The New Tri-State Defender - September 28-October 4, 2023

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VOL. 72, No. 39

September 28 - October 4, 2023

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Althea Greene remains Memphis-Shelby County Schools board chair for second year

by Laura Testino Chalkbeat Tennessee

Althea Greene will remain chair of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board for a second year as the district continues its search for a permanent superintendent, despite criticism of how she handled the initial search.

Greene received seven votes from the nine-member board. Board member Frank Johnson, who is recovering from a stroke, was not at Tuesday’s meeting. Newly-appointed member Mauricio Calvo voted “present.”

“I pray that my colleagues, that we will lead together,” Greene said Tuesday. “We will march together. We will disagree, but disagree together.”

Greene was first appointed to the board in 2019 and ran unopposed in 2020. She has been part of the leadership for most of her time on the board, serving two terms as vice chair alongside Michelle McKissack in 2021-22 and Miska Clay Bibbs the previous year. Her District 2 seat will be up for election next fall.

Joyce Dorse-Coleman, who is halfway through her second term as a board member, will remain the vice chair for another year.

“The work that I’ve done speaks for itself,” Dorse-Coleman said before the final vote. “That’s what I’m going to say. I’ve been dedicated.”

The vice chair election divided the board, which has strived to present a

Council mulls partisan elections amid division on the issue

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Althea Greene will remain chair of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board for a second year. (Photo: Tonyaa Weathersbee/ Chalkbeat) united front while it seeks a new district leader and develops a plan for its aging school buildings. Dorse-Coleman prevailed over the other nominee, Amber Huett-Garcia, after three rounds of voting. McKissack ultimately switched her vote to provide Dorse-Coleman the needed majority.

Greene’s reelection as chair signals

that most board members still trust her leadership, despite some wavering last spring and calls for a change.

The board elected Greene “to finish a job that I know that she’s very focused on and seeing to completion,” McKissack said.

SEE SCHOOL ON PAGE 2

COMMENTARY

Urban education’s challenges are ongoing, complex and interconnected

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

We’re now almost five weeks into the school year, and I must admit, I’m already experiencing a nostalgic yearning to return to the role of school leader and the day-to-day grind of urban education.

I miss it!

But I’m in school buildings daily, working with teenage boys on leadership and personal development.

As I visit these schools, I find myself reflecting a lot on the state of urban education, not just in our own

Still time to do it early …

Early voting, which began Sept. 15 for the Oct. 5 City of Memphis Municipal Election, runs through Sept. 30 at 18 locations across the city. Voters can cast ballots at any location during early voting. For a list of polling places to cast ballots on Election Day, see Page 9. See Page 10 for sample ballot. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/ GSW Enterprises/ The New Tri-State Defender)

Tennessee legislative panel will look into rejecting federal education funds.

See Perspective, Page 4. school systems in Memphis but across the nation.

I get frustrated with the amount Curtis Weathers of progress (or lack thereof) we’ve made in the urban education arena over the past few decades.

Improving education in our schools, especially in the many urban

$1.00

centers throughout the country, is an extraordinarily complex and challenging undertaking.

We sometimes forget what K -12 educators must contend with in their efforts to successfully educate children in urban school environments, or any environment for that matter.

As I walk the hallways and work with teachers and students in the schools I visit, I am constantly reminded of how challenging and com-

plex the urban education environment truly is.

Urban education in America faces a variety of challenges that can have a significant impact on the “quality of education” provided to students in urban centers like here at home.

These challenges are not only complex but are interconnected, and they often result in educational disparities that disproportionately affect marginalized urban communities.

Urban schools tend to be segregated by race and socioeconomic status.

Persistent achievement gaps exist be-

SEE URBAN ON PAGE 2

With the prospect of Memphis’ next mayor entering office without a mandate, Memphis City Council members Tuesday (Sept. 26) passed a pair of ballot-referenda ordinances in their first readings, aiming to produce a smaller field of candidates in the 2027 mayor’s race.

The action came during the meeting of the council’s Personnel & Governmental Affairs Committee. If both ordinances are approved after three readings, they would be on the August 2024 ballot.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. With no incumbent Martavius on the Oct. Jones 5 ballot, 17 candidates are seeking to replace Strickland.

There is no runoff, so whoever gets the most votes wins.

“With 17 members JB (candidates) Smiley Jr. in the race right now we could foreseeably, out of a city with 630,000 residents, have 20,000 people determine who the new mayor will be for this city,” cautioned Chairman Martavius Jones, who has been pushing for partisan city elections.

Jones wants an ordinance-referendum question to amend the City Charter’s ban on partisan elections, creating a primary process.

In 1991, the late U.S. District Judge Jerome Turner ousted runoff provisions in citywide elections, ruling the charter was rewritten in 1967 to keep a Black candidate from being elected mayor.

Turner’s ruling smoothed the path for Dr. Willie W. Herenton to upset incumbent mayor Dick Hackett by 142 votes, making Herenton, who is a candidate for mayor in this year’s election, the city’s first elected Black mayor.

“I’m aware that back in the ’90’s – we’re talking 30-something odd years ago – there was a dissent decree that was entered by a judge, who is now deceased.

That particular dissent decree pro-

SEE COUNCIL ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 28 - October 4, 2023

NEWS

TSU student leaders visit D.C. to address $2.1 billion owed NASHVILLE – Tennessee State University student leaders recently traveled to the nation’s capital after the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Education revealed that the university is owed over $2.1 billion by the State of Tennessee. The group met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and others to seek answers and support.

TSU SGA President Derrell Taylor and Vice President Chrishonda O’Quinn spoke briefly at one meeting to voice their concerns to congressional leaders about the revelation of the $2 billion-plus underfunding of the university.

“It is unfortunate that we have to fight this battle,” Taylor said. “But I am proud to stand before these legislators, activists, and key community figures to express how disheartening it is for students to realize how much more of an experience we could have had if we had been allocated the necessary funding.”

Taylor mentioned that despite the tremendous underfunding, students from across the country still choose TSU because of its culture and the quality of education it offers.

“But if we had the resources that these surrounding institutions have, who knows what our capabilities could have been. It means a lot to be in our nation’s capital fighting for our rights.”

O’Quinn echoed his sentiments, emphasizing that this matter isn’t just impacting TSU but all underfunded HBCUs as well.

“It has also shown me the importance of being well-informed on this topic, so we can relay the information back to

COUNCIL

CONTINUED FROM FRONT hibited us from having runoff elections in the Super Districts, as well as the mayor’s race,” said Jones.

