Black Memphis Filmmaker Amp Elmore asks: Will Black Female TN State Sen. London Lamar help remove a racist historical marker in Orange Mound connected to a slave plantation myth written by the Sons of Confederate Veterans Historian Barron Deaderick
MEMPHIS, TN, July 10, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ — In 2016 former 1st Lady Michelle Obama named Orange Mound “A Preserved America Community.” Orange Mound is noted as “The First Community in America built for Blacks by Blacks.” Anthony “Amp” Elmore a Memphis born 5-time World Kickboxing Champion and Memphis 1st Independent 35mm Theatrical Filmmaker is fighting Memphis White Supremacy, Racism and Black on Black Racism decided to take a chance and attend the June 26, 2025 community Townhall Meeting held by Tennessee State Senator London Lamar’s Townhall meeting representing district 33 Memphis and Shelby County.
Attending a townhall meeting in Memphis is a “risk” meaning its a waste of time whereas most Black leaders in Memphis do not have the courage to challenge Memphis White Supremacy, Racism and Black on Black Racism. Anthony “Amp” Elmore challenges anyone to simply; Click right here and read the 2010 Griffin Strong Disparity Study. The 2010 disparity study revealed Memphis had the worst record of minority hiring than any major city in America.
Anthony “Amp” Elmore notes we Black people in Memphis loved our 1st Black elected Mayor Dr. W.W. Herenton when asked in 1992 would he be like Maynard Jackson in Atlanta whereas the late Maynard Jackson leveled the playing field offering opportunities for Blacks to get business in Atlanta. Black Memphis Mayor Dr. Herenton’s reply was; “He was not in the business of making Black millionaires.”
The study revealed that Memphis had the worse record of minority hiring than any big city in America. Out of over 2,800 businesses registered to do business with the City of Memphis only 6 were Black and most were only caterers. Our 1st Black elected Memphis Mayor Dr. W. W.Herenton did not do business with Blacks.
It was only in November of 2023 that Anthony “Amp” Elmore learned that his 1988 film release “The Contemporary Gladiator” is the 1st Kickboxing film in World Film history. Whereas this Black film history is not recognized in Memphis as a part of the Memphis culture of White Supremacy, Racism and Black on Black Racism.
In 1990 Elmore film premiered in Nairobi, Kenya whereas Elmore received a Hero’s welcome in Kenya. In 1992 Elmore met with the late Kenya President Daniel Arap Moi. Elmore’s dream was to arrange a trade deal between Memphis and Kenya. Memphis Mayor Dr. W.W. Herenton hated Africa and wanted no association between Memphis and Africa.
Click here to see the video titled: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris “Dis” African Leader. In 2019 Anthony “Amp” Elmore invited African leaders to Memphis whereas Black Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris wanted no association with Africa or African leaders. Professor Peter Nyong’o is the Governor of Kisumu Kenya the third largest city in Kenya. He is also the father of academy award winner and Black Panther movie star Lupita Nyong’o. Professor Nyong’o earned his doctorate from the University of Chicago. This professor taught a Harvard University was recently he was appointed as a United Nations advisor. Black Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris was outright racist and wanted no association or being seen inviting African dignitaries to the Shelby County office.
Click here to see video titled: Black Memphis History Filmmaker Elmore request Memphis Mayor Young to Stop Film Commission’s Racism. In the same building at the Orange Mound Community center Elmore asked Memphis Mayor Paul Young to stop the racism, White Supremacy in Memphis.
The Townhall meeting was held at the “Orange Mound Community Center in Memphis” located at 2590 Park Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. Just outside on Park Avenue at the “Orange Mound Community Center is the racist “Orange Mound Historical Marker” that Elmore notes is tantamount to Confederate Flag or a Confederate Monument in the historic Black Orange Mound Community in Memphis.
Elmore ask the reader to Click here to learn about London Lamar the Tennessee State Senator. Elmore asks the question is she “Auditioning for America Next Top Model or is she an effective Tennessee State Senator.” Elmore notes that behind her weave could she in the lease get the racist historical marker removed from Orange Mound.
The Father of African/American history Dr. Carter G. Woodson wrote in his 1933 book titled; The Miseducation of the Negro, Dr. Woodson writes: “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”
Anthony “Amp” Elmore noted that Tennessee State Senator London Lamar is just 34 years born in 1990 she is our future. Elmore notes exactly 100 years before her birth two significant events happen in Orange Mound where she was hosting her Townhall meeting. The birth of Orange Mound is credited to a White man by the name of Elzey Eugene Meacham who in 1890 began selling lots of land 25 x 100 to African/Americans. E.E. Meacham registered a plan to sell 981 lots to African Americans.
