Atwater Plans White House Run After Failed Governor’s Race

 

Dr. Carnita Atwater

MEMPHIS, TN – Securing the Democratic nomination for governor of Tennessee was a long shot for Dr. Carnita Atwater. But to her surprise, she amassed 56,061 votes in the Aug. 4 gubernatorial primary.

Her vote count was impressive but not enough to overtake Memphis City Councilman J.B. Smiley’s 99,753 votes and Nashville’s Dr. Jason Martin’s 101,221 votes. Martin, the Democratic nominee, will face Republican Gov. Bill Lee on Nov. 8 in the general election.

The loss, however, fueled Atwater’s desire to step back into the political arena. On Aug. 5, a day after the election, Atwater formally announced her intentions via Facebook live to run for president of the United States in 2024.

Declaring herself to be nonpolitical, Atwater said she’ll be ready the next go-round and run a more aggressive campaign for president with signage and boots on the ground. She said she’ll start with the 56,061 votes she netted from the governor’s race.

Her platform for president will likely be the same as her platform for governor. “I ran (for governor) to place people back into politics,” she said, in addition to “standing up against political and judicial corruption.”

“I talked about homelessness, poverty, economic disparities, disinvestment, poor, underserved and marginalized neighborhoods, mass incarcerations, abusive tax incentives to large corporations, and environmental injustice,” she said.

Mounting a national campaign can be a daunting undertaking for lesser-known aspirants – and well-known politicians as well – seeking the highest office in the land. It’s an even longer shot for national office seekers.

Undeterred by such stats, Atwater believes she’s ready for what could be a grueling campaign. In the governor’s race, she took pride in being the first to declare her candidacy and “the first African-American woman” to run. 

“It was a miracle,” said Atwater, considering she ran a grassroots campaign with very little media exposure and no paraphernalia, such as yard signs and mailers. She didn’t fundraise, either.

“I didn’t ask people for money because of the pandemic,” Atwater said. However, she spent a modicum of $4,000 that she’d set aside in her failed bid to best Smiley and Martin for the opportunity to take on Gov. Lee.

Running a grassroots operation – which, of course, was her choice – Atwater campaigned in five of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Nevertheless, she is grateful for the cache of votes that she hauled in. 

“It wasn’t about winning or losing to me. I wanted to shine a light on the issues, and I put that out there,” said Atwater, and pointed out that she also plans to be the first African-American woman from the state of Tennessee to run for president.”

Perhaps she is trying to fulfill a promise that she made to her father long ago. At the age of seven, she recalls, he asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up. 

“I told him I wanted to be the president of the United States.” 

Atwater recalls sharing her same lofty goal with one of her grade-school teachers, who was white, and was told, “eyeball-to-eyeball,” that she will never be the president of the United States. 

The teacher said, Atwater continued, “You will never be fitting to be anything but, maybe, a teacher or a nurse.”

Atwater has no regrets running for governor and said she’ll continue to stand up for people – even if she’s fortunate to “break the glass ceiling” in pursuit of the White House.

“If I never win a race, I’m going to fight for the people regardless,” Atwater said. “I believe in ‘we the people,’ not we the politicians.” 

Atwater is a longtime advocate for various causes in Memphis and a philanthropist who has fed and clothed the poor and disadvantaged. 

She is a former schoolteacher as well and owner of the Kukutana African American History and Cultural Museum at 1036 Firestone Ave. in North Memphis. 

Federal Building Bears Name of Judge Odell Horton

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents Tennessee's 9th
Congressional District, hosted the renaming ceremony for the federal
building in Memphis in honor of the late Judge Odell Horton. His son,
Odell Horton Jr., expressed his gratitude. Photo by Wiley Henry.

MEMPHIS, TN – The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee is housed in the federal building that now bears the name of the late Judge Odell Horton, who presided until his death in 2006.

A renaming ceremony took place July 25 amid a cadre of jurists, attorneys, and elected officials, who gathered at the foot of the federal building in Downtown Memphis to witness the unfolding of a new era.

Once named after Clifford Davis, a U.S. congressman with ties to the Ku Klux Klan, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s first bill in congress in 2007 added Judge Horton’s name to the building.

“One of the first things I did as a Congressperson was to hyphenate this building. It became known as the Clifford Davis – Odell Horton Federal Office Building,” Cohen said. “I considered naming it for Judge Horton alone at the time but didn’t know if it was the right time…The right time is now.”