Vice Chairman JB Smiley Jr., while not being totally on board with Jones’ ordinance, proposed an ordinance-referendum question that would require a candidate to receive 50 (percent)-plus one of the votes cast to win election.

An office seeker must receive one vote over 50 percent of the total to win outright.

Smiley added that both ordinances received support from the council’s private attorney Allan Wade.

“He’s almost inclined to say…considering the dynamic of the city has changed, since we had that order, it’s almost certain that the people of the city of Memphis want this, the judge will be inclined to allow us to have a 50-plus one mayor race,” said Smiley.

The “dynamic,” is Memphis’ demographics. With African Americans now comprising 65 percent of Memphis’ population from 60 percent white majority 30 years ago.

That demographic flip is reflected in the 13-member City Council, which has eight Black members and five white members.

“We’ll end up in federal court, no matter what we do, if we pass legislation that speaks to a mayoral election,” said Smiley.

While the 50-plus-one ordinance question received full support on a voice vote, there were concerns.

“I don’t think partisan elections will help our body. I think it just divides people

Page 2

TSU student leaders (l-r) Chrishonda O’Quinn, Victoria McCrae, and Derrell Taylor with U.S congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. (Courtesy photo) the students and have a stronger force when advocating in the Tennessee legislature,” O’Quinn said. “Being here and experiencing this shows how impactful it is to advance and be informed.”

Joining them on the trip were Mister TSU Davin Latiker, Miss TSU Victoria McCrae, Aliyah Holmes, and Dwight DeBerry. The TSU group had discussions with Congressional members.

“Attending the CBC was such an eye-opening experience,” said McCrae, a Memphis native.

“We sat in rooms with and gained valuable information from some of the pioneers of African American politics. The impact that I wish to accomplish is to relay the importance of voting, learning our history, and advocating for our future!”

Latiker said that despite the circumstances, it was an honor to meet people at the capital who were advocating for the university as well.

“When we met those peo-

ple, they were able to provide insight and resources that we didn’t know about, and we were able to advocate for the resources that we need,” Latiker said, emphasizing that the experience was unifying.

“It was great to witness Black excellence. The love and positive energy radiated from them and seeing that made me happy to bring this information and energy back to our campus.”

Holmes, the former SGA vice president, added that while the funding shortfall covers the period from 1987 to 2020, it still affects her and current TSU students.

“Us being underfunded for $2.1 billion continues to put us at a stagnant loss. The rest of Nashville is progressing in a positive direction, while TSU has been stagnant because we don’t have the adequate amount of funds to be able to grow.”

Taylor added that the next steps include sharing information with TSU students.

on a local level, where we don’t have to be divided,” said Councilmember Jeff Warren.

“I personally don’t think this ordinance is the right way to do it, or this is the right time to do it. I think we need to do it at the first of the year.”

The bitter nature of partisan politics, particularly on the state and national levels, invading local races is another worry.

“I recognize that people try and find a group to identify with that best represents what their ideology is. But, ultimately, at the state and federal level, especially in this hyper-partisan environment, it’s become incredibly toxic…,” Carlisle said.

While Carlisle and Warren voted against the ordinance, neither quarreled with its intent or logic.

“I think there are some very valid points made about 17 people being in the (mayor’s)

race,” said Carlisle. “I would tell you, there are probably four people in the race (who have a chance to win), but the point still stands. A valid point.

“I’m sure in certain neighborhoods, too, it’s caused a lot of confusion. You’ve got some people that know somebody, and they prefer a particular candidate, but they feel bad about it, so they feel like their vote is wasted. Very fair point.”

City Councilmember Patrice Robinson urged getting citizen input.

“Our opinions here are great. They’re moving us in a different direction. That’s something we need to do,” said Robinson.

“But what is (the)… right direction… for the citizens of Memphis? … It’s going to require some input from our citizens. Let’s not forget them in this process.”

SCHOOL

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Explaining his “present” vote to Chalkbeat, Calvo said, “I read the news, and I know that the community and the public wants a different direction for the board.”

“We don’t have a great reputation,” he later added.

Greene oversaw the start of the district’s superintendent search in late 2022, along with search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates. But after Hazard Young presented three finalists for the role at a meeting in April, Greene abruptly paused the search amid rancor over the selection process. Several top candidates withdrew their names from consideration.

Dorse-Coleman and anoth-

URBAN

CONTINUED FROM FRONT tween urban school students and their suburban counterparts.

These gaps often are related to socioeconomic factors, but they can also be influenced by disparities in school quality and educational opportunities.

Poverty, however, is one of the main culprits. Urban areas often have higher levels of poverty, which can profoundly impact students’ mental and emotional health and their ability to learn.

According to the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) website, the poverty rate of students attending its schools is 78.5 percent, which is significantly higher than the national average of just 16.9 percent.

This means that nearly eight out of 10 MSCS students are from low-income families.

Poverty can also lead to nutritional issues, unstable housing, and limited access to healthcare, all of which can negatively affect students’ ability to learn.

Recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers in urban schools can be challenging as well. Due to the numerous challenges of urban education, teacher burnout and turnover rates can be high.

According to data from the Tennessee Department of Education, the teacher turnover rate for Memphis-Shelby County Schools in the 20202021 school year was approximately 24 percent.

This means that almost a quarter of MSCS teachers leave the district each year compared to a national average of around 16 percent.

er board member, Stephanie Love, took over for Greene as the search coordinators, and the board ended up rebooting the search in June, with a looser set of job requirements.

Interim Superintendent Toni Williams, initially chosen as a finalist to take the post on a permanent basis, agreed not to pursue the post anymore.

New cleaning plan approved, but timing of transition is unclear MSCS board members unanimously voted to move forward with a new custodial services plan, which will distribute the work among four cleaning vendors, and revamp the way those vendors are evaluated to include more regular input from school staff.

But the timing of the transi-

tion to the new plan, most recently set for December, is up in the air.

Board member Kevin Woods suggested a delay due to the disruption of business to the sole current vendor, Service Master Clean, which would share the work under the new plan. Three company leaders and an employee addressed the board in public comments Tuesday.

District officials will review their procurement procedures and consult with the vendors to see whether that’s appropriate, but it means the transition could be as late as July 1, 2024.

(Laura Testino covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee.

Reach Laura at LTestino@ chalkbeat.org.)

More than 75 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the district’s high level of poverty.

Despite these challenges, urban schools are home to some of our nation’s most dedicated and talented educators.

Moreover, about half of MSCS teachers leave the profession in the first five years.

