Tag Archives: Kamala Harris

TSU alumni cap off historic commencement with $2.8 million donation to University, including $300,000 presented over the weekend

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Vice President Kamala Harris wasn’t the only thing that made students and family cheer and applaud on Saturday, May 7 during the Tennessee State University Spring Undergraduate Commencement. Without a doubt, Vice President Harris was the main attraction as the crowd roared with excitement as she arrived at Hale stadium. The audience hung on every word of her dynamic and historic commencement address. However, the second loudest cheers were for the TSU Vintagers as University President Glenda Glover announced their $300,000 donation for student scholarships. With the gift, the group’s contribution to the institution has totaled more than $2.8 million since July 2019. 

Each Spring Commencement, as part of their week-long events, Vintagers dress in caps and gowns and join the ceremony to relive their graduation day. (Submitted photo)

“We thank you for your generosity and commitment to continue to think of TSU often, to work for TUS’s continued growth and development, and to serve TSU for many more years to come,” said TSU President Glover.  

On commencement eve, TSU Vintagers – a group of individuals who graduated from the institution 40 years or more ago – presented President Glover with the $300,000 check for scholarships and other University needs. 

Barbara Murrell, of the class of 1960, was among those who presented the check to President Glover. She said Vintagers are glad to return to the “Land of Golden Sunshine” each year to demonstrate their support of the institution and students through scholarships. She hailed President Glover for the choice of Vice President Kama Harris as the commencement speaker. 

President Glenda Glover presents a special award to Dr, Katie Kinnard White, member of the Class of 1952, as the oldest living Vintager. Dr, White is 90 years old. (Submitted photo)

“It was a glorious and historic day at TSU as Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States of America, congratulated and empowered graduates with a message of reality, high expectations, possibilities and hope,” said Murrell, who was a senior administrator at the university for many years. 

Following the vice president’s address, the Golden Vintagers, highlighting 50 years of service to TSU since graduating, were next on the program to cross the stage. Each received a certificate of appreciation.  

Newly inducted Vintager Ronald Ashley, class agent for the class of 1980, said planned activities for the past years were put off because of the pandemic, but considering the well-planned events culminating with the appearance of the Vice President, “it was well worth the wait.” 

“To come back to TSU face-to-face with the members of all the other classes, the energy that we all felt and the love for the school and being able to see and hear what other alums have done within their class as far as their financial donation, was just overwhelming,” Ashley said. “I was just filled with emotion and joy yesterday as we sat in Hale Stadium and witnessed the vice president of the United States of America come to our campus, our stage to address the graduates as well as the Tennessee State family. That was truly special.”

Vintager Class Agents present donations from their individual groups, (Submitted photo)

The Vintagers’ donations and other charitable gifts to the university are managed by the TSU Foundation to support literary, scientific, educational, scholarship, charitable and development purposes and goals at the university. 

Dr. Grandville Sawyer, an alumnus and coordinator of alumni affairs, came up with the name Vintagers in 1962, on the 50th anniversary of the university. The program is now in its 70th year. Each spring commencement, members return and hold different functions. On graduation day, they dress in caps and gowns and join the ceremony to relive their graduation day. They also induct new members, as well as celebrate those entering their “golden” years (70, 71, 72) of graduation. This year’s newly inducted members are from the classes of ’80, ’81, and ’82. 

This year, a key highlight of the Vintagers’ events was the celebration of the oldest living member, Dr. Katie Kinnard White, member of the class of 1952, who is 90 years old. 

Debbi Howard, Director of Alumni Relations, welcomes Vintagers to their annual class reunion ceremony, (Submitted Photo)

Debbi Howard, director of Alumni Relations, said Vintagers reunions offer a rich tradition of reconnecting classmates with their alma mater, as well as reflecting on the tremendous impact TSU has made on their life. 

“We are glad that this reunion, like all of those in the past, gave you the opportunity to rekindle many lifelong friendships, as well as reminisce on the people, places and events that made your experience at TSU so memorable,” Howard said. She thanked her staff, alumni and volunteers who helped to make the Vintagers’ week successful.

You can view the 2022 Spring Undergraduate Commencement, including the Golden Vintagers ceremony on the TSU YouTube channel by visiting tnstate.edu.

