Both sides want “something better” for Memphis.

That is the common ground that launched a meeting Wednesday involving some of the leaders of local protests and some local leaders.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, along with Police Director Michael Rallings, were among the attendees.

“We’ve seen other cities go up in flames,” said Pastor DeVante Hill, an activist and founder of One Church Memphis. We don’t want that for our city. We want better. We can do better.”

Protests took root around the country and throughout the world when a video of a Minnesota officer bearing down with his knee on the neck of George Floyd for more than eight minutes, killing him, was released to the public.

Hill and another local activist, Frank Gotti, met with city and county leaders June 3 to talk about issues that could potentially spark the kind of violence cities across the country have witnessed.

Wednesday was the second meeting.

It was not a negotiation, said Hill, but an opportunity for government leaders to really understand what is sparking the protests.

“We did not come in making any demands on those in leadership,” said Hill. “But we were strongly urging them to take some action and to be a part of the change. We all want to see our city move forward with more racially equitable practices.”

Strickland has said he feels certain that Memphis does not have to go the way of other cities that have experienced violent lawlessness and arson.

“Director Rallings and I are open to listening to all suggestions of how to improve our Memphis Police Department…”

Hill talked about how some activists were interested in improving the relationship between law enforcement and the African-American community in Memphis and Shelby County.

“There are some things we feel would improve the relationship right off,” said Hill. “We want CLERB to have more power and more influence, for one thing.”

CLERB is the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board. Activists feel the citizen’s board should have a more influential role in matters pertaining to officers who are accused of using excessive force.

Allyson Smith, one of the co-organizers of last Friday’s demonstration in Midtown on Union Avenue, said at a Tuesday (June 9) press conference that African Americans are “over-policed and over-criminalized” compared to whites who come in contact with law enforcement.

Smith decried that two white men who intentionally drove their vehicles into the crowd of protesters were allowed to go free after the incidents.

She asked, “What constitutes a crime – skin color or the intent?”

In addition to more equitable treatment of African Americans by law enforcement, Hill called for “a more just and a more fair” element of anti-bias training for new recruits.

“We also want officers to establish a policy of intervening,” said Hill. “When something is happening on the scene that is not right, such as the action that officer took against George Floyd, other officers should intervene. It should be their duty to intervene.”

Although various organizations have been a part of the protesting in Memphis, neither Hill nor Gotti are a part of any particular activist group.

“I am just an independent activist,” Hill said. “I think other organizations want me to sit back and be quiet. But I can’t do that. I have to stay focused on what the Lord told me to do.”

by Brittany Holst —

Six months into 2020 and many people are already feeling like this is the worst year of this millennium.

As a nation, we have dealt with the effects of COVID-19, including death and loss of jobs. Adding to the stress, the nation is experiencing riots and protests across the nation over the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Pamela Turner, Atatiana Jefferson, George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin and so many others.

It’s one thing to read about protests and riots in history books, but it is a completely different emotion to witness it firsthand.

While many protests have been peaceful, some across the country have been violent, with businesses being vandalized and protesters being met with rubber bullets, pepper spray and tasers.

Imagine what your reaction will be years from now when your child tells you they are studying this in history class and ask you about what it was like during the time.

Black people are tired. Tired of being targeted because of the color our skin tone. Tired of the injustices that continue to plague this nation.

Cops killing innocent black men and women. Citizens taking it upon themselves to target the innocent and make citizens’ arrests that ends in violence.

Other races judging and following us around while trying to shop. When does it stop? The treatment of our race since we first were brought to America has been despicable.

As African-American parents, we worry about our children – going to school, driving in their car, walking down the street, riding a bike.

We find ourselves having to have “The Talk” with our children on how to behave when stopped or approached by the police, who are meant to protect and serve the communities where we live.

Now the worry is more amplified, not just for everyday things that could happen in life but for the targets that are on their backs.

With current events of police killings, the target is larger than ever. We not only worry about our children, but for ourselves, our parents, cousins, siblings, uncles, aunts, grandparents and friends.

If you are black, you worry.

