The 80-Year Mystery Around ‘Fred Douglas’ Park

Code Switch : The 80-Year Mystery Around ‘Fred Douglas’ Park Image
Code Switch : The 80-Year Mystery Around ‘Fred Douglas’ Park Image

The 80-Year Mystery Around ‘Fred Douglas’ Park

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In Nashville, there was a time when the idea of a “Negro park” ruffled feathers. For more than 80 years, there’s been confusion about whether a park originally created during segregation and named for a seemingly nonexistent “Fred Douglas” might have actually been intended to honor the great abolitionist and statesman. Reporter Blake Farmer of member station WPLN explores the park’s controversial history and how the city finally decided to clarify the park’s name.