Mid-South Peace and Justice Center
:: educate, organize, and mobilize communities to realize social justice through nonviolent action ::

Current Programs and Campaigns

1. JustPeace Memphis is working to build community capacity to address crime and conflict through positive and progressive reforms to the adult and juvenile justice systems in Memphis, Shelby County and the State of Tennessee. JustPeace Memphis is working to build broad based, institutional and individual alternatives to incarceration within the adult justice system and adopting restorative practices within the juvenile justice system. We believe the response to the challenge of violence can only be found by looking deeply into the root causes of injustice such as poverty, racism, unequal access to resources and education, homelessness, unemployment, affordable housing, untreated mental health conditions, and drug and alcohol abuse. Currently, we have massive criminal justice budgets and overcrowded detention facilities, maintaining the school to prison pipeline that predominately effects our vulnerable communities. We will work towards an agenda of reforms and processes, redirecting these monies to be used to make our communities safer.
2. Grassroots Organizers Training for Power (G.O.T. Power) is an eight-week intensive training in the fundamental skills of community organizing. The eight-week workshop series includes an introduction to direct action organizing which includes; power analysis, strategic planning, public speaking, planning a variety of public events, fundraising for justice, working with local media, becoming your own media, coalition-building, and transforming conflicts. Each workshop is facilitated by community leaders highly experienced in that particular field. Over the course of eight weeks, participants will learn directly from a variety of the Mid-South’s best organizers, outreach specialists, organizational planners and media people. G.O.T. Power attracts participants from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some are paid community organizers, some are community activists in their spare time, and some are in social service fields and want to incorporate a community organizing perspective into their work. What unites us all is a vision to make our city a better place by building strong, powerful organizations of the people directly affected by the problems in our communities. Classes are currently being offered in both english and spanish.
3. GrowMemphis Urban Gardens that empower neighborhoods and youths. GrowMemphis is a collaborative effort between the Mid-South Peace and Justice and eight low-income communities in Memphis. The mission of GrowMemphis is to create productive and educational urban community gardens that provide fresh healthy food for low-income areas, and empower people to develop and enhance their own communities. These gardens will provide a local food source for those in need and will empower a future generation with the important knowledge of sustainability and our connection with the Earth and with the community. Community gardening is the tool for communities to address local issues and create opportunities. 
4. The Alternatives to the Military Project that counters the tide of militarism engulfing the city's public schools. This program has successfully engaged Memphis City Schools (MCS) administration, staff and students on the topics of the increasing militarization of our schools. We have reformed procedures on two privacy gaps in MCS policy regarding military recruiters: NCLB Opt-Out procedures were improved from a position of non-notification to forms being distributed system-wide to juniors and seniors, ASVAB administration was also reformed from mandatory administration to an opt-in procedure for students and parents. We have also leafletted every high school in Memphis with literature on the realities of military service, distributing over 15,000 pieces to parents and students. We have developed a local booklet on Nonviolent Career Alternatives in Memphis with a presentation board and literature to accompany. We have distributed the booklet system wide in high school guidance offices and maintain a presence at career fairs and other appropriate events. This approach builds on our already active engagement of youth in our organizing activities.
5. The annual Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking attracts participants from all over the world to present ideas on using nonviolent methods in problem solving. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the conference is the involvement of youth in its activities. In 2008, 250 high school students, 80% of which were students of color from Memphis City Schools, gained insights, tools, and inspiration to lead more peaceful lives, and to be empowered to create nonviolent change in their communities. This year we are expanding their involvement to a full day's of activities and weaving the participation of youth with other conference participants in an effort to promote intergenerational learning.
6. Food Not Bombs, an outdoor soup kitchen that feeds the hungry while demonstrating the ability to feed people at a low cost. This program involves a large number (10-20 per week) of people in leadership and mentoring positions. In many instances this is the first point of engagement for youth activists in our organization. The program is also an act of solidarity with an increasingly oppressed homeless population in Downtown Memphis.
   
7. The Peace Committee provides education on and protest against war and violence. This program is currently involved in three major efforts: public protest and education, legislative advocacy, and direct action. We plan 2-3 major demonstrations a year that each attract in excess of 300 persons. This is in addition to our weekly witness to war vigils on high traffic street corners. To educate our community on issues relating to war we bring 2-3 speakers of a national caliber to Memphis to share their views and experiences. Most recently we brought former Chief UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter. We also engage in a great deal of legislative advocacy. We meet regularly with the staff of our federal representatives in an effort to promote dialogue and accountability with our elected officials. Also, to hold our representatives accountable, we engage in direct action; most recently 7 of our members were arrested in the offices of Senator Corker while asking him to hold a town hall meeting on the war in Iraq in Memphis.

