Keep It 100

From Terri Freeman, whose MLK 50 efforts are on an international stage, to Barbara Hyde, whose philanthropic work has influenced education reform, to Ruby Bright of the Women’s Foundation, Memphis women are proven leaders.

It’s not the backdrop for a Marvel movie, but Memphis’ black culture has strength, talent and innovation of its own.

Start a page, build a following and promote for free. That was the old Facebook. Change is now here.

You talked, we listened!

Armed with a red kettle, apron and bell, Larry Boyd hits the stores each weekend before Christmas, not holiday shopping but encouraging giving.

In 2017, The Memphis 100 directed you to the World’s Best Burger, told stories of Memphis heroes with huge hearts, and gave you the scoop on the South’s most stylish street. Was that enough?

Following the trades of Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, sports pundits questioned whether the Memphis Grizzlies could even grind their way to the playoffs this year, calling the new roster a list of “unknowns” and “cast-offs.”

Following natural disasters and unimaginable tragedies across the nation and in Memphis, we’re left wondering how to help. While we cannot bring back lost lives, we can turn our personal tragedies into a triumph for someone else.

On Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month will end without some knowing it began. Like Black History Month or Women’s History Month, this could be an opportunity to intentionally learn more and celebrate diversity.

“You can indeed change the world,” said Michael Brown, co-founder of City Year. Brown has been working on that change since his Harvard Law School days in 1988, when he started a nonprofit that partners with public schools in 28 high-need communities across the U.S. and now Memphis.

Beyond the football game, the Southern Heritage Classic is a three-day cultural festival, crowd pleaser and moneymaker for the city of Memphis.

From social media rants to negative reviews, consumers often exercise their power to call out poor service. But what happens when a business gets it right? Do you tweet about a kind word from a server or a mechanic’s extra effort?

In 2007, the financial crisis began, leading to a near-housing collapse and a car industry bailout. People were pulling their purse strings tighter and reducing their risk. After all, even Ford Motor Company, with more than a century in business, was losing financial control.

Memphis pharmacist Philip Baker believes that people, with or without insurance, often pay too much for prescription medication. So, Baker’s good deed is opening a nonprofit pharmacy, the Good Shepherd, focused on making medicine affordable.

It’s summer — time to take off, right? Take Back Your Time says many employees end the year with several unused vacation days. Wait … what?

Our relationship started out shaky. During our first weekend together, I ended up with a missing wallet and a traffic ticket.

From our lively music scene to our love of basketball to the best barbecue anywhere, the Bluff City has it all. Whether it’s getting in shape on the Green Line, strolling the banks of the mighty Mississippi or partying on Beale Street, there’s no shortage of fun activities.

Retired Chicago school teacher Lillie St. Clair helped to raise thousands of children over her 38-year career, before leaving the Windy City for the sunny South.

Talk about company perks…our colleague David Brown is 7,000 miles away in Beijing getting paid to volunteer.

My life began the same year Jerome Wright began his career as a Commercial Appeal journalist.

We often assume young men, fresh out of college, are focused on money and women. This is hardly the case for Jeremy Calhoun and Alton Cryer — Memphis natives who are busy ensuring more young people complete college.

“For us?” asks a Kate Bond Middle School teacher, as she eyed a spread of coffee and pastries, compliments of Superintendent Dorsey Hopson and the leaders of Shelby County Schools.

Thumbing through the history books, you’ll find female scientists, astronauts, activists, politicians, writers and wealthy, influential entertainers (looking at you, Bey!).

Cynthia Daniels developed an idea that’s expected to generate $1 million for budding black-owned restaurants. She saw a need to bolster support for black and minority-owned businesses and used good, old-fashioned grassroots marketing to bring it to fruition.

This February, travel through history without leaving the Bluff City. Join the thousands of Americans visiting the National Civil Rights Museum in Downtown Memphis to explore the richness of black history and learn about the struggle for civil rights. Or visit Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, an actual stop on the route to freedom, to hear true stories of tremendous courage.

Welcome to The Memphis 100!