Page 46 – Chattanooga News Chronicle

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February 23, 2023

Pastor Dr. Alvin H. Smith Sr. makes history by blazing a torch for racial equality

Dr. Alvin H. Smith Sr., an early supporter of civil rights, made history in 1981 in the United Methodist Church.

As a groundbreaking and outspoken activist for racial equality, the Rev. Dr. Alvin H. Smith Sr. has added his name to the storied pages of Tennessee’s Black History.

Dr. Smith, a Black minister who had served on the staff of the United Methodist Center in Chattanooga, was in June of 1981 appointed associate pastor at the predominately white Edgehill United Methodist Church, located in the Scarritt-Peabody-Vanderbilt area of Nashville.

With Dr. Smith’s historic appointment, Edgehill became the first church in the United Methodist Tennessee Conference to receive an appointment across racial lines since the abolishment in 1968 of the denomination’s all-Black Central Jurisdiction, and one of Nashville’s first intentionally integrated churches.

The Central Jurisdiction was created in the Methodist Church merger of 1939 in order to segregate African American Methodists within the predominantly white denomination.

“Edgehill was a church that accepted homosexuals and had all kinds of ministries,” the 86-year-old Dr. Smith recalled. “I guess they wanted to start some kind of programs for Blacks as well. At that time, I was known as a community activist and my name got out there.”

When the predominately white Edgehill United Methodist Church was organized in 1966, a white minister–the deceased Rev. Bill Barnes–was appointed as its leader. Known as “the conscience of Nashville” for his civil rights, homelessness and LGBTQ+ advocacy, Rev. Barnes set out to create a racially integrated church in a city ripped apart by segregation. Rev. Barnes wanted Edgehill to have two full-time ministers–one Black and one white.

Rev. Barnes’ plans of black and white co-pastors were initially quashed by unexpected funding cuts, but the church moved forward anyway with a modest budget, surviving because of partnerships forged with Scarritt College, Vanderbilt University divinity students and a committed congregation. It took 15 long years, but in 1981, Rev. Barnes finally saw his dream become a reality with the appointment of Dr. Smith.

After being named Edgehill’s first full-time Black minister, Dr. Smith said he can recall only one problem he had with the congregation of the predominately white church.

“The first time they asked me to pray, you know how we Black folks pray and we always say ‘our Father,”‘ he explained. “Well, when I got through praying, they jumped me. They told me, ‘You can’t say father unless you say mother, too.'”

“Boy, that was a dilemma,” he said with a laugh.

Dr. Smith was born on Nov. 19, 1936, in Chattanooga.

“All generations of my family were Baptists,” he said. “I attended Orchard Knob Baptist Church from the time I was a baby, all the way until I finished high school.”

Dr. Smith graduated from Howard High School in 1955. He attended Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tenn. on a full scholarship, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Health in 1960.

From 1960-1962, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, where he was responsible for the care of approximately 200 soldiers.

Dr. Smith earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta in 1980, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Covington Theological Seminary in 1998.

Dr. Smith was a physical education teacher to special education students at Burton School in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1968-1971, and worked in that city’s recreation department.

He was employed as a guidance counselor at Chattanooga State Technical Community College from 1971-1978. During that time, he owned and operated A&M Discount Furniture & Things on Germantown Road in Chattanooga.

Dr. Smith was first ordained as a Baptist minister at Orchard Knob in Chattanooga. An opportunity to attend a United Methodist seminary led him to switch denominations, from Baptist to United Methodist.

After completing seminary, Dr. Smith served as pastor of Hurst Memorial United Methodist Church in Chattanooga from 1979-1980, before his historic appointment to Edgehill United Methodist Church in Nashville in 1981.

In 1983, Dr. Smith moved to Cookeville, Tenn. to pastor the Wright’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Cookeville, Burton’s Chapel in Algood, Tenn. and Kynett United Methodist Church in Sparta, Tenn.

Dr. Smith’s reputation as a vocal and involved community activist and beacon for inclusion gained momentum in 1983, catapulting him into the heart of one of the city’s most contentious issues at the time–a demand for businesses and individuals in the Cookeville area to hire Black workers.

