Knox County Young Democrats

Knox County Young Democrats We’re mobilizing young voters to help shape the direction of Knox County and the state of Tennessee.

Well… since you asked. 👀Our future takes more than good intentions. It takes the resources to show up, serve, organize, ...
09/22/2026

Well… since you asked. 👀

Our future takes more than good intentions. It takes the resources to show up, serve, organize, and keep building.

That’s why we’re launching 20/20 for the Future.

From September 22–29, we’re looking for 20 contributions of $20 or more to help fund the year-round work behind Knox Young Dems—from voter engagement and community service to civic education, member development, outreach, events, and the infrastructure that keeps it all moving.

$20 is the starting point, not the ceiling. Give what you can, make it monthly if you want to support KYD year-round, or help us reach 20 by sharing the campaign.

Keep the future in focus & funded.

Donate through the link in bio or visit
bit.ly/20forthefuture

Paid for by Knox County Young Democrats Chapter.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins today, and September 15 is not an arbitrary date.It marks the independence anniversaries ...
09/15/2026

Hispanic Heritage Month begins today, and September 15 is not an arbitrary date.

It marks the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, with Mexico and Chile celebrating their independence in the days that follow.

That history is a useful reminder of something bigger: there is no single Hispanic or Latino experience. No one country, tradition, language, neighborhood, or story can stand in for communities whose histories stretch across nations and generations.

And those stories aren’t distant from us.

They are part of Knoxville and East Tennessee - in our neighborhoods, businesses, classrooms, art, food, organizations, families, and community life.

So from September 15 through October 15, KYD wants to use our voice to do more than simply mark the month. We’ll be highlighting local organizations, artists, businesses, events, resources, and stories from Hispanic and Latino communities across our region.

Not because one month can capture all of that history or experience.But it can give us a reason to pay closer attention to the people, places, and work that are already shaping the community we call home.

Who or what should we highlight?
Send us a DM.

Twenty-five years later, September 11 occupies a profound and complex place in the lives of our generation.For those of ...
09/11/2026

Twenty-five years later, September 11 occupies a profound and complex place in the lives of our generation.

For those of us Young Dems today, September 11, 2001, is a fracture in time. On that morning, we were anywhere from not yet born to just ten years old. Some of us hold onto fragmented memories of quiet classrooms, early dismissals, and parents glued to the television. Others know that Tuesday only through history books, documentaries, and the quiet grief passed down to us.

But we all know someone who remembers exactly where they were.

Our parents, grandparents, teachers, and neighbors carry the vivid recollection of the moment the world shifted - what they felt, who they called, and how they began to process the unthinkable.

We may not all share the memory of that morning, but we inherited the world it left behind- a world permanently reshaped by grief, war, resilience, and a sudden loss of innocence.

The 2,977 lives stolen that day altered the course of American history. But that history isn’t just far away. It is etched into the heart of Knox County.

On the lawn of the City County Building stands Knoxville’s 9/11 Memorial, a place where our community has gathered for years to remember those we lost and reflect on the lasting impact of that day.

It is a physical reminder of something our generation understands in a different way:

History does not have to be something we personally remember to be something that shapes us.

Today, we honor the 2,977 lives lost. We honor those who risked their own lives to save others, and those who have spent the years since carrying the physical and emotional consequences of that day; responders, survivors, and families whose lives were forever changed.

And we pause to listen to the stories of those who lived through a day that permanently altered the nation we inherited.

Twenty-five years later, we remember.

National Voter Registration Day is September 15.To mark the occasion, KYD and the Knox County Democratic Party are teami...
09/10/2026

National Voter Registration Day is September 15.

To mark the occasion, KYD and the Knox County Democratic Party are teaming up to host a voter registration drive at Marble City Market from 5:30–7 PM.

Knox County added 4,705 residents in just one year, growing from 506,748 people in 2024 to 511,453 in 2025. With more people moving in, moving across town, changing apartments, and starting school, keeping voter registration up to date matters.

Already registered? Let’s check and make sure your registration is still active and your information is current.

Did you move? Updating your lease, mailing address, or driver license does not necessarily update your voter registration. Let’s make sure you’re registered at the right address.

Need to register for the first time? Whether you’re new to Knox County, recently turned 18, or just never got around to it, this is the time to get it done.

Too much is at stake for our democracy to sit this one out.

And we need volunteers. We have the materials, resources, and training ready to go. What we need is you.

Sign up to volunteer through Mobilize: https://www.mobilize.us/knoxvilledemocrats/event/1027720/

Or click the link in our bio.

Marble City Market, 333 W. Depot Ave.
Tuesday, September 15
5:30–7 PM

National Voter Registration Day is September 15.To mark the occasion, KYD and the Knox County Democrats are teaming up t...
09/10/2026

National Voter Registration Day is September 15.

To mark the occasion, KYD and the Knox County Democrats are teaming up to host a voter registration drive at Marble City Market from 5:30–7 PM.

Knox County added 4,705 residents in just one year, growing from 506,748 people in 2024 to 511,453 in 2025. With more people moving in, moving across town, changing apartments, and starting school, keeping voter registration up to date matters.

Already registered? Let’s check and make sure your registration is still active and your information is current.

Did you move? Updating your lease, mailing address, or driver license does not necessarily update your voter registration. Let’s make sure you’re registered at the right address.

Need to register for the first time? Whether you’re new to Knox County, recently turned 18, or just never got around to it, this is the time to get it done.

