Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - Black History Month

AMPLIFYING BLACK VOICES BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2022

Volume 141, Issue 2 utdailybeacon.com

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 @utkdailybeacon

Trey Smith (pictured right) made local Black history by organizing a peaceful march titled ‘March on UT Knoxville’ on Aug. 29, 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement.

See more on page 2.

Nathan Lick / The Daily Beacon

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BLACK HISTORY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 2, 2022

More about the March on UT

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Letter from the Design Editor: Breaking historical patterns

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BELLA HUGHES Design Editor

Black History Month is a time to highlight and honor the activists who worked diligently to secure civil rights for the Black community.

While public figures like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman were spearheads in the fight towards equality, the Black community works towards freedom every day.

Although February is an occasion to recognize the achievements made while celebrating Black culture, Black pride should not start and end in February. The movement towards equity and inclusion is everlasting. Stay educated on how to be a better citizen, a better peer and a better friend.

Being biracial and growing up in Atlanta — a hub for the Civil Rights Movement, while still being in Georgia, a Confederate state — I have seen both sides of the spectrum. I have seen how polarizing race can be in contrast to the harmony created when put together.

Growing up biracial, it is difficult to find your identity in each race, torn between the ignorance I have personally experienced and the ignorant remarks I have made toward my Black peers. I recognize my privilege. Being of mixed race gives a unique lens on life

— knowing when to call someone out on their racism, constantly educating yourself on how to be a bridge between communities and knowing when to minimize your voice to amplify the Black voice.

Throughout this month, The Daily Beacon will publish a series titled “Amplifying Black Voices” to show ways students and public figures are using their voice to enact change.

When I read through past publications of The Daily Beacon in search of Black history, I quickly realized UT put very little effort into reporting on the Civil Rights Movement or the integration of the university. Boycotts, marches and protests were taking place in and around Tennessee, yet UT — and The Daily Beacon — chose to say little to nothing.

It is not a surprise the university and The Daily Beacon chose to stay silent during the Civil Rights Movement. We are in the deep south, but that does not excuse the behavior.

History cannot be rewritten, but historical patterns can be broken in the present.

BELLA HUGHES DESIGN EDITOR

Martin Luther King Jr. held a speech in Knoxville in 1960, and there is little reminiscence due to faulty journalism. Theotis Robinson was the first Black student enrolled in the undergraduate program here at UT. His persistence and courage led him to be a pioneer for Black excellence. His enrollment was a monumental stride for the university and should have been celebrated.

Despite the integration of the school receiving little backlash, UT chose to minimize the importance of this event by staying quite.

It wasn’t until after Robinson’s 14 year career as vice president of Equity and Diversity

that he was honored with an alumni award.

Robinson was not alone when integrating the school. Willie Mae Gillespie was the first Black women to be enrolled in the university. After being disappointed by the lack of archival reports, I was also enraged and humiliated.

It is very difficult for current students of color to build roots for themselves when there are no past examples of past excellence.

UT needs to do a better job of supporting the Black community. The university’s reputation tarnishes the longer they stay silent.

This year’s Black History Month special issue received the least amount of advertising funding. We are reporting about Black excellence, but it is not being financially supported. Knoxville businesses avoided a specific demographic to not have their name associated with Black history. This is an obvious example of how poorly the Black community has been treated for generations.

Whether it be Black women receiving 48 cents to the white man’s dollar or Black neighborhoods being pushed out due to gentrification, the Black community is being underfunded.

Culture is built off of generations, and it is challenging for a current student of color to feel comfortable at the university when there is no positive historical evidence of Black pride. There have been many trailblazers that have broken through adversity and racism to become successful. UT needs to celebrate these individuals the way Peyton Manning is celebrated — constantly and abundantly.

History cannot be rewritten, but historical patterns can be broken in the present. In this issue you will find select organizations on campus and in Knoxville that uplift the voices of the Black community. Tennessee has made improvements in supporting the Black community, but the movement is not done yet.

Take this month to celebrate Black culture and educate yourself on how to be a better ally. Small actions of advocacy and validation will lead to a welcoming campus to uplift Black power.

BLACK HISTORY

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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Letter from the Editors: Committing to telling Black history

SARAH RAINEY Editor-in-Chief

Happy Black History Month!

We are so excited for everyone to experience this special issue. Our entire staff worked hard on these pieces, but we would like to give a special thanks to Bella Hughes, our Design Editor, for her outstanding leadership and creative abilities.

The University of Tennessee has had a student newspaper since 1871. The publication was originally named The Orange and White, and was later changed to The Daily Beacon in 1965. Overall, the number of issues that UT’s student newspaper has published on Black history are few and far between. The newsroom reflects the diversity of UT’s campus and we acknowledge that throughout the years, the Beacon has been a predominantly white organization. Even our archives, which date back to the beginning of our publication, reflect the lack of recognition and record of Black history.

We were very disappointed to find this, but all we can do is work toward a more well-rounded coverage of all people, organizations and events on our campus and in Knoxville.

In this issue, you will find information on locally Black-owned businesses, courses

offered at UT, events to attend, Knoxville’s Black history and more. However, this issue is not all-encompassing and there is always more to be said.

As journalists, it is our duty to record history in the making. What we choose to cover matters, now and in the future.

SARAH RAINEY AND CALEIGH ROZMENOSKI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND MANAGING EDITOR

We do not want Black History Month to be consolidated into this one issue, because Black history is always in the making. Each of our physical editions in February will include a section on Black history.

All in all, we hope that this special issue can shed some light on the incredible trailblazers in and around our community and honor the legacy of those that have and continue to fight for equity.

As journalists, it is our duty to record history in the making. What we choose to cover matters, now and in the future.

CALEIGH ROZMENOSKI Managing Editor

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BLACK HISTORY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Frederick Douglass Day teaches Black history, literature KEENAN THOMAS Senior Staff Writer

The University of Tennessee will celebrate Frederick Douglass Day during the week of Feb. 14.

Since 2018, UT has held events for Frederick Douglass Day, as he proclaimed Feb. 14 to be his birthday due to not knowing its actual date. Lectures, transcribing and cake events are held each year to celebrate Frederick Douglass and Black history. It was held online last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will be a hybrid of in-person and online events this year.

Assistant professor and humanities librarian Shaina Destine talked about what the day of celebration is all about.

“Frederick Douglass Day is a collective action for Black history,” Destine said. “Every year, they focus on a different collection.

This year, we are focusing on the papers of the Colored Conventions Project. Last year, we focused on Mary Church Terrell.”

