Category: Current Events

Today as we pause to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, we’re reflecting on his statement from a 1964 speech: “the field of education has been a battleground in the freedom struggle.” We’re especially feeling the truth of that statement in Memphis today. Over the past several weeks, we’ve been ringing the alarm and mobilizing people to oppose Rep. Mark White’s takeover bill of MSCS—a bill that, in its latest form, is even more concerning than we initially feared. If the House version is enacted, it could take virtually all authority away from our locally elected school board. If the Senate version passes, the state would be free to remove duly elected officials from office. Each of these scenarios strips power away from the voters of Memphis and Shelby County, and neither have any proof that doing so will help our children succeed. That should worry anyone who cares about democracy and public education.

This is not an automatic takeover, but it’s absolutely designed to target MSCS by tying takeovers to certain criteria that specifically apply to our district. We need to be very clear: Disenfranchising even more voters will not help our schools. Punishing poverty will not improve student outcomes.

This legislation won’t magically fix funding shortfalls, teacher shortages, or any of the systemic barriers that limit opportunity. There are better paths forward: meaningful partnerships between local governing bodies and the public, stable supports, and real resources. Imagine what we could accomplish if we directed our energy–and budget–to proven solutions instead of wasteful bills and potential litigation.

Yet even though this reality seems bleak, we can’t give in to despair. While accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, Dr. King said, “I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history… I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.” 

That’s the audacity we need in Memphis right now–the audacity to push back on dangerous precedents that could one day extend beyond school boards and erode power from other locally elected bodies. The audacity to believe that even when attempts are made to silence our vote, local leadership, and public voices, we can and will stand together and demand better for our children.

On this anniversary, all of us at Stand commit to carrying that audacity forward. We’re fighting not just to block a misguided takeover, but to build the high-quality public school system our students deserve. We urge every parent, educator, and neighbor to join us in demanding real solutions and real investments–democracy, education, and justice are on the line. Dr. King’s vision calls on us to keep fighting, and we do so with unwavering faith that “the moral arc of the universe” still bends toward justice–if we stand up and pull it that way.

This King Day, we’re full of deep gratitude for everyone who joined us at the 2025 Memphis Power Summit – the Movement lives in Memphis! The event was a powerful reminder that, even in the face of challenges, we can always turn to beloved community to keep the fight for justice going. During the Summit, we found inspiration, built connections, and equipped ourselves with tools to address the challenges that lie ahead at the local, state, and federal levels. Your presence and commitment have energized us for the journey ahead.

Today, as we honor Dr. King’s legacy, we also mark a moment in our nation’s history that demands our attention: our country is once again inaugurating a man who embodies the systemic forces that murdered Dr. King and worked to silence the movement’s calls for justice. These are the same forces that continue to perpetuate inequality and oppression today. Dr. King spoke truth to power and called for basic dignity and the right for every person not only to survive but to thrive, which made those who benefit from systems of white supremacy and inequity feel threatened. To move forward, we must acknowledge that system’s grip on our history and its persistence in our present, but we will not let it prevail into the future.

Dr. King was right: the movement lives or dies in Memphis. Our city has always been a battleground for justice, and we must continue to work with clarity, courage, and determination. The overwhelming turnout and interest in this year’s Memphis Power Summit show that people are ready to take meaningful strategic action and fight for the necessary changes that will move us closer to justice. 

As we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and the enduring movement, we reaffirm our commitment to creating a future where all of us—and our children—can grow, learn, play, and thrive. 

Thank you for standing with us, for showing up, and for continuing the fight for a brighter, more equitable future in Memphis, Shelby County, and beyond.

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!

Sunday’s rally to Combat Gun Violence and Empower Youth and Black Voters held in Memphis before the start of the special session was a powerful display of solidarity for area youth and key issues affecting their lives. Various community organizations came together to provide activities, resources, and information about critical topics like voting and public safety.

The event featured notable speakers like District Attorney Steve Cohen, State Representative G.A. Hardaway, District Representative Justin Pearson, and mayoral candidates Van Turner and Brandon Price. Rep. Pearson gave a passionate opening prayer that ignited spirits and set the tone for the important week ahead. Throughout the event, Rep. Pearson and other officials made time to speak directly with youth leaders in attendance.

Several speakers called for greater community accountability to stop gun violence, sharing lessons from their own past experiences to empathize with youth today. Others discussed how poverty, lack of resources, and neglect in many communities cause individuals to resort to violence out of desperation. Speakers emphasized the need for public officials and institutions to address these root causes. Other speakers called for recognizing the emotional toll of combating violence, and encouraged leaders to persist in doing this vital work while making time to rest and take care of themselves.

