Where Covenant Health Park now stands, the soil holds stories.
As Mayor Kincannon reminded us during her 2025 State of the City Address,
"It is not lost on me that where we are standing is sacred ground." This land, revitalized for cheering fans and unforgettable moments has long been home to the hard-working spirit of East Knoxville.
“These statues all have stories," says Rev. Reneé Kesler, President of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center.
Covenant Health Park honors the legacy of Knoxville’s Black baseball pioneers with bronze statues representing courage and excellence. These stories have shaped our past and inspire our future. "This is more than a park. It’s a place of belonging, of pride, and of history. Everyone is welcome here."
More than a stadium, Covenant Health Park is a symbol of intentional growth. It's about honoring the people who lived and labored here, about preserving the dignity of the place while building something bold and new. The Mayor said it best:
"This stadium is about honoring the history of this community." And that history is rich with families, factories, small businesses, and decades of memories woven into the landscape.
Map of Knoxville, 1867 (detail) showing Cripple Creek east of today’s Old City. Courtesy of McClung Historical Collection.
Part of that story includes
The Bottom, a once-vibrant Black neighborhood that stood where the stadium and surrounding development now rise. During segregation, The Bottom served as a thriving hub for Black-owned businesses, educators, and families, offering both opportunity and sanctuary in an era of exclusion. Urban renewal projects in the mid-20th century disrupted and displaced the community, leaving a lasting mark on the city’s cultural fabric.
By building here, the City is not erasing the past, it’s committing to remembering it. With historical markers, storytelling, and acknowledgment, Covenant Health Park is layered with intention: to elevate legacy while creating new opportunity.
Rev. Reneé Kesler, President of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, closed the 2025 State of the City with a powerful benediction that honored Knoxville’s past and called for unity in its future.
As the Mayor said,
“We know the strongest teams learn from mistakes and honor the past.” The groundwork laid by earlier generations made this project possible.
So when you walk through the plaza, cheer from the stands, or take your child to their first game just know that you’re stepping into a place with heritage and heart. A place where legacy lives on, one inning at a time.