Tennessee RiverLine Announces 2022 DEI Grant Awardees
Awardees Prioritize Underserved Communities, Democratize Access to River Spaces
The Tennessee RiverLine is proud to announce our 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Community Impact Grant recipients! Made possible through the generous support of our principal partners, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, grant funds to these three Tennessee RiverTowns communities will support initiatives that foster inclusive engagement with the Tennessee River landscape, enable diverse participation in Tennessee River experiences and establish pride and ownership of river spaces by historically underserved populations.
“Many residents of our diverse Tennessee River communities enjoy interacting with the river through paddling, hiking and other activities, but some who call the Tennessee River Valley home face barriers to experiencing the river in these rich and inspiring ways,” said Brad Collett, Tennessee RiverLine director and associate professor in UT’s Herbert College of Agriculture and College of Architecture and Design. “Some may feel unable to participate in river experiences or unwelcome in river spaces due to a range of socio-economic, cultural and physical factors. In partnership with TVA and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and as an extension of our shared missions, we have developed the Tennessee RiverLine DEI Community Impact Grant program to help overcome barriers to access and establish the Tennessee RiverLine as an inclusive and welcoming space for all.”
Tennessee River communities are the beating heart of the Tennessee RiverLine. Inspired by our vision to uplift community leaders and empower progress, the Tennessee RiverLine has awarded 2022 DEI Community Impact Grants to the communities of Clifton, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and The Shoals, Alabama.
Clifton, Tennessee: A Beginner Kayak Fleet to Support Specialized Paddling Events
With funding from Tennessee RiverLine’s 2022 DEI grant program, the city of Clifton will partner with the Wayne County Joint Economic and Community Development Board (JECDB), Buffalo River Services, Hollis Academy, Wayne County Assisted Living and the Wayne County Board of Education to expose underserved youth to outdoor recreation opportunities as well as host specialized paddling events for youth and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities.
“The city of Clifton has a rather large population of individuals who are not afforded the outdoor recreational opportunities available to the general population,” said Rena Purdy, Executive Director for the Wayne County JECDB.
Funds from the Tennessee RiverLine 2022 DEI Community Impact Grant will enable Clifton to purchase a beginner kayak fleet this spring - the seventh Tennessee RiverLine fleet to date, complementing those awarded to Tennessee RiverTowns pilot communities in 2021. The fully equipped fleet will enable the Clifton community to host four paddling events throughout 2022 for youth and adults who would otherwise lack access to outdoor water recreation activities.
“Once we become educated on how to provide a safe and enjoyable river experience for all individuals, we can expand our offerings regionally, grow the fleet, and most importantly, engage more families,” stated Purdy. “We envision Clifton as being a host community for individualized attention to others in need.”
Paducah, Kentucky: Free Beginner Swim Lessons to Youth and Adults in Communities of Color
In Paducah and McCracken County, Kentucky, Tennessee RiverLine 2022 DEI grant funds will be used to provide free beginner swim lessons for 30 youth and adults at Noble Park from June to August 2022. Paducah’s River Discovery Center will partner with the Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club, the Paducah-McCracken County NAACP, and the West Kentucky Community and Technical College to provide the lessons. The Paducah Parks and Recreation Department will coordinate logistics and facilitate the sessions.
“The stereotype that Black people do not swim has been ingrained in our society for generations, and rooted in Jim Crow-era laws that disenfranchised Black people and enforced racial segregation in all public facilities including bathrooms, drinking fountains, public transport, and swimming pools,” stated Katie Axt, Paducah/McCracken County Tennessee RiverTowns local leadership team member. “As a result, access to pools, swim skill development, and water safety resources are barriers for getting people on the Tennessee River and participating in water recreation.”
In 2019, the USA Swimming Foundation found that 64% of Black children have “no or low swimming ability,” compared with 40% of white children. In the same study, 76% of parents reported that their children would be more interested in taking up swimming if they saw a talented swimmer that looked like them.
“Our project will enable future success in building and sustaining Tennessee RiverLine programming in Paducah and McCracken County by reducing a barrier to participation,” said Axt. “We are enthusiastic about the future and how we will continue to develop and expand our programs to meet the needs and the potential of all our citizens.”
The Shoals, Alabama: River Events Series for LGBTQ+ Youth and Their Families
With 2022 funding through the Tennessee RiverLine DEI grant program, The Shoals plans to host a series of river events for LGBTQ+ youth and their families to foster community, provide peer-to-peer support for parents of LGBTQ+ youth and increase LGBTQ+ inclusion in Tennessee River activities.
“Water-friendly spaces have always been avoided by LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals due to well-founded fears for their safety,” said Rebecca Moon, Director of Membership at the Shoals Chamber of Commerce and Co-Founder and Board President of the Shoals Diversity Center. “We are committed to fostering inclusive and welcoming outdoor spaces and keeping all our citizens safe so that they can enjoy the incredible beauty of the Tennessee River complex and all it has to offer.”
In partnership with Tennessee RiverLine, grant-funded river events will include the INclusion at the River Bike/Hike event in May, PRIDE on the River in June, and the Queer Family Beach Party in July. The Shoals Diversity Center will collaborate with the University of North Alabama Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area, the Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion, and PFLAG National’s local Florence-Shoals Chapter to host the events.
“We intend to show our community that not only are we inclusive and diverse, but our voices are heard in all spaces, including recreation and efforts that contribute to the conservation of our Tennessee River,” said Moon.
Promoting Equitable Access for All
The Tennessee RiverLine is proud to celebrate all 2022 DEI Community Impact Grant recipients, and we look forward to witnessing the impact of their collaborative efforts over the coming year. These funded projects nurture our shared vision of promoting equitable access to river experiences and establishing the Tennessee RiverLine as an inclusive and welcoming space for all, and with the generous support of our principal partners, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Tennessee Valley Authority, we are committed to continuing this program in the future. Follow the Tennessee RiverLine on social media for ongoing updates about this year’s funded initiatives throughout 2022!
About the Tennessee RiverLine
The Tennessee RiverLine is North America’s next great regional trail system, a historic multi-generational initiative that offers economic development, public health, resource stewardship and equitable access benefits to 2.4 million people in diverse Tennessee River communities in four states. The Tennessee RiverLine is led by the UT School of Landscape Architecture, which is a partnership of the UT College of Architecture and Design and the Herbert College of Agriculture, and principal partners, UT Knoxville and TVA, in collaboration with the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership, a diverse consortium of organizations committed to realizing the vision for the Tennessee RiverLine.
Contact: info@tnriverline.org