QUESTIONS FOR THE CANDIDATES
Shelby County mayoral hopefuls have answers to your pressing queries.
SHARA CLARK
Editor-in-Chief
ALEX GREENE
Managing Editor, Music Editor
BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editor
TOBY SELLS
Associate Editor
KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter
CHRIS MCCOY
Film and TV Editor
MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers
KIMBERLY HAM
Calendar Editor, Copy Editor
DEQUILAH BRANDON, JESSE DAVIS, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, AJ KRATZ, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH
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SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters
GRACIE DRIVER Editorial Intern
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CHRISTOPHER MYERS
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NEIL WILLIAMS Graphic Designer
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KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher
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“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” — George Orwell, 1984
In last week’s cover story, reporter Kailynn Johnson dug into the grassroots ght against AI — a ght focused on community health and safety — and the environmental repercussions of data centers, speci cally xAI’s Colossus here. But such centers are popping up in droves across the country.
Not only have these centers (or “supercomputers” in the case of our local xAI) started operations with little to no community input or oversight, many surrounding residents don’t seem to understand what’s going on with them, saying “they’re bringing money to town,” or jobs, or growth. In February, the o cial xAI Memphis X account posted, “xAI is proud to be a member of the Memphis community for over two years. We now employ almost 3,000 locally to help power @Grok.” While I’ve yet to hear from anyone employed with the tech giant, jobs, growth, or even money aren’t enough to justify the harms of AI.
Last summer, EESI (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) reported, “Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons [of water] per day, equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people.” And, “According to scientists at the University of California, Riverside, each 100-word AI prompt is estimated to use roughly one bottle of water. … billions of AI users worldwide enter prompts into systems like ChatGPT every minute.”
Add in their polluting gas turbines and the newly reported e ect on regional temps (this month, from Fortune: “Data centers are so hot their ‘heat island’ e ect is raising temperatures up to 6 miles away and impacting 343 million people worldwide, study nds”), and environmental concerns clearly abound.
Beyond that, the societal implications are grim and growing darker by the day. Countless human jobs are at stake in countless industries. And there is a push to use AI in creative endeavors. AI-generated artists, fake “performers” created with AI tools like Suno or Udio, are seeing millions of streams and topping charts on Spotify. is month, Berklee College of Music in Boston launched a new AI music course — an institution consistently named among the best in the world is now promoting generative AI songwriting. If you haven’t heard any (please don’t seek it out), AI music is soulless and devalues the time it takes to learn an instrument, train a voice, or work out meaningful lyrics.
AI steals from human ideas to create art and music devoid of emotion, uncomfortably eerie videos, and uncanny valley imagery. And for those using it daily to plan for them, answer questions, and create for them, the price is higher than almost everything mentioned above — the ability to think.
Last November, a Time magazine headline read, “ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical inking Skills, According to a New MIT Study”; an April Futurism story: “Study Finds AI Use Eats Away at Users’ Con dence in eir Own Brains”; and in a post this Monday from the BBC: “AI chatbots could be making you stupider.”
Memphis’ Grok has produced racist content and pornographic images of minors. Fake videos and photos are getting harder for the regular Joe to spot. And day by day, those same Joes are losing the critical thinking capacity to try.
NEWS & OPINION
THE FLY-BY - 4 AT LARGE - 6 FINANCE - 9 COVER STORY “QUESTIONS FOR THE CANDIDATES” BY KATHERINE BURGESS FOR MLK50: JUSTICE THROUGH JOURNALISM AND CHRIS MCCOY FOR THE FLYER - 10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WE RECOMMEND - 13 MUSIC - 14 AFTER DARK - 15 CALENDAR - 16
NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 16
WE SAW YOU - 17 FOOD - 18
ASTROLOGY - 19
CLASSIFIEDS - 22 LAST WORD - 23
Earlier this month, Pew Research Center reported, “ e United States has more than 3,000 operational data centers, and that number is expected to grow substantially in the years ahead. More than 1,500 new data centers are in various stages of development nationwide, according to [our] analysis.”
With AI’s quick takeover, we’re being watched (Flock cameras), listened to (our own devices), and studied more than ever, in ways we aren’t even aware of. Our water, air, and minds are at risk. ey’re building a society too dumb to question anything or think for themselves, a society where jobs will soon be more scarce and natural resources may be too. is is a fast track to irreversible dystopia. e slope is slick and we’re halfway down the hill. Someone pull the emergency brake. Shara Clark shara@memphis yer.com
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PHOTO: STEVE A JOHNSON | UNSPLASH
THE fly-by
{
WEEK THAT WAS
By Flyer staff
Memphis on the internet.
PORCHFEST
Porchfest rocked another Midtown weekend. e event drew thousands to the CooperYoung neighborhood Sunday, including nearly 200 bands, DJs, and more.
STUNNING
If you need a re ll on Memphis magic, check out a stunning 4K drone tour of Downtown by Primo Media. It’s mesmerizing.
MISSING
Nine teens le a Vance Ave. treatment facility over the last week. At press time, seven had been located. e Memphis Police Department is looking for help locating the others. For more info, click over to the Memphis Police Department Missing Persons Facebook page.
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
Fireworks, TN Budget, & No
Kings Chaos
Legislators want more boom, Dems say no, and the council wants answers.
DEMS VOTE AGAINST BUDGET
State Democrats condemned the state’s $58 billion budget, claiming it fails to address the a ordability crisis for Tennessee families.
On ursday, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the budget for the 2026-2027 scal year. Members of the legislature said the budget re ects their “commitment to scal responsibility” regarding investments in the economy, education, and families in the state.
Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) said as a caucus, Democrats voted no because of the budget’s priorities. Sen. Je Yarbro (D-Nashville) said this was unusual as the state budget has historically been passed on a bipartisan basis.
Memphis Police Department o cers swarmed and maced No Kings protesters a er they blocked o a Downtown street.
“Unfortunately this is not something we could support,” Akbari said in a press conference on ursday. “It did not align with the priorities of the people in this state, and that is to make life more a ordable.”
MORE FIREWORKS MORE OFTEN
State lawmakers want more reworks. ey want more kinds of reworks to be available for more of the year.
Two bills moving through the legislature would loosen regulations on reworks in Tennessee. One would allow large sparklers to be sold in more places all year long. Another would allow rework tents to pop up around Juneteenth, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.
e rst bill would create a new category of reworks here. ese “novelty and sparkling devices” would be de ned separately from “higher risk” reworks that explode.
Council member Jerri Green called for MPD Chief C.J. Davis to answer questions.
Lawmakers saw both market opportunities and challenges in the deregulation proposal. It’s another product line, especially for bigger retailers. And that could pressure smaller businesses.
e other rework proposals would increase the number of days they can be sold across the state. Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) said reworks businesses expect a bump in sales this year as America celebrates its 250th anniversary.
Tennessee allows reworks sales around Independence Day, Christmas, and the New Year. ose selling windows would broaden under the bill. It would also allow sales windows for Juneteenth, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.
NO KINGS CHAOS QUESTIONED
Memphis City Council member Jerri Green requested Memphis Police Department (MPD) Chief C.J. Davis be called to appear in front of the council to answer No Kings Day protester demands during Tuesday’s council meeting. Green asked council member Ford Canale, chairman of the council’s Public Safety and Homeland Security committee, to put Davis on the next committee meeting agenda. is request came a er community members and organizers showed up to the council’s regular meeting in the wake of the No Kings Protest on March 28th. Protesters gathered at Robert R. Church Park to march and protest. Organizers said MPD o cers “escalated to violence” and said they “tackled, beat, maced, and arrested peaceful participants.” A statement from MPD said o cers deployed pepper spray, and detained six people, with three being charged.
A er the incident, a coalition of community groups sent a letter to city o cials demanding the release of body-worn camera footage, public identi cation of every o cer present, and more.
Green told those present their concerns were heard, and she agreed that transparency and timelines were needed, prompting her to take action.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
POSTED
PHOTO: INDIVISIBLE MEMPHIS
Sex Shop Warning Labels {
CITY REPORTER
By Toby Sells
Senate conservatives say porn leads to human tra cking and they’ll ght this with signs.
Fighting sex businesses ghts sex o enses, state lawmakers theorize, and they plan to win this ght with paper signs.
Adult-oriented businesses could soon have to post warnings akin to those on tobacco and alcohol products, reading:
“Attention: By engaging in this type of entertainment, you may be contributing to an increase in domestic assault, rape or sexual assault, and human tra cking.”
e Tennessee State Senate already approved the bill for these signs, which passed largely on party lines, though the idea did get approval in committee from Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis). It now awaits approval in the House.
To get here, state Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) connected some dots.
“Social scientists, psychologists, and medical professionals have studied the relationship between sexually explicit entertainment and violence for decades,” Bowling told the Senate Judiciary Committee in late March.
She claimed a 2021 study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded, “exposure to pornography
was positively associated with sexual aggression.”
She connected this dot (one we could not independently con rm to exist, more on this below) to another dot. at dot would be that at least 700,000 people — primarily women and children — are tra cked annually, with at least 50,000 in the U.S. at gure came from “Congress” from around 2000. She also cited global gures from a Texas group called Unbound Now. (More on them below.)
e nal dot put the dollar gure for global sexual exploitation (not precisely adult-oriented businesses) between $6 billion to $15 billion annually.
