“We are more armed than other countries, and more permissive about how those arms are stored, carried, and used. Memphis knows this reality more intimately than most cities. Gun violence is not an abstraction here; it is a daily presence.”

“A zoning code that makes Memphis harder to understand, more expensive to develop and less compatible with national retail formats is not a neutral document. It is a competitive disadvantage.”

“With an iron-grip commitment to nonviolence, Lawson called for campaigns of civil disobedience that pressed the demands of the larger Black community.” 

“The universe isn’t obligated to make sense to us. There’s no requirement for rhyme and reason. Things just happen, be they good or bad, and the burden is on us to find a way to make it work.”

“Safety isn’t just about whether crime exists. Safety is also about whether people feel they belong to one another. It is also deeply true that poverty affects safety.”

Opinion by Candace Echols: “Behind the scenes — when no one is watching — that same man is quietly using his talent and fame to give attention to those who might otherwise be overlooked.” 

Opinion by David Jordan: “If we align our efforts across sectors and remain rooted in both compassion and accountability, Memphis can become a national model for what human flourishing looks like in practice.”

James Maclin says, “The best version of this rewrite would do two things at once: Modernize Memphis’ land use rules and protect the public’s trust in the process. That means clear notice, clear explanations, clear transition rules, and clear lines of decision-making.”

Carla Thomas and Stan Bell are among the legendary artists who will be honored at the DOWD Awards ceremony Thursday at the National Civil Rights Museum. The event is free to attend with an RSVP at DOWD.WYXR.org.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners who bought into Air AI’s programs lost as much as $250,000.

“Gardening is a chance to connect with something basic, even primal. It’s dirty work, literally, but it puts us in touch with the most fundamental elements of nature from which we all came and depend on for sustenance, beauty and sensory pleasure.”

“There is no shelter system, rescue network or group of volunteers large enough to absorb endless human irresponsibility. Memphis cannot rescue its way out of this.”

“The same people who can summon a special session to redraw congressional maps in service of a national political project have had remarkably little to say about how that same national political project cost thousands of jobs and four years of economic momentum in Tipton, Fayette, Haywood and Shelby counties.”

“The person that invites me to a posture of praise is likely not the same person that brings other people to that place, which is why writers and musicians and artists and creators need to keep doing their thing.”

“Ireland being honored in Memphis as part of Memphis in May looks like the usual cultural exchange on the surface. But beneath that is something more interesting: two vastly different places that recognize structure in each other.”

“To hear many Tennessee Democrats tell it, partisan redistricting is some unprecedented assault on democracy itself — a historic political crisis unlike anything the state has ever experienced.”

“The speed and confidence with which the legislature acted on redistricting does not guarantee the map’s durability. This time, state courts – not federal courts – may have the final word.”

“If Memphis cuts ties with the state, where does anyone think we’re going? I can assure you Mississippi doesn’t want a Democratic stronghold on its northern border.”

“Studying history yields a dividend: It brings us to a clearer understanding of who we are, what we believe, and what we do when the promise of our national creed does not measure up to the reality of our lives.”

“I don’t need to sing. I don’t need to dance. I don’t need to be the best writer. In short, I don’t need to chase who and what I’m not; it’s enough to be thankful for what I am and work to be the best I’m capable of being.”

A 2025 study by the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank found that BNPL borrowers are typically female, younger, renters, and less educated; but, surprisingly, have higher household incomes.

“What we gain instead is something far more valuable: purpose, friendships and the knowledge that we are making a difference.”

“I do not feel my tax dollars should be spent on a legal fight that seems to be something that everyone has allowed to go too far. We have too many other needs in the town — things that my tax dollars in the General Fund should be going to.”

“One need not support any particular politician to recognize that intentionally fragmenting the voting strength of a historic Black community carries moral consequences. We should at least have enough honesty to admit what is happening.”

“Diversity in all its forms isn’t a problem to solve; rather, it’s a strength to embrace.”