Attorney Rattlebone Jones will be one of the night’s storytellers. (Photo: Courtesy Spillit)
Saturday, February 1st, is 201 Day, says Josh Campbell, creative director of Spillit Memphis. It’s named, he says, “for better or worse, for the most famous address in Memphis.” That address, of course, is 201 Poplar, location of Shelby County’s Walter L. Bailey Jr. Criminal Justice Center that houses several courts, the district attorney’s office, and the county jail. “It’s become an image and avatar for the overall justice system here in Memphis,” Campbell says. “We wanted to have a storytelling event where we can talk about these things and have conversations.”
And so, this Saturday, in partnership with the Tennessee Innocence Project and Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Spillit will host one of its “Center Stage” storytelling gatherings, with a focus on justice and injustice in Memphis. Unlike the group’s popular slam events, similar to an open mic, this Center Stage will feature a curated lineup of speakers, including local attorney Rattlebone Jones; Jessica Van Dyke, legal director at the Tennessee Innocence Project; and District Attorney Steve Mulroy. Also speaking will be Darren Price, who was exonerated this month after 20 years in prison and four years on probation, and Ricky Webb, who was exonerated after spending nearly 50 years in jail for a murder he didn’t commit.
“So those are our two big stories that we really think are important,” Campbell says of the Tennessee Innocence Project exonerees, but he adds that the other speakers will add to the conversation with stories of bureaucratic absurdity, lemonade stands, and more. “We want people to come at this topic with a lot of different things.”
The hope, Campbell says, is that the audience and speaker will find connection. “The thing about storytelling is not necessarily to find out something new about the person,” he says. “It’s really about finding that they’re not that much different from you. So when we can find common ground through stories, then we can really start working to find common ground in real life.”
Further, whenever Spillit hosts events in partnership with other organizations, as this event will with the Tennessee Innocence Project, Campbell says, “By giving that firsthand account, you’re really giving power to what those organizations do. People don’t always open up to strangers, but if I partner with an organization that has some clout in the community and some connection, then that gives us a good entry into finding out about these stories and people trusting us to present them. So really, it’s about finding people to tell stories and getting the message out there and hopefully telling the story of Memphis that people don’t think about.”
This Spillit event is free to attend and will have light refreshments. The next Spillit Slam on March 29th is themed Midterms and will be in partnership with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative.
Desmond Bane shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets. (Photo: Joe Murphy/NBAE for Getty Images)
Thursday night, two of the top Western Conference teams, the two-seed Houston Rockets and three-seed Memphis Grizzlies faced off in their final meeting of the season. Thanks to a fourth-quarter burst from newly named all-star Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies eked out a 120-119 victory over the Rockets.
Houston has been a problem for Memphis this season; that much is clear. Rivals in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference, they meet four times a season, and until last night’s matchup, the Rockets appeared poised to sweep the season series. This win has pulled Memphis within a half-game of Houston for the second seed.
These two teams met three times in the month of January, with the Rockets winning the first two games and now the Grizzlies snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat in the third.
This game came down to the final possession, with Memphis ultimately securing the win thanks to a pair of clutch free throws from Jaren Jackson Jr. in the final seconds of the game.
Giving credit where it’s due, the Rockets dominated most of the game, leading by as many as 11 points. All five starters for Houston finished the game in double figures.
Former Grizzly Dillon Brooks had his highest scoring game of the series with 22 points, and shooting guard Jalen Green led all scorers with 25 points.
After struggling offensively in the first half and trailing by ten at halftime, the Grizzlies outscored the Rockets 64-53 in the final two quarters.
Point guard Ja Morant was sidelined with shoulder soreness, and Luke Kennard took his place in the starting lineup. Kennard has seen more minutes in the backup point guard role lately, in part due to the ongoing struggles of Scotty Pippen Jr., who finished the game with just four points.
Four of the Grizzlies’ starting five notched double figures — led by Desmond Bane’s 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. Bane played a season-high 40 minutes.
