Ernest Withers’ Iconic Photographs on Exhibit with Till Movie

Ernest Withers snapped this photo of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. at Medgar Evers's funeral in Jackson, Miss., in June
1963. (Courtesy of the Withers Family Trust Credit)

Ernest Withers' "I Am a Man" photo of striking
sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn. 
(Courtesy of the Withers Family Trust Credit)

Rosalind Withers

MEMPHIS, TN – One of this country’s preeminent civil rights photographers is receiving widespread attention from Hollywood notables 15 years after his death this month in 2007. 

Rosalind Withers, daughter of Ernest C. Withers Sr. and director and conservator of The Withers Collection Museum and Gallery in Memphis, said her father’s work is reaching a global audience.

In partnership with Orion Pictures (an MGM company) and United Artists Releasing, some of Withers’ iconic photographs are being exhibited with others in tandem with the Till movie.

“We (The Withers Collection) worked with the premiere release of the film,” said Rosalind Withers, who met the president of Orion Pictures, Alana Mayo, at a prior Withers exhibit. 

According to Rosalind Withers, Mayo said, “We need to do something together on this film (Till) … and somehow incorporate the Withers collection into this film.”

The movie premiered at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on Oct. 8 to much fanfare and debuted in New York and Chicago as well. Till also premiered in London on Oct. 15.

Rosalind Withers attended the Beverly Hills screening of Till and the exhibit entitled “Till: Impact of Images,” featuring African American photographers and journalists from the Black press corps who captured that dark and turbulent era in American history.

“It was amazing. It was probably one of the greatest functions I’ve attended in a long time,” Rosalind Withers said. “It was LA.’s first time seeing the film.”

Withers, L. Alex Wilson, Clotye Murdock, Simeon Booker and others who risked their lives for the story were described on the website for “Till: Impact of Images” as “soldiers without swords.” 

Their stories and images, cobbled together at times under dire circumstances, exposed humanity at its worst when Black lives were imperiled and relegated to a harsh reality during the Jim Crow South. 

The “Till: Impact of Images” collection is organized by K Period Media Foundation and Lead With Love, with support from Orion Pictures, United Artists Releasing, and the Till movie.

Personal photographs from the families of Emmett Louis Till and Mamie Till-Mobley and Medgar and Myrlie Evers are part of the “Till: Impact of Images” collection as well.

The Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, The Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute, and The Withers Collection are cited for their continued fight for equality and battle for civil rights.

The Withers Collection also collaborated on a commemorative art piece for attendees at the Till movie premiers in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and provided them with a keepsake ticket stub honoring the aforementioned organizations.

The movie is based on Till-Mobley’s courageous and relentless fight for justice after her 14-year-old son was brutally lynched in 1955. Till opened in select theatres on Oct. 14 and will open nationwide on Oct. 28. 

It was directed and co-written by Chinonye Chukwu and produced by Whoopi Goldberg, Frederick M. Zollo, Thomas Levine, Keith Beauchamp, Michael Reilly, and Barbara Broccoli. 

It has been 67 years since Emmett Till’s life was snuffed out by white men for whistling at a white woman in Money, Miss. His gruesome death is not the crux of this Till movie.

After the lynching of Emmett Till and all the hullabaloo over his death, Withers went to Sumner, Miss., and risked his life to photograph the trial of Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, who were acquitted of killing the Chicago lad.

“One of the things that we showed in our exhibition was my father's image of Mose Wright pointing (at Milam and Bryant when he testified at their trial),” Rosalind Withers said. “He was the only person who took that picture.”

Withers published a pamphlet of photographs from the trial and marketed them as the “Complete Photo Story of Till Murder Case.” The cost: $1.00. The pamphlet is now part of the Smithsonian collection, Rosalind Withers said.

She has one other copy in her possession and declared it to be “extremely valuable.” A descendant of President Thomas Jefferson gifted it to her, she said. 

“It shows you how far-reaching Dad’s work [has] impacted our history.” 

