NASHVILLE,
Tenn.(TSU News Service) – The name of TSU alum and musician Jazmin Ghent
continues to resound.
The jazz phenom recently received an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Jazz Album category for “The Story of Jaz.” In 2017, she was voted Best New Artist by the Smooth Jazz Network.
Jazmin Ghent
Ghent earned a master’s degree in music from
Tennessee State University in 2014. She said music has always been a part of
her life.
“If I didn’t have music, I know I wouldn’t be
where I am today,” she said. “Music distracted me from getting off track and
being something I’m not. It really allowed me to express myself and find
my way in life.”
Nicknamed “Jazzy Jaz” by her grandfather
Fletcher Gaines, who also played saxophone, Ghent grew up listening to
jazz standards from his music collection, as well as the music of Gerald
Albright, Kirk Whalum and Brian Culbertson.
Jazmin credits TSU for
playing a major role in her success.
She said Dr. Robert Elliot, head of the
Department of Music at TSU, her residence life coworkers Gregory Williams and
Brent Dukhie, and various members of the TSU family, provided direction
and support during her time at the university.
“I found out about the program at TSU through
the Bobby Jones Show,” she said. “I performed on his ‘Show Your
Talent Show,’ and went to do an interview with Dr. Elliot. He didn’t have
to give me a chance and an opportunity, but I am beyond thankful that he did.”
Elliot, who served as chair of Ghent’s thesis
committee, said that as a musician, Jazmin brings the “total package.”
“She is very much a modern saxophonist, but
she is well-grounded in the music of those greats who came before her, and she
has built upon that legacy,” he said.
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) –
Tennessee State University‘s Student Government Association has a new group of
officers for the 2019/2020 academic year.
The new student leadership, including a Mr.
TSU and a Miss TSU, was announced by the Student Election Commission on April 5,
during a ceremony in the university’s Amphitheater.
Kayla Sampson, the 89th Miss TSU, right, places the heirloom sash on the 90th Miss TSU, Jada Crisp. (Submitted Photo)
Frank Stevenson,
dean of students and associate vice president for Student Affairs, along with other
Student Affairs staff, was on hand to congratulate the new officers when the
election results were announced.
Katelyn Thompson,
of Memphis, a rising senior with a double major in criminal justice and
psychology, was elected the new SGA president, while Ryan Smith, a senior agricultural
science major from Atlanta, is the new SGA executive vice president.
Memphis native Jada
Crisp, a rising senior business supply chain management major, won the coveted
crown to become the 90th Miss Tennessee State University. Damyr
Moore, as the new Mr. TSU, will escort her. Moore is a senior mass
communications major from Atlanta.
SEC Chair, Jessica Fuqua, and SEC Member, Kobe Forman, announce the winners of the 2019/2020 SGA elections. (Submitted Photo)
“These new
officers are an amazing group of students,” said Tasha Andrews, director of
Student Activities. “The outgoing leadership did a great job and they left a nice
foundation for these students to continue to build upon. We are celebrating the
90th Miss TSU, so that’s exciting and a monumental year, so we want
to do some amazing things to celebrate that.”
Following is the
list of the new Miss TSU court and other members of the SGA:
Mr. Senior – Daryus Drayton – Psychology
Miss Senior – Kristian
Taylor – Marketing
Senior Class Treasurer
–
Lawrence Evans – Criminal Justice
Junior Class
President –
Makayla Davis – Mass Communication
Mr. Junior – Naton Smith,
Jr. – Health Sciences
Miss Junior – Maya Howard – Business
Marketing
Sophomore Class Vice
President –
Emmanuel Wallace – Agricultural Sciences
Mr. Sophomore – Mark Davis – Mass
Communications
Miss Sophomore – Mayora Berry – Mass Communications
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University alumnus and celebrated actor L. Warren Young speaks with nostalgia when he recalls piling into a room with other budding thespians during his freshman year at Tennessee State University.
L. Warren Young
“They had everybody in the speech and drama department to meet in one room. I think it was like 50 or 60 people there, and the instructors were talking to us. Everybody was like ‘Yeah man! We’re going to do this man! I’m going to be a movie star! I’m going to be in this play and get in this movie!’ Everybody had such high hopes,” said Young, who television viewers from around the world can watch currently as the recurring character Fred Williams from the hit TV series Greenleaf. “Out of the 50 to 60 people who were in the room at that moment, I am the only one left. The odds are against you, but you can beat the odds.”
