Nashville's Jefferson Street Back in the Day - A Black Entertainment Paradise

 Along with Harlem's Apollo Theater, Beale Street in Memphis, the New Orleans French Quarter and Atlanta's Sweet Auburn.... there was Nashville's Jefferson Street.  Click twice on the "play" arrow below:  

President Obama: "What If I Had Done What The Trump MAGA's Had Done"

 

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2026 Riverview Soul Food Gathering: Guess What They Ran Out Of First?

 

Different people, different cultures and different tastes came together for the annual Soul Food Gathering in Kingsport's Riverview neighborhood recently.

"We had people from Erwin and Asheville, North Carolina," says organizer Johnnie Mae Swagerty.  "They came from Johnson City and Bristol, Gate City, Rogersville, Greeneville, even a couple from Morristown.  It's a yearly tradition for them."

And of all the soul food dishes and delectables, guess what got gone first?

One of the New Vision Youth volunteers came up and said, "Johnnie Mae, ain't no more pig's feet.  They all gone."

Yes, you heard correctly.  The pig's feet disappeared first.  Hardly anything left.  

"I said 'pig's feet?'  It used to be chicken, meat loaf or something like that," thought Swagerty.  "Again, he said 'pig feet.  They were all gone in just a few minutes.  I'm wondering chicken, the neck bones, the tenders we had."

"The pig's feet.  First thing gone."

"I checked and when they cleaned their plates, the pig's feet bones had all the meat sucked off of them, right there at the table," laughed Swagerty.  "Everybody broke up when I made the announcement of the most popular item on the menu and what was left of it."  

"I went around going "oink, oink, oink at 'em," says Swagerty.  "It was a funny moment."

 

Quail came in a close second, she says.  "Some folks had never tasted quail meat before.  Again, we also had neckbones, but we took the bones out and made neckbone tenders with potatoes and onions.  They loved that, too.  We also made rice to go along with it.  It was something different."

Another tasty treat was pork cooked with cabbage.  "If you didn't eat pork, we had it with turkey breast instead of pork," she said.  "By the time you mixed in all of the side items, you had a feast you'd never forget.." 

Just over a hundred people stopped by the Riverview Community Room to sample a few items, and gorge themselves on others.  The menu read like the 'who's who' of anybody's barnyard from years ago:

Fried chicken

Ham 

Pig Feet

Meat Loaf

Barbeque Ribs

Neckbone Tenders w/ potatoes

Corn

Potato Salad

Cole Slaw

Sweet & Sour Rice

Soup beans with ham hocks

Turkey/Pork Cabbage

Mac N Cheese

Collard Greens

Green Beans

Gravy

Broccoli Casserole

Carden Salad

Homemade biscuits

Gravy Rolls

Cornbread

Key Lime Pie

Chocolate pie

Coconut pie

Pineapple upside down cake

Banana pudding

Peach cobbler

Fruit cups

Applies

Tea, lemonade & water

"All of our food was cooked and donated by community churches and folks who cooked it all homemade," says Swagerty.  "Various organizations and people spent a lot of time preparing the dishes.  One lady made us four different desserts: banana pudding, peach cobbler, pineapple upside down cake, and chocolate chip cookies.  She's 80 years old with one of the busiest ovens in town."

31 years ago, the Soul Food gathering began with the idea of bringing people together to taste food their ancestors used to enjoy.  Those kinfolk lived off the land and its products.  Every year, the Soul Food Gathering introduces the culinary "Cuisine of the Earth" to new, younger audiences.

"We were only supposed to have the Gathering from 3 PM to 5 PM," Swagerty says, "but people kept stopping by after work, after other engagements, other things they were doing.   "We just kept going until all the food was gone.  If there was anything left, we took it down to the Mission.  It was a tribute to all of the cooks who came together to feed the people."

Sponsors of the annual Soul Food Gathering were the New Vision Youth, South Central Kingsport Community Development, KHRA, Kingsport community churches, Longhorn Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, and Kingsport Parks and Recreation.

Swagerty and the New Vision Youth are also planning a "Soulful Soupful Soup Gathering" for April 25th from 3 PM to 5 PM in the Riverview Community Room on Wheatley Street next to the pickle ball courts.  She says folks can try different soups from cabbage to brocholi... from potato to even fried chicken vegetable soup.  Foods you never suspected would taste good in soup form.

Meanwhile at the Soul Food Gathering, missing on the menu this year were the ever-popular "chitlins," and probably for good reason.  "Nobody wanted to clean 'em," says Swagerty.  "Everybody knows you gotta cull chitlins before you boil them.  Usually that runs all the kids out of the house, but if you can get past that, maybe we'll have 'em next year."

"If we can find somebody that wants to clean them," she laughed.

Can you Identify these Douglass Band Members?

 If you can identify anybody in the following Douglass Band pictures, please let me know so I can put them in touch with the DB Band folks.  I enhanced the pictures to make them a little more in focus.  Let me know who these folks are and perhaps how to contact them, at: douglassriverview@gmail.com  

Click on the pictures to make them larger.

1949

                                                        1956

                                                       1959

                               1965

Rev. Dr. Helen Styles: Happy Birthday Celebration!

 

Dear Family and Friends,

With hearts full of gratitude and joy, we invite you to join us in celebrating a truly remarkable woman of faith, Rev. Dr. Helen Styles, as she marks her 80th Birthday on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

For eight decades, God has blessed her with life, wisdom, grace, and an unwavering commitment to serving His people. Her ministry has been a beacon of light, her prayers a source of strength, and her leadership a testament to God’s faithfulness. As Scripture reminds us, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you” (Numbers 6:24-26). We gather to honor a life that has reflected His glory so beautifully.

