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)

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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.

Mayor Jim Strickland has ended the curfew, which last was extended to be in effect from 11 p.m. on June 7, 2020 to 5 a.m. on June 8, 2020

Strickland first ordered a 10 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew on June 1 in response, he said, to “civil disturbances and violence by some individuals, including property damage, vandalism, and inciting a riot” on May 30 and May 31 following peaceful protests earlier each day. The daily extensions since then later were changed to 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Meanwhile, the fever-pitch push to change the course of the future continues. Discussions and conversations are going on around the clock on multiple levels writes TSD All Over Town columnist Brianna A. Smith in “We matter — ‘There’s finally solidarity with black lives’.”

And millennials, she says, are stepping up as duty calls.

TSD intern Liaudwin Seaberry Jr. reports that the local protests are providing common ground for millennials, who are embracing a common cause.

Saturday, peaceful protests in the Memphis area continued. One group chose the intersection in front of the Abe Goodman Clubhouse at Overton Park Golf Course for its staging ground, departing from and returning to that spot after flowing through a section of Midtown.

With the heat a factor, protesters were encouraged to prepare accordingly and take advantage of bottled water. Time was devoted to encouraging participants to wear masks, an acknowledgement that the coronavirus continues its deadly roll.

As dusk settled in, marchers downtown gathered under the overpass near the Central Station Hotel in advance of surging north along South Main.

AS EXPECTED:

Tennessee seeks to appeal, block vote by mail for all ruling

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee officials on Friday sought an appeal and an immediate pause to a court’s ruling this week that lets all 4.1 million registered voters vote by mail during to the coronavirus pandemic, as the state made updates to its materials to reflect the expansion.

The state attorney general’s office filed the request in Davidson County Chancery Court to appeal and stay that court’s temporary injunction that expanded absentee eligibility Thursday.

State Elections Coordinator Mark Goins emailed local election officials Friday evening to let them know new court-ordered language was added to the website and the state absentee application form was updated. The form now has the option: “I have determined it is impossible or unreasonable to vote in-person due to the COVID-19 situation, and therefore qualify as hospitalized, ill, or disabled and unable to appear at my polling place.”

Today’s TSD Music Video Vibe: ‘Don’t Shoot’ by Jordan Occasionally

Symbolic black squares – often accompanied by #BlackoutTuesday, #BlackLivesMatter and #TheShowMustBePaused – blanketed social media, particularly Instagram, on a day (June 2) designated to go silent on social media, reflect on recent events and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

….Breonna Taylor! Ahmaud Arbery! Tony McDade…George Floyd! All names on a painful timeline that predates the forming of the country. Now there is fever-pitch push to change the course of the future, with discussions and conversations going on around the clock on multiple levels.

As the TSD’s All Over Town columnist, I have a platform. As a human, I have a duty to say that the fact that Mr. Floyd was even arrested, let alone killed, for the “offense” of forgery amid a pandemic that continues to disproportionately take African-American lives and threatens their livelihoods is a chilling affirmation that for many, black lives still do not matter in the United States.

We do matter!

Millennials are prominently at the forefront of the country’s shifting racial landscape and active participants in the national discourse on race. We – I among them – are no longer limited to traditional forms of civic engagement. We have available to us an expanding array of tech tools for sharing our political and social views and opinions.

These tools greatly enhance our opportunities to unite with likeminded people beyond geography while pushing the needle on issues we care about – most prominently at the moment being the blatant racism in policing and the killing of African Americans by law enforcement.

Not long ago, I shared with my All Over Town readers my account of a virtual event hosted by artist and activist Jordan Occasionally. Recently, we hooked up again and talked about that corps issue.

“As a black queer woman who has grown up in the South, I have seen and experienced police brutality for years. And I knew it wasn’t the norm. And I knew that sharing hashtags weren’t enough. Every year, we bury more black bodies just for being black. And this is not just in America, this is all over the world,” she said.

“Finally, we’ve reached a moment in history where the whole world is tired and angry. There’s no more, ‘It’s a black issue.’  There’s finally solidarity with black lives. This has become a global issue.

“We have to stop this! There is no reason why a black man or a black woman should be killed by a law enforcer for asking a single question.”

The solution, she said, is to dismantle white supremacy.

“The police department was the first slave patrol, and in its evolution, it has continued to uphold white supremacy and white respectability politics. From black people being too loud, too sexual, too proud,  these are all too much for police officers. And we are tired,” she said.

“And the world is finally doing something to stop this. And we won’t stop protesting until every cop is held accountable for this. Because every cop knows about the racist they work with, and these racists go on to hire other racists to uphold a system that murders black people.

“So we will not be silent until we don’t have to worry about our kids and their kids ever marching again for this.”

The push for change has stirred some to try to marginalize those who have taken to the streets. Lorenzo Herman, my fiancé and a black man’s opinion I care about deeply, is not having any of that.

“Materials can be replaced. Production lines will be reestablished. Businesses will reopen. Glass will be replaced. Money will be remade. Patronage will return. But when life ends…it ends,” he told me.

“George Floyd’s life can’t be replaced, rebuilt, nor remade. He will not return to this earthly realm. Keep that in mind when you marginalize protesters, rioters, and looters. The value of whatever is destroyed is still no comparison to the value of the lives that are routinely taken.”

After I turned this column in, the editor sent me a question:

“Is there anything that you have started doing, are doing differently and/or have stopped doing as a result of the movement that is taking root in the wake of George Floyd’s killing and its galvanizing effect re: doing something about the systemic, underlying problem?”

I’ll end the column with my response:

“More recently I’ve been looking for ways to show my solidarity with those who are protesting the continual racial injustices that have been happening in our country long before the murders of many were recognized and recorded.

 “I’ve been more intentional about circulating my dollar with business owners who look like me. I’m a firm believer in #EconomicBoycotts.

 “I have also been reading, signing and sharing petitions, sending emails to demand justice for the recent deaths, and I’ve donated to the local bail fund designed to aid protesters.

 “As well as I’ve been active in starting dialogue and conversations with my peers about the importance of voting, educating others on our enriched history, the importance of circulating the black dollar, and what can we do to move forward, unified and organized.”

(Petitions for your consideration:https://saytheirnames.carrd.co/#petitions.)