Memphis has always been a city of innovators, creators, and community builders. Let’s harness that energy and make BAMM a game-changer for small businesses and neighborhoods across our city. We are also the soul of the South, and our faith community is the backbone of our engagingly eclectic community.

We’re looking for up to 50 churches to join the BAMM inaugural expansion. Faith leaders, we need your leadership and the power of your congregations. Small business owners, we’re here to support you. Together, we can turn BAMM into a city-wide force for economic transformation.

Through BAMM, we will:

• Drive new customers to small businesses throughout Memphis
• Showcase success stories and build momentum with real data and testimonials
• Leverage the power of our faith communities to create a sustainable economic ecosystem
• Strengthen up to 600 Memphis businesses in just one year
  
  

History of BAMM

BAMM began in 2002 when New Olivet Church launched an initiative called Bust a Move Monday or BAMM. The BAMM mission was to uplift and strengthen Black-owned businesses in the Orange Mound community by driving customers to one business during one Monday per month, turning what was typically a slow retail day into a financial lifeline for many merchants. It was a movement fueled by faith, purpose, and the belief that economic empowerment starts at the local level. Bust a Move Monday was transformed into the Black Alliance Marketing Movement (BAMM), and now we want to broaden that mission further. Our aim is to strengthen small businesses across Memphis and create sustainable, lasting change.

Expanding the Movement, Growing the Impact. We hope to grow what started as a single day of support into a full month of engagement for each business spotlighted by the efforts. And we hope to expand what began as a one-church effort into a call to action for our entire city.

Supporting small businesses isn’t just about shopping locally. It’s about strengthening the entire Memphis economy.

 Locally, the impact is significant:

• Memphis Landscape: In the Greater Memphis area, small businesses constitute 98.9% of all businesses, with 17,339 small employers and an additional 119,443 self-employed individuals or businesses without employees. ​Memphis Chamber Reports
• Employment Impact: These small businesses employ 41.3% of the Greater Memphis workforce, highlighting their critical role in job creation and economic stability. ​Memphis Chamber Reports

Investing in our small businesses means investing in Memphis’ future, fostering generational wealth, and ensuring our city thrives from the ground up.

Join the BAMM Movement – Register Here

If you’re a faith community leader, we need you to stand with us. If you’re a small business owner, we want to uplift and support you. Faith Leaders and Small Businesses, please register here.

For everyone else, be sure to follow our social media channels for more opportunities to get involved. Together, we can make a big BAMM difference—one congregation, one small business, and one success story at a time.