memphis
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Memphis Police Charge 3 Mississippi Men With Civil Rights Intimidation in Parking Garage Attack
Three Mississippi men have been charged with civil rights intimidation and attempted robbery after allegedly attacking two black men in a downtown Memphis, Tenn., parking garage earlier this month. According to the Associated Press, citing court documents, Christopher Elder, Joshua Matheny, and Michael Matheny confronted both victims on Sept. 2. One of the victims, Shane…
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OWN’s Greenleaf Is Back for a 4th Season and We Can All Rest Assured That the Drama Cometh
When Greenleaf premiered June 21, 2016, it signaled a new direction for OWN beyond reality TV and Tyler Perry shows. As it embarks on its fourth season, the Memphis-set megachurch family drama, led by seasoned actors Keith David as Bishop James Greenleaf and Lynn Whitfield as Lady Mae Greenleaf, is still going strong. Grace, their…
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Tennessee Store Clerk Faces Up to 60 Years for Murdering a Black Teen Over a $2 Beer
Seventeen-year-old Dorian Harris shoplifted a $2 beer from a local corner store and it cost him his life. Now, the store clerk responsible for shooting and killing the teen is facing up to 60 years in prison after being found guilty of murder in the second degree. Lawyers for Anwar Ghazali argued the store clerk…
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The Memphis Theater That's Performing Blackness Unapologetically
MEMPHIS—When Ekundayo Bandele invited a group of journalists to tour Hattiloo, his independent theater in Memphis, he spoke as much about the community surrounding it as he did the plays performed inside. For most people who want to visit Hattiloo Theatre, they’d just go online and buy tickets. But for kids who live in certain…
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Protesters and Police Clash in Memphis After Officer-Involved Shooting
North Memphis, Tenn., was in chaos Wednesday night after U.S. Marshals Service officers shot and killed a 20-year-old black man, Brandon Webber, in his family’s front yard. The killing quickly rippled through the community, leading to clashes between protesters and police that ended in tear gas being deployed. Videos and photos from the streets of…
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Memphis Mayoral Candidate Tami Sawyer Says Black Women Can Reclaim the South
Tami Sawyer’s run for mayor of Memphis, Tn. almost didn’t happen. The issue? Self-doubt. “Am I capable of running this city?” she wondered. “No one will vote for me,” she often told herself. “I can’t win,” were words that often swirled around in her mind. She took a step back and reminded herself of her…
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Visiting the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Was the Most Emotional Museum Experience I've Ever Had
Today is April 4, 2019. Fifty-one years ago today, on April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down by James Earl Ray while standing on the balcony outside of his room, 306, at the Lorraine Motel, located at 450 Mulberry St., in Memphis, Tenn. In the time since then, the Lorraine Motel…
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What Tennessee—and the Country—Can Learn from London Lamar, the State's Youngest Black Woman Lawmaker
By the time Tennessee representative London Lamar tells me she’s “a softy and a sweet person,” she had already removed all doubt. The ambitious lawmaker—the youngest black woman in the Tennessee state House by more than 30 years—has a demeanor that reminds me of spiced honey: sweet and soothing, but not afraid to kick. She’s…
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Where Is America's Blackest City?
How do you define the blackness of a city? For Black History Month, we challenged writers to explain why they think their city deserves the title of blackest city in America. And man, did they rep their cities hard. So now, we’re asking you, our readers, to vote for who made the strongest case. Here’s…
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In Black Memphis, Beale Street Can Talk
Beale Street can talk. She’s country, loud and a bit ghetto. She’s bold like the blackness she exudes throughout the city. She has a thick tongue and a sour drawl. She uses Lisa Akbari’s shampoo and the black tube of Ampro gel to slick down her edges. She refuses to wear a slip when she…