Participants of “The People vs The State of TN” march in front of the capitol in Nashville on April 17. Photo by Kevin Wurm for MLK50 Tenants generally don’t stand much of a chance in eviction court in Shelby County. They’re rarely represented by a lawyer, and most of the General Sessions Civil judges overseeing cases don’t take the time to explain what’s going on.  One of the few rights tenants have is to delay their case for 15 days — either by requesting a “continuance” or by “disagreeing” with the charge that they owe money — if it’s their first time in court for that specific evictio ..read more

This story has been republished with permission from Tennessee Lookout. Read the original story here. Teens as young as 14 years old who commit serious crimes in Tennessee will face up to five years of adult incarceration or probation once their juvenile sentence ends under a bill now awaiting Gov. Bill Lee’s likely signature. The measure also requires juvenile court judges to automatically transfer 16- and 17- year olds facing first and second-degree murder, or attempted murder, to adult court.  Subscribe to MLK50’s weekly newsletter The so-called blended sentencing measure by Repu ..read more

The Lorraine Motel (2018.) Photo by Andrea Morales for MLK50 MLK50: Justice Through Journalism will be honored with the Lorraine Branham IDEA Award at the 2024 Mirror Awards ceremony in New York City on June 13. The IDEA Award recognizes a media organization that has worked to promote inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility over the previous year. It specifically acknowledges the hiring and development of leadership talent who create change, both to the organizations they oversee and the content they produce. It was established to honor the first Black woman to serve as dean of the Ne ..read more

Memphis city mayor Paul Young greets people while making his way through the crowd after closing his speech at Mount Vernon Baptist Church on Tuesday evening. Photo by Andrea Morales for MLK50 Memphis Mayor Paul Young has talked a lot during his first 100 days as mayor. He’s listened, too. Young has met with everyday Memphians around the city, state legislators, the Memphis Police Department and others to collaborate and hear feedback as he tries to create “One Memphis.” He described that vision in his October victory speech as a “united Memphis, where all of our neighborhoods are supported ..read more

A reflection of people walking on Washington Avenue in downtown Memphis is seen on the glass case holding the day’s docket of cases at the Shelby County General Sessions Civil Court. Photo by Andrea Morales for MLK50 Memphis Area Legal Services hasn’t served local low-income residents well for years, according to its top funder. In a rare move, the Legal Services Corp. — a nonprofit funded and overseen by Congress — decided to stop sending cash to the Memphis organization simply because of outstandingly poor performance, according to LSC president Ron Flagg. Despite LSC having 131 partner or ..read more

Shelby County Commissioner Henri Brooks is optimistic she’ll be able to secure local dollars for lead remediation. City Councilman Philip Spinosa is hopeful he’ll be able to protect more kids in his district. And state Sen. London Lamar thinks she’s making progress in Nashville.  After our recent investigation into the city’s lead crisis and the lack of local investment in addressing it, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism reached out to 20 local elected officials who represent either the entire city or neighborhoods particularly harmed by lead. While most — including Memphis Mayor Paul Yo ..read more

South Memphis residents living near Sterilization Services of Tennessee, the Florida Street facility emitting a cancer-causing gas into the air, are receiving new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency with mixed emotions. On Thursday, the EPA announced new rules in the Clean Air Act to cut down on harmful air pollution from chemical plants, including ethylene oxide, or EtO, following their recent move in March targeting companies such as SST to reduce emissions by 90%.  Subscribe to MLK50’s weekly newsletter Facilities have two to three years to comply, but in Memphis, that may ..read more

KeShaun Pearson and his brother, Justin J. Pearson, look across Alonzo Weaver Park, where much of the Memphis Community Against Pollution’s (MCAP) work against the Byhalia Connection Pipeline happened, while celebrating the news of the project’s end. Photo by Lucy Garrett for MLK50 With each anniversary, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism takes a victory lap. After all, we’re an organization built despite doubters and forged by resilience. That’s something to celebrate. Yet, it’s not all about us. Part of our mission is to bear witness to movement-making and lived experiences. On this 7th anniv ..read more

Evette and Jerome Strother embrace in their Cordova home. She was one of thousands who had her hospital debt, incurred for her now 14-year-old son Jaiden’s (left) premature birth, erased by Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in 2019. The debt elimination made it easier for the couple to purchase this home. Photo by Andrea Morales for MLK50 A recent analysis of debt collection lawsuits caught my eye and reminded me of the power of partnerships between courageous residents and journalists. I’m referring to MLK50: Justice Through Journalism’s-ProPublica’s 2019 “Profiting from the Poor” investigatio ..read more

When a group of LGBTQ advocates held an online press conference earlier this month, it was to sound an alarm. At the time, 34 bills characterized by the American Civil Liberties Union as anti-LGBTQ had been introduced by the Tennessee legislature — up from 2023’s 26.  In fact, since 2015, Tennessee has passed a score of anti-LGBTQ laws, more than any other state; it’s been called the no. 1 state in the country for targeting LGBTQ Americans.  Subscribe to MLK50’s weekly newsletter Transgender people, in particular, have been targeted, advocates said. “Since the assault on trans right ..read more