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Wendi C. Thomas @wendi_c_thomas
, 12 tweets, 5 min read Read on Twitter
Hi, visiting journalists! Welcome to Memphis. A few things. 1. Don’t eat tourist barbecue.

2. You may encounter folks who will insist this city has come so far since ‘68.

Ask them for proof. Like data, not their feels. Anecdotes aren’t evidence. #MLK50 @MLK50Memphis
Some data: 88 percent of senior executives in the Memphis area are white. The metro area’s workforce is 51 percent black. mlk50.com/50-years-after…
Many large employers are glad to put their name on an event and toss a nonprofit some coins, but ask them if they pay workers enough to live on. #MLK50 mlk50.com/do-memphis-25-…
Also, we’re having lots of discussions about poverty - but not with people experiencing poverty. mlk50.com/grad-students-…
“City leaders’ desire to present a polished image to the world sometimes veers into desperation. It is as if we’re fluffing the couch cushions and hoping our guests don’t notice the holes in the roof.” google.com/amp/s/www.city…
Memphis’ mayor ran on a law-and-order campaign. Sound familiar? mlk50.com/can-memphis-ma…
Looking for a MLK quote to use? Skip the dreamy black and white kids holding hands. Start here: mlk50.com/10-mlk-quotes-…
If you haven’t read @ElenaDelavega7 poverty research, do. scribd.com/document/37259…
Key findings... especially #6.
Talk to local activists. Maybe the ones arrested Tuesday will be out. Talk to the family of #StephonClark. Or see if you can find Larry Payne’s sister. He was the 1st person killed in connection with the strike. MLK was the 2nd. mlk50.com/on-losing-larr…
Basically, just read MLK50.com.
And we appreciate all donations, which are tax-deductible. #MLK50 @MLK50Memphis donatenow.networkforgood.org/mlk50/mdonate
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More from @wendi_c_thomas see all

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Day 3 of the Memphis police surveillance trial set to begin in federal court soon. @mem_police Director Mike Rallings will testify first. Follow me on Twitter at @wendi_c_thomas for updates throughout the day. #MLK50
To catch up, check out @DanielConnolly @memphisnews story: commercialappeal.com/story/news/201…
That’s not a cause for concern at all. The top of @DanielConnolly story from Day 2.
Read 132 tweets
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Court is back in session: ACLU wants longtime ACLU attorney and local member Bruce Kramer to testify to clear up some of the discrepancy about the history of the West TN chapter. Problem is...
Kramer has been sitting in court all morning and he’s the attorney for the four plaintiffs who were dismissed because the judge decided they didn’t have standing.
Looks like Kramer is going to leave now and get deposed later tonight. Defense isn’t liking this at all, but they’re not protesting too much. Judge is directing Kramer to produce any relevant documents.
Read 39 tweets
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I'll be live tweeting from the Shelby County Commission at @wendi_c_thomas. This is our local government at work. Y'all follow along. #ElectionsMatter
Here's the agenda for this afternoon's meeting. documentcloud.org/documents/4755… I'm interested in a few items, including this one re county contracts with minority and women-owned businesses, otherwise known as MWBEs.
Local nonprofit leader Bennie Nelson West speaking against an ordinance that would further regulate short-term rentals, i.e. AirBnBs. You can find all the docs associated with this meeting here: agenda.shelbycountytn.gov//sirepub/meeti…
Read 55 tweets

Related threads

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Thread: Building an ethical foundation for the AI-driven future @PeriscopeData
First question: What value do you bring to your org. as a data professional? #techskills #businessoutcomes -- likely responses. Then Facebook & #unintendedoutcomes #ODSCWest
Industry starting to confront #ethics in terms of daily applications of #AI algorithms. #Bias based on data - in the case of courts, potentially hundreds of years of biased decisions as part of the training set.
"I'm just an engineer" not an appropriate response. People using #AI products might not understand what or how decisions and predictions are being made, but will be making real world decisions based on them. YOU and your team might be the only ones who do.
Read 11 tweets
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I hope everyone in this liquor store can understand I am robbing it as a son, husband, and dad.
As I explained before, a good robber must be neutral and impartial arbiter who favors no particular party store, corner grocery or gas station.
Robbers do not make decisions to rob based on a preferred victim. Robbers make decisions because the security camera is broken and the bank deposit hasn't been made over the weekend.
Read 9 tweets
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Ok. Here goes another one.

SMS intercept, hi-jack, access, ...

So there are a few things going on that the media, and others, are confusing:

Social engineering attacks (number slamming), and SS7 interaction. Sure, on the backend both influe HLR (home location registers).
The social engineering/physical can range from mugging someone to get their phone sim (good job Apple on making iPhone theft itself less valuable through your hardware design, albeit a dilemma with right-to-repair), which is a tactic where people literally steal/mug your phone/ID
The physical perpetrator takes the SIM card and puts it into a different phone.
There are a surprising number of significant services that let you reset everything if you know only the phone number (and can respond to OTP messages sent to the number).

More than you realize.
Read 16 tweets
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Wide debate on #eprivacy right now. I see a lot of misunderstandings, let me clarify a few things (& further info: bit.ly/2i99Kd5)
Should I not be asked before my emails are accessed and used? Don't you think the same? Is this asking too much? #eprivacy
New #eprivacy rules = more flexibility for all businesses to process communication data w/ user consent. Under current rules #telecoms can't
Read 5 tweets
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Hi, a good thing in this dark world is that the stray cat I've been slowly befriending now goes to these lengths to come see me.
(BTW my window works and is normal, the cardboard and duct tape is just for the air conditioner hose (and, now, feline ingress/egress).)
She doesn't let me touch her at all (which is fine it's FINE) but I keep waking up in the morning to find her fast asleep next to me 😻
Read 127 tweets
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I'm queer and I served under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. If you got caught, if someone reported you-- you didn't get a court date, you got a
separation date. They gave you a general discharge (instead of an honorable one,) usually on a Section 8: "mentally unfit for service." This
meant you never qualified for veteran benefits of any kind: no VA service, no grants or scholarships as a veteran, no veteran housing
Read 15 tweets

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