Dannelle F. Walker: One of the Nation's Top 40 under 40 Lawyers on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations and leaders who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations and leaders embody "Be the change you want to see in the world".

Throughout 2013, listeners will hear from presidents of organizations who are global change agents. We will also hear from CEOs of social enterprise businesses who are changing communities and college educators who are taking their students out of the classroom and into surrounding neighborhoods to learn and serve others.

On Saturday, July 27, 2013 join us to hear from one of the Nations Best Advocates Top 40 Under 40 Lawyers in the country, Danelle F. Walker. Tune in to hear her share with us the latest on court cases in the headlines as well issues that often effect our most vulnerable population, our children. With the surge in the need to address issues that put more young people in harms way, there will be more focus on mentoring and volunteering for non-profits and after school programs to help meet the needs of children.

Listen as Walker gives input on best practices to help parents, schools, non-profits, and volunteers be great advocates at home and in the community for school children, teens, and young adults. Hear Walker discuss how we all must be eyes and ears to address issues and concerns before they become media headlines.

Tune into 760AM in the Middle Tennessee Region, on Tune In,  streaming live on line at UStream.TV , and on military bases on Saturdays from 9:00-10am CST. 

More About Dannelle F. Walker

Dannelle F. Walker, Esq. is an education lawyer and policy-maker. She currently serves as General Counsel for the Tennessee State Board of Education where she advises the State Board on all legal matters, represents the Board in teacher license revocation, suspension, and denial proceedings, and manages all aspects of the charter school appeals process. Prior to joining the State Board staff, Ms. Walker served as District Policy Advisor for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

Among her many professional accomplishments, Ms. Walker was instrumental in establishing the first Bullying Task Force within Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to address the persistent issues around the school system’s response to bullying; she co-authored legislation that made it easier for foster care children in Tennessee to access quality education; she has promulgated rules making it more difficult for sexual predators to teach in any Tennessee classroom; and she is undertaking efforts to reform attendance guidelines to reduce truancy across the state. She has dedicated her career to working toward quality educational outcomes for all kids. This dedication has led her to becoming a trusted legal mind on education law in Tennessee and contributing to the discussion on issues surrounding law and education in the nation.

A frequent speaker on education law and policy topics, Ms. Walker has given lectures and presentations before the Education Law Association, Lawyers’ Association for Women, Tennessee School Boards Association, and the Lipscomb University College of Education.

Ms. Walker is a 2009 graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law, where
she was a Dean’s Scholar and President of the Cynthia Nance Chapter of the Black Law Students Association. She is also a 2006 summa cum laude graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies. She is licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Tennessee and holds memberships in the Tennessee Bar Association, Napier-Looby Bar Association, Education Law Association, National Council of School Board Attorneys, and the Marion Griffin Chapter of the Lawyers’ Association for Women.

A native Nashvillian, Ms. Walker is active in many organizations throughout her community, serving as President-Elect of the Napier-Looby Bar Association, Education Liaison for the Social and Political Action Ministry at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and former Troop Leader for Girl Scouts of West End Middle School. In 2011, Ms. Walker was featured in The Tennessean‘s “Next Up”, a section highlighting the contributions of leaders under 35 in Middle Tennessee. In 2012, she was selected by the Nashville Chamber Public Benefit Foundation as a 2012 Nashville Emerging Leader and by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as one of Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30. In 2013, she was named one of the Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40 by the National Bar Association and IMPACT.

Ms. Walker lives by this quote from Henry David Thoreau, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Life the live you’ve imagined.”

Photo credits: DFW

Crissy Haslam and Ephie Ballard Johnson on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations and leaders who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations and leaders embody "Be the change you want to see in the world". Hear from CEOs of social enterprise businesses who are changing communities and founders of networks that are changing how business is done by changing the rules, one conversation at a time.

On Saturday, October 27, 2012, tune in to hear Tennessee's First Lady, Crissy Haslam, and Memphis Song Bird, Ephie Ballard Johnson, discuss First Ladies for Healthy Babies. First Ladies For Healthy Babies is an initiative that was launched with members of the faith-based community in Memphis in support of the Operation Smart Child program in June of 2011.

Operation Smart Child is a family outreach and education initiative of the Neighborhood Christian Centers, in partnership with The Urban Child Institute in Memphis. It is designed to impact the mental, social, economic, and spiritual lives of children through early brain development strategies and interventions. Since the Memphis launch last year, Crissy Haslam has kicked off Nashville's First Ladies for Healthy Babies in April and will lauch the Knoxville area's event on November 8, 2012.

Crissy Haslam and Ephie Johnson will share what inspired them to address the needs of the youngest Tennesseans while emphasizing the important role that parents play as their child’s first teacher. Both leading ladies will also shares how families can help eliminate healthcare and educational disparities in the Volunteer State, like reading twenty minutes a day to a child.

Living Your Best Life can be heard  on 760AM in the Middle Tennessee Region, streaming live online at UStream.TV and on military bases on Saturdays from 9:00-10am CST. Crissy Haslam's interview was originally aired on XM's HBCU Channel on WTST.

More About Crissy Haslam

Born in Houston, Texas, Crissy Haslam moved with her family to Memphis, Tennessee when she was eight years old. She attended St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis and continued on to Emory University for college, where she served as the Vice-President of the Business School Council. Crissy graduated from Emory in 1980 with a double major in Finance and Marketing in the College of Business.

