Author: Kailynn Johnson

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St. Jude Programs Expand STEM Outreach In MSCS

STEM interns Jana Elabiad (left) and Morgan Johnson learn a laboratory technique with Andrey Reshetnyak, Ph.D. (Credit: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.)

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has teamed up with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to provide science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and outreach to students from kindergarten to twelfth grade.

According to St. Jude, it is “likely the first major medical and research institution to dedicate significant resources in its own community to educate and train the next generation of doctors, nurses, researchers, and scientific academic leaders.

Kate Ayers is director of STEM education and outreach at St. Jude, and said that while the program has been around for about 15 years, the partnership with MSCS started about five years ago.

Ayers started working with the program in 2013, and at that time there was a curriculum written at the 4th grade level about cells, cancer, and healthy living. However, there was a big shift when the Next Generation Science Standards were first introduced.

“With that comes a major shift in how science is taught in the classroom,” said Ayers. “I think Tennessee adopted those standards two years later, and it began to be integrated into curriculum, or the expectation was that it was integrated into curriculum, beginning in 2016.”

Ayers said that this marks the point where St. Jude began to shift its program model, and when it began to engage MSCS in a “more intentional way.”

St. Jude said this need is also the result of the “national education debt,” and “the legacy of school segregation.”

“On one side there is the history of racism and classism that has historically plagued our education system for a very long time, and creates pathways where resources are allocated to some schools and not to other schools,” said Ayers.

The term “education debt” was coined by Gloria Ladson-Billings, a critical race theorist, and says Ayers, the term discusses the education gap.

“That implies that there is some deficiency in the child — that they aren’t meeting these standards, and by shifting the language to an education debt, she [Ladson-Billings] is calling out the systems that have prevented access to high quality education for people of color and people from low economic statuses.”

There is also a growing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of science, said Ayers. 

Ayers said that education debt has prevented many children of color, young girls, and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds from pursuing careers in science. “Institutions like St. Jude and scientific institutions across the nation are getting pressure put on them by federal granting mechanisms to address this issue of diversity in the field of science,” said Ayers. “Those two things meet where we need more scientists of color and more women coming into the field of science in order to ensure that we have this diversity of thought, diversity of perspectives, that new research has shown enhances the quality of problem solving and critical thinking.”

According to St. Jude, the most recent Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) scores show that “13 percent of the 110,000-plus students (about 90 percent of whom identify as Black, Hispanic, or Native American and about 60 percent of whom are economically disadvantaged) in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system are proficient in math.”

In order to address this education debt in meaningful ways, Ayers said that St. Jude works to make sure that children are getting access to “high-quality science education.”

The St. Jude K-12 Cancer Education and Outreach Program offers four different programs for the 2022-2023 school year.  

  • The Kindergarten Collaborative works with 27 teachers in six schools to introduce STEM to kindergarteners. 
  • The St. Jude Afterschool STEM Clubs were in 10 schools for the fall semester, and will be in 12 schools for the spring semester. According to St. Jude, students in this program work together to “design and build a prosthetic hand for an osteosarcoma patient who had an amputation.”
  • Middle school students work to “identify potential areas of cancer health disparities in their local communities,” through the Middle School Community Health Clubs.
  • The St. Jude High School and College Research Immersion Program was launched in the summer of 2022 and placed high school and college students in eight-week internships on the St. Jude campus.
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Locals Respond To Passage of Respect For Marriage Act

Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash

Legislation was passed on Thursday, December 8th, by the United States House of Representatives that protects same-sex and interracial marriage. The next step is for President Joe Biden to sign the bill into law.

The Respect For Marriage Act, which was passed by the Senate in November, provides “statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages.” It requires all states to recognize “valid marriages,” and it repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed in 1996 by former President Bill Clinton.

According to Congress, the “bill replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage between two individuals that is valid under state law.” The bill also “replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.”

The House voted 258 to 169, with 39 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. All Democrat representatives voted to pass the bill. 

No members from the Tennessee GOP voted to support the bill. 

