State lawmakers want to take oversight of possible discrimination in federal funding from the Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) and give it to the Tennessee Attorney General.
State agencies have to follow federal rules when they get federal money. One of those rules — Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — disallows discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin.
In 2002, then-Governor Don Sundquist, a Republican, created the Title VI Complain Commission. In 2009, the THRC was given the authority to verify that state government entities comply with the requirements of Title VI.
But new legislation would strip this oversight and enforcement from the state group and would give that power to Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti’s office.
The bill is sponsored by state Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon) and Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville). It would transfer from the THRC to the AG “the responsibility of identifying state laws, rules, programs, services, and budgetary priorities that conflict with the components, guidelines, and objectives of a comprehensive state policy established by the commission to ensure compliance with Title VI requirements.”
A review of the bill was slated for the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday afternoon. No further details of the legislation — including the motivation for it — have been heard so far. However, the bill passed on partisan lines in a House subcommittee last week. Only two members, Rep. Larry Miller (D-Memphis) and Rep. Jesse Chism (D-Memphis), voted against the bill.
THRC is an independent and neutral state agency that takes and investigates complaints of alleged discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. It also monitors Title VI compliance for state agencies and entities getting federal money. It is the primary state agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws in the state of Tennessee.
“The Commission plays a key role in ensuring that the citizens of Tennessee are aware of their civil rights, their responsibilities under the laws that THRC enforces, and have a viable means for justice when their rights are violated,” the group said in its latest annual report.
Last year, the group received 1,097 inquiries of alleged Title VI discrimination. Of those, 332 complaints were accepted. Of those, 162 cases were closed. Settlements and mediations resulted in $4,000 to be awarded to complainants.
Most of those complaints were on alleged discrimination of race, retaliation, sex, and disability.
Credit: Tennessee Human Rights Commission
THRC found that all of the 49 state agencies reporting to it were in compliance of Title VI requirements.
Failure to meet Title VI requirements could result in loss of federal money. Last year, Tennessee got $31 billion in federal funds. TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program, got the largest share at $19.2 billion.
The THRC also offers technical assistance to the state’s many agencies, including the University of Memphis. Last year, the group said it fielded 237 requests for such help.
Railgarten is permanently closed and its property is up for sale, according to a listing from commercial real estate firm Colliers.
The entertainment complex closed in the winter. But the sign outside the popular Midtown hangout read that it was closed only for renovations.
Credit: Railgarten via Facebook
However, a new sign hanging on the front of the indoor music venue part of Railgarten now reads “available.” The property listing from Colliers calls it “the former Railgarten dining, entertainment, and recreational venue.”
The listing includes the entire complex together: the diner, the tiki bar, indoor music hall, the backyard and beer garden, volleyball court, and Ping-Pong pavilion. All of it totals nearly 10,000 square feet of indoor entertainment space on 1.35 acres.
Credit: Colliers
Here’s how Colliers describes the property:
“It’s designed to offer diverse dining, drinks, live music, and recreational activities across both indoor and outdoor spaces. The property benefits from being in the heart of the Cooper-Young district, a social, cultural, and entertainment hotspot.
“Whether it’s a local Memphian looking for a weekend hangout, a tourist exploring the city, or a music fan catching a live show, this property is perfectly positioned to attract foot traffic and engagement year-round.
The area is a convenient location in Cooper Young District — packed with award-winning restaurants, coffee shops, and craft breweries. Just minutes from the University of Memphis, Christian Brothers University, Liberty Park, Downtown Memphis, and Overton Square, making it easy to access many city attractions. Nearby favorites include: Alchemy, Beauty Shop Restaurant, Tsunami, Soul Fish Café, Young Avenue Deli, Central BBQ, and Jack Brown’s Burgers.
“The Diner — A retro-style American eatery. Casual, relaxed seating with booths and bar seating. Family-friendly atmosphere with a nostalgic touch.
“The Tiki Bar — A separate indoor bar area with a tropical island theme. Cozy, dim lighting and fun decor, including palm-themed murals and bamboo furniture.
