NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – The College of Agriculture at Tennessee State University is launching a major hemp research initiative in collaboration with Tennessee’s Department of Agriculture.
To help educate local farmers and the public, TSU’s College of Agriculture is presenting the Industrial Hemp Producers Workshop, a one-day session featuring experts in the industry from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Friday, March 2, at the Farrell-Westbrook building on TSU’s main campus.
Interest is high in this topic as all available workshop slots are already taken attracting more than 100 people, some of whom are flying in from California and Delaware.
“We want to be in this emerging area of Tennessee agriculture,” said Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of the College of Agriculture. “Our goal is to assist the producers in growing industrial hemp efficiently.“
The College of Agriculture has charged a team of scientists to develop hemp production practices for Tennessee. The research projects also include developing hemp nutritional products for human consumption and studying the economic viability of hemp production in Tennessee.
The workshop on March 2 features hemp industry experts who will discuss licensing requirements, market prospects, business model plans, best practices and other information needed to get into the hemp production business in Tennessee. The workshops will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.
Hemp, which is a form of Cannabis Sativa (marijuana), but is genetically different, is an ancient crop dating as far back as 12,000 years ago. It flourished in America during the 1800s. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were proponents for the industry. Hemp was used to produce cordage and ropes for the shipping industry, canvas, sacks, and paper. Today, hemp is used for all kinds of products from clothing to food.
Hemp fell out of favor in 1937 when the government passed the Marijuana Tax Act regulating the sale of all cannabis varieties. In 1970, the United States passed the Controlled Substances Act declaring all forms of Cannabis Sativa, including hemp, as a Schedule 1 drug, making hemp possession illegal. Hemp does not have the intoxicating THC levels found in marijuana.
Today, hemp products are imported from 30 countries to the United States. Estimates indicate that retail sales of hemp-based products in the U.S. total $300 million annually.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – For more than 16 years, Sonya Nicole Martin used private accounting firms to prepare her IRS tax return for a fee.
But the last two years, Martin got a break and is now getting her returns done for free by certified IRS tax preparers, thanks to a program in the College of Business at Tennessee State University.
“This is a big help,” says Martin. “It is saving me a lot and I am able to give back to my family and spend that extra money that I am saving on other items.”
A few years ago, TSU partnered with the United Way of Metro Nashville to administer VITA, or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, an IRS initiative to offer free tax preparation services for low to middle-income individuals making $66,000 or less per year. Accounting students and other business majors in the COB, who have been certified by the IRS, along with their professors, administer the program.
The free tax service is available every Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on the Avon Williams Campus. It will continue to the end of the IRS tax-filing deadline.
“The College of Business is very pleased to offer this free service to the community,” says Dr. Millicent Lownes-Jackson, dean of the college. “This is also an ideal service-learning initiative of the college where our accounting majors are able to get practical hands-on experience while helping others.”
According to officials, between 30-40 returns are prepared each Saturday, and this filing season it is projected that 400-500 returns will be prepared. That’s up from 300 last season. Sixteen undergraduate and four graduate students are helping this year as part of their class work.
Professor John R. Powers, who coordinates the VITA program at TSU, right, works with senior accounting major Kathy Grant. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
To participate in the program, volunteer students must take and pass Tax-1, Individual Income Tax, a required course and be certified by the IRS. Students get three hours of college credit as an accounting elective.
John R. Powers, a CPA and adjunct professor of accounting and business law, is the coordinator of the campus VITA program. He is responsible for the final quality of returns and files the completed returns electronically.
“Although this is a free service, we try to maximize the refund of any client, and that’s where I come in with my years of experience,” says Powers, majority owner of a Nashville accounting firm, who has been in the business for more than 30 years.
For the students, Power says, this is life experience whether they want to go into the tax field or not, it prepares them from a professional development standpoint.
Kathy Grant has met all requirements to participate in the VITA program and is helping for the first time this year. The senior accounting major says she is enjoying the “double” benefit the program offers.
“I am doing something to give back to the community, and I am also learning in the process,” says Grant, of Nashville, who wants to become a CPA “This is not just class, it is a business because I can use this education as I step out into the workforce.”
For Mariam Sadat, a senior, human resources major from Cairo, she is encouraged by the satisfaction people get from the services she and her fellow students provide.
“They are just too happy to know that they have avoided all the potential headaches with the free service,” says Sadat. “This is also a good practice for me to get this experience.”
Dr. Stephen Shanklin, CPA and interim chair of the Department of Accounting, who supervises the VITA program, says great emphasis is put on the quality of students selected for the program.
“Students with As and Bs are the ones we are looking for,” he says. “They can be from any discipline whatsoever in the college, but they have to have at least completed that course and have a desire to be tax preparers. And even at that they are not eligible until they interview with Prof. Powers.”
“In essence, we are preparing these students for the workplace,” adds Powers. “It is very important helping the community because we realize that the tax refund, no matter what amount, they are truly needed by the people who come here. So we prepare our students to do everything in accordance with the IRS code.”
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University hosted the unveiling of the U.S. Postal Service’s “Forever Stamp” featuring legendary performer and civil rights activist Lena Horne on Friday in the Kean Hall welcome center.
The new stamp, which is the 41st in the Black Heritage series, is a colorized black-and-white photograph taken of Horne in the 1980’s by photographer Christian Steiner. The dress Horne wears in the photograph appears royal blue, a color she frequently wore. The background of the photograph includes a few clouds, reminiscent of her Stormy Weather album. Horne’s name appears at the bottom of the stamp, with the words “USA” and “Forever” appearing just above her name in the bottom right corner. The words “Black Heritage” appear at the top of the stamp.
Toni Franklin, the postmaster of Nashville, joined TSU Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, Dr. Curtis Johnson, faculty, staff, students, postal officials and guests during the unveiling ceremony in Nashville in the Kean Hall foyer on the main campus. The stamp was dedicated by Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman during a January 30th ceremony at the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York.
Franklin described Horne as “a woman who used her platform as an entertainer to become one of America’s most public advocates for civil rights and gender equality.”
“The Lena Horne Commemorative Stamp is being issued as a ‘Forever Stamp’,” Franklin said. “It goes without saying, Lena Horne will forever be in our hearts.”
Steven Lewis, Curator of the National Museum of African American
Steven Lewis, curator of the National Museum of African American Music, speaks before the unveiling. (Photo by Courtney Buggs, TSU Media Relations)
Music slated to open in Nashville in 2019, served as the ceremony speaker. He provided a brief history of Horne’s contributions to the entertainment industry and African American History.
“Lena Horne lived a long life, and she had an amazingly varied body of work spanning activities of literally all forms of popular media including film, television, recordings, musical theatre, and night club appearances,” he said. “The constant throughout her career, however, was her commitment to activism on behalf of African Americans.”
Attendees participated in a brief reception following the event. The TSU Jazz Band provided entertainment, performing renditions of Horne’s classics, including her popular song, Stormy Weather.
Best known for her movie roles in “Cabin in the Sky” and “Stormy Weather,” Horne began her career as a dancer at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club. She endured decades of discrimination in her storied career, and eventually emerged as a civil rights activist performing at various rallies across the South, pressing for anti-lynching legislation with Eleanor Roosevelt, lending her support to the National Council for Negro Women and taking part in the March on Washington in 1963.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – National Science Foundation (NSF) representatives visited the campus of Tennessee State University on Thursday to provide insight for researchers who hope to secure funding from the agency.
The daylong workshop, called NSF Day, included discipline-specific breakout sessions featuring NSF representatives, a panel with NSF-funded researchers from Tennessee and discussions about things to consider before writing a proposal as well as opportunities for fellowships.
Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, vice president of Research and Institutional Advancement, welcomed the group to TSU’s Avon Williams Campus with the shout, “Big Blue”, as she applauded them for attending the first NSF Day held in Nashville, Tennessee.
