The New Tri-State Defender - Sept. 10-16, 2020

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September 17 - 23, 2020

VOL. 69, No. 38

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Symposium reflects where views on police reform intersect, divide

by Erica R. Williams

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Caleb Almo (right), a protest organizer and Kirby High School football player, said SCS officials should have included players in the decision-making process about cancelling fall sports. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Cancellation of fall sports fuels a peaceful protest at SCS

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A group of like-minded Shelby County Schools student athletes and their parents gathered outside SCS headquarters Wednesday morning (Sept. 16) to express their anger and frustration with SCS Supt. Joris Ray’s decision to cancel all fall sports because of the COVID 19 epidemic.

“We were all just really sad,” said Caleb Almo, a protest organizer and Kirby High School football player. “I saw all our senior players at Kirby walking with their heads down. We’re just really frustrated.”

A late media advisory Tuesday (Sept. 15) delivered word that “all sports are being postponed until further notice.”

The advisory read in part: “…While we are all virtual (learning), we will not resume athletics. However, as we explore in-person options, we will indeed consider offering families the athletic option to return to play.

“Despite collaborative efforts in the district and locally to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, there is still far too much uncertainty to move forward with athletic practices and competitions at this time…”

Ray said the decision is “yet another un-

For this proponent of continuing the football season, the sign drives home her point. imaginable consequence of an unprecedented time.”

A request for comment from Ray was declined. Media relations officer Jerica Phillips said the superintendent directs the media to

Ray’s released statement and video.

Jaylon Jordan, a junior at Kirby High School, said it was important to be at the pro-

SEE SPORTS ON PAGE 6

UofM, Greater Memphis Chamber form bond to grow local economy

Ted Townsend to lead partnership TSD Newsroom

Memphis economic development veteran Ted Townsend has been chosen to head a new economic development partnership between the University of Memphis and the Greater Memphis Chamber.

The collaboration will focus on growing Memphis’ economy.

Townsend will serve as the partnership’s full-time chief economic

development officer.

“We believe that the alignment and strength this partnership creates will accelerate our efforts to attract and grow companies and to position Memphis for more high-quality job opportunities,” Townsend said.

Townsend has served as chief economic development and government relations officer for the University of Memphis since early 2018. Prior to joining the UofM, he was deputy commissioner and chief operating officer for the state of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

He currently serves as chairman of

the board for Life Science Tennessee, an organization dedicated to bringing more Life Science industry jobs to the state.

“Ted’s economic development experience working at the state level, combined with his expertise in navigating both the government relations and workforce aspects of economic development uniquely positions him for this opportunity,” said Beverly Robertson, the chamber’s president and chief executive officer.

“Most importantly, Ted is a Memphis guy. He has the best interests of this region at heart. He wants Memphis to win. I think that’s a pretty in-

credible combination.”

D u r i n g Townsend’s tenure at the UofM, he helped establish a series of public-private partnerships and led the opening Ted of the UniversiTownsend ty of Memphis Research Foundation Research Park.

In addition to connecting compa-

SEE ECONOMY ON PAGE 2

More police officers are not the answer to combat crime in Memphis and Shelby County.

That was the consensus of panel members at UPtheVote901’s Crime and Public Safety Symposium Monday (Sept. 14). The unanimity was short-lived, however, as panel members soon clashed on other topics related to local police reform.

The panel, composed of a group of elected officials, law enforcement and activists focused on key issues that have been at the forefront of reform talks in Memphis and Shelby County – police defunding, transparency in law enforcement reporting and the need for more or fewer police officers.

Panel members included: Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley; Harold Collins, executive director of Shelby County Office of Re-entry; Shahidah Jones, Official Black Lives Matter, Memphis Chapter, and retired Memphis Police Department veteran Mike Williams, who recently announced his retirement as president of the Memphis Police Association.

UPtheVote901 leader Sijuwola Crawford moderated the discussion.

The symposium comes on the heels of three failed police reform ordinances proposed by some Shelby County commissioners Monday.

One ordinance would prevent the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office from hiring officers with a history of excessive force.

The other would limit the department’s use of chemicals, such as tear gas.

The third ordinance would require the Sheriff’s Office to get the commission’s approval before purchasing military-grade weapons.

Although the proposed ordinances failed to get a majority vote, they still will advance to a second reading at the next commission meeting.

Previously, in another effort to move the needle on police reform, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced the formation of a citizen advisory committee earlier this month. The goal of the 13-member team is to help “re-imagine the Memphis Police Department.”

UPtheVote901 founder, the Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher, who hosted the symposium, has said he’s not confident in Strickland’s committee because of a lack of diversity in opinion among committee members.

“We deeply believe that a better

SEE POLICE ON PAGE 11

The New Tri-State Defender

September 17 - 23, 2020

Page 2

NEWS

Voter/Census Caravan and Neighborhood Clean Up set TSD newsroom Memphis Urban League Young Professionals (MULYP) will partner with the Memphis Urban League and the US Census Bureau to host a Voter Registration/Census Caravan and Neighborhood Clean Up on Saturday (Sept. 19).

The event, which begins at noon, will feature a caravan through one of the lowest Census count areas of Memphis (South of the Medical District).

Drivers will decorate their vehicles with the support of other community partners to encourage residents to complete the Census and register to vote.

The caravan route will begin at L.E. Brown Park and travel throughout the South Memphis neighborhoods near the Medical District. The clean up will be in the area surrounding L.E. Brown Park, 617 Orleans.

Sept. 30th is deadline to complete the 2020 Census.

“With the September 30th Census deadline and the October 5th deadline for new voter registrations quickly approaching, we are putting a lot of effort into increasing community awareness, concern and action through our

caravan and cleanup events,” said MULYP President Ashlee Hafford.

“We have data that shows the areas with the lowest cen-

sus turnout and voter participation are the areas and neighborhoods in Memphis that need the funding, resources and representation the most. ...

“We want community members to be armed with the right information and we are doing all we can amidst this pandemic to ensure Memphians

are taking the necessary steps to make sure they are counted in the census and heard (via) ballots this fall”

(For more information on the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals, visit www.memphisulyp. org.)

“We are more confident than ever that we are assembling the right team at the right time to help build a more prosperous economy for the Greater Memphis region.”

— Willie Gregory ECONOMY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT nies with University resources, Townsend also worked to create more internship and employment opportunities for students.

Willie Gregory, the chamber’s board chairman and director of Global Impact for Nike, said, “We are more confident than ever that we are assembling the right team at the right time to help build a more prosperous economy for the Greater Memphis region.”

