At the conclusion of the Tennessee Campus Civic Summit, dozens of college students from across the state left even more committed to returning to their universities and communities and immersing themselves in both political and social activities.

Students from nine other universities — East Tennessee State, Vanderbilt, Belmont, Lipscomb, Cumberland, Tennessee State, Memphis, the University of the South and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga — joined MTSU at the summit Friday, Feb. 23.

The conference was held for students doing civic engagement work on their campuses and communities, with the theme of “The Future of Democracy: Tennessee’s Students Prepare for 2024.”

“You all are making a difference,” said Cathy Copeland, director of the American Democracy Project in Washington, D.C. “Think about 2024 as an opportunity and a way to make a difference. What kind of world do you want to live in and what do you want to do to make that happen?”

Rashawn Davis, executive director of the Andrew Goodman Foundation in Washington, D.C., told the audience “our democracy is at its best when all of us are involved. Real change needs your voice. … Civics in society is broken. What I see is a solution that brings people together and not divided. … It’s y’all’s turn to lead. This state is changing.”

Victoria Grigsby, 19, an MTSU sophomore political science and German double major from Fayetteville, Tennessee, said the summit was a way “to bring students from around the state together to talk about ideas” and find solutions to take those back to their own campus.

Grigsby, who is president of the American Democracy Project at MTSU, was part of a student leaders panel “talking about measures to get students registered (to vote)” and other objectives, she said.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett attended and spoke to the gathering. An election officials panel included Alan Farley of Rutherford County, Gene Shiles Jr. of Hamilton County and Joe Young II of Shelby County.

Later, state Rep. Charlie Baum, an MTSU economics and finance professor from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Rep. Aftyn Behn of Nashville, Tennessee, and councilwomen Olivia Hill of Nashville and Seema Singh of Knoxville, Tennessee, were part of a civic leaders panel.

MTSU Provost Mark Byrnes provided the welcome and said that “it is great to see people from across the state dedicated to involvement and improving civics education.”

Andrew Goodman Foundation influence

Andrew Goodman fellows Hannah Ferreira of Clarksville, Tennessee, and Marcus Rosario of Nashville were among the MTSU students attending. Ferreira, 19, is a freshman psychology and political science double major. Rosario. 19, is a freshman social justice journalism major.

Because of a past partnership with the Andrew Goodman Foundation while at another university, MTSU’s Monica Smith, assistant to the president for engagement and inclusion, helped facilitate a memorandum of understanding for Mary Evins, history professor and the university’s American Democracy Project director.

It led to Davis speaking and the foundation’s involvement at this year’s summit. The foundation works to make young voices and votes a powerful force in democracy, its website states.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)