Vol. 1, Issue 6 June 2019 KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE MONTHLY WITH THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SHELBY COUNTY, TN LETTER FROM THE EDITOR By Yvonne D. Nelson, Ph.D. Summer time is here, school is out, and thousands of youth are looking for something positive to do during this brief hiatus from school. Would you like a suggestion for improving the lives of youth residing in Memphis and its surrounding communities? Sponsor a child’s partial- or full-tuition for an employment youth summer program. You might save a child’s life if you can. We are happy to report that NEWSCENE was granted approx. one-fourth of the grant funding requested from the Memphis City Council. This $15k in funding, combined with funds raised from our first WATERMELON FUNDRAISER, will be used to print and mail subscriptions and to further support our programs. We hope we can depend on you to become a paid annual subscriber soon! As you know, we depend heavily on you to spread the word about NEWSCENE. Your willingness to share links to featured stories to create new viewers, your desire to submit calendar events, pictures, and stories about events that have recently taken place are greatly appreciated. So is your desire to support us through purchasing advertisements through our advertising department that feature your local businesses, reunions, and other activities. This newsletter is for you and about you and the things you know about that are happening in your communities. I am depending on you to make sure we have accurate meeting dates and fresh content for each monthly NEWSCENE edition. NEWSCENE subscriptions are currently available for $36/bi-annually. You can subscribe online, call us at 901-300-0250, email Memphis.Meetings@gmail.com, or write us at I Love Shelby County, P.O. Box 9146, Memphis, TN 38190-0146. Thank you, Yvonne Blues City Cultural Center Programs and Education Director, Roniece Gilkey (Center) and Sheneka Nutall, Pinnacle Financial Partners Sr. Vice President/ Financial Advisor of Lending Offices (front row right), teamed up for “The Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience” finances matters day. Story and Pictures by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson EXPERIENCES AT SUMMER CAMP Roniece Gilkey has been the Programs and Education Director for the Blues City Cultural Center for the past three years. The agency evolved from its early beginnings as DOPKWE HOUSE in the late 1960s, an arts conglomerate under the direction of Tony Thompson, to the BEALE STREET REPERTORY COMPANY (BSRC) in the mid-1970s. BSRC was founded by Levi Frazier Jr., Deborah Hardin, Jon Wilson, Harold Gentry, Gregory Boyd, and Ron Parker. The mission of the organization was to provide a home for black performing artists who had few venues to display their talents in at the time. The BEALE STREET WRITERS were a cadre of scribes who originally included Quincy McKay, Hosea Henderson Jr., Mary Ruth Robinson, Cynthia Jones Sadler, Tommie Lee Ray, Akiba Shabazz, T. T. Roberson, and Pat Barnes. These individuals, who developed out of the BSRC, made a commitment to put pen to paper to express the black experience from a southern perspective. After approaching Memphis’s first black-owned radio station owner Art Gilliam about the concept of plays written by the writers being aired, WLOK 1340 AM aired these productions every Sunday morning for more than two years. Later, Memphis Cablevision televised a theatre series, SWEETER THE JUICE, featuring a variety of topics with an emphasis on Southern black culture monthly.
About a year after marrying in ’78, Frazier and Hardin launched the Blues City Cultural Center, a theatre created to promote local artistic talent that reached underserved audiences. Funding from the Memphis Arts Council and the Tennessee State legislature allowed BCCC to form the first professional black theatre company in Memphis in 1989. Under the direction of Ruby O’Gray, technical director Danny White, and guest choreographer Arthur Hall, Verna Aldridge, Phillip Bell, Percy Bradley, Michael Adrian Davis, and Darrell K. Hagan got their careers started. The organization hosted the Southern Black Cultural Alliance annual festival in 1990. Held at the Old Daisy Theatre on Beale Street, the festival included plays, workshops, and readings, and served as a forum for southern black creativity featuring artists from Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and the Carolina’s. Additional accolades about the history of the BCCC, including the facts stated in this article, can be found online at http://bluescitycc.org/history/. Ayana Frazier Williams, the daughter of Levy and Deborah, took over the helm of the BCCC in January. Under her direction, the BCCC celebrated its 40th anniversary in April and is currently operating two summer camps (Whitehaven – 38116 and Orange Mound – 38111/14) for youth, ages 14 to 18, among their many other programs. The camps are an arts-based summer project that provides employment for a total of 35 youth (20 in Whitehaven and 15 in Orange Mound). Participant job descriptions include singer and dancer, and all students are researchers, oral historians, cultural interpreters, writers, and marketing planners. They receive training in theatre, dance, music, visual art, expressive writing, and vocals as it relates to the history and heritage of one of the two camps situated in Memphis, TN. Programs are held Monday through Friday from 9 AM until 3 PM, and include challenging youth presentation activities on local landmarks, historical places, and people, two bus tours (June 25 & 26 in Whitehaven and July 9 & 10 in Orange Mound) that are open to the public to attend ($20/person) as well as a program finale on July 11th at 10 AM. The Orange Mound site is located at New Hope Baptist Church, 2731 Enterprise Ave, Memphis, TN 38114. The finale will be held at the Whitehaven site, Abundant Grace Fellowship, 1574 E. Shelby Drive, Memphis, TN 38116. “The Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience seeks to expose youth to the history of their community,” said BCCC Programs and Education Director Roniece Gilkey. “The goal of the program is for these youth participants to use the arts for achieving a better way of life – through dance, songs, and acting.” For more information about the program, to reserve your spot for both tours, or to volunteer, please call Programs and Education Director, Roniece Gilkey, at (901) 268-3740 or email bcceducation75@gmail.com. Students share various concepts they learned about finances after the presentation on money matters given by Pinnacle Financial Partners Senior Vice President Sheneka Nutall (standing right) during her visit to The Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience camp hosted by the Blues City Cultural Center where Roniece Gilkey is the Programs and Education Director. 2
(Standing) Kyler Gilkey, son of Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience Programs and Education Director, Roniece Gilkey and University of Memphis Junior, assists camp-goers in production and management through his role as an Intern. Seated is recent LeMoyne-Owen graduate and program Intern, ChaKendra Thompson, who assists camp-goers with production and development. (Above right) Camp participant and Whitehaven High School student Ronnie Wesby, 15, shows classmates the importance of the introduction and how to professionally introduce oneself using a business card in preparation for the upcoming walking tours. (Below, from left) Gabrielle Richardson, Shaniya Tucker, Morgan Cannon, and Athena Shead listen to classmates presentations on Thursday. 3
(Top, from left) Athena Shead, Brianna Miller, Lonnie Graham, Tulesha Folson, Lorenzo Miller, Kellise Peete, and Kyra Amerson. participate in the Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience. The “Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience” Blues City Cultural Center camp is being held May 28 through July 12, at Abundant Grace Fellowship, 1574 East Shelby Drive in Memphis, TN. The 7-week summer experience for youth 14-18 years old draws upon the vast experiences of elders in collaboration with students and professional artists. (Top, from left) Tyrisha Faulkner and classmate Tory Davis listen and prepare to critique classmates introductory greeting during class on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Whitehaven High School student, Morgan Cannon, 16, recites her introduction for encouraging adults to join the group for a youthled bus tour of Whitehaven scheduled for June 25 and 26, 2019. Tour cost is $20/person. Call (901) 268-3740 for information. 4
