Meharry Medical College has launched the largest fundraising effort in its nearly 150-year history, announcing Campaign 150 — a $500 million initiative to strengthen scholarships, research, and institutional growth. College officials revealed that more than $400 million has already been secured in early gifts, positioning the campaign to become the most successful in Meharry’s history. The announcement was celebrated Wednesday afternoon at the Cal Turner Family Center on Meharry’s Nashville campus, with remarks from Dr. James E.K. Hildreth, Meharry’s president and CEO, who delivered the keynote address. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and several Meharry leaders and alumni are also slated…
Author: TN Tribune Staff Writer
NASHVILLE, TN — A collaborative conversation about safer and more transparent policing took place on September 11th at the North Police Precinct, bringing together faith leaders, activists, and law enforcement officials to address the changing dynamics of policing in one of Nashville’s most historic and rapidly transforming communities. The meeting was organized by civil rights activist Reverend Venita Lewis and convened members of the Nashville Police Review Committee, including Pastor Howard Jones, Reverend Venita Lewis, Pastor Barry Barlow, Angel Stansberry, and David Conner. They were joined by Commander Steven Bowers of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD), Chief Greg Robinson,…
Clarksville, TN. – NAACP Clarksville TN Branch – The theme for the 69th Freedom Fund Banquet is “Celebrating Our Stories, Our Culture, Our Excellence”. The banquet will be held at the Valor Hall Event Center, 105 Walter Garrett Lane, Oak Grove, KY, 42262, November 15, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. and doors will open at 5:00 p.m. The Branch extends an invitation to the community to come join us in our endeavor to make Clarksville-Montgomery County Tennessee a more cohesive community. The Annual Freedom Fund Banquet is the Branch’s main fundraising event. Guest speaker for the banquet is the 17th Most Worshipful Grand Master L. Lamont Banks,…
NASHVILLE, TN — Meharry Medical College, one of the nation’s oldest and largest historically Black academic health sciences centers, recently announced the appointment of Vence L. Bonham, Jr., J.D. as president and chief executive officer of the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute (DHGI) and founding director of the Meharry Center for Bioethics, Social and Behavioral Research. Bonham comes to Meharry with an extensive background spanning law, bioethics and genomics. He has held multiple leadership roles at the National Institute of Health (NIH), most recently as acting director and deputy director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Bonham also served…
The African Methodist Episcopal Church Department of Christian Education announced a change in leadership in the Connectional Fellowship of Church Educators (CFCE). Dr. Robin Porter Smith, who has served as chair since 2018, has become president of the Connectional Council of the AME Church, making her the first layperson and the first woman to hold the position. Dr. Roberta Hill has been named interim chair of the CFCE. Hill serves as the 13th Episcopal District director of Christian education and has been the CFCE vice chair. An experienced Christian educator, she has served in the 4th and 13th Episcopal districts…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former Vice President Kamala Harris will appear at Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at 7 p.m. for “A Conversation with Kamala Harris,” a ticketed event presented in partnership with Parnassus Books. Billed as a candid look at one of the most eventful presidential races in modern politics, Harris will share insights from the 2024 campaign and lead a conversation about the path forward for the country. Every ticket includes a copy of her new book, 107 DAYS (Simon & Schuster). VIP Meet & Greet tickets are available and include a photo with Harris and a…
Memphis, TN — Today community, faith, labor, youth, culture and business leaders launched Free the 901, a campaign to prepare, protect and uplift Memphis residents amid escalating authoritarian attacks — including the proposed deployment of the National Guard to patrol neighborhoods. Rooted in the belief that real safety comes from investing in people, not punishment, Free the 901 held a press conference at 1 p.m., followed by the “No Cooperation with Occupation” march at 1:30 p.m. Both events began at the park across from Juvenile Court (intersection of Neely & Adams). This campaign was born out of urgency. On Sept.…
Assata Shakur, a Black liberation activist granted political asylum in Cuba after a 1979 prison escape, has died in Havana, Cuban officials and her family said. Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited “health conditions and advanced age.” Her daughter, Kakuya Shakur, confirmed the death in a Facebook post. New Jersey officials said she was 78. Born Joanne Deborah Chesimard — her married name — Shakur was a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army. Her case long strained U.S.–Cuba relations, with American authorities for decades seeking her return; the FBI placed her on its “most wanted terrorists”…
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Les Smith, a longtime Memphis television reporter known for vivid, people-centered storytelling, died Wednesday at 75 following a recent hospitalization for suspected lung cancer, his family said. Smith had recently returned from Belize “in bad shape physically” and, after spending a weekend with his sons and grandchildren, entered the hospital the following Tuesday, according to a Facebook post by his son Jason. Doctors drained fluid from his lungs and believed he likely had lung cancer, the post said. Over a 13-year run at FOX13 before retiring in 2014, Smith filed more than 8,000 stories, earning a reputation…
Voddie Baucham Jr., a prominent Reformed Baptist preacher and author who led the newly launched Founders Seminary in Florida, died Thursday at age 56 following what his ministry called an “emergency medical incident.” Founders Ministries announced his death and asked for prayers for his wife, Bridget, their children and grandchildren. Baucham had moved to Cape Coral, Florida, earlier this year to serve as the founding president of Founders Seminary, which opened its first semester in August. Before returning to the United States, he spent nearly a decade in Lusaka, Zambia, as a professor and dean of theology at African Christian…