Luke Kennard added 22 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 2 steals on 9 of 17 overall shooting and 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. Kennard leads the NBA in three-point shooting, averaging 49.1% from three.
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Nine of his 21 points came during the final quarter, including making a pair of free throws that gave Memphis the lead.
Shortly before tip-off, Jackson Jr. was announced as one of the Western Conference All-Star reserves, his second all-star appearance.
Jaylen Wells finished the night with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
From the second unit:
Santi Aldama led the bench with 15 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two blocks on six of 13 overall shooting and three of 8 from beyond the arc.
Brandon Clarke put up 13 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks on six of seven overall shooting.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are hitting the road for one game to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, February 2nd. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. CST.
This week on the Memphis Flyer Podcast, we’re all about podcasting! Sonosphere creator and host Amy Schaftlein joins Chris McCoy to talk about her pioneering music podcast, her day job at United Housing, and The Brutalist. Read this week’s cover story here.
Payton Burk and Kathleen Weatherford (Photo: Michael Donahue)
Once upon a time there was a little boy who asked his mother if he could have a pet.
The little boy’s name is Payton Burk. His mother’s name is Kathleen Weatherford. His question led to the two collaborating on their first children’s book, If You Take A Cicada Home as a Pet, in 2022.
They recently completed their second book, If You Take A Groundhog Home as a Pet. The new book will launch at 3:30 p.m. today, January 30th, which is Burk’s 10th birthday, at a book signing at Novel at 387 Perkins Extended in Laurelwood Shopping Center.
If You Take a Groundhog Home as a Pet
Weatherford, a metalsmith/jewelry artist whose custom-made pieces sell across the country at high-end stores, says Burk was 7 years old when he got a homework assignment to write what it’s like to have a pet. He said, “Oh, mom. I don’t even have a pet,” Weatherford says.
“He’d been begging to have a pet,” but the family is “on the go a lot,” so Weatherford told him, “You don’t need a pet.”
On their way to school, she and her son saw a cicada which appeared to be sleeping. “It looks like a little alien to him. And it flies off. I said, ‘Oh, man. That could have been your pet.’ He got so upset. He said, ‘Now I really don’t have a pet.’”
But, she adds, “That’s when we started the journey of writing.”
But starting that day, Weatherford and Burk began composing a book to and from school each day about what it would be like to have a cicada for a pet. “We would text little pieces of the story in the voice texts on my phone.”
They’d compile everything and organize their thoughts after he got home from school. Burk was learning sentence structure without even knowing it.
Weatherford also realized putting a book together was helping Burk’s recently-diagnosed ADHD.
When the book was completed, Weatherford hired Victoria Trum from Moldavia in Eastern Europe to illustrate the book.
Weatherford self-published the book, which she originally gave as family Christmas presents. She put the leftover books at Landmark Booksellers in Franklin, Tennessee. “They sold out every time.”
Last winter, Burk asked his mother if they could write another book. “He was getting really tired of winter because he couldn’t play outside.”
Weatherford told him, “We’d better hope the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow. Burk came up with the idea of someone capturing the groundhog as a pet so it won’t be able to see its shadow. The result would be an early spring. If You Take a Groundhog Home as a Pet was born.
Creating a book together was much more than just a pastime, Weatherford says. “The whole purpose was to help him with the creative part of his brain where he was learning, but not knowing he was learning.”
Working on the book helped him in school. “His grades improved substantially,” Weatherford says. “He’s excelling.”
And, she says, “He’s not so frustrated. He doesn’t get so upset. He thinks, ‘I need to step back and organize these thoughts in my head.’”
More books are on the horizon, Weatherford says. “We’re looking at 10 books we have right now on our vision board.”
They dedicate a certain amount of time each day to writing. They’ll sit down, put some ideas on paper, and then come back to them later. After they finish the text, the two talk about what type of illustrations will go with each part of the book. “It’s teaching him to organize, slow down, patience, ask for help. All the things you struggle with in ADHD.”