(Top) Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience participant’s Lonnie Graham (left) and Ronnie Wesby (right) share their introductory presentations and prepare to hear critiques from classmates as they prepare speeches for interviewing Whitehaven area elders and other stakeholders who have knowledge about the community. (Below) Student participants (from left) Tulesha Folson, Lorenzo Miller, Kellise Peete, and Kyra Amerson listen to classmates for the best wording to use in preparing their speeches that will create opportunities for intergenerational dialogue with Whitehaven area senior residents. Call (901) 268-3740 for tour information. 5
(Top) Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience participants (seated from left facing camera) Julian Jordan, Tyrisha Faulkner, Tory Davis, Trenton Thompson, and Julie Jordan listen as University of Memphis Junior and program Intern, Kyler Gilkey, discusses how and why performing and visual arts can and will be used to engage audiences in relatable interpretative experiences regarding the Whitehaven community. (Below left) ChaKendra Thompson, a recent LeMoyne-Owen College graduate and program Intern assistant in production and development makes sure the important points from the days discussion are available for student’s personal notes. (Below right) Kyler Gilkey (standing rear) leads the Whitehaven 38116 Summer Youth Experience program participants who fall into the categories of and learn to become researchers, oral historians, cultural interpreters, writers, and marketing planners. Additionally, students Lorenzo Miller is a writer; R-Reiaul Evans, Gabrielle Richardson, Morgan Cannon, Athena Shead, Brionna Miller, Lonnie Graham, Tulesha Folson, Kellise Peete, Kyra Amerson, and Ronnie Wesby are singers; Tyrisha, Kyra, Trenton Thompson, and Shaniya Tucker are dancers. 6
7
The June “My ZIP - My Email” community-wide meeting will be held from 5:58 PM to 7:28 PM Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at Greater Faith Tabernacle Ministries 905 E. Shelby Drive at Fairfield Road. This month’s meeting will be designed to discuss the developments surrounding the proposed expansion of Waste Connections of TN, LLC, the waste transfer facility located in your community at 621 East Brooks Road Come, get educated on what this means to you and your family “...Neighborhoods with low-value houses and/or low-levels of collective action are exposed to significantly greater risk since polluters (like Waste Connections of TN, LLC) consider these characteristics when making site decisions. IN OTHER WORDS… Impoverished neighborhoods like Whitehaven, Raineshaven, Westhaven, Westwood, Hickory Hill, Holiday City, Orange Mound, Alcy-Ball, South Memphis, Soulsville, Frayser, Hollywood, New Chicago, Douglass, Hyde Park, and similar areas where people tend NOT to organize against threats are more likely to become the location of HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES. IF YOU SAY, “NOT IN MY BACKYARD,” PROVE YOU MEAN IT… … BE THERE TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN AND SHOULD BE DOING SAVE TIME SIGNING IN. REGISTER ONLINE @ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-wide-meeting-tickets-62358976377?aff=ebdssbdestsearch CL I CK THE P I CTURE FOR DETAI LS 8
(Below) Greater Faith Tabernacle Ministries parishioner Gloria Easley (left), owner of Gloria and Jean Upholstery (901-503-6942), set up to raise funds on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at the corner of Shelby Drive and Fairfield Road. Assisting Easley and preparing items for display is Easley’s sister, Brenda Moss. Unity Christian Church of Memphis, 3345 McCorkle Road, Memphis, TN 38116, is interviewing for a PART-TIME METAPHYSICAL MINISTER. Interested parties can review the entire job description here. DVD or other video format submission preferred. For more information, contact Rosanna Kendall, rosannakendall@gmail.com. Pictured during his interview is Rev. William Major of Atlanta, GA. 9
State of Tennessee, Department of Education Director of Policy, Aleah Guthrie (left) spoke about training and childhood experiences, trauma-informed discipline and school safety, and more at the town hall meeting sponsored by London Lamar, State Representative for District 91 in Memphis, TN, during the event held Tuesday evening, May 28, 2019, at the Riverside Missionary Baptist Church, 3560 South Third Street. Story and Photo by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson The recently constructed edifice of Riverside Missionary Baptist Church, 3560 S Third Street near Mitchell (Winchester) Road in southwest Memphis, was the location of 28-year old, former TN Young Democrats President and first-term State Representative London Lamar’s Whitehaven Legislative Town Hall meeting. Held on the evening of Tuesday, May 28, 2019, the event turned out to be extremely informative for those who were in town and attended. Understanding the importance of and absence of college voters encouraged Lamar to push for early voting locations to be placed on college campuses. “I’m so excited to be able to come home, from Nashville, to be able to share some of the things that were done this year at the Tennessee State Capitol,” said Lamar, a freshman in leadership, secretary of the democratic minority caucus, and secretary of the caucus of TN Black Caucus of State Legislators. “Alongside a short presentation that I have, we will be talking about some key legislation that came down from the Capitol. We will also have presentations from the TN Department of Education to talk about key legislation concerning education, and also a presentation from the TN Department of Safety and Homeland Security about some new ID changes that are coming that every citizen needs to know about.” Lamar recapped major policy outcomes from the 2019 General Assembly and gave an overview of several of the bills she sponsored or co-sponsored (e.g., HB380 on health issues; HB988 on mental health; HB72 on maternal health and education, and reducing expungement fees to $0, and spoke about HB1264/SB765 on alternate gun permit system). Lamar made specific references to various laws that have recently been passed into law and those currently headed our way. “Drastic changes have been made in education and there is a federal mandate that ALL citizens will be required to receive new licenses call “real IDs.” Details for the “real ID” program are on the following page for your convenience and review. Visit online for more info. 10
VI S I T TN.GOV/ TNREAL I D 11
12
Tony Pollard goes Pro! Story and Pictures by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson Melrose High School graduate and former University of Memphis Sport and Leisure Management major, Tony DeShawn Pollard, the son of Torria and Tarrance Pollard and brother of Tneshia and Terrion Pollard, was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys NFL team in the 4th Round of draft picks on April 26, 2019. A celebration, held in Tony’s honor, was held May 3, 2019, in his family’s restaurant, Pollard’s BBQ, located at 4560 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, TN. Tyrone Hunt, Servant and Senior Pastor at the Healing Cathedral Christian Center, 4523 Elvis Presley Boulevard, opened the program with a prayer. “We have bright stars in this city,” said program supporter and emcee Hazel Moore of Hazel’s Hair Fashions, who is affectionately known as the Mayor of Whitehaven. “We want to always recognize them for their talents, as Pastor Tyrone Hunt said, for their gifts God has given them to move on, to move this city [forward].” Moore then informed those in attendance that Mayor Jim Strickland was in attendance and stated, “We have our city mayor here, let’s have him to come up and make his presentation. He always comes to Whitehaven when we ask him!” As Mayor Strickland approached the crowd, he reminded everyone that Hazel Moore is the Mayor of Whitehaven and stated, “I appreciate her letting the Mayor of Memphis in here!” The crowd cheered and laughed at his remarks. Strickland acknowledged all the Cowboy fans in attendance, including Dewayne Brown and several members of the M Town Cowboy Collection, before announcing that he was a Tiger fan. “I got to thank Tony for