The Memphis LIFT

A movement for parents, by parents — making the powerless parent powerful.

The Memphis LIFT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit born in 2015 when about twenty North Memphis parents and grandparents decided they were done waiting on a system that was failing their children. Located in the neighborhood it serves, LIFT educates and empowers parents to advocate for their kids and demands radical change in public education — because the people closest to the problem should lead the solution. They've knocked on more than 25,000 doors, and over 5,000 parents have joined the movement. Led by Executive Director Sarah Carpenter: "Our children don't have time to wait."

What LIFT Does

Public Advocate Fellowship

Parents learn how the public education system actually works — and how to advocate for their children inside it.

SPED Support

Support and guidance for parents advocating for children with special needs — the families the system overlooks first.

Choice Counseling

Information and resources to help parents find the best schools for their children — clear data instead of guesswork.

Surge Outreach

Door-to-door parent organizing — identifying, educating, and mobilizing families to fight for quality education.

Board Watch

Parents tracking the MSCS school board — telling members their priorities and holding votes to account.

Powerful Parent Movement

LIFT helped found the national coalition of city-based parent advocacy groups — Memphis parents leading a national fight.

Sarah Carpenter's Story

Born and raised in North Memphis, a mother of four and grandmother of thirteen, Sarah Carpenter started this work in 1995 helping open a Family Resource Center in a high school — where she watched teenagers struggle to read. Twenty years later she co-founded The Memphis LIFT and turned that heartbreak into a movement: 55 of Tennessee's 81 lowest-performing schools are in Memphis, and 79% of children aren't reading on grade level. Sarah's answer is organizing — door by door, parent by parent — the same way unions built the middle class. "We can't keep burying our children because of lack of education."

A Community Partner of Labor Education

Labor knows exactly what The Memphis LIFT is doing, because it's what we do: knock doors, build power, and demand a seat at the table. A child who can't read on grade level today is a worker locked out of the apprenticeships, trades, and union careers of tomorrow — parent power and worker power are the same power. Labor Education is proud to stand with Sarah Carpenter and the powerful parents of Memphis. Contact: (901) 276-0850 · info@memphislift.org.

Connect with The Memphis LIFT

Want to get involved, partner, or learn more? Reach out through their website.