Acting U.S. Trustee for Region 8, Paul A. Randolph, and Assistant U.S. Trustee, Nick Foster announced, last week, that Nancy A. Cogar was appointed to serve as a chapter 7 panel trustee for the Eastern District of Tennessee effective December 5, 2023. Ms. Cogar is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in all Tennessee state courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ms. Cogar is currently a partner with Samples, Jennings, Clem, and Fields, PLLC in Chattanooga, TN. Her current practice areas include bankruptcy law, bankruptcy trustee representation, elder law, estate planning, probate, and trust administration.
Ms. Cogar received her B.A. degree from Trinity College, her M.S. degree from Columbia University, and her J.D. degree from Nashville School of Law. Previously, Ms. Cogar was recognized as the Bruce Bailey Volunteer Lawyer of the Year.
Ms. Cogar is also active as a board member and vice chair of the Mary Walker Foundation, a foundation focused on helping alleviate poverty for all Chattanooga citizens and creating economic stability through historical, literacy and educational programs.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve in this position and help administer these Chapter 7 cases so that law-abiding Debtors have an opportunity for a fresh start that is available under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code”, stated Cogar. “I also look forward to continuing my practice as a partner with Samples, Jennings, Clem, and Fields, PLLC here in Chattanooga, Tennessee which includes estate planning, elder law, probate and trust administration and a heavy emphasis on helping older vulnerable adults.”
History confirms that the Moors ruled in Europe — primarily Spain and Portugal — for almost 700 years. They were known for their influence in European culture, but not many people know that the Moors were actually Europeans of African descent.
Moors were usually depicted as being “mostly black or very swarthy, and hence the word is often used for negro,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Several written works at the time also confirm that. The 16th century English playwrights William Shakespeare used the word Moor as a synonym for African and Christopher Marlowe used Moor and African interchangeably.
Author and historian Chancellor Williams said, “the original Moors, like the original Egyptians, were black Africans.” An Arab chronicler also described Moorish Emperor Yusuf ben-Tachfin as “a brown man with wooly hair.”
In European Art, Moors are also often shown with African features: pitch black, frizzled hair, flat and wide face, flat-nosed, and thick lips. The Drake Jewel, a rare documented piece of jewel from the 16th century, seemed to show a profile of a Black king dominating the profile of a white woman. Moreover, Moors were known to have contributed in areas of mathematics, astronomy, art, cuisine, medicine, and agriculture that helped develop Europe and bring them from the Dark Ages into the Renaissance.
Generations of Spanish rulers have allegedly tried to abolish this era from the historical record. But recent archaeology determined that Moors indeed ruled in Al-Andalus for more than 700 years — from 711 A.D. to 1492.
The Chattanooga Fire Department recently celebrated the promotion of Alexander Efiom to Lieutenant at Station 8, 2130 Hickory Valley Road. Surrounded by loved ones and colleagues, Efiom was recognized for his dedication and expertise, with Chattanooga Fire Chief Phil Hyman acknowledging his exemplary work ethic and proficiency as a firefighter.
“You’re a future leader of this department,” Chief Hyman said. “You have a great reputation with your crew and an excellent command presence, so you understand the role of an officer and what’s expected. You’ll do great things in this position.”
Lt. Efiom brings a strong educational foundation, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2013), and an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in General Studies from Chattanooga State Community College (2011).
Station 8, established in 1974, has a rich history serving Tyner and the surrounding areas. Notably, it was the first station equipped for modern fire apparatus, revolutionizing emergency response times.
Constantly evolving over the years to better serve the community, Station 8 has pioneered technological advancements, adding into its firefighting arsenal Quint 8–which has a 75-foot aerial ladder, a 300-gallon water tank and a 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump.
And for battling blazes beyond hydrants, they’ve got Tanker 8–which has a 3,000-gallon water tank and is used to transport water to fire scenes where there is no hydrant available. It can also be used to draft water from ponds, lakes, or rivers.
But Station 8’s firefighters don’t just fight fires, they actively participate in community events, school safety programs and fire prevention initiatives, building strong bonds with East Brainerd residents.
