Seek to Serve began with a chance meeting between Robert Lipscomb (then the new Executive Director of MHA) and Deborah Frazier (then Education Director of Leadership Memphis) who both saw a great need for leadership training in the public housing community. For three years the program operated under the auspice of Leadership Memphis. Then in 2004 Blues City Cultural Center took over the program.  With the support of Memphis Housing Authority, community leaders, local businesses and graduates of the program (Seek to Serve) this initiative has grown tremendously.

In 2006-7 Seek to Serve has changed to focus on the residents who are preparing to move into Mixed Income Communities.  Blues City Cultural Center has partnered with  Memphis Hope, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the City of Memphis and others to develop a program that looks deeply into the soul of Mixed Income Communities to prepare all citizens for this new and dynamic movement that is exploding across urban areas.

Seek to Serve wants to be on the front line of preparing people to live in these new model communities that may best be served by teaching the residents how to serve each other as they would be served.