Elvis' Stand Against Segregation: Breaking Laws For Equality

In the 1950s, legal segregation and discrimination against African Americans was common, especially in the Deep South. Despite this, Elvis Presley was seen as a hero in the black community. In 1956, he was hailed as a 'race man' by two African-American newspapers, *The Memphis World* and *The Tri-State Defender*, for his indifference to the usual social distinctions. That year, he 'cracked Memphis' segregation laws' by attending the Memphis Fairgrounds amusement park on 'coloured night'. He also attended the otherwise segregated WDIA Goodwill Revue, an annual charity show put on by the radio station that called itself the 'Mother Station of the Negroes'.

Elvis attended the Memphis Fairgrounds amusement park during 'coloured night'

In June 1956, Elvis Presley attended the Memphis Fairgrounds amusement park during 'coloured night', breaking Memphis's segregation laws. This was reported by the *Memphis World* newspaper, which hailed him as a "race man" for his indifference to the usual social distinctions. That same year, Elvis also attended the otherwise segregated WDIA Goodwill Revue, an annual charity show put on by the radio station that called itself the "Mother Station of the Negroes".

Elvis's music and persona helped to relax the rigid colour line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement. His rock and roll music brought an unprecedented access to African American culture that challenged the 1950s segregated generation to reassess ingrained segregationist stereotypes. In spite of the facts that Nat King Cole had the #7 song in 1959, and the #1 song in 1961, and Chuck Berry had a major hit with "Maybellene" in 1955, in the United States in the 1950s legal segregation and discrimination against African Americans was common, especially in the Deep South.

Elvis was seen as a champion in the black Memphis community and his concert audiences were certainly not all white as is often believed. On December 7, 1956, Elvis attended the otherwise segregated WDIA black radio station's annual fund-raiser for 'needy Negro children' at Memphis' Ellis Auditorium. On this December night, Elvis performed alongside some of his own heroes, Ray Charles, B.B King & Rufus Thomas.

Elvis attended the WDIA Goodwill Revue

In the summer of 1956, Elvis Presley attended the WDIA Goodwill Revue, an annual charity show put on by the radio station that called itself the "Mother Station of the Negroes". The same year, he also attended the Memphis Fairgrounds amusement park during "coloured night", breaking Memphis's segregation laws.

Elvis was seen as a hero in the black community in those early years. In Memphis, the two African-American newspapers, the Memphis World and the Tri-State Defender, hailed him as a "race man" – not just for his music but also for his indifference to the usual social distinctions.

In his scholarly work *Race, Rock, and Elvis*, Tennessee State University professor Michael T. Bertrand examined the relationship between popular culture and social change in America and the allegations against Presley. Bertrand postulated that Presley's rock and roll music brought an unprecedented access to African American culture that challenged the 1950s segregated generation to reassess ingrained segregationist stereotypes. The American Historical Review wrote that the author "convincingly argues that the black-and-white character of the sound, as well as Presley's own persona, helped to relax the rigid colour line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement".

On 7 December 1956, Elvis attended the otherwise segregated WDIA black radio station's annual fund-raiser for "needy Negro children" at Memphis's Ellis Auditorium. On this December night, Elvis performed alongside some of his own heroes, Ray Charles, B.B. King and Rufus Thomas. There was no doubt that Elvis was seen as a champion in the black Memphis community and his concert audiences were certainly not all white as is often believed.

Elvis was hailed as a 'race man'

Elvis was hailed as a "race man" by two African-American newspapers, the *Memphis World* and the *Tri-State Defender*. In the summer of 1956, the *World* reported that Elvis had "cracked Memphis' segregation laws" by attending an amusement park on "coloured night". That same year, he also attended the otherwise segregated WDIA Goodwill Revue, an annual charity show put on by the radio station that called itself the "Mother Station of the Negroes".

Elvis was seen as a champion in the black Memphis community and his concert audiences were certainly not all white, as is often believed. His rock and roll music brought an unprecedented access to African American culture that challenged the 1950s segregated generation to reassess ingrained segregationist stereotypes. The American Historical Review wrote that the author of *Race, Rock, and Elvis*, Tennessee State University professor Michael T. Bertrand, "convincingly argues that the black-and-white character of the sound, as well as Presley's own persona, helped to relax the rigid colour line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement".

Despite this, Elvis has also been accused of "stealing" black rhythm and blues. However, such accusations indicate little knowledge of his many musical influences. In addition, it is important to note that in the 1950s, legal segregation and discrimination against African Americans were common, especially in the Deep South.

Elvis attended the WDIA black radio station's annual fund-raiser

In the summer of 1956, Elvis Presley attended the Memphis Fairgrounds amusement park on 'coloured night', breaking Memphis' segregation laws. That same year, he also attended the WDIA Goodwill Revue, an annual charity show put on by the radio station that called itself the 'Mother Station of the Negroes'. The WDIA Goodwill Revue was a segregated event, but Elvis attended anyway, performing alongside Ray Charles, B.B. King and Rufus Thomas.

Elvis was seen as a hero in the black community, with two African-American newspapers, the Memphis World and the Tri-State Defender, hailing him as a 'race man' for his music and his indifference to the usual social distinctions.

In his scholarly work *Race, Rock, and Elvis*, Tennessee State University professor Michael T. Bertrand examined the relationship between popular culture and social change in America. He argued that Presley's rock and roll music brought an unprecedented access to African American culture that challenged the 1950s segregated generation to reassess ingrained segregationist stereotypes.

Elvis performed alongside Ray Charles, B.B. King and Rufus Thomas

In the summer of 1956, Elvis Presley was hailed as a "race man" by two African-American newspapers, the *Memphis World* and the *Tri-State Defender*. They praised him for his music and his indifference to the usual social distinctions. That year, he attended the Memphis Fairgrounds amusement park on "coloured night", breaking Memphis's segregation laws. He also attended the otherwise segregated WDIA Goodwill Revue, an annual charity show put on by the radio station that called itself the "Mother Station of the Negroes". On 7 December 1956, Elvis performed alongside some of his own heroes, Ray Charles, B.B. King and Rufus Thomas, at the WDIA black radio station's annual fundraiser for "needy Negro children" at Memphis' Ellis Auditorium. There is no doubt that Elvis was seen as a champion in the black Memphis community and his concert audiences were certainly not all white as is often believed.

Presley's rock and roll music brought an unprecedented access to African American culture that challenged the 1950s segregated generation to reassess ingrained segregationist stereotypes. The American Historical Review wrote that Presley's music and persona "helped to relax the rigid colour line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement".

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