MLK III reflects on his father’s life and legacy

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was slain 56 years 
ago. His son, Martin Luther King III, was in
Memphis on April 4 to commemorate his father. 
Photo by Wiley Henry

MEMPHIS, TN – While addressing a dense crowd in the courtyard of the National Civil Rights Museum on the evening of April 4, Martin Luther King III wasn’t sure if he could keep his composure if he was still speaking at 6:01 p.m. That’s when an assassin’s bullet ended the life of his father, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

King, his wife Arndrea Waters King, and the Reverend Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells were in Memphis on that day to commemorate Dr. King during a ceremony at the museum entitled “Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment.”

“Dad was killed this day…this is Thursday…56 years ago at 6:01 p.m., just 30 or so minutes from now,” said King, clearly welled up with emotions.

“This is a challenge to stand here at the spot that my father walked out of the room here behind me and lost his life,” said King, who was 10 years old in 1968 when tragedy struck his family and turned their lives topsy-turvy.

“He didn’t see me graduate from high school or from his beloved Morehouse College. He didn’t get the chance to meet my wife, or our daughter (Yolanda Renee King), or so many other things,” said King, chairman of The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, a nonprofit progressive think tank founded in 1961. 

Arndrea Waters King also said it was difficult for her family to stand next to room 306 and deliver remarks about her father-in-law, whom she has never met. Nevertheless, her reflections were just as heartfelt. 

“We’re here today to remind America that the Dream is alive, that love is alive, that hope is alive,” she said. “We’re here to remind America that no matter how difficult the days are, how dark it may seem, those words still ring true that Martin Luther King Jr. reminded all of us on April 3, 1968.”

Dr. King didn’t make it to the mountaintop, she said, referencing his prophetic speech at Mason Temple Church of God in Christ on the eve of his death. “But he ignited in each and every one of us a vison and a dream.” 

Arndrea Waters King is president of the progressive think tank. She said it is up to each one of us in 2024 to do our part in making Dr. King’s global vision of “The Beloved Community” a reality for all of God’s children.

“We’re here today because we’re a strong people. We are a mighty people. We’re here today to remind America that we will continue to stand until all the triple evils of racism, bigotry, poverty, and violence are things of the past,” she said.

Wells addressed the issue of Dr. King’s life and legacy through the prism of a pastor. Dr. King was a Baptist preacher who once pastored Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

“It was with a pastor’s sense of justice that Dr. King employed us to follow the commandments that have been given to us by our creator so that all would be well with us to love God, to be truthful in all of our dealings, to eschew violence,” said Wells, rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Germantown, TN.

Wells noted in Micah 6:8 in the Bible that we should “…do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God,” and added that all children should be judged “not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character, which is the essence of our creative being.”

Meanwhile, King asked a pointed question: “What is wrong with society that chooses to remove someone who was only promoting love?”

He concluded by saying that we haven’t learned anything from his father’s teachings. “Dad told us we must learn nonviolence or we may face nonexistence,” he said.  

 Copyright 2024 TNTRIBUNE. All rights reserved.

Bill Pickett Rodeo rides into Memphis

These children from the Frayser community in Memphis 
were provided free passes to the Bill Pickett Rodeo in 2023.
Courtesy photo by Abundant Earth Global

MEMPHIS, TN – Nearly 50 children in Memphis will get an opportunity to attend the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo on Saturday, April 13, at the Agricenter ShowPlace Arena, 105 S. Germantown Parkway in Cordova, TN. 

Thanks in part to a generous donation to Abundant Earth Global, a community development corporation seeking to end poverty in the Frayser community through education, the children will attend the rodeo for free.

“One of our associates that supports our Abundant Earth Success Academy, Mr. George Summers, wanted to work with us to see if some of our students wanted to go to the Bill Pickett Rodeo,” said Edith Ann Moore, board chairperson of the CDC.

The Abundant Earth Success Academy was a 9-week pilot program the CDC offered in 2023 on Saturdays to enhance the reading, math, and music skills of children in first through the fifth grade. 

However, some of the children that attended the academy and now attending the rodeo live in the 38127 zip-code area of Frayser, a thriving low-income community where Abundant Earth Global is located at 847 Whitney Ave.

