In honor of Black History Month, the Bessie Smith Performance Hall in Chattanooga will hold a town hall meeting with Black elected officials on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. EST. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact directly with officials. The event is free and also will be livestreamed. For more information call 423-266-8658 or email info@bessiemsithcc.org. Chattanoogan.com reports on the event.

The YWCA’s Stand Against Racism series will host its next virtual installment on Feb. 23 at noon CST. In honor of Black History Month, “Black Art Matters” will highlight Black visual artists. Black artists and art experts will discuss Black artwork throughout history, representation in different art mediums and expression against racism and white supremacy through their art. Register for the webinar and learn more here.

Martin Trimiew, assistant vice president and legal counsel at Unum Insurance in Chattanooga, co-hosts this month’s episode of the TBA BarBuzz podcast. In addition to legal news and bar association events, Trimew discusses his efforts to help revive Chattanooga’s S.L. Hutchins Bar Association — a voluntary association founded to help address issues, interests and concerns of African-American and other attorneys of color in the Greater Chattanooga area. The S.L. Hutchins bar was established in the late 1980s by prominent Chattanooga attorneys Judge Walter Williams, Rheubin Taylor, Judge Curtis Collier, Ardena Garth and John McClarty. It is actively seeking financial sponsorship and corporate allyship from law firms and corporations to aid in its revitalization and to continue its traditions. To help in its mission or to get involved, email Martin Trimiew. BarBuzz is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found on the TBA’s website or anywhere you listen to podcasts.  

The National Bar Association is planning a commemorative trip to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, so members can retrace the steps of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Congressman John Lewis as well as other “greats” who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge and lit the spark that led to enactment of the Civil Rights Act. The trip will leave from Atlanta on March 4 and return on March 6. Activities will include a tour of King’s parsonage home, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where he pastored, the Lynching Memorial and Legacy Museum. Registration includes transportation and tours. Hotel rooms should be booked separately by Feb. 26. Also on March 4, the NBA will hold its 57th Selma Jubilee Fred Grey Award Dinner in Atlanta. Learn more or register for any of these events.

A bipartisan group of state legislators is pushing legislation to make June 19, also known as Juneteenth, a state holiday, WATE reports. The day was recently made a federal holiday and the effort is supported by Gov. Bill Lee. June 19 celebrates the day when slaves in Galveston, Texas, were finally freed – two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. Sponsors of the bill say a state holiday will educate generations of Tennesseans about the history of the quest for true freedom for Black Americans.

Memphis schools have offered elective African American history and literature classes for nearly three decades, Chalkbeat reports. But next school year, White Station High School will offer a more comprehensive and collaborative curriculum shaped by professors from colleges and universities throughout the country. The program is part of a 60-school pilot project that will provide a more expansive view of African history, new AP course offerings, and opportunities for high school students to earn college credit. Educators have long been concerned that students, especially Black students, are not well educated about the history of Black Americans, including key court cases and constitutional amendments that addressed past wrongs.

While Memphis’ National Civil Rights Museum and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music are noteworthy institutions, the Commercial Appeal suggests five lesser-known landmarks you can visit in honor of Black History Month. Included on the list is the Mason Temple, the 8,000-seat church in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech on April 3, 1968 – the day before his assassination. Next, visit the historical marker on Union that commemorates the longtime home of AM radio station WDIA, which in 1949 became the first radio station in the U.S. aimed entirely at Black audiences. Also on the list is Zion Christian Cemetery, a 15-acre site that is the oldest cemetery in Memphis devoted to African Americans in the region, and reportedly contains close to 30,000 graves. Read the full list from the Commercial Appeal.

During Black History Month, the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association is celebrating a group of lawyers known as “The First Five.” While many people helped form the Memphis-based chapter, the group says five trailblazers in particular “set the stage for the organization.” Last week, the chapter highlighted Judge H.T. Lockard, who helped pave the way for black politicians when he was elected to the Shelby County Court (now the county commission). As a lawyer in the 1950s and 1960s, he also was involved in cases that challenged segregation in education, recreation and transportation. He later served as a criminal court judge from 1975 until retiring in 1994. This week, the group focuses on its namesake. Benjamin F. Jones maintained a diverse law practice from 1949 until his untimely death in 1966. He assisted H.T. Lockard, Ben Hooks and A.A. Latting with several civil rights cases in Memphis and contributed to the criminal defense of many victims of Jim Crow. Learn more about these lawyers by following the group’s posts on Facebook.

The University of Memphis School of Law will hold its 2022 Diversity & Pre-Law Week from Feb. 21-26. This year’s program will explore the ways lawyers can uniquely bridge "gaps" socially and inspire connection through justice, youth, storytelling, service and advocacy. On Feb. 26, ACLU President Deborah Archer will give the week’s keynote address, while other programs will look at the law school admission process, the value of diversity in the legal field, and culturally competent and trauma-informed lawyering. The school holds the annual Diversity & Pre-Law Week to create opportunities for lawyers, and lawyers-to-be, to better understand diversity and be better professionals and leaders in their communities. Get the full agenda for the week as well as registration information on the event webpage.

The Black Law Students Association at Vanderbilt University Law School has a number of events planned for Black History Month. Next Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. CST, the group will hold a session on disability rights and the law. Topics will include ableism, accessibility and the experiences of disabled lawyers. On Feb. 14 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. CST, the group will hold a panel discussion on Black lawyers in sports and entertainment. Participants will discuss their career paths, current trends in the entertainment and sports law space, and how to break into and navigate this niche practice area. Finally, on Feb. 22 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. CST, the group will present “Black in the Law” with alumni panelists discussing their careers.