NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University College of Public Service recently held a forum about mental health in the black community on the Avon Williams Campus.
The event, CAN WE TALK? Black Mental Health Matters, featured an exclusive screening of two short films directed by actor and filmmaker Koffi Siriboe, best known for his role as Ralph Angel in the TV series Queen Sugar. The two films, WTF is Mental Health? and JUMP, both take an intimate look at mental health in the black community.
A panel discussion took place following the film to discuss the topic.
Andrea Word
Andrea Word, a graduate student in the master of social work program in the TSU College of Public Service, opened the program by sharing a personal testimony. She said talking about mental health in the black community is often seen as taboo.
“We are still hesitant to go out and get help for mental illness or even to recognize what it is,” said Word, who works as a middle school teacher at Tennessee School For The Blind. “For many of those that go to church, it’s still taboo to mention it because they struggle with can God and a therapist function in the same space.”
The panel for the event will included: Dr. Keith Ekhator, social work coordinator for Metro Nashville Public Schools; Gwen Hamer, director of Education and Development for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; Crystal Owens, mental health counselor for the Nashville Center for Trauma and Psychotherapy; and Reverend James Turner II, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
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.
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (TSU News Service)
– With just a few days to go, TSU’s historic push to raise $1 million in February
for student scholarships is all but certain, thanks to a huge showing of Big
Blue spirit on Sunday.
Jamie Isabel, left, Chairman of the TSU $1 million campaign, talks to NBC local affiliate Channel 4 about the telethon and the overall goal of the campaign. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
A four-hour celebrity telethon, “Dialing for Dollars,” raised more than $63,000. It was well over the telethon’s $25,000 initial goal, bringing total campaign contributions to nearly $938,609. Within two hours of the telethon, volunteers had already surpassed the $25,000 mark, organizers said.
“Today is a good
day. This showing of support is very tremendous,” said Campaign Chairman Jamie
Isabel, a TSU alum. “We exceeded our goal, which I knew we were going to do.
The excitement and sheer commitment to the cause by all who participated are
responsible for the success we achieved.”
Volunteers, including prominent local TSU alums, make calls to personal friends and acquaintances to contribute to the telethon. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
In a historic,
long-term partnership with the Nashville Predators, TSU announced the
campaign on Feb. 2 to raise $1 million during Black History Month for student
scholarships. Since then, activities have included a “TSU Night” at the
Bridgestone Arena, with appearances by the Aristocrat of Bands and the New Direction
Gospel Choir, as well as a Big Blue Old School Concert at the Gentry Complex.
The telethon, live
streamed from Jackson Hall on the main campus, included guest hosts and alumni,
students, staff, faculty, community leaders and supporters manning telephones
and taking contributions from supporters. TSU President Glenda Glover, who was
on travel, called in to thank organizers and volunteers.
TSU alums State Rep. Harold L. Love, Jr., and his wife Leah Dupree Love volunteer at the telethon. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
Several prominent
local TSU alums and supporters stopped by to help man telephones. They included
TSU Board of Trustee member Richard Lewis and his wife, Delores, a former TSU
administrator; Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry, Jr., State Rep. Harold Love,
Jr., and his wife, Leah; Barbara Murrell, longtime TSU supporter and former
administrator; TSU National Alumni Association President Joni McReynolds; and
Vivian Wilhoite, Nashville and Davidson County property assessor, among others.
Dr. Frederick S.
Humphries, president of TSU from 1975-1985, who could not be present in
Nashville, was among many who joined in from home and made calls to friends and
acquaintances to contribute to the telethon.
Miss TSU Jada Crisp, left, and Head Football Coach Rod Reed, middle, were among many students and staff who volunteered at the telethon. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
According to Isabel, some major contributors were: Dr. William F. Pickard, chairman of Detroit-based Global Automotive Alliance, a supporter of HBCUs, who contributed $10,000; and Nashville businessman Joe Davis, who sent in a check for $5,000.
“We had some large
checks, but we also had some small checks and all those small checks added up
to get us to where we are,” said Isabel.
Mr. TSU Damyr
Moore, a senior mass communications major from Atlanta, and Eukirah Pennyman, a
junior film and television major, also from Atlanta, were among many students
who volunteered at the telethon. Moore helped with making calls, while Pennyman
served as technical director.