Lorina Upshaw and her granddaughter, Alex, at May 2023 UTC commencement ceremonies (photo courtesy of Alex Upshaw)
On May 6, Alex Upshaw crossed the McKenzie Arena stage as part of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga spring commencement proceedings.
Seven months later, on Saturday, Dec. 16, she will return to McKenzie Arena as a spectator–this time to watch her grandmother, Lorina Upshaw, march across the same platform to receive a bachelor’s degree of her own.
Lorina Upshaw, who officially completed her UTC coursework in August, will hear her name called as a recipient of a Bachelor of Applied Science: Applied Leadership degree (BAS-AL).
“Oh, she’s going to hear me yelling across the stage,” said Alex Upshaw, the recipient of a bachelor’s degree in business administration: management. “I was just in that moment: I understand all the emotions, how it feels to walk across that stage, all eyes are on you.
“You’re carrying the Upshaw name another time, so I know that me and my family–we’re going to be loud. It’s going to be amazing to see her walk across that stage.”
Lorina Upshaw’s journey toward receiving a bachelor’s degree started 53 years ago.
Then known as Lorina Burse, she came to UTC in 1970–in the University’s first full year as a member of the UT System–after graduating from The Howard School in Chattanooga.
She was one of the first Black students to attend UTC.
“Back then, there weren’t many Blacks at all. There were very few on campus,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Where’s everybody?’ I had gone to an all-Black school all my life, and when I got here it was a little different, but I adjusted to it.”
Academics, though, were a tougher adjustment.
“I was not used to studying. In high school, I made good grades and was on the honor roll and everything, but I didn’t have to study,” she said.
After completing three full-time semesters, Upshaw transitioned away from school. As is the case for many students in the UTC BAS-AL program, life got in the way.
“I got married, had a family–and I didn’t come back,” she explained. “I said, ‘Oh well, I’m just going to work.’”
She went to secretarial training, which led to full-time employment. After a few years in the workforce, she landed at TVA–where she was a nuclear power group information representative. She worked there for nearly 35 years before retiring in 2012.
While at TVA, she attended Chattanooga State Community College, taking one class at a time as a part-time student. She graduated with a Management Transfer associate degree in 1999.
“All along, I kept wanting to come back to continue my education. I finally got to the point where I said, ‘Well, I’m going to get my associate’s degree at Chatt State,’ and I did that. But I still wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to come back here and finish up what I started years ago,” she said.
Doing that wasn’t easy or feasible–until the birth of the BAS-AL degree.
The BAS-AL program, housed in the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies (CHEPS), was launched in fall 2021. The fully online program was created to serve nontraditional contemporary learners with previous college, military or work experience–also known as adult learners–who want to complete their undergraduate degrees.
Once she learned of the BAS-AL’s existence, Upshaw contacted UC Foundation Professor Beth Crawford–the program’s adviser–and explained her situation.
“Dr. Crawford said, ‘Don’t you worry. Come on in and we’ll help you,” Upshaw recalled. “She has been there for me ever since.”
Said Crawford, “Lorina’s getting the bachelor’s degree because she’s always wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree and she was willing to put forth the effort to do so.
“When she retired from TVA, she wasn’t through giving to society. She went back and started substitute teaching so that she could give back, but she had challenges there. One of the things that she and I talked about specifically was the leadership challenge that she had in a classroom. The teacher is the leader and is responsible for pushing the leadership of everybody else in there, but the substitute teacher comes in with an automatic disadvantage. She really worked hard to demonstrate leadership principles to those kids.”
Upshaw said leadership plays a huge role in her everyday life and in substitute teaching.
“We need a lot of leaders today. I see that in the world, even in my church. We need leaders,” she said. “Somebody can stand up and be strong for what’s right and know exactly what they’re talking about, and somebody is not going to take us in the wrong direction. That’s what leadership is to me, knowing exactly what to do, how to do it and when to do it.”
Upshaw earned her place on the Dean’s List every semester as a BAS-AL student while increasing her enrollment from part-time to full-time.
She remained persistent and diligent as she learned to navigate campus software programs she hadn’t used in her TVA work, such as Zoom.
“I did have some technical challenges,” she said with a smile. “Now, using the computer and keyboard, I had no problems with that. But when it came to Zoom meetings, I had to find out what to do and how to do it. Then Google Docs and all of this kind of stuff.”