Young spoke in the Strange Performing Arts Building in Rehearsal Hall on April 8. He expressed excitement about returning to Tennessee State University to share with students some of the insights he has learned from being in the acting industry for almost five decades.
“I’ve been in this business for 47 years. I’ve raised a family. I’ve had to do other jobs and things like
that, but I’ve always had my eye on the prize.
And as they say, I’m not finished yet,” he said.
Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Matthew McConaughey, Meagan Good and Will Ferrell represent just a few of the many well known actors Young has collaborated with on the set of countless TV shows and films including “Daddy’s Little Girls,” “The Blind Side,” “Saints and Sinners,” “Shots Fired,” “The Game, “Bessie,” “Meet The Browns,” “Nashville,” and “We Are Marshall.”
TSU senior professor of theatre and award-winning director Lawrence James said Young’s visit is a tremendous experience for students, as well as the entire TSU campus community.
L. Warren Young (middle) on the set of TV Series Greenleaf.
“It’s good to have beacons of light and success. This is an
opportunity for the students to get up close and personal with someone who is a
success,” James said. “We are always wanting to have role modes for our
students, and to have someone of LaParee’s caliber and success to come and talk
to the students should be extremely rewarding for them.”
Young, who entered TSU with a music scholarship and played trombone with the Aristocrat of Bands, also recalls being a member of the T.E. Poag Players Guild and Theta Alpha Phi National Honorary Dramatic Fraternity. He credits many of his TSU professors with teaching him skills he uses as a professional actor.
“One of the major forces in my career as a student was a
mentor, and Oprah Winfrey’s mentor as well, W. Drury Cox. He was the one,” Young said. “A very knowledgeable man, a very sound man,
a very personable man, and a very caring man. The four years I was at Tennessee
State, it was amazing to have him as a mentor.”
L. Warren Yooung as a student at TSU rehearsing for a theatrical production of the play ‘No Place To Be Somebody’ by Charles Gordone.
Jordan Young, a Nashville native and sophomore marketing
major at TSU, said his uncle consistently offered him great advice during his
time as a child actor.
“Sometimes as an actor I would get discouraged when I didn’t get call backs, and he always told me to keep my head up,” said Jordan Young.
Jordan, son of actor K. Addison Young, said his father and uncle had a lot to do with him attending TSU.
“They both went to TSU.
It was like a tradition in my family that for the first 17 years of my
life, we always used to go early in the morning to the parade. I’ve seen the
culture around here, and I’ve seen how much they have benefited from it,” he
said.
James hopes Young’s visit gives students across the campus a real look at what it takes to be a successful actor.
“Sometimes theatre is looked at as that kind of secondary art form, but now we can look and see all the wonderful movies and TV shows, particularly with young minorities starting out as far as television and film are concerned, with ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Insecure,’ ‘Atlanta’ and ‘Boomerang,’” James said. “All of these are wonderful movies, and others are starting theatre groups. The point is that theatre and the movie arts and television arts are alive, and I wish more of our students would focus there, and discipline themselves academically and artistically to be successes in those areas.”
Young, who emphasizes the importance of doing theatre for developing skills as an actor, said he performed in every theatrical production except for three, during his time as a TSU student. He said students must learn different acting techniques, as well as the business of acting in order to be truly successful.
“Learn what you can at an institution like Tennessee State
University that has the facilities to further your career, because those people
that have studied and learned the business of this business are the ones that
last and have the staying power,” he said. “There are a lot of people that may
get into a series today, and you don’t see them in another year, because a lot
of times they were just good for that particular role. They didn’t know how to
act; they knew how to just memorize lines.’
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.
The Tennessee State University Africana Studies Program, in partnership with DC Consult International, will host the US-Africa Business Opportunities and Exchange Conference, beginning Wednesday, April 3.
The conference will bring together federal and state
government leaders, industry experts, and private business leaders from the Southern
region of the United States around the themes of business development and
investment opportunities in the areas of green infrastructure, healthcare,
agriculture, entertainment and entrepreneurship.
“All eyes are on Africa in regard to future opportunities for business investment. The timing of this conference couldn’t be any better, and I encourage everyone to participate,” said TSU assistant professor of business administration Isaac Addae, who will present at the conference. “Strong relationships are a major aspect of achieving business success on the continent, and this conference provides a great opportunity to forge partnerships with individuals currently doing business across Africa.”
Isaac Addae
Diana C. Onyejiaka, founder of DCCI and an alumna of TSU, said attendees can expect panel sessions to include: Civil Rights, Pan Africanism, and Decolonization: Making the Connection; Agribusiness with Africa; Entertainment: Africa’s Next Export; Female Empowerment For Economic Growth and Sustainability; Healthcare Systems and Primary Care; Green Infrastructure for Urban Development in Africa; and Blockchain Technology for Developing Nations.
