A new Black-owned bookstore focusing on books written by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors will soon be opening in Memphis.
Cafe Noir originally started as an online book store founded by Jasmine Settles. Settles recently raised enough money to open a brick and-mortar location that is slated to open in the summer of 2023.
In recent years, there has been more attention brought to Black-owned bookstores in the United States, as more began to open. According to research compiled by WordsRated, as of 2023 there are an estimated 149 book stores in America that are Black-owned. WordsRated said that this number has increased from pre-pandemic numbers, but these book stores only make up 6 percent of all independently owned bookstores in the United States.
“When I envisioned Cafe Noir, I always envisioned it as a space that you come to,” said Settles. “A space where you could kind of delve into these Black works. I also kind of wanted to create a safe space for folks in the community who might not feel accounted for in other spaces. I always saw it as a refuge.”
Physical bookstores are vital for community engagement and development, said Settles. “Only so much can happen in law offices and political spaces,” said Settles. “I think when it comes to the people, they need a place where they can feel safe, and feel seen.”
Settles touts many titles as a native Memphian and a bibliophile. However her identity as a Black woman plays an important role in her decision to provide such a specific selection on her shelves.
Settles attributes her love of reading to her grandmother. She gave Settles her first introduction to literature, focusing on the work of Shakespeare, world-building, and the importance of reading.
“As I got older, I didn’t do as much reading, but I still do reading here and there,” Settles said. “From there it kind of grew, and I went to college. I ended up kind of losing track because I went to college, played basketball, and that took up most of my time, so I didn’t really have that much time to devote to reading.”
Once Settles received her bachelor’s degree, she decided to go on and get her master’s. She said that she wanted to pursue something that she always wanted, which was studying english and literature.
After enrolling at the University of Memphis, Settles took a course in African-American women’s speculative fiction writers, which she credits as the most “life-changing class of her life.”
“I think being introduced to so many Black women’s work … but not only just their work, you get to watch them world-build, grapple with societal questions. You get to see a lot more protagonist characters that are Black women. So it kind of just felt good overall, and I was like ‘Wow I’ve never heard of these authors. I feel like that’s a shame. I feel like I’ve been shorted. I wish I would have known of these authors when I was younger.’”
With this in mind, Settles said she began to think she should open a bookstore. She wanted to highlight and amplify the voices that were marginalized and not included in the curriculum she was taught in her formative years, and that including marginalized voices was also a step towards liberation.
“None of us are free until all of us are free,” said Settles. “The only way liberation can happen is if we give space where everyone can be liberated. I think Black women in particular, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community have carried the torch of liberation, because they knew and saw that none of them or us could survive in a white-supremacist, patriarchal, capitalist infrastructure.”
Those systems were not made to benefit those groups, Settles said, nor were they made for them to survive. She cited the work of authors like bell hooks and Toni Morrison, and how they address inequities in these systems by posing questions, in hopes provoking the reader to do the work.
“A lot of those authors have done the work for us,” Settles said, “kind of laying the maps of what liberation can look like.”
The Young Actors Guild will celebrate 32 years of theatricality and the arts with a grand re-opening of the Harriet Performing Arts Center on Sunday, February 19th. The theme of the re-opening is “The Journey Continues.”
YAG was founded by Memphian Chrysti Chandler in 1991, after feeling that children did not have many outlets to occupy their time after school.
“I saw that children were just idle, not doing anything after school,” said Chandler. “Then I came to find out that the reason a lot of students are not doing anything is because they can’t afford it.”
Chandler recalls that when she was in school, she wasn’t required to pay for extracurricular activities. Sabrina Norwood, executive director for YAG, also said that with arts being taken out of the schools, this provided an opportunity for community organizations to step up.
With these sentiments, Chandler set out to start an organization that allowed children to have affordable performing arts experiences within their community.
YAG initially started with 15 students who would meet in a small theater at LeMoyne-Owen College on Saturday mornings. Years later, more than 30,000 students have been impacted by the lessons taught by Chandler and her team.
