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Volu m e 14

| Number 20 | September 16 - 30, 2020

2020

L a N ticia www.hispanicpaper.com

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Año 18 - No. 314

Nashville, Tennessee

Trump pone fin a la capacitación en diversidad 'anti-estadounidense'

Recientemente, me horroricé al enterarme que el presidente Trump había ordenado el fin del entrenamiento en diversidad y tolerancia racial en el gobierno de los Estados Unidos y lo calificó de propaganda “anti-americana”.

Por Goyo La Noticia

IN THE ISSUE Contribuidor La reacción en las redes sociales de muchos de mis compañeros blancos fue típica . "¿Por qué no podemos ser todos estadounidenses?" "¿Por qué siempre se trata del color?" "¡Cualquiera que trabaje duro puede triunfar!" "¡El sueño americano!" O el mismo cuento de siempre: “Estados Unidos no es racista, solo mira a (escriba el nombre de cualquier exitoso empresario negro aquí) Y, ¿qué con Obama? ¡Tuvimos un presidente negro! Eso lo prueba.

Pero no es así. El hecho de que las personas de color sean capaces de triunfar no significa que el racismo latente en el subconsciente de nuestra sociedad se haya mitigado de alguna manera y desaparecido. Desafortunadamente, demasiados estadounidenses blancos creen en lo que solo puede describirse como "mito", un Estados Unidos donde la historia se ha reescrito convenientemente para omitir gran parte de la verdad de nuestro pasado cuando se trata de personas de color. Para muchos de ellos, que alguien diga que debemos "centrarnos en ser estadounidenses y en lo que hace grande a Estados Unidos", es absurdo, ya que es dolorosamente obvio que ese no es ni ha sido nunca el caso para ellos.

Desde el 'Experimento Tuskegee' donde hombres negros fueron infectados deliberadamente con sífilis por el Servicio Nacional de Salud y se les permitió morir, hasta la exclusión de los veteranos negros de los beneficios del ‘GI Bill’ después de la Segunda Guerra

estadounidenses blancos han aceptado el "mito" aquel como verdad e historia y, por lo tanto, la gente pobre atrapada en "áreas y vecindarios malos donde el crimen es desenfrenado" están allí porque se niegan a trabajar duro y se aprovechan del "Sueño Americano" y las oportunidades abiertas a "todos". Y desde "El nacimiento de una Nación" que se mostró en la Casa Blanca de Woodrow Wilson hasta los programas de televisión y las noticias, incluso hoy, estas ideas se refuerzan gracias a los medios. Por lo tanto, se acepta subliminalmente sin lugar a dudas que la gente pobre de color tiene la culpa de sus propias situaciones desventajosas.

May 30: BLM Nashville Legislative Plaza rally and march in response to the death of George Floyd

Piénselo: a los ciudadanos negros que sirvieron en las fuerzas armadas, se les negaron los beneficios de una enorme donación gubernamental para los veteranos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el ‘GI Bill’ y, en consecuencia, se les negó la participación en el motor económico más grande de la historia del mundo que creó la clase media estadounidense. Para decirlo de otra manera, se les negó el "Sueño Americano”, una educación y el ser propietario de una vivienda. Y encima, durante décadas después de todo esto fueron marcados en rojo, con el guiño de aprobacion de nuestro gobierno; en ciertos vecindarios donde era imposible obtener un préstamo bancario o hipotecario, incluso teniendo el dinero, no podían mudarse de allí por convenios sancionados por el gobierno que impedían que cualquiera vendiera su

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada? 1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

por

Foto: Yuri Cunza

casa en otros vecindarios a familias negras. Todo esto ha dejado a familias negras, tres generaciones después, con una décima parte de la riqueza de una familia blanca equivalente.

Pero todos esos hechos, esa historia, simplemente se han escrito a partir de nuestra narrativa del "país más grande del mundo". Los estadounidenses blancos simplemente nunca aprendieron. ¡Imaginese! Hace cien años tuvo lugar la Masacre Racial de Tulsa. 300 estadounidenses negros fueron asesinados y su vecindario que se había ganado el nombre de “Black Wall Street” fue destruido por blancos enojados y celosos de su éxito. ¡Este año, 2020, será el primer año en que los niños aprendan sobre esto en las escuelas de Oklahoma! Durante 100 años ha permanecido en un hueco de la memoria como si simplemente nunca hubiera sucedido. Es por eso que necesitamos esa formación en diversidad que el presidente quiere poner fin. Porque, muchas veces sin siquiera saberlo, la mayoría de los

Necesitamos aprender cómo hemos vivido a menudo en la ignorancia de las acciones de nuestro gobierno, los estereotipos de los medios de comunicación y el racismo sistémico que engendraron y, en consecuencia, cómo hemos sido privilegiados sin siquiera darnos cuenta, sin importar quiénes o cuántos años tengamos. Y cómo estas ideas han coloreado nuestras interacciones y suposiciones en la vida cotidiana, y terminan por subvertirnos. En un futuro no muy lejano, el proverbial “crisol de culturas” de Estados Unidos será condimentado con un caleidoscopio de colores sin mayoría absoluta por primera vez. Todos necesitamos mirar hacia adentro, escuchar y aprender honestamente, sea como sea, para poder dejar de lado las suposiciones, los estereotipos y los prejuicios que, sin saberlo, podemos albergar unos contra otros. Sólo entonces podremos realmente "enfocarnos en ser estadounidenses" y vivir como pro-mete la Constitución para que Estados Unidos, en toda su gloriosa diversidad, pueda ser verdaderamente "grande".

Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Erik Flynn

Greg J. Welsch es Gerente General de Radio Free Nashville WRFN 103.7fm radiofreenashville.org Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com

Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

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“I don’t have no family... This is my family. So yeah, the people out there that come by — they don’t have to, but they do.”

Contributor vendor Vicky Batcher has been selected to become a member of the Homelessness Planning Council.

In this issue, vendors write about virtual school, faith in God, and how it feels when you’re prevented from voting.

La Noticia, one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers in the nation, brings Spanish content to The Contributor.

Contributors This Issue

Amanda Haggard • Linda Bailey • Hannah Herner • May Hartness • Israel Bayer • Alvine • Joe Nolan • Mr. Mysterio • Norma B. • John H. • William B. • Anthony G. • Paul A. • Tyrone M. • Carl J. • Deanna H. • Yuri Cunza • Greg J. Welsch

Contributor Volunteers Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Ann Bourland • Patti George • John Jennings • Janet Kerwood • Logan Ebel • Christine Doeg • Laura Birdsall • Nancy Kirkland • Mary Smith • Andrew Smith • Ellen Fletcher • Richard Aberdeen • Shayna Harder Wiggins • Pete MacDonald • Robert Thompson

Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Hannah Herner Staff Writer Jesse Call Housing Navigator Raven Lintu Housing Navigator Barbara Womack Advertising Manager

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Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom WIlls Contributor Co-Founders

Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed. The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate. Submissions may be emailed to: editorial@thecontributor.org Requests to volunteer, donate, or purchase subscriptions can be emailed to: info@thecontributor.org Please email advertising requests to: advertising@thecontributor.org

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V E N D O R S P O T L I G H T: M I C H A E L W.

