The 901: What does it take to win an election in Shelby County? Rooting on the Grizzlies on Mother's Day weekend

Good Friday morning, Memphis, where we're drying out from a rainy Thursday and getting ready for Mother's Day weekend and the Grizzlies' third game in San Francisco in the tense, storyline-filled series vs. the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.

But, first, we're focusing on what happened in Shelby County's Tuesday primary election.

If you were seeking to be re-nominated in the Shelby County primary Tuesday, chances are you won your election — unless a current elected official in another role decided to unseat you.

Name recognition, along with experience in a prior elected office, was key in Tuesday’s election, with nearly all incumbents winning their races and the handful of down-ballot incumbents who were defeated losing to politicians currently serving in more prominent elected offices, our Katherine Burgess reports in this story for subscribers.

“I think more than anything, a lot of that has to do with name recognition and name ID,” said local political consultant Emily Cupples.

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County Commission will better reflect Shelby County after August election

Over the entire first 60 years of the Shelby County Commission, only six Black women served on the board, Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer tweeted Tuesday night.

But on the next board, at least three — possibly five — Black women will serve simultaneously. The board is made up of 13 members, Katherine Burgess wrote in this story.

“What a historic night!” Sawyer tweeted.

Meet Bill Hardgrave, U of M's new president

The University of Memphis will award degrees to its largest group of graduates yet on Saturday, under the first commencement for new President Bill Hardgrave.

An Arkansas native, Hardgrave grew up a four-hour drive from what he knew as Memphis State University, the big city school he’d never been able to aspire to go to. The recent Auburn University provost was a first-generation high school and college student, and didn’t have guidance from family on how to navigate higher education, our Laura Testino reports in this story for subscribers.

Provost, he notably told the U of M Board of Trustees, wasn’t a word he heard at the dinner table, and if anyone had said it, he wouldn’t have known what it was.

But Hardgrave, 58, went on to become an “accidental professor” after a career start in business, he told the U of M board during his interview. Achieving a university presidency, he told The Commercial Appeal, was never a lifelong dream, instead a logical next step in his career path.

Can Starbucks workers' unionization efforts prevail in the South?

Maggie Carter was once just a Starbucks customer, a Gold Card rewards member who earned most of her points buying iced white chocolate mochas and caramel macchiatos.

When the 27-year-old University of Tennessee student was hired to be a barista making $8.35 an hour at a Knoxville Starbucks three years ago, she appreciated the company’s seemingly progressive politics and willingness to accommodate her school schedule as much as she enjoyed the caffeinated beverages. She also knew nothing about unionizing, Andrew Yawn, Marie Clark and Todd Price of the American South team report.

Things are different now.

Over the past six months, Carter led her Knoxville store to the first successful Starbucks unionization in the South, a narrow 8-7 victory in March.

Now Carter spends her spare time seeking advice from labor historians. Her phone pings with updates from a group chat she's in with unionizing baristas in other states. She recently ordered a book on collective bargaining. Even her drink order has changed — espresso shaken with a smidge of brown sugar — as she’s taken a less saccharine view of her company.

HBO to produce docuseries on Stax

Stax Records will be the subject of a new docuseries on HBO.

HBO Documentary Films has started production on "STAX," a documentary series exploring the legendary record label founded in South Memphis and responsible for some of the greatest soul hits of the 1960s and 1970s, our Astrid Kayembe reports.

The series will explore the Memphis-based record label's rise, fall and cultural impact through the lens of race, geography, musical traditions and the challenging world of the recording industry and will feature rare archival footage, according to a news release published by Concord, the California-based company that owns Stax Records. The film is a joint effort by Concord Originals, Polygram Entertainment and Warner Music Entertainment.

Green, Jackson and Tillman buds off court, but it's a battle during series

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and his son walked towards the Memphis Grizzlies bench during warmups before Game 2 on Tuesday. Xavier Tillman Sr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. had just finished their workouts and stood to greet their former coach.

They posed for pictures and Jackson and Tillman went on to talk with more guests. Izzo stood to the side with his arms folded but the smile never left his face. There was pride in not just seeing two former Spartans starting for the Grizzlies but a third, Draymond Green, who has already made a name for himself with the Golden State Warriors, our Evan Barnes reports.

“They talk about brotherhoods at some schools, I think we got it as good as any,” Izzo said before Game 2. “These guys now are the new generation, especially the two that are here.”

Meanwhile, our Damichael Cole writes here about the podcast that takes the temperature of the Grizzlies-Warriors series so far and looks at the next two games. In game three, forward Dillon Brooks will not play because he was suspended for a game for the hard foul on Gary Payton II that elicited a flagrant 2 call and an ejection from Game 2, Damichael also reports.

Have a great Mother's Day weekend! And get your growl towels ready for Grizz-Warriors' game three.

Mark Russell is executive editor of The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at mark.russell@commercialappeal.com or 901/288-4509. You can also follow him on Twitter: @MarkRussell44

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Winning an election in Shelby County, Memphis Grizzlies game three