May 19, 2025 • 57 mins
Episode Notes My guests include MSCS board member Tamarques Porter. A lot has happened the last few months and as we put the wrap on another school year, I ask him how challenging it’s been and what he hopes to see moving forward. Next, speaking of challenges, crime continues to a major concern in the city and for the law enforcement community. Memphis Police Association VP John Covington joins me to discuss manpower issues and where morale is within the department as a whole. Finally, the story of a man who contracted COVID, was hospitalized for over 40 days on a respirator and ventilator and was very close to death. Rev. Dr. Chuck Lester has an inspirational story to share and a new book detailing his amazing story that he simply calls, A Real Time Miracle. That and more both on air and online Monday, 6 pm on 91.7 WYXR. Also, the wyxr app, Tunein, Facebook Live, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. It’s time to talk!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Real Tell your Real your host, you watch
your wife's talk all this is real.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Alright, and here we go. Here we go on the Olympus.
Here is the nineteenth day of May twenty twenty five,
(00:41):
six o'clock straight up, which means it is time, ladies
and gentlemen, from an all new, live, and all new
edition of Real Talk Memphis. I am your humble host.
My name is Chip Washington. Glad to be here, Glad
to have you here as well if you were out there.
I hope you find us now and stick with us
until seven o'clock tonight. Of course, we always try our
(01:04):
best to have a good informative show for you, and
tonight is no no reason to doubt that. So you know,
there's a lot of ways to find this radio show.
Of course, if you're listening live now to WYXR, which
would be ninety one point seven on your FM dial,
you can catch this. You're catching us right now. We
(01:25):
are also on the wyx R app and also find
the show live on the tune in T E E
N E I N app. We will be live streaming
tonight on Facebook Live and the next day or so
when the show gets posted, you will be able to
find us on YouTube, and we are a podcasts so
(01:46):
you will be able to find us wherever it is
you get your podcasting. You know a lot of you
like these podcasts deals, so you know you'll find us
put in Real Talk Memphis or whatever, and you'll be
able to find us out there as well. So, as
I said before, I think we have a pretty good
show for you. Tonight, we're gonna catch up with school
board member Tamarcus Porter. We're not smoking with him in
(02:10):
quite some time. Of course, it has been a pretty
eventful year.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
It's the countdown is on. Man, This is Monday and
on and on. By Friday, all the kids will be done.
Another school year will be over on Friday.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
And so I wanted to catch up with him talk
a little bit about what has happened, what is happening now,
and what he thinks might happen in reference to the
Memphis Sherry County school Board in the future. So I
look forward to that conversation. A little bit later on,
we will be speaking with John Covington. John is the
vice president of the Memphis Police Association, and lord knows, uh,
(02:45):
And I forgot I forgot to add this in my
open here. Welcome to what one individual thinks is the
homicide capital of America. Uh, the FBI director, I was
gonna say that for news and has been might as
well say it now said that, you know, over the
weekend yesterday, I believe on some show that Memphis is
(03:06):
the homicide capital per capita of the United States of America.
I wonder where you got that information from. Anyway, I'm
going to talk with John a little bit about, Yeah,
a little bit about lowless loldest being bad over here,
a little bit about law enforcement in our community. Really,
what is happening crime wise? We were seeing, of course spikes.
(03:30):
We lost three folks over the weekend, including the death
of a sixteen year old child as well. So we'll
talked to John about all of that, and a little
bit later on, we're going to talk about a true
story of survival. This this is God's work. In reference
to this guest, Reverend doctor Chuck Lester from Christ's Missionary
(03:56):
Baptist Church and went through a life altering, life changing
health emergency a few years back when he caught COVID
and it impacted him so much in everything that he
went because he almost left here a couple of times
during that, but it inspired him to write a book,
and he'll talk a little bit about his experiences and
(04:20):
why he feels he's still here today and a little
bit about the book as well. So there you go.
That's a rundown of who we're going to be speaking
with this evening. Again, I appreciate all of you who
are checking us out if you are choosing to do so,
and I hope that you decide to stay around. Now
this is the part of the show where we do
the shout out. You know, a lot of folks are
(04:40):
very fortunate anytime you roll that calendar around and you
are able to make another trip around the sun. Well,
that means birthdays, and we like to do a little
thing called the shout out here to celebrate your trip
around the sun, aka your birthday. But we can't do
that and say, I say hit it. Brand birthday is
(05:00):
today too, so let's let's crack into it. Mario Memmes
celebrating a birthday today. Happy birthday to Mary Quinlan. Kenneth
Robinson celebrating his birthday today. Happy birthday, Beulah may Stitch,
Paula Morris Cunningham, celebrating a birthday today. Happy birthday to
(05:22):
you Joe Anne Rooker, Paul Ruin, Robin Cooper celebrating on
birthday today, as is Georgia Miles and Renee Shorter Lowland
Ladies and Gentlemen. Is Sausering up to the microphone with.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Her birthday today.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
Happy birthday to my beautiful cousin Ranasha Chapman who celebrated
on yesterday. Yea, and a huge, huge, Happy birthday to
FO Talk Memphis is very own mission Chip Washington. It's Wednesday,
Happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Cheer gosh, thank you so much. If I make it,
thank you very much. I appreciate that. That's very noung. Yeah.
Somebody told me Tip, this is a big week for you.
I was like, what are you talking about anyway? Yeah,
rumor has it that I do have a birthday coming
up on a Wednesday of this a week. I will
take all all gifts and gift cards and anything else
you'd like to pass along from all of us here
(06:16):
at Real Talk Memphis. Happy birthday, teaching every one of you.
Hop today has been filled with fun and love and laughter,
and we hope to be with you next year for
your next trip around of the Sun. Thank you by
quick look at news and notes as I stayed at
at the top show. The director of the FBI Cash
for Tail said on a talk show yesterday that Memphis
(06:40):
he he had been told that Memphis is now the
homicide capital per capital of America. Now, I don't know
where that information came from, but apparently he got it,
he said. As a result of it, we said, we
have a problem there and we are going to send
the task force down to see if we can't help
them fix the problem. Well, you know, if you can't
(07:02):
get along with each other, you know, what do you
expect and things like this. If things like this do
happen around here, that won't be a good thing for
a whole lot of people. But in any event, we
did see a pretty busy weekend once again for law enforcement,
with several shootings in and around the city in the county.
(07:23):
As I said earlier, three people lost their lives, including
that of a sixteen year old girl. You know, we
saw more accidental shootings. And what is with these kids
finding these guns that don't know what they're doing and
they discharged and they end up wounding themselves. We've seen
a lot of that lately too. Parents, When are you
(07:43):
going to take the responsibility, When are you going to
be a parent to the child that you brought into
this world and teach them and show them and raised
them the way that you would like them to be raised.
We wouldn't be having these conversations if those things were happening.
Enough of that, we saw some nasty thunderstorms last night
(08:03):
moving through North Mississippi, in particular Hernando. Hernando got a
lot of damage last night, over about eight thousand folks
without power. I heard this afternoon it's down to a
little less than six thousand, so much so that the
Solo County Schools called it off today, no school at
(08:23):
all today because I would imagine the roads and traveling
from here to there have been pretty rough as they
continue the clean up effort from what happened last night.
Trees and houses and power lines snapped and all kinds
of wind damage and everything else out there. So it's
gonna take a minute to get all that fixed. A
late word that said de Sodo County Schools will not
(08:45):
be in session again tomorrow. So we pray for all
those folks down there and that they can get their
lives back to normal relatively quickly. Prayers tonight going out
to our former President Joe Biden. Many of you may
have heard over the weekend that he has been diagnosed
with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has now
(09:08):
spread to his bones, which means he's stayed four and
there is no cure for this h and it does
have a very high mortality rate. Now he and his
family are trying to decide the best course of treatment.
Former President Biden's eighty two years of age. And again,
this is a that's a very tough diagnosis. And again,
(09:30):
you know, we wish him all the best in all
of this. We pray for him and we pray for
his entire family through this tough time. I Am going
to stop there and take a break, and when we
come back, let's get into the big broadcast. What do
you say? This is Real Talk Memphis on a Monday evening.
I'm Chipped. You know who you are. Let's go to
it and we'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
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Tour tenth Anniversary show at Radian's Amphitheater on Friday, June
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Support for WYXAR comes from Rootstock Wine Merchants, located at
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Speaker 7 (12:00):
Report for WYXR couch from the University of Memphis presenting
the Spring Spanish Cultural Series at the Memphis Brooks Museum
of Art. The series will offer Memphians the opportunity to
hear in an intimate atmosphere with acoustic concerts by Spanish
speaking singer songwriters of different styles and generations. Coming Saturday,
May twenty fourth is Pedro Pastor. He has spent over
twenty years on the stage, with over six hundred concerts
(12:22):
and more than seventeen countries. His music straddles between Latin
America and Spain, with lyrics that are a hymn to
change in freedom. All concerts will take place at two
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Spanish Cultural Series dot com.
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WYXR is more than just music. It's a vital part
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Washington's real It's real, It's real, It's real.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
It's real talk. And welcome back to Real Talk Memphis
on this Monday evening in the city. Had a little
rain earlier tonight, and I'm told that we're going to
have some storms tomorrow, could be on the severe side,
so please be careful and pay attention and reference to that.
Waiting for my first guest, Chebby County school Board Memphis
(15:48):
and Chevy County Schooboard member. Uh to Marcus Porter. He
has not logged in yet. Uh, So I'm gonna give
him a couple of minutes to see if he will
do that. John Covington, if if you were out there
listening to the show right now, you might wanna you
might want to come on in a little early if
(16:09):
we if we need to do this. These things happen
every now and again, ladies and them is right live radio,
so we have to try to keep it moving. But
I did here, but sometimes things happened the last minute.
One never knows how these things are going to shake out.
But I was very interested in talking with Tamarcus. Of course,
he was one of the three school board members who
(16:29):
voted against removing doctor Marie Fagins from the superintendent seat
back last year. And of course a lot has happened
since then. We have an interim superintendent in play. See there,
all right, we just I'm just told he's he's he's
just logged in, so very very good. We'll talk about him.
We'll talk to him about all of this. And there
(16:50):
he is right now, Ladies and gentlemen, Memphis Shelby County
School Board member, mister Tamarcus, Porter Tomarcus, can you hear me? Okay,
I can hear you? Yeah, man, got you. Thank you
so much for taking the time to join me this evening,
and really really appreciate that. Uh and uh, you know,
it's been a minute since we you and I have
caught up, but I wanted to kind of catch up
(17:11):
with you, uh, since time has moved along and we're
can you believe it, where we're literally at the end
of another school year. Just a few more days and
kids will be out and the summertime and and everything
else will be in. But the work of the school
board continues on maybe if I if it's a good
question to start out with asking you overall, with the
(17:31):
ups and downs of the of the of the business
of education, how do you think, uh, this school year
has gone in your opinion?
Speaker 10 (17:41):
So first of all, I want to I want to
appreciate you for inviting me on to the show again.
I literally just got in my car from onboarding a plane,
so I'm here and if I'm back in Memphis, but
so and to continue to do the work. But the
way the way the school board, the way that the
school has been going, it's it's been really awarding for me.
