Facial recognition expands in airports, Congress want limits... See page 2
Open Streets turns downtown Nashville into a car-free playground
See page 3
People Are Talking
From ‘I Will Survive’ to ‘I Approve’: Gloria Gaynor joins Trump honors
by Stacy M. Brown, Senior national correspondent, Black Press U.S.A.
Gloria Gaynor, the disco legend whose 1978 anthem ‘I Will Survive’ became a rallying cry for empowerment and resistance, will now stand center stage at Donald Trump’s first Kennedy Center Honors since seizing control of the institution. Gaynor’s acceptance of the award from a president rejected by 92% of Black women voters is a stunning turn for the 81year-old performer (one that critics say undercuts the very spirit of her signature song). Trump unveiled this year’s honorees (Gaynor, KISS bassist Gene Simmons, and actor Sylvester Stallone) in a made-for-TV spectacle, boasting he was “about 98% involved” in picking them and rejecting others for being “too woke.” His involvement breaks with decades of tradition, when honorees were selected by a nonpartisan committee, and underscores how the event has been reshaped to serve his political and personal brand.
Simmons’ inclusion is especially jarring. Once friendly with Trump from his Celebrity Apprentice days, Simmons has since accused him of unleashing open bigotry. “Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist. Now it’s all out in the open because he allowed it,” Simmons told SPIN, adding that Trump “got all the cockroaches to rise to the top.” Despite that history, Simmons will take the stage this December under Trump’s banner. Stallone, a loyal Trump supporter and one of his so-called ‘Hollywood ambassadors,’ will also be honored. The appearance gives the Rocky star a national platform to promote his ratings-challenged television series.
Trump’s control over the Kennedy Center began with a boardroom purge earlier this year. He fired longtime president Deborah Rutter, ousted Biden-appointed board members, and made himself chairman—the first sitting president to do so. Rutter accused Trump’s team of making “false allegations” and distorting audited financial reports. The upheaval has triggered boycotts by major artists and cancellations of high-profile productions, including Hamilton. The Kennedy Center Honors were once a rare bipartisan celebration of American cultural achievement. Under Trump, the ceremony is now a curated display of loyalty, where politics takes the lead over artistry. For Gaynor, whose defining hit once symbolized resilience in the face of adversity, this December’s performance will carry a far different message—one of approval for the very man her core audience overwhelmingly rejected.
“When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives,” Simmons has said of Trump. However, this year’s honors will show just how far that influence can reach.
Music, morality, and mayhem
power Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest
See page 8
Tennessee officials approve plan to reopen detention facility as ICE site
MASON, Tenn. — Officials in the rural town of Mason, Tennessee, voted to approve contracts that would reopen the shuttered West Tennessee Detention Facility as an immigration detention center operated by CoreCivic, one of the nation’s largest private prison companies.
The 600-bed facility in Tipton County (closed in 2021 when the Biden administration began phasing out contracts with private prisons), had previously housed detainees for the U.S. Marshals Service. Under the new agreement, the site would reopen to hold individuals for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
CoreCivic, which operates more than 80 facilities nationwide, said the Mason site would create nearly 240 jobs with a starting salary of $26.50 an hour for detention officers, plus benefits. Company officials estimated the facility would generate about $325,000 in annual property taxes and provide the city with more than $200,000 each year in impact fees for schools, infrastructure, and other local projects.
“Total annual revenue once the facility is fully activated is expected to be approximately $30 to $35 million,” CoreCivic said in a statement, adding that the site is expected to be fully operational by early 2026.
Mayor Eddie Noeman praised the
project as a business investment for Mason. “I’m not understanding why people are against it,” he said. “It’s not human rights, we don’t have nothing to do with it. The Town of Mason has nothing to do with anything going on in the facility.”
Residents expressed mixed opinions at the special board meeting, with some opposing the return of a detention site while others pointed to the promise of new jobs and local investment.
Ben Jealous fired as Sierra Club’s first Black executive director— many say racism at play
by Jason Ponterotto,
Special from the Amsterdam News, <Trice Edney News Wire> -- The Sierra Club board of directors voted unanimously to fire its first Black and overall person of color executive director, Benjamin (Ben) Jealous, after he was placed on leave in July.
Club Board Chair Patrick Murphy announced the August 11 decision to terminate the employment of Jealous with cause in an email to staff. It comes after public disagreements between Jealous and staff members from local chapters.
The Sierra Club has operated as one of the largest and oldest environmental justice organizations in the United States since its founding in 1892. Jealous took on the role in 2023. Representatives from the group have not provided details about why Jealous was terminated. However, Jealous released a statement pushing back. He highlighted his record in his short tenure, including bolstering membership and staff positions in several red states where there had been none.
Former executive director of the Sierra Club Ben Jealous in March during a fundraising dinner for the Ashland Center for Nonviolence.
“It is disheartening, unfortunate, but perhaps not surprising that the board has chosen an adversarial course that the facts so clearly cannot support. I have begun the process
Continued on page 5
CoreCivic emphasized in its statement that it does not enforce immigration laws or determine who is detained, saying its role is to house individuals “respectfully and humanely” while they go through due legal process. The company also stressed that operations would take place under the oversight of ICE.
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Report details Pres. Trump’s business gains tied to his presidency
by Stacy M. Brown, Senior national correspondent, Black Press U.S.A.
Donald Trump’s second tenure in the White House has also been lucrative for his business interests and family, according to a new investigation by The New Yorker. The report estimates that Trump and his family have benefited by more than $1 billion from ventures and deals connected to his time in office.
When Trump first entered the presidency in 2017, he pledged to separate his political role from the Trump Organization, turning daily operations over to his sons. The magazine’s investigation, however, suggests that promise eroded over time, with foreign contracts, memberships, and merchandise sales tied closely to his political influence. According to the report, Trump family gains include golf course and real estate projects in the Persian Gulf valued in the hundreds of millions, a $2 billion Saudi investment into Jared Kushner’s private-equity firm, and a
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TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”
by
U.S.A.
“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval
Office Tuesday. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war,
Trump said: “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City. The president deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime had dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides had also fallen by 11%.
President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of highlevel protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.
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Gloria Gaynor in 2003 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mason Tennessee has approved contracts for ICE to reopen a shuttered prison as a criminal alien detention center.
April Ryan, Washington Bureau chief and White House correspondent, BlackPress
(Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)
Facial recognition expands in airports as Congress eyes new limits
at major U.S. airports, including TSA’s PreCheck Touchless ID and CBP’s new Enhanced
by Stacy M. Brown, Senior national correspondent,
Black Press U.S.A.
Facial recognition technology is now in use for security screening at some of the nation’s busiest airports, with TSA’s PreCheck Touchless ID available at 15 locations including Chicago O’Hare, DallasFort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Newark, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Ronald Reagan Washington National. The system allows enrolled TSA PreCheck travelers with valid passports to verify their identity with a quick photo instead of a physical ID. TSA says the images are deleted within 24 hours of a flight and are not used for law enforcement or surveillance. If biometric matching fails, pas-
sengers must present a physical ID, and those who opt out receive the same screening position.
CBP is also expanding its use of biometric processing.
This month, the agency launched Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP) at Nashville International Airport, which photographs travelers using auto-capture technology before they reach an officer to confirm identity, check eligibility, and conduct enforcement screening. CBP says the system speeds inspection for most travelers while allowing officers to focus on higher-risk passengers, and participation is optional. Critics have long raised privacy concerns.
In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged that traveler photos had been stolen in a breach involving a subcontrac-
privacy
tor’s network, The Washington Post reported. TSA says its systems are encrypted, but lawmakers from both parties are seeking stricter protections.
The Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025 would require affirmative consent before any biometric data is collected, bar passive surveillance, and set deadlines for deleting stored images. It also calls for annual Government Accountability Office reviews on accuracy and potential bias by race, age, and gender.
“By leveraging advanced technologies and mobile applications, we are transforming inspections at airports into a seamless, touch less process, enabling faster risk identification and efficient processing of legitimate visitors,” said Steven Stavinoha, CBP’s New Orleans director of ‘field operations.’
Dr. Danielle Spencer-David, a Richmond veterinarian and star of What’s Happening!!, dies at 60
by Lauren Burke
Dr. Danielle Spencer-David, who starred as Dee Thomas in the popular 1970s sitcom What’s Happening!! died in Richmond this Tuesday after a yearlong battle with breast cancer.
