Monday, December 21, 2020

Local Chapter of ASALH Celebrates 145th Birthday of ‘Father of Black History’


Dr. Carter G. Woodson

Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, eminent scholar, historian, author, journalist, and founder of the nonprofit Association for the Study of African American Life and History, has long been regarded as the “Father of Black History.”

Woodson died April 3, 1950; however, the Memphis Area Branch of ASALH paid tribute to Woodson on Dec. 17 via Zoom, two days before his 145th birthday on Dec. 19, 2020.

Meanwhile, the national ASALH and many of its chapters across the country enacted their own plans to honor Woodson on the actual date of his birth. They, too, intended to keep the memory and legacy of ASALH’s founder alive.

The local birthday tribute to Woodson provided the impetus for a panel discussion by ASALH’s membership of civic leaders, historians, educators, community activists and others who were invited to join.

James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the Black national anthem, provided context for the tribute and served essentially as ASALH’s official song and the starting point of the tribute.

A virtual tree lighting then commenced, which was replete with ornaments that were handmade and dangled from the tree with Woodson’s book covers, photographs, writings, and the shield of Woodson’s fraternity, Omega Psi Phi.

“We added as many of his works that we could find,” said Delores Briggs, the chapter’s secretary. “Once these ornaments are removed, we can study them further. And each year we will add another aspect of his life.”

Clarence Christian, ASALH’s vice president of programs, learned about Woodson earlier in his life and shared with members his “respect and reverence” for Woodson’s scholastic achievement. 

He wants to keep Woodson’s legacy in the forefront of African Americans with ASALH’s mission in mind: “to promote, research, preserve, interpret and disseminate information about Black life, history and culture to the global community.”

“It’s an honor for me to talk about a people who I respect, admire and revere,” he said.

Woodson led a distinguish career in academia. He was one of the first scholars to study the history of the African diaspora, in addition to his study of African-American history. 

He founded “The Journal of Negro History” in 1916 and launched ahead with “Negro History Week” in February of 1926. The weeklong observation was the precursor of Black History Month.

Woodson was the son of former slaves Anne Eliza (Riddle) and James Henry Woodson. He was 20 when he graduated from high school in 1897 and went from there to achieve immeasurable success. 

His contributions are duly noted, which Christian attested to during the tribute, and have long been sealed in the annals of American and African-American history. 

Though ASALH’s local chapter is comprised of some of Memphis’ best-known minds, Yvonne B. Acey, the chapter president, pitched the idea of adding more youth to the organization. 

“We are a great people and have a great history. Young people are our greatest investment,” said Acey, who along with her husband, Dr. David L. Acey Sr., founded African In April Cultural Awareness Festival, Inc. 

She added: “Black lives matter and so does Dr. Carter G. Woodson.”

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Dr. James L. Netters, Beloved Pastor and Civil Rights Legend, Dies at 93

Dr. James L. Netters Sr.

Last year, Dr. James L. Netters Sr. recounted his legacy during a Black History Month special with Bishop Edward H. Stephens Jr., senior pastor at Golden Gate Cathedral in the Raleigh/Frayser community.

Stephens extended Netters the invitation to speak to his congregation via a question-and-answer format based on Netters’ legendary status, their relationship, and the fact that the pastor was up in age.

Netters had shared his life story many times with the media, the public, and with his congregation when he was senior pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Westwood for more than 60 years. 

Others knew of Netters’ pioneering efforts in politics and civil rights. On Dec. 13, the beloved pastor died at the age of 93. His story is still being told by those who knew and loved him.

“I knew what a pioneer he was in our community and the fact that I’d heard some of his story directly out of his mouth,” said Stephens, adding that “he and my father (the late Rev. Edward H. Stephens Sr.) were very, very close friends.”

Stephens said he wanted to bless Netters and introduce his congregation to a pioneer who helped to change the trajectory of African Americans in Memphis via ministry, civil rights, politics, and community service.

In ministry, Netters was one of the most influential pastors in the city. He built a huge edifice in the Westwood community with abiding faith and filled it with servant leaders and a massive congregation.

He attended the March on Washington in 1963 after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. issued a clarion call for jobs and freedom. When he returned to Memphis, he was hyped up with inspiration.

Netters told Stephens that day that Dr. King had delivered one of the greatest speeches he’d ever heard after the civil rights leader told America about his dream. He went on to organize a bus sit-in in Memphis and got himself arrested.

Determined to make a difference in the lives of Black people, Netters turned to politics. He was one of the first three Black city council members sworn into office in 1968, along with the Rev. J.O. Patterson Jr. and Fred Davis, a businessman.

That was a tumultuous year. The sanitation workers were on strike and the mayor, Henry Loeb, would not yield to their demands. Dr. King came to Memphis on behalf of the sanitation workers and loss his life.

Netters went on to work for Loeb’s successor, Mayor Wyeth Chandler, as his assistant and as his community liaison from 1972 to 1975. He’d gained invaluable knowledge working across the aisle and used it to his advantage.