being a Tiger,” said Strickland as he began to comment on what attracted the Dallas team to the athlete. “I’m a season ticket holder, so I saw all of those kickoff returns. There were a lot of them, 7, a NCA record. All the rushes, all the receptions, the ball games, all the good times at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Tony, you’re going to Dallas and you’re going to all of these big NFL cities but, you know Memphis will always be your home and we will always love you.” Strickland proceeded to read the following from the Proclamation prepared for the event. “Now therefore, be it proclaimed that I, Jim Strickland, Mayor of the City of Memphis, do hereby claim May 3, 2019, as Tony Pollard Day in the great city of Memphis!” Although on the program, Shelby County Commissioner Van. D. Turner Jr., Shelby County Mayor, Lee Harris, and City of Memphis Councilmember Jamita Swearengen where unable to attend the event due to conflicting schedules. The celebration continued with Creative Dizigns owner, Melony Walker, who presented a painting. Several other speakers, including family members, briefly spoke during the congratulatory celebration. Pollard’s paternal cousin, Kortney Powell, was extremely excited for his cousin’s accomplishments. “Tony worked hard to make his dreams come through,” said Powell. “We are very proud of him and we are all very excited!” (Far left, top) City of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland (right) was present to present former Melrose and University of Memphis student, Tony Pollard, with a proclamation claiming May 3, 2019, Tony Pollard Day in recognition of him being picked up by the Dallas Cowboys football league in the fourth round drafts held April 26, 2019. Pollard left Memphis on May 6th headed to camp where he signed a reportedly $3.19 million dollar deal that included a $667,780 dollar signing bonus. Pollard’s base salary will be $495,000 in his first year of play. Not bad for a 22 year old rookie, huh? (Bottom) Melony Walker, owner and artist at Creative Dizigns, presented Tony Pollard with a special painting to commemorate his being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys during the event. A special poster featuring a picture of Tony in his University of Memphis uniform greeted celebration attendees inside Pollard’s BBQ, 4560 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, (Top right) Tony attended Melrose High School where he graduated from in 2015. On hand at the celebration was principal Mark Neal (left with mic) who spoke about Tony’s presence during his short time being principal and getting to know him. Also pictured is Hazel Moore who is affectionately known as the Mayor of Whitehaven because of her dedication and commitment to improving and highlighting the many positive things going on in the area. Moore was an instrumental force in making sure the event took place, offering to emcee the event herself, and invited the Mayor and many of the other special guests in attendance. (Bottom right) Present before the event started, making sure everything and everybody was in place and at the right place was Pollard’s paternal cousin, Kortney Powell. Powell was having trouble containing his excitement. He expressed sincere appreciation of and for his cousin’s accomplishments and was on hand to ensure things went better than planned. (Above left) Officer R. Jefferson commends Tony, a former participant at the Raines Station Precinct in Whitehaven. (Above right) Joyce and Johnny Rudd were among the many relatives on hand to celebrate Tony Pollard’s being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. 13
Old Dominick’s Distillery Marketing Activations Manager, Meghan Bridges, poses on the platform of the recently erected 10’ tall , 50’ wide, 20,000 lb. “Memphis” sign located at the Mud Island River Park, just south of the amphitheater. Meghan and Old Dominick’s staff were on hand passing out free shots and inviting the community to tour their facilities at 305 S. Front Street, Memphis, TN, Story and Picture by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson What’s New on Mud Island? Mud Island River Park is a family-friendly entertainment destination near the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis, TN. You can get to the park through the Amphitheatre on foot from Island Drive or by walking across the skybridge (under the monorail track) from Main Street. Access is on Level 3 of the west terminal and parking is available at the Mud Island parking garage, 125 N. Front Street. The garage entrance is located at the corner of Front Street and Poplar Avenue; fees range from $3 to $10 depending on the event. The River Park is a great place for hosting weddings, birthday parties, family and class reunions, and other large gatherings and events. The Mississippi River Museum is open from May through October, Thursday through Sunday, from 10AM to 5PM. Admission is $10 for adults 12 and over and free for children under the age of 4. All others pay $8 to enter. On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, Mud Island played host for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a 50-foot wide, 10-foot tall, 20,000 pound “Memphis” sign. Both the city of Memphis and Shelby County Mayors were in attendance at the event that offered participants free shot-sized glasses of Old Dominick’s whiskey. The organization’s website says they’ve “crafted 200 bottles of 2 year aged Tennessee Straight Whiskey in celebration of the Memphis Bicentennial,” and that each of the 200 bottles “features a different Memphian who helped give our city its soul.” Dominick’s will begin “releasing batches of these single-run, exclusive bottles on June 13, 2019. For additional details, drop by the distillery located at 305 S. Front Street, Memphis, TN 38103, email info@olddomninick.com, or phone (901) 260-1250 and “Share a SIP Responsibly.” 14
LISTEN UP! COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ARE LEAVING HERE DAILY WITHOUT MAKING PREPARATIONS… ...WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE ONE OF THEM. June 1, 2019 DI’MANS, Inc. Post Office Box 9146 Memphis, TN 38190-0146 RE: Community-Wide Seminars My ZIP - My Email Meetings Free Announcement Calendar Greetings, The board and staff of DI’MANS, Inc., a nonprofit, IRS recognized organization founded in 1999, wishes to invite you to join us as we begin to reintroduce Shelby County to our series of informational presentations on subjects we believe you need to know about. Subscribe to our online newsmagazine NEWSCENE at iLoveShelbyCounty.com TODAY, to stay informed... We will begin offering free classes on topics that include: Gardening for Survival Navigating Your Mobile Device with Confidence, Especially for Seasoned Citizens Social Security Disability: Application Submitted, Approval Received Securing loved ones’ futures by preparing for the End-of-My-Life Student loan management: What You Should Know Before and After Signing The Real ID: What’s Happening after October 1, 2020? Voter Registration Drives: What you need to know Who are You Voting For? Meet the Candidates Thank you, Phone (901) 300-0250 for information, to make a donation, or for volunteer opportunities! 15