The accolades of YAG are not only seen on a local scale, but on a national one as well. Not only does the company celebrate a 98 percent graduation rate from college, but they have performed for the Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Voice, American Idol, former President Bill Clinton, and Oprah Winfrey.
One may wonder what YAG’s formula for success consists of, and according to Sabrina Norwood, the executive director for YAG, the key is accessibility. She said this provides a path for young people to grow and develop. Not only does YAG offer training in the arts, but they also provide ACT and college readiness workshops.
“We believe that any profession that you’re in, artists will certainly excel at all of those,” said Norwood. “That’s why it’s so important for us to be in the community, to be where the young people are, to be where the beat of the community is, because the heart of the community will be developed through programs like ours.”
With a number of accolades and a concrete mission and understanding, it may seem like YAG has been equipped for success; however, until recently, there’s been a key component missing: a permanent home.
While they have been operating for more than 30 years, they haven’t been able to find a space that was “just theirs.”
“We’ve been renting, leasing spaces, and we’ve kind of been from this church to that church and all over the city,” said Norwood. “We were talking, and greatly the mayor’s thinking, as well as some other community people, was that we would have an opportunity to find a space, and we did.”
The Harriet Performing Arts Center, which will be located at 2788 Lamar Avenue, was originally an old firehouse that YAG purchased for only $1.
“From there we started fundraising,” said Norwood. “We chose some nontraditional routes of fundraising, which we chose to sell popcorn, hamburgers, and hot dogs, a little bit of everything in order to fundraise for the interior.”
Norwood said that for the exterior portion, they reached out to local art agencies like ArtsMemphis and Memphis Music Initiative, combined their fundraising efforts with donations, and were able to renovate the exterior.
YAG’s grand re-opening will take place on Sunday, February 19th, at 3 p.m., at 2788 Lamar Ave. There will be a Greater Memphis Chamber official ribbon cutting, live performances, expressions from government officials, and so much more. The event is free and open to the public.
Nour Hantouli is a Memphis native who has been involved in activism for almost a decade. In 2014 they began to pursue tattooing, and was eventually able to make it a full-time job. As a result, Hantouli took a step back from organizing work, however they said that community care is “still a cornerstone of my practice.”
Hantouli has more than 10 years of organizing work under their belt. “I got involved in activism when I lived in Middle Tennessee around 2010,” said Hantouli. “The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was moving to a new location and building a facility to accommodate its members, and there was some really ugly pushback from a small group of ignorant racists. I joined a group that provided support to the Muslim community. They ultimately succeeded in their project and established themselves as a massive source of community care themselves, hosting events that provide things like free meals and domestic violence care kits to anyone who needs help.”
After moving back to Memphis, Hantouli joined the Socialist Party, helped found the Memphis Feminist Collective, participated in the Mariposas Collective, and provided auxiliary support to groups like Mid-South Peace and Justice and Black Lives Matter.
Recently, Hantouli combined their passion for organizing work and tattooing through a mutual aid fundraiser at their shop, Second Skin, at 1296 Peabody Avenue.
According to Hantouli, Aylin Lozano Bravo, a local organizer, activist, and who Hantouli refers to as a “wonderful human,” learned that her father, 45-year-old Lino Lozano “was found beaten and run over by a vehicle.”
To help the family with bills and other needs, Hantouli is offering a set of designs at their shop around the theme of “healing and community care.” The entire amount of each sale will be donated directly to the family.
“We have all struggled at some point in our lives, whether it’s mental health, addiction, abuse, physical illness or injury, or any other catastrophic life event,” said Hantouli. “When we come together to support each other, we can channel that pain into healing. Self-care evolves into community care, and we are stronger together.
The Flyer talked to Hantouli about their inspiration for their designs, why they chose to combine tattooing and organizing work, and more.
Memphis Flyer: How did you get into tattooing?
Hantouli: I was in Chiapas, Mexico, for a language and solidarity program facilitated by a group known as the Zapatistas. While studying there, I got tattooed to commemorate the experience. My Spanish was quite terrible then, and it was a long process in which I had to communicate about the design with the artist via my sketchbook.
