Category: Diversity

Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Daily Life, Diversity, Family, Hugs, Sports, teachers

Role Making Chainbreakers

Written by Lexi Foley

Corey Craddock dribbles at Carver Community Center. Thursday, November 21, 2024. (Photo by: Lexi Foley).

Echoes of squeaky shoes and the clap of a basketball compete with the shouts of Corey Craddock as he stops the game for the tenth time to “dispute a call”—in reality, the aging man just needed a break. His team laughed as they recorded an interview of how he’d been feeling about his game. 

Because these courts are in the middle of a high-crime area, men walk through the doors of Carver Community Center and have their bags and coats checked. A security guard wands down their personnel to make sure no weapons are hidden. Chattanooga’s violent crime rate is 282% higher than the national average. One in 16 residents in Chattanooga is at risk of becoming a victim of violent crime. But despite the precautious entrance to the courts, Craddock found hope hooping with his brothers.

These are the 423 chain breakers. 

Continue reading “Role Making Chainbreakers” →
Animals, Anxiety, art, Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Daily Life, Diversity, Entertainment, Environment, Family, Folklore, Healing, Health, History, Hugs, Love, Music, outdoors, Sports, teachers, Trains

Rising Rock Radio Showcase
Graphic by Kylee Boone

Rising Rock is excited to showcase some of our best audio stories in a continued partnership with Scenic Roots.

Nature vs Nurture

Taryn Brooks sits with Taylor Reed, a member and volunteer of Forest Families of Chattanooga. Reed, along with her daughter, has grown alongside the organization and seen the benefits of nature firsthand.
Continue reading “Rising Rock Radio Showcase” →
Chattanooga, community, Diversity, Healing, Health, History, Love, Prison, Religion

Get Out, Stay Out

Written by Miller Richardson

Mark Casson, Ministry Director, Mission to North America (PCA) at his office desk. Monday, November 20, 2024. (Photo by: Lexi Foley).

From the outside Walker State Prison looks like any other state penitentiary. Brick walls, wire fences, and a hidden location away from the public eye. When driving past it one would never expect it to have the lowest recidivism rate in the state of Georgia. This is the result of Walker State being a faith and character-based prison. By running this prison with values and beliefs rooted in love for one another Georgia has seen incredible results out of Walker State.

Back in 2004, the Georgia Department of Corrections implemented the Faith and Character Based initiative to provide Georgia with a model for positive change. This program runs on a holistic approach and allows inmates to partner with volunteers to strengthen their minds, body, and spirit in a positive way. 

Walker State is the only prison in the state of Georgia that is partnered with a faith and character-based initiative and subsequently the only prison in Georgia with a recidivism rate of less than 2%. 

Continue reading “Get Out, Stay Out” →
Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Diversity, Family, Folklore, History

River Culture

Written by Ava Nessell

Grand glass cases welcome museum-goers to the Museum and Cultural Center at 5ive Points. Tuesday, November 12, 2024. (Photo by Ava Nessell)

Rays of sunlight beam through onto the glass display cases illuminating the relics of history that lay just behind the glass. Laughter echoes down the hallway as members of the Rotary Club of Cleveland catch up before a meeting. It’s just a day at the office for Lucy K. Rhymer, executive director at the Museum and Cultural Center at 5ive Points. 

5ive Points is committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion. As a great cultural center, its goal is to engage young people in art and history. The museum aims to have something for every member of the community regardless of age, gender, or race.

“I would say we try to appeal to all ages of people and in all socioeconomic levels,” Rhymer said. “We don’t want to be just a place for upper class, highly educated people to come and be bougie together.” 

Continue reading “River Culture” →
Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Diversity, Environment, Health, Safety

Dirty Dirt

Written by Connor Spelta

Employees with CMC remediate a lawn. Friday, November 22, 2024. (Photo by Connor Spelta).

An estimated 11,699,100 cubic feet of lead-contaminated soil has sat in the yards, gardens, playgrounds, parks, schools and churches of eight neighborhoods in Chattanooga’s southside for the better part of a century. This is the EPA superfund site in your backyard.  

Jasmin Jeffries, the remedial project manager for the site, explained that five years in, there is still plenty of work to be done. 

“It’s ongoing, Monday through Friday, sometimes Saturday,” Jeffries said.

There is a sense of urgency to the cleanup. Dawn Curley, the health program manager for Hamilton County’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, talks about the effects of elevated blood levels in children and the importance of early intervention. 

Continue reading “Dirty Dirt” →
Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Daily Life, Diversity, donate, Family, History, Philanthropy, Sustainability, Uncategorized, UTC, women

Home Sweet Home

Written by Connor Spelta

Trish King, the Construction Office Manager at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area talks about her experience working with volunteers and homeowners in the local community.

