The New Tri-State Defender - October 5-11, 2023

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October 5 - 11, 2023

VOL. 72, No. 40

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Tracking deputy-motorist encounters gets OK; County Commission nixes pretextual-stops move

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

With public safety and civil rights caught in a balancing act, Shelby County Commissioners Monday (Oct.2) passed a pair of data-related ordinances to keep tally of incidents involving sheriff’s deputies and motorists.

The ordinances also call for the monitoring of the use of specialized units.

However, an ordinance to ban the use of pretextual stops by deputies

fell short of passage by two votes.

“My ultimate goal, which is a data-driven Shelby County, would be to streamline across all divisions, all departments, all elected offices, for us to be on one operating system of data collection and reporting,” said Commissioner Britney Thornton.

Passing 8-4, the first of the data-driven ordinances requests the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department to provide regular data collection and reporting regarding specialized units and task forces.

It also seeks statistics on partici-

pation with multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency task forces. It was sponsored by Thornton.

Voting in favor of the resolution were Commissioners Charlie Caswell, Erika Sugarmon, Edmund Ford, Jr., Michael Whaley, Shante Avant, Mickell Lowery and Chairwoman Miska Clay-Bibbs and Thornton.

It was opposed by Commissioners Brandon Morrison, Mark Bradford, Mick Wright, and Amber Mills.

Henri Brooks did not vote.

A companion ordinance requests

$1.00

Britney Thornton

the compilation of data related to traffic stops, arrests, use of force and citizen complaints against law enforcement officers.

In addition to Thornton, the item was co-sponsored by Whaley, Sugarmon and Caswell.

It passed 9-4.

Voting in favor were Caswell, Sugarmon, Ford, Whaley, Avant, Lowery, Clay-Bibbs, Brooks, and Thornton.

SEE DEPUTIES ON PAGE 2

Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell was ever-ready to tell the stories of Greater Memphis

by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

Alvin Freeman, Sheila Malone-Conway and Sharon Malone, along with Pamela Evans (who is not pictured), became known as the “Gordon 4” and part of the “Memphis 13” group of students who desegregated Memphis City Schools in 1961. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender.)

A day of reflection and Reckoning: celebrating the ‘Memphis 13’ with a symbolic mural unveiling TSD Newsroom Emotions and remembrances recently permeated the day at Gordon Achievement Academy, where gatherers convened to honor the enduring legacy of the ‘Memphis 13’ and particularly the ‘Gordon 4,’ who desegregated Memphis City Schools 62 years ago on October 3, 1961.

Three of the formidable “Gordon 4” – Sharon Malone, Sheila Malone-Conway and Al-

vin Freeman – stood tall. Their counterpart, Pamela Evans, did not attend.

Other luminaries on hand and who provided tangible connections to the historic period included Dwania Kyles, Leandrew Wiggins and Jacqueline Moore.

Ekpe Abioto’s African drum music and storytelling wove a harmonious bridge between history and today.

A standout moment was when Abusheri Ohwofasa, the dynamic vice president of

Community Engagement and executive director of the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation, recollected her awe-struck feelings upon meeting members of the Memphis 13 during a Grizzlies’ service project.

“We will continue to support the Memphis 13 and we look forward to our partnership,” said Ohwofasa.

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari added depth

SEE MURAL ON PAGE 2

“Whatcha got for me?”

That was a standard opening for Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell when she answered my call as the associate publisher/executive editor of The New Tri-State Defender.

It was that way for years, until a couple of months of ago when Dr. Mitchell, who had been associated with The New Tri-State Defender before it was even dubbed “new,” was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

On Monday afternoon, Dr. Mitchell died at an area hospital.

After learning of her diagnosis, Dr. Mitchell shared that she “wanted to challenge” me to contact her as I would normally to cover or attend an event for The New Tri-State Defender. I did so until it was no longer an option.

Still, Dr. Mitchell remained upbeat, texting me at point with this: “It’s funny ‘Dr. K’. Once faced with the worst possible news, somehow I am staring that thing back down. …

“It’s funny how time, perspective and priorities can change in a moment.”

Dr. Mitchell relied heavily upon her family as her time wound down.

“She touched so many lives,” said her sister, Marcia Mitchell-Maness.

“She was a true sweetheart and a kind soul. We miss her.”

Services will be Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. at Brown Missionary Baptist Church, 980 State Line Rd. in Southhaven.

Brenda Buford-Shaw met Dr. Mitchell in 1979, remembering her as a “young vivacious young reporter” sythe MidSouth Express Newspaper that was then located on Bellevue.

“We were both reporters who wrote community articles including Church Events. Sybil had an outgoing personality and never met a stranger.

“Talented and full of smiles, she wrote from her heart and soul. From the smallest event to the largest one, you were never the same when she captivated readers and made you feel that you should have been there.”

Dr. Mitchell interviewed Bu-

SEE MITCHELL ON PAGE 2

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The New Tri-State Defender

DEPUTIES

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Voting against were Mills, Wright, Bradford, and Morrison.

Prior to the votes, Whaley offered a “friendly amendment” to simplify the language of the ordinances. In addition to annual funding, it also calls for a single third-party aggregator to be created to collect and store both sets of information. It passed without objection.

The ban on pretextual stops drew the support of Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy, with one caveat.

“I think, properly amended, the pretextual stop ordinance is also worthy of support, as well as the data ordinances…,” said Mulroy.

These modifications include removing a proposed ban on investigatory questioning, if the “officer is not being intimidating” or “prolonging the traffic stop.”

As written, the ordinance requests a ban of biased traffic stops and the use of pretextual stops for low-level infractions.

Violations like an expired tag, broken taillight or sagging bumper are examples.

It also asks the SCSO to limit searches, questioning and the use of unmarked vehicles.

It would also bar surveillance as a substitute for pretextual stops. It was also sponsored

by Thornton.

Mulroy said, “I think it’s implied in the ordinance, but I think it should be made (made clear) … these things can still be made secondary violations.

“In other words, you pull somebody over for speeding or reckless driving, totally fine … That’s the way these ordinances work across the country. I just think you should make that explicit.”

He also said there shouldn’t be any data reported on investigatory questions if the stop is valid.

After failing on a 5-5-1 vote, it was clear members agreed the ordinance called for further revisions.

Voting for the ordinance were Brooks, Caswell, ClayBibbs, Lowery, and Thornton.

Voting against it were Bradford, Mills, Morrison, Whaley and Wright. Ford abstained.

Sugarmon was out of the room during the vote.

Before it was taken, Thornton said she anticipated the ordinance would require a fourth reading to meet the simple majority to pass.

If it eventually passes, Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. has expressed a willingness to comply with requests of the commission. However, the tough-on-crime candidate is currently locked in a 17-candidate race (the election is Thursday, Oct. 5) race for Memphis mayor.

Bonner, however, had concerns about data collecting.

“The difficulties in collecting the data — obviously you’ve got to have people to collect the data,” Bonner said.

“We don’t know how much we’re talking about. Even if you read the resolutions, in the first one, it’s not quite clear what they’re looking for.

That’s something that we’re going to have to talk with them about.”

Bonner added that the data could be presented in a public-facing dashboard that would be available online. The office, he said, publishes reports, but he thinks that a more current dashboard for the data could be possible.

Regarding the pretextual stops, the sheriff said, “I think

October 5 - 11, 2023

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NEWS

“The difficulties in collecting the data — obviously you’ve got to have people to collect the data.

We don’t know how much we’re talking about. Even if you read the resolutions, in the first one, it’s not quite clear what they’re looking for.

That’s something that we’re going to have to talk with them about.”

— Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. the crime rate is too high in our city right now to start talking about pretextual stops.

I mean, limiting police officers on when they can make stops, it’s just difficult now.”

The ordinances mirror ordinances passed by the Memphis City Council after the fatal bludgeoning of Tyre Nichols on Jan. 7 after he was pulled over by officers assigned to a now-disbanded special crime suppression unit.

Nichols died Jan. 10. Five former Memphis police officers are awaiting trial on state charges of second-degree murder and other serious felonies.

The officers also have been indicted by a federal grand jury for federal civil rights violations, conspiracy, and obstruction.

Unlike the council ordinances, the commission ordinances basically are recommendations since, according to state law, the sheriff is an independent elected official.

Explaining her no votes, Morrison said, “Although I appreciate the sheriff’s candor and willingness for transparency, I see it as potentially costly to the county. The sheriff is duly elected by our citizens and is required to enforce state law and that’s what he does. That’s the reason for my ‘no’ vote.”

A handful of public commenters echoed her fears.

They also complained of the additional costs to the community through another government-funded program.

But Thornton countered, “I’ve heard the conversation tonight multiple times from one of the constituents that spoke about how costly it is to the county. Did you also hear the number of people who have been killed? That is very costly in settlements. I can tell you; those things are very expensive.

“Life lost is very expensive and it’s something we cannot get back.”

Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell captures reflections that she wove into a story about unfolding recognition of the Memphis 13, who integrated Memphis City Schools in 1961. (Photo: William Weeks/The New Tri-State Defender)

MITCHELL

CONTINUED FROM FRONT ford-Shaw two years ago.

“She interviewed me as she introduced my hymn arrangement book.”

Describing Dr. Mitchell as an artist and motivator, Buford-Shaw said Dr. Mitchell “gave Memphis and the word a gift of herself. That pleasant spirit will always be a major part of Memphis History. …

The Tri-State Defender allowed her to dig deep into

her talents. She made us all proud.”

As much of Memphis shut down during the pandemic, Dr. Mitchell, a graduate of Hamilton High School and Vanderbilt University, pushed forward.

She kept readers updated from the weekly health briefings and at one point wrote a first-person reflection about participating in a COVID case study. Her work anchored the recognition The New Tri-State Defend-

er received for its pandemic coverage from the Tennessee Press Association.

Reporters and editors have rough times when one or both have fallen short of embrace standards. Dr. Mitchell and I worked through such times with the resolve to do better with our readers in mind.

In one of our last exchanges, we reflected on how our journalism paths had intersected – She was on staff when I arrived in June 2007 – and how

we had weathered so many changes at the TSD and in the journalism industry.

“What a great ride it’s been,” she shared.

“I’ve had a wonderful life and career and you have been such a tremendous part of that.

Thank you for that.”

I replied: “You are amazing and inspiring.”

(There will be more reflections on the life and legacy of Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell in the days to come.)

MURAL

CONTINUED FROM FRONT by sharing her personal connection to the past, highlighting her mother’s birth in a segregated hospital and her own education during the bussing era. Her poignant reflections underscored the significance of the Memphis 13’s sacrifices, emphasizing the importance of teaching future generations about the young heroes.

Stirring words from Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon anchored the day’s sentiments. Sugarmon is the son of the late Judge Russell Sugarmon, who escorted the “Gordon 4” to school on that historic day in 1961.

Sugarmon delineated the legal battles led by luminaries such as Charles Hamilton Houston, who cleverly dismantled the facade of “separate but equal,” setting the stage for desegregation.

“Keep in mind our history and our accomplishments, but remember the lives sacrificed,” said Sugarmon. “Let’s not see history repeated,” resonated deeply.

Ekpe Abioto performs. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender) Contributions from Michelle McKissick, as a former Memphis-Shelby County School Board chairperson, were spotlighted, as was the support from the current chair-

person, the Rev. Althea Green.

The event was punctuated by a soulful rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”

by Trenton Moore and Bernita Moore. Additionally, Daniel

Kiel, the director of the “Memphis 13” documentary and a law professor at the University of Memphis, introduced the film’s gripping trailer.

The New Tri-State Defender

October 5 - 11, 2023

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NEWS

‘Tennessee Three’ Democrat sues over expulsion and House rules that temporarily silenced him

by Jonathan Mattise The Associated Press

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging his expulsion in April and the House rules restricting lawmakers’ floor comments that Republicans applied to silence Jones for part of one day in August.

Filed against House Speaker Cameron Sexton and House administrative officials, the lawsuit in Nashville federal court argues that Republicans have repeatedly blocked Jones from speaking during debate in violation of free speech rights under the state and federal constitutions.

Additionally, the lawsuit by the Nashville member of the “Tennessee Three” contends his constitutional due process rights were infringed upon by the expulsion proceedings.

Republicans ousted Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis, a fellow young Black Democrat, over their megaphone-amplified protest calling for gun control on the House floor just days after a Christian elementary school shooting killed six people. Republicans spared Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, who is white, from expulsion for her role in the demonstration by one vote.

Jones and Pearson were quickly reappointed and then reelected in special elections, each attracting a wave of campaign donations over the few days they were out of office. Jones, Pearson and Johnson were propelled into the national spotlight.

Beyond seeking that the expulsion and the House rules on debate be declared unconstitutional, the lawsuit also says Jones should be returned to a committee from which he was removed; restored other benefits, including his seniority level pre-expulsion and a full year’s credit in the state’s retirement system; and awarded other damages and costs.

GOP leaders have said the expulsions were

necessary to avoid setting a precedent that lawmakers’ disruptions of House proceedings through protest would be tolerated. They said the new House rules promote civility, respect and accountability.

Sexton’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Tennessee attorney general, Amy Wilhite, said the office was aware of the lawsuit but hadn’t received a copy from Jones’ attorneys yet.

The lawsuit seeks to prevent Sexton and the state “from continuing to suppress dissent, whether through the updated House rules or otherwise, and to seek full restoration of the benefits, rights, and privileges that they illegally stripped from him (Jones) in retaliation for his protected speech.”

The new House rule aimed at punishing disruptive members was approved for the August special session called by Republican Gov. Bill Lee in response to the deadly March shooting at The Covenant School. The rule allows members to be silenced anywhere from a day to the rest of the year for not sticking to the bill being debated.

On the day the House voted to silence Jones, Sexton had warned Jones about calling a Republican’s bills “reprehensible,” “asinine,” and “insulting.” Sexton twice ruled him out of order for saying lawmakers should “stop trying to put more guns to start a gun fight in our schools that would not protect our children. What is one little Glock against an AR-15?”; and then saying the state should better fund mental health in schools and increase teacher pay instead of putting more police in schools.

In addition to the limits on debate, House Republicans also instituted a ban on the public holding signs during floor and committee proceedings. A Tennessee judge blocked the sign ban from being enforced after agreeing with civil rights activists that the prohibition likely violated free speech rights. The state in response wrote that the judge “prohibited dulyelected legislators from enforcing their own

Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis (left) looks on as Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville seeks recognition as the state House of Representatives met during a special session called by Gov. Bill Lee. On Tuesday, Jones filed a federal lawsuit challenging his expulsion in April and the House rules used to silence him at one point in August. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender Archives.) duly-enacted rules.”

Only a few bills passed during the tense special session, and none of them made any significant gun control changes. There was no consideration of a proposal to keep firearms away from people who are judged to pose a threat to themselves or others, which the Republican governor, Bill Lee, has supported.

The session also ended in acrimony when Sexton and Pearson appeared to have a brief

physical interaction where both accused each other of shoving moments after the House adjourned. Pearson and Jones had approached the speaker’s dais each holding a sign calling for gun control.

Jones is represented in the lawsuit by onetime U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin and attorneys from a law firm that includes former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Holder has served on Jones’ legal team for several months.

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, October 5 - 11, 2023, Page 4

Women’s voices and votes loom large as pope opens a Vatican meeting on church’s future

by Nicole Winfield and Trisha Thomas The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY – A few years ago, Pope Francis told the head of the main Vatican-backed Catholic women’s organization to be “brave” in pushing for change for women in the Catholic Church.

Maria Lia Zervino took his advice and in 2021 wrote Francis a letter, then made it public, saying flat out that the Catholic Church owed a big debt to half of humanity and that women deserved to be at the table where church decisions are made, not as mere “ornaments” but as protagonists.

Francis appears to have taken note, and this week opened a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople discussing the future of the church, where women – their voices and their votes – are taking center stage for the first time.

For Zervino, who worked alongside the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when both held positions in the Argentine bishops’ conference, the gathering is a watershed moment for the church and quite possibly the most conseMaria Lia Zervino quential thing Francis will have undertaken as pope.

“Not only because of these events in October in Rome, but because the church has found a different way of being church,” Zervino said in a recent interview in her Vatican offices. “And for women, this is an extraordinary step forward.”

Women have long complained they are treated as second-class citizens in the church, barred from the priesthood and highest ranks of power yet responsible for the lion’s share of church work — teaching in Catholic schools, running Catholic hospitals and passing the faith down to next generations.

They have long demanded a greater say in church governance, at the very least with voting rights at the periodic synods at the Vatican but also the right to preach at Mass and be ordained as priests. While they have secured some high-profile positions in the Vatican and local churches around the globe, the male hierarchy still runs the show.

This 3-week synod, which begin Wednesday (Oct. 4), is putting them more or less on an equal playing field to debate agenda items, including such hot-button issues as women in governance, LGBTQ+ Catholics and priestly celibacy. It’s the culmination of an unprecedented two-year canvasing of rank-and-file Catholics about their hopes for the future of the institution.

The potential that this synod, and a second session next year, could lead to real change on previously taboo topics has given hope to many women and progressive Catholics. At the same time, it has sparked alarm from conservatives, some of whom have warned that the process risks opening a “Pandora’s Box” that will split the church.

American Cardinal Raymond Burke, a frequent Francis critic, recently wrote that the synod and its new vision for the church “have become slogans behind which a revolution is at work to change radically the church’s self-understanding in accord with

On October 4th, Pope Francis opened the Synod of Bishops with 464 participants, including Catholic clergy and lay-people. For the first time, women and lay people will be allowed to vote. “I think the church has just come to a point of realization that the church belongs to all of us, to all the baptized,” said Sheila Pires, who works for the South African bishops’ conference and is a member of the Synod of Bishop’s communications team. (Screen captures)

While women have secured some high-profile positions in the Vatican and local churches around the globe, the male hierarchy still runs the show.

Sheila Pires said women are leading a call for change in the Catholic church. “I don’t want to use the word revolution… (but women) want their voices to be heard, not just towards decision-making, but also during decision-making.” a contemporary ideology which denies much of what the church has always taught and practiced.”

The Vatican has hosted synods for decades to discuss particular issues such as the church in Africa or the Amazon, with bishops voting on proposals at the end for the pope to consider in a future document.

This edition is historic because its theme is so broad – it’s essentially how to be a more inclusive and missionary church in the 21st century – and because Francis has allowed women and other laypeople to vote alongside bishops for the first time.

Of the 464 participants, 365 are voting members, and of them only 54 are women. While organizers insist the aim is to reach consensus, not tally votes like a parliament, the voting reform is nevertheless significant, tangible evidence of Francis’ vision of the Catholic Church as being more about its flock than its shepherds.

“I think the church has just come to a point of realization that the church belongs to all of us, to all the baptized,” said Sheila Pires, who works for the South African bishops’ conference and is a member of the synod’s communications team.

Women, she said, are leading the charge calling for change.

“I don’t want to use the word revolution,” Pires said in an interview in Johannesburg.

But women “want their voices to be heard, not just towards decision-making, but also during decision-making. Women want to be part of that.”

Francis took a first step in responding to those demands in 2021 when he appointed French Sister Nathalie Becquart as undersecretary of the synod’s organizing secretariat, a job which by its office entitled her to a vote but which had previously only been held by a man.

Becquart has in many ways become the face of the synod, traveling the globe during its preparatory phases to try to explain Francis’ idea of a church that welcomes everyone and accompanies them.

“It’s about how could we be men and women together in this society, in this church, with this vision of equality, of dignity, reciprocity, collaboration, partnership,” Becquart said in a June interview.

At previous synods, women were only allowed more marginal roles of observers or experts, literally seated in the last row of the audience hall while the bishops and cardinals took the front rows and voted.

This time around, all participants will be seated together at hierarchically neutral round tables to facilitate discussion.

Outside the synod hall, groups advocating for even more women’s representation in the church are hosting a series of events, prayer vigils and marches to have their voices heard.

Discerning Deacons, a group pressing for the pope to approve female deacons, as there were in the early church, sent a small delegation and the issue of female deacons is formally on the synod agenda. Other groups pressing for women’s ordination to the priesthood are also in Rome, even though the pope has taken the subject of women priests off the table.

“I’m hopeful that there is room in that space for these bold conversations, courageous conversations, and particularly that the voices and experiences of women called to the priesthood are brought to the synod,” said Kate McElwee, director of the Women’s Ordination Conference.

Zervino’s group, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, a Vatican-based umbrella organization of 100 Catholic associations, conducted a survey earlier this year of Catholics who participated in the synod consultations. While a few women in North America and Europe called for female priests, there was a broader demand for female deacons and the call is featured in the synod’s working document.

Francis listens to Zervino, an Argentine consecrated woman. He recently named her as one of three women to sit on the membership board of the Dicastery for Bishops, the first time in history that women have had a say in vetting the successors of Christ’s Apostles.

Zervino says such small steps like her nomination are crucial and offer the correct way of envisioning the changes that are under way for women in the church, especially given all the expectations that have been placed on the synod.

“For those who think that there’s going to be a ‘before the synod and after,’ I bet they’ll be disillusioned,” she says. “But if women are smart enough to realize that we’re headed in the right direction, and that these steps are fundamental for the next ones, then I bet we won’t be disillusioned.”

(Associated Press writer Sebabatso Mosamo in Johannesburg contributed to this report.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

October 5 - 11, 2023

Page 5

RELIGION

LEGACY: Kelly Kenyatta Carter TSD Newsroom

Devin Cornell Kyles

Devin Kyles: A life of helping and heartfelt connections Special to The New Tri-State Defender Devin Cornell Kyles, born and raised in Memphis, TN, lived his life with a simple yet profound purpose - to help others. His journey on this earth spanned 60 years, and he dedicated most of that time to the service of those in need. Devin’s passing occurred near Interior, South Dakota, after battling ongoing health challenges.

As the son of the late civil rights icons Gwendolyn Kyles and Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, the renowned pastor of Monumental Baptist Church, Devin grew up with a deep sense of purpose instilled in him by his family. He was just six years old when tragedy struck, as his parents were preparing to host dinner for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., when he was struck by an assassin’s bullet, a moment forever etched in history.

Devin’s academic journey led him to excel at Memphis’ Bellevue Junior High and Central High schools, while his brilliance secured his early admission to Lake Forest College in Illinois. As a junior, his exceptional leadership skills resulted in his election as Student Government President. His passion for technology ignited during a summer internship at IBM, setting the stage for a lifelong love of computer technology.

Devin’s commitment to service extended to the U.S. Army, where he graduated from Officer Candidate School as a Second Lieutenant and joined the Intelligence division. He thrived in high-pressure, secretive military environments and rose to the rank of Captain. After an honorable discharge, his career led him into the world of technology ventures in Oklahoma and Connecticut.

However, Devin’s heart called him back to Memphis, where he answered his father’s call to assist with Monumental Baptist Church and community real estate projects. He took charge of restructuring the church’s finances, strengthening management practices at Monumental Pride Homes, and championing the Clinton administration’s New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) program, as a tool for rebuilding neighborhoods in the poorest parts of the city.

Devin’s dedication also reached beyond Memphis. His introduction to the Lakota tribal leaders on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota marked the beginning of a 25-year commitment to their community. His charisma and genuine connection with people allowed him to become a beacon of hope for the reservation, where he worked tirelessly to create job opportunities and build a brighter future.

In his later years, Devin returned to Memphis to care for his ailing father, Rev. Billy Kyles, during his final years. He embraced his role as a loving, patient caregiver, providing comfort not only to his family but also to the church community.

