Written By JR Robinson

There is a massive difference between being "nice" and being "kind."

Nice is soft. Nice is letting someone slide because you don’t want to make things awkward. Nice is hearing a politician give a rehearsed, robotic answer about "improving education" and nodding your head just to keep the agenda moving.

But kind? Real kindness? That is a whole different animal.

Kindness is looking someone in the eye and seeing that they have more to give than they are currently showing. Kindness is refusing to accept the script because you know the person reading it is capable of speaking from the soul. Kindness is uncomfortable. It’s gritty. It’s that coach who yells at you to get back on the line—not because they hate you, but because they know you can run faster.

And if you want to know what a Dr. Marie Feagins administration is going to look like now that she’s officially running for Shelby County Mayor, you don’t need to look at her press release. You need to look at the moment she stopped Jevonte Cortez Porter in his tracks.

We have to go back to September 1, 2024. The Danielle Inez 901DAY Summit.

I’ve already written about the broad strokes of this event. I told you it was an audition. But there was one specific scene in that movie that I haven’t been able to shake. It’s been living rent-free in my head for months.

It was the moment Dr. Feagins turned her attention to District 12 candidate Jevonte Cortez Porter. She didn’t attack him. She didn’t debate him. She just held up a mirror so clear and so unyielding that he literally lost his words.

And in that silence, we learned everything we need to know about the future of Memphis leadership.

Part I: The Setup (And Why We Are All Tired of the Script)

So, let’s set the scene properly.

We are all used to political forums, right? You know the drill. I know the drill. We get the candidates up on stage. We give them a microphone. The moderator asks a question like, "How do you feel about crime?"

And then the candidate activates "Robot Mode."

They say, "Crime is bad. I will work with the police. I love safe neighborhoods." And we all clap politely, even though we know they haven’t actually said anything. It’s a dance. It’s safe. It’s comfortable.

But Dr. Feagins? She doesn't do safe.

When she walked onto that stage at the 901DAY Summit, she brought a different energy. It wasn't hostile—I want to be clear about that. She wasn't there to embarrass anyone. But she brought this vibe of, "We do not have time for the games."

She started the event by telling the room she had done her research. And she didn’t mean she read their bios on the website. She meant she had been digging. She wanted to know who these people were when the cameras weren't rolling.

And then she got to Jevonte Cortez Porter.

Now, you have to understand who Jevonte is. He is running for District 12. That is a serious seat. It’s currently held by Erika Sugarmon. He’s an educator. He’s a father. He is a guy who clearly cares. He looks the part. He sounds the part. In the earlier questions, he was handling himself well—talking about funding, talking about strategy. He was giving the "A-minus" political answers.

But Feagins wasn't looking for a politician. She was looking for a partner in the struggle.

She sensed that underneath the suit and the talking points, there was a real person who was frustrated. There was a dad who was scared. And she decided, right then and there, that she was going to drag that real person out into the light.

Part II: The Question That Changed the Temperature

This is where the "Feagins Method" kicks in.

Most moderators ask about policy. "What is your policy on schools?"

Feagins didn't ask about policy. She asked about pain.

She pulled up a specific social media post that Jevonte had written. And she read it to him.

"Mr. Porter, you are asking for District 12... On this beautiful day, December 17, 2024, a social media post stated in part, 'My head hurts.' But more importantly, as a parent... I fear for the future of education... that looks like me growing up in a city like Memphis, we must do better."

Can we just pause and appreciate the surgical precision of that?

She quoted his own vulnerability back to him.

She didn't say, "What do you think about test scores?" She said, "Hey, remember that day in December when your head hurt? Remember when you were scared for your kid? Talk to me about that."

She stripped away his armor. She forced him to go back to that moment of frustration. And then she hit him with the Call to Action.

"What does 'better' mean to you... and what is one specific action you plan to take to reach better across other?"

She didn’t leave him room to wiggle. She didn’t want a philosophy. She wanted a definition of "Better," and she wanted an action plan.

This is the "Where you at?" energy I’m talking about. It’s not, "Oh, I’m sorry your head hurts." It’s, "Okay, your head hurts because the system is broken. So what are you going to do to fix it?"