After a long and successful career, why put herself through the degree pursuit?
“I’m still living. I’m still alive, and I just feel like if you want to do something in life–I don’t care how old you are–as long as you’re breathing, as long as you have breath, you can do it. Just put your mind to it,” she said.
When she graduated from Chatt State in 1999, the first in her family to receive a college degree, Upshaw promised herself and her parents–Joseph and Lorina Burse–that there was more to come.
“It’s going to be quite an experience for me, just happiness and joy,” she said of the upcoming Dec. 16 UTC undergraduate commencement ceremony. “My parents were living at the time when I graduated from Chatt State. They were there and I know they would be proud of me that I finished.
“Sometimes it got difficult, but I prayed and was determined to keep pushing my way through. If you want to do something, be determined. That’s what I always tell my kids and grandkids: Just be determined. You will make it.”
She will be the latest in a line of Upshaw family members receiving degrees from UTC.
Lorina’s son, Reggie Upshaw, earned two degrees from UTC–a bachelor’s in secondary education: recreation in 2002 and a master’s in education in 2006.
Lorina’s daughter, Rasheila Upshaw, received a master’s in special education from UTC in 2008 and an education specialist: advanced educational practice (Ed.S.) in 2017.
Lorina’s grandson (and Reggie’s son), Dezmond Gage Upshaw, is a former Mocs football player and 2021 recipient of a bachelor’s degree in business administration: management from UTC.
And then there’s Lorina’s granddaughter, Alex, who can always brag about going to college at the same time as her grandmother.
“It was actually funny because we would call each other and just talk about our tests or what we were doing. We’d call each other and laugh about it,” said Alex Upshaw, now a Nashville-based human resources contact center generalist with Aramark. “It was kind of like friends talking to each other about classes. Having that and going through the same thing together was special. “Seeing her finishing something that she started was really motivating for me. If she can pick it up like it’s nothing, it opened my eyes to see that you can do whatever you want at any age. A lot of people have a misunderstanding of the age, like, ‘You need to be in college during this time. This is the only time you can do it.’ But seeing her go back and figure things out on her own and graduate and finish what she had started is very motivating.”
1. When you’re talking politics and things get heated, stay non-reactive. If the other person yells at you and you yell back, then your anger becomes a post-hoc justification in their own minds for their anger. “Of course I’m justified in hating Julian’s side; look what he just said to me!” But when you stay non-reactive, the other person has to turn inward for the source of their anger. And inward is a much more productive place to look.
The civil rights leaders embodied this nonreactivity in a way that leaves me awed. No matter how often they were kicked or beaten, they never fought fire with fire. They recognized that a turned cheek was more powerful than a raised fist. As John Lewis, civil rights leader turned congressman, put it:
“The movement created what I like to call a nonviolent revolution. It was love at its best. It’s one of the highest form[s] of love. That you beat me, you arrest me, you take me to jail, you almost kill me, but in spite of that, I’m going to still love you.”
An old Arab proverb puts it more succinctly: “He who strikes the second blow starts the fight.”
2. Focus on the relationship. The times that I’ve helped someone become less angry or scared of the other side, it wasn’t by calling out their emotions or even their blow-ups. It was by focusing on the good in our relationship. The tacit (never explicit) message is: “I’m a libertarian, and you like me; so maybe we don’t all suck as much as you think we do.” We win over hearts and then minds, not vice versa.
A wise Christian once said, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” What he meant was: when you’re trying to persuade someone, actions are more powerful than words. When you can continue to love and care for people even when they show you their anger and fear (and even when those emotions are directed at you) you can open a lot of hearts.
3) Unplug from cable news and political fundraising emails. Both sell anger and fear, and neither gives you any real information about the world to balance it out. They’re the political equivalent of doughnuts: all calories, no nutrition.
I’ve seen this work almost overnight. When we stop pumping in anger and fear, we become healthier.
Affective polarization can warp our psychology to the point that we struggle to see people who disagree with us as fully human. If you’re trying to maintain (or build) relationships with folks across the aisle, sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is remind the other person that you’re a person too. — Julian Adorney, Braver Angels media team
Genetics play an incredibly important role in our health. But research continues to mount that point to a mind-body relationship that provides each of us the opportunity to modify certain risk factors that do influence cognitive aging.