TSU gears up for Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic commencement address as excitement builds

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University officials say the campus is all a buzz as the 2022 Spring Commencement ceremonies kicked off on Friday and continues this morning with Vice President Kamala Harris. Vice President Harris will deliver the keynote address at the Undergraduate Spring Commencement ceremony at 9 a.m., at Hale Stadium.

“Overjoyed is an understatement to how I feel about Vice President Kamala Harris delivering the keynote address,” says Tiara Thomas, student trustee on the TSU Board of Trustees, who will receive her bachelor’s degree in political science.

“I am so grateful to have a woman like Vice President Harris who has been exactly where I’ve been, step by step, as an HBCU grad, and is where I’d like to be someday. This has pushed my TSU experience over the top.” 

Mallory Moore, a Birmingham native and outgoing Miss TSU, added, “I am super excited to have as my commencement speaker the most distinguished HBCU alumnus in the United States.” Moore is receiving her undergraduate degree in health science.

Sydnei Everett’s graduation is still a year away, but the first-year graduate student is among many like her who wish they were graduating Saturday. 

“I looked on Instagram and saw that TSU had posted the graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies and I said, ‘wait a minute, is that Vice President Kamala Harris?’ She’s actually speaking to the Class of 2022,” Everett says. “I wish that was my class. I look up to Kamala Harris a lot. Not only is she my sorer, but just a prominent figure for black women today.” 

Derrick Sanders, the outgoing Student Government Association president, who will receive his bachelor’s degree in English on Saturday, sums up all the excitements this way: “Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to TSU as the commencement speaker is a chance for students to see who they have the ability to be, hear from one who sat in the same seat as they, and be inspired by one of the most distinguished HBCU alumni in the United Stated of America. This opportunity speaks volume to the fact that anything is possible if you have the right mind.” 

You must have a ticket to attend today’s commencement with Vice President Harris. Graduates received 10 tickets for the event. Nearly 600 graduates are expected to walk across the stage. On Friday, Birmingham, Alabama Mayor Randall Woodfin was the keynote speaker for the Graduate Commencement ceremony. Music industry giants and mega producers Dallas Austin and Sir James the Baptist received honorary doctoral degrees along with PhD and master’s candidates. 

For more information on https://www.tnstate.edu/records/commencement/

Graduating seniors are excited with anticipation about the historic visit to mark this major milestone in their lives.

 

Vice President Kamala Harris to headline Tennessee State University commencement, will also feature Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin

By Kelli Sharpe

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Vice President Kamala Harris will headline Tennessee State University’s 2022 Spring Commencement in May. Vice President Harris will deliver the keynote address for the undergraduate Commencement on Saturday, May 7 at 9 a.m. CDT in Hale Stadium. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin will address graduate students at an indoor ceremony on Friday, May 6 at 5 p.m. CDT in the Gentry Center Complex.  University officials say nearly 900 students will receive degrees in various disciplines.   

“We are excited to have the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris and Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham, two trailblazers and history makers, deliver the keynote address for our commencement ceremonies,” says TSU President Glenda Glover.   

“Commencement marks a major milestone in our students’ lives, but to have the Vice President of the United States as your guest speaker makes this moment even more special for our students and their families. I believe they will also appreciate the fact that both Vice President Harris and Mayor Woodfin are HBCU graduates, a testament to the caliber of students TSU and other HBCUs produce. The TSU family looks forward to both ceremonies and featured speakers.”   

Both ceremonies will follow COVID-19 guidelines. For more information on Spring Commencement 2022, visit www.tnstate.edu/commencement.  President Glenda Glover will be available for interviews via Zoom or by phone. Contact the TSU Media Relations Office to schedule a time.

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU students, fellow sorority members inspired by Vice President Harris and impact on HBCUs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated chapter at Tennessee State University say they are proud to see Kamala Harris, a fellow member and HBCU grad, become vice president of the United States, but they’re even more excited about the attention she brings to historically black colleges and universities.  

TSU President Glenda Glover

Harris was sworn in at a star-studded inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday with former Vice President Joseph Biden Jr., now the 46th president of the United States. Harris is an alumna of Howard University, an HBCU.

“Senator Harris’ swearing in is a full circle moment for HBCUs and African-American Greek organizations that worked tirelessly to give the black community a voice from the turn of the century, through Jim Crow and the civil rights movement, to present day,” said AKA International President and CEO Dr. Glenda Glover, who is also president of TSU. “Vice President Harris’ ascension to a successful, dedicated public servant is a direct correlation to the philosophy HBCUs and our Black Greek organizations impress upon our students.”

Tiara Thomas

Before the inauguration, Glover announced that the service organization would declare Wednesday, January 20, 2021 as Soror Kamala D. Harris Day. 

“Like so many of you, I am simply beaming with pride as we witness the inauguration ceremony of a HBCU graduate, member of the Divine Nine, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kamala D. Harris, to the Office of Vice President of the United States,” said Glover. 

Junior Tiara Thomas, a member of TSU’s Alpha Psi Chapter of AKA and student representative on the university’s Board of Trustees, said she was “overwhelmed with emotions” when Harris was sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first woman of color to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.  

Jeia Moore

“I am joyful to see a black woman elevate to such heights, especially during these racially divided times,” said Thomas, a political science major from Olive Branch, Mississippi. “VP Harris has done for little black girls what President (Barack) Obama was able to do for little black boys. Vice President Harris has broken the concrete ceiling for girls like me aspiring to succeed in politics. I could one day be the next Kamala Harris.” 

AKA member Jeia Moore is a junior from Memphis majoring in business information systems. She said the fact that Harris graduated from an HBCU shines a spotlight on the 100-plus historically-black institutions.  

“It shows that despite their struggles, HBCUs prepare students for success,” said Moore. “As an HBCU student at TSU, I’m ready for what comes after graduation.”  

Ammria Carter

AKA member Ammria Carter agreed.  

“It speaks volumes to how prepared you can be after attending an HBCU,” said Carter, a junior political science major from Cleveland, Ohio. “Vice President Harris has inspired me to work even harder.” 


When Biden selected Harris to be his running mate, TSU Political Science Professor Brian Russell predicted Harris would cause more young people to consider attending HBCUs if she became vice president.  


“It’s going to energize a lot of younger African-American students to look in the HBCU direction,” said Russell. “That’s going to be exciting.” 

In a virtual address to TSU’s faculty and staff on Tuesday, Glover said she is among HBCU leaders who have personally met with Biden and Harris to discuss ways to help HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. Glover said the Biden-Harris administration has pledged $70 billion to the institutions, including $20 billion that will help them increase research facilities they need to compete with larger universities.  

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris expected to have generational impact, say TSU president and others

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover and other members of the TSU family say U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and what she has the potential to achieve will impact generations to come. 

TSU President Glenda Glover

The world tuned in to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to see the inauguration of Harris and Joseph Biden Jr., who became the 46th president of the United States.  

“Words cannot express how proud I was seeing Kamala Harris, an African-American woman and HBCU graduate, sworn in as vice president of the United States. This is a great day for our country, historically black colleges and universities, and for all of us!” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “African-American women have been the backbone of this country, and now an African-American woman has ascended to the second highest office in the nation; with the opportunity to create policies that will impact us for generations to come. I particularly look forward to legislation that will enhance TSU as a premiere institution and our entire HBCU family.”  

Dr. Samantha Morgan-Curtis

Harris is now the nation’s first female vice president, first black vice president and first black female vice president.  

“From this day forward, it will be normal for a woman to be the vice president of the United States, for a black person to be vice president of the United States, and for a citizen of Asian descent to be vice president of the United States,” said Samantha Morgan-Curtis, a Women’s Studies faculty member and dean of the College of Liberal Arts at TSU.  

“When we watched Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first woman of color to sit on the Supreme Court, swear in Kamala Harris as the vice president of the United States, we recognized that representation matters and works. This lesson is as important for young men, as it is for the young women.” 

Senior Dominique Davis

Dominique Davis, the president of TSU’s Student Government Association, agreed.  

“Vice President Harris’ victory is exactly what the world needed to see transpire, especially African-American women,” said the senior business administration major from Danville, Illinois. “For far too long, African-American women have been underrepresented. However, Vice President Harris, along with many other power houses, have certainly began to shift that reality. I have faith that Vice President Harris will guide and elevate America as we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times.” 

Dr. Learotha Williams, a history professor at TSU, said some now ask the question: Is Vice President Kamala Harris the most powerful woman in world history?  

Dr. Learotha Williams

“If one can make the argument that the United States—for reasons good and bad—is the most powerful nation in human history, then her place as vice president, as the last voice in the room before the president makes an important decision, and her position, which is but a metaphorical and physical heartbeat from the presidency, then the answer is yes,” said Williams. “Her position and the power associated with it are not titular or ceremonial, they are real.”  

