Reality began to sink in for Jason Wright in the days after accepting the job as president of the Washington Football Team.
Not only was he becoming the first Black team president in NFL history, but he was hired by the organization that was last in the league to integrate, and is in the midst of a transformation in name, culture and identity.
“The pivot in history, given the history of the franchise, is great,” Wright said in a phone interview Monday. “I think that it also just shows a way of evaluating talent where the most qualified professional happened to also be Black. And that that didn’t prevent them from getting the role is a good signal to just all of us who may not be from the majority population in corporate America or in the global corporate ecosystem.”
Wright at 38 is the NFL’s youngest team president and will run the organization’s business operations, with coach Ron Rivera maintaining control over football decisions.
“If I could custom design a leader for this important time in our history, it would be Jason,” owner Dan Snyder said. “His experience as a former player, coupled with his business acumen, gives him a perspective that is unrivaled in the league.”
His hiring drew a commendation from the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which seeks to promote diversity in NFL. Chairman Harry Carson and Executive Director Rod Graves called it a “historic event.”
“The selection is the result of an inclusive process that recognizes the talents that people of color can offer,” they said. “We hope that it signifies a true change for the manner in which leadership is chosen in the NFL.”
Until now, Kevin Warren had been the highest-ranking Black business-side executive in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings promoted Warren to chief operating officer in 2015, and he held that post for four years until leaving to become the Big Ten commissioner.
Wright, a running back for seven years with Atlanta, Cleveland and Arizona, was a captain for the Cardinals and their NFLPA representative during labor negotiations in 2010-11. Being involved in those talks pushed Wright into the business realm, with this gig representing a blend of his two professional loves.
“I’ve brought back out my nerd and my analytic thinking and learned how to lead businesses through their most trying moments, whether that’s financial duress or a need for culture change or launching a new product, or whatever it is,” Wright said. “And there’s almost no situation that uniquely pulls those things together like this.”
As part of the national debate over racism following George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minnesota, Rivera, one of four minority head coaches in the NFL, also launched internal initiatives aimed at educating players and staff and allowing minorities’ voices to be heard. Wright seems to fit into that, as well.
“I would not haven taken this role unless I credibly believed that there was a new direction and a real commitment to doing things differently,” Wright said.
The club with a storied history dating to its Boston roots in the 1930s and three long-ago Super Bowl titles is in a phase of transformation. It will be called the “Washington Football Team” for at least the 2020 season, with Terry Bateman leading the process to determine a new full-time name. Snyder is also seeking a new stadium to be in place when the lease at FedEx Field expires in 2027.
Wright has five priorities to tackle:
—in the short term to navigate a season during a pandemic and contribute to the cultural shift Snyder has pledge;
—long term to make the most of the name change, enhance the fan experience and get a stadium deal, which he called the “challenge of a lifetime.”
The fourth former player to become a team president, Wright is back in the NFL after several years in business. He earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s business school and joins the organization after working at a strategy and management consulting firm in Washington, D.C., an area he’s called home since 2013.
Wright, like Rivera, will report directly to Snyder while overseeing Washington’s operations, finance, sales and marketing departments. Rivera, who was a defensive coordinator in Chicago and San Diego at the time, said he remembers Wright as a player and has grown to realize the two share many of the same values that should help them work together.
“It is no surprise to me that he went on to achieve the caliber of success that Jason has in his time in the business world,” Rivera said. “Because he knows the NFL firsthand and how fast it moves, I am excited to have him on board to head up the front office and operations.”
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AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Barry Wilner contributed.
The Grizzlies had each other's backs in the win against Milwaukee. (Photo: Twitter)
Terry Davis
As Memphis’ Grizzlies head into a pandemic-forced play-in game for a shot at the NBA Playoffs, they do so with odds makers and other observers pinning them with the underdog label.
“Being the underdog, don’t matter to us,” said Ja Morant, Memphis’ star point guard and the league’s presumptive Rookie of the Year.
“We love being the underdog. That is just extra motivation and fuel for the fire. That just makes our success even better.
On Saturday afternoon (1:30 p.m. CDT), Morant and the Grizzlies take on Portland and the blazing hot Damien Lillard. The Grizzlies will have to defeat the Trailblazers twice to receive the last playoffs spot in the Western Conference. Portland has only to beat Memphis once to advance.
The two teams met in the first game in the NBA’s bubble-environment in Florida. Portland won that game in overtime, 140-135. If necessary, the two teams will play on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Memphis earned its way into the play-in scenario with a 119-106 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday. The Bucks, who played without suspended superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, had five players to score in double figures but that was not nearly enough to derail the Grizzlies.
For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Grizzlies had two players rack triple-doubles in the same game. Jonas Valanciunas recorded his first ever triple-double with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists, a career high. Morant’s second career triple-double produced 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
“We played together. It is fun to play that way,” said Valanciunas. “It is fun to see your teammates make some shots, having fun playing basketball. That was the biggest key for us today.”
Morant put his career-high rebound night in perspective.
