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Subscribe to RSSAfter three Confederate-themed public parks in Memphis, Tenn., were renamed, a man claiming to be a top Ku Klux Klansman says the group is planning the "largest" protest rally the city "has ever seen." WMC's Jason Miles reports.
Published 5:45 p.m. ET: The renaming of three Confederate-themed parks in Memphis has spurred foes — including a purported Ku Klux Klan leader known as the “Exalted Cyclops” — to lash out against what they say are attempts to erase history. Others, however, maintain such symbols and monuments represent racism and have to go.
The Memphis City Council, fearful of intervention by state legislators, voted late Tuesday to approve changing the name of Forrest Park to Health Sciences Park. Confederate Park became Memphis Park and and Jefferson Davis Park, named for the president of the Confederacy, was renamed Mississippi River Park.
The vote was 9-0 – seven African-American council members and two white council members voted for the changes -- with three council members abstaining and one council member absent.
Forrest Park for years has stirred up emotions. It contains the grave of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate cavalry leader who traded slaves before the war and went on to become the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, the infamous hate group that carried out a merciless campaign of lynchings, church fires and other terror against African Americans as well as other immigrant groups.
During the war, troops under Forrest's command notoriously were accused of slaughtering Federal black troops after the Battle of Fort Pillow. The "Fort Pillow Massacre" became a rallying cry for the Union, according to historians.
“The parks are changed. It's done," Councilman Lee Harris, told The Commercial Appeal. "We removed controversial names and named them something that is less controversial."
Harris told Reuters, “We are becoming a city that is inclusive and respectful … Those names were dividing rather than uniting."
Adrian Sainz / AP photo
Formerly known as Confederate Park in downtown Memphis, Tenn., this downtown park will now be called Memphis Park. Two other Confederate-themed parks were also renamed by the Memphis City Council.
Memphis is just over 63 percent African-American, according to 2010 U.S. Census figures.
The honoring of Confederate heroes and emblems — such as the flying of the Confederate flag — has been a divisive issue in the South for years, so the Memphis vote surely doesn’t end the debate.
“They’re trying to get rid of history. They’re trying to rewrite it,” Katherine Blalock told the Appeal after the vote.
And in an interview with WMC-TV, a man calling himself a KKK leader known as the “Exalted Cyclops” -- he refused to reveal his true identify and said to call him “Edward” -- said he was calling all fellow klansmen to join him in the “largest rally Memphis, Tennessee had ever seen.” He said they would rally in the former Forrest Park.
"It's not going to be 20 or 30," Edward said. "It's going to be thousands of klansmen from the whole United States coming to Memphis, Tennessee."
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors the Klan, all four of the known Klan groups in Tennessee are small and fairly disorganized. So, it was unclear if such a large rally was even possible.
Still, the city’s top administrator, George Little, said that critics, including the KKK, were free to protest.
"Should they do so and gather lawfully, then we wouldn't get any more involved with that than we would with any other group," Little said.
The move by the Memphis council was meant to counter efforts in the Tennessee legislature to preserve Confederacy-related names.
One of the sponsors of a bill that would ban renaming of historical parks and monuments in the state told The Commercial Appeal that he would not seek to retroactively have the names of the three parks in Memphis restored but would seek to preserve Confederate history elsewhere.
“We’ve got monuments on the Capitol grounds that I wouldn’t have approved of putting there but they are there and they are part of our history, State Rep. Steve McDaniel said. “Changing names or removing monuments could have the appearance of trying to re-write history.”
NBCNews.com’s M. Alex Johnson and Reuters contributed to this report
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not that I agree with the KKK, but I do not think that we should try to "re-write" history. These Confederate themed places should remain as they are as a reminder to what happened. We should not forget what happened during the Civil War. Those you forget history are doomed to repeat it. None of us want to go through the Civil War again.
I don't think we should try to re-write history either, but I seriously doubt that the names of parks, or changing those names, is going to cause or allow people to somehow forget history.
John, does one have to build monuments to a movement designed to destroy the United States to remember the history behind it?...
Tennessee has been trying to re-write history for years. The Civil War re-enactments they engage in repeatedly and consistently are evidence of that. They keep hoping, just once, they will come out on the winning side.
Blue states have never lived in the future! Racists? What about the naacp!
Because every day is Opposite Day in Jimlotsanumbers World...
I have never seen a picture of a KKK member swingin from a tree. Maybe it might happen yet. Just sayin.