“Indoor Music Hall — Intimate club-like setting with standing room and some seating areas. Fully equipped with professional sound and lighting systems.
Credit: Railgarten via Facebook
“The Backyard & Beer Garden — A large open-air space with picnic tables, string lights, and communal seating. Outdoor stage to host larger music gatherings and pop-up events.
Credit: Railgarten via Facebook
“Volleyball Court — A full-sized sand volleyball court for pickup games and league play.
“The Ping-Pong Pavilion — Multiple Ping-Pong tables available for casual play and competitions. Covered area for shade and protection from weather conditions.”
Railgarten has not yet made any announcement of the move on its social media channels. It did note a venue change of a New Year’s Eve show from Railgarten to Loflin Yard. A post about that show, featuring The Neon Mooners, was the last post from Railgarten on its Facebook page.
As Americans look toward the Easter season, and the price of eggs continues to climb, many Tennesseeans are considering changing their usual Easter plans in order to keep eggs on their menus and hidden in their yards.
Ginny Minniger’s grocery budget isn’t as tight as some people’s, she says, but she will forgo a few things in order to buy eggs to color for Easter.
“There are some traditions I must carry on,” the Chattanooga woman said. “So I’ll forgo some of the chocolate bunny treats so that I’ll be able to afford two dozen eggs to color. I’ll defy hard times and buy those eggs!”
Dr. Tom Tabler, University of Tennessee Poultry Extension and Research Specialist, doesn’t foresee a decline in the price of eggs any time soon. “Don’t expect much relief from high egg prices as we head into the Easter season, always a time of high egg demand,” he said.
In 2023, the average annual consumption of eggs in the U.S. was estimated at 281 per person. Egg demand has increased for the past 23 consecutive months while avian influenza continues to plague egg-laying chicken flocks across the nation, keeping egg prices at an all-time high.
Tabler said the disease has decimated the egg supply in recent months. And at a time when egg demand is high, supply and demand are also helping to fuel egg prices.
“That is not likely to change in the near future,” Tabler said. “Since the start of the most recent avian influenza outbreak in February 2022, roughly 100 million table-egg laying hens have been lost to the disease.”
“Roughly 52 million of those 100 million were lost between October 2024 and February 2025,” said Tabler. “The loss of so many birds in such a short time-frame has driven egg prices to record high levels.”
According to federal government policies, if one bird in a flock of laying hens is affected by avian influenza, the entire flock must be depopulated.
Support your local farmer
Historically, eggs purchased directly from farms are lower-priced than in supermarkets.
“Local farmers that have signs near the road saying ‘Farm fresh eggs for sale’ is a good way to find eggs cheaper,” Tabler said. “Social media may be another potential source to find eggs. Your local county Extension office may be another possibility.”
Kelsey Keener has farmed his family land in Marion County since he was a young boy and now offers organic vegetables, native plants, grass-fed meats, fruits, farmstead cheese, and pasture-raised eggs at the farm stand at his Sequatchie Cove Farm.
He has a flock of 5,000 laying hens and expects that number to grow to 7,000 layers by late April. And with the high demand for eggs and consumers looking for lower prices, business has never been better, he said.
“The national egg shortage caused by the avian flu outbreak has actually been really good for our family’s egg operation, as we have had more demand for our eggs than we have ever experienced in our 20-plus years of farming,” he said, adding that the price of the farm’s eggs rose 50 cents a dozen, a price increase that was planned before the avian flu epidemic became widespread. Keener sells his eggs for $7 per dozen from the farm and $8 per dozen at Main Street Market on Wednesdays in Chattanooga.
To ensure the eggs his customers buy are safe, he feeds his chicken high-quality food and offers them outdoor space in the fresh air to roam.
“That being said, if you have any concerns about the safety of the eggs you are eating, be sure to cook them,” Keeler said. “The heat from cooking kills all potentially harmful viruses and bacteria.”
“The national egg shortage caused by the avian flu outbreak has actually been really good for our family’s egg operation, as we have had more demand for our eggs than we have ever experienced in our 20-plus years of farming,” said Kelsey Keener of Sequatchie Cove Farm (credit: Sequatchie Cove Farm)
Eggs on the menu
Restaurants, too, are feeling the pinch of high prices and, in turn, passing the higher prices on to their customers.
Mason Whitman, manager of Brother Juniper’s, a popular breakfast eatery in Memphis, said his restaurant has added a $1 surcharge per each egg dish on the menu, such as omelets and eggs Benedicts.
“This is a temporary measure, though,” he said. “We can do away with that once the prices we pay from our suppliers in Arkansas come down.”
Farmers and table egg companies are working to replace lost flocks, but it’s a process that takes time.
“Replacement birds must be hatched and raised for up to six months before they can begin laying eggs,” Tabler said. “As long as we continue to lose laying flocks to avian influenza on a regular basis, we will continue to be playing catch up with replacement flocks and egg prices will remain high and possibly go higher for the remainder of the year.”
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Keep a record of memories for your heirs. (Photo: Laura Fuhrman | Unsplash)
To leave a legacy means more than the dollars you leave in the pockets of your children. A legacy is an opportunity to love someone from the grave. It’s forever tying a memory to a smell, taste, or sound. It’s asking yourself how you want to be remembered and what your core values are — then putting those answers into action. Here are four ways to leave a legacy for those you love.
Give back to your community.
If generosity and acts of service are among your core values, consider participating in at least one volunteer activity per year with friends or family. You can take part in a fundraiser or donate your time or talent to a local nonprofit you’re passionate about. If you have an affinity for a particular cause, creating a charitable foundation can be a meaningful way to provide your loved ones with employment or board membership opportunities directly related to the cause you support. While a private foundation is certain to leave a powerful financial legacy, it also promotes collaboration, creativity, and continuity of your philanthropic vision. A foundation can be structured to operate indefinitely so that the lessons you leave to your heirs can be taught for generations to come.
Keep a record.
Record a video message or keep a journal. When a loved one passes away, it’s common to hear sentiments such as, “I wish I could see their face or hear their voice again.” Recording a video message is an opportunity to express your love, share your life experiences and values, and offer guidance to your loved ones.
If a video feels too formal or induces stage fright, consider keeping a journal. Put it someplace you’ll see it often so that you can jot down daily observations, funny memories, random thoughts, and pieces of wisdom you want to pass along. There’s no need to copy edit or write multiple pages at once. Keeping a journal can be a low-pressure way of putting your personality to paper — a gift your loved ones will cherish when you’re gone.
Create a will and/or a trust.
The act of creating a will and/or trust gives the absence of chaos to your heirs following your death. These documents outline who will inherit your assets as well as how and by whom they’ll be distributed. Putting your wishes in writing helps to prevent disputes and legal battles among your heirs. Additionally, a trust may be able to protect your assets from creditors, reduce estate taxes, and provide financial support to your beneficiaries. A trust can also prevent your heirs from having to participate in probate, a lengthy and often expensive formal court administration processes that “proves” the legitimacy of your will after death. While far from glamorous, creating a will and/or trust is a generous and loving act of housekeeping that may spare your children from unnecessary additional suffering after your passing.
Start a family tradition.
Whether it be the dependable smell of homemade birthday cake, the sound of Frank Sinatra coming from the kitchen on Saturday mornings, or counting constellations from a tent under the open sky every summer, a tradition reinforces your family’s values and creates a sense of belonging. Establishing positive family traditions has proven to increase a child’s ability to form a strong sense of identity — an identity you have the opportunity to forever influence.
Katie Stephenson, JD, 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 ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
Boots, hats, four wheelers, food, drink, line dancing, and more brought hundreds to the Byhalia Trail Ride event over the weekend. It looked “like good, pure, country fun,” as knatalya_ described it.
