by Robert H. Elliott
On Tuesday, July 8, 2008,
the Metropolitan Nashville
School Board voted by a 5 to 4
margin to implement the
Student Reassignment Plan.
This plan could lead to an
increase in the number of
schools with large minority student
majorities.
The NAACP has voiced its
strong reaction of no confidence
to this plan. It will not
resolve the problem of substandard
education and physical
plants for many pupils in the
school district. The lack of
funds from the NCLB legislation,
to fully implement the
program, has un-fairly put the
funding burden on Nashville
families.
Ms. Marilyn Robison
(President - Nashville NAACP)
said “I was surprised by the
vote because all we asked for
was additional time to review
the plan. We do not understand
this sense of urgency.” A
review of the board’s vote has
caused the local office to “call a
meeting with the National
Director of Field Operations
and Legal Consul to review the
rezoning plan and decide if we
are going to challenge the plan
in court.” Dr. Mebemin Awipi
(Chair of Education – NAACP)
has indicated a response from
the National Planning
Committee of the NAACP will
be forth coming.
The facts:
1. In September 2007 the
PRIDE Newspaper ran an article
detailing how the
Metropolitan Nashville Public
School district would come into
compliance with the “No Child
Left Behind” (NCLB) mandates
by initiating neighborhood
schools and improvements
to those schools.
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10th anniversary
John Merritt Classic
set for Sept. 6, 2008
by Cass F.L. Teague, Jr., EdD
Tennesee State University
announced at a press conference
at LP Field on Thursday, July 10
that they will once again host
their annual John Ayers Merritt
Classic in Nashville on the first
weekend of September, and this
year add a new wrinkle. This
year, however, the event does
not fall on the Labor Day
Weekend, as Labor Day falls on
Monday, September 1 this year.
The Tigers will travel to
Huntsville, Alabama to face the
Bulldogs of Alabama A & M on
Saturday, August 30 to open
their 2008 campaign. The
Tigers will then host the Jaguars
of Southern University in the
10th Anniversary John Ayers
Merritt Classic, entitled " The
Legacy of Merritt", on Saturday,
September 6, 2008 in their home
stadium, LP Field, at 6:00 pm.
TSU head football Coach
James Webster will have his Big
Blue Tigers fired up and ready to
face the visiting Jaguars of
Southern University, under their
head coach Pete Richardson.
Richardson is heading into his
16th season at the helm of SU,
with an overall record of 105
wins and 38 losses there. Last
season the Tigers went down to
Baton Rouge and lost a thriller
at A. W. Mumford Stadium 34-
41 after leading by three touchdowns
midway through the second
quarter. The Jaguars will
also open their schedule on the
road Saturday, August 30, at the
University of Houston in
Robertson Stadium at 6:00 pm.
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by Robert H. Elliott
On July 1, at the Hermitage
Precinct, the Nashville Police
Department welcomed the graduates
of the 21st Citizen Police
Academy upon the completion
of their training. These volunteer
citizens have spent months in
learning how the MNPD works
and about some of the training
officers go through to become a
member of the department.
With family and friends in
attendance the newest graduates
joined more than 1,000 citizens
who have taken it upon themselves
to better understand how
those who maintain order and
civility in our society are trained.
Opening remarks by Mayor
Karl Dean began with a short
overview of his first months in
office and some of the challenges
he faced. These challenges
included the ‘Predator’
negotiations and the break-in at
the election commission offices.
The theft of voter personal information
and the laptop were
solved when a droplet of blood
was found at the scene.
This evidence was sent to the
TBI labs for a DNA profile.
When that profile was compared,
an immediate match was
found and the burglary was
solved.
“Because of the investigators
excellent work, I am recommending
that MNPD have its
own DNA facility inside the
criminal laboratory,” said Dean.
“This is not because the TBI
does not do a great job, but they
handle requests from departments
all over the state. This
means that it can take several
weeks or months to get results
back and it makes sense for us to
have the ability to act faster than
we can now.”
Mayor Dean also announced
that MNPD would soon, for the
first time in five years, be at full
strength. This was greeted by a
vigorous nod from Police Chief
Ronal Serpas. Several graduates,
Felicia Fregene, Richard Baker,
Cesar Muedas and Vivian
Rinaldo, delivered appreciation
and remembrances tomes on
their experiences in the classes.
Then with CPA Coordinator
Michelle Crowder calling forth
the 53 graduates, Mayor Dean
and Chief Serpas handed out
class shirts, certificates and took
photographs to commemorate
the graduation.
