Tell-It Report: Black Memphis Residents Say They're Being Harassed by Police Task Force

Authorities are stopping and questioning residents under the guise of keeping the city safe, according to an investigation.

(Envato/ContrabandCamp)

In Gullah Geechee communities, a “tell-it” was a designated lookout, community warning system and the most trusted source for news and information. The Tell-It Report is ContrabandCamp’s weekly roundup of the Black stories that deserve more attention — from politics to entertainment.

Black Memphis residents say they are being harassed by the National Guard and federal agents sent to keep them safe, a ProPublica and MLK50 investigation finds.

Several Black women made history on what was an epic Election Night for Democrats across the country.

A Black woman was wrongfully arrested after being mistaken for a white woman with the same name who lived states away.

Read the full stories below:

Black residents in Memphis are reportedly being harassed by Trump’s police task force

Residents in the majority Black city of Memphis have reported being harassed at alarming numbers since President Donald Trump sent the National Guard a month ago.

In a special investigation from ProPublica and MLK50, several people report being stopped by authorities for no reason. Several people—a ride-share driver, a pastor, a 72-year-old man relaxing in his home—told the organizations that though they weren’t arrested or ticketed, they feared for their lives as the police stopped them. In some instances, residents were unsure who stopped them, mentioning that some patrolling officers were without badges.

The increased police presence is a part of the operation known as “Memphis Safe Task Force.” According to the City of Memphis’ website, National Guard troops, highway patrol officers and agents from more than 13 federal agencies are working together to “end violent and street crime.”

Prior to Trump’s takeover, overall crime dropped to a 25-year low.

ELaura James Reid, a pastor of Coleman Chapel CME Church, told MLK50 that she was pulled over by a man in an unmarked SUV as she was leaving a church event at a hotel. Wearing camouflage, the man said she looked lost and was “driving unsure” and asked for her license.

James Reid didn’t know what he meant by that and asked him if it was normal for the National Guard to ask for residents’ licenses when they go to cities to help people. The man left.

“I don’t feel safe,” said James Reid. “It fits into the narrative of keeping us in our place. I don’t think it fits the narrative of stopping violent criminals, unless you driving down the street is considered violent.”

The city’s Democratic mayor, Paul Young, told the outlets that he opposes the presence of federal agents and troops.

“Before the federal task force came to Memphis, we were already making strides to bring violent crime down,” Young said in a statement. “We are pushing for the federal task force to remain focused on violent crime.”

In 2024, a Department of Justice investigation launched after the death of Tyre Nichols found that Memphis police “regularly violate the rights of the people they are sworn to serve.”

U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Ryan Guay denied the discriminatory claims in a written statement to MLK50: “The suggestion that our federal law enforcement officers are racially profiling citizens is not founded in reality and undermines the credibility and safety of the Task Force Officers who should be commended for the exceptional work they are doing to keep this community safe!”

He added that the task force is committed to “removing violent offenders from our streets.”

Black female mayors-elect make history as Democrats sweep key races on Election Night

Detroit, Syracuse, Albany, N.Y., and Conyers, Ga., had history-making nights last week as Black female candidates were elected mayors of each city.

Mary Sheffield became the first woman elected mayor of Detroit in the city’s 324-year history. The 38-year-old won 77% of the vote, beating out Triumph Church Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. It was reportedly the largest margin of victory for the mayoral race in the city’s history.

In Syracuse, voters elected Sharon Owens the city’s first Black mayor with 73% of the vote. She defeated Republican Thomas Babilon and independents Alfonso Davis and Tim Rudd. She is also the second woman to become mayor-elect.

Dorcey Applyrs earned over 83% of the vote over Republican Rocco Pezzulo, becoming the first Black candidate elected mayor of New York’s capital city in more than three centuries. And in Conyers, Connie Alsobrook won over Brad Smith with 68% of the vote, becoming the city’s first Black mayor.

Democrats won in other key races across the country on Tuesday night, including in New York City, where Zohran Mamdani defeated former state governor Andrew Cuomo with huge support from the city’s Black voters.

In Mississippi, a 13-year Republican supermajority was disrupted as Democrats Johnny DuPree and Theresa Gillespie Isom won Senate Districts 45 and 2, respectively.

California voted “yes” to Proposition 50, which allows legislators to redistrict before midterms. Prop. 50 will give the state ammunition to counter Republican-led gerrymandering in other states. Democrats Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger also won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, respectively. Virginia also elected Jay Jones, who will become its first Black American attorney general.

Trump blamed the Republicans’ losses on the ongoing government shutdown and his absence from the ballot.

“After last night’s results, the decision facing all Americans could not be more clear – we have a choice between communism and common sense,” Trump said in remarks at the White House on Wednesday, according to CNN. “And as long as I’m in the White House, the United States is not going communist in any way, shape or form.”

Black woman wrongfully jailed for charges meant for a white woman with the same name

A Black woman from Canton, Ga., was wrongfully jailed after officers mistook her for a white woman with the same name.

Nickie Sledge, 49, is preparing to file a lawsuit after she was arrested on Dec. 21 under a warrant meant for 43-year-old Nikki Sledge from Kentucky, according to 11 Alive.

Her lawyer, Harry Daniels, told Atlanta Black Star that Sledge was at a movie theater with her 5-year-old grandson when officers lured her outside with a text saying that her car had been hit in a parking lot.

Sledge was charged with two counts of abuse, neglect or exploitation of disabled or elderly. The victim at the center of the case is the father-in-law of Sledge from Kentucky. Sledge of Georgia told WSB she would never commit such a crime.

“Elder abuse? My elderly mother lives with me. I’m being punked,” she recalled telling officers in an interview with the outlet.

She was booked into the Rockdale County Jail and strip-searched. Sledge was then taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center, strip-searched again and held for three days.

According to the case report from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office provided to reporters by Daniels, the victim in the elder abuse case was the bedridden grandfather of Nikki Sledge’s husband, Joshua Sledge.

“This is a person that has no criminal record. She’s a hard-working, taxpaying citizen, a law-abiding citizen, and all of a sudden, on a good day, happy day, spending time with your grandchild, you get arrested, you get taken away, ripped,” Daniels told 11 Alive. “Your freedom of liberty is taken away, all because somebody didn’t do their job.”

Though her charges were dismissed in February, the situation left Sledge feeling humiliated after her mugshot circulated on social media.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office sent 11 Alive a statement claiming that they became aware of Sledge’s wrongful arrest through media inquiries.

“At this time, we have not received any communication from Ms. Sledge or her attorney, nor have we been served with any civil papers related to this incident,” the statement read. “However, we take this matter very seriously and are actively reviewing the situation to understand what occurred.”

ICYMI

• Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, 24, died by an apparent suicide after a police chase in Texas on Thursday.

• The first trailer for “Michael,” the Michael Jackson biopic starring his nephew in the title role, was released.

• Former NFL player Antonio Brown was arrested in Dubai in connection with an attempted murder charge in Miami.

• As Teen Vogue folds into Vogue, most of its former journalists of color have been laid off.

• MacKenzie Scott has donated $387 million to eight HBCUs this week.

• In the midst of the pause on SNAP benefits, Keith Lee has challenged major brands that usually offer him brand deals to feed families in need.

• The NAACP has sued Virginia state election officials for disenfranchising student voters who don’t include details such as dormitory names, room numbers and campus mailbox information.

• FX has picked up a “Snowfall” spin-off series starring Gail Bean and Isaiah John, who will reprise their roles as Wanda and Leon.