New Sensory-based Playground to Open Soon at STAR Academy Charter School

 

Dr. Edward Stephens III leads the rollout of a new sensory-based
playground at STAR Academy Charter School on the campus
of Golden Gate Cathedral (Courtesy photo)

MEMPHIS, TN – A 4,400 sq. ft. sensory-based playground aptly named Imagination Station will soon become a reality for students in grades K-6 at STAR Academy Charter School, 3260 James Rd., in the Raleigh community.

The $400,000 project officially kicked off Oct. 5 with a groundbreaking on the campus of Golden Gate Cathedral, 3240 James Rd., where the single-site charter school is located. 

Founded in 2004 by Bishop Edward H. Stephens Jr., GGC’s senior pastor, the charter school operates under the auspices of the Golden Gate Development Corporation, a non-profit organization. 

Dr. Edward Stephens III, the pastor’s eldest son, is STAR Academy’s chief operating officer. He is resolute and committed to providing resources for children to stimulate their minds.

“Children must have an outlet,” Dr. Stephens said. “If you can figure out a way to give them that outlet and infuse STEM technology, electronics, [and] play all in the same space, you’ve done something special.”

Standard playgrounds, where young children romp around and expend energy, are being replaced in some schools and parks in other cities for sensory playground equipment.

Hence, the inspiration for Imagination Station was derived from the aforementioned schools and parks in other cities, Dr. Stephens said.

According to a statement from STAR Academy, these sensory-based, fun, and safe spaces utilize equipment, technology, and gadgets to stimulate all senses, promoting curiosity, discovery, and creativity. 

In addition, sensory play promotes such skills as cognitive recall, problem solving, prolonged attention span, and stimulates everything from critical thinking and confidence building to social and emotional skills.  

“It should stimulate all the senses while promoting curiosity, discovery, and creativity,” Dr. Stephens emphasized. “That’s where the name comes from – Imagination Station. That’s the benefit of a sensory-based playground.”

Imagination Station was set to become a reality before the pandemic. But the plan was scrapped, Dr. Stephens said. “We were initially about to strike, but obviously covid hit. So, we bracketed and suspended the effort. Then we recently revived it.”

Dr. Stephens pointed out that the sensory-based playground is just one of several strategic investments the school will make over the next few years. 

“There’s a huge push in literacy right now,” Dr. Stephens said. “We’re looking at pre-K and erecting a state-of-the-art facility, which will be a natural feeder for STAR (Academy). So, pre-K will allow us to serve families, literally, from the cradle up to six-grade.”

Dr. Stephens noted the importance of “equity and access.” They are pillars that could be added to STAR’s mission, which is “to be an educational incubator that promotes critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, and cultural competency in a safe, nurturing, and innovative environment.” 

The chief operating officer also is looking at ways to build sustainable families with healthy eco-systems. “Instead of looking at the student/scholar singly, we’re looking at strengthening the family-unit as a whole,” he said.

Imagination Station could be described by the leadership and teachers at STAR Academy as a “tip of the spear” in their effort to educate more than 300 students from five to 11 years old.

Dr. Stephens made a final point: “We want to make sure our children have the same resources as children on the other side of town,” including students grappling with “mental health disparities…and children living on the edge.”

He expects Imagination Station to pay dividends down the road in terms of educating the student/scholar with all the resources STAR Academy can muster.

New Life for Historic Melrose High School Building to Begin Soon

The Historic Melrose High School, built in 1938 for grades 1-12, was
closed in 1972 and abandoned for nearly 40 years. The building will
soon be redeveloped. (Photo by Wiley Henry)

MEMPHIS, TN – The old Melrose High School at 843 Dallas Street once stood as a beacon of pride in the Orange Mound community, where an indomitable spirit remains.

Vacant for nearly 40 years, the city of Memphis Division of Housing & Community Development (HCD) is transforming the three-story red brick school building into vibrant commercial and residential spaces. 

City officials and project partners will break ground on the Historic Melrose Redevelopment Project Friday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. The project is scheduled to be completed in two phases.

“We’ll transform the first floor into a neighborhood branch library, which will include a genealogy center that will be a resource for the whole city,” said Arlenia Cole, responding to questions via email.

