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Do not fill this in! {{other uses|Memphis (disambiguation){{!}}Memphis}} {{pp-move}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Memphis | settlement_type = [[List of municipalities in Tennessee|City]] | image_skyline = {{multiple image | border = infobox | total_width = 300 | image_style = border:1; | perrow = 1/2/2/1 | caption_align = center | image1 = Memphis from the water 2022j (cropped).jpg | caption1 = [[Downtown Memphis]] skyline | image2 = Looking East on Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee, June 2014.jpg | caption2 = [[Beale Street]] | image3 = FedExForum at night.jpg | caption3 = [[FedEx Forum]] | image4 = Graceland Memphis Tennessee.jpg | caption4 = [[Graceland]] | image5 = Bass Pro Shop, Memphis, TN (33126417384).jpg | caption5 = [[Memphis Pyramid]] }} | image_flag = Flag of Memphis, Tennessee.svg | image_seal = Memphis TE Seal-.svg | nickname = Bluff City, Home of the Blues, Grind City <!-- images and maps ------------> | image_map = {{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=y|frame-width=300|frame-height=200|frame-align=center|stroke-width=2|zoom=9|type=shape-inverse|stroke-color=#808080|fill=#808080|id=Q16563|fill-opacity=0.4|frame-coordinates={{Coord|35.101052|-89.957318}}}} | map_caption = Interactive map of Memphis | pushpin_map = Tennessee#USA | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Tennessee##Location in the United States | pushpin_relief = 1 | coordinates = {{coord|35|07|03|N|89|58|16|W|region:US-TN|display=inline, title}} | subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]] | subdivision_name = [[United States]] | subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]] | subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Tennessee|County]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Tennessee]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Shelby County, Tennessee|Shelby]] | established_title = Founded | established_date = {{start date|1819|05|22}} | established_title2 = [[Municipal incorporation|Incorporated]] | established_date2 = {{start date|1826|12|19}} | named_for = [[Memphis, Egypt]] | government_type = | leader_title = [[List of mayors of Memphis, Tennessee|Mayor]] | leader_name = [[Paul Young (American politician)|Paul Young]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]) | area_total_km2 = 783.60 | area_total_sq_mi = 302.55 | area_land_km2 = 763.83 | area_land_sq_mi = 294.92 | area_water_km2 = 19.77 | area_water_sq_mi = 7.63 | elevation_m = 103 | elevation_ft = 337 | population_total = 633104 | population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]] | population_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/> | population_rank = [[List of North American cities by population|68th]] in North America<br />[[List of United States cities by population|28th]] in the United States<br />[[List of municipalities in Tennessee|2nd]] in Tennessee | population_density_sq_mi = 2146.71 | population_density_km2 = 828.85 | population_urban = 1,056,190 ([[List of United States urban areas|US: 45th]]) | population_density_urban_km2 = 830.1 | population_density_urban_sq_mi = 2,149.9 | population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="2020Pop">{{cite web |title=2020 Population and Housing State Data |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 22, 2021}}</ref> | population_metro = 1337779 ([[List of metropolitan statistical areas|US: 43rd]]) | population_demonym = Memphian | demographics_type2 = GDP | demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Memphis, TN-MS-AR (MSA)|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP32820|website=fred.stlouisfed.org}}</ref> |demographics2_title1 = MSA |demographics2_info1 = $96.183 billion (2022) | postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]]s | postal_code = {{collapsible list |title = ZIP Codes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |publisher=USPS |title= ZIP Code Lookup |access-date=October 3, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101160345/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |archive-date=January 1, 2008}}</ref> |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0; |list_style = text-align:center;display:none |37501, 37544, 38101, 38103–38109, 38111–38120, 38122, 38124–38128, 38130–38139, 38141, 38145, 38148, 38150–38152, 38157, 38159, 38161, 38163, 38166–38168, 38173–38175, 38177, 38181–38182, 38184, 38186–38188, 38190, 38193–38194, 38197}} | area_code = [[Area code 901|901]] | area_code_type = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]] | website = {{URL|www.memphistn.gov|City of Memphis}} | footnotes = | timezone = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CST]] | utc_offset = −6 | timezone_DST = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CDT]] | utc_offset_DST = −5 | blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]] | blank_info = 47-48000<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='47'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref> | pop_est_as_of = | pop_est_footnotes = | population_est = | founder = [[John Overton (judge)|John Overton]], [[James Winchester (general)|James Winchester]], and [[Andrew Jackson]] }} '''Memphis''' is a city in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Tennessee]]. It is the [[County seat|seat]] of [[Shelby County, Tennessee|Shelby County]], in the southwesternmost part of the state, and is situated along the [[Mississippi River]]. With a population of 633,104 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]],<ref name="QuickFacts">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Memphis city, Tennessee |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/memphiscitytennessee/POP010220 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 22, 2021}}</ref> Memphis is the [[List of municipalities in Tennessee|second-most populous city]] in Tennessee after [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]. Memphis is the fifth-most populous city in the [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]], the nation's [[List of United States cities by population|28th-most populous]] overall, as well as the largest city bordering the Mississippi River and third largest [[metropolitan statistical area]] behind [[Greater St. Louis]] and the [[Twin Cities]] on the Mississippi River.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html | title=2020 Population and Housing State Data }}</ref> The [[Memphis metropolitan area]] includes [[West Tennessee]] and the greater [[Mid-South (region)|Mid-South region]], which includes portions of neighboring [[Arkansas]], [[Mississippi]] and the [[Missouri Bootheel]]. One of the more historic and culturally significant cities of the [[Southern United States]], Memphis has a wide variety of landscapes and [[List of neighborhoods in Memphis, Tennessee|distinct neighborhoods]]. The first European explorer to visit the area of present-day Memphis was Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Hernando de Soto]] in 1541. The high [[Chickasaw Bluff]]s protecting the location from the waters of the Mississippi was contested by [[European colonization of the Americas|European settlers]] as Memphis developed. By 1819, when modern Memphis was founded, it was part of the United States territory. [[John Overton (judge)|John Overton]], [[James Winchester (general)|James Winchester]], and [[Andrew Jackson]] founded the city.<ref name="Tennessee Encyclopedia of History2">{{cite web |url=http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1029 |title=John Overton |last1=Brown |first1=Theodore |access-date=May 11, 2015}}</ref> Based on the wealth of cotton plantations and river traffic along the Mississippi, Memphis grew into one of the largest cities of the [[Antebellum South]]. After the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] and the end of [[Slavery in the United States|slavery]], the city continued to grow into the 20th century. It became among the largest world markets for [[cotton]] and [[lumber]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Memphis-Tennessee |title=Memphis {{!}} Facts & Points of Interest |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=February 21, 2018}}</ref> Home to Tennessee's largest [[African American|African-American]] population, Memphis played a prominent role in the [[American Civil Rights Movement]]. [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.]] was [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|assassinated in 1968]] after activities supporting a strike by the city's maintenance workers. The [[National Civil Rights Museum]] was established there and is a [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]] affiliate institution. Since the civil rights era, Memphis has become one of the nation's leading commercial centers in transportation and [[logistics]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://memphischamber.com/select-memphis/target-industries/logistics-distribution/ |title=Logistics & Distribution |work=Greater Memphis Chamber |access-date=February 21, 2018 |archive-date=February 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221161852/https://memphischamber.com/select-memphis/target-industries/logistics-distribution/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The largest employer is [[FedEx]], which maintains its global air hub at [[Memphis International Airport]]. In 2021, Memphis was the world's second-busiest cargo airport. The [[Port of Memphis|International Port of Memphis]] also hosts the fifth-busiest inland water port in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irpt.net/?mpfy-pin=100 |title=International Port of Memphis |website=Inland Rivers, Ports & Terminals, INC. |access-date=July 5, 2019}}</ref> The [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]] considers Memphis a "Sufficiency" level [[global city]] as of 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=The World According to GaWC 2020 |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/geography/gawc/world2020t.html |website=lboro.ac.uk |access-date=April 20, 2022}}</ref> Memphis is a center for media and entertainment, notably a historic [[music of Tennessee|music scene]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/memphis-unmatched-for-american-music-history_b_7973690 |title=Memphis Unmatched for American Music History |last=Mariani |first=John |date=August 12, 2015 |website=HuffPost |access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> With [[blues]] clubs on [[Beale Street]] originating the unique [[Memphis blues]] sound, the city has been nicknamed the "Home of the Blues". Its music has continued to be shaped by a multicultural mix of influences: [[country music|country]], [[rock and roll]], [[Memphis soul|soul]], and [[Memphis rap|hip-hop]]. The city is home to a [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major professional sports team]], the [[Memphis Grizzlies|Grizzlies]] of the [[NBA]] and the Memphis Showboats of the UFL. Other attractions include [[Graceland]], the [[Memphis Pyramid]], [[Sun Studio]], the [[Blues Hall of Fame]] and [[Stax Museum of American Soul Music]]. [[Memphis-style barbecue]] has achieved international prominence, and the city hosts the annual [[Memphis in May#World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (WCBCC)|World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest]], which attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year. Higher-level educational institutions include the [[University of Memphis]], [[Christian Brothers University]] and [[Rhodes College]]. == History == {{Main|History of Memphis, Tennessee}} {{For timeline}} === Early history === Occupying a substantial bluff rising from the Mississippi River, the site of Memphis has been a natural location for human settlement by varying indigenous cultures over thousands of years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/mississippian-period-overview |title=Mississippian Period: Overview |website= New Georgia Encyclopedia |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> In the first millennium A.D. people of the [[Mississippian culture]] were prominent; the culture influenced a network of communities throughout the Mississippi River Valley and its tributaries. The hierarchical societies built complexes with large earthwork ceremonial and burial mounds as expressions of their sophisticated culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://historic-memphis.com/memphis/pickering/pickering.html |title=Historic Fort Pickering, Memphis |website=Historic-memphis.com |access-date=July 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109154251/http://historic-memphis.com/memphis/pickering/pickering.html |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Chickasaw]] people, believed to be their descendants, later inhabited this site and a large territory in the Southeast.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5436 |title=Chickasaw |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> French explorers led by [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle]],<ref>{{cite journal |author=Magness, Perre |date=2011 |title=Fort Prudhomme and La Salle |journal=Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture (Online, February 16 Update) |location=Knoxville, TN |publisher=[[University of Tennessee Press]]; [[Tennessee Historical Society]] |url=http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=495 |access-date=December 2, 2015}}</ref> and Spanish explorer [[Hernando de Soto]]<ref>WISSLER, Clark (1993) ''Los indios de Estados Unidos de América,'' Paidós Studio, nº 104 Barcelona</ref><ref>HALE, Duane K & GIBSON, Arrell M. (1989) ''The Chickasaw'', Frank W. Porter III, General Editor, Chelsea House, New York.</ref> encountered the historic Chickasaw in this area in the 16th century. J. D. L. Holmes, writing in Hudson's ''Four Centuries of Southern Indians'' (2007), notes that this site was a third strategic point in the late 18th century through which European powers could control United States encroachment beyond the Appalachians and their interference with Indian matters—after [[History of Vicksburg, Mississippi|Fort Nogales]] (present-day [[Vicksburg, Mississippi|Vicksburg]]) and [[Fort Tombecbe|Fort Confederación]] (present-day [[Epes, Alabama]]): "Chickasaw Bluffs, located on the Mississippi River at the present-day location of Memphis. Spain and the United States vied for control of this site, which was a favorite of the Chickasaws."<ref name=Holmes2007>{{cite book |author=Holmes, Jack D.L. |editor=Hudson, Charles M. |chapter=Spanish Policy Toward the Southern Indians in the 1790s [chapter, pp. 65–82] |title=Four Centuries of Southern Indians |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UcY20I7XXMAC&pg=PA71 |access-date=December 2, 2015 |date=2007 |location=Athens, GA |publisher=[[University of Georgia Press]] |isbn=978-0-8203-3132-4 |page=given in superscript}}</ref>{{rp|71}} In 1795 the Spanish Governor-General of [[Louisiana]], [[Francisco Luis Héctor de Carondelet]], sent his lieutenant governor, [[Manuel Gayoso de Lemos]], to negotiate and secure consent from the local Chickasaw so that a Spanish fort could be erected on the bluff; [[Fort San Fernando De Las Barrancas]] was the result.<ref name=Holmes2007 />{{rp|71}}<ref>{{cite journal |author = Harkins, John E. |date = 2010 |title = Fort San Fernando De Las Barrancas |journal = Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture (Online, January 1 Update) |location = Knoxville, Tennessee, USA |publisher = University of Tennessee Press, Tennessee Historical Society |url = http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=496s |access-date = December 2, 2015 |quote = Louisiana Governor-General Carondelet sent Lieutenant Governor Manuel Gayoso de Lemos to secure the Chickasaws' consent and then erect a fort on the bluff site. |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193914/http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=496s |archive-date = March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Holmes notes that consent was reached despite opposition from "disappointed Americans and a pro-American faction of the Chickasaws" when the "pro-Spanish faction signed the Chickasaw Bluffs Cession and Spain provided the Chickasaws with a trading post".<ref name=Holmes2007 />{{rp|71}} Fort San Fernando de las Barrancas remained a focal point of Spanish activity until, as Holmes summarizes: <blockquote>{{blockquote|[T]he Treaty of San Lorenzo or [[Pinckney's Treaty]] of 1795 [implemented in March 1797], [had as its result that] all of the careful, diplomatic work by Spanish officials in [[Louisiana territory|Louisiana]] and [[West Florida]], which has succeeded for a decade in controlling the Indians [e.g., the [[Choctaws]]], was undone. The United States gained the right to navigate the [[Mississippi River]] and won control over the [[Yazoo lands|Yazoo Strip]] north of the thirty-first parallel.<ref name=Holmes2007 />{{rp|75,71}}</blockquote>}} The Spanish dismantled the fort, shipping its lumber and iron to their locations in Arkansas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2916|title=European Exploration and Settlement, 1541 through 1802 – Encyclopedia of Arkansas|website=Encyclopediaofarkansas.net|access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref> In 1796, the site became the westernmost point of the newly admitted state of Tennessee, in what was then called the Southwest United States. The area was still largely occupied and controlled by the Chickasaw nation. Captain Isaac Guion led an American force down the Ohio River to claim the land, arriving on July 20, 1797. By this time, the Spanish had departed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wknofm.org/post/fort-san-fernando-de-las-barrancas|title=Fort San Fernando De Las Barrancas|author=Steve Pike|work=wknofm.org|date=July 23, 2013|access-date=December 2, 2015}}</ref> The fort's ruins went unnoticed 20 years later when Memphis was laid out as a city after the United States government paid the Chickasaw for land.<ref name="Patrick1990">{{cite book|last=Patrick|first=James|title=Architecture in Tennessee, 1768–1897|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JOIMXAKnCfAC&pg=PA77|access-date=March 25, 2011|date=March 1990|publisher=Univ. of Tennessee Press |isbn = 978-0-87049-631-8 |page=77}}</ref> === 19th century === [[File:Memphis Tennessee 1850s.jpg|thumb|Memphis in the mid-1850s]] At the beginning of the century, as recognized by the [[United States]] in [[Treaty of Hopewell|1786 Treaty of Hopewell]], the land still belonged to the [[Chickasaw|Chickasaw Nation]]. In the [[Treaty of Tuscaloosa]], signed in October 1818 and ratified by Congress on January 7, 1819, the Chickasaw ceded their territory in Western Tennessee to the [[United States]]. The city of Memphis was founded less than five months after the U.S. takeover of the territory, on May 22, 1819 (incorporated December 19, 1826), by [[John Overton (judge)|John Overton]], [[James Winchester (general)|James Winchester]] and [[Andrew Jackson]].<ref name="TNencyOverton">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1029 |title=TN Encyclopedia: John Overton |access-date=October 24, 2008 |encyclopedia=The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture}}</ref><ref name="MemLib">{{cite web|url=http://www.memphislibrary.lib.tn.us/history/memphis2.htm |title=Memphis History and Facts |access-date=October 24, 2008 |publisher=Memphis Public Library |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927040837/http://www.memphislibrary.lib.tn.us/history/memphis2.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> They named it after the [[Memphis, Egypt|ancient capital]] of [[Egypt]] on the [[Nile River]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Stewart |first= George R. |author-link= George R. Stewart |title= Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States. Oxford University Press 1970 |page= 289}}</ref> From the city's foundation onwards, [[African Americans]] formed large proportion of Memphis' population. Prior to [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|the abolition]] of [[slavery in the United States]], most Black people in Memphis were enslaved, being used as [[Forced labour|forced labor]] by white enslavers along the river or on outlying [[Plantation complexes in the Southern United States|cotton plantations]] in the [[Mississippi Delta]]. The city's demographics changed dramatically in the 1850s and 1860s, due to waves of immigration and domestic migration. Due to increased immigration since the 1840s and the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine]], [[Irish Americans]] made up 9.9% of the population in 1850, but 23.2% by 1860, when the total population was 22,623.