The dismissed lawsuit was originally filed by Kevin Johnson of Clarksville, TN, alleging his Title VI complaints were not answered.

As President for the past six years, the Clarksville NAACP has never received a written complaint from either Mr. Johnson or Mr. Hagan requesting assistance. Neither Johnson  nor Hagan has submitted a properly filled out and signed affidavit which is standard procedure in order for the NAACP Branch to investigate any complain submitted to them. – Jimmie Garland

Clarksville Attorney, Michael K. Williamson, representing Garland and McMoore, as well as an attorney from the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, representing Jerkins, filed similar motions for dismissal with one of the key points being that General Sessions Court “lacks jurisdiction” and also Mr. Johnson “lacks standing to bring this lawsuit” and was in violation of several other areas of Tennessee Code Annotated and Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure.

An associated case filed by Kevin Johnson in the Federal Courts, Nashville, was recently dismissed with prejudice by Judge Williams J. Haines, Jr.

For questions concerning this Press statement please contact us at:

• Jimmie M. Garland: (931) 216-6745
• Terry McMoore: (931) 378-1999
• Pastor Jerry G. Jerkins: (931) 220-1522
• Attorney Michael Williamson: (931) 647-8500

The event, which is free and open to the public, is hosted by the Urban Resource Center and its director, Terry McMoore, in partnership with the Center for Community Change.

Over the next 5 years a half a billion dollars in job training money will be coming to Clarksville. Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) will open a new plant in Clarksville that will hire over 1,000 construction workers to build, and provide over 800 permanent high paying jobs when they open. HSC will be one of the richest employers in Clarksville’s history since the arrival of Fort Campbell in the 1940s.
Under the President’s Economic Recovery Bill, states and counties are poised to receive significant federal funding to stimulate the economy and put people back to work. These are just some of the issues that will be discussed at this community forum.

Initial response from the community and some elected officials has been strong.  community and several elected officials who will be in attendance, including State Senator Tim Barnes and NAACP President Jimmie Garland Sr. are planning to attend this session.

McMoore was asked to hold this meeting by the Washington D.C.-based  Center for Community Change, who will be facilitating most of the meeting.

Ms. Evonne Tisdale, the South East Regional Team Leader for the Center for Community Change, is  in Nashville and has already touched base with the Governor’s office on this issue; she held a  meeting with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean,  who is eagerly awaiting the final plan and proposal from the Nashville African American community.

New job opportunities for Clarksville-Montgomery County targeted populations include:

• High School graduates
• College graduates
• Veterans or members of the reserve forces
• Homeless individuals
• Non-violent ex-felons
• Low-income individuals

This falls right in line with the recently signed into law Economic Recovery Bill. Under the President’s Economic Recovery Bill, states and counties are poised to receive significant federal funding to stimulate the economy and put people back to work.

McMoore wants the community to understand that this bill is intended for all Americans and this meeting is open to anyone who wants to attend. It took people from all races and nationalities to get this far in first ending slavery, and years later stopping Jim Crow laws which eventually led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The country came together to say “enough is enough.” That demand for change resulted in the election of the first African American president in the history of our nation. But there is still work to be done, and by community dialog and working together can we will someday achieve the true meaning of our constitution.

Pastors, Business Owners and the Community-at -Large: are you prepared to have a place at the table right now while there are still jobs and money available? How and what this money is spent on is important to the survival of our communities; these are the jobs of the future and they pay good salaries.

Contact Person for this release is Mr. Terry McMoore at  (931) 378-1999

Ms. Evonne Tisdale, South East Regional Team Leader, Center for Community Change can be reached at Email: or at (615) 469-5220 in Nashville, or at
http://www.communitychange.org/

Over the next 5 years a half a billion dollars in job training money will be coming to Clarksville. Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) will open a new plant in Clarksville that will hire over 1,000 construction workers to build, and provide over 800 permanent high paying jobs when they open. HSC will be one of the richest employers in Clarksville’s history since the arrival of Fort Campbell in the 1940s.

