MLK50 was only a few days ago, but Memphis’ hope for the future of its community is stronger and fresher than ever. The National Civil Rights Museum challenged the city, asking us all “Where do we go from here?” Following this anniversary, Memphis is going to honor Dr. King’s legacy by making strides towards building […]
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of talking to several reporters about my favorite topic in the world…Memphis. It is a city with a complicated past, but a fascinating future. Memphis is a city of disruption—disruption of sectors, of social movements, and of culture. Memphis is also a phoenix. A fact I mentioned […]
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the final speech of his too-short life at the Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tennessee on April 3, 1968, the night before a sniper’s bullet struck him as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. The words of his last speech in Memphis almost seemed to foreshadow his untimely passing: “I’ve […]
Black entrepreneurship is on the rise nationwide, but not without its challenges. Getting venture capital funding for black business owners remains a struggle—fewer than 1 percent of black founders receive funding, according to Fast Company—which leaves many unable to hire employees. Despite these challenges, Memphis has emerged as America’s top city for black-owned businesses. Ranking […]
Principal Margaret Bland McKissick, Shelby County Schools’ longest-serving employee, began her career as an educator with the district in 1960 at the segregated Georgia Avenue Elementary School on Mississippi Boulevard in South Memphis. McKissick, now age 79, is a Memphian through and through. A native of North Memphis, she graduated from Douglass High School and […]
