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One of Memphis’ oldest churches is wrestling with its past, planning memorial for thousands of enslaved people

By , Daily Memphian Updated: February 08, 2026 10:22 AM CT | Published: February 08, 2026 4:00 AM CT

The leaders of Calvary Episcopal Church didn’t expect a big crowd at their event.

It was 2018, and after learning Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest had run a slave market in their parking lot at 87 Adams Ave., they had decided to honor the enslaved people sold there on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.

There would be a remembrance service — where the names of the enslaved people were read — and a procession outside for the unveiling of a new historical marker, which shed light on the lot’s past.

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John Klyce

John Klyce is an enterprise reporter with The Daily Memphian who writes a wide range of in-depth features, as well as profiles about local leaders, scientists, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone else doing exciting and important work in this city. He previously spent four years with the Memphis Business Journal, where he covered public companies, startups, and innovation, and a fifth year with The Commercial Appeal, where he covered education, and chronicled how gun violence and poverty were affecting Memphis youth and their families. He has also been a fellow with the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. John has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Boston University.


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