Vendor Spotlight: Michael W. finds new family, envisions a new future IMAGES AND STORY BY HANNAH HERNER When Michael W. was in his 20s, he and his father built a log cabin in Dover, Tenn. It was his mother’s dream to have the house and some land to retire to. When his mom passed, she left it in Michael’s name. It was her intention for that to be his forever, but things didn’t go that way. Michael’s first job was raising rabbits. He’s worked a bunch of different trades in his life, before starting at The Contributor back in 2008, the year the paper was founded. He’s been selling at his spot at Woodmont Boulevard and Harding Pike for two years now. “With my learning disability, they told my mom I needed a hobby doing something where I wouldn’t get bored,” he says. “So she thought, ‘OK, we’ll get you some rabbits, that’ll be something for you to take care of. I would have my rabbits and dad would buy chickens, I would take care of those. Whatever we had, that was my job for me to maintain. I got used to the wildlife. You could say I’ve probably worked all my lifetime doing something.” The mother Michael talks about had raised him since he was 10 years old. His biological mother left so quickly after his birth that her name isn’t even on his birth certificate. As a young child he was raised in Illinois by his

grandmother and his father — when his father wasn’t on the road as a truck driver. Michael hated the job’s taking his father away so much that he never learned to drive. Michael’s learning disability qualified him for special education classes throughout school, and makes a more traditional job difficult in adulthood — too many tasks overwhelm him. “People say, ‘why don’t you want to go back to work?’ I did all that,” he says. “This is my job. I like doing this. Yeah, I have to stand out there in the cold, rain, in the heat. But sometimes it pays off. Especially around Christmastime. People think they have it hard. Walk in my shoes growing up.” His first-ever job also grew in him an appreciation of the animals who live near where he camps these days. “Yes, I have rats, racoons and birds,” he says. “That’s just nature. I say ‘You have neighbors, I have neighbors. They’re just four-legged ones.’” Aside from his animals, Michael also loves to talk about his bike. He was saving up for one when a customer gave him one as a gift. Other customers have stepped up to help him with repairs. It saves him bus money.

The family members who looked out for Michael are gone now. His Uncle Rick, who lived in Bellevue and would stop by to check on him periodically, died earlier this year. He misses having people who remember his birthday. He turns 53 on Sept. 27. “I tell every kid, treasure your mother and father because one day they might not be here,” Michael says. “There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t miss my real mom and Nancy and my dad and my grandmother. There’s not a day I don’t miss them.” Michael values the connections he has with Green Hills-area business owners and his customers. He loves to be able to stop in those businesses, get a drink and get a short break from the elements, and feel welcome. It means alot to him when people notice if he misses a day, if they worry about him, or ask him if he needs something. “I don’t have no family,” he says, choking up. “This is my family. So yeah, the people out there that come by — they don’t have to, but they do.” He’ll sometimes get frustrated when he’s been at his spot for two and three hours and nobody stops or even makes eye contact. He’ll pray that God send him just one person who

PAGE 4 | September 16 - 30, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

will roll down their window. And one always comes, he says. Michael has had multiple homes foreclosed on in the past, starting with the log cabin that he and his dad built. Rather than risking loss again, he decided to camp instead. He feels confident in his ability to survive in those conditions. Michael was not interested in being connected with a social worker about affordable housing for years. But he’s recently softened to the idea of getting into housing. And he’s trying to get a government phone so he can stay in touch with people better — and so he can submit pictures of wildlife to the paper. “This year I’m going to be 53. My dad died when he was 70. He died at home. We don’t know how long we’re going to be on this Earth,” he says. “I could live past 70, but I don’t want to die in a hospital. I’d rather die indoors, or if I have to die outdoors that’s fine too. But either way I want something where I can say ‘this is mine, while I’m here.’” If he can get some resources in order, he’s also floated the idea of getting a small piece of land and building a house on it. He’d like to live out his mother’s dream and have his own forever home.

NEWS

NEWS BRIEFS Be Better Belmont to host town hall about for-profit prison partnerships

TDHS awards COVID-19 grant assistance to 656 nonprofits

Be Better Belmont, a coalition of students, alumni and community members, is hosting a virtual town hall on Oct. 7 and asking Belmont University’s President Bob Fisher to attend. The discussion will be focused on for-profit prisons and their relationship with Belmont. The group has collected signatures and issued a letter of demands to the university asking for them to divest of any relationships or financial involvement with private prisons. They’ve also asked for Belmont to take a harder look at systemic racism on campus, among other things. “I am excited for this event because it will be a time Belmont students, alumni and community members come together to discuss major systemic change with people who dedicate their life to these efforts,” Be Better Belmont leadership member and Belmont alum, Safara Parrott, said in a press release. “Having Dr. Fisher there would bring him to a table that wasn’t built by Belmont and would put him in a position to truly listen.” The panel for the event includes 2020 U.S. Senate candidate Robin Kimbrough, Rev. Davie Tucker Jr., a Georgetown University GU727 Advocacy Team founding member Mélisande Short-Colomb, Beech Creek Missionary Baptist Church Pastor and Director of the Center for Equity, Change, & Sustainability and Cathy Carillo of MIX Nashville, a grassroots activist organization that advocates for immigrant rights, among other causes. The town hall will occur on Oct. 7 from 7-8:30 p.m. and will be accessible to all for free through YouTube Live. Be Better Belmont asks attendees to register through Eventbrite to receive the link and event updates. Find more information at bebetterbelmont.com.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services awarded 656 nonprofit organizations across the state grants for their work serving communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants were provided through the new Tennessee Community CARES Program — awards ranged from from $25,000 to as large as $2 million. Money went to organizations working with people who’ve experienced economic hardship due to COVID-19, along with assistance for vulnerable populations, housing assistance, food relief, educational support for virtual learning activities, public health activities, and essential supplies to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Financial Stimulus Accountability Group is a bipartisan group that has overseen the distribution of hundreds of millions of federal and state dollars to local governments. Its members include Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Sen. Raumesh Akbari, Sen. Bo Watson, Rep. Harold Love, Rep. Pat Marsh, Comptroller Justin Wilson and Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley. Organizations serving as grant administrators include the United Way of Greater Chattanooga, United Way of Greater Knoxville•United Way of Greater Nashville, United Way of the Mid-South, Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. State to use CARES Act funding to train police officers Gov. Bill Lee announced in early September a plan to use $300,000 in CARES Act funding will go toward 90

cadet scholarships for the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy. “Through this partnership, our state has created one of the most comprehensive and collaborative law enforcement advancements in recent Tennessee history while also working to recruit top-tier talent to our force,” said Gov. Lee. “I am confident the outcomes of this partnership will help ensure our law enforcement officials are effectively protecting communities across the state while serving every Tennessean with dignity and respect.” Gov. Lee announced the Law Enforcement Reform Partnership on July 2, 2020 and charged them with providing recommendations by early September. Members of that group include people serving in the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association, state legislators and community leaders. Additions to training included in the training academy include: • Increasing the minimum training hours from 400 to 488 hours • Updating curricula to require a minimum of 16 course hours designed for relevant policing concepts such as proper use of force and emphasizing positive community and officer interactions • Annual in-service training updates, including a total of ten hours dedicated to the following topics • De-escalation Techniques and Duty to Intervene • Officer Wellness • Public Assembly and Community Interaction • Designated Community Immersion

2020 VOTING

The last Day to Register to Vote in the Nov. 3, 2020 election is Monday, Oct. 5th, 2020. For further information Call the Davidson County Election Commission at: 615-862-8800 The Deadline to request a MAIL-IN BALLOT is Tuesday Oct. 27, 2020. Early Voting Starts Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020 through Thursday Oct. 29, 2020. September 16 - 30, 2020, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

Why Johnny STILL can't read? 3 out of 4 children in Tennessee cannot read at grade level. Find out why at N2Reading. com or check out N2Reading on Facebook.