Getting close!
Maybe yall could go lynch & hang some of those Rednecks. Go get a bunch of yall together & go get em. I would love to see it. Stand up to them.
This war has been over for 148 years. Give it a rest.
The New Normal
You are seeing it over and over again. The new normal, school shooting, children killing parents, people just snapping. Parents abusing and killing their children. But everyone just tosses up their hands in un-belief and some say O My God, or how could God let this happen. Well, I’m not sure why your bringing God into it, America has been trying to kick God out for years. You have kicked God out of our schools, government building, ect. And now that God has left and let hell run its course you blame it on God?
Hell has done its job well. Hell has flooded our media with evil and when I say evil I’m talking about evil on steroids. Hell has made it fun to enjoy for the whole family. Hell has flooded the TV, our movies, our video game, you name it and it’s there. We have also became a country of pill poppers, they have made a pill for everything to give to our youngest to our oldest because it’s easy. Just take a look at the side effects and some say right there in black and white may cause depression, hallucinations, suicidal tendencies, oh and let’s not forget this one and sometimes death. What happened doctors, don’t you remember what you promised? You oath, do no harm, sounds a bit like doing harm to me.
You know when I was a boy we didn’t have all this violence. But we didn’t have Hell crammed in 24/7. You can tune into hell full HD just by the push of a button, but when I say you I mean your kids. Your kids submerge themselves into their killing spree HD on the big screen and pop the ADD or whatever kind of pill. And you have the gall to wonder why we have all the killing? That’s all our kids know, they are flooded with it you fools, but this is what you get by saying if you don’t want to watch it you can turn it off. You were stupid the first time you said it and you stupid now because you will not put a stop to it. You are going to continue to allow the so called media makers to keep flooding our TV, movies, games with the most vile thing the mind can come up with and say it’s ok and not obscene because it’s not showing nudity.
You know, in war times they brain wash someone by drugging them and flood there mind with whatever they want in the enemies brain to make them do or kill anyone that person can get close too. You’re allowing them to do that to your kids and you’re paying them to do it.
Did you know a 1 minute commercial during the Super Bowl cost 3.5 million dollars and they have the nerve to say a little bit of TV or entertainment never hurt anybody. Did you know they have to sell 3 times as much stuff to just break even to the cost? They are banking 3.5 million dollars on 1 minute of time will influence Americans enough to buy 10.5 million dollars worth of stuff from that 1 minute ad on TV. Do you still believe a little bit of TV doesn’t bother you or your kids, a little bit of violence, a little bit of sex, a little bit of people doing drugs, a little bit of rape, a little bit of murder.
If you don’t get a clue and figure out what is really causing our issues by what I’m telling you and stop them from allowing this rot into your kids mind, you have just seen a small amount of what is to come. America is rotting from the inside. You can stop the madness. There is only 1 way, but America will never allow it or believe it because they would rather rot and have its entertainment filth. God is real, this was once a nation under God but now it is not, it’s a nation of our kids thinking we came from monkeys which is being taught to them in our schools.
There are only 2 directions for our country to go, the way it is now and will become worse then you have ever seen or the way it used to be which is old fashion and behind the times. The new normal with your faith in man leading you to your doom as you see it happening before your very eyes or faith in God leading to salvation as our four fathers setup at our countries birth, remember, 1 nation under God.
You know, when I was a kid we didn’t have this kind of problem, and I know why.
How old are you, implied?
Racism is alive and still going in this country thanks to Eric Holder
Wow; spoken as if Eric Holder is the ONLY racist in America, and that he alone is single-handedly keeping racism going.
Your right. Bawanna Obama is the King of Racist. He has us divided by race, class, religion & Political Party. He is good. The best I have ever seen.
You are a fool. Racism has always been present, and racists have always existed. Having a Black President just brought a few of you out of hiding. You mistakenly believed that the majority would support your Neanderthal ignorance.
right docjt having a black potus bought the racists and bigots out of the closet
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a great soldier and leader during his time. Actions by Forrest are far less violent than the butcher shop antics of our leadership during the Viet Nam war. The Civil War was an event in American history that no amount of pathetic name changing is going to alter or erase. The war was a sad event for both sides and no side was a winner regardless of what you think. If you feel that changing names is going to erase the past and make it all well again then the American government should have changed the name of Japan to Fantasy Island and then all the past would have gone away and all would be well......Think that would work out??
The past is the past and character assassinations and changing names to hid the truth is ridiculous and moronic.