Townsend will lead an integrated chamber and university team that will strategically recruit businesses within targeted industry sectors. The team will promote Memphis’ expansive assets, including the highly-trained workforce prepared by both the University of Memphis and the broader set of regional education and training partners.

“An area of need for the Greater Memphis region has been strategic coordination of our efforts with the Tennessee legislature, along with recruitment and retention of business,” said U of M President M. David Rudd.

“This new collaborative fills that gap. There’s no one more qualified and capable to lead this effort than Ted Townsend. His local knowledge is unparalleled and coupled with deep connections across Tennessee. We’re confident this effort will help the positive trajectory of both the U of M and the region.”

Townsend is a graduate of the U of M with a degree in organizational leadership. His work with the chamber will begin immediately and he will transition to full-time employment with the Greater Memphis Chamber by 2022.

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 17 - 23, 2020

Page 3

NEWS

Louisville to pay $12M to Breonna Taylor’s mom, reform police

by Dylan Lovan Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The city of Louisville will pay $12 million to the family of Breonna Taylor and reform police practices as part of a lawsuit settlement months after Taylor’s slaying by police thrust the Black woman’s name to the forefront of a national reckoning on race, Mayor Greg Fischer announced Tuesday.

Taylor’s death sparked months of protests in Louisville and calls nationwide for the officers to be criminally charged. The state’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron, is investigating police actions in the March 13 fatal shooting.

“I cannot begin to imagine Ms. Palmer’s pain, and I am deeply, deeply sorry for Breonna’s death,” Fischer said, referring to Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer.

At Tuesday’s news conference, an emotional Palmer pushed for charges against the officers involved in the shooting.

“We must not lose focus on what the real job is, and with

that being said, it’s time to move forward with the criminal charges, because she deserves that and much more,” Palmer said.

The lawsuit, filed in April by Palmer, alleged the police used flawed information when they obtained a “no-knock” warrant to enter the 26-year-old woman’s apartment in March.

Taylor and her boyfriend were roused from bed by police, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, has said he fired once at the officers thinking it was an intruder. Investigators say police were returning fire when they shot Taylor several times. No drugs were found at her home.

“We won’t let Breonna Taylor’s life be swept under the rug,” said Ben Crump, an attorney for Taylor’s family.

Crump said the $12 million settlement is the largest such settlement given out for a Black woman killed by police. He also called for charges against the officers and urged people to “say her name,” a phrase that has become a refrain for those outraged by the shooting.

Fischer said the civil settlement has nothing do with the

A ground mural depicting a portrait of Breonna Taylor is seen at Chambers Park in Annapolis, Md. this past July (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) criminal investigation.

The news conference was broadcast over a loudspeaker in downtown Louisville and protesters listened as they sat around a memorial to Taylor.

In the time since Taylor’s shooting, her death — along with George Floyd and others — has become a rallying cry for protesters seeking a reckoning on racial justice and police reform. High-profile celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and LeBron James have called for the officers to be charged in Taylor’s death.

Palmer’s lawsuit accused

States face pressure to ban race-based hairstyle prejudice

by Russell Contreras The Associated Press

RIO RANCHO, N.M. – A growing number of states are facing pressure to ban racebased discrimination against hair texture and hairstyles in schools and the workplace.

Advocates this week presented a draft proposal to New Mexico state lawmakers that would outlaw employers and schools from discriminating against Black and Native American women’s hairstyles.

It’s the latest state targeted by a national campaign.

Devont’e Kurt Watson, a member of Black Lives Matter in Albuquerque, told New Mexico lawmakers on Monday that the state should

amend its Human Rights law to protect people with Afros, cornrows, dreadlocks and headwraps. The state should also provide protections for Native Americans who face hair discrimination, he said.

“Passing the (the proposal) in New Mexico will have far-reaching implications to protect our diverse community from egregious acts of hatred,” Watson said. “Hair discrimination is racial discrimination.”

New Mexico Black Lawyers Association President Aja Brooks said job offers have been rescinded to Black women in other states because of hairstyles and that students in New Mexico and in other states have been told in class by teachers their hair was a distraction.

The draft was the first step for a bill that is expected to be introduced in January.

Earlier this year, Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill that made Washington the latest state to pass a version of the CROWN Act. It stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” and is part of a national campaign promoted by Dove, the National Urban League, Color Of Change and Western Center on Law and Poverty.

California, Colorado, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia have already passed similar laws, according to people involved in the campaign. Other states, such as Connecticut, have considered similar proposals but they have not passed.

three Louisville police officers of blindly firing into Taylor’s apartment the night of the March raid, striking Taylor several times. One of the officers, Jonathan Mattingly, went into the home after the door was broken down and was struck in the leg by the gunshot from Walker.

The warrant was one of five issued in a wide-ranging investigation of a drug trafficking suspect who was a former boyfriend of Taylor’s. That man, Jamarcus Glover, was arrested at a different location about 10 miles (16 kilometers)

away from Taylor’s apartment on the same evening.

The settlement includes reforms on how warrants are handled by police, Mayor Fischer said.

The city has already taken some reform measures, including passing a law named for Taylor that bans the use of the no-knock warrants. Police typically use them in drug cases over concern that evidence could be destroyed if they announce their arrival.

Fischer fired former police chief Steve Conrad in June and last week named Yvette

Gentry, a former deputy chief, as the new interim police chief. Gentry would be the first Black woman to lead the force of about 1,200 sworn officers. The department has also fired Brett Hankison, one of the three officers who fired shots at Taylor’s apartment that night. Hankison is appealing the dismissal.

The largest settlement previously paid in a Louisville police misconduct case was $8.5 million in 2012, to a man who spent nine years in prison for a crime he did not commit, according to news reports.

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, September 17 - 23, 2020, Page 4

The redlining of Black communities, racial covenants, real estate steering and restrictive zoning laws that together perpetuated segregated housing were never acknowledged.

(Photo: iStockphoto/NNPA)

Police violence linked to segregated housing

by Charlene Crowell NNPA Newswire

The August 23 police shooting of an unarmed Black man in Kenosha, WI, triggered yet another round of community protests and national news coverage of a Black man. A series of multiple gunshots fired by a local police officer, were not fatal for 29-year old Jacob Blake; but may have permanently paralyzed him from the waist down.