Associate professor of English Katy Chiles also talked about the day of celebration and what they aim to reach.

“The best way to describe it is to say Frederick Douglass Day is a celebration of Black literary history where we also do a nation-wide transcription project,” Chiles said. “This year, we will be transcribing the records of the Colored Conventions (very important Black political meetings in the nineteenth century), specifically looking at how Black women contributed to this crucial organizing effort. Also, it’s a birthday party for Frederick Douglass, so we will have cake from Mer-Mer’s bakery.”

Events will begin on Feb. 10 with a lecture from 3:30 - 5 p.m. titled “Frederick Douglass and the Politics Trust: Black Organizing, Black Wealth, and the Failure of the Freedman’s Bank.” On Feb. 11, there will be a “Know Your Value/s: Strategies for Success for Scholars of Color’’ Zoom meeting from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Frederick Douglass Day Celebration and Transcribe-a-thon will begin on Feb. 14 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Student Union room 262 and on Zoom. Finally, there will be two “Fixing the Leaky Pipe” lectures on Feb. 16 and 17, focusing on graduate school for Black, Indigenous and people of color

(BIPOC) students.

Information and registration links can be found on the Department of English’s webpage for Frederick Douglass Day. Destine talked about some of these events and what makes the day important, specifically the Transcribe-a-thon.

“Primarily it is a day of collective action solely focused on Black history,” Destine said. “The collective action means that it relies on the crowdsourcing of labor. The activity that is central to the activities is the Transcribe-a-thon. … You don’t need any previous experience or interest to do it – and it’s fun.”

She expanded on the event further, detailing that it connects other institutions and schools to each other during the Transcribe-a-thon through livestreams and social media.

“Volunteers join to transcribe documents from schools and institutions all over the world (they have had folks join from the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and even the Middle East),” Destine said. “It’s fun because people get to learn history and contribute to history through this really fun activity. Also, the history they focus on and feature are primarily from Black women – the demographic that is most often purposely unremembered.”

Black history is important and there’s still so much that we don’t know.

SHAINA DESTINE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, HUMANITIES LIBRARIAN

Junior in English and sociology, Savannah Brown works with Chiles and Destine on the committee for the celebration. She commented on the importance of Frederick Douglass Day and the Transcribe-a-thon.

“Frederick Douglass Day is important because there is so much that you can learn from these events,” Brown said. “Especially during the transcription, we have the ability to learn about a long history of Black history and activism. We have an opportunity to get the community together to celebrate a significant piece of history through the

Birthday cake made for the 200th birthday celebration of Frederick Douglass on Feb. 14, 2018.

File / The Daily Beacon transcriptions, but also through all the presentations that are available.”

Brown started helping with the committee for Frederick Douglass Day after Chiles introduced the celebration to her. She is also involved with other events and organizations on campus. She talked about the impact that helping organize these events has had on her.

“All the work I do on campus is valuable in working towards an inclusive environment for everyone,” Brown said. “Working towards this event and other events have impacted me significantly. It has allowed me to work on many skills like program planning, but also have a part in bringing people together, which is something that I love being able to do.”

The day is mostly about teaching and celebrating Black history to students and faculty, something that Destine hopes people take away from attending the events.

“That Black history is important and there’s still so much that we don’t know,” Destine said.

Chiles talked about how much Destine has added to the celebration this year to guide and teach Black faculty, graduate and undergraduate students at UT. A large aspect of this during this year’s celebration will be the “Fixing the Leaky Pipe” lectures, which Destine hopes people will register for.

“I would love for students especially to register for the Fixing the Leaky Pipe series,” Destine said. “The purpose of the

series is to help students of color in the academic landscape. There is one event for undergraduate students of color who are trying to decide if grad school is for them.

The other event is for graduate students of color who are trying to finish up their degrees and figure out what’s next.”

She talked about the name of the series as well as what she hopes students gain from attending.

“I call it the Fixing the Leaky Pipe series because at every level of academia, we’re losing students and faculty of color because there isn’t enough support for them to be successful,” Destine said. “My hope is that these programs will help students get clarity, make informed decisions and grow their networks to include people at the next level of academia. I want them to cultivate the support that they need.”

Destine, Chiles and Brown hope students and faculty will attend the events and celebrate Frederick Douglass Day with them.

The event is open for everyone, and they encourage everyone to attend.

“I hope that students will just take away new knowledge,” Brown said. “I want students to learn something that they may have not known before. Even if it is something little, it can spark the interest in digging deeper into that content, and finding a passion.”

BLACK HISTORY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 2, 2021

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Black-owned businesses in Knoxville to support all year MADELYN MUSCHEK City News Editor

Check out these restaurants and businesses as a way to support Knoxville’s Black community. Don’t forget to not only support Blackowned businesses during Black History Month, but also all year long.

This list is just meant to highlight a few of the many businesses run by Black Knoxvillians and is by no means a comprehensive list. There are so many more Black-owned businesses and restaurants in Knoxville than just this list provides, each with their own unique products, services and talents.

Jackie’s Dream

Run by Ms. Jackie Griffin herself, Jackie’s Dream opened in 2015. This restaurant features soul food made fresh. On their website, Jackie says that she eliminates cans whenever she can and makes fresh food a priority. Jackie’s Dream is located at 1008 E Woodland Ave.

Oakwood BBQ Oakwood BBQ is a food truck serving up slow-smoked meat like brisket, pulled pork and ribs. They also feature sides like deviled eggs, smoked macaroni and cheese, loaded fries and quesadillas. Oakwood BBQ even has jackfruit sandwiches as a vegan or vegetarian option, a unique twist on BBQ. This food truck frequents Southside Garage and Merchants of Beer, but you can keep up with their Instagram @oakwoodbbqknox and Facebook to find out where they’ll be next.

Gosh Ethiopian Restaurant

Jackie’s Dream serves southern comfort food.

File / The Daily Beacon

At 3609 Sutherland Ave, Gosh Ethiopian Restaurant features traditional Ethiopian dishes, such as Kay Wot, Doro Tibs and Shurro Wot, which are served with Injera, a flatbread to eat it with. Don’t forget to have some Ethiopian coffee, too.

Mer-Mer’s Bakery

The Bottom

If you’re craving something sweet, check out Mer Mer’s Bakery at 617 N. Gay Street. This bakery specializes in pound cakes and specialty cakes but also features freshly baked items such as cupcakes and cookies in-store daily.

Mer Mer’s Bakery also hosts classes, such as their “Buttercream Basics” class, which teaches beginners how to make buttercream.

