MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

Does your Memphis home need repairs? You may qualify for these assistance programs

Water damage created a hole in Ms. Carolyn’s dining room ceiling that she has been trying to get fully repaired for a few years. Photo by Kevin Wurm / ...
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Power and Prejudice: How a little-known Tennessee law convicts Black children for murders they didn’t commit

his is a story about 104 children sentenced to die in prison by the state of Tennessee. Each was convicted of a murder — even though some had not killed anyone. In several cases, the children had been ...
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Ordinance attempts to limit juvenile isolation, but county has no way to enforce it

Jerri Green, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and director of the Shelby County Department of Corrections Anthony Alexander answer questions during a press conference in June 2025. Photo by Andrea ...
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‘What is going to happen with the kids, Lord?’

A child plays last week at his grandmother’s house, where he now lives with his three siblings and four cousins, all who lost their parents in an ICE raid last month. The boy often stands by the door ...
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Here’s how Tennessee has changed bail laws in recent years

The Tennessee State Capitol is seen during an April 2025 protest. Photo by Kevin Wurm / MLK50 / CatchLight Local / Report For America Since 2023, Tennessee legislators have passed nearly a dozen laws ...
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April 2025 was one of the deadliest months on record for Memphis children

Students at Crosstown High School walked out of school in March 2023 and held a rally to protest lax gun laws in the wake of the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. Photo by Andrea Morales ...
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Congressional districts have changed. Here’s how to find out yours.

Folks who traveled from Memphis, including (from left) Tikeila Rucker, Rachel Spriggs and LJ Abraham, marched with people from across the state outside of the Tennessee State Capitol following the ...
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Inside the Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s push for Elon Musk’s xAI data center

Photo illustration by Shoshana Gordon/ProPublica. Source images: Andrea Morales/MLK50, screenshot by MLK50, U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley via Wikimedia Commons Marilyn Gooch was already ...
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Final rules for Medicaid work requirements are out. Here’s what you need to know.

This story was republished with permission from KFF Health News. Read the original story here. The Trump administration has issued final rules on how states should ensure that millions of Medicaid ...
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No school, no fresh air and isolated

David spent eight months incarcerated at the Youth Justice and Education Center. Center portrait by Kevin Wurm / MLK50 / CatchLight Local / Report for America; Image of the Shelby County Youth and ...
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‘This is not acceptable:’ Memphis activists block xAI operations to protest pollution

Protestors laid across one of the entrances to the xAI Colossus 1 data center for two hours on Friday. Photo by Andrea Morales / MLK50 The people lying on the pavement are singing. Marchin’ on to ...