The New Tri-State Defender - September 21-27, 2023

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September 21 - 27, 2023

VOL. 72, No. 38

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Bail changes linked to dip in rearrest numbers

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Early voters take advantage of the opportunity to cast ballots at a precinct at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

Early voting underway for Oct. 5 city elections TSD Newsroom It started last Friday (Sept. 15) and signaled what voting advocates hope will be a significant turnout for the October 5 City Elections.

Early voting will extend through September 30th.

Eighteen locations have been designated for the early-voting period. Those who wish to cast ballots can do so at any open precinct.

On Election Day, ballots must be cast at assigned precincts.

On the ballot is the highly-contested mayoral race, with 17 candidates running to succeed term-limited Mayor Jim Strickland, and races to determine the makeup of the next Memphis City Council.

To be voter ready, visit the Shelby County Election Commission website at https://www.electionsshelbytn.gov/.

An early voter goes through the process downtown at the Shelby County Election Commission Office.

Polling locations list — Page 8

Shelby County judicial officials recently delivered to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners a long-awaited presentation on the re-arrests of people released on bail.

The report was delivered during a special meeting of the commission’s Law Enforcement, Corrections & Courts Committee Monday (Sept. 18) after the county courts, among other considerations, began considering a defendant’s financial background during bail proceedings.

The report showed the re-arrest rate decreased from 12 percent to 7 percent after the court took up cases.

“Even though we’re late getting this to you, I think it will be beneficial. What you’re ending up with is a spreadsheet with six months of data before the bail hearing room, five-and-a-half months afterward,” said Shelby County Judicial Commissioner John Marshall.

In the past year, the court has heard more than 17,000 cases. The change went into effect in February.

Commissioner Mick Wright’s August 2022 resolution only requested three months of data.

“It makes it longer, but more comparable with the pre-bail room data. So, I think you can look and make a better comparison between the two,” said Marshall.

Marshall also said he saw very few cases where a violent offender was released.

Re-arrests were often incidents of ongoing domestic violence.

“That’s not that, sadly, unexpected.

That’s kind of the nature with domestic violence cases,” Marshall said. “We just about always put conditions on a domestic violence case, on the defendant to not go back around the victim.

“But, by the very nature of it, often the defendant and the victim have children together … that leads to a violation, or re-assault and re-arrest.”

Marshall said a July change in state law could reverse the trend. As a result, “certain” Class A and B felony assault defendants can only be released by an elected judge.

“So, we have seen an uptick. We have more

SEE BAIL ON PAGE 2

‘Educator of Excellence’ mixes English and arts to motivate students ‘Miss CJ’s’ rapport with Hillcrest High students has informed her teaching, earned her honors

by Tonyaa Weathersbee Chalkbeat Tennessee

Years ago, while an intern with Bridge Builders, a Memphis program designed to help youths think critically and resolve conflicts, someone told Crystal L. Johnson that she had good rapport with the young people.

Johnson ultimately parlayed that compli-

ment, as well as her diploma from Overton High School for the creative and performing arts, and her degrees in English and psychology, and in instruction and curriculum from the University of Memphis, into a teaching career.

She’s been at it for 17 years.

Johnson now teaches 12th grade Advanced Placement English at Hillcrest High School, a charter school of 432 students in Tennessee’s

Achievement School District. Her work with the students at the Whitehaven school recently earned her recognition as a 2023 Educator of Excellence. The honor comes with a $1,500 award sponsored by the Crews Family Foundation and bestowed by New Memphis — a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting leaders and ideas to improve the city.

Johnson’s work transcends her classroom.

She’s also a writer, spoken word artist and executive director of the youth development nonprofit Live Seed, Inc., which puts on spoken word performances.

Johnson, whose students affectionately call

her “Miss C.J.,” recently told Chalkbeat Tennessee how she approaches her job.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My lessons on poetry and creative writing are my favorite. It allows the students to break free from the traditional rules of grammar. It allows them to express themselves. The poetry lesson on “Where I’m From” is my favorite. The students talk and describe their neighborhoods and

SEE TEACH ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 21 - 27, 2023

Page 2

NEWS

TEACH

CONTINUED FROM FRONT who they are. It gives me access into learning more about them and gives them practice being vulnerable with their writing.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

The Peppertree apartments are down the street from Hillcrest. The news reported the need to shut them down due to lack of maintenance, which made the building a safety hazard. The police and/or ambulance could be heard on our street heading to those apartments on the daily. Now that they have closed, it has affected our enrollment and daily attendance. Many of our former students lived there and now have moved. It’s a good thing that the apartments were closed, due to crime and safety issues, but we also lost some students.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

I show the news clip and pose a question or writing prompt to accompany the video. For example, when

BAIL

CONTINUED FROM FRONT cases being heard by the judges, now. We kind of have a bifurcated system,” he admitted.

