Latest news with #Clayborn.org
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fire destroys historic Clayborn Temple in Downtown Memphis Monday
Large portions of the historic Clayborn Temple in Downtown Memphis burned to the ground on April 28. The site was a key meeting spot for the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike and hosted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, the Memphis Fire Fighters Association said the call about the fire came in around 1:30 a.m. Memphis Fire Department firefighters were able to get most of the fire put out within an hour of arriving on the scene. By 7:30, firefighters were still putting water on hot spots and the majority of the structure had been destroyed. Investigators were on scene to try to determine the cause of the blaze. No one was injured in the fire. MFD Chief Gina Sweat said she instructed firefighters to do the least possible damage to what remained of the structure as they battled the blaze. The fire department is working with the Memphis Police Department to investigate. Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the historic monument is not just a jewel to Memphis but to the world and it is "heartbreaking" for the community to see the loss. "This is a big blow. This really hurts. There's a lot of people, including myself, that have been working on this project for many, many years, like I told them, about this, the work is bigger than a building," Young said. "And we can replace structures. We can design around the elements of the structure that will remain, but the work must continue, and I think that is the important point." Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also on the scene and additional investigators are heading to Memphis to help, officials said. Anasa Troutman, the founder and executive director of Historic Clayborn Team and founder and CEO of The Big We, said in a statement the church "suffered a devastating loss due to a fire." "Clayborn's true spirit was never in the walls alone. It lives in us. Even as we mourn, we must remember: resilience is our birthright, but so is the space to grieve," Troutman said. "Our ancestors endured, grieved, rebuilt, and transcended unimaginable losses. We will do the same." Troutman also said she is still committed to the restoration of Clayborn Temple. "For now, we ask for your prayers, your support, and your belief in the enduring power of this place. This is not the end, but a call to remember who we are, and to build again with faith, courage, and abundant love," Troutman said. "If you can support, please visit and give if you can." The site, at 294 Hernando St., had been undergoing years of renovations to preserve the iconic structure, but had struggled to get all the funding for needed repairs. In late 2023, a $6 million second phase of restoration to the structure was completed. That phase included preserving stained glass windows and reinforcing the attic, according to previous reporting from The Commercial Appeal. The third phase of renovations was expected to cost about $25 million. During the Sanitation Workers' Strike of 1968, both civil rights and labor activists gathered at and organized out of Clayborn Temple. Carrie Louise Pinson, who marched with King, said she drove from Cordova when she saw the news of the structure burning. Pinson said her early days of activism started at the Clayborn Temple. "It's as if somebody has taken the air out of my body, where I started at 18-years-old, fighting for justice. It just makes me tearful. It makes me cry," Pinson said. The National Civil Rights Museum said in a statement from President Dr. Russ Wigginton that the fire is a "devastating blow" to Memphis and the broader community. The church was the "nerve center" of the Civil Rights movement, he said in the statement, and "was a beating heart of a community that chose unity over division, progress over fear, and community over chaos." "Its destruction by fire is another somber chapter in a long story of devastated sacred spaces. But if history teaches us anything, it's this: Clayborn Temple will rise again, because its foundation was never merely physical," Wigginton said. "It was spiritual. It was communal. And that foundation cannot be burned." He also called for coordinated financial recovery efforts, rebuilding the structure and preserving what is left. "Clayborn Temple was, and will continue to be, a house not just of gathering, but of movement, resilience, and rebirth. Fire can take down walls, but it cannot destroy the spirit that built them," Wigginton said. Brooke Muckerman is a political reporter for The Commercial Appeal, covering the city of Memphis, Shelby County Government and MSCS Board of Education. She can be reached at and via phone at 901-484-6225 This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Clayborn Temple in Memphis destroyed by overnight fire
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Clayborn Temple will be rebuilt, director says; New $1.5 million grant to jump start it
