The Contentious Politics of Race, Class, and Space in Memphis

• In Event: Unpacking Democracy in Urban Politics

Abstract

After decades of black mayor regimes, why have majority-Black cities like Memphis elected white mayors? I will investigate the puzzle of the Black political empowerment life cycle. The puzzle is two parts: 1) the degree to which long-term political empowerment aids or hampers the political participation of individual African American citizens, and 2) the size of the Black population should positively correlate with long-term black mayoral tenures (Spence and McClerking 2010). To understand this puzzle, I highlight the contentious relationship between black residents and black mayoral regimes, recent demographic shifts, and burgeoning conflicts among the growing interracial coalition conflict. My research question asks: how, if at all, does class, by way of place, impact Black political empowerment? Using several interviews with Black organizations, I expect to have a detailed account of the challenges of mobilizing in the new environment. I argue that these demographic changes and mobilization challenges have harmed Black empowerment and the ability to elect Black mayors.

Author

• Kelly Briana Richardson, University of Florida