The New Tri-State Defender (December 3 - 6, 2020)

Hardaway: Things will be different.

Tigers roll against Arkansas State.

Sports, Page 11

The TSD shares another update on how three locals are living through COVID-19.

Community, Page 8

December 3 - 9, 2020

VOL. 69, No. 49

Decorum gets City Council’s attention

JB Smiley Jr.

Martavius Jones

Frank Colvett

Patrice Robinson

www.tsdmemphis.com

$1.00

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

As the dust settled from an acrimonious Nov. 17 Memphis City Council meeting, where accusations of race-bias and personal insults were hurled following a vote for council chairperson for the upcoming year, an amendment to the rules of decorum was contemplated during Tuesday’s (Dec. 1) session.

“For me, it’s not only a question of right or wrong, it’s also questions of how we would like our meetings to be conducted. And the level or respect you have for the seats, which we occupy,” said Councilman JB Smiley Jr., who introduced the amendment.

The proposed change attempts to clarify what behavior is permissible during council meetings. Members would be expected to address others in an orderly manner and refrain from making “personal, impertinent, slanderous, or profane remarks” of fellow council members, staff or public.

Violators who “disrupt, disturb, or otherwise impedes” a meeting will be asked to curb their behavior at the discretion of the presiding officer.

If the problem persists, the chairperson will determine how to proceed with the meeting. The decision would then be put up for a vote.

“The amendment before this body states simply and explicitly what behavior and language is deemed impermissible.

Our current rules only allude to Edmund the quorum. It Ford Sr. is my belief that we take it one step further,” said Smiley.

Last month’s fireworks started after Vice Chair Frank J. Colvett defeated Councilman Martavius Jones on an 8-5 vote. Casting the pro-business Republican as being at odds with Jones’ progressive leanings, Jones also blamed Colvett and others for blocking Councilwoman Rhonda Logan from being appointed to a

SEE DECORUM ON PAGE 2

‘Black PAC’ founder miffed; says Council shut him down

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

A confrontation two weeks in the making came to a head Tuesday evening, with a face-to-face of sorts between prominent Memphis attorney Rickey Wilkins and the Memphis City Council. It ended abruptly with the Black PAC (Political Action Committee) founder saying the council “pulled the plug” on him.

“I was trying to connect with the city council, but they kept cutting me off,” said Wilkins. “But I kept trying to get on. Finally, they just pulled the plug.”

At issue was the vote for next year’s city council chairman. Three “Black Democrats” voted for a “Republican chairman,” said Wilkins, electing Frank Colvett Jr. as the 2021 chairman.

Wilkins sent a scathing letter to the three council members he feels “has betrayed the trust” of the constituents who elected them: Patrice Robinson, Cheyenne Johnson and Edmund Ford Sr.

Wilkins wrote in part: “…Are you going to stand for and with the people who elected and trusted you, OR will you remain lined up behind and with RepubRickey licans and defeat Wilkins the will of hundreds of thousands of your constituents for four white men who should be ashamed for putting you in this precarious predicament?”

Robinson, who is presently council chair, said she spoke with Wilkins on the telephone for 40 minutes after the vote for new chairperson was taken on Nov. 17.

“I not only have to answer to my constituents, but I also have to answer to God,” Robinson said. “The city council is a non-partisan body.

We represent the constituents in our district, not a political party. Frank has served two years as vice-chairman, and his support of me has been phenomenal.”

Wilkins said the three council members were making a “historically, colossal mistake.

SEE PAC ON PAGE 9

Some signs of Saturday night’s All Black Affair at the In Love night club still were visible Monday night. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

Curtis Givens’ view of the controversy swirling around the All Black Affair

by Karanja A. Ajanaku kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

Curtis Givens – the host of the annual “All Black Affair” – said what many are labeling a COVID-19 super-spreader event was a wellthought-out gathering committed to following local safety protocols.

In an interview with The New Tri-State Defender, Givens said the Saturday night event at the In Love Memphis nightclub in Hickory Hill took an unexpected turn after its hosts began shutting it down to comply with a mandated 10 p.m. close.

Social media flooded with a video from the event – called the All Black Affair because that’s the designated clothing color scheme. And while many in it were wearing masks and practicing some version of social distancing, many others were not.

Curtis Givens (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku/TSD Archives) “That video you saw was toward the end when everybody decided to come into the bubble (set up outside the club) because we had closed down. And no, the video doesn’t look good, but in no way did we have it like that all night.”

Concern about the event, which caters to a young crowd, was widespread, with area health officials and elected officials weighing in on var-

ious mediums. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris posted this: “We are in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases. It would be hard to think of a worse time to let our guard down. I implore attendees to get tested and, above all, avoid seeing older relatives until they are certain that they are not carrying COVID-19.”

During Tuesday’s Memphis-Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task Force briefing, Shelby County Health Department Medical Director Bruce Randolph had harsh words for those in attendance and issued a call to party-goers to get tested as soon as possible.

An investigation of the incident would include a look at how the Health Department may have contributed to the situation, he said.

SEE GIVENS ON PAGE 2

COVID-19 UPDATE

Surge, tough words for party people and in Love Club inquiry

by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Thanksgiving holiday parties held in “different locations” yielded multiple violations of the latest COVID-19 health directive, Shelby County Health Department Officials said Monday.

Health Department Medical Director Dr. Bruce Randolph did not

specify those locations, other than the In Love Memphis Club at 7144 Winchester Rd., which has drawn particular attention after a video circulated of Saturday’s All-Black Affair hosted annually by Curtis Givens.

The video clip shows a packed venue, with what appear to be multiple violations of the directive mandating masks and social distancing.

Many fear it may turn into a su-

“We all have a role to play in preventing the transmission of this virus. Just because something is legally permissible doesn’t mean it is medically advisable.”

— Dr. Bruce Randolph per-spreader event.

“We intend to hold all services, businesses and individuals to the health directives, particularly the health directive No. 15,” said Randolph at the Memphis-Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task Force briefing.

SEE VIRUS ON PAGE 2

The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

Page 2

NEWS VIRUS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT The All-Black Affair – called such because of the clothing color scheme – was made a major part of Monday’s briefing. An investigation of the event is underway.

Randolph had harsh words for those in attendance and issued a call to party-goers to get tested as soon as possible.

“We all have a role to play in preventing the transmission of this virus,” he said. “Just because something is legally permissible doesn’t mean it is medically advisable. You don’t have to go. … We repeat over and over again how COVID-19 is transmitted …those in attendance need to get tested as soon as possible.”

Those who simply refuse to wear a mask as directed by the mandate put at risk loved ones “who are more susceptible to the adverse effects of the virus,” he said, and are “just selfish.”

Shelby County is in the throes of an alarming surge, with 609

new cases reported Tuesday and 11 deaths in a 24-hour period. On Wednesday, the Health Department reported 549 new COVID-19 cases and no deaths as they, local hospitals and others with frontline roles in combatting the pandemic braced for the impact of the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Tests in 5-7 days were projected to reveal the real picture of holiday spread.

Wednesday’s COVID-19 numbers raised Shelby County’s total to 48,105 cases, with 672 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

In addition to the In Love gathering, Randolph said those who attended any large gathering should be tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible.

Givens told The New Tri-State Defender on Monday that crowd control in a huge tent dubbed “The Bubble” got out of hand as the event was shutting down. He did not return multiple calls and texts on Tuesday afternoon.)

Meanwhile, Health Department officials did not detail possible

penalties and any enforcement that may be exacted on In Love Memphis.

Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said that evidence and data, including videos and pictures, must be corroborated by eyewitnesses.

