Revitalizing Memphis: A Conversation with Dr. Russell Wiggington

04/19/23 • 29 min

As an academic and now President of the National Civil Rights Museum, Dr. Russell Wigginton has dedicated his life to preserving the African American experience and advocating for economic justice. What began as a passion to explore Memphis' culture and history has now become a powerful mission to ensure the legacy of civil rights leaders lives on in unexpected ways.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Grasp the vital role of the National Civil Rights Museum in safeguarding history.
Delve into how education, arts, and culture empower community growth.
Discern the impact of employing primary sources to challenge revisionist narratives.
Appreciate Memphis's prominent influence on American music and culture.
Uncover the potential of the Economic Empowerment Summit and the Build Black Wealth discussion.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Grasp the vital role of the National Civil Rights Museum in safeguarding history.
Delve into how education, arts, and culture empower community growth.
Discern the impact of employing primary sources to challenge revisionist narratives.
Appreciate Memphis's prominent influence on American music and culture.
Uncover the potential of the Economic Empowerment Summit and the Build Black Wealth discussion.

Previous Episode

Helping Memphis Thrive

Bobby White runs a one stop job center focusing on quality jobs, apprenticeships and industry credentials to ensure a successful future for Memphis. You will learn: 1. Discovering how to bridge the gap between college and vocational training to equip people with the skills needed to get good, sustainable jobs. 2. Exploring how automation and technological advances are impacting the job market. 3. Examining how partnerships with businesses and organizations can provide training programs and apprenticeships to increase workforce capacity. Bobby White is the Chief Government Relations Officer at the Memphis Chamber and Sam's Daddy, whose viral video was seen over 50 million times and was shared by Michelle Obama and featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Next Episode

Chair To Chair

On this episode, Chairman Jones is joined by Mickell Lowery, Chairman of the Shelby County Commission, to get the real story and find out how the Commission affects Memphis residents' lives.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Discover the essential roles played by the Shelby County Commission in important sectors such as education, healthcare, and public safety.
Uncover the need for upgrading outdated facilities at the Regional One trauma disease center and the benefits this could bring.
Understand the significance of increased representation through a historic number of female and black commissioners in our community.
Learn the importance of expanding MATA services for better connectivity and growth of the Memphis area.
Grasp the urgent need to address inadequate conditions in juvenile detention centers and develop effective prevention programs.