MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University will mark Constitution Day with a public program featuring nationally recognized legal scholar and Georgetown University law professor Sheryll Cashin, bringing students and the campus community together to examine the Constitution and its continuing influence on American life.

The theme for the program is “What Would the Founding Fathers Think of Today’s Supreme Court?” and it will begin at 2:40 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, in Tucker Theatre, 615 Champion Way.

The event is part of MTSU’s Constitution Week programming, presented by the university’s American Democracy Project, and is free and open to the public. Parking is available in the adjacent baseball lot.

“In this semiquincentennial year, I’m excited to have our students in conversation about the Supreme Court’s role in the Constitutional balance of power, both historically and in our current time,” said Amy Sayward, MTSU American Democracy Project director.

A traditional part of MTSU’s Constitution Week will include Constitution readings across campus Sept. 14-17. Locations include: 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, Honors College lawn; 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, Jones College of Business courtyard; 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept 17, Peck Hall courtyard.

All members of the campus community are invited to participate.

Engaged in Constitutional law and justice

As part of her visit, Cashin will participate in a student-moderated discussion focused on current issues and decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and how they connect to the vision of the nation’s Founders. The format will give MTSU students an opportunity to engage directly with a prominent constitutional law scholar while exploring questions about how the U.S. Constitution operates in contemporary American society.

“Professor Cashin is a multifaceted person and scholar, which provides our students with multiple points of entry for engaging their interests and asking questions,” Sayward said, “and she is, of course, an expert in Constitutional law, so students can discuss recent Supreme Court cases with her.”

Cashin is the Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law, Civil Rights and Social Justice at Georgetown Law and faculty director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality. Her areas of expertise include constitutional law, civil rights and discrimination. She teaches Constitutional Law and Race and American Law, among other courses.

Her legal career includes serving as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. She also worked in the White House under President Bill Clinton as an adviser on urban and economic policy, particularly on community development in inner-city neighborhoods.

And her passion for social justice runs deep. 

“She literally grew up in the center of the Civil Rights Movement in Huntsville, Alabama, joining her parents as they were arrested for their efforts to desegregate lunch counters in that city. So there are lots of ways that our student moderators and our community members can interface with her,” Sayward said.

Cashin earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, summa cum laude, from Vanderbilt University, a master’s degree from Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar and a law degree with honors from Harvard Law School, where she served on the Harvard Law Review.

Cashin is also the author of several books examining race, inequality, and American democracy and has written for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Politico Magazine.

Her appearance comes as MTSU joins a national conversation about the nation’s founding and constitutional principles during the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

MTSU’s American Democracy Project and Honors College have been leading a broader series of programs connected to the nation’s semiquincentennial, including the fall 2026 Buchanan Lecture Series, “Legacies of the American Revolution.”

Tribute to Liz McPhee

The program will also include a special tribute to the late Elizabeth “Liz” McPhee, wife of MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and a longtime member of the MTSU community whose work and commitment to civic engagement made a lasting impact on the community. The tribute will honor her contributions and celebrate her legacy as part of this year’s Constitution Day observance.

About Constitution Day

Constitution Day itself is observed each year on Sept. 17, commemorating the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. For MTSU, the annual observance also provides an opportunity to encourage students to consider the Constitution not simply as a historical document but as a framework that continues to shape government, individual rights and civic life.

“Constitution Day is an opportunity to engage our campus in meaningful reflection on the rights and responsibilities that define American citizenship,” said John Vile, dean of the Honors College at MTSU. The program also seeks to encourage civic understanding and dialogue about the Constitution’s relevance to contemporary issues.

The American Democracy Project, a program of the Honors College, coordinates MTSU’s Constitution Day programming. The project promotes civic learning and engagement by creating opportunities for students to explore democracy, citizenship and public life.

— Robin Lee ([email protected])