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. First published in 1941, this series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

15th Wednesday after Trinity The less it thinketh that it loveth or seeth God the nearer it nigheth for to perceive the gift of the blessed love. For then is love master, and worketh in the soul, and maketh it for to forget itself, and for the see and behold only how love doth. And then is the soul more suffering than doing, and that is clean love. Walter Hylton: The Scale of Perfection.

Loving, it [the Soul] flies, runs, and rejoices; it is free and is not restrained. Thomas à Kempis: Imitation.

15th Thursday after Trinity Love does not consist in great sweetness of devotion, but in a more fervent determination too strive to please God in all things, in avoiding, as fas as possible, all that would offend Him, and in praying for the increase of the glory and honour of his Son and for the growth of the Catholic Church. St Teresa: The Interior Castle. But the blessed Anthony knelt Down upon his knees on the ground, and prayed before Him Who said, "Before thou criest unto Me, I will answer thee" (Isaiah lxv, 24), and said, "O my Lord, this I entreat Thee: let not Thy love be blotted out from my mind, and behold, I am, by Thy grace, innocent before Thee." St Athanasius: Life of St. Anthony.

15th Friday after Trinity

St. Thomas says the active life is better than the life of contemplation, so far as we actually spend in charity the income we derive from contemplation. It is all the same thing; we have but to root ourselves in this same ground of contemplation to make it fruitful in works, and the object of contemplation is achieved. Eckhart: Sermons and Collations.

Love is as strong as death; but nothing else is as strong either; and both, love and death, met in Christ. How strong and powerful upon you then should that instruction be, that comes to you from both these, the love and death of Christ Jesus! Donne: Sermons.

15th Saturday after Trinity He showed me a little thing, the quantity of an hazel-nut, in the palm of my hand; and it was as round as a ball. I looked thereupon with eye of my understanding, and thought "What may this be?" And it was generally answered thus: "It is all that is made." I marvelled how it might last, for methought it might suddenly have fallen to naught for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: "It lasteth, and ever shall last for that God loveth it." And so all thing hath the Being by the love of God. Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

whereby it is his pleasure to do us good . . . This is the cause why, as none of the promises of God do fail, so the most are in such sort brought to pass, that, if we after condiser the culprit, wherein the steps of his providence have gone, the due consideration thereof cannot choose but draw from us the selfsame words of astonishment, which the blessed Apostle hath: "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God!" Hooker: Sermons.

The Feast of St. Matthew The Apostle [Of the Lord's Prayer] Many folk, as servants and herdsmen, have more will to pray for special reward that they covet here, than as true sons for the love and the pleasing of our father, God of heaven: and so they set more their likings and business in a private prayer, made of man . . . than they do in this general prayer made of God Himself; the which without a doubt is most pleasing to Him and most speedful to us. And therefore they be deceived in many manners. The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ. tr. by Nicholas Love.

16th Tuesday after Trinity Philosophy said: "Every lot is good whether it be harsh or pleasing." And at this I was afraid and said: "What thou sayest is true: yet I know not who would dare to say so to foolish men, for no fool could believe it." Boethius: Consolations of Philosophy, translated by King Alfred. I say, as do all Christian men, that it is a Divine purpose that rules them and not Fate. Boethius: Consolations of Philosophy, translated by King Alfred. [Of Fortune or Luck] This is she who is continually cursed and blamed with bitter voices by those who should praise her; but she is blessed and does not hear; she turns her sphere among the other joyous creatures who were made first of all and there enjoys her bliss. Dante: Hell.

16th Wednesday after Trinity Now, I say, the very proper character, and essential tincture of God himself, is nothing else but goodness. And it is another mistake which sometimes we have of God, by shaping him out according to the model of our selves, when we make him nothing but a blind, dark, impetuous self will, running through the world; such as we ourselves are . . . that have not the ballast of absolute goodness to poise and settle us. Ralph Cudworth: Sermon before the House of Commons, 1647.

This and that are good; take away this and that, and see good in itself if thou canst; and so thou shalt see God, good not by any other good, but the good of every good. St Augustine: On the Trinity.

God's power displayed in the world, is nothing but his goodness strongly reaching all things, from height to depth . . . and irresistibly imparting itself to every thing according to those several degrees in which it is capable of it. Ralph Cudworth: Sermon before the House of Commons, 1647.

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

16th Thursday after Trinity

The Goodness of God is the highest prayer, and it cometh down to the lowest part of our need. It quickeneth our soul and bringeth it on life, and maketh it for to waxen in grace and virtue. It is nearest in nature; and readiest in grace: for it is the same grace that the soul seeketh, and ever shall seek till we know verily that he hath us all in himself beclosed. For he hath no despite of that he hat made, nor hath he any disdain to serve us at the simplest office that to our body belongeth in nature, for love of the soul that he hath made to his own likeness. For as the body is clad in the cloth, and the flesh in the skin, and the bones in the flesh, and the heart in the whole, so are we, soul and body, clad in the Goodness of God, and enclosed. Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New, which carrieth the greater benediction, and the clearer revelation of God's favour. Bacon: Essays; Of Adversity.

16th Monday after Trinity

If thou has a woe tell it not to the weakling, Tell it to thy saddle-bow and ride singing forth. Proverbs of King Alfred. "Thou thyself," he says, "must go through Christ's whole journey, and enter wholly into his process." Boehme: True Repentance. God glorifies in Himself God glorified in the Son of man. St Hilary, quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea.

16th Friday after Trinity

The more blest, the more curst, if we make his graces our own glory, without impression of all to him; whatsoever we have we steal, and the multiplication of God's favours doth but aggravate the crime of our sacrilege. He, knowing how prone we are to unthanfulness in this kind, tempereth accordingly the means,

Bees cannot stay in place where there are echoes or reboundings of voices; nor can the Holy Ghost remain in a house where there are a clamour, strife, contradictions and altercations. St Francis de Sales: The Devout Life.

The Truths of God are connatural to the soul of man, and the soul of man makes no more resistance to them than the air does to light. Benjamin Whichcote: Aphorisms.

16th Saturday after Trinity Christ went before by nature, and we come after by grace. His nature is more worthy than grace, and grace is more worthy than our nature. And in this he letteth us know fully that we may on no wise follow him to the mount of perfection, as it ought to be in the use of this work, unless we be stirred and led by grace; and that is full truth. The Epistle of Privy Counsel. All truth is shadow except the last truth. But all truth is substance in its own place, though it be but a shadow in another place. And the shadow is a true shadow, as the substance is a true substance. Isaac Pennington.

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity A brother asked Abba Poemen, saying, "Tell me, why is it that when I offer repentance to a brother who is wroth with me I do not see him pleased with me?" The old man said unto him, "Tell me truly: when thou offerest to him repentance, dost thou not think that thou art not doing it because thou hast sinned against him, but because of the commandment?" And the brother said unto him, "It is even thus." The old man said unto him, "Because of this God doth not permit him to be pleased with thee, and because thou dost not offer repentance to him in fulfilment of thine own desire, but as if thou hadst not sinned against him, but he had sinned against thee." The Paradise of the Fathers. For the sake of each of us he laid down his life . . . He demands of us in return our lives for the sake of each other. St Clement.

17th Monday after Trinity Now forasmuch as God hath so furnished the world, that there is no good thing needful but the same is also possible to be had; justice is the virtue whereby that good which wanteth in ourselves we receive inoffensively at the hands of others. Hooker: Sermons. We must be always on our guard lest under pretext of keeping one commandment we be found breaking another. St Basil: The Longer Rules.