“It’s economic castration, this is control of the population by economic measures,” Dr. Smith was quoted in an April 11, 1983 Cookeville newspaper article, where he urged the local business community to deal with the situation. “The solution is in the people. No one can force anyone to give someone a job. But if their consciousness is raised, maybe we can get a response to this.”

Dr. Smith lived in Bluefield, West Virginia from 1984-1989, where he served as pastor of the John Stewart United Methodist Church. While in Bluefield, he became active in the Mercer County Chapter of the NAACP, and was named a Mercer County Economic Opportunity Corporation Board member.

In 1985, he unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for a seat on the Bluefield City Board of Directors.

Dr. Smith was quoted in a May 29, 1989 Bluefield newspaper article as saying that he would never stop advocating for change.

“I’ll always continue to do that whatever community I go to–affect some kind of change,” he said. “I can’t turn over all the stones. But I feel if I can turn over one stone, and someone else can turn over another stone, eventually something will happen.”

In May of 1989, Dr. Smith moved back to Chattanooga to pastor Stanley United Methodist Church on Dodson Avenue. A few years later, he was appointed to lead Lennon-Seney United Methodist Church in Knoxville.

In 1998, Dr. Smith retired from Lennon-Seney. He and his wife of 25 years, Johnnie, currently live in Knoxville.

As he reflected on his long and trailblazing career of ministry and amplifying the voices of those not equally heard, Dr. Smith summed up his legacy in a simple and humble statement.

“Everywhere I went, I did alright,” he said.

Victor ‘VC’ Caldwell’s Chattanooga ‘church experience’ evident in his music

Camm Ashford

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February 23, 2023

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Victor ‘VC’ Caldwell’s Chattanooga ‘church experience’ evident in his music

A multitude of entertainers from all genres can trace their musical origins to the church. Grammy award-winning jazz and gospel producer Victor “VC” Caldwell is no different.

Caldwell was born into musical royalty, with the church playing a major part in his upbringing. His father was the legendary Reverend Dr. Virgil Julius Caldwell, who served as the pastor of Chattanooga’s New Monumental Baptist Church for more than 40 years.

The late Dr. Caldwell was considered an outstanding musician–recording three albums, while playing the saxophone and the piano. He also authored 18 books, wrote Sunday School literature for the National Baptist Convention and performed in and wrote numerous plays.

Dr. Caldwell worked as a public school social studies teacher, choir director and band instructor in Union City, Tenn. before accepting the job as pastor of New Monumental Baptist Church in 1968.

A line from Dr. Caldwell’s April 30, 2015 obituary noted that, “His Christian principles and genuine interest in equal rights and humanity kindled a spark in the lives of all who knew him.”

Growing up in Chattanooga, in a devout family, VC Caldwell’s church experiences led him to focus on penning, engineering and producing invigorated music–with the aesthetics of spirituals, gospel and the blues forming its bedrock.

“As an artist I want my work to be a true reflection of who I am,” Caldwell said. “I want it to be known that what I say is what I do, and is who I am and how I live.”

Caldwell has either played on or produced music with a host of iconic artists, including Joe Sample, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Whitney Houston’s “Jesus Loves Me” on The Bodyguard movie soundtrack, CeCe Winans’ gold Grammy-winning album “Alone In His Presence” and Donnie McClurkin’s breakthrough singles “Stand” and “Speak To My Heart.”

He’s also produced songs for Andraé Crouch, T.D. Jakes, The Clark Sisters, Yolanda Adams, BeBe Winans, Smokie Norful, Brandy, Take 6, The Winans, and many others.

The Franklin, Tenn.-based vocalist/composer has readily incorporated choral-type singing and overtly spiritual themes into his own gospel/jazz single, “Can God Trust You?,” from his second solo project of the same name. The full-length project features Kirk Whalum, Kevin Whalum, Paul Jackson Jr., Ruby Camille and Rod McGaha.

Caldwell said his primary goal with the Feb. 24 release of “Can God Trust You?” is “to use music as a tool to spread a message. The message is, to allow God to trust you as much as you say you trust Him. The album says, ‘Can I be trusted as much as I trust in things like the dollar bill?’ Which is not almighty, by the way. It says ‘In God We Trust,’ but can God trust us?” Caldwell is represented by Unda The Hat Media Entertainment.

