bmcc - The City of Memphis

Mission.

The vision for the Black Mayors’ Coalition on Crime is to convene black mayors from across America as one group with
one voice. For the first time in our nation’s history, we have an unprecedented number of black mayors on the front lines,
some of whom are leading our largest cities, like NYC, Chicago, and LA, and many others who are leading small and
mid-sized cities across the country. Our overarching goal is to strengthen our bonds, resources, and resolve as we work
together to define strategies to increase public safety and wellbeing in the communities we represent.

We believe:

• Our collective voices are strong. We must use our voices together and we must advocate for all. We believe it is
important to help leverage our larger cities’ influence to support our smaller counterparts with resources, strengthening
our coalition.
• This is a unique moment in time. Not only do we have a historic number of black mayors in office across cities of all
sizes in our nation, but we are in a Presidential election year. Our voice is powerful, and our influence is game-changing.
The time is now for all of our cities.
• Perception is reality. Even if the data says crime is coming down, if our communities don’t feel it, the data doesn’t
matter.
• We win through shared experiences and operationalizing existing programs. Many of the best programs are already
institutionalized; we can win by scaling these pro grams across more of our cities.
• We must take a holistic and balanced approach. The issue is complex: poverty, urban decay, and lack of opportunity for
young people all contribute to the cycle of crime. We need to balance medium- and long-term desired outcomes with a
short-term crisis management.
• We will continue to gather. It is crucial that this convening not be an academic exercise. We have agreed to continue to
meet regularly and to push for the tools and resources we need to better our communities.
We invite all to join us. We welcome your experiences. I am honored to have each of you in my corner. On behalf of my
city, I thank you.

Attendees Portal

National Press Coverage:

Attendees:

Paul Young, Mayor – Memphis, TN
Brian Williams, Deputy Mayor, Public Safety – Los Angeles, CA
Karren Lane, Deputy Mayor, Community Safety – Los Angeles,
Kendra Pruitt, Chief of Staff – Little Rock
Lisa Y. Benjamin, Chief Operating Officer – Atlanta, GA
Tishaura Jones, Mayor – St. Louis, MO
Mitch Colvin, Mayor – Fayetteville, NC
Eddie Melton, Mayor – Gary, IN
Jaylen Smith, Mayor – Earle, AR
Julian McTizic Mayor – Bolivar, TN
William Rawls Jr., Mayor – Brownsville, Tn
Anne E. Kirkpatrick, Superintendent – New Orleans, LA
Leonardo Williams, Mayor – Durham, NC
Courtney Welch, Mayor – Emeryville, CA
Beverly H. Burks, Mayor – Clarkston, GA
Lindsay Appiah, Deputy Mayor – Washington, DC
Torri Tellis, Major (Speaker) – Charlotte, NC
Warith Muhammad, Lieutenant (Speaker) – Charlotte, NC
Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Mayor(Speaker) – Jackson, MS
Mayor Harris, Mayor – Shelby County ,TN
Corey Woods, Mayor – Tempe, AZ

Speakers/Facilitator/Guests:

Ernesto Lopez: Research – Specialist CCJ
Thaddeus Lateef Johnson – Senior Fellow CCJ
Walter Katz – Former VP of Criminal Justice, Arnold Ventures CCJ
Dr. Russell Wigginton – Facilitator National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM)
Ariel Cathcart:Guest – Everytown