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Eighth of August Jubilee Celebration

People sitting in lawn chairs on a grassy field watching an outdoor event with white and red tents in the background
A woman in an orange hat seated in a lawn chair looks up and talks to a catering worker at an outdoor community event
A man speaking into a microphone while seated behind a sound mixing board on an outdoor stage with trees in the background
Group of senior citizens sitting in lawn chairs outdoors, talking and relaxing during a community event
Five people sitting in lawn chairs on a grassy field with a backdrop of dense trees
Five diverse individuals smiling outdoors behind a table of books, with one man wearing a Morristown College t-shirt
People gather at a Morristown College reunion information booth under a red tent during an outdoor event
A smiling woman sits on a mobility scooter wearing a Tennessee Emancipation Day August 8th 1863 graphic t-shirt
A smiling woman in a Morristown College Legacy t-shirt wears a neck fan and sunglasses on her hat at an outdoor event
An older woman holds up a black t-shirt reading Tennessee Emancipation Day, August 8th, 1863
A smiling woman with dark curly hair and sunglasses sits in a red chair under a blue canopy tent at an outdoor event
A smiling woman and two young girls stand behind a wooden display tray of wrapped mini loaves at an outdoor market
A vendor booth for Tennessee Roots Designs featuring popcorn and cotton candy for sale under a white tent in a park
A smiling woman stands at a vendor booth for Nik’s Pretty n Sweet Treats, displaying baked goods outdoors
Task Force on Diversity sign for Morristown, TN, featuring a colorful ring of hands surrounding a building illustration
White Twinz Main Squeeze food trailer and a colorful Philly Water Ice flag standing on grass near a wooded area
People waiting at the service window of a blue food truck named The Pita Pocket selling gyros, burgers, and fries
A woman in a white shirt and blue gloves serves a tray of food from a buffet line under a green tent
A group of adults and a child sit at an outdoor picnic table with drinks and snacks under a shaded structure
Two police officers in uniform stand under a tent canopy, interacting with community members at an outdoor event
A woman in a white hoodie stands in line at an outdoor catering table being served by a worker in a gray Sloan's Catering shirt
A smiling woman in a white t-shirt and sunglasses uses a smartphone while wearing blue latex gloves at an outdoor event
Two people smiling while holding a prepared plate of food including fried chicken, green beans, and macaroni and cheese
A man in blue gloves serves food from buffet trays to people gathered at an outdoor community event in a park
A smiling police officer in sunglasses sits on a park bench during an outdoor community event with white tents
A man in all white and sunglasses sings into a microphone while playing a Roland keyboard on an outdoor stage
A drummer and a guitarist perform on an outdoor stage with trees in the background
A man in a pink suit and white hat dances on a lawn in front of a seated audience and a stage with large speakers
A man in a pink suit and white newsboy cap dances outdoors while holding a microphone
Band in matching pink suits and white hats performing on an outdoor stage surrounded by lush green trees
A man in a pink suit, white t-shirt, and white cap dances on grass while holding a microphone at an outdoor event
Smiling man in a pink suit and white hat clapping on an outdoor stage during a performance
A curly-haired singer in a pink vest and trousers performs into a microphone on an outdoor stage
Three men in matching pink vests and white hats perform a dance routine on an outdoor stage with a live band
Smiling man in a white t-shirt and baseball cap playing a blue bass guitar on an outdoor stage
A man in a pink vest and white cap sings on an outdoor stage with a drummer and bassist in the background
Four smiling senior Black women wearing sunglasses relax outdoors in folding chairs near parked cars on a grassy field
A large silver bell with an inscription about its 1922 restoration, mounted in a black metal frame outdoors
Event flyer for the Eighth of August Jubilee Celebration featuring performances by The Tams, Billy Crawford, Stan the Man, and Tanika Walthall, along with soul food. Date and time: August 8, 2026, from 2-7 PM at Fulton-Hill Park New Pavilion. QR code included for sponsorship.