Davis’ name was removed from the federal building after the Senate passed Cohen’s bill last year and President Joe Biden signed it into law. There was “insufficient support” to remove Davis’ name in 2007, said Cohen, chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Cohen hosted the renaming ceremony and relished the moment with the Honorable S. Thomas Anderson, Chief United States District Judge, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee; the Honorable Bernice B. Donald, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; and Odell Horton Jr., son of Judge Horton.

 “It is a good morning,” Cohen said in his remarks to the attendees. “It’s the end of a past that needed to pass and the beginning of a future whose future is now, and has been, and will be.” 

Judge Anderson spoke on behalf of all federal judges in the Western District of Tennessee. 

“It is an honor for all of us that from this day forward this building will served as a reminder of a character, strength and contributions made by one of our very own, U.S. District Judge Odell Horton,” he said.

Judge Donald said Judge Horton deserves to be exalted. “He was my mentor. He was my friend. He was the thought of wisdom…and I consulted him often,” she said. “He had this rare ability to give even difficult advice in a way that made you stop, listen, and take heed.”

She added that Cohen’s effort to rename the federal building to honor Judge Horton was the right thing to do.

Odell Horton Jr., who asked his brother, Chris Horton, to stand with him on the platform, spoke on behalf of the family and expressed his gratitude.

“Our father wanted us to say his wife, our mother Evie, was the driving force behind his success,” he said, noting that their parents worked hard to build careers and made a positive impact in the community.

“I was asked in an interview how would I describe my father,” Horton recalls. “He was a kind man and understood the rigors of life. Growing up poor he understood those who struggled to better themselves.”

Judge Horton was born in Bolivar, Tenn. After graduating from high school in 1946, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Howard University in Washington, D.C., earned his law degree in 1956, and moved to Memphis to set up his law practice.

 He took a position as Assistant United States Attorney in Memphis until his appointment to Shelby County Criminal Court by Gov. Buford Ellington. From there he served as president of LeMoyne-Owen College.

Judge Horton was the first Black federal judge in Tennessee since Reconstruction. He was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee by President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Turner Partners with Franklin to Restore Life to 'Death' Park

 

Atty. Van D. Turner Jr. turns over management of Health
Sciences Park to well-known personality Telisa Franklin.
(Photo by Wiley Henry)

MEMPHIS, TN – Dead people from the 1870s yellow fever epidemic were reportedly buried in unmarked graves on parkland that once stood a hospital and a memorial to an infamous Confederate general, Atty. Van D. Turner Jr. discovered during his research.

“It's just been quite interesting learning the full history of the park,” said Turner, referring to the former Forrest Park, now Health Sciences Park. 

That parcel of land is in the medical district. Once a memorial to Nathan Bedford Forrest, a slave trader and Ku Klux Klan grand wizard, now brims with new life.

“The park has always been a park of death,” said Turner, president of Memphis Greenspace, Inc., a nonprofit maintaining the park. “Now it’s become a park of life and vibrancy…of new beginnings…and celebrates life.”

“Life and vibrancy” were on display during Father’s Day weekend when the Memphis Juneteenth Festival celebrated “freedom” and “life” on the grounds that Turner once avoided and protested “what it stood for and how painful it was for my father and his generation.”

On Friday, June 24, Turner announced that Memphis Greenspace is partnering with Telisa Franklin Ministries to manage Health Sciences Park. Franklin is a businesswoman, a well-known marketer, and the festival’s president. 

Turner is still president of Memphis Greenspace, which he formed in October 2017 to legally remove the Confederate monuments to Forrest and Jefferson Davis, formerly known as Confederate Park and renamed Fourth Bluff Park. 

“We're happy with this new partnership with her,” said Turner, now contracting with Franklin to promote Health Sciences Park and enrich the green space with various activities throughout the year. 

The treelined park is conducive for all kinds of events and activities. “I think this is really a goldmine for the city,” Turner said. “I think Mrs. Franklin is the right one to carry that vision forward.”

Franklin has accepted the challenge. Now she’s gung-ho about bringing her ideas to fruition. Two callers, she said, have already expressed interest in renting the park. Turner, in his appraisal of Franklin, touted what she’s already done to unite people around an idea.