Telethon hosts Grant Winrow, left, Seanne Wilson and Michael McLendon make a pitch at the four-hour long fundraiser. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
“The experience today
has been a great one; to be among your peers and alumni toward one good cause
that benefits the entire student body is just great,” said Moore. “To give my
time and be able to help someone else come to school as I have been fortunate
to do is really a great feeling.”
Pennyman agreed.
“I am from Atlanta, and I have been fortunate to have a few scholarships from
TSU,” she said. “It was a good experience to have this telethon, which I think
should be done every year because it helps to bring in more majors and more
students.”
Cassandra Griggs is TSU’s director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and co-chair of the $1 million campaign committee. She is very thankful to the many alumni who came out to make phone calls.
“They called
individuals who were in their personal cellphone contacts, asking them to
support TSU, and that was very admirable,” said Griggs. “I feel very good
that not only have we exceeded our goal for today, but we are going to meet our
goal for the $1 million.”
Grant Winrow, a
member of the campaign committee and one of the hosts of the telethon, called
the day a “Big Blue Victory.”
“We went in with the idea of raising $25,000 and we more than doubled it. And that’s a phenomenal success,” said Grant, who helped organize the telethon. “This is in the last few days of our campaign, and we thought having a celebrity telethon by bringing in some of our most notable TSU influencers here to make some calls, was a great idea. It turned out very well.”
The next push to
the finish line in the $1 million campaign is a celebrity courtside dining at
the TSU men’s basketball game on Saturday in the Gentry Complex.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Health Sciences has thriving programs that prepare students for six of the top 25 best healthcare jobs listed in a recent article published by U.S. News & World Report.
The jobs included as part of the magazine’s 2020 Best Health
Care Jobs list, are: nurse practitioner, speech language pathologist,
registered nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist and respiratory
therapist.
Dr. Ronald Barredo, Dean of the College of Health
Sciences, says there will always be a great need for these healthcare
jobs.
“The good thing about healthcare is as long as there is
sickness in the world, we will always have a job,” says Barredo.
Tierney Curtis (Photo Submitted)
Tierney Curtis, a graduate student in the occupational therapy program, says attending TSU gives her a great advantage as a future healthcare professional.
“Nashville is already a booming healthcare city so most of
your clinical work and opportunities include going out into the Nashville
community, and meeting people and making connections,” says Curtis, who received
an undergraduate degree in health sciences from TSU in 2018. “I think the
health sciences program at TSU is one of the best here in Nashville because
they offer so many programs. We have professors that are here to help you that
have been across different spans of healthcare.”
A West Memphis, Arkansas native, Curtis says she hopes to
stay in Nashville after she graduates from TSU and work at a hospital in acute
care, or work in pediatrics with outpatients, or in the school system.
Future Physical Therapist Zachary Prudoff says although he
enjoys working with amputees, he is unsure what area of physical therapy he
wants to explore as a profressional.
Zachary Prudoff, a doctoral candidate in the TSU Department of Physical Therapy,checks a patient’s blood pressure before administering a mobility test. (Photo Submitted)
“I think as I go through more classes, I get to understand the profession as a whole a little bit more, and it starts to help clue me in on what type of patients I might like to work with in the field, says Prudoff, who is a doctoral candidate in the department of Physical Therapy.
He says developing relationships with faculty is extremely
important.
“In grad school, especially in physical therapy, our teachers are sometimes our greatest resources and it’s very important to foster a relationship of communication and mutual respect. They have been out in the field and practicing. They know things that you don’t know for sure, and they are there to help you.”
Barredo says all six of the programs that made U.S. News
& World Report’s 2020 Best Healthcare Jobs list are accredited at TSU. He
says the programs in the TSU College of Health Sciences are in high demand.
“We’ve always had a lot more applicants than there are slots
in the program, some more than others,” says Barredo, who is a recipient of the
Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association, the
association’s highest award. “For example, in physical therapy last year we had
about 200 applicants for only 36 slots, and that’s true for most every
program.”
Dr. Ronald Barredo (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
This fall each of the six health sciences programs noted in
the study, with the exception of the speech language pathology program which
already has a clinic at the TSU Avon Williams Campus, will relocate into a new
$38 million facility.
Barredo says the shared space will provide opportunities for
students to get a more comprehensive view of
the collaborative roles of health science professionals.
“Right now we are all separated in different buildings. So now
there will be a lot more interpersonal collaboration in terms of patient care,
research and service activities,” he says. “Instead of us doing things
separately, we will be more consolidated and able to demonstrate that there is
a lot more to healthcare than physical therapy, for example.”