Chronicles of the asinine – new entry!

Commentary

Terry Howard

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February 22, 2023

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My three granddaughters are, respectively, age 12, 5 and 3. They are also Black and beautiful. I start with that as a link that to what I’m about to write about; something personal, very personal.

You see, I’m ticked off to report that we have still another addition to the umpteenth volume of our “You can’t make this stuff up folks” collection, our chronicles of the asinine. Our latest entry comes from Caldwell, New Jersey courtesy of some “racially nearsighted” dude by the name of Gordon Lawshe.

Now Bobbi Wilson is a nine-year-old from Caldwell who worked to eradicate spotted lanternflies in her neighborhood. In case you did not know, spotted lanternflies are invasive insects that can hurt trees and ruin crops. Last year scientists and state authorities encouraged people to kill the bugs whenever they’re found. So Miss Wilson, a budding scientist, was just doing her civic duty.

But last October, Lawshe called 911 to report that a “Black woman in a hood” was spraying sidewalks and trees near his home. “I don’t know what the hell she’s doing, scares me though,” Lawshe said.

Huh? “Black woman in a hood!” Really Lawshe? Thank God she didn’t meet the same fate as another young Black person “in a hood,” one Trayvon Martin. Remember him?

Alright readers, ask yourself what on earth could be so scary about a nine-year-old girl, probably less that a hundred pounds soaking wet, that scares the life out of and make this grown man dial 911?

Okay, what’s really going on here? Let’s peel back the onion, shall we?

Well, one possibility is that Lawshe has terribly bad eyesight or has magnifying lens that make him see things way larger than what they actually are. Stay with me here, I know those explanations are far-fetched, so let’s rule them out.

Another possibility is that what’s playing out here is “adultification bias,” a form of racial prejudice where children, typically Black children, are treated as being more mature than they actually are; the bigger the blacker, the more threatening.

Studies have found that Black children are more susceptible to discipline from educators. Look no further than the racial disparities in how discipline is administered in schools. That’s not unconfirmed speculation folks, that’s fact.

A study by Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Law in 2017 includes one of the first mentions of “adultification bias,” referring to adults’ perception that Black children are more mature than their white peers. Therefore, stereotypes of the angry Black man and the angry Black woman affect how the behaviors of Black children are perceived and may be part of the reason why adultification bias is so prevalent with Black children. Adultification bias, according to the study, may be perpetuated by stereotypes of African Americans, such as the jezebel, sapphire, and mammy stereotypes.

Since these stereotypes represent the opposite standards of femininity and respect, Black girls and women are seen as unfeminine, disrespectful, sassy, intimidating and loud. Thus, it’s conceivable that Lawshe felt threatened by this nine-year-old, get this…..“woman!”

Comments from other studies have described Black girls as “acting like animals and have to be tamed.” These comments coincide with the historical comparison of Black people to animals, which may worsen adultification bias towards Black children when they misbehave in front of authority figures.

Typically, Black boys tend to be stereotyped as criminals, hypermasculine and aggressive or rough. As an example of “self-fulfilling prophecy,” Black boys perceived as mature beyond their years early on because of stereotypes might actually fuel misbehavior, perpetuate their adultification and foster (see, that’s how they are)“confirmation bias.”

But thankfully the Yale School of Public Health held a ceremony to celebrate Bobbi Wilson. It served as an opportunity to recognize Wilson’s donation of her personal spotted lanternfly collection to Yale’s Peabody Museum, where she is now listed as the donor scientist on its official database.

Known as “Bobbi Wonder” by her family and friends, last month she visited the university where a label bearing her name on one of the lanternfly specimens will sit permanently in Yale’s Peabody Museum.

“Yale doesn’t normally do anything like this; this is something unique to Bobbi,” said Ijeoma Opara, an assistant professor at School of Public Health. “We wanted to show her bravery and how inspiring she is, and we just want to make sure she continues to feel honored and loved by the Yale community.”

Oh, lest I forget, in case you missed it, during his recent State of the Union address, President Joe Biden eloquently described what it’s like for Black parents to have to have “the talk” with their offspring about what to do and not do in encounters with law enforcement. Sadly, we now have to teach them what to do when they inevitably encounter the likes of the Lawshe of this world who will see them way larger and more threatening than they actually are.

