Senator Oliver reads 1866 Memphis massacre account into record, links history to present maps

Senator Oliver read a detailed historical account into the record during the Tennessee Senate's 2nd extraordinary session, describing violence against Black residents in Memphis in May 1866 and urging colleagues to learn the city's history in the context of current congressional map-drawing.

In remarks the senator said the Memphis massacre was "the largest massacre" in that period and described attacks, arson and killings of Black residents, referencing testimony to a congressional committee and a Freedmen's Bureau investigation. Oliver said local law enforcement often failed to protect Black citizens and cited a white-owned editorial that blamed Black residents. In concluding remarks the senator declared: "You massacred them, and now you're massacring them with maps." The transcript records no formal response from other members to that assertion.

Senator Oliver framed the reading as a reminder of historical injustices and connected that history to the state's contemporary redistricting work; the transcript indicates the special session was convened pursuant to Article 3, Section 9 of the Tennessee Constitution to address congressional maps. The record supplied does not include debate about policy changes or voting on redistricting during this sitting; it contains the historical statement, the bill referrals and a schedule amendment to reconvene at 10:00 a.m. Thursday.