why I am saying that — Graceland has really disappointed my neighborhood. I am directly be-

hind there. Sound. Whenever they have something, hell, it wakes us all up,” said Councilman Edmund Ford Sr. “I don’t want to hear that. I don’t want your neighbors to hear that. I don’t want you to go out there and promise something if we approve this, you do just the opposite.”

There also was concern that a noisy neighbor would not only annoy existing neighbors, but could also hinder development in an area, which is on an upswing.

“We are an aging community, so the only thing I want to make sure you do is build some buffers. We had an article in the paper about a new gated community on that same street, so we want to make sure we are thoughtful of all our neighbors in the community, because we want that growth in our community,” said Councilmember Patrice Robin-

“If we approve it, I want you to put it in there. If I hear it, close it down.

The reason why I am saying that — Graceland has really disappointed my neighborhood. I am directly behind there.

Sound. Whenever they have something, hell, it wakes us all up.”

— Councilman Edmund Ford Sr. son, whose district includes Whitehaven.

The resolution passed unanimously. Voting in favor were J. Ford Canale, Michalyn Easter-Thomas, Cheyenne Johnson, Martavius Jones, Rhonda Logan, Worth Morgan, JB Smiley Jr., Jamita Swearengen, Jeff Warren, Frank Colvett, Jr., Carlisle, Ford and Robinson.

Its language was amended in committee to scale down a proposed RV park and campground to a RV parking area. It will be set at least 500 feet away from any residential area.

Temprees net street designation

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Seventies soul standouts the Temprees Tuesday (July 20) joined the ranks of Memphis artists who have had a street honorarily named after them when the Memphis City Council adopted a resolution granting the honor.

Joubert Street, between Kansas and Riverside in South Memphis, will be rechristened. The resolution was sponsored by Councilmember Cheyenne Johnson.

The group was lauded for their contributions to Memphis’ musical heritage “It is my honor to have with me and joining us today the famous Temprees. To my far left is Mo Washington, Harold Scott and Del Calvin.

These gentlemen, young men, have been here in the city of Memphis for over 50 years providing community service, as well as singing about and promoting the city of Memphis,” said Johnson.

As part of their “thank you” to the council, the group gave a brief demonstration of their vocal talent.

Councilmember Cheyenne Johnson presents members of The Temprees with a resolution designating Joubert Avenue (from Kansas to Riverside) as The Temprees Avenue. The street name ceremony is set for next month. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises) The vocal trio formed in the mid1960s with members Jasper “Jabbo” Phillips, Harold “Scotty” Scott and Deljuan “Del” Calvin while in junior high. Phillip’s falsetto was featured prominently. By the 1970’s the group signed with We Produce, a subsidiary of Stax Records.

They released three LPs on the label. They also appeared at the Wattstax festival in 1972, held following the Watts riots in Los Angeles. The benefit concert featured several notable Stax artists and later was featured in a hit movie documentary.

By the middle of the decade, they

moved on to Epic records. The personnel changed too. In 1976, they joined the disco craze and scored a hit with “I Found Love on the Disco Floor” with the label. It was their last hit.

They mounted a comeback in 1990.

Ten years later, they released the al-

bum “Because We Love You” with Memphis indie label High Stacks.

A double album box set followed in 2007.

In 2016, they released their fifth album, “From the Heart,” with another retooled lineup, which included Washington’s addition.

SCS will require masks next school year

by Cathyrn Stout Chalkbeat

Masks will be mandatory in Memphis classrooms during the upcoming school year.

District officials will require all students, teachers, and school-based employees to wear face coverings, making Shelby County Schools one of the only school districts in Tennessee to maintain the strict COVID-19 protocol. Other districts, including Metro Nashville Public Schools, have made masks optional for the new school year.

Memphis Superintendent Joris Ray made the announcement Tuesday evening during his report at the Shelby County Schools board meeting.

“These are some 2021 guidance

that I know that many of our parents have been asking for,” he said.

“We’re going to continue to wear masks until further notice.”

Ray added that the decision was driven by the latest guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which recommended masks for all unvaccinated students, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which on Monday recommended masks for all students next school year.

Adults and children 12 and over are now eligible to be vaccinated.

Despite pandemic fatigue and resistance from some groups that refuse to mask up, face coverings have proved to slow the spread of COVID-19. Local health officials and medical experts are particularly concerned about the spread of the virus locally, given the rise of the

more contagious Delta variant and the low vaccination rates in the South.

