By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — On Martin Luther King Day they gathered on the steps of the Jacob Building to announce they were an army, qualified and ready to be deployed to fight in the war against COVID-19. Less than three weeks later, on the first weekend of February despite cold and snow, they served in their first mission. Under the direction of founder Cynthia Finch, the African American Clinician Workgroup was called upon to give flu shots, administer covid testing and prepare lab work The team worked In partnership with Remote Area Medical (RAM), who were there to…
Author: Vivian Underwood Shipe
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — “Community just doesn’t happen. People make community.” these words, penned by Claude Whitmyer, in the book,” In the Company of Others: Making Community in the Modern World,” describes two of Knoxville’s leaders who are working on the local and state levels to ensure that is what is happening in Knoxville. If indeed, community is a place where people care about each other and feel they rise together if everyone cares what happens to another; then Darris Upton and Tennion Reed are prime examples of the leadership needed to reach that plane. Working in the…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Cecily Tyson refused to act in any role that degraded her people, Martin Luther Ling and Malcolm X pushed for recognition and equality, and Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, and Elbert Howard created the Black Panther Party to make Black Pride, community, and civil rights a priority. Tyson, who recently passed away at the beautiful age of 96, was blacklisted many times for years for refusing to play roles that did not uplift her race and others like King and Malcolm, were were hated and scorned for their outspoken ways and refusal to be…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — With those words, The African American Health Care Clinician Workgroup, along with founders, Vice Mayor Gwen McKenzie and Cynthia Finch, and sponsors, New Direction Healthcare Solutions, C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries, Faith Leaders Initiative, and I AM The Voice of the Voiceless, took their place on the steps of the Jacob Building in Knoxville as the clock struck high noon on Martin Luther King Day. The leaders on the stairs, 40 strong, represented more than 180 religious, political, medical, and community individuals and organizations in Knoxville and from across the state of Tennessee, who have joined forces…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — She is quiet and unassuming. She doesn’t care to be in the lime light and works to accomplish great things by sharing her gifts and resources to build up others. During the Census you could find her standing on the street waving people down to be counted. You could even spot her in the background of her own organization, boots on the ground helping get voters registered at events held around the city all last summer. Meet Nikki Frank, co-founder of Knoxville Renaissance, a non profit organization with a goal of building Black wealth…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — She serves. Already a Knox County Commissioner, she now adds another hat to the many she already wears, that of Chief Operating Officer of the historic Knoxville College, built in 1875. It is fitting that that Knoxville College, rising up from the ashes after great efforts by former state legislator Rick Staples to get the schools accreditation back, be led by a woman whose is known as a visionary, and with her qualifications and expertise, well able to oversee the big picture operations of one of the oldest and most historic colleges in the…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — “We are a friend of Justice.” Those are the words of Reverend Sam Brown, newly elected President of the Knoxville NAACP. The Knoxville Chapter celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2019 and one year later has elected its youngest president. Those who know him would tell you like Paul said of Timothy, not to disparage his age for he is more than qualified to lead the organization. which has grown to over 200 members over the last year. Rev. Brown, who pastors Logan Temple AME Zion Church has long been an activist in Knoxville.…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — They started lining up on New Year’s Eve. Despite their advanced age, heavy rains, then winds and fog that would not let up till the sun came back out on Saturday; people lined up: sleeping in tents, many brought chairs and others came in wheelchairs struggling, helped over traffic medians by people who stepped out of line to help them get in line. The collaborative goal: to get the vaccine that hopefully would save their lives and keep them from joining the over 310,000 Americans already dead from covid-19. Just like the movie Willy…
By Vivian Shipe The council meeting lasted over five hours but when it was over, a council that had already made history with the election of Indya Kincannon as its second female mayor, the selection of its first African American female vice mayor and a first-time female majority council, made history again — this time they voted to right the wrongs of an urban removal project that began in 1959 and lasted through 1970. The long-range results of that project destroyed the long-standing Black community in Knoxville to make way for a new infrastructure for downtown. Led by a strong…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — The numbers in Knoxville are in the red zone. Hospitals are filling up. The Knoxville Board of Health has issued regulations banning gatherings of more than 10 people. The death count is over 200. People are dying. Funeral homes are busy. Testing is needed. Once again, The Faith Leaders Church Initiative moves into action. The 70 churches who have been meeting every Thursday since May, along with several community organizations have banned together to hold another Drive-Up, Drive-Thru testing event. The first one was highly successful with over 500 people tested. In partnership with…