Research Guides: ENGL 1020: English Composition 1020: Memphis Mini-Guides

Memphis Mini-Guides

Memphis Music

The Music Library at the University of Memphis offers a variety of resources available for use and research. The Music Library has stacks of books and scores, musical literature such as dictionaries, biographies, and histories, and other materials specific to Memphis Music. The Music Library also offers resources on musical theory, composition, and self-instruction.

The Music Library can be located in room 115 in the Music Building on campus. Stop by to explore the many music materials and resources the Music Library offers.

Graceland
Graceland was and is home to Elvis Presley. Graceland offers many resources into the musical history of Elvis.
The Orpheum
Build in 1890, the Orpheum was built to expand the growing Vaudeville sensation. Overtime, the Orpheum has been rebuilt, reborn, and renovated to keep up with the modern time.
Stax Museum
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is dedicated to educating the public about not only historic music in Memphis, but about the American soul music legacy.
Sun Studio
Sun Studio was the home recording studio to many popular and classic rock n' roll musicians.
U of M Special Collections Repository
Special Collections has a variety of photographs and primary documents related to music in Memphis.

Shake, Rattle, & Roll This link opens in a new window
Shake, Rattle, & Roll was a free Memphis music magazine published by Charles Mooney IV from May 1991 to December 1994. Besides providing a snapshot of the Memphis music scene in the early 1990s, these magazines feature articles about Memphis musicians from many decades, making them of interest to anyone researching Memphis music. Thanks to Charles Mooney IV, in addition to these digital holdings, the University of Memphis Music Library holds the complete run of the magazine in print.

Music Online: American Music
Music Online: American Music offers a wide variety of genres, musicians, performers, and historical events related to American music.
Music Periodicals Database
The Music Periodicals Database offers a wide variety of peer-reviewed journals dedicated to the subject of music.
Oxford Music Online
The Oxford Music Online database is connected to the Oxford Companion to Music, the Oxford Dictionary of Music, and Grove Music Online. The Oxford Music Online database allows searches through music topics, instruments, geography, era, people, and places.

Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South
Encyclopedia of African American Music
Memphis 68: The Tragedy of Southern Soul
Memphis and the Paradox of Place: Globalization in the American South
Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios
Also available in print at the Music Library.
Memphis Mayhem
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Music
The Next Elvis: Searching for Stardom as Sun Records
Only in Special Collections!
Soulsville, U.S.A: The Story of Stax Records
Southern Music/American Music

Business & Economy

Community Economic Development in the United States by James L. Greer & Oscar Gonzales (editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2016
This is the first scholarly analysis that examines the development and achievements of the American community development movement. Community development is now a multi-billion industry in the US. Hundreds of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), located in all regions of the country, have successfully forged locally-based strategies that provide affordable housing, foster business development, and provide much needed community facilities, including innumerable charter schools, in highly distressed communities in inner city neighborhoods, rural communities, and also in American Indian areas.
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Agriculture & Industry by Melissa Walker & James C. Cobb (Editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2008
Volume 11 of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture examines the economic culture of the South by pairing two categories that account for the ways many southerners have made their living. Throughout the volume, articles reflect the breadth and variety of southern life, paying particular attention to the region's profound economic transformation in recent decades. The section on industry and commerce contains 13 thematic entries in which contributors address topics such as the economic impact of military bases, resistance to industrialization, and black business.
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Urbanization by Wanda Rushing (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2010
This volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture offers a current and authoritative reference to urbanization in the American South from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first, surveying important southern cities individually and examining the various issues that shape patterns of urbanization from a broad regional perspective. Looking beyond the post-World War II era and the emergence of the Sunbelt economy to examine recent and contemporary developments, the 48 thematic essays consider the ongoing remarkable growth of southern urban centers, new immigration patterns (such as the influx of Latinos and the return-migration of many African Americans), booming regional entrepreneurial activities with global reach (such as the rise of the southern banking industry and companies such as CNN in Atlanta and FedEx in Memphis), and mounting challenges that result from these patterns (including population pressure and urban sprawl, aging and deteriorating infrastructure, gentrification, and state and local budget shortfalls).
The Pursuit of Economic Development Growing Good Jobs in U.S. Cities and States by Todd M. Gabe
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
This book addresses the challenge of securing high-paying jobs for American workers. It examines the impacts of a wide range of state and local characteristics--such as low taxes, high-skilled workforce, reliance on manufacturing, and even nice weather--on the economic development of U.S. regions. The author provides a detailed account for each factor's impact on the growth of good jobs. The research focuses on U.S. metropolitan areas and states, tracking employment and income change in these regions from 1990 to the near present.

Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) for Memphis and Shelby County
EDGE is the economic development agency for the City of Memphis and Shelby County coordinating public resources to drive growth. Includes information on economic programs and projects, major industries, information for businesses, and a Memphis business profile.
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Includes information on major industries, business development, business climate, infrastructure, workforce, and quality of life. County Profile Tools allows you to access data on Shelby County and compare it to other Tennessee counties.
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Focuses on workforce development and safety. Includes a lot of labor force statistics from their Workforce Insights, Research and Reporting Engine Division (WIRED).

Black Business Association (BBA) of Memphis
Trade organization with the goal of improving business and growth opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses in the Mid-South.
BLDG (Build. Live. Develop. Grow.) Memphis
Focuses on investment and community development in Memphis's neighborhoods. Members include the Memphis-area community development corporations.
Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce
Membership and advocacy organization for Memphis-area businesses.
Memphis and West Tennessee AFL-CIO Central Labor Council
Labor council representing AFL-CIO-affiliated labor unions in Memphis and the broader Western Tennessee region.
MidSouth LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Organization for local business professionals who are LGBTQ+ or identify as an ally.

Memphis Moves
Overview of business information from the Greater Memphis Chamber. Includes business climate information, overviews of major area industries, a county business profile, and other research and reports.
Greater Memphis Economic Research Group
Provides economic and industry trend reports and monthly job briefs. Part of the Greater Memphis Chamber.
Publications and Maps | TN Dept. of Economic and Community Development
List of all reports, white papers, maps, and other publications from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
County Profile Tool | TN Dept. of Economic and Community Development
Major economic data by county in Tennessee. Can be displayed on map or get profile for each county. From the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
Tennessee Economic Data | TN Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development
Labor force statistics from the Workforce Insights, Research and Reporting Engine Division (WIRED) of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
data.census.gov
Access data and digital content from a variety of sources and surveys of the U. S. Census Bureau, including the decennial Population and Housing Census, Economic Census (every 5 years), Census of Governments (every five years), American Community Survey (annual, three, five year estimates) and others.
Census Business Builder
Displays Census business data over a map. Can filter by industries and different demographic characteristics and then generate a report based on the data.

Memphis Business Journal
Memphis's daily business newspaper. Login information available in library password wiki.
Inside Memphis Business
Inside Memphis Business is published six times a year, and focuses on local Memphis business news.

Gale OneFile News This link opens in a new window
OneFile News is a full-text newspaper database which allows users to search articles instantly by title, headline, date, newspaper section or other assigned fields. A one-stop source for the day's news and searchable archives. With OneFile News, you can search more than 1,800 titles of national, international, state and local newspapers (including Commercial Appeal 1996-2012).
Regional Business News This link opens in a new window
Full text coverage of 80+ regional business publications, including all metropolitan and rural areas of the United States

Business Source Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Provides full text for more than 2,800 business publications. Sources include academic journals, trade publications, magazines, newspapers, industry and product reports, monographs, SWOT analyses, and more. Addresses all subject areas related to business. Coverage 1965-, or first published issue, some as far back as 1922.
Gale Business Insights This link opens in a new window
Business Insights: Essentials brings together international business and industry reference material, statistical data, case studies, journals and newspapers. Researchers have the ability to download and analyze global data, industry and company profiles and market share information.
Small Business Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Small Business Resource Center is a comprehensive database covering all major areas of starting and operating a business including financing, management, marketing, human resources, franchising, accounting and taxes. Resources include sample business plans from the Business Plans Handbook series, how to guides, articles, business journals and websites.

Civil Rights History

The Civil Rights Movement: A Reference Guide by Peter B. Levy
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2019
Drawing on the most recent scholarship, The Civil Rights Movement provides a concise overview of the most important social movement of the 20th century and will expand readers' understanding of the fight for racial equality. Ideal for research, this one-stop reference provides a unique introduction to the Civil Rights Movement as it includes its development, issues, and leaders. Six essays capture the drama and conflict of the struggle, covering, among other topics, the origins of the movement, the role of women, the battle for racial equality in the North, and the lasting effects of the protests of the 1950s and 1960s.
An Unseen Light: Black Struggles for Freedom in Memphis, Tennessee by Aram Goudsouzian & Charles McKinney (Editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2018
In An Unseen Light: Black Struggles for Freedom in Memphis, Tennessee, eminent and rising scholars present a multidisciplinary examination of African American activism in Memphis from the dawn of emancipation to the twenty-first century. Covering subjects as diverse as politics, sports, music, activism, and religion, An Unseen Light illuminates Memphis's place in the long history of the struggle for African American freedom and human dignity.
The Civil Rights Movement in America: From Black Nationalism to the Women's Political Council by Peter B. Levy (Editor)
Call Number: McWherter Library 3rd Floor Stacks E185.61 .C6148 2015
Publication Date: 2015
This single-volume work provides a concise, up-to-date, and reliable reference work that students, teachers, and general readers can turn to for a comprehensive overview of the civil rights movement--a period of time incorporating events that shaped today's society. This single volume encyclopedia not only provides accessible A-Z entries about the well-known people and events of the Civil Rights Movement but also offers coverage of lesser-known contributors to the movement's overall success and outcomes.
Civil Rights Movements: Past and Present by Salem Press
Call Number: McWherter Library 3rd Floor Stacks E185.61 .C6124 2020
Publication Date: 2020
This new, two-volume set will explore the ways in which civil rights have been given, cemented, overturned, or left unrecognized, from the first uprisings to present day 2020. This 2-volume work contains more than 350 in-depth essays that analyze the events that have shaped American attitudes from the start of the civil rights movement into the new millennium, communicating important concepts in a clear, approachable style, with more than 100 photographs.
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in America: A Reference Handbook by Michael C. LeMay
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This book covers civil rights and civil liberties politics in the United States from the ratification of the Bill of Rights to current-day controversies, such as the travel ban and proposals to end birthright citizenship. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: A Reference Handbook provides a thorough overview of civil rights in U.S. history, detailing all the relevant amendments to the Constitution and reviewing key Supreme Court decisions and landmark cases on the topic. Lots of historical coverage of American civil rights movements and legal issues.

