Sons of Confederate Veterans Left Off Park Name Committee
February 19, 2013
by George Brown
(Memphis) Six men have been named to a committee that will help decide the names of three parks in Memphis.
Earlier this month, the Memphis City Council voted to change the names of three parks and form a seven member committee to review the names.
Forrest Park, Confederate Park and Jefferson Davis Park are now the Health Sciences Park, Memphis Park and Mississippi River Park, respectively.
The naming committee is made up of a cross-section of people, most notably missing are any representatives of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Members of the committee are:
Council members Bill Boyd and Harold Collins, Co-chairmen
Reverend Keith Norman, Sr. Pastor of First Baptist Broad, current president of the NAACP
Jimmy Ogle, current president of the Shelby County Historical Commission
Larry Smith, Deputy Director of Parks & Neighborhoods for the City of Memphis
Michael Robinson, Chairman of African & African American Studies, LeMoyne Owen College
Dr. Douglas Cupples, longtime professor, Department of History, University of Memphis
In a news release, Boyd said, “This is a good representative assembly of Memphians who are capable of providing a reasonable solution for recommendation to the Memphis City Council.”
Just yesterday, Reverend Norman told News Channel 3 he thinks the park names should have be left alone.
Learn more about the park controversy: http://wreg.com/tag/forrest-park/
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On The Web: http://wreg.com/2013/02/19/members-appointed-to-committee-to-review-park-names/