So, here’s the deal Lawshe and your ilk. We’ve run out of patience with your ignorance and are steadfastly unwilling to cut you any slack or listen to your flimsy excuses. Enough is enough, dam it.

Although I’m not responsible for your ignorance, I am responsible for calling it out when it raises its ugly head. I owe young Bobbi Wilson and my three beautiful Black granddaughters at least that much.

Yes, consider yours truly an “angry Black grandpa!” I’ll brandish that label as a badge of honor. © Terry Howard is an award-winning speaker, writer and storyteller. He is also a contributing writer with the Chattanooga News Chronicle, The American Diversity Report, The Douglas County Sentinel, Blackmarket.com, co-founder of the “26 Tiny Paint Brushes” writers’ guild, recipient of the 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award, and third place winner of the 2022 Georgia Press Award.

TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands Makes History as First HBCU Band to Win Grammy for ‘Best Roots Gospel Album’

Submitted Article

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February 10, 2023

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TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands Makes History as First HBCU Band to Win Grammy for ‘Best Roots Gospel Album’

Compiled–The 65th Grammy Awards kicked off with a historic win as

Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands became the first HBCU marching band to win a Grammy Award on Sunday, Feb. 5. They are also the first marching band to win the Best Roots Gospel Album category for The Urban Hymnal.

The Urban Hymnal/ “Hymnal” was co-produced by songwriter/producer Dallas Austin, artist/songwriter/producer Sir the Baptist and TSU professor Larry Jenkins.

Sir the Baptist, a contemporary artist and songwriter, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

From the podium, Sir the Baptist heaped praise on the young members of the band, calling them “so deserving.”

“These kids worked so hard,” he said. “And to be honest with you guys, HBCUs are so grossly underfunded, to where I had to put my last dime in order to get us across the line. My cousin got us across the line, even when I gave all. We’re here with our pockets empty, but our hands aren’t!”

During his speech, Professor Jenkins also acknowledged and thanked his students, saying “Your hard work and dedication created the pen that allowed you to write your own page in the history books.”

“We all know we made history, but this is also February. We also made Black history.”

The full “Aristocrat of Bands” wasn’t able to accept their win in person, but TSU held an official watch party on campus Sunday afternoon. Video shared on social media shows dozens of students leaping to their feet as the winner is called, quickly breaking into a chant of “AOB! AOB!”

Hamilton County Property Taxes are Due–Are You Taking Advantage of Relief Programs?

Robin Smith

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February 10, 2023

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Hamilton County Property Taxes are Due–Are You Taking Advantage of Relief Programs?

If you’re a homeowner or a property owner in Hamilton County–whether in a municipality like Chattanooga, East Ridge, Red Bank, or others–or in the unincorporated area, February is not only known for Black History celebrations or Valentine’s Day. It’s also the month our property taxes are due.

Yes, the adage is true–two things are for certain–death and taxes. But are you eligible for property tax relief administered to those who meet criteria set by state law?

In Hamilton County Trustee Bill Hullander’s office, terrific men and women serve essentially as our county government’s bank. One of their responsibilities is to receive our property tax payments.

Trustee Hullander’s office also assists with some good news for vulnerable populations who qualify because of either their age or disability status, which are income-based, or their service to Americans in the US Military which resulted in a permanent disability, which is viewed as sacrifice-based.

Tennessee property owners who are 65 years of age and older or have a status of permanently and total disabled are eligible if they meet income qualifications for relief on the property that is their primary residence. The maximum income allowed to receive property tax relief is $31,600 for tax year 2022, to be filed in 2023.

Men and women who have served in the US Armed Forces, or their surviving spouses, have no income limitations but must be deemed by the Veterans Administration to have a permanent and complete disability that is service related. This benefit is also extended to the surviving spouse of the Veteran.

For those who believe this Tennessee program may apply to you, visit the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office website to review the qualifying criteria. Also understand there are caps for both programs, meaning that for both, the elderly/disabled tax relief program and the disabled Veteran tax relief program, there are limits to the values of homes that qualify for relief beyond the income limit.

