An update on the city’s waiver petition for the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue is slated as the Tennessee Historical Commission’s (THC) first agenda item at its meeting this Friday.
As THC chair told city officials late last month, the commission won’t vote on the waiver, but there will be allotted time for public comments concerning the Forrest waiver and consideration by the commission of holding a special session to hear the request.
Mayor Jim Strickland, Memphis City Council attorney Allan Wade, and City of Memphis attorney Bruce McMullen have said they will attend the meeting to make an oral request for the commission to hear the waiver petition.
The mayor also plans to bring along about 50 local faith leaders and businessmen to make their case for the statue’s removal.
Leader of local activist efforts to remove the city’s Confederate statues, Tami Sawyer says she will also attend the meeting and speak on behalf of the #takeemdown901 supporters.
The THC meeting is scheduled for Friday at 9:00 a.m. EST in Athens.