Randolph said an internal investigation also is being done to identify the “successes and failures inside the Health Department that may have contributed to Saturday night’s alleged violations.

“We’re looking to see where we dropped the ball,” Randolph said.

“An inspection was done on site at In Love at 3:46 p.m. on Saturday.

Another investigation was done at 8 p.m. At that time, it appeared that masks were being worn and social distancing was being utilized.”

Givens extended the square footage of the club by attaching a huge tent, which he called, “The Bubble.”

Randolph said that the tent could not be considered “outside” because it was enclosed in plastic and air was not freely circulated.

Meanwhile, a case-study sample

of 303 cases in the county showed that the highest number of new cases fall within the group ages 2534, Randolph said. Another at-risk group, ages 35-44, are more likely to be in the workplace, engaging in social activities and going to school.

Transmissions continue to surge because 49 percent of residents continue going about their “activities of daily living,” while 76 percent continued to work.

Officials said there are presently 500 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. There is concern about hospital staff shortages.

“COVID-19 beds require special staff,” said Haushalter. “We are reducing or halting elective surgeries at this time.”

Surges in surrounding counties continue to be concerning since many cases are routed to Shelby County health systems.

down right at 10 p.m., Givens said.

“Everybody left out of every other area … and just came into the bubble at one time and it caused our problem. There was no music playing in the other areas and, you know, music attracts people.”

Givens said Health Department representatives came to the club at 9:30 p.m. and gave no indication of any violations.

“They told us to keep making the announcement (to) pull your mask up; they wanted to make sure people were not standing at the bars. So, we were complying.”

Moving to amplify on what happened after that, Givens said if FedExForum attendance was limited to about 5,000 of its near 19,000-person capacity, there still would be a problem if people exited at about the same time, pausing to talk to each other.

“That’s what happened in this case,” Givens said. “When the music shut down in the other three parts of the party, everybody had to walk past the bubble to get out. And by the music still going in there between 9:50 and 10 o’clock, everybody kind of came inside the bubble.

Givens said about 10 Health Department representatives, including those who were at In Love on Satur-

day night, came back on Sunday “to see what happened. When I walked them through what happened they said, ‘We see how that happened.’

“I was truthful, honest. They were there at 9:30 (Saturday night). If something was wrong, they would have said something.”

Referencing his history, Givens said, “People know I ain’t got no bad intentions to try and harm nobody.

I’m not no different than Walmart or Home Depot. Thousands of people go into these places every day and ain’t nobody saying two words. …

“At the end of the day, we gonna go all the way out to follow all of the protocols,” he said. “We can’t make people have their masks on the whole time. All of us can admit that no matter what we are doing, they say, ‘keep your masks on at all times,’ we don’t; because you can’t hardly breathe. You don’t; that’s just the truth.”

From his point of view, Givens is adamant that he “did the right thing,” including shutting down at the prescribed time and creating social-distancing room.

“But I’ve still got people that got to make a living. But we gonna go about it the right way as much as we can. What’s different from what we do and what big companies do?

Think about, people go into Kroger every day, they’re touching on baskets, boxes, food. Ain’t nobody say nothing. … I mean, c’mon man.”

On Wednesday, the Health Department reported 549 new COVID-19 cases and no deaths two deaths as they, local hospitals and others with frontline roles in combatting the pandemic braced for the impact of the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Tests in 5-7 days are projected to reveal the real picture of holiday spread.

Wednesday’s COVID-19 numbers raised Shelby County’s total to 48,105 cases, with 672 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Risky behavior has been blamed for the continuing rise in cases.

Health Department officials have said individuals between the ages of 25-34 account for 21 percent of new cases. About 61 percent of those testing positive are under 44 years of age.

Of the total cases reported in Shelby County, 55 percent have been African Americans. Consistently, 64 percent of the total deaths have been African Americans.

(For information on testing, or to file a complaint against an establishment or business in violation of the health directives, call 901-222-9000, or 901-222-MASK.)

GIVENS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT On Wednesday, Alisa Haushalter, health department director, told members of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners to expect changes to the existing health directive as result of Givens’ event. She made that announcement during a session where commissioners let it be known they were not satisfied with how the situation was handled by inspectors for the Health Department.

In an announcement posted Wednesday afternoon, Givens and the In Love Memphis nightclub shared that – “due to recent circumstances” – it would be closed until Dec. 17.

In his interview with The New TriState Defender, Givens said safety precautions are standard and taken seriously at In Love “even when COVID was not going on. … In this event, it was well thought out.”

That thinking, he said, included an outside courtyard of about 5,000 square feet, a tent of about 7,500 square feet and a patio to facilitate social distancing.

“Throughout the night, we made sure people had masks on coming through the door. We had signs around saying please wear your masks at all times,” he said, emphasizing that a DJ announced every 15 minutes that attendees should keep their masks up if they were not eating or drinking.

“Everything was going great. Everybody was having a good time; everybody was pretty much following the rules. At 9:50, my manager went around to the DJs in the courtyard and the patio and In Love and told them they had to shut it down because we got to close at what, 10 o’clock. We want to follow the rules (according to the latest issued Shelby County Health Department restrictions to combat the spread of the pandemic).”

When those other areas closed, the bubble (the tent area) was “still kind of going” because it was set to shut

(Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell and Dalisia Brye contributed to this story. An earlier version of this story debuted on TSDMemphis.com.)

DECORUM

CONTINUED FROM FRONT vacant council seat two years ago. It was implied that race was the deciding factor, not qualifications.

A complaint from Smiley was logged to current Chairwoman Patrice J. Robinson, following the outburst.

Councilman Edmond Ford Sr. went step further by lobbing personal insults.

Robinson said, “During our last meeting there were statements made during the debate about the election of the 2020-21 chairperson that one member complained to me as being inappropriate.

“As I understand it, the complaint by that councilmember has been withdrawn. But he has requested that we consider a rule change to address this situation.”

Current procedure gives the chairperson direction of the council and how to preserve order. The sergeantat-arms is under their discretion. The chair also decides questions of order and appoints committees.

“In my opinion, there is no ironclad rule that can be created to govern how to, for any particular chairperson, to preserve the order during a meeting. That is a question of judgment and influence of each chairman, especially during COVID-19.

“We are in electronic meetings and we do not have our sergeant at arms present at each individual home. I would implore our members to be courteous and respectful to each other and the public,” Robinson said.

She also warned members that their microphones could be cut off for the remainder of a meeting. Further debate on an item by the offending member could also be quashed. They also could lose the right to chair or participate in a committee.

She recommended an interpersonal approach to unseemly behavior in the future.

Sometimes the most effective solution is peer pressure. So, for those who are friendly to transgressors, don’t stick your head in the sand.

Reach out to your colleagues and try to counsel or mediate different behaviors,” said Robinson.

The amendment was seconded by Jones, who mused about an erosion in the public trust and public perception in the body – and politics in general.

“All politics starts at a local level.

This is just an attempt for us to respect one another and to be mindful of how we project ourselves before the public that has put their trust in us to conduct the city’s business.

I adhered to this when I was on the school board,” Jones said.”

He also said that the chair serves at the will of the council, and if they fail to act in similar instances, it is incumbent on the council to step in.

“The chair only has the authority that a majority of this body delegates or delineates to the chairman of this body. So, I support this,” said Jones.

Chairman-elect Colvett and Councilman Ford did not address the issue.

The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

Page 3

PERSPECTIVE The New Tri-State Defender, December 3 - 9, 2020, Page 4

Try these simple workouts to combat stereotypes and bias

by Linda S. Wallace

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Baltimore City Public Schools CEO, Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, is a former teacher at home in the classroom. (Afro-American Newspapers)

Secretary of Education, who will it be?

by Curtis Weathers

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

President-elect Joe Biden is moving swiftly to fill cabinet positions in his administration. My interest, of course, is who he will select as the new Secretary of Education.

