Tag: Memphis

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Larry Kuzniewski

Everybody poops. Just ask my 8-month-old daughter. Or the Grizzlies when they shat the bed in a 111-83 loss at the Pacers to start the season. It’s a part of life. Poop is smelly and gross, but it can also be funny and heartwarming. Need proof?

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117

As far as Grizzlies gamebreak entertainment goes, this one is immediately in my top ten. The premise is perfect for Conley and Gasol, both fathers with young children. The video says so much about them, even though the two men barely utter a word. You see them as humans and fathers. You see their personalities. You see how they’re able to have a conversation without words.

Conley and Gasol scored 11 and 13 points, respectively, with heavy minutes in the season-opening blowout loss against the Indianapolis Pacers. The Grizzlies’ overall team offense looked flat and dysfunctional. Nobody could break down the Pacers’ defense. Grizzlies fans were quick to hit the panic button on Twitter, with some calling Gasol washed up.

That foul mood changed Friday night, when Conley and Gasol revived their high-level two-man play, proving they can still be the engine of a successful team. Conley sped all over the court, breaking down defenders off the dribble, swishing two threes, and setting up his teammates with 11 assists. Gasol didn’t appear to be limited by the back spasms he experienced earlier that morning, running the floor normally and whipping crisp passes to his teammates to the tune of 5 assists.
Larry Kuzniewski

Although they didn’t lead the way in scoring, Conley and Gasol’s two-man game set the table for the rest of the team. The Grizzlies would hope to see this pattern repeated throughout the regular season, as Conley and Gasol are aging veterans with lots of mileage, and they should conserve their energy and health as much as they’re able before the Grizzlies are (hopefully) wrestling for playoff seeding.
Larry Kuzniewski


In his first regular season game with the Grizzlies at FedExForum, Garrett Temple quickly caught fire, and that blaze raged for the rest of the night. He lit up the Grindhouse with 30 points on 10-11 shooting, and was nearly flawless from deep, hitting 5-6. He also defended and handled the ball well.

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (2)

Was he 100 percent happy with his performance? In the locker room after the game, Temple said “I was actually real upset at myself for giving up that three to Taurean Prince — the first three he got.” When asked about Temple in his postgame presser, Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was quick to laud his defense, saying that there will be some nights where Temple won’t hit as many shots, but he’ll lock down the opponent’s best player.

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (3)


Larry Kuzniewski

How did the Grizzlies’ top draft pick do in his first home game of his first NBA season? Let’s just say he’s doing a pretty good job at endearing himself to the fanbase.

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (4)

Triple-J poured in 24 points off the bench, shooting 8-12 and going 2-4 from deep. His length and quickness transformed the defense. His shooting and defensive impact come as no surprise. What does surprise me, however, is how good he looks in the post and attacking the paint. Consistently, he was able to use his size, strength, and athleticism to work his way into the paint and finished over defenders like 7’1″ Alex Len. His touch around the rim has been impressive.

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (5)

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (7)

Chandler Parsons got the start over Kyle Anderson, but played fewer minutes than Anderson. Parsons shot 3-6 from deep and contributed 11 points in the game. One sequence stood out to me in particular: Conley beep-beeped through the defense and jumped beneath the rim, and slung a pass to Gasol at the top of the arc. Gasol immediately swung the ball to a wide-open Parsons for a made triple. It was a rare glimpse at the power of what the three highest-paid Grizzlies can do to a defense when they’re healthy and in sync.

I wrote about this in-depth for the Flyer‘s cover story this week, but the Grizzlies basically haven’t seen and don’t know the capabilities of a healthy version of this team. I’m betting that those unknowns play out as unexpected positives. Did you know that the Grizzlies set a franchise record last night by scoring 77 points in the first half?

Larry Kuzniewski

The one down note from the home-opening win was JaMychal Green’s injury. He broke his jaw colliding with a player’s elbow while contesting a fast break dunk attempt. He hit the ground, pounded the court with his hand, hopped up, and ran straight to the locker room. He underwent a “surgical stabilization procedure” this morning.

J.B. Bickerstaff said the injury shows how selfless Green is — that he was the only one contesting a difficult play. And how tough do you have to be to leap up off the floor and jog to the locker room with a broken jaw?