What is a Primary Source?

"Primary sources provide firsthand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic or question under investigation." (Primary Sources at Yale)

How do we know what happened in the past? We were not there, so we have to rely on those who were. That is what a primary source is: a source of information from someone that directly-experienced a historical event.

Primary Source Collections

ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Commercial Appeal This link opens in a new window
This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.

Coverage: 1847 - current
Civil Rights Digital Library This link opens in a new window
"The Civil Rights Digital Library promotes an enhanced understanding of the Movement by helping users discover primary sources and other educational materials from libraries, archives, museums, public broadcasters, and others on a national scale" (Welcome to the Civil Rights Digital Library).

Defining Documents in American History: Civil Rights (1954-2015) by Salem Press
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2016
Defining Documents in American History: Civil Rights offers in-depth analysis of a broad range of historical documents and historic events that shaped civil rights struggles in American history. This text closely studies more than forty primary source documents to deliver a thorough examination of civil rights movements in the U.S. from 1954 to 2015.

University of Memphis Special Collections

The Special Collections Department of the University Libraries collects unique, rare, and historical materials, making them a great place for primary sources. Some of their collections are digitized and available through our online repository, Digital Commons, but many are only available to see in person. If you would like to learn what they have on your topic and access their collections, email them at specialcollections@memphis.edu or by call at 901.678.2210.

Here are three digital collections that could be useful for Memphis civil rights topics:

Benjamin Lawson Hooks Papers | Digital Commons
The collection comprises correspondence, memoranda, speeches, newspaper columns, articles, subject files, reports, minutes, board and administrative material, printed materials, photographs, audio and video recordings, and other materials regarding the career of Benjamin Lawson Hooks (1925-2010): lawyer, minister, Federal Communications Commissioner and Executive Director of the NAACP.
Church Family Papers | Digital Commons
The collection documents the activities of Robert Reed Church, Sr., his son Robert, Jr., and granddaughter Sara Roberta, all members of one of the most prominent African American families in Memphis, Tennessee, during the twentieth century.
Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike, 1968 | Digital Commons
Images of the movement drawn from three manuscript collections: Commercial Appeal newspaper morgue, Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper morgue, and the Memphis Search for Meaning Committee records.

America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
Index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. The database indexes journals from 1910 to present and includes citations and links to book and media reviews.
Humanities Source Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Indexes periodicals in archaeology, art, classics, film, folklore, journalism, linguistics, music, the performing arts, philosophy, religion, world history, and world literature. Coverage: citations & abstracts, 1907- ; select full text, 1994-.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
The JSTOR database consists of complete backfiles of core scholarly journals in all disciplines. Coverage: varies--going back to first year of publication and coming up to 3-5 years ago. See the Project Muse database for scholarly articles from within the past 3-5 years.

Community Health & Healthcare

MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health's site for patients and their families and friends. It brings information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language that the non-specialist can understand. It also links to other useful resources.
Understanding Health Disparities
Overview of topics on minority health inequality in America, including basic definitions, structural racism, drug trial inclusion, and food inequity. From the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Encyclopedia of Public Health by Sally Kuykendall (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2018
Providing context to today's public health practices and broad coverage of topics, this book demonstrates how cross-disciplinary studies are critical to addressing current health issues. The concepts of public health and the methods we use to care for and promote the health of people in communities, groups, and our nation as a whole are of interest to all health professionals. Comprising contributions from historians, scholars, researchers, sociologists, and other public health professionals, the Encyclopedia of Public Health: Principles, People, and Programs offers a firsthand, in-depth view of public health as it applies to everyday life and practice.
Healthcare Systems & Reform by Howson, Alexandra
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
This volume offers an introductory overview of sociology as it applies to health and medicine across the world. Beginning these topics is a set of essays that highlights the globalized nature of medicine and its interaction with society and culture. The essays go on the explore American health systems and the social implications of healthcare.
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Science & Medicine by James G. Thomas & Charles Reagan Wilson (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2012
Science and medicine have been critical to southern history and the formation of southern culture. For three centuries, scientists in the South have documented the lush natural world around them and set a lasting tradition of inquiry. The medical history of the region, however, has been at times tragic. Disease, death, and generations of poor health have been the legacy of slavery, the plantation economy, rural life, and poorly planned cities. The essays in this volume explore this legacy as well as recent developments in technology, research, and medicine in the South.

Cherokee Health Systems
Tennessee-based health service system with a sliding scale fee structure to ensure affordability. Their Memphis location is in Frayser.
CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health
A nonprofit community health organization providing reproductive and sexual health services and a variety of preventative screenings.
Christ Community Health Services
Christian, community-based health organization providing a variety of care options on an income-based payment scale.
Church Health
A faith-based health care not-for-profit with services available for uninsured patients.
The Haven
Promotes the health and wellbeing of people with HIV and works to prevent the further spread of HIV in the Memphis community.
Memphis Health Center
Healthcare system with a sliding scale fee for people without health insurance or who would otherwise be unable to pay. Serves Shelby and Fayette counties, Tennessee.
Memphis Muslim Medical Clinic
Weekend charity clinic providing low-cost primary care services to patients without insurance.
Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi
Nonprofit providing reproductive and sexual healthcare services and education.
Shelby County Health Department
The county government agency dedicated to improve, promote, and protect the health and environment of the people of Shelby County. Provides community health services and community health data.
Tennessee Hospital Association
Industry group for hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations in Tennessee.
Tennessee Justice Center
Legal and policy advocacy organization that focuses on legislation and litigation to solve economic and social inequities, with a current focus on healthcare and nutrition issues.

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, nonprofit hospitals are required to develop community health needs assessments (CHNA) and implementation plans every three years. These documents provide data and analysis of major health issues in their community and plans for how to address these issues. Here are the CHNAs for the major Memphis nonprofit hospital systems.

Baptist Community Health Needs Assessment
Breaks out reports by region, including Memphis, west Tennessee, north Mississippi, northeast Arkansas, and central Mississippi.
Methodist LeBonheur Community Health Needs
Regional One 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment [PDF]
St. Jude's Community Health Assessment

State and Local Government

Healthier Shelby
Collection of resources and data on health in Shelby County. Includes information on priority areas, data, tools to compare Shelby County with other areas, and a variety of other tools and resources. Maintained by the Shelby County Health Department.
Shelby County Commission District Health Profiles
Reports on major public health issues by Shelby County Commission district. Each report includes demographics, social determinants of health, leading causes of death, and life expectancy. Maintained by the Shelby County Health Department.
Tennessee Department of Health | Health Statistics
Data and reports on health topics across the state.
Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth | Data and Research
Includes the annual State of the Child report, which includes statewide information on health risks and outcomes as well as access to healthcare, and county-level data reports.

Federal Government

National Center for Health Statistics
Part of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). They publish an annual national overview of health called Health, United States, as well as a number of smaller reports and data collections, such as the FastStats quick data introductions.
CDC Places
The Center for Disease Control's source for local health data. It includes an interactive map and the Comparison Report tool for finding and comparing health information in different places, as well as downloadable data sets.
Data.CDC.Gov
Catalog of all data sets maintained by the Center for Disease Control. You can search for data sets or browse by topic.

Non-Governmental

Non-profits, advocacy groups, foundations, think tanks, and other non-governmental organizations that produce research.

The Commonwealth Fund
Foundation with a focus in improving healthcare systems for the underserved. Their data and research include a state health report card, a state health equity report card, maps, and a variety of surveys.
Health Affairs Policy Briefs
Overviews of healthcare policy topics from the journal Health Affairs.
Kaiser Family Foundation
The Kaiser Family Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan source for health policy research, polling, and journalism. Use the menu at the top to see information organized by topic, health-related polling, state health facts, and more.
State of the Air | American Lung Association
Reports on air quality and its impact on lung health based on location.

Health Research

Health and Wellness Resource Center (1980 - present) This link opens in a new window
Addresses topics in health and medicine, medications, and wellness. Includes such reference sources as encyclopedias, directories, medical dictionary, magazines, journals, and newspapers.
Health Reference Center Academic This link opens in a new window
Use this database to find articles on: fitness, pregnancy, medicine, nurtrition, diseases, public health, occupational health & safety, alcohol and drug abuse, HMOs, prescription drugs, ect. The material contained in this database is intended for informational purposes only. Coverage 1980-.
CINAHL Complete This link opens in a new window
CINAHL Complete covers nursing, allied health, biomedical and consumer health journals, publications of the American Nursing Association, and the National League for Nursing. Includes abstracts of journal articles, books, dissertations, and proceedings. Full text is included for nursing journals, newsletters, standards of practice, practice acts, government publications, research instruments and patient education material.
To learn how to use CINAHL Complete, watch our video series.

Data and Statistics

PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
Easy-to-use online mapping with data on demographics, real estate, health, jobs and more in communities across the US.
From the classroom to the boardroom, thousands of organizations trust PolicyMap to find the right data for their research, market studies, business planning, site selection, grant applications and impact analysis.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Social Explorer is an online research tool designed to provide quick and easy access to historical census data and demographic information. Includes a variety of health datasets.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Easily access statistics and produce graphs for millions of statistics in business, entertainment, health, social sciences, and government.

