Memphis: The First Black Mecca

The Black Urban Experience

Juliana Salazar

July 6, 2020

This map of Memphis includes points on Beale Street and Orange Mound

The City of Memphis

Located in Tennessee near the border of Arkansas and along the Mississippi River, Memphis is the second largest city in the state of Tennessee.

It is known for being the location of the first African American neighborhood in the United States and also as the birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll and home of the Blues.

Cotton Industry in Tennessee

The cotton plant is not native to Tennessee, it was first planted in the state in the early nineteenth century. West Tennessee was a prime location for the growth of cotton due to the health of the soil and its location near the Mississippi river. Due to the high quality cotton produced in this region the demand in the market for products out of West Tennessee grew. The raising and picking of cotton was done by slave labor on cotton plantations. This form of labor was common in the South, African Americans were integral to the culture and economy of the agricultural industry at this point in Tennessee's history (Moore). African American slaves built the wealth of agricultural economy in South, and by the mid nineteenth century Memphis became known as the “Biggest Inland Cotton Market in the World” and according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia became the hub for cotton factories and a capital for the crop.

Sharecropping

After the Civil War, slaves were no longer a labor force available for plantation owners to use for the raising and picking of cotton crops. Due to this change plantation owners struggled to continue the cotton production at the capacity at which they once were. Plantation owners then had to formulate a manner in which they would be able to continue using African Americans to labor their crop, leading to the development of sharecropping. Sharecropping was a form of tenancy where a farmer normally African American lived with their family and worked the land on a plantation, and a portion of the crop they worked was used as payment for rent. However, plantation owners used this vocation as a tool to entrap newly freed individuals to continue working on their land (Moore).

Orange Mound

The Orange Mound located in Memphis was the first community to be built by African Americans for African Americans. The land was previously a plantation owned by an individual named John George Deadrick. This area was later given to a real estate agent by a family member of the late Deadrick, with the instructions to sell the land to anyone but African Americans. Instead this agent did just the opposite making it a priority to sell the land directly to this community. Later entering the twentieth century the area began to draw the attention of African Americans seeking to buy and own property.

Mecca

The Orange Mound also known as the Mecca, it is the oldest African American neighborhood in the United States. In May of the year twenty nineteen the Mecca met one hundred years of age as an official neighborhood of Memphis (Dennis). This previous plantation land became an area where African Americans were able to buy land and own land, as well as build their wealth. Due to the neighborhood’s growing popularity, buildings such as churches, schools, and other communal areas were built. In this community, the people blossomed, schools were built that educated children into skilled workmen, doctors, and athletes. From Melrose high school famous individuals were raised, one in particular named Dr. Alvin Crawford was the first African American man to earn a medical degree from the University of Tennessee (Dennis). Orange Mound has become a place of history for the community, not because of the plot of land itself, instead because of what the African American community did with the opportunity to build for themselves.

Beale Street

Beale Street was originally used as a trade center for white people in the area because it is located near the Mississippi River. Following the Civil War Union troops settled in this area which included a population of African Americans that also settled in Memphis. However, once other populations migrated into the area, violence ensued and targeted the African American community. This continued which caused a migration of African Americans out of Memphis. Between the years 1915 and 1970 more than 6 million African Americans migrated to the North and out of the South. (Wilkerson). In this time, although there was much violence, young African American musicians from Mississippi began to migrate into the Beale area in order to further their careers as musicians in the city. Beale Street became the stage for many young Black musicians to introduce their unique sound to the world.

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The Music

In the early twentieth century Beale street became a vibrant area where many musicians had the opportunity to present their music to the public of Memphis and outside travelers. Here on Beale the Blues was born and became known as the Memphis Blues. According to the Memphis Public Library, musicians would use nontraditional instruments creating a unique sound, instruments such as kazoos and jugs of various sizes. Artists such as B.B.King had their start to fame in Memphis on Beale Street.

Workers Rights

In 1968 two Memphis garbage collectors who were African American were killed during their shift due to malfunctioning equipment. This was not an isolated incident, prior to this tragic occurrence there had been several individuals who were killed during shifts due to malfunctions equipment. The workers concerns were not being addressed and unions were being ignored. Unions that were established in the city demanded to be recognized, pushed for better safety standards for workers, and advocated for a raise in the wages. However the mayor of Memphis at the time refused to accept the people's requests, which caused a reaction on the part of nearly fifteen hundred workers, church members, students, and some white allies. The workers took strike and people protested peacefully, nonetheless, the mayor still refused to concede. With the encouragement of the people and Martin Luther King Jr. the union continued to strike. It was not until after the president at the time sent negotiators to convince the mayor of Memphis to agree with the workers that the requests were granted. In this struggle for workers rights the African American community in Memphis demonstrated the power in unity and collective persistence against injustice.

Today in Memphis

Now in Memphis community organizers promote collectiveness by creating events such as marathons, movie nights for children and other community members. Local gardens have also been built to create the opportunity for local people to have a hand in the beautification of their neighborhoods. Local groups in Memphis have also promoted artists from the city and their work through art galleries held at small businesses.