Notable Sucesses

• 2009. Mobilized towards passage of a county wide Non-Discrimination Ordinance to protect our GLBTI workers, successfully advocated for $2.3 million in additional local funding for alternatives to incarceration, organized community action to transfer control of the Rape Crisis Center to county control, graduated 60 community organizers from G.O.T. Power training including our first native spanish speaking class, and facilitated the growth of five new community garden projects.
• 2008. ChangeMemphis. Registered over 1,500 voters from traditionally disenfranchised communities of color. Coordinated city-wide educational program around 10 proposed changes to the City and County Charters. Ran a highly successful GOTV campaign including targeted community canvass and phone-banking operations that contributed to a record turnout on election day. All charter amendments passed with 63%+ of voters in favor.
• 2008. Housing not Harassment Successfully organized homeless persons and their allies to oppose plans by the Center City Commission to hire and armed-private security force to police Downtown Memphis for “quality of life” issues.
• 2005-2008. Community Voices Media Project. Produced a one-hour and half-hour weekly local podcast and radio show. Constructed community radio studio and developed training curriculum.
• 2005-2008. Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking. Attracted over 3,000 people from all over the world to the mid-south's premier conference on nonviolence and community building. Of this, over 600 attendees have been high school youth.
• 2004-2008. Coalition Against Private Prisons. Prevented the privatization of our local jails and prisons, this would have created the largest for-profit prison in the country. In collaboration with Grassroots Leadership, we released “Progress or Profit: Positive Alternatives to Privatization in Shelby County,” a report detailing progressive reforms to our criminal justice system that save us money by keeping more of our young people out of jail.
• 2004-2007. Memphis Living Wage Campaign. Successfully advocated for the passage of City and County Living Wage Ordinances.
• 2004-2008. Alternatives to the Military Project. Successfully advocated for the City School District to provide parents notice of their privacy rights, resulting in Opt-Out forms being distributed district wide. Distributed over 15,000 pieces of literature at all Memphis City High Schools. Reformed ASVAB test administration policy to protect student rights to privacy. Distributed “Nonviolent Career Alternatives” booklet to all Memphis city high schools.
• 2004-2005. Democracy Project. Coordinated the “Forum on Election Reform.” Successfully advocated for the inclusion of a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail in the purchase of new electronic voting machines countywide. In collaboration with the April 4th Foundation and the Bridgebuilders youth program, we held a “Youth Voting Rights Forum” attended by over 200 local youth. This forum also launched our Youth Poll Workers Project, a collaborative effort with the Shelby County Election Commission to get young people involved in the democratic process at an early age.
• 2004. MemphisVotes. Registered over 1700 voters–7% of the total registered voters–in disenfranchised communities, educated countless more on election law and transported many of them to the polls for Early Voting and on Election Day.
• 2001-2008. Food not Bombs. Served over 25,000 free vegetarian meals to those in need using food normally wasted. Activated hundreds of youth activists through this “gateway” program.
• 1982-2000. The Center carried out direct action to stop the passage of the “white train” through Memphis, effectively derailing all nuclear shipments by rail throughout the U.S.. Transported dozens of political refugees from U.S. sponsored violence in Central America to safety in this country as part of the Sanctuary movement. Acted to stop the production of nuclear weapons as part of the Nuclear Freeze Movement. Challenged local banks to stop the use of racial bias in their lending practices. This resulted in changed policies to stop “redlining” locally and national effects were seen in our input to the Community Reinvestment Act. Demanded Velsicol stop producing illegal chemicals in some of the poorest communities in Memphis. Operated a nonviolence education program in two elementary schools to foster a future generation of peacemakers.

Staff

Jacob Flowers, Director • jacob@midsouthpeace.org
Allison Glass, Education Coordinator • allison@midsouthpeace.org
Brad Watkins, Organizing Coordinator • brad@midsouthpeace.org
Josephine Williams, GrowMemphis Coordinator • josephine@midsouthpeace.org

Board

Community Advisory Council