Days later on August 28, the National Action Network served as a major organizer for a Commitment March, rededicating the yet unaddressed dreams of the historic 1963 March on Washington. Assembled again at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial, the day’s speakers spanned nationally-known leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, and Attorney Ben Crump to the family members of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and others.

The irony is that despite the passage of nearly 60 years between the original march and its 2020 recommitment, many of the issues that have plagued Black America remain the same. Black America and other people of color still cry for justice, equality, and freedom. Yet noticeably, what formerly focused national attention on events in Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham have now emanated from Ferguson, to Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland and other locales.

Why measurable forward strides in policing, or economic progress have remained elusive after decades of calls for reforms may partly be explained by the findings of a new policy analysis by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis.

Using U.S. Census Bureau data, Ana Hernandez Kent, a policy analyst with the St. Louis Fed, found that America’s racial poverty gap continues to suppress social and economic justice. Moreover, Wisconsin, not a southern state, claims the dubious distinction of having the largest poverty gap in the nation.

Nationally the St. Louis Fed found that in 2018, Black households earned 61 cents for every $1 of White household median income. Further, the Black/White median household income gaps ranged from

87 cents per dollar in Maine and Hawaii, down to 32 cents per dollar in the District of Columbia. The disparity in median translates into 22 percent of all Black Americans living in poverty, a gap of 13 percent compared to Whites who are poor.

Wisconsin’s gap is 23 percent.

“In noting the socioeconomic indicators of median income, poverty rates and health insurance rates, I found that White people had more favorable outcomes than Black people in every state,” wrote Hernandez Kent.

Poverty’s racial disparity extends to other key measures such as median incomes, homeownership and retirement.

Even with the enactment of the Fair Housing Act more than 50 years ago, today’s Black homeownership rate is dwindling. According to Ohio State University professor, Trevon Logan, “The homeownership gap between Blacks and whites is higher today in percentage terms than it was in 1900.”

Prof. Logan’s position is bolstered by findings from a 2020 report by the National Association of Realtors, “A Snapshot of Race and Homebuying in America” that found: * 62 percent of Black mortgage applicants were rejected because of their debt to income ratio, compared to only 5 percent of Whites; and * 51 percent of Blacks are first-time homeowners, compared to only 30 percent of Whites.

Moreover, since the Great Recession that heavily hit Black homeowners a decade ago, today’s Black homeownership rate has yet to return to pre-recession levels.

With lower and life-long disparities in median income earnings, the ability to prepare for retirement is hindered as well.

Social Security figures each worker’s retirement benefit on the basis of a taxpayer’s 35 highest-earning years. With lower incomes and a corresponding lack of monies available for savings or retirement, Charlene Black Americans rely Crowell on Social Security more than other races and/or ethnicities. Now, for much of Black America, Social Security is a financial lifeline and often the major retirement benefit.

In sum, it seems that in 2020, historic ills remain virtually unchanged. A key component of what continues is police violence against Black America.

In 1963, escalating racial tensions that worsened with growing numbers of peaceful protests that became violent by counter-protesters and led to multiple arrests, prompted President John F. Kennedy to deliver a nationally televised address on America’s racial reckoning.

“One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free”, he continued. “They are not free from the bonds of injustice. They are not yet freed from social and economic oppression. And this Nation, for all its hopes and all its boasts, will not be fully free until all its citizens are free.”

Fast forward and it is nearly inconceivable that the current president would deliver such an address. In fact, President Trump and HUD Secretary Ben Carson co-authored a recent op ed in the Wall Street Journal that portrayed mixed income neighborhoods as “social engineering.”

The redlining of Black communities, racial covenants, real estate steering and restrictive zoning laws that together perpetuated segregated housing were never acknowledged in the guest column.

In response, Nikitra Bailey of the Center for Responsible Lending recently spoke with ABC News saying that the suburbs “intentionally created opportunities for White families while holding back opportunities for families of color…What

we are really talking about is opportunity in our nation.”

With escalated violence in a growing number of cities occurring just months before an election, everyday citizens and scholars are echoing community and national leaders on the connection between key policies like housing segregation to violent eruptions.

Last December, the Journal of the National Medical Association, the professional organization of Black physicians, published an article titled, “The Relationship between Racial Residential Segregation and Black-White Disparities in Fatal Police Shootings at the City Level, 2013–2017.”

The authors concluded that “Racial residential segregation is a significant predictor of the magnitude of the BlackWhite disparity in fatal police shootings at the city level. Efforts to ameliorate the problem of fatal police violence must move beyond the individual level and consider the interaction between law enforcement officers and the neighborhoods that they police.”

Before the thousands gathered this August, Rev. Sharpton also spoke to this same concern.

“It’s time we have a conversation with America. We need to have a conversation about your racism, about your bigotry, about your hate, about how you would put your knee on our neck while we cry our lives. We need a new conversation…You act like it’s no trouble to shoot us in the back. You act like it’s no trouble to put a choke hold on us while we scream, ‘I can’t breathe,’ 11 times. You act like it’s no trouble to hold a man down on the ground until you squeeze the life out of him.”

“Our vote is dipped in blood,” he continued. “Our vote is dipped in those that went to their grave. We don’t care how long the line, we don’t care what you do, we’re going to vote, not for one candidate or the other, but we going to vote for a nation that’ll stop the George Floyds, that’ll stop the Breonna Taylors.”

Let the church say Amen.

(Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending.

She can be reached at charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 17 - 23, 2020

Page 5

RELIGION

Rev. Dr. James Allen Adams

Family matters...

Legacy and tradition...

Services for Boston Baptist Church’s pastor, the Rev. Ydell Ishmon Sr., were held last Saturday. Pictured: Mr. Ishmon’s son, Ydell Ishmon Jr. and his wife. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

The Rev. Dr. James Allen Adams, pastor of St. Stephen Baptist Church, died on May 9. By custom, the pastor’s chair and the pulpit are draped for a period of time afterwards. This past Sunday (Sept. 13), an unveiling service was held.

What’s in a name? At the Vatican, a debate on inclusiveness

by Nicole Winfield Associated Press

ROME – The Vatican responded Wednesday to criticism that the title of Pope Francis’ upcoming encyclical on the post-COVID world is sexist, saying the document, “Fratelli Tutti,” (“Brothers All”) in no way excludes women.

In Italian, “fratelli” means brothers but it is also used as the inclusive, brothers and sisters. Since Francis takes pains to always address crowds as “fratelli e sorelle” (“brothers and sisters”) the absence of an explicit reference to sisters in the title was seen by some as another expression of exclusion in an institution long criticized for treating women as second-class citizens.

