#NNPA BlackPress

Riverview K-8 School welcomes TVA’s helping hands

NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER — At some point in the future, the lighting in the athletic locker rooms at Riverview K-8 School likely will mostly go unnoticed. Such is not the case now. Improvements made Monday by the TVA Transmission Team illuminated the lighting need and spotlighted the value of helping hands to an inner city school facing multiple challenges in the quest to educate students.

Published

5 years ago

October 28, 2019

Oakland Post

New lighting for locker rooms was on the wish list for Riverview K-8 School administrators and TVA associates put in the work to make that happen this past Monday. (Photo by: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

By Karanja A. Ajanaku

At some point in the future, the lighting in the athletic locker rooms at Riverview K-8 School likely will mostly go unnoticed. Such is not the case now.

Tennessee Valley Authority retirees presented Riverview K-8 School Principal Rasheedah Cooperwood with a $1,000 check for the school’s robotics program. (Photo by: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

Improvements made Monday by the TVA Transmission Team illuminated the lighting need and spotlighted the value of helping hands to an inner city school facing multiple challenges in the quest to educate students.

Located at 241 Majuba Ave. in South Memphis, Riverview was one of six sites focused upon during what was dubbed an “Afternoon of Service.” Several dozen TVA retirees descended up the school.

Principal Rasheeda Cooperwood-Jemison, who was an assistant principal at Riverview last year, clearly was pleased about the visitors and their intent.

“We were fortunate to be selected by the Tennessee Valley Authority for their community service project,” said Cooperwood-Jemison, noting that the first word of the opportunity came via an email fielded by one of the school’s secretary. “The next thing I know they showed up and asked what we needed to have done here at the school.”

Was she used to someone showing up with such a let-me-help-you invitation?

“Absolutely not,” said Cooperwood-Jemison. “We really see it as a blessing. Sometimes our school can be forgotten about. Just the location; we’re not really off of a main street. We’re in the back of a neighborhood.”

The TVA Afternoon of Service brought improvements inside and outside to Riverview K-8. (Photo by: Karanja Ajanaku)

She had a wish list.

“The most important thing was to get some positive affirmations up in the restrooms. Things that students could read and that would speak life to them. …Everywhere they go we try to speak life into them and be positive.”

Since there is not a lot of adult supervision in the restrooms, she reasoned that positive messaging – like ‘You are beautiful. You are worthy. You are awesome. Hard work pays off’ – would re-enforce the ongoing effort.

Two Riverview staffers, Joyce Catron, general office secretary, and CIS Site Coordinator Tamika Williams were pivotal links that made Monday’s activity possible.

“They have boots on the ground. I’ve seen maybe 30 volunteers. They’re here in the school hands-on. They’re working in our locker rooms, they’ve made donations for our staff lounge, they’re doing the project in the restrooms, as well as beautification projects outside. Also, we’re receiving a donation for our Robotics cCub.”

The Robotics Club was started through a partnership with Mitsubishi, a community partner. Students will compete in robotics competition next spring.

“Mitsubishi has a hug factory not far from the school and a lot of people don’t even know about it. That’s why Mitsubishi wanted to partner with our school to get the students thinking beyond any part time job and thinking what does a career really look like in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in your own community.”

Tennessee Valley Authority retirees presented Riverview K-8 School Principal Rasheedah Cooperwood with a $1,000 check for the school’s robotics program. (Photo by: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

The helping hands come as the Riverview staff focuses on “moving the needle on academics for our students.”

Two years ago, Riverview was a Level 5 school for growth and achievement before dipping to Level 1 last year.

“We expect with our pushing to be right back at the Level 5,” she said. “It’s more than just performance on a test. We know that literacy is going to be the key for our students in impacting their future trajectory. We want to make sure they have all the opportunities.

“We know that Memphis is a city that’s changing. There are a lot of job opportunities and a lot of time people are not prepared. We really want to give them a solid foundation.”

Cooperwood-Jemison said she see’s herself in the Riverview’s students.

“I grew up in Buffalo, N.Y. in a neighborhood just like the neighborhood I am blessed to serve in. They’re students who have a lot of potential…These are children that just need an opportunity and they need to know that people care about them.”

Having the TVA volunteers onsite reaffirms the staff’s messaging to the students, she said.

“For us to say, ‘Hey, we love you. We care about you.’ They think that’s what we’re supposed to say because we work here. But to see all of these volunteers really does something to their spirits.”

Tequilla Hurt of TVA was instrumental in the selection of Riverview. A Wooddale High School graduate, she now lives in Chattanooga. When she heard of the principal’s request for affirmations, Riverview landed solidly on her selection list.

“TVA is here to serve. We’re part of the community. We want to help out and continue to build partnerships and hopefully there will be more to come.”

Jacinda Woodward, TVA’s senior vice president for power operations, echoed TVA’s commitment to service.

“Being able to serve the community here in Memphis is really important to us. We took this opportunity while we were out here (in Memphis) for a business meeting to also do some community service. …

“There were some things that were needed to be done that we could do. We have a lot of skilled and talented people that work at TVA….”

This article originally appeared in the New Tri-State Defender

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Early-voting window set to open for City Council District races

Don't Miss

CBLC celebrates second anniversary

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

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

1 month 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

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

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

1 month 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

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

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 …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.