Cohen’s District Director was 'an Extremely Talented Administrator'

Marzie Gates Thomas conducting business in her office 
for Tennessee’s 9^th Congressional District Congressman
Steve Cohen. (Photo by Wiley Henry)

She was well respected in the community. Thanks to her upbringing, the affable Marzie Gates Thomas often paid homage to the grandmother who raised her to be humble, compassionate, and to treat people with dignity and respect.

In addition to her own inherent attributes, Thomas trusted God and never forgot the values that her grandmother, Marzie Simpson, instilled.

On June 12, Thomas died at Methodist University Hospital following a short illness. She was 72 and left behind a legacy of service that can be attributed to her faith in God, her church, her family, and her grandmother’s guidance.  

“She was indispensable to our office and to the work we do in the community,” said Tennessee’s 9^th Congressional District Congressman Steve Cohen, who first appointed Thomas in 2007 to serve as his special assistant for veterans’ affairs and community outreach.

In 2009, the congressman tapped Thomas to be his deputy district director. In 2013, she took on the role of district director. “She was so well liked by the constituents who came into the office and handled them as though she had on white patent gloves,” Cohen said.

Thomas was still on the job when her illness took a turn for the worst.

“An extremely talented administrator, she understood the district and did an outstanding job meeting my constituents’ needs because of a deep familiarity with them as a 16-year newspaper editor and publisher for The Tri-State Defender,” Cohen said.

The weekly African-American newspaper is where Robert Lipscomb first befriended Thomas decades ago when he was formerly Memphis mayor Dr. Willie W. Herenton’s director of both Memphis Housing Authority and Housing & Community Development.

“I knew Marzie for a long time,” Lipscomb said. “She was a good, kind, and decent person who never met a stranger. She was true to her roots and was just a great person. She was willing to help anybody at any time.”

Lipscomb said there was “none better” than Thomas. “I choose to remember her like she was,” he said. “She was just a wonderful person; she was uncommonly kind to everybody. She never had a bad day that I saw.”

Thomas was the youngest of two children born to Thelma and Myrial Gates on July 11, 1952. She and her brother, the late Reverend Richard D. Gates, were raised by their grandmother. Another sister, Aimee Gates, was born later.

“One of the most cherished memories is from when I was just four or five years old,” Gates remembered. “I was so eager to introduce my best friend to my big sister — as if she were my most treasured possession that I wanted to share with everyone. That’s how special she was to me.”

Thomas and her husband, the late Alonzo Thomas Jr., were special to Michael Hooks Sr. as well. What Hooks remembered most about the couple was their ability to touch the lives of people.

“She had been a real public servant. She had real talent and surrounded herself with great people,” said Hooks, a former Shelby County Commissioner and member of the famed Corner Club, where he would leisure and ham it up with Thomas’s husband and other members.

But death would befall Thomas’s husband the first month in 2024. He was the love of her life and her “best friend” throughout their 47 years of marriage. They were inseparable and raised two daughters, Marthel Ellison and Richara Thomas. They also doted on their granddaughter, Madison Ellison. 

“While my mother was widely known as a devoted servant and a respected pillar in the community, to us, she was so much more,” said Ellison, the eldest daughter. “She was the heart of our family, our beacon of hope, and the deepest source of love and strength.”

Richara Thomas said her mother was her best friend and one of her greatest teachers. “She was a true foundation of what our family was built upon. I am saddened but take joy in knowing that she is no longer suffering and peacefully in the arms of God.”

Cohen also regarded Thomas as family. “She was like a mother,” he said. “She cared for me greatly — always reaching out to see how I was and offering any help.”

While Thomas’s administrative skills were par excellent to those who knew her, she was widely known as a gospel soloist whose voice was captivating. Cohen was delighted when she sang at the opening and dedication of the Odell Horton Federal Building in 2022.

Thomas was a life-long member of the historic East Trigg Avenue Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir. She grew up under the tutelage of the famed gospel songwriter Dr. William H. Brewster and continued to serve under the leadership of Pastor Julius Beasley. 

“Although our hearts are heavy with grief, we find peace in submitting to God’s will, knowing that her true healing awaited her on the other side,” said Ellison. “She taught us never to doubt God’s plan, and above all, she was a woman of unwavering faith.”

The visitation will be held on Thursday, July 3, from 6-8 p.m., at R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home, 374 Vance Ave., Memphis, TN. 38126. The homegoing celebration is Saturday, July 5 at 11 a.m. at East Trigg Avenue Baptist Church, 1315 S. Bellevue Blvd., Memphis, TN. 38106. The interment will be in Elmwood Cemetery, 824 S. Dudley Street, Memphis, TN. 38104, immediately following the service.

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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.

U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton lll: Ensuring the safety of citizens in West Tennessee

       FedEx attorney Edward L. Stanton III has to pinch himself sometimes to make sure that his nomination by President Barack Obama on April 14, 2010, to be the next chief federal law enforcement officer for West Tennessee’s 22 counties is still real and not a dream. 

       “It was an unbelievable honor. It’s something I will always cherish and try to uphold…and I will honor this appointment in the appropriate way,” said Stanton, who was confirmed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on Aug. 5 of that year as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.

       Tennessee’s 9^th District Congressman Steve Cohen and 8^th District Congressman John Tanner, two senior members of the U.S. House of Representatives from the President’s party, recommended Stanton for the position.