Dillon Brooks saw limited minutes, logging just two in the first half, but got more run in the second. Even though he was (conspicuously, for Grizzlies fans) on the bench for most of the first half, Brooks was highly engaged, celebrating when Shelvin Mack hit a buzzer-beating floater, and jumping up and cheering harder than anyone else when Jackson slammed home a lob.

Andrew Harrison didn’t play at all in the home opener. And unlike Brooks, he seems disengaged, seclusive, and dissatisfied sitting on the bench. I don’t know how much to read into that, though, since their personalities are so different and perhaps that’s just how Harrison is in general. In any case, people forget how good Andrew Harrison was at the end of last season, and he’s by far the best defender among Grizzlies point guards. I hope Memphis manages to work him into the rotation again, because he brings a lot to the table when he’s playing well.

The Grizzlies de-escalated an anxious fanbase on Friday. They’ll look to build some momentum when they take on one of the West’s scariest teams, the Utah Jazz, on Monday on the road.

Burn of the night:

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (6)

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News News Blog

20 Under 30 Nominations are Open

The Flyer is now accepting nominations for the 20<30 Class of 2019. We’re looking to find representatives of the city’s best and brightest young people. Must be younger than 30 as of January 30, 2019. Send a brief bio/resume and headshot with your nomination to brucev@memphisflyer.com.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day

Memphis inched closer to the return of Grizzlies basketball with media day on Monday. There were a couple of themes that ran throughout, including youth meshing with veteran leadership in the locker room, and the international media’s infatuation with Japanese basketball star and two-way signee Yuta Watanabe. Here are some major takeaways (both basketball-related and not) from some key players.

Dillon Brooks seemed relaxed and focused. He cracked a couple good jokes while saying everything you’d want to hear from a dynamic young guard looking to take the next step as a player.

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day (4)

Asked about Marc and Mike getting older, Dillon Brooks said the Grizzlies have a lot of youth. “It’s like when grandma and grandpa get a new grandbaby: it gives them new life.” Despite literally calling them grandparents, Brooks expressed gratitude for Conley and Gasol. From Gasol getting drafted by the Lakers and traded to Memphis, and how he’s changed his bod, to Mike Conley getting drafted 4th overall and experiencing a slow start to his career (where often he’d only play in home games), Dillon said they’ve been like mentors, sharing the wisdom they’ve gained from their adversities.

Jaren Jackson Jr. opened his inaugural media day appearance by saying he’s excited for the new Young Thug album, and that casual ebullience characterized much of his interview and presence. When asked about his first post-contract luxury purchase, Jaren answered without hesitation: “Scorpion,” by Drake. He followed that up by saying he’s actually going to take it easy on luxury purchases.
Matt Preston

One thing that frequently bothers me in the NBA world is the lack of representation for Memphis in the league’s TV promos, League Pass commercials, etc. I know Memphis is a small market, but the Grizzlies just drafted a theoretical unicorn with the fourth pick, and he had an amazing Summer League outing. So why is Jaren Jackson conspicuously absent from promos that tease the incoming rookie class? When I asked Jaren about this, he was at a loss for words, and said he doesn’t pay much attention to sports on TV, lauding Netflix instead.

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day (3)

I asked Jackson what he’s currently into on Netflix, and that kick started a lengthy aside about Ozark, and trying to remember a particular episode with another reporter. In some small way, I feel partly responsible for 40 percent of JJJ’s appearance being Ozark-related, but it was a fun glimpse into Jackson’s easygoing and easy-to-talk-to personality. But don’t let Jackson’s amiable spirit mislead you.

