Memphis: Center of the Black Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s
Trump Received 36% of the Vote in the Last Presidential Election
U.S. President Donald Trump has designated Memphis, Tennessee as the third city where the National Guard will be deployed.
Memphis was a central hub of the Black civil rights movement in the 1960s and is notably where Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was assassinated. The city is also known as the place where Elvis Presley, who was born in Mississippi, became a top star and later lived, and where blues legends like B.B. King established their roots. However, in terms of population, Memphis is considered a mid-sized city.
According to Yonhap News on the 14th, Memphis, with a population of 630,000, cannot be compared to major cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., where the National Guard was previously deployed.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Memphis records 2,501 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, the highest crime rate in the United States.
The mayor could not deny this reality and told CNN in a somewhat resigned tone, "Now that the decision has been made to deploy the National Guard, I only hope it will truly benefit our community and be done in a way that strengthens public safety." However, he added, "We did not request the deployment of the National Guard in the first place, nor do I believe that deploying the National Guard is the best way to eradicate crime."
However, some observers point out that Memphis stands out as a 'political Galapagos' in southern Tennessee, a Republican stronghold, because the city is dominated by the Democratic Party. Since George H.W. Bush in the 1988 presidential election, no Republican presidential candidate has ever won in Shelby County, which includes Memphis.
Conservative circles highlight the unique demographics of Memphis, where more than 63% of the population is Black-an overwhelmingly high proportion compared to other regions in the United States. The current mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, is also a Black politician affiliated with the Democratic Party.
President Trump continues to argue that cities run by the Democratic Party have higher crime rates. He claims that radical policies such as lax law enforcement and cuts to police budgets have allowed criminals to flood the streets. Democratic politicians in Memphis are pushing back against President Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard.
Memphis City Council member Jerri Green stated, "The last time federal troops entered Memphis was during the Civil War," adding, "This kind of political show will threaten many citizens."
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