- Knoxville’s Old City was nearly as violent as ‘Florence and Normandie’ 90 years ago.
When I was a child, a certain intersection in my hometown was the target of racial epithets from my parents and grandparents. I never understood why. I never bothered to ask, and no one deemed it important enough to explain. More on that in a moment…
Today, that same intersection is the gateway to one of my favorite neighborhoods – a revitalized section of town that boasts great restaurants and a bustling night life on weekends. My extended family celebrated a Christmas meal together there just this past December. We had a wonderful night!
In my childhood years, few whites would dare venture into this neighborhood. And yet, I’ve been told tales of how my grandfather once did – and on a regular basis. Until recently, I had not fully understood the significance.
My grandfather – a jovial, squat man of Anglo and Cherokee descent – carried the nickname “Tojo,” because he resembled the Japanese Prime Minister and General of World War II. The Tojo from East Tennessee was a journeyman electrician and WWII veteran. He was probably considered “poor white trash” in his day, but the PC term might be “Appalachian-American.” I digress.
Rumor has it that Tojo had a black co-worker who owned no car and, thus, carpooled with him every day back in the late 1940’s. As racial tensions flared in the post-war days, it was increasingly dangerous for an African-American to stand on the sidewalk awaiting a ride. So, Tojo’s friend would arrive in the pre-dawn hours and hide in a trash can until he heard the Morse code car horn announcing the all clear.
It’s at this point that I confess that I thought it odd and somewhat sad that a man had to hide in the garbage to protect himself. However, the back story of the KnoxvilleRiot on Central Street and Vine Avenue in 1919 explains a lot. “Florence and Normandie” evokes memories and emotions 20 years removed. I imagine “Central and Vine” had the same effect on our grandparents 30 years after Tennessee National Guardsmen opened fire on citizens who were rioting at that intersection.
I’ve always heard the family tale of Tojo and his friend, but I’d never known about the riot in this same neighborhood which perpetuated
a lot of the fear and mistrust. Maybe history teachers tried to educate me in school, and I paid no attention. Now that I do know, I have a better understanding of the context and motivation on each man’s part.
I believe ignorance on my part and secrecy from prior generations lead to a continuation of fear and hatred between races. It’s no longer good enough to answer the question “why?” with “that’s just the way it is.” I believe every person needs to search for context from history, to take a personal moral inventory, and to resolve to take the lead it comes to reconciling with a neighbor.
To me, a Caucasian, that is the significance of Black History Month. It’s the revealing of truths, however painful and shameful some may be, in order to increase understanding – and hopefully lead to a community where all equally enjoy “the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Tags: Black History Month, Crown and Goose Gastropub, Knoxville, old city, race relations
Blackberry Farm in nearby Walland, TN is known for its superb service and excellent cuisine.
The Food Network recently featured Blackberry Farm Chef John Fleer’s fried chicken recipe. The end result is a drumstick as sweet as candy.
Tags: Blackberry Farm, concierge, Food Network, fried chicken, service, sweet tea, Walland
Save yourself some time and energy to enjoy all of the Spring activities with this Buy One, Get One housecleaning offer. Weekends are too short to spend hours cleaning! We are sure that after you’ve tried our maids’ work, you’ll want them back for more.
All the contact information is over there in the right-hand margin. Please give us a call if you need more information. RSVP before March 2!
Tags: BOGO, gift certificate, house cleaning, Knoxville, maids, special offer, spring, what do you do?
30 new ads…26 minutes of content…all in one convenient place, thanks to NJ.com. Come back in half an hour and tell us what you think.
Me? I thought Mr. Quiggly’s moonwalk across the finish line was an eerie foreshadowing of the winning touchdown. Agree?
Watch Super Ads Here
Tags: commercials, funny stuff, Giants, Super Bowl, TV
We’ve always known the concept of “outsourcing your life would grow gradually in our community. After all, we are native Knoxvillians. No one is more independently DIY-minded than an East Tennessean! (Take that more as a personal confession than
an indictment.)
I am so encouraged to see signs that our service is capturing the attention of a few folks.
Twice this week we have handled projects for home owners who could not personally be at the residence to meet their vendors. Who loves this? The vendor! No rescheduling. No lost resources due to no-shows. No problems with payment or handing off important documents.
Both times, the vendor wanted business cards because they knew “a bunch of people who need [our] service.”
Thanks. I’ll take that endorsement and promise to give fantastic service in return.
Tags: customer service, Knoxville, personal assistant, time saving, what do you do?
Resolution: Always save some time for the important people
What would you say if I told you that you can accomplish everything you want and more this year? You can! You can get everything on your to-do list into the “done” column by embracing one simple concept – you don’t have to do it alone!
Why not give the minutiae to someone else so you can have time to do what’s truly important to you?
Outsource. Delegate.
Figure out what you’re good at doing, and find people who are better than you at handling the other tasks on your list.
When you focus on your core skills, and let others lend their talents and abilities to your day, you really do achieve more through less effort. The end result is an upward spiral of success which can sustain you throughout the whole year…not just until mid-January.
That’s what we mean when we say, “Juggle Less. Live More.”
Tags: concierge, delegate, new year, personal assistant, resolution, work life balance
You’ve probably said it yourself – or know someone who has. I’ve been saying it for months, “I’m gonna write a book someday.”
It came up again in conversation last night at the Slamdot Christmas Party. In case you’re not familiar with Slamdot, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the link to Web Design Knoxville TN Go ahead. We’ll wait here ’til you get back.
So, anywho…I was saying I’m gonna write this book.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I hurt deeply for anyone who is being laid off at this time of year. However, no one seems to shed a tear over the last soldier standing back at the old grindstone. You know the one person who is now challenged with putting out the same amount of productivity as when there were three people working in the department?
I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it, and it continues to happen in almost every sector of business.
Where’s the compassion for the one who’s told, “You should just be happy you still have a job?” In the meantime, this person feels pressured to show up at work regardless of how tired or how sick he/she is. The employee is being stretched to the breaking point, and in some cases, the company’s system is teetering on the brink. What happens when the only person in the business office cannot report to work? Does the company close for the day because of staff shortage?
In the workplace, absenteeism is being replaced with presenteeism. The greatest common factor in presenteeism is the thought that one has no backup support. In presenteeism, the best thing that happens is people show up for work, just like they’re expected to do. The worst thing that happens is they show up sick, infect everyone else, and make errors that are costly to the company.
How about you? Do you feel pressure to skip vacation or sick days because the work load is too great? Are you in a situation where you must do the work of 5 people?
Vent here. I’m gonna need citations for that book someday.
Tags: author, book, presenteeism, Slamdot, work life balance, workplace
If your house is anything like ours, it hasn’t taken too long for the dining room table to become cluttered again. Yes, Thanksgiving was last week. But now there is homework to do, gifts to purchase and wrap, coupons to clip, Christmas cards to address, newspapers, mail, magazines, catalogues…the items stack up quickly!
Keeping clutter off of any flat surface is a challenge, especially one as handy as the dining room or kitchen table. To save your sanity and prevent that feeling of being overwhelmed by ‘stuff,’ try these strategies and more ideas from Unclutterer.
- Process mail at the door. Sort, shred, trash, and recycle before it gets to the table. Set up a processing center wherever mail enters the house.
- Install coat hooks near your main entrance. Hang coats, hats, bags, etc. here so they don’t clutter your table.
- Repurpose your buffet drawers. Why not use this space for items you need every day? Move the silver and china to the attic after Christmas. In their place, put stationery, pens, stamps, scissors…all the things that are left on the table throughout the year.
A little organization goes a long way this time of year. It saves time by not having to search for misplaced items, and it lifts your spirits by maintaining a neat home.
Have a method that works for you? Share it here.
Tags: Christmas, clutter, holidays, home organization, table, tips
…and I feel fine.
We just returned from a trip to the end of the world and back. Cabo San Lucas sits on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. The photo is of the last few rocks that form the Pacific coastline of the North American continent. A couple of centuries ago, this was known as finis terra – “the end of the earth.”
Lesson in merchandising
When I saw it hanging in the window, I knew I had to go in. I wasn’t looking for a woven Mexican poncho with a Miami Dolphins logo sewn into it. What I was looking for was a ball cap to protect my face from the scorching tropical sun. But my eyes and heart were attracted by the familiar aqua and orange NFL emblem. There were several shops I could have chosen, but this one would be it…simply on the merits that the shopkeeper stocked an item that was so amusingly absurd.
All day long, our tour guide had advised us to look for bargains based on the exchange rate. Most stores sell at 12:1 pesos to US dollars. When I saw the price tags were marked at 13:1, I did a little happy dance and bought the ball cap.
… but they had me when I saw the ‘Phins in the window.
Shopping on Black Friday or Small Business Saturday? Come back and share your experiences. We plan to shop small this holiday season, and have already found a great local soapmaker. Many people will get her product in gift baskets through BST this year.
Tags: Black Friday, Carnival, local business, Mexico, shop small, travel, vacation
Congratulations, Knoxville Chamber. I was in Dallas when the good news came out about our Chamber of Commerce claiming the top honors for 2011. I had the good fortune of catching the same flight to TYS as Mike Edwards, President & CEO of the Knoxville Chamber. Mike’s connector flight from LAX brought him through DFW. He was beaming the whole way home. Rightfully so!
The week prior, a trip to NYC gave me another moment of civic pride.
Our group found a great little Italian restaurant in the West Village on a stormy Tuesday night. The maitre d’ accommodated our party of eight immediately. (We were so lucky!) The food was excellent and the prices were very reasonable – for Manhattan.
I had a chance to visit briefly with the maitre d’ after our meal. He asked where I was from.
“Knoxville, Tennessee.”
“Aah! I don’t say this just because you are from there,” he said. “The two friendliest cities in the world are Knoxville and a small town in Greece. I stopped in Knoxville for a weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone was so nice.”
Just let me say, “thanks neighbors.” Keep on being geniune, courteous, generous and hospitable. Maybe, one day, the rest of the country will catch up to you.
Knoxville – my hometown, “that scruffy little city” – is number one.
Tags: attitude, Knoxville, travel
