RESOLUTION NO. RS2015-1568

A resolution requesting the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly to take the necessary action to plant vegetation or erect a barrier to block the view of the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue from Interstate 65.

WHEREAS, the recent racially-motivated shooting deaths of nine black church members at a church in Charleston, South Carolina has shed new light on the importance of race relations in America; and

WHEREAS, on June 21, 2015, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley called for the removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds; and

WHEREAS, a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first “Grand Wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan, is located on private property along Interstate 65 near the Harding Place exit, and is clearly visible from the interstate; and

WHEREAS, the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue, which is surrounded by Confederate battle flags, is a reminder of our country’s racist past and does not project Nashville’s welcoming environment; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the State of Tennessee take action to obstruct the view of the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue from Interstate 65.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as requesting the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly to take the necessary action to plant vegetation or erect a barrier to block the view of the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue from Interstate 65.

Section 2. That the Metropolitan Clerk is directed to send a copy of this Resolution to the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation and to each member of the Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly.

Section 3. That this Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Jerry Maynard

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Referred to:	Rules & Confirmations Committee
Introduced:	July 7, 2015
Adopted:	July 7, 2015
Approved:	July 8, 2015
By: