The New Tri-State Defender - (October 29 - November 4, 2020)

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VOL. 69, No. 44

October 29 - November 4, 2020

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Commissioners get grim view of COVID-19 status, future

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

As communities across the country brace for another wave of COVID-19 infections with the onset of flu season, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners received a grim assessment of the months ahead during Monday’s meeting.

The confluence is expected to exacerbate efforts to control the pandemic. The viruses share symptoms such as fever, sore throat, coughing and nausea. People gathering inside during cold weather also increases the likelihood of spread.

“We really are at a place where individual and family choice is critical,” said Dr. Alisa Haushalter, director of the Shelby County Health Department.

“We are continuing to see trends upwards, as is the rest of the state and the rest of the United States. We can’t pinpoint it on any one specific area or place of transmission. We do know that it is related to social gatherings, primarily, and that could be as much personal gatherings as well as being in public spaces.”

Shelby County had 37,004 reported cases as of Wednesday morning, with 211 added over the last 24 hours. Deaths totaled 569. Meanwhile, 7,735 were reported under quarantine.

Statewide, there were 254,220 cases, with 3,241 deaths. Haushalter noted that on the 20th, the county had been averaging 200-220 cases per day. However, that was followed by two days with over 400 new cases.

“It does mean we are trending upward. Our positivity rate is trending upward and our reproductive rate is trending upward,” she said.

Currently, the reproductive rate of infection is 1.23 percent. For every 1 person that is infected, it is transmitted to an average of 1.23 people. During summer’s peak the rate was

SEE COVID-19 ON PAGE 2

Decorating homes and yards with Halloween-themed decorations is OK with the Shelby County Health Department but door-to-door candy collecting is not. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

Pandemic triggers need for safety-based creativity on Halloween Health Department issues guidelines

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Previous holiday celebrations in Shelby County this year have ended with alarming spikes in COVID-19 cases.

New hotspots and clusters have spawned from reveling at bars, private homes and large

gatherings of people, who are neither using masks nor social distancing.

To head off an already worsening surge of cases and hospitalizations, the Shelby County Health Department has offered recommendations and tips for a safer holiday.

“We don’t condone traditional trick-or-treat activities this year,” said Dr. Bruce Randolph, health department medical director.

Raising Sam: The rise of a national ‘star’

SEE HALLOWEEN ON PAGE 3

POLITICS 2020:

Bradshaw pushing, poised for Election Night upset

by Erica R. Williams

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

He’s the Memphis whiz kid, viral sensation on YouTube, racking up nearly 75,000 views with a viral video entitled, “You Can Be ABCs.” Meet Sam, 6-year-old prodigy, who raps about careers beginning from A to Z with dad, Robert “Bobby” White Jr., beatboxing in the background.

“I was surprised that it went viral so fast,” said Sam’s dad, who is a former executive assistant to then-Memphis mayor AC Wharton Jr. “Sam actually learned it last year when he was 5, and I just remembered that I hadn’t recorded it yet. And I have to give Sam credit for the choreography.”

The sensational video captured a national audience on NBC’s “Today Show” with Hoda and Jenna Tuesday (Oct. 27) morning.

“Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon commented, “That kid is a star! That’s so smart,” as he watched, along with millions of other viewers across the country.

White said when he told his son they were going to record it, Sam put down his smoothie and they knocked it out in the kitchen.

The YouTube upload was an instant favorite for thousands who shared it on other social media sites.

Sam and his dad wrote the rap together, his father said.

“The song came about because I wanted to teach Sam about careers,” said Bobby. “I found

“There should be no door-to-door candy collecting at all, even at close neighbors. But we encourage adherence to our guidelines and those issued by the CDC.” As Shelby County families are planning for the upcoming holiday season over the next two months, the health department is releasing information based upon guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Robert Samuel “Sam” White III has the look of a six year old that already knows what is expected of him – to be the best person he can be. (Courtesy photo) a track on iTunes, and that’s how it all got started. Sam thought of the ‘F’ for firefighter, and the ‘N’ for nurse.”

For anyone who knows the family, Sam’s mental feat is no big surprise. Robert Samuel White III started reading at age 2.

Sam thinks being a YouTube star is pretty cool. His brief interview with The New TriState Defender went something like this: TSD: So, Sam, that is a super rap. How long did it take you to learn it?

Sam: Two weeks.

TSD: It’s a rap about careers. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

Sam: I want to be an architect.

TSD: Oh. Architect is the “A” in the You Can Be ABCs. Why did you decide on becoming an architect?

Sam: Because I want to build buildings.

Bobby: Tell her what kind of buildings you want to build, Sam. Sam: I want to build stores and tall skyscrapers.

This isn’t Sam’s first TV appearance. He is featured in the MLGW public service announcements about conserving water.

“I’m Sam and let’s go save a little water today,” he says in the PSA. Parents watching Sam’s video and noting his extremely advanced intellect for a 6-year-old may wonder whether his genius is hereditary or the product of his environment.

“If you’re wondering who created Sam, I created Sam – Jesus and me,” said his mother

SEE SAM ON PAGE 3

It’s been almost three decades since Tennessee has elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate. Never in history has a Black woman held the coveted seat in Tennessee.

Marquita Bradshaw, South Memphis native and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, is hoping to rewrite history.

With a host of key endorsements, including the presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden – the activist and environmentalist is hoping for victory on Nov. 3.

“Marquita is a proven leader who will fight for the needs of working families – needs she understands because she’s faced the same struggles they have. I am proud to endorse Marquita’s candidacy for U.S. Senate,” Biden said in a news release dated October 26.

Bradshaw thinks the VP’s endorsement,

SEE BRADSHAW ON PAGE 2

The New Tri-State Defender

October 29 - November 4, 2020

Page 2

NEWS BRADSHAW

COVID-19

coming as early voting is building momentum, is timely. “I am delighted to have the endorsement of Vice President Joe Biden. His support and faith in me to help carry Tennessee is truly humbling,” she said.

Breaking barriers isn’t new to Bradshaw, who in August became the first Black woman in Tennessee to be nominated by a major political party for U.S. Senate.

Bradshaw’s campaign platform, that she refers to as the “people’s platform,” includes Medicare for all; quality public education; community policing and restorative justice.

Perhaps most notable is her activism in regards to environmental justice, a topic that is drawing interest in Black communities across the nation.

Bradshaw was introduced to environmental activism in South Memphis, where she grew up. At the time, the Memphis Defense Depot, a United States supply warehouse, was located nearby.

The facility housed pesticides, fuels, solvents, substances related to chemical weapons and other dangerous materials until at least the 1970s. The toxins proved deadly, she said.

“It wasn’t just any landfill,” Bradshaw said at a recent virtual campaign event. “It was a military landfill, full of chemicals made to kill people and plants very effectively.”

Bradshaw’s mother formed the Defense Depot Memphis TN-Concerned Citizens Committee in 1995. The group consisted of more than 2,500 members, including parents, teachers, clergy and small business owners.

Bradshaw has said that more than half of the initial members died due to health complications related to the depot.

She’s been advocating for environmental justice ever since – traveling across the country calling out for remedies to toxins that make water and soil dangerous.

Her platform is a sharp contrast to her opponent, Bill Hagerty, the rural Tennessee businessman who has garnered an endorsement from President Donald Trump. The New TriState Defender reached out to Hagerty’s team but had not received a response by press deadline.

