The New Tri-State Defender - July 28-August 3, 2022

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July 28 - August 3, 2022

VOL. 71, No. 30

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Outrage mounts after Oakland, Tn. man beaten in parents’ home after traffic stop

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Brandon Calloway only had been back in Oakland, Tennessee an hour about 7:30 p.m. July 16 when three law enforcement officers beat him in his parents’ home.

“My son had just driven here from Chattanooga to see a couple of people in the Memphis area,” said Edward Calloway, Brandon Calloway’s father. “Brandon ran out for a couple of Door Dash runs, and he was on his way home when this horrific ordeal took place. We still can’t believe it happened.”

What happened is Brandon Calloway was brutally beaten by law enforcement officers inside his home after officers tried to stop him for allegedly running a stop sign.

The incident, including video and photos showing the severity of the officers’ assault, has garnered national media coverage.

Brandon Calloway According to Brandon Calloway, 25, two Oakland police officers and a sheriff’s deputy forced their way into the Calloway home after a failed traffic stop, and savagely beat him as they chased him through the house.

Calloway was beaten with a baton and repeatedly shocked with a taser gun. One officer stood on Calloway’s

SEE BEATEN ON PAGE 2

Stretch fun for early voting…

A bloodied Brandon Calloway in the hand of law enforcement officers after he was beaten inside his parents’ home following a traffic stop. (Courtesy photos)

A coalition of women’s groups encouraged early voting during a nonpartisan “Women Vote Early” rally at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, 70 South Bellevue at Jefferson, last Saturday (July 23). Early voting runs through July 30. For related information and stories, see Pages 6, 7 and 10. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

COVID-19: Where do we stand?

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The Renasant Convention Center this week took on a decidedly judicial look as the venue for the 97th Convention of the National Bar Association. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

National Bar Association girds up to push back against a rollback of basic rights

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

More than 1,000 predominantly Black judges and lawyers from across the nation gathered in Memphis this week (Sunday, July 24 through Friday, July 29) for the 97th Convention of the National Bar Association (NBA).

The Ben F. Jones Chapter of the NBA is hosting the convention at the Renasant Convention Center.

The July 24 kickoff featured a call to order by outgoing NBA President Carlos Moore, a judge from Grenada,

Mississippi. A financial report, the organization’s year in review, and announcements brought members current on NBA’s present state.

Monday featured breakout sessions on assorted topics.

One of the widely attended workshops was a special gathering of judges and others interested in the judiciary.

Session moderator, Moore, called 2022, “Jim Crow Era 2.0.”

Moore said, “The Supreme Court has just changed life as we know it for women in this country. We must deliberate about who we elect. This is not a game.

“Just think of it: If we all died today, our children would be left in a world with fewer rights than we have enjoyed. We must intentionally elect people who will be on our side.”

The “rollback of affirmative action and civil rights” was a recurring theme as Moore and others expressed the importance of judge actions in a “reversion back to blatant racist” in the law, in schools, in conservative churches, and the marketplace.

Other sessions focused on themes touting the importance of Black prosecutors in the American justice sys-

Soon after President Joe Biden was diagnosed with COVID in mid-July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) later confirmed that the strain infecting him was the Omicron variant, the most dominant in the U.S. As are other health departments and local governments throughout the country, the Shelby County Health Department is closely watching the local rate of infection.

A full-blown, viral-infection crisis is just “not going to happen” as things stand now.

“Everyone must first understand that those days of uncertainty and the lack of tools to effectively fight against any COVID strain are over,” said Shelby County Health Department Medical Director Dr. Bruce Randolph.

“We have vaccines. We know so much more about how the virus behaves, and we understand more

about immunity as it relates to COVID.” Meanwhile, Health Department officials are celebrating an uptick in daily vaccinations. The rate has gone from 245 to 400 over the past week, according to health department director, Dr. Michelle Taylor.

She attributed the rise in vaccinations to the continued campaign effort to combat vaccination hesitancy.

Health officials acknowledge that the spread of the Omicron variant may not be fully reflected in statistics presently logged in Shelby County.

Randolph said getting an accurate count for daily infection rates is difficult because of the widespread use of home testing.

“Presently, on a seven-day average, there are 320 reported cases of Omicron,” said Randolph. “But there may be two to three times more detected at home. People are not required to report positive re-

SEE COVID ON PAGE 2

SEE BAR ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 28 - August 3, 2022

Page 2

NEWS

BAR

CONTINUED FROM FRONT tem, as well as Black judges.

Other compelling themes on the confab’s agenda were critical race theory, protecting the Black vote in 2022 and beyond, judicial ethics, environmental justice, and other topics dealing with racial justice.

“The National Bar Association was started at a time when African Americans could not be a part of the American Bar Association,” said Moore. “It is ludicrous to think that our organization is no longer relevant because we can now join the American Bar. The strides made in civil rights and human rights are being quickly snatched away. The National Bar Association is as relevant now as it ever was.”

Memphis Branch NAACP president and civil rights attorney Van Turner Jr., who also is a Shelby County commissioner, praised the NBA as an organization tasked with articulating and representing “certain interests of African-American people.”

“Affirmative action has been diminished by conservative activism in legislation,” said Turner. “The same thing is happening with other issues that directly affect us. What we have to do is push back and fight for actions that are making things more difficult for Black people.

“The reversal of Roe v.

COVID

CONTINUED FROM FRONT sults, only labs report. Hospitalizations have bumped up slightly, but not significantly in any way.