Crissy married Bill Haslam and moved to Knoxville in 1981. While working as the assistant director of admissions for UT-Knoxville, she received a Master of Science degree in Education in the program of College Student Personnel.

She has served on numerous civic and community boards, and currently serves as chair of the Tennessee Executive Residence Foundation.

Crissy and Bill have 3 grown children.

As First Lady of Tennessee, Crissy has introduced a three-part initiative that focuses on the interplay between family engagement and literacy improvement in Tennessee. She has been traveling the state to stress the importance of parents as first teachers, parents as education partners, and also to raise awareness for the exponential value of reading on grade level by the 3rd grade.

Crissy Haslam's social media sites are: Twitter , Facebook, YouTube, and Website.

More About Ephie Ballard Johnson 

Ephie Johnson, president and CEO of the Neighborhood Christian Centers, was born in Memphis just six days after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Although born during a troubling time, Johnson believes that Memphis is filled with potential and has spent her life working with those less fortunate than herself.

She considers her parents, Dr. JoeAnn and the late Monroe Ballard, to be extraordinary role models when it comes to giving back.

"All my life," she said, "I've known giving through my parents' eyes."
As she was growing up, her parents mentored more than 75 girls from impoverished or at-risk homes, helping them to become young, independent people.

It was through this work and through a desire to help others that Johnson's mother co-founded what is now known as the Neighborhood Christian Centers.

The Neighborhood Christian Center is a faith-based organization that serves entire families and has seven full-service sites in Memphis and numerous satellite and chapter affiliations.
But even with service being her family's lifeblood, Johnson initially shied away from that direct path, choosing instead to be a teacher. But as she taught, Johnson realized that she was more like her parents than she had thought.

After marrying and moving away to Alabama, Johnson moved back to Memphis to become her mother's apprentice believing that "God was grooming me according to His plan for me."
While working alongside her mother at the Neighborhood Christian Center for 13 years, Johnson drove the van, painted the walls, cooked in the kitchen , counseled clients, and learned the ministry of serving people -- earning everything she could about the mission of the Neighborhood Christian Centers and how to minister to those it serves. She formally took over as CEO in May 2008.
Johnson also hosts the "FaithForum" on FOX Memphis and serves as the choir director for Hope Presbyterian Church, where she enjoys sharing her love of song.

"God gave me a singing ability and a desire to share through song," she said. "Plus, it's important to have something outside of my day-to-day world."

Excerpt above from The Commercial Appeal. 
More About Ephie Ballard Johnson can be found here.

Living Your Best Life would like to thank media partners: WTST The Blaze at TSU, 760 The Gospel, Mocha Market Magazine, Rhealistic Branding and News Channel 5 Urban Outlook.

Story on First Ladies for Healthy Babies written by Genma Holmes can be found here.

Photo Credits: State of TN except Crissy Haslam and Genma Holmes (John Cross)
                        

Crissy Haslam coming to Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

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Tune in to hear Tennessee's First Lady, Crissy Haslam, share about "First Ladies for Healthy Babies" on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes.

First Lady Crissy Haslam's "First Ladies For Healthy Babies"

Tennessee's First Lady Crissy Haslam hosted members of the faith-based community at the Tennessee Residence for the Nashville meeting of the “First Ladies for Healthy Babies” initiative.

More than 140 women, including nearly 70 pastor wives, community leaders, and representatives from non-profits attended the luncheon to learn more about the importance of healthy brain development for children and promoting early education in their local neighborhoods in Nashville.

“First ladies of the church and leaders in the faith-based community are a trusted resource for their congregation and have incredible influence within their neighborhoods,” Haslam said. “They are in a great position to raise awareness for the importance of those first years of life and to help encourage parents to be their child’s first and most important teacher.”

There was a heavily emphasis on the tried and true principle of older women mentoring younger women in the church and in the community. Haslam shared how thankful she was for the advice given by the older women in her church when her children were babies. Many women in attendance were able to network while discussing challenges and best practices. Haslam introduced Nashvillians to Ephie Ballard-Johnson of the Memphis based Neighbor Christian Center who inspired her to launch “First Ladies for Healthy Babies.”

In June 2011, the “First Ladies for Healthy Babies” initiative was launched at the Neighborhood Christian Center in Memphis, where more than 175 pastors’ wives and church leaders gathered. The initial meeting helped to create a network of First Ladies and faith-based community leaders who promote early education and strengthening Tennessee families. There was an incredible turnout at the launch in Memphis last year,” Haslam said. “I am grateful that this message is continuing here in Nashville.”

Haslam hopes to continue convening networks of faith-based communities across the state that can support one another as they emphasize the important role parents play in their child’s healthy development toward school readiness.

Full coverage and additional photos in Mocha Market Magazine
Locations on where to pick up a free copy of Mocha Market Magazine can be found here.

Photo Credits: Dawn Majors, State Photographer

For Such A Time As This...Harold Moses Love, Jr.

Harold M. Love, Jr. (Rev. Harold Moses, Jr. as folks remind me on 760 AM) was told some time ago to “wait his turn” when he sought counsel about running for public office. The son of a politician and minister, Love had been on the campaign trail before. Love was very familiar with “don’t upset the apple cart” rhetoric that can behoove younger, ambitious potential candidates who are deemed a threat to the established older black (and white) incumbents.

