Archives for April 2015

Recent incidents such as the so-called Kroger “Youth Mob” and a similar occurrence at a Midtown gas station has sparked many conversations within the community about how to address the real issues of youth violence and crime. Sadly, many of these conversations have focused on playing into a media narrative that is filled with negative images of our young people along with fear-based and overly punitive solutions which in turn paint our young people with a broad brush as aberrant, aggressive, and hyper-violent. In the face of fear-based messages and images, a community looking for real solutions can often be led astray into pursuing harsher tactics which serve to further institutionalize our youth into the criminal justice system and do not address the root causes of crime.

We as a community must recognize that crime is a very real and very valid concern. At MSPJC, the core of our organizing philosophy is that, to find a solution to an issue, one must organize with those most affected by that issue.  In all the discussions and plans and various meetings about how to address the youth crime issue, no one has asked those most affected by the problem: our youth.

How can we solve the issue without the voice of young people being involved in a meaningful way? How can we stop treating our youth as a threat and instead work with youth to create lasting and positive solutions.  Simple: we ask them.

 

On Saturday, March 25^th The Mid-South Peace and Justice Center and Bridges USA, in partnership with LeMoyne Owen College and Shelby County Juvenile Court, hosted the Memphis United People’s Conference on Juvenile Justice. This event was a daylong youth-led series of workshops, trainings and dialog sessions around the issues of youth violence, youth crime and the school to prison pipeline.
Attended by over 45 area high school students, the People’s Conference on Juvenile Justice was designed as a launch pad for the first steps of building a sustainable youth led and youth directed grassroots movement to directly address issues of highest priority to our youth. Students, from a variety of schools were in attendance and were joined by young people who were allowed to serve their court ordered community service via Shelby County juvenile count by attending the conference.

Workshop topics included such subjects as Peer mediation and nonviolent conflict resolution, Know Your Rights Trainings and an introduction to community organizing. Each of these areas were designed and facilitated by some incredible young people working as members of the BRIDGE BUILDERS program of BRIDGES USA. Having these workshops and discussions in this way allowed young people present to speak freely about their thoughts and struggles on the subject and begin a conversation about real solutions that they can take the led on creating and directing.

Some of the outcomes of this event were the creation of a Memphis United Juvenile Justice committee made up not only of youth who helped organize the conference but open to all of those who participated in it as well. This group will be meeting monthly to debrief about the issues raised and begin working towards building campaigns for systemic change, while planning a second People’s Conference on Juvenile Justice set for August 22^nd. In addition, the group will be working with the Shelby County Juvenile court to perform outreach in the communities with the highest concentration of young people who need service hours to create community partnerships to provide meaningful service opportunities within the young people’s own neighborhoods. Finally, members will be trained on how to host “Know Your Rights” and Peer Mediation/conflict resolution workshops for youth by youth and within their own communities.

If we allow fear to control us, then we view our youth as a problem that must be mitigated instead of as a partner for progress. We cannot address the issue of youth violence or police accountability without also working with those most affected to have community based alternatives to crime, arrest and incarceration.

We at the MSPJC look forward to following their leadership.

If you are interested in joining the Memphis United Juvenile Justice Committee, please contact Brad Watkins at Brad@midsouthpeace.org.

H.O.P.E. Garden Crew has a funny idea – let’s all hang out together.
We believe there is no better way to build a movement than by first sharing in what makes each other happy. So this summer, we thought: movies! Our little 1.4 acre community garden has been approved for an ioby.org limited-time matching fund: from now until April 15, kind souls who donate up to $150 will have every dollar doubled! We are so hoping to reach our $2096 goal in time. Here is the link: https://www.ioby.org/project/movie-nights-community-garden

From May to October, we hope to offer an estimated 21 screenings to approximately 500 guests who might never meet each other, otherwise. Discussions and community announcements to be held afterward.

[NOTE: Mosquitoes will most assuredly not be invited. All will be barred from entry employing every natural defense mechanism at our disposal. Sorry, mosquitoes.]