“That spot of land represented death,” Franklin said. “But in the last two years (during Juneteenth festivities), we were able to see people laugh…hug…people of different races coming together.”

Franklin said the park is for everybody in Memphis and Shelby County. “We're not excluding anyone,” she said. “We're going to create synergy and positive energy in that park.”

The stigma no longer vexes Franklin. However, in past years, she said she’d park her vehicle along the fringes of the park and just sit there. Like Turner, she was protesting, refusing to take a stroll.

The memorial to Forrest would kindle Franklin’s ire, often reminding her of what the Confederate general and slaveowner stood for. Now the equestrian statue of Forrest is gone, along with the remains of Forrest and his wife. 

While it wasn’t widely known, Turner said Forrest was exhumed and buried four times. 

After his death in 1877, Forrest was buried at Historic Elmwood Cemetery, then in Forrest Park. Then he was reburied in an unknown location in the county. Finally, Forrest and his wife were reinterred in Columbia, Tenn. 

“It's been quite the journey,” Turner said, adding, “If the park could only talk, (stories about it would unfold).”

Turner is telling a different story now: death is no longer a sidebar. He is giving Franklin the leeway to create new life in the park with monthly events and activities. 

“From this point going forward, it’s really going to be a story of joy. It’s going to be a story of resilience,” he said.  

Franklin said she’ll work to heal the land and mend hurting hearts. Education is the key, she said. But she won’t dwell on the dead. 

The aura of death will fade eventually, she said, and “life will return to the park.” 

Abuser and Victim Call Attention to Domestic Violence

Greg Williamson and Gwendolyn Turner

MEMPHIS, TN – Domestic violence is not a respecter of persons, Greg Williamson, a former abuser, believes. “It’s multicultural,” he said. “Abusers come in many forms, different ages.”

Likewise for the victims. Many of them are women whom men have battered or degraded. Or both. 

Men have been victimized too, though only a miniscule number. Women have been known to batter or degrade men as well.

“It is a power and control type situation. That's where it starts,” said Gwendolyn Turner, a survivor of domestic violence. “Whatever the reason for the power and control, it’s always a main component.”

Williamson and Turner agree that the root cause of domestic violence is environmental and because of one’s family dynamics, which impacts both abusers and victims. 

It affects the entire family, he said.

The environment was Williamson’s introduction to domestic violence. He grew up in the inner city in the former (William H.) Foote Homes housing project where violence was commonplace. 

He sold drugs too in a drug-infested environment of hoodlums, pimps, prostitutes, and other seedy characters. It was a toxic environment that was normalized, he said, “when you see it on the regular.”

“I saw domestic violence all my childhood and growing up as a teenager,” said Williamson, calling such wanton violence a traumatic experience that manifested later in his life.

“When you get to a point where you're old enough to act out on them…you will find out that when you get angry, those are the things that you go back to because those are the things that you witnessed,” he explained.

He’d abused women in relationships, he said, only when the abuse was triggered by something from his past. “Mine was more verbal,” he said, “a little bit of physical with the grabbing under the arms and shaking.” 

Turner’s story differs. She’d never witnessed domestic violence – until she was embroiled in a volatile relationship that began with a constant barrage of verbal abuse, mental abuse, and emotional abuse. 

“With emotional abuse, those are hidden scars, hidden wounds. My downfall was I did not know the red flags, the signs, the warning signs of domestic violence,” Turner explained.

 Turner was seven years into the relationship before realizing she was a victim of domestic violence. “It’s hard to detect violence before you get into the relationship,” she said.

Her parents argued, she pointed out, but they didn’t fight. “There was never any violence,” she said. “There was never any turmoil.” 

Domestic violence was foreign to her. She was clueless. “I simply thought that this was an expression of love,” she said. “It's that controlling and mental abuse that you don't recognize.”

Williamson grew up without a father in the home. There wasn’t a male figure to teach him to respect women, he said – even though he didn’t see as much abuse in his single-parent home. 

He said his mother wasn't the kind of woman who would capitulate to an abusive man. “So, when it happened, it immediately stopped,” he said.

But the violence Williamson had witnessed outside the home, in and around the housing project, would find its way into his relationships as an adult. 

He’d picked up negative traits and bad behavior from the perpetrators of violence and employed them when he was angered or agitated. There were triggers that unleashed his fury.

