Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | Opinion

Echols: Will we recognize each other in Heaven?

candaceecholswrites@gmail.com (Candace Echols) — Sun, 10 May 2026 04:00:05 -0500

“The musicians among us will be familiar with the concept of ‘tonic chord.’ It’s that set of notes in a musical score that leaves the ear — and therefore the mind and even the body — feeling settled, complete, finished, at rest.”

Opinion: 'What have I learned today?'

rmaxey@dailymemphian.com (Ron Maxey) — Sun, 10 May 2026 04:00:05 -0500

“I don’t need to sing. I don’t need to dance. I don’t need to be the best writer. In short, I don’t need to chase who and what I’m not; it’s enough to be thankful for what I am and work to be the best I’m capable of being.”

Luck of the draw: The Grizzlies' past and future in the NBA Draft Lottery

cherrington@dailymemphian.com (Chris Herrington) — Fri, 8 May 2026 14:14:57 -0500

It will not shock you to read that the Memphis Grizzlies have not historically had great luck in the NBA Draft Lottery.

Opinion: 'Uniting to create lasting change globally, locally and personally'

editor@dailymemphian.com (Vijay Surpuriya) — Thu, 7 May 2026 04:00:05 -0500

“What we gain instead is something far more valuable: purpose, friendships and the knowledge that we are making a difference.”

Opinion: Collierville should not spend tax dollars fighting Chick-fil-A

editor@dailymemphian.com (Tim Netherton) — Thu, 7 May 2026 04:00:05 -0500

“I do not feel my tax dollars should be spent on a legal fight that seems to be something that everyone has allowed to go too far. We have too many other needs in the town — things that my tax dollars in the General Fund should be going to.”

Opinion: Why Christians across Tennessee should oppose redistricting

morriss@churchhealth.org (G. Scott Morris) — Wed, 6 May 2026 14:17:18 -0500

“One need not support any particular politician to recognize that intentionally fragmenting the voting strength of a historic Black community carries moral consequences. We should at least have enough honesty to admit what is happening.”

Calkins: On Election Day, the shameful work of erasing Memphis begins

gcalkins@dailymemphian.com (Geoff Calkins) — Tue, 5 May 2026 23:29:36 -0500

“They’re killing an iconic American city,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who flew in to join Tuesday’s protest. “It’s a terrible day for Memphis and it’s a terrible day for Tennessee.”

Sanford: GOP gerrymandering of 9th District is Jim Crow racism revisited

o.sanford@memphis.edu (Otis Sanford) — Mon, 4 May 2026 11:17:14 -0500

My mother, along with a handful of other Black Panola County residents, registered to vote during one of the most precarious times for Black people in the South. It came just six days after the bodies of three Civil Rights workers were discovered in an earthen dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Sanford: Time for Big Shelby to come to the table — and vote

o.sanford@memphis.edu (Otis Sanford) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:16:54 -0500

“(This) all adds up to being arguably the most significant county primary in recent memory. And it is almost exclusively a fight among Democrats who make up a majority of the more than 432,000 active registered voters.”

Echols: 'We have dulled our own human-ness'

candaceecholswrites@gmail.com (Candace Echols) — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:00:15 -0500

“Our culture has some good things going for it, but at the moment, we have dulled our own human-ness in ways that makes the God behind icy winds and spiraling leaves harder and harder to notice.”

Opinion: Too many abuse victims have no legal help. The Tennessee Supreme Court can fix that.

btaylor@hopehousememphis.org (Brandi Taylor) — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 04:00:12 -0500

“Survivors should not have to navigate a legal maze alone to secure their safety. I urge my fellow Memphians to tell the court to expand opportunities to provide legal help.”

McCreery: Germantown deserves full-time leadership

editors@dailymemphian.com (Jon McCreery) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:08 -0500

“We need to change our form of government. We need to ensure our city has the full-time leadership needed to meet the demands of today and the expectations of the future.”

Opinion: Arts, culture and the future of the Memphis economy

editors@dailymemphian.com (Anasa Troutman) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:17:58 -0500

“We need to build a cultural plan — a long-term strategy that guides how Memphis and Shelby County builds infrastructure for investment to integrate arts, culture and entertainment into its economic development, urban planning and community life.”

Opinion: The next county mayor must protect pre-K

kandace@first8memphis.org (Kandace Thomas) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:39:17 -0500

“The youngest members of this community did not ask to be born into a budget dispute. They arrived, as all children do, with the expectation that the adults around them would provide what they need to thrive.”

Opinion: DA Mulroy on criminal justice data and accountability

editors@dailymemphian.com (Steve Mulroy) — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 13:54:09 -0500

“Delays in handling cases, jail-intake processing delays, the “solve rate” for crimes, the repeat-offender rate — these are all worthy objects of emphasis ... . But they may not fit the right (so to speak) political agenda.”

Opinion: In the face of unprecedented danger, Memphis police officers answer the call

john.covington@memphispoliceassociation.org (John Covington) — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 13:55:53 -0500

“May we never forget those we’ve lost. May we never take for granted those who still stand watch. And may we always remember that every day, in a city where danger is always present, Memphis police officers continue to answer the call.”

Opinion: The call is around us all the time. The trick is to recognize and respond.

rmaxey@dailymemphian.com (Ron Maxey) — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 13:41:08 -0500

“The trick is to recognize and respond. That’s easy when the call is a call to appreciate life’s blessings. It’s a bit trickier when it’s a call to endure hardships. With those, it’s easier to forget.”

Echols: How all the broken pieces reveal the essence of Easter

candaceecholswrites@gmail.com (Candace Echols) — Sun, 5 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0500

“Disorder does not only lead to crime. Disorder can also be the kingdom of light. It’s about hope. Light emerges from the hammer blows.” Is this not the essence of Easter?

Opinion: Memphis must demand more from industrial polluters

editors@dailymemphian.com (LaTricea Adams) — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 15:35:11 -0500

“If a company’s business model depends on the exploitation of a Black city and the enrichment of a few power brokers at the top, we don’t want them here.”

Opinion: Data raises questions about accountability in the criminal justice system

editors@dailymemphian.com (Leslie Taylor) — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 12:39:06 -0500

The performance of the criminal justice system can’t be assessed without knowing the full picture. We have regular and reliable reporting from law enforcement agencies, but why don’t we have the same expectation for the district attorney and court clerks?