Holder: 19th Century U.S. ‘Built on Backs of Those Our Nation Held in Chains’

Attorney General Eric Holder, speaking Tuesday at the My Brothers Keeper Summit in Nashville, Tenn.:

It’s a privilege to join you in convening this important summit – to discuss and advance the groundbreaking My Brother’s Keeper initiative.  And it’s a particular pleasure to do so here in the great city of Memphis – a city whose history is bound up in the work we gather to continue, and whose future will be written by the leaders, and especially the young people, in this crowd. 

Over the centuries, Memphis has undergone a remarkable series of transformations – from a hub in the immoral slave trade, helping to fuel a 19th-century economy founded on oppression and built on the backs of those our nation held in chains; to a diverse, inclusive, and thriving urban center – known for its legendary music; vibrant, wonderful culture – and even better barbecue.