NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State
University students learned about opportunities with NASA when Kennedy Space
Center engineers visited the campus on Jan. 28.
The engineers provided an informal student Q&A in the
Forum of the university’s Floyd Payne Campus Center, and discussed the agency’s
Artemis mission and internship opportunities.
TSU senior Tahmadiyya Dawson talks to NASA engineers about opportunities with the agency. (Photo by Lucas Johnson, TSU Media Relations)
“With the
Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and next man on the moon by
2024, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than
ever before,” according to the agency’s website.
Stacie Turner is a NASA engineer, as
well as a strategy and collaboration manager with the agency. She said it’s important
for young people, especially minorities, to know about the opportunities that
are available.
“We think that they are going to
be the folks that are going to take over and do the exploring, and the
development of all of NASA’s new technology,” said Turner.
TSU senior Tahmadiyya Dawson of Little Rock, Arkansas, said
talking to the engineers and learning about the Artemis mission was inspiring.
“This has been very beneficial,” said Dawson, who plans to
graduate in May with a degree in chemistry. “They have tons of opportunities.
So it makes me happy to know that I can have a job once I graduate.”
Antoinette Hargrove Duke, associate director of TSU’s Career
Development Center, said the NASA engineers are aware of the talent TSU has to
offer.
“They say in 2024 they want to have a female on the moon, and
we hope it will be someone from here,” said Duke.
Last
year, more than 200 students in grades K-8 from Davidson County and surrounding
areas took part in a NASA-funded, one-day STEM education workshop at Tennessee
State University.
Called “Dare to Dream STEM Saturday,” the workshop engaged
students in scientific experiments, and engineering design processes, such as
robotics, coding, drones, virtual reality, flight simulation and math games.
The TSU College of Education, in partnership with Metro
Nashville Public Schools, hosted the workshop under the Minority University
Research Education Project, or MUREP, a NASA program at the university.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – When Tennessee State University Alum Tanya Coplen Gray approached her high school classmates about producing a short documentary to commemorate their 50th year high school anniversary, Gray had no idea how important the project would become.
“This short film was done as a labor of love. We did this out of love for one another, and that’s really critical to me, to make sure people understand that is how it got started,” says Gray, who graduated from TSU in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in social work and a minor in sociology.
Gray, along with her Cameron High School classmates
Deborah Majors Bell and Ida Venson Currie, serve as executive producers of “The Past Is Prologue: The Cameron Class of
1969,” an award-winning documentary that recounts a significant, but
largely-forgotten, chapter of Nashville’s civil rights struggle that happened
during the late-1960s.
Featured are (l to r)Tanya Coplen Gray, Ola Hudson, Deborah Majors Bell, Ida Venson Currie, Mark Schlicher (Photo Submitted)
The film, which was produced and directed by Nashville
filmmaker Mark Schlicher, and co-produced by Lisa Venegas, will air on
Nashville Public Television, WNPT Channel 8 Sunday, February 16, at 10:30 p.m.,
and Wednesday, February 26, at 9:00 p.m..
In spring 1968, during a volatile period for race
relations in Nashville and throughout the United States, all-black Cameron high
school lost a high-profile basketball tournament game to Stratford, a
mostly-white school. A spontaneous protest and scuffles broke out afterward, as
many upset Cameron fans believed that the game had been unfairly officiated in
favor of Stratford.
In response, school authorities barred Cameron High
School from all athletics for an entire year, while Stratford received no
sanctions. In response to the punishment, parents, students, and supporters in
the community protested, marched in the streets, and enlisted famed civil
rights attorney Avon Williams, Jr., to champion their cause in federal court,
making it part of his long-running school desegregation lawsuit.
Currie, who secured a bachelor’s degree in English
Education from TSU in 1974, says former Cameron Principal O.R. Jackson,
marshaled the school’s faculty and staff to find ways for Cameron High School
seniors to enjoy their final year in spite of the punishment.
