By Ben Jealous Just a few days have passed since Derek Chauvin’s conviction in the murder of George Floyd. But the images from that moment are seared in our memories forever: the murderer, led away in handcuffs. The Floyd family, Philonise Floyd speaking through tears, at the microphones after the verdict. The crowds outside the courthouse erupting in cheers when the verdict was read. Our gratitude for this measure of accountability is soul-deep. And now we ask ourselves, will things really be different this time? The answer is that they can be, if we seize this moment. Washington has sent…
Author: Article submitted
NASHVILLE – A Chinese National pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to commit evidence tampering in relation to an international human trafficking investigation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee. Xu Zhang, 31, a New York resident, was indicted in September 2019, after conspiring with his girlfriend and co-conspirator, Gao Xing, also a Chinese National, to destroy and conceal records pertinent to a federal grand jury investigation. According to court documents, on September 6, 2019, Zhang visited Gao Xing in jail while she was in federal custody and the subject of an…
Franklin, TN (TN Tribune) – Buff City Soap continues its expansion in the Nashville market by announcing plans to open a new store in Franklin this Thursday, May 6. The new Soap Makery will be located at 4091 Mallory Lane next to Whole Foods. The plant based soap brand is known for its handcrafted bath and body products made in-store daily by local soap artisans using natural ingredients. “We’re excited to expand within the Nashville area by opening a new local Soap Makery in Franklin,” said Tim Chaffin, Franchise Owner. “Buff City Soap provides a unique product unlike anything else,…
Nashville, TN (TN Tribune)–Rep. Joe Towns Jr. of Memphis will meet on Tuesday, May 4th, 2021 with two of 77 former Black McDonald’s franchise owners who are suing the fast-food giant for racial discrimination. Jim and Daryl Byrd own stores in Shelby and Fayette counties. As part of the lawsuit, they maintain that minority franchisees were given the oldest, most decrepit stores in undesirable locations with little corporate support, guaranteeing their failure. Last year, Rep. Towns asked the state treasurer’s office to pull any state investments in McDonald’s Corporation because of the ongoing lawsuit. Towns, along with other lawmakers, will…
NASHVILLE, Tenn – The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) will be accepting online-only applications for an elderly Project-Based Voucher (PBV) property on a first-come, first-served basis from noon Tuesday, May 4, 2021, until 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Depending on the number of applications received, the waiting lists may remain open beyond May 11, 2021. In order to qualify for elderly housing, the head of household or spouse must be at least 62 years old. One- and two-bedroom apartments are now available at Sycamores Terrace, a newly renovated elderly property on Lebanon Pike in Nashville. Applicants should only…
Nashville, TN (TN Tribune)–According to a recent study by SmartAsset, residents in Davidson County are among the highest earners in Tennessee. The analysis was completed as part of the company’s study on the places with the most purchasing power. For a closer look at the places in Tennessee with the highest median incomes, check out the table below: Rank County, State Cost of Living Median Income Median Income Index 1 Williamson, TN $48,913 $112,962 75.71 2 Wilson, TN $40,624 $75,991 45.11 3 Rutherford, TN $37,043 $67,429 38.02 4 Sumner, TN $37,171 $67,204 37.83 5 Robertson, TN $37,001 $63,307 34.61 6…
By Ann Hill Bond | The Atlanta Voice One night in 2015 after an evening of Elevate Atlanta, Erica “Umi” Clahar, founder and executive director of Umi Feeds, realized that a few pinwheel platters were unused and decided to ask the event coordinators if she could take the platters to the homeless at Woodruff Park. Briefly hesitating, they allowed her to do so. She left the event and headed straight to the park, upon getting out of her car and distributing the pinwheels amongst the people sitting, walking, sleeping一she realized what her Aunt Nadia was teaching her on the days…
By Joel White “Budget Reconciliation” may be the most popular phrase on Capitol Hill right now. This special legislative process allows certain bills to be passed in the Senate with a simple majority so long as they impact the budget. With the Senate evenly divided — and the Vice President holding the tie-breaking vote — Democrats used budget reconciliation to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. Some lawmakers now suggest they’ll also try to use the budget process to overhaul the prescription drug market, as well. They plan to do this by reviving a bill…
By Ronald W. Weathersby Information and communication is power. Knowing this, slave traders took extraordinary measures to separate individual captives who were able to communicate with one another least they may plot to escape or worse, rebel. Once in America, slaves were isolated further. Families were separated and teaching slaves to read was a crime punishable by death by the mob or the court in many jurisdictions. During this time most white Americans were misled regarding the inhumane life of enslaved Africans. In fact the continued isolation of enslaved Africans from one another and the public served the interest of…