When I got back to Memphis, I got offered an apprenticeship if I was willing to return to Mexico. It was about that time I realized my bartending and serving days were reaching their expiration date. I knew it was time to do something else, or, frankly, I didn’t think I was going to make it.
I’d been making art for as long as I can remember, but it was never presented as a smart, or even viable, career path, and working in restaurants drained all the motivation and energy I needed to be an artist. I’d been missing it terribly, and as soon as the idea of learning this craft took hold, I knew it would never leave me alone.
What made you want to open your own shop?
I was in Chiapas, Mexico, for a language and solidarity program facilitated by a group known as the Zapatistas. While studying there, I got tattooed to commemorate the experience. My Spanish was quite terrible then, and it was a long process in which I had to communicate about the design with the artist via my sketchbook.
When I got back to Memphis, I got offered an apprenticeship if I was willing to return to Mexico. It was about that time I realized my bartending and serving days were reaching their expiration date. I knew it was time to do something else, or, frankly, I didn’t think I was going to make it.
I’d been making art for as long as I can remember, but it was never presented as a smart, or even viable, career path, and working in restaurants drained all the motivation and energy I needed to be an artist. I’d been missing it terribly. As soon as the idea of learning this craft took hold, I knew it would never leave me alone.
What made you want to open your own shop
Opening a shop was the furthest thing from my mind, being so fresh in the industry. It’s becoming more common around the country for others in the early years of their career, of course, but it’s just not a thing in Memphis yet. I always knew I wanted to carve out a space that was genuinely safe, accessible, cozy, and a welcoming place for all of our complexity, all our meaningful moments, and all our desire for our stories to be retold through art, the things that make us human.
One of the biggest difficulties for me, personally, in the industry has been the toxic norms around gender, sexuality, and neurodivergence. It’s worth mentioning, even though I do not experience it, that these norms are also massively oppressive in terms of race. It’s a reasonable and normal difficulty to find a shop where you fit in as an artist and as a member of a team. Then you add queerness to the mix, and the window shrinks. Then you add autism to the mix, and it becomes exponentially more difficult to find a place that has the capacity to accept the unconventional ways you need to successfully structure your practice, and trust that you can thrive when you have that acceptance.
Despite this, I planned on speaking with other artists around town. There are several reputable shops where I know people personally who share a lot of my values and do amazing work, but I was also under a lot of pressure, traumatized from past experiences, and just itching to get a machine back in my hand after leaving my last post.
That’s when Jason Morgan from Rose Quartz Body Emporium contacted me on Instagram to see if I was interested in checking out a spot in their building. Rose Quartz is Memphis’s first piercing-only shop. They liked the idea of having a tattooer in the building with them. I thought, “that’s crazy,” but I spoke with their landlord anyway. Next thing you know, I’m signing a lease. Now I am work neighbors with a business that values the full humanity of all their body artists, as well as their clients. The decision to open up a neighboring studio, Second Skin, has been the best crazy decision I ever made in my life.
The dream, however, is not to work alone, but to be a part of a collective with other artists. A collective where both resources and costs are shared fairly, we are motivated by similar values, and we can all learn from each other and share positive, creative energy.
How did you decide on a theme for your designs?
My experience tells me that empathy is a powerful force. Some of the most generous souls I’ve organized with in the past have been the people who have struggled. When we struggle, and we find strength in the compassion from others, it can overwhelm us. When it overwhelms us, it can create an urgency to pass it to others.
My designs centered around the struggles we can overcome with the help of others. Addiction, suicidal ideation, illness, loneliness. That speaks to a lot of people. They are very human things. The feedback was tremendous. Tons of people responded, talking about their own obstacles, and saying things like “I’ve been wanting a tattoo, and I just took this as a sign that the time was right.”
For the past few years, it’s been difficult to retain a faith in humanity, I’ll be honest. It feels like the pandemic, economic crisis, misinformation chaos, and the responses I’ve seen to these things have dragged my soul through broken glass. The privilege of helping facilitate something like this has been healing for me, too.
