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 116 articles by Otis Sanford :
The vaccine distribution debacle on Mayor Lee Harris’ watch will figure prominently in the GOP campaign to retake his office, the party’s Shelby County executive director says.
Among the misguided proposals presented at the Tennessee Legislature, none would have as much negative impact on the majority of Tennesseans as the bill introduced last week to abolish early voting in the state.
In this fight, Black people and white people are on the same side. So are local politicians who don’t always agree on matters of public policy.
But when it comes to serving up political red meat – in both coded and straightforward language – to far right conservatives, Lee has perfected that nicely.
Lee encouraged Black Memphians to support Democrat Lyndon Johnson in 1964. But when emerging Black leaders in Memphis pleaded for Lee to officially abandon the Republican Party and become a Democrat, he graciously declined.
As we look ahead with hope, we must also look back and demand accountability.
On Jan. 20, 2009, there was remarkable unity and mutual respect among those in an inauguration crowd estimated at 1.8 million. Now, 12 years later, Jan. 20 promises to be a day of anticipation mixed with anxiety.
“I never thought that the trappings of congressional power or Trump’s dominating and vindictive personality would turn the principled guy I’ve known and liked for years into a political lapdog.”
At the heart of claims by Trump and his horde of conspiracy theorists is that it was statistically and historically impossible for Trump to lose the election, other than through fraud. How could they believe such grand-scale treachery occurred? The answer, sadly, is rooted in race.
With so much tragedy, dissension and despair, it’s difficult to find many positives about 2020. But they do exist.
The Rev. Dr. Netters is one of the most revered figures in Memphis history, a legacy highlighted by his 1967 election to serve as one of the first three African American City Council members.
Trump’s inexplicable refusal to accept the outcome of a fair election, combined with the shameful complicity from elected Republican leaders, is driving our country to the brink of chaos.
Democrat Joe Biden’s election as the 46th president brings the virtual certainty that there will be a new U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal for West Tennessee.
Politicians did not cause the virus, but many of them have contributed to its spread with decisions that are based on politics rather than public safety. That means we are in for a holiday season like none other.
One of the major side stories to the 2020 presidential election is the noticeable shift of more African American men to Trump and his brand of politics.
The legend of Harold Ford Sr., the victorious underdog, was invoked Tuesday night by another upstart candidate seeking to take down a powerful foe in a Tennessee U.S. Senate race. But the comparisons were misplaced.
Issues and a candidate’s record should sway voters – not these glossy and trashy campaign fliers that are handy only as makeshift dust pans.
The massive turnout is being driven in large part by the laser-focused desire to get Trump and his enablers out of the White House. But turnout also is being fueled to a lesser degree by Trump supporters.
Welcome to the alternate universe of 2020 election year politics in Tennessee and Mississippi. With less than three weeks to go before Election Day, the races for Senate seats in both states have turned into exercises in ultra-partisan campaigning.
Implicit bias is a thing, and it’s reflected in virtually every aspect of our society. Without meaningful discussions of the issue, in public and private workplaces, we can never fully address the scourge of systemic racism.
No one should be surprised that Lamar Alexander flip-flopped on Supreme Court nominations. He has morphed over the last 40-plus years into a shameless political partisan, and is content to end his political career that way.
Like the population they represent, current members of the Shelby County Commission are turning out to be the most disparate and eclectic group to be elected to a local legislative body in years – perhaps ever.
President Donald Trump has done next to nothing to engender trust from African Americans. In fact, he’s done the opposite. He lies incessantly and shows an interest in Black people only when it suits him politically.
As criminal justice reform continues to be debated in America, we must focus on whether we’ve gone too far over the last few decades in aggressive policing and over-incarcerating certain individuals.
The Republican-controlled state House and Senate – with Gov. Bill Lee as an accomplice – decided to make protesting on state property a felony, punishable by up to six years in prison.