“I graduated from TSU with plans to go to law school, come out, and only practice law in the United States,” said Onyejiaka, who obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in political science with minors in philosophy and psychology in 2007 and a master’s in public administration from the university in 2013. “However, when I started learning about the different types of business engagements that many international firms engaged with Africa, I was determined to create something similar. I wanted to participate in those business engagements too.”
Onyejiaka, the main organizer of the conference and a speaker for the “Entertainment: Africa’s Next Export” session, also obtained her Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center in 2014. Addae and Samuel O’Sesin, digital and marketing strategist and owner of Gadgetivo, an online “gadget mall,” will serve as speakers for the “Millennials, Capital and Opportunities” session.
Samuel O’Sesin
The Culture
& Creative Industries Council (CCIC) Awards Gala at 7:30 p.m. on April 5, will
honor men, women, and organizations that heavily impact Africa and its diaspora.
The gala, themed “A Night Dedicated to People of African Descent,” will include
a dinner catered from Pole’ Pole’, a local mobile and catering food service that offers gourmet
cuisine from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a traditional dance performance
from Nigeria, West Africa, and live music from Uzoma Obiora and The Path
to Freedom.
Onyejiaka hopes to attract millennials to the conference so they can become more informed about the vital role Africa will play in the future of the global economy.
“I want students to be informed about the shift currently
happening. The United Nations projects that by 2050, 1 in 4 people on Earth
will be African and that Africa will likely be the only region that will
continue to grow after 2050,” she said. “I would say that the average American
student today should expect that he or she will likely engage in business with
or in Africa at some point of their career. It is inevitable.”
Uzoma Obiora
The TSU Africana Studies Program offers an 18 credit hour Minor designed to complement a student’s major in one of the university’s degree granting programs. The program’s curriculum and pedagogy are designed to prepare students for success in a diverse and increasingly interdependent global economy and job market.
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Agriculture recently hosted a program to equip students with the tools to address environmental and public health challenges in their communities.
Eleven students from eight
1890 Land Grant Universities participated in the Environmental Justice Academy
March 19-21. Academy participants engaged in a series of virtual and
interactive classroom sessions that help shape the principles of an effective
Environmental Justice leader.
Courses included
environmental law and regulations, community capacity building, strategic
partnership and development of replication of best practices.
“I’m
glad to collaborate with the US Forest Service and Environmental Protection
Agency to pilot the 1890 Environmental Justice Academy,” said Dr. De’Etra
Young, assistant professor in the College of Ag. “We’re equipping students to
be leaders.”
Besides
TSU, participating institutions included: Alcorn University, Florida A&M
Law, Fort Valley State University, South Carolina State University, Southern
University and A&M College, Tuskegee University, and University of Maryland
Eastern Shore.
Participant
Brittanii Wade will be finishing law school in Florida A&M in a little over
a month and plans to pursue environmental justice.
“Environmental
justice ensures that every community, especially minority communities, have
clean air, clean water, and clean soil,” said Wade. “I need the tools that
they’re teaching so I can apply them at the community level, city level, state
level, federal level, whichever direction I go in.”
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Political commentator and analyst Angela Rye served as the special guest for this year’s Women of Legend and Merit Awards Dinner at Tennessee State University, as part of the TSU Women’s Center’s effort to celebrate Women’s History Month.
Rye, who offers regular on-air commentary for several media outlets including BET, CNN, MSNBC, and TV One, spoke briefly from the podium and then participated in a seated interview-style presentation. She answered questions from various attendees, including TSU President Glenda Glover and addressed several issues, such as affirmative action, the legitimacy of legacy admissions and the need for a black agenda.
“I want to help establish what a black agenda should look like,
not just for 2020, but ongoing,” Rye said.
“Do you all know that before the Emancipation Proclamation, every year
black folks met to talk about our political agenda? The last time we did that
collectively, where there was a lot of attention drawn to it, was in 1972 in
Gary, Indiana.”
During a light-hearted moment towards the end of the
conversation, Glover suggested a petition be started for Rye to run for
president. She encouraged the audience
with the chant, “Run! Angie Run! Run! Angie Run!”
Angela Rye
“You want me to run right out that door,” Rye jokingly replied.
Seanne Wilson, chairperson of the event, which took place in
Kean Hall Auditorium, said the annual awards dinner raises money for student
scholarships and highlights the careers of women she hopes her students will
emulate.
