Nashville, the state capital, and Memphis, on the Mississippi River, show deep roots in the South in transition to a Sunbelt future. Metropolitan Nashville, home of Vanderbilt University and the Hollywood of country music (Grand Ol’ Opry Opryland), grew nearly 18 percent in the 1990s to 1,156,225. Memphis, identified with Elvis Presley and blues, reached 1,093,427. Memphis remains perhaps more deeply divided by issues of race and class. In addition to Graceland, it also houses the motel/memorial where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Both cities have sought major-league teams and other indicators of national recognition while trying not to sacrifice local cultures.