KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Safety City has added Knoxville College to its site to honor the Historically Black College and University ahead of its homecoming on Friday, Oct. 22, according to Knoxville police officer and Knoxville College alumnus Shelley Clemons.
Knoxville College is a historically Black liberal arts college founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America to offer education opportunities to freed men and women. Its campus also served as a hub for the students who played significant roles in Knoxville's Civil Rights Movement.
The HBCU faced many hardships throughout its history, lost its accreditation in 1997 and stopped classes altogether in 2015.
However, its board of trustees and alumni have continued to fight for its restoration, and it was able to open up online classes in 2018 and even saw its first graduate in years in 2019.
From Gwen McKenzie and Officer Shelley Clemons: