A panel of prominent local Black women leaders shared personal stories, professional insights and community challenges Thursday night at the inaugural “TSD in the Community Forum,” hosted by The Tri-State Defender (TSD) at the Southbrook Towne Centre.
The event marked the first in a new series of community discussions launched by the TSD to foster dialogue, connection and civic engagement throughout Memphis and Shelby County.
Scheduled to coincide with Women’s History Month, the forum panel featured Tennessee House Minority Leader Karen Camper, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis, Attorney Carlissa Shaw, Dr. Brenda Hardy, Bishop Althea Greene and Memphis City Council member Pearl Walker. The conversation was moderated by Lori Spicer Robertson, vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and founder and CEO of Wundher.
The forum drew a near-capacity audience, largely women, to hear panel guests’ perspectives on leadership in government, health care, law enforcement, education, faith and civic service.
To open the discussion, panelists told the audience little-known facts about themselves. Greene said that she enjoys grilling, Camper is a national and international lip-sync champion, and Walker shared that she is known for recreating her mother’s butter rolls. Hardy compared her work rhythm to Michael Jackson’s “Working Day and Night,” Davis is an avid swimmer, and Shaw talked about her fascination with fireworks.
“They say they want women in the Police Academy, but once we’re in, they run us off. I was the only woman in my class to graduate. We were ready for the work, but the work wasn’t ready for us.”
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis
Following introductions the conversation shifted as panelists addressed the challenges facing women in leadership roles.
Camper spoke about the difficulty of uniting people with diverse ideologies to advance legislation. “I have to harness the differences to move the mission,” she said. “It’s often lonely at the top.”
Davis, discussed her career as a female officer and highlighted the systemic challenges women face in law enforcement. “They say they want women in the Police Academy, but once we’re in, they run us off,” she said. “I was the only woman in my class to graduate. We were ready for the work, but the work wasn’t ready for us.”
She emphasized the importance of representation, adding, “If you’re not at the table, you must be on the menu.”
Greene told the audience about how a teacher at Snowden School impacted her life as a child and that she has returned to the classroom after serving on the Memphis-Shelby County School Board. “I want to be a beacon of light for the child who’s been told they can’t make it,” she said. “I want to tell them they can.”
Hardy addressed the ongoing demands in the medical field, from staying on top of research to ensuring patient safety and staff accountability. Shaw spoke about leadership as a responsibility to empower others, including hiring and mentoring other Black women. “We must give people jobs and groom them while they are there with us,” she said.
Walker reflected on her family’s legacy of service and resilience, sharing how her grandmother managed food rations during the Great Depression and how her mother supported the family after her father’s death. “Those stories shaped who I am,” she said.
At the close, audience members contributed to the discussion, calling for today’s need for legacy girl organizations like Girl Scouts and hospital “Candy Stripers” and encouraging entrepreneurship among young women. Camper also noted the need for more Black women in lobbying, saying it is time to teach women how to influence policy from the inside.
“It was inspiring to see so many women take part in our first TSD in the Community Forums tonight,” said TSD Editor Stephanie R. Jones. “Conversations like these can spark the meaningful dialogue that our community needs. We hope people will carry these conversations into their homes, workplaces and circles of influence because it’s through honest exchanges that we build understanding and unity to create lasting change.”
The TSD in the Community Forums will continue throughout 2025, with future topics including Health and Wellness (May), Education (July), Public Safety (August), Government and Politics (October), and Entrepreneurship (November).
Admission to the forums is free and open to the public, though registration is required. The events are made possible through sponsors, including Southbrook Town Center and Felecia Bean Catering.
For more information on future forums or to register, visit www.tri-statedefender.com/community or follow TSD on social media.