Leading up to training camp, Jackson says he’s focused on conditioning, improving his shot, and being aggressive and explosive. While he amicably interrupted a couple other player interviews to bust chops or crack a joke, you get the sense that he’s an open, positive, and constructive communicator, and the Grizzlies hope to see that translate into being a vocal leader and defender on the court. For what it’s worth, Conley said Jackson’s already a pretty good leader in his appearance. Speaking of…

Matt Preston

Conley appeared to be in good spirits, and there’s plenty of positive buzz about his health. Responding to questions about the Grizzlies’ dismal year last season, Conley said “last year was an anomaly,” remarking on the all the consecutive playoff appearances in years prior. Conley also talked about helping younger players in the locker room, giving them advice on staying out of trouble, and the importance of nutrition and adequate sleep

Gasol spent a decent amount of his time fielding questions about saving lives and helping refugees stranded in the Mediterranean Sea. He said his love for his young daughter motivated him to get involved with helping refugee children in the off-season, and truly seems to have experienced something that was bigger than basketball and bigger than himself. Gasol said he wants to sit down with someone in the media and have a longer conversation about the issue.
Matt Preston

Gasol also mentioned he’s heard the criticism that he’s too harsh on his teammates when they make mistakes, and plans to adjust his leadership to be more supportive in that regard. Just don’t ask him to be even slightly okay with lapses on defense.

Matt Preston

Kyle Anderson said he’s ready to take on more pressure and responsibility in Memphis, and showed the old grit-n-grind Grizzlies a lot of love and respect (having played against Memphis as a San Antonio Spur). He believes that playing with Pau taught him how to move off the ball, and prepared him to play with Marc. Maybe they’ll have quick chemistry?

Matt Preston

On an unsurprising note, Garrett Temple confirmed that he found out about his move to Memphis from NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski, with his agent calling to confirm minutes afterward. Temple said he’s excited to join a team that wants to win now, and expects the Grizzlies to make the playoffs. Temple came across every bit the well-composed veteran, which is interesting, because his locker borders Jackson’s. “Most of the time he’s smiling and laughing and telling us about rappers he likes,” Temple said of Jackson.

Matt Preston

Monday was JB Bickerstaff’s first Grizzlies media day as head coach, and he was dialed-in heading into his first training camp. He pushed back harder than anyone at notions of Gasol and Conley beginning their decline. It’ll be interesting to see how this team looks out of the gate and into the mid-season, especially if the Grizzlies manage to avoid the Injury Vortex.

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day (2)

And finally, the one, the only, Yuta Watanabe. His presence was felt long before he even entered the room. It felt like half the media present at media day were reporters from Japan, solely there because of the 6’9″ international sensation. His name bled into almost every player interview, as the international reporters asked everyone on the team about their thoughts on Watanabe.
Watanabe went out of his way to thank his family and friends for their support. One of his favorite players to watch growing up was Shaq, he said, and while he hasn’t had any BBQ in Memphis, he has been to Sekisui.

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day

Categories
Book Features Books

Claire Fullerton’s Mourning Dove

One could put together a mighty fine shelf of novels set in Memphis. To name just a few: September, September by Shelby Foote. Good Benito by Alan Lightman. Another Good Lovin’ Blues by Arthur Flowers. The Frozen Rabbi by Steve Stern. Molly Flanagan & the Holy Ghost by Margaret Skinner. A Summons to Memphis by Peter Taylor. The Springs by Anne Goodwin Winslow.

And now we must add to that august shelf this powerful, polished gem, Mourning Dove, by ex-Memphian Claire Fullerton. Fullerton lived here through the ’60s and ’70s, when most of this novel takes place. Her memory is clear and her prose crystalline. This is Memphis rendered nimbly and passionately, a city that encompasses both the landed gentry and the restless younger generation, which sees through — and travels through — the thin veil of gentility that still sits on the sprawling city like a doily on a magnolia stump.

Claire Fullerton lives in California now. But this is a chronicle penned by a shrewd novelist haunted by her hometown, a city of ghosts and lush memories. At times this family novel reminded me of the grandest family novel, Christina Stead’s The Man Who Loved Children. Fullerton’s delineation of her memorable characters is masterful.

The story is predominantly about a brother and sister, Finley and Millie Crossan, and is told first-person through the soft-filter eyes of Millie. She adulates Finley, who, we are told on the first page, has died early. So, this is not just an examination of the peccadillos and mores of the Southern upper crust. It is also a mystery. What happened to the golden boy, a genius in school, an athlete and musician, and a protean soul if ever there was one?

The Crossans relocate from Minnesota to Memphis, escaping from the children’s father, a well-meaning drunk. “The Memphis Finley and I landed in was my mother’s Memphis. It was magnolia-lined and manicured, black-tailed and bow-tied. It glittered in illusory gold and tinkled in sing-song voices.”

