UrbanKnox Blog

We have a cool piece of history to share with you today! Noah W. Smith started Gleaner Printing Company in 1902 and operated it out of his home on Vine Avenue. He owned this innovative black-owned business for 50 years, serving Knoxville and the surrounding area. We love hearing about…

Hey Young Black Girl! You are a leader with a cause, a mind full of world changing thoughts, and a heart full of love. This is what makes you special.

The oldest Black church in Knoxville, Tennessee, is named after a former slave who became a religious pioneer and a political genius in the South. Andrew Jackson Warner’s name was so well known that he was urged to run for a U.S Congressional seat and run for Governor in the…

Good morning, Black Professional! We just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for being you. Thank you for the work that you do, for the time and energy you put into your craft, and for the way your presence in the workplace makes the rest of us…

In 1973, Magnolia Federal, Knoxville’s first black owned bank opened for business on Magnolia Avenue.

Good morning Black Professional! You are a leader, a boss, an entrepreneur, and a superwoman (or man). You are the person who is going to get it done, no matter what it takes. You’re strong, determined, and ambitious—and you’re not afraid of hard work. And that’s why we want to…