The Tennessee state legislature, with its Republican supermajority, will vote Thursday on whether to expel three Democratic lawmakers, including Shelby County’s Justin J. Pearson, who represents the 86th District. Pearson, Gloria Johnson of Knoxville and Justin Jones of Nashville are facing expulsion for “disorderly behavior.” Last Thursday, they briefly disrupted a legislative session, leading chants […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Questions for Memphis’ next police director, from people not invited to ask
MLK50: Justice Through Journalism knew some folks with questions for the candidates. We asked nonprofit and religious leaders, activists and youth what they would ask if given the opportunity.
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
City Council pauses new gas station, used tire shop projects in Memphis
A 245-day moratorium on the building and opening of new gas stations and used tire shops, approved by the Memphis City Council on Tuesday, will pause such projects while officials study their growth and the effects on communities of color.
Posted inByhalia Connection Pipeline
Pipeline ‘reckless, racist and a rip-off,’ says Gore at rally against Byhalia project
“Thank you for having a backbone and a conscience,” Al Gore told property owner Clyde Robinson before an event opposing the pipeline.
Posted inCoronavirus
One year for workers under COVID-19: “I remember people saying we’re essential, but it feels more like we’re sacrifices”
Essential workers are medical and public safety employees, but also those keeping food and other necessities on our tables and in our homes.
Posted inMethodist Hospital and Debt Collection
Methodist Le Bonheur almost never gave discounts to poor patients during collections, documents show
Since 2014, Memphis’ largest health care system, collected just over $169 million from more than 977,000 patients with bills at least 30 days past due, but only 1% of those received financial assistance during the collections process, the hospital reported in a lengthy response to a query from Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee.
Posted inMemphis
Melvin Jones, Memphis’ Black business booster, dies at 65
Passing up a promising – and personally lucrative – career with a white shoe law firm in St. Louis, Melvin Jones struck out to do something that was more fulfilling and would be a legacy that showed his life had made a difference.
Posted inNewsroom
MLK50 wins national award for creating change
The IDEA Award recognizes a media organization that has worked to promote inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility over the previous year. It specifically acknowledges the hiring and development of leadership talent who create change, both to the organizations they oversee and the content they produce. It was established to honor the first Black woman to […]
Posted inGovernment
100 days as mayor: Young starts work on campaign promises
Young has met with everyday Memphians around the city, state legislators, the Memphis Police Department and others to collaborate and hear feedback as he tries to create “One Memphis.” He described that vision in his October victory speech as a “united Memphis, where all of our neighborhoods are supported and pride is renewed.” In that […]
Posted inEconomic Justice
Memphis Area Legal Service wants more time. Funder says it’s too late.
Memphis Area Legal Services hasn’t served local low-income residents well for years, according to its top funder. In a rare move, the Legal Services Corp. — a nonprofit funded and overseen by Congress — decided to stop sending cash to the Memphis organization simply because of outstandingly poor performance, according to LSC president Ron Flagg. […]
Posted inHealth
Here’s how local leaders say they’ll address Memphis’ lead crisis
Shelby County Commissioner Henri Brooks is optimistic she’ll be able to secure local dollars for lead remediation. City Councilman Philip Spinosa is hopeful he’ll be able to protect more kids in his district. And state Sen. London Lamar thinks she’s making progress in Nashville. After our recent investigation into the city’s lead crisis and the […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
South Memphis seeks justice as toxic leaks decline
South Memphis residents living near Sterilization Services of Tennessee, the Florida Street facility emitting a cancer-causing gas into the air, are receiving new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency with mixed emotions. On Thursday, the EPA announced new rules in the Clean Air Act to cut down on harmful air pollution from chemical plants, including […]
Posted inMemphis
We see you, Memphis
With each anniversary, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism takes a victory lap. After all, we’re an organization built despite doubters and forged by resilience. That’s something to celebrate. Yet, it’s not all about us. Part of our mission is to bear witness to movement-making and lived experiences. On this 7th anniversary, we want you to feel […]
Posted inMethodist Hospital and Debt Collection
When brave people share their stories – and journalists listen
A recent analysis of debt collection lawsuits caught my eye and reminded me of the power of partnerships between courageous residents and journalists. I’m referring to MLK50: Justice Through Journalism’s-ProPublica’s 2019 “Profiting from the Poor” investigation, which led one of the area’s largest hospital systems and a private equity-owned doctors’ group to stop suing patients […]
Posted inGovernment
Tennessee lawmakers using old scapegoat for youth crime
Amid the lockdown days and barren streets of the pandemic, violent youth crime fell considerably in Shelby County. From 2019 to 2020, burglaries, robberies and assaults, in particular, were down. Yet in the years since, the youth crime rate returned to its pre-pandemic level, a predictable bounce back as people returned to life after lockdown. […]
Posted inLGBTQ
TN legislators continue to test LGBTQ liberation
When a group of LGBTQ advocates held an online press conference earlier this month, it was to sound an alarm. At the time, 34 bills characterized by the American Civil Liberties Union as anti-LGBTQ had been introduced by the Tennessee legislature — up from 2023’s 26. In fact, since 2015, Tennessee has passed a score […]
Posted inHousing
Would removing lead from homes reduce the crime rate?
On a May 2023 episode of his podcast, former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen asked renowned criminal justice economist Jennifer Doleac for her top suggestions for improving public safety. Doleac gave an unconventional answer: Protect young kids from lead. “Exposure to lead … when you’re really young, it changes your brain development. Fifteen years later, we’re […]