If, after reviewing this information, you believe you are eligible, continue to read information presented in the form of answering the most often asked questions that involve the amount of relief possible, whether the program applies to more than one parcel of property, and information about participating each year, for example.

In 2021, more than $41 million in Tennessee tax relief was provided to our seniors, our most vulnerable, and to our disabled Veterans from more than 150,000 applicants. These programs are intended to assist Tennesseans who live on a fixed income to remain in their homes, as home values increase and prices for daily essentials increase.

If you have additional questions or want to apply after you see that you meet eligibility criteria, visit the Hamilton County Trustee Office, which has two locations to serve you–on the second floor of the county courthouse at 625 Georgia Avenue or off Bonnie Oaks Drive at 6125 Preservation Drive.

Check out the brochure for the programs. You may find relief!

Gov. Lee Delivers 2023 State of the State Address – ‘Tennessee: Leading the Nation’

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February 9, 2023

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Gov. Lee Delivers 2023 State of the State Address – ‘Tennessee: Leading the Nation’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On Monday, February 6, 2023, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee delivered his fifth State of the State address and presented budget and legislative priorities for the upcoming year to a joint session of the General Assembly and fellow Tennesseans.

Key highlights are noted below, and the full speech as prepared for delivery can be found here. A Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget overview can be found here.

“Tennessee is leading the nation as a guiding light for opportunity, security and freedom,” said Lee. “I’m proud to propose a budget and strategic policies that ensure our state continues to be a shining example for educational opportunity, strong families, innovation and economic prosperity.”

Our state’s strong fiscal stewardship places Tennessee in one of the strongest budgetary positions in history and allows for investments to secure continued success. Lee’s proposed $55.6 billion budget includes strategic funding to modernize transportation, ensure economic and educational opportunity, preserve our natural resources, protect children, strengthen families and more.

Notable highlights from Gov. Lee’s FY23-24 agenda include:

Transportation & Infrastructure Modernization

• $3B to the Transportation Modernization Fund to alleviate urban congestion and fund rural road projects across the state

o $750M allocated to each of TN’s four TDOT regions

• $300M to expand the State Aid Program for local road projects

• Proposing new comprehensive legislation centering on Alternative Delivery Models, Public-Private Partnerships, Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Fees

Economic Opportunity & Tax Relief

• $288.3M for a one-time three-month sales tax holiday on food from August 1 to October 31, 2023, providing tax relief for Tennessee families

• Beginning a three-year transition to Single Sales Factor for franchise and excise taxes to improve TN’s ability to compete for jobs and investment

• $64M to simplify tax administration and conform with the federal bonus depreciation provisions of 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, allowing businesses to more quickly recover costs and further incentivize investment in Tennessee production

• $37.8M for Small Business Excise Tax Relief, establishing a standard deduction from excise tax for up to $50,000 of reported net income, earning taxpayers a maximum of $3,250 in direct savings for Tennessee businesses

• $20.3M for Small Business Franchise Tax Relief that exempts up to $500,000 of property from the franchise tax, giving small- and medium-sized businesses that own property in Tennessee up to $1,250 in tax savings on their annual franchise tax liability

• $7.9M for Small Business Relief from the Business Gross Receipts Tax, increasing the filing threshold for business tax from $10,000 to $100,000 to ensure that only businesses with $100,000 of gross receipts or more will be subject to the business tax. This includes funding to hold local jurisdictions harmless.

• $7.3M to establish a state paid family leave tax credit against franchise and excise tax for a two-year pilot period that will mirror the federal tax credit

Skilled Workforce

• $370.8M to update outdated facilities in seven TCAT campuses state-wide

• $386.2M to invest in new buildings, expansions and improvements to sixteen current TCAT campuses

• $147.5M to build six new TCATs to better serve more students across Tennessee

Strong & Healthy Families

• $18.7M to increase the income threshold for pregnant women and caregivers to expand access to TennCare Services

• $5.2M to provide 12-month continuous TennCare eligibility for low-income children

• $4.7M to permanently extend postpartum health coverage under TennCare

• $100M for Crisis Pregnancy Provider Support Grants supporting crisis pregnancy centers statewide, improving access to healthcare and information for expecting mothers

• $10.25M for TN Fosters Hope grant funding to elevate high quality care for children and families impacted by foster care and adoption, allowing providers to expand their services to foster and adoptive families

