Griot Collective of West Tennessee to receive grant

JACKSON, Tenn. — Nine organizations across Tennessee received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Griot Collective of West Tennessee has been approved to receive $50,000 from the NEA to help the arts and culture area recover from the pandemic.

“These American Rescue Funds will serve to strengthen organizational infrastructure, as well as day-to-day operations while maintaining its established programs. But more importantly, it will increase the organization’s profile and influence on a national level, which will reflect favorably on the literary arts in Jackson and West Tennessee,” said Griot Collective President James E. Cherry.

The money awarded to the collective will be used to tighten the infrastructure of the organization where needed, such as taking care of staff and maintaining the programs that are hosted by the group.

“We also feel like it would give us a name on a national platform to expand our profile and to attract writers to the City of Jackson,” Cherry said.

Later in the year, the group will host a round table discussion featuring a variety of writers.

That event will take place Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 at the University of Memphis Lambuth campus.

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