Biden and his advisers have been getting both solicited and unsolicited advice from numerous people and organizations (including yours truly) about who might be the best person to run the Education Department. Close to a dozen candidates are being discussed in the media as being under some level of consideration. Unless I Curtis Weathers missed it, I haven’t heard of anyone who is considered a frontrunner at this point.

I’ve been thinking about this position for several months now and have whittled my shortlist down to two very capable individuals whom I think would do an excellent job: Baltimore City Public Schools CEO, Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises and the U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren.

I know, what an odd couple!

Let’s start with Sen. Warren, who is my second choice. Warren started her career teaching special needs students in public schools. She later served as a law professor at two public universities, the University of Houston and the University of Texas-Austin, before later moving on to Ivy League law schools.

Warren has been very active on educational issues during her years in the U.S. Senate, and education was a central theme in her campaign for president. As a member of the education committee, she was involved in the development of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) – the law governing K-12 education, which is scheduled for reauthorization next year.

During her presidential campaign, Warren introduced a plan to improve funding for K-12 education. She also introduced an expansive proposal to cancel student debt and yet another to make public colleges tuition-free.

Warren is both a skilled politician and a former educator at both the K-12 and university level. I support many of her policy positions on public education and I think her leadership skills are greatly needed as we navigate our school systems back to normality after this pandemic has subsided.

My only concern is that she currently wields a great deal of influence legislatively and her leadership in the Senate would truly be missed.

My first choice for Secretary of Education, however, is Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, the current CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools.

I’m a distant fan of her work and I was happy to see that she was among those under consideration for Education Secretary.

Dr. Santelises began her career in education as a school teacher and curriculum specialist at De-

Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer set the stage for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren during her presidential campaign visit to Douglas High School in Memphis.

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/TSD Archives) catur Clearpool, a year-round school in Brooklyn, New York. She then served as director of professional development and teacher placement with Teach for America (New York).

Before leaving New York and joining Boston Public Schools, Santelises lectured on urban education for two years at Harvard University and spent six years as a senior associate with Focus on Results Inc., where she coached superintendents and trained school leaders in five major urban districts.

She also served as vice president of The Education Trust in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit organization focused on closing the achievement gap of students from low-income families.

While her resume is very impressive, her work in the Baltimore City Public Schools has not gone unappreciated. Her school board recently granted her a 4-year contract extension through the 2024 school year.

The community and school board are very pleased with her leadership and, quite frankly, are not happy with all of the attention she is now receiving from the Biden administration and others who may be trying to steal her away.

A national education group, Democrats for Education Reform, is aggressively lobbying the Biden administration to select the highly regarded Superintendent as the new Secretary of Education.

The organization points to her experience and success in running a large urban school system, which is one of the most challenging jobs on the planet. They also appreciate her stance on testing and charter schools.

Still, Santelises has her detractors. Her critics, many of whom are pro union, point to her decision to return to limited in-person learning during the pandemic, risking the health and safety of teachers (and students). They also chafe at the fact that she has one child who attends a private school and two others attending charter schools.

As an African American female, she’s brings to the job a resume and body of work that speaks to her passion for public education and an acute understanding of K-12 policy and practice. She is also is a mother, a mentor and a highly regarded leader of one of the largest urban school systems in the nation.

I have never met Santelises, but based on everything I’ve seen, read and heard, I believe she would be an excellent choice to lead the Education Department at this crucial time in our nation’s history.

What more could you ask for? #Dr.SonjaBrookinsSantelises

Years ago, an anxious European-American woman shared a troubling story about her son, who lived to watch and play basketball. One day he said to her matter-of-factly, “Mom, I can’t be a basketball player when I grow up because my skin is white.”

Since the child’s favorite players were Black, he innocently assumed that his skin color would hold him back. Girls fall into a similar trap.

If young women do not see female CEOs in the news or on television, then they, like their male counterpart, are likely to assume that women lack the right stuff to reach the executive level.

Children are so impressionable.

They take cues from the world around them. Consider the European-American teacher who recently told a sixth-grade class that President Donald Trump has made her ashamed to be a white person.

As a rule, we should never make young people feel ashamed of their skin color. Neither should we make them feel responsible for the actions taken by a member of their racial or religious group.

This rule applies to White men and women. Here’s why: If African-American children are not responsible for the actions of urban Black gangs, then White children are not responsible for acts of hate by White supremacists.

Similarly, good police officers shouldn’t be blamed for what’s in the hearts and minds of some of their less capable fellow officers.

While we are not responsible, in each of these cases individuals are obligated to act courageously against hate, brutality and violence.

We can’t just stand by and wish it away.

No matter who we are, the assumptions we make about our future and ourselves serve as powerful switches that will ultimately dim or brighten the intensity of our lives.

Young people, like the rest of us, often rely upon observations and learned beliefs to assess life potential and size up strangers. Though it’s perfectly natural behavior, it presents some real hazards. First impressions can be easily shaped by hidden cultural, racial or gender biases.

We narrow our options each time we accept stereotypes as truth. Stereotypes such as: All White Americans are racists, Black Americans are all affirmative-action hires, Muslims are terrorists and Asian Americans are all well-to-do.

When we meet someone new, cultural filters help us process data and form impressions. We look at their clothes, listen to their word choices and then, in a matter of seconds, determine whether the person is intelligent, dangerous or capable. That’s

perfectly OK. Though it’s a system that works fairly well, we can’t stop there. Our assumptions about our own cultural group – and about Linda S. others – must Wallace be challenged, if we are to make bias-free decisions.

Once we incorporate workout routines for our minds we will begin to see valuable results. Use the exercises below several times a day. Remember, the more often you practice, the more you stand to gain: • Identify a speaker’s frame of reference. Before we give in to our urge to let automatic responses rule us, take a giant step back. Let’s then use the speaker’s life, not ours, as a lens. Suppose we are touring an art exhibit. The first time through we simply wander around on our own.

Afterward, we get an audiotape that explains how the artist’s personal tragedies, culture and experiences influenced his paintings. As we tour the exhibit a second time, we get a glimpse into the hidden meanings and clearly hear the artist’s voice.

Our new frame of reference provides us with startling insights and new clues.

• Catalog your own cultural filters. Each of us has social, political and cultural filters that we use to view the world. We need to catalog them and become more aware of their presence. Filters frame the way we view situations. Let’s all visualize a photo of a man smoking a cigarette. Smokers, especially those trying to quit, may picture the man while focusing lovingly at his cigarette. A widow who just lost a husband to lung cancer may begin to cry. Each of us frames situations, issues and cultural groups through our own lens. If ever we hear ourselves say, “That’s the way they are,” then that is a sign that our cultural shades are on. To adjust them, change your frame of reference.

• Give your beliefs a strenuous workout. Expose yourself to diverse sources of information and write down new ideas that make sense to you. Resolve to learn something new every day. Share knowledge and insights with others rather than personal beliefs.

(Linda S. Wallace is a free-lance journalist and communication specialist who helps clients develop cross-cultural messages for the workplace and the media. Readers are invited to submit questions on work or personal problems related to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical differences. Address your questions to culturalcoach@ aol.com.)

(Follow TSD education columnist Curtis Weathers on Twitter (@curtisweathers); email: curtislweathers@gmail.com.)

