As a lifelong politics junkie, and chief politics reporter at the Tri State Defender back in the day, I’ve seen too many developments in politics to get personally excited about much. But thankfully, a refreshing breeze of change in Memphis’s civic matters stokes the old passion into a blaze of real interest, even glimmers of hope, from time to time.
The first spark was watching Justin Pearson’s organic development as an actual citizen politician. Then, seeing more Black women in the seats of power, followed by cautiously enjoying new mayor Paul Young’s terrific campaign execution and first quarter moves.
And now I’m proud to devote this column to another potential breath of fresh air after interviewing my friend District 4 Board of Education candidate Tamarques Porter. I’ve known him for quite some time, but that’s not why I decided to write about his candidacy.
Please note that this is strictly this columnist’s opinion. One of the keys that earned my byline respect was that when the Black community was like a small town, I made a lot of people angry because I didn’t care what your last name was, who you knew, or if you recycled gold; if you or your motives were clearly questionable it was reported so. If nothing else, I’ve seen Porter’s pathway to sincerity and glad that he’s seeking to become a public servant.
Porter is one of five candidates running for the seat. I first met him more than a decade ago with Dr. Clifford Black, chief architect of the Cooper-Jones Initiative. The annual summertime education seminar was the pet project of well loved state representatives Barbara Cooper and Ulysses Jones, both deceased.
Black created and teaches the Super Learning Class, where Porter was given the spark to keep learning, subsequently opening new vistas in his development.
“I was introduced to the class right after college,” he says. “I was trying to find myself, and a co-worker at Fed Ex took me. It was at Java, Juice, and Jazz then. Dr. Black teaches about language, down to the history of individual letters. Learning about language opened my eyes to see things in a better light and he pushed me to learn technology. My sons attend this class now.”
An Orange Mound native, after college came marriage, two sons and ultimately a career as a Technology Specialist for the Treasury Department. His own pathway is why he says we cannot continue to surrender Black children’s education to the streets, especially our young men.
“I’m tired of hearing the excuses,” Porter says. “Black people learned when we didn’t have books. But it’s not about lecturing and finger-pointing. I ran before and lost. What I learned is to listen more. People have told me we need that strong black male voice and experience but with the right attitude. We’re not trying to lead people; we’re trying to represent them, their voice. You can’t have a solution before you know the problem. Listen to our teachers and follow up with them to find the solutions.”
Sounds good, but what is the reality where the rubber hits the road? The district 4 Board of Education seat represents the Riverdale/Hickory Hill area. Thankfully, Porter’s native Orange Mound recently celebrated the reopening of Melrose High School as a high-level community center following a month scarred by a shootout in Orange Mound Park. How can he, or any of the other qualified candidates, return the former hope many say is why there is so much violent anarchy in our root neighborhoods?
He answers, “You just show them that you care. Show them pathways to a better life. Children must know you care about them and are always there for them. They must see us. And don’t sugarcoat it. You must tell them, ‘You know how this life usually turns out. Is this how you want to raise a family? We must create strategies and plans to get the message to them.”
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