Too much is at stake for our democracy to sit this one out.

And we need volunteers. We have the materials, resources, and training ready to go. What we need is you.

Sign up to volunteer through Mobilize: https://www.mobilize.us/knoxvilledemocrats/event/1027720/

Or click the link in our bio.

Marble City Market, 333 W. Depot Ave.
Tuesday, September 15
5:30–7 PM

September is doing the most.KYD is heading into fall with a little bit of everything on the calendar: voter registration...
09/06/2026

September is doing the most.

KYD is heading into fall with a little bit of everything on the calendar: voter registration, fundraising, community service, socials, and local government engagement.

We’re also launching our fall fundraiser, 20/20 for the Future, partnering with KCDP for National Voter Registration Day, and continuing some of the programs that have quickly become part of KYD’s rhythm.

And beginning September 15, we’ll be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing and highlighting local organizations, events, stories, and resources from Knoxville’s Hispanic and Latino communities throughout the month.

There’s a lot happening. Swipe through to see where you can plug in this month.

Click the link in our bio for full event details and sign-ups.

We showed up again so you know what happened in our county.August brought several of July’s biggest issues back before K...
09/06/2026

We showed up again so you know what happened in our county.

August brought several of July’s biggest issues back before Knox County Commission, and this time we got answers. Flock was shut down by unanimous vote, the institutional investor housing ordinance cleared second reading, the DWF John Sevier PILOT passed 7-4, Strong Stock Farm moved forward, and Commission adopted a new certified tax rate of 1.0158.

Not everything made it into the carousel.

Commission also authorized up to $155 million in general obligation bonds, approved the North Waterfront Redevelopment Plan, advanced the Andrew Johnson Building redevelopment with a new construction deadline, and approved the Belltown Pedestrian Beverage Zone pilot 10-1.

And some of the most important moments of local government do not come with a vote attached.

During open-topic public forum, Knox County resident Vivivan Underwood Shipe connected the death of Patrick Allen to a larger gap in how our community responds to people experiencing behavioral-health crises. She called for stronger Crisis Intervention Training, diversion from jail to mental or medical care, community-based intervention, and greater investment in behavioral-health resources.

Her point was direct: “Our jail was never meant to be a mental health hospital.”

And with new county leadership taking office, Shipe urged local officials not to wait for another tragedy before acting: “It’s time for a proactive approach. No more stigma. It’s time to work together.”

That is what Observer Corps is for. Not just following votes, but following what comes back, what changes, what residents bring into the room, and what still needs attention after the gavel falls.

Lastly, public service requires time, sacrifice, and accountability to the people you represent. Commissioner Frazier, Commissioner Lee, Commissioner Jay, and Chairwoman Oster: thank you for your service to Knox County, and we wish you well in what comes next.

Local government keeps moving, and so will we.

Join us at the next Knox County Commission meeting on September 28th.

Tomorrow we’re kicking off our first official Last Fridays w/ KYD at Mother Bar No agenda, no meeting, no campaign shift...
08/27/2026

Tomorrow we’re kicking off our first official Last Fridays w/ KYD at Mother Bar

No agenda, no meeting, no campaign shift. Just like-minded people, good conversation, and a chance to actually hang out.

Friday, August 28 • 7-9 PM
Mother Bar • 15 Emory Place

Last Fridays w/ KYD is our new monthly social series, and every month we’ll switch it up and meet somewhere new around Knox County.

Come by, bring a friend, meet somebody new, and help us start the tradition off right.

RSVP at knoxyoungdems.org/events or click the link in bio.

Today, Knox County Young Democrats joins people across East Tennessee and around the world in mourning the loss of Dolly...
08/25/2026

Today, Knox County Young Democrats joins people across East Tennessee and around the world in mourning the loss of Dolly Rebecca Parton.

Dolly’s life was a true rags-to-riches story. Born into poverty as one of twelve children in a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains, she went on to become one of the most successful and beloved entertainers in the world. No matter how famous or wealthy she became, she remained grounded in the people, values, humor, faith, and mountains of East Tennessee.

East Tennessee gave Dolly to the world, and Dolly spent her life giving back to East Tennessee. Through Dollywood, she created jobs and opportunities for generations of families. She supported people rebuilding their lives after the devastating 2016 wildfires. She brought the music, stories, and culture of the East Tennessee everywhere she went.

Dolly was especially passionate about books. Her father could not read, which inspired her to establish the Imagination Library in Sevier County. What began as a way to put books into the homes of local children grew into a worldwide literacy program that has delivered millions of books to children.

Here in Knoxville, Dolly’s influence became part of our local culture. Rhinestone Fest, formerly known as Dolly Fest, fills the Old City with music, art, joy, and self-expression each year. For seventeen years, our beloved Club XYZ hosted the Night of 1,000 Dollys, bringing Knoxville’s drag performers and LGBTQ+ community together to celebrate the music, humor, glamour, and acceptance Dolly represented. Club XYZ closed this summer after twenty-two years, but the joy and community created there remain part of Dolly’s local legacy.

Dolly’s story is about much more than becoming rich and famous. She used what she built to give back, lift others, and create opportunities for people who started with very little, just as she did.

Dolly Rebecca Parton never forgot where she came from, and East Tennessee will never forget her.

Tennessee will always love you. 🤍

Photo: David McClister (David McClister), 2014, via MusicRow.

Address

906 Sevier Ave
Knoxville, TN
37920

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