Crime & Violence

The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Violence by Amy Louise Wood (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2011
Much of the violence that has been associated with the United States has had particular salience for the South, from its high homicide rates, or its bloody history of racial conflict, to southerners' popular attachment to guns and traditional support for capital punishment. With over 95 entries, this volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture explores the most significant forms and many of the most harrowing incidences of violence that have plagued southern society over the past 300 years. Following a detailed overview by editor Amy Wood, the volume explores a wide range of topics, such as violence against and among American Indians, labor violence, arson, violence and memory, suicide, and anti-abortion violence.
Communities and Crime: An Enduring American Challenge by Pamela Wilcox; Francis T. Cullen; Ben Feldmeyer
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2018
Social scientists have long argued over the links between crime and place. The authors of Communities and Crime provide an intellectual history that traces how varying images of community have evolved over time and influenced criminological thinking and criminal justice policy. The authors outline the major ideas that have shaped the development of theory, research, and policy in the area of communities and crime.
School Violence: A Reference Handbook by Laura L. Finley
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2014
A timely investigation of the history, legislation, and perpetrators of school violence, this guide debunks the myths and misconceptions about this terrible problem of national concern. With school violence on the rise, schools have implemented security safeguards like never before in the form of metal detectors, video cameras, and armed guards. School communities have mixed opinions regarding these drastic prevention measures--many welcome the protection, while some condemn the reminders of violence these tactics evoke. This comprehensive text introduces the history of school violence in the United States, providing an overview of proposed causes--from violent video games, to inadequate parental involvement, to bullying by classmates--and detailing the pros and cons of various deterrents.
Domestic Violence and Abuse: A Reference Handbook by Laura L. Finley
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2020
A comprehensive and timely resource for students, activists, educators, and advocates, Domestic Violence and Abuse: A Reference Handbook provides a rich and scholarly assessment of this important social issue while also including stories and profiles for a more personal understanding.Domestic Violence and Abuse: A Reference Handbook provides a thorough review of the most recent research about intimate partner violence. Additionally, a historical review provides readers with a sense of how views on domestic violence have changed over time and how different policies and practices have and have not been successful.
Sexual Harassment: A Reference Handbook by Merril D. Smith
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2020
Providing an indispensable resource for students investigating sexual harassment in the United States, Sexual Harassment: A Reference Handbook is a comprehensive summary of history, current events, possible solutions, and resources. In addition to discussing the background and history of sexual harassment, it analyzes related problems and controversies and gives possible solutions. It also provides additional perspectives on sexual harassment by contributors and sketches of people and organizations, as well as documents, resources, and a timeline
Hate Groups: A Reference Handbook by David E. Newton
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
Hate Groups: A Reference Handbook offers answers to essential questions about hate groups in a way that is accessible to students and general readers interested in this important topic. Hate Groups: A Reference Handbook covers the topic of hate groups from the earliest pages of human history to the present day. Chapters One and Two provide a historical background of the topic and a review of current problems, controversies, and solutions. The remainder of the book consists of chapters that aid readers in continuing their research on the topic, such as an extended annotated bibliography, a chronology, a glossary, lists of noteworthy individuals and organizations in the field, and important data and documents.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation provides specific crime statistics, publications, and issues for Tennessee.
TBI Publications and Specialized Reports
Look here for TBI Annual Reports, Crime in Tennessee, Crime on Campus, Law Enforcement-Related Deaths, Hate Crime, Domestic Violence, School Crime, Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted and other specialized reports
Statistics from the Tennessee Department of Corrections
Includes Felon Population Reports, Bed Space Reports, Jail Summary Reports, Juvenile Reports, Death Row Facts and Executions
Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County
Relative Rate Index, Average Daily Population in Juvenile Court, and Transfers to Adult Court
Memphis Crime Commission The Stats
Visual overview of Memphis and Shelby County crime data pulled from state and federal statistics.

901 Bloc Squad
Intervention group providing mentoring and outreach for at-risk youth. They provide violence intervention, including for gun violence.
Crime Stoppers
Nonprofit offering money for information on crime to share with the police.
Heal 901
Nonprofit focusing on violence prevention through bridging the gap between the vulnerable populations of Memphis and the resources available that will allow them to live a more empowered life.
Just City
Advocates for reforms to the criminal justice system in Memphis and Shelby County to improve accountability and trust.
Memphis Allies
Organization developing a comprehensive network of support services to work with more than 2,000 youth and adults at highest risk of committing, or being victims of, gun violence.
Memphis Shelby Crime Commission
Nonprofit that tries to identify and promote evidence-based best practices to public safety.
Public Safety Institute (PSI) at the University of Memphis
Interdisciplinary research center working on crime prevention, intervention and reduction.

Bureau of Justice Statistics
The Bureau of Justice Statistics is a comprehensive government database that provides research, data, publications, and collections regarding national crime.

PsycINFO Index
The PsycINFO Index can direct crime and violence searches to many journals and peer-reviewed articles.
Criminal Justice Collection
The Criminal Justice Collection has a wide variety of subject guides and publications available in regards to crimes.

Criminal Justice System

The Criminal Justice System by Salem Press
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
This new edition offers clear, comprehensive and authoritative treatment of all aspects of the criminal justice system. The Criminal Justice System, completely updated, covers the most important aspects of criminal justice in the United States. It details the commission and frequency of crimes through the investigation, apprehension, prosecution, and punishment of wrongdoers. The core issues of criminal justice are approached through a variety of perspectives.
Volume 1: Crime and Criminal Law
Volume 2: Law Enforcement and Courts
Volume 3: Corrections and Special Issues
The Judicial System: A Reference Handbook by Michael C. LeMay
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2022
The Judicial System: A Reference Handbook provides an authoritative and accessible one-stop resource for understanding the U.S. judicial system and its place in the fabric of American government and society. The American judicial system plays a central role in setting and enforcing the legal rules under which the people of the United States live. U.S. courts and laws, though, are complex and often criticized for bias and other alleged shortcomings. Chapter 1 presents the origins, development, and current characteristics of the American judicial system. Chapter 2 discusses problems and controversies orbiting around the U.S. justice system today. Chapter 3 features a wide-ranging collection of essays that examine and illuminate various aspects of the judicial system. Chapter 4 profiles influential organizations and people related to the justice system, and Chapter 5 offers relevant data and documents about U.S. courts. Chapter 6 is composed of an annotated list of important resources, while Chapter 7 offers a useful chronology of events.
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in America: A Reference Handbook by Michael C. LeMay
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This book covers civil rights and civil liberties politics in the United States from the ratification of the Bill of Rights to current-day controversies, such as the travel ban and proposals to end birthright citizenship. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: A Reference Handbook provides a thorough overview of civil rights in U.S. history, detailing all the relevant amendments to the Constitution and reviewing key Supreme Court decisions and landmark cases on the topic. Civil rights and liberties related to the criminal justice system covered include those related to warrants, trials, civil cases, bails, fines, and punishments.
Police Use of Force: Important Issues Facing the Police and the Communities They Serve by Michael J. Palmiotto (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
Police use of force has been a major concern for police departments and citizens in the United States since the 1840s, when police first started carrying guns. Starting with a historical introduction, Police Use of Force presents readers with critical and timely issues facing police and the communities they serve when police encounters turn violent. Dr. Palmiotto offers in-depth coverage of the use of force, deadly force, non-lethal weapons, militarization of policing, racism and profiling, legal cases, psychology, perception and training, and violence prevention.

Law Office of the Shelby County Public Defender
Provides legal representation to those who cannot afford to hire a private attorney.
Memphis Police Department
Law enforcement agency in Memphis.
Shelby County Courts
Lists links to the Shelby County courts: Chancery, Circuit, Criminal, General Sessions, Juvenile, Probate, and Veterans.
Shelby County District Attorney
Office responsible for prosecuting all state misdemeanors and felonies that occur in Shelby County.
Shelby County Shefiff's Office
Law enforcement agency in Shelby County.
Tennessee Attorney General & Reporter
State legal office.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI)
Lead law enforcement agency for the state of Tennessee.
Tennessee Courts
The state court system of Tennessee. Overviews everything from the local and district courts to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC)
Manages the prison and incarceration system in Tennessee.

American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN)
Lobbies and litigates for the protection of Bill of Rights freedoms, including those relating to the criminal justice system.
Decarcerate Memphis
Coalition of community leaders, activists, attorneys, strategists, clergy and concerned residents trying to shift to community-led solutions to public safety instead of punitive solutions.
Just City
Advocates for reforms to the criminal justice system in Memphis and Shelby County to improve accountability and trust.
Memphis Shelby Crime Commission
Nonprofit that tries to identify and promote evidence-based best practices to public safety.
MICAH: Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope
Group of community and faith-based organizations working together around three issue areas: education equity, economic equity, and racial and class equity. Works on the criminal justice system as it intersections with these issue areas.
Mid-South Peace & Justice Center
Advocacy organization focused on achieving social justice through nonviolence. Includes work on racial injustice and systemic racism, criminal justice, homelessness, and public transportation.
NAACP Memphis
Local chapter of the historic civil rights organization.
Public Safety Institute (PSI) at the University of Memphis
Interdisciplinary research center working on crime prevention, intervention and reduction.
Tennessee Innocence Project
Non-profit providing legal assistance to incarcerated people who seek to prove their innocence of the crimes they are imprisoned for, with offices in Nashville and Memphis.
West Tennessee Legal Services
Nonprofit providing civil legal help to under-served individuals, families, and communities in West Tennessee.
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Has not traditionally served Shelby County but starting in July 2024 it took over providing services from Memphis Legal Services.