When the bill was passed through the Senate, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Haggerty were among the 36 republicans who voted against the bill.

The future of same-sex marriages was questioned after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June. This speculation was heightened after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the concurring opinion that “In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.”

Congressman Steve Cohen voted in favor of the act. Cohen released this statement regarding his vote.

“The Respect for Marriage Act simply says each state will recognize other states’ marriages and not deny a person the right to marry based on race, gender, or sexual orientation. The only reason to vote against it is if you believe people shouldn’t have the right to choose their partner and marry who they love. I do and was proud to vote for them.”

Representatives from local LGBTQ+ organizations and establishments in Memphis voiced their excitement over this news.

Keleigh Klarke, the entertainment director of Dru’s Place (Dru’s Bar) located on 1474 Madison Ave. said, “We are ecstatic! For myself, having just gotten married on November 12th, and with the current attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, this is an amazing bit of peace to carry through our days. We have multiple Dru’s family members that the passing of this bill will be a huge comfort to and others that it will give a brighter and more hopeful outlook to the future!”

Phillis Lewis, CEO and founder of Love Doesn’t Hurt, a nonprofit that “provides assistance to victims of Domestic & Sexual Violence in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community,” said, “The recent passage of the bill is definitely a step in the right direction to help provide protections for marriages involving not only same-sex couples but interracial ones as well. We hope this momentum continues to create a country that is equitable and does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression or identity, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.”

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SisterReach CEO: Black and Nonprofit Voices Are Essential To A Better Memphis

Cherisse Scott

Founded in 2011, SisterReach supports the “reproductive autonomy of women and teens of color, poor and rural women, LGBTQ+ and GNC [gender non-conforming] folx, and their families through the framework of reproductive justice.”

The organization offers adult sex education classes, facilitates online discussions, and recently began helping Tennessee women get to Illinois for abortion services after Tennessee’s abortion ban was triggered. SisterReach has also provided Uber vouchers for Shelby County residents in need of transportation to vote.

Founder and CEO Cherisse Scott said that the organization was created out of the request of her mother. She had been navigating the Memphis area since the early 1980s as a single, Black mother who was “trying to make it happen” with small children.

“Everybody here does not have a degree, and my mother did not have a degree,” said Scott. “Trying to do that without a college education still meant that there were only certain jobs that she had access to and others that she was locked out of.”

The story of SisterReach is based on Scott’s own experiences, too. When Scott first started work, she said she was a “low-income woman.” While Scott said that her financial situation has changed, she recognizes that for so many others, it hasn’t.

Scott said she and her mother saw that Black mothers and babies needed support. With the help of her mother and grandmother, Scott brought that help and their vision to life through SisterReach.

“I think more than anything, Black mothers in Memphis, which really comprise the majority of Black households in our city, understand firsthand what it’s like to have to be the sole provider for themselves and for their families,” said Scott.

The United States Census Bureau estimates that 64.4 percent of residents in Memphis are African American. While more and more women are rising in local politics, Scott said more are needed in more powerful positions. She hopes to see a Black woman serve as mayor of Memphis, even more so a Black mother.

“We need people who have more at stake, who reflect the community, and that includes women and girls,” she said. “We need a deep commitment to our public school system.”

Black voices are essential to a better city, Scott said, but having “nonprofit voices” are imperative as well.

Around 11,505 nonprofit organizations operate in Memphis, according to Cause IQ. These organizations employ 89,422 people, the agency said.

“The nonprofit voice, the voice of people who are directly dealing with people’s social needs and development need to also be at those tables and to inform what a healthy, thriving Memphis would look like,” said Scott. “Otherwise, you know we get what we’re getting.”

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Love Doesn’t Hurt

Phillis Lewis

Phillis Lewis is the CEO and founder of Love Doesn’t Hurt, a Memphis-based nonprofit organization that “provides assistance to victims of Domestic & Sexual Violence in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.”

“Believing is one of the most important things,” said Lewis. “I think a lot of people don’t understand how charismatic, how believable abusers can be, and hearing someone’s story and their journey, just because it’s not your experience, doesn’t mean it’s not theirs.”

