US Sen. Marsha Blackburn hosts private roundtable on Memphis after-school programs

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Republican U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, officially running for Tennessee governor, spent the day in Memphis on Monday, August 11.

She attended the memorial service for FedEx founder Fred Smith in the morning, then later in the day, she hosted a private roundtable discussion at PURE Academy on the importance of afterschool programs in fighting youth crime, talking with stakeholders like Youth Villages, the Boys and Girls Club of Memphis, and the YMCA.

Blackburn made history by becoming the first woman in Tennessee elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018. She is quick to remind voters that as a state senator, she successfully blocked a state income tax.

Her message to Memphians is: she still fights for the little guy. But in a big blue city, and with Sen. Blackburn’s devotion to President Trump’s GOP agenda, that could be a hard sell.

“Memphis is so important to our state,” she told Action News 5, “and there’s a desire by so many to deal with those juvenile crime issues and to open the door of opportunity for young people here in Memphis. We’re finding that ground to be collaborative and to say, ‘How do we address this problem? How do we help Memphis as they are seeking to address this problem? What kind of help is available a the federal level?’”

At age 73, Sen. Blackburn now has her sights set on the Tennessee governor’s office. She backed President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and supports his vision for reshaping America.

“Because President Trump is sending power back to the states,” said Blackburn, “to take the lead in education and healthcare and energy and regulations and benefits… work requirements to get Medicaid and SNAP benefits. Those are all going to be implemented by governors.”

Action News 5 asked about the impact of the bill’s policies on Memphians and the marginalized.

“No one in Tennessee is going to lose Medicaid benefits,” replied Sen. Blackburn, “Medicaid spending is actually going to increase over the next decades. Now, if you’re a free loader, if you’re a fraudster, if you’re defrauding these programs, if you are illegally in the country, you are not going to get those benefits. And if you’re an able-bodied, childless adult, you are going to have to work or go to school 20 hours a week. These are not as stringent of requirements as put into place by President Clinton.”

Sen. Blackburn said Memphis is a strategically-located city on the move—with FedEx and five different railroads, xAI’s arrival to town and BlueOval City in nearby Haywood County taking shape, ready to roll new electric vehicles off the production line in 2028.

She’s campaigning on bringing jobs to Tennessee and building up energy, speaking with great enthusiasm about the Tennessee Valley Authority actively working to bring America’s first small modular reactor (SMR) online at the Clinch River site near Oakridge, Tennessee.

“You’ve got two options on base load power,” she said, “that is coal and nuclear. The third would be geothermal. I am for more energy. I am for base load because we know it’s going to be sustainable and eliminate blackouts and brownouts. One thing with SMRs and nuclear, that next generation down... micro reactors... you could have that nuclear power base and put it right there, wherever your production facility is. You can also sell that energy back to the grid, which reduces costs for your customers.”

Action News 5 spoke with Sen. Blackburn one-on-one after the roundtable at PURE Academy in North Memphis. The Commercial Appeal was the only other media outlet in attendance.

Both media representatives were forbidden from recording any audio during the discussion on afterschool programs, but they were allowed to record video of the event.

Critics say all media should have been invited, and the conversation should have been open to the public.

Both Blackburn and U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-Memphis) have taken heat for hosting private events closed to the public or avoiding participation in public debates during election season.

Local GOP leaders, State Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis) and State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), along with Kustoff, attended the PURE Academy brainstorming session. Taylor, never one to shy away from public appearances, explained why his Republican colleagues are more hesitant.

“I also put up with a lot of B.S. from people,” said Taylor, “but I think the reason some lawmakers take the approach you saw today is because there are a lot of Soros-funded paid protestors who are paid to be disruptive.”

Sen. Blackburn told Action News 5 the event is private because, “There are people who want to be able to talk freely and exchange ideas and be able to ask questions because these organizations are hard at work trying to provide the right environment for kids.”

PURE Academy founder Melvin Cole said the privacy was appreciated as he and other community members spelled out their challenges to Sen. Blackburn and GOP leaders.

“Because at the end of the day,” Cole said, “to be able to help the kids... you’ve got to have a safe space... that uncomfortable dialogue where you can hash out your differences to reach the ultimate goal. And the ultimate goal is helping our kids in Shelby County.”

Sen. Blackburn sponsored the “After-School Act” - a bill designed to open up access to grant money for organizations trying to start or increase capacity for after-school programs that run from 3-6 p.m., a prime time for kids getting into trouble.

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