Dr. Robert Elliott, head of TSU’s Department of Music, said he realized Harris’ impact on future generations while talking to his granddaughters – 9 and 10 – at breakfast before the inauguration was televised.  

“One told me, ‘This is like the first time in the history of the world that we will have a woman vice president,’” recalled Elliott. “The other said, ‘Yeah, and in four or eight years, maybe we will have the first woman president because all of the ones before were men.’ It is great to see these young girls feeling empowered and believing that there are no limits to what women can do or be.” 

Dr. Robert Eilliott and his granddaughters, Chloe (l), Leah (r).

Other women before Harris to seek the position of president or vice president include Shirley Chisholm, who in 1972 became the first Black American and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. Geraldine Ferraro was the first female vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, in 1984. In 2008, Alaska’s then-governor Sarah Palin was Republican John McCain’s running mate. 

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

TSU political analysts predict Kamala Harris selection will further galvanize young voters, spark interest in HBCUs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s selection of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate will not only further energize young voters, but also renew interest in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

TSU President Glenda Glover

That’s what political analysts at Tennessee State University have to say after Biden made the announcement this week. If he wins in November, Harris would become the nation’s first female vice president, first black vice president and first black female vice president. 

Geraldine Ferraro was the first female vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, in 1984. In 2008, Alaska’s then-governor Sarah Palin was Republican John McCain’s running mate.

TSU President Glenda Glover said Biden’s announcement was a great moment for our country, African-Americans, and for women.

“Senator Harris’ selection is a full circle moment for HBCUs and African-American Greek organizations that worked tirelessly to give the black community a voice from the turn of the century, through Jim Crow and the civil rights movement, to present day,” President Glover said.

“As the president of Tennessee State University, a premiere HBCU, and as International President of AKA, in which Sen. Harris is a member, I am doubly proud of this selection. I also commend Vice President Joe Biden for his insight to bring someone of Sen. Harris’ stature to the ticket. She is intelligent, experienced, charismatic and above all qualified for the job.” 

Glover added, “African-American women have been the backbone of this country, and now an African-American woman has the opportunity to ascend to the second highest office in the nation; with the opportunity to create policies that will impact us for generations to come.” 

Dr. Samantha Morgan-Curtis, a Women’s Studies faculty member and dean of the College of Liberal Arts at TSU, said Harris is “historic on several levels.”

Morgan-Curtis said Harris’ selection is a continuation of the “wave of activism” during the 2018 midterm elections in which there were historic firsts for women of color. To name a few, Democrats Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib became the first Muslim women elected to Congress, and Democrats Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids became the first Native American women elected to Congress.

Junior Tiara Thomas

TSU junior Tiara Thomas said it is inspiring to see someone who looks like her get a step closer to being the second most powerful person in the United States. 

“I think what Kamala Harris is doing for black women is what (former President) Barack Obama did for black men in America,” said Thomas, a political science major from Olive Branch, Mississippi, and the creator of TSU Votes, a social medial platform. “It gives us another crack in the glass ceiling.”

In 1972, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black American and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. Now, said Thomas, Harris is standing on her shoulders.

“it’s cool to see history kind of reinvent itself,” said Thomas. “To see a black woman actually be put on the (presidential) ballot, it’s amazing.”

In the four hours after Biden announced Harris as his running mate, ActBlue, the Democrats’ main fundraising platform, reported more than $10.8 million in donations. TSU political analysts predict Harris will have a similar effect on voters.

They say her selection will not only galvanize female voters, but all voters, particularly young ones, disgruntled over continued social injustice, like the deaths of George Floyd and other black men and women due to police brutality.

“I’m always impressed with how worked up our students can get, and how they focus that on things,” said Erik Schmeller, a history professor and director of the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement at TSU.

“National organizations are also pushing the message, that this is your opportunity to get engaged and make a difference.”

TSU Political Science Professor Brian Russell predicts Harris, an alumna of Howard University and a member of the prominent black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., will cause more young people to consider attending HBCUs, especially if Biden is elected president.

“It’s going to energize a lot of younger African-American students to look in the HBCU direction,” said Russell. “That’s going to be exciting.”

To learn more about the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement at TSU, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/servicelearning/.

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.