The Flyer got in touch with Lewis to discuss Love Doesn’t Hurt’s purpose, and the resources that they offer for the community.

Memphis Flyer: How would you describe Love Doesn’t Hurt?

Phillis Lewis:We are a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing crisis intervention for victims of crime in the LGBTQ+ community, addressing things such as housing insecurity, food insecurity, and getting individuals connected to resources that are diverse and inclusive to their needs. 

All the referrals that we make for our clients are with organizations and agencies that we have worked with directly, and we know have affirming and welcoming practices in the work that they do.

In conjunction with the crisis intervention part, we also know that the community also needs life-hack skills and educational sessions to help in the long-run of things, because violence is not just a one-time, incident thing. With that, we want to make sure we’re giving people in the community tools, so that way we can lower the risk of victimization in the future. We do different informational sessions to talk about grief, trauma, self-care, and financial literacy. Next year we will be doing some quarterly cooking classes, as well as quarterly self-care events. Just taking a holistic approach that working with individuals is not just one thing that you’re trying to address. It’s usually a web of things, and we are doing our best to work with other organizations to build a safety net for the clients that we come in contact with, so that they have the best chance of thriving after victimization.

As the founder, was there something that you saw in the community that you felt wasn’t being addressed? Or was there some type of moment or incident that occurred that prompted you to make sure that certain resources were available?

My mother was a victim of domestic and sexual violence, and when she experienced her abuse, it was during a time back in the early ’90s where there wasn’t a lot of protection or a lot of assistance for victims of crime, especially when it came to intimate partner violence. That kind of drove me toward the work, but what drove me toward working with the population I work with, I myself identify as bisexual. So when I started my career at the district attorney’s office, I came in contact with a couple of clients, but one in particular had been in an abusive relationship with her spouse. When we referred her to one of the vendors that was on our referral list, instead of focusing on the trauma she had experienced, they focused more on her sexual orientation. When you are working in social services, you are taught to work in a trauma informed space — not asking people like, ‘what’s wrong with you?’ but ‘what happened?’, and ‘how can I show up for you in this space to help you heal from the trauma you’ve experienced?’ instead of re-victimizing someone that has already been through something hard enough.

How has the landscape changed in recent years? What are some areas that still need work?

In regards to things that need to be improved upon, housing is probably one of the biggest issues. It was even an issue before the pandemic. The pandemic just exacerbated the disparities that we have when it comes to affordable housing. We have individuals that are trying to rebuild their lives, but they don’t have the capacity to do so, and they live in spaces where the requirements to gain housing are sometimes very unreasonable. You say you are charging $800 a month in rent, but you expect the person who is living in that space to make four times the amount of rent. If they made four times the amount in rent, they probably wouldn’t choose to stay in that spot.

Also in housing, when it comes to grants and having flexible funding to help meet people where they are. There are some grants that won’t allow you to help people apply and pay for the application fee. You’re having to figure out where to get funding from, in order to help the need that the clients have. That way they can get to where they’re trying to be.

If you as an agency can help provide first month’s rent and a deposit, but they can’t even pay the application fee, then they’re not going to even get to the point where they can pay rent or the deposit.

In recent weeks we’ve reported on how members of the LGBTQ+ community have had negative experiences with certain agencies, which causes them to not seek help or reach out. How do you all work as a vessel to help restore their confidence in seeking and receiving help?

We take the approach where we let them know what their options are, because the options are out there. If you would like to report it to the police, you can, but also when you’re dealing with individuals that not only have a mistrust when it comes to dealing with law enforcement or the criminal justice system as a whole, whoever the abuser is to them, that is someone they’re going to have to deal with. So as service providers, we’re only coming in as a triage. So, long-term, we try to help not only find the information, but resources so that the individuals that are enacted by the violence can stay safe, and be violence-free. Whatever we can do to help support them in that, we allow them the freedom and autonomy to let us know how they would like to move forward. If they do wish to involve law enforcement, then we make ourselves available to accompany them. If it does get to the point where they do go to the court, and they have to go in for a court proceeding, then we go with them so they have support, and connecting them with other agencies to help provide court advocacy. … Not only do they see our face, but they see other individuals that we’re working with, and letting them know that they have a support system there and there are people there that are trying to help them, to help build trust and rapport. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You’re talking about years, decades of trauma that has happened between the LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement.