Bowling connected all of this and deduced: “By posting the signs as this legislation requires, we can increase awareness about the link between this entertainment — quote, unquote — and the incidence of domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, and human tra cking.”
One lawmaker jumped to criticize Bowling’s bill. Yes, the sign had to be 8.5 inches by 11 inches. But it did not say one word about “font size, font type, color, legibility, or anything like that,” said Sen.
Kerry Roberts (R-Spring eld). ey delayed a vote on the bill until Bowling re ned those details and quickly passed it out of committee.
Adult-oriented businesses (as de ned in Tennessee law) include adult bookstores, adult motion picture theaters, adult mini motion picture establishments, adult cabarets, escort agencies, sexual encounter centers, massage parlors, wrap parlors, and saunas.
ese businesses have to register with their county’s Adult-Oriented Establishment Board. Not every county has one. Shelby County does. So, if the bill passes and is signed by the governor, these businesses will not be able to get a license to operate from these boards unless they post Bowling’s signs prominently.
Should the legislature pass another bill that would de ne bars that have drag shows as “adult cabaret” establishments, they, too, would have to post Bowling’s signs.
Bowling founded her argument to other legislators on a study by the NIH, even as she was publicly skeptical of its guidance during the Covid pandemic.
She claimed a study found a direct link between porn and aggressive sexual behavior.
e only 2021 NIH study we found on this said “ ndings are di cult to reconcile with the view that pornography use plays a causal role in male sexual violence.”
However, a 2024 blog post from the leader of Unbound Now, that Texas group Bowling cited, said this link is solid and direct.
“Pornography is in such high demand because viewers, including sex tra ckers, wish to act out what they observe in scenes,” reads the blog post by the group’s CEO Susan Peters (with support from Sarah Berning, professional writing intern).
PHOTO: MAXENCE PIRA | UNSPLASH GOP links porn to increased sex assaults, tra cking, and more.
AT LARGE By Bruce VanWyngarden
What a Nimrod!
e lessons of Looney Tunes.
What do you think of when you hear the word “nimrod”? It’s possible, of course, that you may never have heard of the word, but if you’re the religious type, you might recall that Nimrod is a gure mentioned in the Bible, including in Genesis, where he was described as a king in the land of Shinar (Mesopotamia) and “a mighty hunter before the Lord.”
Nimrod also appears in some ancient Jewish and Islamic texts and in other religious literature, including the Book of Mormon. ere is a fortress with his name on it in the Middle East, and towns named Nimrod in Oregon and Minnesota.
But a funny thing happened 70 or so years ago that transformed the way we perceive the word. It all started when Bugs Bunny and Da y Duck got involved. Oh, and Elmer Fudd, the hapless hunter who spent his cartoon days sneaking up on his foils and trying to shoot them. He always failed, despite being “vewy, vewy, quiet.”
talked to), surrounded by heavenly angels overhead and adoring AI humans at his feet. Trump was roundly lambasted for insulting the pope and portraying himself as Jesus. A few hours later, he took down the image.
en JD Vance, who joined the Catholic Church a few years back, took up the cudgel for Trump, advising Pope Leo that “if he is going to opine on matters of theology, his comments need to be anchored in the truth. He needs to be careful.” In other words, “Nice little church you got there, Leo. Be a shame if something were to happen to it.” Vance, as usual, came o as a self-righteous dork.
And since it appeared to be a holy week of sorts for this administration, “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth also chimed in. Hegseth, a Christian nationalist who has the tattoos to prove it, regularly cites Jesus as an avatar for the Iranian war efforts. None of that woke “Blessed be the peacekeepers” stu for Pistol Pete’s savior. His Jesus is a righteous and bloodthirsty war ghter.
In those Looney Tunes cartoons that screened in every movie theater in America for decades, Da y called Elmer “my little nimrod,” and Bugs sarcastically referred to him as a “poor little nimrod.” It was all a ri on the “mighty hunter” theme — pretty sophisticated stu for a cartoon, to be honest.
A er that, according to Wikipedia, the term “nimrod” became shorthand for “idiot” or “fool.” And it stuck. People drive in from all over to pose by the city limits signs at the U.S. Nimrods. I write all this to point out that if you’re going to wrap yourself in the trappings of religion, you’d best tread vewy, vewy carefully.
Last week, for example, a er Pope Leo criticized some U.S. o cials’ use of Christian language to justify the Iranian con ict, the administration red back — and missed badly.
“Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war,” the pope said, which is sort of his job. Donald Trump responded by calling the pope “weak on crime, and bad on foreign policy,” which is something so weird that it would have been a mind-boggling scandal in the Biden years. Now, not so much. Trump ramped up the weirdness by posting an image of himself in glowing white robes, laying hands on a recumbent man (who looked like Je rey Epstein or Jon Stewart, depending on who you
Last week, in his daily prayer for the troops, Hegseth decided to use a modi ed version of the Bible verse, Ezekiel 25:17. It was one that lm director Quentin Tarantino wrote for Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction, which just goes to show that sometimes pulp truth is stranger than Pulp Fiction. Yes, of course, it was weird, but weird is where we are now, and it really is hard to keep up. Hard to know if it’s “Destroy civilizations/Crash the stock market day,” or “We won the war/Goose the stock market day.” Or both, like my favorite from last week, when it was, “Hooray, the Strait of Hormuz is open!” in the morning, and in the a ernoon it was, “Hooray, we’re going to close the Strait of Hormuz!” Gas pump prices are spinning like slot machine digits trying to keep up. e stock market has whiplash. Jesus wept. It’s almost like we’re living in a Looney Tunes short, being governed by nimrods.
PHOTO: LORIE SHAULL, CREATIVE COMMONS, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
SHELBY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PROPOSED FY 2027 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, PUBLIC HEARING, AND
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
Shelby County Department of Housing (SCDH) has prepared a draft of the Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027). The Annual Action Plan for FY2027 (HUD Program Year 2026) is required by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the receipt of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Grant Entitlement funds. The Proposed Annual Action Plan describes activities proposed by SCDH to address housing and community development needs, especially needs in low- to moderate-income areas of Shelby County outside of the City of Memphis.
The Annual Action Plan for FY27 will be available for public review from April 24, 2026 – May 25, 2026. The Plan will be made available online at www.develop901.com/housing and physical copies will be held at 6465 Mullins Station Rd, Memphis TN 38134 and at the following library branches across Shelby County: Benjamin Hooks Central Library, Arlington Library, Bartlett Library, Collierville Library, Germantown Library and Millington Library. SCDH will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed plan and ongoing programming that addresses community needs with both in person and virtual attendance options on May 13, 2026 at 12:00pm and 5:30pm.
In Person Attendance Option: Shelby County Code Enforcement, Training Room, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134. Attendees should enter the Code Enforcement Building through the main entrance facing the Greenline; upon walking up to the building, attendees will need to follow the signage that leads to the Conference Room.
Virtual Attendance Option: A virtual option to join is also provided, and participants can join the meeting with a computer, tablet, or smartphone at https://tinyurl.com/8szhb56a at 12:00pm or https:// tinyurl.com/pp99mcc9 at 5:30pm.
If you plan to attend the public hearing and have special needs, please contact the Department of Housing at (901) 222-7600 by 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7, 2026 and we will work to accommodate you. Citizen input and public participation are strongly encouraged.
The consolidated planning process for FY 2025-2029 serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the CPD formula block grant programs including both Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs. The FY 2027 Annual Action Plan is the third of five annual planning cycles and establishes the basis for the use of entitlement funds for the period of July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027. The primary purpose of this hearing is to receive comments on the proposed FY 2027 Annual Action Plan during the public comment period. Shelby County received HUD’s allocation announcement as of April 3, 2026 and will receive $1,240,478.00 in CDBG and $446,721.84 in HOME funds in Program Year 2026/Fiscal Year 2027.
Shelby County expects to submit the Annual Plan for FY 2027 to HUD within 60 days following allocation announcements and after a 30-day review and comment period April 24, 2026 through May 25, 2026.
Anticipated resources are based on actual allocations and are as follows:
The hearing will provide an update on current activities under the CDBG and HOME Programs including HOME-ARP, information on Section 3 contracting opportunities; and will provide information on other programs operated by the Department of Housing.
In accordance with section 218(g) of the Appropriations Bill 42 USC 12748(g), SCDH is reprogramming the 2022-2023 HOME Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) set-aside funds to increase the amount available for homeowner rehabilitation in the amount of $142,774.35 in the event SCDH is unable to solicit viable CHDO Request For Proposal responses. In addition, if no viable responses to requests for proposals are received, after June 30, 2027 SCDH will reprogram PY2026/FY2027 CHDO funds in the amount of 15% of the actual allocation to increase the budget available to homeowner rehabilitation.
Persons wishing to comment on the FY 2027 Annual Action Plan may do so by writing to Dana Sjostrom via email dana.sjostrom@ shelbycountytn.gov or mail Shelby County Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. For additional information contact the Department of Housing at 901-222-7600 or TTY at 901-222-2300.
The Shelby County Department of Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services. Equal opportunity/equal access provider.
Para mas información en Español, por favor llame al 901-222-7601.
Lee Harris Mayor
Scott Walkup, Administrator Shelby County Department of Housing
Prep for Volatility
These strategies can help to navigate bull and bear markets.
