MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
@mlk50.com
Based in Memphis, Tenn., MLK50 is a nonprofit newsroom reporting at the intersection of poverty, power & public policy.
Our beats: government, enterprise, environmental justice, youth life, public safety, Radical King https://mlk50.co/m/mlk50memphis
Our beats: government, enterprise, environmental justice, youth life, public safety, Radical King https://mlk50.co/m/mlk50memphis
Pinned
They were sleeping, driving, walking in Memphis. Then Trump’s police task force came.
Officers with the Memphis Safe Task Force, created by President Donald Trump to target violent crime, conduct a traffic stop on Summer Avenue near N.
mlk50.com
They were sleeping, driving, walking in Memphis. Then Trump’s police task force came. Read the latest from 👇
@wendicthomas.bsky.social @kathsburgess.bsky.social
@propublica.org
mlk50.com/2025/11/03/t...
@wendicthomas.bsky.social @kathsburgess.bsky.social
@propublica.org
mlk50.com/2025/11/03/t...
What happens when a Black-owned business establishes itself as an “ICE-free” space, but local, state and federal agents show up anyway?
Read more here 👇
Read more here 👇
His business has a ‘no law enforcement’ sign on the front door. The Memphis Safe Task Force swarmed the parking lot anyway.
Rob Brown helps a customer put in an order at the counter of his restaurant, Da Sammich Spot. On Sunday, Brown was confronted by National Guard and Memphis Safe Task Force agents posted up outside …
mlk50.co
January 13, 2026 at 1:00 AM
What happens when a Black-owned business establishes itself as an “ICE-free” space, but local, state and federal agents show up anyway?
Read more here 👇
Read more here 👇
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
His business has a ‘no law enforcement’ sign on the front door. The Memphis Safe Task Force swarmed the parking lot anyway.
🌱 Community-rooted news you'll find only at @mlk50.com
Read it here: mlk50.com/2026/01/09/h...
🌱 Community-rooted news you'll find only at @mlk50.com
Read it here: mlk50.com/2026/01/09/h...
His business has a ‘no law enforcement’ sign on the front door. The Memphis Safe Task Force swarmed the parking lot anyway.
Rob Brown helps a customer put in an order at the counter of his restaurant, Da Sammich Spot. On Sunday, Brown was confronted by National Guard and
mlk50.com
January 10, 2026 at 9:25 PM
His business has a ‘no law enforcement’ sign on the front door. The Memphis Safe Task Force swarmed the parking lot anyway.
🌱 Community-rooted news you'll find only at @mlk50.com
Read it here: mlk50.com/2026/01/09/h...
🌱 Community-rooted news you'll find only at @mlk50.com
Read it here: mlk50.com/2026/01/09/h...
🌟“He was a dreamer, and he loved to eat."
🌟“He was peaceful, creative, kind and goofy."
🌟“He was a person.”
Read the final part of “A Sister’s Love and Grief,” where Keyana Dixon opens up about how she’s honoring her brother, Tyré Nichols. #Memphis
🌟“He was peaceful, creative, kind and goofy."
🌟“He was a person.”
Read the final part of “A Sister’s Love and Grief,” where Keyana Dixon opens up about how she’s honoring her brother, Tyré Nichols. #Memphis
A Sister’s Love and Grief: Redefining justice in Tyré Nichols’ memory
“A Sister’s Love and Grief” is a three-part series that explores what Keyana Dixon’s life has been like since January 2023, when five former Memphis police officers beat her younger brother, Tyré N…
mlk50.co
January 11, 2026 at 12:00 AM
🌟“He was a dreamer, and he loved to eat."
🌟“He was peaceful, creative, kind and goofy."
🌟“He was a person.”
Read the final part of “A Sister’s Love and Grief,” where Keyana Dixon opens up about how she’s honoring her brother, Tyré Nichols. #Memphis
🌟“He was peaceful, creative, kind and goofy."
🌟“He was a person.”
