mgraham, Author at Stand for Children Tennessee

Justice & Safety Alliance Urges County Commission to Prioritize Community Investments Over Additional Sheriff’s Department Funding

Justice & Safety Alliance | 09/9/2024

Aerris Newton Government Affairs Director

MEMPHIS, TN – The Justice & Safety Alliance (JSA) has issued an open letter to the Shelby County Commission and County Mayor, calling on them to reject the proposed $15.5 million emergency funding request for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO). The full text of the letter can be found at this link.

In the letter, the JSA expresses significant concerns over diverting funds from the Mental Health Safety and Justice Center to cover jail repairs, arguing that such a move reinforces an outdated emphasis on incarceration over prevention and treatment. The JSA highlights SCSO’s substantial $200 million annual budget and suggests that internal reallocations be explored before granting additional funds.

Highlights from the Open Letter include:

Questionable Urgency: JSA questions the emergency nature of the funding request given existing budget allocations and unfilled positions within the SCSO.
Lack of Transparency: The sudden request for additional funding lacks a detailed breakdown of costs, raising concerns about fiscal accountability.
Alternative Investments: The letter proposes several evidence-based alternatives that promise more positive impacts on public safety and community well-being:
- Investment in violence intervention and restorative justice programs.
- Expansion of mental health services and re-entry programs for at-risk youth.
- Support for the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) to prevent service cuts.
- Maintenance of funding for essential mental health and justice services.

The Justice & Safety Alliance urges the Shelby County Commission to consider these alternatives during tonight’s meeting to better serve the community’s needs and align with the “More for Memphis” vision, which aims to improve social and economic mobility and address disparities affecting people of color.

The JSA is prepared to work with county officials to implement these solutions, advocating for policies and funding priorities that truly prioritize the well-being and safety of all Shelby County’s residents.

Opinion: Let Memphis choose its own leadership

Statements on Current Events | 06/27/2024

Kaleb Sy Rising Sophomore at Columbia University, Honor Graduate of East High School

In recent years, Memphians have decisively chosen Democratic leadership in 2018 and 2022, most notably electing Steve Mulroy to become Shelby County’s district attorney general. Despite this clear preference, the Tennessee Republican Party is determined to reclaim power in Shelby County, hearkening back to a time when Republicans dominated local government. This determination was underscored at the Tennessee Republican’s Statesman Dinner in Nashville where Speaker Cameron Sexton boldly proclaimed, “One day we will turn Memphis red again, and I know that day is coming very soon.”

Instead of helping Memphis with our apparent crime problem, mitigating the proliferation of guns in our communities that claim the lives of innocent children every day and assisting our local school district with a projected $1 billion in deferred maintenance, Speaker Sexton would rather force political representation in Memphis that reflects the degrading moral compass of the Tennessee Republican Party. Instead, why is the Tennessee Republican Party not pushing a platform with sensible solutions to the pressing issues our city faces and letting the voters decide on who represents them at City Hall, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners and the state Legislature? I argue Sexton’s comment reflects a desire for one-party rule in all levels of government instead of allowing the electorate to make that determination at the ballot box. It is important to highlight Sexton’s comment is a part of the nationwide Republican disdain for voters’ choice in liberal cities by electing Democrats to city and countywide offices.

It is hard not to reflect that during the 2020 redistricting cycle, the state Legislature drew Tennessee’s 9th congressional district to include portions of rural Tipton County which overwhelmingly votes Republican. This move makes the 9th congressional district more competitive than years prior. With Speaker Sexton’s comment, I argue Republicans will try to further gerrymander the 9th Congressional District during the 2030 redistricting cycle so a moderate Republican could pose a serious challenge to the Democratic stronghold. We can look to Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District and see how the legislature cracked Nashville into 3 congressional districts to weaken the Democratic stronghold to see Sexton’s intentions were made clear with his recent comment.

I urge the Shelby County and Tennessee Democratic Party not to wait for the Republican plan to come to fruition but to act now. Chairman Remus and the Shelby County Democratic Party need to strategically coordinate efforts to mobilize voter turnout and educate voters on some of the extreme policies from the Republican caucus impacting our city. In addition, Democrats should foster consensus around solutions and craft a strategic plan to tackle issues like youth crime and reckless driving.

