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.

Tony Jackson Ranks at the Top in Real Estate Sales

 

In 2 1/2 years, Tony Jackson has managed to reach the
top echelon in real estate sales, raking in $8 million alone
in 2021. (Courtesy Photo)

In 2021, Tony M. Jackson hauled in a hefty $8 million in real estate sales – and it was only his second year as an independent agent with Weichert Realtors, SPM, an independently-owned and operated franchise in Bartlett, a suburb of Memphis.

Jim Weichert is president, chairman and CEO of Weichert Companies. Bill Scavone is president and COO of Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. in Morris Plains, N.J., and oversees more than 350 affiliate offices in 41 states. 

The Weichert affiliate in Bartlett is owned by Harry Spore and his wife Missy. 

Of the 22 agents selling residential and commercial real estate, Jackson, who calls himself the “Agent with the Ascot,” ranked No. 1 in sales. He also ranked among the top-tier of 3,144 Weichert agents on the regional level, coming in at No. 23. 

In January, Jackson was accepted as a first-year member of the Memphis Area Association of REALTORS^®Multi-Million Dollar Club. He was cited for his accomplishments on Feb. 19.

“I congratulate you on this significant accomplishment, which requires considerable drive, planning and business acumen,” Rachel Baggett Gilliam, president of MAAR Multi-Million Dollar Club, wrote in part to Jackson in a congratulatory letter.

“A second-year agent doing that much business is a lot,” said Jackson, touting his stupendous $8 million windfall in one calendar year. “It's basically saying that once you make the club, you kind of know what you're doing.”

Also in February, Weichert Realtors tapped Jackson for the President's Platinum Club Award. He noted the award is one level below the President’s Gold Cup Award. Of 7,289 agents, Jackson ranked No. 125. 

Weichert Realtors bestowed the honor upon Jackson during its Tennessee Valley Awards Banquet on Feb. 26 in downtown Nashville’s Omni Hotels & Resorts.

“When you put your mind to something, you know, things happen. It's always been the story of my life,” Jackson said. “I just attribute it to staying faithful to God and staying a good person.”

Social media was all abuzz with congratulatory posts from well-wishers who’re familiar with Jackson’s commitment to excellence and his propensity to go beyond the call of duty.

Others who may not know Jackson as well also lauded his efforts. 

“Praise the Lord for your blessings,” Lillian Ford posted.

His uncle chimed in too. “Way to go Tony,” Michael Royston posted.

“Awesome,” Jackson’s mother-in-law, Grenda Franklin-Poole, posted with emojis for two thumbs up, and added: “I’m so proud of you.”

More kudos poured in with just as much fervor for the 38-year-old, who is married to Franklin-Poole’s daughter, Monica Jackson, the mother of their children, Brennan, 8, and Bailey, 4.

After assessing his sales volume for the first quarter of this year, Jackson believes he’s off to a great start, and added that he could match last year’s sales record, or even exceed it. 

“I'm almost a fourth of the way now,” he said. “So, I'm on track.” 

Jackson had been on track to success before he ventured into real estate. In 2012, he purchased the fledgling Arlington Computers, LLC in Arlington from the original owner who had employed him. 

After Jackson assumed control, the store’s customer-base and bottom line increased significantly.

Marketing, public relations, and community service was then and still Jackson’s strong suit. He’d built a clientele that included Spore, real estate broker and owner of Superior Property Management.

“He told me years ago that I should try real estate,” Jackson said. “It wasn't until after I decided to close the computer store that I would give it a shot.”

He dabbled at it part time at first while transitioning the store. “I may have done like six transactions the first year,” he said.

The next year, Jackson decided he’d pursue real estate fulltime to see where his new profession would take him. 

“I just went back to what I knew how to do from my years of entrepreneurship, marketing, [producing] commercials, being seen [publicly], and going to different events,” he said.

With tenacity and bulldog determination, Jackson’s real estate transactions started adding up. He soon positioned himself as a full-fledge independent contractor with Weichert Realtors. 

Some day he hopes to amass generational wealth for Brennan and Bailey.

Advice to upcoming entrepreneurs: “Don't ever let anybody tell you that you can't do something,” he said. “I'm doing it.”