“When I am able to rebound, I am able to push the break quicker,” he said. “We have a lot of guys that can be a playmaker all over the floor. Tonight you witnessed JV’s (Jonas Valanciunas’ )play making ability.”
With the regular season complete, Morant said it means a lot for the Grizzlies (33-39) to have exceeded expectations, with 27 the number of games many analysts predicted they would win. He also reflected on his first year in the league
“It is hard coming in as a rookie,” he said. “I am still learning. One of my goals this year was to be better than I was at the beginning of the season.”
Memphis played its best game since the NBA restart following the league’s decision to halt play because of the COVID-19 pandemic and never trailed.
The often-maligned Dillon Brooks had his best game in the bubble. He scored 31 points, making 12 of 18 of his shots. Criticized for his shot selection of late, he made 4 of 7 baskets from three-point range. Kyle Anderson and Brandon Clarke had 10 points each in the winning effort.
“I am so proud of them,” said head coach Taylor Jenkins, an assistant with the Bucks last season. “They recognized the moment and opportunity. They came out with the appropriate focus and edge. We got to play our pace, Grizzlies basketball.”
The Grizzlies turned in a stellar defensive performance, forcing one of the league’s best three-point shooting teams into a number of uncomfortable shots. The Bucks only shot 39 percent from the field. Memphis also won the rebounding battle, grabbing 55 boards compared to 46 by Milwaukee.
Memphis had 36 assists on 45 made baskets and shot 50 percent from the field.
During ongoing protests in Nashville outside the Capitol, activists have been calling for racial justice reforms for the past two months. (Image: Screen capture)
by Kimberlee Kruesi and Jonathan Mattise —
NASHVILLE (AP) – Tennessee lawmakers finished a special session in pandemic times Wednesday by passing a sweeping proposal that would significantly stiffen penalties against protesters demanding racial justice.
In the narrow scope of the three-day election year session, no steps were taken to provide more relief to Tennessee workers who have lost their jobs due to the global pandemic. Efforts to increase law enforcement oversight were rebuffed by the GOP-dominant Statehouse.
Instead, the majority white General Assembly chose to focus their attention on the ongoing protests that have been led by mostly young Black activists outside the Capitol, who have been calling for racial justice reforms for the past two months. Republican leaders also advanced a bill awarding businesses protection from lawsuits arising from the new coronavirus.
Under the proposal targeting protests, those who illegally camp on state property would now face a Class E felony rather than a misdemeanor. Felony convictions in Tennessee result in the revocation of an individual’s right to vote.
“If you want to overthrow our government through violent revolution, you shouldn’t have the right to vote,” said state Sen. John Stevens, a Republican from Huntingdon.
Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis), the Senate Democratic Caucus chairwoman, said the measure was designed to shut down dissenting opinion.
“It doesn’t matter the issue folks are protesting, it’s our right. We’re Americans. I subscribe to the American Dream just like they do even if I don’t agree with them,” Sen. Akbari said. “This law is unnecessary. It is creating felons from people who just want to have their voices heard.
“I wonder if we went back 55 years: would this be the same type of laws that were passed against non-violent protesters? Against those we have made heroes, like Dr. King, Ralph Abernathy and John Lewis.”
The protest bill had gone through multiple iterations throughout Wednesday. The Senate had fought to soften the felony punishment for illegal camping, but ultimately caved to the House’s stricter version as the day waned on.
The protest proposal also would impose mandatory minimums for rioting, create an offense against assaulting a first responder and enhance the misdemeanor penalty for damaging state property.
Democrats countered the bill was “ridiculous” and the felony punishment for illegal camping would unfairly hurt minority and homeless communities.
“The legislation we are proposing now, years from now, I will submit to you that we will be on the wrong side of history,” said Sen. Brenda Gilmore, a Black Democrat from Goodlettsville.
Lawmakers were back at the Capitol for the second time since the outbreak sent them home early in March, and many of the Republicans still decided against wearing masks. That’s despite the 11 legislative staffers or lawmakers who have tested positive for COVID-19 since May, according to Connie Ridley, director of legislative administration.
Yet Republicans grew increasingly irritated at protesters who blocked the parking garage on multiple days.
Leaders of the protest have sought meetings with top GOP leaders, particularly Gov. Bill Lee, but have been thus far denied.
In the liability debate, Republican leaders argued their actions to protect entities ranging from businesses to school districts would provide needed assurances to boost the state’s economy — which is suffering due to COVID-19 closures.
They also maintained the legislation that levied increased penalties against protesters who broke certain laws was desperately needed, pointing to demonstrations in other parts of the country that saw “occupied” protest zones and to a May 31 protest in Nashville that turned violent and resulted in damage to the city’s courthouse.
Lee convened the special legislative session after lawmakers failed to pass COVID liability legislation before they initially adjourned in mid-June. He had signed an executive order protecting health care providers while lawmakers quibbled over their differences.
The main dividing line over the liability bill was whether to make its protections retroactive to early March, which the Senate supported and the House opposed.
The bill that ultimately passed is now retroactive to Aug. 3. This has caused alarm from some lawmakers that bill may be illegal because Tennessee’s Constitution states “no retrospective law, or law impairing the obligations of contracts, shall be made.”