Under the President’s Economic Recovery Bill, states and counties are poised to receive significant federal funding to stimulate the economy and put people back to work.

To learn more about the coming opportunities, join in a Community Discussion titled  “How Will President Obama’s Economic Recovery Bill Affect the African American Community?” to be held on  March 5 at the Montgomery County Public Library, 350 Pageant Lane, Clarksville, from 6-8 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, is hosted by the Urban Resource Center and its director,   Terry McMoore, in partnership with the Center for Community Change.

New job opportunities for targeted populations include high school graduates, college graduates, veterans or members of the reserve forces, homeless individuals, non-violent ex-felons, and low-income individuals.

These are some of the questions:

• Pastors: Are you educated enough on the new job issues to help your congregation?
• Business Owners: Do you know the steps in getting funding for training under the Green Jobs Act?
• Community: Are you prepared to have a place at the table right now while there are still jobs and money available?

How and what this money is spent on is important to the survival of our communities; these are the jobs of the future and they pay good salaries. Don’t wait until the last minute.

CPRC member Don Sharpe speaks out against redevelopment at "fact-finding" community meeting

“Sued for a half million dollars for speaking out…”

“This ordinance is detrimental to the community…”

“The City Council ‘rubber stamped’ the mayor…”

“I don’t think they have a plan…”

“Our Leadership doesn’t want to listen to us….”

“CHA is a shadow, not a voice…”

“Preying on minority communities…”

“I’ve never been to a public forum where the public couldn’t speak…”

This is what representatives from the United States Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Institute for Justice  heard when they came to Clarksville Thursday to listen to community concerns about the about the city’s controversial redevelopment plans. Seventy people participated in a fact-finding meeting at the New Providence Community Center on Oak Street sponsored by the NAACP and the Urban Resource Center.

Walter Atkinson, Senior Conciliation Specialist with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service (Southeast Region IV), in stating that the meeting was “to hear community concerns,” said his role was in part to try and avert “litigation.”

“I am here to listen and observe,” Atkinson said, noting that it was letters from NAACP Chapter President Jimmie Garland and Terry McMoore of the Urban Resource Center that focused federal attention on this local issue. Atkinson had been “in communication” with Mayor Johnny Piper and with the Downtown District Partnership Board. Piper, DDP members and most sitting City Councilors did not attend this meeting. Jim Doyle, who was not re-elected to his Ward 8 seat, along with newly elected councilors Candy Johnson, David Allen and Jeff Burkhart did attend the meeting and spoke with the Ward 6 constituency.

The origin of the issue and the center of the controversy, which exploded in November, 2007, is a city ordinance that was quietly developed and passed by the City Council; at its core was section that designated two square miles, 1825 homes and small businesses in the downtown area, including City Hall and the Courthouse, as “blighted,” with the exception of property owned by Austin Peay State University. The ordinance also included an assemblage clause that would allow eminent domain to be used in “assembling” a group of properties to be transferred to private developers who would “maximize” the potential of the land involved.The land in question lies in Ward 6, the city’s only major minority ward, which, according to Garland, may be protected under the Civil Rights Acts of 1964.

In response to the passage of the ordinance, a grassroots activist group was formed: the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition, who staged an initial Standing Room Only meeting at the Hope Center on Legion Street in November, 2007, which attracted 50 people. Several weeks later, a second meeting at the Train Station on 10th Street was not only packed with concerned citizens but had the overflow crowd of 300 spilling out the doors. A postcard campaign was organized and specialists including representatives and lawyers involved in historic preservation and litigation became involved. Subsequent meetings, including one at APSU where the CPRC and others were not allowed to speak or make a presentation to city officials, and another meeting at the Burt School on Eighth Street where a last minute change in building capacity left nearly a hundred people standing in the parking lot, signs in hand, but unable to speak out to officials or hear what being said inside. Piper later admitted that of the written comments from the concerned residents were destroyed.

