March 29th 2024.
In a recent move by Republican Governor Bill Lee, the Board of Trustees at Tennessee State University has been replaced with 10 new members. This decision was made after Lee signed a legislation that called for the removal of the previous board members. The bill was passed with a 66-25 vote in the GOP-controlled state House, with Lee showing his support without giving any specific reason or comment. However, he did acknowledge the importance of TSU as the only publicly funded HBCU in the state, praising it as a "remarkable institution." Lee also announced that he had already selected 10 highly qualified individuals to take the place of the previous board members.
The new board members, who are not TSU alumni, come from various backgrounds in the business world. Some of the names already announced include Trevia Chatman, President of Bank of America Memphis, Jeffery Norfleet, Provost and VP for Administration at Shorter College, Marquita Qualls, Founder and Principal at Entropia Consulting, Terica Smith, Deputy Mayor and Director of Human Resources for Madison County, and Charles Traughber, General Counsel at Bridgestone Americas. Dwayne Tucker, CEO of LEAD Public Schools, Kevin Williams, President and CEO of GAA Manufacturing, and Dakasha Winton, SVP and Chief Government Relations Officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, are also on the list of new members.
While the new board members are still awaiting confirmation by the Legislature, this change is crucial as President Glenda Glover is set to retire at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. However, this decision has faced backlash from Black Democratic lawmakers and community leaders, who believe that the predominantly white state leaders are unfairly targeting the historically Black university. They argue that the focus should be on resolving the issue of underfunding instead of replacing the entire board.
Several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Justin Pearson, attempted to delay the vote or reduce the number of board seats being eliminated from 10 to 5. Pearson expressed his strong opposition to the decision, stating that it perpetuates racism and the consequences of previous generations' discriminatory policies. He also added, "Instead of correcting the problems caused by underfunding TSU, we are now advocating to vacate their board."
The decision made by Republican lawmakers to remove the entire board of the underfunded TSU has caused outrage and protests among students. In 2023, the university was granted $250 million by the Tennessee Legislature to address infrastructure issues, but House Majority Leader William Lamberth insists that the goal is to make TSU successful. "We are only talking about the board here. We are just changing the personalities and bringing in new ones," he clarified.
TSU has released a statement expressing their disappointment with the decision, calling it "unfortunate." The university believes that this legislation will not only disrupt the students' educational pursuits but also harm the university's image. They also highlight the success achieved by the previous board in enhancing the governance of TSU. This move has been deemed unprecedented and uncharted for any public university in the state.
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