NASHVILLE, TN — American Baptist College (ABC) honors 103-years old Dr. Susie McClure, philanthropist and global missionary, with the 2019 Nannie Helen Burroughs Legacy Award. Additionally retired State Senator Thelma Harper, Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway, HCA Healthcare Vice President Sherri L. Neal, Rev. Dr. Judy Cummings, and Rev. Cora Alston will receive the 2019 Women of Distinction Award.
Rev. Dr. Racquel Lettsome will deliver the keynote address and Mrs.Joyce Searcy, Director of Community Relations at Belmont University, will serve as the mistress of ceremonies.
This signature event of the 62nd Annual Garnett-Nabrit Lecture Series sponsored by American Baptist College will take place Wednesday, March 20 at 11:30 am at the World Baptist Center, 1700 Baptist World Center Drive in Nashville. Tickets are $30 per person. To purchase tickets to the Nannie Helen Burroughs Luncheon, please visit https://bit.ly/62ndGNL.
“Through this Nannie Helen Burroughs Luncheon, American Baptist College embraces the opportunity to celebrate women in leadership. Like the late Nannie Helen Burroughs, our honorees have impacted our community and our world,” said ABC president, Dr. Forrest E. Harris, Sr. “These six women represent a level of excellence not defined by gender. Each is known for critical intelligence, workplace successes, thoughtful citizenship, and compassionate service. The influence of our honorees is impactful in creating pathways for all women to flourish.”
This year’s Women of Distinction honorees feature an array of community, civic, government and corporate leadership.
• Retired Senator Thelma Harper is the longest-serving woman senator and the first African-American state senator in Tennessee, retiring in 2018 after serving 28 years in the state senate and 40 years as a public servant.
• Judge Sheila Calloway was elected Davidson County’s Juvenile Court Judge in 2014 and was sworn into office for an eight-year term on August 28, 2014.
• Sherri Neal is Vice President of Cultural Development and Inclusion for HCA Healthcare, where she is responsible for leading inclusion, health equity, and cultural competency initiatives.
• Rev. Dr. Judy Cummings, Senior Pastor of the historic New Covenant Christian Church, is the first woman to lead the 160-year old church.
• Rev. Cora Alston, the pastor of the Faith Church, retired from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance following 35 years of service.
• Dr. Susie McClure, philanthropist and global missionary, recipient of the 2019 Nannie Helen Burroughs Legacy Award, traveled to Central Africa several times with the Foreign Mission Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. on a project to build a hospital there.
The annual Nannie Helen Burroughs Luncheon celebrates the historical influence of Ms. Burroughs, one of the nation’s most prolific educators, orators, civil rights advocates, and women’s rights activists. Born in 1879, Burroughs established the National Training School for Women and Girls in Washington, D.C., and continued her pivotal work there until her death in 1961.
Founded in 1924, American Baptist College, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU), located in Nashville, Tennessee, is committed to educating and developing students for worldwide leadership, service, and social justice. The college’s 95-year legacy is firmly rooted in its historic purpose through a Christ-centered vision of the world for underprivileged students.
To learn more about American Baptist College, please visit www.abcnash.edu
