The newest ambassador for Active Minds, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing youth and young adults to transform mental health norms, recently visited two universities in Tennessee, including one in Nashville. Jay Michael Martin Jr., an acclaimed media personality and storyteller, talked to students at the University of Tennessee at Martin and Vanderbilt University earlier this month. Active Minds announced in January that Martin will collaborate with the organization to elevate mental health storytelling through various initiatives that equip youth and young adults to prioritize self-care and community support. Known for creating safe spaces through vulnerability, healing, and…
Author: Lucas Johnson
Engineering executive Peter Nabhan was looking for a way to help students find real-world technology experience through opportunities he didn’t have when he was in college. So, when he was approached about being a mentor in a program at Vanderbilt University that helps students commercialize deep-tech prototypes that address societal needs, he couldn’t say no. Nabhan, vice president of Nashville-based Engineering Consulting Services, was among about 10 other industry mentors who joined Vanderbilt faculty and staff for an event on Jan. 20 promoting one of the newest programs offered by the Wond’ry, called IMPACT (Innovation, Market-driven Productization, and Commercialization of…
More than 20 years after his New York Times bestselling memoir Finding Fish, acclaimed screenwriter Antwone Fisher has written another book that’s getting early praise before its official release in April. Reflections Beneath the Buckeye Trees comprises more than 130 reflections that Fisher describes as “a gathering of memory – of truth as I lived it.” The reflections include growing up in the foster system, being bullied, experiencing the Deep South for the first time, and the making of his film, “Antwone Fisher (2002),” which was directed by the iconic Denzel Washington, whose guidance and friendship Fisher reflects upon in…
As the nation celebrates 250 years, a new book chronicles the largely untold story of a pioneering Black family who helped build it. Released by Black Privilege Publishing, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, “The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers,” traces the history of the oldest minority-owned construction firm in the United States. Nashville native Cheryl McKissack Daniel, chair of the board for McKissack & McKissack, co-authored the book with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Nick Chiles. The book chronicles the remarkable journey of the McKissack family from slavery to becoming a leading firm in…
Fourteen years ago, Jim Emison began a mission to find out who killed a man believed to be the first NAACP activist slain for trying to register black voters. As a new year begins, the retired 82-year-old white attorney is still on the case, and he’s also making sure that Elbert Williams is not forgotten. Emison recently talked about his efforts during a lecture at Vanderbilt University, his alma mater. He said he’s currently working on the establishment of an Elbert Williams Interpretive Center in Brownsville, Tennessee, modeled on the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Mississippi. Williams, who was…
Fourteen years ago, Jim Emison began a mission to find out who killed a man believed to be the first NAACP activist slain for trying to register black voters. As a new year begins, the retired 82-year-old white attorney is still on the case, and he’s also making sure that Elbert Williams is not forgotten. Emison recently talked about his efforts during a lecture at Vanderbilt University, his alma mater. He said he’s currently working on the establishment of an Elbert Williams Interpretive Center in Brownsville, Tennessee, modeled on the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Mississippi. Williams, who was…
NASHVILLE, TN — Hundreds of people returned to Riverside Chapel in Nashville, Oct. 10-12 to partake in the celebration of the church’s 80th anniversary. The church has a combined 300 years of service in healthcare, education and spiritual outreach. The three-day event – themed, This Is Our Story – included an old-fashioned AYS/MV program, a spirit-filled Sabbath worship service where past pastors were recognized, a celebration dinner, a musical gala, and a 5K run/walk. But probably the most enjoyable occurrence was the reconnection of people who hadn’t seen each other in years. “It really is enjoyable … to connect with…
A novel pilot program is helping to spark high school students’ interest in engineering and STEM as well as show them the impact they can have on their communities. The students’ main assignment focused on historic Jefferson Street in Nashville. The program was started by Ghina Absi, assistant professor in the practice of civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University. It is a joint venture with the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV), which is a partnership with Vanderbilt and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). Juniors from various Nashville high schools came together once a week for three…
By Lucas Johnson NASHVILLE, TN (TSU News Service) — When President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the U.S. Supreme Court, for many it was more than just keeping a campaign promise. The historic move, in the eyes of civil rights groups and women’s organizations, is viewed as “long overdue.” Biden nominated Jackson on Feb. 25. If confirmed, she would not only be the first African-American woman, but also the third Black justice and sixth woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover, who also serves as vice chair of the President’s…
By Lucas Johnson NASHVILLE, TN (TSU News Service) — For more than a decade, Tennessee State University History Professor Learotha Williams has worked to highlight those unsung heroes of the civil rights movement in North Nashville. Now, with the help of Apple, Inc. and TSU’s National Center for SMART Technology Innovations, Dr. Williams is creating an app to do just that, and more. When completed, the app will guide people on a walking tour of key landmarks in the movement, including the cafeteria (now called Elliott Hall) where TSU students were recruited for activism. Along the way, people will be…