A public park, a mountain view, colorful homes, and bustling construction sites: these are all things you wouldn’t typically expect to see in a community with subsidized housing, but thanks to the work of the city and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, this is the scene at the Villages of Alton Park.

Construction Office Manager Trish King has seen firsthand the effect that they’ve had fostering a community in the neighborhood.

“We are not building one house for one person in isolation,” said King. “It’s that there are people around here who’ve been through the same process, it’s being part of something bigger.”

Continue reading “Home Sweet Home” →
Chattanooga, community, Daily Life, Diversity, Family, Health, outdoors, Sports, teachers

For the Girls

Written by Carter Graham

Ana Garcia (14) rushes past Valerie Huerta (18). Tuesday, October 29, 2024. (Photo by Mia Liu).
Addi Dills receives her senior roses. Tuesday, October 29, 2024. (Photo by Mia Liu).

In the chaos of high school extracurriculars, where the color guard rehearses their routines with large bright flags sweeping back and forth, the marching band walks in unison with the distant sounds of football pads colliding from a practice field. It’s a typical Tuesday night at Heritage High School, and the Girls Varsity Flag Football team is about to kick off.

Led by Junior linebacker and wide receiver, captain Addi Dills’ face is painted with the familiar eye black spectators many see on Saturday or Sunday, reminiscent of Ray Lewis or John Randle. Dills, a three-sport athlete, also plays basketball and runs track. 

Continue reading “For the Girls” →
Chattanooga, community, Daily Life, Diversity, Environment, Family, Health, outdoors, Sports, UTC

Run Nooga Run

Written by Maya Spratley

The Chattanooga Run Club is a group of individuals who value community and welcome new runners with open arms. Drew White speaks with Lucas Gallon, founder of the club, about the club’s impact on the Chattanooga area and the people who attend.

The low patter of footsteps and the occasional labored breath can be heard throughout downtown Chattanooga. A group of strangers gather due to their shared interest in running, but in the process, they gain community. 

Those exploring North Chattanooga early Saturday morning might run into the Chattanooga Run Club.   

The idea that someone actively chooses to push their body in a way that causes their heart to race, blood to pulse, and sweat to drip can seem daunting to some. The Chattanooga Run Club aims to change that perspective on running. According to the club’s founder, Lucas Gallon, the club prides itself on welcoming all speeds and experience levels. 

Continue reading “Run Nooga Run” →
art, Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Daily Life, Diversity, Entertainment, Music, Philanthropy

Rising Culture

Written by Connor Spelta

Alex Newton spoke with Shateria Smith and Shane Morrow about Responsive Initiatives for Social Empowerment (RISE)—a black-led nonprofit organization that has been serving the community with free programming, concerts, and communal events since 2011. They hosted the Levitt BLOC Music Series during the month of September, which consists of free concerts for the public every Sunday.

For the most part, a drive down Taylor Street in East Chattanooga looks like any other street in the city’s poorer river-to-ridge region. The blur of closely packed industrial, commercial and residential lots aging into historic status is interrupted by a sprawling 14,000-square-foot complex adorned with stained glass windows and statues. 

The over 100-year-old building, formerly the Solid Anchor Church, hosts Chattanooga non-profit Responsive Initiatives for Social Empowerment (RISE). The black-led non-profit was started in 2011 by current CEO Shane Morrow and his partner.

Known originally as Jazzanooga, the organization began with a single-day Jazz festival as a part of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga (CFGC). After the initial success of the festival, the organization spun off from CFGC into the independent non-profit it is today.

Continue reading “Rising Culture” →
community, Daily Life, Diversity, outdoors, Uncategorized, women

Motorcycle Missus

Written by L’Nyah Mattress

Alexis McMurtry speaks with Donna Vann, Wild Ones president and founder. The Wild Ones is a women-only Chattanooga-based motorcycle club, that provide a home for wild spirits who enjoy being on two wheels.

Flying down the highway, seven leather jackets fall in line for a monthly ride along. Patched on the front of the jackets are the words, “I am my sister’s keeper.” At the core of the group is Donna Vann, aka Honeybee, the founder and president of Wild Ones. 

The women of Wild Ones, a Chattanooga-based women-only motorcycle riding club, create a space for women and sisterhood in a male dominated pastime. With each approaching second the thunder of engines grow and the painted nail emboldened on the back of their jackets comes into focus.

“The reason it’s called Wild Ones is because my mom used to say I was her wild child,” Donna Vann said.

Continue reading “Motorcycle Missus” →