“Radical” Rage
Posted to X by @toddstarnes
Newsmax host Todd Starnes claimed a “radical leftist exploded in rage,” “lunged at me,” and threw his phone on the ground when he and state Senator Brent Taylor visited protestors at the Bartlett Tesla dealership this weekend.
“These people are insane,” he tweeted.
While he was here, two rappers were shot Downtown. To which, Starnes opined that “we need President Trump to stage an intervention in this city.” No thank you.
Dust In the Wind
Posted to Facebook by the Damn Weather of Memphis
The U.S. National Weather Service of Memphis issued its first ever Blowing Dust Warning last week. The Damn Weather of Memphis posted a satirical, AI-generated image of what it looked like. More simply, though, Judith Johnson just commented, “shit.”
“All roads led to Memphis”: the Rock ‘n’ Soul museum today (Photo: Alex Greene)
“Would you like to take a look inside?” asks Josh Harper of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, as I stare at the white and pink letters on a black door, spelling out some of the most revered words in the annals of rock-and-roll fashion: Lansky Bros., Memphis, Since 1946. That’s an offer no inquisitive journalist can refuse, and when Harper turns the key, it’s as if he’s opened a portal into the past. The brick walls of the clothier’s longtime location at 126 Beale Street, now vacated in favor of the newer Lansky at the Peabody boutique, exude an aura of living, breathing history, dating back to the structure’s incarnation as Burke’s Carriages in the early days of Beale.
“The building used to be two buildings that were bricked together,” says John Doyle, executive director of both the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (MMHOF) and the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum. “On the second floor, they shoed horses. There was a ramp on the outside of the building where they walked the horses up there. A saloon was on the first floor. And the original hardwood floors are still there; the original beams are still there.”
Doyle has every reason to savor the history of the location, beyond the fact that the MMHOF museum was sandwiched between Lansky’s and the Hard Rock Cafe there for nearly a decade. Helming a museum makes one partial to the legacy of any building, especially when it’s destined to be the home of the very exhibitions you manage. And that’s precisely what’s in store for the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum.
Artists’ renderings of the future J.W. and Kathy Gibson Center for Music Photos: (top) Courtesy Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum; (bottom) Courtesy Mike Curb Family Foundation
A Movable Feast
The move was made public one year ago at a press conference outside the building that featured Doyle, businessman J.W. Gibson, and host Priscilla Presley, where it was announced that Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Inc., the nonprofit that operates both the museum and MMHOF, had purchased 126 Beale from Lansky’s for $5 million with funding from Gibson, Mike Curb, and other benefactors. The highlight of the event was the unveiling of a sign marking the address as the new “J.W. and Kathy Gibson Center for Music” that will include MMHOF, Rock ‘n’ Soul, and the Mike & Linda Curb Music Center.
As reported at the time by Bob Mehr in the Commercial Appeal, Gibson, who is chairman of the museum’s foundation board, said, “It’s Memphis music that I’m committed to, and that I think is sorely missing tremendous opportunities year after year. Since I’ve been on the board, I’ve been preaching the notion that we need to take advantage of the talent that Memphis has and the history we have. Memphis music is substantial to the music industry internationally. However, locally, what are we doing to uplift that industry, to support that industry? We saw an opportunity here.”
Naturally, migrating the museum into the space will take some time, but the institution has long had patience on its side. Now in its 25th year, Rock ‘n’ Soul occupies a unique niche in the local museum ecosystem. For one thing, it was launched by the Smithsonian Institution, the first of that venerable organization’s exhibitions to be located outside the Washington, D.C., area. Moreover, Rock ‘n’ Soul was uniquely peripatetic even before it opened, with its origins rooted in a traveling exhibition.
As Doyle explains, “When the Smithsonian was celebrating their 150th anniversary as a museum system, they decided to get some of their stuff out in the world and did an exhibit that toured the country. It included the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, Abraham Lincoln’s stovepipe hat, and other things, but the centerpiece of it was an exhibit about the origins of America’s music. It featured the quote that ‘In the quest to identify the roots of rock-and-roll, all roads led to Memphis.’ And they actually tapped some Memphians to do some of the research. David Less, here in Memphis, who has been head of the Blues Foundation and is a record producer and author, conducted over 60 oral history interviews with Memphis musicians who were still alive at the time.”
