Black Churches in the Memphis Massacre

by Elizabeth L. Jemison The white mob that held Memphis in terror for three terrible days in May 1866 targeted black churches for destruction. They burned wood frame buildings and ruined even a large brick church building. According to the Congressional inquiry into the massacre, the mob destroyed every black church in Memphis. The Congressional report […]

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Do Memories Matter?

As part of the Memories of a Massacre: Memphis in 1866 Project, Dr. Christina Moss will give a talk titled “Rhetoric and Commemoration: (Re)Marking Memories and Building Bridges and Why It Matters.” The lecture focuses on examples of civil rights commemoration and their importance to American identity.  Commemoration markers and memorials tell narratives that, in turn, define […]

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