illustration by patrick hill
Dear Editor,
Thanks for your May 2025 article on the 100th anniversary of Tom Lee’s bravery; it really touched my heart. Actually all the media this week around the 100th anniversary brought back memories of family fun at Tom Lee Park.
My father would frequently take my brother and me to visit the river. It was a relaxing time that allowed us to run and play. One thing we always did was go directly to the tall white obelisk monument and Daddy would ask me to read the brief paragraph that was inscribed there about Tom Lee.
Looking back on it, I think he loved to hear me read and pronounce the words. I sensed that the bravery of Tom Lee made him proud and wanted us to feel proud as well. Saturdays or Sunday visits consisted of my father taking pictures of my brother and me as well as the Mississippi River. We would stand or sit on a bench overlooking the river and he would explain details about the barges going to and fro, and the workers down on the cobblestones. We talked about being able to see Arkansas from where we sat.
Thanks for renewing the story of Tom Lee and reminding people that anyone can be a hero or heroine on any day of the week. And, we should always be ready and expect great things to happen in our everyday lives.
I was born in the 1950s and grew up in the 1960s, so having positive feelings about being Black in the South was an important and natural part of my character development. In addition, Tom Lee Park was a place of safety during segregation in Memphis. Growing up in the segregated South, being told to move to the back of the bus, as a child riding the bus to my weekly piano lessons, I was very much aware of being Black. We were always taught to be the best person we could be, and that we could do whatever we set out to do. So, Tom Lee and a park dedicated to him instilled a sense of pride.
Although I have visited Tom Lee Park more times than I can count, I did not know all the details about the Norman riverboat tour and the rescue once the boat capsized. The story was woven together perfectly and answered questions I never had answers to. Again, thanks for renewing the story of Tom Lee and reminding people that anyone can be a hero or heroine on any day of the week. And, we should always be ready and expect great things to happen in our everyday lives.
Maybe I am sharing too much, but the article really touched my heart. After reading about the thankful people who were rescued and how they wanted to thank Tom Lee in so many ways, I was in tears. It’s a beautiful story and a wonderful tribute to a brave man. I wish my father could see the evolution of the park today, with the new bronze monument and all the beautiful amenities that are now in Tom Lee Park. He would smile with pride.
Rita Harris, Memphis
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