MEMPHIS—President Donald Trump recently signed a presidential memorandum to establish a Memphis Safe Task Force, which includes activation of the National Guard in Memphis, Tennessee.
However, unlike the incursion of troops into Los Angeles and D.C. against the will of local and state leadership, Republican Gov. Bill Lee requested the Guard’s presence.
Gov. Lee, who was on hand in the Oval Office for the official signing on Sept. 15, issued a statement Sept. 12 sharing that he had been in constant contact with the administration for months to “develop a multi-phased, strategic plan to combat crime in Memphis, leveraging the full extent of both federal and state resources.”
According to the governor’s website, the goal was to “accelerate the positive momentum of Operation Viper.” Operation Viper is an FBI mission in Memphis established by FBI Director Kash Patel.
He described Memphis as “the homicide capital of America per capita” in a Fox News interview in May, despite the city experiencing a 23% drop in Part 1 crimes, which the FBI defines as criminal homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson and human trafficking, according to the Memphis Police Department.
The governor’s plan also includes a surge of Tennessee Highway Patrol Troopers, which can already be seen throughout the city.
Mayor Paul Young, who President Trump claimed was “happy” about the decision, posted to X, “I want to be clear: I did not ask for the National Guard and I don’t think it is the way to drive down crime.” But Mayor Young conceded that the governor and the president have the authority to bring in the National Guard and other resources to Memphis.
While the mayor shared that he did not receive an official confirmation until he saw it the morning the task force memorandum signing was televised, he stated, in a CNN interview, that there were to be follow-up discussions during the week on the size and scope of the mission.
“As mayor, my goal is to make sure that if they are indeed coming, that we have an opportunity to drive some of the decisions around how they engage in our community.
We want to make sure that as these individuals come into our city and in our community, that they are able to engage in a way that is not threatening and that they are supportive of our law enforcement efforts.”
State Rep. Justin J. Pearson issued a statement opposing the move. “While I share the deep concern for those in our city who are harmed by gun violence and other crimes, the use of military force in our streets is not the solution,” he wrote.
“Our residents deserve federal investment in community-based safety measures, dialogue, and resources that address the root causes of crime, not the presence of federal armed troops in our city’s streets.
The National Guard is trained for combat and crisis response, not for the delicate, complex task of community relations, local policing and building public trust.
Their deployment risks escalating tensions, endangering both civilians and service members, and eroding the very sense of security we seek to protect. This deployment is unjust, unconstitutional, and Un-American!”
Rep. Pearson pointed out that it was not coincidental that “the Trump Administration is targeting Black-led cities with Republican-influenced leaders.”
The administration has already deployed troops to Washington, D.C. and has threatened to send troops to Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans, all cities with Black mayors.
According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Memphis is now the largest majority Black city in the country as of July 2022, with an estimated Black population of 621,056. Both the Memphis county and city mayors are Black.
“From having been born and raised here, the people who live here are very, I think, self-sufficient and I think … people that we have here are very capable of taking care of what’s going on here in Memphis without any outside intrusion,” Memphis resident George Taylor told USA Today in an interview posted on the outlet’s Instagram account.
For decades, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has warned Black people, particularly Black youth, of the threat of what is happening across the country with the call for National Guard and armed troops to be deployed to predominately-Black communities. He has encouraged Black people to settle our differences, unite and work to make our communities clean, decent and safe places to live.
“Have you noticed that ‘the target’ all over America is youth?” Minister Farrakhan asked during an address entitled, “The Troubled World: What Should We Be Doing,” delivered at Mosque Maryam, Aug. 17, 2014, where he addressed community, cultural and street organization leadership.
“But when you look at all the revolution that’s going on in the world, look at the faces of the people that are overthrowing governments—it is youth!” he said.
“You’ve got social media, and you deal, man! What is that thing that you can call—a ‘flash mob,’ where they just ‘hit’ (a button to send out a message), and 50 brothers and sisters will come out on the streets, stop the traffic, and just dance and party?
Now, while that is happening, you are being filmed; and they take the films, and they show them to police and organizations, and you are being made to look like ‘animals.’
So, as they ramp up with this heavy armor, they want to use it—and they don’t want to use it on White people, they want to try out all of that stuff on you, on us,” Minister Farrakhan continued.
“So, brothers, with the ‘beefs’ that are going on: I would like, and we would like, to aid you in resolving this. Because if you’re going to be under attack, the only way you can survive is by unity. So, all ‘beefs’ must end. And we will be to you your brothers who will help us to work out our differences so that the guns can be sheathed.”