My message to the Tennessee Republican Party and Speaker Sexton is Memphians are no fools. We are smart and capable enough to elect our representation, and we do not need your help in making decisions for who we choose to represent us.

I cannot speak for Speaker Sexton, but it is obvious to me our state government does not care about the residents of Memphis unless we can add more money to the state budget or Republican politicians can use our city as a breeding ground to exploit our problems for Republican state officials seeking higher office. We shall wait to see which politicians respond to the rallying cry of Speaker Sexton. Unfortunately, only time will tell.

This article was originally published in the Daily Memphian. Kaleb Sy is a rising sophomore at Columbia University and an honor graduate of East High School. He is a member of the Columbia Black Pre-Law Society, and a writer for the Black Pre-Law Journal and the Columbia Policy Institute.

Rev. Dr. James M. Lawson Leaves Us Each with a Legacy of Courage, Commitment and Wisdom – No Matter What!

Current Events | 06/18/2024

Susanne Jackson Education Equity Advocate

A Memphis Centenarian since June of 1962, Rev. Dr. James M. Lawson quickly began nonviolent workshops as the new pastor in the deeply segregated South. Some may have thought he was following in the footsteps of the courageous Rev. H. B. Gibson who led the Memphis NAACP and pastored Centenary. Yet, Dr. Lawson already had a civil rights activist history, having studied the nonviolent movement of Mahatma Gandhi in India while a missionary there for three years.

Dr. Lawson trained civil rights activists in Nashville and was integrally involved in the demonstrations himself – not just the trainings. He was expelled from Vanderbilt University after being arrested for protests, though decades later was honored when Vanderbilt established the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements.

Dr. Lawson counseled Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his nonviolent journey that helped upend at least some of the all-intrusive daily oppressive experiences of many Black people living in the South. Dr. Lawson called mightily on that relationship when he (along with a few others) asked Dr. King to take a detour from strategizing for the National Poor Peoples Campaign to bring his support to the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike. As Memphis city government had just moved to a Mayor-Council form of government, the workers were seeking basic respect (reflected in their “I Am A Man” signs), a slight increase in pay for their grueling work, as well as equitable working conditions and union representation.

Folks were used to meeting at Centenary for civil rights. James Meredith’s solitary March Against Fear on June 6, 1966 was halted by a sniper’s bullet striking Meredith to the ground. Leaders met at Centenary and soon more than 600 people gathered there. Twenty-one marchers led by Dr. King–and tirelessly encouraged by Rev. Lawson–staunchly continued the nonviolent march down Highway 51 South, despite first being shoved by Mississippi State Troopers.

As some elders shared, sometimes the sanctuary on Sunday dwindled to 30 brave Centenarians. Some may have thought the Pastor had gone too far – or feared the all too real threats and attacks hurled at the Pastor and church members, even at their workplaces. Dr. Lawson was not deterred. Undaunted, he continued with his steadfast advocacy for equity and justice with the few who were willing, using the nonviolent methods he learned from Gandhi’s practices.

He took communion and compassion to the members at their homes, so he could maintain pastoral relationships with the people who could not (or would not) attend in person. He knew the organizing, the actions, and public messages were needed. He hoped, prayed, trained, taught and brought the power of people and God to lift the numbers of supporters from a few to many, even to far distant souls who resonated with the vision and promise of Black people living and thriving in peace with dignity, doing more than merely surviving under daily discrimination.

Dr. Lawson had faced the attacks before.

In fact, he had helped train John Lewis, Diane Nash, James Bevel, Marion Barry, Bernard Lafayette, and countless others in nonviolent theory and practice. They in turn created and led sit-ins, Freedom Rides, children’s marches and voting rights campaigns that led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act.

To withstand the attacks of white supremacists (segregationists to the core), they rehearsed scenarios, practiced patience and valor, and continued to be nonviolent even when verbal or physical attacks were launched against them. The theory and practice of nonviolence required intense discipline, great strength, and immersion in the lived experience of “turning the other cheek” to arouse the conscience of a nation to recognize humanity in us all.

