The neighborhood of Orange Mound in Southeast Memphis, Tennessee has a rich history that largely goes ignored due to high crime in the region in the ’80’s and ’90’s. What some might not know is that Orange Mound was one of the first communities established for African-Americans in the country and was once a thriving hub of commerce and prominence.
Orange Mound, which rests on the former Deadrick Plantation grounds, gets its name from the local mock orange fruit that grew in the region. According to some accounts, it was the first community in the Deep South where Black people were allowed to build and own homes. For many Blacks in the south, Orange Mound was the city they would travel to in order to make better lives for themselves after living in rural environs.