(18:03):
I love serving. I ran for school board twice. Nobody
runs for school board for school board see twice. So
I really love serving. I'm glad I'm elected to serve
the people. I like interacting with everybody. I like to
get into my schools, being a guide in light and
inspiration for our children, and just listening to the teacher concerns,
listening to the parents' concerns. So it's really been going
(18:25):
pretty good. Now we have had some challenges. I've only
been on the board for what's between seven and eight months,
so I know it's been four years. Like I said, like,
I've been on the board, but it's only been seven
to eight months, but it's really been challenging and but
it's been rewarding at the same time.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, you know, and I think we could all sympathize
with what you're saying in reference to it. You have
a new interim school board superintendent, doctor Roderick Richmond. How
have things been going. I know that he recently presented
his one hundred that day. Uh, there's a lot of
conversation about a lot of needs, uh that our schools need.
(19:06):
Some schools need to be torn down. There's a lot
of schools or in repair. But in terms of leading
the ship, so to speak, how have things been? How
has the relationship been with between he and the school
board members.
Speaker 10 (19:21):
So as far as the enterim Roger Richmond, I do
like his his his approach to the work.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I am glad that he has presented his hundred day plan.
Speaker 10 (19:30):
So as for me as a newly elected board and
I feel like I have something to articulate to the public.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
It's okay, Hey, this is we're.
Speaker 10 (19:40):
Going in as the school board, as the school district.
This is the ristoral going in. I know Rob Richmond
talks a lot about his five a's and so we
can go we can definitely dive into that. But I
feel like as a board, we actually have a one
hundred day plan, We have a facilities plan, immigration resolution
plan that we can articulate to the publica and articulate
(20:01):
to the state and the county Commission and say, hey,
we're all focusing on these issues. I know it's a
lot that's happened in the past, but as a board,
this is our vision along with the superintendent, we can
articulate again articulate to the public to what we're doing.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
You mentioned the five a's that he has has brought forth.
Tell me a little bit about that and how you
feel about it.
Speaker 10 (20:23):
So I like it if I think it's five a's,
and I shouldn't get myself in trouble with this. But
the fiveways academics, athletics, art, academic athletics are attitude, in attendance,
and so those are the areas that most school systems
across the country are played with. But definitely with academics
(20:43):
we can beat up literacy. A lot of school district
across the country talking about literacy. But so we were
definitely the raise the literacy rate. Just because our children
are reading below proficient level doesn't mean they're not reading.
It's just that not at gray level. That doesn't mean
that they can't read. And so we have to change
the narrative. Even for me personally, when I was at
(21:05):
the campaigning and just before I was campaigning, I don't
like to tell children what they can do, because they're
watching and they're listening to and.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
So I like to say what they can do.
Speaker 10 (21:16):
But we have to give them tools to learn, how
to how to read, how to better enhance their comprehension skills,
because that's mostly where the conversation get lost at. Our
children can't read oftentimes where we fall into it's a
comprehension type of thing, and if we want to get
rial about it, comprehensions at different levels. So reading is
just decoded and deciphering simple symbols. The word itself is
(21:38):
just to readd our eve means to do it again,
ad means to add. So what are you readding to yourself?
You're readding value to yourself. So I've always thought that
if we can just what I've just said, teach children,
see students.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
To that degree about what they're doing.
Speaker 10 (21:55):
When they're reading, when you're readding value to yourself and
the comprehension portion of it. We can, we can excel
our district in a good way, but we have to
stop the narrative of saying that our children cannot read.
They can read in just the way that our state
and certain assessment tests are measuring our children is that
(22:16):
they may be falling for low pi pgency levels for
those particular assessment tests.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
So let's skip ahead to what has been a bit
of an issue in terms of the memphasis Tubic County
School Board. There was a proposal from the state House
on both the House and the Senate side for takeover plans.
One was a bit different from the other, and at
the end of the of the of the session they
(22:45):
couldn't come together on how they want to do this.
So it's on hold right now, uh and and now now.
One of the things in reference to it, I think
one of the plans has the County Commission working with
you all, you know, possibly working with you all to
be able to to sort of iron out some of
the issues that they feel I have have have sort
(23:10):
of interfered with the process. One of the things that
the County Commission has talked about is changing the election cycle. Now.
You got elected along with four others in twenty twenty four,
as you stated a few months, a few minutes ago,
and if they do change the election cycle, you will
actually be up for re election in twenty twenty six.
I would be remiss if I didn't ask you your
(23:31):
thoughts and your feelings about that.
Speaker 10 (23:36):
So, so a couple of things. You know, I do
understand the frustration between the state and the county. I
do understand the frustration that they've expressed, and I understand
the frustration of the cities of Chavy County because of
a lot of For a long time, these issues even
were talking about you did. What you didn't mention was
a forensic arditt right, So that's right, even when we're
(23:57):
talking about a lot of these issues are old conversation
that's now lumped into this new school board. I do
think we have people on the school board, especially newly
elected ones, that want to do the right thing. You know,
often it may not get articulated across the board, but
we want to do the right thing. So me personally,
I don't have anything to hide with forensic ardit. I
(24:18):
would say, start the audit ten years from from start
the audit in twenty ten, and then bring ourselves up
to now, and whatever you find, you will find. And so,
but don't base these conversations off what you've what people
always thought about how a school board has operated. Oftentimes,
like I'm glad that a lot of people are excited
(24:39):
about education now and they'll put putting more focus on
the education. But yeah, let's have the audit and let's
see what happens. But as far as like trying to
for a re election and everything, it's unfortunate. I do
think that it creates you don't create a sustainability because
potentially every four years you can have a new school board.
So where's your insitutional knowledge? Words are just the knowledge
(25:02):
in general of how you move a district for it. Again,
I'm a new elected board member. Literally it's a cliche,
but people saying they don't know what aristinals are. I
asked that question three weeks ago at the board meeting.
I had to go ristaurants and so and so those
things that happened. So it takes two years just get
acclimated with the road, and it takes another two years
(25:23):
to actually be more effective as I elected official. So
it's unfortunate if the Countercommission does decide to adopt this
particular position. My position will always be what can I
do to help serve our children and our teachers memforship
of comes schools.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
So if they do adopt the position Tmarcus, would you
would you? Would you run again if that if that was.
Speaker 10 (25:45):
The case, yes, sir, Yes, sir, I would run again,
and I am and if that happens, I am running again.
And like I said, I ran three and a half
years prior to to run for school board again. Nobody
run school board twice. I'm a former teacher assistant. I
taught literacy classes in daycare, and so I've always seen
myself on the school board. Part of the reason I
(26:07):
ran to have a more big voice to advocate for
our children and for our issues have been plaguing our
city in ourcounting for a while.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Well, you know it is a challenge. Education is a challenge.
I know how passionate you are about education and our
young folks, and I know that, as you said, education
is starting to become quite the conversation piece in and
around our city and our county. I appreciate you taking time,
and I know you just got back into town, and
(26:36):
I know you've been hustling, and I really appreciate you
taking a few minutes to talk with our listeners tonight
about your your future as we continue to move forward.
Thank you again, man, and I look forward to, you know,
talking to you down the road again. After you know
the summertime is over and folks start to turn their
(26:57):
attention back to the classroom, I know in between them
that time now, in that time, you'll be continuing to
work for the betterment of our young people. Really appreciate
your time, man, Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
No, yes, sir, Yes, sir.
Speaker 10 (27:08):
And a couple of things I want to say is
we definitely we definitely shift the conversation back to education,
back to our children, back to our teachers, because even
though we have the internet in place, we have to
figure out how we can put supports around him and
how we can support our teachers. I noticed it as
we're going through a world wind with the recent personnel changes.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
That that the that the school board has made.
Speaker 10 (27:34):
But ultimately we have to do what's best for the
district and we have to continue to move the district forward.
And so I'll be glad when we can move this
conversation to what how can we again continue to move
the district for How can we do what's best for
our teachers? Yes, we can do what's best for our
students line, so I definitely want to be a part
of that conversation.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Thank you, my friend. I appreciate your time, man, and
stay safe and I look forward to talking to you
down the road.
Speaker 4 (27:58):
Yes, sir, thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Thank you for being here Memphis. Every Kunty School board
member to Marcus Porter, ladies and gentlemen, and he is
he's all about the children. He's all about the children,
and he's all about moving things forward. We really appreciate
his time on this evening. Let me take a quick break.
You want to come back, we will continue on this road.
We'd like to call Real Talk Memphis on this Monday
evening in the city. Uh, don't you go away, We'll
(28:20):
be right back coming to there.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
He is.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yeah, John Covington, can you see me and hear me? Okay, sir,
I'm doing good man. It's good to see you again.
Thank you for taking time to come on.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
If you like Real Talk, here's the way you can
get involved. Do you have a show topic, idea, hip
a message on his Real Talk show page and you
can be a part of the Real Talk experience. So,
as he always says, go out and tell somebody, We'll
be right back.
Speaker 11 (28:57):
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XR in the search box and hit subscribe. Now back
to more Real Talk with Zib Washington's.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
And welcome back Real Talking Memphis, Chip with you on
this Monday evening. And you know, we opened up the
show talking about a statement that was made yesterday and
sort of reverberated here in the city today, and that
was from the director of the FBI, and he stated that,
(30:20):
of course, according to him, Memphis is the homicide capital
of the entire country, and you know that that has
brought forth a lot of opinions. My next guest is
someone who I'm very glad to have on the show tonight.
He is an advocate for law enforcement in our city
and this community. And another thing I like about him
(30:41):
is that he's not afraid to say what he needs
to say to get his porn across ladies and gentlemen.
John Covington, vice president of the Memphis Police Association, joins us. Now,
John is great to see you, my friend. How you
doing tonight.
Speaker 13 (30:53):
I'm doing fantastic and great to see you.
Speaker 14 (30:55):
I love the show.
Speaker 13 (30:56):
Just watch the interview. You just did great job.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
As always, Thank you, my friends. So, so, you know
that statement that I just read that everybody seems to
be talking about. I just wondered, from your perspective, how
you took that.
Speaker 15 (31:11):
Well, it's pretty accurate. Memphis is a very dangerous city,
and I did some research on my own recently that
actually shocked me. An aggravated assault is basically an incompetent murder.
That's one way to put it. Somebody's trying to do
serious harm. We lead the nation per one hundred thousand
per capita with two thousand and ninety four aggravated assaults
(31:32):
per one hundred thousand. You know, some people say, well,
you know, we better be careful, we're going to turn
into Detroit. Well maybe we should be so lucky because
Detroit has one five and forty seven. We beat out
Kansas City, Saint Louis, Baltimore, Los Angeles.
Speaker 14 (31:47):
New York.
Speaker 15 (31:47):
We're number one in these aggravated assaults. And let me
tell you chip this community, I hope everybody appreciates Regional
one because they saved so many lives and we.
Speaker 13 (31:59):
I'm sad to say we are a violent city.
Speaker 15 (32:02):
And I was not shocked by the the FBI director's words.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
That is really something in reference to what you say.