After finding fame alongside fellow actors Mabel King (as Mabel Thomas) and Ernest Lee Thomas (as Roger Thomas) as the busybody little sister of her brother Roger, SpencerDavid moved on from Hollywood sitcom fame to become a veterinarian and resident of Richmond, Virginia. Though Danielle Spencer was born in New Jersey and her family later moved to the Bronx, she made her way to Virginia. Spencer became a veterinarian in 1996 after earning a degree at Tuskegee University Veterinary School. What’s happening!! ran on ABC from 1976 until 1979 and was a hit that remains well remembered and watched in reruns. There was also a revival of the show from
1985 to 1988, in which Spencer starred. After an earlier divorce, she married businessman David L. David in 2014. She also moved to Richmond that year and hosted segments on pet care on occasion on WTVR.
An Instagram post from What’s Happening!! co-star Haywood Nelson (who played Dwayne Nelson) read:
“Brilliance! It comes in a great many forms. We all have them, and we all have this family (Dr. Danielle Spencer [June 24, 1965–August 11, 2025]). “As a family member through marriage and as an elected official, I join countless fans, friends, and loved ones in mourning her
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Webmaster/Social Media Lawrence Davis, Circulation Department Scott Davis
Trump approval sinks as Epstein fallout grows
by Stacy M. Brown, Senior national correspondent Black Press U.S.A.
Only 31% of Americans consider Donald Trump “honest and trustworthy,” the lowest share recorded since the start of his second term, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll. A majority, 53%, say the president is not honest, while the rest are unsure.
The same survey shows broad suspicion about Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein. Seven in 10 Americans say Trump knew either “a lot” (44%) or “some” (27%) about Epstein’s sex crimes before they became public; just eight percent say he knew nothing. Trump’s handling of the Epstein investigations carries a net approval rating of –39, with Democrats overwhelmingly disapproving and Republicans giving modest support.
The recent transfer of Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security Texas prison is opposed by 47% of Americans, with just 14% in favor and 38% unsure. Nearly half say they are not sure whether Trump ordered the move; 36% believe he did.
cism over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and handling of related investigations.
Trump’s overall job approval stands at 42%, with 54% disapproving—a net rating of –12. That is slightly better than his standing at this point in his first term, when his net approval was –15, but remains negative.
Comparisons with former President Joe Biden’s term show that Biden’s net approval was below –15 for much of the second half of his presidency, and Trump’s current rating on inflation matches Biden’s lowest point on the issue.
Trump continues to face steep challenges with Black voters. A July Economist/You Gov poll found that just 12% of Black Americans approved of his job performance, while 81% disapproved. Decision Desk HQ averages show more than 70% of Black voters disapprove, with roughly a quarter approving. Those figures follow the 2024 election, in which Pew Research Center’s validated voter study found Trump improved among Black voters compared to 2020, winning 15% overall (including 21% of Black men and 10%
of Black women) while Harris secured 83%. AP VoteCast estimated that 92% of Black women voted for Harris, a figure that may have since increased.
Beyond the Epstein controversy and approval ratings, the poll highlights other political flash points, including: 52% of Americans favor independent commissions for drawing congressional maps; only nine percent believe partisan gerrymandering should be allowed; and nearly half expect inflation to rise in the next six months.
On Trump’s firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, twice as many Americans say it was unjustified (36%) as say it was justified (18%), with 46% unsure. Trust in federal economic data is evenly split between those who trust it (41%) and those who distrust it (42%)
Table of Contents
Facial recognition technology is being expanded
Passenger Processing system, even as Congress debates stricter
protections.
Donald Trump’s approval ratings continue to fall as new polling shows widespread skepti-
Photo of Danielle Spencer as Dee Thomas from the television program What’s Happening!! (Wikimedia Commons /photo by ABC Television)
YWCA and League of Women Voters mark 60th anniversary of Voting Rights Act
YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Nashville (LWV), hosted the annual Stand Against Injustice Rally on August 6 at the Scarritt Bennett Center’s Harambee Auditorium.
This year’s theme, ‘Together We Rise: Advancing Justice Through Civic Engagement,’ commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and honored the grassroots activists whose work made the landmark legislation possible.
The program opened with ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ performed by Fisk University’s Laila Cooper. YWCA President/CEO Sharon K. Roberson shared her mother’s experience
paying a poll tax in the 1950s, underscoring the struggles that preceded the Act. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Con-
nell and Vice Mayor Angie Henderson also spoke on the importance of civic participation. Henderson, joined by
Musicians Corner returns August 29 in Centennial Park
by Cass Teague
Musicians Corner, Nashville’s beloved free concert series, return for the fall Friday, August 29. The multigenre free music festival kicks off with a three - day Musicians Corner’s Free Fest in partnership with Lightning 100 from August 29 – 31, and continues every Friday in September from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“Musicians Corner is the perfect excuse to get outdoors with friends and family, enjoy cooler fall temperatures, and experience free live music in one of the most beautiful spots in the city,” said Justin Branam,
Saaneah plays Musicians Corner on September 26
Musicians Corner Executive Producer. “We’re excited to return to Centennial Park this fall with five weeks of free live music from both new and established
artists across genres. We are especially excited for the return of Free Fest, a three-day music festival happening during Labor Day weekend in partnership with our friends at Lightning 100.”
Returning this year is Musicians Corner’s Free Fest, a partnership between two longtime ambassadors for Nashville’s live music scene: Lightning 100 and Centennial Park Conservancy’s Musicians Corner. Free Fest continues a tradition of no- cost live music in Music City. This threeday music festival combines Lightning
Fall Musicians Corner Artist Lineup
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
Free Fest (with Lightning 100) - Labor Day Weekend
The Record Company • Judy Blank • Benny G • (TBA) • Jacob Perleoni
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30
Free Fest (with Lightning 100) - Labor Day Weekend
Yola • Bre Kennedy • Billy Allen + The Pollies • Lilly Winwood • Kara Frazier
SUNDAY, AUGUST 31
Free Fest (with Lightning 100) - Labor Day Weekend
The Brummies • Jonathan Plevyak • Kashena Sampson • The Magi
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Cedric Burnside • Them Vibes • TEN • Shanny & The East Men • Sheldon Smith
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 in partnership with AMERICANAFEST
Lockeland Strings and guests Amanda Shires, The Band Loula, Esther Rose, and Kacy Hill • Joy Clark • Pert Near Sandstone • The Carlisle Family Band
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Ron Gallo • RYMAN • Blood Root • Carver Jones • Charlie Hall
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Parker Millsap • Michaela Anne • Saaneah • Boo Ray • Nikki Morgan
Unmanageable
‘Unmanageable’ has announced ‘Stay Righteously Unmanageable,’ a free monthly series of virtual convenings for artist-activists and cultural organizers.
The gatherings, facilitated by Je Naè Taylor (cultural organizer at the Highlander Center and founder of Taylor Space) will bring together artists and organizations to examine their roles in social movements and envision the futures they hope to create. Sessions will be held via Zoom, with registration open online. The initiative comes in
Councilwomen Brenda Gadd and Jennifer Gamble, read Metro Council Resolution RS20251375 recognizing
YWCA’s mission.
Keynote speaker Dr. Sekou Franklin, executive director of the John Lewis Center for Social
Justice at Fisk University, reminded attendees that the Voting Rights Act was won through “ordinary people with extraordinary vision.” He encouraged participants to continue engaging in ‘good trouble’ to safeguard democracy.
Tina L. Fox, director of ‘community relations’ for the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, received this year’s Carrie Hull Award.
“This recognition is not just my efforts but the support and encouragement of many wonderful people who do this important work in victim services,” Fox said.
The event concluded with the signing of a joint resolution by
Open Streets transforms downtown Nashville into a car-free playground
Downtown streets came alive August 17 as residents poured into the city center for Nashville’s second Open Streets Summer Series event. From noon to 5 pm, a five-mile loop of roads stretching through downtown and The Gulch closed to traffic and opened up to walkers, cyclists, skaters, and families eager to experience the city in a new way.
The event marked a major step in the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure’s (NDOT) Open Streets Program, launched in partnership with Walk Bike Nashville. The initiative makes it easier for neighborhoods to host car-free block parties and community gatherings, part of Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s broader Vision Zero plan to create safer and more vibrant streets.
“Great things happen when our communities come together,” Mayor
O’Connell said. “Open Streets is a chance to block off the block for food, fun, and friends. NDOT handles the permitting and safety so neighborhoods can focus on enjoying these gatherings.”
Along the route, activity hubs offered everything from live jazz at Rudy’s Jazz Room to yard games at Riverfront Park, craft pints at Tennessee Brew Works, and familyfriendly fun at the Nashville Farmers’ Market. Greenway connections near
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Frankie Pierce Park, and Rolling Mill Hill drew outdoor enthusiasts, while downtown shops and restaurants welcomed the influx of foot traffic.
“This series is the most ambitious we’ve ever hosted in Nashville,” said Calah Gipson, Open Streets coordinator for Walk Bike Nashville. “It’s about showing what safe, people-friendly streets can look like and giving residents the tools
Event Community Partners including YWCA, LWV, The Equity Alliance, Urban League, Scarritt Bennett, Fisk University, and Black Mental Health Village.
Cyclists enjoy car-free streets in downtown Nashville during the Open Streets Summer Series on August 17.
“War on Blackness”
by Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
It's remarkable but perhaps inevitable that this American president would impose a military occupation on the capital city itself. But this atrocity, this brazen power grab from a population already denied statehood, is not a random, petty act of a vengeful man. It is an open and explicit declaration of his ‘War on Blackness.’
Trump's War on Blackness runs deep. It is relentless and ruthless. But we can not flinch in this fragile moment. We must stand on legacy and overcome. We know the worse blows recently to democracy have been leveled at Black populations—from LA to Texas to D.C. Last month the Trump regime sent 4,000 California National Guard troops and 700 Marines to quell ICE protests in Los Angeles, whose mayor is a wellrespected Black woman, Karen Bass, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Trump's illegal takeover of a city run by a seasoned Black woman was meant to erase her power and elevate the military presence in a city 70% non-White— over the mayor's objections. CBTU stands with the state in its lawsuit to end Trump's illegal seizure of California's National Guards.
Next on Trump's Blackness warpath is Texas, where he is bullying the Republican legislature to rip up the current congressional map and draw a new, even more discriminatory political map that would potentially add five more Republican seats in Congress from Texas to help Trump impose his authoritarian agenda after the 2026 elections.
The new GOP seats would come at the expense of members of Congress who now represent hundreds of thou-
sands of Black voters in the Houston and DallasFort Worth area. This partisan gerrymandering will disenfranchise Black and Brown people to help Donald Trump rig the pivotal 2026 midterm elections. He's not even trying to disguise his corrupt power grab. Black folks stand in his way to keeping a rubber stamp majority in Congress. Trump is also plotting now to steal Democrats' seats in other states where Black folks will stand in his way to grab more power, including Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.
Trump's attempt to redraw congressional maps before the midterm elections and before the next census is unprecedented but very targeted. He's not trying to shrink representation of White voters in Congress. He only wants to erase the voice and power of Black voters who see through his MAGA lies and distractions.
CBTU applauds Texas Democrats for taking a stand against Trump's redistricting scheme. We are inspired by your courage and determination to defend democracy. So here we land, in D.C. under Trump's fabricated occupation—in spite of crime statistics trending downward in major categories, including violent crime, which has reached it's lowest level in 30 years. As he did in Los Angeles, Trump intentionally bypassed D.C.'s Black mayor, Muriel Bowser, in taking control of the city's police force and deploying over 200 National Guard troops. He also berated her intelligence and demeaned her leadership, as he did to LA mayor Karen Bass.
It's no coincidence that he has tried to embarrass and erase two Black women in powerful positions.
But why does
Trump's authoritarian occupation of D.C. matter so much and cuts so deep with Black folks beyond Ben's Chili Bowl and the capital beltway? Trump wants to put his racist brand on a city that has symbolic meaning to Black people across the country. He wants to humiliate Black leadership and reinforce the racist stereotype of Black incompetence. After all, doesn't John Wayne or some White superhero always come to rescue a lawless town from ‘them’?
But for a people who have survived slavery's lash and Jim Crow's noose and beloved leaders cut down by bullets, this moment is only the test before the triumph.
We condemn Donald Trump's rampage against Blackness, from LA to Texas to D.C.; from his federal DEI purge to his union-busting and destruction of public education. He cannot purge Blackness from America's DNA no matter how many executive orders he signs or insults he hurls at strong Black leaders.
We reiterate our call for statehood in the District of Columbia, not National Guard troops patrolling city streets.
We strongly urge our White allies in this struggle to openly and consistently denounce the racist targeting of Black leaders, \Black populations and institutions that preserve, teach and elevate Black history and culture. Silence in this moment could have deadly consequences. Be clear, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists has not and never will bow to evil. We do not believe our future is beyond our control. We will not relinquish the power of our labor solidarity and the strength of our resilient Blackness.
We are occupied but not subdued!
Nation’s ‘most effective anti-poverty program’ decimated to fund more tax cuts for billionaires
by Marc H. Morial, TriceEdneyWire.com -
-
“It’s just a given that a civilized society would want to take care of people who are struggling to put food on their table. To see that all unwound for the sole purpose of ensuring there was more money to give tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires is beyond unconscionable. It’s cruel” — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps, has been determined to be "our nation’s most effective antipoverty program for the nonelderly."
Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, SNAP kept nearly 6.6 million people, including three million children, above the poverty line. A 2021 adjustment to benefits kept another 2.9 million people out of poverty.
Not only does every dollar invested in SNAP generate an estimated $1.80 in immediate economic activity, the longterm effect on young children who have access to SNAP is so dramatic that each dollar invested yields an astonishing $62 in value.
But none of that is as important to the Trump administration and its allies in Congress as tax cuts for billionaires.
The ‘Big Ugly Bill’ passed by Congress and signed by the president last month will strip more than 22 million American families of some or all of their nutrition assistance. More than three million will be dropped from the program entirely in the first year.
This heartless and short-sighted transfer of resources from the most
Marc H. Morial
vulnerable to the very wealthiest will reverberate throughout the economy, bringing job loss and the failure of small businesses across the nation. Shifting costs from the federal government to the states could trigger tax increases or a complete termination of nutrition assistance in a state.
The effect on families of color, who are twice as likely to rely on SNAP as White families, is especially intense. More than two-thirds of the individuals that SNAP helped lift out of poverty in 2023 were people of color and nearly two in five were children.
The largest cut to SNAP in American history comes at a time when the Trump administration's misguided economic policies are creating an even greater need for nutrition assistance. Economic growth has slowed, prices are soaring, and unemployment (particularly Black unemployment) has surged.
In times like these, initiatives like SNAP are a bulwark against recession, helping families maintain purchasing power and keeping local businesses alive. Without them, our economy is weaker and less resilient.
The assault on SNAP
Your vote matters, but voting is not enough
by Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III TriceEdneyWire.com -
- “The political philosophy of Black nationalism only means that the Black man should control the politics and the politicians in his own community. The time when White people can come into our community and get us to vote for them so that they can be our political leaders and tell us what to do and what not to do is long gone. By the same token, the time when that same White man, knowing that your eyes are too far open, can send another Negro into the community, get you and me to support him so he can use him to lead us astray—those days are long gone too” -Malcolm X, The Ballot or the Bullet, April 3, 1964.
In theory, the fundamental premise of American democracy is “one man (or person), one vote.” Under the original concept of Jeffersonian Democracy, in most states access to the franchise was limited to White males who owned at least a fifty-acre plot of land. Towards the end of the 18th century and early into the 19th century, states began lifting the property and education requirements for White males. African Americans were legally granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1870. Women were granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
in the reconciliation package comes from four directions:
• reducing the federal contribution to states’ SNAP programs, cutting federal funding for food benefits up to 25%, and administrative costs by half;
• expanding SNAP’s ‘harsh, ineffective, and red tape-laden’ work requirement;
• ending food assistance for 120,000 to 250,000 people with a lawful immigration status, including about 50,000 children;
• cutting food benefits for people with low incomes by permanently freezing the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, increasing the paperwork burden, and restricting deductions.
The Trump administration has tried to prop up support for its unpopular agenda with false claims about Americans who receive SNAP benefits. The majority of able-bodied, non-elderly SNAP recipients already are working: 89% of households with children and a non-disabled adult included at least one member who worked in the 12 months before or after receiving benefits. Undocumented immigrants, the administration's go-to scapegoats, have never been eligible to receive SNAP.
Allowing American children to go hungry so billionaires can get enormous tax breaks is immoral. It's also bad fiscal policy. SNAP supports local businesses, stabilizes communities, and invests in the prosperity of the next generation. Preserving and strengthening SNAP is not only a humanitarian imperative, but an economic one.
be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted because it changed the relationship between the federal and state governments relative to voting.
As America celebrates the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it is important to realize that it and other acts before it are under attack. These acts primarily deal with the processes or ‘mechanics’ of voting, not the ‘business’ of electoral politics.
