June 20th in Elvis History

It’s June twentieth, and on this day in 1956… the *Memphis World*, an African-American newspaper, reported that Elvis Presley had quietly defied segregation laws by attending the Fairgrounds amusement park on a night designated for Black patrons only. The move was seen as a sign of solidarity by many in Memphis’s Black community, who already recognized the deep influence of Black artists on Elvis’s music. While some, including Colonel Tom Parker, feared backlash, RCA executive Larry Kanaga dismissed concerns, writing that any negative press would be outweighed by Elvis’s immense talent and the Colonel’s business savvy.