Memphis, TN (TN Tribune)–A Tennessee legislative committee changed course abruptly on Wednesday and approved a proposal that could force Shelby County Schools to negotiate the sale of three school buildings in an affluent Memphis suburb. If the bill becomes law, thousands of Memphis and Shelby County students zoned for Germantown elementary, middle, and high schools could someday be forced to go to other schools, some of which are already at capacity. The Senate Education Committee initially voted down the bill 5-4. Minutes later, after returning from a brief recess, the 6-3 vote to approve came on an amendment to an unrelated bill. The…
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Nashville, TN (TN Tribune)–The Office of the Metropolitan Trustee, Metropolitan Minority Caucus, and the Department of Social Services are working diligently alongside community partners to ensure Nashvillians have access to essential resources during this unprecedented and challenging time. Due to the threat of inclement weather, this weekend the “Build the Block” community event has been postponed, from Saturday, April 10, 2021, to Friday, April 16, 2021, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. To unify Nashville’s collective efforts, organizers are hosting “Build the Block” to connect, coordinate and distribute vital resources from property tax relief assistance to free grocery distribution for our city’s…
Nashville, TN (TN Tribune)–The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) will open its market-rate waiting list for Historic Preston Taylor Apartments on a first-come, first-served basis from noon Thursday, April 8, 2021, until 3 p.m. Thursday, April 15, 2021. The market-rate apartments are for households earning at least 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The market-rate apartments at Historic Preston Taylor Apartments feature one-, two- and three-bedrooms, with one-bedroom apartments for $794 a month, two-bedroom apartments for $982 a month and three-bedroom apartments for $1,274 a month. Historic Preston Taylor Apartments is located in North Nashville at 3900 Clifton…
Washington D.C. – The Internal Revenue Service collects taxes. But this year it’s handing out cash like an ATM machine. Two IRS officials briefed minority press outlets last week and they were clearly relishing their new role: playing Santa Claus. “I’m proud of the work we did to issue more than 160 million of the first round of impact payments in 2020 and another 147 million in the second round, many as early as two days after the legislation was signed,” said IRS commissioner Kenneth Corbin. He is responsible for the administration of tax laws governing individual wage earners in…
NASHVILLE, TN – Every Friday you will find Kristen Grimm outside Representative Jim Cooper’s office holding a pink sign. Grimm is founder of Mothers for Medicare for All. She has a son with a chronic health condition and spends a lot of time arguing with his insurance company about a surgery they refused to pay for. “We have a new bill rolling over in Congress, HR 1976. He (Cooper) did not sign on to HR 1384. He did sign on in 2017 to Medicare for All legislation. He’s waffling on healthcare. We need our legislators, our leaders in this country,…
By Rob Taylor Jr. – Courier Staff Writer Maybe it’s the athletic opportunities and mentorship that have been bestowed upon the hundreds of youths over the years. Maybe it was the Easter Egg Hunt that, by all accounts, was a resounding success on Saturday, April 3, putting smiles on the kids who partook in the event at Quarry Field on the South Side, just off S. 18th Street. Maybe it’s the fact that the vast majority of the kids whom the South Side Bears youth football and cheerleading organization serve are African American, from the South Side Flats all the…
WASHINGTON (AP) — When executives from Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines spoke out against Georgia’s new voting law as unduly restrictive last week, it seemed to signal a new activism springing from corporate America. But if leaders of the nation’s most prominent companies are going to reject lawmakers who support restrictive voting measures, they will have to abruptly reverse course. State legislators across the country who have pushed for new voting restrictions, and also seized on former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, have reaped more than $50 million in corporate donations in recent years, according to a new…
The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC), in this season of remembrance about sacrificing for one’s neighbor (Easter and Passover) declares that leaders in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors “come off the fence” and be proactive in condemning the spread of more than 600 voter suppression bills in 47 states and support federal legislation championed by John Lewis —namely H. R. 1 also known as the “For The People Act”, that would protect voting rights. This historic faith body, which serves 44 of the 50 states in the United States, calls for corporate leadership to take action that demonstrates their…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — The community groups and individuals in East Knoxville continue their efforts to change the trajectory of the lives of those living in East Knoxville. Determined to stem the tide of death and violence in a community too long ignored by the government entities that serve them; more and more organizations are stepping up to bring in the help that is needed to grow the area and the people within its boundaries. “People need food, and people need jobs NOW !” says Keira Wyatt, whose organization, C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries is spearheading the event with co-host Jackie…
NASHVILLE, TN — In an email to current and incoming students today, Belmont University announced plans to return to in person classes this fall following more than a year of a combination of in-person, remote and hybrid courses due to the impact of the worldwide pandemic. “We are nearing the conclusion of what has been one of the most unique and challenging years for our campus community and for higher education in general,” said Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. “Thanks to the vaccine rollout and improving trends related to COVID data, we have every reason to be optimistic about providing…