21ST Century Mayors!!!!!

THE NEW AGE MAYOR: FIGHTER, SALESMAN , LEADER! WHAT DOES MEMPHIS HAVE?



Being a Mayor of a major city requires a new set of skills that borders on being a salesman , consensus builder, policy wonk, and lawmaker. A big city Mayor was once a figure that could influence industry or effect public policy by just the mere prestige and power of the Mayoral seat. In these times of economic strife, a Mayor must be more strategic in his approach and be able to sale his city to corporations that can bring jobs and opportunity to a city. A Mayor must have the understanding of the social needs of people and have the ability to create public policy that provides relief and stability for a multitude of economic classes. A Mayor must have the strength and vision to create laws provide safety and protection for the millions of people that reside in Urban and Suburban areas. A Mayor must also have the support of other elected officials that share vision and have the desire to build livable and thriving communities.

Our new Mayor in Memphis, A.C. Wharton who is African - American,, has been given the task of leading Memphis into the 21st century. Mayor Wharton is the polar opposite of our former Mayor Dr. W.W. Herenton , who is now a candidate for the Ninth Congressional District. Whereas Dr. Herenton, was a flamboyant lightening rod , who was elected originally as a choice from the 1991 “ People’s Convention, which was a grassroots movement originated in the African- American community, Mayor Wharton was elected by a cross section of Memphians which ranged from wealthy European - Americans to Middle Income African- Americans. Dr. Herenton served as Mayor for close to 20 years , yet his re- election campaigns usually invoked controversial racial overtones, which polarized the Memphis community. Mayor Wharton ran on the theme of “ ONE MEMPHIS” and encouraged racial harmony. Dr. Herenton , often would be seen at a Memphis Grizzlies game or popular Downtown Memphis restaurants , enjoying conversation with people and occasional glass of white wine , versus Mayor Wharton who is much more private man that is rarely out publicly without his successful Attorney wife Ruby Wharton. Former Mayor Herenton sometimes had a contentious relationships with the Memphis media , often chastising media members that did not agree with his policies. Mayor Wharton is enjoying a more of a “ honeymoon” with Memphis media, which very rarely criticizes his policies or his political positions. Finally, former Mayor Herenton, did not always look for support from City Council members or other elected officials. Dr. Herenton many times would introduce or suggest policy and demanded that other elected officials follow is lead or “fall in line”, which at times caused massive tensions between him and officials who did not agree with his methods. Mayor Wharton , is far more a consensus builder, many times deferring to the “ team process” of governing .

Mayor Wharton is a smooth talking gentleman , who is the poster of a dignified Southern dignitary. A lawyer by trade, his method of governance is built on a methodical yet cerebral strategy of identifying issues critical to Greater Memphis. Mayor Wharton works hard to stay away from controversy. His entire career has almost been totally free from negative press. When he was Chief Public Defender for Shelby County, many of the cases that his office handled went virtually free from controversy and many of the Public Defenders that worked for him went on to serve as local judges. During his time as Shelby County Mayor, Mr. Wharton handled the controversial issue of consolidation, like a virtuoso, never allowing his County Mayor administration to ever be mixed up in the volatile racial argument of Shelby County and Memphis consolidation,. Instead , he always addressed the issue of consolidating services from a policy perspective. Mayor Wharton and Former Mayor W.W. Herenton are totally different, yet in defense of Former Mayor W.W. Herenton, his aggressive management style did produce results early in his administration. When Memphis decided to go after tourist dollars, it was the aggressive management style of Dr. Herenton, that led the re-development of Beale Street and overall development of Downtown. It was Dr. Herenton that led the charge for Auto Zone to build there worldwide Headquarters in Downtown Memphis. It was under the leadership of Dr. Herenton that opened the door for the Mike Tyson/ Lennox Lewis mega fight to take place in Memphis, which opened the door for the then Vancouver Grizzlies to move to Memphis, which triggered the development of the FEDEX FOURUM. Dr. Herenton also worked with developers like Henry Turley , that led to the creation of residential communities like Harbor Town South Bluffs, and other apartment and town homes in the Downtown Memphis community .