Uplifting the community from which he was raised was no doubt on his mind when he took a seat on the board of the Memphis Light Gas and Water Division. He also served as board chairman during his tenure.

For his work with MLGW, a business center is named in his honor. Also, a portion of Third Street was renamed James L. Netters Parkway. Netters remembered as much about his life and what he was able to accomplish when Stephens allowed him to tell his own story. 

At one point when Netters was collecting his thoughts and weaving together his story, he said jokingly that he had a senior moment. After that, it was crystal clear why Stephens was enamored. 

When Stephens first tapped Netters to speak, he’d decided that “younger adults needed to hear a message from a pioneer who I knew…he definitely wouldn’t be here as long as he’d already lived.”

Pastor Melvin Watkins had known Netters since he was a mere child – for about 40 years. “Dr. Netters baptized me when I was nine years old,” said Watkins, who succeeded Netters as senior pastor of Mt. Vernon in April of 2018.

Before assuming the pastorate, Watkins was Netters’ assistant and copastor for 15 years. Their relationship was intertwined – a mentor and mentee, you might say, who followed the path that Netters had hewn out for him. 

“The world was not worthy of Rev. Netters,” said Watkins, who held Netters in high regard. “God sent this man into our midst to make a difference, to make an impact. He did everything that he could to make this world a better place.” 

He said Netters was just a good human being who loved all people. “More importantly, he loved the Lord. He had a deep commitment to his faith, to his family, to his community, and to his church.”

The news of Netters’ death drew comments and condolences near and far, from those who admired his work and from political office holders, including Tennessee’s Ninth District Congressman Steve Cohen.

“The Rev. James Netters was a giant in the pulpit as a stand-up pastor and in our community when his friendships and influence knew no limits,” he said. “I valued his friendship and his solid support, particularly in my campaigns for Congress.”

Cohen said Netters will be missed.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

George Hunt, Iconic Blues Artist, Created History on Canvas

Artist George Hunt's "Dancin' Blues." (Photos by George Hunt/
LongRiver Entertainment Group)

     For Memphis artist George Hunt, his use of bold and vivacious acrylic colors, which he juxtaposed with broad brush strokes on canvas, contrasted with his meek and mild-mannered personality.
     Hunt was a visual storyteller who applied swatches of color to his subjects and collaged them with various material on occasion for a low relief effect. You might say his artwork spoke for him.
     On Dec. 4, his own voice went silent. He was 85.
     The body of work that Hunt produced and the themes that drew his interest – blues musicians, civil rights, historical figures – could not be mistaken for the output of a run-of-the-mill artist. 
Artist George Hunt

     In fact, Hunt, a cubist/collagist/abstractionist, created artwork with Picassoesque shapes and distortions. This style eventually catapulted him to a higher plateau in the marketplace and elsewhere.
     Though Pablo Picasso was an influence, Hunt was reputed for his portrayal of the African-American experience in the Deep South. His subjects, in essence, were derived from a consciousness of self, a love of blues music, and his own life experiences. 
     Willis Drinkard, proprietor of the former Gestine’s Gallery at 156 Beale St., provided managerial support for Hunt from 1989 to 2004. “He was just local until we began working together,” he said. “Then he became an international artist.”
     Hunt’s meteoric rise to prominence began in 1992. Drinkard said he, Hunt and David Simmons (former president of the Blues Foundation and Hunt’s business partner) urged the Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival to create a commemorative poster.
     “That was the real start,” said Drinkard, who was inspired by the festival posters in New Orleans and thought about Hunt. The relationship with Memphis In May was then sealed.
     He said they were flabbergasted that Hunt would sell out of the prints and posters that year and believed success was imminent for the artist. It was also beneficial for the gallery. 
     “He had success after success,” said Drinkard, noting that he and Hunt “went to New York about four times and had a ton of success” at the New York Art Expo in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
     The gallery was on a roll, he said. So was Hunt, whose colorful and evocative paintings, such as “Blues Man” and others, ended up in the homes of patrons and businesses near and far.
     The blues were paying dividends. In 1996, Hunt was commissioned to paint 26 portraits for the Blues & Legends Hall of Fame Museum in Robinsonville, Miss. A large mural was also included.
     Hunt’s “America Cares/Little Rock Nine,” created in 1997, became a U.S. Postage Stamp in 2005 as part of a series called “To Form A More Than Perfect Nation.” In 1998, he was selected the featured artist for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum’s American Music Master’s annual conference.
     In 2002, the U.S. Congress declared 2003 as the “Year of the Blues” and named Hunt as the official artist. He created 26 paintings depicting the history of the blues and reaped a whirlwind of success.
     The artist created posters for blues festivals in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Colorado and Louisiana while continuing to create posters for the annual Beale Street Music Festival – for a total of 28.
     The news of Hunt’s death drew varied responses and reflections:
     Here’s what James L. Holt, President and CEO of Memphis in May, said in a statement: “George was a dear friend and an incredibly gifted artist who always had a smile on his face and never met a stranger.” 
     Municipal Court Judge Jayne R. Chandler said this about the iconic artist: “He and his wife (Marva) stood in the gap after my mon passed. I’m so glad to be called his ‘daughter.’”
     A patron and longtime friend of Hunt’s daughter, Harlyn Yeargin, Chandler added, “He is truly a Memphis icon, and he will be truly missed.” 
     Using icon as an acronym, she said, “I’m thankful to have known this Iridescent, Comical, One-of-a-kind and Nurturing man. His spirit will live on.” 
     Born in rural Louisiana near Lake Charles, Hunt grew up in Texas and Hot Springs, Ark. He matriculated at the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff on a football scholarship and studied art.
     He went on to the University of Memphis for postgraduate studies and then to New York University. He spent three decades teaching art and coaching at George Washington Carver High School in Memphis.
     “He always said art was his legacy,” said Drinkard, recalling a conversation with Hunt. “We’re going to miss a real icon when it comes to the blues and art.” 
     He said, “George was one decent human being.”