Portfolio diversification can potentially help manage investment volatility over time. A custom, diversified portfolio, in line with your financial objectives and focused on long-term growth, can help improve your chances of achieving financial goals. While remaining invested in your target portfolio is typically enough to support your long-term investment success, there are effective strategies for navigating certain market conditions.
Strategies for a Bull Market
When stocks are increasing in value during a bull market, it may be tempting to chase returns. However, it’s important to remain focused on your long-term investment approach. The following asset allocation strategies can help maintain discipline during strong market performance.
• Rebalance your portfolio
As different asset classes experience varying growth rates, allocation drift can cause your portfolio to become misaligned with your risk profile and objectives. Rebalancing refers to selling off a portion of your high-performing assets and reinvesting the proceeds in lower-performing assets. While this may seem counterintuitive, it’s an important risk-management strategy because it helps prevent your portfolio from drifting too far from its target allocation (which can result in overexposure to market risk).
• Maintain liquid assets
During bull markets, hold enough cash to cover any emergencies and capitalize on market opportunities to buy low during an inevitable market correction. Maintaining liquid assets provides financial flexibility and positions you to take advantage of lower valuations when market downturns occur, enabling you to deploy capital strategically during periods of volatility.
• Incorporate value stocks
While growth stocks typically experience the strongest performance during bull markets, maintaining an allocation to value stocks has historically helped smooth out overall portfolio volatility. Bull markets often present an opportunity to purchase value stocks in well-established companies that are trading at a discount to their intrinsic value. Value investing complements growth stock exposure and helps create a more balanced portfolio.
Strategies for a Bear Market
During falling markets, diversification has historically played an even more important role in reducing portfolio volatility.
• Use dollar-cost averaging
Dollar-cost averaging refers to the
process of investing money at regular intervals over a long period of time. This investment approach can help minimize the downside risk of making a single, large investment at an inopportune time. Bear markets represent an opportunity to continue purchasing stocks at a “discount” to their typical share price, allowing regular investors to pick up more shares when the price drops. By maintaining consistent investment contributions through various market cycles, you reduce the impact of market timing risk and benefit from purchasing shares at lower valuations.
• Employ tax-loss harvesting
Using a tax-loss harvesting strategy, you would sell an investment that has declined in value in the short term and replace it with a highly correlated alternative. When done correctly, this allows you to maintain your target risk profile and expected return while using up to $3,000 per year in investment losses to offset ordinary income. If you realize more than $3,000 of losses in a single year, you can carry over the excess amount to offset income in future years. Your realized investment loss can result in a tax deduction, and the tax savings can be reinvested to continue growing the value of your portfolio. This can be particularly valuable when done as a part of a direct indexing strategy.
• Add private investments
Private investments, such as private equity, private credit, private real estate and private infrastructure funds, have the potential to help reduce the portfolio risks typically associated with public markets. Private investments tend to have lower volatility than their public market counterparts, and they can serve as relatively non-correlated assets to add an additional source of diversification to the portfolios of qualified purchasers.
AJ Kratz, CFA, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory firms, providing comprehensive wealth management services to help align all elements of a client’s financial life, including investments, taxes, estate planning and risk management. For more information, or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit creativeplanning.com.
This commentary is provided for general information purposes only, should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice, and does not constitute an attorney/client relationship. Past performance of any market results is no assurance of future performance. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.
Start baking memories.
Plug into your next vehicle.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CANDIDATES
Shelby County mayoral hopefuls have answers to your pressing queries.
It’s a big election year, and among the o ces voters will elect is Shelby County mayor. On May 5th, seven candidates will vie for the Democratic nomination. e winner will face Republican John DeBerry Jr., a pastor, former state rep, and advisor to Gov. Bill Lee, in the August 6th general election. Early voting has begun. e Democratic candidates for county mayor are:
• Melvin Burgess, currently Shelby County assessor of property. An accountant, he’s served two terms on the Shelby County Board of Commissioners.
• Harold Collins, currently Shelby County’s chief administrative o cer. Collins has worked on the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, as special assistant to the Shelby County District Attorney General, and served two terms as a Memphis city councilman.
• Marie N. Feagins, former MemphisShelby County Schools superintendent, previously worked at Detroit Public Schools as chief of leadership and high schools. Feagins is currently suing MSCS over her ring as superintendent in 2025.
• Heidi Kuhn, currently Shelby County criminal court clerk. Kuhn has held other roles with the county, including executive director of the Crime Victims Center, deputy director of community services, and lead strategist to the county sheri .
• Mickell M. Lowery, currently a Shelby County commissioner, is also managing director of sales at FedEx, where he’s held many roles in over two decades.
• Rusty Qualls, owner of Allure Tax Solutions LLC, has also worked in supply chain and logistics management.
• JB Smiley Jr., currently a Memphis city councilman, is an attorney who founded Smiley & Associates PLLC.
MLK50: Justice rough Journalism and the Flyer surveyed our readers to learn the community’s top concerns about the future of Shelby County. We put your most commonly asked questions to the candidates, and here we’re sharing their answers with you. Candidate responses are arranged alphabetically by last name according to topic. ey have been edited for length and clarity.
What is your position on the Memphis Safe Task Force [MSTF], and how would you further that position as mayor?
Burgess: Public safety is our No. 1 issue. I understand the [MSTF] is here, and I’m willing to work with any mechanisms o ered by federal or state initiatives that may improve public safety for Shelby Countians, but imported task forces are not a permanent solution. We cannot simply arrest our way out of the crime crisis a ecting our county.
As mayor, I will support solutions that attack root causes of crime by providing tangible opportunities: improving our neighborhoods, investing in education and bringing good-paying jobs to Shelby County. To achieve this, we must improve our relationships with Nashville and Washington, D.C. We need state and federal partnerships that will support and fund our local, community-driven solutions, rather than imposing top-down mandates that may not consider all of our unique needs. We must empower our neighborhoods with the resources they need to thrive and prevent crime from taking root in the rst place.
Collins: My position on the [MSTF] has been consistent with our current county mayor’s administration’s position. We DO NOT agree with the deployment of the National Guard on the streets of Shelby County. We do agree that the increased support from federal law enforcement agencies working alongside our local police department and the sheri department is warranted. As county mayor, I will continue to authorize our Emergency Management and Homeland Security Department to continue our e orts to work with those agencies.
Feagins: I have noticed that the people most closely a ected by violence, overpolicing, and neighborhood instability have too o en not been fully brought to the table to help shape and inform the work of the [MSTF]. If we are serious about real safety that outlasts temporary xes, then the voices of residents, youth,
survivors of violence, faith leaders, and grassroots organizations must be central to the strategy, not an a erthought.
I will launch Safe Shelby 365, a yearround collaborative partnership with regular cross-agency huddles between the health department, law enforcement, schools, violence interrupters, community, business, and neighborhood leaders to address problems in real time. In my rst 100 days, I will release a Countywide Community Safety Framework because true public safety is prevention, intervention, and detention with a requirement of responsible leadership committed to addressing the root causes of harm while enforcing consequences.
Kuhn: I have maintained a good working relationship with law enforcement within Shelby County and have applauded their e orts to keep us safe, but the lack of transparency from the task force has unfortunately ltered down to other enforcement agencies. We must have a handle on what their operations are and demand accountability and respect for our residents if they are to remain here. We are able to take care of ourselves and x the issues we have all witnessed throughout the years, with no better example than the precipitous drop in all crime levels over the 18 months prior to the [MSTF] arrival.
COVER STORY By Katherine Burgess for MLK50 and Chris McCoy for the Memphis Flyer
PHOTO: BRAD VEST FOR MLK50 (le to right) Rusty Qualls, Mickell M. Lowery, Melvin Burgess, Heidi Kuhn, Harold Collins, and JB Smiley Jr.
PHOTO: MARIE FEAGINS | FACEBOOK
Marie N. Feagins
My administration will focus on local law enforcement and seeking to bridge the gaps we have between the Shelby County Sheri ’s O ce and Memphis police, as well as working with the other municipalities’ law enforcement agencies to make Shelby County safe for all.
Lowery: I support law enforcement agencies working together to stop violent crime, but the [MSTF], as it currently operates, feels more like an occupation than a partnership. When outside agencies come to our neighborhoods without local oversight or clear accountability, it doesn’t build safety. It builds fear. Overpolicing does not provide real solutions.
No agency, local or federal, is above the law or beyond the reach of local oversight. As mayor, I’ll demand transparency from any agency in Shelby County. I also know enforcement alone won’t make us safer. We have to invest in what actually prevents violence: economic opportunity, mental health support, con ict resolution training starting in elementary school, and real career pathways that pay above minimum wage. Public safety has to be rooted in our community. It can’t be imposed from the outside. You build real safety through trust, and trust comes through relationships.
Qualls: Public safety must be e ective, accountable, and trusted. I support a coordinated, data-driven approach that targets violent crime, invests in prevention, and ensures transparency. As mayor, I will demand measurable results and alignment across all agencies.
Smiley: I am on the record stating that ICE and the National Guard should not be a part of the [MSTF]. I support crimeghting carried out by law enforcement agencies. Reducing crime should include group violence intervention and stronger law enforcement coordination. My platform calls for breaking down jurisdictional barriers, improving interoperability across agencies, and building a countywide response structure.
As mayor, I will bring city, county, state, and federal partners together around a shared operating framework: common intelligence-sharing rules, faster emergency coordination, focused intervention, and measurable goals that the public can track. I call this eliminating the imaginary line between jurisdictions.
