MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis community organized a peaceful protest in front of city hall Thursday, wanting accountability after last week’s storm, and calling on the city and MLGW to do more.
“This is the first time in a long time that winter hit this early. We have a long way to go. Are we ready for the next one which could be coming in a couple weeks or a couple of months? My answer would be no. We’re not ready,” said Damon Curry Morris, local human rights activist.
Frustrations covered Memphis streets as community members protested follow the death of a homeless man during last week’s winter storm. “We don’t need to wait for the big one to happen before everybody starts moving,” said Morris. He organized the protest.
Morris is calling on city leaders to do more for our homeless, disabled, and senior populations. “What made me so frustrated is last year, I had a neighbor to pass away because she could not get her dialysis treatment for four weeks,” said Morris. “When I wrote that December 15, 2021, letter to the council and the city, that should have been enough.”
Protesters want the city to improve the capacity and accessibility to shelters and warming centers. “People don’t want to leave their communities…That’s why it’s really important that we have warming centers that they set up in the community,” said one protester.
Those frustrations also carry on to MLGW and their response times. On Haverford Cove in Southeast Memphis, Sharon Gunlock said she and her neighbors reported a neighborhood leak several times. “It looked like it was flowing out of the manhole as if it was an overflow like a nice stream,” said Gunlock. “I am not getting what I pay for especially since this was reported after Thanksgiving and there’s water flowing down the street.”
While speaking with Gunlock on Wednesday, MLGW arrived. “I suspect have we not had a freeze and busted water pipes all over the city, that this may not have even been fixed yesterday,” said Gunlock.
MLGW confirmed reports of the leak; however, they said leaks are assigned priority levels and must be inspected before they can excavate and find the source. “MLGW needs to figure out why these things are not getting done in a timely manner,” said Gunlock.
As frustrations boil over, so does the need for a solution.