“We are here today to spend time on a topic that is near and dear to my heart,” Crumpton-Young said. “One of the things I love most about each day is the opportunity to think about research, discovery and the things that we have an opportunity as faculty, staff and students to work on that will address global challenges and make a difference in how we live our lives.”
The NSF is the federal agency created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the progress of science; to advance national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense,” according to the foundation’s website. NSF supports fundamental research in science, engineering and education across all disciplines.
Fahmida Chowdhury (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
Fahmida Chowdhury, program director in the NSF Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), said researchers should make sure NSF is the right funding agency for them before they begin writing a proposal. She also stressed the importance of pinpointing what is unique and important about the proposed study.
“A lot of times scientists who have a great idea take it for granted that everyone knows it is a great project. It’s a great project for you, but why is it so great for everybody else in your field and not only for the advancement of your field, but also for society at large,” Chowdhury said. “You have to think about those things, and make those part of your motivation for writing the proposal.”
Chowdhury also highlighted the importance of having an effective assessment plan.
“How will you know that what you will do in the next five years has been successful,” she said. “Always make that part of your proposal.”
Muhammad Khan, who currently works as a molecular research analyst with Dr. Ahmad Naseer Aziz, TSU associate professor of Molecular Genetics, said attending NSF Day may help him secure funding to further his research, as well as provide opportunities for students.
“One of our key priorities in writing grants is to benefit the students,” Khan said. “Grants help us provide them with stipends, the chemicals important to their research, and we also expose them to approaches which will help maximize their learning.”
Holly Brown, NSF Lead for the TSU NSF Day said the event gives the foundation an opportunity to reach out to the research community and individuals who are potential researchers.
“Today we have a crowd that is typically early career researchers. Some of them are assistant professors, a lot of them are from the TSU community themselves, and we also have people from other universities in the area,” Brown said.
“At the end of the event we want everyone here to know how to apply for a grant, and to feel comfortable talking to us as program officers and us as the experts,” she added. “It really comes down to, ‘Contact your program officer if you have questions.’ And people really don’t do that if they don’t know who they are.”
US Senator Lamar Alexander said in a video message to attendees that the National Science Foundation has an annual budget of about $7 billion and makes about 12,000 new funding awards each year in fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences.
“Tennessee State should be proud to be selected as one of the four sites that will host an NSF Workshop Day this year,” he said.
Nicholas Kovach, research specialist in the TSU Division of Research and Institutional Advancement, said the university secured more than $2 million from NSF in the last fiscal year.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Cadets in the TSU Air Force ROTC Detachment 790 interested in becoming Air Force pilots will now be able to take advantage of a state-of-the-art new X-Plane 11 flight simulator.
TSU President Glenda Glover cut the ribbon Tuesday officially opening the room in a ceremony surrounded by AFROTC cadets.
President Glenda Glover, assisted by Maj. Michael Gordon, Detachment Operations Officer, cuts the ribbon to officially open the flight simulation room. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
Walt Rau, a friend of the university, donated the simulator to the Department of Aerospace Studies through the TSU Foundation.
“This is a great day in the life of Tennessee State University,” Glover said. “I thank you all and especially Mr. Walt Rau for bringing this level of technology with a simulator of a top-notch standard so that the students here can learn to carry out their training for careers they have chosen. This offers them unlimited possibilities.”
Walt Rau, son of Walter Rau, a World War II B-24 bombardier who died on a combat mission in Italy, said the donation is a way of remembering his father.
“I have profound respect for my father,” Walt Rau said in a letter to the TSU Foundation. “As for my sacrifice, I could ramble on about how losing my father has shaped my life, but doing this may be a better way for your students.”
President Glenda Glover takes the control at the flight simulation deck, with Cadets Katelyn Thompson, left, and Jerry Kibet, and Maj. Gordon watching. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
According to Lt. Col. Sharon Presley, AFROTC 790 Detachment commander, the simulator will help cadets prepare for the Test of Basic Aviation Skills (TBAS), a computerized psychomotor, special ability and multi-tasking test battery, as well as the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT).