Marvis LaVerne Kneeland-Jones, One of the Memphis State Eight, Believed in Education

Marvis LaVerne Kneeland-Jones

Academic achievement was “foundational” and a “focus” in the Jones household, according to Dorothy D. Jones, the youngest of Marvis LaVerne Kneeland-Jones’s four children.

“She really led the charge with all of her kids,” Jones said.

Kneeland-Jones was an influential educator, musician, businesswoman, civil rights activist, and, most notably, a member of the Memphis State Eight that included Eleanor Gandy, Rose Blakney-Love, Sammie Burnett Johnson, Luther McClellan, Ralph Prater, John Simpson, and Bertha Rogers Looney.

Kneeland-Jones and her colleagues drew national attention in the fall of 1959 when they were the first Black students to integrate Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis.

Kneeland-Jones died March 13 at her home in Memphis. She was 81. Bertha Rogers Looney, Luther McClellan and Ralph Prater are the only surviving members.

Jones said those days on campus were “tough times” for her mother, who never tried to suppress those painful memories or keep her children from learning what she and the others endured in their pursuit of a college education.

They were vilified, harassed, and ostracized, even after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that separate education was “inherently unequal.”

“It was an emotional toll on her,” said Jones, remembering what her mother had told her. “A lot of those memories resurfaced, and she started talking about how it was very hard during that time.”

As daunting as it was battling discrimination, Kneeland-Jones was determined to succeed despite the obstacles. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from the university in elementary education and a Master of Science degree in education as well.

After years of study, Kneeland-Jones began teaching in Memphis City Schools and inspired hundreds of children to succeed. She taught school for 25 years and capped off a career in teaching that began in earnest and never waned.

“The same effort and tenacity she dealt with education, with her students, she did the same thing with her children,” Jones said. “She made sure that each of us had individualized and customized learning opportunities based on each child’s needs.”  

Jones said she and her siblings – Dr. Gladys A. Jones, Rufus E. Jones Jr., and Dr. Ida L. Jones Pittman – were educated in public, private, and boarding schools – or a combination thereof. And each one graduated college. 

“She set the example for us aspiring to get advanced-level degrees as well,” Jones said.

Music also was “critically important” in the Jones household, Jones said. Her mother, she pointed out, was a classical pianist and played for Washington Chapel CME Church. 

“We all played instruments,” she said.

Kneeland-Jones shared parenting responsibilities with her husband of 57 years, Tennessee’s state Rep. Rufus E. Jones Sr., a statesman, sales tax auditor, lobbyist, and trailblazing entrepreneur, who held the legislative position for 16 years. 

Kneeland-Jones met her husband on a blind date. Sammy Burnett Johnson, a member of the Memphis State Eight, had arranged the date, Jones said. He “introduced my mom to my dad.”

Rufus E. Jones Sr, then a promising entrepreneur, was finishing up at Michigan State University at the time, Jones said, adding, “So they started their courtship after that.” 

He died in 2019. In addition to his political quick wit, he was an advocate for economic development and the reputed proprietor of Jones Big Star #102 grocery store, one of his notable entrepreneurial endeavors. 

Kneeland-Jones was a powerhouse in her own right as an education advocate, organizer of voting registration drives, and worked with charitable and civic organizations. She also operated her own business and supported her husband’s endeavors, including his political campaigns.

She was a charter member of the Shelby County (TN) Chapter of the LINKS, Incorporated, The Friends of the Memphis and Shelby County Libraries, Washington Chapel C.M.E. Church, and the National, Tennessee, and Memphis Education Associations.

In 2000, the University of Memphis established the Memphis State Eight Best Paper Prize for the best historical paper on the African American experience in honor of the Memphis State Eight.

And in 2006, Shirley Raines, then-president of the U of M, invited the Memphis State Eight back to the campus to pay tribute to the eight trailblazers with a former dinner and reception. 

A historical marker was placed outside the U of M’s Administration Building in 2012. Seven of the eight former students were present for the presentation, including Kneeland-Jones.

She also was among five of the eight trailblazers in 2019 to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of that day when they courageously broke the color barrier and stepped into the annals of history.

Memorial services for Kneeland-Jones were held March 21 at Mt. Olive Cathedral C.M.E. Church. 

Stansbury Publishes Book of Exclusive Photos

Markhum L. “Mark” Stansbury Sr. captures history
in new book. Courtesy photo.