Fresh Kale Bath and Boutique Located at 7600 Kingston Pike, Suite 1092, Fresh Kale Bath and Boutique features bath and beauty products, as well as clothing and accessories. Their bath products include bath bombs, body lotion and scrubs, and their clothing includes items from different styles and seasons, all on-trend.

Oglewood Avenue Started by Jade Adams, Oglewood Avenue is self-described as a modern houseplant boutique. Located at 3524 North Broadway, Oglewood Avenue provides personalized plant services to help customers pick out the perfect houseplant for their lifestyle and home, and hosts workshops as well.

Interior of The Bottom, a Black cultural center in Knoxville housing a bookstore, coffee and tea room, and much more, on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. File / The Daily Beacon

No list of Black-owned businesses would be complete without the mentioning of The Bottom, a fairly new Black-owned space.

The Bottom is both a nonprofit community center and a Black-affirming bookshop, according to their website. Located at 2340 East Magnolia Ave, The Bottom is a place for Black creatives to foster community and share space in Knoxville.

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BLACK HISTORY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 2, 2022

OPINION: The Race to a Healthy Nation

ERIN GWYDIR Opinions Editor

This may be an opinion piece, but the fact that racial disparity in health still exists is not up for debate. This issue has been the subject of increasing conversation in the light of the now two-year pandemic. The CDC reports that “racial and ethnic minority groups throughout the United States experience higher rates of illness and death across a wide range of health conditions,” contributing to the four year difference in life expectancy between Black and white Americans.

Additionally, African Americans are dying at a higher rate than their white counterparts from COVID-19. The Greenlining Institute recognizes some political causes of the disproportionality, “Redlining and environmental racism, for example, have consigned Black neighborhoods to breathing some of America’s dirtiest air, drinking contaminated water and living in food deserts.” Consequently, Black Americans are subject to higher risks of chronic conditions that factor into the likelihood of living through COVID-19.

Minority groups, specifically the African American community, not only endure lifethreatening physical health inequality but the same occurs with mental health issues as well.

A macabre statistic from the “International journal of environmental research and public health” demonstrates the extensive impact of mental health disparity: “A recent study found that between 1993 and 2012, among children aged 5 to 11 years, the overall suicide rate for this age group was stable, obscuring that while the rate had declined for whites and was stable for Hispanics and other racial groups, it had almost doubled for Blacks.”

These troubling statistics do little to reflect the extent to which racial minorities experience the century-old issue in America of racism, a systematic oppression from the socially constructed “race” in power onto minority

racial groups. Although, we can use the matter of racial inequalities in health to see one way in which the lethal effects of racism are not in the past.

What is health disparity? Science Direct defines health disparity in this context as “a particular type of difference in which groups that have persistently experienced social disadvantage or discrimination systematically experience worse health compared with more advantaged social groups.”

The United States is very unique in its framework for saving the lives of its citizens and keeping them healthy in that your financial circumstance is the biggest indicator on how much necessary care you can receive and the ease in which you can access it. The United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not have universal healthcare, and the number one reason citizens go bankrupt in America is because of healthcare expenses. All to say that staying alive and taking care of yourself is pretty expensive, and unnecessarily at that.

The intentionally racist acts of the 20th century such as housing policies, voter suppression and the criminal justice system have contributed to a systematic monetary oppression as well as impeded action to completely reverse their effects. One example of this is the undesirable housing policies. They not only stripped

many African Americans of the biggest asset of most American citizens — a home that gains value — but this was also the base for lower quality of education from property taxes, limited access to voting centers and, in totality, the gaining of wealth.

The bottom line is that the healthcare industry in America is run by money at every angle, and when minorities are denied monetary equality, that affects their access and care in health. The weight of the subject of discussion in this piece cannot be evaluated and fixed by focusing on the one industry of health because racial discrimination does not start and end in one area of life or another. Racial health disparity is just one extension of America’s racist societal institution and should be a top priority of the nation to dismantle because as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Of all forms of discrimination and inequalities, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.”

STORY CONTINUED ONLINE Read more at utdailybeacon.com Erin Gwydir is a freshman at UT this year studying global studies and political science.

She can be reached at egwydir@vols.utk.edu Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

OPINION: Black Representation in the Media

BEN GOLDBERGER Columnist

On Jan. 6, 2022, we lost one of the most influential Black actors in history when Sydney Poiter breathed his last breath. After losing such a giant figure in film history, we are once again reminded of Poiter’s role in paving the way for people of color in the film industry.

Without Poiter, there wouldn’t be a space for legendary actors such as Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson or media with majority

Black casts such as “Black Panther” or “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” The entire entertainment business is better off because Poiter opened the door and brought more equality and representation to American media.

Yet despite the progress made since Poiter’s debut, we’re still far away from proper representation in our media.

Though the number of Black characters has increased over the years, they usually are manifested in the same sidekick characters that play into popular stereotypes that have been written into American media for decades.

Tropes such as the loud, sassy woman or the angry, hyper-violent man are seen consistently in Black characters in TV shows and films even to this day.

A trope that Spike Lee named “Magical Negro” is one that is seen time and time again in our media. It involves a Black character whose role in the film is solely to aid a white companion in their journey. Whether it’s to win a golf tournament (“Happy Gilmore”) or to become a better, more racially conscious person (“Green Book”), Black characters are often put into movies just to assist the protagonist, usually white.

This trope sneakily reinforces the idea that the Black race is there to serve the whites, a message rooted through centuries of racial

discrimination and hasn’t fully seeped out of American culture. Though it’s often not the producer’s goal to represent this racist ideology, these kind of microaggressions are a big reason why we have yet to escape racial biases and discrimination in our country.

A similar trope for Black characters is the “Black Best Friend,” usually a shallowly fleshed out character who doesn’t have much storyline besides when they’re with the main character. An example of this is Maria Rambone in “Captain Marvel,” a movie often seen as one of the more inclusive ones in the Marvel series.

Rambone is Captain Marvel’s best friend from back when she was Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot, before she gained her powers. Despite this being a fairly recent movie, Rambone’s sole role in the movie is to remind Danvers of who she was before the incident and help her remember where the secret lab is that hides crucial technology.

Tying into the “Magical Negro” trope, this role of being the best friend to a white protagonist was seen in almost every TV show or movie that our generation watched growing up (“High School Musical,” “Victorious” and “Good Luck Charlie”).

