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The bust is one of three that will be moved to the Tennessee State Museum. The others depict U.S. Admiral David Farragut, a famed commander in the Union Navy during the Civil War, and U.S. Admiral Albert Gleaves, who served more than four decades.
More than 30 citizens spoke during the public comment period in the hearing Tuesday. Many of them advocated for removal of the Forrest bust, in large part because of the message it sends to Black Tennesseans. Forrest was involved in the slave trade, a massacre of many Black soldiers at Fort Pillow during the Civil War, and the Ku Klux Klan.
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Relocation costs will be paid by Memphis Greenspace.
The Tennessee Historical Commission was notified of the reinternment, in accordance with state statutes.
Descendants, about five family members in Forrest s and Mary Ann Montgomery Forrest s lineage, have been seeking a final resting spot for Forrest s remains for a few years.
Because no known person has a right or easement to the burial ground, which is now a park, the Shelby County court has jurisdiction in relocating the graves. The November court order also terminates the use of Health Sciences Park as a burial ground.
The descendants named in the suit and Memphis Greenspace agreed to relocate the remains to Columbia in a previous May settlement.
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