MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter recently visited Middle Tennessee State University in one of his ongoing #McWhorterOnTheMove trips across Tennessee. McWhorter explored MTSU’s cutting-edge research and workforce development in quantum science from Hanna Terletska, how the university is a national leader in Concrete Industry Management from program director Jon Huddleston and from College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Greg Van Patten during the commissioner’s two-hour visit Wednesday, March 26. McWhorter and several staff members have been crisscrossing the state, visiting universities, high schools, industry and more in the quest to make…
Author: Tribune Staff
Campaign Targets Seven U.S. Cities – Louisville, KY; Durham, NC; Milwaukee, WI; Newark, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Philadelphia, PA; and Detroit, MI NEW YORK, NY – In a drive to curb a decade-long rise in drug overdose deaths in Black populations, a “You Have the Power to Save Lives” campaign launched in seven U.S. cities today urging community leaders to collaborate with public, civic, clergy, and other local influencers to promote access to the lifesaving, overdose-reversing medication in their neighborhoods. The core message and call to action is for Black leaders and communities to talk about and carry naloxone, taking power…
Led by Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Tennessee and 17 states announced today the conclusion of their investigation into Wells Fargo & Company following the company’s decision to abandon certain Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies. “Companies exist to make money, not policy. When giant corporations collude to limit consumer choice, they deprive Americans of the accountability and transparency that comes from representative government,” said Attorney General Skrmetti. “I commend Wells Fargo’s pro-consumer decision to step away from utopian policymaking, and I look forward to the rest of America’s major financial institutions following its lead.” The coalition has been investigating whether Wells Fargo and five…
On Saturday, April 12, hundreds of swimmers from throughout the Nashville area will dive in at the Ensworth Natatorium for the 4th annual Swim Across America – Nashville Pool Swim, a community team relay swimmer event raising funds for critical cancer research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC). Swimmers and volunteers interested in participating can register at swimacrossamerica.org/nashville. To date, Swim Across America – Nashville has raised $275,000 for VICC, helping to fund groundbreaking cancer research and clinical trials. “The Swim Across America – Nashville event is such an inspiring event,” said Chris McPherson, event director of the Swim Across…
Belmont University has appointed Cleo D. Rucker, J.D. as the new associate vice president of human resources and chief human resources officer, effective June 1. Rucker will oversee human resources initiatives supporting more than 1,600 faculty and staff at Belmont, bringing expertise in aligning HR strategies with institutional mission during a time of significant change in higher education. Rucker joins Belmont with more than 20 years of extensive human resources experience, most recently serving as chief people experience officer and associate vice chancellor at Vanderbilt University. Since joining Vanderbilt in 2011, Rucker has championed significant cultural and operational developments while…
In recent weeks, Trump escalated his assault on small businesses by signing an Executive Order to gut the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The MBDA was created to assist businesses owned by people of color — who face the greatest barriers to accessing capital — the resources and opportunities necessary to start and sustain their businesses. Through its nationwide network, the MBDA has played a crucial role in helping minority-owned businesses secure funding, create jobs, and navigate economic challenges, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reckless move will have a significant impact on small businesses, particularly entrepreneurs of color who…
The continuation of a change in approach on energy policy has resulted in the firing of Michelle Moore from the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors. Moore was fired March 27th, but the filing was done the next day with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. While President Trump also fired broad members in his first team, this one seems directly connected to an op-ed co-written by Tennessee senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty that specifically targeted the TVA board and called on the administration to replace them. Moore was initially nominated by President Biden in 2021. Her term wasn’t set…
To discuss exhibit that captures places of worship that were iconic to the civil rights era Professor Carlton Wilkinson, photographer, artist, and Nashville native will talk about his exhibit, On the Altar of Liberty – and Justice, at 5 p.m. March 30 at Second Presbyterian Church. His photos trace the Civil Rights Movement through several places of worship that were vital to its history in the 1960s. A light reception will follow the talk, which will also be livestreamed here. The photo exhibit will be on display at the church through April 27. Wilkinson, a Nashville native, graduated from Father…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 26, 2025) – A Nashville middle school will be named for the late Judge Richard H. Dinkins after a unanimous vote last night by the Metro Nashville Board of Education. The Board voted to rename Brick Church Middle School for Dinkins, who had a profound impact on Metro Nashville Public Schools as the lead attorney in a long-running school desegregation case that had led to nearly three decades of court supervision of the district before he helped settle it in 1998. “This school will now move forward into the future bearing the name of a man who…
Event to be Immediately Followed by Fireside Chat with Maryland Executive on State of the Nation Amid Growing Attacks on Black America NEW YORK, NY (March 24, 2025) — Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), will kick off the 2025 National Action Network Annual Convention with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, April 2nd, where he will be joined by a host of elected officials. Immediately after the ribbon cutting, Rev. Sharpton will sit down with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore for a fireside chat on the state of the nation. Gov. Moore, an emerging leader within the…