From Wayne Dowdy, Manager of the Library’s History Department: “Clayborn Temple is one of the most significant sites in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. During the 1950s it hosted voter registration drives, and in the 1960s it was headquarters for marches protesting school segregation and the unequal treatment of sanitation workers. As the church was being renovated during the first half of the 21st century, I Am a Man Plaza was built on the grounds. In the summer of 2020 several Black Lives Matter demonstrations were held there protesting the murder of George Floyd. On the morning of April 28, 2025 Memphians were shocked to learn that a massive fire destroyed much of the historic building.”
Here are images of Clayborn Temple in the DIG Memphis archives:
