Memphis & Little Rock

– Sela Sokol

Despite the early morning that we started our day off on, the heat of Memphis was unbearable. Thankfully, our first stop was Sun Studios, which was indoors. We traveled back through time and learned the history of the studio and the music surrounding it. I’ve always had a love for music, so learning about all of these events made me realize how many songs and artists influenced music today. I’m glad that we learn about so many interesting people and places that we would never have been taught in school.

 

We followed up our visit to Sun Studios by hitting up Beale Street, where we had been the night before. While walking around, I realized how the area still reflects Memphis’ history and manages to keep it alive.

We had to say goodbye to Memphis and say hello to Little Rock, where we visited Central High School, the first integrated school in the state of Arkansas. It was hard to believe that once people of color weren’t allowed to learn alongside other kids their age simply because of unfair ideals. I admired the Little Rock Nine for being brave enough to fight against so much adversity during their time at that school.

 

Afterward, we had a thought-provoking conversation with a Satanist named Mason Hargett. He talked about the Satanist Temple and their movement that is featured in the documentary “Hail Satan?”. I was initially skeptical but ended up deeply connecting with his points. 

To end the night, we paid a visit to the actual Little Rock that the city was named after. I never knew there was an actual rock, and upon further inspection of the plaque on the rock, I learned that it was only a chunk of a bigger rock. Although it was hot outside, it was worth it, considering the impactful amount of information we learned.