The Urban League of Middle Tennessee (ULMT) will host its 57th Annual Equal Opportunity Day (EOD) Luncheon on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the Music City Center, 201 John Lewis Way South, in downtown Nashville. Doors for the event will open at 11:00 am. The theme for this year’s event is “Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty…Now More than Ever!”
According to ULMT President and CEO Clifton Harris, Equal Opportunity Day (EOD) is the organization’s premier time to reflect on and celebrate the power of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The event attracts more than 500 attendees each year. This year’s keynote speaker for the event will be ULMT President and CEO Clifton Harris. President Harris’ remarks will focus on our highly-anticipated “State of Black Middle Tennessee” report.
“Our EOD event brings together the largest gathering of business, community, and civic leaders to explore issues affecting our region and to celebrate the successes in the past year of African Americans and other minority communities across Middle Tennessee,” says Harris. “It is also our opportunity to acknowledge and thank our community leaders and corporate partners who have made significant contributions to the work of the Urban League and to our community.”
During the EOD luncheon, several awards will be presented to outstanding individuals and organizations within the community. These awards will include Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Service, Chairman’s Award – Outstanding Community Leader, Outstanding Board Member, and Outstanding Corporate Partner.
A long-time community organizer and advocate, Harris’ work has made him an expert in non-profit management, economic and workforce development, and social justice. As the President and CEO of the ULMT, a position he has held for the past nine years, he is responsible for charting and evaluating the vision and mission of the Urban League.
As the former head of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, he created and hosted Nashville’s first Project Homeless Connect, assisting thousands of homeless individuals in need of various services. Harris coordinated Nashville’s efforts to implement “Housing First,” placing homeless individuals into permanent housing coupled with intensive case management. This best practice solution reshaped Nashville’s approach to offering permanent solutions to the most vulnerable and chronically homeless.
Prior to his time in Nashville, Harris made a tremendous impact within Shelby County’s housing and homelessness sectors through Shelby County’s local government, Habitat for Humanity, and the Orange Mound Development Corporation.
Harris is a member of the Center for Non-Profit’s CEO Advisory board, Rotary Club of Nashville, a member of Nashville Electric Service’s Board of Directors, a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), an alumnus of Leadership Nashville, and an Elder at Strong Tower Bible Church. A native of Cary, North Carolina, Harris graduated from St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh with a degree in business administration.
For EOD event sponsorship opportunities, contact Janet Kincherlow-Martin at jmartin@ulmt.org A limited number of reserved tables and individual tickets are still https://bit.ly/40uZ8rp.