17th Tuesday after Trinity The man who wishes to prove himself always in the right, in everything that he does, sees, hears, and discusses, and who will not give way and be silenced, will never be at peace in himself, and will have a barren, sullen, and wandering mind; he will prey upon himself, even though he be left in peace by all, and is tried by no outward pressure. Tauler: Sermons. Oh, the dignity, the DIGNITY of mediocre souls! I have known it for a long time, this sinister mockery of my Saviour crucified! Léon Bloy: Letters to his Fiancée.

The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels God which moveth mere natural agents as an efficient only, doth likewise move intellectual creatures, and especially his holy angels: for beholding the face of God, in admiration of so great excellency they all adore him; and being rapt with the love of his beauty, they cleave inseparably for ever unto him. Desire to resemble him in goodness maketh them unweariable and even unsatiable in their longing to do by all means all manner good unto all the creatures of God, but especially unto the children of men: in the countenance of whose nature, looking downward, they behold themselves beneath themselves; even as upward, in God, beneath whom themselves are, they see that character which is nowhere but in themselves and us resembled. Hooker: Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.

The Cause of all is not one, as one among many, but before every one and every multitude, and it determines every one and every multitude. Dionysius the Areopagite: On The Divine Names.

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September 16 - 30, 2020, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

NEWS

We Can Fix This ‘CONTRIBUTOR’ VENDOR VICKY BATCHER JOINS HOMELESSNESS PLANNING COUNCIL BY MAY HARTNESS Contributor vendor Vicky Batcher has been selected to become a member of the Continuum of Care Homelessness Planning Council. Batcher, a vendor who writes often for the paper, says she is honored to serve the homelessness community in her role as a member. “Homelessness shouldn’t be a way of life,” Batcher says. “We can fix this. Make homelessness a thing of the past for future generations.” Batcher believes that her lived experience of homelessness will bring a new perspective to the council. She hopes to help others “get back up on their feet” in shorter amounts of time, eventually finding a home they love just as much as she loves her new apartment. “My kitchen floor is on a down slope.” Batcher says. “But I don’t mind it too much. I wake up every morning and I get goose bumps. I think, “‘Wow, I’m still here.’”

In October of 2019, seven months after submitting her application for housing, Batcher received word that she was next on the waitlist for an apartment in Hadley Park Towers. By November of that same year, she moved out of the RV she had lived in for the past 18 months. She now had a new place to call her own. Although she’s been at Hadley Park for several months now, Batcher recently made the decision to unpack the rest of her belongings and begin decorating the walls in her own style. “It’s like I’ve been waiting for the curse,” Batcher says. “For years my boys and I would move somewhere, only to get evicted whenever we really started to feel at home. It was like as soon as we would put something on the walls, we would have to leave.” Batcher says she was hesitant — waiting to hear the all-too-familiar heavy knock at the door, signaling that it was time for her to move on.

But no one’s come knocking. And, because of her work at The Contributor, Batcher’s rent is paid up through the beginning of spring, and her internet and cell phone bill are paid up, too. “The Contributor has opened so many doors,” Batcher says. “And they even helped me get unemployment when the tornado hit and the coronavirus started. But I didn’t want to spend the money I got from unemployment. I wanted to use it to pay up on things so I would have security, knowing there wouldn’t be a knock on my door anytime soon.” At Hadley Park, residents pay rent based on their financial situation, with some paying $25 if that’s what correlates to their income. Batcher thinks this personalized system makes sense, and she wishes people knew that Nashville needs more affordable housing. She wishes people knew that increased wages would help the city prosper.

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For her, Nashville is home, and she wants to see this city become the best version of itself. When asked what her favorite thing about Nashville is, she answered, “The people,” without hesitation. “These people don’t wait; when they see a problem they get in there and fix it themselves. We saw that in the 2010 flood and I’ve seen that in my personal life.” The people of Nashville keep Batcher motivated and inspired to work and write, and she can’t wait for life to get back to normal again. She looks forward to showing others her new home, decorated exactly how she and her dog, Faith, like it. She hopes that guests can come over for the holidays to taste her famous Christmas candy and cookies, and she excitedly anticipates the day when her home is filled with friends and baked goods, even if they were made on a slightly sloped kitchen floor.

TOUGH TIMES CALL FOR COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY CARE FUND CAN HELP YOU PAY OVERDUE BALANCES ON YOUR POWER BILL.

Devastating storms, a pandemic and an economic downturn have made it difficult for some of our customers to pay their bills. Thankfully, in Nashville, we look after our own. NES and TVA have teamed up to create the Community Care Fund, matching contributions worth $350,000 to help pay down bills for customers financially affected by COVID-19. The Community Care Fund is managed by NeedLink Nashville. You can apply online at NeedLink.org; or, if you’re 75 or older and have no way to apply online, call (615) 269-6835. This is a tough season, but we’re in a resilient city— helping each other every step of the way.

A PPLY AT N E E D LI N K .O RG O R CA LL (615) 736 - 69 0 0 FO R M O R E D E TA I L S .

COMMUNITY IS OUR TRUE POWER

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September 16 - 30, 2020, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

8/20/20 9:48 AM

COVER STORY

U.S. housing advocate Diane Yentel on housing in America: Where do we go from here? BY ISRAEL BAYER Diane Yentel is the President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a membership organization dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that ensures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes. She is one of America’s leading voices on housing and homelessness. A veteran housing policy expert, Yentel’s footprint can be found in every part of the country. From advocating for low-income renters by testifying in front of Congress, to educating the wider public on how to

support a broader housing justice movement on major TV news outlets and on social media, Yentel and her organization’s work is a force of nature. We sat down and talked to Yentel about the eviction and housing crisis in America, what’s at stake in the upcoming Presidential election, the intersection of racial and climate justice with housing, and what readers can do about it. Tens of millions of Americans now find themselves facing both a public health and

housing crisis. Can you paint us a picture of how we got here, what’s happening on the ground and what the answers are? Diane Yentel: To understand the eviction crisis now, we have to recognize where we were before COVID-19 emerged in our country. We were already in the middle of a severe affordable housing crisis — where we have a shortage of seven million apartments affordable and available to the lowest income people. Another way of saying this is that for every 10 of the lowest income renters in the United States there are fewer than

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four affordable apartments available. As a result of this shortage we have 10 million very low-income households, or about 25 million people that are paying at least half of their income towards rent each month. Many are paying much more. In some cases, people are paying 60, 70, 80 percent of their income just to have a roof over their heads. When people have a limited income to begin with, and you’re paying so much for a place to call home, you’re always one financial emergency away from missing rent and potentially being evicted and, even worse, becoming homeless.

