Each year, in the fall, State Representative Antonio Parkinson sponsors a Block Party for Peace in either the Raleigh or Frayser neighborhoods, which are his constituency. This year the event was held at the Ed Rice Community Center in Frayser, so I decided to make a stop there before heading on downtown to the River Arts Festival in the South Main Arts District. There was a significant crowd of people and few places to park, so I had to park on a side street across from the community center, and what I saw there highlighted many of the current problems of Memphis, in that most of the houses on the street were abandoned, and many in a state of collapse beyond repair. Clearly the city had made no effort to enforce its codes, and eyesores like this don’t just look bad, but they also attract crime, drugs and gang activity. Over at the event, however, there was barbecue, a DJ, some business exhibits, lots of young people and more. However, nobody was performing on the stage, so I ended up leaving earlier than I had planned to.
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