Rallying around the cry of “opportunity, not occupation,” a growing coalition of more than 20 different organizations has formed to oppose the National Guard’s deployment in Memphis.
What to know about Free The 901
The campaign is hosting two online events this week:
- “Free The 901 Orientation,” Thursday, Oct. 2, from 6-7:30 p.m.
- “Know Your Rights Training,” Friday, Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m.
Sign up for text alerts by texting “FREE901” to 25225.
“When a city becomes a laboratory for authoritarian tactics, the rest of the country watches, learns and copies,” said Tikeila Rucker, executive director of Memphis For All, a partner organization. “This is why our response here must be fierce and visible.”
So far, that response has taken the form of numerous local and national organizations coming together to form Free The 901, a group “rooted in the belief that real safety comes from investing in people, not punishment,” according to a post on the campaign’s Instagram page.
Partner organizations include: the ACLU-TN, American Muslim Advisory Council, Black Voters Matter, Memphis Artists for Change, Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope, and Tennessee Immigrants & Refugee Rights Coalition.
The group officially launched Saturday with a march from the Juvenile Court building to the plaza in front of City Hall.
Cardell Orrin, executive director of Tennessee Stand for Children, said the alliance is “one of the largest collectives coming together to work around a specific issue” that he’s seen in recent years, even though they individually have “a broad spectrum of beliefs, ideologies and understandings.”
The coalition seeks to “block and/or end the occupation of Memphis” by not just the National Guard and the federal task force, but also by Tennessee State Troopers, ICE and other agencies targeting immigrants, according to their Instagram page.
The group has also said how they believe a $100 million state investment into “public safety” touted by Lee should be spent: $29 million into affordable housing, $25 million into public transit, $8 million into youth programs, $6 million into mental health programming, $10 million into education, $2 million into pre-kindergarten, $10 million into violence intervention and $10 million into financial relief for fines and fees.
“(The campaign is) about protecting and uplifting,” Rucker said. “It’s about preparedness, safety and care for our community.”
While the alliance officially launched Saturday, its members have spent the last few weeks at work. Numerous members spoke at both the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission meetings leading to the march, urging the two government bodies to pass resolutions opposing the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis. Neither resolution had enough votes to pass.
While many questions remain about what the federal task force and National Guard deployment to Memphis will look like, Free the 901 is planning know-your-rights training sessions, on-the-ground support with food and housing for people in vulnerable communities and ongoing lobbying against the deployment. The group is also sharing text updates and plans to provide more information about the deployment to the community as information is revealed.
“The more they think they will shut us down, the more we will rise up, the more we will organize our communities to show them that we know our rights and we know that in our Constitution we have the right to speak and we have the right to protest,” said Amal Altareb, the West Tennessee program manager with the American Muslim Advisory Council.
Trinity Williams, community engagement organizer with The Equity Alliance, said she hopes the campaign will “send a message that we are Memphis, that we can control our own narrative of our city.”
It was uplifting to see so many organizations and individuals come together on Saturday, she said.
“We are continuing the legacy of those from the sanitation strike,” Williams said. “We are continuing the legacy of those that were youth activists of the past, like Young Lords and college students coming together and advocating for justice for Tyré Nichols, and so we are here as a representation of the power of community.”
Katherine Burgess is the government accountability reporter for MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Contact her at katherine.burgess@mlk50.com
This story is brought to you by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, a nonprofit newsroom focused on poverty, power and policy in Memphis. Support independent journalism by making a tax-deductible donation today. MLK50 is also supported by these generous donors.