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

There’s more to church than worshiping and praying, a Memphis clergyman said

Dr. William M. Young

The church has long been an anchor in the Black community. But can the church provide respite from stress, tension and difficult situations, including mental and emotional distress?

There’s more to the church than worshiping and praying, a local clergyman explained, particularly when the current problem is a virus that has infected millions, killed tens of thousands, separated loved ones, and now triggering widespread depression.

The novel coronavirus is ravaging this country and shattering lives. “Praying is not enough,” said Dr. William M. Young, senior pastor of The Healing Center Full Gospel Baptist Church in the Oakhaven community in South Memphis.

If I’m having a heart attack, I don’t look for scripture and verse before I try to get some help,” he said. “You can pray, but you need prayer and therapy. When a person is depressed, just praying for them is not enough.” 

Dr. Young understands the church has to do more than save souls. In his role as senior pastor, he believes a holistic approach is needed to “take care of the mind, body and spirit.”

His first job was in 1977 at Western Mental Health Institute, a psychiatric hospital in Bolivar, Tenn. He was the first Black chaplain there and also was the first Black chaplain on staff at Methodist Healthcare in Memphis in 1981.

“I’ve been in this field for 47 years,” said Dr. Young, who is licensed by the state of Tennessee as a marriage and family therapist, professional counselor, and as a clinical pastoral counselor.

His expertise enables him to provide counseling and therapy to those in the church, as well as the unchurched struggling to overcome addiction, stress, anxiety, anger, family violence, grief and loss.

The daily stressors and tension that one generally suffers from prompted Dr. Young and his co-pastor, Rev. Dianne P. Young, to launch The Healing Center Wellness & Stress Clinic of Memphis, which addresses physical and emotional health. 

The clinic opened in 1999 on the grounds of the church. After a slow start, the Youngs eventually formed a partnership with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), the University of Memphis, Rhodes College, local government, Memphis Area Legal Services, and the West Cancer Center.

We wanted to have a church that would encompass the many faceted needs of our community,” said Dr. Young, denouncing the naysayers who may not believe there’s a connection between counseling and spirituality, or that the mind often needs therapy. 

“As pastoral therapists, we’re trained for the mind,” he said.

In 2008, the Youngs received a grant from the state of Tennessee and opened the Emotional Fitness Centers of Tennessee, a network of 10 faith-based counseling centers and two satellite sites providing access to mental health care and substance abuse screenings in the African-American community. 

They also provide COVID-19 testing. In Tennessee, for example, more than 366,000 people have contracted the virus as of Nov. 29. More than 2,000 have been hospitalized and more than 4,500 have died.

The statistics are alarming. People fear the inevitable – an ongoing surge in infections, hospitalizations and deaths – and more disruptions in their lives. Additional restrictions may soon follow.

“There is a thing called COVID overload, where you’re just stressed out with the many restrictions we have,” Dr. Young said. “The financial stress and strain are taking a toll on many people.” 

Before COVID, the number of people grappling with emotional distress had increased significantly. Lives literally hung in the balance and prompted a response from the Youngs. 

In 2003, they organized the first National Suicide and the Black Church Conference at The Healing Center to create awareness of the prevalence of suicide among African Americans. 

“That (conference) was based upon a lady in our church who took her life,” Dr. Young said. “She had asked for counseling. We were going to see her on that Monday. Early that Monday, she got up under the cross, took a pistol and ended her life.”

It happened in 2002 near the front entrance of the church, under a 20-foot cross suspended above the facade. Since then, the suicide conference has sparked interest all over the country. 

The first conference drew about 50 people to The Healing Center. Ten years later, after the Youngs formed a partnership with UTHSC, the biennial conference attracted more than 500 people.

