Civil Wrongs: Two New Episodes of Season 5

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A letter from our Civil Wrongs Coordinator

February 28, 2025

Dear Reader,

This month, we’ve been working on two new episodes to Civil Wrongs as part of the new season “Everyday Connections,” highlighting ways people are trying to make the future better by remembering the past.

First was a sidewalk tile project by Ephraim Urevbu that invites passersby to scan QR codes in pieces of miniature art on South Main Street and learn about history.

Laura Kebede-Twumasi

"It's so crucial that we know exactly the underlying causes of all the turmoils and the chaos that is happening right now," Urevbu said.

He often sees people trying it out in front of his art gallery downtown, which has led to heartfelt conversations about the ongoing struggle for racial equality and healing.

You can listen to the WKNO-FM broadcast here and the 19-minute version of the conversation on the podcast.

The second – coming next week – is about how Dwania Kyles overcame the trauma of being one of the 13 elementary schoolchildren who integrated Memphis schools in 1961. Now, instead of just sharing what it was like to live through desegregation, she shares her story of healing while ensuring the next generation knows through the Memphis 13 Foundation.

"It's about: How do I respond to the external world and allow it to affect my internal world? How I respond to something,” she said.

If these stories inspire you, share them with others and see how you can be a part of the ways that Memphians are seeking solutions.

Laura Kebede-Twumasi

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Who We Are

We believe in the Fourth Estate's vital role in democracy.

We value the journalist's duty to impartially "explore and explain” complex issues that impact metropolitan Memphis and its citizens.

We believe quality local journalism leads to an informed electorate and is among the highest forms of public service.

We are duty bound to prepare the next generation of journalists in support of this essential mission.

The Institute is led by director Marc Perrusquia, who worked nearly 30 years as an investigative reporter at The Commercial Appeal. He’s the author of the 2018 book “A Spy In Canaan,’’ which exposed civil rights photographer Ernest Withers’ secret life as an FBI informant and inspired the 10-part podcast “Ernie’s Secret” and the documentary film “The Picture Taker,’’ to be released on PBS in January.

The Institute’s associate director, David Waters, worked more than 30 years at The Commercial Appeal and another four at The Washington Post. He is revered as Memphis’s best news writer and is beloved for his work exploring faith, child poverty and education.

Laura Kebede-Twumasi is a Report for America corps member. She recently hosted and wrote WKNO public television’s special “History, Justice and the Journalists” on unresolved civil rights crimes in the Memphis area. She previously covered education inequities for Chalkbeat Tennessee and local government and religion for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Micaela A. Watts has worked as a journalist in Memphis since 2015. She is dedicated to issues of resource access, government accountability, healthcare and housing, and criminal justice. For over five years, she covered breaking news and issues tied to access and equity at The Commercial Appeal. In 2023, she worked as the lead reporter and on-screen host of “The Tyre Nichols Beating: What Went Wrong in Memphis”, a documentary from USA TODAY’s States of America. She has previously reported for the Memphis Flyer, Chalkbeat Tennessee AND MLK50: Justice through Journalism.

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