Story by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson Information Retrieved from The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, T. O. Fuller State Park Tennessee brochure, www.tnstateparks.com, https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/thomas-oscar-fuller/, https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/fuller-thomasoscar, and was compiled by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson Who was T.O. Fuller? Research reveals that Thomas Oscar Fuller (1867-1942) was a prominent Memphian, author, and civic leader who lived in the early 20th century. Fuller, whose parents were both literate and who had become landowners, attended local schools before graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1890 and a Master’s degree in 1893. Both degrees were attained at Shaw University, where he enrolled in 1885. Shaw University is located in Raleigh, NC near Franklinton, NC, where Fuller was born. Fuller was ordained by the Wake County Baptist Association and his first pastorate was the Belton Creek Church at Oxford. Church was held in a log cabin schoolhouse and Fuller was paid a salary of $50 a year for his services. He also taught school in the Granville County public school for the salary of $30 a month. By 1892, Fuller returned to his hometown of Franklinton, formed and operated a “colored graded” school subsequently known as the “Girls Training School,” and became principal of the Shiloh Institute at Warrenton in 1894. By 1898, Fuller had been elected to the North Carolina State Senate when a white Republican had to relinquish his nomination. Fuller was the only African-American in the Senate at the time, yet this fact did not prevent or hinder all of his desires. He achieved several objectives including (1) being largely responsible for getting the circuit court to hold hearings every four months instead of every six months, (2) persuading the senate not to reduce the number of “Negro normal schools” from seven to four; and (3) support for the publication of sketches of North Carolina regiments in the Civil War while contending credit should be attributed to “those who stayed home and raised cotton and corn.” In 1900 Fuller left North Carolina and accepted the role of minister of the First Colored Baptist Church, then located at 217 Beale Street, in Memphis, TN, where he became one of the most prominent black ministers in the city. With only $100, he found a splinter group and rented a hall. Considered by many to be a born organizer and persuader, he soon increased the congregation size and embarked on a building program. Two additional churches were built, the first on St. Paul Avenue and the second at Lauderdale and Polk Streets. Fuller was named principal of Howe Institute, established in Memphis in 1888 as the Memphis Baptist and Normal Institute for West Tennessee Baptists. The school eventually merged with Roger Williams College. It was there where Fuller held classes in theology for local pastors. Howe was a training school to give young blacks manual skills and exposure to academic and cultural subjects including both the Latin and Greek languages. It is said that Fuller’s drive and active support system from Northern Baptists resulted in the fivefold growth of the building in the following 10 years. In 1905 Fuller was a conservative voice in the dispute and strike over the segregation of Memphis’s streetcars. He viewed attempts to protest the new laws as futile, believing that the white power structure would crush any opposition and he urged compliance and highlighted the Christian virtues of abiding the law, rejecting any direct confrontations occurring due to black community members negatively addressing streetcar conductors. Thomas Oscar Fuller received a doctor of philosophy degree from the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Normal, AL in 1906. Shaw University awarded him a M.A. in 1908 and a doctor of divinity degree in 1910. After a Caucasian mob lynched Ell C. Parsons by burning him to death in May 1917, Fuller ventured into more of an activist social and political agenda. As a result, he became one of the initial members of the first chapter of the Memphis Branch NAACP, but soon found himself at odds with the organization when it denounced Tennessee Governor Thomas C. Rye and allowed his membership to lapse. In 1920 he played a significant role in establishing a Memphis chapter of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation (CID). A conservative organization aimed at improving communications between African American elites and their white counterpart, the CIC rose out of the ashes of considerable racial violence following the end of World War I. Operating as a subcommittee of the white Chamber of Commerce and a group of minister, the organization was chaired by Fuller who also headed the Public Welfare League. The organization was commonly referred to as the Memphis InterRacial League (MIL) and might have been the largest and most activist black group in Tennessee claiming over twelve hundred members. Fuller took credit for bettering race relations and improving schools and playgrounds in Memphis in the 1920s. He successfully petitioned the city of Memphis for a change in the name of the Negro Industrial High School to the Booker T. Washington High School. The MIL spoke out against crime and waged a campaign encouraging the upholding of the law, temperance, and active employment. Fuller was so successful at presenting his views in the white press that he wrote more columns of print than any other African American man in Memphis history. 16
Master politician and powerful machine boss E. H. Crump began to consult with Fuller as the voice of the African American community. In 1927 after the Roger Williams University had burned in Nashville, Fuller requested permission to develop a new institution in Memphis. Local civic clubs were especially opposed to this request and the city government refused to give Fuller the necessary building permits to build on the property he had purchased on South Parkway. By 1931 Fuller took a leave from Howe Institute and began researching, writing, and publishing books aimed at increasing African American pride with the hopes that by providing the African American history that was missing from traditional American history narratives the result would be that of empowering black youth to continue the established progress of their forefathers. In the late 1930s, the Foote Homes project condemned the property of First Colored Baptist Church, Howe Institute, and several other black institutions, businesses, and many residences. In 1939 Fuller helped relocate the church across the street from Booker T. Washington High School on a lot occupied by the historic Sanford home and a Second Empire-style dwelling which had been remodeled into a settlement house named the Bethlehem Center. The church and former settlement house, which was used as his parsonage, and church offices are now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Fuller was selected to give the invocation at a ceremony when President Theodore Roosevelt visited Memphis, had four wives, authored six books, lived at the parsonage until his death, and is buried at New Park Cemetery. The T. O. Fuller State Park was originally known as the Shelby County Negro State Park from its inception in 1938 until the name was changed in 1942, after his death, and to honor his life accomplishments. The park consists of 1, 138 acres in the southern limits of the city of Memphis. It was the first state park opened for African Americans east of the Mississippi River. Nearby attractions include the Chucalissa Indian Village, which was discovered when by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp 1464-SP-10, when they were responsible for building park facilities. During an excavation for a proposed swimming pool in 1940, the prehistoric village was unearthed by CCC workers. Currently operated by the University of Memphis, Chucalissa Indian Village includes a village, preserved archeological excavations, and a museum. T. O. Fuller Park amenities include: Forty-five (45) RV accessible campground sites featuring tent camping, a picnic shelter, playground, bathhouse, laundry facility, dump station and trash receptacle, and individual camps have picnic tables, lantern hangers, fire rings, grills, electrical, and water hookups. An Olympic-size pool and splash pad featuring a bathhouse with showers and restrooms, and trained lifeguards. More than 8 miles of natural hiking trails ranging in difficulty from moderate to rugged; the Day Use Trail, a quarter-mile trail located in the main recreation area; and The Discovery Trail, a 4.5-mile continuous loop with a number of scenic points of interest including the wetlands and the Chucalissa Indian Village. Four pavilion-type shelters that can accommodate from 40 to 120 family or class reunion and other large guest events. Each shelter includes grills, nearby bathroom facilities, picnic tables, and electrical outlets. Four Playgrounds located in the main recreational area (2), the camping area, and Picnic Shelter No. 4. The Shelby Bluff Center meeting facility, which has a playground nearby, is a popular location for weddings, meetings, and indoor reunion activities. With a seating capacity of 180, the facilities amenities include folding chairs, tables, central heat and air, a fully functional kitchen with appliances, PA system, projector with screen. A conference room An Outdoor classroom The environmentally friendly Interpretive Center, an indoor and outdoor educational classroom located in the park’s wildlife habitat area, is the ideal location for demonstrating energy efficiency techniques including photo-voltic cells, geothermal heating, and geothermal air conditioning. The center is the home of the park’s flight cages, outdoor classroom, conference room, gift shop, and includes information regarding the wildlife habitat of West Tennessee. The Wildlife Habitat/Birding Area consists of floodplain wetlands and native wildflowers, grassy meadows and upland ponds. Rare black-bellied whistling ducks and nesting black-necked stilts call the area home as it is quickly becoming a significant birding area for resident and migratory songbirds, shorebirds, raptors, and wintering waterfowl. Continued on Page 20 17
