MEDIA WRITING
Unity Walk Against Gun Violence in Memphis Happening This Saturday
By Oakley Weddle
The Shelby County Crime Commission's second unity walk against gun violence will feature guest speakers and an expected attendance far exceeding November's event.
Last year's walk had 550 attendees, and the Crime Commission is hoping for 800 walkers this go around.
In partnership with over thirty Memphis non-profits and government organizations, the event hopes to raise awareness of gun violence in the 901.
Bill Gibbons, former District Attorney, and now Crime Commission chair said that gun violence is the Crime Commission's most significant focus. "Through this extraordinary event, we hope to raise awareness and follow up with attendees going forth," Gibbons said.
Gibbons also said that the Crime Commission is striving to improve Memphis's neighborhoods by having the walk take place in different areas where crime is high.
It isn't an accident that The Shelby County Crime Commission picked Whitehaven for the walk's location. According to the Raines Police Station, Whitehaven was responsible for the significant uptick in gun-related incidents last year alone.
Already in 2021, Memphis has had 55 homicides, according to M.P.D. Of those, 46 were murders, almost double the amount this time last year.
In 2020, Memphis broke the record for most homicides of all time in the county with 332. Shelby County has projected that by year's end, 340 people will be murdered.
Stevie Moore, Founder and President of Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives (F.F.U.N.), is continually searching for ways to end gun violence, an effort that's proving to be a strenuous and challenging pursuit.
Moore created the walk-in 2020 and is ecstatic over the success. However, he says he hopes to make a real difference in these struggling neighborhoods by reaching out to community members and leaders. "The walk is only the first step," said Moore.
Featured guests such as Mayor of Memphis, Jim Strickland, District Attorney Amy P. Weirich, and Mayor of Shelby County, Lee Harris, are on the docket to attend and speak before the walk.
The event will take place in Whitehaven at Hillcrest High School this Saturday, February 28th. The walk will start at 10 am with complimentary snacks and drinks to follow. In addition, organizations such as St. Jude, Le Bonheur, Regional One Health Care, and The Shelby County Health Department will be handing out bags for attendees full of goodies and infographics on gun-related issues.
Influencer Of Thought
By Oakley Weddle
Twitter newcomer Lindsay Kelly successfully becomes an influencer of thought by posing daily questions to platform users.
Through Kelly's Twitter account's success, the pressure to monetize her brand is at the forefront of her priorities while staying integral to what made her brand magical in the first place.
Kelly, a Texas native, joined Twitter in November of 2019. When she began marketing her blog, Magical Overload, her target audience quickly became the Twitter writing community. Through writing prompts and daily encouragements, she gained a substantial following.
After a while, Kelly felt like she didn't belong in the community that adored her so much. "I felt like I was just kind of trying to blend in. I was like a support person for writers because I wasn't necessarily a writer myself." Kelly went on to say, "My blog wasn't that big. I wasn't necessarily writing every day."
Kelly said that those emotions evolved over time and eventually led her to success. As of now, you will see her Twitter sitting at 52,000 followers and counting. She gained those followers by asking personal questions multiple times per day and following every user back.
With Magical Overload growing exponentially, she doesn't have the time to respond to everyone; as much as Kelly wished she could. When she poses an intimate question, and the response is large, she tries her best to connect with every user. "I feel a lot of pressure to go through each one of those comments, because I know that it wasn't an easy question." Kelly said. "There are still questions that to this day I'm still going back too."
With over a reported 1.2 million impressions per week, Kelly feels the pressure to monetize somehow. However, she says that it must be organic to her brand. She doesn't see herself as an influencer promoting their product; instead an account in the daily pursuit of thought and empathy. Nonetheless, whenever she monetizes, Kelly is insistent that these pillars remain integral to her brand identity.