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I believe in the power of conversation. I am a talk-it-out kind of person, and by asking the right questions and listening to the answers, I have solved many problems that others felt were too challenging to tackle.
I also believe in the power of showing up. It sounds simple, but showing up matters. It matters to your coworkers, it matters to your friends, it matters to your kids - and it matters to your community.
When you put those two things together, you have the foundation for mentoring. And I believe that foundational strength is what our community needs more of. I believe we are the answer - the fuel, the power, and the path forward.
 Last year, the national news made a big deal about me showing up to talk with some gang members. But what didn’t make as much of a splash is what those young men told me. They said that just talking to me could be enough to help turn some of their younger members toward better decisions. They said seeing someone who had come from their neighborhood and done something big with their life was a powerful motivator. Those words stay with me. I don’t forget them. I replay those words in my mind when I am growing tired. I remember that my life could help change the trajectory for someone else. And I want you to remember that yours could, too.
My first mentors were definitely my parents. Every day, they modeled what it looked like to show up for our community. When I was growing up, my dad started the Boys in the Hood program at our church. He invited all the kids from the neighborhood to come out to play basketball, but really, he had a mentoring agenda. He had recruited these men from the community to come by every weekend and talk to us about what it meant to be a man. We talked about our feelings. We connected with each other and learned to support one another. The program had a profound impact on people's lives, like my friend Marcus Cooperwood, a Shelby County Sheriff's Deputy who recorded this video for me to send to my Dad in September 2022.
 Later, when I began my career, I was blessed to have Archie Willis as a mentor. He taught me about finance and real estate and demonstrated how to be a professional and how to show up for meetings and for our community.
I was lucky to have those foundational experiences, and I hope to pay it forward every day.
I make an effort to be available and to show up when asked. I have informally mentored two young men for years, beginning over a decade ago. And while it did start as a working relationship, our mentor-mentee relationship progressed beyond that. Those men both called me when they were facing life changes, like getting married. Ultimately, our relationship became about what it means to be a man. It is a truly beautiful thing.
I believe most people have an innate desire to do good. They just don't always realize the opportunities open to them. They don’t recognize what is possible because they haven’t seen those examples in their lived experience. When I see someone on a destructive path, I often ask if this is the route that you would want your child to take. And they almost always say no, and I always listen for the “why.” The why usually tells me more than anything else.
 I believe that if we truly want to transform our community, we all have to show up for each other. Sometimes, when seeking solutions, we overlook our greatest assets - our strongest tools - and I believe those assets are the people who already live in our community and love our community. I think about how easy the job of inviting more people and attracting more talent would be if we could just get our neighbors to be the ones to elevate the conversation. How easy would it be to change the narrative if we could each share the parts of our stories that will inspire others to see one another as neighbors - to see all Memphians as their people, as one Memphis?
I think we all have common threads that unite us. Maybe you were bad at math in high school, and you learned algebra on YouTube. Maybe you started working at age 14 because you wanted to buy a computer or because you needed to help your family with bills. Maybe you were bullied. Maybe you were the bully but are now reformed. Maybe your story starts in another city or country. Maybe your first language doesn’t sound like the language you speak most frequently now. Maybe Art class saved you. Maybe your story will save someone else.
And that is the beginning of mentoring. It doesn’t always need to be a formal process. It can just be showing up, talking, and listening. I believe the real power of mentoring is in sharing your perspective or your story. Hear me when I say that no matter what your path has been - your lived experiences, your voice, and your story can be powerful tools. There is someone who will benefit from hearing your story.
 I am humbled to share that I will be awarded the national MENTOR 2025 State & Local Public Service Excellence in Mentoring Award in DC on January 29. I will accept it on behalf of our amazing community, the people who mentored me, and the path we are taking together.
If you are interested in organized Mentorship opportunities in Memphis there are so many opportunities,, here are just a few:
Mentor Memphis Grizzlies Program
Streets Ministries Pathways Program
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis
View Marcus Cooperwood's video here.
Good News!
   Do you have good news to share? We would love to share it! Send us a note at goodnews@memphistn.gov
Weekly Crime Trend
The report below provides our weekly update on Part 1 Crimes. It updates daily and shows a continuous rolling 7-day total compared to the prior 7-day total. The charts on the right show the calendar week trend, comparing 2023 to 2024.
 (We maintain two crime dashboards, the Weekly Crime Trend report can be found here, and the Crime Analytics dashboard can be accessed here.)
Our Strike Team worked in the following zip codes this week: 38106, 38115, 38118
Community Engagement:
DMC Event Grant Activation. Got a big idea for an event in Downtown Memphis? Applications for Activation & Event Grants are OPEN! The DMC’s Engage Downtown Grant offers funding for events/activations that recruit people into Downtown; utilize public, outdoor, or highly visible space; and provide unique or uniquely joyful experiences in Downtown Memphis. See more and apply here.
Blight Zero: Project Clean City Grant Program. If you are a small business or non-profit organization specializing in landscaping, hauling, or other general contracting services addressing blight, consider applying for the Blight Zero: Project Clean City Grant Program. Applications are available online now through January 31, 2025. See more and apply here.
Social and Community Shout-outs:
 Solid Waste Holiday Schedule. Plan ahead for MLK Day and be sure to look at the Solid Waste pick-up schedule for residents that gets trash picked up by the City of Memphis. See more details and share here.
MLK Day of Service. Looking for ways to make an impact this MLK Day of Service? The Withers Collection is hosting a coat giveaway for those in need on January 18! Donations of used coats are being accepted until January 17 and can be dropped off at the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery! See more and share here.
King Day at National Civil Rights Museum. Join National Civil Rights Museum for a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday on January 20 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors can tour the museum for FREE all day. See more and register here.
 Parks T-Shirt Design Contest. Submissions are now open for our first Memphis Parks T-Shirt Design Contest! The contest is open to grades 6th-12th. The winner will receive a special prize and be featured on our social media platforms. See more and share here.
State of the City. Join us as Mayor Paul A. Young, Council Chair Ford Canale, and Council Vice Chair Jana Swearengen-Washington deliver the State of the City Address and outline Memphis’ vision for the future.
 Date: January 30, 2025
 Time: 5 p.m. (Doors open at 4:15 p.m.)
 Location: Temple of Deliverance, 369 GE Patterson Ave
Be part of the conversation about our era of growth, collaboration, and innovation. See you there!
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