Joyce Vanderbilt of Kelly's on Riverside Drive displays the controversial ad on redevelopment

With city officials squaring off against Ward 6 residents and business owners, the redevelopment plans became the supercharged issue of 2008; an ad placed in a local newspaper by the CPRC made a case against the ordinance and proposed development, and The case, borne of a highly controversial ordinance passed by the Clarksville City Council in November, 2007, that “blighted” some two square miles of downtown Clarksville, culminated in a libel suit over a newspaper ad taking some city officials to task for their actions in supporting the ordinance that potentially opened the door for taking of properties by eminent domain and for private development.

In that case, Richard Swift, a developer who is a member of the Clarksville City Council, and Wayne Wilkinson, a member of Clarksville’s Downtown District Partnership, sued the CPRC because its members criticized them for supporting Clarksville’s controversial redevelopment plan, which authorizes the use of eminent domain for private development. In a newspaper ad, the CPRC noted that both Swift and Wilkinson are developers and said, “This Redevelopment Plan is of the developers, by the developers, and for the developers.” Virginia’s Institute for Justice represents the CPRC in the case.

Christine Walsh of the Institute for Justice

Becky (McMahan) was sued for a half million dollars for speaking out,” said Christina Walsh, Director of Community Organization for the Institute for Justice. “The Clarksville Center Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan violates the rights of home and business owners in the redevelopment area. The saga of how it was passed illustrates perfectly why the abuse of eminent domain is wrong. This plan would not pass muster in many states.”

“We do have the right to speak. We are not a Third World Country. Wake up, Sleeping Clarksville, and realize that this is our community. Question the ordinance and the need for the ordinance, and the potential use for the ordinance… even some of the city councilors did not understand this ordinance, and if they didn’t understand it thow can they vote on it.” — CPRC member

NAACP Chapter President Jimmie Garland Sr.

Jimmie Garland charged the City Council with “rubber stamping” the mayor on this issue and asked where “the plan” for development. “Knoxville showed us a plan and invited the community in; that’s not how it was done here There is no plan here.” Garland said that Clarksville’s present leadership does not want to represent us and “does not want to  listen to us.” (Ed: garland excepted Ward 6 Councilor Marc Harris, who opposed the plan). “Our legislators don’t listen to us.”

“Clearly, the confluence of bad law and politically connected developers here does not bode well for the citizens of Clarksville, who have been virtually abandoned by the very political officials they elected to represent their best interests…Local governments very often disguise their intentions of transferring perfectly fine properties to private developers, declaring so-called “blight removal,” “urban renewal,” or “slum clearance” as the justification for eminent domain. … they hide behind this “public use” concept in their quest to acquire property for the private use of developers.” ~~ Christine Walsh

Walsh noted that Piper himself said the plan “was not written in strict accordance with state law,” at which point the city amended rather than rescind the plan, and took a trip to Knoxville to view that city’s redevelopment  process.

Turner McCullough Jr. speaking about a state law that requires that community bodies must reflect the diversity of the community they represent.

Turner McCullough Jr. said “the mayor himself said there is no plan.” After the APSU public forum in which the “public” could not actively participate, and “when (the public) asked for information, we were told to shut up. We  were not considered.”

Wanda McMoore noted that the ordinance assesses what terms “underutilage” of land, which the Institute for Justice and the CPRC read as property that could rake in more profit and more taxes if uses for something other than what it is (i.e., three homes vs a strip mall, five homes versus and apartment complex, a family-owned restaurant vs waterfront condos).

Edward Vanderbilt of Kelly’s on Riverside Drive questioned why, under eminent domain his land and business could conceivably be taken for a minimum of money that wouldn’t even buy a plot of land somewhere else  while “the mayor sells his land and gets millions” (Mayor Piper owns land along Riverside Drive that is in the redevelopment and marina area).

Kevin Johnson of Veterans Services of America discusses the make-up of redevelopment committees

Kevin Johnson of the Veterans Services of America suggested that beyond stating what they do not want, the residents of the area and members of the CPRC, along with local community leaders, should assess what they do want, what kind of growth and positive change they would like to see in their community, and what they would use in lieu of the present ordinance.