Millie grows up during the course of the novel, searching for her true self, one which has to struggle out from under her veneration of Finley and from under her mother’s genteel velvet glove. “At sixteen,” she says, “I was beginning to wrestle with the gnawing impression of what I interpreted as my mother’s superficial world, and it left me conflicted, for I had yet to arrive at the stable ground of my own identity.”

This is the Memphis of the Memphis Country Club, but it’s also the Memphis of the Well and the burgeoning punk music crowd, which draws Finley into its sphere. The children learn to assimilate in both cultures, though Millie says, “People from the neat grid of Memphis society I’d been raised in didn’t test its perimeters.”

One of Fullerton’s strengths — and there are many — is her Fitzgeraldian gift of observation. She gets all the details right. Here is Millie’s description of an adult party and her exclusion from it. “The Austrian crystal chandelier in the card room twinkled like a spotlight on their haute couture, and their voices carried all the way upstairs, to where Finley and I kept out of the way.” This concision, and its nuanced rendering of emotion, is found throughout this remarkable novel.

Mourning Dove is mainly concerned with Finley and how Millie’s view of him fluctuates, though her love never flags. As she gets older, her exalted brother’s diamond-bright personality begins to reflect sides she was unprepared for. As a friend tells her, “Careful of this guy, he leads a double life.” Though the heart sees what it wants to see, Millie begins to cast a gimlet eye on Finley, as he drifts away from her.

I don’t want to diminish how really fine this novel is by characterizing it only as a Memphis novel, though Memphians would be right to want to claim it and hold it dear. As I read it, page after page, I kept thinking, “Jesus, this is truly extraordinary.” Claire Fullerton is the real deal, and my admiration for this book is comparable to my admiration for Eudora Welty — I think Mourning Dove is that good.

Claire Fullerton signs Mourning Dove at Novel on September 11th.

Categories
Music Music Blog

Goner and Unapologetic Join Forces For Downtown Meltdown

The true genius of Memphis music has always been our willingness to mix and match. A show tonight in a Downtown alley proves that tendency is alive and well.

“We keep it fresh by following this one idea: If it doesn’t intimidate us, we didn’t think big enough,” says IMAKEMADBEATS, mastermind of the Unapologetic label. “Every show we throw, we try to do something we’ve never seen or done before. We try to scare ourselves with our own ideas, and then we take the necessary steps to make it happen. The adrenaline alone pushes us somewhere new in each show.”

Goner Records co-owner Zach Ives says when he was approached by the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) about scheduling a show, he thought it was a great idea.

“I love what [IMAKEMADBEATS] is doing over there,” Ives said. “We’ve met up and talked some over the past year. Nice to share experiences. While our avenues are different, there are plenty of similarities. We are both doing it our own way and figuring it out as we go along.”

Both Goner and Unapologetic follow in the Memphis tradition of independent record labels making and selling the music they want to hear, and then creating the audience for it.

In the case of Goner, Ives and his partner, Eric Friedl (aka Eric Oblivian), that music is the raw, rootsy garage punk that emerged from the Antenna and Barrister’s scene of the 80s and 90s.

For Unapologetic, it’s cutting edge hip hop.

“I really believe people value sincerity and vulnerability in music over everything else,” says IMAKEMADBEATS. “I think things like genre and other divisions come second to those things.

“These kinds of shows are great for us for the obvious reasons of getting in front of new people with open minds, but also because people like the good folks at Goner understand pushing boundaries and creating the kinds of atmospheres that allow people to be unapologetically themselves.

“Beyond the music, shows like these are great for the people, how they feel there, and the kinds of minds they’ll meet there. It’s great for community.”

Ives says after the initial conversation with Unapologetic, “One thing we both agreed on, our different parts of the music community don’t interact enough. This seemed like a good opportunity to try and correct that.”

The show will kick off around quitting time on Thursday, July 12th with Unapologetic rapper PreauXX and wunderkind producer Kid Maestro.

“There are few people as naturally talented as PreauXX,” says IMAKEMADBEATS. “[He] can go anywhere and share the stage with anyone and be a showstopper.”

New Orleans-based retro-synth wizard Benni will echo his spacey vibes  through the Downtown cityscape.