That ultimately led to siting the brick-and-mortar Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum in the Gibson Guitar Factory, a block south of Beale Street, in 2000. But though Gibson was not destined to keep that facility in operation in perpetuity, the museum had already migrated by the time it closed. As it turned out, Gibson wasn’t the only business interested in having a music museum in its corridors. The Grizzlies were coming.
Doyle explains that the NBA team “wanted a music museum to be part of the FedExForum campus because they were theming the basketball arena with a Memphis music thing. Anyone who’s come to a Grizzlies game recognizes that Memphis music is pretty prevalent through there. It was wise on the Grizzlies’ part to really embrace that aspect of the city’s culture. So they wanted a music museum to be part of the campus, and the Rock ‘n’ Soul board and staff preceding me raised, I think, $1.3 million to convert what was going to be a three story building into a four story building, so that Rock ‘n’ Soul would encompass the first floor.”
And that’s where it has stood since 2004, when the FedExForum opened. “We can never say enough about the Memphis Grizzlies. To have a nonprofit museum developed by the Smithsonian Institution, that pays no lease, is pretty unheard of. We’re the envy of most of the nonprofits in the city, and that’s out of the graciousness of the Grizzlies.” Indeed, the museum has thrived there for 20-odd years, and only last month, USA Today included Rock ‘n’ Soul among the top 10 music museums in the country as part of their 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards series. That puts it in the company of the Johnny Cash Museum, the Patsy Cline Museum, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville; the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix; the Museum at Bethel Woods in Bethel, NY; the Motown Museum in Detroit; the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia; and the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A Weird Coincidence
Thriving as it is in its current location, one might well ask why Rock ‘n’ Soul would move at all. And at one time, several of the museum’s board members were asking the same question. But at least one of them was inclined to think big.
“We had a strategic planning session a few years ago,” Doyle says, “and we were talking about things like improvements to the museum exhibits, expanded programming, and starting an endowment for the longevity of the organization. And then one board member threw up their hand and said, ‘What if we dreamed about having our own building, and both museums being under one roof?’ And another board member said, ‘Are you crazy? We pay no lease at FedExForum, thanks to the Memphis Grizzlies. Over at the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, we pay no lease, thanks to the Hard Rock Cafe [the anchor tenant in Lansky’s building, serving as MMHOF’s landlord]. We would be stupid to do something like that!’”
But even as they spoke, events were coalescing to nudge them out of their comfort zone. As Doyle explains, “It wasn’t two months later that Hal Lansky came into the lobby of Rock ‘n’ Soul and said, ‘I need to talk to you about something. The Hard Rock Cafe is leaving Memphis.’ This was in June of 2023. And I said, ‘When are they leaving?’ He said, ‘Thirty days from now.’ And I said, ‘Are y’all going to get another tenant in there who can serve as landlord for the Memphis Music Hall of Fame?’ And he said, ‘No, probably not. We’re probably going to put the building up for sale.’
“So I went to our board and said, ‘Remember that idea that some of us said was the stupidest idea anyone had ever come up with at a strategic planning session? It looks like it’s coming true.’ And so, with a very visionary board of directors, our soon-to-be board chairman J.W. Gibson donated a million dollars towards the purchase of the building. Then we wrote a grant, and the Assisi Foundation of Memphis graciously donated a million dollars. And then Mike Curb with Curb Records, who owns Elvis’ home on Audubon and funded the [Mike Curb Institute for Music] at Rhodes College, stepped up with $2.5 million, and in eight months, we purchased the building.”
