Judy

"Everyone has a voice; everyone has something important to say. The idea behind the Center for Southern Folklore is to give all of our voices a broader audience. We want to celebrate and preserve the culture of this part of the Memphis/Delta region. Our arts, music, narratives, sports and dance tell our story. We're all important, not because of the money we make or the clothes we wear. We're important just because of who we are as individuals. We need to listen to each other. We need to get to know and appreciate each other. Our lives are so rushed that it's hard to do that, but when we do we make our world a better place. I know I'm a dreamer, but I come from a culture that celebrates people and tradition, and I want to be a part of that.

"I think of B.B. King, of Rufus Thomas, and of many others who have given their time to help us develop the Center. And I think of Mose Vinson, a boogie-woogie pianist who worked with us for years. He would take a child's hand in his and place their fingers on the keys, and the child would go home thinking they could really play! Mose took the time to share what he knew with people. When you do that, when you take what you've learned and hand it down to others, you're doing what people have done for centuries. At the Center we pass on music and culture one person at a time."

Photo below by Don Perry, RSVP magazine:

Judy Peiser is the co-founder and executive director of the Center for Southern Folklore, located at 119 S. Main.

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