2020 Issue 6 Nov/Dec - Focus Mid-South Magazine

I want to see a more
progressive, inclusive city and
county,” says Creasy. “I want
to see us unfettered. I want to
see the party that claims to
support small government, let
Memphis rule itself to a
greater degree.
If you’ve lived in Memphis for
a while, chances are you’ve had
a conversation with Allan
Creasy. It might have been at
Celtic Crossing in Cooper-
Young, where he tended bar
and ran trivia nights for years.
Maybe it was for a political
campaign he’s volunteered
with, or during one of his own
campaigns for the Tennessee
State House over the past few
years. As a bartender, he would
often give tourists directions
and sometimes, he recalls, “I’d
take them out and show them
the real Memphis, go to a local
show, or some dingy dive bar
they would never have gone to
on their own.” However it
happens, chatting with Creasy
is always a “real Memphis”
experience.
Back in 2018, Creasy ran for
the district 97 seat in the
Tennessee State House of
Representatives. “No Democrat
had run in 16 years,” he says. “It
was considered ‘too red.’ But
we had a huge amount of
volunteers, raised about
$140,000, and we knocked on
over 20,000 doors.” Creasy
earned 45% of the vote that
year, and while it was a
disappointing loss, he’s proud
of the work his campaign did. “I
mean, we were endorsed by
the Tennessee Equality Project,
among others,” Creasy shares
proudly. “I was really grateful
for that.” This year, he ran again
for the same seat, this time
pitted against Gabby Salinas in
the Democratic primary.
Salinas won the nomination,
and Creasy has nothing but
admiration for his one-time
opponent. “I am in awe of the
type of campaign they were
able to run in the primary.
Gabby is an absolutely amazing
candidate and I support her
completely.”
Now that he’s not bartending
or campaigning, and since the
pandemic has kept all of us
from socializing like normal, he
misses meeting new people
and hanging out with regulars
at the bar. “It really helped to
preserve my sanity,” says
Creasy about making
connections with folks. “When I
didn’t have bartending and I
wasn’t knocking on doors for
myself or other candidates, I
felt a bit lonely and out of
place.” No longer working the
night shift, he looks forward to
having more time to visit with
friends and loved ones. With
masks on, of course, and from
a safe distance. “Instead of
going out for a drink, it’s sitting
six feet apart on somebody’s
front porch.”
What does a gregarious,
Memphis-loving guy do after 15
years of bartending? It was a
natural move for Creasy to join
the staff at Future901, a West
Tennessee political action
committee that champions
inclusivity. “So much of the
most racist, sexist,
homophobic, and transphobic
legislation gets written at the
state level,” Creasy points out.
“Knocking on a few hundred
doors can mean all the
difference in a primary where
only 5 or 6,000 people are
going to vote. We can make a
huge difference working on
voter education for downballot
races.” In his new
position as consultant at
Future901, he’s working on
social media campaigns and
fundraising. He jokes, “It’s a
good fit because bartenders
have no qualms about asking
people for money.”
Creasy wants Memphians to
stay informed about local and
state politics even after the
election. “I would recommend
subscribing to and supporting
local journalism like Focus, the
Daily Memphian, the Memphis
Flyer, publications that really
go in-depth on state issues.
Follow Future901 and the
Tennessee Holler on social
media.” He also cautions West
Tennesseeans to pay more
attention to what is happening
in Nashville, and which state
candidates support things that
could either strengthen or
weaken Memphis and Shelby
County. For example, he says,
“The state legislature has
ensured that our city council
can’t decriminalize any
amounts of marijuana, is
pushing some really disgusting
anti-trans bills, and has passed
legislation preventing local
municipalities from increasing
the minimum wage.”
Looking toward a future
Memphis, “I want to see a more
progressive, inclusive city and
county,” says Creasy. “I want to
see us unfettered. I want to see
the party that claims to
support small government, let
Memphis rule itself to a greater
degree. To move forward with
candidates who will fight for
Memphis to not only survive,
but to thrive.”
GO! / NOV+DEC 2020 / focusmidsouth.com / Page 31