That was just the beginning, of course. Expanding and creating new spaces for public engagement will incur costs far beyond the purchase of the building itself. “We then started a capital campaign to raise another $15 million to renovate the building, to do upgrades to both museums’ exhibits, to make them bigger and better, to have a performance space, so that we can assist musicians, to have a studio, so that we can assist students, and grow the gift shop. And now we have that underway. It’s kind of a surreal moment.”
Furthermore, both Rock ‘n’ Soul and MMHOF will live together in a space that’s undeniably, inherently historical. As Doyle points out, that’s something that other Memphis music tourist destinations have that Rock ‘n’ Soul has never possessed. “There’s only one place where you can have Sun Studio. The Stax Museum [of American Soul Music], even though the building was demolished, they rebuilt a replica on the same site. And then obviously, you can’t move Graceland. The fact that we tell the complete Memphis music story separates us somewhat from our other partners in the field of music here, around Memphis.” Yet that has also meant that Rock ‘n’ Soul has lacked any obvious, charmed location. But that’s about to change.
John Doyle and Priscilla Presley (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum) Keith Richards at 2015 MMHOF Induction Ceremony (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum)
Sacred Ground
Although Rock ‘n’ Soul won’t move for another year or two, the upcoming location is already spurring on a new groundswell of support for the museum. As it turns out, there’s nothing like having a Beale Street address. “Priscilla Presley is very engaged about what we’re doing,” says Doyle. “She’s obviously engaged because Elvis was tied to that building. But she also considers Memphis home, despite the fact that she lives in Los Angeles — as she’s said, she lived at Graceland longer than she lived anywhere in her life, being a military brat. And so she’s gone with me twice to the State Capitol to talk to legislators and the governor about how important this is, not just for the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, but for Memphis music and for the future of Beale Street, the safety of Beale Street: to have daytime and family-friendly programming, to enhance what the clubs and restaurants are doing. We’re looking forward to working with the Beale Street merchants, to be a good partner there, even though we’re on the other side of Second Street from the Beale Street Historic District.”
Mike Curb, for his part, also sees the move as potentially creating a critical mass around Beale Street. “We’re kind of hoping to do on Beale Street what we did in Nashville’s Music Row, where we bought quite a few buildings. … We’re going to do something really special.”
A whole new world of possibilities is opening up, in part because of a significant increase in square footage, but also because of what the Hard Rock Cafe left in its wake. “Fortunately, when Hard Rock Cafe left town,” says Doyle, “they left every plate, every fork and spoon, the most incredible kitchen equipment you’ve ever seen, and a stage with full sound equipment, full lights. Everything was left for us. I guess it was a housewarming gift. And we have great space in the building, double the space that we currently have for our two museums’ exhibits, so we could make room for a performance space, a larger gift shop, a recording studio to help students with podcasts, and host Beale Street Caravan, that sort of thing. We can have summer camps for kids, music performances, private facility rentals, anything that you want in that space, and still keep the museums running. This building is going to afford that.”
Naturally, putting the museums at the head of the entertainment district will make them both more visible, and, together under one roof, able to attract more visitors. Most of all, they will be both on and of Beale, the old carriage shop’s brick walls, where a saloon’s rowdy crowd once fought, courted, and raised toasts, exuding the street’s spirit. Within those walls, Rock ‘n’ Soul and MMHOF will embody the very history they celebrate. As Doyle puts it, “Those are the things that make us sacred. We are moving into sacred ground.”
Get a job. Or, graduate college or a technical school. (Then, get a job.)
Get married.
Have babies.
This is a poverty-fighting equation Tennessee GOP lawmakers want to be taught to every single Tennessee student.
The equation is called the “Success Sequence” and it’s nothing new. A version of this sequence has probably been taught to kids for decades. But the idea took formal form in a 2009 book by Brookings Institution researchers called “Creating An Opportunity Society.” Those researchers aimed to ”improve the prospects for our less-advantaged families and fellow citizens” and help bridge gaps in income and wealth.
Two Tennessee Republicans — Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) and Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) — sponsor legislation before state lawmakers now that would require ”family life curriculum [to] include age-appropriate instruction and evidence regarding the positive personal and societal outcomes associated with the method.”