They send the completed parts of the book to Trum before Burk goes to sleep at night. “When we’re going to bed, she’s getting her day started. So, I have to have these thoughts organized.”
Then, she says, “I’ll wake up the next morning and she’ll have a draft of it.”
Weatherford and Burk attended WriterFest Nashville about a month ago at Belmont University. They’ve taken some short book tours with their first book, but they’re planning a longer book tour this summer with both books. As well as, hopefully, a new book by then, she says. “We’re hoping to get it done by the end of the school year.”
Burk is ready to move on to the next phase of book writing. He recently asked, “Mom, is there any way we can start writing chapter books?”
Weatherford responded, “Maybe one day you can take over and start writing chapter books.”
Burk also came up with a side project: a hot sauce called “Burning Bunghole,” which they’re already selling.
“Every time he comes to me with an idea, I jump on it. I love it. I love that he’s using that creative part of his brain. Let dreams inspire you.”
And, she adds, “The sky’s the limit whatever we decide to do. I want to do whatever I can to help him.”
Weatherford’s advice to parents? “Just get to know your kids. Spend time with them. Put your phones away. We need to slow down and look at what’s in front of us. Figure out what makes your child tick.”
And, hopefully, everyone will live happily ever after.
Chairman Bo Watson and Vice Chairman John Stevens lead the Tennessee Senate Finance Committee, which voted 8-3 to advance Gov. Bill Lee's universal school voucher bill during its meeting on Wednesday. (Larry McCormack for Chalkbeat)
Gov. Bill Lee’s private school voucher bill on Wednesday cleared the committee level in a special legislative session, setting the stage for votes this week by the full House and Senate.
As expected, the bill sailed Tuesday through education panels stacked with lawmakers who support policies that provide taxpayer funding to families to pay toward private education services.
The bigger test came later in finance committees, where a similar voucher bill bogged down last spring over disagreements within the Republican supermajority. It passed easily there too, with only a few GOP members from rural areas in opposition.
Lee’s Education Freedom Act, his signature education proposal, is scheduled to be debated Thursday by both full chambers, where the votes are expected to be tighter.
If it passes, the initiative would mark a major change in K-12 education in Tennessee. It would create a new statewide schooling track, starting with 20,000 “scholarships” of $7,075 each.
To draw support from lawmakers worried about the impact to their public schools, the measure also would give one-time bonuses of $2,000 to the state’s public school teachers; establish a public school infrastructure fund using tax revenues from the sports betting industry that currently contribute to college scholarships; and reimburse public school systems for any state funding lost if a student dis-enrolls to accept the new voucher.
Only 15 of the state’s 144 districts are expected to receive such reimbursements, according to the legislature’s latest fiscal analysis of the bill.
An amendment added on Tuesday requires that, for public school teachers to receive the bonus, their school boards must adopt a resolution saying that they want to participate in the bonus plan. Sponsors said the change was intended to give local boards more autonomy over the funds.
The action on Lee’s proposal came as President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that frees up federal funding and prioritizes spending on school choice programs.
A day earlier, Trump applauded Tennessee’s Education Freedom Act.
“Congratulations to Tennessee Legislators who are working hard to pass School Choice this week, which I totally support,” the president said in his post.
A subsidy or a civil right: Senators debate the bill’s purpose
Republican leaders who control the General Assembly have signaled that they intend to wrap up that business in one week and pass three different legislative packages, as well as about $1 billion to pay for them.
The statewide voucher bill is the session’s most contentious issue, prompting philosophical debates Wednesday among members of the Senate Finance Committee about whom the proposed program is intended to help.
According to the state’s own analysis, about 65 percent of the new voucher recipients are expected to be students who are already in private schools, with the rest coming from public schools.
That projection may be low. In Arkansas, which approved universal vouchers in 2023 under Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, more than 80 percent of last year’s enrollees had not attended public schools the previous year.