Environmental justice isn’t mentioned in Hagerty’s key issues on his campaign website.

He does, however, advocate for supporting farmers, cutting taxes, protecting national security, supporting police officers and growing Tennessee’s economy.

similar. If rates don’t decrease soon, a surge is expected.

“It’s pretty concerning to hear today’s numbers. We are trending upward and the surge may be earlier than we anticipated,” said Commissioner Mark Billingsley, District-4.

Masking has been widely accepted in the county, despite the increase in rate of infections. Haushalter cited surveys conducted by the University of Memphis that show rates are well above 90 percent. The practice reduces the risk of transmission from 17 percent to three percent. A lack of vigilance on the part of individuals was cited as another factor in the jump.

“People are fatigued from COVID and they are oftentimes letting their guard down when they are with friends and people that they know very well,” said Haushalter. “We know in employee settings people will be wearing masks the whole time they are in the workplace, but then they go into the break room and take the mask off and have a break with somebody.”

Along with the spike in infections has been an increase in hospitalizations. Rural communities, which have fewer healthcare resources and have been slower to adopt masking, are contributing to the increase.

“One of the hospitals, when we looked at their data, over 40 percent of their admissions were not Shelby County admissions. They were from other counties. So we are going

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

The support for Marquita Bradshaw as she bids for a seat in the U.S. Senate is self-evident on this building along a stretch of Lamar. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) E x panding the local economy is somet h i n g both candidates agree on; but Bradshaw said Marquita her foBradshaw cus is the working middle class. “ I t takes a working woman, a working man to und e r s t a nd Bill Hagerty working p e o p l e ’s issues,” she said. “Right now, the U.S. Senate, they represent the ultra-rich. And so, the policies actually are directed for the ultra-rich.”

The progressive candidate also pointed to the federal government’s handling of COVID-19 among the working middle-class.

“They were able to save Wall Street three times in 48 hours, and we’ll never know the price tag. But when it came to working people, you can barely get a stimulus together because they don’t know how people experience the pandemic or working-people issues.”

Bradshaw has been candid about her plight as a working-class single mother. She said a medical issue that resulted in surgery left her, a University of Memphis graduate, with a hefty student loan debt. On top of that, she had to pay for her son’s healthcare.

Then she lost her job as a union organizer at the AFLCIO; her next job, taking care of a special-needs adult, paid one-third as much – eventually leading Bradshaw to file for chapter 7 bankruptcy.

“Right now, I am currently in bankruptcy – and I’m running for U.S. Senate,” Bradshaw has said, adding that she relates to many working-class families.

In addition to Biden’s recent endorsement, a group of prominent politicians and organizations have also endorsed Bradshaw. Democratic presidential contenders Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and all five Tennessee chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Despite the prominent backings, a recent poll by survey firm Cygnal showed Hagerty leading Bradshaw in the polls by 20 points.

Hagerty has also accumulated more campaign donors.

Federal Election Commission data shows the conservative candidate as having three times as much cash on hand as Bradshaw, who has received most of her donations from individuals.

Bradshaw’s team is undaunted, arguing that “people are more important than money.” They are urging Democrats to vote.

“People keep saying Tennessee is a ‘red state,’ but that’s not true. The reality is we’re a low turnout state where the voices of most Tennesseans are not heard at the ballot box, and we’re changing that,” Bradshaw said.

Tennessee has not elected a Democratic senator since Al Gore, who left the Senate in 1993 to become President Bill Clinton’s vice president. How-

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ever, record-breaking early voting numbers give Bradshaw cause for optimism.

According to the Shelby County Election Commission, the number of early voters this year is the largest recorded in more than 20 years.

“I could not be more ecstatic about our early vote numbers. Our campaign has done exactly what we needed to do in order to reach the turnout numbers we needed to have victory on Election day,” she said.

“Over 1.5 million calls, texts and doors in Shelby County alone have led to record breaking turnout in Shelby County and is what will lead us to Victory on Nov 3.”

Early voting ends on Thursday, October 29.

to be impacted in Shelby Co., particularly in the hospitals as the rural communities see more and more cases,” said Haushalter.

The possibility of opening the surge site was also discussed. Located downtown in the building that once housed The Commercial Appeal newspaper, it was converted to handle overflow, if hospitals become overcrowded. The facility is run by the Tennessee Department of Health.

“It’s a regional asset. It’s ready to be opened if there’s a need to do so,” said Haushalter.

To address homelessness during the pandemic, the commission approved a service provider contract with Catholic Charities of West Tennessee for prevention services through rapid rehousing of individuals. Sponsored by Pro-Tempore Brandon Morrison, District-13, the $1.32 million contract lasts through December 29, 2022.

The commission also agreed to transfer $268,000 from fiscal year 2021 CARES act funding to the Trustee to cover further coronavirus-related costs. That measure was sponsored by Comissioner Edmund Ford Jr., District-9.

The service provider contract, however, does not come out of the original CARES Act funding, with $1.7 million remaining in the act’s coffers.

“This is a separate pot of money that is coming from the state that was specifically given to community service for this action. It is not inclusive of the $49 million that we originally got,” said Chairman Eddie Jones, District 11.

EVERYTHING IS ON THE LINE This election and your health are important. Remember you have options to vote and ways to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shelby County wants you to Mask up, Social Distance and exercise your right to vote in the upcoming Election. Here are voting options for registered voters to consider:

• ABSENTEE BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 27TH • EARLY VOTE DURING OCTOBER 14TH THROUGH OCTOBER 29TH • VOTE ELECTION DAY ON NOVEMBER 3RD www.shelbycountytn.gov/ShelbyVotes #ShelbyVotes #EverythingIsOnTheLine

ith es.

The New Tri-State Defender

October 29 - November 4, 2020

Page 3

NEWS HALLOWEEN

CONTINUED FROM FRONT on how to take part in celebrations in ways that reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

First, remember large gatherings and events are prohibited under the current Health Directive. These include: festivals, fairs, parades, largescale sporting events and large-scale community events unless a site-specific plan for the event has been approved.

For Halloween, the health department advises: 1. Avoid direct contact with trickor-treaters.

2. Give out treats outdoors, if possible. Don’t hand them out. Set up a station with individually-bagged treats for kids to pick up.

3. Wash hands before handling treats.

4. Wear a mask.

5. “Trunk-or-treat,” where children go from car to car instead of door to door to receive treats, poses similar risks to children, if they do not maintain recommended social distancing.

Safer alternatives: Some safer alternatives include: * Online parties/contests (i.e. costume or pumpkin carving); * Drive-by events, including events where individual participants remain in their vehicles. * Halloween movie nights at drivein theaters that meet the requirements of the current Health Directive. * Decorating homes and yards with Halloween-themed decorations. * Remember, outdoor activities are safer than indoor activities.

Personal protection measures: • If you are sick or have been in contact with someone who is sick with COVID-19, stay home and away from others and get tested.

• Correctly wear a cloth facial covering to prevent disease spread. Wear a cloth mask with two or more layers over the nose and mouth and secure it under the chin.

• Avoid confined spaces – Actively avoid indoor spaces that don’t allow for easy distancing of at least six feet between yourself and others.

• Avoid close contact – Stay at least six feet away from all other people who are not part of your own household, especially when talking, eating and drinking.