Why did you feel like this was a good way to raise awareness and money?
In 2021 I did a “Thanksgiving” fundraiser for NTV Rites, a local indigenous organization run by people I used to participate in activism with. I knew I wanted to stay involved in local political movements and community support, but it was hard at the time. Traditional shops can be expensive to run, and often charge artists as much as 50 percent of their earnings to work there, when we are also responsible for purchasing our own equipment and supplies. Now, I work for myself and it affords me the financial stability, time, and energy to use art to do other things I love. I’d been planning on making these solidarity projects a more regular thing.
When I saw my friend Aylin post on Facebook about her father’s horrific attack, my heart hurt for them. Aylin and I were both participants in the Mariposas Collective, which is an organization founded in 2018 to assist families seeking asylum who were recently released from detention centers at the U.S.-Mexico border. She advocates so hard for vulnerable populations, and is always a light and a powerful presence in the movement for justice. And I know her father to be a generous person and a devoted father. I just knew it was the time to do something. This career offers me a kind of visibility that I figured I’d use to reach out – and as I’ve learned from activism, compassionate people abound in Memphis. They came through. All the available appointments have been booked, and currently, we have raised over a thousand dollars in a matter of days.
Tennessee medical professionals could lose their license if they provide gender-affirming care to minors with a new law now under consideration by the Tennessee General Assembly.
the proposed legislation says that these procedures can “lead to the minor becoming irreversibly sterile, having increased risk of disease and illness, or [suffer] from adverse and sometimes fatal psychological consequences.”
This legislation also allows civil litigation against a healthcare provider who performs such procedures. These lawsuits could be brought within 30 years from the date the minor reaches 18 years of age, or within 10 years from the date of the minor’s death if the minor dies. It also allows relatives of a minor to bring a wrongful death action against a healthcare providers in such cases under certain conditions.
In October of 2022, the Flyer reported that Tennessee law currently allows for access to gender-affirming healthcare for youth.
Jace Wilder studies and teaches transgender policies for the Tennessee Equality Project.
“We really have to keep a critical eye on what is the goal of our legislature, and what initiatives or what funding they’re getting to really just continue to police and criminalize a minority group of people,” Wilder said.
The Flyer was able to talk with Wilder, about gender affirming care for minors, misconceptions around the procedures, and what could be next for trans youth in Tennessee. — Kailynn Johnson
Why would doctors choose not to delay care for minors who are transitioning?
Jace Wilder: So, one of the things that gets left behind a lot is the narrative of the effects of delaying care. That includes suicide rates going up. That one has been proven over and over again. Lack of access to care, lack of actual equitable care, and — even more so — not having support from both family and from medical providers proves to have worse outcomes for those youth that have to delay their care.
When they see laws like this, that prohibit them from accessing their own care, they automatically can see that their state doesn’t really care about them, or care about their health care access. So, when it comes to delaying care, you’re also reinforcing that isolation.
Whenever we go into doctors’ offices, the assumption right now is that you just go in, and you get on hormones, and you get surgery, and it’s all just kind of like this one movement. But the reality is that, according to both [World Professional Association for Transgender Health – WPATH], which is the organization that provides the standards of care for trans people…is that doctors can just sometimes provide counseling to families about how to respect and encourage their trans child after they come out, provide education for those parents, who may be not ready to take that step with their child about accessing health care, or accessing HRT and surgeries, and continue to counsel them.
This bill will eliminate the ability to even have those conversations because it’s seen as coercion…and can be declared child abuse of a parent to just ask their doctor about how to care for their trans kid.
You mentioned that one of the harmful effects of this bill would be that trans youth would believe that their state doesn’t care about them. The text of the bill states that, “the legislature must take action to protect the health and welfare of minors.” Do you believe that this statement contradicts the actual legislation?
JW: It ignores the actual wishes and desires of the trans youth. What they’re doing is ignoring years and years of advocacy and science from both scientists who care and doctors that actually care for trans youth, and the families that have seen the positive effects of transition or have seen the positive effects of just providing support for trans youth. It’s ignoring all that in favor of acting like a hero, while villainizing a minoritized community. They’re just ignoring what is actually wanted by trans youth and their families.
