
'A Veneer for Old-Fashioned Racism'
Reporter Phil Williams has spent the past three years tracking the influence of white Christian nationalism in Tennessee — including Knoxville.
New at Compass
- November 2, 2026Every Monday we run down the week’s public meetings and civic events.
- November 2, 2026A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.
- October 30, 2026What do you do when your house already has a resident who’s not going anywhere?
- October 29, 2026Every month we run down notable news items from the area’s businesses.
- October 28, 2026The president’s falling approval ratings have offered Democrats an opportunity to retake control of the House. What about Tennessee’s District 2?
- October 27, 2026During an acrimonious meeting, Knox County commissioners rescind Alex Moody’s appointment to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
- October 26, 2026A weekly mystery photo to test your knowledge of the local landscape.
- October 23, 2026Amid record enrollment growth, UT-Knoxville is adding a 568-bed residence hall through the continued use of a public-private partnership.
- October 22, 2026Closed since the floods from Hurricane Helene two years ago, David Crockett Birthplace State Park is poised for renewal.
- October 21, 2026Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon reviews the highs and lows of her tenure so far and previews her last 14 months in office.
Recent Highlights
All free to read and share.- All of our legislative election coverage, free to read and share.
- This weekend’s Cormac McCarthy Society Conference presents advances in research into the late author’s life and work.
- Heritage Hubs is part of a wave of young conservatives taking increasingly extreme stances on race, religion and immigration.
- Knox County Sheriff Brent Gibson plans to expand the department’s role in immigration enforcement.
- East Tennessee mourns the death of Smoky Mountain icon Dolly Parton.












