By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It happened. Despite the late night announcement by Mayor Indya Kincannon to the 10 pm News that it was a no go…Despite the”mysterious’’ water main break at 6:15 am, when the project was supposed to start at 6:30 am….the people showed up. After all, everything was in order right up to the night before. Approval had been given during a zoom meeting held between Vice Mayor Gwen McKenzie, Diversity Director Charles Lomax, the police department and other city departments with the project coordinators, Black Coffee Justice and Black Lives Matter pending the signatures of…
Author: Vivian Underwood Shipe
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Caswell Park was filled with babies in strollers, young, old, black and white from Knoxville and surrounding areas filled the place. The rally, held from 6 pm – 8 pm with a march to follow was unlike anything Knoxville had ever seen before. Everything was donated and freely given to the people. Food from Black restaurants, water, and snacks were available for the asking. All around the sidewalk were places to register to vote and resources of all kinds. Many of the booths ran out of…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — The meeting was held via Zoom. The purpose of the meeting was to talk to Mayor Indya Kincannon about the state of emergency in the black community of Knoxville: what programs are in place, what is not available and action plans needed to move forward. Sponsored by Knoxville Renaissance leaders Nikki Frank and Tennion Reed; the meeting was viewed by over 4500 and moderated by Tearsa Smith of WATE TV6. On the zoom were several of Knoxville’s community leaders, including Charles Lomax, newly appointed Community Empowerment Director for the city of Knoxville, and Darris…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Under the watchful eye of Director Nicole Chandler, the Change Center reopened its doors on June 5th to skating in the inner city. Working under the guidelines of the city for Phase Two reopening of venues, the top of the line roller rink opened with 50 skaters allowed on the floor at a time, all must wear masks, and the skating sessions last two hours at a time, allowing for cleaning and sanitizing. When asked about the decision to reopen and the safety measures put in place, Director Dr. Nicole Chandler shared the following:…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — George Floyd was dead. The reaction was swift across the land, including in Knoxville. The call from Black Lives Matter and Black Coffee Justice traveled across the city at a warp speed. Activist Constance Every called for a protest rally to be held on the grounds of the Knoxville Police Station Friday evening from 6 till 8 pm. The rally would not end till well after 9 pm. By the time it ended, over a thousand would have marched peacefully, with no police presence. Before they would march however, another call would be answered.…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Even before the doors opened at noon, pastors from all over the city were at the door. The kits were ready for them. In the faith leaders tool kits were packages of masks, boxes of gloves, towels, cleaning products, hand sanitizer, laminated signage for their buildings, even a 60-page operational workbook on how to safely open every department of the church. Not only would they receive the free kits from C.O.N.N.E.C.T., there was also an opportunity for pastors to bulk order, top of the line contactless thermometers, which they would receive in two…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Its Thursday. The Weekly meeting at 5 pm with Vice Mayor McKenzie, Community Leader Cynthia Finch, and the every growing number of African American Pastors and Faith Leaders has begun.The numbers of churches on the call has grown to over sixty. The meetings have an agenda and action items and never last more than an hour. They open and close with prayer. They share information and updates. They are all of one accord. On the horizon is the reason for the gathering of these great minds. The reopening of the black churches in Knoxville…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Shetera Weaver is from Knoxville, a graduate of Austin-East Class of 1993. She is an African American traveling RN nurse for the last 25 years and has gone where she is needed. Little did she know when she reported to New York in January, just how needed she would be. In February, COVID-19 first started rearing its head. In the hospitals, the nurses and staff were getting sick, but it was during flu season and no one had heard of the coronavirus then…so no one pressed the issue. There were no travel restrictions in…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — “Where did everybody go?” These are the words of the homeless who have been affected by COVID-19 on a deeper level than most Americans. The shelters are full and many of the groups and organizations that helped them in the past have been affected by the virus and are not able to come out and feed and clothe the poor like they once did. Like a first responder, one organization never stopped stopped rushing in to answer the cries for help. Ira Grimes, Founder of the Keenan Grimes Outreach Center, never stopped loading up…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It was Friday evening at 5 pm, a hard hour during the best of times to call for an emergency meeting. However, Knoxville Vice Mayor Gwen McKenzie knows these are not normal times and with a sense of urgency; she and New Directions Executive Director Cynthia Finch sent out a request for all African American church ministers and faith-based community leaders to join her in a conversation with University of Tennessee Hospital Chief Medical Director Doctor Keith Gray. It was important to get ahead of the announcement of Executive Order 30 from Tennessee Governor…