Cole, the city’s media affairs manager, said the second phase of the project will include two floors of senior apartments. Construction will start this fall and the library will open in December 2023.

The project is designed by Self+Tucker Architects and managed by Allworld Project Management, LLC, both headquartered in Memphis. Construction is handled by Grinder, Taber & Grinder, Inc., also a local firm. 

The project has been on the drawing board since its temporary activation in 2018, Cole said.

The community was heavily involved in the initial stage when input was sought. “Orange Mound residents spoke up about what type of project they wanted in their community through a series the community meetings,” Cole said.

This included the Melrose High School Alumni, their local CDC (Orange Mound Development Corporation), and Orange Mound residents, including Mary Mitchell, a noted community historian.

As it stands, the building has a first-floor footprint of about 13,200 square feet. Cole said, “We’re going to add a small addition that will increase it to about 16,200 square feet.”

In total, the building will grow from just under 41,200 square feet to about 45,000 square feet, Cole said.

The total construction cost is around $14 million. The city of Memphis announced in 2021 that $10 million had been allocated to redeveloping the old school building.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced in May $3 million for HCD’s Historic Melrose Redevelopment Project and the Orange Mound community via the appropriations process. 

The project is a boon for Orange Mound, one of the oldest Black communities in the United States. Founded in 1890 on the former Deadrick Plantation, Blacks were able to buy land and build their own homes.

The school was one of the anchors in Orange Mound. It still is. The newest Melrose High School opened on Deadrick Avenue in 1972. On May 2, 2001, the old school building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

It is also a pitstop along the Memphis Heritage Trail, which celebrates the rich business, culture, and musical heritage of African-American achievements.

Deidre Malone Brings Home the Minority Marketing and Communications Firm of the Year Award

 

Deidre Malone, president/CEO of The Carter Malone Group, LLC., is
joined by U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves   
(left) and Under Secretary for Minority Business Development Donald
Cravins Jr. after winning The Minority Marketing and Communications
Firm of the Year award. (Courtesy photo)

MEMPHIS, TN – In 2003, Deidre Malone stepped out of her comfort zone as a successful marketing executive and with one client launched The Carter Malone Group, LLC, or CMG, a communications and public relations firm. 

The combination of hard work and client satisfaction over the years has earned the firm several honors and awards including a recent national award: The Minority Marketing and Communications Firm of the Year. 

CMG was nominated for the national award by the Mid-South Minority Business Council (MMBC) Continuum, an economic accelerator for stage II Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises that partners with municipalities, agencies, corporations, and various levels of government.

“I was excited that we were nominated with firms across the country, specifically minority firms: African American, Hispanic, and Asian. It was a true honor for us,” said Malone, president/CEO of CMG. “And then to find out that we won, we just couldn’t believe it.”

Malone accepted the prestigious award on Sept. 21 at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf during the National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference, Sept. 18-24.

“When I told my husband Patrick that I was going to leave my good corporate-paying job to start The Carter Malone Group, he said, ‘Honey, do what you do.’ And I’ve been doing it now for almost 20 years,” said Malone during her acceptance speech. 

Hosted by the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), “the MED Week Awards are the highest level of national recognition that a U.S. minority-owned firm can receive from the Department of Commerce.”

“We are proud to have one of our MBDA Business Center clients acknowledged amongst the elite firms being recognized nationally for the quality work that they provide on a local, regional and national scale,” said Jozelle Booker, operator of the Tennessee MBDA Business Center and president/CEO of The MMBC Continuum.

The MMBC Continuum operates the only MBDA Business Center in the state of Tennessee under the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“I’m excited for the firm, but I’m excited for MMBCC as well,” Malone said. “This is their first national award. I’m really excited for Jozelle (Booker) and her team and just excited to be a part of that history.”

