On Sunday, October 21, 2018, at 4:30 p.m., Evergreen Presbyterian Church demonstrated our collective people power at MICAH’s Moving Memphis Forward Public Meeting at the historic Mason Temple. Those in attendance included MICAH’s 48 partner members, elected and public officials from the Shelby County Commission, the Shelby County Mayor’s Office, the Shelby County Sheriffs Office, the Shelby County School Board, a representative from the Memphis City Mayor’s Office, the Memphis City Council, the Memphis Police Department, a representative from the U.S. House of Representative Office of Steve Cohen, U.S Senate Candidate Phil Bredeson, and Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Karl Dean.
Mason Temple quickly filled with Memphians from all over the city. MICAH began the public meeting by grounding the room in their mission: to give a more powerful voice to Memphians through collective organizing. After the ground rules for the event were established, leaders from each task force gave public testimony and named public policy recommendations. The room was compelled by the public testimony and in support of the recommendations.
Evergreen’s Rev. Lucy Waechter Webb asked community representatives, including the Shelby County Mayor’s Office of Lee Harris, a representative from the Memphis City Police Department, and the Memphis City Mayor’s Office, to publicly commit to working with MICAH’s Immigration and Intercultural Task Force on their platform. All three Offices agreed to meet with MICAH within the next 30 days to discuss strengthening the Citizen Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERD) and allowing MICAH to monitor local law enforcement trainings.
MICAH’s Economic Equity and Educational Equity Task Force received a public commitment from the Memphis Housing Authority and the Shelby County School Board, respectively, to work with the respective Task Forces to address their platforms.
It is never too late to become involved in MICAH’s organizing work. You can join any of the following meetings at Shady Grove Presbyterian Church:
MICAH’s Economic Equity Task Force, October 25, 2018, 6:30 p.m.
MICAH’s Immigration & Intercultural Task Force, October 29, 2018, 6:00 p.m.
MICAH’s Educational Equity Task Force, November 5, 2018, 5:00 p.m.
Additionally, mark your calendar for MICAH’s Monthly Meeting on November 13, 2018, at 7:00 p.m., at Blount Auditorium on Rhodes College campus.
MICAH (Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope) is a forming coalition of faith-based and community organizations joining together to give a more powerful voice for issues of justice in our city. MICAH has three priority areas: Economic Equity, Educational Equity, and Immigration & Intercultural Equity. To learn more about MICAH, visit their website, at www.micahmemphis.org or like their Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/MICAH901.
Photos courtesy of Brandon Dill (c) 2018.