L TO R: Mark Schlicher, student extras, and Shelena Walden at Cameron High School (Photo Submitted)
“He knew we were not going to be coming to the stadium on
Friday night for football games. We were not going to be going to the gym in
the afternoon for pep rallies prior to the games. So he brought the vision to
the teachers, ‘Let’s do something for this senior class because they are
hurting in certain areas,’” says Currie, a retired commercial insurance product
developer and healthcare manager. “Mr. Jackson made sure we had our pep rally’s
on Friday afternoons, even if we didn’t have a game to attend. He also
orchestrated our senior class trip to Washington, D.C. during spring break,
which served as yet another memorable diversion to the suspension.”
Bell, a graduate of the Metropolitan School of Practical
Nursing at Vanderbilt Hospital and a retired licensed practical nurse, says in
spite of the security and assurance they received from parents and community
members, the unfair punishment left a lasting impression on their class.
“At the time, we were all young. We had no idea what a big
deal this was. We lived in a neighborhood where we had a lot of black support,
like our parents and our teachers,” says Bell. “Once this happened, that’s when
I really found out that I was considered a second class citizen.”
Schlicher says the documentary, which was funded in part by
the Metro Nashville Arts Commission THRIVE program, needs to be viewed by a
broad audience because of its historical significance.
Featured are (front row, l to r) Aaron Finley, Fletcher Moon, Tamiko Robinson Steele, Shawn Whitsell (back row, l to r) Co-Producer Lisa Venegas, Mark Schlicher, Shanika Gillespie, camera operator Keevan Guy at Seay-Hubbard UMC upstairs meeting room. (Photo Submitted)
“It was an honor to be able to do the 25 or so interviews
that were done with class members and with teachers, to learn the story and
share it in a way that honored the struggle and the triumph that the Class of
’69 went through and the place they have in the civil rights struggle in
Nashville,” says Schlicher, whose work as director or cinematographer has been
shown nationally on PBS, the Smithsonian Channel, Lifetime, and TBN.
After receiving rave reviews from classmates following the
film’s initial viewing, and subsequently winning “Best of Tennessee” at the
2019 International Black Film Festival, the group realized the film could serve
a larger purpose.
“We want to put this documentary in every public library and
to be able to hand it to school systems,” says Gray, a retired licensed
clinical social worker.
They believe the documentary will spark important
conversations about education, policy, neighborhoods and equity, as well as
bring awareness.
Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Enoch Fuzz
agrees. He plans to air the film at Kingdom Café, located at 2610 Jefferson
Street, on February 1, at 8:00 a.m. during One Nashville, a breakfast gathering
he initiated two years ago to bring people with resources, information and
awareness together to help progressive projects like “The Past Is Prologue”
succeed.
Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Enoch Fuzz (Photo Submitted)
“I was very touched by the story that these people told, and
I know that it could benefit some of the people in Nashville. There are some
good people in Nashville who want to understand race relations,” says Fuzz.
He says One Nashville gatherings, which are held every month
on first and third Saturdays, have attracted leaders from throughout the city including
the mayor, vice mayor, secretary of state, public defender and city council
members. He says some attendees are
looking for meaningful projects to support, while others come seeking
assistance.
“I was having people call me everyday with different needs,
and I said these people need to meet one another. So rather than me meeting
with everybody differently everyday, I came up with the concept of getting
everyone in the same room,” says Fuzz. “One
Nashville gets people from all over the community in the same room.”
Mary Jackson Owens, the Cameron alum who told Fuzz
about the project, hopes the film can garner financial support, so young people
can learn about this almost forgotten moment in Nashville’s civil rights
struggle.
“It hasn’t been talked about in 50 years. It’s time to have
a conversation about it, and tell people about the history,” she says. “A lot
of our children don’t know anything about being in an all-black school and the
loyalty that we have for Cameron.”
“The Past Is Prologue: The Cameron Class of 1969,” also features TSU alum Ola Hudson and TSU Associate Professor and Head Reference Librarian Fletcher F. Moon. Hudson, who graduated from TSU with a bachelor’s degree in Vocational Home Economics in 1951 and a master’s degree in 1953, taught at Cameron High School from 1955 until 1971. Moon, who portrayed his father, Rev. J.L. Moon, in the documentary, has worked at TSU for 36 years.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) –More than 700 students
gathered in Kean Hall Saturday before being bused to various locations
throughout Nashville to volunteer as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in
remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students from several institutions throughout the city registered for the event and enjoyed an early lunch before being greeted by university leaders and hearing Freedom Rider and TSU Alum Ernest “Rip” Patton share inspiring words about his experience as a civil rights activist.
Freedom Rider and TSU Alum, Dr. Ernest “Rip” Patton, share inspiring words about his experience as a civil rights activist during one-on-one interview with TSU Sophomore Aubrey Sales.(Photo by Erynne Davis, TSU Media)
“This is your day, and this is your time to make a change
because what we did in the 60s, we did if for generations to come,” said
Patton, who attended Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial University, where he
served as drum major with the Aristocrat of Bands. Patton was one of fourteen students expelled
from Tennessee A & I by the Tennessee Board of Regents for taking part in
the Freedom Rides. He subsequently received an honorary doctorate from TSU in
2008.
“I did it for you. I’m using I as a plural. I made a change for you. I took a chance on my life. I went to jail. I went to prison. And I’m still out there trying to make a change, but it’s up to you to carry the torch,” he said. “And not only that, when you make a change, you are making it for the generations that come after you.”
Volunteers gathered in Kean Hall before being bused to various locations throughout Nashville as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
Shirley Nix-Davis, director of Outreach for TSU’s Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, said bringing the students together for this service activity gives them an opportunity to consider the importance of service and how they can help others.
“It’s important to bring the students together just because
that was one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dreams, to see every race, every
ethnicity, every color of person come together for one cause,” said Nix-Davis.
Volunteers were dispersed to work at 25 sites throughout the city, including Salama Urban Ministries, Schrader Lane Vine Hill Child Care Center, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministries.
Participating educational institutions included TSU, Meharry
Medical College, Fisk University, Lipscomb University, Vanderbilt University,
Belmont University Trevecca Nazarene University and Nashville State Community
College.
Brittanie Pruitt, a sophomore nursing major, volunteering at Harvest Hands Community Development as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
Brittanie Pruitt, a sophomore nursing major from Covington, Tennessee, who returned after participating in the day of service last year, said community service is critical.
“It’s definitely important to give back. Everybody needs a
helping hand,” said Pruitt who spent her afternoon with a group of 25 volunteers
organizing classrooms at Harvest Hands Community Development, a nonprofit
organization that provides after-school programming in South Nashville. “You
might need help one day, so it’s always important to give back.”
TSU Alum Chartrice Crowley serves as the director of Elementary Programs at Harvest Hands. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
Chartrice Crowley, director of Elementary Programs at
Harvest Hands, said the volunteers helped organize a collage, featuring Freedom
Riders from Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi as well as the organization’s
historically Black college and universities’(HBCU) classrooms.
“All of our classrooms where our kids are when they arrive here are named after HBCUs,” said Crowley who graduated from TSU in 2015 with a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. “The volunteers are working on the information that will go outside the classroom about the founding of the school, their athletic programs, famous graduates, and all of that.”
Nix-Davis, who served as co-chair of the event along with Vanderbilt University Assistant Director of Active Citizenship and Service Meagan Smith, said 326 of 715 students who signed up for the event were TSU students.
Volunteers organizing classroom at Harvest Hands Community Development as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
“I am really really pleased about the turn out because it is
raining,” she said. “We have some eager students who are ready to go out and do
their thing for their universities.”
Other dignitaries in attendance at the morning kick-off included Congressman Jim Cooper, State Senator Brenda Gilmore and Metro Council member Burkley Allen.
For more information about TSU’s Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/servicelearning/
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – When
A’yadra Rodgers began her search for a high quality educational institution,
she placed Tennessee State University at the top of her list.