On Wednesday, the Vatican’s editorial director, Andrea Tornielli, stressed that the title was taken from the words of St. Francis of Assisi, the pope’s namesake, and therefore couldn’t be translated dif-

ferently.

Writing in the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, he said an encyclical by its very nature is addressed to the whole world and that the title in no way excludes half the human race.

“On the contrary, Francis chose the words of the Saint of Assisi to initiate a reflection on something he cares about very deeply: namely, fraternity and social friendship,” Tornielli wrote. “He therefore addresses all his sisters and brothers, all men and women who populate the earth: everyone, inclusively, and in no way exclusively.”

The Vatican is expected to release the encyclical on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis, a day after the pope travels to the Umbrian hilltop town of Assisi to pray at the tomb of the saint and sign the document.

It is expected to articulate much of his preaching on the need for human solidarity and fraternity to both care for the

Tennessee school district will stop promoting Christianity

Pope Francis greets Sister Rita Mboshu Kongo, a theologian and member of the Daughters of Mary Most Holy, during a Mass for the Congolese Catholic community in Rome in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 1, 2019. The Mass included elements of Congolese culture. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) planet and the population in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and the social inequalities it has exacerbated.

Vatican encyclicals are the most authoritative form of papal teaching and they traditionally take their titles from the first two words of the document. In this case, “Fratelli Tutti” is a quote from the “Admonitions,” the compendium of guidelines penned by St. Francis in the 12th century.

Writing last week in Religion News Service, the Rev. Thomas Reese, a church commentator, said the title was unfortunate and said he hoped the Vatican would at least translate it in English as

“Brothers and sisters all.”

“It is sad to see the church continue to suffer from self-inflicted wounds,” Reese wrote.

“The concern about language in the title will increase the focus on the language of the entire encyclical.”

Reese, an American Jesuit, dismissed the argument that “fratelli” in Italian was inclusive, even though many Romance languages use the male plural in such comprehensive ways. “Couldn’t the church get ahead of the curve for once?” he asked.

Tina Beattie, a British theologian and Catholic women’s rights campaigner, also dismissed the Vatican’s explanation as disingenuous.

“Sorry. When they say ‘gender ideology’ is destroying society, and given the Vatican’s gender politics, I’m not willing to become a brother when it suits them to call me one,” she tweeted Wednesday.

“I’ll engage with what I know will be a brilliant vision, but I’ll name this misnomer every time I do.”

Tornielli, the Vatican editorial chief, said the themes of the encyclical, fraternity and social friendship, are precisely the themes that unite men and women.

“For this reason, all readers should be able to understand the title ‘Fratelli Tutti’ with the absolutely inclusive connotation that is intended,” he said.

NASHVILLE (AP) – A Tennessee school district that was sued last year by two atheist families for promoting Christianity has agreed to stop the practice, according to a consent decree filed in federal court in Nashville on Monday.

In the consent decree, the Smith County School District admitted that Christian prayers were delivered over the school address system, Bibles were distributed to fifth graders, and Bible verses and other religion messages were posted in school hallways, among other things.

Promoting religion and coercing religious exercise is a violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, the decree states.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union.

In a news release about the decree, plaintiff Kelly Butler said, “I’m relieved the school district recognized that its widespread promotion of religion was unconstitutional. My children, and all children, deserve an education that is free from the type of religious coercion that our family has suffered.”

EDUCATION The New Tri-State Defender, September 17 - 23, 2020, Page 6

Noting kinks and student no-shows, SCS rates virtual opening as ‘encouraging’

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

With some 3,000 Shelby County Schools students unaccounted for during the first two weeks of the school year, school officials are making an all-out push to find them.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, SCS started the school year holding virtual classes on Aug. 31.

More than 3,000 students from last year’s 95,000 are still unaccounted for, said Jerica Phillips, SCS media relations officer.

For the most part, though, Phillips said the virtual launch, based on the data, was encouraging.

“Our numbers are based on rollover attendance from last year,” Phillips explained during a virtual news conference Tuesday (Sept. 15). “Data for the first week of school shows 92 percent have logged on to the dis-

trict’s instructional platform, Microsoft Teams.”

That translates to more than 3,000 students being marked as “no shows.”

SCS staff is tracking students down, Phillips said. Some may have moved or transferred to another district. She said the district’s delayed opening of schools to Aug. 31 was a major factor in the overall success of the first two weeks.

Some 90,000 students, 97 percent, have picked up their district-issued device. The remaining three percent, or more than 5,000, have not.

Of the students, who have not picked up their device, more than 2,000 are still logging onto the learning platforms using other devices.

There are troubling issues, highlighted among students and teachers, associated with virtual learning.

Problems include how to better instruct students with special needs

that regard personal interaction with a teacher, setting up work stations conducive to learning when there are multiple school-age children in a home and school-age children observed playing outside during instruction periods.

Phillips said the district is working to determine whether students will be returning or if they have been hindered in picking up their devices. The following allowances have been put in place: * If Internet access is determined to be an issue, parents are being approved to receive a hot spot. * The District will hand off the distribution of devices to the individual schools over the next few weeks. * If families do not have transportation to a distribution site, the Division of Alternative Education and Family and Community Engagement (FACE) are providing MATA bus cards and gas cards.

Other support initiatives also have begun. School Board member Joyce Dorse-Coleman is leading a fund-raising effort to pay utilities for families with school-age children who face electricity cut-offs.

Also, Shelby County Commissioners Monday (Sept. 14) approved a $750,000 outlay for headsets. Headsets are essential, especially when multiple children are in virtual learning simultaneously, said SCS principals.

Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. urged fellow commissioners to “pay attention to the numbers” being given to Shelby County Schools.”

“I always want our students to have what they need,” said Ford. “But I encourage county commissioners to pay attention to the numbers being given to us. They are not the same numbers being given to the (Memphis) City Council. …We have approved $48

million, and the city council just approved $5 million. That’s $53 million altogether.”

Ford said that everyone must take an interest in SCS money being spent “the right way.”

“That $5 million is CARES Act money from the federal government,” said Ford. “If it is not spent responsibly and there are some mistakes, guess who’s going to be asked to pay that money back – the taxpayers.

“I spent 14 years in the school system. I loved being with our children in the classroom. They should have all they need. I just want our fiscal responsibility to be right.”

Parents, who have not been contacted by the district or have questions are asked to call 901-416-5300.

Additional information about picking up devices also is available at that number during regular business hours.

SPORTS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT test.