“Many people have some level of immunity because of a past infection or receiving a vaccine. Cases are mild, causing a level of discomfort for the patient, but not severe or life-threatening, for the most

BEATEN

CONTINUED FROM FRONT head as he lay unconscious on the ground outside.

“Brandon continues to have headaches, and he is complaining about light sensitivity in that right eye,” said Edward Calloway.

“And, of course, there are the nightmares. He has nightmares from the extreme trauma. He’s getting in to see a therapist this week. We’re still trying to get him to a neurologist.”

Graphic video and photos of a bloodied Calloway being dragged out of the house onto the driveway sparked outrage and a call for the officers involved to be charged with crimes stemming from the brutal beating.

“Of course, I have been in touch with the Fayette County DA’s office,” said Andre C. Wharton, the Memphis-based attorney for Brandon Calloway.

“The first thing we are concerned with is the disposing of any charges against my client so that stress can be removed.

Secondly, my client is a victim (in) both a criminal and civil case.”

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is conducting an independent probe of the incident at the request of 25th Judicial District Attorney General Mark Davidson, according to the TBI. Several important pieces of evidence, including body camera footage, have not be released by authorities.

“Certainly, we are waiting

Carlos Moore (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow)

(Lonita Baker (incoming NBA president)

Rep. G.A. Hardaway

Van Turner Jr.

Famed attorney civil rights attorney Benjamin L. Crump (Center) attended the National Bar Association Convention in Memphis. Also pictured: Atty. Andre Wharton (left), Criminal Court Judge Gina C. Higgins (third from right) and attorney Van Turner Jr. (second from right), who is president of the Memphis Branch NAACP. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

Wade was a tremendous setback, but the way we fight is to build back our presence in the state legislatures, in Congress, and the Senate.”

Turner said there is “no immediate resolution for taking back what was lost in the Supreme Court’s decision against Roe. But organizations that formerly provided services for women’s heath must help poor

and minority women mitigate the devastating effects of the ruling by supporting travel options and providing information to women. Funding must be provided to help women work through their dilemmas.”

Tennessee state Rep. G.A. Hardaway, a Memphis Democrat, in closing remarks of the judicial session, welcomed NBA to the city, but also is-

sued a challenge to the congregate of legal minds.

“I challenge you, while you are here in Memphis, to soak up the history and culture,” said Hardaway. “The dream died here in Memphis all those decades ago, but millions of dreams have been born here since that time. Work for equity and equality in the law.

Lawyers are our soldiers on the front lines. Voting rights are being taken from our people. We are in another post-Reconstruction era. Never give up that fight.”

Thursday’s closing session will see Moore pass the gavel to President-Elect Lonita Baker.

Founded in 1925, the NBA has a membership of about 66,000 Black lawyers, judges, law professors and law students.

part.”

According to the CDC, the Omicron variant may be more transmissible than some earlier strains of COVID. However, the severity of the infection in an individual may depend on vaccination status. Regardless of whether symptoms are showing, the infection can be spread to others.

The severity of symptoms can be affected by a person’s age and health condition.

Preliminary data suggest that Omicron may cause more mild effects, although some people may still have severe cases, need hospitalization, and could die from the infection with this variant.

Even if only a small percentage of people with the Omicron infection need hospitalization, a large volume of cases in a community could overwhelm the healthcare system. Officials here say higher

vaccination numbers put Shelby County in a great position for maintaining low rates of COVID infection.

COVID-19 vaccines remain the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19 and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging.

This includes primary series, booster shots, and additional doses for those who need them.

While vaccines protect

against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant, breakthrough infections among people who are vaccinated can occur.

People who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and get COVID-19 are less likely to develop serious illnesses than those who are unvaccinated and get the disease.

“We are still urging Shelby Countians to go and get vac-

cinated, if you have not been,” said Randolph.

“Also, any eligible children who can receive the vaccine should be immunized to protect their health. If anyone tests positive at home, they should isolate for five days and wear masks for five days after isolation.”

President Biden emerged from isolation on Wednesday announcing that he had subsequently tested positive.

Calloway to stop, which he refused. When Mr. Calloway was running into the house, he was yelling obscene language stating, ‘this is my f**king house and I did stop for the stop sign,’ according to the complaint.

“Calloway ran inside his house as another officer (from)… the Oakland Police Department, arrived on scene ... The officers determined Calloway needed to be detained and kicked in the front door.”

In their complaint, officers said, “Once Mr. Calloway was taken to the floor, he stopped

resisting and was taken into custody. …

“After being medically cleared for injuries, he sustained while resisting arrest, Mr. Calloway was transported to the Fayette County Criminal Justice Center without any further incident.”

Calloway was held for evading arrest, resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest or search, disorderly conduct, failing to stop at a stop sign and speeding, according to the complaint.

“Why would anyone stand on the neck and head of a human being after beating them unconscious, using a taser re-

peatedly on them, and handcuffing as he lay bloody and helpless on the ground,” said Wharton.

“Things got way out of hand. Brandon Calloway was treated as something less than human.”

Oakland is on U.S. 64 in Fayette County, about 40 miles east of Memphis.

Like Memphis’ other suburban communities, Oakland has experienced soaring population growth over the last 30 years, growing from a population of 460 in 1990 to about 10,000 today.

“It is ludicrous to think that our organization is no longer relevant because we can now join the American Bar. The strides made in civil rights and human rights are being quickly snatched away. The National Bar Association is as relevant now as it ever was.”

— Carlos Moore

“The first thing we are concerned with is the disposing of any charges against my client so that stress can be removed.

