Knoxville College fire destroys historic building

“Pray for resurrection.” Those were the words spoken by Pastor Daryl Arnold, senior pastor of Overcoming Believers Church, as he started his Tuesday morning prayer service. There was a huge fire on the lawn of his beloved alma mater, Knoxville College, one of the oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in America. Elnathan Hall, built in 1898, one of the oldest structures on the historic campus, was burning. The fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. on Monday. Firefighters rushed to the scene, but the fire was massive, and the main building was destroyed. Officials and community leaders, many of whom are Knoxville College alumni, were heartbroken as they watched the flames destroy a piece of history on the campus where Dr. Martin Luther King once spoke. The college was built by former slaves who made the bricks to form the college that once graduated the majority of Black educators in America in its heyday. Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon pledged to continue to work with the board of the college and said, “It’s a sad day for the Knoxville community.” It is a deeper type of sadness for those who walked the lawn of Knoxville College, which will celebrate its...