Dr. Lawson was in Memphis from 1961 to 1974 when he became Pastor of Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles until 1999, where he later served as pastor emeritus. He continued nonviolent trainings into his 90’s, and his advocacy with workers and others created substantial changes in lives. His work with the Los Angeles hotel workers union achieved higher wages and improved working conditions by mobilizing sit-ins, hunger strikes, and civil disobedience protests.

Dr. Lawson lived a rich life dedicated to uplifting Black liberation, and he leaves each of us with his legacy of courage, commitment and wisdom – no matter what!

The Memphis Power Fellowship is Off to a Strong Start!

Who We Are | 05/16/2024

Aerris Newton Director of Government Affairs

Building off of the big success of last December’s Memphis Power Summit, we teamed up with The Equity Alliance and Memphis for All to kick off the Memphis Power Fellowship last month! For the past month, the Power Fellows have been deepening their understanding of the organizing and political landscape in Memphis and Shelby County by attending community events and trainings, including City Council’s Day at the Hall at the end of April. Through events like this, they’re learning who some of the key decision makers are and how community events operate, so they have a strong foundation for being effective change makers and amplifying community voice in passing policies that will make the future brighter for us all.

Over the next several months, the Power Fellows will learn about the interconnection of communication and organizing, and they’ll sharpen their skills in public communications, media relations, canvassing, mobilizing community members, and policy advocacy. They’re currently learning about crowd canvassing and how to write a script that engages people and keeps the conversation going about issues that impact our day-to-day lives. They’ll practice those skills at crowd and door-to-door canvasses during their time with us to get out the vote for our local elections, advocate for a moral budget, and other justice actions that arise throughout the year.

Keep an eye out for the Power Fellows, and stay tuned for more updates!

Help Cardell Celebrate the Big 5-0!

Who We Are | 04/26/2024

Cardell Orrin Executive Director

Many milestones of my life come in 5s and 10s, and besides turning 50 on Saturday, this year marks:

25 years back in Memphis
20 years in Memphis politics
10 years at Stand for Children – Tennessee

Throughout these years, my greatest privilege has been working alongside countless brilliant adults and youth to build real, lasting community power that will bring the changes we need for a brighter Memphis where all of us – especially Black youth, families, and communities – have the chance to thrive and live our best lives. I’m extremely proud of the impact and work that we’ve built together at Stand for Children TN over the last 10 years.This year, I’m hoping you can help me mark these milestones in a big way! Please help me celebrate with a special donation of $50 (or any multiple of 10 or 50) for my 50th birthday and 10th year at Stand. With your continued support, we can keep building true power and liberate ALL Memphians from the status quo that has kept us down for too long.

This picture of me and my parents reminds me of how I learned early on that sitting out is never an option: my mom and dad lived and breathed activism and community engagement.

After the assassination of Dr. King, my dad (later differentiated as Big Cardell) helped organize a weekly student walkout protest (Black Mondays) that ended up leading to the first Black Memphis School Board Members. With Momentum Memphis, the Moral Budget Coalition, and the Justice & Safety Alliance, we’re continuing the fight for education equity by dismantling the lingering effects of segregation through fully funded public schools, ensuring our students learn comprehensive and truthful history, and breaking the school-to-prison pipeline.

Many of you may know (or have seen around) my mom, Susanne, a true force for social justice. As a kid, she “dragged” me and my sisters to school board meetings, marches, and protests all around Memphis to fight for justice, equity, and building parental power to make sure all students received a high-quality education. She not only instilled in me the importance of ensuring everyone has access to education and opportunity, but also the importance of community strength. Early in my Memphis political career, you might have even seen me and my mom on opposite sides of campaigns, as I charted my own path to change based on the values and independence she taught me. I’m proud to continue building power through our coalitions and supporting values-aligned candidates from our endorsement process (where you can usually find Susanne sitting on the endorsement committee).

My parents taught me that change doesn’t happen alone, and it doesn’t happen in silos. Since coming back to Memphis 25 years ago, my most meaningful work has been building power in coalition with changemakers across the city. As I shift into the old guy in the room, I also look forward to supporting great new leaders rising up in our community. Even though we still have a ways to go before reaching those changes that will really move Memphis forward, I know we can get there together.

To celebrate my 50th birthday, 10 year Standversary, and the legacy we all carry forward towards justice, please consider donating $50, $10, $100, $250 (or any multiple of 10 or 50) to Stand for Children Tennessee. Together, we’ll be the power we need to create a flourishing Memphis and beyond, now and for future generations!