“I readily admit this is a question that the courts will have to answer,” said Republican Sen. Mike Bell, who added he felt confident a court would side with the Legislature because the proposal would be in the public’s interest.
Existing lawsuits surrounding poor COVID-19 safeguards will be grandfathered into state code as long as the complaints had been filed before early August.
Earlier that day, a Senate panel spiked a proposal that would have required law enforcement to “clearly identify” themselves while making arrests. The bill had been backed by Democrats in response to the death in Kentucky of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot on March 13 by Louisville police officers serving a “no knock” narcotics search warrant at her apartment.
Nurse John James Jr. says he is "committed to riding this virus out, nurse shortage and all." (Photo: Jackie Ray Bingham/Ray Visions Photography)
Barely two years out of nursing school, John James Jr. found his way onto the pages of The New York Times, as part of an expose’ titled “In Harm’s Way.”
The article spotlights healthcare professionals all over the country, featuring their reflections on caring for COVID-19 patients.
James initially was contacted over social media by the news organ in mid-July. As an ICU nurse at Baptist East Hospital, working long, grueling hours on the COVID-19 wings, there was plenty to reflect on.
“It can be very stressful taking care of patients who are suffering complications from the coronavirus,” James said. “When we first starting dealing with COVID-19, visitation policy had to change. Family members couldn’t get in to see their loved ones unless they were going into surgery, coming out of surgery or it was an end-of-life situation.”
James is a standout, not only because he is male, but also because he is an African-American male.
He was excited in December 2018 when he graduated from the Baptist College of Health Science. Helping to bridge the shortage gap in the profession was foremost in his thinking.
“I wanted my life and my career to have some meaning,” James said. “I wanted my work to impact the lives of those around me.
“I not only loved the idea of becoming a nurse, but the urgent need for more nurses, because of the shortage, added value to my decision to choose nursing as a profession.”
But caring for patients ravaged by a global pandemic was not how James had envisioned his formative, initial years as a registered nurse.
John James Jr: “I love the profession, and despite the extreme emotional lows, nursing is worth the effort. Nursing is worth the risk.” (Photo: Jackie Ray Bingham/Ray Visions Photography)
Long days, pensive nights, frequent death watches with grieving loved ones who cannot be at the bedside, Face-timing the family so they can say their last goodbyes —it has all taken an emotional toll on physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals on COVID-19 units.
“The shortage has become even more apparent,” James said. “I have not just broken down and had a good cry, but I have watched my colleagues breakdown from the taxing demands of caring for COVID patients.
“Some have scaled their hours back to part time. Others have just walked away altogether. Our workload is more than what it would normally be.”
The stresses and emotional weight of caring for coronavirus patients are not the causes of nurse shortages across the nation, but the widespread resulting serious illness and death exacerbated the deficiency of nurses.
Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said Shelby County hospitals and healthcare facilities, are coping with the shortage like every other place in the country.
“We are feeling the effects of a nurse shortage in Shelby County, just like everyone else,” Haushalter said, during a rising number of hospitalizations in April. “We have never seen a pandemic of this magnitude. So, we’re treading in unfamiliar territory. That’s why we’re working to bring every resource to bear.”
Healthcare researchers predicted as far back as 2009 that a shortage of nurses would accompany the exponential growth in senior populations when the Baby Boomers turned 65, according to the American Nurses Association (ANA).
There are an estimated 3 million nurses presently working. By the year 2030, one million will have retired. To alleviate the effects, one million new nurses should be ready in 2022. That is not happening, according to the ANA.
“We have maintained a consistent number of nursing students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center,” said Dr. Jamila Smith-Young, a nurse practitioner and assistant professor at UTHSC.
“Some nursing programs are offering free online instruction, but none of the nursing programs in Memphis and Shelby County are participating,” she said.
Faculty shortages in nursing programs also are limiting student capacity each year, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
Classroom spaces are limited and the competition to get one of those spaces in tremendous. Thousands are turned away because of the limited space.
“There is a lot going on,” said James. “But I am committed to riding this virus out, nurse shortage and all.
“I love the profession, and despite the extreme emotional lows, nursing is worth the effort. Nursing is worth the risk.”
Black-ish (2014-present); Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee (Photo: image: ABC/YouTube, Board Books)
by Tonja Renée Stidhum —
2020 is unprecedented-ish.
Remember back in 2017, a mysterious “Black-ish” episode titled “Please, Baby, Please” (based on the Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee children’s book of the same name) became wrapped in some controversy because of its reported politically-charged themes? It caused such a ruckus, and I pretty much figured the episode would never see the light of day.
Well, fast forward about three years later in a world where corporations are burying themselves in black boxes in a performative display of Black Lives Matter solidarity and you’ve got yourself a plot twist! The previously shelved episode is now available to air on Hulu.
