The following open letter was written in response to the recent deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many others. It has been signed by leaders in the Memphis nonprofit community, with the aim of highlighting systemic oppression and amplifying the demands heard on streets across the nation.   Click here to view as […]

In America, race underscores nearly every social, economic, and legislative policy we have in place. And while recent events have resulted in increased (white) awareness of racial injustices, for the Black community, these events have only highlighted the experiences and aggressions, both micro and macro, faced on a daily basis. Data from The Groundwater Approach […]

by Sarah Lockridge-Steckel When we started the Memphis Music Initiative, we knew a few things were true. More than 26% of youth in Memphis’ underserved communities will not graduate from high school, and only 5% of youth have access to after-school music programming. This is critical because music is a powerful tool that can deepen […]

by Toya Randall Much of my success has been and continues to be fueled by women. I first experienced the power of an organized network of women growing up under the care of my mother, grandmothers and aunts. Theirs was a unique sisterhood brought to fruition by my birth to teenage parents. Over the course […]

by Sam O’Bryant When I began working in Memphis in 2012, I arrived during the halfway point of a major investment in teacher effectiveness. While the work was worthy and victories were won, the focus was on making teachers the absolute best they could be. Like most education reform, there was an absence of specific […]

A conversation with Lar’Juanette Williams, Memphis Black Arts Alliance In the study, we explore this idea of “philanthropic redlining,” where essentially certain groups – primarily black- and brown-led organizations – are just excluded from traditional funding. Can you explain how you have experienced that with Memphis Black Arts Alliance or within the nonprofit sector? I […]

by Kiesha Davis This summer as we closed out the last learning session for leaders of youth serving music organizations in our Institute for Nonprofit Excellence (INE), a capacity building model developed as an approach to supporting the organizational development goals, we offered a panel discussion on nonprofit operational practices.  Over the prior months, cohort participants […]

by Adrianna Christmas I am extremely honored and grateful to have been a part of MMI’s first Institute for Nonprofit Excellence cohort. The yearlong experience has been extremely impactful to my organization and my growth as a leader. It offered much more than funding. It was a brilliant model that provided training, an executive coach, […]

by Doug Waddill There are invisible lines everywhere we go.  There are boundaries of cities, states, and counties that are real, but they cannot be seen with the naked eye.  There are more figurative “lines” that occur as well.  For example, when one moves from hungry to full or from a run to a sprint.  […]

  by Kwayera Archer Cunningham  Leadership is a gift to be handled with care, as if a fine piece of porcelain. I have received many awards, acknowledgments, and praise for my leadership, but even more notable than the accolades was the permission of those who allowed me to lead and represent them. Understanding that leadership […]