Antoinette Duke,
associate director of the TSU Career Development Center, says students
such as those in the College of Health Sciences can visit the university’s career
center to utilize a wide array of resources to prepare for life beyond TSU.
Antoinette Duke, associate director of TSU’s Career Development Center, advises student during 2020 Spring Internship Fair. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
“We are doing
everything in our power to partner with student organizations, the faculty, the
staff and the professors to help them encourage our students to utilize this
service that is there for them,” says Duke. “We have several resources to help prepare them. For instance, if the student is not prepared
for interviewing, one of the resources we have is Interview Stream. It allows
our students to tap into that service to practice before they meet with a
potential company or employer.”
For more information about the TSU College of Health
Sciences, go to http://www.tnstate.edu/health_sciences/
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The coronavirus has existed for years, causing people to have respiratory infections, essentially colds. However, Tennessee State University public health experts say the current outbreak is the result of a new strand, and that researchers are quickly trying to develop an antiviral drug.
TSU experts say students and Middle
Tennessee residents can take precautionary measures to minimize their chances
of contracting the coronavirus.
Dr. Wendelyn Inman, associate
professor and interim Masters of Public Health program director at TSU, held an
in-depth discussion with students in her Health Conditions In Functions and
Disabilities Class about the coronavirus.
“The best protection is to get
immunized to what we know. Many people are probably so worried about the
coronavirus that they are getting the flu,” she explains. “When the flu
season starts, I always recommend to everyone the flu shot. When your immune
system is alert, and it is alerted by the flu shot, other things don’t hit it
as hard.”
The Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) reports that there are 15 persons in the United States who
have tested positive for the COVID-19, the official name given to this new
coronavirus, which was first detected in Wuhan China. An East Tennessee woman
recently tested positive for the coronavirus when she and her husband were
about to leave quarantine on a cruise ship off the coast of Japan.
Brenda K. Batts
Brenda K. Batts, assistant
professor and director of clinical education at TSU, says they should not be
fearful because of the effective quarantining of people who have tested
positive for the virus. However, she says there are still preventive measures
that can be taken.
“Just really be very cautious
about people who have coughs and colds and have high temperatures. If you are
experiencing that, get checked by your physician, but don’t expose others or
yourself,” Batts says. ”Make sure you use lots of hand washing and sanitizing
techniques, such as when you go to gas stations, restaurants or whenever you go
anywhere in the public. Keep some hand sanitizer with you and clean your hands
very well.”
Coronavris symptoms, which can
last from 2-14 days, include runny nose, fever, headache, sore throat, feeling
unwell, and cough. To prevent the disease, the CDC recommends: washing hands;
avoiding touching eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands; avoiding close contact
with people who are sick; staying home when sick; covering cough or sneeze with
tissue; and cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces.
Robyn Hanna, a senior public
health major who works as a patient care technician at St. Thomas West Hospital
in Nashville, says she’s not concerned about contracting the virus at work
because of the thorough precautionary measures they are instructed to take.
“As soon as you walk through the
doors, there’s a sign, ‘If you have any of these symptoms, here’s a mask. Put
it on.’ It’s at every exit and every entrance,” says Hanna, a Mississippi Gulf
Coast native.
“Working on the floors we know
people that are diagnosed with diseases. If they are being tested for it,
they still get the precautionary items on the door. All the nurses and doctors
and techs are vaccinated. That’s a must at the hospital.”
Fellow students Joseph Racine and
Meleah Haley have varying concerns regarding the disease that recently surfaced
in China. Racine works as a car maintenance specialist at the Nashville
International Airport when not attending classes. The senior occupational
therapy major says he has noticed travelers at the airport wearing personal
protective equipment, such as gloves and masks. Racine says he is not afraid of
contracting the virus.
“Most of the time that I am
dealing with the rental cars that I touch, I have on gloves. Most of us
wear gloves, but the people who don’t, you just kind of let them know, ‘You
might want to put on some gloves,’” says Racine.
Haley, a senior health science
major with a minor in public health, says she is concerned about the virus,
primarily because of her upcoming travel plans.
“I’ll be taking an airplane. I’ll
be going to Miami. Everybody knows that’s a place where a lot of people are,”
says Haley, a Cincinnati, Ohio, native who is considering wearing a protective
mask while flying. “I am really concerned about that. I’m even concerned
about being in the airport and being on the airplane with all these cases of
coronavirus. I don’t feel threatened at the university. I don’t
necessarily feel threatened in the community, but I am definitely going to be
alert.”