For evidence related to the process or mechanics of voting being under attack you can turn to the work of investigative journalist Greg Palast. In his piece, ‘Trump Lost. Vote Suppression Won,’ Palast said: “…if all legal voters were allowed to vote, if all legal ballots were counted, Trump would have lost the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Vice-President Kamala Harris would have won the presidency with 286 electoral votes. As in Bush v. Gore in 2000, this election was determined by good old ‘vote suppression,’ the polite term we use for shafting people of color out of their ballot. We used to call it Jim Crow.”
Based upon Palast’s research, here are key data points that he was able to uncover related to mechanics of the process:
• 4,776,706 voters were wrongly purged from voter rolls according to U.S. Elections Assistance Commission data.
Even though the franchise had become constitutionally protected for African Americans, in many states, especially in the South and mid-West, African Americans faced stateenforced systemic disenfranchisement. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1, of the Constitution known as the ‘Elections Clause,’ gives state legislatures the power to prescribe the "times, places, and manner" of holding elections for senators and representatives. There are other constitutional provisions that address presidential elections.
For decades, stateenforced, systemic disenfranchisement was the order of the day in many states across the country. Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation from the late 19th to the mid20th century. These laws affected all aspects of everyday life for African Americans, from impacting the ability to go to school, access to housing, employment, travel and access to public accommodations to voting. The implementation of literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses and direct personal physical intimidation were all tools used to keep African Americans from voting.
Congress and the Supreme Court came to the rescue (or so it was thought) with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The 1964 Act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and eliminated many of the voter discrimination tactics that had been used to suppress the African American vote. The 1965 Act prohibited racial discrimination in voting and empowered the federal government to oversee state elections. The 1965 Act is considered by many to
• By August of 2024, for the first time since 1946, self-proclaimed ‘vigilante’ voter-fraud hunters challenged the rights of 317,886 voters. The NAACP of Georgia estimates that by Election Day, the challenges exceeded 200,000 in Georgia alone.
• No less than 2,121,000 mail-in ballots were disqualified for minor clerical errors (e.g. postage due).
• At least 585,000 ballots cast in-precinct were also disqualified.
• 1,216,000 ‘provisional’ ballots were rejected, not counted.
• 3.24 million new registrations were rejected or not entered on the rolls in time to vote.
In the context of the ‘business’ of electoral politics, since the 2010 supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, corporations and unions have been granted the same First Amendment free speech rights as individuals. Corporations and other entities can spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns—hence, the ‘business’ of electoral politics.
According to an April 2024 article in The Guardian entitled, ‘ProIsrael U.S. groups plan $100m effort to unseat progressives over Gaza, saying: “The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is betting that $100m will be enough to fight back a wave of progressive dissent over Israel’s war in Gaza this election cycle. The 2024 election will be bellwether of the enduring impact of these groups on U.S. politics amid shifting U.S. public opinion on Israel.”
Many voters are confused. They can’t understand why in so many instances the individuals they elect to represent their interests, get to Congress and represent the interests of outside forces. In the African American community many wonder if the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), originally known as the ‘Conscience of the Congress’
has become unconscious? I published a piece to that effect in 2022, wherein I wrote: “Now is the time for the African American community to take stock, not of the original 13 members of the CBC, but of the current 58. Are they in fact addressing the problems facing the African American community? Are they taking effective “groupaction”? Has the ‘conscience of the Congress’ become unconscious? Have they devolved into a comprador class of relatively privileged, wealthy and educated natives of a colonized land that have been ‘bought’ by the colonizers? More simply put by the late Glen Ford, have they become “the Black Misleadership Class?” Just look at the data. According to Open Secrets and the numbers for the 2023-24 election cycle based on Federal Election Commission data, Rep. Ritchie Torres received $1,635,583 from the Securities & Investment industry and $535,798 from AIPAC. During that same period, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jefferies received $866,425 from AIPAC. Rep. Gregory Meeks received $510,128 from the ProIsrael industry (as classified by Open Secrets) and another $448,828 directly from AIPAC. According to a 2024 report from JStreet, the JStreetPAC (the political fundraising arm of the pro-Israel advocacy group J Street) announced it has raised over $6M for the HarrisWalz presidential campaign. It is important to understand that what is documented here is not illegal. This is ‘pay to play’ politics in America, a.k.a., “He who pays the piper calls the tune.” As a result of the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, corporations and unions have been granted the ability to use money as free speech. Listeners to my programs ask, ‘does my vote matter’ and ‘what do I have to do to bring about change?’ Yes, your vote does matter, but voting is not enough. Too many people believe that once the vote is cast the job is done. The reality is, that’s when the work starts. Change takes constant pressure, engagement, and yes: finances. Too many in the African American community continue to vote for representatives who are paid by outside forces to support issues that are not in the best interest of the community. Simply put, the community does not control the representatives it elects, because the community is not paying to play. That’s why, as Fred Hampton said, by engaging in this process in the prescribed manner you continue to: “…come up with answers that don’t answer, explanations that don’t explain; you’ll come up with conclusions that don’t conclude…” They can’t make it make sense. As America celebrates the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it is important to realize that it and other civil rights acts are under attack. The fundamental elements of democracy are under attack. Steve Bannon, the ‘Trump whisperer,’ was very clear. They are engaged in “…a daily fight for ‘deconstruction of the administrative state.’” It’s a direct assault on the processes or ‘mechanics’ of voting coupled with the ‘business’ of electoral politics. Don’t ever forget that ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune.’ Also, if you don’t pay for a seat at the table, you will probably be on the menu.
The editorials on this page do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers or staff of this newspaper.
Detention facility... from page 1
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee quickly challenged the legality of the town’s decision. In a letter to Mayor Noeman and the board of aldermen, ACLU officials argued that the vote did not meet the legal threshold for approval because abstentions cannot be counted as ‘yes’ votes. “Officials cannot ignore their own laws to push through a harmful contract that will generate $30 million in corporate profits for a forprofit prison company,”
said Stella Yarbrough, legal director for the ACLU of Tennessee.
“We are demanding that Mayor Noeman and the board acknowledge this vote failed and immediately halt this illegal arrangement.”
The ACLU has requested written confirmation from Mason officials within seven days and called for an immediate halt to all contract activity with CoreCivic and ICE.
While CoreCivic has not released a timeline for reopening, the com-
pany says recruitment efforts are underway, with more than 2,100 applicants already expressing interest in the new jobs. Town officials, meanwhile, face mounting pressure from advocacy groups to revisit their approval.
As Mason weighs the economic benefits against legal and ethical challenges, the future of the West Tennessee Detention Facility remains under scrutiny from both local residents and statewide civil rights advocates.
Washington, D.C.... from page 1
Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.
After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying: “I walked around
yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”
That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime president, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.
Without any sourcing, President Trump also said: “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”
The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.
Voting Rights Act... from page 3
YWCA, LWV, and more than 20 partner organizations reaffirming their commitment to protecting voting rights, followed by a unifying rendition of ‘We Shall Overcome.’
More than 75 community members attended, representing groups including Tennessee State University, Fisk University, the Equity Alliance, NAACP Nashville, Urban League
of Middle Tennessee, and AWAKE.
The ‘Together We Rise – Stand Against Injustice 2025’ rally was supported by the Harnisch Foundation.
Danielle Spencer... from page 2
loss. Danielle was more than a television icon. She was a kind, thoughtful, and compassionate woman whose humor, talent, and generosity left a lasting impact on everyone she met,” wrote Virginia House of Delegates member Delores McQuinn in a statement on August 12.
In 2014, Spencer became the only former child actor to be honored in a permanent exhibition at the Smithsonian (aka: National Museum
of African American History and Culture). In late September 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Dr. Danielle Spencer-David was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
“The world has lost an icon today. Danielle Spencer, known as Dee from the sitcom What’s Happening!! paved the way for a lot of actors/actresses and inspired thousands of individuals throughout
the world. Not only was she an actress, but she was also an author, community activist, and veterinarian. She was an awesome and phenomenal woman. May her footprints be forever imprinted in the sands of time. Rest in paradise, Cousin Danielle, until we meet again,” said James JJ Minor, president, Richmond, Va. Branch NAACP, who is a cousin.
Musicians Corner... from page 3
100 and Musicians Corner’s artist curation efforts alongside the series’ fan - favorite outdoor concert experience that has been cultivated over 16 years in Centennial Park.
“Musicians Corner is a live music tradition in Nashville,” said Dan Buckley, Lightning 100 Program Director. “The opportunity for Lightning 100 to partner again
with this beloved concert series is an honor and privilege. At the end of the day it’s events like this that make Nashville one of the best cities on the planet to live in. Free Fest is for everyone and we are proud to put our name on it.”