Many thanks to all those who have walked this path with me, supported me, challenged me, fought with me, and helped me learn and grow!

Local and Statewide Organizations Set the Record Straight on Blended Sentencing

Legislation | 04/18/2024

Cardell Orrin Executive Director

Local and statewide organizations sent the below letter to state elected officials, Memphis Mayor Paul Young, and other Memphis/Shelby County leaders to set the record straight on what “blended sentencing” (as proposed in HB0430) truly means for our young people. As amended by Speaker Sexton, blended sentencing could result in children as young as 14 years old getting sentenced to an automatic five years in adult prison upon turning 19, without the right to a jury trial and even if they have not committed another offense.

A representative from our coalition hand-delivered the letter to HB0430 / SB0624’s sponsors, Rep. Mark White and Sen. Brent Taylor, during the People Against the State of TN rally on Wednesday, April 17. Today (Thursday, April 18), we sent it to Mayor Young, Mayor Harris, DA Mulroy, Judge Sugarmon, and other Memphis/Shelby County Leaders to correct misinformation and misunderstanding about blended sentencing that continue to proliferate in our community. The disturbing (and potentially unconstitutional) measures in this bill demonstrate the dangers in ongoing encouragement for the state to pass tough-on-crime legislation, as we saw with the recent letter to Gov. Lee from the Memphis Chamber and Chairman’s Circle.

We all want to see the thriving, flourishing, future-ready Memphis that Mayor Young outlined in his 100 Days Address, but throwing our young people into a cycle of punishment without a chance for rehabilitation will not lead us to that inspiring vision. We encourage our local elected and unelected leaders to do everything in their power to fight this bill in favor of enacting and funding restorative, rehabilitative, and preventive solutions.

Dear Shelby County and Memphis Leaders,

We are writing as your constituents and organizations concerned about community safety and rehabilitation for our youth. Many of our organizations and community members from various stakeholder groups have called for a means through which rehabilitative services can be provided to youth after their 19th birthday, without sending those youth to adult prison facilities.

Some of these organizations have also expressed support for an alternative to transferring youth to adult court when they are accused of committing serious offenses, particularly when they are close to aging out of the juvenile system. Generally referred to as “blended sentencing”, the term has referred to a broad range of potential policy implementations that may or may not align with goals to support youth, increase safety, limit harm, and prevent net widening for young people into the adult system.

Unfortunately, current legislation being presented as blended sentencing legislation does not meet these goals. We believe it is important to be clear on the current bills making their way through the legislature and encourage our elected leaders to stand against those that do not deliver on the initial promise of “blended sentencing.”

For months, HB0430 has been marketed as the blended sentencing proposal that would establish a rehabilitative alternative for youth considered for adult transfer. We are tremendously concerned and disappointed that the current bill does not deliver on this promise, primarily due to amendments from Speaker Sexton. Instead of creating alternatives to transfer, the bill:

establishes a new mandatory transfer pathway,
explicitly authorizes youth to be incarcerated in adult prisons without the right to a jury trial,
and forces judges to incarcerate youth in adult prisons after they have completed their juvenile sentences, even if they have not committed any new offenses.

As amended, this bill increases harm to youth, removes due process, and opens the floodgates to send young people to adult prison. In short, the bill now bears little resemblance to what we originally believed blended sentencing would bring to our community.

While we were told that blended sentencing could help to reduce youth imprisonment and recidivism by providing new rehabilitative services for young people within the juvenile system without the need to transfer them to adult prison, there is no funding attached to the bill for anything other than incarceration. The fiscal note on the bill dated March 5, 2024 has no mention of new spending on rehabilitative services, supervision, community-based services, or anything other than custody provided by the Department of Children’s services for youth while they remain in the juvenile system. Simply stated, the state fiscal assessment says that this bill will provide no new funds that might help prevent a young person from being sent to adult prison.

