On March 7th, Tami Sawyer, announced her candidacy for Mayor of Memphis leading with the campaign slogan, “We Can’t Wait.” If she wins, she’ll make history as the first woman to officially lead the city.
“You may ask why now, why not in 2023 or 2027? But we are standing here to say that we can’t wait. We are two years from an economic downturn that will disproportionately affect communities of color and women.”
If she wins in October, Sawyer’s first order of business is to address the city’s budget so that it “re-prioritizes the way we distribute our dollars to ensure that all neighborhoods receive an equitable share of resources,” she said.
Her platform is also focused on creating a viable transit system and more investments for minority and women-owned businesses.
A native Memphian, in 2017, Sawyer founded #TakeEmDown901, a successful campaign to remove Confederate statues in Memphis, TN. She turned her community activism into political power, in 2018, when she was elected commissioner for Shelby County where she chairs the Law Enforcement & Corrections committee, and serves as vice-chair of the Education Committee.
With a majority Black population, in a city that served as a pivotal place for the civil rights movement, the optics and potential impact of a Black woman as mayor can’t be understated.
The mayoral election will be held on Thursday, October 3rd.