The biggest criticism of Mayor Wharton is that he may not be aggressive enough. With dollars tight, the competition for corporations to move Memphis is absolutely critical to the future of this city. The Obama Administration has outlined an opportunity for cities to obtain federal funds that explore light rail for large metropolitan areas. The Light Rail project has the potential to bring jobs and opportunity for Memphians. Green Jobs appear to new wave of opportunities for under skilled or unemployed workers who are looking for new opportunities to work. Bio- Tech has appeared to be an industry that will provide jobs and opportunities for Memphians. Memphis Bio Works , a non profit organization designed to promote the biotech industry, is building a bio tech hub where formally Baptist Hospital Downtown was located. Still with all of these ventures that can potentially yield opportunities for Memphians, is our current Mayor aggressive enough to make these ventures happen.

In a recent Commercial Appeal article, the current A.C. Wharton administration has already spent close to $ 30,000.00 in travel expenses, where Mayor Wharton has gone to sell the city. Just recently Mayor Wharton was in New York City meeting with the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and executives from Sharp Manufacturing Company, who already have a plant in Memphis, because other cities were trying to entice Sharp Manufacturing to move their Solar Panels operation to anew city. Mayor Wharton was there to show support and commitment from Memphis to Sharp. Mayor Wharton has even gone as far as Tunisia to promote Memphis.

Yet in a time where Mayors like Corey Booker of Newark, New Jersey are receiving national attention for revitalizing the economy and creating jobs in a city that was considered dead by many Political Analysts. Or Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, a former NBA star , turned successful businessman is on NBC News promoting the revitalization of Detroit and promising jobs for Detroit residents , the question becomes is our Mayor doing enough.? Is his southern charm and deliberate speaking tone enough to attract business.?

In many ways the Wharton legacy may be defined by his ability to attract Google to relocate its Fiber optic plant here in Memphis. Without question, landing the Google Fiber Optic Plant will be the biggest corporate venture outside of Federal Express. To Mayor Wharton’s credit , he did initiate talks with internet juggernaut., yet it seems like talks have stalled and there has been not much said from the Wharton camp on the Google project. Even though Mayor Wharton facilitated the BASS PRO DEAL, which ensures that the Pyramid will have the Camping and Outdoors retail giant a tenant, the question becomes how many jobs will BASS PRO provide for Memphians and will the nature of the business alienate African- Americans or other groups that do not have the resources or the desire to invest BASS PRO retail.

Mayor Wharton has the skills to be a very effective Mayor. His temperament, would suggest that he will be treat Mayors office with dignity and respect. It is safe to also say that he will not be engaged in personal scandal or controversy as the Mayor of Memphis. Yet in this battle to attract corporations and jobs to Memphis, will the aggressive and brash style of a Dr. W.W. Herenton be missed? Will our current Mayor A.C. Wharton step up to the plate and out duel other cities that are equally trying to attract industry to their cities? Memphis has a lot to offer! We have a low cost of living, the Mississippi River, home of Federal Express and ST. Jude Childrens Research Hospital ,Beale Street, and a host of other attractions. Yet, do we have a Mayor who is ready to fight for Memphis and ensure that Memphis reaches its potential? Or do we have a Mayor who is a Southern Gentleman? I know one thing, its time for Memphis to maximize its potential and the wake from its sleep. We no longer need sleepy leadership, we need a fighter!

LOVE , A BASKETBALL TEAM, A FLOOD & A SCHOOL

In 1937, the city of Memphis flooded.

In 2001, the Grizzlies National Basketball Association franchise checked out of Vancouver and checked into Memphis.

In the spring of 2011, Barack Obama – the President of the United States and the unofficial “Leader of the Free World” – decided to deliver the commencement address at the first public high school to educate African Americans in Memphis.