COVER STORY For many of these same renters the coronavirus is that financial emergency. They’ve lost jobs, they’ve lost hours at work and they’ve lost wages. It’s harder than ever for people to cobble together enough money to pay the rent. The recent national moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent is long overdue and badly needed. As we have said for five months, the very least the federal government ought to do is assure each of us that we won’t lose our homes in the middle of a global pandemic: The administration’s action would do so and will provide relief from the growing threat of eviction for millions of anxious families. The eviction moratorium is an essential step, but it’s still a half-measure that extends a financial cliff for renters to fall off of when the moratorium expires and back rent is owed. This action delays, but does not prevent, evictions. Congress and the White House must get back to work on negotiations to enact a COVID-19 relief bill with at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance. Together with a national eviction moratorium, this assistance would keep renters stably housed and small landlords able to pay their bills and maintain their properties during the pandemic. If Congress doesn’t act, as many as 30-40 million renters are still at-risk of losing their homes at the end of the year. The federal government must ensure that individuals and families aren’t going to lose their homes at anytime during a public health emergency. What’s at stake in the upcoming election in November? The housing crisis can’t be solved without intervention at all levels of government. Many of us have asked for many years: What’s it going to take for policy makers to actually prioritize the needs of low-income renters? When you look at the difference between who votes in elections it’s very obvious what it’s going to take. Higher income homeowners vote at a much higher rate than low-income renters. It’s a stark difference. It’s not enough to say I’m a constituent, or an advocate. Policy makers know who votes in their community and who doesn’t. That’s who they listen too, and that’s how they prioritize the policies they are going to advance. Until we change the equation of who votes we will never get policy makers to prioritize at the scale we need them to for solutions to end homelessness. Changing that equation changes everything. There are a lot of reasons why low-income renters don’t vote at the same rate of higher income homeowners. Outright voter suppression, Election Day being on a workday and election sites in low-income communities oftentimes being understaffed all contribute to lower voter turnout for low-income renters. No one should have to face the loss of hours and wages to wait in a long line to vote. There are structural changes that need to happen to our country’s voting system to actually make it possible for low-income renters and people experiencing homelessness to really participate in democracy. Still, there is a lot we can do now to get people to register and vote. We have to find a way to empower and enable low-income renters to register and show up to vote. We have to be seen as the powerful voting block we are to accomplish the change we seek. Knowing the country was already facing a housing and homelessness crisis prior to the pandemic, you become president of the United States in January 2021. What do you do both practically in the short-term, and systemically long-term to support housing justice in America? The most important and consequential thing a president can do to impact housing in our country is adequately staff the agencies responsible for overseeing housing systems in our country with people that care about low-income housing and renters. This administration has shown the consequences of when that doesn’t happen. When you have somebody that doesn’t have the expertise over the programs they oversee, you know those things can be overcome and learned, but this administration has outright disdain for the people our housing programs serve. It’s

their feet. The list goes on. The federal government consistently leaves low-income Americans behind in recovery. This has tremendous longterm impacts on individuals and families. As disasters become more and more frequent due to climate change, we must have recovery systems that center racial equity and low-income renters, or the country will just continue to lose ground as we leave more and more people behind. Our recovery system has been designed to meet the needs of white middle class people who have money in the bank. It never even contemplated low-income and marginalized people and the many needs people have for recovery, not to mention the potential loss of already existing housing stock from the disasters themselves. Our disaster recovery system in America is broken. We need change.

had tremendous harmful consequences. The first thing the president should do, if I were president, is to make sure we have someone in charge of housing systems that cares about the people who need affordable housing and that are homeless and understands the changes that are needed for people to have access to that housing. The next most consequential thing a president can do is make the case to the country of why affordable housing is so essential, and why housing justice is achievable, and to really educate the country about supporting individuals and families having decent, safe and affordable housing. Then putting out a budget that actually meets those needs by requesting from Congress the level of funding we actually need to end homelessness and the housing crisis in our country. Can you talk to readers about the intersections of housing and racial justice? Housing justice and racial justice are deeply intertwined. They are two sides of the same coin. We can’t achieve one without the other. We have in our country a history of racist housing policies from redlining and restrictive zoning that have purposively put home ownership out of reach for Black Americans. These policies have helped create a massive wealth gap where the average white household has 12 times the wealth than the average black household. It’s created enormous housing disparities in our housing systems where black and brown people are disproportionately likely to be renters, to be rent burdened, to be low-income, and to be homeless. Black people make up 13% of the American population yet make up 40% of the homeless population and 50% of families experiencing homelessness. That doesn’t happen by accident. That’s decades of purposeful and racist policies that had led to these outcomes. In order to reverse the harm that’s been done we have to center racial equity in our solutions to homelessness and poverty. For example, with COVID-19 where tens of billions of dollars are going to local communities. How do we ensure we are centering racial equity in response? We do it by directing those resources to people experiencing homelessness and to extremely low-income renters and people experiencing homelessness. Climate change continues to have a disproportionate impact on poor people around the globe. We continue to see an enormous uptick in natural disasters in America. Can you talk about the connection to housing and climate change? The connection to housing and climate change is very clear. Disaster after disaster, low-income communities and the most marginalized people are those most harmed. They are least able to evacuate prior to a disaster and they are least able to recover afterwards. Many people sometimes don’t have the social network to be able to get back on

Are there ways people can be talking to their family and friends who may not always agree that housing is an important public infrastructure to maintain a healthy society? It really depends on who you talk to and knowing your audience. There are a lot of different ways to approach these conversations. I think especially right now during COVID-19 many people understand the connection between our own lives, healthcare and housing in a new way. It’s a good entry point. Some people who may have understood the connection intellectually in the past can now see and feel it in a much more intentional way. We know our collective health depends on our ability to stay home. Many people recognize the stake that we all have to ensure that tens of millions of people don’t lose their homes in this pandemic. I think starting there can open a new conversation about how all people should have the ability to be affordably and safely housed, regardless of their circumstance. Some people are moved by the moral argument and it’s a really strong one to make. Housing is human right, and we should continue to say so. Still, that’s not going to bring everyone in. With others, there’s a very strong economic case to be made. Again, in this moment we understand just how important the idea of home is. We know not having a home not only harms the individual, but it also harms the community. We all pay for things like evictions and homelessness in the long-term. Inaction is expensive. We pay to allow homelessness to persist. We pay for it through increased healthcare costs, we pay for it through lower educational attainment, we pay for it through less lifetime earnings and less taxes paid. We pay for it in all sorts of ways. What if we paid for it by keeping people stably housed? What can everyday people be doing right now to engage and support a housing justice movement nationally in America? They can call their member of Congress. It’s the first and last thing I would ask everyone to do, and to not be afraid to do it. You don’t have to know everything. You are an expert and have your own experience and that’s the most powerful thing to share with your member of Congress. That may mean you’re calling to talk about your own housing insecurity, or the housing insecurity of a friend or family member or someone you know. That’s a powerful story in itself that your members of Congress need to hear, and they need to hear it frequently. Ask them to do something about the housing crisis, in this case, ask them to pass $100 billion in emergency rent assistance. Call them again the following week and ask them what they’ve done to follow up, and then call them again. Now is the time to hold Congress accountable! Israel Bayer is the director of the International Network of Street Papers North America, a regional bureau of the International Network of Street Papers representing street papers in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Twitter @IsraelBayer | Courtesy of INSP.ngo

September 16 - 30, 2020, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

LOCAL ACTIVISM

Nashville’s teachers union along with educators, parents and students from across the state organized a Car Caravan through downtown Nashville on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2020 to demand Governor Lee and State Education Comissioner Penny Schwinn do more to protect public school employees and students from COVID-19. Specifically, they are asking that the state keep all schools online until the health data supports returning to buildings. They’re also asking for a statewide mask mandate and for more funding for school districts. Amanda Kail (Top Left), a middle school teacher in Nashville and president of the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, says that teachers want to be back in the classroom, but that critical funding and support is lacking. “If the Governor truly wants us back in the buildings, we need more support from the top. We need a statewide mask mandate to bring the infection rate down to where it is actually safe to be back in a building, and we need more funding and support to ensure every school district has what it needs for a safe return. That means more than just providing masks and hand sanitizer. We need the funding to fix broken ventilation systems, increase salaries to recruit enough teachers to lower class sizes, and make sure every school in Tennessee is staffed with a nurse. It means having enough instructional materials that students don’t have to share one class set of books.” | PHOTOS BY ALVINE

PAGE 12 | September 16 - 30, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