“Last year was our first outing,” said Moore, also a minister and former Shelby County commissioner. “We had 15 children and their parents. We took them to the rodeo. Also, we gave them lunch at McDonald’s before we went. That’s what got it started.”

The rodeo features Black cowboys and cowgirls performing calf roping, bull riding, bronc riding (bucking horse), bareback riding, and bulldogging, where a cowboy or cowgirl drops from a horse and wrestles a steer to the ground.

Two shows are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at billpickettrodeo.com or you can call Miss Kitty for more information at 901-487-4722.

Bill Pickett (William M. Pickett) was a Black cowboy, rodeo performer, and actor who was born in Jenks Branch, Texas, on Dec. 5, 1870. He died in Ponca City, Okla., at the age of 61.

The Bill Pickett Rodeo is celebrating 40 years and bills itself as “The greatest show on dirt.” Some kids have never been to the rodeo, said Moore, or may not know anything about Bill Pickett. 

But they are interested nevertheless, she said. “What it does is give them something to look forward to the next opportunity, to do something, and to go places. It instills discipline.” 

The rodeo may be a bulldogging experience for the children, but the CDC’s overall goal is to “end poverty through education and ingenuity,” said Moore, who along with her daughter, Ester B. Moore, have been working diligently to bring the CDC’s goal to fruition. 

The CDC was launched in 2018. Ester B. Moore is a co-founder and executive director. Lee Eric Smith Sr., a multi-media journalist, is also a co-founder of the Memphis-based non-profit.

“The idea came from wanting to grow food,” said Ester Moore, who taught tomato classes for the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension. She also taught farming classes.

“We got started in the agriculture and kind of farming framework,” she said. “So, we started growing from the house and decided we were going to teach other people in the community how to grow.”

After a year of so she decided she’d spend most of her time educating people, such as “introducing new words and definitions, and going over fractions…how to measure.” Then she approached the board. After a little retooling, education became the CDC’s driving force. 

“Of course, education covers many different areas,” she said. “Now we have our own building, our own land, and a couple of project houses we’re looking to fix up that we got from the land bank.” 

Ester Moore said the team is moving full steam ahead. “We are growing a community, but you can’t grow a community unless you grow the people in the community.”

To make a financial donation, contact Abundant Earth Global by email at AEGCDC@GMAIL.COM or call 901-209-9411. 

Copyright 2024 TNTRIBUNE. All rights reserved.

Honoring Black Union Soldiers Massacred at Fort Pillow

 

Ronald C. Herd II observes a painting of his at an art 
exhibit in 2017 that represents the carnage at Fort 
Pillow in Henning, Tenn., during the Civil War. 
Photo by Wiley Henry

MEMPHIS, TN – When Dr. Callie Herd learned that a “massacre” had taken place on April 12, 1864, at Fort Pillow, a Union garrison in Henning, Tenn., she and her son, Ronald C. Herd II, sprang into action.

They have honored the Union’s Black soldiers since 2016 – those who fought and died at Fort Pillow, whom they discovered buried in 109 unnamed graves in Section B at the Memphis National Cemetery, 3568 Townes Ave.

This year marks the 160^th anniversary of what is known as the “Fort Pillow Massacre.” It begins with a commemorative art exhibit on April 6 at Withers Collection Museum & Gallery, 333 Beale St. 

Presented by The WEALLBE Group, Inc. – an umbrella organization advocating for responsible social entrepreneurism and activism via the arts, media, and education – the art exhibit is titled “We Remember Fort Pillow.” 

The opening reception is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with entertainment provided by DJ Kai’yrs Slayer, Jackie Murray, Bro. Bridge Muhammad, John Smith, and Herd, who plays a trumpet.

Herd also heads a list of featured artists, including Frank D. Robinson Jr., Mycal Smith, Darlene Newman, Myke Newman, Carl E. Moore, Phillip Dotson, Sir Walter Andrade, Madam Z (Zelitra Traylor), Marz Rockswell, Roy Hawkins Jr. and Fatia Webb.

“I believe that we as artists…we’re not only here to express, but also to capture the mood of the times and to preserve history,” said Herd, also an historian known as R2C2H2 Tha Artivist.

