In 2014, Chattanooga, Tennessee celebrated its 175th birthday. As part of the celebratory events, WUTC 88.1 FM recorded interviews with approximately 30 residents for an oral history project.
Darrell McDonald is a champion athlete and coach who has played baseball, basketball, tennis, and other sports. He’s also the retired Administrator of the Chattanooga Department of Parks and Recreation. For more than 40 years, he worked at Parks and Rec, starting at the bottom and working his way to the top.
In his story, he tells us how Chattanooga was segregated when his career began, yet he saw sports as a way to bring people together. He’ll also tell us how the Chattanooga Parks Department and the Hamilton County Parks Department cooperated to help create revitalization in downtown Chattanooga.