MOVING PICTURES

‘Marlon Riggs: 7 Films’ THE BLACK GAY CINEMA OF MARLON RIGGS IS COMING OUT ON STREAMING BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC Pioneering Black gay filmmaker Marlon Riggs was an undergrad at Harvard when he had two realizations: He was gay, and he wanted to use film to communicate the ideas that were forming in his growing social conscience. This month the OVID platform is bringing Riggs’ still provocative and forever beautiful filmography to a streaming service for the very first time. OVID is an online collaboration between some of the most prestigious independent film distributors in the world, and the platform’s strictly-indie slate of docs, films and international selections makes OVID feel like The Criterion Channel’s edgier, less mainstream little sister. Riggs’ movies vary from brief shorts to short features, and their content is as experimental as their forms. Riggs’ multimedia aesthetics combine

poetry, dance, still photography, text, dramatic monologues, singing and interview footage to create experimental documentaries that capture not only actual people and their real stories, but also the sensual experiences of love and activism in the American gay communities that struggled for liberation in the middle of the deadly AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Riggs focused his lens on the experience of the Black gay men like himself. One of the Riggs’ primary themes is the persistent homophobia found in many Black communities. But he was also quick to skewer that part of the gay community that ostracized HIV positive men before learning how to care for and champion them. All people of color can be “othered,” but what if you’re also a gay man? What if you’re a person of color, who is also a gay

man, who is also HIV positive? Riggs’ cinema is intersectional in the smartest way: his subjects aren’t allowed to be cyphers standing-in for some supposedly-monolithic social or racial group. The people in Riggs’ films are specific individuals that any viewer can recognize as unique people relating unique experiences. Riggs understood that he had to push past clumsy labels so that viewers could recognize the humanity they shared with him and the people he filmed. The results are movies that can be simultaneously novel and familiar, shocking and reassuring. Tongues Untied is Riggs’ masterpiece: a feast of multimedia cinema that investigates the complicated intersection of romance and activism for people whose relationships took place between the twin brutalities of police and plague. Tongues Untied demonstrates that activism

and being sexually active were practically inseparable for Black gay men in the 1980s. The film opens with the poetic chant of “brother to brother” repeating over slow motion black-and-white images of black men shooting hoops on a blacktop basketball court. The poetry recited on the soundtrack contrasts with title card texts of words like “murder” and “crack” and footage of riots and looting. Tongues Untied is a film about speaking truth to power when it comes to race and sexual orientation. And an instructional video that gives viewers lessons on how to snap their fingers like a true diva is the most iconic sequence in Riggs’ catalog. A lot of Riggs’ work was made for television and many of the works on OVID this month were shot on video and first aired on PBS. The look of the medium

September 16 - 30, 2020, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

dates these movies, but not in a bad way — it’s a concrete reminder that these are genuine documents from the front lines of both the gay liberation movement and the AIDS crisis in America in the 1980s. More importantly, they’re the Black version of those revolutions. And most importantly they’re Marlon Riggs’ version. Riggs and the men confessing, caressing, dancing, singing and declaring in the frames of these films won’t soon be forgotten. Riggs died of complications from AIDS in 1994. He was 37. Marlon Riggs: 7 Films is currently streaming on OVID. Go to ovid. tv to start a free 14-day trial

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.

Advertisers of The Contributor put their marketing dollars to work in lives of Nashvilleâ€™s most vulnerable community. If your business is exploring cause marketing opportunties, consider partnering with The Contributor. Contact 615-499-6829 / barbara@thecontributor.org PAGE 14 | September 16 - 30, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

FUN

HOBOSCOPES VIRGO

The light’s changing again, Virgo. The days are getting shorter and everything is a little yellow and bleak. This time of year always makes me think of the past. I wake up remembering other September mornings from forever ago. If one of those former fall feelings comes for you, I say follow it. Try to remember what it felt like then. Who you were and what you cared about most. See what’s there that you can bring back with you.

LIBRA

You’ve probably realized by now, Libra, that here are two kinds of people in this world. For decades, I thought I was a toaster-oven person. I mean, why not? It’s like a little tiny oven that you put near your regular oven and use to make toast and mini-pizzas and small kitchen fires. But now that I finally got a pop-up slot-toaster, I’m never going back. Sometimes you’re not the person you thought you were, Libra. There might be more to you than even you know.

SCORPIO

I put my halloween decorations up early this year, Scorpio. Maybe too early. Ok, it was back in April, if you really want to know. I guess it made me feel a little more in control to put a felt jack-o-lantern under my light switch and a foam glow-in-the-dark ghost on top of the microwave. My neighbors are probably glad that my plastic porch skeleton is finally becoming seasonally appropriate. I just thought I should remind you, Scorpio, that it’s always a good week to surround yourself with what you love.

SAGITTA R IUS

CAPRICORN

Apparently, I attempted to clean out my closet this weekend. I can tell because my f loor is now covered with all the things that used to be in my closet. I didn’t give up on this project so much as I just ran out of steam. I had a lot of energy when I started, but I used it all on alphabetizing all the CDs I found and I didn’t have any left for getting all the unopened fundraising letters off of my bed. Sometimes, Capricorn, you have to finnish what you started. Even if that just means shoving everything under the desk until later.

AQUA RIUS

How many more times this year do you think I’ll have to mow my lawn? I thought it was slowing down, but then there was more rain and another little heat wave and now it’s getting out of hand again. Some things, Aquarius, we do because they need to be done. Even if it won’t solve the problem for good. Even if it will just grow back in a couple of weeks. Sometimes you just have to get out there and push.

PISCES

The moon, I am fairly certain, is a giant rock that constantly flies around the earth but for some reason never crashes into it. I’m sure I could spend some time learning about the moon and how gravity and orbital parameters work and then I could explain it to you, Pisces. But for today, let’s just appreciate every moment that big grey ball doesn’t bonk us on the heads or flatten our houses (I’m not really sure how big the moon is).

ARIES

There’s a tingle on my left ankle. Just above the sock. Kind of a repeating, staticky feeling. Like somebody is intermittently poking me with a feather. It’s the kind of little sensation that is easy to obsess over, but today I’m trying something different. Everytime I notice the little tingle, I just take it as a reminder that I have a body and that I am never fully in control. It’s a little scary. But if I really sit with it, it’s kind of comforting. Do you have a tingle on your left ankle, Sagittarius? Are you sure?

I always get a little melancholy this time of year. The summer starts to evaporate and everything just gets kind of thin and lonely. One thing that can help, Aries, is listening to the soundtracks of fantasy movies. I made a playlist. I can stare out my front door and feel like there’s a world of elves and wizards and we’re all reluctantly preparing to wander into the wood or plum the depths of the mountain or maybe just disappear into the west. Another thing you can do if you feel lonely, Aries, is call somebody who’s voice you want to hear. I’m around this afternoon.

TAURUS

Sure, you know me as your amateur astrologer, but you may not realize that I’ve also dabbled in other methods of divination. I’ve tried augury, where you look for signs in the f light formations of birds, but I never could tell a starling from a grackle. I tried numerology but I kept forgetting to carry the remainder. But tonight, I spilled my bag of M&Ms on the floor and I immediately knew it was a sign for you, Taurus. Does the phrase “mmmm m mmm” mean anything to you? It’s mostly red and blue, if that helps.

GEMINI

Did you hear the band is breaking up? The guitarist wanted a solo career and the lead singer already signed a deal with Netf lix for some new music-themed home redecorating show. It’s true. The drummer told me when he was making my pumpkin spice latte this morning. I guess the best things just can’t last, Gemini. That’s why we need to enjoy what we’ve got in each and ever y moment. I mean, you can still listen to their 3rd album and scream along while you drive home.

