Morris Day and The Time performing for the Urban League at the Knoxville Convention Center.
One of the best parties of the year is the Knoxville Area Urban League’s Equal Opportunity Awards Gala. Held the fourth Thursday of every October, it combines a serious mission — giving out the prestigious awards — with a heaping helping of pure fun.
Dancing always is a big part of this event and this year was no exception. Morris Day, an artist known both for his work with Prince as a bandmate in the early 1980s and as lead singer in his own band, The Time, rocked the Knoxville Convention Center crowd.
His best known songs, “Jungle Love” and “The Bird” turned the whole room into a dance floor.
But this came after the serious part of the evening when iconic civil rights figure Rita Geier received the Whitney M. Young Jr., Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1968, Geier was teaching part-time at Tennessee State University in Nashville, and the University of Tennessee announced that it was opening a new campus in downtown Nashville. Geier recognized that, while the schools were legally integrated, this development would cause a social segregation with white students attending the University of Tennessee-Nashville and black students attending Tennessee State University. She also was concerned about the state’s financial investment in UT compared to that of TSU.
Morris Day in Knoxville.
With the help of the late George Barrett, a Nashville labor lawyer and civil rights crusader, Geier developed a legal theory under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that said the state not only had an obligation to end de jure segregation, but also had to eliminate de facto segregation, Barrett filed suit to stop the new construction with Geier as the plaintiff.
The litigation lasted 38 years in court under the tenure of seven governors and two federal judges. It reshaped Tennessee’s university system and set a benchmark for higher education reform across the South.
Ultimately, Geier won. The case was settled in 2001 with a consent decree calling for $23 million in campus renovations for TSU, a host of new academic and programming offerings, increased efforts to recruit underrepresented students and faculty at schools across the state and dozens of other provisions designed to promote parity among institutions.
The Whitney M. Young Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious of all Urban League awards and is not presented every year. It is named in honor the the fourth executive director of the National Urban League who served from 1961 to 1971.
Past winners include Dr. Harold A. Middlebrook Sr. in 2013; Love Kitchen sisters Helen Ashe and Ellen Turner in 2011; and author, historian and former legislator Robert Booker in 2008.
The annual gala is a major fundraiser for the Knoxville Area Urban League and honors community members who have made significant impacts. Other award winners at this year’s event were:
- Volunteer of the Year — Nicholas Jones
- Minority Business — Marc Nelson Denim
- Corporate Leadership — Pinnacle Financial Services
The Knoxville Area Urban League, founded in 1968 and an affiliate of the National Urban League, promotes equal opportunities for African Americans and disadvantaged others. There are more than 100 affiliates of the National Urban League in 35 states and the District of Columbia providing direct services to more than 2 million people nationwide through programs, advocacy and research.
Now let’s look at that party!
From right, Tom Catani, an Urban League Board member whose company, U.S. Cellular, sponsored the VIP reception before the party; Rita Geier, the lifetime achievement award winner; Phyllis Nichols, president and CEO of the Knoxville Area Urban League; and me, chairman of the Urban League’s board. (I hate to have my picture taken, by the way!) Photo by Neil Crosby.
Scott Bird, vice president of marketing for Moxley Carmichael, and Debby Saraceni, vice president of marketing and physician services for Covenant Health, at the reception prior to the event.
From left, Urban League board members Al Pirie, Orlando Diaz and Rosa Mar with Mary Fran Darwin at the reception.
Tom Catani and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero at the reception.
Black-eyed pea hummus on pita rounds was one of the yummy passed appetizers during the reception.
Benton’s Southern prosciutto on cornbread was another.
The colors of the night were muted bronzes. The styling was by Whimsical Gatherings, which did an amazing job.
Here’s a table centerpiece.
Interestingly, a lot of guests also chose that color palette. It must be the “in” color this year. Here are Terry and Thomas “Tank” Strickland at one of the Moxley Carmichael tables.
Rock Saraceni, left, and Congressman Jimmy Duncan were at our fun table, as well.
Lynn Duncan, left, with Debby Saraceni.