The Black community is just as prone to suicide as the White community, Dr. Young said. “We were still saying that Black people don’t commit suicide because they’re stronger than the Whites. [But] we concluded that all people take their lives…”

Suicide is triggered by depression, emotional turmoil, he said. The common denominator is pain. “Just like a person wants to get physically fit, we developed a concept of emotional fitness.”

He said emotional fitness is the key to dealing with the coronavirus and other vexing problems causing undue stress and mental anguish. It is, likewise, the key to the growing suicide rate. 

“The one thing that keeps people going is hope,” the pastor/counselor said. “Hope is intangible. But it’s the expectation that something better is going to come.”


Monday, November 9, 2020

A cop mentors former ‘gangster’ and works with him to deter youth violence

Terrell "T.J." Johnson had been a ruthless drug dealer until he was
mentored by Lt. Tyrone Currie, now retired from the Memphis
Police Department. (Photo by Wiley Henry) 

No one could have predicted that two men from opposite worlds and as different as night and day would forge an enduring friendship. One had broken the law; the other one was upholding the law.

Terrell “T.J.” Johnson had been a ruthless drug dealer and lorded over a gang that controlled a swath in North Memphis; and Lt. Tyrone Currie, then a sergeant with the Memphis Police Department, was arresting vicious gang members.

Johnson was a member of the Gangster Disciples – a menace, a Kingpin, if you will – and facing 35 years to life for drug trafficking. 

While he was incarcerated, he had an epiphany and reversed course, deciding instead that he could be a mouthpiece to dissuade youth from following in his footsteps.

Currie was assigned to community policing at the Westwood COACT Substation after spending four years at the Raines Station Precinct. Community policing was the order of the day, an idea manifested in 1995.

“At that time, I was the guru of community policing and part of the federal gang taskforce,” said Currie, who was investigating homicides and aggravated robberies related to gang violence.

But something was needed to deter young would-be criminals and stem the tide of wanton violence, particularly after a stray bullet ended the life of a 3-year-old girl in 2002, which prompted the launch of the city’s Juvenile Violence Abatement Project (JVAP).

Crime was running amok and blood flowed like water on the streets in Black communities. Gang rivalry and warfare were common occurrences that stoked fear throughout the city. Unfortunately, innocent bystanders were added to the list of casualties.

Currie had arrested some of the meanest and most dangerous gang members in Memphis: George John Hughlett, for example, known as “G-Train,” and the notorious Craig Petties, the kingpin of them all. 

Dr. Willie W. Herenton, then Memphis’ first elected African-American mayor, had had enough. He tapped Johnson to serve as JVAP’s Prevention and Intervention Coordinator. 

The late Dr. Rose Rita Dorsey Flowers was the executive commander for Community Policing and the executive director of JVAP. Currie left the federal gang taskforce to work with JVAP to reduce juvenile violence through prevention, intervention, and law enforcement practices.

Johnson recalls meeting Currie at the police academy on Sept. 11, 2002. “He was the sergeant in the unit at that time in JVAP. I was the only civilian in the unit.” In fact, he was the first ex-felon hired by the MPD.

Currie wasn’t too sure about meeting or working with Johnson. But Dorsey (whom most people knew her as) was looking for solutions, he said. “I was very skeptical, because I was locking up gang members my whole career.”

Johnson had trust issues, too, and for good reasons. It was the police that nabbed him and sent him to prison. Now he was given a second change at the behest of the mayor and the MPD. His influence was needed for the good of society this time.

“She saw something different in both of us,” Currie said of Dorsey, who was well aware of Johnson’s checkered past. “She knew both of us had a heart. Honestly, she made us start doing presentations together.”

They targeted schools in Memphis and Shelby County. “He (Currie) would talk about the police,” Johnson said, “and I would talk about my life as a gangster dealing drugs on the street and how I got caught up.” 

Their trust issues soon dissipated. “After working with T.J. and going to so many schools, he would pour his heart out and I would feel his spirit,” said Currie, then seeing Johnson in a different light.

But all was not well on the home front. Johnson was struggling financially. He’d made a ton of money selling drugs. But that gig was over. Now he was barely making ends meet. Child support payments had depleted his earnings.

“I knew he didn’t have any money,” said Currie, who often took Johnson home, purchased food for his household, placed a $100 in his hand often after he was paid, and worked to get his driver’s license and voting rights restored. 

“He was taking care of his kids, so I said this guy can’t be that bad,” he added.

Meanwhile, school-age children were flabbergasted by Johnson’s story. “They were gravitating to him like he was a magnet,” Currie said. “I’ve never seen that before. Our stories were reaching people.”

While they were bonding, Johnson’s star was rising. He remembered what Dorsey had told him in 2003. “She said, ‘I don’t know what will happen to me, but always stick with Lt. Currie. He’s not going to lead you astray.’”