High teacher turnover rates, coupled with a lack of professional development opportunities, can hinder the quality of instruction in the classroom.

In addition, curriculum and teaching materials in urban schools may not always be culturally relevant or sensitive to the needs of diverse student populations. This can lead to disengagement and a lack of motivation among students.

Urban areas are often melting pots of various cultures and languages. While this diversity can be an asset to a community overall, it also presents challenges in terms of language barriers and the need for culturally responsive teaching.

In Memphis Shelby County Schools, roughly 80 percent of students are African American, 10 percent Hispanic, 7 percent white, and 3 percent are Asian or other races.

More than 75 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the district’s high level of poverty.

Despite these challenges, urban schools are home to some of our nation’s most dedicated and talented educators. These people work tirelessly to provide students with a quality education.

I see and talk with them daily.

Our schools, however, must provide students with the

support they need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. In other words, address the needs of the whole child.

This includes providing students with educational services and access to healthcare, mental health services, and other essential resources.

But again, it’s important to recognize that these issues are interconnected and cannot be solved in isolation.

Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach, involving policy changes, increased funding, professional development for teachers, community engagement, and a commitment to equity in education.

Memphis- Shelby County Schools is a vast and complex urban school system with many challenges to contend with this school year and beyond.

With all that is happening in Memphis, it is hard to see the continuity of strategy at times.

But again, there is much to reflect on as this school year gets underway.

As a community, we need to be ready to support our school system in any way we can.

Our school leaders, teachers, and children need us. Let’s have a great year!

(Follow me, TSD’s education columnist, on Twitter @ curtisweathers. Email me at curtislweathers@gmail. com.)

The New Tri-State Defender

September 28 - October 4, 2023

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Page 3

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, September 28 - October 4, 2023, Page 4

Tennessee legislative panel will look into rejecting federal education funds

by Marta W. Aldrich Chalkbeat Tennessee

When Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton floated the idea in February of the state rejecting U.S. education dollars to free schools from federal rules and regulations, most supporters of public education hoped it was nothing more than political posturing.

But on Monday, Sexton and his counterpart in the Senate, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, took the significant step of creating a legislative panel to conduct a comprehensive review of Sexton’s pitch.

The panel will look into the feasibility of doing without federal support for K-12 students and report back to legislative finance and education committees by Jan. 9.

Currently, Tennessee receives up to $1.8 billion from the federal government for its schools, most of which supports low-income students, English language learners, and students with disabilities.

Federal funds typically make up about a tenth of a state’s K-12 budget.

No state has ever rejected federal funding for its students and schools.

But Sexton has said that by rejecting the federal funds that Tennesseans help generate through their taxes, the state can avoid the federal strings attached to those dollars, and make up the funding difference with state money.

McNally, in a statement Monday, cited the state’s “excellent financial position” while deeming Sexton’s proposal as “worthy subject of examination and study.”

Tennessee has been flush with cash in recent years, but its revenues have begun to flatten.

Last month, when the legislature approved $100 million in one-time funding during a special session on public safety, Sen. Bo Watson, a Hixson Republican who chairs his chamber’s finance committee, warned that Tennessee needs to tighten spending in the future. And last week, state Finance Commissioner Jim Bryson reported that state revenues for August – the first month of Tennessee’s fiscal year – were $39 million less than budget estimates.

Sen. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis, one of two Democrats named to the panel, said the trend should diminish any appetite to forgo federal cash.

“Most of us know how important federal funds are to our state budget, whether for our schools, roads, or health care,” Akbari told Chalkbeat. “My goal on this task force is to support the continued use of federal funding for K-12 education.”

“Besides,” she added, “Tennesseans pay federal taxes. Why should our tax dollars go to support schools in Georgia or California or New York, and not our own schools?”

Many Republicans, though, bristle at the federal oversight tied to receipt of federal

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (left) and House Speaker Cameron Sexton (right) flank Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee at press conference on school safety on April 3, 2023. On Monday, the two legislative leaders announced the creation of a panel to study the feasibility of rejecting federal education funding. (Photo: Marta W. Aldrich / Chalkbeat) education dollars.

Most notable are civil rights protections for students based on race, sex, and disability. Tennessee’s Republican-dominated government has challenged the spirit of those protections by passing laws in recent years to restrict classroom discussions and library books related to race, gender, and bias, as well as to prohibit transgender youth from playing girls sports and restrict which school bathrooms they can use.

“This working group will help provide a clearer picture of how much autonomy Tennessee truly has in educating our students,” Sexton said in a statement Monday.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Bill Lee said he looks forward to reviewing the panel’s findings.

The governor “remains committed to working with the General Assembly to ensure all Tennessee students have access to a high-quality education, while pushing back on federal overreach,” said Elizabeth Johnson, Lee’s press secretary.

The speakers appointed the 10 members to the exploratory panel, five from each chamber: *Sen. John Lundberg, R-Bristol (cochair) *Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington (cochair) *Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis *Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald *Sen. Bill Powers, R-Clarksville *Sen. Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro *Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville *Rep. Timothy Hill, R-Blountville *Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge *Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin

In a Sept. 22 letter creating the joint working group, the speakers outlined four tasks: *Identify the amount of federal funding the state, districts, and schools receive and the laws associated with accepting such funds; *Examine how the state, districts, and schools use or intend to use the funding, and whether there are conditions or requirements for accepting such funds; *Report on the feasibility of the state rejecting federal education funding; *Recommend a strategy on how to reject certain federal funding or how to eliminate unwanted restrictions placed on the state due to receiving the funding.

Last month, the Sycamore Institute reported that Tennessee distributed $1.1 billion in federal funds to school districts across the state – or about 11 percent of total district revenues – in 2019-20. The nonpartisan think tank also calculated that each of Tennessee’s 142 school districts received between $314 and $2,500 per student in federal funds, accounting for 3 percent to 20 percent of each district’s total revenues.

The group’s report said school districts most reliant on federal dollars tend to be more rural, and have more low-income and disabled students, less capacity for local revenue, and lower test scores in English language arts.

Tennessee already ranks in the bottom fourth of states in spending per pupil, and eliminating a key funding source would have serious consequences, said Gini Pupo-Walker, executive director of The Education Trust in Tennessee.

“We would not only redirect Tennesseans’ federal tax dollars to other states in the country, but we would have to dip into our rainy day fund in order to maintain our current level of education funding, limiting our capacity to invest in our students in the future, particularly those most in need,” Pupo-Walker said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education, which in February called Sexton’s proposal “political posturing,” said students need more – not fewer – resources to support academic recovery following the pandemic, as well as to address a crisis in youth mental health.

