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

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.

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.

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.

'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.'

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.

Lifelong best friends Zach Waters and Chris O'Conner are the same age and went to the same schools, but remember gradually discovering that one of them had to live more cautiously for a reason that confounded them.

Chris O'Conner learned at a young age that he and his best friend couldn't play with the same toys. One that looked like a knife "could cost little black boys their life."

The notion that low taxes are good for Memphis is a bill of goods, more hollow than the Pyramid and less financially sound. Low taxes help the richest in our society and hurt the rest of us.

Those who are hardest hit do not have the power or resources to change the economic, educational, health care and criminal justice systems. Even our democracy, which should have the potential to be an equalizer, is fundamentally broken and in many cases, morally bankrupt.

We, the leaders of the health care systems in the Mid-South, recognize that we must continue to do better in reaching at-risk populations. We must develop more effective intervention strategies. We must make engaging with our system easier and more practical.

Few of us who are not black have truly seen the lack of understanding captured by the pervasive question on social media: “Why are they so mad?”

The primary metric that was supposed to guide our decisions isn’t moving in the right direction. It wasn’t telling us what we wanted to hear, so it appears as if we’re choosing to ignore it. 

Critics point out that these tragedies occurred outside of Memphis. They also complain that activists should focus on issues such as joblessness, educational deficits and crime. But in times of crisis, public protest is essential.

Physical distancing and wearing masks will not prevent the rising number of people who do not have health insurance.

In recent years, spending has begun to exceed revenue — a structural imbalance that is unsustainable over time without property tax increases.

To date, four independent studies – including one also financed by MLGW – have come to the same conclusion that if Memphis would leave TVA and join MISO, the city could save up to $450 million a year.

The ceremony was small, it was held outdoors, and everyone was wearing masks – masks that did nothing to dampen the beautiful and poignant sentiments occupying this space.