Author: Kailynn Johnson

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Brandice Daniel Celebrates 15 years of Fashion, Diversity, and Designers of Color

Brandice Daniel (Credit: Lebo Lukewarm)

Memphian Brandice Daniel is the CEO and Founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) and the nonprofit Icon360. Currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, HFR is known for holding a number of events such as “The Prelude,” which is a kickoff to New York Fashion Week, and a “Black History Month: Fashion Summit,” which has included speakers such as Lindsay Peoples Wagner and Tom Ford. The Memphis Flyer sat down with Daniel to talk about her journey and diversity efforts in the fashion industry.

Memphis Flyer: Tell us a little bit about yourself

Brandice: I am Brandice Daniel. I manage two companies, Harlem’s Fashion Row and Icon360. At HFR we act as a bridge between designers of color, and brands. We do that through collaborations with brands and brand strategy. With Icon360 we provide funding to HBCU fashion departments. We also provide funding to designers or color.

How did you get into fashion, and at what point did you realize that you could play an integral role in making a change?

My first real, fashion, corporate job was in Memphis. I worked at Catherine’s, which used to be on Knight Arnold. I started there in allocations, and that was my first experience. I started HFR in 2007, and in 2009 I started to do some research and realized that less than on percent of designers sold in major department stores were designers of colors. Within that same group, African Americans spend around 22 billion dollars on apparel. That was when I decided, not that I was necessarily going to make a change, but I knew I had to try.

I know you said you started in 2007, but did you have something that actually pushed you to do that?

Honestly, it was just an idea I had to do a fashion show in Harlem. There were all these incredible Black-owned boutiques that were popping up in Harlem, and they were luxury boutiques. That was definitely a catalyst, I think, to the idea of starting HFR. The first fashion show we did was not perfect, but it was done. The planning of that event was when I started to get a much clearer vision as to where this was going to go.

You said the first fashion show that you all did wasn’t perfect, so what was it like to look back at the fashion show from 2007 and to now be celebrating your 15th anniversary?

Oh my gosh, every time I look at pictures from that show or anything from that show, I’m so excited because it wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect. It was taking an idea and actually seeing that idea in a physical form. It’ still one of my proudest moments. That very first event. It makes me quite emotional, quite honestly, because I didn’t even understand what was going to come from that.

Is there a special reason why you decided to come back to Memphis for the fashion show?

Every five years I’ve committed to doing a fashion show or event in Memphis. I often see people leave their homes, and go and do something great in another city, but they never bring it back to their city. So since the very beginning of HFR, every five years I’m going to bring what I do in New York to Memphis. We did our 5th year on South Main, and our 10th year we did at Clayborne Temple, so I’m excited about our 15th. I’m excited to bring what HFR does back to my city.

How would you describe the fashion and creative culture of Memphis?

I know that the creative community in Memphis is so inspiring and so exciting. Especially this new generation of creatives in Memphis. I just love what I’m seeing. I recently spoke at “A Great Day In Memphis,” and I got a chance to hear Carmeon Hamilton, Kameron Whalum, Chassidy Jade, and Victoria Young on a panel, and I was just so inspired by them and what’s happening. So many people are finally embracing the arts and you know Memphis has such a rich history and culture in the arts. We’ve got deep, deep roots in the arts. For fashion, I’m excited about the opportunity and where it can go in Memphis.

You’ve done a lot of work to improve diversity efforts in fashion. What has changed in the past 15 years? What areas still need improvement?

When I first started HFR, no one wanted to talk about race. No one wanted to discuss it; it was such a taboo topic. I’m really happy that now we are able to have open dialogue around race and fashion, because for me, that’s my purpose, quite frankly, to provide equal opportunities to Black and Latin designers. I’ve definitely seen so much progress there. I think 2020 sped up the process, but I think the work now is keeping our foot on the gas. There are so many other challenges that are happening, so I think now we’re focused on how do we keep this conversation at the forefront. Brands are like “oh okay, we’re done talking about that,” and I see that as a big responsibility for HFR, to keep that conversation going.

So what makes you excited to keep continuing what you do?

The designers. It’s simple. I get to discover incredibly talented and creative designers who look at this industry, understand the challenges, and against all odds say, “this is still what I want to do.” It’s the thing that keeps me going. They deserve the opportunities, the platforms, the connections, they deserve it all. They are definitely one of my biggest inspirations. So as long as new designers keep popping up, as long as designers of colors continue to stay in this race, I will too.

Well, that was a great note to end on. Is there anything else you’d like to add or give insight to?

One thing I will add is that I talked a lot about how Memphis has played a big role in who I am and what I do, and I say to people all the time that the people of Memphis are so special. But they don’t realize how special they are, because they’re surrounded by people who are just as special. So when you take a Memphis person and put them out of their environment, they always thrive. They always thrive. I’ve seen it over, and over, and over again. It’s like telling a fish that water is wet. Right? They don’t know water is wet, because that’s where they’ve always lived, and that’s how I feel about Memphis. People don’t understand how special of a city Memphis is, and how special the people in the city are.

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Mayor Seeks Public Input on Park Renovation After Neighbors’ Complaints

Park bench at Cancer Survivor's Park. (Credit: Memphis Flyer)

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s office says that it will seek public input concerning renovations to Audubon Park, after several complaints from neighbors.

The $8 million project was recently announced by Memphis Parks, and will include a new playground, pavilion, and golf course, according to a post on the Memphis Parks Facebook page. 

The post also states that Memphis City Council approved the budget, and Strickland signed off on it. The renovation was part of Strickland’s 2022 budget proposal for $95 million in capital improvements that also promised a new Lester Community Center and a new Mt. Moriah police precinct. 

According to Angela Link, leader of a group called “Saving Audubon Park,” the Memphis Parks department released design renderings of the proposed Links at Audubon. She says that these renderings failed to acknowledge that the renovations will eliminate public use of green spaces by the lake at Audubon Park.

Several citizens have voiced their concerns regarding these renovations, with many criticizing the lack of transparency by Strickland. A new website, savingaudubonpark.org, states that citizens found out about these plans through other media outlets. 

“Despite the mayor’s suggestion that he wants transparency in his administration, there have been no public meetings to discuss the plan or get feedback from the people who currently use this area, the taxpayers of Memphis,” the website says.

The Flyer reached out to the mayor’s office regarding these concerns, and they released the following statement.

“​​The golf course design portion of Audubon Park in question has yet to be finalized,” reads the statement. “Greenspace near the lake will be available for use by the public. Memphis Parks will be seeking public input in an upcoming community engagement forum.”

Link agrees the course needs a renovation, but there “is no need to expand the course at the expense of all the greenspace.” 

“This greenspace and lake area is used by picnickers, walkers, dog walkers, teens playing hacky sack, families flying kites, and feeding the ducks, people just eating their lunch looking at the lake and all the rest people who are seeking a quiet calm refuge to just enjoy nature,” Link says. “If this plan moves forward, there will be nowhere in East Memphis for all these people to go to enjoy the outdoors by a lake.”

On Tuesday, September 27, citizens Laine Agee and Cathy Minch set up a table at Cancer Survivor’s Park to encourage parkgoers and visitors to sign a “Save The Park,” petition, in hopes of reaching 150 signatures. According to Minch, an employee with Memphis Parks informed her that if they received 150 signatures, a meeting would be set up to discuss concerns.

The Flyer reached out to Memphis Parks but has not yet not received a response.

Minch says that she recently went to a groundbreaking ceremony for the new pavilion and playground at Audubon Park. She initially thought this ceremony was for the golf course.

“There were about 25 people down there, and Mayor Strickland was at the podium, and he had this big mound of dirt behind him with shovels stuck in them, a big [public relations] opportunity for him,” Minch says. “While they were filming him talking, I held my sign up behind him. One of them said ‘sneaky deals,’ and the other one said ‘don’t tell the public.’ I held both of those up and people started coming from both ends.”

Minch says that they threatened to call the police if she didn’t stop, but she didn’t care. It was at this moment that she was approached by an employee and was able to receive pertinent contact information.

“It got their attention,” Minch says. “I consider this a success.”

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Memphis Urban Market Provides a Holistic Cure

Memphis Urban Market (Credit: Natasha Fountain)

Natasha Fountain does all things natural. “From my hair to my legs, everything is natural for me,” she says.

As a natural herbalist, Fountain says that she has struggled to find a space and place that caters to the health and wellness of Memphis.