Public safety also has to include dignity and prevention. at is why my platform pairs enforcement with re-entry, job pipelines, and humane corrections. Finally, when leaders in Washington or Nashville cross the line and threaten the rights of our citizens, I will sue them.
Shelby County faces multibillion-dollar decisions about aging facilities like schools, the hospital, and the jail. How would you rank your top three capital priorities for the next decade? How would you pay for them without destabilizing the county budget?
Which projects would you delay to focus on your priorities?
Burgess: 1. Public safety (new jail): We face severe legal and moral liabilities with 201 Poplar we can no longer ignore. 2. Education (MSCS infrastructure): I will work with the state to x our per-pupil allocation so we aren’t shortchanged. We must also work with the school board on consolidating underutilized schools to free up capital. 3. Healthcare (Regional One): Our safety-net hospital is vital and requires state-level partnership to modernize.
To pay for these, we will leverage state and federal partnerships, demand fair funding from Nashville, and reform local PILOT programs. I would delay nonessential county administrative capital projects and municipal infrastructure expansions that do not directly serve public safety, education, and public health.
Collins: My top goal regarding infrastructure is Regional One Health. By state law, the county is responsible for public health in our community, and building this hospital will ensure our residents and those within 150 miles will have a hospital they can depend on.
Second would be our schools. We are building the rst new high school within the Memphis city limits in 60 years. is will allow students to learn in an environment that will challenge them intellectually and is comparable to their counterparts in other county municipalities. We intend to build a second school in the east region.
Lastly, would be the jail. e sheri receives over $35 million each year for maintenance and operations. ose funds should be used to repair the jail. e top two initiatives are being paid for through the wheel-tax. ere would be no destabilizing the county’s budget.
Feagins: In my rst 100 days, I will perform a line-by-line analysis of the overall budget and capital improvement plan based on safety, impact, and scal constraints to develop a plan that re ects timeline (phased approach), resource
possible. Shelby County needs to make the state responsible for its own felony cases so we can update our jail at the penal farm. e new mental health facility being built can be the agship property of our new wraparound services provided in our jail.
Lowery: We have a serious deferred maintenance problem across this county. Residents are tired of watching tax dollars go to new construction only to see those buildings neglected within a decade. at has to change. Regional One comes rst. It’s our only Level 1 trauma center, making it a life-or-death priority. I was chairman of the board when we secured the initial $350 million, and as mayor, I’ll ght for every available state and federal dollar so the full cost doesn’t land on local property owners. Second is our schools. A billion-dollar maintenance backlog is unacceptable. Our kids are learning in buildings that tell them they don’t matter. ird is the jail [addressed in a separate question].
Regional One comes first. It’s our only Level 1 trauma center, making it a life-or-death priority.
- Mickell M. Lowery
allocation, and expected outcomes.
My top priorities include ensuring schools are modernized, supporting Regional One’s capital milestones, and addressing the 201 Poplar facility a er a facilities audit is satisfactorily completed. To garner additional funds, I will explore public-private partnership opportunities and advocate for “Responsible Gaming” (casinos) at the state level to generate new revenue streams for education and infrastructure while publishing a transparent debt capacity analysis.
Kuhn: Priorities would be schools, then hospital, then jail. While the o ce of mayor does not directly set standards for education, we do get a say in how to fund the development and maintenance of our schools. ere are some desperate situations in our schools, especially where it comes to deferred maintenance. Our children deserve to be a priority.
e Regional One hospital is next because a good portion of the heavy li ing has already begun. e nal piece will be to merge with UTHSC (University of Tennessee Health Science Center) and become an Academic Medical Center. We need the state to partner with the county to realize the true synergy of the rebuild.
e jail would be last among this list, but needs to be addressed as soon as
To pay without a massive tax hike, I’ll pursue a rolling capital improvement plan, PILOT reform, and federal infrastructure dollars. I’ve also advocated for increasing the hotel/motel tax to let visitors help fund essential infrastructure. Must-haves before nice-to-haves.
Qualls: First, education facilities. Second, healthcare infrastructure. ird, public safety facilities. We will fund these through phased investments, strategic bonding, and maximizing state and federal dollars, while delaying lower-impact projects to maintain scal stability.
Smiley: My top capital priorities would be: 1. Regional One, 2. corrections/ jail infrastructure, and 3. education infrastructure. Regional One rst because it’s the region’s safety-net hospital, trauma center, and a core public-health asset. e new campus must be delivered on time, on budget, with strict cost controls, and without compromising current care. e current administration is fast-tracking the groundbreaking without identifying full funding plans for development. My administration will ensure we are making the right nancial decisions.
201 Poplar is a legal, human, and scal risk. A failing jail costs the county more over time through lawsuits, emergency xes, sta ng instability, and poor outcomes. I place education facilities third because the county’s long-term competitiveness depends on modern learning environments and workforce readiness.
To pay for those, I would use multiyear capital planning, aggressive pursuit of state and federal participation, bond nancing only where matched to long-lived assets, and tighter project triage.
e county has not had a property tax increase in years. Would you support an
continued on page 12
PHOTO: BRAD VEST FOR MLK50
Candidates greet constituents outside the Shelby County Democratic Party Mayoral Forum.
Prepare for musical revolution The Rite of Spring changed ever ything Music Director Robert Moody dives into the primal rhythms and bold sonic landscape that shocked audiences in 1913 and still electrifies listeners today After the show, join Maestro Moody and members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in the lobby of the Halloran Centre to finish your evening with a coda of cocktails!
continued from page 11
increase? Why or why not?
Burgess: As assessor, I have pushed to help local governments budget better without defaulting to tax increases. When I chaired the county commission, I presided over the first Democratic-led property tax cut in the commission’s history. I do not support raising the tax burden on everyday citizens while we lose millions to corporate PILOTs that fail to deliver community benefits. We must audit our economic incentives, demand fair state funding, and put our 8,000 blighted properties back onto the tax rolls.
However, I am committed to supporting schools, public safety, healthcare, and infrastructure. Only after exhausting these alternative options would I support a tax increase as a last resort to maintain critical services. Even then, I would only do so after ensuring corporations receiving massive tax breaks finally pay their fair share.
Collins: The county has not had an increase in property tax in over 20 years. We know the county has had an increase in expenditures and has taken on the responsibility of restoring and improving infrastructure. As mayor, I would certainly advocate for an increase to make sure the county meets its financial obligations, restores its fund balance, and to ensure the citizens’ quality of life continues.
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looking to raise property taxes.
However, we will need to look at what the collection rate is … what percentage of property owners are paying taxes in a timely manner, that allows us to fund the services we need to operate on a day-today basis. Peer counties have found ways to maintain a relatively low property tax rate while increasing countywide revenue, and seeking to learn from those models can go a long way to helping Shelby County put itself in a better fiscal position.
Lowery: Our families are already stretched thin, and they deserve to know we’ve done everything in our power to be responsible with what we have before we ask for more. This would not be one of my first options when people are already balancing increased utility bills and food costs.
My first step is a top-to-bottom audit of every department to find savings. From there, growing our tax base through smart economic development and building a stronger relationship with Nashville to bring more investment to West Tennessee. We are a significant revenue stream for the capital, and it’s time to get our share. I’ve already pushed for modernizing revenue like the hotel and motel tax, which lets visitors help carry the load.
I’m not going to promise I’ll never raise taxes. Voters are smart enough to see through that. But it’ll be the last option, not the first.
Feagins: Right now, every penny on the tax rate represents roughly $3.3 million. We owe taxpayers a clear understanding of how every dollar is being used before asking for more.
My first step would be to fully evaluate how we are spending existing resources, identify inefficiencies, and make a fiveyear financial forecast public through clear, accessible dashboards. The forecast would show expected revenues (best- and worst-case scenarios), projected costs of projects, future obligations (pensions, maintenance), and the gap between what we have and what we need.
If there is still a clear need, then we have an honest conversation with the public about what an increase would fund, why it’s necessary, what outcomes they can expect, and how we will measure success.
People are willing to invest when they understand the value and see results. My commitment is to make sure any decision is people-centered, data-informed, clearly communicated, and directly tied to improving services for residents.
Kuhn: Right now, I would not support a property tax increase. People are feeling the sticker shock of their county tax bill, and it can feel like double that if they are also Memphis city residents. Many feel we are taxed enough at this time, and I believe that my office as mayor would look to other avenues for raising revenue before
My platform is to grow the tax base without raising rates, through small business growth, workforce development, housing investment, and stronger economic participation.
- JB Smiley Jr.
Qualls: I do not support a property tax increase. We will focus on growing the tax base, improving efficiency, and maximizing existing resources to deliver results without placing additional burden on residents.
Smiley: I would not begin with a property tax increase. My platform is built around growing the tax base without raising rates, especially through small business growth, workforce development, housing investment, and stronger economic participation. Before asking families to pay more, the county government should prove it has maximized growth, federal leverage, operating discipline, and strategic investment. That said, I would not
continued on page 20
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
Put Memphis on the Map
Memphis has a chance to make some global noise — not with music this time, but with mushrooms, moths, and mulberries. e annual City Nature Challenge returns this year, inviting locals to document the plants and wildlife that call Shelby County home. It’s part competition, part community science, and all about seeing your city a little di erently.