But after much prayer and internal wrestling, he threw his hat in the ring to run for the Tennessee House 58 District seat. His campaign captured the attention of those who were desperate for a change and needing to see a leader who put service above self. Constituents had voiced wanting leadership that was hands on and capable of being engaged.

Many had not forgotten Love’s non-stop heroic efforts to serve and meet the physical and spiritual needs of those who were flooded in the West Hamilton Road area during the historic flooding of Nashville in the 2010. The West Hamilton area was off the media’s radar. He helped steer efforts to bring food, water, and clothing to those in need and to help many with the endless FEMA paperwork process. His work in the community was often overlooked but was rewarded overwhelmingly by Nashvillians who voted Love 2010 Nashvillian of the Year by the Nashville Scene.

Love’s ability to navigator the often complicated political,community,and social unwritten, code speak rules, while remaining true to himself is what many find intriguing about Love. Even Love’s critics have taken note. His devotion to Tennessee State University, during good times and bad, keeps him busy trying to keep positive news about the school at the forefront in spite of the never ending negative press it gets because of the mountain of internal conflicts. His involvement in many civic groups keeps him in the community, out front and behind the scenes.

I do not buy the ‘anyone but Mary’ mantra that was chanted by some during this campaign season. Anyone is never worthy of getting votes. In a year of one of the most divisive political seasons that I had the displeasure to cover nationally, regionally, and locally, it is good to see someone who understands the game of politics but has the greater good of the people as the motivating reason to run for office. That is rare in today's politicians. Two years will come and go quickly. Rep. Harold M. Love, Jr.'s leadership will be a breath of fresh air. At this time in Tennessee state politics, his leadership is needed.

National, State, and Local Political Observations

With all the turmoil over Japan’s tragedy, many political stories have been knocked off the radar, but within the online community those conversations are alive and ongoing. Often, when visiting other cities I attend meet-ups with other bloggers and Twitter enthusiasts. The info shared from social media platforms usually scoops mainstream press nowadays. Most stories, unfortunately, are rarely reported in ethnic media outlets. This week, many discussions about the number of politicians who ran on the taking-back-the-country mantra and gave President Obama a "shellacking,” are appearing to be worse than the politicians that were ousted last November.

A blogger from Wisconsin sent me several stories about Wisconsin state Senator Randy Hopper's wife, who informed a group of protesters that Hopper is living with his 25-year-old mistress in Madison, Wisconsin. The morally righteous public servant ran his campaign on family values while shacking up with his girlfriend in a house that is not in his district. Bloggers had a field day with this story when it broke. The scandal was reported by mainstream media two weeks later.

While the mainstream media was giving us endless clips of Charlie Sheen "winning”, folks were discussing whether Sen. Randy Hooper actual lived in his district at all when he ran for office last fall. This was not a Democrat vs. Republican or Governor Walker vs. worker’s rights storyline for me. What I found more intriguing about the Sen. Hooper hoopla is that many are admitting they knew he was living with his girlfriend for nearly a year while he was running for office and no one in his community challenged him publicly about his dual residence. The anger against the White House had blinded everyone to overlook the obvious. Now that Hooper has voted for a bill that the majority of the state workers including both Republicans and Democrats hate, his personal life is now on the ballot box. Cheating is okay until you vote crazy. Interesting. No, not judging, just an observation.

In Tennessee, political observations are always interesting. The birther legislation has hit the Volunteer State with a thud. In several states, the birther legislation has been introduced but has gotten little traction. Mother Jones gave the online community a golden nugget that sent bloggers to mixing drinks at what transpired when this news item below, published in Mother Jones, went viral:

Last month, Tennessee state Sen. Mae Beavers introduced SB 1091, a bill that would require presidential candidates to present a long-form birth certificate in order to qualify for the ballot in the Volunteer State. Beavers, a Republican, is in good company: Nearly a dozen states have now introduced similar legislation—part of national campaign mounted by the birthers, those conservatives who believe that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. To date they haven't had much luck; a bill proposed in Arizona looked the most promising but was scuttled in committee; on Wednesday, New Hampshire GOPers knocked down a similar proposal.

Law makers introducing bills that do not create “jobs, jobs, jobs” are becoming the norm but the head turner to this story was Sen. Mae Beavers’ actions after she introduced the bill. Wanting to strut her stuff and show her passion and zeal, she went on a Blogtalk internet radio show, Reality Check, to discuss protecting our country from a Manchurian candidate who could harm our country by running for President. Have mercy.

Below are excerpts from the transcript of the show that make the entire state of Tennessee look like everyone repeated 4th grade twice:

RC: What are the specific requirements in the bill?

MB: That they have to have the long form birth certificate.

RC: What is the long form birth certificate?

MB: Now, you're asking me to get into a lot of things that I haven't really looked into yet.

(Sen. Mae Beaver was promoting a bill that affects how we vote but did very little research about her own bill; its gets better or worse depending on what you are drinking!) Keep reading.

The host then asked the obvious follow-up: why put a term into the bill, if you don't know what it means? Beavers responded, "Well, we are following some of the bills that have been filed in lots of other states, and you know how it is, you file your bill and, you know, you prepare before you go to committee."