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The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

Page 5

RELIGION

As Ester Mason Sr. rolls out to his birthday celebration, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris was there bearing a gift. (Courtesy photos)

Farewell to the ‘Maestro’ …

Funeral services were held last Friday (Nov. 27) at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME, 538 Dr. M.L. King Jr. Ave., for Herman R. Rankins – the legendary band director at George Washington Carver High school from 1958-79.

Known as the “Maestro,” Mr. Rankins died Nov. 9 at his home in Los Angeles.

(Photos: Tyrone P. Easley)

Taking it to the parking lot …

The Rev. Daniel Martin set up in the parking lot of the Dr. J. L. Payne Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association Bldg. and delivered an amplified sermon on Tuesday. “Listen, listen, listen up everybody. I come out here to preach the word of God to you.” (Photo: Tyrone P. Easley)

A measure of respect shown to Ester Mason Sr. as he turned 100 TSD Newsroom Ester Mason Sr., his family and a support team familiar with the power of his presence had a special celebration during the week of Thanksgiving. Mason turned 100 on Nov. 25.

The venue was Norris Avenue M.B.C., where Mason has served as deacon for 27 years.

Accounting for the COVID-19 pandemic, it mostly was a birthday celebration drivethrough at the church, located at 1437 Norris Rd., last Saturday.

Mason, who has made involvement in church, civic, and community activities a way of life, was showered with praise. He received gifts from the City of Memphis and Shelby County Government, with Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris making a delivery.

The Rev. Dr. Rickey L. Dugger Sr., pastor of Norris Avenue M.B.C., said, “It was great. We had quite a few people show up. He had children in Texas … some in Florida … and they came down to make the occasion for him. … There were probably 40 or 50 cars lined up.”

Mason and his wife, Hazel

Ester Mason Sr. Wright Mason, were married 65-plus years ago. They are the parents of 14 children.

Dugger said Mason was a deacon at Lake Grove Baptist church for about 45-50 years prior to serving at Norris Avenue.

Asked what comes most readily to mind when he reflects on Mason’s church commitment, Dugger said, “He could sing Dr. Watts (hymns), very, very eloquent; a good singer.

“All his children sing too. … He was singing in male chorus up to about two years ago. I mean faithfully. His walking is not good now but he has a strong voice. People who know him know he can do it, and do it well.”

The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

Page 6

NEWS

Appeals court vacates agreement to re-sentence Black inmate

by Kimberlee Kruesi The Associated Press

NASHVILLE – A Tennessee trial court judge improperly reduced a Black inmate’s death sentence to life in prison last year, a state appeals court has ruled.

Abu-Ali Abdur’Rahman (AHB’-dur-RAK’mahn) was scheduled to be executed in April, but the judge resentenced him last fall based on claims that prosecutors had illegally excluded African Americans from the jury pool. The inmate filed to reopen his case in 2016, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction of a Black death row inmate in Georgia, finding prosecutors had illegally excluded Blacks from a jury that ended up being all white.

In a 22-page decision handed down Monday, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals

determined that the state trial court judge did not have the authority to modify Abdur’Rahman’s sentence based merely on an agreement between the district attorney and the defendant.

The ruling vacates the agreement. The trial court can once again review the petition but it must follow the procedures as outlined in the appeals court’s decision.

Abdur’Rahman was sentenced to death for the 1986 killing of Patrick Daniels. Police said Daniels and Norma Jean Norman were bound with duct tape and stabbed repeatedly with a butcher knife at Norman’s home.

Prosecutors’ notes from Abdur’Rahman’s trial showed they treated Black people in the jury pool differently from whites, according to the case’s court records. For example, prosecutors told the judge they were excluding a Black, college-educated preacher because he appeared

uneducated and uncommunicative, while white jurors who truly were uneducated were allowed to serve.

After Abdur’Rahman asked to reopen his case, current Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk negotiated an agreement that would reduce his sentence to life. The reduced sentence would be served consecutively with two other life sentences, so there would be no possibility he would leave prison. In return, Abdur’Rahman agreed to give up any further legal challenges.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s office opposed the sentence reduction, however, arguing that there should have been a petition, a hearing and a review, as outlined under state law for such cases.

Abdur’Rahman’s attorneys countered that Attorney General Herbert Slatery didn’t have the right to appeal the district attorney’s agree-

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals determined on Monday that a state trial court judge did not have the authority to modify Abdur’Rahman’s death sentence based merely on an agreement between the district attorney and the defendant. ment because both the attorney general and the district attorney represent the same party, the state.

The appeals court ultimately disagreed and instead focused on the procedural violations.

Rafer Johnson, 1960 Olympic decathlon champion, dies at 86

by Beth Harris

The Associated Press

This undated photo provided by Yale University shows Dr. Marcella NunezSmith. Addressing racial disparities in the U.S. coronavirus crisis cannot be an afterthought, the top adviser to President-elect Joe Biden on the COVID-19 pandemic response said on Tuesday (Dec. 1, 2020). (Yale University via AP)

AP Interview: Biden adviser says race central to virus fight

by Carla K. Johnson The Associated Press

Addressing racial disparities in the U.S. coronavirus crisis cannot be an afterthought, a top adviser to President-elect Joe Biden on the COVID-19 pandemic response said Tuesday.

That means when testing and vaccination programs are designed and implemented, for example, they must consider fairness and equity along with efficiency in order to be truly effective, said Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, an expert on health care inequality at Yale University, in an interview with The Associated Press.

“We cannot get this pandemic under control if we do not address head-on the issues of inequity in our country,” she said. “There is no other way.”

Nunez-Smith, associate dean for health equity research at Yale’s medical school, cochairs Biden’s advisory board on the coronavirus pandemic with former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler.

Biden’s choice of Nunez-Smith to help lead his pandemic task force signaled his intention to address the pandemic’s unequal toll on minorities, who disproportionally have jobs on the front lines, medical conditions associated with severe disease, higher rates of poverty and poor access to health care.

For Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans in the U.S., the rates of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 are two to four times higher than for whites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It means that almost 50 percent of people of color in this country know someone who has died from COVID-19,” she said. “And quite frankly, it’s getting harder to find anyone in this country who doesn’t know someone who has been affected by COVID-19 or themselves has been affected.”

She emphasized she is not the only one on the Biden team advocating for more attention to the unequal burden of the disease on racial minorities.

“This is a unified voice across the entire transition,” she said.

The virus in the U.S. has killed more than 268,000 and caused more than 13.5 million confirmed infections. The country on average is seeing more than 160,000 new cases per day and over 1,400 deaths — a toll on par with what the nation witnessed in mid-May,

when New York City was the epicenter.

“We’re in surge everywhere,” NunezSmith said, calling on Americans to wear masks in public, keep their distance from others and “to fight the fatigue for another day out of respect for our health care workers who we often call heroes.”

Nunez-Smith said the Biden transition is working on getting a clearer picture of the status of the nation’s pandemic response and still has “many questions” about basic information such as vaccine supply.

Gathering that information became easier last week when the federal government recognized Biden as the winner of the Nov. 3 election, she said.

She said the Biden team is grateful for the work of career government officials who are managing the logistics of vaccine allocation to states ahead of a decision by the Food and Drug Administration on what appear to be very promising vaccine candidates.

Americans can expect more unified and coordinated federal guidance under Biden’s administration, efforts to rebuild trust in scientific data and an acknowledgement of the unequal access to resources in hard-hit communities, she said.

“The pandemic, very sadly and unfortunately, laid bare what were preexisting structural and social realities that really predisposed particular communities to be hardest hit by this pandemic,” she said. “Hardest hit from a health perspective and hardest hit from an economic perspective.”

