Join the Urban League of Middle Tennessee for the 45th Equal Opportunity Day Luncheon, celebrating 45 years of service, on Tuesday, February 5, at the downtown Hilton. The Urban League of Middle Tennessee (ULMT) has also announced that Kent McGuire of the Southern Education Foundation will be the keynote speaker. Darrell Freeman and Decosta Jenkins will be presented with the Lifetime Member Award. Both business leaders have demonstrated significant support to the Urban League and the greater Nashville community. The luncheon’s theme is ‘Jobs and Education: Partnerships that Meet the Demands for a Global Workforce’ and begins at 11:30 am.
Keynote speaker Kent McGuire is president/CEO of the Southern Education Foundation. McGuire is responsible for SEF’s mission to advance equity and excellence in education in the American South especially for African Americans. Prior to joining SEF, Dr. McGuire served as dean of the College of Education at Temple University and was a tenured professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, also at Temple. Before that he served in the Clinton Administration as ‘assistant secretary’ of the U.S. Department of Education. His prior non-profit work included being the ‘education program officer’ for the Philadelphia-based Pew Charitable Trusts and serving as ‘education program director’ for the Eli Lilly Endowment.
Dr. McGuire has written and coauthored various policy reports, book chapters and papers in professional journals. He currently serves on many boards including the Moorestown Public School; Institute for Education Leadership; the New Teacher Project; board of managers of Girard College; Wachovia Regional Foundation; and the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation. He received his Ph.D. in public administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder, his MA in education administration and policy from Columbia University Teacher’s College, and his BA in economics from the University of Michigan.
Established in 1968 by a group of local business leaders, the Urban League of Middle Tennessee impacts over 5,000 youth and adults annually through their workforce and youth development programs. Employment resulting from ULMT services returns over $3 million annually in wages earned by ULMT clients to the economy of Middle Tennessee. The Urban League of Middle Tennessee changes lives by working to support clients in gaining access to the economic mainstream. John Gauder III, area vice president of Comcast of Middle Tennessee and ULMT board member, is the luncheon chair.
The National Urban League believes that educational opportunity and economic empowerment are inextricably linked. A child receiving an excellent education is better prepared to attend college, enter the workforce and contribute to society. The Urban League’s vision is to ensure every American child is prepared for college, work, and life. This commitment guides the group’s work in education policy.
For additional information about ticket purchases or event sponsorship, contact Patricia Stokes at pstokes@urbanleagueofmidtn.org or 615-254-0525 or visit the Urban League website at www.ulmt.org.
