Communities across Memphis gathered in the Spring of 2023 to discuss and define what safety means in their community. They covered pressing topics including youth violence, economic stagnation, inequality, and incarceration. Neighbors found neighbors, differences were cherished instead of dismissed, and collective power was discovered across shared values. The result? An ongoing commitment to co-creating solutions for their city.
Despite recent threats to Tennessean democratic institutions and safety, leaders on-the-ground were inspired to bring Share Our America to their communities. Built over the course of eight months to train leaders and recruit participants, the series of five gatherings in Memphis offered the space to level set across lived experiences and build the foundation for lasting relationships.
Tennesseans Tanja Mitchell and Andrea Fenise organized these gatherings, bringing together local leaders, business owners, community advocates, and faith-based organizations to better understand who they are — and how their lived experiences brought them to their beliefs today.
Read more about Mitchell’s story in USA TODAY
After the gathering
Participants shared phone numbers and commitments to meet again, and volunteered to help co-organize future gatherings in Memphis.
- 100% developed greater respect and sense of trust for people different from them.
- 100% felt more able to communicate with people different from them and listen to opinions and beliefs far removed from their own without judgment.
- 100% developed meaningful relationships through the experience and planned to keep in touch.
- 100% wanted to see more gatherings like this in their community.
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