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Publication Open Access Gentrification and Unemployment in Binghampton(Memphis, Tenn: Rhodes College, 2025)The goal of this research project is to understand the connection between gentrification and unemployment in Binghampton, a neighborhood in Memphis, TN. Binghampton is made up of four Census Tracts (Census Tracts 15,27,28, and 30). The relationship between gentrification and unemployment is often murky. Many argue that gentrification can increase employment opportunities by providing new jobs and improving infrastructure. On the other hand, critics claim that gentrification can create a skills mismatch, where existing residents do not have the education or skills to be hired in the changing job landscape. This complex relationship is important to be explored especially within a city like Memphis with a long history of redlining and racial economic inequality. Furthermore, the majority of research on gentrification is focused on displacement and racial transition rather than its financial impacts. It is important to view the tangible financial impacts of gentrification on original residents who have not yet been displaced, since their stories are often overlooked.Publication Open Access Where Are the Buses? The Connections Between Transportation Funding and Class in Memphis, TN(Memphis, Tenn: Rhodes College, 2025)The connections between class mobility and public transportation have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, with once bustling public transit systems across the country dwindling. These connections are clearly present in Memphis, Tennessee, due to its unique geographical layout and public transit system. With one of the least funded public transportation systems for a city of its size, the Memphis Area Transit Authority, or MATA, faces barriers in providing adequate service to its riders. Inter-authority financial issues, coupled with funding issues that MATA faces, also help illustrate why service has diminished in recent years. Without reliable public transportation, issues of systemic poverty, unemployment, and job insecurity compound and proliferate. The real experiences of daily MATA riders display the interactions between class mobility and transportation beyond statistics. The inter-authority financial issues, coupled with the funding issues that MATA faces, also help to understand why service has been diminishing and how it affects bus riders. This research paper aims to display the true nature of the landscape of public transportation in Memphis, Tennessee, and how it affects the lives of Memphians and contributes to greater issues of class immobility.Publication Open Access Meet Me at Your Grandmother’s Library: Negotiating Place and the Purpose of Public Libraries in Memphis Tennessee(Memphis, Tenn: Rhodes College, 2025)This research explores the evolving role of public libraries in Memphis, Tennessee, focusing on their function as “third places”—community-centered spaces that exist outside of home and work. Drawing on Ray Oldenburg’s concept of third places, Wayne Wiegand’s historical analysis of American libraries, and Shamichael Hallman’s civic vision for libraries, the paper investigates how Memphis Public Libraries (MPL) serve as inclusive, accessible, and socially vital institutions. Through interviews with librarians across six MPL branches, the author examines how libraries balance traditional roles (like lending books) with broader social responsibilities—such as providing shelter, hosting community programs, and fostering civic dialogue. The study highlights the tension between the “book place” and the “community hub” identities of libraries, ultimately arguing that MPLs are actively negotiating their place and purpose to meet the diverse needs of their communities. The paper concludes that public libraries are not just repositories of books but dynamic civic institutions that offer solutions to societal issues like isolation, inequality, and lack of public gathering spaces.Publication Open Access Sonic Blackness: Masculinity, Myth, and Power in Shaft (1971)(Memphis, Tenn: Rhodes College, 2025)Camille L. Carleton’s paper, "Sonic Blackness: Masculinity, Myth, and Power in Shaft (1971)", explores how Isaac Hayes’ score for the film Shaft redefines Black masculinity through sonic resistance and emotional vulnerability. While the character John Shaft embodies a commodified, hypermasculine image shaped by Hollywood, Hayes’ music offers a counter-narrative rooted in soul, funk, and collective Black experience. The paper situates Hayes’ work within Memphis’s political and musical landscape, highlighting Stax Records’ role in Black Power activism and sonic innovation. Carleton contrasts Shaft with Melvin Van Peebles’ Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, examining debates over authentic Black representation in Blaxploitation cinema. Ultimately, the paper argues that Hayes’ score transcends the film’s limitations, creating a lasting legacy of Black sonic expression and emotional depth.Publication Open Access Exploring Volunteer Motivations in Refugee Assistance Amid Shifting U.S. Immigration Policies(Memphis, Tenn: Rhodes College, 2025)This research examines the motivations that drive community members to provide humanitarian aid to refugees amid increasingly restrictive U.S. immigration policies. As refugee admissions and immigration policies fluctuate with changes in political administrations, the role of grassroots support becomes increasingly critical. This study aims to explore the reasons why individuals volunteer to support displaced populations, particularly when such efforts often receive limited institutional support and may encounter increasing sociopolitical resistance. By focusing on a refugee aid organization in the Mid-South, this project examines the personal, social, and political factors that influence volunteer motivation. The research begins with a literature review on volunteerism, humanitarianism, and immigration policy, identifying gaps in understanding how volunteers interpret and respond to policy changes. To bridge these gaps, I will conduct in-depth interviews with volunteers at the center, focusing on their motivations, experiences, and evolving perceptions of their roles. I will also examine the organization's volunteer materials, training protocols, and mission statements to analyze how institutional narratives shape expectations and behavior. This study positions volunteerism as both a personal and political act, where individuals act not for direct benefit, but out of moral obligation, empathy, or opposition. Understanding the motivations behind such actions will contribute to broader discussions on civic engagement, social responsibility, and the resilience of civil society in politically challenging times. Ultimately, this research aims to illuminate how individual action persists and adapts in response to shifting national priorities, offering insights into the sustaining power of local humanitarian work amidst systemic constraints.
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