Tennessee’s bill would remove any family income restrictions for eligibility in the program’s second year. For the upcoming 2025-26 academic year, half of the vouchers would be available to students whose family income is no more than three times the federal threshold for receiving a reduced-price lunch, or about $175,000 annually for a family of four.
“It’s essentially giving a scholarship to people who can already afford to go to private school anyway,” said Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis).
By contrast, the state’s smaller existing school voucher program, approved by the legislature in 2019, restricts eligibility to public school students living in Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga, and whose families have significantly lower incomes.
Defending the governor’s universal voucher plan, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) challenged the suggestion that the measure amounts to a government-funded subsidy for affluent families.
“We’re not going to penalize people who’ve been successful,” said Johnson, the bill’s Senate sponsor. “We’re not going to penalize people who work hard and might do a little better than someone else. We want these to be universal, and that’s the ultimate goal.”
Johnson added that he “has a problem with deciding who’s rich and who’s not.” It depends, he said, on their family’s location and circumstances.
“This program is going to help families across Tennessee — 20,000 kids — get into a school that their parents think is a better option,” he said. “And it shouldn’t be based on income. It should be universal.”
Early research shows that small voucher programs limited to low-income students are more likely to have positive outcomes, while recent national studies indicate that vouchers have mostly negative or insignificant impacts on academic outcomes.
Long-term costs worry critics
Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) sought to pin down the proposed program’s cost as it grows, especially since the 74,000 students who attend private schools in Tennessee would be eligible to apply for a state-funded scholarship.
State analysts expect all 20,000 vouchers will be awarded in the first year, allowing the state to expand the program by 5,000 participants each year, potentially doubling the program’s size by the 2029-30 school year. In the first five years, the program could cost taxpayers at least $1.1 billion, the state’s analysts say.
“This is a long-term program, and we should think about the long-term costs,” Yarbro said.
He called out the explosive growth of Arizona’s voucher program, which became available to all students in 2022. The initiative has contributed to a $400 million shortfall in the state’s current budget.
Johnson said Yarbro’s concerns amounted to “scare tactics.”
Any growth in the program is “subject to appropriation” by the legislature, he said. “We’ll be back next year, and we’ll have a conversation about it.”
Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has settled in a First Amendment case involving a pharmacy student’s “sex-positive” social media post.
Kimberly Diei, a Memphis pharmacist, agreed to a $250,000 settlement after filing a lawsuit against the university in a case of free speech.
The suit was filed in 2021 by Diei and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) after the student was investigated for tweets made in 2020 on Twitter( now X) regarding the song “WAP” by rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B. FIRE also said the school received complaints about another tweet Diei made referencing a Beyoncé song.
According to FIRE, an initial investigation was launched in 2019 by the university on the grounds of “professionalism” but was eventually dropped. However, the tweets involving “WAP” lead to another investigation, where UT administrators voted to expel her.
Diei made the tweets under pseudonym “KimmyKasi,” which court documents said never identified her as a UTHSC student. Nevertheless, Diei was notified by school officials that they had received a complaint and the tweets were deemed “ a serious breach of the norms and expectations of the profession,”
UTHSC’s Professional Conduct Committee never told Diei exactly which school policies she violated nor which posts were in question, according to FIRE.
“The First Amendment robustly protects students’ rights to have a voice outside of school, even if college administrators don’t like what they have to say,” FIRE said in a statement.
Diei appealed the decision, which was then reversed after FIRE sued the school in February 2021. Three years later, a federal appeals court ruled that the tweet, which was referred to as “sexual” and “vulgar” by the administration was protected by the First Amendment.
“Kim’s posts complied with the social media sites’ policies and involved expression that the First Amendment squarely prevents public universities from investigating and punishing,” FIRE said in a statement, adding that there is nothing “unprofessional about students expressing love of hip-hop and their sexuality on social media.”
“Students don’t give up their free speech rights the day they sign up for grad school,” FIRE attorney JT Morris said. “Without FIRE, UT could have derailed Kim’s whole professional career. We were proud to fight for Kim. Her win will help protect students everywhere from campus censors at public universities.”