It was noted that legislation passed in 2006 can withhold federal funds to communities that use public money to fund private development.

A theme that ran through many of the statements offered by concerned citizens included the following:

• The assemblage clause is of serious concern
• Eminent domain should not be used for private development. (”Take eminent domain out of this plan.”)
• Elected officials simply do not listen to or want to hear from dissenting constituents
• Developers and real estate people with properties in the affected area should recuse themselves from voting on issues which may benefit them (conflict of interest, ethics)
• The actual authors of the ordinance should be disclosed. (”Who wrote this damned thing?”
• According to law, redevelopment plans in Tennessee must be overseen by a housing authority. A determination of Kevin Johnson of the Veterans Services of America participation in the development and execution of the ordinance and redevelopment efforts should be disclosed (Wanda Mills of the CHA has said publicly the CHA did NOT do a study for this plan)
• Demographics (ethnicity, gender etc) of development and advisory boards should be disclosed and appointees to these public posts should be present at meetings when their appointments are confirmed, rather than simply being “a name on a piece of paper.”
• What are the qualifications of the people who created the ordinance?
• Why aren’t more members, if not all members, of the board from the areas impacted by this law?
• What have HUD and other federal monies really been spent on? Has HUD funding been redirected to other projects outside of the designated districts or parameters?

Walter Atkinson, Senior Conciliation Specialist, U.S.D.O.J.

In summing the comments accumulated during the fact finding meeting, Atkinson asked the audience to consider the following?

• If the plan is dropped, what do you want (in your community)?
• What qualifications do you feel people need to participate on redevelopment and related boards?
• What kind of oversight (and by whom) do you need for your community?

As the meeting closed, Terry McMoore noted that he had sent “many, many emails and invitations to people about this meeting, including city officials and Mayor Piper. Given the Mayor’’s lack of response and absence from this session, McMoore requested that Atkinson himself ask the Mayor to attend the next meeting on this issue.

Also attending were Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Representative David H. King, Director, Knoxville Field Office; , Louisville, HUD Fair Housing Equal Opportunity;  County Commissioner Lettie Kendall; CPRC spokesperson Rebecca McMahan; and Tim Harvey, former City Attorney.

[Show as slideshow]

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in response to a complaint filed by the Clarksville NAACP found numerous flaws in the Clarksville Center Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan voted into law by the City Council with full support of City of Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper.

The plan, which effectively “blights” two square miles of downtown Clarksville, has been a center of controversy and triggered the formation of the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition, which is lobbying for its repeal. The ordinance allows for use of eminent domain and provides an assemblage clause for developers seeking to acquire neded propoerties for redevelopment and /or urban renewal.

In a letter requesting an audience with this committee, Urban Resource Center Director, Terry McMoore, stressed the following:

“We are very concerned that this plan in its current form does not protect low income homeowners from losing their homes and that it also violates the voting and civil rights of the citizens of Clarksville – Montgomery County’s only Majority Minority voting ward and district”.

Mayor Bowers commissioned this review committee to look into whether Montgomery County government should partner with the City of Clarksville in this Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan.

With Super Tuesday just two days away, the race for both Democratic and Republican nominations escalates. No race is heating more than that of Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

On Monday, February 4, the eve of dozens of state primaries, a rally for Presidential Candidate Barack Obama will be held at the Tropicana Mexican Restaurant, 233A Tiny Town Road in Clarksville at 1:00 p.m.

Retired Major General Scott Gration, Obama’s top military advisor, will be present to speak on behalf of Obama, according to Terry McMoore, Director of the Urban Resource Center.

General Gration has been on a non-stop tour across the country, where he has been emphasizing Obama’s support for the troops while promoting his leadership credentials to be the next commander in chief.

As an Air Force pilot, Gration flew more combat missions than any other American while commanding the operations overseeing both the northern and southern no-fly zones in Iraq. His aerial combat experience logs in at more than 5,000 hours, including 983 hours of combat time during 274 missions in Iraq. Gration was also the commander of Task Force West during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This event is hosted by the Clarksville-Montgomery County “Barack Obama for President” Campaign Team and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dede Casteel at 931.624.0231 [] or Credo AMouzouvik at 931.378.2378.