“I have been playing football since the age of 7,” said Jordan.

“We found out yesterday that all sports were cancelled. It was important to be here to just let the superintendent know that football is more than just a game for us. It is a part of our lives. This decision was shocking and devastating.”

Jordan’s father, Derrick Jordan, said it was important to come out and support his son as well as the other teams.

“Football is a great outlet for these kids,” said the elder Jordan.

“These kids need football and other sports in their lives. The superintendent gave parents no platform to speak or have any kind of input in this decision.”

Almo, and Marcus Taylor II took to Twitter Tuesday afternoon about protesting in front of the SCS administration building, and the event sprang out of posts from players voicing their frustration and disappointment.

“Collierville and Houston High get to play,” said the elder Jordan.

“Our kids are at home watching them play, and it’s just not fair to them. Why didn’t Dr. Ray get with the districts out in the suburbs? They are doing something that works because they are playing sports this school year.”

Farren Alexander, mother of Aaren Alexander, said she was afraid for how “the players’ hearts and minds feel. I told my son to pray,” Alexander said. “There will be no sports, no cheerleading, or anything connected to school sports. It’s just very sad.”

Marcus Taylor, father of Taylor II, a co-organizer of the protest, told the protesting players that it would be a peaceful protest.

“We will not let anyone control this narrative,” said the elder Taylor. “They ain’t going to cuss and clown, because we are going to do everything decent and in order. Repeat after me – ‘decent and in order.’”

The crowd of players gathered around Taylor responded in unison, “Decent and in order.”

Taylor is a cultural coach and mentor for boys and girls all across the district.

“We have already lost one player, and we can’t afford to lose another,” Taylor said.

There will be fall football for SCS student-athletes and the disappointment was self evident among this group of protesters. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Billy Walker with the SCS student affairs office said safety was paramount in the decision to cancel fall sports.

“Demetrius Robinson at Whitehaven was only 90 minutes from a scholarship offer – 90 minutes from a scholarship offer. We just can’t afford to lose any more of our babies.”

Robinson, a Whitehaven football player, was fatally shot earli-

Marcus Taylor II took to Twitter Tuesday afternoon about protesting in front of the SCS administration building and found there was ample support.

er this month.

Almo said football for many seniors was their last chance at getting to college.

“We want to know how much of a thought process went into making a decision about black kids playing football,” Almo

said. “Ridgeway is right down the street from MUS. MUS can play, but Ridgeway cannot. Come on, now.”

Jordan is raising his son, but many of the kids who play sports do not have a father figure in the home, he said.

“These coaches offer a sense of stability. They offer a sense of strength for these kids,” said the elder Jordan. “Playing sports builds their character, and for many, this is their one shot to make it out of poverty. Now that’s been taken away.”

SCS School Board Chair Miska Clay Bibbs addressed the situation in Tuesday’s (Sept. 15) news release: “With so much at stake, major decisions like this are not easy but are made in the best interests of our students, families, and staff.

“Their safety is our top priority and I commend Superintendent Ray for weathering the storm in order to protect our student-athletes, coaches and the community.”

Almo said school leaders failed them by not including them in the decision-making.

“Not one time did he ask a football player or a cheerleader or any student who plays sports what they thought,” Almo said. “These privileged schools get to play sports, and we do not. Nothing is fair about that.”

September 17 - 23, 2020

The New Tri-State Defender

Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT

The Blues Foundation turns to Patricia Wilson Aden TSD Newsroom

Uncut, unfiltered shows to get weeklong focus on KUDZUKIAN network TSD Newsroom The KUDZUKIAN network will host a week of live podcasts covering a range of interests beginning Sept. 21 through Sept. 26 and airing nightly at 7 p.m.

Politics, business, Black women and blerds (Black nerds) are among the topics. Each night a different one-hour show will air. You can access the show @Kudzukian via Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as well as through the social media channels for each podcasts.

Scheduled guests and topics include: * Dr. Stacy Spencer on the “Sell or Fail” podcast to discuss “Selling Jesus”; * Whitney Hardy, creative entrepreneurship; * Lodric D. Collins from “The Oval”; * Hometown favorite Bertram Williams from “P Valley” and * Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, the conspicuous absence of other voices in the Black struggle.

KUDZUKIAN launched its show in 2014 and now has 25 shows under the company umbrella, as well as multiple virtual-event production credits. The Memphis-based network is billed as providing “smart, funny, engaging content that has

distinctly Southern ‘flava’ that” is universally appealing.”

“It’s hard to believe how much growth we’ve experienced,” said CEO Larry Robinson. “We’re the little network that could! Our team is so grateful to be able to amplify our distinctly Southern voices.

“The roll out of KUDZUKIAN Week is especially exciting,” said Robinson. “These are voices that are fresh perspectives. They’re uncut, unfiltered and most importantly unmarginalized. Tune in!”

Schedule: * Monday, Sept. 21 – “Funky Politics” with host D.C. * Tuesday, Sept. 22 – “The Grindset” with hosts Cynthia Daniels and Williams Brack. * Wednesday, Sept. 23 – “R&R on Sports” with hosts Larry Robinson and Howard Robertson. * Thursday, Sept. 24 – “Sell or Fail” with Williams Brack and Sam Nelson. * Friday, Sept. 25 – “3BC/3 Black Chicks”. Followed by a virtual DJ set featuring Crystal Mercedes, aka the Runway DJ. Saturday, Sept. 25 (Note: 12 noon) “Black Nerd Power: Power to the blerds!” with Markus Seaberry, Richard Douglas Jones and Kimber Stewart.

Patricia Wilson Aden, whose background includes having guided the African American Museum in Philadelphia as president/CEO, is headed to Memphis as president/CEO of The Blues Foundation.

“I am genuinely excited to join The Blues Foundation and the Blues community in celebrating the Blues and the artists who have made it America’s original musical genre,” said Aden, who will join the Foundation’s staff on Oct. 1.

Aden brings with her more than three decades of non-profit management experience, with a specialization in the preservation and celebration of African American cultural resources. She also has served as executive director of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in Philadelphia.

Aden succeeds Barbara Newman, who will begin her retirement Sept. 30th.

“On behalf of the global Blues community we wish Barbara Newman the very best for a wonderful retirement and with the greatest appreciation for her tireless dedication to The Blues Foundation as its President & CEO,” said Michael Freeman, chairman of The Blues Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“Thanks to her vision and leadership we are well positioned to welcome Patty Aden as our new President & CEO to continue the forward movement of the organization. We are thrilled to have found such an experienced and well-respected leader and look forward to welcoming her on October 1st.”

