The 901: VP Mike Pence stirs controversy with visit to Memphis

Good morning from Memphis, and a belated happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Lots has happened since Friday, including word about the closure of Mister B's in Germantown. But before getting to that ...

Ahead of his boss's impeachment trial today, Vice President Mike Pence paid homage to a hero of his, Martin Luther King Jr., on Sunday near where he was killed in Memphis.

Our Katherine Burgess, Sam Hardiman and Laura Testino chronicled Pence's trip, which took him to the National Civil Rights Museum's Lorraine Motel — where King was shot and killed on April 4, 1968 — and then to Raleigh's Holy City Church of God in Christ, where the historically black denomination's leaders praised Pence's faith and values.

The church's warm welcome of Pence drew criticism from some, including our columnist Tonyaa Weathersbee, who saw its members as being too polite. And while Pence touted the administration's focus on equality of opportunity, others — including protesters outside — objected to the inequality of outcomes, especially for minorities.

And that's the perfect segue into the Rev. Earle Fisher's latest controversial piece for The New Tri-State Defender about how the MLK "Day of Service" is a sham. The many local nonprofits that use the day to promote volunteerism probably disagree. Attacking a day of service is the exact wrong way to go about this, but Fisher makes good points. Among them is the need to move beyond cosmetic fixes and get at structural issues:

Community service only requires a sacrifice of our time. And when you are white, rich or privileged time is usually on your side. Time is not on [ex-convicted offender] Greg’s side. In fact, Greg is trying to reconfigure his life to make up for time he’s lost.

Of course, volunteerism cannot solve poverty. Or issues with reintegrating ex-offenders back into society. Or a million other structural issues. And no one says it can. And Memphis is clearly making progress in addressing some of these deep-rooted issues, including ramping up funding for prekindergarten and public transit. But Fisher is exactly right to call on Memphis to go deeper. Memphis is in dire need of solutions.

But solving these issues will take both time and money. And more than that, it will take vision — the kind of vision that King had, that rallied people around a belief that every person is inherently worthy of protection and investment and respect.

To that end, you should read this subscribers-only story on one of Memphis' deeper problems — with homelessness — from our Sarah Macaraeg. Read the story, then read her follow-up piece about some of the ways you can take action.

Speaking of MLK Day: The University of Memphis will soon take possession of the notes for King's famous "We Shall Overcome" speech, our Laura Testino reports. Also, NBC featured Shelby County School students in its MLK Day coverage. Watch here:

Mister B's closes doors in Germantown

The Germantown institution that is Mister B's restaurant quietly ended its 44-year run in December, although the owner is looking for a buyer, our Jennifer Chandler reports.

The owner, Theresa Baker-Penninger, cited her health issues as the reason for the closure, but said she wants to see the restaurant to keep operating, like it always has:

On Wednesday, the 100-seat restaurant looked just like it normally does before opening for dinner. Baker-Penninger is hopeful that she will sell the business.

“I have several offers on the table,” she said. “But I am being particular. I want to make sure the person who buys it does not change anything.”

What's next for Baker-Penninger? Maybe an art gallery, Jennifer goes on to write.

Come meet The CA at Cordova forum

Want to meet some of the faces behind our bylines? Well, here's your chance: The Commercial Appeal brings its community town hall series to Cordova this Thursday.

Find all of the details here, but here are the basics:

The forum, held in partnership with Hope Church, starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 7:15 p.m. Starting at 5 p.m., a social hour will precede the forum. It will be held in Hope's Big Room (at Entrance 6). Parking is available throughout the church's lot. There is no cost to attend.

The purpose of the meeting is for Commercial Appeal staffers to meet Hope Church members and Cordova residents and discuss community issues.

Hope to see you there!

Things to know, places to go, in the 901

• For subscribers: Don't miss columnist Mark Giannotto's excellent analysis of the role Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins has played in the team's revival.
• Also for subscribers: Our Khari Thompson profiles Olive Branch's Cameron Matthews, the only Memphis area boys basketball senior committed to a Power Five school (Mississippi State). Matthews tops The Commercial Appeal Elite Eight, our annual list of the area's top basketball prospects. You may have to do some scrolling, but you can find the other members of our Elite Eight here.
• In case you missed it last week: Violent crime in the Memphis area has decreased by 8.2% since 2018 and 13.1% since 2017, per our Micaela Watts.
• Our Laura Testino covers the unveiling of a mural enshrining the Memphis 13, the first first-graders to be integrated into Memphis City Schools nearly 60 years ago.
• The New Orleans Pelicans' 126-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies last night snapped the NBA's longest active winning streak, our interim Grizzlies beat reporter Evan Barnes reports. That the Grizzlies lost isn't that remarkable; what's remarkable is how far they've come and where they're going, columnist Mark Giannotto opines.
• Before last night's MLK Celebration Day game, our Khari Thompson covered the Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium, which honored four black athletes for their legacies and contributions to breaking down racial barriers.
• The Memphis Tigers moved up in the polls this week, placing No. 20 on both the Associated Press Top 25 poll and USA TODAY Coaches Poll, our Jason Munz reports. That's the right direction if the Tigers want an NCAA tournament invitation.
• If you missed it last week, our education reporter Laura Testino highlighted the Memphis kids who are entering — and winning — robot-building competitions.
• Downtown Memphis' Cannon Center will host the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Competition this June, our Daniel Connolly reports.

The Fadeout: Evvie McKinney

Last week, our Bob Mehr checked in with Memphian Evvie McKinney, who won the first season of FOX's singing competition show "The Four." The big news? She recently signed with Motown’s Gospel label and Capitol’s CMG publishing company. 

We'll fade out today with one of her covers, "God Only Knows," originally by the Christian group King & Country...

Like The Fadeout? The 901's Spotify playlist has all of the available featured songs from local artists.

Columnist Ryan Poe writes The 901, a running commentary on all things Memphis. Reach him at poe@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @ryanpoe.

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