You also talked a little bit earlier about how a lot of people kind of have this misconception that there is just one approach to trans healthcare. Do you think any of these misconceptions have contributed to the legislature pushing for this legislation to be passed?
JW: I think that some of the misconception comes from…one, the speed of it. The standards of care that they are provided with show that there are certain ages in which they are already not allowed to give hormone replacement therapy or puberty blockers.
They, also already laid out who is allowed and who is not allowed to have surgeries, and all hospitals, any hospital or medical clinic with any kind of accreditation, that would make it legal for them to even function have to follow those standards of care because they’re implemented by the hospitals.
A lot of times we get stuck in this narrative that it’s all this one giant conspiracy to speed up the process to transition people who should not be transitioned. The reality is people are actually struggling to even access the care in the first place, and when they do it takes a really long time to get through that process, if they even do by the time they’re 18.
What do you all think is next for trans healthcare in Tennessee?
JW: We’re seeing is this escalation to even saying that trans people who are 25 — legal adults who can vote, legal adults who can drink, who can serve for their country — these individuals don’t have the right to determine their own health care, based off of this weird idea that the state knows best. But this only for this very small group that cannot be heard in their own legislature.
It’s just going to push and possibly extend out to the age of 25. In fact, [Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland)] kind of mentioned that alongside [Daily Wire host] Matt Walsh in the House committee hearing that just happened.
We’re also seeing that in the drag queen bill they labeled drag as impersonation of another gender, meaning that we’re really getting on that ledge of going back to the 1980s. It’s drawing back to that idea that impersonating another gender is somehow criminal, and that being another gender than you were born as is a criminal act. So, we are seeing the full on policing and criminalization of trans folks at this point.
Decarcerate Memphis and the Official Black Lives Matter Memphis chapter are hosting a “Week of Action,” for Tyre Nichols.
The week started on Thursday, February 2nd, with a phone zap, where members of the community were asked to make calls to Memphis City Council and county commissioners and let them know “you want our demands met and ordinances passed.”
Both organizations have been vocal about police reform. According to the Decarcerate Memphis website, the organization “exists to apply common sense strategies and a community-oriented approach to the problematic system of policing. We do this by demanding funds are equitably allocated and resisting the criminalization of the poor.”
“We exist to dismantle systems that oppress us. We affirm all Black folks and their varied identities, including religion, gender, and sexual orientation. We work to create the alternatives that allow our people to thrive and live the lives they deserve,” said the Official Black Lives Matter Memphis chapter through Facebook.
According to an action toolkit provided by both organizations, the family demands include:
1. Release the body cam footage.
2. Charge the officers.
3. Name all officers and public personnel Memphis, Tennessee that were on scene.
4. Release the officers’ files.
Community demands include:
1. Pass the Data Transparency ordinance (tracking law enforcement data).
2. End the use of pre-textual traffic stops.
3. End the use of unmarked cars and plainclothes officers.
4. Dissolve the [Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods – SCORPION], [Organized Crime Unit – OCU], and [Multi-Agency Gang Unit – MGU]. End the use of task forces.
5. Remove police from traffic enforcement entirely.
As of Friday, February 3rd, some of the demands have been met including the release of the body cam footage, charging officers involved, the release of officer files, and the dissolving of the SCORPION unit.
“Hold them accountable. If they say no, keep calling but take notes,” said a post from Decarcerate Memphis on Instagram.
Other events for this week include an email blast scheduled for Friday, February 3rd, a “National Day of Action,” “Rest is Revolutionary: Make time for Black Joy,” a county commission meeting, a city council meeting, and a press conference.
As the Tyre Nichols case and video have received national attention, activists and representatives, locally and nationally, are sharing their thoughts and demands regarding police reform.
The Official Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter released the following statement through Facebook: “On January 7, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, a passionate skateboarder and beginner photographer, died after being brutally beaten by five Memphis police officers, who all happened to be Black.