From left, state Rep. Joe Armstrong, Mayor Madeline Rogero and Urban League board member Gwen McKenzie. (It was Gwen’s birthday that night!)
We were delighted that Juanita Cannon was at one of the Moxley Carmichael tables. Here she is surrounded by, from left, Tank Strickland, County Commissioner Sam McKenzie and Alan Carmichael.
Former mayor Dan Brown, now a City Council member, and his wife, Cathy, joined us, too.
Natalie Lester of Moxley Carmichael with her fiance, Chase Bailey.
Of Moxley Carmichael, from left, Charley Sexton, John McCulley and Maria Cornelius.
Over at the Priority Ambulance table were CEO Bryan Gibson and Amanda Shell Jennings of Moxley Carmichael. She handles the Priority account.
Here’s Bryan with state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey.
Knoxville’s deputy mayor, Bill Lyons, and his wife, Gay, were at that table, too.
Moxley Carmichael’s Lauren Miller and her husband, John.
Hannah Parker and Scott Bird, both of Moxley Carmichael, were having a good time.
Food time! A little dab of red meat to keep up our strength!
Alan’s favorite course: dessert. This was the salted caramel vanilla crunch cake.
Black tie decadent chocolate cake.
Phyllis and Jim Nichols getting ready for the show!
Morris Day and The Time!
He put on a great show.
Everyone rushed the stage.
And soon, he had audience members join him.
Including the mayor!
Some were content to dance in place. Here are Leslye and Brian Hartsell.
Mary Bogert, left, general manager of the Knoxville Convention Center, and Angie Wilson of Visit Knoxville.
Natalie Lester, left, and Hannah Parker.
Shaun Fulco and Charley Sexton, both of Moxley Carmichael.
It was great seeing Hallerin Hilton Hill and his wife, Nedra, there. Hallerin was the evening’s emcee.
Knox County Schools Superintendent James McIntyre is an Urban League board member. He’s in this photo with Erin Donovan of Visit Knoxville.
Here’s that color palette again: Kristin Grove of Johnson Architecture and my hubby, Alan.
Laurens and Polly Ailor Tullock.
Annette Brun and Crystal Washington, both of Scripps Networks Interactive.
Christi and Scott Branscom. Christi is another deputy mayor of Knoxville. Scott’s with Grace Construction. (More of that bronzy color.)
Michael Rogers and Tasha Blakney.
Tiffany and Patrick Powell.
LeRoy and Nikitia Thompson.
All in all, an awesome good time for a great cause.
Can’t wait for next year! Right, Shaun and Natalie?
This event is always so much fun! I loved the color theme this year. Very elegant. The entertainment was top notch as well. What time is it? Ha! I’m not sure how they will top it next year, but they always manage to do so. Thanks for including us.
Hey, Shaun: The MoxCar gang always adds a festive touch to any occasion! So glad so many of our team could be there.
This was such a blast! I had the best TIME 🙂 Thanks for letting us be a part.
Thanks for inviting us to join your gang. Even if I wore the wrong color palette…we had a blast. As always, it was a great event from start to finish. Festive, fun, good food, & music that had me on my feet from the start.
Thanks Cynthia for allowing us to see the Gala through the eyes of guests. Our goal is to host a great event AND fundraiser. It appears we hit the mark. At least the ones as shown on the Blue Streak! We love the Mox-Car team!
John: Thanks for coming! I like an evening that combines a serious message with a good dose of fun. It meant a lot to me to have our team there.
Gay: Thanks for joining us! As far as I’m concerned, black is always the right color palette. The bronze folks were the accents! They needed us so they would stand out!
Phyllis: Great job as usual. It was a fun, fun time. So wonderful to honor Rita that way, too.
Gr8 post that reinforces what I already knew: Knoxvillians do clean up! You ALL look great! And thanks for showing what you ate — I’d have a hard time choosing which dessert!
Thanks, Rusha! Alan had a solution to the dessert dilemma: he ate them both!
NEVER let it be said that Moxley Carmichael folks don’t know how to have a blast. This was my second gala – the Knoxville Area Urban League puts on a great show AND does outstanding work.
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