KNOXVILLE, TN — As an advocate for over fifty years, Vivian Shipe has been a voice for the people in many areas. In collaboration with community and business organizations, she helped set up the first safety center for the mentally ill as an alternative to jail, pushed for warming centers for the homeless, spoke against the removal of the book “ROOTS” from Knox County School libraries, and was part of the successful push to stop the sale of public land by the city.
A member of many boards and organizations, Shipe has worked to affect change from her ten-year involvement on the state pre-arrest diversion task force, her seat on the Board of Directors with the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, to her current involvement with the disabled community to continue services when the city chose to completely shut down the disability office in Knoxville back in May.
Shipe has been a public servant all her working years. She retired from the U.S. Postal Service after 35 years, with 25 of those as the Union President of Local 406, the oldest Black-led federal union in the United States, the National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees. Shipe has also served the public for over 15 years through the nonprofit I AM The Voice of the Voiceless, a Christian-based nonprofit of which she is founder and CEO. Over the years, the organization has provided resources for thousands of homeless, mentally ill, aged-out youth and senior citizens. Her organization also collected over seven thousand toys for the children in seven counties in N.C. and Tennessee who were affected by the floods from Hurricane Helene to ensure they would have a Christmas gift. Ready to move to another level of changemaking, Shipe passionately said, “Over half a century I have stood at the podiums in front of our leaders, advocating for the citizens of Knoxville. I would like the opportunity to sit in the seat of decision-making so the citizens of Knoxville will have a voice at the table.”
In addition to her many hats, Shipe is a reporter for the Tennessee Tribune and a writer for AHERN Magazine. She currently is the East Tennessee CHW coordinator for ACTIVATE TN, a statewide health initiative, and is the Project Manager for Tennessee for the Go Places Project, recently leading her team to successfully serve 185 youth ages 18 to 24, who were justice-involved or in need of a second chance; helping them get their diplomas, certifications, into college or trade school, license and voter rights restorations, find employment and receive life skills training.
Running a countywide campaign as the at-large candidate is a huge endeavor, one that Vivian Shipe believes can be successful if everyone gets out and votes during early voting, which ends August 1st, and on election day August 6. Her mantra is “We rise together.”
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