Author: Ashley Benkarski

By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — For decades Tennessee State University’s swimming program brought the school notoriety with its trophy-winning Tigersharks, standing out alongside the college’s other famed sports programs. Formed in the 1940s by coach Thomas H. Hughes, the Tigersharks began earning titles and consecutive championship wins, keeping that momentum going into the 1980s when the program was dissolved  near the end of the decade. “The swim program was part of the winning tradition of the athletic programs,” said former TSU swimmer Don Moody, noting its history of producing professional athletes into organizations such as the NFL and NBA—and…

By Ashley Benkarski with JacFranz Guiteau, M.D., Surgical Director of TriStar Centennial’s Organ Transplant Program NASHVILLE, TN— TriStar Centennial Medical Center’s new surgical director of its organ transplant program, Jacfranz Guiteau, MD, is advocating for education about kidney disease, a condition that disproportionately affects the black community. Nationally, there is already a significant shortage of organs available for transplantation as each year only 15 percent of the 100,000 patients who need a kidney transplant receive one. Furthermore, the National Institutes of Health notes that black Americans are almost four times more likely to suffer from kidney disease as whites and…

By Ashley Benkarski MURFREESBORO, TN — It’s been six months since the racially-motivated desecration of Walnut Grove Missionary Baptist Church, another incident in a growing trend of such crimes over the past few years. This isn’t the first time a place of worship has been attacked here—the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was the target of a hate crime in August 2010, an act that garnered national attention and was featured on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” It was vandalized again in 2017.  To address the community’s concerns over safety in places of worship, the Community Action Committee…

By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — Heart Month is here, and TriStar Centennial’s Dr. Bryan Fisher is spreading the love by educating patients, peers and politicians on the connection between race or ethnicity, vascular disease and amputation rates. Fisher, Centennial’s chief of vascular surgery, is passionate about limb preservation of patients. He’s supported a national study on the disparities of care African-American patients with complex lower extremity disease receive, engages in patient advocacy within the healthcare community and has moderated a Capitol Hill discussion calling for legislation to require patients receive a vascular workup before undergoing amputation. “I noticed that…

By Ashley Benkarski MURFREESBORO, TN — Taiisha Bradley knows how to connect the dots. She saw a need for local minority businesses to connect with each other and promote their brands, so she created the Rutherford County Black Business Network. The group held its inaugural showcase Sat., Feb. 2 at Patterson Park Community Center featuring  vendors specializing in a wide variety of professions. From self-described “popologist” Kaneisha Scott of KB Popcorn—whose gourmet popcorn spans a variety of flavors—to Toya Griffin’s Mo’ Scrubs natural beauty line featuring lip scrubs, body butter and bath salts, the event brought these local businesses and…

By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — Hundreds braved the fickle winter weather Jan. 19 to rally in solidarity with the third Women’s March in DC with messages of equality, empowerment and justice. Though there was no marching involved, attendees gathered at Public Square Park to listen to live music and speakers from organizations such as Planned Parenthood and Black Lives Matter–Nashville, among others. Minutes away, Gov. Bill Lee was celebrating his inauguration—something not lost on event volunteer Allyson Gilbert. “We are choosing to be at this end of the street than at that end of the street giving them any…

By Ashley Benkarski The Democratic Party is sticking with its leadership in the face of another top-ticket defeat by Republicans last year. Members of the Executive Committee voted Sat., Jan. 12 at the Local 572 building to re-elect incumbent Mary Mancini to a third term as chairwoman. She received 48 votes, with Holly McCall earning 16 and last-minute challenger  M. LaTroy Alexandria-Williams receiving two votes. Christopher Hale, who had put in his bid for the position in recent weeks, dropped out of the race before the vote.  Although the party has not seen many significant gains in the Tennessee legislature…

By Ashley Benkarski NASHVILLE, TN — Gov. Bill Haslam should grant Cyntoia Brown clemency, Davidson County-area faith leaders said recently at American Baptist College. “I struggle to find a greater miscarriage of justice than what has occurred with Cyntoia Brown,” the Rev. Keith Caldwell, the NAACP Nashville branch president said Dec. 20. Sold into prostitution, Brown, now 30, was convicted of killing a 43-year-old man. She was “sentenced to life for surviving,” declared Brittany Paschall, speaking for Black Lives Matter–Nashville. “Black girls and women cannot wait.” Haslam can grant clemency before his term ends. That’s 10 days before her 31st…

By Ashley Benkarski MURFREESBORO, TN — Four teenage boys who pleaded guilty to vandalism and burglary of a predominantly black church have started their probationary periods as handed down in juvenile court recently. Judge Donna Scott Davenport released the boys from house arrest so long as they pay restitution and court costs, perform public service work, and exhibit “good and lawful behavior.” The juveniles did not face hate crime charges at the request of Walnut Grove Missionary Baptist Church leaders. The teens, age 14-16, pleaded guilty Dec. 11 to burglary, vandalism over $1,000, and theft under $1,000. Davenport said each…