MLK Day
• MLK Day – justice or service? — Perspective, Page 4 • Dr. Ivory ‘introduces’ Dr. King — Religion, Page 5 • MLK Days of service — Page 7 • Grizzlies MLK Day activities — Sports, Page 11
January 16 - 22, 2020
VOL. 69, No. 3
www.tsdmemphis.com
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Handy Park makeover signals more than an updated venue Construction project in the hands of African-American-owned firm by John Semien
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
Some of the sounds coming from Handy Park in the Beale Street Entertainment District in Downtown Memphis are chest-rattling forerunners of a wave of improvements under the guidance of an African-American-owned, general-contracting firm, Castle Black Construction. Twin brothers Jarrett Logan and Jonathan Logan own Castle Black Construction, which – according to the Downtown Memphis Commission – land-
ed a $879,000 contract that features renovations to the lawn, general seating areas, shade trees, lighting, access points and the addition of a retractable safety-enhancing security fence. The Handy Park renovation contract – awarded to Castle Black on the basis of its qualifications and bid – resulted from an open bid process managed by Kimley Horn, according to a statement from the commission. It comes as billions of dollars of Downtown construction is underway and as watchful eyes monitor to
As Jarrett Logan describes the enormity of the planned changes to Handy Park, his brother, Jonathan Logan, works in the background (lower right). Under the plastic covering is the statue of the park’s namesake, W.C. Handy. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku) see how much of that money ultimately is directed to firms owned by African Americans. “We are really grateful and fortunate for the opportunity and the exposure Handy Park gives us in the downtown area,” said Jarrett Logan.
“There are quite a few of us (minority construction businesses) and some are larger than we are. We get to have an identity downtown and on such a notable project.” Jaske Goff, chief diversity officer and vice president
NAACP, Kroger and TSD open window for Uplift Community Grants Community Foundation of Greater Memphis awards grants to 21 A Wednesday morning news nonprofits. conference at the NAACP Memphis Branch office kicked See Community, Page 8. by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell
by Laura Faith Kebede
Special to The New Tri-State Defender
SEE GRANTS ON PAGE 3
SEE PARK ON PAGE 9
Universal screening qualifies 600 more students for gifted education; And, more to come
Applications accepted through Feb. 28
State Defender Associate Publisher/Executive Editor Karanja A. Ajanaku. “This is about stepping up,” he said. “Its about stepping up to help people who are already out there helping people with needs. That’s one of the great things I like about this. We’re going to step in to help people who are already stepping up.” Vickie Terry, executive director of the Memphis Branch NAACP, said recipients will be chosen in three particular areas of community help: decreasing blight, decreasing crime and uplifting the community through families. “Just as we did last year, we will be focusing on those same three areas,” Terry said. “But this year, we may be choosing six recipients because we might have more funding to work with. Each recipient last year was awarded $7,500, and
“We are intentional and invested in creating connections and capacity for MWBE firms,” Goff said in a media release. The Logan brothers started
No more ‘secret handshake’
SUPPORT FOR NONPROFITS
off big buzz around the 2nd Annual Uplift the Community Grant awards for non-profit organizations. Applications are available now on the NAACP website. A three-fold partnership between Kroger’s Delta Division, the Memphis NAACP, and The New Tri-State Defender launched inaugural endowments last year to four winners chosen from dozens of local applicants. “We started Uplift the Community grant awards to empower nonprofits to support and uplift their communities,” said Teresa Dickerson, manager of Delta Corporate Affairs. “We are proud of our role in making these grants possible. It is very much in line with Kroger Delta’s role in the larger community as a good corporate citizen.” The project is about helping non-profits already working to make a difference in their community, said The New Tri-
of operations for the Downtown Memphis Commission, said the commission recently raised its expected MWBE (minority- and women-owned business enterprises) compliance percentage from 20 percent to 25 percent.
Chalkbeat
Rising star… Making use of a vertical leap measured (at least once) at 44-inches, Ja Morant is a picture of point-guard concentration and a key reason the Memphis Grizzlies are in the NBA Playoffs picture. (See Sports, Page 11.) (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Before this month, just one student between kindergarten and second grade, a white boy, was identified as gifted at Treadwell Elementary School in Memphis, where half of the students are black, more than a third are Hispanic, and just 4 percent are white. Now, eight other students have joined him after Shelby County Schools switched to universal screening instead of relying on teacher recommendations to identify advanced students. Across the district’s schools, 600 more Memphis students in kindergarten through second grade are starting this month in the district’s gifted education program, known as CLUE, which stands for Creative Learning in a Unique Environment. Another 600 older students are waiting for additional state testing to see if they qualify for the gifted program. The additional K-2 students more than doubles the number last year identified as gifted
in those grades, according to district data Chalkbeat requested. By expanding district testing to all elementary and middle school students, officials said this week that every district-run elementary school now has at least one student in CLUE. As a result, more black students are represented in the program’s newest K-2 cohort. About 60% of newly identified elementary CLUE students are black, compared with last year’s 44%. Officials hope eventually the CLUE program can be more representative of the district’s racial makeup — nearly three-fourths of its students are black. And in each ethnic group, more boys were identified than girls, which CLUE supervisor Jennifer Chandler said “almost never happens” in gifted education and called it a “huge win.” “Parents no longer have to know the secret handshake to get in the door,” Chandler said of parents who have the resources to get their young chilSEE CLUE ON PAGE 2
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