Tennessee House and Senate education committees passed the governor’s private-school voucher program Tuesday, speeding the $450 million first-year expense to final votes before week’s end.
Senators voted 8-1 to send the measure to the finance committee to be considered Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), carrying the bill for Gov. Bill Lee, told lawmakers the plan will “empower families to do something for their kid, fulfilling needs we’re not meeting with this public school system that we run together with our local folks.”
Johnson claimed a mandate to pass the measure from President Donald Trump, who posted on his Truth Social platform earlier that he supports Tennessee lawmakers’ efforts to adopt “school choice.”
Senate Republican Majority Leader Jack Johnson of Franklin said Tennessee lawmakers have a “mandate” from President Donald Trump to enact private school vouchers. (Photo: John Partipilo)
“It is our goal to bring education in the United States to the highest level, one that it has never attained before,” Trump said in his post.
Lee’s plan, which is zooming toward final votes in a special session this week, calls for providing more than $7,000 each to 20,000 students statewide and then expanding by about 5,000 annually. Half of those students in the first year could come from families with incomes at 300 percent of the federal poverty level, an estimated $175,000 for a family of four, while the rest would have no income limit. No maximum income would be placed on the program after the first year.
A financial analysis by the state’s Fiscal Review Committee determined K-12 schools will lose $45 million and that only $3.3 million would go toward 12 school districts most likely to lose students.
Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) was the lone vote against the bill as she urged the committee to “exercise a bit more caution.” Akbari reminded senators that students participating in the state’s education savings account program, which provides vouchers to enroll in private schools in Davidson, Hamilton, and Shelby counties, are performing worse academically than their peers.
In contrast, Sen. Adam Lowe (R-Calhoun) said standardized tests shouldn’t be the deciding factor in passing the bill. Lowe also told Hawkins County Schools Director Matt Hixson he shouldn’t be worried about talk that some local leaders in upper East Tennessee believe they have to support the voucher bill or the legislature could refuse to approve $420 million for Hurricane Helene disaster relief.
The House panel endorsed the plan on a 17-7 vote after Republican lawmakers used a procedural move to bypass debate on the bill. Rep. Jake McCalmon (R-Williamson County) called for an immediate vote following public testimony, backed by Rep. William Slater (R-Sumner County). The move kept opponents from questioning the bill’s sponsor, House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland).
Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) called the move “ridiculous” afterward because of the impact the bill could have on public schools and the state’s budget.
In addition to complaining that the state will be running two school systems and likely hitting financial problems, Johnson challenged Lamberth’s assertion that the bill will make public schools “whole” when they lose students to the private-school voucher program.
Lamberth, though, said public schools would not lose “one red cent” as a result of the program.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Tennessee’s proficiency rate grew in eighth grade math, while the national average declined, according to the latest results from the Nation's Report Card. The gains position the state's middle schoolers to perform better in Algebra I, their first high school math class. (Photo by Allison Shelley for EDU)
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters
Tennessee students held their ground on a major national test in a year when average student test scores declined nationwide.
Results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, released Wednesday, show that average test scores in Tennessee increased slightly in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math, compared with 2022, though the gains were not statistically significant.
Tennessee’s latest post-pandemic results stood in contrast to declines seen nationwide and in many other states. And Tennessee students scored three to four points higher than the national average in math and one to two points higher in reading.
“Tennessee students did well relative to other states, and we did better than some of our neighbors,” Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds said.
“We didn’t move backwards, we moved a little bit forward, and we expect to do better next year,” added state Rep. Mark White, of Memphis, who chairs a key House education committee and also serves on the NAEP governing board.
Math scores outpace reading scores.
Tennessee has launched numerous initiatives aimed at bolstering early literacy, but the latest NAEP showed the state’s most dramatic improvements came in math.
In fourth-grade math, 42 percent of students scored proficient or advanced, an increase of 6 percentage points from 2022. The state was one of 29 jurisdictions that posted scores similar to 2019, before the pandemic. Only Alabama had average scores higher than 2019. Nationwide, average scores are down three points, and 22 states had declines.