Johnson heeded her advice. Now more than 18 years after first meeting Currie, he’s still sticking with him. They’ve built a solid relationship that includes their wives and children. In fact, he was a groomsman in Johnson’s wedding.

He showed me he cared about me as a person. He was sincere,” said Johnson, noting his heartfelt appreciation for Currie, whom he calls his mentor.

Their relationship led to a fellowship. “He would give me stuff to read; we would read books together. He really mentored me along the way. Everything that man learned, he pretty much turned it over to me.”

Fellowship turned into a companionship. “I watched him be a successful officer. One of the things that he talked about was that he just didn’t want to lock people up; he wanted to unlock their minds.”

Companionship turned into stewardship. “He showed me how to be a leader. He showed me how to lead from a different perspective, not as a gangster, but as a leader, a businessman.”

Then stewardship turned to ownership. “The ownership was me being married, got a wife, buying a house. I am a productive citizen. Instead of being a problem all my life, he showed me how to be a part of the solution.”

Johnson’s position at MPD was eventually phased out. That didn’t deter him. He is still educating and transforming youth as president/CEO of his Wake-Up Youth Foundation. He also serves as pastor of Wake-Up Ministries in Memphis.

His mission has afforded him opportunities to speak across the country at government agencies, churches, schools, colleges, and even in Congress about juvenile justice and community policing. A plethora of awards and citations would follow including certifications and media stories about his life.

Currie, the longest serving president of the Afro American Police Association, retired from the MPD in October of 2019. His mentoring program, “Leaders of Tomorrow,” received national attention in Washington, D.C. 

He and his colleagues created a number of mentoring programs at the MPD for girls and boys. He and Johnson reached thousands of youth. Dozens who participated in LOT are now police officers themselves, Currie said.

Community policing works, he said, adding, “Now they’re talking about police reform. All they have to do is go back to 1995 and implement community policing.”

Johnson’s success is a testament that community policing does work. He’s now working in Chattanooga sharing what he learned from Currie.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

The Temprees slates 50th anniversary via pay-per-view concert

From left: Harold "Scotty" Scott, Walter "Bo" Washington and Deljuan
"Del" Calvin of The Temprees. (Courtesy photo of the artist)

The Temprees, a trio of balladeers whose smooth and evocative vocals meld together to create celestial R&B soul music, has held it together for 50 years. Their friendship throughout the years is just as tight as their harmony.

Remember their 1972 heartfelt “Dedicated to the One I Love,” which climbed to No. 17 on Billboard’s Soul Singles Chart and No. 93 on Billboard Hot 100? What about their soaring vocals on “Love Maze” and “A Thousand Miles Away”?

Originally formed in 1970 and signed by Stax Records’ executive/producer Josephine Bridges to We Produce Records, an offshoot of the record label, The Temprees will celebrate 50 years together in concert slated for pay-per-view in Los Angeles, Calif., featuring Memphis natives Deljuan “Del” Calvin, Harold “Scotty” Scott and Walter “Bo” Washington.

Presented by 5 Stars Music Group Concert Series and Rjai’s and Ladivee’s Productions, the international recording group will be featured Nov. 28 on Comcast, DirecTV, Xperience On Demand, and all digital platforms. 

Deljuan (Calvin) and I started talking about The Temprees’ 50th anniversary two years ago,” said Dr. Robert L. Jamison, who is producing The Temprees’ 50th anniversary concert.

A former Memphian and physician who owns two urgent care clinics in California, Jamison has produced several concerts for The Temprees over the years. “We had a nine-state tour already booked for this year,” he said.

But then the unexpected happened. The tour was shuttered due to COVID-19. “Everything was canceled from March until now,” said Scott, who sings tenor with the group. “Filming this pay-per-view concert is the first thing we’ve done since March.”

Flying the group to California for the concert is contingent on whether or not Gov. Gavin Newsom locks the state down to mitigate the surge in COVID-19 infections, Jamison said.  

Despite the uncertainty of a lockdown, the pay-per-view concert will go on, he said, adding that Nov. 28 is definitive and will be momentous for the “oldies” group, now gearing up for a return to the stage.

We were actually going to be shooting the concert between the 10th and the 15th of November,” Jamison said. “But we have enough prerecorded stuff on The Temprees not to delay the process.”

Come what may, Scott is content, recalling the early days of The Temprees, their longevity, and scores of fans, both young and old, that catapulted them from obscurity to their first introduction as the “Lovemen,” the trio’s first album in 1972 and a nickname that has stayed with them. 

“I never knew that singing in school together, the neighborhood, in the clubs, that we would get to where we are now,” said Scott, who grew up in the Riverside community of Memphis with Calvin and the late Jasper “Jabbo” Phillips, the trio’s original lead singer. 

Scott, Calvin and Phillips graduated from Carver High School and crooned their way into the hearts of doting fans. Washington joined the group after Phillips’ death in 2001 and together unleashes an abundance of melodic soul over the airwaves and on stage.