Read the final part of “A Sister’s Love and Grief,” where Keyana Dixon opens up about how she’s honoring her brother, Tyré Nichols. #Memphis
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Renée Good is one of at least nine people across the country who have been shot by immigration agents since September. There is something every case has in common:
Everyone was in a vehicle at the time of the shooting.
Everyone was in a vehicle at the time of the shooting.
Cops are taught not to shoot into cars. ICE keeps doing it anyway.
Immigration agents have shot at least nine people since September. All of them have been in cars.
www.motherjones.com
January 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Renée Good is one of at least nine people across the country who have been shot by immigration agents since September. There is something every case has in common:
Everyone was in a vehicle at the time of the shooting.
Everyone was in a vehicle at the time of the shooting.
“I moved back here to #Memphis to be closer to my mom. Her house has a whole room for Tyré. His urn sits on a shelf by the window that faces west, so he can see the sunset.”
In "A Sister’s Love and Grief," Keyana Dixon opens up about life after Tyré Nichols’ death – & the hard road toward healing.
In "A Sister’s Love and Grief," Keyana Dixon opens up about life after Tyré Nichols’ death – & the hard road toward healing.
January 10, 2026 at 12:00 AM
“I moved back here to #Memphis to be closer to my mom. Her house has a whole room for Tyré. His urn sits on a shelf by the window that faces west, so he can see the sunset.”
In "A Sister’s Love and Grief," Keyana Dixon opens up about life after Tyré Nichols’ death – & the hard road toward healing.
In "A Sister’s Love and Grief," Keyana Dixon opens up about life after Tyré Nichols’ death – & the hard road toward healing.
A Sister’s Love and Grief: Keyana Dixon opens up about the death of her brother, Tyré Nichols. She discussed what her life has been like since January 2023, when five former Memphis police officers beat her younger brother, Tyré Nichols, to death. #Memphis
A Sister’s Love and Grief: Keyana Dixon opens up about the death of her brother, Tyré Nichols
Words by Keyana Dixon as told to Brittany Brown. Video directed by Kevin Wurm / MLK50 / CatchLight Local / Report For America. Keyana Dixon agreed to meet on her day off. It was a warm yet cloudy a…
mlk50.co
January 9, 2026 at 12:00 AM
A Sister’s Love and Grief: Keyana Dixon opens up about the death of her brother, Tyré Nichols. She discussed what her life has been like since January 2023, when five former Memphis police officers beat her younger brother, Tyré Nichols, to death. #Memphis
👉 "Black feminism is explicitly anti-fascist & is explicitly anti-capitalist, & I think we cannot undermine that"
👉“We can either make a decision that we are going to fight to change our conditions, [or] we are going to leave our conditions in the hands of others"
mlk50.co/4suOMVN@pris...
👉“We can either make a decision that we are going to fight to change our conditions, [or] we are going to leave our conditions in the hands of others"
mlk50.co/4suOMVN@pris...
Black feminist organizers reflect on Trump’s second term and the future of their movements
In the face of rising fascism and political instability, activists say the liberatory framework offered by Black feminism is more crucial than ever
mlk50.co
January 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM
👉 "Black feminism is explicitly anti-fascist & is explicitly anti-capitalist, & I think we cannot undermine that"
👉“We can either make a decision that we are going to fight to change our conditions, [or] we are going to leave our conditions in the hands of others"
mlk50.co/4suOMVN@pris...
👉“We can either make a decision that we are going to fight to change our conditions, [or] we are going to leave our conditions in the hands of others"
mlk50.co/4suOMVN@pris...
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Keyana Dixon shares, in her own words, what it was like to sit in court and listen to the men who killed her brother, Tyrè Nichols – and why she refused to give in to the spectacle of state violence.
This is part 1 of a 3-part series for @mlk50.com
Read & watch the video: mlk50.com/2026/01/07/a...
This is part 1 of a 3-part series for @mlk50.com
Read & watch the video: mlk50.com/2026/01/07/a...