You know, we hear statistics from the Memphis Crime Commission
we have here about certain areas of crime are trending
downward and they like to you know, highlight homicide in
reference to all of that. Yet and still we see,
we hear every single day, another case, another victim, another fatality,
(32:30):
another So it's a bit it's a bit disingenuous from
my perspective to hear that, and basically, you know, hear
someone say that, but basically see something else. Now you're
you're on the front lines. And I know one of
the things that you've been talking about, and you talked
about the last time you were here, is the manpower
issue within the Memphis Police Department. And did I read
(32:51):
somewhere that you said that we're we're somewhere around little
over eighteen hundred officers now is that is that accurate?
Speaker 15 (32:57):
We are at one eight and ninety four officers, which
is lowest we've been in over two decades. And twenty
eleven we had twenty four hundred and eighty the lowest
violent crime we'd ever seen.
Speaker 13 (33:09):
And right now we're seeing a stork violent crime.
Speaker 15 (33:12):
And I'm glad you kind of made the distinction chip
because violent crime is aggravated to sault, robbery, murder, and rape.
What we as citizens think of crime when we talk about,
you know, crime the stuff that really scares us about
about going out. And you know, our numbers are so
low right now, we're stretched so thin. It's really tough.
And let me say this too, We over the past
(33:34):
several years have seen as historic has a major violent crime.
Now that can fluctuate a little bit, but if you
have a friend who's an alcoholic. Instead of eight drinks
a day, he's drinking seven. Well, it's better, but we
still got a problem, you know, and we got to
deal with the fact that we got a problem, and
we got to fix it. So we don't want to
get caught up in kind of minor fluctuations.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
You know, in reference to what you just said. That's
really eye opening for people who might be listening right now.
Eighteen hundred plus or just under nineteen hundred officers in
a city that has close to a million in population,
that's a that's a pretty daunting number and a pretty
(34:17):
daunting loan number to try to to try to get
from one side of town to the other. With so
much things that so many things seem to be breaking out.
How do we I mean, how do we fix the problem?
And we're losing officers it seems at at at a
at a pretty regular rate, are we not? We are.
Speaker 15 (34:37):
I just did a little study, a little research, and
over the past three years we've lost the seventy three
percent of the officers we've lost, we've lost to local agencies.
They stayed in law enforcement. But Memphis answers about a
million calls per year, where Shelby County is about one
hundred and fifty thousand, Germantown thirty eight thousand. You get
out to some of these smaller agencies, that gets much
(34:58):
so lower.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Sure, we've also line.
Speaker 15 (35:00):
Of duty deaths in the past four and a half years.
That's number one per capita in the country. So we're
a dangerous department. We're very busy, and it's tough on
a lot of these officers, and so we're losing them.
But I want to tell you a city who has
turned it around, and again i'm gonna give them a
shout out is Detroit. Between twenty twenty three and twenty
(35:20):
twenty four, they got a net gain of three hundred
and forty nine officers and got back to ninety seven
percent fully saff And the way they did it, they
did a big raise about twenty percent. They made it
easier for other officers to come from other agencies and
buy in some of their retirement time. And then other thing,
which I think is important. If you signed on to
(35:42):
the job and quit within four years, you had to
pay for your training and the academy. And what that
does is the people who don't take it seriously or
just don't just going to try to come for a
year or two. Those people won't sign up. That didn't
stop me if that had been in place, That wouldn't
stop me when.
Speaker 13 (35:58):
I signed up because I was there for the long haul.
Speaker 15 (36:00):
So Detroit has kind of shown us the way to
do it, and uh, you know, that may not be
the only way, but they definitely have a plan, and
we we've got to have a conversation not getting a
better plan.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I was gonna say, uh, you know, you you mentioned
several reasons as to why Detroit seems to be doing better, uh,
in the in the uh recruitment of officers and and
things like that. You know, I've always uh when one
of the things I've always said is in reference to
law enforcement, people need to understand and really recognize that
(36:32):
they are people first. You all are people first. I mean,
you know, you want to come home to your families
like everybody else wants to come home to their families.
Speaker 14 (36:39):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
And I would imagine that there is there might be
some sense of and and and and and and a
lot of these people who commit their lives to allow
law enforcement are angels as far as I'm concerned. Because
it's a dangerous world out here. But but I mean,
I think that it does. It become lost sometimes, John,
when you hear the conversation on the streets, when you
hear the conversation you know, out there or wherever out
(37:02):
there is about law enforcement in a negative way. There
are many law enforcement professionals each and every day who
put their lives on the line to try to protect
all of us. And I'm sure that it probably bothers
you a bit when you hear otherwise, does it not?
Speaker 13 (37:17):
Well, you know, let me put it this way.
Speaker 15 (37:19):
When I was in patrol every neighborhood, I went into
the majority of people said thank you, we need you here,
we want you here, And that cut across race, gender,
whatever you want to call it, economics, and so the
majority of people out there are supportive, and a lot
of time it's the loudest voices. But to be fair,
you know, you give me one year of good works,
(37:39):
and it takes one idiotic or heinous action by one
officer and it ruins all that. And if you got
ninety nine point nine percent of officers doing the right thing,
it only takes that one to blow it up. And
so I get you know, some of those narratives out there.
I understand that, but you brought up a great Officers
(38:01):
are human beings. They're people, they love their community, they
feel a calling, they want to go out there and serve,
and right now they're stretched very thin and it breaks
their heart because they're running for me. It could be
a shooting, you know, a young person, or and then
you go immediately to a car crash, and I mean,
it's just it's tough, and Chip, I just wanted to
bring up one something that happened recently. A young child,
(38:24):
I think she was fifteen, laying in her bed, a
bullet came through the wall and hit her. Thank god survived.
But that was only a story for about two days.
And I think that's wrong when we are living in
a time in a city with that, we're kind of
numb that that's not a bigger story. Because a parent,
I cannot imagine standing in my kitchen and my child
(38:46):
coming out of the bedroom with blood on their head.
It just shook me to the core.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
Yeah, I think you know a lot of times, you know,
our focus maybe not be as may not be as
intense in certain situations as it is in other situations.
Is there any from your perspective, I mean, how do
we how do we change things? I mean how do we?
Because from from where I stand, Uh, we've lost a
(39:12):
love for each other in mankind. We don't we we
we don't love each other. We don't we don't care
about each other in a lot of these instances, we
don't support each other. And this is the truth. And
these are the and these and the facts are what
we see on a daily basis out here that tends
to back that up. Would you be uh supportive? And
I know the FBI director said he's going to send
(39:34):
a task force down here, an FBI task force down here, uh,
to try to help us a straighten us the situation
out are you? Are you an advocate of that? But
what do you what do you? What do you think
about anything or simbolizing something like that?
Speaker 15 (39:46):
Well, you know, I welcome all the help we can get,
if they can bring resources and bodies down here to
help us. And because it's all about protecting the citizens,
that's what it's all about it, you know, And you
talked about you hit on it so well. You know
a lot of the with social media and everything, there's
so many things that divide us but you know, when
you sit down and talk to somebody, we've got so
much more in common than that we do apart and
(40:08):
what I'd like to see one thing we're doing and
I want a little shout out for this. The MPa,
working with the Crime Commission in the city is come
up with a program if you're a leader in the community,
a teacher, a pastor, or just a business person or
just a person in the community, if you recruit someone
to go through the Police Academy and they graduate, a
(40:29):
thousand dollars will be donated in your name to any
local charity or nonprofit here in Memphis. And that's the
way to build connections. And I'd like to see go
into the schools and create We got two problems here,
too much crime, not enough police, and not enough economic
opportunity for young people. So maybe let's set it up
earlier that they can take a path to be a firefighter,
(40:52):
a police officer, or a city worker or an attorney
or whatever it may be. Let's get our homegrown talent,
give people opportunity, and build police force that reflects our city,
which I think will create a lot more bonds and communication.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
You know, that's that's actually a wonderful idea. I would
really like more folks to get together. I know a
lot of these organizations and things they have these uh
you know meetings, and they and they talk about, you know,
some of the issues that we face on a daily basis.
Speaker 5 (41:24):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
And I think that we can't stop and even based
on what you just said, we can't stop having these conversations,
and we can't stop underestimating what is really going on
out there. There is a problem out there and that
we need to focus all our attention to. And I
think it takes all of us. You said that before
and and and I appreciate you saying that it takes
all of us. It's not just uh, just law enforcement
(41:45):
here specific there. It takes all of us as a community,
as a city, as a county to get together and
really almost demand that we change our perspective in terms
of crime. Am I am? I Am I wrong about that?
Speaker 10 (41:58):
No?
Speaker 14 (41:58):
I think you're right.
Speaker 15 (41:59):
And you know, one of the thing about getting numbers
up is this thing happens called community policing. A lot
of people have that differently. I define it as being
able to have enough time between calls to get to
know the people in the area you patrol, to create trust,
to create bonds, create community. And you know one thing
I worry about and tip that you and I've talked
(42:20):
about this a little bit off the air. When there's
a shortage, there can be a tendency and we all
get downtown is very important. You know, it's in for tourism,
all these things. But I don't want to see a
situation happens we get short where resources are being pulled
out of our communities into downtown. Because to me, in
(42:42):
Parkway Village where I did most of all work, every
family there is just as important as downtown because they're
old to feel safe, for their children, to feel safe
and to be able to go to the store and
do these things. And we have got to find that
balance because to do anything less is just wrong.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
John Covington, vice President of the Memphis Police Association, good
man all the way around. John, Thank you man for
taking some time out of your business schedule to come
share some time with me and the listeners tonight. I
really appreciate you. And as always, please be careful and
please please be safe out there. God speak to you
and all of our fine men and women who have
(43:20):
committed their lives to law enforce me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (43:23):
Man.
Speaker 15 (43:23):
Well, thank you, sir. It's always an honor to be
on your show. Keep doing great work and I'll be
on soon.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Absolutely, thank you, John, I appreciate you, man, Thank you
very much. Yes, sir John Covington, Ladies and gentlemen, we
have a problem, and we need to face the fact
that we do have a problem. But more importantly, we
need to all man up, get together and try to
figure out how to fix the problem. That is the
perspective that, at least from our viewpoint. Let's take a
final break, and when we come back, we're gonna talk
(43:51):
about a life or death story for real in reference
to my next guest. So don't go away. This is
real talk, Memphis, I Chip. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
If you like real talk, here's the way you can
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go out and tell somebody, We'll be right back.
Speaker 14 (44:33):
It's real.
Speaker 13 (44:34):
It's real.
Speaker 11 (44:35):
It's real.
Speaker 14 (44:36):
It's real.
Speaker 11 (44:40):
Programming on WYXR is brought to you by a grant
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into our local arts community to teach, uplift, unite, and
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Speaker 1 (45:09):
Get Real Talk on the tune in mobile app under
w y XR. And he's now streaming live on Facebook
and you can also catch a rebroadcast on YouTube. Just
put w y XR in the search box and hit subscribe.