Newman is credited with embracing technology to offer greater access to and programming of major Blues Foundation events, including The International Blues Challenge and Blues Music Awards.

The Blues Foundation’s mission is to preserve,

Patricia Wilson Aden has more than three decades of non-profit management experience, with a specialization in the preservation and celebration of African American cultural resources. (Courtesy photo) celebrate and expand awareness of the Blues genre. Newman is said to have led the charge to develop a relief fund to provide financial support for basic living necessities to Blues musicians whose income streams evaporated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Blues Foundation, the fund has raised over $250,000 and assisted close to 250 musicians since the first of April.

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, September 17 - 23, 2020, Page 8

Catching up with Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr.

by Louis Goggans

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. is among a diverse group of officials in full support of Gov. Bill Lee’s move setting up a task force to address the need for a plan to enhance law enforcement policies and improve the overall decision-making of officers.

Recently, the first African-American to serve as the county’s sheriff spoke with The New Tri-State Defender about the broken bridge between law enforcement and the community and how the governor’s new police reform plan will help rebuild it.

Bonner also addressed the impact of COVID-19 on the county’s jails and revealed plans for a new civilian hiring committee.

TSD: There have been multiple police-involved deaths and incidents of excessive force. To a certain extent, these occurrences have divided law enforcement and the communities they serve. Additionally, we’re all dealing with the societal effects of COVID-19. Considering these issues, how challenging has it been for you and your deputies?

don’t have any inmates in the hospital.

Also, today our population at 201 Poplar is 1,989; out at Jail East we have 204, and down at Juvenile Court we have 30. All of those numbers are substantially down from when I became Sheriff in 2018. We work with our law enforcement partners and do all we can to reduce our inmate population as safely as possible.

Sheriff Bonner: It’s been very challenging, and it breaks my heart to see people want to categorize us all because of a few bad actors in this profession. At the Sheriff’s Office, we’re a CALEA-certified organization. That’s not a rubber stamp; it means something. We go above and beyond what is expected of us from the state. For instance, to be a highway patrolman, you only have to do 488 hours in school, but we do 1,016 hours with our officers. The state only requires 40 hours for you to be a correctional officer, but we do 400 with our officers. We have a very high standard.

Not to say we always get it right, but it’s not from the lack of trying. Last year, we had over 16,000 contacts, and we had only eight reports of excessive force. We take citizens’ complaints very seriously, and we try to make the best decision possible.

During these times of COVID-19, we’ve had as many as 239 inmates test positive for COVID – 231 have recovered. We have eight active cases right now, and we

TSD: You’re among the officials in Tennessee who support Gov. Lee’s new police reform plan. What motivated you to get on board, and what do you hope is accomplished from this effort in the future?

Bonner: Well, I was invited by Gov. Lee out of the 95 sheriffs in Tennessee to join the Task Force and speak on police reform.

I went to Nashville recently for a press conference with him. I think the first thing we all realized that we needed to do across the state was make sure every police agency and sheriff’s office had a duty-to-intervene policy as well as an up to date use-of-force policy. We also talked about both de-escalation and racially bias training. The state has even added a component now to where every police officer in the state will be required to do four hours of community service, which I think is a good thing because of the public perception of police officers right now. It behooves all officers to be the best that we can be. I think that Gov.

Floyd Bonner Jr. Lee took the right step at the right time to engage this task force. I’m hoping that we will have continuous meetings, but we’ve laid a really good foundation.

TSD: Does the Sheriff’s Office in particular have plans to implement any initiatives to help ease the community’s civil unrest?

Bonner: Yes, I’m getting a Civilian Hiring Committee together. I’ve picked out five people in the community who are going to be a part of the hiring process at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. They will interview sheriff deputy candidates, and have an opportunity to help select the next class of deputy sheriffs. I think that’s really important. This is the first time that we’ve ever tried this type of committee. We really want to be transparent with the community, and we want the community to support us.

TSD: You’re approaching four decades with the Sheriff’s Office. Over your career,

what has been one of the valuable lessons you’ve learned that continues to help you today?

Bonner: Back when I was a young patrolman at the very beginning of my career, I had a sergeant who worked in the same jail as me. His name was Sam Allen.

I worked midnights on the jail floor with Sgt. Allen – it would actually be four of us.

Each night, he would make it his business to talk to us about how to police and treat people. I never will forget, he told us one night that it’s a lot easier to talk a man into the back of a squad car than to fight with him to get him in the car. That advice has stayed with me throughout my career, and I try to impart that wisdom into our younger officers, and also ensure they’re aware of the consequences that come with any bad decisions they make.

TSD: You made history in 2018 by

SEE BONNER ON PAGE 9

UTHSC researcher gets grant to study aggressive prostate cancer in African-American men Special to The New TriState Defender Dr. Ramesh Narayanan, a professor in the Department of Medicine and the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has received a $455,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute for a two-year study of the underlying cause of the development of aggressive prostate cancer in African-American men.

Approximately 174,000 men in the United States were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 31,000 died of the disease in 2019.

The number of men with prostate cancer is expected to increase from 3.3 million men currently to 4.5 million by 2026.

Current therapeutic strategies target androgen (hormone) activity for aggressive, or advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Although these drugs on average extend progression-free survival, approximately 30 percent of tumors do not respond to these therapies and patients who initially respond to these therapies develop resistance shortly after treatment initiation.

One of the primary reasons for treatment failure and relapse is the expression of a shortened form of the receptor protein for androgens (AR).

These different versions are called AR splice variants (AR-SVs). Prostate cancers that express this shortened form are aggressive and fail to respond to current treatments.

Compared to Caucasian men, African-American men have a 63 percent higher overall prostate cancer incidence. These individuals are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive and potentially lethal cancers, are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer, and have shorter disease-free survival.

Inadequate health care that limits

early cancer detection or results in incomplete treatment could factor into the diagnosis of advanced cancer and a worse prognosis in AfricanAmerican men compared to Caucasian men.

However, a prior analysis of men undergoing prostate biopsy that adjusted for clinical and demographic differences found that African-American men were 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 84 percent more likely to have high-grade cancer than Caucasian men.

Considering that approximately 65 percent of the population in the Memphis area is African American, it is appropriate and locally relevant to evaluate the underlying mechanisms for the aggressive prostate cancer development in African American men.

