Miller High Life Bar Snack Truffles (Credit: Justin Fox Burks / ICF Next)
Memphians love a good lemon pepper chicken wing. But have they tried lemon-pepper-chicken-wing-flavored … chocolate?
If there’s anyone who can pull it off, it’s Phillip Ashley Rix, owner of Phillip Ashley Chocolates. And a recent partnership with Miller High Life means that Rix will be bringing an intriguing selection of six bar-snack-inspired truffles to Memphis next month.
“Miller reached out to me, and their objective was to create an ode to bar food and bar culture,” says Rix. “The group asked, ‘How do we capture the flavor and sensory experience of being in a dive bar and washing some snacks down with a Miller High Life?’ So I started telling them about how I used to enjoy a grilled cheese and wash it down with a Miller High Life, and the ideas just started flowing from there.”
Starting May 2nd, Phillip Ashley Chocolates will produce 1,000 limited-run boxes of Miller High Life Bar Snack Truffles. No stranger to incorporating fascinating flavors into his creations, Rix will include six different truffle varieties in each box.
“This is our wheelhouse,” he says. “I’ve always sought to do avant-garde-centric flavor profiles. Not for the sake of being sensational, but to create something sensational, to create something that has a great flavor profile, tastes good, and is also something that piques the imagination of the consumer.”
Phillip Ashley Rix (Credit: Justin Fox Burks / ICF Next)
Rix hopes that the creative flavors will make buyers curious about his new styles. The aforementioned grilled cheese and lemon pepper flavors are two of his favorites, but the others cover a broad range of bar snacks. There’s the “beernut,” which is Rix’s take on a peanut butter cup, while he calls the pretzel praline truffle a perfect mix of “sweet and salty.” The buttery popcorn truffle is infused with the flavors of movie-theater-style popcorn, while the sweet potato fry blends a sweet potato mash with blond chocolate.
“The ingredients really live in the chocolate,” says Rix. “With the lemon pepper, we have a cool way of making cracklin out of chicken skin. Then I have a background in chemistry, so we turn it into a format where we can infuse it into the ganache. So you’ll get all the chicken flavor without all the unpleasant texture.
“And we infuse the ‘champagne of beer’ in the truffles as well. It’s a collaborative effort because my goal is to design and deliver a product that Miller will be pleased with, but also to create something that encapsulates my experience with Miller as a consumer of theirs. And the memories I have of enjoying snacks in dive bar with a Miller, maybe munching on some popcorn or sweet potato fries, I synthesize those with my expertise in science and food, and the result is a really fun exercise in two brands coming together.”
Even after the Miller box goes on sale, Rix will continue to push the envelope when it comes to chocolate, as his passion for the craft keeps him eager to unlock new taste combinations. “I’ve always made it a point to be an encyclopedia of flavor, always staying up on trends and then just having ideas in the locker, so that when someone like Miller calls, I have something to work through. I hadn’t done grilled cheese before, but I had incorporated cheeses into my chocolates. And I hadn’t done chicken wings, but I did pioneer a fried chicken chocolate. So they are natural evolutions of the ideas I’ve had before.”
Perpetually controversial and long thought unfilmable, Judy Blume’s 1970 novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. finally gets a big screen adaptation courtesy of writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig. Margaret (Ant-Man‘s Abby Ryder Fortson) is the daughter of an interfaith marriage who rejects both of her parents’ religions while negotiating impending puberty. Rachel McAdams plays Margaret’s mother Barbara, and Memphian Kathy Bates co-stars as Margaret’s conservative Christian grandmother.
London-based screenwriter Nida Manzoor makes her directorial debut with Polite Society. Ria (Bridgerton‘s Priya Kansara) is an aspiring stunt performer whose sister Lena (Umbrella Academy‘s Ritu Arya) is about to get married. But fiancée Salim (Akshaye Khanna) has a family secret, and it ain’t pretty. This one’s giving off strong droll-British-comedy vibes, and I’m here for it.
The full title of our next one says it all, really. Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World. Khris Davis from Judas and the Black Messiah stars as the beloved fighter and grilling enthusiast.