The most foolish and asinine concept sold to African/Americans is that this White man only registered a plan to sell 982 plots of land 25 x 100 and call it Orange Mound whereas Blacks allegedly built 982 shotgun homes and the White Meacham is unjustly credited for creating the historic Black Community of Orange Mound.
Such a concept is the ultimate concept of “White Supremacy.” Such a concept mirrors days of slavery whereas a Master provides slaves housing whereas the slaves honor the slave master as a great master. This is the E.E. Meacham Orange Mound Story sold to Blacks. The true story of Orange Mound is an organic story whereas Orange Mound was not started by the White man E.E. Meacham in 1990.
The roots of Orange Mound starts with two Black Churches in Orange Mound in 1879 and follows an organic history of churches, schools, family, struggle that lead to an organic community in contrast to a White man who only sold lots of land. Whereas he provided no infrastructure, building, expertise or community support. He only sold lots.
The irony of the proposed 981 lots he alleged to have sold is not mathematically possible for the 64 acres. In the history of America there is not only no community of that many people on a single floor, there does not exist in the history of America a single community of “Shot Gun Homes.” In fact your would find it almost impossible to find an image of as many as 10 shotgun homes on a street or community side by side. The narrative is that E.E. Meacham was alleged to have not only sold 981 plots of land, whereas Blacks built Shotgun houses on the lots. There exist no records of the houses, meaning images, tax records or any type of records verifying the houses were built. Most important there is no record of as many as 10 shot gun houses ever built making a street of shotgun houses.
Memphis is the most populated city of Blacks in America whereas Memphis does not have either “A Black Memphis History Museum or a written chronological Black Memphis History.” Elmore notes our beautiful young Black Tennessee State Senator London Lamar has a weave that runs to her behind, but will she elevate hearts and train the mind. “Her weave runs long, like power unrefined— But will she wield it bold enough to uplift the many who are unrefined.
The father of African/American history Dr. Carter G. Woodson wrote: “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”
Click here to see a 30 minute documentary produced by Filmmaker Anthony “Amp” Elmore titled: “Orange Mound Sign White Supremacy Racism Jet Eye Mind Trick.” Filmmaker Anthony “Amp” Elmore goes into explaining Memphis White Supremacy, Racism and Black on Black Racism how the plan was created to rob the Black Community of Orange Mound of its rightful place in American history whereas the film details how White Filmmaker Jay Killingsworth and his wife Amy Killingsworth created a PBS Special titled “A Community Called Orange Mound.” The film racially and unjustly connects Orange Mound to the John George Deaderick plantation.
Slavery ended in 1865 whereas after the Civil war there was no John George Deaderick Plantation. On January 27, 2025 Anthony “Amp” Elmore posted the video rap song titled: Black Man Refuse to be A Slave From Orange Mound Video Anthony “Amp” Elmore believes we must fight White Supremacy, Racism and Black on Black Racism with all of our heart and soul. Click here to hear the song “Black Man Refuse to be A Slave From Orange Mound Video.”
The video “A community called Orange Mound” goes to great length and detail crediting White Real Estate Salesman E.E. Meacham for creating the Historic Orange Mound Community in Memphis.
Anthony “Amp” Elmore provides ill refutable evidence that Orange Mound began in 1879 with two Black Church and not because of White Real Estate Salesperson E.E. Meacham.
Elmore asked Tennessee State Representative London Lamar to support Black history, culture and community via exposing the true history of Orange Mound. Elmore notes “Can she or will she move beyond the weave and fight the White Supremacist narrative in the Black Community of Orange Mound and help to educate the community of the true history of Orange Mound.
The most important and significant Key missing from both the movie “A Community called Orange Mound and Dr. Charles Williams book: African American life and Culture in Orange Mound: Case Study of a Black Community in Memphis Tennessee 1890-1980.
Dr. Williams totally disregarded the fact that the Shelby County Government in 1890 built the 1st Black School in Orange Mound directly behind MT. Moriah Baptist Church that purchased the land where Church sits today a 2634 Carnes Avenue at Boston Street in Memphis in 1883. The fact that Dr. Williams and Jay Killingsworth to ignore the fact that the Shelby County Government built the 1st Black School in Orange Mound in 1890 is clearly ignoring critical Black history.
