"Celebrate Griggs" Garden Party
Help Us Celebrate the History and Contributions of the Griggs Business and Practical Arts College.
About the project
We want to celebrate the legacy of the Griggs Business and Practical Arts College in Memphis. Our garden party will be an event for the community to fellowship together, lift up the past, and envision the future. We will have food trucks, music, and games for the entire community to enjoy. Please join us in celebrating this important part of Memphis history.
The Steps
Purchase supplies for the party- June, 2021
Clear and prepare the grounds for the event- July 2021
Host the Party- July, 2021
Why we‘re doing it
The Griggs College of Business and Practical Arts was founded in 1916. One of three black-owned colleges in the community, it served as an important educational resource in Memphis for many years. Its graduates include Kathryn Bowers, who went on to serve in the Tennessee House of Representatives. The building on Vance Avenue has been abandoned since the 1980s. It has recently been purchased and will soon be remodeled and re-purposed. Before that happens, we want to celebrate the past with the community. This garden party will give the neighborhood an opportunity to lift up the legacy of the college and think about he future of the site and the neighborhood.