She says it was her relationship with Carlos Houston, president
of the East Tennessee chapter of the Tennessee State University National Alumni
Association, that sealed the deal.
“I actually babysat for him,” says Rodgers. “He would always say things like, ‘Have you been looking at TSU?'”
Houston’s persistence paid off, and Rodgers set her sites on
becoming a TSU Tiger.
A’yadra Rodgers (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)
“Tennessee State was the first school I applied to and the
first school I got accepted to,” says Rodgers, who graduated from Knoxville
Catholic High School in 2017.
Rodgers says Houston played a major role in helping her
secure a full scholarship to attend TSU.
After a transparent conversation with Houston’s wife Sheryl,
who graduated from Tennessee State with a degree in engineering, Rodgers
approached Houston about her need for financial assistance.
“Once she told me her grades and ACT score, I told her
to let me make a phone call, and the rest is history,” says Houston, who
graduated from TSU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
“She got a full scholarship the next day, which was
fantastic, but her GPA and test scores made her deserving of it,” he says.
“She and her mother expressed in tears how grateful they were, and A’yadra
said she would not let TSU down.”
Carlos Houston, president of the East Tennessee chapter of the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association. (Photo Submitted)
A junior dental hygiene major, Rodgers entered the
university with the desire to become a nurse. However, her aspiration
changed as she became more aware of her true passion.
“When I first got here I had my mind set on nursing, and then I began to look more into it. I started to shadow, and I realized it wasn’t for me,” she says. “Then I started to think, ‘what do I love? Where do I like to go? Who am I around?’ And it was the dental office.”
After taking time to shadow her mother who works as a dental
assistant, as well as watch the dental hygienists who work with her mother,
Rodgers changed her major to dental hygiene and immediately began to excel.
During her first semester in the program, Rodgers’ classmates elected her as
class president and the Student Dental Hygiene Association’s first year
recording secretary.
Rodgers also joined the National Association of Colored
Women’s Clubs, Inc., an organization that she says gives her an opportunity to
participate in breast cancer awareness walks, make donations to Second Harvest
Food Bank, and volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House of Nashville.
A’yadra Rodgers (second from left) poses for photo with other members of the National Association of Colored Women’s Club, Inc. after volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House of Nashville, a charity organization that provides essential resources and a “home-away-from-home” for families of critically ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals. (Photo Submitted)
“Being involved in this organization has been a blessing,
helping me to become a leader in all aspects of my life,” she says.
Brenda J. Kibbel, assistant professor of Dental Hygiene,
says Rodgers is an exceptional student.
“I expect great accomplishments in Ms. Rodgers’ future
endeavors because of her compassion and involvement,” says Kibbel. “I just see
so much potential in her as a young woman, and I expect great things.”
Rodgers, who plans to double major and earn an additional
degree in health information management at TSU, says she plans to become a
dentist.
“My goal is to go to dental school at Meharry Medical
College. After that I can decide if I want to be an orthodontist, or anything
beyond that,” she says. “I do want to do some work outside of the U.S., so I am
looking at Africa.”
She credits her parents with inspiring her to succeed.
“I feel like they are always working to make sure me and my siblings are OK, and so just seeing that work ethic and how they are really trying their best is inspiring,” says Rodgers.
A’yadra Rodgers
Kibbel, who worked as a dental hygienist for years after
completing her degree through a joint program between TSU and Meharry Medical
College, says the career landscape for dental hygienists is vast.
“We now in this state can do independent practice coming
under a dentist or we can work on our own in nursing homes. You can be an
educator. You can be a researcher. There are a lot of job opportunities.
It’s good money, and it has flexibility,” says Kibbel.
Brenda J. Kibbel, TSU assistant professor of Dental Hygiene (Photo Submitted)
She encourages students who want to become dental hygienists
to visit the department of Dental Hygiene.
“I’m really proud of our school. Our department strives to
not make them just great students and pass the program, but to become great
human beings who will be assets to our society, as well as the healthcare
profession.”
