The Lexington city council has taken the first step toward re-naming Cheapside Park the Henry Tandy Centennial Park. The buying and selling of slaves occurred prior to the Civil War in the area adjacent to the Historic Lexington Courthouse.
Take Back Cheapside Co-Founder DeBraun Thomas said the name change is not the ultimate answer. “Renaming of the space is not going to change any of the things that happened there. It’s not going to change the good, bad, or the ugly in that space, but it is one step forward towards truly moving in a direction of healing and reconciliation,” said Thomas.
Henry Tandy, a former slave, was a well-known and successful African American masonry company co-owner. His firm did the foundational brick work on which the Historic Courthouse sits today. A final vote on the name change is expected later this month.
Take Back Cheapside would also like to see a formal apology from the city regarding the sale of slaves. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said a resolution will be coming to the council. “We are looking at a number of these that have occurred across the nation, at language which we will bring to council for approval and a resolution. So, there’s a wide variety of types of language used,” Gorton said.
Lexington History Museum President Foster Ockerman detailed slavery activity during the pre-civil war era. While Ockerman said there were court ordered sales of slaves, he said the city didn’t have anything to do with the actual transaction.
The group also wants to bring four monuments from Alabama’s Equal Justice Initiative to recognize that lynchings occurred in Lexington. Thomas noted the fourth request is to see a redesign of Cheapside Park to promote inclusion.
People like you value experienced, knowledgeable and award-winning journalism that covers meaningful stories in Central and Eastern Kentucky. To support this locally-produced content, please consider making a contribution.