Led locally by Overton Park Conservancy and programs manager Malle Carrasco-Harris, the weekend centers on a simple idea: take photos of any wild organism you nd and upload them to iNaturalist. From there, a global network helps identify species, turning casual observations into real scienti c data. More than 4,000 research papers have used iNaturalist data — not bad for a phone snapshot of a backyard beetle.
By Kimberly Ham
e main BioBlitz happens at Overton Park on Saturday, April 25th, starting at 10 a.m. at the golf clubhouse. Overton Park Conservancy director of communications Melissa McMasters says, “First-timers are welcome; our organizers provide a quick tutorial before heading into the Old Forest in small groups. And anything that catches our eye, we’ll photograph and upload to the [iNaturalist] app.” e goal isn’t to specialize — it’s to notice everything. Expect spring wild owers like black snakeroot and jewelweed, plus pollinators, birds, and maybe a few surprises. Memphis has quietly been a strong contender. Last year, participants logged 2,695 observations across 828 species, placing Memphis in the top third worldwide. is year’s goal, according to McMasters, is to log “3,000 observations and 1,000 species.” A slate of six events — including hikes at T.O. Fuller State Park and Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, plus a moth-focused evening at River Garden — expands the habitats and species participants can encounter.
But you don’t need to attend an o cial event to join in. Any observation logged anywhere in Shelby County during the challenge counts. Photograph a ower on your block, a bird in your backyard, or a butter y at your local park. Upload it, and you’re contributing to a global biodiversity snapshot.
Beyond the numbers, the weekend builds something harder to measure: connection. To nature, for sure — but also to neighbors who share a curiosity about the living world. In a city known for culture, the City Nature Challenge is a reminder that Memphis is also teeming with wildlife, waiting to be noticed.
CITY NATURE CHALLENGE, OVERTON PARK, 1914 POPLAR AVE., SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 10 A.M.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES April 23rd - 29th
e Night Witches
e University of Memphis, Department of eatre & Dance, ursday, April 23 to Saturday, April 26
A gripping, movement-driven drama about the all-female Soviet 588th Night Bomber Regiment and their perilous WWII missions. As pilots Nina and Vera prepare for their rst combat sortie, the piece explores courage, friendship, and resilience under re. Directed by Kaylea Jo Egnor, the production blends movement, song, and poetic dialogue to evoke one fateful night of wartime heroism.
Poetry in the Park
Mary Elizabeth Malone Park, Saturday, April 25, 6 p.m.
Pull up, catch a vibe, and share your voice at this open-air poetry night hosted by Memphis Parks in collaboration with Play Your Park
and Keeping It P! Bring a blanket or lawn chair and settle in for an evening of creativity and community connection.
Free and open to adults only. No preregistration required; open mic sign-ups will be available on-site, with spots lled on a rst-come basis. For more information, contact whitney.wallace@memphistn.gov.
Peak of Spring: Floral Arranging
Workshop with Bramble & Bloom
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Sunday, April 26, 2-4 p.m.
Celebrate spring in full bloom with a hands-on oral arranging workshop. Participants will work with seasonal favorites like larkspur, irises, and peonies while learning the fundamentals of composition, texture, and color balance in oral design.
Whether you’re new to arranging
or looking to re ne your skills, this guided workshop o ers practical techniques for creating lush, expressive arrangements inspired by spring at its peak. Each guest will leave with a nished bouquet ready to display at home.
Comedian Jesse James Best
Flyway Brewing Company, Saturday, April 25, 8-9:45 p.m.
Flyway Brewing’s monthly comedy showcase features nationally touring comedian Jesse James Best (Wiseguys Comedy Club, Zanies Nashville) headlining, with Chattanooga’s Courtenay Cholovich (B4UDie Comedy Festival, Lookout Comedy Festival) in support. Hosted by coproducer Colton Ales, the night also includes drop-in sets from featured local comics.
PHOTO: COURTESY MELISSA MCMASTERS Fields Falcone snaps a mourning cloak butter y.
MUSIC By Alex Greene
David Porter ‘Deeps It’
Legendary Stax songwriter evokes life’s passions in new memoir.
Any soul music fan knows about David Porter. Though the records released under his name were never smash hits for Stax Records, his songwriting partnership with Isaac Hayes became one of the most celebrated behind-the-scenes collaborations of the era. So casual readers won’t be too shocked to learn that when “Soul Man” became the No. 1 pop song in the nation, Porter made $20,000. The song ultimately earned him a lot more than that, but what’s fascinating is the way he first cashed in on the record — and it wasn’t through royalties. That particular payday took place because Porter, at heart, was a risk-taker, and more than a little cocky.
He lays out the situation in his compelling new self-published autobiography, The Soul Man: Life of Songwriter David Porter, as told by Porter to his collaborator, Redwriter. “Soul Man” was a turning point, and Porter knew it, betting Stax co-owner Jim Stewart $20,000 that the freshlymixed track, once released, would be a hit. “Everything about ‘Soul Man’ told me that we were doing things the right way,” recalls Porter, “so I told Jim that we would have a number one hit song with pop radio in the nation.” When that proved true, “I made sure not to let it go. After all, he had agreed on that.”
Wind & Fire. And with every vocal group or school program he sang for, Porter was determined to learn. After flopping at a ninth-grade talent show, he resolved to only focus on material that moved his soul. “I started a phrase in my writing and in my thoughts that I must ‘deep it.’ That is to make sure it is emotionally connected to someone in a fresh way.”
The importance of “deeping it” resurfaces again and again thereafter. Years later, he would inspire Hayes with the same concept, saying, “Listen man, we have to deep it. We’ve got to come up with more meat in what we are saying. We have to bring about a feel to our music that has the same energy as the church.” That gospel fire was a unique quality in the material the two supplied to Sam & Dave and others.
The story is one of many about songwriting’s grip on Porter’s imagination from his youngest years, and his bold risk-taking along the way. Singing at Rose Hill Baptist Church by the age of seven, he began with an elevated sense of his own talent. “I would belt out every song and my voice was one of the loudest,” he writes. “The other church members would clap and holler with every verse. Little did I know that they were praising God and not clapping for my performances. Regardless, I had caught the bug for stage fame.”
Following those earliest years, growing up in extreme poverty with a loving mother and siblings, Porter kept pursuing music by any means necessary, aided and abetted by his childhood friend, Maurice White, who went on to found Earth,
And that fire did run deep, as Porter’s many testimonials to his faith attest. Parallel to that was his empathy for others, rooted in his family. His first love song, written in grade school, was “inspired by the women I had in my life at that time, my mother and sisters.” His sensitivity to the interior lives of men and women alike subsequently came through in the lyrics and melodies he brought to his career-defining hits. Most of all, as he writes, “I wanted to feel what I was doing.”
This book is loaded with those feelings, being more akin to chatting with an old friend than your typical writerly tome. Porter’s folksy voice is nonetheless full of insights and philosophical reflections on what makes a great song, the importance of artists owning their unique identities, and the cultural impact of WDIA, the nation’s first radio station programmed entirely for the Black community.
All of it leads inexorably to Porter’s importance as a pioneer of American soul music and as a Memphis institution, overseeing both The Consortium MMT nonprofit for young talent and Made In Memphis Entertainment (MIME), a record and publishing company that keeps the focus on the vast potential of local music. The songs, the institutions, and the book itself are testaments to Porter’s passion for keeping it real.
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule
April 23 - 29
PHOTO: JAMIE HARMON
Susan Marshall & Reba Russell
B2K & Bow Wow: Boys
4 Life Tour
B2K, celebrating their 25th anniversary, returns with Bow Wow. Sunday, April 26, 7 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
Cheley Tackett
Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m.
SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS
Trolley Night Jam
Friday, April 24, 6 p.m.
SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS
The Settlers
Sunday, April 26, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S POPLAR
Van Duren
An indie pop pioneer. ursday, April 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
Wendell Wells
Live music and trivia. Sunday, April 26, 9 p.m.-midnight.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Wendell Wells & the Big Americans
ursday, April 23, 6-9 p.m.
MI PUEBLO MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Alex Greene & the Rolling Head Orchestra
Honoring Duke Ellington’s Birthday, plus originals.
Wednesday, April 29, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Brandon & TJ
Friday, April 24, 6:30 p.m.
B-SIDE
Curren$y
ursday, April 23, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Deborah Swiney Duo
ursday, April 23, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
Devil Train
ursday, April 23, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
Dexter & the Moonrocks
Friday, April 24, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
DJ Funn
Sunday, April 26, 6 p.m.
CELTIC CROSSING
Feyleux
With Skull Family, Divingstation9. ursday, April 23, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Jazz Jam with the Cove Quartet
Sunday, April 26, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
Lumen Lounge
With Delyrius, ^Morrigan^, and BigRigg. Friday, April 24, 8 p.m.
