Confederate Monuments Moved

MEMPHIS, TN - AUGUST 13: Protesters attend a rally protesting against the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest Park in front of a statue bearing his likeness August 13, 2005 in Memphis, Tennessee. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Civil War General who led troops against the north. Forrest was originally buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis. In 1905 Confederate veterans arranged to move his remains and those of his wife Mary to a new site, named Forrest Park, which is adorned with a statue of him riding a horse. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)

Memphis moves past a painful period this week, removing confederate monuments including one that paid tribute to Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest.

STATUES CONTROVERSY: One day after private crews took down Confederate statues and markers in two Memphis parks, one side claimed a long-fought victory, while the other side promised a long legal battle. https://t.co/alL7yVdm4l pic.twitter.com/q4AacM0Ivy

— ABC24 Memphis (@ABC24Memphis) December 22, 2017

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said, “It’s important to know why we’re here: The Forrest statue was placed in 1904, as Jim Crow segregation laws were enacted. The Davis statue was placed in 1964, as the Civil Rights Movement changed our country. The statues no longer represent who we are as a modern, diverse city with momentum. As I told the Tennessee Historical Commission in October, our community wants to reserve places of reverence for those we honor.”

Tami Sawyer was behind the group leading the charge to get the monuments removed, “Take ‘Em Down 901.”

http://twitter.com/tamisawyer/status/943625211810910209

Raw reaction from @tamisawyer after the city removed the Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue in Health Sciences Park. Sawyer leading this movement and fighting for this to happen before we commemorate 50 years since the assassination of MLK in April. @3onyourside pic.twitter.com/Re3XzTawja

— Kristen Holloway (@KHollowayTV) December 21, 2017