By Jasper Ward and Patricia Zengerle JACKSONVILLE, FL — A white man armed with a high-powered rifle and a handgun killed three Black people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, before shooting himself, in what local law enforcement described as a racially motivated crime. “This shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters told a press conference. The suspect, whom Waters described as a white male wearing a tactical vest, was not identified. Waters said all three victims – two men and a woman – were Black. Waters said authorities believed the…
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Nashville – Meharry Medical College Ventures, Inc. (MMCV, Inc.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Meharry Medical College, announced today the selection of Lawrence Hall as the organization’s new Vice President of Business Development. A Nashville native, Hall has led business development efforts with both Trevecca Nazarene University and Meharry Medical College, and served on the Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County Council for four years. In his new position, he will work closely with MMCV Inc’s new CEO, Reginald Holt, to build a future where healthcare works for everyone. Lawrence Hall served most recently as the Business Partnerships Officer with Trevecca Nazarene…
Brooklyn, NY – August 25, 2023 – Mark Hubbard & The Voices have released an exhilarating new single, as the celebrated ensemble pays tribute to the great Reverend Timothy Wright with a cover of the uplifting “For the Rest of My Life.” The single is available now on all digital platforms. Led by Reginald Staggers, Mark Hubbard & The Voices deliver a performance that the late Reverend Timothy Wright would surely be proud of. “This song is a favorite of mine, and when we began recording our new project, I wanted a classic song because we can’t ever forget the…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An influential group of Nashville musicians have joined the Nashville Justice League (NJL) in publicly endorsing Freddie O’Connell for Nashville mayor in the upcoming Sept. 14 runoff election. Led by artist Ruby Amanfu, these musicians have committed to supporting O’Connell through a robust grassroots marketing effort to mobilize voters via social media, a targeted direct mail campaign and more. Artists lending their support for O’Connell include Alex Wong, Allison Russell, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Brittney Spencer, Brothers Osborne, Butch Walker, Butterfly Boucher, Cassadee Pope, Devon Gilfillian, Emmylou Harris, Fancy Hagood, Jason Eskridge, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Katie Herzig,…
By: Sean Daly TAMPA, Fla. — Roberto Zacarias knows exactly what he wants to do when he grows up. The 17-year-old, whose family is from Honduras, has his career “end goal” in sight: “a 737 captain for American Airlines based out of Miami.” His friend Nathaniel Kerr, age 12, from Jamaica, is pretty determined as well: “I want to be an F-16 pilot for the Air Force.” Last week Zacarias, Kerr and dozens of other students were hosted in Tampa by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) as part of a diversity in aviation week for future pilots and…
NASHVILLE—Senate minority leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, issued a statement marking the first week of Gov. Bill Lee’s special session. Senator Raumesh Akbari: “Republicans in the legislature loosened gun laws for a decade and now they’re ignoring grieving families who are begging for new solutions to protect their kids from gun violence. “I’ve cried with parents whose children were killed by gunfire in Memphis. I prayed with moms from The Covenant School. They deserve better from their elected representatives. “Regardless of what happens here, our work to prevent shootings must continue and political obstruction will only fuel our movement for…
The Tennessee state representatives gained national recognition after Republicans expelled them from the legislature for protesting gun violence. They’re not about to back down now. By Chelsey Sanchez This past April, Republican lawmakers in the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel Democratic representatives Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson for protesting on the floor of the chamber in support of stricter gun-control regulations. The demonstration came after six people, including three nine-year-old children, were killed in a mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville. But the attempts by congressional leaders to expel Jones, 27, and Pearson, 28—who were…
To the Editor: No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, the evidence revealed in the latest indictment of Donald Trump should disturb every American who cares about protecting our freedom to vote and our democracy. In the latest indictment, President Donald Trump and key allies––including his lawyers Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows––were indicted on 41 criminal charges for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. According to these indictments, Trump deliberately spread disinformation about the 2020 election, then used those lies to pressure state officials in…
Memphis, TN – Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Toni Williams on Friday, Aug. 25, announced the upcoming departure of MSCS General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer Kenneth M. Walker II, who recently accepted a position as General Counsel of Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas. “We are proud of the legacy Kenneth – himself a proud District graduate – leaves behind at Memphis-Shelby County Schools,” said Superintendent Williams. “He is a passionate advocate for students and a consummate professional. Austin Independent School District is gaining a tremendous value in Kenneth.” Walker’s last day at MSCS will be Sept. 4, 2023. Odell Horton…
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University Police Lt. Demetrius Smith recently leveled up his leadership skills by completing the rigorous and nationally recognized Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, joining five other senior commanding officers on the university’s force with this accomplishment. “I felt elated, accomplished,” said Smith about his recent July 28 graduation. “I felt a personal pride as well as pride for representing not only myself but the members of the MTSU Police Department.” The strenuous, 10-week course hosted at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, consisted of full-time classes on all aspects of senior command-level policing such as planning…