Happy Birthday, Memphis!

Today, May 22, Memphis turns 207 years old.

Two hundred and seven years of building, rebuilding, dreaming, failing, trying again, succeeding and choosing this city, over and over again.

Think about what this actually means.

Memphis was founded as a river town, a trading post on a bluff above the Mississippi. Within decades, it was one of the busiest ports in the country. 

Then Yellow Fever came, twice, and nearly emptied the city entirely. Memphis actually lost its city charter for a time. Most cities don't survive that.

But Memphians Rebuilt.

The city came back. And kept coming back. Through the blues spilling out of Beale Street. Through the civil rights movement, with some of the heaviest chapters of American history written right here. Through the departure of industry, through decades of investment and disinvestment, through every wave of people who left and every wave of people came and of course all of those who stayed.

I've been in Memphis for over 20 years now. Moved here thinking I'd stay a year or two. I could have lived anywhere. I still could.

From the Don Newman collection, courtesy of Memphis Heritage

I Choose This City Every Single Day

Not because it's perfect, but it's worth perfecting. Because this place is real. Because the people here are real. They're gritty, generous, complicated, and worth knowing. Because when something hurts in Memphis, you feel it. And when something beautiful happens here, you really feel that too.

That's what keeps me here. And honestly, it's what keeps all of us going.

Memphis has always been a city worth fighting for. And that's exactly why our work matters.

Every story you tell. Every young person you encourage to stay. Every job connection you help make. Every nonprofit you strengthen. Every time you invite someone to choose Memphis again, it all adds up.

We're not just celebrating a birthday this week.

We're participating in the next chapter.

207 years in, Memphis is still becoming. And our job together as leaders is to help more people believe they have a role in what comes next.

So this week, let's work like the city's future isn't something we're waiting on.

It's something we're helping build.

Happy birthday, Memphis. You're worth every year.