Join us for our second annual Day of Giving, at the McKinney Center on April 4, 2023.

Why did we choose April 4th instead of the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, as most non-profits do?  Our namesake, Ernest L. McKinney was the first African-American elected to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the Town of Jonesborough, being elected on April 4, 1968, the same day Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in Memphis, Tennessee.  

It has been over 50 years since his initial election to the Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen, yet it is important to acknowledge and remember the dedicated efforts of Ernest L. McKinney in uniting and serving all the people of Jonesborough and Washington County regardless of race, ethnic background or color. His election signifies the love for and an acceptance and understanding of others, which continues to be an outstanding characteristic of the people of Jonesborough. Since the election of Ernest McKinney Sr. in 1968, this small town has had a person of color serving on the Town Board continuously for five decades including one of his sons, Kevin B. McKinney, who served as Mayor from 1988 – 1997.

Donations will go toward cultural programming at the McKinney Center.\

You may donate online anytime during the year HERE.

You can bring in a check or cash to the McKinney Center or mail your donation to:

The McKinney Center

103 Franklin Avenue

Jonesborough, TN 37659

Students, parents, volunteers, and scholarship recipients will be interviewed, and programming will be scheduled each hour.  The 2023, Day of Giving, will take place online through the McKinney Center’s Facebook page.  

The goal is to raise $5,000 each year!