The system includes upgrade flight controls, rudder pedals, graphics intensive computer, and top-of-the-line X-Plane 11 flight simulator software.
“The flight simulator is an important part of enhancing Detachment 790’s training program to meet Air Force goals,” said Maj. Michael Gordon, assistant professor of aerospace studies and Detachment Operations Officer. “This will introduce cadets to flight training and inspire them to pursue aviation careers in the Air Force.”
Cadet Jackson Sloan was one of the first to test fly the new simulator.
“I’ve wanted to be a pilot since junior high,” said Sloan, a senior aerospace pro-pilot major from Brentwood, Tennessee, who is slated to attend Air Force pilot training after his graduation in May. “This is really a major boost to our training.”
Presley thanked Walt Rau for his donation to refurbish the TSU Department of Aerospace Studies Flight Simulator room.
“Through his donation we were able to restore modern controls, a set of modern rotter pedals, brand new high intensity graphic computer and the most top-of-the-line flight software available,” Presley said.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students invite community leaders and neighborhood groups to take a closer look at gentrification and it’s impact on the black community.
Students will host the forum, Gentrification Across the Spectrum, on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the university’s Avon Williams Campus at 6 p.m. in Room 354. It will include the screening of NorthEast Passage, a 2002 documentary about gentrification in the black neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion that will explore the effects of gentrification in Nashville and how residents in areas being negatively affected can take meaningful action.
Marie Baugh, a graduate student in the College of Public Service, said the students want to show how the process of gentrification impacts people.
Marie Baugh
“Being a millennial graduating post-recession, it’s hard to even qualify to get a home because depending on the neighborhood, the pricing, and the condition of the home, I just may not be eligible for it,” Baugh said. “Gentrification affects a lot of people directly and indirectly because you have neighborhoods being revitalized, and it may change the whole culture of the neighborhood.”
Baugh, a native of Decatur, Alabama who secured her bachelor’s degree in political science from TSU in 2008, said the forum will help people who have heard the term gentrification but are unsure about what it can do to a neighborhood.
Dr. Michael Harris, dean of the College of Public Service and a nationally syndicated columnist, said the event is important because gentrification is a national and international issue. Harris, who has done extensive research on gentrification, spoke about the issue in 2014 in Medellin, Columbia at the United Nations’ premiere conference on urban issues, World Urban Forum 7.
“We see so much economic development and so much growth here in Nashville, and the outcome is gentrification,” Harris said. “It means that people who do not have the means are pushed way out of town to the outskirts, and housing and housing affordability become a major question and issue.”
Dr. Michael Harris
Harris said the process significantly impacts minorities and lower income people. He said the solutions to issues surrounding gentrification must come from academics and practitioners.
“Gentrification is an outcome of the economic growth, and it really has to be addressed so minorities with low incomes can find affordable housing within Nashville,” he said.
Cornelius Swart, who co-produced and co-directed NorthEast Passage with his business partner Spencer Wolf, said since the release of the documentary in 2002, the effects gentrification has had on the once predominately-black community in Portland have been astronomical.
“Fifteen years later we see that the traditionally black neighborhoods have lost 50-60 percent of their black population,” he said. “It’s hard to say exactly how many, but even the folks who remain in the neighborhood often say they don’t feel comfortable going out in public, or they have very little reason to go out in public because old stores and public spaces are catered to the new white residents. So you now have a neighborhood that no longer feels like home for many of the people who grew up in the area.”
Swart advises residents in areas currently being gentrified to build partnerships and create stakeholders of people who are willing to invest long-term in the existing residents, as well as set up long-term protections for vulnerable residents, such as land trusts and other affordable home models. He said residents should make sure the new investments coming in are not just for newcomers.
“For many years, I have been watching this issue unfold, and as the downsides become very apparent and as my understanding of the issue becomes more intricate, I feel an obligation to warn people about what is coming down the track.” he said.
