With a mission to rebuild, restore, and renew communities, The Works, Inc. has been a beacon of hope for underserved Memphis neighborhoods for over 25 years. One thing is clear: the President and CEO, Roshun Austin, is a tireless and compassionate advocate of the community development corporation’s goals for equitable housing, community engagement, sustainable food security, and much more.
Raised in a low-income area that battled its share of challenges, including drugs, Roshun has first-hand knowledge of how poverty takes a toll on families. A bright and gifted child, she was a star student and one of the earliest participants in the Memphis Challenge. She took a winding route to community development, heading to Middlebury College in Vermont to study biochemistry, followed by a stint with Teach for America after graduation. Although she excelled in both, she realized neither was the path for her. Biochemistry’s loss became the city’s gain when she returned to Memphis to earn her graduate degree in Urban Anthropology and began her journey to her true calling. Meet our newest FACE of Memphis, Roshun Austin!
In addition to her job with The Works, Inc., Roshun is very involved in the Memphis community. She’s the treasurer of the Memphis Fourth Estate, which runs the Daily Memphian, the assistant secretary of the Methodist Foundation, the treasurer of Urban Renaissance Partners, and the chair of mission and advancement of Urban Land Institute, Memphis Chapter. She serves on the Mid-South Food Bank Board and is a non-voting member of The Works, Inc. board. Image: The Works, Inc.
Can you tell us a bit about your upbringing?
I came of age in the ’70s and ’80s in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Memphis. I was the middle of five girls. My dad became very ill when I was nine, and my mother had to work. My older sisters were teens and involved in after-school activities, so I had responsibilities that other children did not have. I remember going home at age 11 to start a roast for dinner, and I had responsibility for my younger sisters. We were already poor — financially, not in spirit — but now we were really, really poor. To some degree, I feel like I didn’t have a childhood.
Because I was born in ’71, I was a part of that early experiment, the integration of schools through bussing. I was bussed for three years to an elementary school in Frayser.
What was that experience like?
I was just a kid who loved school. And I was so young — first to third grade. We were doing elementary school activities, and I didn’t think about what it meant to integrate until years later.
Although I was bussed away from my neighborhood, I encountered very few students that didn’t look like me. I do remember two of my teachers for different reasons. My third-grade teacher, Miss Carson, stands out for her positive influence. She was well-traveled and such an interesting and encouraging person. I remember my second-grade teacher for a different reason. She never would say my name correctly. She never made an attempt to pronounce it the right way, even after my mother told her how to say it. She wanted to meet with my parents because she thought I had special needs since I was very shy and wouldn’t talk in class. I was tested and placed in the CLUE (talented and gifted) program.
There is plenty of work to be done, but Roshun says the Memphis community has rallied around The Works. “We have large philanthropic donations, whereas most CDCs rely on government funding,” she says. More than 80% of funding comes from private sources! She’s pictured here at the construction site of Renaissance at Steele Apartments in Frayser, which offers 146 units of affordable housing for very low-income families. The Works, Inc. completed the project in December 2020. Image: Stephen Jones Photography
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
I had a job at what is now Regional One in the Department of Educational Sciences. I started when I was 15; I was really just a gopher. I worked with a lot of nurse educators because I was originally on the health science track, planning to be a doctor or researcher. The director of the department, Nancy Willis, became like another mother to me.
Nancy taught me how to operate in a professional setting and how to be a leader. Nancy was a female and a strong leader; I was surrounded by female leaders — nurses and educators. They were wonderful role models.
How did you end up in community development?
When I was in graduate school at what is now the University of Memphis, my first internship assignment was to interview fledgling community development corporations, including Orange Mound Development Corporation. They were in trouble, and I started helping them, even though my advisor told me I wasn’t supposed to stick with just one. Eventually, they took a chance and hired me. I became the Executive Director at age 23. I still don’t know what they were thinking! I hadn’t even finished graduate school.
I stayed at Orange Mound for almost ten years, then took a little detour in the private sector. I met Dr. Kenneth Robinson, the founder of The Works, Inc., in the late ’90s. He was the pastor of St. Andrew AME. I liked the church because they were outward-facing. They weren’t just thinking about their membership; they were thinking about those beyond their walls. I joined the church and began giving advice and help as The Works started. Later, I joined the board.
After a few twists and turns in life, I accepted a job that overlapped the two entities — I was COO of St. Andrews and President/CEO of The Works. I did both jobs for five years and transitioned to just The Works in 2017.
Having lived well below the poverty line for most of her childhood, Roshun found her passion and ministry in serving the underserved. “My mantra is scriptural,” she says. “And the second is like unto this, that you shall love your neighbors as yourselves. I know how I want and expect to live. My neighbors should experience the same thing. Whoever those neighbors are.” She shared her passion in a TED Talk on February 11, 2023, at Crosstown Theater. Image: Ziggy Mack Fomoloop Photography
How would you describe the mission of The Works?
I like to use our motto: rebuild, restore, renew. When we use those words, people may think we are just talking about physical spaces, but we are also talking about the people that reside in those places. Our motto comes from the prophet Isaiah, verse 61:4: We will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; we will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
We are developers in affordable housing and everything related to that, including financing and providing capital to small developers. We have high health disparities in the zip codes we serve, so The Works ended up in the food, nutrition, and education space.
We merged with Neighborhood Preservation, Inc. at the end of 2021, so we can now do even more — policy work, community development law, titling, and tenant rights work. We gave out over $40 million in eviction settlements, using federal funds for tenants who were facing eviction during the pandemic.
We do the fun stuff, too! We address the issues of social isolation and community engagement. We work with neighborhoods to make their visions a reality by finding resources for a neighborhood pocket park, a digital literacy class, or a walking group, to give a few examples. What we do is driven by what the neighborhoods need.
Roshun is pictured here with The Works, Inc. Vice President Steve Barlow. Image: The Works, Inc.
Why do you think The Works is so needed in Memphis?
Oh, there are so many reasons! We have a dearth of affordable housing. We need almost 40,000 units of quality affordable housing in Memphis. Across the U.S., we’ve turned housing into a commodity versus a need. I see some pretty tough situations. People would be surprised at the way some of our neighbors live, and I don’t think anyone should have to live in substandard conditions.
Roshun says she feels honored that the neighbors she serves trust her as a leader, and she is grateful to serve alongside a team with a similar heart for Memphis. Image: The Works, Inc.
What is your biggest challenge?
The undoing of decades-old discriminatory policies that keep us from helping the people we serve. It’s always a battle. You would think people would want to do right at the local, state, and federal levels, but they’re fighting one another.
What do you love most about Memphis?
Our soul shows in our music, our food, and the cadence of our speech. It’s in our attitude. People talk about a New York attitude — we’ve got a Memphis attitude, and the world knows it. Wherever I’ve been, from Amsterdam to South Africa, when I say I’m from Memphis, others associate it with something that touches them about Memphis — whether it’s the civil rights movement, Stax, the blues, or the best chicken ever.
Where can we find you when you’re not at work?
I’m outdoors — walking, running, cycling, or gardening.
What’s your best piece of advice?
The Golden Rule! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And love hard.
Aside from faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?
Music (must include Prince), good food (must include bacon), and bourbon.
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