Category Archives: Featured

TSU Professor, Alum Win Emmy Awards for Works in News and Entertainment

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Department of Communications at Tennessee State University was well represented at the 33rd Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards on Feb. 16.

A professor and a former student walked away with Emmys for their work in news and entertainment.

Prof. Arrielle Vincent
Prof. Airielle Vincent

Airielle Vincent, an assistant professor of mass communications, won her second Emmy as weekend newscast producer with FOX 17. She was recognized for a story on church shooting.

Spencer Glover, who graduated from TSU in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications, took home the Emmy for editing/program. He was awarded for his work on “The Passion for Music,” a production for Yamaha Entertainment Group.

“We are so excited when our students and faculty are awarded for their hard work and excelling in their profession,” said Dr. Tameka Winston, department chair and associate professor. “It is our desire to see them graduate, follow their dreams and be recognized on such a prestigious level.”

The Emmy Awards, organized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, recognizes excellence in television for news and documentary, sports, daytime entertainment, daytime creative arts and entertainment, public and community service, and technology and engineering.

Spencer Glover

Cara Anthony, a 2010 TSU graduate, who works for “The Belleville News Democrat,” was also nominated in 2018 for a Mid-America Emmy. Her Emmy nomination was the first in the News-Democrat’s 160-year history.

Winning at the Emmys is not new to the TSU Department of Communications. In 2012, Assistant Professor Erik Werner won for promotional producing.

“The department is dedicated to producing award-winning industry professionals and employing top-notch leaders in the field,” said Professor Karen D. Russell, mass communications coordinator and professor of multimedia journalism. “We are very proud of our outstanding alumni and professors.”

For more information on the TSU Department of Communications, go to http://www.tnstate.edu/Communications/mass_communication.aspx

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.




‘Let My People Vote,’ TSU Students Host Forum To Address Voter Suppression

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students in the College of Public Service hosted a forum recently to have a candid discussion about voter suppression.

‘Let My People Vote’ Poster (Submitted Photo)

The forum on Feb. 27 at the university’s Avon Williams Campus included a panel discussion, as well as a screening of “Let My People Vote,” an award-winning short documentary about voter suppression.

Keturah Barnett, a student in the Master of Public Administration Program at the university and cofounder of the Know Your Rights Program, said voter suppression is an issue that affects people from all walks of life.

“Voter suppression doesn’t just affect minorities.  It affects young people, students, ex-offenders and others,” she said. “When you think of voter suppression, a lot of people say that happened years ago in the 1960s during the civil rights movement, but it is still happening today.  And with the midterm elections that took place last year in 2018 in November, we saw a lot of that in state’s like Georgia and Florida.”

Keturah Barnett (Submitted Photo)

Barnett, who has worked at the Nashville Juvenile Public Defenders Office since 2016, said she hoped the event would inspire students to engage in the political process by voting, as well as challenging current laws and holding elected officials accountable.

Dr. Michael Harris, dean of the College of Public Service and a nationally-syndicated columnist, was pleased to see members of the larger Nashville community, as well as TSU students and faculty, at the screening.

“It is imperative that the College of Public Service stand at the forefront of engaging on issues related to voter suppression and access.  The history of and current efforts to suppress voters in African-American communities undermines the democratic processes black institutions, including TSU, have fought to improve and revolutionize for centuries,” Harris said. 

Dr. Anthony Campbell, assistant professor of Public Administration in the College of Public Service and the faculty member who worked with students to organize the event, stressed the importance of grappling with this issue.

Dr. Michael Harris (Submitted Photo)

“This filmmaker has developed a documentary that shows how the black vote has been suppressed in Florida for a long time and leading up to this last election, typically felons but more broadly people of color,” he said.

“Let My People Vote,” directed by Gilda Brasch, follows formerly homeless Desmond Meade, now the State Director for Florida Live Free Campaign, as he canvasses the streets of Tampa, Florida, on the last day of early voting before the 2016 presidential election.  At the time of the filming, Meade, who earned a law degree from Florida International University’s College of Law, could not vote or practice law in Florida because he has a felony.

