Am I the first to notice the similarity between the names of our president and E. H. “Boss” Crump, the mayor of Memphis from 1910-1915, whose Democratic political machine dominated Tennessee state politics almost until his death in 1954?

Unlike most Southern politicians, Boss Crump was not opposed to Blacks voting. He formed corrupt alliances with conservative Black businessmen and shared the proceeds from prostitution, gambling and drugs in the Beale Street area. These coalitions, along with a strong police force, helped him to control Black voters and to maintain racial inequality in Memphis for decades. Memphis is still one of the nation’s poorest cities and has one of its highest crime rates.

One of composer W. C. Handy’s earliest hits, “The Memphis Blues,” is said to have originated as a campaign song for Boss Crump when he first ran for mayor. Crump is also the subject of the blues song “Mr. Crump Don’t Like It,” recorded in 1927 by the Memphis Sheiks, whose vocalist was Frank Stokes. The song should not be taken literally; Boss Trump was not opposed to vice as long as he profited from it.