Not many photographers living today have in their possession a trove of never-before-seen historic photographs of history-makers covering more than 50 years. 

Markhum L. “Mark” Stansbury Sr. does. In his newly published book titled “Through the Lens of Mark Stansbury,” the photographer captured some of the most intriguing images of notables and some not-so-famous people from the 1960s to 2010.

Published by GrantHouse Publishers (December 2021), the 132-page hardcover book is no doubt a keepsake of black and white photographs of legendary civil rights leaders, entertainers, business magnates, sports figures, politicians, educators and more. 

Jimmy Carter, Julian Bond, Lena Horne, Lyndon B. Johnson, Marin Luther King Jr., Michael Jackson, Coach Larry Finch, Elvis Presley, Bill Clinton, Benjamin L. Hooks, The Beatles, Barack Obama, James Brown, Carla Thomas, Bair T. Hunt, and others.

Dr. Shirley Raines, president emerita of the University of Memphis (2001 to 2013), where Stansbury worked as her special assistant, joins the cadre of notables in the book as well.

“Whether on assignment or with a sense of where history was being made, Mark seized opportunities to use his camera to record history or to celebrate life…,” Raines wrote.

Stansbury noted in the book’s introduction that he used several different cameras during his career to photograph his subjects: the Yashica, a Japanese-manufactured camera; the Roliflex, a high-end camera originally manufactured by a German company; and the Nikon-F 35mm, Nikon’s first SLR camera.

No matter the brand, it was Stansbury’s critical eye and his instinct for capturing history in real time that set him apart from his contemporaries. In fact, one would need a critical eye to get the best shot.

Ekpe Obioto, a musician extraordinaire known for playing the djimbe drum and kalimba (thumb piano), is aware of Stansbury’s critical eye for taking the right shot and encouraged him to publish a book of his exclusive photos.

Stansbury made Obioto a promise during a visit to M.J. Edwards Funeral Home in 2020 to pay respect to the late Fred L. Davis, a civil rights leader, politician, founder of the first Black-owned insurance company, and their friend.

“I’m going to do it,” he told Obioto. 

Stansbury said he initially thought about publishing a book a decade ago but was super busy working at the University of Memphis, WDIA AM 1070 Radio Station, where he’s been a longtime radio personality, and LeMoyne-Owen College.

Much of what Stansbury was able to do with the camera derived from his connection to the late civil rights photojournalist Ernest C. Withers, who captured racial tumult in the South. 

Stansbury was inspired. He met Withers once as a young budding photographer but decided he’d write to the noted photojournalist to ask if he could take him under his tutelage as an apprentice.

He’d worked weekends at WDIA AM 1070, the first radio station in the country with all-black programming. In 1959, the station sent him to a journalism conference at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.

“I always wanted to go to the University of Memphis (then-Memphis State University),” he said, “but that was never to be.”

Lincoln University was the alternative because of its journalism department. He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1960 but could no longer attend the university.

“I knew I was going to drop out and I always wanted to be in college,” said Stansbury, deciding then to contact Withers, who agreed to mentor him.

“He taught me a lot. I learned how to process film in his darkroom,” he said. “When he would go out of town, I would run the office for him. When he was in town, sometimes I would go and shoot pictures for him.”

Over lunch one day, Stansbury said Withers thought of ways to get him back in school. He said Withers talked to Thaddeus Stokes, then-editor of the Tri-State Defender, as well as AC “Moohaw” Williams and Nat D. Williams, both popular radio personalities at WDIA.

“Each one of them wrote a letter on my behalf (to the president of Lane College, the Rev. Dr. Chester Arthur Kirkendoll),” said Stansbury, who would go on to matriculate at the historically black college in Jackson, TN.

While attending Lane College, Stansbury served as a photojournalist for the Tri-State Defender, Jet Magazine, and EbonyMagazine. He would go on work as a news anchor and has been a popular gospel radio personality at WDIA for more than 60 years.

“Through the Lens of Mark Stansbury” is the photographer’s contribution to photojournalism and the world at-large.

Perhaps there’s a little of Ernest C. Withers in Markhum L. “Mark” Stansbury Sr.

The book retails for $29.95. For more information or to order copies, contact the photographer at mstnsbry@gmail.comor by phone at 901-270-3780. 