Similarly, we were told that blended sentencing could support young people by extending juvenile jurisdiction to provide a more developmentally appropriate environment and additional supports for emerging adults under 25. Once again, there is no language in the bill about rehabilitative services for youth over 19, only a statement that the youth will be committed “to the supervision of the department of correction” and that the youth “in a secure facility must be housed separate and removed from the general population.” The state fiscal assessment determined this bill will REQUIRE increased incarceration expenditures by the Department of Correction for youth over 19. This portion of the bill seems to be half-baked based on the promised solutions blended sentencing could provide, and ends up being a proposal to simply incarcerate young people in adult prisons under the false claim of “rehabilitation.”

From our analysis, HB0430 will not meet the calls from community members, organizations, and elected officials for increasing safety, decreasing the direct transfer of youth to adult prison, and increasing youth rehabilitation opportunities. As it currently stands, the bill clearly does not align with our shared commitment to fostering environments where young community members can learn from their mistakes and grow into responsible adults.

We must challenge proponents of blended sentencing to safeguard the rights and rehabilitation of our children. We encourage you to stand against any proposal that fails to affirmatively answer the following essential questions. This list serves as a quick and straightforward litmus test to evaluate the merits of proposed blended sentencing legislation:

Is the proposal limited to older youth who have committed serious offenses who might otherwise not have time to be rehabilitated in the juvenile system?
Does the proposal provide additional resources and opportunities for rehabilitation to reduce recidivism and improve access to education, employment, and other outcomes for young people?
Does the proposal avoid mandatory transfers of youth to adult court or adult facilities, allowing for individualized consideration based on the specifics of each case?
Are there due process protections comparable to those in transfer proceedings before a youth is sent to adult court, ensuring that we are not creating an easier path to adult prison with less due process?
Do young people have an explicit right to counsel in all proceedings?
Is there a presumption that the adult sentence is suspended unless the state actively seeks its imposition?
Do the criteria for deciding whether a youth will receive the adult portion of their sentence offer multiple avenues to demonstrate successful rehabilitation, avoiding triggers based on non-criminal behavior?
Does a youth have the right to petition for a review of their sentence?
Does the adult sentence include probation, parole, or other community based options that allow youth to reintegrate into society?

Recognizing that HB0430 cannot answer “yes” to these questions, we should ask every proponent of the original promise of “blended sentencing” where they stand on ensuring that any final law meets these requirements. This may be Speaker Sexton’s version of blended sentencing, but it is not what we have discussed for the last two years. We encourage all of our elected officials and community leaders who have expressed support for blended sentencing in the past to let it be known that this is not the form of blended sentencing that Memphis & Shelby County want or need.

In Support of Safety and Our Young People,

ACLU of Tennessee
Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis (BCCM)
Just City
Memphis Artists for Change
Memphis for All
MICAH – Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope
Shelby Countywide Juvenile Justice Consortium
Stand for Children – Tennessee
The Equity Alliance
Whole Child Strategies
Youth Justice Action Council (YJAC)

Reimagine Policing to Bend the Arc Towards Justice

Current Events | 01/15/2024

Cardell Orrin Executive Director

Over the past year, we’ve seen our community carry the spirit of Dr. King forward in the fight for true justice for Tyre Nichols and so many others. We’ve worked to embody that same spirit in our fierce commitment to clearly defining real safety, which means valuing and investing in our people and communities. At the same time, crime is at the top of mind and center of conversation for most people right now.

With all this in mind, I thought this King Day would be a good opportunity to revisit the Policing Reimagined report from the Justice & Safety Alliance. The report grounds us in the history of policing (national and local) and provides evidence-based solutions with alternatives to policing.

Dr. King was often vocal in his calls to end police brutality across the country, including in a less frequently quoted part of his “I Have A Dream” speech: “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.” He understood that a culture of violence within policing is a systemic issue, not just a problem of a few “bad apples.” While the life-saving police reforms passed in City Council and the DOJ’s pattern or practice investigation of MPD are real steps forward, we need to go further. We must also remain vigilant and continue to push forward when leaders like Mayor Jim Strickland embody the spirit of the “white moderate” that Dr. King warned us about.

Violence in our community, whether from police or crime, is a reflection of our values, beliefs, and policies. The beliefs that allowed those police officers to devalue Tyre Nichols’ life so much, are the same as those that allow our governments to pass budgets that devalue our people and communities – refusing to make the investments we know are needed to achieve real safety for all. The solutions are available, but we must push past our accepted culture of the status quo (cultivated by a history of racism) to get to them.