Secondly, my client is a victim (in) both a criminal and civil case.”

— Andre C. Wharton for TBI to investigate,” said Wharton. “And how long that will be is hard to say. But we are alleging that two Oakland police officers and one Fayette County sheriff’s deputy used unnecessary, excessive force against him.

“Brandon Calloway was unarmed. We are not talking about a live-shooter situation or an armed robbery in progress. The beating we are witnessing on tape was for a minor traffic (infraction).”

Edward Calloway defended the action of his son when the attempt was made to stop him after allegedly committing a rolling stop at a stop sign near the Calloway home.

“That area is a speed trap, and people are always complaining about getting pulled over,” said Edward Calloway.

“He would not have wanted to stop on an isolated stretch of road with law enforcement officers. Young, Black men are continually mistreated.”

Calls to the Oakland Police Department were answered by a voice recorder. Messages left for a return call to Oakland Police Chief Chris Earl received no response.

Assistant Police Chief Larry Gaines confirmed that the officer who kicked in the door to pursue Calloway with his baton was relieved of duty with

pay.

Names of the officers involved are not being released due to the ongoing investigation.

Wharton charges that Oakland Police Department is negligent for not providing the proper training in de-escalating routine traffic stops.

“I was not home at the time these officers forced their way into my house,” said Edward Calloway. “I believe things would have been quite different if I had been. At least, I like to think so.”

According to Wharton, the screaming on the video is Brandon’s girlfriend and a friend of hers, who shouted to police to stop beating him.

The video ends with one of the women screaming at one of the officers to stop standing on his head.

According to news reports citing the police complaint against Calloway, he is accused of speeding up to 32 miles per hour in a 20-mph zone. An officer followed his vehicle until Calloway turned into a driveway and ran inside his home.

The complaint continued: “Mr. Calloway jumped out of the driver seat and started running to the house while reaching into his pockets. The officer … commanded Mr.

Former Memphis and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Jr. greets the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

The New Tri-State Defender

July 28 - August 3, 2022

NATIONAL

Page 3

102-year-old WWII veteran from segregated mail unit honored

by Jay Reeves Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Millions of letters and packages sent to U.S. troops had accumulated in warehouses in Europe by the time Allied troops were pushing toward the heart of Hitler’s Germany near the end of World War II. This wasn’t junk mail – it was the main link between home and the front in a time long before video chats, texting or even routine long-distance phone calls.

The job of clearing out the massive backlog in a military that was still segregated by race fell upon the largest all-Black, all-female group to serve in the war, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. On Tuesday, the oldest living member of the unit is being honored.

Romay Davis, 102, will be recognized for her service at an event at Montgomery City Hall. It follows President Joe Biden’s decision in March to sign a bill authorizing the Congressional Gold Medal for the unit, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight.”

Davis, in an interview at her home Monday, said the unit was due the recognition, and she’s glad to participate on behalf of other members who’ve already passed away.

“I think it’s an exciting event, and it’s something for families to remember,” Davis said. “It isn’t mine, just mine. No. It’s everybody’s.”

The medals themselves won’t be ready for months, but leaders decided to go ahead with events for Davis and five other surviving members of the 6888th given their advanced age.

Following her five brothers, Davis enlisted in the Army in 1943. After the war the Virginia native married, had a 30-year career in the fashion industry in New York and retired to

“The mail situation was in such horrid shape they didn’t think the girls could do it. But they proved a point.”

— Romay Davis

Alabama. She earned a martial arts black belt while in her late 70s and rejoined the workforce to work at a grocery store in Montgomery for more than two decades until she was 101.

While smaller groups of African American nurses served in Africa, Australia and England, none matched the size or might of the 6888th, according to a unit history compiled by the Pentagon.

Davis’ unit was part of the Women’s Army Corps created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943.

With racial separation the practice of the time, the corps added African American units the following year at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune, according to the unit history.

More than 800 Black women formed the 6888th, which began sailing for England in February 1945.

Once there, they were confronted not only by mountains of undelivered mail but by racism and sexism. They were denied entry into an American Red Cross club and hotels, according to the history, and a senior officer was threatened with being replaced by a white first lieutenant when some unit members missed an inspection.

“Over my dead body, Sir,” replied the unit commander, Maj. Charity Adams. She wasn’t replaced.

Working under the motto of “No Mail, Low Morale,” the women served 24/7 in shifts and developed

a new tracking system that processed about 65,000 items each shift, allowing them to clear a six-month backlog of mail in just three months.

“We all had to be broken in, so to speak, to do what had to be done,” said Davis, who mainly worked as a motor pool driver. “The mail situation was in such horrid shape they didn’t think the girls could do it. But they proved a point.”

A month after the end of the war in Europe, in June 1945, the group sailed to France to begin working on additional piles of mail there. Receiving better treatment from the liberated French than they would have under racist Jim Crow regimes at home, members were feted during a victory parade in Rouen and invited into private homes for dinner, said Davis.

“I didn’t find any Europeans against us. They were glad to have us,” she said.

The 6888th previously was honored with a monument that was dedicated in 2018 at Buffalo Soldier Military Park at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. But immediately after the war, members returned home to a U.S. society that was still years away from the start of the modern civil rights movement with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas helped shepherd the bill to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the unit.

“Though the odds were set against them, the women of the Six Triple Eight processed millions of letters and packages during their deployment in Europe, helping connect WWII soldiers with their loved ones back home, like my father and mother,” Moran said in a statement earlier this year.

