McKinney Center to host Ernest McKinney Day of Giving

The McKinney Center will host their inaugural event, Ernest McKinney Day of Giving, on Monday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the McKinney Center. There will be musical and poetry performances, interviews with students and teachers and a personal tour of an exhibition.

The namesake of the McKinney Center, Ernest L. McKinney, was the first African-American elected to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the Town of Jonesborough. He was elected on April 4, 1968.  It has been over 50 years since Ernest McKinney’s initial election to the Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen, yet it is important to remember the dedicated efforts of Ernest L. McKinney in uniting and serving all the citizens of Jonesborough and Washington County regardless of race, ethnic background or color. Since the election of Ernest McKinney Sr. in 1968, Jonesborough has had a person of color serving on the Town Board continuously for five decades including one of Ernest McKinney’s sons, Kevin B. McKinney, who served as Mayor from 1988 to 1997.

The McKinney Center and the Town of Jonesborough is proud to honor Ernest McKinney’s legacy through the artistic and cultural programming provided for the region at the McKinney Center.

View the activities on the McKinney Center’s Facebook page throughout the day.

Donations will go toward the scholarship program and cultural programming at the McKinney Center, and their goal is to raise $1,000. Donate online anytime during the year at mckinneycenter.com/the-ernest-l-mckinney-day-of-giving/. The McKinney Center also accepts checks or cash. Donations can be mailed to:

The McKinney Center

103 Franklin Avenue

Jonesborough, TN 37659