Memphis Black History: From rejection to running the school board
It took about 45 years, but Maxine Smith went from not being accepted to a school based on her race to joining that school's highest governing body.
Morgan Beckford's Latest Articles
Memphis Black history: Millionaire Robert Church rebuilds Memphis after the Yellow Fever epidemic
Robert Church stuck it out. He dedicated his life to the city that he loved even when times got difficult. When he had the privilege to run away, he stayed and invested in Memphis.
Memphis Black history: Orange Mound as a haven for Black Memphians
Memphis’ own neighborhood of Orange Mound has a significant spot in African-American history as it was the first residential neighborhood in the south open to African-Americans.
Memphis Black history: Ida B. Wells nevertheless persisted
Journalist and early civil rights leaders Ida B. Wells wrote an article in the Memphis-based newspaper Free Speech and Headlight urging Blacks to leave Memphis altogether following a rash of lynchings. Six thousand people left the city.