If you actually, genuinely think that changing the names of parks is an attempt to erase history or hide truth, then you might want to refine your definition of 'ridiculous and moronic'.
I guess if my name is Thomas Jefferson I will have to change it.I am tired of a bunch of wimp so called leaders and politicians giving in to a small group of idiots who want to change the facts of Southern history and the civil war.
In exactly what way does changing the names of parks change the facts of southern history? Or even constitute an attempt to change those facts?
Right. They are going to have to do more than change the name of a couple of parks. Like publish their own revisionist text books like Texas has done.
If this wasn't so shady the way it was done, things might have went more smooth. If you have no ties to Memphis, then you have no idea how grandstanding some in the city government can be in Memphis. Everything was done at night at one of the parks(taking the statue down etc), and then out of the blue there is a vote. I do love Memphis, but the race relations there are horrible and the city of Memphis and the local newspaper does nothing to improve it.
A straight-up voter by the city council is shady? Oh, I get it--they didn't vote the way you would have liked, therefore...
The future of the America is the current Dominic republic they destroyed the white men there with there niggro seed and now that race is nothing more then slaves in there own land and rightfully so it is poetic justice that white trash that sold out there race and created these mongols there that there off spring should be.
The People
The ethnic composition of the Dominican Republic consists of two primary people groups: Dominicans and Haitian-Dominicans. The majority of the population (73%) is Dominican, a racial mixture of black, white, and South American ancestry. Haitian-Dominicans make up the largest minority and include refugees, illegal aliens, and second- and third- generation descendents of migrant sugarcane workers brought over from Haiti in the mid-1900s. The majority of Haitian-Dominicans, even though they were born in the country, are not recognized as citizens by the government and therefore have no access to social services such as education or health care. There is much racial strife and prejudice between these two co-existing people groups.
While under Spanish rule during the 15th and late 19th centuries, the Dominican Republic employed the social system known as the caste system, categorizing people by their skin color. Remnants of this stratification remain to this day. Even though an estimated 90 percent of the contemporary Dominican population has African ancestry, most Dominicans do not self-identify as black. Haitian-Dominicans, regarded as black by Dominicans, occupy the bottom of the caste system and are often the target of racial prejudice.
It is time for the white man to rise up and destroy the socialist of this nation or this is the future, slave to niggro's.
Defend your Daughters from it, keep them from the public education system that is teaching this madness.
Buy guns and ammo lots of it for the coming civil race wars and most important harden your heart so you can take down the oppressors, hell bent on destroying us and our culture.
Civil war is brother against brother and this time may be real fathers against worthless white trash daughters.
non-factual b.s. i did not like
Do the research
cotni.org/where-we-serve/dominican-republic
If you do not think civil war as coming then why did the american federal government just buy 1.6 billion rounds of ammo
Ahh...maybe because we have a several-million-strong standing military, and they, y'know, use ammo? I really think you need your tinfoil hat let out a little--it's cutting off the circulation to your brain stem...
White men rising up and destroying the socialist! Wow, that's rich. LOL
It doesn't matter whether your information is correct or stupid and ignorant, what you hope to accomplish by it will never, EVER happen.
Geneva Convention. Military has to use Full Metal jacket ammo when in war. Our Government bought hollow points to use on it's own people.
Conjuring Cat
It was hollow point ammo cannot be used by the army and is against the Geneva convention, also was bought by the department of home land security Google it.
TaoMokoda
It happened once it will happen again america has become nothing but a pagan third world nation, 34th in the worlds education ranking, 17th in standard of living - It will happen in the last month Americans have bought 7 million Guns and rifles, we are tired of the crap and ready to fight - we did it before we will do it again.
No civil war's coming, sorry. I know how much you "Turner Diary"-types are just dripping in anticipation for your race war, but it aint happening.
Even if it did (BIG *If*) the sides aren't nowhere close to being as settled as some people dream they would be. Thinking racial strife in this country and internationally is merely about black vs. white is a huge mistake of hubris and ignorance; the disease of racial iniquity has crossed many more continents than just Africa. Would-be Ruby Ridgers should do well to remember that.
And "Truth" you doomsdayers really need to get over yourselves. YOU didn't build jackshyte in this country, so ease up on the Frontiersman/Rifleman rhetoric. Just because some white man back in the day slaughted a bunch of Native Americans to make room for this black slave labor to pave some space for their cheap Chinese labor to build some rail space leading to gardens some poor imigrant Mexican gardener could mow for some other rich white man doesn't give you magical White Man's Burden powers. Unless you personally "braved the American frontier" with your Winchester and your coonskin cap you need to STFU with all that and sit back down with the rest of us.