“ Data shows that students who follow the sequence are more likely to excel in school and generally earn higher grade point averages than students who do not,” Bowling said when she introduced her legislation in a committee last week. “This program prepares students for a healthy, productive life.”
In very practical terms, if this bill is passed, it might mean that public school kids in Tennessee would hear this theory that following these steps will either lead you out of poverty or help keep you out of it. Also, in practical terms, a version of this bill died in committee in February before the Mississippi Legislature.
So, how big of a deal is this idea of teaching the “Success Sequence,” really? Well, a strata of academics, think tanks, and policy advocacy groups think it’s a big one.
Some will argue data say if you follow the sequence your chances of ending up in poverty are around 3 percent. Others have taken that further (answering critics) to say the equation works almost equally well for African Americans and Hispanics, even with the uphill climbs they may face in racist systems.
”With the completion of each step of the success sequence, the racial gap narrows rapidly,” Melissa Byers Melissa, the Chief Marketing Officer at National Fatherhood Initiative, wrote in 2022. “For Millennials who followed all three steps, only 4 percent of [B]lacks and 3 percent of Hispanics are poor by their mid-30s. Stunningly, the racial gaps in poverty are almost closed.”
Bruenig argues, broadly, that full-time work alone will keep people out of poverty. The rest of the sequence, he said, is about pushing cultural agendas. Marriage, for example, won’t keep anyone out of poverty unless they marry another full-time worker, he said. Marriage could lead to poverty if someone marries someone with a disability or work limitation, he said.
”Success Sequence writers, realizing that full-time workers are rarely in poverty, end up advocating that ‘full-time work plus their cultural preferences’ will get you out of poverty,” he wrote. “This is technically true, but only because full-time work plus anything will get you out of poverty.”
While many residents have criticized Memphis Mayor Paul Young for the city’s role in Elon Musk’s xAI project, community organizers say Shelby County officials should not only be held responsible, they should intervene as well.
On Monday night, the group Black Voters Matter facilitated a virtual conversation called “Stop the xAI Shelby County Takeover” where KeShaun Pearson of Memphis Community Against Pollution said the Shelby County Health Department is responsible for regulating environmental concerns — which have been at the center of the xAI controversy.
To address this, Pearson met with Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris last week about the presence of xAI’s gas turbines — which many did not know had been operating for about a year.
In June 2024, Harris released a statement commending the Greater Memphis Chamber for “leading” the xAI project into fruition and called it a “monumental opportunity for Memphis and Shelby County.”
While Pearson addressed the “atrocity” of the situation, he said Harris is in support of a resolution that is headed to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday before the Commission’s Hospitals and Health Committee.
The resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Britney Thornton, urges the Shelby County Health Department to host a public meeting “prior to the approval or denial of the permit submitted by CTC Property LLC, an affiliate of xAI for the long-term operations of 15 methane gas turbines in South Memphis.”
Pearson said this resolution would suspend the air-permitting process as the permit is not for the “current pollution” but “more pollution,” as xAI intends to bring more turbines in.
“The damage here on a human level in an ecosystem that is trying to flourish, that is so beautiful — it’s so dangerous,” Pearson said. “It’s incumbent, and it’s a responsibility of the people who have signed the paperwork to say they ‘will be employed here and work for the people’ to show up and do that.”
Amber Sherman, local political strategist, said it’s important for people to know “who the power players are” and how these processes work. Sherman’s comments come after MCAP hosted “A Fireside Chat with Mayor Paul Young” on Saturday, March 22nd.
Pearson said the conversation was “representative of what people are feeling,” noting that many people felt “left out of the entire process.” He said he was glad citizens were able to challenge Young on his “positive position” regarding xAI.
Sherman noted that several people wondered why Young “wasn’t doing anything” and felt like Young should have emphasized how “the power works.”