Their chart-topping songs are recognized the world over. They’ve also shared the stage with R&B legends such as Blue Magic, The Stylistics, The Manhattans, The Delfonics, The Intruders, Evelyn “Champagne” King, and others.

Don Cornelius, the creator and host of Soul Train, heard them at a club in Washington D.C. “He came backstage and said, ‘Where’s y’all’s manager?’” Scott recalls. ‘I want y’all on my show.’”

The trio performed twice on Soul Train. They also grooved and danced on one of the biggest stages, the 1972 Wattstax Festival in Los Angeles, before more than a hundred thousand adoring fans.

Their latest CD, “From The Heart,” was released in 2016 on the 3 Point Records label. It was produced by singer/songwriter/musician Angelo Earl, owner of Soulstreet Recording Studios in Memphis. Earl played electric guitar for the Bar Kays and likewise worked with Al Green, Dr. Dre, Jody Whatley and others.

Scott never kept a journal. Now he does after his home burned down in March along with his extensive wardrobe and Temprees memorabilia – evidence of their success reduced to memories.

“I watched my home burn to the ground,” he said.

Adding COVID-19 on top of that disaster would crush the spirit of any human being. But not Scott’s, who counts his blessings and continues to forge ahead with bandmates Calvin and Washington.

He would understand the significance of their contribution to music after a girlfriend one day suggested he turn the television to the station airing Empire, a series centered on a fictional hip-hop mogul.

“She said, ‘Scotty, you all are on Empire.’ I said, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ So, I turned the television. They were playing ‘Dedicated to the One I Love’ during a love scene with (characters) Cookie and Lucious.”

Jamison knows the length and breadth of The Temprees’ powerful lure. He plans to promote their 50th anniversary in 196 countries. 

“We’re talking about Italy, France, Jamaica, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, the UK, London, everywhere,” he said.

The Temprees are still churning out music that tugs at the heartstring. Age hasn’t hampered their stride or muffled their sound. “We’re gonna sing and dance and keep going until we just can’t,” Scott said.

For more information about The Temprees’ 50th Anniversary and pay-per-view concert, contact Dr. Robert L. Jamison at rljamisonphd@gmail.com. Tickets can be purchased at paypal.me/AHC.

A percentage of the proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Documentary chronicles LeMoyne’s Coach Jerry Johnson’s legacy and 1975 national championship


If Clint Jackson hadn’t taken that half-court shot in the game against Lambuth College during the conference tournament in 1975, the season would have been over for the Magicians of LeMoyne-Owen College.

"Somebody had to take the shot,” he had said.

It was indeed a magical moment for Coach Jerry C. Johnson, who led his team to seven straight victories after beating Lambuth in overtime on the way to clenching the NCAA Division III National Championship 57-54 against Glassboro State College (now Rowan University). Hosted by Albright College, LOC finished the season 27-5.

It was the first NCAA Division III National Championship for Coach Johnson’s Magicians and the subject of an independent documentary aptly titled “1st Forgotten Champions: The Legacy of Jerry C. Johnson.”

The documentary was the brainchild of William Anderson, a former player and LOC’s current head men’s basketball coach. He collaborated with filmmaker Morreco Coleman to cobble together the life and legacy of Coach Johnson, who is now 102 years old.

We knew each other mutually through someone else and became friends,” said Coleman, a Memphian now living outside of Los Angeles. “I was working on a couple of previous projects. He expressed interest in them and asked me if I’d like to do a documentary on Jerry Johnson.”

Coleman said it took him several years to complete the film. “There were some creative differences,” he said. “Then we came to an agreement. [But then] it took a few years to collect all the data.”

“1st Forgotten Champions: The Legacy of Jerry C. Johnson” debuted at the Burbank International Film Festival in September and won the “Audience Choice Feature Film” category. The 68-minute film also aired in October at the International Black Film Festival in Nashville. The Indy Memphis Film Festival is next in late October.

The film contains interviews with Anderson, former University of Memphis head basketball coaches John Calipari and Josh Pastner, and current U of M head men’s basketball Coach Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. 

Robert Newman, Clint Jackson and others who played on the 1975 championship team laud Coach Johnson for being tactical and brilliant on and off the court. Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District Congressman Steve Cohen also offered his perspective.

Coach Johnson is featured prominently throughout the film. “Ninety percent of the film is pretty much illustrated by Coach Jerry Johnson,” Coleman said.

With over 800 wins in 46 years as head coach of the LOC men’s basketball team, Coach Johnson is one of the most successful basketball coaches in Tennessee college sports history. 

Jackson wouldn’t dispute that fact. He couldn’t. “He’s a great man; he’s a great coach; and he’s a great molder of men,” he said. “I have a great deal of respect for him. A lot of what I am is a result of Coach Johnson.”

Jackson played small forward on the team. He was about 6-foot-3 at the time and grew a couple of inches later. What Coach Johnson instilled in him helped to mold his character, he said, and brought perspective and clarity to his life.

