Citizens vs. the City of Memphis
Last week, I wrote about the annual celebration held in July at Nathan Bedford Forrest Park in Memphis. Since last February, there has been controversy surrounding the park and two others in the city, because the city council decided to change the names. Below is a press release that was sent to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“Nine Memphis residents and a group called Citizens to Save Our Parks filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to overturn the city’s renaming of Confederate Park, Forrest Park and Jefferson Davis Park in February.
“The lawsuit, filed in Shelby County Chancery Court, names the City of Memphis and the City Council as defendants and claims that the council had no legal or statutory authority to pass ordinances or a resolution to rename the parks. It asks for a court judgment declaring the council’s Feb. 5 resolution renaming the parks “null, void and invalid.” It says that prior to April 1, the mayor had “the sole authority to rename the parks” and the mayor has taken no action. The new Tennessee Heritage Protection Act prohibits any renaming after April 1.”
If you are interested in donating to help fund this lawsuit, please contact:
J.D.R. Hawkins 