There’s Help for Alcohol and Drug Addictions

 

The Rev. Dr. Jane Abraham working out of her office
in Midtown Memphis. (Photo by Wiley Henry)

Roughly 400,000 people in the state of Tennessee use or abuse alcohol or drugs, which accounts for 5 percent of the population, according to BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

The statistics are startling. Teens, young adults and seniors had reported using illicit drugs, including prescription opioids. But only a very small percentage get the treatment they need.

Memphians and others across Tennessee need not worry. There is help for addicts. The Rev. Dr. Jane Abraham and her business partner, Keith Henderson, are transforming lives.

Abraham is the CEO of The Healing Arts Research Training (HART) Center, a licensed facility for non-residential addictions treatment that addresses co-occurring disorders and offers counseling and alternative healing experiences. 

She is also the CEO of the non-profit Healing Hearts Foundation, which provides a “continuum of care process for individuals afflicted with substance abuse, mental health and/or co-occurring disorders.”  

Henderson is the clinical director of both.

“I love working with addicts,” said Abraham, whose life was reduced to tatters nearly 35 years ago when she herself grappled with alcohol and drugs. 

“I was an addict,” she acknowledged.

At that time, Abraham was living with her mother in Leland, Miss., about 140 miles south of Memphis following the U.S.-61 route. 

“I was really sick,” she said.

Her mother wouldn’t enable her and wasn’t going to watch her destroy her life. So, in 1986, she took immediate action and, without so much as a notice, kicked Abraham out the house.

She said, according to Abraham, “I didn't bring you into the world to watch you die on my couch,” after which Abraham replied: “I'll be gone the next morning.” 

Apparently, Abraham didn’t move quick enough, which elicited a sharp rebuke from her mother to leave the house immediately. 

“No ma'am, I mean right now!” Abraham recalls her mother saying. 

Abraham said she gathered her “frugal” belongings, jumped into her “rat trap car,” picked up a newspaper, and headed to the levee down in the Mississippi Delta.

The following morning, she perused the newspaper and stumbled upon an opportunity that would change her life forever.

It was a job at a treatment facility for a weekend counselor that included an apartment on the grounds. 

“I went and interviewed for it and got it,” she said. “I had no idea I was an addict [at that time]. It was only when God picked me up like a pawn on a chess board and put me in the treatment facility.”

Abraham realized she couldn’t keep drinking and drugging if she was going to work with addicts and participated in the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous in Greenville, Miss.

“My date of sobriety is April 17, 1987. That was the last time I had a drink or drugs,” she said. “That was the beginning of my change.”

That same year, Abraham met Henderson, who was recovering from addictions himself and working as well at the treatment facility.

“We started talking about what we wanted to do with our lives,” she said, and set up a 12-step Narcotics Anonymous program for addicts and the groundwork for The HART Center and the Foundation. 

“I knew that God had given me a reprieve,” said Abraham, now a trauma specialist in the field of addiction and mental health. 

With no prior college experience, Abraham earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Memphis and a master’s degree at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. 

In 2005, she was conferred a doctorate at New Mexico Theological Seminary in Santa Fe, NM. Her mother and father were staunch Southern Baptists. “I got a taste of that,” she said. “Then I started studying religion when I was around 11 or 12.”

Now, Abraham, Henderson, and their multidisciplinary team are working “to transform lives and communities by integrating best practices in addiction and co-occurring disorders with cutting-edge holistic therapies that activate the heart’s inner guidance system.” 

“They're the Dream Team,” she said.

Henderson has extensive experience in the field of mental health and addiction as well. Along with Abraham, they work diligently to assist those who’re afflicted with addictions.

The HART Center, licensed in 2005, has contracted with Judge Tim James Dwyer’s Shelby County Drug Court since 2010. They work with non-violent adult offenders for a year to 18 months.

They provide non-residential services for substance abuse and mental health treatment, among others. 

The Healing Hearts Foundation, established in 2010, is funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health Substance Abuse Services and provides services for the Tennessee Department of Correction-Probation & Parole. 

“We can keep people up to a year or longer if they are determined to need those services and [if] we can get the funding for it through our contracts with the state,” Abraham said.

Services include traditional and specialized interventions and experiential intensives such as massage, personal training, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), breath, music, art, movement, and more. 

