My Story

Luberta Boyd Jenkins

FROM THE BEGINNING

Lue Berta Boyd entered the world in a house delivered by a mid-wife because John Gaston, the hospital that treated blacks in Memphis, Tennessee was at increased capacity and was only allowing mothers delivering their first child to be admitted to the hospital. Since I was my parents second child I was born at home. I was named Berta after my Great Aunt Roberta but my parents didn't want me to be Roberta. So, they took the 'L' from my father's name LeRoy and came up with Lue Berta. That name only lasted until second grade when my teacher decided that my parents didn't know how to spell my name and combined Lue with Berta to spell Luberta. At that point I unofficially became Luberta Boyd.

Our family consisted of my parents: Leroy and Mae Frances along with an older brother, Lee Arthur and younger siblings, Maurice and Regina.  My parents were later able to buy a house down the street from where I was born. The community was African American that is where I grew up and educated, I later learned of the history and legacy that the community was special!

ORANGE MOUND COMMUNITY

WKNO Documentaries | A Community Called Orange Mound | PBS

The Orange Mound Community is a southeast side Memphis neighborhood with a surprising legacy. With roots going back to the time of plantations and slavery, Orange Mound grew at the end of the nineteenth century out of the remains of that defunct way of life. It was one of the first communities in the United States to be built entirely by and for African Americans.