Now back to more real Talk with Chip Washington. It's it's.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
And welcome back to real Talk Memphers on this Monday
evening in the city. Chip with you and my next guest,
UH is someone and I hope that you're you're paying
attention if you're out there listening right now. Imagine if
you will, UH contracting COVID, which a lot of us
did and UH me included. And and but going through
(45:54):
uh what this man went through in terms of being
hospitalized for over forty days. Many folks didn't think he
was gonna pull out of this, and you know, but
he did. And to talk to him is nothing but
God's grace. Absolutely positively, so much so that it inspired
(46:15):
him to write a book called A Real Time Miracle.
Please welcome to the show, Reverend doctor Chuck Lester, the
executive pastor of Christ Missionary Baptist Church, joining us now,
and that, Chuck, is great to see. How are you tonight?
Speaker 14 (46:29):
I'm doing well, Chip.
Speaker 16 (46:30):
Thank you for having me, and God bless you for
all of the work you do for our community, for
our city.
Speaker 14 (46:35):
You're doing a great work and we appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Thank you, man, I appreciate that. So listen, take me
back to the time that you contracted COVID and walk
us through because you, my friend, went through quite the journey.
Speaker 14 (46:50):
Absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 16 (46:52):
We all remember back in March twenty twenty when everything
started shutting down because of this new thing called the coronavirus.
It was new to our kind anyway, and restaurants were
shutting down. We couldn't go into restaurants to eat, We
couldn't go into movie theaters. The kids couldn't go to school.
They had to go to online schooling. All colleges had
(47:13):
to go to online. Everything was done on online. People
began working remotely. Everybody had to make this shift, and
we had to do it.
Speaker 14 (47:21):
Fast.
Speaker 16 (47:22):
Even church services went virtual. Yeah, people were online going
to church, and long story short, I went for from
March until about the last week of July without contracting COVID.
Speaker 14 (47:37):
I was out helping people.
Speaker 16 (47:38):
I was out getting face masking and essential items people
needed toilet hissue, paper, towels, alcohol, just li. I saw
anything I could find to help other people. And the
last week of July, my wife and I, doctor Denen Lester,
contracted COVID. We were My wife had some sense emptoms.
(48:00):
I really didn't have any symptoms. And one day my
wife was cooking the roast. She had it in a
crockpot at home, and I couldn't smell it and my
wife could barely smell it. When we, you know, realized
we couldn't smell the roast, we started spreading LI salt
and I sprayed it really thick and couldn't smell that.
(48:22):
And if you can't smell LO salt, it's something going on,
and I do. Then we had COVID. We tested positive
that week, and my wife, even though she was showing
the symptoms and everything, you know, I'm the one that
ended up in the hospital.
Speaker 14 (48:38):
I checked her oxygen one night.
Speaker 16 (48:40):
Our pastor of Congregational Care, doctor Allen Dunagan, and I
appreciate her so much, had sent food to the house,
and Rosalind Blake had sent food to the house for us,
and we couldn't taste to smell. Those were the only
symptoms I had. My wife had the others. But you know,
I was checking the name's oxygen and I give God
(49:02):
praise for my wife. I was checking her oxygen. Here's
was fine, but mine was low. I checked it all
throughout the night. It was fluctuating. The next morning, I
got up, I went to the emergency room. Well, the
ambulance came because my wife said, don't drive with the
oxygen fluctuating. The ambulance came and it went from there.
I went to the emergency room. They told me they
(49:24):
needed to put a seapap on me, and you know,
it covers your face to regulate the oxygen or oxygen
is back to normal. I told them, whatever you do,
don't put me on a ventilator. Well, the seapap was
coming down over my face. Mister Lester, are you okay?
I'm fine. Then I heard the voice, mister Lester, do
(49:48):
you know your name? I said, Chuck Lester. She said, Chuck.
Does Cornelius ring a bell? Said yes, Cornelius is my
real name. They called me Chuck. She said, mister Lester,
do you know where you are? I said, no, ma'am,
I don't. She said, mister Leicester, you have Methodist Germantown Hospital.
You're on a ventilator and you've been here almost a month.
Speaker 2 (50:07):
Oh goodness, gracious, oh goodness, Wow.
Speaker 14 (50:10):
That's how that happened.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
You were you were so you were obviously very close
to death?
Speaker 14 (50:15):
Were you?
Speaker 2 (50:16):
I was?
Speaker 16 (50:16):
They the doctors have told me a couple of doctors
have seen close to death as a human being could
possibly get. I spent forty two days on the ventilator,
twenty six days after that in impatient rehab, then had
to go back and spend another thirty two days in
order to have open heart surgery because the virus infection
(50:41):
that was in my body destroyed my aortic veil. That's
totally destroyed it. It wasn't working, so you know, I was
about to check to help then. And even after the
open heart surgery, I had what they call a peracardical.
The sack of rap on the peracardial said around your heart.
(51:03):
Mine had a leader of fluid at it almost the leader.
So I was sufffocating and didn't even know it. I
knew something was wrong. So they do what they call
a pericardial window where they cut a little opening, and
that they had to go back and do surgery again
to cut an opening the drain that fluid. So three times,
three times, by God's grace, I escaped death.
Speaker 14 (51:23):
Now here's the other thing. Chip sixty four.
Speaker 16 (51:28):
As of December eighth, twenty or the year twenty twenty,
sixty four patients and Methodist Germantown were on ventilators due
to COVID had been on ventilators that year due to
COVID yesure pipe support, and only.
Speaker 14 (51:43):
Six of us lived.
Speaker 2 (51:44):
Wow, wow, wow, wow, you saw God, no doubt about that.
What was the end? What was the final inspiration for you? Well,
I'm sure I know, but for our listeners after you
we started to recover from this, really from the brain
of death to write the book that you wrote.
Speaker 14 (52:02):
Well, God told me to write the book.
Speaker 16 (52:05):
God, I would pray and I would pray, and God said,
you're going to write about this. I'm going to heal
you to the point where nobody's good. Well, a lot
of people are not going to believe that you've been sick.
That was the explanation for the scar. But God said,
I want you to write, and I want you to
write how I tell you too. Now I didn't start
write off. So I thank my wife, doctor Deneen Lester
(52:25):
for encouraging me again, our pastor up Congregational Care, doctor
Allen Dunagan, you know. And I have to thank my sister,
doctor Cynthia Alexander Mitchell for it just encouraging me to stick.
Speaker 14 (52:38):
With it and write. And I did that, you know.
Speaker 16 (52:41):
My pastor prayed for me, doctor Jana Stewart and so
many others, just so many people around the world. And
I just wanted to write the book not only for me,
but for different people, to let you let people know
that no matter how low you are of what's going
on in your life, you're never so low and nothing's
ever so bad that God can't bring you through it.
There's nothing too hard for God. And what's the name
(53:04):
of the book. The book is titled A Real Time Mirror.
And God told me the title that simply because first off,
that's what it is, that's what the medical doctors have said,
said that there's nothing short of the miraculous. So because
we didn't know what to do with all of that,
we your body has gone through something and I have
totally recovered. I mean I am one hundred percent recovered.
(53:29):
And they said, your body has gone through something that
the human body was not made to go through and
not made the worst stand. So that's what, you know,
made me want to go out and write the book
and my wife. I wanted my wife to co auth
there with me because she was at home doing this.
The NME was at home during this time, you know,
due to COVID restrictions in the hospitals. And her story
(53:52):
is just as amazing as mine. But she said, no,
that's your story, you write it. And I said, well,
why don't you do this. You go on my Facebook
sometimes and you hack on my Facebook page, and you
hack my page. And got to the point where she
started putting wife hacks on her post.
Speaker 2 (54:10):
That's where that Okay, that's where that.
Speaker 16 (54:12):
That's where it came from. So I said, why don't
you have the book. You jump in there and tell
your story.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
Chuck. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you that.
That's a great story to you. By the way uh
before I have a few seconds left before I let
you go. What do you want people to take from
this book? I want people to take that God.
Speaker 16 (54:31):
I titled it a real time miracle because God is
still doing what God has always done. We read the Bible,
and I encourage that. I read my Bible every day.
I read scripture every day. But every once in a while,
we need to see somebody in the flesh and blood,
in flesh and blood, in our own flesh. I mean,
(54:51):
we need to see somebody with our own natural lives
that's going through something and God brings them out. We
need to see God at work with someone who's li
And that's what I want people to take away from it,
that there are people out here. God is still working
miracles every day. And whatever you're going through, whatever your
corona may be. Mine was COVID, but yours may be
(55:12):
marital problems, financial problems, what have you.
Speaker 14 (55:15):
There's nothing too hard for God.
Speaker 2 (55:17):
Well, there you go, now that's how you're in the program. Listen,
Reverend doctor Chuck Lester, thank you so much for coming
on the show tonight sharing your story, and I'm sure
that you've inspired. You've inspired a lot of folks, and
I'm sure your book will as well. Thank you for
taking the time to come on and be with us tonight.
Appy so much, and what can be purchased on Amazon,
(55:38):
and give us the name again, give us his name again.
Speaker 16 (55:39):
A real time miracle by doctor Chuck lest the Wife
Acts by doctor danae Less.
Speaker 2 (55:44):
A real time miracle. Thank you Chuck for being on
the show. Thank you so much, God bless you man.
Appreciate you all right, buddy, Yes, sir, Well there you go, boy,
that's not there you go. That's how you're in the broadcast.
Right there. That's a real, real life miracle. And we're
so glad that he is doing better. And obviously you
heard your story and it is a true testament. Well
that about wraps it up for us set tonight as
(56:06):
brand plays us out. And by the way, you don't
have permission to leave the channel. You need to keep
it right here at WIXR because up next is Brind's show,
Event Horizon. That's the coolest name man for the event Horizon.
And you know he's going to take you on a
musical ride, so to speak, and it's fussed up, so
(56:28):
stick around and support him. So for all of us.
I'm stalin because Lola has to do where team for
all of us. Here a real talk reference for lovely Lola.
Yes he is. For Brent, who's not going anywhere. He's
got a lot to lot to do for the next
hour in terms of entertaining you and yours truly night
(56:48):
by the next time I see you, Lord says, so
I have another birthday under my belt, and we appreciate
all of that. Thank you for making us part of
your Monday evening. Rachel. We hope that you enjoyed the
show tonight and we hope that you will continue supporting
our show in the future. So again, for all of us,
no show next week. Lola's going to take. Lola's gonna
be off two hours next week doing her to hit
(57:09):
you comes back go doing her thing two two hours
next Monday for the Labor Day, for Memorial Day. You'll
have a wonderful holiday and we'll see you soon. Until then,
take care and we are out peace.
Welcome to Real Tell your Real your host, you watch
your wife's talk all this is real.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Alright, and here we go. Here we go on the Olympus.
Here is the nineteenth day of May twenty twenty five,
(00:41):
six o'clock straight up, which means it is time, ladies
and gentlemen, from an all new, live, and all new
edition of Real Talk Memphis. I am your humble host.
My name is Chip Washington. Glad to be here, Glad
to have you here as well if you were out there.
I hope you find us now and stick with us
until seven o'clock tonight. Of course, we always try our
(01:04):
best to have a good informative show for you, and
tonight is no no reason to doubt that. So you know,
there's a lot of ways to find this radio show.
