Our History

Tribe One was founded in 1991 by the late City Councilman Danny Mayfield and current City Councilman Chris Woodhull on these three basic assumptions: everything a person needs, he/she already has; the more a person’s intelligence is used in the building of constructive relationships, the more a person will grow and the more a community will grow; and when the most marginalized people find something in themselves they can believe in, and then are allowed to understand and think critically about what confronts them, they can create programs and strategies that will get participation and substantive results.

Since 1991, Tribe One has been serving Knoxville’s inner city with goals to continue to support at-risk youth in their effort to stay alive and free, develop the capacity of these young men and women as future community leaders, and provide opportunities for economic self-sufficiency. Activities at Tribe One began as an intervention and gathering model, but have now progressed into a more strategic and long-term impact model. Our concern is that we mentor young people in such a way that creates measurable social return on investment for our supporters. We want the young men and women we mentor to move beyond surviving and into thriving. Most importantly, we want these young, talented people to stay in their communities and become contributing leaders that will keep Knoxville a vibrant community for years to come.

Our model empowers youth to make informed choices about the path of their future by exposing them to the variety of options available to them. Tribe One shows youth what they are capable of and encourages them to set and fulfill their personal and professional goals.

Tribe One currently operates a screen printing enterprise, a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools program, an after-school program, Harambee (a mentoring program for girls), Man Up (a mentoring program for boys), and an urban garden.