There are a lot of different things that you help people with. What are your most popular resources?

Our educational sessions are where we have our greatest reach. In 2021, we were able to reach over 27,000 people through the educational stuff that we do. That is a piece of what we do, but a lot of the direct services part, comes more with the crisis intervention. Sometimes we’ll have people who will call us, and they just want to do a safety plan. They just want to know what their options are. They may not want to move forward with getting out of those situations, but sometimes people just need someone to talk, to know that they’re not crazy for feeling the way that they do, or to reassure them that what they’re experiencing is not the norm.

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Just City’s ‘Court Watch’ Grades County Judges

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm / Unsplash

Some of Shelby County’s criminal court judges “need to be more professional” and “less condescending,” according to Just City’s recent “Court Watch” report. 

Just City is a Memphis-based nonprofit that works for criminal justice reform. Its Court Watch is a project that aims to bring “transparency and accountability to the county’s criminal legal system” and reduce barriers to justice.

Though most of the judges were commended for their ability to “explain things well,” each of the four judges observed had attributes that volunteers believed they could improve on. Responses ranged from professionalism, tone, and overall courtroom energy.

Just City’s “Court Watch” report is composed of observations from volunteers, who watch and evaluate the judges in the criminal courtrooms. Judges are scored on a scale from one to four, with one being the worst and four being the best.

The rubric consists of questions such as “Did the judge give the appearance of neutrality,” “Were both the accused and victim treated fairly,” and “Did you have any issues getting in.”

While all four judges seemed to receive a four in “access,” this is the only place where all judges received a consistent high score.

Judge Lee V. Coffee scored relatively high in most areas, however his lowest score was in “ability to hear.” Coffee was commended on his ability to explain things thoroughly and his ability to control the courtroom. However, Just City volunteers believe that Coffee should “have more interaction with people,” and “give people more chances.” Coffee scored the highest out of the four judges in “timeliness.”

In terms of neutrality, Judge Chris Craft received the lowest score out of the judges being observed. While volunteers said that Craft was “friendly” and “efficient,” they also believe that Craft needs to “change his attitude.” A former client said that “he was repeatedly all over the place and disorganized.” Volunteers also observed that Craft was “blatantly disrespectful,” and that he “performs his job like he’s running a circus. Or a slaughterhouse.” 

The report also said that Craft “heavily factors race into his decisions and uses racially charged language.”

Judge Karen L. Massey received the highest score in “ability to hear,” with volunteers saying Massey “talks to you and not ‘at’ you,” and that “she’s a good listener.” Massey received lower scores when it came to her sensitivity and timeliness. A former client said “she can work on being on time, I never knew when I’d get out.” Another former client said that Massey can “work on her professionalism.” Volunteers said that Massey “has a very abrasive tone towards defendants,” and that she is “inconsistent in the way that she deals and judges individuals.”

Volunteers believe that Judge S. Ronald Lucchesi could be more consistent and can improve on expanding public defender appointments. On the report, Lucchesi is quoted as saying “ If you want a public defender, I can throw you in jail for a few days so you can qualify in this court.” While former clients believe that Lucchesi is fair and honest, others said that he needs to be more professional. Lucchesi is also noted as being inflexible and “either really kind, or really harsh.”

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Code Crew Programming Seeks to Aid in Memphis’ Economic Development

Photo Credit: Code Crew

After seeing a need for computer science education in a “boot camp form,”in Memphis, Audrey Willis, along with Meka Egwuekwe, and Petya Grady decided to form Code Crew.

Willis said that within  a 300 mile radius, their program is the most unique as they take the time to meet with students. This is possible through their small class sizes and their solely in-person teaching methods. Willis is the program director of Code Crew’s “Code School.”