“Any elected leader in any state threatening to reject federal public education funds should have to answer to their local educators and parents in their community about the detrimental impact it would have on their community’s education system and their students’ futures,” the spokesperson said.

A statement from the Tennessee Disability Coalition said the group wants to work with the panel “as a resource in conveying the vital importance of federal education funding for students with disabilities.”

“As the past 50 years have shown us, these funds and associated regulations have dramatically improved outcomes for Tennessee students with disabilities and served to protect them from institutionalization, segregation, and marginalization,” the group said.

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

“Most of us know how important federal funds are to our state budget, whether for our schools, roads, or health care…. Why should our tax dollars go to support schools in Georgia or California or New York, and not our own schools?”

— Sen. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis

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The New Tri-State Defender

September 28 - October 4, 2023

Page 5

RELIGION

Soccer player Paulinho won’t let intolerance of his Afro-Brazilian religion stop his faith

by Mauricio Savarese Associated Press

LAGOA SANTA, Brazil – When Brazilian soccer player Paulinho scored a goal at the Tokyo Olympics, he celebrated by pointing an imaginary arrow at the flashing cameras as homage to a deity in his persecuted Afro-Brazilian faith – and taking aim at religious intolerance.

Shortly after, he lost more than 10,000 followers on social media for his public gesture paying tribute to Oxóssi– a godly archer who uses his bow to hunt and feed the hungry.

But he says he gradually gained new fans in his soccer-crazed South American country for representing his Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé and challenging religious intolerance. His religion has faced a rising tide of harassment, sometimes linked to Brazil’s fast spread of evangelical Christianity.

“Some players ask me about my religion, they want to know what it’s like, … I always tell them, they listen. But it’s still a small minority in soccer,” the 23-year-old player for Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro said in an interview at his home outside the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte. “I… get messages about the way I express myself about the faith, some from people who also believe in the faith, but who aren’t too outspoken. And it’s nice to feel they see something good in what I do.”

Just a small minority in Brazil practices Candomblé. But in recent years there have been increased reports of incidents of religious intolerance against them, particularly at the hands of members of Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal churches, which focus on spreading faith among nonbelievers.

While most proselytizing is peaceful, some members of African-influenced religions have faced verbal abuse, discrimination and even the destruction of their temples and forced expulsion from neighborhoods.

Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Paulinho said he suffered prejudice because of his faith – like his mother and grandmother before him.

Although he wasn’t as involved with Candomblé at the time, he said he also felt targeted after he started his professional career at popular club Vasco da Gama in 2017.

His mother, Ana Christina Sampaio, recalled feeling offended when parents of other players suggested that her son was thriving on the soccer field only because he was being helped by Afro-Brazilian sacrificial rituals.

“They dismissed Paulinho’s talents and effort,” she said. “There’s religious intolerance, of course, but in Brazil it looks like religious racism against Candomblé.”

As Portuguese Catholic colonists brought enslaved Africans to Brazil, those men and women developed blends of their traditional religions with Catholicism.

Currently, those faiths are practiced by less than 1% of the 210 million Brazilians.

Academics and religious-freedom advocates say that Afro-Brazilian religions are

Paulinho of Brazil´s Atletico Mineiro gives thanks after scoring during the Brasileirao championship soccer match against Botafogo at Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. Paulinho has become a powerful voice for the often-marginalized practitioners of the Candomble religion. (AP Photo/Thomas Santos) sometimes demonized in neo-Pentecostal churches. In rare instances, pastors have been found explicitly directing radicalized evangelicals to dispense violence.

“Candomblé has always been persecuted, the only place in Brazil where their followers are the majority is at Carnival,” said sociologist Reginaldo Prandi. He was making note of the popular traditional samba school competition where lyrics citing Candomblé deities, or orixas, have been a constant for decades.

In recent years, samba schools have made a plea to accept people of Afro-Brazilian faith and end religious abuse.

“Prejudice is not enough to annul his soccer skills. If he turns out to be a great player, everybody forgets about his religion. That’s Brazil’s tradition,” Prandi said. “But when he doesn’t do well it will naturally be one of the first things people will say.”

Paulinho said some of the prejudice he endured, prompted him to leave Brazil for European soccer. In 2018, he moved to German club Bayer Leverkusen in a transfer worth $21 million. He played 79 matches and scored nine goals in four years. His faith, he said, was never an issue there.

Paulinho now plays for Brazil’s Atlético Mineiro, a club that during the 1980s had some of the first outspoken evangelical soccer players in the country. He still dreams of playing in England or Spain.

In Brazil, though, he has become a powerful voice for an often-marginalized religious group.

“People realize that I have a greater understanding and knowledge about our religion,” he said. “Looking back… Can-

domblé has been present in every phase, showing us the way. And now, I can speak with greater confidence.”

Earlier this year, Paulinho once again showed his pride in Candomblé during a game, again stirring his critics and emboldening his supporters. After scoring a goal, he took off his shirt and showed a new tattoo. It read ”Áse″ -- or “energy” in Yoruba, or as Brazilians know it, Axé, which is key to Candomblé.

The backlash came soon after: “Get out of our club, macumbeiro!” an Atletico Mineiro fan said in a posting on Paulinho’s Instagram account. That term is sometimes derisively used to describe members of Macumba, which is defined as “a polytheistic religion of African origin ... practiced mainly by Black Brazilians in urban areas.”

In the same post, another club supporter said: “You care more about candomblé and politics than soccer, you shouldn’t be here.”

Paulinho has also been a target of farright activists aligned with former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has a strong base among evangelicals. Paulinho was one of the few active soccer players to publicly endorse President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 elections.

Candomblé has long been embraced by Brazilian artists such as Grammy winner Caetano Veloso, which has made the religion more accepted in Brazil’s middle class since the 1960s.

“Back then, the world was seeking other cultures. Europeans went for Buddhism; the Beatles went to India,” Prandi said.

“Brazilians didn’t have to go anywhere.

“We had this very scenic and theatrical religion in the state of Bahia, coming from Africans,” he added. “All the intellectuals got involved then, it was our counterculture.”

Nonetheless, Prandi said, persecution of Candomblé persisted.

“Now Brazil has a very conservative movement, which led to Bolsonaro and where people like Paulinho are seen as a threat, for he’s a soccer player that everyone watches,” he said.