“The first thing he said was, ‘Develop your philosophy…the philosophy of your work, as well as your life,” said Jackson, adding that Coach Johnson mentored his athletes and taught them the rudiments of survival on and off the court.

Newman still beams and speaks tenderly when he reflects on the roster of super talent from Memphis and the other athletes from various colleges comprising that 1975 championship team.

“We had a pretty good team. That team was special. He (Coach Johnson) made us believe we could beat anybody,” said Newman, the team captain playing the guard position and winning the MVP in the NCAA tournament. He scored a total of 48 points.

Newman recalls a formidable 7-foot-1 player from Morgan State University whose reputation was far-reaching. His name was Marvin Nathaniel Webster. They called him “The Human Eraser.”

“Through Johnson’s teaching – and with him making us believe that we could do anything – we beat that team,” Newman said. Webster went on to dominate in the NBA. He died in 2009.

Jackson and Newman fared very well after their glory days at LOC. They got their start as Wildcats playing for Hamilton High School under the legendary Coach Lloyd Williams. 

Then the two friends left for Tennessee State University, where they played for Coach Ed Martin. After a stint there, the homegrown ball players landed at LOC and plied their skills under Coach Johnson. 

Newman followed Coach Johnson’s example as an educator and basketball coach for 38 years at Hamilton and Melrose high schools. So did Jackson, who retired after 36 years as an educator and coach in Memphis City Schools. He is now LOC’s athletics director.

Coach Johnson was the first African American to win the NCAA Division III National Championship and LeMoyne-Owen was the first HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to claim the honor.

The team finally received their rings from the LOC Alumni Association in 2010 to commemorate their achievement during a halftime game between LOC and Rust College at Bruce Hall on the campus.

Coach Jerry C. Johnson retired in 2005 and racked up many successes during his 46 years as LeMoyne-Owen College’s head men’s basketball coach. “1st Forgotten Champions: The Legacy of Jerry C. Johnson” is a testament to his success.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Myron Leon Hudson cultivated a career in sales


Myron Leon Hudson

Myron Leon Hudson spent a great deal of his adult life cultivating a career in sales. He sold encyclopedias, health insurance, and advertising for Black newspapers.

“Myron was a pleasant employee to work with. He was a welcome addition to the team at the Tribune,” said Rosetta Miller Perry, publisher of The Tennessee Tribune in Nashville.

Mr. Hudson was selling advertising for the Tribune when he died Sept. 19 following a brief illness. He was 63.

Prior to working for the Tribune, Mr. Hudson sold classified and display advertising for The Tri-State Defender under publishers Audrey P. McGhee, Marzie G. Thomas and in recent years for the late Bernal E. Smith.

“Myron was a model person. He truly believed in what he was doing,” said McGhee, who published the TSD in the 1980s and ‘90s. “He was a strong individual who believed in his ideas.”

Whatever the issues of the day, Mr. Hudson would chime in with an opinion, she said. “He was vocal about them – maybe because he worked for a Black newspaper.” 

Mr. Hudson’s opinions soon found their way onto the pages of the paper as “King Kool,” his alter ego. They were witty one-liners or serious reflections about the vicissitudes of life. 

He’d quip about any subject and pretty much styled himself as the griot of “Kool.” But more important than his musings, Mr. Hudson spent time plying his skills as the crème de la crème in sales.

“My brother was cool, a snazzy dresser. He loved what he did in sales for a long time. He wanted to be self-sufficient,” Bobbie Hudson-Williams, a former English teacher living in Nashville, remembered. 

He was a deep thinker, she added, a good person, and was very quiet, even when he was at a gathering of his large family.

Another sister, Sheila Hudson, a counselor, concurred. She went on to say that Mr. Hudson taught “me the love of football at an early age. People wanted to know why I love football so much; it’s because of him.”

Although 10 years younger, Sheila Hudson said she grew up with her brother and would join him in front of the TV eating popcorn and drinking Kool-Aid. “He was a great brother,” she said.

She added that her brother couldn’t tear himself away from the game when his favorite teams were playing – the Indianapolis Colts, the Tennessee Titans, the LA Dodgers, and the University of Memphis during football and basketball seasons.

The game of football was more than a pastime for Mr. Hudson. His interest never waned after quarterbacking for the football team at Booker T. Washington High School, where he graduated in 1974. 

After his playing days on the gridiron, Mr. Hudson matriculated right away at the former Memphis State University and graduated in 1979 with a B.A. degree in Communications.

He grew up in the legendary Foote Homes housing project, a 46-acre tract near Downtown Memphis, where nearly 400 families once called home before demolition cleared a path to new housing units.  

“We all grew up in a responsible family. We were reared in a Christian home,” Hudson-Williams said. “And my brother loved his family – and we loved him too.”