The court’s overhaul of the bail system is an effort to get in line with state law.

Passed in 2021, Tennessee statute 40-11-115 requires any person charged with a bailable offense “be order released pending trial” on their own recognizance, after execution of an unsecured appearance bond in an amount specified by a magistrate.

The law applies to any offense short of a capital crime and before a magistrate authorizes bail.

Employment status and history, as well as their financial condition, are factors.

Other things considered are the defendant’s length of residence in the community, family ties, character, mental condition, criminal history, nature of offense, and identifying community members that will vouch for their character.

An elected judge also has the discretion to set the bond higher for some capital offenses, to protect the public.

There are 14 judicial commissioners, who review every arrest that comes into the Shelby

How do teachers captivate their students? In a feature called How I Teach, Chalkbeat asks great educators how they approach their jobs. the Montgomery Riverboat Brawl went viral, I showed a news clip and asked, “What is the story, or series of events that led to the brawl? What are your thoughts on this? How could this have been avoided?

How does this news clip affect current racial relations in our country?

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I was a student that attended optional [magnet] schools, so I had access to different resources. However, I didn’t like that I had to leave my neighborhood to get the social and academic school experiences that I did.

There was information that my neighborhood peers didn’t receive, and it compelled me to bring that type of instruction to any school I taught at, no matter the label or location.

practice?

The best advice I received was from a Rotary Award-winning educator. It was my first year as a teacher at Overton High School, my alma mater. Mrs. Seymour caught me staying late after school again grading papers, planning ahead, and trying to get my bearings. One day she stopped inside my room and said, “Ms. Johnson, what are you still doing here?” After I answered, she retorted, “The work will always be here. There will always be papers to grade and students to tutor. Make sure you schedule some time for yourself, or this job will overwhelm you.” She was right. I had to learn to pace myself. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into

The “Freedom Writers Diary,” and the film helped inspire me to teach differently. It con-

County Criminal Justice Center.

They set initial bail for recently arrested people. If the defendants cannot afford the bail and remain incarcerated for 72 hours, they receive a hearing before a judge or judicial commissioner to revisit the bail amount.

A defense attorney and a representative from the Shelby County District Attorney’s office are both present at the hearing.

There were 110 cases that were denied bail in 2022.

However, the Constitution, state law and judges aren’t the only deciding factor.

After many arrests, defendants often gain release through a bail bond, which requires them to post 10 percent in cash and guarantee the rest, either through a bail bond company or some form of financial collateral.

Crystal Johnson, an AP English teacher at Hillcrest High, is a New Memphis 2023 Educator of Excellence. Johnson uses poetry and other innovations to coax creativity from her students. (Photo: Mauricio Ramirez Photography LLC) firmed what I already knew about teaching youth from urban areas. You have to build rapport, build connections to see growth and achievement.

What new issues arose at your school/in your classroom during the past school year and how did you address them?

challenge to keep them motivated to the finish line. I had to implement creative ways to get them to come more such as field trip incentives for attendance and submitting satisfactory work.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

travel, work out at the gym, enjoy live music with friends, attend New Abyssinia Baptist Church, or just relax. It is smart to partake in self-care activities that encourage good mental health. As an educator, it can be draining, so it is imperative that I get “me” time.

Most issues dealt with seniors staying focused and attending school daily. Seniors especially begin to get parttime jobs, and it becomes a

When I’m not at work, I spend time with my family, especially my 11-year-old son, Robert, who attends Maxine Smith STEAM Academy. I perform at poetry readings. I

(This interview was lightly edited for length and clarity.

Bureau Chief Tonyaa Weathersbee oversees Chalkbeat Tennessee’s education coverage. Reach her at tweathersbee@chalkbeat.org.)

Since many offenders come from impoverished backgrounds, they also are required to have two co-signers. Often, it is a family member. In the end, they are financially liable if the family member fails to appear for court.

“A bail bond company makes that decision on every

monetary bond …They can make the bond for the person, or they can not make the bond for the person,” said General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Bill Anderson Jr. “They can do anything they want in the contracts, legally.

They can only charge 10 per-

cent of the face amount of the bond, by law. But they don’t have to charge 10 percent of the face amount. They can add conditions, etc., etc.”

He argued in favor of releasing first-time offenders on their own recognizance, instead of bonds.

