Leadership Tennessee’s Signature Program is an immersive program where, for seven sessions hosted throughout the state, a diverse group of leaders representing various, industries, geographic regions, and interests, gather together to dive deeply into the challenges and successes of each region of the state. Class VII recently took the road to Jackson and Memphis for Session I.
Class members Lottie Ryan (First Tennessee Development District, Johnson City) and Memphian, Jason Farmer (Black Lens Productions, Memphis) reflect on Class VII’s visit to Grind City.
Lottie Ryans
Director Workforce & Literacy Initiatives
First Tennessee Development District
Johnson City
A sleepy town that young people are ready to leave upon graduation. A town overshadowed by Memphis.
A community that has seen its better days and that struggles with racial divide. Always the negative comparison.
Such were my thoughts about Jackson and Memphis before our Leadership Session I visit. I had been to Jackson briefly to drop off our oldest daughter as she and her sorority sister left Tennessee, graduates of UT Chattanooga on their way to life changing experiences as TFA Core members in Houston. I had heard about Jackson from one of our daughter’s former boyfriends who is from there, yet I had never taken the time to truly learn about Jackson and visit the city. To say I was surprised with all I learned would be a true understatement. I was not sure about the need to drive to-and-from Memphis for this piece of the weekend, but I am so glad we did.
LIFT Jackson is quite the facility and the surrounding neighborhood a testament to what can be when you partner and think outside the box. I was not aware that TIF funds could be set aside for housing down payments…note to self, talk to our economic development groups about this option. And, I was struck by the diversity of housing including section 8 right in the middle of prime real estate with community events and community building at its core. I loved the conversation around how important public schools are to a community and its growth. The partnership with the school system and their willingness to partner with business is meaningful. It was also great to see that rural hospitals are remaining open in this time of uncertainty. I was intrigued by how West Tennessee Healthcare had found a model that made “keeping hospitals open” work for their neighboring communities. I had worked with Stanley, Black and Decker as they were a premium sponsor for a career exploration event we do in Northeast Tennessee. I am thrilled to see them take that same spirit to expose students to what is possible and turn it into meaningful work modeling the Gestamp internship program with Hamilton County Schools. Jackson, you surprised, delighted, and inspired me.
Got to get to Memphis…and again so glad we did. I’d visited Memphis with Complete Tennessee and had one positive, but narrow perspective. From the evening at the Tennessee Brewery, to our open spaces conversation, my head was spinning with ideas and excitement, envy and pride. I was pleased to hear time and time again, what I believe to be genuine conversation around how Memphis can’t be successful unless Black Memphians are successful. While that should be the case everywhere, that EVERYBODY needs to be successful, I was particularly struck to hear those comments when I was biased that Memphis may not always look out for ALL of Memphis. The passion the leaders are bringing to their work around transportation, education and housing is notable. I loved when the school superintendent talked about his own bias, and a recognition that he and his institution could be as much a part of the problem as they want to be part of the solution. There were so many lessons learned or follow up notes taken around pre-K, middle school, and meaningful ways to engage students and families. As I work with all school systems in our region, there are so many ideas to share with school leaders from what I heard in Memphis. I am intrigued by the College President’s Council and what it can mean to have everyone together looking for common solutions that can be embraced and implemented by all. I am hopeful [east Tennessee] presidents might be interested in a similar forum.
Congratulations to Indigo Ag, what an amazing company with such impact in so many circles. The focus Memphis has around entrepreneurship is encouraging and there are many items for follow up. I was particularly intrigued by the workforce training model FedEx is using and I am eager to share this work with businesses in Northeast Tennessee. I have already begun talking about the “meanwhile space” and am fascinated by the container retail concept. With retail being so challenged today due to the consumer shift to online shopping, having low cost space to try out concepts is genius.
While visiting Jackson and Memphis were true inspirational learning opportunities, the time I was able to spend engaging with my cohorts was equally inspirational. I look forward to the months ahead, the things we will see, the questions we will ask, the frustrations we will feel and the opportunities we will be exposed to that when faced head on, can make Tennessee all it can be.
Jason Farmer
Founder/CEO"
Black Lens Productions
Memphis
As we welcomed Leadership TN Cohort VII into my favorite place in Tennessee, arguably the USA and at times the entire world-MEMPHIS, TN!!!
These, by the way are my qualified opinions as a native Memphian, a Tennessean who has lived or worked in our distinct three regions across the state and a world traveler having visited 25 countries.
Leadership TN Cohort VII was in Memphis and I was highly optimistic they would get a true assessment of our hopes and challenges and how Memphis has a critical role in the continued growth and success of Tennessee and the Greater Memphis Area:
I. How did we get here?
Memphis, located on the western most tip of the state, bounded by Mississippi to the south and Arkansas to the west. Historically, a region with deep ties to Old Man River, King Cotton, sports, BBQ, blues, rock and roll, civil rights, religion and systemic poverty.
Memphis has been “next” for more than 50 years, stagnated as other cities across the deep- south have grown and flourished; Atlanta, Dallas and Nashville, our most immediate sister cities, have all met disruptive challenges and found a way to redefine themselves.
“The Shot Heard Around the World” in many aspects still polarizes and traumatizes the most prominent -metropolis in the region. The 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King cast a long, suffocating shadow that the city has struggled to emerge from.
II. Where are we today?
A quick scan around downtown and evidence of record construction and projects under development exceeding $4 billion are readily apparent! Several public sector and private enterprise leaders shared details of various initiatives underway or coming soon, intersecting to drive record Memphis growth!
Decades old challenges seemingly have been resolved and the city is leading the charge into unprecedented growth and prosperity! An outlook we can be proud of and one that will propel us into conversations as one of the world’s destination cities! My phone vibrated and small chatter filled the room, Leadership Tennessee Class VII was speechless, what had been shared was in stark contrast to the seemingly, well-read premature reports of the demise of Memphis.
However, just a few short days after the optimistic prognosis for Memphis’ long awaited “arrival,” an article appeared in local media outlets detailing a state report that highlighted the poverty rate during a period of record economic growth had, in fact, increased in the black community from 28%-33%.
A fact grossly magnified in a city with a black population that exceeds 65%, somehow, the current initiatives, development and associated prosperity had yet again missed an opportunity for inclusive growth.
III. What opportunities lie ahead?
We are early enough in this new opportunity of growth that if we STOP and assess how we refocus and elevate the best and brightest from ALL communities we can meet and exceed our greatest expectations!
As we look across the state, each region faces very similar challenges, in the face of record economic prosperity minority communities must participate at all levels. But, for organizations like Leadership Tennessee, who galvanize leaders around processes to create groundswells that create best practices for growth and prosperity for ALL Tennesseans!
Conversations across political lines, regions of the state and sectors not inherently affiliated are driving new alliances that hold promise of driving substantive change!
2019 Bluff City Miracle or Mirage-TBD….