YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Nashville (LWV), hosted the annual Stand Against Injustice Rally on August 6 at the Scarritt Bennett Center’s Harambee Auditorium.
This year’s theme, ‘Together We Rise: Advancing Justice Through Civic Engagement,’ commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and honored the grassroots activists whose work made the landmark legislation possible.
The program opened with ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ performed by Fisk University’s Laila Cooper. YWCA President/CEO Sharon K. Roberson shared her mother’s experience paying a poll tax in the 1950s, underscoring the struggles that preceded the Act. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Vice Mayor Angie Henderson also spoke on the importance of civic participation. Henderson, joined by Councilwomen Brenda Gadd and Jennifer Gamble, read Metro Council Resolution RS2025-1375 recognizing YWCA’s mission.
Keynote speaker Dr. Sekou Franklin, executive director of the John Lewis Center for Social Justice at Fisk University, reminded attendees that the Voting Rights Act was won through “ordinary people with extraordinary vision.” He encouraged participants to continue engaging in ‘good trouble’ to safeguard democracy.
Tina L. Fox, director of ‘community relations’ for the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, received this year’s Carrie Hull Award. “This recognition is not just my efforts but the support and encouragement of many wonderful people who do this important work in victim services,” Fox said.
The event concluded with the signing of a joint resolution by YWCA, LWV, and more than 20 partner organizations reaffirming their commitment to protecting voting rights, followed by a unifying rendition of ‘We Shall Overcome.’
More than 75 community members attended, representing groups including Tennessee State University, Fisk University, the Equity Alliance, NAACP Nashville, Urban League of Middle Tennessee, and AWAKE.
The ‘Together We Rise – Stand Against Injustice 2025’ rally was supported by the Harnisch Foundation.