File first, understand later? Dumb.

Beavers went on to state more clearly, "I'm not entirely sure what long form means." She seemed genuinely surprised by the news that not all states even print long-form birth certificates anymore. "I only know about Tennessee," she explained. As for her motives for introducing the bill, Beavers didn't declare herself as an outright birther, but she noted, "I think people have raised questions about [Obama's birth] enough to make everybody wonder." Although the state of Hawaii has produced a certificate of live birth for Obama that has been widely distributed, Beavers said proof of Obama's citizenship must have gotten buried in her inbox: "I get emails all the time with things in them, you know; I can't honestly tell you that I read all of them, because I get so many." Geez.

Whether you are love or hate the President, electing officials with this kind of intellect to public office should be illegal.

Speaking of criminal behavior, is it a crime to ask legitimate questions of those who are running for office locally? In an effort to not make anyone look bad, Nashville-Metro Council members are not being challenged about their voting record. All members of the Black Caucus hemmed and hawed and voted against a multi-billion construction project, May Town, that would have been built with private funds in favor of the Mayor’s blessed and highly favored Music City Convention that was funded with taxpayer dollars based on property taxes.

Yes, local elected officials who represent the poorest residents in Nashville voted to fund a project to bring visitors in a down economy with tax payer dollars based on property taxes when a large number of Nashvillians have lost their homes to foreclosure. Brilliant!

The MCC Project has had its share of controversy which is being swept under the rug now that 2011 elections are around the corner. We are being given the three-piece-chicken-and-biscuit-special speeches while ignoring what the community of color has really gotten from the project. A wing, a dash of hot sauce, with prayers on the side. “We are getting 20% in minority spending”, I have heard a few potential candidates say lately. No one has asked the obvious follow up, “20% of what actual dollar amount?” Please.

The Mayor’s chief cheerleader for the MCC, Walt Baker, was revealed as a racist, at least in his emails. The PR firm debacle was all over the place. And very recently, Metro Finance Director, Rich Riebeling, one of Mayor Karl Dean's top advisers, failed to disclose fully personal business dealings with a prominent attorney and a local engineering firm, which have both won large contracts for the downtown convention center project. Wonder if any color folks bid on those contracts? There have been protests about hiring locals on the nightly news, yet, we allow council members off the hook by not questioning them about any of this. Why? Are accountability questions felonious? No one is perfect, but we should not dodge the obvious. For some, running for office is a hobby. Folks love to talk about what they have accomplished but no politician, Republican or Democrat, Black or White, long or short form supporters, should have an expectation of not being challenged about legislation they supported or bills they voted on, especially when it was not in the interests of the very people who voted for them.

In a media environment where followup questions have become obsolete, very little research is done on conflicts of interests in government dealings, and the cost of elections keep skyrocketing; politicians will say whatever it takes to get in and stay in office. This hurts the voting public, breeds voter apathy and puts out the fire of the next generation of voters who can really make a difference. I am just a blogger, but like it or not, I am going to do the unpopular thing; ask questions. Asking questions is desperately needed, especially in the color community, because a hot wing and prayers will not bring “jobs, jobs, jobs” to the communities of color in Tennessee.


Article first published as National, State and Local Political Observations on Blogcritics.

The Woman Beneath the Hats

Senator Thelma Harper is a 1978 graduate of TSU and the Chairperson of the Tennessee Black Caucus; she is known as much for her sense of style as her politics. Senator Harper is the first African-American woman to be elected to the Senate, the first woman to preside over the Senate and the first Senator to lead the Black Caucus. Harper is known for not focusing on the fluffy stuff and for speaking her mind about the nuts and bolts of political issues. Harper has been in public service for thirty plus young years.

Thelma Harper has served as a state senator since 1991. She has chaired many committees including; Senate Government Operations Committee and a member of the Senate State and Local Government Committee, the Senate Correction Oversight Committee, and the Select Joint Committee on Children and Youth.

For eight years, Thelma Harper served as a member of the Nashville-Davidson County Metropolitan Council. She also was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992.


As a proud alumnus of TSU, Senator Harper has fought many battles for Big Blue that will never make the news. Her support of TSU keeps her engaged in many events that happens on the campus and in the community. The numerous meetings times may overlap and she maybe not please everyone but she wears grace under fire well. That is the public Senator Harper that many know.

But the woman beneath the beautiful and colorful hats that are worn literally and figuratively pales in comparison to the hats she wears behind the scenes as nurturer, consoler, and compassionate counselor. Away from legislative corridors, senate hearings, political debates about the rights of women and fighting for children, cameras, and ribbon cutting ceremonies, Senator Harper swaps her public political hats for her Miss Thelma hats. The Miss Thelma's nurturer hat is worn on Thursday nights to tutor young kids who have been labeled special needs because they need a firm but loving hand in their life to help them with school work . “Helping eight year olds keeps me young,” Senator Harper says with a laugh. That hat is also worn to read to elementary children several times a month at schools in North Nashville. The Miss Thelma’s consoler hat is worn to visit in women prison and to see the sick and shut often left behind.