(Jay Reeves is a member of AP’s Race and Ethnicity Team.)

Arm yourself against Covid.

Get your vaccination today.

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Romay Davis, 102, poses with a photo showing her during World War II, at her home in Montgomery, Ala., Monday, July 25, 2022.

Davis is being honored for her service with the all-female, allBlack 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, which got mail to U.S. troops in Europe during the war. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

In this image provided courtesy of the National Archives, members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-female, all-Black unit formed during World War II, are shown in an undated Department of Defense photo. Surviving members are being recognized following President Joe Biden’s decision to sign a bill authorizing the Congressional Gold Medal for the unit.

(Photo: Courtesy of National Archives via AP, File)

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, July 28 - August 3, 2022, Page 4

Buckle up for an unparalleled start to a new school year

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The start of school always has been an exciting time of the year for many reasons.

I always looked forward to “the first day of school” and hearing about everyone’s summer vacations and new expectations.

But we are about to embark upon an unparalleled start to the school year for Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

The district has a formidable list of issues and circumstances to navigate over the next 10 months.

Curtis There is a laundry list of challengWeathers es that potentially could derail any momentum our school leaders might have generated this last school year.

How we manage these challenges could negatively impact our children’s academic growth and development well into the future.

Let’s look at some of these issues.

Our superintendent First and most important, we have a leadership void at the very top of the organization.

Our superintendent, Dr. Joris Ray, is on administrative leave because of allegations of sexual impropriety. An investigation is underway. The school board has handed over leadership of the district to two of his top assistants.

Not only does his absence leave a huge void at the top of the organization, but the allegations against him are the worst kind of embarrassment a school system could imagine.

His situation certainly will be a seismic distraction throughout the entire school year and potentially shift our attention from the education and welfare of our children to the sordid soap opera of the investigation into the accusations against him.

I think when all is said and done, we will find ourselves looking for a new superintendent before the end of the calendar year.

So, brace yourselves everyone. This could be ugly.

We are trending up Our schools this year will be challenged first and foremost with improving students’ academic achievement as measured by their TCAP performance.

The district seems to have adopted a new mantra, “trending up,” based on last year’s TCAP performance. I am starting to hear that phrase a lot from district leaders.

Keep in mind that we have a very deep hole to dig ourselves out of. Our TCAP scores are among the lowest in the state and have been for quite some time.

While we are indeed “trending up,” we have a lot of work to do to get to a respectable level of performance.

Memphis Shelby County Schools devised the TCAP PERFORMANCE tour to provide MSCS families with information about the district’s performance, school registration and more. getting off to a great start, if possible.

Unfortunately, the district is dealing again with a significant shortage of classroom teachers. There are simply not enough teacher applicants out there to fill all the vacant positions in our schools.

According to reports, Memphis-Shelby County Schools has more than 200 vacant teacher positions and may only be able to fill a fraction of these positions before the start of school next week.

The pandemic has tremendously impacted teacher morale and caused thousands to rethink their decisions to enter the teaching profession.

But this is not just a local problem. Large school systems throughout the country are dealing with the same issues in their communities.

Districts are doing all they can to recruit new teachers.

In Texas, for example, some districts have reduced their work week from five to four days to attract more applicants for their open teacher positions.

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools is offering incentives such as signing bonuses, boosting salaries, and expanded health care coverage. And Tennessee now has a new law that will allow retired teachers to return to work while keeping their retirement benefits.

There is nothing more disconcerting for principals (or

teachers) than having to start the school year with multiple classrooms staffed by substitute teachers.

Forty new principals Speaking of principals, don’t forget, before he was placed on leave, Dr. Ray fired, dismissed, or demoted (however you choose to phrase it) 40 district principals, which of course, left a leadership void at 40 different schools.

It is rare to see so many principals replaced at one time.

We should keep these new leaders in our prayers, they are going to need our support.

Let’s support our schools Again, this school year will be one of the most consequential years we have ever experienced.

To our district leaders who are filling in for Dr. Ray, I wish you well.

To those 40 new principals: Congratulations, what a wonderful opportunity you have.

And lastly, to our teachers and students, let’s do our best to make this a GREAT school year!

(Follow me on Twitter @curtisweathers. Email me at curtislweathers@gmail.com.)

The COVID-19 Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. It has left deep and lasting scars on the educators and students in our schools, and a trail of damage that will take quite some time to recover from.

Infection rates are again on the rise. According to our local Health Department, the Community Risk Level is still “High” in Shelby County.

But we also see a significant uptick in vaccination rates among school-age children, which is encouraging.

I think Dr. Ray did an excellent job navigating our district through the early days of the pandemic. But let’s not let our guards down. We still have miles to go before we can return to a true state of normalcy.

Teacher shortage The start of a new school year always is exciting and especially important to school leaders, teachers, and students. Educators everywhere understand the importance of

Members of the Memphis Shelby County Schools Nutrition Services team gathered at the Board of Education office for their back-to-school in-service last week. The school year begins Aug. 8. (Photos: MSCS Twitter)

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 28 - August 3, 2022

Page 5

RELIGION

During a recent session of Mission Possible: COSM (Church Outreach Service Mission), some of Executive Director Thelma Nelm’s judicial-setting friends introduced youth to the workings of the judicial system. (Photos: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

Mission Possible’s outreach service gives youth a healthy introduction to the judicial system

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Mission Possible has been making it possible for youngsters to dream of professional success for more than 40 years.

Members of the Shelby County judiciary recently partnered with the organization to speak with children about what judges and lawyers do.