Of course, if you're listening live now to WYXR, which
would be ninety one point seven on your FM dial,
you can catch this. You're catching us right now. We
(01:25):
are also on the wyx R app and also find
the show live on the tune in T E E
N E I N app. We will be live streaming
tonight on Facebook Live and the next day or so
when the show gets posted, you will be able to
find us on YouTube, and we are a podcasts so
(01:46):
you will be able to find us wherever it is
you get your podcasting. You know a lot of you
like these podcasts deals, so you know you'll find us
put in Real Talk Memphis or whatever, and you'll be
able to find us out there as well. So, as
I said before, I think we have a pretty good
show for you. Tonight, we're gonna catch up with school
board member Tamarcus Porter. We're not smoking with him in
(02:10):
quite some time. Of course, it has been a pretty
eventful year.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
It's the countdown is on. Man, This is Monday and
on and on. By Friday, all the kids will be done.
Another school year will be over on Friday.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
And so I wanted to catch up with him talk
a little bit about what has happened, what is happening now,
and what he thinks might happen in reference to the
Memphis Sherry County school Board in the future. So I
look forward to that conversation. A little bit later on,
we will be speaking with John Covington. John is the
vice president of the Memphis Police Association, and lord knows, uh,
(02:45):
And I forgot I forgot to add this in my
open here. Welcome to what one individual thinks is the
homicide capital of America. Uh, the FBI director, I was
gonna say that for news and has been might as
well say it now said that, you know, over the
weekend yesterday, I believe on some show that Memphis is
(03:06):
the homicide capital per capita of the United States of America.
I wonder where you got that information from. Anyway, I'm
going to talk with John a little bit about, Yeah,
a little bit about lowless loldest being bad over here,
a little bit about law enforcement in our community. Really,
what is happening crime wise? We were seeing, of course spikes.
(03:30):
We lost three folks over the weekend, including the death
of a sixteen year old child as well. So we'll
talked to John about all of that, and a little
bit later on, we're going to talk about a true
story of survival. This this is God's work. In reference
to this guest, Reverend doctor Chuck Lester from Christ's Missionary
(03:56):
Baptist Church and went through a life altering, life changing
health emergency a few years back when he caught COVID
and it impacted him so much in everything that he
went because he almost left here a couple of times
during that, but it inspired him to write a book,
and he'll talk a little bit about his experiences and
(04:20):
why he feels he's still here today and a little
bit about the book as well. So there you go.
That's a rundown of who we're going to be speaking
with this evening. Again, I appreciate all of you who
are checking us out if you are choosing to do so,
and I hope that you decide to stay around. Now
this is the part of the show where we do
the shout out. You know, a lot of folks are
(04:40):
very fortunate anytime you roll that calendar around and you
are able to make another trip around the sun. Well,
that means birthdays, and we like to do a little
thing called the shout out here to celebrate your trip
around the sun, aka your birthday. But we can't do
that and say, I say hit it. Brand birthday is
(05:00):
today too, so let's let's crack into it. Mario Memmes
celebrating a birthday today. Happy birthday to Mary Quinlan. Kenneth
Robinson celebrating his birthday today. Happy birthday, Beulah may Stitch,
Paula Morris Cunningham, celebrating a birthday today. Happy birthday to
(05:22):
you Joe Anne Rooker, Paul Ruin, Robin Cooper celebrating on
birthday today, as is Georgia Miles and Renee Shorter Lowland
Ladies and Gentlemen. Is Sausering up to the microphone with.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Her birthday today.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
Happy birthday to my beautiful cousin Ranasha Chapman who celebrated
on yesterday. Yea, and a huge, huge, Happy birthday to
FO Talk Memphis is very own mission Chip Washington. It's Wednesday,
Happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Cheer gosh, thank you so much. If I make it,
thank you very much. I appreciate that. That's very noung. Yeah.
Somebody told me Tip, this is a big week for you.
I was like, what are you talking about anyway? Yeah,
rumor has it that I do have a birthday coming
up on a Wednesday of this a week. I will
take all all gifts and gift cards and anything else
you'd like to pass along from all of us here
(06:16):
at Real Talk Memphis. Happy birthday, teaching every one of you.
Hop today has been filled with fun and love and laughter,
and we hope to be with you next year for
your next trip around of the Sun. Thank you by
quick look at news and notes as I stayed at
at the top show. The director of the FBI Cash
for Tail said on a talk show yesterday that Memphis
(06:40):
he he had been told that Memphis is now the
homicide capital per capital of America. Now, I don't know
where that information came from, but apparently he got it,
he said. As a result of it, we said, we
have a problem there and we are going to send
the task force down to see if we can't help
them fix the problem. Well, you know, if you can't
(07:02):
get along with each other, you know, what do you
expect and things like this. If things like this do
happen around here, that won't be a good thing for
a whole lot of people. But in any event, we
did see a pretty busy weekend once again for law enforcement,
with several shootings in and around the city in the county.
(07:23):
As I said earlier, three people lost their lives, including
that of a sixteen year old girl. You know, we
saw more accidental shootings. And what is with these kids
finding these guns that don't know what they're doing and
they discharged and they end up wounding themselves. We've seen
a lot of that lately too. Parents, When are you
(07:43):
going to take the responsibility, When are you going to
be a parent to the child that you brought into
this world and teach them and show them and raised
them the way that you would like them to be raised.
We wouldn't be having these conversations if those things were happening.
Enough of that, we saw some nasty thunderstorms last night
(08:03):
moving through North Mississippi, in particular Hernando. Hernando got a
lot of damage last night, over about eight thousand folks
without power. I heard this afternoon it's down to a
little less than six thousand, so much so that the
Solo County Schools called it off today, no school at
(08:23):
all today because I would imagine the roads and traveling
from here to there have been pretty rough as they
continue the clean up effort from what happened last night.
Trees and houses and power lines snapped and all kinds
of wind damage and everything else out there. So it's
gonna take a minute to get all that fixed. A
late word that said de Sodo County Schools will not
(08:45):
be in session again tomorrow. So we pray for all
those folks down there and that they can get their
lives back to normal relatively quickly. Prayers tonight going out
to our former President Joe Biden. Many of you may
have heard over the weekend that he has been diagnosed
with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has now
(09:08):
spread to his bones, which means he's stayed four and
there is no cure for this h and it does
have a very high mortality rate. Now he and his
family are trying to decide the best course of treatment.
Former President Biden's eighty two years of age. And again,
this is a that's a very tough diagnosis. And again,
(09:30):
you know, we wish him all the best in all
of this. We pray for him and we pray for
his entire family through this tough time. I Am going
to stop there and take a break, and when we
come back, let's get into the big broadcast. What do
you say? This is Real Talk Memphis on a Monday evening.
I'm Chipped. You know who you are. Let's go to
it and we'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
If you like Real Talk, here's the way you can
get involved. Do you have a show topic, idea or
a suggestion. Want to be considered a guest or have
a guest idea? Then send Chip a message on his
Real Talk Show page and you can be a part
of the Real Talk experience. So, as he always says,
go out and tell somebody, We'll be right back. It's it's, it's.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
Support for WXR comes from Mempho Present featuring the Outlaw
Tour tenth Anniversary show at Radian's Amphitheater on Friday, June
twenty seven, featuring Willie Nelson and Family, Bob Dylan, Nathaniel
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and more information at Mempho Presents dot com. Support for
(10:52):
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Theater Group presenting Musical Theater Intensive for high school students
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Speaker 3 (11:38):
Support for WYXAR comes from Rootstock Wine Merchants, located at
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dot com.
Speaker 7 (12:00):
Report for WYXR couch from the University of Memphis presenting
the Spring Spanish Cultural Series at the Memphis Brooks Museum
of Art. The series will offer Memphians the opportunity to
hear in an intimate atmosphere with acoustic concerts by Spanish
speaking singer songwriters of different styles and generations. Coming Saturday,
May twenty fourth is Pedro Pastor. He has spent over
twenty years on the stage, with over six hundred concerts
(12:22):
and more than seventeen countries. His music straddles between Latin
America and Spain, with lyrics that are a hymn to
change in freedom. All concerts will take place at two
thirty pm. Tickets and more information can be found at
Spanish Cultural Series dot com.
Speaker 6 (12:36):
Gods want to reach a passionate audience who loves Memphis
arts and music scene, Sponsor wixar and connect your brand
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Slash sponsorship support for WYXR comes from the Metal Museum.
(12:57):
On the last Thursday of each monthday through septem the
museum hosts their free after hours event wet Thursdays, featuring
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Metalmuseum dot org.
Speaker 8 (13:16):
Memphis Listening Lab probably supports WYXR. They provide a curated
collection of music and music history, a form for music
related talks and performances, and in music education, appreciation and
experimentation space located in Crosstown Concourse. You can find out
more information on their Instagram page at Memphis Listening Lab
or on their website at Memphis Listening Lab dot org.
Speaker 9 (13:40):
WYXR is more than just music. It's a vital part
of our community, preserving Mid South culture and keeping local
voices on the air, but right now, federal support for
public media is at risk. A new proposal in Washington
could result in immediate cuts to funding for stations like Hours,
making it harder to deliver music, stories, and the programming
that you count on. You can help protect wyx and
(14:00):
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Support for WIXR comes from Crosstown Brewing. The kitchen and
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and Sundays, including Mimosas and Bloody Mary's. Brunch hours are
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Speaker 1 (14:46):
Slash careers, get real talk on the tune in mobile
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(15:07):
on Facebook and you can also catch a rebroadcast on YouTube.
Just put w y XR in the search box and
hit subscribe. Now back to more Real Talk with Jim
Washington's real It's real, It's real, It's real.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
It's real talk. And welcome back to Real Talk Memphis
on this Monday evening in the city. Had a little
rain earlier tonight, and I'm told that we're going to
have some storms tomorrow, could be on the severe side,
so please be careful and pay attention and reference to that.
Waiting for my first guest, Chebby County school Board Memphis
(15:48):
and Chevy County Schooboard member. Uh to Marcus Porter. He
has not logged in yet. Uh, So I'm gonna give
him a couple of minutes to see if he will
do that. John Covington, if if you were out there
listening to the show right now, you might wanna you
might want to come on in a little early if
(16:09):
we if we need to do this. These things happen
every now and again, ladies and them is right live radio,
so we have to try to keep it moving. But
I did here, but sometimes things happened the last minute.
One never knows how these things are going to shake out.
But I was very interested in talking with Tamarcus. Of course,
he was one of the three school board members who
(16:29):
voted against removing doctor Marie Fagins from the superintendent seat
back last year. And of course a lot has happened
since then. We have an interim superintendent in play. See there,
all right, we just I'm just told he's he's he's
just logged in, so very very good. We'll talk about him.