Clayborn Temple will be rebuilt. That was the message on May 28 as hundreds of people — civil rights leaders, Memphis officials, nonprofit directors, tourists and residents — stood before the skeleton of Clayborn Temple. Significant parts of the church burned down in a fire in the early morning of April 28. "For me, this is personal," Memphis Mayor Paul Young said. "I love Memphis to the bottom, like to my core. I love this city. This structure embolizes who we are as a community. And it's really, really, really important that we make sure that we come together and make sure that we turn this into a showcase — a space where a tragedy occurred, but we rise from that tragedy greater than we were before." The sentiment was echoed by Memphis City Council Chairman Ford Canale. It was one echoed by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen. It was one echoed by Martin Luther King III, the son of the famed civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was killed in Memphis in 1968. "I can't wait to be back when this masterpiece is done, erected and dedicated once again to stand as a shining light — a shining example — a place of love, a place of bringing people together," King said Wednesday after noting how much of "a daunting task" returning to the city his father was assassinated in can be. And rebuilding Clayborn Temple was the entire message delivered by Brent Leggs — the executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund — who put action to the tune of a $1.5 million grant behind his words. The grant is backed by the Ford Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. Design work has already begun for the rebuild, according to Anasa Troutman, the executive director for Clayborn Temple and The BIG We. Though an exact path is not yet clear, she said the new design will incorporate parts of the temple that are left standing. But, aside from that, she said she sees the "possibility" in rebuilding. "Today, collectively as a community, we are turning toward the future. We are going to put away our grief for a few minutes. We might cry tomorrow. We might cry next week. But today, while we're 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," Troutman told the crowd. After speaking, Troutman told The Commercial Appeal that, despite the process "starting from scratch" in terms of the design plans, they are not "starting from zero" in terms of funding. She said funds gathered from the organization's initial push to reconstruct Clayborn Temple are able to be used for the new rebuild. There is not yet a timeline for the rebuild, but people who wish to donate to fund the new project can do so online at or by emailing rebuild@ Much of Clayborn Temple burned to the ground on April 28. The Memphis Fire Fighters Association, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said the call came early in the morning, and that firefighters were able to get much of the fire put out within an hour of arriving on the scene. Though much of the fire was put out within that timeframe, crews could be seen suppressing the fire around 7 a.m. that day. The building was left a husk of its former self. On May 1, parts of the remaining church collapsed from strong winds and severe storm conditions. A joint investigation between the Memphis Fire Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was opened on April 28. The investigation saw many surrounding streets closed. Some of those streets have remained closed since the investigation was closed on May 21. Investigators concluded the fire was "intentionally set on the interior of the historic church." It also revealed a person of interest. The Memphis Fire Department included pictures of the person, shown walking the streets near Clayborn Temple, in a social media post. An $11,000 reward is being offered by CrimeStoppers for any information that leads to an arrest. Tips can be called in to CrimeStoppers at (901) 528-2274 or the state arson hotline at 1-800-762-3017. Troutman hosted a digital press conference the day after the fire was ruled intentional. During that press conference, she said a fire had happened at her home more than two weeks prior to the Clayborn Temple fire. Another one happened near a family property in East Tennessee, a week before that. "I have spent a lot of time trying to convince myself that this is all a crazy coincidence, but it's just hard to imagine that there's not something there," Troutman said, adding that it was too early to say if the incidents were targeted. Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: (901)208-3922 and and followed on X @LucasFinton. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Clayborn Temple's post-arson rebuild starts with $1.5 million grant
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Clayborn Temple leader: Fire at home could be connected
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The director of Clayborn Temple says she thinks there could be a connection between the fire that destroyed the historic church, and fires at her home and near her family's land. Anasa Troutman, founder and executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, says she suffered a fire at her home April 12. Another fire hit land near her family's property in East Tennessee April 14. Clayborn Temple went up in flames April 28. 'It's difficult to imagine that they're not connected,' Troutman said. 'I've tried to convince myself that this was all a crazy coincidence.' Still, she added, there has been no connection made among the three fires, and it may in fact be a coincidence. The Memphis Fire Department and the ATF wrapped up an investigation Wednesday, including that the fire at Clayborn Temple was intentionally set. MFD released photos of a possible suspect. Clayborn Temple fire ruled arson; person sought Troutman said she wasn't aware of any possible motive for the fire, and she had not come into contact with the person identified as a person of interest. 'The fact that anyone would want to do this for any reason is senseless and tragic,' she said. There will be a public gathering at Clayborn Temple at 4:30 p.m. May 28, remembering what the building was and what it will be in the future. Troutman said her group is developing plans of how to rebuild after the fire. To support Clayborn Temple, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- General
