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The Cleaborn Homes Collection includes interviews with former residents of the Cleaborn Homes housing project in Memphis, Tennessee. Cleaborn Homes were part of Memphis public housing, specifically Foote Homes, which were segregated in the 1960s, and retained a largely African-American population continuing through the 1990s.
Built in 1955, the 460 unit public housing project has provided a neighborhood and housing for thousands of people over the years.
Residents were asked to leave the complex in 2010 and in March, 2011, demolition began. Now known as Cleaborn Pointe, the area has faced redevelopment, including the closing of Foote Homes. In these interviews, former residents discuss their time in Cleaborn, which was often plagued by violence and the closing of businesses and schools. Former residents also describe the sense of community that Cleaborn Homes brought them during their time there.