Dantré Harris, educator and founder of BigFaithTalk, has been on the front lines during the recent protests in Memphis. While he is not a parent, he is a black man in America with the same fears as everyone else.

I had the opportunity to discuss with him the purpose behind BigFaithTalk and what being on the front lines meant to him.

“There are all types of ways to protest, but being on the front lines, joining people of all nationalities, races, and ethnicities is powerful beyond measure,” said Harris. “Being on the front lines allows me to be a vessel for our communities.”

Fighting for change means putting yourself in a position to challenge the norm and make a difference. Sometimes, people do not understand until things are staring them in the face.

“It allows me to effect the lives of others through not only words, but action,” Harris continued. “It allows me to be able to look into the eyes of officers and leave an everlasting memory of humanity every day that they put their uniform on.”

Everyone shedding light on the racial injustices in America has a goal. We want it to end. We want consequences, not excuses, when innocent black men and women are killed by those meant to protect and serve, along with citizens who take it upon themselves to beat and kill.

Abuse of power has to stop.

Harris’ goal is to “spread the words of grace and patience.

“It’s not up to me as a mere man to inspire fear. In order to drive out fear of the hearts of all mankind is to bring light.”

There are so many people flooding the streets in protest of racial injustices with hope that true changes are made and racial injustice finally comes to an end.

There is so much pain in America and something needs to be done.

“Everyone vents their pains and their concerns in many ways and I’m in agreement with all forms of protesting,” said Harris. “I feel that it’s imperative to get out in the streets because there’s no fairness in war and we, as citizens, are in a state of war against systematic oppression. It’s my obligation to do my part in destroying the old ways of policing and racism yet inspire reform.”

BigFaithTalk is a non-religious, faith-inspired platform that you can support and be a part of the organization. God, service and reality is the focus.

The recent protests have resulted in the state of Minnesota to criminally charge all four officers involved in George Floyd’s death.

That is just a start. Now we need them to be convicted in the courts and for legislative laws to change.

We also need officers and citizens involved in other killings of innocent black men and women to be charged.

As a nation, we see how standing together for a common goal can make a difference. Pray for strength and understanding within ourselves and others.

Spread love not hate, right not wrong. Change will come. This is the Civil Rights Movement 2.0 and our voices will be heard. Black Lives Matter!

Go outside today. Plant a garden. Take a deep breath. Honor God’s creation, for the first time or anew.

Amid unspeakable pain, suffering and death, all of nature is showing signs of healing, largely because humans – responsible for the care of God’s creation – were required to shelter in place.

People of faith are being called to both shelter in place and change the behavior that reflects how we have taken for granted and neglected our responsibilities of caring for God’s creation. We are being called to change our behaviors, to repent, by seeking ways to restore the land upon which we live, here, and around the world.

Sacred texts – Genesis 1.26-28 and 2 Chronicles 7.14 – offer a perspective about this journey of faith. There may even be others that better speak to this moment in our lives.

In the Genesis passages humans are made in the image and likeness of God and then given dominion and authority to care for God’s creation. Honest, sincere self-assessments tell us that we have neglected that responsibility. We have mismanaged the resources of creation – from the ways we pollute the air to how we have pillaged the soil and over-harvested the seas.

When we were required to shelter in place, God’s creation began to heal itself.

Air quality improved because our cars, trains, planes and buses were sheltered in place. The air quality in places such as Boston and Washington, D.C, register as the cleanest  since NASA starting measuring air pollution back in 2005. Animal shelters are no longer killing hundreds of animals daily as human beings have found their hearts opened to adopting and bringing pets into their lives.

Here in Memphis, the first order to shelter in place was announced in a press conference on Tues., March 24. Shelby County Health Director Alisa Haushalter issued the formal health directive for most of Shelby County, including Memphis residents and businesses.  Schools, libraries, museums and sports and entertainment activities from Beale Street to the FedExForum were cancelled.

By the end of March 2020, we were grappling with determining what was essential and nonessential to our lives. For communities of faith, mosques, temples and churches, this would be a decisive moment at the intersection of our faith and well-being.

