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Throngs of Memphians and visitors flocked to Tom Lee Park over the weekend for RiverBeat Music Festival, but how many of them knew the story of the park’s namesake? May 8 marks 100 years since Tom Lee rescued 32 people from the Mississippi River south of Memphis when their boat, the M.E. Norman, capsized. Lee was a Black man who had worked on the river for many years, and he rescued some of the city’s most prominent white citizens. A new series from The Daily Memphian, “The Making of a Hero,” explores all of the chapters in a story as wide and deep as the Mississippi River. The series continues through Wednesday. The Daily Memphian obtained audio and video excerpts of former Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins’ “Take a Seat” event cohosted by former CNN news anchor Brooke Baldwin. Feagins advertised the event as being open to media, but The Daily Memphian’s ticket was refunded without explanation. At the event, Feagins encouraged her supporters to “take some seats” and later referenced the upcoming 2026 Shelby County ballot. “You will never be prepared. You’ve got to lead anyway. Don’t let my story scare you,” Feagins said. “Seats are up. And the seats are for the taking, so let’s go take some seats.” Also, the trial in the Tyre Nichols case continues in Downtown Memphis, where three former Memphis police officers are charged with second-degree murder in Nichols’ death. Both sides have rested their cases, and the case will soon head to the jury for a decision. — Metro editor, Jane Donahoe
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100 years after the M.E. Norman capsized and Tom Lee rescued 32 people, The Daily Memphian tells the story of the disaster, Tom Lee and how the story has faded and returned to prominence in recent years.
By Bill Dries
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