Even after his father’s passing in 2016, Devin continued to support Monumental Baptist Church’s operations and rebuilding efforts.

Devin is survived by his siblings: Dwain Kyles (FL), Dwania Kyles (NY), Drusheena Kyles (TN), and Epernay Kyles (DC), niece: Ashli Kyles and nephews: Ramsey Kyles, Chad Kyles and Taylor Kyles, along with many relatives and friends across the nation. His legacy of selflessness and heartfelt connections will be cherished and remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Kelly Kenyatta Carter’s legacy was using her gifts and talents to plant many seeds that would bear fruit in different seasons of her life.

Whether it was teaching in the school system helping students, working with and ministering to coworkers, or laboring in the “Body of Christ,” Carter was a woman that God could use, and the ripple effects of her presence on this earth will be felt for generations to come. She died last Friday, September 29, 2023.

Born on December 24, 1971 in Chicago to Elizabeth Anne Carter Nelson and the late Austin Howard Carter Jr., she was the youngest of five children.

Carter accepted Christ at an early age.

As a young girl she would get ready for church and walk to Lilydale Baptist Church in Chicago and sing in the Sunshine Choir. She accepted the call to minister the Word of the Lord while attending college. Ordained an Elder at Miracle Temple Ministries, Inc., she moved her membership to Dwelling Place International Church.

She was devoted to the Lord and had such a zeal to see the unsaved brought into the Kingdom of Christ. She never met a stranger and took every opportunity to share the love of Jesus with them.

An excellent teacher of the “Word of God,” she had an amazing skill of teaching with simplicity.

Carter was a graduate of John Marshall Harlan High School (class of 1990). Her classmates elected her senior class president. She was always a serious student, served on the student council and was elected citywide to serve on the Chicago Board of Education her senior year in high school.

Upon high school graduation, she attended Alabama A & M University in Huntsville, majoring in Elementary/Early Childhood Education. In 1995, she graduated cum laude with a B.S. Degree. She graduated from De Paul University with a M. Ed in Administration and Supervision in 2003, and an ED.S. in Curriculum Instruction and Professional Development from Walden University in 2012.

Carter taught in the Chicago School System for close to ten years and moved to Memphis to be close to her immediate family. She joined Memphis City Schools as a second-grade teacher at Cherokee Elementary and Evans Elementary Schools.

She served as an instructional facilitator at Treadwell Middle School and an assistant principal at Treadwell Elementary School.

She joined Gestalt Community Schools and served as a dean at Power Center Academy Middle School and a principal at Humes Preparatory Middle School.

Kelly Kenyatta Carter After leaving Gestalt, Carter worked for Southern Avenue Charter Schools as an instructional facilitator and principal. She also served as a dean and principal at City University School.

In 2021, Kelly joined Memphis and Shelby County Schools as an instructional support advisor and recently accepted a position as a highly specialized advisor in the Professional Learning and Support Department.

A true educator, who loved teaching and sharing her knowledge with other leaders in the field of education, she has numerous professional certifications.

In 1995, Carter pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and was initiated into the Gamma Mu Chapter at Alabama A & M University. She was a member of the NAACP Memphis Branch, Sigma Tau Epsilon Professional Fraternity and the National Women’s Political Caucus.

She was proceeded in death by her father, Austin H. Carter, Jr. She leaves her mother, Elizabeth Carter Nelson; sisters Deidre Carter Malone (Patrick), Juandali Dawn Carter and bonus sister Rosalyn Ammons. Her brothers are Austin Howard Carter III (Alicia), John Wesley Foster Carter (Christian), and bonus brother Robert Garrett Jr. Nieces Stephanie Carter, Ashley Carter, Arlycia Thomas (Nickolus), Amanda Carter, Jamila Webb, and Alizabeth Carter. Her nephews are Patrick Malone II, Brian Malone (Brittany), Austin Carter Jr., Stephen Carter, John Jr., Joshua, and Al’Trell Johnson. Kelly remained friends with her ex-husband Andre Pharr. She leaves a host of cousins and friends whose lives she touched dearly.

Services: Oct. 7, visitation, 10 a.m., with celebration service at noon, at Dwelling Place International Church, 114 US-72, Collierville; Oct. 9, 11 a.m., Memorial Park South Woods Cemetery, 5485 Hacks Cross Road.

The New Tri-State Defender, October 5 - 11, 2023, Page 6

If Tupac had lived …

We can only imagine what he might have become in the 27 years it took cops to arrest one of his killers

by Keith Reed theroot.com

Like most Gen-Xers, I know exactly where I was when the news broke that Tupac Shakur had expired at Las Vegas’ University Medical Center.

To say the news ‘broke’ is an exaggeration. As a college student, I was volunteering in a small office on the second floor of 145 Kennedy Street in Washington, D.C. Downstairs was the headquarters of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., upstairs a makeshift nerve center for the organizers of the Million Man March.

A year after the March, its conveners were still working to channel its energy into a movement for accountability and improvement for Black men, and as part of that work, the Rev. Benjamin F. Chavis, himself a Sigma, was working behind the scenes to mediate rap beefs that had spilled into the street. That’s how it came to be that on that Friday evening, I was there when Chavis got a call that Pac had succumbed; I spent

the rest of the night booking radio interviews for him while trying to process the silencing of one of our generation’s prophets–a man who had seemed invincible until six days earlier.

The Arrest was coming: Friday’s news of an arrest nearly 27 years later brought me, like many, back to where we were on that day in1996. It also brought me to the consideration that where I was physically that day is a lot less important than where I was in life. I was 19 when Tupac died, an age at which the six years between his age (25) at his passing and mine seemed like it could’ve been 20 years. I wasn’t a father yet.

Hadn’t gotten my first real job, financed a car, rented an apartment, caused or processed heartbreak. The ‘90s being the spectacularly violent decade that it was, I was intimate with death vis a vis the funerals of too many young Black men I’d known.