Malone is in good company with other minority “firms of the year”: Tecma, Minority Export Firm of the Year; Piping Technology & Products, Inc., Minority Manufacturing Firm of the Year; Onyx Enterprises, Inc., Minority Construction Firm of the Year; LilliiRNB, Minority Emerging Technology and Industries Firm of the Year; Curacubby, Minority E-Commerce Firm of the Year; GC Green Consulting, Minority Veteran Owned Firm of the Year; and H.J. Russell & Company, Robert J. Brown Minority Business Enterprise of the Year. 

Also, Champions of Minority Business Development honors went to Erica Y. Miles of Wells Fargo, Access to Capital; Ralph Sagaille with The Walt Disney Company, Distinguished Supplier Diversity; John F. Robinson with NMBC, Inc., Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award; Tom Espinoza with Raza Development Fund, Access to Capital; Jason Trimiew with Meta, Advocate of the Year; and Robert F. Smith with Vista Equity Partners, Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Since its founding, CMG has served 342 clients, according to the firm’s website, and provides services like branding, community engagement, government relations, video production, creative services, social media development and media training.

CMG also has been tapped and received at least 40 awards. The Minority Marketing and Communications Firm of the Year award is CMG’s crowning achievement to date.

“We’re doing all right,” Malone said.

Cyclists Pedal to Promote Prostate Cancer Awareness

Survivors first began their trek through the Black community
in 2018 when the bike ride for prostate, pedals and prayer began.
(Courtesy photos)

MEMPHIS, TN –Sylvester Fulton was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2016. “Like anybody else, you’d be surprised, confused, or shocked,” he said. “I was feeling good. I had no side-affects, or nothing.” 

He opted for treatment at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Newnan, Ga. Two treatments of brachytherapy (internal radiation) – three weeks apart – and he’s cancer free. 

After his second treatment, Fulton looked for organizations that advocate for men, such as a support group. He wanted to get involved; he was discouraged. So, he started his own. 

Sylvester Fulton

“I wanted to do something that I like to do and do it in the Black community – and that is ride bikes,” he said.

In 2018, Fulton started cycling to create awareness and to promote early detection. Survivors donned their gear and joined him for the inaugural bike ride through the Black community. 

Committed cyclists return each year in September in recognition of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and ride for their lives and to save the lives of other men who may be grappling with the disease. 

“It’s the leading cause of death for Black men,” Fulton said.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, starting at 7 a.m., cyclists will start at Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 2070 Chelsea Ave., for a 20-mile bike ride and return to the church after the tour is completed. 

Cyclists choosing the 5-mile bike ride will start at 8 a.m. at the church and end there. Fulton is expecting at least 50 cyclists to join him for another fun bike ride for “prostate, pedals and prayer.”

A blood test called a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) screening will be provided at the end of the bike ride. The test determines the level of PSA in the blood – if it’s elevated or not.

Brochures and pamphlets promoting prevention through early detection and various treatment options will be distributed at the church. Vaccinations for covid will be administered as well.

It would have been a different story altogether if Fulton’s prostate cancer had not been detected early. Now he’s encouraging men to get screened to avoid an unfavorable diagnosis.

“Men don’t take care of themselves like women do,” said Fulton, Bellevue Middle School’s new family engagement specialist. “If cancer gets outside the prostate and [travels] into the lymph nodes, you have a whole different situation.”

He credits his wife, Angela, and daughter, Camille, for supporting him after his diagnosis and throughout the treatment process.

Today, at the age of 63, Fulton is laser-focused on his health and the welfare of other men who may not know the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer – and treatment options after a diagnosis.

Consider the following statistics from the American Cancer Society: 

• African-American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer – up to 50 percent higher than the average American man.

• Prostate cancer can be cured if detected early

• 1 in 6 American men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes

• Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men

• Men 40+ should speak with their healthcare provider about both PSA and DRE prostate health exams

Fulton is adamant about getting his point across that prostate cancer is a serious and potentially deadly disease. 

“There is a stigma about cancer,” he said, adding: “I will tell anyone, just don’t panic.”

For more information about the “prostate, pedals and prayer” bike ride, contact Sylvester Fulton at 901-219-3616 or email him at prostatepedalsprayer@gmail.com.

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.