Author: Clint Confehr

By Clint Confehr TIVERTON, RI — Insulin resistance is a growing problem physicians are facing and it’s of special interest to African Americans because they’re more likely to develop diabetes. Insulin resistance syndrome is a condition in which the tissues of the body become desensitized to insulin. “Insulin resistance is more frequent and more severe among African-Americans, compared to non-Hispanic whites,” says Dr. Anthony Cincotta, a neuroendocrinologist who’s chief scientific officer at VeroScience here. Furthermore, of all patients diagnosed with diabetes, “African Americans are more likely to develop serious complications,” Dr. Cincotta says to bring attention to the “diabetes epidemic”…

NASHVILLE, TN — A professional educator leading one of the four Historically Black Colleges and Universities here is impressed with Metro’s public school system and its leader. “We are fortunate to have Shawn Joseph working here,” Fisk University President Dr. Kevin Rome said during the Tennessee Tribune’s recent forum on education in the black community. “We have someone who cares about our children, who cares about black kids, and who can articulate it,” Dr. Rome told nearly 150 people in the sanctuary of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Oct. 28. During the 90-minute program, Dr. Rome said he could…

By Clint Confehr  NASHVILLE, TN — A Vanderbilt seminarian’s arrest and removal from a recent Tennessee Republican rally was sinful, his divinity school advisor says, connecting sin to his attorney’s point. That black man wasn’t welcome. Not so, says Tennessee Republican Party Communications Director Candice Dawkins. “There were people of color in the audience who were not protesting. They were there in support of the Republican Party, Marsha Blackburn and Lyndsey Graham. “We know he protests Republicans,” says Dawkins. “He’s done it on numerous occasions. That’s why he was asked to leave … this was a rally in support of…

By Clint Confehr NASHVILLE, TN — Academic growth, funding, and prejudice were part of serious talk on Jefferson Street when The Tennessee Tribune presented “The State of Education in the Black Community.” “This is about who has control of the resources and who makes the decisions,” said Fisk University President Kevin Rome, adding it’s bigger than county schools. “If you want to isolate it to education, it’s talking about: ‘Do people think that we are educable?’ “Not everyone thinks that we are capable of learning,” Rome said. “And so they don’t even want to invest the resources because they don’t…

By Clint Confehr MEMPHIS, TN — One of the speakers at the Lorraine Motel during the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s passing 50 years earlier was state Rep. Johnnie Turner (D-Memphis). The program continued until 6:01 p.m. April 4 when a bell was rung to mark the time when Dr. King fell from a sniper’s bullet, fired from the bathroom of a boarding house across the street. In late October, Turner was announced as two lifetime achievement award winners; recognized by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. Because of a 6 p.m. deadline on April 4, some…

By Clint Confehr  NASHVILLE, TN — A woman whose life-long work for equality and justice includes sit-ins, and marches with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is being honored by the ACLU of Tennessee. “Throughout her life — from the streets to the capitol — Johnnie Turner has fought for the ideals of justice and equality,” Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, said while announcing its Nov. 29 presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards. Simultaneously, ACLU-TN honors equality and justice advocate Sally Levine who cofounded the Drivers’ License Reinstatement Fund. A long-time League of Women Voters…

By Clint Confehr MEMPHIS, TN — Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ several nominees to county posts, including a photo journalist, were recently approved by county commissioners. Uday Sripathi is a new member of the Memphis & Shelby County Film & TV Commission. Originally from Mumbai, India, Sripathi’s worked on programs for FedEx, NBC, CNN, HLN, Discovery, BBC, ITV, MTV, and Channel News Asia. He went to India with President Obama in 2010 as a news pool producer, and then in 2015 as an NBC producer. So, Sripathi knows problems filmmakers face in unfamiliar cities and what can be done to…

By Clint Confehr NASHVILLE, TN — Renowned immigration attorney Elliott Ozment, a passionate civil rights advocate, died last week at 71. Davidson County’s beloved character with exceptional character was laid to rest Saturday. “Elliott dedicated his life to championing human rights,” ACLU- TN Executive Director Hedy Weinberg said. “As a tireless advocate, he repeatedly confronted and challenged government abuses of immigrants’ basic rights and abridgment of their freedoms. Elliott embraced the fight for justice and equality with courage and joy. His tenacity, heart and eternal optimism always inspired me and I will miss him.” Asked last year for advice to…

By Clint Confehr NASHVILLE, TN — One of the targets of an FBI informant in Memphis saw her face projected on a movie screen last week in the John Seigenthaler Center at Vanderbilt University. “‘She is … a rumormonger and one who will give aid and comfort to the black power groups,’” FBI Agent Bill Lawrence wrote in May 1968, quoting informant Ernest Withers, a freelance photographer for Jet magazine and The Tri-State Defender. “That’s me,” Tennessee Tribune publisher Rosetta Miller-Perry, a University of Memphis graduate, prior to the Memphis Sanitation Strike, said of the photo during a presentation by…

By Clint Confehr NASHVILLE, TN — To reduce traffic congestion downtown, Metro’s transit gurus want more commuters to go to work any way other than one person per car. So, they’re challenging downtown residents to leave their cars parked Oct. 22-26 and: ride bikes, public transit, van- or carpools, scooters; use ride-hailing apps; work flexible schedules or at home. Recognition of volunteers is planned for next month. Employers are encouraged to help employees participate in Nashville’s first transportation demand management program, the Nashville Connector, also known as nashconnector.org. Its links explain alternatives including van/bus routes, bike paths, how to ride-share…