• Wash or sanitize your hands often.

• Clean frequently touched items regularly.

If you have questions about COVID-19, call the Shelby County Health Department’s COVID-19 hotline at 901-222-6275. The hotline is open seven days per week, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours, calls are returned as soon as possible the next day.

The following is a partial list of Shelby County-area events and, which are adhering to health department holiday guidelines: – Wicked Ways Haunted House (select days through Nov. 7). This house is not for children. Proceeds benefit St. Jude. Go to the website for ticket info and hours.

– Jones Orchard Shadowlands of Fear (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays in October.)

– HauntedWeb of Horrors (October 29 – Nov. 1), 2665 S. Perkins Rd. Tickets can be purchased online.

– Priddy Farms Pumpkin Patch, 4595 N. Germantown Rd., for pumpkins, a petting zoo and more. Open every day.

– Second Baptist Church Pumpkin Patch, 4680 Walnut Grove, this fall.

– Zoo Boo, Memphis Zoo (Oct. 29-31). Candy stations, hay rides, mazes, magic shows and more. No animals besides the Herpatarium, Aquarium and Animals of the Night exhibits.

– Movies at the Mallory-Neely House (October 29) in Victorian Village. The October 29th movie is “The Lodger.”

– Halloweek of Fun at the Children’s Museum of Memphis (October 24-31) – Candy Crawl at Oak Court Mall (October 26-30). Kids can get a bag of treats and toys at the mall during scheduled times.

– Drive-In Movie: “The Birds” at Shelby Farms Park (Oct. 30). It’s pre-registration only online.

– Happy Halloween Scavenger Hunt at Fire Museum of Memphis (Oct. 31).

For kids from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Pre-register online.

– Memphis Reggae Halloween at Brinson’s Downtown (Oct. 31). An open-air, social-distanced, family-friendly party from 3 p.m.-9 p.m.

Food and drinks will be available.

(Curbside pickup for takeout is available).

– Halloween Full Moon Kayaking at Mud Island Boat Ramp (Oct. 31).

Kayak Memphis hosts a full moon kayaking paddle for experienced paddlers only. Check in is at 5:30 p.m., sunset at 6 p.m., and rentals are good until 7 p.m. Purchase tickets, pre-register and read all the details in the FB event.

– Drive-In Movie: “Black Panther” at Shelby Farms Park (Oct. 31).

It’s pre-registration only; no tickets available on site.

– Halloween Movie Night at Sunset Cinema at Tiger Lane (Oct. 31) will screen “Hocus Pocus” and “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” starting at 6:30 p.m. Visit 901sunsetcinema.com for tickets and more information.

– Marcella Simien & Her Lovers at Railgarten (Oct. 31). Music starts at 6:30 p.m.

– Hallowdaze Trunk or Treat at Theatre Memphis (Oct. 31). Bring the kids and costumes for this socially-distanced trunk or treat in the parking lot.

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Robert “Bobby” White Jr., his wife, Stephanie Nerissa White, and their son, Sam. (Courtesy photo)

SAM

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Stephanie Nerissa White.

“I would say 30 percent is hereditary, and the other is the result of how a child is socialized and shaped into the person he or she becomes.”

Stephanie says Sam loves to learn new things. Children are naturally curious. They curiosity has to be directed.

“I buy him great books to read,” she said.

“No matter how tired you are, as a parent, our job is to answer questions and pay attention to the little person in front of you.

“Sam is a voracious reader and does not watch television through the week. The television shouldn’t be used to entertain our children. He watches TV on Friday night, when the family has movie night. With the pandemic, we’ve eased that a little and given him more leeway to watch more television.”

Going forward, the couple has looked at their son’s educational path.

“I’m good with where he is right now,” Stephanie said. “We want him in a multi-cultural environment where he can pick up socialization cues from children of other races.”

Sam is a first-grader at Toddler

Town Preparatory, a charter school.

Raising a genius is a lot of hard work. Sam’s parents only make it look easy.

“His education is more than just academics,” Stephanie said. “We want him to be intelligent but kind, smart, but not a know-it-all. Resourceful, not depending on others.”

Sam is a disciplined Christian, who prays every morning and every night, his mother said.

He has been taught from the cradle how to be an astute, critical thinker.

“When we are just having a conversation, I constantly ask Sam, ‘Why do you think that is?’ He will ask what a word means, I will give him the meaning, and before long, he is using the word in the correct context, too,” she said.

The Whites had Sam tested and assessed at age 4. He was moved ahead to kindergarten.

Sam and his parents hope the video will inspire children and their parents to reach beyond the limits to help children attain to their highest potential.

“A child imitates what he sees,” said Stephanie.

“Create an excitement and a buzz about learning. Your child will become excited as well. It’s really just that simple.”

TVA TO HOST VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE WITH LIVE Q&A ON NEXT STEPS AT ALLEN FOSSIL PLANT SITE The Tennessee Valley Authority invites the Memphis community to attend a virtual public open house with live Q&A on the next steps regarding the safe removal and long-term storage of coal ash from the Allen Fossil Plant in Memphis, Tennessee.

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020 5-7 p.m. CDT www.tvavirtual.com/allen

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Virtual access to content will remain available during the public comment period (Nov. 17 – Dec. 17).

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TVA staff will be available virtually to answer questions and discuss a variety of topics relating to the Allen site, including TVA’s mission of service, safe coal ash removal and offsite disposal, assessment of groundwater corrective measures, groundwater monitoring, and the schedule for the proposed plan, in accordance with federal and state rules pertaining to coal combustion residuals.

There will be a public comment period regarding the proposed plan from Nov. 17, 2020 – Dec. 17, 2020. Community members may submit comments at the open house, via email (lswelch0@tva.gov), via mail (2574 Plant Road, Memphis, TN 38109 in c/o Latrivia Welch), via phone (901-789-8847), and via website (www.tvavirtual.com/allen).

For additional information, visit the link to the Allen site at www.tva.gov/ccr.

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PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, October 29 - November 4, 2020, Page 4

Mississippi city may be left in dark over unpaid power bill

by Leah Willingham The Associated Press

ITTA BENA, Miss. – A decade ago, the sole grocery store in the city of Itta Bena shuttered. The last bank left a few years later, followed by the pharmacy — lifelines for a small, rural community.

Now, the lights may go out for all 1,800 residents.

Because of long-standing debt with its wholesale electrical provider, the city faces complete disconnection Dec. 1.

As of August, Itta Bena owed more than $800,000. That’s equal to one-third of the annual budget for the whole city — located in the Mississippi Delta, a region along the Mississippi River known for its long history of cotton farming and deep impoverishment.

The news is devastating for the community, where 40% of people live below the poverty line and 90% are Black.

Itta Bena has long struggled with a decreasing tax base, white flight and job loss. The coronavirus pandemic has sparked more worry.

“It just feels like we keep losing and losing. There’s no growth,” said Patricia Young, a day care owner who submitted a petition signed by 300 residents asking the state auditor to investigate the city’s electrical department. “We just can’t take the hurt anymore. You start to wonder, ‘Do they really want us to survive?’”

Itta Bena’s electric system is city-run and owned, and unregulated by the state. Mississippi’s Public Service Commission, which oversees utilities, opened an investigation anyway and invited the state auditor, citing safety and quality-of-life concerns. State officials are organizing meetings among the city, wholesale electrical provider Municipal Energy Agency of Mississippi, and other providers to find coverage for Itta Bena.

