By Vivian Shipe
KNOXVILLE, TN — As the history books are being written about the pandemic of 2020 and the recovery years that followed, many who made a difference will be written up in those pages of history. In Knoxville, these women have made an impact in the midst of a storm that has taken over 500,000 lives across the country. That number, thanks to the efforts of these leaders, is much lower in
New Directions Executive Director
Knoxville than it could have been.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we highlight five of Knoxville’s finest, Barbara Kelley, Vice Mayor Gwen McKenzie, Keira Wyatt, Cynthia Finch, and Martha Buchanan.
No one has worked harder to protect the elderly under their watch like Barbara Kelly, Executive Director of Knoxville’s CAC Office on Aging. When she had to shut down the centers that service
those most likely to be affected by the virus, Kelly revamped her services and used Zoom meetings to keep in touch with the elderly now isolated, found ways to feed them and keep them encouraged and most recently has issued a directive to open up the grounds of the O’Conner Center to be used as a drive thru to vaccinate 1,500 people on April 3.
Vice Mayor Gwen McKenzie, who has already made history twice by being the first African American to serve as vice mayor in the history of Knoxville and for leading the historic charge for $100 million to be spent in the Black community over the next ten years to restore the losses caused by urban removal, has been in the field every Thursday leading the Faith Leaders Initiative which has saved hundreds of lives. The initiative prevented many deaths as Black churches did not rush back into their buildings due to knowledge gained thru the weekly meetings which have been every Thursday since May. McKenzie, who cofounded the initiative can now be found at the vaccine clinics now being held every Wednesday in the Black communities.
Keira Wyatt, founder and executive director of C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries has fed not only the poor and connected people to resources for the last 15 years, her organization has fed and been one of the main sponsors for all the vaccine clinics which a major operations requiring 60 to 100 volunteers weekly. She too can be found at the vaccine sites every week overseeing the works in the background, ensuring all is running decently and in order.
“Cynthia’s List,” as the Faith Leaders Shot List is now known, was the God-given directive that Cynthia Finch, founder and executive director of New Directions Health Care Solutions, was given. In May of 2020, when she learned of the Governor’s order that churches could reopen, in her spirit, she knew, it was too soon. Finch knew the African American community would die and she went to Vice MAyor Gwen McKenzie and they started meeting every Thursday
with the African American Faith leaders; thus was born the Faith Leaders Initiative. The group, which has now grown to over 100 with participants from all over the state and the country, began meeting in May of 2020 and continues to this day.
The “list” that Finch developed has names of African Americans eligible for the shot which she partners and shares with the health department, area pharmacies, and hospitals to ensure
EVERY vaccine event held includes people of color. To date, over 1,400 shots and thousands of COVID-19 test have been given under her watch.
Steadfast, unmovable, and faithful under fire best describes Martha Buchanan, Director, Knox County Health Department. Not only has she had to continue to monitor and direct the movements of Knox County during the pandemic, she has also held the ship steady as the public and government entities fought to open the businesses and over who should make those decisions. Buchanan has stood flat footed and calmly, with daily news briefings, has led Knox County thru each wave the pandemic has thrown at her.
The efforts of these leaders have saved lives. They are history makers indeed.