Otis Sanford
Sanford: Beloved faith leader’s murder should be catalyst to end gun violence
“Police alone also can’t stop the violence. It will require a community-wide effort. And that includes the faith community.”
Otis Sanford
Columnist
Otis Sanford is professor emeritus of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Memphis and political commentator for WATN-TV ABC24 News. Contact him at o.sanford@memphis.edu.
There are 256 articles by Otis Sanford :
-
July 2022
-
Premium
Otis Sanford -
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Will Strickland’s popularity outweigh voter preference in term limit referendum?
Memphis voters have tended to favor incumbents. Since the mid-1960s, only three sitting mayors have been denied reelection.
-
City of Memphis Strickland will seek third term if Memphis voters approve term limit referendum
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.
Related story:
Memphis mayor potentials recalculate after Strickland announces possible third term
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Gov. Lee was wrong in failing to defend teachers against unwarranted attacks
“Why would he just sit idly by and allow an outsider to trash Tennessee teachers and Tennessee colleges?”
-
Premium
ElectionsSanford: Party loyalty, prosecutorial philosophy will dictate outcome of DA’s race
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.
-
-
June 2022
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Don’t change state standards for teaching social studies
“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.”
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: 50 years after Watergate, truth and accountability still matter
Like Richard Nixon, Donald Trump is criminally corrupt and unfit to hold office. Sadly, millions of Americans still refuse to believe the truth.
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: There was always more to former Sen. Bill Frist than meets the eye
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.
-
-
May 2022
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Time to start paying attention to campaign for Juvenile Court judge
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.
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Racial and ethnic diversity is something to embrace, not fear
“The internet is full of screeds and bellowing referencing the fringe theory that white Americans are slowly but surely becoming extinct.”
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Republican cold war on county commission threatens party’s relevance
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?
-
Otis Sanford Sanford: It’s time to end costly, divisive, disinterested county primaries
Turnout for Tuesday’s primary was 10.7%, the lowest for a county primary since 2014.
-
-
April 2022
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: State Republican Party issues are much broader than Niceley’s gaffes
“Welcome to the world of Tennessee Republican politics in 2022, where the long-held belief of party unity is just an illusion.”
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: For Democrats, county primary is a free-for-all with little voter interest
The Democratic primary ballot has 55 candidates running in 22 of the 24 races. A dozen races have three or more candidates.
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Memphis is better than the deadly violence that steals our joy
There are many ways to define Memphis, but violent crime is the one definition we cannot be willing to accept.
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Bonner’s performance as sheriff transcends partisan politics
“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.”
-
-
March 2022
-
Premium
OpinionSanford: Back off, Democrats. Strickland plays politics by his own rules
“Despite the grousing and threats of a meaningless censure, Strickland is simply being Strickland. He’s also being pragmatic.”
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: From Memphis to Washington, Black women make their mark in the law
Our society’s long-overdue reckoning with racial inequities is not a full-blown offensive to correct 246 years of racial disparities in America. It’s more like baby steps designed to start making our institutions more reflect the makeup of our population.
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Mason should keep its charter, but must welcome financial help
The bottom line is Mason’s elected leaders were right not to surrender the charter. They have a legitimate right to exist as an incorporated town.
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: DA should drop politically charged case over fraudulent voting
A local race that already had the makings of an intense battle has gotten more interesting. All because of our polar opposite political views on voting rights. Let’s continue that debate.
-
-
February 2022
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Family Dollar customers deserve better than contaminated products
The expansive discount chain – with seemingly a store on every corner in Memphis — is mired in a financial and public relations nightmare of its own making because it put corporate profits over public safety.
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Despite state law, accurate teaching of racial history is alive and well
“ ... imagine my delight when I learned this week that Memphis-Shelby County Schools and one of its top schools academically — White Station High — intend to press ahead with an even deeper dive into the accurate history of the African American experience in this country.”
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: Wearing a mask in Shelby County is a matter of black and white
“Every time I step inside FedExForum for a Grizzlies game and make my way through the crowd to my seat, the anecdotal evidence about how people view COVID-19 differently is on clear display,” Sanford says.
-
-
January 2022
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: The time has come for a Black woman on the Supreme Court
Black women have contributed mightily to the growth of this country since its beginning. And it’s high time that one of them represent what should be a more diverse makeup of the nation’s highest court.
-
Premium
Otis SanfordSanford: How to stop reckless driving? Tinkering with current laws may not be answer
“I think more should be done to stop drag racing on city streets and interstates. That includes giving police the freedom to chase dangerous motorists – with the proper safeguards in place, of course, to prevent others from being hurt.”
-