Uptown and The Pinch got their start in the mid-1800s as Memphis’ first planned subdivision and business district. From the beginning, they were uniquely diverse, with dozens of different nationalities, religions, races, and incomes levels mingled in just a few square miles. Heavy disinvestment starting in the 1970s left the neighborhood virtually gutted, but efforts in the early 2000s brought reinvestment and new possibility. Today the legacy of historic Uptown-Pinch continues as the community works towards a multicultural, mixed-income, mixed-use revitalization. High Ground embedded our On the Ground team in Uptown-Pinch from April through July 2018.
Dillon Hollian with RegionSmart and Andre Jones with Jones Urban Development discuss local efforts to support emerging minority- and women-owned real estate developers and connect them to small-scale development opportunities.
Cornelius Sanders and Mary Ward with Promise CDC talk community-centered development, the human rights of housing, and the work done and yet to do to see northern Uptown thrive.
Bradis Leverette and Crystal Chopin with Oasis of Hope discuss their work serving the Bickford-Bearwater neighborhoods and their new partnership with High Ground. We’re training residents to report neighborhood news.
The Mid-South Transplant Foundation and partners Hope City Church and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity are throwing a party with food, games, music, and discussions on the need for organ donation among black Mid-Southerners.
SPARCC is a national resource partner that invests in local organizations. After three years with BLDG Memphis, SPARCC operations are moving to the Center for Transforming Communities. In February, CTC will hold its first public SPARCC 2.0 event.
High Ground News is looking for six North Memphis residents interested in researching and reporting their neighborhood's stories. Passion and curiosity are required. Previous journalism experience is not.
Deveney Perry from BLDG Memphis joins High Ground's managing editor Cole Bradley and publisher Emily Trenholm to discuss the publication's new focus on North Memphis.
Oasis Appliance & Home Furnishings in North Memphis offers quality, secondhand appliances and furniture. Oasis Bike Shop has some of the lowest prices in Memphis. Both are part of a ministry serving area resident.
With constant plumbing problems at her old place, Eunice Phillips was looking for a safe and affordable rental for her and her two children. Promise CDC delivered with a beautiful home in North Memphis. Now she's looking to buy.
“We’re not a housing community development. We don’t buy land. We don’t transform homes. We’re not doing giveaways. We’re doing informative practices." - Michalyn Easter-Thomas, founder of Our Grass Our Roots.
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