The Doctor is In :: An Interview with Mindy Fullilove, MD

Dr. Mindy Fullilove, is the board president of University of Orange, and on the community engagement team for Reverse Archeology, I-280 in Orange project.

How do you want this project to restore Orange pride?

We learned from Professor Ron Shiffman, speaking at Placemaking 6, said, “Communities are built on memory — it is the foundation for the future.”  I believe that this story of Route 280 helps us understand the fracture that undermined Orange and can point us in new directions for becoming strong.

What has surprised you so far in the project? 

I have really appreciated that Oakwood Avenue was a very important street for the African American community and it really lost many important institutions, like the two “colored” Ys.  The highway passes Oakwood Avenue, so it lost its role in the city’s network of streets.  I wonder how this can be fixed.

Talk about the concept of reverse archeology 

Reverse Archaeology is great concept — we have a ditch and we want to piece together what was there before the highway came through.

What can we expect?

We can expect all kinds of interesting stories!  It seems everyone has a “freeway” story. We are making a “lemonade stand,” like the one Lucy had in the comic strip Charlie Brown.  It had a sign that said “The Doctor is IN.”  I’m going to be the “doctor” (and I AM a doctor!) at the lemonade stand — we’re going to take it all over town.

Learn more about Mindy here: https://mindyfullilove.contently.com/ & University of Orange http://www.universityoforange.org & The Reverse Archeology 1-280 in Orange project www.280inorange.org