Nothing forces you to process death’s finality like the passage of

time. Three decades later, with grown sons, a life partner, having traveled the world and accumulated a life’s worth of experiences beyond what any of my dead friends could have imagined before their early passings, the enormity of the loss is finally in full view. When Black men die young and over bullshit, like Tupac did, it makes all of us immeasurably poorer.

That’s the context that the jailing of 60-year-old Dwayne “Keefe D” Davis should hold. If you’re old enough to remember September 1996, you’re not about who was arrested. Hip-hop journalists and crime reporters got to the bottom of why Tupac died and who was involved damn near the day after he died. Davis has been a minor-league YouTube celebrity largely by repeatedly confessing his involvement in Tupac’s death and other crimes for about the last five years. There are lots of people in jail over less than admitting out loud that they were in the car, touching the gun and with the people who committed a fatal drive-by on one of the most famous people on earth.

During a press conference, investigators showed the last known pic of Tupac Shakur, taken minutes before his shooting death in 1996. (Photo: Associated Press) Who would Tupac be right now?

But our fascination should be less about the dude in jail, who, having misspent the first five decades of life might now be about to live the rest of it in a cell. Our collective thoughts should be of Pac, and the memory of so many others like him, who were taken out in the first quarter of a long game.

At 19, I thought I was pretty smart, but at 46 I’ve lived long enough to know there’s a lot more to being good at life than how great you think you are. Tupac would be 52 today. At 25, he was brilliant, but we never got to benefit from his genius being tempered by age, maturity, trauma, love, loss, tragedy and the changing

of eras.

Had he lived, what might he have reconsidered?

Would hip-hop’s bent toward commercialism and away from the gangsterism and militancy of his day have affected his writing?

With so many of his contemporaries and followers in hip-hop having become wealthy moguls, would he have followed suit as an entrepreneur?

Would he have been a mentor to younger artists? A father? A grandfather? A husband? A renouncer of misogyny in hip-hop who spoke out against rape culture? Or, none of the above?

The shame of it, besides the fact that law enforcement ignored the obvious for nearly 30 years, is that all we can do is imagine.

Suspect charged in Tupac’s fatal shooting makes first court appearance in Las Vegas

by Riop Yamat and Ken Ritter Associated Press

LAS VEGAS – A self-described gangster who police and prosecutors say masterminded the shooting death of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996 made his first court appearance Wednesday on a murder charge.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 60, stood shackled, wearing a dark-blue jail uniform and plastic orange slippers.

He was scheduled to be arraigned on the charge Wednesday, but the hearing was cut short after he asked District Judge Tierra Jones to postpone the hearing while he retains counsel in Las Vegas. Jones rescheduled the arraignment for Oct. 19.

Davis was arrested last week during an early-morning walk near his home in suburban Henderson. A few hours after his arrest last Friday a grand jury indictment was unsealed in Clark County District Court charging him with murder.

Grand jurors also voted to add sentencing enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon and alleged gang activity. If Davis is convicted, that could add decades to his sentence.

Los Angeles-based attorney Edi Faal told The Associated Press in a brief phone call after the hearing that he is Davis’ longtime personal attorney and is helping him find a Nevada lawyer.

“I have worked with him for more than two decades,” Faal said. “But at this point I do not have a comment.”

Davis denied a request from The Associated Press for an interview from jail where he’s being held without bond.

Davis had been a long-known suspect in the case, and publicly admitted his role in the killing in interviews ahead of his 2019 tell-all memoir, “Compton Street Legend.”

“There’s one thing that’s for sure when living that gangster lifestyle,” he wrote. “You already know that the stuff you put out is going to come back; you never know how or when,

Duane “Keffe D” Davis shown during his arrest in Las Vegas, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. Davis was charged in the 1996 fatal drive-by shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur. (Photo: Las Vegas Police Department via AP)

A portion of a mural by artist sloe_motions depicting Tupac Shakur is seen on the side of Speedy Auto Tint on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Bellflower, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“There’s one thing that’s for sure when living that gangster lifestyle. You already know that the stuff you put out is going to come back; you never know how or when, but there’s never a doubt that it’s coming.”

— Duane “Keffe D” Davis but there’s never a doubt that it’s coming.”

Davis’ own comments revived the police investigation that led to the indictment, police and prosecutors said. In mid-July, Las Vegas police raided Davis’ home, drawing renewed attention to one of hip-hop music’s most enduring mysteries.

Prosecutors allege Shakur’s kill-

ing stemmed from a rivalry and competition for dominance in a musical genre that, at the time, was dubbed “gangsta rap.” It pitted East Coast members of a Bloods gang sect associated with rap music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight against West Coast members of a Crips sect that Davis has said he led in Compton, California.

Tension escalated in Las Vegas the night of Sept. 7, 1996, when a brawl broke out between Shakur and Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, at the MGM Grand hotel-casino following a heavyweight championship boxing match won by Mike Tyson.

Knight and Shakur went to the fight, as did members of the South Side Crips,” prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo said last week in court. “And (Knight) brought his entourage, which involved Mob Piru gang members.”

After the casino brawl, Knight drove a BMW with Shakur in the front passenger seat. The car was stopped at a red light near the Las Vegas Strip when a white Cadillac pulled up on the passenger side and gunfire erupted.

Shot multiple times, Shakur died a week later at age 25. Knight was grazed by a bullet fragment.

Davis has said he was in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac and handed a .40-caliber handgun to his nephew in the back seat, from which he said the shots were fired.

In Nevada, a person can be convicted of murder for helping another person commit the crime.

Among the four people in the Cadillac that night, Davis is the only one who is still alive. Anderson died in a May 1998 shooting in Compton.

Before his death, Anderson denied involvement in Shakur’s death. The other backseat passenger, DeAndre

“Big Dre” or “Freaky” Smith, died in 2004. The driver, Terrence “Bubble Up” Brown, died in a 2015 shooting in Compton.

Knight, now 58, is serving a 28year prison sentence for running over and killing a Compton businessman outside a burger stand in January 2015.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill, who oversees the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, has acknowledged criticism that his agency was slow to investigate Shakur’s killing.