We’re starting to see Black protagonists more and more in media between shows like

“Euphoria” and “How to Get Away With Murder,” as well as movies like “Get Out” and “Judas and the Black Messiah.” This is a fantastic step toward a more representative media scene, but many Black characters are still portrayed through harmful tropes with racist undertones. Fortunately, people are becoming more aware of these stereotypical roles and are holding producers accountable for writing them into their movies or shows.

Hopefully, this will lead to the disappearance of such tropes and the creation of more fleshed-out, holistic Black characters instead.

All of this progress and strides to better representation in the media wouldn’t even be possible without the strides made by Sydney Poiter. During this Black History Month, may we honor his legacy and fight for a more equal representation in quality and quantity of Black roles in American media.

Ben Goldberger is a junior at UT this year studying anthropology and political science.

He can be reached at bgoldbe3@vols.utk.edu.

Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

BLACK HISTORY

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

Africana Studies courses offered at UT KYRA BOGDAN Copy Chief

AFST 233 — Major Black Writers For English students, or those who simply enjoy reading and being exposed to new and influential authors, AFST 233 — or ENGL 233 — is a cross-departmental course offered. Whether you wish to fill your general education requirement for “writing emphasis” or you simply need an elective, this class will cover many influential authors and an introduction to Black American literature in literary tradition as well. So keep this course in mind when you’re filling out your schedules for next fall.

AFST 373 — African Religions

Snow covers the ground in front of Ayres on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s campus on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019.

File / The Daily Beacon There are over 50 AFST classes offered here at The University of Tennessee, each one focusing and teaching very different and important topics in the field of Africana Studies (AFST). Whether you are interested because you’re considering taking one for your major or graduation credit or the department has simply piqued your interest and you wish to learn more about the topic, here are just a few of the many courses available for students of all backgrounds.

If none of the courses listed here suit you, feel free to browse all the classes offered in the 2021-2022 course description catalog.

AFST 201 — Introduction to African American Studies Intro to African American Studies is a great class to take if you’re interested in learning more about the subject but aren’t sure where to start. It covers a lot of topics briefly to get you thinking about the kind of class you may want to take next and to simply expose you to the kind of issues the Africana department covers in its many classes.

Some of this subject matter includes the way Black citizens experienced the Civil War period in American history and the institution of enslavement. Also covered are the beginnings of Black culture and the beginnings of protest traditions.

This versatile course is known by many names and counts towards credit from several departments. Whether you call it AFST 373, REST 373 or ANTH 373, the material is the same and just as engaging. “African Religions” will cover Africa’s diverse religious traditions from Christianity and Islam to a few Indigenous religions as well, by diving into each topic’s past and present interactions and the way each has transformed over the years.

AFST 465 — Art and Archaeology of Ancient Africa AFST 465 is for students who have an interest in art or art history. In this course, you will learn about some historical art traditions of sub-Saharan Africa. Some of the topics include prehistoric rock paintings, art found in archaeological sites and ancient kingdoms in Africa. Since the time period of the class spans between the first and second millennia BC, early terracotta sculpture and rock paintings are among some of the more specific examples that can be found in this course material.

AFST 476 — African American Psychology Also known as PSYC 476, “African American Psychology” can also be counted towards psychology requirements. This course will include an introduction to the history of African American psychology — including theories, research and practice of the subject. A major focus will be on the psychological, social and educational realities of Black Americans. If you’re a psychology student, this course is definitely worth checking out.

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BLACK HISTORY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 2, 2022

People, events and institutions that shaped Knoxville’s Black history ABBY ANN RAMSEY Staff Writer

When you think of Knoxville’s history, you might automatically jump to the 1982 World’s Fair that earned the city its “scruffy” label.

Maybe you think of James White who settled here in 1786 and was around for the naming of the city five years later. Or, maybe you turn to one of Knoxville’s prouder moments when Febb Burn wrote a letter to her son convincing him to make the deciding vote that would grant women the right to vote in America.

The parts of history that are more hidden or lesser known, however, are the stories of Black Knoxvillians. Whether they created art, participated in movements or fell victim to hate crimes, Knoxville’s Black population has been an integral part of the city’s history.

The stories of Knoxville’s Black history reveal a city that continually failed to combat racism and attempted to hide its mistakes. At the same time, they reveal a city full of people who fought for rights, created spaces for Black people and showed future generations how to stand up for injustice.

These are just some of the people, events and institutions that shaped Knoxville’s Black history and made the city what it is today.

Cal Johnson (1844-1925) Born into enslavement for Knoxville’s McClung family, Cal Johnson was emancipated after his father’s death and began work delivering bodies of fallen Civil War soldiers to Knoxville’s National Cemetery. Along with his mother and brother, he began purchasing real estate and businesses, acquiring acres of land along State Street. He also profited from horse racing.

Most notably, he owned the Cal Johnson building, renting out space to manufacturers and business owners. According to the Knoxville History Project, the building probably “had a reputation as an incubator for businesses that grew too large to fit in it.” Johnson is known for becoming an incredibly wealthy Black businessman.

Knoxville College (1875) Knoxville College opened in 1875 in the heart of Mechanicsville and today is known as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

Although the status of the school is currently up in the air as it attempts to reopen its doors after losing its accreditation in 1997 and closing in 2015, it was a generator of civil rights activists in Knoxville.

According to the Tennessee Encyclopedia, civil rights protest movements were led by Knoxville College students and teachers. Additionally, Martin Luther King Jr. once gave a commencement speech at Knoxville College.

The institution produced many prominent Black activists, politicians, historians and everything in between. Notable alumni include Bob Booker who was Knoxville’s first Black Tennessee State Representative and who continues to be an authoritative author on Knoxville’s Black history.

The college currently offers online classes, and the president has goals of earning their accreditation back in the next decade.

Afro-American League National Conference (1891) Prior to 1891, a group of civil rights activists organized the Afro-American League in Chicago, and organized 18 chapters across the nation. For their second-ever National Conference, they chose Knoxville as the location.

A few weeks before the convention, Knoxville had passed legislation to segregate railroad cars.

Delegates of the convention included Rev. Joseph C. Price, world-renowned Methodist pastor, William Yardley, famous Knoxville attorney and civil rights activist and James Mason, creator of the first school for deaf AfricanAmerican students.

Also among the list of speakers, but not considered a delegate due to her gender, was journalist and activist Ida B. Wells, who asked the convention for the inclusion of women in the movement.

Beauford (1901-1979) and Joseph Delaney (1904-1991) Beauford and Joseph Delaney were brothers born in Knoxville, renowned for their modernist art that is considered to be an important part of the Harlem Renaissance. They both took their talents to New York City, and Beauford eventually moved to Paris, where he spent his last days.

Beauford is well-known for his relationship with James Baldwin. Both artists were gay, Black men in a time that kept them from being themselves. Baldwin often described Beauford as a mentor and their friendship continued for about four decades.

Knoxville Race Riot (1919) The infamous Red Summer of 1919 involved hate crimes by white supremacists against Black people in dozens of U.S. cities, including Knoxville. When Maurice Mays, a Black politician and former deputy sheriff was arrested for

the murder of a white woman, Bertie Lindsey, white mobs headed toward the Knox County jail to find and kill Mays. Although Mays had been relocated to Chattanooga for safety, the rioters released white prisoners and the jail was demolished.

Shortly after, the National Guard was called in response to Black protests and was later accompanied by white mobs. The mobs destroyed many Black-owned businesses, and the National Guard opened fire, injuring hundreds of citizens. Newspapers reported the death toll at two, but the National Guard said as many as 30-40 people most likely died. Mays received a death sentence.

While Knoxville rarely highlights this story, it is a pivotal part of its history and shows Knoxville’s participation in white supremacy that had a tight grip on the nation.

Agnes Sadler casts a vote for Black women (1919) While much of Black history has been erased or hidden, the stories of Black women are especially unknown. It was not until this past year when a librarian stumbled upon some voting records that Knoxvillians knew of Agnes Sadler, the first Black woman to cast a vote in Knoxville. Terry Caruthers, the librarian, has attempted to highlight Sadler with a children’s book about her entitled, “The Big Day.” “The history books are often silent on the significant role of Black women in suffrage.

When monuments, busts and portraits are unveiled depicting leaders of the struggle, they are excluded,” Caruthers said to Knox News.

“We must unsilence their history, call their names and honor their legacy. ‘The Big Day’ pays homage to that ideal.”

The Clinton Desegregation Crisis aka The Clinton 12 (1956) Like many other southern states, Tennessee was slow to take action after Brown v. Board of Education ruled against school segregation, according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia. It was not until 1956 that the first public school in Tennessee was integrated. On Aug. 26, 1956, Jo Ann Allen Boyce, Bobby Cain, Anna Theresser Caswell, Minnie Ann Dickey, Gail Ann Epps, Ronald Gordon Hayden, William Latham, Alvah Jay McSwain, Maurice Soles, Robert Thacker, Regina Turner and Alfred Williams became the first Black students to enter Clinton High School.

Their first day of classes had few issues, but the next day came with threats, violence and protests led by segregationist John Kasper.

Kasper and his followers received a restraining order which they broke, and Kasper received a one-year jail sentence. Even after that, how-

ever, riots broke out and by Labor Day weekend white segregationists were wreaking havoc, and the National Guard was called in and had to stay through the end of September to maintain order.

Rita Sanders Geier and Theotis Robinson change higher education (1960s)

Rita Sanders Geier (center) cuts a ribbon at the ceremony on Sept. 17, 2021 to officially rename the former Orange Hall in her honor. Sophia Liberatore / The Daily Beacon

More widely known since UT’s Orange and White halls were recently rededicated to them, Geier and Robinson are considered trailblazers in UT’s history. Robinson was the first Black undergraduate student admitted to the university, while Geier’s landmark lawsuit led to the integration of higher education throughout the state of Tennessee.

Orange and White halls were renamed last September to recognize Geier and Robinson’s legacies.

Bijou and Tennessee Theatre Protests (1963) Like most cities across the U.S., Knoxville had consistent protests and sit-ins demanding an end to segregation. Many of these are not well-documented, but some of the more memorable ones happened because the Bijou and Tennessee Theatres in downtown Knoxville did not allow Black citizens to attend events.

On March 23, 1963, the Aurora Newspaper reported that 53 people were arrested after picketing outside the theaters on “charges of disorderly conduct and conspiring to interfere with trade and commerce.” A Knoxville College teacher was also severely injured by who the paper labeled “white non-sympathizers.”

Similar protests continued to occur specifically at these theaters.

Again, this is not an exhaustive list of pivotal moments in Knoxville’s Black history.

For more information, start by exploring the Knoxville History Project, the Tennessee Encyclopedia and the Beck Cultural Exchange Center.

BLACK HISTORY

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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Best films, shows to watch for Black History Month KEENAN THOMAS Senior Staff Writer

As the film industry has grown and making films has become more accessible, representation has become a focal point. Unfortunately, progress has been slow at times, as Black voices seem to get consistently pushed to the side.

During this month celebrating Black history, it’s important to see how history and representation appear in films and entertainment. There have been major game changers recently in superhero films with “Black Panther” and in the horror landscape with Jordan Peele’s debut “Get Out.” Along with these, Black-led films are increasing as more and more Black directors helm projects. This list is here to take a look at some of those films. These are films that either bring forth historical context, provide discussion on topics such as racism, make waves in representation or analyze society in a critical manner, sometimes doing all of these at once.

“One Night in Miami” is a sharply directed film with some outstanding performances from all four leads. It adapts the play well and it’s a clear indication that Regina King could have a fantastic career as a director.

If you’re looking for some more incredible Black female directors, Janicza Bravo is one to watch for, with her debut film “Zola” released last year. There’s also Ava DuVernay, Nia DaCosta and Gina Prince-Bythewood, as well as writer Misha Green, just to name a few.

Keeping with the debut film and historical themes, Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah” is a great introduction into the story of the Black Panther Party, their chairman Fred Hampton and how the FBI worked to destroy it from the inside. It’s a tragic film with some powerhouse lead performances from LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya.

It’s the kind of film that is entertaining and heart wrenching as it dives into the importance of the Black Panther Party and what

they were doing at the time. For historical context, the film acts as a jumping off point for further research as it only portrays a fraction of what the party was doing in America.

Other films in this historical vein are Ava DuVernay’s “Selma,” Spike Lee’s “Malcom X” and Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave.”

Do the Right Thing You can’t go wrong with the classics, and this film is no exception. Set during the hottest day of the summer, Spike Lee’s masterpiece shows how rising tensions on a city block culminate into a larger critique on race and culture above the characters who occupy the story. It’s easily one of the best films ever made and one that is continuously ripe for discussion. And if you have to question why Mookie threw the trash can, you’re watching the movie wrong.

Along with this film, Spike Lee’s other joints are worth seeking out too. As well as “Malcom X,” films like “She’s Gotta Have It,” “Chi-Raq,” “4 Little Girls” and “BlacKkKlansman” are worth watching. His films act as gateways to discussing racism and our society through the lens of film. So do the right thing and watch this movie.

