Steve Cohen, TN
Linked statement
“Today is 901 Day, and I am celebrating Memphis, Tennessee. Our city has a long history of fighting for civil rights and fair treatment, from the 1968 sanitation workers strike to today. We must keep fighting against unfair voting maps and immigration raids.”
“Today, we celebrate 901 Day--a day to celebrate Memphis, Tennessee, and the people who make the city the great city that it is. Mr. Speaker, 901 is more than an area code. It represents people who have never been afraid to stand up and demand better. In 1968, AFSCME sanitation workers in Memphis marched for dignity, fair wages, and the basic right to be treated with respect. Dr. King came to Memphis to stand with those workers and tragically lost his life at that time. This history reminds us that progress has never simply been given to Memphis. We have fought for it. Now with the gerrymandered redistricting effort that took away the votes of Black voters and the large-scale ICE raid that was carried out this past weekend, we must fight harder. Yes, today we celebrate the history, music, culture, and barbecue; but, most importantly, we celebrate the people, the generation of Memphians who refused to accept that things had to stay the way they were. We carry that spirit forward. Happy 901 Day, Memphis.”
Today, we celebrate 901 Day--a day to celebrate Memphis, Tennessee, and the people who make the city the great city that it is. Mr. Speaker, 901 is more than an area code. It represents people who have never been afraid to stand up and demand better. In 1968, AFSCME sanitation workers in Memphis marched for dignity, fair wages, and the basic right to be treated with respect. Dr. King came to Memphis to stand with those workers and tragically lost his life at that time. This history reminds us that progress has never simply been given to Memphis. We have fought for it. Now with the gerrymandered redistricting effort that took away the votes of Black voters and the large-scale ICE raid that was carried out this past weekend, we must fight harder. Yes, today we celebrate the history, music, culture, and barbecue; but, most importantly, we celebrate the people, the generation of Memphians who refused to accept that things had to stay the way they were. We carry that spirit forward. Happy 901 Day, Memphis.