Mission Possible Executive Director Thelma Nelms said the quarterly session is part of the organization’s efforts to reach out to at-risk youth.

“We have been focusing our efforts on children in the 38126 ZIP code since the beginning,” said Nelms.

“Back when we were just getting started, 38126 was called the most violent community in the country — not the city, not the state, but in the country. It has come a long way, but there is still lots more to be done.”

General Sessions Court Judge Deborah Henderson coordinated the hour-long workshop with colleagues on the bench as well as a practicing attorney.

“Some of my colleagues are friends

who I can just ask to do something, and they are always ready to help,” said Henderson. “Joining us were Judge Patrick Dandridge, Environmental Court; Judge JoeDae Jenkins, Chancery Court; Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael, Juvenile Court Magistrate Carlyn Addison, and attorney Bill Larsha.”

Nelms felt the session was highly productive, since young people “were exposed to the judiciary.” Children, ranging in age from 10-17, enjoyed the “distinguished visitors who fueled their imaginations,” Nelms said.

“Some of those young people expressed interest in becoming attorneys,” said Nelms. “And one little boy said he wanted to be like Attorney Bill Larsha because Attorney Larsha said he allowed God to lead him. Talking about the Lord leading him as an attorney made such an impact on that child. That was a wonderful moment.”

Nelms, herself, came from 38126.

“I am a living example that a person can give their way out of poverty,” Nelms said. “Good character and the pursuit of excellence can improve the climate in your community,” she said.

Children age 10 to 17 heard from several members of the judiciary establishment during what Mission Possible: COSM Executive Director Thelma Nelms called a “youthinar.”

The July 12 workshop was a quarterly installment of what Nelms calls “youthinars.”

These gatherings with professionals and business owners show children, not only what opportunities are available in each profession, but youngsters also are told about the merits of creating their own opportunities through entrepreneurship.

“These wonderful judges encouraged character building through their

faith, as well as career awareness,” said Nelms. “Judge Henderson, a member at Greater Middle Baptist Church, and Judge Jenkins, at Oak Grove Baptist Church, have participated in a number of activities over the years. They have inspired many.”

Guest speakers also opened a political awakening in some children, Nelms said. One 9-year-old asked judges “what can we do to stop the killing?”

Parents have called the organization’s office to say their children have insisted that they vote, and that they vote early.

Chase Aldridge, 5, presented Judge Henderson with an award of appreciation for her “continuing presence and commitment.”

“It was a pleasure hosting our children in my antebellum-style home,” said Nelms. “It is 125 years old, just a wonderful way to talk about history.

Beautiful things happen when the fire of inspiration is ignited through exposure. We hope to keep on making a difference, one child at a time.”

Mission Possible, according to the website, is a Christian-based organization founded in 1980 by a group of postal workers.

“We were founded on the belief that real Christian service should happen outside the confines of church walls,” said Nelms. “Addressing physical needs of people has as much to do with spirituality as going to church to hear a sermon. Some people have never been inside a church. Our lives must be sermons.”

More information is available at: www.missionpossiblecosm.com.

Recognizing men …

Heavenly guidance…

The Rev. Issac Slack, pastor of Hammond Hill Baptist Chuch in Senatobia, Miss., was the featured preacher during a meeting of the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association on July 12. Drawing from the first chapter of Habukkuk, his sermon was “A Hint from Habukkuk On How To Handle Hell on Earth.”

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

Progressive Missionary Baptist, 394 Vance Ave. (O.C. Collins, Sr. Avenue) observed Annual Men’s Day 2022 on July 24. The Rev. Dr. James B. Collins, the host pastor, was the speaker. The Rev. Vincent D. Rogers was the program chairperson, with William Hubbert, deacon, serving as co-chair.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender)

The New Tri-State Defender

July 28 - August 3, 2022

The New Tri-State Defender

July 28 - August 3, 2022

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The New Tri-State Defender, July 28 - August 3, 2022, Page 8

LENS & LINES

The Stomp the City Iconic Awards gala is designed to heighten awareness about and raise funds to help local nonprofits combat gun violence, domestic violence and other Memphis social ills. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

Gettin’ down for a good cause at the Stomp the City Iconic Awards TSD Newsroom

T

he second annual Stomp the City Iconic Awards unfolded in Memphis this past weekend.

Created by Michael Dockery, president of Telecast Media Group, the Stomp the City Iconic Awards are envisioned as a

tool to heighten awareness about and raise funds to help local nonprofits combat gun violence, domestic violence and other Memphis social ills.

Addressing such problems, particularly gun violence, does not always start with elected officials or in the church said Dockery in a recent interview.

“We’ve got to address gun violence in

our homes,” said Dockery.

The honored guests included Lisa Raye (Iconic Silver Screen Award), Clifton Powell (Iconic Lifetime Achievement Award) and Vickie Winans.

Among the performers featured at the gala event were Ruff Endz, Troupe, HiFive and Sir Charles, Trillville, Gangsta Black and Lil G from the R&B group Silk.

Michael Dockery (left), creator of the Stomp the City Iconic Awards, looks on during this light-hearted moment on stage.

Deborah Marion, the mother of slain former NBA veteran Lorenzen Wright, was among the honorees.

Stacey Merino performs.

State Rep. London Lamar (left) during the Silver Screen Award presentation to Lisa Raye.

The New Tri-State Defender

July 28 - August 3, 2022

Page 9

ENTERTAINMENT

Fans of Toni Morrison will love ‘Miss Chloe’

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

One hundred sixty-three.

That’s how many friends you have on social media and you know most of them, one way or another. There are colleagues on your list, and cousins, friends, and a guy you don’t really remember meeting. You connected to them all somehow and you count them as friends or more.

As in the new memoir, “Miss Chloe” by A.J. Verdelle, keeping in touch with them is always worth it.

When her first novel was in its final stages before release, Verdelle sent out a few precious copies to trusted sources, and one of them made its way to a place she didn’t expect: author Toni Morrison got it, and publicly said she liked the book.

For Verdelle, this was one of those pinnacle-of-life moments. She grew up reading Morrison’s work – sometimes at an age that was “too early” – and to know that her idol read her book was more than Verdelle could dream of.

Even better was that this chance encounter with a book turned into a friendship.

The great author encouraged Verdelle in her writing career and they shared a deep love of language, often laughing over wordplay. Morrison had worked in a library when she was young; Verdelle had worked in a library, and she was a teacher at Princeton. Morrison helped Verdelle to understand how best to mentor her students at Princeton; this, too, and their love of books, allowed the two women to bond.

Over the years, they shared lunches, dinners, and “events in her honor.” They spoke “freely” about “Black people and Black women and Black history and the ways we plotted and planned and managed to press forward.”

And yet, their relationship wasn’t without its problems. There were “two and a half spats,” says Verdelle, perhaps because Morrison could be cold, unkind, overly-opinionated, desirous, and demanding.

A.J. Verdelle (Photo: Asia Goffin) “You had to know Morrison’s work as a whole to be her friend,” Verdelle said. “She would squint at you, and dismiss you, if you came lame. She was exacting. She had high standards. She did not suffer fools.”

Based on the affectionate name that Verdelle called Morrison due to Morrison’s birth name, “Miss Chloe” is a fan’s book, pure and simple. It’s beautifully-written, a love letter to a friendship and to books and reading, and it’s a wonderful peek into the lives of two writers – one, up-and-coming; one, sadly, gone.

And yet, reading it is not without struggles.

The three facets that make this book good also make it hard to stay with. Verdelle’s words are impactful and graceful, but her narrative tends to wander awhile before pivoting back to any individual point, which can be jarring. As for the friendship, Verdelle’s a little too eager to laud hers with Morrison, even when Morrison was mean to her.

Overall, “Miss Chloe” is for Morrison fans, mostly, and it will likely appeal to some writers, particularly those who pen Black women’s fiction.

“Miss Chloe: A Memoir of a Literary Friendship with Toni Morrison”

by A.J. Verdelle

c.2022, Amistad $27.99 360 pages

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, July 28 - August 3, 2022, Page 10

IN POLITICS: The race for Juvenile Court judge

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael is facing three challengers in his bid for re-election, including Tarik B. Sugarmon, who Michael defeated by garnering 54 percent of the vote to Sugarmon’s 46 percent in 2014.

Besides Sugarmon, who is a City Court judge, Michael also is challenged by William Ray Glasgow and Dee Shawn Peoples in the Aug. 4 Shelby County general election.

Early voting began July 15 and ends Saturday (July 30).

The Juvenile Court race is one of the most important judicial races on the ballot given the long-running criticism and discussions regarding how juvenile criminal offenders are or should be handled.

The criticism includes concerns that African-American youthful defenders are overrepresented in the Juvenile Court, as well as the nation’s juvenile justice system as a whole.

This factor is commonly referred to as disproportionate minority contact.

A 2012 U.S. Department of Justice investigation found that the local court was violating children’s constitutional rights, regarding, among other things, adequate legal representation and minority offenders being treated more harshly than white offenders.

The Justice Department installed monitors to oversee the pace of improvements. Federal oversight of Juvenile Court ended in 2018 after it was determined Michael’s administration was in compliance with recommendations.

Child advocates acknowledge that Michael has made improvements in how the court handles juvenile offenders, but they said problems persist, particularly regarding racial disparities in the number of offenders transferred to adult court.

Michael, however, has vigorously defended his administration, acknowledging there were valid issues that needed to be addressed in 2012.

“We have continued to work with the experts in detention and experts on juvenile detention alternative initiatives to reduce the number of children coming into court,” said Michael. “…We continue to limit the types

William Ray Glasgow

Dan Michael of cases coming into detention and still work hard to reduce transports to the center. ... We are now working with a Youth Villages program that takes our toughest kids to try and turn them around before they cause more community heartache. It has worked in other big cities.”

Michael not only stands by his administration’s performance but insists his “vision” warrants another term.

“I want to get the new detention center open for our children and our sheriff’s deputies, who work in that difficult environment,” said Michael.

Another priority, he said, is to keep detention transports at a minimum.

“Transports have been reduced 78 percent, from 800 or 900 a month to just 20 last year,” said Michael.

“Tennessee’s juvenile code does not mention punishment. Rehabilitation is our goal.”

Michael was appointed chief counsel by then- (Juvenile Court) Judge Kenneth Turner in 1995. Turner later appointed him to the bench as a referee in 2001.

Turner’s successor, Curtis S. Person, later appointed Michael chief magistrate and special judge in 2013.

Candidate Glasgow said, “One very important thing that’s just not happening is follow-up on children.

We need to know how the child is doing. There are resources and funding to help families. We need a 90-day probation period… Juvenile probation is broken because probation officers are not allowed to do their jobs.”

Glasgow noted that juvenile cases once “were actually heard by elected judges (instead of judge-appointed magistrates). As it stands now, there is no accountability. While there is a statute, which allows the judge to appoint special judges, magistrates … that law is being extremely abused.”