The Miss Thelma's compassionate counselor hat is worn to meet with young girls who made mistakes early in life but still need to know they “uniquely and wonderfully” made in God’s eyes. The hat is not trimmed in colored judgment or scorned flowers. That special hat was worn to take a group of women on a field trip of sorts to see the play “Dream Girls” last fall. The women were treated to an impromptu meeting with the actors backstage to hear one of the lead actors confess about his painful past that lead to him spending time locked up. The meeting arranged by Miss Thelma showed the women that they too can rise above their circumstances. There are no public policy hearings on compassion and loving others. That incident was brought to my attention by one of the cast members who shared it with me. She was so touched by the meeting that she asked to remain in contact with the young women and Miss Thelma. As she told me the story, we both cried. TPAC’s “ Dream Girls” play left Nashville many months ago but the influence of that backstage encounter has remained with the women and the actors from the play.


Those hats worn by Senator Harper aka "Miss Thelma" are as vital to the good of the community and state as the legislative issues that often can be trivialized in political sound bites on the nightly news.


The hats of wife, mother, sister, aunt and businesswoman that Miss Thelma wears cannot be forgotten either. As we go about our daily lives, let’s look closer at the hats that are worn by trailblazers not on the public stage but the ones worn behind the curtains that not only will have impact today but for years to come.
(From the Big Blue Issue)

Is Being In a Movie on Your Bucket List?

Ever wanted to be an extra in a movie?

If being an extra in a real movie is on your bucket list, you can check it off this weekend. Deadline needs unpaid extras for several pivotal scenes on both Saturday and Sunday. Our lead actors Steve Talley and Eric Roberts will be on set both days. The weather will be beautiful, so bring a carload of friends for a once in a lifetime experience!

On Saturday, January 29 we’ll be filming a major crowd and protest march scene at 4366 Skelley Road, Santa Fe, TN 38482 (Between Leipers Fork and Highway 7, at the intersection of Leipers Creek Road and Skelley Road). The location is approximately 35 miles from downtown Nashville. Extras for the morning scenes need to arrive at 9 a.m. Extras for the afternoon protest march need to arrive at 12:30 p.m. We’ll be finished before dark. Extras can be in either one or both scenes.

On Sunday, January 30 we’re filming the climactic courtroom scene in the beautiful, historic Giles County Courthouse in the heart of downtown Pulaski, 75 miles south of Nashville. Extras can arrive at either 8:30 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. and will be needed until dark. Extras who are with us all day will be provided lunch and memories that will last a lifetime!

If you’re interested, email extras@filmhouse.com. Please provide your age, race and contact information.

Please help us spread the word by forwarding this announcement to any friends and family who might be interested.

Thank you very much!

The Deadline Team
www.DeadlineFilm.com

The updates will keep you posted on the film's progress, including when Deadline will be released in your area. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose.

Regent Greg Duckett ducks questions and shows signs of early dementia at TBR Hearings

Tennessee Board of Regents(TBR) Greg Duckett from Memphis comments about Tennessee State University (TSU) in the highly promoted July 12th issue of the Tennessean were front and center this past summer. Duckett’s words seemed to heap coals on my sons’ beloved Big Blue that is in the middle of strife with some faculty members while searching for a new president and trying to maintain steadfast to its mission and vision to educate its students.

TSU’s internal conflicts spilled over into a two-part series devoted to “exposing” the school as the worst college in Tennessee. My grandfather always said, “Be careful when wishing evil on others, karma can be a mother for you.” Six months have not passed since Duckett’s quotes about TSU can be applied to events that lead to TBR’s hiring of John Morgan, TN Deputy Governor, that has left many skeptical of his hiring. The lack of transparency is being alleged by Republicans and Democrats. In the court of public opinion, Morgan’s hiring appears to be good ole boy politics as usual. Let’s review Duckett’s comments about TSU from the Tennessean and see how they are applicable to the hiring debacle of John Morgan for Chancellor.

Regents member Greg Duckett said complaints he receives about TSU, which started almost from the day he joined the board in 2006, are a "hodgepodge of issues." Some people complain about stewardship of public resources, he said, while others comment either directly or indirectly on the campus leadership. (Tennessean)

There seem to be a “hodgepodge of issues” about the process of Morgan’s hiring. From the downgrading of educational requirements, why only six applicants applied for nationally advertised job, the advertising time-line, and Morgan’s huge bump in salary to name a few are being questioned. In the two-day hearings held last month, Regent Greg Duckett ducked more questions than he answered. Within the first few hours of the questioning of TBR members, it was painfully obvious the hiring process was flawed even if Morgan was the best candidate. An above-board search with mandated guidelines was as important as finding the right Chancellor. Duckett, a lawyer, admitted with no shame, he did not know the legal requirements regarding board makeup for TBR that must have1/3 minority party members.(You can literally hear folks gasping on Twitter as I tweeted his admission.) An old saying came to mind immediately, “be careful not to think too highly of self” as Duckett’s dismissive attitude of TSU over the years came to mind. When Regent Barry Gibcomb who is the faculty representative on the TBR stated that faculty members voiced opposition to not having faculty representation on the search committee, the tenor of the hearings changed dramatically. At that point, Education Committee Chairwoman Sen. Dolores Gresham’s white diamonds turned pink as she expressed dismay at Duckett’s reassurance that even though rules were not followed regarding the process of hiring Morgan, the board still made the right decision to hire Morgan. Regent Gibcomb was the only “no” vote against Morgan and expressed “concern” about the hiring process in the early stages.