“As we know, this is the year of the woman, and women are being
more vocal, and we are owning who we are. It’s very important with us
attempting to educate these young ladies, that they are aware of opportunities
and not afraid to speak out and to speak up for their rights,” said Wilson, who
serves as coordinator of the TSU Women’s Center.
According to Wilson, the center is a “safe zone” for women at TSU who experience issues such as fear, anxiety and depression, as well as domestic violence, homelessness and the lack of food.
Lyric Carter, a freshman civil engineering major who serves as a work-study student for the Women’s Center, said she was inspired by Rye’s comments.
” If we don’t speak for us, who is going to speak for us,” Carter said.
Vivian Wilhoite, Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County property accessor and a former Women of Legend and Merit honoree, said the event is important because it celebrates the women.
“We do not do enough to recognize women in the various areas of
the world, whether it be in business or leadership or government or strong
women committed to different topics and issues,” she said. “I really think there are so many women doing
so many different things, and we really cannot do enough to honor them.”
Several women where
honored during this year’s event including: Veronica Marable Johnson,
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce New Member Representative; Dr. Robbie
Melton, TSU interim dean of the Graduate School; Karen Johnson, Davidson County
Register of Deeds; Attorney Cynthia Fitzgerald; Attorney Joy Kimbrough; Dr.
Judy Cummings, Pastor of New Covenant Christian Church; and Zaya Mouto, a
sophomore Business Administration major who received the “Rising Star” Award.
Editor’s Note: Featured photo by Ramona Whitworth Wiggins
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Political Commentator and Analyst Angela Rye will serve as the keynote speaker for this year’s Women of Legend and Merit Awards Dinner at Tennessee State University on March 19 as part of the TSU Women’s Center’s effort to celebrate Women’s History Month.
Rye, who offers regular on-air commentary for several media outlets including BET, CNN, MSNBC, and TV One, will speak about “Making An Impact Economically, Civically, and Politically.” The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Kean Hall on the main campus.
Seanne Wilson, chairperson of the event, which raises money for student scholarships, said she hopes Rye’s visit will inspire young women at TSU to be more aware of the power of their voice.
“As we know, this is the year of the woman, and women are being more vocal and we are owning who we are. It’s very important with us attempting to educate these young ladies, that they are aware of opportunities and not afraid to speak out and to speak up for their rights,” said Wilson, who serves as coordinator of the TSU Women’s Center.
Wilson said an increasing number of young women in the Nashville community have expressed interest in attending this year’s event because of Rye.
“I think that a lot of women, whether they are in politics or not, will feel coached and mentored by her, or feel empowered by her. And empowering women is something that the Women’s Center attempts to do,” Wilson said. “There are so many people out there who are interested in how we have gotten into this political climate. How did we get here? And how do we fix the problems that we see?”
According to Wilson, the Women’s Center is a “safe zone” for women at TSU who experience issues such as fear, anxiety and depression, as well as domestic violence, homelessness and the lack of food. She said this year for Women’s History Month, the Women’s Center hopes to inspire students by bringing numerous professional women to campus, including judges, political figures, entrepreneurs, chief executive officers, and international women of distinction.
Several women will be honored during this year’s event including: Veronica Marable Johnson, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce New Member Representative; Dr. Robbie Melton, TSU interim dean of the Graduate School; Karen Johnson, Davidson County Register of Deeds; Attorney Cynthia Fitzgerald; Attorney Joy Kimbrough; Dr. Judy Cummings, Pastor of New Covenant Christian Church; and Zaya Mouto, a sophomore Business Administration major who will receive the “Rising Star” Award.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University mass communication students got a special treat in Los Angeles recently when they visited the home of music legend Lionel Richie.
The students were in L.A. as part of their Extreme Spring Break trip. Joining the students was Joe Richie, who serves as Director of the Center for Media Arts and Production, which is housed within the Department of Communications. Joe Richie and Lionel Richie are first cousins.
Joe Richie (right) and cousin Lionel. (Submitted photo)
Lionel
Richie talked to the students about the media business and how to make the most
of their talents and gifts, according to Dr. Tameka Winston, department chair
and associate professor.
“Our students had an amazing time during their immersive learning experience,” she said.
As
part of Extreme Spring Break, students earn course credit for the week-long experience
that provides them with actual hands on learning in the fields of journalism, film
and Television, and Marketing/PR.
The
students also get one-on-one time with industry professionals, diversity
officers, internship coordinators, and hiring managers.