“That was simply not the case,” McMahill said. He called the investigation “important to this police department.”

Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, issued a statement describing the arrest as “a pivotal moment” but didn’t praise authorities who investigated the case.

“The silence of the past 27 years surrounding this case has spoken loudly in our community,” she said.

“He said what he said. He did what he did. And now it is what it is,” Mopreme Shakur, Tupac Shakur’s stepbrother, said in a statement to The Associated Press. “This is a long process and there is more information that we need to see revealed for true justice.”

The New Tri-State Defender

October 5 - 11, 2023

ENTERTAINMENT

Gary ‘Lil G’ Jenkins, lead singer of SILK, tunes in on Lori Swanigan, who received the humanitarian award. (Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

Strides of success recognized at ‘Stomp The City Iconic Awards’ TSD Newsroom The Stomp the City Iconic Awards – a salute to “phenomenal individuals in Memphis and around the country in music television and entertainment” – thrilled attendees at the Cannon City in Downtown Memphis last Sunday (Oct. 1.).

Emceed by Darrin Henson and LisaRaye McCoy, the Iconic Awards was established to honor individuals have made remarkable strides in their professions and communities. The event also was designed to raise awareness about and contribute to the ongoing battle against gun violence in Memphis.

The evening included special performances by Kem, the acclaimed R&B artist recognized for “Anniversary The Live Album” and “Love Calls,” and Kut Klose, the R&B trio known for “Get Up On it.”

A tribute to 50 years of Hip Hop was powered by multiple artists, including: • Doug E. Fresh: Hip Hop “Human Beat Box” pioneer, rapper and record producer • NLE Choppa: Rapper. EP “Cottonwood”

• Trillville: Hip-hop group “Straight Up No Chasers” • La Chat: Rapper and songwriter “Hood” with a tribute to Gangsta Boo. • Skinny Pimp: Memphis Rapper and producer • Gangsta Blac: Memphis Rapper • Crunchy Black: Rapper and Hype Man “When the Smoke Clears”

Other guests included: • Dr. Rev Bobby Jones: Gospel music singer television host, and radio broadcaster • Keith Robinson: Actor and singer.

Known for the movie “Dream Girl,” • Clifton Powell: Actor, producer, and director. “Next Friday,” “Saints & Sinners.”

Kim Coles: Actress, comedian, and game show host. TV show. “Living Single.”

• Shannon Brown: former NBA Player • Miguel A. Núñez Jr.: actor, “Family Business” • Arrington Foster, actor: “The Family Business” • Evvie McKinney: Motown gospel recording Artist and songwriter

NLE Choppa

Page 7

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, October 5 - 11, 2023, Page 8

EDUCATION

Students participate in a summer learning camp hosted by Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The district has 147 Title I schools, which receive federal dollars to serve large concentrations of students from low-income homes. (Photo: Andrea Morales for Chalkbeat)

Tenn. study on rejecting federal education funds has ‘no predetermined outcome,’ leader says

by Marta W. Aldridge Chalkbeat Tennessee

A leader of the group of lawmakers exploring whether Tennessee can feasibly reject nearly $1.9 billion in federal education funding says that the panel’s work will begin in early November, and that its findings — not politics — will guide its recommendations.

“There is no predetermined outcome for this working group, or for what the information we gather is going to show,” Sen. Jon Lundberg, a co-chair of the panel, said Wednesday.

“We want to look at what federal education money we get, where it goes, what we’re required to do to get those funds, and ultimately what’s the return on the investment,” the Bristol Republican told Chalkbeat. “I think this will give us a good overview.”

Lundberg, who also chairs the Senate Education Committee, was responding to criticism from Democrats that Republicans are seeking to undermine public education, cater to charter and private school interests, and advance the political aspirations of House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Crossville Republican and likely candidate for governor in 2026.

In February, Sexton said Tennessee should consider forgoing U.S. education dollars to free schools from federal rules and regulations, and should make up the difference with state funding. On Sept.

22, he and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, appointed eight Republicans and two Democrats to the working group to look into the idea and report back by Jan. 9, when the General Assembly convenes a new session.

Most of the federal money the state receives supports low-income students, English language learners, and students with disabilities. Tennessee school dis-

tricts that are most reliant on U.S. dollars tend to be rural, and have more low-income and disabled students, less capacity for local revenue, and lower test scores in English language arts, according to a recent report from the Sycamore Institute, a nonpartisan think tank.

Lundberg expects to release the panel’s meeting schedule later this week. But at this point, its members have more questions than answers, including what such a shift in funding would mean for kids. If the Jan. 9 deadline doesn’t allow for a comprehensive review, he and co-chair Debra Moody, who also chairs a House education committee, plan to ask for more time.

“This is too big an ask to not be thorough,” he said.

If the committee finds ways for the state to feasibly wean itself from federal education money that Tennesseans help generate through their taxes, Lundberg expects legislation to come out of its work. But he acknowledged that state revenue collections have lagged in recent months, potentially making it harder to cut the cord.

“Revenues are a valid concern, but that’s not our charge at this point,” he said. “We just want to do a deep dive on where we stand.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bo Watson warned lawmakers in August that Tennessee likely will need to begin curbing state spending. But on Wednesday, he endorsed the panel’s task.

Sen. Jon Lundberg (Photo: Courtesy of State of Tennessee)

“Do I trust the state more than the federal government? Absolutely.

I think that government that operates closest to the people is the best government.” ­— Sen. Jon Lundberg “I think it’s premature to say whether there will be budget constraints,” said the Hixson Republican. “Evaluating our programs and our funding is always a healthy exercise.”

Even if officials decide the state can afford to pass on federal funds, JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, questions whether it could effectively manage resources designed to support underserved communities and ensure equal access to education.

He cites the Achievement School Dis-

trict as one example of poor oversight for a state-run program intended to serve students attending low-performing schools.

The turnaround district took over dozens of neighborhood schools beginning in 2012, mostly in Memphis, and turned many of them over to charter operators. But it has had few successes to show for its decade of work.

Lundberg said that example shouldn’t stop the state from investigating the possibility.

