The Edge of American Masculinity

What's the most significant symbol of American Masculinity? Is it grilling? Working out? Guns? Rock and Roll? Beer? Nope, none of the above. The holy grail of American Masulinity is the car. Yes, the automobile. Henry Ford maybe didn't have this in mind when he made the first Model T. However, it quickly become a staple in American (male) culture, meaning that all "real" men need to have a vehicle, to be able to move across this vast country, and to create and explore the worlds around them.

Historically, Edge has had an identity as a transportation district, from the rail lines that helped move hardwood from the Delta to the global South and beyond to the multiple car dealerships and huge showrooms on Monroe and Union avenues that inspired Elvis to buy (and give away) Cadillacs. Out of this masculine transportation culture of movement came the eclectic, on-the-edge neighborhood that would eventually attract alternative artists and musicians to the community.

Yet, not all groups in Memphis would have had equal access to the possibilities of American masculinity symbolized through cars and rail and wood through the District. In the Jim Crow South and segregated Memphis, for instance, this kind of freedom of movement would have been off-limits to the city's African American men residents and any other groups who were outside of the norm of (white) American masculinity. But like the technology that defined the district's transportation culture, Edge has always had the possibility to be transformative--to be just on the edge of change and progress. After learning the history of The Edge District, it really made me think hard about a space that is seemingly left field of all the trains, cars, and white maleness that this district is known for. Today, one Edge address--616 Marshall Avenue--has embodied that potential to give that freedom of movement to all people.

Club Spectrum or 616 Marshall Ave is a source of life all on its on for The Edge District. Spectrum Memphis opened it's doors on New Year's Eve 2010. Quickly proclaiming itself, "the #1 Nightclub in Memphis, TN." Spectrum has 2 HUGE Dance floors, the hottest DJ's on this side of the country spinning Hip Hop, Trance, Techno and everything in betweeen. The beautiful twist that makes Club Spectrum sit right on the edge of American masculinity is "it caters to gay, lesbian, hetero-sexual, bi-sexual, tri-sexual, trans-gender, & everyone and everything in between."

This space is outside the traditional history of what The Edge District represented. Before it was an LGBT clubspace, it was an African American leisure space. It's important for us to channel the thoughts, the acceptance, the movement, and the willingness to resist of this Edge address, this place. Spectrum is more than a place to party: "We're here to party, but more importantly we are also here to be an integral part of the community in which we all live. So, come on out and experience the fun-filled family atmosphere where ALL ARE WELCOME." This is a statement about leisure, play, inclusion, and community engagement that I think we can learn a lot from as we think about Edge.

The questions that I had to ask out of all this were, "how did this space become the LGBT epicenter in Memphis, given the history of the space", and "What can we do with our project to ensure that the LGBT community is incoporated" in the art projects. It would be a grave mistake on our parts to ignore the cultural contribtions made to this area by 616 Marshal in its short 5 year history.