Sen. Gresham was cordial and respectful for the most part but she showed out at times and did not back down in questioning how the board members came to the conclusion that John Morgan, without a terminal degree, was the best candidate for the job. She repeatedly stated that Tennessee’s reputation was at stake especially since the state won millions from the Race to the Top education funding and the eyes of the world was on Tennessee’s education system. I hope they are blind when they are looking at us; that hearing was painful to watch. In the hearing, Sen. Jim Tracey shared that many wanted to apply for the Chancellor’s position but was told not to apply behind closed doors or in private conversations because Morgan was already “picked”. Hmm. At one point Sen. Bill Keton mentioned that Morgan’s hiring process was some type of “affirmative action” hiring. Yikes. I am still trying to get clarity on the meaning behind that comment. Although Duckett dodged many direct questions and showed signs of early stages of dementia with words like, “not quite sure, I don’t know, umm I need to check, wasn’t aware” and other various mind numbing noncommittal words, he perked up as he fondly recollected receiving a call from the Governor at his son’s basketball game asking him to serve on the board. Ducking Duckett revealed he did not know the governor personally but was honored to serve under his leadership. This appointment should have been tagged with a “stranger danger” warning attached to it!

He said the criticism, whether true or untrue, presents problems for TSU and can't be ignored. (Tennessean)

Using Ducking Duckett’s above logic, the problems that have been brought to light regarding the hiring of John Morgan can’t be ignored. Duckett said he did not know the governor directly prior to his TBR’s appointment. Ducking Duckett was recommended to hold such a coveted role because somewhere somebody knew something about him. TBR is responsible for a 2 billion dollar budget. No sit down dinner to get to know you, no conversation about education, no heart or gut check to make sure Duckett was the right fit for the thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands trying to seek a higher education degree. With so much at stake, the right person with a heart for education and the schools should have been TBR's criteria for board leadership. Duckett’s other repetitive statements at the hearing were the constant reference to the “Chairwoman of the search committee”. When his dementia stance didn’t work with Sen. Gresham questioning, he reverted to throwing the chairwoman under the bus. He did this so often; I caught myself humming the tune wheels-on-the-bus-go-round-and-round several times. At the end of the second day, the number of references to the chairwoman from Ducking Duckett drew the ire of the Sen. Gresham who demanded the education committee reconvene to address the inconsistencies that dementia acting Duckett seemed unable to address. Never heard a lawyer so tongue tied in all my life.

John Morgan is probably a good man and maybe the best person for the job but as Duckett said, “…present problems cannot be ignored".

The TBR is part of Tennessee Higher Education Committee (THEC). When we look closer at Tennessee’s higher education system, one has a better understanding why TSU comes up short often in this system. According to Dr. Rhoda, TBR controls the comings and goings of Tennessee higher institutions it oversees, where funds are directed, how students are recruited, and the day to day operations of the school. Many have lodged complaints against previous TSU administrations but what was clear from the hearings, no matter how good or bad a CEO of a higher learning institution is in Tennessee, he or she must juggle the internal persona of TBR that oversees the governance of the schools. God help you if the board dislikes your president or your school. This same board and with its fractured rules will be the starting and ending point for TSU’s new president. God be with my boys!

If the president of a TBR school raises a million dollars a day, TBR determines how the funds are dispersed. He/she can raise the money but they must fight with the Ducketts of the worlds to get anything done at the school, unless you are the University of Tennessee (UT). UT is special; it’s uniquely and wonderfully made. Many are not aware that Tennessee Higher Education Committee (THEC) maintains TWO boards. THEC formed in 1967 spun a separate board to govern the other schools in Tennessee’s higher education system. UT’s Board of Trustees governs the great school and is considered the orange Holy Grail in the THEC two-board system. UT has board members who are devoted alumni that work for the best interest of UT while fiercely protecting the mission and reputation of the school at all times. When UT has internal issues, the UT community brings the issues to UT board members directly; there is no need for email campaigns to government officials and the media to get issues addressed. Many of UT’s board members are prominent graduates of the school who are invested in their school (give money) and love UT when it is doing well and when it is in the media’s crossfire. The other colleges and universities in Tennessee are governed by the same board that governs TSU. TSU has no TBR member whose blood runs true blue. Not one. When you look at the lack of support for TSU in the TBR’s system you cannot overlook the absence of TSU alumni involved in leadership at TBR or with THEC. On another note, can you imagine Anne Holt, a notable alumnus of UT, giving an interview saying anything negative about her school? Wal-Mart would run out of TVs before that happen. Wonder if she could come give a pep talk on how to show devotion to one’s school across town? Just a thought.