Part III: The Response (The Mask Comes Off)

So, Jevonte takes the mic.

And at first, you can see him trying to recalibrate. He’s smart. He knows he can’t give the canned speech anymore. You can’t respond to your own diary entry with a press release. It doesn’t work.

So he starts talking about his daughter.

"You're absolutely right. So my daughter just started preK. And when that experience... I knew then, that Shelby County schools is not set up... for whatever you married, until you... what that is, that school may not have a proper relationship."

He’s stumbling a little here. But listen—and I mean really listen—to the stumble.

This isn’t the stumble of someone who doesn't know the answer. This is the stumble of someone who is feeling the weight of the answer. He isn’t speaking from a teleprompter in his head anymore. He is speaking from his gut.

He talks about how he had to be "intentional"—a polite word for working twice as hard—just to make sure his daughter could survive the system. He talks about how unfair it is that he had to work that hard just for basic education.

He is fighting for the words. He is trying to articulate this massive, systemic injustice that he sees every day as an educator and a father. He is talking about the difference between the "Madison" standard—the places where everything works—and the reality for everyone else.

He is getting passionate. He is getting real.

And then... it happens.

Part IV: "Better Is..." (The Manifesto)

This is the moment. This is the part I want to print in bold.

Dr. Feagins asked him to define "Better." And Jevonte Cortez Porter closed his eyes, reached into his gut, and gave us a definition that wasn't written by a campaign manager. It was written by his life experience.

I have gone back and listened to the tape. I have cleaned up the transcription errors to show you exactly what he was saying. Because when you realize he is talking about his daughter, Madison, the whole thing transforms from a speech into a prayer.

Here is exactly what he said.

"Better is... Better is having equal access to quality resources for young people in schools. It looks like providing the exposure our inner-city students lack that they do not need to lack.

Better looks like this: While we prioritize the private schools and what they have over on their side, we must also hold ourselves accountable to the young people in inner-city groups, to do what they need.

Better means strong leadership that we don't have a way with right now. Better looks like being a standard. That will not... it’s like two weeks of waiting we don't need. We have to raise the standard until they stand at the gate... so that Madison will not be stuck there.

Madison has the opportunity... so that every other young person who looks like me, will too. That's the way. It was a beautiful day. Be Better."

Let’s break that down.

He is saying that Better is stopping the excuses. He is saying that Better is ending the era where private schools get the resources while our kids get the "accountability" without the support. He is saying that Better is raising the bar so high that his daughter, Madison, is never left behind again.

It was powerful. It was the kind of answer that makes you want to stand up and shout.

Part V: The Speechless Moment (The Real Home Run)

But then, something happened.

And this is the part that people might misunderstand if they weren't paying attention.

After pouring all of that out—after channeling the frustration of every parent in District 12 who has ever worried about their kid's future—Jevonte hit an emotional wall.

He tried to finish the sentence.

"I don't. For all candidates. Sorry, better got... Nobody is better."

And he stopped.

Now, listen to me closely. He did not strike out.

In that moment, Jevonte Porter realized that the words were not enough. He realized that the gap between the "Better" he just described for Madison and the reality we are living in is so wide, and so painful, that it literally took his voice away.

He was speechless.

And in that silence? The room felt it.

It wasn't an awkward silence. It was a holy silence. It was the silence of a room full of people realizing, Oh, this man isn't playing. This man is hurting for us.

Dr. Feagins watched him. She didn't interrupt. She didn't rush him. She didn't try to save him with a joke. She let him sit in that power. She let the room feel the weight of his passion.

By letting him go speechless, she allowed him to be the most authentic person in the room.

She proved that he wasn't a robot. She proved he was a father fighting for Madison.

And that, my friends, is a home run. A home run isn't always a perfect speech. Sometimes, a home run is showing the people that you care so much, you can't even speak.

Part VI: What This Says About Dr. Feagins

So, why does this matter for the Mayoral race?

Because this interaction is a blueprint for how Dr. Feagins leads.

If she becomes Mayor, she is going to do exactly what she did to Jevonte Porter—but she’s going to do it to the whole county.

1. She Will Demand Your Best. She knew Jevonte had that answer in him. She knew he could define "Better" in a way that mattered. So she pushed him until he did it. She is going to push her staff, her commissioners, and her department heads the same way. She isn't going to accept "good enough." She wants the breakthrough.

2. She Values Passion Over Polish. She didn't penalize him for getting emotional. In fact, her question was designed to get him emotional. She understands that you can't fix Memphis with a spreadsheet alone. You need heart. You need people whose "heads hurt" because they are thinking so hard about the solutions.

3. She Sets the Table for Success. She didn't ask a trick question. She set him up to win. She gave him the platform to talk about his daughter. That tells me she is a collaborative leader. She wants her team to shine. She wants the people around her to be great, because when they are great, the county wins.

Part VII: The "We Got Work To Do" Doctrine

So, let’s zoom out. What does this tell us about a Feagins Administration?

If she wins this race, if she becomes the Mayor of Shelby County, this is the energy we are signing up for. And I think we need to be ready for it.

This is the "We Got Work To Do" Doctrine.

1. No More Autopilot. You know how sometimes in government, people just go through the motions? They hold the meetings, they stamp the papers, but nothing changes? Feagins is signaling that autopilot is over. If you come into a meeting with her, you better be awake. You better feel it. If you aren't emotionally invested in the outcome, she is going to sniff that out in five seconds.

2. Data + Emotion = Action. Notice how she combined the two? She started with the data (the date, the post, the context) but she aimed for the emotion. She understands that you can’t fix Memphis with spreadsheets alone. You need the spreadsheet, yes. But you also need the "headache." You need the urgency that comes from feeling the problem.

3. Safety in Vulnerability. Here is the most important part. When Jevonte went speechless, the room didn't laugh. Feagins didn't mock him. She created a space where it was okay to be overwhelmed by the problem, as long as you were committed to the solution. That is rare. Usually, leaders want you to look strong all the time. Feagins seems to understand that real strength looks like admitting how hard the work is, and then doing it anyway.

Part VIII: A Note to Jevonte Cortez Porter

I want to take a second to speak directly to Mr. Porter, in case he reads this.

Jevonte, listen.

I know you probably went home that night replayin’ that moment. I know you probably thought, "Man, I should have finished that sentence. I should have had a slick closing line."

But I am here to tell you: You didn't need it.

That silence spoke louder than any slogan you could have come up with. That silence told the voters in District 12 that you aren't just looking for a job—you are looking for a crusade.

We are tired of slick. We are tired of polished. We want people who feel it so deep that sometimes they can’t even get the words out.

So, don't apologize for that. Lean into it. That was your best moment.

Part IX: The Blueprint for the Election

So, where do we go from here?

The race is officially on. Dr. Feagins has filed the paperwork. Jevonte Cortez Porter is running for District 12. The board is set.

But the rules have changed.

The old rules were: Look good, sound good, don't rock the boat.

The new rules, set by Dr. Feagins on September 1st, are: Be real, show your work, and don't you dare hide your passion.

As voters, we need to adopt this mindset too.

When these candidates come to your church, or your community center, or your front porch, don't ask them the soft questions. Don't ask them, "What’s your plan for crime?"

Pull a Feagins.

Ask them: "Hey, I saw you posted this three years ago. You seemed angry then. Are you still angry? And what are you going to do about it?"

Ask them: "What keeps you up at night?"

Ask them: "When was the last time you were speechless because the problems in this county hurt so bad?"

If they give you a robot answer, move on. But if they stumble? If they struggle? If they look at you with real pain in their eyes?

That might be your candidate.

Part X: The Final Word

I kept the transcript of that moment. I have it saved on my phone.

Jevonte Porter: "Madison has the opportunity... That's the way... Be Better."

It’s messy. It’s fragmented. It’s imperfect.

And it is exactly what Memphis looks like right now. We are messy. We are fragmented. We are imperfect.

But we are also full of potential. We are full of people like Jevonte who care so much it hurts. And we have leaders like Dr. Feagins who are willing to stop the show, point at that pain, and say, "Use that. That is your fuel."

So, yeah. We got work to do.

The audition is over. The real show is about to start. And if September 1st was any indication, Dr. Feagins isn't just running for Mayor to hold a title. She is running to wake us all up.

Let’s see who stays awake.