Just a couple of weeks ago, we ended a blog post honoring Dr. King, writing: 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.
Over the last two months, we stood up and pulled.
With a diverse group, we led a powerful campaign to stop the state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools… and we won.
Alongside our partners in the Save Our Students coalition, we organized town halls, packed legislative hearings, published op-eds, and flooded lawmakers with emails and phone calls. We mobilized across Memphis and beyond, from thousands of text messages sent across the state to in-person testimony at the Capitol.
The takeover legislation is stalled until 2026, after failing to move out of conference committee where the sponsors couldn’t resolve key disagreements, many of which were raised repeatedly by our coalition’s public pressure. But “stalled” is the key word here: we have a two-year session, and since the bill is not technically “dead,” it could come back for a vote as early as January of 2026.
You can take immediate action to help us build on that work today!
We can’t back down now, because the real challenges for supporting our students still exist. Education continues to be a clear battleground in the freedom struggle in Memphis. The takeover was always a distraction from the real work: identifying challenges, advocating for change, fully funding solutions, and fixing our schools. For decades, Tennessee has funneled resources into jails, given tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, and prioritized political power plays instead of investing in Black and Brown children’s education. When jail roofs leak, emergency dollars flow almost immediately; when classroom ceilings crumble, students wait.
We fought so hard against this takeover because no new layer of bureaucracy will replace the funding, great teachers, and safe, modern buildings our children need to succeed in school. Now, it’s time to act with the audacity that Dr. King imparted upon us. This is our moment to show the state that Memphis matters, and we don’t need interference from officials who don’t understand or represent our community. We need an engaged, organized base ready to do the hard, sustained work of building the high-quality public school system our students deserve.
We urge everyone who cares about our kids’ futures to join us in demanding real solutions and real investments. Make a commitment to stay engaged by filling out your personal advocacy plan. Tell us what you’re ready to fight for – whether it’s increased funding for our schools, true accountability for our elected officials, or real investment in the systems and services our kids and families need to thrive.
With all hands on deck, we’ll move from a single victory to sustained power. Join the movement, and fill out your advocacy plan today!