Some other players are following Paulinho’s lead. On Sunday, Sao Paulo FC midfielder Rodrigo Nestor came out as a Candomblé follower on national television after scoring his team’s title-winning goal in the Brazilian Cup final against Flamengo.

“My orishas, my mother Iansã were with me,” Nestor told TV Globo after the match, referring to the Candomblé goddess of wind, lightning, magic and fire.

Paulinho hopes to represent Brazil again at next year’s Olympics in Paris. He remains confident of his skills and proud of his religion. Before every game, he says prayers to the deities. And his mother blesses him with water and basil leaves to keep the bad vibrations away.

“My faith has taught me to be patient,” Paulinho said. “That’s also a great virtue of my orisha: Oxóssi has only one arrow, and he must get it right. He needs patience.

“Sometimes, I only have one clear shot in a game. I might get it right; I might miss it.” he added. “But regardless of the result I’m aware that the discipline I learned from Candomblé will allow me to get other opportunities, as long as I keep resilient.”

The New Tri-State Defender, September 28 - October 4, 2023, Page 6

7 revelations from Kerry Washington’s new memoir ‘Thicker Than Water’

by Candace McDuffie theroot.com

On Tuesday (Sept. 26), Kerry Washington released her new memoir, “Thicker Than Water.” The “Scandal” and “Little Fires Everywhere” star opens up about her personal life in the book and shares revelations that has shocked fans.

Washington, 47, is a proud Bronx native who has appeared in films such as “Django Unchained” and “Ray.” Now, she is bearing her soul.

Here are the most shocking admissions from “Thicker Than Water.”

1. She started having panic attacks at age 7.

In her memoir, Washington reveals that she started having panic attacks Kerry when she was Washington just 7 years old.

She writes that once she was in bed and heard the parents arguing while she was trying to cope with the onset of an attack.

Washington ultimately ran to yell at her parents to stop fighting. “I can count on one hand the number of times that I have seen my mother cry. This was the second,” Washington states.

2. Washington partied like an adult in high school.

Washington mentions – but doesn’t go into explicit detail – about her high school days in which she partied like a grown up. There are only a few paragraphs in the book where she describes dating/having sex, drinking alcohol, numerous late Kerry Washington, 47, is a proud Bronx native who has appeared in films such as “Django Unchained” and “Ray.” Now, she is bearing her soul in “Thicker Than Water.”

nights with friends and going to legendary Manhattan parties like Soul Kitchen.

3. She was intentional about turning down roles where she played the “white girl’s best friend.”

In “Thicker Than Water,” Washington recalls how playing receptionist Renee in the 2004 film “Against the Ropes” changed the trajectory of her career. “In it, I played (Meg Ryan’s) coworker and confidante – this was becoming a new niche for me, the white girl’s best friend,” she writes. “It’s not that I wanted to be the star of the film; I wanted my characters to be in a story of their own. I didn’t want to be an accessory to a white woman’s journey.”

4. Washington is not related to her biological father and was conceived with a sperm donor.

In 2018, it was revealed to the actress that Washington’s father, Earl, was not her biological father. “Forty-three years ago, we were having a really hard time having a child,” Washington remembers her mother, Valerie, saying. “So we used a surrogate.” The actress was stunned by the news. “I am not who I had been told I was from the beginning of my existence,” Washington writes. “But somehow, the gift of finally knowing the truth outweighed the pain of what that truth was. At that moment, I was liberated by the revelation.”

5. An eating disorder Washington suffered from in college forced her to ask God to help her.

Washington writes that in college she dealt with binge-eating, body obsession and overexercising. “I would – when seeking to stuff my

feelings – stuff my face, secretly binge-eating for days at a time, often to the point of physical pain, sometimes to the point of passing out,” she says. “Late at night, all alone, away from home and hiding from all those freshmen, I found myself on my knees, begging for guidance.”

6. “Django Unchained” originally contained a brutal rape scene but it was ultimately removed from the film.

Washington starred in Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 movie “Django Unchained.” In “Thicker Than Water,” she shared that she was nervous about a “terrifyingly brutal rape scene” where she “escaped abuse running naked down the street.”

However, it was ultimately scrapped from the project. “Jamie and Quentin stood in the corner,” she writes.

“Both men were looking down at the dirt floor, and as I walked toward them, Tarantino announced that we were all going home. The scene would be cut from the script...it was the answer to the prayers I had been whispering on my knees.”

7. Washington had an abortion in her 20s.

In her late 20s, Washington made the difficult decision to have an abortion – and a decade later would be the first woman to be shown undergoing an abortion procedure on network television as “Scandal’s” Olivia Pope. In “Thicker Than Water,” she said the nurse recognized her as a famous actress before the procedure. “She said that I looked like Kerry Washington, that girl from the movies, that girl from the magazines,” she writes. “I only knew that my name belonged to public spaces in a way that made privacy unavailable to me.”

‘Bayard Rustin’ – an essential companion to any volume about the civil rights movement

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

You will never settle.

And why should you? If it’s not right, you make it right. If it can be better, well, then get at it. You find the solution or you go on to the next thing because good enough is never good enough.

As in the new book “Bayard Rustin,” essays edited by Michael G. Long, there’s always work to do and good trouble.

Somehow, it seems, in the discussion about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the leadership he brought to the Civil Rights Movement, certain things may be left out. In the case of Bayard Rustin, says Long, the record needs to be altered. Today, now.

His mother was still a teenager, and unmarried, when Rustin’s grandmother helped deliver him in the spring of 1912. The boy’s father refused to acknowledge him, so his grandparents gave him a family name and raised him in their Quaker faith.

Still, alongside the peaceful, gentle mandate of Quakerism, young Rustin experienced Jim Crow segregation.

His grandmother left a major impact on him, teaching him compassion, kindness, and generosity – she reared him to do the right thing – but they lived in Pennsylvania, where racism was common and the Klan maintained a nearby presence.

As if that wasn’t difficulty enough, Rustin realized he was gay, which was illegal then.

At that point, though, he had seen many wrongs around him, and he became an activist. He also worked for justice as a speaker and organizer; at

one time, he’d embraced communism but eventually became a socialist.

By his own admission, Rustin was jailed more than 20 times and served on a chain gang for several months – but even then, his nonviolent Quaker beliefs emerged and he befriended his jailers, gaining their respect.

By the time he met a young preacher named Martin Luther King, Rustin was well-versed on civil rights work.

He had direction, contacts, and the organizational skills the movement needed.

And yet, he was willing to let King take the front stage...