Sorry to Bother You

Moonlight

The final film on this list is another debut, and this one is a doozy. Directed by musician Boots Riley, his directorial debut is a film heavy with critique. It not only provides an excellent breakdown of the fundamentals of capitalism, but the role of Black people within that machine, showing how they strip themselves of their identity in order to become successful. This is contrasted with the independence of artists and the rising of the working class within the film.

Riley’s portrayal of this within his film’s world is incredible, especially when it goes off the rails — in a good way — as the story progresses. Coupled with a top notch lead performance from LaKeith Stanfield, this is a strong film and it makes a strong case for Riley’s future film career. With that said, there isn’t another film quite like this, so it gets a lone standing on this list.

Directing his first feature film after eight years, Barry Jenkins crafted one of the best films of the 2010s. Following a young boy as he becomes a man, “Moonlight” is a beautiful film about growth and understanding, as the main character begins to figure out who he wants to be. It’s a film that discusses sexuality and relationships — and especially how race can play a major role in these.

It is highly acclaimed, winning the 2017 Oscar for “Best Picture,” and it is just excellent all around, specifically in its representation of Black people and the LGBTQ community.

Along with “Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins’ other work is worth watching as well. “If Beale Street Could Talk” is another incredible film, and these two together have cemented Jenkins as one of the best filmmakers working today.

Additional TV series

One Night in Miami…

Already a fantastic actress, Regina King created a stunning directorial debut with her adaptation of Kemp Powers’ play “One Night in Miami…” The film chronicles the night when Cassius Clay — Mohammed Ali — became the heavyweight champion of the world in 1964. He meets with Malcom X, NFL player Jim Brown and musician Sam Cooke at the Hampton House motel to celebrate the win and discuss the Civil Rights Movement, along with their roles during that time.

Judas and the Black Messiah

Photos courtesy of IMDb

The real final entry on this list is a few show recommendations. For some historical representation, Barry Jenkins’ “The Underground Railroad,” Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology series and Marissa Jo Cerar’s “Women of the Movement” civil rights miniseries are great places to start.

In addition, some excellent television shows from the past couple years include Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You” and Donald Glover’s “Atlanta.”

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BLACK HISTORY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 2, 2022

‘Pat didn’t see color, she saw people’: Story of Lady Vols’ first Black player starts with Summitt RILEY THOMAS Staff Writer

The relationship between former Lady Vol Patricia Roberts and Pat Summitt blossomed unlike any other player-coach relationship.

The two ladies formed their bond as teammates playing on the first ever women’s national basketball team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

At the time, Summitt had just finished her second season at the helm of the Lady Vols, and she was starting to lay the foundation for the perennial powerhouse Tennessee was about to become.

Summitt knew she needed to recruit and collect the hardest working individuals possible to help her win at the highest level. When she was introduced to Roberts, Summitt knew she was a star in the making.

“When I first met Pat Summitt, I did not know she was a college coach. I just thought she was a college player,” Roberts said. “It was halfway through the Olympics that I found out that she was actually a head coach at Tennessee.”

Roberts, Summitt and the rest of the national team went on to win the first ever silver medal in the first Olympics in which women’s basketball was an official event.

During the course of the Olympics, Summitt actively recruited Roberts to join the Lady Vols, and she did just that, coming to Rocky Top in the fall of 1976.

From Monroe, Georgia, Roberts had previous experience in college basketball before coming to Knoxville — playing at North Georgia State College (1973-74) and at Emporia State in Kansas (1974-76).

At her previous destinations, Roberts was the only Black player on her squad, and she knew it would be no different at Tennessee. What she did not expect was how she would be received by her teammates.

“Before I transferred to Tennessee, I was the only Black player on my college team,” Roberts said in an interview to The Shadow League. “My Tennessee teammates welcomed me, and they made feel at home. We’re still good friends to this day. Pat didn’t see color, she saw people.

She treated all of the players with the same kind of love and respect. She never made me feel as if I was the only Black player on the team.”

It did not matter to Summitt what her players looked like, she treated everyone the same and pushed everyone to their

Pat Summitt hugs son, Tyler, after winning the D1 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2007. File / The Daily Beacon

limits because she knew what her players had in them.

Roberts was a trailblazer for all Black athletes that would lace up for the Orange and White in the future.

On Nov. 13, 1976, Roberts became the first Black player to suit up for the Lady Vols in the same year the school officially offered intercollegiate sports for women.

In her first ever game versus the University of Kentucky, Roberts cemented her legacy in the record books, scoring the most points in a single game (51) and grabbing the most rebounds in a single game (20). She later broke her own rebounding record, hauling in 24 boards in one game.

Despite her success, Roberts had a challenge being the only Black player on the team, but she continued to stay focused on her goals, “Play ball and graduate.”

“It was a challenge being the only Black player on the team. I didn’t get any backlash or anything from any of my teammates and Pat made sure of that,” Rob-

erts said. “But it was outside the athletic department that a lot of times I was the only Black player in the classroom. It was a challenge, but I had to remember why I was there. I was there to play basketball and finish up my degree.”

In Roberts’ lone season as a Lady Vol, she set 11 records that still stand to this day, as she arguably had the single greatest season in Tennessee women’s basketball history.

Some of those records include the single-season record for most points (987), points averaged in a season (29.9), field goals made in a season (428), rebounds in a season (467) and rebounds averaged in one season (14.2).

At the end of the 1976-77 season, Roberts was selected as an All-American and named the Tennessee Female Athlete of the Year.

Roberts led the Lady Vols to its first ever 20-win season, finishing the year with a 28-5 record, while ranking third in the country in the final AIAW Division I wom-

It was outside the athletic department that a lot of times I was the only Black player in the classroom. It was a challenge, but I had to remember why I was there. I was there to play basketball and finish up my degree.

PATRICIA ROBERTS FORMER LADY VOL

en’s basketball rankings of the season.

Once her career as a Lady Vols concluded, Roberts had a brief stint in the Women’s Professional Basketball League (1978-82), spending time with the Minnesota Fillies and the St. Louis Streak.

To no one’s surprise, Roberts followed in her head coach’s footsteps in becoming a head coach of her own. Roberts had numerous assistant positions before getting her first opportunity as a head coach with the University of Maine.

From day one, Roberts initiated everything she learned from Tennessee and Summitt into her squad.

“There are all kinds of things in my notebook that I used from her,” Roberts said. “I coached my team like how I was coached. They hated me for it, but we won three conference championships at the University of Maine. I expected nothing less than excellence from them like my coach did from me.”