A Sister’s Love and Grief: Keyana Dixon opens up about the death of her brother, Tyré Nichols
Words by Keyana Dixon as told to Brittany Brown. Video directed by Kevin Wurm / MLK50 / CatchLight Local / Report For America. Keyana Dixon agreed to meet
mlk50.com
January 8, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Keyana Dixon shares, in her own words, what it was like to sit in court and listen to the men who killed her brother, Tyrè Nichols – and why she refused to give in to the spectacle of state violence.
This is part 1 of a 3-part series for @mlk50.com
Read & watch the video: mlk50.com/2026/01/07/a...
This is part 1 of a 3-part series for @mlk50.com
Read & watch the video: mlk50.com/2026/01/07/a...
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
A Sister’s Love and Grief: Keyana Dixon opens up about the death of her brother, Tyré Nichols mlk50.com/2026/01/07/a... @mlk50.com
A Sister’s Love and Grief: Keyana Dixon opens up about the death of her brother, Tyré Nichols
Words by Keyana Dixon as told to Brittany Brown. Video directed by Kevin Wurm / MLK50 / CatchLight Local / Report For America. Keyana Dixon agreed to meet
mlk50.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:03 PM
A Sister’s Love and Grief: Keyana Dixon opens up about the death of her brother, Tyré Nichols mlk50.com/2026/01/07/a... @mlk50.com
At the University of Memphis, residents of Boxtown and Westwood neighborhoods filled the seats of a theater for a public hearing regarding xAI’s permit to use its 15 gas turbines.
mlk50.com/2025/12/19/a...
mlk50.com/2025/12/19/a...
A collective deep breath as the struggle against xAI continues
An xAI employee wearing a hat with the company logo stands for a photo during the Dec. 15 public meeting considering an appeal for gas turbine permits at
mlk50.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:17 PM
At the University of Memphis, residents of Boxtown and Westwood neighborhoods filled the seats of a theater for a public hearing regarding xAI’s permit to use its 15 gas turbines.
mlk50.com/2025/12/19/a...
mlk50.com/2025/12/19/a...
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
School takeover, immigration and access to contraceptives are set to dominate the 2026 Tennessee General Assembly.
What Memphians can expect in the 2026 TN General Assembly
School takeover, immigration and access to contraceptives are set to dominate the 2026 Tennessee General Assembly.
dailymemphian.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:22 PM
School takeover, immigration and access to contraceptives are set to dominate the 2026 Tennessee General Assembly.
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
🙋 Would love to add @mlk50.com for Memphis! Independent, justice-focused nonprofit w/ no ads & no paywall ♥️
January 5, 2026 at 6:58 PM
🙋 Would love to add @mlk50.com for Memphis! Independent, justice-focused nonprofit w/ no ads & no paywall ♥️
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
A study showed inflation being a 'serious concern' for Tennesseans.
Tennesseans Express Anxiety Over Cost-Of-Living Increases
A study showed inflation being a ‘serious concern’ for Tennesseans.
www.memphisflyer.com
December 30, 2025 at 2:30 PM
A study showed inflation being a 'serious concern' for Tennesseans.
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Spend your Sunday browsing our list of don't-miss stories of 2025: reporting that led the political conversation, analysis that unraveled deep mysteries, and meditations on our evolving culture.
Some of Our Most-Read Stories of 2025
Spend time with a selection of articles that resonated with our readers this year.
bit.ly
December 28, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Spend your Sunday browsing our list of don't-miss stories of 2025: reporting that led the political conversation, analysis that unraveled deep mysteries, and meditations on our evolving culture.
We interviewed over a dozen youth who say they were held in solitary confinement inside the Youth Justice and Education Center. Seven of these children say they were held in isolation even though they hadn’t started a fight, cursed at guards, or violated any of the center’s other rules.
December 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
We interviewed over a dozen youth who say they were held in solitary confinement inside the Youth Justice and Education Center. Seven of these children say they were held in isolation even though they hadn’t started a fight, cursed at guards, or violated any of the center’s other rules.