Brandon Presley, a public service commissioner, said he’s never seen an electric provider threaten to pull out of a city in Mississippi — or any other state. He said it’s a “failure of the city government” and that residents “deserve better than to be left in the dark.”

Itta Bena Mayor J.D. Brasel said some of the debt — more than $300,000 — stems from residents’ unpaid bills that the city now must cover. As a middleman of sorts between residents and MEAM, the city purchases electricity from the wholesaler to sell residents and is responsible for the bill.

Former Mayor Thelma Collins, who left office in 2017, said officials have long known about the debt but prioritized other projects. She said lack of vision and planning exacerbate problems.

Itta Bena was founded around 1850 by plantation owner, Confederate general and former Gov. Benjamin Grubb Humphreys. He chose the name, which means “forest camp” in the language of the Choctaw people, who were forcibly removed from the land. Humphreys brought slaves to help turn the Delta into the South’s cotton-producing capital.

After the Civil War, slaves were freed into a sharecropping system that resulted in generational poverty. Black families were blocked from educational and political opportunities. Industrialization led to fewer jobs in the fields.

And after the Civil Rights movement made strides for racial equity and integration, white families began leaving, taking tax dollars with them.

From 2000 to 2010, white population decreased from 20% to 10% of Itta Bena. Total population has decreased by one-third — from around 3,000 to 1,800 — since 1980.

Vacant, unkept and weather worn store fronts line a street in downtown Itta Bena, Miss., Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. Area residents believe the high price of electricity provided by the city as one of the reasons for store closures. (AP Photos/Rogelio V. Solis)

Birdia Williams turns on her ceiling fan on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, to help cool the house she and her husband, John Williams, bought 23 years ago in Itta Bena, Miss., a few blocks from what was then a busy downtown. Now, the couple, living on a fix income as retirees, constantly worry about how to budget to compensate for what they believe are high electric bills from the city-run and owned utility.

Former Itta Bena, Miss., Mayor Thelma Collins, who left office in 2017, tears up as she speaks about the growing debt of more than $800,000 owed by the city to its wholesale electrical provider, on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020.

Birdia and John Williams bought their home 23 years ago from a white family moving away. She remembers driving through and seeing a beautiful neighborhood of nice, clean houses.

“While we moved in, they were all moving out,” said Williams, 64, a Black woman. “It’s not the same city today

as it used to be. We have good people here, lovely people.

But there’s nothing here anymore.”

Emma Harris, 66, was raised 10 miles away, where her parents worked on a white-owned plantation. She said her husband was born and worked on the plantation, until they married and moved to the Itta Bena area in 1978. Growing up, she remembers traveling the country road to shop in Itta Bena and seeing the “city lights” downtown.

Today, 20 downtown storefronts are abandoned. Remaining are a laundromat, a used-car seller, a clinic run by a nurse practitioner, a bar, a credit union. The corner store sells canned food, bread, fishing gear - with a small food menu from a kitchen in back.

The nearest grocery store is 10 miles away; a Dollar General sells some fruits and vegetables. Some folks, like Williams, travel 45 miles to a bargain store in Grenada for groceries.

Businesses and city offices will lose power if MEAM leaves. Some businesses purchased generators as backup.

Only institutions like the historically Black Mississippi Valley State University, whose utility system is separate from the city’s, will be unaffected.

Itta Bena’s financial woes aren’t new. In 2014, the federal government placed a tax lien on city assets after officials failed to pay $200,000 in payroll taxes. In 2016, a former city clerk was convicted of embezzlement. The power debt dates back to 2009.

MEAM didn’t answer a request for comment, but in a letter shared with the Public Service Commission, President and CEO Geoffrey Wilson said the company has exercised “extraordinary patience” trying to collect.

“The situation brought about by the City’s failure to pay its MEAM invoices in full is regrettable, but it is a situation of Itta Bena’s own making,” Wilson wrote.

Residents said they were surprised to learn the city was so in debt. Itta Bena light bills are notoriously high.

Williams said monthly bills for her one-story home sometimes exceed $650. Kathy Gee, who’s lived in Itta Bena for 40 years and is on disability for lupus, said her income is about $500 monthly, and she’s received bills over $400. The mayor said he’s aware of high bills, and that rates are calculated correctly.

Harris said she’s tried approaching City Hall with partial payments, in hopes her power wouldn’t be shut off.

“My lights have been out many, many, many times because I didn’t have the money,” she said. “Knowing they are the ones in debt, you feel used. You work so hard for so long, and it feels like you get nothing in return.”

(Leah Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

October 29 - November 4, 2020

Page 5

RELIGION

Black D.C. archbishop’s rise marks a historic moment

by Elana Schor The Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory is set to become the first Black U.S. prelate to assume the rank of cardinal in the Catholic Church, a historic appointment that comes months after nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice.

Gregory’s ascension, announced on Sunday by Pope Francis alongside 12 other newly named cardinals, elevates a leader who has drawn praise for his handling of the sexual abuse scandal that has roiled the church.

The Washington-area archbishop also has spoken out in recent days about the importance of Catholic leaders working to combat the sin of racial discrimination.

The 72-year-old Gregory, ordained in his native Chicago in 1973, took over leadership of the capital’s archdiocese last year after serving as archbishop of Atlanta since 2005.

The ceremony making his elevation official is slated for Nov. 28.

“With a very grateful and humble heart, I thank Pope Francis for this appointment which will allow me to work more closely with him in caring for Christ’s Church,” Gregory said in a statement issued by the archdi-

ocese.

Gregory helped shape the church’s “zero tolerance” response to the sexual abuse scandal while serving as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2001 to 2004.

During that period, the bishops adopted a charter designed to govern its treatment of sexual abuse allegations made by minor children against priests. The church’s efforts since 2004 have helped achieve a sharp reduction in child-sex abuse cases. But some abuse continues to occur, and the church’s procedures for addressing abuse continue to incur criticism from those who feel there’s a lack of consistency and transparency.

More recently, amid nationwide protests this summer sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Gregory made headlines for issuing a statement critical of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine. That presidential visit to the shrine came one day after demonstrators were forcefully cleared to facilitate Trump’s visit to an Episcopal church in Washington, and Gregory responded that he considered “it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated.”

During a June dialogue hosted by Georgetown University, Gregory talked frankly about his own response to Floyd’s killing and emphasized the value of church involvement in pressing social issues.

“The church lives in society. The church does not live behind the four doors of the structures where we worship,” Gregory said then.

The Washington D.C. archdiocese has created an anti-racism initiative under Gregory’s leadership, offering focused prayer and listening sessions.

In addition to his work combating racial injustice and sexual abuse in the church, Gregory has drawn notice for his more inclusive treatment of LGBTQ Catholics. In 2014, while serving in Atlanta, he wrote a positive column about his conversations with a group of Catholic parents of LGBTQ children.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, which represents LGBTQ Catholics, said his group is “very excited” to see Gregory’s elevation and connected it back to Francis’ recently reported comments supporting civil unions for same-sex couples.

Gregory’s elevation, while pathbreaking for Black Americans in the church, also follows a pattern of D.C.-area archbishops getting named

In this Oct. 6, 2019 file photo, Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, accompanied by other members of the clergy, leaves St. Mathews Cathedral after the annual Red Mass in Washington.

