$1.5M donation given to rebuild Clayborn Temple
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A $1.5 million donation has been given to Clayborn Temple to be rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire that was intentionally set.
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund kicked off the fundraising campaign with a $1.5 million grant.
A news conference was held marking a month since the Clayborn Temple fire.
Fire destroys Clayborn Temple, historic Memphis church with ties to Civil Rights movement
'We have spent a month mourning, it's been a month of tears,' said Anasa Troutman, Founder and Executive Director of Historic Clayborn Team.
Clayborn Temple was the launching point for a march for sanitation workers' rights that brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis in 1968. The iconic 'I Am A Man' signs used in the march were printed there.
Dr. King planned to march with sanitation workers from Clayborn Temple on April 8, before he was assassinated on April 4 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. His wife, Coretta Scott King, led strikers and thousands of supporters in his place.
The building dates to 1892, when it was originally Second Presbyterian Church. In 1949, the building was sold to the African Methodist Episcopal church and was renamed Clayborn Temple.
Clayborn Temple fire ruled arson; person sought
'Just imagine what this is going to look like when it is complete,' said Martin Luther King II, Civil Rights Activist.
'This is a sacred place for our city, and as we talk about what's next, we want you to know that Memphis is going to be apart– that the city is going to play a role in what's next,' said Mayor Paul Young.
People at Clayborn Temple have started design work, and new designs will be made for the remaining portions.
'Memphis is known for its grit and its grind, and because of that spirit, we are going to make Clayborn Temple what it was, make it even better,' said Congressman Steve Cohen.
'We might cry tomorrow, we might cry next week, but today, while we are together, we are going to rejoice in the beauty and the power and the possibility of what remains behind us, Clayborn Temple has been damaged, but it has not been destroyed,' said Troutman.
There is a $10,000 reward for any information on the suspect who set the fire. If you have any information, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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