Tennessee State University’s Dental Hygiene Clinic is
located in Clement Hall on the main TSU campus. It provides a wide range of
dental services to nearly 600 patients a year at reduced cost. This includes
the campus, as well as the greater Nashville community.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University and the nation’s other historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) look to reap the benefits of federal legislation that permanently allocates $255 million to the institutions.
TSU President Glenda Glover
Last month, Congress passed the FUTURE Act to provide for the historic funding. TSU students and officials say the bill is critical to the viability of TSU and other HBCUs.
TSU President Glenda Glover commended
Congress for passing the legislation and hopes it will lead to additional
funding.
“The FUTURE Act legislation is a game changer for TSU, and the university is thankful to our Tennessee leadership of Senator Lamar Alexander, Representative Jim Cooper, Congressional Black Caucus members and others for their guidance to ensure the bill passed through both chambers,” says President Glover.
“I personally made calls to Sen.
Alexander’s Office, advocating the need for HBCU funding because of the
tremendous impact TSU has in changing the lives of our students, the community,
state and nation. I also spoke regularly with other HBCU presidents and
assisted advocacy groups United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall College
Fund and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in higher education in
getting the bill passed. HBCUs have been
traditionally underfunded on all levels of government.”
“TSU is fortunate to have
relationships with local and state lawmakers that have resulted in much needed
appropriations. I believe the FUTURE Act is the beginning of the tide changing
in the amount, and types of funding HBCUs receive.”
The FUTURE Act not only provides permanent
funds to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, but also simplifies the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and eliminates paperwork for
income-driven student loan repayment plans.
“We believe it’s a really
important piece of legislation,” says Amy Wood, assistant vice president for
financial aid at TSU.
The legislation
eliminates up to 22 questions on the FAFSA and allows the Internal Revenue
Service to share applicants’ tax information directly with the U.S. Department
of Education. It also automates income recertification for federal student loan
borrowers who use income-based repayment plans.
“Being able to eliminate some of
the processing time allows us more time to spend counseling students and
ensuring that they have what they need,” adds Wood.
Mariah Rhodes, a junior at TSU
majoring in political science, says she’s pleased the legislation may soon
become law. It has been sent to the President, who is expected to sign
it.
“HBCUs have produced some of the
best African-American doctors, lawyers, politicians and engineers,” says
Rhodes, a Memphis native who is an HBCU White House ambassador. “This money
will help HBCUs in a tremendous way.”
Her mother agrees.
“They (HBCUs) are underfunded, and
we need to really do something about that,” says Denise Woods.
TSU Dean of Students Frank
Stevenson called the legislation a “game changer.”
“HBCUs are still seeing a number
of first generation college students, and funding is really important to the
success of these institutions that have done so much to move the needle toward
equity and opportunity for higher education for students,” says Stevenson.
Last year, TSU received $2 million to support retention of academically high achieving students from underserved communities.
The funds were included in Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s budget
during the latest legislative session, and approved by state lawmakers.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Hundreds of people
attended Tennessee State University’s annual convocation on Monday to celebrate
the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
TSU President Glenda Glover speaks to gathering before march. (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)
Despite the bitterly cold temperature, quite a few people turned out for the march that started in front of Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church and ended at TSU’s Gentry Complex, where the convocation was held. The keynote speaker was MSNBC political analyst and author, Joy-Ann Reid.
TSU President Glenda Glover set the tone for the convocation
in her greetings.
“We’re here because we understand if ever there was a time
that we needed each other, that time is now,” said Glover, who is also the
international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the
primary sponsor of this year’s convocation.
“We honor Dr. King and those leaders that he inspired to
continue the struggle for equality.”
Marchers line up to head to convocation at Gentry Complex. (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)
Reid echoed Glover’s sentiment in her speech when she said
people need to continue fighting for racial justice, economic justice, and not
just recite King’s speeches.
“We have to ask ourselves, what have we done with this
legacy?” said Reid. “America right now needs to get motivated, not to quote
King, but to live the dream he was fighting for.”