CANCER

Someday my hoboscopes will just be gifs. No more carefully crafted sentences. Just a little moving picture of that guy with the moustache and the top hat shaking his head and pointing at a dollar sign. Until then, Cancer, thanks for reading. It reminds me, though, that, as much as I like words, there are a lot of ways to communicate. Whatever the medium, Cancer, I recommend reaching out to somebody today.

LEO

I grew so many peppers in my garden this year. And I ate so many peppers. And I gave away so many peppers. And, somehow, my garden is still full of so many peppers. Sometimes, Leo, you get more than you need. Sometimes it’s even more than you know what to do with. But don’t give up on the idea that what you’ve got is worth having. Dried peppers make a great decorative wreath.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a trained neurologist , or a registered lunarian. Mr. Mysterio is, however, a budding intermediate podcaster! Check out The Mr. Mysterio Podcast. Season 2 is now playing at mrmysterio.com. Got a question, just give Mr. M a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

September 16 - 30, 2020, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

VENDOR WRITING

School Days Then and Now BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR OK, so we’re about a month into “virtual school.” Who else is finding this new way of learning virtually impossible? Do you find you’re in need of a lifeline? Maybe a tutor? Homework hotline? Phone a friend? Who’s willing to take a 50/50 chance with their child or grandchild’s grade that they know exactly what to do and how to do it? Definitely not me, that’s for sure! I find myself longing for simpler times, at least where school is concerned. I have to say, I never had so much trouble when I was in school. In spite of moving around a lot and never spending a whole year in the same school, I was always able to stay on the honor roll — even while I was in honors classes (now AP classes). My mom would accept nothing less. No one had to constantly remind me to do my work, it was a means of escape for me. Besides, I was good at it for the most part, that is, until 9th grade advanced Algebra. It finally happened I made my first C (and it was all downhill from there.) My mom was not pleased! There was no homework hotline in those days, but that was OK I had something even better: my dad! He was really good at all that stuff, and clearly I wasn’t. He had taught me when I was young how to call him collect

THEME: BOTA N Y 101 ACROSS 1. One’s arbitrary assertion 6. “Swan Lake” step 9. Not Sunni 13. Mountaineer’s tool 14. Tolkien creature 15. Bebe Rexha’s “____ to Be” 16. Artificial or mannered 17. Snow runner 18. Nylon or Kevlar, in chemistry terms 19. Scooby-Doo’s best friend 21. *Between order and genus 23. *Marine botany is study of plants living here 24. 35mm, e.g. 25. Public health agency, acr. 28. Partner of void 30. Small lynx 35. Stewart and Blagojevich 37. Grazing lands 39. Jawaharlal ____ 40. g or cm

41. Smelling ____, athlete’s pick-me-upper 43. No neatnik 44. Lay to rest 46. They are hairy on a hobbit 47. Hefty volume 48. One in line, during COVID-19 pandemic 50. In the middle of 52. *Grain-bearing tip of a cereal plant 53. Cattle meat 55. Fleur-de-____ 57. *Pollinator attractors 60. *Food for a pollinator 63. One there at the beginning 64. Famous T-Rex 66. Lowest deck 68. Forearm bones 69. Cassius Clay, ____ Muhammad Ali 70. Private instructor 71. ____-do-well 72. Thus far 73. Inflict a blow DOWN 1. Female sib 2. “Hamlet” has five

3. Sure or uh-huh 4. “The Forsyte ____,” pl. 5. *Product of photosynthesis 6. One of a pocketful, according to Mother Goose 7. Genesis vessel 8. “The Matrix” genre 9. Highway hauler 10. Icy precipitation 11. Dr. Jones, fictional professor of archaeology, to friends 12. Filled up 15. Biblical personification of material wealth 20. Olden-day Celts 22. Priest’s robe 24. Blank leaf in a book 25. *Seed holder 26. “Death, Be Not Proud” poet 27. Mine passages 29. *Food manufacturer 31. Superlative of better 32. Actress Sevigny 33. Something in the air 34. *Potato, e.g. 36. Proofreader’s mark 38. *Plant support 42. “...he found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked ____” 45. Sales lure 49. Electric fish 51. *Not monocots 54. Piece of writing 56. Pull strings 57. Carpet attribute 58. Marine eagle 59. Russia’s famous Peter 60. Sans mixers 61. Choir voice 62. *Plant anchor 63. Good times 65. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s guitar 67. Prefix for prior

in case of an emergency — and for me, this Algebra class was an emergency! So I began calling regularly and he would patiently go over my homework step by step. He never complained except to say that his arm was falling asleep, or that he felt tethered to the wall because of the phone cord. (This was before the cordless phone was a thing.) These calls became routine, that is until he could no longer afford his phone bill. Our “quality time” suddenly ended, but it was nice while it lasted. Although to be honest, I’d much rather those conversations had been about something other than algebra, especially since he died so soon after that. Dad, can you believe they came out with a cordless phone? No more being tethered to a wall by a phone cord! They even have cell phones and you can get service practically anywhere! And those astronomical phone bills, they too are a thing of the past with unlimited long-distance...Oh the conversations we could’ve had! Thanks for all the help in algebra, though! I want you to know that all your hard work was not in vain. I passed college algebra with a C — barely. There were lots of other tutors along the way, but you laid the groundwork, and I never totally forgot all you taught me!

Love Not Hate BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Many Americans who voted for Donald Trump mostly have the same attitude. Racist or either prejudiced. You be surprise of many people how they do what others do instead of what God put us here on earth to do. Hate in our country increased at least 20 percent since Trump was elected. Just the other day shopping at Kroger, upon leaving, I saw a elder lady pushing her shopping cart to her vehicle with two kids hanging from the sides, one age four and the other five. I offered to help the elder lady and she gladly accepted. When we got to the car she opened the back, I started to put bags in rear as she seatbelted kids in their chairs. The kids kept saying something to me but I just couldn’t figure out what was being said. After I finished with bags I walked around as she introduced them to me and they

started again. This time I caught on to what they were saying. “Hee! Hee! Hee! God loves you.” The elder lady told me don’t pay them no mind. Immediately I said to her, that’s a good thing. She went on to say that she pick them up from the babysitter everyday and they learn all this from daycare. To make a long story short, she said that she decided to adjust their atmosphere, their way of demonstrating and enjoying life, and how her life has changed tremendously since she has come to a closer relationship with her grandkids. Then one of the kids interrupted and said, “Walk by faith and not by sight.” I was so excited just listening to these kids. I told the grandma, let these kids go to preschool forever. The world can be a lot better if parents start learning from the kids too.

Good Luck Happening BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR The thing is, when I’m out on the streets, constantly I’m watching around me. You know how people used to pick up pennies a lot? Well I pick up the dimes, quarters, nickels and dollars. Last week I found a $20 bill! Another thing I lost earlier this year was a small cup for my coffee. Believe it or not, I found that. It’s been at least six months. And I found it at the Goodwill. Another good thing that happened this weekend. I was out in Berry Hill playing my music and selling my newspapers. I got a call and they said they was going to have a little fair at my church because of the pandemic going on. We were just going to get back together and see each other. This is my church family I miss so much.

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I packed my things, I got back on my scooter. I rode my scooter all the way home. I got there in plenty of time. I’ve been pretty well blessed. The Lord gave me many gifts in my life. I have gotten to do many things that I never dreamed I’d get to do. Especially doing stories, writing my stories out of my head about my life. My memories go up and down. I need to get these stories out to you people who read our newspapers so you can tell other people. Without you out there and others like you, we cannot survive with The Contributor. We advance to a better life. I’m going to say this to you, the Lord is good, always good. He loves you, I love you and it’s going to get better.

