Perspective
Behind the Veneer of 'I Am Memphis'
Like any good southern hosts, Memphis is polishing its image for the crowd that is about to descend to remember MLK. Here’s the ugly reality we should acknowledge.
MEMPHIS—It was one of the earlier clues that aesthetics would trump reality as the city began to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.
On signage plastered on buses and garbage trucks, draped outside city hall and hanging from downtown light poles is the phrase “I Am Memphis.”