The current conversation of crime in Memphis & Shelby County is no different. We cannot continue to allow the status quo to dominate with reflexive demands for more police, prosecution, and punishment. We must focus on solutions that center the inherent value of all people. We can chart a course forward that has both accountability and a clearer moral arc towards the justice Dr. King preached.
The solutions presented in the Policing Reimagined report are the opportunities to build the equitable, just, and safe community that we all want to call home, and we can’t wait to work with you to make them a reality.

2023 in Review: A year of movement, challenges, and hope

Current Events | 12/28/2023

Cardell Orrin Executive Director

We were able to accomplish a great deal in 2023, working in Memphis, Shelby County and at the state level. Increasingly, we have focused on building coalitions and partnerships to increase our impact and effectiveness. We can’t thank enough the wonderful organizations and people who we are privileged to work alongside in this fight for justice. We wanted to take a minute to reflect on these collective wins and share them with you for a dose of inspiration as we close out the year.

Advancing Justice and Safety

The Justice & Safety Alliance (JSA) hosted a well-attended community healing event following the police killing of Tyre Nichols, bringing community members together to take a breath and connect in our shared determination to prevent future instances of police brutality.
When MPD’s “draft” presentation of their plan to potentially harass and violate the rights of young people downtown (Juvenile Crime Abatement Program) was leaked, Stand worked with JSA to lead the public outcry and ensure the public understood the implications of this proposed program and pushed against it.
Following the lead of Official Black Lives Matter Memphis and Decarcerate Memphis, JSA helped support the tireless activism and advocacy that pushed the City Council to pass critical policing reforms. This support included hosting an online action–through our collective efforts we galvanized nearly 1000 Memphians to email City Council in support of the ordinances.
During August’s Special Legislative Session, we worked with organizations statewide on youth justice issues, including the work to eliminate youth fines and fees. Together, we developed a bill tracker, sent out regular communications to keep the public informed, and recruited diverse local and statewide organizations to sign on to our open letter opposing a dangerous blended sentencing bill (HB 7073).
We supported advocacy led by justice-impacted and adjacent youth with the Youth Justice Action Council (YJAC). They took their 2nd tour of the new county detention center, engaged in the city elections by releasing the YJAC City Level Demands and participating in candidate forums, partnered with Power Poll Memphis to create the “We’re Sick of It! – Changing the Narrative Around Youth Violence in Memphis” interactive event, and conducted research working alongside U of M Public Health Professor Dr. Jennifer Turchi. Check out their podcast: “That’s Not How We Do It Here,” wherever you get your podcasts!
After historic wins in 2022 with new District Attorney and Juvenile Court Judge, our efforts turned towards seeing those elections produce results for increasing justice and safety by supporting the new administrations of DA Steve Mulroy and Judge Tarik Sugarmon. We have worked closely with those offices, attending DA Mulroy’s Public Safety Summit and supporting several other efforts.
We partnered with Innovate Memphis in receiving a grant to develop a justice data dashboard. We held sessions with community members to learn what data people were most interested in, how they would want to see the data, and what they might do in their communities with more accessible data.

Strengthening Democracy

Our advocacy led to the most transparent redistricting process for the Memphis City Council in decades. Following up on the successful coalition advocacy in 2022 calling for a public redistricting committee in 2022, we continued to advocate in the redistricting process as several council members and the Council attorney continued to work against transparency and fair representation. We worked with partners to submit community-created redistricting maps, mobilized support, and pushed the council to have public review of districts that would shape the city for the next 10 years.
After the all-time low turnouts in the city elections, we mobilized Memphians to urge City Council to return the power to the people in shaping future elections. Our advocacy and your emails to Council led to the passage of a critical ballot question that will ask voters whether to reinstate runoff elections for the Mayor’s race, a significant step towards making future elections easier to navigate.

Investing in People and Communities

Based on our efforts with the Moral Budget Coalition’s 2022 Community-Centered Budgeting Process and multi-year push for greater community involvement in the budgeting process, Shelby County Government developed its own interactive tool for the public to send input on the budget directly to the Mayor’s Office and Commission. This was a big win for public involvement, and we’re ready to mobilize to advocate for a Moral Budget in 2024 and beyond!

