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Frederick W. Smith Photographed by Annie Leibovitz

Frederick W. Smith photographed by Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz photographed a nude John Lennon grasping Yoko Ono. She photographed Mick Jagger standing next to Keith Richard, both shirtless. And she captured Queen Elizabeth II standing dramatically in front of a stormy looking sky. 

Now, she’s added FedEx Corp. founder/chairman Frederick W. Smith to the list.

According to a news release from FedEx Corp., the company “partnered with legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz on an iconic storytelling series to celebrate the company’s 50th birthday on April 17. Named Driving Passions, this collection incorporates the power and possibilities of FedEx by showcasing three small businesses that represent the startups, innovators, and legends in the making — individuals and teams intrinsically connected by the innovative FedEx spirit bridging now and the next 50 years.”

The collection is on display April 14th through June in the mezzanine ticket area outside of terminal B in the main level of the Memphis International Airport.

Leibovitz took the photo of Smith in Memphis, says FedEx communication advisor Casey Gleysteen.

And, Gleysteen says, “The only one shot in Memphis was Mr. Smith.”

Also included in the collection is Marianne Senkowski, FedEx manager, revenue management and small business advocate.

According to the release, the Driving Passions portrait series “tells the story of how the visionary founder of FedEx, FrederickW. Smith, brings the support and dream of entrepreneurship to small businesses full circle.”

The three businesses are Unlimited Tomorrow, Terra Beauty Bars, and Ginjan Brothers.

According to the release, Unlimited Tomorrow was “founded by Easton LaChappelle, a millennial inventor who wanted to create affordable prosthetic limbs using 3D printing technology. With his team of engineers, LaChappelle is changing lives by providing customizable prosthetics that are both personalized and functional.”

Easton LaChappelle of Unlimited Tomorrow and client, Sasha Rhinebeck (Credit: Annie Leibovitz)

Terra Beauty Bars is “co-founded by three Brazilian-American sisters, one a U.S. Army veteran, and their mother. The women cultivated their combined skills and heritage as building blocks for a small business success story. Terra provides award-winning products that are good for you, sustainably made, cruelty-free, plant-based, and always crafted with a dash of family love.”


Angela Gomes, Fernanda Gomes, Luana Gomes Cunha, and Jasmine Gomes Martin of Terra Beauty with Fernanda’s daughters, Olivia and Amada (Credit: Annie Leibovitz)

And Ginjan Bros. is “a beverage company founded by two brothers who wanted to share the taste of their African heritage with the world. Their signature drink, ginjan, is made from a blend of ginger, pineapple, and hibiscus, and enjoyed by people of all ages.”


Mohammad Diallo and Rahim Diallo of Ginjan Bros. (Credit: Annie Leibovitz)

Marianne Senkowski with sons Dylan and Chase (Credit: Annie Leibovitz)
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Memphis Gaydar News

Report Scores Memphis Businesses on LGBTQ Equality

Credit: Memphis Pride Fest

Memphis Pride Fest

The Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) annual Corporate Equality Index included four of Memphis’ biggest companies and a law firm. Two of the corporations scored towards the top, with one scoring in the middle and another toward the bottom.

The HRC claims it is “the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.” Its report reviewed 1,059 companies and law firms this year. That included 25 Tennessee-based businesses. In Memphis, five companies were deemed large enough for review by the Human Rights Campaign.

Of those here, the law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC scored the highest with 90 out of 100 points possible. FedEx Corp. scored high, too, with an overall equality score of 85. First Horizon National Corp. also scored near the top with 75 total points.

AutoZone Inc. scored near the middle with 40 total points. International Paper had the lowest Memphis score on the report with 30 total points.

All of these points were awarded to companies based on four broad criteria:

• Non-discrimination policies

• Employment benefits

• Supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility including public commitment to LGBTQ equality

• Responsible citizenship

”These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do — it is also the best business decision,” HRC president Alphonso David said in a statement. “In addition, many of these leaders are also advocating for the LGBTQ community and equality under the law in the public square.”
[pullquote-1] HRC began its report in 2002, done largely through a survey of Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.

In its first year, HRC named 13 top-rated companies. This year, the group named 686 such businesses that had a perfect 100 score ”under the most stringent criteria to date.”

This year, 13 to the Fortune 500’s top 20 companies earned perfect HRC scores.

Human Rights Campaign

Here are some more insights gleaned in this year’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI):

• The more than 680 companies that earned a 100 on the CEI represent 12.4 million employees nationally, 11.9 million globally, and earn a combined estimate of $12.9 trillion in revenue.

• Eighty-three companies participated in the CEI for the first time in 2020, with 36 debuting at a score of 100, including Etsy Inc., Peloton Interactive Inc., Stop & Shop, and Warner Music Group.

• Of all Fortune 500 companies, 93 percent have sexual orientation in their U.S. non-discrimination policy, and 91 percent have gender identity.

• The average CEI score for all Fortune 500 companies increased from 67 to 71 in the past year — with actively participating Fortune 500 companies having an average score of 90, up from 88 last year.

• Tennessee companies averaged a score of 70 in this year’s CEI.

• This year 89 percent of companies participating in the CEI offer at least one health-care policy that is inclusive of their transgender workers.

Read the full report here:
[pdf-1]

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Memphis Gaydar News

Youth Service Programs Fueled with FedEx Grant

CREDIT: FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. has donated $25,000 to OUTMemphis to support its services and programming for youth ages 13-25.

The company’s Global Citizenship grant will support social support groups for youth and families, trainings and outreach at Memphis-area schools, and the Metamorphosis Project, a wrap-around network of services for youth ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness and instability.

“Our Youth Services program started a decade ago with a youth group, a food pantry, and a closet full of interview clothes,” said Stephanie Reyes, OUTMemphis’ director of development. “ As more and more young people came to the center from across the South looking for support, we realized that we had a mandate to expand and fill the gaps we were seeing.” 

OUTMemphis says across the country, 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ, largely due to family conflict. Of that number, the largest percentage of homeless youth are both black and LGTBQ, a significant community in majority black cities like Memphis.

From OUTMemphis:

Five years ago, OUTMemphis began providing case management to youth clients and identified a significant need for hygiene supplies, bus passes, and other emergency services. With support from the community, The Youth Emergency Services Program gradually expanded to a holistic approach to supporting young adults who find themselves without ways to care for basic needs.

Beginning in 2017, OUTMemphis began receiving support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which allows the organization to provide a full year of rental assistance and case management to 18-to-24-year-olds experiencing homelessness. This program is one of just two youth-specific housing programs in Memphis and the only one dedicated to LGBTQ youth for hundreds of miles in every direction.

At the end of this 2019, the Metamorphosis Project will again significantly expand its housing and emergency services program with a Youth Emergency Center, located at 2055 Southern Avenue. The space will host a drop-in center for any young person in need under 25 and an emergency shelter for LGBTQ youth ages 18-24.

“The growth of our youth services program across the spectrum of young Memphians that we serve – and our capacity to provide even more looking ahead – is not possible without the enormous support that OUTMemphis receives from the community, including the partners who made the emergency center possible and believe in the work we are doing,” said OUTMemphis executive director Molly Rose Quinn. “We are so grateful that FedEx sees the value of the work we are doing with youth in Memphis and wants to be a part of it. We hope that as we grow, more companies will take their lead and get involved with the work that is being done locally.”