In a meta-analysis of eight separate research trials, data was reviewed for the purpose of identifying these modifiable risk factors seen with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Of 44,531 patients in five different countries reviewed, 1,703 were diagnosed with clinical dementia using standardized tools.
Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease characteristic of neuropathologies, or literal changes within the brain’s normal architecture and function. The presentation of dementia most often includes memory loss, but also cognitive decline manifested in motor skills, such as shuffling feet, loss of balance, and the inability for self-care.
While a physician’s care is needed to address the physical aspects of our brain health, a robust body of research is showing that healthier cognitive aging is associated with physical, social, and cognitive engagement. Recognizing that fact, the “Big Five” personality traits and subjective well-being (SWB) were assessed in conjunction with these 1,703 patients with clinically diagnosed dementia.
The findings were that certain “Big Five” personality traits–extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience–combined with SWB, which is defined as one’s life satisfaction, positive affect, or their negative affect (a person’s moods and emotions expressed) correlated to the diagnosis of dementia.
Published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the conclusion used strong language reflecting certain personality traits and responses which “differentially predict dementia diagnoses.” The conclusion viewed the research as “providing strong evidence that neuroticism, conscientiousness, and negative affect are associated with dementia diagnoses across samples, measures, and time.” Meaning that these personality traits and well-being indicators are associated with one’s cognitive health, and maybe even a predictor of future diagnoses.
The new research published November 29, 2023, even reported “a protective effect of openness to experience, positive affect, and satisfaction with life for incident dementia diagnosis.”
Read these definitions to honestly assess your own personality and tendency toward well-being. Neuroticism is defined as self-doubt, a tendency toward anxiety and depression, creating social limitations.
Negative affect, is best described as the emotions experienced and manifested when one fails to achieve a goal or avoid a threat. The associated emotions are anger, guilt, distress, and nervousness.
Conscientiousness is defined as one who is organized and is a planner with great detail. Those open to experience are comfortable with the unfamiliar, very curious, with a hunger for knowledge. Life satisfaction is the degree to which one lives a meaningful life. Finally, positive affect is an outlook of satisfaction and contentment. Bottom line, growing research associates one’s cognitive health with their level of positivity and demeanor, with one’s level of socialization and experiences, as well as one’s grit and determination. If you find anxiety, depression, or a sense of failure dominates your life, seek help through your church and your healthcare provider. Your mind-body connection is real.
Statement of leaders of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on reports that the officer whose actions led to the murder of Elijah McClain has been reinstated with back pay:
“No consequences. The police officer who placed Elijah McClain – who committed no crime and carried no weapon or illegal substances – into a chokehold that led to a series of events that caused his death has been reinstated by the Aurora Colorado police department. Nathan Woodyard will receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay.
“McClain was just 23 years old when police tragically and unnecessarily ended his life. He was simply walking down the street, returning home from a convenience store, when Woodyard used a dangerous chokehold to restrain him for absolutely no reason. Woodyard and other officers ignored McClain when he repeatedly said that he could not breathe. He was then injected with ketamine, an intense sedative, which led to cardiac arrest and McClain’s tragic and unnecessary death.
“That the Aurora police department has reinstated Woodyard to a position with responsibility to serve and protect is an outrage. It is an indefensible, painful affront to McClain’s family and community, to his memory, and to all those who are affected by police racism and violence. This must not stand.”
— Statement of Beatriz Beckford, National Director, Youth & Family Justice, MomsRising
“Police racism and violence are horrifyingly common in this country. The lives lost to police violence are too numerous to list, and the rage, sadness, and terror that causes, in particular to Black and Brown moms, is immeasurable. We need to transform our approach to public safety by adopting inclusive, holistic, health-centered measures that will keep our communities safe. The People’s Response Act, which has been introduced in both chambers of Congress, would do just that.
“The People’s Response Act would reimagine our response to community violence and crime by funding evidence-based alternatives to police and providing meaningful investments to build systems of care that improve the well-being of all communities. It would broaden how we keep communities safe by creating a public safety division at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support non-carceral, health-centered investments in public safety; research alternative approaches to public safety; launch a federal first responders unit to support state and local governments facing public health crises; and more.