After her time at Maine, Roberts coached for the University of Michigan, the Atlanta Glory in the American Basketball League, Stony Brook University and Agnes Scott College before retiring from coaching in 2016.

To this day, Roberts cherishes her time at Tennessee, especially the bond she created with her head coach.

“The bond we had being on the Olympic team, we made history,” Roberts said.

“This is a bond that can never be broken.

One of the things she said to me when I got to Tennessee is our roles will change.

I’m the coach and you’re a player. I didn’t have a problem making that adjustment because Pat was one of our captains on the Olympic team. Being a captain, she was like a coach.

“She got more out of me as a player than anybody. I played better at the University of Tennessee than I did in the Olympics. She had this uncanny way of seeing things in you better than you did in yourself.”

Roberts played with Summitt, played for Summitt and to cap it off, joined Summitt in the Hall of Fame. Roberts was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June of 2000 — the same year Summitt joined the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Roberts broke down the barrier for Black athletes to play for the Lady Vols.

Roberts is part of the reason why February is celebrated as Black History Month, so everyone can know the story of a hardworking person that faced challenges everyday as a Black woman, overcame adversity and became a renowned athlete for the University of Tennessee.

BLACK HISTORY

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

11 11

Knoxville College, engine of city’s Black history, prepares for comeback DANIEL DASSOW Campus News Editor

When Leonard Adams came to Knoxville College from Detroit in 1988, the first things he noticed about the South were the hills, the heat and the bright red dirt from the historically Black campus in the Mechanicsville neighborhood.

Quickly, the campus became a home for Adams and his several hundred classmates. Faculty members mentored them like an aunt or uncle would and friends became like siblings.

The college, founded in 1875, had already been a powerhouse of Black talent, civil rights activism and an engine of Knoxville’s Black middle class for more than a century.

“If you returned after your first semester, you were pretty much hooked on Knoxville College,” Adams said. “So much that we didn’t even go home for the first summer after our first year. We stayed and went to summer school because it was just a sense of freedom, it was growing up and exploring yourself.”

Now, nearly 30 years after graduating from Knoxville College, Adams, an Atlanta-based CEO and social entrepreneur, is the college’s interim president, with a detailed vision in hand for how the campus will make a triumphant comeback from the decades of setbacks that came after he graduated.

When the college lost its accreditation from The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1997, Adams was initially unsure how devastating the loss would be. Though he and his classmates detected “rumbles” of financial mishandling and questionable leadership as students, many were unaware of what losing accreditation would mean.

If Knoxville College doesn’t return, there will be a total removal of the Black middle class.

LEONARD ADAMS INTERIM PRESIDENT OF KNOXVILLE COLLEGE

“I didn’t know how fast it would handicap the college,” Adams said.

Losing accreditation meant losing the critical oversight of a group that assesses and assures academic quality. But more vitally, it meant losing any chance of receiving govern-

Local Knoxville artist Greg Dorsey freshens up the iconic Knoxville College sign as part of Homecoming 2021 preparations.

Courtesy of the official Facebook page of Knoxville College, @KnoxvilleCollege1875

ment funding at both the federal and state level. This loss is especially severe at historically Black college and universities (HBCUs), where a higher percentage of students rely on financial aid and grants.

From 1997 on, Adams said Knoxville College began admitting an increased number of foreign students, who were more readily able to pay for a degree from the unaccredited college. In 2015, after years of dwindling student populations and leadership changes, Knoxville College closed down campus with an enrollment of only 11 students, leaving boarded-up buildings, but an alumni base ready to step in.

Today, 27 students are working towards their associates degrees online through Knoxville College. Their tuition has been waived through support from alumni. In fall of this year, the number of students is expected to rise to 62.

Adams, who stepped into the role of interim president on Dec. 31, 2020, has another reason to believe the fall will be the beginning of a new chapter for the college. In October, he and other administrators plan to submit an application to regain accreditation. 2022, he said, has been christened “The Year of the Student: Our Road to Accreditation.”

With the college’s finances in better order after his first year in office, a year dedicated to developing strategic partnerships and minimizing debt, Adams feels good about the chances of regaining accreditation in 2023. If Knoxville College does not become accredited again, however, he believes the city will continue to struggle to retain Black talent and leadership.

“If Knoxville College doesn’t return, there will be a total removal of the Black middle class,” Adams said.

In addition to the socioeconomic stakes of the college’s comeback, there are nearly 150

years of Black history contained in the college, years that have become precious to historians and alumni.

Michael Blum, project coordinator for a consulting firm in Greenville, South Carolina, became attached to Knoxville College while writing his dissertation on the civil rights movement in Knoxville for a doctorate in history at the University of Memphis.

Given the outsized role that Black college students played in the national civil rights movement, Blum said that much of Knoxville’s civil rights activism in the 1960s and 1970s was led by students from Knoxville College. These students would conduct sit-ins at the segregated Woolworth’s and Bijou Theatre on Gay Street, then members of the college’s administration would bail them out of jail.

“Knoxville College is a primary player in my research. If you go back and look, there are very few Black students at UT in the 1960s. By very few, I mean 20, 30, 40. So most of the direct action civil rights movement was led by Knoxville students and Knoxville College staff were very supportive, up to the president,” Blum said.

Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the 1960 commencement address to the graduates of Knoxville College. The Aurora, the college’s student newspaper, gave a platform to civil rights events that the Knox News Sentinel and the Knoxville Journal would not cover, such as a visit from Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael. In the 1970s, Knoxville College supplied the oxygen for Knoxville’s Black Power and Black liberation movements.

Blum, after years of using archives of The Aurora for his research, has become the newspaper’s most recent contributor as it makes its own comeback. While he worked on his dissertation, the college was in the process of closing down. But when Blum saw it was reopening and that the interim president was injecting

new life into the school, he offered his help.

“I always felt really grateful for these people at Knoxville College, the students who had been so brave,” Blum said. “So I made a vow to myself that I would pay attention to Knoxville College and if they ever … opened back up, I would volunteer my services to help them.”

Blum said that the future of the college under Adams’s innovative leadership is looking “very, very promising.” Part of the interim president’s leadership style is an unwillingness to allow community partners to abandon Knoxville College without providing a satisfactory explanation.

“You can’t just not support Knoxville College and not tell Knoxville College why you’re not supporting her, because she means too much to this city and this region for you not to support her,” Adams said. “Now you got someone driving the ship that’s saying, you gotta tell me something. I’m not the guy that’s getting ready to go away and let you go another 20 years.”

