Jefferson Davis, Nathan Bedford Forrest statues taken down

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Memphis City Council voted unanimously to immediately remove Confederate statues from both city parks at Wednesday's meeting.

By 11 p.m. Wednesday, both the Jefferson Davis and Nathan Bedford Forrest statues were removed.

The removal of the two Confederate statues was made possible by the city selling the two parks in which the statues were in to a nonprofit organization named Memphis Greenspace, Inc. for $1,000 each. After purchasing the property, the organization arranged for the Confederate statues to be removed Dec. 20. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said that the removal of the statues was all privately funded and completely legal.

City of Memphis tweeted out that residents should expect delays and detours on streets adjacent to Health Sciences Park near the Union, Manassas, Madison, and Dunlap area and at Memphis Park on Front.At 9:01 p.m., the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue was lifted off of its pedestal. Lee Miller from Sons of Confederate Veterans was on WMC Action News 5 to talk about the statues being removed.Shortly after 10 p.m., crews arrived in downtown Memphis to remove the statue of Jefferson Davis. 

Wednesday night, Mayor Strickland issued a statement on the status' removal, saying in part: 

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 The statues no longer represent who we are as a modern, diverse city with momentum.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.

The Tennessee Historical Commission denied our waiver in October. The state initiated mediation last month. But it has not been successful. That led us to today’s outcome.It’s important to remember what I’ve said all along: I was committed to remove the statues in a lawful way. From the beginning, we have followed state law -- and tonight’s action is no different. The Historical Commission was not the only legal avenue.

So if you’ve spoken up on the statues the past few months, no matter which side, I issue this challenge: Take that energy and apply it to the hard challenges our residents face every single day. Volunteer to be on the front lines. Mentor a child to make a 1-on-1 impact on a life. Help teach a kid to read.

Don’t just talk about it -- take action in improving the quality of life in every home, on every block, in every single neighborhood of this great city.

That’s the work Memphians have entrusted to us, and I’m determined to not let them down.This is an important moment in the life of our city. People from all walks of life came together to make today a reality. Let us move forward from this moment committed more than ever to a united and determined Memphis.

Today showed us just how successful we can be when that happens.