“We are working with everyone from veterans to youth ages 16-18 years old,” said T. O. Fuller Park Manager, Jimmy Warren. “Basically we will be working this summer with 22 children from the 38109 area, Carver, Mitchell, Westwood and those areas in a for-hire program designed for student attendees of the Shelby County School system. The program will be featuring story telling by the well-renowned former Morning Soul Patrol radio personality “Mother Wit,” the Memphis Police Department and others. I’m just excited about being the park manager because I grew up in the area. To me, it’s a way to give back to youth from my neighborhood.” The program will be running from 9 AM to 3:30 PM Monday through Friday through the end of July beginning with an orientation session on Monday, June 3, 2019 and culminating with a graduation ceremony a few days prior to the end of the camp session. Donations of time and finances are always welcomed. T. O. Fuller State Park is open from 8 AM to 7 PM during the spring and summer and from 8 AM to Sunset during the fall and winter. The office is located at 1500 W. Mitchell Road, Memphis, TN 38109. Volunteer opportunities assisting in protecting and preserving the cultural and natural resources of the park are available for individuals, families, and groups. Visit tnstateparks.com for details or phone the park office at (901) 543-7581 for pricing and to make reservations. Van Rutherford, T. O. Fuller State Park Friend’s Group Inc. President speaks during a One Voice meeting recently held in the Shelby Bluff Center at the T. O. Fuller State Park. The friend’s group can be reached by mail at P. O. Box 9905, Memphis, TN 38190-9905; by email at friendsoftofullerstatepark@ gmail.com, or by phoning (901) 543-7581. 18
CLICK HERE TO ORDER TODAY! 19
Area historian, Mother Mary Mitchell (at podium), and residents of Orange Mound, Memphis’s oldest and first neighborhood for Blacks, were joined by city and county officials and friends on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, to celebrate 100 years of existence. Story and Pictures by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson Orange Mound, 200 Years Later… … The legacy continues Historical documents reveal that the Orange Mound (OM) community in the southeastern portion of Memphis, TN, was the first neighborhood in Memphis built by and for African Americans. It is rumored that the name was derived from the orange-colored bushes that populated the area. Orange Mound was initially part of a plantation where African Americans worked. After a wealthy developer purchased a track of land from the plantation’s owner, he developed a low-cost subdivision for African Americans to build homes on. Only second to Harlem, in the distant past, “The Mound,” as it is sometimes referred to, was said to have more persons of African American descent than any other area in America. A program honoring the community for its 100th year anniversary was held at 10 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. The centennial celebration featured a community prayer given by Rev. David Fitzgerald of Mt. Gilliam Baptist Church, 1029 Raymond Street, Memphis, TN. The welcome and opening remarks were provided by former OM resident, Africa in April founder, and retired assistant University of Memphis professor of African American Rhetoric and Interracial Communications, David Acey, who was accompanied by his wife of more than the last five decades, Yvonne. Acknowledgements were provided by City of Memphis, Housing and Community Development Director, Paul Young, who was followed by remarks given by Shelby County Historian, Jim Rout. “It’s a special thing when you have a history that goes back this far,” said Rout who spoke about the 100 years Orange Mound has existed. “I may be blond and have blue eyes, but my heart runs deep in Orange Mound. …We celebrate Memphis’s 200 years of founding and we celebrate Shelby County’s 200 years as a county. This picture is evidence of what our future holds – faith, fortitude, and family – togetherness, black and white. It can happen, it has happened, and it will happen because of people like you!” RedZone Ministries Director Howard Eddings spoke on the future of the Mound. “It is good to be here, it’s good to be a part of something that is so incredibly rich in the community of Orange Mound,” said Eddings who stated that he kind of grew up on Spottswood, a street in the Orange Mound area. “I up grew up in this community and I am especially thankful for the opportunity to just share with you a little bit about what I feel like God has allowed me to do through a small program called Red Zone Ministries… The world is becoming a place where cities dominate. As we work together to impact and to be a part of what is happening in our communities, I think that we need to figure out what assets are available. Our commitment as an organization is to try to figure out how to press forward and how to be a part of what our future looks like…” District Commissioner Reginald Milton provided additional remarks about the Orange Mound community and presented a proclamation before long-time Orange Mound resident Mary Mitchell, took the podium to share information about the community’s residents, including its first diamond cutter after WWII. Mitchell then unveiled a sample of the “Preserve America” sign and read a congratulatory poem, written by former First Lady Michelle Obama, regarding OM being designated as such. City Councilwoman Jamita Swearengen introduced City of Memphis Mayor, Jim Strickland, who also presented a proclamation and asked that the program be closed out as it began – in prayer. 20
(Left) Former First Lady Michelle Obama designated the Orange Mound community as a “Preserve American Community,” in November 2016. Melrose Center for Cultural Enrichment Executive Director Mary Mitchell (center holding a sample of the sign designating the initiative to be later installed at the intersections of Lamar, Park, and Airways facing north and facing east). Mitchell is pictured with researcher, Dr. Cynthia Sadler, and OM resident and Melrose Center for Cultural Enrichment chair, Angela Boxdale (far left). (Below) In celebration of 100 years of existence (1919 –2019) the Orange Mound community held a Centennial Celebration on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, in their recently opened Melrose Center for Cultural Enrichment, 2590 Park Avenue, Memphis, TN 38114. Call (901) 576-7266 or visit them online at https:// www.facebook.com/pg/Melrose-Center-For-Cultural-Enrichment-Inc(Right) Mother Mary Mitchell, a life-long resident and historian from the Orange Mound community in Memphis, TN, addresses the crowd assembled at the Centennial event held Wednesday, May 22, 2019, before city of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland (below) spoke on the significance of the event to the Memphis community. 21
Highlights From the Police vs. Caption & Pictures On Sunday, May 26, 2019, the MPD “ENFORCERS” at the REDBIRDS AutoZone Park Baseball The Final Score was ENFORCERS, 2 to LAWMEN 22
. the Sheriff’s Baseball Game! s by: Tony Wright ” took on the Shelby County Sheriff “LAWMEN” l Stadium, 200 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN EN, 14. The game ended at approximately 6pm. 23
IT’S A WATER-MELON-FUNDRAISING-A-THON! YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED PLEASE HELP DI’MANS, INC. dba NEWSCENE (EIN 26-4009342; CFC# 46643) and THE McCORKLE ROAD NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, INC. OF MEMPHIS (62-1641637) AS WE WORK TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITIES... WE ARE SELLING WATERMELONS FROM FL & AL Place your order online at: https://iloveshelbycounty.com/watermelon-fundraiser or call (901) 300-0250 today... ...Delivery available (for a nominal fee)! 24