“The Unapologetic guys are super into Benni, so it was a no-brainer!” says Ives. “They demanded it! Also, he has a new record about to come out next month, so it made sense to get him back up and fill Downtown with new space sounds. It also felt like a good transition with the Unapologetic artists.”

Unapologetic R&B sensation Cameron Bethany will lend his smooth, emotive voice to the chorus.

“Cameron found me, actually,” says IMAKEMADBEATS. “We’d met before because someone I was working with in the studio called him in for some background vocals. He told me that he’d kept up with some of the things I was doing with PreauXX years ago.

“One day in 2015, Cameron called me and told me he wanted me to produce a single for him. We met, talked some business and artistic direction, then set a date for him to come and work on the record.

“The music on his Soundcloud page was mostly cover songs and when I’d asked peers about him, a handful mentioned an amazing voice but no one knew what his music sounded like. We started working on his single and after hearing the hook on it, alone, I knew we had something special. Something different. I listened to it on loop after Cam left the studio for almost 3 hours.”

Fresh off a sold-out European tour with Superchunk, Memphis punk legends The Oblivians will be joined by New Orleans vocalist Stephanie McDee.

The Oblivians covered McDee’s “Call The Police” on their last album, Desperation.

“It’s such a party anthem,” says Ives. “And her original version is soooo fast! We’ll see if the guys can keep up. Can’t wait to see what happens.”

The free show, sponsored by the DMC, begins at 5 p.m. in Barbaro Alley Downtown. 

Categories
Music Music Blog

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup

The Levitt Shell, winner of the Memphis Flyer’s Best Place To See Live Music last year, has announced the acts booked for the fall season.

Robert Cray plays the Levitt Shell on July 13.

Beginning September 6th and running through October 21st, the Orion Free Music Concert Series will present 24 shows on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Memphis acts, sponsored by Regional One, include Snowglobe, Star and Micey, North Mississippi Allstars, and Opera Memphis.

Two, ticketed “Stars at the Shell” shows serve as fundraisers to supplement the free music. The first, coming on July 13th, features internationally renowned bluesman Robert Cray, with special guest Cedric Burnside.

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup

On September 29th, Brooklyn soulsters Lake Street Dive will anchor 2018’s final “Stars at the Shell” series.

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (2)

Here’s the full line up for the Levitt Shell fall season:

Thursday, September 6th: 
Devon Gilfillian

Friday, September 7th:
Orquesta Akokan

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (3)

Saturday, September 8th: 
Meta and the Cornerstones

Sunday, September 9th: 
The Mulligan Brothers

Thursday, September 13th: 
Black Umfolosi

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (4)

Friday, September 14th:             
Snowglobe with Star & Micey

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (5)

Saturday, September 15th: 
Rhodes Jazz Night with Joyce Cobb

Sunday, September 16th:
Those Pretty Wrongs

Thursday, September 20th: 
Low Cut Connie

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (6)

Friday, September 21st:             
Memphis Renaissance

Saturday, September 22nd:
North Mississippi Allstars

Sunday, September 23rd:             
Opera Memphis

Thursday, October 4th: 
Dean Owens and the Whiskey Hearts

Friday, October 5th: 
Squirrel Nut Zippers

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (7)

Saturday, October 6th: 
Film and Music Night

Sunday, October 7th: 
Memphis Hepcats

Thursday, October 11th:             
Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (8)

Friday, October 12th: 
Bette Smith

Saturday, October 13rd:             
Walden

Sunday, October 14th: 
Las Cafeteras

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (9)

Thursday, October 18th:             
Crystal Shrine

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (11)

Friday, October 19th: 
John Fullbright

Saturday, October 20th:             
Film and Music Night

Sunday, October 21st:
Nefesh Mountain

Levitt Shell Announces Fall Music Lineup (10)

Categories
News News Blog

Report: Half of Memphis Homes Not Connected to Broadband

Khz | Dreamstime.com

Nearly half of Memphis households were not connected to broadband internet in 2016, according to the latest figures from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), ranking the city in the top five least-connected cities in the country.

Of the 256,973 households in Memphis in 2016, the NDIA said 126,428 of them had no broadband connection. The group used census data collected in 2016 and released in late 2017.

