By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Brian Brooks Jr. came in the office of Keira Wyatt, Executive Director of C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries office dressed in his scout uniform covered in the hard earned patches of Troop 213. He is working toward Eagle Scout status – something only 6% of boy scouts ever achieve. He had a vision of the service requirement – he wanted to educate and save lives – he wanted to reduce gun violence in the communities – he wanted it to be free…he just needed a sponsor to believe in his vision stand by him . He opened…
Author: Vivian Underwood Shipe
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — They are coming from across the nation. Alumni. The Bulldogs of Knoxville College. The hill will be alive and kicking as the 145 year old HBCU, Knoxville College kicks off its homecoming festivities on the 21st of October. Four days of activities both on and off campus to include golf , galas, music from the Jubilee Singers, and Greek Performances will fill the air along with DJs and bands. Among the highly anticipated activities is Dads Matter – Cultivating Future Fathers, presented by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. There will be sessions for both youth…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Bring the community together, giving a sense of hope and blessings. That is the charge of Bishop Farris Long as he works to complete a project given to to him; a vision of a work started back in June. Dubbed the Community Block Party, Bishop Long first had to get a buy-in from his neighborhood. The event will be held on his street and with an over whelming yes vote by his neighbors and the city council, the event scheduled for October 23 from 12 till 4 is a go. The goals of the…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Knoxville native Giovana Kingsberry quietly left this earth realm on September 29th. A vibrant, full of life, gifted multi- talented choir director, vocalist, and music teacher for over 42 years; Gigi, as she was affectionately known across Europe toured and sang back ground with Michael Jackson, Elton John and other many internationally known musicians. During her teaching years, she taught children in the US, Japan, China and Germany and and also directed orchestras in Europe and America. At press time, arrangements are incomplete and will be announced at a later date.
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Nine businesses were recognized for their contributions in helping the city achieve its core values and helping to increase business partnerships with minority and women owned buses. The work of the radio station started by the great entertainer James Brown back in 1968 as a community leader and influencer was recognized by the City of Knoxville for its help in solving a huge city problem. The city had reached a crisis situation. Retirements and the pandemic had affected the bus lines of Knoxville Area Transit; creating a shortage of drivers and causing several routes…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Between the two of them they feed, clothe, vaccinate, provide showers and free hair cuts every week to thousand.s. They are the leaders of the Faith Leaders Initiative and Care Cuts and they run their organizations like a well oiled military operation. Their headquarters lie in opposite areas of the city. Cynthia’s is in the inner city and east and Martha’s lies downtown and to the west; but they cover the whole city and counties beyond. A force to be reckoned with, they can amass an army of volunteers simply by a text or…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — The latest reports show Tennessee is still leading the country with the highest number of covid cases. In Knoxville two schools closed for a week after Labor Day due to the high number of student absenteeism, the Knox County school board continues to refuse to enact any type of mask mandates and Bob Thomas, school superintendent announced his retirement. Yet as the storm surges, the army of Faith Leaders who hold a vaccine clinic every week are looking neither left nor right: still pressing forward in the war on COVID-19. Part of their their…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It seemed fitting somehow. The city that was finally celebrating and remembering the school integration by the Clinton 12 and the Oak Ridge 85 chose to offer vaccine clinics in the historic African American community of Scarboro. The event was part of festivities honoring the first Black students to attend Clinton High School which was blown up in 1958 after integration and also honored the 85 Black students who first integrated Oak Ridge High School; also known as the secret city because of the creation of the nuclear materials needed to build the atomic…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — The numbers revealed by Knoxville hospitals on last Thursday were startling enough. Over 107 people on ventilators, hospitals with no beds, and diversion of overnight surgeries due to COVID-19. Then the news reported over 8600 kids were absent in one day. The Knox County School system has left the wearing of masks to parent discretion and there is no social distancing or contact tracing being done in the schools. For many parents across the city and county it is too much to bear and they have begun taking matters in their own hands after…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It’s been 15 months since Cynthia Finch and Gwen McKenzie sat down to develop a plan to educate the Black churches about the dangers of going back into their sanctuaries in the height of the COVID 19 surge. Forty church leaders representing thousands of African Americans were on that first call. In the year and a half since the weekly one hour meetings began on Thursday evenings, the number of those educated and vaccinated has grown to over 180 organizations across the state and the nation, raising the numbers of those vaccinated, tested, and…