- USA Today
Fire destroys famed Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis: 'This really hurts'
Fire destroys famed Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis: 'This really hurts' Show Caption Hide Caption MLK Jr.'s daughter remembers his 'I have a dream' speech 60 years after the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King reflects on his iconic 'I have a dream' speech. MEMPHIS, TN — Large portions of the historic Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis, a key meeting spot for the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike that brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the city, burned to the ground on April 28. In a post to X, the Memphis Fire Fighters Association said the call about the fire came in around 1:30 a.m. Memphis Fire Department firefighters were able to put out most of the fire within an hour of arriving on the scene. By 7:30 a.m., firefighters were still putting water on hot spots, and most of the structure had been destroyed. Investigators were on scene to try to determine the cause of the blaze. No one was injured in the fire. Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat said she instructed firefighters to do the least possible damage to what remained of the structure as they battled the blaze. The fire department is working with the Memphis Police Department to investigate. Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also on the scene, and additional investigators are heading to Memphis to help, officials confirmed. 'A piece of civil rights history': Tragic Clayborn Temple fire a 'devastating blow' to Memphis and civil rights history 'This is a big blow' Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the historic monument is a jewel to Memphis and to the world. He added that it is "heartbreaking" for the community to see the loss. "This is a big blow. This really hurts. There's a lot of people, including myself, that have been working on this project for many, many years, like I told them, about this, the work is bigger than a building," Young said. "And we can replace structures. We can design around the elements of the structure that will remain, but the work must continue, and I think that is the important point." Anasa Troutman, the founder and executive director of Historic Clayborn Team, said in a statement that the church "suffered a devastating loss due to a fire." "Clayborn's true spirit was never in the walls alone. It lives in us. Even as we mourn, we must remember: resilience is our birthright, but so is the space to grieve," Troutman said. "Our ancestors endured, grieved, rebuilt, and transcended unimaginable losses. We will do the same." Troutman also said she is still committed to the restoration of Clayborn Temple. "For now, we ask for your prayers, your support, and your belief in the enduring power of this place. This is not the end, but a call to remember who we are, and to build again with faith, courage, and abundant love," Troutman said. "If you can support, please visit and give if you can." 'Transformative': Looking forward and back as the Civil Rights Act turns 60 Historic structure had been undergoing renovations The site had been undergoing years of renovations to preserve the iconic structure, but had struggled to get all the funding for needed repairs. In late 2023, a $6 million second phase of restoration to the structure was completed. The phase included preserving stained glass windows and reinforcing the attic, according to previous reporting from The Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network. The third phase of renovations was expected to cost about $25 million. During the Sanitation Workers' Strike of 1968, civil rights and labor activists gathered at and organized out of Clayborn Temple. Carrie Louise Pinson, who marched with King, said she drove from Cordova — a community east of Memphis — when she saw the news of the structure burning. Pinson said her early days of activism started at the Clayborn Temple. "It's as if somebody has taken the air out of my body, where I started at 18 years old, fighting for justice. It just makes me tearful. It makes me cry," Pinson said. The National Civil Rights Museum said in a statement from President Dr. Russ Wigginton that the fire is a "devastating blow" to Memphis and the broader community. The church was the "nerve center" of the Civil Rights movement, he said in the statement, and "was a beating heart of a community that chose unity over division, progress over fear, and community over chaos." "Its destruction by fire is another somber chapter in a long story of devastated sacred spaces. But if history teaches us anything, it's this: Clayborn Temple will rise again, because its foundation was never merely physical," Wigginton said. "It was spiritual. It was communal. And that foundation cannot be burned." He also called for coordinated financial recovery efforts, rebuilding the structure, and preserving what is left. "Clayborn Temple was, and will continue to be, a house not just of gathering, but of movement, resilience, and rebirth. Fire can take down walls, but it cannot destroy the spirit that built them," Wigginton said.