People of faith traditionally gather for worship as an essential expression of faith.  Limiting the numbers of those who gather and ultimately closing worship facilities sent shock waves throughout faith communities in Shelby County and across the nation.  Faith leaders and parishioners sought direction on how to respond from sacred text.

Uncomfortable being seen as proponents of science over faith, clergy women and men found themselves at a watershed moment. For many, the Passover story of the Exodus would become a touchstone.

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select lambs for your families, and slaughter the passover lamb.  Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood in the basin. None of you shall go outside the door of your house until morning. ²³ For the Lord will pass through to strike down the Egyptians; when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over that door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down.

The metaphorical message often drawn was that we would go inside of our homes and shelter in place as the death angel of COVID-19 passed over us, just as the Israelites. I knew there were inherent problems with embracing this powerful biblical story as our guiding message. For one, it is a gruesome, brutal, savage story of the loss of first-born baby boys and male animals at the hand of God, as punishment for the God-given hard heartedness of Pharaoh (Exodus 7.3) in not freeing the Israelites.

We hear the cries pain and loss:

At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock  Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his officials and all the Egyptians; and there was a loud cry in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

Add to this our own reality check:  We initially believed that African Americans were not contracting COVID-19, only later to discover that in fact we were being disproportionately, adversely impacted by the virus.  We were dying at alarming rates.  In this biblical story we would be the Egyptians!

I understand the intention, and every metaphor will collapse when pushed too far.

But please bear this in mind, sheltering in, listening to experts, following science does not have to conflict with one’s faith any more than taking your blood medicine means you don’t believe in Jehovah-Rapha.  Closing worship facilities does not place the wisdom of human beings over the wisdom of God.  For those who follow Jesus, the rock he describes in Matthew 16.18 was born of flesh and built of stone.

As stewards of God’s creation, in these particular times, we must act with the certainty needed to get to our goal, courageously dealing with things just as they are, resolutely facing – and surmounting – all dangers seen and unseen.

And when you need a reset, go outside. Plant a garden. Take a deep breath. Honor God’s creation!

 (Dr. Rosalyn R. Nichols pastors Freedom’s Chapel Christian Church (DOC), 961 Getwell Rd. Visit https://www.freedomschapel.com/. Find Freedom’s Chapel on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/freedomschapel.church, IG and YouTube.)

Most Black Memphians and Mississippians have some cousins “Up South,” which is Chicago. While blues and jazz may have traveled “up river” from the Bayou, the Delta and the Bluff City, Chicago sent house music “down river.” It traveled to us then subsequently across the world.

House (music) was born in the ’80s as the progeny of disco and, in turn, begat many other iterations, including electronic, EDM, dubstep techno and arguably Baltimore house.

Respect your roots guys! And those roots are right on the South Side of The Chi, where Frankie Knuckles landed. (Note: Though Frankie is widely credited as the godfather of house, he got hip to the sound by hanging around Southside legend Remix Roy.)

I distinctly remember house filtering through the neighborhood dance parties because, as I mentioned, inevitably somebody’s cousin was visiting from Chicago. Everybody had a dance routine to “Jack Your Body!”

And, when I lived in New York once upon a time there was always a house set, and cipher (dance circle), to close out the night. Oh man, those kids would go off. It was beautiful to watch people just feel the music deep in their souls and move with it. The movement inspired by this particular music is different. It’s a vibe. Sorta like break dancing, modern dance and creative movement had a baby!

We can’t celebrate #blackmusicmonth without a nod to house music! Though it isn’t as prevalent or available here except in small circles and of course gay clubs (cause Frankie Knuckles!), it is still very much alive, present and beloved. Aside from Memphis House Mafia and streaming platforms, Memphians have very limited access to house music parties or the music itself.

But Shango!

Shango Cooke, or DJ Shang Silk, is the Chicago native that presides over the “House in the Midsouth” set every Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.  on SCS Radio/88.5FM and he’s one of the curators of the monthly party (in normal times) of the same name. He started the “House in the Midsouth” parties six years ago. It evolved to the radio show a couple of years later, with a rotating crew of GOODLife DJs – DJ Rawhouse, Deadly DJ Kelly, DJ TJ, DJ Dantz King and DJ Brandon.

