Category: Elections

A young girl sits in her 5th grade classroom eager. Her teacher delivers a rather ravishing and seemingly empowering lesson on the development of the Declaration of Independence. 

“Freedom,” she tells the class, “liberty and justice,” she delivers in a murmur. The stars glistened in her eyes as she envisioned a life for herself that was full of hope, prosperity, and happiness. By the time the girl returned home to her neighborhood, which was a 50-minute bus ride from her school, the sparkle in her eye slowly dwindled and reality had become more eminent than ever before. 

That 5th grade girl developed an uncanny understanding of two harsh, intangible obstacles living in her own backyard: disparity and inequity. That girl is me. 

Whenever I have an opportunity to partake in the democratic process of voting, I think of the fifth grade me who sat in class with an ambitious attitude and a heart full of hope, but also understood what the world around me told me was likely to be true for someone from my background. 

When I vote, I vote with the intention of representing the youth in our city who cannot have a voice in our elections yet, but deserve a world of justice, liberty, hope, and freedom. I vote for a community that can flourish and be allotted the opportunity to strive. I vote for representation that is authentic and passionate about equity.

Join me in exercising your right to vote for Memphis mayor and city council members. Early voting is open through Saturday, September 28. Election Day is October 3. Sign the pledge to vote now.

We’re excited to announce our education champions running in the 2019 Memphis election. Cast your vote with confidence that each of these leaders will act with urgency in office to raise our graduation rates and improve our education outcomes for Memphis youth.

Endorsed candidates:

• Tami Sawyer – Mayor
• Britney Thornton – District 4
• Michalyn Easter-Thomas – District 7
• Darrick Dee Harris – District 8-1
• Erica Sugarmon – District 9-1
• Mauricio Calvo – District 9-2
• Dr. Jeff Warren – District 9-3 

The City of Memphis Municipal Election will be held Thursday, October 3, 2019. Early voting will be held from Friday, September 13 through Saturday, September 28.

Voting in local elections is vitally important because it’s where we can make the most impact. This year in particular, we have an opportunity in Memphis to set a course for the future of our city – to decide whether we will preserve the status quo or whether we will move Memphis forward by electing progressive leadership that truly represents the interests and values of our community, no matter what neighborhood they might live in. That’s why we need to vote.

It’s no secret that alongside Memphis’ great history of civil rights activism is a long and troubled history of racism and poverty, crime and violence. The City of Memphis has not been “in the business of funding education,” as we are so often told by members of our City Council. In 2014, the city budget went from investing $65 million in K-12 education to $0. By comparison, our budget for police is over $270 million. These same elected officials seem dumbfounded about how to address our city’s issues of crime and poverty, particularly among our young people. Unfortunately, these are not issues that can be policed away.I’m a new Text block ready for your content.

As we close out our Bicentennial year, Memphis must look forward and decide what kind of legacy we want to leave to our children and future generations. That’s why this election is so important. We have an opportunity to change the tide and begin to address these issues with a plan for the future that includes real, substantial funding for the education of all our young people. That starts with electing leadership that is committed to equity and will stand for our children!

Sign the pledge to vote in the Memphis city election and make sure your voice is heard!

Early voting is underway and will run through Saturday, September 28.

Election Day is Thursday, October 3! Please encourage your friends, family members, and co-workers to get out and vote! The future of our City and our young people depend upon it!

Every election season, I take my children with me to the polls. I show them how the process works and tell them who I’m supporting and why. I explain how people before them made great sacrifices so that we could have the right to vote.

For generations, women and people of color in this country were denied a voice. And still today, there are some elected officials who try to stop us from exercising our right.

Don’t let them win. Vote!

I hope my kids – once they turn 18 – never take their right to vote for granted. I hope you won’t either.

At such a critical time in our country, voting is a simple yet powerful way to make your voice heard. It really can make a difference for your children and your community.  

With all that’s going on right now in Memphis, in Tennessee, and across the U.S., we can’t afford to be silent.

For too long in America’s past, entire groups of people were denied a say. This election, let’s all use our voices to write America’s future.

Make a plan to vote today.

With early voting for the Shelby County general election in full swing, now is a good time to reflect on the importance of voting and the role that it plays in shaping our communities – present and future. Politics at every level can often play out more like a poorly written television drama than the solemn workings of a democracy, so it is easy to become cynical or apathetic about it all and believe that your vote won’t make a difference. However, the results of local elections have a particularly big impact on our daily lives. 

On August 2, we will be electing the people who will set the policies and budgets for everything from land use, transportation, and public infrastructure to affordable housing, economic development, and public health. And, of course, public education. Our four Momentum Memphis platform areas, for example, are issues that are largely determined at the local level and will therefore be directly affected by the county election results.

As you head to the polls, remember that your vote is more than a numerical unit toward the overall sum. It is an affirmation of the principles of democracy and a direct, personal statement about how you want your community to be – not just for yourself, but for your children. It is an opportunity to convey your concerns and priorities to the people who can ultimately do something about them. It is an essential supplement to the advocacy work that you already do. If those reasons don’t already convince you, here’s one more – the simplest and most compelling reason that we can come up with:

Vote because you can.

Early voting continues through Saturday, July 28. Election Day is Thursday, August 2. Don’t miss your opportunity to make an impact.

Learn more about the power of your vote in our extended edition, “Because You Can.”

Stand for Children Tennessee proudly endorses the following slate of education champions in the Shelby County general election on August 2, 2018.

Shelby County Mayor: Lee Harris

Shelby County Board of Commissioners:

Mark Billingsley, District 4

Michael Whaley, District 5

Willie Brooks, Jr., District 6

Tami Sawyer, District 7

Mickell Lowery, District 8

Reginald Milton, District 10

Eddie Jones, Jr., District 11

Van Turner, District 12

Brandon Morrison, District 13

These candidates were selected by a diverse committee of dedicated, passionate students, parents, and community leaders through a multi-part endorsement process. Each of them have demonstrated a deep understanding of the issues that affect local students and families and have been identified as advocates who will make funding decisions that prioritize the educational needs of Shelby County’s youth.

Their commitment to improving student academic achievement and helping all young people reach their full potential will make them ideal allies in our mission to ensure that all children graduate from high school prepared for college or a career. Now is the time to elect education champions who share our commitment to the future success of our community’s youth.

Get ready for the Shelby County general election by registering to vote — or updating your registration — by July 3, 2018. Beat the crowd and cast your vote early during the early voting period, July 13-28. The date of the general election is August 2.

Make your voice heard on Election Day.

Challenging entrenched incumbent officials is a daunting task, but several courageous leaders across this city stepped up to the plate. Each of them ran respectful, thoughtful, and vigorous campaigns, and each of them made us incredibly proud to support them. Tonight those candidates fell short of victory, but we are prouder than ever of the leadership they’ve shown.

These races have been hard-fought and at times trying for all candidates and their supporters. That’s because the stakes for 86,000 students are so high. At Stand, we believed new leadership was of the utmost importance to improving outcomes for students, and we devoted enormous time, energy, and resources to electing that new leadership. But no one’s support could match the heart and soul that these candidates, their families and supporters poured into these races.

Now the campaigns are over, and we are committed to finding common ground. We should work together to support Dr. Shawn Joseph’s vision, ensure that there is a high-quality school in every neighborhood, and ensure that schools and families have the resources they need from pre-K through graduation. We should all work towards the same goal: a high-quality education for every child in Nashville.