“This month alone, there have been several instances of people being murdered at the hands of the police. Earlier this month in Los Angeles, police tased father and English teacher Keenan Anderson to death. A week ago, Georgia state patrol troopers killed environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Terán during a raid against the ‘Stop Cop City’ encampment.
“In Tyre Nichols’s case, the police officers tased, pepper-sprayed, restrained, and violently beat him for three long minutes. Tyre’s autopsy revealed that he died from the trauma of a brutal bleeding. This type of violence illustrates how irredeemable an institution policing is, primarily because it is rooted in upholding white supremacy and state-sanctioned violence, no matter the racial or gender makeup of the officer. Despite attempted reforms, police forces cannot diversify or restructure their way into becoming just institutions, and no reform will end the intentional and incessant terrorizing of Black communities. The Official Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter is resolute in our position that policing and prions must end.”
In a statement, President Joe Biden, said: “Like so many, I was outraged and deeply pained to see the horrific video of the beating that resulted in Tyre Nichols’ death. It is yet another painful reminder of the profound fear and trauma, the pain, and the exhaustion that Black and Brown Americans experience every single day.”
Biden also said that the footage would leave people “justifiably outraged.”
Due to its disturbing nature, many opted to not view the video. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the late Martin Luther King Jr. took to Twitter to let users know that it was okay to not watch it, noting that “it should not require another video of a Black human being dehumanized for anyone to understand that police brutality is an urgent, devastating issue.”
While the case and the video have elicited anger and outrage from representatives both local and nationally, many have agreed that police reform is not only a pressing issue in the city of Memphis but nationwide as well.
Representative Steve Cohen took to his Twitter account to condemn the officers involved, and asked for all involved parties to be held accountable.
“At least 4 other officers did nothing and a sixth SCORPION said he hoped they’d stomp him. Every officer who took the law into his hands or failed to intervene should be held accountable. The Mayor & Chief have a hard job ahead and Congress must pass reforms I’ve long sponsored,” Cohen said.
In the aftermath of the video’s release, a sixth Memphis police officer, Preston Hemphill, was relieved of duty on January 30th. According to a statement released that same by attorneys for the Nichols’ family, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, Hemphill had not been charged or terminated.
The Shelby County District Attorney’s office also released a statement on January 30th stating that this is an ongoing investigation, and that they are looking into “all individuals involved in the events leading up to, during, and after the beating of Tyre Nichols.”
“The current charges do not preclude us from adding additional charges as more information is presented,” the statement said. “This includes the officer present at the initial encounter who has not — so far — been charged, Memphis Fire Department personnel, and persons who participated in preparing documentation of the incident afterward.”
Three Memphis Fire Department personnel were also fired for violating “numerous MFD policies and protocols.” In a press conference, Gloria Sweet-Love, president of the Tennessee State Conference NAACP called for a ” community oversight board that has subpoena power.”
Sweet-Love also said that while Biden’s delivery on calls for executive orders for police brutality was an important first step, it is not a substitute for meaningful legislation. “We must have legislation that is effective throughout this country, that makes sure we stop the killing of Black men.”
Van Turner, president of the Memphis branch of the NAACP also said in the conference that at the request of Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, that they support the Tyre Nichols Criminal Reform Bill.
“We do not need to let Tyre Nichols’ death be in vain,” said Turner. “We need a bill passed, and we call on Gov. Bill Lee, we call on the Tennessee General Assembly to pass the Tyre Nichols Criminal Reform Bill.”
The Public Safety Institute at the University of Memphis and the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission have used preliminary data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to release 2022 crime figures.
Officials said while still higher than previous years, the number of reported major violent crimes has gone down. These crimes saw a 5.1 percent decrease compared to 2021 in Memphis, and 5.0 percent countywide. Reported major violent crimes include murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assault.
According to Bill Gibbons, executive director of the PSI and president of the Crime Commission, this decline is the result of reduced reports of aggravated assaults, both in Memphis and countywide.
“Aggravated assaults make up some 80 percent of reported major violent crime. The number of reported aggravated assaults drives the violent crime number,” said Gibbons.