“It would make it possible for all communities to flourish. Enactment of the People’s Response Act would be a fitting tribute to Elijah McClain and to the countless other victims of excessive police force and police violence. Moms want Congress to prioritize its passage now.” —
–Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Dec. 5, 2023) – EPB Quantum NetworkSM powered by Qubitekk today announced that it will host Qunnect, a leader in quantum-secure networking technology, for a series of on-site collaborative validation runs. Qunnect will work with Qubitekk to utilize EPB Quantum Network to determine the interoperability of key quantum technologies across a quantum network. This demonstration will mark the first time two commercial quantum networking companies have operated their hardware to jointly support a distribution protocol.
“It’s especially appropriate for us to have the opportunity to work with Qunnect as our first customer because together we’re demonstrating the collaborative spirit that’s necessary to accelerate the development of quantum technologies into commercial application,” said EPB President and CEO David Wade. “By working with pioneering companies like Qunnect, we’re positioning Chattanooga as a destination for quantum developers to run, develop and validate their equipment and applications.”
EPB Quantum Network and Qunnect’s GothamQ are among the first commercially available quantum networks in the U.S. Most quantum networks today are privately owned and operated, limiting access to developers to run their technologies. EPB Quantum Network and Qunnect have the same goal of hosting networks open to companies to advance quantum technologies out of the lab and into the real world.
“EPB and Qunnect share the vision of building quantum networks that can enable the foundation of the quantum internet and foster solutions possible through quantum technology development,” said Qunnect CEO Noel Goddard. “Running our equipment on EPB Quantum Network is a unique opportunity to demonstrate interoperability between quantum component providers on a dedicated commercial network infrastructure.”
Until recently most quantum technology development has focused on research and not practical application. EPB Quantum Network and Qunnect are both committed to accelerating the commercialization of quantum technologies to support the development of deployable networks.
Qunnect’s hardware drives GothamQ, a 50-kilometer network in New York, with two branches each capable of supporting six entanglement nodes that connect the company’s R&D facility in Brooklyn to Queens and Manhattan.
EPB Quantum Network’s 8-kilometer loop has capacity for 10 quantum interconnected user nodes across downtown Chattanooga using commercial network equipment designed and manufactured by Qubitekk. “This demonstration is a great representation of how the quantum industry can play a leading role in driving quantum technology from the lab to practical commercial application,” said Qubitekk President, CTO and Co-Founder Dr. Duncan Earl. “We’re excited to work with the talented teams at Qunnect and EPB to do just that.”
African Americans have long embraced the tradition of honoring Thanksgiving. Even during slavery time, Africans took time to be thankful for what they had, which of course was not much. In 1777, when the Continental Congress delivered a decree for the 13 colonies to give thanks for reaching a victory over the British at Saratoga, the Africans also took part in the celebration throughout the region. And the tradition continued as a custom of rejoicing for rain to break droughts and plenty of harvest.
So, what did the slaves eat on this day they were allowed to celebrate? The slaves who worked in the fields would often go out and catch wild game for their family and close slave friends. The women would prepare cornmeal cakes, or pone cakes to go along with the game. The house slaves had it better than the field slaves; house slaves feasted on the leftovers from the “main house” after the slave-owners finished their meals.
A forgotten fact, Thanksgiving started off as a church-oriented celebration for the Black community. African American pastors often gave sermons that could be heard loud and clear through the small black churches. The sermons would be about struggles, hopes, fears, and triumphs. The sermons usually grieved the institution of slavery; the suffering of the black people; and often pleaded for that an awakening of a slave-free America would someday come soon.
African Methodist Episcopalian cleric, Reverend Benjamin Arnett stirred a predominantly black congregation on November 30, 1876, with Biblically inspired words:
…we call on all American citizens to love their country, and look not on the sins of the past, but arming ourselves for the conflict of the future, girding ourselves in the habiliments of Righteousness, march forth with the courage of a Numidian lion and with the confidence of a Roman Gladiator, and meet the demands of the age, and satisfy the duties of the hour…”
Then let the grand Centennial Thanksgiving song be heard and sung in every house of God; and in every home may thanksgiving sounds be heard, for our race has been emancipated, enfranchised and are now educating, and have the gospel preached to them.
