By Michele Gilman, University of Baltimore A leaked draft suggests the Supreme Court is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that gave women the right to terminate a pregnancy. But reproductive health isn’t just about abortion, despite all the attention the procedure gets. It’s also about access to family planning services, contraception, sex education and much else – all of which have also come under threat in recent years. Such access lets women control the timing and size of their families so they have children when they are financially secure and emotionally ready and can finish their education and advance in the workplace. After…
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Nashville, Tenn.–Chancellor Daniel Diermeier congratulated the Class of 2022 for their “persistence, patience and above all, courage” during the past four years when he delivered his Commencement address at Vanderbilt Stadium on May 13.An estimated 14,000 guests joined graduates of the university’s 147th class during an in-person main ceremony that was livestreamed on Vanderbilt’s website. “In many ways, your Vanderbilt experience was marked by a before and an after,” Diermeier said. “The global pandemic forever changed how we work, learn and live. But it also changed us. It made us question our priorities and routines. And we also discovered new strength and our…
By Andrea Williams When Dr. André Churchwell, BS’75, was a biomedical engineering student at Vanderbilt, his daily commute from East Nashville was emblematic of the obstacles he faced growing up in a segregated neighborhood and in a city that just a few years earlier had been at the center of the civil rights struggle. “I would run two blocks from my house down to the bus stop and catch the bus at 7:30,” says André, now the university’s vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, during a recent tour of his former neighborhood. Pointing out the location,…
NASHVILLE, TENN. (TN Tribune) — Nashville attorney John Tarpley will be honored next month with the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) prestigious William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award.. The Leech Award is given to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, legal system and the community. It is named for former Attorney General William M. Leech, and the recipient is selected by the Fellows of the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. A shareholder in the Nashville office of Lewis Thomason, Tarpley is a former president of the Tennessee Bar Association and has also held…
NASHVILLE, TN — When developers wanted to build condos on top of a burial ground for former slaves at Fort Negley, Charlane Oliver knew she had to act. “It took a group of unapologetic Black leaders who were willing to stand up and say no, this is not your ground for profit,” Oliver said. “We brought together concerned community members to have their burial site left intact and stop the development from moving forward.” Charlane Oliver is an award-winning civil rights champion, community organizer, nonprofit founder, wife and working mother of three. Charlane is the co-founder and co-executive director of…
MEMPHIS, TN — On Monday, May 23 at 4:30 p.m., the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival will have a march and rally in Memphis to elevate the interlocking injustices plaguing the Mid-South. A newly convened coalition serving as the Memphis and Midsouth Mobilization Campaign has been launched to increase regional participation of individuals and groups from Memphis, Middle Tennessee and the Mississippi and Arkansas Delta into the broader work of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. This group includes persons from the wider area and is diverse in its outreach and demographics.…
By Pamela M. McBride My butt was numb and tingling from sitting for an hour and a half waiting to see the doctor. My lower back spasms worsened, and the pain radiated down the back of my left leg. I changed position every few minutes to relieve the pressure and stiffness at the base of my spine. I moved from the exam table to the chair and back again in my paper gown, sitting on the sheet that was meant to cover me. I was in pain, and I was edgy.When Dr. Whitecoat walked in, he washed his hands and rattled…
Iman, 66 The Somalian supermodel, fashion muse and overall icon has been giving us style goals for decades. From the catwalk to magazine covers, Iman epitomizes grace, confidence and beauty. Angela Bassett, 63 Angela Bassett’s fashion sense is as strong as the women she plays on-screen. Whether she’s rocking bold colors or showing off those arms, her look is always spot-on. Diana Ross, 78 Diana Ross has impeccable style, from her glamorous stage outfits to her casual looks. The living legend continues to inspire us. Patti LaBelle, 77 The Godmother of Soul has always opted for bold, standout looks. Even…
By Daryl T. Stuart I had always been a stay- at- home mom. With three children – two boys and a girl – I would often volunteer at school and for scouting events. As the children grew older, I added the Smithsonian Institution to my activities. I loved it so much I decided, at the age of 40, to pursue a master’s degree in museum studies. After completing the program in 1992, I began managing the object loan program at the National Museum of American History. I figured I had 25 good work years ahead of me. Everything was going…
NASHVILLE, TN — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced that it will invest a total of $10.6 million to help build and renovate more than 130 affordable homes in partnership with the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA), and support the social work of the local nonprofit CrossBridge Inc. This commitment is part of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, a more than $2 billion commitment to create and preserve 20,000 affordable homes for individuals and families earning moderate-to-low incomes in Nashville, Washington state’s Puget Sound region, and the Arlington, Virginia, region. “We’ve already hired more than 2,500 people at our Nashville office,…