Area historian, Mother Mary Mitchell (at podium), and residents of Orange Mound, Memphis’s oldest and first neighborhood for Blacks, were joined by city and county officials and friends on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, to celebrate 100 years of existence. Story and Pictures by Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson Orange Mound, 200 Years Later… … The legacy continues Historical documents reveal that the Orange Mound (OM) community in the southeastern portion of Memphis, TN, was the first neighborhood in Memphis built by and for African Americans. It is rumored that the name was derived from the orange-colored bushes that populated the area. Orange Mound was initially part of a plantation where African Americans worked. After a wealthy developer purchased a track of land from the plantation’s owner, he developed a low-cost subdivision for African Americans to build homes on. Only second to Harlem, in the distant past, “The Mound,” as it is sometimes referred to, was said to have more persons of African American descent than any other area in America. A program honoring the community for its 100th year anniversary was held at 10 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. The centennial celebration featured a community prayer given by Rev. David Fitzgerald of Mt. Gilliam Baptist Church, 1029 Raymond Street, Memphis, TN. The welcome and opening remarks were provided by former OM resident, Africa in April founder, and retired assistant University of Memphis professor of African American Rhetoric and Interracial Communications, David Acey, who was accompanied by his wife of more than the last five decades, Yvonne. Acknowledgements were provided by City of Memphis, Housing and Community Development Director, Paul Young, who was followed by remarks given by Shelby County Historian, Jim Rout. “It’s a special thing when you have a history that goes back this far,” said Rout who spoke about the 100 years Orange Mound has existed. “I may be blond and have blue eyes, but my heart runs deep in Orange Mound. …We celebrate Memphis’s 200 years of founding and we celebrate Shelby County’s 200 years as a county. This picture is evidence of what our future holds – faith, fortitude, and family – togetherness, black and white. It can happen, it has happened, and it will happen because of people like you!” RedZone Ministries Director Howard Eddings spoke on the future of the Mound. “It is good to be here, it’s good to be a part of something that is so incredibly rich in the community of Orange Mound,” said Eddings who stated that he kind of grew up on Spottswood, a street in the Orange Mound area. “I up grew up in this community and I am especially thankful for the opportunity to just share with you a little bit about what I feel like God has allowed me to do through a small program called Red Zone Ministries… The world is becoming a place where cities dominate. As we work together to impact and to be a part of what is happening in our communities, I think that we need to figure out what assets are available. Our commitment as an organization is to try to figure out how to press forward and how to be a part of what our future looks like…” District Commissioner Reginald Milton provided additional remarks about the Orange Mound community and presented a proclamation before long-time Orange Mound resident Mary Mitchell, took the podium to share information about the community’s residents, including its first diamond cutter after WWII. Mitchell then unveiled a sample of the “Preserve America” sign and read a congratulatory poem, written by former First Lady Michelle Obama, regarding OM being designated as such. City Councilwoman Jamita Swearengen introduced City of Memphis Mayor, Jim Strickland, who also presented a proclamation and asked that the program be closed out as it began – in prayer. 20
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