The BIG We

08/26/2025

Join us to celebrate the soul of Memphis on at W.C. Handy Park for Community Sing 901! We'll use our voices to create community with leadership from the amazing Markevius D. Faulkner!

06/14/2025

06/14/2025

Thank you again for joining us as we gathered to reimagine Clayborn Temple. Together, we mourned this tragedy, but we also shared our hope, resilience, and power. Your continued engagement is vital to our mission, and we look forward to listening and sharing more soon!

06/13/2025

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” - Rumi

We would like to thank everyone who joined us on May 28 for our Remember & Reimagine Clayborn gathering. The spirit of our community was present, active, and inspiring. This first step towards healing and rebuilding gives us hope and affirms the importance of our mission. If you have suggestions, connections, or ideas to offer, please reach out—we are listening.

Together, we are not just rebuilding a landmark—we are helping Memphis remember who it is, and what it can become. We look forward to continuing on this important journey with you.

05/21/2025

Statement from Anasa Troutman, Founder and Executive Director of Historic Clayborn Temple and Founder and CEO of The BIG We

We are heartbroken to confirm what we now know: the fire at Clayborn Temple was not an accident. It was arson. The ATF has ruled it intentional and has released images of a person of interest.

We are deeply grateful to the Memphis Fire Department, the ATF, and all agencies involved for their careful, ongoing investigation. In light of two additional fires involving properties connected to our Executive Director in the past month, we are concerned for our beloved city and hopeful that a full understanding of these events will emerge.

Clayborn Temple is sacred ground—home to generations of struggle, resilience, and creativity. This act of violence is painful, but it will not break our spirit. Memphis has shown it is ready to heal and to lead.

Under The BIG We’s stewardship, Clayborn Temple will rise again—not just as a building, but as a center for cultural, economic, and civic renewal.
Thank you for standing with us. To support the reimagining of Clayborn Temple, please visit Clayborn.org.

05/21/2025

In the wake of the Clayborn fire, join The Big We to honor its past and unite in rebuilding for a hopeful future. Flowers welcome.

04/29/2025

04/16/2025

Our 8th Annual In This Place Programming Season is officially in the books and when we tell you it was nothing short of extraordinary!! We Mean It. 💜

Every year, from Feb–Apr 16, we pause to honor the 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike that began right here at Historic Clayborn Temple. And every year, we come together to remember, to dream, and to build.

This year? The best one yet. We came together. We dreamed together. We worked together. And that’s how we build the future. Help us keep doing this beautiful work rooted in love, joy, safety, and abundance.

Donate at thebigwe.com/donate
And stay in touch with us!

04/15/2025

Get Paid to Share Your Opinion! Earn $75 for Joining Our Focus Group. $10 Just for the Survey!

What does it truly mean to be a creative entrepreneur? Many business owners don’t see themselves as creatives, but creativity fuels innovation, problem-solving, and cultural transformation.

The BIG We & Sankofa Research Institute, with support from The Wallace Foundation and Memphis Slim House, invite you to a Think Tank session.

This research-driven focus group will explore how Black artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Memphis can build self-sustaining economic and cultural ecosystems. Your insights will help shape the future of our city’s creative economy.

Each session lasts 90 minutes, just pick a date and time that fits your schedule, and we’ll see you there!
Morning Session: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Evening Session: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Memphis Slim Collaboratory
1130 College St. Memphis, TN 38106

Get paid $75 for your time and expertise and influence how philanthropic and arts organizations invest in Black creativity.

RSVP Here: https://bit.ly/3XWy7wr

IMAGINE MEMPHIS A celebration of the Sanitation Worker’s Strike of 1968 February 12 - April 16, 2025 Curating the future from imagination to impact. CONTENT COMMUNITY CAPITAL The BIG We works with communities to leverage their cultural assets and build economic, political, and narrative power.We d...

04/15/2025

Get Paid to Share Your Opinion! Earn $75 for Joining Our Focus Group. $10 Just for the Survey!

What does it truly mean to be a creative entrepreneur? Many business owners don’t see themselves as creatives, but creativity fuels innovation, problem-solving, and cultural transformation.

The BIG We & Sankofa Research Institute, with support from The Wallace Foundation and Memphis Slim House, invite you to a Think Tank session.

This research-driven focus group will explore how Black artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Memphis can build self-sustaining economic and cultural ecosystems. Your insights will help shape the future of our city’s creative economy.

Each session lasts 90 minutes, just pick a date and time that fits your schedule, and we’ll see you there!
Morning Session: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Evening Session: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Memphis Slim Collaboratory
1130 College St. Memphis, TN 38106
Just pick a date and time that fits your schedule, and we’ll see you there!

Get paid $75 for your time and expertise and influence how philanthropic and arts organizations invest in Black creativity.

RSVP Here: https://bit.ly/3XWy7wr

04/14/2025

🎨✨ TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT! ✨🎨
State of the Arts kicks off this evening at MoSH, and trust me, you don’t want to miss this conversation.

🗓️ Monday, April 14, 2025
📍 MoSH Giant Screen Theater | 3050 Central Ave.
⏰ 5:30–7:30 PM (Doors open at 5:00)
🎟️ FREE entry + Free Parking!

Join us as we unite creatives, advocate for the arts, and ignite real change in Memphis. There’s still time to RSVP — don’t miss your chance to be in the room where it happens.

📲 RSVP HERE: https://STATEOFTHEARTS2025.eventbrite.com
Follow or text Culture to 901-676-7372 for updates!

04/08/2025

JOIN US AT THE STATE OF THE ARTS 2025!!!

Art, culture, and entertainment for community and economic development.

Presented by Memphis Cultural Coalition

We Create the Future Together.

The arts aren’t just entertainment, they’re a powerhouse to elevate Memphis’ culture and transform our economy, shaping safe neighborhoods, supporting youth, providing healing, and driving economic growth.

State of the Arts is your chance to join a vital conversation about policies and sustainable resources for the creative community—because when the arts thrive, so does Memphis!

Whether you're an artist, administrator, educator, entrepreneur, student, policy-maker, art lover, or simply someone who cares about Memphis, this event is for you. If you believe in the power of arts and culture to transform our city, you belong in the room.

📆 Date: Monday, April 14, 2025
📍Location: MoSH Giant Screen Theater, 3050 Central Ave., Memphis
⏰Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (Doors open at 5:00 PM)

Free and open to the public—plus free parking!
Register to Attend: https://STATEOFTHEARTS2025.eventbrite.com

Why Attend?

✅ Unite the Sector – Build connections across creative disciplines, industries, and communities.
Advocate for the Arts – Strengthen the collective voice of artists, organizations, and cultural leaders.
✅ Learn & Engage – Gain insights into Memphis’ Office of Creative and Cultural Economy and its role in shaping a thriving arts and culture sector.
✅ Drive Change – Champion policies that prioritize arts and culture in City leadership and decision-making.

Stay Connected: Follow MCC in IG or Text Culture to 901-676-7372

Memphis Cultural Coalition – Aligning the arts community to build resources, systems, and innovation to drive Memphis culture and the local cultural economy.