Only 38.6 percent of people are fully vaccinated in Tennessee, and according to reporting from the New York Times, the state has one of the highest rates of new cases in the country, making it a hotspot for what has been called a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Memphis students will also be required to wear masks on school buses and continue social distancing practices, and they will be discouraged from sharing supplies. The district will use plexiglass barriers and maintain the disinfectant protocols established last school year.

“We’ll continue to monitor the CDC and the Health Department guidance for updates and recom-

“We’re going to continue to wear masks until further notice,” SCS Supt. Joris Ray announced Tuesday. (Photo: SCS on Twitter) mendations,” said Ray. “We want to ensure that all of our employees and students and constituents remain

safe.”

The first day of school for students in Shelby County Schools is Aug. 9.

The New Tri-State Defender

July 22 - 28, 2021

Page 8

COMMUNITY

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Compensation is paid in cryptocurrency (Bitcoin and Etherium). For more information visit our website: www.crypto-goldrush.info NOTICE TO BIDDER(S)

Vaccine advocates sit in on a state legislative committee meeting, Wednesday, July 21, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. Being discussed was the Department of Health vaccine administration following the firing of Dr. Michelle Fiscus, the state’s top vaccine official, after state lawmakers complained about efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccination among teenagers. (AP Photo/John Amis)

In this image made from video, Michelle Fiscus speaks to the Associated Press, from Franklin, Tenn., on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Fiscus, Tennessee’s top vaccinations official, said she couldn’t stay silent after was she was fired this week amid scrutiny from Republican state lawmakers over her department’s outreach efforts to vaccinate teenagers against COVID-19.

(AP Photo)

Lawmakers: Parental OK needed for minors to get COVID shot

by Jonathan Mattise Associated Press

NASHVILLE — Two Tennessee Republican lawmakers said Wednesday they received assurances that the state’s health agency won’t vaccinate minors for COVID-19 without parental consent, doubling back on a decades-old provision about children’s vaccination rights that was a lightning rod in the firing of the state’s top vaccine official.

The announcement came during a meeting of the same legislative panel that last month grilled Department of Health officials — among them, then-vaccine chief Michelle Fiscus. The state has since terminated Fiscus in what she contends was a move to appease some GOP lawmakers who fumed over state outreach for COVID-19 vaccinations to minors. Some even threatened to dissolve the Health Department.

Sen. Kerry Roberts and Rep. John Ragan, GOP co-chairs of the Joint Government Operations Committee, said in a statement read at Wednesday’s meeting that they had met with Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey and a member of Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s office. A spokesperson for the Department of Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the discussion.

According to the lawmakers, both administration officials confirmed during that meeting that it’s not the policy of the Department of Health, Department of Education or the 89 county health departments under the state’s direct control to give the COVID-19 vaccine to children without parental consent, Roberts read in the statement. Six larger counties, such as Nashville

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and Memphis’ Shelby County, are run independently.

The lawmakers did not say the change would limit medical providers outside the government.

Roberts also said Piercey detailed steps taken “to stop any marketing directed at minors.”

The Republicans’ statement didn’t mention Fiscus, who has said the Health Department has stopped outreach for vaccinating minors for all diseases, not just COVID-19, which she has backed up through departmental email records. She has noted that she never said the children’s vaccines program had been halted. The Department of Health has recently directed parents to state websites for information on childhood vaccines.

Roberts and Ragan also sought to defend Republicans in the Legislature. They said they haven’t discouraged Tennesseans from being vaccinated or having their children vaccinated by opposing COVID-19 shots for minors without parental consent and criticizing the state’s marketing outreach on childhood vaccines. They claim the outreach targeted children, not parents.

“Interpreting these two concerns as being anti-vaxxers is intellectually dishonest, it’s lazy and it’s wrong,” Roberts said in the statement.

At issue is a memo sent by Fiscus about Tennessee’s Mature Minor Doctrine, which

traces back to a 1987 state Supreme Court case and allows providers to vaccinate children 14 and up without a parent’s consent.

A Department of Health official’s recommendation to fire Fiscus claims she sent around “her own interpretation” of the doctrine. It also alleged deficiencies in her leadership, citing issues with staff.

Fiscus has said the letter she sent providers was verbatim from documents provided by the department’s chief legal counsel. She provided email records to back up the assertion. She also issued a point-by-point rebuttal to the alleged fire-able offenses and distributed years of positive performance reviews from her supervisor, including as early as last month when she was praised for her “strong leadership.”

Tennessee is one of five states where providers have discretion to decide if a minor is mature enough to consent to vaccination without a parent, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which said 41 other states require parental consent and five others have a self-consent age under 18.

At the June hearing, Piercey said she knew of only eight times this year when Tennessee’s doctrine was invoked, and three were for her own children, who received vaccines while she was at work.

Roberts and Ragan also blasted “anyone who is bullying, bribing, shaming, coerc-

ing or cajoling an individual into taking the vaccine.”

The two lawmakers listed what they called “unacceptable behavior,” though without providing proof that anything like those scenarios actually happened — demanding football players wear masks and test weekly at their own expense until they are vaccinated; suspending marching band members from the halftime show unless they get vaccinated; segregating vaccinated and unvaccinated children in school; or a county health department paying or incentivizing parents to vaccinate children.

Roberts did not allow discussion on the topic Wednesday, despite having Democrats on the panel who have opposed the state’s direction on vaccines and a handful of Fiscus’ supporters in the audience. Piercey was unable to attend the meeting due to a previously planned trip with her family, a spokesperson said.

Speaking to reporters, Rep. Vincent Dixie, the Democratic Caucus chairman, blasted Republican colleagues for closing off discussion and said they were using “figments of imagination” as examples.

He said the methods that the Republicans decried were the ones they used against Fiscus.

“The same tactics that Sen. Roberts said about bullying, cajoling, ridiculing people, they used them against Dr. Piercey and Dr. Fiscus,” Dixie said.

Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38134 until 9:30 a.m. on August 13, 2021, as shown below: MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REHABILITATION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE. SEALED BID SB-I000687 DUE: August 13, 2021 1. Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead based paint safe work practices and techniques; and Detailed specifications for items above may be obtained in the Shelby County Department of Housing at the aforementioned address beginning July 30, 2021. All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 1075 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 222-2301; or for information in Spanish 901-222-7601. Award recommendations will be posted at the following website http:// www.shelbycountytn.gov/3453/ Contract-Opportunities upon review of the bid opening results.

As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance Eligibility Number prior to the submitting your response. Your EOC number must be displayed on the outside of your envelope for each bid submission.

Reminder: Effective January 2020, in order for your bids to be accepted on projects, contractors must have met with the Housing Site Inspector and received a receipt for the current Shelby County Housing Construction and Rehabilitation Specifications Manual. Interested contractors not currently on the contractor list should contact the Department of Housing in order to schedule a meeting with the Housing Site Inspector. If you are currently on the contractor list but have not received a receipt for the current Construction and Rehabilitation Specifications Manual, please schedule an appointment to do so.

The label, which is attached to the specifications shall be completely filled out and attached to the bid submission envelope.

You must display your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number or your Locally Owned Small Business (LOSB) Number on the outside of your envelope and a copy of all licenses and insurance policies must be included in your submitted bid package.

Unless the label is completely filled out and your current E.O.C. Eligibility Number is noted thereon your bid may be returned to you unopened. Should your label be lost or misplaced, please note the appropriate information in the lower lefthand corner of your envelope.

The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs.

The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.

By order of

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LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Scott Walkup, Administrator 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: V Jones Logistics Tax Parcel #: 0740340D000700 Tax Sale #: 1701 Price Offered: $1,320 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 20, 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: The River Land Company, LLC Tax Parcel #: 06100400000640 Tax Sale #: 1701 Price Offered: $3,300 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 9:00 a.m. on August 20, 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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The New Tri-State Defender

July 22 - 28, 2021

Page 9

NEWS

Celebrating Ida B. Wells’ life, work & legacy Ida B. Wells’ birthplace is a museum in Holly Springs, Mississippi, where her birthday was noted (July 16) during a banquet linked to the statue unveiling in Memphis.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

The Memphis Memorial Committee saluted contributions to the civil rights/ human rights journey with awards bearing the likeness of the Ida B. Wells statue. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/ GSW Enterprises)

The unveiling last Friday (July 16) of the statue of Ida B. Wells, which stands in Ida B. Wells Plaza at Beale Street and Fourth Street in downtown Memphis.

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Cequita Monique and Ekpe Abioto moved the crowd with Billy Holliday’s “Strange Fruit.” (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Marching in honor of Ida B. Wells.

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Among the many notables at the unveiling were (r-l) Rep. Steve Cohen, Pastor William A. “Bill” Adkins Jr. and the Rev. Dr. Kevin Brooks. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

The Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr. presents the Trailblazer Award to James Meredith, who integrated the University of Mississippi. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

The New Tri-State Defender

July 22 - 28, 2021

Page 10

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Real Talk, Real Change returns with a candid discussion, in episode three, on the racial disparities in our education system, and more importantly, what can be done to rebuild it.

Hosted by Carlos Watson

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