There is no denying that we are at a tipping point in this country’s long-overdue reckoning with race and police brutality. And our response to this moment has created three distinct groups – the objectors, the addressers and the deniers.

Without truck drivers, hospitals would begin running out of basic supplies such as syringes and catheters; service stations would begin to run out of fuel; and food shortages would develop.

Tennessee Department of Education has also warned districts to plan for driver shortages. On social media, some drivers have suggested that returning to their bus jobs may not be worth the hassle.

In creative spaces it seems better to employ white people capable of appropriating black vernacular, style and originality in ads. But of course, the dearth of black people “has nothing to do with race.” 

My anchors and roots require me to educate black and brown children, to teach them their history and prepare them to change the future.

As we move along on reopening the “Weconomy,” employers and employees need to understand that both have crucial roles to play in making reopening safe.

Wonder why you don’t see Memphis in the national news?  Because when a city doesn’t bleed that city doesn’t lead.

There is such a thing as white privilege, no matter the circumstances in which we were raised. My father was raised in dire poverty. And yet he was the first to admit that color never kept him back. He never feared for his life just for being white. He was never denied a bank loan. He was admitted to the University of Texas at a time when blacks were not allowed to enroll.

We’ve recently seen proposals of bans, temporary moratoriums or limits on the use of tear gas in Seattle, Portland, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., among others. It’s time for Memphis to join that list.

What makes these protests different for me is that I’ve seen how they can influence conversation and bring about change – in both Minneapolis and Memphis. 

Let us not use the death of George Floyd as an opportunity to scapegoat and launch an unfair assault on an entire profession. I’ve spoken to police officers. They too are disturbed and hurt by that tragic event.

I ran from the cops, people. I was driving drunk. The driveway I was parked in belonged to a prominent Memphian, then and now. Then and now, there’s every reason to believe if I’d been black in that driveway, I might never have left that driveway.

Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old who filmed the murder of George Floyd and who could be heard on the video calling out numerous times for the police to stop, has been called a bystander. She wasn’t in a position to save Floyd’s life, and yet her action was a spark that is changing the world.

Johnson’s message was powerful as he urged Congress to pass voting rights legislation. Drawing from the gospel song that became a hymn of the civil rights movement, he said, “it is all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome.”

'With 17 years of experience with military equipment, I can tell you that most police departments don’t have the experience and level of training needed to operate this equipment properly.'

Research shows that to include women in the peacemaking process is not a courtesy, it’s a necessity. Any negotiations that stakeholders hope to be lasting or meaningful can only be so with the input of women in the community.

'We are asking the MRPP to recognize their proposal for Tom Lee Park, their maintenance record and their neglect of Mud Island River Park are not working with or for the majority of people in Memphis.'

When people ask why protests in Memphis have been so different than in most other cities, they’re fishing for a compliment. But there’s one aspect that is never mentioned: They have been smaller than in most other cities. 

With Republicans in the driver’s seat in all three Mid-South Senate elections, are there competitive contests anywhere else on the ballot? The short answer: No.

We talk about “the homeless,” “the immigrants,” “the poor.” These are categories that are different from how we see ourselves. It allows us to remain in power. 

My kind of world-saving is the kind I can do from my kitchen, the kind that smells like a home-cooked meal and looks like a bit more menu planning and a strategy for leftovers.

We offer three suggestions for concrete steps to reduce the disconnect between our police and our community.

Police brutality and racism are not just black people’s problem; they’re an American problem, which makes them white people’s problem, too. 

Systemic racism and COVID-19 are both invisible and potentially deadly. Both are spread by fellow human beings and more likely to kill African Americans.

Apologies are necessary. Especially now. But it's what happens after the apology that matters. A story of two Memphis ministers and one simple request.