Floyd Bonner is the First Elected African American Sheriff in Shelby County history and first democrat elected Sheriff in more than 25 years Priorities As Mayor · Bring back community and data driven policing · Expand Opportunity Youth and additional programs that give our young people a chance · Invest in mental health resources at MPD to divert those that need treatment to a hospital and away from jail · Hold MLGW accountable for tree trimming and upgrades to our infrastructure and expand programs that weatherize more low income housing to reduce the energy burden on struggling families · Focus on transportation and workforce development so all citizens have the opportunity to benefit from the new advanced manufacturing jobs that are headed our way through the growth of BlueOval City

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 21 - 27, 2023

Page 3

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, September 21 - 27, 2023, Page 4

Despite a strong labor market, the choice to allow pandemic-era public assistance programs to expire increased poverty across all racial groups in 2022, according to the 2022 income and poverty report recently released by the Census Bureau.

What is the economic well-being of U.S. households viewed by race and ethnicity?

by Kyle K. Moore and Adewale A. Maye Economic Policy Institute

The 2022 income and poverty report released last week by the Census Bureau offers an initial, authoritative insight into the economic well-being of U.S. households by race and ethnicity.

This examination comes in the wake of a notable decrease in child poverty rates in 2021, primarily attributed to the expansion of safety net programs – like the Child Tax Credit (CTC) – that were an integral component of the COVID-19 economic recovery.

The report indicated that although real median household income fell 2.3 percent in 2022 for all households, there were notable differences across various racial and ethnic groups. Specifically, Black households saw a modest 1.5 percent increase in real median household income, going from $52,080 to $52,860.

Likewise, Hispanic households experienced a slight 0.5 percent uptick, with median income rising from $62,520 to $62,800. Asian households experienced a 0.6 percent dip in median household income, from $109,400 to $108,700. In contrast, white, non-Hispanic households experienced a more pronounced 3.6 percent decline in median household income, from $84,110 to $81,060.

Notably, one of the key factors explaining why Black household median income was seemingly less affected than that of white households is the increased employment of Black workers in the labor market, which managed to counteract the negative impact of inflation on income. In 2022, the number of Black full-time, year-round earners increased by 1.3 million – or 9 percent compared with an increase of 450,000 white earners –or 0.6 percent.

Despite the strength of the labor market recovery, racial disparities continue to persist with Black households earning 65 cents for every dollar earned by a white median household, an increase from approximately 62 cents in 2021. Hispanic households earned 77 cents for every dollar that the median white household earned, up from 74 cents in 2021.

Year-to-year changes in the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) provide the

most accurate and comprehensive measure of poverty and the net effect of allowing pandemic-era benefit extensions like the expanded Child Tax Credit to expire. Despite the positive impact a strong and stable labor market had on earned incomes for working families, exposure to poverty increased among all racial and ethnic groups, with much higher rates for Black and Hispanic households.

In particular: • The SPM increased overall from 7.8 percent in 2021 to 12.4 percent in 2022.

• Non-Hispanic white poverty increased from 5.7 percent to 9.1 percent.

• Black poverty increased from 11.2 percent to 17.2 percent.

• Hispanic poverty increased from 11.2 percent to 19.3 percent.

• Asian poverty increased from 9.5 percent to 11.6 percent.

• The fact that Black and Hispanic poverty rates increased the most as a result of policies like the expanded CTC not being renewed shows that those policies were equity-enhancing.

• The SPM child poverty data also show a disappointing reversal of progress: • Overall child poverty doubled from 5.2 percent in 2021 to 12.4 percent in 2022.

• Poverty for non-Hispanic white children, brought below 3% in 2021, increased to 7.2 percent in 2022.

• Black and Hispanic child poverty, both brought below 10 percent for the first time in history in 2021, rose to 18.3 percent and 19.5 percent in 2022, respectively.

• Asian child poverty rose from 5.1 percent to 9.9 percent.

These dramatic increases in child poverty are again the direct result of the policy choice to allow pandemic-era relief programs like the Child Tax Credit to expire.

Policymakers have demonstrated that they have the capacity to effectively cut child poverty and racial disparities in child poverty but are now refusing to use that capacity.

In an era where household earnings are not increasing enough to keep up with the costs of child care, allowing programs to expire that alleviated that burden hurts workers and families with children. The result is that many more families with children are substantially worse off than last year.

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 21 - 27, 2023

RELIGION

The explosion that killed four your girls on Sept. 15, 1963 at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., occurred after dynamite was placed outside the church underneath a set of stairs. (Photo: John Morse)

Page 5

“People killed my sister just because of the color of her skin. Don’t look at this anniversary as just another day. Instead, consider what each of us can do individually to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”

— Lisa McNair

60th Anniversary of Birmingham church bombing unites families of victims and perpetrators

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Four innocent young girls getting ready for Sunday services died when the Ku Klux Klan detonated a devastating bomb inside Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church sixty years ago.

As the nation commemorated the somber 60th anniversary of that fateful day (Sept. 15, 1963), two remarkable women, Lisa McNair, and Tammie Fields, stood united not only by their shared tragedy but also by their unwavering message to combat hate.