<ref>Carriere, Marius. (2001), "An Irresponsible Press: Memphis Newspapers and the 1866 Riot", ''Tennessee Historical Quarterly'' 60(1):2</ref><ref>Bordelon, John. (2006), "Rebels to the Core‟: Memphians under William T. Sherman", ''Rhodes Journal of Regional Studies'' 3:7</ref><ref name="Walker">Walker, Barrington. (1998), "'This is the White Man's Day': The Irish, White Racial Identity, and the 1866 Memphis Riots", ''Left History'', 5(2), p. 36</ref> [[File:Forrest Memphis Raid.jpg|thumb|Attack on [[Irving Block prison|Irving Block]] by General Forrest in 1864]] [[Tennessee#History|Tennessee]] seceded from the [[United States|Union]] in June 1861, and Memphis briefly became a [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] stronghold. [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] [[Ironclad warship|ironclad gunboats]] captured it in the naval [[Battle of Memphis]] on June 6, 1862, and the city and state were occupied by the [[Union Army]] for the duration of the war. Union commanders allowed the city to maintain its civil government during most of this period but excluded [[Confederate States Army]] veterans from office. This shifted political dynamics in the city as the war went on.<ref name="carden">[http://mercatus.org/sites/default/files/publication/WP1040_An%20Unrighteous%20Piece%20of%20Business.pdf Art Carden and Christopher J. Coyne, "An Unrighteous Piece of Business: A New Institutional Analysis of the Memphis Riot of 1866"], Mercatus Center, George Mason University, July 2010, accessed February 1, 2014</ref> The war years contributed to additional dramatic changes in the city population. The Union Army's presence attracted many [[Fugitive slaves in the United States|fugitive slaves]] who had escaped from surrounding rural plantations. So many sought protection behind Union lines that the Army set up [[Contraband (American Civil War)|contraband camps]] to accommodate them. Memphis's black population increased from 3,000 in 1860, when the total population was 22,623, to nearly 20,000 in 1865, with most settling south of the city limits.<ref name="Ryan">[https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716953 Ryan, James G. (1977). "The Memphis Riots of 1866: Terror in a black community during Reconstruction"], ''The Journal of Negro History'' 62 (3): 243–257, at JSTOR.</ref> === Postwar years, Reconstruction and Democratic control === The rapid demographic changes added to the stress of war and occupation and uncertainty about who was in charge, increasing tensions between the city's ethnic Irish policemen and black Union soldiers after the war.<ref name="carden" /> In three days of rioting in early May 1866, the [[Memphis Riots of 1866|Memphis Riots]] erupted, in which white mobs made up of policemen, firemen, and other mostly ethnic [[Irish Americans]] attacked and killed 46 blacks, wounding 75 and injuring 100; raped several women; and destroyed nearly 100 houses while severely damaging churches and schools in South Memphis. Much of the black settlement was left in ruins. Two whites were killed in the riot.<ref name="Ryan" /> Many blacks permanently fled Memphis afterward, especially as the [[Freedmen's Bureau]] continued to have difficulty in protecting them. Their population fell to about 15,000 by 1870,<ref name="carden" /> 37.4% of the total population of 40,226. [[File:Memphis airview 1870.jpg|thumb|Historic aerial view of Memphis, 1870]] Historian Barrington Walker suggests that the Irish rioted against blacks because of their relatively recent arrival as immigrants and the uncertain nature of their own claim to "whiteness"; they were trying to distinguish themselves from blacks in the underclass. The main fighting participants were ethnic Irish, decommissioned black Union soldiers, and newly emancipated African-American [[freedmen]]. Walker suggests that most of the mob was not in direct economic conflict with the blacks, as by then the Irish had attained better jobs, but were establishing social and political dominance over the freedmen.<ref name="Walker" /> Unlike the disturbances in some other cities, ex-Confederate veterans were generally not part of the attacks against blacks in Memphis. As a result of the riots in Memphis, and a similar one in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]] in September, Congress passed the [[Reconstruction Act]] and the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution]].<ref name="Ryan" /> === Yellow fever epidemics === {{main article|Lower Mississippi Valley yellow fever epidemic of 1878}} In the 1870s, a series of [[yellow fever]] [[epidemic]]s devastated Memphis, with the disease carried by river passengers traveling by ships along the waterways. During the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878, more than 5,000 people were listed in the official register of deaths between July 26 and November 27. The vast majority died of yellow fever, making the epidemic in the city of 40,000 one of the most traumatic and severe in urban U.S. history. Within four days of the Memphis Board of Health's declaration of a yellow fever outbreak, 20,000 residents fled the city. The ensuing panic left the poverty-stricken, the working classes, and the African-American community at the most risk from the epidemic. Those who remained relied on volunteers from religious and physician organizations to tend to the sick. By the end of the year, more than 5,000 were confirmed dead in Memphis. The New Orleans health board listed "not less than 4,600" dead. The Mississippi Valley recorded 120,000 cases of yellow fever, with 20,000 deaths. The $15 million in losses caused by the epidemic bankrupted Memphis, and as a result, its charter was revoked by the state legislature. [[File:AmCyc Memphis (Tennessee).jpg|thumb|Woodcut representing the waterfront of Memphis, {{Circa|1879}}]] By 1870, Memphis's population of 40,000 was almost double that of Nashville and Atlanta, and it was the second-largest city in the South after New Orleans.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006">Crosby, Molly Caldwell. ''The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic That Shaped Our History''. New York: [[Berkley Books]], 2006.</ref> Its population continued to grow after 1870, even when the [[Panic of 1873]] hit the US hard, particularly in the South. The Panic of 1873 resulted in expanding Memphis's underclasses amid the poverty and hardship it wrought, giving further credence to Memphis as a rough, shiftless city. Leading up to the outbreak in 1878, it had suffered two yellow fever epidemics, [[cholera]], and [[malaria]], giving it a reputation as sickly and filthy. It was unheard of for a city with a population as large as Memphis's not to have any waterworks; the city still relied for supplies entirely on collecting water from the river and rain cisterns, and had no way to remove sewage.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> The combination of a swelling population, especially of lower and working classes, and abysmal health and sanitary conditions made Memphis ripe for a serious epidemic. Kate Bionda, an owner of an Italian "snack house", died of a fever on August 13, 1878.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> Hers was officially reported by the Board of Health, on August 14, as the first case of yellow fever in the city.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> A massive panic ensued. The same trains and steamboats that had brought thousands into Memphis, in five days carried away more than 25,000 refugees, more than half of the city's population.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> On August 23, the Board of Health finally declared a yellow fever epidemic in Memphis, and the city collapsed, hemorrhaging its population. In July of that year, the city had a population of 47,000; by September, 19,000 remained, and 17,000 of them had yellow fever.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> The only people left in the city were the lower classes, such as German and Irish immigrant workers and African Americans. None had the means to flee the city, as did the middle and upper-class whites of Memphis, and thus they were subjected to a city of death. Immediately following the Board of Health's declaration, a Citizen's Relief Committee was formed by Charles G. Fisher. It organized the city into refugee camps. The committee's main priority was to separate the poor from the city and isolate them in refugee camps.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> The Howard Association, formed specifically for yellow fever epidemics in New Orleans and Memphis, organized nurses and doctors in Memphis and throughout the country.<ref name="Hicks, Mildred 1964">Hicks, Mildred. ''Yellow Fever and the Board of Health.'' Memphis, Tennessee: Memphis and Shelby County Health Department, 1964.</ref> They stayed at the [[Peabody Hotel]], the only hotel to keep its doors open during the epidemic. From there they were assigned to their respective districts. Physicians of the epidemic reported seeing as many as 100 to 150 patients daily.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> The Episcopal Community of St. Mary at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.communityofstmarysouth.org/about | title=ABOUT }}</ref> played an important role during the epidemic in caring for the lower classes. Already supporting a girls' school and church orphanage, the Sisters of St. Mary also sought to provide care for the Canfield Asylum, a home for black children. Each day, they alternated caring for the orphans at St. Mary's, delivering children to the Canfield Asylum, and taking soup and medicine on house calls to patients.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> Between September 9 and October 4, Sister Constance and three other nuns fell victim to the epidemic and died. They later became known as the Martyrs of Memphis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.episcopalchurch.org |title=Welcomes You |publisher=The Episcopal Church |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> At long last, on October 28, a killing frost struck. The city sent out word to Memphians scattered all over the country to come home. Though yellow fever cases were recorded in the pages of Elmwood Cemetery's burial record as late as February 29, 1874, the epidemic seemed quieted.<ref name="Crosby, Molly Caldwell 2006" /> The Board of Health declared the epidemic at an end after it had caused over 20,000 deaths and financial losses of nearly $200 million.<ref name="Ellis, John H 1992">Ellis, John H. ''Yellow Fever & Public Health in the New South''. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1992.</ref> On November 27, a general citizen's meeting was called at the Greenlaw Opera House to offer thanks to those who had stayed behind to serve, of whom many had died. Over the next year property tax revenues collapsed, and the city could not make payments on its municipal debts. As a result, Memphis temporarily lost its city charter and was reclassified by the state legislature as a Taxing District from 1878 to 1893.<ref name="Hicks, Mildred 1964" /> But a new era of sanitation was developed in the city, a new municipal government in 1879 helped form the first regional health organization, and during the 1880s Memphis led the nation in sanitary reform and improvements.<ref name="Ellis, John H 1992" /> Perhaps the most significant effect of yellow fever on Memphis was in demographic changes. Nearly all of Memphis's upper and middle classes vanished, depriving the city of its general leadership and class structure that dictated everyday life, similar to that in other large Southern cities, such as [[New Orleans]], [[Charleston, South Carolina]], and [[Atlanta, Georgia]]. In Memphis, the poorer whites and blacks fundamentally made up the city and played the greatest role in rebuilding it. The epidemic had resulted in Memphis being a less cosmopolitan place, with an economy that served the cotton trade and a population drawn increasingly from poor white and black Southerners.<ref>Keith, Jeanette. ''Fever Season: The Story of a Terrifying Epidemic and the People Who Saved a City''. New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2012.</ref> === Late 19th century === The 1890 election was strongly contested, resulting in white opponents of the [[D. P. Hadden]] faction working to deprive them of votes by [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disenfranchising blacks]]. The state had enacted several laws, including the requirement of [[poll taxes]], that made it more difficult for them to register to vote and served to [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disenfranchise]] many blacks. Although political party factions in the future sometimes paid [[poll tax (United States)|poll taxes]] to enable blacks to vote, African Americans lost their last positions on the city council in this election and were forced out of the police force. (They did not recover the ability to exercise the franchise until after the passage of civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s.) Historian L. B. Wrenn suggests the heightened political hostility of the Democratic contest and related social tensions contributed to a white mob [[Peoples Grocery|lynching three black grocers in Memphis in 1892]].<ref name="wrenn">{{cite book |author = Wrenn, Lynette Boney |year = 1998 |page = given in superscript |title = Crisis and Commission Government in Memphis: Elite Rule in a Gilded Age City |location = Knoxville, Tennessee, USA |publisher = University of Tennessee Press |isbn = 978-0-87049-997-5 |url = https://archive.org/details/crisiscommission0000wren |url-access = registration |access-date = December 2, 2015}}</ref>{{rp|124,131}} Journalist [[Ida B. Wells]] of Memphis investigated the lynchings, as one of the men killed was a friend of hers. She demonstrated that these and other lynchings were more often due to economic and social competition than any criminal offenses by black men. Her findings were considered so controversial and aroused so much anger that she was forced to move away from the city. But she continued to investigate and publish the abuses of [[Lynching in the United States|lynching]].<ref name="wrenn" />{{rp|131}} Businessmen were eager to increase the city population after the losses of 1878–79, and supported the annexation of new areas; this measure was passed in 1890 before the census. The annexation measure was finally approved by the state legislature through a compromise achieved with real estate magnates, and the area annexed was slightly smaller than first proposed.<ref name="wrenn" />{{rp|126}} In 1893 the city was rechartered with [[home rule]], which restored its ability to enact taxes. The state legislature established a cap rate.<ref>Adams, James Truslow and Ketz, Louise Bilebof. ''Dictionary of American History'', New York: Scribner, 1976, p. 302.</ref> Although the commission government was retained and enlarged to five commissioners, Democratic politicians regained control from the business elite. The commission form of government was believed effective in getting things done, but because all positions were elected [[at-large]], requiring them to gain majority votes, this practice reduced representation by candidates representing significant minority political interests.<ref name="wrenn" />{{rp|126f}} === 20th century === [[File:Union Avenue.jpg|thumb|right|Cotton merchants on Union Avenue (1937)]] In terms of its economy, Memphis developed as the world's largest [[spot market|spot]] cotton market and the world's largest hardwood lumber market, both commodity products of the Mississippi Delta. Into the 1950s, it was also the world's largest [[mule]] market. These animals were still used extensively for agriculture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofmemphis.org/framework.aspx?page=296 |title=City of Memphis Website – History of Memphis |publisher=Cityofmemphis.org |date=April 4, 1968 |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615184656/http://cityofmemphis.org/framework.aspx?page=296 |archive-date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> Attracting workers from Southern rural areas as well as new European immigrants, from 1900 to 1950 the city increased nearly fourfold in population, from 102,350 to 396,000 residents.<ref name="lollar">{{cite news |last=Lollar |first=Michael |date=September 11, 2010 |title=Yellow fever left mark on Memphis; historians disagree on impact |url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/local-news/yellow-fever-left-mark-on-memphis |work=The Commercial Appeal |location=Memphis |access-date=February 23, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140721064117/http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/local-news/yellow-fever-left-mark-on-memphis |archivedate=July 21, 2014}}</ref> Racist violence continued into the 20th century, with four lynchings between 1900 and the [[lynching of Thomas Williams]] in 1928.<ref>{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |title=A Study of Mob Action in the South |first=John R. |last=Steelman | author-link=John R. Steelman |institution=[[University of North Carolina]] |year=1928 |page=178|url=https://archive.org/stream/studyofmobaction00stee/studyofmobaction00stee_djvu.txt}}</ref> A Tennessee Powder Company built an explosives powder plant to make TNT and gunpowder on a 6,000-acre site in [[Millington, Tennessee|Millington]] in 1940. The plant was built to make smokeless gunpowder for the [[British Armed Forces]] during [[World War II]]. In May 1941, [[DuPont (1802–2017)]] took over the plant, changed the name to the Chickasaw Ordnance Works, and produced powder for the [[United States Armed Forces]]. There were 8,000 employees. The plant was dismantled after the war in 1946.<ref>[https://memphismagazine.com/the-powder-plant/] The Powder Plant | Memphis, The City Magazine | December 2013</ref><ref>[https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/chickasaw-ordnance-works/] Chickasaw Ordnance Works</ref> From the 1910s to the 1950s, Memphis was a place of [[machine politics]] under the direction of [[E. H. Crump|E. H. "Boss" Crump]]. He gained a state law in 1911 to establish a small commission to manage the city. The city retained a form of commission government until 1967 and patronage flourished under Crump. Per the publisher's summary of L.B. Wrenn's study of the period, "This centralization of political power in a small commission aided the efficient transaction of municipal business, but the public policies that resulted from it tended to benefit upper-class Memphians while neglecting the less affluent residents and neighborhoods."<ref name="wrenn" />{{page needed|date=December 2015}}<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/crisiscommission0000wren |title=Crisis and Commission Government in Memphis |author=Lynette Boney Wrenn |isbn=978-0-87049-997-5 |access-date=November 15, 2016 |year=1998 |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |url-access=registration }}</ref> The city installed a revolutionary sewer system and upgraded sanitation and drainage to prevent another epidemic. Pure water from an artesian well was discovered in the 1880s, securing the city's water supply. The commissioners developed an extensive network of parks and public works as part of the national [[City Beautiful movement]], but did not encourage heavy industry, which might have provided substantial employment for the working-class population. The lack of representation in city government resulted in the poor and minorities being underrepresented. The majority controlled the election of all the [[at-large]] positions.