And, said Glasgow, “Juvenile Court regularly separates families.

Parental rights are terminated, and many times, which isn’t what the child or parents want. Those children are being run through that system like a bunch of cattle. It just isn’t right.”

Candidate Peoples said “outreach and intervention should occur earlier for high-risk children” before they get into trouble.

“I’ve been in family law for more than 20 years. I volunteer in my community. Working with children is the kind of work I do. I have been a DCS

Tarik B. Sugarmon attorney, dealing with issues of delinquency, child abuse, and neglect.”

One problem, said Peoples, is that “Juvenile Court rehabilitation programs are accessed once the child is already in trouble. Outreach and intervention should occur earlier for high-risk children.”

Peoples said early intervention gives the children tools and resources needed to keep them out of trouble.

She added families should not be broken up, and children so quickly removed because parents lose their rights. “…Our children are left with no hope. And children with no hope become suicidal. … A Juvenile Court judge has to meet with his magistrates and tell them they must see Black children as people …”

Sugarmon said his father, noted civil rights activist and attorney Russell Sugarmon, was the first Black to serve as Juvenile Court referee (now called magistrates). Then-judge Ken-

Dee Shawn Peoples neth Turner appointed him.

However, Sugarmon said his father lamented that the system was designed to be oppressive for children and their families.

“My father said it was Turner’s plantation. … Dad finally quit. His hands were tied. Turner ruled with an iron fist. That same system still exists. Look at the Department of Justice findings.

“Even now, Black children are treated more harshly and not likely to receive the leniency afforded white children. My experience as a judge dictates that more equitable and rehabilitative measures be utilized, especially for children. …

“I believe the people of Shelby County are ready for change.”

Shelby County Voter Alliance to hold early voting poll party

Free bus rides to polls on Friday TSD Newsroom

On Saturday (July 30) – the last day of Early Voting – from 10 a.m. to

All forms of violence must cease…

The Rev. Walter Womack, president of the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association, and members of the group denounced gun violence and police brutality at a press conference on Tuesday. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/ The New Tri-State Defender)

1 p.m. the Shelby County Voter Alliance (SCVA) will host a Poll Party at Briarwood Community Church, 1900 N. Germantown Parkway.

“Local Elections have a more direct impact on our day-to-day lives, but most people don’t vote in local elections,” said Ian Randolph, spokesperson for SCVA.

“We want everyone in our community to feel informed and ready to cast their votes, and to celebrate our democratic process together.”

The event will feature music and free food, as well as the opportunity to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election. There also will be drawings throughout the event, giving voters

the chance to win $25 gift cards.

Early voting is Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., except at the Shelby County Election Commission, which opens from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In concert with Memphis Area Transit Authority and the Shelby

County Election Commission, the SCVA is promoting free voter transportation to the polls all day on Friday, July 29, two days before early voting ends.

The entities forged the partnership in March to accommodate voters during the County Primary Elections.

The New Tri-State Defender

July 28 - August 3, 2022

Page 11

NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS

Hattiloo to open theatre school to break down barriers, build community TSD Newsroom Hattiloo Theatre, one of only four freestanding Black repertory theatres in the U.S., plans to open Hattiloo Theatre School, a barrier-free and equitable theatre program for kids, youth, seniors and people with diverse abilities.

According to an announcement this week, Hattiloo Theatre School will reimagine a historic church in disrepair and offer accessible and tuition-free theatre.

“Over the last 16 years at Hattiloo Theatre, we’ve seen how access to the arts can build community, offer economic

opportunity, and provide a space for well-being and h e a l ing,” said Hattiloo Theatre Ekundayo Founder Bandele and CEO, Ekundayo Bandele.

“With Hattiloo Theatre School, we’re investing in a theatre program that will open pathways to the arts earlier and for more people with diverse backgrounds, from the Black community and other vulnera-

ble communities to those with little to no theatre experience.”

Hattiloo Theatre School will be tuition-free and will accept students based on auditions.

Hattiloo will also host free audition workshops in at-risk neighborhoods across Memphis and will reserve two-thirds of admissions for low-income and marginalized students.

Programs will include 4-tier youth courses based on experience level and age, a diverse abilities course, and a senior citizen course designed to support memory and connection.

Hattiloo Theatre School will reimagine the first-ever brick church building in Memphis.

Third Presbyterian Church

was built in 1860 and shortly thereafter became a makeshift hospital for federal troops fighting in the First Battle of Memphis during the Civil War. Through the years, the church changed names and congregations, and eventually ended up in the hands of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) after being deemed a “tax dead” property, or a property with inherited debt. In partnership with the CRA, Hattiloo will lease the building at $1 per year.

With renovations beginning in September 2022, the CRA will fund all fixed renovations to the building and Hattiloo will fund additional theatre

equipment and build-out. Hattiloo Theatre School is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2023.

“The CRA is thrilled to participate in renovating such a prominent historic building in Uptown into a beacon of hope and a place of learning, art and joy,” said CRA President, Andrew Z. Murray. “We know Hattiloo will continue to use their voice and programs to uplift the community and invest in the next generation of artists.”

Bandele founded the nonprofit Hattiloo Theatre in 2006.

(For more information, please visit hattiloo.org.)

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NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Valessa Dunlap Tax Parcel #: 07522900000020 Tax Sale #: 1201 Price Offered: $1350.00 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 September 27, 2022, 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.

Under Tennessee’s 2019 education savings account law, students attending public schools in Memphis or Nashville are eligible to get taxpayer money to attend private schools if their household’s annual income does not exceed twice the federal income eligibility for free school lunches. (Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht/Chalkbeat)

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

Private school vouchers draw interest from 2,185 Tennessee families

by Marta W. Aldrich Chalkbeat Tennessee

Nearly 2,200 families completed forms by this week’s deadline to indicate interest in participating in Tennessee’s private school voucher program in Memphis and Nashville.

But it’s uncertain how many of the 2,185 families and 84 schools will qualify as the state education department works to roll out the program with less than two weeks until the start of a new school year.

Last Friday, attorneys for local governments in Nashville and Shelby County filed a motion calling the launch “rushed” and “haphazard,” and asked judges to block the start of Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account program for a second time while they challenge the constitutionality of the state’s 2019 voucher law in court.

A three-judge panel will hear their request and a similar motion from attorneys representing parents in a second lawsuit against the state.

The Aug. 5 hearing in Davidson County Chancery Court will come just three days before public schools reopen in Memphis and Nashville.

The two lawsuits cite provisions in the state constitution that guarantee equal protection under the law. They argue that while the state is obligated to maintain a system that provides for substantially equal educational opportunities for its residents, vouchers would

create unequal systems by targeting two counties and diverting funds from their public school systems to private and home schools.

Recent filings by their attorneys also blast the state for working to roll out the program in a matter of weeks.

One motion cited statements in court by state officials in the spring of 2020 saying that preparations needed to happen in mid-February to early March to enroll students for the following fall.

Officials with the education department declined to comment Tuesday on the litigation, while a spokeswoman for the state attorney general’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The expedited timeline was set in motion in May when the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the state’s 2019 voucher law. Then, on July 13, a judicial panel lifted a 2-year-old order that blocked the program’s original launch in 2020. That same day, the governor announced plans to resume work immediately to start the program with the upcoming school year.

Within a week, the Tennessee Department of Education had relaunched its education savings account website and invited interested participants to complete single-page forms online between July 19-25.

On Tuesday, spokesman Brian Blackley provided the results and emphasized that none of those forms had been vetted.

The next step is for inter-

ested parties to submit longer, more detailed applications so the department can determine eligibility — a process that will take up to 21 business days. However, online applications are not yet available, and Blackley said more information about those forms will be shared “in the coming days.”

This year’s accelerated timeline means approved students would start classes in public schools on Aug. 8 before transitioning later to a private education. Families also must still get separate applications approved from state-approved private schools that have seats available as the school year begins.

It’s uncertain how many of the interested families and schools want to participate immediately, at the middle of the school year, or at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. The state listed all three as options on its first round of forms.

“We are working to process the forms at this time and will be able to share additional details in the coming days,” Blackley said.

By law, the program is capped at 5,000 students in its first year, and enrollees will receive approximately $8,192 in taxpayer money to attend private schools.

According to online information provided by the department, applications will be processed in the order they are received. Families that did not complete an interest form may

still apply, Blackley added.

In May 2020, when Nashville Chancellor Anne C. Martin overturned the voucher law because it applied only to two cities without their say, 52 private schools had been approved to participate, and about 300 applications from families appeared to be on track for approval. At the time, state officials said they expected about 500 students would participate in the first year, with plans to expand the program eventually to 15,000 students.

As the governor spoke to

private school leaders in Memphis last week, he said he was encouraged by the response so far this year on a faster timeline.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn has said her department will manage the program internally this school year, then plan to use an outside vendor in the 2023-24 school year.

(Marta W. Aldrich is a senior correspondent who covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

July 28 - August 3, 2022

Page 12

SPORTS

As the season looms, Tigers embrace a community-service opportunity

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The University of Memphis football team is a couple of weeks away from fall football camp. Before the team takes on the rigors of practices and weeks ahead of the first game, came an opportunity to reach out and serve the community.

With youngsters from Youth Village as their guests, several players recently (July 17) hosted a mini football camp. They taught practice-and-skill drills to children ranging in age from two years old to teenagers.

The camp was sponsored by Ashley Home Furnishings. Near the end of the camp, Ashley representatives surprised the minicamp participants with news of new beds. Each will receive a bed delivered to their home courtesy of the furniture store.

“What a great morning to be partnered with Ashley and Youth Villages,” said head coach Ryan Silverfield, noting the “opportunity to come out and give back to the community. Credit to our young men who wanted to volunteer their Saturday morning.”

“We receive just as much from this as the participants. Our players understand what this is all about,” said Silverfield. The football team uses the community service projects as a way to also better bond with one another.

Jevonte Porter, assistant director for Community Relations for Youth Villages, said, “We are super excited Terry about the Davis partnership with the U of M and Ashley. This is the third time we have had the opportunity to provide the children in our care with beds.

“It is like Christmas in July. It is important to get a good night’s rest in order to be successful.”

Coach Silverfield and a couple of the football program’s student-athletes will be available on July 28 for the American Athletic Conference football media day.

Memphis is coming off a disappointing 6-6 season and looking to return to the top of the conference football standings.

Memphis will start fall practice on August 3. The season begins with an early test – a road trip to Starkville, Mississippi to play the Bulldogs of the SEC – on August 30. The kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

Community service long has been a big part of the University of Memphis football program, with the aim being to help players become more well-rounded individuals. (Photos: Terry Davis/ The New Tri-State Defender)

Youngsters from Youth Villages were taught practice-and-skill drills by U of M Players during the minicamp sponsored by Ashley Home Furnishings.

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