We are also offering a choice of any of these sparkling, one-of-a-kind conversation pieces to those who donate:
– $25: a delicious bag of popcorn in a flavor of your choice* plus your name in the program.
– $50: a delicious bag of popcorn in a flavor of your choice*, as well as front-row seating at an upcoming film night plus your name in the program.
– $75: a delicious bag of popcorn in a flavor of your choice*, front-row seating at an upcoming film night, your name in the program, and a special privilege to help determine the film screening schedule!
–$100:  a delicious bag of popcorn in a flavor of your choice*, front-row seating at an upcoming film night, your name in the program, a special privilege to help determine the film screening schedule, and a COMMEMORATIVE brick on the WBCG mural with a message of your choosing.

* (Seriously, if it exists as a flavor, we’ll make it for you – brown sugar, sriracha, garlic parmesan, orange creamsicle, wasabi? You name it.)

Check out our fundraising page and see how it’s going!: https://www.ioby.org/project/movie-nights-community-garden

Last month, Training for Change and G.O.T. Power, MSPJC’s training program had their annual Training for Trainers in Memphis TN.

A total of 20 participants form 8 different states and Mid-South Areas were part of this extensive training of 20+ hours.
Training for Change is an organization providing quality training of trainers for the last 20 years. We, TFC and MSPJC, know that good training makes good movement building and our movements, now more than ever, need the support of good trainers! That’s why we bring to Memphis a training of trainers specifically for folks doing grassroots movement building, leading campaigns that build community power and tackle systemic inequality. People who have taken this training have made a difference in confronting institutionalized racism, moving immigrant rights forward and building the economic and environmental justice movement.

Here is the insight of Evan Morrison, a TSAT 2015 participant:

So, let me start off by saying that first and foremost, the Training for Social Action Trainers (TSAT) is a must for anyone wishing to become a skilled facilitator, or social organizer. With that said, here is why. The TSAT is an excellent workshop, whether you are skilled at facilitating or brand new to organizing, because places you in an environment where you can observe, question, and employ techniques and tools that are vital to being effective. The workshop not only provides you with tools to aid in whatever work you do, from community organizing to every day meetings, but also allows for you to see how those tools can elicit different responses depending on the context.
Context is another reason why this workshop is so beneficial. You get to experience the training with people from all kinds of places, and backgrounds. Everyone brings their own style, and you get to see how each tool can be used in a way you never would have thought of because the content of your work tends to go in other directions. You might still be wondering what happens in a TSAT workshop, and that’s fine: you just have to find out yourself!

Coming up from the GOT Power Training Department:

UPDATE: On April 7th, City Council postponed any action on our CLERB ordinance until April 21st! What will likely (or hopefully) happen is, our ordinance will be discussed once more, pass through committee, and according to Flinn go before the full council the same day for first reading, which keeps us on track with our ideal timeline.

Remember, to pass an ordinance or an amendment to a current ordinance, it takes three readings before the full council and seven votes of support. Which means if we pass through committee and go downstairs for first reading on April 21st, the second reading will be on Tues. May 5th, and (unless it gets delayed for some reason), our final reading will be May 19th, which is when we’ll really need a groundswell of community support. So, there is basically a six week process we’re navigating. In the meantime, we’ll be reaching out to organizations for letters of support and still ask our supporters to call and/or email their City Council representatives to encourage them to support the CLERB ordinance.

Memphis United has been working for the better part of two years to reestablish Memphis’ Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board with the powers necessary to effectively hold law enforcement accountable to civilians when they file a complaint against an officer. The board was created by ordinance of the Council in 1994 after the controversial death at the hands of the Memphis Police Department, but it didn’t have subpoena power or the ability to compel the participation of officers in an investigation. In 2008, Council Woman Fullilove called for an audit of MPD’s complaint process after video surfaced showing the savage beating of Duanna Johnson in police custody. The audit came back in 2009 and a resolution was passed to form an ad-hoc committee to make recommendations to the Council on how to improve the Review Board. That committee never met. After Memphis United discovered that the CLERB had been quietly disbanded around 2011 by the Wharton Administration, new appointments to the board were quickly made, and in May of 2014, The Council unanimously adopted Memphis United’s Resolution, empowering us to do the work the committee never did in 2009, collecting public input and best practices to inform an amended ordinance to empower the CLERB.

Read on to find out how YOU can help support this campaign!

On Tuesday, April 7th, Memphis United’s amended ordinance for a stronger Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board will go before the Personnel Committee of City Council at 8:30 AM. We are asking that everyone call the members of this committee and ask them to support stronger civilian oversight of law enforcement.