This is one of those rare opportunities to learn of a historic event from someone who was there over 65 years ago! OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (April 25, 2021) – Ernestine Avery was…
Criminalizing the Mountain South: Persistent Inequalities roundtable
Haines Morris Endowment Roundtable is a free virtual event that is open to the public, Wednesday, April 14, 5:30-7:30 pm. Registration required using the link provided below. The Black Lives Matter uprising…
Passion Project, examines Selma to Montgomery Bloody Sunday using modern technology
Auburn University’s Passion Project chronicles the significance of ‘Selma’s Bloody Sunday’ in an effort to; name the brave nameless participants, share the experience of marchers on their way to the bridge and…
UT Residence Halls to be Renamed for two Black Trailblazers
KNOXVILLE, TN (March 2021) – Theotis Robinson didn’t want the admissions office to know he was Black. So after graduating from Knoxville’s Austin High School, he left off the school’s name when…
56th Annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee to be Virtual with Global reach
Free registration is open for the 2021 virtual Historic 56th Annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee. Themed “Beyond the Bridge: People Power, Political Power, Economic Power” is planned to be global, and historic….
Little Known Local Black History: Willie Charles Booker
Oak Ridge, Tn – Willie Charles Booker passed aws on January 22, 2021. He was one of 85 students assigned to be among the first black students to integrate Oak Ridge School…
Knoxville History: AR Wheeler & Son Funeral Home, 1922 – 1940s
A.R. Wheeler & Son funeral home was the largest in East Tennessee, established in 1922 into the 1940s, met its demise through Urban Renewal aka Urban Removal. KNOXVILLE, TN (February 2021)…
‘The Hill’ at Knoxville College, a Historic Vantage Point
By Dr. Franklin Tate, Esquire, ETE contributor, is a Knoxville College graduate and serves on the Board of Trustees. To correspond with Dr. Tate by email, click here. February 1, 2021 KNOXVILLE, TN –…
Washington D.C. built by African slaves, desecrated by white supremicist
COMMENTARY NATIONAL (January 11, 2021) – That this should happen at the Capitol, the People’s House, is a grave desecration of our democracy. Many of us know that the Capitol was built…
HBCU Knoxville College hospital saved thousands during 1920 pandemic
By Dr. Franklin Tate Patricia Williams contributed KNOXVILLE, TN (September 2020) – Exactly 100 years ago, the first worldwide pandemic outbreak– detected two years earlier in 1918 — finally subsided. Tennesseans experienced their share of suffering and death. Knoxville…
KAT Honored Rosa Parks Day with a Reserved Front-row Seat on Every Bus
(December 2020) – This is the first year for Tennesseans to officially commemorate December 1st as Rosa Parks Day. Legislation sponsored by Tennessee Senator Raumesh Akbari and Representative Karen Camper was signed into…
Charlotta Spears Bass, First Black Woman Candidate for Vice President
Charlotta Spears Bass was born on February 14, 1874, in Sumpter, SC; graduated high school in Providence, RI. She was an educator, journalist, newspaper publisher-editor, and political activist. She is the…
America’s longest war over the 9/11 attack: Can it end in a victory?
Nineteen years after the attacks of 9/11, some American veterans of the war in Afghanistan wrestle with the idea that Pres. Trump’s pull-out of U.S. troops was born out of a deal…
Iconic Actor Chadwick Boseman of Black Panther fame gone too soon
The world is reeling from the loss of iconic actor Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday, August 28, after fighting a 4 year battle with colon cancer. Boseman died at home surrounded by…
Natl Urban League: The State of Black America Unmasked
First issued in 1976, the State of Black America® is one of the most highly-anticipated benchmarks and sources for thought leadership around racial equality in America across economics, employment, education, health, housing, criminal…
John Lewis; Feb. 21, 1940- July 17, 2020
One of the “Big Six” leaders of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, John Lewis continued to fight for people’s rights since joining Congress in 1987. NATIONWIDE (July 20, 2020)…
Cup Store Owner Donates to George Floyd’s Memorial Service
Statement from Cup Foods owner Mahmoud Abumayyaleh affirms that George Floyd did not resist arrest and that they tried to stop police from murdering him. Brooklyn Park, MN (May 31, 2020) – “Cup…
Happy Birthday Maya Angelou
OP-ED (The day – April 4, 1968 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died in Memphis was Maya Angelou’s 40th birthday. That intersection was observed recently by social change advocate John Burl…
Knoxville Black Women in History
With the interruption and closures of non-essential businesses Beck Cultural Exchange Center offers this tribute to Knoxville’s Women’s History Month. KNOXVILLE, TN (March 31, 2020) – Women’s History Month is a celebration…
Secret Growth: Contributions of Blacks to the Manhattan Project
OAK RIDGE, TN (March 2020) – The community encouraged to visit a special exhibit “Secret Growth” at the American Museum of Science and Energy. It tells the story of some of the…
Beck Presents: The Art of Delaney
The Art of Delaney: Redeeming, Reconciling & Healing Monday, 6:30 pm, Feb 24. 2020, at The Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. TICKET PRICE: $10 ADULT | $5 STUDENTS (K-12). Tickets are available online…
SSgt. Waverly Woodson: A World War II Unsung Black Hero
The 75th anniversary of World War II’s D-Day was recognized on June 6, 2019. Over 2,000 black soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy on that day. NATION-WIDE (June 2019) – One…
Jack Daniel learned whiskey making from Nearest Green, a slave
The contributions of black people to America’s history across various fields have, over the years, been largely forgotten and this is also evident in the spirits industry. The story of how…
Theotis Robinson Jr. awarded honorary UTK Doctorate
Theotis Robinson, Jr. acknowledged with 2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award and an honorary Doctorate from the School of Social work for over 60-years advocating for social justice. A Volunteer, trailblazer, and an advocate…
Mapped Documentary of American History of Lynching: 1835 to 1964
“Before this website, it was impossible to search the web and find an accurate scope of the history of American lynching. The names have always been kept safe but distant, in old…