Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

Georgia King, a seemingly ever-present voice for social justice issues, died on Feb. 7. She was 82. In her defining African apparel, Ms. King was frequently seen at a host of seminars, conferences and other public events advocating for economic empowerment for distressed communities, the...

With family members of Eliza Fletcher in the courtroom on Friday, Cleotha Henderson entered a “not guilty” plea to kidnapping and killing her five months earlier. “Yes, sir,” was Henderson’s barely audible response when Criminal Court Judge Lee V. Coffee asked if he understood that...

Yes, it was streamed live and those who chose to witness it that way were the better for it. Others chose to brave a treacherous mix of icy sheets and snow that made driving – even walking – an exercise of caution. “I think many people...

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, in a 15-minute telephone conversation with The New Tri-State Defender on Friday afternoon, did not indicate a willingness to dissolve the special unit that housed the officers now charged with beating Tyre D. Nichols to death. Given the high...

The glow of lanterns and the flicker of candlelight created a somber night beauty in Tobey Park, a familiar destination for Tyre D. Nichols and other skateboarding enthusiasts. An invitation to Thursday night’s gathering was circulated over social media. It read: “Candlelight Vigil in Memory...

With Tyre D. Nichols in mind as the wheels of justice grind, many are struggling to find any “rays of sunshine in all of this.” Five former Memphis Police Department officers are now charged with beating him to death, there was some yet unexplained “delay”...

Voters in Tennessee House of Representatives District 86 Tuesday overwhelmingly chose a new generation of leadership over a veteran politician. Environmental activist Justin Pearson trounced nine opponents, including lawyer and former Shelby County Commissioner Julian Bolton, garnering 52.3 percent of the votes cast in a...

At 29, Tyre D. Nichols was a bit old for skateboarding, his stepfather Rodney Wells said he told him. But you don’t stop doing something that you loved as much as Nichols. And, added Wells at a Monday (Jan. 23) rally for Nichols, not something you...

Dr. Thomas E. Motley Sr., the first African-American Internal Medicine physician to serve in Memphis, died Jan. 11 at Methodist University Hospital.  The 83-year-old Dr. Motley was honored by the Memphis City Council when he retired in October 2021. Former Memphis City Councilwoman Jamita Swearengen posted...

A rally for justice in the death of Tyre D. Nichols is set for Monday after his family meets with city officials and views video footage of his death. National Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Nichols’ family in wrongful death litigation, will be...