Only 30 percent of Nashville homes are not connected to broadband services, according to the NDIA data. In Knoxville, only 35 percent aren’t connected. In Chattanooga, though, nearly 44 percent are not connected to broadband.

The NDIA said the data does not indicate the availability of home broadband service but the homes that are connected to it (or not). It looks at cable internet, DSL, and fiber lines to homes. But it does not include mobile service like 3G and 4G networks available on smart phones, tablets, and more.

Poverty likely drives much of the low adoption rates, according to NDIA. Memphis is the poorest metro in the country according to data from the University of Memphis. The city’s overall poverty rate was 26.8 percent in 2016; 44.6 percent of the city’s children live below the federal poverty line.

Income remains the most-influential wedge driving the digital divide, according to data from the Pew Research Center.

Lower-income Americans continue to lag behind in technology adoption

Report: Half of Memphis Homes Not Connected to Broadband

“Roughly three-in-ten adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year don’t own a smartphone,” according to Pew. “Nearly half don’t have home broadband services or a traditional computer. And a majority of lower-income Americans are not tablet owners.

”By comparison, many of these devices are nearly ubiquitous among adults from households earning $100,000 or more a year.”

Without broadband at home, many lower-income Americans turn to their smartphones. Pew Research says one-fifth of adults earning less than $30,000 a year were “smartphone-only” internet users. This means they also use phones — smaller screens — for tasks usually reserved for larger screens, like applying for jobs.

Growing share of low-income Americans are smartphone-online internet users

Report: Half of Memphis Homes Not Connected to Broadband (2)

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

“1,300 Men: Memphis Strike ’68” To Screen At Main Library

CREDIT: Darius B. Williams for Striking Voices

Reporting the story of the 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike is a lifelong obsession for journalist-turned-director Emily Yellin. Her parents David and Carol Lynn Yellin were founding members of a group dedicated to reconciliation and commemoration in the wake of the April 4, 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis. Yellin was six years old at the time. “The first meeting of the Memphis Search for Meaning Committee was in our house on Park Avenue across from Audubon park. I begged my mom to go to the meeting, but she said no. I guess I was persistent enough, so finally she said I could come, but I couldn’t speak, only listen. I could be the secretary, and told me to take notes. At the end of the meeting, she asked to see my notes. The notes read ‘We had a meeting’…I consider that my first reporting work. I reported the facts, and I learned a very important journalism lesson: Listen more than you talk.”
Darius B. Williams for Striking Voices

J. L. McClain, a Memphis Sanitation worker who was among the 1968 strikers, is featured in ‘1,300 Men’.

In the 1990s, Yellin was reporting for the New York Times on assassin James Earl Ray’s quest for a new trial. “The big reporter who came to town [from New York] took me out to dinner before we started working on that case. I said to him, ‘Yeah, I’ve been reporting on this since 1968.’”

David Yellin founded the Film and TV department at the University of Memphis. “He had the foresight to go to the TV stations and ask for the film they shot during the sanitation strike. There’s 25 hours of film—it wasn’t video, it was film, much of which they would have thrown away—of the strike and the aftermath.”

Now, 50 years later, Yellin has used that rare footage and combined it with contemporary interviews of 30 surviving strikers and their families for Striking Voices, a multimedia project that tells the stories of the forgotten foot soldiers of the strike that changed Memphis and America. “We’ve gotten our funding from locals who believe in this project,” says Yellin, who organized the nonprofit project with the help of Community LIFT.

The premiere of Yellin’s web series “1,300 Men: Memphis Strike ’68” on TheRoot.com coincided with the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the walkout on February 12th. The 10 episodes trace the story of the strike from the point of view of the men on the streets and the women and children who supported them. “One of our overriding goals was to give a human dimension to these men who, if you knew about them at all, you only knew them as men walking down Main Street carrying I AM A MAN signs. There are whole stories there, and I think it will be very important for everybody to take time to know these people’s stories. It’s a lot deeper than you might have thought.”
Darius B. Williams for Striking Voices

Striker Baxter Leach

Yellin’s crew were all Memphians, including editors Laura Jean Hocking, Kevin Brooks, and Suzannah Herbert; producers May Todd, Kierra Turner, Asia Sims, director of photography Richard L. Copley, and photographers Stephen Hildreth and Darius B. Williams. “My instincts told me that, as a white woman who grew up in East Memphis, that I was not necessarily the best person to do this project,” says Yellin. “At every step of the way, I had to consider that and be sure I wasn’t imposing my world view on somebody else’s story.”