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Commentary: Tennessee is making a huge bet on artificial intelligence with an Elon Musk-backed data center in Memphis and 27 data centers in Memphis, but is this what we want, writes columnist Ren Brabenec.
Artificial intelligence is the economic revolution no one asked for • Tennessee Lookout
Tennessee is making a huge bet on artificial intelligence with an Elon Musk-backed data center in Memphis and 27 data centers in Nashville.
tennesseelookout.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Commentary: Tennessee is making a huge bet on artificial intelligence with an Elon Musk-backed data center in Memphis and 27 data centers in Memphis, but is this what we want, writes columnist Ren Brabenec.
Our journalism shines a light on poverty, power & public policy— issues we know matter to Memphians & matter to you.
We partnered with Bright Black to create a signature scent for our candle, “Forever, Memphis.” These candles are a reminder that the journalism we do lights a pathway toward justice.
We partnered with Bright Black to create a signature scent for our candle, “Forever, Memphis.” These candles are a reminder that the journalism we do lights a pathway toward justice.
December 24, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Our journalism shines a light on poverty, power & public policy— issues we know matter to Memphians & matter to you.
We partnered with Bright Black to create a signature scent for our candle, “Forever, Memphis.” These candles are a reminder that the journalism we do lights a pathway toward justice.
We partnered with Bright Black to create a signature scent for our candle, “Forever, Memphis.” These candles are a reminder that the journalism we do lights a pathway toward justice.
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
The number of measles cases is continuing to grow, threatening to undo next year the United States’ status as a nation that has eradicated the disease, according to a report released Dec. 17 by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From @timhenderson.bsky.social with @stateline.org
Measles cases rise amid holiday travel • Tennessee Lookout
Measles case are continuing to grow, hreatening to undo next year the United States’ status as a nation that has eradicated the disease.
tennesseelookout.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The number of measles cases is continuing to grow, threatening to undo next year the United States’ status as a nation that has eradicated the disease, according to a report released Dec. 17 by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From @timhenderson.bsky.social with @stateline.org
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
When police returned Reggie Williams’ wallet, an officer told him: Don’t do anything bad and keep your ID on you.
To Williams, the warning echoed a slavery-era requirement that free African Americans carry documents to prove they weren’t enslaved.
(Published Nov. with @mlk50.com)
To Williams, the warning echoed a slavery-era requirement that free African Americans carry documents to prove they weren’t enslaved.
(Published Nov. with @mlk50.com)
“I Don’t Feel Safe”: Black Memphis Residents Report Harassment by Trump’s Police Task Force
A pastor was pulled over for looking lost. A 72-year-old was marched out in his bathrobe due to mistaken identity. Memphis’ mayor welcomed the federal law enforcement surge, but some residents say the...
www.propublica.org
December 23, 2025 at 4:00 AM
When police returned Reggie Williams’ wallet, an officer told him: Don’t do anything bad and keep your ID on you.
To Williams, the warning echoed a slavery-era requirement that free African Americans carry documents to prove they weren’t enslaved.
(Published Nov. with @mlk50.com)
To Williams, the warning echoed a slavery-era requirement that free African Americans carry documents to prove they weren’t enslaved.
(Published Nov. with @mlk50.com)
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Since Trump returned to office, the Education Department’s civil rights office has not resolved a single racial harassment investigation. NOT ONE. It sends a message that “people impacted by racial discrimination … don’t matter,” one attorney said.
Monkey Sounds, “White Power” and the N-Word: Racial Harassment Against Black Students Ignored Under Trump
Since Trump returned to office, the Education Department’s civil rights office has not resolved a single racial harassment investigation. It sends a message that “people impacted by racial discriminat...
www.propublica.org
December 19, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Since Trump returned to office, the Education Department’s civil rights office has not resolved a single racial harassment investigation. NOT ONE. It sends a message that “people impacted by racial discrimination … don’t matter,” one attorney said.
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Undercovered by national outlets? Sure. But me and my colleagues at @mlk50.com have been busting ass covering the federal task force in Memphis since it arrived in late September.