The grant will ask the question whether prostate cancers in African-American men have higher expression of the shortened form of the

AR (AR-SVs) and whether these ARSVs are the primary mediator of the aggressive cancer.

If the data proves the hypothesis that the higher expression of AR-SVs in prostate cancer of African American results in aggressive disease, Dr. Narayanan’s laboratory has developed novel drugs that have the potential to target the AR-SVs and inhibit the aggressive prostate cancer.

The multi-disciplinary UTHSC team that will work on the project includes Jay Fowke, PhD, MPH, MS, chief of Division of Epidemiology and professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine; Mahul Amin, MD, chair of the Department of Pathology; Robert Wake, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Urology; and Maurizio Buscarini, MD, PhD, MBA, professor of the Department of Urology.

“I have been working for the last seven years at UTHSC to discover next-generation drugs to treat

advanced aggressive prostate cancer,” Dr Dr. Ramesh Narayanan said Narayanan in a Sept. 16 news release.

“This work in collaboration with Dr. Duane Miller (Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UTHSC) has resulted in novel molecules that are advancing toward clinical trials.

“If our results show that African American men express the shortened AR protein AR-SV at higher levels, our drugs will provide hope to these patients, who currently do not have alternate treatment options.

“It will be gratifying to see our research benefit the Memphis community and the prostate cancer patient population across the world.”

The New Tri-State Defender

September 17 - 23, 2020

COMMUNITY

Council to seek MLGW meeting about utility shut-offs amid pandemic

by Jim Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Memphis City Councilmembers want to meet jointly with Memphis Light Gas and Water officials to see what can be done about utility cutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The potential meeting was discussed the council meeting Tuesday (Sept. 15).

In other business Tuesday, the council took aim at banning payday lenders in the city.

The city-owned utility resumed cutoffs Monday (Sept.

14).

A cutoff moratorium was begun at the beginning of the pandemic because of the resulting business closures and layoffs.

The moratorium ended in August. Two weeks later, it was reinstated again after a slew of complaints.

“If we could possibly figure out how to have a joint board meeting of the MLGW board and our board where we can discuss this along with other issues that are pending,” said Councilman Dr. Jeff Warren, a physician.

The council’s reaction came following public comments.

Several emails were read aloud criticizing the move.

A further concern was the plight of school children. Because of the pandemic, Shelby County Schools students are being taught virtually, which requires internet service to attend school.

“It is my understanding that schools will be paying for utility bills for their children who are in homes without electrical services up to $200,” said council Chairwoman Patrice Robinson.

The emails were forwarded to the utility by Robinson earlier in the day. MLGW responded citing a legal issue as the reason why bills haven’t been forgiven.

“According to the information that I have from Memphis Light Gas and Water that is a legal issue and by federal law you cannot forgive or give away any electric, gas or water,” said Robinson.

She also noted that the council has placed money with several organizations to help people keep their lights on.

“Some of those organizations that we listened to today ⸺ grant recipients ⸺ are going to be providing (assistance) and we will have a list for all citizens at a portal, where they can see where dollars are available,” said Robinson.

With council’s approval, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland redirected $3.5 million from the city’s CARES Act funding on Aug. 26 to help Memphian’s cover utility costs. Those funds are being allotted to nonprofits through the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association.

“It reminds me of being on the school board and trying to get money from the City Council and the County Commission when we didn’t have taxing authority.

“We as a council are in a position where we may or may not have authority how we can provide moratoriums that allows people to keep their power on or keep them from being evicted, but I think all of us want to make sure that occurs and we need to do something to make it happen, if we can,” said Warren.

The council also unani-

mously adopted a nonbinding resolution to send to the state legislature, banning payday lenders in the state and revoking their business licenses.

“Payday lenders, under the guise that they are cheaper to borrow from than a conventional lender, as an email I received said, is a farce. It’s insulting that someone would make that case,” said the resolution’s sponsor Councilman Chase Carlisle.

The resolution notes that the lenders are licensed by the state government to provide loans of up to $500. A fee amount of the loan is capped at 15 percent of a check’s amount along with an annual interest rate of 460 percent.

It also criticizes the businesses for trapping cashstrapped people into a cycle of repeat loans, aggressive collection practices and jeopardizing bank accounts of “families that live on the financial edge.”

Carlisle said, “We are not asking that liquidity be removed from underserved communities. This body, just for the public’s edification, is advocating for other entities to come in and partner with us and our community leaders in serving those communities and helping them find access to capital.”

Memphis’ poverty rate is 27.8 percent, which includes many working poor who are often the most vulnerable to what are generally considered predatory businesses.

The vote comes nearly a year after the Shelby County Commission approved a resolution requiring the lenders to adopt signage disclosing terms of loans.

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. (l) with Gov. Bill Lee and Memphis Police Department Director Michael Rallings. (Courtesy photo)

BONNER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 becoming Shelby County’s first African-American Sheriff. During the early stages of your career, did you dream of achieving this accomplishment, and how has the journey been thus far?

Bonner: I knew one thing when I came to the Sheriff’s Office and it was that I did not

want to retire as a patrolman.

As I moved up in rank, I started dreaming about becoming sheriff one day. I always knew that I would have to achieve a certain rank for the community to take me serious and to understand that I had the experience to run the agency. You hit little bumps and bruises, and you think that maybe you don’t have a shot, but God has blessed me. When I thought it wasn’t a way, He made a way.

I’m so humbled and appre-

ciative for this opportunity to serve the citizens of Shelby County. Being someone who came out of Orange Mound and Westwood and was elected sheriff, I understand that I am a role model. I know I’m not going to be sheriff forever, so I’m hoping I can do or say something that encourages young people and helps them understand that no matter what their circumstances are, they can do it, too.

Page 9

The New Tri-State Defender

September 17 - 23, 2020

Page 10

SPORTS

Although it has been more than 25 years since he last caught a pass in a Tigers uniform, Russell Copeland remains prominently placed in the UofM record book in multiple categories. (Courtesy photo)

Former Tiger receiver catches on with UofM football radio broadcast team

Ja Morant proved that his selection as the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft was well worth the Grizzlies’ decision.

TSD Newsroom

Morant unanimous pick for NBA’s AllRookie team Brandon Clarke makes it too The Associated Press Rookie of the Year Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies was the lone unanimous selection to the NBA’s All-Rookie Team that was announced Tuesday.

Morant was a first-team pick on all 100 ballots.

Joining him on the first team were Miami guard Kendrick Nunn, Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, New Orleans forward Zion Williamson and Golden State forward Eric Paschall.

