Issues
Memphis, Tennessee, like many large cities is comprised of a diverse population with social needs and wants that converge and collide. The issues in Memphis, as in most large cities, revolve around poverty and minority populations. Race relations, access to services, education, and health related issues tend to be the most common problems facing large cities today. Memphis is not an exception.
Race/Ethnic Groups
There
is large, growing Latino population in Memphis. As the population has
increased, the need for services that can accommodate limited English
speaking persons has grown more apparent. Inability to communicate to
the police and health officials prompted the local Latino community to
organize with the
Fuerza Latino Unida (FLU), to communicate the needs of
the Latino community to the local government in Memphis. The request was
made to provide bilingual police and 911 operators. They requested also
that police patrols be increased in various "hot spots" in the city
where crime was high. An invitation tendered to the African-Americans of
Memphis to join the Latino community in the effort to reduce crime in
both of their communities was accepted. On May 10, 2003, the groups
brought hundreds of people together to raise awareness of the needs of
their communities. Memphis has increased the number of bilingual 911
operators and has also include members of
FLU in the recruitment phase,
as well inviting discussions with the group on ways to improve police
relations.
Memphis has had a black population of around 40% since the 1940’s, the 2000 census put the black population at 61.4%, and black people have been running for mayor since 1967. Yet Memphis was the last major U.S. city with a majority black population to vote a black person into the mayor’s office. In 1991, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against Memphis, under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The suit filed on the basis that the majority-vote requirement in at-large elections allowed the white majority to consistently bloc vote black candidates. A federal judge ruled against the use of the majority-vote requirement in at-large elections (except in city council seats filled by single-member districts) forcing Memphis to conduct elections using a plurality-vote rule. It was after this ruling that Memphis elected its first black mayor, Dr. W. W. Herenton.
Education
Education in the
Memphis City School district (MCS) has been an
on-going issue with a 62% graduation rate reported in 2004 and a 19%
dropout rate. Some schools have 100% of their students qualify to
receive free- or reduced lunch and many more have 70-90% of their
students qualify. The number of students with limited English abilities
has gone from 2.4% in 2003 to 3.5% in 2004. The make-up of the
MCS
district is typical for inner city school districts with a large
minority population, 86.4% black, and an under represented majority,
8.9% white. The number of Hispanic students has gone up in the last year
from 2.9% to 3.4% that correlates with the increase on students with
limited English abilities. Native Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders
have stayed at a constant population of .1% and 1.2% respectively.
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy has in some cases made the plight of minority students more apparent, but it can also cause them to be overlooked in an effort to meet all of the goals of the program. Tennessee has requested and received permission for a certain amount of leeway in schools that fail to meet NCLB goals. Currently 2% of all students with disabilities automatically are considered proficient. Tennessee has also changed the way it measures proficiency by lowering the standards needed to pass several times since the implementation of the NCLB. How dropout levels are calculated in comparison with race and poverty are not divulged, but figures can fluctuate greatly between reports.
The
MCS is not the only group trying to improve education in the city of
Memphis, community groups are doing what they can as well. The
Memphis
Grizzlies ownership group took an interest in 2002 and began the
Grizzlies Academy, for students who were at risk of becoming dropouts.
The students chosen were between the ages of 15 and 17 and all were 2 to
3 years behind their expected grade level. The Academy only had room for
40 students its first year, 2002, and they utilize a variety of
resources from the community. Students from the University of Tennessee
volunteer as tutors, community members come in and cook meals, and the
Southern College of Optometry volunteered free eye exams and glasses to
all of the students of the academy that required them. Members of the
ownership group and staff also volunteer their time. The results from
the first year of operation were not as high as desired, 13 did not make
it through the school year. Their first class will graduate May 2006.
Health
Memphis ranks first out of the United States 60 largest cities in child mortality, losing as many as 200 children before the age of one. In response to this staggering statistic, AGAPE an international faith based group started Families in Touch (FIT) in July 2001, a collaboration of faith-based organization to help homeless, pregnant women and their children. In February of 2006 AGAPE, one of the collaborating organizers of FIT, received $50,000 to help in an effort to provide parenting skills and other services to these women. Then in March, local community leaders organized about 100 people and presented them with various ways that they can help to stop infant death including volunteering to be trained to teach young women how to care for themselves and their children. As the community has become more active, and the population made more aware of the problem, the government has started to act on remedying the issue. On April 21 the "1 for All" Infant Mortality Summit will take place, this summit is due to the efforts of the Shelby County Mayor and Tennessee Commissioner of Health. It will bring together government officials, church leaders, medical professionals, and social service providers to have an open discussion of how to save the lives of children in Memphis.
Various other health concerns are raised in a high poverty area like Memphis. In 2005, Tennessee ranked 46th in the nation for overall health status of its residents. Recent studies on diabetes and the black populations has caused a growing awareness of how and what people eat when they are on limited incomes. Limited availability to a variety of foods as well as the higher cost of healthier foods does not allow for flexibility in eating habits. The state launched a media campaign, "Count on Me," to help focus attention on prevention of heart disease. Churches are also getting involved, from forming walking groups, to including ideas for healthy living in their sermons.
Photo:
http://www.tnimmigrant.org/PhotoGallery2.htm
Sources: Memphis Issues:
http://www.advancementproject.org/FLUtext1.pdf
http://www.advancementproject.org/urban_peace.html
http://www.agapemeanslove.org/agape.asp?ID1=Maternity+Services&ID2=Families+in+Touch+(FIT)
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2003/06/30/daily13.html
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article
/0,2845,MCA_25340_4571464,00.html
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/opinion_columnists/article
/0,1426,MCA_539_4604352,00.html
http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html
http://memphisdemo2.extranet.urbanplanet.com/Data.html
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=8549
http://netscape.nba.com/grizzlies/features
/grizzlies_academy_040108.html
http://www.votingrightsact.org/hearings/92705hearing/panelists.html
Putman, Yolanda. "State to target minority health." Chattanooga Times
Free Press. Feb 4 2005. Local News; Pg. B1.
Okeon,
Beth. "AGAPE Child and Family Services has received a
$50,000 gift from Christian Mission Concerns of Tennessee Inc."
Commercial Appeal, Inc. Feb 19, 2006. Final Edition. Memphis TN.
Last update on
April 25, 2006
Created for Dr. Freitag's
Pols 350 Group and Minority Politics at the
University Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
This page was created by Laura Pierce, Kelly Quattrin, Beth Robbins, and Colleen Russell.