This blog was written by Courtesy of Legacy of 87 Adams Team
Coming up this Saturday, September 26 at Calvary Episcopal Church, 102 N 2nd St, the public is invited to a program and guided tour exploring the past, present, and future of 87 Adams. 87 Adams is a memorial and public history project honoring the lives of the estimated 3,800 enslaved people who were bought and sold in the shadows of historic churches in Downtown Memphis. This program and guided tour will also take place on October 17 as community members, project partners, and artists will gather to learn about this history, current efforts to commemorate and repair it, and share hopes for the future of 87 Adams. Participants are encouraged to register here.
According to project director and lifelong Calvary member Margaret Haltom, this has been in the works for some time.
“After years of research and work to secure funding, we’re inviting the city into the next phase of the work, “ said project manager Margaret Haltom. “These gatherings are a chance to learn about the collaborative effort to uncover the names and stories of people enslaved at 87 Adams, to meet the artists being considered for the memorial, and help shape what this place can mean for Memphis.”
Each program will provide an opportunity to meet one of the artists being considered for the memorial with refreshments being served from 3:30 to 5pm. For more information, contact Randall Garrett at rgarrett21@yahoo.com.
This project is made possible by a nearly one million dollar grant by the Mellon Foundation that was given back in the spring. While funds won’t help with the memorial’s construction, they are being used to do practically everything else including community engagement, design and research.