This is the third installment of the commemorative art exhibit in recent years, which ends April 20. “We’re using art to tell our story,” added Dr. Herd, an activist and author of a college preparation blog. 

On April 10, the commemoration continues at Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church, 3890 Millbranch Rd., with a 6:30 p.m. service. The Reverend Dr. Earle J. Fisher is the host pastor.

During the service, The WEALLBE Group will present legacy awards to state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, James “Deke” Pope, Cedric Moore, Akbar Khalifahm, Dr. Louvisia Conley, Anthony Elmore, Mary Mitchell, and Fisher.

“A great deal of them [Black Union soldiers] were buried in mass graves and they never really had a church ceremony,” said Dr. Herd, calling attention to the massacre and added: “We’re going to tell the people all about Fort Pillow.”

“Every war that we participated in, we’ve shown our patriotism,” her son said. “If it wasn’t for Black men, there wouldn’t be a United States of America. I hope people recognize the importance of Black men sacrificing for the good of the country.”

On April 12 at 10 a.m., a national wreath laying ceremony will take place at the Memphis National Cemetery, where nearly 300 Union prisoners – most of them Black – were shot to death after Fort Pillow fell to Confederate troops.

During the ceremony, The WEALLBE Group will present more legacy awards to the late state Sen. Reginald Tate, state Rep. GA Hardaway, and Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku, the former executive editor/associate publisher of The New Tri-Tate Defender.

Also, another wreath laying ceremony, a presentation, and other activities will take place on April 13 at Fort Pillow State Historic Park in Henning, Tenn., from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

The Black Union soldiers, or the “U.S. Colored Troops,” as they were called, were killed at the behest of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general, slave trader and Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

On that fateful day of April 12, 1864, blood flowed like the Mississippi River. Many of them who perished on the battlefield remain “unknown.” That’s why the Herds are paying homage to them. 

Fort Pillow is approximately 40 miles north of Memphis.

Copyright 2024 TNTRIBUNE. All rights reserved.

One-of-a-Kind Food Truck Serves Hope and a Meal to Memphis Homeless

 

The Daughters of Zion homeless food truck serves daily 
meals to the homeless and hungry in downtown Memphis.
Photo by Wiley Henry

MEMPHIS, TN – Sean Roberts lost his landscaping job more than a week ago. Now he and his friend, Tiffany Smith, are experiencing homelessness. 

“My boss moved and gave up the job; he moved on,” said Roberts, 33.

On Saturday (March 9), nearly two dozen homeless and hungry men and women — Roberts and Smith among them — were treated to a tasty meal that Daughters of Zion, a 501(c)3 organization fighting poverty and homelessness, served from a food truck.

They had a choice of roast beef, turkey, or chicken salad sandwiches, with bow tie pasta salad, homemade cake, and a bottle of water — courtesy of Recover Food, Feed Hope, an outreach ministry based at Church of the Holy Communion.

“There are a lot of people in need,” said Roberts, calling the homeless food truck a blessing.

Smith, 32, agreed.

Each day, seven days a week, the homeless congregate outside First Presbyterian Church-Memphis at the corner of Poplar Avenue and B.B. King Boulevard in anticipation of receiving a meal.

And each day, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., the Daughters of Zion homeless food truck serves the homeless and hungry at that location and others throughout Memphis and Shelby County.

The food is prepared in a commercial kitchen at Jesus People Church-Memphis in the Hickory Hill community. The food truck, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, is equipped with a mobile kitchen.

Daughters of Zion leases space at the church, where Dr. Gerald Kiner is pastor. He said 80 percent of the food is cooked fresh each day by Chef Cynthia Washington and served from the food truck.

The nonprofit was birthed at the church by two mothers, Mary Butler and Marsha James, said Kiner, the executive director. “They wanted me to start an organization for women to help them learn the Bible.” 

Conceived in 2007, Daughters of Zion seeks to improve the lives of the underserved by providing various services such as business development, career planning, and youth programs. Feeding the homeless is one of its services.

Kiner knows something about being hungry. As a little boy growing up, he said, “My mother had five children, and we didn't have much at all.” His father died when he was 12 and the family struggled mightily. 

“We were on public assistance,” he explained.

On Sundays, the family attended church. After the benediction, congregants could eat for $5. “My mother couldn't afford $5 a plate,” said Kiner. “When I became a pastor, we serve the church for free every Sunday.”

Twenty-one years later, the congregants at Jesus People Church still eat free. “I never charged,” the pastor said, “because I knew what it felt like to be turned away and you're hungry.”

Devoid of food as a child would strengthen Kiner’s resolve as a pastor to feed the homeless and hungry. “The homeless who don't have money — like I didn't have money — and get a plate for free, that's a wonderful feeling,” he said.

That feeling and Kiner’s determination to feed the homeless and the hungry is bolstered by Matthew 25:35 (NKJV): “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.”

“We serve between 70 and 100 people a day right now, and going once a day with one truck,” said Kiner, thanking Shelby County government and several county commissioners for funding the non-profit’s first homeless food truck.

“I love the food truck,” said Keara Portlock, who lost her job at a fast-food restaurant about four months ago. “It’s a great establishment. They’re considerate to homeless people.”

Originally from Massachusetts, Portlock has lived in Memphis for a year. Without income, the 25-year-old shelters at churches. Though her predicament may be grave, homelessness hasn’t dampened her spirit.

Flashing a grateful smile, Portlock said this about the food truck: “They serve good meals every day. Nine times out of 10, it will be hot.” 

Copyright 2024 TNTRIBUNE. All rights reserved.

A ‘Simple Song of Freedom’ for the World Today

 

Some of the singers and musicians who participated in  
the “Simple Song of Freedom” project included Primo
Candelaria of The Coasters (left), Pete Molinari, Mario
Monterosso (the song’s producer), Carla Thomas, and J.W. 
Lance, also with The Coasters. Photo by Jamie Harmon

MEMPHIS, TN – Not since the 1985 release of “We Are the World,” the chart-topping single benefiting USA for Africa, has there been a constellation of superstars collaborating for a charitable cause — famine relief.

But then there was Elvis Presley’s “If I Can Dream,” which he recorded after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination. Written by Walter Earl Brown, it’s an ode to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. 

And in Memphis, an eclectic group of singers and musicians were assembled to remake Bobby Darin’s 1969 protest song, “Simple Song of Freedom,” to call attention to yet another quandary — war and upheaval around the world.

Darin was a songwriter and actor. His million-selling single “Splish Splash” catapulted him to fame in 1958. He went on to churn out more hits and died of congestive heart failure on Dec. 20, 1973.

Part of the proceeds from “Simple Song of Freedom” will benefit the Novick Cardiac Alliance, a global health care organization in Memphis that serves children with cardiac disease in low and middle-income countries. 

The remake of “Simple Song of Freedom” was spearheaded by Mario Monterosso, an Italian-born guitarist, songwriter, and producer. In this collaborative effort, the collective voices of local, reputed musicians — dubbed the Memphis Freedom Band — emoted about peace and love. 

“The message contained in this song through resoundingly bold sounds matches perfectly with the spirit of the City of Memphis, which remains today the capitol of music and soul,” said Monterosso, a resident of Memphis since 2016.

The project began over a year ago, said Marie Pizano, president of the non-profit MVP3 Foundation and owner of MVP3 Records. “The project sat for a while until I came onboard. Within less than a month, I got everything done.”

Pizano said she assumed the mantle after meeting Monterosso some time ago after he asked if she could do something [to help move the project along]. “So, I picked up the ball and helped him get to the finished line,” she said.

The song project was produced, recorded, and filmed at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis with engineering assistance from Scott Bomar, an Emmy Award-winning film composer and Grammy-nominated music producer.

“It’s incredible what they put together,” said Pizano. “It starts off with opera and goes into country. You got R&B from Carla Thomas. You got the Stax Academy kids. You got gospel in there. It was beautifully orchestrated.”

Nearly 50 singers and musicians participated, she said.

The MVP3 Foundation and MVP3 Records released the song on Nov. 26 through Select-O-Hits, one of the largest independent record distributors in the county. Select-O-Hits is owned by Sam W. Phillips and Johnny Phillips. 