Maybe some great mathematician is able to look at these dates and come up with some reason why these timelines have intersected in Memphis in May 2011. All I know is that a flood, a basketball team’s improbable journey through the NBA playoffs and an inner-city school’s gritty determination to create a new view of itself (and perform at that level) is fueling a move by Memphians to fall in love with their city.

For some it’s a first-time romance, and for others it’s more like a renewal of vows.

The flood of 1937 remains the worst recorded in this region. During that time, people all over the Mid-South were forced from their homes. Partly due to the influence of “Boss” E. H. Crump, the federal government allocated $9 million for flood control at Memphis. My grandparents relocated from Eastern Arkansas to the Hyde Park community after the floodwaters engulfed their home.

Ironically during the great flood of 2011, that same area right off Chelsea was forced to close floodgates erected in 1937 because that area was in danger of flooding. And in the Harbor Town and Mud Island communities, people have had to evacuate to higher ground. In surrounding areas of Arkansas, the White River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, has forced the highway going toward Brinkley to be shutdown. In Mississippi, the famed Tunica casinos have been silenced.

However, in each of these areas and beyond, we are seeing the spirit of strength rise up in people, whether affected directly or indirectly. A fitting caption for the evolving picture is “Love Lives.”

Because “Love Lives,” people in communities such as Frayser and Raleigh are heroically braving an abundance of water, hoping the floods do not over take their precious valuables.

With the knowledge that “Love Lives,” people all over the Mid-South are volunteering and providing assistance to those impacted by the horrific floods. The faith-based community is providing needed shelter. Politicians are working together on plans to provide relief.

As people respond lovingly to this monumental act of nature, the Memphis Grizzlies have been playing NBA playoff basketball like naturals, capturing community imagination and triggering strangers to share their love for players, the team and the city’s embrace.

Born in the face of skepticism, opposition and division, the Memphis franchise has morphed into a symbol of unity.

And now comes news that President Obama, the 21st century’s symbol of hope, will step foot into South Memphis, delivering the commencement at BTW on Monday (May 16).

Long before BTW emerged as a possible presidential site visit, a renewed sense of love and can-do spirit had taken root in an institution filled with history and legacy. Academic success there speaks to this truth. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said of BTW and education in Memphis, “Memphis is poised to go the next level…I am just so hopeful that change can happen here.”

So, whoop, there it is – a set of circumstances on the surface seemingly unrelated, yet in reality a set of magnets drawing us together.

Love Lives in Memphis.

Is Memphis Finally Growing Up?

The recent vote that forced Consolidation of the Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools is the first major step in Memphis, since the People’s Convention that formally elected the City of Memphis’s first African- American Mayor in 1991, Dr. W.W. Herenton. People looked beyond race and did the right thing for the future of the city. Of course, the vote was met with incredible opposition. There was strong Conservative Republican opposition from powerful elected officials, who wanted to maintain the schools the way they were. Republican State Senator Mark Norris and State Representative Curry Todd were able to pass legislation in the Tennessee House and Senate to slow the process of consolidation down, almost to a halt. With support from newly elected Governor, Bill Haslam, the Republican triad was able to author legislation that required the City of Memphis to endure a “Three - Year Waiting Process” that would require the new system to go through several “legislative & planning hoops” before the merger could fully take place. Even Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, who is known for his “ultra Conservative views” , not to mention his lack of intelligence, was open about the State taking over the Memphis Schools because he felt “we did not know what we were doing’. Local Shelby County Commissioners Republicans Chris Thomas, Wyatt Bunker, & Terry Roland, actually threw child-like fits when Memphians voted for consolidation and even walked out of meetings in protest of the vote. Shelby County School Board President, David Pickler, who was the most visible in the effort to thwart the consolidation of the two systems, vowed to introduce so many lawsuits in Civil Court, that merger of the schools would never happen.