“We provide outpatient services in Tennessee only,” said Abraham, adding: “We’ve been blessed with all of these incredible people who've come to us for help.” 

For more information, logon to www.thehartcenter.org or www.healing heartsfoundation.net. Or contact the Rev. Dr. Jane Abraham for an appointment at 901-726-4213.

Campbell is Compelled to Feed and Clothe the ‘Forgotten Souls’

 

Stanley Campbell Sr. has been feeding and clothing
the homeless for more than 30 years. His "Forgotten Souls
Fall Festival" kicks off Thanksgiving Day.
(Photo by Wiley Henry)

Stanley Campbell Sr. has been feeding and clothing the homeless for more than 30 years. But a dream he had in 2011 was confirmation from God that he needed to do more. 

On Nov. 25 – Thanksgiving Day – Campbell expects to feed, clothe, and dispense hand sanitizer, hygiene products, socks, gloves, hats and scarfs during the 15th annual “Forgotten Souls Fall Festival” from 9 a.m. to noon.  

More than 300 homeless men, women and children benefit from Campbell’s benevolence and charity four times a year during each spring, summer, fall and winter “festival.” 

This season is no different. The homeless will find their way to the parking lot of Campbell’s House of Mtenzi at 1289 Madison Ave. in Midtown Memphis, where a chockful of necessities awaits them.

The House of Mtenzi, a word meaning artist in Swahili, is a museum of historical significance – from civil rights-era artifacts to family mementos in honor of Campbell’s mother, the late Thelma Brownlee, who bore nine children. 

Known by his nickname, “Cam Mtenzi,” Campbell refers to his large family as “Ma & 9 Mustard Seeds.” He is guided by the spirit of his mother and embraced by his siblings.  

It was his mother, he said, who taught her children to always think of people who’re less fortunate. He remembers tagging behind her to community events as early as six years old and witnessing charity and philanthropy in action.

“I saw her working in the trenches in the community [in South Memphis],” he said, “and I couldn’t help but follow my mom.” 

When Campbell managed Hardy’s Shoe Store in his early 20s, for example, he purchased up to 100 pairs of new and discounted tennis shoes with his salary and gifted them to kids in the housing projects. 

“I did this for about three years,” he said. “This was the beginning stage of me taking the bull by the horns.”

In 1997, Campbell managed Marty’s Clothing Store in the Frayser community and took a two-week vacation to experience living homeless on the street. 

“It was early November; it was cool nights,” he said. “I experienced the underground lost society of the homeless.”

After his experience, he was able to relate more to the homeless in their own world with greater understanding and empathy and do as much as he can to help mitigate their plight.

It was in 2011 when Campbell’s dream came to him as a directive of sorts to increase his commitment to the homeless. His dream may seem bizarre to some. But to Campbell, it was a calling from God.

Campbell saw himself in his old neighborhood at the top of a hill looking down. “The hill was made of dead people,” he said. “The whole landscape was made of dead people – the parking lot, the buildings. The whole city was deserted, almost.”

The sordid images of dead people were enough to jar him awake, he said, after which a voice came to him when he was fully conscious. He surmised the voice to be that of God giving him a directive. 

“The voice of The Most High said, ‘Clean it up!’” which Campbell interpreted as his mission to clean up the homeless population in Memphis. It seemed a daunting task, but not impossible given Campbell’s decades-long work in the homeless community. 

“It blew me away,” said Campbell, who first started having dreams and visions in 2008 and writing them down. This one was inscribed on his heart and in his mind, and he responded forthwith.

The “Forgotten Souls Fall Festival” is the byproduct of Campbell’s experience with the homeless population and his temerity to fulfill a dream after heeding the voice of “The Most High.”

Campbell has the will and the determination to help people who’re less fortunate, but there aren’t any grants so far to match his big heart. He does receive small donations – both monetary and in-kind – from individuals, small businesses, and organizations.  

He calls them “The Forgotten Souls Coalition.”

When hungry and homeless people are brought to Campbell’s attention, he springs into action, with or without funding, he said. Funding simply helps to defray the cost of bringing his ideas to fruition.

Either way, Campbell is driven to tend the needs of the homeless population – even if he must spend his own money. 

“They’re still our brothers and sisters,” he said. “That’s why I never stop.”