The rally included many engaging activities for young people. Game Changers provided chess games, Memphis Artists for Change performed socially conscious music, and youth poet Trekeria shared impactful works written during her experiences as a young person in the youth justice system. Attendees found relief from the heat with a food truck, water ice stand, and a bounce house. Voter registration and music from a DJ created an atmosphere of empowerment and community.

The Combating Gun Violence and Empowering Youth and Black Voters Rally brought people together to support Memphis youth, connect them with resources, and amplify their voices. The event offered hope for creating a more just and compassionate future through solidarity, civic engagement, and addressing core needs. United alongside youth, we will continue to push for a safe, just, and thriving future for our young people today, and generations to come!

Our hearts are with everyone who experienced The Covenant School shooting on Monday, March 27. Nothing will bring those children and educators back, but we can channel our grief and rage into action so gun violence stops being a “normal” part of school life.

Before we dive into actions, we encourage everyone to prioritize your mental health & remember, in the face of tragedy, you are never alone. If you or any loved ones need support, here are some resources to get you started:

• Child Mind Institute: Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event: http://bit.ly/3nsRRbG 
• National Public Distress Helpline: http://bit.ly/3zdEMG6
  • If you need to speak to a crisis counselor immediately, call or text 1-800-985-5990
• Office for Victims of Crime (@OJPOVC) : http://bit.ly/3FWtU2O

As we discuss the “why” behind these tragedies and how we can prevent them in the future, we must state the obvious: gun violence would not exist without guns. TN’s irresponsibly lax gun laws are merely choices: the majority of our lawmakers are actively choosing to accept, allow, and enable gun violence with every vote they take to strip our gun laws and all the fear-mongering they push to sell more guns. In fact, Tennessee has some of the weakest gun laws in the country, and we’re now in a place where guns are the leading cause of death among Tennessee children and teens.

Despite the choices politicians make, Tennesseans across race, place, and background know our children’s worth. Our voices matter. Together, we can call on our current elected officials to enact meaningful change and elect future leaders who truly understand the value of our children. Join the call for common sense gun reform and connect with groups already engaged in the work: https://forwardtn.org/gun-safety/ 

Advocating for more resources that center students’ mental and emotional wellbeing are also equally as important when we talk about student safety. How students feel in school carries into how they feel in the world. If they don’t feel supported in the place that’s supposed to lay the groundwork for their future, we are setting them up to fail. But we still need to remind many lawmakers in our General Assembly that everyone—regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression and identity—deserves to see themselves represented in libraries and school curricula and feel a sense of belonging and safety.

While extremist lawmakers will try to use the shooter’s transgender identity as fuel for their hateful agenda, we know that transgender and gender non-conforming people are far more likely to be victims of gun violence than perpetrators. TN’s anti-trans, anti-drag, and school censorship laws will only add to the cycle of trauma, simply due to some lawmakers’ unfounded fear of identities they don’t understand. Take action to stop these bills from harming more students: bit.ly/edtrustaction

Regardless of the laws passed in Nashville, we know teachers and faculty are doing the best they can in supporting and teaching kindness to students. Providing students with the proper support and resources in schools AND changing gun laws is the only way to prevent these tragedies for good. 

And we echo our partners: Safety does not mean increasing police presence in Black, Brown, and low income communities. It means passing common sense gun laws that protect our children and families from mass shootings and all other types of gun violence. It means passing trauma-informed and inclusive policies that create community and school spaces where everyone–regardless of race, class, gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, and ability–feels a sense of belonging and care.

We will keep The New Covenant students, staff, and families in our hearts as we continue to call for meaningful change from our current and future elected officials, so that no child, family, or educator experiences school gun violence again.

Over the past two weeks, and in the wake of hearing from his parents at the January 23 press conference, we have been holding Tyre Nichols and his loved ones in our hearts. We mourn another young life taken by an unacceptable and preventable act of police violence, and we join the calls for more transparency from the Memphis Police Department. Even though the individual officers involved in Tyre’s arrest and killing are starting to be held accountable, the fact remains that systemic racism and lack of accountability for law enforcement run deep throughout the entire criminal legal system. These systemic problems require systemic solutions, bringing us back to the urgent need to reimagine policing entirely.

The case is now a federal civil rights investigation, and the whole country’s eyes are once again on Memphis. True justice means making sure these acts of police brutality never happen again, and we will continue to work in beloved community to create a city where we are all free from police violence, where we all have our basic needs met, and where we all have the chance to not only survive, but thrive.