“If you look in like the 300 mile radius, there aren’t a lot of boot camp programs in the area, especially ones that focus on ensuring underrepresented attendance or inclusion in the tech community,” said Willis.

The Code School was formed in 2018, after Code Crew saw the success of their accelerated program that provided opportunities for middle school students to be taught computer sciences. Willis said that the Code School is the smallest, but mightiest pillar in their tiers of programming.

According to Willis, every year, Code Crew turns out “junior and intern-ready software developers”

“We take students that otherwise would have very little or no income at all, and we put them into the tech field, making upwards of 55-to-65-thousand dollars on average, ” said Willis. “ We have some students that have graduated from our program and are currently making six-figures.”

A report from CompTIA said that median tech wages in Tennessee are 100 percent higher than median national wages. The same report also said that median tech wages in Memphis are 93 percent higher than median national wages.

Willis said this not only helps the adult’s economic development, but it also helps companies and organizations, as they won’t have to outsource talent or have unfilled positions. Willis said that some of these positions are often left open for long periods of time.

“It’s a personal, economic lift for the individual, because they’re getting a salary that is industry rate, but it’s also a benefit to the economy of the city. They’re purchasing new vehicles, homes, and paying taxes. It’s a full lift.”

With more and more companies coming into Memphis, Willis said they are looking for “warm, fertile ground to grow on.”

“This becomes such an opportunity for the city, and its people because we’re able to fund those companies and fuel them with talent that’s homegrown,” said Willis. “Memphis still needs tech talent. Code Crew is here to grow that tech talent here, keep it here, and to ensure that these individuals have great paying jobs with these companies that are here. We want to make sure our home has what it needs to thrive economically.”

One of the misconceptions that people have when it comes to computer science that may stop them from entering the field is that it’s “hard,” said Willis. 

Willis said that the spectrum of ways and areas to get into the field of  computer science is “very wide and very deep.” While Code Crew is teaching individuals how to program and write lines of code, Willis said that these skills can extend into multiple fields such as animation, gaming, working in automotives and more.

“Any field you can think of or imagine has some type of IT input too,” said Willis.

The CompTIA report said that the leading tech occupation jobs in Memphis are in software, IT support, cybersecurity and systems engineering, and networking engineering.

“We want to soften that image of thinking that it’s hard, that there’s a lot of math involved, and that it’s this difficult algorithmic thinking involved. Yes those things are involved, but we are here to literally hold hands along the way, and make it as easy to comprehend as possible.

Code Crew currently offers two programs for interested individuals. 

The Code Collective is in partnership with The Collective Blueprint in Memphis, and is fully funded by the NBA Foundation. This program starts on January 3, 2023, and is for individuals 18-30. No college degree is required, and participants will receive a $400 stipend each month through the duration of the nine-month course.

The Code School program starts on January 30, 2023, and individuals receive the same instruction, however it is geared towards individuals who already have a college degree, and want to consider a career switch.

Those in the Code School program will not receive the $400 stipend from the NBA Foundation , but they are eligible to receive stipends provided by Bank of America and Region’s Bank.

“Either way, any individual in our program will be able to be a recipient of funding through either the NBA Foundation, Bank of America or Regions Bank to further their computer science career,” said Willis.

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Memphis LGBTQ+ Community Meet with Local Law Enforcement to Create ‘Open Dialogue’

Photo by Sophie Emeny on Unsplash

Efforts are currently being made between members and representatives of the LGBTQ community and local law enforcement to create “open dialogue” in light of recent events and proposed legislation.

“With terrible legislation going around, also known as hate, we need to know what support is being offered,” said representatives from The Haven Memphis on a post via Instagram.

Vanessa Rodley serves as president of Mid-South Pride, the organization responsible for the annual Memphis Pride Fest.

Rodley said there has always been a need for open dialogue and communication, and with new bills coming out and the events at the Museum of Science & History (MoSH), it seems that now is an important time to talk about issues together.

Recently a group of Proud Boys showed up to MoSH before a “family-friendly drag show,” causing law enforcement to intervene and the show to be canceled. 

