The Final Day

Last dance in Memphis. Went on a run through downtown Memphis, which happens to be a pretty happenin city. There are always a lot of people around, and every corner has someone playing either country, blues, soul, or funk music. Spent the day at the Civil Rights Museum, Stax records, and the Slave Haven. Interesting twist at the Civil Rights Museum is the story of the woman outside protesting the museum. She has been outside the museum in a tent for 22 years. She lived in the Lorraine Motel but was forced out along with many other low income tenants. Her argument is that the museum takes up a ton of affordable housing, and the site is not approved by Coretta Scott King. She is arguing that MLK Jr. would have rather had it be for the low-income citizens. She sits outside under an umbrella armed with newspaper clippings and information. It is an interesting argument that has a lot of validity.
I then journeyed into the museum to get their stance on her argument, and they said that they wouldn’t comment.
Stax records was an all-black record company that produced the likes of Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Tina Turner and Issac Hayes. It was a great lesson on the history of music and a really, really cool place. I recommend visiting this place.
Slave Haven is a small museum off the beaten path in Memphis. It is a home that would harbor slaves on the Underground Railroad. The crawl space and the hiding places are still preserved, and it was a very educational experience. My guide was incredibly knowledgeable and also tipped me off to the irony of a sculpture placed on one of the main streets in Memphis. The sculpture is of William Bedford Forrest, a slave owner and slave breeder. His sculpture is predominantly placed in a park at a big intersection. Could be my next mission to organize people to bring that sucker down.

The evening was fantastic when my parents arrived to meet me. We ate some local BBQ and saw my dad's home where he grew up and his former schools. It was a great conclusion, and now I am in the car headed back to Dallas. I will probably have a few more posts about highlights, lessons learned, and various other things. Thanks for tuning in. More information will come later.