This would be the first brush with politics during the day but wouldn’t be the last. Last year, they had increased security because of threats from “Black Lives Matter” protesters. While I hadn’t heard about any threats of protests this year, I understood that part of the reason for charging for the vigil was to make it easier to keep protesters away. My first real sign that there might be protests was seeing that my Facebook event for the Candlelight Vigil had been shared by a group called “Showing Up for Racial Justice Memphis”. When they shared it, they included this comment:
Such spectacle for a dead cult icon while the surrounding neighborhood continues to be systematically dismantled and shoved down the school-to-prison pipeline! SO GROSS!!!! Show up tonight to support our community partners, leaders of color and fellow Memphians of South Memphis. We need to be there not just in spirit. Our city government needs to get it through their heads that #BlackLivesMatter more than dead pop stars. For realz…
I do what I can to keep away from political hot button topics on my website and in my music related Facebook page. I didn’t really like my post being co-opted for political purposes. I don’t know enough about this group to know if I support their cause or not. From what little I’ve heard about them, it seems like they don’t have any issues with Graceland other than the fact that it’s a successful white owned business in a poor black neighborhood. It seems like the main reason they are protesting at Graceland is because of the added attention it can get their group and not because of anything they’ve done. I felt compelled to respond in the most positive way that I could. Here’s what I said:
You might consider coming and supporting this business that employees many people in the community around Graceland. Employment is a great way to break the school to prison pipeline. The lives of the black employees of Graceland matter too. Come show them some support.