The organization, Power to the People, in a complaint to the special litigation section of the DOJ, charges that children detained at the Chad Youth Enhancement Center are subjected to “horrid” conditions and “cruel mistreatment.” Located in Ashland City, the juvenile prison houses about 90 troubled youth between the ages of 7 and 17, a large number of whom are black.
Universal Health Care of King-of-Prussia, PA, owns and operates the Chad facility and Hermitage Hall in Nashville for 100 mentally disabled youth. Both facilities are licensed by the state of Tennessee, but youth from the state have not been sent to either of the juvenile prisons since the deaths at Chad.

The Chad Youth Enhancement Center and Hermitage Hall have been the subjects of recent exposes written by Nashville Scene reporter Elizabeth Ulrich in articles published Nov. 8 and Dec.13 of last year.

According to Ulrich, a counselor at Hermitage Hall used excessive force against a boy in 2006. Staff pulled the counselor off the boy before the child was injured. The counselor was later fired, but he was not prosecuted for battery, nor was Hermitage Hall punished or fined by state regulators.

In its complaint against Chad, Power to the People maintains that Linda Harris, a 14-year-old black girl from New York, was brutally beaten and choked to death in 2005 by counselors within a week of her arrival at the facility. A similar case occurred in 2007, according to Power to the People, in the fatal choking of Omega Leach III, a 16-year-old boy from Philadelphia, who died after he was attacked by counselors within a month of his arrival at Chad.

Among the allegations listed in Power to the People’s complaint against the Chad Youth Enhancement Center are:

• Excessive use of force by staff constituting “cruel and unusual punishment.”
• Cover-up or refusal by state officials to take the necessary action against Chad officials.
• Forced drugging and behavior modification of children by counselors.
• Excessive use of force with the controversial “Handle With Care” choke-hold restraint method, which has caused other deaths in addition to the ones cited in the complaint.
• Creating a climate of fear and intimidation to rule over the youth.
• Unlawful use of choking and other violence as a punitive device.

Power to the People has asked the Justice Department to:

1. suspend or end all federal funding to the Tennessee Departments of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and Children’s Services, which license Chad and Hermitage Hall;
2. sue Universal Health Care for “operating unsafe, abusive and criminal operations” at both facilities in violation of the U.S. Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and
3. initiate criminal prosecutions for the deaths of the two children.

These complaints against mistreatment of juveniles at detention facilities were discussed at a community forum on the mass criminalization of black youth sponsored by Power to the People on Jan. 19 in Nashville.

Note: The Nashville Scene articles about Hermitage Hall and the Chad Youth Enhancement Center may be found on the Internet at:

* http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/News/2007/12/13/Bad_Medicine/
* www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Cover_Story/2007/11/08/Handle_With_Care/

Power to the People! can be contacted at P.O. Box 60251, Nashville, TN 37206 or by e-mailing

This article was redistributed by Terry McMoore of the Urban Resource Center.

A second meeting, sponsored by the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition, was held December 17 at the Train Station. That session drew nearly 300 area residents.

Approximately 50 residents, taxpayers, and homeowners attended that session, which featured the panelists: Nashville Atty. John Summers who currently chairs the Tennessee Historic Preservation Coalition, Dan Brown, Executive Director of the Tennessee Preservation Trust, Civil Rights activist and advocate Jimmie Garland Sr. (at right) who is currently serving as President of the Clarksville branch of the NAACP, and author and Human Relations Commissioner David Shelton. Ward 6 Councilor Marc Harris was scheduled to be on this panel but failed to appear. The panelists discussed the issue of eminent domain and the scope of the proposed redevelopment.

Mark Haynes videotaped the HOPE Center meeting in full, and we now present that tape in its entirety to our readers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

All words used Friday evening to describe the Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan that deems 1800 parcels of lands and two square miles of the city as “blighted,” a move that would allow the city to take property designated as blighted and “redevelop” it to its maximum potential. Read “profit.”