“We were one-year post-election and coming to the end of a year that left us, like many Americans, grappling with the state of our country and anxious about its future,” Barris wrote in a reflective statement on Twitter, following the announcement. “Those feelings poured onto the page, becoming 22 minutes of television that I was, and still am, incredibly proud of. ‘Please, Baby, Please’ didn’t make it to air that season and, while much has been speculated about its contents, the episode has never been seen publicly…until now.”
That “speculation” Barris refers to reminds me of the discourse surrounding network censorship, especially as early reports claimed that the episode was focused on the kneeling protests in the NFL, spearheaded by Colin Kaepernick. That gesture wasn’t so popular back then. Look at us now.
Point is, the fact that ABC decided not to air it at the time made us want to see it even more. Hell, Michael Harriot even wrote an open letter to the show creator on The Rooturging him to leak the damn episode. That’s how deep the anticipation went.
On Monday, Barris confirmed that after the re-airings of the “Juneteenth” and “Hope” episodes, he asked Walt Disney Television to reconsider airing the previously shelved episode and they agreed, given today’s times.
“I cannot wait for everyone to finally see the episode for themselves and, as was the case nearly three years ago, we hope it inspires some much-needed conversation—not only about what we were grappling with then or how it led to where we are now, but conversations about where were want our country to go moving forward, and most importantly, how we get there together.”
ABC News reports on the episode’s content:
The episode revolves around a sleepless night in the household of Dre and Rainbow Johnson (Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross). To calm his infant son during a storm, Dre begins by reading a children’s book – the Spike Lee-Tonya Lewis Lee work of the episode’s title – then shares his own anxieties.
As Dre offers up an improvised fable, it’s the actions of the then-fledgling Trump administration that are identified as part of his unease. His monologue includes a thinly veiled reference to “the shady king.”
The episode widens out to look at deep social divisions that Dre says followed the election of America’s first Black president, Barack Obama, and the eye-opening revelation that “not everyone’s a fan” of change, as the character puts it.
“Daddy’s scared too. … Everything’s so crazy now,” Dre says softly to his son at one point.
Through imagery and concerns expressed by other family members, the episode touches on issues besides racism, including mass shootings, climate change and gay rights.
Regardless, you’ll be able to see for yourself! The “Please, Baby, Please” episode of “Black-ish”is now available (along with other past episodes) on Hulu.
“This journey is more than a person,” said Marquita Bradshaw of her bid to become Tennessee’s next U.S. Senator. “It's about the issues that we have put together that people are experiencing and that people are identifying (with) all over the world. (Photo: Screen capture)
Taking a break Wednesday morning from her role as a home-care worker, Marquita Bradshaw, the Democratic Party nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee, created time to talk with The New Tri-State Defender about her stunning win in the Aug. 6 Tennessee Federal Primary Election.
Marquita Bradshaw (Courtesy photo)
“I’ve been going to work since the beginning (of the campaign) … Monday through Wednesday, anywhere from 10 to 15 hours a day. Then during my breaks, I work on my campaign. After work, I work on my campaign,” said Bradshaw during a video interview with Associate Publisher/Executive Editor Karanja A. Ajanaku.
“Well, I can’t say it’s my campaign. I can say our campaign because there’s a lot of people working with me. Mostly, I’m off Thursday through Sunday and that’s when I really, really ramp up.”
TSD: Will that change going forward as a result of your win?
Marquita Bradshaw: No, because I’ve still got to keep a roof over my head. I’m a single black mother, and the other sources of income that I used to do would put me in and out of homes that would endanger the person (a family member) that I care for….
TSD: One week ago today, what were you doing?
M. Bradshaw: Wrapping up early voting with volunteers, ramping up the GOTV (get out the vote) effort for the 43,000 voters who did not vote that usually vote in elections for Shelby County and also across the state. … I was really concerned …that many people that normally vote didn’t get to vote or hadn’t voted yet. …So I’m trying to get those people out to the polls. We’re pulling and dragging.
TSD: At what point did you decide that you were going to make this run for this office? Was it something that you came up with? Was this part of a collective? How did it surface?
M. Bradshaw: I do serve as a board member, executive committee member for the Tennessee Executive Committee for Sierra Club…and I volunteer in a whole lot of different kinds of ways throughout the community. My whole environmental justice career in Memphis has been a volunteer role for 25 years. … It’s been my passion…
I was doing the Christmas party circuit (in 2018). Some people approached me, and it’s not uncommon for people to approach me to run for office. … (I heard) “Hey, Marquita, you should run for office. There are a lot of open seats, the mayor’s coming up… school board. I think you should run for office.” I was like, “You know what? If I would do anything, I would run for a federal office because of what happened in my community had a lot to deal with how federal policies failed our whole community and is failing a lot of communities across the state of Tennessee….” I said, “If I did anything, I would run for US Senate.” The whole room came to a hush it seems like, but it was like a powerful word that was spoken….