Public Safety Institute Research
Research reports and plans from the Public Safety Institute at the University of Memphis.
TN Dept. of Corrections Statistics and Information
Reports on Tennessee prison populations, prison services, recidivism, space available in prisons, juvenile prisoners in the adult system, and death row.
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Gathers and disseminates statistics on “crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.”
Prison Policy Initiative Publications
Reports, fact sheets, state profiles, and more on incarceration and criminalization in the Untied States.
Sentencing Project Research
Statistics on mass incarceration in the United States.
Topics in Corrections | National Institute of Corrections
Overview of publications, statistics, and resources on the corrections portion of the criminal justice system.

MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Reporting on the intersection of poverty, power and policy in Memphis and Shelby County.
Prism
Nonprofit journalism led by journalists of color focused on the lived experiences of people most impacted by injustice.
Scalawag Magazine
Nonprofit journalism focused on oppressed communities in the South.

Disability & Accessibility

Disability: A Reference Handbook by Michael Rembis
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2019
This volume offers a rare mix of interpretive chapters and primary sources that will be of value to anyone interested in learning about important disability-related issues and exploring the perspectives of disabled people. Disability has become a human rights and social justice issue that should concern all Americans. Access to safe, affordable, and effective health care, access to safe and affordable housing, access to reliable and efficient public transportation, and the ability to work and participate freely in the community are central to disability justice movements. Unlike encyclopedias or biographical dictionaries that only offer brief accounts of key topics, people, events, and organizations, Disability: A Reference Handbook provides important interpretive and analytical frameworks and meaningful primary evidence.
Disability in American Life by Tamar Heller, Sarah Parker Harris, Carol J. Gill, & Robert Gould (Editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2018
Disability--as with other marginalized topics in social policy--is at risk for exclusion from social debate. This multivolume reference work provides an overview of challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities and their families at all stages of life. Once primarily thought of as a medical issue, disability is now more widely recognized as a critical issue of identity, personhood, and social justice. By discussing challenges confronting people with disabilities and their families and by collecting numerous accounts of disability experiences, this volume firmly situates disability within broader social movements, policy, and areas of marginalization, providing a critical examination into the lived experiences of people with disabilities and how disability can affect identity.
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in America: A Reference Handbook by Michael C. LeMay
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This book covers civil rights and civil liberties politics in the United States from the ratification of the Bill of Rights to current-day controversies, such as the travel ban and proposals to end birthright citizenship. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: A Reference Handbook provides a thorough overview of civil rights in U.S. history, detailing all the relevant amendments to the Constitution and reviewing key Supreme Court decisions and landmark cases on the topic. Includes coverage of rights and liberties for Disabled people and Disability Rights Movements.

Aging Commission of the Mid-South
Shelby County department tasked with information and services to improve the lives of seniors, adults with disabilities, and caregivers.
Memphis Advisory Council for Citizens with Disabilities
Advisory group that helps the city comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and remove barriers for individuals with disabilities in Memphis.
TN Commission on Aging and Disability
Brings together programs, resources, and organizations to protect and ensure the quality of life and independence of older Tennesseans and adults with disabilities.
TN Council on Developmental Disabilities
Office that makes connections between people with developmental disabilities and their families and services and supports.
TN Department of Human Services
State agency charged with connecting Tennesseans to statewide support services, including disability services.
TN Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Agency that administering state services Tennesseans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Medicaid waivers, Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), state-operated ICF/IIDs, and the Family Support Program.

ARMS: Autism Resources of the Mid-South
Advocacy organization for the autism community in the Memphis area.
Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT)
Legal advocacy organization for people with disabilities in Tennessee. Focused around freedom from harm, freedom from discrimination, and freedom to participate in the community.
Down Syndrome Association of Memphis & the Mid-South
Advocates for the inclusion of people with Down Syndrome and provides support and information for people with Down Syndrome and their families.
Memphis Center for Independent Living (MCIL)
Provides people with disabilities with advocacy, training, resources and peer support to help them live independently.
New Disabled South
Disability justice advocacy group organizing across 14 states including Tennessee.
SRVS
Non-profit that offers residential, employment, children's and community-based and other supports for individuals with disabilities in Shelby, Lauderdale, Tipton, Fayette, Hardeman, Haywood and DeSoto counties.
Tennessee Disability Coalition
Group of organizations from across Tennessee that promote the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life.
Tennessee Disability Pathfinder
Provides one-on-one assistance, training, and outreach to connect people with disabilities, their family members, the community, and professional support partners find and access resources, support, and services available to meet their needs.
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Partnership between the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Annual Disability Statistics Compendium
Analyzes annual data on social and economic conditions of disabled people. Includes state reports with county-level data on the prevalence of disability, employment and disability, and poverty and disability.
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Project of the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability.
CDC Disability and Health Data System (DHDS)
State-level health and demographic data about adults with disabilities.
Disability Statistics
Aggregates disability statistics from a variety of federal government sources. Develops a yearly status report for each state.
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Project of the Cornell University Online Resource for U.S. Disability Statistics.
Office of Disability Employment Policy Research and Evaluation
Overview of data and research on disability and employment from the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Students with Disabilities | National Center for Education Statistics
Data introduction to students with disabilities from pre-Kindergarten to high school.
Travel Patterns for American Adults with Disabilities
Overview of data on how people with disabilities travel and the barriers they face pulled from the National Household Travel Survey.

Education

Nation's Report Card
Biennial assessment (4th, 8th, 12th grades) at state, school district, and individual school levels
Shelby County Schools
Shelby County Schools is the public school system that is present in Memphis. They hire teachers, maintain school buildings, and grant charters so that Charter Schools can exist in Memphis.
Tennessee Department of Education
The Tennessee Department of Education is who monitors Shelby County Schools. The Tennessee Department of Education grants licenses to teachers, collects student data and school data, creates learning standards, and sets goals for schools across the state of Tennessee.
U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education is the leading organization of education in the United States. They enforce laws, collects data, conducts education research, creates educational initiatives, and distributes federal funds to schools.
Report Card for America's Infrastructure
Overview of data on infrastructure in the United States. Includes state reports. Report card includes a section on school infrastructure.

Chalkbeat
Chalkbeat is an online publication that reports on all things education in the state of Tennessee. They report on the success of teachers and schools, education legislation, community concerns regarding education, and the state of schools and districts across the state.
U of M Special Collections Repository

Central High School, 1946

High school chemistry class, 1918

Child Care & Early Education Research
The Child Care & Early Education Research database provides research, data, policy information, and publications of education.
Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education has the nation’s largest newsroom dedicated to covering colleges and universities.
Education Full Text Index
The Education Full Text Index is a large collection of journals, articles, and peer-reviewed articles about education related subjects.

Public and Private Education in America: Examining the Facts by Casey D. Cobb & Gene V. Glass
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This title will give students and other readers a clear understanding of the true state of public and private education systems in the United States by refuting falsehoods, misunderstandings, and exaggerations--and confirming the validity of other assertions. Issues covered include categories of public and private schools and variations in academic performance and socioeconomic status therein; controversies surrounding school choice, including school vouchers and charter schools; accountability and assessment of private and public schools; debates about school environment, safety, and curricula; and teacher and administrator quality.
The Politics of American Education by Joel Spring
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2011
This comprehensive overview documents and explains who influences educational policy and how, bringing to life the realities of schooling in the 21st century and revealing the ongoing ideological struggles at play. Coverage includes the influence of global organizations on American school policies and the impact of emerging open source and other forms of electronic textbooks. Thought-provoking, lucid, original in its conceptual framework and rich with engaging examples from the real world, this text is timely and useful for understanding the big picture and the micro-level intricacies of the multiple forces at work in controlling U.S. public schools .
Second International Handbook of Urban Education by William T. Pink (Editor); George W. Noblit (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
This second handbook offers all new content in which readers will find a thoughtful and measured interrogation of significant contemporary thinking and practice in urban education. Each chapter reflects contemporary cutting-edge issues in urban education as defined by their local context. One important theme that runs throughout this handbook is how urban is defined, and under what conditions the marginalized are served by the schools they attend.

Look at page 3 of the table of contents for the chapters on North American schools.

Optional Schools:The Memphis Public Education Alternative / Memphis City Schools
This is a print book located in Special Collections on the 4th floor of McWherter Library. The call number is MVP 3637.
Urban Education in America: Problems and Prospects
This is a print book located on the 4th floor stacks of McWherter Library. The call number is LC5131 H85.

Environment & Climate

Environmental Topics | EPA
Basic overviews of environmental topics and how the EPA addresses them.

The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Environment by Martin V. Melosi (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2007
From semitropical coastal areas to high mountain terrain, from swampy lowlands to modern cities, the environment holds a fundamental importance in shaping the character of the American South. This volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture surveys the dynamic environmental forces that have shaped human culture in the region--and the ways humans have shaped their environment. Articles examine how the South's ecology, physiography, and climate have influenced southerners--not only as a daily fact of life but also as a metaphor for understanding culture and identity.
Climate Change: An Encyclopedia of Science, Society, and Solutions by Bruce E. Johansen
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
How are the behaviors of birds, butterflies, and other migratory animals connected to climate change? What does the term'thermal inertia'mean, and what does this geophysical effect have on predicting what the planet's future will be like? What is the context for the effects we are seeing on various forms of animal life, from migrating birds to polar bears to mosquitoes that transmit Zika and other diseases?Climate Change: An Encyclopedia of Science, Society, and Solutions combines entries describing Earth's variable climatic history, references to scientific literature, weather record data, and selected primary documents to present readers with a comprehensive account of global warming's effects worldwide.
The Global Water Crisis: A Reference Handbook by David E. Newton
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2016
How is water scarcity becoming a serious problem worldwide--including in the United States? This book provides a broad overview of water, sanitation, and hygiene problems faced by both developing and developed nations around the globe and suggests how these problems can be solved by imaginative and innovative thinking.