In eighth-grade math, Tennessee’s proficiency rate also grew, while the national average declined. Tennessee was one of just two jurisdictions with similar scores to 2019. Average scores dropped 9 points.
In fourth-grade reading, Tennessee was one of 47 states with no statistical change from 2022. Nonetheless, its scores were up slightly, whereas the nationwide average dropped by two points from 2022 and by five points from 2019.
The small increases in eighth-grade reading scores were not statistically different from 2022 or 2019, but again, the small increase stood in contrast to nationwide averages that dropped 5 points since 2019. Tennessee also saw more notable increases in scores among higher-performing students in the 75th percentile.
Credit: ChalkbeatTNCredit: ChalkbeatTN
The relatively strong showing in math, according to state officials, could be tied to the full return to in-person learning, which studies show is especially important for math instruction; Tennessee’s 2021 adoption of new math standards; and the subsequent rollout of math curriculum to align with those standards.
They expect that trend to continue with passage of a 2024 state law spotlighting more analysis of and support for math instruction.
Tennessee was an early adopter of pandemic-era interventions.
Tennessee has been held up as a model both for how it managed federal pandemic relief spending — quickly steering money into tutoring, summer learning camps, and after-school programs aimed at students who had fallen furthest behind — and for its intense focus on early literacy. State test results from 2024 show students there making steady progress since 2021.
The challenge now will be to maintain progress and deploy state funds to replace federal pandemic relief aid that expired last year.
“We still have that obligation at the state level to continue to support districts in as many ways as possible,” said Reynolds, the state’s education chief. She cited free professional development resources provided to school systems by her department as one example.
“Local school officials also knew that the money was ending, so they’ve been building in their own sustainability practices to keep the work going,” she said.
White, the state lawmaker and NAEP official, said the state’s controversial 2021 third-grade reading intervention and retention law was a key part of the mix. It pushed children whose families might have opted for summer breaks into summer learning programs and motivated schools to increase support for struggling readers.
“If a child is not reading proficiently in third grade, we want to really understand why and not just pass them on,” he said.
State officials already are digging into the latest NAEP data on how various student groups performed to study how they can offer better support.
Tennessee’s growing population of English-language learners saw across-the-board improvement, while students with disabilities showed slight decreases.
The alignment of national and state data is important, said Amy Owen, the state’s senior education policy director, because “it shows that our students will be able to compete with students from across the country when they look at post-secondary and career opportunities.”
“We’re seeing steady increases, which is significant when you think about where our kids were during COVID,” added Reynolds. “Our fourth graders were kindergartners then, our eighth graders were fourth graders.”
Memphis district opts out of separate NAEP assessment
Since 2018, NAEP has also released results for Memphis Shelby County Schools, one of roughly two dozen large urban districts participating in national math and reading tests through the Trial Urban District Assessment program, which is designed to help those districts measure student performance against districts in other large cities. But last year, leaders of the Memphis district chose not to participate in the program.
The lack of participation represented a “leadership breakdown” as the district cycled through superintendents.
— State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis)
White, who represents part of Memphis, said the lack of participation represented a “leadership breakdown” as the district cycled through superintendents. “That’s sad that we don’t have their scores,” he said. “We can’t continue that trend.”
What is NAEP?
Not every Tennessee fourth-grader or eighth-grader took the national test when the federal government administered the assessments in early 2024.
NAEP tests a nationally representative sample of students in every state. In Tennessee, each of the four assessments was taken by about 1,700-1,800 students in 80-90 schools.
The results, published as the nation’s report card, allow comparisons across states and are an important marker for showing how students are doing over time.
The last three testing cycles happened in 2019, 2022, and most recently in 2024, providing an especially helpful comparison of what students knew before the pandemic and how much they have rebounded from COVID-related learning disruptions.
Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor based in Colorado. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.
Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
Your personal ice cream sandwich can help you cope. (Photo: Anjelagr | Dreamstime.com)
With a fork and a knife, Hunny Blunt cuts into the summertime dish with glee. “There’s nothing better,” she declares, “than a rich and flavorful ice cream sandwich from the Lamplighter Lounge.” It’s the Monday night drag show, a new staple of the Midtown scene. Hunny, the grand duchess of the ball, carefully consumes her post-dance treat and seems positively glowing in her cocktail dress and oversized ’do. “I think I’m just about ready to face the world again,” she quips, strutting back to the stage for round two of a performance.
For many folks, these drag nights are their own “Neapolitan ice cream sandwich,” a way to unwind from the traumas of a rough workweek. There are many more nights like these at Lamplighter too: karaoke on Thursdays and comedy on Wednesdays, sometimes a burlesque show during a Thursday karaoke. On weekends, there’s always a band playing: Rosey if you feel swamp-witch rage; Data Drums for those into the introspective and atmospheric. You name it, they’ll drop it on your plate on any given day.
Personally, though, I’m having trouble trying to think up my own “ice cream sandwich.” There are so many things that I feel help me stave off those moments of depression, to pluck out those seeds of doubt. But nothing is really sticking. So I reached out to some locals and friends to ask what they would call their own “ice cream sandwich.”
A dear friend of mine who works for MIFA, Sumi Montgomery, said hers would be “either hiking in nature, or getting a new tattoo. I’m even planning my next tattoo for after the holidays.” Unlike her, I have only gotten one tattoo: a literary symbol on my ankle. It made me pass out (who knew the ankle was the worst spot to get a first tattoo?), but I did feel a rush of adrenaline and dopamine after. “That’s the thing though,” she clarifies. “After all that pain, you’re left with something beautiful. I see them as marks of transition.”
I can agree with her first option. She and I have hiked along the Wolf River Greenway and around her area of Harbor Town before, and afterwards I felt not only reinvigorated, but also relaxed. Nature can be a great way to reconnect and recenter ourselves. But, still, I felt like I needed something more. Maybe there is something I’m missing that could be my “ice cream sandwich.” So I reached out to local socialite and librarian Ralley Taura.
She told me that when she feels like the world is crashing down on her, she cleans her house. “Organizing a spot in my house that has stressed me out relaxes me,” she elaborates. “And I listen to an audiobook while I clean. There’s nothing like compete inundation with something like that to make every worry melt away.” I sometimes find myself feeling much better after a good house cleaning. But still, it doesn’t quite fit me, I feel. So I continue searching.
A colleague of mine, Erica Qualy, runs a local vintage shop, Tako’s Treasures. She has been doing so for almost a decade, crafting an ecologically and environmentally friendly brand. Her “ice cream sandwich” is, in fact, “thrifting. It has always been a form of therapy for me. I’m a big believer in gratitude and turning that into an activity.”
But sometimes that’s not enough. So she gave me another, more philosophical answer as well: “I remind myself to trust the universe. Looking back on the times where I felt my life was falling apart, it turns out things were actually falling into place.” What wise words to remember.
Finally, I reached out to local political figure Noah Nordstrom for his take on what he hopes folks can cling onto in this rising political tide. His response? “I lean into my family and community when it feels like everything is coming down. Hosting events or fundraisers brings me a sense of peace and stability.”
And I couldn’t agree more. Community events are the lifeblood of a society. Noah himself proves to be a passionate community leader, especially after giving his all in the recent Representative election. He continues that good fight, as you can see in the infamous Memphis-Shelby County Schools board video. Passion like his is what I hope to channel these next few years.
Everyone needs a way to unwind, especially during the coming four years. It is now more important than ever to seek out our community and immerse ourselves in culture. Go to shows and support your local musicians and artists.
There is nothing better than these little moments, in spite of what may happen. I hope to find my own ice cream sandwich soon to combat the dread. My fork and knife stand at the ready.
William Smythe is a local writer and poet. He writes for Focus Mid-South, an LGBT+ magazine.
