Klondike and Smokey City are two of the oldest and most historic neighborhoods in North Memphis. Numerous civil rights leaders have called the area home, including two of the Memphis 13, the first children to integrate Memphis public schools. Tom Lee, the African-American man who rescued 32 people from a sinking steamship in 1925 near the park that now bares his name, was awarded a house in Klondike for his heroism. Today, the neighborhoods struggle with disinvestment and high vacancy rates but continue their legacy of civic involvement with community gardens, CDCs, and grassroots organizations.
“The children are making lifelong friends, learning African folklore, and going on weekly field trips that add to that knowledge,” says Mama Eyo, a teacher with the Afrikan Village Institute in Memphis' Klondike community.
“We can take it to different neighborhoods where there are food deserts and help those residents gain access to goods that are not found in your average corner store,” says Roshun Austin, President of The Works, Inc.
“Community input was crucial for us during the naming process, because Northside Square is a place for the community, plain and simple,” says Roshun Austin, president and CEO of The Works, Inc.
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