Tickets are on sale now for one of the most cherished traditions of MTSU’s Black History Month celebration.

Yanika Smith-Bartley

“Where There is Unity, There is Strength” is the theme of the 2020 Unity Luncheon, which is slated for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in the ballroom of the Student Union, 1768 MTSU Blvd.

Yanika Smith-Bartley, vice president and special counsel at Nashville-based Asurion LLC, will deliver the keynote address. She is responsible for managing diversity and inclusion, international and domestic labor, employment, immigration matters and litigation for the privately held insurance company.

The Unity Luncheon honors “unsung heroes” who have devoted their lives to serving Middle Tennessee’s African American community. Honorees for this year’s 24th annual event and their categories of achievement are:

• Education: Leonora “Ms. Boe” Washington (posthumous), longtime Rutherford County Schools educator.
• Excellence in Sports: MTSU football “Mod Squad” members Edmond Miller and Raymond Bonner.
• Advocate of Civility: Marcus S. Lucas Sr., retired human resources manager.
• Community Service: Robbie Snapp, MTSU administrator and community volunteer.
• Commitment to Black Arts: Phyllis Adams, Motlow State Community College speech and theatre professor.

Tickets can be purchased through Thursday, Feb. 6, at https://tinyurl.com/knmeono. Prices are $35 for adults, $15 for students and $350 for a table of 10 people.

For more information, contact Daniel Green, director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at MTSU and chair of the MTSU Black History Month Committee, at 615-898-5812 or daniel.green@mtsu.edu.

— Gina Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)