(Later), this opportunity came to me from a lady I met a couple of years ago at the Legal of Women Voters. It’s like, “Hey, I’m in this new role. We have a program that trains and recruit leaders of color to become candidates and campaign operatives.” See, I’ve always been on the opposite sides of campaigns, just doing fieldwork and helping people with GOTV efforts. … I was thinking of everybody else that I was working with, and she’s like, “No, since you’ve been on this environmental thing for a while, I’m thinking of you. You need to come and you need to be prepared to run for office.” …I still wasn’t convinced yet, but then after I started the program (I) saw how comprehensive it was, and it was free. … I was like, “Oh, I want to get picked for this program.”
…(I)t had the missing pieces that I didn’t have for running a complete campaign. It had the campaign management piece, it had the fundraising piece … it had preparing to be a candidate piece. …It put me in different circles, where other elected officials and people were wanting to become candidates themselves. So my network grew from my labor network that I’ve worked in, and my nonprofit networks, and the community work that I’ve worked in, to more people….
I became more and more comfortable with the idea of being a candidate and my life being peeled apart and everything being looked at. …I’m such a private person and quiet as it’s kept, I can get bashful sometimes because I can be really introverted. But when it comes to things I’m passionate about, you can never tell because then I’m an extrovert when I was talking about my passion….That’s how (it) came about.
TSD: So now you’ve got some additional skills relative to being able to run a campaign. It still costs money. How do you think such a small-budgeted campaign was able to unseat such a large amount of money on the other side?
M. Bradshaw: Organizing has always been about people. Whether you’re organizing workers in a new unit, to become a new union, or organizing in the community, you’re always organizing against big money. …When I got started a lot of people thought I was crazy and I was like, “No, I see a path to victory.” They were like, “You don’t have any money. …Those folks are millionaires. What you going to do?” I was like, “When have we allowed not having money to stop us from doing what’s right and serving people? When have we done that as a community, as a black community?” …
Not having money to do things has been my life experience. Really, I didn’t know we were poor until it was time to go to college. …I didn’t want to put that additional burden on my mother … being responsible for my education. …So, I took on that student loan debt … and it took a long time for me to get through college. It wasn’t (a) traditional route. I graduated from the University of Memphis, but I started out at Memphis State.
TSD: You covered some ground; I gotcha. When you graduated, what was your degree in?
M. Bradshaw: Journalism. It started out as Broadcasting and Electronic Media with Communication Studies and Journalism. So it’s a Bachelor of Liberal Science, a hodgepodge of all of those three things. It really fit well with the career path I took because understanding how people communicate is one of the key components in active listening, which is what this campaign is built around….
In politics, usually how it goes is that a candidate says, “OK, this is going to be my platform. And we’re going to have listening sessions, and we’re going to tweak … because I’m the leader, and this is the way I lead. …Well, my leadership style is way different. …I’m the leader of these people who I want to serve. I’m going to listen to them first, and put together a platform based on the narratives, which is the empirical data to drive the policy that we need to have in DC.
TSD: Relative to your active listening up to this point, what are you gleaning that people want you to, do and to advocate?
M. Bradshaw: Well, if you go to my website, marquitabradshaw.com, and you look at those issues, it’s something in there for everybody. …Yes, I am focusing on marginalized communities, because if you make those investments in those marginalized communities, it brings all of the communities up. We are only as strong as a weaker part of our community. …
Marquita Bradshaw, the Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), talks with Karanja A. Ajanaku, associate publisher/executive editor of The New Tri-State Defender)
TSD: We’re in a state that is so heavily Republican, red. Just looking at the numbers, you’d have to have a very significant Democratic turnout, but it also seems like you’d have to be able to have a message that resonates with Republicans on some level. Do you see it that way? And if so, what part of your message do you think might resonate with Republicans?
M. Bradshaw: The messages that the people have put together within our platform versus the message that the Republican nominee is carrying (are) so vastly different. I’ve been stomping across Tennessee before COVID and so that means that I’ve talked to Republicans and I was like, “So, you have all these people that are candidates and they’re not concerned about the internal threats of poverty and racism and they don’t have a platform around education. They don’t have a platform around environment and they don’t have a platform around economy that works for working people. So, are you telling me that in the Republican Party that there’s no one that’s concerned about those issues? Is that really reflective of all the people in the Republican Party?” …
Number two, let’s dispel the myth that this is a Republican state. No, that is not the truth and let’s not repeat it.
TSD: Amplify on that.
M. Bradshaw: This is a state where you have four to five million people that are registered to vote that do not vote. You have more non-voting registered voters than Republicans and Democrats combined. People that are eligible to vote and some of them aren’t registered to vote. … There’s some Republicans that we don’t have time to reach or even activate their base, so we’re not going to even entertain them. But for the Republicans that are concerned about removing the hypocrisy in democracy and moving us forward away from racism, because that’s going to kill our country if we don’t deal with it. If we don’t move from the hypocrisy that everybody is not able to participate in our economy and the hypocrisy not every child has a high quality education. …
The third thing is the environment, the pollution. If we do not deal with the pollution, it don’t matter what kind of economy we got if everybody’s dying, right? …
Republicans are just as concerned about pollution and the environment as Democrats. They might wrap it up and package it in a bow in a different way and their leaders are not speaking about it. Their leaders are not leading in a way that they want them to because they’re continually rolling back regulations. …
There (are) over 100 environmental laws that were made to protect our human health and our environment health. You cannot separate health from the environment. …We know that everyone deserves medical care. Just imagine if people in a COVID environment had access to primary care providers, we could have responded differently than what we’re going through now.