VENDOR WRITING

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU LIVE WITH A FOOL

A TRIBUTE

STANDING BY A TRAFFIC LIGHT

CARL J.

ANTHONY G.

DEANA H.

Today said What do you do when you live with a fool?

They never seen me coming,

Standing by a traffic light

Disengage

But I am confident of all who live and breathe

Hoping you will stop

Late at night when she wants to fight?

And give be a blessing

Disengage.

The answer lies in the first word…

When you’re in the street and people act indiscreet?

What come after today?

Disengage.

Tomorrow

In order to be on top Standing by a traffic light Seeing me wave

When your spouse or roommate can’t relate? Disengage.

It’s not according to the flesh

I thank you for stopping when you gave

It’s according to the spirit

Things are getting better

If you keep your feet above the ground at all times

Because you give

The Lord will direct you

You make my life easier to live Standing by a traffic light

CREATE IN YOU A NEW HEART

Selling The Contributor So you can see, you’re making a difference

JOHN H.

HMMM —

What in the heart come out the mouth— or deeds.

With each little day I have a lot to say

TYRONE M.

Why I spend much of my time planting many seeds

Thank you so much

We Christians must take responsibility of how we act

Clouds of Hatred Forming

Cause in the end, God will judge the heart and that’s a fact.

In the sky of Racism / it’s Beginning to push / knock

For what you do

The element of peace ‘round

You’re giving me a chance

Instead of being obedient we always pretend

To live life without any strife

But when we pretend Jesus loves us but his word we didn’t defend

Then came love, Peace, / Truth / they Together eliminated the

Trusting, believing, obeying is what I should’ve done at the start

negative things / “the darkness”

Looking up asking God to create in you a new heart.

So love can could help peace blossom

And make it through Thank you

Felonies and the right to vote PAUL A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR If you prove to the state and/or the federal government that you’re going to stay out of trouble, stay out of jail or prison, you should have that right to vote. What have they been saying for the last few months? They want everyone to vote. I’ve been out of trouble for 20 years. If you don’t have parole or probation and you did your time, you should be able to register to vote and vote. Everybody should have a say. Instead of sitting here crying about this president or this

governor or this mayor not doing what he’s supposed to be doing the right way. I think that everybody should get a second chance. I really do, wholeheartedly. About the new law about camping on the capitol property: I don’t think it’s right, but there might be more justification for it than what is there. Firebombing the courthouse, tearing up statues, tearing up our state property — that should be a felony. I’d say they should serve two years. But how many years is a person

going to get for camping on state property? You got homeless that are sleeping on state property! What are you going to do, charge all of them with felonies? Come on, get real. That should be dropped from a felony to a misdemeanor. I don’t know how all that’s going to play out. Only time will tell. We got such overcrowding in the prisons and the jails that there’s no room for them. A felony charge can stop you from getting a lot of good jobs. I put in for a job, 13 or 15 dol-

lars an hour. But it stopped me from getting a good job, because they ran a thorough background check. That’s why I say after so many years that should all be expunged. There shouldn’t be anything on anybody’s record as long as they stay out of trouble. I didn’t go to prison. I did 100 days in jail. And they still give me a felony. I took probation time. I cleaned up my act. I was doing things right. I was staying out of trouble. There should have been nothing on my record keeping me from getting

September 16 - 30, 2020, 2020 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

that job. I can’t vote. I was allowed to in Michigan, why the hell can’t I vote in Tennessee? I went to register to vote and they told me I couldn’t vote because I was a felon. I didn’t do any crimes here. My crime was in Michigan. They want everybody to vote. How can you vote when you got a felony? They won’t let you. It’s time for things like this to change. You’re not back in the 1800s. jmCome out of the dark ages and come into the light.

LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

L a N ticia 2020

GRATIS

Sept #2

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

www.hispanicpaper.com

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Año 18 - No. 314

Nashville, Tennessee

Trump pone fin a la capacitación en diversidad 'anti-estadounidense'

Por Goyo La Noticia Contribuidor

La reacción en las redes sociales de muchos de mis compañeros blancos fue típica . "¿Por qué no podemos ser todos estadounidenses?" "¿Por qué siempre se trata del color?" "¡Cualquiera que trabaje duro puede triunfar!" "¡El sueño americano!" O el mismo cuento de siempre: “Estados Unidos no es racista, solo mira a (escriba el nombre de cualquier exitoso empresario negro aquí) Y, ¿qué con Obama? ¡Tuvimos un presidente negro! Eso lo prueba. Pero no es así. El hecho de que las personas de color sean capaces de triunfar no significa que el racismo latente en el subconsciente de nuestra sociedad se haya mitigado de alguna manera y desaparecido. Desafortunadamente, demasiados estadounidenses blancos creen en lo que solo puede describirse como "mito", un Estados Unidos donde la historia se ha reescrito convenientemente para omitir gran parte de la verdad de nuestro pasado cuando se trata de personas de color. Para muchos de ellos, que alguien diga que debemos "centrarnos en ser estadounidenses y en lo que hace grande a Estados Unidos", es absurdo, ya que es dolorosamente obvio que ese no es ni ha sido nunca el caso para ellos. Desde el 'Experimento Tuskegee' donde hombres negros fueron infectados deliberadamente con sífilis por el Servicio Nacional de Salud y se les permitió morir, hasta la exclusión de los veteranos negros de los beneficios del ‘GI Bill’ después de la Segunda Guerra

Foto: Yuri Cunza

May 30: BLM Nashville Legislative Plaza rally and march in response to the death of George Floyd

Mundial, hasta la línea roja sancionada por el gobierno para mantenerlos fuera de ciertos vecindarios, a la esclavitud y las leyes Jim Crow, este país ha sido sistemáticamente racista durante siglos. Piénselo: a los ciudadanos negros que sirvieron en las fuerzas armadas, se les negaron los beneficios de una enorme donación gubernamental para los veteranos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el ‘GI Bill’ y, en consecuencia, se les negó la participación en el motor económico más grande de la historia del mundo que creó la clase media estadounidense. Para decirlo de otra manera, se les negó el "Sueño Americano”, una educación y el ser propietario de una vivienda. Y encima, durante décadas después de todo esto fueron marcados en rojo, con el guiño de aprobacion de nuestro gobierno; en ciertos vecindarios donde era imposible obtener un préstamo bancario o hipotecario, incluso teniendo el dinero, no podían mudarse de allí por convenios sancionados por el gobierno que impedían que cualquiera vendiera su

casa en otros vecindarios a familias negras. Todo esto ha dejado a familias negras, tres generaciones después, con una décima parte de la riqueza de una familia blanca equivalente. Pero todos esos hechos, esa historia, simplemente se han escrito a partir de nuestra narrativa del "país más grande del mundo". Los estadounidenses blancos simplemente nunca aprendieron. ¡Imaginese! Hace cien años tuvo lugar la Masacre Racial de Tulsa. 300 estadounidenses negros fueron asesinados y su vecindario que se había ganado el nombre de “Black Wall Street” fue destruido por blancos enojados y celosos de su éxito. ¡Este año, 2020, será el primer año en que los niños aprendan sobre esto en las escuelas de Oklahoma! Durante 100 años ha permanecido en un hueco de la memoria como si simplemente nunca hubiera sucedido. Es por eso que necesitamos esa formación en diversidad que el presidente quiere poner fin. Porque, muchas veces sin siquiera saberlo, la mayoría de los

por

w w w . j u a n e s e . c o m

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