<ref name="wrenn" />{{page needed|date=December 2015}} Memphis did not become a [[home rule]] city until 1963, although the state legislature had amended the constitution in 1953 to provide home rule for cities and counties. Before that, the city had to get state bills approved in order to change its charter and other policies and programs. Since 1963, it can change the charter by popular approval of the electorate.<ref name="wrenn" />{{rp|194}} During the 1960s, the city was at the center of the [[Civil Rights Movement]], as its large African-American population had been affected by state segregation practices and [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disenfranchisement]] in the early 20th century. African-American residents drew from the civil rights movement to improve their lives. In 1968, the [[Memphis sanitation strike]] began for [[living wage]]s and better working conditions; the workers were overwhelmingly African American. They marched to gain public awareness and support for their plight: the danger of their work, and the struggles to support families with their low pay. Their drive for better pay had been met with resistance by the city government. [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] of the [[Southern Christian Leadership Conference]], known for his leadership in the non-violent movement, came to lend his support to the workers' cause. King stayed at the [[Lorraine Motel]] in the city, and [[assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|was assassinated]] by [[James Earl Ray]] on April 4, 1968, the day after giving his ''[[I've Been to the Mountaintop]]'' speech at the [[Mason Temple]]. After learning of King's murder, many African Americans in the city rioted, looting and destroying businesses and other facilities, some by arson. The governor ordered Tennessee National Guardsmen into the city within hours, where small, roving bands of rioters continued to be active.<ref name="lentz">{{cite news |last=Lentz |first=Richard |date=April 6, 1968 |title=Dr. King Is Slain By Sniper: Looting, Arson Touched Off By Death |url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/1968/apr/06/dr-king-slain-sniper-looting-arson-touched-death/ |work=Memphis Commercial Appeal |location=Memphis |access-date=February 1, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202124825/http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/1968/apr/06/dr-king-slain-sniper-looting-arson-touched-death/ |archivedate=February 2, 2014}}</ref> Fearing the violence, more of the middle-class began to leave the city for the suburbs. In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Memphis's population as 60.8% white and 38.9% black.<ref name="census1">{{cite web|title=Tennessee – Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |access-date=April 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812191959/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archive-date=August 12, 2012}}</ref> Suburbanization was attracting wealthier residents to newer housing outside the city. After the riots and court-ordered busing in 1973 to achieve desegregation of public schools, "about 40,000 of the system's 71,000 white students abandon[ed] the system in four years."<ref name="dillon">{{cite news |last=Dillon |first=Sam |date=November 5, 2011 |title=Merger of Memphis and County School Districts Revives Race and Class Challenges |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/education/merger-of-memphis-and-county-school-districts-revives-challenges.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 21, 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107052336/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/education/merger-of-memphis-and-county-school-districts-revives-challenges.html |archivedate=November 7, 2011}}</ref> Today, the city has a majority African-American population. Memphis is well known for its cultural contributions to the identity of the [[Southern United States|American South]]. Many renowned musicians grew up in and around Memphis and moved to [[Chicago]] and other areas from the [[Mississippi Delta]], carrying their music with them to influence other cities and listeners over radio airwaves.<ref>Peter Guralnick. ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 11, 2007.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=June 2021}} Former and current Memphis residents include musicians [[Elvis Presley]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Muddy Waters]], [[Carl Perkins]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Robert Johnson]], [[W. C. Handy]], [[Bobby Whitlock]], [[B.B. King]], [[Howlin' Wolf]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[Booker T. Jones]], [[Eric Gales]], [[Al Green]], [[Alex Chilton]], [[Three 6 Mafia]], [[the Sylvers]], [[Jay Reatard]], [[Zach Myers]], and [[Aretha Franklin]]. On December 23, 1988, a [[tank truck|tanker truck]] hauling liquefied [[propane]] [[Memphis tanker truck disaster|crashed at the I-40/I-240 interchange in Midtown and exploded]], starting multiple vehicle and structural fires. Nine people were killed and ten were injured. It was one of Tennessee's deadliest motor vehicle accidents and eventually led to the reconstruction of the interchange where it occurred.<ref>{{cite news |date = December 25, 1988 |title = Death Toll at 9 in Memphis Tanker Explosion |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/25/us/death-toll-at-9-in-memphis-tanker-explosion.html |work = The New York Times |agency = Associated Press |access-date = January 12, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite report |author = Michael S. Isner |author-link = |date = February 6, 1990 |title = Fire Investigation Report: Propane Tank Truck Incident, Eight People Killed, Memphis, Tennessee, December 23, 1988 |url = https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Fire-Investigations/fimemphis.ashx |publisher = National Fire Protection Association |page = |access-date = January 18, 2021 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20210128223921/https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Fire-Investigations/fimemphis.ashx |archivedate = January 28, 2021}}</ref> === 21st century === [[File:Memphis Skyline at Night January 2015.jpg|thumb|The downtown skyline at night in 2015]]On June 2, 2021, the remains of Confederate General and [[Ku Klux Klan]] leader [[Nathan Bedford Forrest]] were removed from a Memphis park.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=Amanda |last2=Sayers |first2=Devon M. |title=The remains of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife are being removed from a Memphis park |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/01/us/nathan-bedford-forrest-body-bring-moved-trnd/index.html |access-date=June 3, 2021 |work=CNN |date=June 1, 2021}}</ref> On January 7, 2023, after a routine traffic stop, five African American police officers brutally beat a 29-year-old African American man, [[Tyre Nichols]]. Nichols died from his injuries in the hospital three days later. Officer [[body cam]] footage and local surveillance cameras captured the altercations, which were described as "heinous" and showed "a total lack of regard for human life", according to Memphis police chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web | url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/31/us/tyre-nichols-investigation-tuesday/index.html | title=First police report in Tyre Nichols case does not match video of deadly beating | website=[[CNN]] | date=January 31, 2023 }}</ref> The officers were fired and charged with second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and other crimes. The relatively rapid dismissal and prosecution of the offending officers were favorably perceived by Nichols's family, and Davis called it a "blueprint" for future incidents of police brutality nationwide. The incident also resulted in the disbanding of the city's "SCORPION" unit, which had been mandated with directly combating the most violent crimes in the city. All the officers charged with involvement in Nichols's death were members of the unit.<ref name="auto2"/> == Geography == {{Main|Geography of Memphis, Tennessee}} {{See also|List of neighborhoods in Memphis, Tennessee}} According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|839.2|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|816.0|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|23.2|km2|order=flip}}, or 2.76%, is water.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001), Memphis city, Tennessee|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=September 7, 2012}}</ref> === Cityscape === {{wide image|Memphispyramid2021.jpg|align-cap=center|1000px|The [[Downtown Memphis|Downtown]] skyline from the lookout at the [[Memphis Pyramid|Pyramid]] facing southwest}} {{wide image|Bigriverdtme.jpg|align-cap=center|1000px|[[Downtown Memphis|Downtown]] from the [[Harahan Bridge]]}} [[Downtown Memphis, Tennessee|Downtown Memphis]] rises from a bluff along the [[Mississippi River]]. The city and metro area spread out through suburbanization, and encompass southwest Tennessee, northern [[Mississippi]], and eastern [[Arkansas]]. Several large parks were founded in the city in the early 20th century, notably [[Overton Park]] in [[Midtown, Memphis|Midtown]] and the {{convert|4500|acre|km2|abbr=on|adj=on}} [[Shelby Farms]]. The city is a national transportation hub and Mississippi River crossing for [[Interstate 40]], (east-west), [[Interstate 55]] (north-south), barge traffic, Memphis International Airport ([[FedEx Express|FedEx's "SuperHub" facility]]) and numerous freight railroads that serve the city. === Riverfront === [[File:American Queen Memphis TN 2012-04-27 016.jpg|thumb|The [[American Queen]] docked at Beale Street Landing along the riverfront]] The Memphis Riverfront stretches along the Mississippi River from the [[Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park]] in the north, to the [[T. O. Fuller State Park]] in the south. The River Walk is a [[park system]] that connects downtown Memphis from Mississippi River Greenbelt Park in the north, to [[Tom Lee Park]] in the south. === Deannexation === In recent years, the city has decided to [[Municipal deannexation in the United States|deannex]] some of its territory. It has gone through a three-phase process to deannex five areas within the city limits, returning them to unincorporated Shelby County.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/2954/Annexations|title=Annexations and De-Annexations {{!}} Shelby County, TN – Official Website|website=www.shelbycountytn.gov|access-date=January 19, 2020}}</ref> The first phase of deannexation occurred on January 1, 2020, when the Eads and River Bottoms areas returned to county jurisdiction. As a result, the Shelby County Sheriff is responsible for patrolling these former parts of Memphis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/12/31/eads-river-bottoms-will-be-de-annexed-memphis-added-shelby-co/|title=Eads and River Bottoms will be de-annexed from Memphis, added to Shelby Co.|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|website=[[WMC-TV]]|date=December 31, 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=January 19, 2020}}</ref> The first phase of the deannexation process reduced the city's size by 5% and its population by 0.03%.<ref name="auto" /> === Aquifer === Shelby County is located over four natural [[aquifer]]s, one of which is recognized as the "Memphis Sand Aquifer" or simply as the "Memphis Aquifer". Located {{convert|350|to|1100|ft}} underground, this [[artesian water]] source is considered soft and estimated by [[Memphis Light, Gas and Water]] to contain more than {{convert|100|e12USgal|km3}} of water.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlgw.com/SubView.php?key=about_ourutilservices |title=Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Website – About Our Services |publisher=Mlgw.com |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716122221/http://mlgw.com/SubView.php?key=about_ourutilservices |archive-date=July 16, 2010}}</ref> ====Cancelled Byhalia Pipeline project==== {{main|Byhalia Pipeline}} The Byhalia Pipeline proposed by [[Plains All American Pipeline]] and [[Valero Energy]],<ref name=sepipeline>{{cite web|url=https://www.southernenvironment.org/news-and-press/news-feed/what-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-byhalia-pipeline-impacts-memphis|title=Southern Environment|work=southernenvironment.org|access-date=July 10, 2021}}</ref> and set to begin construction in 2020,<ref name=cappeal1>{{cite news |last1=Garland |first1=Max |title=Proposed Byhalia Connection pipeline would run from Memphis to Marshall County, Mississippi |url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/money/industries/logistics/2019/12/11/byhalia-connection-pipeline-memphis-marshall-county-mississippi-plains-all-american-pipeline-valero/4383839002/ |access-date=January 21, 2024 |work=The Commercial Appeal}}</ref> was the subject of massive public and legal opposition to the project over concerns regarding possible contamination of the Memphis aquifer.<ref name="appipeline1">{{cite news |last1=Sainz |first1=Adrian |title=Company asks for pause in Memphis oil pipeline dispute |url=https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-race-and-ethnicity-business-government-and-politics-health-e3cbc52f700a03e88755ec5d20a97a1f |access-date=January 21, 2024 |work=AP News |date=April 20, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="SELChydro">{{cite web |title=Hydrogeologic report warns of pipeline threats to Memphis drinking water source |url=https://www.southernenvironment.org/news/hydrogeologic-report-warns-of-pipeline-threats-to-memphis-drinking-water-source/ |website=Southern Environmental Law Center |access-date=January 21, 2024}}</ref><ref name=wmcactionnews517>{{cite web|url=https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2021/04/02/organizations-take-legal-action-with-hopes-stopping-byhalia-pipeline/|title=Organizations Take Legal Action With Hopes Stopping Byhalia Pipeline|work=wmcactionnews5.com|date=April 2, 2021 |access-date=July 10, 2021}}</ref> Notable figures voicing public opposition to the project included Memphis Congressman [[Steve Cohen (politician)|Steve Cohen]], Congresswoman [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]], [[Al Gore]], [[Danny Glover]], [[Giancarlo Esposito]], and [[Jane Fonda]].<ref name="mlk5010">{{cite web|url=https://mlk50.com/2021/03/09/former-vice-president-al-gore-to-speak-at-memphis-rally-opposing-byhalia-pipeline/|title=Former Vice President Al Gore To Speak At Memphis Rally Opposing Byhalia Pipeline|work=mlk50.com|date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=July 10, 2021}}</ref><ref name=housegov18>{{cite web|url=https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/representatives-cohen-and-ocasio-cortez-urge-biden-administration|title=Representatives Cohen And Ocasio Cortez Urge Biden Administration|work=cohen.house.gov|date=April 15, 2021 |access-date=July 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sells |first1=Toby |title=Celebrities Tweet Opposition to Byhalia Pipeline |url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/celebrities-tweet-opposition-to-byhalia-pipeline |work=MemphisFlyer}}</ref> The pipeline's route, which was set to run through the historic Black Boxtown neighborhood,<ref name=sepipeline/> raised concerns among the projects opponents about the [[environmental racism|racially disproportionate impacts]] that contamination from the pipeline would cause if completed.<ref name="appipeline1" /> Construction of the pipeline was cancelled in July 2021 after months of activism and resistance from organizations including Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP), Protect Our Aquifer, the Memphis and Mid-South Chapter of [[The Climate Reality Project]], and other partnered organizations.<ref name="mlk5010"/> === Climate === Memphis has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa'', [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]] ''Cf''), with four distinct seasons, and is located in [[Hardiness zone|USDA Plant Hardiness Zone]] 8a in downtown, cooling to 7b for much of the surrounding region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/# |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |publisher=Agricultural Research Center, PRISM Climate Group Oregon State University |access-date=February 24, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227032333/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ |archive-date=February 27, 2014}}</ref> Winter weather comes alternately from the upper [[Great Plains]] and the [[Gulf of Mexico]], which can lead to drastic swings in temperature. Summer weather may come from [[Texas]] (very hot and humid) or the Gulf (hot and very humid). July has a daily average temperature of {{convert|82.8|°F|1}}, with high levels of humidity due to moisture encroaching from the Gulf of Mexico. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms are frequent during summer, but usually brief, lasting no longer than an hour. Early autumn is pleasantly drier and mild, but can be hot until late October. Late autumn is rainy and cooler; precipitation peaks again in November and December. Winters are mild to chilly, with a January daily average temperature of {{convert|42.1|°F|1}}. Snow occurs sporadically in winter, with an average seasonal snowfall of {{convert|2.7|in|cm|1}}. Ice storms and freezing rain pose a greater danger, as they can often pull tree limbs down on power lines and make driving hazardous. Severe thunderstorms can occur at any time of the year though mainly during the spring months. Large hail, strong winds, flooding, and frequent lightning can accompany these storms. Some storms spawn tornadoes. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Memphis was {{convert|−13|°F|0}} on December 24, 1963,<ref name="Dec Averages">{{cite web|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/?n=climatememdec |title=Memphis December Climate |publisher=NOAA |date=January 4, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.currentresults.com/Yearly-Weather/USA/TN/Memphis/extreme-annual-memphis-low-temperature.php |title=Memphis – Lowest Temperature for Each Year |website=currentresults.com |access-date=September 28, 2021 }}</ref> and the highest temperature ever was {{convert|108|°F|0}} on July 13, 1980.<ref name="Jul Averages">{{cite web|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/?n=climatememjul |title=Memphis July Climate |publisher=NOAA |date=August 17, 2011 |access-date=January 9, 2012}}</ref> Over the course of a year, there is an average of 4.4 days of highs below freezing, 6.9 nights of lows below {{convert|20|°F|0}}, 43 nights of lows below freezing, 64 days of highs above {{convert|90|°F|0}}, and 2.1 days of highs above {{convert|100|°F|0}}. <!-- (Hidden as it needs some fixing) Lowest temperature recorded at Memphis each year Mininum °F, Fahrenheit Date 12 16-Jan-09 14 22-Dec-08 18 February 16, 2007 + 16 December 8, 2006 + 18 9-Dec-05 15 25-Dec-04 10 24-Jan-03 18 March 4, 2002 + 11 January 3, 2001 + 12 December 22, 2000 + 12 5-Jan-99 18 12-Mar-98 8 11-Jan-97 4 February 4, 1996 + 13 10-Dec-95 9 19-Jan-94 16 18-Feb-93 14 16-Jan-92 19 February 16, 1991 + 12 24-Dec-90 -4 22-Dec-89 6 February 12, 1988 + 19 January 27, 1987 + 11 27-Jan-86 -4 20-Jan-85 8 19-Jan-84 0 25-Dec-83 0 17-Jan-82 11 20-Dec-81 16 1-Feb-80 9 9-Feb-79 14 6-Feb-78 8 January 17, 1977 + 9 31-Dec-76 17 13-Jan-75<ref>[https://www.currentresults.com/Yearly-Weather/USA/TN/Memphis/extreme-annual-memphis-low-temperature.php] Memphis – Lowest Temperature for Each Year</ref> --> Memphis temperatures dropped to -4 F during the [[1985 North American cold wave]] and during the [[December 1989 United States cold wave]]. Annual precipitation is high ({{convert|54.94|in|mm|sigfig=3|disp=sqbr}}) and relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average monthly rainfall is especially high in March through May, and December, while August and September are relatively drier. {{Memphis, Tennessee weatherbox}} == Demographics == {{US Census population |1850= 8841 |1860= 22623 |1870= 40226 |1880= 33592 |1890= 64495 |1900= 102320 |1910= 131105 |1920= 162351 |1930= 253143 |1940= 292942 |1950= 396000 |1960= 497524 |1970= 623988 |1980= 646174 |1990= 610337 |2000= 650100 |2010= 646889 |2020= 633104 |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br />2010–2020<ref name="QuickFacts" /><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref> }} {|class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsible mw-collapsed" " style="font-size: 90%;" |- ! Historical Racial composition !! 