House Resolution 80

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE MEMORY OF THE SHAKE RAG COMMUNITY AND RECOGNIZING THE MONUMENTAL DIFFERENCE THAT ITS RESIDENTS HAD NOT ONLY ON ROCK AND ROLL BUT ALSO THE BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICA'S MUSIC.

WHEREAS, Shake Rag was a unique African-American neighborhood in an underserved but culturally thriving section of Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis, and Tupelo and Shake Rag were where the seeds of Elvis' personal sound took root; and

WHEREAS, located east of the old M&O (later GM&O) railway tracks and extending northward from Main Street, Shake Rag was one of several historic African-American communities in Tupelo, and by the 1920s, blues and jazz flowed freely from performers at Shake Rag restaurants, cafes and house parties, and later from jukeboxes, while the sounds of gospel music filled the churches; and

WHEREAS, the origin story of the Shake Rag name has its own colorful and debated folklore where one version includes the idea that the clothing of folks running away from a fight would shake in the wind, and another version claims that as trains were approaching the area, passengers would wave rags to signal the engineer to stop for them; and

WHEREAS, gambling and bootlegging were commonplace in Shake Rag and although outsiders often regarded the area as dangerous, former residents proudly recalled its churches, prosperous businesses and strong sense of community, a quality highlighted in Charles "Wsir" Johnson's 2004 documentary about Shake Rag, Blue Suede Shoes in the Hood; and

WHEREAS, unfortunately, Shake Rag was leveled by fire under the guise of eminent domain and revitalization in the late 1960s and its culture and lifestyle were lost to the whims of those who write history, except for those who know old Tupelo well, and the most zealous fans of the blues and Elvis; and

WHEREAS, the burning of Shake Rag cleared 60 acres, removed 169 families from their houses and closed 43 businesses, and those in charge of the project, the Tupelo Housing Authority, the Planning and Zoning Commission and representatives of the Urban Renewal Commission, proclaimed that progress had been made by eliminating a slum from the area and relocating those who lived in the community to public housing built on North Green Street on what was called Livingston Estates; and

WHEREAS, Roy Turner, former president of Tupelo's Elvis fan club and a local historian, explained that, "Elvis lived in 'The Hill' just before (moving to) Memphis. 'The Hill' was a higher-income African-American neighborhood, and a neighbor who was close to Elvis exposed him to the Shake Rag community"; and

WHEREAS, in 2003, Scott Morris wrote eloquently about the filmmaker Mr. Johnson and the 45 people that he interviewed for the film, and later, Morris wrote about whether Elvis Presley ever really walked about Shake Rag as a boy, learning blues licks from the musicians who gathered in the neighborhood; and

WHEREAS, "Shake Rag and Elvis: Fact or Myth" the story asked, depended on one's perspective, according to the story, with the best answer coming from Odie Johnson Sr., who Morris quoted as saying, "Elvis' daddy (Vernon Presley) used to work with me at L.P. McCarty. That was right here on Main Street in Shake Rag"; and

WHEREAS, music teacher and community advocate Stephanie Stubbs of Tupelo organized a group of young musicians and performers to record a song titled "Shake Rag," and the song, recorded at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, remembers Elvis but also honors the little-known history of the now defunct "Shake Rag" neighborhood of Tupelo and its influence on rock and roll; and

WHEREAS, it is most appropriate to recognize and honor those communities that have had a positive and lasting impact on the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we hereby commemorate the memory of the Shake Rag community and recognize the monumental difference that its residents had not only on rock and roll but also the birthplace of America's music.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the residents of the Shake Rag community and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.