A Love Letter From Anasa
Friends,
If you were anywhere near Memphis in 2025, you know it was a year none of us will ever forget. The arson at Clayborn Temple shook us deeply. It tested our faith, our stamina, and our belief in what’s possible. And yet… here we are.
Because of you. Because of the community. Because of partners, donors, neighbors, and friends who leaned in instead of backing away. Y’all showed up in ways that still move me to tears. You reminded us that Clayborn is bigger than a building. It’s a living story. It’s a gathering place. It’s a promise.
So we kept going.
We launched and expanded COIN, growing cooperative businesses across the Mid-South. We strengthened the Memphis Cultural Coalition, organizing artists and culture workers around shared vision and shared power. We stepped boldly into 2026 with momentum and joy as we prepare for the rebuilding stages of Clayborn Temple. And this year has already been beautiful!
Memphis and Clayborn took the national stage on PBS, where we had the opportunity to share our story and our vision with the country. We welcomed our Artist in Residence to the city, deepening our commitment to artists as economic drivers. And we kicked off our In This Place season, gathering folks across Memphis to sing, learn, build, and imagine together.
This is what rebuilding looks like. It looks like programming. It looks like partnership. It looks like possibility.
As you read through our newsletter, I hope you feel the energy of what’s happening. I hope you feel proud. I hope you feel invited.
Take a look at our latest news. Come to an In This Place event. Share the stories. Make a donation to support Clayborn’s future. We are rebuilding. We are reimagining. And we are just getting started!
I can’t wait to see y’all soon.
With joy,
anasa.