planning

by Brittney B. Bullock Your liberation is bound up with mine. – Lilla Watson I often talk about liberation. How it functions and feels. I question at times if I have it, and if I’d know when I had it. I point it out when I see it. When I see it lovingly drenched over […]

by Doug Waddill “I know, I know, I know…oooh oooh, call on me, I know…”  We have all been in classes with THAT guy or girl.  The “know it all.”  As a former teacher, I was always amazed at that stereotypical kid that had to be first and had to know it all.  Usually when […]

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 Kiesha Davis With a multitude of challenges, the nonprofit sector working with community to support those needs are often pushed beyond their own capacity to do so. Sector leaders, and those all to often focused on serving communities of color, are routinely faced with a barrage of competing interests calling for their attention and […]

by Lecolion Washington The last few years have been an amazing time for the MMI in-schools team as our work has grown by leaps and bounds. One of the key attributes that MMI brings to the table is that we have created an environment in which the tail doesn’t wag the dog. The level of […]

by Menthia P. Bradley At Memphis Business Academy Middle and High Schools, we understand the importance of music and the arts in the enrichment of our Executives. We have always been supportive of the Executive Sounds Choir, under the direction of Joyclyn Wilson, and we have made important strides to develop that department. The issue, […]

“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” – Audre Lorde Years ago while I was evaluating the success and impact of performing arts presenters in the Midwest, I observed a distinct barrier when utilizing the funder’s evaluation tools to demonstrate grantee success […]