MOUND

Snider stressed the importance of not letting virtual reality take away or hide the past.

“Virtual reality can represent something, but it doesn’t interfere with real life,” Snider said. “It’s not obliterating the real history of the place.”

“Ms. Mary Mitchell has been instrumental in facilitating research and welcoming us to the neighborhood,” Snider said.

“I’m happy I’m from here,” said Mitchell. “I would never want to be from any other place. We used to have so much fun here. I love this place. I love Memphis. The good memories certainly overshadow the bad memories, because the bad memories — we dealt with it.”

As the project continues to evolve, Snider plans to expand its reach to Park Avenue. This expansion will provide even more context for the neighborhood and its history, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the area.

Blacks. It provided a refuge for Black people moving to Memphis from rural areas.

Snider says she got the idea for the historic Orange Mound Immersive Experience after working in Ohio restoring state-owned homes and buildings of mostly heroic white abolitionists. “The Orange Mound project is a foray into this type of history from the Black perspective. It includes stories about

Black people themselves instead of through the eyes of white people,” she said.

The neighborhood has a wide variety of American vernacular architecture. Many of the older homes are typical of the style and were built using local materials and incorporating multiple design influences without an architect being involved — giving a glimpse into the past.

Overall, the project has sparked renewed interest in the community's past and highlighted the valuable contributions of its residents, Snider said. It’s a great reminder of how important it is to preserve and share the history of our neighborhoods, and the role they play in shaping our understanding of the world around us.

University of Memphis Department of Journalism and Strategic Media opens state-of-the-art social media listening lab thanks to alum Courtney Ellett

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