The 901: Was Wednesday a turning point in Memphis protests?

Good Thursday morning from Memphis! First, a quick housekeeping note: The 901 will take a break tomorrow but return Monday. We'll have more in a moment about Tigers assistant coach Mike Miller leaving and the NBA returning, but first ...

Eight days into the protests that have shaken Memphis, Mayor Jim Strickland last night stood shoulder to shoulder with two protest leaders in the city's I AM A MAN Plaza.

It was a strange twist in the story.

On Sunday, law enforcement officers tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed and arrested protesters in Downtown. But last night, Strickland, Police Director Michael Rallings and Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner were welcomed by protesters, who ate hot dogs, sang songs, and explained the meaning of "junt" to each other. What happened?

To understand what's going on, it's important to understand that the movement isn't monolithic: there are several different factions, each with their own leaders, and each with their own way of protesting police brutality and the recent slayings of black people. Sometimes they unite. Sometimes they split. Sometimes they call each other names.

One of these factions wants more agitation. They see closing bridges and streets as the fastest and best way to bring attention to the issues that inspired the protests, and law enforcement officers and protesters have sometimes clashed in the resulting chaos.

Others have chosen a less disruptive route. At demonstrations led by pastor DeVante Hill and longtime local activist Frank Gottie, protesters have prayed, sang songs and marched along pre-planned routes, safeguarded by police officers not in riot gear. This is the group that last night welcomed Strickland, who was widely criticized by activists over the "blacklist" scandal, when police spied on and kept dossiers on local activists.

Responding to the different types of protests makes police look like they're bipolar:

Our Desiree Stennett has the back story on how Strickland found himself at one of those protests last night, but here's what Strickland had to say once he was there:

Speaking outside the Clayborn Temple before the start of protests, Strickland said the killing of George Floyd by a now-former Minneapolis police officer "was not the start of this problem, but I want him to be the start of the solution.”

“As mayor, I am absolutely committed to fixing that problem of how the police deal with black people," he said. 

The mayor also committed to a weekly meeting for the next month with activist groups. Hill said he and Gottie were committed to holding the city accountable as those discussions proceed and that Wednesday's group photos didn't mean that everything had been solved. 

Was this a turning point in the protests or just a photo op? It's too early to say.

Hill and Gottie's protests have been significantly tamer affairs, sometimes looking more like pep rallies or even soft rock concerts than protests, as Desiree pointed on Twitter. And some activists regard Hill as a "spy," a stooge of people defending the status quo.

But unlike other factions of the movement, Hill and Gottie have already secured several early commitments from city and county leaders. Those leaders have agreed to additional officer training on how to police the community peacefully, and Strickland says he'll also look at the possibility of strengthening the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) that reviews police misconduct cases. (A lack of power isn't CLERB's main problem, just to note; it's that Rallings routinely dismisses its recommendations.)

Whether Hill and Gottie become the new faces of a less-volatile movement in Memphis will depend largely on what comes out of future discussions with city and county leaders.

Speaking of speaking up: The leaders of several local hospital systems yesterday condemned the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as well as "insidious" racism, our Corinne Kennedy reports. Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, the three other officers involved in Floyd's death were all charged, and the officer who kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes had the charge against him upgraded to second-degree murder.

Tigers' Miller steps down, NBA is back

Memphis Tigers assistant basketball coach Mike Miller, a prized recruiter for the team, yesterday announced that he's stepping down to focus on family and what's next.

Here's Miller's full statement, as reproduced in our Jason Munz' story about Miller's exit:

"The past two years have been amazing, and I have so many people to thank: Coach Hardaway for believing in me, all our players for their commitment, the University of Memphis and its incredible fans, my wonderful wife and kids, and the entire city of Memphis for everything you have done for me and my family," Miller's full statement reads. "All of you made this opportunity possible for me, and I'm truly grateful. As much as I've loved this job and had a blast being part of the special program Coach is building, the past few months have made me realize that it's time for me to spend more time focused on family and wherever the journey will take me next."

Miller bowing out is without doubt a blow for the Tigers, who have relied heavily on the star power of him and coach Penny Hardaway to land top recruits for two years now. 

But the clouds cracked to let the sunlight down yesterday. The NBA announced a return-to-play proposal that isn't as biased against the Memphis Grizzlies as our Mark Giannotto thought it would be. Jason has more about the Grizzlies' playoffs path here.

FedEx: Curfews may slow deliveries

As cities across the nation imposed curfews in an attempt to calm protests against police brutality and killings of black people, FedEx this week warned of service delays.

That's according to our Max Garland, who including the statement the Memphis-based shipper issued to customers Monday:

"Local restrictions and curfews in certain areas across the U.S. may cause unavoidable service delays. FedEx is committed to providing service to the best of our ability and will continue to do so in areas that are accessible during this time."

Read Max's story for more on how FedEx is responding to the protests — including its response to a protester who was dragged to death by a truck in St. Louis.

Downtown Express turns the cheek

Last Sunday night, a large group of people — maybe 20 or so — broke off from the main group of protesters and rushed to loot the Downtown Express Marathon store on Poplar.

Police quickly intervened, but not before the store suffered minor damaged and theft.

But yesterday, in a moving act of solidarity with the movement, the owner of the gas station and convenience store invited protesters inside and gave them free drinks and snacks, our Katherine Burgess reports. Here's the video of Aman Devji explaining why:

Speaking of heart-warming acts: Our Desiree Stennett has more about how protesters paid to replace the window of black-owned Winfield's Shoes & Accessories, which was broken by looters during a protest Sunday in Downtown Memphis.

What else is happening in the 901

• For subscribers: XXXX. (And if you aren't a subscriber, please consider becoming one.)
• The Memphis Police Department is one of nearly 600 law enforcement agencies across the country that will receive federal funds to hire more police officers, our Sarah Macaraeg reports. The money, which comes amid cries for less police funding, will cover 75% of the salaries of 50 new officers for the next three years.
• Our John Beifuss yesterday wrote a story commemorating the 60th anniversary of the premiere of "The Brides of Dracula" in Memphis and how it came about.
• Supermarket supplier Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. plans to replace its Memphis and Southaven plants with a high-tech warehouse in Hernando, per staff reports.
• Downtown Memphis restaurant staple Alcenia's will be featured on NBC's "Today" show, our Jennifer Chandler reports.
• Memphian John Ryder, former attorney for the Republican National Committee, talks about Nashville's chances of landing the Republican convention this year.

The Fadeout: Grace Askew

In her first release of 2020, Memphis' Grace Askew partnered with Nashville-based writing/production team Sea Changer on the single "Release Me"...

Like The Fadeout? Check out The 901's Spotify playlist

Columnist Ryan Poe writes The 901, a running commentary on all things Memphis. Reach him at poe@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @ryanpoe.

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