i'm not sure what i have to say has any merit, let alone belonging, in this thread but here goes. i don't mark the date on the calendar for the date was marked in me. being all of 8 or 9 years old and having lived in memphis four years - my dad having been transferred by del monte from topeka, ks.
shelby county. graceland. memphis - on a bad day smelled like sulphur. whitehaven. 4480 whitepine cove. white white white. you knew when elvis was home because the gates would be closed. whbq was the am station that hosted saturday morning show (localized bandstand) with the whbq cuties as dancers. bill battle and tennesee volunteer football seemed ridiculously synonymous. the river watermarked off in feet of rising.
but it wasn't big city like today. cotton grew wild as much as it grew as crop. damn stuff.
when i came home from whatever - being outside, whatever - my folks and brothers were all plied to the tv. needlessly we were given strict orders to stay inside and not to venture out for any reason.
years removed, to be in chicago for obama's victory...with his appearance in grant park the nite of the election. the camera had to find folks like oprah, jesse jackson...
the next day i stood at the bus stop on clark street and jackson. the 22 bus came and went leaving an older african american woman and i to wait for the 24. with signs of obama's victory everywhere, you couldn't help but note she stood as straight and as elegant as any day in her life. how do you tell someone where you were so many bad memories ago? i didn't. that memory had been overcome. and she did shine.
Visiting the National Civil Rights Museum on the site of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis was a major highlight of my trip to the States last year. It looks the exactly the same as in 68 from the outside, standing in the car park just looking at it is spine tingling enough. Inside, the museum is really wonderful, full of information and valuable context displayed in an enagaging way.
Comments
Viva la Revolucion, indeed.
Craig
I listen to that on April 4
(link)
i'm not sure what i have to say has any merit, let alone belonging, in this thread but here goes. i don't mark the date on the calendar for the date was marked in me. being all of 8 or 9 years old and having lived in memphis four years - my dad having been transferred by del monte from topeka, ks.
shelby county. graceland. memphis - on a bad day smelled like sulphur. whitehaven. 4480 whitepine cove. white white white. you knew when elvis was home because the gates would be closed. whbq was the am station that hosted saturday morning show (localized bandstand) with the whbq cuties as dancers. bill battle and tennesee volunteer football seemed ridiculously synonymous. the river watermarked off in feet of rising.
but it wasn't big city like today. cotton grew wild as much as it grew as crop. damn stuff.
when i came home from whatever - being outside, whatever - my folks and brothers were all plied to the tv. needlessly we were given strict orders to stay inside and not to venture out for any reason.
viva la revolucion , indeed.
the next day i stood at the bus stop on clark street and jackson. the 22 bus came and went leaving an older african american woman and i to wait for the 24. with signs of obama's victory everywhere, you couldn't help but note she stood as straight and as elegant as any day in her life. how do you tell someone where you were so many bad memories ago? i didn't. that memory had been overcome. and she did shine.
the 24 arrived for each of us.