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COMMENTARY: Tennessee’s distorted moral narrative and commitment to voter suppression

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The Republican-led election commission in the majority Democratic Shelby County has an executive director who blew the whistle of voter fraud throughout the November election but has since not filed one suit to substantiate her claims.

Published

7 years ago

January 18, 2019

Oakland Post

The Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher is senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church (Whitehaven) and founder of #UPTheVote901.

By Dr. Earle J. Fisher, The New Tri-State Defender

On Tuesday morning, January 8, 2019, hundreds of lawmakers made pledges and took oaths evoking themes of freedom, justice, equality, fairness, propriety, peace and love. And with one hand on a sacred book and the other held high towards the Almighty, many of these lawmakers were lying straight through their faces.

They have absolutely no intentions of ensuring that the privileges enjoyed in predominately white and affluent counties and cities are also extended to the some of the most rural, black and impoverished ones.

This happened, in part, because despite claims to the contrary, most of our lawmakers are committed only to power and not justice.

The current political climate in Tennessee is indicative of the entire country. More than 50 years ago, Kwame Toure (known at the time as Stokely Carmichael) articulated the quandary of our democratic ideals and degenerative reality.

“There is a higher law than the law of government. That is the law of conscience.”

Many of the tactics of nonviolence, he continued, had been rendered ineffective because in order for these methods to be most efficacious one’s opponent must have a conscience but “America has none.”

More than 50 years later, we still see the remnants and realities of the unconscionable amongst us.

We see a federal government shut down that is threatening to compromise workers’ ability to feed their families and citizen’s access to social services. Meanwhile, elected officials playing partisan politics that manufactured and sustains the shutdown are continuing to get paid.

We see a governor in Tennessee who finally granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown, but clearly didn’t do enough to help reform the racist and sexist criminal injustice system that further victimized her. This same system is still ruled by … Corrections Corporation of America. The world’s highest for-profit prison corporation is an ongoing contributor to a plethora of Tennessee politicians’ campaigns, including governors, senators and county prosecutors.

We see a mayor in Memphis that refuses to disambiguate and disaggregate data regarding minority contracting that would reveal the reality that a city 65 percent black – and that he claims is the No. 1 city for black entrepreneurship – still cannot secure even 30 percent of city contracts with black contractors. All the while, black businesses still receive approximately 1 percent of all business receipts.

There is an undeniable tornadic wind of moral bankruptcy that continues to blow from some of the highest offices in our lands and seeks to redirect our attention away from the structural and substantive towards the spectacular and superficial.

Inequity is the frame upon which our unjust governmental order stands. Yet, we are told our appeals and actions requesting systemic change through criminal justice reform, fair waging laws, accessible and affordable healthcare and immediate equitable contracting are misguided and unrealistic. These demands are not radical; they are simply righteous, reasonable and rational.

And we can rest assured that anyone who is unwilling to address the substantive, structural and systemic will only continue to demand that we remain well-adjusted to an unjust status quo.

This injustice is already being narrated through subversive dog-whistles coming from our governor elect. Asked to simply remove the bust of the slave trader and confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest that is displayed in the state capitol rotunda, Gov.-elect Bill Lee said it would be “white-washing history.”

Regarding voter suppression

This immoral and unjust governmental order is sustained through voter suppression.
Tennessee’s supreme court should take note from North Carolina’s that found voter suppression taking place with “surgical like precision.” Margaret Renki wrote in the New York Times likening Tennessee’s voter suppression tactics to “A Slow-Motion Coup” which ultimately intends to “thwart the will of the people.”

We confiscate driver’s licenses from citizens who can’t afford to pay traffic fines.

We disenfranchise college students as well as those with felony convictions.

The Republican-led election commission in the majority Democratic Shelby County has an executive director who blew the whistle of voter fraud throughout the November election but has since not filed one suit to substantiate her claims. All these tactics (and more) disproportionally impact poor people and people of color and render us, at best, underrepresented.

Nevertheless, even with Tennessee being ranked 48th in ease of voting, through organizations like the Tennessee Black Voter Project, the Equity Alliance, #UPTheVote901, Civic TN, scores of black churches and grassroots organizations across the state, we still accomplished the highest midterm election turnout in almost a quarter-century, increasing turnout by 57 percent from 2014.

This is what an immoral and unjust political infrastructure fears – a well-informed, engaged, and inspired electorate. And therefore, my hope remains in the power of the people.

And until our local, state and federal legislators become champions for equitable access to economic empowerment, healthcare, educational advancement and to the ballot box, we cannot and will not allow any dissenters to claim any moral, religious, intellectual or political high ground.

We must call evil, injustice and collusion exactly what it is. Therefore, we will continue to organize, mobilize, agitate, write, march, preach, teach, pray, demonstrate, disrupt, and disturb the social and political order until it is legitimately reflective of one nation under God with liberation, equity and justice for all.”

The Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher is senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church (Whitehaven) and founder of #UPTheVote901.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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