Terry McMoore of the Urban Resource Center sponsored a community meeting at the HOPE Center on Legion Street to present a panel of speakers on this issue and to field questions from a worried public.

One phrase in the ordinance that concerned panelists and residents alike reads as follows:

“…the Plan for the project area will afford maximum opportunity consistent with the sound needs of the locality as a whole, for redevelopment of the area by private enterprise.” [Ordinance 73-2005-06, Section 7]

This meeting is one of a number of citizen- and community-sponsored events scheduled to address the concerns of proposed legislation that designated the entire downtown area — including the multi-million dollar courthouse, the new FM bank building, and businesses and homes in the district except property held by Austin Peay State University. The endorsement by the City Council followed a “revitalization” program in which citizens of the Red River and Brandon Hills area were invited to a series of planning sessions on the betterment of their community. Not long after the hype of “community betterment” project came the issuance of what Clarksville homeowners are calling “the blight deal.”

The panelists for this program, which aired to a full house of fifty people, included Nashville Atty. John Summers who currently chairs the Tennessee Historic Preservation Coalition, Dan Brown, Executive Director of the Tennessee Preservation Trust, Civil Rights activist and advocate Jimmie Garland Sr. (at left) who is currently serving as President of the Clarksville branch of the NAACP, and author and Human Relations Commissioner David Shelton. Ward 6 Councilor Marc Harris was scheduled to be on this panel but failed to appear.

“This is not just a development issue, this is a social justice issue,” Brown said, calling the plan, bold, audacious, over the top, the largest [redevelopment plan] of its kind in the nation.” The plan can be included on a top ten list of most endangering projects in the United States.

“There is no plan to it. It is ‘enabling’ legislation that allows developers to come into a community and take property.” Brown said the scope of the project is “unbelievable.”

John Summers (at right) displayed maps of Nashville Redevelopment projects, citing seven individualized development projects targeting specific issues in specific neighborhoods, each with it own issues and objectives, couched in long-range planning, unlike Clarksville’s move to blanket the entire center of the center under the collective label of “blight.”

“This kind of action is unprecedented; no other city in all of Tennessee — not Memphis, not Nashville, not Chattanooga or Jackson — has declared all of a downtown district as part of a single redevelopment. [Clarksville] declared 1800 parcels as blighted irregardless of their actual condition.” — John Summers

Summers and the panel agreed the only course of action to get this plan repealed, and said it would take a dedicated effort by residents to make that happen. He said the community must come together with a consensus. He said that while he hopes the plan will be repealed “because it is the right thing to do,” this precedent-setting legislation should be “fought on every level.” He has been in touch with a historic preservation legal trust fund. “This plan if allowed to manifest itself has national implications.”

Garland noted that a high percentage of residents in the area are middle and low income families, and many are people of color. Garland sees the plan as a way for the city to shift the balance of the community and move the poor out of the downtown corridor. Garland is taking a copy of the the ordinance (73-2005-06) to the state NAACP for review and discussion of potential action.

“If you trust your city council in this matter, go home and sleep well.” With those words came a rueful and wry laughter from the audience.

“This law will let developers build the convenience stores people say they need, and build the playgrounds, but there won’t be anyone living there to use them.” Not one presenter or member of the audience spoke in favor of this legislation, and many questioned the absence of any city officials.

Residents collectively voiced concern that the designation of blight will either diminish the value of their property and/or hinder their ability to sell property since anything in that area would be vulnerable to eminent domain takings for redevelopment.

It doesn’t matter if your property is not run down, if you live in a nice home…if you property is attached to a parcel that is needed to complete some other building package, it can and would be vulnerable to a taking. Summers said.

If Clarksville’s administrative and political leadership think the issue will die out, they need a reality check. The homeowners were not just worried, they were fighting mad. And they are organizing.

On Monday at 6 p.m. at the Train Station downtown, the Clarksville Property Rights Association will stage another meeting — complete with petitions — extending the face and the voice of the people affected by this designation.