In more recent news, Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson has proposed legislation that could make public drag shows a criminal offense in Tennessee.

“The trust is not all the way there with the LGBTQ community and local law enforcement,” said Krista Wright Thayer, director of outreach and prevention at The Haven.

“The MoSH event didn’t show us we were supported as much as we could be. Was the protection there? Almost after the fact. Police were there before the Proud Boys showed up, but that event still got shut down and that was the Proud Boys’ intent, and they succeeded and that’s not okay.”

Natalie Hillman, the LGBTQ liaison for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, said that in regard to the events at MoSH, she felt that there was a misunderstanding regarding constitutional rights.

“From everyone I talked to, they didn’t understand why [the Proud Boys] weren’t asked to leave,” said Hillman. “They have a right to protest, and they have a right to bear arms, so it kind of ties the police officers’ hands at this point because they’re protected.”

According to Thayer, conversations were had to see how they can collaborate with law enforcement on how they can keep their public events not only safe, but seen as “family-friendly, and needed in our community.”

Rodley said Mid-South Pride has to work with the police and sheriff’s office for their events, so they have to have an open dialogue. However, Rodley also said that all groups do not feel comfortable in doing this.

Rodley said law enforcement would like to help them in creating safe spaces, however the community needs to communicate when things are happening so that law enforcement can support them.

According to Hillman, this is her sole job, and she spends her days meeting with members of the LGBTQ+ community and different organizations.

“We try to get in that door and talk to them,” said Hillman. “We just got so many ideas, and we’re trying to get them into place.”

“The community has asked for us to be there even more, you know [we] asked for some help so we can be there more, and it’s our hope that we can be in one of the centers daily just so that the community, if they have a need for law enforcement, are not afraid to come and report to us, or if they have an issue with law enforcement and a mistreatment issue, they can report to us, and then we can handle it accordingly.”

Hillman said most of the people she has spoken with have had bad experiences with law enforcement when they were younger, and this has left a bad taste in their mouth. Hillman said a lot of the work is in fighting a stigma surrounding law enforcement.

“Most people only deal with law enforcement when something bad has happened or if they’ve broken the law,” said Hillman. “Naturally the community typically does not see us as somebody that is willing to help, so we’re trying to make them understand that not only are we there for the bad times, but we’re there to help and create good times as well.”

Hillman said there has been a stigma surrounding the police and “gay community” for a “number of years.” 

“That’s our hope, to erase that old school way of thinking, you know, saying cops are bad — they’re not here to help, but they’re here to hurt us — and just trying to erase that so that they do trust us and they can report properly.”

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OUTMemphis and Memphis Trans Love To Host First Mid-South Trans Resource Fair

OUTMemphis via Facebook

OUTMemphis and Memphis Trans Love will host the first Inaugural Mid-South Trans Resource Fair on November 19th at Black Lodge, located at 405 North Cleveland Street.

The fair will be from 12 p.m.- 5 p.m.

According to OUTMemphis, this event will feature more than 30 businesses and vendors that “offer information about their trans-friendly and affirming resources.” There will also be services such as barber cuts, hair styling, nail services, and bra fittings.

Some of the vendors include ACLU-TN, The Haven, CHOICES, and My Sista’s House.

Participants may also receive free COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, Monkeypox vaccinations, and flu shots from the Shelby County Health Department while at the event.

OUTMemphis also said that participants will be able to receive assistance with “preparation of legal documents for name and gender marker changes,” from licensed lawyers.

There will also be a Rainbow Rumble lip-sync competition and Rainbow Karaoke afterparty that starts at 9 p.m.

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Legislation Proposes Making Public Drag Shows A Criminal Offense In Tennessee

Credit: state of Tennessee

Legislation was recently filed by Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson that could potentially make public drag shows in Tennessee a crime.

Jackson proposed to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 14. This new amendment would prohibit drag performances on public property and other public spaces.

Johnson has proposed that new language be added to Section 7-51-1401 that defines “adult cabaret performance” as “ a performance in a location other than an adult cabaret that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration”

The bill also goes on to make performing in “adult cabaret performance” on public property or “in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult” a Class A misdemeanor. Repeat offenders face a Class E felony.

