The following is a testimonial to the late Joan Robinson, a political presence extraordinaire, who died last week, leaving a sense of huge loss along with a bounty of fond memories among her many friends in the Memphis community.
The author, Liz Rincon, is one of those friends. Crediting Robinson with igniting her own career as a well-known political consultant here and elsewhere, Rincon — now chief of staff to state Senator Robert Martwick (D-Ill.) — recalls her friend and issues an all-points invitation to a memorial to Robinson on Friday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Slider Inn Downtown. — Jackson Baker
There are certain moments in time when it truly feels like the end of an era, right now feels like just that, as we say goodbye to Joan Robinson.
I first met Joan when I was just 24. It was January 2004 and the Democratic presidential primaries were heating up and if you can imagine it, Memphis had several field offices all over town corresponding to their candidate. I walked into the Wesley Clark headquarters where I was greeted by this larger-than-life woman who was only five feet tall, enthusiastically telling me all about “Big Wes” and why I should volunteer. I was then handed a cup of warm white wine, I was sold!
Joan didn’t know it at the moment, but she is the reason I have a career in politics and I am forever grateful. That year I would work campaigns in Florida and Chicago, but eventually I would return to Memphis where the majority of my political work would happen.
Memphis politics isn’t for the faint of heart, it can be a wild ride each election cycle. It feels as if Tim Burton scripted the scene for us ahead of time. Ballots, competing egos, continued accusations that we turn out dead voters and for me and my team a little bit of a punk rock spirit, mixed with Chicago organizing and always a good time. With every door knocked, call made and mail sent out, there would also be a lot of hard drinking, smoking and late night night bullshit sessions with local political influencers, activists and of course … our Joanie. There with her glass of white wine, sharp tongue when it came to the elephants, and that infectious laugh.
Having a political career in Memphis means working seven days a week (that famous Memphis hustle) learning how to decipher bullshit (can we talk about the fake ballot game?) and a lot of relationship-building (your enemy today is your friend tomorrow). No matter which campaign I took on, I could count on Joan to be there in support, but she wasn’t some shrinking flower in the background. Um, hell no! She would get right up in a candidate’s face, with her glass of white wine splashing around in one hand, while her always manicured finger was pointing directly in their face.
She was a tough broad, made from the Joan Crawford personality collection and that was the brilliance. If you were a pro-life Democrat, pack it up, son! She left that guy wishing he had made better life choices that morning. And at the same time, if you were on the side of women, she would be fiercely loyal for life.
As I look around my office, where I now sit as Chief of Staff for a state Senator in Chicago, it is all Memphis campaign memorabilia and the knowledge that I would not be sitting here in this very privileged space if I hadn’t walked into that HQ on Union Ave 21 years ago. Joan, you are one of a kind and I promise that we will all work harder in your name.
We are down a warrior, but I promise we will fight harder for you and what you believed America’s promise to be.
If you want to raise a toast, come bullshit about Memphis politics and say good bye to the legendary Joan Robinson, please join us Friday, June 20th at Slider Inn Downtown at 363 Mulberry Street, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.