Work is underway at the David Carnes Park located off Whitehaven Lane between Fairfield and Auburn Roads in Whitehaven. The historic David Carnes park will be the first ever BlueCross Healthy Place site. The $5.4 million dollar investment is projected to provide a revitalized place for residents of all areas near and far to get active, utilize a new neighborhood gathering location, have a picnic, bring the children to a safe zone with playground space, parking, restrooms, and improved lighting. The projected opening date is set for later this summer. Visit bettertennessee.com for details and updates. Pictures taken by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson on or around May 12, 2019. DID YOU KNOW? There are several moneyless ways you can support nonprofits like DI’MANS, Inc. and the McCorkle Road Neighborhood Development Association, Inc. of Memphis. When you shop at Kroger you can, AT NO COST TO YOU, support DI’MANS, Inc. by enrolling in the Community Rewards Program and earning rewards for DI’MANS every time you shop! Visit Kroger.com and support Organization #DN098. AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, again, AT NO COST TO YOU, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to DI’MANS Inc., the charitable organization of choice! 25
CL I CK P I CTURE TO VI S IT ABUNDANT GRACE FELLOWSHI P . . . Story and Pictures by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson I can remember visiting Abundant Grace Fellowship when it was located on West Raines at Westmont Road. I distantly remember meeting the Senior Pastor, Dwayne Hunt, and working with Elder Earl Sayles, someone who regularly kept me abreast of the many good things that were happening at and through Abundant Grace in its former Westwood area location. This must have been around 2004-05. Fast forward a few years. Several places of worship have tried to make 1574 East Shelby Drive home, but sometime around or after 2007, Dwayne Hunt made the location part of the Abundant Grace vision. From that day to this, I have seen nothing but great things happening from that location. In addition to Hunt, the leadership team includes Sayles, the Connections Pastor; Clifton Johnson, the Administrative Pastor; Children’s Ministry Pastor, Gayle Hunt; Young Adult Pastor, Elyse Jones; and Healing Grace, Elder Jacqueline McCreight. Service begins Sunday mornings at 10 AM and Bible Study and Bible Study Groups meet on Wednesday’s at 11:30 AM and 6:45 PM. The office can be reached by phoning (901) 789-4722, the same number the church had on East Raines Road. I sat in on the 10 AM service on Sunday, May 19, 2019. Pastor Hunt has a unique way of teaching the Bible, one that, like myself, believe most everyone would thoroughly enjoy. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed the lesson because I understood the message and I understood the message so well, that I was able to recite parts of it to others days after I’d heard it. The message that Sunday had four main characters (1) the Father - Isaac, a type of God the Father; (2) the Mother - Rebekah, a type of Church; (3) the Older Brother - Esau, a type of Jesus; and the younger Brother - Jacob, a type of us. Do you know this story? The way Pastor Hunt explained it made it simple to understand, but “when is a lie, not a lie?” was the question he posed. I replied, “Never, and I believe that I was correct.” As the story went, the Father was old and failing and witnessed this to his 1st born Son, Jesus. Although a private conversation, the Mother (the church) overheard the conversation and quickly called for the Brother. The Father had instructed Jesus to go fetch goats and to prepare his favorite meal and bring it to him so that he could give the “Blessing.” Jesus had left to fetch and prepare the meal for his father, but the Mother and Brother were faster accomplishing the task because they worked together whereas Jesus worked alone (this is my interpretation). The Brother came back with the fetch and the Mother prepared it as the Brother clothed himself in Jesus best suit of clothing. Now the Brother smelled like Jesus, but his skin was smooth, not hairy like Jesus’ skin, so the Mother used the fur from the goats he had fetched to put over his smooth skin. The Brother was still concerned that the Father would know who he was, but the Mother insisted and he went in to serve the Father the meal she had prepared. The Father ate the food and questioned the Brother. When the Brother said he was the 1st born, the Father did indeed believe him and gave him the “Blessing.” So when is a lie, not a lie? I still say, “Never.” What do you say? And how can you relate to the moral of this story? The story did end with a demonstration using two church members who enacted the various parts of the story for additional clarity. The entire ceremony was entertaining, yet informative and it did not include anything that wasn’t necessary for even the youngest mind to understand. Of course the Father recognized his error when Jesus returned, but just like you and I, he could not take back that which has already happened. Upon being satisfied with his sermon, Pastor Hunt and Elder Sayles welcomed two of the four new members to the stage to be introduced to and inducted into their new church families and then invited two families with new babies requiring christening. A few important announcements were made and I even had another chance to alert more Shelby County residents about the environmental injustice being delivered directly to residents in the northwestern part of Whitehaven—the individuals who live close to Waste Connections of TN, LLC, the waste transfer service company that Continued on Page 25 26
has grown out of the land they purchased from the city of Memphis in 1999 and feels that it is now their right to be able to expand onto 30 additional adjacent acres purchased without receiving an approval to expand—something those who live in the area are not willing to agree with, under no circumstances. My plea was for individuals, since the city opened arguments up to “ALL INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNERS,” to join us at City Hall, 125 North Main Street, in the first floor City Council chambers to fight this request to expand because it impacts: 1) Our health through releases or disease or allergy-causing matter in the form of disease-causing organisms, cancer-causing substances, dust or other respiratory irritants, noise and odors, and a host of other undesirable scenarios into the air we breathe, soil we grow our food in, and/or water we drink, cook with, and wash ourselves and everything else with; 2) Our peacefulness because of sounds that disturb us in our homes which makes it difficult to relax, concentrate or even share a conversation with others, early in the morning and late night noises make sleep disruptive, backup beepers and the clang of tail gates slamming against heavy truck bodies, and public address system outdoor speakers are annoyingly loud and another uncontrollable source of noise. 3) Our ability to breathe fresh air is hindered because when odors are bad they are offensively smelly at distances of up to four or five miles depending on the strength of the wind, something no man can control. Some items release dangerous hydrogen-sulfide odors and solid waste that contains organic matter like egg shells, banana peels, fruits, and vegetables, used diapers (youth and/or adult), other food wastes, pet waste, etc. or “putrescible waste” is capable of being decomposed by microorganisms and are of such a character and proportion as to cause obnoxious odors and to be capable of attracting or providing foods for birds, rats (we have those already roaming around and coming inside our homes where we live invading our property). We’ve been informed that odor neutralizers and deodorizers have been installed, but those are cheap answers to the expense problem we are attempting to address—nauseating smells. We are not interested in having odor control blankets installed alongside fans to further blow these odor neutralizing agents across our neighborhood and we have never seen this organization using carbon scrubbers to clean the odorous water they are obviously creating. Furthermore, an active gas extraction system, and not deodorants, is the most reliable means of controlling these types of odors. 