It’s the 10th anniversary of the Time Warp Drive-In, the classic movie collaboration between Black Lodge, filmmaker Mike McCarthy, and Malco Theater’s Summer Drive-In. To celebrate, they’re bringing back of their most popular programs. This month, it’s Quintessential Quintin: The Early Films of the Tarantino Universe. That means the wound-up neo-noir Reservoir Dogs, the Tarantino-penned Tony Scott classic True Romance, and, of course, the 1994 Palme D’Or winner, Pulp Fiction. Check out the original trailer, which looks just as radical today as it did back then. The films roll at sundown (7:45 p.m.) at the drive-in.
This week marks the 40th anniversary of two completely different films. The first is British music video director Adrian Lyne’s feature film breakthrough Flashdance. Jennifer Beals manages to be convincing as a welder in a steel mill who dreams of becoming a dancer. She’s moonlighting as a cabaret dancer when she meets a cute guy named Nick (Michael Nouri) who also happens to be her boss. It was a huge hit in 1983, but many more people saw the music videos that it spawned than sat through it in a theater. Flashdance will screen at the Malco Paradiso on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Flashdance‘s competition that weekend was a little movie called Return of the Jedi. George Lucas’ original title was Revenge of the Jedi, before someone pointed out that seeking revenge was more of a Sith thing.
The new name was better suited to a film whose hero finally wins by negating the premise and refusing to fight any more Star Wars.
The three remaining top contenders for Memphis’ new schools superintendent are Carlton Jenkins, superintendent in Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin; Angela Whitelaw, Memphis’ top academics official; and Toni Williams, Memphis’ interim superintendent. Courtesy Madison Metropolitan School District (left), Memphis-Shelby County Schools (center, right)
The search for Memphis’ next school superintendent attracted several Memphis-area educators as well as current and former district leaders from across the country, a Chalkbeat Tennessee review of candidates found. But several of the leading contenders have dropped out. And one applicant who withdrew has asked to be reconsidered.
Board members will determine the next step during an upcoming non-voting meeting. Greene, who had been leading the search, passed the torch to board members Stephanie Love and Joyce Dorse-Coleman after board member Amber Huett-Garcia called for a leadership change.
Among the candidates who have withdrawn from consideration are Brenda Cassellius, who was one of three initial finalists, and Keith Miles Jr., a proposed addition to the finalist slate who accepted another job. According to Max McGee, president of Hazard Young, only three of the seven people whom the firm considered top contenders were still pursuing the job a few days after the firm presented finalists.
But since then, one applicant, Marie Feagins, has asked to be reconsidered, according to an email obtained by Chalkbeat. The firm called her a “high scoring candidate” in an email to board members. But it is unclear if Feagins is part of the expanded top-candidate slate, or if she will be added to the finalist pool. Her application materials indicate she was among the top 12. (Read more about her below.)
“At this point, the board has not decided to expand the pool and allow additional candidates. That will be part of the discussion at the upcoming board retreat,” Love said in a statement through KQ Communications, which has assisted the board throughout the search.
Hazard Young publicly released a list of names — without resumes — for the remaining candidates. Other than the top contenders, it is unclear how these applicants scored. The district received applications from 34 people; 21 met the basic criteria, and 12 made the final round of interviews.
Here’s a look at what Chalkbeat has learned about the leading contenders, the ones who withdrew their names, and others who are still pursuing the job. Candidates in each category are listed in alphabetical order.
Carlton Jenkins announced plans to retire as superintendent of Wisconsin’s Madison Metropolitan School District in February. He assumed the role in August 2020 after a career in education that the Wisconsin State Journal wrote included a superintendency in suburban Minneapolis. In Madison, Jenkins was the district’s first Black superintendent, according to Lake Geneva Regional News, and has been the president of the African American Superintendents Association.
Jenkins is one of the initial three finalists whom Hazard Young presented to the MSCS board.
Angela Whitelaw is a longtime educator and administrator in the Memphis school district who was one of two acting superintendents for a month and a half this summer. She has since returned to her post as deputy superintendent overseeing academics. Whitelaw has held the role since February 2019, when she was one of Ray’s first two appointees to his cabinet. She was previously the chief of schools.
The search firm recommended that the MSCS board add Whitelaw to the finalist pool.
Williams is one of the initial three finalists whom Hazard Young presented to the MSCS board.
Brenda Cassellius was recently the superintendent at Boston Public Schools for three years, and was the statewide education commissioner in Minnesota for almost a decade before that. Cassellius wanted to stay longer in the Boston leadership position, The Boston Globe reported, but left the job last summer. Her departure was announced as a mutual decision, but Cassellius told the Globe that recently elected Boston Mayor Michelle Wu “should be able to pick her own team.”
