The 2023 Tennessee State University Women of Legend and Merit Awards Dinner will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. This auspicious evening celebrates influential women among us. The Nashville community and surrounding communities, as well at the TSU campus family, alumni, and students are invited to attend this occasion.
This year’s Honorees, by category, are Athletics: Jennifer Bell – Tennessee State University; Business: Dr. LaQuita Stribling – Randstad, Nashville Rotary; Community Service: Patricia Malone- Urban League of Middle Tennessee; Education: Laura Fitzgerald Cooper – Nashville Mayor’s Office; Leadership: Janet Rachel – National Coalition of 100 Black Women; Medicine: Dr. Charae Farmer – Meharry Medical College; and Media: Dr. LaDonna Boyd – R. H. Boyd Publishing Company.
The Scholarship Gala will be hosted at Kean Auditorium on the campus of Tennessee State University. Parking is available in Lot labeled “Students Parking” on the above map, on the corner of 33rd Avenue and Alameda. Enter parking lot from 33rd Avenue. For more details and to purchase tickets, go to their website: https://www.tnstate.edu/legendandmerit/
The annual event is sponsored by the TSU’s Women’s Center, whose mission is to provide vital and comprehensive services that address the needs of the whole person by hosting programs and workshops that speak to the emotional, intellectual, physical and financial well-being of the TSU woman.
“There are so many amazing women at Tennessee State University,” said Seanne Wilson, who has served as the director of the University’s Women’s Center since 2015. Wilson said many of TSU’s alumna paved the way for Black women in Nashville and beyond. “Often times we are overlooked,” Wilson said. “We’ve never had the shine we deserve. Now women are starting to be seen and we are operating in power.”
Located in the heart of the campus, the Women’s Center vision and purpose at TSU is to provide resources for female administration, faculty, staff, and students, while establishing a safe, diverse and empowering environment. The Center’s objective is to foster a more vibrant campus community by supporting active participation of female students in both their personal and educational pursuits at TSU.
The Director and Women’s Center volunteer advisory boards hope to encourage retention and academic success for freshman, upperclassmen, transfer and non-traditional students by providing specialized support programs and referrals to community resources inclusive of on- and off- campus communities. The Center aids students in identifying opportunities for academic success and positive personal development.
The Women’s Center supports women’s education, empowerment, and mentoring of women. Administration, faculty and staff are encouraged to support and utilize available resources of the Center. The Women’s Center collaborates with Nashville community organizations to provide opportunities for its female population. The Center develops and sponsors programming that enhances the skills of women and assists in their development as scholars and professionals. The staff works closely with the university’s Women’s Studies program to provide academic courses that explore issues of gender, sexuality and inequality through examination of the lives and efforts of women.