Their father, Tom Phillips, and their uncle, Sam Phillips, co-founded Select-O-Hits in 1960. In 1952, they founded Sun Records, an independent record label and the home of Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and others.

A video of “Simple Song of Freedom” was released on Dec. 20 in honor of Bobby Darin, who died on that day 50 years ago. And a behind-the-scenes documentary is now in the editing process and expected to be released in late spring.

"This is a beautiful rendition of ‘Simple Song of Freedom,” said Amy Abrams of 7S Management, on behalf of the Bobby Darin Estate. “The world today is in a state of unrest, similar to the time this song was written….” 

Priscilla Presley chimed in as well. “If Elvis were here, he would join in this anthem of hope,” she said. “Elvis and Bobby Darin dared to dream of a better world through their music.” 

“Simple Song of Freedom” was released on all music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer, amazon music, YouTube, and Tidal.

Copyright 2024 TNTRIBUNE. All rights reserved.

‘Christmas With a Cause’ Made the Holiday Season a Little Brighter for Families

Keilah Jones, 28, took advantage of a Christmas shopping
spree that enabled her to take home a boxful of merchandise
for her children for a mere $25. Photos by Wiley Henry

Tiara Caswell (right), executive director of Legacy Impact 
Community Resource Center and daughter of Commissioner
Charlie Caswell, mingles with shoppers who came out for
“Christmas With a Cause.” 

MEMPHIS, TN – When Keilah Jones learned that families with limited resources could shop for pennies on the dollar, she took her two children to Legacy Impact Community Resource Center in the Frayser community on Dec. 16 to take part in “Christmas With a Cause.”

From noon to 4 p.m., parents and their children made their way to the resource center, where thousands of items were available for their choosing and to help make the holiday season a little brighter – particularly for the children.

Hosted by Shelby County Commissioner Charlie Caswell Jr. and radio and TV personality Dr. Telisa Franklin, Jones and other parents donated $25 at the door in exchange for merchandise valued at $100 or more.

“We are raising funds to finish the renovation of the Legacy Impact Community Resource Center,” said Tiara Caswell, the executive director. She also heads Legacy of Legends Community Development Corporation.

The 58,000 sq.ft. facility serves as a hub for resources and houses the Reverend James E. Smith Freedom Fighters Gallery, the Keiya Graves-Garrett Training Academy, the Legacy Impact Performing Arts Center, and more.

It is home to other organizations and programs as well. 

The sponsors of “Christmas With a Cause” included the S.O. What Foundation, Legacy of Legends CDC, Beyond Educating Foundation, I Am She, and Caswell Group Consulting. 

“I thought this was a very awesome event for kids to be able to get things for Christmas at a very affordable price,” said Jones, 28, an Orange Mound resident and reset teacher for Shelby County Schools.

On display were a mix of new shoes, books, jewelry, bicycles, clothes, undergarments, toys, household items, and other merchandise that parents like Jones were all too happy to receive.

The merchandise – clearance sales and out-of-season items valued altogether in the thousands – were provided by Walmart, Burlington, Target, and other stores, Caswell pointed out.

The public was asked to donate items as well.

“We're using this to be able to give our residents in Frayser the opportunity to have brand new items that are conveniently located in their neighborhood and not [sold] at a retail price,” she said. 

Caswell, 27, is the daughter of Commissioner Caswell, who represents District 6 in Shelby County. He is a pastor, founder and CEO of Legacy of Legends CDC, and a longtime community activist in Frayser. 

“We understand that Frayser is like the second poorest zip code (38127) in the city of Memphis,” the commissioner said. “And being here for so long, we know there are many struggles that families and children deal with daily.”

He said the idea is to help families and to give them hope at Christmas time.

“Economically, we know that many people in this community suffer from poverty,” said Commissioner Caswell. “This is a blessing to the community…to be able to give them the capacity to get more for less.” 

Jones took home a boxful of gifts for her daughter, Cailey Owens, 9, and her 5-year-old son, Cortez Taylor. “It helps me out a lot to get a lot of things at an affordable price,” she said.

Caswell reflected on his youth when he and his 16 brothers and sisters went lacking many times at Christmas. 

“We were such a big family,” he said. “So, I know that feeling on Christmas not to have much.”

