The Daily Memphian On the Record

Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips talks on the “On The Record” podcast about the upcoming August elections and voter turnout. Meanwhile, the latest election commission count shows 593,121 voters countywide as of May - an increase of approximately 10,000 voters from two years ago.

Shelby County Budget Director Michael Thompson talks about the 2024 budget season in county government on The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast as well as the savings found in vacant county positions.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris talked on The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast about his $1.6 billion county budget proposal and the change to more local funding for a rebuilding of the Regional One Health campus.

One of the artists working on new stained glass images for Historic Clayborn Temple talks on the “On The Record” podcast about bringing images of the 1968 sanitation workers strike to the frames of the landmark.

County Commissioner Henri Brooks found out two years ago she was adopted through the Tennessee Children’s Home Society - a notorious black market adoption operation. Her lawsuit against the state could open a “floodgate.” Brooks talked about the sudden revelation in The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast series.

Early voting in 2024’s first election in Shelby County begins Wednesday, Feb. 14. The Tennessee presidential primaries top the ballot, but Memphis voters haven’t seen much of the presidential campaigns this year.

Tennessee Republican Party chairman Scott Golden talks in an “On The Record” podcast about the presidential primaries and general election races.

The On The Record podcast talks to Daniel Deriso and Grif Gray, who helped guide Mayor-elect Paul Young’s successful campaign.

Daily Memphian political reporters Sam Hardiman and Bill Dries go over some notes on the 2023 city elections and what the unofficial results mean in an “On The Record” podcast.

Marcus Pohlmann is a former political science professor at Rhodes College whose 2008 book “Opportunity Lost: Race and Poverty in Memphis City Schools” is required reading for teachers and school administrators in Memphis-Shelby County Schools. It is a case study of busing in Memphis City Schools.

Roderick Richmond started at Shannon Elementary School as his neighborhood school at a time when busing as well as private schools were changing the definition of neighborhood schools in public and private school systems. For the first grade, he was bused to Wells Station Elementary School, which racially was a school in transition. His time as a student came as longer-term patterns in the reaction to busing were taking root.

Roshun Austin is a founder of The Works Inc., a community development corporation. She is also a planner who works as a developer in some of the communities affected the most by the impact of busing. She grew up in the Hyde Park section of North Memphis. Austin is also on the board of Memphis Fourth Estate, the nonprofit behind The Daily Memphian.

The founder of Sound Diplomacy, a music industry consulting firm, talks about the groups coming work in Memphis on The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast.

Chapter Three: 'Plan Z' busing begins.

Chapter Three: 'Plan Z' busing begins.

Steve Steffens arrived in Memphis with his family from rural Illinois and Arkansas in 1972, a semester before Plan A began. His neighborhood school was Oakshire Junior High in Whitehaven as an eighth grader. Oakshire and greater Whitehaven beyond the school was predominantly white at the time. Steffens and his family were part of that white majority in a city whose housing patterns were just as segregated as its schools.

Drawing Plans A and Z.

The Daily Memphian's Samuel Hardiman interviews Floyd Bonner Jr.

The Daily Memphian's Samuel Hardiman interviews Willie Herenton.

The Daily Memphian's Samuel Hardiman interviews Paul Young.