Office of Sustainability and Resilience, Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development
Works as the regional advocate and resource on topics such as energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, sustainable economic development, food systems, and green building practices. Liaises with offices on sustainability issues.
Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health
Division of the county health department that addresses how environmental issues affect public health.
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
State government agency tasked with regulation to improve air, land, and water quality, promoting human environmental health and safety, conserving Tennessee's natural, cultural, and historic resources; and providing outdoor recreation.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4
Regional office of the EPA covering environmental regulation and issues in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and 6 Native America Tribes.

Memphis Area

Clean Memphis
Organization promoting environmental stewardship of the Memphis community.
Lichterman Nature Center
Arboretum and nature center located in East Memphis with hiking trails and education on native wildflowers, trees, and animals. Part of the Museum of Science and History (MoSH), formerly known as the Pink Palace.
Memphis City Beautiful
Promotes beautification through litter pickups, advocating for recycling, and landscaping. Local affiliate of Keep Tennessee Beautiful.
Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP)
Movement against environmental racism, classism, and injustice. Originally Memphis Community Against the Pipeline.
Protect Our Aquifer
Advocacy organization around the preservation of the Memphis Sand Aquifer.
Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter, Chickasaw Group
Group within the Tennessee chapter of the Sierra Club that represents members in Memphis and West Tennessee promoting environmental conservation.
Wolf River Conservancy
Seeks to protect and advocate for the Wolf River watershed.

State and Regional

Keep Tennessee Beautiful
Cleans up the state of Tennessee through litter clean ups, recycling, and educational programs.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Collects information about and advocates for clean, renewable energy in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Southern Environmental Law Center
Nonprofit, nonpartisan environmental legal advocacy organization covering clean air, clean water, and a livable climate.
Tennessee Chapter of the Siera Club
State organization dedicated to protecting communities and wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying and litigation around environmental conservation.

Mid-South Regional Greenprint
Regional development plan for the broader Memphis region on how to increase regional sustainability by 2040.
My Environment | EPA
Enter a location and the EPA will generate local environmental data about EPA-regulated facilities, air quality, water quality, energy production and consumption, environmental health risks, climate change information, and land use. See the how to use page for a full list of information.
Environmental Health Topic Center | Healthier Shelby
Get data on different environmental health indicators in Shelby County.
U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index
Maps how communities are at risk of the environmental, social, economic, and infrastructure effects of climate change.
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Partnership between the Environmental Defense Fund, Texas A&M, and Darkhorse Analytics.
Reports & Fact Sheets | Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Reports on clean energy production, decarbonization, energy use by transportation, and more in the Southeast.
Heat-Related EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard
Tracks Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responses to heat-related emergencies nationwide. Can display data at a state or county level.
Report Card for America's Infrastructure
Overview of data on infrastructure in the United States. Includes state reports. Environment and climate topics covered include energy, drinking water, storm water, hazardous waste, and waste water.

Library Databases

PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
Easy-to-use online mapping with data on demographics, real estate, health, jobs and more in communities across the US. You can find much of the environmental data in the "Quality of Life" tab.
From the classroom to the boardroom, thousands of organizations trust PolicyMap to find the right data for their research, market studies, business planning, site selection, grant applications and impact analysis.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Easily access statistics and produce graphs for millions of statistics in business, entertainment, health, social sciences, and government.

Environmental Studies & Policy This link opens in a new window
Providing robust coverage of the field of environmental issues and policy, this collection, which includes magazines and academic journals, provides instant access to the multiple viewpoints of this volatile field of study, including perspectives from the scientific community, governmental policy makers, as well as corporate interests.
General Science Full Text This link opens in a new window
Indexes periodicals in astronomy, atmospheric science, biology, botany, chemistry, conservation, earth science, environment, food & nutrition, genetics, health & medicine, mathematics, microbiology, oceanography, and physics.

Food & Hunger

The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Foodways by John T. Edge (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2007
Food has always been central to southern culture, but the past twenty years have brought an explosion in interest in foodways, particularly in the South. This volume marks the first encyclopedia of the food culture of the American South, surveying the vast diversity of foodways within the region and the collective qualities that make them distinctively southern. Articles in this volume explore the richness of southern foodways, examining not only what southerners eat but also why they eat it.
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Agriculture & Industry by Melissa Walker & James C. Cobb (Editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2008
Volume 11 of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture examines the economic culture of the South by pairing two categories that account for the ways many southerners have made their living. Throughout the volume, articles reflect the breadth and variety of southern life, paying particular attention to the region's profound economic transformation in recent decades. The agricultural section consists of 25 thematic entries that explore issues such as Native American agricultural practices, plantations, and sustainable agriculture.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America by Andrew Smith (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2013
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America covers the significant events, inventions, and social movements that have shaped the way Americans view, prepare, and consume food and drink. Entries range across historical periods and the trends that characterize them, from the extravagant feasts of the Gilded Age to the diet fads of the nineties. This thoroughly updated new edition captures the shifting American perspective on food and ensures that this title is both the most authoritative and the most current reference work on American cuisine.
Food Inequalities by Tennille Nicole Allen
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This book provides an accessible introduction to food inequality in the United States, offering readers a broad survey of the most important topics and issues and exploring how economics, culture, and public policy have shaped our current food landscape. Food inequality in the United States can take many forms. From the low-income family unable to afford enough to eat and the migrant farm worker paid below minimum wage to city dwellers stranded in an urban food desert, disparities in how we access and relate to food can have significant physical, psychological, and cultural consequences. These inequalities often have deep historical roots and a complex connection to race, socioeconomic status, gender, and geography.
Food Insecurity: A Reference Handbook by William D. Schanbacher & Whitney Fung Uy
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2023
This comprehensive and authoritative one-stop resource examines the issue of food insecurity in the United States, including the various economic, social, political, and cultural factors that drive the problem.Social welfare agencies, schools, food banks, and other organizations have all put forth efforts to combat food insecurity, but it remains a serious risk for millions of poor Americans today. Food Insecurity: A Reference Handbook examines the reasons why food insecurity remains such a longstanding problem in American society.
Food Safety: A Reference Handbook by Nina E. Redman & Michele Morrone
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
This third edition of Food Safety: A Reference Handbook examines the history of food safety and describes in detail key events and trends that have created the food safety issues of today. It explores the many controversies concerning food consumption, including contaminants in food, GMOs, factory farm-produced meat, and standards regarding the labeling of food products as well as the ways that these issues have been handled by authorities. Readers will find this book's overview of food safety topics informative and highly accessible. Additionally, the perspectives chapter provides varying viewpoints from food safety professionals and researchers on key issues.

901 Community Fridges
Operates 3 community fridges where anyone can pick up fresh grocery items in Binghampton, Cooper Young, and East Memphis.
First Congo Food Justice Ministry
Provides free meals and a food pantry. Part of the First Congregational Church (First Congo).
The Grocer at South Memphis Farmers Market
Neighborhood grocery store designed to provide access to produce and grocery staples to the South Memphis community year round.
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Part of The Works, a non-profit housing and social services organization.
Memphis Food Not Bombs
Activist organization that provides free meals and groceries while advocating that resources not be spend on wars and the military. Maintains a community fridge in Cordova.
Mid-South Food Bank
Non-profit organization that distributes food resources to partner agencies in Memphis, western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas.
MIFA Meals on Wheels
Delivers meals to seniors (60 and over) in Shelby County who are at-risk for nutritional deficiency and frail, home bound, or disabled as well as to people under 60 who are disabled.
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Operated by the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA). Applicants are screened for eligibility by the Aging Commission of the Mid-South.
Mobile Grocer
Sells fresh produce and other groceries in undeserved communities in Memphis by bringing them directly in a trailer.
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Part of The Works, a non-profit housing and social services organization.
Southern Foodways Alliance
Research organization that documents, studies, and explores the diverse food cultures of the changing American South.
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Part of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.
Sunshine and Daisy Mobile Food Pantry
Mobile food pantry that distributes food packages to families, homeless people, and people in a recovery program.
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Regulates food and agriculture in the state.
USDA Local Food Directories
Identifies local food organizations and businesses including farmers market, food hubs, community supported agriculture (CSAs), on farm markets, and agritourism.

Alpha Omega Veterans Services Urban Farm
The Alpha Omega Veterans Urban Farm is a 1.5 acre farm located at our picturesque Ball Road facility. The project is designed to engage and meet various needs of the veterans served by Alpha Omega Veterans Services. The Urban Farm & Garden program began February 2018 with a partnership with Memphis Tilth whose mission is to “cultivate collective action for an economically sustainable, socially equitable, and environmentally sound local food system.”
Black Seeds Urban Farm
Black Seeds is a local food movement that is rooted in the desire to grow honest, non-toxic fruits and vegetables for Memphians who have little or no access to sustainable foods. The Founders are committed to providing local communities with the opportunity to have access to fresh foods that was grown within close proximity. The Black Seeds territory was created for all to appreciate and it has the capacity to do whatever you like! All while creating a sustainable source with in our community.
Cooper Young Gardening Club Resources
Great, long list of links to resources both local and not!
Green Leaf Learning Farm
Green Leaf Learning Farm is a Knowledge Quest signature program that centers on the 3-acre urban micro-farm that sits directly across from our main campus. On the farm, KQ students and community members learn how to grow food in ways that build community and increase the neighborhood’s access to healthy goods. Our students become healthy eaters, entrepreneurs, and advocates for social and environmental justice.
Memphis Area Master Gardeners
The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener program seeks to improve the lives of Tennesseans by promoting environmental stewardship, non-commercial food production, and human health and well-being through residential and consumer horticulture education delivered by a dedicated and skilled volunteer network.
Memphis Tilth
“The Tilth serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information between gardeners, farmers, beekeepers, tree planters, ranchers, orchardists, and everyone else seeking the creation of
local sustainable agriculture and forestry.”
Works Urban Farm
Urban farm in midtown that seeks to grow healthy, organic, and culturally relevant foods. Sells produce to the Mobile Grocer and The Grocer at South Memphis Farmers Market.
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Part of The Works, a non-profit housing and social services organization.