Sponsored by the TSU College of Public Service, Gentrification Across the Spectrum grew out of the college’s desire to give students an opportunity to shape its premiere Black History Month event.
“They came up with the ideas and have been able to recruit people and make suggestions that I don’t think any of us faculty members would have ever had,” said Dr. Anthony Campbell, assistant professor of Public Administration in the College of Public Service.
Baugh, one of the event’s organizers, credits TSU with giving her a chance to grow, and become the person she is today.
“If it wasn’t for Tennessee State University accepting me as an undergraduate back in 2003, I’m not sure I would be able to even have the opportunities I have now,” she said. “Where I came from in Alabama there weren’t a lot of opportunities for little black girls like me. When I got the acceptance letter in the mail, I knew that it was my way out.”
Following the screening, a panel consisting of leaders from the public, private, nonprofit and grassroots sectors will discuss the impact gentrification is having on Nashville. Panelists include: Morgan Mansa, executive director of Metro Nashville’s Barnes Housing Trust; Tifinie Capehart, realtor with SilverPointe Properties; Hiram Brown, manager of strategic growth with Urban Housing Solutions; and Ruby Baker, president of the Bordeaux Hills Residential Association.
Campbell said he hopes the event will provide insight to help Nashville residents grapple with the many factors surrounding gentrification.
“We here at the colleges care about these issues and aren’t just exploring it from a purely academic standpoint,” he said. “We are trying to create a bigger dialogue so we can bring about positive change.”
For more information about Gentrification Across the Spectrum, contact Dr. Anthony Campbell at [email protected] or (615) 963-7098.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Many Tennessee State University students took a major leap toward their future Feb. 15.
More than 50 companies and organizations set up booths in Kean Hall for TSU’s second annual Spring Internship Fair.
TSU President Glenda Glover greets a vendor at the Spring Internship Fair in Kean Hall. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
TSU President Glenda Glover and a host of university officials stopped by the various booths to view the displays and greet vendors.
Alonzo Furtick, a graduating senior majoring in business marketing and graphic design, was one of the first students to show up.
The Charlotte, North Carolina native saw the fair as an opportunity to get an early start on a search for potential internship or employment opportunity.
“The fact that TSU gives us this kind of opportunity to grow and expand and be exposed to different areas is phenomenal,” Furtick said. “I am a senior, I expect to graduate this semester. Ideally, I am looking for any business marketing internship or graphic design internship.”
Altria, a Fortune 500 company based in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the sponsors of the fair. The company has partnered with the TSU Colleges of Life and Physical Sciences, and Engineering, to groom science and engineering students. It has already hired a TSU engineering graduate who was recruited as an intern at last year’s fair.
A recruitment team from Altria participates in the Spring Internship Fair. From left are: Latoya Boone, Priscilla Maquire, Lynora Lee and Roosevelt Reynolds. Reynolds, a reliability engineer at Altria’s facility in Nashville, is a TSU graduate. He was recruited as an intern at last year’s fair and worked his way up to full employment. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
“Tennessee State University is one of our target schools,” said Greg Shiflette, a recruiter and functional campus owner with Altria. “With Altria, we don’t go to all the schools in the country. We target our resources to specific universities, and so TSU is one of our target schools where we are dedicating our resources to come in and recruit.”
Roosevelt Reynolds, who graduated from TSU last December, is the reliability engineer at the Altria facility in Nashville. He joined the company as an intern and worked his way up to full-time employment.
“My TSU preparation as a mechanical engineer and capabilities in other areas of manufacturing gave me the tool to do the very work I am doing right now at Altria,” said Reynolds, who is from Birmingham, Alabama. “I am forever grateful to the College of Engineering, and especially Tennessee State University, for the exposure that has helped me to integrate myself in various processes in my work area.”
Reynolds is also part of Altria’s recruitment team.
Charles Jennings, director of TSU’s Career Development Center, said he is excited about the “overwhelming” growth of the fair in just its second year.