Today, “House in the Midsouth” has an ever-growing legion, which includes syndicated shows in Des Moines, IA and a soon-to-be-launched show in Clarksdale, MS via the Coahoma College radio station. Good yields growth!

“(House) DJs are really spinning, taking the time to blend. It doesn’t sound like gym shoes in the dryer. These guys can really DJ,” he declares.

And I cosign, as these are facts. Cause sometimes yall…sometimes. I’ll just say this – substance and skill over style. (No shade but shade.)

Last year, Shango and crew produced the “If Beale Street Could Dance” dance/fitness party here in Memphis and to his delight and surprise, people came down to Memphis from various cities.

“It was really unusual. People travel to Chicago or to Atlanta for House in the Park. I was surprised people travelled to Memphis for house music!” They hope to be back next year when the world is right side up.”

So, can we keep the legacy going?

Shango’s answer is a resounding, YES!

“As long as the DJ keeps creating and the producers keep making hits, house music will be around for a very long time.”

For those who are not familiar, want to get familiar or just amp up your playlist, here’s Shango’s Top 10:

• “Liquid Liquid” by Optimo
• “Good Life” by Inner City
• “Jack My Body” by Nick Non Stop
• “Work It Out by” Karizma
• “You Ain’t Really Down vs 119 bpm” by P Sol
• “I Want You For Myself” by George Duke
• “Flowerz” by Armand Van Helden (Also a JD fave!”
• “Everyman” (Joey Negro’s Soul Strut) by Double Exposure
• “Devotion” by Ten City
• “Bad Boy” by Jamie Principle

**Bonus JD Fave:

“Music Sounds Better”/Stardust

(Don’t forget to tune in to 88.5 FM every Friday and Saturday night to get your party started! Follow them @houseinthemidsouth on both IG and Facebook.)

Memorializing George Floyd in Memphis

(Photos: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

1 of 11

The setting on Monday (June 8) was outside the Vasco Smith County Administration Building as a local memorial service was held for the late George Floyd, whose death by the hands — literally a knee sustained to his neck — of a now former Minneapolis Police Department officer killed the 46-year-old Minnesota man, setting off sustained protests nationwide.

A virtual programming note

The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and 100 Black Men of America, Inc. are hosting  a virtual community townhall panel discussion between law enforcement officials and national, influential community leaders today (June 10) at 5 p.m. (CDT)

Watch live at Facebook.com/NOBLEOrganization and Facebook.com/100BlackMenOfAmericaInc.

Panelists:

• Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis, NOBLE National President
• Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., Chairman, 100 Black Men of America, Inc.
• Jamal Harrison Bryant, Pastor, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
• Benjamin Crump, Attorney, Ben Crump Law
• Chaka Zulu, Producer, Director and Actor
• Mirtha Ramos, Chief of Police, Dekalb County

The Joymaker 2020 virtual event hosted by Lori Spicer Robertson produced a glossary of words, terms and phrases connected to uplift and empowerment.

Robertson, founder of Wundher, a digital media and in-the-flesh platform designed to empower the Renaissance woman and mother to rediscover their joy, presented Joymaker last  Saturday (June 6), with the virtual gathering carried on the BlueJeans, conferencing platform.

Narrating resilience, work re-engineering, curating the unexpected, the human side of enterprise and a new kind of patriotism were phrases that punctuated the virtual summit.

An inspiring collective of motivators made use of the terms, spreading a message of joy and gratitude in the age of COVID-19.

The summit consisted of five different sessions that involved a mix of panel discussions and keynote speakers.

Randi Zinn, host of the “Going Beyond Podcast” and Ryan Robertson, a Memphis native and innovative and multicultural marketing executive, covered narrating resilience.

“The solutions are just as varied as the problems themselves. It’s all about finding new ways of accessing, approaching or thinking about things,” said Robertson.

“A lot of times, people only view innovation as the big breakthrough and disruptive ideas, but it can also be simple solutions that make everyday things easier for us. And that’s both beautiful and inspiring. We can’t escape it.”

