MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A new marker erected in a park near downtown Memphis tells the story of one of the city's darkest episodes.
The marker commemorating the "Memphis Massacre" at Army-Navy Park represents a significant step for a city and state that haven't been eager to come to terms with their history of race relations. It went up amid disagreement with state officials over whether what happened was a race riot or simply the wholesale slaughter of innocent people.
White mobs killed some 46 black people and raped several black women in a three-day rampage 150 years ago. Historians say the attack represented a turning point in post-war Reconstruction. National Park Service officials say the marker is the first to commemorate any historical site from that era.