iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I hear Elon Musk and his lobbyists are in town trying to stop the data center moratorium. They’ve got money. I’ve got Memphis. And we’re not for sale.

32511

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Here’s a snippet from my official statement regarding the data center moratorium I am sponsoring: “When discussions about expansion occur without notifying elected officials or the communities we represent, it becomes difficult for us to effectively serve as the voice of the people.”

27941

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Just wondering if the “seat at the table” helped out with the gerrymandering of our community. While they were at the “table”, we were on the menu.

21712

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize why Republicans are suddenly taking aim at majority Black communities with their redistricting efforts. They see our participation in democracy as a threat to their power.

1016156

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Democracy is a threat to a Republican Party more interested in securing power than the will of the people. Redistricting is an excuse for them to dilute all of our political power for the sake of their interests.

15927

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Tennessee’s radical Republican supermajority is trying to erase our 9th Congressional District and silence Shelby County. This is a power grab to dilute our voices and rig the map because they cannot win the people. We will not be erased. We must fight this.

13224

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

There’s no excuse for maintaining the same old status quo anymore. We’ve seen where that gets us. We need change from the bottom up with leaders who understand what working families need and how to get them what they deserve. That’s the leader I promise to be.

03419

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

When our communities are underfunded, people leave. If we want future generations to develop real roots in the places we’ve called home for so long, we have to invest in them every step of the way and give them a future worth fighting for.

03624

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

We’re getting closer to Election Day, and closer than ever to charting a positive, pro-community future for Shelby County. I’m excited to hopefully win, and in doing so start doing the work that working families need to prosper.

020

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

If we want the best possible teachers in our communities then we need to pay them what they’re worth.

35312

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Gas prices are continuing to climb because Donald Trump is more focussed on getting us into a new forever war than he is actually providing for the American people.

44114

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Shelby county faces real threats to the wellbeing of the people who call it home from rising prices, underinvestment in critical resources, and more. If we don’t take bold action now, we may not be a community for us to come home to.

12213

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

How can we expect our next generation to root themselves into our communities if we’re not investing in their schools and doing nothing to make housing affordable for when they finally step out on their own?

18433

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Donald Trump and his movement have no place in Memphis. We deserve a mayor that will remind him of that every single day.

210736

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Far too often the profits from data center development fall into the hands of a few while the consequences of their operations—higher electricity costs and pollution—are borne by all of us. We can’t let Memphis be another example of that if we want to build a better future.

15827

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

A month ago, the average cost of gas in Memphis was $2.58/gallon. Thanks to Trump and the GOP, it’s up to $3.90. This is what happens when you let people who only care about the donors lining their pockets into office. We deserve better.

45934

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

We spend an unbelievable amount of time at our jobs. A huge part of most of our lives is spent working, so it’s only right that we all be able to organize for better pay and conditions in the places that time is spent. I want to be a leader who helps workers do just that.

13311

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Shelby county deserves leadership that will bring costs down, bring wages up, and help the people who call our communities home live the dignified, prosperous lives they deserve.

02014

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Why do the American people always end up paying the price of Trump’s mistakes? Why do we have to foot the bill?

87325

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

No Kings protests and the continued mobilization of so many people in protests across the country are a sign of how ready this country is for a change in the status quo. Trump’s agenda has created nothing but hardship for Americans across the country.

26224

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Our small businesses have the chance to play a major role in the education of working folks throughout our communities. We have a chance to work with them and others to develop apprenticeships, fellowships, and on-the-job training roles that give people the skills they need to succeed in any market.

12418

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Investing in workers today is how we build our local economy for years to come.

13218

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Our educators shouldn’t have to spend their already lower than deserved pay on classroom supplies and other resources for students. We should have an education system that is well funded enough to cover what our kids need in the classroom.

07027

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

How are we supposed to build thriving communities if people can barely afford to live?