“When we had the Spring Internship Fair for the first time last year, we only had 28 employers who signed up,” Jennings said. “This year we have more than 50. We are very proud of the increase; we are very proud of the diversity of businesses and organizations that are here today.”
He credits the various colleges and departments for the success, especially the Office of Academic Affairs, which gave students excuse from class to come to the fair.
“This is really paying off for us,” Jennings said.
Some of the other companies, businesses and organizations at the fair were: Regions Bank, Skanska, Aramark, the Tennessee National Guard, Enterprise, and Nashville Public Television.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Rev. Jesse Jackson, renowned civil rights and social justice crusader, discussed voter registration, education, poverty and the commemoration of Black History Month during a forum at Tennessee State University on Tuesday.
TSU President Glenda Glover organized the forum, dubbed ‘A conversation with Civil Rights Icon Rev. Jesse Jackson.’
President Glenda Glover and the Rev. Jesse Jackson answer questions from the audience during the gathering. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
Jackson is making stops and holding discussions in Tennessee as part of efforts leading to the upcoming commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin King Jr.
Jackson, 76, was at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when King was shot on April 4.
Before coming to Nashville, Jackson made several stops in Memphis, including a “community town hall forum” at Mt. Pisgah CME Church, followed by “special greetings” at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. He also toured the Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital, a historic center where African Americans could get treatment during the segregation era.
“It is always a treat to have an iconic figure like Rev. Jackson to come to our campus, especially during Black History Month,” Glover said, in welcoming Jackson. “We are just pleased and honored to have him on our campus.”
Asking students, faculty, staff, administrators and visitors in a packed Forum to chant his famous “keep hope alive” line, Jackson said he was concerned about the direction of the nation.
Rev. Jackson, a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, is greeted by members of the organization with President Glover, Miss TSU Kayla Smith, and Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, Dr. Curtis Johnson. Jackson also received a portrait of himself, done by TSU student Brandon Van Leer. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
“What are you doing today to extend Dr. King’s legacy, as we celebrate Black History Month,” he asked. “Making education more affordable, breaking the poverty level among our people, and providing them more opportunities seem farther away every day.”
He said too few have too much and too many do not have much.
“Dr. King was about lifting African Americans out of poverty, but I am sorry to say that today 44 percent of all African Americans make less than $15 an hour. Black institutions like TSU have been the bedrock of education for blacks, but most survive on the whims of politics. That is not fair,” Jackson said.
To even the playing field, he said, the ballot box is the answer.
“You must register to vote,” he said, lamenting that four million blacks in the Deep South are not registered to vote. “Another 2.2 million who are registered did not vote in the last election.”
Jackson’s message on voter registration and Dr. King’s legacy seemed to resonate with Wesley Reed-Walton, of Chicago, an English major.
“It is just great to see someone who actually knew Dr. King,” Reed-Walton said. “I’m 22, so the only thing I know about Dr. King is what I’ve learned. So seeing someone that was this close to Dr. King is a humbling experience.”
Bryan Mack, of Washington, D.C., a junior architectural engineering and interior design major, agreed.
“I’m ecstatic,” Mack said. “I think this is good for us because we need to listen to someone who’s seen and been through it, to give us that motivation. Because right now, we’re really in a generation where we’re coasting. That flame needs to be lit underneath us. And I feel like this is the perfect time for that.”
“Every student should be registered to vote,” Jackson urged the students.
He said President Trump is calling for a military parade when 23,000 soldiers are on food stamps.
“That is disgraceful. You can change that by voting,” Jackson said.
Before leaving, Jackson, a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, was honored by members of the Greek organization. One member, Brandon Van Leer, a senior graphic design major from Nashville, presented Jackson with a portrait of himself.
Later, Dr. Glover hosted a reception at her residence for the civil rights leader.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Nearly 30 representatives from law enforcement agencies across Middle Tennessee met at Tennessee State University on Feb. 8 for intelligence and information sharing on crime prevention and how to address the state’s opioid crisis.