McNair’s sister, Denise, was one of the four girls who tragically died in the bombing. In contrast, Fields’ father, Charles Cagle, was initially questioned as a potential suspect in the horrific church bombing but was never charged. Decades after this devastating event, the two women crossed paths at a Black History Month event, forging a seemingly improbable connection and an enduring friendship.

Despite being born on opposite sides of one of the most heinous events of the civil rights movement, McNair and Fields shared a common goal: to speak out against hate. As the nation reflected on the 60th anniversary of this tragic event, McNair implored people to remember what transpired and contemplate how to prevent such hatred from rearing its head again.

“People killed my sister just because of the color of her skin,” McNair declared in an interview with the Associated Press.

“Don’t look at this anniversary as just another day. Instead, consider what each of us can do individually to ensure that this

doesn’t happen again.”

The explosion occurred when dynamite, surreptitiously placed outside the 16th Street Baptist Church underneath a set of stairs, exploded. The four girls, ages 11 to 14, were assembled in a downstairs washroom before Sunday services when the devastating blast occurred.

Tragically, 11-year-old Denise McNair and her friends, 14-year-olds Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins, all perished in the explosion.

A fifth girl, Sarah Collins Rudolph, Addie Mae’s sister, was also in the room and sustained severe injuries, including losing an eye.

The vile act of violence took place during the zenith of the civil rights movement, just eight months after then-Gov. George Wallace defiantly proclaimed, “segregation forever.”

It occurred a mere two weeks following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. Three Ku Klux Klansmen were convicted in connection with the bombing: Robert Chambliss in 1977, Thomas Blanton in 2001, and Bobby Frank Cherry in 2002.

Fields, now 64, was a toddler during the bombing. She vividly remembers her father, who died several years ago, harboring deep-seated hatred and bitterness toward Black individuals. Racial slurs were commonplace, and she was encouraged to despise her Black classmates.

Fields credited her preacher grandfather with showing her a different path in life.

“The most important thing to me is that my children will never know the hate that I’ve known,” Fields shared.

McNair, 58, was born a year after her

sister’s tragic death, and she grew up witnessing the profound sorrow that haunted her parents. Her mother often took her and her siblings to the cemetery, where she would grieve or sit solemnly.

In her book, “Dear Denise: Letters to the Sister I Never Knew,” McNair candidly wrote about her life in the aftermath of the bombing. When she first heard of Tammie Fields and learned that both were scheduled to attend the same church program, she admitted to being hesitant.

“Originally, I didn’t really want to meet her,” McNair confided to AP. “I was kind of nervous about it, even though she didn’t do it. It was almost like meeting the person who killed your sister, in a way. You’re trying to figure out how I should feel about this?”

The two women eventually met at another church where Fields was speaking.

McNair listened from a pew, and when the event concluded, the two women shared a heartfelt embrace, tears streaming down their faces.

“I was extremely, extremely nervous.

She had every right not to accept me, but she did,” Fields remembered in a discussion with the AP. McNair recognized the authenticity of Fields’ desire for reconciliation. Fields, now a grandmother with Black children and mixed-race grandchildren, refrained from discussing the bombing for an extended period. However, she now firmly believes that open dialogue is essential for progress.

“How is it ever going to change in the world if we’re not honest?” she pondered.

McNair also expressed concern about the current political climate, where some

The four girls killed in the bombing (clockwise from top left): Addie Mae Collins (14), Cynthia Wesley (14), Carole Robertson (14), and Carol Denise McNair (11) (Photos: Wikipedia) politicians appear to be deliberately stoking divisive rhetoric. She sees valuable lessons in the events of 60 years ago for today’s society.

“So much hate, so much racism is coming back up. That’s the thing that upsets me and saddens me; we should have made more progress. I think we’re going backward instead of forward.”

During a recent speech in Montgomery, Ala., McNair unveiled a small box that the funeral home had given to her family. It contained items found with Denise, including patent leather shoes, a pocketbook, and a delicate handkerchief.

Among the items was a chunk of concrete, about the size of a rock, embedded in Denise’s head, ultimately causing her death.

“It shows that racism can kill,” declared McNair.

“Hateful words can kill. And this is a tangible piece of that.”

(Follow Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent, @StacyBrownMedia.)

The New Tri-State Defender, September 21 - 27, 2023, Page 6

A ‘Fly’ new book celebrates nearly 80 years of NBA style

Pulitzer prize-winning writer Mitchell S. Jackson’s comprehensive history of style in the NBA accounts for this Magic Johnson effect. (Photos: Artisan Books via theroot.com)

by Angela Johnson

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

If you’re a fan of the NBA, you know that these days, the show often starts before the tipoff. Some of the most popular players in the league aren’t just amazing athletes, they’re also icons of style. And watching them make the “tunnel walk” between the locker room and the arena is as exciting as any Hollywood red carpet.