“When you continually hear things, either there's false expectations or there are problems within the institution," said Duckett, a senior vice president at Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. in Memphis. "Either way, it needs to be addressed. The worst thing we could do is ignore something and let the talk persist without looking at it.” (Tennessean)

One of the worse things our outgoing Governor who is on an accomplishment tour can do is ignore the persistent talk about Morgan. Replacing three recently resigned members with three Republicans does not solve the issues that years of political appointed activists have added to a system that needs an overhaul from its origins. Often, political appointments serve the appointee first and serve the board position second (or third with some folks). This appointment over commitment-connection-character culture has hurt Tennessee’s higher education schools tremendously, especially TSU. No, I am not ignoring the internal problems at TSU, by no means. But for the overall health of all colleges and universities in the two-board governing system, systemic issues like the absence of board members who are invested in the schools they give oversight too must be addressed. An overhaul of TBR must be one of the first jobs of the new governor. Hopefully , the new governor will not use appointments as a means to reward political relationships and disband appointing absent minded color folks for the sake of filling a slot or checking the diversity box. A board must be created that can help the various school administrations address and be held accountable for student retention and graduation rates. Alumni need to do what alumni do around the world, love their schools. What many have seen for the last several years from the current Regents leadership is a cookie cutter mentality in dealing with the schools in its system. All schools are unique and wonderfully made. Until the culture of TBR change, no school except UT will truly prosper under the separate but equal system. If rules can be changed to help aide the “most qualified candidate” get the Chancellor’s job, why can’t rules be altered to require schools to have representation on the board that can bring the perspective and passion for their school to TBR? In many minds, TSU’s mired history with TBR will continue to be adversarial and TSU will continued be viewed as the ugly blue step child in Tennessee’s higher educational structure.

Photo Credit: The Tennessean (boogie man?)
The Boogie Man Stalks TSU
The Boogie Man spotted on TSU campus
Senate Education Hearing on Video September 28, 2010
Senate Education Hearing on Video September 29, 2010

There is More to Come

Last Tuesday’s election primaries have me examining the state of affairs of minority communities, specifically Black businesses. Watching Rand Paul’s appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show discussing his views about the passage of the Civil Rights bill sent shivers down my spine. My thoughts immediately went to my family and the years they spent fighting for equal justice for ALL Americans in the once segregated south in the 50's 60's, and early 70's. This is 2010; what in the world is going on?

As we have seen more Americans long for the America they once knew, many people of color and historians are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the lunch counter sit-ins and the Nashville Freedom Riders. They are celebrating the ending of an era in American history, when people of color overcame harsh treatments, and which they never want to see again. Ever. No person of color is longing for the days when businesses did not allow Blacks to eat in their establishments and required them to drink from separate water fountains, thanks to the demoralizing Jim Crow laws. When my friends say they want to take back America, I often ask them to expound on that statement. “Taking back America” means different things to different people.

When I called my grandmother ("Mother") this week, I could not help but ask how she felt about the newest media starlets, the Arizona law, and Rand Paul. Mother said something that was from a different perspective: “The Arizona law is a good thing in many ways. Young Blacks who never marched and experienced not being able to vote or shop where they want are seeing that it only takes a mark of a pen to undo what many take for granted every day.” Hearing her words left me dumbfounded, daring not to interrupt, and since I opened up this can of worms, I listened intently while holding my breath.

She continued while I started scribbling her words: “And for those that are older who marched and protested but hate to patronize their own people, Rand Paul’s words should be a reminder of where they come from; that same pen and a few elections can have them revisiting the 60's, looking through a restaurant window while holding a sign that reads 'I am a man.' How many Black people have learned to detest their own community because they think being allowed to shop elsewhere means equality? That was not what your Daddy and others fought with their lives to see happen.”

As her words trailed off, I could hear the sadness in her voice and feel the heaviness of her heart. My grandmother said to me much later in the conversation, “This is only the beginning, more is to come. God blesses us in so many ways. He takes his people out of one form of bondage or another. But folks can end right back in bondage when they forget the price that was paid for freedom. Read your word, many, many examples of this are in there. ” I did.

That conversation with Mother stayed with me throughout the week. My heart became heavy and grieved as well. I looked at signs of “more to come” all around me. Last week’s local election only garnered 20,000-plus voters when we have over 300,000 registered voters in Davidson County. I drove to my children's home, to make sure they voted. They are grown but I feared if I did not physically make them go vote they would “forget.” I was cussing up a storm all the way to the polls but they voted. I sent massive requests on Twitter and Facebook for locals to please vote. I was not pushing a candidate; I was advocating the right to vote. That right is sacred.

Much attention is placed on national elections, but a local election is where you get school board members who can determine the quality of a child’s education or politicians who can block a segment of the community's economic growth by favoring one part of town over another. This is far greater damage than any national leader can do to a community. Two out of thousands responded that they actually voted. God help us.

The two who responded are not only friends but actual longtime business customers. When I look at my database of customers, the bulk of my commercial clients are from Williamson County and many churches are from Shelby County. My Shelby County customers are due in part to one minister, Dr. Whalum, and his push to make sure his congregation does business with me. Many of my competitors in the area ask me often why my regional customer base is so heavily from Williamson County. You and I know why; Blacks doing business with Blacks is a hard sell.

There is no politically correct way to say that, huh? The African American community are the largest consumers of goods and services in the US. We buy more cars, hair care products, clothes, shoes, food, you name it than any other group of people. To marketing and sales executives, lists of African American mega churches and HBCU’s (historically Black colleges and universities) are like harvesting diamonds. They know without a doubt if they get their products, goods or services in front of those two groups alone, they can corner the market.

There is one small catch in the previous statement: the executive better be white. Let’s quit playing crazy and tell the truth.