Morcease Beasley is set to step down as superintendent of Metro Atlanta’s Clayton County Schools at the end of the school year, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported last fall. Beasley was elevated to the role from an internal position in 2017, the newspaper previously reported, after administrative roles at Metro Atlanta’s DeKalb County School district.
Tonya Biles was, in 2011, a top education administrator at Memphis Academy of Health Sciences, a local charter school.
Stephen Bournes is the top academic administrator for Chester Community Charter School in a town near Philadelphia. According to his biography, he was a top administrator of a suburban Chicago school before that and has 25 years of academic experience.
Lee Buddy, according to his LinkedIn profile, is a top administrator in Cleveland’s school district. He was elevated to the role in 2021 after several years as a teacher and school administrator in various districts.
Marie Feagins is a top academics official in Detroit’s public school district where she has overseen district leadership and high schools since 2021, according to application materials obtained by Chalkbeat. Before that, she was a principal and administrator in Cleveland and in Huntsville, Alabama. Her early career included counseling and teaching in Alabama schools in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. She was recently among six applicants interviewed for the superintendency in Fayetteville, Arkansas, according to news reports.
Cynthia Gentry is a longtime education administrator who has sought top Memphis leadership positions before, including the Memphis superintendency in 2003, The Commercial Appeal archives show. Gentry narrowly lost a bid for an at-large Memphis school board seat in 2008, receiving more than 80,000 votes, the newspaper reported.
Derrick Jones Lopez is an education administrator in Detroit’s school district focused on high schools, according to his LinkedIn profile. Lopez was fired without cause from his position as superintendent of schools in Flint, Michigan. A subsequent settlement agreement voided a disciplinary memo alleging poor performance, MLive news reported.
Art Stellar was named vice president of the National Education Foundation in 2013 after a career as an educator and administrator, including tenures as superintendent. Test scores improved under Stellar’s leadership at a Massachusetts school district, the Taunton Daily Gazette reported, but disagreements with teachers led to his dismissal there and later from a North Carolina district.
Five other applicants were on the list Hazard Young provided: Donald Boyd, Eric Henderson, Tameka Henderson, Anson Smith, and Darrell Williams. Chalkbeat was unable to confirm their identities and professional backgrounds.
Laura Testino covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Laura at LTestino@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
Fred Griffin, founder and creative director of the clothing brand Swish, was recently able to collaborate with sportswear company, Under Armour, to give local American Amateur Union (AAU) teams in Memphis, shoes for their summer season.
Under Armour Next Basketball has a few teams in Memphis, such as P7 Elite and Team Stark, housed under their UA Rise complementary circuit. According to Under Armour, “the league consists of 48 teams at each age group: 17U, 16U, and 15U. Each team plays a 12-game regular season leading into a single-elimination championship bracket to crown the UA Rise Champion.”
Griffin partnered with the P7 Sports Academy, located at 237 Woodland Lake Drive in Cordova, where he explained that many kids come after school to train for sports such as volleyball and basketball.
“They’re already in the Under Armour circuit with one of their teams,” said Griffin. “They have three teams that were getting ready to start the AAU season this past week. They literally had uniforms and everything, but they didn’t have shoes.”
Griffin said that the AAU league played a major role in his formative years, as he and his brother grew up loving and playing basketball.
“I’m happy that my brand Swish was able to take part in that,” said Griffin. “Being someone who played sports my entire life, it is a goal for my brand to have a sports identity as well through what I call my ‘Swish Athletics,’ my branch that makes athletic clothing and different athletic materials. So Under Armour basketball] being able to collab with me on that and being able to provide them with that was really cool.”
Photo credit: Brian Roberson
According to Griffin, the logistics of the event were organized by Chuck Lawson of 901Prepscoop.
This was Griffin’s first major project with Swish Athletics. However, in the past few months, the Memphis Flyer 20 < 30 honoree has been able to work with The North Face and with outdoor and sporting goods company, Merrell.
“I’ve just been taking advantage as a creator to work with these different brands and really explore that,” said Griffin.
With The North Face, the company did a Black History Month collection and collaborated with Memphis Rox, located at 879 East McLemore Ave. According to Griffin, the company uses rock climbing to help kids in the community to discover the activity as an outlet. For Black History Month, the brand built a collection that was based off of Memphis Rox and their colors.
