I’m an East Knoxville guy, raised and began my family across the Holston River 1973 (6 years old ) to 1992. Those years shaped me—East Knoxville runs through my veins. Back then, the spot at 4505 Asheville Highway wasn’t an Event Center; it was a Kroger and a SuperX drug store, cornerstones of my childhood. So, walking into that shiny new venue for tonight’s community meeting felt like stepping into a time machine. The parking lot was overflowing, spilling into the Walgreens across the street, a testament to how much this community still cares.
The evening was moderated by Tanisha Fitzgerald-Baker, Chair of the African American Equity Restoration Task Force. The meeting kicked off with a warm greeting from Council member Gwen McKenzie, followed by Rev. Renee Kesler of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center giving a brief history of Chilhowee Park. Watch it unedited, here. Then Mayor Indya Kincannon took the microphone, laying out the city’s process for the proposed development. Watch it unedited, here. Emerald Youth’s own East Knoxville native spoke next, watch it unedited, here. followed by Dr. Keith Gray and Cynthia Finch. Watch it unedited, here. The room was attentive, but you could feel the tension building. Then came the Q&A, and things got spirited. The elephant in the room? The Tennessee Valley Fair at Chilhowee Park. After the Mayor and Scott Suchomski from the Fair spoke, the discussion grew heated. At some point, Mayor Kincannon just up and left—walked out. Her Deputy Chief, David Brace, stayed until the end, but her exit spoke volumes. Watch it unedited, here. The Public Comment period followed, raw and unfiltered, as East Knoxville let its voice be heard. Watch it unedited, here.
I recorded every minute, and over the next few days, I’ll share insights from the six videos I captured—details you won’t find in the sanitized coverage of the daily paper. Let’s be clear: the local paper is little more than a mouthpiece for the City and Emerald Youth. When city officials refer to reporters by their first names, you know the fix is in. This meeting was called because of a glaring lack of public engagement and cooperation, yet it felt like a done deal from the start. The community showed up, but the process felt like a box-checking exercise.
The tone-deafness was palpable. Emerald Youth boasted about serving 13% of East Knoxville’s kids, claiming their plan would bump that to 30%. That’s not a win; it’s a disconnect. Thirty percent is still a minority—why not aim higher? And then there was the Mayor’s baffling reference to Lonsdale, as if East Knoxville should be grateful for getting what the West side got. Mayor, you weren’t here in the ‘80s and ‘90s. You missed the turf wars, the pride, the divide between East and West. Telling East Knoxville to accept what Lonsdale got is like telling Lonsdale to take what East Knoxville got—neither side would stand for it. It’s not about rivalry anymore; it’s about respect for distinct identities. The brightest idea came from Vivian Shipe of I am the Voice of the Voiceless: let Emerald Youth build their facility on the old Knoxville Police Department property behind the Civic Coliseum, right where Dandridge, MLK Jr. Ave, E. Summit Hill Dr, and E. Hill Ave converge. It’s a practical, central location in the heart of East Knoxville, not some peripheral plot that feels like an afterthought. It’s the kind of idea that shows what real community input looks like—something the City and Emerald seem to have forgotten how to hear.
East Knoxville showed up, voices raised, ready to shape their future. The Mayor’s walkout? That was a message too—one of dismissal. This community deserves better than a pre-scripted plan and a newspaper cheering it on. The fight for East Knoxville’s soul isn’t over. Stay tuned for more from those videos, because the real story isn’t what the daily paper will tell you—it’s what the people are saying.
