#NNPA BlackPress
West Memphis mayor talks jobs, economic boom and inspiring children
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Our priorities are to bring economic opportunities to this city for our people, public safety, creating a quality school system, a cleaner city, and investing in a bright future for our children.”
By Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell, Special to the New Tri-State Defender
Born and raised in West Memphis, Mayor Marco McClendon is eight months into his first term, which he told constituents at a recent Crittenden County NAACP meeting already is generating new jobs and business opportunities.
“My mother and father live here. So, I am fully invested in the growth and success of West Memphis. This is our time, and God has given me this opportunity for such a time as this,” said McClendon, who headlined the meeting.
“Here is a man, our mayor, fulfilling a promise he made when he took office, to come and deliver an address on his progress for the first six months,” said Shabaka Afrika, NAACP chapter president. “We have heard some exciting things like we haven’t seen here in decades. This is truly a new day in West Memphis.”
McClendon, a former city councilman, was sworn in on Jan. 1. The city is about 70 percent African American and he is second African American elected West Memphis Mayor. Leo Chitman was the first African American elected to the office in 1982.
Reflecting on his swearing-in ceremony, McClendon said, “Our community needed to see that. Our black children needed to see someone who looks like them taking the mayor’s office.”
He supports that assertion with a recent encounter at a favorite restaurant.
“I went into the restaurant to pick up my food, and there were some guys there. We were just talking, and a mother came in with her nine-year-old son. She said to him, ‘Did you know he is the mayor of West Memphis?’ He looked at me and said, ‘You can’t be the mayor of West Memphis.’ I asked him why not, and he said, ‘Because you look just like me.’
“Well, I took out my business card and gave it to him, and I took out my phone and showed him on Facebook that I was the mayor,” McClendon said. “And if you could have seen the look in his eyes. He looked at me like I was a superhero. And he looks at me the same way each time I run into him and other children just like him. More black officials change the landscape for black citizens. God has put me here for such a time as this.”
Expansion and multiple initiatives have created what some in West Memphis consider a corridor of opportunity. The $250 million renovation and expansion at the Southland Casino Racing complex is a major contributor.
McClendon said he expects to be in talks with hotels and restaurateurs looking to also build establishments around the expansion.
“People are buying into our vision for growth and economic development,” he said. “It’s an easy sell. Both I-40 and I-55 run through West Memphis. We are spending $10 million to revitalize the railroad. We just had Coca-Cola move from Memphis over to West Memphis with a $22 million construction bringing hundreds of new jobs.
“I am under a non-disclosure agreement, so I can’t say anything tonight, but an auto manufacturer is coming soon,” he said.” Let’s just say the governor and I are on the same page.”
The city also is building four new structures: two fire stations, one library and information center, and one municipal courthouse.
“Our priorities are to bring economic opportunities to this city for our people, public safety, creating a quality school system, a cleaner city, and investing in a bright future for our children.”
The 41-year-old mayor said he has gained valuable knowledge and advice from former Memphis mayor, Dr. Willie W. Herenton.
“I talked to Dr. Herenton, and he asked me, ‘When all of your department heads are doing their jobs and moving toward attaining objectives in your agenda, what should a mayor be doing?’ He said a mayor should be devising initiatives.
“So, I am dreaming all the time. We plan in the next three years of my administration to make West Memphis the new Southaven. We’re building a water park so families can enjoy good, family fun together. We’re building a movie theatre. And you know what they said in that movie, ‘If you build it, they will come.’
“Oh, and did I tell you we are going to bring our own bus system to West Memphis? We’re going to rebuild and revitalize Broadway Avenue, our main thoroughfare, and bus trolleys are going to run up and down Broadway.”
He promised to continue building a unified community in West Memphis to eradicate any factions that may breed gang violence.
“I’ve been talking to young brothers, and I tell them, ‘We are all brothers. How can you kill your brother?’ Public safety is paramount in my administration.”
#NNPA BlackPress
Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2
Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0xUKM6U2Lpc&autoplay=0&cc_lang_pref=en&cc_load_policy=0&color=0&controls=1&fs=1&h1=en&loop=0&rel=0
Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive
#NNPA BlackPress
IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire
Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.
His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.
Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.
In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.
The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.
Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.
As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.
Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.
His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.
“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”
Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.
“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”
Sly Stone is survived by three children.
#NNPA BlackPress
PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

By Congressman James E. Clyburn
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.
“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.
“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”
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