NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney A. McPhee recently challenged a roomful of Midstate leaders to use their influence to work cooperatively to uplift the vulnerable and underserved in their communities, whether personally, professionally or politically.

McPhee served as keynote speaker for the 56^th Urban League of Middle Tennessee’s “Equal Opportunity Day” luncheon at the Music City Center, with this year’s event carrying the theme of “Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, Defeat Poverty.”

Established in 1968, the Urban League of Middle Tennessee is a civil rights organization based in Nashville committed to economic empowerment and social justice by collaborating with local leaders “to enhance living standards for African Americans and underserved groups,” according to its website.

Calling McPhee “a leader’s leader,” the Rev. James McCarroll, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro and an Urban League board member, introduced the president, with whom McCarroll has collaborated on a number of campus and community initiatives over the years.

“I can truly say he is one of the brightest and most gifted leaders in this country,” McCarroll told the hundreds in attendance.

Hard conversations with civility

McPhee applauded the organization for its efforts over the years to host thought leaders from throughout society to speak at the luncheon and share their insights about the pressing issues of the day.

“We share a similar belief at Middle Tennessee State University, as we are committed to open discourse and discussion about critical issues facing our society and have maintained a storied tradition of highlighting the needs and challenges of our African American community during our own Black History Month activities,” McPhee said. 

“In fact, I firmly believe that providing a forum for these sometimes difficult discussions, where opinions and perspectives vary widely, is one of the most important responsibilities of our American university system and our society at large.”

In championing the benefits of diversity and inclusion, McPhee highlighted the university’s True Blue Pledge that touts the importance of civil discourse, a diversity of ideas and a commitment to nonviolence.

“We must constructively and respectfully listen and learn from each other, before we can properly and effectively react,” McPhee said. “This is the root of civil discourse, and it is why that, with a grateful heart and profound humility, I come to you today.”

He noted the diversity within the Blue Raider community being “truly representative of all the people of Tennessee,” with scholars among its 20,000-plus students hailing from all 95 Tennessee counties, 45 different states and 73 foreign countries and representing a cross-section of race, nationality, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds.  

“What makes them special and allows them to thrive, is their ability to connect with each other, form lasting relationships and build a sense of family and community, even though they often arrive on our campus so different from each other and with a very narrow perspective of the world around them,” he said. 

“They often find that a little civility and respect for their fellowman goes a long way in assuring their own shared growth and success.”

Protecting voting rights

McPhee noted the fitting setting of the luncheon at Music City Center on Rep. John Lewis Way, a street renamed in recent years in honor of the late civil rights icon who as a college student was arrested along with other young activists in desegregating Nashville’s lunch counters and who worked tirelessly while in office to strengthen voting and human rights for all until his death in 2020.

Yet those voting rights have come under attack in recent years across the country, McPhee noted, through voter registration hurdles, reduced polling places and various voter ID efforts that “all impact people of color at a much greater level than their nonminority counterparts.”

“We must demand an end to political posturing and self-serving efforts to assemble voting districts, which disenfranchise minority and underrepresented populations, and that voting precincts and districts fairly represent the people,” McPhee said. 

“At the same time, as the late Congressman John Lewis and so many others demonstrated through their actions, we must lead by example. It is important that we instill in our younger generations an appreciation for history, so they may learn from the successes and failures of the past and, hopefully, engage in activities that will make this country a better place for all.”

MTSU’s Student Government Association in partnership with the university’s American Democracy Project and faculty have had success in student voter registration efforts, leading the state’s four-year public institutions for three straight years in new voter registrations.

‘Access to education for all people’

In addressing poverty, McPhee pointed to MTSU’s integral role in the Midstate in developing the high-tech workforce of the future, graduating several thousand new alumni each year from a campus that is home to, outside of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the state’s largest populations of first-generation and Pell-eligible students and a sustained minority enrollment around 30%.

The university collaborates with some of the state’s HBCUs on a variety of academic initiatives, most recently in obtaining over $1 million in support of engaging underrepresented students in the emerging field of quantum science. The National Science Foundation grants will provide opportunities for MTSU students as well as students at HBCU Fisk University and at area community colleges. 

The university also has an ongoing partnership with Meharry Medical College through a fast-track program to increase the number of primary care physicians serving medically underserved populations as well as alleviating health care disparities in rural Tennessee.

“It is imperative that we fight for continued access to education for all people,” McPhee said. “The equality that our Constitution demands, often begins in our schools, where students of all races, religions and economic levels develop the critical thinking and interpersonal skills needed to work collaboratively for the betterment of our society.

“I would challenge each of us to find a way to make a difference in one life – not 20, not 100, just one!  Altering the trajectory of a single person creates the multiplier effect that can truly effect change.”

The Urban League of Middle Tennessee has a nine-county service area, covering Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery, Sumner, Robertson, Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson counties. Learn more at https://www.ulmt.org. 

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)