“Kids of the Black and brown community don’t usually get to see something like rock climbing, or even interact with it, and a brand like North Face doesn’t really get to touch them,” said Griffin. “It was a really dope experience, and I was able to come out and connect with them and document that process and be there with them and build that relationship with North Face.”
He also had the opportunity to work with Merrell to help “build a relationship with their streetwear side of things.” The brand sent Griffin a few items and he was able to do some concept content for Merrell on his Instagram page
“It’s really been a blessing, that’s the best way to put it,”said Griffin. “I feel like when you do things with good intent and from a good space, things will naturally put themselves in play. The best thing about my brand is that, of course, I’m not the biggest brand in the world yet, but I’ve been blessed to have these opportunities.
Young Concert Artist Steven Banks photographed at Steinway Hall, 1/9/2020. Photo by Chris Lee
Though many feared the final show of the 2021-22 concert season spelled the end of Iris Orchestra, with conductor Michael Stern preparing to step down, the ensemble was rescued by the sheer pluck of its players. Though most of them hail from other cities and only convene in Memphis for Iris concert weekends, their love of the Bluff City was such that they were loath to see Iris vanish. And thus was the Iris Collective born, as the group became a more cooperative enterprise helmed by the players.
As Stern said at the time, “The musicians themselves grouped together, committed to the idea that they simply would not let Iris go away. It was absolutely musician-driven. And Iris will continue on. It’s going to have a different feel. I will be less involved, and it will be an amalgam of ensembles, chamber music, orchestra concerts, and new ways of imagining community engagement.”
This season, then, has put those words into practice. With three imaginative concerts already under its belt, the Iris Collective has proven that it lost no momentum when it took on a new name and new organizational principles. With The Soldier’s Tale last November, Andrew Grams stepped in as guest conductor; February’s Intersections paired the collective with Randall Goosby on violin and Zhu Wang on piano; and just last month, Iris and the Dalí Quartet were joined by Cuban-born Memphis percussionist Nelson Rodriguez in a concert fusing classical and Latin music.
This weekend will mark the season finale with two separate shows. The first of two concerts featuring rising star and saxophone virtuoso Steven Banks takes place on Saturday, April 29 at the Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC), and will feature Michael Stern’s only return to conduct this season. Titled The American Experience, the program includes that old chestnut, Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, along with Darius Milhaud’s jazz-influenced La Création du Monde, and Souvenirs by the great Samuel Barber.
That same evening, Iris will also be one of the few orchestras premiering jazz pianist Billy Childs’ newly commissioned saxophone concerto, written specifically for Banks and inspired by poets Langston Hughes, Claude McKay and Amiri Baraka.
Then on Sunday, April 30, Iris musicians will join Banks for an intimate chamber concert entitled Fantasy & Reflections at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, inspired by Britten’s quirky Phantasy Quartet in F minor and Banks’ own work, Cries, Sighs, and Dreams.
Mary Javian, Iris Collective’s strategic advisor and a longtime performer with the group, notes that “Steven is a rapidly rising star who any Memphis music lover should get a chance to hear while they can. Steven also plays several horns with virtuosity: soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. Most saxophonists are just not able to do what he does on all four instruments, and in both classical and jazz genres.”
The American Experienceconcert takes place Saturday, April 29, 7:30 p.m. at GPAC; Tickets $45-$70 Program: Aaron Copland Appalachian Spring; Billy Childs saxophone concerto for Steven Banks; Darius Milhaud La création du monde; Samuel Barber Souvenirs.
Fantasy & Reflections is onSunday, April 30, 3 p.m. at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center. Tickets $30 in advance/$35 at door Program: Mozart Oboe Quartet in F Major; Britten Phantasy Quartet in F minor; Banks Cries, Sighs, and Dreams.
Ja Morant is guarded by LeBron James in Game 5.
(Credit: Aimee Stiegemeyer)
It was win-or-go-home time for the Grizzlies heading into Wednesday night’s Game 5 against the L.A. Lakers at FedExForum, and win they did — by a final score of 116-99. The victory forces a Game 6 in Los Angeles, as the series moves to 3-2. The Grizzlies will need to win on the road to avoid elimination, something they have yet to do in this series.
Let’s get into it.
Playoff time in Memphis is a special time, and FedExForum was buzzing with energy. As we have seen in the regular season, home-court advantage really does make a difference for this Grizzlies team.
