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Tate Avenue
Tate Avenue

At the Tate Avenue Block Party in South Memphis, June 4, 2011

At the Tate Avenue Block Party in South Memphis, June 4, 2011

OG Boo Dirty takes the stage at the Tate Avenue Block Party and tells South Memphis to “Stand Up!”, June 4, 2011

At the Tate Avenue Block Party, South Memphis, June 4, 2011

At the Tate Avenue Block Party, South Memphis, June 4, 2011

Tate Avenue Block Party 2011

This year’s block party on Tate Avenue was the first one since the demolition of Cleaborn Homes began. “They can tear down the bricks, but they can’t break up the click” read one young man’s T-shirt. 

Driving back from Tunica, it suddenly occurred to me that it might be the weekend for the annual block party on Tate Avenue in South Memphis, and I was right. Every year the event seems to get bigger, and this year there was a concert stage, a moonwalk for the little kids, plenty of performances from some of Memphis’ best rappers, an appearance from Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies, and some of the best barbecues chicken I’ve ever eaten! It was so much fun, I forgot about the heat altogether