MLK50 founder and The Marshall Project want a judge to force the commission to open its records to the public — By Deborah Douglas, MLK50 and Simone Weichselbaum, The Marshall Project The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, a secretive nonprofit that advises local government officials on criminal justice issues, is acting like a government agency and as such, its records should be open to the public, a local journalist and a national…

UpTheVote901 invites Memphians to choose candidates who will adhere to the People’s Agenda — to be revealed April 4 — Voter education and mobilization group UpTheVote901 has announced it will host a People’s Convention April 27 to galvanize Memphians around consensus candidates for mayor and City Council in the Oct. 3 election. Every Memphian is invited to join the grassroots, nonpartisan caucus aiming to create a progressive-issues platform called the…

Finishing MLK’s work requires grassroots organizations to be proactive, not reactive, says activist Bree Newsome — As she prepared to come to Memphis, Brittany “Bree” Newsome read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last book, Where Do We Go From Here, and realized two things. First: He was prophetic. Second: The way some people regard this 50th year since his assassination is “just kind of, like, false,”…

Newly reported insights on the perils of birthing while black surfaces trauma and decision to forego motherhood altogether — This piece first appeared at American Prospect on Mothers’ Day 2015 I let my well-founded fears of medical abandonment and loss of free agency keep me from being a mother. After all, I’m a black woman. That’s too often how it goes for us. “What have you ever done right?”…

Erica Garner’s death at age 27 has raised new questions about how much one person can give in the quest for justice — When news of Erica Garner’s heart attack and subsequent brain damage spread, the perennial conversation about self-care resurfaced in activist circles. Those who have decried that racism kills might argue it claimed another victim in the recent passing of Garner, 27, after a heart attack and subsequent brain damage, according…

The council’s Plan B could also add lynching memorial to the space — As far as the Memphis City Council is concerned, the Tennessee Historical Commission holds the cards on deciding whether to remove the Confederate Nathan Bedford Forrest statue from Health Sciences Park. But the council Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that would provide a backup plan for removing or relocating the…

Mayor: Judge could allow statue move since it’s technically not a war memorial — Don’t get it twisted, fighting for justice isn’t sexy. …

Mayor Strickland will attend Oct. 13 meeting anyway to get it back on the agenda, while #TakeEmDown901 demands action now — The Tennessee Historical Commission decided to punt on the issue of removing the statue of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest for at least four months. But Mayor Jim Strickland isn’t taking the unexpected decision laying down. He said he’s going to attend the commission’s scheduled meeting Oct. 13, indicating that…

Nielsen report offers insight into spillover of African-American women’s ‘strong life-affirming values’ — They face a persistent wage gap grounded in discriminatory workplace practices. They’re ignored for leadership positions when fully qualified and suffer poor health outcomes compared with other groups. …