As we look ahead to a new year, I have asked some Memphians who care deeply about their city’s future for their resolutions or reflections for 2024. I am deeply grateful for their thoughtful submissions.
Today’s resolutions are from U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen; Rev. Earle Fisher, pastor of Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church, and Shannon Dixon, principal of Shannon MB Dixon Consulting.
Congressman Steve Cohen:
My New Year’s wishes are that Memphis becomes a city that grows peacefully and helps all achieve their potential. That means getting a grip on crime, and making us a city that people want to move to, and not move away. I will continue to help secure federal grants which improve crime prevention and encourage federal oversight and best practices for law enforcement.
From my committee perch on transportation, I’ll continue to encourage airport improvements and highway/bridge funding and a train to Nashville.
There’s much more, including keeping our democracy and helping our global friends maintain their sovereignty.
Go Tigers and Grizz forever
Congressman Steve Cohen
UM JD’73 Grizz 2000
**
Rev. Earle Fisher, pastor, Abyssinian Missionary Baptist 
Church:
Peace Brother Tom,
Thanks for reaching out to me and allowing me to participate in this. It has given me a chance to think about this year and look into next year with a level of expectation and assessment/projection that I typically don’t. What I tend to do is craft an outlook for my congregation and community of faith and think through what themes we can seek to live out and/or live into.
That said, I’ve longed for our beloved city to shift into a more progressive posture. One grounded in honest political analysis, courageous public engagement, and innovative implementation of equitable policies. I’m sober-minded about how textured our current predicament is. There is poverty and promise. There is crime and compassion. There is injustice and inspiration. I am hopeful that we can collectively lean more substantially into the latter things and away from the former things. While some are seeking to divorce themselves from Memphis, I am still confident that God is working out deliverance for Memphis.
Thanks for allowing me to think through and document this.
**
Shannon Dixon, Principal of Shannon MB Dixon Consulting:
My wish for Memphis is a stronger network of community care – one that includes acts of neighborly support by individuals and associations and equitable resources and systemic changes deployed by nonprofits and government. I believe this is only possible through more nuanced inner thought and community conversations. These will lead to the empathy and understanding we all need to care for one another in a consistent and loving way.