But the opposition was not just germane to Conservative Republicans, traditional Democratic organizations and elected officials became bizarre allies with the conservative opposition. AFSCME, the legendary union in Memphis and a Civil Rights institution, aggressively opposed the Consolidation of schools. Its reasoning was based on the idea that African- Americans would be giving up political and economic power that has been gained through the school system. Similarly, groups like the Baptist Ministerial Alliance also argued with the same sentiment. Controversial MCS Board Member, Rev. Kenneth Whalum Jr., pastor of the New Olivet Baptist Church, conducted a one man assault on the idea of consolidated schools. He even voiced his opposition on the famed national morning radio program, “The Tom Joyner Show”. Whalum’s primary argument was that we were leaving our children with people that did not want them.

What Memphians seem to understand on the consolidation of schools issue is that the separation of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools was essentially a continuation of the old rule of “Separate But Equal”. The Shelby County Schools have long sold the idea that they were a superior system to the Memphis City Schools. That idea was more a misconception than reality. When I was student at Lemoyne - Owen College, I developed a social equation that I have found tested and proven. ECONOMICS + EDUCATION = OPPORTUNITY. The economic condition of the students who attend Shelby County Schools gives the impression that the educational outcomes of students were better than those of students who attend Memphis City Schools. In reality, the education standards of the Shelby County Schools pale in comparison to those of Memphis City Schools. Comparatively, the Memphis City Schools struggles are far more documented than the Shelby County Schools, which would also give the illusion that the Schools differed in their effectiveness in academic delivery.

Actually, statistics tell a different story. The 2010 No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress report, found on the website of the Tennessee Department of Education, shows that 45% of high school students in Shelby County failed the Algebra I exit test.

No, this issue is more than just academic delivery or merging of two school systems. The merging of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools is about Memphis growing up. It is about the city of Memphis recognizing that we need to become a unified city with the common goal of growth as our moniker. New vocal leaders like Martivious Jones and Tomeka Hart, both Memphis City School Board Representatives, have emerged. They saw that it was time for Memphis to grow up from its reputation of being a sleepy little town and become astute enough to capture an opportunity to consolidate the schools. Others like State Rep. G.A. Hardaway and City Councilman Harold Collins, also became active voices that encouraged Memphians to look at the factual information surrounding the issue and not be distracted by the noise that the opposition was trying to sell to the public. Even Mayor Wharton, who had been criticized for being too passive on important community issues, rose up and became a vocal warrior on the idea of Memphians being allowed to determine their own destiny regarding the school situation. Steve Mulroy, a Republican Shelby County Commissioner, was one of the first to publicly blast persons in his own party for opposing the consolidation. This was a unified effort among several groups, composed of Memphians from all walks of life, who rallied behind the theme of one school system.

In my earlier arguments, I was only opposed to the consolidation of Memphis governments because there was no attempt to consolidate schools. Now that we have taken the first steps to consolidate the schools, we can now begin discussions of how to fairly consolidate the two governments. Now, I am the first to agree, that political power gained in the African American community is far too important for us to lose. We also need to understand that leadership that has been gained, needs to be cultivated and upgraded with new and intelligent voices that will be able to lead our community in the future.

My friends, the consolidation of schools was more than just a vote. It was the first sign that this “sleepy little town on the Mississippi River”, with a reputation of racial division and corruption, is becoming something greater. We are becoming a city that is taking its future in its hands and making things happen. Memphis, I THINK WE ARE REALLY GROWING UP!

I AM BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, its been a while since I have posted anything on the the Files of Brian Clay. A host of things have transpired since we last connected. I won't bore you with all of the particulars, yet I will say that your experience on the Files of Brian Clay , will be filled with interesting topics. This blog is dedicated to the " Urban Intellectual"! I will post stories of Politics, Business, & Style! Its ultra cool to be an Intellectual and the Files of Brian Clay will provide you the information that will feed your soul!

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