38 multi-genre artists, including Saa-neah, Yola, The Magi, Sheldon Smith, TEN, Joy Clark, Carver Jones, Nikki
Morgan and Cedric Burnside will perform. The family-friendly, petfriendly festival will continue to bring together a vast lineup of the city’s finest food vendors, local artisans, and Kidsville activities.
See the Musicians Corner website for details, times, and more about the artists, go to https://musicians corner.com/.
Open Streets... from page 3
to bring that vision back to their own neighborhoods.”
To help residents host their own events, NDOT and Walk Bike Nashville have created an Open Streets Toolkit, which guides organizers through permitting, safety planning, and activity ideas.
NDOT has also waived event permit fees and allows organizers to borrow cones, signage, and other traffic-control materials at no cost.
“We’re thrilled to support residents in creating safer, more livable streets,” said NDOT Director Diana Alarcón.
“Whether you’re walking, biking, or simply playing outside, Open Streets helps make neighborhoods feel more connected.”
The August 17 event was the second in the city’s summer series, following a kickoff on July 20. The final installment is set for Sunday, September 7, when the
Trump business... from
five-fold increase in Mar-a-Lago membership revenues since Trump’s entry into politics.
The article also cites $27.7 million from personal merchandise sales, more than $100 million in donor-funded PAC money used to pay legal bills, and licensing profits from a Vietnam golf and hotel complex. Other reported benefits include a $150 million private jet offered by the Emir of Qatar, cryptocurrency and NFT ventures worth more than $14 million, and media settlements totaling $63 million.
page 1
same five-mile loop will again transform into a car-free corridor. No registration is required to participate. Residents are encouraged to bring bikes, skateboards, skates, or just comfortable walking shoes and enjoy what organizers call a “citywide block party.”
For details on how to host a neighborhood event or view maps and activity schedules, visit www.OpenStreets Nashville.org.
Unmanageable... from page 3
aimed at strengthening the link between artistic practice and advocacy.
“Artists in the South are often overlooked, and with large-scale funding cuts, many are left trying to figure out what’s next for them,” said Octavia Yearwood, Unmanageable’s director of ‘special projects.’ “This series is our answer to that call. It will not only support the artists who attend, but it will also help shape our work moving forward.”
Each month’s session
will explore themes of art, organizing, and collective action, including:
• Aug. 25: ‘Rooted + Raging: The Artist Ancestral Tree’ –grounding cultural work in lineage, rage, and righteous defiance.
• Sept. 29: ‘From Feeling to Force: Strategy as a Container for Rage’: channeling emotion into collective action.
• Oct. 27: ‘Offer What You Can: Time, Talent, Tithe’: sustain-
able contribution and shared responsibility.
• Nov. 24: ‘What Artists Need: Building a Culture of Support’: creating infrastructure to sustain liberation work.
The long-term goal of Stay Righteously Unmanageable is to cultivate a national network of creatives engaged in cultural advocacy, offering spaces to share knowledge, build authentic connections, and strengthen community support.
under my contract to fight this decision. I am confident that we will prevail,” Jealous said. He has also retained legal representation in the case.
Jealous, 52, has a prominent career in civil rights and activism, having served as president of the NAACP from 2008 to 2013 and People for the American Way from 2020 to 2022. He also had an unsuccessful bid in the Maryland gubernatorial race in 2018. In environmental justice, he began as a forest protection activist in high school. There are no previous scandals of note regarding his leadership.
Former Club board members Aaron Mair and Chad Hanson released a statement in support of Jealous, calling the decision wrongful and discriminatory, and citing a smear campaign from specific union groups.
“Where past White executive directors followed particular procedures and practices that were treated as sound, acceptable, and wise, Ben has been severely criticized for following the very same fiscally prudent and professional practices,” the statement in defense of Jealous reads.
“Instead of recognizing and appreciating the fact that Ben is both a civil rights leader fighting for racial justice and a longtime defender of wild places and lover of Nature, Ben’s vision was met with a troubling resistance from some who made the racist assumption that he would shift the organization away from environmental work, simply because he is Black and was a former NAACP executive.”
Mair and Hanson discussed a ‘Phantom Staff Letter,’ used to oust Jealous. It was allegedly signed by 117 club staff members, in which they point out there is no way of verifying any signature, because no names were included.
Ethics experts quoted in the piece described Trump’s financial entanglements as without precedent. Fred Wertheimer, a longtime government watchdog, said: “When it comes to using public office to amass personal profits, Trump is a unicorn—no one else even comes close.”
The total value of the reported gains stands at more than $1 billion.
Ben Jealous... from page 1
They also called out the Progressive Workers Union (PWU), a separate group that says it represents around 200 national and state chapter employees and volunteers, although there has not been verification.
“The Sierra Club’s first Black executive director is being treated like a fall guy, unfairly blamed for board and past management decisions made before he began his job,” the statement reads.
Some of the issues of contention that PWU has highlighted with Jealous’s leadership include the multiple rounds of layoffs at the organization; supposed mismanagement of the budget; dismantling the Equity Department; halting the work of the Restorative Accountability Recommendations Tracking & Implementation Team; and “gutting” the Healthy Communities program, which provided funds for much of the chapters’ work on the ground.
In a letter released on August 12, the PWU BIPOC Caucus responded to the allegations of racism against Jealous. “BIPOC staff and allies alike have been voicing our concerns about Mr. Jealous’s leadership and actions—not because of his identity, but because of the impacts of his choices. We believe the former board members making these accusations are weaponizing racial justice in an attempt to silence those raising concerns, including BIPOC staff,” the statement read.
The caucus claims, based on their independent analysis, that nearly half of the firings under Jealous involved BIPOC staff.
Jealous’s claims of racism corroborate other claims of similar treatment in the organization by former employees.
Montravius King, who served as South Carolina chapter director from 2023 to 2025, told the AmNews he experienced several hur-
dles, including racial discrimination in attempting to lead his chapter, and that the local board of the Sierra Club in South Carolina was never responsive.
Virginia Sanders, 82, who has worked with the Sierra Club in volunteer and staff roles on and off since 1981 in South Carolina, said she saw firsthand how racism affected both Jealous and King’s tenures. She cited an instance where news of Jealous’ appointment in 2023 was intentionally kept silent from South Carolina members and another where he was not invited to a Freedom Fund Banquet.
“The welcome mat was not laid out for Ben Jealous,” Sanders told the Amsterdam News. According to Sanders, she has long been prounion but that her experience with PWU was that they were inexperienced and focused on complaining instead of using resources.
Other officials, including Dr. Angelle Bradford Rosenberg, chair and manager of the Delta Chapter, have expressed frustration with the decision.
“Honestly, this process has been cloaked in such silence and lack of transparency and communication and empty platitudes,” Bradford said. “Patrick’s announcement email appears to reflect very little understanding of the gravity, impact, grief, and humiliation tied up in the vastness of this decision to fire the club’s first Black executive director. This is tragic. Not a ‘moment of renewal.’’’
Others, including Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network, have reacted to the firing, releasing a statement calling for an independent party to mediate a resolution between both sides.
“There are serious racial implications in firing a Black man of Ben’s caliber, in this fashion, at a time when diversity is under attack,” Sharpton said.
Residents celebrate launch of free hygiene vending machine in Rutherford County
MURFREESBORO
Wellpoint Tennessee, in partnership with the Murfreesboro Boys & Girls Club and Archie’s Promise, hosted a ribboncutting ceremony to celebrate the installation of a new hygiene vending machine in the Murfreesboro Boys & Girls Club, which provides free essential personal care products to students in underserved communities.
“The Boys & Girls Club has always been a safe place for our youth to grow and thrive,” said state Sen. Shane Reeves. “This new hygiene initiative ensures that every child has the dignity and confidence they need to focus on learning and building a brighter future.”
The vending machine offers items such as deodorant, toothpaste, floss, wet wipes, and both feminine and regular hygiene packs. This initiative supports student health, dignity, and confidence, enabling local youth to focus on their education and personal growth without barriers related to hygiene insecurity.
“Access to basic hygiene products is fun-
damental to a child’s confidence and success in school,” said Natalie Cooper, president of Wellpoint Tennessee. “By partnering with community organizations, we are addressing an oftenoverlooked social driver of health that can impact attendance, self-esteem, and mental well-being.”
The ribbon-cutting event took place at the Murfreesboro Boys & Girls Club, where the new vending machine will remain free to the community as a collaborative effort to tackle hygiene insecurity.