At work, the therapist often shares a psychoeducational handout that describes ways to cope with anxiety. The recommended tools of deep breathing and meditation can be helpful, and yet she doubts they are adequate in the present situation. Even classic cognitive restructuring — scaling back worst-case-scenario thinking — seems to her duplicitous. She wants to conjure exercises that banish all anxiety, particularly worries around Trump’s threats of mass deportation. But she isn’t that good.
Undocumented immigrants living in the United States have been in this spot before, and so has the therapist, who worked in this small office eight years ago, when Trump first set up residence in the White House. She has waited for this fear to resurface as a concern for those who visit the family medicine clinic to treat diabetes or high blood pressure and then stop in to discuss their life stressors. Soon after the 2024 presidential election, a patient brought up Trump’s aggressive threats. “I don’t belong anywhere in this country,” she said sadly. Some patients report difficulty controlling worrying, trouble relaxing, and feeling as if something catastrophic might happen.
Trained to maintain confidentiality, the therapist nevertheless believed back in 2017 that it was important to move outside the bubble of therapy and raise awareness of the toxic impact Trump’s immigration policies had on mental health. During Trump’s first term, she wrote an article for Memphis Parent magazine introducing Karla’s story. An article reflecting similar concerns could be written today. “Sixteen-year-old Karla plans a special Mother’s Day celebration. The high school junior will serve breakfast in bed to her mom, honoring her mother’s presence in her life. Throughout the day, she’ll try to push aside the anxiety she has experienced the past few months. ‘I try to cherish every moment.’ Inevitably, though, she will read a news report or social media post outlining President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Karla is a U.S. citizen, and her parents are undocumented immigrants from Mexico. ‘I worry that one day my parents may not come back to my house,’ she said. ‘My 9-year-old sister looks at the news and worries when someone knocks on the door.’”
When at school, the distracted girls found it difficult to concentrate on academics. In many ways, Karla’s parents were typical — they worked hard, paid taxes, and built strong relationships in the community. The children looked forward to attending college.
Another source for the article was Mauricio Calvo, the director of Latino Memphis, who said, “Children are hearing the conversation at the dinner table, ‘What happens if I don’t come back today?’ For a community where family is everything, the fear of separation touches us at our core. People fear that any interaction with the government will result in deportation — applying for food stamps for their U.S. citizen families, or going to any court, not just immigration court. Some skip doctors’ appointments, and fear of deportation may prevent crime victims from filing police reports. Even if nothing happens, anxiety makes people sick.”
He noted that at one elementary school, parents from four families approached a teacher, pleading with her to take custody of their children in the event of their deportation.
That year, local artist Yancy Villa shared her perspective with the Barrier Free installation displayed in pop-ups around the country. In silhouettes portraying a father carrying a child and a caregiver pushing a wheelchair, the artist left void spaces representing missing persons. Her project built on the controversial idea of Trump’s proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Instead of concrete, the installation consisted of portraits of local families and individuals representing Memphis’ diverse tapestry. “Everyone is an essential part of our community, and separating us, physically, emotionally, or in any other form, makes our community incomplete,” she said.
It is now early 2025 just after the festive holiday season. In some areas of Mexico and the United States, children recently celebrated Epiphany, commonly known as Three Kings Day or El Día de Los Tres Reyes, by leaving out shoes filled with hay for the kings’ camels. It is a happy and joyful time. Weeks later, the 60th presidential inauguration ceremony took place, ushering in a period with many unknowns. It is vital for undocumented immigrants to know their rights, and the Latino Memphis website describes those rights and how to apply them.
The therapist is not fluent in Spanish, the “heart language” of many patients, and relies on medical interpreters to facilitate conversations about the ways of the heart and mind. Still, the pain comes through loud and clear, and Mauricio Calvo’s words from eight years ago return to the therapist. “Even if nothing happens, anxiety makes people sick.”
Stephanie Painter is a behavioral health consultant and freelance writer.