Jay Killingworth’s 2013 film, co-produced with his wife Amy, was praised for uplifting Orange Mound’s cultural legacy, whereas the film centered on White Supremacy whereas, E.E. Meacham’s role as the founder or Orange Mound echoing the plantation-to-subdivision narrative.
Dr. Charles Williams, who appeared in the film and authored the book African American Life and Culture in Orange Mound, also leaned into the 1890 Meacham origin story, despite his academic access to records Dr. Williams failed to note in his book that the Shelby County Government built the 1st school for Blacks in Orange Mound at Boston and Spottswood.
The 1st Shelby County school for Blacks in Orange Mound clearly shows an earlier existence of Orange Mound before the alleged E.E. Meacham subdivision. E.E. Meacham only sold lots, never built a single home yet is miraculously honored for creating “The Orange Mound Community.” The video and Dr. Charles Williams book disregard the fact that a Church or Churches are the foundation of a community and not a real estate sales person.
The school’s construction by Shelby County Government proves that Black families were already living, organizing, and educating their children in Orange Mound before Meacham’s real estate venture. The fact that Jay Killingsworth and Dr. Williams ignored the building of the 1st Black school in Orange Mound is to erase the agency of Black residents and replace it with a white savior narrative—one that falsely credits Meacham for “creating” a community that already existed.
This is not just historical negligence—it’s a form of institutionalized white supremacy, where even Black scholars and filmmakers may perpetuate dominant narratives for legitimacy or funding.
When Black contributors like Dr. Williams participate in this erasure, it becomes a case of Black-on-Black racism, where internalized systems of power suppress the truth for the sake of alignment with white historical frameworks.
The absence of a marker at the school site, combined with the documentary’s omissions, reveals a coordinated strategy to deny Black history and uphold a myth of white benevolence. Anthony “Amp” Elmore notes; We are not just challenging a film—we are challenging the entire infrastructure of historical storytelling in Memphis. Elmore calls out Tennessee State Senator London Lamar to speak up as the late Civil Rights leader John Lewis says “Make Good Trouble.”
Pre-existing Community: The Shelby County Government’s decision to build a school in 1890 implies that there was a recognized need for educational facilities for a population already residing in that specific location. Governments typically don’t build schools in uninhabited areas. This strongly suggests that Black families were living and likely working in Orange Mound before Meacham officially platted and marketed Orange Mound as a subdivision for African Americans.
Challenging the “First All-Black Community” Narrative: While Orange Mound is widely celebrated as the “first community in the United States built entirely by and for African Americans” (as a planned subdivision) by a White man, Black Memphis historian Anthony “Amp” Elmore postulates that Orange Mound was an organic, pre-existing community that predates the E.E. Meacham’s Myth.
Meacham’s role was significant in formalizing and marketing lots in the area for Black homeownership, but the existence of a Shelby county school beforehand indicates that Black people were already there, making their lives and seeking education. This nuances the historical understanding of Orange Mound’s origins, moving it beyond just a developer’s vision to acknowledge the agency and presence of Black people shaping their own communities.
The Power of Institutions: The establishment of a school, even a single-room one, represents a significant communal and governmental recognition. It speaks to the resilience and determination of Black families to secure education for their children, even in the face of widespread segregation and disenfranchisement during the post-Reconstruction era.
The Lack of a Historical Marker at Spottswood and Boston asserts erasure of the original school’s location is a “planned strategy to deny Black History” is a powerful and unfortunately plausible interpretation. Historical markers are often placed to commemorate significant events and places.
The White E.E. Meacham narrative focuses solely on E.E. Meacham’s role as the “founder” of Orange Mound without acknowledging the pre-existing community, it diminishes the agency of Black individuals who were already there and contributing to the area’s development. Denying or omitting such a fundamental detail is indeed a racist form of historical erasure, intentionally shaping a less complete and less empowering understanding of Black contributions.
Our Journey and Mission
Orange Mound, established as the first community in America built for Blacks by Blacks, has a rich history often overshadowed by negative stereotypes. Mainstream media and societal biases have painted Orange Mound as a “ghetto,” contributing to a 30% decline in property values while surrounding communities have prospered. The Orange Mound News Network was created to
counter this narrative and highlight the true spirit and resilience of our community.
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