Dr. Wendelyn Inman, associate professor and interim Masters of Public Health program director at TSU, discussing coronavirus with students. (TSU News Service, Michael McLendon)
Dr. Inman supports wearing a mask
while traveling, she says students and professors should understand that
wearing masks to class for protection may create suspicion that they have
contracted the virus.
“If you wear a mask, it is just as
protective for you as the person wearing the mask to keep you from catching
something,” she says. “But, if you are on a college campus and you put one on because
you are concerned, everybody thinks you have it.”
Batts says students and employees
who feel sick should not attend class or visit campus.
“I do think when students or
faculty have colds or fevers, and they are coughing, that they should not be
coming to campus. They should be seen to make sure they don’t have any
form of that virus,” she says. “Most of the time people transport any type of
respiratory virus to the environment by tabletops, instruments, equipment and
labs.”
Walretta H. Chandler, TSU’s
Student Health Services nurse, says students experiencing flu-like symptoms
should visit the university’s health center located in in the Floyd-Payne
Campus Center, Kean Hall, Room 304. Students can also call (615) 963-5291 to
schedule an appointment.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Award-winning actor, poet and speaker Rashad Rayford recently visited Tennessee State University to promote his new book, “Elevate Your Vibe: Ten Ways to Grow You.”
The book signing was sponsored by TSU’s Avon Williams Library and the National Hook-Up of Black Women, Inc.
Rayford, who was recently crowned Moth Story Hour Nashville
Grand Slam Champion, has been featured at TEDx and on National Public Radio, as
well as in the Wall Street Journal, HuffPo, and USA Today.
“This book is a tool to help us activate or sharpen the
necessary attributes that we need to elevate to our highest selves,” said
Rayford, also known as Rashad Tha Poet. “How can we add value to other people
if we haven’t first acknowledged the value within ourselves?”
His company, Elevate Your Vibe, LLC, is a nontraditional speaking company that blends spoken word poetry, and inspirational speaking to help businesses tell more compelling and concise stories.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – When Tennessee State University Alum Tanya Coplen Gray approached her high school classmates about producing a short documentary to commemorate their 50th year high school anniversary, Gray had no idea how important the project would become.
“This short film was done as a labor of love. We did this out of love for one another, and that’s really critical to me, to make sure people understand that is how it got started,” says Gray, who graduated from TSU in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in social work and a minor in sociology.
Gray, along with her Cameron High School classmates
Deborah Majors Bell and Ida Venson Currie, serve as executive producers of “The Past Is Prologue: The Cameron Class of
1969,” an award-winning documentary that recounts a significant, but
largely-forgotten, chapter of Nashville’s civil rights struggle that happened
during the late-1960s.
Featured are (l to r)Tanya Coplen Gray, Ola Hudson, Deborah Majors Bell, Ida Venson Currie, Mark Schlicher (Photo Submitted)
The film, which was produced and directed by Nashville
filmmaker Mark Schlicher, and co-produced by Lisa Venegas, will air on
Nashville Public Television, WNPT Channel 8 Sunday, February 16, at 10:30 p.m.,
and Wednesday, February 26, at 9:00 p.m..
In spring 1968, during a volatile period for race
relations in Nashville and throughout the United States, all-black Cameron high
school lost a high-profile basketball tournament game to Stratford, a
mostly-white school. A spontaneous protest and scuffles broke out afterward, as
many upset Cameron fans believed that the game had been unfairly officiated in
favor of Stratford.
In response, school authorities barred Cameron High
School from all athletics for an entire year, while Stratford received no
sanctions. In response to the punishment, parents, students, and supporters in
the community protested, marched in the streets, and enlisted famed civil
rights attorney Avon Williams, Jr., to champion their cause in federal court,
making it part of his long-running school desegregation lawsuit.
Currie, who secured a bachelor’s degree in English
Education from TSU in 1974, says former Cameron Principal O.R. Jackson,
marshaled the school’s faculty and staff to find ways for Cameron High School
seniors to enjoy their final year in spite of the punishment.
