Dear Mayor Paul Young,

This is your moment to lead Memphis from truth to transformation.

We cannot sugarcoat it: our city faces deep and undeniable challenges. Crime grips neighborhoods. Schools struggle to give every child a fair shot. Political corruption erodes trust. These realities are not distant problems—they are our problems. And we must own them because only in truth can healing begin.

But today, those issues no longer get to define who we are. They do not define the spirit of Memphis. Our city is far greater than its setbacks. Today, we begin to change the story we tell ourselves—today, we change our limiting beliefs.

We call out our issues so we can rebuild—not by recycling the same thinking that brought us here, but by forging a new path. A path where every Memphian takes pride and ownership in our city’s future. A path where we refuse to be victims or bystanders and instead become architects of hope and renewal.

Mayor Young, this message has to come from you. The city needs you not to put your head in the sand or offer empty promises. We need a leader who will face these truths with courage, calm the community’s fears, and most importantly, give us something real to hope in. And you have to mean it. Deeply.

Think about how you would talk to your own children if they were struggling with these challenges. You would lean in with strength, honesty, and unwavering belief in their ability to rise. That’s the same kind of leadership Memphis needs now—a strong father figure for this city’s future.

Like President Obama said in times of crisis and doubt, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” Like Wes Moore showed us, leadership means standing tall in the spotlight, casting vision, and uniting people around relentless hope and focused action.

You are not just the Mayor of one neighborhood, one race, or one party—you are the Mayor of all Memphis. Your role is to remind every Memphian that we share a future and that future starts with us—working, dreaming, and building together.

This is not the time for politics as usual. It’s the time for bold plans grounded in reality but built with hope. Present a vision so compelling that Memphis, state leaders, and the federal government alike want to rally behind it and invest in it.

Surrounding counties are making big moves. It’s time for Memphis to claim its place as a city of breakthrough, opportunity, and greatness.

Mayor, the people of Memphis believe in you—we believe in the greatness inside our city. Let’s take this spotlight and turn it into a beacon that will guide us all toward a better tomorrow. Let’s make Memphis a city that everyone can say, “Yes! This is my Memphis!”

With hope and belief,

JR Robinson