2020<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/memphiscitytennessee|title=Memphis city, Tennessee|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=State & County Quickfacts|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4748000.html |title=Memphis (city), Tennessee |work=State & County QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=July 13, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207204337/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4748000.html |archive-date=February 7, 2015 }}</ref>!! 1990<ref name="census1" /> !! 1970<ref name="census1" /> !! 1950<ref name="census1" /> |- |[[White American|White]] ||27.1% ||29.4% ||44.0% ||60.8% ||62.8% |- | —Non-Hispanic ||24.0% ||27.5% ||43.7% ||60.5%{{efn|name="fifteen"|From 15% sample}} ||n/a |- |[[African American|Black or African American]] ||61.2% ||63.3% ||54.8% ||38.9% ||37.2% |- |[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race) ||9.8% ||6.5% ||0.7% ||0.4%{{efn|name="fifteen"}} ||n/a |- |[[Asian American|Asian]] ||1.8% ||1.6% ||0.8% ||0.2% ||– |} [[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- Memphis (5560473024).png|thumb|left|Map of racial distribution in Memphis, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot is 25 people: {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ff0000|White}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#0000ff|Black}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#00ffaa|Asian}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffa600|Hispanic}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffff07|Other}}]] For historical population data, see: [[History of Memphis, Tennessee]]. According to the [[2020 United States census|2020 United States Census]], the racial composition of the city of Memphis was: {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * [[African American|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic): 387,964 (61.28%) * [[White American|White]] (non-Hispanic): 151,581 (23.94%) * [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race): 62,167 (9.82%) * [[Asian American|Asian]]: 11,503 (1.82%) * Native American: 1,007 (0.16%) * [[Pacific Islander American|Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander]]: 141 (0.02%) * Some other race: 2,425 (0.38%) * [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]]: 16,316 (2.58%) {{div col end}} {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''Memphis, Tennessee – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small> !Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small> !Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Memphis city, Tennessee|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=160XX00US4748000|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> !Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Memphis city, Tennessee|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US4748000&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> !{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Memphis city, Tennessee|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US4748000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> !% 2000 !% 2010 !{{partial|% 2020}} |- |[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH) |216,174 |177,735 |style='background: #ffffe6; |151,581 |33.25% |27.48% |style='background: #ffffe6; |23.94% |- |[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH) |397,732 |408,075 |style='background: #ffffe6; |387,964 |61.18% |63.08% |style='background: #ffffe6; |61.28% |- |[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH) |1,009 |1,186 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1,007 |0.16% |0.18% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.16% |- |[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH) |9,373 |10,067 |style='background: #ffffe6; |11,503 |1.44% |1.56% |style='background: #ffffe6; |1.82% |- |[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH) |162 |159 |style='background: #ffffe6; |141 |0.02% |0.02% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02% |- |Some Other Race alone (NH) |697 |742 |style='background: #ffffe6; |2,425 |0.11% |0.11% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.38% |- |[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH) |5,636 |6,931 |style='background: #ffffe6; |16,316 |0.87% |1.07% |style='background: #ffffe6; |2.58% |- |[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race) |19,317 |41,994 |style='background: #ffffe6; |62,167 |2.97% |6.49% |style='background: #ffffe6; |9.82% |- |'''Total''' |'''650,100''' |'''646,889''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''633,104''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |} ===2010=== {{As of|2010|4|1|alt=As of the [[2010 United States Census]]}}, there were 652,078 people and 245,836 households in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4748000.html|title=Memphis (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau|website=Quickfacts.census.gov|access-date=April 30, 2015|archive-date=February 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207204337/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4748000.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The population density was 2,327.4 people per sq mi (898.6/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 271,552 housing units at an average density of {{convert|972.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 63.33% [[African American]], 29.39% [[White American|White]], 1.46% [[Asian American]], 1.57% [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander American|Pacific Islander]], 1.45% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] people of any race were 6.49% of the population. The median income for a household in the city was $32,285, and the median income for a family was $37,767. Males had a median income of $31,236 versus $25,183 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,838. About 17.2% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.1% of those under age 18, and 15.4% of those age 65 or over. In 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked the Memphis area as the poorest large metro area in the country.<ref name=WMCTV>{{cite web|title=Census data: Memphis ranks as poorest city in United States|url=http://www.wmctv.com/story/15536366/census-data-memphis-ranks-as-poorest-city-in-united-states|access-date=|archive-date=September 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926170822/http://www.wmctv.com/story/15536366/census-data-memphis-ranks-as-poorest-city-in-united-states |url-status=dead|first=Anna Marie |last=Hartman|date = September 23, 2011}}</ref> Jeff Wallace of the University of Memphis noted that the problem was related to decades of segregation in government and schools. He said that it was a low-cost job market, but other places in the world could offer cheaper labor, and the workforce was undereducated for today's challenges.<ref name=WMCTV /> The [[Memphis Metropolitan Area|Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area]] (MSA), the [[List of United States metropolitan statistical areas by population|42nd largest]] in the United States, has a 2010 population of 1,316,100 and includes the Tennessee counties of [[Shelby County, Tennessee|Shelby]], [[Tipton County, Tennessee|Tipton]] and [[Fayette County, Tennessee|Fayette]]; as well as the northern [[Mississippi]] counties of [[DeSoto County, Mississippi|DeSoto]], [[Marshall County, Mississippi|Marshall]], [[Tate County, Mississippi|Tate]], and [[Tunica County, Mississippi|Tunica]]; and [[Crittenden County, Arkansas]], all part of the [[Mississippi Delta]]. The total metropolitan area has a higher proportion of whites and a higher per capita income than the population in the city. The 2010 census shows that the Memphis metro area is close to a [[majority-minority]] population: <blockquote>the white population is 47.9 percent of the eight-county area's 1,316,100 residents. The non-Hispanic white population, a designation frequently used in census reports, was 46.2 percent of the total. The African American percentage was 45.7. For several decades, the Memphis metro area has had the highest percentage of black population among the nation's large metropolitan areas. The area has seemed on a path to become the nation's first metro area of one million or more with a majority black population.<ref name="demo">{{cite web|url=http://www.smartcitymemphis.com/2011/06/memphis-regions-trends-advance/ |first=Jimmie|last= Covington|title=Memphis Region's Demographic Trends/ Advance|website= Smart City Memphis |date= June 9, 2011}}</ref></blockquote> In a reverse trend of the Great Migration, numerous African Americans and other minorities have moved into DeSoto County, and blacks have followed suburban trends, moving into the suburbs of Shelby County.<ref name="demo" /> Anglo-American migrants, Irish and German immigrants contributed to Memphis's population rise.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/memphis/#:~:text=From%20a%20population%20of%20fewer,famines%20following%20the%20potato%20blight.|title=Memphis - Tennessee Encyclopedia}}</ref> === Religion === [[File:Elmwood-Asian.JPG|right|thumb|Asian-American tombstones in [[Elmwood Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee)|Elmwood Cemetery]]]] An 1870 map of Memphis shows religious buildings of the [[Baptists|Baptist]], [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]], [[Methodism|Methodist]], [[Presbyterian]], [[Congregational church|Congregational]], and other [[Christian denomination]]s, and a Jewish congregation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3964m.pm009010 |title=Bird's eye view of the city of Memphis, Tennessee 1870 |publisher=Hdl.loc.gov |access-date=July 2, 2010}}</ref> In 2009, places of worship exist for [[Christians]], [[Jew]]s, [[Hindu]]s, [[Buddhist]]s, and [[Muslim]]s. The international headquarters of the [[Church of God in Christ]], the largest [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] denomination in the United States, is located in Memphis. Its [[Mason Temple]] was named after the denomination's founder, [[Charles Harrison Mason]]. This auditorium is where Rev. [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] gave his noted "[[I've Been to the Mountaintop]]" speech in April 1968, the night before he was assassinated at his motel. The [[National Civil Rights Museum]], located in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel and other buildings, has an annual ceremony at Mason's [[Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ|Temple of Deliverance]] where it honors people with Freedom Awards. [[Bellevue Baptist Church]] is a [[Southern Baptist]] [[megachurch]] in Memphis that was founded in 1903. Its current membership is around 30,000.<ref>[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1570 Bellevue Baptist Church |Entries]. ''Tennessee Encyclopedia'', Retrieved on August 16, 2013.</ref> For many years, it was led by [[Adrian Rogers]], a three-term president of the [[Southern Baptist Convention]]. Other notable and/or large churches in Memphis include Second Presbyterian Church ([[Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States)|EPC]]), Highpoint Church<ref name="Highpoint Church">[http://www.highpointmemphis.com/ Highpoint Church]. Homepage</ref> (SBC), Hope Presbyterian Church ([[Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States)|EPC]]), Evergreen Presbyterian Church ([[Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)|PCUSA]]), Colonial Park United Methodist Church, Christ [[United Methodist Church]], Idlewild Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), [[GraceLife Pentecostal Church]] ([[United Pentecostal Church International|UPCI]]), First Baptist Broad, Temple of Deliverance, [[Calvary Episcopal Church (Memphis, Tennessee)|Calvary Episcopal Church]], the [[Church of the River (First Unitarian Church of Memphis)]], First Congregational Church (UCC) and Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. Memphis is home to two cathedrals. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis]], and [[St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Memphis|St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral]] is the seat of the [[Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee]]. Memphis is home to [[Temple Israel (Memphis, Tennessee)|Temple Israel]], a [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] synagogue that has approximately 7,000 members, making it one of the largest Reform synagogues in the country. [[Baron Hirsch Synagogue]] is the largest [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] [[shul]] in the United States.<ref name="Goldring-Woldenberg">{{cite web|url=http://www.msje.org/history/archive/tn/HistoryofOrthodoxCongregations.htm |title=History of the Orthodox Congregations of Memphis |access-date=August 21, 2008 |work=Goldring-Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life web site |publisher=Goldring-Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105133341/http://msje.org/history/archive/tn/HistoryofOrthodoxCongregations.htm |archive-date=November 5, 2010}}</ref> Jewish residents were part of the city before the Civil War, but more Jewish immigrants came from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Memphis is home to an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Muslims of various cultures and ethnicities.<ref>{{cite web|last=Melvin |first=Lindsay |url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/06/muslims-in-memphis-diversity-in-the-mosque/ |title=Muslims in Memphis: Diversity in the mosque |work=Commercial Appeal |access-date=July 2, 2010}}</ref> A number of seminaries are located in Memphis and the metropolitan area. Memphis is home to [[Memphis Theological Seminary]] and [[Harding School of Theology]]. Suburban Cordova is home to [[Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary]]. === Crime === {{Main|Crime in Memphis, Tennessee}} [[File:Memphis TN 2014-February 017.jpg|thumb|A Memphis Police Department vehicle]] In the 21st century, Memphis' crime rate has remained significantly higher than the national average. [[Gangs in Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis' gangs]] are a major reason for the crime crises in the city.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/memphis-police-gangs-guns-crime-concerns-murder-thefts-burglary/522-93aea1bc-9003-423e-a888-eb98cd50bb47 | title="We are fighting a very uphill battle" | Memphis Police say gangs and guns are the big crime concerns | date=December 13, 2021 }}</ref> Since the 2000s, it has consistently been recognized as one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm#25 |title=Morgan Quitno 2007 Crime Rankings |publisher=Morganquitno.com |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615000102/http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm |archive-date=June 15, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/memphis-crime-rate-hits-record-high-car-thefts-on-decline-data-shows/article_6910df56-bfeb-11ee-acf3-ebb7ffd30658.html | title=Memphis crime rate hits record high, car thefts on decline, data shows | date=January 30, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.actionnews5.com/story/10250040/forbes-ranks-memphis-2nd-most-dangerous-city-after-detroit/ | title=Forbes ranks Memphis 2nd most dangerous city after Detroit | date=April 26, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wjhl.com/news/memphis-ranked-no-1-most-dangerous-city/ | title=Memphis ranked No. 1 most dangerous city | date=December 9, 2021 }}</ref> In 2023, Memphis set a homicide record with 397 homicides.<ref name="hom1">{{cite web | url=https://wreg.com/news/2023-goes-down-as-a-violent-year-in-memphis/ | title=397 homicides in Memphis last year, another new record | date=January 2024 }}</ref> [[New York City]], the nation's largest city with a population of 8.5 million, had a lower homicide count of 386 in 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://abc7ny.com/nypd-crime-shootings-murders/14259597/ | title=NYPD statistics show murders, shootings down in 2023; optimistic about 2024 | date=January 2, 2024 }}</ref> Identity theft, carjackings and robberies were also happening at a highly concerning rate in the city after 2020.<ref name="hom1"/> Crime was the leading reason 30,000 former Memphis residents decided to relocate outside the city between 2017 and 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://tennesseestar.com/news/over-30000-residents-left-memphis-since-2017-amid-years-long-struggle-with-crime/tpappert/2024/01/04/ | title=Over 30,000 Residents Left Memphis Since 2017 amid Years-Long Struggle with Crime | date=January 4, 2024 }}</ref> Memphis' businesses are also leaving the city or closing down at a high rate due to rampant crime.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mg_Va5_nFs | title=Constant break-ins in Memphis causing some businesses to close indefinitely | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://wreg.com/news/investigations/there-wont-be-a-city-left-downtown-crimes-impact-on-the-memphis-economy/ | title='There won't be a city left': Downtown crime's impact on the Memphis economy | date=December 12, 2023 }}</ref> Memphis' leaders are continually discussing and implementing strategies such as hiring more police officers to hopefully lower crime in the city.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mlk50.com/2023/12/28/mayor-strickland-made-promises-about-violent-crime-heres-why-he-couldnt-keep-them/ | title=Mayor Strickland made promises about violent crime. Here's why he couldn't keep them | date=December 28, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://theconversation.com/memphis-police-numbers-dropped-by-nearly-a-quarter-in-recent-years-were-staffing-shortages-a-factor-in-the-killing-of-tyre-nichols-199078 | title=Memphis police numbers dropped by nearly a quarter in recent years – were staffing shortages a factor in the killing of Tyre Nichols? | date=February 7, 2023 }}</ref> == Economy == {{Main|Economy of Memphis, Tennessee}} The city's central geographic location has aided its business development. On the Mississippi River and intersected by five major freight railroads and two [[Interstate highways|Interstate Highways]], I-40 and I-55, Memphis is well positioned for commerce in the transportation and shipping industry. Its access by water was key to its initial development, with steamboats plying the Mississippi river. Railroad construction strengthened its connection to other markets to the east and west. Since the second half of the 20th century, highways and interstates have played major roles as transportation corridors. A third interstate, [[Interstate 69 in Tennessee|I-69]], is under construction, and a fourth, [[Interstate 22|I-22]], has recently been designated from the former High Priority Corridor X. River barges are unloaded onto trucks and trains. The city is home to [[Memphis International Airport]], the world's [[World's busiest airports by cargo traffic|busiest cargo airport]], surpassing [[Hong Kong International Airport]] in 2021. Memphis serves as a primary hub for [[FedEx Express]] shipping. {{As of|2014}}, Memphis was the home of three Fortune 500 companies: [[FedEx]] (no. 63), [[International Paper]] (no. 107), and [[AutoZone]] (no. 306).