The second-team picks were Heat guard Tyler Herro, Toronto guard Terence Davis II, Chicago guard Coby

Brandon Clarke puts some “D” on LeBron James en route to his selection to the NBA All-Rookie Team. (Photos: Warren Roseborough/TSD Archives) White, Charlotte forward P.J. Washington and Washington forward Rui Hachimura.

Paschall edged Herro by one point for the last first-team spot.

Russell Copeland, a former UofM football star and NFL veteran, will serve as analyst on all Tigers football road games in the 2020 season.

Former Tiger Jarvis Greer, who is in his eighth season with Memphis, will continue to be the analyst for all home games because of COVID-19 concerns and required quarantines after travel.

“We are in complete support of Jarvis and the tough decision he needed to make,” said Steve Macy, UofM senior associate athletic director. “We are also elated that former Tiger great Russell Copeland has agreed to join the broadcast team.

“Russell will provide excellent in-depth analysis both from a collegiate and NFL point of view. Our broadcast will continue to be first

class both at home and on the road.”

The Tigers, however, have paused their football season because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Copeland played wide receiver for the Tigers before spending six seasons in the NFL with Buffalo, Philadelphia and Green Bay, and a season in the Canadian Football League with Toronto.

Although it has been more than 25 years since he last caught a pass in a Tigers uniform after lettering in 1989, 1990 and 1992, Copeland remains prominently placed in the U of M record book in multiple categories.

He was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 2006.

“My years at Memphis as a player were the best times of my life,” said Copeland.

“I am excited and thrilled to work with my alma mater, alongside Dave Woloshin.”

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 17 - 23, 2020

Page 11

NEWS

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Pictured: Top row (l-r): Sijuwola Crawford, the Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher, Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr.; bottom row: Shahidah Jones and Harold Collins. (Screen capture)

POLICE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT electorate is one that will turn out and yield more participation,” Fisher said, explaining one of the reasons his nonpartisan voting and political activism organization decided to host the event.

Police reform has steadily become a hot button issue nationally and locally following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May. While the panel agreed that more officers would not necessarily curb local crime, they disagreed on other topics.

One of the biggest disputes involved defunding the police.

Williams, who served on the Memphis Police Department for more than two decades, said he does not support taking funds from local law enforcement.

“I don’t believe that police are the only answer; they are just a piece of the puzzle. But we need to make sure we have enough to be in a proactive

role as opposed to a reactive role,” he said.

“There are good citizens and there are those who are operating outside of the law… and those issues have to be addressed.”

Strickland has said the city needs at least 800 more officers to meet its staffing goal.

Smiley has publicly disagreed with that stance.

“We are fine with the number we have now and any increase needs to go to funding communities,” he reiterated at the symposium.

Jones agreed, providing clarity on the now nationally popularized and controversial phrase “defund the police.”

“This is a term that talks about defunding in dollars and in power,” she said. “It is saying we want to put more funds and power in the hands of our community.”

Approximately 40 percent of the city’s budget goes toward policing.

Collins said taking away from the department isn’t the answer.

“Once you talk about de-

funding the police, you talk about cuts that may include closing precincts, and no one wants that,” he said. “But there are grants and other resources that can be reallocated to fund some of the other things.”

While their differences were abundant, all panel members pointed to the need for crucial conversations such as Monday’s.

Williams, added, “As a Black man in America, I never want my brothers and sisters to be mistreated by police.

So, I get what the activism and conversation is about, but there needs to be a 360 conversation, and I’m willing to do that.”

In a slightly heated exchange, Smiley challenged Williams’ comment, claiming that his office reached out to the soon-to-retire police association president to set up a meeting to discuss reform, but received no reply.

Williams countered that he didn’t recall seeing Smiley’s email.

After the conversations, like the one at the symposium,

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what’s next?

Smiley said the next steps should include elected officials devising a public safety plan, similar to the comprehensive plan of Memphis 3.0.

This proposed plan would include allocating resources to communities in need, supporting wrap around services and community policing.

“We can’t fix this problem with a single-faceted approach that only gives the appearance of safety without providing results,” he said.

As for UPtheVote901 organizers, they plan to keep the conversations going, hoping to stimulate change toward police reform and other issues they say matter to residents.

“This is not the end of our conversation. This is part of a broader, structural and systemic and holistic framework that we hope to implement (over) the next few years,” Fisher said.

The next UPtheVote 901symposium will take place in October and will focus on labor and wages.

Request for Proposal Gestalt Community Schools (GCS) is accepting bids for instructional materials/tools, platforms that support virtual learning, and Nursing services for students in grades K-12. GCS is a public charter school organization that serves students in Shelby County, TN. Proposals must be received

by Tuesday, September 29, 2020.

To request an RFP, please email us at bids@gestaltcs.org.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS In order to participate in the bid listed below for Shelby County Government, you must be registered with our electronic bidding system with Mercury Commerce. County bids are not available by mail or downloaded directly from the County website, unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation invitation. All vendors who wish to bid are required to register with Mercury Commerce Solutions in order to be notified of on-line bids. There is no charge for registration, and it is easy to use. To register: • Go to www.esmsolutions.com • Go to Log-In at top of page • Click “Supplier Login” • Under “Mercury Version”, click ‘Not Registered’ • Complete Vendor Registration process • Submit

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 17 - 23, 2020

Page 12

SUBSCRIBE. DONATE. ADVERTISE. During times of crisis, crucial information about your community comes from local reporters.

Access to high quality information is essential. Especially local information.

And especially now. What’s happening in our communities? What’s the impact? How are our local leaders responding? For answers to these questions, we rely on the hard work of our local reporters. As a result, readership of local news outlets has reached record highs.

But due to COVID-19, most local news publications are losing money, fast.

Advertising has plummeted during the crisis and readers aren’t subscribing fast enough to fill the void. This has led to thousands of local reporters being laid off. Just as our society faces numerous, urgent challenges.

Millions of people are in danger of losing access to the authoritative local information they need to stay informed.

That’s why the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the National Association of Hispanic Publications are working with local news providers to build a strong future for local journalism. And that’s why our longtime partner Google is purchasing ads like this in local publications across the country, as well as providing a Relief Fund to help struggling local news outlets. But those actions

alone aren’t enough. Please consider supporting the local news organizations you rely on. Subscribe to them. Donate to them. And if you have a business that’s able to, advertise with them.

Your support is critical to sustaining the dedicated journalists serving your communities.

Our local news outlets help keep us safer. Let’s help keep them open.

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