We'll talk to him about all of this. And there
(16:50):
he is right now, Ladies and gentlemen, Memphis Shelby County
School Board member, mister Tamarcus, Porter Tomarcus, can you hear me? Okay,
I can hear you? Yeah, man, got you. Thank you
so much for taking the time to join me this evening,
and really really appreciate that. Uh and uh, you know,
it's been a minute since we you and I have
caught up, but I wanted to kind of catch up
(17:11):
with you, uh, since time has moved along and we're
can you believe it, where we're literally at the end
of another school year. Just a few more days and
kids will be out and the summertime and and everything
else will be in. But the work of the school
board continues on maybe if I if it's a good
question to start out with asking you overall, with the
(17:31):
ups and downs of the of the of the business
of education, how do you think, uh, this school year
has gone in your opinion?
Speaker 10 (17:41):
So first of all, I want to I want to
appreciate you for inviting me on to the show again.
I literally just got in my car from onboarding a plane,
so I'm here and if I'm back in Memphis, but
so and to continue to do the work. But the
way the way the school board, the way that the
school has been going, it's it's been really awarding for me.
(18:03):
I love serving. I ran for school board twice. Nobody
runs for school board for school board see twice. So
I really love serving. I'm glad I'm elected to serve
the people. I like interacting with everybody. I like to
get into my schools, being a guide in light and
inspiration for our children, and just listening to the teacher concerns,
listening to the parents' concerns. So it's really been going
(18:25):
pretty good. Now we have had some challenges. I've only
been on the board for what's between seven and eight months,
so I know it's been four years. Like I said, like,
I've been on the board, but it's only been seven
to eight months, but it's really been challenging and but
it's been rewarding at the same time.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, you know, and I think we could all sympathize
with what you're saying in reference to it. You have
a new interim school board superintendent, doctor Roderick Richmond. How
have things been going. I know that he recently presented
his one hundred that day. Uh, there's a lot of
conversation about a lot of needs, uh that our schools need.
(19:06):
Some schools need to be torn down. There's a lot
of schools or in repair. But in terms of leading
the ship, so to speak, how have things been? How
has the relationship been with between he and the school
board members.
Speaker 10 (19:21):
So as far as the enterim Roger Richmond, I do
like his his his approach to the work.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I am glad that he has presented his hundred day plan.
Speaker 10 (19:30):
So as for me as a newly elected board and
I feel like I have something to articulate to the public.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
It's okay, Hey, this is we're.
Speaker 10 (19:40):
Going in as the school board, as the school district.
This is the ristoral going in. I know Rob Richmond
talks a lot about his five a's and so we
can go we can definitely dive into that. But I
feel like as a board, we actually have a one
hundred day plan, We have a facilities plan, immigration resolution
plan that we can articulate to the publica and articulate
(20:01):
to the state and the county Commission and say, hey,
we're all focusing on these issues. I know it's a
lot that's happened in the past, but as a board,
this is our vision along with the superintendent, we can
articulate again articulate to the public to what we're doing.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
You mentioned the five a's that he has has brought forth.
Tell me a little bit about that and how you
feel about it.
Speaker 10 (20:23):
So I like it if I think it's five a's,
and I shouldn't get myself in trouble with this. But
the fiveways academics, athletics, art, academic athletics are attitude, in attendance,
and so those are the areas that most school systems
across the country are played with. But definitely with academics
(20:43):
we can beat up literacy. A lot of school district
across the country talking about literacy. But so we were
definitely the raise the literacy rate. Just because our children
are reading below proficient level doesn't mean they're not reading.
It's just that not at gray level. That doesn't mean
that they can't read. And so we have to change
the narrative. Even for me personally, when I was at
(21:05):
the campaigning and just before I was campaigning, I don't
like to tell children what they can do, because they're
watching and they're listening to and.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
So I like to say what they can do.
Speaker 10 (21:16):
But we have to give them tools to learn, how
to how to read, how to better enhance their comprehension skills,
because that's mostly where the conversation get lost at. Our
children can't read oftentimes where we fall into it's a
comprehension type of thing, and if we want to get
rial about it, comprehensions at different levels. So reading is
just decoded and deciphering simple symbols. The word itself is
(21:38):
just to readd our eve means to do it again,
ad means to add. So what are you readding to yourself?
You're readding value to yourself. So I've always thought that
if we can just what I've just said, teach children,
see students.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
To that degree about what they're doing.
Speaker 10 (21:55):
When they're reading, when you're readding value to yourself and
the comprehension portion of it. We can, we can excel
our district in a good way, but we have to
stop the narrative of saying that our children cannot read.
They can read in just the way that our state
and certain assessment tests are measuring our children is that
(22:16):
they may be falling for low pi pgency levels for
those particular assessment tests.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
So let's skip ahead to what has been a bit
of an issue in terms of the memphasis Tubic County
School Board. There was a proposal from the state House
on both the House and the Senate side for takeover plans.
One was a bit different from the other, and at
the end of the of the of the session they
(22:45):
couldn't come together on how they want to do this.
So it's on hold right now, uh and and now now.
One of the things in reference to it, I think
one of the plans has the County Commission working with
you all, you know, possibly working with you all to
be able to to sort of iron out some of
the issues that they feel I have have have sort
(23:10):
of interfered with the process. One of the things that
the County Commission has talked about is changing the election cycle. Now.
You got elected along with four others in twenty twenty four,
as you stated a few months, a few minutes ago,
and if they do change the election cycle, you will
actually be up for re election in twenty twenty six.
I would be remiss if I didn't ask you your
(23:31):
thoughts and your feelings about that.
Speaker 10 (23:36):
So, so a couple of things. You know, I do
understand the frustration between the state and the county. I
do understand the frustration that they've expressed, and I understand
the frustration of the cities of Chavy County because of
a lot of For a long time, these issues even
were talking about you did. What you didn't mention was
a forensic arditt right, So that's right, even when we're
(23:57):
talking about a lot of these issues are old conversation
that's now lumped into this new school board. I do
think we have people on the school board, especially newly
elected ones, that want to do the right thing. You know,
often it may not get articulated across the board, but
we want to do the right thing. So me personally,
I don't have anything to hide with forensic ardit. I
(24:18):
would say, start the audit ten years from from start
the audit in twenty ten, and then bring ourselves up
to now, and whatever you find, you will find. And so,
but don't base these conversations off what you've what people
always thought about how a school board has operated. Oftentimes,
like I'm glad that a lot of people are excited
(24:39):
about education now and they'll put putting more focus on
the education. But yeah, let's have the audit and let's
see what happens. But as far as like trying to
for a re election and everything, it's unfortunate. I do
think that it creates you don't create a sustainability because
potentially every four years you can have a new school board.
So where's your insitutional knowledge? Words are just the knowledge
(25:02):
in general of how you move a district for it. Again,
I'm a new elected board member. Literally it's a cliche,
but people saying they don't know what aristinals are. I
asked that question three weeks ago at the board meeting.
I had to go ristaurants and so and so those
things that happened. So it takes two years just get
acclimated with the road, and it takes another two years
(25:23):
to actually be more effective as I elected official. So
it's unfortunate if the Countercommission does decide to adopt this
particular position. My position will always be what can I
do to help serve our children and our teachers memforship
of comes schools.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
So if they do adopt the position Tmarcus, would you
would you? Would you run again if that if that was.
Speaker 10 (25:45):
The case, yes, sir, Yes, sir, I would run again,
and I am and if that happens, I am running again.
And like I said, I ran three and a half
years prior to to run for school board again. Nobody
run school board twice. I'm a former teacher assistant. I
taught literacy classes in daycare, and so I've always seen
myself on the school board. Part of the reason I
(26:07):
ran to have a more big voice to advocate for
our children and for our issues have been plaguing our
city in ourcounting for a while.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Well, you know it is a challenge. Education is a challenge.
I know how passionate you are about education and our
young folks, and I know that, as you said, education
is starting to become quite the conversation piece in and
around our city and our county. I appreciate you taking time,
and I know you just got back into town, and
(26:36):
I know you've been hustling, and I really appreciate you
taking a few minutes to talk with our listeners tonight
about your your future as we continue to move forward.
Thank you again, man, and I look forward to, you know,
talking to you down the road again. After you know
the summertime is over and folks start to turn their
(26:57):
attention back to the classroom, I know in between them
that time now, in that time, you'll be continuing to
work for the betterment of our young people. Really appreciate
your time, man, Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
No, yes, sir, Yes, sir.
Speaker 10 (27:08):
And a couple of things I want to say is
we definitely we definitely shift the conversation back to education,
back to our children, back to our teachers, because even
though we have the internet in place, we have to
figure out how we can put supports around him and
how we can support our teachers. I noticed it as
we're going through a world wind with the recent personnel changes.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
That that the that the school board has made.
Speaker 10 (27:34):
But ultimately we have to do what's best for the
district and we have to continue to move the district forward.
And so I'll be glad when we can move this
conversation to what how can we again continue to move
the district for How can we do what's best for
our teachers? Yes, we can do what's best for our
students line, so I definitely want to be a part
of that conversation.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Thank you, my friend. I appreciate your time, man, and
stay safe and I look forward to talking to you
down the road.
Speaker 4 (27:58):
Yes, sir, thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Thank you for being here Memphis. Every Kunty School board
member to Marcus Porter, ladies and gentlemen, and he is
he's all about the children. He's all about the children,
and he's all about moving things forward. We really appreciate
his time on this evening. Let me take a quick break.
You want to come back, we will continue on this road.
We'd like to call Real Talk Memphis on this Monday
evening in the city. Uh, don't you go away, We'll
(28:20):
be right back coming to there.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
He is.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yeah, John Covington, can you see me and hear me? Okay, sir,
I'm doing good man. It's good to see you again.
Thank you for taking time to come on.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
If you like Real Talk, here's the way you can
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to more Real Talk with Zib Washington's.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
And welcome back Real Talking Memphis, Chip with you on
this Monday evening. And you know, we opened up the
show talking about a statement that was made yesterday and
sort of reverberated here in the city today, and that
was from the director of the FBI, and he stated that,
(30:20):
of course, according to him, Memphis is the homicide capital
of the entire country, and you know that that has
brought forth a lot of opinions. My next guest is
someone who I'm very glad to have on the show tonight.
He is an advocate for law enforcement in our city
and this community. And another thing I like about him
(30:41):
is that he's not afraid to say what he needs
to say to get his porn across ladies and gentlemen.
John Covington, vice president of the Memphis Police Association, joins us. Now,
John is great to see you, my friend. How you
doing tonight.
Speaker 13 (30:53):
I'm doing fantastic and great to see you.
Speaker 14 (30:55):
I love the show.
Speaker 13 (30:56):
Just watch the interview. You just did great job.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
As always, Thank you, my friends. So, so, you know
that statement that I just read that everybody seems to
be talking about. I just wondered, from your perspective, how
you took that.
Speaker 15 (31:11):
Well, it's pretty accurate. Memphis is a very dangerous city,
and I did some research on my own recently that
actually shocked me. An aggravated assault is basically an incompetent murder.
That's one way to put it. Somebody's trying to do
serious harm. We lead the nation per one hundred thousand
per capita with two thousand and ninety four aggravated assaults
(31:32):
per one hundred thousand. You know, some people say, well,
you know, we better be careful, we're going to turn
into Detroit. Well maybe we should be so lucky because
Detroit has one five and forty seven. We beat out
Kansas City, Saint Louis, Baltimore, Los Angeles.
Speaker 14 (31:47):
New York.