In his new book, “Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion,” Pulitzer prize-winning writer Mitchell S. Jackson compiles a beautifully comprehensive history of style in the NBA. But what could have just been a stunning coffee table book full of pictures of tall, handsome Black men in great clothes is so much more. It’s also a history lesson and a cultural commentary examining the impact of politics and culture on players’ fashion choices over time.

I caught up with Mitchell S. Jackson about his stunning homage to NBA style.

It took two years to complete the research and collect the photos that ultimately found a place in the book. But Jackson, a former basketball player and self-described fashion lover, called the project a labor of love.

“With every era I would ask myself, who were the players, what were they wearing and what were the cultural forces that really brought that style into being.” he said.

Allan Iverson’s NBA style reflected the burgeoning status of hip-hop culture. we reach the widest audience?’” Jackson said. “What they didn’t like was hip hop.

But I don’t think hip-hop was the influence on those players. Those players were hiphop.”

Dress Code, 2010 – 2015

The Conformists, 1946 - 1963 Jackson begins his story with the birth of the NBA in 1946. During this time, he says, although Black players were stars of their sport, they didn’t have the same rights as their white counterparts in the real world.

And as a result, they believed blending in was their only option. Here, you see conventional style dominate, with dark suits, white shirts and ties as the norm.

“I thought about the fact that this was pre-Civil Rights and right after World War II. And there were still these mandates on what you could wear,” he said.

Flamboyance, 1964 – 1980 But with the start of the Civil Rights Movement, players found more freedom to express themselves. And during the period between the mid-1960s and late 1970s, we saw them lean into their individual identity and culture through fashion like never before. Players of this era rejected the idea of a one-size-fits-all all sense of style. They wanted to do something different—something Mitchell says is as much a political statement as a statement of style.

“That liberation shows up in Clyde Frazier and Wilt Chamberlain. You see Wilt, and he’s got his shirt unbuttoned to his sternum. That’s freedom,” Jackson laughed.

Jordan, 1981 – 1998 Because you can’t write a book about NBA fashion without talking about Dennis Rodman, Jackson highlights the standout forward’s eclectic style during a period he simply called “Jordan.” Jackson notes that while players like Michael Jordan made oversized suits chic, Rodman was in a class by himself. And as he found his place in

Clyde Frazier of the The New York Knicks was part of what author Mitchell S. Jackson views as the NBA period of Flamboyance, 1964-80. the league, he became more comfortable with pushing all sorts of boundaries with his style. The image of that iconic wedding dress moment when he claimed to marry himself is still burned in my brain.

“I think it’s interesting to look at how Rodman came into the league. He was a player from a small college, who was by his own account a shy person who didn’t really have a personality,” Jackson said. “And then as he developed his rebounding and flair, it translated into his fashion. It was almost like Rodman was finding himself. And the more he refined that identity, the more flamboyant that fashion got.”

Insta Tunnel Walk, 2016 – Beyond

The Iverson Effect, 1999 - 2009 The late ‘90s and early 2000s saw a shift from suits to Starter jackets as hip-hop culture influenced the players’ style in an era Jackson calls “The Iverson Effect.” But as the NBA saw too many players dressing down, they decided it was time to enforce a dress code and forced players to swap their t-shirts, shorts and chains for business casual attire.

While some saw the NBA’s dress code as invasive and racist, some players decided to see that dress code as an opportunity to raise the bar on their style.

It’s during the era Jackson calls “Dress Code,” that you see players hiring stylists to help them level up their looks and even making appearances at the ultimate style championship event – the Met Gala.

“You have to give credit to LeBron, D Wade and Chris Bosh for embracing their status as fashionable men. And I think that’s what was responsible for what we ultimately call now the tunnel. They made it,” Jackson said.

LeBron James is among the NBA stars who have embraced their status as fashionable men.

“I think the NBA looked at its product and said, ‘The people buying tickets don’t like this. So, what can we do to make sure

The proliferation of social media gave players even more opportunities to showcase their style. And beginning in 2016, fans looked to the “tunnel walk” to see their favorite players’ off-court looks. In 2020, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, called “the most stylish duo in sports,” appeared on the cover of GQ. And today, the Instagram account @leaguefits, which features photos of some of the freshest players in the game, has nearly 1 million followers, a testament to the influence players have on the fashion industry. “You have to think about what it must feel like for the NBA players to have created something that didn’t exist before,” Jackson said.

Although he acknowledges an abundance of stylish players in the NBA over time, Jackson says Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain are some of his favorites in the game. “Wilt was seven feet, and Shaq is 7’2,” he said. “Shaq’s not fly. I haven’t seen a picture of Shaq and said ‘He really put that on.’ But Wilt, he did that.”

