VOL. 133 | NO. 16 | Monday, January 22, 2018
The Week Ahead: Jan. 22-28
The Daily News
Good morning, Memphis! Both the City Council and County Commission take up votes this week with wide-ranging impact, Grizzlies fan favorite Shane Battier returns for the annual Staxtacular fundraiser, and the University of Memphis Tigers get a chance to redeem themselves against Cincinnati. Check out what else should be on your radar in The Week Ahead...
The Shelby County Commission and Memphis City Council meet Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Commissioners are still tinkering with the ground rules for minority and locally owned businesses bidding for county government contracts. The council has a final vote slated on the city charter referendum that would expand term limits for the mayor and council members to three consecutive terms in office. As usual, @tdnpols is the place for live coverage of both.
(mlk50.civilrightsmuseum.org)
The second of three Moral Mondays gatherings in Memphis around the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1968 sanitation workers strike is Monday evening at Hope Presbyterian Church, 8500 Walnut Grove Road. The featured speaker at the 5:30 p.m. event organized by a clergy committee of the National Civil Rights Museum is Rev. James A. Forbes Jr., senior minister emeritus of The Riverside Church of New York City. The church was the setting for King’s 1967 speech opposing the Vietnam War one year to the day before his death in Memphis.
The Eureka math and reading curricula being used in Shelby County Schools aren’t just new to students, they’re also new to parents.
So the school system is holding a series of winter workshops at different schools for parents to learn about what their children are learning. The workshops include dinner and childcare starting at 5 p.m., with the classwork starting promptly at 5:30 p.m. No eating with your thinking cap on however. The two sessions this week are Wednesday at Macon Hall Elementary School, 9800 Macon Road in Cordova, and Thursday at Kingsbury Middle School, 1276 N. Graham St. There are limited slots for each grade level, so parents need to RSVP online to confirm.
Staxtacular 2018 kicks off Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, at 926 E. McLemore Ave. It’ll be four hours of food, drink, and music by the Stax Music Academy and Stax Music Academy Alumni Band. Mario Chalmers of the Memphis Grizzlies will co-host, with former Grizz star – and event co-founder Shane Battier – set to make a special appearance. Tickets are $175 per person.
The University of Memphis Design Collaborative is hosting “Neighborhood Playbook” as part of its Planning Matters Speaker Series on Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the University Center, 499 University St. The “Playbook” “seeks to help people create more neighborhood amenities where people want to spend time, interact socially, create memorable experiences and connect with the built and natural environment.” Planning Matters is a series of public events sponsored by ULI Memphis and the UMDC that features national planning and development experts from around the country.
In advance of Black History Month, the fifth edition of “Out of Africa” will return to the South Main Arts District Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The art exhibition will include artwork by Nigerian-born artists Adewale Adenle and Norbert Okpu; Houston-based artist Robert Pruitt; and Trinidadian-born, Los Angeles-based artist, Miles Regis. There will also be film screenings by African American filmmakers, curated by University of Memphis art history professor Earnestine Jenkins; Beats of Africa music sets by local favorite DJ Crystal Mercedes; a panel discussion on “Lost Roots: The Disconnect Between Africans and African-Americans”; and a dramatic Art+Poetry event curated by author, poet and editor Sheree Renée Thomas.
The Memphis Grizzlies have three home games this week at FedExForum, all starting at 7 p.m. On Monday, they play the Philadelphia 76ers, featuring Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. On Wednesday, the old nemesis that is the San Antonio Spurs comes to town. And on Friday, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers play the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies’ G League team, the Memphis Hustle, will play at 7 p.m. Saturday vs. the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Former University of Memphis players Trahson Burrell and Austin Nichols are among the notables on the Hustle’s roster. For tickets, go to the Landers Center box office or call 1-901-888-HOOP.
The University of Memphis men’s basketball team will play nationally ranked Cincinnati at 5 p.m. Saturday at FedExForum in an American Athletic Conference game.
The Mississippi RiverKings will be on the home ice at the Landers Center on Friday for a 7 p.m. game vs. the Knoxville Ice Bears.
The Daily News staff compiles The Week Ahead for you, our readers, every week. You'll receive it as part of our Monday online edition. Email associate editor Kate Simone at ksimone@memphisdailynews.com if you have items for consideration.