Starting to tackle Injustice

Over the last semester throughout the course, we have constantly been assessing the problems in Memphis, and the ways we can move forward, with our final project literally being called “Blueprint for Liberation”. Over the last semester, and especially in the past month, we have pondered over how far Memphis has actually come since MLK gave his life to the cause 50 years ago. It seems that Memphis is actually starting to listen and understand that that there needs to be a special project targeting justice: enter “the Justice Project”…

The Memphis Flyer recently published an article in which the aim was really to tackle to problem of injustice in Memphis, by focusing on reviewing stories of injustice, and then trying to explore what the options may be, if any, to offer remedy to the situation.

In the first of the issue, is the story of Nathaniel Crawford, who, while is only 17, runs his own business. The article states that Crawford gained help from the group LITE (Lets Innovate Through Education)  who aim to guide and advise start-ups as a business accelerator.

“LITE’s clearly stated, highly ambitious vision is to help “African American and Latinx students close the racial wealth gap [in Memphis] by becoming entrepreneurs and securing high-wage jobs.”

When reading this, I was stuck with how simple this ides was, but also how it solved many of the problems we came up with in class over how to liberate Memphis, with the main one being the school to prison agenda. An initiative like this gives students something to strive for, because there is actually a chance of them being able to get a higher wage job and not have to live pay check to pay check like so many are in Memphis today.

Not only this, but this demonstrates not only that there are companies out in Memphis who really do have the dream of helping fix the problem, but also that there are other organisations that are willing to publicise and spread the word about inequality and injustice in Memphis, so that maybe more people will actually listen up and realise the problems.. and maybe even do something about it as well.