In 1863, Lincoln signed the proclamation of a national Thanksgiving Day, unifying the various regional practices that had already been taking place throughout the nation.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”
Some slaves saw the holidays as an opportunity to escape. They took advantage of relaxed work schedules and the holiday travels of slaveholders, who were too far away to stop them. While some slaveholders treated the holiday as any other workday, there have been numerous recordings of a variety of holiday traditions, including the suspension of work for celebration and family visits. Because many slaves had spouses, children, and families who were owned by different masters, and who lived on other properties. Slaves often requested passes to travel and visit family during this time. Some slaves used the passes to explain their presence on the road and delay the discovery of their escape, though their masters’ expectation was they would soon return from their “family visit.” Today, many African Americans still spend time traveling and visiting family and friends during the holiday. But many have moved away from spending Thanksgiving Day in church; that practice has long been forgotten by many. Thanksgiving today is not recognized for the same reasons as it was years ago. Today is a day that is spent with family and friends being thankful for one’s many blessings.
Nationwide — Four decades have passed since they collectively purchased the unassuming six-unit building tucked away in Northwest Washington DC. Today, four of the original tenants, all African American women, still reside within its walls, and the building the purchase in 1983 for $75,000 is now worth close to $2 million.
Back when they first acquired the property, they could never have foreseen the ownership they would come to cherish. While the exterior of the building may appear unremarkable, it holds a unique place in the hearts of these women, who have weathered life’s challenges within its confines.
As the years passed, the quartet clung to their shared dream amid family illnesses, births, neighborhood transformations, and the inevitable march of time. They forged one of the city’s most enduring cooperative living arrangements, a testament to their unwavering determination. However, the time has come to part ways with their beloved home. The eldest among them, at 97 years old, and the others in their 70s, have found the stairs increasingly challenging to climb. Selling the building now presents an opportunity to reap the rewards of their decades of diligent maintenance.
According to the Washington Post, the value of their property has soared since their initial purchase, with similar buildings in the Park View neighborhood fetching over a million dollars today, and some even reaching two million. Noelle-Kristine Spencer of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, who has been assisting the women, will soon list the property publicly. Yet, what cannot be captured in the listing are the bonds these women have nurtured within these walls.
Their story underscores the potential for housing stability and generational wealth when organizations and government agencies prioritize such initiatives. These women are more than just neighbors; they have functioned as a family, raising children together, looking out for one another’s welfare, and sharing the joys and sorrows of life. They have collectively built something remarkable, a testament to resilience and community.
Sitting in Earlie Hendricks’ apartment, where the journey began in 1971, the four women reminisce about their shared history. Joanne Jenkins joined a year later, followed by Washington in 1983, and Bettie Perry. They fondly remember the $89.50 monthly rent and the legal assistance they received to secure their property purchase. They couldn’t afford a lawyer at the time, so University Legal Services stepped in, helping them secure loans from the city to fund the purchase and subsequent renovations.
University Legal Services has since shifted its focus from property purchases to maintaining and renovating buildings acquired with city assistance. Jane Brown, the Executive Director, praises the women’s building as a success story that provided stable housing for four decades. She emphasizes that it is their prerogative to decide the best course of action now.
For these women, selling the building is bittersweet. Health concerns and the challenge of navigating the stairs have played a role in their decision. Yet, they look forward to benefiting from their years of investment. They recall the long treks to government offices and the constant maintenance as akin to a second job.
Over the years, they witnessed the neighborhood’s transformation from a place marked by open drug use and a nightly serenading stranger in the stairwell to a quieter, family-friendly community. However, the transformation has also brought a change to their lives within the building. Gone are the days of lively gatherings in Hendricks’ apartment, where her table was perpetually laden with food and friends.
As they prepare to part ways with their cherished home, Hendricks plans to move to a senior housing complex in the city, with Perry intending to accompany her, while Washington hopes to join them later. Jenkins, on the other hand, seeks a one-story house in Maryland. Their bond remains unbroken, and they anticipate new beginnings, even as they bid farewell to a place that has been their sanctuary for so long. In the end, they are guided by the belief that this transition will lead to a happy ending, though it is a conclusion they are not quite ready to embrace.