This legislation also prevents the government from “enacting and enforcing in the future other ordinances, regulations, restrictions or licenses.”

If passed, this law would seem to apply to drag shows in the state of Tennessee.

Reddit user u/rekniht01 posted this news and said “… they are trying to couch their anti-drag intentions in legalese and the vague concept of ‘prurient.’”

The post goes on to state that “drag is not necessarily sexual in nature,” and makes note that many of the nuances and concepts that are present in drag shows, also show up in “theatre performance (even in K-12 schools,) music performances, comedy performances, etc.”

Drag shows in Tennessee have been at the center of controversy in recent months, most recently in Memphis, as what was advertised as a “family-friendly drag show,” at the Museum of Science and History was canceled after a group of Proud Boys showed up at the event. 

Jackson Sun reporter Angele Latham reported in October 2022, that a Jackson Pride drag show, which was also initially advertised as “family-friendly” and slated to be held at a local park, was limited to participants 18 and older, after weeks of meeting with lawmakers.

The legislature does not reconvene until January. If passed, the law would take effect in July 2023.

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Memphis Nonprofit To Host Family Code Night

Students practice coding in a CodeCrew class. (Photo courtesy of CodeCrew)

Memphis-based nonprofit CodeCrew will team up with the Salvation Army on Monday, November 14th for Family Code Night.

According to CodeCrew, this event brings together “underrepresented mothers and children,” to not only gain exposure to the world of computer science, but to show how coding can be used as a form of self expression.

Meka Egwuekwe, co-founder and executive director of CodeCrew, said that this program is a direct result of a partnership that they have with the Scratch Foundation. The foundation makes coding software Scratch accessible to children.

According to Egwuekwe, computer science is accessible to kids and they can learn it, but they need to have exposure to it, which is where CodeCrew steps in.

“Any kid can learn coding and computer science, which is why we work so hard at the state level to ensure that every elementary, middle, and high school in Tennessee not only offers computer science, but middle and high school students are required to take computer science starting in 2024,” said Egwuekwe.

While Egwuekwe believes that children can learn computer science and coding, he also believes that it is not widespread enough. He said this is why CodeCrew works to not only expose kids to these things, but also provide mentorship for them as well.

“It’s not as accessible as it needs to be, but that is moving in a positive direction in our state,” he said.

Egwuekwe said his organization connected with the Salvation Army to do family code night events, which he describes as “two-generational events,” where kids and their parents learn and engage in coding activities.

“The kids especially, oftentimes have an opportunity to show their parents things,” said Egwuekwe. “Kids and their parents are inspired to consider and see coding and computer science as a pathway for themselves.”

As they get older, kids will have the opportunity to “see themselves as producers of technology,” while adults are presented with career changing opportunities.

According to Egwuekwe, the relationship that CodeCrew has with the Salvation Army is special because of the community that they both serve, such as kids and mothers who are “escaping the trauma of domestic violence.”

“Kids are learning to code, and learning to use Scratch is a great platform for telling stories, to express themselves culturally,” said Egwuekwe. “They’re demonstrating that skill, not only that they’re learning it, but doing it in conjunction with their parents. We totally bought into this idea that when kids and their parents do these kinds of activities together, it’s reinforcing for the kids, a growth opportunity, and opening these doors, but reinforcing those bonds between the kids and their parents.”

CodeCrew was founded with the idea of convincing kids and adults from underrepresented groups to see themselves as tech producers, said Egwuekwe. He also said that the specific population of those who have been “traumatized by domestic violence,” is often overlooked, and is considered an afterthought.

“Additionally we saw we had the potential for the greatest impact,” said Egwuekwe. “This is an opportunity for kids, especially, to have a little slice of normalcy. That’s also an educational opportunity, but a slice of normalcy in what’s been undoubtedly a traumatic experience for them and their families.”

Egwuekwe said that he hopes that this event will get kids and parents excited about computer science, while also showing them that this is a “viable pathway for them.”