Food Insecurity Map | Feeding America
Maps food insecurity and SNAP eligibility in the United States. Shows data by nationwide, state, county, US House district, and food bank coverage area. Can break down data by different demographic areas.
Food Security in the US | USDA Economic Research Service
Report and statistics on household food access in the United States.
Hunger in America | Feeding America
Data overview of hunger and food insecurity in the United States.
USDA Food & Nutrition Service Research & Analysis
Research on food security, nutrition education, federal food programs (SNAP/food stamps & WIC), and child nutrition.

Edible Memphis
Food magazine for the Memphis area.
Gravy
Podcast and magazine from the Southern Foodways Alliance.
Sound Bites
The Daily Memphian's weekly food and restaurant podcast.

Housing & Homelessness

Homelessness in America: A Reference Handbook by Michele Wakin
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2022
This title provides a one-stop resource for understanding the crisis of homelessness in the United States. It covers risk factors for homelessness, societal attitudes about the homeless, and public and private resources designed to prevent homelessness and help those in need. It thoroughly examines the history of homelessness in the U.S., shining a light on the key issues, events, policies, and attitudes that contribute to homelessness and shape the experience of being homeless. It places special emphasis on exploring the myriad problems that force people into homelessness, such as inadequate levels of affordable housing, struggles with substance abuse, and gaps in the U.S.' social welfare system. In addition, it explains why some demographic groups are at heightened risk of homelessness.
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Urbanization by Wanda Rushing (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2010
This volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture offers a current and authoritative reference to urbanization in the American South from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first, surveying important southern cities individually and examining the various issues that shape patterns of urbanization from a broad regional perspective. Looking beyond the post-World War II era and the emergence of the Sunbelt economy to examine recent and contemporary developments, the 48 thematic essays consider the ongoing remarkable growth of southern urban centers, new immigration patterns (such as the influx of Latinos and the return-migration of many African Americans), booming regional entrepreneurial activities with global reach (such as the rise of the southern banking industry and companies such as CNN in Atlanta and FedEx in Memphis), and mounting challenges that result from these patterns (including population pressure and urban sprawl, aging and deteriorating infrastructure, gentrification, and state and local budget shortfalls).

Develop 901 Department of Housing
Government department that develops strategies and operates programs to provide safe and affordable housing in Memphis and Shelby County.
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Part of Develop 901, the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development.
Memphis Division of Housing & Community Development
Plans housing development and operates programs to increase affordable housing in Memphis.
Memphis Housing Authority
Operates affordable rental housing programs in Memphis and Shelby County, including public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), also known as Section 8.
TDMHSAS Housing & Homelessness Services
Operates initiatives to provide housing and long-term support for people with mental illnesses facing homelessness.
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Part of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS).
Tennessee Housing Development Agency
State agency operating programs to support homeowners and renters in Tennessee.

BLDG (Build. Live. Develop. Grow.) Memphis
Focuses on investment and community development in Memphis's neighborhoods. Members include the Memphis-area community development corporations.
Community Alliance for the Homeless (CAFTH)
Nonprofit that offers planning, technical assistance, and service coordination to public and private agencies working to end homelessness in Memphis and Shelby County.
Greater Memphis Housing Justice Project
Campaign to address rental prices in Memphis by doing research, sharing the experience of renters, and proposing policy changes. Collaboration between The Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis and the Memphis Public Interest Law Center.
Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality (H.O.P.E.)
Organizes around homelessness issues and all members are either currently or formerly homeless.
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Sponsored by the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center
Hospitality Hub
Organization trying to end homelessness by connecting people the necessary resources to achieve stable housing.
Room in the Inn Memphis
Collection of religious congregations in Memphis providing shelter and care services.
The Works
Non-profit that seeks to increase affordable housing through loans and grants, purchasing properties to sell at affordable rates, developing mixed-use properties, and providing homeowners' and renters' educational programming.

Memphis Only

Memphis Affordable Housing Dashboard
Quick data overview of affordable housing and people at risk for homelessness in Memphis.
Market Statistics | Memphis Area Association of Realtors
Monthly report on housing sales, listings, foreclosures, and housing inventory for Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton counties.

National

data.census.gov
Covers a lot of housing data, including number of housing units, demographics of who owns or rents housing, financial and physical characteristics of households, and more.
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Offers prepackaged data and user-selected data tables and maps from sources such as:

American Community Survey
American Housing Survey
Annual Economic Surveys
Annual Surveys of Governments
Census of Government
Commodity Flow Survey
Decennial Census
Economic Census
Equal Employment Opportunity Tabulation
Population Estimates Program
Puerto Rico Community Survey
Eviction Tracker | Eviction Lab
Tracks weekly eviction filings in 10 states and 34 cities, including Memphis, since March 2020 to see trends and impacts of different policies.
HUD User
Reports and data on the housing and rental markets from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University | Research
Reports on the state of housing (rental and owner-occupied) in the United States and its affordability.
State of Homelessness | National Alliance to End Homelessness
Annual report on homeless Americans and services for them. Includes state-level data dashboard that can also show Memphis/Shelby County information.
Urban Institute Gauging Investment Patterns
How much capital is flowing to your city, county, or state, and how evenly is it distributed across neighborhoods?

LGBTQ+ Community

The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies by Abbie E. Goldberg (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2016
This far-reaching and contemporary new Encyclopedia examines and explores the lives and experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals, focusing on the contexts and forces that shape their lives. The work focuses on LGBTQ issues and identity primarily through the lenses of psychology, human development and sociology, emphasizing queer, feminist and ecological perspectives on the topic.
LGBTQ Americans in the U. S. Political System: An Encyclopedia of Activists, Voters, Candidates, and Officeholders by Jason Pierceson (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2020
This comprehensive sourcebook covers the evolution of LGBTQ engagement in American politics, from the emergence of gay rights as a political issue in the early 1970s to the present day, when LGBTQ issues occupy a prominent place in politics. This work provides a broad and authoritative survey of the ways in which gay Americans are influencing the tenor and trajectory of U.S. politics at the local, state, and national levels.
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in America: A Reference Handbook by Michael C. LeMay
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This book covers civil rights and civil liberties politics in the United States from the ratification of the Bill of Rights to current-day controversies, such as the travel ban and proposals to end birthright citizenship. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: A Reference Handbook provides a thorough overview of civil rights in U.S. history, detailing all the relevant amendments to the Constitution and reviewing key Supreme Court decisions and landmark cases on the topic. Includes coverage of civil rights and civil liberties issues for LGBTQ+ Americans.
The Oxford Handbook of Global LGBT and Sexual Diversity Politics by Michael J. Bosia, Sandra M. McEvoy, & Momin Rahman (Editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2020
Struggles for LGBT rights and the security of sexual and gender minorities are ongoing, urgent concerns across the world. For students, scholars, and activists who work on these and related issues, this handbook provides a unique, interdisciplinary resource. In chapters by both emerging and senior scholars, the Oxford Handbook of Global LGBT and Sexual Diversity Politics introduces key concepts in LGBT political studies and queer theory. Additionally, the handbook offers historical, geographic, and topical case studies contexualized within theoretical frameworks from the sociology of sexualities, critical race studies, postcolonialism, indigenous theories, social movement theory, and international relations theory.

Campaign for Southern Equality
Legal and advocacy organization supporting the LGBTQ+ community across the South. Provides research, legal services, voter organization, funding, and community health resources.
Focus Mid-South
Free magazine covering LGBTQ+ news and culture in the Memphis area.
The Haven
Promotes the health and wellbeing of people with HIV and works to prevent the further spread of HIV in the Memphis community.
Mid-South Pride
Volunteer-based community organization serving the LGBTQ+ community through events and activities, including the Memphis Pride Fest.
MidSouth LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Organization for local business professionals who are LGBTQ+ or identify as an ally.
Out Memphis: The LGBTQ Center for the Mid-South
Community center and advocacy organization focused on issues related to health and wellness, youth issues, family issues, and community and cultural development for LGBTQ+ Memphians.
Spectrum South
Online magazine of queer southern identity and culture.
Tennessee Equality Project
Lobbies Tennessee state and local government in favor of rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
Tri-State Black Pride
Promotes LGBTQ+ community, inclusion, and culture with a focus on the Black LGBTQ+ community in Memphis.

LGBTQ Institute Southern Survey
Survey and focus group the experiences of LGBTQ people in the South from the National Center for Civil and Human Rights LGBTQ Institute.
Southern Equality Research & Policy Center
Community-based research center. Past research has focused on the experiences and health of LGBTQ+ people in the South.
Tennessee Equality Profile | Movement Advancement Project
Evaluation of Tennessee's LGBTQ+ laws and policies based on the following categories: Relationship & Parental Recognition, Nondiscrimination, Religious Exemptions, LGBTQ Youth, Health Care, Criminal Justice, and Identity Documents.
The Trevor Project U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People
Annual survey on the mental health experiences of LGBTQ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States.

Statista This link opens in a new window
Easily access statistics and produce graphs for millions of statistics in business, entertainment, health, social sciences, and government.

Gender Studies Collection This link opens in a new window
This collection of journals aims to provide balanced coverage of this significant aspect of our culture, covering such topics as gender studies, family and marital issues, health aspects, and many more.
Social Sciences Full Text This link opens in a new window
Indexes periodicals in addiction studies, anthropology, area studies, communications & mass media, community health & medical care, corrections, criminal justice, criminology, economics, environmental studies, ethics, family studies, gender studies, geography, gerontology, international relations, law, minority studies, planning & public administration, policy sciences, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, sociology, and urban studies. Coverage: citations & abstracts, 1983- ; full text, 1995-.
Sociology Source Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Scholarly research on sociology and related disciplines including gender studies, social psychology, and socio-cultural anthropology.