The convocation was attended by community leaders and
lawmakers, including Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper, and
his brother, Nashville Mayor John Cooper.
“What he hoped for is not complete,” said Lee. “We, being here today, continue that dream that he had that isn’t finished in this country.”
Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated attend convocation. (TSU Media Relations)
On Saturday, TSU hosted the MLK Joint Day of Service with seven other
universities and colleges. More than 700 students gathered in Kean Hall before being bused
to various locations throughout Nashville to volunteer as part of the annual
event.
Students enjoyed an early lunch before being greeted by
university leaders and hearing Freedom Rider and TSU Alum Ernest “Rip” Patton
share inspiring words about his experience as a civil rights activist.
“This is
your day, and this is your time to make a change because what we did in the
60s, we did if for generations to come,” said Patton
Brittanie Pruitt, a sophomore nursing major from Covington,
Tennessee, who returned after participating in the Day of Service last year,
said community service is critical.
Brittanie Pruitt, a sophomore nursing major, volunteering at Harvest Hands Community Development as part of the annual Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
“It’s definitely important to give back. Everybody needs a
helping hand,” said Pruitt, who spent her afternoon with a group of 25
volunteers organizing classrooms at Harvest Hands Community Development, a
nonprofit organization that provides after-school programming in South
Nashville. “You might need help one day, so it’s always important to give
back.”
Shirley
Nix-Davis is director of outreach for TSU’s Center for Service Learning and
Civic Engagement and co-chair of the Day of Service. She said 326 of 715
students who signed up for the event were TSU students.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) –
Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover on Monday lauded faculty and
staff for their service, and assured them the institution is poised to
accomplish great feats for 2020, and beyond.
Dr. Glenda Glover
Dr. Glover spoke at the spring Faculty and
Staff Institute, a customary State of the University address held to commence
the start of each academic school year. Her address commended employees, and
touted fiscal strength and student success.
In thanking employees for their hard work, she
pledged her continued support, and encouraged them to strive to make the
university better.
“I’m here for you,” said Glover. “I just ask
that you show up every day and do your best.”
She reminded them that includes doing all they
can to help students succeed.
Glover noted that from 2018 to 2019, the GPA of incoming freshmen increased from 3.10 to 3.14. The university also implemented a targeted recruitment plan for high school students with a 3.0 or better to improve retention and graduation rates. Students’ GPA has steadily risen since TSU increased admission standards in 2016. All students must now have a 2.5 GPA and a 19 on the ACT for admission. The previous admission scores were 2.25 or a 19 on the ACT for in-state students, and a 2.5 or 19 ACT for out-of-state students.
The president also stressed the university’s fiscal soundness and plans to continue the trend. She discussed an endowment increase of $19.3 million over a five-year period, and a net increase of $15.7 million for reserve and endowment funds during the same time span.
Over the next 10 years, in what she called
TSU’s Decade of Excellence, Glover said she envisions an endowment of $150
million and $100 million in reserves. She would also like to see TSU be the top
HBCU in the nation, with an enrollment of 12,000.
The president also talked about TSU’s sanction by its accrediting body and gave a detailed update on the “plan of action” to address the issue. She emphasized to the several hundred in attendance that it is important to dispel any misconceptions and that TSU never lost accreditation.
Corrective steps taken so far under the plan include the university retaining a nationally known firm with expertise on accreditation matters and hiring a full-time director of assessment and accreditation to guide the process internally.
“We are 100
percent confident that TSU will do all that is required to prepare and submit
the documentation that is necessary to remove us from probation,” said Glover.
“Everyone is working together to get this done.”
TSU’s landscape will change over the next few months when construction of the new health sciences building is complete. The president shared the latest information on that, as well as planned construction of two new residence halls. Groundbreakings were held for the three buildings, along with a welcome center, during homecoming last year.
Glover also
touted a major accomplishment for TSU in 2019 that is carrying over to the New
Year: its coding partnership with tech giant Apple, Inc., which is drawing
global attention.