So far in this series, the team that wins the first quarter is the team that wins the game, and that continued to be the case Wednesday night. The Grizzlies went on a 15-4 run at the end of the first quarter, including two made threes from Luke Kennard and a Desmond Bane three to beat the buzzer, to give them a 38-24 lead heading into the second.
Memphis played a little sloppier in the second quarter, but still took a 61-52 lead into halftime.
The third quarter started off with two quick buckets by the Lakers, and for a moment I wondered if we were about to see another collapse by Memphis, especially when Dillon Brooks kept taking threes. Once Coach Jenkins benched Brooks, the Grizzlies were able to drive their lead back up after it was cut to one and close out on a 19-2 run.
There was a moment of panic when Kennard was subbed out for Brooks in the 4th after Kennard suffered a stinger injury to his shoulder. During his postgame press conference, Jenkins was asked about the status of Kennard: “TBD. I think he just got cracked on a screen. Just getting evaluated, was feeling in the locker room, good spirits. (He) was maybe a little bit more precautionary, but I don’t have all the details on what happened to Luke outside of where he got hit in his shoulder.”
Fun fact: in the 17:39 Luke Kennard was on the court the Grizzlies outscored the Lakers by 26.
By The Numbers:
Desmond Bane led all scorers with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 4 of 9 from beyond the arc. This marks the second 30-point game in a row for Bane.
Ja Morant put up 31 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal.
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane are the first pair of teammates in Grizzlies history to record 30+ PTS, 10+ REB, and 5+ AST in a Playoff game. pic.twitter.com/HUK7LZFfKy
Jaren Jackson Jr finished the night with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks on 5 of 11 shooting overall and 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
Dillon Brooks had 8 points and 2 rebounds, after going 2 of 10 from three-point range and 3 of 15 overall. I would like to start a petition to limit Brooks shooting to mid-range jumpers from now until forever.
Who Got Next?
Game 6 will be Friday night in Los Angeles, and it is another must-win for the Grizzlies to keep their season alive.
Get your caffeinated beverage of choice ready now – tip-off is at 9:30 PM CDT.
A bill that would have allowed officials in Tennessee to refuse to conduct a marriage ceremony based on their “conscience or religious beliefs” did not become law this year, and a trial is set for this summer to decide the fate of marriages performed by ministers who were ordained online.
Tennessee state Rep. Monty Fritts (R-Kingston) sponsored the legislation and called it “a freedom bill” to protect the rights of officiants at wedding ceremonies. During a debate on the House floor last month, Fritts admitted he was not aware of anyone in the state who had been forced to solemnize a wedding. He called that point “irrelevant” and said it was, instead, important to incorporate the right to refuse to perform wedding ceremonies into Tennessee state law.
LGBTQ advocates worried that the bill would officially limit couples’ access to marriage in the state. The bill was written broadly and advocates were concerned that it would allow county clerks or or other government officials to deny marriages to LGBTQ+ couples.
This idea gained national attention in 2015, when Kim Clark, a Kentucky county clerk, refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, citing personal beliefs. Davis was, ultimately, protected from litigation in her official capacity but a jury is set to decide this summer what damages she may personally owe to a couple, according to WKYT.
Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) said the legislation, and other bills of a similar nature, are based in hypotheses and take up pointless time and energy in the Tennessee General Assembly.
“… This type of legislation is harmful not only in its practice, but in the messages that it is sending about who has rights in our cities, in our state, and in our country,” Pearson said. “By doing this, it is helping to fuel people who do not care for inclusion, who do not care for love, and people loving whoever it is that they choose to love — that God’s given them the ability to love. … Instead it is trying to support a vision, a perspective of people who would like to see other folks subjugated, dejected, and rejected.”
The bill passed a full House vote after speeding through the committee process in just over a month. However, it was postponed for consideration until next year in its first consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill’s failure may mark a bright spot on the legislative session for LGBTQ+ advocates. But its power is dimmed amid several other bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community, including a bills to ban drag shows and to outlaw gender-affirming care for trans youth.
”The Tennessee House of Representatives continues to be one of the most dangerous legislative chambers in the country for LGBTQ+ people,” Tennessee Equality Project executive director Chris Sanders said in a statement. “They have ignored constituents in their offices, phone calls, and compelling committee testimony. It is time they became the People’s House again.”