“By placing these hygiene vending machines in our community, Wellpoint is helping our kids show up clean, confident, and ready to succeed,” said Keith Churn, executive and unit director of the Murfreesboro Boys & Girls Club. “That kind of investment speaks volumes about their commitment to the well-being of our youth.”
Wellpoint Tenn essee’s donation of this vending machine is part of a broader commitment to advancing community wellbeing by removing social and economic barriers to care. Local Boys & Girls Clubs serve as vital safe havens for children facing economic challenges, and this initiative enables students to have free, easy access to hygiene essentials, reducing health-related obstacles.
Promise played a key role in making this project possible, highlighting the power of community collaboration in addressing critical needs for vulnerable youth.
Community organizations such as Archie’s
“Installing this machine and offering discreet access helps remove the stigma often
TSU opens football season against NCA&T in John Merritt Classic
by Cass Teague Defending Co - OVC
Big South champion Tennessee State University football will officially commence its 2025 schedule, an exciting slate of matchups, with the annual John Merritt Classic (JMC), followed by the Legacy Series, with a total of eight home games in Nissan Stadium. The team looks to build on the success of the 2024 season when the Tigers went 9-4 (6-2) reaching the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the first time since 2013 and claimed their first conference title since 1999 under then head coach Eddie George.
The highly anticipated Legacy Series has TSU at home for the third straight game for the first time since the 1978 season on September 13. Alabama A&M treks up I–65 to face the Tigers in the first of a four – year series. The Tigers and Bulldogs share a storied rivalry, with TSU leading the all-time series 21 – 8 since their first meeting in 1930. Their last matchup was in 2010, with TSU claiming a 27 – 14 victory.
linked with asking for help,” said Claressa Ham, founder and executive director of Archie’s Promise. “It is a quiet yet impactful method to make sure students have the essential resources they need to feel confident and supported.” This initiative is a powerful step toward making sure all youth in Rutherford County have the resources they need to thrive. Wellpoint Tennessee continues to invest in programs that tackle the social determinants of health and strengthen communities across the state.
Meet The 2025 Aristocrat Of Bands
This Weekend
Join fans and family of the world-reknowned TSU Aristocrat of Bands marching band at their Fan Day on Saturday, August 23, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Practice Field on campus. The FREE event features live music, meet & greet with Director James Sexton and the band staff, plus photo ops you won’t want to miss. Come get up close and personal with these magnificent student athlete musicians and dancers. Bring your lawn chair and come jam with the AoB!
The first year of the Reggie Barlow era kicks off on Saturday, August 30, with the prestigious John Ayers Merritt Classic, as TSU hosts the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NCA&T) Aggies. The Tigers hold a 19 – 6 – 1 record against the Aggies, making their JMC debut. This will not be the first “classic” battle between the foes, with the Aggies holding a 3 – 2 edge. This matchup has previously been featured in the Capitol Classic, Riverfront Classic and the Circle City Classic (CCC). TSU won the most recent meeting 37 – 7 in the 2010 CCC in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Field.
Following a bye week, TSU opens conference play at home September 27 against Tennessee Tech. The Tigers finally hit the road for games at Eastern Illinois October 4, and Southeast Missouri October 11.
Week 2 pits the Tigers in a challenging matchup against 2025 FCS national champion North Dakota State on September 6. The Bison defeated TSU last season in Fargo.
The 2025 TSU Homecoming will see the Howard Bison stampede into Nashville. Last year a sea of the Big Blue cascaded down onto Washington, D.C.,
for Howard’s Homecoming. The Tigers and Bison will conclude this historic “homecoming and homecoming” two –game series on October 18. The Tiger home stand continues the following weekend, with Western Illinois visiting on October 25, and Lindenwood coming in on November 1. The Tigers will then travel to UT –Martin on November 8. TSU will play its final home game of the regular season against Gardner-Webb on November 15 for Senior Day. They close out the season on
the road at Charleston Southern on November 22. The city of Nashville and the Ohio Valley Conference will host the 2026 and 2027 Division I Football Championship games. The first will be played at FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University January 5, 2026. For more information on Tennessee State football, including ticket sales and game promotions, visit TSUTigers. com or follow @TSU TigersFB on social media.
Curb College welcomes inaugural Master of Art in Media
and Entertainment Industries cohort
a sense of belonging to the Belmont and Nashville communities, included networking events, resource information sessions, an entertainment industry
panel and a downtown excursion.
As a final wrap up before concluding with visits to Nashville staples Assembly Food Hall, the Ryman and the National Museum for African American Music, MAMEI students met and learned from alumni industry professionals:
• Kristoff Hart (2016), vice president of partner marketing at Wonder Project: Oversaw segmented marketing for The Chosen, helping reach 30+ million viewers and developed and executed marketing campaigns for brands like Swisher Sweets, Johnson Controls and Warner Music Group, as well as artists including T.I. and Brad Paisley
• Cassidy Zuver (2021), artist manager at Red Light Management: Manager of Grammy-
winning country trio Lady A and emerging artist Ryman
• Alex Stefano (2015), vice president, Sync at Big Yellow Dog: Placed writers in spots with Target, Apple, Ikea, Walmart, Air Canada, Jeep and HBO MAX and in shows and films like Grey's Anatomy, Ransom Canyon, The Perfect Couple and Bridgerton “The in-person immersion experience was an awesome way to interact with both classmates and professors alike and get excited for the year to come,” said student Emma Johansson, a 2022 Belmont alumna.
“We got to explore Nashville, get a sneak peek at our courses, hear from accomplished alumni and dream together about what this program could look like for each of us.”
Reggie Barlow is the 23rd head football coach in TSU program history.
Wellpoint Tennessee Team at the ribbon-cutting event for the installation of a new hygiene vending machine at the Murfreesboro Boys & Girls Club.
MAMEI inaugural class
Pastor, Pew & Pulpit
Faith of A Mustard Seed
by Barbara A. Woods Washington, M. Div.
“... delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles— to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:17-18). This final occurrence of ‘Jesus faith’ in Acts.
Remembering now, how Death went down in August of 2022 in a way that causes most Faith Driven Lives to take serious pause. Lelia Smith McBath, for whose services I brought a Word of Life in Los Angeles, CA. Rev. Dr. Kathy Olgetree Goodwin, whose services I attended in Louisville, KY. Dr. Walter McKelvy, a former President of Gammon Theological Seminary. And then TSU’s University Physician, Dr. Ivan Davis, (son of our 30 yr President credited for moving TSU from College to University in 1951); at whose passing I took... Pause. The 139th Psalm as sung by the now also late Mandisa whose two CD’s in their entirety speak to my heart: “He is with you in the ICU when the doctors don’t know what to do, and it scares you to the core, He is with you. ...When nothing else is left, and you take your final breath— He is with you!”
Amplification of this verse requires in depth thought on this:
1. “turn from darkness to 'phos/light”. (“I AM the ‘phos’ of the world”. “Let your ‘phos’ so shine...”. “You are the ‘phos’ of the world”. “that they which enter in may see the ‘phos’”. “what I tell you in the dark, speak in the ‘phos’”. “and the life was the ‘phos’”. “to bear witness to the ‘phos’”. “but shall have the ‘phos’ of life”. “...stumbles, because there is no ‘phos’ in him”. “the ‘phos’ which is in thee is not darkness”. “as long as I AM in the world, I AM ‘phos’”.
2. “from the power of Satan to God” (waaaaay to much ‘satanology’ in the preaching and teaching of the Christian Church.) Stands to reason why so much HELL, yeah I said it... So much HELL IN THE CHURCH! Only one name under the heavens for salvation, CALL on the name JESUS.
3. “receive forgiveness of sins”. I’ll settle for “those who are sanctified by faith in me”; (remembering this to be the 3rd recording of ‘S(P)aul’s Call’.
First used of ‘sanctuaries’, the ‘agios’ word groups spoke of the sense of ‘reverence’; ‘the object of awe’; ‘the most beautiful and sacred without public access’. ‘Sanctus’ is spoken of in the essence of most every god known in ancient cultures. It is a ‘state’ and never an ‘action’. For Israel, it becomes a conscious transference to the possession of God to whom the dedicated person, place or thing now belongs. In this
divine state of holiness, cleanliness, sanctification— life must be lived! An ‘abiding’. This life is only possible as a personal being taken up into the existence of God. This ‘place’ among those who are “sanctified by faith” is translated by some as ‘inheritance’ (NJB New Jerusalem Bible; NAB New American Bible). Perhaps the revelation of the songwriter that penned: “Living, He loved me; Dying, He saved me; Buried, He carried my sins far away. Rising, He justified; Freeing me forever...”