Pope Francis has named 13 new cardinals, including Gregory, who would become the first Black U.S. prelate to earn the coveted red hat. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) to the rank of cardinal. Five of the six prelates who previously held Gregory’s position were later named cardinals.

The archdiocese, though, has become embroiled in the abuse crisis since its previous two leaders — Donald Wuerl and Theodore McCarrick — were implicated in the church sex scandal.

Francis in February 2019 defrocked McCarrick after a Vatican-backed investigation concluded he sexually abused minors and adults over his long career. It was the first

time a cardinal had been dismissed from the priesthood for abuse.

Francis reluctantly accepted Wuerl’s resignation in October 2018 after he lost the trust of his priests and parishioners in the months following the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report. The report accused Wuerl of helping to protect some child-molesting priests while he was bishop of Pittsburgh from 1988 to 2006.

(Associated Press reporter David Crary contributed.)

The legacy...

Reverend Joseph H. McGhee Jr. Place was unveiled last Sunday and celebrated at Greater White Stone Baptist Church, where the Rev. Roger R. Brown (right) is pastor.

The honoree was represented by his nephew, Charlie Scates, trustee.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

I dropped by to say...

Happy together...

A 36th anniversary celebration was held last Sunday at Progressive Baptist Church, 394 Vance Ave., for Pastor James B. Collins and Lyvonne Collins. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

The Rev. Reuben Jones, pastor of East Antioch Baptist Church in Coldwater, Miss., was the guest speaker as the Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association met on Oct. 20.

(Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

The New Tri-State Defender, October 29 - November 4, 2020, Page 6

Display of artifacts from Green Book locations in western U.S. including Murray’s Dude Ranch, a 40-acre property on the edge of the Mojave Desert offering luxury and comfort to Black travelers. (Photos: Courtesy of the National Civil Rights Museum)

‘Green Book’ exhibit: overlapping narratives of racial discrimination and happy families

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

It was a different time when the “Negro Motorist Green Book” steered African American travelers away from danger and toward friendly restaurants and hotels.

The annual travel guide, started in 1936

by Harlem postman Victor Hugo Green, listed Black-owned and Negro-friendly hotels, guest houses, service stations, drug stores, taverns, barbershops, and restaurants that Black motorists could visit during segregation. It was especially useful in the southern states, where Jim Crow laws legalized racial separation and carried serious consequences.

The National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) is offering a glimpse into these times during the “Negro Motorist Green Book Exhibition,” which is premiering at the Lorraine Motel, now operating as the NCRM. The Lorraine Motel is one of the last remaining Green Book sites.

“The exhibit is not only the story of oppression,” said Dr. Noelle Trent, the museum’s curator. “But more importantly, it shows happy families enjoying vacations and taking road trips with their children.

Despite the hatred and discrimination, life went on for us, and it was a good life.”

“The Negro Motorist Green Book” exhibition includes film, photographs, art installations, interactives and oral histories from travelers and Green Book business owners.

Green, who lived in Harlem and was a travel writer as well, didn’t set out to create the annual guide. As Blacks left the South for opportunities up North, he collected their stories as well as their recollections of the perils and pitfalls along the way.

The “Whites Only” policies all over the country made it difficult for African-American travelers. For example, they had to be mindful of “sundown towns” – locations that banned Negroes after dark.

Inspired by earlier books published for Jewish audiences, who faced religious discrimination, Green developed his guide for African Americans to travel safely to their destinations. The first edition of his “Green Book” only covered hotels and restaurants in the New York area, but expanded its scope by gathering field reports from fel-

Display case of dishes, artifacts and photos from Swett’s restaurant in Nashville, TN. Operating over 60 years, this Black family business was listed in the Green Book in 1960 and 1961. low postal carriers and offering cash payments to readers who sent in useful information.

By the early 1940s, the “Green Book” boasted thousands of establishments from across the country, all of them either black-owned or verified to be non-discriminatory. The 1949 guide encouraged hungry motorists passing through Denver to stop for a bite at the Dew Drop Inn. Those looking for a bar in the Atlanta area were told to try the Yeah Man, Sportsman’s Smoke Shop or Butler’s. In Richmond, Va., Rest-a-Bit was the go-to spot for a ladies’ beauty parlor.

In its heyday, the “Green Book” carried more than 10,000 listings of institutions and associations throughout the country. It was made readily available because ESSO service stations gave travelers access.

ESSO, the precursor to EXXON, allowed Negroes to gas up, use the restrooms, and buy something out of the store. Today, EXXON is the exhibit’s sponsor.

Victor Hugo Green died in 1960 after publishing his travel guide for more than two decades. Alma Green, his wife, took over as editor and continued to release the “Green Book” in updated editions for a few more years.

But just as Green had hoped, the march of progress made the publication obsolete.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 finally out-

Lorraine Motel owners Walter (standing) and Loree Bailey (seated left) enjoy pool-side relaxation with a guest at their Green Book-listed business in the 1960s. (Photo: Courtesy of the Charles and Carolyn Champion Family via NCRM)

Display case of artifacts from Threatt Filling Station in Luther, OK includes a cash register, ledger of services and photos. lawed racial segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination.

The “Green Book” became a historic relic of an era gone by.

The exhibit will be available at the museum through Jan. 3, 2021.

For more information, call 901-5219699.

October 29 - November 4, 2020

The New Tri-State Defender

Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT

Memphian showcases international Black love in ‘Coming to Africa’ Anwar Jamison debuts his heartwarming comedy at 2020 Indie Memphis Film Festival

by Dalisia Brye

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

In “Coming to Africa,” Memphian Anwar Jamison dives deep into self-identity stereotypes and social injustice through the lens of Black love.

Award-winning filmmaker and Memphian Anwar Jamison is making his rounds this week at the 2020 Indie Memphis festival to premier his latest film “Coming to Africa.”

The film is a light-hearted romantic comedy that boasts social consciousness by diving into a connection of Black love.

It features a stellar ensemble cast, including Jamison, Ghanaian actress Nana Ama McBrown (“Tentacles”) and renowned actor Khalil Kain (“Juice” and “Girlfriends”).

Who is Anwar Jamison?

Originally from Racine, Wis., Jamison made his way to Memphis more than a decade ago to continue his education at the University of Memphis.

While receiving his master’s degree in English and video and film production, he decided to leave the music scene and step into the film world, creating his first motion picture “Funeral Arrangements” in 2008.

Throughout the years, he has created several films that focused on social injustice and classism.

“Coming to Africa” however inspired him to dive deeper into self-identity stereotypes and social injustice through the lens of Black love.

“Sistah Souljah came to the U of M in 2001 and it was her speech that spoke on going back to Africa that inspired me,” Jamison said. “At that point in time I had already done my research on Kwame Nkrumah, the president of Ghana, but it was something about her speech, where she spoke on how we as people needed to culturally get back to Africa.

“It was so powerful, it made me want to know more. So I researched and narrowed my search to Ghana and from there, that’s where I knew I wanted to go. And the rest was history.”