TSD: Now that you’ve gained the nomination, you’ve gotten nationwide notoriety. I envision that organized Democrats from all sorts of places, some with money, are reaching out for you. How do you blend this new infusion of interest into your campaign?
M. Bradshaw: Well, if you want to do things the way it has always been done, this might not be the campaign you need to work with because we are leading with environmental justice principles with the voices of the people who are experiencing the pain. It’s value and is put in this platform. By that way, we are being inclusive and it’s for everybody because we want America to be for all, not just for some people. If you’re on that boat, don’t come this way and that’s all to it. But if you are willing to learn how to do things differently, because it was no feat to be out $2 million, that was a single mother knowing how to stretch a dollar and being connected to community. It ain’t no secret how it’s done, but it takes a lot of work.
If you’re going to talk to this campaign, if you’re looking to get rich because of the money you think is going to come in, that’s not going to happen. Let’s set some ground rules. If you’re coming here to serve, you have a place here. If you’re coming to win and flip this U.S./Tennessee seat and understand that the way that we’re leading is to serve people, then let’s get to work.
…We are building a people-focused platform that’s based on everyone having healthy and safe communities.
The country needs a president with a "generosity of spirit," which Sen. Kamala Harris says President Trump only has for himself. (Image: screen capture, Twitter)
by Jennifer Sharp —
Local elected Democratic officials weighed in on presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s choice of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) as his running mate, expressing excitement at the choice and expectation that she can help carry the party to victory in November.
Biden made the announcement Tuesday (Aug. 11) and the two appeared together as presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the first time Wednesday (Aug. 12). He earlier had promised to name a woman as his running mate, but in recent weeks there was growing speculation on whether it would be a woman of color.
Harris is the first Black woman and first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major political party. She will also be only the fourth woman in U.S. history to be selected for a presidential ticket.
As a Howard University alum and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Harris has garnered many accomplishments in her life, including being the first Black woman in California elected district attorney in 2003 and winning the U.S. Senate race in 2016.
Her former career as a prosecutor has left some African Americans questioning her stance on issues that affect the community. However, the VP-selection news has caused many people to stand in support of Harris.
The New Tri-State Defender asked several local elected officials their thoughts on Harris being named Biden’s running mate.
Memphis Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas: “This symbolism shows little Black girls that a Black woman, who is a member of a NPHC (The National Pan-Hellenic Council, a collaborative organization of historically African-American Greek lettered fraternities and sororities organization) and an HBCU alum can be in one of highest offices in the United States.
“We say that we trust Black women, so this is our time to show that we trust Black women to be in high position in politics.”
Tennessee state Rep.Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis): “I think Sen. Harris is a good choice for VP because as an African-American woman, she may spur African Americans who stayed at home when Hillary Clinton was the nominee to vote for. Additionally, she is tough, and she is not afraid to go hard after Trump.”
Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr.: “Sen. Harris getting the nod to serve as Joe Biden’s running mate and potentially becoming Vice President is historic. Hopefully, it sends a strong message to every Democratic candidate going forward, that simply paying lip service to its most loyal demographic is not enough.
“Not only do Black voters deserve candidates at the top of the ticket, but also policies that directly address the issues within our community.”
Tennessee state Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis): “I’m excited about Biden’s decision. Sen. Harris is uniquely qualified to go on a statewide election and has been vetted as someone who has run for president.
“She’s a Black woman and it’s time to recognize just how much of an important role that Black women play in the Democratic process and voting for the Democratic Party.”
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Q: As a current Democratic office holder, how do you think that Biden’s decision will affect the 2020 presidential election?
Smiley: “I hope Biden’s decision will increase voter turnout because the main objective is to get a new president. This will inspire people to get out to vote, so that we will not deal with four more years of the unknown.”
Easter-Thomas: “This is the most important election in our lifetime, thus far, and we need to think about placing our personal convictions aside to come together in 2020 for a change in the presidential seat.”
Akbari: “I think that this will drive voter turnout and it is a balanced ticket. People are excited all over social media and it will put the Democratic in a good position.”
Q: Do you have any advice for African Americans who have aspirations for running for political offices?
Easter-Thomas: “My advice is to stay hard working, stay observant and stay humble. A lot can be said about a person with merit, and it is important to stay committed to serving others. It is easy to get off track, but you must stay focused on the people and the purposes.”
Smiley: “If you have aspirations to seek public office, I would suggest identifying the issues within your community that you are most passionate about, determine which public office has a direct impact on the aforementioned issues and hone your advocacy skills in preparation long before you put your name on the ballot.”
Parkinson: “Serve the people prior to asking for their vote. Your community needs you now.”
Akbari: “Just do it, do it afraid and jump in with both feet. Know that ordinary people can do extraordinary things, so why not be that person.”
Now Joe Biden's choice for his Democratic Party running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, a Howard alumna, dropped by the HBCU after announcing her Presidential campaign. (Photo: hbcugameday.com)
NASHVILLE – Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s selection of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate will not only further energize young voters, but also renew interest in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
That’s what political analysts at Tennessee State University have to say after Biden made the announcement this week. If he wins in November, Harris would become the nation’s first female vice president, first black vice president and first black female vice president.
Geraldine Ferraro was the first female vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, in 1984. In 2008, Alaska’s then-governor Sarah Palin was Republican John McCain’s running mate.
TSU President Glenda Glover said Biden’s announcement was a great moment for our country, African-Americans, and for women.
“Senator Harris’ selection is a full circle moment for HBCUs and African-American Greek organizations that worked tirelessly to give the black community a voice from the turn of the century, through Jim Crow and the civil rights movement, to present day,” President Glover said.
“As the president of Tennessee State University, a premiere HBCU, and as International President of AKA, in which Sen. Harris is a member, I am doubly proud of this selection. I also commend Vice President Joe Biden for his insight to bring someone of Sen. Harris’ stature to the ticket. She is intelligent, experienced, charismatic and above all qualified for the job.”
Glover added, “African-American women have been the backbone of this country, and now an African-American woman has the opportunity to ascend to the second highest office in the nation; with the opportunity to create polices that will impact us for generations to come.”
Dr. Samantha Morgan-Curtis, a Women’s Studies faculty member and dean of the College of Liberal Arts at TSU, said Harris is “historic on several levels.”
Morgan-Curtis said Harris’ selection is a continuation of the “wave of activism” during the 2018 midterm elections in which there were historic firsts for women of color. To name a few, Democrats Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib became the first Muslim women elected to Congress, and Democrats Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids became the first Native American women elected to Congress.
TSU junior Tiara Thomas said it is inspiring to see someone who looks like her get a step closer to being the second most powerful person in the United States.
“I think what Kamala Harris is doing for black women is what (former President) Barack Obama did for black men in America,” said Thomas, a political science major from Olive Branch, Mississippi, and the creator of TSU Votes, a social medial platform. “It gives us another crack in the glass ceiling.”
In 1972, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black American and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. Now, said Thomas, Harris is standing on her shoulders.
“it’s cool to see history kind of reinvent itself,” said Thomas. “To see a black woman actually be put on the (presidential) ballot, it’s amazing.”
In the four hours after Biden announced Harris as his running mate, ActBlue, the Democrats’ main fundraising platform, reported more than $10.8 million in donations. TSU political analysts predict Harris will have a similar effect on voters.
They say her selection will not only galvanize female voters, but all voters, particularly young ones, disgruntled over continued social injustice, like the deaths of George Floyd and other black men and women due to police brutality.
“I’m always impressed with how worked up our students can get, and how they focus that on things,” said Erik Schmeller, a history professor and director of the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement at TSU.
“National organizations are also pushing the message, that this is your opportunity to get engaged and make a difference.”
TSU Political Science Professor Brian Russell predicts Harris, an alumna of Howard University and a member of the prominent black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., will cause more young people to consider attending HBCUs, especially if Biden is elected president.
“It’s going to energize a lot of younger African-American students to look in the HBCU direction,” said Russell. “That’s going to be exciting.”
(To learn more about the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement at TSU, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/servicelearning/.)
Dr. Charles Champion shows a visitor some of the memorabilia that makes Champion's Pharmacy and Herb Store, 2369 Elvis Presley Blvd., a community treasure. Dr. Champion was the first African-American pharmacist to work in a Memphis hospital. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)
A “Live Like A Champion” Drive-By Celebration has been set to observe the 90th birthday of Memphis pharmacist and master compounder Dr. Charles A. Champion.
Hosted by his family, the commemoration will be Aug. 22 at Champion’s Pharmacy and Herb Store, 2369 Elvis Presley Blvd., from 5 p.m. – to 7 p.m.
The community is invited to “get in their vehicles to come show some love to a man who has been attending to the health and wellness of others for over 60 years.”
As participants drive southbound on Elvis Presley Blvd., they will be able to see the new mobile store that will take the Champion’s signature products and other to neighborhoods, small towns and rural areas who desire holistic medicine.
“My father has made serving this community and developing products that promote healing with natural ingredients his life’s work. Hundreds of people have testimonies about how he helped them through recommending the proper herbs and medicines or giving them sage advice,” said Carol Champion.
“We want all those who can to come shower him with love during the drive-by celebration and see how our family will continue to be a blessing to others through our new Herbs On Wheels mobile store.”
Dr. Charles Champion (Courtesy Photo)
Dr. Champion, a 1955 graduate of Xavier University College of Pharmacy, was drafted into the U.S. Army shortly after obtaining his degree. He served as a pharmacist in Germany during a two-year tour of duty. Back in Memphis, he began working at John Gaston Hospital’s pharmacy, solidifying his place in history as the first African-American pharmacist to work in a Memphis hospital.
After 12 years at John Gaston, Dr. Champion took a job at Katz Drug Store and became the first African-American pharmacist hired by a chain in the city.
