City officials unveil I Am A Man Plaza
The city of Memphis officially unveiled its I Am A Man Plaza on Thursday next to Clayborn Temple, a key rallying point for the historic 1968 Memphis sanitation strike.
Coming a day after MLK50, the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s murder in Memphis, the dedication ceremony drew a crowd of more than 200 people to the plaza, which features a large sculpture of the “I Am A Man” slogan made famous by the 1968 strike, and a wall with the names of 1,300 strikers, among other artworks.
The plaza is a space for everyone to reflect on the cost of justice, said Cliff Garten, a California-based designer whose proposal was chosen from 100 options. Although Garten was white, several black-owned firms were involved in the project, including architect John Jackson of Memphis and Allworld Project Management.
“It’s a place to teach, a place to gather, to feel and reflect on these historic events,” Garten said.
The ceremony, moderated by city Chief Operations Officer Doug McGowen, was also an opportunity to celebrate deceased philanthropist Abe Plough, who gave money to end the sanitation strike and who founded the Plough Foundation, Mayor Jim Strickland said. The foundation helped fund the cost of the plaza, which included $800,000 from the city.
“As we move forward from this day, I hope this space becomes a place for Memphians to reflect,” Strickland said.
The ceremony is also about passing the baton to the next generation, said Elliot Perry, a grandson to one of the strikers. African-
Americans are “at the bottom” of many lists, from health care to income, and he quoted King as saying social structures that produce beggars need “restructuring.”
“I’m grateful to be here,” he said, acknowledging how his generation stands on the shoulders of the strikers. “To the sanitation workers, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Recalling her own grandfather, a postal worker whose dream to be a sports illustrator was crushed by racists, National Civil Rights Museum President Terri Freeman said the future of the movement is to “pay it forward,” using voices and votes to make changes.
“We have the ability to put in who we need — and take out who we don’t,” she said of public offices.
Memphis city councilman Berlin Boyd said his hope was that the plaza’s tribute to the sanitation strike inspires positive changes, not just in Memphis but around the world.
“Too many times, we sit back on the sidelines hoping for change instead of standing for change,” Boyd said.
The program included an impersonation by Phil Darrius Wallace of King giving his “Mountaintop” sermon and — after technical difficulties — a soaring, soulful, a cappella musical performance by Karen Brown of Memphis.
Strickland, Boyd, several surviving strikers and others helped cut the ribbon, officially opening the plaza to the public, which up until that point was separated from the plaza and the dignitaries, including U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, council members Martavius Jones and Joe Brown, and former member Michael Hooks Sr.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation hosted an open house event immediately following at Clayborn Temple
Reach Ryan Poe at poe@commercial appeal.com or on Twitter at @ryanpoe.