Meanwhile, the Universal Life Church (ULC) said a lawsuit that would allow online-ordained ministers to perform marriages in the state is slated for a hearing in August. The original suit was filed in 2019, after Tennessee lawmakers passed a law banning such ministers from performing marriages in the state.
”For the last four years, we’ve contended with delay after delay after delay as the state and local officials we sued have employed legal tactics to absolve themselves of responsibility and prolong our expensive battle,” ULC said in a March blog post.
While the Tennessee law was quickly blocked by a judge, ULC said it’s still not certain its ministers can legally perform weddings. Further, the status of marriages performed by ULC ministers would remain unclear if the group loses its lawsuit.
”Reading all of this, you might be frightened,” ULC said in a blog post last month. “We won’t lie: so are we.”
Organizations and families are challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
Senate Bill 1 was signed into law by Governor Bill Lee on March 2nd and prohibits healthcare professionals from administering gender-affirming care to minors. The law is set to take effect on July 1.
This legislation will make gender-affirming hormone therapy and puberty blockers inaccessible, and trans people in Tennessee will not have access to this care until they reach the age of 18. Similar restrictions have been made in states like Arkansas and Alabama.
The Flyer also reported in March that the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Tennessee, and Lambda Legal (a national organization “committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV”) issued a statement where they had promised legal action against the Tennessee law that will prohibit gender-affirming care for minors.
According to the Campaign for Southern Equality, these organizations, along with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP, have filed the case, L.W. v. Skrmetti, on behalf of “several trans youth, their parents and a medical provider.”
The preliminary statement of this complaint said that the law was passed “over the sustained and robust opposition of medical experts in Tennessee and across the country.”
“It was also passed over the pleas of families across Tennessee who urged lawmakers not to interfere in the medical decision-making of parents, their minor children, and their doctors,” the complaint stated.
The complaint also said that this law will disrupt and prevent medical care for “hundreds of adolescents across Tennessee,” and that it violates the constitutional rights of minors and their parents.
It also stated the effects of gender dysphoria, which was defined as a “serious medical condition characterized by clinically significant distress caused by incongruence between a person’s gender identity and the sex they were designated at birth.”
“All of the major medical associations in the United States recognize that adolescents with gender dysphoria may require medical interventions to treat severe distress,” continued the complaint. “In providing this medically necessary healthcare, sometimes referred to as ‘gender-affirming care,’ medical providers are guided by widely accepted protocols for assessing and treating transgender adolescents.”
According to the complaint, this law prevents healthcare providers from following “evidence-based protocols.”
Phil Cobucci, founder of inclusion tennessee, said they have heard many families were worried about the passing of this law since the beginning of this legislative session.
“We’ve been working tirelessly to prepare and ensure their transgender adolescents and their families can continue to access care in their home state,” said Cobucci. “The filing of this lawsuit gives us great hope, and we appreciate the legal organizations and plaintiffs for their leadership in court. As we await a decision in this groundbreaking legal case, we will continue to support trans youth and their families every way that we can.”
Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director at the Campaign for Southern Equality, stated the law is “flatly unconstitutional” and should be struck down.
“We hope that the court will grant relief so that trans youth in Tennessee can continue accessing the health care that they need and deserve, without leaving their home state,” said Beach-Ferrara.
The Campaign for Southern Equality, inclusion tennessee, and OUTMemphis have set up resources for families of transgender youth to access out-of-state providers by providing emergency grants of $250.
Shelby County Democrats called for Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) to resign Wednesday, and a watchdog group wants an investigation of Sexton’s government allowance for lodging.
The Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) passed a resolution this weekend “demanding” Sexton’s resignation. The group also began a public campaign that will include billboards and a petition.
On Saturday, our Executive Committee passed a resolution demanding the resignation of House Speaker Cameron Sexton. Today, we are beginning a public campaign and hope that you join us. When @CSexton25 visits his old hometown of Crossville, he’ll be met with a few new billboards. pic.twitter.com/A1Ocvbj3LZ
“Speaker Sexton has got to go,” reads the petition. “Not only did he lead the racist charge to expel Reps. [Justin] Jones (D-Nashville) and [Justin] Pearson (D-Memphis), he may not even live in the district he represents.”
The House expulsion of Pearson and Jones drew national interest. This raised Sexton’s profile, with many criticizing him for allowing his party to use such extreme measures for a modest charge of breaking decorum rules. Sexton called the protest “an insurrection.”
Reports then surfaced that Sexton secretly bought a Nashville home in 2021 and that his daughter attends a Nashville school, in a story first reported by the Substack Popular Information. This has drawn scrutiny on state residency requirements for lawmakers and put into question the per diem — the daily, taxpayer-funded allowance for food and hotel stays in Nashville — Sexton has claimed, even though he lives there.
A WKRN report then found that state Rep. Scotty Campbell (R-Mountain City) had been quietly found guilty by a state ethics committee of workplace harassment on charges of having inappropriate conversations with a 19-year-old legislative intern. Sexton did not move to expel Campbell, who resigned hours after confronted by a WKRN reporter about the situation.
credit: State of Tennessee I How it started. credit: State of Tennessee I How it’s going.
The Shelby County Democratic Party (SCDP) joined the state party’s calls for Sexton’s resignation Wednesday morning. The group’s major complaint was the expulsion of Jones and Pearson. They also listed the residency concerns, the non-action against Campbell, and a certain disregard for House rules.
Shelby County Democratic Party position on the resignation of TN House Speaker Cameron Sexton https://t.co/7iY0tWyOs5
— Shelby County Democratic Party (@Shelbydem) April 26, 2023
But they also complained about the “shocking comments” from GOP state Rep. Paul Sherrell’s (R-Sparta) during a debate on the death penalty. Rep. Scott Powers’ (R-Jacksboro) bill would have added firing squads to the state’s options for state executions.
credit: State of Tennessee
During a hearing of the House Criminal Justice Committee, Sherrell asked if Powers would add “hanging by a tree” to the proposal. He did not. Sherell issued a rare GOP apology about his statement the following day. Later, he was quietly stripped of his seat on the committee.
SCDP said Sherell likely knew about the “racist nature of his suggestion.” Also, they said Oklahoma officials were recorded to have made similar statements.
”Had even a censure been imposed on [Rep.] Sherrell, it might have discouraged the spread of such a senseless attack on a body of people harmed by such a callous and insensitive expression of hatred,” the group said in a statement.
Also on Wednesday morning, the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign for Accountability (CFA) asked the Davidson County District Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee to investigate Sexton’s per diem requests for potential tax fraud.
NEW: CfA is calling for an investigation to determine whether Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton knowingly requested and accepted more than $79K in taxpayer money over the amount to which he was legally entitled. https://t.co/1DLDqsL8r8
— Campaign for Accountability (@Accountable_Org) April 26, 2023
“Tennessee law makes clear that only those legislators who live more than 50 miles away from the Capitol are permitted to receive a lodging per diem,” CFA executive director Michelle Kuppersmith said in a statement. “Speaker Sexton is not above the law and must be held accountable for any possible violations.”
The group claims Sexton ”appears to have gone to great lengths to hide his new Nashville residency, purchasing the house through the ’Beccani Trust,’ with only his wife’s one signature was on the deed.”
CFA analysis found that Sexton’s lodging per diems total about $79,954. They said the payments could violate Tennessee law. If so, it’s a Class B felony that could come with eight to 30 years in jail and $25,000 in fines. Sexton may have also violated federal tax law, CFA said, if he failed to report the money as taxable wages.
CFA’s complaint reminds judicial officials that the Davidson County District Attorney general prosecuted then-Nashville Mayor Megan Barry for similar charges. Those were theft of property charges stemming from domestic and international travel expenses the mayor and her bodyguard, with whom she was having an affair, improperly charged to the city of Nashville.
CFA also mentioned that, at the time, Davidson County DA Glenn Funk said, “it’s the role of the district attorney to bring charges when crimes have been committed even if those crimes are committed by public officials.”
Booker T. Jones and band at City Winery, NYC (Credit: Alex Greene)
In a fitting warm up to this week’s 20th Anniversary of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (see our April 27th cover story), Booker T. Jones was on the road this month, ostensibly to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of “Green Onions,” the tune that propelled Booker T. and the MG’s and Stax Records into the national spotlight. Given that the song was recorded and released in 1962, the most chronologically appropriate homage was at the museum last September, when Jones joined the Franklin Triplets, all Stax Music Academy alumni, in what would have been the record company’s old tracking room to play a short set of MG’s classics. And indeed, nothing could have topped the magic of that moment, now available as an episode of Beale Street Caravan.