       Memphis attorney Veronica Coleman-Davis was the last Democratic nominee and the first African-American to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. She received the nod from President Bill Clinton.

U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton lll

       Sworn into office on Aug. 16, Stanton is one of three U.S. Attorneys in Tennessee and 93 across the country. Atty. Gen. Eric L. Holder Jr. was in attendance for Stanton’s ceremonial investiture later on in December.

Stanton oversees a staff of nearly 100 people working out of two offices. The main office is located on the 8^th floor of the Clifford Davis-Odell Horton Federal Building in Memphis and the Jackson Branch Office is in Jackson, Tenn.

The staff includes 40 prosecutors, legal assistances, paralegals, support staff, and an administrative division that deals with everything from H.R. to budget, IT to investigations, and contracting. Over the past year, more than 20 million dollars in restitution, fines, and fees in civil and criminal matters were collected. 

U.S. Attorneys are responsible for the following: 1) the prosecution of criminal cases brought by the Federal Government; 2) the prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party; and 3) the collection of debts owed to the Federal Government, which are administratively uncollectible.

The Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office handled nearly 400 matters over the past year, including indictments and information filed; and the Civil Division handled over 3,500 cases over the same period. He established a Civil Rights Unit in 2011.

       “What makes the news all the time are high criminal profile cases,” said Stanton, 42.

Three well-known cases come to mind prior to Stanton’s administration – Tennessee Waltz, which led to the arrest of seven Tennessee lawmakers and two others in 2005; Tarnished Blue, the roundup of “corrupted” Memphis police officers over a number of years; and Main Street Sweeper, where three high-profile Memphians were nabbed in 2007.

The aforementioned sting operations are indicative of the type of criminal cases that land squarely on the U.S. Attorney’s desk, and the type of cases where taskforces of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are deployed.

Indictments and arrests are often reported in the media, such as drug distribution conspiracies, sex trafficking, money laundering conspiracies, illegal prescription drug distribution rings, mail fraud, child pornography, and other crimes.

The apprehension and sentencing of Craig Petties and his drug trafficking organization for packaging and distributing cocaine in Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and elsewhere, is perhaps Stanton’s crowning achievement to date as a U.S. Attorney.

He said the wife of Mickey Wright Sr., who worked for the Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement before he disappeared in 2001, sent him a card thanking his office for securing a life-sentence without parole in 2011 for Dale V. Mardis, who admitted killing Wright and dismembering and burning his remains in Mississippi.

“I told her that justice delayed is not justice denied,” said Stanton, a driven crime fighter focusing on ensuring the safety of the district’s 1.5 million citizens. “I give it 110 percent. The staff steps in and gives the same.”

‘We’re very vigilant…’

       There is an uptick in criminal activity in the district, notably prescription drug abuse, which often leads to heroin use and trafficking, Stanton said. “Quite frankly, we’ve seen a record number of heroin overdoses here, particularly of young teenagers and young adults.”

       Another area is sex trafficking, he pointed out.

       Crime reduction initiatives have been relatively successful in Shelby County primarily due to taskforces like Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Safe Childhood and Safe Streets Task Force, Stanton said. Partners include local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

The Multiagency Gang Unit is another taskforce being deployed. Its mission is to eradicate gang activity, Stanton said. It is comprised of the Memphis Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the FBI.

“Our goal is to dismantle gang organizations, beginning at the top. We’re very vigilant,” the U.S. Attorney said matter-of-factly.

While fighting crime is Stanton’s No. 1 goal, “what is equally important is to get out into the schools, neighborhood and communities,” he said. “There’s not a call that doesn’t get returned. There’s not a request that doesn’t get answered for someone to come out. The children need to see that.”

Stanton is a role model trying to steer youth in a positive direction. Supporters like his guidance counselor in school helped to nurture his aspirations – just like he’s trying to do for students at the schools he visits.

“I thought I wanted to be a pilot. That kind of went to the wayside,” said Stanton, whose foray into public service began in 5^th grade when he ran for student council president at Idlewild Elementary. “That was my first loss. I thought I was going to make a difference for the 5^th graders.”

He’s made a difference since graduating from Central High School, the University of Memphis in 1994, and U of M’s Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1997. He began his legal career at the law offices of Charles Carpenter. From there, he went to the assistant city attorney’s office, the law firm Armstrong Allen, and finally to the legal department of FedEx before his appointment as U.S. Attorney.

Setting an example…

       Stanton comes from a family of public servants. His father, Edward L. Stanton Jr., is the current General Sessions Court Clerk; and his mother, Ruth Johnson Stanton, is retired from Memphis City Schools.

He grew up with two sisters in Whitehaven. Arnetta Stanton Macklin is vice president of seniors at MIFA and Tameaka Stanton-Riley, his younger sister, is the administrative director for the Shelby County Property Assessor.

       “It’s a part of my DNA,” said Stanton, also noting that his maternal grandfather, a trailblazer in his own right, was one of the first African-American letter carriers in the North Memphis area. The examples set by the Stanton men, he added, helped to solidify his role as a husband and father.

       “I didn’t have to look anywhere else,” said Stanton, who is married to Mae Smith Stanton and has two children, a seven-year-old and a 10-year old. “I saw the example of being a father, husband, a provider. I saw men who stood up on principle as opposed to what was popular…and really instilling into me what character is, integrity, and how important your name is.”

Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he said, “‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others.’ That drive’s me. Not how much money you’ve made, how many people know your name, how many titles you have, but what are you doing for others.”