The Knoxville Chapter of The Links, Incorporated celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The Golden Celebration “50 Years Past – 50 Years Forward” virtual program was held via Zoom, celebrating 50 years of friendship and service. The Chapter was chartered on November 14, 1970 by 17 Knoxville area women. At the celebration, surviving charter members Erma Ross of Knoxville and Alma Moore of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida were honored. Special guests included adult children of the 17 charter members.
The Knoxville Chapter of The Links, Incorporated currently has 26 members who proudly continue the legacy of service and friendship that the 17 charter members first began five decades ago.
The current President of The Knoxville Chapter is Jan E. Brown. Other members are Twuanna Munroe Ward, Sandra Cannon, Beverly Sligh, Yvonne Dias-Bowie, Yolanda Childs, Ursula Bailey, Brenda Anderson, Rhonda Arrington, Jacqueline Bridgeman, Evelyne Davidson, Gloria Deathridge, Brittany Gardner, Donna Harper, Leslye Hartsell, Annazette Houston, Jan Houston Hickman, Staci Jackson, Nickola Jefferson, Tanisha Jenkins, Leonia Johnson, Wanda Jones, Sylvia Peters, Avice Evans Reid, Jonida Robinson and Cecilia Whittington.
The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit organization, established in 1946. The membership consists of more than 16,000 professional women of African descent in 296 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Colombia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. Links members contribute more than one million documented hours of community service annually – strengthening their communities and enhancing the nation.