Coming to Africa “Coming to Africa” – (Anwar Jamison, 96 min): A philandering financial executive unexpectedly finds himself in Africa on an amusing adventure where he meets a beautiful Ghanaian schoolteacher and finds nourishment for his soul. (Courtesy photo) The film takes place in Memphis and Accra, Ghana’s capital, where Jamison’s character (Adri-

an), an over-achiever, believes that as long as a Black man is successful, the less problems he will face when it comes to “the struggle.”

After rising to the top by becoming the first Black vice-president in the history of his company and experiencing some racial issues, he realized “the struggle” was in his own backyard.

Khalil Kane stars as Buck in “Coming to Africa. (Photo by Demarcus Bowser) The movie then introduces his brother, Buck (Khalil Kain), a local activist and barber, who is a firm believer in social change and Black liberation. He begins to spark the idea to Adrian of going back to Africa to learn more about himself.

“After learning that his older brother Adonis (Powwah Uhuru) had been saving up to send his wife on the perfect trip to Africa for their 10-year anniversary, Adrian decides to take flight to Ghana.

During the duration of his visit, he meets Akosua (Nana Ama McBrown) for a trip that completely changed his life.

“When I met Anwar, he was cool people right off the bat,” Kain said. “I looked at the script and read it, and I knew that this was something I wanted to be a part of. If I could help or assist this brother in any type of way, I

In “Coming to Africa,” Memphian Anwar Jamison dives deep into self-identity stereotypes and social injustice through the lens of Black love. (Photo: Demarcus Bowser)

“Coming to Africa” – (Anwar Jamison, 96 min): A philandering financial executive unexpectedly finds himself in Africa on an amusing adventure where he meets a beautiful Ghanaian schoolteacher and finds nourishment for his soul.

(Courtesy photo) wanted to be there.”

2020 Indie Memphis Film Festival “Coming to Africa” is one of the official selections for the 2020 Indie Memphis Film Festival, a virtual presentation that began

Oct. 21 and runs through Thursday (Oct. 29). Inclement weather pushed the film’s premier back to Wednesday (Oct.) 28 at the Summer Malco Drive-In. (For information visit www.indiememphis.org.)

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, October 29 - November 4, 2020, Page 8

An option if your mail-in ballot gets to you near Election Day TSD Newsroom As election officials continue to encourage voters to mail their ballots immediately, there is a way for those who receive their ballots close to Election Day to ensure they will reach the O.C. Pleasant, Jr. Election Operations Center before the deadline.

Ballots mailed from the Bartlett Post Office, 2966 Elmore Rd. on Election Day before 3 p.m. will reach the Shelby County Election Commission before the polls close. Every ballot must have a firstclass stamp affixed.

“The Postal Service is implementing extraordinary measures and resources to deliver for Tuesday’s General Election, said Christopher L. Alexander, district manager for USPS Tennessee. “We are working closely with local elections officials to offer ballot delivery on Election Day at 95 post offices across the state.”

The deadline for ballots to reach the Election Commission is 7 p.m. on Election Day. “Every vote matters, and we want to make sure that every legal vote is counted,” said Mark Goins, coordinator of elections for the State of Tennessee.

The designated Election Day post office in each county is the one from which the county election commission receives its mail. The mail for Election Commission Operations Center is delivered to a P.O. box located inside the Bartlett Post Office.

Post offices in some parts of the state close at 3:30 p.m., which is why the statewide mandate requires the 3 p.m. cutoff for sameday delivery mailing.

“We are so pleased the Postal Service and the Secretary of State are able to provide this service on Election Day,” said Linda Phillips, administrator of elections for SCEC. Voters across the state can check on the status of their absentee ballots at the Secretary of State’s website, www. govotetn.com, using the ballot tracking feature.

Information on the site lags a day.

After a rally at Hickory Hill’s Limit Breaker Church, attendees were escorted to the precinct at Anointed Temple of Praise church to cast ballots. (Photos: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell)

Rally in Hickory Hill stokes get-out-the-vote fire

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A get-out-the-vote gathering at Hickory Hill’s Limit Breaker Church featured an all-star lineup of political veterans, who reminded attendees of their right and duty to vote in the Nov. 3 general election.

Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. hosted the weekend event (Oct. 24) to “promote voter engagement” in the Hickory Hill community.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris kicked off the rally.

“Shelby County is a large and diverse community, and we are going to turn up and turn out the vote,” Harris said.

Harris said people have done a lot this year to get through the pandemic and all the other challenges that have come along with it.

“You have just about done all you could,” Harris said. “But there is one more thing you can do. You can get to the polls and vote in this election.”

November’s ballot is topped by Democrat Joe Biden trying to make Republican Donald Trump a one-term president. The presidential race has resulted in a record number of people voting early (some 70 million) nationwide and Shelby County is mirroring that trend.

Since early voting began in Tennessee Oct. 14, the Shelby County Election Commission reported that as of Oct. 24, 251,666 early votes already had been cast in Shelby County. That is a 56 percent increase in early voting since 2016, when the 10-day total was 161,230.

Harris told the audience that voting won’t cure COVID-19 at the ballot box, but “you can elect those individuals who can represent you and lead the way to navigate through.”

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland invoked words of wisdom from the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis and a hopeful reflection by former President Barack Obama.

“I want to quote somebody right here,” Strickland said. ‘“The vote is precious. It is the most powerful, non-violent tool we have in a dem-

Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr.: “Enough people stayed at home, who could have gotten Hillary Clinton elected, if they had gone to vote.” ocratic society. And we must use it.’ That was John Lewis… ‘“Our country did not start out perfect, and we are not perfect now, but ‘we are working to form a more perfect union,’ in the words of President Barack Obama.”

Tennessee State Rep. Jesse Chism said everyone should vote whether “you care about criminal justice, education, economics, healthcare, or you just want one of those ‘I Voted’ stickers.”

Shelby County Commissioner Eddie Jones and City Councilman Frank Colvett Jr. came out to support Smiley’s effort with words of endorsement for the voting message.

“We are not in the struggle for a week, a month or a year,” Jones said. “But the struggle is for a lifetime. … Never be afraid to make ‘good trouble,’ in the words of John Lewis … a vote not cast is a voice not heard. Go and make some

good trouble. Go and vote.”

Colvett said, “We may or may not agree on some things, but we all love Memphis, and we solve our problems together. The thunder of your vote must be heard … your vote is thunder.

Send a clear message to Nashville and Washington that ‘you will listen to us.’”

Former city councilwoman TaJuan Stout-Mitchell said, “Some brag that in Memphis, we have an affordable labor market. That just means we are cheating our workers. Labor is cheap…

“Do you care about human rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, human rights for everybody? If you care about having a civil rights division in the Justice Department… if you care about education, the environment, technology – these things are on the ballot. … If you care about these things, you’ll beat me to the polls, not meet me there, beat me there…”

Civil rights activist and pastor emeritus of New Sardis Missionary Baptist Church Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr. talked about miracles and what has been made possible because people got out and voted.

“Many miracles take place that we have witnessed,” said Gray. “But before they happen, lots of people think they are impossible, until they happen.

“I am wearing my Tuskegee Airman jacket for two reasons: One, we are at war, and two, many thought it was impossible for men to fly until they flew.”

Gray said many thought it was impossible for Barack Obama to be elected president, until he was elected.

“President Trump won a battleground state because there was a seven percent drop in voter turn-out from 2012 to 2016,” Gray said.

“Enough people stayed at home, who could have gotten Hillary Clinton elected, if they had gone to vote.”