In July, TSU launched HBCU C2 “Everyone Can Code and Create,” which seeks to bring coding experiences to historically black colleges and universities and underserved communities. The initiative is part of TSU’s newly established National Center for Smart Technology Innovations, created through the HBCU C2 Presidential Academy.
The undertaking to bridge the technology divide has not gone unnoticed. President Glover told the audience that the university and Apple’s corporate office have received several inquiries about the program.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is among the initiative’s
champions.
“Anything is possible when people come together
with a shared vision,” Cook tweeted. “Thank you to @TSUedu for your leadership
and enthusiasm in bringing coding to your community and HBCUs nationwide!”
The institute marks the beginning of the academic semester. Students return on Jan. 13.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Slim & Husky’s, the famous hip hop pizza franchise founded by three Tennessee State University alums, recently received recognition from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of the “notable metro Atlanta restaurant openings of 2019.”
Clinton Gray III, Derrick Moore and Emmanuel “E.J.” Reed, all
2007 graduates of TSU, debuted the restaurant’s first Atlanta location in early
May on Howell Road, offering teachers free pizza and a sneak peak at the venue.
The owners say they plan to open a second Atlanta location on Metropolitan
Parkway in Adair Park.
Plans have also been made to offer their unique array of pizza at new locations in Memphis, Chattanooga, Birmingham (Alabama), Austin, Houston and Louisville.
In
2010, Gray, Moore and Reed took their vision, passion and the almost $3,000
they had between them and paid a visit to the Nashville Business Incubation
Center at the TSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic development. Within
seven years they had built a multi-million dollar moving company that set the
stage for opening the first location of Slim & Husky’s Local Pizza Beeria, at
911 Buchanan St., in 2017.
“We
just wanted to provide something that would give the neighborhood some hope and
also be inclusive to those who are first time homebuyers in the area,” Gray
said then. “ We just want to bring everybody together over some good pizza.”
In December, the Metropolitan Nashville City Council recognized the trio with a resolution for “winning the National Cheese Pizza Contest on Good Morning America, and for creating jobs and food options in underserved areas.”
With the vision of fusing pizza, hip hop and art, Gray,
Moore and Reed have created a thriving restaurant that provides some of the
best gourmet pizza in the nation as well as economic opportunities for college
students.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University continues to keep community service at the center of its mission this holiday season.
On Dec. 21, more than 2,000 parents walked away with toys for their children during the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots distribution on the TSU main campus.
Thousands
of toys of different sizes and shapes, for boys and girls up to age 12, were
collected and distributed. Volunteers,
including TSU students, staff, alumni, and representatives from area charitable
organizations and churches, helped with the distribution in Kean Hall.
Parents excited to receive toys for their children waited patiently in a line that extended outside Kean Hall. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
This event stems from a partnership between TSU and the Marine Corps Reserve in its annual toy distribution program. Prior to Saturday, TSU served as the official drop-off center for donated toys.
Christopher
Terry, a senior electrical engineering major with a minor in computer science, served
as a volunteer at the event, helping parents to gather and secure toys for
their children.
Terry,
a Memphis-native whose community service group, Generation of Educated Men,
volunteered at the event last year, said assisting with Toys For Tots gives him
an opportunity to spread joy during the holiday season.
“Growing
up in Memphis I did this with my church, and it just feels wonderful being able
to do this now at an older age,” he said. “I just love the fact that TSU
continues to be a pillar for the Nashville community by giving back and
supporting the communities around us.”
Associate Dean of Students, Dr. William Hytche(right), coordinator of the Toys for Tots program for TSU, with Christopher Terry(left), a senior electrical engineering major with a minor in computer science who volunteered for the event, and Benetta M. Sears(center), the local director of Simply United Together Foundation. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
As part
of the partnership with the Marine Corp – the first with a university in the
Nashville, Davidson County area – TSU received unwrapped toys for children up
to age 12.
