KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Vivian Shipe, a long-time community activist in Knoxville, said the Emerald Youth Foundation has “manipulated” a letter she signed concerning COVID-awareness efforts in 2020 for a current proposal to buy approximately 13 acres of Chilhowee Park.
Shipe said she has never supported the foundation’s proposal to build a multi-use, multi-million-dollar facility in the Midway section of the park. In fact, she has previously said that she was unaware of the plans.
“That one paragraph that says, ‘we support the Emerald Foundation’s inner-city youth … we support this project,’ it’s not all their projects,” Shipe said…