For four years, the Cooper-Young Garden Club quietly went to work on five blocks of plants with one goal in mind: to eliminate blight and bring beauty back to the neighborhood.
This week, more than 2,000 native plants line the Hell-o Strip at the western entrance to the Cooper-Young Historic District, and on Friday, the city made it official with a ribbon-cutting attended by Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Society Memphis jookin dancers who turned the moment into a full celebration.
“It catches your attention,” Mayor Young said, “but most importantly, it’s something where the community was able to come together and work on something to beautify their neighborhood and community.”
The project is part of a broader citywide effort to address blight, but what makes this one stand out is its community-driven foundation. The Cooper-Young Garden Club did not wait for a solution. They built one, block by block, plant by plant, over four years.