October dispatch: mlk50.com/2025/10/22/a...
November dispatch: mlk50.com/2025/11/25/s...
More coverage: mlk50.com 👀
October dispatch: mlk50.com/2025/10/22/a...
November dispatch: mlk50.com/2025/11/25/s...
More coverage: mlk50.com 👀
One reason I'm reposting this (other than it's very good) is the occupation of Memphis, unlike other cities, seems to be undercovered.
I'm a veteran criminal justice reporter. I've never seen anything like ICE-occupied Memphis. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
December 18, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Undercovered by national outlets? Sure. But me and my colleagues at @mlk50.com have been busting ass covering the federal task force in Memphis since it arrived in late September.
October dispatch: mlk50.com/2025/10/22/a...
November dispatch: mlk50.com/2025/11/25/s...
More coverage: mlk50.com 👀
October dispatch: mlk50.com/2025/10/22/a...
November dispatch: mlk50.com/2025/11/25/s...
More coverage: mlk50.com 👀
Did you know that MLK50 is Memphis’ sole Black-led, award-winning nonprofit newsroom? We have built a team of exceptional journalists delivering exceptional coverage you can trust.
This holiday season, we invite you to invest in the future of MLK50 at mlk50.co/3Md4nc0
This holiday season, we invite you to invest in the future of MLK50 at mlk50.co/3Md4nc0
December 19, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Did you know that MLK50 is Memphis’ sole Black-led, award-winning nonprofit newsroom? We have built a team of exceptional journalists delivering exceptional coverage you can trust.
This holiday season, we invite you to invest in the future of MLK50 at mlk50.co/3Md4nc0
This holiday season, we invite you to invest in the future of MLK50 at mlk50.co/3Md4nc0
Less than two months after Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, a Black law student in Nashville named Rita Geier set off a series of events that ultimately reshaped higher education in Tennessee and around the country.
The Debt: Almost 60 years ago, a court case at TSU transformed Tennessee higher education • Tennessee Lookout
"The Debt," produced by Tennessee Lookout and WPLN News, tells of the lawsuit at the heart of Tennessee State University's funding struggles.
mlk50.co
December 17, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Less than two months after Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, a Black law student in Nashville named Rita Geier set off a series of events that ultimately reshaped higher education in Tennessee and around the country.
In #ShelbyCountyTN, eviction hearings rarely turn out well for tenants.
Judges grant evictions about 80% of the time, according to a recent study.
To have a chance at being spared, tenants need legal help, but it’s often tough to find that assistance.
Judges grant evictions about 80% of the time, according to a recent study.
To have a chance at being spared, tenants need legal help, but it’s often tough to find that assistance.
Facing eviction? Here are some resources that might help
Facing a possible eviction? Here are some resources that might help In Shelby County, eviction hearings rarely turn out well for tenants. Judges grant evictions about 80% of the time, accordi…
mlk50.co
December 17, 2025 at 1:37 AM
In #ShelbyCountyTN, eviction hearings rarely turn out well for tenants.
Judges grant evictions about 80% of the time, according to a recent study.
To have a chance at being spared, tenants need legal help, but it’s often tough to find that assistance.
Judges grant evictions about 80% of the time, according to a recent study.
To have a chance at being spared, tenants need legal help, but it’s often tough to find that assistance.
Reposted by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Pauline Copes Johnson, a descendant of Harriet Tubman, has died at 98.
She spent a lifetime guarding that legacy from the small city where Tubman spent her final years
www.kolumnmagazine.com/2025/12/11/t...
She spent a lifetime guarding that legacy from the small city where Tubman spent her final years
www.kolumnmagazine.com/2025/12/11/t...
December 16, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Pauline Copes Johnson, a descendant of Harriet Tubman, has died at 98.
She spent a lifetime guarding that legacy from the small city where Tubman spent her final years
www.kolumnmagazine.com/2025/12/11/t...
She spent a lifetime guarding that legacy from the small city where Tubman spent her final years
www.kolumnmagazine.com/2025/12/11/t...