Uptown Advisory Committee member Dr. Brooks has been a lifelong supporter of his neighborhood. He continues to preach and teach to his community.

Explain your relationship to the Uptown District

The neighborhoods that make up the Uptown District shaped my life. My childhood and adolescent memories of playing in the gymnasiums of Greenlaw and Bickford Community Centers, and visiting friends and family in Bearwater, Hurt Village, and Scutterfield, continue to inform my advocacy for quality education and affordable housing.

What do you enjoy most about living in this area?

As Pastor of Providence African Methodist Episcopal Church—a 150-year-old anchor institution in the North Parkway-Forrest Neighborhood/Galloway-Speedway Historic District—I live, work, worship, and play in the Uptown District. I treasure listening to the elders of Uptown share stories of the joyous struggles of homeownership, their commitment to neighborhood schools, and the way they held one another accountable for creating safe and secure communities of care.

What CRA work interests you the most?

My work with CRA is rooted in preserving this legacy: the fight of our elders for economic freedom and dignity in America. Honoring their homes, schools, and faith institutions through citizenship-driven participation ensures authentic partnership and helps minimize exploitation.

How do you see the Uptown area in 10 years?

The strength of Uptown rests on the quality of housing and education in each of its neighborhoods. I see CRA as a barometer for the future of Shelby County. The current Memphis Uptown Community Plan has the potential to fulfill the hopes of our elders while igniting future generations to preserve and build upon the legacy of Uptown’s historic neighborhoods.