Gilda Brasch (Submitted Photo)

Brasch’s documentary has won many awards, including the 2018 Best Short Documentary at the BronzeLens Film Festival in Atlanta and the 2018 Audience Award For Best Short Film in the Florida Film Festival.  It was also featured at the Meet The Press Film Festival  with The American Film Institute. She said she created the documentary so viewers could see what voter suppression looks like in the current political climate.

“If people are interested in voting rights, followed the recent midterm elections and saw what happened to Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum, then when they watch ‘Let My People Vote’ they will actually get an opportunity to see real people at the polling places having their votes surpressed,” she said.

Brasch said she was shocked by how quickly she found examples of people being turned around at the polls.

“We just got out of the rental van, and turned the camera on, and we got all those testimonies immediately in the space of probably 45 minutes to an hour.  It’s not like we had to go stand out there for hours.  It’s immediate in these districts,” she said.

Martesha Johnson (Submitted Photo)

Immediately following the screening, students hosted a panel to discuss the issue.  Panel members included: Metropolitan Nashville Public Defender Martesha Johnson, Davidson County Election Commisioner A.J. Starling, Project Return Associate Director Elizabeth Hayes and others.

Barnett  said the goal of the event was to provide a forum for a conversation they believe is timely and necessary.

“Voting is a fundamental right for everybody.  It is something that any American should be able to do without being hassled,” she said.  “Going to the polls should be just as easy as going to the grocery store.”


Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

New Link Allows TSU Family To Track Progress of Health Sciences Building Construction

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – TSU officials are excited about a new link that will give the university’s alumni and constituents an opportunity to monitor the construction process of its new Health Sciences Building.

“Many of our alums don’t get to the campus throughout the year because they live all over the country. I thought giving them an opportunity to see this facility evolve would be a benefit to them, so they can watch the evolution of the campus,” said Dr. Curtis Johnson, Chief of Staff. 

Johnson said HOAR Construction, the company responsible for building the facility, installed the camera, which will monitor the 18 to 24 month construction project.

“It updates itself every 15 minutes, but you can also do a six-day review.  It can go back six days and play forward for you to see the progress,” he said.

Dr. Ronald Barredo, interim dean of the College of Health Sciences, said viewing the development of the new facility is a positive sign of the college’s growth.

“I am excited to witness the steady progress that is being made in constructing the new Health Sciences Building. This project will not only bring together a number of excellent programs under one roof – Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Cardiorespiratory Care, and Health Information Management – but will also be a hub for collaborative practice, community service, and clinical research,” he said.

Hannah Brown, president of the Student Occupational Therapy Association, said although she will have graduated when the new building opens, she will return as alum to see the impact it will have on educating future health professionals at TSU.

“The new building is a great addition to the campus. The added space will help promote interprofessionalism among the programs housed in the building and will provide a larger space for clinical simulations and laboratory experiences that are essential in professional practice,” said Brown, who is pursuing a Master in Occupational Therapy degree.

TSU National Alumni Association President Joni McReynolds said she thinks providing a link for alums to monitor the construction is a wonderful idea.

 “I would encourage all alumni to look at the link and see how progress is being made, and I will do my best to send it around to my executive board, and to all alums we have the ability to contact,” she said.

TSU Nashville Alumni Chapter President Dwight Beard echoed McReynolds’ comments.

“I think it’s a great initiative.  I am excited about it. It’s going to bring in new students, and it’s going to create new opportunities,” he said.

Braxton Simpson, a sophomore agricultural sciences major who serves as the student trustee on the TSU Board of Trustees, said having the ability to monitor the progress of the construction will have a tremendous impact because of the large numbers of health science students at TSU.

“I think it’s very important that students and faculty… have the opportunity to track the progress of something that is going to be so instrumental to the students at Tennessee State University,” she said.

Construction progress of the new health sciences building at Tennessee State University can be viewed at the following link: https://app.truelook.com/?u=hj1548695954

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.