GROWLERS
Memphis Jazz Orchestra Featuring Michael Dease Memphians back the celebrated trombonist. Saturday, April 25, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Memphis Street Fight House Party With Sybil, Muscle, Gl00m, and Hooves. Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m. GROWLERS
Muck Sticky
Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
MusicBoXx
Friday, April 24, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
MWAA & More
Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m. HI TONE
Seeing Red
Saturday, April 25, 9 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Steve Lee
A stellar Memphis pianist. Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Susan Marshall & Reba Russell
Saturday, April 25, 4 p.m. B-SIDE
The Dip
Sunday, April 26, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
The Lucky Losers
Sunday, April 26, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S MIDTOWN
The Pinch
Friday, April 24, 9:30 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
U of M Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Singers
Jazz excellence bridging generations. Tuesday, April 28, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS with abundance we breathe
A tribute to classical South Asian composers. ursday,
April 23, 6 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Blaine Bailey Saturday, April 25, 10 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Duane Cleveland Band
Sunday, April 26, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S SOUTHAVEN
Mighty Flea Circus
Part rockabilly, part swing, part circus sideshow. Friday, April 24, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Nicky Diamonds
Afro-Indigenous countryroots-blues music. ursday, April 23, 6 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Wolf Springfest with Ashley McBryde ursday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.
BANKPLUS AMPHITHEATER
Awadagin Pratt with Iris Collective e Grammy-winning pianist returns. $62. ursday, April 23, 7-8 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS
CENTER
GPAC Youth Symphony Program Spring Concert
Student musicians explore the art of lm scoring. Sunday, April 26, 4 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS
CENTER
The Side Street Steppers A tribute to the evolution of American music. Tuesday, April 28, 6 p.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE
HISTORYAND BISTRO-LAKELAND
Wycliffe Gordon
One of the top trombonists of his generation. $39. Saturday, April 25, 8-9 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS
CENTER
WEDNESDAY APRIL 22
JOCELYN GOULD
7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM | $25
THURSDAY APRIL 23
CROSSTOWN ARTS FILM SERIES DR. STRANGELOVE directed by STANLEY KUBRICK | 1964 | PG | 95 MINUTES 7:00 PM | CROSSTOWN THEATER | $5
FRIDAY APRIL 24
STEVE LEE
7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM | $20
SATURDAY APRIL 25
MEMPHIS JAZZ ORCHESTRA feat MICHAEL DEASE
TUESDAY APRIL 28
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS SOUTHERN COMFORT JAZZ ORCHESTRA and JAZZ SINGERS + THE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BAND
7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM | $25 7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM | $10
CROSSTOWN ARTS
CALENDAR of EVENTS:
April 23 - 29
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.
DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENTS LISTING, VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
Memphis Originals Art
Exhibition
Featuring art and photography by Ron Olson, David Lynch, and Michael Donahue. rough April 30.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“What We Surround Ourselves With”
A love letter to the evolution of the cra , work, and stories shared through the museum’s community. rough July 31.
METAL MUSEUM
ART HAPPENINGS
2026 Youth Council
Exhibition Opening is special exhibition showcases compelling artwork from talented student artists across Memphis. Saturday, April 25, noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
BOOK EVENTS
Independent Bookstore Day
A national celebration. Saturday, April 25, all day.
Opening Reception: “The Mystery of Cave Island”
Opening night for Los Angeles-based artist
Eileen Havant Townsend’s rst solo exhibition, featuring nine dioramas of rocky landscapes alongside nine graphite drawings. Saturday, April 25, 5-7:30 p.m.
TOPS GALLERY
NOVEL AND BURKE’S BOOK STORE
The New Romantics Book Club: Rites of the Starling
A princess journeys across a cursed realm to nd the truth about her family. Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m.
NOVEL
ACROSS
1 Blog feed format, for short
4 “Awesome!”
10 Heart-to-heart, maybe
14 Where some R.N.s work
15 Modern music hybrid
16 Diner option
17 *Plays around (4 & 6)
19 Very, very
20 “Lohengrin” soprano
21 Siri runs on it
22 Start appealing to more
23 *Language in which “hello” is “privet” (4 & 3)
25 *Opening a beer bottle with a ring, e.g. (4 & 4)
27 ___-red
28 27-Across, e.g.
30 Sin-ful teaching?
PHOTO: COURTESY TOPS GALLERY
San Gabriel Diorama, graphite on paper, by artist Eileen Havant Townsend featured in her exhibition, “ e Mystery of Cave Island”.
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Paint and Sip: April
Showers and Art Hours
In this guided paint session, participants will learn how to build rich texture and so , layered orals into an impressionistic piece. $40/seat. Tuesday, April 28, 6-8 p.m.
PIKE & WEST
Peak of Spring: Floral Arranging Workshop with Midtown Bramble & Bloom
Create breathtaking arrangements while discovering the art of bloom placement and texture magic. $50. Sunday, April 26, 2-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
COMEDY
Comedian Jesse James Best
Nationally-touring comedian headlines Flyway’s popular monthly comedy show. $10/ discount online tickets. Saturday, April 25, 8-9:45 p.m.
FLYWAY BREWING COMPANY
COMMUNITY
0619 Crossword
31 In medias ___
33 Jazz singer Anita
34 Presidential threat
35 Ride that you “catch”
38 *Bounce (4 & 4)
41 Barrett of the original Pink Floyd
42 Abbr. above “0”
44 Western wolf
45 Wall Street average, with “the”
47 Summertime cooler
48 What Romeo and Juliet plan to do
50 Jesus, in a metaphor
53 *Omaha Beach locale (4 & 4)
55 *1988 Winter Olympics host (3 & 4)
58 Give a break from the game
59 Load of cash
60 Fort ___, Ontario
61 Store of riches
62 Bachelors no more … or, literally, the answers to the six starred clues
65 Ed of “Up”
66 They might include an R.S.V.P. interface
67 What’s frequently found in poetry?
68 Rules, for short
69 Be out of one’s league, in a way
70 Org. whose workers get hands-on experience? DOWN
1 Less green, perhaps
2 Disheveled sort
3 Credit ___ (financial giant)
4 Setting for much of the “Odyssey”
5 Amor vincit ___ (love conquers all)
6 Genetic sequences
7 Bauxite and others
8 Crew’s control?
9 D.J.’s library
Invention celebrated by NBC’s peacock logo 11 Starts without a key, say
“Phew!”
Edited by Will Shortz No.
Kind of beam
Aged, in England
Way of old Rome
Dark blue?
2026 South and Appalachian Creative Placemaking Summit
Explore how communities use arts, culture, and creative placemaking as a strategy for community and economic development, revitalization, and collaborative action. Tuesday, April 21-April 24.
RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER
City Nature Challenge: BioBlitz at Overton Park
Participate in a worldwide movement to document wild nature and help ght biodiversity loss. Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m.
OVERTON PARK GOLF CLUBHOUSE
FAMILY
Brick Convention e greatest LEGO® fan event on earth brings all of the creative hands-on, minds-on fun of LEGO® building and experiences together in one entertainment-packed family event. Saturday, April 25-April 26. LANDERS CENTER
FILM
Dr. Strangelove
One of cinema’s sharpest and most enduring satires, this is Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War nightmare spun into pitch-black comedy. ursday, April 23, 7 p.m.
CROSSTOWN THEATER
THEATER
Jesus Christ Superstar
A rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, telling the story of the last week of Jesus’ life from the perspective of Judas Iscariot. Friday, April 24, 8 p.m. | Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m. | Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m. PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
Noises Off
Absurd and comical. A crew of B-list actors rehearses a British bedroom farce to tour small towns across Britain. e mis t performers and crew are seen rst in rehearsal, then backstage, and lastly in a disastrous performance. A truly hilarious farce. Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, April 25, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m.
THEATRE MEMPHIS
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
Jerry Phillips was the honoree at a party that featured him in the rst episode of Memphis Record Pressing’s new documentary series, Legends. e event was held on April 2nd at Old Dominick Distillery.
In addition to an interview with Phillips, an artist and producer as well as the son of Sam Phillips of Sun Records fame, the documentary features Phillips performing songs from his recent album, For the Universe
above: (le to right) Jamie Harmon, Matt Ross-Spang; Reba Russell; Danny Banks and Kristin Bennett-Banks below: (le to right) Roxanne Phillips-Tays, Jerry Phillips, Halley Phillips, Brandon Seavers; Je rey Goldberg, Kosten Goldberg; Scott Bomar, Sam Seifert
bottom row: (le to right)Anthony Corder, James Alexander; Dave Winker and Ronnie McDowell; Stephanie Mei Hom, Matthew Wilson, Leo; John Paul Keith
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Food to Make You Smile
Rolling along with Halinka’s Polish Eatery.
Halinka’s Polish Eatery is celebrating its rst anniversary in Memphis. Yet some people are still not aware there’s a local place to get Polish fare, including pierogis and kielbasa aka Polish sausage.
“I’m the rst and only,” says the food truck owner Magda Dutkiewicz Vaughan. “ at’s what I say in my advertising.”
“Halinka” is the “term of endearment” for her mother, Halina Dutkiewicz. Her mother’s likeness “with her blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes” is the business logo. Her father, Jacek K. Dutkiewicz, drew the caricature.
Born in Poland, Vaughan and her parents, both chemical engineers, moved in 1998 to Memphis, where her dad got a job at Buckeye Technologies. Her mother worked, but she was also a homemaker.
“Since I can remember, I was always cooking with her in the kitchen,” says Vaughan. “My very rst memory was making the so cookies that were stu ed with nuts and raisins. Something that became my specialty.”
About 14 years ago, Vaughan was doing consumer behavior research and market analysis in Nashville when she was diagnosed with cancer. “I just had this inkling that I needed to step away from the corporate world. I was no longer getting ful lled,” she says. She had considered opening some type of foodrelated job one day, and this seemed like the right time. “If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do this now.”
mushroom kraut cabbage, the minced meat (triple-ground meat) and potato and cheese pierogis.”
