Columnist
Otis Sanford holds the Hardin Chair of Excellence in Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Memphis. Contact him at 901-678-3669 or at o.sanford@memphis.edu. Follow him on Twitter @otissanford.
There are 192 articles by Otis Sanford :
At a time when politicians are doing their darnedest to run away from our racial history by censoring it in schools, Ole Miss deserves accolades for treating the 60th anniversary of James Meredith’s enrollment with the pomp and circumstance that it deserves.
While the November midterm election is shaping up to be a real snoozer locally, the Memphis mayoral election on Oct. 5, 2023, is fast becoming the most consequential mayoral race in more than 30 years.
Tenn. Gov. Bill Lee, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, MPD and the TBI all share the responsibility for our failure to reduce local crime. But their responses in the aftermath of an incredibly tragic week are not good enough.
One was an attorney who used the law to make a positive difference in society. The other was a gun-wielding juvenile delinquent. Their paths crossed on the evening of May 25, 2000, and now, 22 years later, it serves as an eerie backstory to the tragic kidnapping and murder of Eliza Fletcher.
Tarik Sugarmon ushers in a new era for Juvenile Court in Memphis and Shelby County.
“But at some point, every adult needs something from the county clerk. And what we need most now is efficiency — something Halbert promised when she ran for mayor in 2009 but is clearly incapable of delivering.”
“Many rural Tennesseans will no doubt argue, as Ronald Reagan did in 1962, that they did not leave the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party left them. I respectfully disagree.”
“An overwhelming majority of local voters believe Republicans have allowed the inmates to run the asylum. And the local party is paying the price.”
“A lot is at stake up and down the ballot. And it’s important that all eligible voters voice their choice.”
“Police alone also can’t stop the violence. It will require a community-wide effort. And that includes the faith community.”
Memphis voters have tended to favor incumbents. Since the mid-1960s, only three sitting mayors have been denied reelection.
The referendum extending the number of consecutive four-year terms from two to three will appear on the Aug. 4 ballot. Early voting begins Friday, July 15. Memphis mayor potentials recalculate after Strickland announces possible third termRelated story:
“Why would he just sit idly by and allow an outsider to trash Tennessee teachers and Tennessee colleges?”
Republican incumbent Amy Weirich is in a fierce battle with Democratic challenger Steve Mulroy as she seeks to hang on to the job of Shelby County’s top prosecutor for another eight years.
“I’ve always been told that if something isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Tennessee’s standards for teaching social studies are not broken. Far from it. They offer students a comprehensive and accurate view of our world, past and present, warts and all.”
Like Richard Nixon, Donald Trump is criminally corrupt and unfit to hold office. Sadly, millions of Americans still refuse to believe the truth.
Frist is trying to infuse compassion, reasonableness and a spirit of compromise into Republicans in Congress who, on the issue of gun safety, are seemingly heartless.
The battles for district attorney and county mayor will get most of the headlines, but the race to determine who oversees judicial proceedings at Juvenile Court is the most important overall to the community.
“The internet is full of screeds and bellowing referencing the fringe theory that white Americans are slowly but surely becoming extinct.”
How did this group of Republicans, all of whom profess to being true conservatives, particularly on fiscal issues, get so out of step with one another?
Turnout for Tuesday’s primary was 10.7%, the lowest for a county primary since 2014.
“Welcome to the world of Tennessee Republican politics in 2022, where the long-held belief of party unity is just an illusion.”
The Democratic primary ballot has 55 candidates running in 22 of the 24 races. A dozen races have three or more candidates.
There are many ways to define Memphis, but violent crime is the one definition we cannot be willing to accept.
“In an ideal world, there should not be a Democratic or Republican way to enforce laws, ensure public safety, oversee our jails and juvenile detention facilities and hire capable deputies and support staff.”