Please Help Sponsor this Event:

Freedom Torchbearer – $5000

As a Freedom Torchbearer, you serve as the leading light for our celebration. Your support ensures the “torch” of history continues to burn brightly, illuminating the path for future generations.

Jubilee Champion – $3000

The Jubilee Champion celebrates the spirit of collective joy. Champions are the engine behind our festival’s celebration of culture and the ongoing legacy of the August 8th emancipation.

Legacy Partner – $1000

A Legacy Partner is someone committed to the long-term preservation of our history, focusing on the historical and educational roots of the celebration. Your partnership demonstrates a profound respect for the stories of those who came before us and a commitment to keeping those stories alive.

Community Catalyst – $ Choose Your Amount

Community Catalysts provide the vital spark that brings our community together. This level is designed for businesses and individuals who want to fuel grassroots participation. Your sponsorship helps provide the resources needed for local vendors, youth activities, and volunteer coordination.

Sponsorship Payment Link

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Men of Vision

A man in a blue checkered blazer sits on a television set, discussing a segment titled "Men of Vision."

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Unity in the Community

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Diversity In Morristown

The ethnic basis of Morristown, the county seat of Hamblen County, is that 80% of our population traces its heritage to Europe, primarily Scotland, Ireland and England. 16% of our population is Spanish-speaking with origins in the Southern Hemisphere. 4% of the population counts its heritage as primarily African-American.

Interestingly, one hundred forty years ago, Hamblen County had a significant number of free, black landowners. And, our community remembers with both nostalgia and some pride, those years when Morristown College, a historic and important black college, was vibrant and active. The college was founded in 1881 by the national Freedman’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The school was renamed Knoxville College-Morristown in 1989 and closed in 1994.

A cooperative plan by the city and developers is in the works to convert Judson’s Hill, the old Morristown College campus, into a combined use area for different kinds of housing, shops and a community center. The plan is to find ways of preserving and incorporating  the heritage of Morristown College into the plan.

All of this is to say that relationships between all people of color and white residents in Hamblen County have been complex. Black residents of Morristown knew and experienced the same prejudice and denial of civil rights that is part of our nation’s history. At the same time, planted in this region, was both a lifestyle and an institution that created opportunity and trained its students for success and position in the larger society. It was, quite literally, a light shining from a hill – Judson’s Hill.

The rapid growth of the Spanish-speaking population in Hamblen County has brought some of the same incorporation issues that can be found in other parts of the country. Likewise, our community is enriched and broadened in learning about the different cultural features of one another.

The economic bases of our community until the late 1940’s were twofold. They were farming (especially tobacco growing) and small, family-owned businesses. Light industrial manufacturing began to arrive after WWII.

The greatest growth happened in the 1970’s and 1980’s as international businesses began establishing manufacturing plants here. Now, seventeen different countries are represented in our industrial base.  When one goes to the grocery store, one hears different languages and sees products from around the world. Our health system is populated by professionals who come from around the world.

With such a significant portion of our population having roots outside our community, it would be easy to assume that there are few issues of inclusion in our community. But as elsewhere, there are faces and voices that are not heard often in governance, leadership or decision making.  As elsewhere, there are some who can celebrate the differences in people and others who cannot.

We believe that recognizing the culture and differences of our people creates a mechanism for greater understanding and appreciation.  Finding ways to gather and learn about others lowers the level of fear and suspicion and adds both depth and breadth to our community.

Sometimes, confrontation about issues related to intolerance is essential. However, we believe that in the longer term, celebrating our gifts, our histories, our experiences and our cultures opens pathways to long-lasting cooperation and the kind of deep respect that benefit all.

So…this Task Force is composed of a group of people who see building relationships, cultural awareness and diversity as adding value and strength to our community.  We are a stronger, fairer, more cooperative and healthier community when we can work and play and learn together.