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Economic summit projects ‘new start’ in Orange Mound

NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER — After earlier serving notice that property values in the Orange Mound Community had declined by up to 30 percent over the last 10 years, Shelby County Tax Assessor Melvin Burgess held his first Economic Empowerment Summit at the Teaching & Learning Center on Tuesday. Hundreds of homeowners, entrepreneurs, legislators and investors turned out for the summit. They heard Burgess set the stage for inclusion and difficult conversations with one goal in mind – community restoration.

Published

5 years ago

October 15, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dana S. Owens

After earlier serving notice that property values in the Orange Mound Community had declined by up to 30 percent over the last 10 years, Shelby County Tax Assessor Melvin Burgess held his first Economic Empowerment Summit at the Teaching & Learning Center on Tuesday.

Hundreds of homeowners, entrepreneurs, legislators and investors turned out for the summit. They heard Burgess set the stage for inclusion and difficult conversations with one goal in mind – community restoration.

Audience comments indicated a strong commitment to return Orange Mound it to its beginnings 130 years ago when African-American small businesses thrived and homeowners exuded pride, unity and ambition. (Orange Mound was developed for African Americans 25 years after slavery was abolished.)

The summit was designed as the start of an initiative to make minority neighborhoods vibrant and safe. Goals include: (1) developing a dedicated task force (2) creating a comprehensive plan and (3) avoiding gentrification. A panel of policy makers, real estate experts and housing agencies was heavily engaged.

Defusing racism – “the elephant in the room” – was on the mind of participants since funding for disenfranchised minority communities can be challenging.

“If we plan to do something, we’ve got to change the culture and the thinking,” said Anthony Elmore, entrepreneur, activist and former five-time World Karate/Kickboxing Champion, who has long resided in Orange Mound. Elmore asserted that because of race and power, business models he proposed to past city administrations were never supported.

“Racism is strong in Memphis,” said Roshun Austin, summit panelist and president/CEO of The Works, Inc. community development agency.

“We need investment in minority communities to replace roofs and plumbing like there’s investment in the suburbs. Memphis can seem like it’s still on the plantation of a William Faulkner novel.”

Summit panelist Dr. Mark Sunderman, a Real Estate professor at the University of Memphis, asked, “Are we obsessed with moving forward, or is this just another meeting? …

“Will the city, county and state work together? Are we really committed to understanding the issues of blight? If we are, then the second and third generation of young adults will have homes they can devote to their children.”

“We got the best up here to provide ideas,” said Burgess, “so when we plan with good thinking, people will be in place in my office to take calls directly on this initiative.”

Bobby Rich, a married 32-year-old Orange Mound resident, said his “green thumb” has turned into a business growing vegetables. He started growing his own food two years ago and gets excited seeing vacant lots in the area because he wants to use the land for urban farming and small scale agriculture.

“Seeing people go to McDonald’s (for food) is sad,” said Rich. “Seeing my veggies leave the table is encouraging.”

Partnering public officials include: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, Mayor Jim Strickland, Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, State Sen. Katrina Robinson, Trustee Regina Morrison, Shelby County Commission Chairman Mark Billingsley, County Commissioner Reginald Milton and Memphis City Council members Martavius Jones and Jamita Swearengen.

“Demolishing properties isn’t the answer,” said Hardaway. “There’s more to transformation than that … we need to recapture repairable properties and put them back into service.”

“The root cause of crime is lack,” said Robinson, referencing an uptick in criminal activity in Orange Mound and media focus on crime. She committed to securing capital investment as residents indicated strong desires to remain in the community.

Several homeowners said they willingly cut yards of nearby vacant properties that may only need small repairs – larger repairs require loans or grants when insurance won’t pay.

Austin referenced assistance provided by United Housing and other agencies, but stressed that “funds run out and more is needed.” She said the National Fair Housing Alliance is investigating insurers unwilling to cover roof replacements in the area.

Orange Mound Community Development Corporation Director Tiana Pyles, who has been on the job two years, urged residents to continue helping to mow nearby, abandoned lots as new strategies for maintaining properties develop. Pyles has lived in Orange Mound for 15 years.

As a vital contribution for the future of Orange Mound, SCS Supt. Ray committed to providing financial literacy education to district students at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Next steps

In the next two weeks, Hardaway and Billingsley will work to identify prospective partner agencies for the Orange Mound Task Force.

The task force will map out steps for a formal plan – Hardaway recommends the name, Renaissance 2020: A New Vision for Orange Mound. Preliminary ideas include restoring one block to start and working with agencies such as Habitat for Humanity to erect or repair housing.

With Orange Mound hampered by a “food dessert” (an urban area lacking access to affordable, high-quality fresh food), the task force will review options for creating a community garden with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Melrose High School principal Taurin Hardy expressed interest in being on the task force with Latonia Blankenship, the school’s family engagement specialist, to encourage millennial families to purchase area homes.

Orange Mound is included in Tennessee Tourism Development Zone (TDZ) funding, a plan in initial stages to transform vacant land at the former Mid-South Fairgrounds site and surrounding area, including the old Melrose High School.

TDZ funding aims to attract visitors and families through development of a hotel, youth sports center, retail stores and possibly housing at the site. Approval passed at the state level and is now being reviewed at the local level.

(For more information, contact Yvonne Parron, public relations specialist at Shelby County Assessor’s Office: parrony@assessor.shelby.tn.us.)

This article originally appeared in the New Tri-State Defender

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
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