February 11, 2016 - Former President Bill Clinton delivers a speech Thursday at Whitehaven High School in support of his wife, Hillary Clinton, who is running for President of the United States. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE February 11, 2016 - Kinslee Miller, 7, naps as former President Bill Clinton delivers a speech at Whitehaven High School in support of his wife, Hillary Clinton, who is running for President of the United States. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal) February 10, 2016 - Whitehaven High School government teacher Brian Davis holds a copy of Bill Clinton's book, "My Life," while standing in line at his school with daughter, Elizabeth Davis, 10, as they wait to see former President Bill Clinton speak. Clinton is in Memphis to campaign for his wife, Hillary Clinton, who is running for president of the United States. "I just thought it would be a really cool opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share with my students. How many times do you get to hear a former president talk in person?" (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal)

By Ryan Poe of The Commercial Appeal

This story has been changed to clarify a quote in the 10th and 11th paragraphs.

Hundreds packed into the Whitehaven High School gymnasium Thursday to hear former President Bill Clinton stump for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Bill Clinton, a giant state flag behind him, spoke largely on issues that plague Memphis, including high unemployment, violent crime and poverty, and said Hillary would help America "grow together."

"Without an economy that works for everybody, we can't be one America, and we can't go forward together," Clinton said.

Clinton also hit on several campaign issues, including the need to improve the economy, create more jobs, lower health care co-payments, and free college tuition for people with lower incomes. He even acknowledged the anger at the status quo that has boosted the campaigns of his wife's Democratic rival, Bernie Sanders, and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

"Why is everyone so mad and full of anxiety? Because we got jobs back but not income, but not enough jobs," he said.

The former president said science has shown that people are genetically 99.5 percent the same, but some people are "fixated" on the 0.5 percent that makes people different. "So what we need now is to say: 'How can we act like we're all 99.5 percent the same?'"

Clinton came to Memphis as his wife's campaign ramps up its effort to reach voters in the state after the start of early voting Wednesday in the state and before the March 1 "Super Tuesday" primary election.

Clinton paid homage to Memphis' good qualities as well, singling out St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for not requiring patients to pay, and said that's how health care should work.

"We need health care plans to induce doctors to do what they do at St. Jude, where nobody pays," he said.

But in talking about the struggles of middle- and lower-class America, Clinton said the country's financial system is "rigged."

"Yeah, it's rigged, because you don't have a president who's a change-maker, who, with a Congress who will work with him. But the president has done a better job than he has gotten credit for."

He wrapped up at about the same time the sixth Democratic debate started in Wisconsin.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen introduced Clinton, and said Hillary would continue her husband's legacy of creating economic prosperity for all.

"She's helping out the women, she's helping out the children, she's ready to go into the White House on Day One," said state Rep. Raumesh Akbari, who with Rep. Joe Towns warmed up the standing-room-only crowd before Clinton's arrival.

The crowd of more than 650 was diverse in age, race, gender, and where they lived in the area, as well as the reasons why they were there.

Marietta Bridgeforth, wrapped in a black coat and wearing a toboggan to ward off the cold, sat on the steps outside the event while her son held her place in line.

Bridgeforth, a Whitehaven resident, said she hadn't decided whether Hillary Clinton would get her vote. She said she wanted to hear more about what Clinton would do to make college education more affordable, which she said could help ease some of Memphis' problems, including high poverty and violent crime rates.

But is Clinton the best one to tackle that problem? "I really don't know. I just don't know," she said.

Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson said Clinton's words on poverty stuck out to him the most.

"All of it goes back to education," he said.

Several students were also in attendance.

Adrena Nelson, a 17-year-old junior, said the event was exciting for her as she narrows down her choices of whom to vote for when she turns 18.

"It's neat for a school like Whitehaven," she said. Nelson said the words that resonated with her the most were about lowering the cost of college tuition.

Kyrohbi Jones, a 15-year-old member of the Whitehaven marching band that played before Clinton's speech, said he was glad to hear Clinton talk about racial issues.

"It's good to hear... somebody as big as Bill Clinton say 'Black Lives Matter,' " he said.

Waiting in the long line before the event, LaMesa Cole of Southaven said she hopes 10-year-old daughter Leah Cole will be inspired by Hillary Clinton's campaign.

"I want my daughter to see anything is possible," she said.

Cole said she is an aspiring business owner, and hoped to hear Bill Clinton speak to what Hillary Clinton would do to help black, female entrepreneurs.

Clinton was the pick of 47 percent of self-described Democrats in the state in a recent poll by Middle Tennessee State University, compared to the 15 percent who picked her rival for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders, and 26 percent who were still undecided.

Clinton's next challenge will be in the Nevada primaries, which could settle the question about whether Sanders will lose the steam he built from a narrow loss in Iowa and a nearly 22-point victory in New Hampshire.

Nevada could also show how the candidates do in a state that's more racially diverse than the largely white states of Iowa and New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, Sanders won almost every demographic, including women and young voters.

Clinton's team announced the rally this week, and state Republicans were quick to seize on the late notice as a sign that Clinton's campaign was "scrambling in response to the surging of a Socialist (Bernie Sanders)."

"But parachuting in Bill Clinton, hastily opening offices at the last minute and trying to out-flank a Socialist aren't going to be enough," TNGOP Executive Director Brent Leatherwood said in a prepared statement. "It looks increasingly likely that Tennessee is poised to deliver another loss to the Clinton campaign."

Sanders' office is already operational, with seven staff members and a grand opening set for Saturday.

Staff reporter Jennifer Pignolet contributed to this story.