L TO R: Mark Schlicher, student extras, and Shelena Walden at Cameron High School (Photo Submitted)
“He knew we were not going to be coming to the stadium on
Friday night for football games. We were not going to be going to the gym in
the afternoon for pep rallies prior to the games. So he brought the vision to
the teachers, ‘Let’s do something for this senior class because they are
hurting in certain areas,’” says Currie, a retired commercial insurance product
developer and healthcare manager. “Mr. Jackson made sure we had our pep rally’s
on Friday afternoons, even if we didn’t have a game to attend. He also
orchestrated our senior class trip to Washington, D.C. during spring break,
which served as yet another memorable diversion to the suspension.”
Bell, a graduate of the Metropolitan School of Practical
Nursing at Vanderbilt Hospital and a retired licensed practical nurse, says in
spite of the security and assurance they received from parents and community
members, the unfair punishment left a lasting impression on their class.
“At the time, we were all young. We had no idea what a big
deal this was. We lived in a neighborhood where we had a lot of black support,
like our parents and our teachers,” says Bell. “Once this happened, that’s when
I really found out that I was considered a second class citizen.”
Schlicher says the documentary, which was funded in part by
the Metro Nashville Arts Commission THRIVE program, needs to be viewed by a
broad audience because of its historical significance.
Featured are (front row, l to r) Aaron Finley, Fletcher Moon, Tamiko Robinson Steele, Shawn Whitsell (back row, l to r) Co-Producer Lisa Venegas, Mark Schlicher, Shanika Gillespie, camera operator Keevan Guy at Seay-Hubbard UMC upstairs meeting room. (Photo Submitted)
“It was an honor to be able to do the 25 or so interviews
that were done with class members and with teachers, to learn the story and
share it in a way that honored the struggle and the triumph that the Class of
’69 went through and the place they have in the civil rights struggle in
Nashville,” says Schlicher, whose work as director or cinematographer has been
shown nationally on PBS, the Smithsonian Channel, Lifetime, and TBN.
After receiving rave reviews from classmates following the
film’s initial viewing, and subsequently winning “Best of Tennessee” at the
2019 International Black Film Festival, the group realized the film could serve
a larger purpose.
“We want to put this documentary in every public library and
to be able to hand it to school systems,” says Gray, a retired licensed
clinical social worker.
They believe the documentary will spark important
conversations about education, policy, neighborhoods and equity, as well as
bring awareness.
Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Enoch Fuzz
agrees. He plans to air the film at Kingdom Café, located at 2610 Jefferson
Street, on February 1, at 8:00 a.m. during One Nashville, a breakfast gathering
he initiated two years ago to bring people with resources, information and
awareness together to help progressive projects like “The Past Is Prologue”
succeed.
Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Enoch Fuzz (Photo Submitted)
“I was very touched by the story that these people told, and
I know that it could benefit some of the people in Nashville. There are some
good people in Nashville who want to understand race relations,” says Fuzz.
He says One Nashville gatherings, which are held every month
on first and third Saturdays, have attracted leaders from throughout the city including
the mayor, vice mayor, secretary of state, public defender and city council
members. He says some attendees are
looking for meaningful projects to support, while others come seeking
assistance.
“I was having people call me everyday with different needs,
and I said these people need to meet one another. So rather than me meeting
with everybody differently everyday, I came up with the concept of getting
everyone in the same room,” says Fuzz. “One
Nashville gets people from all over the community in the same room.”
Mary Jackson Owens, the Cameron alum who told Fuzz
about the project, hopes the film can garner financial support, so young people
can learn about this almost forgotten moment in Nashville’s civil rights
struggle.
“It hasn’t been talked about in 50 years. It’s time to have
a conversation about it, and tell people about the history,” she says. “A lot
of our children don’t know anything about being in an all-black school and the
loyalty that we have for Cameron.”
“The Past Is Prologue: The Cameron Class of 1969,” also features TSU alum Ola Hudson and TSU Associate Professor and Head Reference Librarian Fletcher F. Moon. Hudson, who graduated from TSU with a bachelor’s degree in Vocational Home Economics in 1951 and a master’s degree in 1953, taught at Cameron High School from 1955 until 1971. Moon, who portrayed his father, Rev. J.L. Moon, in the documentary, has worked at TSU for 36 years.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – When
A’yadra Rodgers began her search for a high quality educational institution,
she placed Tennessee State University at the top of her list.
She says it was her relationship with Carlos Houston, president
of the East Tennessee chapter of the Tennessee State University National Alumni
Association, that sealed the deal.
“I actually babysat for him,” says Rodgers. “He would always say things like, ‘Have you been looking at TSU?'”
Houston’s persistence paid off, and Rodgers set her sites on
becoming a TSU Tiger.
A’yadra Rodgers (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)
“Tennessee State was the first school I applied to and the
first school I got accepted to,” says Rodgers, who graduated from Knoxville
Catholic High School in 2017.
Rodgers says Houston played a major role in helping her
secure a full scholarship to attend TSU.
After a transparent conversation with Houston’s wife Sheryl,
who graduated from Tennessee State with a degree in engineering, Rodgers
approached Houston about her need for financial assistance.
“Once she told me her grades and ACT score, I told her
to let me make a phone call, and the rest is history,” says Houston, who
graduated from TSU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
“She got a full scholarship the next day, which was
fantastic, but her GPA and test scores made her deserving of it,” he says.
“She and her mother expressed in tears how grateful they were, and A’yadra
said she would not let TSU down.”
Carlos Houston, president of the East Tennessee chapter of the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association. (Photo Submitted)
A junior dental hygiene major, Rodgers entered the
university with the desire to become a nurse. However, her aspiration
changed as she became more aware of her true passion.
“When I first got here I had my mind set on nursing, and then I began to look more into it. I started to shadow, and I realized it wasn’t for me,” she says. “Then I started to think, ‘what do I love? Where do I like to go? Who am I around?’ And it was the dental office.”
After taking time to shadow her mother who works as a dental
assistant, as well as watch the dental hygienists who work with her mother,
Rodgers changed her major to dental hygiene and immediately began to excel.
During her first semester in the program, Rodgers’ classmates elected her as
class president and the Student Dental Hygiene Association’s first year
recording secretary.
Rodgers also joined the National Association of Colored
Women’s Clubs, Inc., an organization that she says gives her an opportunity to
participate in breast cancer awareness walks, make donations to Second Harvest
Food Bank, and volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House of Nashville.
A’yadra Rodgers (second from left) poses for photo with other members of the National Association of Colored Women’s Club, Inc. after volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House of Nashville, a charity organization that provides essential resources and a “home-away-from-home” for families of critically ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals. (Photo Submitted)
“Being involved in this organization has been a blessing,
helping me to become a leader in all aspects of my life,” she says.
Brenda J. Kibbel, assistant professor of Dental Hygiene,
says Rodgers is an exceptional student.
“I expect great accomplishments in Ms. Rodgers’ future
endeavors because of her compassion and involvement,” says Kibbel. “I just see
so much potential in her as a young woman, and I expect great things.”
Rodgers, who plans to double major and earn an additional
degree in health information management at TSU, says she plans to become a
dentist.
“My goal is to go to dental school at Meharry Medical
College. After that I can decide if I want to be an orthodontist, or anything
beyond that,” she says. “I do want to do some work outside of the U.S., so I am
looking at Africa.”
She credits her parents with inspiring her to succeed.
“I feel like they are always working to make sure me and my siblings are OK, and so just seeing that work ethic and how they are really trying their best is inspiring,” says Rodgers.
A’yadra Rodgers
Kibbel, who worked as a dental hygienist for years after
completing her degree through a joint program between TSU and Meharry Medical
College, says the career landscape for dental hygienists is vast.
“We now in this state can do independent practice coming
under a dentist or we can work on our own in nursing homes. You can be an
educator. You can be a researcher. There are a lot of job opportunities.
It’s good money, and it has flexibility,” says Kibbel.
Brenda J. Kibbel, TSU assistant professor of Dental Hygiene (Photo Submitted)
She encourages students who want to become dental hygienists
to visit the department of Dental Hygiene.
“I’m really proud of our school. Our department strives to
not make them just great students and pass the program, but to become great
human beings who will be assets to our society, as well as the healthcare
profession.”
Tennessee State University’s Dental Hygiene Clinic is
located in Clement Hall on the main TSU campus. It provides a wide range of
dental services to nearly 600 patients a year at reduced cost. This includes
the campus, as well as the greater Nashville community.
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 38 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University Alum and Award-Winning Filmmaker Alan Nettles returned to campus on Dec. 14 to premiere his latest film project, “Wear The Crown.”
In ”Wear The Crown,” Nettles, who secured his Bachelor of Science degree in communication studies with a concentration in TV and film production from TSU in 2019, takes viewers inside the trying world of a family rocked by the news that their mother, Winnie Price, has been diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer.
