2019 Issue 6 Nov/Dec - Focus Mid-South Magazine
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Do justly;<br />
Love mercy;<br />
Be Humble.<br />
—Micah 6:8<br />
A view from the balcony of Mt. Vernon Church at Micah’s 2nd Public Meeting in September. Local government candidates were the guests.<br />
their markets, and approximately<br />
$1.5 billion in Memphis. The<br />
money will be used differently in<br />
each community depending on<br />
need, but the bank will be a<br />
conduit for getting capital into<br />
communities that have been<br />
disenfranchised. In Orange<br />
Mound, for example, this may<br />
mean making smaller home loans<br />
available for people but in<br />
Frayser reinvestment may mean<br />
working in different funding in<br />
the community. Watkins says<br />
MICAH can bring First Tennessee,<br />
the community, and the<br />
stakeholders together to help<br />
determine the need. Watkins is<br />
hoping that actions on education<br />
issues may be the next plane to<br />
land. (MICAH’s issues and actions<br />
are explained in detail on their<br />
website.)<br />
One of the most exciting<br />
outcomes of the group has been<br />
the formation of MICAH’s youth<br />
council, which came together at<br />
the beginning of <strong>2019</strong>. At an<br />
Equity Task Force meeting in<br />
June <strong>2019</strong> attended by about<br />
350 people the youth discussed<br />
their commitment to three issues:<br />
community/police relationships,<br />
environmental justice, and access<br />
to opportunities. They are<br />
exploring how to give more<br />
people in Memphis access to<br />
reusable bags, creatively<br />
connecting all three of their<br />
working issues by having police<br />
hand out reusable bags at<br />
community gatherings. Proving<br />
that youth are ready to lead on<br />
real change, another of their<br />
larger goals is to “have fewer<br />
issues to deal with when we are<br />
adults.”<br />
Both Villa and Watkins feel<br />
that MICAH has had real impact<br />
in a relatively short time, and can<br />
do more. To Villa, “MICAH is<br />
more than churches. The<br />
positives from this include small<br />
conversations with trying to learn<br />
from different people. There are<br />
maybe more liberal people who<br />
come but I would like to think<br />
there might be more<br />
conservative people who would<br />
come, not just people who are<br />
usually involved in something like<br />
this.” Watkins hopes that more<br />
groups can come together:<br />
“there are so many churches…<br />
Some of MICAH’s leadership team members: (Front row l. to r.) Will<br />
Christians, (unidentified) Meggan Kiel, Rev. Sandra Summers,<br />
Rev. Ayanna Watkins, Marcos Villa. (<strong>Mid</strong>dle row l. to r.) Sara First,<br />
Janiece J. Lee, Ruth Abigail Smith, Alexis Gwin Miller, Adam Nelson,<br />
Rev. Vahisha Hasan. (Back row l. to r.) Rev. Lucy Waechter-Webb,<br />
Britney Thornton, Ryan Lee, Rev. Lloyd Stovall.<br />
often faith communities are<br />
doing great work on their own<br />
but what would happen if we all<br />
put our heads and resources<br />
together?” There is definitely<br />
room here for more active<br />
LGBTQ advocacy. The next large<br />
public meeting is planned for<br />
October 2020. Smaller task force<br />
meetings are held once a month.<br />
Check MICAH’S website for<br />
dates. Meetings are open to the<br />
public and members of member<br />
organizations have voting<br />
privileges.<br />
Treat / NOV+DEC <strong>2019</strong> / focusmidsouth.com / Page 29