The plan to restore Knoxville College and get students back onto a bustling campus is about more than providing affordable housing to students, expanding work programs, deepening the college’s partnership with UT or securing financial aid.

Interim President of Knoxville College has made vow to himself to prioritize the institution. Courtesy of Paul Wells/Elkmont Media Adams’s ultimate goal is to reestablish a Black middle class in a city where the Black poverty rate is high, but the population of Black students at the flagship University of Tennessee is disproportionately low. Tied to this goal is the hope of forming the “cultural and economic engines” necessary to build a more vibrant Black community in Knoxville.

“To be around 147 years,” Adams said. “You can’t tell me it’s not worth giving it another shot, you know?”

12

BLACK HISTORY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, Febuary 2, 2022

5 ways to celebrate Black History Month locally AUTUMN HALL Contributor

February, also known as Black History Month, is a time of celebration for people across the globe. This month highlights the accomplishments and endurances of Black people throughout time, from those who were wrongfully stolen and enslaved in the United States, to those of modern day.

There are many ways that you can celebrate Black lives, support local Black artists and learn more about Black History Month right here in Knoxville.

17th Annual Black Issues Conference This year’s Black Issues Conference will feature board certified emergency medicine physician and New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Sampson Davis, with the theme “Black Health Matters: Moving Beyond Awareness to Action.”

This conference is a one day event that allows students, faculty and staff the opportunity to discuss issues impacting the Black community. This year, the conversation will concern the current state of healthcare for African Americans.

This event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 5 in The University of Tennessee’s Student Union. To register, you can visit the Black Issues Conference Page.

Registration for this event will close on Feb. 4., so make sure to go ahead and complete this step if you plan to attend.

Rocky Topics: Natural Hair and Beauty Rocky Topics is a dialogue series hosted in efforts to explore challenging and timely topics. Learn about and celebrate natural hair and beauty with this Rocky Topics session held by the Office of the Dean of Students and the Frieson Black Cultural Center.

This event will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 in Student Union 377A.

Black History Month at Magnolia Avenue United Methodist Church Throughout the month of February, Magnolia Avenue United Methodist Church will host an African American leader from the East Knoxville community who will share his or her thoughts on faith, family and the future of East Knoxville.

These talks will take place at 5 p.m each Sunday in the church at 2700 East Magnolia Avenue.

Douglass Day 2022 Plenary Address Although Frederick Douglass’ exact birth date is unknown, hundreds of thousands of people come together to observe his life, legacy and birthday on Feb. 14 each year.

Join Professor Gabrielle Foreman in her address entitled, “Frederick Douglass and the Politics of Trust: Black Organizing, Black

Wealth and the Failure of the Freedman’s Bank.”

Foreman is a professor of English, African American Studies and History at Pennsylvania State University. Additionally, she is the founding co-director of the Center for Black Digital Research, #DigBlk, and she holds the Paterno Family Chair of Liberal Arts.

See Foreman’s address at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 in Student Union 270 or fill out the Zoom link form to join virtually.

Black and Boujee

On Feb. 17, the Black Musicians Alliance will be hosting the third annual Black and Boujee showcase, celebrating arts and music created by Black artists. Come out and support local artists of the Knoxville community at 8 p.m. in the Natalie Haslam Music Center’s Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall.

There will also be a livestream for those who cannot make it in-person, but would still like to watch the showcase.

Douglass Day Preview 2022: Transcribe-a-thon, discussions KAITLYN PILCHER Contributor

Frederick Douglass, a leader in the abolitionist movement, is celebrated yearly on Feb. 14. Douglass was born into bondage and never knew his birthdate, so he chose to celebrate it every year on Feb. 14.

UT holds various events to commemorate Douglass each time his birthday comes around.

This semester, there are several events to look forward to.

One event entitled, “Collective Actions for Black History: The Principles, Rituals, and Research Agendas of Douglass Day” was held Thursday, Jan. 27 via Zoom by Jim Casey and Denise Burgher, co-directors of Douglass Day. Their conversation included different strategies to use towards creating Black public and digital projects to meet the overwhelming public demand for opportunities to get involved in the preservation and memory of Black history.

Jim Casey, a director of Douglass Day, spoke of the history behind Douglass Day. “Born in 1818, Fredrick Douglass passed away in 1895. Very quickly people began to see the value of honoring his memory and a lifetime of activism. … Douglass Day celebrations

began to create their own kinds of communities and their own memorials,” Casey said.

Furthermore, members of the public and UT students are invited to continue in this celebration of Douglass by attending numerous events throughout Black History Month. Be sure to visit the official UTK English website for information on the following events: Frederick Douglass and the Politics of Trust: Black Organizing, Black Wealth, and the Failure of the Freedman’s Bank (Foreman Plenary); Know Your Value/s: Strategies for Success for Scholars of Color; Frederick Douglass Day Celebration featuring Transcribe-a-thon; Fixing the Leaky Pipe – BIPOC Students, So You Think You Wanna Go To Grad School?; and Fixing the Leaky Pipe – Helping BIPOC Grad Students Finish Up Strong.

The main event being held is the Frederick Douglass Day Celebration and Transcribe-athon on Monday, Feb. 14 from 12-3 p.m. in the Student Union room 262. The details of this event consist of logging on to the official Douglass Day website to help transcribe records from a little-known chapter of African American history called the Colored Conventions.

Additionally, Frederick Douglass and the Politics of Trust: Black Organizing, Black Wealth, and the Failure of the Freedman’s Bank will be held on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 3:30 p.m. in Student Union 270 as literary historian

Students and staff gathered in Hodges Library 253 for a celebration of the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass that included an assortment of food and a Livestream with groups across the country.

File / The Daily Beacon

Gabrielle Foreman revisits the histories of the early Black convention movement and the post-Civil War Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company.

Foreman outlines Douglass’ role in each to show that trust is central to the heart of democracy, financial institutions and citizenship rights across time and race.

For the past few years, the Frederick Douglass Day Committee and UT Libraries have worked together — both in-person and online — to celebrate Black history and Black leaders through readings, discussion, lectures, exhib-

its and performance.

Rare books librarian, Chris Caldwell, who works closely with the Douglass Day committee spoke of his willingness to help with the events.

“We want to do everything we can to connect our community with our Black Collections, and Douglass Day is another wonderful opportunity for us to do that,” Caldwell said.

To learn more about these events, their scheduling and registration links, visit the UT English website and the UT Events Calendar.