A special public memorial tribute to honor the late Edye Ellis will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 10 a.m. at the Alex Haley statue in Alex Haley Heritage Square, where the Rev. Reneé Kesler, president of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, will preside.
Ms. Ellis passed away on March 3, 2025, at Avantara Lincoln Park in Chicago.
Edye Ellis exploded on the Knoxville media scene just prior to the 1982 World’s Fair.
According to her obituary, she came to do a magazine show and report on the World’s Fair for WBIR-TV. After the Fair, she stayed on to co-anchor Action 10 News, making history as the station’s first African American anchor. She had real chemistry with co-anchor Bill Williams.
Edye Ellis was smart.
She graduated as co-valedictorian from Parker High School and earned her degree as valedictorian from Macalester College in Minnesota.
Edye made Knoxville her hometown, getting out into the community and taking leadership roles.
She was a co-chair of Nine Counties. One Vision. For many years, she was a dedicated member of the board of directors at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, where her passion and leadership made a lasting impact.
Knoxville is certainly a better place because she passed this way.
