Chattanooga News Chronicle - July 15, 2021 Page 8 Chattanooga News Chronicle - July 15, 2021 NATIONAL American Baptist College, First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill Celebrate Rep.

NASHVILLE, TN — American Baptist College and First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, will join together to host the Rep. John Lewis Memorial Celebration, on Fri- day, July 16, as part of a weekend of activities honoring the Civil Rights legend. The weekend will include the viewing of the five- A replica of the Greyhound Bus the Freedom Riders rode story mural, unveiling of the historical marker, the me- during the 1960’s. morial celebration, a seminar, the formal street sign un- veiling, and a ceremonial — all culminating with The late United States Congressman, John R. Lewis a celebration program. The Memorial Cel- Divinity School, trained them in ebration will take place at non-violent protest. Lewis once touted that he had been 6 p.m. on Friday, July 16, arrested 45 times in his lifetime and would have gladly at First Baptist Church, been arrested more for the cause of freedom and equality Capitol Hill, 625 Rosa L. Lewis has the distinction of holding degrees from Parks Blvd. Members of both American Baptist College and . He the Lewis family will be and fellow American Baptist College alumnus Rev. C.T. in attendance, with Rep. Vivian are both recipients of the highest civilian honor Lewis’s brother, Henry in the country, the Medal of Freedom, which they both Grant Lewis, addressing received from President Barack Obama. Lewis died on the audience. The Gram- the evening of Friday, July 17, 2020, just hours after the my-winning Fisk Jubilee Henry Grant Lewis, passing of Rev. Vivian. Singers will perform, and “This weekend allows all of Nashville to honor American Baptist College, famous archway. Rev. John Dr. Michael Eric Dyson this great man for all he did, which started here in the Lewis came to ABC as a 17-year-old youth from Troy will be among the speakers. A replica of the Greyhound Music City. His legacy is entrusted in us and must live Alabama. Lewis graduated in 1961. bus ridden by the Freedom Riders will be on display at on,” said Rev. Kelly Miller Smith, senior pastor of First American Baptist College from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. and at First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, from 4 p.m. until the end of the celebration. “This weekend allows us to publicly honor the lega- cy of a man who willingly sacrificed for a cause greater than himself,” said Dr. Forrest Harris, president of Amer- ican Baptist College. As part of the weekend celebration, American Baptist College’s S.E. A. L. Initiatives (Social Justice, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership) will host a seminar entitled “How Are We Freedom Riding Today?” John Lewis came to American Baptist College as a 17-year-old to earn his degree in theology, even though he was interested in social justice. History reports that First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, one of the churches The famed Fisk Jubilee Singers, known around the world he heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking on the ra- for their artistic ability. Rep. Lewis earned a second de- dio and was captivated, feeling his desire to make the where Rev. conducted non-violent training for Sit-In demonstrations. gree from Fisk and was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate world more equitable and equal was validated. Lewis at- degree. Photo by Bill Steber and Pat Casey Daley tempted to attend the all-white Troy State University in Alabama, but was denied because of his race. He sought Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, which – along with Clark “This will be a special weekend in the life of our the counsel of Dr. King, who told him to go to American Memorial and Gordon Memorial churches – is where city as we come together to honor Rep. John Lewis and Baptist College. much of the ’s non-violent train- recognize his passion for civil justice and contributions Lewis went on to become one of the leaders in ing took place. to our nation,” said Zulfat Suara, chair of the Rep. John youthful-led Civil Rights activities with his school “This city-wide celebration will honor Congress- Lewis Way Committee and an at-large member of the mates at American Baptist College: Rev. C. T. Vivian, man Lewis and the molding he experienced here in Metro Council. “It is fitting that we will finally be able Dr. , Rev. , Rev. Julius Nashville,” said Dr. to dedicate the street, in his memory, on the first anni- Scruggs, and others from area colleges and the commu- Glenda Glover, president of State Uni- versary of his passing.” nity such as Dr. Diane Nash, Mr. Kwame Leo Lilliard, versity. Students from TSU who participated in the sit- Masks and distanced seating will be required at the Mrs. Gloria McKissack, Rev. James White, Mrs. Frankie ins and Freedom Rides were expelled at the time, but memorial celebration at First Baptist Church, Capitol Henry, Rev. Troy Merritt, Mrs. Novella Page, and many, later allowed to return to school. In recent years, they Hill. For information and to see the entire schedule, many more. Rev. James Lawson, a graduate student at received honorary doctorate degrees from the university. visit www.abcnash.edu or www.rep.johnlewisway.org.

Memphis to Honor Ida B. Wells InRep. Chattanooga,, Hakeem demands removal of the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust with Plaza, Statue the Tennessee Democratic Caucus--led by Rep. Hakeem--are keeping the pressure on for removal of the polarizing Forrest memorial outside Tennessee’s Senate and House chambers. “Quite frankly, we’ve been dialogu- ing for the last 50 years and what change has taken place? It’s time for action,” Rep. Hakeem said. In a June 2020 General Assembly Legislative Update, Rep. Hakeem assert- ed that, “Many of the Confederate stat- ues were erected between the 1890s and 1920s during the height of Jim Crow and state-sponsored segregation. The bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest was installed in the Tennessee State Capitol in 1978, fol- lowing the civil rights movement. We, as a MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) _ A statue of journalist, teacher and country, need to reckon with our heritage civil rights activist Ida B. Wells will be unveiled as part of a and what it means appropriately. We can week’s worth of events honoring the former resident of Mem- no longer ignore it or say it’s something phis, Tennessee. other than what it is. Racism. His bust at The life-size bronze statue of Wells, who lived in Memphis the State Capitol, like many other Confed- Confederate General Nathan Bedford For- for 10 years in the late 1800s, is being erected at a plaza in down- erate statues, are symbols of systemic rac- rest, the early Ku Klux Klan leader whose town Memphis. The unveiling is scheduled on July 16, culmi- ism and oppression in our country. Their bust has been on display in the Tennessee nating a week-long celebration of Wells’ life and legacy that also purpose singular, to send a message to all state Capitol since 1978. will include a community prayer service, a parade and a visit to , know your place. The a prominent lynching site in Memphis. bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest must be Wells was a Black journalist and publisher in the late 1800s Lee apparently now wants additional removed.” and early 1900s. She helped found civil rights and women’s suf- disussion before moving the statue, as the Forrest has long been a controversial frage groups while fighting racial injustices such as lynching. issue appears headed to the July 22 State figure. During the Civil War, the Battle of She died in 1931. Building Commission’s meeting as an Fort Pillow, also known as the Fort Pillow Born in 1862 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Wells moved agenda item, where it once again will be a massacre, was fought on April 12, 1864, to Memphis with her sisters in 1882 to live with her aunt. She topic of heated debate. on the Mississippi River in Henning, Tenn. taught at two Memphis schools before becoming a full-time With renewed calls to take down Con- Under Forrest’s command, more than 300 journalist. federate monuments from public spaces Black Union troops were killed at Ft. Pil- Three Black men and friends of Wells were lynched in across the country, amid heightened at- low during the infamous massacre as they Memphis in 1892, and Wells wrote articles about it. Wells’ office tention on racial injustice, members of sought to surrender. on historic Beale St. was destroyed and her life was threatened for her reporting on the lynching.