Poverty & Wealth Inequality

Inequality in America: Causes and Consequences by Robert S. Rycroft & Kimberley Kinsley (Editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This authoritative reference work explores the factors driving the much-debated increase in economic inequality in U.S. society, as well as the impact that this divide is having on U.S. culture, politics, families, communities, and institutions. The book provides important historical background for understanding how the nation has grappled with (or ignored) this issue in the past, examines specific causes of inequality identified by observers across the political spectrum, and summarizes the potential consequences (both present and future) of economic inequality.
Income Inequality in America: A Reference Handbook by Stacey M. Jones & Robert S. Rycroft
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2023
This book provides a one-stop resource for understanding the full dimensions of income inequality in the United States, including chief socioeconomic drivers of inequality and proposals to reduce the widening gap between rich and poor in America. Carefully researched and scrupulously nonpartisan, this resource examines the history and current state of income inequality in the United States, with a particular focus on key issues, events, and political/economic philosophies relevant to the enduring divide between rich and poor in America. One of the most valuable aspects of the book is that it surveys the complex history of income inequality in an easy-to-understand fashion that helps readers identify and assess the ways in which income inequality shapes many aspects of modern American society.
Poverty: A New Perspective by George L. Wilber (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2015
In this collection of essays poverty is viewed not merely as an economic predicament but as a "system with measurable properties," of which a low income level is only one. Affecting individuals or entire regions, many of the attributes of poverty can be seen either as causes or as effects of low income. In order for governmental and institutional attempts to have any chance of success, the system of poverty must be much better understood. Working programs directed at particular problems of the poor are examined and assessed with an account of the findings of recent research that shows how these programs could be improved.
The Economics of Inequality, Poverty, and Discrimination in the 21st Century by Robert S. Rycroft (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2013
Through two insightful volumes, the author examines differing academic and political perspectives to help shed light on the causes of poverty and inequality; the role that gender, race, age, or sexual preference plays in determining opportunity; and the effectiveness of current social and economic policies in balancing the inequity among disparate groups. The Economics of Inequality, Poverty, and Discrimination in the 21st Century consists of 2 volumes containing 32 papers divided into 5 categories: measurement, inequality and mobility, institutions and choices, demographic groups and discrimination, and policy.

LINC 211
Collection of community information and human service organizations and resources from LINC, the Library Information Center at the Memphis Public Library, and the United Way of the Mid-South.
901 Moral Budget Coalition
Organizations working together to change the budgeting priorities of the City of Memphis and Shelby County to focus on supporting people, community, and workers as well as building cultural engagement.
Memphis for All
Electoral advocacy group organizing around equal rights, economic issues, health, education, and democracy.
MICAH: Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope
Group of community and faith-based organizations working together around three issue areas: education equity, economic equity, and racial and class equity.
United Way of the Mid-South
Local chapter of the national nonprofit organization that fundraises on the behalf of and distributes funding to local nonprofit organizations and charities.

Memphis Poverty Fact Sheets
Data on poverty in Memphis collected annually by the School of Social Work in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Memphis.
The Poverty Report: Memphis Since MLK: How African Americans and the Poor Have Fared in Memphis and Shelby County Over the Past 50 Years
Overviews 50 years of information on African Americans and people in poverty in Memphis since the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Data.Census.Gov
Data.Census.Gov is the primary access point for Census Bureau data. Includes information like income, poverty rates, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps") use, employment, and more. Help FAQs.
Debt in America | Urban Institute
Data mapping tool that shows how much debt people carry. Can go down to the county level.
Institute for Economic Equity | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Research on the status of economic equity in the United States and on policies that can increase equity.
Urban Institute Gauging Investment Patterns
How much capital is flowing to your city, county, or state, and how evenly is it distributed across neighborhoods?
Wage Growth Tracker | Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Tracks the changes in individual wages over time. Can compare data by characteristics of the jobs people have and their individual demographics.

Social Sciences Full Text This link opens in a new window
Indexes periodicals in addiction studies, anthropology, area studies, communications & mass media, community health & medical care, corrections, criminal justice, criminology, economics, environmental studies, ethics, family studies, gender studies, geography, gerontology, international relations, law, minority studies, planning & public administration, policy sciences, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, sociology, and urban studies. Coverage: citations & abstracts, 1983- ; full text, 1995-.
Sociology Source Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Sociology Source Ultimate is the world's most comprehensive and highest quality sociology research database. The database features more than 2,100,000 records with subject headings from a 20,000+ term sociological thesaurus designed by subject experts and expert lexicographers. Contains abstracts for more than 1,260 "core" coverage journals dating as far back as 1895. Extensive indexing for books/monographs, conference papers, and other non-periodical content sources is included, and searchable cited references are provided. Offers comprehensive coverage of sociology, encompassing all sub-disciplines and closely related areas of study. These include abortion, criminology & criminal justice, demography, ethnic & racial studies, gender studies, marriage & family, political sociology, religion, rural & urban sociology, social development, social psychology, social structure, social work, socio-cultural anthropology, sociological history, sociological research, sociological theory, substance abuse & other addictions, violence and many others.
Urban Studies Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Includes bibliographic records covering essential areas related to urban studies, including urban affairs, community development, urban history, and other areas of key relevance to the discipline.

Racism & Racial Justice

Racism in America: A Reference Handbook by Steven L. Foy
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2020
This book explains how race, once a differentiating factor, became a major basis for stratification in the United States that pervaded scientific thought, religious doctrine, governmental policy, and the patterned actions of decision-makers in all sectors of social life. Racism in America: A Reference Handbook diverges from the typical focus of accounts of racism on interpersonal prejudice and discrimination to situate racism within structural processes to demonstrate the systematic nature of racial discrimination. Racial progress, though notable, has largely addressed symptoms of the racialized social system rather than tackling the ways in which the system is inherently patterned to benefit whites.
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Race by Thomas Cleveland Holt, Laurie B. Green, & Charles Reagan Wilson (Editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2013
There is no denying that race is a critical issue in understanding the South. However, this concluding volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture challenges previous understandings, revealing the region's rich, ever-expanding diversity and providing new explorations of race relations. In 36 thematic and 29 topical essays, contributors examine such subjects as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, Japanese American incarceration in the South, relations between African Americans and Native Americans, Chinese men adopting Mexican identities, Latino religious practices, and Vietnamese life in the region. Together the essays paint a nuanced portrait of how concepts of race in the South have influenced its history, art, politics, and culture beyond the familiar binary of black and white.
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in America: A Reference Handbook by Michael C. LeMay
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This book covers civil rights and civil liberties politics in the United States from the ratification of the Bill of Rights to current-day controversies, such as the travel ban and proposals to end birthright citizenship. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: A Reference Handbook provides a thorough overview of civil rights in U.S. history, detailing all the relevant amendments to the Constitution and reviewing key Supreme Court decisions and landmark cases on the topic. Lots of focus on issues related to civil rights and liberties for racial minorities in the United States.
Hate Groups: A Reference Handbook by David E. Newton
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
Hate Groups: A Reference Handbook offers answers to essential questions about hate groups in a way that is accessible to students and general readers interested in this important topic. Hate Groups: A Reference Handbook covers the topic of hate groups from the earliest pages of human history to the present day. Chapters One and Two provide a historical background of the topic and a review of current problems, controversies, and solutions. The remainder of the book consists of chapters that aid readers in continuing their research on the topic, such as an extended annotated bibliography, a chronology, a glossary, lists of noteworthy individuals and organizations in the field, and important data and documents.

Latino Memphis
Organization advocating around issues impacting the Hispanic community in the Mid-South.
MICAH: Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope
Group of community and faith-based organizations working together around three issue areas: education equity, economic equity, and racial and class equity.
Mid-South Peace & Justice Center
Advocacy organization focused on achieving social justice through nonviolence. Includes work on racial injustice and systemic racism, criminal justice, homelessness, and public transportation.
NAACP Memphis
Local chapter of the historic civil rights organization.
National Civil Rights Museum
Cultural organization dedicated to educating about the American Civil Rights Movement and its continued relevance today.
Stand for Children Tennessee
Advocacy organization focused on education and racial justice.

Memphis Poverty Fact Sheets
Data on poverty in Memphis collected annually by the School of Social Work in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Memphis. Includes breakdowns by racial identity.
The Poverty Report: Memphis Since MLK: How African Americans and the Poor Have Fared in Memphis and Shelby County Over the Past 50 Years
Overviews 50 years of information on African Americans and people in poverty in Memphis since the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Data.Census.Gov
Data.Census.Gov is the primary access point for Census Bureau data. Includes demographic data such as racial identity as well income, employment information, poverty rates, housing data, and more. Help FAQs.

MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Reporting on the intersection of poverty, power and policy in Memphis and Shelby County.
Tri-State Defender
"The Tri-State Defender is a weekly newspaper and daily online news resource published in Memphis, Tennessee, serving the African-American communities in Memphis and nearby areas of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee."
Prism
Nonprofit journalism led by journalists of color focused on the lived experiences of people most impacted by injustice.
Scalawag Magazine
Nonprofit journalism focused on oppressed communities in the South.

Ethnic Diversity Source This link opens in a new window
This full-text database is a dedicated resource covering the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Multiracial Americans. It provides full text from a growing list of sources including peer-reviewed journals, magazines, e-books, biographies and primary source documents.
Diversity Studies Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines that explore cultural differences, contributions, and influences in the global community.
Social Sciences Full Text This link opens in a new window
Indexes periodicals in addiction studies, anthropology, area studies, communications & mass media, community health & medical care, corrections, criminal justice, criminology, economics, environmental studies, ethics, family studies, gender studies, geography, gerontology, international relations, law, minority studies, planning & public administration, policy sciences, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, sociology, and urban studies. Coverage: citations & abstracts, 1983- ; full text, 1995-.

Tourism & Hospitality

Encyclopedia of Tourism by Jafar Jafari & Honggen Xiao (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2016
This encyclopedia is the most comprehensive and updated source of reference in tourism research and practice. It covers both traditional and emerging concepts and terms and is fully international in its scope. More than 700 contributions of 766 internationally renowned experts from 113 countries provide a definitive access to the knowledge in the field of tourism, hospitality, recreation and related fields.
Pandemics and Travel: COVID-19 Impacts in the Tourism Industry by Cláudia Seabra, Odete Paiva, Carla Silva, & José Luís Abrantes (Editors)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
Tourism is not only affected by pandemics and epidemics but also contributes to their spread, affecting not only tourists but also the communities in their destinations. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a new crisis, challenging the travel industry more than ever before. Several studies have suggested that there will be long-term severe effects that could continue for an unspecified period of time across the world, both medically, socially and economically. Pandemics and Travel: COVID-19 Impacts in the Tourism Industry analyses the wider impacts of epidemics, diseases and virus outbreaks on tourism and mobility.

Memphis Tourism
Official marketing organization for Memphis and Shelby county with a mission of increasing visitors, conventions, and events. Part of the Shelby County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Welcome to Memphis
Workforce development nonprofit for the hospitality industry. A subsidiary of Memphis Tourism and formerly known as he Memphis Tourism Education Foundation (MTEF).
Tennessee Department of Tourism Development
Responsible for growing and marketing the tourism industry in Tennessee. Provides overview information about the travel trade and tourism economic impact data for the state and its counties.

Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association
Membership and advocacy association for hotel and lodging businesses in Memphis.
Memphis Restaurant Association
Business association for restaurants and other foodservice organizations in Memphis.
Memphis Restaurant Workers United
Hospitality labor organization for the Memphis area.
Hospitality TN
Membership and advocacy organization for Tennessee hotel and lodging, restaurant, tourism, and related businesses

Tourism Economic Impact | Memphis Tourism
Overview of the economics of tourism in Memphis with a link to Memphis Tourism's annual report.
Research | TN Dept. of Tourist Development
Includes a data dashboard of tourism in Tennessee, an annual report, downloadable county-level data reports, and more.

Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Collection This link opens in a new window
With current and relevant content from industry journals, travel guides and magazines this collection provides well-rounded coverage of both the historical and current state of affairs in the hospitality and tourism field, while also allowing for focused study of specialized aspects of the industry - including cultural aspects of travel, leisure activities, economic aspects of tourism, and more.
Business Source Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Provides full text for more than 2,800 business publications. Sources include academic journals, trade publications, magazines, newspapers, industry and product reports, monographs, SWOT analyses, and more. Addresses all subject areas related to business. Coverage 1965-, or first published issue, some as far back as 1922.

Transportation

Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy by Mark E. Garrett (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2014
Viewing transportation through the lens of current social, economic, and policy aspects, this four-volume reference work explores the topic of transportation across multiple disciplines within the social sciences and related areas, including geography, public policy, business, and economics. Approximately 675 signed articles authored by prominent scholars are arranged in A-to-Z fashion and conclude with Further Readings and cross references.
The Road Taken: The History and Future of America's Infrastructure by Henry Petroski
Call Number: McWherter Library - 3rd Floor Stacks HE355.3.E3 P48 2016
Publication Date: 2016
Acclaimed engineer and historian Henry Petroski explores our core infrastructure from both historical and contemporary perspectives, explaining how essential their maintenance is to America's economic health. Petroski reveals the genesis of the many parts of America's highway system--our interstate numbering system, the centerline that divides roads, and such taken-for-granted objects as guardrails, stop signs, and traffic lights--all crucial to our national and local infrastructure. A compelling work of history, The Road Taken is also an urgent clarion call aimed at American citizens, politicians, and anyone with a vested interest in our economic well-being. Physical infrastructure in the United States is crumbling, and Petroski reveals the complex and challenging interplay between government and industry inherent in major infrastructure improvement.

City of Memphis Street Maintenance
Unit responsible for maintaining roads in Memphis that are not maintained by the state. Part of the Public Works Division.
Getting There Together
The City of Memphis's traffic safety campaign.
Groove On Demand
Public ride share program covering Downtown, the Medical District, South City, and New Chicago.
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Project of the Memphis Area Transit Authority, Downtown Memphis Commission, and the Memphis Medical District.
Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA)
Organization that owns and operates the Memphis International Airport. The MSCAA is run by a board appointed by the City of Memphis and Shelby County.
Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA)
Public transportation agency in Memphis and the area around it. MATA operates buses, trolleys, paratransit services, and ride hailing services in select areas.
Memphis Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (Memphis MPO)
Interstate planning agency that develops transportation policy and planning for Shelby and Fayette Counties in Tennessee, and DeSoto and Marshall Counties in Mississippi.
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
State agency that plans and manages the transportation system in Tennessee, including roadways, airports, passenger rail, public transportation, waterways, bicycle systems, and pedestrian systems.
Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO)
TN government office tasked with reducing traffic fatalities. Part of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Bike Walk Tennessee
Network of local groups advocating for bicyclists and pedestrians in Tennessee with a goal of making streets safer to ride and walk.
Commute Options
Initiative reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicle commute trips in Memphis and increase the usage of transit, carpooling, bicycling, and walking to work.
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Project of Innovate Memphis.
Explore Bike Share
Nonprofit bike rental network with stations throughout the Memphis area.
Greater Memphis Greenline
Nonprofit organization supporting the development of biking and pedestrian infrastructure through the creation of multi-use trails in Shelby County.
Memphis Bus Riders Union
Union of public transportation users who advocate for improved services and policies.
Tennessee Association of Railroad Passengers (TARP)
Membership organization advocating for passenger rail development in Tennessee.
Tennessee Public Transportation Association (TPTA)
Advocacy organization dedicated to improving public transportation in all Tennessee communities.

American Public Transportation Association Research and Resources
A variety of research reports and statistics on public transportation in the United States and its economic and social impacts.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
Federal agency collecting data on all aspects of transportation, Overview of BTS data.
Crash Stats | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National data set of traffic accident data.
Dangerous By Design | Smart Growth America
Annual report on pedestrian deaths due to traffic accidents. Reports state and city rankings.
Governors' Highway Safety Association Resources
Publications and statistics from GHSA, an organization that represents state highway safety officials.
National Household Travel Survey
The primary source of how Americans travel, including for work and personal trips.
Report Card for America's Infrastructure
Overview of data on infrastructure in the United States. Includes state reports. Transportation topics covered include roads, bridges, public transportation, aviation, rail, ports, and waterways.
Single Summary of Transit Report
Annual report on the state of public transportation in the United States from the Federal Transit Administration.

Urban Art

Broad Avenue Art District
Broad Avenue has many different collections of public art on display.
Carpenter Art Garden
Carpenter Art Garden serves the Binghampton neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee. The Art Garden is our original outdoor creative space. Children gather here weekly to create art, build relationships, and experience performances.
The Crosstown Initiative: Art, Community, and Placemaking in Memphis
A case study about the inclusiveness of art organization and urban neighborhoods.
Dixon Gallery and Garden
Combination of fine art museum and gardens in East Memphis.
Memphis Art Project
The Memphis Art Projects displays the different public art around Memphis on a map. It gives detailed information about where different public art is located.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Fine arts museum in Overton Park. Currently developing a new downtown location.
Metal Museum
Art museum in metalwork with an emphasis on metalwork.
Paint Memphis
Annual festival that collaboratively creates a new street art mural.
UrbanArt Commission
The UrbanArt Commission works with many partners in order to commission artists to create artwork and creative spaces across the city of Memphis.

Urban Parks

Memphis Parks
Memphis has 167 parks over 5,600 acres of land that the city maintains, including large community parks, small neighborhood parks, aquatic centers, tennis courts, golf courses, and community centers. The City of Memphis offers recreational facilities, bike trails, walking trails, dog parks, and historical aspects to many of their parks.
Dixon Gallery and Garden
Combination of fine art museum and gardens in East Memphis.
Greater Memphis Greenline
Nonprofit organization supporting the development of biking and pedestrian infrastructure through the creation of multi-use trails in Shelby County.
Lichterman Nature Center
Arboretum and nature center located in East Memphis with hiking trails and education on native wildflowers, trees, and animals. Part of the Museum of Science and History (MoSH), formerly known as the Pink Palace.
Memphis Botanic Garden
Memphis River Parks Partnership
Nonprofit organization that manages five park discricts along the Mississippi River.
Memphis Zoo
Overton Park Conservancy
It takes about $1 million every year to keep Overton Park beautiful and welcoming, and Overton Park Conservancy was created to raise the funds and do the work. We believe in one park that uniquely connects our community, protects history and our environment, and inspires a new generation of park supporters.
Wolf River Conservancy
Seeks to protect and advocate for the Wolf River watershed.

ParkScore
Ranks the 100 most populous cities in America using five categories: equity, access, investment, amenities, and acreage. From the nonprofit Trust for Public Land.
Report Card for America's Infrastructure
Overview of data on infrastructure in the United States. Includes state reports. Report card includes a section on public parks.
U of M Special Collections Repository
Special Collections offers a variety of photographs and primary resources about the City of Memphis parks and landmarks.

Shelby Farms Park
The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy is a non-profit organization that partners with the Shelby County Government in order to maintain the park. Shelby Farms is public park, but it is privately maintained. The vision of Shelby Farms is to create a usable, valuable, and natural park for Shelby County.