Pulled together as a collection of essays, “Bayard Rustin” has one flaw that probably can’t be helped: it’s quite repetitive. Each of the essayists in this book wrote extensively about Rustin, his work, and his impact, but there just doesn’t seem to be quite enough about Rustin himself – perhaps because, as editor Michael G. Long indicates in his introduction, Rustin left a legacy but history left him more in the background. This means that the nearly two dozen contributors to this book had only what they had to go on, hence, the repetition.

Even so, if you look for Rustin, you’ll find abundant tales about him and this book has a good portion of them. Readers will be entertained, confounded, and pleased by what they read here. It’s like finding treasure you never knew you needed.

This book needs to sit on the shelf next to everything written about Dr. King. It’s an essential companion to any volume about the Civil Rights Movement. If you need history, find “Bayard Rustin” and settle in.

“Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics,” edited by Michael G. Long, foreword by Clayborne Carson c. 2023, NYU Press $27.95 256 pages

The New Tri-State Defender

September 28 - October 4, 2023

Page 7

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COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, September 28 - October 4, 2023, Page 8

Mayor unveils plan to expand high-speed internet

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

With access to high-speed internet concentrated among its more affluent areas, the city of Memphis has entered an ambitious $750 million partnership with French company Meridiam to expand access throughout the city, including some of its most underserved communities.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland paid an afternoon visit to the Memphis City Council on Tuesday (Sept.

26) during its executive session to deliver the news.

“I said this a few years ago when we began this journey and I’ll say it again. Providing every home with

top-quality internet service is as important today to the quality of life and the economic development of Memphis as was providing every home with electricity 100 years ago,” said Strickland.

Currently, only about 30 percent of Memphis has access to fiber-optic internet. Most of this is located along the east-west-running Poplar Corridor. The remainder of Memphis is lagging.

The deal dovetails with the proposed Smart City Fiber Optic Cable ordinance, which would allow rightof-way fees to be waived and permits reduced if it achieves the “smart city” designation.

The ordinance was introduced during the council meeting. It re-

quires the system to reach 60 percent of the city’s businesses and homes. It would need to meet the same benchmark in availability to low-income households.

A third of the 6,000 connection points would be in census tracts with households that earn below Memphis’ median income, which is about $32,000.

Memphis also would gain the right to access “at least 12 dark fiber strands” in every cable for at least 40 years. Dark Fiber are strands unused by the provider.

To obtain and keep the designation, percentage milestones would need to be achieved. They could also be subject to change via ordinance. It also allows other companies to add to the

system.

Word of the partnership with Meridiam, however, drew a quick rebuke via text message from an Alexandria, Virginia-based political action committee called “A Better Tomorrow for Tennessee.”

“Why is Mayor Strickland trying to sneak through a costly, unneeded broadband plan on his way out the door when crime and jobs should be the focus?” read the message. A phone number for the Memphis City Council was included.

Strickland said the PAC is tied to one of the city’s current internet suppliers.

With speeds of up to 940 MB per second, fiber optic cable provides some of the fastest commercially

available internet speeds. It is also less susceptible to severe weather, which reduces outages. It is made from hair-like strands of glass.

Meridiam will bear the brunt of the costs. The global asset and finance manager specializes in large-scale infrastructure projects. In addition to North America, it has investments in Europe and Africa.

The city, meanwhile, will be on the hook for about $7 million. The money will be spent helping low-income citizens gain access. Another $15 million will go towards purchasing a third of the fiber’s capacity. It would be paid out over 40 years.

The infrastructure project is expected to last six to seven years. It will begin early next year.

Bank of America bringing mobile center to Memphis TSD Newsroom Bank of America has partnered with Knowledge Quest to reach the Memphis community and help boost residents’ financial wellness.

On October 2, the bank is bringing a mobile financial center to Gaston Park and Community Center to provide local residents convenient access to financial education, credit counseling, meetings with specialists and the latest digital banking capabilities.

The on-site hub will offer free education and advice from specialists and credit counselors on managing finances to help families and business owners build their financial acumen on how to save, spend, borrow and invest to reach their goals.

“At Bank of America, our core mission is to grow and protect the financial wellbeing of our clients and the communities we serve,” said Trevia Chatman, president, Bank of America Memphis.

“Through our community-centered approach, we focus on helping our neighbors wherever they are on their financial journey by building trust, confidence and financial know-how.”

The mobile financial center will be on-site at Gaston Park and Community Center, located at 1044 S. 3rd St., from Monday, October 2 to Friday, October 6 and open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The center will offer: *Financial education classes and specialty workshops on topics such as basic budgeting and banking, saving, building healthy credit, homebuying and starting and growing a business. The sessions will be facilitated by certified Bank of America employees through Better Money Habits® resources and tools. *Access to Operation HOPE financial wellbeing counselors, who will host sessions focused on money management and credit to help clients build customized plans and solutions for creating budgets, increasing savings and improving credit scores. *On-site financial specialists, including business solutions advisors and home lending advisors, to help provide tailored financial solutions and advice on individual needs. *Digital Expo highlighting and featuring Bank of America’s mobile and online banking capabilities and solutions. Visitors can also try the Financial Literacy Simulator, where they can learn to save, build credit and budget real-life monthly bills and commitments through an online gaming experience.

(For more information and to register for a class or workshop, visit rsvp.bankofamerica.com/ client/1365.)

Staying on the case…

Attorney Ben Crump and the family of Gershun Freeman recently joined with other supporters, who are seeking legal redress after Freeman died during an encounter with Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputies in the Shelby County Jail last October. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

M.I.A. Foundation gala to support parents who lost children tragically TSD Newsroom The inaugural M.I.A. Foundation Wind Beneath My Wings Gala is set for the Renasant Convention Center at 225 North Main St. in Downtown Memphis on October 21 at 4 p.m.

The evening of remembrance, healing and unity is for parents and families who have lost children to gun violence, domestic violence, or suicide.

State Sen. London Lamar is the special guest speaker. R&B singer Devin Crutcher will provide the entertainment.

Kristal Coleman founded the

M.I.A. Foundation in 2022 after the death of her only daughter, Mia, whose funeral was held on what would have been Mia’s 20th birthday. M.I.A. stands for Ministering in Agape or unconditional love.

The M.I.A. Foundation is dedicated to offering “solace and empowerment to parents who have experienced the profound loss of a child or children while addressing the critical issues of domestic assault, domestic violence, and suicide.” The multifaceted approach includes assistance with funeral and burial expenses, as well as referrals to services such as grief counseling, legal aid, insurance,

and additional support services for families.

“There is no pain like the pain of losing a child, but I’ve learned that one of the most critical components of dealing with grief, sense of loss, anger, and any other emotional, mental, physical, or financial trauma is a strong support system,” said Coleman. “I invite anyone who feels they could use our support to join us.

During the gala, we will stand with each other as we continue to embrace the memories of our precious children and find strength in the love they left behind.”

The guest speakers include: Pastor

Brenda Clark, Grace Church of the Nazarene, moderator; Vernetta Edelman, Shelby County Crime Victims & Rape Center; Marquiepta Odem Williams, executive director, YWCA Greater Memphis; Dr. Carla Norton, clinical chaplain, Veterans Administrative Hospital; Patrice Woods, Youth Villages Family Intervention specialist and mental health counselor.

Funds from the gala will continue the M.I.A. Foundation’s support initiatives. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/ miafoundationgala. Donations can be made via $Cashapp at $TheMiaFoundation.

The New Tri-State Defender

September 28 - October 4, 2023

NEWS

“Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See” opens October 7 and runs through Nov. 27 at the National Civil Rights Museum.

‘Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See’ opens soon at NCRM

by TSD Newsroom How do you change a nation? One ripple at a time.

“Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See,” a traveling exhibit coming to the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM), shines the light on the hard truths that injustice, racism, and hate still exist – and points the way to how you can help transform your community by becoming a “Ripple for Justice.”

The exhibit opens at the NCRM Museum on October 7.

Mamie Till-Mobley changed the world when she insisted it join her in bearing witness to the murder of her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955. Her actions inspired positive change from the civil rights movement through today.

The exhibit shares how a mother’s bravery and fight for justice more than six decades ago fueled the civil rights movement in America. Discover how a grieving mother helped fuel the movement and how you can follow her exam-

ple today in your own community.

The historic exhibit is recommended for ages 10 years old and older and will be on display in Memphis through Nov. 27.

The project was made possible in part by The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom, the Maddox Foundation in Hernando, MS, The Institute for Museum and Library Services, and The Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

The exhibit reflects a partnership between Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Riley Children’s Health, Old National Bank, Ice Miller LLP and the Heritage Group. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is traveling to seven cities before permanently displaying the exhibit steps away from where the trial for Till’s murder took place in the Second District Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner, MS. (For more information, visit https://bitly.ws/VRUi.)

CLASSIFIEDS NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing online until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, October 6, 2023, as shown below: MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION AND REHABILITATION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE. SEALED BID I000836 DUE ONLINE AT 9:30 a.m.: Friday, October 6, 2023 1. Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead-safe work practices and techniques; and 2. Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Jobs.

Detailed specifications for the items above may be obtained through the Neighborly Portal beginning Friday, September 22, 2023. All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 222-2301; or for information in Spanish 901-222-7601. Award recommendations will be posted at the following website https:// www.develop901.com/housing upon review of the bid opening results.

As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance (EOC) Eligibility Number prior to submitting your response.

We have now transitioned to conducting bids online through Neighborly. If you have not already signed up, you can do so at https://portal. neighborlysoftware.com/ SHELBYCOUNTYTN/contractor.

All documents submitted must be current and uploaded into your Neighborly account.

Bids submitted without all required documentation will be unacceptable. Paisley Pogue (Paisley.Pogue@shelbycountytn. gov or 901-222-7600) will be assisting with any questions you may have regarding uploading

the documents.

All new contractors will need to register with the Neighborly portal in order for their bids to be accepted on projects. Interested contractors not currently on the contractor list should contact the Department of Housing in order to schedule a meeting with the Housing Site Inspector.

Paper copies of bids are no longer available. The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs.

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

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Scott Walkup, Administrator

NOTICE TO BIDDERS Shelby County Government has issued Sealed Bid number I000835, for Insecticides-Vector Control Chemicals for the Shelby County Health Department.

Information regarding this Bid is located on the County’s website at www.shelbycountytn.gov . At the top of the home page, click on the dropdown box under “Business”, Click on “Purchasing” and “Bids” to locate the name of the above-described Sealed Bid. SEALED BID I000835 DUE DATE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, TH 2023 @2:30 PM (CST) (SB-I000835) INSECTICIDESVECTOR CONTROL CHEMICALS (SHELBY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT) Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or military service.

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

SEE PAGE 10

Page 9

The New Tri-State Defender

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP NUMBER 24-0001 JANITORIAL SERVICES

Sealed proposals for Janitorial Services will be received by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, Memphis International Airport, 4150 Louis Carruthers Dr, Memphis, TN 38118 until 2:00 PM local time, November 8, 2023.

A listing of all proposers responding will be posted to the Authority’s website one (1) hour after the response deadline. Responses to Requests for Proposals will not be publicly opened and read. A complete Request for Proposals Packet with submittal instructions, additional data, and response format may be found on the Authority’s website (www.flymemphis.com) on or after October 2, 2023.

A pre-proposal conference will be held Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 2:00 pm in the Authority’s Board Room on the Mezzanine Level, Terminal B of the Memphis International Airport, 2491 Winchester Road, Memphis, TN 38116.

All Proposers are responsible for checking the Authority’s website up to the submission deadline for any updates, addenda, or additional information. In accordance with the Authority’s purchasing policies, the Authority will give preference to businesses located in Shelby County, Tennessee when awarding contracts and making purchases, unless prohibited by law. The successful Proposer must sign a contract with the Authority that includes Federal Aviation Administration provisions, if applicable, regarding the Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis-Bacon, Affirmative Action, Debarment and Suspension, and Drug-Free Workplace, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all responses to this Request for Proposals in whole or in part; to waive any informalities, technicalities, or omissions related to this Request for Proposals; and to reject responses on any other basis authorized by the Authority’s purchasing policies.

The Authority is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination based on the grounds of age, race, sex, color, national origin, disability, marital status, military service, or sexual orientation in its hiring and employment practices and in the admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services, and activities.

By order of: Scott A. Brockman, A.A.E. President and CEO Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority

Claims Settlement Advertisement Legal Notice To Furnishing of Labor and Materials to Standard Construction Company For FY 2023 State-Aid Paving Project Contract Number CA2300048 Notice is hereby given that Shelby County is preparing to make settlement with Standard Construction Company for necessary and related work for the rehabilitation and/or construction of FY 2023 StateAid Paving Project in Shelby County.

All persons holding claims against the Contractor, Standard Construction Company, or their agents for materials or labor entering into the construction of this project must file itemized notice of such claim (two copies) with the original copy sworn to before a Notary Public. This notice to be received at the office of Audrey Tipton, Director of Administration and Finance, Suite 1100, 160 N. Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103, on or before October 30, 2023, in order to obtain the advantages afforded to claimants by legal statute.