Speaker 15 (31:47):
We're number one in these aggravated assaults. And let me
tell you chip this community, I hope everybody appreciates Regional
one because they saved so many lives and we.
Speaker 13 (31:59):
I'm sad to say we are a violent city.
Speaker 15 (32:02):
And I was not shocked by the the FBI director's words.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
That is really something in reference to what you say.
You know, we hear statistics from the Memphis Crime Commission
we have here about certain areas of crime are trending
downward and they like to you know, highlight homicide in
reference to all of that. Yet and still we see,
we hear every single day, another case, another victim, another fatality,
(32:30):
another So it's a bit it's a bit disingenuous from
my perspective to hear that, and basically, you know, hear
someone say that, but basically see something else. Now you're
you're on the front lines. And I know one of
the things that you've been talking about, and you talked
about the last time you were here, is the manpower
issue within the Memphis Police Department. And did I read
(32:51):
somewhere that you said that we're we're somewhere around little
over eighteen hundred officers now is that is that accurate?
Speaker 15 (32:57):
We are at one eight and ninety four officers, which
is lowest we've been in over two decades. And twenty
eleven we had twenty four hundred and eighty the lowest
violent crime we'd ever seen.
Speaker 13 (33:09):
And right now we're seeing a stork violent crime.
Speaker 15 (33:12):
And I'm glad you kind of made the distinction chip
because violent crime is aggravated to sault, robbery, murder, and rape.
What we as citizens think of crime when we talk about,
you know, crime the stuff that really scares us about
about going out. And you know, our numbers are so
low right now, we're stretched so thin. It's really tough.
And let me say this too, We over the past
(33:34):
several years have seen as historic has a major violent crime.
Now that can fluctuate a little bit, but if you
have a friend who's an alcoholic. Instead of eight drinks
a day, he's drinking seven. Well, it's better, but we
still got a problem, you know, and we got to
deal with the fact that we got a problem, and
we got to fix it. So we don't want to
get caught up in kind of minor fluctuations.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
You know, in reference to what you just said. That's
really eye opening for people who might be listening right now.
Eighteen hundred plus or just under nineteen hundred officers in
a city that has close to a million in population,
that's a that's a pretty daunting number and a pretty
(34:17):
daunting loan number to try to to try to get
from one side of town to the other. With so
much things that so many things seem to be breaking out.
How do we I mean, how do we fix the problem?
And we're losing officers it seems at at at a
at a pretty regular rate, are we not? We are.
Speaker 15 (34:37):
I just did a little study, a little research, and
over the past three years we've lost the seventy three
percent of the officers we've lost, we've lost to local agencies.
They stayed in law enforcement. But Memphis answers about a
million calls per year, where Shelby County is about one
hundred and fifty thousand, Germantown thirty eight thousand. You get
out to some of these smaller agencies, that gets much
(34:58):
so lower.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Sure, we've also line.
Speaker 15 (35:00):
Of duty deaths in the past four and a half years.
That's number one per capita in the country. So we're
a dangerous department. We're very busy, and it's tough on
a lot of these officers, and so we're losing them.
But I want to tell you a city who has
turned it around, and again i'm gonna give them a
shout out is Detroit. Between twenty twenty three and twenty
(35:20):
twenty four, they got a net gain of three hundred
and forty nine officers and got back to ninety seven
percent fully saff And the way they did it, they
did a big raise about twenty percent. They made it
easier for other officers to come from other agencies and
buy in some of their retirement time. And then other thing,
which I think is important. If you signed on to
(35:42):
the job and quit within four years, you had to
pay for your training and the academy. And what that
does is the people who don't take it seriously or
just don't just going to try to come for a
year or two. Those people won't sign up. That didn't
stop me if that had been in place, That wouldn't
stop me when.
Speaker 13 (35:58):
I signed up because I was there for the long haul.
Speaker 15 (36:00):
So Detroit has kind of shown us the way to
do it, and uh, you know, that may not be
the only way, but they definitely have a plan, and
we we've got to have a conversation not getting a
better plan.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I was gonna say, uh, you know, you you mentioned
several reasons as to why Detroit seems to be doing better, uh,
in the in the uh recruitment of officers and and
things like that. You know, I've always uh when one
of the things I've always said is in reference to
law enforcement, people need to understand and really recognize that
(36:32):
they are people first. You all are people first. I mean,
you know, you want to come home to your families
like everybody else wants to come home to their families.
Speaker 14 (36:39):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
And I would imagine that there is there might be
some sense of and and and and and and a
lot of these people who commit their lives to allow
law enforcement are angels as far as I'm concerned. Because
it's a dangerous world out here. But but I mean,
I think that it does. It become lost sometimes, John,
when you hear the conversation on the streets, when you
hear the conversation you know, out there or wherever out
(37:02):
there is about law enforcement in a negative way. There
are many law enforcement professionals each and every day who
put their lives on the line to try to protect
all of us. And I'm sure that it probably bothers
you a bit when you hear otherwise, does it not?
Speaker 13 (37:17):
Well, you know, let me put it this way.
Speaker 15 (37:19):
When I was in patrol every neighborhood, I went into
the majority of people said thank you, we need you here,
we want you here, And that cut across race, gender,
whatever you want to call it, economics, and so the
majority of people out there are supportive, and a lot
of time it's the loudest voices. But to be fair,
you know, you give me one year of good works,
(37:39):
and it takes one idiotic or heinous action by one
officer and it ruins all that. And if you got
ninety nine point nine percent of officers doing the right thing,
it only takes that one to blow it up. And
so I get you know, some of those narratives out there.
I understand that, but you brought up a great Officers
(38:01):
are human beings. They're people, they love their community, they
feel a calling, they want to go out there and serve,
and right now they're stretched very thin and it breaks
their heart because they're running for me. It could be
a shooting, you know, a young person, or and then
you go immediately to a car crash, and I mean,
it's just it's tough, and Chip, I just wanted to
bring up one something that happened recently. A young child,
(38:24):
I think she was fifteen, laying in her bed, a
bullet came through the wall and hit her. Thank god survived.
But that was only a story for about two days.
And I think that's wrong when we are living in
a time in a city with that, we're kind of
numb that that's not a bigger story. Because a parent,
I cannot imagine standing in my kitchen and my child
(38:46):
coming out of the bedroom with blood on their head.
It just shook me to the core.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
Yeah, I think you know a lot of times, you know,
our focus maybe not be as may not be as
intense in certain situations as it is in other situations.
Is there any from your perspective, I mean, how do
we how do we change things? I mean how do we?
Because from from where I stand, Uh, we've lost a
(39:12):
love for each other in mankind. We don't we we
we don't love each other. We don't we don't care
about each other in a lot of these instances, we
don't support each other. And this is the truth. And
these are the and these and the facts are what
we see on a daily basis out here that tends
to back that up. Would you be uh supportive? And
I know the FBI director said he's going to send
(39:34):
a task force down here, an FBI task force down here, uh,
to try to help us a straighten us the situation
out are you? Are you an advocate of that? But
what do you what do you? What do you think
about anything or simbolizing something like that?
Speaker 15 (39:46):
Well, you know, I welcome all the help we can get,
if they can bring resources and bodies down here to
help us. And because it's all about protecting the citizens,
that's what it's all about it, you know, And you
talked about you hit on it so well. You know
a lot of the with social media and everything, there's
so many things that divide us but you know, when
you sit down and talk to somebody, we've got so
much more in common than that we do apart and
(40:08):
what I'd like to see one thing we're doing and
I want a little shout out for this. The MPa,
working with the Crime Commission in the city is come
up with a program if you're a leader in the community,
a teacher, a pastor, or just a business person or
just a person in the community, if you recruit someone
to go through the Police Academy and they graduate, a
(40:29):
thousand dollars will be donated in your name to any
local charity or nonprofit here in Memphis. And that's the
way to build connections. And I'd like to see go
into the schools and create We got two problems here,
too much crime, not enough police, and not enough economic
opportunity for young people. So maybe let's set it up
earlier that they can take a path to be a firefighter,
(40:52):
a police officer, or a city worker or an attorney
or whatever it may be. Let's get our homegrown talent,
give people opportunity, and build police force that reflects our city,
which I think will create a lot more bonds and communication.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
You know, that's that's actually a wonderful idea. I would
really like more folks to get together. I know a
lot of these organizations and things they have these uh
you know meetings, and they and they talk about, you know,
some of the issues that we face on a daily basis.
Speaker 5 (41:24):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
And I think that we can't stop and even based
on what you just said, we can't stop having these conversations,
and we can't stop underestimating what is really going on
out there. There is a problem out there and that
we need to focus all our attention to. And I
think it takes all of us. You said that before
and and and I appreciate you saying that it takes
all of us. It's not just uh, just law enforcement
(41:45):
here specific there. It takes all of us as a community,
as a city, as a county to get together and
really almost demand that we change our perspective in terms
of crime. Am I am? I Am I wrong about that?
Speaker 10 (41:58):
No?
Speaker 14 (41:58):
I think you're right.
Speaker 15 (41:59):
And you know, one of the thing about getting numbers
up is this thing happens called community policing. A lot
of people have that differently. I define it as being
able to have enough time between calls to get to
know the people in the area you patrol, to create trust,
to create bonds, create community. And you know one thing
I worry about and tip that you and I've talked
(42:20):
about this a little bit off the air. When there's
a shortage, there can be a tendency and we all
get downtown is very important. You know, it's in for tourism,
all these things. But I don't want to see a
situation happens we get short where resources are being pulled
out of our communities into downtown. Because to me, in
(42:42):
Parkway Village where I did most of all work, every
family there is just as important as downtown because they're
old to feel safe, for their children, to feel safe
and to be able to go to the store and
do these things. And we have got to find that
balance because to do anything less is just wrong.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
John Covington, vice President of the Memphis Police Association, good
man all the way around. John, Thank you man for
taking some time out of your business schedule to come
share some time with me and the listeners tonight. I
really appreciate you. And as always, please be careful and
please please be safe out there. God speak to you
and all of our fine men and women who have
(43:20):
committed their lives to law enforce me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (43:23):
Man.
Speaker 15 (43:23):
Well, thank you, sir. It's always an honor to be
on your show. Keep doing great work and I'll be
on soon.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Absolutely, thank you, John, I appreciate you, man, Thank you
very much. Yes, sir John Covington, Ladies and gentlemen, we
have a problem, and we need to face the fact
that we do have a problem. But more importantly, we
need to all man up, get together and try to
figure out how to fix the problem. That is the
perspective that, at least from our viewpoint. Let's take a
final break, and when we come back, we're gonna talk
(43:51):
about a life or death story for real in reference
to my next guest. So don't go away. This is
real talk, Memphis, I Chip. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
If you like real talk, here's the way you can
get involved. Do you have a show topic, idea or
a suggestion. Want to be considered a guest or have
a guest idea, Then send Hip a message on his
real Talk show page and you can be a part
of the real Talk experience. So, as he always says,
go out and tell somebody, We'll be right back.
Speaker 14 (44:33):
It's real.
Speaker 13 (44:34):
It's real.
Speaker 11 (44:35):
It's real.