A post-rally march scheduled to take participants to the precinct at Anointed Temple of Praise Church gave way to a motorcade led by Memphis Police Department vehicles after a dramatic dip in temperature.

SCS board to consider extending Supt. Ray’s contract

by Laura Faith Kebede Chalkbeat Tennessee

The Shelby County Schools board will consider extending Supt. Joris Ray’s contract next month after giving him a high evaluation score last week.

The board voted unanimously Tuesday to give the public notice that it would discuss and vote on amending the annual $285,000 contract sometime in November.

“The board recognizes the importance of stable, exemplary leadership during the

novel coronavirus pandemic as it seeks to transform the district and improve student achievement,” the resolution said.

Board policy requires 15day notice before voting to amend the superintendent’s contract. Ray currently has a four-year contract that ends in 2023. The decision shows strong support from the school board for Ray, who is in charge of making most decisions about the district’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including its reopening timeline.

Ray, who has spent his entire career in Memphis schools, is in his second year at the district’s helm after the school board appointed him in April 2019. Last week, the board scored his performance 4.13 out of 5 during the 201920 school year, signaling that he “completely met expectations.”

The superintendent is also one of 20 finalists for the Green-Garner Award, the top prize for urban school leadership from the Council of Great City Schools, a national group of urban school districts. His

predecessor, Dorsey Hopson, was also a finalist for the award in 2018.

The school board met over the weekend and discussed adding more detail and data to his performance evaluation, but the board has not figured out when a revised evaluation would go into effect.

Tuesday’s resolution was presented by board member Althea Greene, who had previously urged the board to extend the superintendent’s contract in April as the district ramped up its response to the pandemic. That was

before the board had evaluated Ray’s performance, so the proposal was postponed.

In other action Tuesday night, Greene will now lead the board in updating how it evaluates Ray. Board member Stephanie Love was the resolution’s co-sponsor and several board members signed on as co-sponsors before the vote.

“There are still things we have to get done and I know in order to do that, we most definitely must have stability,” Love said before the board voted.

Shelby County Schools Supt. Joris Ray accepts the African American Male Image Award presented by The Hobson Goodlow Foundation and the Tau Iota Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley/The New Tri-State Defender Archives)

The New Tri-State Defender

October 29 - November 4, 2020

Page 9

TRI-STATE

Tennessee mulling independent review on COVID-19 vaccine

by Kimberlee Kruesi The Associated Press

NASHVILLE – Tennessee is considering independently reviewing the safety and efficacy of a coronavirus vaccine once it is eventually approved by the federal government before distributing it to the public, Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said Wednesday.

“It’s not off the table,” Piercey told reporters during the state’s weekly COVID-19 briefing.

Last week, Piercey announced the state had submitted its draft distribution plan for a coronavirus vaccine

to the federal government. However, she has since warned that the plan will likely be amended as state officials learn more about when the state will start receiving the vaccine and how many doses are initially provided.

California was the first state to announce that it would hold off on distributing any COVID-19 vaccines until it had independently reviewed them. A handful of other states have since joined in that pact, including Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Meanwhile, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has appointed a similar independent group to review the quality of the vaccine.

Earlier this year, Gov. Bill Lee declined to say whether he would be vaccinated against COVID-19 when a vaccine becomes available. Instead, he said he’d determine if it’s “safe and effective and talk to my doctor.”

Supporters of such independent reviews argue that doing so adds an extra layer of assurance to people interested in the vaccine. However, others counter that doing so could politicize the vaccine process.

Piercey said she didn’t “have a clear answer” when asked if an independent review could cause more alarm over the vaccine’s safety, but instead stressed “when we get to that

bridge we’ll cross it but it’s definitely on our minds.”

Earlier this year, Gov. Bill Lee declined to say whether he would be vaccinated against COVID-19 when a vaccine becomes available. Instead, he said he’d determine if it’s “safe and effective and talk to my doctor.”

Tennessee is expected to get 2 percent of the national vaccine allocation, but the exact number is unclear.

It’s also unknown when a COVID-19 vaccine will be available for distribution to the states.

Under the current draft plan, Tennessee will distribute the majority of the vaccines throughout its 95 counties based on population. Ten percent of the vaccines will be set aside as a reserve.

The health agency is seeking hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and other partners capable of storing and administering the vaccine. First responders will be the state’s top priority in receiving the vaccine during the initial distribution phases, with health care workers being the next top priority.

Mississippi marijuana ballot dispute: No ruling before vote

by Emily Wagster Pettus The Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Supreme Court will wait until after next week’s election to consider whether a medical marijuana initiative got onto the ballot through proper procedures.

Chief Justice Mike Randolph filed a one-page order Wednesday giving Secretary of State Michael Watson a Nov. 6 deadline to respond to written arguments filed Tuesday by Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler. That deadline is three days after the election. Watson’s arguments originally

were due by Wednesday.

Butler argued that the number of signatures gathered for Initiative 65 does not meet standards outlined in the state constitution. Watson’s predecessor as secretary of state, Delbert Hosemann, said the initiative qualified for the ballot months ago.

Supporters of Initiative 65 said their petition process met the requirements set by the constitution and by a 2009 attorney general’s opinion.

They also accused Butler and the city of Madison of trying to undermine the initiative.

The Mississippi initiative process requires petitioners to gather signa-

tures from registered voters, getting no more than one-fifth of the signatures from any congressional district.

Mississippi had five congressional districts in the 1990s when the initiative process was established, but the state dropped to four congressional districts after the 2000 Census. Butler argued it’s “a mathematical certainty” that more than one-fifth of the signatures for Initiative 65 came from at least one of the four congressional districts.

In a legal opinion dealing with initiatives, the Mississippi attorney general’s office said in 2009 that the secretary of state should require an equal

number of signatures from each of the five old congressional districts.

Initiative 65 would allow patients to use medical marijuana to treat debilitating conditions, as certified by physicians.

An alternative measure that is also on the Mississippi ballot, Initiative 65A, also would allow patients with debilitating conditions to use medical marijuana, but it does not specify that those would have to be certified by physicians. It says the state would create a program based on “sound medical principles.”

More than 100,000 registered voters petitioned to put Initiative 65 on

the ballot. The alternative was put there by legislators. Sponsors of the original initiative say the alternative is intended to cause confusion and kill the original.

There’s a two-step process for voting on 65 and 65A. The ballot first instructs people to “Vote for approval of either, or against both.” It then says, “And vote for one” – either 65 or 65A. Watson has said that even if people vote against both initiatives on the first part, they can still vote for one of the proposals on the second part.

(Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus.)

CLASSIFIEDS NOTICE TO BIDDER(S) Bids will be received by the Shelby County Government through the Shelby County Roads, Bridges, and Engineering Department, 6463 Haley Road, Memphis, TN 38134 until November 16th, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. as shown below: Shelby County is soliciting ONE BID from a title company to provide Closing Services for purchases up to twenty-five (25) improved residential properties and fifty (50) unimproved properties under a federal grant as part of: • Big Creek Wetland & Recreation Area Project, Activity # 4-NDR-01; Phase Nos. 01, 02 & 03 - from U.S. Highway 51 North to Sledge Rd. • South Cypress Creek Property Acquisition Project, Activity #2-NDR-04; located within a residential community generally bounded by CN Railroad on the north, Ford Road on the east, West Mitchell Road on the south, and an irregular boundary between Weaver Road and CN Railroad on the west.

These Closing Services would include, but not limited to, the following: 1. Review our existing Title Searches and securing any necessary Title Search updates.

2. Preparing all closing documents, including the Warranty Deeds, Releases, Affidavits, Closing Statements, etc.

3. Scheduling and conducting the closings with the property owners.

4. Receiving, escrowing and disbursing closing funds.

5. Processing payoffs on outstanding loans, liens, taxes, etc.

6. Recording the property transfer documents (i.e. Warranty, Releases, Affidavits, etc.)

7. Issuing Title Policies on all acquisitions with a purchase price of $25,000 or greater.

8. Billing the County for closing costs.

This Bid must be based upon the provider’s ability/commitment to complete all closings within sixty (60) calendar days from the receipt of the County’s Notice to Proceed with each closing.

In order to be considered for the above described Closing Services solicitation, your Bid must be submitted via email to William.Goss@

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS 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.

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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.

All ads subject to credit approval. The

shelbycountytn.gov and must be received by Monday, November 16th, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Your Bid response must include the following information: • Company name and contact information.

• Description of the company, number of years in business and services provided.

• Unit price for closing of each improved residential property.

• Unit price for closing of each unproved property.

• Shelby County E.O.C Number.

• Current vendor number.

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.

ding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance Eligibility Number prior to the submitting your response.

NOTE: The Selected contractor will also be required to provide proof of registration within the Federal SAM system to ensure that they do not appear on the debarred/suspended registry prior to issuance of a contract.

Any additional specifications may be obtained from the Shelby County Roads, Bridges, and Engineering Department, by contacting William Goss, 6463 Haley Road, Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7715, TTY Number (901) 2222301 or for information in Spanish 901-222-4289.

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. The Shelby County Roads, Bridges, and Engineering Department encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 firms and vendors under this CDBG-NDR response.

As a condition precedent to bid-

The Shelby County Government

reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.

William Goss, Right of Way Manager Shelby County Roads, Bridges, and Engineering Department

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: Elson Turner DBA ET Enterprises Tax Parcel #: 06901000000020 Tax Sale #: 1603 Price Offered: $500.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on December 18, 2020, 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.

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: Elson Turner DBA ET Enterprises Tax Parcel #: 06901000000020 Tax Sale #: 1603 Price Offered: $500.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If ad-

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

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

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

ditional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on December 18, 2020, 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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Publication Title: The New Tri-State Defender Publication Number: 0780-0220 Filing Date: October 14, 2020 Issue Frequency: Weekly Number of Issues published annually: 52 Annual Subscription Price: $35 Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 a.

Contact Person: Calvin Anderson Telephone: 901523-1818 Complete Mailing Address of headquarters or General Business of Publisher: P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 Full Names of Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: a.

Calvin Anderson, Board Chairman, P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 b.

Karanja Ajanaku, Associate Publisher/Executive Editor, P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 Owner (Do not leave blank. If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address.): Best Media Properties Known Bondholders, Mortagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. If none, check box [ ] a.

Estate of Bernal Smith 33% P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 b.

L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr. 23% P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 c.

Calvin Anderson 18% P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 d.

Deidre Malone 13% P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 e.

Gibraltar LLC 13% P.O. Box 1875, Memphis, TN 38101 Extent and Nature of Circulation a.

Total Paid Distribution i. Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months 5750 ii. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date 6227 b.

Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution i. Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months 600 ii. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date 600 c.

Total Distribution i. Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months 6350 ii. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date 6827 d.

Copies not Distributed i. Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months 150 ii. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date 150 e.

Total i. Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months 6500 ii. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date 6997 f.

Percent Paid i. Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months 90.6% ii. No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date 91.2% Electronic Copy Circulation: 0 Publication of Statement of Ownership: 10.29.20

The New Tri-State Defender

October 29 - November 4, 2020

Page 10

SPORTS

Cincinnati a key step in Tigers’ bid for a ‘special season’

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

When it comes to having a special season, it is not something that just happens. There are many steps that need to make to have a special season. The first step was getting a win over Central Florida. The Tigers have overcome major adversity this season from injuries, to players opting out and to covid concerns.

If the Tigers are to get a win over the Bearcats that will be a major step in having a successful season. If the Tigers want to play in the conference championship for the fourth year in a row a win over the Bearcats is a must.

Protecting against revenge Memphis gave Cincinnati their first two losses of the season last year in back to back weeks. Memphis ended the season playing the Bearcats and Memphis hosted the Bearcats in the AAC Championship game and won and secured a spot in the Cotton Bowl. The Bearcats will carry those losses into this season and try to put a damper on the Tigers’ season.

Keys to victory according to Brady White Own the football - The Tigers own the football. This means have making the most of every possession that the team has. Do not turn football over.

Physical – For the second week in a row the Tigers are playing a very physical team. The coaching staff

Brady White has adjusted the practice schedule for this week to ensure the team is not burned out by playing two physical teams back to back and having very physical practices all week long.

The Bearcats will be one of the best defenses the Tigers offense will face this season. The Bearcats are ranked 10th in scoring defense only allowing 12.5 points a game. They are allowing 120 yards rushing and 182 yards passing. White has passed for over 300 yards in every game this season.

Do your job – This is a common theme with the Tigers. If you concentrate on doing the things you have to do to be a good football player then you don’t have to worry too much about what your opponent is doing.

Making sure we play within ourselves. Making sure our energy and focus on the sidelines are all there.

Have the Greenhouse effect never too high and never too low.

Memphis vs ranked teams This will be the highest ranked

With strong blocking help, Kylan Watkins, a graduate of Whitehaven High School, eyes his next move for the Tigers in the winning effort against Temple at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

(Photo: Terry Davis) team that Memphis will have played since playing the Number 6 ranked Tennessee Volunteers on November in Knoxville 1, 2001. Memphis last win against a Top 10 team was in 1996 with a 21-17 win over number six ranked Tennessee at Liberty Bowl Stadium.

Memphis last win over a ranked team on the road was against Mississippi State on September 4, 1993 4535. Memphis lone top win against a top 10 ranked team on the road was against Auburn on September 13, 1975. Memphis has lost 16 straight road games against Top 25 teams with six of those 16 ranked teams in the Top 10.

Civic pride Before the season opened the

sports teams at the University of Memphis held some peaceful protests about the surge in police violence. There were several things that came out of that protest and discussion with the coaches and the team leadership.

One goal was to register as many players on the team as possible. 76 members of the football team were registered to vote. Brady White confirmed that he had already voted.

The is the not only civic thing the players have done this season. In past seasons, it was a common thing for football players to be seen at hospitals, nursing homes and schools doing their duties as good community citizens.

It could be an easy excuse for players to brush off any requests for continuing to do those things, but they

have not. White did a zoom meeting with the students at Sea Isle Elementary and Gardenview Elementary schools.

“I take a lot of pride in giving back.

Lending by time to give back to other people. I enjoy during community service. I remember being a kid and looking up to college and professional athletes. I feel blessed to have that platform. I want to use it to leave a legacy in the city,” White said.

Game time It will be another early kick for the team. The game will be played at 11 am on Halloween and can be seen on ESPN and will be played in Cincinnati. The Tigers have done well in the pass in early games.

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