Turner had had enough and broke free from her abuser. Then she turned her victimhood into advocacy. A former employee at Family Safety Center of Memphis and Shelby County, she went to work to help battered women – men too.

“I had the opportunity of working with three generations (of women). They were all being physically abused. It's an acceptable part of the family dynamics,” said Turner, now a renown domestic violence advocate.

“I heard a pastor say once, ‘you draw what you saw,’” she said, adding: “Abusers also target their victims.”

Williamson managed to turn his life around as well. He met an evangelist in the church and befriended her. “I started going to church every Sunday, and God started to work on me,” he said.

During lunch one day, she confided in him that she’d been a victim of domestic violence. He told her he’d been an abuser. Then they brainstormed and a non-profit organization was launched called Circle of Life Transformation Center. 

The center provides domestic violence training for companies, schools, churches, and other non-profit and for-profit organizations. Ex-offenders are given a new lease on life as well via the center’s re-entry program.

“God worked on me and showed me the value of a woman and the purpose of a man,” said Williamson, owner of Kings Barber & Beauty Emporium. Now he intends to return to school for a mental health counseling degree.

“The process of healing starts with separating yourself from the abuser,” Turner said. In society, “we don't have enough hard conversations about what a healthy relationship looks like.”

Victims can call the YWCA Greater Memphis helpline at 901-725-4277; the helpline for CAAP’s Domestic Violence Program at 901-272-2221; and, of course, the Family Safety Center’s helpline at 901-249-7611. 

Young men can contact Dr. Jeffery Ryan Futrell, president of Young Man University, Inc., at 901-825-3326. There is help for married couples too. Contact Rickey Floyd, lead senior pastor of Pursuit of God Transformation Center, at 901-353-5772.

Floyd is the president of The Husband Institute, Inc., a boys-to-men mentoring program, and he’s the founder of the School of Marriage Enhancement, a Ricky and Sheila Floyd Ministries, Inc. program.

Momentum Builds as Juneteenth Plans Schedule of Events

 

Ekpe Abioto, a noted Memphis musician who plays the djimbe drums
and other instruments, leads a contingent of musicians along a path at Health Sciences Park during last year's Memphis Juneteenth Festival. (Photo by Wiley Henry)

MEMPHIS, TN – The Memphis Juneteenth Festival is building momentum in the Bluff City and solidifying its brand as a major freedom and cultural festival for African Americans.

The festival was boosted last year after Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of the Juneteenth Movement,” visited Memphis, and after President Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021.

Telisa Franklin, Juneteenth’s president, noticed an uptick in interest and participation from supporters and revelers in Memphis now that Juneteenth is being observed as a federal holiday, one of 11 in the U.S., commemorating June 19, 1865.

“The work was put in 29 years ago when Juneteenth was first launched in Memphis,” said Franklin, who has led the festival for 10 of those years after the founder, the late Glynn Johns Reed, tapped Franklin to take the reins of leadership. 

“Since then, it’s been an arduous journey, but we kept educating people and building the brand to what it has become today,” she said. “It’s a labor of love and we’re still here celebrating our freedom.”

The Juneteenth celebration has expanded throughout the month of June with “Juneteenth: The Musical Stage Play,” slated June 10, 7 p.m., at The Pursuit of God Church, 3759 North Watkins. Tickets: $10 per person.

Chrysti Chandler is the artistic director. Ricky Floyd is the host pastor.

“Juneteenth: The Movie,” the first for the organization, will be showing at 7 p.m., June 15, at The Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Memphis.

A Community Baby Shower kicked off the schedule of events Sunday, June 5 at The Kent Memphis, located in the Historic Snuff District in Memphis. Attendees were privy to information on health and wellness for mothers and babies, breastfeeding, and free baby essentials. Lunch was served as well.

This year’s festival again takes place Father’s Day weekend, Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day at Health Sciences Park at 26 South Dunlap St. at the intersection of Madison Avenue in the Medical District.

The festival is free to the public.

On June 18, a youth showcase commences with high-stepping majorettes, drummers, dancers, and cheerleaders strutting their stuff – all in the name of Juneteenth. 

The day begins with a roster of singers and entertainers and ends with them. Look for the headliners whose artistry varies from rhythm and blues to gospel, from hip-hop to soul, and jazz too.