This Sunday, April 22nd, “1,300 Men” will screen at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library. “We’re really looking forward to Sunday, because that’s our chance to show what we’ve produced for a national audience to a local audience. We’re gong to binge watch the story that we created for The Root for a local audience, and we’re going to have some of the sanitation workers and their wives there for a talk,” says Yellin.

In addition to the “1,300 Men” screening, an photography exhibit called “Striking Voices: The Portraits and Interviews” will be on display at the library adjacent to the screening room. “We interviewed more than 30 people, the men, their wives, and their children. Everyone we interviewed, Darius B. Williams took portrait photographs,” says Yellin.
Putting this long-gestating project together brought home the immediacy of the Civil Rights era, and the work that continues to be needed in Memphis. “There’s a legacy of [white supremacy] that we’re living with here more than almost any other city in the country,” says Yellin. “We think of the the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow as being something that happened to another generation. But what I really see is that it’s still happening in our generation right now.”

Categories
Fly On The Wall Blog Opinion

Will WREG dodge the Sinclair bullet? FCC commissioner criticizes policy decisions.

Race to the Bottom

A recent tweet by FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel argues against policy rulings custom built to enable the Sinclair Broadcast group’s $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune media. The move she criticizes would transfer ownership of WREG Memphis and push the overtly Conservative company’s local market reach well past what’s previously been allowed.  Rosenworcel’s comments were inspired, in part, by President Donald Trump’s apparent endorsement of Sinclair over “fake news” media like “CNN, NBC, ABC & CBS.”

Will WREG dodge the Sinclair bullet? FCC commissioner criticizes policy decisions.

What makes Trump’s endorsement especially troublesome — even for him — is the fact that Sinclair’s stations operate unbranded and so, by way of affiliation, these Sinclair stations the President endorses often are the same NBC, ABC, CBS stations he also criticizes. And sometimes Fox stations as well.

Welcome to the media ownership funhouse.

Sinclair has been collecting network affiliated stations in an environment where cable news gets all the attention even though local TV news has more reach than all four major cable news stations combined

Via Common Dreams:

“Critics, including Rosenworcel, are concerned that under Chairman Ajit Pai, who Trump appointed last year, the FCC is moving deliberately to allow the Sinclair-Tribune merger to go through. Known for pushing right-wing viewpoints within the stations it already owns, the broadcaster drew ire this week after a viral video showed how local anchors nationwide are forced to read the same pre-packaged scripts.”

Will WREG dodge the Sinclair bullet? FCC commissioner criticizes policy decisions. (2)

When the FCC cleared a path for Sinclair’s acquisition in May it was widely assumed that the deal would go through quickly, but that hasn’t been the case. Delays have resulted from ongoing wrangling with antitrust officials in the Justice Department and the FCC’s internal investigation into decisions made by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, and “whether there had been [FCC] coordination with [Sinclair].”

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Fly On The Wall Blog Opinion

RATS! Public Art that Doesn’t Give a Rodent’s Rump

A new art installation called “Barrier Free” now stands in the Hall of Mayors at Memphis City Hall. 

It’s beautiful. It’s big…real big. The main piece has larger-than-life photos of families from across the city.

That part of the piece represents “our beautiful diverse tapestry,” reads the artist’s statement from Yancy Villa-Calvo, hired to create the installation by Latino Memphis.

Graphic shirts at the end caught my eye. What did they say? 

The delightful little girl’s shirt reads “Follow Your Heart” and I hope she follows hers.

The man standing behind her followed his heart when it came to choose his wardrobe. His shirt reads “I don’t give a….” Below the words, a cartoon rat leads a cartoon donkey.

Reading between those twisty lines of high comedy, you know this shirt implies: “I don’t give a rat’s ass.”

Then, you look up at the man wearing the shirt and you realize he really doesn’t. At. All.

Good for you Rat’s Ass Shirt in a Big Public Art Display Guy. Much respect for you playing by your own rules.