By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN – The little quaint restaurant sizzles on the inside where succulent cuisine is artfully created by a master chef – like DaVinci painting the “Mona Lisa,” for example. The cuisine is just as much a work of art as it whets the appetite. The master chef is Christopher E. Beavers. The quaint little restaurant, which Beavers is the sole proprietor, is called The Grilled Asparagus. “It goes back to the name culinary arts. It is the art of cooking,” Beavers explained. Located at one end of a strip of small businesses, The Grilled Asparagus…
Author: Wiley Henry
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN – He was a “Pill-er of the Community,” one of several slogans Dr. Charles A. Champion used to promote Champion’s Pharmacy & Herb Store in the Whitehaven community. A longtime independent pharmacist, Dr. Champion was widely known for dispensing both traditional drugs and herbal remedies. He’d spent more than 40 years building a loyal customer base. On Jan. 21, Dr. Champion died, bringing an end to a total of 65 years in pharmacy. He was 92. The family expressed the loss of Dr. Champion in a statement to the media that underscores his “incredible life…
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN — A documentary is a film or video about a person or event based on facts. A documentary should also educate and bridge cultural divides, added Maria V. Pizano, founder and CEO of MVP3 Entertainment Group, which focuses of film, music, and community. “This is part of my plan,” said Pizano, who is presenting a Black History Month series via MVP3, featuring three Memphis-based films: “Shannon Street: Echoes Under a Blood Red Moon,” “United Front: The People’s Convention 1991 Memphis,” and “SNAP: A Look at Injustice in America.” “United Front” is screening Wednesday, Jan. 18,…
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN — Tracy Bethea has a few ideas in mind to expand WDIA’s reach into the community, such as taking The Bev Johnson show on the road or Stan Bell showing up in a neighborhood park and playing music. “WDIA [1070 AM] is a community station. It always has been. That’s why they were the goodwill and good times station,” said Bethea, referring to a slogan the radio station used decades ago to promote its community involvement. Bethea now has an opportunity to implement her own ideas, forge her own path, as WDIA’s newest program director,…
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN — “I can say without reservation that we’re not closing down shop and looking to pack it in,” said Robert S. White II, sharing his thoughts and feelings about the ministry of Louise Dowdy Patterson and her legacy. Mrs. Patterson, widow of the late Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson, died Nov. 20 at her home in Memphis. She was 84. Mrs. Patterson and her husband co-founded Bountiful Blessings Ministries, Inc. in 1967 and Temple of Deliverance, the Cathedral of Bountiful Blessings in 1975. He was serving as COGIC’s presiding bishop and chief apostle when he died…
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN — Dr. Rochelle Stevens said a year ago that she was looking forward to “shaping and molding” the student athletes at LeMoyne-Owen College after accepting the job as head coach of both cross country and track and field. The season was on the mark to begin this fall. And the first meet was set to take place indoors in January. But Stevens, a two-time Olympic gold and silver medalist, resigned “effectively” Nov. 10, citing “unfulfilled promises and obligations mutually agreed upon” with the historically Black college. Stevens’ letter of resignation was addressed to Amy…
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN – One of this country’s preeminent civil rights photographers is receiving widespread attention from Hollywood notables 15 years after his death this month in 2007. Rosalind Withers, daughter of Ernest C. Withers Sr. and director and conservator of The Withers Collection Museum and Gallery in Memphis, said her father’s work is reaching a global audience. In partnership with Orion Pictures (an MGM company) and United Artists Releasing, some of Withers’ iconic photographs are being exhibited with others in tandem with the Till movie. “We (The Withers Collection) worked with the premiere release of the film,”…
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN — A 4,400 sq. ft. sensory-based playground aptly named Imagination Station will soon become a reality for students in grades K-6 at STAR Academy Charter School, 3260 James Rd., in the Raleigh community. The $400,000 project officially kicked off Oct. 5 with a groundbreaking on the campus of Golden Gate Cathedral, 3240 James Rd., where the single-site charter school is located. Founded in 2004 by Bishop Edward H. Stephens Jr., GGC’s senior pastor, the charter school operates under the auspices of the Golden Gate Development Corporation, a non-profit organization. Dr. Edward Stephens III, the pastor’s…
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN — The old Melrose High School at 843 Dallas Street once stood as a beacon of pride in the Orange Mound community, where an indomitable spirit remains. Vacant for nearly 40 years, the city of Memphis Division of Housing & Community Development (HCD) is transforming the three-story red brick school building into vibrant commercial and residential spaces. City officials and project partners will break ground on the Historic Melrose Redevelopment Project Friday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. The project is scheduled to be completed in two phases. “We’ll transform the first floor into a neighborhood…
By Wiley Henry MEMPHIS, TN — Sylvester Fulton was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2016. “Like anybody else, you’d be surprised, confused, or shocked,” he said. “I was feeling good. I had no side-affects, or nothing.” He opted for treatment at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Newnan, GA. Two treatments of brachytherapy (internal radiation) – three weeks apart – and he’s cancer free. After his second treatment, Fulton looked for organizations that advocate for men, such as a support group. He wanted to get involved; he was discouraged. So, he started his own. “I wanted to do…