The list includes Keith Washington, Queen Ann Hines, Stacey Merino, Marquee of Soul, Men At Large, Mr. Sam, Joshua Rogers, and young talents such as local R&B singers Luvia Gwin and Cortney Boyland, also known as Cortney B.

Music is germane, of course, so is the food. Both are integral to the Juneteenth experience, including the relaxed ambiance of the park setting, Franklin said, where revelers congregate for fun, excitement, culture, and freedom, all to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.

“We will have lots of food vendors and a marketplace for participants to shop for garments, jewelry, artwork, Juneteenth memorabilia, and more,” Franklin said. “There will be live entertainment on two stages and a Juneteenth outdoor museum as well.”

A Juneteenth Car Show will also be on display and revelers can take part in the Juneteenth 2.5 Run/Walk. (Two point five means it took 2 ½ years for slaves to realize they were free – from the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to that day in Galveston, Texas, where the slaves were notified that they were henceforth free.)

Also on that day, a Divine 9 Greek Step Show kicks off at 6 p.m. The high-stepping, high-energy routine performed by fraternities and sororities is the first for Juneteenth. Their display of handclapping, foot-stomping and spoken word is an artform and a staple among Greek letter organizations.

The celebration continues June 19 with the Memphis Juneteenth Official Flag Raising Ceremony and loads of entertainment, food and shopping vendors, for the entire family, Franklin said.

“This is the 29th year that Juneteenth is being celebrated in Memphis. And we will continue the cultural festival celebrating our freedom,” Franklin said. “In fact, it’s been 157 years since General Order #3 was delivered on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, announcing the end of slavery.”

For more information, contact Telisa Franklin at (901) 281-6337 or visit the website at www.MemphisJuneteenth.com.

Athletes Work Out at Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet

Teams and individuals from seven states participated in the Rochelle
Stevens Invitational Track Meet on May 28. (Courtesy photos)

More than 30,000 athletes have participated in the Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet in Memphis since 1990, and hundreds of them have earned scholarships, Stevens said.

On Saturday, May 28, athletes from two-to-75 years old competed for prizes in track and field at St. George’s Independent School, a private campus at 1880 Wolf River Blvd. in Collierville, Tenn., a suburb outside of Memphis.

Stevens, who earned her Ph.D. in Christian Education, kicked off the track meet after COVID-19 protocols sidelined the annual event, which drew 600 to a thousand spectators to the stands at prior track meets. 

“When 2020 hit…and the track meet was shut down, I didn’t want to be left completely out without being a blessing to the athletes regionally,” said Stevens, an Olympic gold and silver medalist in track and field in 1992 and 1996.

Lowe’s Home Improvement donated 40 laptops that year and Stevens purchased 20 iPads and gifted them to the top performing athletes “who would have participated in my track meet.” 

Athletes who were inactive during the pandemic were gung-ho about participating this year, said Stevens, after calling on them to participate in the 30th Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet. 

The track meet is certified and exposes high school athletes to college recruiters and formal track competitions. It also qualifies them for the Junior Olympics, Senior Olympics, and Olympic trials.

The two-year hiatus only fueled the athletes’ desire to return to competition. Stevens said teams came from seven states to participate: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and, of course, Tennessee. 

“We have teams and individuals that come in every year from those states to compete between the ages of two and 75 years old,” said Stevens, including dozens of state finalists, state medalists, and state champions that she’s recruited to LeMoyne-Owen College as head men and women track and field coach.

Her top recruits were in the city competing in the track meet as well, running relays to sharpen their skills and meeting and greeting each other before the fall season commences at LOC: 

Jermaine Dodson, an All American and TSSAA state runner-up last year in the 100 meters and 200 meters, from Melrose High School in Memphis.

There were events for younger kids
as well, including the long jump.

Xavier Haley, a state finalist in three events, from Bartlett High School in Bartlett, Tenn.

Charlize Williams, a finalist in the shot put, from Trezevant High School in Memphis.

Nyla Walker, a district finalist, from Melrose High School in Memphis.

Kimona Haynes, a state champion, from Jim Hill High School in Jackson, Miss.

Lajarius M. Youngblood, a three-time state champion, from Columbia High School in Columbia, Miss.

Jalen Jones, a two-time state champion, from DeSoto Central High School in Southaven, Miss.

And Patrina Rogers, from Kirby High School in Memphis, in addition to six state finalists from Florida.

