By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — This summer East Knoxville will serve over 100 scholars in grades first thru eighth in a free summer enrichment program thru the Freedom Schools Project. The city of Knoxville will also host the largest “train the trainer “week with over 2500 college students and college graduates from across the nation on the University of Tennessee campus. Freedom Schools are one of four programs produced by the Children’s Defense Fund. Under the guidance of founder and president, Marion Wright Edelman, for 40 years the CDF has worked tirelessly to level the playing field for children. The…
Author: Vivian Underwood Shipe
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It seemed like a dream that would never come true ; many had tried but to no avail, but the efforts by District 15 State Representative Rick Staples to see Knoxville College, one of the oldest HBCU schools in the nation reopened prevailed and the dream is finally a reality. May 17th, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission voted YES to give KC back it’s accreditation. The college built by slaves in 1875 was given permission to begin receiving students this fall. The initial classes will begin online with a goal of students returning to…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — We are a country of high technology with two generations that have cut their teeth on the newest innovations. Babies as young as 3 years old can ace many phones, tablets, and newly developed gadgets with ease. However, all across the nation, these generations are lacking life skills and leadership qualities needed to exist in every day life outside of the virtual world in which they exist. Many do not have leadership, team working ability, or social skills. Many are not physically fit, cannot cook for themselves or even have the knowledge to address the front…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Once one of the top HBCU’s in the country, Knoxville College, has been silenced. The college sets on 22 acres of prime land and has some of the most spectacular views of Knoxville. It is one of the oldest black colleges and was formed in 1875. It was the first African American college in East Tennessee and many of the buildings were built by the first students to attend; many of them former slaves. Over the years there have been many attempts to restore the college and get it reaccredited so that it can…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — It took three packed board meetings to show they meant business and the message that they were going to KEEP coming back, but in the end, the citizens of Knoxville prevailed. Before a packed assembly of over 700 people including state legislature, city council and commissioners and over 20 of clergy in the affected district; the Knox County school board, which had initially planned to totally remove Project Grad and all funds for magnet school programs at Sarah Moore Green and Green Magnet Academy, voted to keep the programs in the budget. This change…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — Fifty years ago the Knoxville Area Urban League opened it’s doors. In the last five decades, many organizations with good intentions to help the African American community have come and gone. Not so KAUL. With a mission to see people thrive, earn, own, and prosper, since 1968 the Urban League, an affiliate of the National Urban League; has consistently and successfully promoted equality and employment opportunities for African Americans. In it’s fifty years, there have only been five directors. Since 2009 the Urban League has been led by Phyllis Y. Nichols. Under her leadership,…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — The Sunday after over 1700 citizens of Knoxville spent two days in front of the school board upset over the planned defunding of Project Grad and magnet schools serving the inner city; citizens from all parts of Knoxville gathered in deep west Knoxville. Many of the concerned came from all parts of Knoxville, some driving over twenty minutes across town, despite a soggy rainy day to unite with a unique plan. Working in partnership with the organization The Knoxville Blue Dots, the citizens filled Ochulas restaurant as they held a post card writing campaign.…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — The maximum occupancy sign outside the large assembly room of the City County Building in Knoxville stated it could hold 613 sitting. That number, along with the hundreds standing on both levels and the 300 standing outside , locked out by the fire Marshall, circling the building, banging on the windows demanding to be able to see into the room meant over 1000 came to protest and be heard during the school board workshop. They were citizens of Knoxville and Knox county , from all walks of life. There were pastors, teachers, parents, children,…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — There were 35 of them. Young African American males ranging in age from 14 to 24. Divided into two groups; all of them there to learn how to respond and what to do during a traffic stop or during other police encounters to stay safe; and, according to Kevin Perry, Community Outreach Manager with the City of Knoxville and Chaplain with the Knoxville Police Department, possibly even save their life. According to Perry, since 2013, Knoxville has been working to equip, train, and develop the young men who go thru the Save our Sons’…
By Vivian Shipe KNOXVILLE, TN — For years Project Grad , a K thru 12 public and private education partnership program in the inner city has held a drawing each year to give a lap top to one male and one female graduating senior. Lori Tucker, tv personality for WATE TV Six and a long time grad supporter had a long time vision to give every grad graduating senior a laptop, a crucial tool for college. The station crew held an all day telethon on Thursday, March 29th and the community responded by raising over 36,000.00 in a ten hour…