“Do I trust the state more than the federal government? Absolutely,” Lundberg said. “I think that government that operates closest to the people is the best government.”

Gov. Bill Lee has said he’s open to the idea and denounced what he called “excessive overreach” by the federal government. However, he didn’t give specific examples on education when answering questions from reporters last week.

Advocates for historically underserved student populations say federal oversight is needed to ensure that the state and local districts adequately provide for every student and school.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats pointed out that the federal government provided nearly $30 million last year to public schools in Cumberland County, which Sexton represents. That’s 44% of the East Tennessee district’s budget. Three school districts in Anderson County, where McNally lives, received $31 million in U.S. funds, which covered 32% of their budgets.

You can look up exactly how much federal education funding is on the line for every Tennessee county.

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

The New Tri-State Defender

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS Shelby County Government has issued Sealed Bid number I000812 Jail Indigent Supplies.

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 I000812 DUE DATE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 AT 2:00 PM CST (SB-I000812) JAIL INDIGENT SUPPLIES Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/712917853 You can also dial in using your phone.

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS Shelby County Government has issued Sealed Bid number I000838, HVAC Systems Replacement (Support Services).

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-I000838 DUE DATE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 02, 2023 AT 2:00 PM CST (SB-I000838), HVAC Systems Replacement (Support Services) Shelby County is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, drug-free with policies

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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: Thomas Standley Tax Parcel #: 6902200000300 Tax Sale #: 1803 Price Offered: $46,300 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice.

If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at «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: Agustin Rodriguez Tax Parcel #: 4201900000100 Tax Sale #: 1802 Price Offered: $21,800 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.

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NEWS

Page 9

Tennessee Democrat Gloria Johnson raises $1.3M, but GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn doubles that in Senate bid

by Jonathan Mattise Associated Press

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson raised $1.3 million to kick off a 2024 U.S. Senate bid fueled by a failed Republican attempt to expel her, but GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn more than doubled that haul and has millions more in the bank to defend her seat, the two campaigns said Wednesday.

The sparring teams announced the totals ahead of an Oct. 15 quarterly reporting deadline, offering an initial glimpse at how much cash has been funneled into the race. Johnson announced her campaign early last month after starting an exploratory committee in August, which allowed her to fundraise to support efforts like traveling and polling before becoming a candidate.

Johnson’s team said it received about 25,400 donations, at about $51 apiece, for an opening fundraising quarter unmatched by a Tennessee Democrat running for Senate in at least four decades.

The cash followed the national attention-grabbing efforts in April to expel lawmakers who have since been dubbed the “ Tennessee Three, ” in which Johnson was spared and two Democratic colleagues were ousted for a gun control protest on the House floor.

Blackburn, meanwhile, built up her financial advantage in a state that has solely elected GOP candidates for nearly two decades. She entered October with more than $6.5 million

cash in her campaign account after raising $2.7 million between that account and her Blackburn Tennessee Victory Fund last quarter, her campaign said. Blackburn’s campaign specifically highlighted some 77,700 donations placed online last quarter at an average of $20 each — about $1.5 million of the $2.7 million raised.

Blackburn first won the Tennessee Senate seat in 2018, defeating former Gov. Phil Bredesen, who campaigned as a moderate Democrat, by almost 11 percentage points.

Johnson’s candidacy, should she advance to face Blackburn, will test how a more progressive Democrat with name recognition and funding fares in the state. In the 2018 race, the Bredesen and Blackburn campaigns alone spent more than $36 million, plus more from other groups.

Since Johnson’s entrance into the race, Blackburn has been firing off email fundraising requests, saying in one, “If I come up short of my goal and she (Johnson) posts a huge number, Liberal donors everywhere will smell blood in the water and send even more cash.” Blackburn has already endorsed former President Donald Trump in 2024.

“The conservative values and principles that define the Volunteer State are worth fighting for, and every donation helps us keep Tennessee red come next November,” Blackburn said Wednesday in a news release announcing her fundraising. “With your help, this is possible.”

Johnson has drawn national

attention in the wake of the expulsion effort. She drew a visit with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office alongside fellow Democratic Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who were expelled but have since been reelected.

“We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support — we are building a true multi-generational, multi-racial coalition that puts everyday people and working families back in charge,” Johnson said in a news release announcing her totals.

In April, just days after a school shooting that killed six people, Johnson joined colleagues Pearson and Jones as they walked to the front of the state House floor with a bullhorn. The trio joined the chants and cries for gun control legislation by protesters in the public galleries and outside of the chamber.

Pearson and Jones, who are both Black, were expelled, while Johnson, who is white, was spared by one vote. Shortly after the expulsion vote, Johnson quickly noted that she avoided expulsion likely because she was white. Republicans denied that race was a factor. Instead, they said some members may have been persuaded that she wasn’t as disruptive as Jones or Pearson.

In the Democratic primary next August, Johnson will face off against community activist and organizer Marquita Bradshaw. Bradshaw won the Democratic Senate nomination in 2020, and she lost the general election to Republican Bill Hagerty by 27 percentage points.

SPORTS The New Tri-State Defender, October 5 - 11, 2023, Page 10

(Photos: Warren Roseborough/The New Tri-State Defender)

TRACKING THE TIGERS: Memphis gets back to winning The Memphis Tigers returned to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in search of getting back on the winning track against the Boise State Broncos. The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season last weekend against Missouri With a recorded attendance of 30,364, the Tigers (4-1) defeated the Broncos (2-3) 3532.

The game was dubbed a day of celebration. The 2003 football team was celebrated

Former Tiger DeAngelo Williams makes an appearance.

by the university for the 20-year anniversary of the Tigers making their first post-season bowl game in 32 years. At halftime, former running back DeAngelo Williams was recognized for entering the College Football Hall of Fame.

The Tigers don’t play again until Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. against the Tulane Green Wave ay Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN and will kick off at 6 p.m. central.

The University of Memphis Tigers rush the field.

Geoffrey Cantin-Arku.

Blake Watson evades a tackle.