Winston
said she hopes the students will have the same success as those who have
graduated from the department.
Spencer
Glover, a 2012 TSU graduate, took home the Emmy editing/program during the 33rd
Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards on Feb. 16. 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 Winston.
Also
at the awards ceremony, 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 a church shooting.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Kayla McCrary
is an author!
Her children’s
book, “Dream Girl, Dream!,” with illustrations by Brandon Van Leer, just came out
and it is receiving wide acclaim.
“Writing has always
been my first love and it’s always something I wanted to do,” she says. “So
when I found the inspiration, I said I really want to write a children’s book.”
“Dream Girl,
Dream,” based on personal experiences, courage and an effort to inspire young
kids to be their best, comes amid personal tragedy and the need for strength to
move on.
Now a graduating
senior and president of the Student Government Association at Tennessee State
University, McCrary lost her mother in the first semester of her freshman year
at TSU. Her mother’s death also meant becoming the sole mother figure for her
then 5-year-old sister, Regan Christian. Devastated, lost and confused,
McCrary says she was torn between dropping out and trying to help her
sister cope with the aftermath of their mother’s passing.
“It was hard,”
says McCrary, an Atlanta native. “Losing our mother at such an early
age for my little sister, and me just starting in college, was
very difficult for me. She was our biggest support and friend. I thought,
how is my sister going to make it and how can I concentrate on school when she
needs me?”
Surprisingly,
McCrary says her sister showed remarkable resolve and strength that “shocked
me.”
“At the time
my sister was five and she was literally so strong,” says McCrary, who majors
in English with a minor in political science. “She is what kept me together,
and helped me get through a lot of things. Seeing her, I realized I had to be
the role model, and I had to raise her. She looks to me now. Everything I do is
to show her that if I can do it, she can do it too.”
Kayla McCrary says her dream is to become a renowned author, philosopher, attorney and humanitarian. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
Unlike McCrary, who struggles in math and does well in reading, her sister is the opposite. That parallel, she says, is one of the main inspirations behind “Dream Girl, Dream!”
“For me, growing
up, I struggled in math. Reading and language arts were my strongest subjects.
For her, she excels in math, but she doesn’t do too well in reading. I
think it is mainly because she just doesn’t like reading. So, I figure if I
wrote a book, she would be inspired to want to read it. And she has read it and
does have copies of it. Her reading has improved. Reading the book I think has
inspired her. She told our dad – Reginald Christian – the other day, ‘It’s not
fair, sister gets to have a book and a YouTube channel.’ So, I am definitely
teaching her how to go after everything she wants. I think she is getting it.,”
says McCrary.
With a goal of
pursuing graduate studies or entering law school after college, McCrary says in
addition to her sister, the book is about inspiring children, “especially
children of color, …and about the HBCU experience.” Her aspiration is to be a
world-renowned author, philosopher, attorney and humanitarian.
“Dream Girl, Dream!” is mainly a story of inspiration,” she says. “Sometimes in life you go through things that are just not expected, and a lot of things are out of your control. So I want them to know, ‘No matter what your current circumstances are, dream as big as you want to. If your dreams don’t scare you then they are not big enough.’ To some people, writing a children’s book may not seem like a big thing, but for me, it’s everything because I can’t believe I actually did it.”
Angelique Wells, a
junior psychology major at TSU, who has faced some difficulties of her own, has
read McCrary’s book.
“It is definitely a great read and inspiring,” says Wells, of Nashville, who has known McCrary since entering TSU. “Throughout Kayla’s hardship she still persevered and continued to go on and become president of the SGA and stay active in her college career. That is an inspiration to me because without knowing, she has inspired me to go after a few things. It is a great book. I recommend it to all ages.”
For Van Leer, a TSU graduate and local artist who did the illustration for “Dream Girl, Dream,” working with McCrary was a “professional fulfillment.”
“Kayla approached
me after school got out. I had never done a project like this before, but
knowing me, I was not good at saying no,” says. Van Leer, known for painting
likenesses of individuals like the late world-renowned heart surgeon Dr. Levi
Watkins, Jr., and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
“I just wanted to
take on the project because I love Kayla’s story,” he says. “I love what she
was doing. We are both African-Americans, we are both at the same institution
(at the time) and we are just doing something positive for the community. Her
story was great, and it was a children’s book. You don’t really see that many
African-Americans working together. The story was touching and I was just
honored by it.”
“Dream Girl Dream!” is available in paperback on Amazon and Google Books.
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.
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
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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.