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The U.S. Senate approved
legislation June 26, extending
jobless benefits. In a 92-6 vote,
the Senate approved the
Supplemental Appropriations
Act, 2008. Part of that package
temporarily extends unemployment
benefits up to 13 weeks.
The House passed the bill June
19, 416-12. The House and the
Senate sent the bill to President
Bush and he signed it June 30.
In Tennessee, the new bill
will affect approximately 50,000
people. The legislation provides
that the federal government will
pay 100% of the costs to extend
benefits. The money will not be
drawn from Tennessee’s unemployment
trust fund.
The Department of Labor &
Workforce Development is currently
reviewing files to determine
who may be eligible and
will notify these individuals by
mail. No one will be required to
come into a local Labor &
Workforce Development Office
or Career Center. Nor will they
be required to call the unemployment
claims center.
Once individuals receive an
application in the mail they can
submit their claim through the
mail if they are still unemployed.
Individuals who are
determined eligible should
expect to receive their first
extended unemployment compensation
payment in two to
three weeks.
Gov. Phil Bredesen signed
off on the legislation recently.
“This new legislation will
help unemployed Tennesseans
get back on the road to employment,”
said Bredesen. “It is
encouraging to see the Senate
and House have come together
to help those who have been
affected by the downturn in the
economy.”
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by Robert H. Elliott
A right-of-passage that started
after World War II may have
seen its demise in 2008. After
the war, with the production of
tanks switching back to cars, the
art of cruising by young veterans
and other young men became a
common occurrence on Friday
and Saturday nights. It was a
great way to show off your ride
and meet girls along the main
drag. However driving aimlessly
in a big loop, playing the latest
music and waving to your
friends has crashed and burned.
In cities that worshipped
cars, these cruising nights
became legend from Hollywood
Blvd. in Los Angeles to
Woodward Ave. in Detroit.
There you would find cars with
tricked-out paint jobs, futuristic
designs and hundreds of horsepower
to spare. Today the price
of gasoline has ended or drastically
reduced cruising even in
the American Graffiti town of
Modesto, California.
Police departments all over
the country are reporting that
cruising has greatly declined
since 2005. The reason: the high
cost of gasoline and the declining
number of teen-aged drivers.
The number of teen-agers coming
into the population was
already declining so the number
of teen-aged cruisers would have
been less anyway. The falling
economy, fewer summer jobs
and increasing fuel prices
together have put the brakes on a
60-year-old tradition.
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August sales tax holiday
approaching
Shop tax-free August 1-3
Tennessee’s third annual
August Sales Tax Holiday,
which gives back-to-school
shoppers the opportunity to purchase
certain clothing, school
and art supplies, and computers
free of Tennessee sales tax, will
begin on Friday, August 1.
“Getting ready to go back to
school is a busy, important time
for families to prepare their children
for success,” said Gov. Phil
Bredesen. “This Sales Tax
Holiday is an opportunity for
families to enjoy savings on
those items that kids need to be
ready for a successful school
year.”
The long weekend of savings
begins at 12:01 am on Friday,
August 1 and ends on Sunday,
August 3, at 11:59 pm. The
state’s dedicated Sales Tax
Holiday website, www.tntaxholiday.
com, has been updated with
new materials, including information
about exempt items, frequently
asked questions and
more.
Thurgood Marshall legacy
website launched
New York -- The Thurgood
Marshall College Fund (TMCF)
announced on the 100th birthday
of Thurgood Marshall Sr., the
launch of a new website, dedicated
to the life and legacy of
Justice Thurgood Marshall,
(www. t h u rgoodmarshalltribute.
org>). Marshall was most
notably known for his victory
during the landmark Brown vs.
Board of Education case as well
as being the first African
American to serve on the
Supreme Court of the United
States.
The Thurgood Marshall
Tribute site will serve as the premier
location of biographical
information including a life
timeline, photos, videos, speeches,
interviews and highlights of
Justice Marshall's accomplished
career. Additionally, this offering
will provide a special tribute
section that will include quotes
from celebrities, executives,
community leaders and the legal
community on how his work
impacted their lives.
"In the spirit of continuing
Justice Marshall's legacy of providing
access to education for
all, we continue to champion his
efforts and the creation of the
Thurgood Marshall Tribute site
is another vehicle for communicating this message," said
Dwayne Ashley, president
and CEO, Thurgood
Marshall College Fund.
Positioned as the premier
‘seek, ask and learn destination,’
the site will be maintained
by TMCF and will target
a diverse audience
including a special appeal to
Generations X and
Millennials. It is the goal of
the TMCF to increase the
public awareness of the enormous
impact Justice
Marshall provided for people
from all walks of life.
by Cass F.L. Teague, Jr., EdD
by Robert H. Elliott