The Phoenix Troupe (Photo Submitted)
The evening began at 6:30 p.m. in the Cox-Lewis Theater with a pre-show performance by a group of creative artists called the Phoenix Troupe.
Filled with touching music and engaging subplots, “Wear The Crown,” which took five days to shoot, showcases various locations in Nashville, including Tennessee State University, Arlington United Methodist Church and Diamond Sound Studios. The crew also shot on location in Cadiz, Kentucky.
“Our preproduction was also very intense. We had about six
weeks of rehearsals with the cast,” Nettles said. “We had a lot of different
marketing events that we participated in from September until now. We did a huge crowd-funder campaign, and
there were just so many different things that we were doing to really bring
this film to life.”
Alan Nettles, founder and CEO of Moving4ward Productions (Photo Submitted)
Nettles, founder and CEO of Moving4ward Productions, the company responsible for the film, said “Wear The Crown” features numerous TSU alums, including Lynn Summers who portrays Winnie Price and Pamela Bennett, who portrays Mrs. Alexander.
Summers said the film takes a close look at the dynamics of
family relationships.
“This film mirrors true society today. These are the trials and tribulations we go
through each and every day,” she said.
“Regardless of what happens, family is family. We should still love one another, and we
should still get together.”
TSU Alum Lynn Summers portrays Winnie Price in “Wear The Crown.” (Photo Submitted)
“Wear The Crown” was produced by an all-female team which includes: Cillea Houghton, producer; Janice Wheaton, executive producer; and Sabrina Moore, line producer. This is the first time all three have produced a film.
Moore, a former nuclear engineer who recently graduated from TSU with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, said the film encourages people to take ownership of their lives, particularly their health.
“This film spotlights not only the issue of cancer, but of
gender identity, depression and just how to accept yourself wherever you are in
life,” she said. “Deal with your issues.
Deal with your health. Deal with your mental stability. You can deal with it. Everybody is dealing with something in some
shape, form or fashion, so take ownership of your body and your life.”
Nettles, whose debut film “3 Blind Boys on the Block” was named Best of Fest at the 2015 Chi-Town Multicultural Film Festival, said witnessing his aunt, Tracey Reid, battle cancer inspired him to make the film. He said the cast and crew worked tirelessly to produce a high-quality project that should strike a chord with anyone who has grappled with depression, grief or sickness.
“I’ve had to sacrifice life in order to breathe life into
this production,” he said.
Nettles credits many of his professors at TSU, as well as his parents, with giving him the guidance and support necessary to achieve his creative aspirations.
“The faculty in the Department of Communications truly does
care about its students, and if you allow them to love you, they will love you.
You just have to be open to receive them,” he said.
Houghton said she hopes the film gives a voice to the
voiceless.
“It’s shining a spotlight on important issues that I think
will kind of resonate with everybody, from cancer to mental health, which is
such a prominent issue today,” she said.
“We just really hope they feel that their voice is in this story, that
their story is in this film.”
“Wear the Crown” also features performances by the Phoenix Troupe, a group of African-American singers and creative artists, including 2014 Essence Festival “You’re My Star” contest winner Megan Broadnax; Jeffrey White of gospel duo Same Seed; Lynn Echo, who appeared on former BET show “Bobby Jones Gospel,” along with Kyiara Jackson, Aundra Keo Brown and April Sledge.
The premiere event also included a screening of the short film, “Loose Change,” written and directed by Moving4ward Productions assistant director of Creative Development, William Jenkins.
The event also honored cancer survivors related to members of the cast with the presentation of a special gift.
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 38 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – More than 100 volunteers are expected to gather at Tennessee State University on Friday to assist with campus renovations funded by the $50,000 Home Depot’s Retool You School Grant the university secured in the spring.
A 20-person camera crew from Home Depot will be on hand to record the volunteers, who will assist with mulching and power washing, as well as light installation in the university amphitheater and the exterior of the Floyd-Payne Campus Center.
Tennessee State University received “Campaign of the Year” honors in Home Depot’s Retool Your School- HBCU Campus Improvement competition in the spring. This was the first year for the award, which was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Retool Your School program. TSU beat out 60 other institutions for the award.
TSU finished second in voting for the large institution category, but walked away with the Campaign of the Year award. Judges cited the overall performance of the campaign that was able to engage students, alumni and the community, as well as digital media strategies to promote voting.