She said it’s important to “acknowledge a shameful history in our country of medical experimentation on black and brown bodies in particular,” which has fueled distrust among Blacks. In polls, Blacks have expressed more hesitancy about getting a vaccine than other groups, so it will be important to get accurate information to them about vaccine safety, efficacy and cost, she said.

“We’ve had a collective witnessing as a country here in 2020 around the pervasive, deep-seated challenge of racial injustice,” she said, “and COVID-19 exploited that reality.”

She said there are both “moral and pragmatic” reasons to address inequality. “We can’t pretend that COVID-19 has been an equal opportunity offender,” she said.

(The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.)

LOS ANGELES – Rafer Johnson, who won the decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics and helped subdue Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin in 1968, died Wednesday. He was 86.

He died at his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles, according to family friend Michael Roth. No cause of death was announced.

Johnson was among the world’s greatest athletes from 1955 through his Olympic triumph in 1960, winning a national decathlon championship in 1956 and a silver medal at the Melbourne Olympics that same year.

His Olympic career included carrying the U.S. flag at the 1960 Games and lighting the torch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to open the 1984 Games. Johnson set world records in the decathlon three different times amid a fierce rivalry with his UCLA teammate C.K. Yang of Taiwan and Vasily Kuznetsov of the former Soviet Union.

On June 5, 1968, Johnson was working on Kennedy’s presidential campaign when the Democratic candidate was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Johnson joined former NFL star Rosey Grier and journalist George Plimpton in apprehending Sirhan Sirhan moments after he shot Kennedy, who died the next day.

“I knew he did everything he could to take care of Uncle Bobby at his most vulnerable moment,” Kennedy’s niece, Maria Shriver, said by phone. “His devotion to Uncle Bobby was pure and real. He had protected his friend. Even after Uncle Bobby’s death he stayed close.”

Johnson later called the assassination “one of the most devastating moments in my life.”

Born Rafer Lewis Johnson on Aug. 18, 1934, in Hillsboro, Texas, he moved to California in 1945 with his family, including his brother Jim, a future NFL Hall of Fame inductee.

Johnson was a standout student and played football, basketball, baseball and track and field at Kingsburg Joint Union High During his junior year of high school, Johnson’s coach took him to Tulare to watch Mathias compete in a decathlon, an experience Johnson later said spurred him to take up the grueling 10-event sport.

At UCLA, Johnson played basketball for coach John Wooden, becoming a starter on the 1958-59 team. In 1958, he was elected student body president, the third Black to hold the office in school history.

“He stood for what he believed in and he did it in a very classy way with grace and dignity,” Olympic champion swimmer Janet Evans said by phone.

Johnson retired from competition after the Rome Olympics. He began acting in movies, including appearances in “Wild in the Country” with Elvis Presley, “None But the Brave” with Frank Sinatra and the 1989 James Bond film “License to Kill.” He worked briefly as a TV sportscaster before becoming a vice president at Continental Telephone in 1971.

In 1984 Johnson lit the Olympic flame for the Los Angeles Games. He took the torch from Gina Hemphill, granddaughter of Olympic great Jesse Owens, who ran it into the Coliseum.

Throughout his life, Johnson was widely known for his humanitarian efforts.

He served on the organizing committee of the first Special Olympics in Chicago in 1968, working with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

In this Sept. 5, 1960, file photo, Rafer Johnson of the United States competes in the shot put event of the Olympic decathlon competition in Rome, Italy.

Rafer heaved the shot 51 feet 10 3/4 inches to score 976 points and lead the field in this event. (AP Photo/File)

In this July 20, 2015, file photo, Olympic gold medalist and philanthropist Rafer Johnson, who won the decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics and helped subdue Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin in 1968, died Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Johnson founded California Special Olympics the following year at a time when positive role models for the intellectually and physically disabled were rare.

“Rafer really paved the path for many of us to understand the responsibilities that come with being a successful athlete and the number of lives you can impact and change,” Evans said.

Johnson worked for the Peace Corps, March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association and American Red Cross. In 2016, he received the UCLA Medal, the university’s highest award for extraordinary accomplishments.

The school’s track is named for Johnson and his wife Betsy.

His children, Jenny Johnson Jordan and Josh Johnson, were athletes themselves. Jenny was a beach volleyball player who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and is on the coaching staff of UCLA’s beach volleyball team. Josh competed in javelin at UCLA, where he was an All-American.

Besides his wife of 49 years and children, he is survived by son-in-law Kevin Jordan and four grandchildren.

The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

Page 7

NEWS Helping partners help others…

Former state Rep. John DeBerry is now a senior adviser to Gov. Bill Lee, making $165,000 a year. (Photo: Screen capture)

Lee names former Democratic lawmaker DeBerry as adviser (AP) – Former Democratic state Rep. John DeBerry Jr. began work this week as a senior adviser to Gov. Bill Lee. Lee’s office made the announcement on Monday. DeBerry joins the Republican governor’s executive leadership team, with an office in the Tennessee State Capitol, Lee said in a statement.

He will make $165,000 a year, similar to other senior advisers to the governor, Lee spokesman Gillum Ferguson said.

DeBerry came up short in his bid to return to the state House when he lost to Democrat Torrey Harris in the Nov. 3 general election.

DeBerry ran as an independent candidate after the Tennessee Democratic Party removed him in April from the ballot for the August primary election. DeBerry had represented House District 90 in Memphis since 1994 as a Democrat.

DeBerry was accused by Democrats of voting against his caucus’s position and of receiving donations from organizations and individuals that typically support only Republican candidates.

He and two other Democrats voted in support of a bill banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, and DeBerry also drew Democratic ire after he voted with the GOP-dominated House to advance a school voucher law that is currently blocked in court.

DeBerry, an ordained minister who is Black, has said he’s always maintained an anti-abortion position, noting in April that he’s “never tried to hide” his stance.

“John has fought to protect life, provide better education options for Tennessee students, and to reform our criminal justice system and I’m honored to have his counsel within the Cabinet,” Lee said in a statement.

TVA distributed $10,000 worth of gift cards to local community partners to help families in need for Thanksgiving. Pictured (l-r): Memphis Branch NAACP Executive Director Vickie Terry and Angela Austin, construction manager for TVA’s Allen Fossil Plant.

(Courtesy photo)

COMMUNITY The New Tri-State Defender, December 3 - 9, 2020, Page 8

Living through COVID-19, Part XV

by Jerome Wright jwright@tsdmemphis.com

Partners plan Sickle Cell awareness push

by Najee El-Amin

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

This is the 15th installment of The New Tri-State Defender’s ongoing account of three Memphians coping with the coronavirus amid government-directed efforts to slow the virus’ spread.

As the city, county and state governments mandated a host of restrictions last spring aimed at curving the spread of the COVID-19 virus, The New TriState Defender introduced to three Memphians, who are navigating their way through the virus’ impact professionally and personally.

The TSD has shared periodic updates on how the three – barber William Gandy Jr., nonprofit head Margaret Cowan and entrepreneur James Cook – were coping.

The virus is again surging in Memphis/Shelby, prompting the Shelby County Health Department to issue a new set of directives to try to slow the spread.

Gandy, Cowan and Cook said they are heeding that caution.

Additionally, here is what else is happening in their lives.

Listening to God Cowan is the founder of the nonprofit I Am My Sister’s Keeper, which helps single working mothers increase their earning potential.

Cowan also has been working with other nonprofit organizations to expand her nonprofit’s efforts to help families, in addition to her mothers. The majority of that work has been in South Memphis. She now is shifting the focus to the Raleigh area.

“I’m a person of faith and I felt God lead me to this. For a while, I had been thinking I needed to shift my focus,” and, she said, a swift series of events confirmed that.

