By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It’s her district. She kept a watchful eye over the cars pulling in from all directions. It was 10 am and Commissioner Evelyn Gill was already in position. Gill, along with Cynthia Finch and other community leaders, had been working hard for the last few weeks to bring testing into the African American community. She watched as the COVID-19 testing began. They had worked hard to find a central location to the inner city residents; the need for total access and the ability to test large numbers made the coliseum the best choice. “This…
Author: Vivian Underwood Shipe
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — By tradition, a Black funeral has been a time of gathering. People hug each other. The holding of each other is therapeutic. Re-pass is an opportunity for everyone to come by, a time of gathering together for a meal, to stop and visit and remember the loved one who has passed on. But now, and for awhile and into the future, the healing power of touching is prohibited. COVID-19 stopped all of that. “Its a hard time, a truly scary time.” These are the words of Beal Bourne, funeral director of Jarnigan and Son…
Now serving 1500 weekly during COVID-19 By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Fear, isolation and loneliness, during the shelter at home mandated by the governor. No one can feel more isolated or lonely than frail senior citizens who live alone, are up in age, and can’t get out for vital needs such as medications or food. Many have no one to call and check on them during regular seasons; let alone in a time of national quarantine. Enter CAC Knoxville’s Office on Aging. The Office on Aging in Knoxville is responsible for assessing needs and planning and developing resources to…
By Vivian Shipe You are used to seeing them racing by, on their way to an emergency or flying to the hospital to deliver a patient in distress. Now, look closer, due to Covid-19, the roads are mostly empty right now so its easy to see when they pull over on the road in a slow deliberate move. You see them climb out of the ambulance, they have on their mask and their gloves; however, they are not moving to distance themselves away from the person they are approaching. They move closer, well past the six foot distance requirement, right…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — They are 373 strong, serving 24/7. Their primary focus is proactive policing and crime prevention. They, and all the other police operations around the nation, are “boots on the ground.” In the city of Knoxville, they serve under the strong direction of Police Chief Eve Thomas and despite the Covid-19 crisis, their objective to protect and to serve has not wavered. A candid conversation with Public Relations Officer Scott Erland answered questions about the other side of the badge: that of the life of that officer who everyone expects to show up when they…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — First came the announcement that school would be closed till April 4th, then the date changed to April 24th. While the doors were locked on education, they also locked up another important need of the 60,000 plus children who attend school in Knox county; the need for a meal. For many children in Knoxville and around the United States, the meals they receive at school are many times the only meal they get for the day. It is not unusual for a child to stop in the office of many a school and ask…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — They are two different ministries in size but their faith and willingness to be servants is immeasurable. OBC, a mega church with over 2000 members and New Beginnings, a small church in the downtown area have worked hard during this Covid-19 crisis to serve the members of their congregation and the community despite the hurdles and barriers the pandemic has caused. For both churches, the membership still needs to be encouraged in the midst of fear and the unknown, and the community still has needs that both churches are known for meeting. Right up…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Gill, Lundy, McKenzie, Parker, and Satterfield. In Knoxville, those are the names of Herstory makers. African American women now at the table in positions of leadership on school board, county commission, and city council. March is International Women’s Month. In the United States women are moving up and taking their seat at the table in positions in many cases never before held by women of color. How will they use those positions? In Knoxville and across the nation, the ages of these leaders, both black and white, now cross generation boundaries that raise questions…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It has been a beacon of hope since it was part of the Underground Railroad. It has been referred to as the “freedom church”and was part of the abolitionist movement. For over 175 years this community church, as it was initially known, has provided a place to worship God and educate, empower, and uplift. This week amid a flood of activities, speakers, block parties, and ceremonies; that walk of faith and servant hood will be celebrated. Greater Warner Tabernacle A.M.E. Zion Church has a proud history. Each initial means something: African Methodist Episcopal Zion.…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — They all came, black and white, to pay homage to the shoulders on which they stood: those unsung African American women who fought for the 19th Amendment but were left out of the pages of history. Herstory was told by prestigious African American women leaders of Knoxville at the Shades of Suffrage event held on February 29th. They all left their titles at the door as they stepped into their position as the present day Suffragist whose job it now is to protect that vote. They sang, danced, presented poetry original songs, and speeches…