Ever since word spread that FedEx Founder Fred Smith had died Saturday at the age of 80, an outpouring of love and gratitude has followed, regardless of race, gender or political affiliation of those sharing tributes. We at The Tri-State Defender also want to pay respect to his life’s work by acknowledging his enormous impact on African Americans across the globe and, specifically, here in Memphis.
But how does one even measure that? How many Black families in Memphis were (are) supported by FedEx jobs? How many African American pilots got their wings flying FedEx jets? How many children have benefited from Smith’s quiet philanthropy? Does Memphis even have an NBA team (or downtown arena) without Fred Smith?
Like most lives of great consequence, perhaps the best view is through the individual stories. So we turned to social media, where there is no shortage of personal stories of Smith’s impact and the lives of African Americans touched by Smith’s life and work.
Captain Carroll Waters, FedEx’s first black pilot
As legend has it, despite being a veteran Vietnam-era pilot, Carroll Waters knew that jobs for black pilots in a still racially divided America would be scarce in 1973. But at the prodding of a friend, he took a shot and called this new startup, Federal Express. He found himself on the phone with Smith.
“I’m a black pilot, and I’m looking for a job,” Waters reportedly said. And without flinching, Smith reportedly replied, “When can you get here?”
Shortly thereafter, Waters became employee #373, FedEx’s third pilot overall. By the time Waters’ career was over in 1996, he’d paved the way for countless other black pilots and helped found the Organization of Black Aviation Professionals. When Waters died in 2015, FedEx flew his ashes back to Virginia.
“Some days, it hardly felt like work,” Waters said in an article on FedEx.com spotlighting black pilots. “It felt like a privilege. Without the opportunity that Fred Smith gave me, who knows if I would have flown professionally again or, if I had, if I would have been treated so genuinely.”
A thankful family
On Facebook, Damon Griffin, himself a former FedEx employee, shared that his father, James Griffin Sr., was hired as a pilot in FedEx’s earliest days, setting the stage for generations of prosperity.
“It was God’s doing that connected my dad to FedEx in the early 1980s,” Griffin wrote. “FedEx swooped in and poached my dad from Weyerhaeuser in Seattle. Mr. Smith had an affinity for Vietnam military pilots, and my dad was able to get in the door at the early point of FedEx and flew the world for over 20 years.”
The elder Griffin went from the cockpit to the pulpit, becoming pastor at New Beginnings Community Church in Memphis. When he died in 2023, Smith reached out personally.
“He called me personally on the worst day of my life, my dad’s passing,” Griffin wrote. “He sent a personal note to my mom during that time as well. The Griffin family (of about 20 now) would not be in Memphis, but for God connecting my dad with Fred Smith and FedEx in 1983. Rest well sir.”
From Day One
Audrey Pfeiffer was there from the beginning. Literally.
She met Fred Smith at a computer training school in Memphis, where he came personally to talk about a bold idea: overnight delivery.
“He came and talked about his dream,” Pfeiffer recalled in a film clip by Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb. “It was so vivid and so real. I went the next day and got hired on the spot.”
A Memphis Legacy, Lived and Felt
Rose Jackson-Flenorl, who has risen through the ranks to become global citizenship manager for FedEx, shared a heartfelt moment involving her daughter, Lillie. When Flenorl told her daughter she was going to work for FedEx, Lillie, normally reserved, asked if she could meet the man behind the company.
“She said she wanted to meet the man who had a vision and worked until that vision became a reality,” Flenorl wrote on Facebook. “Lillie approached him. They talked. Then I heard her ask for a picture.”
Lillie picked up the story from there.
“I was just in awe,” recalled Lillie, who now works for Baptist Memorial Hospital. “I’ve always admired Mr. Smith and the things he’s done for our community and the world. To get the privilege to meet him was a moment I’ll always remember. Just having an idea and turning it into a global company … that’s extraordinary.”
Rose was grateful for the impact he had on her daughter and the city.
“He was committed to the Memphis community, the global community,” she said. “He cared. He was engaged. Thank you and rest in peace, Captain.”
‘You have left a legacy’
Dr. Pam Chatman, founder of the Boss Lady Workforce Transportation Initiative, credited Smith with bringing jobs and dignity to struggling families in the Mississippi Delta and Little Rock, Arkansas.
“He and his team gave so many families the opportunity to get on their feet from struggling from day to day poverty and struggles,” she said in a post. “We have heard countless stories of how this program has changed so many lives. Thank You for what you have done here in the Mississippi Delta. … You have left a legacy for others who will come behind you.”
Another FedEx executive, Natasha R. Ashworth, reflected on a generational journey.
“We are a FedEx family,” she wrote. “Both of my parents retired from the company. I left the Memphis Grizzlies for a chance to grow with FedEx. … Today, I have the honor of designing large-scale experiences that recognize and reward top sales talent from around the world — living a dream bigger than anything I could have imagined.”
Institutional Impact
FedEx’s relationship with Black Memphis extended beyond employment. In 2022, the National Civil Rights Museum awarded Smith its coveted Freedom Award, recognizing his lifelong commitment to building “bridges of opportunity for underserved communities.”
“Fred Smith … embodied the spirit of innovation, resilience and community uplift,” the Museum said in a statement after his death. “He promoted careers, education and leadership for Memphis residents … His entrepreneurial spirit, deeply connected to the Civil Rights Movement, reinforces a powerful truth: Lasting change occurs when leaders honor their roots, invest in those they serve and challenge tomorrow’s leaders to dream bigger.”
The company has sponsored free admission to the museum on MLK Day for years. Hundreds of FedEx employees volunteer annually. Funding from FedEx helped expand key programming, including the Unpacking Racism for Action series and enhancements to the museum’s educational spaces.
A City Reflects
Memphis Mayor Paul Young perhaps summed it up best.
“Fred Smith didn’t just launch a company, he changed the way the world moves,” Young said. “FedEx has brought jobs, investment and international recognition to Memphis, and Fred’s impact is woven into the fabric of who we are today. In many ways, he gave our city wings.”
And then there was Penny Hardaway — University of Memphis Tigers legend, NBA star and U of M men’s basketball coach — who reminded everyone of Smith’s civic spirit on and off the court.
“Fred Smith cared! His love for our city showed daily,” Hardaway wrote. “I want to also personally thank him for his contributions to Memphis Men’s basketball. He will be missed.”