Copyright 2023 TNTRIBUNE. All rights reserved. 

LINCS Helped Meishal Henry to Overcome Her Addiction

 

Wanda Taylor-Wilson (left), founder and CEO of Ladies 
in Need Can Survive, Inc., helped to transition Meishal
Berniece Henry back into society after her struggle with
alcohol and drugs. Photo composite by Wiley Henry

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final installment of a two-part series about a woman who was able to harness her addiction and begin life anew.

MEMPHIS, TN – In all her 62 years, Meishal Berniece Henry had never owned anything with her name on it, such as a driver’s license, automobile, insurance, and a home. The one she once lived in bore her ex-husband’s name.

That’s because Henry was battling alcohol and drug addiction for 35 years and succumbed to the powerful lure. She couldn’t shake it, nor could she eradicate it. Not on her own.

Then she met Wanda Taylor-Wilson, founder and CEO of Ladies in Need Can Survive, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) transitional home in the Frayser community for women grappling with substance abuse, homelessness, and domestic violence.

Henry met the criteria for admission to LINCS and spent 18 months of intense therapy, including a four-phase approach to reshape her life. Now she has a driver’s license, automobile, insurance, and her own home.

“I just feel so blessed and grateful to God that He loved me enough to give me time to see the person that He truly wanted me to be,” Henry resounded. 

Alcohol and drugs had robbed her of happiness, including her children, education, friends, and her self-worth. She had sunk to the depths of despair and found it difficult to free herself from the clutches of alcohol and drugs.

“I wasn't mentally stable,” Henry admitted. “I realized that I blamed myself and thought I was a bad person for a long time. But I realized that I was sicker than I ever could have dreamed I was.”

After coming onboard LINCS, Henry needed not worry. Taylor-Wilson is used to women whose travails are overwhelming and difficult to overcome without intervention. What she had done for others at LINCS, she would do for Henry as well.

But before Henry was admitted into the program, “she said to me, ‘Ms. Wanda, if you allow me in your program, I won't give you any problems.’ Then she said, ‘Ms. Wanda, is there any hope for me?’”

Taylor-Wilson responded with forthrightness. The women in her charge had been reduced to hopelessness prior to coming to LINCS, but they were hopeful that their lives would be transformed afterward, she said.

“She wasn’t in a good place at 61 [when she came to LINCS],” said Taylor-Wilson, speaking of Henry, one of the oldest residents to be admitted into the LINCS program. “She said, ‘What can I really accomplish in life at 61 years old?’”

Taylor-Wilson began with an Individual Service Plan for Henry. “This gives me the opportunity to guide women in the right direction,” she said, “and provide them with the skill set to obtain, sustain, and maintain them after they complete the program.”

After an ISP is completed, she said, the process of transitioning troubled women back into society begins. Henry was now set to begin the arduous journey to sobriety and freedom from drugs. But transitioning her back into society would take 18 months.

“Our program is only 12 months,” Taylor-Wilson pointed out. “But depending on the individual need, we can make some adjustments and extend the program for them.” 

She said Henry needed more time to begin the process of saving money, improving her credit score, purchasing a home, transportation, and other necessities before transitioning to her own place.

The four phases that Henry had to complete included a wide range of classes and therapy once a week, in addition to shifting her thinking of woeful thoughts and her relationship with God. 

“We provide them with case management, domestic violence education,” said Taylor-Wilson, “and classes like anger management, life skills, parenting, job readiness, financial literacy, and education assistance.”

And then there is the alcohol and drug intense outpatient program. “This helps them to understand the addiction,” Taylor-Wilson explained, “and how to live life without the addiction.”

Henry’s transition back into society is now complete. “I feel amazing! I am happy!” she exulted.

“I got her to the finish line,” said Taylor-Wilson, adding, “I’m the proudest CEO on this side of heaven, knowing that I was able to contribute something to help another woman turn her life completely around.”

For more information about Ladies in Need Can Survive, Inc., or to make a monetary donation, visit the website at www.ladiescan.org. Or contact Wanda Taylor-Wilson at 901-351-9864 or by email at ladiescan@yahoo.com.

Copyright 2023 TNTRIBUNE. All rights reserved.