“All the Tennessee kids qualified to go to the state, except one. That’s not bad,” said Stevens, excited about building the team. “I’m sitting on 15 state finalists.”

For the two-to-5-year-olds who have yet to make their mark in track and field, the 50-meter dash was a starter and commensurate with their age. But athletes six and up were able to participate in all the other events, Stevens said. 

Ribbons and medals went to the top six finishers in each track and field event.

The Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet is considered one of the largest independent track meets in the South, Stevens said.

“We’re not associated with the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union), a multi-sport organization, or the USA Track & Field,” the governing body for track and field. 

“I am an independent organization that brings athletes together from all walks of life,” she pointed out. 

The track meet presents a wellspring of opportunities for young athletes, “like the ones I had when I was at Melrose High School,” Stevens'
alma mater.

“That’s how I basically got my 20 offers… [It] was because of programs like mine,” she said. “The program was ended and that’s why I started the Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet.”

Donated Prom Dresses Allow Girls an Opportunity to Shine

Jamie Thomas (center) and Kenosha Wallace, both 18-year-old graduating seniors at Manassas High School, look over a batch of dresses and gowns that Jacqueline F. Jordan donated for juniors and seniors attending the prom. Photo by Wiley Henry 

Jacqueline F. Jordan graduated from Manassas High School in 1973. But when her classmate Kenneth Allen called and asked for an in-kind donation, she responded posthaste. 

Jordan unloaded a closet-full of dry-cleaned dresses and gowns at the school on April 5 so some of the girls will have an opportunity to attend their high school prom in style on April 29.

“I know how it is when it comes to a day like that,” said Jordan, who is passionate about helping young people. “Whether you’re a junior or senior, you want to go to the prom because it’s special.”

Kaime Gadson, the school’s bridge math teacher and senior sponsor, met Jordan in the parking lot with a few of his students and carted nearly 20 garments and accessories into the building. This is his second year as senior sponsor.

The prom theme is Starry Nights. “What we’re looking for is some glitter, glamour and things of that nature,” said Gadson. “We want some pizzazz, some classiness as well, some flamboyance.”

Gadson wants the students to have a different look, a different feel for their prom experience, “not just your traditional prom,” he explained, and gave them leeway to pull it all together.

“From what was donated to us, I think there are a lot of pieces in there which the majority of the young ladies can pick from,” said Gadson, who’s taught for six years in the district, three of them at Manassas. 

The prom is an exciting time of year for juniors and seniors. It could be described as a rite of passage for many of them who’re eagerly awaiting the formal dance. It signifies the end of an era: 12 years of schooling. 

“It’s a very important time in their lives,” Jordan said. “So, it doesn’t bother me to share. I know how it is to want to go to the prom so bad and don’t have everything you need.”

Some of the girls may don their own evening gowns and accessories: corsages, jewelry, spike heels, and fancy hairstyles. The boys may sport a tuxedo and cummerbund or step out in a crisp suit and tie or a casual blazer. 

Jordan added to her donation of dainty garments a batch of jewelry for the girls and stylish shoes as well.

But some students and their parents may not be able to afford the price of a prom dress or a tuxedo if they’re relegated to a low-income status. The school, for example, is nestled in an area of North Memphis where decay is evident.

“Those prom dresses are a blessing to some girls, because some girls don’t have that type of money to provide their own prom dresses,” said Ariel Williams, a Southwest Tennessee Community College assistant who helps prepare students for college and life.

She works at Manassas twice a week and assists Gadson in his role as senior sponsor. “I can relate to the kids. I feel I know where they’re coming from,” said Williams, noting that the donated prom dresses are a great idea.

Whether the need is small or great, the Manassas Alumni Association has availed itself for years to lend a helping hand. Allen said it’s a way of giving back to the school and the community.

“I've been involved with donating prom dresses and tuxedos for quite a few years now,” he said. “I just happen to have some ladies from different parts of town or in the family to donate the dresses that they have.”

The “brethren from Manassas [alumni]” have on occasion donated tuxedos, he pointed out. “We’ve had some of our alumni to pick the boys up and take them to the tuxedo shop to get them fitted.”

Allen said he’d be fulfilled when he sees the expression on the faces of the students, the appreciation in their voices, and the look in their eyes. 

“The prom is a memory that will last forever,” he said.