4) Our property values are plummeting downward. This place can be seen, it sits right off of Brooks Road and the proposed expansion request moves it directly adjacent to the actual street. This facility can be heard with their loudly beeping trucks all throughout the day and night, including the sounds from outdoor announcement systems, and employees whose voices carry with the smell in the wind right through our walls, windows, and doors. And this place can be smelled and, unfortunately, the smell is anything but a pleasant one. These are all factors that are known to lower property values, properties that we have paid for in many cases and had always planned to die in, but not from cancer-causing diseases floating through the air because of Waste Connections of TN, LLC operations. Studies are available from other states that have proven property values are lower when waste facilities are close by. Maybe we need a study on the impact of this facility in Memphis, huh? 5) Our streets and the tremendous amount of truck traffic especially including those that disobey the “NO TRUCKS” signs and travel, illegally and at high rates of speed, on McCorkle and Graves Roads, which can also have the final result of significantly lowering property values and increasing the possibility of accidents and uncontrollable noises. 6) Our natural water sources because when it rains and that water comes in contact with waste being transferred to other locations but is stationary at this transfer station, this mixing of water with already decomposing waste creates a high-contaminated liquid known as leachate which can then easily get into underlying groundwater and the nearby Nonconnah Creek waterway. Regardless as to what measures are being undertaken, nothing being done currently or that can be done in the future, will prevent eventual water pollution. We need your assistance to help our City Council members to understand that the key to minimizing the Waste Connections of TN, LLC waste facility impact involves minimizing the amount and type of waste requiring transferring from this 621 East Brooks Road location and that means NO EXPANSION, NO EXPANDING, NO BURMS, NO MOVING THE OFFICES, NO REBUILDING, NO MORE PARKING AND/OR STORAGE OFF THE APPROVED PREMISES, NO MORE FAVORS, NO MORE PROMISES TO PASS THIS MONSTROSITY in our neighbors backyards. This was put on hold for 30 days... Waste facilities should be located in industrial areas and away from homes. If this facility was “grandfathered in,” it needs to understand that being grandfathered in only refers to continuing present operations UNTIL you outgrow them. Nowhere does it say being grandfathered in gives you the right to expand! If you must move something, move your waste collection facility, not your offices! Your waste collection operation should be located at least 1,500 feet from our homes. Stop traveling on our residential streets. They are prohibited and signs are posted. If the police won’t enforce the rules, we will. Your proposed new facility may have state-of-the-art equipment to control odors, dust, airborne pathogens, and allergens, but your existing facility does not. If you need to build, then you need to move to an industrial area to do so, not on Brooks Road right behind our homes. Thank you, Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson Please join us at 5:58 PM on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 905 E. Shelby Drive and visit the Waste Connections tab at iLoveShelbyCounty.com for updates 27
SCENES FROM THE SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019, 10 AM SERVICE AT ABUNDANT GRACE FELLOWSHIP 1574 EAST SHELBY DRIVE, MEMPHIS, TN 38116 901.789.4722 Preparing for the christening service... Pastor Dwayne Hunt Elder Earl Sayles greets new members... 28
BABY CHRISTENINGS Held Sunday, May 19, 2019, at ABUNDANT GRACE FELLOWSHIP 29
CFC #46643 AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice. Location: Memphis, TN | Year Founded: 2009 DI’MANS, Inc. (Click here) to shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM Mission: DI'MANS, Inc. was formed to establish a positive, proactive force in the fight against juvenile crime and juvenile delinquency. The goal of DI'MANS, Inc. is to bring adults dedicated to positively shaping future generations together to assist disadvantaged youth in becoming productive citizens as adults. Help Support Causes in Your Community! (Click here to sign up) Did you know you can support nonprofit organizations in your community just by shopping at Kroger? It's easy when you enroll in Kroger Community Rewards®! To get started, sign up with your Plus Card below, and select a local organization you wish to support. Once you're enrolled, you'll earn rewards for your chosen organization every time you shop and use your Plus Card! Enroll now for the Kroger Community Rewards Program. And remember….all participants must re-enroll each year to continue earning rewards for their chosen organization. DIRECTIONS: 1) Go to Kroger.com; 2) Create an account or sign in; 3) Drop down the arrow at your name 4) Select “My Account” 5) Click on Community Rewards on the left side of the screen) 6) Select DI MANS or Select organization # DN098 Make a One-Time donation to DI’MANS, Inc. Make a Recurring Donation (Click here) 30
Alternative & Holistic Health Services ORDER HERE (800) 403-7155 Congratulations! On Your New Venture, Wishing You Well! - Lmec-xi nus 31 CLICK HERE TO VISIT US ONLINE
Order your favorite team blanket! Email: Memphis.Meetings@gmail.com Subject: team appeal Include Your order & contact info. 32
33
Story continued from the April ‘19 NEWSCENE edition. The Times Magazine had assigned a team of journalists to cover the barge landing for the arrival of the king and queen staged by the white, Cotton Carnival celebration. While waiting for the arrival of the white king and queen, they heard the sounds of bands playing music and crowds cheering coming from Beale Street. What the saw and heard compelled them to craft an article for the Times Magazine. They recorded this story: “Beale Street’s Hero… Times… May 25, 1936” “A centre of celebration last week was Memphis’ Beale Street, the garish Negro thoroughfare with it’s assortment of poolrooms and pawnshops, its gin parlors and its hot-fish restaurants. While Memphis whites were celebrating the annual Cotton Carnival, Beale Street was having its own Fiesta, crowing its own king and queen, parading its own elaborate floats. The king was Undertaker Eddie Hayes. The Queen was Ethyl Venson, pretty young wife of a Negro dentist. Highest honors throughout the fiesta were paid to a portly old Negro who had motored from his home in Manhattan for the occasion. A great hero in Beale Street is William Christopher Handy, 62. At the small park named in his honor, Handy mounted a reviewing stand built…” The parade and the return of Handy attracted the attention of cities and media across the nation and had the effect of giving the celebration instant national acclaim. The 34-piece Autress Russell American Legion Post No. 27 Drum and Bugle Corps led the parade. The corps had been organized by Dr. Venson during his tenure as Post Commander. Many of the legion’s members were also part of the Fiesta’s organizing committee. The enthusiasm of the Drum and Bugle Corps’ involvement in the Fiesta was an example of the overall spirit of the Negro community in 1936. Their readiness to participate in a joint effort for the uplifting of a people is what made the formation of the Beale Street Cotton Makers’ Fiesta and its successor, the Memphis Cotton Makers’ Jubilee, great and successful. Dr. Venson was the Post Commander and he was able to get the Post to serve as a co-sponsor of the celebration, in part because many of the Post members were on the Board of Directors that was organizing the celebration. The Beale Street Cotton Makers’ Fiesta was a Memphis community event, partly because of the clout represented by the diverse and profound leadership represented on the organizing board. This diversity must be attributed to the range of leaders Dr. Venson was able to assemble to organize the celebration. The formation of MCMJ was a testament to a spirit of unity and ability to unite for a common good that existed in the Negro community in the 1930s that is not been as prevalent since. The signature event following the Grand Fiesta Parade was the Coronation and Masquerade Ball held at the Beale Street Auditorium in the gateway to Church Park. Most of the music played was written by W. C. Handy. The Ball attracted hundreds