Speaker 14 (44:36):
It's real.
Speaker 11 (44:40):
Programming on WYXR is brought to you by a grant
from Arts Memphis who has invested ninety four million dollars
into our local arts community to teach, uplift, unite, and
engage Memphians of all ages and and codes.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Get Real Talk on the tune in mobile app under
w y XR. And he's now streaming live on Facebook
and you can also catch a rebroadcast on YouTube. Just
put w y XR in the search box and hit subscribe.
Now back to more real Talk with Chip Washington. It's it's.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
And welcome back to real Talk Memphers on this Monday
evening in the city. Chip with you and my next guest,
UH is someone and I hope that you're you're paying
attention if you're out there listening right now. Imagine if
you will, UH contracting COVID, which a lot of us
did and UH me included. And and but going through
(45:54):
uh what this man went through in terms of being
hospitalized for over forty days. Many folks didn't think he
was gonna pull out of this, and you know, but
he did. And to talk to him is nothing but
God's grace. Absolutely positively, so much so that it inspired
(46:15):
him to write a book called A Real Time Miracle.
Please welcome to the show, Reverend doctor Chuck Lester, the
executive pastor of Christ Missionary Baptist Church, joining us now,
and that, Chuck, is great to see. How are you tonight?
Speaker 14 (46:29):
I'm doing well, Chip.
Speaker 16 (46:30):
Thank you for having me, and God bless you for
all of the work you do for our community, for
our city.
Speaker 14 (46:35):
You're doing a great work and we appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Thank you, man, I appreciate that. So listen, take me
back to the time that you contracted COVID and walk
us through because you, my friend, went through quite the journey.
Speaker 14 (46:50):
Absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 16 (46:52):
We all remember back in March twenty twenty when everything
started shutting down because of this new thing called the coronavirus.
It was new to our kind anyway, and restaurants were
shutting down. We couldn't go into restaurants to eat, We
couldn't go into movie theaters. The kids couldn't go to school.
They had to go to online schooling. All colleges had
(47:13):
to go to online. Everything was done on online. People
began working remotely. Everybody had to make this shift, and
we had to do it.
Speaker 14 (47:21):
Fast.
Speaker 16 (47:22):
Even church services went virtual. Yeah, people were online going
to church, and long story short, I went for from
March until about the last week of July without contracting COVID.
Speaker 14 (47:37):
I was out helping people.
Speaker 16 (47:38):
I was out getting face masking and essential items people
needed toilet hissue, paper, towels, alcohol, just li. I saw
anything I could find to help other people. And the
last week of July, my wife and I, doctor Denen Lester,
contracted COVID. We were My wife had some sense emptoms.
(48:00):
I really didn't have any symptoms. And one day my
wife was cooking the roast. She had it in a
crockpot at home, and I couldn't smell it and my
wife could barely smell it. When we, you know, realized
we couldn't smell the roast, we started spreading LI salt
and I sprayed it really thick and couldn't smell that.
(48:22):
And if you can't smell LO salt, it's something going on,
and I do. Then we had COVID. We tested positive
that week, and my wife, even though she was showing
the symptoms and everything, you know, I'm the one that
ended up in the hospital.
Speaker 14 (48:38):
I checked her oxygen one night.
Speaker 16 (48:40):
Our pastor of Congregational Care, doctor Allen Dunagan, and I
appreciate her so much, had sent food to the house,
and Rosalind Blake had sent food to the house for us,
and we couldn't taste to smell. Those were the only
symptoms I had. My wife had the others. But you know,
I was checking the name's oxygen and I give God
(49:02):
praise for my wife. I was checking her oxygen. Here's
was fine, but mine was low. I checked it all
throughout the night. It was fluctuating. The next morning, I
got up, I went to the emergency room. Well, the
ambulance came because my wife said, don't drive with the
oxygen fluctuating. The ambulance came and it went from there.
I went to the emergency room. They told me they
(49:24):
needed to put a seapap on me, and you know,
it covers your face to regulate the oxygen or oxygen
is back to normal. I told them, whatever you do,
don't put me on a ventilator. Well, the seapap was
coming down over my face. Mister Lester, are you okay?
I'm fine. Then I heard the voice, mister Lester, do
(49:48):
you know your name? I said, Chuck Lester. She said, Chuck.
Does Cornelius ring a bell? Said yes, Cornelius is my
real name. They called me Chuck. She said, mister Lester,
do you know where you are? I said, no, ma'am,
I don't. She said, mister Leicester, you have Methodist Germantown Hospital.
You're on a ventilator and you've been here almost a month.
Speaker 2 (50:07):
Oh goodness, gracious, oh goodness, Wow.
Speaker 14 (50:10):
That's how that happened.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
You were you were so you were obviously very close
to death?
Speaker 14 (50:15):
Were you?
Speaker 2 (50:16):
I was?
Speaker 16 (50:16):
They the doctors have told me a couple of doctors
have seen close to death as a human being could
possibly get. I spent forty two days on the ventilator,
twenty six days after that in impatient rehab, then had
to go back and spend another thirty two days in
order to have open heart surgery because the virus infection
(50:41):
that was in my body destroyed my aortic veil. That's
totally destroyed it. It wasn't working, so you know, I was
about to check to help then. And even after the
open heart surgery, I had what they call a peracardical.
The sack of rap on the peracardial said around your heart.
(51:03):
Mine had a leader of fluid at it almost the leader.
So I was sufffocating and didn't even know it. I
knew something was wrong. So they do what they call
a pericardial window where they cut a little opening, and
that they had to go back and do surgery again
to cut an opening the drain that fluid. So three times,
three times, by God's grace, I escaped death.
Speaker 14 (51:23):
Now here's the other thing. Chip sixty four.
Speaker 16 (51:28):
As of December eighth, twenty or the year twenty twenty,
sixty four patients and Methodist Germantown were on ventilators due
to COVID had been on ventilators that year due to
COVID yesure pipe support, and only.
Speaker 14 (51:43):
Six of us lived.
Speaker 2 (51:44):
Wow, wow, wow, wow, you saw God, no doubt about that.
What was the end? What was the final inspiration for you? Well,
I'm sure I know, but for our listeners after you
we started to recover from this, really from the brain
of death to write the book that you wrote.
Speaker 14 (52:02):
Well, God told me to write the book.
Speaker 16 (52:05):
God, I would pray and I would pray, and God said,
you're going to write about this. I'm going to heal
you to the point where nobody's good. Well, a lot
of people are not going to believe that you've been sick.
That was the explanation for the scar. But God said,
I want you to write, and I want you to
write how I tell you too. Now I didn't start
write off. So I thank my wife, doctor Deneen Lester
(52:25):
for encouraging me again, our pastor up Congregational Care, doctor
Allen Dunagan, you know. And I have to thank my sister,
doctor Cynthia Alexander Mitchell for it just encouraging me to stick.
Speaker 14 (52:38):
With it and write. And I did that, you know.
Speaker 16 (52:41):
My pastor prayed for me, doctor Jana Stewart and so
many others, just so many people around the world. And
I just wanted to write the book not only for me,
but for different people, to let you let people know
that no matter how low you are of what's going
on in your life, you're never so low and nothing's
ever so bad that God can't bring you through it.
There's nothing too hard for God. And what's the name
(53:04):
of the book. The book is titled A Real Time Mirror.
And God told me the title that simply because first off,
that's what it is, that's what the medical doctors have said,
said that there's nothing short of the miraculous. So because
we didn't know what to do with all of that,
we your body has gone through something and I have
totally recovered. I mean I am one hundred percent recovered.
(53:29):
And they said, your body has gone through something that
the human body was not made to go through and
not made the worst stand. So that's what, you know,
made me want to go out and write the book
and my wife. I wanted my wife to co auth
there with me because she was at home doing this.
The NME was at home during this time, you know,
due to COVID restrictions in the hospitals. And her story
(53:52):
is just as amazing as mine. But she said, no,
that's your story, you write it. And I said, well,
why don't you do this. You go on my Facebook
sometimes and you hack on my Facebook page, and you
hack my page. And got to the point where she
started putting wife hacks on her post.
Speaker 2 (54:10):
That's where that Okay, that's where that.
Speaker 16 (54:12):
That's where it came from. So I said, why don't
you have the book. You jump in there and tell
your story.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
Chuck. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you that.
That's a great story to you. By the way uh
before I have a few seconds left before I let
you go. What do you want people to take from
this book? I want people to take that God.
Speaker 16 (54:31):
I titled it a real time miracle because God is
still doing what God has always done. We read the Bible,
and I encourage that. I read my Bible every day.
I read scripture every day. But every once in a while,
we need to see somebody in the flesh and blood,
in flesh and blood, in our own flesh. I mean,
(54:51):
we need to see somebody with our own natural lives
that's going through something and God brings them out. We
need to see God at work with someone who's li
And that's what I want people to take away from it,
that there are people out here. God is still working
miracles every day. And whatever you're going through, whatever your
corona may be. Mine was COVID, but yours may be
(55:12):
marital problems, financial problems, what have you.
Speaker 14 (55:15):
There's nothing too hard for God.
Speaker 2 (55:17):
Well, there you go, now that's how you're in the program. Listen,
Reverend doctor Chuck Lester, thank you so much for coming
on the show tonight sharing your story, and I'm sure
that you've inspired. You've inspired a lot of folks, and
I'm sure your book will as well. Thank you for
taking the time to come on and be with us tonight.
Appy so much, and what can be purchased on Amazon,
(55:38):
and give us the name again, give us his name again.
Speaker 16 (55:39):
A real time miracle by doctor Chuck lest the Wife
Acts by doctor danae Less.
Speaker 2 (55:44):
A real time miracle. Thank you Chuck for being on
the show. Thank you so much, God bless you man.
Appreciate you all right, buddy, Yes, sir, Well there you go, boy,
that's not there you go. That's how you're in the broadcast.
Right there. That's a real, real life miracle. And we're
so glad that he is doing better. And obviously you
heard your story and it is a true testament. Well
that about wraps it up for us set tonight as
(56:06):
brand plays us out. And by the way, you don't
have permission to leave the channel. You need to keep
it right here at WIXR because up next is Brind's show,
Event Horizon. That's the coolest name man for the event Horizon.
And you know he's going to take you on a
musical ride, so to speak, and it's fussed up, so
(56:28):
stick around and support him. So for all of us.
I'm stalin because Lola has to do where team for
all of us. Here a real talk reference for lovely Lola.
Yes he is. For Brent, who's not going anywhere. He's
got a lot to lot to do for the next
hour in terms of entertaining you and yours truly night
(56:48):
by the next time I see you, Lord says, so
I have another birthday under my belt, and we appreciate
all of that. Thank you for making us part of
your Monday evening. Rachel. We hope that you enjoyed the
show tonight and we hope that you will continue supporting
our show in the future. So again, for all of us,
no show next week. Lola's going to take. Lola's gonna
be off two hours next week doing her to hit
(57:09):
you comes back go doing her thing two two hours
next Monday for the Labor Day, for Memorial Day. You'll
have a wonderful holiday and we'll see you soon. Until then,
take care and we are out peace.
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