Electoral Successes and Advocacy:

After his unjust expulsion from the Tennessee State House, our stellar endorsement committee swiftly reconvened to endorse Representative Justin J. Pearson in the special election, which he won decisively.
Working closely with Rep. Pearson and his team, we launched an independent campaign in the Memphis Mayor’s race—our work and investments avoided worst-case scenarios and prevented Sheriff Floyd Bonner from becoming mayor. We look forward to working with Mayor-Elect Paul Young as he takes office in January!
With the People for Fairness and Justice, we celebrated victories in 8 out of 13 City Council districts, including three significant runoffs that led to the first majority female Memphis City Council! We’re excited to keep strengthening this coalition for future elections.

Supporting our Students in their Education Success

We partnered with EdTrust to develop and advocate for state legislation that requires the TN Dept of Education to report on 9th grade on-track metrics and their use in other states. Ninth grade is a critical year in a student’s education–students who are on-track by the end of their freshman year are up to four times more likely to graduate than off-track peers. Center for High School Success Director Lori Oduyoye gave an excellent testimony in support of HB 1295, which passed into law and was one of the winners of EdTrust TN’s Ten for Tennessee award!
With Momentum Memphis, we hosted town halls to raise awareness of the Third Grade Retention law that was implemented this year and supported statewide efforts to push back on the law.
We continued to work with early literacy efforts including engagement in the development of MSCS’s Community Partnership Plan, serving on the MSCS Strategic Partners for Literacy, and continued support for the Early Literacy Consortium to strategize ways that the overall community can be involved and support literacy development across the city.

Developing Leaders of the Future

Our 2023 cohort of fellows spent the year honing their skills and boosting their confidence as community organizers. They had opportunities to engage with our collaborative efforts with coalition partners, actively engage in the field through impactful deep-canvassing initiatives, and participate in City Council and School Board meetings around justice and safety issues.
We capped the year off with The Memphis Power Summit, which was more than an event–it was a catalyst for inspiration and change, reminding us of how powerful we are when we come together.

These wins did not happen in a vacuum and aren’t just successes of Stand TN. Most of the work we do is in coalition and partnership with organizations and people across the city, county, state, and country, because we know that we cannot create lasting systemic change alone. The fight for a more just world where we all have what we need to thrive is ongoing, and in 2023, we were proud to work with and support Memphis organizers and advocates who put in countless hours of work to take steps forward. We owe so much to today’s organizers, and to those on whose shoulders we stand.

I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together in 2024!

A Weekend of Inspiration: Inside the Memphis Power Summit

Community Organizing | 12/21/2023

Makenzie Graham Marketing & Communications Manager

The Memphis Power Summit, which took place on December 16, was a stirring reminder of the power of unity and purpose in community organizing. More than 60 change makers gathered for a day of skill-building workshops and networking, marking a significant moment for those dedicated to shaping a better future.

The summit kicked off with a vibrant mixer at Mahogany Memphis the night before, setting a tone of camaraderie and collaboration. Local elected officials, including Memphis City Council Chair JB Smiley, newly elected Council Member Jerri Green, Shelby County Commission Budget Chair Michael Whaley, and Memphis Shelby County Schools Board Member Mauricio Calvo, mingled with attendees. To close out the mixer, Rep. Justin J. Pearson laid the groundwork for a day of meaningful exchange and learning.

Saturday’s sessions spanned a spectrum of crucial topics – local advocacy, leadership development, member recruitment, power mapping, fundraising, co-governance, media relations, and notably, the integration of AI in advocacy. The environment buzzed with dynamic conversations, as participants shared insights and forged new connections.

A significant segment of the summit was the lunchtime panel on healing and community care. Spearheaded by experts Tikeila Rucker, Tameka Greer, Vahisha Hasan, and Giovanni Dortch, the panel emphasized the importance of mental and emotional well-being in advocacy work. Here, participants gained strategies and insights on preventing burnout and sustaining hope amidst the relentless pace of change-making.

Adding a practical touch to the event, Memphis Film Works provided a mobile headshot photo booth, a hit among attendees. The opportunity to refresh professional portraits was a thoughtful addition, underscoring the summit’s attention to the diverse needs of community organizers.