<ref>{{cite web|author=Hussung, Tricia |year=2014 |title=All About Tennessee's Fortune 500 Companies |url=http://online.king.edu/news/all-about-tennessees-fortune-500-companies/ |access-date=March 19, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319164012/http://online.king.edu/news/all-about-tennessees-fortune-500-companies/ |archive-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref> Other major corporations based in Memphis include [[Allenberg Cotton]], [[American Residential Services]] (also known as ARS/Rescue Rooter); [[Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz]]; [[Cargill Cotton]], [[City Gear]], [[First Horizon National Corporation]], [[Fred's]], [[GTx Incorporated|GTx]], [[Lenny's Sub Shop]], [[Mid-America Apartments]], [[Perkins Restaurant and Bakery]], [[ServiceMaster]], [[True Temper Sports]], [[Varsity Brands]], and [[Verso Paper]]. Corporations with major operations based in Memphis include [[Gibson guitars]] (based in Nashville), and [[Smith & Nephew]]. The [[Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis]] also has a [[Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Memphis Branch|branch in Memphis]]. The entertainment and film industries have discovered Memphis in recent years. Several major motion pictures, most of which were recruited and assisted by the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmmemphis.org/ |title=Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission |website=Filmmemphis.org |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> have been filmed in Memphis, including ''[[Making the Grade (1984 film)|Making the Grade]]'' (1984), ''[[Elvis and Me]]'' (1988), ''[[Great Balls of Fire! (film)|Great Balls of Fire!]]'' (1988), ''[[Heart of Dixie (film)|Heart of Dixie]]'' (1989), ''[[Mystery Train (film)|Mystery Train]]'' (1989), ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' (1991), ''[[Trespass (1992 film)|Trespass]]'' (1992), ''[[The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag]]'' (1992), ''[[The Firm (1993 film)|The Firm]]'' (1993), ''[[The Delta (film)|The Delta]]'' (1996), ''[[The People Vs. Larry Flynt]]'' (1996), ''[[The Rainmaker (1997 film)|The Rainmaker]]'' (1997), ''[[Cast Away]]'' (2000), ''[[21 Grams]]'' (2002), ''[[A Painted House]]'' (2002), ''[[Hustle & Flow]]'' (2005), ''[[Forty Shades of Blue]]'' (2005), ''[[Walk the Line]]'' (2005), ''[[Black Snake Moan (film)|Black Snake Moan]]'' (2007), ''[[Nothing but the Truth (2008 American film)|Nothing But the Truth]]'' (2008), ''[[Soul Men]]'' (2008), and ''[[The Grace Card]]'' (2011). ''[[The Blind Side (film)|The Blind Side]]'' (2009) was set in Memphis but filmed in [[Atlanta]]. The 1992 television movie ''Memphis'', starring Memphis native [[Cybill Shepherd]], who also served as executive producer and writer, was also filmed in Memphis. == Arts and culture == {{Main|Culture of Memphis, Tennessee}} === Cultural events === One of the largest celebrations of the city is [[Memphis in May]]. The month-long series of events promotes Memphis's heritage and outreach of its people far beyond the city's borders. The four main events are the [[Beale Street Music Festival]], International Week, The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, and the Great River Run. The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is the largest pork [[barbecue]]-cooking contest in the world. In April, downtown Memphis celebrates "Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival", or simply Africa in April. The festival was designed to celebrate the arts, history, culture, and diversity of the [[African diaspora]]. Africa in April is a three-day festival with vendors' markets, fashion showcases, blues showcases, and an international diversity parade.<ref name="africainapril">{{cite web |url=http://www.africainapril.org/ |title=Africa In April |publisher=Africa In April Cultural Awareness Festival, Inc. |access-date=September 10, 2012}}</ref> During late May-early June, Memphis is home to the [[Memphis Italian Festival]] at Marquette Park. The 2019 festival will be its 30th and has hosted musical acts, local artisans, and Italian cooking competitions. It also presents chef demonstrations, the Coors Light Competitive [[Bocce]] Tournament, the Galtelli Cup Recreational Bocce Tournament, a volleyball tournament, and pizza tossing demonstrations. This festival was started by Holy Rosary School and Parish and began inside the School parking lot in 1989. The Memphis Italian Festival is run almost completely by former and current Holy Rosary School and Church members and begins with a 5K run each year. [[Carnival Memphis]], formerly known as the Memphis Cotton Carnival, is an annual series of parties and festivities in June that salutes various aspects of Memphis and its industries. An annual King and Queen of Carnival are secretly selected to reign over Carnival activities. From 1935 to 1982, the African-American community staged the Cotton Makers Jubilee; it has merged with Carnival Memphis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.memphismuseums.org/sub_exhibit-1537/ |title=Cotton Carnival |publisher=Memphismuseums.org |access-date=July 2, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> A market and arts festival, the Cooper-Young Festival,<ref>{{cite web|title=Cooper-Young Festival: How it Redefined Community|url=http://cooperyoung.weebly.com/cyfest-then--now.html|publisher=micromemphis.com |access-date=June 20, 2013}}</ref> is held annually in September in the [[Cooper-Young, Memphis|Cooper-Young]] district of [[Midtown Memphis]]. The event draws artists from all over North America and includes local music, art sales, contests, and displays. Memphis sponsors several film festivals: the [[Indie Memphis Film Festival]], Outflix, and the Memphis International Film and Music Festival. The Indie Memphis Film Festival is in its 14th year and was held April 27–28, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://onlocationmemphis.org/2013/14th-annual-on-location-memphis-international-film-announces-category-winners|title=14th Annual On Location: MEMPHIS International Film & Music Fest Wraps Up Its Weekend; Announces Category Winners|publisher=Onlocationmemphis.org|access-date=June 13, 2013|archive-date=July 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723090317/http://onlocationmemphis.org/2013/14th-annual-on-location-memphis-international-film-announces-category-winners|url-status=dead}}</ref> Recognized by ''MovieMaker Magazine'' as one of 25 "Coolest Film Festivals" (2009) and one of 25 "Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" (2011), Indie Memphis offers Memphis year-round independent film programming, including the Global Lens international film series, IM Student Shorts student films, and an outdoor concert film series at the historic [[Levitt Shell]]. The Outflix Film Festival, also in its 15th year, was held September 7–13, 2013. Outflix features a full week of [[LGBT]] cinema, including short films, features, and documentaries. The Memphis International Film and Music Festival is held in April; it is in its 11th year and takes place at Malco's Ridgeway Four. [[Mid-South Pride]] is Tennessee's second-largest [[LGBT pride]] event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/09/28/thousands-attend-mid-south-pride/|title= Thousands attend Mid-South Pride|date=September 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nowplayingnashville.com/event/nashville-pride-festival/|title= Nashville PRIDE Festival|access-date=May 4, 2021}}</ref> On the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Memphis International Jazz Festival is held in the South Main Historic Arts District in Downtown Memphis. This festival promotes the important role Memphis has played in shaping Jazz nationally and internationally. Acts such as George Coleman, Herman Green, Kirk Whalum and Marvin Stamm all come out of the rich musical heritage in Memphis. Formerly titled the [[W. C. Handy]] Awards, the International Blues Awards are presented by the [[Blues Foundation]] (headquartered in Memphis) for [[blues]] music achievement. Weeklong playing competitions are held, as well as an awards banquet including a night of performance and celebration. === Music === Memphis is the home of founders and pioneers of various American music genres, including [[Memphis soul]], [[Memphis blues]], [[gospel music|gospel]], [[rock n' roll]], [[rockabilly]], [[Memphis rap]], [[gangsta walking|Buck]], [[crunk]], and "sharecropper" [[country music]] (in contrast to the "[[rhinestone]]" country sound historically associated with [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]). Many musicians, including [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Carl Perkins]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Booker T. & the M.G.'s]], [[Otis Redding]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[Shawn Lane]], [[Al Green]], [[Bobby Whitlock]], [[Rance Allen]], [[Percy Sledge]], [[Solomon Burke]], [[William Bell (singer)|William Bell]], [[Sam & Dave]] and [[B.B. King]], got their start in Memphis in the 1950s and 1960s. [[Beale Street]] is a national historical landmark, and shows the impact Memphis has had on American [[blues]], particularly after World War II as electric guitars took precedence over the original acoustic sound from the [[Mississippi Delta]]. [[Sam Phillips]]'s [[Sun Studio]] still stands, and is open for tours. Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison all made their first recordings there, and were "discovered" by Phillips. Many great blues artists recorded there, such as [[W. C. Handy]], the "Father of the Blues." [[Stax Records]] created a classic 1960s [[soul music]] sound, much grittier and horn-based than the better-known [[Motown]] from [[Detroit]]. Booker T. and the M.G.s were the label's backing band for most of the classic hits that came from Stax, by Sam & Dave, [[Otis Redding]], [[Wilson Pickett]], and many more. The sound was revisited in the 1980s in the [[The Blues Brothers (film)|''Blues Brothers'' movie]], in which many of the musicians starred as themselves. Memphis is also noted for its influence on the [[power pop]] musical genre in the 1970s. Notable bands and musicians include [[Big Star]], [[Chris Bell (American musician)|Chris Bell]], [[Alex Chilton]], [[Tommy Hoehn]], [[The Scruffs]], and [[Prix]].<ref name="flyer">{{cite news |first=J.D. |last=Reager |title=''Kill! Kill!'' by The Scruffs |url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/kill-kill-by-the-scruffs/Content?oid=3045389 |work=[[Memphis Flyer]] |date=September 1, 2011 |access-date=December 27, 2017 }}</ref><ref name="reporter">{{cite news |first=Roy |last=Trakin |title=Big Star's '#1 Record' and 'Radio City' to Be Re-Mastered and Reissued by Stax Records |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/big-stars-1-record-radio-722079 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=July 29, 2014 |access-date=December 27, 2017 }}</ref> [[Memphis rap]] has significantly influenced rap culture worldwide. Memphis rap became more mainstream in the 2000s. Memphis rappers such as [[Three 6 Mafia]], [[Juicy J]], [[Lil Wyte]], [[8Ball & MJG]], [[Gangsta Boo]], [[Project Pat]], [[La Chat]], [[Young Dolph]], [[Yo Gotti]], [[NLE Choppa]], [[Moneybagg Yo]], [[GloRilla]], and [[Pooh Shiesty]] are among the most popular rappers in the nation.<ref>https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/09/14/memphis-hip-hop-history</ref><ref>https://wearememphis.com/news/as-hip-hop-turns-50-where-does-memphis-fit-into-its-future/</ref> Several notable singers are from the Memphis area, including [[Justin Timberlake]], [[K. Michelle]], [[Kirk Whalum]], [[Ruth Welting]], [[Kid Memphis]], [[Kallen Esperian]], [[Julien Baker]], and [[Andrew VanWyngarden]]. The [[Metropolitan Opera]] of New York had its first tour in Memphis in 1906; in the 1990s it decided to tour only larger cities. Metropolitan Opera performances are now broadcast in HD at local movie theaters across the country. === Cuisine === Memphis is home to [[Memphis-style barbecue]], which is one of four predominant regional styles of barbecue in the United States. Memphis-style barbecue has become well known due to the [[Memphis in May#The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest|World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest]] held each May, which has been listed in ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the largest pork barbecue contest in the world. Notable Memphis restaurants include: * Alcenia's, a soul food restaurant that has been featured on Food Network and the Travel Channel<ref>{{Cite web |title=ACCLAIM |url=https://www.alcenias.com/acclaim |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=Alcenia's Restaurant |language=en-US}}</ref> * Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, founded in 1948, this barbecue restaurant located in an alley has been visited by countless celebrities<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our History and Traditions Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous |url=https://hogsfly.com/history-traditions/ |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=The Rendezvous |language=en-US}}</ref> * Chef Tam's Underground Cafe, operated by Chef Tamra Patterson, winner of [[Guy's Grocery Games]] in 2018 and [[Chopped (TV series)|Chopped]] in 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chef Tam's Story |url=https://www.thecheftam.com/chef |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=TheChefTam |language=en}}</ref> * Dyer's Burgers, which has used the same grease to deep-fry their burgers for over 100 years<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dyer's Burgers :: World Famous Burgers and Food on World Famous Beale Street in Memphis, TN :: Official Website |url=http://www.dyersonbeale.com/ |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=www.dyersonbeale.com}}</ref> * Earnestine and Hazel's, a historic dive bar visited previously by the likes of [[B.B. King]], [[Aretha Franklin]], and [[Tina Turner]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.earnestineandhazel.com/history |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=Earnestine & Hazel's |language=en-US}}</ref> * In addition to barbecue, the cuisine of Memphis is also defined by: ** [[Fried chicken]], such as that from Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, a restaurant founded in nearby [[Mason, Tennessee]] in 1953 and has since expanded to over 35 locations ** [[Chicken wings as food|Chicken wings]], served with Honey Gold, a sweet and spicy sauce made with honey, mustard, and cayenne === Visual art === In addition to the [[Memphis Brooks Museum of Art|Brooks Museum]] and [[Dixon Gallery and Gardens]], Memphis plays host to two burgeoning visual art areas, one city-sanctioned, and the other organically formed. The South Main Arts District is an arts neighborhood in south downtown. Over the past 20 years, the area has morphed from a derelict brothel and [[juke joint]] neighborhood to a [[gentrification|gentrified]], well-lit area sponsoring "Trolley Night", when arts patrons stroll down the street to see fire spinners, DJs playing in front of clubs, specialty shops and galleries.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jacobson |first=Kelsey |url=http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/33410509/boutique-hotel-restaurant-slated-for-south-main |title=Boutique hotel, restaurant slated for South Main – WMC Action News 5 – Memphis, Tennessee |date=October 18, 2016 |publisher=WMC Action News 5 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arts.gov/exploring-our-town/south-main-artspace-lofts |title=South Main Artspace Lofts | Exploring Our Town |website=Arts.gov |date=December 13, 2011 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> Not far from South Main Arts district is [[Medicine Factory]], an artist-run organization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rozzell |first=Jessalyn |title=The Medicine Factory - Downtown Memphis art studios, event space & gallery |url=https://www.medicinefactory.org/ |access-date=November 6, 2022 |website=Medicine Factory |language=en-US}}</ref> Another developing arts district in Memphis is Broad Avenue. This east–west avenue is undergoing neighborhood revitalization from the influx of craft and visual artists taking up residence and studios in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadavearts.com/ |title=Broad Avenue Arts District |website=Broadavearts.com |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Kontji Anthony |url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/the-901/2016/10/11/the-901-the-memphis-renaissance-the-new-generation-your901-our901/91884778/ |title=The 9:01: The Memphis renaissance, the new generation |website=Commercialappeal.com |date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> An art professor from [[Rhodes College]] holds small openings on the first floor of his home for local students and professional artists. Odessa, another art space on Broad Avenue, hosts student art shows and local electronic music. Other gallery spaces spring up for semi-annual artwalks.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bailey |first=Thomas |url=http://archive.commercialappeal.com/business/development/338508032.html?bppw=absolutely&suppressAds=youbet |title=80 spaces relieve parking pressure in Broad district |website=Archive.commercialappeal.com |date=October 29, 2015 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://choose901.com/broad-avenue-spring-art-walk-2016/ |title=Broad Avenue Spring Art Walk 4/22 |website=Choose901.com |access-date=July 13, 2017 |archive-date=September 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921023712/https://choose901.com/broad-avenue-spring-art-walk-2016/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Memphis also has non-commercial visual arts organizations and spaces, including local painter Pinkney Herbert's Marshall Arts gallery, on Marshall Avenue near [[Sun Studios]], another arts neighborhood characterized by affordable rent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highgroundnews.com/features/edgearts.100114.aspx|title=The space to create brings art to the Edge|website=Highgroundnews.com|access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> === Literature === Well-known writers from Memphis include [[Shelby Foote]], the noted [[American Civil War|Civil War]] historian. Novelist [[John Grisham]] grew up in nearby [[DeSoto County, Mississippi]], and sets many of his books in Memphis. Many works of fiction and literature are set in Memphis. These include ''[[The Reivers]]'' by [[William Faulkner]] (1962), ''September, September'' by Shelby Foote (1977); [[Peter Matthew Hillsman Taylor|Peter Taylor]]'s ''The Old Forest and Other Stories'' (1985), and his [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning ''[[A Summons to Memphis]]'' (1986); ''[[The Firm (novel)|The Firm]]'' (1991) and ''[[The Client (novel)|The Client]]'' (1993), both by [[John Grisham]]; ''Memphis Afternoons: a Memoir'' by James Conaway (1993), ''Plague of Dreamers'' by Steve Stern (1997); ''[[Cassina Gambrel Was Missing]]'' by William Watkins (1999); ''The Guardian'' by Beecher Smith (1999), "We are Billion-Year-Old Carbon" by Corey Mesler (2005), ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (novel)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' by [[Thomas Harris]], and ''The Architect'' by James Williamson (2007). === Tourism === {{Main|Tourism in Memphis, Tennessee}} ==== Points of interest ==== [[File:Peabody Hotel Memphis.jpg|thumb|[[Peabody Hotel]]]] * [[Beale Street]] – a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the [[blues]]. Street performers play live music, and bars and clubs feature live entertainment. * [[Graceland]] – the private residence of [[Elvis Presley]] * [[Memphis Zoo]] – features exhibits of mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians * [[Peabody Hotel]] – known for the "Peabody Ducks" on the hotel rooftop * [[Sun Studio]] – a recording studio opened in 1950; it now also contains a museum * [[Orpheum Theatre (Memphis, Tennessee)|Orpheum Theatre]] – features Broadway shows, [[Ballet Memphis]] and [[Opera Memphis]] * [[The New Daisy Theatre]] – concert venue located on [[Beale Street]] * Mud Island Amphitheatre – concert venue<ref>{{cite book|author=Susanna Henighan Potter|title=Moon Tennessee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BCFU8lcEEIIC|access-date=November 26, 2011|date=April 1, 2009|publisher=Avalon Travel|isbn=978-1-59880-114-9|page=36}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> * [[Memphis Pyramid]] – location of the largest [[Bass Pro Shops]] in the world, an observation deck, restaurants, bowling alley, aquarium, and hotel<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPageC?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&appID=94&storeID=61|title=Memphis Pyramid, TN Sporting Goods & Outdoor Stores – Bass Pro Shops|work=basspro.com|access-date=December 2, 2015}}</ref> Other Memphis attractions include the [[Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium]], [[FedExForum]], and Mississippi riverboat day cruises. ==== Museums and art collections ==== [[File:The Lorraine Motel, site of the Martin Luther King assassination and the National Civil Rights Museum..jpg|thumb|[[National Civil Rights Museum]] at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis]] [[File:Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|[[Memphis Brooks Museum of Art]]]] [[File:Mud island river park.jpg|thumb|[[Mud Island, Memphis|Mud Island]] Mississippi River Park]] [[File:Stax Museum & Satellite Record Shop.jpg|thumb|[[Stax Museum of American Soul Music|Stax Museum]] and Satellite Record Shop]] * [[National Civil Rights Museum]] – located in the [[Lorraine Motel]] and related buildings, where [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] was assassinated. It includes a historical overview of the American civil rights movement and interpretation of historic and current issues. * [[Memphis Brooks Museum of Art]] – the oldest and largest fine art museum in Tennessee;<ref name="brooksmuseum1">{{cite web|url=http://www.brooksmuseum.org |title=Memphis Brooks Museum of Art |publisher=Brooksmuseum.org |access-date=November 19, 2011}}</ref> the collection includes [[Renaissance]], [[Baroque]], [[Impressionism|Impressionist]], and 20th century artists. * [[Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art]] – contains a large collection of Asian [[jade]] art, Asian art, and Judaic art. * [[Dixon Gallery and Gardens]] – focuses on French and American impressionism, and contains the Stout Collection of 18th-century German [[porcelain]], as well as a {{convert|17|acre|ha|abbr=on|adj=on}} public garden. * [[Children's Museum of Memphis]] – exhibits interactive and educational activities for children. * [[Graceland]] – the home of [[Elvis Presley]], it attracts over 600,000 visitors annually, and features two of Presley's airplanes, his automobile and motorcycle collection, and other memorabilia. Graceland is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref> * [[Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium]] – a science and historical museum; it includes the third largest [[planetarium]] in the United States and an [[IMAX]] theater. * [[Beale Street]] – a public exhibit honoring Memphis musicians, singers, writers and composers. * [[Mud Island, Memphis|Mud Island]] – a park with a walking trail featuring a scale model of the Mississippi River. * [[Mississippi River Museum]] – a [[maritime museum]] on Mud Island that focuses on the history of the Mississippi River. * [[Victorian Village, Memphis|Victorian Village]] – a historic district featuring [[Victorian architecture|Victorian-era]] mansions, some of which are open to the public as museums. * [[The Cotton Museum]] – located on the old trading floor of the [[Memphis Cotton Exchange]]. * [[Metal Museum]] – features exhibitions of metalwork and public programs featuring metalsmiths. * [[Stax Museum]] – the former location of [[Stax Records]]. * [[Chucalissa Indian Village]] – a [[Walls phase]] mound and plaza complex operated by the University of Memphis. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a [[National Historic Landmark]]. The Southeast Indian Heritage Festival is held there annually.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/calendar-2008/Content?oid=1141868|title=Calendar 2008|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|website=Memphis Flyer|language=en|access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref> * [[Burkle Estate]] – a historic home now used as a museum of slavery and the anti-slavery movement.<ref>{{cite news | last = Wright | first = Jerome | date = October 23, 2016 | title = Slave Haven Marks 160th Year of Burkle Estate House | url = https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/opinion/columnists/jerome-wright/2016/10/23/slave-haven-marks-160th-year-burkle-estate-house/92470664/ | work = Commercial Appeal}}</ref> ==== Cemeteries ==== [[File:Memphis national cemetery.jpg|thumb|[[Memphis National Cemetery]]]] The [[Memphis National Cemetery]] is a [[United States National Cemetery]] located in northeastern Memphis. [[Elmwood Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee)|Historic Elmwood Cemetery]] is one of the oldest rural garden cemeteries in the South, and contains the [[Carlisle S. Page Arboretum]]. [[Memorial Park Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee)|Memorial Park Cemetery]] is noted for its sculptures by [[Mexican people|Mexican]] artist [[Dionicio Rodriguez]]. Elvis Presley was originally buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, the resting place of his backing band's bassist, [[Bill Black]]. After an attempted grave robbing, Elvis's body was moved and reinterred at the grounds of Graceland. == Sports == {{Main|Sports in Memphis, Tennessee}} [[File:FedExForum 2015.jpg|thumb|right|[[FedExForum]] during a Grizzlies game]] {|class="wikitable sortable" |- |+ Current professional and major college teams |- ! Sports franchise !! League !! Sport !! Founded !! Stadium (capacity) |- |[[Memphis Grizzlies]] ||align=center |[[National Basketball Association|NBA]] ||Basketball ||align=center |2001 ||[[FedExForum]] (18,100) |- |[[Memphis Redbirds]] ||align=center |[[Minor League Baseball|MiLB]] ||Baseball ||align=center |1998 ||[[AutoZone Park]] (10,000) |- |[[Memphis Hustle]] ||align=center |[[NBA G League]] ||Basketball||align=center |2017 ||[[Landers Center]] (8,400) |- |[[Memphis 901 FC]] ||align=center |[[USL Championship|USLC]] ||Soccer ||align=center |2018 ||[[AutoZone Park]] (10,000) |- |[[Memphis Showboats (2022)|Memphis Showboats]] ||align=center |[[United Football League (2024)|UFL]] ||Football ||align=center |2022 ||[[Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium]] (58,318) |- |[[Memphis Tigers]] ||align=center |[[NCAA Division I|NCAA D1]] ||Football ||align=center |1920 ||[[Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium]] (58,318) |- |[[Memphis Tigers]] ||align=center |[[NCAA Division I|NCAA D1]] ||Basketball ||align=center |1920 ||[[FedExForum]] (18,100) |- |[[Christian Brothers Buccaneers|CBU Buccaneers]] ||align=center |[[NCAA Division II|NCAA D2]] ||Baseball ||align=center |1966 ||Nadicksbernd Field (800) |} The [[Memphis Grizzlies]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] is the only team from one of the "[[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|big four]]" major sports leagues in Memphis.<ref>{{cite web|title=Connecting Memphis|url=https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/connecting-memphis|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Grizzlies.com|date=August 2, 2018|access-date=August 3, 2018}}</ref> The [[Memphis Redbirds]] of the [[Triple-A East]] are a [[Minor League Baseball]] affiliate of the [[St. Louis Cardinals]].<ref name=BRMemphis>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Memphis&state=TN&country=US|title=Memphis, Tennessee Register History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=April 18, 2016}}</ref> [[Memphis 901 FC]] is a professional soccer team that plays in the [[USL Championship]] division and plays their home matches at [[AutoZone Park]] [[Memphis Tigers men's basketball|The University of Memphis]] [[college basketball]] team, the [[Memphis Tigers]], has a strong following in the city due to a history of competitive success. The Tigers have competed in three NCAA Final Fours (1973, 1985, 2008), with the latter two appearances being vacated. The current coach of the Memphis Tigers is [[Penny Hardaway]]. Memphis is home to [[Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium]], the site of [[University of Memphis]] football, the [[Liberty Bowl]] and the [[Southern Heritage Classic]]. The annual [[St. Jude Classic]], a regular part of the [[PGA Tour]], is also held in the city. Each February the city hosts the [[Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup]], which are [[Association of Tennis Professionals|men's]] [[ATP World Tour 500 series]] and [[Women's Tennis Association|WTA]] events, respectively. Memphis has a significant history in [[pro wrestling]]. [[Jerry Lawler|Jerry "The King" Lawler]] and [[Jimmy Hart|Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart]] are among the sport's most well-known figures who came out of the city. [[Sputnik Monroe (wrestler)|Sputnik Monroe]], a wrestler of the 1950s, like Lawler, promoted racial integration in the city. [[Ric Flair]] also noted Memphis as his birthplace. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the former WFL franchise [[Memphis Southmen]] / Memphis Grizzlies sued the [[National Football League|NFL]] in an attempt to be accepted as an expansion franchise. In 1993, the [[Memphis Hound Dogs]] was a proposed NFL expansion that was passed over in favor of the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] and [[Carolina Panthers]]. The Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium also served as the temporary home of the former [[Tennessee Oilers]] (now the Titans) while the city of [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] worked out stadium issues. The city is also the site of [[Memphis International Raceway]], which held [[NASCAR]] events from 1998 to 2009, when [[Dover Motorsports]] closed it. In 2011 it reopened under different ownership. It no longer holds NASCAR races, but the [[ARCA Menards Series|Arca Menards Series]] returned to the track in 2020. == Parks and recreation == Major Memphis parks include W.C. Handy Park, [[Tom Lee Park]], Audubon Park, [[Overton Park]] including the [[Old Forest Arboretum of Overton Park|Old Forest Arboretum]],<ref>{{cite web|title=The Hidden Gem of West Tennessee (Found in Memphis' Overton Park)|url=http://mavenofmemphis.com/2014/05/hidden-gem-west-tennessee-found-memphis-overton-park/|website=Mavenofmemphis.com|date=May 30, 2014|access-date=May 31, 2014|archive-date=September 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929184428/https://mavenofmemphis.com/2014/05/hidden-gem-west-tennessee-found-memphis-overton-park/|url-status=dead}}</ref> the [[Lichterman Nature Center]] (a nature learning center), the [[Memphis Botanic Garden]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofmemphis.org/framework.aspx?page=146 |title=Park Services: Park Locations |publisher=Cityofmemphis.org |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725173700/http://www.cityofmemphis.org/framework.aspx?page=146 |archive-date=July 25, 2011 }}</ref> and [[Jesse H Turner Park]]. [[Shelby Farms]] park, located at the eastern edge of the city, is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. == Politics == {{Main|Government of Memphis, Tennessee}} {{See also|List of mayors of Memphis, Tennessee}} Beginning in 1963, Memphis adopted a mayor-council form of government, with 13 [[Memphis City Council|City Council]] members, six elected [[at-large]] from throughout the city and seven elected from geographic districts. Following passage of the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], civil rights activists challenged the at-large electoral system in court because it made it more difficult for the minority to elect candidates of their choice; at-large voting favored candidates who could command a majority across the city. In 1995, the city adopted a new plan. The 13 Council positions are elected from nine geographic districts: seven are single-member districts and two elect three members each. [[Paul Young (Tennessee politician)|Paul Young]], a Democrat, is the city's mayor. He took office on January 1, 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Jackson |title=Watch Live as Paul Young gets sworn in as Memphis' next Mayor |url=https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/politics/watch-live-paul-young-swearing-in-memphis-mayor/522-6d33d25b-617d-45fb-97eb-fdc734f0bbb1 |work=ABC24 |date=January 1, 2024}}</ref> Since the late 20th century, regional discussions have recurred on the concept of consolidating unincorporated [[Shelby County, Tennessee|Shelby County]] and Memphis into a [[metropolitan government]], as Nashville-Davidson County did in 1963. Consolidation was a referendum item on the 2010 ballots in both the city of Memphis and Shelby County, under the state law for dual-voting on such measures. The referendum was controversial in both jurisdictions. Black leaders, including then-Shelby County Commissioner [[Joe Ford (politician)|Joe Ford]] and national civil rights leader [[Al Sharpton]], opposed the consolidation. According to the plaintiffs' expert, Marcus Pohlmann, these leaders "tried to turn that referendum into a civil rights issue, suggesting that for blacks to vote for consolidation was to give up hard-won civil rights victories of the past".<ref name="consvote" /> In October 2010 before the vote, eight Shelby County citizens had filed a lawsuit in federal court against the state and the Shelby County Elections Commission against the dual-voting requirement. Plaintiffs argued that total votes for the referendum should have been counted together, rather than as separate elections. City voters narrowly supported the measure for consolidation with 50.8% in favor; county voters overwhelmingly voted against the measure with 85% against.<ref name="dismiss">[http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/local-news/appellate-court-dismisses-challenge-of-dual-vote-requirement-for-consolidated-government_82638081 Clay Bailey, "Appellate court dismisses challenge of dual vote requirement for consolidated government"], ''Commercial Appeal'', December 31, 2014, accessed February 21, 2015</ref> The state argued that with the election decided, the lawsuit should be dismissed, but the federal court disagreed.<ref name="consvote">[http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2014/jan/6/consolidation-voting-case-still-complex-in-3rd-year/ Bill Dries, "Consolidation Voting Case Still Complex in 3rd Year"], ''Memphis Daily News'', January 6, 2014, accessed February 21, 2015</ref> By late 2013, in pre-trial actions, both sides were trying to disqualify the other's experts, in discussions of whether regional voting revealed racial polarization, and whether voting on the referendum demonstrated racial bloc voting. "The experts for both sides have clashed on whether racial bloc voting is inevitable in local elections and whether that would require some kind of court remedy."<ref name="consvote" /> The defendants' expert, Todd Donovan, did not think that polarized voting as revealed for political candidates meant that "African-American voters and white voters have polarized interests when it comes to referendum choices on government administration, taxation, service provision and other policy questions."<ref name="consvote" /> He noted, "In the absence of distinct political interests that create polarized blocs of referendum voters defined by race, there is no cohesive racial minority voting interest that can be diluted by a referendum."<ref name="consvote" /> In 2014, the federal district court dismissed the lawsuit, on the grounds that the referendum would have failed when both jurisdictions' votes were counted together. (In total voting, 64% of voters opposed the consolidation.) In the last week of December 2014, the U.S. Sixth District Court of Appeals upheld that decision, ruling that, ""In this election, the referendum for consolidation did not pass and would not have passed even if there had been no dual-majority vote requirement (with the vote counts combined)."<ref name="dismiss" /> Before the referendum, the decision was made by the city and county to exclude public school management and operations from the proposed consolidation. As noted below, in 2011 the Memphis city council voted to dissolve its city school board and consolidate with the Shelby County School System, without the collaboration or agreement of Shelby County.<ref name="school">[http://columbialawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/47_Anderson.pdf "MAKING A REGIONAL DISTRICT: MEMPHIS CITY SCHOOLS DISSOLVES INTO ITS SUBURBS"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221194549/http://columbialawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/47_Anderson.pdf |date=February 21, 2015 }}, ''Columbia Law Review'', March 2012</ref> The city had authority for this action under Tennessee state laws that differentiate between city and county powers. == Education == {{Main|Education in Memphis, Tennessee}} [[File:Nurses.gif|thumb|Early nursing class in Memphis]] ===Primary and secondary=== The city is served by [[Shelby County Schools (Tennessee)|Memphis-Shelby County Schools]] (formerly Shelby County Schools). On March 8, 2011, residents voted to dissolve the charter for [[Memphis City Schools]], effectively merging it with the Shelby County School District.<ref>{{cite news|last=McMillin|first=Zack|title=Memphis voters OK school charter surrender|url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/mar/08/memphis-school-charter-approval/|access-date=March 9, 2011|newspaper=The Commercial Appeal|date=March 8, 2011}}</ref> After issues with state law and court challenges, the merger took effect the start of the 2013–14 school year. In Shelby County, six incorporated cities voted to establish separate school systems in 2013.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} The Memphis-Shelby County School System operates 222 elementary, middle, and high schools.<ref name="MSCSData">{{cite web |title=District Detail for Memphis-Shelby County Schools |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=4700148&DistrictID=4700148 |website=National Center for Education Statistics |access-date=January 29, 2024 |language=EN}}</ref> The Memphis area is also home to many private, college-prep schools, including: {{divcol|colwidth=10em}} * [[Briarcrest Christian School]] (co-ed) * [[Christian Brothers High School (Memphis, Tennessee)|Christian Brothers High School]] (boys) * [[Evangelical Christian School]] (co-ed) * [[First Assembly Christian School]] (co-ed) * [[St. Mary's Episcopal School]] (girls) * [[Hutchison School]] (girls) * [[Lausanne Collegiate School]] (co-ed) * [[Memphis University School]] {{efn|MUS is a secondary school unaffiliated with the [[University of Memphis]].}} (boys) *[[Saint Benedict at Auburndale]] (co-ed) *[[St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School|St. Agnes Academy]] (girls) *[[Immaculate Conception Cathedral School (Memphis, Tennessee)|Immaculate Conception Cathedral School]] (girls) * [[Elliston Baptist Academy]] (co-ed) * [[Memphis Harding Academy]] (co-ed) {{div col end}} ===Postsecondary=== Colleges and universities in the city include: {{divcol|colwidth=10em}} * The [[University of Memphis]] * [[Rhodes College]] * [[Christian Brothers University]] * [[LeMoyne–Owen College]] * [[Baptist College of Health Sciences]] * [[Memphis Theological Seminary]] * [[Harding School of Theology]] * [[Reformed Theological Seminary]] (satellite campus) * William R. Moore College of Technology * [[Southern College of Optometry]] * [[Southwest Tennessee Community College]] * Tennessee Technology Center at Memphis * Visible Music College * [[Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary]] * The [[University of Tennessee Health Science Center]]. {{div col end}} Memphis also has campuses of several for-profit post-secondary institutions, including Concorde Career College, [[ITT Technical Institute]], [[Vatterott College]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vatterott.edu/memphis_dividend.asp |title=Career College in Memphis Dividend, TN – Vatterott |website=Vatterott.edu |date=September 26, 2014 |access-date=November 15, 2016 |archive-date=December 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202161737/http://www.vatterott.edu/memphis_dividend.