But 2023 is becoming the de facto year of tributes to the classic track, cut almost as an afterthought by the group and originally dubbed “Funky Onions” by then-bassist Lewis Steinberg, until label co-owner Estelle Axton made it more palatable by changing the first word to “Green.” It was only this February, more than 60 years on, that Rhino Records re-issued the original Green Onions LP, notably the first album ever released by Stax.
Jones himself has paid tribute to the tune this year with multiple cover versions released on streaming services, all adapting the song’s basic riff to styles as disparate as Latin rock, straight rock, and country.
And so it was that an appearance by the famed organist, composer, and producer at New York’s City Winery on April 15th was billed as “Booker T. Jones: Celebrating 60 Years of ‘Green Onions.'” What was more surprising was the venue’s release of a special wine dedicated to both the song and the show. Sales of the dedicated vintage will benefit the Stax Museum.
(Credit: Alex Greene)
That night, my date and I sampled a freshly uncorked bottle as we settled into the spacious, sold-out venue and its sweeping view of the Hudson River, the dusky spires of Jersey City looming in the distance. Soon the band, sans Jones, took the stage and began playing the descending figure of “Soul Dressing,” a cut off the MG’s album of the same name. “Wow,” exclaimed a fellow patron, representative of the night’s older demographic, “it’s not every day you get to hear the MG’s!”
I refrained from correcting him, but in my mind I heard Steve Cropper’s recent quip that “if I went out with Booker now, we’d have to call it Booker T. and the MG!” Meanwhile, I was content to take in the band before us: Dylan Jones on guitar, Melvin Brown on bass, and Ty Dennis on drums. Soon Booker T. Jones himself sauntered out to the organ, looking dapper in a blue suit and flat cap, and “Soul Dressing” began in earnest.
What followed was a tight, focused journey through not only the MG’s catalog, but other Stax hits as well. The band, while missing the inimitable swing of the original Stax house band, was on point with the arrangements. Dylan Jones carried off many of Steve Cropper’s original guitar parts faithfully, though he couldn’t resist injecting a bit of shredding when he soloed at length. His work on the the MG’s “Melting Pot” was quite venturesome, but that was in keeping with the song’s original jazz-inclined aesthetic. Brown’s bass solo on the same tune also went far beyond anything the MG’s recorded, but was imaginative and soulful nonetheless. Throughout, Booker T. Jones’ playing was as funky, tasteful, and restrained as his recorded works, even when stretching out for extended soloing on “Green Onions” in the set’s midpoint. That tune, of course, elicited the evening’s most frenzied applause.
Vocalist Ayanna Irish stepped out to put across numbers more associated with female singers, such as “Gee Whiz” and “Respect,” the latter having more to do with Aretha Franklin’s cover version than the Otis Redding original, and her approach was appropriately old-school.
Booker T. Jones sang as well, and another surprise followed his brief reminiscence. “The first time I came to New York City, in 1962, I was at the Roseland Ballroom,” he said. “With Ruth Brown and Jimmy Reed.” Already holding a guitar after singing Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” (which he produced), he then launched into Reed’s “Bright Lights, Big City.” For a moment, you could imagine you were back home on Beale Street.
The show reached its climax with the smoldering build-up of the ostensible set-closer, “Time is Tight,” the coda of which seemed to throw the band for a loop. But as the applause died down, Jones immediately brought everyone back to Memphis. “I was standing on McLemore Avenue, and I see this guy pull up in a van from Georgia, and he starts pulling out guitar amps and suitcases and stuff and carrying them into the studio. Then he sits next to me on the organ and he wants to know if he can sing a song. And of course I say, ‘No, you can’t sing a song. You’re the valet!'” Laughter rippled through the room. “Anyway, he started singing this.” While I expected to hear “These Arms of Mine,” often associated with that story, Jones instead launched into another of Otis Redding’s great masterpieces from the early Stax era, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now).”
At the song’s end, just as we were thoroughly melted into the floor, Jones brought things squarely into the contemporary age. “This song was written by Lauryn Hill, and it’s called ‘Everything is Everything.'” The tune, its title taken from a promotional slogan used by Stax in its heyday, and recorded by Jones in collaboration with The Roots, was the perfect way to remind us that, all anniversaries notwithstanding, this was a restless, thriving artist standing before us. Long live “Green Onions,” I thought, and long live Booker T. Jones.