Carolyn Orr-Craig, Mr. Hudson’s fiancé, acknowledged that much about his family, but added that his love for her had kindled during the three years that they were together. “I loved him as much as he loved me,” she said. “We were soulmates.”

A personal care assistant, Orr-Craig said Mr. Hudson, who was very private, had planned to “tell the whole world” of their engagement.

“That’s why it’s so hurtful,” she said.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Voting was mandated in the Montgomery household


Voting was mandated in the household of Forest and Lillie Montgomery. They were very
active in the New Chicago community, said Nova Felton (right), who has in her possession
some of her parents' artifacts. (Courtesy photos)

    If Forest and Lillie Montgomery were alive today, they would encourage the people they love and those in their community of New Chicago to register to vote.
    “If you lived in the house with my parents, at 18 you registered to vote. My parents were strong proponents of voting,” said Nova Felton, one of seven Montgomery children. An eighth child died from crib death. 

Mr. Montgomery was born in 1901, in Macon, Miss., and only had a six-grade education. He died in 1986. He would be 119 this year. 

“He was well-read,” Felton said. “He read the newspapers and the Bible every day.”

Mrs. Montgomery was born in 1919, in Racetrack, Miss. She made it to eighth grade. If she hadn’t died in 2006, she would be 101 this year. 

The Montgomerys left behind a legacy that Felton and her siblings treasure. In fact, she has a trove of artifacts and documents that brings to life the meaning of advocacy and activism.

They were sent to Felton via mail by her sister, Geraldine Montgomery, after the death of their mother. She lives in Chicago and marked the contents in an envelope “Please Handle With Care.”



Forest Montgomery's voting registration
certificate (top image) dated August 1947,
and a receipt dated July 1, 1948, for his
State and County Poll Taxes for 1947.

Rifling through the contents recently took Felton down memory lane. She was astonished to see a minted poll tax receipt that belonged to her father, his war rations book when he served in the army in World War II, and his voter registration certificate dated Aug. 11, 1947. 

 Mr. Montgomery was 46 years old that year. He was labeled as “colored” on the certificate and considered a legal voter in Memphis – nearly 20 years before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“He was a strong Democrat,” said Felton, a retired public affairs officer for the Internal Revenue Service, who has lived in St. Louis since leaving her hometown of Memphis in 1966. 

Voting during her parents’ era likely was mired in problems, much as it is today. But that didn’t stop them. They pursued the vote. Mr. Montgomery put his vote into action, she used as an example, and supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“He talked about President Roosevelt all the time. He thought Roosevelt really helped Black folks get better jobs and decent places to live,” said Felton, citing The Works Program Administration, Roosevelt’s New Deal to put Americans back to work.

Felton said her father also was a supporter of Adlai Stevenson. He was the former Democratic governor of Illinois who challenged Dwight D. Eisenhower, the GOP pick from Pennsylvania, in both the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections.

She said her mother was just as adamant about voting and participating in the political process as her father. “My mother would have us campaigning,” she said. “When I was 16, I passed out leaflets. My family was engaged in politics because of my mother.”

The Montgomerys were members of the 40th Ward New Chicago Civic Club. They endorsed candidates, held political rallies, voting registration drives, and held their meetings at the Firestone Union Hall, which was later renamed the Matthew R. Davis Resource Center after the Club’s longtime president.

They also belonged to a group called The Willing Workers Club, which Mrs. Montgomery helped to organize. Civic-minded and politically active, they worked for the betterment of their community. 

Mrs. Montgomery took activism to another level in the community. Geraldine Montgomery was an eyewitness andtouted their mother’s community service in a letter she wrote about her in September 2005.

“You have left your children and friends something that cannot be bought, sold, traded, taken or stolen,” the letter began. “What you and our father have given to us, many people wish they could have.” 

What was noticeable in the letter was Mrs. Montgomery’s attendance at Historic Mason Temple, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “Mountaintop” speech. She and a friend, Mary Ella Sawyer, representing The Willing Workers Club, also attended Dr. King’s funeral in Atlanta. 

The letter is laden with a lifetime of Mrs. Montgomery’s work in the community. For example, she immersed herself in the affairs of the NAACP, marched for the right to vote, and registered many people.

Mrs. Montgomery didn’t stop there. She served as an AARP Poll Watcher in the 2000 presidential election. She also traveled with two carloads of people to Washington D.C. to observe a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case involved the removal of a barrier in the street between Jackson and Chelsea. That area was all white, and white people, she wrote, did not want Blacks to crossover or drive through.

Mrs. Montgomery had achieved quite a lot in her lifetime and earned the respect of the political establishment. Her awards and citations are highlighted in the letter, including receiving special congressional recognition, an award from the Memphis City Council, an NAACP Voter Registration Campaign Award, a Resolution from County Councilwoman Hazel M. Erby of St. Louis, and several others.

She also led souls to Christ and, along with her husband, fed the hungry, Geraldine pointed out in the letter.