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[University of Phoenix]]. [[Remington College]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Remington College | Community Involvement | 3 Lives Blood Drive | Adopt Our School |url=http://community.remingtoncollege.edu/timeline.php |access-date=July 2, 2010 |publisher=Community.remingtoncollege.edu}}</ref> is a local nonprofit post-secondary institution. The [[University of Tennessee College of Dentistry]] was founded in 1878, making it the oldest dental college in the [[Southern United States|South]], and the third oldest public college of [[dentistry]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utmem.edu/dentistry/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000823172400/http://www.utmem.edu/dentistry/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 23, 2000 |title=Univ Tennessee: College of Dentistry |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> == Media == {{See also|List of newspapers in Tennessee|List of radio stations in Tennessee|List of television stations in Tennessee}} === Newspapers === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Title ! Locale ! Year est. ! Frequency ! Publisher/parent company |- | ''[[The Commercial Appeal]]''<ref name=Nation1909>{{cite book |title=The South in the Building of the Nation |publisher= Southern Historical Publication Society |location=Richmond, VA |year= 1909 |chapter= Southern Press |pages=402–436 |chapter-url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/yale.39002004114386?urlappend=%3Bseq=522 |quote=Date of establishment of leading Southern newspapers |volume=7 |hdl= 2027/yale.39002004114386?urlappend=%3Bseq=522 }}</ref> | Memphis<ref name=TPA>{{cite web |url= http://www.tnpress.com/membership/tndata/memsearchform.asp |title= Members |publisher= Tennessee Press Association |location= Knoxville |access-date= March 21, 2017 |archive-date= March 21, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170321165930/http://www.tnpress.com/membership/tndata/memsearchform.asp |url-status= dead }}</ref> | 1840<ref>{{cite book|title=Tennessee: A Guide to the State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ei9wf5zqk1EC&dq=Mayes-Hutton+House&pg=PA15|year=1939|publisher=Federal Writers Program|page=154| isbn=9781623760410 }}</ref> | Daily | [[Gannett Company]]<ref name=Gannett>{{citation |access-date=March 27, 2017|url= http://www.gannett.com/brands/ |author=Gannett Co., Inc. |location=McLean, Virginia |title= Our Brands: Tennessee }}</ref> |- | ''[[Memphis Daily News]]'' | rowspan="3" | Memphis | 1886 | Weekly or bi-weekly | <!--PUBLISHER--> |- | ''[[Memphis Flyer]]'' | 1989 | rowspan="2" | Weekly | Contemporary Media, Inc. |- | ''[[Memphis Tri-State Defender]]'' | 1951<ref name=LOC>{{cite web |location= Washington DC |work= [[Chronicling America]] |publisher= Library of Congress |title= US Newspaper Directory: Tennessee |url= http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/ |access-date= March 21, 2017 }}</ref> |Best Media Properties, Inc. |- |} === Television === [[Nielsen Media Research]] currently defines Memphis and its surrounding metropolitan area as the 51st largest American media market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mediatracks.com/resources/nielsen-dma-rankings-2019/|title=Nielsen DMA Rankings 2019|publisher=MediaTracks Communications|access-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref> Despite Memphis proper's large size, Memphis has always been a medium-sized market; the nearby suburban and rural areas are not much larger than the city itself. Major broadcast television affiliate stations in the Memphis area include, but are not limited to: {| class="wikitable" |- !Channel !Call sign !Network !Owner !Subchannels |- |3 |[[WREG-TV|WREG]] |[[CBS]] |[[Nexstar Media Group|Nexstar]] |Newschannel 3 Anytime on 3.2, [[Antenna TV]] on 3.3 |- |5 |[[WMC-TV|WMC]] |[[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]] |[[Gray Television]] |[[Bounce TV]] on 5.2, [[Circle (TV network)|Circle]] on 5.3, [[Grit (TV network)|Grit]] on 5.4, [[Independent station|WMC Plus]] on 5.5 |- |10 |[[WKNO (TV)|WKNO]] |[[PBS]] |Mid South Public Communications Foundation | WKNO-2 on 10.2, [[PBS Kids]] on 10.3 |- |13 |[[WHBQ-TV|WHBQ]] |[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] |[[INSP (TV network)|Imagicomm Communications]] |[[Heroes & Icons]] on 13.2, [[Ion Mystery]] on 13.3 |- |23 |[[WTWV]] |[[Independent station|Independent]] Religious |Christian Worldview Broadcasting Corporation | |- |24 |[[WATN-TV|WATN]] |[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] | rowspan="2" |[[Tegna Inc.]] |[[Laff (TV network)|Laff]] on 24.2, [[Cozi TV]] on 24.3 |- |30 |[[WLMT-TV|WLMT]] |[[The CW]] | MeTV on 30.2, Start TV on 30.3 |- |34 |[[WWTW]] |[[Tri-State Christian Television|TCT]] ||[[Tri-State Christian Television]] | |- |40 |[[WBUY-TV|WBUY]] |[[Trinity Broadcasting Network|TBN]] |[[Trinity Broadcasting Network]] |[[Hillsong Channel]] on 40.2, [[Smile (TV network)|Smile]] on 40.3, [[Enlace]] on 40.4, [[Positiv]] on 40.5 |- |50 |[[WPXX-TV|WPXX]] |[[Ion Television|ION]] |Inyo Broadcast Holdings |[[Court TV Mystery]] on 50.2, [[Court TV]] on 50.3, [[Defy TV]] on 50.4, [[TrueReal]] on 50.5, [[Home Shopping Network|HSN]] on 50.6 |- |} === Radio === Terrestrial broadcast radio stations in the Memphis area include, but are not limited to: === FM stations === {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Call sign !! Frequency !! City of license<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825071957/http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html|url-status=dead|title=FM Query – FM Radio Technical Information – Audio Division (FCC) USA<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=August 25, 2009}}</ref>!! Owner!! Slogan !! Format<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.arbitron.com/radio_stations/station_information.htm|title=Station Information on File at Nielsen (SIP)|website=www.arbitron.com}}</ref> |- |[[WQOX]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>88.5 FM || rowspan="5" | Memphis|| Shelby County Schools (Grades K-12)||88.5 the Voice of SCS || [[Urban adult contemporary]] |- |[[WYPL]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>89.3 FM || Memphis Public Library & Information Center||Memphis Public Library Reading Radio || [[Radio reading service]] |- |[[WEVL]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>89.9 FM || Southern Communication Volunteers, Inc.||Volunteer, Member Supported Radio ||[[Freeform radio|Freeform]] |- |[[WKNO-FM|WKNO]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>91.1 FM || Mid-South Public Communications Foundation|| WKNO NPR For the Mid South ||Public radio/[[Classical music|Classical]] |- |[[WYXR]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>91.7 FM|| Crosstown Radio Partnership, Inc. || || Freeform |- |[[WMFS-FM|WMFS]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>92.9 FM|| [[Bartlett, Tennessee|Bartlett]]|| [[Audacy, Inc.]] ||[[ESPN Radio]]||[[Sports radio|Sports]] |- |[[WMLE]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>94.1 FM||[[Germantown, Tennessee|Germantown]]||[[Educational Media Foundation]]||[[K-Love]]||[[Contemporary Christian]] |- |[[WHAL-FM|WHAL]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>95.7 FM||[[Horn Lake, Mississippi|Hornlake, Mississippi]]|| rowspan="2" |[[iHeartMedia, Inc.]] ||Hallelujah|| [[Urban contemporary gospel|Urban gospel]] |- |[[WHRK]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>97.1 FM||Memphis ||K97.1 || [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]] |- |[[WXMX]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>98.1 FM||[[Millington, Tennessee|Millington]]|| rowspan="2" |[[Cumulus Media]] ||The Max ||Rock |- |[[WKIM]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>98.9 FM||[[Munford, Tennessee|Munford]]|| The Bridge|| [[Adult contemporary music|Adult contemporary]] |- |[[WLFP (FM)|WLFP]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>99.7 FM|| Memphis||[[Audacy, Inc.]]||The Wolf||[[Country radio|Country]] |- |[[KJMS]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>101.1 FM||[[Olive Branch, Mississippi]]|| rowspan="3" |[[iHeartMedia, Inc.]] ||V101|| Urban adult contemporary |- |[[KWNW]] ||<span style="display:none">0</span> 101.9 FM||[[Crawfordsville, Arkansas]]||Kiss-FM|| [[Contemporary hit radio|Top 40]] |- |[[WEGR]] || <span style="display:none">0</span> 102.7 FM|| [[Arlington, Tennessee|Arlington]]||Rock 102.7|| [[Classic rock]] |- |[[WRBO]] || <span style="display:none">0</span> 103.5 FM||[[Como, Mississippi]]||[[Cumulus Media]] ||103.5 WBRO ||Urban adult contemporary |- |[[WRVR]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>104.5 FM|| rowspan="2" |Memphis||[[Audacy, Inc.]] ||The River ||Adult contemporary |- |[[WGKX]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>105.9 FM||[[Cumulus Media]] ||KIX 106 ||Country |- |[[KXHT]] ||<span style="display:none">0</span>107.1 FM||[[Marion, Arkansas]]|| rowspan="2" |Flinn Broadcasting Corporation ||Hot|| Hip Hop |- |[[WHBQ-FM|WHBQ]] ||<span style="display:none">0</span>107.5 FM||Germantown||107.5 WHBQ||Classic Hits |- |} === AM stations === {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Call sign !! Frequency !! City of license<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825063614/http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.html|url-status=dead|title=AM Query – AM Radio Technical Information – Audio Division (FCC) USA<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=August 25, 2009}}</ref>!! Owner !! Format<ref name="auto1" /> |- |[[WHBQ (AM)|WHBQ]] || <span style="display:none">00</span>560 AM || rowspan="4" | Memphis || Flinn Broadcasting Corporation|| Sports |- |[[WREC]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>600 AM || [[iHeartMedia]] ||[[Talk radio]] |- |[[WCRV]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>640 AM ||[[Bott Radio Network]]||[[Christian radio]] |- |[[WMFS (AM)|WMFS]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>680 AM ||[[Audacy, Inc.]]|| rowspan="3" |Sports |- |[[KQPN]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>730 AM || [[West Memphis, Arkansas]]||F.W. Robbert Broadcasting |- |[[WMC (AM)|WMC]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>790 AM || rowspan="5" |Memphis ||[[Audacy, Inc.]] |- |[[WUMY (AM)|WUMY]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>830 AM || GMF-Christian Media I, LLC.||Spanish Christian |- |[[KWAM]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>990 AM || Starnes Media Group || [[Talk radio|Talk]] |- |[[WGSF (AM)|WGSF]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>1030 AM ||Flinn Broadcasting Corporation || [[Regional Mexican]] |- |[[WDIA]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>1070 AM ||[[iHeartMedia]]||[[Urban Oldies|Urban oldies]] |- |[[WGUE (AM)|WGUE]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>1180 AM || [[Turrell, Arkansas]]|| Butron Media Corporation || [[Regional Mexican]] |- |[[WMPS]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>1210 AM || Bartlett || rowspan="2" |Flinn Broadcasting Corporation||[[Adult Standards]] |- |[[WMSO]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>1240 AM || [[Southaven, Mississippi]]|| Urban oldies |- |[[WLOK]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>1340 AM || Memphis ||WLOK Radio Inc || Urban gospel |- |[[WLRM]] ||<span style="display:none">0</span>1380 AM || Millington ||F.W. Robbert Broadcasting || Blues |- |[[WOWW]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>1430 AM || Germantown ||Flinn Broadcasting Corporation ||[[Classic hits]] |- |[[WBBP]] ||<span style="display:none">0</span>1480 AM || Memphis || Bountiful Blessings || Urban gospel |- |[[WMQM]] || <span style="display:none">0</span>1600 AM || [[Lakeland, Tennessee|Lakeland]]||F. W. Robbert Broadcasting||Christian |- |} === Cultural references === ==== Music ==== Memphis is the subject of numerous pop and country songs, including "[[The Memphis Blues]]" by [[W. C. Handy]], "[[Memphis, Tennessee (song)|Memphis, Tennessee]]" by [[Chuck Berry]], "Night Train to Memphis" by [[Roy Acuff]], "Goin' to Memphis" by [[Paul Revere and the Raiders]], "[[Queen of Memphis]]" by [[Confederate Railroad]], "[[Memphis Soul Stew]]" by [[King Curtis]], "[[Maybe It Was Memphis]]" by [[Pam Tillis]], "[[Graceland (song)|Graceland]]" by [[Paul Simon]], "Memphis Train" by [[Rufus Thomas]], "[[All the Way from Memphis]]" by [[Mott the Hoople]], "[[Wrong Side of Memphis]]" by [[Trisha Yearwood]], "[[Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again]]" by [[Bob Dylan]], "Memphis Skyline" by [[Rufus Wainwright]], "Sequestered in Memphis" by [[the Hold Steady]] and "[[Walking in Memphis]]" by [[Marc Cohn]]. In addition, Memphis is mentioned in scores of other songs, including "[[Proud Mary]]" by [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]], "[[Honky Tonk Women]]" by [[the Rolling Stones]], "[[Dixie Chicken (album)|Dixie Chicken]]" by [[Little Feat]], "[[Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes]]" by [[George Jones]], "Daisy Jane" by [[America (band)|America]], "[[Life Is a Highway]]" by [[Tom Cochrane]], "[[Black Velvet (song)|Black Velvet]]" by [[Alannah Myles]], "[[Cities (song)|Cities]]" by [[Talking Heads]], "Crazed Country Rebel" by [[Hank Williams III]], "[[Pride (In the Name of Love)]]" by [[U2]], "M.E.M.P.H.I.S." by the [[Disco Biscuits]], "New New Minglewood Blues" and "Candyman" by [[the Grateful Dead]], "You Should Be Glad" by [[Widespread Panic]], "Roll With Me" by [[8Ball & MJG]], "Someday" by [[Steve Earle]] and popularly recorded by [[Shawn Colvin]], and many others. More than 1,000 commercial recordings of over 800 distinct songs contain "Memphis" in them. The [[Memphis Rock N' Soul Museum]] maintains an ever updated list of these on their website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.memphisrocknsoul.org/over1000songs |title=Over 1,000 Songs |website=Memphisrocknsoul.org |access-date=November 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623030942/http://www.memphisrocknsoul.org/over1000songs |archive-date=June 23, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ==== Film and television ==== Many films are set in the American city including, ''[[Black Snake Moan (film)|Black Snake Moan]]'', ''[[The Blind Side (film)|The Blind Side]]'', ''[[Cast Away]]'', ''[[Choices: The Movie]]'', ''[[The Client (1994 film)|The Client]]'', ''[[Elvis (2022 film)|Elvis]]'', ''[[The Firm (1993 film)|The Firm]]'', ''[[Forty Shades of Blue]]'', ''[[Great Balls of Fire! (film)|Great Balls of Fire!]]'', ''[[Hustle & Flow]]'', ''[[Kill Switch (2008 film)|Kill Switch]]'', ''[[Making the Grade (1984 film)|Making the Grade]]'', ''[[Memphis Belle (film)|Memphis Belle]]'', ''[[Mississippi Grind]]'', ''[[Mystery Train (film)|Mystery Train]]'', ''[[N-Secure]]'', ''[[The Rainmaker (1997 film)|The Rainmaker]]'', ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'', ''[[Soul Men]]'', and ''[[Walk the Line]]''. Many of those and other films have also been filmed in Memphis including, ''Black Snake Moan'', ''Walk the Line'', ''Hustle & Flow'', ''Forty Shades of Blue'', ''[[21 Grams]]'', ''[[A Painted House]]'', ''[[American Saint]]'', ''[[The Poor and Hungry]]'', ''Cast Away'', ''[[Woman's Story]]'', ''[[The Big Muddy]]'', ''The Rainmaker'', ''[[Finding Graceland]]'', ''[[The People vs. Larry Flynt]]'', ''[[The Delta (film)|The Delta]]'', ''[[Teenage Tupelo]]'', ''[[A Family Thing]]'', ''[[Without Air]]'', ''The Firm'', ''The Client'', ''[[The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag]]'', ''[[Trespass (1992 film)|Trespass]]'', ''The Silence of the Lambs'', ''Great Balls of Fire!'', ''[[Elvis and Me]]'', ''Mystery Train'', ''[[Leningrad Cowboys Go America]]'', ''[[Heart of Dixie (film)|Heart of Dixie]]'', ''[[The Contemporary Gladiator]]'', ''[[U2: Rattle and Hum]]'', ''Making the Grade'', ''[[The River Rat]]'', ''[[The River (1984 film)|The River]]'', ''[[Hallelujah! (film)|Hallelujah!]]'', ''[[Elizabethtown (film)|Elizabethtown]]'', ''[[3000 Miles to Graceland]]'', ''[[A Face in the Crowd (film)|A Face in the Crowd]]'', ''[[Undefeated (2011 film)|Undefeated]]'', ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]'', ''[[Nothing but the Truth (2008 American film)|Nothing But the Truth]]'', ''[[Sore Losers]]'', ''[[Soul Men]]'', ''[[I Was a Zombie for the F.B.I.]]'', ''[[I'm From Hollywood]]'', ''[[The Grace Card]]'', ''[[This is Elvis]]'', ''[[Cookie's Fortune]]'', ''[[Open Five]]'', ''[[The Open Road]]'', ''[[In the Valley of Elah]]'', ''[[Walk Hard]]'', ''[[My Blueberry Nights]]'', ''[[Savage Country]]'', and ''[[Two-Lane Blacktop]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://historic-memphis.com/memphis/filmed-in-memphis/filmed-in-memphis.html |title= Filmed in Memphis...On Location in the Historic City |last=Gill |first=Gene |website=Historic-memphis.com|access-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref> The television series ''[[Greenleaf (TV series)|Greenleaf]]'', ''[[Memphis Beat]]'', ''[[Quarry (TV series)|Quarry]]'' and ''[[Bluff City Law]]'' are set in the city. ====Literature==== Many works of fiction and literature are set in Memphis. These include ''[[The Reivers]]'' by [[William Faulkner]] (1962), ''September, September'' by Shelby Foote (1977); [[Peter Matthew Hillsman Taylor|Peter Taylor]]'s ''The Old Forest and Other Stories'' (1985), and his [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning ''[[A Summons to Memphis]]'' (1986); ''[[The Firm (novel)|The Firm]]'' (1991) and ''[[The Client (novel)|The Client]]'' (1993), both by [[John Grisham]]; ''Memphis Afternoons: a Memoir'' by James Conaway (1993), ''Plague of Dreamers'' by Steve Stern (1997); ''[[Cassina Gambrel Was Missing]]'' by William Watkins (1999); ''The Guardian'' by Beecher Smith (1999), "We are Billion-Year-Old Carbon" by Corey Mesler (2005), ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (novel)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' by [[Thomas Harris]], and ''The Architect'' by James Williamson (2007). == Infrastructure == === Transportation === {{Main|Transportation in Memphis, Tennessee}} ==== Highways ==== [[Interstate 40 (Tennessee)|Interstate 40]], [[Interstate 55 (Tennessee)|Interstate 55]], [[Interstate 22]], [[Interstate 240 (Tennessee)|Interstate 240]], [[Interstate 269]], and [[Tennessee State Route 385|State Route 385]] are the main expressways in the Memphis area. Interstates 40 and 55 cross the Mississippi River at Memphis from the state of [[Arkansas]].<ref name=tdotmap>{{cite map |author = Tennessee Department of Transportation Long Range Planning Division Office of Data Visualization|title = Shelby County|year = 2018|url =https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/county-maps-(us-shields)/o-w/Shelby%20County.pdf|publisher = [[Tennessee Department of Transportation]]}}</ref> [[Interstate 69 in Tennessee|Interstate 69]] is a proposed interstate that, upon completion, would connect Memphis to Canada and Mexico.<ref name=tdottimeline>{{cite web|url=https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-4/interstate-69-corridor/interstate-69-corridor-timeline.html|title=Interstate 69 Corridor Timeline|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=tn.gov/tdot|publisher=[[Tennessee Department of Transportation]]|access-date=May 8, 2020|archive-date=June 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604140725/https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-4/interstate-69-corridor/interstate-69-corridor-timeline.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> I-40 is a coast-to-coast freeway that connects Memphis to [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] and on to [[North Carolina]] to the east, and [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], [[Oklahoma City]], and the [[Greater Los Angeles Area]] to the west. I-55 connects Memphis to [[St. Louis]] and [[Chicago]] to the north, and [[Jackson, Mississippi]] and [[New Orleans]] to the south. I-240 is the inner beltway which serves areas including Downtown, Midtown, South Memphis, [[Memphis International Airport]], East Memphis, and North Memphis.<ref name=tdotmap /> I-269 is the larger, outer interstate loop immediately serving the suburbs of [[Millington, Tennessee|Millington]], Eads, [[Arlington, Tennessee|Arlington]], [[Collierville, Tennessee|Collierville]], and [[Hernando, Mississippi]]. It was completed in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last=Garland|first=Max|date=October 26, 2018|title=I-269's completion marked with ribbon cutting in DeSoto County, opening its final stretch|url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2018/10/26/269-desoto-county-mississippi-connecting-55-and-40/1772633002/|work=The Commercial Appeal|access-date=May 5, 2020}}</ref> Interstate 22 connects Memphis with [[Birmingham, Alabama]], via northern Mississippi (including [[Tupelo, Mississippi|Tupelo]]) and northwestern Alabama. While technically not entering the city of Memphis proper, I-22 ends at I-269 in [[Byhalia, Mississippi]], connecting it to the rest of the Memphis interstate system. Interstate 69 is proposed to follow I-55 and I-240 through the city of Memphis. Once completed, I-69 will link Memphis with [[Port Huron, Michigan]] via [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], and [[Brownsville, Texas]] via [[Shreveport, Louisiana]] and [[Houston, Texas]].