These images reflect “the face of concern” at Friday’s meeting:

Editor’s Note: Author/Editor Christine Anne Piesyk facilitated the event at the request of the sponsor, the Urban Resource Center. Photos by Bill Larson

In a press statement issued by URC director Terry McMoore, an immediate investigation was to be launched with the cooperation of several state agency’s, civic organizations and full media participation. Their hope was to get this multi-million dollar corporation shut down, or to at lest put CHAD under the microscope so as to prevent any more deaths at this facility.

McMoore said, “I have found the media reporting and news investigation to date both starling and very disturbing and I am sure you will to.” «Read the article at the Nashville Scene»

“Having worked side by side with Mr. Garland during past civil right campaigns I can not stress enough how important it is to have him as the NAACP State Vice President given the current racial history and race relations Clarksville has had to struggle with on a daily basis”.

“With an NAACP state official at “ground zero” so to speak, it should go a long way in helping to right social injustice and to ensure the political, educational, social and economical equality of minority citizens in Clarksville-Montgomery County”.

–Terry McMoore, Director
Urban Resource Center

This will be a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together, listen, learn and most important, heal from some of the emotions felt by recent gun violence and the lives we have lost in our community.

A plan of community action is the sentiment shared among all of the panelists involved and that is why this forum will be more of an exchange of ideals and community interaction.

Pastor Tommy Vajellos: Pastor Tommy, as he is known to everyone throughtout the community, is an ex-gang member and now an associate pastor at Faith Outreach Church in Clarksville. His personal life experience in working with local officials in the form of presentations and reenactments of gang activity has given all who have attend his workshops a better understanding of what to look for in your kids, their friends and throughout the community in a preventive effort to try and halt the recruitment of kids into gangs.

TN State Representative Joe Pitts: A native Clarksvillian who has had to watch his community go through the recent growing pains that metro growth brings, Representative Pitts is determined to bring the knowledge and solutions the Tennessee State House has on its agenda in the form of legislative bills that may address the gang issue that reaches across all ethnic backgrounds and destroys families. Mr. Pitts is committed to providing the citizens of Clarksville-Montgomery County with a better quality of life and at the top of his list are improvements in crime reduction and safety.

Jimmie Garland, Sr.: Current President of the Clarksville NAACP, Mr. Garland has a vision of a multi-cultural NAACP branch and community togetherness. As the NAACP moves toward its 100 year anniversary, its mission statement has been amended to include more personal responsibility and a commitment in encouraging citizens to work together to take their communities back from the criminals. The proper raising and discipline of our kids is the entire responsibility of their parents and the community.

Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper: This is his second term as Mayor of Clarksville and whether we would like to admit it or not he is looked upon as the security blanket of this community. By having him at this forum, the community may be able to get direct answers as to our local government’s preventive methods in place regarding gang activity. These answers are always better when coming from the horse’s mouth so to speak. The highest ranking elected official in the city must be able to make his constituents feel that safety is on their side and is that criminals are not just running amuck.

Interim Clarksville Police Chief Al Ansley: There are questions and answers that can only be addressed by the Chief of Police and citizens feel more confortable when they are given honest and common sense answers to questions ranging from gangs and safety to where the community fits into the Police Department’s plan in securing safety for them and their family. Communities are now looking to their local police department and asking how can I get involved. How can I help? What can I do?

Rev. Marvin Barner, Director the Ripple Foundation: A local Pastor and gang awareness advocate currently working with our local school system in recognizing gang activities. Rev Barner states that “Quick fix” programs do not work. Programs must be offered over months, not weeks, and of sufficient intensity to change entrenched behaviors and attitudes. Follow-up “booster” sessions contribute to program effectiveness. We will promote genuine male and female values with no exceptions. Community involvement is a must!

Kenneth Albritton: A former felon who turned his life around and now works to help others get on the right path. Kenneth witnesses first hand, the pressure a young man or woman faces everyday in school and in certain neighborhoods to join gangs or indulge in illegal activities. Because of his past, he understands the need to have more programs and family training as proactive measures in an effort to control these negative impulses and behaviors many youth face. Getting his right to vote back has made him feel like a part of the community again and he stresses that many kids do feel left out of their community and are frustrated so they may join gangs looking for a sense of belonging.