The New Tri-State Defender

September 21 - 27, 2023

Page 7

LITERATURE

‘One Blood’ is a book you’ll drop everything to read.

As an apocalyptic novel with nuances, ‘Hush Harbor’ is for the patient reader

Terri Schlichenmeyer

In the past few years, you’ve carried your share of cardboard on sticks.

You’ve chanted, marched, and showed displeasure for something you’re passionate about, and you’ve walked miles to display your support for what’s good and decent. You have the absolute right to protest, but in the new book, “Hush Harbor” by Anise Vance, beware the signs.

Malik’s grandfather didn’t want him to go.

Why, he wondered, would Malik travel from Durham to New Jersey, to the tip of an island he’d never seen, to take a stand for a teenager he didn’t know?

But how could he not?

When a boy named Kemba was killed by a cop with white supremacist ties and nothing real was done about it, wasn’t it natural that anger might spill over?

Who could blame activists for seizing an abandoned old bunch of government housing to create their own society?

Who’d blame them for any of this?

Not Malik. In his core, he knew that going to what was now called Hush Harbor was the right thing to do. He could make a difference.

And once there, he was happy to help Jeremiah Prince to lead the revolution.

When Jeremiah looked at his desk and saw a sea of paperwork, he was glad his sister, Nova, had brought Malik to his office. Jeremiah needed help to tame the documents, to ensure the activists were safe and fed, and to gather information about what was outside the perimeters.

Malik was intelligent and watchful; he brought a lot to the cause – so did Nova, for that matter – although Jeremiah and Nova had very different ideas about how to move forward.

Jeremiah didn’t want to say why, but he was willing to take outside help. Nova wanted the revolutionists to be sustainably independent, without white influence or money. Both wanted to find the killer, the leader of the white supremacists, who was rumored to be hiding very near Hush Harbor’s barricades.

For Jeremiah, it was personal...

Right from the start, from its very first pag-

One drop.

That’s all they said it took to determine someone’s race. Just one drop, the tiniest of amounts, and everything changed: no access, no rights, no cold drink from a fountain on a hot day, no freedoms. No safety. No say in the matter.

And in the new novel, “One Blood” by Denene Millner, no way to change it, but time.

The first night Grace saw her Maw Maw catch a baby, she had a mess of feelings: a little sick, scared, but mostly awed at what Maw Maw called a miracle. Grace was small then, but she paid attention. One day, Maw Maw promised, Grace would be the one catching babies.

Just days after her own mother died, though, the sheriff came for Maw Maw, who’d falsified a birth certificate to protect a newborn from a white man not its father. The sheriff beat Maw Maw and dragged her off, and Grace was spirited away north to Brooklyn, to safety, to be cared for by an Auntie who didn’t want her.

Hattie made no bones about that.

She treated Grace no better than a common maid, and she warned that a country gal like Grace had no business in Brooklyn society.

Hattie didn’t want the embarrassment of an illegitimate child around, either, and so when Grace got pregnant, Hattie tricked her into losing her baby to adoption.

Lolo never told Tommy the truth because she knew he wanted children.

She’d been terribly mutilated down there when she was younger, so she let him think he was the cause of their infertility. She didn’t want children anyhow, but she became a mother with the adoption of a boy first, then a girl, and she didn’t tell either of her children.

On a sunny day when she was thirteen, Rae learned a truth about herself, and she kept it close. She loved her mother, she appreciated Lolo’s sacrifices and didn’t want to hurt her.

But as she grew into a woman with the same troubles she’d seen in her mother’s life, Rae wondered where her blood came from...

Here’s some advice: if you’re not complete-

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

“Hush Harbor”

by Anise Vance c. 2023, Hanover Square Press $30 288 pages es, “Hush Harbor” has a delicious, ice-down-yourspine foreboding that you can’t shake, as long as you have the book open. Nearly everything happens in the dark, in a storm, or underground, and that dystopian-Armageddon feel is on-point.

As for the story, well, Anise Vance that could be another mat(Photo: Shanter. non Delaney) This novel is taut, like walking a tightrope over flames, but it’s also very, very confusing. The characters are many, explanations for their presences are sometimes easy to miss, and ongoing dialogue is hard to determine when the word “said” is missing as much as it is here. There are some good twists in the tale, but they’re often lost in the complications. And just as you’re about to cheer for a revolution, the story dives into a dual romance. Heavy sigh.

Readers who are eager for a perfectly, finely-set apocalyptic novel and who can patiently tease out its nuances will probably enjoy “Hush Harbor.” Readers who aren’t prepared for a complex tale might have trouble sticking with it.

“One Blood: A Novel”

by Denene Millner c. 2023, Forge $29 432 pages ly immersed in “One Blood” by page ten, you might want to get yourself checked out. There could be something wrong with you.