<ref name=tdottimeline /> A new spur, [[Interstate 555]], also serves the Memphis metro area connecting it to [[Jonesboro, Arkansas]]. Other important federal highways though Memphis include the east–west [[U.S. Route 70 in Tennessee|U.S. Route 70]], [[U.S. Route 64 (Tennessee)|U.S. Route 64]], and [[U.S. Route 72 (Tennessee)|U.S. Route 72]]; and the north–south [[U.S. Route 51 (Tennessee)|U.S. Route 51]] and [[U.S. Route 61 (Tennessee)|U.S. Route 61]].<ref name=tdotmap /> The former is the historic highway north to Chicago via [[Cairo, Illinois]], while the latter roughly parallels the Mississippi River for most of its course and crosses the [[Mississippi Delta]] region to the south, with the Delta also legendary for Blues music. '''Roadways''' Memphis maintains 6,800 lane-miles of city roadways. The city collaborated with [[Google Cloud Platform]] and SpringML in February 2019 to test [[machine learning]] (ML) to improve public services. A key focus is pothole identification using [[TensorFlow]] technology.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Baolin Liu|first=SpringML|date=February 2019|title=Partnership with City of Memphis to Improve City Services|url=https://www.springml.com/blog/partnership-with-city-of-memphis-to-improve-city-services/|website=SpringML.com}}</ref> Public Works personnel completed 63,000 repairs, with around 7,500 of those reported by citizens to 311.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rodriguez|first=Michael|date=April 25, 2019|title=Machine Learning for Improved Services: Potholes|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/machine-learning-improved-services-potholes-michael-rodriguez/|website=LinkedIn.com}}</ref> ==== Transit ==== The [[Memphis Area Transit Authority]] provides local transit services around Memphis, including the [[MATA Trolley]] heritage streetcar system. Intercity bus service to the city is provided by [[Flixbus]], [[Greyhound Lines]], and [[Jefferson Lines]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeffersonlines.com/bus-stops/tennessee/|title=Jefferson Lines Tennessee Bus Stops|access-date=July 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.greyhound.com/bus-routes|title=Greyhound Bus Routes|access-date=July 20, 2023}}</ref> ==== Railroads ==== [[File:Memphis Arkansas Bridge Memphis TN 2012-07-22 016.jpg|thumb|Three bridges over the Mississippi]] A large volume of railroad freight moves through Memphis, because of its two heavy-duty Mississippi River railroad crossings, which carry several major east–west railroad freight lines, and also because of the major north–south railroad lines through Memphis which connect with such major cities as Chicago, [[St. Louis]], [[Indianapolis]], [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], [[New Orleans]], [[Dallas]], [[Houston]], [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], and [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]]. By the early 20th century, Memphis had two major passenger railroad stations, which made the city a regional hub for trains coming from the north, east, south and west. After passenger railroad service declined heavily through the middle of the 20th century, the [[Memphis Union Station]] was demolished in 1969. The [[Central Station (Memphis)|Memphis Central Station]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/MRP/MemphisCentralStation/MemphisCentralStation.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926014426/http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/MRP/MemphisCentralStation/MemphisCentralStation.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 26, 2015 |title=Christian Brothers University |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> was eventually renovated, and it still serves the city. The only inter-city passenger railroad service to Memphis is the daily ''[[City of New Orleans (train)|City of New Orleans]]'' train, operated by [[Amtrak]], which has one train northbound and one train southbound each day between Chicago and New Orleans. ===== Railroads, common freight carriers ===== *[[BNSF Railway]] (BNSF) *[[Canadian National Railway]] (CN) through subsidiary [[Illinois Central Railroad]] (IC) *[[CSX Transportation]] (CSXT) *[[Canadian Pacific Kansas City]] (CPKC) *[[Norfolk Southern Railway]] (NS), including subsidiaries [[Alabama Great Southern Railroad]] (AGS), [[Central of Georgia Railroad]] (CG), [[Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway]] (CNTP), [[Tennessee Railway]] (TENN), and [[Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway]] (TAG) *[[R.J. Corman Railroad/Memphis Line]] (RJCM) *[[Union Pacific Railroad]] (UP) ===== Railroads, passenger carriers ===== [[Amtrak]] (AMTK) ==== Airports ==== [[File:FedEx plane Memphis TN 001.jpg|thumb|FedEx aircraft at Memphis International Airport]] [[Memphis International Airport]] is the global "SuperHub" of [[FedEx Express]], and has the largest cargo operations by volume of any airport worldwide, surpassing [[Hong Kong International Airport]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/report-mem-busiest-cargo-airport-in-the-world |title=Report: MEM Busiest Cargo Airport In the World |publisher=Memphisflyer.com |access-date=July 26, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://airportindustry-news.com/memphis-international-is-worlds-busiest-cargo-airport/|title=Memphis International Is World's Busiest Cargo Airport |publisher=Airportindustry-news.com |date=April 23, 2021 |access-date=July 26, 2021 }}</ref> Memphis International ranks as the 41st busiest passenger airport in the US and served as a hub for [[Northwest Airlines]] (later [[Delta Air Lines]]) until September 3, 2013.<ref>[http://www.nasdaq.com/article/delta-to-leave-memphis-hub-analyst-blog-cm251106 Delta to Leave Memphis Hub – Analyst Blog]. Nasdaq.com. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.</ref> and had 4.39 million boarding passengers (enplanements) in 2011, an 11.9% decrease over the previous year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=MEM&Airport_Name=Memphis,%20TN:%20Memphis%20International&carrier=FACTS |title=RITA | BTS | Transtats |publisher=Transtats.bts.gov |date=February 7, 2010 |access-date=July 2, 2010}}</ref> Delta has reduced its flights at Memphis by approximately 65% since its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines and operates an average of 30 daily flights as of December 2013, with two international destinations (Cancún – seasonally; Toronto year-round). Delta Air Lines announced the closing of its Memphis pilot and crew base in 2012. Other airlines providing passenger service are: [[Southwest Airlines]]; [[American Airlines]]; [[United Airlines]]; [[Allegiant Air|Allegiant]]; [[Frontier Airlines|Frontier]]; [[Air Canada]]; and Southern Vacations Express.<ref>[http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/26/delta-air-lines-plans-additional-cuts-service-memp/ Delta Air Lines plans additional cuts to service at Memphis International]. The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.</ref> There are also [[general aviation]] airports in the Memphis Metropolitan Area, including the [[Millington Regional Jetport]], located at the former Naval Air Station in [[Millington, Tennessee]]. ==== River port ==== {{Main|Port of Memphis}} Memphis has the second-busiest cargo port on the Mississippi River, which is also the fourth-busiest inland port in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/wcsc/pdf/inlandport03f.pdf |title=Top US Inland Ports for 2003 |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825064009/http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/wcsc/pdf/inlandport03f.pdf |archive-date=August 25, 2009}}</ref> The International Port of Memphis covers both the Tennessee and Arkansas sides of the Mississippi River from [[river mile]] 725 (km 1167) to mile 740 (km 1191).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portofmemphis.com/about.asp |title=Port of Memphis website – About Page |publisher=Portofmemphis.com |access-date=July 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307052924/http://www.portofmemphis.com/about.asp |archive-date=March 7, 2010}}</ref> A focal point of the river port is the [[industrial park]] on [[President's Island]], just south of [[Downtown Memphis, Tennessee|Downtown Memphis]]. ==== Bridges ==== Four railroad and highway bridges cross the Mississippi River at Memphis. In order of their opening years, these are the [[Frisco Bridge]] (1892, [[single track (rail)|single-track]] rail), the [[Harahan Bridge]] (1916, a [[road-rail bridge]] until 1949, currently carries [[double-track]] rail), the [[Memphis-Arkansas Memorial Bridge]] (Highway, 1949; later incorporated into [[Interstate 55]]), and the [[Hernando de Soto Bridge]] ([[Interstate 40]], 1973). A bicycle/pedestrian walkway opened along the Harahan Bridge in late 2016, utilizing the former westbound roadway.<ref>{{cite web|last=Charlier |first=Tom |url=http://archive.commercialappeal.com/news/historic-frisco-bridge-getting-extensive-makeover-by-bnsf-34daa9f1-937e-6562-e053-0100007fe70b-382568411.html |title=Historic Frisco Bridge getting extensive makeover by BNSF |website=Archive.commercialappeal.com |date=June 11, 2016 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2016/10/21/monumental-impact-seen-crossing/92465774/ |title=Big River Crossing opens Saturday |website=Commercialappeal.com |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bikepedmemphis.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/the-harahan-bridge-opens/ |title=The Harahan Bridge Opens – Bike/Ped Memphis |website=Bikepedmemphis.wordpress.com |date=October 22, 2016 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> === Utilities === Memphis's primary utility provider is the [[Memphis Light, Gas and Water]] Division (MLGW). This is the largest three-service municipal utility in the United States, providing electricity, natural gas, and pure water service to all residents of Shelby County. Prior to that, Memphis was served by two primary electric companies, which were merged into the Memphis Power Company.<ref name="MLGWhistory">{{cite web |title=A History of Performance |publisher=Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division |url=http://www.mlgw.com/about/history |access-date=July 30, 2012}}</ref> The City of Memphis bought the private company in 1939 to form MLGW,<ref name="MLGWhistory" /><ref>{{cite court |litigants=Re Memphis Power & Light Co. & Tennessee Valley Authority |vol=1 |reporter=F.P.C. |opinion=809 |court=[[Federal Power Commission|FPC]] |year=1939 |url=}}</ref> which was an early customer of electricity from the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]] (TVA). In 1954 the [[Dixon-Yates contract]] was proposed to make more power available to the city from the TVA, but the contract was cancelled; it had been an issue for the Democrats in the [[United States House of Representatives elections, 1954|1954 Congressional elections]]. MLGW still buys most of its power from TVA, and the company pumps its own fresh water from the Memphis Aquifer, using more than 180 water wells. === Health care === [[File:St Judes grass.jpg|thumb|right|[[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]]]] The Memphis and Shelby County region supports numerous hospitals, including the Methodist and Baptist Memorial health systems, two of the nation's largest private hospitals. Until the 1960s and the end of [[Racial segregation in the United States|segregation]], most hospitals only served white patients. One of the few hospitals for African Americans in Memphis in those times was Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital, whose historic building now houses a homeless shelter.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Historic Collins Chapel reopens as safe haven for homeless after renovations |date=April 19, 2021 |publisher=Fox 13 News |url=https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/historic-collins-chapel-reopens-safe-haven-homeless-after-renovations/PWJOFQSIJVDTRJIIRPDVL4S2LY/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420035738/https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/historic-collins-chapel-reopens-safe-haven-homeless-after-renovations/PWJOFQSIJVDTRJIIRPDVL4S2LY/ |archive-date=April 20, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare]], the largest healthcare provider in the Memphis region and the fourth largest employer as of 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/subscriber-only/2018/07/13/largest-memphis-area-employers.html|title=Largest Memphis Area Employers|website=Business Journal|access-date=May 18, 2019}}</ref> operates seven hospitals and several rural clinics. Methodist Healthcare operates, among others, the [[Le Bonheur Children's Hospital]], which offers primary level 1 pediatric trauma care, as well as a nationally recognized pediatric brain tumor program. Methodist Healthcare also operates [[Methodist University Hospital]], a 617-bed facility 1 mile southeast of Le Bonheur. Baptist Memorial Healthcare operates fifteen hospitals (three in Memphis), including [[Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis|Baptist Memorial Hospital]], and with a merger in 2018 became the largest healthcare system in the mid-South.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20170501/NEWS/170509983/baptist-memorial-and-mississippi-baptist-create-largest-system-in-the-region|title=Baptist Memorial and Mississippi Baptist create largest system in the region|date=May 1, 2017|website=Modern Healthcare|language=en|access-date=May 18, 2019}}</ref> According to Health Care Market Guide's annual studies, Mid-Southerners have named Baptist Memorial their "preferred hospital choice for quality". The [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]], leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases, resides in Memphis. The institution was conceived and built by entertainer [[Danny Thomas]] in 1962 as a tribute to [[Jude the Apostle|St. Jude Thaddeus]], patron saint of impossible, hopeless, and difficult causes. Regional One Health is located in Memphis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regionalonehealth.org/ |title=Home – Regional One Health – Regional One Health |website=regionalonehealth.org |access-date=August 23, 2023}}</ref> Memphis is home to Delta Medical Center of Memphis,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deltamedcenter.com|title=Delta Medical Center Homepage|website=Deltamedcenter.com|access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> which is the only employee-owned medical facility in North America. Individual [[health insurance marketplace]] insurers are limited, with [[Bright Health]] and [[Cigna]] offering coverage in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.healthinsurance.org/tennessee-state-health-insurance-exchange/|title=Tennessee health insurance marketplace: history and news of the state's exchange: Obamacare enrollment|date=December 29, 2018|website=healthinsurance.org|language=en|access-date=May 18, 2019}}</ref> == Notable people == {{Main|List of people from Memphis, Tennessee}} == Twin towns – sister cities == Memphis has three [[Twin towns and sister cities|sister cities]], as per Sister Cities International:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sister-cities.org/interactive-map/Memphis,%20Tennessee|publisher=sister-cities.org |title=Memphis, Tennessee |access-date=February 17, 2014}}</ref> *{{flagdeco|Gambia}} – [[Kanifing]] (Gambia) *{{flagdeco|SEN}} – [[Kaolack]] (Senegal) *{{flagdeco|Israel}} – [[Shoham]] (Israel) == See also == {{Portal|United States|North America|Tennessee|Cities}} * [[1865 Memphis earthquake]] * [[Greater Memphis Chamber]] * [[Memphis Mafia]] * [[Memphis Summer Storm of 2003]] * [[List of tallest buildings in Memphis]] * [[List of U.S. cities with large Black populations]] * [[List of municipalities in Tennessee]] * [[USS Memphis|USS ''Memphis'']], 6 ships ==Notes== {{notelist}} == References == {{reflist}} == Further reading == * Biles, Roger. ''Memphis: In the Great Depression'' (U of Tennessee Press, 1986). * Dowdy, G. Wayne (2010). ''Crusades for Freedom: Memphis and the Political Transformation of the American South.'' Jackson, Mississippi, USA: University Press of Mississippi. * Haynes, Stephen R. (2012). ''The Last Segregated Hour: The Memphis Kneel-Ins and the Campaign for Southern Church Desegregation.'' New York, USA: Oxford University Press. * McPherson, Larry E. & Wilson, Charles Reagan (2002) ''Memphis''. * Rushing, Wanda (2009). ''Memphis and the Paradox of Place: Globalization in the American South''. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. * Rushing, Wanda (2009). "Memphis: Cotton Fields, Cargo Planes, & Biotechnology", in''Southern Spaces'' (online, August 28), see [http://southernspaces.org/2009/memphis-cotton-fields-cargo-planes-and-biotechnology Memphis: Cotton Fields, Cargo Planes, and Biotechnology – Southern Spaces], accessed December 2, 2015. * {{Cite journal | last = Rushing | first = Wanda | title = No place for a feminist: intersectionality and the Problem South: SWS Presidential Address | journal = [[Gender & Society]] | volume = 31 | issue = 3 | pages = 293–309 | doi = 10.1177/0891243217701083 | date = June 2017 | s2cid = 2643962 }} * {{cite news |title=How Memphis Gave Up on Dr. King's Dream |first=Wendi C. |last=Thomas |date=March 30, 2018 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/opinion/sunday/martin-luther-king-memphis.html}} * Williams, Charles (2013). ''African American Life and Culture in Orange Mound: Case Study of a Black Community in Memphis, Tennessee, 1890–1980.'' Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield/Lexington Books. * {{cite book|last=Weeks|first=Charles A. |title=''in'' Paths to a Middle Ground: The Diplomacy of Natchez, Boukfouka, Nogales, and San Fernando de Las Barrancas, 1791–1795|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQ6UTJ_F8F8C&pg=PA3 |access-date = December 2, 2015 |year=2010 |location = Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA |publisher=University of Alabama Press |isbn = 978-0-8173-5645-3 |pages=126–145 |chapter=Paths—River and Other—from Nogales to San Fernando de las Barrancas [Chapter 9]}} == External links == {{Sister project links|Memphis, Tennessee|voy=Memphis, Tennessee}} *[http://www.memphistn.gov/ Official website] *[http://www.memphistravel.com/ Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau] *[http://www.memphischamber.com/ Memphis Chamber of Commerce] {{Geographic location |Centre = Memphis (central city) |North = [[Millington, Tennessee|Millington]] |Northeast = [[Bartlett, Tennessee|Bartlett]], [[Lakeland, Tennessee|Lakeland]] |East = [[Cordova, Tennessee|Cordova]] |Southeast = [[Germantown, Tennessee|Germantown]], [[Collierville, Tennessee|Collierville]], [[Olive Branch, Mississippi]] |South = [[Whitehaven, Memphis|Whitehaven (Memphis)]], [[Southaven, Mississippi]] |Southwest = [[Walls, Mississippi]] |West = [[West Memphis, Arkansas]], [[Marion, Arkansas]] |Northwest = |image = }} {{Navboxes |title = Articles relating to Memphis and [[Shelby County, Tennessee|Shelby County]] |list = {{Shelby County, Tennessee}} {{Memphis, Tennessee}} {{Memphis, Tennessee sports venues}} {{Colleges and universities in the Memphis Metro Area}} {{Tennessee}} {{Tennessee county seats}} }} {{USPopulousCities}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Memphis, Tennessee| ]] [[Category:1819 establishments in Tennessee]] [[Category:Cities in Shelby County, Tennessee]] [[Category:Cities in Tennessee]] [[Category:Cities in the Memphis metropolitan area]] [[Category:County seats in Tennessee]] [[Category:Planned communities in the United States]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1819]] [[Category:Tennessee populated places on the Mississippi River]] [[Category:Majority-minority cities and towns in Tennessee]] Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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