The Memphis Music and Heritage Festival also celebrates the visual arts as well, with exhibits both indoors and out on the Main Street Mall, 9/1/12
entertainment
The Booker T. Washington Drumline Performs at BTW Stadium
#011 BTW Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Booker T. Washington High School drumline performs in the stands at their game against Westwood at Booker T. Washington Stadium in South Memphis, 8/31/12
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
Westwood High School Drumline Plays a Cadence at BTW
#010 Westwood Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Westwood High School drumline performs at Booker T. Washington Stadium, Memphis TN, 8/31/12
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
Booker T. Washington Drumline Marches Into BTW Stadium, South Memphis
#008 BTW Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Booker T. Washington High School band marches into BTW Stadium to the cadence of their drumline, South Memphis, 8/31/12
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
Westwood High School Drumline at BTW
#007 Westwood Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Westwood High School drumlines plays a cadence toward the BTW stands at Booker T. Washington Stadium in South Memphis, 8/31/12
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
The Westwood High School Longhorn Band Marches Into BTW Stadium
#004 Westwood Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Westwood High School drumline leads the band into Booker T. Washington stadium in South Memphis, 8/31/12
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
MIAA Football: Westwood at BTW, Memphis
Memphis’ Booker T. Washington Stadium is arguably the second-oldest in the city after Crump Stadium, behind Central High School, although the latter has had a complete renovation in recent years. Much has changed in the surrounding neighborhood, including the demolition of Cleaborn Homes and Foote Homes, but crowds still turn out to support the Booker T. Washington Warriors, the oldest Black high school in Memphis. This year, BTW seems to have a decent marching band, with a first-rate drumline. Westwood, on the other hand, is a pathetic shadow of its former life, when, in the 80’s and early 90’s, it used to march over a hundred band members. Open enrollment, and outmigration from the neighborhood have devastated it. Still, the Longhorns have a small marching band that seems well-trained and which might become the foundation of a rebuilding. Only time will tell.Â
The Day the Music Died (via remedial-redneck.blogspot.com)
One final perspective on the Sunflower festival, and then I’ll probably let it go. I want to also state that my point here is not to berate or destroy a blues festival, because after all, I am a blues fan. My goal is to get the festival organizers to understand that fans like us are the people who support this event, and we are not happy! We hope for a dialogue with them, but if they insist on proclaiming this past weekend’s fiasco as a “success” and continue planning for more of the same next year, then the Sunflower Blues and Gospel Festival is doomed.Â
Sunflower Blues Festival 2012: The Wall Between
The Sunflower festival’s decision to enclose a compound directly in front of the main stage for paying attendees opened old wounds related to issues of class and race in Clarksdale, as evidenced by graffiti left on the wall by festival-goers and local residents. One writer cleverly compares it to the Berlin Wall with Ronald Reagan’s famous words to Gorbachev “Mr. President, tear down this wall!” Given the fact that the area was almost completely empty while I was there other than festival staff and security, one can hope that this monstrosity will be gone next year.