Her kielbasa is a “double-smoked sausage that is incredibly juicy. It has this snap.” She imports her sausage from Chicago. “Anything I don’t make myself, I import.”
Instead of French fries, her sides are cabbage and beets. “ at delicious smoked savory cabbage. And not pickled beets. ese are boiled and grated and have a sweet and sour punch to them.”
For dessert, Vaughan sells her Polish crepes, which are made with “so , delicate, and creamy” farmer’s cheese. “I add hazelnut chocolate. I love Nutella. Or apples and cinnamon.”
She prepares her food at a commercial kitchen, Memphis Kitchen Co-Op. She also teaches, having held her rst Polish cooking class in Memphis at Fawn restaurant.
smile together.
Instead of a brick-and-mortar restaurant, Vaughan wanted a “mobile eatery” so she could bring her food “to the people.”
And she knew whatever food business she opened would be named a er her mother. “My mom’s my muse. She taught me everything I know.”
Using her market analysis skills, Vaughan researched and discovered that the Memphis food truck industry basically consists of “three key categories: comfort food, barbecue, and Mexican or Latin American.” She felt she could introduce people to a di erent culture with cuisine they might never have tried before.
Vaughan opened her food truck last April at Wiseacre Brewing Company OG on Broad Avenue. ey sold out of everything that day.
Her menu is simple: pierogis and kielbasa. Pierogis “came over to Poland from Asia in the 1200s. ey are these delicious dumplings stu ed with basically anything seasonal. What I make for my truck is the
Since they moved to Memphis, Vaughan and her family have been involved with the Polish American Society, and she also founded the non-pro t Vaughan Family Foundation two years ago. eir rst fundraiser was “Beat the Heat For the Homeless,” and raised money to buy water bottles and misting fans for the underprivileged during the summer. at in turn inspired Vaughan’s plans to have a Polish festival in Memphis one day.
Her food truck bears the colors of the Polish ag. “Heavy on the white and red. If you look closely, you’ll see the outline of sausages and pierogis on it.” Vaughan is assisted on her truck by her husband, Victor, and her son, Charlie. When they hand out the dishes, they say, “Smacznego,” which means, “Enjoy the taste.”
Vaughan, who is now cancer-free, believes food “unites people.” It “makes people sit down at the table together and smile.” And, she adds, “I want more people around me to smile. And it’s happening. It’s exciting.”
To nd Halinka’s Polish Eatery, visit halinkaspolisheatery.com or follow the business on social media.
PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE Vaughan and family
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The visible lightning bolt we see is actually the return stroke. It’s electricity racing back up from the ground to the cloud after an invisible leader stroke has created a path. So the spectacular display is actually the earth talking back to the sky. I’d love to see you adopt this phenomenon as your power symbol, Aries. In every way you can imagine, be like the earth conversing with the sky. When a hopeful sign crackles overhead, send out a bold message that you’re ready to act on it. If your ideals are vague and wispy, flying high above you, take a brave practical step to anchor them in reality. Proclaim your bright intentions to the clouds and the stars.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In music theory, the tritone is an interval exactly halfway between octaves. In old church music, it was considered diabolical because of its unstable, unresolved quality. But this “devil interval” is now essential to blues, jazz, and rock. The precariousness that once made it seem outrageous became the source of its potency. What was taboo became foundational. I believe you’re entering into a metaphorical tritone phase, Gemini. Lots of interesting and valuable stuff may be a bit wobbly, irregular, hectic, or ruffled.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): A treasure you have long yearned for has morphed since the day you first set out to claim it. Either it has genuinely altered its shape and flavor, or it has remained exactly what it always was while you have changed. In either case, the relationship between you and this prize is no longer the same. Its meaning and value have shifted. The strategies you’ve been using to pursue it aren’t entirely relevant. So I suggest you pause and reconsider. Decide whether you need to formulate a revised approach or identify a different version of the treasure altogether.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): My radical predictions: You will soon discern truths that have been hidden and unravel mysteries that have resisted your understanding. A limiting belief that has dulled your mind will fade away, and a so-called ally who has confused your sense of self will drift out of your orbit. And that’s just part of the renewal ahead. I foresee that you will emerge from a weird emotional haze, regaining access to feelings you’ve needed to highlight. And with that awakening, you will be blessed with beautiful realizations that until now have lingered just beyond definition.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In theater, “blocking” refers to the carefully choreographed movement of actors on stage. Every step is intentional, designed to create meaning and flow. But if an actor forgets the blocking and moves spontaneously in
By
Rob Brezsny
response to what’s happening, sometimes the scene becomes more alive. Let’s apply this idea to your life, Virgo. It may be that you have been following the blocking carefully. You know your role well. But now you’ve been authorized to forget the blocking. You can respond to what’s really happening instead of what’s scripted. I invite you to speak from your heart rather than parroting what’s expected of you. Yes, you might mess up the scene. But on the other hand, you might make it extra real and vibrant.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the future I envision for us all, the prizes that truly matter won’t be the wealth we’ve gathered or the impressive names on our contact list. They won’t be the clever deals we’ve made or the attractiveness of those who walk beside us. What will count most is our ability to transform the messy, selfish, frightened parts of ourselves into strengths. That’s hard to do! Each of us carries a share of that leaden dross, of course, but some of us are more tirelessly ingenious in our efforts to transmute it into gold. And the coming weeks will be prime time for you, Libra, to make dynamic progress in harnessing this magic.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is it possible there’s something you really need but you don’t know what it is? Sometimes the soul sends up subtle hints long before it sends clear demands: a vague restlessness, a mysterious sadness, or a boredom that doesn’t match your circumstances. These are often clues that an unnamed or unacknowledged need is summoning your attention. My advice to you: PAY ATTENTION! Ask your deep, sweet, sensitive self to provide unambiguous clues. To expedite the process, say the following sentence out loud, filling in the blank at the end: “I suspect I might be starving for ________.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have arrived at the Glorious Grunting Season, my dear Sagittarius. I hope you’re poised to sweat freely and trust the intelligence of strenuous physical effort. Your wise body, more than your fine mind, can best align you with cosmic rhythms. Whenever you throw yourself into work or play that makes you grunt — hauling, scrubbing, digging, lifting, dancing, running, making love — you will harmonize with the deeper pulse of life. I predict that you will invigorate your instinctual vitality as you clear emotional sediment and ground your energy in the earth’s rich rhythms. You will metabolize frustration into focus, inertia into momentum, and abstraction into embodiment.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What might motivate you to become an extraordinary lover? I’m not suggesting that your romantic and erotic talents
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
You’re finished with energydraining indulgences. No more seductive perils or cute ailments, either. Once you wriggle free from the tangles that have been hobbling your style, I suspect you will also renounce anything that resembles joyless restraint, naive certainties, pointless cravings, numbing comforts, or misplaced bravery. May it be so! Abracadabra! The emancipations that materialize after these escapes will likely stoke your holy appetite to shine more fiercely than it has in ages.
are lacking, only that there is delightful room to grow. And the coming weeks will be prime time for you to have fun with this noble experiment. I suggest you follow the clues that life and intuition will drop in your path. Keep this in mind, too: What makes a person a superb lover has a little to do with sheer technique, but is mostly due to emotional intelligence, imaginative responsiveness, and tender ingenuity.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This horoscope isn’t composed by me. It’s coming from you. I’m channeling it straight out of your own deep mind. Why now? Because your conscious ego has been so swept up in the constant swirl of tasks and distractions that it has been tuning out crucial communications from your still, small voice. And now that precious Spirit Whisperer has conscripted me as its messenger. Here’s what it wants to say: “Hey you! Remember me? Your inner guide? Also known as your higher self and the voice of your soul? You urgently need to turn your attention back in my direction. I have a backlog of messages for you, starting with how we can and should intensify our devotion to creative self-care.”
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1967, Piscean biologist Lynn Margulis proposed a revolutionary idea about life’s evolution: that many of its great leaps occurred through symbiosis. She theorized that distinct organisms have sometimes merged their identities to form entirely new beings. One example is the mitochondrion, the powerhouse within our cells. It began its existence as a free-living bacterium that later entered into partnership with the ancestral cell. Margulis’ formerly controversial idea is now mainstream science. (She was called “science’s unruly earth mother.”) With this as our guide, Pisces, let’s contemplate what separate elements of your life might merge into unprecedented blends. I invite you to consider bold experiments in merging and mixing. Hybrids might be more beautiful and valuable than the sum of their parts.
make reckless promises. If there is a true emergency involving safety, debt capacity, or core public obligations, then any mayor has to level with the public about the numbers. But my first choice would be smarter growth, tighter budgeting, stronger regional partnerships, and better capital sequencing.
Shelby County has recently emphasized lowering the property tax rate, and I think voters expect a mayor who treats a tax increase as the last tool, not the first one. I would first fight to expand the base, bring in outside dollars, reform underperforming systems, and target spending toward the essentials.
As mayor, how would you work to reduce inequality and increase opportunities for low-to-no-income residents?
Burgess: As assessor, my philosophy is, “We value people over property.” True economic mobility requires stopping corporate giveaways that don’t guarantee returns for our neighborhoods. I will institute strict community benefit agreements for businesses receiving public incentives and aggressively audit them. If corporations break promises to create good-paying jobs for residents, we will use clawback provisions to reclaim public dollars and reinvest them into our
communities. Additionally, I will create a temporary employment labor program for unemployed, underemployed, and re-entry populations to build a workforce dedicated to solving our county’s blight concerns while providing crucial income and skills.