Patrice Tanaka, founder and chief joy officer for Joyful Planet, LLC., and Brandon Williams, vice president at NBCUniversal, discussed careers and work re-engineering.

Tanaka shared how defining her life purpose and pursuing it with courage not only influenced the evolution of her leadership style, but how it’s essential for all to become the best leaders possible in our work and lives overall.

Brandice Daniel, Memphis native and founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Harlem’s Fashion Row, spoke on curating the unexpected.

“I never doubted the success of my staying power, but I may have doubted the potential of what it took to sustain all the challenges that come along with being an entrepreneur and starting a business from scratch,” Daniel said.

“I was a fashion outsider with limited resources and connections to the right people and the right audience, and that was a major concern. Although most of my challenges were internal, I knew if I could fight through them and find the strength to keep HFR moving forward, it would sustain itself because it’s needed.

“Our organization is special because we not only provide incredible opportunities for designers but we’ve also become a place that honors people of color in this industry.”

During a dance break, popular local Zumba Instructor, David Quarrels IV, showcased a lively cardio-dance workout with music and choreographed steps.

John Knightly, chief marketing officer at BlueJeans by Verizon, and Verizon’s Managing Partner Candace Morgan helped explore “Connection – The Power of Reconnecting.”

The panel, moderated by Amy Stack, director of Strategic Partnerships, Integrated Strategy and Solutions for ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospita,l focused on the power of reconnection, the tools that help sustain our bonds and why our professional and personal relationships are worth the work.

Stack asked Morgan, “What element of our human connection has been most refreshing to see as our world leans more into tech?”

Morgan responded, “Seeing the human side of enterprise.”

Desiree Barnes, former aide to President Barack Obama, and Keesha Middlemass, professor in the Department of Political Science at Howard University, discussed A New Kind of Patriotism.

They spoke about the challenges of navigating being black in America. They addressed the racial climate amid the pandemic.

“I think that words matter. I think that the current administration should be more concerned about the rhetoric they put out there,” said Barnes.

Middlemass agreed, describing the maze of legislative regulations that revoke, restrict or retract public benefits for prisoners re-entering society.

“America has a long history of using incarceration as a form of addressing anyone who violates social norms, including addiction and mental illness,” Middlemass said, noting that the United States leads the world in incarceration rates with 1.1 million citizens in the prison system.

Proceeds from the event went towards the homeless teen moms and children of The Hagar Center.

Robertson said, “If more people are able to talk about how they found joy during trying times, that helps shift perspectives and creates a safe space for others who may be having a difficult time.”

Shelby County Health Department officials said last week that a spike in COVID-19 cases were a concern, but not unexpected.

Coming off of Mother’s Day and Memorial Day weekend, travel and outdoor activities in close proximity might warrant a noticeable increase 14 days out.

But Tuesday’s COVID-19 Joint Task Force update carried a different tone. The total cases of coronavirus reached an alarming 6,119, with 133 deaths.

Those numbers represented a 24-hour increase of 192 new cases and six more fatalities overnight.

Statewide, The Tennessee Department of Health announced there were at least 27,575 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state as of Tuesday afternoon, up from 26,944 on Monday, including 435 total deaths.

“Although we are concerned about these numbers, the real concern is the rate of new cases,” said Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Officer.

“We are analyzing the reasons for this increase, and more testing could be a factor.”

Nearly 90,000 people have been tested in Shelby County. However, health officials must consider the grim possibility that new clusters of community spread may be happening throughout the county.

When health and government officials deemed it safe to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the Back to Business reopening plan, county residents were admonished not to be lax on the safety precautions that leveled the increase in COVID-19 cases. Data indicated that community spread had been reasonably contained.

But Tuesday’s numbers represented a setback that makes it doubtful that Phase 2 will only extend over the course of 21 days.

Randolph said in a phone interview after the update that counties may have to look at the possibility of issuing mandatory facial coverings in public spaces.

“I think Dr. Jeff Warren has been looking at a mandatory ordinance,” said Randolph. “We don’t want to have to do that, but mandates may become necessary to control the spread.”

Warren serves on the Memphis City Council. Last week, Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer proposed a mandatory order that passed in an initial vote.

County Attorney Marlinee C. Iverson subsequently forwarded a letter to the County Commission stating that neither city nor county officials could mandate facial coverings in public, but that the Shelby County Health Department could.

“We have to think about what the demographics show,” Randolph said. “The increase in new cases will disproportionately effect black and brown people. We’ve seen a marked increase of the coronavirus among the Hispanic population.”

Randolph said officials are also watching locally and nationally how protests across the country will affect the numbers.

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked an outcry against law enforcement’s use of excessive force, particularly against African Americans.

“It is important to go back to what we were doing when the safer-at-home order was in place,” said Randolph. “People wore facial coverings and adhered more to social distancing. We must not get relaxed because everyone is back out now.”

Randolph said the initial recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must be carefully followed if we are going to get a handle on community spread:

• Wear a facial covering in all public spaces and when you are in close proximity to another person.
• Adhere to the six-foot, social distancing rule.
• Do thorough hand-washing for 20 seconds, with sanitizing soap and clean surfaces in the home with disinfectant cleaners. Keep hand sanitizer in several places for frequent use.
• Keep hands away from the face, particularly the nose and mouth areas.

Angered by “vehicular assaults” on demonstrators at a Union Ave. protest Friday evening, 50-plus people spoke out in condemnation at a Monday afternoon press conference.

“These protesters will tell you how vehicles rammed into the crowd,” said Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer. “Similar incidents happened in Seattle and other cities around the country. Clearly, a call for these kinds of attacks has been made.”

Three women gave detailed accounts of being hit by “a large SUV” driven by a man they begged to stop and turn around.

“He looked right at me, and we locked eyes,” said Shiloh Grace, who was there protesting with her daughter. “I held my arms out and motioned for him to stop and turn around.

“The driver accelerated and ran into us. He was laughing, laughing,” she shouted. “Police wrote him a citation and let him go.”

The driver was identified as Anthony Marcuzzo, 19. He and Beau Albauer, 26, who also allegedly drove into the protesters, face several misdemeanors, including reckless endangerment.

The event was initially scheduled to take place on the steps of the Shelby County Courthouse, but an alternate rain location was set for the lobby of Shelby County government building.

Protesters said they asked an officer on the scene why Marcuzzo was being let go and were told “because he didn’t really hurt anyone.”

People engaging in peaceful protests have been locked up and had to sit in jail for 48 hours, Sawyer said. “It is clear who Memphis police will protect and serve.”

Grace and her 16-year-old daughter, Lydia Grace, along with Erin Dempsey, talked about the terror they felt as the oncoming vehicle accelerated into the crowd. All three women, who are white, said they wanted to protect demonstrators from the onslaught.

“We were yelling, ‘Stop, Stop,’ holding our hands out for him to turn around,” said Dempsey. “But he ran into us. I was knocked off balance and caught hold of his side mirror. I was dragged for 20 feet.”

Both Dempsey and Shiloh Grace were treated at a hospital for bruising and other minor injuries.

Sawyer called the lowered flags to honor George Floyd “empty, hypocritical gestures.

“Four years ago, the same thing happened in Charlottesville, and the nation said they were changing…and here we are,” Sawyer said. “There are already mow-down laws. They need to be enacted.”

Co-organizers Allyson Smith and Jordan Dodson expressed their anger and frustration that Marcuzzo was being held to a different standard because he was a white man.

“Would a black man have been let go if he had done the same thing?” Smith asked. “He would not have been allowed to leave. Tony Marcuzzo was given a slap on the wrist, but peaceful protesters have been arrested. There is a different standard of justice for people who look like me.”

Dodson complained that initial felony charges against drivers were bumped down to misdemeanors.

According to MPD, evidence regarding the incident involving Albauer was sent to the grand jury on Monday, with a warrant subsequently issued for his arrest.

MPD, with the assistance of U.S. Marshals, took Albauer into custody at 1:45 Tuesday (June 9) morning.

Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings was called at the scene, protesters asserted, but “did not show up.”

MPD did not respond to inquiries for comment regarding arrests and treatment of Marcuzzo and Albauer.