Covering just a matter of decades, author Denene Millner introduces readers to a family of women, each of whom leave an unknown legacy for the next generation. They do it while dealing with the issues of the day, racism, violence, classism, and infidelity, and with a little help from the ethereal connection they share – all of which dip and soar throughout this fourpart tale.

Millner is a great teller, sharing each woman’s story with brutal reality, the kind that can shock you emotionless, but also with a lightness that feels like skipping.

It’s a mix you can’t miss.

Readers who want a novel that includes a little bit of last-century history and current events will eat this book up. “One Blood” is a book you’ll drop everything to read.

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, September 21 - 27, 2023, Page 8

Calling out a “smear” …

Backed by supporters, Memphis City Council District 5 candidate Meggan Kiel on Tuesday used a news conference to counter what she called a smear effort by her opponent, Philip Spinosa. In 2020 after the death of George Floyd, Kiel aligned with more than 115 community and non-profit leaders, who signed a letter asking Memphis leaders to come together and work on issues around crime. That letter, which was published as an op-ed in The New Tri-State Defender, is being used by her opponent to falsely allege that she called for defunding the police and have criminals roam the streets of Memphis, Kiel and supporters said. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

IN BRIEF Indictments tie Sheriff’s deputies to jail death of Gershun Freeman TSD Newsroom Nine indictments of Shelby County Sheriff’s Office employees now have been issued in the October death of Gershun Freeman, who died while in custody at the Shelby County Jail.

The indictments come out of the office of Davidson County District Attorney General Glenn Funk. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy sought the transfer of the case to the Nashville-area jurisdiction.

The death of Freeman, 33, earlier was determined to be a homicide during an autopsy that attributed his death to exacerbation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The report didn’t affix the homicide to criminal intent with a certainty.

Freeman’s family is represented by renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.

The indictments included second-degree murder charges for some.

Video captures aspects of Freeman’s encounter with officers inside the jail. Freeman, while restrained, went into cardiac arrest and died despite officers rendering CPR. Freeman was arrested in connection with an incident involving a woman he knew.

He was accused of an attack on the woman and of subsequently taking her from his home to another location, where she was let go.

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., who is a candidate for mayor, has said none of the officers are at fault and that he would stand with them.

BRIEFLY: Memphis Area Legal Services, Idlewild Presbyterian Church and the Community Legal Center will sponsor a free legal clinic on October 7th from 10 a.m. to noon at Idlewild Presbyterian Church, 1750 Union Ave. BRIEFLY: A public forum to present research findings and answer questions about the five-year Memphis aquifer study conducted by the Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) at the University of Memphis will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept.

21 at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave. Speakers will include Dr. Brian Waldron, director of CAESER, and representatives from MLGW. For more information, call 901-415-2700.

View the livestream on Facebook Live: https://fb.me/e/3NBe75YMb. BRIEFLY: The Afrikan Village Institute, 1225 Vollintine Street, will be the setting on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. when “Blacktastic Therapist” Joni Elrod will present a counseling self-healing circle. Refreshments will be provided.

RSVP: Normanredwing@ icloud.com; http://afrikan-village-memphis.org; call 901859-1689.

BRIEFLY: The Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross is conducting local volunteer recruitment and training sessions for those looking to make a lasting impact for others. Upcoming informational and training meetings include: Sept. 27, Red Cross Mid-South Headquarters: 1399 Madison Ave., from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.; Sept. 28, Red Cross Mid-South Headquarters: 1399 Madison Ave., from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. For more information, contact Mathew St. Martin, disaster program manager at mathew.stmartin2@ redcross.org.

The New Tri-State Defender

September 21 - 27, 2023

Page 9

NEWS

Tennessee among 16 states that underfunded historically Black land-grant universities, Biden administration says NASHVILLE (AP) — Historically Black land-grant universities in Tennessee and 15 other states have missed out on $12.6 billion in funding over the last three decades, according to the Biden administration.

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack sent letters to the governors of each state asking them to increase funding, news outlets reported. The letter said the largest disparity was in

Tennessee, where Tennessee State University has been underfunded by $2.1 billion dollars.

“Unacceptable funding inequities have forced many of our nation’s distinguished historically Black colleges and universities to operate with inadequate resources and delay critical investments in everything from campus infrastructure to research and development to student support services,” Cardona said in a statement Monday.

Letters were also sent to governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

The nation’s land-grant universities were founded in the 19th century on federal land to further agricultural instruction and research.

Federal law requires states to provide an equitable distribution of state funding for all land-

grant universities, but that hasn’t happened with many historically Black ones, a new analysis found.

The federal agencies used data from the National Center for Education Statistics and found the funding disparity in 16 of 18 states that house Black land grants. Delaware and Ohio provided equitable funding, the analysis found.