Gabe Segovia, three term City Council member: One of the most popular and hardworking City Councilmen in Clarksville’s history. His commitment to one on one communication among the citizens of his ward and throughout Clarksville makes him a natural to explain the missing link between the citizens and elected officials on this issue of gangs. His vast experience in government can provide us with answers to questions like what is already in place and available to deal with this issue that either the city has forgotten about or may not know. Each year monies are set aside or grants are given to help communities deal with safety issues and improve a variety of areas that affect the quality of life for its citizens. I believe gang activities certainly fall under this category.

This will be a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together, listen, learn and most important, heal from some of the emotions felt by recent gun violence and the lives we have lost in our community.

The forum will take place at: New Providence United Methodist Church, 1317 Fort Campbell Blvd Clarksville, TN from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Moderator & Keynote Speaker Pastor Tommy Vallejos, Director of the Hispanic Organization for Progress & Education (H.O.P.E.)

The event will be a special presentation on Gang Awareness.

Special Guest Panelists:

• TN State Representative Joe Pitts
• Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper (invited)
• Interim Clarksville Police Chief Al Ansley
• Jimmie Garland Sr., President Clarksville NAACP
• Clarksville City Council Members
• Leaders from the Faith Community
• Rev. Marvin Barner, Director The Ripple Foundation
• Gabe Segovia, Concerned Citizen
• Kenneth Albritton, Community Activist

Free & Open to the Public

HOSTED BY THE URBAN RESOURCE CENTER, Mr. Terry McMoore, Director. For more information please contact Terry McMoore at (931) 552-9076 or (931) 378-1999

The coalition, originally founded in 2005, has been inactive due to the conflicting schedules of the leadership. However, after assessing the current status of civil rights compliance and protections in Clarksville and Montgomery County, some civil rights leaders believe it necessary to unite.

“In unity there is strength,” said Dr. Nancy J. Dawson, coalition chairwoman. “The time has come, to end, once and for all, the racial problems in Clarksville,” Dawson said.

The coalition includes members of the following civil rights organizations- the Title VI Action Committee, National Action Network, the Clarksville Branch of the NAACP, the Progressive Citizen Advocates, the Urban Resource Center, and the Commission on Religion and Racism (CORR).

The group has been meeting throughout the month of February and plans to submit a written document to local, state and national officials regarding their concerns soon. In addition, a website is being established for citizens to voice complaints and to keep abreast of the coalition’s activities.

The coalition will be sponsoring a community forum for citizens to voice complaints. For more information about the coalition, call 552-9597, Ext. 3 or submit email inquiries to: .

Dr. Awadh Binhazim is a leader in Nashville’s Muslim community and instructor on the subject for 12 years. Binhazim is president of Olive Tree Education; a nonprofit group in Nashville dedicated to Islamic education and outreach, and was raised in Kenya. He also taught courses on Islam at the Vanderbilt University Divinity School, Nashville.

Dr. Binhazim is interested in Comparative Religions and Islamic Jurisprudence. He is fluent in English, Kiswahili and Arabic and has given numerous lectures on Islam in theology classes, local churches, law enforcement agencies, and at many universities throughout the U.S., Canada, and Kenya.

He has appeared in many Radio and TV programs to discuss various issues on Islam. He is the founder and program director of a series of courses on Islam held in Nashville, Tennessee for those interested in Islam. Within these courses, Dr. Binhazim teaches about Islamic beliefs, spirituality, moral code of Islam, monotheism, Muslim cultures, and civilizations. Dr. Binhazim is the Director of the Public Relations and Outreach program of the Islamic Center and serves as the spokesperson of the Muslim community in Nashville.

For more information about Binhazim’s talk at APSU, contact adjunct professor and former national television journalist W. Thomas Osborne by telephone at (931) 721-3952 or by e-mail at  .