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Tennessee State University Students, Volunteers Participate in MLK Day of Service, Continue King’s Legacy

April 7, 2018 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – On Saturday, April 7, Tennessee State University participated in a Joint Day of Service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The event was originally scheduled for Jan. 13, but was postponed because of inclement weather.

More than 200 TSU students joined others from area universities and colleges to perform service projects across Metro Nashville.

TSU students help prepare 10,000 meals for the hungry during an MLK Day of Service activity at the Gentry Complex. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

Organizers said the Day of Service, which took place amid the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of King’s death, is a continuation of the late civil right leader’s legacy.

“What better way to commemorate him than by serving others,” said Shirley Nix-Davis, director of outreach for TSU’s Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement. “One of his quotes is, ‘everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.’”

On Wednesday, TSU remembered King by ringing a bell 39 times, the age of the civil rights icon when he was gunned down in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. An excerpt was played of King’s prophetic “I Have Been to the Mountaintop” speech, and a wreath was presented in his honor.

“I want the students to walk away with the knowledge that they must participate in political and economic struggles that are still going on,” said President Glenda Glover, whose father worked for the sanitation department in Memphis where King was helping energize workers who were on strike.

“We want students to understand that those not registered to vote, must indeed do so.”

On Saturday at TSU’s Gentry Complex, about 60 volunteers worked with Rise Against Hunger, a humanitarian group, to prepare 10,000 meals for families in need around the world.

Kesha Patrice, a TSU Ph.D. student in counseling psychology from Sacramento, California, was one of them. She said Dr. King “stood for treating others as equals and giving back” to those who are less fortunate.

TSU Ph.D. student Kesha Patrice sounded the Chinese bell every time volunteers reached a 1,000-packaging mark during the meal preparation at the Gentry Complex. The goal was 10,000 packages. (photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

“There are lots of people who are either less fortunate or been hit by a natural disaster who are not able to get food supply,” Patrice said. “One of Dr. King’s messages was ‘to bring light to darkness,’ and that’s what we are doing today by packaging all this meals to help those who are hungry.”

Patrice’s fellow Ph.D. student, Michael Oyeteju, also majoring in counseling psychology, said “it is very satisfying” to give back.

“Taking time out of my Saturday to give back to those who may be more in need, whether it is my own community or internationally, just makes me feel real good to know that someone is benefitting from my little help,” said Oyeteju, from Houston.

Last year, more than 300 TSU students participated in various MLK Day of Service projects around Nashville that included working with kids, assisting elderly residents, packing food and painting.

Dr. Linda Guthrie is the director of the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement. She said in addition to giving back, it is important for students to engage in service learning activities as part of their college work.

“By coming out and doing this, students are showing leadership skills, communication skills, and something good they can put on their resumes when they are looking for jobs,” said Guthrie. “This way they are also able to reach out to the community.”

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.

EVENTS, NEWS

Tennessee State University Recognized in Mayor’s Workplace Challenge

May 7, 2015 Emmanuel Freeman

Challenge Recognizes Organizations for Being Green, Healthy and Involved in Community

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University has once again been recognized by the city for service to the community when Mayor Carl Dean announced the 2015 recipients of the Mayor’s Workplace Challenge Awards.

The University received platinum recognition for community involvement and as a local well-being healthy advocate, and gold recognition for activities and attentiveness to the environment.

“It’s wonderful to receive the environmental and community involvement recognition from the Mayor’s office,” said Dr. Linda Guthrie, director of the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement. “We have a long history of service to our local community, promote an active and healthy workplace, and strive to become a leader in sustainability while reducing our environmental footprint. These awards recognize the hard work and dedication of the entire TSU community to make the city we live in a better place.”

Started in 2012, the Mayor’s Workplace Challenge encourages and recognizes places of work to excel in three areas that contribute to a high quality of life: being green, healthy and involved in the community. It is the first three-tiered challenge of its kind in the country, and other cities are replicating this initiative in their own communities. This year, over 235 workplaces representing more than 105,000 employees in Nashville participated in the challenge.

“I applaud the continued success of these workplaces in being environmentally friendly, promoting healthy choices among its employees and encouraging a culture of service through volunteerism,” Mayor Dean said. “The responses to the Workplace Challenge continue to be impressive and further exemplify why Nashville is such a great city to live and work.”

New to the challenge for this round was the Diamond level, which 20 workplaces achieved. Nearly all the participating workplaces, including TSU, were honored with either a diamond, platinum, gold, silver or bronze seal of recognition for their success in one or more of the three categories this past year.

The Mayor’s Workplace Challenge builds on the momentum of other city initiatives to improve the quality of life in Nashville, including health challenges like Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor, the Mayor’s Challenge 5K Walk/Run and Kids’ Fun Run, and Mayor’s Field Day; green efforts such as the Nashville Open Space Plan and Nashville Energy Works energy-saving initiative; and community engagement through the Cities of Service Impact Nashville program to increase volunteerism and Excellence in Volunteer Engagement.

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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.

EVENTS, NEWS

TSU, Sister Institutions to Hold Joint MLK Day of Service

January 15, 2014 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – More than 350 student volunteers from area colleges and universities will join forces at Tennessee State University Saturday, Jan. 18 for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Students from TSU, Belmont, Fisk, Trevecca Nazarene and Vanderbilt Universities will demonstrate their commitment of giving back to the community during the National Day of Service by engaging in various projects around Nashville.

Dr. Linda Guthrie, director of the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, said this is an opportunity for students to give back and to engage with the local community.

“At Tennessee State University, service to our local community is both a central part of the University’s mission and academic curriculum,” said Guthrie. “In my short time here leading the Center, it’s been incredible to help develop a service-learning program that’s focused on making a positive difference for our local community. Our students truly have the opportunity to not only serve, but to create and lead projects that both change their lives and the lives of others in remarkable ways.”

According to planners, the day’s activities begin at 11 a.m. with sign-in, registration and kick-off rally at Kean Hall. Activities begin with greetings from Dr. Mark Hardy, vice president of Academic Affairs at TSU, along with U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper.

Following lunch, students will fan out across Nashville to help paint McKissack Middle School, paint a mural at Hadley Park Community Center and assist in the library, and help alleviate hunger in Middle Tennessee by sorting food at the Second Harvest Food Bank. Volunteers will return to the TSU campus at 4 p.m. for reflection and celebration.

“In the spirit of collaboration with our sister institutions, we want our volunteers to finish their day of service with a sense of awareness that transforms the way they see the world and together create change,” added Guthrie. “It is our goal to ensure that the volunteers and the people we serve on this Day of Service grow as one and learn from each other through the formation of friendships and understanding.”

For more information, visit http://www.belmont.edu/sl/mlk-day/index.html or call 615.963.5383.

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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.