Respectfully submitted, Audrey Tipton Director of Administration and Finance Shelby County Government

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 PH (901) 523-1818 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

DEADLINES: Display ads Friday 5 p.m.

Classifieds ads Monday 5 p.m.

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

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

GENERAL INFORMATION: Some categories require prepayment.

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without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Marshall Odum Tax Parcel #: 5907000000130 Tax Sale #: 1802 Price Offered: $4,000 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at «BidOffTime» on «BidOffDate», to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Memphis Tire Recyclers LLC Tax Parcel #: 3405400000300 Tax Sale #: 1803 Price Offered: $21,100 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at «BidOffTime» on «BidOffDate», to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Memphis Tire Recyclers LLC Tax Parcel #: 3405600000170 Tax Sale #: 1803 Price Offered: $17,500 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at «BidOffTime» on «BidOffDate», to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer

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CLASSIFIEDS

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Stephen Carter Tax Parcel #: 2405500000120 Tax Sale #: 1404 Price Offered: $500 Terms: Cash

September 28 - October 4, 2023

New Tri-State Defender reserves the right to correctly classify and edit all copy or to reject or cancel any ad at any time. Only standard abbreviations accepted. Copy change during ordered schedule constitutes new ad & new changes. Deadlines for cancellation are identical to placement deadlines. Rates subject to change.

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

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

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

during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at «BidOffTime» on «BidOffDate», to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: Roderick Lee Tax Parcel #: 4202200000230 Tax Sale #: 1704 Price Offered: $26,500 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at «BidOffTime» on «BidOffDate», to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser

making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property: MEMPHIS ACQUISITIONS LLC Tax Parcel #: 3802300000130 Tax Sale #: 1603 Price Offered: $4,500 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten

(10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at «BidOffTime» on «BidOffDate», to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150 NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §67-5-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the fol-

lowing property: Fementene Ivy and James Ivy Tax Parcel #: 5006600000040 Tax Sale #: 1301 Price Offered: $1875 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at «BidOffTime» on «BidOffDate», to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150

The New Tri-State Defender

September 28 - October 4, 2023

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Page 11

SPORTS

The New Tri-State Defender, September 28 - October 4, 2023, Page 12 “I enjoyed the process with the (transfer) portal. Penny and I spoke all summer. He was supportive for me whether I landed somewhere else or back here. It was an overwhelming summer. I would do that again.”

— Malcolm Dandridge

With questions in tow, Penny Hardaway and the Tigers getting revved up for success

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

For Penny Hardaway and the 2023-24 University of Memphis men’s basketball program, a deep run – at least the second or third week in the NCAA Final Four Tournament – is pretty much aligned with the hopes and dreams that fans have for the Tigers.

Fall camp is a key element and its underway.

“It feels g o o d , ” Hardaway said about the beginning of the Terry fall basketDavis ball camp.

“It is a new team, and it feels good to have more bodies. We did not a lot of bodies in June and July. Having everybody here healthy and on the floor is good.”

Earlier and in pursuit of chemistry, Hardaway led the Tigers on a pre-season tournament trip to the Dominican Republican.

“Chemistry has been coming (along) well. The guys are holding one another accountable,” said Hardaway, who now is in his fifth year as coach of the Tigers.

“That is when you know you have a good team. Guys really caring and pushing one another. The Dominican trip was good for us.

We really bonded over there. We brought that back over here.”

With the regular season looming, there are key questions that remain unanswered for the Tigers, including the availability of All-Conference star DeAndre Williams, who has applied to the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility to play for the Tigers.

He was denied a year prior to attending Memphis. With the addition of Williams, the Tigers likely would be ranked to start the season and be one of the favorites to win the American Athletic Conference title.

A more perplexing question is the availability highly-rated freshman Mickey Williams from San Diego. Williams is charged with five counts of assault with a firearm and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle during an alleged incident on March 27, 2023.

His next scheduled court appearance is October 10.

On Wednesday (Sept. 27), the UofM released a statement detailing that Williams would not take part in any team events until his legal situation is finished. He and DeAndre Williams are enrolled for the fall semester at Memphis.

Meanwhile, Jaylon Young, the transfer from Central Florida, has been focused on learning Hardaway’s offense.

“It hasn’t been hard; just adjusting to everything from one system to another,” he said. “The hardest transition to the new offense has been the pace.”

“Championships, I want to win,” Walton said of his goal with this year’s Tigers. “That is why I

Penny Hardaway came here. I want to soak up as much knowledge as I can.”

Center Malcolm Dandridge will be back with the Tigers after taking time to weigh whether to play his last year of eligibility elsewhere.

“It was a great process. It was a time for me to get my mind and body right,” said Dandridge.

“I enjoyed the process with the (transfer) portal. Penny and I spoke all summer. He was supportive for me whether I landed somewhere else or back here. It was an overwhelming summer. I would do that again.”

Temple transfer forward Nick Jourdain said the “philosophy is completely different” at Memphis. “Both teams want to hang their hats on the defensive end.

The main difference is the pace that we play and the focus on spacing. The talent we have are very versatile.”

Reflecting on the Dominican Republic trip, Jourdain said, “Our transition defense was really bad.

We have to focus on that. We are trying to be one of the best teams in the country. We are working on defense. Bringing all the guys along with the defensive philosophy.”

The time and work the Tigers are putting in now may reward their fans when tournament time rolls around. (Photos: Terry Davis/The New Tri-State Defender)

Student madness The University of Memphis Athletic department is putting a twist on the annual introduction of the men’s and women’s teams for the upcoming seasons.

This year, a new tipoff event for the 2023-24 men’s and women’s basketball programs will occur on October 4 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse on campus. While this is an exclusive, in-person event for students, a free live-stream is scheduled for the general public.

“We are trying to engage the students on this one,” said Hardaway. “We have never done that before. I think this will be good for the players (on the men’s and women’s team) and the students.”

The Tigers will hold two exhibition games. The first will be against Lane College (of Jackson, TN) on October 29. LeMoyne-Owen College will visit the FedExForum on November 2.

The regular season tips off on November 6 against Jackson State.

Fall basketball camp is underway for the University of Memphis men’s basketball team, which will be counting heavily upon new talent.

Now in his fifth season as head coach at the UofM, Penny Hardaway is coaching with an eye toward a deep NCAA postseason tournament run.