Give Black, Give Back

Mural Artist (above): Michael J. McBride

Give Black, Give Back

We are gearing up for Black Philanthropy Month! Give Black, Give Back co-chairs Lisa Swift-Young and Kia Jarmon will be going live each Thursday in August on CFMT’s Facebook! Stay tuned. #bpm2022

We love being black.

As women of color, we know all too well the daily challenges our communities face. The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, David Hambrick, Jacques Clemmons and now David McAtee are personal to us.

We feel the pain and frustration for their families and communities. Black Philanthropy is about embracing and preserving the beauty of our culture and heritage. We understand that economic equality and justice for all communities of color are central to the struggle.

We are about action.

The Give Black Give Back Initiative invites you to join us as we work together to strengthen our families, our communities, our neighborhoods and our friends during this difficult time.

Please see the listing of funds and nonprofits below to support. Read our stories, hear our hearts and Give.

Respectfully,

Lisa Swift-Young & Kia Jarmon
Co-Chairs Give Black, Give Back

Click these links support Give Black, Give Back, CFMT’s Black-led funds,
or Middle Tennessee Black-led nonprofits.

Give Black, Give Back Changemakers Interview Series: Mignon Francois of The Cupcake Collection

Give Black, Give Back’s Changemakers Interview Series highlights individuals who are dedicated to furthering the progress of our community by uplifting and empowering those they are committed to serving. In this edition of Changemakers, Give Black, Give Back co-chairs Lisa Swift-Young and Kia Jarmon sit down with Mignon Francois.

As a kid, Mignon used to be teased because of her large hands and long fingers. When thinking about her life’s journey, Mignon reflected that God had a dream for bigger than she could have ever imagined. She started off being what she already was…”a giver”; always being what she saw her mother do, sharing her means with others.

When people began to rave about her cupcakes, especially her original basic flavors of wedding, strawberry, carrot, coconut and the ever popular “red velvet” cupcakes her desire to use her God given talents / abilities, she thought she may be on to something. Although she had only baked from boxed recipes with no formal culinary or baking training, Mignon would use profits from the sale of her cupcakes to groups for meetings (fraternity & sorority, birthdays, weddings & special occasions) to experiment with family recipes she created from healthy ingredients. She baked cupcakes by the dozens weekly and gave them away for free to her neighbors, friends and complete strangers (many of whom were tourist who found their way on her Germantown home with its bakery in what would have been her living room area).

Those same neighbors, tourist and friends soon began making their way to the renovated house that served as the bakery and primary resident of and her family for years seeking to “purchase” not only her staple of original flavors but, the expanded, seasonal flavors that have been added to the menu such as: German chocolate, Key-Lime, pumpkin.

Involved with some land purchased outside off New Orleans where her family are growing organic food which are helping in “Theriot Farms”.

She’s a visionary and a visionary’s job is to write the vision and make it plain; preparing the next generation to take over her business so she can do other things. Always ties scripture back to what she is doing in her life.

When she gave her hands to God, HE blessed her & she has “baked goodness” into our community by spreading “joy”.

More About Featured Mural Artist Michael J. McBride

Michael J. McBride, a native Tennessean, earned his undergraduate degree in art from Tennessee State University and his graduate degree in painting from Illinois State University, where he credits Dr. Harold Gregor with providing a world-class artistic mentorship. His commitment to the Nashville art world’s future has always been at the forefront of his own career: He served as the curator of the Hiram V. Gordon Gallery at Tennessee State University from 1995–2000 and has been the lead artist on many community-based mural projects in Nashville and Sister Cities Mural Projects. Michael is a tenured faculty member in the Tennessee State University art department and former founding member of the Board of Trustees for the Frist Art Museum in Nashville. McBride was featured in “Visions of My People” 60 years of African American art in Tennessee, an exhibit organized by the Tennessee State Museum, and one of his pieces was purchased for the museum’s permanent collection. He was one of 12 Nashville artists selected by The Tennessean newspaper for inclusion in the Millennium 2000 Collection, a signal honor. Another honor was the Side-by-Side sister cities exhibition with Belfast, Northern Ireland, featuring 17 artists from Nashville and 17 artists from Ireland. He was awarded in the summer of 2005 with a 10-week artist-in-residence in Bermuda with the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, where two of his works are in the museum’s collection. His current body of work titled “Too Black Too Fast” is a traveling exhibition of art about African-American jockeys and trainers. McBride’s work is included in both private and corporate collections in the U.S .and abroad. His work has been featured on television sitcoms, such as “Living Single,” “The Wayans Bros. Show,” and “The Jamie Foxx Show” and has illustrated more than 75 children’s books.

Currently, McBride is an Arts in the Airport Board member, W.O. Smith Music School board member, Community Arts of Bellevue board member and a member of South Arts Southern artist registry. He recently completed a commissioned painting, large mural of Congressman John Lewis and other leaders of Nashville’s Freedom Riders and Lunchroom Sit-In Civil Rights movements, at the corner of Commerce Street and Rep. John Lewis Way in downtown Nashville, and is illustrating five new children’s books.