The New Tri-State Defender (November 19-25, 2020)

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A new president, another new beginning for public education? Perspective, Page 4

Golden State takes Wiseman No. 2 in NBA Draft. Precious Achiuwa goes No 20 in first round to Miami. Sports, Page 9

November 19 - 25, 2020

VOL. 69, No. 47

www.tsdmemphis.com

Handy takes center stage!

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Council mulls special task force to stem violentcrime surge by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Melvin Jones

Melvin Jones – a champion for black businesses – dies by Florence Howard and John Semien

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Melvin Jones continuously showed his love for Memphis by never wavering in his support for the growth and development of African-American businesses – even though his advocacy could sometimes come across as an irritant to some. Jones, the founder and CEO of the Black Business Directory, died on Monday (Nov. 16). He was 66. A graduate of Cornell Law School, he served for a while as interim editor of the Tri-State Defender. Funeral Services for Jones are set for 10 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Olive Cathedral C.M.E. Church and will be streamed live from mtolivecathedral.com and on the church’s Facebook platform. The wake will be Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Mt. Olive. State Rep. G.A. Hardaway learned of Jones death on Tuesday. Jones, he said, recently had reached out to him to arrange a meeting for a proposed project to benefit Black business owners across the state. Alandas Dobbins, a longtime friend, recalled interacting with him as she served as director of the Memphis Office of Resources and Enterprise during the administration of former Mayor A C Wharton Jr. “There are so few people who are really selfless and fighting for a better day for African Americans. Melvin was one of those people. He was tireless in faithfully moving the needle ahead for African-American business owners by standing up and standing out for us.” Sometimes fear keeps many Blacks from speaking out, but Jones didn’t have that problem, Dobbins said. “He was working for all of us. He was fearless in his dedication to us until the day he died.” David Williams, regional director for Vitalant, the blood and plasma organization that replaced

SEE JONES ON PAGE 2

After months pushed to the side and placed under wraps, the statue of W.C. Handy now has a prominent new ‘home’ in the Beale St. Entertainment District Park that bears his name. Elaine Turner, who runs the nearby W.C. Handy Memphis Home and Museum, took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony, which featured the music of Ekpe and Company. Related story, photos on Page 6. (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

Faced with a skyrocketing violent crime rate, the Memphis City council Tuesday (Nov. 17) discussed the creation of a task force designed to bring various organizations, government and nongovernment alike, to develop new approaches to the staggering numbers. Most worrying is the murder rate, which has risen 26.2 percent in the last year, according to the Memphis and Shelby County Crime Commission. Violent gun-related incidents have risen 14.2 percent. Aggravated assaults have jumped 14.7 percent. Overall, the major violent crime rate has increased 9.1 percent, with gang activity fingered as a prime culprit. “It’s my understanding after talking with the (Memphis) mayor (Jim Strickland) about this, I think they’re dying for us to be able to nominate people to fill these positions because they need our observations on the ground to get the correct people on this task force to make it work,” said Councilman Dr. Jeff Warren, who introduced the resolution. The proposed task force is a recognition that previous efforts to stem violent crime in Memphis and Shelby County have fallen short. Part of the blame was put on a lack of cohesion between organizations committed to the problem. “It’s designed to coordinate all these different funding groups and bodies with different jurisdictions to come together and organize and break down the silos that they are doing to get efficiencies and improve-

SEE CRIME ON PAGE 2

MMBC panel throws post-pandemic lifeline to hard-hit businesses

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

How diversity and inclusion can help minority enterprises survive and thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic was the key focus of this year’s 13th Annual Conference of the Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum (MMBC Continuum). “The pandemic has resulted in small businesses and corporations, alike, adjusting their operations, head count, use of facilities, and strategic priorities,” said Jozelle Luster Booker, the organization’s president and CEO. “We wanted to show how diversity, inclusion, and equity can improve a corporation’s performance as well as be an economic driver in the com-

munity moving beyond this pandemic,” which particularly been devastating to small- and minority-owned businesses. A report from the New York Fed released in Jozelle Luster Booker August, for example, stated that nearly half of Black small businesses had been wiped out by the end of April as the pandemic disproportionately ravaged minority communities. The report found that Black-owned businesses were more than twice as likely to shutter as their white counterparts. The two-day hybrid virtual Contin-

uum conference Nov. 10-11 featured live and pre-recorded presentations. Highlights included a panel of corporate business executives, who offered participants invaluable information to help minority enterprises survive and thrive in a post-pandemic economy. The panel discussion, “Suite Talk: Moving Forward With Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity,” created lots of buzz in the virtual networking lounge, which allowed participants to comment and chat with other watching the session. “The conference explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and workable strategies that can make all businesses stronger together,” said Booker. Panelists were: Markita Jack, senior vice president and senior manag-

er of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity at First Horizon Bank; David McKinney, vice president of Government, Public and Community Relations for AutoZone, and Dr. Albert Mosley, senior vice president and chief mission integration officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. Jack said that equity was mutually beneficial to both the corporation and the community. “There was research done by the Kellogg Foundation that equity can account for $8 trillion GDP growth over the next 40 years, if we do this right,” said Jack. “So, it is really important. It’s the right thing to do, and humanity needs this now. It’s exciting to continue this work at First

SEE MMBC ON PAGE 2


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