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SPORTS

The New Tri-State Defender, September 21 - 27, 2023, Page 10

TRACKING THE TIGERS

Tigers ground Navy’s final attack to remain unbeaten

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A thrill ride from the beginning to the end extended the University of Memphis’ early-season winning streak to three games and propelled the Tigers to their fifth straight win over the Navy Academy.

With a national audience viewing ESPN’s first Thursday night college football telecast of the season, Memphis held off Navy’s Midshipmen 28-24 in front of 25,551 fans. Memphis (3-0,1-0) is the only undefeated team in the American Athletic Conference.

The Tigers were playing on a short week, having played their last game five days earlier. On Saturday (Sept. 23), they play the SEC’s Missouri Tigers in St. Louis. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and will Terry be televised on ESDavis PNU. Memphis easily could have lost the Navy game, which ended with the Tigers’ defense stopping Navy inches short of a game-extending first down on a fourthdown stand deep in Memphis territory with nine seconds remaining.

“I am proud of the way we finished,” Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield said. “There are a lot of things we can do to clean up. I am proud of my guys. We found a way to win tonight. That is something we were not able to do last year.”

The Tigers’ Blake Watson rushed for a career high 171 yards and scored two touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, Watson seemed set to seal the game and score a third touchdown, but he fumbled the football into the end zone on a short run up the middle and Navy made the recovery.

“Blake has some of the best vision that I have ever been around,” said Silverfield.

“He kept running his legs. He had great balance. It (was a) tremendous effort by him (and) credit to the offensive line. We have high expectations for him.”

The Tigers got a scare in the first half when quarterback Seth Henigan hit his head on the ground and left the game, only to return one play later. Henigan completed 23 of 35 passes for 218 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He rushed

The Tigers’ Blake Watson rushed for a career high 171 yards and scored two touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, Watson seemed set to seal the game and score a third touchdown, but he fumbled the football into the end zone on a short run up the middle and Navy made the recovery. for 33 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Memphis scored with ease on its on opening drive with ease but did not score again until the team’s last drive of the first half, which ended in a 14-14 knot.

The Tigers took a 21-14 second-half lead, which the Midshipmen erased with a touchdown. The score was 28-24 in the fourth when Watson’s fumble and Henigan’s interception put the game’s outcome in the hands of the Memphis defense.

“It is going to be ebbs and flows to any football game,” Silverfield said. “I should have called a better play (at the goal line.)

Fumbling on the six-inch line makes your heart sink. We will learn from it and grow.”

On a fourth and 6 play with less than 10 seconds to go in the game, Navy quarter back Tai Lavatai’s pass to Jayden Umbarger initially was ruled a first down with six seconds left in the game and the ball on the Tigers’ 9-yard line. After an official review, the call on the field was overturned and the Tigers took over on downs.

Under first year head coach Brian Newberry, Navy (1-2,-0-1 AAC) is not using its traditional run-heavy, triple-option offense and passed the ball 20 times. Lavatai completed 10 of 19 passes for 133 yards and threw one touchdown. Running back Alex Tecza rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tigers’ defense entered the game with the nation’s second-best defense in yards allowed (158). The defensive unit took an early hit, allowing Navy to score

Tauskie Dove of the Memphis Tigers puts a great block on Colis Ramos of Navy helping teammate Blake Watson get into the redzone and eventually score a touchdown. (Photos: Warren Roseborough/The New Tri-State Defender)

Quarterback Seth Henigan’s touchdown touched off a celebration.

14 points in the first quarter and amass 432 total yards.

Memphis’ defense adjusted after the first quarter and played well, noticeably clamping down after surrendering big plays earlier. The defense recovered two fumbles and came close to recovering a third. Chandler Martin had 9 total tackles; Geoffrey Cantin-Aku had 8 total tackles and a forced fumble.

Senior Jaylon Allen, considered the heart and soul of the Tigers’ defense, also had a fumble recovery.

His thoughts on the last defensive play of the game Allen said, “We just came in with a slogan, ‘The Wrench,’” Allen said, reflecting on the game’s last defensive play. “We want to be at the bottom of the barrel and fight out of it.

That last drive is exactly how we wanted it.”

In time for the new season…

New LeMoyne-Owen College coach Antonio Harris, who guided the Booker T. Washington Warriors to four TSSAA state championships over the last decade, will begin his tenure at LOC with this group of players.

New LeMoyne-Owen College head men’s basketball coach Antonio Harris grew up a few blocks from Memphis’ only HBCU (historically black college and university). “I am committed to growing this program and growing young talent from Memphis and beyond. We now have a huge opportunity to remind people what the Magicians are truly capable of,” said Harris, who resigned as coach of the Booker T. Washington High School to take over at following Bonzi Wells’ departure earlier this year. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)