This NATIONAL STATE affairs of men whose faces are covered with masks, appointed and sanctioned by a Justice System that gives ‘carte blanc’ to these masked men to take GENTILES/Immigrants (of which they themselves ALL ARE descendants) —take LIFE by theft... into an “Alligator Alley Prison” built in Florida... and other unknown place of abyss. America “Eating it’s young”. DO WE HATE GOD? Real Talk!
It must be borne in mind that this ‘inheritance’, this ‘living place’ of holiness IS NOT an action! The action is ‘Jesus/faith’— faith must remain active AT ALL TIMES! Somebody say, “The Dynamics of Faith!” —Living, Dying, Buried, Rising, Freeing...
It is no small thing that we reach this concept of ‘holy by faith’; ‘sanctified by faith’ as the final occurrence of ‘Jesus/faith’ in Acts. It’s what Acts is ALL about— receiving the power of The Holy Spirit! That POWER that has become “A Foreign Affair” to the men of 2025 America.
All inquiries By email: talk2therev@icloud.com. “Contradictions Not Final” Wednesdays on Zoom. 6:00 pm CST 7:00 pm EST. Join the Dialogue at my “Swellcast”. At all times: https://SWELLCAST.com/therev
Marching forward: Commemorating
the March on Washington on Wall Street
by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. Joint Coalition of Churches & National Action Network statement:
On August 28, 2025, in solemn commemoration of the historic 1963 March on Washington, a united coalition of churches and the Black Press led by Dr. Boise Kimber; Bishop J. Drew Sheard and Dr. Samuel C. Tolbert; Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President/CEO of NNPA, and the Black Press of America will join Civil Rights icon Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, to lead a protest march on Wall Street in New York City, the epicenter of economic power and privilege. The march will feature prominent religious and Civil Rights leaders and activists.
As our communities face a mounting economic crisis disproportionately devastating African Americans and the marginalized, we declare that now is the time for the faith community to rise and speak with moral clarity. Just as Dr. King before us, today’s religious leaders must carry the mandate and mantle to fight for social and economic justice for all people.
The march not only honors the legacy of those who came before us but also confronts the urgent injustices of today. Economic disparity is not just a political issue; it is a moral one. We will not be silent. We will not yield to
systems or policies that rob our people of opportunity, dignity, and basic human rights. This is more than a moment; this is a movement. Together, we will stand. Together, we will march. Together, we will speak. Together, we will rise. Joint Coalition of Churches & National Action Network (NAN).
Epressions of Faith:
by Bishop-elect Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. 1 Chronicles 4:10
“ Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and You would keep me from evil, that I might not cause pain! So God granted him what he requested.”
Jabez made a bold move, by asking God to not only enlarge his existing territory, but to bless him indeed; meaning to bless him above and beyond what he can conceive or imagine. Jabez had the faith to ask beyond his current situation. Jabez was born into sorrow or pain. His mother bore him with pain and named him Jabez. His name means sorrow or pain. He was more honorable than his brothers for he attempted to do good always. There were times he failed in his trying, but he did not accept his fate. He refused to be limited by the negative word of man over his life.
He struggled to find meaning and significance in life because his fellow
mankind disrespected him and titled him a failure. Jabez found himself in such a situation that he would always cause pain to himself. Jabez is from the tribe of Simeon which had no tribal territory of its own, but dwelt within the territory of Judah. Not having nothing to call your own is a sad thing. Your family has nothing, you have nothing, and generations that will come after you will have nothing. So something must be done. So he craved a relationship with God. Not a man of evil or sin; but a man of faith to live by the nature and the will of God. He was committed to a God of infinite love, grace, and mercy. Jabez knew that he needed God to grant him that which he requested. As you live your life to please God, He will grant you what you need to do His will. Speak over yourself! I need a spiritual enlargement. I need deliverance from my enemies by exemplifying spiritual light and knowledge. No more grief, no more pain, and no more sorrow. I need your love, grace, and mercy. I pray that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from evil and of harm so that I will be free from pain. Grant me this request for your glory! Not for me but to do your will. God granted his request. Today God will grant you this same request. Have faith and say God all I won't to do is your will. In the end, Jabez prayer had a significant impact on the history if Israel. Are you willing to pray for God to enlarge your borders?
Nashville PRIDE Directory of Churches
40th Avenue
Church of Christ 616 40th Avenue North Nashville TN, 37209 (615) 329-2325
www.40thavecoc.com
Sunday School 9:00 a.m.
Sunday Worship
10:00 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.
Bible Study: Wed. 7:00 p.m. and Thurs 11:00 a.m.
Min. Dr. Charles A Beaman
Church of Scientology & Celebrity Centre Nashville 1130 8th Ave S Nashville, TN 37203
615-687-4600
7 days a week with Service every Sunday at 11AM scientologyccnashville.org
Senior Pastor: Rev. Brian Fesler
Clark Memorial UMC
Worship service: Sundays 10:00 am 1014 14th Ave. N.
615-329-4464
Senior Pastor: Rev. Toi King
Cleveland Street MBC 608 Cleveland Street Nashville, TN 37207
615-227-1149
Sunday Worship: 10:45 a.m./9:15 Church School
clevelandstreetbaptist@comcast.net
clevelandstreetbaptistchurch.com
Dr. Donald Snead, pastor
Corinthian Missionary
Baptist Church 819 33rd Avenue N. Nashville, TN 37209 (615) 977-6855
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. Wed. Worship: 7:30 PM Rev. Enoch Fuzz, pastor
Ezra Emmanuel Ministries 2606 Union Hall Rd. Clarksville, TN 37040 931-378-1092 ezraemmanuelmin.org
9 a.m. Sunday worship 6 p.m. Wednesday Hr of Empowerment Overseer Danelle M.Stephens
Gospel United Missionary
Baptist Church 3700 Fairview Dr. Nashville, TN 37218
615-876-7022
9:30 Sunday School Sunday Worship:11:00 a.m.
Pastor Carlos A. Jones
Greater St. John Baptist Church 2200 26th Ave, No. Nashville, TN 37208 (615) 263-9450
Sunday Worship: 10:45 a.m.
Herbert T. Brown, pastor
Gordon Memorial UMC 2334 Herman Street Nashville, TN 3728 615-329-2779
Sunday School @ 8:45am
Sunday Worship @ 10:00am Bible Studies: Mon. - Thurs. @ 6pm; Wednesdays @ 12 noon
gordonmemorialumc.org
Rev. Dr. Paula B. Smith, Pastor
Jefferson Street MBC 2708 Jefferson Street Nashville TN 37208 615-329-2990
Morning Worship: 10 a.m.
Rev. Aaron X. Marble, pastor
John Wesley UMC 901 Benton Avenue 615-298-2019
Sunday worship 8am/11am
Daniel M. Hayes, Sr. pastor jwesleyumc@bellsouth.net http://jwesleyumc.org/
Lake Providence MBC 5891 Nolensville Pike Nashville, TN 37211 (615) 833-5539
Sunday worship: 8am/11am
Rev. H. Bruce Maxwell, pastor
The Living Word International Church 5100 Wyoming Ave. Nashville, TN 37209 615-297-7437
Worship Times: 11:00 a.m. 7 p.m. (1st & 2nd Sun.) Bishop Adebanjo thelivingwordcogic.com
Mt. Lebanon MBC 222 Franklin Lime Stone Rd. 615-596-0456 11:00 a.m. worship service jamesgreen@yahoo.com Rev. James J. Green, pastor
Mt. Vernon MBC 1022 New Providence Pass Madison, TN 37115 615-860-0213
Sunday Worship 11 a.m.
Bishop Willie Joy, pastor mtvernon1022@cocast.net
Nehemiah Missionary Baptist Church
Pastor Thomas E. Hunter, Sr. 916 16th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37208 615-942-5261
Sunday School:9:00am Sunday Service: 10:00am Tues. Bible Study: 6:30pm nehemiahmissionar ybaptistchurch.com
New Salem A.M.E. Church 1800 4th Ave. N. Nashville, TN 37208 615-964-7246
Sunday Worship 11 a.m. Pastor Eddie L. Sneed
Payne Chapel AME Church 212 Neil Avenue (615) 262-3675
Sunday Worship: 10 am
Rev. W. Antoni Sinkfield
Schrader Lane Church of Christ 1234 Schrader Lane Nashville, TN 37208 (615) 329-0950 Sunday Worship: 7:45/10:15 a.m./5:00 p.m. Robert Gardenhire, Pastor
Spruce Street Baptist Church 504 Spruce Street Nashville, TN 37203 (615)
Barbara A. Woods Washington, M. Div.
Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr.