It was the monthly meeting of Crime Stoppers of Middle Tennessee, which included law enforcement chiefs, officers, detectives and security officers from counties, cities, universities and other jurisdictions in the region. The national opioid epidemic and its impact on the region was a major topic at the gathering.
Trevor Henderson, left, and Nichelle Foster, both from the Metro Health Department, make a presentation on the opioid epidemic, at the Crime Stoppers’ meeting. (Photo by Courtney Buggs, TSU Media Relations)
In a presentation, a team from the Metro Public Health Department reported on the level of abuse in the area. In 2016, the group reported, there were 1,631 overdose deaths in Tennessee. Of that number, 281 were in Davidson County. In overdose cases involving the ER, the group reported that the majority of people affected were between ages 18-44.
“This is very serious,” said Trevor Henderson, opioid coordinator in the Metro Health Department. “We are doing everything possible to keep bringing those numbers down.”
Nichelle Foster, also from the Metro Health Department, made the presentation with Henderson. Foster is from the Division of Behavioral Health and Wellness. She helps individuals recognize the difference between use, abuse and addiction to determine if the individual has substance use or risky lifestyle issues that need to be addressed in a treatment or educational setting.
Recently, TSU joined the fight to address the state’s opioid epidemic. The university implemented a new overdose prevention program to stop deaths associated with misuse and addiction.
Last month, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced an aggressive and comprehensive plan to end the opioid epidemic in Tennessee by focusing on prevention, treatment and law enforcement. Called TN Together, the plan includes providing every Tennessee state trooper with naloxone (NARCAN) for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose.
Under the TSU initiative, certified university police officers will be able to administer NARCAN Nasal Spray, a prescription medicine used for the treatment of an opioid emergency, such as an overdose. The initiative is in conjunction with Nashville Prevention, a division of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
“Our goal at the TSU Police Department is to minimize the likelihood that someone on our campus dies from an overdose of opiates,” said Aerin Washington, TSUPD’s crime prevention officer, who coordinated the Feb. 8 meeting. “We want to be on the cutting edge of this movement as we strive to serve the community in every aspect that we can.”
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee lawmakers will experience a wave of Tiger Blue at the state Legislature on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
TSU President Glenda Glover and administrators, faculty and students at 2017 TSU Day at the Capitol. Photo by John Cross (TSU Media Relations)
Tennessee State University administrators, faculty, students and alumni will be showcasing the university’s research and other innovative initiatives at the annual TSU Day at the Capitol.
TSU President Glenda Glover will kick-off the event with a ceremony at 9 a.m. in Senate Hearing Room II in the Cordell Hull Building. TSU visitors will have a chance to meet with lawmakers, who will see displays from some of the school’s various colleges and departments on the 8th floor of the building.
Robotics, red maple trees, and research presentations will be among the university’s diverse academic offerings.
Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of TSU’s College of Engineering, said TSU Day at the Capitol is “always an exciting day for TSU.”
Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of TSU’s College of Engineering, talks about life-size robotic tiger designed and built by TSU students at 2017 TSU Day at the Capitol. Photo by Lucas Johnson (TSU Media Relations)
“It allows us to display Tennessee’s investment in higher education, and the great things that are happening here at TSU.”
Emoni White, a sophomore in TSU’s College of Agriculture, agreed.
“I came to Tennessee State University because I wanted to become a vet, but I also get to contribute to the research being done at the farm,” said White, who is majoring in animal science. “I did not realize how much our research had helped small producers not just within the United States, but worldwide.”
Rep. Harold Love, Jr., whose district includes TSU, said he hopes young people in attendance will become more interested in the legislative process, and even try to have a voice in policymaking.
“When we talk about active citizen engagement and forming policy, this is a prime example of what we would like to see from all of our students at colleges and universities across the state,” Love said. “This is what citizens are supposed to do, come down and be actively involved in policy formulation when laws are being passed or proposals considered.”
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.