She had been looking for a new place to live and picked Raleigh because it is where her mother lives and where her three daughters work.

She stopped by one of the apartment complexes on her list and the manager noticed her I Am My Sister’s Keeper T-shirt.

A conversation ensued about Cowan’s nonprofit and led to the manager explaining that single mothers in her complex are facing similar issues.

The exchange convinced Cowan to move into the complex and shift her attention to Raleigh. Although ready to move, apartment would not be available until the end of January.

The manager called Cowan later and said she would have an apartment available next month,

Margaret Cowan has shifted the focus of her helping-hand nonprofit to Raleigh. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Barber William Gandy Jr. is pursuing a movie deal after the COVID-19 sellout for his grand musical “Grandma’s Big Vote” Oct 25 at the Orpheum Theatre’s Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education. (Courtesy photo) and asked her to come back and fill out an application, which was approved in 30 minutes.

“The speed in which the callback came and the fact that my application was approved that quickly confirmed that God was guiding me,” Cowan said.

A mutual friend introduced Cowan to the head of a foundation that, among other efforts, distributes boxes filled with dairy products, meat and produce to families in the area.

“I’m not changing my work with my moms,” she said, “but there are a lot of nonprofits (working) in South Memphis, but not as many in the Raleigh area.”

Pushing for the big screen Gandy had a COVID-19 sellout for his grand musical “Grandma’s Big Vote” Oct 25 at the Orpheum Theatre’s Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education.

The full-scale musical production was based on his book – “Grandma’s Big Vote” – about his 106-year-old grandmother, Mary Alice Gandy, who made national headlines when she cast a vote for the first time in her life. She voted

James Cook is targeting January for the opening of opening his latest entrepreneurial venture, the Nubian Style shop at 1237 Marlin Rd. in Whitehaven. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises) for Barack Obama in 2008.

Now, Gandy is focused on getting a movie made based on the book. Optimistic, especially after the success of the musical, he has produced a trailer, which he will show to potential investors during a scheduled Dec. 16 meeting.

He plans to use local talent, some of whom are featured in the trailer, and his team has reached out to legendary award-winning actress Cicely Tyson to play his grandmother.

“We wanted to have it finished and ready to go for Black History Month in February, but COVID is tamping things down as far a production. Now we’re looking at late March or April.

“As my daddy (the late wellknown barber and musician William Gandy) taught us, ‘When the going gets tough, puts your boots on, anchor down and move on,’” Gandy said.

Opportunity continues to knock Cook is edging closer to opening his latest entrepreneurial venture, the Nubian Style shop at 1237 Marlin Rd. in Whitehaven. The target date for opening the beauty and barber business is January.

Cook received a forgivable loan from the Memphis and Shelby County Economic Development

Growth Engine (EDGE) that helped with rehabbing the building, which he originally planned to turn into a lounge and restaurant.

Cook owns Lenny’s Grill and Subs and Runway 901 Bar & Grill at Memphis International Airport, both of which he was forced to close after the virus’ surge in midMarch caused a precipitous drop in air passenger traffic.

He eventually reopened both businesses, but with reduced hours because passenger traffic still is “slow, slow, slow,” he said.

“We were expecting things to turn around, but that hasn’t happened. …We’re adjusting. It helps that we’re one of the few concessionaires still here.”

With his entrepreneurial mind always spinning, he is starting a clothing design business.

He said his wife, A’Seri, bought equipment to make T-shirts, and they are using it to make T-shirts, sweatshirts and sweaters with Nubian designs.

The designs will highlight different African tribes, such as the Dogon, an ethnic group indigenous to Mali in West Africa.

Cook plans to share any profits with the groups he highlights.

(Jerome Wright is deputy editor for The New Tri-State Defender.)

A church, a collaborative and a foundation have partnered to spread awareness of Sickle Cell Disease.

This month, the Sickle Cell Foundation of Tennessee (TSCF), Mount Zion Baptist Church, and HEAL Collaborative will host Sickle Cell Disease: A Community Conversation.

Within the United States, Sickle Cell Disease disproportionately affects African Americans and takes many lives each year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) affects approximately 100,000 Americans, affecting about one of every 365 African-American births. It can ultimately lead to strokes, organ damage and early death.

About 1 in 13 African-American babies is born with sickle cell trait (SCT). People with SCT usually do not have any of the symptoms of SCD, but they can pass the trait on to their children, according to the CDC. Also, sickle cell is a precondition that can be exacerbated by COVID-19, as the virus appears to also target the same demographic. Those who are already living with SCD are at a greater risk of their condition worsening if they happen to contract the virus.

The Sickle Cell Disease: A Community Conversation will take place virtually on YouTube Live at 10 a.m.

Saturday (Dec. 5).

The trio of partners leading the event is familiar with assisting people in need.

The Sickle Cell Foundation of Tennessee has supported over one million people by advocating and raising awareness for the sickle cell community.

Mount Zion Baptist Church holds eight services each week and is home to over eight-thousand worshipers linked to empowering the people of God and providing holistic ministry to the community.

HEAL is a non-profit organization that specializes in educating underserved communities on health care services. Its mission includes striving to increase the accessibility of treatment options.

Saturday’s interactive experience is geared toward area communities of color and is designed to educate viewers on the warning signs, treatments and general information regarding the illness.

The presentation will be headlined by a panel, which includes TSCF CEO, Reginald French; Kiara Y. Moore, MSPH, MNA, Health & Wellness Ministry Coordinator at Mount Zion Baptist Church; and Richard L. Martin, medical director of the Sickle Cell Disease Program at Meharry Medical College.

Tennessee state Rep. Harold M. Love Jr. (D-Nashville) also will join the conversation.

The virtual event is set for YouTube Live at 10 a.m. Here is the link: https://bit.ly/3ludeCN.

Lawmakers eye curbing governor’s powers during health crises

by Jonathan Mattise The Associated Press

NASHVILLE – Tennessee lawmakers who have often been critical of government restrictions to curb COVID-19′s spread are suggesting ways to give themselves the power to limit or overturn emergency orders from the governor during future health crises.

Amid the worsening pandemic, a GOP-led panel of House and Senate lawmakers issued recommendations Tuesday that would treat health-related emergency orders differently than others, with caps on how long a governor’s health state of emergency can stand before lawmakers would get a vote on it; power for lawmak-

ers to override a state of emergency or executive order; requirements for notice and fiscal impact estimates of an emergency order; and more.

The suggestions are poised to end up in legislation that the Republican-supermajority Legislature will consider when it returns in January for its annual lawmaking session.

The recommendations also take some heat off Republican Gov. Bill Lee, since they would only apply to the next administration, exempting his.

More than half of states give their Legislatures some power over whether to end a state of emergency, putting Tennessee in the minority of states that don’t, according to a list from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Lee has touted his pandemic de-

cision-making that made Tennessee one of the last states to issue a stayat-home order and one of the first to reopen its economy. He’s also refused to require mask-wearing statewide, and instead has kept the decision up to county governments.

Still, his response has irked his Republican legislative counterparts enough that they assembled a panel that studied the governor’s executive powers during an emergency and recommended changes that would clamp down on his authority.

“Look at the numbers and you honestly assess them, what is the emergency?” asked Republican Rep. John Ragan during Tuesday’s meeting. “If you can say if we have an emergency, it’s for anyone over the age of 61 and yet we still have recommendations

from our government that put restrictions on us.”

However, GOP lawmakers quickly sought to downplay any direct criticism of Lee’s handling of the pandemic.