Like it or not, folks, the America of today has all different kinds of people living in it, and none of them are going "back where they came from" any time soon. Maybe Lincoln had a chance to make this the all-white country people who are into such things adore, but he didn't do it and has been dead many long years ago, so suck it up.
And if you can't deal with the fact of a multicultural America, you know where we keep door; do let it hit you in azz on the way out. Like your ilk is so fond of saying of others: this is America and you can either love it or get the funk out, we will proceed without you.
Given the outcome of the first Civil War, it seems that those who are calling for it are forgetting their history. You lost that one, you will lose another one. LOL
Not by a long shot you are a bunch of losers the wars is coming and and people will die has to happen - the socialist backed the white man in the corner women lib stealing his children False accusing him of domestic abuse that does not happen stealing his wages to give to other, calling him racist for defending himself.
We have come to the point we want you dead and it does not matter if we die doing it.
I would rather die killing those trying to destroy me that to sit by and allow them to do it.
As for losing go look at the map for states looking to leave the union.
Now go look at a map of the last election
They are the same
now look at where they have manufacturing it is in these states
Now look at the gold depository's of the united states they are in these states
Now go look at the maps of the states that hold the nuclear warheads they are in these states
Now go look at the military vote for Ron Paul
LMAO it is not a question of losing - it is a question of when we take america back and how much we punish those state that did not support us just like they did to the south after the civil war.
Lose Heck no we are in it to win it and will win and then we go back to the Constitution as written as law no amendments and rebuild america into the number one nation again
This guy truth is a prime example of the need for gun control
Truth Do away with the admendments huh?
1. No more free speech
2. No more guns
started to do them all but surely you get the picture.
dougamsterdam
Why what have you done that you know you deserve top be punished but are afraid.
Neko Samurai
The amendments will be rewritten Guns will be required to be carried at all times hand gun safety taught in the 7th and 8th grade and classes at the range in the 9th grade Like they did in the 1950's when a person graduates he will be issued a hand gun and rifle.
The free speech amendment has no teeth and must be written that any attempt to sniffle free speech is a crime.
The 14th must GO
I hope that if there is a civil war, you will be one of the first to be done away with so that you cannot continue to pollute the air. And that's right; keep your kids home-schooled so they can't learn to think for themselves. That is the only way that they will be brain-washed into believing the complete trash that you spout, and continue the passing on of your legacy of hate. Hopefully in your isolated little world, you will all end up being inbred and eventually by the laws of evolution, you all will become extinct. Then again; why blame your children; Warren Je
Sorry; computer error; wasn't done before it posted. Rather than teaching your kids all about shooting skills and giving them guns as a reward for graduation, why don't you focus more on giving them an education so they learn how to spell and use proper grammar; they sure won't learn it from you. How about saving some money, and instead of using it to buy guns and ammo and wasting it on ink cartridges for your computer so you can type and post your agenda of hate, use the money to send them to college; they may stand a chance then to grow up to be tolerant, respectful and free to make their own decisions as to how they wish to live.
It's time to grow up.People who breed hate have something they hate about their own live's.The world is changing and there's really nothing you can do about it.You don't have to accept it .But fighting it isn't going to stop it.So make your own life what you want it to be because you can't do anything about anybody's but your own.
The world is changing to the NWO which God told us is the height of evil and our number one job is to resist it - this supercities everything else including killing.
Wow so god told you to go on a killing spree sounds like serial killer material to me
No it is called justifiable war.
Orange grove, Kent state, Waco, Branch Dravidian............... The govenment has show how much it respects Americans
I always thought the KKK was a group of radical idiots that somehow connected God to their criminal acts. I don't see any reason to change the name of the parks. If they really want to do some thing that would be a benefit to the country is protest against the gay's
Actually the democrats are worse Give me you money or go to prison so I can give it to someone else.
"Health Sciences Park?" Sure, Forrest is a tainted name, but it would be hard to find something lamer than "Health Sciences Park."
Don't get the confederate solders and the KKK mixed up. The war was the most furious war , it brought brother against brother and father's against sons. It split the north /south . It's history and should never be forgotten. I wondered what would have happened if the South had won. To those who think it's racist , look in the mirror I see more racist slurs coming from liberals. Do you know the North was the last to give up slavery. Let the dead rest and let history stand as it was .
