Author: Tn Tribune

Six new Bishops were elected this week during the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) General Conference held in Columbus Ohio from August 21st through the 28th, 2024. The following persons were elected:Bishops143rd BishopRev. Dr. Erika D. Crawford(Pastor, Mt. Zion AME Church, Dover, Delaware)144th BishopRev. Dr. Julius H. McAllister, Jr.(Pastor, Bethel AME Church Tallahassee)145th BishopRev. Vernon R. Byrd(Pastor, St. Matthew AME Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)146th BishopRev. Dr. Henry Allen Belin, III(Pastor, First-Bethel AME Church, New York, New York)147th BishopRev. Dr. Jeffery B. Cooper, Sr.General Secretary/CIO148th BishopRev. Dr. Gregory Vaughn Eason(Pastor, Flipper Temple AME Church)General OfficersRev. Dr. Roderick Belin, President/Publisher AME Sunday School…

Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Democratic National Convention, which began on Monday, will feature a highly anticipated appearance by Tennessee Representatives Justin Pearson, Justin Jones, and Gloria Johnson on Thursday. The trio, often referred to as the “Tennessee Three,” will take the stage together during the evening session of the convention, which starts at 6 p.m. in Chicago, Illinois. The three lawmakers, known for their advocacy on gun control, were expelled from the Tennessee State House in April 2023 after leading a protest from the House floor. Their return to the spotlight at the convention has drawn significant attention.

Read More

The last known U.S. slave ship is too “broken” and decayed to be extracted from the murky waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast without being dismembered, a task force of archaeologists, engineers and historians announced following a yearslong investigation. The task force headed by the Alabama Historical Commission said that the Clotilda, the last ship known to transport enslaved Africans to the United States, had been broken in half by a large vessel and severely eroded by bacteria. The 500-page report says that the “responsible” way to memorialize the ship is toprotect it under the water where it was discovered in…

Read More

NASHVILLE, TENN. (TN TRIBUNE) – The second round of funding of the Tennessee Urban Farm and Forestry (TUFF) cost share program is available to businesses in Tennessee’s disadvantaged urban communities that aim to provide education about healthy food or increase agricultural production and forest products. “The first round of TUFF funding is already making a difference for urban indoor farms, agricultural youth education and nutrition, and wood products production,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “We are eager to begin work on the second round of support for food, forestry, and nonprofit agricultural groups.” Urban farm and forestry businesses that…

Read More

National –Dexter King, the youngest son of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and Coretta Scott King, has died after a battle with prostate cancer, The King Center announced on Monday (Jan. 22). King, 62, passed away at his home in California, according to reports. The King Center confirmed in a statement the 62-year-old civil rights activist died Monday after a battle with prostate cancer. The third child of Dr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King was married to Leah Weber King since 2013. Weber King said in a statement from the King Center, “He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu.” She added, “He…

Read More

Nashville, Tennessee – Don Victor Mooney (58), of Queens, New York looks to bring the “Sounds of the Atlantic Ocean” to the National Museum of African American Music with his upcoming two year book tour that kicks-off this summer. On his fourth try, Mooney rowed across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa (a first for an African American), following one of the transatlantic slave routes in memory of his brother who died of AIDS and to encourage voluntary HIV testing. The 21 month journey ended at New York’s Brooklyn Bridge. Mr. Mooney will have a moment of reflection at the Nashville Slave Market…

Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – This month, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act, a bill updating Tennessee’s Protection of Personal Rights law to include protections for songwriters, performers, and music industry professionals’ voice from the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI). Tennessee’s music industry supports more than 61,617 jobs across the state, contributes $5.8 billion to our GDP, and fills over 4,500 music venues. “From Beale Street to Broadway, to Bristol and beyond, Tennessee is known for our rich artistic heritage that tells the story of our great state,” said Gov. Lee. “As the technology…

Read More

(RNS) — At the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, the preacher is often aided in his delivery by blasts from the organ that emphasize his points. On Sunday (Jan. 14), the speaker hardly needed the help. “We need a shaking in this country,” declared the Rev. William Barber, the Disciples of Christ pastor and civil rights organizer, to emphatic applause. “Until low-wage workers are paid, we need to shake some things up! Until everybody has affordable housing, we need to shake things up!” Barber told the packed congregation, bringing them to their feet. His sermon at Abyssinian was part…

Read More

By Jessica Pumphrey National (TN Tribune)-National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is awarding $4 million in its second round of Preserving Black Churches grants to 31 historic Black churches across the U.S. Notably, two of the churches selected for grants are located in Tennessee. Henderson Chapel AME Zion Church in Rutledge, built in 1890, served as a center of cultural activity throughout the Jim Crow era and will now receive support for an architectural assessment and comprehensive preservation plan. Additionally, The House of God Church Inc. in Nashville, founded in 1903, will use grant funding…

Read More

Nashville, Tenn. (TN Tribune)-The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries have acquired the personal collection of Dom Flemons, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and cultural historian whose music and research have brought greater awareness to African Americans’ extensive contributions to roots music. The collection was compiled and curated by Flemons and his wife, Vania Kinard, to include research materials on Black cowboys, musical instruments, an Edison phonograph with several playable wax cylinders, historical sheet music, field recordings, art pieces, memorabilia, personal gifts, autographed records, and materials documenting Flemons’ professional music career over the past 20 years. “This is a treasure trove for anyone interested…

Read More