“I believe the governor has provided measured, steady leadership through this pandemic,” said Republican Rep. Jason Zachary of Knoxville when asked by Democratic members if there had been any “overreach” by Lee. There are some differences of opinion on the panel between the House and Senate on what to change.

The House, for one, would let a “legislative council” stop a state of emergency or executive order after 30 days or extend one for 15 days at a time, without the need to call law-

makers into session, but with some five-day review period requirements.

The Senate recommended that the governor be required to call lawmakers back into session to consider an extension.

The House would cap the governor’s ability to maintain a health-related state of emergency or executive order to 60 days. The Senate would limit it to 100 days and also let an order stay in effect until the Legislature agrees what to do with it.

The Senate also wants contracts and bids during a state of emergency to face a comptroller audit and legislative committee review.

(Associated Press writer Kimberlee Kruesi contributed to this report.)

The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

COMMUNITY

CLASSIFIEDS

Police force of 2,500 moved toward a City Council decision “The issue we have is we haven’t been able to recruit 2,500 officers. By the time we get that done, our budget may change. Our current budget probably doesn’t cover that. As we advance further, we will have to cover more officers and we may or may not be able to do that by reduction of overtime.”

— Jeff Warren

by James Coleman

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

How large should the Memphis police force be? The public safety task force chaired by Councilwoman Rhonda Logan this week decided on 2,500 and advanced that recommendation toward a vote.

A resolution introduced by Logan accepting the recommendations was introduced during Tuesday’s Memphis City Council meeting. Advanced by the public safety and homeland security committee, the recommendations also include guidance for recruiting, hiring, training and recruitment of public safety officers.

The recommendations reflect five months of work by task force members and could be considered by the full council on Dec. 15.

“It was no small Rhonda undertaking and we Logan took it very seriously,” said Logan. “It’s given us five months to really get to know our public safety divisions. I hear them and see the work that they do close up and personal.”

Task force members included representatives from the city council, the police and fire departments, police union members, activists and the city’s chief human resources officer.

The Memphis Police Department now has about 2,100 officers. The additional officers would mainly be dedicated to community policing. The new number was an effort to split the difference between commissioned studies.

“We took the numbers from those stud-

PAC

CONTINUED FROM FRONT “I gave them every chance to correct it, and now, I’m ringing the bell on them.”

Wilkins has been pulling together a Black PAC that is somewhat reminiscent of the People’s Convention of 1991.

“I was actually there to witness it,” said Wilkins. “I had returned to Memphis in 1990, and just finished law school.

What we are doing is going to be double, triple more powerful this time around.”

Wilkins said the initiative is a divine mandate that came from somewhere beyond “the mind of Rickey Wilkins.”

Robinson said voting on the council tends to follow a bi-partisan model, if you look at political parties, and council members do not generally align along party lines. She also pushed back against the charge that the city council “pulled the plug” on Wilkins

ies, one was 2,400. We looked at where we are now and the attrition that needs to be covered is 150 to 200. Those losses would likely be attributed to factors like retirement or officers leaving the force,” said Logan.

Another study put the number of needed officers at 2,800. Following an outcry, that number was deemed excessive to the city’s needs.

“At this point, with the social climate as it is and the re-imagining of public safety, we didn’t want to overcommit at this point. That was a number that (Memphis Police) Director Rallings as well as all of the committee members agreed on,” said Logan.

The recommendations came at the request of the Mayor’s office. The costs of additional officers are expected to be covered in the current budget.

“Anything the administration found undesirable in our recommendations, we were able to tweak it to make it work for

Tuesday evening.

“Attorney Wilkins, I believe, was trying to join the meeting to speak,” Robinson said. “We have a process in place to allow anyone who wants to address the council to do so. Because of COVID-19, our meetings have been electronic, online. That process was not followed.”

Once the vote on an issue is taken, the minutes have to be officially approved at the next meeting. Colvett will serve as chairman of the city council in the new year.

Johnson also stood by her vote for Colvett.

“Councilman Colvett was chairman of the Zoning and Planning Committee,” said Johnson. “He is fair, supportive and informative to everyone. If there is some dispute or misunderstanding, he tells them, ‘I’ll come out and meet with you and we’ll get a better understanding for everybody.’

He did that every time. On the city council, we are not Re-

both parties,” said Councilwoman Jamita Swearingen.

Recruitment of officers has been challenging.

“The issue we have is we haven’t been able to recruit 2,500 officers,” said Councilman Jeff Warren. “By the time we get that done, our budget may change. Our current budget probably doesn’t cover that. As we advance further, we will have to cover more officers and we may or may not be able to do that by reduction of overtime.”

He called the number aspirational, saying the math wouldn’t work unless overtime pay was eliminated. The problem would grow if more officers are retained in the future.

The recommendations also include the creation of “True Blue Tuesdays” and a partnership with the Shelby County Schools to engage youth about public safety and career options.

An audit of the Division of Police Services psychological test is also proposed, with findings to be presented to the Council’s Safety and Homeland Security Committee. Paid time off for mental therapy for officers would be required as well.

Public safety training hours would be increased from 920 to 960. That would include training in topics relevant to community policing such as conflict resolution and de-escalation, police ethics, just and fair policing, verbal judo, cultural awareness, gang awareness through social media, community policing, police corruption and civil rights violations.

“To better enable success in the community and cultivate the relationships necessary, creating a pipeline to public safety, a paradigm shift in the way we approach criminal justice and mental health are needed,” said Logan.

publican or Democrat. We are non-partisan, and we represent our constituents the best we can.”

Ford Sr. did not return multiple calls for comment.

Wilkins said he is the voice for “The New Memphis, Tennessee.”

Wilkins told the three Colvett supporters that their votes “exceedingly contradict the overwhelming preferences of those who elected you.” He noted that the districts they represent voted overwhelmingly in the presidential election for President-Elect Joe Biden, who, of course, is a Democrat.

Wilkins asked for the three to call him to devise a joint statement that “gets us past this moment.” None of the three responded.

But Wilkins is undeterred.

“I sat down for 10 years because God told me to go sit down and be quiet,” Wilkins said. “Now, I am bringing you forth.”

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LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS RFQ NUMBER 21-0005 REAL ESTATE SERVICES Sealed responses to this Request for Qualifications for providing Real Estate Services will be received by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, Memphis International Airport, 4150 Louis Carruthers Drive Memphis, TN 38118 until 2:00 PM local time, January 18, 2021. A listing of all proposers responding will be posted to the Authority’s website one (1) hour after the response deadline. Responses to Requests for Proposals and Requests for Qualifications will not be publicly opened. A complete Request for Qualifications Packet with submittal instructions, additional data, and response format may be found on the Authority’s website (www. flymemphis.com) on or after November 23, 2020.

A pre-proposal conference will be held December 9, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. via phone/video conferencing (Link: Join Zoom Meeting https:// zoom.us/j/93567082911, Passcode: 086884. Those interested bidders will log into Meeting ID #935 6708 2911 to listen to information regarding this RFQ. All Proposers are responsible for checking the Authority’s website up to the submission deadline for any updates, addenda or additional information. In accordance with the Authority’s purchasing policies, the Authority will give a preference to businesses located in Shelby County, Tennessee when awarding contracts and making purchases, unless prohibited by law. The successful Proposer must sign a contract with the Authority that includes Federal Aviation Administration provisions, if applicable, regarding the Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis-Bacon, Affirmative Action, Debarment and Suspension, and Drug-Free Workplace, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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

The Authority, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat.