• $27M to expand programming for children with complex or special needs that face challenges being placed in a traditional foster or adoptive home by further developing the provider network and providing respite and long-term care

• $15M to fund the Summer Youth Employment Program to connect youth and young adults ages 14 to 24 with career exploration opportunities and paid work experiences

Protecting Tennessee’s Children

• $33M to increase bed capacity in the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) provider network to reduce the time children and youth spend in offices and children’s homes

• $39.8M to increase the rate of payment for providers in the DCS provider network that offer residential and clinical services to children in state custody

• $7.3M to support foster families and incentivize foster care and adoption of sibling groups and teens

• $15.9M to align DCS case manager salary with market salary regionally and in the private sector

• $11.4M to contract short-term private case managers to alleviate the burden on DCS case managers

• $5M for Juvenile Justice Youth Intervention Partnerships to increase collaboration with community-based partners to support youth stepping down from juvenile facilities

• $31M to replace the Tennessee Family and Child Tracking System (TFACTS), the DCS case management and payment system

Great Schools

• $350 M in additional funding to local education agencies through Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA), including $125 M for teacher pay raises

• $60.8M to extend summer learning camps and expand eligibility age from 4th grade to Kindergarten through 9th grade

• $10M for Summer Bus Transportation

• $20M in School Safety Grants to enhance school security

• $29.7M for the TN School Safety Initiative, expanding staffing to place at least one Homeland Security Special Agent in each of the state’s 95 counties to provide threat assessments and collaborate with local law enforcement

• Expanding the Grow Your Own apprenticeship program to help solve teacher shortages, serving 600 new apprenticeship candidates per year

• Five percent salary pool increase for higher education employees to ensure they attract and retain the best employee base possible

Safe Neighborhoods

• Adding 100 Highway Patrol Troopers and related support staff and 25 Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Forensic Services staff

• $30M addition to the TN Law Enforcement Hiring, Training, and Recruitment Program (Year 2)

• $50M expansion of the Violent Crime Intervention Fund

• $357M for network expansion of the Tennessee Advanced Communication Network (TACN) to transition remaining state agencies into TACN, improve coverage and provide infrastructure grants for local agencies to join TACN

• $10M to support successful re-entry by expanding Evidence-Based Programming Grants in prisons and jails with a focus on mental health

Brighter Future

• $66.5M for the Natchez Trace Recreation Area, establishing a sportsman’s themed park with a lodge, cabins, campgrounds and a shooting range

• $28.3M to create Scott’s Gulf State Park, a 9,000-acre park uniting Virgin Falls State Natural Area with surrounding nature areas into a single wilderness park

• $30M to revitalize the Heritage Conservation Trust to support public-private partnerships through a matching grant program

• $15.4M for trail infrastructure and development of the Cumberland Trail

• $10.3M to address critical gaps along the Wolf River Greenway, a 26-mile paved trail meandering from the Mississippi River to Germantown

• $6.3M to expand the Tweetsie Trail in Carter County, connecting four communities, two bike parks and a pedestrian bridge

• $70M to TN Clean Initiative, cleaning up state superfund sites, Oak Ridge and all 47 known dry cleaner sites

• $6.3M for the Rural Brownfields Investment Act to revitalize 175 known brownfield sites, creating a new state-administered grant and technical support program for remediation and economic development of existing brownfields

• $4.7M grant funding to improve local water quality by optimizing wastewater treatment plants, collaborating with agricultural partners to practice best management principles and supporting cities with reduction of nutrients in stormwater

Asset Management

• $1.7B to address capital improvements and maintenance, including Tennessee State Parks and TCATs

• Ensuring more than $2.8B of recurring revenue is allocated to one-time expenditures, allowing the return of these resources for review and budgeting next fiscal year

BSCC’s Fire-Side Chats

Adrian Edwards

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February 8, 2023

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Black History Month Activities The Bessie Smith Cultural Center in recognition of Black History month is hosting a series of fire-side chats. The kick-off session highlighted the history and contributions of nationally known activist and Chattanooga native, “Papa Ricks”. From left, Elijah Cameron, BSCC; Paula Wilkes, BSCC; Mukasa DaDa aka Papa Ricks, guest speaker; and John Edwards, Interviewer/local historian. (Photo: Herman Prater, Sr.)

