Memphis Carnival Traditions: Maintaining Identity in a Changing Society

The Memphis Cotton Carnival began in 1931 as a way to use the main product of Memphis—cotton—to bring the city out of the Great Depression. Through various incarnations, Carnival has endured and today stands as one of the longest-standing traditions in the city. Its founders envisioned a meeting of the minds of the city\u27s industry leaders accompanied by a series of events as a celebration for Memphis residents, as well as a way to increase tourism in the city. Cotton Carnival and Cotton Maker\u27s jubilee, a celebration started in 1935 for the African American community in Memphis, have changed and adapted in the decades since their foundings. This thesis attempts to examine this adaptation and its effects, specifically regarding race, gender, and social structure in Memphis and the Mid-South. It also examines how the celebration has changed and why citizens of Memphis still see importance in enacting this celebration annually