“We have different vegan festivals scattered out here and there, and farmers markets, but there really isn’t a place that has it all in one place,” says Fountain. “Me being an active, holistic person, I want to provide more options to our city on a weekly basis.”

Fountain is used to finding natural solutions to her problems. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fountain discovered that by mixing her favorite Oolong tea with herbs, she could find a solution to her recent weight gain. This actually spearheaded her journey towards learning about herbalism, which birthed her tea company SovereignTea.

Fountain participates in the Agricenter’s Farmer’s Market every Wednesday and Saturday. However, she realized that there wasn’t really a market that catered to Black entrepreneurs and farmers. Fountain says that she had met many Black farmers around the city, but there seemed to be a lack of them at the market.

On Sunday, October 2, Fountain and other vendors will join together for the inaugural Memphis Urban Market, “a marketplace for health, wealth, and wellness … for us, and by us.” The market will run from 1 p.m.to 6 p.m. at the Agricenter on Sunday afternoons.

“The difference between the Memphis Urban Market and the main farmers market in Memphis is that it’ll be a place that has people that look like you, and teach you things about their products, and about their ‘why,’” says Fountain. “I feel like Black entrepreneurs don’t really have a voice, and with them having this marketplace, they will have a way to express themselves and sell their products and services.

“My ultimate goal is to change the city’s narrative,” she adds. “I want to provide a holistic and natural way to heal from the trauma of our city and our crime.”

According to Fountain, there are a limited amount of places for patrons to find “real, healing, holistic, health, and wellness,” in Memphis.

“People typically go to the Midtown area for things like this, but it’s all over the city of Memphis and no one knows that,” she says. “We have different restaurants and stuff like that, but nothing in particular that can really help us be healed. I wanted to make one sole place where we could all come together to build the camaraderie up.”

While the market promises many holistic wellness options, there is a financial literacy component as well.  The TIAA Institute states that “financial literacy is low among many U.S. adults, including African Americans. On average, African American adults answered 38% of the “Personal Finance (P-Fin) Index” questions correctly.”

“With me targeting Black entrepreneurs, and Black people, in particular, I know that we are the least knowledgeable when it comes to financial literacy, business literacy, and home ownership as well. For me, I wanted to be able to help Black people as much as I can. I want to make sure I cover all the bases for our wellness.”

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Salon Owner Combats Hair Discrimination with Education

Textures Studio via Facebook

Black men and women in Tennessee celebrated a major win this year, as Tennessee lawmakers passed the CROWN Act. 

In an August 1st Flyer article by Hawa Ceesay, it is explained that the CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” prohibits companies from discrimination based on an employee’s hairstyle. The passing of the CROWN Act not only sparked conversation in the Black-hair community, but it caused many to further examine the injustices that Black and brown people face based on their hair.

According to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, hair discrimination is rooted in “systemic racism and its purpose is to preserve white spaces.” Joshua Adams of the Memphis chapter of Black Lives Matter explains that all facets of lives have been touched by systemic inequalities and that spaces that were meant to serve Black people directly, such as barber shops and salons, were set up as a response to living in a “de facto segregated world.”

“Why do some barber shops not have a loctician on hand? It’s because of systemic segregation. A lot of white people don’t know how to do Black hair. We’ve lived our lives almost in separate enclaves for decades, if not centuries, here in America,” Adams says.

It’s a luxury that many Black and brown people aren’t afforded – to be able to walk into any franchise salon and have someone cater to their specific hair needs and treatments. While many salons and licensing programs now require stylists to know how to do natural hairstyles and treatments, many salons were opened in Memphis as a response to this.

“Hair is hair, but you have to be educated on all types of hair,” says Seville McKinnon. “No matter what race you are, there are people of every race that have coarse hair, that have fine hair, thin hair, and big hair.”

McKinnon is the owner of Textures Studio located at 8100 Macon Station in Cordova. While McKinnon and her team offer a number of traditional salon services, as well as those that cater to Black and brown customers, McKinnon explains that at its core, the salon’s main focus is on maintaining a “healthy head of hair.”

McKinnon says that the salon recently revived a hair-talk series called “Shop Talk,” where she would encourage clients to bring someone who has never been in her shop, in hopes of educating people on hair and any myths or questions that they may have.

