Memphis Mayor Paul Young wants St. Mary’s girls to stick around.
In his wide-ranging chapel talk on Nov. 14, he discussed his own upbringing in the city, his early career and how he decided to get involved in public service.
“It was like a light bulb clicked through me at that moment, and I decided that I wanted to spend my life figuring out how to rebuild neighborhoods in Memphis,” Young said. “I saw my neighborhood, our neighborhood and the decline from the time that I was born to where we are.”
He kept his remarks brief, however, and opened the mic up to students who had questions.
Asked about what most excites him about the direction the city is headed, Young mentioned using his time as mayor to create the Office of Cultural and Creative Economy, which will lean more into the city’s arts and culture.
“If you look at movies and TV shows, you’re going to see a producer, [an] actor, a dancer, somebody from Memphis is on the show, and just because we’ve always been a high-level talent,” Young said. “What we’re beginning to do now is lean into that and find ways, even from our government seats, on how we can amplify and grow [that].”
Young said he is interested in focusing on Memphis’s distinct culture.
“In Memphis, there’s just a natural gift of cool,” Young said. “It’s kind of hard to articulate in words, but it’s like the spirit of the city and the energy of interacting with people. And I mean, all across the city, no matter what community you’re in, you can feel it. And I think that’s a special thing.”
According to Young, celebrating this unique culture is one of the most important things students can do to help change the narrative around Memphis.
“The number one thing you can do as students is be passionate about Memphis,” he said. “You probably know that the narrative around the city over the past couple of years has been tough…[so] speak about the positive things that you like about this city. As you go to college and you go to cities across this country, when you interact with kids from all over the country, talk positively about our city, because that matters.”
Mayor Young closed his talk by asking students to come home after college to live, serve, and thrive in Memphis.
“You may live in other cities for a while, but I want you to know that Memphis is where home is,” he said. “Atlanta does not need you, New York does not need you, Nashville does not need you. Memphis needs you. We need your talent. We need your heart. We need you here to serve and live and thrive because you are the ones that are going to make Memphis the city that we want it to be… I want you to remember that Memphis is where the heart is.”
