If we say we are not sinful, we deceive ourselves. The political and social realities of Tennessee, particularly Memphis and Shelby County, are plagued by the inequality that elected officials reject names. Official statements from people in power often circumvent accountability and trade optimism rather than truth. As a leader in the Black faith and advocate for the community, I don’t have that much luxury.

For centuries, the “…” address of…” has been a moment when leaders informed the public, outlined policies, and offered hope. But today, they are political glasses. Stage performances meant defining power rather than educating. In an age of manipulated algorithms and AI-driven disinformation, the risk of misleading the public is more pressing than ever. Social and cultural illnesses we face – racism, fascism, white Christian nationalism, threats from President Donald Trump, intellectual deaths, and elected officials willingly prepare them. You need to tell the truth that is either made or that you can provide. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, “The time will come when silence will be betrayed.” That time is now.

The dangers facing in Tennessee and Memphis

The state of our society is dangerous. In Memphis and Shelby County, unidentified power, systemic negligence and political coronavirus define the landscape.

Police in Memphis remain brutal and unjust. A U.S. Department of Justice report on the Memphis Police Department confirmed what many already know. Racial profiling, excessive power, and unconstitutional surveillance are not isolated cases, but rather ingrained practices.

However, despite these findings, leaders refuse to embrace real reform. Gov. Bill Lee and state legislators have done nothing to deal with systemic abuse. Instead of investing in community-based safety initiatives, they continue to prioritize excessive polyclinics and mass incarceration.

Local leadership is equally ineffective. Mayor Paul Young and the Memphis City Council are not entirely committed to meaningful transformations. Although it offers iconic gestures, it will persist with the same policy that led to the murder of TyreNichols in 2023.

The economic disparities in Tennessee are deepening. Memphis is one of the poorest metropolitan areas in the country, with one in four people falling into poverty. Developers and business elites secure millions of dollars incentives, but everyday workers struggle to afford housing, healthcare and basic necessities.

Lee’s administration has done little to ease these burdens, refusing to federal funding for critical services while maintaining a stagnation in the minimum wage at $7.25 an hour. Meanwhile, leaders in Memphis and Shelby County are austerity due to public resources, but are rich in corporate handouts, and the tax credits of millions are in the community they drive away. We focus on developers who have no contributions.

Public education in Tennessee is under siege. The state legislature will actively pursue privatization, diverting public funds to private and charter schools while undermining surveillance.

Memphis and Shelby County are major targets. As most black school districts are first demolished under the guise of “school choice,” the limited school voucher plan passed in 2019 applies only to Shelby and Davidson counties.

Lee and state officials push for expansion of vouchers and charters, hurting black and low-income students, and instability within the Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education creates opportunities for state intervention. The goal is clear. It is to weaken public education, suck up into corporate profits, and make black children intellectually and culturally vulnerable. If our children are not taught their history and are not denying critical thinking skills, their future is pre-determined.

The path ahead rooted in truth and justice

At this moment, I remember two King 7 four leprosy patients. Faced with death and despair, they chose to move forward with bold resistance rather than succumb to despair. Their courage led to unexpected rescues – a lesson for all of us.

We must also move forward with innovative boldness, even amidst anxiety and uncertainty. This means calling out the lies and half the truth that govern political speech. It means telling our own truth – secondary and merciless. The truth is that loyalty to Trump is not just a political ideology. It is mental illness that has spread to every corner of our society, including Tennessee.

Racism and fascism are not relics of the past. They shape our present and threaten our future. White Christian nationalism is not about faith. It’s about fear – a fear of a world where black people are no longer conquered, a fear of justice with powerful accountability, and a fear of truth that cannot be silenced.

Our reactions must be prophetic. We must stand up against the fraudulent police with a demand for systematic reform. We must counter economic exploitation by organizing fair wages and policies that prioritize people over profits. We must resist the privatization of education by advocating for empowering schools rather than misuse them.

Vision of collective liberation

Tennessee and Memphis request a response, and the response must start with us. It has to start with our church, our community organization, grassroots movements, and even our kitchen tables. We must reject the empty rhetoric of political performance that offers hope without action, promise without plans, and rhetoric that does not resolve. Instead, we need to organize, strategy, and mobilize. We must tell the truth that others fear to speak. We need to build our strength not only for survival, but for liberation.

As four leprosy have shown us, it is better to put the unknown at risk than to accept what is unacceptable. Tennessee may be dangerous, but that’s not beyond red. Moving forward with courage, belief, and community can turn this moment of despair into a rescue move. And it’s a state of culture worth fighting for.