“It’s very interesting to hear the stories that a lot of women of color share. Whether it’s in the professional world, in the personal world, or their relationships, about the struggles they have with their hair,” McKinnon says. “It’s really interesting for us as professionals, really explaining and helping a person understand their head of hair. Even though you live with it, it can be hard to fully understand and grasp the concept of what you need.”

As a woman who grew up in Memphis, McKinnon says that the hair landscape has changed so much. Being a stylist that has worked hard to stay up to date with trends such as wigs and extensions, she realized that there are a lot of young girls who haven’t been able to fall in love with their natural head of hair.

McKinnon admits that she has worn extensions and braids when she was younger, but it wasn’t because she felt like she had to. This is where she believes a shift has occurred when looking at haircare.

“I’m hoping more professionals come on board with really being able to educate clients in falling in love with their hair,” McKinnon says. “I don’t think we’re done. I think we still have a ways to go.”

In educating clients on their hair and how to maintain it, McKinnon explains that there are a lot of things that play a role in the success of this. One of these is making sure the client is able to find a licensed stylist.

“Hopefully everyone can come back onto the seriousness and the certification of understanding hair, so they can relay that information. I think it’s important for every professional, no matter what race, to work on.”

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On the Scene at Bluff City Virtual Reality Arcade

(Credit: Bluff City Virtual Reality Arcade/Facebook)

One of the most intense fights of my life happened at a bar in Mexico City, Mexico. Several onlookers gathered around what seemed to be an out-of-place boxing ring at the bar called La Riña. There, they would see me engage in a showdown against Axel Ramirez, where I reigned victorious after a three-round match, resulting in a knockout.

It was the culmination of my rigorous training at the Delphi Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, California. After about a three-minute workout that comprised running on a treadmill and learning combos, I knew I was ready to take on some of the toughest opponents like Luke O’Grady and Rocky Balboa.

It’s at this point that I must clarify that I did not make an almost 27-hour drive to California, but rather a 20-minute one to Bluff City Virtual Reality Arcade, located at 1026 North Germantown Parkway in Cordova. Bluff City Virtual Reality Arcade is Memphis’ first and only virtual reality arcade.

“It’s like playing games on steroids,” explains Crystal Walton of Bluff City Virtual Reality Arcade. “Instead of playing games with your fingers, you are a part of the game. When it comes to throwing a ball, you are literally throwing a ball. When there are zombies attacking you feel like you’re fixing to get eaten. It is a more intense way of playing games. You can be a part of the game, instead of just playing the game.”

As someone who grew up in the Just Dance and Michael Jackson:The Experience era, I thought I had lived through a video game renaissance. There, I’d be taken to some of the elaborate dance floors and music video sets, where I’d simply mirror the actions of the players on screen. However, after 45-minutes of virtual reality, I realized I had experienced something far more extraordinary than the dance battles my siblings and I held in our living room.

I arrived 15 minutes prior to my appointment time, where I sat through a thorough yet comprehendible orientation on how to use the two controllers, and how the headset worked. As Walton walked me through the process, she showed me a small hole in the wall. This hole was not the result of natural wear and tear, but according to Walton, it was a testament to the surreal experience of the game itself. She goes on to tell me a story about how an older customer was fighting zombies and ran into the wall. Better the wall than your brain, right?

Bluff City Virtual Reality Arcade offers over 60 games, with options for both single and multiplayer modes. With a plethora of titles and experiences to choose from, such as Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality and Propagation (Walton’s son Lucas’ personal recommendation), you’re bound to find something to settle your virtual reality appetite.

“When somebody’s come in here and they’ve had a hard day, they put that headset on, and their mood changes from ‘eh’ to ‘yay,’ it’s an amazing experience for me to see them change,” Walton said. “I have first-timers that come in here that are like ‘yeah, whatever,’ then they put that headset on and their face immediately changes with the biggest smile on their face saying, ‘oh yeah, I’m coming back.’”

The arcade also offers PC repair and upgrade services, while also facilitating the sales of new and old gaming PCs.

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Carlisle Cutbank Bluff to connect to Tom Lee Park with ADA-accessible walkway

Carlisle Cutbank Bluff Credit: Memphis River Parks Partnerships

The Carlisle Corporation has made a $1.5 million investment into the first ADA-accessible walkway that connects the bluff in Downtown Memphis to the riverfront at Tom Lee Park.