Home Depot gave the final approval of the project, which begins
Friday.
Currently, there are several major construction projects underway on TSU’s campus. They include a new Health Sciences Building, two new residence halls, and an Alumni House and Welcome Center.
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 38 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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Child care providers in Tennessee will have the opportunity to receive additional training thanks to a new $11.4 million federal grant secured by Tennessee State University’s Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences. The university believes better trained daycare providers will mean better daycare services for Tennessee families.
(Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
Dr. Kimberly Smith, the center’s director, says the grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will allow TSU to continue to serve as the professional development hub for the state as it relates to child development and early childhood training.
“We are expanding our online courses through the Tennessee Child care Online Training System, and we will now be responsible for the state’s workforce registry for all child development professionals who work in the area of childcare across the state,” says Smith.
Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA), a statewide professional development system that provides assistance for employees at licensed childcare facilities, is funded by Tennessee State University through a contract with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and is housed under the Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences.
Some of the additional courses that will soon be available include: Early Literacy Matters; Eat, Play and Rest; Inclusion; and Brain Development.
“One thing that makes TECTA so unique is that we work with early childhood professionals to strengthen the workforce within the state for childcare. We get to work with the family home providers and the centers, and then we provide funding for students,” adds Smith.
Dr. Kimberly Smith (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
Carmen Davis says without help from TSU’s TECTA program, she would not have been able to open her three-star childcare company, Ms. Carmen’s Precious Moments.
“I was working full-time and going to school, and I couldn’t afford to do both,” says Davis, who started her business in 2007. “TECTA came in to offset the price, which allowed me the opportunity to go and achieve my CDA (Child Development Associate) through their grant and their funding.”
Davis, whose company is licensed to care for seven clients, says she has taken advantage of many of the courses currently offered by TECTA.
“I went through all of the TECTA orientations which were very beneficial because I work with a multi-age group. I went through the infant–toddler training, the preschool training and the administration training, which benefits me as far as my business part,” she says. “I also went through the TECTA Business Administration credential which helped with putting together a portfolio, the taxes part of it, the business sheets part of it and being professional. It took me to another level of professionalism.”
Tonita Robinson’s children have attended Ms. Carmen’s Precious Moments since they were six-weeks old. She says her two-year-old and four-year-old have benefited from Davis’ experiences with TECTA.
Carmen Davis, owner of Ms. Carmen’s Precious Moments. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
“She does a good job identifying my kids’ triggers,” says Robinson. “She makes sure if my son is acting out, she doesn’t say he’s just acting out. She’s able to say why he was acting out, what she thinks might have caused him to act out, and what we can do to work together to fix it.”
Robinson, who works as a financial advisor at Napier Elementary School, believes the new funding is necessary for child care professionals to provide the best services.
“Everything changes everyday. Nothing stays the same,” she says. “The curriculum changes, and if the childcare provider’s job is to help prepare kids for when they get into school, then they need to have the training that regular teachers in the school system have so they will be on one accord.”
Dr. Frances Williams, associate vice president for Research and Sponsored Programs at TSU, credits Smith, TECTA Statewide Program Director Lin Venable and the center’s team approach for TECTA’s success.
“Under Dr. Smith’s leadership, she and her team have grown the center, as well as the funding. In this case, with TECTA receiving a little over $11 million for the year, this is the largest award for TECTA to date,” says Williams.
Shelia Westbrooks, the Middle Tennessee regional advisor for TOPSTAR, says the advisors have found the “most-needed” areas for the new programs and TECTA services in general are rural areas.
“They are not familiar with the program, and if they are, they don’t have internet access,” says Westbrooks, who worked as a licensed childcare provider for more than 20 years. “We try to make sure that we get materials to them to keep them aware of how family child care is changing in the state of Tennessee.” Westbrooks contends that many rural family care providers don’t know that there is funding available to assist them.
“TECTA helped fund my education. With the fund I got I was able to get my degree and now as an advisor, I work with over 239 providers in the Middle Tennessee Region,” she says. ‘It’s all about higher education and we want them to get their CDA credential and their accreditation credential, and TECTA helps to pay for all of that. A provider who works for themselves may not always have that extra funding, and so TECTA is that bridge to get them where they want to be.”
The Tennessee State University Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences was established in 1984, and began administering the TECTA Program in 1993.
For more information about TECTA, visit tecta.info or call 615-277-1697.
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 38 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.