Champion’s Pharmacy and Herb Store is a family business that was established by Dr. Champion and his wife, Carolyn in 1981. Since then, two of his daughters, Carol Champion (also known as Cookie) and Charita Champion, have also become pharmacists. Their late daughter, Chandra Champion, served as a pharmacy tech and now Chandra’s daughter, Jessica Champion, assists with business operations. The Champion’s private label line of products, which they compound themselves, treat over 30 common.
(For more information about the “Live Like A Champion” Drive-By Celebration, email championherbstore@gmail.com. For more about Champion’s Pharmacy and Herb Store, visit www.championsherbstore.com.)
Former City Court Clerk Thomas Long makes it clear that he and others are opposed to Graceland’s push to put a factory on the site that once housed Graves Elementary School in Whitehaven. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell)
A group of Whitehaven residents are preparing for a tough fight to prevent Elvis Presley Enterprises from opening a 3-D printing factory in the middle of middle- and upper-middle-class neighborhoods.
Their determination was demonstrated Aug. 7 when Whitehaven Community Development Corporation representatives, peacefully protesting the plan, greeted Elvis fans visiting his iconic Graceland estate.
The factory is planned for the building at Winchester Road and Graves Road that once housed Graves Elementary School. A letter of intent states that the factory would make jewelry and other collectibles.
“We are simply homeowners trying to protect our neighborhood,” said former City Court Clerk Thomas Long. “I am proud to be here representing my neighbors to let everyone know that Elvis Presley Enterprises is seeking to put a 3-D printing factory in the middle of McCorkle Road Neighborhood.”
Long said a virtual petition is available for anyone to sign, and it’s a fight that the Whitehaven CDC wants the world to know about.
Lined up in protest. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell)
“Graceland is a world-class attraction,” said Tony Jones, who led the protest with Long and Whitehaven CDC President Dr. Yvonne Nelson.
“Elvis Presley Enterprises claims to be bringing 1,000 full-time jobs in the area, paying $15 an hour. But we have heard those promises to our city before. If it is all about the jobs and training workers, build it in a commercial zone.”
Meetings and demonstrations sponsored by the Whitehaven CDC anticipate what residents claim will be an epic battle for the “soul of Whitehaven.”
The old Graves Elementary School site is the proposed site for the 3D factory opposed by a group of Whitehaven residents. (Photo: Dr.Sybil C. Mitchell)
“I was just contacted by the EDGE (Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County) Board telling me that the issue of re-zoning of the Graves School property is coming in the next few weeks or so,” said Memphis City Council District 3 representative and council chairwoman Patrice Robinson. “It’s going to be a big fight, but we will need to keep everyone safe and social distanced. That council meeting will be held on Zoom to give the community a chance to be heard.”
Robinson said she’s going to make it clear that schools are always zoned “residential.”
Elvis Presley Enterprises is applying for “light industrial” zoning designation. If the zoning is changed and the factory is built, it remains light industrial, Robinson said.
“On down the road, if that factory closes up and moves out, any thing can move into that space,” said Robinson. “There could be a trucking company on that property.”
The Aug. 7 demonstration was just the latest protest. Participants engaged visitors to Graceland with their message right inside of The Guesthouse at Graceland, a hotel built adjacent to the famous mansion. Some Elvis fans even signed the petition in support of homeowners.
“I’m not really educated in what’s going on here,” said one Elvis fan, who declined to give her name. “But I can understand people wanting the community where they live to remain a peaceful, residential area.”
Numerous calls and emails to Elvis Presley Enterprise from The New Tri-State Defender, requesting comment have gone unanswered.
Robinson said she, personally, feels “uncomfortable” with the project because it has changed several times.
“What the project is going to be keeps changing,” Robinson said. “First, it was going to be a technology school teaching every aspect of movie-making.
“Whitehaven residents were on board. There was going to be a warehouse, also. Now, the proposal is to change it to industrial use. It causes concern and makes me uncomfortable.”
Whitehaven CDC president Nelson said “beautiful Twinkle Town” and the surrounding area would be defaced, and property values would plummet.
“Why don’t they put it in their own backyard?” Nelson asked.
Nelson said a factory would increase traffic exponentially and create a nightmare for the McCorkle Road Community.
Jones said EPE can build on land just a mile from the proposed site on property already zoned “commercial.”
“Just a mile up Winchester Road are a number of sites where a factory could be built,” Jones said. “These are our homes, where our children and grandchildren live. We are not going to sit by and let them barge into our community and do what they want to do.”
Long urged everyone in Memphis, around the country and the world to stand with Whitehaven homeowners and call the Memphis City Council to send a message that they cannot “do as they please simply because we are a black community.”
Robinson said the issue comes down to money.
“I called the school board, and the price tag on that Graves School property is $200,000,” Robinson said. “The commercial property down the road would cost way more. It far cheaper to buy it and just have it re-zoned.”
Nelson said the Whitehaven CDC wants Elvis fans to know that outside support is needed to oppose “the ridiculous plan to put a factory and training center in the middle of a residential area.”