The path will be named Carlisle Cutbank Bluff in honor of the late Gene Carlisle. According to Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP), this is the first time that “commercial development has been connected to the riverfront.”

“The Carlisle Cutbank Bluff represents the partnership’s commitment to easy, equitable access to the new park,” said Tyree Daniels, board chair of MRPP. “This beautiful new feature makes it so much easier and more fun to move between Downtown and the riverfront. It means that visitors will find it much easier to get from upstairs on Main Street down to the river in a more equitable way, and we couldn’t be more excited about this achievement, but also making this available for our community.”

Chance Carlisle, CEO of Carlisle LLC, said, “Two things that really hit home for us was the ability to provide the first of its kind, ADA-accessibility to the park. For the last 40 or 50 years, with the exception of maybe a month or so in May, Tom Lee Park was sort of an afterthought, rather than a signature riverfront. It’s hard to be a great riverfront city without an excellent front door, and what Memphis River Parks has done, and all of the donors, is really give Memphians a park that we can be proud of, for all of Memphis.”

Carlisle said the river plays an important role in the future of Downtown, transitioning from a center for agricultural products and commerce to a “twenty-first century vision of it being about tourism, development, and a high-quality of life.”

He said, “This is what it means to be in Memphis, and to have that be associated with us is wonderful. It’s always been — and Downtown has always been — a neighborhood for everybody. The investments made at the Mobility Center, the investments made at Tom Lee Park, just continue to add to that momentum.”

The bluff includes an ADA-compliant switchback ramp as well as a staircase, two “stone scrambles” for climbing, and new trees and grasses. 

Garrett Uithoven of Montgomery Martin Contractors says that the colorizations of the stone are designed to go from cool blues and grays at the bottom, and transition to cream beige and a red-orange at the top to reflect the natural recurring colors in the bluff along the Mississippi River.  

“If you cut into the undisturbed bluff at any point along the river around this region, you would get that same color in the dirt and rock that make up the banks of the river,” Uithoven said.

He also says that there are accent lights with uplights that shine on some of the trees, with others shining on the stone faces.

The bluff will open in 2023, the same time that Tom Lee Park will be open to the public. Daniels says that Tom Lee Park is now 50 percent completed.

“Imagine the catalytic effect on Downtown, when Tom Lee Park is complete,” said Penelope Huston of the Downtown Memphis Commission. “To unlock the true power of Downtown, all the individual assets have to be connected, like they are here at the Cutbank Bluff.”

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DeMoir Books & Things Provides ‘A Seat at the Table’ for the Community

Credit: Demoir Books And Things

As a Black man with locs, Jeremy DeMoir remembers the first time that he saw a book character that looked like him. He recalls the moment that DC Comics debuted the character Static Shock, and he was able to say “hey, he kind of looks like me.”

This memory represents two themes that would remain prevalent even in his adult life: his love for reading and the importance of representation for Black and brown children.

DeMoir is the owner of DeMoir Books & Things at 739 North White Station Road, Memphis’ only Black-owned, brick and mortar bookstore. Through reflecting on his experiences as a child growing up, as well as his career as an educator, DeMoir realized that there was a lack of book accessibility in Black and brown schools.

“When I was growing up we had a few Black-owned bookstores, and they slowly dwindled out as Barnes and Noble came into the neighborhood,” DeMoir said. “With the rise of Amazon, a lot of independent bookstores closed in general. So now in the city, there are four independent bookstores. I realized that in a city that is predominantly African American, there was a need, and when you see a need, then you realize you should feel that gap.”

Accessibility was one issue, but after serving as a teacher in traditional, charter, and urban schools, DeMoir also realized that there was a lack of representation in reading material. He didn’t want his remedy to only exist within the walls of his classroom. As an adult whose passion for reading extended through childhood, he wanted to offer this gift to adults as well.

“Just having experiences where you can recognize yourself in literature is such a rarity, even to this day,” said DeMoir.

DeMoir says that at DeMoir Books & Things, they pride themselves on “giving everyone a seat at the table.” The store allows for local and independent authors to apply to have their books placed on shelves through consignment agreements. People are also able to rent the spaces for events such as book signings and community gatherings.

“We’re not just a bookstore, but a community hub,” DeMoir said. “We donate free books to schools, to teachers, and to any child who comes into the store that is under the age of 17. Most companies, bookstores included, are trying to make that sale. Not that making sales and paying payroll isn’t important, but we want to make sure that we are providing kids with additional opportunities to access books.”

While outreach is a major component of DeMoir’s purpose, he explains that it isn’t always a “beautiful balance” between making sales and meeting the needs of children.

Challenges remain in not only accessing book titles to sell on their shelves, but in meeting “their own needs.”

“People do read, it’s just they’re not reading as much as we would like them to due to inflation, to rising costs and everything,” said DeMoir.

He said while people want to read, some are tasked with the decision of either putting a meal on the table, or keeping their lights on over buying a book. To combat some of these challenges, DeMoir set up a GoFundMe account to help keep the store afloat as rent prices have “soared astronomically” alongside taxes and light bills.

While challenges are inevitable for any business owner, DeMoir says he knows he is needed, and that’s what allows him to keep going. He explains that the pandemic created several missed opportunities for children, thus providing “gaps.”

“When there’s a need, you try to provide it,” he said.

DeMoir is also the parent of two children, and he says he constantly making sure that they feel supported with literacy.

“It’s super important to find books for my boys with characters that look like them. My boys definitely play a huge part in representation and wanting to have more access to books with kids of color and storylines outside of the stereotype.”

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Student Loan Forgiveness Provides Optimism for Young Borrowers

(Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash)

The option to buy a home, along with options on other major life decisions, could soon be a reality for Gen Zers and millennials thanks to some student debt relief. 

In an article published in the Memphis Flyer in June, Amy Schaftlein of United Housing stated that people who fall in this age category are opting to stay out of the housing market, due to its highly competitive nature. 

“With an overly competitive real estate market with millennials and Gen Zers not able to get in because it’s too competitive to get a home loan, many people gave up,” Schaftlein said. “Even millennials with a higher income represent a huge increase in the amount of rent applications.”

Schaftlein also mentioned that a number of things contribute to younger people not being able to qualify for loans in a timely manner, such as student loan debt. 

However, with the announcement of student loan forgiveness, could this mark a shift in how millennials and Gen Zers approach life after college?

President Joe Biden recently announced that he is forgiving up to $20,000 of federal student loan debt. Those who received Pell Grant will have up to $20K forgiven, while other borrowers can have up to $10K forgiven. According to a fact sheet by the White House, this relief is only available if the borrower has an individual income of less than $125K, { “250K for married couples.”}

Alanna Spears is currently a senior at the University of Memphis studying biology. When the Biden administration made the announcement, Spears, like many others, shared her excitement on social media, and how this will positively impact her future moving forward.

“I want to buy a house one day, and student loans are looked at in debt to income ratio when applying for mortgages,” Spears said. “Even if only half of my debt is cancelled, that significantly lowers my debt to income ratio, which could be a determining factor in if I get a house or not. With rising housing costs, my fiancé and I want to buy a house in the next few years and debt cancellation has made that dream a possible reality for us.”

Redfin reports that the median selling price for a home in Memphis is $188K. The U.S. Census stated that as of July 1, 2021, the median household income is $41,864.

Spears said that she and her fiancé are now able to plan for the future, and realistically save and plan for their goals. 

According to the White House, 43 million borrowers will benefit from student loan relief. The White House also estimates that at least 20 million people will have their total debt canceled.

Information compled by the the Education Data Initiative reports that more than 862,000 people in Tennessee have student loan debt, and that the average borrower has about $36,418 in debt. State residents have a total of $31.4 billion in student loan debt.The site also states that 51.8% of borrowers are under the age of 35.

As a result of this announcement, the Biden administration extended the student loan repayment pause through December 2022, with repayments expected to resume in January.

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Shelby County Infant Mortality Rate Decreases; Still Higher Than Average

(Credit: Shelby County Health Department/Facebook)

The county’s infant mortality rate decreased by 28 percent from 2019 to 2020, according to the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD), though officials could not precisely point to the cause of the drop. 

The infant mortality rate is the probability of a newborn dying before reaching the age of one, according to the World Health Organization. Shelby County has historically had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country.

State and county averages here are still higher than the national average. But the new figure is the lowest infant mortality rate in Shelby County since 2009, according to the 2022 Tennessee Child Fatality Annual Report. 