252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d4) and the Regulations, hereby

notifies all bidders or offerors that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

By order of: Scott A. Brockman, A.A.E. President and CEO Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority 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: Yolanda Castillo Tax Parcel #: 03802600000260 Tax Sale #: 1102 Price Offered: $300.00 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 January 25, 2021, 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 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400 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: SLH Real Estates Investing Solutions, LLC Tax Parcel #: 05900500000190 Tax Sale #: 1603

The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

Page 10

CLASSIFIEDS Price Offered: $600.00 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 9:00 a.m. on January 27, 2021, 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 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER CLASSIFIEDS 1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 PH (901) 523-1818 FAX (901) 578-5037 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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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: Shenice Mitchell Tax Parcel #: 07209400000970 Tax Sale #: 1602 Price Offered: $3500.00 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 9:00 a.m. on January 15, 2021, 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 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400 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:

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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 9:30 a.m. on February 22, 2021, 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 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400 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: India Brown Tax Parcel #: 04004900000030 Tax Sale #: 1301 Price Offered: $200.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10)

thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400 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: A. Stovall Tax Parcel #: D0147000005130 Tax Sale #: 1203 Price Offered: $3300.00 Terms: Cash Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10)

February 17, 2021, 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.

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 January 12, 2021, 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 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400 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:

A. Stovall Tax Parcel #: B0148C0A001250 Tax Sale #: 1002 Price Offered: $250.00 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 1:00 p.m. on January 12, 2021, 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 584 Adams Avenue Memphis, TN 38103 (901)222-2400

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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: India Brown Tax Parcel #: 04004600000020 Tax Sale #: 1301 Price Offered: $300.00 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 9:00 a.m. on February 17, 2021, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall

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The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

Page 11

SPORTS

Hardaway: Things will be different

Former Olive Branch star Buford looks to find her way at Memphis

by Liaudwin Seaberry Special to The New Tri-State Defender

by Terry Davis

Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Losses to Western Kentucky and Virginia Commonwealth in the Crossover Classic in South Dakota drove some of the Tigers’ fans in Memphis Twitter mad.

Head coach Penny Hardaway didn’t need the viewpoints shared on social to reach a conclusion about his team played; the disappointment was apparent before he reached the media room for post-game comments.

Since then, he has expressed his resolve to get the Tigers on track, “From that tournament we were soft and selfish. There is no way I am going to have that,” he said. “This team is a representative of this city. We have a Grit and Grind City.

“My style since I have been a coach has been hard-nosed and getting in your face and pressing and I am getting back to that team.”

Offensive woes Memphis went 1-2 in the Crossover Classic, beating St. Mary’s and executing on offense much to Hardaway’s liking.

Not so against Western Kentucky.

“There were people open, they just did not make the extra pass,” he said.

“Against VCU they just took us out of our offense. It came down to decision-making and we did not make the right decision.”

Unhappy with the performances turned in at point guard, Hardaway pointed toward a lineup change for the game against Arkansas State at the FedExForum Wednesday night.

Memphis rolled past Arkansas State 83-54 at the FedExForum Wednesday night. (Photo: gotigersgo.com) “I knew what we had going into the tournament,” said Hardaway, “When these kids get on national television, things change. It becomes individualized.

They think, ‘If I can get off, I can get closer to my dream.’ When you get guys like we recruit, they want to be one-and-done.

You get selfish play on the offensive end and that is not what we preach.”

Player update Hardaway indicated that a decision on the eligibility of DeAndre Williams could come on Friday. The compliance department informed the coaching staff that an announcement might be ready by then.

Ahmad Rand did not make the trip to South Dakota because of contract tracing.

He was expected to be back in uniform against Arkansas State.

Coaching different going forward Asked if he has shortened his lease for players on the offensive end, Hardaway said, “Yes I have. We took a ton of bad shots in South Dakota. A bad shot is like a turnover.

“We have changed the offense, so we are getting the ball into scoring position instead of always catching it outside the three-point line. I have gone back to my roots and you will see a difference.”

Hardaway has not had a reputation for having a quick hook. But, he said, if the players are not going to do what has been asked and are not going to follow the game plan, well, they likely are going to have a seat close to him on the bench.

OUR FIGHT AGAINST OUR FIGHT AGAINST #MASKON901

#CONTINUETHECOURSE

COVID-19 COVID-19 “I’m bythe the the start of thecommunity. pandemic, “I’mencouraged encouraged everyday everyday by power and “Since resilience of our beloved People have been willing to power and resilience of our beloved leaders around this community return to work and help restore our economy, no matter how hard things seem. Teachers and school leaders are community. People have been willing have been singularly focused to safely up schools, year like nonethe before. have made sacrifice after sacrifice to toworking return to work open and help restorein a schoolon reducing risk Families of spread, our economy, noofmatter howWe hard how wecontinue can save slow the spread COVID-19. can’t let upbecause now. Let’s that’s dig deep.

Let’s the course.” things seem. Teachers and school lives. We are calling on everyone leaders are working to safely open to dig a little deeper and -Shelby prepare County Mayor Lee Harris up schools, in a school year like none to fight a little longer. Each of us before.

Families have made sacrifice has a role in helping to slow the “Since the start of the pandemic, leaders around this community have been singularly focused on reducing the risk of after sacrifice to slow the spread of spread. Working together, we will spread, because that’s can save lives.get We are calling on everyone COVID-19.

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Let’s continue the course.” little longer. Each of us has a role in helping to slow the spread. Working together, we will get to the other side.”

—Shelby County Commission -Shelby County Commission Chairman Eddie Jones —Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris Chairman Eddie Jones

• Coordinated Declarations of Emergency

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• $265,000 to Church Health $1 Million Health Safety Grant for Close-Contact Businesses for •Acute Care for&Uninsured COVID-19 Patients

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En’Dya (In-Dee-A) Buford could have decided to take her talents on the basketball court to numerous schools throughout the nation.

Buford’s decision to attend the University of Memphis, however, turned out to be a no-brainer for the dynamic point guard. She’s been eager to lace up the sneakers for the Lady Tigers since she was a young player with big dreams.

“I have been cheering for the Tigers my whole life, and I decided that I would like to help build something special at Memphis,” Buford said.

The former Olive Branch High School star and fourstar recruit helped lead the Conquistadors to three state titles in four seasons.

During her senior campaign, Buford earned the Mississippi State Player of the Year Award and the Miss Basketball Award. In the state championship game against Clinton High School in March 2020, Buford poured in 40 points, collected six rebounds, dished out three assists and had eight steals.

She brings a winning mentality to a University of Memphis team that has sported a 49-73 record over the last four seasons.

“I just want to come in and help the team win, and I feel that the hard work I put in over the offseason will allow me to do just that,” Bu-

ford said.

Because of an injury, Buford did not play in Tuesday’s (Dec. 1) season opener against Little Rock, which the Tigers lost 61-52.

However, her intense playing style will serve the Lady Tigers well when she returns.

Lady Tigers head coach Melissa McFerrin, who enters her 13th season at the helm, recognizes the potential of Buford, but understands the point guard must continue to improve on several aspects of her game.

“En’Dya possesses a lot of talent, and we call her the ultimate press breaker because of her ability to handle pressure,” McFerrin noted. “Teams will not be able to press us due to her elite ball-handling skills.

“She does need to continue learning our offensive system while also making strides on the defensive end. However, as she gets acclimated to collegiate basketball, all of that will come in time.”

As Buford transitions from high school basketball to the college ranks, she’s faced several challenges, but she remains determined to perform at her best.

“One of the hardest things for me at this level has been conditioning,” Buford said.

“In addition, I need to master this new offense but I know it’s not impossible to get down.”

In Buford’s mind, there’s no assignment too difficult for her.

She’s always produced.

The New Tri-State Defender

December 3 - 9, 2020

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