“You’re not throwing someone under the bus to make sure people know who’s responsible,” Sherman said. “Saying that the Shelby County Health Department is the one who issues permits doesn’t throw them under the bus — it just points out the direct target who we should be talking to, so everyone isn’t pissed off at you all the time.”
Pearson noted that while Young may not have all the authority citizens expect him to, he isn’t “absolved” from working on the city’s end.
“What we can’t allow is for people to scapegoat other organizations,” Pearson said. “It is a bit of standing in your power and really using the authority that has been given to you in ways that exist, and not to perform this kind of learned helplessness that ‘we can’t do anything’ [or] ‘I can only do so much.’ Do everything and then get innovative on how to do more.”
The Memphis Police Department (MPD) identified the two rappers targeted in Saturday’s shooting Downtown.
MPD said Monday that Letorian Hunt, 27, was killed in the incident, which occurred at the Westin Hotel, one block west of FedExForum. Albert Mondane, 34, was transported to the hospital with non-critical injuries.
Hunt was a rapper performing under the stage name Sayso P. He was arrested in 2020 by Las Vegas police for pimping and pandering. Police there became suspicious of Hunt after numerous Instagram posts and seeing lyrics to one of his songs, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Mondane performs under the stage name Sauce Walka. His father has told media outlets that the Houston-based rapper was shot in the thigh and is expected to make a full recovery.
“We want to assure our community and visitors that Downtown Memphis is a safe place,” MPD tweeted when news of the shooting surfaced this weekend. “This was not a random act of violence. We understand the concern and reiterate that this was not random. MPD is committed to bringing those responsible to justice.”
MPD is still investigating the shooting and say they will provide updates on the investigation as they come in. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
The Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) and the Human Rights Campaign(HRC) have found that Pride flag censorship sends a negative message about LGBTQ+ visibility – despite lawmakers’ continuous efforts to enforce it.
HB0304 by Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) has been introduced in the current legislative session. It prohibits government entities from “displaying or allowing display of flags other than Tennessee and U.S. flags on courthouses and public roads and sidewalks.”
The brief states that the flag is not inherently “political” yet proposed legislation seeks to label them as such. Failed bills categorized them as “unapproved, political flags,” and sought to ban them from flying in “government buildings and public schools.”
“It does not address personal displays inside courthouses and government buildings,” the brief said. “ Its arbitrary enforcement-by-grievance is based on an individual’s beliefs and visual interpretations of abstract or imagined forms of ‘political flags,’ including in constitutionally recognized free speech zones. Individuals can file lawsuits against any Tennessee government entity.”
The agencies published a policy brief regarding flag censorship in Tennessee government and schools. While the state has passed “over 20 anti-LGBTQ+ laws,” since 2019, lawmakers have been unsuccessful in banning the flag, with two bills failing in 2024 (HB304/SB266.)
TEP and HRC said that the government can regulate “its own speech and those speaking on its behalf;” this form of censorship can be deemed by non-governmental bodies as unconstitutional.
The brief emphasizes the historical significance of Pride flags as they represent “identity, unity or division, and pride.” They said it is not affiliated with any political party or religion, and that Tennesseans have celebrated its meaning at different businesses, parks, parades and more.
“For 47 years, rainbows and Pride flags have been displayed to celebrate LGBTQ+ history, figures, and the pursuit of equality around the world,” the brief said. “Pride flags are prominently displayed at Stonewall National Monument in honor of LGBTQ+ trailblazers.”
Another central argument the brief makes is that the flag positively impacts LGBTQ+ representation — specifically in schools. It states that regulating public display of the flag “perpetuates stigma about the LGBTQ+ community.” The HRC found that 46.1 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported feeling unsafe in schools. The brief states that the Pride flag can symbolize safer and inclusive environments.
If passed, the bill would also open the door for a number of legal battles challenging the constitutionality from schools, as well as from community groups and citizens.
“Tennessee courts have recently sided with groups when local governments refused permitting public Pride events, the brief said. “ Governments across Tennessee will face similar and costly legal challenges if they censor certain speech, or appear to.”
