Frayser, Memphis

Frayser is a neighborhood in north Memphis, Tennessee.

History

Frayser developed in the mid twentieth century as an industrial, working class suburb due to its proximity to the industrial area of Memphis, including a large International Harvester plant.

Demographics

As factories in the area began to close, the population of Frayser began to markedly dwindle in the 1970s and 80s, and it stands at 51,068 today. With a large minority of its residents earning incomes below the poverty line, only 6% holding college degrees, and a continued lack of business and industrial investment, the neighborhood is now one of the most economically depressed & highest crime-rated areas of Memphis.

Environment

The neighborhood faces environmental problems because of industrial waste runoff and contamination at or near the sites of now abandoned factories, which has made some land in Frayser vitually uninhabitable without cleanup.

Notable residents

The community is home of multi-award winning songwriter Gary Harrison. Among his many hit songs is "Wrong Side of Memphis", a number one record for Trisha Yearwood. It is an autobiographical song about leaving Frayser for Nashville.

Hip-hop artists like Academy Award winning Frayser Boy and fellow Hypnotize Minds member, Lil Wyte hail from the Frayser community.

Dallas Cowboys Free Safety Ken Hamlin attended Frayser High School.

References

External links

* [http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local_news/article/0,1426,MCA_437_2482161,00.html Commercial Appeal article on the neighborhood]
* [http://www.fraysercommunityassociation.org/index.html Frayser Community Association]