Do you know what it means to contradict yourself? Try reading your comment as if you didn't write it.
it isn't rewriting history...it's removing the glorification and honoring of things that deserve not even the smallest element of honor, ie. the KKK, slavery, murder, hate, ignorance.
they should build a break dance floor over the old grand wizards grave so stomping on that sicko's memory can be institutionalized.
that is a great ideal I would totally make the trip to do that. right after I hit beale street for some blues and bbq
DesertSage-2248463
WRONG they the heroes that lose and this lose has destroyed america and changed it into a third world slum.
The losing side must win.
34th in intelligence
17th in standard of living
America must be brought back and those that did this must pay.
the truth you will not like it;
Hmm...34th in intelligence....What the hell does that mean? What is the measure of intelligence? If it has to do with writing proper English and coherent sentences, then it is too many of you who are not educated.
Branch Davridians? If you want to try to make a believable point, at least know how to spell the examples that you are trying to use. The Branch Davidians were the members of the cult founded by David Koresh in Waco, TX. Why repeat the same thing twice? David Koresh allowed the women only to have sex with him and he also molested the young girls of the group. They did storm them, but it was Koresh who refused to allow them access to his compound zand it was he that set the place on fire so the innocent children could burn to death;he took the cowardly way out and shot himself.
Orange Grove? What Orange Grove?You mean the Center that is a private, non-profit organization serving adults and children of Harrission County in TN with developmental disabilities. (Orange Grove was established in 1953 by families of children with intellectual disabilities in Hamilton County, TN, who desperately needed educational services).What's your point.
You are a hateful, ignorant person with a big mouth that just makes noise. Guess you keep the wife and kids in control with your big bad gun.
It's okay, Memphis, really. Don't even worry about it. Let them have their rally. Let them gather with their megaphones and their portable P. A. systems and their familiar outfits and loudly spew their hate and ignorance into the air. Let them have their day to feel superior and call names and make asinine comments about the objects of their hatred. Because the next day they will return to being subservient good-ol'-boys off somewhere harmlessly getting sloshed on draft beer and sour mash.
Just ignore them and go on about your day. Giving them any attention at all is doing nothing but feeding them. They subsist on the anger and indignation they think they can arouse in other people. Don't give them the satisfaction of giving a damn.
Should have re-named the park "Martin Luther King Memorial Park".
No KKK,No Black Panthers or any other NAZI STYLE hate-mongers organization!!!
The KKK are a bunch of racist idiots! That being said, the PC nonsense of renaming the parks is silly as well. They were named to commemorate a period of Tennesee's history and for a cause for which many of it's citizens died. People need to lighten up..., a park is just as green and pleasent a place to spend an afternoon no matter what it's named after. Heck, you probably have to drive down Martin Luther King Blvd to get to one of them.
rename the parks ,god park,Jesus park,and MLK park.
It's Bush's fault....................................
Once they all get there, send in the drones!
History should not be changed, but those things that offend should be explained as wrong. In some states it used to be ok to beat your wife with a rod that was no thicker than a man's thumb. Washington built Fort Necessity at the base of a hill. Of course it was a big defeat. Yet, we hear he was such a great general and never even told a lie. Facts are facts. Little Black Sambo is the sttory and yet it was changed to Brave Sambo, then dropped altogether. This makes a black person think that there was something wrong with being black, while the truth is that there was someting wrong with those who enslaved them. It is not just in race matters where facts are spun, but indian matters, and indeed many of our actions of war.
I am very much against Racism or any prejudice based hatred. BUT. if we are to learn from history in order to not make the same mistakes again, we need to keep history in front of us good or bad. We can not wipe away what actually happened any more than Texas can wipe away Thomas Jefferson from school history books, even though they are trying. History is real, it is what happened and it won't go away by removing those things that remind us of it. Don't dishonor good history nor praise bad history, just remember it as it happened and why it happened.
If what you say is true, then why the problem with renaming the parks? It doesn't change history.
I thought I was quite clear. If we don't keep history in front of us, we will repeat the same stupid mistakes. Does that work for you ?
I believe the only mistake is the wrong side won.
There's a big difference between remembering history and celebrating it. The Holocaust Museum in Washington DC remembers history and does not celebrate it. Naming a recreational site Himmler Park or Third Reich Park would be celebrating Nazism, not just remembering history.