SCHD officials said a number of factors contribute to infant mortality such as “physical and mental health of families before, during, and between pregnancies, along with the health education, and resource systems that support those families.”

SCHD spokeswoman Joan Carr said state officials have not yet released statewide vital statics for 2020. So, the health department does not yet have enough information to determine all the factors that have contributed to Shelby County’s infant mortality decrease. 

“However, Shelby County Health Department has been making sustained efforts over the past 20-plus years to reduce Shelby County’s historically high infant mortality rates,” Carr said.

Dr. Michelle Taylor, SCHD director, said her department “provides a wide range of programs and resources that directly and indirectly impact infant mortality rates by providing families with support they need to give babies a healthy start in life.” Some of these include TennCare Presumptive Prenatal Program, Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program, and the Community Health Access and Navigation in Tennessee (CHANT) program. 

“While we celebrate the recent decrease in infant mortality, it’s important to note that [infant mortality rate] in Shelby County and Tennessee overall remains higher than the national average, and the significant racial disparity between Black infant deaths and white infant deaths have not improved since 2016,” said Taylor. “Black infants in Tennessee are still twice as likely to die before their first birthday than white infants.”

Tennessee’s infant mortality rate exceeds the national rate, which is 6.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the state’s child fatality report. However, this is the lowest reported rate for Tennessee over a 20-year period. 

In 2020, 495 children in Tennessee did not survive to their first birthday. Shelby County still had the highest infant mortality rate in the state that year with 89 deaths. 

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“It’s About Black Culture” — Fans Prepare to Say Goodbye to the Southern Heritage Classic

Southern Heritage Classic/Facebook

Fred Parson gives a speech — maybe more of an order — to family and colleagues every year as he prepares to celebrate the Southern Heritage Classic weekend.

“I tell anybody in my family, ‘Do not get married on this weekend,’” Parson said. “Check the calendar before you schedule your wedding on the Southern Heritage Classic. It’s not a good weekend to do anything else … because I’m not going to be there.”

This weekend will be a bittersweet one for Parson. He’s a 1999 graduate of Tennessee State University (TSU), an alumnus of the school’s famous marching band, the Aristocrat of Bands, and he’s been to every Classic except for one. This weekend, Parson will likely experience the magic of the Classic for the very last time. 

The Southern Heritage Classic is the annual football matchup between TSU and Jackson State University (JSU), both historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Since 1990, fans have met in Memphis to witness the matchup between the two teams, and to participate in a weekend full of events that are a touchstone of Black culture.

JSU announced in February it would no longer participate in the Classic, terminating their contract agreement early due to scheduling conflicts. As alumni and fans prepare to say farewell to the Classic, they begin to reflect on the many elements that contribute to the event’s iconic nature.

For Shun Hill, a 2003 TSU graduate and Aristocrat of Bands alum, “there’s nothing like the feeling of being part of the halftime show.”

“Marching into the stadium … there’s nothing like the crowd’s reaction to a great show,” Hill said. “It’s actually sad that it’s the last one. I don’t know how many I’ve been to, it’s been at least 15 or so. It’s been a part of my life since high school. It’s going to be hard to let it go. It’s going to be very hard.”

Hill talked about several enjoyable aspects of the game such as the familial aspect of tailgating, to the trash talking prior to the game. She said that alumni have discussed the future of potential matchups for the next game, but she believes nothing compares to the rivalry between the two schools.

“I don’t know what HBCU football will occur after this, but I can’t see it nearly having the crowd support or even community support that Jackson and TSU have because of the communities that exist here within Memphis,” Hill said.

The tight-knit community aspect is one that many experience first-hand as HBCU alums, but Parson explains that it also impacts those outside of the HBCU community, and even those outside of Memphis.

“Most of the time these kids [in DeSoto County] don’t know much about Memphis,” he said. “They didn’t grow up in Memphis. All they hear about is the bad stuff and what you see on the news. But when you go to the Classic, and when you go to the tailgate, you see thousands on top of thousands, on top of thousands … probably between the game and the tailgate, you’ll see 100,000 people out there. And everybody is just love. 

“It’s about Black culture. It’s about two universities. They’re just out there having good, genuine fun for a weekend.”