Pastor Fisher says grassroots group will tackle education and voter rights

 The Memphis Grassroots Organizations Coalition formed in August 2015 in response to the death of Darrius Stewart at the hands of members of the Memphis Police Department.

In 2016, MGOC affiliates were involved in a large-scale Black Lives Matter demonstration which shut down the Hernando-Desoto Bridge and resulted in talks between social justice activists and the city government.

The group was also instrumental in direct actions at Graceland and The Commercial Appeal, the latter in response to an incendiary headline that resulted in a public apology by editor Louis Graham. In addition to protests, MGOC also participates in discussion of local policy, such as lobbying for new standards for the transparency of TBI investigations of police-involved shootings.
 
“We were one of the first, if not the first, groups to affirm the necessity of the movement for black lives in Memphis and stood in solidarity with (the official) Black Lives Matter, said MGOC co-spokesperson and local pastor, Earle Fisher.
 
“Since then, we’ve expanded our efforts of advocacy and community organizing to include media accountability – recognizing the media narratives and stereotypes helped to contribute to and perpetuate the criminalizing of black bodies and the dehumanizing of people of color.”
 
While MGOC intends to continue focusing on criminal justice reform and media accountability, they are expanding their purview for 2017 to include voter registration, education and environmental issues.
 
“It is not easy to stay intact in an environment that is resistant to social change and social justice, said Fisher.
 
“We’ve seen many organizations and coalitions form and fall off in the past several years.  It’s always an accomplishment to remain viable having not been incorporated and engaged in any significant fundraising strategies.”
 
Fisher indicates the interconnection of social justice issues as another of the coalition’s balancing acts. While reducing violence is an urgent need, Fisher says MGOC understands violence is connected to systemic issues of injustice, social and economic exploitation, and political policy. 
 
“It’s hard to specify which needs to address most urgently, Fisher said.
 
“Therefore, we continue to affirm every meaningful measure of resistance against evil, injustice, white supremacy, patriarchy, xenophobia, and all other social ills.  We’re grateful to have a coalition of partners who do work in a myriad of areas which helps us to address the broad range of issues that require all hands on deck.”