33314

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Republicans are perfectly comfortable with our food costs going up, our gas cost going through the roof, our housing costs becoming unaffordable, and every other cost that makes our lives harder continuing to increase, all while standing against any measures that would put more money in our pockets.

43324

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Let me say this, Donald Trump isn’t wanted in Shelby County.

1138

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

It’s our responsibility to build a safer Shelby County by treating public safety as a shared, countywide responsibility, one that breaks down artificial jurisdictional lines, upholds human dignity at every stage of the justice system, and replaces cycles of harm with pathways of stability.

4138

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Safe communities are stronger communities. We need to invest in ensuring our neighbors have their basic needs met, all while providing our law enforcement officials with the resources they need to tackle issues as they arise.

01812

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

How can we expect our communities to be healthy if our community members are unable to access the healthcare they need?

36224

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Access to preventative services such as annual wellness visits, screenings, immunizations, and basic chronic disease management are key to ensuring our communities stay healthy. Together, we can ensure that every community member has these services available when they need them.

04620

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

262

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Our leaders should be doing everything they can to bring costs down, not embroiling our nation in foreign conflicts that drive up prices for working Americans. We need less expensive gas, food, housing, and more. Nothing short of that can be acceptable.

13418

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

What’s a home if it isn’t affordable, safe, and stable? We have to do more than invest in housing - we need deep, community led efforts to make that housing the best it can be

12012

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Every worker deserves a wage that ensures they thrive, not just get by. Livable wages have to be the standard if we’re to uplift our communities.

24521

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

An underfunded school is an underfunded future.

13215

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

While others have been talking about it, I’ve actually been doing the work. When Donald Trump sent ice and the National Guard. I sued. When the republicans got rid of gun permits, I passed a gun referendum. I’ve been standing up. And now it’s time for us to stand together. Election Day: May 5

23417

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

We can’t just build houses, we need to also invest in repairing and upgrading the homes that already exist. Plenty of homes around the county are in need of repairs, so why not give them the fixes they need?

16117

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Our educators shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not they can afford their rent next month. The pay we provide them needs to reflect their immense value and keep them focussed on our future generations, not their bills.

06629

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

No child should have to go hungry. That’s why I’m fighting for both the expansion of free and reduced school lunch programs AND programs that provide after school meals to students facing hardship.

05121

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Public safety starts with leadership that backs good policing. If people don’t feel safe, they can’t thrive. Support first responders. Fund what works.

12414

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

We have a crisis of outmigration among our youngest generation who feel they don’t have the incentives to stay in the places they call home. Shelby County needs to reward young professionals who return home or choose to stay in the county after completing their education.

01612

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

It’s time to get ICE out of our cities.

25522

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

It’s beyond time to get laser focused on closing the wealth gap and creating a ladder to economic opportunity for every citizen. We don’t have a lack of human potential, just a lack of access to the resources so many need to innovate and thrive. We can fix that.

34824

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Investing in public transit is investing in our communities. If we’re going to ensure that the places we call home are thriving and connected, we have to connect them to affordable, efficient public transit options, whether buses or light rail.

03215

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Teachers are shaping our future while struggling to pay their bills. That’s backwards. Pay them what they’re worth.

36024

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

I’m working every day to protect our momentum and keep fighting for safer streets, stronger schools, and real opportunities for every family, but I need your help to get there. Donate today, link is in the first comment #dosomething #communityfirst #leadership #fundraising #actnow #momentum

2129

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Homelessness shouldn’t be something that anyone experiences in our communities. The best way to ensure it doesn’t is fighting for affordable, safe, stable housing. It’s really that simple.

04617

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

No one should have to worry that a knock on their door is a federal agent ready to rip their family apart.

26424

JB Smiley Jr. @jbsmileyjr.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Memphis is lucky in that we’re already a city with a beautiful culture and deeply rooted communities. The only thing left to build is an economic plan that lifts us all up and helps us thrive in the place we call home. That’s what I’m fighting for.

095