Associate Dean of Students, Dr. William Hytche, coordinator of the Toys for Tots program for TSU, said Simply United Together, a non-profit that coordinates the pickup of donated toys from Toys for Tots, spearheaded bringing the program to TSU. He said this year the program served a more diverse group.
“We have Hispanics now. We have our Caucasian brothers and sisters who are coming in, and that’s because they have closed their centers. So the demographics have changed this year,” Hytche said. “The director of Simply United Together was offered to go to other institutions who wanted this program, and they were offering a lot of incentives for her to come to their schools. She said, ‘No. I think Tennessee State University is where I want to be.’”
Benetta
M. Sears, the local director of Simply United Together Foundation, said the
number of families served at TSU this year has increased exponentially.
Benetta M. Sears(left), the local director of Simply United Together Foundation, with representatives from Nashville Noticias, a local media organization that assisted with recruiting parents for the Toys For Tots event. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media)
“Tennessee State University is very positive. This is a community school also, and the people here are more willing and ready to serve the Nashville community as it grows and we have exploded,” she said.
Sears said she hopes the parents who participated will one day encourage their children to attend Tennessee State University.
For
more information on Toys for Tots at TSU, call Dr. William Hytche at
615-963-5069.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A Tennessee State University alum who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam recently returned to the Southeast Asian country and met the widow of the pilot who shot down his fighter jet nearly 50 years ago.
Lt. Col. James Williams sits in cell where he was interrogated and tortured while imprisoned. (Courtesy: Valor Administration)
Lt. Col. James W. Williams was flying his 228th combat mission when his F-4D Phantom was hit over North Vietnam on May 20, 1972. He was taken captive and spent 313 days in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison (aka Hanoi Hilton). He was released with other American POWs on March 28, 1973, about two months after the Vietnam War ended.
In November, the Memphis, Tennessee native was among several Vietnam veterans who returned to Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of a trip organized by the Dallas, Texas-based group Valor Administration, members of the Vietnam-USA Friendship, and North Vietnamese combat veterans.
Organizers said the trip was a way to help veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder possibly gain closure.
“There are a lot of Vietnam veterans … that still have wounds from the war that haven’t been addressed,” said Adriane Baan, with Valor Administration.
Williams, who was imprisoned a period of time with late U.S. Sen. John McCain, acknowledged it was therapeutic revisiting the place where he was tortured and meeting veterans who were once his enemy. But he said the highlight of the trip was meeting Nguyen Thi Lam, the widow of Do Van Lanh, the North Vietnamese pilot who shot him down.
Williams said he did not know he was going to meet Lam until he got to Vietnam, and that the meeting was awkward at first, but that changed the more they talked.
“I found out her husband died in 1980,” recalled Williams, who lives in Atlanta. “She showed me pictures of him. I expressed my condolences for his passing. The trip definitely helped me. It gave me some closure.”
During his visit to the prison, which is now a museum, Williams noticed a photo on display that showed two lines of air men being released. He was leading one of the lines.
Lt. Col. Williams in 1973 photo on display in the Vietnam museum. (Courtesy: Valor Administration)
“It was really amazing,” said Baan of the photo.
Lt. Col. Nick Callaway is the commander of Tennessee State University’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 790, which Williams was part of when he was enrolled at TSU. He recognized Williams at the university’s Veterans Day program last month.
“If there’s anything I learned from Lt. Col. Williams, it’s that we as human beings are capable of so much,” said Callaway. “Lt. Col. Williams’ patriotism and devotion to this great nation is truly an inspiration.”
Williams’ son, Brandon, said his father’s courage and perseverance while in captivity have motivated him when he faced adversity.
“Through any situation or circumstance, don’t give up,” said Brandon, a former TSU football player who is now a financial advisor for numerous professional athletes. “He’s my hero.”
After he retired in 1995 from 28 years of military service, Lt. Col. Williams started an Air Force Junior ROTC program in the DeKalb County, Georgia School System and taught for 20 years before retiring.
The 75-year-old currently serves on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs POW Advisory Committee.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