While violent crime numbers have decreased, there has been an increase in major property crimes, specifically vehicle thefts. Reported burglaries, vehicle thefts and other felony thefts are considered major property crimes.
Memphis saw a 29.3 percent increase in major property crime compared to 2021 numbers, while vehicle thefts “skyrocketed” with a 113.1 percent increase in Memphis and 107.9 percent increase countywide. There was also a 12.3 percent increase in reported burglaries in Memphis and a 9.6 percent increase countywide.
Officials also reported that the number of guns stolen from vehicles also saw a drastic increase. According to reports from the Memphis Police Department, 2,441 guns were reported stolen in 2022. This is a 19 percent increase compared to 2021 (2,042), and a 750 percent increase compared to 2011 (287).
From L to R: Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge, and Michelle Whitaker. (Credit: Memphis Fire Department)
Three personnel from the Memphis Fire Department (MFD) have been fired for failure to “conduct an adequate patient assessment” of Tyre Nichols.
According to a statement released by the MFD, EMT-Basic Robert Long, EMT-Advanced JaMicheal Sandridge, and Lt. Michelle Whitaker were fired for violating “numerous MFD policies and protocols.”
The Memphis Police Department called the Memphis Fire Dispatch on January 7th at 8:31 p.m. to “respond to a person pepper sprayed at the intersection of E. Raines Road. Responders were dispatched at 8:32 p.m., and arrived at the scene at 8:36 p.m.
“Our investigation has concluded that the two MT’s responded based on the initial nature of the call (person pepper sprayed) and information they were told on the scene and failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols,” said the statement.
“After their initial interaction with Mr. Nichols, they requested an ambulance to respond. Emergency Unit 28 was dispatched at 8:46 p.m., arrived on the scene at 8:55 p.m., initiated patient care and transported Mr. Nichols to St. Francis Hospital at 9:08 p.m.
“After concluding our internal investigation, it was determined that EMT-B Long, EMT-A Sandridge and Lt. Whitaker violated numerous MFD Policies and Protocols. As a result, EMT-B Long, EMT-A Sandridge and Lt. Whitaker have been terminated from the Memphis Fire Department.”
Nichols died on January 10th, three days after his encounter with the Memphis Police Department on January 7th.
A sixth Memphis police officer involved in the death of Tyre Nichols has been relieved of duty.
According to a statement released by attorneys for the Nichols’ family, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, Preston Hemphill was relieved of duty on Monday, January 30th.
“Officer Preston Hemphill can be seen on video violently pulling Nichols from his car while hitting him on the ground with a Taser, later saying ‘I hope they stomp his a**’ after Nichols ran away.”
The statement also said that Hemphill has not been terminated or charged. It also said that Hemphill was “reportedly relieved of duty weeks ago.”
“Why is his identity and the role he played in Tyre’s death just now coming to light,” the statement said. “We have asked from the beginning that the Memphis Police Department be transparent with the family and the community — this news seems to indicate that they haven’t risen to the occasion. It certainly begs the question why the white officer involved in this brutal attack was shielded and protected from the public eye, and to date from sufficient discipline and accountability. The Memphis Police Department owes us all answers.”
The five other officers Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, and Desmond Mills Jr. have been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, and two counts of official misconduct and official oppression.
Skaters around the world are invited to ride in honor of Tyre Nichols on Saturday, February 4th.
According to the Instagram page for VHS Memphis, skaters in Memphis are encouraged to meet at The National Civil Rights Museum at 3 p.m. and push to Court Street Park.
Luke Sexton of VHS Memphis told the Flyer that this event is not a protest, but a ride for the skate community to do “something that we believe Tyre would love. To celebrate his spirit and love.”
“The entire world is angry and they have every right to be. But we want to make sure that Tyre’s life is remembered more than how it was tragically ended,” said Sexton.
In a tweet shared by Ben Crump, the attorney representing the Nichols family, it was said that Tyre was “a talented and dedicated skateboarder with SO much life left to live.”