Hamilton County Schools Deputy Superintendent selected Chiefs for Change

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February 8, 2023

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Hamilton County Schools Deputy Superintendent selected Chiefs for Change

Hamilton County Schools Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sonia Stewart has been selected as part of the seventh cohort of Future Chiefs by the national organization Chiefs for Change.

Chiefs for Change operates on the premise that bold, sustained leadership is critical in order to have a highly effective education system that meets the needs of all students. Members of the organization lead state and district education systems that together include approximately seven million students, 410,000 teachers, and 11,500 schools.

The Future Chiefs program is building a pipeline of talented and diverse educators who are ready to lead state and large district systems. These emerging leaders participate in an 18-month program of collective learning about issues that are central to effective leadership and receive coaching and mentorship from Chiefs for Change members.

“Dr. Stewart’s selection for the Future Chiefs program is a great honor for her and for Hamilton County Schools,” said HCS Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson. “Dr. Stewart is already a recognized leader in the field of education, and her participation with Chiefs for Change will give her the opportunity to interact with other leaders across the country to learn, craft and implement effective strategies that will benefit the students of Hamilton County. As a lifelong learner and teacher, her experiences will only serve to strengthen our district’s teaching and learning programs.”

Chiefs for Change is centered on the core beliefs that every child must have:

A safe and welcoming school; Access to an excellent education;

Fully prepared teachers with the support they need to do their jobs well;

High-quality instructional materials; and Reliable and affordable pathways to college and meaningful careers.

“I am honored to be invited to join the 2023 Cohort of Future Chiefs,” Stewart said. “The core beliefs of the Chiefs for Change organization align very closely with those of Hamilton County Schools, and I look forward to learning from and collaborating with those in our cohort and the ones that preceded us. Throughout the upcoming 18-month journey, I will be looking at best practices and new ideas from my colleagues that can be brought back to Hamilton County for the benefit of all our students.” Stewart has a doctorate in education, leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University; a master’s in educational leadership from Trevecca University; and a bachelor’s in mathematics from Biola University.

Black police officers aren’t colorblind – they’re infected by the same anti-Black bias as American society and police in general

Commentary

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February 3, 2023

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Black police officers aren’t colorblind – they’re infected by the same anti-Black bias as American society and police in general

Rashad Shabazz, Associate Professor at the School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University

Once again, Americans are left reeling from the horror of video footage showing police brutalizing an unarmed Black man who later died.

Some details in the latest case of extreme police violence were gut-wrenchingly familiar: a police traffic stop of a Black male motorist turned violent. But, for many of us, other details were unfamiliar: The five police officers accused of using everything from pepper spray to a Taser, a police baton and intermittent kicks and punches against the motorist were also Black.

After pulling over 29-year-old Tyre Nichols for what they said was reckless driving, Black officers in the Memphis Police Department’s now disbanded SCORPION unit beat Nichols, ultimately to death.

‘The Conversation’ asked Rashad Shabazz, a geographer and scholar of African American studies at Arizona State University, to explore the societal conditions in which Black police officers could brutalize another Black man.

What could influence Black police officers to savagely beat a Black motorist?

Policing in the U.S. has, from its inception, treated Black people as domestic enemies. From the the slave patrols, which some historians consider to be among the nation’s earliest forms of policing, to the murder of George Floyd, and now the death of Nichols, law enforcement officers often have viewed Black people as what sociologist and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, in “The Souls of Black Folk,” called a “problem.”

American society assumes that Black people are prone to criminality and therefore should be subject to state power in the form of policing or, in some cases, vigilantism – as in the killing of Ahmaud Arbury. This is a link deeply woven into American consciousness. And Black people are not immune. In this way, the long-held targeting of Black men by police and widely held negative beliefs about them are a powerful cocktail that can compel even Black officers to stop, detain and brutally beat a man who looks just like them.

Could their actions have been motivated by anti-Black bias?