Collins: As the county’s chief administrative officer, we are increasing opportunities for low-to-no-income residents by doing several initiatives. First, we are investing in our infrastructure to increase the amount of small and womenowned businesses to encourage them to engage in the project bidding process. Second, we are using our procurement department to break large contracts up so that businesses can secure the proper bonding or insurance to do these projects. Finally, through our planning and development division, we are making sure families or homeowners get the opportunity to get the necessary training to manage, budget, and prepare for homeownership. This division provides low-interest loans or forgivable loans after a certain period of time.
Feagins: To address inequality, I will strengthen partnerships with local education institutions to expand opportunities for residents to gain new skills, complete their GED, or upskill to qualify for meaningful employment
opportunities. I will champion the “Literacy to Life Pathway,” partnering with the business community to create 10,000 paid jobs and internships for youth and young adults over four summers to build their skills and income.
To further boost economic mobility, my administration will require county infrastructure contractors to hire local first, pay a living wage, and dedicate a percentage of contracts to youth hiring. My administration will explore the “Level Up” Guaranteed Income Initiative, a pilot program providing a monthly stipend to qualifying unemployed/underemployed households in targeted ZIP codes.
Finally, I will expand awareness of Neighborhood Opportunity Zones to direct county-funded microgrants and tax incentives into distressed ZIP codes.
Kuhn: We would continue the work we started in the Criminal Court Clerk’s Office, where we focused on providing expungements to residents and helping turn their life fortunes around for a fresh start. Many who received expungements were from lower-income situations, and there are many stories of those who were helped by our efforts to clear their records and give them a new direction.
We also want to ensure we are providing career opportunities, not just jobs. We can achieve this within my plan to provide empowerment zones that create
opportunities within neighborhoods, which will revitalize areas that have lost their vitality. I also believe leading by example is important, like when I pushed to increase pay for staff in the clerk’s office, and we worked to get the county government to raise pay for hourly workers to set the example that what is good for the government must be good for the community.
Lowery: Our government has to be proactive, not reactive. I started loading boxes on a warehouse floor. I worked my way up, but not everyone is afforded those same opportunities, especially now with so many residents unemployed and underemployed. I’ve met with many people who feel like they can’t get ahead regardless of what they do. Those conversations drive everything I want to do as mayor.
Universal pre-kindergarten is my dayone priority. When a child gets a strong start, their whole family moves forward. Parents can get back to work without the worry of expensive childcare bills. Every graduate should have a path to a livingwage career through vocational training and apprenticeships, available in every school, not just select areas. We need county contracts reaching minority and women-owned businesses so wealth stays in our communities. Giving everyone the same thing isn’t enough. We have to invest
A Memphis Light, Gas and Water alternative to traditional monthly billing, allowing you to purchase utilities in advance and monitor your usage in real time. No deposits No late fees No reconnection fees
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS LUNCHON
The Great Hall 1900 S. Germantown Rd May 19, 2026 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Join us May 19 for a luncheon featuring keynote Bonnie Carroll. After the 1992 loss of her husband, Brig Gen Tom Carroll, Bonnie founded TAPS to ensure no military survivor grieves alone Join us to hear how she turned a tragic Army plane crash into a global mission of hope
For tickets and tables
Contact Diana Barzizza 901-558-3197 dbarzizza@thealliancefoundation.org
Bonnie Carroll
Speaker
where the need is greatest.
Qualls: We will align workforce development, economic investment, and access to services around one goal: upward mobility. That means connecting residents to living-wage jobs, scaling skills training tied to employer demand, and ensuring every neighborhood has a clear pathway to opportunity.
Smiley: My administration will focus on three things: pathways to homeownership and entrepreneurship, pathways to income, and pathways to stability. My platform calls for a small business accelerator targeted at businesses stuck in survival mode or trying to get off the ground, a countywide vocational and skills training pipeline, a paid experience and career launch initiative, and a talent return and retention initiative to connect
residents to jobs in high-demand sectors. I want Shelby County to use public policy to close the wealth gap.
For residents with little or no income … we cannot treat public assistance, workforce development, transportation, housing, and re-entry as separate silos. They have to work together. My policies connect training to employers, transit to job corridors, and re-entry to guaranteed work opportunities. I would also prioritize wraparound services like mental health access, evening nutrition support, and targeted health access, because opportunity means very little if a family is one crisis away from falling apart. The candidates also answered questions about the future of MATA, the state of the county jail at 201 Poplar, increasing homeownership, and juvenile justice. Find the answers to those questions online at memphisflyer.com and MLK50.com.
CLASSIFIEDS
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
In the CHANCERY COURT of Shelby County, Tennessee No. CH-25-0871
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Plaintiff(s) V.
JIMMY L. WARREN, AND KNOWN AND UNKNOWN OWNERS
Defendant(s)
It appearing from the complaint in this cause which is sworn to that:
There are parties known and unknown and as prayed for in the Petition to Quiet Title filed on June 13, 2025, as to all previous owners of 0 Williams Avenue, Memphis, TN 38126.
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It is therefore ordered that they make themselves appearance herein at the court House of Shelby County, in the city of Memphis, Shelby County, TN on May 25, 2026 and answer plaintiffs complaint for Petition to Quiet Title or the same will be taken for confessed as to defendant(s), and set for hearing ex parte, and that a copy of this order be published once a week for four successive weeks in the Memphis Flyer. This 26th day of March, 2026
A True Copy – Attest:
W. Aaron Hall, Clerk & Master
By Jocelyn V. Henderson
Jocelyn V. Henderson
Attorney for Petitioner
Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 2026
A Long Way From South Third Street
Memphis built something in me.
Just o South ird Street, the South Branch Library was where everyone knew me by name. I was there every day. Sometimes the rst to arrive, but always the last to leave. It was my refuge. A place where I felt understood in a way I didn’t anywhere else.
Every now and then, with my grandmother’s permission, I’d tag along with one of the librarians. ough wellintended, leaving the neighborhood felt surreal. I understood there was more to life, but, perhaps, nobody, not even me, realized that everything I would become, was already being built right there.
Back then, I believed Memphis started at the Southgate Shopping Center and ended at the Crystal Palace Skating Rink. In my innocence, I mistook Crystal Palace for the Downtown of Memphis. It was the only reasonable explanation for the people, the lights, and the energy.
My neighborhood might’ve been less vibrant, but I still made the best of it. I rode my 10-speed bike up and down the street, played on the swings in Belz Park, and picked pears o the neighbor’s trees like they were mine. At the end of the day, I returned to a small, cramped house where love and chaos looked the same, where people just showed up and stayed as long as they needed. My world wasn’t huge, but it never felt lacking, especially in possibility.
Possibility looked di erent where I came from. Most saw what wasn’t, but you actually learned from what was. You learned early how to read people. You learned how to move smart. You learned how to hold your own. You learned how to laugh even when things didn’t look like they should. My neighborhood wasn’t polished; it was real. And it built something in you whether you realized it or not.
What we come from isn’t something to explain away. It is something to stand on.
It built something in me.
A er college, I didn’t leave Memphis right away. I stayed and I taught. For 10 years, I stood in classrooms, in the same city, in the same neighborhood, that raised me, o en working with students who reminded me of myself.
In 2014, I moved to China to continue teaching. I won’t dress it up — it challenged me. I was in a new environment with new expectations. I sat in rooms where I wasn’t the most traveled, the most exposed, or the most polished. ere were moments I felt it, and there were moments when those around me wouldn’t allow me to forget it.
But I never felt incapable. Not even once.
Everything I needed, I already had. Living in Memphis had already taught me how to walk into unfamiliar spaces and gure it out. It had already taught me how to adjust without losing myself. What I thought I was gaining overseas, I realized I had been building all along.
Leaving didn’t distance me from Memphis. It clari ed it. It made me see it without apology. It made me understand that what we come from isn’t something to explain away. It is something to stand on.
So now, when I tell people I’m from Memphis, I don’t rush past it. I don’t so en it. I anticipate the pause, knowing full well a joke about our crime rate then a compliment about our barbecue and our musical icons will follow.
And while I can’t deny the reality of our crime rate, there’s so much more to Memphis than what people reduce it to. We’re not just food and music. We’re the Underground Railroad, home of Kings, and second to none when it comes to Southern hospitality. Memphis doesn’t need to be defended. It needs to be understood. It is not just what people see from the outside. It is what it produces.
It produces people who can navigate complexity. People who know how to endure, who know how to make something out of very little. It doesn’t just leave you when you leave.
And that’s where responsibility comes in. ere’s no shame in leaving Memphis. But there is something to question if you leave and never look back, if you take everything it gave you and never pour anything into it in return.
Whether we admit it or not, we carry Memphis with us. In how we speak. In how we move. In how we show up. I’ve been to a lot of places since South ird Street, seen more than I ever thought I would. But I understand something now that I didn’t then. I’m a long way from South ird Street. But everything that got me here started there.
Dequilah Brandon lives in Naples, Italy, and has traveled to over 25 countries, something she never imagined doing as a child.
PHOTO: COURTESY DEQUILAH BRANDON e author visiting the Monti district, Rome, Italy.
