Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor Memphis Music. This summer, my district will play host to a tradition that has evolved with the city for more than 70 years, Carnival Memphis. Every year, Carnival Memphis lifts up the best of our city and asks it to help those Memphians who are most in need. Leaders of an honored industry roll up their sleeves to help special Memphis charities, charities that are often otherwise ignored. This year, the honored industry, Memphis Music, is at the very foundations of our beloved city. Mr. Speaker, so much of the music that is identified as iconic American music came from Memphis. It rose up from the heat of the Mississippi Delta and drifted into the city where it was stamped on vinyl in studios like Stax and Sun. From there, the sounds of Elvis, Mavis Staples, Al Green, Booker T. and the MGs, and Isaac Hayes became part of the fabric of American culture. This summer, Memphis Music and Carnival Memphis will turn their hands and their hearts to the Emanuel Episcopal Center Neighborhood School, and United Cerebral Palsy of the Mid South. They will be joined by the King and Queen of Carnival, the Royal Court and all of the mystic societies. The economic, cultural, and spiritual engine that is the entertainment of industry in Memphis will turn their efforts to lift the spirits and circumstances of those in need in Memphis. I am proud to represent a city that has left such an indelible mark on American culture.”