of white people. Space was reserved for them in the gallery of the auditorium. Several hundred Negros attended the ball. W.C. Handy could not resist the temptation of dancing with the beautiful Queen Ethyl, wife of the celebrations founder, Dr. R. Q. Venson. The “Ladies in Waiting,” a part of the Royal Court for the King and Queen, watched as Handy and Queen Ethyl danced to the music played by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, “King of Jazz” who played Handy’s greatest classic of the jazz age, “The St. Louis Blues.” No souvenir program was printed for the 1936 celebration. The first printed program booklet came out the following year. This program displayed a picture of Robert R. Church on the front cover as a dedication and tribute to Mr. Robert R. Church. Most importantly, on the first page in the program was an article titled, “The Cotton Makers’ Jubilee Initiation and Aims.” If there had been a souvenir program printed for the 1936 celebration, this article would have been the lead article. The article does not say who the author was. From my experience in reading articles written by Nat. D. Williams, his fingerprints and DNA were all over it. The article is so significant that it has been made part of this documentary. THE COTTON-MAKES JUBILEE INITIATION AND AIMS In 1937 “The Memphis Cotton Makers Jubilee” is the official name attached to this year’s celebration, this is the most unique, promising, interesting, and significant demonstration ever engaged in by the colored people of Memphis and the Tri-State area. It is unique because it marks one of the first times in the history of this area, with rare exceptions, that colored and white Memphians and Delta citizens have been united in a common program for the advancement and development of their common home community—the Deep South—the cotton belt. Cotton—its production, exchange, distribution, financing, and construction—touches all phases of life in this section, and makes no discrimination among classes or colors in its influence. The great Memphis Cotton Carnival—an annual Memphis event—is a celebration which is dedicated not only to the spirit of conviviality periodically expressed and common to all people, but is also a tribute of recognition to the part which cotton plays in the life and substance of this community—Memphis On The Mississippi—the Capital of the Cotton Kingdom. The objective—the principal one—of the Memphis Cotton Makers Jubilee celebration is to symbolize the great and important part which the colored people of this area have played in the history of cotton. 34
The first significant expression of this objective occurred one warm, spring night in 1935, during the Cotton Carnival festivities, when Dr. R. Q. Venson, chairman of the Colored Jubilee Committee, acted on an idea which struck him. In his own words: “In 1934, while viewing the “Memphis Parade,” a part of the Cotton Carnival, I was sold on the plan. For the first time, realizing the great possibilities for the development of all phases of citizenship by a community. I pledged myself to make an effort to have the Negro citizens of Memphis identified in this great enterprise. And upon this determination, together with the face that it is impossible to exclude the Negro from cotton. This realization and determination on the part of Dr. Venson was the first step in the initiation of colored activities in the Cotton Carnival celebration. Out of it came the first organized colored activities in 1936, Dr. Venson organized a committee of colored citizens and formulated what was known as ‘Beale Street Cotton Makers Fiesta”. This was one of the most surprisingly successful celebrations and demonstrations ever staged by Memphis Negros. It included the choice of a colored king and queen. King Eddie Hayes and Queen Ethyl Venson, being the royal couple; a children’s parade, a children’s king and queen, a coronation parade ad dance; coronation ceremonies in Handy Park; a musical play depicting the life of the Negro through his songs, a grand parade and ball. And W. C. Handy, ‘the father of the blues’ as guest of honor. White and colored periodicals and individuals were lavish in their praise and commendation of this initial effort.” Nat D. Williams, over a period of 60 years, wrote hundreds of news articles on the MCMJ. “Nat D.” as those close to him called him, was a high school history teacher at Booker T. Washington High School. He was the first Disc Jockey for the radio station WDIA and a columnist for the “Memphis World,” a colored news weekly. I was one of those that referred to “Nat D.” Williams as “Nat D.” He was a member of St. John Baptist Church, 640 Vance Avenue, Memphis, TN 38126, where Dr. Venson (whom I affectionately called Uncle Doc) and I attended. In the 1940s, I would also see Nat. D at my uncle, Dr. R. Q. Venson’s office on Beale Street. Every Saturday, I would walk to Uncle Doc’s office from where I lived in the Foote Homes public housing projects. Most Saturday’s I would see Nat D. there. For these and other reasons, Nat D. and I became very good friends. The week after the first celebration of the Beale Street Cotton Makers’ Fiesta in May of 1936, Nat D’s article was published in the “Memphis World.” This article was devoted to Beale Street and the Beale Street Cotton Makers’ Fiesta. Excerpts from the article follow... Down on Beale By Nat D. Williams Beale Street is a noble land, of cabbages and kings — of Black folk and melody — of joy and hate and things… Beale Street crowns king… It was a symbolic event which occurred down on Beale Street last Tuesday evening. “Chocolate Avenue” chose a king and queen. For the first time in its long and rather lurid history. L’Avenue for Negros, bedecked with flags, bathed in the balmy warmth of mid-spring, and swaying to the rhythm of its traditional syncopate raised its eyes and its palms to its own official royalty this week. With a pardonable pride, the street looked about for the approval of its spectators... because for once, here were a king and queen for whom no apologies had to be offered. Well, a different kind of queen was crowned last Tuesday, was with a bit of surprise that the Avenue witnessed the coronation of its rulers, the other day. Many dusky subjects wondered aloud just when the queen was chosen. But the royal lady pleased the Avenue. It took one look and broke into applause… The lady was pretty and high “yaller.” That was sufficient. She was one of the three things the Avenue calls beautiful… “yaller” money, “yaller” automobiles, and “yaller” women. Beale Street is pleased with its queen. Most appropriately Beale Street’s king on this occasion is an undertaker. The Avenue applauded him when he was given his scepter. It was pleased by its kingly bearing. It liked the way in which he reared back when he drove up in the Royal Chariot… a 1936 Ford V8, owned and chauffeured by Professor Robert “Bob” Morris. We regret to Inform you that, due to time constraints and at the request of the mcmj, this is the end of this series in this publication, at this time. Please call (901) 496-1811 for additional information on the MCMJ. 35
SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSCENE, the NEW SCENE where NEWS is SCENE, for $72.00 per Year or $7 per Month! Single and multiple copies are also available for purchase. Thank you for subscribing to our first NEWSCENE publication. We are the NEW SCENE where NEWS is SEEN! We hope you enjoyed the stories about and the pictures taken at events we visited last month. We are looking forward to sharing more pictures and stories with you next month about the many events taking place this month. As you know, we can’t be at more than one event at a time, but we are here to assist you to get your events online, in our calendar, and in print. Don’t forget you can click on the links that are included to visit websites, blogs, Facebook pages and more! We want to be the first place you look to learn about the things happening in your community, but we won’t know about what’s happening unless you tell us. Write to us at NewsceneShelbyCo@gmail.com or call (901) 300-0250 to leave us a message. We promise to return your call in a timely fashion. NEWSCENE . . . ...is currently seeking ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS and passionate and outgoing volunteer photojournalists who can write stories and take pictures at local events. Interested persons should phone (901) 300-0250 for details. 36
1 Publizr