Memphis United Conference on Police Misconduct
Tuesday, December 17th, 11:30 am – 4:00 pm
Community Forum and Know Your Rights Workshop
Time: Noon – 2:00 pm. Sign in and snacks at 11:30am
Location: St Patrick’s Church, 277 S. Fourth St, Memphis, TN 38126
Co-Moderators: Earle Fisher and Gee Joyner
March on Civic Center Plaza and Cypher
Time: 2:00 pm. – 4:00 pm.
Starting Point: St Patrick’s Church, 277 S. Fourth St, Memphis, TN 38126
Memphis United Music Show and After-Party
Time: Doors open at 7:00 pm. Show starts at 7:30 pm.
Location: K’PreSha Boutique, 323 South Main St, Memphis, TN 38126
Line-up of artists performing:
Join Memphis United this Tuesday, December 17th. Our goal is to begin a grassroots campaign to end systemic police harassment and misconduct, and to promote positive reforms to our local criminal justice system for all Memphians. The event begins at noon with a community forum at St Patrick’s Catholic Church. (Sign-in and refreshments at 11:30am.) This forum, co-moderated by Earle Fisher and Gee Joyner, will allow the community to air their opinions and share their experiences in a space of safety and plan for future action. This forum will also include a “Know Your Rights” workshop put on by H.O.P.E. (Homeless Organizing For Power and Equality). and the Law Offices of the Shelby County Public Defender.
At 2:00 pm we will gather outside St Patrick’s Catholic Church to host a nonviolent march down Beale Street to South Main to Civic Center Plaza, right outside of City Hall where local hip hop artists will host a cypher, a hip hop freestyle circle. Hip-hop is not the enemy nor are people experiencing homelessness.
We want you to be there to join us in this event and in this campaign for justice on our streets. This is not simply about “bad cops” or a few “bad apples” but rather it is about a total lack of citizen-led accountability and a system that creates these behaviors and allows them to continue and that system must change. Changes like a real Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board with real power,changes like improved MPD cooperation on the filing of U-Visas for undocumented victims of domestic violence,changes like homelessness and disability sensitivity training for patrol officers,changes like proper accountability in the processing of Rape kits. These are all but a few of the issues that people are bringing to the table and we want to invite you to be a part of this discussion and building a movement to make this happen.
To be anti-harassment and pro-justice does not make one anti-cop. We hope to see you there.
Memphis United is a grassroots coalition made up of H.O.P.E. (Homeless Organizing For Power and Equality),The South Main Cypher Trolley Series, Manna House Memphis, K’PreSha Boutique,Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition-TIRRC, Memphis Center For Independent Living, Adapt TN, Memphis Bus Riders Union,The Bridge Street Newspaper, Pro-Memphis Project, Subliminal Thought and many concerned citizens.