FINAL TIDBITS FROM DR. HERENTON'S VICTORY SPEECH
•“Tonight we declared victory. And I want to say this: Memphis has some major decisions to make. We have to decide whether or not we want to be one city; or whether or not we want to be a divided city.”
•Dr. Herenton said he expected to hear of news reports that said “Well, Herenton didn’t have a clear mandate. He didn’t get many white votes.”
•Dr. Herenton told of a being at a football game to give a key to the city to former University of Memphis standout and now-pro DeAngelo Williams. He did it at halftime and he said “the fans showed so much disdain and hatred.”
•“You know what made me feel good? Three guys . . .came out of the audience. . came in the midst of hatred and you embraced me and I want you to know that I deeply respect you for that.”
•Dr. Herenton started to give another incident and said he wanted to give it in anticipation of what the mainstream media was going to say. “They are going to say how is Willie going to pull the races together? I didn’t separate them.”
•The other incident, he said, took place on national television as he helped honor superstar Justin Timberlake.
•“I want you to know that Memphis has a lot of healing to do. I don’t have the problem. They got the problem. . . I get up on the stage and it was 95 percent young white kids who booed me on national television. My city was embarrassed. I smiled, but I was hurt.”
•“Let me tell you what hurt me. The white citizens were not outraged. Nobody wrote letters and said it was shameful that we embarrassed the mayor on national television. The white citizens condoned it with their silence.”
•Dr. Herenton said he did not care about the color of the skin of supporters. He said he cared about how they related to him, putting emphasis at this point on those who were not African American and choose to support him.
•“I think you all for your support and we are going to continue make Memphis (a great city.)