In a tranquil corner of the summit, the Healing/Reset Room, curated by Jackie O. from the Memphis Black Healers Collective, offered a sanctuary. Here, a massage therapist worked wonders in 15-minute sessions, reminding everyone of the importance of self-care in the taxing world of advocacy.

Chuja Marie, a participant, encapsulated the spirit of the summit: “Walking into the Power Summit made me feel powerful. Rep. Pearson’s presence was like a spark igniting a flame, making me believe that anything is possible.”

The success of the summit has already sparked conversations about future events, with many attendees eager for continued collaboration and learning. The organizers have promised to return in 2024, calling for community input to shape future sessions.

The Memphis Power Summit was not just a conference; it was a celebration of community spirit and a testament to the belief that together, we can forge a path to a better tomorrow.

The Fight for A Safe, Healthy, and Just Memphis Continues!

Elections | 10/9/2023

Cardell Orrin Executive Director

We want to extend a sincere congratulations to Mayor-Elect Paul Young on winning a tough election with a crowded field of candidates. After a hard-fought race, we look forward to coming together and finding alignment on our shared goals of bringing a brighter future to the Memphis we all love.

As the mayoral race got underway, we understood that we were engaged in a fight for the future of Memphis. This election season held immense significance, as it determined the trajectory of our city – whether we would move Memphis forward towards a future where ALL communities have what they need to live a dignified life; or whether we would succumb to stagnation and continue pushing the status quo that over-criminalizes and leaves many of our people behind.

Local offices, like the Mayor and City Council, are the offices that will most directly and immediately impact the lives of everyday Memphians. But the further we get from national and presidential politics, the lower voter engagement and turnout tends to be. Recognizing this trend, we made the conscious decision to invest heavily in this election so we could provide information and recommendations to voters and supporters–both in terms of which candidates were the most and least fit to become the next mayor.

When we began this fight for Memphis, we used a rigorous endorsement process with a committed team of representative community members to vet the candidates. Through this process, we identified certain individuals who we believed should not lead our city. In that regard, we saw real wins: through public communications and voter outreach, we helped thwart what could have been a detrimental outcome by preventing Sheriff Bonner or former Mayor Herenton from becoming mayor. This, in itself, is a win in the fight for Memphis.

Van Turner emerged from our endorsement process as the candidate with the strongest track record who most closely aligned with our values of investing in people and communities, improving the lives of youth and families, and creating sustainable policies and holistic solutions that address poverty as the real root of crime. He took a stand in this election, and we commend him for his unwavering commitment to the people of Memphis. We express our gratitude to him for his courage and for running a race that supported the movement for change.

We will continue forward from where we left off, building upon the strong victories of this election cycle. It is a true triumph that the fear-mongering tactics and emphasis on crime and punitive justice so prominent in the Bonner and Strickland campaigns failed to prevail. Regrettably, these tactics seemed to have an impact in some of the City Council races, but we successfully averted the worst-case scenarios in the mayoral race.

We stand in solidarity with the progressive elected officials who united behind Van Turner to support a new path forward for Memphis. Our hope has always been to build upon the successes of last year’s elections, which saw the victories of District Attorney Steve Mulroy, Mayor Lee Harris, and Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon. The 2022 elections resulted in winning key allies for criminal justice, youth justice, and county leadership. We’re hopeful that Mayor-Elect Young will prove to be an ally in city leadership as we continue to advocate for our goals.

I must extend a special thanks to Justin J. Pearson and the Movement for Justice team for their invaluable partnership in this fight for Memphis. Representative Pearson demonstrated a level of courage and risk-taking that is often rare among newly elected officials. He invested his time, energy, and resources into what he saw as the path forward for Memphis – one of the most critical decisions our city will make in the next decade. We must continue to work together, looking towards the future with determination and hope.

In our pursuit of progress, we will continue collaborating with our partners to engage voters, promote civic participation, and advocate for the values and principles that will shape Memphis into a city of inclusivity, justice, and prosperity. We remain committed to the fight for Memphis, recognizing that the journey towards transformation is not always straightforward but is always worthy of our dedication.

We look forward to joining with Mayor-Elect Paul Young in the fight for a healthier, safer, and more just Memphis during his tenure, and we will keep our focus on how we continue to progress towards our goals of achieving educational equity and racial justice.