There are too many businesses and people in North Nashville for North Nashville to constantly need to beg for businesses. How many meetings can one have about doing business in North Nashville when you have a room full of folks who own businesses that do not do business with one another? I am from Mississippi, please explain that to me. With not one but three HBCU’s within a mile of each other that spend millions on everything from toilet paper to lawn care to IT services to consulting services to sportswear, there should be an economic boom around the Jefferson Street area. I cannot count the churches up and down the area corridor that should be part of the growth of businesses as well.

I have always pondered why several of the Nashville area’s majority colleges hold diversity business fairs to try to meet (though they are not meeting) minority spending quotas, while the HBCU’s in the area are given a pass for not hiring many of their own folks for contract work. At the same time, we are being asked to (and should) support our HBCU’s financially. For the few local business owners who are hired, it takes an act of Congress to get paid. What is that about? Come on folks, we got to do better.

This is not a plug for my business, trust me it is not. This is a post about minority firms doing business with each other and building up the Black community that asks for dollars from the Black community. Our community is not the responsibility of the federal government to help make better when Black folks are not doing the basic things to foster economic growth by spending everyday “casual” dollars in the Black community. Often times, more time is spent waiting for others to help out than actually working to help the community.

Daddy always said, “What you value is where you spend your money.” Ouch. I love this city. I love my people. But I deplore when I see Black folks taking each other for granted, then screaming about diversity and business opportunities with white folks. Please…this is a new day. Words that would have been only whispered a few years ago are being shouted out loud. Jim Crow rules are now available in Spanish. As a people, we better wake up and take a look around…”more is to come.” Mother is never wrong!

Article first published as There is More to Come on Blogcritics.

Nashvillians From All Backgrounds Work To Bring Area back to Life

On Thursday, April 29th , 2010, it started raining and for several days the rains from the sky did not cease. On Saturday May 1st, our city started feeling the effects of that rain. It rained more in three days than it had all of last year. On Monday, May 3rd the skies were crystal clear and a beautiful blue and the devastation from the weekend storms were evident for all to see. Our city, the city of Nashville and the Middle Tennessee region were declared disasters area along with twenty-two counties. Flood waters had gotten as high as 52 feet.

From Hermitage to Donelson, Bordeaux to Brentwood, Hendersonville to Rivergate, Metro Center to Metroplex, Uptown to Downtown, West Hamilton road to Gallatin Road, Main Street to Charlotte Ave, Briley Parkway to Old Hickory Blvd., I-65 to I-24- to I-40, Robertson County to Hickman County, Antioch to Ashland City, every inch of this area was impacted in some way; some areas more so than others. If it was not water from the Cumberland River, Old Hickory and Percy Priest lakes, creeks, or streams, water from tears touched all of us.

Nashville is called Music City, USA. It was called Music City because of the hearts of several talented young students, known as the Jubilee Singers, at Fisk University led by Ella Sheppard. They were on a mission to raise funds for their school. They could not get concert bookings because they were Black living in the segregated South. The traveled North and was heard at a convention. From there they were invited around the country to perform. In 1872, they sang at the World Peace Festival in Boston and then invited by President Ulysses S. Grant to perform at the White House. In 1873, they invited to sing before Queen Victoria. When she heard the beautiful acapella voices of the Jubilee Singers she proclaimed, “They must come from Music City.”

Our beloved city is rich in diversity and culture that is not often reflected in national or even local media. The Flood of 2010 ruined not only national landmarks like The Grand Ole Opry, and known businesses like the Opryland Hotel and Opry Mills Mall that employs thousand or destroyed historical documents and musical artifacts or damaged the homes of country stars that were seen nightly on the news once the national media showed up, but everyday working people who make this city great. Many, many lives were disrupted or devastated. Black, White, Brown, and Yellow people showed up to help each other. Budget strapped non-profits opened doors to assist not only those newly homeless but their own people lives were turned upside down. Counselors needed consoling. Politicians stopped political rhetoric and campaigning and helped their fellow neighbors and constituents. Jews and Gentiles, Catholic and Protestants, Republican, Democrats, Independents; all worked beside each other these last two weeks.

I visited with several pest control operators who businesses are under water. There were no need for words; I knew firsthand what they were feeling. Tears flowed from men I know and respect greatly in this business unashamedly. I met overwhelmed moms who just got out of the hospital with newborns with no diapers, formula or personal toiletries for themselves. I saw elderly folks who were bedridden with soiled diapers on for days. Your desire for dignity does not go away in the middle of a national disaster. I spoke to several soldiers in Iraq serving our country wondering if their families are being served. Men protecting us abroad were feeling helpless because they were not there for their families. The needs are endless and consuming but I believe in the goodness of people. I saw folks from every economical, racial and ethnic background bewildered, shocked, and speechless but determined to get through this tough time. We are the Volunteer State, we will recover!

The photos you are about to see are not tagged. I chose to let you see for yourself a small fraction of who we all. Pictures tell stories. Unfortunately, those stories can be manipulated by a press that does not always give the whole story. There are more photos that will be going up later. I have hundreds of pictures that reflect our diversity, our generosity, and our courage in times of adversity. I saw neighbors being neighbors to each other, without hesitation, without question. I don’t know what the future holds but I know WHO holds the future in HIS hands. Hang in there!

(Ludye N. Wallace suffered a tremendous amount of damage to his home. While waiting for the water to reside in his residence, he gave sacrificially of his time to photograph the pics you see. You may contact him at Ludyeonduty@gmail.com)
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