Music, morality, and mayhem power Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (***)
by Dwight Brown, Film critic for NNPA News Wire and <DwightBrownInk.com>
“Oh, what a beautiful mornin,’ oh what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feelin’ everything's goin’ my way.” Well, no. Maybe everything’s not going your way my brother.
As shots of the downtown Brooklyn skyline come into view and a booming baritone voice sings the most famous song from the 1943 groundbreaking musical Oklahoma!, the words portend a wonderful day is on its way. But that’s not the case. At least not in this film’s source material, the 1963 police procedural crime thriller High and Low by legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. And that movie was based on the 1959 American novel, King's Ransom: An 87th Precinct Mystery (by Evan Hunter). Logline: A wealthy businessman thinks his son has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom, but learns that his chauffeur’s son was abducted—not his.
Fast forward 62 years. Screenwriter Alan Fox has turned the gist of that story into a 21st century urban fable. Filmmaker Spike Lee hops aboard as director/executive producer. He Spikeanizes this age-old tale and turns it into an entertaining, though uneven twist on today’s rich and famous, their woes and the generation gap.
David King (Denzel Washington), a veteran record executive is at a crossroads. His company Stackin’ Hits Records is on the verge of a merger he doesn’t want. He schemes to buy out his partners. That may mean selling all he has, lining up backers and throwing all his chips on the table—rich man problems, the kind ambitious, narcissistic entrepreneurs love. Save your sympathy. He’s cocksure of his goals. He’ll manage. However, his more conservative wife Pam (Ilfenesh Hadera, Godfather of Harlem) is reluctant to give up her lush life for a dream. Now add marital strife to his stress. If life wasn’t complicated enough; King gets a phone call. A voice on the other line claims he’s holding King’s son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) hostage. The only way the record mogul will see his offspring again is if he hands over $17.5M in ransom money. In Swiss francs, to be exact. King is alarmed: “Somebody’s got Trey!” Family and friends support him. The NYPD launches an investigation,
spear headed by pushy cops (Dean Winters, LaChanze and John Douglas Thompson). Turns out the crooks got the wrong kid. Instead, they’re mistakenly holding the son (Eligah Wright) of King’s chauffeur and buddy Paul (Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction). Uh Oh.
This paradoxical allegory is ripe for exploration and the script takes that premise in several directions. King has to decide to save a life or his fortune. It’s only a moral dilemma if you’re a materialist. He is, and hence the developing quandary. Though in his defense, $17.5M is a lot of bank. Add in an ensuing criminal investigation and the plotline is fully capable of sustaining forward momentum—the kind that will keeps audiences intrigued until the culprits are captured or escape.
What’s striking in the first act of the film is the lack of a clear tone and style. What’s on view doesn’t mimic the tight, tense approach to New York crime-thrillers like director Sidney Lumet’s work on Before the Devils Knows You’re Dead—nor the gritty rhythmic, perfectly staged patterns of TV’s Law & Order, a decades-old formula audiences love.
What viewers see and experience is the shallow grandness of King’s penthouse, his bourgie leanings, pretentious conversations and fancy record company offices—with the depth of a throw-away Tyler Perry movie. Thats not usually Lee’s brand. A bombastic score, by Howard Drossin, is more fit for a 1950s-60s soap opera than modern metropolitan Black life. It further compounds an unsettled feeling. Just as it seems direction, script and acting in the film will never gel, the footage hits a different gear.
In the second act, during a sting operation, chase scenes and fights are artfully interspersed with a Puerto Rican Day Parade and a music festival gathering in the Bronx. Legendary jazz/salsa musician Eddie Palmieri, who just passed (RIP), is the main act. He’s introduced by Rosie Perez and Anthony Ramos. It’s a wondrous view of Latin culture, music and dancing, smartly juxtaposed by criminal activity. This is one of the most brilliantly filmed segments in any Spike Lee movie. It’s on par with the iconic New York action scenes in The French Connection. The sequence is edited by Barry Alexander Brown and Allyson
Black celebrities set summer ablaze with iconic fashion moments
by Stacy M. Brown, Senior national correspondent, Black Press U.S.A.
While the world has been caught up in chaos (from political madness to climate extremes) Black celebrities reminded everyone that fashion is still a powerful form of expression. This summer, they didn’t just step out. They shut it down, turning sidewalks into runways and premieres into fashion clinics.
According to a roundup published by The Root, Rihanna showed up to the premiere of Smurfs glowing in blue and baby bump chic, proving once again that motherhood and high fashion go hand in hand when you’re a Fenty queen. From the red carpet to maternity slayage, Rihanna made it clear: she’s still running the style game while growing her empire—and her family.
Tyla, South Africa’s rising style icon, paid homage to early-2000s divas with a look that screamed Y2K glam. With chunky accessories, a statement belt, and fearless hair choices, Tyla showed the world that the new school knows exactly how to remix old-school flair.
Then there’s Megan Thee Stallion, who turned New York streets into her runway. In a vibrant red ensemble topped with a whimsical hat sprouting apple leaves, she didn’t just rep the Big Apple. She became it. The Hot Girl Coach proved once again that she can do sexy, streetwear, and statement all in one breath.
C. Johnson who display the precision of a surgeon. The rhythm is perfect. The dazzling cinematography (Matthew Libatique, Black Swan and PI) aptly captures the spirit of the festivities. A sea of red and white summer costumes (Francine JamisonTanchuck) makes the people look even more vibrant. It’s all so ingeniously crafted you wish it wouldn’t end—more than making up for the first act.
The third and final act infuses drama into the action scenes. Tough conversations add a new intensity. Arguments between a selfish man trying to be more humane and a misguided soul named Yung Felon (A$AP Rocky), who lacks a basic humanity, are explosive. The push and pull, between the older, cushy man and the younger jealous rhymer, is fiery. Yung: “You ain’t god no more, n---a. I am!” Philosophies about choosing art over business and being pulled into the mire of social media are exchanged and heady. This is where Fox’s script redeems all that came before with intelligent, enlightening thoughts about present day life and the clash between old and new mores.
Forget the over-dialogued and stagnant opening scenes. The previous awkward staging of supporting actors
and extras. Now scenes are tight as a drum. The pacing is kinetic. The overambitious musical score heightens emotions. Vibrant R&B (James Brown’s ‘The Payback’) and rap music kick in. Fear, anger, campy hip hop joy and resolve blend together. Prison scenes, music videos clips and a Star Search audition are mixed in. It’s an odd mishmash that builds to a satiating ending. It all works. It clicks. Washington and Wright are fine in their roles, though they’ve both shined brighter in other films. Can’t deny their infectious comraderie: Paul pulls a gun out and David questions what it’s for. Paul, “Insurance. That’s Jake from State Farm.” A$AP Rocky as the misguided rapper milks the blood out of his character. Hurt inside, projecting negativity and doing ill-conceived things, he's so good, so authentic a franchise could be built around him. A The Fast and Furious action film or a Creed sports movie. He’s got that ‘it’ factor.
This ain’t your granddaddy’s crime thriller. It’s hard to put it in a box. It’s got weak and strong elements. But once it ends, the overall feeling that remains is that you’ve just been entertained. So much so, you may leave the theater humming, “Everything's going my way.”
Meanwhile, Tyler, the Creator took his Don’t Tap the Glass album promotion to new fashion heights, dressing like a character straight out of a Wes Anderson film. Complete with custom tailoring, statement badges, and quirky pins, he reminded fans that his creativity doesn’t end with music—it spills into everything he touches.
Latto showed up at Wimbledon in vintage Chanel and served sporty elegance with a side of boss energy. And Tracee Ellis Ross? A walking Jacquemus mood board, floating through New York like modern-day royalty. These women didn’t chase trends. They set them.
Doechii proved why she’s a star on the rise, pairing futuristic footwear with fierce fits, while Keith Powers turned heads at Paris Fashion Week in a tailored YSL suit that would’ve made Old Hollywood jealous. Lil Baby gave denim-on-denim new life, dripping in Chrome Hearts and letting the industry know he’s eyeing more than just the charts. Ravyn Lenae kept things effortlessly cool with a chill summer outfit that matched the laidback vibe of her new hit single.
Each look, detailed by The Root, reminded the world that Black creativity isn’t seasonal—it’s eternal. From global stages to local block parties, Black celebrities didn’t just bring the heat this summer. They were the heat. And as one fan put it best under Doechii’s viral Instagram post: “Fashion week? Baby, that’s every day when we step outside.”
Denzel Washington in Highest 2 Lowest
Megan Thee Stallion, Rihanna, and Tyla lit up the summer with bold, unforgettable looks that turned every appearance into a fashion moment.