Memphis Greenspace facts for kids
Memphis Greenspace Inc. is a special group that started in October 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. It's a "non-profit" organization, which means it doesn't try to make money for itself. Instead, it uses its money to help the community. This group was formed because of a big decision about statues in public parks.
Contents
What is Memphis Greenspace?
Memphis Greenspace Inc. was created to help manage and protect public spaces. Their first big project involved two parks in Memphis. These parks had statues of historical figures.
Why Was Memphis Greenspace Formed?
The city leaders of Memphis, Tennessee and Shelby County wanted to move statues of two Confederate Generals, Robert E. Lee and Nathan Bedford Forrest, from public parks. However, a state law called the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act made it difficult. This law meant they needed special permission from the Tennessee Historical Commission to move historical statues. The Commission did not give them permission.
How Memphis Greenspace Helped
Because the city couldn't move the statues, Memphis Greenspace found a different way. They bought the parks where the statues were located. They purchased Health Sciences Park (which used to be called Forrest Park) and Fourth Bluff Park. Each park cost them $1,000 in 2017. As soon as they owned the parks, they were able to move the statues. A rule of the sale was that the land must always stay as parks for everyone to enjoy.
Who Leads Memphis Greenspace?
The leader of Memphis Greenspace is a person named Van Turner. He is also a commissioner for Shelby County. He has shared that the group hopes to buy even more parks in the future. This would help them protect more green spaces for the community.
Legal Actions and Decisions
In 2019, some people tried to take legal action against Memphis Greenspace because of the statue removals. However, the Tennessee Court of Appeals decided to dismiss the case. This meant Memphis Greenspace was allowed to keep the statues moved.
What Happened to the Remains?
In 2020, Memphis Greenspace agreed to another important step. The remains of Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife, Anne, had been buried under the equestrian statue of Forrest in Health Sciences Park. Memphis Greenspace agreed for their remains to be moved to a different location.
