Ujima Soccer Academy

Help us launch a new school year! We're on an ambitious journey to raise $30,000 by September 1 and there are 3 ways you can join the team.

1. Become a Founding Monthly Champion by setting up a recurring gift.
2. Make a one-time gift toward our Launch Fund.
3. Help us spread the word by sharing this post.

Ujima means collective work and responsibility. Together, we can do this!

Launch the new school year with ujima - Ujima Soccer Academy Help us raise $30,000 by September 1 to equip students across five East Knoxville schools for a year of learning, leadership, and belonging. There are two ways you can invest in East Knoxville’s next generation. 1. ⚽ Become a Founding Monthly Champion Help build a strong foundation for Ujima b...

Another great night on the pitch in East Knoxville. Best group we’ve had yet! Our City Council Representative Denzel Grant saw us on the way home from his meeting and decided to stop by. Props to the green team for going undefeated. Orange team came in a close second.

Join us in wishing a very Happy Birthday to Coach Jonathan Netherland!

Michel’s story is remarkable, but it’s still being written. And it’s not the only one.

From East Knoxville to MLS Next - Ujima Soccer Academy When Michel arrived in Knoxville from Burundi, he faced challenges familiar to many immigrant and refugee students. He was adapting to a new culture, learning a new language, and trying to find his place in an unfamiliar environment. When he first became involved with our soccer program, he did not....

As part of the City's ongoing efforts to reduce violence, our partner the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) is offering capacity-building workshops for local organizations interested in getting involved and learning more about the work.

In these workshops, local groups will learn about Community Violence Intervention (CVI) work and develop skills, tools and strategies that strengthen their ability to do this work in Knoxville. The City of Knoxville’s Office of Community Safety and Empowerment contracts with NICJR to train local groups and individuals in methods of preventing community violence.

Interested? Contact Emmanuel Hernandez, Violence Reduction Project Manager, at [email protected], or click the link in the first comment to submit an interest form.

Juneteenth: How news of the Emancipation Proclamation spread through the South While some enslaved people did not know about Lincoln's order, many learned of it while the fighting was still ongoing through informal networks, rumors and sometimes from slaveholders themselves.

Honoring History. Celebrating Freedom. Inspiring Potential.

Today we celebrate Juneteenth, a day that reminds us both how far we've come and how much work remains.

We honor the generations who endured injustice, fought for freedom, and helped move our nation closer to its ideals.

We celebrate the freedom, resilience, and contributions of Black Americans whose leadership, creativity, and courage continue to shape our communities every day.

And at Ujima, we remain committed to inspiring potential in the next generation. Every student deserves the opportunity to discover their gifts, pursue their dreams, and build a future filled with possibility.

That work happens on soccer fields, in classrooms, through mentoring relationships, and in the daily investment of a community that believes in its young people.

Today we remember the past, celebrate the progress we've made, and recommit ourselves to creating opportunities for those who will lead us into the future.

Happy Juneteenth from Ujima.