When I tell people I'm from Memphis, the first thing they will mention is the crime. All of a sudden, they are spewing statistics and stereotypical questions at me. "Didn't the FBI list Memphis as the third most dangerous city in the country?" "Are you aware that you have a 1-in-13 chance of becoming a victim of crime?" "Do you carry a gun around all of the time?" And the dreaded, "Have you thought about moving to Nashville?"
So let me clear some things up for all of you non-Memphians: If you mess with our city, you mess with us. So basically, what I am trying to say is, we know. We know how high the crime rate is. We know that the FBI continues to label us "dangerous" even though we use the NIBERS system of tracking crimes — which counts each individual crime in an incident — instead of the UCR system, which counts incidents as one crime, even if multiple crimes happened during said incident, basically setting us up for negative attention. We know we shouldn't go Downtown, or anywhere, alone. We know that we have a poverty rate that is barely shy of 30 percent. All of this, all of these negatives, are exactly why I always have and always will choose Memphis
I recently asked my Facebook following what one word they thought of when I said "Memphis." The first few responses were the usual: crime, violence, murder, and one "lock your doors." But then came the others.
The ones that went like this:
Memphis is basketball.
Memphis is the Grizzlies and the Tigers.
Memphis is Beale Street.
Memphis is music.
Memphis is BBQ.
Memphis is culture.
Memphis is home. My home. Our home.
I choose Memphis because Memphis chose me. I was born here. I was raised here. My roots, my friends, my family, and my heart are all in Memphis. "901" isn't just an area code, it is a culture. It is hardworking, not afraid to get dirty, ambitious, open-minded, and open-hearted. It is warm, welcoming, and comfortable.
Memphis is home to an enormous amount of history. Visit Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. Or maybe take a trip to the National Civil Rights Museum. See a shrunken head at the Pink Palace. Visit the Burkle Estate, a home that played a huge role in the Underground Railroad. Whether it's history or art, historical or modern, Memphis has it.
We have the BEST local restaurants and a few world class breweries. Heck, even Justin Timberlake named a Vodka after us. We have the coolest dive bars (like the P&H on Madison), the best music spots (like the New Daisy on Beale), and the best BBQ (Central, where you at?!).
To me, Memphis is a home-cooked Sunday lunch at grandma's after church. It is the crowd from a Grizzlies game spilling into Beale Street screaming, "WHOOP THAT TRICK" with the same excitement and energy of the inside of the FedEx Forum. It is a night bar-hopping through Overton Square and ending up at Perkins for muffins at 3 a.m. It's driving to Orange Mound just for some good hot wings. It is sitting in Tom Lee Park watching the Mississippi River flow at sunset.
Memphis is a unifying force felt throughout the entire region. With the Mighty Mississippi running like the blood in our veins, we have a pride that will outlast any criticism the rest of the country wants to throw our way.
If you'll recall earlier, I said that the negatives are why I will always choose this city. Let me close out in an explanation. Memphis has it's rough edges. We have our problems. But, if there is one community that can — and never fails to — rise above these downfalls, it is Memphis. If there is one city that will come together — despite race, religion, or culture — for the betterment of it's people, it is Memphis. We are Memphis. We push forward.
Grit. Grind. All heart. #BelieveMemphis