It’s hard to investigate the minds of the officers who beat Nichols so savagely and say for sure what motivated them. But there is ample research that suggests anti-Blackness is a factor in American policing. And Black officers, agents of an institutionally racist system, are affected by this. Anti-Blackness affects Black people, too. And this might explain why Black police officers exhibit more anti-Black bias than the Black population as a whole.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump comforts RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre Nichols, during a press conference hours before the video of police beating Nichols was released. Scott Olson /Getty Images News via Getty Images

To comprehend this, we have to take a step back and think about race. Stuart Hall, a cultural theorist, described race as a sign. When we look at skin color or people as racialized subjects, they signify something to us. Black people, in this society – and in other parts of the world – for many signify danger, threat and criminality. And as a result, institutions like the criminal justice system respond to their perceived threat with profiling, harassment and violence.

Our surprise that five Black police officers could brutalize another Black man indicates we have an impoverished understanding of race and racism in this country.

What does Tyre Nichols’ death mean for calls to diversify policing?

For years, elected officials, activists and citizens have been making calls to reform policing. Many have said bringing more people from ethnically diverse backgrounds onto police forces would go a long way toward correcting institutional racism in the criminal justice system.

The final report of “The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing,” commissioned through an executive order by President Barack Obama, called for law enforcement agencies to “strive to create a workforce that encompasses a broad range of diversity, including race, gender, language, life experience, and cultural background to improve understanding and effectiveness.”

One recent study concluded that Black and Hispanic police officers make fewer traffic stops and use force less often than their white counterparts. But, at the same time, Black and brown police officers live in the same culture that sees Black people as criminals and threats. So simply having more officers of color doesn’t do enough to fix the problem.

How does seeing video of another Black man brutalized by police, this time Black officers, affect Black people?

Over the past decade, videos of Black people killed at the hands of police officers have filled social media and news sites. I, for one, cannot watch them because they terrify me and amplify fears for my safety and that of my family and friends. I watched about 30 seconds of the Black police officers pummeling Nichols and couldn’t take any more. I know I’m not alone. Studies tell us that police killings of unarmed Black people are psychologically traumatizing events for Black people. This kind of horror should be traumatizing to the nation. But if Black is the sign of danger and criminality, who will have empathy for the Tyre Nicholses of the world?

People honor the memory of Tyre Nichols during a candlelight vigil held in his honor. Scott Olson/Getty Images News via Getty Images

This article was updated to cut out repetition in the introduction. (The CONVERSATION 1-30-2023)

NAACP Memphis Calls for Prosecution, Termination of Those Involved in Tyre Nichols’ Death, Urges Police Reform

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February 3, 2023

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NAACP Memphis Calls for Prosecution, Termination of Those Involved in Tyre Nichols’ Death, Urges Police Reform

Memphis, Tenn. (TN Tribune)–The Memphis Branch of the NAACP held a press conference in conjunction with the Tennessee State Conference NAACP on Sunday, calling for action in response to the death of Tyre Nichols. The leaders called for those involved in the traffic stop that led to Nichols’ death to be terminated and prosecuted, and also called on lawmakers to pass police reform legislation at both the state and national levels.

During the conference, NAACP Memphis Branch President Van Turner made these demands two days after the release of a video showing Memphis police officers pepper spraying, tasing, and beating Nichols during a traffic stop. The video sparked three consecutive days of protests and added to the ongoing national debate over police brutality.

Turner emphasized the need for swift justice and changes in police practices to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. He stated that the NAACP Memphis Branch would continue to push for accountability and reform in the law enforcement community.

“If you were an officer or first responder and you sat there and watched this young man die and you did nothing to help resuscitate him, you did nothing to give him aid, you’re just as culpable as the people who beat him down and killed him,” Turner said. “We want justice, and we want them brought to justice.”

Turner and Tennessee State Conference NAACP President Gloria Sweet Love released the statements regarding former Memphis police officers Desmond Mills, Demetrius Haley, Justice Smith, Emmitt Martin and Teddarius Bean being charged with second-degree murder.

“Although we are pleased that the charges have been filed, we strongly urge the U.S. Department of Justice to continue its investigation. The accused former officers were reportedly members of the Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods (“SCORPION”) Unit. The Memphis Police Department and its SCORPION Unit must be thoroughly investigated and monitored to ensure that all police officers abide by the law. We expect the police to enforce the law, not violate the law. We seek accountability and justice,” Sweet Love stated.