Weeks after saying he had no plans to send National Guard troops to Memphis, Lee said he had been in communication with the Trump administration for months about the issue. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

The first time I visited Memphis was in July 1978, and my family had taken a weekend trip so my older brother could tour the college then called Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College.

At 14, I’d been few places outside my hometown and was excited for the opportunity to see a new city. But as it turned out, I didn’t see much. My chief memories of the trip are of military vehicles rolling down nearly empty streets as we headed back to our motel before the enforced curfew set in.

Mayor Wyeth Chandler declared a civil emergency and called for support from the Tennessee Nati

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