This special occasion will be an All White Affair — a symbolic expression of purity, celebration, and thanksgiving for a life dedicated to Christ. We ask that guests wear white as we come together in unity to celebrate her legacy, her impact, and the many lives she has touched.

Attached you will find the official flyer with event details. To RSVP, please visit Helen’s party site at: 

https://helens80th.wixsite.com/helens80th

https://helens80th.wixsite.com/helens80th

Come prepared for an afternoon/evening filled with love, fellowship, joyful reflection, and heartfelt tributes as we honor 80 years of divine purpose.

Let us gather in gratitude to celebrate God’s goodness and to bless a woman who has faithfully poured into so many. We look forward to rejoicing together on this unforgettable day.

 

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. SIMPLY RSVP ON THE SITE 

Charles Gregory (Greg) Hickman remembrance

 

On Sunday evening, March 1, 2026, Charles Gregory Hickman passed away unexpectedly at his residence in Kingsport, Tennessee. He was 65 years old. He was a lawyer, basketball aficionado and an avid Bicyclist.  His bucket list included a visit to every continent in the world.

 

“Greg” leaves behind a legacy defined by academic achievement, devotion to his family and friends, and a lifelong commitment to learning.  He was never married and had no children, but he poured his heart into loving his young nieces and nephews. His life reflected quiet strength, intellectual curiosity, and of course an unwavering love for the people that meant the most to him.  Greg loved Kingsport, Tennessee.

Greg graduated high school in 1978. He was an honor student at Dobyns Bennett High School, having been selected as a National Merit semifinalist in high school.  As a point guard, he was one of the leaders on the Dobyns Bennett High School varsity basketball team for 3 years.  He considered Coach Buck Van Huss and Coach Anthony Eckels as favorite teachers and role models. With the encouragement of Guidance Counselor Virgealia Ellis, Greg pursued a degree in economics at Wake Forest University.  Faced with a serious illness during his junior year, Greg sat out a semester and completed his degree at East Tennessee State University.

After his graduation, Greg obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

Greg put his legal education to good use.  He became a hearing officer for the State of Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. He worked in the Appeal Tribunal Unit for more than 20 years. He served as a Hearing Officer in Chattanooga and Johnson City. Greg was an exceptional employee ”married“ to his work. He received several performance outstanding awards.

 

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Willie Mae Hickman; paternal grandparents, Zack and Annie Hickman; maternal grandparents, Ben and Lucille Swann; uncle, Arthur D. Hickman; aunt, Mildred; uncle Kelsie Davis; and Uncle Bennie Swann.

 

Greg was the youngest of four brothers and is survived by his brother, Varley and his family, Amiri (Donna) Dawn, Amirah Omari, Jamaal, Jamillah, Jalyn, Jayla, Jada, Noah and Journee; his brother Don (Jan) and his family GJ (Melaine) Donovan (Brittany) Brixsey Drew, Canon, Destin, Hanon, Haden, Alane (Alexander); and his brother Jim (Vanessa) and his family Maurice (Tiffany) Trevian, Kaemon and Jamie. He is also survived by his aunt Barbara Greene (Wayne Swann and Rhonda), Deidre Pettus, Sir David Pettus, David Green;  aunt Melva Hickman Cooke Mitchelle (Sabine) Patrick and Alexander Cooke, Kenny (Leidys) Cooke and Christopher Cooke; aunt Marva Swann; uncles Carl and Vernon Swan (Mary Ruth); cousins, Jewell (Percy) Keisha (Aaron)Edmond. Greg had numerous lifelong friends.  Among these are Arthur Bradley”, Jerome Pierce, George Long, Paul Horton, Ronnie Horton, Patrice Ben Abbey, Bryan Smith of Nashville, and Bryan Smith of  Arkansas.

 

The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 8, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the Carter-Trent Funeral Home-Kingsport.  A funeral service will follow at 2:00 pm in the funeral home chapel.

 

A graveside service will be held on Monday, March 9, 2026, at 2:00 pm.  Those wishing to attend are asked to arrive at the cemetery by 1:50 pm.

 

Carter-Trent Funeral Home in Kingsport is serving the Hickman family.

 

“You never lose what you love if you love what you lose”

Phony reports trigger lockdown, arrests at Cora Cox Academy, Kingsport

From the Kingsport Police Department: 

 

On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Cora Cox Academy was placed on lockdown after students reported seeing an individual with a weapon outside the school. 

Police responded and determined the students' statements were fabricated. The students who made the false allegations were taken into custody and charged with False Reporting.

No further information will be released at this time, and, as they are juveniles, the students' identities will not be made available to the public.

Greg Hickman announcement

 

Our hearts are saddened by the passing of Greg Hickman in Riverview.  He passed away recently at his home.

The remembrances are being finalized, but Going Home Services will be Sunday, March 8th, 2026 at the Carter-Trent Funeral Home, 520 Watauga Street, Kingsport, Tn 37660.

According to the funeral home, the Receiving of Friends will be from 1 to 2 PM at the funeral home, with the Going Home Service at 2 PM.

The interment will be on Monday, March 9th, 2026 at Oak Hill Memorial Park, 800 Truxton Drive, Kingsport, TN 37660.  

From the Douglass Alumni, the Sons and Daughters of Douglass, we send our condolences to the Hickman family during this difficult time.